Trip Issues - Part 6

My plans have been shot to hell again.  This time Iran would not issue a carnet (shipping documents)for the motorcycle to pass through their country.  Yes, oddly enough, Greta is banned, but I am OK. 



So here is my new route.  Still working the finer points out, but it shows promise.  I call this the "If I survive ISIS, I always have Somali pirates to look forward to" route.

Trip Issues - Part 5

OK, so this is just getting weirder by the embassy.  Last I wrote, I was issued a visa to enter into Turkey, a country US citizens were told very publicly by Turkey they would not issue a visa, Iran still had its ban on US citizens, and Pakistan was going to allow me in with open arms, and now the update.

I spoke with the Iranian Embassy, and they informed me of a way to enter into the country on a technicality, I can join a guided tour, even a one-man tour (before anyone gets annoyed at my use of "man" instead of "person," this is Iran).  I wrote to several Iranian travel agencies and they will offer a one-man tour (a guy following me in a car) across the country for $1,500, which is very doable.  So it appears Iran is now in the safe column.

I spoke with the Pakistani Embassy, the country that was going to allow me into the country with open arms (i.e. no travel ban on US citizens), and they refused to issue a visa.  No reason given, just a refusal.  I requested a meeting with the Ambassador, and I was informed that the refusal was his decision, and that it will not be overturned. As a result, Pakistan moves from the "safe" column past the "probably not" column and right into the "whaaa" column.

I am not defeated yet.  After much research, it turns out that I can take a ferry from Iran to UAE, then catch a Dhow from Dubai Creek to Mumbai. The Dhow will take six uncomfortable days, but the service is available.  There is one issue, according to the news articles that I have read on the subject, these boats are old and have a tendency to sink or be overrun by pirates, so they are not the safest form of transportation.  That being said, I am going to guess that they are safer than riding through Pakistan, so all is good and the safety level went up one notch.

In summary, even though all three countries individually flip-flopped from their original positions, I still have a path to India, just a very different path than I had imagined.  As a result, my planning map now looks like this:



...a Dhow looks like this:



... I look like this:



and thankfully, Greta still looks like this:

Athens, Greece

Been in Athens for about two weeks now and have been caught up in trying to secure visas, medication, motorcycle maintenance, and other little piddly things and had not done much in the realm of sightseeing.  In order to rectify this oversight, I decided to venture out to the Acropolis and visit the Parthenon and its associated structures.  

The Parthenon

Odeon of Herodes Atticus

Athens as Viewed from the Acropolis

The Erectheum

Theatre of Dionysus 

Stage Distance: 0 mi (0 km), 73 miles (118km) by ferry.
Total Distance Traveled by Motorcycle: 21,923 mi (35,359 km) 
Countries/Territories Visited: USA, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay, Canada, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Gibraltar, France, Monaco, Italy, Vatican City, San Marino, Slovenia, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Transnistria, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, Greece

Trip Issues - Middle East - Part 4

The Middle East is continuing to be a difficult nut to crack and an even more difficult place to understand.  As of October 6, 2017, Turkey and the USA had stopped issuing visas to one another's citizens.  Not going to go into details, but we basically pissed each other off.  Before the ban, we were able to get a 90 day Turkish visa at the border or airport for about 10 dollars.   I postponed my trip eastward by a couple of months with the hopes that the two countries would kiss and make up.  The kissing and making up never did happen, if anything, things got worse.

I am now in Athens, Greece and my European visa is about to lapse.  For those of you wondering, "since when does an American need a visa to be in Europe,"  well the short answer is always (the more correct answer deals with the Schengen Accord and its member countries, but that is beyond the scope of my story).  The visa process is just so seamless and easy, most people do not realize they have a visa, but the stamp that is put in the passport when an American enters the country is the visa.  This visa is valid for 90 days.  This visa is easy extendable for another 90 days, and then you must either seek residence or leave for 90 days, and the clock starts over.  I was issued the extension upon arrival, so my visa is good for 180 days.  The cool part, which I did not know until I spoke with the US Embassy here in Athens, is that the 180 day clock stops when you step out of the country.  So when I was in Morocco for three weeks, and Eastern Europe for three more weeks, I was not burning days.  Now that being said, my clock does expire on January 10.

The next country on my trip that will accept Greta (my motorcycle) and myself with open arms is India, but I must traverse Turkey, Iran and Pakistan to get there.  My plan was to spend 6 weeks in Athens and attempt to obtain my Turkish  and Iranian visas, then spend 30 days in Turkey to secure my Pakistani visa. Yes, this seems like an insane plan, but due to waiting periods and visa timeouts, it was pretty much the only option.  Since Americans are currently banned from Turkey and Iran, and are not warmly received in Pakistan, it was going to be a feat to accomplish.  After three days of talking with the Turkish Consulate, I did manage to secure a visa, but for only 15 days.  They said they would support my request for additional time, which I had to justify with a day-by-day itinerary, to the Ministry back in Turkey.  So I did submit that request.

Confusing as it is, this means that I have to obtain either both my Iranian and Pakistani visas in the next 30 days, which is next to impossible, or be granted the 45 day visa for Turkey and get my Pakistan visa there, or I am basically screwed.  I would really like to ride, in lieu of flying, this part of the journey, but if that does not happen, it is not from a lack of trying.  More nonsense to come.

Mykonos, Greece

Mykonos, a little island that has reached epic levels of popularity for its clubs, late night partying, dancing till dawn. and all day beach parties.  However, Mykonos's party lifestyle is primarily reserved for the summer months, and my calendar says November, so the place was pretty quiet. 

I circumnavigated Mykonos by motorcycle. It took about an hour.  I then decided to check out town center of Chora, the main population center on the island.  In town there were about 20 closed bars and restaurants and two open ones to serve the 10,000 or so locals who inhabit the island.  After wandering a short while, I found a little section of subdivision of the town called Little Venice that I wanted to check out.  The area was scenic on the outside, but the interior passageways and buildings were a bit dirty and unkempt.  In about 2 minutes of walking, I emerged on the other side of town and came upon a set of old windmills.  The structures were scenic and held my interest for about 10 minutes as I walked around them, took pictures, and read plaques.

I walked back into the center of town, found an open convenience store, grabbed a drink, and asked the proprietor if there was anything to see on the island. His response, did you see the windmills?  I answered with a "yup."  Did you see Little Venice?  Again with a "yup."  Did you  know the  coffee shop over there has the internet?   I got the picture.  Basically, if you are a twenty something, you can come here in the summer and party 24 hours a day, and that is about all this island has to offer.  To be honest, I really expected more.  With an hour to go until the ferry arrived, I headed over to the coffee shop, surfed the net, had a piece of apple pie, and reflected upon my day. 

The Windmills of Mykonos 

Little Venice, Mykonos

Passageway in Little Venice

Stage Distance: 0 mi (0 km)

Total Distance Traveled by Motorcycle: 21,923 mi (35,359 km) 
Countries/Territories Visited: USA, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay, Canada, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Gibraltar, France, Monaco, Italy, Vatican City, San Marino, Slovenia, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Transnistria, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, Greece

Syros, Greece

I have arrived in the beautiful Greek Isles, to be particular, I am in the Cyclades, a small group of roughly 220 islands just south of Athens.  I am currently on the Island of Syros, which serves as the legislative hub of the island group.  The island can be circumnavigated in about an hour.  There are seaside views from most every location.  The Cyclades sit in the Agean Sea, a body that is about as blue as can be, and when up close, crystal clear.  There are a couple of dive outfits on the island.  I may stop by to inquire about possibly taking a dive or two.    

Although, there is a short runway (3,500') that handles small commuter flights to Athens and Thessaloniki, the primary way to travel to Syros is via a ferry from Athens, which brings in most of the people, vehicles, and commercial goods. It is off-season, so the ferry runs just once a day.  Getting around the islands is quite cheap, and there are plenty of ferries to jump. Mykonos, a vacation hub for all of Europe, is a 1.5 hour ferry ride away.  A $14.00 ticket will get both the motorcycle and myself one way.  I am not sure I understand how they make money, especially off-season.   

Stage Distance: 104 mi (167 km), an additional 73 miles (118km) by ferry.
Total Distance Traveled by Motorcycle: 21,923 mi (35,359 km) 
Countries/Territories Visited: USA, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay, Canada, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Gibraltar, France, Monaco, Italy, Vatican City, San Marino, Slovenia, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Transnistria, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, Greece

Delphi, Greece

Started making my way down to the Greek Isles.  It is a rather long trek from Thessaloniki, so I cut the journey into two days.  Day one brought me into the small and rather empty town of Delphi.  I am sure that in season there would be a considerable amount of people milling about, and checking out what the famous Oracle was up to, but on Halloween, there were just four pensioners, two punk rockers, an Asian couple, me, and a bunch of empty restaurants.  To be honest, I prefer touring out of season.  No long lines, no people in your shots, hotels are 70 percent off, and it is not 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8C) outside.

The City of Delphi is a quaint little town, and most famous for its 1,200 year (800BC to 400AD) female resident, Pythia, the High Priestess of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, aka the Oracle of Delphi.  The question that I have is this, why did she leave in 400AD, or approximately 25 years after the temple was destroyed by an earthquake.  One would think that an Oracle, and not just any Oracle, but the most powerful Oracle to have ever resided in Greece, would have seen the earthquake coming, and would have left in 374AD or earlier.  Just saying.

Delphi Valley

Remnants of the Temple of Apollo

Amphitheater in foreground, Temple of Apollo in the background

I head off to the ferry terminal tomorrow, then onto the Greek Isles. 

Stage Distance: 235 mi (379 km)
Total Distance Traveled: 21,819 mi (35,192 km) 
Countries/Territories Visited: USA, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay, Canada, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Gibraltar, France, Monaco, Italy, Vatican City, San Marino, Slovenia, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Transnistria, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, Greece

Thessaloniki, Greece

I have entered into Greece, the last country to visit on the Balkan Peninsula.  I am kind of glad to be out of the former Yugoslavia. There were wonderful parts, but more parts that were depressing.  Greece, although in the midst of a severe financial crisis, is still much better off than Albania, Kosovo, and Macedonia.  If you were unaware of the news of the financial collapse you would be unaware of the financial collapse.  Life seems to be progressing here as normal.  The only indication that I can find of the collapse are the rents.  I am renting upscale homes, in prime locations with seaside views, for $20-$25 a day.  A bit of travel savvy I have learned in my years, bargains abound in countries with failed economies.  Just make sure the government in still in control of the country.

My first stop is Thessaloniki for some rest and relaxation.  The months and months of end-on-end travel is getting the better of me.  I am going to need some extended rest, and this is not a bad place to start.

While in Greece, I will be faced with the task of figuring out how to get through the Middle East.  Turkey looks like it may be easing up, but Iran is becoming even more of an issue.  It also seems as though the US is starting to put pressure on Pakistan, and of course, they will return in kind, and visas will be difficult to obtain there too.  C'est la vie.  The plane is starting to look like the only option.  

Stage Distance: 152 mi (244 km)
Total Distance Traveled: 21,584 mi (34,684 km) 
Countries/Territories Visited: USA, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay, Canada, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Gibraltar, France, Monaco, Italy, Vatican City, San Marino, Slovenia, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Transnistria, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, Greece

Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)

I rolled into Skopje, the capital city of Macedonia (officially titled "Former Yugoslavian Republic Of Macedonia" or "FYROM"), a very nice little city.  The government here is statue crazy, they are literally everywhere.  In a four block section of downtown, there must have been over 30 statues.  I have never seen anything like it.  They often outnumber the pedestrians.  Most of the statues are normal or human size, but many of them are just enormous, look out of place, and are lit with changing colored lights.   I just can't imagine what the qualifications are to have a statue made of someone.  I did not read all the plaques, but I have to imagine there are statues of Skopje's first dentist or teacher of the year, only way to explain the need for that many of them.

While in Skopje, I ran into a motorcycle enthusiast and he gave me the full tour of the city and the surrounding countryside.  The area is just beautiful, leaves were turning, roads were rolling though nature, it was a great ride.  I was fortunate to have met him.  I would have never of found those places on my own.

One thing I will never get used to is how fast the local motorcycle guys ride at, and their aggressive use of "land sharing" or what people in the United States refer to as "that asshole who is passing between cars."  YouTube has a videos of lane sharers titled "idiots on motorcycles."  Spoiler alert, the segments usually end in a rather nasty crash.  One of which I saw in real life during my stay in Skopje.









Stage Distance: 153 mi (247 km)
Total Distance Traveled: 21,432 mi (34,440 km) 
Countries/Territories Visited: USA, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay, Canada, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Gibraltar, France, Monaco, Italy, Vatican City, San Marino, Slovenia, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Transnistria, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia

Albania and Kosovo

Continued down the coast and started heading inland towards Shkoder, Albania.  Once off the coast, the roads are twisty and turny single carriageways but thinner.  The drivers here, so far, seem to be rather well behaved, which is good considering their width and layout. 

Albania is home to an unusual number of Mercedes Benz vehicles (approximately 80 percent of all registered vehicles) and poverty.  The country is poor and seems to be struggling.  So then, where do all of the Mercedes come from? Well Albania is the primary depository for vehicles stolen out of Europe.  Apparently, many of the stolen vehicles are "voluntarily" stolen, which is to say, an Albanian works with an owner in Western Europe who had over bought, takes the car and papers, and gets it re-registered in their home country; the "victim" in turn reports it as stolen to their insurance company and escapes a crushing month payment. Albania's loose laws (and morals) makes this all possible.  

Albania

The following day I rolled into Kosovo.  The Country, or what I saw of it, was nothing special.  Nice scenery, poverty, and questionable road work ruled the day.  There was one road that was just beautiful, brand new, up to full European standards, and in no way was built by Kosovo.  Many of these poorer countries have other countries build roads for them in exchange for political favors to be called in at a latter time, and roads like this exist in both Albania and Kosovo.

Pritzen, Kosovo

Clearly, Kosovo is in Need of Some Better Project Managers

Stage Distance: 249 mi (402 km)
Total Distance Traveled: 21,279 mi (34,193 km) 
Countries/Territories Visited: USA, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay, Canada, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Gibraltar, France, Monaco, Italy, Vatican City, San Marino, Slovenia, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Transnistria, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo

Kotor, Montenegro

Ran down the coast to the very new country of Montenegro.  During a 15-year span, the Country changed status no less than 4 times (Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia till 1992, The Republic of Yugoslavia till 2003, Serbia and Montenegro till 2007, and then the Republic of Montenegro) until it settled into its current status in 2006, 2007, or 2011 depending on which metric is used.  The one thing that is not uncertain is its beauty and culture.  The Country is stunning and the world is taking notice, Montenegro has been slammed by tourism in the past 3-4 years, so they are doing well due to the influx of money.  Costs here are quite low (4-star hotel - $34, typical lunch - $4), which makes for an inexpensive and satisfying couple of days.

The city of Kotor is a big draw due to its deep water port which allows cruise ships convenient access to the ancient walled city.  One neat thing about the bay, during the Cold War it was used by both the Soviet and Yugoslav navies for stealth and protective submarine parking.  They chiseled out deep berths in the mountains to protect the ships.  Nowadays, during the summer, these berths are explored by swimmers and kayaks.

Kotor, Montenegro

Kotor, Montenegro

Bar, Montenegro

Stage Distance: 156 mi (251 km)
Total Distance Traveled: 21,030 mi (33,791 km) 
Countries/Territories Visited: USA, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay, Canada, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Gibraltar, France, Monaco, Italy, Vatican City, San Marino, Slovenia, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Transnistria, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro

Trip Issues - Middle East - Part 3

OK, here we go again.  Instead of getting closer to my intended route, I just took one huge step backwards, or to be more accurate, was pushed backwards.  Apparently, there is a diplomatic issue between the United States and Turkey, and we have stopped issuing visas to one another.  So what was once a 10 minute and 10 dollar process of buy the visa at the border, is now a complete refusal to allow US citizens into Turkey, and vice versa.  All I can do is shake my head and say ... WTF.  

Dubrovnik (aka Kings Landing), Croatia

Riding in this area is nothing less than stunning, there are literally hundreds of adventure/dual sport/touring motorcyclists that have hit the area to ride its roads.  BMW 1200 GS's seems to be the ride of choice, but the Yamaha Tenere and Honda Africa Twin have a pretty healthy showing.  The most noticeably absent bike manufacturer here is Harley-Davidson, although their clones are all around.  On the lower end, there are about a million scooters buzzing all over, they look like allot of fun.

Without any prior research, and not having watched Game of Thrones, I rolled into Dubrovnik.  After all of the small little hamlets, medinas, and walled cities that I have rolled into on this trip, I did not think I could be amazed but yet another one, thus why I did no research.  I was so very wrong.  This place just puts every other walled city to the back of the list.  White marble buildings and walks, high city walls, and fortresses surround the City.  Inside is a maze of pedestrian walks, shops, homes, a school, and a harbor.  Walking into Dubrovnik is like literally walking into medieval life.  I can definitely see why Game of Thrones shoots here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PN63bg_OSL0).  After visiting the ity, I feel almost compelled to watch the series.

Now speaking of Game of Thrones, I have to imagine the show has done wonderful things for the local economy.  Beyond just highlighting the area, you can buy T-shirts, amulets, go on GoT tours that have extras and stand-ins from the show as tour guides, and there is even a copy of the Iron Throne that you can sit upon and get your picture taken.  One thing the local government has done, they have passed ordinances that make shopkeepers keep GoT marketing somewhat hidden, so you are not constantly smacked upon your face with signs or merchandise.  Not sure if the ordinances are a result of foresight or hindsight, but welcome nonetheless.















Stage Distance: 0 mi (0 km)
Total Distance Traveled: 20,874 mi (33,540 km) 
Countries/Territories Visited: USA, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay, Canada, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Gibraltar, France, Monaco, Italy, Vatican City, San Marino, Slovenia, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Transnistria, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia

The Croatian Riviera

I have found my new most favorite road.  The road stretches from Trpanj to Mlini, Croatia.  The road is fresh, twisty, turny and has the most incredible views.  To my right were mountains, islands, and the Adriatic Sea, to my left were vineyards and wonderful little homes dotting the hillside.  The ride was very reminiscent of Italy, but the views are better, it is less crowded, and there is more of it.  My recommendation for a new marketing slogan. "Croatia, all the Italy at half the Price."  Croatia is quickly becoming one of my favorite countries in the world.  Who woulda thunk it.








Stage Distance: 165 mi (265 km)Total Distance Traveled: 20,874 mi (33,540 km) 
Countries/Territories Visited: USA, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay, Canada, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Gibraltar, France, Monaco, Italy, Vatican City, San Marino, Slovenia, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Transnistria, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia

Split, Croatia

Rolled into Split, a very cool city built on the Adriatic back in the early 300's CE.  Split is comprised of marble lined buildings with very thin snaking walks meandering throughout.  A very interesting place to explore. With the exception of the Palace, the interior of the City has been rebuilt over time as architectural styles have changed.  Since its inception, the City has changed hands many times, with the most owners occurring in the past 100 years, to include: Italy, France, Germany, Hungary, Yugoslavia, and is now officially part of Croatia.

Old Town Split

The original ruler and Palace builder, Diocletian, was on excellent terms with what is now Egypt, received many gifts, and as such, Split has numerous Egyptian artifacts (columns, sphinxes, etc) about the City.  After the fall of Yugoslavia, as outsiders starting coming in with more frequency, they began to notice the Egyptian artifacts, most notably, artifacts that were being used as door stops, paper weights, wall decorations. and garden ornaments.  Apparently, the owners having been blocked from the outside world, did not understand the value of the artifacts.  Must have been a nice surprise for them when they found out.

The Palace

Greta at the Adriatic

European Leg ... So Far

Stage Distance: 150 mi (242 km)
Total Distance Traveled: 20,709 mi (33,275 km) 
Countries/Territories Visited: USA, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay, Canada, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Gibraltar, France, Monaco, Italy, Vatican City, San Marino, Slovenia, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Transnistria, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia

Trip Issues - The Middle East - Part 2

Absolutely nothing is easy when dealing with the Middle East, especially with Trump in office.  USA citizens are once again forbidden from entering Iran. My original proposed route from Greece to India, was Greece, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan and into India.  As the map depicts below, finding an alternate route to India is not that easy.





Unfortunately, five active war zones and the Himalayan mountain range pose some obstacles that are not easily overcome.  The only alternative route, the northern route through Russia and China, then into the Far East, and circling around to Delhi, assuming the visas are obtainable, is inaccessible 'till spring, and would require a very expensive government minder to tag along.  Further, Google is unable to find a route through China, so I am not sure this route is even doable.  Interestingly enough, with the exception of Saudi Arabia, the rest of the map can be done visa free, and often without a border stop.

So what to do.  At this point I am not sure.  The bail out option is to fly from eastern Turkey to Delhi, but that would be lame.  The only ground option is to wait and see if Iran and the US can work out their issues.  Seems like a long shot, but US citizens being barred from Iran, and vice-versa, has flipped and flopped many times in the past few years.  Then, there maybe an option I have not thought of yet.  I have enlisted the assistance of a friend who has made it around the world, and through this part of the world.  If he can not figure it out, I am pretty sure it can not be done,

More to come....