Cambodia - Central

There is nothing exciting about riding in Cambodia, or at least not that I have experienced.  The Country is flat, the roads are straight, and there are rice fields all about.  The rice fields can be beautiful at times, especially at sunset, but they can be monotonous when riding for hours at a time.  By no means am I saying that Cambodia is not exciting, but its main draw is the rich history over the past millennia, and the horrendous history of the past 40 years, to include the Khmer Rouge, dictatorships propped up by hit squads, and the Country's ranking as the third most corrupt nation, being bettered by just Afghanistan and Syria.



Cambodia had it's own genocide back in 1975-79.  Much of the Country is littered with killing fields (over 300) and detention centers. The primary detention center is in Phnom Phen, and a killing field on the southern edge of the City.  The Khmer Rouge responsible for the both and 20,000 deaths at these facilities.  The places had a stink of death about them, definitely reminiscent of Auschwitz, but to a lesser degree.  Out of respect, I did not take pictures of the place, which is fine, as I am not sure that I would want them as a memory or a talking point. 

I have not published this in a longtime, so here it is, my updated map:

Bizarre Sight of the Day:  A Buddhist monk, running a red light. on a motorcycle.  

Leg Distance: 195 mi (314 km)

Total Distance Traveled by Motorcycle: 32,962 mi (54,063 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, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, China (for 20 seconds), India, Nepal, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia

Into Cambodia

The crossing from Thailand and into Cambodia, depending on what border crossing is used, can be quite difficult or embarrassingly easy.  A couple of weeks before my crossing, a friend of mine entered Cambodia through the Krong Poi Pet border crossing.   He ended up having his bike confiscated until he obtained a tour guide licence, a process that took a week (and a very long bus ride to Phnom Pen and back). For my crossing, after consulting with Dave from the Plodd Stop (see last entry). I went through the Baan Pak Kad border.  My crossing was completely uneventful. It took seven minutes, $35, and a photo to get a visa and 5 minutes to be processed through immigration.  As far as customs goes, I had to ask where it was, and once I found it, they just passed me through, no document check at all.  Apparently, they don't have custom checks on all borders, first on for me and good to know.



First big stop in Cambodia was Siem Reap.  During my stay I had the opportunity to visit Angkor Wat, an enormous Hindu (later Buddhist) temple complex is quite amazing and spans for kilometers in all directions.  The long distances between the temples is bad for most tourists, but great for motorcycle riders as there is allot of single track trails through the woods that lead not only to the major temples, but other un-restored and tourist free temples.





On a more somber note, I stopped at the Killing Caves on the way into Siem Reap.  The caves are where the Khmer Rouge tossed an untold number of "dissidents" to their deaths.  This is just one of the kill spots for the pigs, more famous one being "the Killing Fields."  Pol Pot and his boys killed 1.5 to 3.0 million people in this country and there are reminders all around.  This will be the most interesting and disturbing part about touring Cambodia, and I am both looking and not looking forward to experiencing what I have only read about.

Leg Distance: 434 mi (709 km)

Total Distance Traveled by Motorcycle: 32,767 mi (53,749 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, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, China (for 20 seconds), India, Nepal, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia

Northern Thailand

The border crossing from Tachiliek, Myanmar into Thailand was a much ado about nothing.  We all made it without guides.  Apparently, we hit it on the right day at the right moment, people have been sent back to India though Burma before, but all was well for the group.


Thailand serves as a stark comparison to other parts of Indochina. Its almost a first-world country, so there are grocery stores (with isles, not just stacked bags of beans and rice), malls, maintenance facilities, western style roads, huge infrastructure projects, etc, etc, etc are all present.  The feeling when riding from Chang Rai to Chang Mai was surreal.  It was as if we were teleported 40 years into the future.  All was well until I was stopped by the police... three time...within 48 hours.  Two bribes and one warning later, and I realized that Thailand has a ways to go to earn its first world status.  The bribes were quite low so no point in arguing, just paid and left, no arguing, I save that for a higher threshold as it takes about 45 minutes to an hour to successfully maneuver my way out. While I am on the subject, bribes are usually very high or very low, and have never been in between.  The lows have been in India, Thailand and Kyrgystan, which were about the five dollar mark, the highs have been Peru, Columbia, and Bosnia & Herzegovina, which have been in the $200 to $350 range. During this RTW journey, I managed to extricate myself from all of the large bribes, with the exception of one, which did land me in a holding cell, but even then I got the fine down to $70.



I made my way from Chang Mai to Bangkok, although faster than I really wanted.  I did get to see some sights, but I had to have the first real repairs done on Greta, and parts supply can take close to the length of a visa, so shot down to Bangkok I did.  Greta needed allot of little little things fixed, like fork seals, clutch covers, remapped and timed the engine, repair the pannier rack, recovered the rear seat (monkey damage in India, which is a phrase I never thought I would use in my life)) etc, etc....  The one big expense ticket item was a new rear shock.  It was expensive, but worth it.  Ohlins really helped me out.  I told them my of my plight, and they sent a shock overnight (at no charge) to Bangkok, a wait time that would of normally taken 2 months.  My spine and back has rewarded my purchase decision since its installation by not going into spasm at night.


I have been to Thailand many times, so there is not allot of bucket list items I have to do here, it has been more of a relax and enjoy an uncluttered mostly modern civilization for a while.  Indochina is very difficult to traverse.  Denied entrance at borders, motorcycles being detained in holding yards until days of paperwork are approved, and extremely high fines for improper paperwork, are all common.  I have enlisted the help of Dave who is a legend in the overlander community.  He owns and runs an overlander community called the Plodd Stop (near Pattaya).  He offers vehicle storage, new and very nice apartments, and most of all his knowledge of the visa/carnet requirements for Indochina, which border posts can be traversed with a vehicle, and most of all, how to get around the tour guide requirement.  As odd as it may seem, a country's rules in this part of the world vary by border crossing point.  So here I am working out a path from Thailand into Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, all supposedly doable with my dear Greta, and of course, Dave's help.

Leg Distance: 606 mi (1,042 km)

Total Distance Traveled by Motorcycle: 32,327 mi (53,040 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, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, China (for 20 seconds), India, Nepal, Burma, Thailand

Burma/Myanmar

Right up front, I really liked Burma, but a couple of things need to be discussed before I go into my appreciation of the Country.  Burma  is in the midst of political confusion, with no real understanding of who is actually in control, is it the the military (who ran the country as recently as 2011 under a junta)? or the "democratically" elected president?  Or both (depending on where you are standing at any given time)?  Recently the Country have been accused of genocide, stalled with repatriation programs, and jailed journalists that write unflattering articles.  Sooooo, why doesn't a guy with the goal of getting around the world just keep his mouth shut and not care about such things?  Well he doesn't care about such things (not exactly true, but I am not getting into human rights discussion in the middle of  motorcycle blog), except for the fact that a Ministry official (aka government minder) is required to tag along when crossing the Country, as well as the tour agency he is assigned to oversee.


All these people and government controls can make the trip quite costly, that is of big concern to a around-the-worlder (RTW).   If done solo, the trip across Burma would cost in excess of $2,000, but the tour agency worked to get a decent sized group together that reduced the per person cost to a  palatable $430 to include all fees, payments, payoffs, hotels and breakfasts.  The group primarily consisted of other RTWs making up a caravan of nine vehicles.  Of the nine vehicles, there were four adventure bikes that hung together, three other motorcycles, an SUV and an RV.  We were required to stay to a predefined route (to be honest, its Burma and there are not a whole lot of routes in which to choose) and were basically given free reign along that route, we just had to check in via Whatsapp every couple of hours with our positions and to verify all was well.  Except for a schedule we had to keep, the government oversight really ended up being a non-issue, I only the saw the representative a couple of times, and since he didn't speak English, we never spoke.   The tour guide I saw quite often.  He was a westerner, fellow rider and adventure traveler, so he was quite enjoyable to hang out with.  That pretty much summarizes everything about riding across Burma that has nothing to with actually riding across Burma.  So what about Burma?



I found Burma to be just an amazing country,  Similar to Nepal, the relief of leaving India and entering into the Country is immediately noticeable.  The people seem to take real pride in their surroundings and it shows. The roads were in decent shape, the restaurants though austere were clean, garbage and other refuse were adequately addressed, and some of the most spectacular views abound almost everywhere.  In terms of Burma being a developing country, the cities seemed well developed and thriving. With regards to Western investment, of what I saw, and unlike their neighbor Thailand, there seems to be very little.  One thing that was quite noticeable was the spread between the haves and have-nots.  Riding through the cities and larger towns, the number of mansions were all too noticeable.  In some areas there were just lined up down the street.

To be honest, I am amazed that the Country was only recently opened to visitors.  When compared to other newly opened countries (i.e. Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, etc,), Burma seems to have entirely out paced them, but then again, I do not know their starting point.  The country is sparsely inhabited, greatly influenced by the Buddhist religion/philosophy depending upon your bent (again, a discussion in which I will not participate), and the people are extremely polite, welcoming, and gracious.  The police even seemed to be accommodating.  Burma is ideally suited to motorcycle touring, which oddly enough you can do without a Ministry official or tour guide tagging along if you rent a bike inside the Country. 




My biggest negative to the trip across Burma was the schedule.  We made the run in basically four full days of riding.  The days were long (7 to 13.5 hours a day), and there little time for side journeys. I never got to Rangoon/Yangon and all of the hundreds of attractions nearby, and only saw the City of Mandalay for two hours in the daylight.  The trip was such a burner that it took a couple of days to recover, days I would of rather spent riding normal distances and still having time to explore.  Again, motorcycle rental inside the Country is possible and one can ride un-monitored.  One guy from the group is planning on returning and spending two weeks exploring the Country, which is probably the right amount of time to give it justice.




In short, too many people are treating Burma as a pass through country (including people in our group which is why we had to burn it across the Country) and not as the adventure it appears to be.  Sure there are political issues that make Burma a bit of a black sheep, but hell, the only people at the moment going trough this country are RTWs, and if someone can't handle these issues, then the FARC in Columbia; crime in Guatemala; insane police corruption in Peru, Kyrgyzstan, Thailand, Bosnia and Herzegovina, etc, etc etc, are beyond one's moral bounds.

What's in a Name?:  Burma or Myanmar, which name is correct?  The Country was officially called Burma until in 1989 when the military junta overthrew the Government.  At this point, the unpopular self-appointed rulers renamed the country Myanmar (which, according to the Economist, is a derivation of Burma) as they felt "Burma" sounded too Colonial.  Of course, since no one voted for the junta, or really accepted them, most people still referred to the Country as Burma, more as a show of disapproval than anything else.  As a result, the name of the Country depends upon your political position. Burma if your against the military junta, or Myanmar if you are for it or are concerned about who is in earshot.  When President Obama met with the former president of the Country, he referred to the state as Myanmar, but still today, the US Embassy's official address is listed as Burma, so the US has come down squarely on both sides.  In the past couple of years the stigma behind what name one uses had faded quite a bit as the country has a whole host of more complex issues in which to find resolution (again, not gonna go there).  As such, both names are considered acceptable, especially when used by a visitor.

Leg Distance: 820 mi (1,322 km)  

Total Distance Traveled by Motorcycle: 31,681 mi (51,098 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, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, China (for 20 seconds), India, Nepal, Burma, Thailand

Nagaland, India

Well, eastern India here I am.  I completed most of my repairs (Greta is still overheating in heavy traffic) and put on my new rear tire.  I have to make it to Moreh on the eastern most border between India and Myanmar to meet up with a group of other overlanders, a Myanmar ministry official, and a tour guide to cross Myanmar, and a short time to get there. The roads between Guwhati and Moreh are not good, to be more accurate, the roads between Impahle and Dimapur are horrendous.  The short stretch s just 201 km, but the well-traveled route is missing large sections of road. in its stead are potholes, dust pools, and thousands of trucks. The run took about 9 hours to complete, and during the ride, I inhaled about a pound of dust or more.

Fortunately, the roads from Impale to Moreh, the last section of the trip and the last section I would run in India, are quite beautiful and were a joy to ride.  This area is called Nagaland, and the parts of the region that are away from the cities and villages are just beautiful.  In the villages the faces have started to change to a more Indochinese appearance, but the same dirt and lack of cleanliness were ever present.

I will be out of India soon, and to be honest, I cannot wait.  The lack of basic hygienic food preparation, the discarding of refuse into every corner of every city, the over population, the lack of infrastructure planning, people shitting and pissing in the streets, and the awful smells, have all become too much. Now to be fair, I have met some wonderful people in this country, some of the best on my trip, but India has, by a large margin, been my least favorite country visited, either on or off this trip.  I do not see myself returning to India, which is something I have never said about any country I have ever visited.  This is all quite sad for me to admit, as India was one of the countries I was most looking forward to tour. 

Leg Distance: 371 mi (598 km)  

Total Distance Traveled by Motorcycle: 30,861 mi (49,776 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, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, China (for 20 seconds), India, Nepal

Bangkok, Thailand (Side Trip)

Well, everything is figured out for my trip from Mumbai, India to Thailand.  I have a permit for five days in Myanmar (Burma) and 30 days in Thailand.  Unfortunately, Burma will require a tour guide and government representative to come along, which is the reason for the shortness of the leg.  I managed to score a 30 day "go-anywhere" permit for Thailand.  These permits are extremely difficult to get, so I got very lucky on that one.



The crossing into Burma is with a group of other overlanders we put together.  The cost is quite reasonable, $450 for 5 days and includes guide, government reps expenses, hotel, food and attractions.  The date of crossing is set for the 8 November.



Greta was in severe need of a new rear tire, being unable to locate one in Mumbai (BMW Motorrad of Mumbai could not locate one for her either), I jumped a flight to Thailand to pick one up.  In anticipation of numerous comments, I will answer the obvious question up front, "Hey moron, why not order one and have it sent to India?" Well, in a single word...customs.  India has some improvements to make in this area.  I had a buddy send a package me in India from the USA.  It took two days to get from the USA to New Delhi, three weeks to clear customs, and one week and over a dozen phone calls for FedEx of India to move the package to a sort facility so I could pick it up. So, off to Bangkok I went.  I also picked up some other things I hadn't had in a while, like beef, gummy bears and easy access to food that doesn't make one poop blood. Indians literally put chili peppers in EVERYTHING.  Apparently they prefer heartburn to flavor.

Proposed Route

I head back to Mumbai in two days (with a store of gummys in hand), and will immediately jump on Greta and head back this direction.  The proposed trip is going to be hot, long and arduous and all but Thailand will be done very quickly, but I guess if it were easy, it wouldn't be an adventure.

Leg Distance: 0 mi (0 km)

Total Distance Traveled by Motorcycle: 30,490 mi (49,178 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, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, China (for 20 seconds), India, Nepal, Thailand

Trip Issues 10 - How to Get Through Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia is a very difficult part of the world to travel through by means of a personally owned motor vehicle.  The rules concerning document requirements and under what conditions vehicles are allowed entry into Asian countries are continually changing in the region.  As such, I have assembled the following map to keep things straight in my head (14-Oct-2018).  Please note, these requirements are in addition to the standard required documents (drivers license, international drivers licence, vehicle registration, passport and visa if applicable).

Carnet de Passage (Carnet)

Countries:
Required - India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal
Recommended - Laos, Cambodia

What is it?  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnet_de_Passages_en_Douane

Carnets can be expensive and costs vary by country.   Additionally, the carnet book and coupons MUST be returned to the issuer on time (365 days) or cash bond ($10,000 in my case) is forfeited.

Note:  Do not rely on the map in Wikipedia, I know for a fact that it is incorrect.

Must be on a Tour
Countries: Myanmar, Thailand

Two countries require all overlanders (ie, motorcycles, cars, etc.) that are passing through their respective countries to be on a tour, with a registered tour agency, a tour guide, and possibly a representative from the government to be in attendance.  One thing to note is that the more people that you can gather together, the cheaper the per/person price.  The Horizons Unlimited bulletin board (HUBB)(http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/) is a good place to find people.  I have found groups in less than a day.

Note:  Burma requires a permit. The permit is day and participant specific and a change in either will push your permit date out.

Extreme Difficulty 
Country: Bangladesh

I had been advised by many people (Bangladeshi residents and Overlanders) that the trip through Bangladesh is not worth the hassle.  As such, I decided, as most overlanders have, to bypass the country.

Note:  Rumor is that a carnet is also required in Bangladesh.

Not Gonna Happen
Country: Vietnam

Vietnam will not allow outside vehicles into the country...period.  However, they have very relaxed laws on who can buy and operate a motorcycle within the country, and insurance, registration, ownership papers, etc, seem to be a non requirement.  As such, there is a thriving bike swap/sales community in the country, and you should have no problem buying and disposing of a used bike, very inexpensively, while in country.  Most reports are that you can buy and sell a bike for the same price.

Laos-Thailand Border

Due to lack of Border Control. there is no way to legally to pass between Myanmar and Laos.  Overlanders MUST pass through Thailand.  The shortest route through the Country is 100 km in length and should take approximately two hours, but you must be on a tour and pay all fees associated with the tour including customs and registration fees (less than $200).  (https://www.google.com/maps/@19.8124294,100.5428134,7z)

UPDATE:  A border Just opened mid-November 2018.  At this writing, only locals are permitted through, but it will b a fully functional border in the not so distant future, or so I am told. 

Central Nepal

Monkey Temple

The Hipsters have found a new place to settle.  Think Boulder, Colorado circa 2000 but moved about 12,000 mile away, and instead of dread locks and shadow dancing to the Grateful Dead, Pokara is linen shirts, pajama pants, man buns, beard oil and Mojitos.  An actual line from an over heard conversation was, "man...I am really feeling the meditation working, my chakras are really freeing up, I am so much the better for it.."  So, if your chakras are out in need of alignment, Pokhara is the place for you.  Now mind you, I am not making fun of the people who come here to have that done...really I am not... honestly...oh fuck it, yes I am, it is weird, not in a bad way, but not in a good way either.

Even though the parental funded hipsters out number locals, Pokhara is very cool and has become an adventure base for helicopter touring, bungee jumping, long trekking, climbing mountains that aren't named Everest, paragliding, rafting, etc. etc etc. The tourism part of the City is clean, affordable, and a nice place to visit, and I had a very nice time there.  The locals, like most of of the residents of Nepal, are just awesome.  Again, I was invited to dinners, outings and motorcycle runs.  I never asked, and they invited, never expecting anything in return.  Just great people.

Some of the locals took me for a very cool ride through the mountains

After Pokhara, I headed over to Kathmandu, the namesake of an old Bob Seeger song and apparently the hash capital of south east Asia.  I walked around my hotel and was approached no less than 11 times during my 20 minute stroll.  The Nepalese who told me that Kathmandu was dirty and not the best their wonderful Country has to offer, were correct.  Unless you want some of the aforementioned hash, or some top quality North Face knock-offs (they are quite good), Kathmandu has little to offer.  Mind you I did not feel unsafe at anytime, I just could not recommend the location for people on a time-constrained vacation.  That being said, if your in the area, spend a day or day and a half...but not two.



My final thoughts on Nepal are the people are great, the place is beautiful, and the roads flat out suck.  That being said, I highly recommend it if you are the outdoorsy type.  Well, I am off to give India a second try and I hope the experience will be better than before. 

Weird Fact:

Ducati motorcycles have been banned from Kathmandu.  The government indicates that it is due to their noise, but the locals feel it has more to do with financial considerations.  I kind of believe in the locals position as the noise issue makes no sense.  The ban only applies to Ducati, and the City is quite loud already, but I will let the individuals make up their minds on that one.

Trip summary

Leg Distance: 290 mi (467 km)

Total Distance Traveled by Motorcycle: 29,935 mi (48,283 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, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, China (for 20 seconds), India, Nepal

Into Nepal

Talk about night and day.  With the exception that the bus drivers are assholes (that's worldwide though), Nepal and India are nothing alike.  Crowds, garbage strewn about, weird smells. and the bizarre staring all went away in a simple border crossing.  In its stead, are uncrowded roads, beautiful scenery, and well, some of the nicest people I have ever met.

As much as this place is beautiful, I did not pick the best time of the year visit - monsoon season - but I do like it when 95 percent of the tourists are not around as it is an opportunity to get a much better understanding of the country and its people.  The only downside is the amount of rain that has been falling. It is excessive by local standards for this time of the year. The mud puddles are numerous and deep sometimes making travel arduous.  Unfortunately, these road conditions will continue all the way to Thailand.  I am not sure my suspension can handle much more, it is the stock shock and it was never intended to handle these roads nor all the weight I have piled on her (340 lbs on a shock designed to handle 170 lbs).  In order to keep my spine from shattering and my fillings attached securely in my molars, I will need to change out the rear shock in the very near future. 

Just 11 miles into Nepal, I stopped at a roadside cafe.  This family (pictured below) started chatting with me, provided a pretty good synopsis of what to do in Nepal, then invited me to stay at their place for the evening.  I politely declined as I did not want too impose, but they were just the nicest people, as are all the people I have met here so far.

On my trip up towards Pokhara, I ran into a group of locals at another roadside cafe, and they too invited me to join them for lunch.  As I was leaving, they made the following comment, "if you ever have any trouble during your travels, just ask a Nepalese person, we will always help, that's just us."  I could not agree more.  I am not sure about the big cities, in particular Kathmandu, as people tend to be less friendly in the city (worldwide) but I will be heading out soon to see if the statement rings true there too, but not before I hit Pokhara. Note:  Many of the locals make the comment, "Nepal is beautiful...except Kathmandu," and I will soon see if that statement rings true also. 

Weird Observance of the Day:  I was riding along in a small city near the India border and a cow darted out into street and in the way of an oncoming motorcycle.  Despite the rider's valiant efforts, he hit the cow... right in the brisket ... spinning the beast 180 degrees.  I was amazed that a cow could spin on its axis in that fashion and that quickly (I guess hooves on old asphalt do not offer much traction).  Luckily, all people, and the bovine, walked away seemingly unharmed.  One could say that they narrowly escaped an utter catastrophe.

Trip summary

Leg Distance: 427 mi (689 km)

Total Distance Traveled by Motorcycle: 29,645 mi (47,816 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, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, China (for 20 seconds), India, Nepal

Tajikistan Overview

Tajikistan is a very beautiful country and absolutely a must visit if time and finances allow.  The primary attraction are the Pamirs, a mountain range that runs through Central Asia, and of course Tajikistan.  The range is by comparison young, and thus very steep and has some of the highest peaks in the world.  The  majority of adventure travelers that tour the Pamirs, in Tajikistan anyway, are cyclists; motorcycles are the second most prevalent, with 4x4s and old military vehicles turned into mega off-road RVs coming in third.  The year 2018 is the 'Year of Tourism and Folk Art," and for the price of an inexpensive visa, the Country is welcoming people with open arms.

With regards to renting motorcycles in Tajikistan, there are little to no offerings.  Most prospective riders rent in Osh, Kyrgyzstan, and make the loop, or similar version of it, as detailed below.  

My Route Through Tajikistan

The most common route through Tajikistan, and the one I took, passes within three meters of Afghanistan, China and Uzbekistan.  If Google Maps is to be believed, the route actually passes through small portions of Uzbekistan, but on the road it is not discernible.  

Economic and Safety Rankings

With regards to safety, the US State Department has Tajikistan rated at Security Threat - Level 1, which is the department's safest level.  The World Fact Book, published by the CIA, ranks Tajikistan as the 192nd richest country (out of 229 countries/territories).  In short, a visit to Tajikistan is both safe and inexpensive.  

Immigration/Military Check Points/Police

The process to get into Tajikistan is really quite simple.  A visa can be obtained online or at an embassy for $55 (US price).  There is an additional $20 fee to ride through the Pamirs, which is payable by all nationalities.  The immigration/customs process is simple and quick. There are various scammers that hang around the customs area that try to trick you into buying a variety of "required services," and can be quite pushy.  These "services" are not required, and it's best to just turn your back to them and walk away.

Tajikistan shares a very long border with Afghanistan (separated by the Panj, a medium size river).  For protection purposes, the Country has installed numerous stationary check points and roaming patrols along the road.  The check points are quick to get through and require a simple showing and recording of a passport, road permit and visa.  The check points are intentionally very laid back to legal tourists and in the lower/hotter elevations, the military was handing out slices of watermelon as documents were being recorded.

With regards to the police, very few are prevalent in the eastern part of the country. The western part of the country, most notably the capital, is flush with them.  I had heard horror stories with regards to police corruption in the country, but neither I, nor anyone I actually spoke with, experienced any negative encounters.  

Roads and Fuel

The quality of the roads in Tajikistan vary significantly depending on whether they are located in the west or east side of the country.  The eastern side of the country is mostly mountainous, scenic and remote, and is the reason why most of the tourists come to Tajikistan.  The roads in this part of the country are poor to atrocious and many have never been paved or were last paved by the Soviets (prior to 1991). Large sharp rocks are very prevalent, potholes galore on the paved sections, unsigned missing bridges, sand, loose gravel, and combinations of all the above span the majority of the eastern roadway system.  During the trip, Greta did sustain some damage, most notably, one large dent, three medium dents and a 2-inch longitudinal crack in the front (cast aluminum) rim.  Thankfully all damage was straightened, trued, and welded in Bishkek in just under two hours for only $28. The west side of the country is primarily flat  or rolling and supports the majority of business and government.  The roads in this part of the country are in good shape and seem to be newly paved and marked.

The rub in the tourist community is that the roads in the east are in such bad shape and need to be repaired. In my personal opinion, the poor roads are a good thing, as the road is not well suited for regular passenger vehicles or massive tour buses, which leaves this area to adventurers.  If the Tajik government were to repave, and I am sure they will, the highway will be loaded with tour buses full of pensioners, and the small kitschy home stays and wild camping areas will be replaced by chain hotels and chain restaurants.  People who want to see the unspoiled and unmolested Tajikistan had better hurry, because the government is looking to tourism to bolster its economy, and making access to the Pamirs easier to the masses is the next logical step.

Fuel stations in the eastern part of the Country are few and far between, but if planned correctly, are adequate for most motorcycles.  If fuel shortages are encountered, every village has a fuel farm (villages are run on generators) and they will sell to people in need, although at an inflated price (30 percent over).  The western side of the country is flush with fuel stations. 

The People

The people are simply amazing, and I am sure it has to do with the newness of tourism in the country.  Tajikistan has only recently opened it doors widely, and more recently the Pamirs, to foreigners.  The people are genuinely excited to see people cruising through.  Many people have opened their homes to travelers in the form of a home stay.  A home stay will cost $10-$15 a night and will include a bed to sleep in and all meals for which the patron is around.  Arrive before two o'clock, and three meals will be part of the stay.  

The kids in these small towns are the best part.  When they hear the motorcycle coming, they will run down their driveways to wave or give high-five as I pass.  I stopped in a small village with a market, and within 5 minutes half the kid residents had arrived and were asking a million questions, climbing on Greta and taking pictures.  They really cracked me up.   

The Market Stop

Tourism

Tajikistan's principal tourism lies in the eastern part of the country and consists mostly of the incredible, untouched and unmolested scenery.   The Wakhan (the route I took) and Bartang Valleys are the tougher of the routes and stray from the primary road (M41).  The western part of the country contains very little in comparison and is basically a pass through for most tourists going to and from the Pamirs.  Dushanbe, Tajikistan's capital, is a modern city and not much of a draw.  The City is primarily used by tourists that are resting after riding through the Pamirs or as a location for organizing equipment before heading into the Pamirs.  There are a couple of hostels (Pamir Lodge in Khorog and the Green House and Yeti in Dushanbe) that are frequented by overlanders to conduct these activities.

Trip summary

Leg Distance: 1,168 mi (1,883 km)

Total Distance Traveled by Motorcycle: 28.860 mi (46,547 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, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, China (for 20 seconds)

The Pamir HIghway/Wakhan Valley, Tajikistan

Tajikistan started as an afterthought. more of a way to spend time while awaiting the Pakistan visa clear.  Well, I didn't get the visa I was after, but I did get to experience the Pamir Highway and the Wakhan Valley, which is was amazing.  What the two stretches had in common was the magnificent scenery.  I have had the opportunity to visit many places in my lifetime, and I can say without hesitation, that this was one of the most breathtaking areas I have ever been. 

The area is traversed mostly by motorcycles and bicycles and on rare occasion, a 4x4 vehicle.  With regards to the Pamir Highway, the route itself comes within three meters of China, and appears to not have been repaved since the reign of the Soviet Union.  With regards to the Wakhan Valley, the road is either sand, loose gravel, dirt, large rocks, or a combination of the above.  Sections of the eastern half of the road is single lane (passing needs to be creative), hangs perilously on the edge of cliff (looking over you can find a vehicle or two that did not make the turn), and overlooks the amazing Hindu-Kush mountain range in Afghanistan.  The road parallels the Panj River that separates the two countries, with Afghanistan close enough to throw a rock into...which of course  I did :-).  The western half of the road drops down into a lush fertile valley with small villages dotted along the way.  The ride was rough, jarring and nothing less than exhilarating.  

Leg Distance: 426 mi (688 km)
Total Distance Traveled by Motorcycle: 27,692 mi (44,664 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, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, China (for 20 seconds)

Sary-Tash, Kyrgyzstan

Aafter almost a week of being stranded in Osh awaiting for the seal for final drive, I am back on the road again.  It was a quick two-hour run up to Sary-Tash, a small little village at the base of the Parmir mountain range.  The village is just short of the Tajikistan border, and is the last speck if civilization before the Pamir Highway.  The highway is by all accounts epic, and will bring me over the Pamir mountain range, into the Wakhan Valley, and right next to the Afghanistan and Chinese borders.  The trip should be nothing less than amazing.  The only negative is that due to the remoteness, I will not have access to internet for the next 10 days. This will be the first time since the late 1990s that this will have happened.  Not sure I will survive.

Yurt Village

Leg Distance: 117 mi (189 km)
Total Distance Traveled by Motorcycle: 27,266 mi (43,976 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, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan

Osh, Kyrgystan

Today I headed out for Tajikistan on some of the most scenic roads I have ever ridden.  The roads were twisty, turny, and had massive grade changes, they were essentially every motorcyclists dream. This is a welcome change since I have not seen a mountain pass since central Turkey.  Interestingly enough, central and southern Kyrgyzstan is starting to become not only an adventure bikers dream, but their destination vacation.  Since my departure from Western Europe, I have encountered only a small handful of fellow riders, but on this stretch of road alone I passed maybe a dozen or so, and this in a country that does not have a single motorcycle dealership.  Apparently, at least one European adventure travel agency has set up shop in southern Kyrgyzstan and offers guided tours and motorcycle rentals for this area.  At the time, this seemed a bit immaterial, but this little observation would become very important very quickly.   

The second half of this wildly scenic ride was met with cold driving rain and high wind.  I believe I would of been quite miserable if the roads were not so incredible.  I descended out of the mountains and into an intermittent valley to find a much needed gas station.  I gassed up, grabbed some food, and sat on the curb and ate.  Looking over at Greta, I noticed oil coming out of the main hub of her rear wheel.  I looked more closely, and part a strap had come loose from the bike, a piece of it was torn off and sucked up into the hub destroying the main seal and causing the leak.  The rear brakes no longer worked, and to be honest, at this point I thought I had damaged the brake caliper, not the hub (the hub oil had gotten on the brake disk).  Unfortunately, I still had 70 miles to go to my next stop.  So in the driving rain, I crossed another mountain range with dozens of switch backs, all on an injured Greta.  Two exhausting hours later I rolled into Osh, thankful to not have rear-ended anybody or gone off a cliff. 

Now what to do?  With no motorcycle service centers or dealers for literally 1,000 km, I was kinda stuck.  Well, remembering all of the adventure riders passing me, I started looking for the touring company that was supplying their bikes.  By the grace of luck, the company (MuzzToo) was located just 3 miles from where I was staying, so I went and visited them.  They were extremely helpful, pulled the back of the bike apart, found the issue, and then started making calls, within an hour they found the proper size seal (from a machine shop supplier), and it will be here on Monday.  So with luck, I will be on my way to Tajikistan Monday night or Tuesday morning.  The motorcycle brotherhood is extremely strong in this part of the world, and as I come to learn, it is the only way to survive here.  




Leg Distance: 432 mi (696 km)
Total Distance Traveled by Motorcycle: 27,149 mi (43,787 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, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan