Another cold start with less than -10 degrees celcius in the morning. I think I will get used to it though. Met a cool dog. She ran along beside me for about 4km before giving up… The plan was to find a place to stay in Akhaltsikhe Town for a […]
Monthly Archives: December 2006
The day started off with a chilly -13 degrees celcius in the morning with a strong wind that made the cold feel like a sharp razor blade on any exposed skin. I accidentally broke a tent peg that had become brittle in the cold ground. The river next to which […]
Day 159 – Khashuri Town to Atskuri Village
English Summary: One way or another I will get off this M1 highway. Almost hit by two large trucks, I pushed my bike for two hours along the side of the road, watching in awe at the insane overtaking manouvers of cars and trucks. Decide to take smaller quieter road, […]
Day 158 – Rusi Village to just past Khashuri Town ...
In the morning I had a feeling that the skies would unleash a fury on me, and indeed they did just before Gori Town. The heavy snow continued from 11am until 2pm.During this time I sheltered in a petrol station office, where the staff kindly allowed me to eat my […]
Day 157 – M1 Highway 50km mark to Rusi Village
English Summary: the first 20km or so of Georgia’s M1 main highway were great. Smooth, new highway. The rest of the day was in first gear slogging my way through soft gravel on the side of the road – too dangerous to be on the road itself – so much […]
Day 156 – T’Bilisi to M1 highway 50km mark (English ...
I have arrived in Europe. Well, the most Europe-like city I have encountered so far on this trip. Cobbled streets (look nice but are rotten for cycling or driving on), stone buildings… But tomorrow it is goodbye T’Bilisi. I head west once again towards the Black Sea to the coast […]
Day 154 – T’Bilisi
Last night’s campsite was a good one. Overlooking T’Bilisi’s satellite city, Rust’Avi. A shepherd tending his flock of 400 (?!) sheep and goats wandered over and had a chat. Luckily he spoke Russian. I am finding that less and less people speak Russian here in Georgia. Especially the younger folk […]
Day 151 – Into T’Bilisi, capital of Georgia
Jolly cold this morning. A mild -9 degrees celcius. Great weather for camping.The last few kms to the Azerbaijan border were fairly straight forward, as was getting out of Azerbaijan. Georgia impresses me with it’s zero tollerance to corruption in the public sector. They have special police at the border […]
Day 150 – Sweet Georgia Brown
Azerbaijan has a ferral dog issue. In no other country have I been kept awake in the middle of nowhere at night in my tent by howling and scrapping dogs. Today took me through hibernating vineyards, and in one particular town I got the biggest crowd of spectators yet when […]
Day 149 – Ganja City to past Qazax Town
Ganja City has an alumina refinery and aluminium smelter – all in one site. So there.
Day 148 – Gorranboy Town to just past Ganja City
Despite the cardboard window of my hotel room at the decrepid will-fall-down-at-any-moment hotel, I did get a good sleep, and managed also to dry out my tent after yesterday’s muddy fiasco. I had just gotten money out of the ATM and was about to leave on my bike when a […]
Day 147 – Detained in Yevlax
English Summary: It says on the Baku Bicycle Club website that cycling off road in Azerbaijan becomes impossible after rain. Now I know why. This Azerbaijan mud is straight out of Sticky Mud Hell. The road to my sleeping spot last night became unrideable by morning. Big trucks sprayed mud […]
Day 146 – From Kurdemir to Yevlax (English Summary)
Flat roads continue….
Day 145 – From Sigiri to just before Ucar
Cold and grey day again today as I rode the flat lands of Azerbaijan. This road (the A343) has some revamped sections, but is mostly narrow and in bad condition, albiet sealed. Add to that very heavy traffic including many many old dump trucks, and you have a very dangerous […]
Day 144 – Qiziburun to Sigiri
English Summary: A cold, flat day of riding. Rode past the BP Sanqachal Oil Terminal – the beginning of the BTC oil and gas pipelines. Azerbaijan has the worst drivers I have encountered so far. Crazy overtaking manouvers, and general ignoring of road rules and road markings. 幸せです。ウズベキスタンと同じように、平らな道路が一日続きました。暖かくはありませんが。日中は５度以上あがりませんでした。休憩をとるときにダウンジャケットは必着用でした。 バクー自転車クラブの皆さんのほとんどが働くBP石油ターミナルは今日のルートにありました。BPは世界位置大きな石油会社で、カスピ海の石油可能性を現在集中的に開発しているそうです。BPが最近できたカスピ海の油田掘削施設は、現在カスピ海に働いている全部の他社油田掘削施設よりも石油油出能力が大きいらしいです。 というか、この辺には小さな油田掘削施設が非常に多いです。個人が石油を生産しているわけです。町の中。環境保護という理念をまったく知らないようで、周りの土地が黒い油に漬かっているところが多い。以下のところは国連の補助金で徐々に回復されている話をBPのスタッフの一人に聞きました。 […]
Day 143 – Baku to Qiziburun (English Summary)
First I must extend my thanks to Patty and Preston from the Baku Bicycle Club for the few days I have shamelessly indulged in their wonderful generosity and hospitality. Thank you so much for putting up with me oops, I mean putting me up. It is people like you that make a […]
Day 142 – Big thanks to Baku Bicycle Club
Another ride with the Baku Bicycle Club today. This time it was all on road on a recently sealed road up into the hills 50km north of Baku. The road passes some amazing rock formations – dubbed the ‘candy case’ mountains for their bright pink and white stripes. Today was my […]
Day 141 – Candy cane mountains with the BBC
Achim, a regular visitor and comment-poster on this site, has been extremely pro-active on my behalf, and a while ago contacted the Baku Bicycle Club and let them know that I was going to be travelling through the area. Andy Buckworth from the club kindly contacted me, and to cut a […]
Day 140 – Riding with the Baku Bicycle Club
Did you know that there is a revolution happening right on your doorstep? It is here, and you need to be a part of it. You must conform to the cardboard people When Homeless Take Over The World From the site: Soon, in a time not far from now, things […]
When Homeless Take Over The World
I got arrested in Baku today for taking the follow two photos: No great big deal, but after taking the photos, a nearby police officer waved me over and explained that I was not allowed to take photos where we were. It turns out that behind me about 600m away […]
Day 139 – Excitement in Baku
Day spent washing clothes (first time in a month), washing myself (first time in two weeks), and updating the website. Typical internet cafe scene in Azerbaijan (Baku, Azerbaijan) / インターネットカフェの様子（アゼルバイジャン、バクー） I do apologise for the HTML Protector thingee that invited itself into my website code. I did not put it […]
Day 138 – In Baku
6th December English Summary: Ferry ride was smooth, slept like a log during the night. Got into Baku at 4pm, checked into a US$10 dorm room at the Azer Hotel – very clean. Baku has a European/Middle East, oil money greased feel about it. Lots of flash cars. I am […]
Day 137 – Azerbaijan you jem! (English Summary)
5th December On the train to Turkmenbasi, Turkmenistan / トルクメンバシ行きの列車にて（トルクメニスタン） The Caspian Sea is a deep aqua blue, at least here in Turkmenbasi. Turkmenbasi itself feels like the end of the world. Old Soviet apartments with small wooden framed windows. None seem to have been constructed as if there was […]
Day 136 – Turkmenbasi and the Caspian Sea
4th December English Summary:: I had a day while waiting for my train to Turkmenbasi to ride around Ashgabat – the canvas for the President. Statues of him are everywhere. His books (he writes one every year, and citizens are supposed memorise them) are enthroned on high. What a crazy, […]
Day 135 – Ashgabat (English Summary)
3rd December My temperature at 1am this morning was still 40.3 degrees. By 4:30am however, it had fallen to 38.4, and by 8am, it was a normal 36.7. Had this happened a day later, I would have been in a tent in the middle of the desert on my way […]
Day 134 – Out of the haze and onto a ...
2nd December English Summary: Woke with 38 degrees celcius teperature. Had to get food, so floated to nearest convenience store and bought yogurt, fruit juice, cheese and ice cream. I have diahorrea too. Watery. Temperature at 16:30 was 39.8 degrees. Teperature at 20:00 was 40.4 degrees. 朝起きて、体温を測ったらまだ38度でした。暖かいホテルの部屋にいるが、食べ物がない。食べないわけに行かないので、しょうがなくて近くのコンビニに買いだししに行かないと行けない。熱が38度で、マイナス5度の外にでるのはあまり最高な条件ではありません・・・ Oh great President […]
Day 133 – Look Mum, I’m floating! (English Summary)
1st December I woke to -16 outside the tent. According to the thermometer on my watch, it was -1 inside the tent. Can two layers of nylon insulate up to 15 degrees? I have my suspisions about the inside tent reading. Everything at this temperature is ten times as difficult. […]