Dasht-e Kavir – the Great Salty Desert

Posted on 26/06/2010 by robb

Ok. We did it half way :-) but please . .excuse me .. cycling in 50C is against Health & Safety Regulations even here ok ?
And BTW the train from Tabas to Mashhad was also veeery hot (but full of very friendly people) so we still suffered a lot :-)

We are in Mashhad but leaving tomorrow for Hate-the-tourist-why-they-want-to-come-here-give-them-5-days-visa country. In Short? TURKMENISTAN :-)
Still happy, still together, still .. or even more excited about all the new faces we gonna see in Central Asia.
Enjoy the pictures and … c’mon . .don’t be shy to write something. There is a little window on the bottom of the page. Use it :-)

Ania and Robb and Ben

[caption id="attachment_487" align="alignnone" width="950" caption="(c) Ben Robbinson"][/caption]
[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_489" align="alignnone" width="950" caption=" (c) Ben Robbinson"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_493" align="alignnone" width="950" caption="don't stop Her NOW!!!!"][/caption]


[caption id="attachment_496" align="alignnone" width="950" caption="Porridge !!!!!!!!! 5:00 am"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_501" align="alignnone" width="950" caption="Ice Ice Baby .... Ice Ice Baby ...."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_503" align="alignnone" width="950" caption="wherrre is the camelll ? wherrre is the CAMEEEEELL ?"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_504" align="alignnone" width="950" caption="sugar ? naaaaaaaaaa :-)"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_505" align="alignnone" width="950" caption="here comes the Cheetah - dadadadada ... ;-) it's alright ... (is it?)"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_506" align="alignnone" width="950" caption="Still Friends ;-)"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_507" align="alignnone" width="950" caption="Still in Love ;-)"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_508" align="alignnone" width="950" caption="still running away ;-)"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_509" align="alignnone" width="950" caption="but well protected ..."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_510" align="alignnone" width="950" caption="everyone ;-)"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_511" align="alignnone" width="950" caption="Tabas, camping near the Holy Shrine of The Emmam Rezas Brother"][/caption]
Posted in Silk Road | 4 Comments

3800 km and only 30 days visa

Posted on 14/06/2010 by robb

We are in Shiraz at the moment. Looong, 2 weeks brake from cycling.
Visas, heat and friends .. :-) but we are getting ready to cross the Dash-e Kavir desert next week.
More @ www.cyclingnomads.org/ben

[caption id="attachment_416" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="Big and Small Ararat - view from Iran"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_417" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption=":-)"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_418" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="Tabriz"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_419" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="Tabriz, Bazaar"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_422" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption=" London ? no - Teheran!"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_423" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="Teheran - The Moneychanger"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_424" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="Teheran - The Knife Sharpener"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_425" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="Teheran - The Shisha Bar Owner"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_426" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="In the mountains. North of Teheran"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_427" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="Kashan - The Going Back from Bakery Father of 4"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_428" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="Kashan"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_429" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="Kashan - The Wool Seller"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_431" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="Kashan - The Plastic Flowers Seller"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_432" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="Kashan - There is nothing bad in stylish panniers :-)"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_433" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="Kashan - The Smile for Tourist Giver"][/caption]

Stay cool :-) It’s 41C today:-)

Posted in photo, Silk Road | 1 Comment

This Gorgeous Turkey

Posted on 19/05/2010 by robb

We are not cycling much this days. Ania has some silly knee injury so we took a bus just to avoid climbing some 1200 m. Oh well .. part of the “team trip”.

We are around Van Lake :-) so to use it properly .. we took a famous ferry boat across the lake. Great adventure AND since we were the ONLY passengers the crew took us all around :-) and even “forced us” to have a lunch with them.

ok .. some postcards from the Gorgeous Turkey today. Here they are!






[caption id="attachment_387" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="our bikes at the back of the ferry"][/caption]



love and kisses
like always

Posted in Silk Road | 3 Comments

Leaving Syria

Posted on 10/05/2010 by robb
[caption id="attachment_355" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="one of my favorite ones from this crazy country :-)"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_345" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="a proper cycling postcard ;-)"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_347" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="lets name it .. it's hot ;-)"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_348" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="16 liters of water .. just for tonight"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_349" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="sunrise or sunset ??"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_357" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="after the desert/sand/dust storm :-)"]


a po pustynnej burzy Wasz Nieustraszony wyglada tak ;-)[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_363" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="hot .. not like in Europe ;-)"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_365" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="Hajji Ismail and his sheep"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_367" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="milking time!"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_369" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="oh yeah! it's holydays!"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_371" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="Al Hasakeh during the storm"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_373" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="but Mr. President is watching .. like always"][/caption]

:-)

Posted in Silk Road | Leave a comment

on the way to Damascus

Posted on 02/05/2010 by robb

“Welcome to Syria!” it’s the local mantra. One doesn’t have to speak English to know how to say it.
The best part of it? They don’t only say it – they do it. With smiles, with free coffee, free breakfasts, free fruits, free … you name it (almost ;-)
Great people!

[caption id="attachment_321" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="Abdul ... another great host"]
[/caption] [caption id="attachment_325" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="it can go even steeper ?"]

[/caption] [caption id="attachment_335" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="another day .. another Falafel ;-)"][/caption]
Posted in Silk Road | 1 Comment

Aleppo

Posted on 02/05/2010 by robb

No time and money for too much internet …
so lets the pictures to speak :-)

[caption id="attachment_293" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="Zajadajac wieeelkie Falafel :-)"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_294" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="bazarowe dzieciaki"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_297" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="maly lansik :-)"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_299" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="lansik 2 :-)"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_302" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="Mydlo z Aleppo. Z oliwek .. ponoc slynne ;-)"][/caption]

w Syrii, zwlaszcza na bazarach, widac jak wiele dzieci musi pracowac.

[caption id="attachment_310" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="z ladunkiem na bazarze"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_311" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="Bazar w Aleppo"][/caption]
Posted in Silk Road | 3 Comments

Halil and Iskanderun

Posted on 21/04/2010 by robb

no time for writing ;-)
only photos today .. sorry guys :-) We are in Iskanderun .. 2 days away from Syria …

[caption id="attachment_271" align="alignnone" width="950" caption="w okolicach Feke ... mala lesna droga .. :-) cuuudo"][/caption]

uroki bocznej drogi :-)
[caption id="attachment_273" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="nocleg w meczecie :-) takim malym, przy stacji benzynowej :-)"][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_274" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="Halil .. nasz wybawca .. doslownie!"][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_275" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="a drzewa pomaranczowe w pelnym rozkwicie"][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_277" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="przepraszam Panie Ataturk - do Syrii to ktoredy ??"][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_278" align="aligncenter" width="950" caption="bzzzzzzzzzz bzzzzzzzz"][/caption]
Posted in Turkey | 4 Comments

it’s time to pack …

Posted on 07/04/2010 by robb

aaaaaaall right!
We are leaving … eeeeeeee .. today ? OK … so what about the boxes?
sorry everything is in Polish but I belive .. you’ll get the picture ;-)


:-)

xx

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2 day to go

Posted on 06/04/2010 by robb

yes it is ;-) and while we are packing . .you can watch some video of “Ania’s leaving pint” with some of the Itchy Feet guys. The funny thing is .. all 3 of them, Ania, Nir and Ben are gone already. Ania and Ben leaving for Silk Road in 2 days, Nir already in Kyrgystan :-)

only poor Alex … still there ..

more news … in 3 days .. from the road .. finnaly :-)
robb

Posted in vimeo | 1 Comment

28 days to go ….

Posted on 11/03/2010 by robb

Yes it is. The Countdown widget on my desktop is telling me it’s 28 days to go. Looks like “almost there” but at the same time … shit .. it’s 28 days of waiting ;-)

Yeah .. well … Ania and I have been busy. Veeeery busy. First .. leaving UK and belive me or not it wasn’t easy :-) Party after party and … more party. So many friends left behind .. kind of. At least for a while. Hope they will visit us one day in PL. they have no excuses :-)

This weekend gonna be a big one. Some nice people invited us to Kraków to do some speeches about our travels. Ania is having her first one ever :-) Western woman traveling in Muslim countries. Ha! Nice one.

And me? Oh well .. after the first article in NatGeo [about my trip to China .. again] I’m having a “lecture” about … my trip to China . .again :-) Hope the new book is going to be on the market soon so I’ll have some break from … my trip to China .. again :-)

The bikes are almost ready. Since one of my bikes was stolen … so many people want to help! First, my girls+Shamus from Ark Academy decided to give me some money for a new saddle [Brooks B17], now some “internet friends” from Poland sending new brakes and a whole set of new super-tires. For free :-) Oh well …. for a postcard from Iran to be precise! ;-)

What else ? Hmmmm … Poland is cool. Virtually :-) Some snow, -10C and … tens and hundreds of deers! You drive along the motorway, lets say to Wrocław and you see big groups of them every few minutes.
After some problems with LOI for Uzbekistan everything looks good again and … iranian visa was 3 days to be ready :-)

So . .everything looks good, great and bright :-)
Fingers cross it will end up like this :D

Robb and Ania

Posted in day by day | Tagged , , | Leave a comment