The Big Trip

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Another picture from the Charyn Canyon, Kazakstan

The Ark (the Emir’s palace) walls in Bukara, Uzbekistan

Zindan the city jail in Bukhara, Uzbekistan. Were british officers Stoddart and Conolly were imprisoned in the “Bug Pit” before their ceremonial beheading

A door in the undergound city of Derinkuyu, Cappadocia, Turkey

Decorative ceiling work in the Topkapi palace in Istanbul, Turkey

With Metin Koca of Ensemble Travel. Metin was another absolute star that sorted out our bikes and hotel when we got to Istanbul. If you are traveling in Turkey and need a really friendly local Metin is your man.

Breaking the record, 330 miles on a 23 litres of 93 octane fuel - Kyrgystan (Averaging 40 mph on gravel and 50 mpg on tarmac)

PS: I’ve republished the photos so it’s easier to browse the whole lot in one go

I’ve upload all of my photos (nearly 700!!!!) so if you’re bored head over here .
And here is a taster…

On the left of the river is Afghanistan and on the right Tajikistan

A 3000 meter pass in Kyrgystan

The picture does not do it justice, the red and green were so vivid (Kyrgystan)

Another 3300 meter pass in Tajikistan (between Khorog and Dushanbe)

This was the best place we had stayed the whole trip, and only 20 dollars a night for a twin with breakfast.

Driving at 70 mph it was still 46 degrees on the bike. In urban areas police check points every kilometer. We made it in two and a half days from Bukhara to Turkmanbashi. But it took 13 hours to get on the cargo ferry for Baku. This was truely the hardest border crossing ever; however bad people say it is, you just can not understand until you have done it.

Minaret Kalian

This was one of the hottest places of the trip, most days it was 45 or 46 degrees. We had to stop here for quite a while as our Turkmenistan transit visas were for a specific 5 days.

Outside the Guri Amir Mausoleum

Inside

The Registan

Tile work up close

We had forgotten about the land mines until we drove through a military check point and saw an international disposal team on hands and knees clearing mines. Makes one very conscious of the V-Twin rumble.

The road side has quite a few burnt out, old wrecks lying about. Here’s two! [edit: cheeky b&stard! Neil]