Here you'll find a collection of all my past newsletters. Did you miss out on something, or did you join the mailing list a long time after I departed? Don't feel like deciphering the all-Dutch weblog entries? Then this is your place to be.
After six hundred twenty five days and more than twenty four thousand kilometers in the saddle the moment has finally come! I have arrived back to Bali!! Back in the country of the colored sarong, holy cows, grilled pork, smiling faces, bored monkeys, red tourists, fried bananas, cozy warungs, torrential rains and everlasting sunshine. Time to lay back and relax, and hope to see you all soon somewhere back in Europe!
Back on Bali!!
Morning has half gone by the time I arrive to Kota Kinabalu. Nothing special happened during my flight from Taiwan, except that I managed to learn my first words in Indonesian. 'Tolung buka jendela', or, 'Could you please open the window?'. Very useful half way across the ocean.
While being cheered at by a group of porters I sweat my bicycle together. I had hoped to ease the transition from freezing Japan by visiting Okinawa and Taiwan along the way, but apparently this didn't really help. Phew, it's hot here.
The second surprise follows when I find out the Malay traffic rides on the left side, but once I settle down in my hostel and change myself into a less constricting outfit I feel completely at home. The smells, the flavors, the… (read on)
Looking out over the jungle
The sun slowly sinks bellow the horizon while we are entering the port of Keelung. A pilot comes aboard and guides us along the right route to the peer, while on a wall on shore the vague remains of a once proud 'Welcome to China' are visible. A left over from times long gone, in which Tiawan and China still belonged to the same nation. The communists beat the democrats, which took up their refuge on the island, and until present times both still consider the other occupants of their territories.
Clearing immigration is easy, and the world outside bursting with energy. Such a difference compared to the boring, well organized and risk-less Japan! Thousands of scooters are crossing around beeping their horns, zigzagging from left to right… (read on)
The sun slowly sinks behind the Taiwanese coast
After successfully getting my bike repaired in Nagano, and a wonderful culinary stay with Erika, the last couple of weeks were mainly colored by alternating between bitter colds and steaming hots, combined with a number of important milestones, but a very limited number of kilometers in the saddle. What happened, you can read below.
After enjoying the hospitality of Erika her apartment and wonderful kitchen for over a week, I have to slightly force myself to change from the warmth and inside of the inside, to the quite a bit colder temperatures outside. Raindrops join me on my tour, and for a mere moment I think about going back for just another day, but manage to focus myself and… (read on)
Zenko-ji temple
First of all a shout-out to all the people that offered me their hospitality in Japan through either CouchSurfing.com and HospitalityClub.org. Without you I would never have been able to enjoy Japan as much as I did, and besides that you where the ones that learnt me a lot about Japanese culture and traditions, a thing that would have been impossible would I have been camping out all the time. Ken (+parents), Greg, Yohei (+parents), [url=http://couchsurfing.com/profile.html?id=7… (read on)
Lake-side shrine
Once upon a time life was good. Nothing to worry about, every night golden dishes, containing fried meats and fresh vegetables, several stars welcoming you to yet another luxurious hotel room. Pure joy, doing exactly as you likes. Feel like having a snack? Sure, go ahead. Paying a round of beer? No problem, liquor is sold by the kilo. Found something nice? Yours to buy. But does times are gone, memories from a far away past, those days in which the grass was still green and the clouds where blue. Or maybe...
We take a leap into time, and head back about two months. The first of august 2006. The day on which my trip celebrated it's one year anniversary, and I would say goodbye for a second time. A great week with Nancy and Tine, and even… (read on)
Red pepers
The smell of fresh rain, the sound of the colour green, the wind as a big brother, at times a push in the back, at others a big bully.
The smile on the face of a beautiful woman, a waving hand, playing kids, everywhere the same, wrinkled faces, blue eyes.
With or without a head scarf, long sleeves, a deep-cut neckline, dressed up in Sunday's best or worn-out rags. European or exotic, stylish or not at all, night gown and cap.
Dining the way it comes. Knife and fork, a spoon, chop-sticks, bare-handed or with some bread, but always use the right as left is reserved for 'business on the other end'. Normally tasty, sometimes less. Rice with apricots, macaroni and fish. Lamb chops, baba ghanough, sheep brain or camel steak. Pakistan c… (read on)
Typical Dutch country-side
Close to spending two months in China. What did I learn? A lot! Seen? A little less? And cycled? That's a whole different story..
Crossing the border was a challenge that I didn't tell about last time. Kyrgistan was lovely, maybe one of the easiest border-crossings in the last year, but China was a different story. Manoeuvring along a narrow mountain road and along a rolled over cotton truck, waiting at the fence, and off to the small cabin for collecting a stamp. That's what I thought, as the man at the border refuses to give me back my passport. Speaks only Chinese, no comments of any sort to it, so time for war. That pas belongs to me and no-one else.
Friendly demands become less friendly, and eventually I go as far as quickly s… (read on)
Chanting mantra's
It's been quite a while since my last update. Lots of things have happened, but I just couldn't spare any time for writing you all any sooner. As there has been such a tremendous lot of events in the last couple of weeks, I have decided to split it all up into two postings; in some two weeks from now I will finish the story that I will start right here.
In the last update I concluded with being faced with deciding on how to continue my route. The answer is the end I decided to go for exploring Tajikistan. Riding along one of the highest roads in the world, extreme altitudes and snow. The Attic of the World, otherwise known as the Pamir Highway. But I'll get to that later.
After a great stay with Monbinjon in Bukhara, I set aim for Sam… (read on)
Hi there,
After bussing along in Iran and sweating like mad in Turkmenistan, I have now arrived to Bukhara, Uzbekistan, pearl along the Silk Road. I (finally) cycled my my 10.000th kilometer (jay!), and have been able to confirm my first puncture (which means I was finally able to conclude my tires are quite normal after all).
As I already told you last time, I flew from Dubai to Shiraz, to meet up with my friend Freek and Abel. High expectations, as Iran was said to be cycling paradise. Unfortunately that turned out to be a little different than we expected, after a wonderful day in miraculously beautiful but very busy Shiraz, ended with a big deception after a fight in a restaurant. This pretty much drew up the rest of our travels i… (read on)
The medrassa of Bukhara
Cycling in Oman is great! A bit extreme at times; not too many places to buy food and drinks, long distances, a burning hot sun and infinite sandy and rocky planes, but fun, diverse, adventurous and extremely hospitable at the same time.
After spending a couple of days in Salalah, the time had come to ride off again. First a small trip along the coast and in the direction of unvisited Yemen, testing my legs after such a long period of relative rest in Egypt. My legs proved to be strong as ever, and the huge difference in temperature from chilly Cairo didn't seem to trouble my body either.
So, some two days later I left my hotel, mounted my bike in the burning sun and rode off. My initial plan was to continue along the Salalah coastli… (read on)
Kilos of cardboard, meters of tape, blood, sweat, tears and an alcohol-marker; that's what it took. The cab-driver has been paid, the porters ripped me off, and after some reconsideration check-in has decided to accept my cargo without further hassle. Reluctantly the canvas-bag I especially bought for this trip goes rolling down a series of wheels, out of sight into the logistic catacombs of the airport, whereas my dear bike is escorted away by two though ground attendants. Soon I'll be flying off to Oman.
Immediately after I arrived to Cairo quite some weeks ago, I realised Yemen wouldn't make for a very smart travel destination. The boat I was planning to take would be extremely difficult to arrange, and eventough Saudi Arabia was will… (read on)
The Sinai desert
Dear all,
Quite some time has passsed since I send out my previous travellogue update, which pretty much means a lot of writing for me this time. To start out with the most important news, I can tell you all I have now arrived to Cairo, and I am waiting for my familly to arrive and spend New Year's with me. Christmas has been a strange experience; all over the streets of Cairo it's business as usual, but in the hostel we are still trying to celebrate our own little Christmas party, handing out oranges to eachother by means of presents, and ofcourse the consumption of generous amounts of alcoholic drinks.
WINTER IN TURKEY
It has been quite some time since I left the Turkish village of Goreme, the center of Cappadocia, and famous for… (read on)
Dear all,
Finally a sign of live after a long silence! A couple of days after I left Istanbul, the small organizer I used for writing my diary, felt for a small holiday of its own. Since I didn't manage to get it alive again, it has beem rather quite on my website for the last couple of weeks.
After taking a nice break in Edirne, and warm welcome with a local family docter, which invited me to his house and made me his highest guest, it was time to start off with Ramadan. Eventhough I knew the vasting period was about to occur, I already promised my host to cook them my very own Turkish lentilsoup, on what happened to be the very first day of the vasting month, which added a whole different dimension to my cooking. They liked the soup… (read on)
Helle everybody!
I have taken on the slow gear and have been taking it easy lately. My odometer has passed the 3500km mark (on tenth!). Tomorrow I will be entering Turkey, and while I am writing this report I am situated in a beautiful meddow with a view into Bulgaria (I guess the border should be about 10 kilometers away as the bird flies).
Once more a lot has been happening lately. From Dubrovnik I rode together with Micheal and Daniel, two German cyclists that are also heading for China, but will use a couple of plane tickets in the process of getting there; first from Athens to Nairobi, and later on from South Africa to India. Unfortunately they don't have a website on which they tell about their adventures, so I won't be able to… (read on)
The mosk of Edirne
(no english translation available)
(no english translation available)
