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What to do Whilst Waiting for Wheels to Arrive in Istanbul
September 25, 2007
Staying with a family on the way to Istanbul. We arrived in Istanbul after cycling along a dangerous highway, through 75km of suburban sprawl, which was a traumatic experience. We rewarded ourselves with a gourmet kebab that we couldn’t afford from a small place full of old men drinking, smoking and chatting. It had grown dark in the city after watching the sunset on the cycle in. We needed to get to our accommodation with a Couchsurfer, which was about 25km away, in Besiktas the other side of the Golden Horn.
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Roaming Around in Romania
July 25, 2007
The first few days in Romania were mentally tough. We donned full wet weather gear and ventured onwards. It was overcast, drizzly, cold and miserable. The road away from the border was full of lorries, one after the other, spraying bucket-sized quantities of water over us. In the morning, we cooked a huge meal at a bus stop and washed pots in a puddle next to bemused-looking people waiting for a bus.
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Getting Used to Cycling Every Day
June 30, 2007
It’s been six weeks now and I’m settling into the lifestyle. Each day is a mind-expanding experience. Creature comforts such as a shower and comfortable bed that I was once used to are now an occasional luxury. Each day is limited only by our own decisions in each moment, leading us off down pathways of chance meetings and opportunities. When I last blogged, we were still in Belgium. We have since travelled through France to Switzerland and stayed with our WWF contact in Geneva where we took the opportunity to rest for a couple of days.
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Turn on, Tune In and Pedal On - Getting Used to Life on the Bike
June 28, 2007
Another day on the road. I drink a large coffee, pack the trailer, panniers and start pedalling. Each new experience is challenging my preconceptions and leaving me exciting, anticipating the next adventure. The most difficult thing so far is the challenge of working in a team, sharing and taking into account three sets of ideas. However, it is ultimately a very rewarding experience. What is completely unexpected is the amount of hospitality we have received.
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How I Almost Got Struck By Lightning in Vienna
June 11, 2007
Sitting on a park in Vienna after a huge thunderstorm, I find a moment of tranquillity and reflection. Earlier on I had walked down into the city to have a wander. As I strolled along in a trance, the thick air made me feel drunk and my skin clammy. Hot and humid throughout the day, dark clouds gathered far on the horizon. The blue sky lifted away, invaded by a heavy blanket of thick white, promising an unpredictable change in the weather but not giving any clues away.