Across to Azerbaijan: Tbilisi, Georgia (August 21st) – Baku, Azerbaijan (August 26th)

We all left Tbilisi today, Mike with a 6.00 am taxi to the group hotel and a bike ride of 160 km, us with a late breakfast at 9.00 am and air conditioned car at 10.00 am. We drove through wine country so I bought some wine for the group and said no thanks to seeing any more churches. We all stayed at the only “hotel” in town, more a guest house. We had the only rooms, which was a bit embarrassing. Our wine was lovely which is more than can be said of the wine Henry was sold. I declined after I realized he had bought the same wine I had just seen the owners of the hotel watering down from their outside tap. Had some great ice cream from the local shop but you had to move the uncovered frozen chickens aside to make your selection.

The border crossing for Mike was very eventful with all sorts of local dignitaries greeting them at the border with singing and dancing girls. Everyone had to listen to welcoming speeches and were given bunches of flowers and local flags. The kids and I followed later and were ushered through quite speedily as we were tourists. The last thing our guide said was “there are no trees in Azerbaijan”.

We met our new guide and travelled through the most beautiful tree lined roads to Seki a lovely village just at the base of the Causaus mountains between two river valleys. We were all staying at the Caravansaray Hotel with was lovely. We enjoyed a great lunch and then went to the garden. Looking up the sky looked very dark and soon the heavens opened and huge rain drops started falling along with claps of thunder in the distance. We had great fun watching the previously empty fountains fill with water and seeing how much rain was cascading off the rood. I then went outside and saw that the road to the hotel was now a river and the cyclists would have to cycle up a steep 2km hill to reach us. We got some great pictures as they arrived. Their version of events was different with Mike saying the rain drops were so big they hurt, the water coming over people’s pedals, the sewers overflowing and dead rats floating past them. We had a great meal laid on by the Tourism Minister at the hotel.

While Mike and the group continued the next day we took a tour of Seki. We went a mere 5 minutes up the road to the most beautiful palace with glorious painting and stained glass that would have been a must see on anyone’s itinerary but such is this type of touring no-one in the group except us saw it. We also saw a local wolf man who had raised a wolf from a puppy. When the wolf died he had him stuffed and visitors charged to see it. The best part was when he fiddled around a bit and the eyes lit up.

We then moved to Qabala and joined Mike and the group, but declined to stay at the hotel on offer at the next stop. It was truly disgusting. Instead we headed to Baku for 3 nights. Mike had a dusty and dry ride in being chased by wild dogs and assauled by mad drivers. The driving is insane..

Baku has 4 million people all sprawled beside the caspian. An oil boom town in from 1870s to 1918 the soviets then got their hands on it and milked it for they could. The boom has started again with a big pipeline just completed to the Med via Georgia and Turkey pumping 1 million barrells a day to supply America etc. The city is 2,000 years old with a wonderful old medival town of castles and mosques and a huge towe, The Madiens Tower from the 6th Century. Then there all the mansions of the first oil boom recreating baroque, georgian god any architecture just as long as it wass impressive, and it is. Then the soviets surronded the old town with ugly concerete and now the current oil boom is putting up skyscrapers and filling the streets with Mercedes and the shops with gucci! The kids left this morning with was so sad to say good bye for 3 months but they seemed to have fun. We are on the ferry tomorrow to Turkmenistan. Lets hope it leaves! 14 hours it is suppose to take. Communications will be tough but the blog will be updated when possibe. Mike is also posting more pictures on

http://www.flickr.com/photos/drumearn/collections/72157601008135369/

So check that out.

First Border and beyond: August 16th (Yusufeli, Turkey) to August 20th (Tbilisi, Georgia)

The ride from Yusufeli to our bush camp just up from the Georgian border was full of contrasts: pine forests, open mountains, tall cliffs with rocks pushed up into strange shapes. I arrived after 105 km to discover that before being able to put up the tents the group had had to chase away a large herd of cows. The cows all returned about 10.30 pm when we were all trying to get to sleep. There was half an hour of frantic shouting from the herdsman and campers as we tried to stop the cows marauding though the tents. The other highlight was watching the young men of the local encampment on their way home from work, galloping across the open plains on young horses carrying a razor sharp scythe in their hands which they had been using to cut down the fresh grass. We also got our first rain, thunder storm really with a glorious display of lightening on the horizon and heavy rain: less fun if you were still on the road though. We were also really high 2500 meters, it got really cold at night, don’t remember signing up for rain and cold as well as everything else. The stars though at night were breathtaking.

The next day was the first border crossing from Turkey to Georgia. Mike got miles of glorious downhill after yesterday’s climbing and everyone had a smile on their faces at the border. I took the bus to the border to meet my tour guide/driver to take me to Tbilisi to pick up the kids. The crossing went off without a hitch with no visa required and no searches done. My guide was lovely a young law student, Tamara who told me a huge amount about the country. We stopped in Bonjormi a popular spa town with an international trade in the local spring water which tastes of heavy sodium, an acquired taste. The roads from the border were atrocious and no better than farm tracks. Mike was also shocked by the state of some of the villages which he said were worse that some parts of Africa. The kids arrived at 10.30 pm, it was so great to see them.
The next day (18th August) the kids and I went to see the museum of the most famous person of the city of Gori, 60 km out of Tbilisi: Joseph Stalin. The house where he was born, his school books and poems are preserved in a magnificent park and museum. You can also visit his private bullet proof train which was built in the 1930’s and has a full conference room, various bedrooms and a bathroom complete with a full bath. We couldn’t read much of the labels but there was no doubt that he was very highly regarded by the locals which for us was a bit incongruous. On the way back we stopped off at a 9th century village created out of a sandstone hillside. It was a really extensive development with some quite ornate carvings above temple doors.

It was a day of contrasts: an ancient village, a notorious dictator’s birthplace, abject poverty in the countryside and then modern Tbilisi just down the road from the hotel. When the Soviets left in 1991 they just left. The main employer in the area, the decision makers for everything from what to grow to what to teach the children just left and some areas have never recovered. Factories which employed 10’s for thousands of people making tractors or planes shut down, and so far very little has been brought to the countryside to replace it. They are living at below subsistence level selling eggs and watermelon to earn a living. The houses are in appalling conditions and we could understand why so many were moving into Tbilisi.

Tbilisi was by contract becoming quite a modern city with masses new buildings and huge efforts to attract visitors with every second building plot containing the skeleton of a new hotel. In the main square the gold statue of St George on top of a huge column had only been in place for 15 days. The streets have been made safer at night so it safe to wander around and the police have stated to be paid a living wage reducing the need to issue you with spot fines. The old part was however very run down and unlike Prague where the old city has been beautifully restored here it is badly neglected.

The river runs through the centre and just down the road from our hotel there was a wonderful clutch of restaurants and galleries which felt just like Covent Garden though you wouldn’t be able to go for a Sulphur bath immediately after eating in London. Hans said he had been once, you shower in sulphur water, then get scrubbed with a loofa and then bath in warm sulphur water: you stink for days.

The kids and I spent all the next day, Sunday visiting churches, ranging from the oldest to the newest. The oldest one just outside Tbilisi where Christianity in Georgia started was beautiful and overlooked two rivers and some lovely mountains. Our guide pointed out the now dismantled Soviet base in the valley below and told us the mountain used to open up so airplanes could land, it wasn’t working now, not sure we believed him. Some had beautiful frescos while others were quite plain. As it was Sunday there were always lots of people inside and out. Most brought fruit and lit candles. There were no seats and there did not seem to be a minister conducting a service. People just stood around, kissed the building or artifact inside and read from a devotional book, all the while a choir was singing behind some curtains. Our guide was not too helpful limiting his remarks sometimes to “its church”, “its hotel”. The newest, largest church had just been finished in Tbilisi itself, the plaster inside almost still wet and waiting for the appointment of the fresco painter.

We then headed off to meet Mike after his cycle into Tbilisi at the usual Tour D’Afrique hotel, on the outside of town, off a motorway with no facilities for miles. 4 rooms were available for showers and loos but the campsite was on the stoney back garden among broken down cars. We waited for ages but eventually Mike arrived after a 10km convoy lead by the local police, which unfortunately didn’t prevent Rachel getting knocked off her bike by a driver who saw what he’d done and scarpered.

Mike was exhausted but happy to join us touring Georgia. We travelled up to Kasbegi the highest point in the country past a lovely reservoir for the city’s drinking water which was also a popular swimming spot. It was overlooked by an almost fairy tale pretty fortress and church. We then drove off into the mountains with beautiful views and hairy climbs. On the way we were shown the most amazing sight half a mountain side covered in shimmering yellow cream rock. When we got closer the guide explained this was a spring heavily laden with iron which caused these strange deposits. We spend ages climbing up the streams of water and taking photographs. The water is meant to be good for you but it was like drinking warm blood. We eventually got to Kasbegi to be told we could take a hike for 1.5 hours up a steep incline to the top of the mountain. We all said no thanks and headed back down to lunch.

Tough to Insane: August 11th (Amasya, Turkey) to August 14th (Yusufeli, Turkey)

The next few days were billed as Tough, Tougher, Toughest and Insane. They got the order badly wrong and annoyed a few people.

After a wonderful rest day I decided to do the whole Tough day, especially as it was my first attempt at 100 miles, my longest in the UK was 65 miles. As usual the morning was great, very cool and I could stop to enjoy the scenery. After lunch it got hot, really hot and the road turned nasty. It was certainly over 40 and the road started to melt, certainly my tires got covered in tarmac and then dirt when the Turkish lorry drivers drove up your tail and then beeped twice loudly forcing you onto the softish, hard shoulder. By the break at 120 km I was tired and hot but there was only 45 km to go so I continued with Isabel. We stopped at every piece of shade which was often not for miles or was the pathetic effort a road sign offered. We had frequent showers at the hot springs and I gave up and drank the spring water whenever I could. The road was really evil by now: the sun was hotter than ever and the black tarmac made it really hard work. Worse I got a text from Mike saying he was in 5 hours ahead of me! At least he had a room. We eventually turned off to reach the hotel to be greeted by the usual Tour D’Afrique tease, 2km uphill to the end. Mike walked down the road to greet me and I have to say I was really proud to have done my first 100 miles.

I thought I’d do half the Tougher day so I could save myself for the Toughest Day. It proved to be the best decision as so few people finished and Mike said it was one of the hardest days cycling he has ever done. The 80 km to lunch was hard with lots of uphill but done in the cool of the day was perfectly manageable. It was very hot by the end and I can’t tell you the pleasure you get from pouring freezing cold water all over you body after riding uphill in 40+ degrees for several km, nothing beats it. We had a wait for a lift at lunch but 10 of us crammed into the minibus and set off. Along the way we met lots of really weary riders who had all run out of water so we gave them what we had from our own water bottles. At 30 km after lunch I called Mike to find out our hotel room and was stunned when he said he had 30 km to go and had never ridden so hard in his life. He climbed about3000 meters in total; there was an 18 km climb after lunch, tiny down hills that took minutes and straight into another climb, all on the same evil roads as yesterday and even hotter. We passed him and he was determined to continue. At one point he was so desperate to cool down he took off his shoes and sat in an irrigation channel.

The minibus made it to the hotel eventually; the trucks, which are ancient go downhill in first or second gear to save the brakes and stop overheating were a long way behind us. The hours wore on and no sign of Mike just a trickle of riders saying it was hell. Mike eventually made it, he had been on the bike for almost 12 hours, only 7 finished. It was amazing to see him ride in such conditions.

The evening entertainment was an engagement reception in our hotel which was in the forecourt of the local petrol station. I can’t say we were very excited to see the sound system, the drums and hundreds of guests arrive when we are normally all asleep by 9.00 pm. It was though a lot of fun and some of the group joined in the dancing, which at one point was around the petrol pumps. Thankfully they stopped at 10.30 pm, an evening to remember for the happy couple?

The problem the group had the next day was if the previous hellish ride had only been Tougher what would the next day bring. It was a long ride 178km and the vast majority of people exhausted from the previous day and wanting to keep something in reserve for the Insane day either rode the bus the whole way or just rode after lunch. I rode from lunch but Mike of course rode the whole day and had a great ride if he had not been so tired. There was lots of downhill and open plains and none of the hell from yesterday. Even from lunch we realized it had been mis-labeled and was actually the easiest day of the four.

We stayed at our first Bush Camp and were given instructions on how deep to dig our holes when we went to the loo. There was also a stream nearby so most people wandered off with their soap and towels for a really satisfying bath in the cool water. You just kept going until you could see no more white bums or had a lookout. Mike got up in the middle of the night and saw a beautiful night sky full of stars and even some shooting ones. It really was fun, though I didn’t learn about the snakes until the next day.

So the insane day dawned and the rider instructions went up. The terms like hairpin bends, sheer cliffs, hamster trails and dirt roads put off large numbers of people from doing the whole day, including me. I also wanted to get in early to make sure we had a hotel room: Mike was exhausted already and needed the rest day to recover, especially this early in the trip. The drive was astonishingly beautiful through huge gorges with a full river below, houses clinging to steep mountain sides but we were all really concerned about the riders and road conditions were hairy to say the least. We need not have worried. To a man everyone said it was the best ride of the trip, fun, beautiful and worth every minute they were on the road. The only complaint was many were too tired to do it justice.

We all enjoyed Yusefeli though Mike and I hardly left the hotel complex that had a pool, restaurant and best of all air conditioning. The town itself is interesting as it has been under a death sentence since the 1970’s when plans were proposed to build a dam which would flood the whole valley and leave Yusefeli under water, nothing has really been built or renovated since. You could go river rafting or All Terrain Vehicle Tours but there were no takers. There was also hunting on offer with at least two local gun shops doubling as the local off-licenses.

Day 7 Rest Day Amasaya, Turkey

Our first rest day was spent in beautiful Amasaya. The town is in a deep gorge with high cliffs peppered with tombs to 14th Century Kings and a river lined with Otman Mansions now done up as Hotels (like the one we are in) and restaurants. We have explored, eaten and slept. A perfect rest day. Here are some pictures...



4 Huge days head in the mountains...

Day 4-6 Gerede-Amasya, Turkey

Day 4: Gerede to Ilgaz 135km climb 900m

Day 5: Ilgaz to Ozmanck 117km climb ?
Day6: Ozmancik to Amasya 114km climb ?

I took a half day on Day 4 which involves taking the lunch bus to the half way point and then cycling from there. Breakfast is at 5.45 am and then lunch is at about 10.30 am but you just eat when food is provided. This was the second of three and a half days along the D100 which is a main highway and full dozens of large noisy trucks. Each and every one toots their horn about 50 yards behind you forcing you off onto the hard shoulder which is not always that hard. One rider came off his bike and was lucky to escape with only bruised his hip and arm. All the same it was a good ride with lots of down hill, my average speed was 50 kph while Mike's was 70 kph.

After another wonderful meal: Miles is able to fill 50 hungry people with food you would be proud to cook at home, we had a talk from the nurse Elaine about "Butt Health", thankfully not illustrated by the few who are already suffering. Basically you treat your riding shorts like nappies and liberally apply nappy cream all over, after the sun cream on your exposed parts and deet for the mosquitoes, combined with sweat you can imagine how we smell.

Day 5

We both cycled all day although I set off about 6.30 am when it was wonderfully chilly and made good progress, though I kept stopping to take pictures. The countryside is a beautiful a mixture of hot dried mountains and small oasess of fields protected by tall elegant cyprus trees. Surprisingly there were dozens of paddy fields where large black and white storks liked to fish.

Mike waited for me at lunch but we soon parted company as I wanted to stop every 15 km or so have a drink or ice cream, chat to whoever was also in the rest stop and then eventually get going. Not Mike's style at all! The temperatures soar after mid day and you take so much longer to go any distance, it can be really hard work.

The campsite in Ozmancik was a local children's swing park and Mike had done his best to find some shade but the tent, which we successfully pitched this time was extremely hot and unpleasant. We were constantly surrounded by curious kids testing out their limited English: hello, what is your name, I love you and sex. They stayed with us until we all went to sleep at 9.00 pm. The town was though down by a river which was lovely to walk down at night in the fresh breeze until the mosquitoes came out in force.

Unable to swim in the river which was an interesting green shade and fast flowing we "showered" in the local empty hostel. Not quite a shower, but a garden hose in a bath tub, or as the queue was too long I stripped off in the kitchen area and sponged down in the kitchen sink with my back to the window, Edwina was even braver and did the same in the loo sink before another kind soul unblocked the toilet.

I have to agree with Mike, I hate camping and the less done in 40+ degrees with cars and kids around you all night the better, we both got very little sleep and Mike had to cycle all day the next day.

Day 6 into a rest day at Amasya . The camp site is a local tree-strewn park with three showers for 50 people in the local children's football teams changing room, next to the railway. Mike and I are in a converted old merchant's mansion with an ensuite room and balcony overlooking the river, with a good Wi-Fi. We're atching the world go by in a cool breeze doing email, while the hotel does our washing: I do feel a bit guilty I have to say.

Day 1-3 Istanbul to Gerede, Turkey

Day 1 Istanbul-Agva 140km Climb: 1510m

Day2 Agva-Gumusova 133km Climb:1240m
Day3: Gumusova-Gerede 130km Climb:1590m

Our first day started with photos overlooking the Bosphorous at 6.30 am in the morning.

Then we rode together for 140 km ending up at a lovely campsite on the beach at Agva. It was my longest ride ever and through beautiful woods following long undulating ridge tops (like Skyline Ridge for our SF, CA friends) with occasional stalls where a whole family got together to sell fruit or tea to the very few passing travellers. We passed a spray paint shop, no health and safety here:

Trying to set up our tent in sand proved impossible so we spent our first night in a little cabin near everyone's tents.

Mike powered on through the second day for 133km while I only did a half day to rest my legs. The countryside is much greener than we thought and hillier, . The locals are really friendly and will give you a cup of tea at a moments notice.

The last two days have been along a busy highway and while great for finding petrol stations for food and drink it is noisy, smokey, dangerous and very exposed to the sun. The only way I survived the third day doing 130 km was regularly taking a hose and giving myself a shower all over much to the amusement of the garage owner. Mike was in a good 5 hours before me but he again managed a find a hotel room so the tent hasn't been used yet.

The other riders are a huge mixture of ages and abilities. So far I haven't found someone to ride with but far from being the slowest I am right in the middle. I'm feeling really good and so far having fun which is for me the main reason for being here.

Safetly arrived in Istanbul...

Bags and luggage arrived pretty much on time. It took almost as long to drive across town as it did to fly here! 17 million people in a city with only a few freeways/motorways will do that! We have now met the team. Average age is 50+ 2/3rds have done a Tour D'Afrique tour before but there are enough "virgins" to keep Catriona company at the back. There are 35 riders going the whole way and 10 sectional riders and 10 staff including a very good cook apparently.

The hotel is in Asia as we can't cycle across the bridge over the Bosphorous. Once we'd unpacked the bikes and repacked in the boxes they provided we took the short ferry across the Bosphorous to the Spice Market and the Grand Bassar.

First stop is Agva on the Black Sea coast 134km away. Looks like upper 20s C. Wish us luck!

Leaving tomorrow for Istanbul...

Pretty much packed now. We had a going away party on sunday with our friends wishing us luck and bringing appropriate wine..

and encouraging cards.....

To give you an idea of the task ahead we have approximately 6,000 miles to ride in 88 days of riding (approx 70 miles a day) with a rest day every week or so as follows:

August 4th Istanbul, Turkey (start)
August 10th Amasya, Turkey
August 15th Yusefeli, Turkey
August 20th Tbilisi, Georgia
August 25th Baku, Azerbaijan
Sept. 2nd Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
Sept. 6th Mary, Turkmenistan
Sept. 10th Bukhara, Uzbekistan
Sept. 14th Samarqand, Uzbekistan
Sept. 20th Os, Kyrgyzstan
Sept 27th Kashgar, China
Oct. 3rd Kuqa. China
Oct. 9th Turpan, China
Oct. 17th Dunhuang, China
0ct. 21st Jiayuguan, China
Oct. 29th Lanzhou, China
Nov. 5th Xian. China
Nov. 13th Anyang, China
Nov 18th Beijing, China (finish)
Nov 21st Back home

So you can track us across the globe. Time to stop preparing and get ready to ride..