"To Catch A Rainbow" travelinxs's Profile

crossing through the Pamir Mountains, Krygyzstan

'Sunshine And Menace'
China

"...Last night I was press ganged into drinking beer in a Tibetan restaurant by a Swiss biologist until two in the morning. Not surprisingly, I felt a little groggy on waking this morning.

After breakfast we finished packing up and were ready to leave by 11am. Not bad going, under the circumstances.

Taking off through town I made a conscious effort to keep in a low gear, increasing the cadence (pedal revolutions) which felt slightly exhausting but reduced pressure required by my problomatic knee.

After 10km we reached the open grasslands where I had suffered the problem two days before. All felt good, but we stopped anyway so I could walk around and stretch out, which I continued to do every 10km throughout the day.

After another 3km we turned off the main road onto a dirt track headed due south and continued climbing through a verdant green valley, over-run by yaks and their herders. There was virtually no traffic, save the occasional smiling Tibetan on a motorbike. The sun broke through from time to time and I found myself repeating over and again, 'God, I love it up here!' Up to the point I had to appologise to Sabine for my monotonous mantra. But she empathised; she was loving it too.

By late afternoon we toppled over a pass of prayer flags at 3,600m, my naughty knee still holding out good and strong and soon began the descent, aware of dark, menacing clouds gathering over-head.

After dropping down to 3,265m we disappeared up a side valley, cycling along a narrow footpath. A few kilometers up and we chose a pitch and put up the tents just in time before rain began to pour down

I had just finished cooking dinner and was about to eat my double-cooked pork with rice meal, which actually contained seaweed and rice when I opened the packet, when a large, angry looking Tibetan rolled up on his motorbike.

Thereon began a very uncomfortable conversation through mime and sign language, held out in the freezing rain, whereby it became apparent that if we did not give him money, men on horseback would come tonight. They were going to cut our throats and rob us. Only he could speak to them and stop them.

What the hell to do. This man seemed a nasty piece of work and was deadly serious. We were in the middle of nowhere half way up a mountain caught in terrible weather conditions with nowhere to go and the light was fading fast.

It felt like extortion. Or oblique robbery. To cave into such demands grinds heavily against my principals. Yet I understood our safety was more important.

He wanted 50 RMB. No way, I said. Just to camp in a wild valley? No. But I conceded that to keep this man happy somehow might just save our necks. We offered him 20 RMB (£2 / $3). His aggressive demeanor didn't waver, but he did finally take the money and without giving any indication as to whether the money given was satisfactory, roared off down the valley.

We deliberated out in the hazy rain about what to do. Would he - they - come back during the night and attack us? Should we move? But to where? It was almost night. Freezing. Wet. There was a village ahead, but at least 25km further down what would by now be almost certainly a quagmire track.

We decided to stay.

Here I sit, in the porch of my tent, writing by my headlamp, straining to hear over the roar of the rain on my canvas shelter for the distant thunder of horses hooves, growling motorbikes, hushed whispers coming through the darkness or tentative footsteps in the grass. I'm fully clothed, as I will be throughout the night. My knife is in my belt. Sabine has hers along with her pepper spray in her tent with her. And I'm praying for the dawn to come..."

riding the Karakorum Highway, Pakistan

EUROPE -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2008
England
Day:0 ... 0km / 0 miles
Introduction
Day:13 ... 642km / 399 miles
Welcome To My World
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
France
Day:15 ... 731km / 454 miles
Slapping On The Oil
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Belgium
Day:17 ... 774km / 481 miles
To Do What No One Has Done Before
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Netherlands
Day:22 ... 1,126km / 699 miles
The Dutch Meercats
Window Shopping In Amsterdam
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Germany
Day:37 ... 2,043km / 1,269 miles
Dont Mention The ... Weather!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Czech Republic
Day:50 ... 2,648km / 1,645 miles
Bohemian Bikers
Prague - The City Of Superlatives
The Bone Chapel
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Slovakia
Day:52 ... 2,789km / 1,732 miles
The Problem With Camping
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hungary
Day:59 ... 3,232km / 2,007 miles
A Confessional
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Romania
Day:60 ... 3,342km / 2,076 miles
Gypsy, Tramp and Thief
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Serbia
Day:67 ... 3,944 / 2,450 miles
The Warm Heart Of Europe
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Macedonia
Day: 71 ... 4,070km / 2,528 miles
Juliet's Big Day
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Greece
Day: 79 ... 4,587km / 2,849 miles
Greek Tragedy
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Turkey
Day:114 ... 5,540km / 3,441 miles
When East Meets West Again%L

in the desert of northern Syria

THE MIDDLE EAST-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Turkey
Into The Lap Of Luxury
Hell's Highway
The Epicureans Of Olympos
The Mountains Of The Med.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Syria
Day:119 ... 5,540km / 3,441 miles
The Passion
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lebanon
Day:122 ... (5540km / 3,441 miles)
Hue And Cry
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Syria
Day:140 ... 5,768km / 3,582 miles
In Search Of A Rogue State
The Happy Highway To Iraq
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Turkey
Day:150 ... 6,045km / 3,755 miles
Through Kurdish Lands
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2009
Iran
Day: 210 ... 7,478km / 4,645 miles
Iran Unveiled
The Monster
The Bikers Of Esfahan
Christmas Camel
Desert Storm
The Wrath Of Allah
Under House Arrest
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SOUTH ASIA--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pakistan
Day: 235 ... 8,108km / 5,038 miles
The Enchantment Of Chaos
The True Heart Of Pakistan
Lounging In Lahore
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
India
Day:276 ... 9,700km / 6,024 miles
Incredible India
Little Llasa
Getting Close To God
Oh Rats ... Again!
Wish You Were Here
The Tart Of Agra
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nepal
Day:328 ... 10,456km / 6,494 miles

>> read this chapter >>

Where Happiness Comes Naturally
Swimming With Elephants
The Final Destination ...
The Final Endeavour...
The Final Fantasy...
The Final Fling...
Finally...

another tea stop, Iran

(If any of the following chapters don't appear in blue hyperlinks, I havent as yet been able to transfer them to VT. To catch up on the latest go to... To Catch A Rainbow - the journey continues)

CENTRAL ASIA -------------------------------------------------------------------April 2011

Kyrgyzstan
Day 329... 10,456km / 6,494 miles

>> read this chapter >>

Re-introduction
Before The Dawn...Bishkek
Mentrual Musings
Marooned
Trial Ride
The Journey Begins
The Day Of Reckoning
Convalesence
Tenacity
In Search Of Solace ... Arslanbob
Heavenly
Back On The Road ... Jalal-Abad
Spring
Bicycles! ... Osh
Two Four One

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------April 2011

Uzbekistan
Day 358 ... 11,106km / 6,898 miles
Opulence ... Andijan
Fairground Attraction
Smelling The Roses
Altercation
Pants
Storm
Recovery
Challenge
Visa Run ... Tashkent
The Road To Samarkand
Whining ... Samarkand
Vodka
Century
Nothing Else Matters ... Bukhara
The Journey East
Hotel Paradise
Dynamics
Big Country
The Mission

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------May 2011

Tajikistan
Day: 386 ... 12,544km / 7,791miles
A.T.M.G.B.H. ... Dushambe
Me. Myself and Hagar
A Rock And A Hard Place
Up The Junction
Trucking Hell
Networking ... Khorog
A Wonderous Window
The Wakham Valley
Doubts
Perdition
Riding Into Trouble
Lay Me Down
Award Winning
On A Hope And A Prayer
The Roof Of The World
Bring Me To Life
Conquored

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------June 2011

Kyrgyzstan
Day 408 ... 13,361km / 8,299 miles
Full Circle
Riding Out

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------June 2011

China
Day 410 ... 13,445km / 8,351 miles
Badlands
Smile... You're In China!
Ride To Elation
Holiday At The Silk Crossroads
Riding The Karakorum Highway
High On Grass
Saviours
Border Run: Tashkergan

South Asia------------------------------------------------------------------------July 2011

Pakistan

Day: 436 ... 14,017km / 8,710 miles
In The Back Door: Sost
Making Memories
Riding On A High
Time Out: Karimabad
Fortune
Bugger
Flat Out: Gilgit
Skardu Road
Sing Your Heart Out
Misguided
Grief In A Grim Town: Skardu
Bus Survival: Gilgit
Extreme Tourism: Peshawar
Dream Catcher: Chitral and the Kalash Valleys
Out The Back Door

East Asia----------------------------------------------------------------------August 2011

China

Day: 469 ... 14,486 / 9,001 miles
Return To Middle Earth: Kashgar
The Curse
Well Trained
Back In The Saddle : The Adventure Continues
Pushing The Limits
Over The Limit
Mad Monks and Naughty Knees : Xiahe
Sunshine And Menace
Of Mud And Dogs
High Plateau Riding
Fairy Town : Langmusi
Wetlands
Despondent
Sadness And Ice Cream : Songpan
Down And Outside Lost
When China Goes On Holiday
A Bicycle Journey Ends
Hostel California : Chengdu
Ride Like Hell
The Big Bad Buddha : Leshan
Bamboo Road
Slog
The Scenic Route
Bicycle Spoke
Room Service
Top Gear
Highway Rider
Auto Annihilation
I'm Kunming!!
Humping : Kunming
Long Hard Road
Ride Like Hell - Pt.2
Busted
Perfect Day
Waning
Shinning
Something Fishy
Into The Tropics
Reflections

South East Asia--------------------------------------------------------- November 2011

Laos

Day: 568 ... 17,099km / 10,625 miles
Strangers In A Strange Land
Respect
Bananas
Utopia : Luang Probang
Barking Mad
Night Crawlers
The Final Climb
Otherworldly
Debauchery : Vang Vieng
Chew Grit
U Turn : Vientiane
Christmas In The Tropics : Luang Proban
Capitalism : Vientiane