Breaking the Cycle Central Asia: Water is everything – the rise & fall of civilisations past and communities present
23rd – 26th May | Turkmenabat to Gonur Depe | Distance: 266km | Total Distance: 3940km Day 60, Turkmenabat Turkmenistan’s second largest city, Turkmenabat, was adorned with eye-catching contemporary buildings that are intended to show off the power and wealth of the country; for example, the presidential palace is actually a folly, never used by the president. Turkmenabat was […]
Breaking the Cycle Central Asia: Turkmenistan’s Silk Roads
16th – 21st May | Urgench to Turkmenabat | Distance: 623km Total Distance: 3674km Day 54: Urgench – Dashoguz 70km In Urgench, we bid Elena farewell and set off for the Turkmenistan border. Anna and I were slightly anxious about what to expect crossing into Turkmenistan – one of the world’s most secretive countries. I rode […]
Breaking the Cycle Central Asia: A cradle of civilisation and nurturing nature
8th – 15th May | Nukus to Urgench | Distance: 196km | Total Distance: 3051km Nukus was a two day pit stop where we changed filmmakers – Anna Plocinska arrived from Switzerland for a month-long stint and Georgia left for the UK. It was important that they had time to connect and hand over the […]
Breaking the Cycle Central Asia – Moynaq to Nukus: Starting from the end (Amu Darya rivermouth)
4th – 7th May | Moynaq to Nukus | Distance: 256km | Total Distance: 2855km In Moynaq I arranged for a guide to be with us for the remainder of the way to Nukus. Khurmet, whom we had met at the Yurt Camp beside the Aral Sea, was the perfect choice because he has local roots and is extremely knowledgeable […]
Breaking the Cycle Central Asia: Aral Sea South – Spectacularly sad
Nukus, Karakalpakstan, the UZ border to Moynaq Distance: 313km | Total Distance: 2599km The old Soviet-built train chugged slowly across the dry, featureless steppe stopping occasionally at villages and for about 90 minutes at the border for immigration and customs. I barely slept because I was paranoid about my bike and bags disappearing from the rear carriage. It […]
Breaking The Cycle Central Asia: Around The Aral Sea West Coast (Kazakhstan)
23rd – 27th April | Akespe to the border Distance: 305km | Total Distance: 2286km Day 31: Akespe to Akbasty – 104km Once out of the sand at Akespe, it was a relief to turn onto the Gas Pipeline Road – the first made gravel road I’ve had since Aralsk. It follows a buried gas pipeline […]
Breaking The Cycle Central Asia: Bringing Water Back To Aralsk – Rising Hope
20th – 22nd April | Aralsk to Akespe Distance: 141km | Total Distance: 1981km Aralsk is the only major town in the region, developed as the northern port on the Aral Sea. It was connected to the southern port of Moynaq, about 500km across the former sea, in Karakalpakstan (a part of Uzbekistan). In Soviet times, […]
Breaking the Cycle Central Asia – Far away and over the Seabed
15th – 20th of April Distance cycled: 121km | Total Distance: 1840km Barsakelmes Island diversion, Karateren to Aralsk From the former fishing village of Karateren I had planned a two day 4WD excursion to Barsakelmes Island and Kaskakulan. The Aral Sea was often referred to as the “Sea of Islands,” virtually all of which are have […]
