Well, plan and reality are always two different things. Especially because we planned our route only roughly so we are able to adapt it short-term depending on seasons, sights and other factors. Here you can see how we really drove:
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| Europe |
Europe: From Holms parents (Vöckelsbach) over Stuttgart to Regensburg, where Julias parents live, we made our Germany-Farewelltour. This was continued threw Austria, where we left the Danube shortly and celebrated easter with Julias family in Gunnersdorf. Then we met the Danube again and again. Over Vienna and Bratislava to Hungary. Here we met Istvan in Budapest and drove further to Serbia. The Danube brought us to Rumania, where we cycled a bit threw the carpatian mountains. Further threw Wallachia to Bulgaria where we chose the direkt way to Turkey over Velicko Tarnovo. We postponed Istanbul (we will make a trip to there with the bus) because we met with our friends Heike, Ingo, Sandra and Morten to cycle along the mediterranean coast. At Çannakale we put our feet on asian soil. From Bergama it was going over Pamukkale to Konya.
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| Middle East and central Asia |
Middle East and Central Asia: From Konya we entered Kappadokia and made our way over Sivas and Erzurum to the iranian border at Dogubayazit. Now we had visa time pressure and had to enter some trains, visited Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz and Yazd and finally cycled from Gorgan again. Through desert like landscape we rode to Mashhad, the holy city of Imam Reza. Due to the coming winter and still some hope instead of the complicated situation (olympic games) able to enter Tibet we flew to Bishkek in Kyzrgyztan. All our hopes were smashed here and we could not enter Tibet. Together with Ingo and Heike we cycled into the kyrgyz Tien Shan mountains, rode horses in Altyn Arachan and finally had to say good bye to them again. Whilst our to friends continued to Thailand, we had not enough of the mountains yet and rode up into the Pamir Mountains. We really had a wonderful time here in Tajikistan but many passes and bad roads were exhausting. So we were happy to enter flat Uzbekistan again. Instead of the expected 6 we only got 3 month visa for India which began earlier than we thought. So we entered some trains in Uzbekistan again, cycled from Samarkand to Tashkent and flew to India.
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| Indian subcontinent |
Indian subcontinent: Due to a missed flight we have to change plans in last second again and start a little further north than in intended - in Cochin. From here we go along Keralas coastline until Kozhikode and turn into the western Ghats. We pedalled into Karnataka, visited the Hoysalatemples in Belur and Halebid and found our way along small roads to the coast again in Goa. There we celebrated christmas and had 2 weeks off, before we took a train. We stopped at Hampi, Mumbai and continued to Agra, where we entered our saddles again. Nearby lies the Peter's Public School, who we support, so we visited them and crossed the state Uttar Pradesh towards Nepal afterwards. In Sunauli we entered Nepal, enjoyed the quietness of Buddhas birthplace Lumbini and cycled along the wonderful Siddharta Highway to Pokhara. Here we packed some backpacks and did some hiking along the Annapurna Circuit for 2,5 weeks. Afterwards we cycled further to Kathmandu, had a sidetrip to Bhaktapur and finally flew to Thailand.
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| South East Asia |
Southeast Asia: Arrived in Bangkok, we pedal west to escape the metropolitan traffic. Then we go north. At Mae Sot we fight the heat and steepest ascents towards Mae Sariang and cross over the mountains again to Chiang Mai. Over Chiang Rai we enter Laos and go through thick forest and along tiny villages to Luang Nam Tha, near the chinese border. Now we go south again and enjoy the wonderful laotian Karstrocks. We camp in small villages, meet nice people and feel very well here. From Vientiane we go to Thailand again, due to our espiring visa. Very fast we head to Cambodia and are surprised about the roadconditions there. Happy to find asphalt again we head towards the capital Phnom Penh, but do not miss the mystical temples of Agnkor. Further to Sihanoukville and back to Thailand again. In Bangkok we meet Julias sister, go by bus and ferry to the island Ko Pha Ngan and all the three of us cycle until Trang afterwards. Here we seperate for a short time, just to meet again in Georgetown. We stay for some days and pedal the last bit towards Kuala Lumpur, where we fly to our third continent: Australia
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| Oceania |
Oceania: After arriving in Perth we first enjoy the western culture that surrounds us once again. Then we are off to australian vastness. We ride along the coast and through the southwestern Kerry forests. Soon we discover, that the kangaroos are our personal new favorite animals. Unfortunately the weather is not supportive and the australian spring is very cold, windy and wet. We are amazed by wildflowers in the Stirling Ranges and the coastline in Esperance. From here it is only 200 km to Norseman, where the Nullarbor starts. In this dry semi-desert we pedal 1200 km without a shop. At least we can fill our water bottles at the occasional road house. Otherwise we are self-sufficient. It takes us two tough but wonderful weeks. Arrived in Ceduna, first thing to do is to drink a cold beer. Whilst on the way to Pt. Augusta, we suffer one of a couple of heat waves. That is why we have a break and explore the Flinders Ranges by car. A superb side-trip where we see some real Outback. Through wine areas settlements become more now and via Adelaide we are back on the coastline. We do a canoetrip, cycle to the Grampians National Park and along the scenic Great Ocean Road. Leaving Melbourne by ferry, we surround the island Tasmania. Definitely a highlight in Australia. We fly to Sydney - visit friends there, in Surfers Paradise and Canberra - before flying to New Zealands south Island. Starting from Christchurch we ride to Mt. Cook and along some back roads to Dunedin - the city that claims to have the steepest street in the world. We have a try - but this time without luggage. We surround the southern part and go north again. After a spectacular side trip to Milford Sound we follow the West Coast whilst rainy weather is following us. Before setting over to the North Island we cycle through the mountains first along the Rainbow Road and then along the Molesworth Track. It is rough and free and our NZ-favorite. On the north Island we hike Tongariro Crossing, cycle down the Whanganui River and marvel at the volcanoe Taranaki. Our last road is the sparsely populated forgotten Highway and we rest our legs in bubbly Rotorua. From Auckland we fly out to Frankfurt, from where we cycle the last 80 km to the small village Vöckelsbach, where our journey began some 26 month ago.
