To stretch my legs I made an overnight trip north to the town of Kazbegi. (full-sized photos can be seen here.) The road (called the Georgian Military Highway) follows the broad Aragvi river. At around 7500′ in elevation, fortunately I didn’t have to use the snow tunnel. The further I climbed, the worse the road … Read more
After the constant corruption in Azerbaijan, Georgia was a breath of fresh air, starting at the border. A helpful immigration official directed me (in very good English) to a drive-up booth for processing. The surly fellow inside took one look at my passport and motorcycle, and directed me to the next booth. The first official … Read more
The Dagestan cruised due west on smooth seas, and I passed the time studying up on Baku’s lodging options, the possible routes to Georgia, and walking around on the ship’s decks. I was the only passenger aboard, so small talk was limited to the few crew who passed by. The cabin next to mine was … Read more
Exiting Uzbekistan was another surprisingly easy process, with no interest shown in me or my bike’s luggage for inspection. A few hundred meters later, I was swept up in the whirlwind that is the Turkmenistan entry process. I was directed (with much efficiency) to a dozen windows, making payments, signing forms, re-visiting the same windows … Read more
Waiting in Tashkent for the Turkmenistan visa brought me unexpected emotional lows. Without having the day-to-day activity of riding and looking for food, fuel and camping spots, my mind was free to dwell on the things that I left behind: home, cat, family, and friends. Some psychological bills came due and there were a few … Read more
Heading west on the M39 out of Almaty, the snow-capped peaks of the towering Zailyisky Alatau range were quickly out of sight, replaced with gently rolling cultivated fields covered with brown stubble. Between the fields and the highway is a continuous tract of trees about a dozen meters wide – on evenings when I mistimed … Read more
Waiting to enter Uzbekistan was made more pleasant by watching a drug-sniffing Springer Spaniel joyfully scour a truck’s chassis, egged on and directed by his handler. Between searches there was time for fetch with a tennis ball or tug-of-war; I think the dog was the happiest person at the border. Within two hours I was … Read more
The entry to Kazakhstan was the easiest border yet; after stamping my passport they only wanted to glance at my Russian customs declaration form. A uniformed official smiled and said, “Welcome to Kazakhstan – our military is not interested in your vehicle.” Next I was cruising across the tan, griddle-flat landscape on paved but humpy … Read more
Crossing from Mongolia back into Russia was quick and painless, as border crossings go. The first laugh of the day was the Mongolian “road tax” of about US$3. Err…and for which roads am I being taxed, exactly? Done with Mongolia, it’s a 10-mile ride across no-man’s land to the Russian border. A customs declaration form … Read more
I followed a track north toward the aimag capital of Arvayheer with the goal of replenishing food and water for camping. In the smaller villages, the store shelves are stocked with food items with expiration dates that are measured in decades: instant noodles, colas, candy, canned soups and sauces, powdered soup bases, and pasta. I … Read more