Last week, Yugyeong and I crossed the Caspian Sea, and spent a few days putting our feet up in the Azeri capital, Baku. This week, we head South, to a country famed for its tea, hospitality, and the difficulty of obtaining its visa: Iran.
Last week, Yugyeong and I crossed the width of Uzbekistan: from cities being transformed in the East, to towns proudly displaying their past in the West. This week, we await our ride across the largest ‘lake’ in the world, towards a new adventure in an oil-rich state undergoing a radical transformation of its own.
Last week, Yugyeong and I observed Afghanistan (from a distance), left the arduous Pamir Mountains far behind, and entered the dry expanse of the Uzbek desert. This week, we take a tour around our new country: visiting a vibrant capital in the East, and the stunning historic towns and mosques of the West.
Last week, Yugyeong and I crossed Kyrgyzstan, getting pulled over by the police countless times in the process. This week, we find ourselves following the border of one of the most ‘dangerous’ countries on earth, before making a visit to a Tajik hospital in the capital…
Last week, Yugyeong and I visited two polarising cities at each end of the Kazakh steppe. This week, we enter our second ‘Stan’, and begin the journey South towards the highest, and toughest, part of the expedition: crossing the Pamir Mountains.
Last week, Toby, Yugyeong and I were thoroughly probed, prodded and scrutinised at two national borders, before entering our first ‘Stan’. This week, we savour our time in a dynamic, urban metropolis, before driving the height of Kazakhstan, towards our next probing.
Last week, Yugyeong and I left Ulaanbaator, and struggled to make progress along the dirt tracks of the Mongolian steppe. This week, we cross two national borders, and begin the next chapter of our journey: crossing the ‘Stans’.
Last week, Yugyeong and I arrived at the deepest lake in the world before crossing our first land border, into Mongolia. This week, we gather our supplies in the capital before heading off into the wild expanse of the Mongolian steppe, hoping to make it out the other side with Toby in one piece…
Last week, Yugyeong and I arrived on the shores of Russia ready to begin our mammoth road trip. Seven days later and the monotony of the forests of Eastern Siberia have started to take their toll. This week, we leave the damp, dark forests far behind as we reach the Russian steppe on route to the deepest lake in the world, before heading South towards our second nation.
Welcome to the writings of a compulsive road-trip enthusiast, from my second expedition in as many years. The first was a jaunt across the North American continent, through forty-eight U.S states and four Canadian provinces. It was an unforgettable 105-day voyage that inspired my girlfriend and I to attempt not to strangle each other once more on an even more ambitious trip.
