Heavy Metal around Mongolia and Central Asia

It was just like a scene from the film Deliverance.

Sat outside with my breakfast the fat cook sits opposite me watching me eat.
His two mates with big ears are laughing.

The cooks smiling, I avoid his puffy eyes and push my plate away.

He says "You and me, we fuck"? and pushes one finger in and out of his other hand, the big eared retards are laughing still, watching. I could almost hear them cackling "Squeal like a pig, boy"

My heart was racing, this could be a bad situation.
My lock knife was in my thigh pocket, under the table, I opened it but left it there, raised my eyes and slowly but with conviction told him to feck off, I was angry.
The retards stopped laughing and the smile dropped from the gay ommelette maker's face in an instant, they all knew I was pissed off.

Making my way to the bike I flicked the gear lever into first and turned the ignition on, my helmet was on the mirror.
I eased myself onto the bike kicking the stand up while trying to make polite conversation to try and defuse the situation.
One of the retards made a grab for me, the clutch was in, starter hit and clutch out, I was out of there in an instant.

Ok, it's a funny story but I was shitting myself, I've spoken with others who've had similar encouters and felt the same anger as I did.
For the first time in my life I think I fully understand how a woman feels when an undesirable tries the 'come on'. Bastards!!

It was a few miles before I calmed down enough to stop in an empty place, have a smoke then get my helmet on before riding calmly off again.

So, Azerbaijan, go stuff yourself.:dabone
 
Pressing on toward the border with Georgia a large policeman (not in this photo, he wasn't allowed), waves a worn baton and I pull in.

Now what?

I must have tea with him, after my recent encounter, I'm suspicious and try to leave but he insists.

I sit and with much relief two women bring tea and food, he offers his smokes another man joins us and we all chat.

I try not to look at the woman in the red dress.

He waves a 4x4 down and Italian who's head of the road building team chat's with us, he know UK well, I could not have been made feel more comfortable.
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That brief encounter lifted my spirits and feelings for Azerbaijan as I rode to the border passing pigs and geese grazing by the roadside through villages.

It's hot again as the now routine form filling, queing and confusion leaves me wanting to lie in the shade and sleep.

Then to the Georgian side which is pretty straight forward and an official says "welcome to Georgia" Yehaa!

I change some money meet some Brits Heading for the Mongol Rally in an old car, they ask what the ferry's like from Baku, "you'll have fun, I reassure them":green gri

A friendly shop provides me with bread, cheese and cold drinks. Old men sit by the side of the road selling tomatos, there's no charge for me.
I like Georgia.:)

Up in the hills I find some shade, eat lunch and chill for a while, I'm knackered.
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I'm sure there's a lot of you riders out there who know what this feels like. You've been riding for ever, you're exhausted, it's warm and you just want to lie down in the shade with your bike for company watching the countryside.
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Passing through Tiblisi riding west, now looking for a decent campsite or even a cheap hotel where I can wait for the others.
It's late afternoon after perhaps another hundred miles or so beyond Tiblisi and find a chalet next to a hotel.
A friendly woman can see I'm tired, brings me food and some beer then sleep for 14 hours!
 
if the first and last phots in that post are not front page material then nothing is:cool:cool
 
It's raining heavily the following morning and a text tells me I'm way ahead of the others so wait until midday heading for the Black Sea and Turkey, not knowing whether they're now in front or behind me.

A gut feeling steers me away from the more direct rough track over the mountains and I head north off my map again through the beautiful Caucasus Mountains.
The gut feeling was perhaps lucky but when in Istanbul I found my rear, lower shock absober bolt had snapped in two places.

That rough track was also to prove the final straw for poor Baz and he was in the Landrover!

The road twisted down through the wonderful mountains and I turned west towards the Black Sea in a lovely warm climate with friendly people and lush vegetation.


Before we set off we always knew that the first sight of the Black Sea would mean we'd 'broken the back' of this journey and we'd be almost home, so it was with great excitment and a warm satisfaction that I rode through the pine forest and onto the beach to contemplate.
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Bugger, no page 27.

Yet...

Great write up Tim, what a journey. Thanks for sharing.
 
South along the coast, a bit more paperwork than I'd expected and I'm in Turkey.

You can see from this poor photo it fairly impossible to camp either side of the road, the mountains rise one side and man made sea defences the other.
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In a T shirt I ride along the coast road, not wanting to get too far ahead of the others and look for somewhere to camp.
There seems not to be anywhere so pull into a cafe, where the manager says I can camp on their grass and use their shower.
Great at least I have a plan.

While waiting for my second Turkish coffee (which tasted like mud) two bikes pull up, a KTM690 and a Yam XT660, Sedat and Memet introduce themselves and ask where I've come from.
"Feck, that's our dream, you must tell us about it" we sit and chat awhile before Sedat asks where I'm staying.

Alarm bells go, well yours would after the AZ encounter!

The guy we're due to stay with in Istanbul is David also known as ExpatinIstanbul, Sedat knows him well and we speak on the phone. A small world sometimes and my mind's at ease.

"I bet you could use a jacuzzi" Sedat offers and we hit the road to Trabzon.
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Hi Tim, fantastic report, great reading you are a very fortunate chap and I hope we meet up again one day . Garry:bow:bow
 
Sedat's as good as his word.
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He's from a wealthy family who run a chain of high class clothing stores across Europe, he has two himself, one here in Trabzon the other in Istanbul.

In my room he says choose a pillow, different densities and different thickness....jeez I thought a pillow was a pillow.
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We three sit our on one of many balconies overlooking Trabzon and the Black Sea, Memet is a surgeon and takes his work seriously, he has several operations to perform in the morning so goes easy on the Raki.
We talk bikes and travel of course.

The other house is his sisters.
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The next day Sedat takes me to his work, several stories high with pretty staff bringing us coffee and breakfast at a snap of his fingers.
What a great life!
But he's frustrated at having to comply with fathers wishes regarding business, all Sedat wants to do is ride his bike.

His hospitality was humbling, a top bloke.
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Just spent the last few hours reading the entire thread. What an awesome report and has me imagining my own adventures one day. I've long wanted to visit Mongolia and this has refired my desire to do so.

Cheers,

J.
 
Great Stuff -

We have little in North America to compare with this ride. Hats off!:clap:clap:clap:clap

Thanks for sharing this.:thumb2
 
Satphone

Tim,

I saw you used a Satphone in one of your earlier posts.

Can I ask, how much did it cost, how long for, etc ?

Was it easy to charge from the bike ?

Ray
 
Tim,

I saw you used a Satphone in one of your earlier posts.

Can I ask, how much did it cost, how long for, etc ?

Was it easy to charge from the bike ?

Ray

It was Rick's phone in the Landrover, so cannot answer your questions sorry mate.
At a guess it was possibly a couple of hundred quid.
The intention was for emergency use only and friends, family etc were given the number with another number which would enable incoming calls to be made very cheaply but don't we used that facility at all.

There was an inverter on the Landy but can't remember if it was charged from that or the fag lighter.

A search on SAT phones should answer your queries though:thumb
 
I have just finished reading this RR from the start and all I can say is Wow! Heartiest congratulations Tim on actually doing what most of us dream about. What an achievement. Equally, much thanks for taking the trouble to share it with us. Really looking forward to more. :bounce1
 
It was Rick's phone in the Landrover, so cannot answer your questions sorry mate.
At a guess it was possibly a couple of hundred quid.
The intention was for emergency use only and friends, family etc were given the number with another number which would enable incoming calls to be made very cheaply but don't we used that facility at all.

There was an inverter on the Landy but can't remember if it was charged from that or the fag lighter.

A search on SAT phones should answer your queries though:thumb

I've spoken with Rick regarding his Sat phone.
It cost £1000:blast

He's prepared to loan it out for anyone doing an extended trip provided they insure it, pay the line rental whilst they use it and it's returned in the same condition.
It can be charged either by mains or from a bike/car.
 
He's prepared to loan it out for anyone doing an extended trip provided they insure it, pay the line rental whilst they use it and it's returned in the same condition.
It can be charged either by mains or from a bike/car.

That's what I call a generous offer, Rick's the man!
 


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