Author Archive | Gareth Morgan

We have a few Khanates (mini kingdoms) that the Khans (mongols) established across Central Asia which we’ll visit. Konye-Urgench was our first, and now we’re at Khiva, which is unique, in that the Soviets restored it to be a ‘living museum’. While it’s a bit sterile and like a theme park, it makes a nice […]

It’s called the black desert, not because of the colour of its sand but because of the untoward things that befall those who attempt to traverse it. Mystical or felonous, the yarns over the centuries have made many in Turkmenistan very superstitious about venturing into this wasteland that occupies 80% of the country. It certainly […]

Every town we enter we cause a furore. Simply because we are 6 illegal bikes, are dressed like astronauts and one of us is female, is enough to cause mayhem. As soon as we stop a crowd quickly gathers, consisting of pedestrians, 125 cc “road lice” and cars. It blocks the road and people get […]

A phenomenon that is prevelant on Iranian roads we have labelled, “road lice”. The maximum size bike here (apart from ours) is 125 cc and they are everywhere, mainly ridden by very young men (normally two up) who have nothing else to do but cruise the highways all day. With petrol at 16 cents per […]

We were told that riding a motorcyle through Tehran was absolute madness, that the drivers there are merciless and we would all end up hospitalised. So we practised a technique to get through the city’s famously congested streets and survive the antics of its equall famous suidcidal drivers. We have called it the “Silkrider Wedgie”. […]

It has been 10 days now since we entered Iran and the effects of no booze are beginning to show. As his immunity has steadily declined, Bryan has come down with the lurg that had previously hit Joanne and Gareth, Phil has swollen wrists and is struggling to see, Brendan has been riding off by […]

Today we held a press conference for Iranian television and newspapers. It was well attended and we covered why we’re doing this crazy exercise, acknowledging that very few have done the whole Silk Road from Constantinople to Xanadu. Besides there’s no way we can claim to have yet and we have formidable barriers yet to […]

In short it has been cold. So cold that most of us have regularly worn two Icebreakers, BMW rubberised undergarment as well as these BMW jackets & trou we all have, each with their gortex liners. Every now and then it will fine up and we have to strip back but that has been the […]

Now we’re into the swing of this journey we have settled a routine. We’re on the bikes at 8am having had brekky if the hotel supplies it, normally consisting of white bread (lots), a couple of boiled eggs and sometimes some feta cheese – plus coffee (Turkish or Nescafe). Then we ride for a couple […]

Borders are always good places to get an impression of a country and getting into Turkey does not make a good one. We have no less than 5 passport and carnet checks to go through, receive 4 stamps in our passports and take about an hour. Then we travel 10kms past a row of trucks […]