Marc, Camille and me left Beyneu at around 10. Marc had bought new Tyres in Beyneu but they were absolutely awful and ripped apart when Marc pumped them up. He had to put his worn out old ones back on.
We rode out of Beyneu on another appalling road. It was even worse than before! Corrugated with no dirt tracks to ride on and nowhere to escape the bumps. It was great to have some company though and we talked about our rides. Marc and Camille planned the same route as me except for the Pamir Highway. They will go straight from Uzbekistan to Kazakhstan. Coincidentally Marc is called Marc Beaumont, like the British world record breaking cyclists. He had some funny email exchanges with possible sponsors who originally seemed very interested until they realised it was a different Marc Beaumont! Their website iswww.lacaravaneapedales.com.
The ride across the desert was hard, very hot, but amazing. The barren landscapes which haven't been touched by humans are great to be part of. I saw meercats, scorpians, hawks and loads of desert rat things!
Although there is a tarmac road, this stretch of desert was more isolated than in Kazakhstan. It took careful planning and we needed a lot of water. I plan to write an account of distances and water points on my website when I get a chance (www.tombrucecycling.com). The furthest distance without a water point was about 150 km, or a day and a half.
When we finaly got to Qongirat and saw green trees on the horizon it was a great moment. The three of us stopped and cheered then took some photos. It was great to be out of the desert and we celebrated in a Chaihana. I decided to carry on alone. It had been great to cycle with Marc and Camille but I needed to press on as I have a Tajikistan visa to get. I planned to get to Nukus that evening, the capital of the Karakalpakstan region. I hope to meet up with them again in Samarkand.
We rode out of Beyneu on another appalling road. It was even worse than before! Corrugated with no dirt tracks to ride on and nowhere to escape the bumps. It was great to have some company though and we talked about our rides. Marc and Camille planned the same route as me except for the Pamir Highway. They will go straight from Uzbekistan to Kazakhstan. Coincidentally Marc is called Marc Beaumont, like the British world record breaking cyclists. He had some funny email exchanges with possible sponsors who originally seemed very interested until they realised it was a different Marc Beaumont! Their website iswww.lacaravaneapedales.com.
We cycled the 85 km to the Uzbek border, planning to cross it the next morning. I was feeling smug - I'd planned to get to the border on the 14th June in Istanbul when I got the visa. It was the 14th June!
We met some Russian motorcyclists and they confirmed what some Belgians told me in Beyneu - the road was all tarmac from now on! I couldn't believe it. At some point in the last few years they must have built a tarmac road for the 500 km across the desert.
We went and found somewhere to camp ready to get going early the next day. Unfortunately the next morning the 24 hour border was shut until 10 then a load of pointless waiting and filling in more forms took two hours. Every official wants to prove their power by meticulously checking passports. One, who couldn't speak English spent about 10 minutes looking at the page where I'd written my Nan's address for emergency contact details. Eventually he nodded and gave it back. I have no idea what he thought he was looking at!
Finally through the border we got going. Cycling with Marc and Camille was very pleasant. We rode at a good pace, sometimes in formation if there was a headwind. We took long afternoon breaks and finished early in the evening. It was nice to spend some time off the bike. I had enjoyed my dash across Kazakhstan, the physical challenge was rewarding but it was nice to read and chill out.
One night we were treated to an incredible moonrise. A huge, bright, orange moon appeared on the horizon and rose up into the sky.
A town in the middle of the desert, Jasliq provided a place to rest and buy water. The Chaihana there was incredibly busy. We arrived at lunchtime and the whole place was covered in sleeping bodies. We found a place to sit and got some food. When we went back outside, all three of us had rear punctures. It must have been the heat. After spending a long time fixing them in front of a crowd of about 25, we escaped!
A town in the middle of the desert, Jasliq provided a place to rest and buy water. The Chaihana there was incredibly busy. We arrived at lunchtime and the whole place was covered in sleeping bodies. We found a place to sit and got some food. When we went back outside, all three of us had rear punctures. It must have been the heat. After spending a long time fixing them in front of a crowd of about 25, we escaped!
The ride across the desert was hard, very hot, but amazing. The barren landscapes which haven't been touched by humans are great to be part of. I saw meercats, scorpians, hawks and loads of desert rat things!
Although there is a tarmac road, this stretch of desert was more isolated than in Kazakhstan. It took careful planning and we needed a lot of water. I plan to write an account of distances and water points on my website when I get a chance (www.tombrucecycling.com). The furthest distance without a water point was about 150 km, or a day and a half.
When we finaly got to Qongirat and saw green trees on the horizon it was a great moment. The three of us stopped and cheered then took some photos. It was great to be out of the desert and we celebrated in a Chaihana. I decided to carry on alone. It had been great to cycle with Marc and Camille but I needed to press on as I have a Tajikistan visa to get. I planned to get to Nukus that evening, the capital of the Karakalpakstan region. I hope to meet up with them again in Samarkand.
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