On the road again

So it's been a while since I last posted on this blog. Not that I've had any shortage of blog worthy adventures since I packed my bike in a box and flew home from Cairo...but I've preferred to share those stories in person and not spend hours pasted to a computer screen while on various adventures. Nonetheless the blog does have its advantages, namely allowing me a creative outlet for documenting my longer adventures and sharing those experiences with friends and family that I love so dearly (you). So now that I've justified and qualified this blog, let us begin.

Let's see, my last post from December 2009 reads "...could I really be done ? ...with my mind constantly scheming each time I see a map, I know it's only a matter of time before my feet get restless and my wheels are rolling again."

Reading that post some 5 years later, I'm wondering if perhaps my younger self knew how easy it would be to get caught up in those societal gerunds that make traveling a further and further reality as we get older. Perhaps I was reminding my older self how important these experiences are. Either way, my feet done got restless and my wheels will indeed be rolling again. I found some inspiration one night laying in bed, reading an article entitled "20 Things to do when you're 30 that will make life better at 50." Number 15 was: "Travel. As much as possible. Whenever you can".

So I'm travelling again. On the bike. This time it's Mongolia, China and Central Asia. A lot of people have asked me how Mongolia and Central Asia got on my radar. The first thing that came to mind is the hospitality and sincere kindness of nomadic cultures. I fell in love with the semi-nomadic cultures of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan on my previous trip and after 4 weeks in Kyrgyzstan and 6 weeks in Tajikistan in 2009, I knew I'd only scratched the surface and would someday return to these amazing countries for round 2. I've managed to stay in touch with an amazingly kind family in Kyrgyzstan and have always dreamed of returning to visit them. Then there's Mongolia. During my last trip, I cycled with a Spanish friend, Alex Prieto, who shared stories of cycling through Mongolia, of vast landscapes of wilderness inhabited by nomadic cultures, forging routes over landscapes with no roads, lots of wind, strange food and lots of Type 2 fun. It sounded like an adventure that was right down my alley.

So here we go. I have basically little to no preconceived notions of this trip other than a general idea of the route, a handful of potential border crossings, a Chinese visa, a Surly bike with some serious stories to tell, and a good friend, Mr Andrew Schurr to cycle with for a few months. This trip will be different from my previous travels in many ways and somewhat similar. For one, I'm slightly older. Don't mistake that for lacking in energy, psyche, and overall excitement for adventures and random dance parties....but I've had some body fails in the past 3ish years (particularly my back) that seem to consistently remind me that I'm no longer the young chap that I once was. The next similarity is traveling through Central Asia. This will be the first time that I've ever returned to an international location. I've always thought of the world as being such a gigantic place of potential travel opportunities, that I simply couldn't justify spending precious travel time returning to a place that I'd already been. But when I thought of the idea of traveling by bicycle again; I couldn't get Central Asia off my mind. Then there's the cycling partner dynamic. My last bicycle adventure included lots of alone time, independant decisions and minimal English speaking. This time I've got an adventure companion, Dr. Schurr, along for the adventure. I'm excited to share adventures, speak English, suffer, recover and travel with someone. And then there's the bike. The same Surly that carried me across 3 continents is back in action. Hopefully bike years are fractional to human years, with my bike just as resiliant as it was 5 years ago. I also need an appropriate name for my beautiful forest green machine. I'm open to ideas if you want to suggest something?

So we've made it to Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, with bicycles (in one piece!), not nearly enough sleep and lots of gear. I don't anticipate much internet access throughout Mongolia. So I'll post whenever possible. Looking forward to sharing some stories with you!

I'll end on a note taken from a conversation with friend Jeff Deikis before he dropped me off at the airport in San Francisco. "Never forget the difference between traveling and vacation." Vacation being the relaxing, reality check-out typically consisting of cocktails on the beach and sun bathing. Traveling being an exploration of self, far from relaxing at times, but far more rewarding in the end. Here's to traveling!

Here's some pictures thus far: