2013_05 Vietnam1, a set on Flickr. Our first week in Vietnam with our BigBikes was exciting! This is a photo story from the Laos/Vietnam border crossing, riding the Ho Chi Minh trail up North to Sa Pa.…
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Nepal 3: The last days in Nepal – getting ready for Tibet!
16.12.2011 Kathmandu Our bikes are full of mud, so is our gear. We spend the morning getting everything cleaned and also need to fix “Flocke’s” right pannier, which got dented at the crash. While Harry is replacing his rear brake pads, I look after my heated grips. The left one doesn’t work for months and need to be fixed prior…
Nepal – Trip to the Everest Base Camp
12.12.2011 Trip to the Everest Base Camp, Day 1 Nagarkot We get up early, but need to pack all the stuff we had on our rooms back on the bikes. Everything takes ages. We ask for the bill and it takes the staff half an hour to get it ready. We also need to change money and I need to…
Nepal 2: Trip to the Everest Base Camp
12.12.2011 Trip to the Everest Base Camp, Day 1 Nagarkot We get up early, but need to pack all the stuff we had on our rooms back on the bikes. Everything takes ages. We ask for the bill and it takes the staff half an hour to get it ready. We also need to change money and I need to…
Trip to E.B.C, Day 2 Nagarkot to Charikot
13.12.2011 Nagarkot to Charikot We get up at 05:30 a.m to be in time for the sunrise. The night was cold, just 7,5°C in our room in Nagarkot at 2200m altitude. Nope, there is no heating over here! Our room has a balcony towards East and we get rewarded by a beautiful sunrise over the mountain range, which we enjoy…
BigBertha Service
11.12.2011 Service (Odometer: 48.000km) Today is a big day. We will do a service for our BMW R1200GS bike, including changing the engine-, drive shaft- and gearbox oil and adjust the valves. Back at “Autoland” http://www.autoland.com.np we find Total 5W40, a fully synthetic oil which is specified for temperatures as low as -25°C. We buy 12 liter of that expensive…
Nepal 1: Harry’s arrival and preparing the bikes
06.12.2011 Harry’s arrival in Kathmandu About a year ago, Harry contacted me via e-mail. At this time he had some questions about my equipment. We stayed in contact and exchanged some e-mails, as he planned an overland trip from Innsbruck, Austria to South Africa. He couldn’t pass the border from Turkey to Syria and decided to change his route to…
Nepal 1: Harry’s arrival and preparing the bikes
06.12.2011 Harry’s arrival in Kathmandu About a year ago, Harry contacted me via e-mail. At this time he had some questions about my equipment. We stayed in contact and exchanged some e-mails, as he planned an overland trip from Innsbruck, Austria to South Africa. He couldn’t pass the border from Turkey to Syria and decided to chance his route to…
A day in Kathmandu: Admin, Shopping, Momos!
10.12.2011 A day in Kathmandu: Admin, Shopping, Momos! All participants of the overland journey from Nepal to Laos come to the hotel of the Dutch couple to meet Mr. Tirthu Acharya, a representative of the travel agency. On the way to their hotel we bump into a procession. Women who are dressed up in their national clothing throw petals at…
Preparing the bikes
08.12.2011 Preparing the bikes We meet Fabian and Janine for breakfast and fill out the application forms for the China visa. Harry carried a set of spare tires (Heidenau K60 Scout) on his BMW R1200GS Adventure. As his current set of tires is still in good condition, he offers to borrow me his spare tires. I’m very happy about this,…
Hanging out in Kathmandu
07.12.2011 Hanging out in Kathmandu It’s another lazy day for me, still working on photos and learning “Apple’s Aperture”, the application I decided to use to manage my photos from now on. Harry is busy doing his laundry and cleaning his gear. For dinner we are invited to Schmi & Simone, the Austrian couple on KTM 990 Adventure. It’s their…
Day 15: Leh – Khardung La: The highest motorable pass in the world
Day 15, 01.10.2011: Leh – Khardung La Khardung La on Google map and Wikipedia The highest motorable pass in the world - 5359m altitude … and the day I lost my left pannier. I meet with Simone & René for breakfast. Originally they planned to join me for the ride up to Nubra valley, but changed their plans last minute.…
Indian Himalayas 4: Around Leh
Day 13+14, 29.9. + 30.9.2011 Leh Ladakh I reach Leh on the 28.9. about 5 p.m. and look for a guesthouse. I find only crappy places or they are fully booked. I was told the best place to be in Leh is around the “Main Market”. On my way there, I hear two guys calling me. I turn my head around…
Day 13+14: Leh, Ladakh
Day 13+14, 29.9. + 30.9.2011 Leh Ladakh I reach Leh on the 28.9. about 5 p.m. and look for a guesthouse. I find only crappy places or they are fully booked. I was told the best place to be in Leh is around the “Main Market”. On my way there, I hear two guys calling me. I turn my head…
Indian Himalayas 3: Leh – Manali Highway
Day 9, 25.9.2011 Khoksar – Keylang This morning my Israel friends will go back to Manali, heading south via the Rothang Pass, so we will go separate ways from no on. We share photos and videos while Einav brings some breakfast to our room.Einav is a bit worried about the Rothang pass, as it is often muddy. However, locals tell…
Day 12: Pang – Leh (Manali – Leh Highway part 2)
Day 12, 28.09.2011 Pang – Leh (Manali – Leh Highway part 2) It was a freezing cold night in the tent up in 4600m altitude! I set up my camp next to a restaurant, as this was the only place to protect from the icy cold wind. I check the dashboard of BigBertha. it’s – 6°C at 7 a.m. Fortunately…
Day 11: Manali – Leh Highway (part 1): Keylang – Pang
Day 11, 27.09.2011 Manali – Leh Highway (part 1): Keylang – Pang I take off around 10 a.m., after breakfast at the guesthouse. The condition of the road is great! There is much roadwork going on, which makes me hope that the highway up to Leh might be in excellent condition. However, it will get worse soon. Men at work.…
Day 10: Break @ Keylang
Day 10, 26.09.2011 Break @ Keylang My BSNL 3G Data connection works fine today, so I update my blog and talk to friends and family on Skype. I enjoy Momos in a local restaurant, get a haircut & shave, get my laundry done and buy some “Old Monk”, an Indian rum. Not a special day, but you need some of…
Day 09: Khoksar – Keylang
Day 9, 25.9.2011 Khoksar – Keylang This morning my Israel friends will go back to Manali, heading south via the Rothang Pass, so we will go separate ways from no on. We share photos and videos while Einav brings some breakfast to our room. Einav is a bit worried about the Rothang pass, as it is often muddy. However, locals…
Day 08: Lossar – Kunzum Pass – Khoksar (Tom’s birthday ride)
24.09.2011 Lossar – Kunzam Pass – Khoksar As usual by now, I get up early to capture the morning scene. This is the attached Dhaba of our guesthouse: A quick look at the dashboard of BigBertha shows 0°C temperature at 06:00 a.m. It’s freezing cold up here in 4500m altitude. I watch the happenings in the ktichen as the first…
Indian Himalayas 2: Spiti Valley
22.09.2011 Nako – Mudh (Spiti Valley) Janine and Fabian make homemade breakfast. We make decent coffee and enjoy muesli with fruits. Indian breakfast is normally veg and paratha, eventually you can get eggs. As they have a similar route, we discuss where we potentially could meet again, maybe in Nepal? From Nako, they need to proceed to Chandigarh, as they…
Day 07: Mud – Kaza – Losar
Today I get up early to take photos of “Mud” and it’s citizens in the morning sun: One of the Guesthouses up here even offer Internet via Satellite: Breakfast takes long to get prepared. The people up here don’t seem to be in a hurry. But that’s ok, as we are waiting for the air temperature going up. This is…
Day 06: Nako – Mudh (Spiti Valley)
22.09.2011 Nako – Mudh (Spiti Valley) Janine and Fabian make homemade breakfast. We make decent coffee and enjoy muesli with fruits. Indian breakfast is normally veg and paratha, eventually you can get eggs. As they have a similar route, we discuss where we potentially could meet again, maybe in Nepal? From Nako, they need to proceed to Chandigarh, as they…
Day 05: Kalpa – Nako Lake
21.9 Kalpa – Nako Lake We get up in time and go back to Reckong Peo for breakfast. I buy a new horn as the compressor of my Stebel Magnum horn seems to have difficulties with the thin air at this altitude. I also buy a liter of engine oil – Castrol Active 20W40 for Rp. 260 (about €4!!). Man,…
Indian Himalayas 1: Delhi – Satluj Valley
18.09.2011: Delhi – Shimla After more than a week in Delhi, where I stayed at a friend’s place and could prepare myself and my kit, it was about time to hit the road again! As I’m going to explore the North of India, I need to hit the highway (NH1) to Chandigarh and take the NH21 and NH22 to Shimla,…
Day 04: Chitkul – Reckong Peo – Kalpa
20.09.2011 Chitkul – Reckong Peo – Kalpa I wake up early, around 6 a.m. Not sure if it’s because I’m so excited to be back on the road, or if it’s the altitude, which makes me sleep bad. I step outside to see how the place looks like, where I arrived in the dark last night: This place is…
Day 03: Rampur – Chitkul (the last village of India – walking distance to Tibet)
19.9.2011 Rampur – Chitkul (the last village of India – walking distance to Tibet) Let’s get up at 7:00 and have breakfast at 08:00, I’m told. Well, I got up in time, but cannot find anyone in the breakfast room. The guys must have partied a bit longer, I think. Anyway, I go ahead with breakfast. As I’m always curious,…
Day 02: Shimla
I arrive in Shimla at around 8 p.m. and it is already dark. As usual I haven’t booked a hotel beforehand, so I have to search for accommodation. No problem in Shimla, as this is a well known Hill Station. After a bit of searching, I decide for the Pineview Hotel for Rs. 650. Not a special place, but good…
My 1st day "On the road again!"
After more than a week in Delhi, where I stayed at a friend’s place and could prepare myself and my kit, it was about time to hit the road again! As I’m going to explore the North of India, I need to hit the highway (NH1) to Chandigarh and take the NH21 and NH22 to Shimla, a 381km ride. Not…
BigTom’s route in Northern India!
Yesterday evening, I had the pleasure of meeting Archit Mittal, who I got connected with on Facebook. Archit is passionate about riding his motorcycle in the mountains of India and a member of BikerZone and 60kph. Along with Thierry Wilhelm’s feedback (he just did a similar route), I came up with the proposed itinerary for Northern India: Delhi – Chandigarth…