We wanted a long vacation. Actually, not a vacation – we wanted to go traveling.
And now we found the opportunity!
Gal was on her way towards finishing her Physics Solid-State Thesis, even though she tried stretching it for ever. I have just started a promising job that turned out to be the nightmare of an experienced Real-Time Embedded Programmer.
So, after evaluating the situation, we’ve decided I’d quit my job, Gal will postpone her PhD. and we’ll to traveling!
After traveling a year all around India, on an Enfield motorcycle, it was obvious for us that we will want to travel on a motorbike. Having your own means of transportation totally changes the trip in every aspect.
But where to?
Gal wanted to travel through South-America.
I’ve traveled there after my military service, 10 years ago, for half a year, with Yossi Mossel (who I hope will join us for a few weeks of cycling), so I was worried that things will not be the same, not ‘like they used to be’ & that crap. So let’s start with Mexico, 3 months, good food, Cerveza, tranquilo! Then we’ll head south through Central-America & travel South-America – everybody wins.
But, then people started scaring us about how dangerous a trip like this could be, South-America being what we think it is: Cutthroats cutting throats all around, just to pass the hot & humid day, Boozing & Whoring… well, you get the picture.
So where else? Africa? With their small hill? “climb both peaks of mount Kilimanjaro“ is it? Not even 6,000 meters – Pleeeeease!
And then it came (ingeniously, if I may add) – China!
But, as w all know, in China, one is not allowed to own a motorized vehicle – so we’ll use a bicycle!
And all this planning was happening around September, where freezing winter overtakes Beijing, but North Thailand enjoys a dry and cool season – so we’ll land in Bangkok!
And if we cycle from Bangkok to China (via Laos), what the hell – let’s add the Silk Road!
So we started thinking / planning our Silk Road bicycle trip, and the more data / pictures / stories we came across, the more we liked it!
So, now, less than 3 weeks from the beginning of our adventure, we’re both exited about every ‘chapter’ ahead: Green Curry in Thailand, Lao-Lao in Laos, ever-changing scenery and food of China, climbing over 5,000 meter passes to the Tibetan plateau, the lush forests of Kyrgyzstan, endless deserts of Uzbekistan the very short Transit-Visa of Turkmenistan (???), sailing the Caspian sea, invigorating my chauvinist narrow-mindedness with the thick-mustached vodka-drinking male-dominant society of Azerbaijan, take pleasure in the scrumptious foods & beauty of Georgia and bending over for the soap in Turkey ;-)

And back to the question: why? Because it’s there…