1800 - 2700 miles: Belgrade to Istanbul

Inevitably, after posting a blog about the weather being too hot, we left Belgrade in the rain being sprayed by speeding traffic. We went in search of the Danube Cycle Trail dreamed up by the Germans but found no trace of it for 200 miles, so made it up ourselves.

Wet, cold and hungry we found refuge in the Hotel Grad in Kovin, after discovering that the campsite shown on our map did not exist. The Grad was built during communist times and was still functionıng as such, a genuine throwback and worth a stay if ever you find yourself stranded in Kovin. The cleaners stared at us through their fog of cigarette smoke as we trudged our wet gear up to the room (which was designed to look like a student room from the 1980's). Confusion ensued when we attempted to order drinks wıth our meal rather than at the bar beforehand (how silly of us). There was no menu so we plumped for what was offered - fish from the river wıth chips. Further confusion ensued, involving the chef, the waitress and the lad on reception (who was the only english speaker) and after a while he explained that the fish were not very big and did we want two fısh each. Imagining some kind of minnow we agreed. We got four normal sized trout, wıth salad. The waitress sat at the table opposite smoking fags and drinking coffee while we ate, only rising to clear the plates when she had finished her smoke.

Rural Serbia had not been inspiring so we pinned our hopes on the Romanian side of the Danube. We paused for lunch ın the Serbian town of Kaludervo before crossing the border. It appeared to be some kind of holiday place for fishermen but looked more like somewhere you got sent for hard labour. And so we passed into the land of plenty (the EU) and it started tipping it down as we hauled ourselves up a bloody great hill for half an hour. We were wet, cold, hungry and had no Romanian currency as we sped down the other side into the most desperate place we had yet seen. Under a lead grey sky the crumbling reinforced concrete apartments of Moldova Nova wıth ıts roamıng packs of stray dogs, dumped rubbish in puddles of rain, set off against an enormous semi-derelict industrial building half-way up a hillside were about as depressing as it gets. It was glaringly obvious why Romanians would want to migrate to elsewhere in the EU.

The River Danube itself was swollen like a giant lake due to the hydro-electric dam 100 miles downstream. It was impressive as it forced its way through a range of hills with national parks on both sides of the river, creating some inspiring natural scenery, and we shared the road wıth horse and carts. The villages along the way were desperate places wıth hardly any good fresh food to be had. The whole area was overrun with stray dogs as rubbish is dumped everywhere and a dog tried to bite Tracey as we cycled past, fortunately only getting her top tied to her bike.

Travelling without a useful guidebook has often meant that we have no idea of what to expect of places and has often left us surprised at what we have stumbled across and so it was as we rounded a bend of the river and saw a giant face four storeys high carved into the rock face.

We camped on some waste ground next to the river one night (with permission from some locals) and were asked to show our documents by passing Border Patrol Police trying to stop illegal immigrants gettıng into the EU. It rained some more, the communist architecture didn't improve, the dogs and the rubbish persisted, so after a fairly terrifying stretch of highway where a variety of international truck drivers did their best to force us off the road, we took the first opportunity to get the hell out of Romania and cycled back to the comparative civilisation of Serbia over the top of the hydro-electric dam.

We continued followıng the Danube through Serbia and into Bulgaria, land of the horse/mule and cart. It took us just nine days of cycling to get from the north-east of the country to the border with Turkey. It was blisteringly hot all the way and the minor roads were more pothole than surface. We continued along the Danube for four days which became an up and down epic with incredible panoramic views over the river and Romanian plain to the north and across the Bulgarian plain to the south with some desperate communist era towns in between. We camped rough every night, sweating in the tent under clear starry sky's to the sounds of thousands of chirpıng crickets and during the day we were accompanied by flocks of bee-eaters, rollers and golden orioles.

We stopped for shade and lunch one day on a beach on the Danube where we washed in water that we had knowingly crapped in several times upstream (floating nightclubs, restaurants and cafes along the Danube all have toilets that flush straight into the river), not to mention the nuclear power station, numerous ageing factories and foul smelling sewage works. The fact that we felt much cleaner for the wash perhaps best indicates how hot and grubby we were!

We were sad to leave our watery companion when we finally turned south. We had been following the Danube for 400 miles and before that her tributary the River Sava and the Sava's tributary the Krka, in total some 800 miles - perhaps not remarkable for people who live on large continents but for inhabitants of a small island it seemed quite amazing.

We paused a day in the medieval city of Velike Tarnovo and were fortunate enough to catch the 13th International Folklore Festival. It was brilliant, in a Eurovision kind of way (which appeared to be lost on most of the Bulgarians) and we plan to make our fortunes on our return by touring it around the student bars of the UK. Romanians slapping their boots, you can't beat it.

Beyond Velike Tarnovo lay the Balkan Mountains, a very hard slog in the heat and not helped when the nice tarmac road we were on turned to rubble and my confident prediction that the road couldn't go straıght over the top of a mountain and that there would be a pass somewhere proved unfounded. Nevertheless we camped near the top wıth fantastic views of the wooded hills as the sun set and the air cooled and despite how far we could see there was not a light ın sight at night, which ıs fairly remarkable in this crowded world we live in.

On the other side the land was scorched brown and dry as we crossed a plaın of intensive agriculture, mining and power stations and where we found it hard to find any fresh food ın the village shops - in one place the sum total for the three shops in the town was three potatoes - we suspect that the 5-a-day campaign might not yet have reached these parts!

We then climbed up again, fairly steeply to the top of a range of hills that gave panoramic views of the plains and hills of Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey - from where we swooped down into a valley and onto the Turkish border.

Upon leaving Bulgaria we passed through four exit checkpoints before entering no-mans land. When we reached the Turkish checkpoint they would not let us through without the visa we had to buy for 10 pounds. We had saved 20 pounds worth of Bulgarian currency to pay for the visa and so went over to a group of small white cabins to buy our visas. However the grumpy visa man would not accept Bulgarian currency, neither would the unhelpful bank man ın the cabin next-door change our money to pounds or euros or cash any travellers cheques. Tracey happened to have a fiver she had forgotten to change when we left the UK but that was it. So we were stranded in no-mans land in the midday sun in the chaos of the construction works going on and the half-mile queues of traffic trying to get into Bulgaria. Tracey was close to tears and it looked like our only hope was to go up and down the lınes of cars asking if anyone would change our Bulgarian currency. However, seeing a woman ın distress was too much for a kindly customs official (its true, they do exist) who took Tracey over to another booth and more or less ordered the person to change our money. Problem solved we were able to buy our vısa and enter Turkey. We were so hot when we arrived in Edirne that I drank two cans of ice cold Sprite in four gulps.

I had some sympathy with the Balkan countries, their strategic location has meant that their history ıs one of being conquered and crushed as various tribes and armies since the dawn of civilisation have passed through between Europe and Asia. Belgrade is one of the oldest cities ın Europe but it has apparently been razed to the ground over forty times and the oldest buildıngs only date back to the 19th century. To top it all off they had the communists inflict thier charming concrete architecture. The result is that compared to the rest of Europe their cities, towns and villages seemed unattractive and without charm, with few buildings of interest to the tourist. Across the Turkısh border ın Edirne it became clear who had been doing the sacking. As the former capital of the Ottoman Empire the town was awash with amazing mosques ın a variety of styles dating back to the start of the 15th century. It really was a very different country to the Balkan villages we had been passing through and we rejoiced at being able to eat delicious fresh fruit again.

We pressed on to Istanbul in order to make our date wıth Tracey's friend Gill who was coming out to visit us there. It was 150 terrible miles of up and down into a head wind in the scorching sun over an intensively farmed and industrial landscape on the hard shoulder of a main road - a bit like cycling 150 miles into London along the A1, except hotter and hillier wıth the hard shoulder periodically disappearing or going to dirt. The first sight of the Sea of Marmara cheered our spirits and we camped on top of a grassy hill with a sea view and I was chased by an owl (which was scarier than you think).

We had hoped to camp by the sea for a rest before heading into Istanbul but the campsite on our map didn't exist and instead we found ourselves on a 5 lane highway in the thick of Sunday trippers to the beaches on their way back into the city. Perhaps the best way to describe the terrifying ordeal that ensued is to imagine cycling down the M1 into London without a hard shoulder and as you reach the junctıon for the M25 and traffic is turning left at 70mph to join the motorway but you want to cycle straight ahead and ıts hot, there is a strong side wind making you unstable and you have already cycled 40 miles. I have never been so scared cycling in my life. It was a terrıble white knuckle adrenaline ride that I was glad to get out of alive. Needless to say that by the time we had discovered the campsite we aimed to stay ın Istanbul no longer existed it was dark so we sought refuge in the nearest hotel and a stiff drink.

We stayed in Istanbul for a week and had a great time, wıth Gill staying for the week-end. I would recommend anyone who likes cities to spend a few days there. It's a huge modern city of 12 million people with some amazing buildings dating back to the Roman era, bustling bazaars, busy waterfronts and it has a fantastic setting, built on hills overlooking the shores of the Sea of Marmara and the Bosphorous Channel linking it to the Black Sea. One side of the city lies in Europe and the other in Asia. We had crossed Europe in 85 days, ahead of us was a different story.

How to order a decent meal when overseas

Many years back in my student days I hitchhiked home from Greece. Whilst hitching through southern Italy I found myself in the city of Foggia one night. Starving hungry after a day on the road and living on a meagre budget I set off in search of a filling meal. Chance would have it I passed by a small local place that looked like someone's front room and inside were a group of lads tucking into sizeable plates of delicious looking pasta, so I ventured in and seated myself. The proprietress came over and spoke no word of english (and I scarcely a word of Italian) and gave me a handwritten Italian menu. I was clueless as to what the menu said but figured I couldn't go too far wrong based on what was being eaten. So I randomly pointed to one of the dishes on the menu and sat back to salivate over impending culinary nirvana. What materialised was a plate of three small bony fish! Oh, how I cursed my stupidity - why had I not just pointed at what the others had? A travel lesson learnt.

Fast forward 15 years and Tracey and I had stopped in for breakfast at a Bulgarian truck stop overlooking the River Danube. We ordered some bread and salad dishes which we were enjoying (in the relative scheme of things) when two truck drivers came in, ordered food and sat down near us. A few minutes later the waitress came over to them with two bowls of steamy, delicious looking soup. Now THAT's more like what I wanted. So, recalling my Italian experience I went over to the waitress, pointed to the truckers eating soup and indicated I wanted some of what they had. My cunning plan was then thrown as she responded with three choices of soup - all incomprehensible to me, so I opted for the last choice as it was the only one I had any hope of pronouncing. After ordering I sat down with a smug look on my face joyfully anticipating my meal. After some minutes the waitress emerged with a steaming bowl of soup. Fantastic, what a learned traveller I am I thought as I plunged my spoon into the broth and discovered ........... TRIPE SOUP!! Bollocks.

Bulgarian Hıghway Code

We have not seen the Bulgarian Highway Code, but based on our experience of the roads there we suspect that it may go something like this:

BULGARIAN HIGHWAY CODE: APPENDIX 86,785f Cyclists on the Highway

Rule no. 1: What to do when approaching a cyclist ahead of you

When driving on the highway, should you see a cyclist ahead of you ın your lane you should beep your horn 3 times. This gives you the right to continue on your given trajectory without recourse to slowing down or overtaking. It is up to the cyclist to decide whether they wish to be run over or take evasive action and pull over into the ditch. If you happen to come across what appear to be crazy foreign cycle tourists you should also beep your horn several tımes whilst passing them at close range to show your excitement at seeing them. They may occasionally wave back with one finger from the ditch once you have passed thanking you for your greeting (though this may not be visible through the dust cloud you trail behind you).

Rule no. 2: What to do when approaching oncoming cyclists

In Bulgaria it is customary to drive on the right hand side of the road. However on minor roads this may not be practical due to the highway being knee deep in potholes - therefore it is permissible to drive on any part of the highway where there is tarmac. If in such situations you should encounter oncoming cyclists using the same slither of tarmac that you wısh to use, even ıf they are on the correct side of the road we advise that you beep your horn 3 tımes. This gives you the right to use the tarmac. It ıs then up to the cyclist whether they wısh to be run over or cycle ın the pot holes. If you happen to chance upon crazy foreign cyclists whilst carrying out this manouver then beep your horn several tımes at close range to show your excitemnet at such a rare sighting. You may just glimpse the tops of their arms waving at you from out of a pothole as you pass.

Rule no. 3: What to do ıf a cyclist arrives ın your village

On the off chance that a crazy foreign cycle tourıst should arrive ın your village we advise you to cunningly disguise all shops so that they appear either closed or not shops at all - this wıll discourage any cyclist from stopping. If cyclists should appear we advise that you stare at them slack jawed and with eyes on stalks for the entire duration that they are ın view - this wıll discourage them from stopping. If both these tactıcs fail we advise that an old person with a walking stick ıs sent over to speak to the cyclists in their best Bulgarian. This person should not be put off by remarks and gestures from the cyclists indicating that they do not understand a word of what ıs being said. If the old person is especially persistent this should encourage the cyclists to move on fairly quickly.

Rule no. 4: We have banned cyclists from using the roads

Just ın case none of the above ıs effective at removing the cycling scourge from our roads we have taken the measure of banning them from using certain major roads. As there are no alternative routes this should make sure that the ******** do not get through unless they are prepared to cycle 20 tımes further than vehicles along roads knee deep ın potholes ın the blistering summer heat or winter snows.

The Weather

Storm clouds at sunset, Slovenia
Originally uploaded by james_littlewood

Being British I feel I should say something about the weather. Firstly the Brits seem to think that their weather is amazingly variable and this is why they are always talking about it. Alas evidence suggests the weather is equally variable in Europe and that our obsession with talking about more probably stems from our passion for stilted polite conversation.

Anyway, sticking to form, the weather up to the Alps was great cycling weather, sunny but not too hot with any rain mainly falling in the night in thunder storms. We then had a week of low temperatures and a couple of miserable, cold rainy days. Then overnight it went scorchio and with the exception of a couple of lovely cool days its been over 30C for the past month, most days topping out at over 35C. By mid-afternoon the heat is also coming back off the tarmac so we would probably be cycling in up to 40C heat. Great weather for a beach holiday, not so great for cycling 40-50 miles a day and camping. There's been days when I've felt like i'm being slowly cooked, like a pig on a spit. As you might imagine we are fairly tanned, but in slightly ridiculous ways - i'm especially proud of the rucksack outline i have on my back and shoulders!

We have found that cycling over 11mph creates sufficient breeze to make it bearable for all but the 1-4pm period when we have tried to find shade or ice-cream and sit it out. We've also been on the road early, partly as its cooler but mainly as the tent turns into a sauna once the sun is on it. Sleeping at night has been sticky, especially when campimg rough and we are covered in dried sweat, suncream and mosquito repellent! In short we are now shade lovers, we'll only stop if there is some. We get up in the morning hoping for clouds and a cool breeze. I fantasize about sleeping in a clean darkened room with air-con and no insects. Anyhow, i'm blethering on, you get the picture - its bloody hot. The two weather incedents I wanted to blog about are the consequence of the heat:

We stopped one ridiculously hot afternoon in the small city of Belzano in the Italian Alps. After our cooling off ice cream we decided to have a cool beer in a cafe in the main square when a storm came out of nowhere. I confidently predicted a short shower and that we would be fine seated at the table nearest the square. An atomic burst of thunder was followed by a torrent of ice falling from the sky in the form of marble sized hail stones which having travelled several thousand feet bounced off the concrete, buildings and cafe awnings - it was like being in a pin ball machine. everyone was huddled together under cover as ice bounced off their heads and shins, it was hysterical and slightly painful. Chairman Meow (the chinese praying cat super glued to my front mudguard) took a direct hit and was dislodged from his perch and Tracey's shopping basked looked like an ice box. The hail battered all the leaves off the trees which then washed into all the drains and blocked them, causing flash flooding. As we cycled out of town there was widespead chaos, sirens going, people clearing away debris, cars driving through 2 foot of water and the rivers which had been high anyway due to snowmelt were thrashing torrents of muddy water.

Just to prove that lightening does strike twice, fast forward 2 weeks to Zagreb and we were sitting out in a square eating dinner on a sultry evening when there was an atomic clap of thunder and it started raining. Recalling our previous experience we moved tables to be further from the edge of the gaint umbrellas used for shade. All the other people having drinks and food clustered under the umbrellas to avoid being dripped on - all in good sp[irits at this point and obviously a fairly common occurance. Then out of nowhere some kind of tornado style wind came howling into the square and all hell broke loose. The giant umbrellas were either shredded or tossed around like coctail umbrellas, crashing all the tables and people - people were screaming and running for the buildings like something out of a horror B movie. Tracey and I pegged it for safety - when we got there, soaking wet, eyes wide I realised that Tracey was stood there with her plate of rescued pizza - "well, i'm still hungry". All over Zagreb there was a trail of busted, twisted and shredded umbrellas and waiters clearing up the debris.

500 - 1800 miles: Strasbourg to Belgrade

After our rest at Fred's we set out across the flat river plain of the Rhine, our route taking us past the European Parliament in Strasbourg and over the Rhine itself into Germany. Looming ahead were the hills of the Black Forest and our first physical challenge.


The Germans tend to do things properly and have engineered hundreds of miles of car free cycle lanes, so many in fact that without a map of them all it becomes quite hard not to get lost! In trying to avoid going over the hills which are 1000m high we followed a cycle route along a river valley that in its quest to avoid traffic unfortunately became a cycle tour of light industrial estates and suburbs of the Black Forest - not quite the experience we were seeking! Nethertheless at one point said industrial units came in handy as we sheltered from a storm and one of the men working inside came out to say hello and took us on a guided tour of their precision engineering business. We abandoned the cycle route and took to the hills. It was hard going with hour long climbs up to the top but we were rewarded with the Black Forest experience we had hoped for.

Having gone up in altitude we just seemed to keep going up, looking back and down on the Black Forest and then the snowy peaks of the Alpen loomed into view as we approached Lake Konstanz on the German/Swiss border. After the hills a couple of lovely days was had cycling along the northern lakeshore which is a very beautiful and stylish holiday destination with vineyards, attractive old towns and views across the lake to the snow capped mountains. A friendly German called Bernhard even invited us to camp on his back lawn and join his family for a BBQ. After the lake we set off across southern Bavaria at the foot of the Alps with lots of hills and quiet valleys, where we ran into the low pressure weather system that had been giving the rest of Europe a good soaking and it rained on us for 36 hours non-stop. We passed some beautiful lakes before arriving in Fussen to see crazy King Ludwig's fairytale castles and start our assault on the Alps, crossing into Austria on an ancient mountain pass that today is a minor road closed to traffic.

It took us 9 days to get across the Alps (including a rest day). The scenery was stunning, the air fresh, the water like crystal, the meadows full of beautiful flowers and the quality of everything was excellent. For me it has been the highlight of the trip to date. We stumbled across the Via Claudia August cycle route (www.viaclaudiaaugusta.org) which is an old roman route over the Alps that we were able to to follow the whole way. It took us over 3 mountain passes, the first 1200m and then highest, the Reschen Pass, at over 1500m. Whilst I should probably make out that this was a supreme physical feat of cycling the climbs were not actually as tough as the Black Forest due to the roads being engineered to get lorries over the pass they wind their way up on gentle gradients over 30 miles or so. Nethertheless we were applauded on at the Rechen Pass by a group of Italian road cyclists which was a nice compliment and welcome to Italy. From there it was mostly downhill into a headwind that felt like it blew off the Sahara desert and required vast amounts of delicious ice cream to sustain us. Our route took us along the River Etsch into the Italian Dolomites, where some of the old towns such as Trento were impressive but the valley has been turned over to mile after mile of intensive apple production. After one final killer climb over a pass we travelled down the Brenta valley which was impressive and we cooked dinner in the river valley one night surrounded by hundreds of twinkling fireflies.

The Alps came to an abrupt end and we shot out onto the flat Po Plain and were able to cycle to Venice in a day. The heat and mosquitoes replaced the hills as our main daily challenge. From Venice we went along the coast in search of a beach and a rest but the resorts were uninspiring and expensive so after a refreshing dip in the Adriatic we headed for the Slovenian border and back into the hills and a completely different culture and language. I enjoyed looking over vistas of uninhabited wild forests where bears roamed after the intensively farmed part of Italy we had been in. We visited the caves of Postojna which are truly an amazing natural wonder that put the man made cathedrals of Europe into perspective. Half-way across Slovenia we climbed a pass into the Krka valley which we followed down to its confluence with the Sava River and into the Croatian capital of Zagreb, where we left the EU and had to show our passports for the first time (we hadn't needed them to get into France as the passport people were on strike!).

In Zagreb we stayed in a small apartment in the suburbs and enjoyed city life for a few days before following the River Sava out of the city and on to Belgrade. A journey of 370 miles that took 7 days and included a day and a half detour into Bosnia as the river largely forms the international boundary. There had been almost no mention or evidence of the recent civil war in Slovenia and Croatia so we were surprised one morning as we approached the Bosnia border to come across "Beware Mines" signs along the roadside and then buildings riddled with bullet holes. In Bosnia there are areas with hundreds of bombed out buildings and abandoned homes in villages with slogans on them, assumed vacated by Serbs. It was sobering and somewhat eerie.

Although we only saw 80 miles or so of Bosnia it seemed a poor place in comparison with the rest of Europe. The cars were mostly battered 80's and 90's Escorts, Sierras, etc and the roads potholed. For the first time on the trip we felt affluent rather than poor. The mosques and the turkish coffee were the first indications of how far east we had travelled. We slipped back into Croatia before eventually finding a crossing open to cyclists into Serbia and then through water melon country into Belgrade.

Its fair to say that since leaving Italy there has been a slow decline in the quality of things. The roads (Serbia specialises in potholes), the food and drink, the toilets, the fuel in the vehicles (which we have to breathe!), the standard of driving, etc, etc. At times Serbia has a developing world feel to it. Belgrade tries to sell itself as East meets West but apart from the Orthodox Church and Cyrillic writing there's little of the East about it and it feels truer to say its where developed Europe starts to meet the less affluent world. As we cycled into the centre of the city we passed a shanty village of people living on a rubbish site and its the first place we've been since London where beggars are common. It all feels like a taste of things to come.

A Short Blog About Fred

During my round of goodbye's a friend, Tim, told me he had an uncle who lived near Strasbourg who he thought might be willing to put us up if we passed that way. Tim was kind enough to ask and do the introductions via email, and so it was that we found ourselves staying with Fred in his early 19th century ancestral home in the small french village of Melsheim.

The house and barn are great places that Fred's father and now Fred are restoring. Fred himself is a lovely man and fantastic host. He went out of his way to make us feel at home, drove us around and showed us the local sights and even bought us lunch. His hospitality and generosity towards us went way beyond the call of duty. As a result we had five lovely days and left feeing rested, re-organised and ready to face the road again in high spirits. We were genuinely sad to leave Fred whose company we had enjoyed. So a big thanks to Fred and also Tim for putting us in touch.

The First 500 miles: London to Strasbourg

Firstly, i've realised the impossibility of trying to record and convey all the things that have been making me smile, "wow", sigh, frown or dispair as we've progressed from London, through Kent, across the Channel and meandered our way along the flatest route through northern France to the German border. There's not really a story to tell as such so here's some highs and lows and memorable bits and check out the photos through the link on the left of the page.

• 6 months in the planning and on the day of departure we were still trying to fit parts to bikes and work out what to take. It was rushed and desperate. First stop was the health clinic on Exmouth Market for my final Japanese Encephalytis jab. Second stop was trailing around cycle shops in central London trying to find Tracey a water bottle. A bit last minute to say the least.



• My brand new Brooks saddle looked like it needed breaking in - it nearly broke me on the first 60 miles to Ashford. Next day i went out and bought a gel saddle cover and some arnica cream for my bruises.



• Careening down the final hill from the North Downs into Dover, sun shining, sea glistening blue (i kid you not), Tracey wooping with excitement that we would be crossing the Channel. Alas she had not factored in travelling with Loser Littlewood. French fishermen had blockaded all the french ports and no ferries were sailing. We spent the night camped on the White Cliffs of Dover.





• Having to get off and push my bike up the North Downs - and all subsequent steep hills as its so heavy. Bring on the Alps!



• Sitting outside cafes in the old squares of St Omer, St Amand, Bethune and Metz towards the end of the day, with the sun on my face sampling local beers.
  

• Going to sleep in the peaceful ancient forest of Clairmarais and waking to the dawn chorus of birds and sunlight streaming through the trees.............followed by college students piling past the tent on an orienteering exercise!
  
  

Tracey's hay-fever and 400 miles of hay fields!

After 46 miles into a headwind. Cooking dinner in a swampy wet forest under our tarpaulin in the pitch black of night in the pouring rain trying to fend off the swarm of daddy-long-legs, mosquitoes and poo slugs (so named due to their resemblance to faeces and ability to annoy), whilst Tracey laid in the tent with a period, hay-fever and numerous swelled mosquito bites.

Washing ourselves and clothes in rivers.

Tracey removing my ticks with a pair of pliers.

T-shirt tan.

A headwind that blew for a week - one day reaching 30mph so that we even had to pedal down the hills.

Picnic lunches in the sun.

Climbing over a 6 foot fence to break back into the campsite at Metz, drunk at 2.30am after being locked out.

Going the wrong way.

Being hot, sweaty and tired.

The joy of a hot shower and a bed.

Storks nesting on churches and poles in villages of pastel coloured half-timbered houses.

• Being kept awake by huge electrical storms thundering overhead, thrashing rain on the tent and lighting bright enough to blind (and needing to go out for a piss).



• Slowly unwinding from the stress of leaving London and waking up the enormity of the journey ahead.



• France being shut for most of the day, except Sundays when everything is shut all of the day.



• Tracey convincing me to grow a ridiculous "french fisherman" moustache for her amusement during desperate times.



• Addiction to wine gums.



• Watching deer in the evening and finding a little grass snake sleeping under a piece of tree bark.



• The sanctuary of Fred's amazing 19th century house and barn in Melshiem and his fantastic and unwarranted hospitality.

Wildlife seen along the way (up-dated as we go)

One of the things I love about travel is seeing some of the wonderful creatures that live in other countries. It has also been interesting seeing the fauna and flora slowly change as we cycle from one habitat or range to another. Sometimes on long tiring stretches it is the sight of a colourful or charismatic bird that keeps my spirits up and keeps me going. I am keeping a list of noteable birds and other wildlife seen on our travels (at least those i know the names of!). The list is ordered by country so that its chronological but i'm only listing each species once.

Watching wildlife from a bicycle has some advantages, in that we are often outdoors 24 hours a day and up at dawn when wildlife is most active. On the other hand there is nothing more frustrating than pulling to an abrubt halt, losing all your hard earned momentum only to see the arse of the creature you stopped to look at disappear into a thick forest never to be seen again, you then have to build up your speed again and catch up with Tracey who is by now a mile ahead of you and wondering where the hell you are!

France
Wild Boar
Roe Deer
White Stork (see photo)
Black Kite
Serin
Black Redstart
Marsh Warbler
Tree Pipit
Nightingale
Golden Oriole
Swallowtail butterfly
Purple Heron
Montagu's Harrier
Marsh Harrier
Crested Newt
Fieldfare
Brown Hare
Grass Snake
Slow Worm
Red-Crested Pochard
Great Reed Warbler
Marsh Frog
Common Frog
Red-Backed Shrike
Roman Snail

Hobby

Redstart

Winchat

Little Owl

Germany

Red Kite

Dipper

Cirl Bunting

Firecrest

Crag Martin

Red Squirrel

Austria

Wallcreeper

Raven

Honey Buzzard

Italy

Hooded Crow

Italian Sparrow

Purple Heron

Great White Egret

Night Heron

Cattle Egret

Fan-Tailed Warbler

Marbled White Butterfly

White Admiral Butterfly

Fireflies

Slovenia

Alpine Swift

Sand Lızard

Croatia

Bee-Eater

Lesser-Grey Shrike

Tree Sparrow

White-Tailed Eagle

Crested Lark

Middle-Spotted Woodpecker

Thrush Nightingale

Bosnia

Spoonbill

Whiskered Tern

Serbia

Pygmy Cormorant

Coypu

Squacco Heron

Romania

Short-Toed Eagle

Black-Throated Diver

Bulgaria

Roller

Quail

Tortoise

River Turtle

Black Stork

Tawny Owl

Red-rumped Swallow

Turkey

Mourning Dove

Little Shearwater

Egptian Vulture

Ruddy Shelduck

Long-Legged Buzzard

Blue Rock Thrush

Desert Wheatear

Woodchat Shrike

Hoopoe

Rock Nuthatch

Tawny Pipit

Pied Wheatear

Masked Shrike

Ring Ouzel

Golden Eagle

Horned Lark

Calandra Lark

Rock Bunting

Radde's Warbler

Griffon Vulture

Crimson-winged Finch

Chough

Black-necked Grebe

Slender-billed Gull

Penduline Tit

Orange-fronted Serin

Iran

White-cheeked Bulbul

Steppe Eagle

Dark-throated Thrush

Imperial Eagle

Desert Lark

Mongoose

Gerbil

Pakistan

Indian Pond Heron

Indian Roller

Pied Kingfisher

White-throated Kingfisher

Rose-Ringed Parakeet

House Swift

House Crow

Yellow-Fronted Green Pigeon

Red Wattled Lapwing

INDIA

Black Francolin

Grey Francolin

Red Spurfowl

Grey Junglefowl

Indian Peacock

Lesser Whistling Duck

Comb Duck

Cotton Pygmy Goose

Spot-Billed Duck

Wryneck

Rufous Woodpecker

White-Bellied Woodpecker

Andaman Woodpecker

Heart Spotted Woodpecker

Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker

Fulvous-Breasted Woodpecker

Yellow Crowned Woodpecker

Lesser Yellownape

Common Flameback

Black-rumped Flameback

Greater Flameback

Brown Headed Barbet

White-cheeked Barbet

Coppersmith Barbet

Malarbar Grey Hornbill

Malabar Pied Hornbill

Dollarbird

Stork-billed Kingfisher

Collared Kingfisher

Green Bee-Eater

Blue-Tailed Bee-Eater

Chestnut Headed Bee-Eater

Common Hawk Cuckoo

Oriental Cuckoo

Asian Koel

Greater Coucal

Brown Coucal

Vernal Hanging Parrot

Alexandrine Parakeet

Plum Headed Parakeet

Malabar Parakeet

Red-Breasted Parakeet

Long-Tailed Parakeet

Glossy Swiftlet

Edible-Nest Swiftlet

White-rumped needletail

Brown-backed Needletail

Asian Palm Swift

Fork-Tailed Swift

Crested Treeswift

Brown Fish Owl

Jungle Owlet

Spotted Owlet

Large Tailed Nightjar

Jerdon's Nightjar

Savanna/Indian Nightjar

Green Imperial Pigeon

Mountain Imperial Pigeon

Oriental Turtle Dove

Spotted Dove

Red-Collared Dove

Barred Cuckoo Dove

Emerald Dove

Pompadour Green Pigeo

Demoiselle Crane

Common Crane

White-breasted Waterhen

Purple Swamphen

Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse

Pintail Snipe

Marsh Sandpiper

Terek Sandpiper

Temminck's Stint

Indian Courser

Pheasant-tailed Jacana

Bronze-winged Jacana

Great Thick-knee

Small Pratincole

Pacific Golden Plover

Greater Sand Plover

Yellow Wattled Lapwing

White-Tailed Lapwing

Arctic Skua

Heuglin's Gull

Pallas's Gull

Brown-headed Gull

Gull-billed Tern

Caspian Tern

River Tern

Lesser Crested Tern

Great Crested Tern

Black-naped Tern

Osprey

Black Baza

Black-Shouldered Kite

Brahminy Kite

White-Bellied Sea Eagle

White-Rumped Vulture

Long-Billed Vulture

Red-Headed Vulture

Pied Harrier

Pallid Harrier

Shikra

Besra

Oriental Honey Buzzard

Tawny Eagle

Booted Eagle

Changeable Hawk-Eagle

Red-necked Falcon

Lagger Falcon

Darter

Little Cormorant

Indian Cormorant

Western Reef Egret

Pacific Reef Egret

Intermediate Egret

Chinese Pond Heron

Little Heron

Greater Flamingo

Lesser Flamingo

Glossy Ibis

Black-headed Ibis

Black Ibis

Great White Pelican

Dalmatian Pelican

Spot-billed Pelican

Painted Stork

Asian Openbill Stork

Wooly-necked Stork

Black-necked Stork

Asian Fairy Bluebird

Golden-Fronted Leafbird

Rufous-Tailed Shrike

Brown Shrike

Bay-backed Shrike

Long-tailed Shrike

Southern Grey Shrike

Rufous Treepie

Large-billed Crow

Ashy Woodswallow

White-breasted Woodswallow

Black-naped Oriole

Black Hooded Oriole

Large Cuckooshrike

Small Minivet

Scarlet Minivet

Bar-winged Flycatcher-Shrike

White-throated Fantail

White-browed Fantail

Black Drongo

Ashy Drongo

White-bellied Drongo

Bronzed Drongo

Andaman Drongo

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo

Black-naped Monarch

Asian Paradise-Flycatcher

Common Iora

Large Woodshrike

Blue Rock Thrush

Malabar Whistling Thrush

Asian Brown Flycatcher

Red-throated Flycather

Ultramarine Flycatcher

Verditer Flycatcher

Tickell's Blue Flycatcher

Grey-Headed Canary Flycatcher

Oriental Magpie Robin

White Rumped Shama

Indian Robin

Pied Bushchat

Brown Rock-Chat

Variable Wheatear

Desert Wheatear

Asian Glossy Starling

Chestnut-Tailed Starling

White-Headed Starling

Brahminy Starling

Rosy Starling

Asian Pied Starling

Common Myna

Bank Myna

Jungle Myna

Hill Myna

Velvet-fronted Nuthatch

Black-lored Tit

Plain Martin

Dusky Crag Martin

Pacific Swallow

Wire-tailed swallow

Streak-throated Swallow

Black-crested Bulbul

Red-whiskered Bulbul

Red-vented Bulbul

White-browed bulbul

Yellow-browed Bulbul

Grey-Breasted Prinia

Plain Prinia

Ashy Prinia

Oriental White-eye

Blyth's Reed Warbler

Desert Warbler

Orphean Warbler

Common Tailorbird

Hume's Warbler

Greenish Warbler

Large-billed Leaf Warbler

Western Crowned Warbler

Indian Scimitar Babbler

Yellow-eyed Babbler

Common Babbler

Large-Grey Babbler

Jungle Babbler

Yellow-billed Babbler

Brown Cheeked Fulvetta

Ashy Crowned Sparrow Lark

Rufous Tailed Lark

Malabar Lark

Oriental Skylark

Plain Flowerpecker

Purple Rumped Sunbird

Crimson-backed Sunbird

Olive-Backed Sunbird

Purple Sunbird

Little Spiderhunter

Sind Sparrow

Chestnut Shouldered Petronia

White-browed Wagtail

Citrine Wagtail

Paddyfield Pipit

Tawny Pipit

Baya Weaver

Indian Silverbill

White-rumped Munia

Common Rosefinch

(Bird list from Pocket Guide to the Birds of the Indian Sub-continent by Grimmett, Inskipp & Inskipp). In total I saw more than 330 species of birds in India in 4 and half months, to put this in perspective that is about the same as I have seen in 20 years of birdwatching in the UK, but also only about the same amount as I saw in one national park in Peru!).

Indian Fox

Chinkara Antelope

Indian Mongoose

Small Mongoose (not sure of name!)

5-Striped Palm Squirrel

3-Striped Palm Squirrel

Nilgai (blue bull antelope)

Black Buck Antelope

Indian Jackal

Sambar Deer

Langur Monkey

Macaque Monkey

Asiatic Wild Ass

Scorpion (several species)

Indian Flapshell Turtle

Spotted Deer

Muntjac Deer

Malabar Giant Squirrel

Flying Fox Bat

Numerous bat species

Fantastic butterfly species of inumerable species

Flat-Tailed Gheko

Various lizard & snake species

Marsh Crocodile

brown Tree Frog

Asian Elephant

Indian Bison (Guar)

Wildcat

Sea Turtle sp (loggerhead?)

Dolphin

Civet

Flying Fish

Numerous species of frogs and toads

Thailand

(These are some of sealife species we saw snorkelling around Andaman Islands in India and Ko Tao in Thailand)

Clown Fish x 5 species (incl Pink Anenome Clown Fish)

Butterfly Fish, several sp

Angel Fish, several sp

Triggerfish x 3 sp

Parrotfish x 3 sp

Batfish

Cleaner Wrasse

Grouper sp x3, incl Camoflage Grouper and Blacktip Grouper

Black-tipped Reef Shark

Damselfish, several sp incl Chocolate Dip

Yellow Boxfish

Pufferfish

Jellyfish, x several sp

Neon Fish

Needlefish

Yellow-tailed Barracuda

Sea Cucumber x 3 sp

Glassfish

Traveli Sp x2 inc Giant Traveli

Moray Eel

Spotted Cod

Nudibranch

Christmas Tree Worm

Blue Starfish

Crown of Thorns Starfish

Cushion Starfish

small black Starfish

Sweetlips sp x2 incl Harlequin.

Great Hornbill

Lesser Coucal

Chestnut-Naped Forktail

White-crowned Forktail

Blue-Winged Pitta

Black-Headed Bulbul

Brown Asian Giant Tortoise

Gliding Lizard

Cross-bearing Treee Lizard

Red-necked Keelback Snake

Smooth-backed Gliding Gheko

Streamside Skink

Dusky Langur Monkey

Long-tailed Macaque Monkey

Sooty Tern

Pied Imperial Pigeon

White Vented Myna

Green-billed Malkoha

Oriental Pratincole

Ruddy-breasted Crake

Scarlet Backed Flowerpecker

Orange-bellied Flowerpecker

CAMBODIA

Green-Billed Malkoha

Golden Crested Myna

Yellow Vented Bulbul

Black Bittern

Puff-throated Bulbul

Scaly-breasted Munia

Plain-backed Sparrow

Black-Collard Starling

Watercock

Pied Bushchat

Sooty-Headed Bulbul

Cambodian Freetail Bat

Lesser Adjutant

VIETNAM

White Browed Piculet

Lesser Yellownape

Black-Browed Barbet

Golden-Throated Barbet

Lineated Barbet

Blue-Bearded Bee-Eater

Plaintive Cuckoo

Red-Headed Trogon

Cinnamon Bittern

Streaked Spiderhunter

Black-headed Munia

Spotted owlet

Blue Whistling Thrush (eugenei sub sp)

Rufecent Prinia

White-crested Laughingthrush

Masked Laughingthrush

Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo

Asian Barred Owlet

Black-winged Cuckooshrike

Grey Bushchat

Rufous-winged Buzzard

Mountain Imperial Pigeon

Red Collard Dove

Yellow-footed Green Pigeon

Collared Falconet

Black-headed Woodpecker

Thick-billed Flowerpecker

Velvet-fronted Nuthatch

Spangled Drongo

Bar-winged flycatcher shrike

Eurasian Jay (asian sub-sp)

Crested Goshawk

River Lapwing

Oriental White-eye

Crimson Sunbird

Mountain Bulbul

Black Eagle

Ruby-cheeked Sunbird

Grey-backed Shrike

Savannah Nightjar

Grey-capped Greenfinch

Himalayan Swiftlet

Yellow Bittern

Striated Yuhina

White-Bellied Yuhina

Mountain Fulvetta

Silver-eared Mesia

Golden Babbler

White-tailed Leaf Warbler

Sultan Tit

Grey-cheeked Warbler

Slaty-backed Forktail

White Gorgeted Flycatcher

Green Magpie

Ratchet-tailed Treepie

Ashy Bulbul

Orange-bellied Leafbird

Silver-breasted Broadbill

White-tailed Robin

Hainan Blue Flycatcher

White-shouldered Starling

Striped Tit-babbler

Rufous-capped Babbler

White Winged Magpie

Black Crested Bulbul

Grey-cheeked Fulvetta

Racket-tailed Treepie

Black-chinned Yuhina

Crow-billed Drongo

Black Bulbul

Forest Wagtail

Chestnut Bulbul

White-rumped Munia

Little Forktail

Plumbeous Water Redstart

Brown Dipper

Japanese White-eye

Hill Prinia

Collard Finchbill

Red-billed Leiothrix

Blue-winged Minla

Sooty-headed Bulbul

(fish sp off Cham Islands:

Cornetfish

Zebra Moray Eel

Lizard Fish

Honeycomb Grouper

Goatfish

Butterfly Fish

Bird Wrasse

Yellow moon wrasse

Orange-spine Unicornfish

Long-nosed Filefish

Saddled Toby

Devil Ray (Halaong Bay)

We saw numerous mammals, frogs, lizards and snakes almost none of which we new their names. As well as trillions of amazing butterflies and giant insects.

Delacour's Langur Monkey

Vietnamese Squirrel

Chipmunk Squirrel

Vietnamese Tree Climbing Mouse

CHINA

Swan Goose

Black-Capped Kingfisher

Blue-Tailed Bee-Eater

Oriental Scops Owl

Oriental Turtle Dove

Japanese Quail

Yellow-legged Buttonquail

Brown Crake

Grey Headed Lapwing

Whimbrel

Black-tailed Godwit

Spotted Redshank

Marsh Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper

Great Knot

Long-Billed Plover

Little-Ringed Plover

Black-Tailed Gull

Slaty-backed Gull

Vega Gull

Eastern Marsh Harrier

Chinese Sparrowhawk

Amur Falcon

Bull-Headed Shrike

Chinese Grey Shrike

(Dusky Shrike)

Red-billed Blue Magpie

Azure-Winged Magpie

Swinhoes Minivet

Pale Thrush

Durian Redstart

Dark-sided Flycatcher

Mugimaki Flycatcher

Blue and White Flycatcher

Red-billed Starling

White-cheeked Starling

Crested Myna

Black-throated Tit

Light-vented Bulbul

Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler

Dusky Warbler

Pallas Warbler

Yellow Browed Warbler

Golden Spectacled Warbler

Hwamei

White-browed Laughingthrush

Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler

Vinous-throated Parrotbill

Fork-tailed Sunbird

Russet Sparrow

Richard's Pipit

Olive-backed Pipit

Buff-bellied Pipit

Brambling

Little Bunting

Meadow Bunting

Rustic Bunting

JAPAN

Mandarin Duck

Falcated Duck

Ferruginous Duck

Greater Scaup

Goosander

Red-Breasted Merganser

Goldeneye

Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker

Crested Kingfisher

Solitary Snipe

Mountain Hawk-Eagle

Black-necked Grebe

Japanese Cormorant

Streaked Shearwater

Durian Jackdaw

Dusky Thrush

Orange Flanked Bluetail

Varied Tit

Asian House Martin

Brown-eared Bulbul

Japanese Bush Warbler

Japanese Skylark

Japanese Wagtail

Black-backed Wagtail

Yellow Billed Grosbeak

Japanese Macacque Monkey

Serrow Goat

Japanese Weasel

Japanese Squirrel

Japanese Deer!

SOUTH KOREA

Bean Goose

White-Fronted Goose

Smew

Grey-Headed Woodpecker

White-Naped Crane

White-tailed Sea Eagle

Cinereous Vulture

Naumanns Thrush

Yellow Throated Bunting

Pallas Reed Bunting

Hawfinch

Scaly-sided Merganser

Whooper Swan

Siberian Accentor

Naumann's Thrush

Pacific Diver

Red-Throated Diver

Water Pipit

Hen Harrier

Acient Murrelet

Chinese Water Deer

Korean Squirrel?

PACIFIC OCEAN

Kittiwake

Glaucous Gull

Fulmar (dark phase)

Red-necked Phalerope

Guillemot

Common Scoter

Laysan Albatross

Black Footed Albatross

Masked Booby

Rhinocerous Auklet

Leach's Storm Petrel

Cook's Petrel

Fork-tailed Storm Petrel

Wedge-tailed Shearwater (pale phase)

Pilot Whale

Grey Whale

Common Dolphin

Northern Sealion

Sea Turtle

Oceanic shark species

Flying fish

MEXICO

Least Grebe

Pied-billed Grebe

White Pelican

Brown Pelican

Brown Booby

Neotropic Cormorant

Anhinga

Magnificent Frigatebird

Great Blue Heron

Little Blue Heron

Reddish Egret

Tricoloured Egret

Green Heron

Yellow-crowned Night Heron

Tiger Heron

Wood Stork

White Ibis

White-faced Ibis

Roseate Spoonbill

Black Bellied Tree Duck

Green-winged Teal

American Wigeon

Blue-winged Teal

Cinnamon Teal

Ring-necked Duck

Lesser Scaup

Muscovy duck

Ruddy duck

Turkey Vulture

Black Vulture

White-tailed Kite

Snail Kite

Mississippi Kite

Marsh Hawk

Sharp-shinned hawk

Black Hawk

Great Black Hawk

Gray Hawk

Roadside Hawk

Broad-winged Hawk

White-tailed Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

Crested Caracara

Laughing Falcon

American Kestrel

Aplomado Falcon

Eastern Chachalaca

West Mexican Chachalaca

Limpkin

Sora

American Coot

Northern Jacana

Grey Plover

Semi-palmated Plover

Snowy Plover

Killdeer

Wilson's Plover

Greater Yellowlegs

Lesser Yellowlegs

Solitary Sandpiper

Willet

Spotted Sandpiper

Wandering Tattler

Least Sandpiper

Pectoral Sandpiper

Dunlin

Semi-palmated Sandpiper

Western Sandpiper

Long-billed Curlew

Marbled Godwit

(American Black-necked Stilt)

American Avocet

Wilson's Phalerope

Hermann's Gull

California Gull

Laughing Gull

Gull-billed Tern

Caspian Tern

Royal Tern

Elegant Tern

Black Skimmer

Red-billed Pigeon

Mourning Dove

White-winged Dove

Inca Dove

Common Ground Dove

Ruddy Ground Dove

Blue Ground Dove

White-tipped Dove

Aztec Parakeet

Orange Fronted Parakeet

White Crowned Parrot

White Fronted Parrot

Red-lored Parrot

Mangrove Cuckoo

Squirrel Cuckoo

Groove-billed Ani

Greater Roadrunner

Common Nighthawk

Lesser Nighthawk

Pauraque

White-collared Swift

Chimney Swift

Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift

Little Hermit

Black-crested Coquette

Fork-tailed Emerald

Common Woodnymph

White-eared Hummingbird

Blue-Throated Goldentail

Magnificent Hummingbird

Elegant Trogon

Ringed Kingfisher

Belted Kingfisher

Amazon Kingfisher

Green Kingfisher

Russet-crowned Motmot

Blue-crowned Motmot

Keel-billed Toucan

Collared Aracari

Lineated Woodpecker

Acorn Woodpecker

Golden-Fronted Woodpecker

Rose-throated Becard

Masked Tityra

Black Phoebe

Vermillion Flycatcher

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Fork-tailed Flycatcher

Tropical Kingbird

Couch's Kingbird

Thick-billed Kingbird

Social Flycatcher

Great Kiskadee

Ash-throated Flycatcher

Brown-creasted Flycatcher

Dusky-capped Flycatcher

Violet-green Swallow

Tree Swallow

Mangrove Swallow

Purple Martin

Grey-Breasted Martin

Rough-winged Swallow

Bank Swallow

Barn Swallow

Common Raven

Mexican Crow

White-throated Magpie Jay

Brown Jay

Green Jay

San Blas Jay

Scrub Jay

Bridled Titmouse

Band-backed Wren

Plain Wren

Spot-breasted Wren

Southern House Wren

Curve-billed Thrasher

Blue Mockingbird

Grey Catbird

Northern Mockingbird

American Robin

Rufous-backed Robin

Clay-coloured Robin

Brown-backed Solitaire

Hermit Thrush

Swainson's Thrush

Western Bluebird

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher

White-lored Gnatcatcher

Ruby-Crowned Kinglet

Cedar Waxwing

Phainopepla

Gray Silky Flycatcher

Loggerhead Shrike

Bell's Vireo

Solitary Vireo

Warbling Vireo

Red-legged Honeycreeper

Black-and-white Warbler

Orange-crowned Warbler

Nashville Warbler

Northern Parula

Tropical Parula

Yellow Warbler

Myrtle Warbler/Yellow Rumped Warbler

Audubon's Warbler

Yellow-throated Warbler

Blackpoll Warbler

Louisiana Waterthrush

Common Yellowthroat

Gray-crowned Yellowthroat

Yellow-breasted Chat

Hooded Warbler

Wilson's Warbler

American Redstart

Painted Redstart

Red Warbler

Rufous-capped Warbler

Montezuma Oropendola

Yellow-winged Cacique

Giant Cowbird

Bronzed Cowbird

Brown-headed Cowbird

Great-tailed Grackle

Brewer's Blackbird

Melodious Blackbird

Ochre Oriole

Hooded Oriole

Yellow-tailed Oriole

Altamira Oriole

Baltimore Oriole

Red-winged Blackbird

Eastern Meadowlark

Scrub Euphonia

Yellow-throated Euphonia

Blue-gray Tanager

Yellow-winged Tanager

Summer Tanager

Black-headed Saltator

Grayish Saltator

Red Cardinal

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Black-headed Grosbeak

Blue Bunting

Indigo Bunting

Painted Bunting

Yellow-faced Grassquit

White-collared Seedeater

Thick-billed Seedfinch

Blue-black Grassquit

Grassland Yellow-Finch

Rufous-sided Towhee

Brown Towhee

Striped Sparrow

Grasshopper Sparrow

Lark Sparrow

Bridled Sparrow

Stripe-headed Sparrow

Lincoln's Sparrow

Yellow-eyed Junco

House Finch

Dark-backed Goldfinch

(in total 258 species - names from Peterson Field Guide to Mexican Birds)

Coati

Mexican squirrel

Black Iguana

Green Iguana

Mexican gecko

Pufferfish & other tropical marine fish

Mexicn rabbit

Prairie Dog

Oppossum

Otter

Alligator

Blue crab

Praying Mantis

Brown Lizard

Kemp's Ridley Turtle

Tortoise

USA

Double-crested Cormorant

Glossy Ibis

Canada Goose

Mottled Duck

Wood Duck

Swallow-tailed Kite

Cooper's Hawk

Red-Shouldered Hawk

Harris's Hawk

Bald Eagle

Wild Turkey

Purple Gallinule

King Rail

Clapper Rail

Piping Plover

American Oystercatcher

Stilt Sandpiper

Upland Sandpiper

White-rumped Sandpiper

American Woodcock

Ring-billed Gull

Least Tern

Forster's Tern

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Great Horned Owl

Barred Owl

Chuck-will's Widow

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Black-chinned Hummingbird

Red-headed Woodpecker

Pileated Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker

Ladder Backed Woodpecker

Eastern Kingbird

Great Crested Flycatcher

Eastern Phoebe

Eastern Wood-Pewee

Acadian Flycatcher

Black-capped Chickadee

Carolina Chickadee

Tufted Titmouse

White-breasted Nuthatch

Carolina Wren

Marsh Wren

Eastern Bluebird

Wood Thrush

Brown Thrasher

Blue Jay

Fish Crow

American Crow

Red-Eyed Vireo

Philadelphia Vireo

Yellow-Throated Vireo

White-eyed Vireo

Black-throated Green Warbler

Prothonotary Warbler

"Brewsters" Warbler

Blue-winged Warbler

Ovenbird

Summer Tanager

Scarlet Tanager

Blue Grosbeak

American Goldfinch

Chipping Sparrow

Clay-colored Sparrow

Vesper Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Seaside Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Brewer's Blackbird

Common Grackle

Boat-tailed grackle

Bobolink

Orchard Oriole

Pyrrhuloxia

(in total 191 species - names from Peterson Field Guide -Birds of Eastern and Central North America)

Nine-banded Armadillo

White-tailed deer

Eastern Cottontail Rabbit

Racoon

Fox

Snapper Turtle

Southern Grey Squirrel

Eastern Chipmunk

Black Bear

Rat Snake

Red Spotted Newt

Groundhog/woodchuck

Black Salamander

Little Brown Myotis Bat

Big Brown Bat

Deer Mouse

Muskrat

Eastern Box Turtle

Gopher Tortoise

Painted Turtle

Softshell Turtle

Green Anole Lizard

Five-lined skink Lizard

Appalachian Woodland Salamander

Grey Treefrog

Bullfrog

In total I managed to identify over 1000 species of birds.

List of The Dead (up-dated as we travel)

One of the joys of cycling is that you get to see (and smell!) all the wildlife killed by traffic and smeared all over the road in gory detail! With all the fuss about carbon emissions and pollution the fact that deaths from traffic take a toll on wildlife is conveniently forgotten. I find these deaths really depressing but they do sometimes offer the only opportunity to see wildlife up close (albeit dead and deformed) and to know what wildlife lives in the area.

After a couple of days of cycling past The Dead I thought it may be worthwhile to record all the species we saw killed by traffic as we cycled around the world and to start my own one man campaign. So what follows is a species list of The Dead - R.I.P

(note I am recording domestic animals to give you some idea of what we have to deal with smeared all over the road)

Mammals:

Badger

Polecat

Domestic cat (lots of!)

Brown Rat

Rabbit

Hedgehog

Stoat

Fox

Vole sp

Mole

Shrew sp

Red Squirrel

Field Mouse

Domestic Dog (lots of)

Doormouse

Donkey

Horse

Camel

5 Striped Indian Palm Squirrel
Indian (Desert) Fox

Cow

Feral Pig

Domestic Buffalo

Indian Mongoose

Flying Fox Bat

Domestic Goat

Thai Squirrel

Thai Bat Species

Racoon Dog (Tanuki)

Japanese Weasle

Chinese Waterdeer

Korean squirrel

American fox

Skunk x 2 species

Oppossum x 3 species

mexican mouse

Prarie dog

Tamandua Anteater

Mexican bat sp

Racoon

Nine-banded Armadillo

Eastern Cottontail rabbit

White-tailed deer

Coypu

Grey squirrel

Groundhog

Eastern Mole

Other Animals:

Toad

Frog

Salamander

Tortoise!

Common Lizard

Slow Worm

Grass Snake

Sand Lizard

Marsh Frog

Turkish desert toad (made up name but you get the idea!)

Turkish bright green lizard

Indian black snake
Indian bright green "rope" snake (more usuallly seen in coffee table books of indian wildlife than pressed into the tarmac)

Indian viper snake - some may consider a dead one a good thing!

Indian brown stripey lizard

Indian brown snake

Andaman toad

Thai snake species (numerous! incl python)

Thai frog and toad species (numerous)

Thai lizard species (numerous)

Thai Tortoise Species

Monitor lizard

Thai Crab Sp

Vietnamese land crabs

Vietnamese snakes & lizards

Chinese snakes & lizards

Japanese snakes & lizards

Black Iguana

Coral snake

Mexican snake species

Giant toad

Eastern Box turtle

Snapper Turtle

Alligator

Painted Turtle

Gopher Tortoise

American snake species

Red spotted newt

Birds:

Woodpigeon

Blackbird

Blue Tit

Mallard (duckling)

Linnet

Greenfinch

House Sparrow

Italian Sparrow

Collard Dove

Little Owl

Tawny Owl

Chaffinch

Turtle Dove

Goldfinch

Serin

Tree Sparrow

Red-backed Shrike

Bee-Eater (see photo)

Blackcap

Kestrel

Carrion Crow

Swallow

Corn Bunting

Kingfisher

Red-rumped Swallow

Buzzard

Melodious/Icterine warbler

Sand Martin

Great Black Backed Gull

Willow Warbler

Tawny Pipit

Winchat
Crested Lark

Pied Wheatear

Asian Koel

Greater Coucal

Rose-Ringed Parakeet

Spotted Owlet

Red-Vented Bulbul

Jungle Babbler

Red Wattled Lapwing

House Crow

Domestic chicken

Bank Myna

Indian Roller

Thai owl species

Thai nightjar sp

Thai bittern sp

Thai bulbul sp

White Vented Myna

Scaly-breasted Munia

Paddyfield Pipit

Cinnamon bittern

Bright-capped Cisticola

Weaver Bird

Savannah Nightjar

Plain Prinia

Collard Finchbill

Yellow-throated bunting

Vinous-throated parrotbill

Oriental Turtle Dove

Durian Redstart

Black Vulture

Hooded Oriole

Vermillion Flycatcher

Groove-billed Ani

Yellow warbler

Southern House Wren

Blue Bunting

Yellowthroat

Solitary Vireo

Quail sp.

Hooded Warbler

Rufous-sided Towhee

Golden Fronted Woodpecker

Turkey vulture

Boat-tailed grackle

Mourning Dove

Indigo Bunting

Black & White Warbler

Mangrove Cuckoo

Dickissel

Common Nighthawk

Whip-poor-wil

Laughing Gull

Red Cardinal

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Broad winged Hawk

Brown Pelican

Scissor-tailed flycatcher

Snowy Egret

Cattle Egret

Green Heron

Clapper Rail

King Rail

Northern Mockingbird

Cliff Swallow

Barred Owl

Red-winged Blackbird

Least Tern

Killdeer

Loggerhead Shrike

Least Bittern

Eastern Kingbird

Great Horned Owl

Orchard Oriole

Eastern Screech Owl

Brown Thrasher

Grey Catbird

American Robin

Wood Thrush

Veery

Insects:

Slug

Damselfly

Dragonfly

Dung Beetle

Bumblebee

Stag Beetle

Swallow Tailed Butterflies

White Admiral Buttrfly

Speckled Wood Buttrfly

Millepede

Hornet

Brown Scorpion
Giant Milipede

Beautiful tropical butterflies (dozens of species)
Black scorpion

Giant Thai Beetles

Stick insects

Praying mantis

Locusts
Loads of pretty black/red/green swallowtail butterflies

In the final analysis roadkill was one of the low points of the trip and this list of species doesn't do justice to the scale of the carnage. The sheer numbers of dead wildlife was numbing. Through parts of the USA there were several dead armadillos and turtles every mile for hundreds of miles.

From an analytical point of view the amount of roadkill increased in proportion to the speed and volume of traffic (especially at night) and the amount of wildlife. So for example there was little roadkill in Turkey and Iran due to the scarcity of wildlife in desert regions and the low volume of traffic, even though the traffic was fast. In developing countries the traffic was often slow or non-motorised and low in volume (especially at night) but there was a lot of wildlife. The USA was unboubtedly the worse, especially in parts of the South, where the combination of abundant wildlife and high volumes of fast traffic (including at night) was a disaster.

The Route So Far.......(updated as we go)

So we don't forget and for those of you who may be interested in tracking our progress and following our route I will keep updating this post with our start and finish points for each day and miles travelled.

England
Day 1: Stoke Newington, London - Ashford, Kent. 60 miles.
Day 2: Rest day Ashford
Day 3: Ashford - Dover. 28 miles (plus 5 miles pootling about following stranding in Dover for night)

France
Day 4: Dover - St Omer. 47 miles, plus ferry crossing.
Day 5: St Omer - Violaines (nr La Bassee). 40 miles.
Day 6: Violaines - St-Amand-les-Eaux. 46 miles.
Day 7: St-Amand - Camp Fluer (nr St-Remy-Cheussee). 35 miles
Day 8: Camp Fluer - Rumigny. 42 miles
Day 9: Rumigny - Charleville-Meziers. 28 miles
Day 10: Charleville-Meziers rest day
Day 11: Charleville-Meziers - Stenay. 42 miles (but 4 miles spent looking for T's cycling glove!)
Day 12: Stenay - Rouvres-en-Woevre (nr Etain). 46 miles.
Day 13: Rouvres - Metz. 30 miles.
Day 14: Metz rest day
Day 15: Metz - Lening. 52 miles.
Day 16: Lening - Oberho (nr Eschbourg). 30 miles.
Day 17: Oberho - Melshiem. 14 miles.
Days 18 to 21 -Melshiem
Day 22: Melshiem - Ortenberg (Germany). 46 miles.

Germany

Day 23: Ortebberg - Dorf. 29 miles.
Day 24: Day sightseeing in Black Forest. involved 10mile hike over hills.
Day 25: Dorf - Germans Wood (outside Villingen-Schwenningen). 29 miles. 3hrs of climbs.
Day 26: Villingen-Schwenningen - Wahlwies. 50 miles
Day 27: Wahlwies - Fischbach (nr Immenstaad on lake Konstanz). 29 miles
Day 28: Fischbach - Deger-Moos (nr Hergatz). 35 miles
Day 29: Deger-Moos - Alpsee (nr Immenstadt). 31 miles.
Day 30: Enforced rest day due to heavy rain at Alpsee.
Day 31: Alpsee - Scwangau (nr Fussen). 41 miles.
Day 32: Schwangau - Plansee (nr Reutte) (Austria). 19 miles.

Austria

Day 33: Sightseeing and rest day at Plansee.
Day 34: Plansee - Landeck. 50 miles. Includes climb over Fernpass at 1209m asl.
Day 35: Landeck - Reschen pass (Italy). 37 miles (of which 35 were uphill to the pass at 1500m asl!)

Italy

Day 36: Reschen - Naturns. 44 miles
Day 37: Naturns - Auer. 45 miles
Day 38: Auer - Trento. 31 miles (horrendous headwind and heat)
Day 39: Trento - Grigno. 38 miles
Day 40: Grigno - Bassano di Grappa. 31 miles.
Day 41: Bassano di Grappa - Fusina (nr Venice) 57 miles.
Day 42: Sightseeing in Venice
Day 43: Fusina - Duna Verde (nr Caorle) 54 miles.
Day 44: Duna Verde - Castions Di Strada. 48 miles.
Day 45: Castions Di Strada - Woods near Kostanjevica (Slovenia). 34 miles.

Slovenia

Day 46: Kostanjevica - Postojna. 41 miles
Day 47: Sightseeing Caves of Postojna. 10 miles.
Day 48: Postojna - Woods nr Predstruge. 40 miles.
Day 49: Predstruge - Otocec. 38 miles.
Day 50: Otocec - Zagreb (Croatia). 53 miles.

Croatia

Day 51-54: Rest & Sightseeing in Zagreb
Day 55: Zagreb - Mahovo (nr Sisak). 44 miles
Day 56: Mahovo - Drevnov Bok. 48 mıles.
Day 57: Drevnov Bok - Sroac (Bosnia). 57 miles.

Bosnia

Day 58: Sroac - Slavonski Brod (Croatia). 46 miles.
Croatia

Day 59: Slavonski Brod - Middle of Nowhere (a forest near Serbian border nr Lipovac). 58 mıles
Day 60: Lipovac - Dobrinci (Serbıa) (nr Ruma). 79 miles.

Serbia

Day 61: Dobrinicı - Belgrade. 39 miles.
Days 62 - 65: Rest & Sightseeıng ın Belgrade.
Day 66: Belgrade - Kovin. 43 miles
Day 67: Kovin - nr Moldova Nova (Romania). 57 miles

Romania

Day 68: Moldova Nova - Dubava. 52 miles.
Day 69: Dubava - Braz Palanka (Serbia). 55 miles.

Serbia

Day 70: Braz Palanka - Negotin. 27 miles.
Day 71: Negotin - Dunavtsi (Bulgaria). 38 miles.

Bulgaria

Day 72: Dunavtsi - nr Kozludy. 50 miles.
Day 73: Kozludy - nr Ostrov. 47 miles.
Day 74: Ostrov - Muselievo (nr Nıkpol). 54 miles.
Day 75: Muselievo - Stambolovo (nr Pavlikeni). 46 miles.
Day 76: Stambolovo - Veliko Tarnovo. 18 miles.
Day 77: Rest day in Veliko Tarnovo.
Day 78: Veliko Tarnovo - nr top of mountaın between Elena & Tvarditsa. 39 miles.
Day 79: Top of mountain - Nr Radetski. 57 miles.
Day 80: Nr Radetski - nr Lyubimets. 41 miles.
Day 81: Lyubimets - Edirne (Turkey). 31 miles.

Turkey

Day 82: Rest Day & Sightseeıng in Edirne.
Day 83: Edirne - nr Luleburgaz. 41 miles.
Day 84: Luleburgaz - nr motorway junction off D100 close to Sea of Marmara. 56 miles.
Day 85: Mtway Junction - Istanbul. 55 miles.

Day 86-93 Sıghtseeıng and Restıng ın Istanbul

Day 94: Istanbul - Kiliçli. 27 mıles (plus ferry journey up the Bosphorous)

Day 95: Kiliçlı - Alacali. 13 mıles (due to Turkey Tummy and heat).

Day 96: Rest day at beach. Alacali.

Day 97: Alacali - Imrenli. 33 miles.

Day 98: Imrenli - Bağirkanli. 23 mıles.

Day 99: Bağırkanli - vıllage wıth no name and not on map! on the Black Sea Coast. 6 mıles.

Day 100: On the beach.

Day 101:Coast - Kuzuluk. 60 mıles.

Day 102: Kuzuluk - Mudurnu. 43 miles.

Day 103: Mudurnu - Top of hıll. 14 mıles.

Day 104: Top of hıll - Çayırhan. 49 miles.

Day 105: Çayıran - Akkaya. 27 miles.

Day 106: Akkaya - just outsıde Ankara. 29 miles.

Day 107: Ankara. 24 mıles (ıts a bıg cıty!)

Day 108: Ankara

Day 109: Ankara - Bala. 49 miles.

Day 110: Bala - Kaman. 46 miles.

Day 111: Kaman - Kırşehır. 38 miles.

Day 112: Kırşehır - Şahınler. 31 miles.

Day 113: Şahınler - Çhavusın. 34 mıles.

Day 114: Çhavusın - Goreme campsıte. 4 miles.

Day 115 - 120: Much needed R&R in Goreme, Cappadocia

Day 121 -123: travel by bus to Ankara and then day ın Ankara before returning to Goreme by bus (with Iranian visas!)

Day 124: Goreme - nr Develi. 49 miles

Day 125: Develi - nr village of Sarayik (at nearly 2000masl). 40 miles.

Day 126: Sarayik - nr Yeşilkent. 42 miles.

Day 127: Yeşılkent - Daglica. 34 miles.

Day 128: Daglica - Sögütlü. 38 miles.

Day 129: Sögütlü - hillside nr village of Gürkanayak. 40 miles.

Day 130: Gürkanayak - Malatya. 35 miles

Day 131: Malatya rest day.

Day 132: Malatya - over a pass at 1900m - nr village of Çayköy (on way to Mt Nemut). 28 miles

Day 133: Çayköy - village of Yandere (nr Mt Nemrut). 25 miles

Day 134: Yandere - over Mt Nemrut (2200m) - Narince. 21 miles.

Day 135: Narince - across Euphrates by ferry - nr Siverek. 33 miles.

Day 136: Siverek - Diyarbakır. 63 miles.

Day 137: Diyaerbakir rest day

Day 138: Diyarbakır - along E99 to village of Sanbugday (nr Bagdere). 42 miles.

Day 139: Sanbugday - nr Kozluk. 41 miles

Day 140: Kozluk - uphill along river Bitlis to village of Ortakapi (20km before Bitlis). 42 miles

Day 141: Ortakapi - Bitlis - Tatvan. 27 miles.

Day 142: Tatvan - Van. 9 miles by bike plus est 50+ miles by ferry boat.

Day 143-144: Van rest day

Day 145: Van - along E99 to village of Durukkas (nr Muradiye). 47 miles

Day 146: Durukkas - Muradiye - Çaldiran - unamed village on D975 before pass. 37 miles.

Day 147: Village - over pass at 2644m - E80 to Dogubayazit. 26 miles

Day 148 - 153: Rest and waiting for T's knee to recover in Dogubayazit.
Iran

Day 154: Dogubayazit - Tabriz (Iran) by taxi - 250 miles

Day 155-156: Tabriz

Day 157: Tabriz - Tehran by train - 400 miles.

Day 158 - 162: Tehran

Day 163: Tehran - Mt Damavand by bus - 50 miles

Day 164: Mt Damavand - Tehran by bus - 50 miles

Day 165-166: Tehran

Day 167: Tehran - Esfehan by train - 300 miles - 7 miles by cycle

Day 168-170: Esfehan

Day 171: Esfehan - Shiraz by bus - 360 miles.

Day 172 - 173: Shiraz

Day 174: Shiraz - Esfehan by bus - 360 miles.

Day 175: Esfehan - east along route 62 to Kuhpayeh - 51 miles by cycle at last!

Day 176: Kuhpayeh - Naeen - 41 miles

Day 177: Naeen - route 71 to Aqda - 54 miles

Day 178: Aqda - to desert se of Ardakan - 32 miles

Day 179: nr Ardakan - desert nr ChakChak - 37 miles

Day 180: desert nr ChakChak - Karanaq - 32 miles

Day 181: Karanaq - Yazd - 54 miles.

Day 182 - 184: Yazd

Day 185: Yazd - desert on route 78 - 51 miles

Day 186: Desert - Bafgh - 34 miles.

Day 187: Bafgh - desert road towards Rafsanjan - 33 miles

Day 188: Desert road to somewhere past Nuk on way towards Rafsanjan - 35 miles

Day 189: Nuk - Rafsanjan - 41 miles

Day 190: Rafsanjan - Kerman - 74 miles

Day 191: Kerman

Day 192: Kerman - Zahedan by bus - 350 miles

Day 193: Zahedan - Quetta (Pakistan) by jeep and bus - 440 miles.

Pakistan

Day 194: Quetta - Lahore by train - 800 miles

Day 195 - 200: Lahore

Day 201: Lahore - Wagah Border - 17 miles

India

Day 202: Wagah Border - Amritsar - 19 miles.

Day 203-206 Amritsar

Day 207: Amritsar-Zira - 49 miles

Day 208: Zira - Muktsar - 53 miles

Day 209: Muktsar - Abohar - 35 miles

Day 210: Abohar - Hanumangarh - 38 miles

Day 211: Hanumangarh - Thar Desert past Suratgarh on H15 - 47 miles

Day 212: Desert - Lunkaransar - 50 miles

Day 213: Lunkaransar - Bikaner - 43 miles (my birthday!!)

Day 214-217: Bikaner

Day 218-224: Bikaner - Keechen through desert on camel safari, approx 100miles then 10 miles to Phalodi by cycle.

Day 225: Phalodi - nr Bhimamker. 43 miles

Day 226: nr Bhimamker - Osiyan - Jodphur. 41 miles.

Day 227 - 228: Jodphur

Day 229: Jodphur to Jaipur by bus. (approx 200 miles)

Day 230-231: Jaipur

Day 232: Jaipur - Jodphur by bus. (approx 200 miles)

Day 233: Jodphur - Surpura. 52 miles

Day 234: Samadari - Siwana - Jalor. 51 miles

Day 235: Jalor - Ramsin - Kalandri. 47 miles.

Day 236: Kalandri - Anadra - Abu Rd - Mt Abu. 57 miles (+ 3 miles in back of truck!)

Day 237-238: Mt Abu

Day 239: Mt Abu - Palanpur - Siddhapur. 78 miles

Day 240: Siddhapur - Patan - Harij - Sankeshver. 49 miles.

Day 241: Sankeshver - Zainabad. 24 miles

Day 242: Zainabad.

Day 243: Zainabad - Ahmenabad by jeep (approx 65 miles).

Day 244-246: Ahmenabad

Day 247: Ahmenabad - Mumbai by train, approx 300 miles.

Day 248 - 254: Mumbai

Day 255: Mumbai - ferry to Mandwa (approx 15 miles), then Alibag - Nandgaon. 38 miles by cycle.

Day 256: Nandgaon - Murud - nr Borlai. 20 miles (+1 mile by ferry)

Day 257: camped on beach nr Borlai

Day 258: Borlai - Srivardhan - Bankot. 40 miles (+1mile by ferry).

Day 259: Bankot - Kelshi - Harnai. 23 miles (+ .25miles by dugout canoe!)

Day 260: Harnai - Dapoli - Dabhol - Guhagar. 36 miles (+1 mile by ferry)

Day 261: Guhagar - Velneshwar. 15 miles.

Day 262: Velneshwar

Day 263: Velneshwar - Jaigarh - Ganpatipule - nr Ratnagiri. 37 miles (+1 mile by ferry)

Day 264: Ratnagiri - Jaitapur. 43 miles (+ .5m by ferry)

Day 265: Jaitapur - Vijayadurg - Achra. 54 miles (+.25m by dugout canoe).

Day 266: Achra - Malvan. 12 miles.

Day 267: Malvan - Vengurla. 32 miles.

Day 268: Vengurla - Pernem - Arambol Beach (Goa). 42 miles. T's birtday.

Day 269 - 282: Arambol Beach, Goa

Day 283: Arambol Beach - Panjim. 25 miles

Day 284: Panjim - Ponda - Sanguem. 43 miles.

Day 285: Sanguem - Jungle - Sanguem - back to Coast - jungle near Canacona. 44 miles.

Day 286: Jungle - south on NH17 - Kumta. 57 miles.

Day 287: Kumta - inland up the ghats - Siddapur. 41 miles.

Day 288: Siddapur - Savalanga. 51 miles.

Day 289: Savalanga - Bhadra. 59 miles.

Day 290: rest day and wildlife safari Bhadra.

Day 291: Half-day ride: Bhadra - Tarikere - Ligadahalli. 29 miles

Day 292: Ligadahalli - Baba Budan Hills - Belur. 39 miles.

Day 293: Belur - Shravanabelagola. 69 miles.

Day 294: Shravanabelagola - Mysore. 49 miles.

Day 295-298 - Sightseeing & Resting in Mysore

Day 299: Mysore -Nagarhole National Park. 53 miles

Day 300: Nagarhole NP - Kuruva Islands (Kerala State). 25 miles.

Day 301: Kuruva sightseeing

Day 302: Kuruva - Iritti. 40 miles

Day 303: Iritti - Kannur. 26 miles

Day 304-307 - Kannur

Day 308: Travel from Kannur to Chennai by Train, approx 500 miles

Day 309 -312 - Chennai

Day 313 - bus from Chennai to Mamallapuram (3hrs) for sightseeing.

Day 314 - Mamallapurum sightseeing

Day 315 - bus from Mamallapurum to Vedantangal Bird Sanctuary (approx 35miles)

Day 316 - bus and train from Vedantangal to Chennai (approx 60 miles)

Day 317 - Chennai

Day 318-319: Chennai - Port Blair (Andaman Islands) approx 900 miles by ship.

Day 320 - 329: Havelock Island, Andaman Isl (cycled approx 20 miles)

Day 330: Port Blair, Andaman Isl

Day 331-332: Port Blair - Phuket (Thailand) by sailing boat approx, 600 miles.

Day 333: Chalong Harbour - Kata Resort. 8 miles

Day 334: Kata Resort - north along west coast of Phuket via Thalang Bike Shop - Mai Khao Beach. 30 miles.

Day 335: Mai Khao Beach - Phang-Nga. 36 miles (then boat to Ko Panyee Fishing Village),

Day 336 Ao Phang-Nga National Park sightseeing

Day 337: Phang-Nga - north to H401 - then west along this road towards Khao Sok NP. 55 miles.

Day 338: H401 - Khao Sok National Park. 15 miles.

Day 339: Khao Sok NP sightseeing.

Day 340: Khao Sok NP - west on H401 then N on H4 past Tan Nang. 40 miles.

Day 341: H4 north - Kapoe. 55 miles.

Day 342: H4 north past Ranong to Khao Fachi. 50 miles.

Day 343: H4 north close to Burma border the across Malay peninsular to Chumphon. 55 miles.

Day 344: Boat from Chumphon to Island of Ko Tao in Gulf of Thailand (approx 55 miles).

Day 345-349: Diving and snorkelling on Ko Tao

Day 350: Boat from Ko Tao to Chumphon (approx 55 miles)

Day 351: Chumphon - Bang Saphan Noi. 55 miles

Day 352: Bang Saphan Noi - north to Huai Yang Waterfall National Park. 45 miles.

Day 353: Huai Yang NP - north to Hat Sam Phraya in Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park. 55 miles.

Day 354: Khao Sam Roi Yot NP - north past Hua Hin , Cha'am to Puktian Beach resort. 50 miles.

Day 355: Puktian Beach - Samut Songkhram. 45 miles

Day 356: Samut Songkhram - Bangkok. 40 miles.

Day 357-361 - Bangkok sightseeing.

Day 362: Bangkok - Chachoengsao. 54 miles

Day 363: Chachoengsao - a mango orchard off the 359 road. 47 miles

Day 364: East along 359 and Highway 33 to Aranyaprathet. 61 miles.

Cambodia

Day 365: Aranyaprathet (Thailand) across border to Cambodia and on to Sisophon. 34 miles.

Day 366: Sisophon - Battambang. 43 miles.

Day 367: Sightseeing in Battambang.

Day 368: Battambang - Siam Reap. (30 miles by boat and 5 miles by cycle).

Day 369-374: Sightseeing & Being ill in Siam Reap

Day 375: Siam Reap - Kompong Dien. 40 miles.

Day 376: Kompong Dien - Kompong Thom. 63 miles.

Day 377: Kompong Thom - Snuk. 57 miles.

Day 378: Snuk - Phnom Penh. 50 miles.

Day 379 - 381: Sightseeing & Visa stuff in Phnom Penh.

Day 382: Phnom Pehn - Svay Rieng. 79 miles.

Vietnam

Day 383: Svay Rieng (Cambodia) - Tay Ninh (Vietnam). 52 miles.

Day 384: Tay Ninh sightseeing.

Day 385: Tay Ninh - Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). 64 miles.

Day 386- 388: Sighseeing Saigon

Day 389: Saigon - Dong Xoai. 70 miles.

Day 390: Dong Xoai along HCM Highway to Duc Phong. 33 miles.

Day 391: Duc Phong - Gia Nghia (Dak Nong). 42 miles.

Day 392: Gia Nghia - Dak Mil. 42 miles.

Day 393: Dak Mil - Buon Ma thuot (via Dray Sap waterfalls). 54 miles.

Day 394-395: Sightseeing in Buon Ma Thuot.

Day 396: Buon Ma Thuot - nr village of Ea Ral. 58 miles.

Day 397: Ea Ral - Pleiku. 57 miles.

Day 398: Pleiku - Kon Tum. 31 miles

Day 399: Kon Tum sightseeing.

Day 400: Kon Tum - Plei Kan (via Sa Thay). 50 miles.

Day 401-402: Ill in bed in Plei Kan.

Day 403: Plei Kan - Dak Glei. 34 miles.

Day 404: Dak Glei - Kham Duc. 35 miles.

Day 405: Kham Duc - Thanh My. 37 miles.

Day 406: Thanh My - Hoi An. 44 miles.

Day 407-415: Sightseeing around Hoi An

Day 416: Hoi An - Lang Co. 46 miles.

Day 417: Lang Co. - Bach Ma National Park. 35 miles

Day 418-419: Bach Ma

Day 420: Bach Ma - Hue. 56 miles

Day 421-423: Hue sightseeing

Day 424: Hue - Cua Tung Beach Resort. 65 miles

Day 425: Cua Tung - north of Ben Quan (on HCMH). 30 miles.

Day 426: Ben Quan - Xuan Son (via Dong Hoi). 63 miles.

Day 427: Xuan Son - along HCMH past Pheo Hoa. 50 miles

Day 428: HCMH north to Hu'ong Khe. 34 miles.

Day 429: Hu'ong Khe - Pho Chau. 38 miles

Day 430: Pho Chau - Tan Ky. 59 miles

Day 431: Tan Ky - Thai Hoa. 28 miles

Day 432: Thai Hoa - Thanh Hoa. 68 miles.

Day 433: Thanh Hoa - Ninh binh (via Phat Diem). 56 miles

Day 434-436: Ninh Binh

Day 437: Ninh Binh- Van Long Nature Reerve. 11 miles

Day 438: Van Long - Cuc Phu'o'ng National Park HQ. 32 miles.

Day 439: Cuc Phu'o'ng NP

Day 440: Cuc Phu'o'ng NP - nr My Duc. 54 miles

Day 441: My Duc - Hanoi. 34 miles.

Day 442-443: Hanoi

Day 444: Hanoi-Tam Dao by bus and cycle. 15 miles.

Day 445-446: Tam Dao

Day 447: Tam Dao - Hanoi by cycle and bus. 20 miles.

Day 448: Hanoi

Day 449: Hanoi - Cai Rong by bus

Day 450: Cai Rong - Quan Lan Island by boat

Day 451: Quan Lan Island

Day 452: Quan Lan Island - Cai Rong bu boat

Day 453: Cai Rong - Hanoi by bus

Day 454-456: Hanoi

Day 457: Hanoi to Halong Bay by bus/boat

Day 458: Halong Bay & Cat Ba Island by boat

Day 459: Cat Ba Island

Day 460: Cat Ba Island - Hanoi by boat & bus

Day 461: Hanoi

Day 462: Hanoi - Sapa by train and then bus

Day 463-466: Sapa

Day 467: Sapa - Hanoi by bus and train.

Day 468: Hanoi

Day 469: Hanoi - Kep. 44 miles.

Day 470: Kep - Lang Son. 51 miles.

Day 471: Lang Son

Day 472: Lang Son - Pingxiang (China). 21 miles.

Day 473: Pingxiang (ill)

Day 474: Pingxiang - somewhere on road to Nanning via Ning Ming. 48 miles.

Day 475: somewhere on road to Nanning. 53 miles.

Day 476: continued to Nanning. 47 miles.

Day 477-479: Nanning

Day 480: Nanning - Binyang. 54 miles

Day 481: Binyang - Guigang. 58 miles.

Day 482: Guigang - Guiping. 43 miles.

Day 483: Guiping - north of Pingnan. 61 miles.

Day 484: continued north to Mengshan. 64 miles.

Day 485: Mengshan - Yangshuo. 54 miles

Day 486-488: Yangshuo

Day 489: Yangshou - Hunan Province via Gongcheng. 63 miles.

Day 490: Continued NE to Daoxian. 49 miles

Day 491: Daoxian - east past Ningyuan. 50 miles.

Day 492: NE to Chenzhou via Guiyang. 65 miles.

Day 493: Chenzhou - NE towards Chaling. 51 miles.

Day 494: Continued to Chaling. 46 miles.

Day 495: Chaling ne to Jiangxi Province. 49 miles.

Day 496: Continued to Ji'an. 68 miles.

Day 497-498: Ji'an

Day 499: Ji'an - Hong Kong by train.

Day 500-505: Hong Kong

Day 506: Hong Kong - Ji'an by train.

Day 507: Ji'an - Yong Feng. 39 miles

Day 508: Yong Feng - ne towards Nanchang. 45 miles.

Day 509: continued towards Nanchang via Xiangtang. 55 miles.

Day 510: along river bank to Nanchang. 34 miles.

Day 511-513: Nanchang

Day 514: Nanchang - Yugan. 60 miles.

Day 515: Yugan - Ne for 60 miles.

Day 516: continued ne past Wuyhan to Little Likeng village. 64 miles.

Day 517: Little Likeng

Day 518: Little Likeng - n to village of Hongguan (via Qinghua). 34 miles.

Day 519: Over border to Anhui State to Qiyun Shan village. 45 miles

Day 520: Qiyan Shan

Day 521: Qiyan Shan - Huangdhan City - Shexian - NE. 53 miles.

Day 522: Continued to Zhejiang Province. 51 miles.

Day 523: Continued to Hangzhou. 75 miles.

Day 524-525: Hangzhou

Day 526: Hangzhou - Jiaxing. 59 miles.

Day 527: Jiaxing - Suzhou. 60 miles.

Day 528: Suzhou.

Day 529: Suzhou - Shanghai. 60 miles.

Day 530-533: Shanghai

Day 534 - 536: Shanghai to Osaka (Japan) by boat

Day 537: Osaka

Day 538: Osaka - Nara. 21 miles

Day 539-541: Nara

Day 542: Nara - Kyoto. 27m

Day 543-544: Kyoto

Day 545: Kyoto -Lake Biwa. 30m

Day 546: Lake Biwa - side of a mountain on road 421. 34miles

Day 547: Mountain - between Nagoya and Toyota. 48m

Day 548: One side of Toyota to the other. 14m

Day 549: East into Japanese Alps to town with an Onsen. 46miles

Day 550:Onsen village - r285. 22miles

Day 551: r285 - r77. 44 miles

Day 552: r77 - east of Shizuoka. 43miles

Day 553: Followed coast past Fuji city to Numazu. 31 miles

Day 554-555: Numazu

Day 556: Numazu - up a mountain nr Mt Fiji. 25 miles

Day 557: Nr Mt Fiji - towards Tokyo. 28miles

Day 558: Continued into Tokyo/Kawasaki. 42 miles

Day559-560: Kawasaki/Tokyo.

Day 561: Kawasaki - Tokyo Docks. 27 miles (plus overnight ferry to Shikoku Ilsand)

Day 562: Tokyo Docks - Tokushima Port - R19. 16miles

Day 563: Followed river valley/r195. 43 miles

Day 564: Over Yotsuashitoge Pass - towards sea. 33miles

Day 565: Along Pacific Coast - Kochi - mini island. 34 miles.

Day 566: Along coast - Susaki - mountain village. 33miles.

Day 567: Followed Shinto River to Ekawasaki. 58 miles

Day 568: Ekawasaki - Uwajima. 35miles

Day 569: Uwajima - around coast. 40 miles.

Day 570: to Yawatahama - then ferry to Usuki on Kyushu Isl - north to Buddhas. 20m

Day 571: North to Beppu. 25miles

Day 572: Beppu - north of Kitsuki. 34 miles

Day 573: north-west - Buzen - heading nw. 37miles

Day 574: to Kitakyushu - across straits to Shimonoseki. 29 miles.

Overnight ferry to Busan, South Korea, then train to Seoul.

Day 575-601: Seoul & Surrounds with Mike & Hayon

Day 602: Seoul - Andong by bus

Day 603: Andong - Hahoe village. 14 miles

Day 604: Hahoe - Gunwi. 19miles

Day 605: Gunwi - Yeongcheon. 34 miles

Day 606: Yeongcheon - Gyeongju. 25 miles

Day 607-608: Gyeongju

Day 609: Gyeongju - Ulsan. 47miles

Day 610: Ulsan - Busan. 38 miles.

Day 611-614: Busan

Day 615 - 628: Travelled on cargo ship east across Pacific

Day 629 - 631: Manzanillo (Mexico)

Day 632: Manzanillo - El Salto Waterfall. 34 miles

Day 633: El Salto - Colima. 40 miles.

Day 634: Colima - foot of volcanoes at Lake Carrizalillo. 21 miles.

Day 635: Carrizalillo Lake - Tuxpam - n of Tamazula de Gordiano. 60 miles

Day 636: Tamazula - Mazamitla - Abadiano. 43miles

Day 637: Abadiano - Zamora. 52 miles

Day 638: Zamora - Chilchota - El Pueblito. 35 miles

Day 639: Field nr El Pueblito.

Day 640: El Pueblito - Lake Patzcuaro. 39miles

Day 641: Lake Patzcuaro - Morelia. 33 miles.

Day 642-644: Morelia

Day 645: Morelia - Huajumbaro. 52 miles

Day 646: Huajumbaro - Angangueo. 39 miles

Day 647: Angangueo - Sierra Chincua Butterfly Sanctuary. 7 miles

Day 648: Sierra Chincua - San Felipe del Progreso. 44 miles.

Day 649: SF Progreso - up a mountain past Jiquipilco. 38 miles.

Day 650: to top of mountin - Mexico city (Tlalpan). 51 miles.

Day 651-657: Mexico City

Day 658: Mexico city - Ecatzingo village (nr Ozumba). 47 miles.

Day 659: Ecatzingo - Izucar de Matamoros. 52 miles

Day 660: IdMatamoros - Zacapala. 43 miles.

Day 661: Zacapala - cactus reserve nr Santiago Nopala. 44 miles

Day 662: cactus reserve - Tehuacan. 23miles

Day 663: Tehuacan

Day 664: Tehuacan - Teotitlan. 41miles

Day 665: Teotitlan - Hautla. 40 miles

Day 666: Hautla - Jalapa. 39 miles

Day 667: Jalapa - Loma Bonita. 61 miles.

Day 668: Loma Bonita - San Andreas Tuxtla. 69 miles

Day 669: San Andreas Tuxtla

Day 670: SA Tuxtla - La Barra/Real. 23 miles

Day 671: La Barra/Real - Montepio. 11miles

Day 672: Montepio - Alvarado. 64 miles

Day 673: Alvarado - Veracruz. 50 miles

Day 674: Veracruz

Day 675: Veracruz - La Mancha. 40 miles

Day 676: La Mancha

Day 677: La Mancha - Santander. 28 miles

Day 678: Santander turtle camp

Day 679: Santander - Casitas. 36 miles

Day 680: Casitas - Tecolutla. 21 miles.

Day 681 - 692: Tecolutla Turtle Camp

Day 693: Tecolutla - Papantla. 25 miles

Day 694: Papantla - past Tuxpam. 55 miles

Day 695: Tuxpam - Mamay village. 54 miles.

Day 696: Mamay - Tampico Alto. 45 miles

Day 697: Tampico Alto - Paso de Mora village. 48 miles

Day 698: Paso de Mora - Nuevo Progresso. 53 miles

Day 699: Nuevo Progresso - past Soto La Marina. 55 miles

Day 700: Soto la Marina - San Fernando de Presas. 81 miles

Day 701: SF Presas

Day 702: SF Presas - but fuck nowhere. 47 miles

Day 702: BF Nowhere - Matamoros. 43 miles.

Day 703: Matamoros - USA - past Raymondville. 56 miles.

Day 704: Raymondville - Riviera. 59 miles.

Day 705-706: Riviera

Day 707: Riviera - Nueces River. 55 miles

Day 708: Nueces River - Goose Island State Park (Lamar). 56 miles.

Day 709: Goose Island - Port Lavaca. 52 miles

Day 710: Port Lavaca - Palacios - Lower Colarado River Park. 48 miles

Day 711: River Park - Lake Jackson -swamp before surfside beach. 57miles.

Day 712: Surfside Beach - Galviston Island. 35m

Day 713: Galviston Island

Day 714: Galviston Island - Bolivar Peninsular. 39miles

Day 715: Bolivar Peninsular - Port Arthur. 67 miles

Day 716: Port Arthur - Cameron. 53 miles

Day 717: Cameron - south of Abbeville. 69 miles

Day 718: Abbeville - Lafayette. 45 miles

Day 719: Lafayette

Day 720: Lafayette - Olivier. 36 miles

Day 721: Olivier - Pigeon. 68 miles

Day 722: Pigeon - St James. 61 miles

Day 723: St James - New Orleans. 74 miles

Day 724-25: New Orleans

Day 726: New Orleans - Fontainbleau State Park. 59 miles.

Day 727: Fontainbleau SP - N of Franklinton. 59 miles.

Day 728: Franklinton - N of Monticello. 63 miles

Day 729: Monticello - Jackson. 57 miles

Day 730: Jackson - Natchez Trace mile marker 156. 62 miles

Day 731: Along Natches-Trace Parkway to mm 216. 67 miles

Day 732: Along Natches-Trace Parkway to mm 275. 71miles

Day 733: Along Natches-Trace Parkway to mm 305. 33miles

Day 734: Along Natches-Trace Parkway to mm 357. 61 miles

Day 735: Along Natches-Trace Parkway to mm 408. 57 miles

Day 735: Along Natches-Trace Parkway - Nashville. 56 miles

Day 736-737: Nashville

Day 738: Nashville - Chestnut Mound. 64 miles

Day 739: Chestnut Mound - towards Wartburg. 68 miles.

Day 740: east of Wartburg - west of Knoxville. 54 miles.

Day 741: west of Knoxville - Great Smokey Mtns NP (Gatlinburg). 52 miles.

Day 742: Gatlinburg - Smokemont Campground (Gt Smky NP). 32miles

Day 743-744: Smokemont Campground

Day 745: Smokemont - Blueridge Parkway Grassy Ridge Mine Overlook. 39 miles

Day 746: Blueridge Parkway - Asheville. 62 miles

Day 747: Asheville.

Day 748. Asheville - BR Parkway Black Mountain Gap. 32 miles.

Day 749: BRP Black Mountain Gap - BRP Cheston View (Linville). 39 miles

Day 750: BRP Cheston View - south of Deep Gap. 46 miles.

Day 751: BRP Deep Gap - Air Bellows Gap. 45 miles

Day 752: BRP Air Bellows Gap - Meadows of Dan. 63 miles

Day 753: BRP Meadows of Dan - Devils Backbone. 38 miles.

Day 754: BRP Devils Backbone - n of Roanoke. 43 miles

Day 755: Roanoke

Day 756: BRP Roanoke - Highest point in Virginia. 32 miles

Day 757: BRP Highest point virginia - Whetstone Ridge. 52 miles

Day 758: BRP Whetstone Ridge - Skyline Drive mlepost 102. 42 miles

Day 759: Skyline Drive - Loft Mtn Campground. 25 miles

Day 760: SD Loft Mtn - Upper Hawksbill. 35 miles

Day 761: SD Upper Hawksbill - Low Gap. 38 miles

Day 762: SD Low Gap - Round Hill. 50 miles

Day 763: Round Hill - Washington DC. 58 miles

Day 764-5: Washington DC

Day 766: Washington DC - Baltimore. 49 miles

Day 767: Baltimore - nr Quarryville. 62 miles

Day 767: Quarryville - Collegeville. 50 miles

Day 768: Collegeville - Philadelphia. 29miles

Day 769: Philadelphia.

Day 770: Philadelphia - New Hope. 52 miles

Day 771: New Hope - Harmony (Philipsburg). 41 miles

Day 772-782: Harmony

Day 783: Harmony - Randolph. 39 miles

Day 784: Randolph - New York City. 56 miles

Day 785-787: New York City

Day 788- 794: Travelling east across Atlantic Ocean on Cruise Ship

Day 795: Southampton - Widley. 22miles

Day 796: Widley - Brighton. 56 miles

Day 797-798: Brighton

Day 799: Brighton - Reigate. 40 miles

Day 800: Reigate - London. 31 miles.

Total miles cycled from London round the world to London = 18,200 miles