There’s nothing like a rainy day to get a few things done. As the heavens opened, we realised cycling was going to be futile so instead we recorded our latest podcast. This time we share some of the highs and lows with you from our four months in Southeast Asia and a few tips for bike touring in the region. We also have two cycling stories from Adam, who we met in Bishkek. Adam, from Poland, was last spotted going up the Karakorum Highway with one gear so he’s quite the adventurer! We think you’ll enjoy hearing about his take on cycling in India and getting lost in Nepal.

 

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A few days ago we had the chance to take food to the kids living and working up at the Stung Meanchey garbage dump in Phnom Penh. They exist in appalling conditions, without access to enough food, money, medical care and so many other things most of us take for granted. The day we visited was a good day - the best the organisers had seen in quite some time - and we were still struck by the poverty, the flies, the smell and overall inhumane situation. This is a little bit of audio we recorded on that day to share with you.

 

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In the Cambodian beach resort of Sihanoukville, we put together our latest podcast. This time we talk more about Central Asia - the amazing Lake Song Kol in Kyrgyzstan, our favourite and not-so-favourite parts of the region and what to bring. Plus we have an interview with Greg, a Hungarian cycling the Silk Road who made us a great vegetarian breakfast. And we tell you why it’s important to know how to say ‘I am a carrot’ in Russian. Or you could read the blog of Hirsch, the cyclist who introduced us to this important phrase!

 

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It’s a whole new world. Just a few hours in a plane have zipped us away from remote Central Asia to lively Bangkok, where we’re feasting on spicy Thai curries, power that stays on, water that’s always running and truly high speed internet for the first time in months. At first we felt strange boarding the plane but, now that we’re here, we’ve no doubt that it was a good choice. After so long fighting red tape we were feeling a little worn down and Southeast Asia seems the perfect antidote.

Our good mood has been helped to no end by a flight that went smoother than we dared hope. Full marks to Air Astana, who only charged a modest fee for our 35kg of extra luggage. On the other side, we were astonished to see all our bags and both bikes in perfect condition as we emerged from immigration. When we lived in London it seemed every trip ended with an interminable delay before our bags appeared. We’d forgotten airports could be so efficient.

A quick ride into the city centre by taxi (no point trying to brave public transport when you’re as loaded down as we are) and we arrived at the home of Michael, a welcoming American we’d met in Tashkent just a few weeks earlier. We’re going to stay in his flat for a week or so, trading cat-sitting duties for a pad in Bangkok while we get our bikes fixed up and buy a few things for the next leg of the journey.

We’ve done very little research on this part of the world but our inclinations are to head north from here, along the Burmese border, through at least two of Thailand’s national parks and past some stunning waterfalls. It should be a good introduction to our first cycle trip in the tropics.

While you’re waiting for us to start pedalling again, why not listen to our latest podcast. We put it together just a few days before leaving Bishkek and it features an interview with David Berghof, the owner of the Stantours travel agency. We’ve used them a few times and always had great service. David has a wealth of information about Central Asia so his thoughts are a good starting point if you’re considering a trip to the region.

 

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A few days ago Friedel had the chance to talk to Chris, the host of the Amateur Traveler podcast, about our time in Iran. It was a fun hour chatting about a wonderful country and perhaps some of you would like to listen in so check on the site to download the show. Chris also has an amazing archive of over 130 shows on all parts of the world, worth adding to your “listen-to” list.

Going even further back, around Christmas we met a couple Americans, Andrea and Michael, travelling around and they did an interview with us. We haven’t seen this video yet because connection speeds are just too slow but the rest of you can enjoy it.