1. Beijing, China
(Journey Entries/Journal)

The road after Luoyang is smoothly going uphill and passed through fields, occasional treelines and villages covered with coal.  After a small mountain pass and lots of sweat from the humid

2. Luoyang, China
(Journey Entries/Journal)

...peful that the next couple of days will be better since we will be visiting another Chinese landmark, the Sacred Mountain Hua.  We were so involved in a long-lasting conversation that we didn’t r...

3. Xi'an, China
(Journey Entries/Journal)

Danae goes on a tour with Mark, Monica, Carlotta, Nijole, Daumantas, and two Chinese university students, Rhett and Ernest (English names of course).  They visited the Grand Mosque, which blends

4. Lanzhou, China
(Journey Entries/Journal)

The stark contrast between busy city life and the temporary escape to a massive municipal park lying on the slopes of the bordering mountains is remarkable.  We walked up for hours visiting Buddh

5. Zhangye, China
(Journey Entries/Journal)

We visit a Buddhist monastery complex in Zhangye during our rest day.  We are amazed at how such big cities can grow in the middle of nowhere land. Water can change the most arid environment into

6. Anxi, China
(Journey Entries/Journal)

We left early next morning to avoid the usual strong afternoon winds.  We chose to cover the large gap of nothingness in the desert alone and reach Hami, the next city, as quickly as we could. Ve

7. Osh and Kashgar
(Journey Entries/Journal)

...Various ups and downs mark our route until the border. We have to wait until the following morning since the borders are only open on weekdays.  Our final goodbye to Adam and our van, who will

8. Fergana Valley
(Journey Entries/Journal)

Crossing the Fergana Valley has been quite invigorating.  Plenty of trees and vineyards both in the fields and along the houses create shade.  Estates have more land, and houses have l

9. Searching for Balance in Samarkand
(Journey Entries/Journal)

Prior to our departure from Samarkand we had a brief television interview at Registan Square.  During the next couple of days we both felt a lack of energy and fatigue. The sun, the heat, i

10. Desert Trek to Samarkand
(Journey Entries/Journal)

...Morning comes and Danae and the others are headed to Khiva by train.  I and Jimmy – a Dutch who is traveling by bus and train for two years – have decided to visit Hazrat Davud, a Muslim shrin

11. Baku, Azerbaijan
(Journey Entries/Journal)

 We have decided not to wait for the idle Turkmens to respond and have changed our plans.  We hope to embark on a cargo ship to Kazakhstan – date of departure is still murky…  We have c

12. Stolen Bike and VISA Troubles
(Journey Entries/Journal)

...the Lithuanians go around in the village and wake the drunken families up asking for their help.  Sigitas calls the police, while Carlotta stays behind with Danae to keep an eye on our tent.&n

13. Entry to Georgia
(Journey Entries/Journal)

 Leaving behind black sea vistas, we traverse a landscaped defined by dilapidated infrastructure and insistent hospitality toward the capital of Georgia, Tbilisi. TBILISI, GEORGIA  &nbs

14. Rize and Samsun, Turkey
(Journey Entries/Journal)

In between mundane and routine chores like laundry, learning to balance hunger and overeating (a cyclists nightmare), a visit to Rize and a museum honoring Ataturk proves interesting to some of fellow

15. Black Sea, Toward Georgia
(Journey Entries/Journal)

Endless coastline curvy road. It looks so close on the map, yet it ends up being double in reality. What appears to be 50 km becomes 100km when you ride it. Most of us arrive tired and in need of rest

16. Beginning in Olympia, On to Athens
(Journey Entries/Journal)

Olympia, 20.2.08 The beginning of the bicycle ride which will connect the birthplace of the Olympic Games to Beijing, China, the current holder of the Games. We will cover 12000 km, traverse 9 countri