Kyrgyzstan Adventures

Flying from Istanbul to Bishkek was a red eye affair landing in at 1:30am and bunking down on the floor with a bunch of Slovenien climbers. The next morning I met up with the Dragoman overland people and started my central asian adventure! We are travelling overland from Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan to Kathmandu in Nepal going through China, Pakistan and India to get there. Mainly English people on the trip with a Norwegien, Canadian, Australian and a Kiwi rounding out the rest.

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Kyrgyz soldiers guarding something...

First night camping with the truck, getting everything out.

Screaming past quirky muslim cementries in the truck

Missile Christmas decorations...Nice

Local kids checking out the photos in front of an freedom memorial

Lunchtime on route towards the Chinese border

Hiking above a small town called Naryn

Dung piled up for fuel outside a house in Naryn

Local gents in Naryn

Yurts in a valley we stayed in called Tash Rabet, an old Silk route trading post

Happy chappy climbing above Tash Rabet so he gets out of dinner.

Another happy scrambler

Not sure whether hes fallen out with his horse or cant decide which way to go

There were fantastically wide valleys and rough roads on the way south through Kyrgyzstan

These crazy Dutchys were bumping along in their Herbies on a a Amsterdam to Beijing charity rally!

Inside Daphne, our mighty truck.

Montenegro

Bumpy roads! As we made our way from the capital of Albania; Tirana to the Montenegro border the roads got worse. Crazy to see hundreds of stolen Mercs (from Germany in the 90's) cruising round on roads little better than paved walking tracks. The beaches of Montenegro proved to be just the solution with a night at Petrovak, a cove where rich Romans used to holiday. We spent the afternoon at the beach and the next morning was more beach and an hour or two at Sveti Stefan, then on too Budva. Sveti had a very picturesque island jutting out from the beach where a luxur resort used to be. The water around it was just too perfect and looked like a film set!

We found a campsite in Budva and sat around like beached walruses trying to keep out of the high 30's heat. The beaches were absolutely packed and it seemed like every eastern european had made their way here for the summer festical.W e looked around the Stari Grad (old town) and ran from a thunder storm while enjoying some delicious mussels.

For my final day with Sal and Lach, we drove to Kotor which is at the end of Europes largest fjord. A fortified wall was built during the 13th century which surrounded the old town and a castle perched on the surrounding mountain. We sweated our way up there for some great pics before heading down for a greek salad and refreshing beverage. Last goodbyes before I got on the overnight bus from Budva to Belgrade. A fantastic 10 days with Sal and Lach that has just gone far too fast! They will continue their journey into Bosnia then Croatia on the way back to London in September.

Tirana's main sqaure.

From Greece to Albania

It's been twelve days on the road and many memories to keep already. I started with a week with Tim and Jon Burrell and Jon Storer in Mykonos soaking up the hot Greek sun. The island is small, only 15 km across, but boasts a lot of stunning beaches and a vibrant town. We spent our time scootering round the island exploring the beaches, spotting the glamourous beach goers and living it up in our nice greek apartment. It was a fantastic week and I was sorry to have to leave the islands and head for the mainland.

I decided that 30 degree heat wasnt enough and met Sally Johnston and Lachlan Love in Athens. We checked out the Acropolis, had dinner on a rooftop at sunset below the Panthanon. We then headed up to Corfu, in their old school Ford Transit camper for a couple of days on the beach, hired a boat and spent an entire day cruising around the bays on the west side on the island. The island had a decidedly 70's feeling to it with laid back people and fading grandour. Off again, this time for the Albanian border and sweltering 40 degree heat. The camper has no air-con so it was windows wide open and wind through the hair to cool down!

Albania is in its wild west stage of tourism. After years of brutal leadership, the country is started to realise that its beautiful coastlines are very attractive to westerners. The main road up the coast is little more than a pot holed cattle track! The communist leader, Enver Hoxha ruled for 40 years and installed "mushroom" bunkers in every nook and crany in the country. You see them them dotted on the beach amounst the beach umbrellas. There is a 4:1 ratio of bunkers to every person in Albania.

We are now in Tirana the capital, checked into an air conditioned hotel (an absolute luxury in this heat!) and are going to head up to Montenegro tomorrow.

This is it. Who knows if we will come out the other side!

Soviet style engineering

Beach bunkers

Kite flying on our beach campsite

Fun with the exposure!

Greece!