China is what bicycle travel is all about, adventure!
Even though we couldn’t communicate, read signs or even identify what we were eating, we just jumped in.
We cycled past sidewalks filled with dancing office workers and street cleaners in high heels. Our tour also took us through some of the most gorgeous scenery in the world.
In North India, bicycles are used to transport goods and people.
They even use them as market stalls which can be set up on any street corner.
The highway crosses the vast Pamir plateau.
It’s an unnerving, bleak place yet full of stunning high desert landscapes.
We would love to go back and ride it again!
But then we remember the crappy food, icy wind and high altitudes…
The photography theme Little Red Cyclist shows what it feels like to be a small, humble bicyclist pedaling through the enormous, overpowering landscapes of the American Southwest.
Download the free Little Red Cyclist e-book full of images from around the globe.
A monk gave us a private tour of Hemis Monastery which contains a spectacular collection of ancient Tibetan relics and manuscripts.
We felt we had stepped back in time as we viewed the dust-covered statues and faded murals.
Thiksey is the largest monastery in Ladakh and houses a 49 ft. high statue of Maitreya Buddha.
We ended up spending a couple of days exploring the monastery and enjoying the fantastic view over the Leh valley.
In South India, bicycles are a prized possession which help you earn money.
Rickshaw rider, ice cream vendor, coffee salesman, you see two-wheelers everywhere.
For cyclists – India has it all; the mighty Himalayas, tropical beaches, quiet backroads and very diverse cultures. Yet you’ll also find poverty, dangerous highways, and at times experience way too much attention.
There seems to be no ‘middle-ground’ with the subcontinent. It’s never boring.
Whenever we become blasé, then we know its time to head back to India.
Shekhawati’s mansions are decorated with lavish designs and whimsical murals.
The more ornamental the painting, the richer and more powerful the owners were.
Pushkar has numerous temples and bathing ghats.
The whole town literally hums to the sound of prayers, gongs, drums, and chanting.
We arrived at dawn.
As the sun rose, the Taj’s appearance continually changed.
With every shift of light and perspective, another magnificent Taj Mahal came into view.
The fortress of Jaisalmer rose like a mirage from the desert.
Coming closer, it was as if we had traveled back in time. Straight into the fairy tale of 1001 nights.
The “Gate of Victory” was built to honor the Moghul emperor Akbar.
This monumental entrance leads to the now deserted city of Fatehpur Sikri.
It’s a stunning complex full of palaces, ornamental pools, and elaborate carvings.
Bicycles help Nepalese earn a living.
They use them to transport passengers and goods.
Some rickshaw chauffeurs even sleep in their machines.
Arriving in Kathmandu, we were overwhelmed by the colorful chaos.
Cows and rickshaws wandered through narrow alleyways while open-air markets filled the streets.
