Backwaters
Our tour boat glided slowly through Kerala’s backwaters.
We gazed out over palm trees and life along the riverbanks.
Yes, we’ve seen similar scenes while pedaling, but here we didn’t have to worry about Tata trucks blasting past us.
Shwedagon Pagoda
Mind blowing
The Shwedagon is one of Buddhism’s most sacred sites and it’s stunning! The immense gilded stupa is surrounded by temples filled with an array of Buddha statues.
There’s a constant buzz of activity as Burmese from all walks of life come here to pray, give offerings and even have their fortune told.
More Yangon impressions:
Back to Myanmar
Laos river boat
Boat
From Luang Prabang, we took the slow boat to Huay Xai.
For two leisurely days, we observed life along the riverbanks: children playing, men casting fishing nets, and women washing clothes.
The icing on the cake was sailing past the steep hills that we no longer had to pedal over.
Another Huay Xai impression:
Back to Laos
Kyzyl-Aart Pass
Stunning
The landscape heading up from Sary Tash is spectacular, with its multicolored mountains and thick snowpacks.
But it’s not a place you want to linger, as multi-day storms regularly pass through…
Another Kyzyl Aart impression:
Back to the Pamirs
Pamir Landscape
Vast
Enormous, overwhelming, immense— these are just a few of the adjectives used to describe the Pamir scenery.
To truly appreciate how awe-inspiring it is, you have to pedal through it yourself.
More on tour impressions:
Back to the Pamirs
Ophir Pass
Summit
“Ophir Pass? It’s spectacular! You guys shouldn’t have a problem cycling up it,” the tourist information lady assured us.
Maybe she had been altitude training—or perhaps she was just exaggerating—because we suffered. Unacclimatized, we found ourselves struggling to reach the summit.
But she was right about the views. We eventually pitched our tent near the top, rewarded with a stunning panorama of the San Juan Mountains.
Back to America
Amber palace
Palace
The last thing we expected to see while traveling along the polluted, overcrowded Delhi-Jaipur highway was Amber Fort.
It’s a beacon of elegance that rises above the Aravalli hills.
Once inside, we felt miles away from the chaos of India.
Back to India
Dasain
Safety
Rental bike owners make offerings to Durga; to ensure a safe year on the road.
Another festival impression:
Back to Nepal
Pedaling the Terai
Tranquil
Nepal isn’t just soaring mountains.
The Mahendra Highway runs through the Terai, a strip of flat land between the Indian border and the Himalayan foothills.
It has a serene, simple beauty, so unlike the frantic chaos of neighboring India.
Back to Nepal
Lake Tanganyika
Gladiators
As the Liemba slowed, we watched the passenger boats racing to dock alongside it.
They competed fiercely, as their earnings depended on the number of passengers and the amount of freight they carried back to shore.
The scene was reminiscent of the chariot race from Ben-Hur.
Another Lake Tanganyika impression:
Back to East Africa