sideline on RTW Prep

28 March 2008/1hb Rabiulakhir 1430

Travelling in my mind is about meeting people and places you never before. See the greatness of God creation close to you and afar. People and places. This is what I wish to do.

RTW Preparations

24 March 2009

RTW Preparation...continues. This time I want to talk about Route Planner issues. Taking the first country, India as my initial discussion. India,is a big country. Very colourful and lots of history. After checking with friends in the IndiaMike.com and other sites, I am interested to follow the following route through India: Chennai - Hyderabad,Andra Pradesh - Nizamabad - Adilbad - Nagpur - Sagar - Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh - Dabra - Gwalior - Morena - Dhaulpur - Agra - Mathura - Faridabad - New Delhi, Delhi - Panipat - Karnal - Ambala - Ludhiana - Jalandhar - Amritsar, Punjab. A total distance of more than 2000km and my estimate is to cover within 4 weeks with a budget of RM 10K or less.
Cross-border between Wagah to Lahore, Pakistan is currently closed. So? I bang on my luck this would be solved by the time I reach there ( mid 2012). Or, have to start thinking of another route. The Silk Road comes to mind. Now, this is going to be a lot more exciting (as though crossing India is not tough enough?). I expect following the Silk Road crossing China and entering Europe via Kazakhstan - Kyrgyzstan - Tajikstan - Uzbeksitan -Turkmenistan - Iran would consume both time and fund.
Meanwhile, the other physical preparation gets underway as well. Getting physically fit, start to brisk walk everyday for about 1 hr in the afternoon. Depending on my progress, I may gradually increase the tempo by swimming daily later. I was talking to my riding mate (Mr Big) about camping preparation. We would try camping in our next ride. Talking about camping, my last camping early this year by a lakeside did not go very well. I had to break camp in the middle of the nite because of very heavy rain and thunderous weather. What a failure that was.

Main Range Loop Ride

7 and 8 March 2008
The route is simple enough; Kuala Lumpur towards the main range of Peninsular Malaysia and stop over to Kota Bahru, Kelantan state and return crossing the main range from East to West passing the Banding Lake straight to Pangkor Island overnight and return to Kuala Lumpur via the North South Highway. The journey took me some 11 hours of riding time, 1235km distance covered and just under Ringgit 65 for fuel. Solo riding is fun but lonely. It was wet run throughout. Camel (my bike KLR 650) behaved well and no trouble with her. The best part of the journey is to stop at few site along the East - West highway between the town of Jeli in Kelantan and Grik in Perak.
While this is merely another drill but breaking any record is not part of the ride. It is a Look See Look See riding type. More of this ride in future.

Route Planner RTW

Continue.......

Turkey. From Istanbul - Silvri - Tekirdag (route E84) - Kesan - adjoining E90 at Feres (Greece)
Greece. Feres -Komatini - Xanthi - Kavala - Thessaloniki (route E 90) - Loannina - Igoumenista (Ferry to Italy - Brandisi)

Italy - Swiss - France - Germany- Netherland. Brindisi - Napoli - Roma - Livorno - Pisa - Genova - Alessandra - Torino - Ivrea - Montreax - Bern - Basel - Freiburg - Starsbourg - Saarbrucen - Luxembourg - Aachen - Arnhem

A short break in Sarah's house in Netherland for maintenance and general service for the bike. This will also allow time to regenarate energy and 'walk-about' Netherland and its neighbouring countries on different mode of transportation (bus and train). It would be an opportunity to visit place I have lived once upon a time in Hamburg, Germany ( Wohldorfer Damm 76, 22395 Bergstedt, Hamburg). Few Malaysians who lived in Hamburg for past 40 odd years worthwhile visiting. Pak Zaki, Ismail and Gaby, Dino and many more. Not forgetting it is time also to meet Angelika Driesel at Heiddick 7A, 22395 Hamburg. It is like giving them a very big surprises!
I would say I plan to stay at anchor in Sarah's house for about 2 - 3 weeks during which time I will moving about before moving to next destination - the UK.