THE RIDE TO ASIA 2012 PART II – Kobi SAMUEL

August 16, 2012

The ride to Asia 2012

Participants: Ido Bardlas, Kobi Samuel.

 Motorcycle model: bmw 1200 gs adventure

Departure date: 08/17/2012

In general: A ride in Asia, crossing parts of the Silk Road

The ride includes paved roads and grit, camping + hotel

Food: self-preparation \ buying

Important reference points – Entry to Turkmenistan (Hell Gate) kera –

kom Desert, Khiva Uzbekistan, Kosmodrom Baikonur

District of Volgograd, Russia

There may be changes in the plane

The article Part II – from moments of sensations, doubts, route finding, and variety of dreams mixed with the mountains wind

So it began …

The ride to Asia 2012

The dial tone is on hold and over the line answers Helga in German, and I with my polished English says in a authoritative voice: “I want to invite maps of fourteen countries please…”, in my experience this is the world’s best maps, company which served me loyally in the previous trips …

A few days to go…

The journeys deliberations were already under way, I with myself were in a profound conversation “Where to..?”. So the basic idea was Scotland – Ireland, an enjoyable ride by myself, pure self-purification and fulfilling my charges with refining ideas and their implementation with time. Riding with my scooter a G’oraid 200 sailing still thinking where to. I’m on my way to the “alexim” garage , doctors of BMW engines , doctors, to the sound of movement and electrical switches, coffee and sharing my thoughts. As I sip the coffee, a young man entered with a clear and fine vodka, a few sips and basic introduction, crossing pure dreams from the wheels of life, a handshake, and there is  the form of the beginning of a journey from a basic idea which will turn to reality…

The decision where to still bothers me …? Sequence of ideas in a conversation with my companion to many trip around the country and low night flights to the holy city, in an attempt to share the ideas of the journey together, unique thoughts and formulas appeared that evening, coalescing to form a piece of truth about the separation and splitting from umbilical cord of continuum of life which the journey demands, All we in devotion to that dream which we want to fulfill…

The decision has been made….

Meeting and getting into the marked lanes on the map, the basic realization of a dream with a guy I’ve just met a few days ago,his name is Ido, in the Alexim garage, it seems that the passion of things and opening the maps and creating a line of track in a tangle filled contours managed to excite the inhabitants of the round table, another idea and another formalization of a decision. Two proposals are up, one is riding up towards Italy and Normandy – France and then to Scotland – Ireland. My thoughts were that I had enough of the polished Europe, intoxicating comfort of civilized roads, beauty spots, postcards scattered on the desk, quite put me to sleep, I dream of riding thousands of kilometers to the large parts of the world. I was always fascinated by the simple culture of the countryside and farmers, into deserts -and oriental landscapes, camels and sunsets, market of carpets, fabrics, ruby and topaz, intoxicating spice colors  convoys of mini-trade, oasis – desert, strips of palm trees into streams as islands of life, inside the sand dunes the colors are

changing as sunsets like strips of orange, a horizon that doesn’t end, so … The right thing to do, is choosing the route of Silk Road which triggered the inspiration for the thousands of writers of poetry and hymns, rulers, dignitaries a conquest  respected these routes throughout history, this magic remains until today and it still embodied with a mystery , intrigues, and romance into the golden of the Silk Road.

It took several days till the final decision left off. conversations and raising ideas, opening maps, dates, weather, a visa for each country. The determination of this operation leveled up, with stretching the outline of this ride with an idea, which is Turkmenistan. While writing these lines we are still in the process of

receiving a visa to the country.

we continue…

A hot day and the moisture is climbing merciless upwards in the streets of ramat gan. Loaded with trash cans on four wheels,  huddling in narrow passages with a marvelous motorcycle and rapid turns in case of engagements bring me to a street where the embassy of Uzbekistan is located. Friendly faces and Uzbekistan females are waiting in the line to receive a visa. I’m in an intense conversation with an official who is in charge of the visas, Michael (not the official but the comrade Michael from st peterburg, who is know in his loyalty to the comrade Stalin, you will read about him in my next article…) Enlightenment and sharp tips and a wonderful knowledge I pluck information, I open maps and his remarks provide me with a convenient and reliable source of information, Michael who is a mine engineer by profession, tell me about the “marvelous” of Communism. A few photos and cutting a ribbon in sign of the official opening of my journey to the golden silk routes 2012.

The fast waiting times, while meeting Luba, the travel agency clerk, arranged to me and Ido the visas for Kazakhstan with a special addition of two entries in 3 month, in any case. cocking & jingling reserve cameras in a last attempt, now more sharpen and emphasis in the quality of the photographing of this wonderful roads, leave me with out a doubted and with a satisfaction and   the way of thinking and fulfilling my dream. I have invested in a professional camera which will be able to contain the elements of the indefatigable nature with courage an heroism when in the gap between the shaking motorcycle and to the thousands of kilometers in Asia, through villages, routes, deserts, space ports and the veneration in this marvelous globe of mankind and other souls.

Drippings of preparation…

Camping gear, warm clothes for the cold and for the day of hot waves which will entrust us in riding to different regions of the world, and this facts should be considered and to give a suitable answer for the whole mass of the journey, medicine “buttons” Bandages and other lotions, I came to the doctor to take prescriptions, I stay for long minutes in his wonder for my tales of the rides and the uncompromising persistence year after year, arranging variety of cameras the small one, the big one and the one from my trips around the world, including cards and other cargo…, downloading maps and resetting lanes and coordinates in a change that is a way of life.

encounter of freezing cold or intense heat?

One of the dilemmas in planing this trip is the weather. Pinned to the rotation of the globe and the ride with the seasons and when to leave, was quiet a challenge. attached to the weather websites,  seasonal deposits and going up and down graphs, welcomed me to the decision of the exit time, the overall route is that we will be in turkey in the middle of August. It’s true it’s very hot, but the ride along the black sea in the direction to Georgia and the Caspian sea gives me a satisfying breezes of wind, crossing Kazakhstan in the direction of north west Russia in the opening of October provides a pretty convenient solution, it is true that the rain and cold meets us in the long rides but in the decline from north Russia heading the black sea, Romania Greece, a worm wind and days of pleasure will greet us with our return to the reality of the end of 2012. Pretty late or with the slip of at least two weeks in the exit, will lead us the the cold Russia in the middle October month with rain and average low temperatures, sharp sediments and gray days of tiredness , but.. a head planing of learning prevent this kind of situations, this is of course with the addition and the devoted surrender to weather upheavals and leaving a clean spot for uncertainty.

The countdown…

The small hourglass with his last grain which lies on the end of the shelf, the route and the colourful maps are lying in my head as a recital of dress rehearsal as a show with variety of colours. the last days before.. I ride on my motorcycle at the trip on the boardwalk in the twilight, from my right the Mediterranean sea and a large and orange sunset is lying aside me, in a  quick glimpse to the vast sea and beyond, the unstoppable passion which doesn’t know satiety, then to break the limits and give freedom to all out ambitions, it is a rare asset which needs to be hugged. It took approximately two month to plane this journey, I’ve studied on the worlds countries, towns, wonders of nature, dirt roads and paved roads, countries laws, flag colours, boarder points, I’v learned that mankind need the basics of food, shelter, love from the family and joy of  life, regardless of race, sex and religion, what ever is beyond that make it worse in some way. So… now there is only the execution, the theory has ended and the core of the ride starts to beat, so till the next article, when the wind of gallop of the motorcycle advance and sipping another mile of unrestrained landscapes of this side of the globe.

Good luck

To Ido my partner and me Kobi Samuel