overland India to Turkey
 

I know about the earthquake in Bam but I have no new info about any troubles problems etc that anyone might have experienced lately coming across from Turkey to India. I will be leaving Australia on the 1/2/04 for India spending 3 weeks riding around Rajisthan then heading across to Pakistan etc for Istanbul.Any news??? from anyone.
Neva

Am sure that we may have spoken on the phone a year or so ago. Cant help with this question but would love to talk to you on the phone before you leave. 02 49970139 or 0439970139.
We leave again in October for India. How long will you be away? Perhaps we can meet up.

Hi Neva,

As you can read in our earlier posting, we visited Bam the day after the earthquake. The roads are not damaged at all. From the Iranians we heard recently that all the troubles with trafic jams are history. Probably you will be able to pass Bam without any hassle, although there will be no food or lodging available in Bam. So get your supplies from Zahedan and try to reach Kerman in a single day.
You can look at our pictures of Bam the day after the earthquake on:
http://www.erwinvoogt.com/overland/bam.html

Bye,

Erwin Voogt and Bastienne Wentzel
Esfahan.

Neva,
We've had several overlanders stay with us recently who've come through Iran and Pakistan and none of them have reported any problems. In fact, most of them have loved both countries. Turkey is a great place and the people are very friendly, but fuel is relatively expensive.
See you when you fly into Delhi!
Harvey (and Lisa)

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no pipe, no slippers
www.chasingthesun.org

Hi Neva

Heading on same route as you. Just about to enter Pakistan. Have friends in Quetta apparently there has been gunplay and the town is under curfew. Pretty hairy according to my source. If anyone has more important info on this route. Please, let us know.

Maybe see you on the road.

Regards

AC



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I think there is train between Islamabad and Taftan. This might not be a prefered altenative but at least will save you from lodging in Quetta.

Wouldn't worry about Quetta. By the time you get there it'll have quietened down again. The traffic is more dangerous.

Since you mention the trains I'll relate my experience of it in 89:

Made the mistake of INSISTING to buy a through ticket Rawalpindi - Quetta - Taftan. They didn't want to sell it to me. Now I know why.

Put the bike into the luggage waggon, but only after an officious railway employee had insured that even the last drop of petrol had been emptied into his (!) canister. Had an aircon sleeper till Quetta, very pleasant.

Train arrives about two hours late in Quetta. The guard explains to me there is nothing to worry: the connecting train has to wait for ours, as it needs to take the same track out of town. On arrival the happy guard points to the other side of the platform: "there is your train!". The bike and trailer, however, are hidden under furniture, etc in the luggage compartment. The train leaves without me.

As the next train is 3 days (!) later, I decide to take my bike out (they were going to lock it up in a shed with all my luggage). Have to surrender its ticket without refund.

The next day I decide to ride the last bit. Got stuck in sand (road works). Got dehydrated and rescued by Médecins Sans Frontières. They rehydrated me for three days and put me back onto the next train.

This runs several hours late and breaks down in the middle of the desert: axle snapped.

On arrival in Taftan there is neither a station nor a platform. It's a 1.5m drop into the sand to unload the bike. Luckily, there are lots of helping hands...

Next year I'm gonna ride this bit!

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Salut from Southern France, the bikers' paradise,

Peter.

Hello AC,
We had no problem ýn Quetta. We had no problem rýdýng from Quetta to Taftan,stayed overnýght ýn Dalbadýn ýn the only decent hotel at the end of the street býg green buýldýng put býkes ýnsýde ýn the hallway.
However we dýd have a problem rýdýng from multan to DGK. The road ýs very bad due to roadworks ýt took 3.5hrs to do 94km,arrýved about 7pm only to be told thet foreýgners are not permýtted to stay overnýght on DGK.To cut a long story short the polýce escorted us out of town about 9.30pm and told us to rýde back to Multan. We slept overnýght at the back of a servýce ststýon.
The rýde from DGK to Lorelý was agaýn long and hard because of roadworks 20-30km per hour was the norm. If you go thýs way take plenty of water wýth you as you cannot buy ýt anywhere along the way. Fýlter your petrol. I lost my fuel pump ýn southern Iran, even though I was very careful wýth fýlterýng the fuel all the way thru Pakýstan.
The road becomes good half way to Lorelý. From Lorelý to Quetta the road ýs very good from Dalbandýn to Taftan the road ýs excellent you could land a 747 on ýt. We stayed at the Bloom star hotel ýn Quetta. Agaýn I dont thýnk you wýll have any trouble on the road from Quetta there ýs reasonable traffýc though I wýll say that when we pulled over to drýnk water or whatever, as soon as a vehýcle pulled up, as one or two always would out of curýosýty I thýnk we would get on our býkes and leave ýmmedýately.
The road from Zahedan to Bam was the same. No problem to be seen, agaýn the was a faýr amount of traffýc. Bear ýn mýnd though by thýs týme my býke was ýn the back of a truck headýng for Tehran and Mr Norýamýs BMW shop.
Hope thýs helps you wýth your decýsýon
Neva

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neva williams

Neva

Thanks very much for this info.

Hope the moto is all better.

Regards and thanks

AC