Off to India on Monday
 

Hi All

Im Off!!

God and KTM Adventure willing I am leaving on Monday, 2nd September 2002, on my first trip. I am heading to India, planning to arrive there at the start of December.

My likely route is gonna be Czech, Slovak, hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan and India. Not overly original I know but it impresses me!

In terms of timing, I am likely to only spend about 3 weeks through eastern europe, 3/4 weeks in turkey,1/4 weeks in Iran depending on Visa! and 4 weeks in Pakistan.

I would be great to meet up with any fellow travellers for a coffee/beer/gossip on the way, I am travelling on my own, ahhh!

Anyway, if you are around send me a mesage through this board or email me directly.

Looking forward to getting going and meeting some of you guys/girls on the way.

Cheers

William

Hi William!
I'm gonna depart from Munich mid- September, doing roughly the same route (a little bit of Greece in addition). Don't know the exact date of departure yet, still very much to do and still waiting for the OK for my Iranian visa. Perhaps I'll wait until the elections (22nd Sept.) and depart just after that, but thats already rather late.. I'm gonna tell U when I leave, hope we'll manage to meet somewhere on the road.
Good luck and have a nice trip so far.
Greetings
Jens

Dear Jens

thanks for your message, yeah if your going my way it would be good to meet up.

as a point of interest, i havent got my iran visa yet but have applied through a company called magic carpet before i left with a view to getting my passport stamped in istanbul, as it can take a few weeks to come through.

They seem pretty good and came from a few reccomendations from this site, if you need contact details for them go to there website and you can download the visa form and info on what to do.

Regards.

Hi!
Concerning my Iranian visa: I already sent off my application form to the iranian embassy, as I phoned with someone a few weeks ago, who told me it was no problem getting his visa (the only difference is, that he went there personally; hope that is not the point, would be about 500km of driving for me), so I thought I'd try it on my own. But the more I hear from other guys, it doesn't seem that easy. If I don't get any reply within the next 1 1/2 weeks, I'll try your magic-´carpet company.
Thanks for the tip anyway.
See you on the road (I'll tell you when I leave)
Jens

Hi guys!

Why everybody goes 'around' my beautyful country!?

Enybody up for a best pizza in the region,i would be glad to host u in my pizza-cafe! http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/smile.gif

contact me over BB

seeyaa

First to Jondoe

We went through Yugoslavia but obviously missed your pizza place - ah well next time !!!

William

We are doing much the same trip on two BMW F650's and are currently in Tehran, Iran. As we are going somewhat slower than you I think then perhaps we will meet you - maybe in India ( we intend to be there end Oct/ Early Nov for around 3 weeks or so ). Keep in touch via email and you can check our website at www.twowheeltrekkers.co.uk

We had fun getting our Iranian Visa also but we had 2 passports so left one in London at the embassy, got it posted to Jenny's parents who then DHL's it to us in Croatia once it was returned. It all took about a month. But we are here now and everyone is really friendly. You might find Iran is now more expensive than you expected - the "tourist" price can be a little scary and similar to English prices !

Cliff & Jenny

Hi Cliff & Jenny

I am currently in Romania with a view to be in Instanbul in a week and onwards and upwards, read eastwards, in India around the middle of November, or so.

My other half is also flying out to see me but if we can it would be good to meet up.

Keep in touch and hope you have a safe but exciting trip.

William

Hi will,
i am in romania a little behind you. Small world - first person i met in sighisaoria was a young guy called eddy who rides ktm and had spoken to you. Sends his regards and i told him of this site.
Romania has got to be best kept secret in the world !!!!
Bulgaria on 26th - any advice?

Gavin Bell

Hi Gavin

Yeah i entirely agree about Romania, not all good although alot of it is, but all of it is incredibly interesting and on the whole the people are great and very eager to talk, whhere posible.

I stayed at the same place high up in the old town with a great family who loved making me coffee and wanting to chat to me. A good time.

Because i have to be in Istanbul for the 23rd i decided to make some headway when i left there and go straight for the border. I actually intended to stop in Bucherest, but in all honesty took one look and decided too busy etc and headed for Giugiu on the border to crash out for the night and cross the following day.

It was ok but not a nice town and in fact some guys pulled me over claiming to be officials and demanded money, please be aware of this scam, when they wouldnt give me some sensible ID i just rode off but there were four of them and it was a little disconserting!

Otherwise the crossing to Bulgaria was a bit laborious and slow but fairly straight forward.

I am currently in a town in bulgaria called Veliko Turnovo and it is great, interesting and quite lively, well worth a stopover and easy to get to when you cross, ie. it is sign posted using the saxon alphabet, most places are not!

Another word of warning, change your money to Bulgarian before making the crossing. I did not and waited till i arrived at this town to change it, but no one wants it, to much of an unreliable currnecy. I have now got about a million and a half Lei that is just taking up space! There are cash points here where you can withdraw cash from a credit or debit card, handy for me that!

Anyway, i will stop going on, if there is anything else you want to know give me a shout, otherwise look after yourself and if you catch me up we can have a beer or two!

Will

Hi Cliff & Jenny !

U'r right about Kosovo,especialy the 'idiots' part!
If someone told u that u shouldnt go there,thay wore right.
It's total anarchy down there!!! Problems that u expirienced are real 'on the small scale' of what could be expirienced down there.
The guy at the fuel station probebly did'nt understand a word u wore saying,and bare in mind that at least 80% of Kosovo population are completly iliterate(not sure 'bout speling),thay don't know how to read or write,and thay dont even speak the language of the country thay are living in for past 30-40 years,and not to mention speaking english!So if enyone of u does not speak Schiptarese(Albanien) u should'nt go there(if u dont mind speaking with the KFOR solders only)

I dont recomend enyone to take the dirt or poor local roads(in the mountanius region) if they are not up for an offroad adventure(mud,big hard rocks and all the 'fun' stuf for your wheels),so stick to the 'main'(magistral) roads(e.g. Prepolje-Bjelo Polje-Berane,the one Cliff & Jenny rode)

Happy Travels http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/smile.gif

jondoe

Hi guys

Well, it looks like we're ahead of you on the road. We set off on Monday the 9th from the UK and arrived in Istanbul the following Sunday to torrential rain.

We really just blasted through eastern europe as we are on a tight schedule. No problems at all in Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. In fact the roads are superb really, what with all the ec money being pumped in to infrastructure. We didn't stay anywhere long enough to get hassled.

Anyway, if you head east to Cappodocia checkout the Kose Pension at Goreme village. It's full of back packers but not bad value and a nice place to stop. Roads are good all the way through to here and the scenery beautiful.

Stay safe and see you on the roads


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Sean

Hi William, We are a couple of Canadians currently in Greece, travelling on an old bmw and will be in Istanbul around the 23rd or so. We will probably be camping and will spend about a week in Istanbul. Perhaps we could get together for a drink?
Cheers Peter and Carol

Hi Peter & Carol

Ý should be ariving about the same time, probably in a hotel somewhere as a treat for the other half, Jane, as she is joýnýng me for just the few weeks in Turkey!

Yeah it would be good to meet up, ýnfact there is also another couple of travellers ýn Istanbul at this time and ým sure we can all get togeather.

As a poýnt of ýnterest, they have found a very good pensýon whých ýs central and you may fýnd of ýnterest. They have sent me detaýls let me know, or them! ýf you need them.

Anyway, See you ýn a few days.

Wýll

PS The hotel treat is really for me a well!

we are in istanbul at the moment,obviously a fair bit behind you but we are moving quite quick .we are aiming to be in iran mid november(ish).will you still be about?

Hiya

Well i have sort of slowed down a bit since hitting Turkey and am actually only in Goreme, Kapadokya at the mo.

We ferried over from Istanbul to the Agean coast for a while then inland to Pamakalia and the lakes then down to the Med, and very nice it was to!

I will be crossing over to Iran in about the first week of November myself so i am sure we could meet up somewhere at some point!!

Lets keep in touch.

Look after yourselves and if there is anything you need to know, let me know, as long as i know of course!

Will