The way East (Caucasus/Central-Asia/Mongolia on a motorcycle)


The hulls rusting away where the same ships were floating on multiple meters of water it's now a sand desert.











Huge fishing ship on the bottom of Aral sea.
 
Thank you for sharing all of these stunning images. This thread prompted me to buy a copy of your book, which arrived two days ago--I've really been enjoying reading it! It's a treasure.
 
dfranklin said:
Thank you for sharing all of these stunning images. This thread prompted me to buy a copy of your book, which arrived two days ago--I've really been enjoying reading it! It's a treasure.
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Thank you so much for the positive feedback! It really means a lot to me if the book is so well received.

Best regards,
Margus
 
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They were so surprised to see us visiting their remote village that those uzbeks bought us a beer.








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Uzbek lady knew Estonia and been there during the Soviet time, said it was very "western" for them back in the day when one could travel around the vast Soviet Union.










The last view on Bukhara before we headed on South.
 

Into Tajikistan. I've long wanted to visit this country. The mountains got rocky and higher as we went, the people got poorer since it's hard to farm on those altitudes.








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The landscapes got high altitude, which means high altitude desert since very few plants can survive here at 4000 meters.
 

Down the valleys it was lush, where's water there's life. Afghanistan side of the river visible here.











Camping in a green river stream bed at 3800 meters above sealvel. Well sheltered from the ferocious high altitude mountain blizzards that occur when the sun sets and rises (creating temperature differences)
 

Yamchun fortress, siting at a eagle nest position on high altitude and dating from 3rd century B.C., hence it's over 2000 years old.











High altitude plateau, we are searching a meteor crater here, but it was so big we couldn't grasp it.
 

The Great Pamir range from our wild camping spot. When the low pressure comes in the white mighty high peaks cut the clouds like a sharp knife a butter, literally.











Pamir panoramas. You're all alone here. The payoff is the great terrain and offroad pistes that take your riding to another level, a fine tango between a risk and reward. Here I feel alive.
 

Hindu-Kush range visible in Afghanistan side.










It's hard to believe you're at 4000 meters above sealevel. On a plateau. Other than weakness, a loss of breath, a bit disabled sense of balance often accompanied with a mild to strong headaches
with your own blood pressure ringing your ear drums against the weaker outer pressure of the altitude. I find them to be perfectly fine side effects, especially being in an adventure mode.
The bikes have lost nearly half of their power too, barely going 1st-2nd gear in full throttle on the steeper climbs.
 

A seasonal lake in the High Pamirs.










We took a small unmapped trails deep into the remote Pamirs, but they climbed up too fast. Soon I was feeling crap and just before reaching the nearest village where
a doctor was available I had an AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness) in full force and literally fell off the bike at the destination, vomiting. Weak and miserable. My brave wife was my only saviour.
 
Ko.Fe. said:
If not on NG, then in the book!
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NG would hold no interest what so ever in such type of an independent expedition, let alone by non-US or non-UK residents.

A high quality DIY book is doable, with lots of work (it was over 3 years of work to make the "From Estonia With Love" book), so I'm not sure the modern people, who are so used to modern day's 'instant-satisfaction' services are willing to wait that long these days... :eek:
 
This is a real joy to see and read. Your jaw dropping photography aside, I am in awe of simply undertaking a trip like this. Would love to see a book from this (am going to order your first book). Please keep posting.
 
how did you eventually overcome that AMS.

tsiklonaut said:

A seasonal lake in the High Pamirs.










We took a small unmapped trails deep into the remote Pamirs, but they climbed up too fast. Soon I was feeling crap and just before reaching the nearest village where
a doctor was available I had an AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness) in full force and literally fell off the bike at the destination, vomiting. Weak and miserable. My brave wife was my only saviour.
Click to expand...
 
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