tsiklonaut
Well-known
On one cold dark winter day we were drinking that lovely green tea with my wife and looking at the map we have pinned on our kitchen wall it srike to us that there's a huge empty spot unfilled.
Wife's just got a motorcycle licence and some cold-climate offroad schooling from our Iceland trip I thought it's the right time to take a challenge for both of us.
Negotiations with our workplaces turned out to be simple for both of us working in different places but with the same message: "give us 4 months of vacation or fire us, your choice". They chose the first option for both of us so we happily left to chase our wild dreams we had set in motion on that dark cold winter night in our home of Estonia.
The motorcycle travel map we've done so far looks like this:
It had taken over 3 years straight travelling to do most of it, but there was still a large gap and the part missing is marked with red route we were about to do.
I had my trusty Pentax 67 that has done everything you see on that map - it's now having over 250 000 kilometers of motorcycling vibrations, bumps and bruises - from hot desert sand to high altitude snow smoothing it's already worn out surface, but the camera still going on and for me the alltime favourite and the most trustworthy camera ever made. I also took new-to-me Pentax 67ii for slide films (mostly for it's very nicely working matrix TTL meter the older 67 lacks), Fuji GA645i rangefinder and a Soviet Horizon 202 swivelling lens panoramic camera.
I took around 60 rolls of film with me (some addidional 35mm rolls are missing from the pic)
So a decent amount of self-developing-scanning-editing and posting as time provides to come...
Wife's just got a motorcycle licence and some cold-climate offroad schooling from our Iceland trip I thought it's the right time to take a challenge for both of us.
Negotiations with our workplaces turned out to be simple for both of us working in different places but with the same message: "give us 4 months of vacation or fire us, your choice". They chose the first option for both of us so we happily left to chase our wild dreams we had set in motion on that dark cold winter night in our home of Estonia.
The motorcycle travel map we've done so far looks like this:
It had taken over 3 years straight travelling to do most of it, but there was still a large gap and the part missing is marked with red route we were about to do.
I had my trusty Pentax 67 that has done everything you see on that map - it's now having over 250 000 kilometers of motorcycling vibrations, bumps and bruises - from hot desert sand to high altitude snow smoothing it's already worn out surface, but the camera still going on and for me the alltime favourite and the most trustworthy camera ever made. I also took new-to-me Pentax 67ii for slide films (mostly for it's very nicely working matrix TTL meter the older 67 lacks), Fuji GA645i rangefinder and a Soviet Horizon 202 swivelling lens panoramic camera.
I took around 60 rolls of film with me (some addidional 35mm rolls are missing from the pic)
So a decent amount of self-developing-scanning-editing and posting as time provides to come...
peppard
Established
As a fellow motorcyclist I am very envious of your endeavor and I can't wait to see the results of your travels. I enjoy your photography very much.
Well done!
Giorgio
Well done!
Giorgio
retinax
Well-known
This post is already inspiring on it's own, looking forward to seeing the photographs!
tsiklonaut
Well-known
With our iron horses loaded we set off to discover the less known parts of Latvia - the fortress of Daugavpils. A big complex of heavy buildings built by Alexander I
for an imminent Napoleon invasion. We arrived there in a rainy miserable weather condition thus the place left an eerie impression on us.
Many parts are abandoned, but some life is starting to come back into it in recent years. Daugavpils has a Russian ethnic majority as a city in Latvia,
hence naturally harder to get things right with a bit of historic distrust from the rest of the Latvian majority of the country.
Pentode
Well-known
I’m extremely envious of your travels.
My wife and I love travel and we each did a fair amount of traveling for work when we were younger but we now find ourselves in jobs where taking more than a couple weeks of vacation at a time is very difficult.
I’m really looking forward to seeing your images!
My wife and I love travel and we each did a fair amount of traveling for work when we were younger but we now find ourselves in jobs where taking more than a couple weeks of vacation at a time is very difficult.
I’m really looking forward to seeing your images!
tsiklonaut
Well-known
A wild camp in Belarus forest - there's surprisingly lot of forest in some parts of Belarus and incidentally we Estonians simply love the forest.
We don't like the cities, we love the smell of pine, moss and mushroom. We really felt like home.
Belarus - like the bigger brother Russia they're really into military and triumph. World War II is an ongoing theme still today, gathering popularity from political polls
down to the simple street life.
raid
Dad Photographer
This should be an awesome trip. Enjoy it.
BernardL
Well-known
Great. Can hardly wait for the pictures as they are developed, dried, and scanned.
Next challenge: retrace the circuit of Gleb Travin. Bicycle, 1928-1931.
http://englishrussia.com/2009/12/17/gleb-travin-–-adventures-of-a-great-bicyclist/
Next challenge: retrace the circuit of Gleb Travin. Bicycle, 1928-1931.
http://englishrussia.com/2009/12/17/gleb-travin-–-adventures-of-a-great-bicyclist/
Attachments
tsiklonaut
Well-known
"Everything for the (war) front line!" Soviet mosaic art on the street of Minsk, the capital of Belarus.
A Cold War era space-age Soviet art in Minsk metro.
tsiklonaut
Well-known
I know what you feel Giorgio. I've worked too many years in a row so it had to happen in my case since I was getting sick from office work. I was fortunate to get my way out just for a short time.
Many thanks! Will post some more.
You're pretty much in a situation I've been some time now, 9-to-5 work and no play. We also get just some weeks of vacation most of the time.
To get lots of time for the first long travel we sold off everything, now as we're older (and not wiser) we keep our home and travel a few weeks time like most people. Just occasionally we take off more time (a month or more) if the employer allows.
Never know what the future brings but keeping it positive!
He's very famous among ex-Soviet people, not much known outside. He did a very hardcore expedition. I do have a soft spot for bicycles as well, but I wouldn't dare to drag it over the swamp in the Siberian Tundra, I'd rather just walk
tsiklonaut
Well-known
Minsk briges look nicer and more arty from below.
In Brest there's a massive communist memorial known as The Fortress. You'll find countless tons of concrete there... It's just massive in person and
it took lots of manwork build this place.
tsiklonaut
Well-known
St Nicholas carrison church
"Courage" monument. Picture doesn't do justice how large it is (54 meters wide and 30 meters high), over 4000 tons of concrete was needed just to cast it.
In front of it there's an eternal flame.
The 100-meter high Bayonet obelisk.
Timmyjoe
Veteran
That is really cool tsiklonaut. Love your images, the black & white is beautiful.
Have done the motorcycle travel here in the States, but not internationally. Glad to hear the vibrations haven't destroyed your camera. An acquaintance turned a Hasselblad into a bag of parts on one of our cross country rides.
Can't wait to see more of your images.
Best,
-Tim
Have done the motorcycle travel here in the States, but not internationally. Glad to hear the vibrations haven't destroyed your camera. An acquaintance turned a Hasselblad into a bag of parts on one of our cross country rides.
Can't wait to see more of your images.
Best,
-Tim
Ko.Fe.
Lenses 35/21 Gears 46/20
This must be on National Geographic!
Swift1
Veteran
I love seeing the world through your photography Margus. I would love to be able to visit some of these places.
The fact that you are motorcycle touring with not one, but two Pentax 67 bodies, plus lenses, film, and other cameras, makes your impressive work even more impressive!
The fact that you are motorcycle touring with not one, but two Pentax 67 bodies, plus lenses, film, and other cameras, makes your impressive work even more impressive!
pyeh
Member of good standing
Margus, thanks for doing this thread. I love your epic trips and have missed your posts the past couple of years.
nickthetasmaniac
Veteran
Looking forward to seeing more photos from this trip!
I picked up the book you published a few years ago, and your 67 travel/landscape work is exceptional
I picked up the book you published a few years ago, and your 67 travel/landscape work is exceptional
tungba
Member
Nice to see you back on this forum and best of luck on your travels.
jmilkins
Digited User
Oh this is going to be epic. Awaiting each image and story with much anticipation!
tsiklonaut
Well-known
Mir complex in Belarus. Used to be so many things, from plain village fort to luxury castle to WWII German occupation ghetto for Jews.
Now an UNESCO site.
Mir.
A Path into Oblivion. Ruins of Ruzhany Palace, a 16-19th century building.