In 2000 Shoko and I quit our jobs (not the first time or the last…) to set off on an overland voyage that would take us from Hong Kong to southern India, where our trip was thwarted by a family tragedy (they always have bad timing, don’t they?), and we were sent back to Japan [...]
Archive for May, 2009
Flashback #12 – Tiger Leaping Gorge, China – 2000
Posted in Asia / Australia, China, Cycling, Longer Trips and Flashbacks, Walking, tagged china, lijiang, michael palin, tiger leaping gorge on May 31, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Giro d’Italia 2009
Posted in Cycling, Racing, Rest of Europe, tagged giro d'italia, lance armstrong, tour de france on May 28, 2009 | 2 Comments »
I can’t really call myself a sports fan, but for the past few years I’ve been glued to the internet, watching, listening or reading(!) the Tour de France. These past two weeks, mainly because of the return of Lance Armstrong, I’ve been sitting on my ass all afternoon watching the other great Grand Tour, the [...]
Flashback #11 – Ladakh, India – 1996
Posted in Asia / Australia, India, Longer Trips and Flashbacks, Walking, tagged alchi, hemis monastery, himalaya, india, indus river, ladadh, lamayuru, leh, leh palace, thiksey, tibet on May 25, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
After Flashback #9 I took the 2-day bus ride over one of the highest roads in the world (the Leh-Manali Highway – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leh-Manali_Highway), crossing the Himalya and down into their shadow, near Tibet. In fact, Ladakh is known as ‘little Tibet’, a moniker most likely given to attract tourists, but possibly aptly named (I’ve never [...]
Flashback #10 – Batad, Philippines – 1995
Posted in Asia / Australia, Longer Trips and Flashbacks, Philippines, Walking, tagged banaue, batad, hiking, philippines, terraced rice paddies on May 19, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Before I discovered the wheel I was an avid hiker, and when I first travelled to Asia I brought along my hiking boots and Gore-tex and got into the mountains every chance I could. This little trek was the first one I did.
Batad is an ancient village high in the Cordillera mountains in the northern [...]
Flashback #9 – Malana, India – 1996
Posted in Asia / Australia, India, Longer Trips and Flashbacks, Walking, tagged jari, kullu valley, ladadh, leh, malana, manali, manikaran, parvati valley on May 17, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Another slow week for riding here in southern France, so I’m continuing to find old, scanned photos and put them to work. This entry is another on the ’self-propelled’ theme started with the Annapurna Circuit last month.
In the summer of 1996 I was in India, having spent a year in Australia, trying my damnedest to save enough [...]
Les Cevennes – Day 3
Posted in Cycling, France, Languedoc, Longer Trips and Flashbacks, Medieval Stuff, tagged juvignac, mediterranean, millau, pont du diable, st guillhem le desert on May 12, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
I woke up this morning with an almost-identical choice as yesterday, and incredibly I chose the right one again! The gorge I just rode down meets another one at Millau, where I spent the night. The straightest route back to Montpellier, 130 km away, was up over the escarpment I could see from my hotel, [...]
Les Cévennes – Day 2
Posted in Cycling, France, Languedoc, Longer Trips and Flashbacks, tagged aveyron, florac, gorges du tarn, la malene, lozere, millau, sainte enimie, tarn river on May 10, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Sometimes you have luck on your side. on Day 2 I had luck, or rather gravity, firmly with me! Here’s a mistake I almost made, after the Gite owner recommended an alternative route to the top part of the gorge ride I had planned. I rode up the hill about 200 meters and then turned [...]
Les Cévennes – Day 1
Posted in Cycling, France, Languedoc, Longer Trips and Flashbacks, tagged cevennes, florac, Gard, gite d'etape, lozere, pic st loup on May 9, 2009 | 1 Comment »
Shoko is going back to Japan later this month and I’ll be left alone with our new beast, Mojo, so to compensate I asked for permission to do a little trip up north. Finally, after seeing them from many of my day rides, I was able to test my lung capacity in les Cévennes! My [...]
