Johannes Chudoba

After the stress of the first truly exhausting day, we decided to set a moderate goal for the next stage: stopping for lunch in Turkistan – Kazakhstan’s main site on the ancient Silk Road, newly re-enacted. I should emphasise that I really like this country and its people before pointing out that it seems to…

We eased our way into the first day of proper riding: Paul tweaked the luggage arrangements (considerably reducing the weight in the sidecar), I went for another round of Tom Peto’s exercises (highly recommended: Tom Peto Training) and grabbed breakfast (nasty energy drinks, decent lepyoshka bread and fairly nice oranges). Around noon we said our…

Never has Lao Tzu’s oft-quoted “a journey of 5000 miles starts with the first step” seemed more apt, especially if you combine it with the French proverb “Il n’y a que le premier pas qui coûte.” Ellen had managed the impossible feat of packing the R80GS’s sidecar to the brim with Paul’s BMW essentials –…

I’m sure you have heard of the Harvard Study on Happiness. Running since 1938, its key message is that the quality of our relationships is the most important factor in determining our happiness. I feel truly blessed with the relationships I have had the opportunity to build and maintain over the years. One of my favourite…

And we’re off! What a blessing to be married to a seasoned fellow traveler who not only let’s me go on these trips, but helps me prepare for them. Reduces packing stress by half and means I get to focus on the journey from the moment I leave home. The conflicts in this spring of…