Category Archives: Statistics

Statistics, Thailand

@ 20 September 2015- (David) Thailand

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Sidecar
A local lady taking her poodle out for a ride in the sidecar

Yesterday I (David) had made the decision to move on solo as from today. So once we had packed our gear and collected the bike riding gear from the laundry we wished each other well and I moved on at 08.30am.

As the hotel did not do breakfast I stopped by the local Tesco’s and grabbed a bite to eat before heading south once more.

Today’s ride was an easy ride as it was a continuing on down the highway towards the Malaysian boarder. Speeds were up as the road had been improving and the traffic was light (Sunday).

It was 5.00pm when stopped at HatYai after travelling a distance of 645k and now only 65km from border. The day had been clear with only a slight drizzle at one stage.

As the south of Thailand has a significant fishing industry I had found the smell of dead fish in many parts! yes, it smelt bad. I gathered there are many fish processing factories along the way and it also smelt like the fish remains may have been used for fertiliser for the farming industry.

Hat Yai, however was a modern thriving city, one that you could easily mistake for many medium sized places in Europe, with shopping malls (where the kids hang out) etc.

Thailand shopping Centre
Thailand has all the modern facilities such as large shopping centres (where all the teens love to hang)

Statistics

Distance for week: 1,742km

Average  Fuel consumption to date: 4.8 litres per 100km

Average speed to date: 71.9km/h

Myanmar, Statistics

@ 13 September 2015- Myanmar

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Steve and I at Golden Rock
Steve and I at Golden Rock
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Overlooking the countryside, a wonderful site

We left the bikes at the hotel today and will collect them again tomorrow as today involved going into the town where a fleet of small trucks are used to ferry visitors up the nearby mountain to visit Kyaiktiyo Pagoda or “Golden Rock” as it was better known.

Cars were banned from travelling up the mountain road up to the Rock due to the amount of crashes. So now a fleet of trucks are used to do the job with a well managed entry and exit procedure as the road is extremely tight and steep with many hair pin bends and no room for error. For those of you who enjoy a good roller coaster ride, then this ride is for you!

Once up the mountain we checked into a hotel as the sunset over Golden Rock was a spectacular site we were told. As the day went on it was clear that we were not going to see the sun set as it was cloudy and raining and for the first time since Spain the temps were only in the “teens”.

After settling into the hotel we had a wonder around the area, which was solely geared for tourists. Fortunately the rain stayed away for most of the daylight hours left.

Ye (our guide), Steve and David
Ye (our guide), Steve and David

It is said that the rock is only being held in place by a well placed strand of Buddha’s hair which stops the rock from falling. Visitors buy small stamp sized pieces of gold leaf and rub it into the rock as part of religious practices.

Visitors rubbing Gold Leaf into the rock
Visitors rubbing Gold Leaf into the rock

As this area is a religious site, shoes were band from the immediate area around the rock and congregation areas nearby.

Weekly Statistics

Distance traveled this week: 1,348km

Average speed to date: 53.1km/h

Average fuel consumption to date: 4.8 litre’s per 100km

 

India, Statistics

@ 6 September 2015- India

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Following our discussion with the two “Aussie blokes” that arrived last night from Myanmar we had decided not to move onto Moreh (Indian Boarder town) as it was pretty horrible by all accounts and we should make the run to the boarder (100km) in good time on Monday morning which is when we actually need to cross the boarder.

This  morning when we woke we read newspaper reports of more civil unrest in the Manipur region which is the area we are currently in and runs to the boarder of Myanmar. This is another reason to stay put for the day in Imphal.

The  bikes required fuel which was proving an issue due to the unrest as deliveries were not happening to the petrol stations  we had to buy fuel on the black market at approx 2.5 times the normal rate. The fuel was delivered to us in 1 litre mineral water bottles by some chap on a scooter. We find the hotels always have a “fixer” guy who knows people who know people when things need to happen.

So today is an easy day to collect our thoughts and we are research trying to understand the various requirements to allow us to ride our bikes in Singapore. We have been advised it may be an expensive and bureaucratic exercise to do so. We shall keep you posted.

Trying to do business  with freight forwarding companies via email is also proving to be a major issue. We are trying to arrange flying (if possible) the bikes from Singapore to Darwin and getting a response to email enquirers we have sent off is proving rather hopeless!

Statistics

Distance traveled for the week: 1,020km

Average speed to date: 45.4km/h

Average Fuel Consumption to Date: 4.8 litre per 100km

Nepal, Statistics

@ 30 August 2015- Nepal

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Chitwan to Kakarvitta was a distance of 481km and was pretty straight forward. We had approx 80km of rough road to start but then it opened up to good sealed roads.

There had been several riots and a strike in the region over the past days causing a lack of supply to petrol stations and due to the strike those that may have had fuel remained closed. This was now causing a problem for us.

After searching for around 80km;s we came across an open station, the problem was approx 200 other motorcycles had arrived before us! This would have meant an hour or two of queuing but thanks to the local police we were quickly ushered to the front of the que  and allowed to fill our bikes. 50 litres of fuel and we were sorted. Both Steve and I felt rather sheepish for being allowed to the front of the que, we quickly scampered off before anyone could say anything.

The temps were low 30’s early but cooled down in afternoon which was a pleasant change especially as you become more weary.

Kakarvitta is the town on the boarder with India and we located a reasonable hotel that also had a casino attached. No locals were allowed in the casino so it was full of Indians who come over the boarder to gamble, get drunk and then stagger back home penny less. The casino was not out thing so we left after a quick tour.

Statistics

Distance for week – 844km

Average speed to date – 52.0km/h

Average fuel consumption to date – 4.7litre per 100km

Nepal, Statistics

@ 23 August 2015- Nepal

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Today was the ride back to Pokhara and to finish up our ride.

The day started with pretty good wether and progressively got quite hot and humid, however the final leg into Pokhara the rain fell for a short period.

There was still plenty of mud to negotiate throughout the ride, so deep in places that it would simply drag your feet off the pegs and you were doing all you could to keep the bike and yourself upwright. It was loads of fun however as both Steve and I were amazed at how robust the bikes were as we were riding “road bikes” in places We would not want to take our big BMW GS Adventures!

The mud caught Steve out here and it was a laugh to be behind and watch it all unfold. Ha
The mud caught Steve out here and it was a laugh to be behind and watch it all unfold. Ha
Local growers carry these baskets with straps over their heads for kilometres selling their produce as they go. Hard work!
Local growers carry these baskets with straps over their heads for kilometres selling their produce as they go. Hard work!

As we passed along the one road in and out of this area of Nepal we would come accross individual traders who would carry huge loads of produce and sell to house holds along the way. This is very hard way to make a living but the locals always are friendly and have a smile waiting for you.

Unfortunately Steve’s bike had an electrical fault a couple of hours ride short of Pokhara which halted our journey for an hour or so while Mutu, our guide went and found another ignition coil to replace the faulty part.

Steve on the longest suspension bridge in Nepal. Yeh, it's certainly long when you start to walk on it!
Steve on the longest suspension bridge in Nepal. Yeh, it’s certainly long when you start to walk on it!

Fortunately it gave time for Steve and I to venture down to the nearby huge suspension bridge and walk accross. Yes, it’s long and yes it’s very odd walking across it.

We made it back to Pokhare all ok and met up with the rest of the Hearts & Tears bike rental team to laugh about what we had been up to. It was hot and we deserved a beer so we all agreed to catch up at one of the local bars for a drink in an hour. A great way to finish our ride.

Statistics For The Week;

Distance travelled for the week: 1,056km

Average  Spped to Date: 50.8km/h

Average Fuel Consumption to Date: 4.6 litre per 100km

India, Statistics

@ 16 August 2015- India

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The two of us taking in the Taj!
The two of us taking in the Taj!

It was an early start for the day as we we advised to get to the Tajmahal early due to the huge crowds that develope as the day goes on and today was only going to be worse due to the holiday weekend.

So we were out the door at around 06:40am heading to the East gate entry with tickets in hand that we had already purchased yesterday. Arriving early certainly gave us the best opportunity to view this wonder of the world as there were limited numbers of people about.

The building itself is amazing with with such detail and symmetrical layout. Steve found it peacefull an serene to look at where as I found it huge, but actually quite simple being all white and symmetrical. We both agreed it is like no other building we have seen.

The amazing Tajmahal
The amazing Tajmahal

On the way back we stopped and had breakfast at a great little cafe that actually served a good cappuccino which was a bit of a standout for this town.

In the afternoon it was off to see the Old Forte which is a military establishment that was originally built around 1,000a.d. And has been added to in several stages since.

The Entry to the Old Forte which is a very impressive sight
The Entry to the Old Forte which is a very impressive sight
A section of forte
A section of forte

We relaxed in the evening on the rooftop restaurant back at the hotel watching the sun go down over Agra with the Tajmahal n the background. Not a bad way to spend an evening.

Statistics For The Week;

Distance travelled for week: 738km

Average Speed for Trip: 58.1km/h

Average Fuel Consumption To Date: 4.5 litre per 100km

India, Statistics

@ 10 August 2015- India

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The streets have been full of these dressed up vehicles as part of the Hindu celebrations
The streets have been full of these dressed up vehicles as part of the Hindu celebrations

The ride today was from Amritsar to New Delhi, a distance of 518km. As we progressed it involved passing through smallller townships which were very hectic and crowed at times.

Unfortunetly Steve had an incident with 2 buses as he passed one, another tried to squeeze by in the opposite direction resulting in him being clipped by a bus on his left hand side damaging his pannier which required a bit of roadside repairs. Fortunately Syeve did not go down and was all ok.

The roads finally opened up into a more significant route making the progress ok until we go to the last 50km which took 2hrs due to significant Delhi traffic. This traffic was compounded by the start of a 7 day Hindu festival in which devotees walked along the roadside with support vehicles and music playing which through the already bad traffic into chaos.

As we made our way towards Delhi we started to experience rain which we had been clear of since the 2nd day we arrived in Spain a couple of months earlier! I suppose we were due rain sooner or later. Ha

Unfortunetly due to the design of our BMW motorbikes being air cooled they required forward motion to have air passing over them to contain the temperature. The result of the traffic jams for an extended period meant we were forced to park up the bikes on several occasions and allow them to cool before progressing. Not what you want after a long ride in very hot and humid conditions.

Steve's pannier box after a confrontation with a bus
Steve’s pannier box after a confrontation with a bus

 

Steve with a huge audience while he repairs his pannier box.
Steve with a huge audience while he repairs his pannier box.

We finally made it to our destination which was located on the Southern side of New Delhi as we have an appointment with the BMW dealer to have the bikes serviced in the coming day(s).

Statistics For The Week;

Distance travelled:  1,600km

Average Speed for trip: 57.5km/h

Average Fuel Consumption To Date: 4.5 litre per 100km

Pakistan, Statistics

@ 2 August- Pakistan

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When we started to see Camels we knew the conditions were getting harsh!
When we started to see Camels we knew the conditions were getting harsh!

The sleep last night was pretty average for us all, due to no breeze and the heat built up in the brick buildings just makes life horrible and sleeping outside was not an option due to the overflow of prisoners that were brought in late last night.

We bid farewell to our hosts and the Germans tourists were loaded into the back of a canvas covered Hilux ute along with a couple of guards and we were instructed to stick close behind and follow. This was to become the standard way of traveling for us during our stay in Pakistan.

As the morning progressed we stopped at various military check points and the guards were changed as we passed through different precincts on our way to Dalbandin. During our ride this morning were came across our first sighting of wild camel’s, so we knew we were getting into serious desert country and the heat and boredom certainly confirmed this.

Stopped at a Pakistan military check point in the desert. Looks hot? Yes it was.
Stopped at a Pakistan military check point in the desert. Looks hot? Yes it was.

We arrived at a secure hotel in Dalbandin hot and tired, along with the German’s. We had two guards assigned to stay with us for the night and it is customary that we pay for their meals while we are being guarded.

The two guards assigned to stay with us
The two guards assigned to stay with us

That evening we were not going to be caught out by the heat of the room again and followed the guards lead and took the option of sleeping on the open roof of the hotel despite having paid for the best room in the hotel.

Temps were so high inside and with not a/c and power blackouts it was best to sleep on the roof
Temps were so high inside and with not a/c and power blackouts it was best to sleep on the roof

Statistics for the week;

Distance travelled for the week: 2,073km’s

Average speed  to date: 79.5km/h

Fuel consumption: 4.7 litre per 100km

Iran, Statistics

@ 26 July 2015- Iran

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Today we were looking forward to our ride to Karaj (near Tehran) to meet up with my work mates (Milad) parents. I had already met Fariba (Milad’s mum) some months early during her visit to Sydney so it was going to be great to meet again but this time in Faribas home town.

The ride turned out to be the most pleasurable ride we had in Iran, making our way up and over a heavily vegitated mountain pass over 2200m high. The  ride was broken up by a couple of extensive roads works which we simply lane split and made our way to the front which allowed a clean get away when the traffic was waived on.

We arrived at Karaj which is a very large city of several million people and stopped for fuel. A local family asked us if we were ok and upon explaining where we wished to go, offered to escort us (about 10km’s) to where we were to meet Milad’s family. We took up their offer which made the final ride in much easier than navigating ourselves.

While waiting for our friends to arrive the local police offered us to stay in their air conditioned office which was very welcome when you are wearing full riding gear in 36deg temps.

Fariba and her husband, Kamran soon arrived and and it was clear they were very pleased to see us. We then had the task of following Karmran through the streets of inner Karaj which proved interested based on the Iranian people drive.

We arrived at Faribas wonderful inner city apartment and were immediately overwhelmed with the hospitality shown by Fariba, Kamran and Fariba’s good friend, Babnan.

It was great to relax and have the comfort of having local people offer to show you the sites of Tehran and provide accomodation for the next couple of days.

Weekly Statistics

Distance travelled for week- 1,876km

Average speed to date- 61.8km/h

Average fuel consumption to date- 4.9 litres per 100km

Statistics, Turkey

@ 19 July 2015- Turkey

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You can buy anything here! Even pistols without too much trouble.
You can buy anything here! Even pistols without too much trouble.

Today has been a rest day staying in Elazig. Steve’s tyre is not due in till Tuesday now so we shall be staying here till we get the tyre sorted. By last night I (David) started to have a distinct uncomfortable right ankle as a result of the crash yesterday. When I woke up the ankle was clearly swollen (not too bad) and very stiff. As a result we made the call to not do much and just recharge our batteries. So today consisted of washing our clothes (the hotel room is like a Chinese laundry at present), getting food supplies from the local shop catching with our Turkish friends for Cai (tea) and a chat and generally mooching about. Oh, we also had time to watch England play France in the David Cup tennis! I took the opportunity to also keep my ankle elevated whenever possible as I do not want this injury hanging around. Tomorrow we are off to the motor bike shop of our friends where we plan to wash the bikes and run a spanner over them.

Weekly Statistics;

Kilometres for the week – 1,899km

Average speed to date – 74.1km/h

Average fuel consumption to date – 5.1 litres per 100km

Punctures – 1 to Steve’s rear tyre

Crashes – 1 to David

Post Script; Shortly following posting the day’s events while sitting in the hotel lobby, a brawl started just outside the hotel. Large crowds, Police and several Turks were engaged in “conversation” with the Police doing what appeared a very good job of control the environment without undue force.

The end score was the Police “nicked” three men and when we asked what had caused the disturbance would you believe alcohol was the answer! Things are the same the world over!