Category: Watch my Videos

World bicycle-tour video Indonesia another YouTube/Flickr video.

Garry’s bicycle ride to Australia continues, and he’s now in his last country before reaching Australia, and it was to be his most challenging! With blistering heat and ridiculously steep hills! So steep Garry had trouble keeping his front wheel on the ground! And to cycle up them required tacking from one side of the road to the other!

The heat was so intense Garry had to wear gloves, to stop his hands blistering in the sun, which as he was now on the equator, was directly above him. And as for sweating, Garry’s never sweated so much in his life! He always looked as if he’d wet himself, and whenever he stopped, there would be a puddle on the floor! The sweat just dripped from him!

But despite the hardships, what a country! The people were fantastic, happy, smiling, and always wanting to help. Every time Garry passed through a village, the children would run out of their houses shouting “Selamat Pagi” good morning.

Definitely a country Garry would like to return to and explore more.

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World bicycle-tour video Southeast Asia, another YouTube/Flickr video.

After crossing the 500-metres of no man’s land between China and Laos, Garry arrives at the little building that is Laos immigration. Thankfully Garry got full marks for his homework! And it was visa on entry, and he was soon on his way into country number thirteen.

Laos was another tough country, as the mountainous terrain continued from China. Only now the roads were more like tracks! Garry also ended up with a lot of punctures. Caused by the little mettle shards from burst lorry tyres.

Thailand

After Laos Garry entered Thailand and nearly missed border control! He was a good 500-metres down the road before he realised and had to turn around to get his entry stamp. Unfortunately, Garry received a fail on his homework for Thailand! He had thought that it was a thirty-day visa, which it was! But only if you flew into the country. If you made the land crossing, you only got a fifteen-day visa! Garry was now in a bit of trouble! On Garry’s rough schedule, he needed fifteen days to cross Thailand. And Garry had already lost a day by not crossing the border until the afternoon! And now things went from bad to worse, when he got the shits and had to rest up for a day!

As he wasn’t allowed to extend his visa, and he certainly didn’t fancy being thrown into some Thai jail for overstaying! There was only one thing to do, head down and go for it, with Garry cycling over 100-miles on most days!

Malaysia

Garry made it to the Malaysian border with a couple of days to spare. And could now relax with a ninety-day visa. Not that he needed that long, he was only in Malaysia for nine days, and three of those were spent in Kuala Lumpur, while he got his bike serviced.

Malaysia came and went, and Garry was soon in Singapore, where he would finish the Southeast Asia leg of his ride. Next stop Indonesia.

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World bicycle-tour video China, another YouTube/Flickr video.

After a frustrating ten days in Dhaka, trying to get a visa for China! Garry’s finally arrived in Kunming. Unfortunately, to get here, Garry had to fly, since, Burma (Myanmar) was a closed state and westerners were prohibited from entry.

China, what a contrast to Bangladesh! Everything in Bangladesh was dusty and overcrowded! Here it was bright and immaculately clean. Although there was one similarity, road signs, they were a nightmare to try and work out! Garry had to rely on the motorway signs that he would often see in the distance. And just hoped he was heading in the right direction! And as communicating with anybody! Nobody seemed to even understand simple hand signs, like eating and sleeping! But what an adventure!

After a tough nine days of cycling through the mountains of southwest China, Garry reaches the China/Laos border. And has to hope that he’s got his homework right, and Laos is visa on entry! Because if not, he’ll be stuck in no man’s land, unable to return to China, and unable to enter Laos! It was a nerve-wracking moment!

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World bicycle-tour video Bangladesh, another YouTube/Flickr video.

After the short 150-mile ride from the Indian/Bangladesh border, Garry reaches Dhaka. Where he meets up with his good friends, the Barrs. Who were holidaying in Bangladesh, and as a consequence of Garry not being able to cycle through Iran and Pakistan, meant they could now meet up.

After meeting up on New Year’s eve, Garry, Dave, Helen and the two girls, Becky and Katy, spent the evening exploring the streets. Before retiring back to the hotel, to welcome in the new year, with a bottle of coke! Much to Garry’s disgust!

New Year’s day came, and they all went for a look around the busy harbour. There they went aboard an old paddle steamer, the PS Ostrich, which was now converted to diesel. Michael Palin was on the same boat on his 2004 Himalayan tv series.

The following day the Barrs had to catch their flight back to England, leaving Garry to sort out the visa he needed for China. Which involved a lot of CNG rides, backwards and forwards to the Chinese Embassy! The visa proved to be a lot harder and more frustrating than Garry could have ever imagined!

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