Tag: AdventureCycling

Adventure cycling around the world from Garry McGivern Travelsonabike2

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Cycling The World: Kazakhstan In Aktau On This Day 21st August 2012 | Travelsonabike2

Travelsonabike2 this day 21st August 2012 Truck on a pedastal

Cycling The World: Kazakhstan

My on this day bicycle touring blog post comes from Kazakhstan on the 21st of August 2012. I’d arrived in Kazakhstan a couple of days earlier. But had messed up on my visas and had to leave the country for 24 hours, which wasn’t as easy as I’d thought. The nearest country that I could fly to, without having to get another visa, was Turkey. But getting a flight was proving to be hard.

Tuesday 21st August 2012 in Aktau, Kazakhstan.

I went back to the travel agents, first thing this morning, only to find them shut. What a great start to the day. Luckily, I found another one just around the corner.

The girl in the new travel agent, who spoke rather good English, filled out the forms for me and booked my flight. I just had to pay for it, so I was directed to another woman sitting at a different desk. And would you believe it, her credit card machine wasn’t working, just like the one yesterday. She tried a couple of times, but the card machine wasn’t having any of it. In the end, she just gave me back my card and paperwork.

View of a town square with trees and buildings around
The view from my hotel

I pleaded with her to try again and put my saddest face on. It seemed to work; she made a phone call, and a manager came out, who told me to sit down and wait. After about fifteen minutes, the lady called me back over to try again, and yay, it worked. I was so relieved I could now relax. The only trouble is that I’ve got to cycle 1000 kilometres to Atyrau.

After securing my flight, I spent the afternoon playing on my website and watching a game of football in the field near the hotel. And getting things ready to finally start my ride across Kazakhstan, all be it for only a week or so.

Explore More Of My Ride Around The World

Watch My YouTube Video From Kazakhstan

Follow & Support Garry’s Bicycle Touring Adventures

If you’re enjoying the ride and want to fuel my next mile, you can always support me by buying me a beer. And, of course, you can always follow me on social media: Facebook, Bluesky, Threads, X, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. I’m also on Flickr, where you’ll find pictures from all my tours, along with regular photo updates that I generally publish each month.

If you want to find out if I’m away touring at the moment and check my location, visit the Where’s Garry page. For an insight into the gear and logistics behind this ride, see my Life at 10mph Guide.

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Bicycle Touring Thailand: Lang Suan to Wiang Sa, On This Day 6th February 2012 | Travelsonabike2

Travelsonabike2 this day 6th-February-2012 Gold Buddha

World Bicycle Tour: Thailand on this day in 2012

My on this day bicycle touring post comes from Thailand on the 6th of February 2012. Things are starting to heat up as I travel further south towards the equator. The heat and humidity in the Lang Suan district seem a bit too much for me today. It’s as though I’ve not acclimatised to the Thai heat yet. But I still managed a decent amount of miles.

Monday 6th February 2012. Lang Suan to Wiang Sa. 101 miles.

I might have to start wearing long sleeves and a hat! It doesn’t seem to matter how much sunscreen I put on. It’s just not working. I just sweat it all off after half an hour or so. I’m looking rather red and feeling a little sore tonight. Compared to back home, apparently, they’re suffering from sub-zero conditions and snow. I think I know where I’d rather be. Snow would be a nightmare for me. Despite the hot conditions, I’ve still managed to cycle over 100 miles today, just!

Tin roofed shelter
At least these shelters give me some relief from the sun

It’s quite amusing watching people get out of their vehicles in this part of the World. They all drive Toyota Hilux pickups, which aren’t exactly small. Yet the Thai people aren’t the biggest of people. And they all look to be struggling to get in and out. Maybe they should carry a ladder.

Tonight’s supper was rather hot. It was some sort of soup, very tasty, but, boy, was it hot. Not only have I spent all day sweating, but now I’m sweating over my supper. It was pouring off me, just as it had been all day. But I managed to get through it. Even the chef was impressed. Personally, I think it was a ploy on their part to get me to buy more beer. Ha, they don’t know me. I don’t need an excuse.

Explore More Of My Ride Around The World

Watch My YouTube Video From SE Asia

Follow My Bicycle Touring Adventures

Subscribe to my blog and follow me as I travel around on my bike. Plus, as a subscriber, you’ll be among the first to receive news and updates on future tours. If you’re enjoying the ride and want to fuel my next mile, you can always buy me a beer. And, of course, you can always follow me on social media: Facebook, Bluesky, Threads, X, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. I’m also on Flickr, where you’ll find pictures from all my tours, along with regular photo updates that I generally publish each month.

If you want to find out if I’m away touring at the moment and check my location, visit the Where’s Garry page.

Follow Garry on his travels

Subscribe to my email and follow me on my travels

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Cycling Thailand: In Khon Kaen, On This Day 30th January 2012 | Travelsonabike2

Travelsonabike2 This Day 30th-January-2012 Houses with tin roofs

World Bicycle Tour: Thailand on this day in 2012

My on this day bicycle touring post comes from Thailand on the 30th of January 2012. And I’m holed up in Khon Kaen, with a bad stomach. I couldn’t really complain as this was the first upset stomach I’d had since leaving home. Not bad, considering some of the places I’d eaten on this trip.

Monday, 30th January 2012 in Khon Kaen.

I’ve had another day off. I said yesterday that I wasn’t feeling 100%, and last night the shits came back. I was hoping that I would have been okay by this morning, not a chance. So I’ve had another wasted day stuck in my room. Although I have managed to sort out the photo galleries on my website in between trips to the bathroom!

I needed some paper (not toilet paper), so I went down to reception. Upon arrival, I found the girl on reception doing her exercises with a hula hoop around her tummy, the one where they move backwards and forwards, and the ring goes around. She asked me if I wanted a go. Not with my stomach the way it is. I might have made a mess on the floor! So I politely declined, got my paper and went back to the safety of my room.

That’s Risky

I ventured out this afternoon for a haircut, but didn’t bother getting one in the end. I didn’t feel safe. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to stay seated long enough without an accident. While out, I got some food for supper. A lovely meal of dried bread, crackers and a banana, all washed down with a glass of water! I’m not even going to have a beer tonight. I’m trying to be sensible for a change. I’m getting a bit fed up with having the trots.

Food on a plate
My supper this evening

I’m still not feeling brilliant tonight. But hopefully, I’ll be better in the morning. I don’t mind cycling along, feeling a bit ill, as you tend to forget about it. But when it’s the shits, you live in fear that if you fart, it might not be just a fart, and you follow through! We’ll just have to hope for the best.

Explore More Of My Ride Around The World

Watch My YouTube Video From SE Asia

Follow My Bicycle Touring Adventures

Subscribe to my blog and follow me as I travel around on my bike. Plus, as a subscriber, you’ll be among the first to receive news and updates on future tours. If you’re enjoying the ride and want to fuel my next mile, you can buy me a beer. And, of course, you can always follow me on social media: Facebook, Bluesky, Threads, X, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. I’m also on Flickr, where you’ll find pictures from all my tours, along with regular photo updates that I generally publish each month.

If you want to find out if I’m away touring at the moment and check my location, visit the Where’s Garry page.

Follow Garry on his travels

Subscribe to my email and follow me on my travels

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Cycling Laos: In Luang Prabang, On This Day 23rd January 2012 | Travelsonabike2

Bicycle Touring Laos 23rd-January-2012 Boats by rocks on a river

World Bicycle Tour: Laos on this day in 2012

My on this day bicycle touring post comes from Laos on the 23rd of January 2012. And I’ve taken a day off from my ride to Australia. (The link to my JustGiving page no longer takes donations. But please feel free to donate to cancer charities in any way you can. We all know somebody who has been affected by cancer.)

Monday, 23rd January 2012 in Luang Prabang.

Well, I did decide to stop another night and make the most of the internet. I needed to sort out a few bits on my website and upload some photos to my Flickr page. Unfortunately, I’ve not been able to, and I’m waiting for another response from Flickr. It’s one of the joys of being on the road and not having the internet too often. I have to make the most of it when I do get it.

Palm trees lining a street
Out and about in Luanghrabang

Luanghrabang is definitely a tourist destination, and I’m pretty glad my hotel is on the outskirts of the town, away from it all. I’ve spent most of the day in my hotel room trying to sort out things. Although when I went out for something to eat, I also had a ride around for an hour or two.

I’m not too sure whether I’ve mentioned it before, but Laos is such a friendly place. Every time I cycle through a village, the children run out of their houses waving and shouting Sabai-dee, which I think is Hello! It’s like a wave going through the village. The children and adults from the first house come out, then, as you look up through the village, as if, in turn, they all come out of their homes. Waving and shouting, with many of them beckoning me to stop and go into their home.

Don’t forget you can still sponsor me at https://www.justgiving.com/Garry-McGivern, all monies go to cancer research. We all know somebody who has had or has been affected by cancer in some way. So come on, dig deep. I know times are hard, but everybody can afford just a couple of pounds. This last week or so from Kunming has been pretty tough. I think I deserve some more sponsorship!

Explore More Of My Ride Around The World

Watch My YouTube Video From My Time In SE Asia

Follow My Bicycle Touring Adventures

Subscribe to my blog and follow me as I travel around on my bike. Plus, as a subscriber, you’ll be among the first to receive news and updates on future tours. If you’re enjoying the ride and want to fuel my next mile, you can buy me a beer. And, of course, you can always follow me on social media: Facebook, Bluesky, Threads, X, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. I’m also on Flickr, where you’ll find pictures from all my tours, along with regular photo updates that I generally publish each month.

If you want to find out if I’m away touring at the moment and check my location, visit the Where’s Garry page.

Follow Garry on his travels

Subscribe to my email and follow me on my travels