Cycling In Uzbekistan Is A Mixed Bag Of Emotion

There are moments of peace, freedom and kind people, but there are also moments of total frustration.⁣⁣

It was during Uzbekistan that we had that very honest conversation…sometimes I have this fleeting thought, but never, until⁣⁣ Uzbekistan had I spoken it out loud to Stew. I don’t want to give too much power to the daunting reality.⁣⁣

“This is a really long trip, isn’t it?” ⁣⁣

Not just Uzbekistan, but a world cycling tour. It’s impossible to know what you’re getting into before you start and the tough days bring with them the weight of time, distance and the daunting notion of what’s to come over the next 2 years. It soon washes away, sometimes with the moment – an epic downhill, arriving at a beautiful place or an act of kindness.⁣⁣

When you set off to cycle around the world, and I do mean cycle around the world you will face some pretty miserable times, but we’re not doing this to be happy 24/7.⁣⁣

You can cycle around the world or “you can cycle around parts of the world sometimes.”⁣⁣

Cycling the entire world is really important to us. We committed to keep those cranks turning no matter what this trip throws at us and we hope to continue to do so.⁣⁣

We recognise that there are 2 types of happiness. There’s happiness in taking a truck over a rough section of road, and happiness on the train watching the desert pass you by, but our trip isn’t about that. ⁣⁣

We’re searching for the fulfilment in cycling, by cycling the entire world. We want to cycle 24,000 miles through 30 countries – through the good, the bad and the ugly.⁣⁣

Everyone tours for different reasons and there’s no shade at others who tour differently to us. I appreciate that the willing drivers who’ll take you up a hill are part of the experience for many. ⁣⁣

I can see why you’d take a train through the flat desert because you don’t get to see anything new and if you’re short on time (unlike us) there are more beautiful places to be.⁣⁣

I understand your why, and I hope this explains ours.⁣⁣

This picture was taken during a “shortcut“ in Uzbekistan. We don’t recommend it.