Itchy Boots

Finally! After a month of paperworks and waiting around in Delhi - all is set to GO! On day one, I am riding to Mathura! Let me introduce my motorbike to you (her name is BASANTI!) and show all the AWESOME modifications I did on her!

Riding from Mathura to Lucknow - the heart and capital of Uttar Pradesh. Boring highways, gorgeous buildings and greasing chains is what this episode is about. Round 2 of the journey towards Myanmar and beyond!

Leaving pretty Lucknow behind and riding onwards to the holy city of Varanasi to attend a Ganga Aarti ceremony.

This episode is all about struggles with holy cows, riding through a National Park (and not seeing all the incredible wildlife that Wikipedia says lives there) and visiting one of the most important Buddhist sites in the world: the place where Buddha became Buddha.

After staying the night in Bodhgaya - the place where Prince Siddharta reached enlightenment and became Buddha - I am riding to Vaishali. About 55 kilometers north of Patna, in the state Bihar, this place is known for its ruins. On the way I am passing through Nalanda - but my plan for Nalanda didn't quite work out... My Royal Enfield Himalayan (2018) is performing very well so far, but like any bike with a chain - you need to keep on eye on it to make sure it is tight enough. In this episode I am tightening the chain for the first time.

It was probably spending a full month in Delhi. That just killed my lungs. I picked up a bad cough that is still lingering until now. The pollution in India is bad. Suddenly, I just couldn’t handle it anymore. I was craving fresh air so badly I couldn’t think of anything else. After studying the map I realised that my best shot at fresh air would be hill station Darjeeling. Google maps proudly announced that would be an 11 hour ride. An 11 hour ride!! Let's GO!

Sikkim was on my list for a long time and finding myself in Darjeeling now - I could almost smell Sikkim. Or well, I could definitely see the snow-capped mountain peaks of Sikkim from Darjeeling. Anticipating similar riding conditions as in Ladakh I decided to make it a day trip. Leaving my heavy luggage, spare parts and tools behind in Darjeeling and riding a light bike through Sikkim. In this video I am riding to Namchi, located in South-Sikkim. The North of Sikkim is without a doubt more spectacular with high, snowy peaks, but this was not doable in a one-day trip. But the ride around the south of Sikkim was absolutely fantastic!!

Leaving pretty hill station Darjeeling behind and riding towards the North Eastern States. My Royal Enfield Himalayan (2018) is performing very nicely so far, and survived the first real off-road test. Destination: Cooch Bihar (or Koch Behar). On the way in I noticed a huge palace so I went to investigate...

You know those silly women that ride their cars into metro stations because Google Maps told them to? I’ve always chuckled about those type of women. Funny story: Now I’ve become one of them. Not driving a car into a metro station. But riding a motorbike onto a beach, expecting to miraculously cross a gigantic Brahmaputra river. And Google Maps shouting at me: "TAKE THE FERRY!". Riding through thick sand on a beach was a first with my Royal Enfield Himalayan. Can't say it went very smoothly, but that was probably mostly due to my own riding (non-)skills...

Riding through Meghalaya is a bike-lovers dream. When I left Tura, the owners of the little treehouse I spend the night told me about a great route to Shillong: curvy and no traffic. And they were right! My Himalayan performed excellent, although I had to be careful not to make the bends too sharp cause my bike was scraping the pavement! "Be gentle on my curves" was my RE Himalayan saying. Got it! So when I spotted the opportunity to go a teeny bit offroad, I took it. Happy Himalayan, happy me!

In this episode I am riding my Royal Enfield Himalayan from Shillong to Cherrapunjee in Meghalaya, India. I've heard of something incredible to see there, hidden in the jungle. Unfortunately, I am one of those extremely stubborn solo travellers. I want to explore and find everything out on my own. I don't need no guide! But sometimes, when you are hiking through dense jungle in India - it is wise to go with a guide.. As I found out the hard way. I GOT LOST.

Riding my Royal Enfield Himalayan (2018) through Assam in North Eastern States, India. Figuring out a motorbike route is an every-day challenge and I decided on Lanka as my destination: about half-way towards Nagaland. As always, Google Maps directed me straight through the heart of the forested hills and passing small villages where everybody was kind of eye-balling me. Not many bikers, or foreigners, or foreigners on motorbikes pass through these lands! I didn't realise there wouldn't be any small shacks selling water on the way, so when I finally spotted something drinkable - I HAD to stop. And guess what - my belly took it like a champ. Didn't get sick and the water tasted delicious :)

I don't even know why I was so determined to ride to Nagaland. Perhaps because the name sounds like a love affair between Narnia and Alice in Wonderland. I started to slightly regret my decision when I realised that the road from Dimapur to Kohima was still under construction and was FULL OF DUST! A thick layer of dust had accumulated on my bike and myself when I finally arrived. The ride was magnificent, but MAN! I need a shower!

I can't really say this was the worst road ever. Who knows what horrific road are still to come?! But I can say one thing - it was the worse road SO FAR! Yes, it beat all the hard hard riding in Ladakh. The rains had completely destroyed the road and I struggled and ploughed for hours and hours on end through MUD, WATER and POTHOLES. My body has never been so sore after a day's riding!! On the bright side ... I didn't have any rain on the way ! *YAY!!*

This was the last day of riding in India. Bit of a weird feeling after spending all these months in India! But was it memorable? OH YES! (with a bit of Google Maps help...) Tomorrow will the big test to see whether I really have all the correct paperworks to take my bike across the border into Myanmar!

What a milestone!! I managed to cross the border into Myanmar with my Indian Royal Enfield Himalayan motorbike ! It took a couple of hours at the Indian side of the border at Moreh, and a couple of hours at the Myanmar side of the border at Tamu - but it worked. Carnet got stamped, my passport got stamped, and I got to ride the first day in Myanmar. And this riding day was all about BRIDGES - BRIDGES - BRIDGES. The route through Myanmar passes 54 iron bridges and the large part of them were in quite horrific condition. Would I get a tyre puncture??

Bagan was one of my favourite places when I visited Myanmar for the first time, 7 years ago. It's an incredibly stunning place with more than 2000 temples of several thousand of years old scattered around the valley. But to reach this place and explore the sandy trails leading to the temples, I had to ride for 9 hours! Needless to say I was pretty exhausted after this day - but it was definitely worth catching those last rays of sun over the temples before night fell.

This was one of those days. Even though it was a short day of riding - only 5 hours - I was taking foreeeeeever. Every excuse I could find to make a stop was being used. I blame it on the previous long day of riding and on the (somewhat) boring scenery for the first few hours. Would I get my mojo back when riding in the green, lush hills of Myanmar?

This was a very special riding day for me, as I rode together with Peter & Claudia from Roads Up the entire day! It was hard to keep up with a 1000cc Suzuki V-Strom, but it was great riding with them and hearing their crazy stories about biking through Afghanistan! Meeting other long-distance riders with lots of experience makes you a better rider! Oh, and the scenery was beautiful again - of course.. This is Myanmar!

Without a doubt was this the most scenic day of my motorbike journey across Asia so far! It was a very tiring and long day of riding and the first hours were challenging, but after that... I kept on smiling inside my helmet. It felt like riding in Avatar, with those floating mountains. What an incredibly beautiful part of Myanmar is Shan State. I visited this area before, several years ago, but riding it by motorbike was WAY better than I ever imagined!

The final day of riding in a group through Myanmar! It went incredibly fast and I can't believe I'm already crossing into Thailand. Although, that is easier said than done because Thailand officially also requires a guided escort when you enter with your own vehicle. Something I don't want to do obviously!! So I was hoping that the border officials let me through or otherwise my backup plan was putting the bike on a truck and transport it into Lao. Please Thailand - let me pass! :))

Unfortunately the place I was staying in Chiang Rai was fully booked for the holidays, so I couldn't stay longer - and had to leave. Something I wasn't looking forward to, as it was raining and I really don't enjoy riding in the rain! Not having another choice, I packed my things, loaded them on Basanti and took off. What I loved about my first full day of riding in Thailand was the quality of the roads (amazing!!), the great, great food everywhere (both Thai and western) and the little hot surprise I found along the way ...

What was supposed to be a 3-hour ride to small town Pai, in Northern Thailand, turned out to be a much longer, and much BETTER ride than I expected. For the first hour that I was riding, I didn't even record one single second of footage - as the road was so boring! I was riding on the main road and there was nothing interesting too see. So I took the first small side road that I could find, hoping to see some more beautiful scenery. And man, was that a good choice!! Elephants, off-road riding - it turned out to be an amazing day which I will not forget!

So I did it again. I didn't stick with the main road, but took another small road that I saw in Google Maps. I rode more than 50 kilometres offroad which was amazing, hard and very challenging for me at some parts!! Basanti was no too happy with me today but luckily I only had some minor damage and I could (temporarily) fix everything again. When I'll arrive in Bangkok, I will look for new knuckleguards (steel ones this time, because plastic breaks too easily!)...

FINALLY! After days of torrential downpour, the skies cleared and I could ride again!! I had to keep telling myself not to stray offroad again and get myself stuck in the mud in some remote area. So I stuck to tarmac, had some pretty boring highway stretches to cover - but got rewarded in Sukhothai..

The North of Thailand has its lush, green mountains. The South of Thailand has its stunning islands and beaches. But Central Thailand? It was a very long day of riding and by the time I reached the guesthouse just at the edge of the Khao Yai National Park - I was exhausted (and completely messed up the ending of the video by recording it with a tilted camera, so I had to leave out my usual ending of the video...). I loved the ride and exploring some offroad tracks when I got the chance. Central Thailand did not disappoint!

The plan was to ride straight through the Khao Yai National Park to Ayyuthaya, just north of Bangkok. But I didn't expect the park rangers to come and check the sound of my exhaust! As I'd changed my original exhaust for a Gursewak exhaust in Delhi, I was making quite a lot of sound and I was expecting them to turn me away. Too much noise can disturb the wildlife in the park, some of which are wild elephants! Did I pass the test so I could make it to Ayyuthaya to see the temples?

Two Wheels Tourist, a motorbike shop in Bangkok had several custom parts manufactured for the RE Himalayan and they'd contacted me previously to give me these parts. So I rode to Bangkok, which was only a short hop away from Ayyuthaya via the motorway - which apparently is not allowed for motorcycles. Oops. There was a bit of confusion between left and right but they let me continue on the motorway. Thank you sir !! Arriving at the shop, I met New, the owner of the shop. What I didn't realise was that the parts were still in early stages of development and not yet fully in production. So he took the parts of his own Himalayan, to give them to me - so cool!!

I used my time in Bangkok to get ready for the South of Thailand - which means, getting ready for hot, humid and rainy weather. With a topbox, waterproof bag, a lighter jacket and a hydropack, I should be able to handle the South of Thailand. I am ready to explore some Thai beaches :) Let's GO! Note: at 05:15​ I am shouting something inaudible. If you turn on subtitles, you can read what I am saying!

A ride through Thailand would not have been complete without a visit to one of its islands right?! So I made up my mind - I am riding to Koh Samui. But not without exploring some very beautiful little trails to see where they lead me. It confused Garmin a little bit ("RECALCULATING ROUTE.."), but not me! After 8 hours of riding and exploring I reached the car ferry and it took another 1,5 of sailing to Koh Samui. A full 11 hours after leaving Prachuap Khiri Khan in the morning, I reached my hotel on Koh Samui. Time to rest!!

This day I probably spent more time on the water than on my motorbike! Shame on me! But I was leaving the gorgeous island of Koh Samui, so I had no other option than to hop back on the ferry to the mainland. After a three hour ride I reached gorgeous Khao Sok National Park, which contains the Ratchaprapha dam, creating a stunning lake. Exploring this lake on a long tail boat was incredible and I did not expect this to be so beautiful!!

My back tyre is not looking too good anymore. I've already ordered a new set of tyres which are waiting for me in Kuala Lumpur, but the problem is that I'm still well over 900 kilometers away from Kuala Lumpur. And that may not even be my biggest issue. 900 kilometers in a straight line means for me easily 1500 kilometers as I always take back routes and want to see all the beautiful national parks that are (kind of) on the way.. The coming riding days is going to take all my willpower to not stray off the straight route too much and save my tyres. Am I going to make it to Kuala Lumpur?

During my 6-hour ride to Hat Yai, close to the border with Malaysia (already! can't believe how quickly it's going!), I stopped at a side road restaurant for lunch. I was met by some incredibly kind and friendly Thai, but there was a bit of a language barrier.. My Thai only comprises of "Kap koen ka" (probably spelled wrong), meaning 'thank you'. And that's it. We tried the help of google translate to translate the menu but failed unfortunately! But what they served me was absolutely delicious!! Moments like these happen a lot on my travels and I wanted to show just one example of how kind and friendly the Thai people are that I met.

Today I am crossing the border from Thailand into Malaysia! Border crossings with a motorbike are not always easy (and definitely never fast!) so what to expect from this one...?? Because I didn't have any internet in the beautiful little cottage overlooking the greenery, I couldn't book my next accommodation. Something that I usually do the night before I move to the next place so I don't have to search for accommodation upon arrival in the next town.. **The bad lighting at the start of the video is a good example of how it's like to make video while on the road. I can't check all the footage and record it again. It's a one shot! Mostly it turns out okay, and sometimes the lighting is horrible.. all part of the fun!**

Escaping hot, humid and sweaty Penang for the cool breeze of the Carmon Highlands sounded like a great idea! But if you can choose between riding 3 hours on the highway, or 6 hours on the backroads.. what would you choose? That's right! The long way round it is. I couldn't get enough of the gorgeous greenery around there so apologies for the endless footage of the stepped terraces but they were just so beautiful!

A back tyre puncture on my last day of riding before reaching Kuala Lumpur. Unbelievable!! Or well, it actually wasn't too strange, because my tyres were almost finished and getting very thin. It was only a tiny piece of metal causing the puncture and if my tyres were in a newer condition, it most likely would not have caused the puncture! It was the first time in 11.000 km to get a puncture, so all in all - not a bad score!

I reached my first goal on this journey: Kuala Lumpur! For the past 11.000 kilometers my bike has been running without problems, but it's time for a big service. Because my next leg of the journey will be in challenging countries, in remote areas and without a lot of RE support - I am preparing the bike as best as possible. The parts that I had replaced now, after 11.000 km because it was absolutely necessary were: - Chain - Sprockets - Both tires - Both tubes (although I just replaced the rear tube the day before after getting the puncture..) - Oil + oil filter (I've been changing these every 3.000 km so far) The parts that I replaced as well that were likely not to last much longer: - Clutch cable - Throttle cable The parts that I had changed because I want the bike to be as prepared as possible for the next difficult leg of the journey: - Brake pads front + rear - Air filter - Sparkplug - Starter relay The problem with the bearing was caused by looking away at the wrong moment and not preventing a power washer to spray there! The problem was not very big now, but if I hadn't replaced the lower bearing now, the problem would have gotten bigger and bigger. The small oil leakage through the liquid gasket had nothing to do with 11.000 km. Some bikes have it and other don't. It's a manufacture issue and it didn't cause massive problems yet, but leaving it like that can't be good either. As with the bearing, this was the most labour intensive job.

The first leg of the journey is complete. Basanti is like brand-new again after the big service she had and ready for new adventures. I am shipping her to Oman to continue with the next 30.000 kilometers of my journey. But arranging things like this.. take time! Today I brought Basanti to the warehouse for crating, but - as expected - it couldn't be done in one day because... well, we had to buy wood. Then nails. Then a saw.. But the foundation is there and hopefully she will be ready to go to the airport in the next video! :)

Second try of getting a crate around Basanti and prepare her for shipping to Oman - where the next big leg of this adventure will kick off!! Sounds easy right? Building a crate. Well .. it's quite time consuming if you first need to hunt for all different sorts of wood, nails, saws, straps and the like! But... it got done! Basanti is now all crated and ready to go to the airport. You'll see how that goes in the next videos !!

The final stage of shipping Basanti : bringing her to the airport! Things seemed to go very smoothly and all was looking good. I brought Basanti to the airport, retrieved the signed/stamped paperworks and the plane was booked for both Basanti and myself. But then... Wait until the end of the video!

Shipping of Basanti from Kuala Lumpur to Oman is delayed by two weeks because of logistical problems with the airlines. But I can't live another two weeks without a motorbike! So I contacted Peter from Oryx Adventures (https://www.oryxadventures.com​) and he took me on a full day of riding around the wadis in the Muscat area! Besides just riding, I learned so many new techniques and got to put them into practice that it was an extremely valuable day of riding for me. Especially with the route that I have in mind once Basanti arrives! Because it was such a long day of riding, I made two videos out of it. This is part 1! Hope you like it !

.. part 2 of my first day of riding in the area around Muscat, Oman. Shipping of my own motorcycle Basanti is delayed because of a logistical mistake by the airlines. So to keep myself busy (and riding!), I am riding around on a 450 CCM bike with Peter from Oryx Adventures - https://www.oryxadventures.com​ He organises day-tours and longer tours around Muscat and I'm so glad I found his company. He is showing me the best trails around the mountains that I would have never found by myself! But most importantly, I'm getting that very important off-road training that I've been wanting to do for some time now. There are so many techniques to learn when riding off-road and learning them and practicing them will be valuable for my entire upcoming trip! Riding around on a 450 CCM is quite different from my RE Himalayan but I enjoy it! This bike is almost half the weight (125 kgs) of my Himalayan, but has almost double the power (40 HP!). So you can imagine how much fun it is to ride a bike like that around the wadi's in Oman!

I am still waiting for the arrival of my motorcycle Basanti, so this is another day of riding with Peter from Oryx Adventures (https://www.oryxadventures.com). ​ As he is teaching me new techniques which I can put into practice, he is slowly choosing more difficult terrains for me to try. Today we are riding around Jebel Shams, a mountain located in northeastern Oman and 240 kilometers from Muscat. It is the highest mountain of the Hajar range and the country, and the third highest in Arabian Peninsula. Because it's quite far from Muscat and the road towards it is all highway, we do the first two hours by car. I didn't know this area is also called the Grand Canyon of Oman, but when I saw it for the first time, I immediately thought: this looks like the Grand Canyon! I'd heard from other travellers that Oman was a beautiful country, but nothing prepared me for the beauty of these mountains!!

First of all .. an update about my Royal Enfield Himalayan "Basanti".. She has been shipped out of Kuala Lumpur, but not via a direct flight so she is still waiting to be loaded on the next flight to Oman. In the meantime, I am riding with Peter from Oryx Adventures (https://www.oryxadventures.com​), to explore Oman on a 450 cc, CCM Adventure bike! This day we are riding up the Salmah plateau and this was definitely a lot harder than any of the terrain I encountered before! It was good that I got to practice new techniques and improve my skills in the previous riding days otherwise I don't think I would have made it up the mountain! Because it was such a long riding day, I made it into 2 parts .. this is Part 1 of riding up the Salmah Plateau..

This is part 2 of riding around the Salmah Plateau in Oman. Because my Royal Enfield Himalayan "Basanti" still hasn't arrived in Oman, I'm riding with Peter from Oryx Adventures (https://www.oryxadventures.com​) in the meantime.. Riding up the Salmah Plateau was steep and challenging but the hours of riding after that also had some challenges! It was by far the most difficult riding I ever did, and I learned so much from it! New techniques, skills and practice will surely help when I continue my solo ride around the world when I'm reunited with Basanti again!

It was an excrutiating long wait, with a lot of last-minute stress (as you'll be able to see on my face..) but finally I got it done. Or well, I didn't do so much. It was mostly thanks to the kind owner of the hotel I'd been staying for two weeks in Oman, the A'Sinamar hotel, who did everything in his power to help me. Turned out that I was the first person ever to temporarily import a motorcycle into Oman - who would have thought! As you can imagine, that complicated things a little but in the end, I got all the right papers and the Carnet-de-Passage stamped too. Luckily I could take Basanti out of the crate right at the airport and I didn't have to rent a truck/forklift to get her out of there. Pretty much all the ground staff had gathered to get their eyes on this Indian Royal Enfield and they helped me put the panniers back on Basanti. I HAVE HER BACK! Finally the journey can continue!

Basanti and I can finally hit the road again! With the PowerTRONIC installed, we are going full throttle starting from Muscat and riding to Jalan Bani. What an amazing feeling to be on the move again!! I got to use my new learnt off-road skills on a long stretch of offroading with Basanti. It was a big difference with the CCM obviously, since Basanti is now FULLY loaded! So I took it easy. No need to risk dropping her on day 1 on the road again! To keep things organised, all my findings on the PowerTRONIC, I will add to the video description of the Powertronic Installation video!

I continue riding south along the coast. The landscape changed from the beautiful mountains all around Muscat, to a flat, sand desert. For hours on end, all I saw was sand. But if you are a fan of desert landscapes, you'll love it! I took a 1,5 hour ferry to the island of Masirah. A small desert island, only 68 kilometers long. I arrived just before dark and in my next video, you'll see some of the island in the daylight!

After a small circle around Masirah island, I'm catching the ferry again to the mainland. I'm heading back up North, and this means a full day of riding through the desert. Boring and exhilarating at the same time. Riding alone through a desert with sand as far as the eye can reach was a new experience and one that I will not forget. I did prepare myself though, and knew where I was going. So don't worry, when I asked the man in the pick-up which track to take, I wasn't completely lost! Either tracks would have been fine but I wanted to see which one he recommended me to take :) Now all of this sand is behind me, and I will be riding through some mountains again in the next video!

I'm leaving the flat desert behind and I am heading back up north to complete my small round in Oman. This day I'm covering more than 400 kilometers so I was planning not to go off-road too much. But when one sees a beatiful dirt-track... one has to follow it! So I ended up riding 30 kilometres past beautiful mountains before continuing on paved road again. No regrets! This day also marks my last full day of riding in Oman. In my next video I'll already be crossing the border into the UAE! Exciting times ahead!

It's time to leave Oman. I had an amazing time in Oman and that country exceeded all my expectations. I can highly recommend visiting Oman and mostly: go and see Oman by motorbike! It's a motorcyclists paradise! But it's time to make my way to Dubai. I have many things to arrange for the next leg of my journey which includes Iran and Turkmenistan. Dubai is the perfect place to make my final arrangements before catching the ferry to Iran!

Today I am riding from Dubai to Abu Dhabi so I can apply for my Turkmenistan visa at the Embassy in Abu Dhabi. Fingers crossed I will get it! I'd never seen Abu Dhabi, so I made a small tour around Abu Dhabi and another one when I reached Dubai again! In my next video I'll be taking the ferry to Iran!

Today I am crossing from Dubai into Iran! I will take the overnight ferry so its going to be a long, long, journey.

This is the first day of riding in Iran! I'm leaving the port of Bandar Abbas and I'm riding north towards a small town called Rayen. The scenery was far more beautiful than I'd imagined and the people were so friendly everywhere. Sometimes they got a bit too happy to see me and were driving their cars so close to me to have a look at Basanti and me that it kind of freaked me out a bit!

The hottest place on earth - as once measured at 71 degrees celcius is in Iran's Lut Desert. Today I'm riding into that desert to see the famous Kalout outcrops: rocks that have been eroded by wind for millions of years and are dotted around the desert. The temperature difference is incredible. Within a distance of some 20 kilometers, it changes from snow-capped mountains to a steaming hot desert. This meant a lot of changing riding jackets for me!

The plan for the day was simple. Ride from Kerman to Yazd, taking a smaller road instead of the big expressway. But this day turned out a bit different than usual...

This day I'm exploring some parts around the city Yazd. The entire day was filled with Iranian culture: both in the buildings and places I visited, and the people. This is how it's like to travel in Iran!

Today I am riding from Yazd to Isfahan in Iran. Because of heavy rains and terrible floodings in large parts of `Iran, I decide to take the expressway. Riding through the mountains on small backroads doesn't seem to be a good idea at the moment. But riding in Iran during the holiday season, with millions of people traveling around the country, can be tricky too! It didn't matter on which part of the road I was, cars come so, so close to you around here. It freaked me out! Luckily I could regularly escape the express way to explore some small villages; a lot quieter and safer!

Today was the first day that Basanti and me found snow on our journey! It was cold. It was very cold. But the road was twisty and turny and the scenery beautiful. What more could I ask for?

Today I am riding from Kashan to Tehran in Iran. I need to sort out a couple of things in Tehran, but the most important thing I need to find out: will I get my visa for Turkmenistan??

Still no visa for Turkmenistan, so I decide to just start riding! I am riding towards the Caspian Sea today, but not everything goes according to plan...

The recent heavy rains and floods in Iran have caused many roads to close. I had to change my route because of that and ended up on a long off-road stretch with a lot of mud and water. At some point the track went steep down a hill and it was a massive struggle to get down. When I finally reached the river in the valley, there was no bridge! It was a dead end. I had to try to get back up that steep, steep, muddy hill. But then I got severely stuck and Basanti broke down. Not good! There was nobody else there (because the locals knew it was a dead-end!), so I had no other option than to start walking and look for help. Stay tuned for the next episode to see what happens next!

This was the first time I ran into serious trouble with Basanti. But I am so glad it happened in Iran. Before going to Iran I heard about the legendary Persian hospitality, but experiencing it myself was simply amazing! Everybody wanted to help me. Everybody wanted to give me food. And everybody wanted to give me shelter. Without expecting anything in return. It was heart warming and although it was physically and mentally hard for me these two days, I will never forget the people that were there for me. Thank you!

After an anxious 4 weeks (!!) of waiting, I finally get the message that my visa for Turkmenistan is approved! But, I am not sure when I have to enter Turkmenistan... So I don't want to take the risk and arrive too late at the border. This means I have to ride 750 kilometers to Mashad in Iran, to pick up the visa and I have 1,5 day to cover that distance. Let's ride!

After riding the last 240 kilometers to Mashad, and picking up my visa (yeah!), I am going to cross the border from Iran into Turkmenistan the next day. This was by far the most bizarre border crossing! Entering Turkmenistan was surreal and I'm still quite unsure what to think of Aschebad. Definitely ranks amongst one of the most fascinating cities I've ever been to.

After hours of riding straight through the desert of Turkmenistan, I reached Darvasa. From here, it was 7 kilometers over a sandy track through the sand dunes to the Darvasa Gas Crater (aka Gateway to Hell). To avoid getting stuck in sand by myself, I paid two locals 10 dollars to show me the way to the crater (and push me if I'd get stuck - which, luckily, didn't happen!). What a fascinating place! I've never seen anything like it, and it was definitely worth venturing out there. I rented a tent and spend the night there in the desert, which was fantastic!

Because of my short transit visa, I am flying through Turkmenistan and today already entering the next country: Uzbekistan! The road was not easy and full of potholes and especially the last 80 kilometres to the border were super bumpy and Basanti got a bit of a bashing today. Getting out of Turkmenistan was equally as bizarre as entering it and I'm quite glad to be in Uzbekistan where there is internet again and where I could enter without a visa and can stay much longer!

My first full riding day in Uzbekistan! I'm riding along the ancient Silk Road towards the silk town of Khiva. The old town of Khiva is almost like an museum, almost every building is a museum or centuries old building. I got pretty lost trying to find the hostel that I reserved for the night, but luckily there were plenty of friendly Uzbeks there to help me find my way :)

Basanti is suffering. The fuel quality in Uzbekistan is bad. I'm trying everything I can to get the best fuel possible, but it's still not very good. The low octane of the fuel decreases my fuel efficiency quite a bit so I can't venture and explore everywhere I can: I am riding from petrol station to petrol station... The road was not easy and full of potholes and especially the last 80 kilometres to the border were super bumpy and Basanti got a bit of a bashing today. Getting out of Turkmenistan was equally as bizarre as entering it and I'm quite glad to be in Uzbekistan where there is internet again and where I could enter without a visa and can stay much longer!

Finally I'm closing in on the border with Tajikistan. After a final bit of desert, the landscape is turning greener and greener. I reach Samarkand, a place in Uzbekistan with a long, long history and had the chance to wander around there for a bit. Finding engine oil here was yet another mission... motorbike life in Uzbekistan is not easy! The road was not easy and full of potholes and especially the last 80 kilometres to the border were super bumpy and Basanti got a bit of a bashing today. Getting out of Turkmenistan was equally as bizarre as entering it and I'm quite glad to be in Uzbekistan where there is internet again and where I could enter without a visa and can stay much longer!

The first real day of riding in Tajikistan! After the pouring rain the previous day, it cleared up and it turned out to be a fantastic ride! The scenery was stunning, the road amazing and the people welcoming and friendly. After riding so long in desert landscapes, I was just stoked to ride in mountains again. I had to cross several scary dark tunnels, the longest being 5.3 kilometers and absolutely terrifying. They call this the "Tunnel of Death" and I can see why! But, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. And in this case, crossing the tunnel was rewarded by gorgeous snow-capped mountains. I can't wait to ride more in Tajikistan!

After a long wait for the oil change for Basanti, I'm finally off again! I am riding towards the border with Afghanistan, the only road that is open at the moment. Riding so close to Afghanistan was thrilling, but it was mostly stunning. The scenery was just magnificent! The road started out great, but turned quite challenging near the end...

The ride into the Wakhan valley in Tajikistan continues! Today I'm riding towards the Bibi Fatima Hot Springs, which were a great refreshment during the ride! The views on the Hindu Kush in Afghanistan were just absolutely incredible, I couldn't get enough of it! When I arrived at the homestay in Hisor, my GoPro battery died, so the footage of the arrival at the homestay is unfortunately missing!

Today I am attempting a 240 kilometer ride alongside the border with Afghanistan over a bad, bad road. The road is muddy, there are steep cliffs and thousands of potholes... Will I make it today? I am riding towards the border with Afghanistan, the only road that is open at the moment. Riding so close to Afghanistan was thrilling, but it was mostly stunning. The scenery was just magnificent! The road started out great, but turned quite challenging near the end...

I am entering the remote Wakhan Valley in Tajikistan. Riding alongside the border with Afghanistan I'm reaching deep into the valley. This day's ride is from Khorog to Ishkashim. I am riding towards the border with Afghanistan, the only road that is open at the moment. Riding so close to Afghanistan was thrilling, but it was mostly stunning. The scenery was just magnificent! The road started out great, but turned quite challenging near the end...

To get back on the Pamir Highway from Wakhan valley, I have to cross 125 kilometres over a dirt track. This is the most remote I have ever ridden. No people for the entire stretch. But Basanti brought me safely over the mountain pass, through snow and over big rocks to the next village!

250 kilometers ride from Alichur to Karakul, crossing a pass at almost 4700 meters of altitude. Riding a motorcycle in conditions like these, early in the season is challenging! Ice cold wind and the altitude make you gasp for breath sometimes! But the vistas were so stunning that it was one of my most rewarding rides!

This was by far the hardest day on this journey. The icy cold wind and the altitude made me gasp for air. It was a difficult part of off-roading and I still can't believe I didn't drop Basanti. Did come close a few times! But I made it safe and sound to my next country: Kyrgyzstan!

I’ve finally left the high altitude behind and as I’m riding to Osh I’m descending to only 1000 meters of altitude. The roads here are great to ride, the scenery stunning and the local people busy moving their herds to different grazing grounds. Welcome to Kyrgyzstan!

Spring in Kyrgyzstan means green pastures and cattle being moved to different grazing grounds. This ride in Kyrgyzstan was just fantastic!

In today's encounter with local customs I'm trying a local dairy product. As much as I wanted to pretend I loved it, I just couldn't. I disliked it so much that I simply couldn't hide it! Luckily the ladies that sold the goods thought it was quite amusing that I didn't liked it, and the fact that one of their kids shared the same name as me also helped! :)

It's time for another border crossing. After the high altitude, very cold crossing from Tajikistan into Kyrgyzstan, I decided to cross the border close to Bishkek, which is a low altitude. I was fearing for the worst, but this border crossing turned out to be quite different than I'm used to!

Not all days can be riding days! There are all sorts of logistics, visas and motorcycle maintenance to get done along the way as well. Almaty in Kazachstan was the perfect place to get a lot of this done!

I have less than 2 weeks to make it from Almaty, all the way to the other side of Kazakhstan at the border with Russia. That means more than 3400 kilometers to cover. To start this epic flight through Kazakhstan, I decide to attempt the longest riding distance in one day so far: 608 kilometers. Let's GO!

Today I'm riding to Turkestan, one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Kazakhstan. It is home to the Yasaui Mausoleum, built in the 14th century to host the tomb of Sufi teacher and mystical poet Yasaui. The most impressive architectural building in Kazakhstan, it reminded me of the beautiful medrassas in Uzbekistan, which were also built by Timur.

In this episode I’m exploring Sauran. The ruins of the capital of the Mongol White Horde are now in a desolate area of Kazakhstan. Exploring it by myself, with the only company being a group of horses... The most impressive architectural building in Kazakhstan, it reminded me of the beautiful medrassas in Uzbekistan, which were also built by Timur.

In this episode I'm riding from Kyzylorda to Aralsk. On the way, I'm passing Baikonur, the place in Kazakhstan where rockets are being launched into space! I didn't get to see a launch, but I did walk through some pieces of old rocket laying around there - how cool is that! After a long and hot day of riding through semi-desert, I reached Aralsk. This town used to have it's harbour right at the Aral Sea, which was the 4th biggest lake in the world. Due to bad water management in the Sovjet times to irrigate cotton plantation, the Aral Sea almost entirely dried up. Kazakhstan is working hard on dams to try and restore the Aral Sea and at this moment the Aral Sea is 'only' 25 kilometers away from Aralsk. In a few years, this harbour should have water again!

In this episode I have to cover 617 kilometers from Aralsk to Aktobe, in Kazakhstan. This is about twice the distance I normally ride in one day, but I had to cover a huge stretch of dry, semi-desert in Kazakhstan. The only entertainment on the road are the camels that are staring into the distance on the side of the road. Buckle up, this is going to be a very, very long day! The most impressive architectural building in Kazakhstan, it reminded me of the beautiful medrassas in Uzbekistan, which were also built by Timur.

Another long, long day of riding though Kazakhstan. But, I'm making progress! The Russian border is coming closer every day. In this episode, I'm struggling with a bug plague that is covering Basanti and me in some serious bug goo.. The challenges one faces on the road!

In this episode, Basanti and me are ploughing through the final 510 kilometers of flat (boring) grasslands and semi-desert in Kazakhstan. Getting very close now to the border with Russia! I'm excited to enter Russia and see some different landscapes and have new adventures!

In this episode I'm riding from Atyrau in Kazakstan to Astrakhan in Russia. That means: another border crossing! But more importantly, it means: another country and hopefully a change of scenery! Welcome to Russia!

In this episode I'm riding from Astrakhan to Elista in Russia. It's the first full day of riding in Russia and there is plenty to see along the way!

In this episode I am riding from Elista to Stavropol in Russia. Getting stopped by police always makes me nervous and Russian police is no exception!

My transit visa for Russia was only valid for 7 days, so I'm blasting through Russia. This is already the last full day in Russia before I'm crossing the border into Georgia. Basanti and me are closing in on the mountains and are looking forward to curvy roads and stunning scenery!

With only a 7-day transit visa for Russia, I had to travel quickly. But now I made it to the border with Georgia! Another country for Basanti and me.. Let's go!

And BOOM! I'm crossing into Armenia today! But don't worry, I'll be back in Georgia very soon. But first, explore a bit of Armenia! Can't wait. Let's go!!

Today was the first full day of riding in Armenia. A day of off-road riding, stunning scenery and incredibly hospitable Armenian people. Being invited for lunch by strangers, and leaving with a new Armenian family was something I didn't see coming this day. I am loving this new country and its people!

Today I am exploring the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, or the Republic of Artsakh. Before traveling around in this region of the world, I had never even heard of it. But this is what traveling is all about! Discovering new places, meeting new people and having new experiences...

After a short detour to the Republic of Artsakh, I'm entering Armenia again! And wow, is this country amazing. I can't get enough of the hills, mountains and changing landscapes!

Today is my last full day of riding in Armenia before heading back to Georgia! It's a jam-packed day of riding past monasteries, castles, snow and having an unexpected (sip of a) vodka shot!

Today I'm crossing the border again from Armenia into Georgia! Time to ride a bit more around Georgia. But the weather ruins the plans! Luckily the next day Basanti and me have better luck and a great surprise in the evening! :)

Time to cross into Turkey! I've been looking forward to Turkey for a long time, after hearing so many amazing stories from other riders. The Turkish food, hospitality and variety of landscapes.. Let's go!

Today's ride is a mix of on-road, off-road and visiting some pretty old buildings - a ride in some of Turkey's fascinating history and nature! I'm riding from Kars to Dogubayazit!

In this episode I'm riding to Lake Van in Turkey. In an attempt to reach the lake via a dirt trail, things don't go exactly to plan. But this is all part of exploring and trying new things! And I got a great reward when I did make it to the lake :)

I didn't really know where I would end up this day. The distance was long, the roads unknown (well, they are always unknown actually) and the heat was taking its toll. But that's the good thing of traveling without a strict plan or schedule! You can adjust and change your plan as many times as you want :) So instead of riding to Malatya today, I made it to Mount Nemrut. It was a bit of a climb, but wow, the vistas were absolutely breathtaking!

Well, today is a long ride, without any exploring. It is extremely hot and I want to make it to Cappadocia in one day. I just can't wait to reach it!! But that's also part of traveling around the world by motorcycle. Sometimes you just have to cover long, boring stretches, just to reach the fun stuff!

Today is the day I get to explore Cappadocia in Turkey! What an incredible place and having two wheels means I get to go off the main tourist trails and have a small slice of Cappadocia just for myself and Basanti! Escaping the heat of this part of Turkey can be done via underground cities - explore Cappadocia above AND below ground!

I was excited to ride through the Turkish country side the entire day. The weather had different plans though and my mission to escape a bad storm begun... Escaping the heat of this part of Turkey can be done via underground cities - explore Cappadocia above AND below ground!

With Basanti needing a service and me having an entire list of things I need to get sorted, today's mission is to reach Istanbul. It's a long ride but Turkey has so much stunning scenery to offer, you just have to get off the highway to see it!

This is the last full day of riding in Turkey. So let's leave Turkey with a blast and go off-road!! What a day... riding through endless field of sunflowers, through forests and hills, over sandy and rocky trails.. welcome to the TET (Trans Europe Trail) in Turkey! I can highly recommend exploring the TET with your motorcycle!

Today I'm crossing the border from Turkey into Greece. This means I'm entering the EU for the first time with Basanti! I was very nervous for it, but it turned out to be very different than expected...

In today's episode, I'm visiting Meteora in Greece. What an incredible place! Unfortunately, being here in the high season means hordes of tourists, so I decide to admire the monasteries perched on rock outcrops from a distance together with Basanti!

Today I'm riding from Greece into Albania. Looking to ride some more of the TET (Trans Euro Trail), but this didn't go as expected...

This day had all the elements for me! Some off-road riding, great scenery, beautiful historical towns, chatting with locals and home-made food. Welcome to Albania!

Today I'm riding through the Kruje National Park and encountered some nice, rocky trail. I wonder why I didn't see other vehicles traveling this road...

Today I'm crossing the border from Albania into Montenegro. Montenegro is a very small country so it won't be long before I'm exciting this country again. But not before I explore some dirt tracks, attempt riding the TET (Trans Euro Trail) and have some traditional Montenegran food!

Today I'm riding from Montenegro into Bosnia. I wasn't planning on any off-roading, but sometimes picking small roads on maps.me can lead to some proper exploring! Riding this completely overgrown trail made me feel a little like Indiana Jones!

I changed my mind at the last minute and decided to ride to Croatia today to see the coast! I didn't cover a lot of distance this day but riding through the Biokovo National Park was all worth it!

Today I'm riding from Split to Plitvica National Park in Croatia. I'm trying to find some backroads along the way, which in the end, turned out to be a lot better than I expected!

Another day of riding the back-roads of Croatia! I chose a small road snaking through the forests over mostly unpaved road. Being stopped there by the police came as quite a surprise! Later, some locals told me the police was mostly likely looking for illegal immigrants who are passing through Croatia. Well, I didn't see anyone! What I loved about today was stumbling upon some ruins of the top of a hill which I paid a short visit. After the morning of exploring, Basanti also got a small service and I got to stay in a great apartment because of the hospitality of Sinisa, the owner of motorcycle shop Novema Nova!

I'm so excited to meet up with my friends Peter & Claudia again, who I met in Myanmar! The mission of today: reach Vienna!!

Alright people, I've almost reached the Netherlands! From Vienna to the border with Holland is about 1200 kilometers, so let's ride 600 kilometers today to make it half-way Germany. Now is not the time for exploring. It is time for a mission: reach The Netherlands after being away for a year and seeing everybody again. But let's not forget: it will be a short stay and I will prepare for the next adventure which will start very soon: Patagonia to Alaska!! Run, Basanti, run!

YES! Basanti and me made it! 36.000 kilometers after starting in Delhi, India - we are now in the Netherlands. Time for a short break, and prepare for the next trip: Patagonia to Alaska!!