Total days: 317
Countries visited: 19
Total Mileage: 20,000 miles
Hardest drive 1st: Ashgabat (Turkmenistan) to Bukhara (Uzbekistan)
Hardest drive 2nd: Mengla (China) to Udomxai (Laos)
Scariest drive 1st: Osh to Sary Tash Mountain Pass (Kyrgyzstan)
Scariest drive 2nd: Driving into Osh - the burnt out quarter
Longest drive (hrs): 17 hours, Kashgar to Kuche (China) arrived at 3am
Longest drive (km): 920km, Nullarbor Plain Australia
Highest drive: 3330m, Otmok Pass, Kyrgyzstan
Lowest drive: 150m below sea level, Turpan, China
Hottest day: 48°C Karakum Desert, Turkmenistan
Coldest day: 4°C Sary Tash, Kyrgyzstan
Muggiest day: Caspian Coast, Iran
Muggiest night: Krabi, Thailand
Worst road 1st: Ashgabat to Mary (Turkmenistan)
Worst road 2nd: Osh to Sary Tash, Kyrgyzstan
Border Crossings
Longest Border Crossing: 6 hours Turkey/Iran
Bribes asked for: 2
Bribes given: 2
Vehicle Breakdowns:
Turkey: Scammed into replacing half-shaft
Iran: Front right brake problem
Turkmenistan: Front right brake problem
Uzbekistan: Electrical problem with gear selector
Kyrgyzstan: Broken electric window motor and bent undercarriage
China: Fuel pump problem and new injectors
Laos: Fuel pump recalibration and new fuel line
Malaysia: Fitted emergency handbrake and repainted undercarriage
Australia: New accelerator and brake hand-control and faulty lift
Longest breakdown: 8 weeks in Laos
Calls to Frogs Island 4x4: Once a month
Black market diesel runs: 3
Miranda stalled in China: Too many
Punctures: 1
Overheated: Miranda: 1 Colin: countless times Chrissy: 1
Times used jerry can: 0
Times used water spray: Countless to cool Colin down & once for a shower
Services: 4
Colin & Chrissy
Bouts of diarrhoea: Chrissy: 2
Days wearing a hijab: Chrissy: 13
Days wearing flipflops: Chrissy: 317
Days wearing slippers: Colin: 317
Pressure sores: Colin: 1
Given begging money: Colin: 8
Accepted begging money: Colin: 0
Wheelchair broke: 1
Invites to someone’s home/campsite/restaurant:
Austria: 1
Serbia 2
Turkey: 3
Iran: 1 visit but lost count of invites
Kyrgyzstan: 1 visit in a Yurt and 2 other times
China: 2
Laos: 1 gazillion
Malaysia: 1 trazillion
Australia: 10 bazillion
Amazing moments
Switzerland/Austria/Serbia: Catching up with old friends
Turkey: Visiting Gallipoli War Memorials
Turkey: Watching air balloons and the sun coming up in Goreme
Turkey: Visiting Ephesus, an ancient port on The Silk Route
Turkey: Goreme at the carpet shop & meeting the locals
Iran: Going to the Ebadi’s for dinner and breakfast
Iran: Meeting the people and camping in car parks
Iran: The experience in healers gorge & the Kopet Dag mts
Turkmenistan: Completing the drive across the Karakum Desert
Turkmenistan: Visiting the ancient city of Merv
Uzbekistan: Visiting the ancient cities of Bukhara and Samarkand
Kazakhstan: Ummmm visiting Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan: Sleeping in a Yurt
Kyrgyzstan: Meeting locals/aid-workers in Osh & hearing their stories
Kyrgyzstan: Crossing the Irkeshtam Pass
China: Kashgar & witnessing the end of Ramadan ceremony
China: Eating Sichuan Food
China: Arriving in Xian the end of The Silk Road
China: Visiting the Terracotta Army
China: Great friendship formed with Louis Long
Laos: Riding tuk-tuks and meeting new friends
Laos: Visiting Cope
Thailand: Driving into Bangkok & the southwest coastline
Malaysia: 1Dollar & friends and Double Zero, family & friends
Singapore: Overnight train and meeting new friends
Bali: Trip in a pick-up & visiting Senang Hati Foundation
Surreal Moments
Kyrgyzstan: Driving into the burnt out area of Osh and witnessing the aftermath of human conflict.
China: Seeing a whole hill blown up in the distance
Australia: After seeing the faces change as we drove from the UK to Singapore we arrived in Australia to see European looking people again and totally different fauna and flora
