arctic-cycler.com

I have almost cycled across Turkmenistan in 3 days – just 40km tomorrow to the border. Today I drank 10 litres of water and 3.5 litres of soft drink. I cycled 190km through temperatures up to 41.1C, with a moderate headwind from 11 to 4 o’clock. And I met lovely people in the desert. The desert is vast, hot, and beautiful!

Bikes at sunrise

The desert contains sand, camels, camel signs, and 12% slope signs (even though the slope would not have been more than 3%).

Camel

Camel sign

Steep?

The desert also contains little cute black beetles that patrol the dunes. Their footprints criss-cross the scorching sand.

Beetle

And the desert contains little villages on the train line – every 15km or so. When the heat was approaching being unbearable, I went into one of the villages and had a lovely talk with the shop owner and her children.

Shop owner

Desert animals

Hot!!

I also passed 11000km today – in the morning before the wind and the heat started.

11000km

I cycled on into the evening, and arrived at a hotel in Turkmenabat, only to be called out to by Thomas. Huh? He was miles behind me. He had taken a bus 80km back as it was too hot and too far to Turkmenabat. We are now all ready to leave Turkmenistan within the 4 days. I am proud to have made it.