Stats
UPDATED 18AUG2009 in Quebec, Canada
Days since departure:
1.225
Countries visited:
39 (excl. Denmark)
Distance cycled:
52.075 km
Favourite countries: (see this link): Tough call!
Australia, Nepal, Uzbekistan, Thailand, Kyrgyzstan, Tonga, Romania, Indonesia, China/Tibet, Turkey, Argentina, Colombia, USA…
Least Social Period:
4 weeks with only 3 proper conversations, Vietnam
Most Friendships Made In:
Australia, USA.
Most Social Places:
Christmas (2006) with my family, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam.
Christmas + NYE (2007) with friends in Sorrento, VIC, Australia
Rainbow Serpent Festival, Victoria, Australia (January 2008)
Chiang Mai (TH), Koh Tao (TH), Hanoi (VN), Gili Trawangan (Indonesia), Istanbul (Turkey), Kathmandu (Nepal), Siem Reap (Cambodia), Singapore, Batchelor Butterfly Farm (NT/OZ), Barossa Valley (SA/OZ), La Paz (Bolivia), Lima (Peru), Máncora (Peru), Antigua (Guatemala), New York (USA)…
Longest period without paying for accomodation:
73 days (and counting) from Hampton Springs, USA to Quebec, Canada (thanks to all!).
Most expensive accomodation:
Nysa, Southern Poland: 37 USD/night
Most Disheartening Cultural Experience:
A visit at the Auschwitz Birkenau Extermination Camp
Toughest Cycling:
Crossing the Tibetan Plateau (October-November 2006)
Easiest Cycling:
155 km from Twizel to Oamaru, New Zealand (downhill, no wind)
Happiest Shopping:
My new Canon EOS 50D SLR camera (New York, July 2009).
Hardest Climb:
Taldyk Pass (3650m), unfair and sandy switchbacks, Kyrgyzstan
Chiragsaldi pass (4.980 m), Xinjiang, China
Cristo Redentor Pass crossing the Andes (from Santiago, Chile to Mendoza, Argentina).
Short killer climbs (20+%) on northern Lombok, Indonesia.
Several in north-east Laos.
Craziest headwind:
Viento Zonda, Betw. Mendoza and San Juan (incl. sandstorm), western Argentina.
Warmest Cycling:
Desert, Turkmenistan (August 2006): 44 C
5 days crossing Azerbaijan (August 2006): 43 C
Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand (May 2007): 41 C
Coldest Night:
Aksay Chin Plateau, China (October 2006): -13 C inside morning tent
Highest mountain pass (on bike):
Tong La Pass, Tibetan Plateau, 5050m
Highest altitude (trekking):
Kora. The Holy Circumnavigation (by foot) of Mt. Kailash, Tibet, 5.700m
Most Wonderful Descents: (tough one - there’s been a lot)
10 km between Phonsavan and Luang Prabang, Laos
15 km from Homer Tunnel to Milford Sound, New Zealand
20 km from Dalat Highlands to Coast S of Nha Trang, Vietnam
Most Isolated Rides:
Aksay Chin Plateau, Western China
Crossing the Australian Outback (a very distant second)
Most Beautiful Rides: (too many to chose from)
Xamnua to Phonsavan, north-eastern Laos
Sary Tash, Kyrgyzstan to Kashgar, Xinjiang Province, western China
Quebrada de Cafayate, north-western Argentina.
Worst Wild Camping Spot:
Khao Sam Roi Yot Nat. Park, Thailand (30 C night temp, no breeze, mosquito infested)
Best Wild Camping Spot: (Numerous)
Upper Eglington River, Southland Nat. Park, New Zealand
South West Coast, Bali, Indonesia
Plenty in the Australian Outback.
Lowest Daily Average:
9.92 km/h over 66 km, Km 395 -> Km 458, Xinjiang, W. China
Worst Road Surface:
5 days of sandy, rough washboard from Saga to Friendship Hwy, Tibet.
Southern Bolivia, from Villazon to Potosi.
Flat tyres:(I don’t really count anymore - it’s not superstition)
But approx. 17 (+ 7 in a day due to “inner tube problems”)
Stopped by the US police for highway cycling or crossing bridges:
6-7 times - no fines, generally friendly guys.
Escorts in the back of locked police cars, across the Mississippi River (stopped for cycling on bridge): 1 time (May 2009)
Stopped by Australian police for not wearing a helmet:
5 times
Number of fines for not wearing a helmet in Australia:
0
Distance cycled in the Americas:
19.400 km
Stopped by New Zealand police for not wearing a helmet:
3 times
Number of fines for not wearing a helmet in New Zealand:
1 (still pending…)
Stopped by bird flu check points:
5 times (Romania, 2006)
Most photogenic places:
(See here…)
Days Since I Last Saw My Sister & My Parents:
960
Days Since I Last Saw (most of my) friends:
1227
Total hits on the WT site and Flickr photos:
1.650.000
Photos taken since departure:
Approximately 90.000
Bike crashes:
2 (1 in USA, not serious. 1 in Tibet, more serious)
Bad bellies:
Just 2
Insects in the mouth/eyes:
Too many
Number of encountered Australian bush flies:
Approx. 865.750.000.000
Longest period without a shower:
Approx. 14 days (Tibet, 2006)
Fastest cycling day:
28.2 km/h (over 170 km from Matamoros (Mexico) -> Riviera (USA))
26.1 km/h (over 116 km from Tennant Creek -> Wauchope, OZ)
Longest cycling day:
10h 22m (over 200.6 km from Ti-Tree -> Alice Springs, OZ)
Number of survived earthquakes:
1 (7.9 at its epicentre, Western Java, 2007)
Max. distance in a day:
226 km (from Glendambo and south, OZ outback)
Min. expenses in a day:
0 USD
Max. speed:
82,5 km/h, near Lake Tatvan, eastern Turkey - yeehaa!
(not including the mad unofficial record that I can’t talk about)
Max. litres of liquid consumed in a day:
22 L (OZ outback)
Number of tooth brushes:
7
Longest distance on the same tyre:
An amazing 31.000 km, from Uzbekistan (SEP2006) to Peru (DEC2008). God bless the Schwalbe Marathon XR!
Number of postcards sent:
0
Number of underwear worn out:
6
Most Expensive Internet:
Moorea, French Polynesia: A whopping 15 USD/hour
Cheapest Internet:
Sukhothai, Northern Thailand: 30 US cents/hour
Potosi, Bolivia: 30 US cents/hour
Cheapest Countries:
Indonesia (8 USD/day), Vietnam (10 USD/day),
Most Expensive Country:
French Polynesia
Best Food:
Singapore, Thailand
Number of Facebook Friends:
896
Worst Food:
Too many instant noodles while crossing Tibet
Most Beautiful Days:
See Top 60 Days of Beauty
**************************************************
UPDATED 28SEP2008 in Potosí, Bolivia
Days since departure:
903
Countries visited:
27 (excl. Denmark)
Distance cycled:
35.353 km
Favourite countries: (see this link): Tough call!
Australia, Nepal, Uzbekistan, Thailand, Kyrgyzstan, Tonga, Romania, Indonesia, China/Tibet, Turkey, Argentina…
Least Social Period:
4 weeks with only 3 proper conversations, Vietnam
Most Social Places:
Christmas (2006) with my family, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam.
Christmas + NYE (2007) with friends in Sorrento, VIC, Australia
Rainbow Serpent Festival, Victoria, Australia (January 2008)
Chiang Mai (TH), Koh Tao (TH), Hanoi (VN), Gili Trawangan (Indonesia), Istanbul (Turkey), Kathmandu (Nepla), Siem Reap (Cambodia), Singapore, Batchelor Butterfly Farm (NT/OZ), Barossa Valley (SA/OZ).
Longest period without paying for accomodation:
46 days: From Auckland via French Polynesia, Easter Island to Santiago, Chile (thanks to all!).
Most expensive accomodation:
Nysa, Southern Poland: 37 USD/night
Toughest Cycling:
Crossing the Tibetan Plateau (October-November 2006)
Easiest Cycling:
155 km from Twizel to Oamaru, New Zealand (downhill, no wind)
Hardest Climb:
Taldyk Pass (3650m), unfair and sandy switchbacks, Kyrgyzstan
Chiragsaldi pass (4.980 m), Xinjiang, China
Cristo Redentor Pass crossing the Andes (from Santiago, Chile to Mendoza, Argentina).
Short killer climbs (20+%) on northern Lombok, Indonesia.
Several in north-east Laos.
Craziest headwind:
Viento Zonda, Betw. Mendoza and San Juan (incl. sandstorm), western Argentina.
Warmest Cycling:
Desert, Turkmenistan (August 2006): 44 C
5 days crossing Azerbaijan (August 2006): 43 C
Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand (May 2007): 41 C
Coldest Night:
Aksay Chin Plateau, China (October 2006): -13 C inside morning tent
Highest mountain pass (on bike):
Tong La Pass, Tibetan Plateau, 5050m
Highest altitude (trekking):
Kora. The Holy Circumnavigation of Mt. Kailash, Tibet, 5.700m
Most Wonderful Descents: (tough one - there’s been a lot)
10 km between Phonsavan and Luang Prabang, Laos
15 km from Homer Tunnel to Milford Sound, New Zealand
20 km from Dalat Highlands to Coast S of Nha Trang, Vietnam
Most Isolated Rides:
Aksay Chin Plateau, Western China
Crossing the Australian Outback (a very distant second)
Most Beautiful Rides: (too many to chose from)
Xamnua to Phonsavan, north-eastern Laos
Sary Tash, Kyrgyzstan to Kashgar, Xinjiang Province, western China
Quebrada de Cafayate, north-western Argentina.
Worst Wild Camping Spot:
Khao Sam Roi Yot Nat. Park, Thailand (30 C night temp, no breeze, mosquito infested)
Best Wild Camping Spot: (Numerous)
Upper Eglington River, Southland Nat. Park, New Zealand
South West Coast, Bali, Indonesia
Plenty in the Australian Outback.
Lowest Daily Average:
9.92 km/h over 66 km, Km 395 -> Km 458, Xinjiang, W. China
Worst Road Surface:
5 days of sandy, rough washboard from Saga to Friendship Hwy, Tibet.
Southern Bolivia, from Villazon to Potosi.
Flat tyres:(I don’t really count anymore - it’s not superstition)
But approx. 17 (+ 7 in a day due to “inner tube problems”)
Stopped by Australian police for not wearing a helmet:
5 times
Number of fines for not wearing a helmet in Australia:
0
Stopped by New Zealand police for not wearing a helmet:
3 times
Number of fines for not wearing a helmet in New Zealand:
1 (still pending…)
Stopped by bird flu check points:
5 times (Romania, 2006)
Most photogenic places:
(See here…)
Bike crashes:
1 (Tibet)
Bad bellies:
Just 2
Insects in the mouth/eyes:
Too many
Number of encountered Australian bush flies:
Approx. 865.750.000.000
Longest period without a shower:
Approx. 14 days (Tibet, 2006)
Fastest cycling day:
26.1 km/h (over 116 km from Tennant Creek -> Wauchope, OZ)
Longest cycling day:
10h 22m (over 200.6 km from Ti-Tree -> Alice Springs, OZ)
Number of survived earthquakes:
1 (7.9 at its epicentre, Western Java, 2007)
Max. distance in a day:
226 km (from Glendambo and south, OZ outback)
Min. expenses in a day:
0 USD
Max. speed:
82,5 km/h, near Lake Tatvan, eastern Turkey - yeehaa!
Max. litres of liquid consumed in a day:
22 L (OZ outback)
Number of tooth brushes:
4
Longest distance on the same tyre:
An amazing 26.000 km (an still counting!) God bless the Schwalbe Marathon XR!
Number of postcards sent:
0
Number of underwear worn out:
5
Most Expensive Internet:
Moorea, French Polynesia: A whopping 15 USD/hour
Cheapest Internet:
Sukhothai, Northern Thailand: 30 US cents/hour
Potosi, Bolivia: 30 US cents/hour
Cheapest Countries:
Indonesia (8 USD/day), Vietnam (10 USD/day),
Most Expensive Country:
French Polynesia
Best Food:
Singapore, Thailand
Worst Food:
Too many instant noodles while crossing Tibet
Most Beautiful Days:
See Top 60 Days of Beauty