Happy Anniversary

By Steve Bouey in

February 12, 2008 – 6:07 pm

February 12, 2008. Exactly one year since we pulled out of the driveway in Denver, Colorado to begin our journey around the world. It is hard to believe that it has already been a year. In that time we have managed to travel through 37 countries… 33 of them with the Toyotas, and rack up about 31,000 miles (50,000 kilometers). We have seen more than you can imagine and have been through the good, the bad and the ugly, but mainly the outstanding. This truly has been the trip of a lifetime and the people we have met and the things we have experienced thus far will ensure that we will have stories to tell well into the next lifetime. For many, what we have already accomplished is a feat in and of itself and wether it is the Spanish baker, the German firefighter or the Swiss mountain guide, all of them tilt their head back in amazement when we tell them that we are only about halfway done. Well, I guess we are a little bit more than halfway done, but we still have a long road ahead of us.

We have all learned a lot about overland travel in the year that we have been gone. We have learned the ins and outs of the shipping business and the formalities and informalities of crossing a foreign border with a vehicle. We have been schooled in how to avoid paying bribes to overzealous cops and have become keen to situations that might actually merit paying one. We have also learned a lot about the Toyotas. We have learned how much punishment Little Pepe and the Tundra can take in countries where a road is an alien concept and have fortunately learned that we can take them well beyond what you can possible imagine. Depending on which way you look at it, fortunately or unfortunately, we still have many, many more lessons to learn. We are currently learning how much fun it is to clear car parts through Spanish customs and I am sure our edification will come hard and heavy in Western Africa. I guess that is what makes a trip around the world unique. Just when you think you are a veteran road warrior and know everything, you realize you know nothing. O.K., saying we know nothing is a pretty absurd statement, but sometimes it sure feels like it.

In any event, this past year has raced past faster than a Porsche 911 Turbo on the autobahn. That is usually an indication that you are having fun. The next 10 to 11 months will probably also race by just as fast but in the meantime, Africa and South America still await the arrival of TWBR. Are we ready? Next question…

By Steve Bouey | Posted in Expedition Updates, Trip Thoughts | Comments (0)

Thank You for Your Continued Support

By Steve Bouey in

February 8, 2008 – 5:13 am

The people who come to our website, the people who we meet on the street and those who send us e-mails with words of encouragement are a all a big part of the success of our expedition. From time to time we also get notified that someone has contributed financially to the expedition and to those who have, we are truly thankful. Most recently, we received support form Ken Gerlack and Bonnie Bouey (thanks mom!). Thank you both for your generous support of The World by Road… you have helped to ease the pain we have felt at the European pumps!

By Steve Bouey | Posted in Expedition Updates, Trip Thoughts | Comments (0)

New Photos – Azerbaijan and Georgia

By Steve Bouey in

February 7, 2008 – 5:09 am

After getting off the Caspian ferry, we made a b-line for McDonalds as the guys from Trabant Trek assured us that we would find one in Baku. Sounds sad, but after the week we had just been through, a Big Mac was just what the doctor ordered. We only spent two nights in Azerbaijan… the first night we slept in the trucks on a city sidestreet since the cheapest hotel we could find was over $250 per night. The second night we camped in a field on the way to the Georgian border so that pretty much encompasses our time and photos from Azerbaijan. Georgia was a great place and we found the capital city of Tbilisi to be exceptional. Everyone in Georgia was very friendly, including the secret police who held us at the border for several hours to ensure that we were not journalists trying to gain access in the country to report on the current political unrest and recent state of national emergency. To make up for it, they gave us a bunch of confiscated fruit! We also celebrated Thanksgiving in Georgia… far from home, but at least the country name reminded us of it.

Getting off the Caspian ferry in what we hope is Baku, AzerbaijanWe either slept in the trucks or camped as we made our way quickly through AzerbaijanA cold a foggy day at the Georgian borderSigns of Catholicism at the castle overlooking TbilisiKarie checking out the view from high above TbilisiThe ruins of Nari Kala castleThe castle bells are still operationalView of Tbilisi from the castle wallsView of Tbilisi from the castle wallsView of Tbilisi from the castle wallsAlthough it was overcast, the view was still worth the hikeThe castle doors are carved with the Bolnur-Katskhuri cross, the Georgian national emblem Georgia was the first predominantly Catholic country we had been to on the expedition Castle ruins hidden among the fall colorsThe statue of Kartlis Deda or Mother of Georgia looks over the city of TbilisiI think this Hellenic State property has been condemned It does not look that big but as you get closer, you realize the true scale of the statue The Kartlis Deda – Mother of GerogiaIt does not look that big but as you get closer, you realize the true scale of the statue Tbilisi, Georgia had a distinctly European feel Old cobbles from the street waiting to be replaced Monument to the crusades in Tbilisi An interesting sculpture in the center of Tbilisi Georgian writing is extremely difficult to read, but we all know what this sign means Ironic, because I heave a feeling this sheep is about to meet his makerThe entrance to Nari Kala castleOnce Karie got some American style stuffing in her, she was all smiles on Turkey DayOne of the many courses we had for Thanksgiving dinner at the Tbilisi Marriott

By Steve Bouey | Posted in Georgia, New Photos | Comments (1)

Expedition Stats

By Steve Bouey in

February 5, 2008 – 9:17 am

We are nearly finished with our European leg of the expedition and are currently in Spain. After a quick jaunt over to Portugal, we will be entering another new continent. We had an amazing time in Europe and will miss all of the new friends that we made very much. One thing we will not be missing to much of however, are the fuel prices here in Europe. Even the tax-free gas we purchased in Andorra was still nearly six bucks a gallon! We still have two more countries to go before we experience any relief at the pump, but if you are curious, check out the fuel prices and how much we have been spending to top off our tanks… ouch!

Expedition Stats

By Steve Bouey | Posted in The Toyotas, Trip Thoughts | Comments (0)

New Photos – Aktau

By Steve Bouey in

February 4, 2008 – 10:13 am

After driving through Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, we were confronted with a choice: try and drive through Turkmenistan and catch a ferry across the Caspian Sea to Baku, Azerbaijan or drive across the desert, back into Kazakhstan and catch a ferry across the Caspian Sea. After talking with some fellow travelers, overlanders and the guys from Trabant Trek, we decided that it was going to be a major pain to try and get through Turkmenistan. However, the problem with driving back through Kazakhstan and catching the ferry at Aktau is that not too many people have taken that route, so we had no information on road conditions and the ferry from Aktau, according to several sources, was far less reliable than its counterpart from Turkmenistan. Luckily for us, the day we arrived in Aktau was the day before the ferry left… the next one sailed in a week. After five hours of scrambling to get all kinds of different stamps for paperwork that we could not even read, we boarded the ferry but not before spending another six hours waiting to clear immigration. A couple of “security” bribes later and a few shots of confiscated Georgian hootch with the Kazakh border guards and we were on our way to Baku. It turned out to be an interesting yet extremely trying experience, and even when everything that could have gone right did, was still the longest three days of the expedition.

The Port of Aktau had plenty of security guards and officials running around but was probably the most unsecure port in the worlSince we had to wait in the parking lot for 10 hours to board the ferry, Karie and Tash cooked some foodI think this yacht belonged to the Kazakh customs officials The oil-rich Caspian has pumped billions of dollars into the Kazakhstan economyUnfortunately, very few Kazakhs ever see profits from the country’s new found life blood No fire extinguishers, but plenty of axes to fight firesIt looks like some of the art work was updated in the 70’sAfter spending over a day waiting for the ferry to leave, when it finally did, it was time to celebratePassengers on the ferry came in all shapes and sizesOur cabin was located in the deep, dark depths of the ferryAt least the unisex toilet was close to our cabinWe found a shower, but could not find any hot waterOnce aboard, we realized the ferry was probably older than most of our parentsThe ferry had an emergency phoneGiven the lack of crew, we wondered who would operate the life boats if the ferry went downMore axes in case of fireOil also pumps a lot of life into the Azerbaijan economyWe found what we think is the emergency escape ladderWe found out that the black boxes on boats are orange If we thought the port had lax security, they really didn’t care if you wandered around the ferryI guess the fire plans tell you how to use the axesSteve found one rusty crank with his headWe found some rusty cranksWe met some new friends from AzerbaijanBaku, Azerbaijan finally in the distance after the longest and hardest three days on the expeditionWe thought this guy was getting ready to drop the anchor in Baku, but he was just another passenger wandering around the open de

By Steve Bouey | Posted in Kazakhstan, New Photos | Comments (0)

New Photos – Moynaq

By Steve Bouey in

February 2, 2008 – 5:02 pm

Before we made it across the Qizilqum Desert and into Kazakhstan to catch the ferry across the Caspian Sea, we stopped by another great body of water… the Aral Sea. Unfortunately, the once thriving fishing village of Moynaq where we camped for the night is now nowhere near the shores of the Aral Sea. The desertification of the Aral Sea represents probably the largest man-made ecological disaster of our time and although the affects are far reaching, Moynaq is a very visible representation of just how much the receding waters have affected the lively hood of thousands of people.

After spending the night in the trucks at the border, we awoke to find food vendors ready to serve those of us who had been straAfter Moynaq, we headed across the desert and back into Kazakhstan to catch a ferry that hopefully was still floating in waterNice and clean but not for longApparently, they still use steam engines out hereWe were surprised to find that we were not the only ones headed to Kazakhstan via the middle of nowhereThe town on the western border between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan definitely did not have a McDonald’sHead west and you will find what you seek and in our case hopefully it is the Kazakh borderThe old Uzbekistan customs houseUzbek recreational vehicle Moynaq was once a thriving fishing village on the Aral SeaToday, not much remains of the Areal Sea near MoynaqThere is not much left for the people of Moynaq to do but salvage scrap metal from what remains of their fleetMost of the working parts have been salvaged from the boats and soon, so will the restThe boats are a visible reminder of the Aral Sea tragedy, but its effects go far beyond the fishing fleetThere is not much left for the people of Moynaq to do but salvage scrap metal from what remains of their fleetKarie exploring one of the many stranded fishing vessels at MoynaqThis boat has been bleached by the sun and rusted to the point of almost perfectly blending in with its desert tomb I guess it is more difficult than we can image to move an entire fishing villageIt makes you wonder why these boats were just left here and not moved as the water recededAn old anchorage lies rusting in the desert sandFinally, some local kids showed us where the ships wereWalking by the skeletal remains of the Moynaq fleet was surreal The efforts of the villagers to dig a canal to the receding shoreline is still visibleMoynaq is home to a ghost fleet of fishing boats but is was harder to find than we had thoughtThe once proud fishing fleet now sits rusting in the desert sandsThe village still remains, but without fishing, life is pretty difficult and the inhabitants suffer from a higher number of healThe present day shoreline of the Aral Sea lies more than 150 kilometers north of MoynaqBouey wonders what life must have been like in Moynaq while Karie tries to figure out how to use binocularsThe desertification of the Aral Sea has hit Moynaq especially hardThe efforts of the villagers to dig a canal to the receding shoreline is still visibleMost of the working parts have been salvaged from the boats and soon, so will the rest

By Steve Bouey | Posted in New Photos, Uzbekistan | Comments (1)

New Photos – Khiva

By Steve Bouey in

February 1, 2008 – 4:51 pm

Khiva is another ancient Silk road town in Uzbekistan and lies just a few kilometers north of Turkmenistan. Khiva is one of the western-most towns in Uzbekistan and beyond the historic walls of this mythical place lies the barren and inhospitable Qizilqum Desert. Khiva would be our last stop before heading out into the desert and the uncertainty of the remote western border crossing back into Kazakhstan.

Khiva sits just across the border from TurkmenistanSwinger reflects on his time in KhivaThe streets of Khiva were totally empty when we arrivedWandering the streets of Khiva was like exploring a maze with new surprises around every cornerNot long after sunrise, the streets and markets begin to come to life in KhivaAlthough smaller than Bukhara, Khiva has just as much charm and intrigue Khiva had a slightly different style of architecture than Samarkand and BukharaNothing out of the ordinary I guess, we are in the middle of the desert on the Silk RoadThe trademark sky blue tiles are still fully utilized in KhivaThis guy saw that Karie was not wearing a headscarf and ran away in fearYou can get lost wandering around the streets and alleys of KhivaAncient market stalls or prison cells? Swinger was not amused when we tried to trade him for some textiles Life seems to move at a much more acceptable pace in KhivaTash tries on a cashmere scarf at one of the many market stalls in Khiva Looks like a match, now its time to bargainFish from the nearby river for sale at the market in KhivaEven small market stalls pop up in the most random of placesThe local CD shop, complete with listening stationThe simplest of things can capture your attention for long periods of time in KhivaTrying to figure out if we can drive through the front gate of the city of KhivaLife seems to move at a much more acceptable pace in Khiva

By Steve Bouey | Posted in New Photos, Uzbekistan | Comments (1)

New Photos – Bukhara

By Steve Bouey in

January 31, 2008 – 4:50 pm

After a few days in Samarkand, we headed west to Bukhara, another spectacular Uzbek city. Many of us actually found Bukhara to be more amazing than Samarkand and it truly felt like taking a step back in time to bustling trading center on the Silk Road. Just when you think you have seen the most fascinating mosque or minaret you have ever seen, something even more awe inspiring awaits around the next corner in Bukhara. Uzbek hospitality continued to flourish in Bukhara and the food was great. Enjoy these photos, but unfortunately, they come far from doing Bukhara any justice.

Why does everything in Central Asia look like it is on the set of Star WarsBouey looks like a sucker so this girl tried to hit him up for moneyThe girl was definitely photogenicThe walls of the Ark in Bukhara resemble those of Jaba the Hut’s palaceAnother girl trying to hit Bouey up for money?Some local women cleaning up leaves outside the cracking walls of the ArkThe old and the older section of the Ark wallsRugs are a popular commodity in the markets in UzbekistanMany of the older mosques in this region of Central Asia are capped with sky blue, tiled domesThe Kalyan minaret is the centerpiece of the historic structures in BukharaThe ancient Mir-I Arab madrasah still functions as a school todaySteve wondering if he has what it takes to give up his western lifestyle and join the madrasahThe building itself is old but the door looks to have been around since the early days of the Silk RoadCriminals and other undesirables were executed by being thrown from the towerKazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan lost most of their culture thanks to the Soviets, but Uzbekistan managed to hold on to many of its traBukhara is a surreal place, almost like a movie setArches, doorways and windows lead everywhere and nowhereWe were in Bukhara in the off-season so it was mainly just TWBR and the localsEven the locals stop to admire the beauty of the mosque and study the ancient scriptThe delicate tile work is amazingThe halls of the madrasah were empty, but the sounds of prayer filled the airEach new doorway seemed to lead to courtyards that were more spectacular than the nextBouey trying to blend in at the Kalyan mosqueUzbeki-Steve at the Kalyan mosqueThe detail is complete, down to the carvings and inscriptions on the door itselfIt makes you wonder who has walked through these doors over the course of historyBusy markets are crowded under a complex assortment of domed passagewaysLocal women selling their textiles in front of Kalyan mosqueThe central pool in Bukhara has been a meeting place on the Silk Road for centuriesMany of the basins remain but the Soviets drained the water for fear of disease outbreaksAnother TWBR mascotThe central Bukhara complex at sunsetThe end of another day in Bukhara, UzbekistanKarie talking to an Austrian couple who has been stalking us since BishkekIt seems as if Caki’s cat Salter has followed us to Bukhara from DenverShenanigans in the desertWe were fortunate enough to enjoy such an amazing place while void of any crowds

By Steve Bouey | Posted in New Photos, Uzbekistan | Comments (1)

TWBR Update

By Steve Bouey in

January 30, 2008 – 4:40 pm

Just when we think we are getting caught up again, we realize that it has been a while since we have updated everyone on what we have been up to. The whirlwind through Europe continues. After an all out race to make the Newcastle ferry from Bergen, Norway (the ferry actually waited for us and literally pulled away from the dock as we were getting out of the trucks) we had a few days to catch our breath as we crossed the North Sea. However, the North Sea ferry crossing proved to be extremely rough and the weather tossed the mammoth Queen of Scandinavia around like a bathtub toy. Crashing glasses and dinnerware coupled with vomiting passengers made for an interesting ride and what should have taken a little more than 24 hours was stretched out to more than 30 as a result of the foul weather.

_DSC0613

Once the Dutch deckhands found out what we were doing, they did not mind the wait

Upon our arrival in Newcastle, we quickly made our way down to London in order to pick up Shoppman’s parents who were going to be joining us for the next 10 days. London was a cool place and we spent a few days taking in the sights while taking down some pints of local ale. After completing an interview with the highly circulated and prestigious Guardian, we were able to meet up with our friend Chris. Chris is a U.K. native but was living in Denver during the preparation phases of the expedition and we got to be pretty good friends, in part because his sister Kate was the Community Relations coordinator for the Denver Center for International Studies. Our time in London was brief and we soon found ourselves making our way south to Portsmouth to catch yet another ferry, this time across the English Channel to France. We did detour via Stonehenge and contrary to what an unnamed guidebook referred to as an anticlimactic experience actually found it to be well worth our time.

_DSC0658

Steve, Judy and Tom outside the gates to Hyde Park

_DSC0737

Stonehenge baby, yeah!

France proved to be another whirlwind as Shoppman and I spend the majority of our time “Africanizing” the Tundra. We thought the process of beefing up the Tundra would take only a day yet it ended up taking the better part of four. The entire process would have taken even longer if the new coil over suspension and leaf springs had not been confiscated by TSA “officials” in the States. Thanks to that little problem, we are now trying to find a garage that can help us in Barcelona, setting up another hectic couple of days in a few weeks. Part of the TWBR team which now included Shoppman’s mom Judy and stepfather Tom and Craig the Kiwi, took in the Parisian sights while the others occupied their time setting things up down the road and getting dirty with some amazingly helpful and knowledgeable French mechanics in the Paris suburb of …. famous for being the birth and final resting place of Vincent Van Gogh. Between the gouda and grease we did squeeze in a magazine shoot for a French Toyota magazine and met up with another crazy overlander, Marc Mellet, who was introduced to us by our buddy Chinzo back in Mongolia… it is indeed a small world.

_DSC0001

Alan from FOXY getting to work on the Thundra

_DSC0199

Blocking traffic at the L’ Arc de Triumph

_DSC0225

With the Thundra ready to rock, we off-roaded up some steps to get a great shot of the Eiffel tower at sunset just before the cops came

Before we knew it, Judy and Tom had come and gone and we found ourselves back in Germany. Nearly two years ago, I did an Ironmam triathlon in the small Bavarian town of Hilpoltstein and met some amazing people. At the time, TWBR was in its fledgling stages and I told my new German friends that if everything panned out, I would be back in Hilpoltstein on our expedition in a year or so. Well, 30,000 miles later, we crested the Solarberg, the toughest part of the bike leg of the triathlon and Diana and Luggi were there to greet us and show the TWBR crew three days of unprecedented hospitality… Bavarian style. Alas, our time in Hilpoltstein came to an end far too quickly and it was time to say goodbye. While holding back tears, I once again left Diana, Luggi, Felix, Ana and my ever-growing family in Hilpoltstein. At the same time, I was reassured that this small town seven kilometers off the A9 will forever hold a special place in my heart and it was certainly not the last time I would see my friends here in Bavarian Germany.

_DSC0582

Luggi, Diana and Felix… amazing people, awesome friends

_DSC0594

Group photo with the Hilpoltstein Volunteer Fire Department

So in an extremely brief fashion, that basically brings you up to date with us here in Grindelwald, nestled in the heart of the Swiss Alps enjoying some skiing, ice climbing and other activities courtesy of the Swiss Board of Tourism. TWBR will be calling Switzerland home for the next four days or so and then we head southwest through Italy and revisit France before entering Portugal and Spain via Andorra where we hope to finish our final Africa preparations in a timely manner so we can enter Morocco on schedule in few weeks!

By Steve Bouey | Posted in England, Expedition Updates, France, Germany, Switzerland, The Toyotas | Comments (1)

Uzbekistan – The Breakfast

By Steve Bouey in

January 23, 2008 – 5:04 am

When you drive your own vehicle, you get the opportunity to have some pretty unique experiences. One of those experiences happened just outside of Samarkand, UZ. We had pushed through from Tashkent but arrived near Samarkand pretty late in the evening so decided to spend the night in the trucks near an open field. We awoke early in the morning to find a curious farmer tapping on the window. One farmer quickly multiplied into a small crowd of curious locals interested in knowing what four westerners and their strange trucks were doing near their field. It took a while, but we were able to communicate what we were attempting to do and soon found ourselves invited to breakfast in the nearby village. It was quite an occasion and we were all humbled by the extreme generosity and hospitality we were shown by complete strangers. “The Breakfast” will, without a doubt, be one of the highlights of the expedition.

After a group photo, the locals invited us to their house for breakfastWe awoke one morning after sleeping in the trucks to some curious local farmers and herdersUzbeks in the countryside wear very traditional clothingTash trying to explain why we were sleeping in our truck near their fieldBreakfast started out with some breadOne loaf of homemade bread turned into fourWe were taken back to a very traditional Uzbek houseUzbek camouflage This is the best tea you will ever haveSomewhat traditional toiletSomewhat traditional roofing materialsTraditional construction style in the Uzbek countrysideThe family kept an interesting mix of goats and sheep in the back yardOnce word got out that foreigners were in the village, neighbors from all around started to show upEven the little ones where curious about the breakfast guestsBefore we knew it, we had a feast in front of usThe guys showed us the back yard and the father showed us his truckAfter breakfast, the women showed Karie and Tash where the kitchen wasIt seemed like everyone wanted to drive the trucksAfter breakfast, we showed everyone the trucks

By Steve Bouey | Posted in New Photos, Uzbekistan | Comments (1)