Suzuki DR 350 a ride to Italy-Russia-Kazhakistan-Kirgyzstan-Uzbekistan

[Uncle Pollo]

bravo ragazzo!

qui bello riporte!!

[N.T.A]

Great report !

[momi20]

I was agree with my two friend (Sanzio and Pacchia) to meet in the point 5 of Bishkek Lonely Planet map, but my book was 5 years old, and their new. Fortunately my 5 point was their hotel and so we met in Bishkek.


















at the restaurant










at the disco (bad picture i know)




Next morning I take them to the bus station: I’m going to Osh (Uzbekistan border) and they are going to the lake. After one hour I went to the wrong way and take the direction to the Kazakistan border. Bad thing. A car begin to follow me and after a while come side by side. The driver was a cop, driving a normal car, without symbols. I could speak just some words in English and obviously Russian. I pretend to understand nothing, so he began to write. This kind of situations are the same all over the world: he wants money. Speed limit: obviously no radar no picture, nothing. In the scanner of the sheet you can see the haggling. The cop began asking 300$, but after one hour of contractions we went down to 50$. This sheet is the only souvenir that I bought during my trip: not cheap but really picturesque !



The road to Osh is spectacular





Pacchia and Sanzio told me to be careful to the tunnels on the road: no ventilation inside. But I have with me mask thet I use in my factory to protect from dust: it was ok.






in the mountain there aren’t gas station: you have to buy gas from yurta







a stop in a little bunch of hoses and yurta called Parish these guys are working in a little restaurant/motel: we made small talk about my trip and my country. I explained the big difference between Italian ladies and central Asia ladies: in my country at home the woman is the dictator.



they given to me the Shrek puppet as lucky charm







Around evening I reach Toktogul:
the hotel



the room



the shower: you had to go back to the hotel to take the water from the river



For the dinner I decided to go outside to buy something to eat in a shop: very dark and few people in the streets, but I heard music coming from a restaurant: a wedding. I asked to the owner to stay and have a dinner. Ok so went by my night :





restaurant owner












this girls are looking to my italian-russian phrase book

[momi20]

Please help me: teach the right way to put the video in the post

[conchscooter]

Robba da matti, un viaggio da Marco Polo che gia sembra un avventura degna di Roberto Patrignani. Aggiungi poi il fatto che e la prima moto, che dove vai ti accogliono a braccia aperte e riesci ad intrometterti ovunque- matrimoni, feste religiose...non ci fossero le foto (magnifiche) non ci crederei. Sei straordinario anche se sorridi -poco!

[momi20]

Originally Posted by conchscooter

Robba da matti, un viaggio da Marco Polo che gia sembra un avventura degna di Roberto Patrignani. Aggiungi poi il fatto che e la prima moto, che dove vai ti accogliono a braccia aperte e riesci ad intrometterti ovunque- matrimoni, feste religiose...non ci fossero le foto (magnifiche) non ci crederei. Sei straordinario anche se sorridi -poco!

Uelà un italian biker : mi ha fatto piacere leggere un post cui posso rispondere senza troppi strafalcioni. Col mio inglese è durissima !!!!!!!!!

[Kayakgk]

This is an AWESOME RIDE REPORT. Thank you for taking the time to do the write up and post the pictures this is one of the best.


Thanks Again

[taranaki]

indeed!!!


What a great report. It reminds me of:

-why I keep coming to this site

-my own solo 4 months in Europe as a kid

-how such travel informs the essential life lesson that people
are the same everywhere and that more often than not they
won't exploit you when you're vulnerable

-how small this planet really is and why it's important to put
aside petty bourgeois pretense/fear and GET OUT THERE!!


Thank you for taking the time to share this gift!!!!

[Flood]

Maurizio,
what a great report!

With your first bike, a little 350, all that way and SOLO! Thank you so much for all the work sharing it with us.

re:Youtube: just copy the "embed" code into the reply window here:




If you ever come to Vienna to play the Vikings, let me know (a friend of mine plays here).


Cheers& all the best,
Remigio

[momi20]

Originally Posted by Flood

Maurizio,
what a great report!

With your first bike, a little 350, all that way and SOLO! Thank you so much for all the work sharing it with us.
If you ever come to Vienna to play the Vikings, let me know (a friend of mine plays here).

Cheers& all the best,
Remigio

I've played against Vikings in the 1997, i think quarter final of Eurobowl. The game was Vienna Vikings-Phoenix Bologna. At the moment play with my team against Viking could be a suicide...for us
Thanks a lot...although my poor english it seems that people is undertanding my post

[Mark950]

Really great report and pics.



Looking forward to the rest.

[srileo]

Terrific story! Your english is immaterial - the story comes through superbly. I am in awe of the challenges you faced so gracefully - no language skills, no mechanical skills - just a lot of good heart and balls!!

Tahnks for posting. I should plan on getting back onto the road!

[momi20]

The day after the wedding I had planning to reach the Uzbekistan border









just a break for a coffee, but this men invited me: they are kazhakstan tourists !





when I had seen the italian write on the truck I decided to take a picture. It was just a italian truck bought in China (!) and it was used to transport this people to Russia (legal) = 3000 km (1.864 miles). A not really comfortable journey.









this man was running a charity marathon








Osh, the border with Uzbekistan…the last border



around 8 pm I reach Andjan







the day after I cross all the Fergana valley: so many roadblock, with army and police. The government of president Karimov is really similar to his kazhakstan partner Nazarbajev: opposition doesn’t exist !







I reach Tashkent in the afternoon: all shops and bank are close. I find the Ahlers Company office and I can meet with Diana Tomea, the head office. We begin to speak about motorcycle shipping and suddendly I understand: today is Sunday. Miss Tomea lives in an apartment above the office. She is sick today and just fortuitously is in the office. However I give to she photocopy of mine and motorcycle and start again. I’d like to drive and sleep between Tashkent and Samarcanda.



Around 7 pm I begin to search a motel, but I found just little city without it. Finally a city with a motel, 90 km after Tashkent. Ok ther’s a room. I put baggage in the room, but the owner suddenly explain that I can’t sleep in his motel: he hasn’t the tourist licence ! Don’t worry told to me: another motel just 60 km (32 miles): are you crazy ? It’s dark, 9,30 pm and I’m tired. Ok I sleep on the ground outside the motel. So began a frenetic sequence of telephone calls between the owner and some office. 10,00 pm: I have permission to sleep in the hotel, but I can’t go outside in the city : russian style, but it’s ok for me.



my dinner



in the morning I take a picture with this local biker 23 years old





good thing to have learned cyrillic: this signal means Samarcanda











finally Samarcanda





after the hotel, launch in a little bazar





first tourist stop to the Registan: wonderful























for the dinner, right in front of the Registan ther’s a little nice restaurant: you just have to indicate the little kebab and the chef prepare it immediately

[Fatbikez]

great pics. I am getting hungry looking at those kabobs!

[momi20]

Second day in Samarcanda: I wake up early and take direction to the bazar. Before to reach it a little stop in this mosque











the bazar: always the same always different





for breakfast nothing better than coffee and a homemade cake



















after the bazar the mosque Bibi Khanym























when i was leaving it arrived a funeral cortege





in the afternoon relax in the park near the university: this is the only “short kirt” I could see in the city



here I’m in the art department: in this auditorium there are live performances of students



listen to this guy: is singing in Italian



Morning: wake up and start to Bukara: this is a picture somewhere…just the 10.000 km ( 6.213 miles)







again heading toward Bukara: the smiling and reassuring president Karimov is always with you: really similar to the Kazakhstan president Nazarbajev: you don’t think so ?



I’m lucky, going to the centre of the city I found a nice cheap motel: the Matluba





I’d like to put baggage in the room and take a shower, but the wife of the owner was strict: before I had to eat…and finish everything in the dish. A mammy is the same all over the world