Up to the 50,000 KM

On to the 50,000 kilometer

Let’s get this weblog more clear. After over 40,000 kilometer and 4 years on the road (mostly, as I have been home in The Netherlands to be with mom, and dad) with Shanti bicycle I am going to lead you around:

Countries

Cycling through so many countries can be hard to find the post you want. How many countries, you may ask? Perhaps over 90, half of which I cycled…

• Posts about Africa

• Posts about Europe

• Posts about the Middle East & Indian Subcontinent

• Posts about the America’s

Some continents needs extra attention, and I have made a useful A to Z. Especially India is good to read. Brimming to the rim with experiences.

• A to Z for Africa

• A to Z for India

Kilometers, facts and general information. All about the distances I make, the fastest speed I go by, the amount of tarmac and gravel I cycle on, and technical troubles along the road.

• Africa

• Europe

• Middle East & Indian Subcontinent

• The America’s

Gear

I had a closer look at how gear behaved and made several updates about it

• ‘Gear’ is the full list of items I have bought. Divided by stuff which is useless, therefore left home, and stuff which is always with me. You will notice you initially buy too much, and that’s a waste of money.

• The ‘15.000 kilometer gear update’ shows how gear kept together after cycling from the Netherlands to Cameroon, Africa. It’s an innocent point of view as most gear can handle a mere 15,000 km, but what about the bicycle?

• The ‘Review’ shows what my experience is with gear in general.

• ‘Big Brands Blemishes’ is a very honest account of what expensive items promise and not act out on, or how wonderful they truly are!

• I have gathered ideas from other people I have met and things I found out myself under ‘Tips’, some great idea’s are to be found. For example how to soak beans on the bicycle…

Photo Gallery

One best photo of each country cycled through

• One long page with a photo of every country, from the Netherlands to Cameroon, Netherlands to Turkey, and Turkey to India. South America will follow in due time. I am even more focusing on photography at the moment, I think my photo’s get better and better, but it is a rather impossible task to find one best photo. For the USA or India for example, one best photo is more about feelings then about true beauty. But, decide for yourself…

Facts & Figures

Numbers and dates about brake-downs and replacements

• ‘Facts & Figures’ is a list about the many events that the bicycle broke down, needed repair, and replacement parts. It’s impressive, if I may say so.

• ‘Tools & Things’ is a list of the tools I have always carry with me.

• ‘Spare & Repair’ is a list of the spare parts I have with me to repair the air mattress, the panniers and the bicycle.

Woman department

Tricks and ideas on how to keep overeager men at bay

• ‘Hints for Women’ is about my gathered experiences on how to avoid being seen as an easy target and how to do away with our European behavior which lead to unwanted actions from lonesome men in high need.

• ‘Woman Department’ is about specific things for women, as there are thingies which are really handy for us, such as our periods while we are in the saddle.

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Questions I ask myself

• Reflections while on and off the bicycle, allow me to have deeper thoughts on life as well as my annoyance on some Iranian men.

• ‘Mirror View’ is a questionnaire related to cycling, where I ponder about a certain topic and ask an associated person her or his view.

• ‘Frequently asked Questions’ are questions by people I meet on the road. Some questions are so funny that I doubt they are serious? This is recently updated; new questions added from the South American mind.

Donations

Hosting and donations

• A ‘Thank You’ to people who have hosted me and who donated spontaneously. It seems that my first sponsored item has come to me, without asking for it (It’s a water filter, not yet very handy in a desert without water).

Shop

Handmade embroidery in worldly designs

• Creativity is a big part of my character, I need an outflow and I have made a separate weblog: ‘shop’. Will you support me? My sister back home will sent the beautiful handmade products to your address gladly : )

 Interviews

Short interviews by local newspapers or other cyclists

• Some interviews were held in India, Dubai and my hometown village.

• Meet with Heike, a German cyclist 3.5 years on the road.

• Meet with Loretta, a Canadian who wrote a book about hundreds of other female cyclists.

Video

Short bouts of happiness captured by a non-technical one

• ‘Cindy in Motion’ done with a Samsung phone.

• A professional promotional short movie for Focus on Education (Dutch).

Focus on Education

A Dutch based organization focusing mostly on India and Africa

• A heart touching story about ‘untouchable’ low caste girls who clear ‘shit’ for a living -where else than in India- and get a chance to abandon this lifestyle. A truly insightful story…

• The life of an herbal doctor in Gambia, Africa (and in Dutch)

Food

Self fabricated and less self-invented recipes

• ‘Recipes for the Road’ are easy and simple and sometimes not, for when you have a real kitchen at your disposal. Besides preparing your own bread, masala spices and pasta for the South American gravel high altitude routes, it contains a lot more.

Why Hurry

Simplicity needs not much words, yet here’s a post about it anyway, as I want to support the title of the blog

• ‘Unwind in 7 simple ways’ shows a post too simple for further explanation.