Sebastian: After around 14 hours in a matchbox like airplane we finally reach Frankfurt where I need some time to feel my legs again. I leave the plane a bit after Martin and when I finally get out guess where I find him… in a smokers box, a glass cage for the poor addicted members of our society (some would call it the real freedom, wouldn’t they?). After an intensive intoxication Martin is ready for the next step, which is picking up the bikes from customs. With an airport bus we reach the cargo department where we have our first nice surprise. The lady at the entrance is a motorcycle fan and goes completely nuts when we tell her what we are just about to finish – our trip around the world. With a big, warm smile she hands us the entrance pass and we head to the customs office where we have to wait just a few moments before,… yes before we have to pay the transport :).

Martin: After a bit more than 3 months I´m finally about to see my better half again! 🙂 The only tricky thing is that she´s arriving the next day… in 1100km far Santiago. So after we pick up the bikes I quickly head up north, Sebas acompanying me until he takes the exit to Argentina. My first stop is Temuco, where our friend Gerardo invited me to stay over at his place. The drive is not really enjoyable, I’m pretty hungover and tired from last evening’s binge and think I’m dreaming, as about 50 kilometers before Temuco Gerardo overtakes me with his Africa Twin. The crazy guy waited for me an hour at a gas station to pick me up and ride together to his place 🙂 We spend a great evening together and I’m very happy I could meet him again.

Sebastian: Soooo, where were we? Ah yes, we just started our livelong trip on the bus from Lima to Valparaiso. The only time we gret of the bus is when we cross the border and later in Santiago to take a last bus to Valparaiso. I can tell you that 60 hours on a bus is not what I call fun… but whatever!!! We are about to get reunited with our babies, livepartners, best friends, pets or however you want to call them… ok, let’s just say with our bikes! When we arrive in Valparaiso we have to take a taxi (that you share with other people and that has a fix route, just like a bus) to get to the so called Villa Kunterbunt. It’s a hostel for bikers and travelers just 20 minutes walk from the center of Valpo (that’s how local people call the city 🙂 ).

Martin: As usual we don’t face any problems at the border and take a bus to Quito, which we reach about 6 hours later. What strikes us right away is the city centre with it’s beautiful buildings that date back to the 16th to the 19th century, thus making it an outdoor museum for architecture lovers. To preserve this beauty it had been declared UNESCO Heritage already back in 1978. Situated in a valley at 3000m asl it’s also the highest legal capital of the world. Especially at night, when everything is beautifully lightened up, strolling through it takes you on a journey back in time. Unfortunately we won’t have much time, as we get the information that our bikes will arrive in Valparaiso one week sooner than expected, giving us a week and a half to travel 5000km down south…

Martin: after haven”t slept all-night I take the plane from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore. Since I have a stop over of 8 hours before I continue to Tokyo, I decide to go downtown to catch a glimpse of the city. The first thing that attracts my attention are rules that are seemingly placed everywhere. There are stickers with what you mustn”t do, how much it costs you if you still do it all over the place, it”s even indicated where you are supposed to stand when you enter or leave the train.

Sebastian: This part of the trip is definitely one of the most emotional for me so far. I meet up with my brother and a good friend that I haven’t seen in years (both of them) and we will be lucky enough to get to know new friends that we hope to stay in touch with for the rest of our lives. Also we visit some great places and enjoy the – in my humble opinion – best food in the woooorld!!!! In short: we have a hell lot of fun 🙂 !

So, how does this Thailand trip start off…?

Christmas is coming up, the celebration of charity and generosity is around the corner!

As you know, as part of our trip we want to help building up a new Children Village in Peru, which provides a home for children without parents.

Check out all about our initiative by clicking here: THE INITIATIVE

Please participate in our initiative, no matter how much you donate, every amount helps to make a difference!

Martin: Eva (Uno) left and we decide to meet Tom, Sue and some friends of them for dinner. Walking in the streets of Kathmandu we are quickly surprised as there are small oil lamps burning everywhere and the floor of each business is decorated with painted „Hackenkreuzes“. Coming from Austria we are a bit confused, only to find out that today´s the festival of the light (Deepavali), where Nepalis worship Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity. The Hackenkreuz, called Shwastika, is actually an ancient symbol for luck. The atmosphere is great and I`m happy that we can witness this important celebration for Nepalis. Next day we already hit the road again: Pokhara is waiting for us. As we postponed the departure to Thailand due to the floodings for almost a month, we decide to attend a buddhist meditation retreat and go for another hike in the Annapurna region…

Sebastian: From the Indian border we drive over a rough gravel road to the one of Nepal. The visa is done in no time and while filling out the carnet the passage Martin is already making friends with the police men outside of the customs hut. When I finished the documents the police man looks me in the eyes as he shakes my hand and tells me that:” Now we are happy to also welcome you as a guest in our country!”. Well that is a warm welcome and it gives me goosebumps comparing it to a passport control in good old Europe. We leave the border and find ourselves on a beautiful asphalted road in perfect condition.

Sebastian: We arrive in Teheran and try to get some orientation. As often we are not at all prepared and have to stop in the middle of the highway to call our contact from KTM. He tries to explain us but in the end we take the easy way: we ask a taxi driver to show us the way to the KTM shop. Staying behind the guy was an challenge by itself since it took us a while to understand the logic and functioning of the local traffic. After