Posted by Krista,
Kempten, Bavaria, Germany

“Hello Nic!”

In Kempten, we are taken in by my friend Nic’s parents… they are wonderful. Nic’s mum, Barbara cycles 30 kilometres with us to her art studio!

We spend a good few days at the amazing art studio, relaxing, walking, eating, sleeping, and we even make a sculpture with Barbara after an inspiring visit to an art exhibition in her friend’s garden!

To see more of this wonderful family’s work, visit
www.good-wolf-art.de

Posted by Krista
Ottobeuren, heading south to Kempten, Germany

Everyday in Germany we are always given the latest weather forecast by the people we meet! It seems like a big topic of conversation here! Rain is coming,,, the sun will arrive in 3 days,,, it will be cold,,, expect the wind from the south! And usually these predictions are correct… So when we found our perfect ‘camping platz’ next to the Iller river, we were dismayed to hear that a huge storm was on its way.

Well, we swam and lounged about in the sun anyway, hoping that this particular forecast wouldn’t come true. We even lit a fire to bake potatoes on. Just as the coals were beginning to go red, the sky darkened and rumbled, and before I could run for shelter, a deluge was upon us.

Dan was quick to duck into the tent, but the storm was so bad that I spent the first 20 minutes repegging the tent, afraid that it would blow away. We spent the next day climbing over trees that had fallen over our track!

That evening, for the first time on this trip, we hunkered down in Youth Hostel. Our room looked like a Chinese laundry as all our clothes and equipment hung to dry from lines we’d tied.

From here we are heading for Kempten, where the parents of a dear friend, Nic, live. I can’t wait to meet them and experience the place where Nic grew up.

Check out our new article on the media page! It was published recently in the Australian Geographic magazine.
www.ridehimalaya.com/media.html

Posted by Dan
Ulm, Germany

Drums ring out, warmth radiates from the Donau festival vibe. The smell of food wafts in the air whilst people sit on the scorched grass and absorb the music, sun and energy. Hippy clothes are on sale, aswell as assorted handicrafts, such as carved wooden instruments from Hungary and fur hats from Slovakia.

The Donau (Danube) has just revealed itself to us through a crooked medieval tower. We step out onto the river towpath to find it full of people celebrating the great river Danube which flows through 10 countries (Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine) all the way to the Black Sea. People from the Danube countries have united here in Ulm, a city near to the river’s source, to share their culture – bringing crafts, food, music, dance, tradition clothes, wines and beers. We’re excited to be here, especially as we’ll be cycling through many of these Danube countries.

Amongst the tourists is a local man called Hamut and his wife. Hamut has lived in Ulm his entire life – 67 years – and has experienced its change and growth. The couple are warm and friendly, light and enthusiastic. Hamut has an innate knowledge of the local history and takes us on a tour of the old town, hidden and preserved behind the old city wall that stretches along the river. He points out the twisted and leaning buildings assuring us that they are secure structures. Many of them have symbols or paintings that depict their origin and history and Hamut explains what they all mean. We see the home of the boat builders who travelled from Ulm along the Danube all the way to Bulgaria and the Black Sea. Trout is a common catch on the Danube and the smell of it cooking comes from the fishermen’s house, which is now an upmarket restaurant. Hamut points us to a cobbled square just round the corner where a large statue of a farmer and sow stands. This was the marketplace where pigs were bought and sold.

After this historic tour, it’s late and we cycle out of the river valley to a Youth Hostel, promising ourselves a much needed rest day and the luxury of a bed. Unfortunately, since it is festival month here, it is fully booked along with every other guesthouse in Ulm! To top it off, there is no campsite in or near the city. It’s been a long day of 62 kms in headwind and now we are challenged to find a secret camp spot, which we are duly warned by an old man is forbidden. Our lack of accommodation is a stress as the sun begins to set and then we meet Jo… a kind and excited family man. He offers us a ‘camping platz’ at the end of his garden!

Their stunning home backs onto a large meadow-like field, which stretches up to a hill where there is fine view of the city. The tallest church steeple in the world (161 metres) peeks out above the trees that surround this field where we camp. In the morning a shepherd grazes his flock of sheep on the long grass and Jo’s wife, Angelika, shows us maps of possible routes and sights to see in and around Ulm.

We rest and, with a leisurely pace, perform some basic chores to organise and take care of our equipment. In the afternoon we freewheel back to Ulm for more festivities and a cool dip in one of Ulm’s many surrounding lakes.

What a perfect rest day and what a perfect family to spend it with!

Posted by Dan

Nr Heidelburg, Germany

Last night a family home was invaded by man-eating slugs! Swollen with rainwater, the slugs broke and entered our tent, smearing their sticky trail over panniers, coats, hats and tent. We woke in the morning to find that we had been surrounded and were under great threat from these slimy beasts! Before making a quick dash, we had to first evict slugs from Krista’s shoes.

The sun has come out now and we have mapped our way along the Neckar river, leaving our campsite near Heidelburg.

Today our total distance travelled will reach over 1000 kilometres! We now have only 14,000 left to reach Tibet, and if the sun keeps shining, Krista will keep on singing her newly composed song called ‘What Makes You Feel So Fine RIding All The Time?’, which is available in all good record stores from here to Tibet!

Posted by Krista
Cycling along the middle Rhine, from Bingen to Koblenz

Once a year the road along the middle Rhine is closed to motor traffic – and the day is called the Tal to Tal. What a great day for cyclists! We decided to join in the fun and pedal to the whole way, from Bingen to Koblenz. This particular stretch of the Rhine is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with restored castles dotting every hillside, and beautiful traditional German buildings in every town. At each town, to mark the passing hour and interval of the hour, the ancient church bells toll and echo round the steep Rhine valley, making me feel like I am part of an old storybook.

Our pace is fast as we’re riding with the flow of the river (which eventually finishes its journey in Rotterdam, Holland) and we’ve left our 40 kg luggage at our friends Madhubala’s and Nikolaus place. It’s a treat to be riding so light and on a road that is free of traffic. There are many other cyclists out for the day, with nifty racers, mountain bikes, tandems, recumbent bikes, and trailers of varying sizes and shapes. My favourite vehicle is a tandem in which the person in the front is in a recumbent position, whilst the person at the back is in the traditional upright position…

One day I will be a bicycle collector!

As you probably already know, Dan and I are riding from London to Lhasa to raise money for Rainforest Rescue, a not for profit organisation based in Australia, who is committed to protecting rainforests for current and future generations.

To watch the latest video showing footage of some of the endangered rainforests and species that Rainforest Rescue are working to protect, click here

We’ve added new photos on our website. Click here to view Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany pix!

Posted by Krista
Neiderheimbach, on the Rhein river, Germany

Madhubala greets us with smiles, hugs and a bowl of wild strawberries, raspberries and walnuts from the tree from above the favourite place where she sits. Our glasses are filled with water from a 900 year old well in the garden, her family home being on the grounds of a monastery, built around the 1100’s. The walls of the ancient monastery still remain, as does the chapel – in which Madhubala’s delightful 95 and 91 year-old aunts pray with devotion every day.

Madhubala is a friend from Australia who is visiting her family who have lived at this historic site on the river Rheine for many years. We’ve been pedalling quickly to meet her before she leaves for another trip to Portugal.

What a lovely reunion it is! The next day she takes us on a lovely walk up the mountain that backs onto her property, to sample the fruits of all the cherry trees that are growing in abundance here. Some are wild, some cultivated, and all are delicious! The rain catches us, and we shelter under some pine trees until the storm passes.

The day is restful and Dan and I hadn’t realised just how exhausted we were from the last few weeks of cycling. Holland was flat and easy, tho I was suffering from quite a bad cold. Belgium was flat until we took a detour into the Ardennes, and the land suddenly became quite steep! From Luxembourg, we took the Eifel route into Germany, which climbed and dipped all the way to the small village of Bruch where we camped next to a river in the field belonging to the community. The locals were having a barbeque there, in honour of the European Cup football – and a small tv was plugged in to watch Russia vs. Holland. They invited us for food and drinks and were shocked and bemused at our tale of cycling to Tibet. “How can you afford such a trip?” has been the main question that people have been asking us since we arrived in Germany. After a fun evening and a restful sleep we made our way to the Mosel river, which flows through a deep valley. The climb up on the other side was tough and we were rewarded by the offer of a camp spot in a local family’s back garden. The family suggested a nice route for us to take the next day, which follows a well-marked cycle path (or ‘Radweg’ in German!) along the Nahe river and eventually meets the Rhein river. Since hearing that Madhubala will be in Germany at the same time as us, and staying at the Rhein, has inspired us and given us a focus to get here.

In the evening, Madhubala’s brother, Nikolaus, takes us into the historic town of Bacharach. As well as admiring the traditional buildings, castles, churches and old city walls that abound, we also venture into the cellar of the old PostHof, to watch the semi-final of the 2008 European Cup between Germany and Turkey. It’s a nail-biting game, yet Germany clinch it and celebrations shower the surrounds.

Posted by Krista
on the road out of Buchenbeuren, Germany

The gear cables have stretched! After nearly 800 kms (500 miles) of pedalling with heavily loaded bikes, half of that distance in snakey curves and meandering detours over the mountains of the Ardennes (Belgium and Luxembourg) and the Eifel (Germany), we and the bikes are in need of some rest!

Dan’s tweaking the gears – his mechanic’s background coming in very handy! We seem to have chosen our specific roles – and enjoy them… I am often taking care of the logistics such as route, food, map reading, cooking and Dan is the general maintenance and handyman. At the end of a long day’s riding, it’s teamwork as we put up our tent and make camp. We’re slick at this now, with our special routines, and we’ve got it down from an arduous 2 hour process to just 40 minutes! We’re aiming for 25!

The days seem to have become longer now that we don’t need to discuss each intricate detail of how best to do something – whether it be how and where to erect the tent, or how and where we should find a camp that night. We’ve been lucky so far on that count, having become more confident to ask locals. Last night was the prime example: I saw a couple riding bikes through the small village of Sohren and immediately felt to ask if they knew of a ‘Kamping Platz’. They shook their heads and said there was nothing in the area – only a Youth Hostel 20km further on. Dan and I were knackered, having cycled in the scorching sun all day (a 60km stretch up and over the deep canyon of the Mosel river). But after further thought the couple asked whether we wanted to camp in their garden! How perfect! To be woken up at 7am for morning coffee.

This bike ride would be all the more difficult without all the kind and generous people we encounter along the way – from the farmer we ask for water, to our generous hosts, to the people we ask for directions and even just the people who give us a friendly smile and wave as we pass. This love and care makes the world and the bicycle wheels turn!