JJ's Journey

This is my journey - 11,000 kms by bicycle on the ancient Silk Route.

My cycling trek begins August 5th in Istanbul, Turkey and finishes in Beijing, China on November--18, 2007.  I’ll pedal 11,000 km in 108 days, following the Silk Route, an ancient trade route that winds through eight countries – Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and China. My journey will take me across deserts, mountain ranges and huge natural depressions.

As a Silk Route rider, I will camp below sea level in the stunning deserts of China’s Xinjiang province and cycle to the top of the world, climbing to over 3600 m through the Taldyk Pass in Kyrgyzstan. I will test myself in the dusty furnace of the Takla Makan, staying in ancient caravanserais (small inns for caravans) and campgrounds along the way, and visiting markets that have thrived for two thousand years.