Leh in the Himalayas

Caught in the crazy floods in Leh and surrounding villages, last few days we have been helping clear the local houses and infrastructure of mud, so many people died up here, we were camping in the tent the night the storm burst its buttons, we were forced to pack our stuff and head for higher ground. we camped the next 5 days in the back of a truck as the bridges had been washed out either side of us. the chaos hit Leh and only the hard core travelers stayed to help out with the clean up. Amazing time, but now while we help we wait till the road to Srinagar is open. Nicci C has headed south but Brould it stayed on!!! The moon riders have some new members to join the crew and a German on my Africa twin! I'm loving this traveling and crazy adventures, ill extend my visa soon to get an extra 15 days to cross the Himalayas to Nepal. Were all safe and happy and look forward to more wild adventures ahead. Much love!!!

A slice of death

Wow, absolutely incredible, North India definitely is a place one must go to in their lives. We have made it to Leh crossing some of the highest passes in the world, and what a crazy adventure it has been, Nick and Brould have been chucked right in the deep end learning how to ride in the Himalayas on some of the craziest roads Ive ever been on. The passes, landslides, river crossings, mud baths and old enfields traversing across this landscape has been more than mission, but in India anything is possible. The Himalayas are mind blowing and as of tomorrow we get our permits to get up into the Nubra Valley. I just had breakfast with the world record holder for reaching the highest point on land on his motorbike, he also has a record for riding his bike from the very south of India to Leh in 5 days. his a gun and creates such amazing doco's for National Geographic and so on. A true adventurer!!! Apart from the never ending running bowls we all survived the ride with little damage but the ignition coil on one of the bikes failed due to a fall in a river crossing. Im not going to go into the nitty gritty of the many stories along the way because certain people will kill me, but its all good fun and all part of the experience.

I'm starting to think where to from India as my visa runs out on the 22 of August, but an idea is to now head across the Himalayas by foot, hitching or riding on local buses (getting rid of all my motorbike gear) to the Garwhal areas and Kumaon region and then across to Varanasi, then noth into Nepal, get into Tibet and cross China, then to find the Mekong River and get a local canoe and ride the river vibes all the way down South East Asia to Cambodia. A little research to do but ill just let it happen organically.

Incredible India

Just a brief catch up to let those who care know that im out of Afghanistan in one piece and super happy to be in India.

Wow right now I have the Himalaya's just outside my window, they are monstrous and so beautiful. They have this presence that with such power and awe. Im in a place called Manali right now and today is the exciting day where we go out and get ourselves a good deal to rent some enfields. Its a bit of a hassle and the paperwork and prices up here are all a bit to dodgy. Renting is the best option to head down to Paravati Valley and then up to Leh and across the highest motorable pass in the world. This is going to be one hell of an amazing experience and I cant wait to get out there.

Joining the team... I met Nick, Brould (Lochi) in Delhi at the airport. Man it was so good to see nick again, was almost to years since ive seen him. I snuck into they're fantastic hotel room and lived up like royalty for two nights with an enormously delicious buffet breakfast. Wow Dehli's something else.... After a a couple of days of sussing out the Indian vibe on the surface and getting to know the people, money and how everything interacts and functions, we decided not to get motorbikes in Delhi as for first time learning for Nick and Brould, its probably no the wisest decision.

We bought a nigh bus ticket for Manali and it was time to get out of the extremely humid city which is quite chaotic and crazy. Catching public transport now is great, you get such a different feel and quite intimately getting to know local as you share and swim in each others sweat. Some great experiences in Dehli.

So the bus ride was a killer and especially for Nick, he caught the "Dehli Belly" as they call it and got so sick. I luckily had a beautiful Amsterdam woman called Q sit next to me on the bus, we had great conversations all night. She really loved the idea of what our plan was and she wants to learn how to ride a motorbike too, so she will join me on the back for a week before she has to head back home. Im hoping ill be able to enjoy the back seat ride for the first time as im sure she will learn how to ride pretty quickly... well i hope so.

Nick has picked up from his sickness and his appetite has grown greatly, we'll just have to take it easy and sooth the belly's with slippery elm. I got sick from some Afghan water but slowly slowly everyday my bowels are getting better and better!

So the mission is on today to get the bikes, to tech 3 people how to ride, pack the bikes and head off... Thats the idea anyway, I dont know how far we will get....

So Im out of beautiful Afghanistan in one piece and in Incredible India. I could stay here for months I think.

Much Love to ye all

Its a sad day for me and my dragonfly

So with the little choice I have and the expense of other options like shipping and flying my motorbike with money I don't have to India. I have found an Afghani to buy my Dragonfly and then I shall now fly from Herat to Kabul and then Kabul to India. Hopefully with the cash I get I can afford to buy an old Enfield and join the great Mr Cassey and continue the wild adventures of this overland travel experience in India.

Afghanistan is amazing, I am having such a good time, apart from not being able to head into the Mountains due to the Taliban or even traveling out of Herat. But the people and their smiles and curiosity and hospitality is great. We are camped in a dust bowl on the river south of Herat, its a great spot apart from the winds which constantly cover everything in dust and sand. We have the Spanish Military looking after us too and they are trying to find out all options possible to get the Spanish crew out of Afghanistan.

Every now and then you hear a bomb blast or some firring but we are pretty safe here. However its time to leave as you never know who is and where the Taliban are. Its been a fantastic experience here but in a day or two I fly to Delhi. I'm really looking forward to it.

I hope I haven't worried to many people about entering Afghanistan, I'm kind of happy they didn't let us into Pakistan, because where I wanted to go I could have easily have disappeared. Afghanistan is actually safer that Pakistan right now and all the boarders.... who knows what could have happened.

So I'm safe and well but its sad to part with my dragonfly.... very sad, I may have a wee cry now but to be honest its not the materialistic connection, its all the travels we have shared together and great experiences we have shared.

Farewell my dragonfly..... I'm going to miss you.

Blowing in the dust of the 16th century

Ok Afghanistan is very interesting and very amazing at the same time. Were back in the 16th century but the heart of Herat is a pearl. Pakistan visa in Afghanistan is still impossible to obtain. Tomorrow we risk crossing Taliban country from Herat to Kabul. There are three choices but really only one. And still that one road to the south passes through the homelands of the Taliban's capital Qandahar. The other two routs take two to three weeks to cross as the roads are gravel and cross the monstrous arid mountain ranges where alot of the Taliban rule in certain areas. We spoke to Spanish Military yesterday for up to date info. Its all very interesting and quite crazy, and very hot and dusty. I hope we live to tell the tail. Much love.

Afganistan ......

So its been impossible to get my Pakistan visa from Iran, Iran has been great but the desert and the hot winds blow alot of energy out of you. Changing a tyre in the heat of the sun costs your body about 3 liters of that very precious stuff were full of... water! Its crazy, but traveling with these new Spanish friends and their 4WD truck is great, we now enter Afghanistan and try to get into Pakistan from that way. Its proving to be a mission but we all want to get there, well especially in the north and away from the troubled regions. So now Amparlo, Davod, Husain, Manu and I travel further east from Mushad in Iran and enter the lands of Afghanistan. We are all trying our best to get across as safe as possible and have done and are doing research into the no go areas. It'll be ok, im a little nervous but I feel quite excited at the same time. We enter on Monday.

Ill try and keep in contact as much as possible.

Much love to ye all!!!
Marty and the Dragonfly

The adventures are getting a little crazy in the Middle East

So Im in Tehran Now after a fantastic adventure through Southern, central and Eastern Turkey which was amazing. Turkey is a fantastic country full of so many beautiful places and people. So many stories to share but now things have got a wee bit twisted in Tehran as I cant obtain a Pakistan Visa to get across into India. The Pakistanies are being more than unwilling to help, ive tried and tried and its a no go. So soon after I gave up I was trying to find the place to upgrade my transit visa to stay in the ever exciting and crazy Iran for a month longer till I worked out a plan, but then some beautiful Spanish people traveling in a big old 4WD truck came into my life at exactly the right time. They have just arrived from Africa catching the ferry from Dubai to Iran and are heading up to the Stan's. Im going to join them, its going to get a little hairy and scary but its all going to be worth the adventure. Im feeling it on this one, Ill try keep you posted but the tinternet is becoming harder and harder to come by. Ill be in Tehran for a couple more days maybe while we sort out visas. Then who knows whats going to happen????