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TIPS & TRICKSTranslated by PROMT-Online-TranslatorWe will develop this area bit by bit and if we are ready sometime sometimes four categories have: In general, bicycle trip, canoe tours and walking. Are to be altered at the moment, however, still in the stress the side and have inserted, hence, first of all the old bicycle trip tips. To make cycle touring easier to cycle touring novices, we have put together a few tips. Nevertheless, the list claims by no means to be entire or to have found always the sample solution, but describes merely how we have solved some things. Should somebody have for something a better or easier solution, we would be pleased if he could send them to us by email (martinlunz@yahoo.de). Have a lot of fun reading and cycling. Foreign health insurance: We
have purchased our foreign health insurance with the DKV (German ill insurance,
www.dkv.de). The foreign health insurance is valid for trips up to 3 years
and can be still extended by 2 other years with double contribution clause.
In the insurance all treatments and drugs are enclosed, and we should
be once in a country with miserable medical care, even the transport becomes
if necessary in a country with one with Germany comparable med. Care assumed.
After our insurance has run out after 3 years then we have got with STA
Travel an insurance for a year (relatively for a good price). They fly
back to us in a medical emergency even to Germany.
Invitations: In particular to the Muslim
countries we are everyday to eat, to spend the night or at least on a
cup of tea been invited. While we have mostly accepted the invitations
on a cup of tea (unless it was the nth invitation on this day and we wanted
to get on) we were very fastidious with food or overnight stay invitations.
In principle we have refused every invitation only 3x (is so usual in
the Arabian countries) and then accepted when we had the feeling that
it could be the beginning of a friendship (we have accepted in principle
no invitations because we wanted to sleep sometimes comfortably in a bed
or wanted food abschnorren). As a small thank-you we have shown to our
hosts at least our photo album and our map of the world or our small slide
show on the television to divide our experiences with them. To recollection
we have again given them a photo of ourselves. From the photos we during
the invitation have made we left in the next town deductions and had sent
to our hosts afterwards by post. What particularly pleases us that our
philosophy has risen, because we stand with nearly all our hosts also
furthermore by email in the contact. So that they can follow our trip
furthermore we remaining also many shares of our Internet site into English
translated. Bicycle: We have simply equipped our old
MTB's for the trip with a Rohloffschaltung and carriers. Though an amount
costs the Rohloff, however, I would not like to miss them any more. The
switch comfort, in particular in the mountain or in the town traffic is
really world-first-class! Moreover, nearly no maintenance costs. I have
exchanged the first chain after 18,000 km in India although it would still
have held long and I have exchanged the second chain after 24,000 km (whole
42000 km) in Chile. If we the Falkanadier have, besides I transport him
on a bicycle follower (Weber Monoporter). Closer information about our
bikes see equipment. Flying with the bicycle: In principle
no problem, some airlines pick up them, however, not free of charge as
a sports equipment and require a surcharge (free of charge, e.g., with
Garuda Indonesia). We get a bicycle cardboard with the nearest bicycle
dealer around them also before the flight always certainly to pack. We
solve the overweight problem while we many heavy cases with in the bicycle
cardboards pack. All valuable and heavy ones come to the hand luggage.
If a Duty Free bag catches you, there are able to do her cases heavy over
again reinpacken and as a hand luggage mitnehemn. The Duty Free bags are
not checked normally and are weighed. The petrol cooker can fly with become
also problematic. Here briefly what one must make according to Internationally
air to transport association around him to be allowed to pick up: 1. Petrol
or fuel leave for minsestens 1 hour from cooker and petrol bottle rauslaufen.
2. Cookers and bottle in the open air at least 6 hours ventilate. Wrap
in sucking stück material, pack into a Platiktüte and with a
sticky tape seal. If the time reaches to do not ventilate, then Kochöl
in petrol bottles and by cookers wash up. This reduces the flash point
and one saves the airing time (then, however, the cleaning problem has
later). We use the airing method and with the stack I simply put the petrol
bottle in the bottle holder in the bicycle. I transport cooker and pump
also apart of each other, so that in the case of doubt only one share
is confiscated. Draw money: We could win the NAPSA (Nassau broad savings bank)
as a sponsor, and have thus no account processing fees. Though we have
also visas and a Mastercard, nevertheless up to now it is also to be drawn
money everywhere easily possibly in with the normal high-speed train map
(maestro). For safety reasons we have here always only one small amount
on our current account and the rest on a Diba account, thus nobody to
our money we should can come to lose once our maps. We deal with all referrals
easily by Internet banking in the Internet cafe. Homesupport: We cannot regulate most things from on the way, however, by far yet everybody. When our friend offered UFO to us, our Homesupport to machne I thought only that there is to do there, actually, nothing. How I have been deceptive micht there! I must send every few weeks an email with a cry for help. If it is to be asked for him to update the Internet site, worked off Ausrüstungs would counterbe to complain or to dealt with a player MP3. Here briefly a short description of the ideal Homesupport: easily daily by email accessible, he knows like one works on an Internet site, he knows a lot by bicycles and Outdoorausrüstung (importantly if you must describe a problem to him, because, otherwise, he has no notion of what you speak), fun has to help you.
Vaccinations: Clarify best of all before
with a tropical doctor and on time enough before with the vaccinations
start (mind. 1/2 years). We have vaccinations against tetanus, polio,
hepatitis A and B, yellow fever, diphtheria. Against malaria we have only
one drug to the treatment in the case of an infection including. We have
and take no Malariaprofilaxe, because we are too long in the tropics (Pakistan
- Indonesia a total of 1 year) and us the possible side effects of a Malariaprophilaxe
for such a long period were too big. Moreover, there are too many different
malaria parasites to be protected 100%. Internet site: We have furnished our Internet site with 1und1.de.
Though the side is not they all nicest, however, thanks to the so-called
Websitecreators I can work on from every PC worldwide my Internet site
myself or update. Merely if the Websitecreator is not to be opened once
again by a PC for some reasons smart I the texts and pictures to my Homesupport
UFO, so that he can on-line put everything. I write the texts for the
Internet site on a small Pocket PC (half board Jornada 728) on which I
also work on the pictures and compress, then she copies on a memory map
CF. I conclude the memory map then with a map reading machine in the Internet
cafe to every PC in around the updates to make. I use the Pocket PC, by
the way to write, also around my diary or to store the photos (4 GB of
map PCMCIA) to them has certainly at home have arrived. Islamic countries: In particular because
of the position of the German government during the Iraq war, the travelling
in the Arabian countries was for us a true joy. We were virtually carried
on hands. However, a little bit unpleasantly the youthful stone throwers
are in Jordan (Kings highway between Petra and Amman) and on Sumatra.
Many men in the Muslim countries do not know how one behaves towards a
woman and think that all western Mrs. Freiwild is (they see in the Hollywood
films). Hence, we have always spent ourselves as married and Nadine has
often carried even a headscarf. Merely in Iran and in Pakistan the headscarf
was prescribed, and in Iran, in addition, one more coat, provided that
Nadine has not cycled. Apart from headscarf and coat Iran is a great travel
country, however, also for women. Up to now the most hospitable nation. Folding Canadian: Till present we have paddled on the Danube in Serbia and Bulgarians, the Ganges in India and the Mekong in Loas with our Faltzcanadier. River we have put back so approximately 1000 km in about 4 weeks. We have an AllyFaltkanadier (16.5 feet long and 17.5 kg). With the paddle we put the bicycles upside down in the boat. During the Radeletappen we pack the canoe on a follower (weaver Monoporter). To the water transportation we always get 20 l of water canister. One can pick up fruit and vegetables in a boat richly.
Children:
Although we are not cycling with children we have already met some
families, and they had all a rather different solutions to cycles with
children. but, everybody had equipped their bicycles with carriers and
lowrider and had their luggage in panniers. 1st trailer: Kid with toys
in the bicycle trailer. Advantage: Child protected from the sun and rain.
Child can play. 2nd Trailer + Kids Bike: Child in the trailer and, in
addition, the kids bike which can be fastened to a bicycle of the parents
("Follow me" or wheel with pole). Disadvantage: One must carry
along a trailer and a kids bike! 3rd Recumbent trailer: Child trailer
which also can be used as a recumbent bike( Hase Spezialraeder). Advantage:
Child can cycle, rest or play according to desire and mood. 4th tandem:
Child sits with one of the parents on the tandem. 5th child on own bike:
(without or with luggage). Which possibilety is the best depends of course
quite individually on every child (age, how is motivated the child to
cycle....), and of course on the destination and the travel length. Cooking: We cook on a petrol cooker (MSR Whisperlight Internationally) and manage with it very well. Because we must use only filling station petrol we him, nevertheless, more often sometimes clean. At the beginning we had installed the cooker still in a Trangia system, however, for weight reasons we have sent him then home (ideally however if one wants to cook in spite of all warnings in the pretent there it very solidly stands and is sheltered from the wind). Our favorite dish is noodles with tomato sauce (nevertheless, fresh tomatoes) is very easy luckily to make, nevertheless, meanwhile we have also learnt to cook a little more extravagantly in the bushes. Here some menu tips on the other side from fried eggs and noodles which clap with us: Bread dumpling with mushroom sauce, noodle soup with fresh vegetables, Lassagne, pudding (does not burn almost if one powdered milk used), pizza (dough: 250 g of flour, 100ml water, oil, yeast, preparation: Dough in oiled frying pan lay with tomato sauce coat and book, with low heat on the cooker roast) claps really!!!!, pancakes, bread (either brook mixture shop or make (cf. pizza dough perhaps, however, wholemeal flour) and in tin-foil muffledly about 15 minutes in the glow of a burnt down fire lay, rice pudding, rice with roasted vegetables, rice with Chenna (Indian lenses). Rice claps, by the way, perfectly in a small pressure cooker (1.5 l of aluminium in India for about 3€ to have). Simply waters with rice boil and provide. If the sauce is ready, the rice (perhaps between by over again briefly on cooker is ready also put). Though the pressure cooker weighs a little bit more, however, he is very efficient and saves a lot of petrol.
Body hygiene: In particular if one in the tent sleeps the case with the body hygiene is not so easy completely. Have from Nicki and Gerhard, two Austrian cyclists, however, a perfect shower method qualified: We fill 1.5 l of bottle PET with water and screw the drinking fastener of a sports water bottle on it. Now we position ourselves in our folding bowl from Nicely to place and make the body with max. 1/3 of the water wet and soap us. Then the remaining 2/3 of the water reach from around the soap again to wash away. 1.5 l are sufficient easily for a complete body laundry (except hair). If it is a little more chilly we make to ourselves before with the cooker warm water. Thus we wash nearly daily except we have water shortage (desert) or it is damn cold (rain, snow, frost) Music: Sometime annoyed us that gedudel in the Arabian
countries, in India and in South-East Asia totally. In the beginning we
still had a small travel radio including, however, anyhow we were to be
found too silly a good transmitter, so that we have him sometime heimgeschickt.
Meanwhile we have a small player MP3 with 1 GB of memory and properly
much good music on it. Now over small external loudspeakers we can hear
easily together music. Ansonstdn has Martin a small travel guitar (MARTIN:
Baking packer) including. Post: We have belonged from other bicycle travellers that they can be sent cases by post (Postrestante). Up to now to us this was always too unsafe and, hence, we have always waited with our orders, until we have received visit. We have gained good experience, nevertheless, with the home-smart of souvenirs. We have sent the cases always by sea way (the most favorable variation) and up to now all packages have arrived safely at home.
Take photos: We have decided to take photos Digitally. To have the possibility later, perhaps, still to present our pictures in the circle of friends than slide show we have to us a Canon G5, purchased a compact camera with very good image quality. In particular in view of the use of the photos for a slide show I make all pictures with the highest resolution. As a memory medium we have two 512 mb of maps CF and 2 128 mb of maps CF. In each case 512 mb and 128 mb of map fit on a CD which I allow to burn in regular distances in Internet cafes (mostly costs between 0.5€ and 2€). Another advantage of the digital camera is that we can already show now our pictures during a small slide show with invitations, because we can simply link up the photo to a TV and get cracking.
Rohloff hub: We use a internal hub, because we have no desire to exchange and maintain constantly our gear system, which we would have to with a conventional system. Here a review of the hub after 60,500 km
Sponsors: Although we have found a lot of equipment sponsors, unfortunately, I can give no right tip like one to sponsors touches. I have worked in the Outdoorshop of a friend and knew most sales representatives of the manufacturers personally and if not I, then at least my friend. Our sponsorship up to which with the Nassau broads savings bank (free account) is no sponsorship because we have no liabilities (however, we send them, nevertheless, over and over again pictures). Most manufacturers have done either to me or my friend a personal favour. Bushcamping: We mostly sleep
in the tent and for a peaceful night a good overnight stay place is very
vital. In principle there is 2 philosophy: Camp site so that one is seen
by many (surer, however, in particular in Asia hosts of curious visitors)
or one hides in such a way that one is seen by nobody. We have decided
on the 2nd version and up to a few boys in India at night sometimes stones
on the tent have thrown we have remained also unmolested. Here some criteria
after those we select a camp site: Not observably also not if we use at
night a flashlight or cook, sheltered from the wind, subsoil with rain
not immediately becomes soft (mud battle), good accessibility of the street.
Mostly we sleep in the bushes or in woods, however, in principle tunnels
are also suitable (small tunnels under streets through behave) very much
(in particular Syria and Iran). To tents in wild areas, however, is no
problem, because one can creep away easily behind the next sandy dune.
In particular in close settled areas we service to shortly before sundown
before we our tent are not based around to be seen. While we mostly take
all luggage with in the tent, the bicycles stand barred before it. Traffik: In principle not so badl as one
may think. In particular the dreaded Roadtrains (more than 50-m-long truck
in Australia) would be nearly hand-tame. Nevertheless, more dangerous
are more following and towns: Teheran (shared taxi one drastically reaping
around an other customer to gather, Indonesia (especially Jahrkarta),
Australia east coast (above all, the LKW's), New Zealand (constantly).
Visas: Visas one can make easily also on the way. Merely some
countries require a recommendation of the German embassy ("Letter
of Content" for 20€!!!). We always try to make the visas 2 countries
earlier to have still air if a little bit does not clap. Here briefly
a list which visas we have made where. If everything itself checks, however,
at the embassies, because the things can change very fast!!!!
Water: According to region we drink up to 6 l daily only of water with cycle. However, unfortunately there is not in the dry wild-like areas on every corner a tap or a shop. The water we during the day need we advance in several 1.5 l of bottles PET (teils5-6). Advantage of the bottles is that one receives them anyhow if one sometimes a coke shops and if she then after some weeks starts to muffen, one can still decontaminate them. Should we have sometimes about bigger distance no possibility to refill water, we refuel, in addition, to our 10 litres of water bag. We have cycled in Germany loose and have got used so slowly to a worse water quality. We have drunk up to now without problems always unfiltered tap water or well water. Although we have a small water filter including, he is still unused. Nevertheless, merely in Cambodia the well water was too dirty to us once, so that we have boiled it for safety's sake. Wild animals: With animals we had, actually, relatively few problems. nevertheless, the gigantic, wolf-like sheepdogs were fear-giving lake and Dogubaiazit) in the Turkey(more exactly said between the van. Once we had a rat in our tent sit and differently sometimes rats have eaten to us 20x30cm big holes in some of our watertight bicycle pockets. Queues have seen, actually, only in Australia (zw. Brisban and Sydney). The Mosquitos are worst, nevertheless, often! Have tried out meanwhile a lot nevertheless best of all we drive (smoked spiral, Anti mosquito candle...) with a normal pumping spray.
Tent: Empty dome tent Space II of VAUDE. Advantages: largely enough for 3 Pers. with luggage to be based fast very wind-solidly. Disadvantages: To be out hard relatively hard, with active ones. Pick up in any case a tent base! come without it to the inside tent rains.
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