Record of Facebook convos I

O: Thought: to avoid Afghanistan and Pakistan, how about something along the lines of Dhaka --> Deli? --> Nepal --> Tibet --> China --> Ulann Batur in Mongolia --> Trans-Siberian express to Moscow, then back through Europe to London...

D: Thanks Jones, another hour lost to the man in seat 61.

I love it but as an alternative how do you feel about the silk route? I know a guy whose mum lives in Samarkand (yeah, THAT Samarkand) in Uzbekistan, and who wouldn't want some proper Uzbek hospitality? Get to China thru Tibet then Silk Route to Omsk and train across as before. But I think we ... See moreshould stop in Belarus so we can have a hat trick of Unashamed Dictatorships.

Downside is we'd miss Lake Baikal. Not to mention the broader downside that our 19 year old selves would be ashamed of us for planning a trip two and a half years in advance. Wither spontaneity? they would cry, and we would give them a slapping for such pretense.

O: OK, so I had to look up some of these places (I'm Asia-ignorant).... But Silk Road FTW... Maybe we should go Dhaka-->Mongolia-->Baikal--> back to Urumqi for the start of the Silk Road.... or maybe we'll have to make a few trips!!

Also, we tell our 19y.o. selves to go f@!* themselves - travelling was wasted on me then! could have done sooo much ... See moremore... anyhow, this kind of trip we'd need to plan meticulously, allowing plenty of time for changes and other problems - i don't think we'd have contemplated Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan or any of these when we were 19.

for ideas of route only: http://www.silkroadandbeyond.co.uk/index.html
could we do a Charlie Boorman thing - the Silk Road by any means - loads of different transports... Or drive... from Dhaka... is that suicidal?

we could do a channel 4 documentary

D: BUWAHA - you know, our 19 yr old selves would only have said that in jest. Let's write some letters.

Driving will be very problematic (cars expensive, not to say inconveniently requiring consciousness at all times, but I say we load an ipod and ftw) - I don't even know if there IS a road route north from Dhaka. The Himalayas might get in the way. But that would buy us into a whole other level of hardcore. I could look Exam Macgregor in the eye again. I mean, not again, just in the eye for the first time. I mean JUST SHUT UP.

This could be pretty epic. Slash life ending....

O: OK. Less death. More camels/trains. Will get google mapping.

Also, crossing the Himilayas may be a problem.

D: Pah. Pair of walking boots and some good old English (Scottish Welsh Austro-Hungarian Danish) stiff upper lip will do the trick.

Although I did hear tell that there are buses in Nepal. To get to which, I meant to say, we don't have to go anywhere near Delhi unless we want to.

O: Danish?
Google maps and Lonely Planet Thorntree are our friends.

OK, here's the plan. We get to Kathmandu. We climb everest. we basejump into Tibet. Jobs a goodun. Morris concurs.

D: I am Danish insofar as I like cakes. REALLY like cakes.

Base jumping into Tibet is the best idea since the idea of the best idea was first mooted. We'll have to take our own skyscraper but why the hell not. Eff Tee Doubleyou.

O: Sure the Chinese will have built one by then. For your delectation: http://www.travelthesilkroad.org

--Ollie