Cynthia’s now ridden from the New Forest in Hampshire, to Angkor Wat at Siem Reap in Cambodia. She posted this e-mail to her maillist:

Miles ridden: 10,315

Miles actually travelled: the above plus around 18 hours flying and 72 hours on ships.

Number of countries: 15

Number of days: 110

Favourite country: Laos

Worst day: St.Petersburg to Moscow

Most bizarre conversation: Hotel Vladivostok (the bellboy one)

Most common conversation:

[Brit tourist]: That’s a British numberplate.
[Me]: Well spotted.
[BT]: Where are your from?
[Me]: Er . . . Britain.
[BT]: So how did you get here?
[Me]: I rode.
[BT]: But how did you get the bike here?
[Me]: I rode it.
[etc.]

Scariest moment: Earthquake in Taiwan.

Best road(s): Lampang to Uttaradit in Thailand; Highway 7 in Laos.

“Died and Gone to Heaven” moment: Tuna carpaccio, chateaubriand and an excellent Merlot after the 500-mile ride from Pakse to Vientiane, half of in in the dark, in the company of a Frenchman, two Singaporeans and an American.

Friendliest rugger players: the geriatric Japanese team in the Irish bar in Tokyo.

Best hotel(s): Grand Hyatt in Taipei; riverside bungalow in Vang Vieng (Laos).

Worst hotel: Hotel Sverdlovsk in Ekaterinburg.

Fiercest person: Deranged harridan at reception in the Malakhit Hotel in Chelyabinsk.

Most important lesson learned: how to buy petrol in Russia.

—
Cynthia Milton
Follow my progress at [groups.yahoo.com]
More pix at [www.cynthia.boxerman.co.uk]