Kazakhstan - The Beginning of a new continent

In Russia people told me over and over
"Kazakhstan is not so interesting, Its just like Russia"

Five minutes through the border and the houses were made of mud,
 the roads were made of almost nothing at all, the trees were pretty much none existent,
and the people...well there is not a compliment I cant give these people!!

Welcome to Asia!!
  

A whole lota water before a whole lota desert

The last push before the most important bench mark yet, HALF WAY!

Many people ask me on this journey " How did you train to prepare yourself for such a trip?"
Well, actually the first day I had been on a bicycle in the last 4 years, 

apart from to pick it up from Oxford, was to leave!

For me...This was my training! 5000kms through Europe.
The perfect way to prepare for an ever more difficult 5000kms through Asia!

Its gets tough in Russia

As The hills roll on and on into the distance, the wind picks up from the east and the heat climbs upwards of 45 degrees Celsius. My head beats in the mid-day sun and my legs fall numb with exhaustion and dehydration from salt loss. Each time I dismount the bike I nearly collapse, knees shaking from the prolonged push, hour after hour, ONWARDS!!!!

Welcome to The Steppe, Welcome to Russia!!

Going to war on a bicycle

" You know there is war?"
 A staunch, well armed Ukrainian military guard asked me with a face of confusion and a slight sarcasm in his voice as the "Phuumph" of shells and "dudududu" of Kalashnikov's rattled away in a field about
500 metres to our side .

I was about 2kms from the border with Russia, and the after smoothly crossing about
200kms of Eastern Ukraines current red zone, the whole situation was rather surreal to me. 

There was no panic! No fear! Just an aura of calm confusion...

Now I'll tell you a little more about the process I went through to end up here...

It had been playing on my mind for months which route to take through East Ukraine.
Even when I but all forgot where i was heading i was constantly reminded! The further East I went  the more obsessed with the route people became!

So as I entered Ukraine I began to message people from all over the Eastern region,
using couch-surfing, Facebook and friends of friends. I needed people who were actually
there to give me an idea of what was up ahead...

And so I started to draw a green line between all the red flags, and about a week before
setting out east my route was set. I would be heading up to Kharkov in the north and then down to the one person in Lugansk that replied to my message with a moderately positive response, something along the lines of "there are bombings, but if you want an adventurous experience you can stay with me" 

So I thought,..Sure, why not!! and off I went towards Kharkov...

By the time I arrived in Kharkov, Alex, my one positive contact in the city of Lugansk, had messaged me saying he was no longer there, the bombing's started to come almost continuously and he was now seeking refuge in Russia. At the bottom of the page he stated in capitals...

"DO NOT GO TO LUGANSK"

and i didn't! I choose without at least a place to stay going to currently the
most bombed city in world wasn't a good idea and opted better to stick to the small towns further north.

and this is what happened...

One last Ukrainian party

One last stint of Fun, partys, dancing and just
 enjoying before heading on to a war zone...

Sorry, but my camera died somewhere in the
 middle of this 500kms...

Chernobyl

I think even the least informed person will know at least
 one thing about Ukraine..
Chernobyl!!!

So after obtaining my ridiculously expensive permission to visit the site of the biggest nuclear disaster ever,

 I booked a guide and we headed two hours north from Kiev to clear the military check points, 

visit one of the last habitants of the area, enter crumbling schools, Secret soviet radars, gyms, hospitals,

 and fairgrounds and even get within a few hundred metres of the still very unstable, 

reactor 4, for what I can only describe as one
of the most unique tours of my life!

Heres to half my lifes dose of radiation...

Eastwards to Kiev

Things are starting to get eastwards...
The people, the potholed roads, the soviet architecture, and  the beetroot filled soups...But some things on this first 500 km through the biggest country in Europe were not to be expected!

Apologies in advance for how many times i say Ukraine...