Hey guys, this is Marnix, the older brother in this duo. Sebrand and I have been talking about traveling together for a long time. When we were in Spain in our shared room, still high school students, we watched an animated series following the adventures of Kino, on her sarcastic talking motorcycle, through mysterious lands and unique cultures. At each stop she experienced something new– an idea, a different way to live (occasionally a way not to live), a resolution to an idea she was struggling with, contrasting systems of government, people with strange abilities. All of her encounters encouraged Kino to think differently about a problem, and offered for our consideration a hypothetical. Anyway, the point is, Kino traveled for the sake of traveling. Her adventures inspired us, and ever since then we had this nebulous plan that we would travel together, like Kino, across the US or Europe or Asia, because traveling has intrinsic value to the traveler. When I finished teaching in Indonesia two months ago, and in light of Sebrand’s upcoming graduation from Carnegie Mellon, we had our best and perhaps singular opportunity to take on such an adventure. We’re both young, dumb, obligation-free and drawn to the East. Now, a short twelve days before we fly to Mongolia, our anticipation is spiking. What we have in store for us, we can’t really say yet, but we know it will be an adventure whose lessons and experiences we will carry with us for the rest of our lives.

Here’s the general outline of our plan: land in Ulaanbaatar, assemble our bikes, skirt the Gobi desert into the north of China, take two months to haul ourselves down toward Hong Kong, veer west at some unforeseen point to circumnavigate Vietnam, negotiate entry into Laos (whose visa policy is unclear) over the Misty Mountains, and finally head two stars to the right and straight on ’til Thailand, where I’m told no one grows up and life is all games and fun. I’m really sad we don’t arrive there in April for their city-wide water fight. The journey should take over 100 days and cover 3800 miles. We’ve got maps, we’ve got a compass, we’ve got GPS and we’ve got some really really sturdy Surly fat bikes. We can do this.

To our readers, friends, and family, this blog is our journal and scrap book. To the ones concerned about our progress and well-being, it will be cause for both worry and relief, since it will doubtlessly contain the idiot risks we plan to take as much as it will relate the idiot risks we’ll have already taken. But, regularly updated, it will also show that we are still alive, and not buried by some sandstorm in the Gobi Desert, or dehydrated on the side of a dusty road, or poisoned by ill-chosen snacks, or sun-scorched on the dunes somewhere. Those of you who are less invested in our survival– strangers, randomers and heartless friends– we offer tips, dos and don’ts, funny stories, detailed lists of equipment, and perhaps a lot of lessons for would-be cyclists looking to do something similar.

Initial Thanks:

Before we start our trip, some thanks are in order. A lot of people have enabled our recklessness. Our worried parents, who couldn’t help themselves, have been active in getting us many necessary tools for staying alive. Providing first aid kits, GPS, very fancy bike shorts, and other essential and superfluous equipment we would never have purchased for ourselves. Thanks Mom. Thanks Dad.

We cannot thank Helen Coracy, of B and A Travel, enough. She was always available, even on her vacation time, to help us figure out complicated visa applications, holding cheap flight options for us, and generally contributing her expertise to our complete ignorance. Anyone looking for a travel agent, she’s the best. Without her, entering China over land would have been a lot more complicated. Special thanks to her husband David, who took over on the rare occasion she wasn’t able. They’re both heroes.

Also, big thanks to Marco van den Dungen, of Intelligrated, who provided us our invitation letter to China. He had to rewrite the letter twice, and I haven’t told him yet but it turns out we aren’t even using the rewrite that I nitpicked him for. I’ll ummm… Have to let him know about that. Yeah that’s next on my list. Once we actually get our visas. Thanks again, and sorry for all the confusion, Marco!

Big thanks as well to Tom Cottingham and Jim McKiernan of Insider Louisville, who gave me some work to raise funds for this trip. Insider was a great place to work and in the mean time I learned more about Louisville than I ever did growing up here. I couldn’t have asked for better. Louisvillians, if you don’t read it already, you should. It’s still a new organization, but it offers the best and most extensive coverage of local news you can find. Read local!

I owe Parkside Bikes some appreciation as well. They helped set up my bike with necessary gear, and contributed a lot of their experience. If you live around Bardstown Road in Louisville and you’re a cyclist, I recommend them for their knowledge, efficiency and friendliness. They didn’t always have what I needed for our crazy tank-bikes, but they were more than happy to order it for me. Sebrand dealt with a lot of our stuff on his own in Pittsburgh, but I turned to them for a lot.

Lastly, Sam Sullivan, you hairy beast. If you hadn’t come to my window at the end of our first year at Utrecht and suggested we bike to freaking Norway, bike trips wouldn’t even have been on my radar. Thanks man.

To these and anyone I may have forgotten, thanks so much for the support. If we die, know that you could have stopped us at any point and you are all partially responsible. You monsters.