Update 23.07.2018

A lot has happened since the start of this expedition. Unfortunately, some serious alterations have to be made. But first an overview of the events so far.

I left Calw on the 10.07.2018 and headed towards Austria and then Slovenia. Driving a truck in these countries requires a mileage-based road tax, so you have to buy the devices and register and pre-pay the route, great fun. I spent the first night in Austria, close to the Slovenian border. A rainy night on the petrol station parking. The next day I continued on into Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia, spending the night there. The border posts into and out of Serbia (not European Union) being the first experiences of crossing borders with this kind of vehicle. When leaving Serbia, the truck lane seemed a lot shorter, than the car and bus lane - big mistake. After the first passport control the queue was endless and the explaining that I am a tourist and my truck is a kind of camper started for the first time but could be solved. The third day I arrived in Batumi / Bulgaria around midnight. I could enter the harbor but not leave it again. So, I camped close to the pier with a lot of truckers.

The next morning, I handed in my papers to customs and explained again, that I have no papers for cargo and no license for transportation. I was then told to wait until someone will find me and the truck and the boarding can commence. After several hours a car came speeding towards me telling me to embark immediately. So I did and had to reverse down into the ferry into the lowest deck, which would have some consequences on arrival. I then went up into my cabin, which I shared with an Italian motorbike rider and two truckers. The ferry left way after midnight, more like early morning and it was a pleasant crossing with nice weather, beautiful sunsets and great company: Kati, Tom and Paul from the UK, driving a Ford Transit to Mongolia to donate it, Manu and Isa, two swiss girls on a hiking trip, Enrico, the Italian rider, a couple from Slovenia riding a Royal Enfield, who had to change their plans, because they could not enter Russia coming trough Ukraine and another Slovenian rider couple on a huge bike. 3 big meals a day and a beer vending machine, everyone was happy.

Arriving around 9 in the morning in Batumi / Georgia the real fun started. The complete middle deck had to be unloaded before they could even open the hatch to the lower deck. Each truck leaving the ferry had to first pass customs, so time went by with me waiting at the pier. Finally, the hatch was opened to find out, they had parked several export vehicles of all sizes in front of my truck after I had left it on embarkation. With the ferry personal looking for keys and driving the cars out time went by, until I got so fed up, that I searched the key basket for the last little panel van in my way and drove it out myself. Around 14:00 I was finally free, so I thought. Georgian customs had a different view. They wanted to see my cargo papers, transportation license. I told them, no have, I´m tourist, this my house. So they wanted to see my cargo papers, transportation license. I told them, no have, I´m tourist, this my house. This game went on for awhile with always new customs officials staring at my truck and asking for - you get it. After a few hours I was sent to pay road tax and transit fees. Then my shelter (my camper container) was sealed (plombed). Although complaining heavily that this is my house, with my bed, food, clothes, laptop… the didn't give a sh… Eventually I was free and met the swiss girls to give them a lift to the capitol Tbilisi. They invited me for dinner on the road side, since I had tons of food but couldn´t get to it.

After a night sleeping in the cab and a breakfast supplied by the Swiss, we reached Tbilisi and I said good bye to the girls. I pushed on towards the border to Azerbaijan, hoping to find out about the ship from Baku to Aqtau in Kazakhstan. I was hoping to cross the border fast to get access to my house again. So around 14:00 I reached the border, immediately choosing the car lane to avoid cargo questions. An angry customs official shouted at me to move to the truck lane. Not speaking English, he did not even listen to my protest and sent me off to the truck lane. Arriving there, there were only a couple of trucks in front of me and after roughly an hour I stopped at the booth. A very grave looking women asked me for, yeah right: my cargo papers, transportation license. Our little game started again until many more officials came and after accepting all the paper work she asked me for my TIR park number. After me looking at her dumbly and asking: my what?, she explained that I have to go back and enter one of the truck parking lots along the road and get a number. It´s like a ticket you pull and then wait for your number to be called. All explaining that I am not a cargo truck in transit did not help, so I rushed back to the first TIR park. A lot of explanation with hand and feet, because me speaking no Russian and them not speaking English I got my number and was told to wait until it showed up on the screen. With the help of Googles translator I found out that there were 50 trucks before me and I can go have a shower, grab something to eat, because this may take a while. So I did. The little restaurant personal speaking no English I was taken into the kitchen to search all the pots and choose a meal. The dining experience cost me converted around 2 Euro and it was good. I then met Verdon, a French guy who has been stuck with his camel (yes, a real camel) at this border for 8 years. I started to feel a little nervous about the border. 8 YEARS???? He has been travelling the world for quite while and now is not allowed to enter Azerbaijan or the EU with his camel. Very nice guy, we had a long chat. Check it out: http://gittaohan.tripod.com We were then both invited for tea from Kamran, an Azerbaijanian trucker, a really nice person as well. After Verdon left we chatted for 2 hours with him speaking no English and me no Russian, by painting all kinds of symbols onto the side of his dirty semi-trailer. I guess that's what you call communication. Where Facebook friends now and use google translator for chatting. Close to midnight I found out there are still 25 trucks in front of me, so I said, stuff this I´ll have a beer and go to sleep (no alcohol permitted while driving in Georgia). Just when the beer was empty my number was up I was called to immediately drive to the border. I got there to wait another 45 minutes and the cargo papers, transportation license game started again. A quick 2 hours discussion and searching of the vehicle and a transit fee of 70 Euro (for transporting goods across Georgia - they finally found out that my motorcycle on the truck must be cargo) and I entered the Azerbaijan border at 2:00 in the morning.

Some baksheesh, a lot of discussion about my cargo papers, transportation license, approximately 4 searches of the vehicle and walking to 5 different booths and paying vehicle insurance I was ready to go. The passport was handed out of the window and immediately pulled back. There is one more issue about my truck being a former military vehicle. I shall go to bed (at least my shelter was open again) and come back at 9:00 in the morning. So I spent the rest of the night directly on the border post with no papers at all. In the morning I found the last guy from the previous day and a long day of waiting and walking from booth to booth started. The IT guy from customs Elvin was assigned to translate for me and explain. We had some nice conversations about all kind of topics and a meal at the employee's cafeteria. Then we went to see the head of customs. Well it was more like an audience. The emperor was waiting at his desk in a room the size of a midsize hall with all kind of snacks displayed on his desk. Although very reserved he was actually quite friendly and told me that no military vehicles may enter the country but he is in contact with the minister and the German ambassador if they can organize a police escort to Baku for me. He further told me, that even if he let me in, the cops along the way would definitely stop me and not let me continue. My IT friend also told me, that if I get to close to the Armenian border (Azerbaijan and Armenia area at war) they would defiantly shoot at me. A little later Kiff from the UK arrived on his Africa Twin, really nice bike and rider, we had a great chat with making plans to meet somewhere on the way to Mongolia. He crossed the border in about 30 minutes. So, I waited a short while until midnight when I was told, no, go back, no entry. Having a pulse of around 180 I drove back to the Georgian border. Ready for the ultimate discussion I found a woman and two men, with the one having lived a while in Germany to understand my purpose of travel and stamp my passport and wish me a good time without any fees, no sealing of shelters. Wow. So, I drove down the road to park next to my old TIR park (free Wi-Fi) and had a beer. Being a little exhausted I fell asleep in my chair, to be woken up by a banging on the door. One of the Georgian customs officials telling me I have signed a declaration when entering Georgia, the first time. I signed what? Maybe the declaration of independence? I wasn´t even able to read all the documents I had to sign. So, I was told to come back to the border post. Should I be stopped by police for driving under the influence of alcohol, I must say that I was ordered to do so by customs. Back at the border we looked for an identification number of the shelter. We found it, it was included in a document and I was finally free to conquer Georgia.

The next day I started heavily going through my remaining options:

1. Drive south through Armenia, Iran, Turkmenistan to Kazakhstan. Problem: no carnet for Iran and no visa for Turkmenistan
2. Drive north through the Caucasus into Russia and then into Kazakhstan. Problem: my Russian visa is only valid from 5. August and the Caucasus region is a conflict area which might lead to exciting experiences driving a former military truck. Only solution: stay in Georgia for over 14 days.
3. Drive all the way back to Calw, pack my trusty old Jeep (maybe weld the exhaust back together which fell of shortly before I left) pick up my buddy Dirk in Calbe and have a nice quick 10000 Km road trip through Russia - the craziest but probably best option.

I decided to first of all, at least see a bit of Georgia, so I headed into the Caucasian mountains to find a very narrow track leading into a beautiful valley where I camped the night and took my KTM for a ride the next morning. Several hikers passed me or I them. When I was readying my bike, a tourist came by and said to me, she only wants to hike a bit further and she has her passport with her, thinking that I am the Georgian army (ok, I get it, my truck looks a bit like a war machine, but I still won't consider my daughters suggestions, to paint it pink and put some unicorn stickers on it - Sorry) It was a great ride up to a small border post to Russia and back again. I then packed up my stuff and headed back to Batumi, to catch the ferry to Burgas today.

So don´t be surprised to see me on the Spot tracker heading West, I am on my way to Mongolia. Just doing a little 5000 Km detour using option 3. Always remaining true to the saying from one of my favorite movies, Galaxy Quest: Never give up - never surrender or as my friend Penny always says: it´s just one of life's challenges. Kati, Tom, Paul and Kiff - I´m coming, hang in there. Enrico, sorry no information on the ship from Aqtau, but if the Chechens didn´t shoot you, the ship should not be a problem. Penny, I need some re-supply of rum.

To be continued…..