About the author
Tom set off in June 2007 to cycle round the world. He soon realised the limits of such an abstract objective and decided to go wherever the winds of travel took him. He writes regularly on his Ride Earth blog and is currently heading for the Arab world on his bike.

The long road back to Yerevan

Coming home meant two things: a very long journey by public transport, and lugging an unwieldy collection of funny-shaped bags and bits of metal through a variety of cities in the summer heat.

Packing in Moscow

Packing in Moscow / Flickr photo by Tom Allen

Choosing to travel exclusively by land meant that the excursion was really much more than just a bike ride in Mongolia. It was also an opportunity to spend a few days watching the world go by, and to experience one of the world’s great train journeys – the Trans-Mongolian from Moscow to Ulaan Baatar (and back). There was also the logistical challenge of it all – anyone who’s been to the Caucasus will know that the borders are in something of a pickle.

96-hour train journey back to Moscow

Having no need to visit any Siberian cities on our return leg, we took a coupé (a 4-berth compartment) on the direct train to Moscow from the Mongolian capital. As luck would have it, nobody else was booked in the same compartment, so we had no issues with our luggage – a bike box, 3 drybags, a pannier, two bar-bags and six wheels were all safely stowed away with room to sleep.

Not long into the 96-hour journey I began to crave company…

Continue reading this article @ Ride Earth – Tom’s World Bicycle Travel Blog

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