Farawayistan

Tag: sweden

Bikepacking the Blekingeleden – Our second attempt

In 2020, we made our first attempt at bikepacking the Blekingeleden. With our bikepacking bags strapped to our trusty steel touring bikes we set off. Deep in the beech forest, we climbed the Ryssberg and were rewarded with fantastic views of lakes. But we weren’t ready for the trails covered in tree roots. Now, a year later, we felt much better prepared.

Better bikes for bikepacking

This time we competed on a serious gravel bike and a hardtail mountain bike. And indeed, we were a lot faster despite the heavy rain on the first day. From the green-fringed lakes in the forest, we rode to the beautiful coastline where we were treated to the most beautiful sunset we had ever seen. This year however, we only had three days. Far too short for the whole route, at least for us. Therefore, the route was shortened for the second time, and we have no choice but to try again next year.

Riding the whole Blekingeleden

The Blekingeleden is a hiking trail in southern Sweden. The route starts in the medieval town of Sölvesborg and takes you via trails and gravel roads through forests, across meadows and along lakes and streams to Bröms on the east coast. But to be honest – we have never made it that far.

Bikepacking the Blekingeleden – day 1: From Sölvesborg to Halen

We set off in Sölvesborg, which we reached by train from Malmö. Immediately, the route took us deep into the beech forest where we began the climb up Ryssberg. Where at the top, we were rewarded with a fantastic view. The gpx file that we loaded on our cycling computers differed from the original route, so we cycled a bit more on gravel roads. This was actually a welcome change from the difficult single tracks, although we did get rained on more here than in the forest. The gravel roads were completely empty, and it felt like we had Blekinge all to ourselves.

Back in the forest, we enjoyed the smell of the deciduous forest with beech, oak and hornbeam. We cycled past lakes and meadows that we recognized from last year. The colours in the fields were quite this time around, even though we were there at about the same time. The deciduous forest that is interrupted occasionally by dark elements of planted spruce was still the same. After only a few hours cycling, we reached the point where we arrived exhausted last year after a day’s slog: Östafors. Now we filled our water bottles here and rode on proud of our own progress.

Sweden’s southernmost wilderness

From the foot of Sibbarpsdalen in Östafors, the Blekingeleden follows the same tracks as the Skåneleden, all the way to Olofström in the heart of Sweden’s southernmost wilderness. From the valley, we had to push the bikes for quite some time on densely grown footpaths that sometimes seemed to go straight up. However, the biggest challenge of the day was yet to come. The ‘spången’ are wooden planks to walk on that are even more challenging in wet conditions. The slippery planks are just wide enough for hiking boots, which means you have to carry your bike for quite some time – while performing a balancing act.

Halen, the beautiful lake and nature reserve near Olofström was our final destination for the day. Here are several wind shelters right on the shore and we found a beautiful Vindskydd that we shared with two canoeists.

Bikepacking the Blekingeleden – day 2: From Sölvesborg to Halen

After a long and deep sleep in the open air, we woke up by the beautiful lake. Our cycling clothes and shoes were still wet from yesterday’s rain, but fortunately we had both packed an extra pair of dry cycling trousers. Our goal was to be completely self-sufficient during this trip. That meant a lot of freeze-dried meals and filtering water. The water from the lake tasted fine, running water in Swedish nature is generally drinkable anywhere.

From the shelter, we cycled along a gravel road around the lake towards Olofström. From there, the route took us a little way along the road to the Kullans nature reserve. Here, the Blekingeleden follows a footpath that is not suitable for cycling. Hike-a-bikes are part of the fun for us, but when the narrow path goes right through the brambles, we start to squeal too.

In some places, the path ran right along a high ledge, which prevented us from trying to ride the technical trails. A minor glimpse here can lead to disaster. Yes, the nature is beautiful here, but the gravel roads that go around this area are also very nice. We will leave this part out next time.

Camping by the archipelago

We had set our sights on spending the night at our favourite camping spot of last year. But if we were to wander through the bushes all day, that was never going to happen. After an insanely dangerous crossing of a motorway (you literally climb over the crash barrier to get to the path straight up the hill on the other side) we decided to alter the route. Our decision was only reinforced when we saw a mountain hop up the mountain with his ultralight bicycle. Time for plan B.

The only problem with that? We had not made a plan B before leaving. We found a shady spot next to a country road and figured out a route to Järnavik in the komoot app. We configured the route on small roads as much as possible, hoping to avoid other traffic. In reality, however, many of these roads turned out to be overgrown and impassable even for hike-a-bikes.

The campsite shop in Järnavik beckoned, as we went through our snacks more quickly than we had anticipated. After 60 kilometres of adventure and route exploring, we decided to follow the easy main road. Blekinge is fortunately a lot quieter than Skåne, so we were not bothered too much by cars (or they by us). Where Sabina had the advantage on the singletrails with her mountain bike with 2.25 inch tyres and front suspension, here on the road she had to struggle to keep up with Robin with his aero gravel bike.

With a strong headwind, as befits the coast, we entered Järnavik. At the windshelter, we found two Belgian touring cyclists who immediately recognized us. Our blog from last year had inspired them to cycle here. We shared cycling stories and enjoyed the beautiful sunset over the archipelago from the fjord. The viewpoint was so beautiful that we decided to sleep here under the stars.

Bikepacking the Blekingeleden – day 3: From Järnavik to Karlskrona

On the last day, we switched from adventure to holiday mood. The Blekingeleden goes inland from Järnavik and we wanted to get on the train home in Karlskrona. So, we decided to follow the road along the Blekinge skärgård (the archipelago).

We drove past small villages with huge villas, but also cute traditional Swedish wooden houses in brilliant pastel pink, blue and even green. We picked wild strawberries and raspberries along the way and bought some delicious honey at a roadside stand. Souvenirs are always bought on the last day of a cycle tour! To our great surprise, we ended up on the Blekingeleden again, although this time it went over wide gravel roads through open fields instead of straight over a mountain through the bramble bushes. A long and boring stretch for walking, but great for cycling.

We were amazed by all the highlights along the way. We drove past a petrol station which was more like a museum and laughed at the sight of a canary yellow Lamborghini driving extremely slowly over the bad gravel road. At Edestad, we accidentally ended up on the wrong side of the train tracks, but judging by the broken-in tracks, we were not the first ones to climb over them. Railways, motorways, in Blekinge these are not insurmountable obstacles.

Biking turning into boating in Blekinge

The last part before Nättraby, we couldn’t avoid the main road, but luckily there was a cycle path along it. The Blekinge coast is bursting with luxurious holiday villas with private beaches and massive gardens. We drove between all this splendour to Sjuhalla, where we got on the ferry to Karlskrona.

On the dock you have to put the signal up yourself, so that the skipper knows that a passenger wants to go on the ferry. The boat first went in the opposite direction, but we felt like taking a tour of the beautiful archipelago, so we hopped on anyway. On board, we bought coffee and Robin practised his Swedish with a very enthusiastic elderly couple. The man told us that Karslkrona was founded during the reign of Charles XI in 1680. It was established as a southern naval base, for when the northern harbours froze in the winter. The name of the town literally means Karl’s crown, or the king’s crown.

The last stop in Karlskrona

With all this new knowledge, we got off at Fisktorget, the end station of the ferry, in the city on the peninsula. We had just enough time to get a typical Swedish ‘korv med mos’ (sausage with mashed potatoes) for the journey back to Malmö. Three hours later we were back in the centre of our home town of Malmö. A perfect weekend adventure richer.

Disclaimer: the Blekingleden is not a cycling route. But that does not mean that you cannot cycle. Sweden has the ‘Allemansrätten’, a law that makes sure you can walk and cycle on any land (except private gardens, in the immediate vicinity of houses and on farmland and some national parks)! As long as you don’t disturb anyone and don’t leave any tracks, you can cycle almost everywhere in Sweden. However, this is a set out as a hiking route, so please don’t set out with a group of 20 riders and always give way to hikers.

Follow all our adventures on Instagram.

29 July 2021
Lightweight bikepacking set-up – 3 day bikepacking trip in spring

Every trip we take our bikepacking set-up gets lighter, and we manage to slim down our lightweight bikepacking set-up. After experiencing how hard it was to push a heavily loaded touring bike through mountainous terrain, we turned saving grams into an art form. Here is what we brought for a three-day bikepacking trip.

When the temperatures here in Sweden finally rose above double-digit numbers, we packed our gravelbikes for a three-day bikepacking overnighter in central Skåne. It was our first time riding the 3T Exploro gravelbikes with bikepacking bags strapped to them, and we were pleasantly surprised that the handling wasn’t that affected by the extra weight. Just the turns felt a tiny bit slower. Of course we packed them much lighter than we did for our year-long endeavour. The carbon frames also offer way less space for mounting than our heavy-duty steel touring bikes.

Bikepacking bags on a gravelbike

Robin used the following bags:

– Revelate Designs Sweetroll Handlebar bag

– Egress Pocket Handlebar bag

– 2 Revelate Designs Mountain Feedbags

– Revelate Designs Mag-Tank Top tupe bag

– Apidura Backcountry Saddle bag

Sabina’s set-up looked like this:

– Apidura Backcountry Handlebar bag

– Apidura Backcountry Food pouch

– Apidura Expedition Top tube bag

– Ortlieb Roll-top Frame-Pack

– Apidura Expedition Saddle bag

Bikepacking sleeping set-up

We are still using the same sleep system as on our previous adventures. Warm, comfortable and durable. The Sea to Summit sleeping bags, pads and pillows are not the lightest, but they have been keeping us warm and comfy while being under heavy use for two years already.

It is also not the weight that matters the most when it comes to a lightweight bikepacking set-up. It’s the volume of the gear that you want to be as small as possible. This is definitely something that we want to improve on our kit list. The pad and the bag are still quite bulky. We both carried our sleeping gear in the handlebar bag and strapped to the handlebar.

Since we could sleep in wind shelters, we didn’t bring a tent. That saved us a lot of packing volume and a bit of weight. We carried our silk liners, but with nighttime temperatures just below zero, it would have been better to use fleece liners. Just to take the chill off.

Our sleeping kit:
– MSR Universal Footprint
– Sea to Summit Comfort Plus Insulated sleeping pad
– Sea to Summit Spark III sleeping bag (Robin)
– Sea to Summit Flame III sleeping bag (Sabina)
– Sea to Summit Aeros Pillow Down Regular
– Sea to Summit 100% Premium Silk liner

Cooking system for bikepacking

After the fuel line in the MSR Whisperlite stove clogging up again, we have been trying out a few different cooking systems. Our favourite thus far is the Optimus Crux Weekend cook system. The lightweight set contains two pots, a super small, yet powerful stove and a gas canister. We even had room left inside the set to store matches and a small towel. Robin carried the set in a cargo cage, mounted to the down tube. Sabina forgot her spork in the Netherlands, so she just brought a fork from our kitchen drawer. We also had a Swiss army knife and Robin had his spork.

Water on a bikepacking trip

On this trip we regularly passed small towns with supermarkets, so we didn’t need to carry that much food and water. Perfect for a lightweight bikepacking set-up. Robin had two water bottles, and Sabina had one bottle and a 2l water bladder. Because Robin rode without a frame bag, he could fit one bottle in his frame. The other bottle he carried in one of the cockpit bags. Sabina kept her bottle in her food pouch and the bladder in her frame bag.

Food for bikepacking

Always make sure to reserve extra space for food. You’ll be surprised how much you eat during long days in the saddle. Food takes up a lot of space and is often relatively heavy. We carried our food in Sabina’s frame bag and Robin’s saddle bag. Snacks we keep ready to eat in the cockpit bags, so that refuelling is easy. That way we can keep the flow of incoming calories as easy as possible.

For dinner, we ate out one night (because the supermarket was closed), and we had the Trek’n Eat freeze-dried meals the other night. Especially the Couscous with chicken was very tasty.

Everything together, this was probably the lightest kitchen we ever had:
– Optimus Crux Weekend cook system
– Swiss army knife
– Small towel
– Spork, fork and Swiss armyknife
– 3 water bottles
– 2 litre bladder
– Trek’n Eat meals
– Oatmeal
– Snacks and meals we bought along the way

Tools in a lightweight bikepacking set-up

A toolkit can really make or break an adventure. The bare essentials of a kit are a multi tool, chain breaker and something to fix punctures. Now that we’ve both switched to riding tubeless, we also carry a plug just in case the sealant won’t do the job. And if that would also fail, we carry spare inner tubes as well. Better safe than sorry – you don’t want to end up walking to the nearest bus station. Other than that we only brought missing links and a spare tubeless valve, that Robin actually ended up needing.

Our entire lightweight tool kit (except for the tubes of course) fits in a small tool wrap that Robin can easily fit in the rear pocket of his jersey. We stored the tubes in our saddle bags.

Clothing on a bikepacking trip

For clothing and accessories the risk of ‘over packing’ is the highest. It’s actually also the category of stuff where you don’t need that much of. Yes, you will be smelly after three days of riding and spending a few nights in front of a campfire. But that’s just the living proof you had a fun trip.

For this weekend we brought one set of clothing for riding and one set for off the bike, which we also slept in. Sabina is prone to saddle sores, so she had an extra pair of bibs. We also both brought a rain jacket. Here is what we wore:

Robin’s clothes:
– bib tights
– 2 base layers (1 on and 1 off the bike)
– merino boxer shorts
– thermal underwear
– 2 pairs of socks (1 on and 1 off the bike)
– long sleeve cycling jersey
– rain jacket
– down jacket
– 1 pair of gloves
– merino beanie

Sabina’s clothes:
– 2 long bib tights
– 2 base layers (1 on and 1 off the bike)
– jogging pants
– 2 pairs of socks (1 on and 1 off the bike)
– merino underwear
– long sleeve cycling jersey
– rain jacket
– down jacket
– pair of gloves

The clothing easily fits in our saddle bags. We just stuff it into the pack and keep things we might need, like a jacket if it gets cold, accessible at the front. You really need to put some force into the stuffing, otherwise the saddle pack sweeps from side to side when riding off-road.

What else in a lightweight bikepacking set-up?

Then there are always a lot of extra little things you need to have with you. For personal hygiene, to document the trip, your other electronics, something to keep you entertained at night. For us that list looked like this:
– sanitary wipes and toilet paper
– toothbrush and toothpaste
– contact lenses
– phones and charging cables
– 2 powerbanks
– earbuds
– cycling computers
– camera
– wallet

We learned that there is always something we forget, but at the same time manage perfectly fine without. On this trip we forgot to bring sunscreen and painkillers, annoying but not life-threatening. Packing light is also about calculating risks, how far am I from civilization in case I need first aids? What does the weather forecast look like? How much extra weight am I willing to carry to be able to fix my bike?

After having forgotten so many things on previous trips we learned that we will be fine either way. Everyone has a different packing list, and what lightweight bikepacking set-up works for us might not work for you. But the only way to find out what you don’t really need or maybe forgot, is by going on your own adventures!

Follow all our adventures on Instagram.

15 May 2021
Ride report: A Day in Hell – Gravel cycling in rain, mud and soaked bibs
We all know that in cycling you don’t just train your body, you train your mind too. And there is no better way to train your mind than gravel cycling in rain. Add some snow, hail and a brutal headwind. Some might even call it a day in hell, which it just happened to coincide with.

For us, it wasn’t cobblestones that made April 11th a day of torture. It was the hail in our faces and the mud grinding between our teeth. In the weekend of (the postponed) Paris-Roubaix the Rapha Clubhouses and collaborating cafés have created rides all over the world. The routes are all inspired by the French pavé, (cobblestones) but since Sweden lacks these we ride over gravé instead.

The ultimate rain cycling gear test

The route that Malmö’s Rapha café Musette had planned for us consisted of gravel, trails, fields, rubble and thanks to the rain, tire-sucking mud. After sharing an inspirational story on our Instagram account, upselling cycling in the rain the day before our own ride we should’ve seen it coming. Time to practice what we preached.

One of the positives sides we talked about was getting to test your rain gear. We learned that smart layering is really important. Robin learned it the hard way, because after only ten kilometres even his base layer was soaked. The strong west wind was doing its uttermost best to keep us from picking up speed. We were hit with a mix of wet snow, rain and hail. And hail hurts when it hits your cold face.

How long until you cave?

If you follow us on Strava you may have already seen that we are both training a lot in preparation for an ultra race. We are both getting stronger, but Robin has a lead on Sabina. So when we cycle together, the headwind and loose gravel climbs launch Sabina to heart rate zone 3 where Robin comfortably stays in the lower region of zone 2. Because she was working so hard Sabina didn’t get that cold, even when wet. Robin did.

About 32 kilometres in we had to stop for a short snack break. With our big gloves completely soaked up by the rain, it was almost impossible to get at our bars and banana. When balling our hands in a fist we could feel the water running down our sleeves. Getting the gloves back on again proved to be even harder. The inner fleece lining stuck against our skin while we wiggled our cold fingers back in. After a few very silent moments Robin finally said it out loud: ‘I don’t want to ride the entire loop’.

Enjoying cycling in the rain

Here we can insert a bunch of excuses, explaining why shortening the route was the only reasonable and logic thing to do. But we won’t. Instead, we chose to not turn straight around, but make another little loop on Häckeberga’s gravel roads.

We were surprised by the biggest herd of deer we have ever seen. It must’ve been hundreds, and they all crossed the road right in front of us. As we slipped and slide over the muddy single trails everything got covered in mud. It must have been the most comic thing to see. By now we had also got used to the excruciating sound of the dirt sanding down our chain and breaks. Knowing that we had to endure the cold not four, but only two more hours also helped cheer up our mood a bit.

Strengths and weaknesses

This ride really pointed out our strengths and weaknesses. Sabina is mentally strong and is good at keeping a positive mindset. Even when the road ahead isn’t looking all peaches and cream. Physically Robin has the advantage where he isn’t just stronger, he can also push his body a bit further.

Finding your weaknesses is an amazing opportunity. It gives you space to grow and become a better cyclist and human being. But to be able to see them, from time to time, you do have to put yourself through a Day in Hell.

Follow all our adventures on Instagram.
12 April 2021
Ride report: The Dirty Halland gravel route – An epic cycling adventure in Sweden
We have been on long rides before, but a 160+ kilometre gravel route? That’s something new. Last Friday we rode the Dirty Halland, and we can highly recommend it to every gravel fanatic that is looking for a good challenge. With tired legs, but a camera roll filled with awesome shots we share with you our ride report.

The Dirty Halland 2021

The Dirty Halland was initially planned as an event, but we all know how small the chances are of those happening these days. Luckily organizer Team Cyklamera decided to change the setup and released the route for everyone to cycle it independently. The route consisted of an extremely well put together combination of hard packed gravel roads, a few punchy climbs and some single trails to keep the mind sharp.

Gravel, sandy single track and rocky climbs

We started the route at the train station in Halmstad and climbed our way out of the city. Cold muscles and steep gradient, a perfect way to start every ride. After about six kilometres we finally hit the gravel in Sperlingsholm, a nice little teaser as turned out. After another short stretch on asphalt, we wouldn’t see much of that for a while. From here on it was gravel, sandy single track and rocky climbs almost all the way.

Our long distance cycling technique

Our longest route to this date had been about 120 kilometres, so we knew we needed a bit of a strategy. Something that had worked really well for us in India, was breaking up the long rides in blocks. We decided on 25 kilometres and breaks timed at 5 minutes each. The first break happened to be at a beautiful little lake, the Bredaredssjön.

Gravel cycling in Halland’s nature reserves

We followed the trail along the lake through the Hule Nature reserve. The gravel road kept going on and on in one straight line. Perfect for picking up some off-road speed. The road ran parallel from the main car road, and we were so pleased not to have to ride on that. We need more of those secondary gravel roads here in Skåne too.

After one of those typical sleepy little countryside towns, where the entire yard is covered in memorabilia such as rusted old Volvo’s and a big pile of other unrecognizable machinery, we rode into Alenäs nature reserve. The gravel here was made up of slightly bigger rocks and the short but sharp climbs rapidly followed one and another. At the 50 kilometre mark we stopped for our second break, again timed on 5 minutes.

Mind tricks of cycling with headwind

It was after this break that a slight panic set in for Sabina. There was still more than 110 kilometres to go, and headwind can play dirty tricks on someone’s mind. Luckily the road turned and as the wind stopped gushing in our face, the worry made place for enjoyment of the beautiful surroundings.

Steep gravel riding climbs

For about ten kilometres the trail went up and down, testing our climbing legs, but the real test was still to come. After a long descent we had a big climb ahead of us on chunky gravel. It was here Robin realized he couldn’t shift to his biggest gear. While Sabina was spinning up slowly on her 52t sprocket like Froome, Robin clenched his jaw and grinded it up all the way up to the top. The spectacular view at the top was the perfect reward for our effort.

All this hard work had started to wear a bit on Robin, it’s a good thing we usually take turns in when we feel the lows on our rides. On one of the long straight gravel stretches in a deforested area we had a very silent break at the 75k mark.

Refuelling in Torup

Up until this point we had been fuelling on nuts, energy and candy bars, so we were quite happy when we came to Torup the first town that had an actual supermarket. We always struggle a bit to find which foods are right on long rides like these, so we usually just pick whatever we crave for that moment. So not exactly your healthy well-balanced diet.

Sabina’s shopping list

chicken teriyaki wrap

banana (which she didn’t eat)

donut

protein chocolate milkshake

triple shot espresso energy drink

Robin’s shopping list

pulled pork wrap

iced cappuccino

Coca-Cola

salami chips

2 kex chocolate bars (which he didn’t eat)

candy

bottle of water (which was unnecessary since there turned out to be a water tap next to us)

Why gravel beats road cycling

After our meal in the supermarket corridor, next to the gum ball machine we followed the road to continue our Dirty Halland tour. It was turning noticeably darker and the overcast was turning in to a dark shade of grey. A few spatters of rain fell down on us, but absolutely not enough to drown our spirits. We did decide to skip out on the little sidetour to Mossared and just follow the beautiful puddle filled stretch of gravel from Häshult all the way to the Bosgårdsvägen. Plenty of climbs to come and a long way still to go.

We zigzagged through beautiful forest and nature reserves and the kilometres were flying by. When we hit a few stretches of asphalt we could really feel the difference in speed. Tarmac is faster, but those cars are a pain. The majority of Swedish drivers are very friendly and ride around us with a lot of room between us. But some really don’t seem to understand how dangerous it is when they race so close by, one even pushing Robin off the road onto the verge.

Gravel cycling in Biskopstorps Nature reserve

The part through Biskopstorps Nature reserve was yet another highlight of this route. After a long climb, with a short breather to pet the curious cows, we descended all the way to Kvibille. Here we bought a sugary drink, to get us through the last stretch. Blue hour had set in and Sabina was at the end of her rope. With just 20 more kilometres to push through, Robin somehow felt stronger now at the end than at the start of the ride.

Cycling in the dark

We had calculated that we would ride in the dark, but we didn’t have a lot of experience with that yet. So a technical descent in the nature area just east of Gullbrandstorp became a whole new challenge. Our torches were bright enough to light up all the tree roots, potholes and big rocks on the trail. But our tired minds were not sharp enough to catch all of them in time. So we carefully made our way down and bumped and hopped over the mud piles and rocks that we missed catching on time, but our chunky tires could easily handle for us.

Making our way down we could see the city lights of Halmstad in the distance. The finish line was now literally in sight. We crossed the farmlands on the last stretches of gravel, and before we knew it we recognized the road along the open air museum Hallandsgården which we had passed this morning at the start of the route.

The train back to Malmö

Back at the train station we had exactly 5 minutes to quickly buy something to eat for the two-hour train ride back to Malmö. In the train scrolling through our camera roll we knew that we wanted to share this adventure with you as soon as possible. We hope you enjoy it as much as we have. A big thank you for Team Cyklamera for piecing the route together, it was a beautiful day!

Follow all our adventures on Instagram.
27 March 2021
A new Farawayistan adventure, join us in the fascinating Ultra endurance cycling world

Farawayistan has always been the place where our passion for bikepacking and storytelling come together. We have loved to show you the world from our handlebar perspective, and took you on a grand adventure, all the way from the Republic of Georgia to India and Indonesia.

Regular readers may have noticed that our website recently got a makeover. A sleeker look and a brand new logo. That’s because from now on we would like to add something new to our storytelling and talk about ancient Egyptian archeology.

Just kidding. We’re still doing what we love most – sharing our cycling adventures. But we are adding another aspect to it. We are entering the world of ultra endurance cycling.

The Atlas Mountain Race 2021

Sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith. So when the opportunity arose to compete in one of the most heroic off-road ultra-cycling events, we jumped in the deep. As a pair, we entered the Atlas Mountain Race to be held in October 2021.

We’ve done some crazy things before. Like when we tried to cover a bikepacking route in the Georgian High Caucasus with heavy steel touring bikes or that time when we pushed our bikes over one of worlds highest mountain passes in the Nepali Himalayas. But this one might just top them all.

The Atlas Mountain Race is an unsupported cycling race across the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. The fixed and single-staged route starts in Marrakech and ends after roughly 1,200 kilometers in the coastal town of Agadir. There is very little tarmac and the race mainly follows gravel roads, single tracks and old colonial pistes. If the harsh environment of high mountains and dry deserts aren’t hard enough, we’ll need to conquer approximately 17,000 meters of elevation. And we have no more than eight days from start to finish.

Why ride an ultra endurance race?

But don’t call us crazy just yet. We both thought long and hard about entering, and we have good reasons to do so. Robin: “Ultra cycling has always intrigued me. I don’t really have an explanation for this, and it doesn’t rhyme at all with the way I used to ride before. Purely in a recreational way and getting me from point A to B. But for some reason looking at ultra-events always made me feel excited. In particular the endurance aspect of physical and mental abilities. I’m not competitive in any way. Therefore I’m not going to Morocco to race other participants, but I’ll be racing mostly against myself.”

Life after travel

“After the journey I found it hard to motivate myself to ride” Sabina says, “because I didn’t have a goal. But while I was not riding I poured all that excessive energy in to my work. A bit too much. The balance was gone. Cycling made me happy, and being so over focused on my job didn’t. I’m someone who goes all in, and have proven to myself time after time that I actually am capable of doing more than I initially thought. I used to look at ultra cyclists as super humans doing the impossible. But now it got me wondering: ‘could I also do that?’ Only one way to find out.”

Shaping the new normal

Our lives changed quite drastically in a very short period of time. From freely roaming around with our loaded bikes in exotic places like India and Nepal to fulltime jobs with sales targets and deadlines. We went out as much as we could, but since we’re both working from home days quickly started to all look the same.

Introducing something brand new into our lives, in this case preparing for an ultra-event, brings excitement and a renewed focus. If we want to stand any chance of succeeding we have no choice but to be disciplined. The mental and physical training gives us structure and the excitement makes us feel awake.

Come along on our journey

We may have some experience cycling in challenging conditions, but we’re total newbies in the world of ultra-cycling. So we thought you might find it interesting to come along on our journey to the race. If you’ll have us, we will share our thoughts, experience, progress and setbacks and we’ll talk about anything to kit lists, training and bike fits.

Those who come here just for the pretty pictures, no worries we got you too. We will still be posting about our weekend adventures and bikepacking trips. Those are luckily also part of our preparation. Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Instagram and we’ll take you along. With a little bit of luck and a whole lot of hard work all the way to the finish line in Agadir.

Follow all our adventures on Instagram.

3 February 2021
#Festive500: The 500KM Holiday challenge

Christmas usually comes with loads of food at family gatherings. But for many cyclists the days between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve have a whole different priority: the #Festive500. The global challenge is to ride 500 kilometers in eight days. So this year we spent a big chunk of the holidays on our bikes.

We, well one of us.. completed the challenge with a mix of different rides: road, gravel and virtual in two different countries. Here’s our photo report.

Day 1: Volcano Circuit

We kicked off the challenge with a bunch of laps around Watopia’s Volcano Circuit. Indeed, a ride on the indoor trainer. Of course, cycling outside is way more enjoyable, but the Swedish climate during December isn’t really pleasant. We only had six days of time, so the head start was a warm-welcome begin. It was Robin’s longest ride so far indoors. Mentally it was actually pretty okay. Sabina rode it in two different rides, one at midnight and one during the day.

Robin: 108 km / 537 m / 3:43:14 h / Zwift
Sabina: 110 km / 542 m / 4:01:48 h / Zwift

Day 2: Frosty road ride around Häckeberga

On day 2 it was time for an outdoor ride. The route was based on a ride Robin did back in September, during much warmer temperatures. The day began with frosty vegetation, frosty roads, frosty everything. Roughly halfway in we had to shelter in a supermarket with a hot chocolate to defrost our fingers and toes. Yet again, a fairly easy ride with photo breaks.

Robin: 101 km / 556 m / 4:24:14 h / Sweden
Sabina: 101 km / 637 m / 4:26:14 h / Sweden

Day 3: Skåne to the volcano

While the cold but beautiful scenery on day 2 made up for a lot, the cold and grey during day 3 was a bit more challenging. The wind near Skåne’s coastal gravel roads combined with the wind chill of minus 2 degrees Celsius were tough. After 55 km and rain showers about to start, We decided to move to somewhere warmer – to our sweaty pain cave. Here we both rode a few more laps through the virtual lava fields.

Robin: 92,5 km / 345 m / 3:57:06 h / Sweden + Zwift
Sabina: 89 km / 317 m / 3:54:26 h / Sweden + Zwift

Day 4 Teanu island

Waking up on day 4 of the #Festive500, motivation was nowhere to be found. Opening the curtains of the sleeping room definitely didn’t help. With sore legs Robin hopped on the trainer once again. YouTube videos, Spotify, a video call with his mum and a phone call with Michael from @BikepackingSweden luckily killed the time. He managed to ride a little over 80 kilometers.

After the long ride on day 2 Sabina’s knee had started to act up. We raised the saddle on day 3 but it was too little too late. On day 4 it was still too painful to ride. After a mini warmup she already had to stop. Maybe some rest will help?

Robin: 82,2 km / 334 m / 2:59:56 h / Zwift
Sabina: 13,1 km / 64 m / 29:41 h / Zwift

Day 5: Mandatory rest day

No time for cycling today, as we flew to The Netherlands to visit our relatives! Sabina tried her sore knee out, but it was still too soon.

Sabina: 4,2 km / 11m / 11:31 h / Zwift

Day 6: Hometown ride

After the mandatory rest day Robin’s legs no longer felt like his feet were stuck in a bucket of concrete. Sabina’s knee was still a mess, which unfortunately ment she had to give up.

No Sweden, no Zwift. Instead we had a typical Dutch winters day with rain and wind. We totally forgot how densely everything in the Netherlands is. The amount of cyclists is gigantic. On a single day you see more cyclist than we see in Sweden in a whole year. Robin: “It felt really good to cycle on familiar ground around my hometown. Even more so because I was in company of my father! The fact that I came home completely soaked didn’t mind me at all.”

Robin: 71,6 km / 26 m / 3:02:55 h / the Netherlands

Day 7: South-Holland

On Robin’s sixth riding day – and the seventh day of the challenge – he was about to complete the #Festive500. A ride of just 45 kilometers was enough to mark 500 kilometers. Robin: “The weather was pretty good and I had planned a ride I rode a lot when I was still living in the Netherlands. The route follows the Waterweg (canal), the shoreline and back zigzagging through the greenhouses. I was planning to ride on New Year’s Day too, but the next morning I couldn’t be bothered. After all it was time to bake ‘oliebollen’ – a Dutch delicacy of deep-fried round doughnuts eaten with New Year’s Eve.”

Robin: 60,5 km / 70 m / 2:36:29 h / the Netherlands

Robin managed to cover 516 kilometers in six days of riding. Unfortunately Sabina had to call it quits after 318 kilometers because of a knee injury. Luckily her knee felt better after a few days of rest and soon we were able to ride together again. Not because we had to accomplish a challenge, but simply because we love to ride our bikes.

Follow all our adventures on Instagram.

12 January 2021
Swedish Bikepacking Routes – The wilder side of Stockholm

A big of a part of preparing our move to Sweden, was of course researching trails and routes. We read all the articles and blogs on bikepacking and gravel cycling is Sweden that we could find. The endless gravel roads, easy camping rules and extensive nature reserves surely called for bikepacking adventures.

At every little snippet that we found one name kept popping up in particular: Michael O’Dwyer. An Irish guy living in Stockholm and sharing tons of amazing routes. Together with Björn Merlin he collects the best routes and shares them on their platform @bikepackingsweden. One of the rides they created – as part of the Local Overnighter Project by bikepacking.com – was the Wilder Side of Stockholm. A wilder side that we were eager to get to know.

In this second write-up (first one here) of our favorite Swedish Bikepacking Routes, we’ll tell you all about our overnighter Wilder Side of Stockholm. A story about our ride, with some practical tips and additional information. At the bottom of the page you’ll find the gpx in komoot.

Stockholm

After an eight-hour bus ride with the bikes on the back of the bus we finally reached our destination. More than 650 kilometres up north, we found ourselves in the capital of Sweden, Stockholm. Scandinavia’s largest city is one of the nicest in Europe; idyllically situated at an archipelago of fourteen islands and with centuries-old architectonical beauty.

We didn’t really know what to expect when we looked at the starting point on the map. The Wilder Side of Stockholm starts in Södermalm, the bustling heart of the hipster neighbourhood. The endless gravel roads and pointy pine forests seemed hopelessly far away in this concrete jungle. But we were so wrong. It’s impressive how fast the concrete and asphalt environment changed to deep forests and remote singletrack. In under fifteen minutes of riding we were no longer hearing cars honking, but just the crunchy sound of gravel coming from underneath the tires.

The bikepacking route

The trail covers a total distance of 121 kilometers (75 miles) which makes it the perfect weekend getaway. The altitude gain doesn’t get too steep but the roads and trails go up and down for the entire length of the route which accumulates to 1,000 meters of altitude for the entire route. Pretty much the whole thing is perfectly rideable, but for some stretches we were faced with rocks and roots underneath our wheels – or shoes depending on your skills. Not used to these tricky trails Sabina was pushing her bike, cursing the pedals every time she kicked it with her shin. According to the data on komoot, the road is made up of 14% single trails.

Along the way we passed numerous of nature reserves and national parks. The first one – Naturresevatet i Nacka – is just a few kilometers away from Stockholm. A favorite hang-out for Stockholm residents to escape the bustling city. We rode this route in the middle of august and temperatures rose up to 30 °C. The first big lake was simply too inviting to pass by, so we took a dip. The first of many.

Rich in oaks and with plenty of forest lakes we felt like we were in the midst of nature already. Riding in to Tyresta National Park we cycled amongst old giants. The pine trees here are up to 400 years old. The excellent double tracked gravel roads here are truly spectacular.

Paradiset, the highlight of the route

After Tyresta National Park we made our way towards Paradiset. A name like that set our expectations high, and we were definitely not disappointed. The area is a popular weekend hiking destinations for Swedes. One of the longest trails of Scandinavia covering over a thousand kilometers – the Sörmlandsleden – runs through here. But the real highlight lays on the bank of Trehörningen, a small lake on the southern edge of the reserve. The crystal clear lake is fully surrounded by trees.

Scattered across the shore are a few vindskydds (wind shelters) with idyllic fire pits for night time camp fires. All around the lake there were people grilling, swimming and simply enjoying quality time in nature. We arrived a bit late, and for the shelters applies first come, first served. But we pitched our tent on a secluded spot on the bank and spent the warm summer night with only the inner tent.

Wild camping is allowed

As is the case (almost) everywhere in Sweden, wild camping is allowed. You simply find a good place and pitch the tent. Finding a good spot is no challenge, there are nice spots around every corner. The shelters in Paradiset are located after roughly 66 kilometers from the start, so a little over half way in.

The next morning, after crossing the railway near Västerhaninge the gravel and trails started pretty much straight away. It felt like we were flying here, compared to yesterday’s tricky trails. Near Lida recreation the route makes a loop which leads to the last nature reserve: Orlångens naturreservat. We had some time to spare and swam and sunbathed, soaking in the summer rays. Ready for the last short stretch we rode the open and easy rolling gravel road to the endpoint of this route in Huddinge. Here we could personally thank Michael for putting together this stunning route.

Supplying for the ride

Finding food and water is no problem on the Wilder Side of Stockholm. We found various shops along the route. And if needed, a village is always just a small detour away. If you’re planning to stay for the night in the Paradiset windshelter, it’s best to stock up for the night and morning in Västeraninge. Here are a few bigger supermarkets and even a Systembolaget: the government-owned monopoly distributor of alcohol. So if you fancy a cold beer at the campfire this is your chance. Unless it’s Saturday after 3PM or Sunday, then you’re out of luck.

Getting there

Sweden has an extensive rail network, but this time we opted for the bus. Taking your bike on long distance trains in Sweden is a pain since you need to pack the bike in a bag or box. You can however bring your bike on the local trains, called pendeltåg. Make sure you get off the train at Stockholm Södra, since bicycles are not allowed on Stockholm Central. In Huddinge – where to route ends – you can easily hop on the pendeltåg back to Stockholm.

The Wilder Side of Stockholm is a great bikepacking route – ideal for a mini adventure during the weekend. It’s amazing how quickly the scenery changes right after leaving the bustling city centre of Stockholm. Gorgeous gravel roads and a few fun single trails through a gorgeous landscape with thick forests and pristine lakes. We loved every second of it.

Follow all our adventures on Instagram.

22 December 2020
Swedish Bikepacking Routes – The Blekingeleden

It was time to discover a different corner of south Sweden, the province of Blekinge. Adventure was calling. Eager to hit the trails we stuffed our gear into our bikepacking bags and loaded our Wahoo’s with the gpx-file. Right from the start, we realized this wasn’t going to be a relaxing bikepacking adventure. This was full on adventure cycling.

In this first report of our favorite Swedish Bikepacking Routes, we’ll tell you about the Blekingeleden. A story about our own experience, with some practical tips and additional information. At the bottom of the page you’ll find the route in komoot.

Blekingeleden

The Blekingeleden (leden means trail in Swedish) is a stunning trail that offers a varied surface along paths and gravel roads. Cutting through forests, pastures, lakes and fields. We set off from medieval town Sölvesborg in the west of Blekinge. The trail led us all the way to Bröms, in the most north-eastern tip of the province.

Blekinge Is a very unique place with its stunning archipelago, that boasts over 800 islands. The archipelago with granite coastlines is even designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Shallow bays, lagoons, and estuaries along the coast creates an amazing backdrop, and left us in awe at all the breathtaking view points. We meandered through the seaside region, but also through rolling hills and hardwood forests. We picked berries in the untamed wild forests, crossed blossoming hayfields and camped in the lush oak tree pastures.

Blekingeleden route

The Blekingeleden covers a total distance of nearly 270 kilometers. The route includes roughly 2.200 meters of altitude gain. Although the statistics do not sound that bad, completing the route was a hard and challenging task. We were taken by surprise by the difficulty level after only just having covered a handful of kilometers from the starting point.

Since the Blekingeleden is designed as a hiking trail, we had to conquer technical trails, demanding surfaces and lots of obstacles. From the start the trail followed a gentle gravel road through the outskirts of Sölvesborg. But it didn’t take long before the terrain got quite difficult. Roots sticking out from the soil and slippery rocks covered in moss forced us to spend more time walking and pushing our bikes than wanted.

Obstacles along the way

Of all obstacles cattle grids are the easiest to cross. But Swedish farmers have other tricks up their sleeve to prevent livestock from trespassing, and us cyclists too. Expect ladder stiles, barbed wire, rambler gates, barrier gates and the good old electric fence. Every now and then two of the methodes are combined, just to add to the challenge. And for those who wonder, yes we got electrocuted lifting the bike over a charged stile.

The right bike

Another obstacle on Swedish trails are wooden decks. Often used to protect fragile nature or covering swaps. If you’re lucky, you’ll cross and reach the other side without wet socks. Cycling over the decks is oftentimes not possible, since the shelfs are as wide as your shoe and the gap between them a lot wider than our tires. We met a local mountainbiker on a full-suspension bike on the trail. He was riding it in different legs from his home town nearby. But even with just a small backpack, he too, was forced to walk parts of the trail. Next time we would probably choose a much wider tire to help deal with the humps and bumps.

How hard can it be?

To put things into perspective, around 70% of the route is rideable. The rest is pretty difficult singletrack. The first half of the Blekingeleden is the hardest. The second half is easier with long, flattish gravel double-tracks. It is possible to by-pass some of the hiking trails, adding a few percentages to the ride ability. More than 70% is unpaved. With a good fitness level and decent riding skills you’re likely to cover between 50 and 75 kilometer a day. This gives you some time for coffee and photo breaks. Navigation is child’s play. You just follow the orange sings.

Sights along the ride

One of our favorite highlights along the trail, is the nature reserve Järnavik. The coastal landscape with steep hills and deep ravines offers grand views. The trail took us even on top of the stone cliffs. We spend the night in the windshelter close to the camping of Järnavik, overlooking the archipelago, with its fjords. Here you can take a swim in the Baltic Sea. This was definitely not the only place we took a dip. Sweden is home to many fresh water lakes, over 100 000 lakes to be more precise. Nothing beats a swim after a long day in the saddle on a summer day. The trail also leads along the lakes Halen, Långasjön and Norr Öllesjön.

Five star windshelters

We didn’t see many hotels and lodges near the trail. Luckily camping is super easy, like anywhere else in Sweden. The Swedish right of public access gives access to freely roam around (and sleep!) in nature. Pitch your tent anywhere you like or sleep in a windshelter. There is an extensive network of vindskydds along the trail. These shelters are very basic structures, but offer perfect protection from the elements. Light a camp fire in the designated fire pit with the provided fire wood and grill your sausages and marshmallows before you nestle into your sleeping bag.

Food & water

Make sure to bring enough food for the ride. Although the Blekingetrail leads through many small settlements, shops to stock up are scarce. Especially for the last part, it can take you up to two days before you reach a town to restock on supplies. You can find supermarkets in the towns Olofström, Svängsta (little detour needed), Järnavik (small camping store), Ronneby and Kristianopel. Swedes aren’t very open and talkative at first, but don’t hesitate to ask for water or directions. They are usually happy to help. Almost every Swede speaks perfect English.

Logistics

The starting point is located close to the train station of Sölvesborg. You can take your bicycle for free on the local trains. Getting back from the finish is a little more complicated. The easiest way to come back is to cycle to Karlskrona and jump on the train. Both stations are on the Öresundståg connection with Malmö and Copenhagen (you pay a fee for your bike over the bridge). From Malmö central it only takes 1,5 hour to reach the start. If coming from Copenhagen, add another 20 minutes.

Best time

The best time to cycle (or hike) the Blekingeleden is between May and September. August and September are the warmest months. By now the water temperature of the ocean and lakes are at its warmest. This is also berry picking season. Cycle here in fall and even winter, if you’re not scared of the cold. Winters in the south of Sweden are relatively mild.

We found Blekinge with the archipelago and glittering lakes spectacular. It’s often referred as being the southernmost wilderness of Sweden, and we can see why. It has all the ingredients for an amazing bikepacking adventure. But Sweden has many more trails and gravel roads to discover, we can’t wait!

Follow all our adventures on Instagram.

7 October 2020
Bikepacking in our backyard Häckeberga

Who could’ve thought, that the seemingly disappointing end of our bikepacking journey was actually the start of something great. On our way from Georgia to Japan, we now suddenly hear ourselves call Sweden home. How’s that for a plot twist. We are happier than ever, here at our new base camp from where we can partake in all kinds of outdoor adventures. Right in our backyard.

When COVID-19 was hitting China and Italy hard, we still had a spark of hope that things would calm down soon. But the situation only got worse. We soon realized that cycling from one country to another would be close to impossible for a long time. Let alone cycling from one continent to another.

Cycling life after COVID-19

We spent months, if not years preparing our adventure. And even though we had some time to let reality sink in, it still felt like an abrupt end. Don’t get us wrong, we are definitely not complaining. All things considering, our grief over a mere holiday cut short is nothing compared to what so many people have and still are facing in the darkness of this pandemic.

Time to go home. But that was just the catch. We didn’t have a home. Or a country that we wanted to call home for that matter. Returning to the Netherlands wasn’t really an option for us. At least not one that we would opt for. A cold turkey arrival would have meant an abrupt end of adventure. Living an adventurous outdoor life isn’t impossible in the Netherlands, but we figured that other places would simply be better. And there was one odd duck in the lockdown mania that stood out to us.

Malmö & Häckeberga

That odd duck was Sweden. Friluftslif-loving Sweden, with more forest than you could ever imagine. We’re currently based in the city of Malmö, the third largest of Sweden with only 320,000 inhabitants. An old harbour city with a cool mix of tradition and modern architecture. The Öresund Bridge connects the city with the Danish capital Copenhagen. By train, it takes only 18 minutes to reach København.

Besides the city and it’s conveniences, the area of south Sweden, named Skåne, offers some other great quality’s. Right outside Malmö you’ll immediately set foot in nature. Just a stone’s throw away there’s the Häckeberga Nature Reserve. It’s one of the most valuable forest habitats in Skåne. Landscapes vary from ancient pastures, rolling fields and expansive forests. Also known as: gravel paradise.

Train tracks and gravel

Skåne offers an extensive network of trails and gravel roads. There are thousands of kilometers of trails and the amount of gravel roads is almost endless. According to the guys behind the website www.grvl.se there’s over 250,000 kilometer of gravel in whole Sweden. Local knowledge about routes is needed, otherwise you’ll have no idea where to start planning your ride. A lot of gravel roads are dead ends, which lead to logging areas or to completely nothing. Sometimes it’s inevitable to conquer challenging trails and hike-a-bike through thick forests to link gravel roads together. But that’s part of the fun, right?

Mountain biking

Right in the heart of Häckeberga lays an impressive web of mountainbike trails. Over the past years the Swedish Authorities have actively promoted mountain biking. Thanks to the increasing interest more trails are continuously being built. There’s even an MTB-park just 4.5 kilometres away from Malmö’s central train station. The trails in Häckeberga are challenging and technical. Sharp corners, muddy surfaces, rocks and roots make riding here quite demanding. The official trail is 35 kilometers long, but there are way more trails waiting to be ridden.

Camping

The Swedes love to camp. There are hundreds of camping grounds spread out all over the country. The majority are with facilities such as shops and restaurants. But wild camping is the way to go in Scandinavia. Allemansrätten, the right of public access, allows you to pitch your tent almost everywhere you want.

Allemansrätten is not just about camping. You’re basically allowed to walk, ski, boat or swim on private land as long as you stay at least 70 meters away from houses and gardens. Cycling is included in this as well.

Cycling and hiking is not as divided as it is in for example the USA. There’s no ban on cycling on hiking trails. But since the trails are designed for hikers you’ll need to give priority to hikers as a cyclist. There are exceptions and prohibitions by local ordinances, but these are very rare. The motto of Allemansrätten is ‘do not disturb, do not destroy’. But mostly, enjoy! (yes we added that last bit ourselves)

Windshelters

In Häckeberga, and all throughout the rest of Sweden, you can find these wooden semi-closed structures. These shelters (vindskydd in Swedish) are the most common type of shelters which anyone can freely use. In peak season most are even equipped with fire wood for the fire place. The shelters are the perfect getaway for short weekenders and full-on bikepacking adventures. Did we already say they are free to use? For everybody?!

Now and then we scrape a minimalist camping kit together and ride to a vindskydd to escape our new city lives. The closest one from our home is only 14.5 kilometres away. There’s nothing better than breaking the routine of a working week. After lighting a campfire it is time to crawl into a warm sleeping bag. The next morning we prepare a cup of coffee and ride back to town.

Work and play

We are now trying to find a healthy balance of earning our livings (and hopefully saving up for some rad adventures to come) and enjoying the great outdoors on two wheels. It’s easy to get sucked in to working and social life, especially because those are fun too! We both enjoy our new careers a lot.

Sabina is passionately saving the world with Too Good To Go. A social impact company driving a movement against food waste. The app connects users with businesses that have surplus food, so that this food can be enjoyed instead of wasted. Robin started working as a freelance editor, mostly for komoot. Komoot is a route planning app that inspires people to go out exploring by bike or foot.

Follow all our adventures on Instagram.

2 September 2020
Iran part I – Amsterdam to Tehran

In December 2018 we traveled to Iran. This is how we got there.

It is almost hard to believe that we actually have just woken up in Amsterdam. Due to bad weather and extreme thick fog, half of the flights to Schiphol were cancelled. And that’s exactly where we are flying from today, to Teheran via Istanbul. Luckily ours wasn’t cancelled, it was even in time! What lucky bastards we are.

Being too cheap to spend way too much money on hotel breakfast, we take the shuttle bus (also free of course) to the airport and buy some food at Albert Heijn instead. Our last breakfast that isn’t bread, tomatoes and cucumber!

Next to us on our first flight, we talk to a young boy sitting next to us. He’s from Sweden and is also going to Iran to visit relatives. Before moving to Sweden they lived in Istanbul and before that Iran. We never ask where he’s from originally, but based on his facial features we guess Afghanistan. Approximately 3 million Afghans have fled to Iran since the start of the war.

Funny Dutch people

When we enter our flight from Istanbul to Tehran we already stand out quite a bit. 3 dutch speaking guys even laugh out loud when they see us. What are we even going to do in Iran, they ask us. Way too expensive, according to them.

Later, when we stand in line at the customs we speak to them again. They are also from Afghanistan and for two of them, it is their first time (back) in Iran. You can see the excitement in their eyes. Probably in ours too. Oh and guess what, when you enter the country with a European passport you don’t get a stamp. Too bad for the collectors, convenient for those who like to travel to Israel, the states and Saudi Arabia. After a long day of travelling we are welcomed in our hostel with a cup of tea, sweet dates and some well deserved rest.

Sightseeing in Tehran

Our first day in Tehran and it’s raining cats and dogs. Doesn’t matter, we can take it. The former US embassy is very close to our hostel, unfortunately we can’t go in (it’s a museum now) since they are shooting. Shooting a movie this time tho. We take some snaps in the pouring rain, and nobody really seems to care about it. Previously, the Iranians didn’t like that it’s a touristic hotspot. Nowadays they’re probably used to it.

Changes

This isn’t the only thing that has changed in Iran, over the last few years. When we take the metro to the grand bazar, Sabina joins Robin in the men’s compartment. She isn’t the only women there, and the stares we get probably aren’t for this, just for the fact that we stand out anyway. Every now and then, we get a ‘hello’ and a ‘where are you from?’ We haven’t spotted a single tourist so far.

The grand bazar is crowded, and immensely big. We wander around, and it is very nice that we don’t get pulled in to shops. At least until we get to the carpets. Apparently we look like we really need one. The vendors aren’t too aggressive, and we can easily shake them off.

Cashing it

The bazar is also the place to exchange your euros or dollars to rials. We already put our euros on our Mah card. A debit card for tourists, so we don’t have to carry around a lot of cash. The exchange rate isn’t as good, but at least we don’t have to hassle with the millions of rials. Funny thing, try entering your security code in Farsi. Most machines don’t have English numbers on them, so we have to guess the place of the numbers. Luckily, this is the same and not right to left, as Farsi writing is.

27 January 2019