Ladies and gentlemen, 2013 is almost done. It feels like yesterday I was writing that post looking back at 2012, and now it's time to tear off the last page of the calendar and get ready for a 2014 packed with travel and adventure.
At the start of this year I convinced myself that this had to be my last year in a regular job — that I needed to put my time and energy into actually living my dreams. And I can finally say that day has arrived.
A couple of days ago I handed in my notice here in England, and on 8 January we start our round-the-world bike ride from London.
For the next few years we'll be living on the road, sleeping on the road and eating on the road. Day to day we'll be figuring out what to eat and where to sleep — but also discovering new landscapes and making new friends.
Our mini-adventures of 2013
Two weeks cycling a country is a mini-adventure, at least when you compare it to cycling around the world for several years. This year we took holidays on two occasions as preparation for the big bike journey ahead.
Cycling central England in the depths of winter
In January we went to the Thorn factory in Bridgwater to collect our bikes, where we got our first taste of the joys of winter cycling — rain, snow and England's horrific train connections all included.
In February we cycled the central England region. Cold, snow, wind, rain… we had an absolute blast! It was tough, but it showed us exactly what we'd need to survive those conditions.
We started from our front door in Manchester and did a circular route through the Lake District, Cumbria, Newcastle, York, Leeds and the Peak District.
24 hours without sleep in the Peak District
A week before heading to Scotland, we decided to grab the bikes and — leaving from the centre of Manchester — ride to the Peak District and back during our day and a half off.
The problem was that Ilze finished work quite late and we set off after dark. Once in the Peak District we kept pedalling because we couldn't find anywhere to camp, and before we knew it it was 4am — when we finally pitched the tent in a reservoir car park.
Two hours later, covered in bites from English midges, we had to get moving again as people started arriving. We headed back without having slept a wink.
Scotland by bike in September
A loch, another loch, and another, and another… Scotland is a constant up-and-down, but every new valley rewarded us with another beautiful lake. The Scottish mist gave every landscape a particular quality that couldn't disguise how green, wet and wild this country is.
We took the train to Edinburgh and from there cycled west through Oban, the Isle of Mull, Mallaig, the Isle of Skye and the northern road that took us to Inverness and Loch Ness. Remarkably, we stuck fairly closely to the Scottish route we'd planned: different roads here and there, an extra island, but at least we didn't swap coasts!
I still owe you the full write-up of this bike adventure — the one I've enjoyed most to date, despite the midges and the rain — but here's a selection of photos to give you a taste of it.
Dawn on the Isle of Mull
Crossing Queensferry bridge
Lochan na Bi
Playful Scottish cows
Wild camping in Scotland
Sunny day near Oban
Cycling along an old railway line
Up and down, all the way
Camping on the hillside
The Old Man of Storr
Picnic before the climb
Views on the Isle of Skye
Kilt Rock — stunning
Riding along the coast
Crossing the bridge on the Isle of Skye
On the road to Loch Ness
Best travel tips of 2013
This year I wrote several posts to help fellow travellers. The ones I'd highlight most:
- Where to hitchhike. What's the ideal spot for hitchhiking? How do you find the place where you'll get picked up most easily?
- Don't get ripped off at a land border crossing. Avoid problems when entering a new country by land with our tips based on our own experience.
- The definitive trick for paying the local price. The key is to observe — follow our step-by-step trick and you can cut your budget by more than half.
- 12 ways to travel cheap. Hostels, Couchsurfing, carpooling, hitchhiking, volunteering… Find what works for you.
- Answering doubts and preparing for your first trip. A comprehensive collection of questions and answers to resolve any doubts a first-time traveller might have. If you have a question to add, don't be shy — leave a comment and I'll do my best to answer it.