Charity Update
Many thanks to those that have donated.
In particular thanks go to those who have contributed in the collection bottles in various pubs around the county: the Ratling Club, the Royal Oak, The Two Sawyers, the Red Lion, the Fitzwalter Arms and the King’s Arms.
Timezones
Probably time to remind our riders to set phones, cameras and bike computers to update timezones automatically if possible.
EU through to Poland is ONE hour ahead of the UK.
Ukraine & Russia are TWO hours ahead of the UK.
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan are FOUR hours ahead of the UK.
Kyrgyzstan is FIVE hours ahead of the UK.
China is SEVEN hours ahead of the UK.
Japan is EIGHT hours ahead of the UK.
The summary table on the home page as had a timezone column added. Links in the table will take you to a website where the local time is shown amongst other time & date information.
Training
This weeks training ride took in a loop to the seaside. The intention was to try and fit photos to the map & video. It almost worked except the clocks on the various devices were not synchronised. Hence The ‘Timezone’ section above. Another attempt to manage this will be made this w/e.
And Dale sent me some photos (with gps data) which I placed on this map of his ride from Dover to West Hougham along the cliffs.
Planning
The Chinese Embassy visit is on the 28th May for visa applications.
Equipment
No news here.
Other News
Uzbekistan featured in the news this week concerning a Museum of Art at the city of Nukus, which is passed on Stage 37 which should be reached towards the end of July.
This part of the world is also where the boys will cross the legendary Oxus ruver.
Here are the notes from the Uzbekistan page about these two days.
Stage 36 Hotel UGCC Kyrkkyz – Stanciya Shumanay
Nothing is known about this place except it is close to the Turkmenistan border and has a railway station, and surprisingly, is close to the Amu Darya river. This is the River Oxus of legend. Alexander the Great crossed it three times. At 2,500km it’s the longest river in Asia.
This is the country of Oxiana: Robert Byron’s “Road to Oxiana” (1933) is sometimes said to be the greatest travel book ever written.
Stage 37 Stanciya Shumanay – Nazarhan
You cross the Oxus river today at Nukus, which is Uzbekistans 6th biggest city with a population of 300,000. It was a former site for chemical weapons manufacture and testing, now known more for it’s Museum of Art.
This is what the Guardian had to say in May 2019
“This museum in a bleak outpost has one of the world’s greatest collections of avant-garde art, rescued from Stalin’s clutches by an electrician. But now it needs a rescue of its own”
House Rides 