In this section we will try to answer the most common questions that are raised whenever someone see us with our bicycles and stuffs, sweating like pigs.

This one should be updated frequently, depending on the inputs we will get along the road and comments accordingly.

Why do you do this?
Perhaps the most frequent one. We do not have a clear answer. Why not?
There is probably as many good reasons to do such journey if possible on a lifetime, so as many to do not. It is our choice, can be somehow egoistic as we will be far away from our families, friends and colleagues during 9 months, but we believe our world has probably more interesting things to show than the routine we used to live during our regular life styles.
We could also add: because of endorphins! Pedaling heavily weighted 8 hours per day, we just feel like doped Tour de France’s cyclists.

Are you not too old/young for this?
Sure, we are not the youngest doing such things. Due to lives counstraints, it was not possibe for us to organize such trip before, even though it was stuck in our minds already quite some time ago. We finally had an opportunity to realize this project, and we decided so.
This being said, we do believe we should do this now that our legs and bodies are still working (more or less) properly and not during retirement.
Actually, it is never the good timing. First you have to finish your studies, then you don’t have money, they you start a career, then you have children, then debts, blablabla, then you are retired and have to take care about grand-children, then you are dead. Right?

Is it safe to travel in such countries?
What should we say here? We are living in France, Strasbourg city center, where a recent attack killed several people – we could have been easily one of the victims. There is bad people everywhere.
And there is as well good people everywhere. We will go through countries that have a bad reputation in the common minds and we will have for sure to be vigilant. But we do not believe it is specially dangerous – we are not burning heads taking foolhardy risks.
For further details on countries safety along the Silk Road, please check the below Caravanistan website, which is simply the reference website for us:
https://caravanistan.com/safety/

Why this blog’s name?
Easy one: have a look at us laden down as donkeys and you will probably ask yourself who are these guys and get curious about us.
Also we love to learn new things and staying curious. This is one of the reason we have decided to travel through the selected countries: we do not know nothing about these! What is growing there? Are they listening to Jean Ferrat as well? What do they eat? Which kind of underwear they have? What is their culture?

How will you communicate with people you will meet?
We are able to speak Portuguese, French, Spanish, English, some German and some Italian. Which is completely useless in the countries we will visit. So we will use our good old mouths, hands & smiles. And it will be as well the opportunity for us to learn few words in new langages. No risk no fun.

Why on a bicycle?
Travelling with a bicycle is slow enough to enjoy the different places we go through, and fast enough to visit several places. Also, we feel more close to the people we meet. The bicycle easily generates conversation and exchanges with locals. Lastly, because of endorphins!