Friends and companions

Josef

Josef

We sort of captured Josef directly off the street in Buxoro / Uzbekistan and took him to our hotel.
His BMW R 850 GS was even heavier loaded than our bikes. But you could see that he equipped it with a lot of love and made every detail ready for long trips.
He has been on several long trips already and while drinking a couple of beers we were happy to share our experiences. He told us great stories about the Pamir Highway and we managed to inspire him a little with our videos.
Right now he is on a trip to India and tries to raise some money against child labor in India.
Also his reports are worth a look.
Lazy Beach - Chris and Jemma

Lazy Beach - Chris and Jemma

We had planned to spend one night on the small island of Koh Rong Sanloem. We had not booked anything and so we had time to explore the island a bit and look for the best spot for us. We decided to cross to the other side of the island on a well built path through the middle. We arrived at the so called Lazy Beach after just 20 minutes and we were immediately surprised by the beauty of this spot. An incredible beach, a deep blue ocean and a comfortable bar. After we had used a couple of the sport equipment like Volleyball and Table Tennis we got talking to the owner Chris and his girlfriend Jemma. Chris lives since 2007 on this island and Jemma joined him since 2013. Originally from the UK it did not take them long to convince us to stay for a night in their cozy bungalows. We played a bit of Perudo that night and exchanged stories. Further they told us to grab some diving gear later and go out into the ocean at night because we would certainly be able to see some fluorescein algae. It was an incredible experience to swim through the pitch black ocean just to see everything light up around us. We enjoyed our time so much that we quickly decided to stay another night. It does not matter if you enjoy snorkeling, at day or night, like playing beach Volleyball, Badminton, Table Tennis, walking around the island to scenic view points or just want to relax on the beach. We can recommend a visit to the Lazy Beach for anyone looking to have a great time.
Sankova Coffee Shop

Sankova Coffee Shop

On our search for the Istanbul Touratech store we found this nice little coffee shop by accident.
Two old perfectly restored BMW bikes were parked in front and catched our attention. Sertaç and his Motorcycle enthusiastic friends welcomed us and loved our planed trip. After they help us to find a good hotel we spend a nice evening together at the coffee shop.
We highly recommend to all bikers who come to Istanbul to stop by.
Jäger der Berge

Jäger der Berge

Basti knows Gregor from his time at the mountaineers in Berchtesgaden. Gregor loves the mountains and regularly stays in Berchtesgaden and the Alps during his holidays. Since he lives in Wiesbaden he does not have the luxury of visiting the Alps as often as we do. Whilst we prefer to ride across the mountain peaks, Gregor experiences most of his visits on foot.

A short while ago Gregor decided to make a website about his passion. At first even Basti joined up with him for his project. But the website has changed a lot since then. "Jäger der Berge" gives you a lot of useful informations and tips about mountain trips and the necessary equipment. Have a look for yourself!
Christian mit seiner Olga

Christian mit seiner Olga

We met Christian at the OASIS in Ulaanbaatar and instantly had a lot of fun together! He is driving a very well looking old Africa Twin RD07 named Olga and he is on his way to Japan.
A country we sadly couldn't squeeze in on our route. Unfortunately we could only spend a few days together, but we will meet again in Germany for sure.
He writes in a very cheerful way in his blog about what he is experiencing on his trip and especially in Japan. Have a good and safe trip!
2 Adventure Rider

2 Adventure Rider

We met Mirko 3 days after his return from South America in Milano at the EICMA 2015, where he was allowed to display his bike.
Right from the start he impressed us with his stories and especially with countless great tips.
At the IMOT 2016 we were able to spend a lot of time with him and we could gain even more tips: camera, drone, chain lubricator, headset, budget planing, route, accommodations, sightseeing and so on - basically every topic was discussed!
He also documented his trip wonderfully, especially his pictures are worth a look!
Gail aka Number One

Gail aka Number One

We met Gail shortly after Novosibirsk at the Relax Hotel in Berdsk, Russia.
We've only been there because the rear bearings of both Africa Twins quit their jobs 500 meters away from the Hotel. We were still worried if we could find new bearings in this area.
But despite our situation we immediately hit it off with Gail! We've got the same humour and (almost) the same thirst for beer. The way he tells his stories from over 3,5 years on a motorcycle and over 30 years in the US NAVI is hilarious!
Little did we know of course that we would spend over 2,5 months together. Including our drive through China, helping him out when he had his accident. We can honestly say that we found a new friend for life!
A big thanks to Gail for the unbelievable funny times we had with you! You are the 4th member of our group and we look forward to many more miles together.
Paul & Brigitta

Paul & Brigitta

Basti met the Swiss couple at a wild camp spot in the middle of nowhere in the very South of Argentina.
From the first second their friendly nature together with the charming Swiss accent made an impression. After spending two nights together talking about everything we became good friends. We stay in regular contact since then and it is always a pleasure to hear from them.
Have an unforgettable journey, stay always safe and experience many many more great adventures anywhere in the world!
RvsZ

RvsZ

We met Raphi and Dani on our second Stage Tour. They are from Switzerland and happened to stay at the same camping spot in Cappadocia as we did.
When we arrived at the camp site we immediately noticed the two bikes, they were not hard to spot especially since there were no other guests staying at that camp site. When they heard that we stopped they actually watched us talking to the sites owner. We decided to stay at the same site and to try to get to know them. We rode up to them and as it turned out they were just about as interested into our story like we were into theirs.

Raphi and Dani were actually in the middle of their one year World Tour when we met them. Sadly we had to head out earlier then them and so we didn't get too much time to spend with them at first. By sheer coincidence and luck we happened to run into them just a couple of days later when we were looking for a hotel in Trabzon. Since Denis had troubles with his bike they passed us on their way and already had managed to find a hotel. So we stayed at the same one and started mending Denis's bike together. You can read about the entire story here.
Raphi and Dani also wrote a blog about their trip and made some fun videos. Their website is definitely worth a look.
myBar

myBar

There are not many bars that manage to achieve the perfect balance between cozy living room and a relaxed night out. Basti has been looking for a similar place in Munich for years.

On his first night out in Moskau Basti ran into this bar by complete coincidence. It is well hidden in a dark alley and Basti probably wouldn't have walked in if he had been sober ;).

To his surprise he found himself in the greatest bar of all time and ever since then myBar is the place to be when visiting Moscow. The service is great and the guests are always fun and in a good mood. We will go there whenever we are in Moscow.

It's a must for every trip to Moscow. If we wouldn't have to get a Visa every time we would visit even more...

(You need to login to facebook in order to visit the link)
Biltepe

Biltepe

We were blown away by the hospitality at Biltepe. Sedat, the owner not only helped us in finding a great spot to sleep and stay, but also with any problems we have encountered.

Biltepe overs housing for over 300 students and is a perfect place to hang out and meet friends. In the short time we stayed we have managed to meet many nice people.

Sedat has also shown us a side of turkey we had not known before and he has become a true friend to us. He is a fellow rider and lives by the motto "Hokaine". He has taught us a lot, in these few days.