Sakartvelos Gaumarjos!

Fabulous performance and result for Georgia. Tbilisi is going bonkers right now!

Another eSim user here with Airalo my go to provider but it’s probably dependent on what country you are visiting.

If I’m visiting a country for a month or more a local sim can work well, especially if your phone supports 2 lines, I have a UK & a Georgian line on my iPhone.

I’ve been looking into these and had a couple of reps out this week to help decide what machine to go for. It looks like the Kress range is the most suitable and the 236E model in particular. It operates by GPS and the mapping can be customised to suit complicated, large gardens. There does appear to be flaws in every type of robot mower I’ve looked at but as a time & money saving tool they look excellent if somewhat expensive. The Kress app & network seem very good too.

I think they will be quite common in a few years.

Not quite Uzbekistan but I’ve just driven from Tbilisi to London so it’s quite possible to drive. It took me a very tiring 6 days and I travelled through 11 countries.

If the drivers journey started in Uzbekistan then he probably came through Russia then into Georgia and followed the Black Sea coast. Maybe he picked his cargo up somewhere other than Uzbekistan. Lots of U.K. cars are transported east for spares so that could make it quite a lucrative trip, especially with sanctions imposed on Russia.

Tashkent tea is absolutely delicious so hopefully he’s bringing the ingredients over with him so we can enjoy it here in the U.K.

Congratulations to Georgia..!!!

They comprehensively beat Portugal 36 – 10 in the Rugby Europe Championship in France. Richard Cockerill has continued Georgia’s dominance in the competition with their 13th win in 14 years. I couldn’t watch the match but sports pubs in Tbilisi were completely booked as soon as Georgia won the semi-final. Rugby thrives in Georgia and it would be great for rugby if Georgia could play the tier 1 countries more often. I’d love to see how Georgia would fare against the current Wales team…..

It’s the final day of Russia’s Presidential Election today. It’s widely reported that a demonstration of support for Alexei Navalny will take place at noon today (9am UK) and supporters will cast their vote together in “Noon Against Putin”

Putin managed to scrape a win with an estimated 87% of the vote……

The “Noon Against Putin” was well attended especially by the Russian diaspora & within Russia, St Petersburg was especially well attended. Many Russians that truly despise Putin & the current government refused to attend the protest or vote at all as they believe any ‘spoiled’ vote gave legitimacy to the election and Putin. It would be interesting to find out just how many votes had been cast but I’m afraid that number will never be known.

The brutal hammer attack last week on Navalny ally Volkov in Vilnius sent a blunt message the opposition. The vote yesterday by Abkhazia to apply to join Russia is worrying too….

Helicopter incident in Transnistria is defo dodgy IMO.

What a fabulous trip and thanks for taking the time to share it.

I can imagine the dogs were a concern, well done with persevering! Do you now the approx costs/spending monies you incurred? Did you have any problems crossing borders?

It is very obvious that I was asking whether you were challenging the suggestion that Gaza played an important part in yesterday’s by-election result – that was what was being discussed.

I would prefer not to guess at peoples motives for voting the way they did but rather to ask the voters themselves.

However, as you asked…. As George is pretty much a single issue politician so there is a high probability that Gaza played a significant role in Georges’ victory. Did he offer much else? Do you think simply winning makes him a suitably able & honest MP that can deliver to his constituents & for Rochdale? Or is he just another farage-esque populist?

What exactly has George ever achieved as a politician (apart from his wonderful 2005 speech in the Senate)?

Although if you want to challenge that suggestion I would be interested in why you think Galloway is now a Westminster MP.

Challenge? Why would I challenge a democratic vote in the UK as I’m sure it the election of George was suitably corruption free? The people of Rochdale exercised their democratic right to vote and George won the most votes.

What I would challenge is the suitability & ability of the new MP. Just like farage, Galloway doesn’t really offer anything apart from a populist commentary without actually having to do anything constructive about the issue, as this is a discussion about George Galloway MP……

@enrielynch – IME most of the people I know regardless of their religion, background or race want an MP that can focus on more than one issue at a time and not someone that disappears only to surface on a reality TV show or Russia Today.

Big crowds are being reported in St Petersburg too.

I had a friend return from Russia last week and she was followed & videoed by police as she attended a vigil in St Petersburg for Alexey Navalny. She has personally known Navalny for a very long time so probably known to the police/FSB.

She said the vast majority of people in Russia refuse talk about Putin but she tells me they don’t like him or what he is doing. Hopefully the death of Navalny will help bring about Putins downfall.

I’ve seen very little discussion of the issue which isn’t mature.

That’s great and long may it continue and I guess the discussion will stay open. Unlike so many previous discussions regarding the subject.

The vast majority of posters are very careful not to cross any lines.

Let’s hope the usual overly combative posters continue to be careful and the Mods continue to see it that way…..

Not sure what you mean by balanced though. This isn’t the BBC, we are allowed to have opinions on one side or the other.

I’m not sure I said or insinuated we aren’t allowed opinions!!!!! Apologies if I gave you that impression.

The problem with this whole issue though is that the opinions on one side are repeatedly cancelled by the other with offensive and unfounded accusations of anti-semitism.

I guess some folk are allowed opinions even if they differ from our own, after all this isn’t the BBC right? Or the Mods can shut the discussion down again.

I’m sure Gorgeous George will be working tirelessly to bring together all the opposing sides in the Middle East to bring around a lasting peace that all sides can work with. Like a modern day Mo Mowlem I guess……

LOL, you want to talk about George Galloway’s win in Rochdale and not talk about Israel and Gaza?

Maybe you should be asking if certain contributors can discuss Israel & Palestine (you do know the current issues are more than just Gaza right?) in a mature, balanced way and without squabbling about what side said what first or what side did that last….. Oh, and LOL straight back at ya.

LOL, you want to talk about George Galloway’s win in Rochdale and not talk about Israel and Gaza?

George Galloway is only interested in one thing – which is promoting George Galloway.

He’s a self serving narcissist who has no place in British politics.

+ 1.       GG is a good orator and disruptor but he’s just another farage-like grifter. G.G enjoys the limelight and whoever gives him that platform. Didn’t he enjoy a regular slot on Putins Russia Today until quite recently?

Like farage, Gorgeous George has never had to take responsibility for what he shouts or deliver for his constituents. He has demonstrated that he’d rather appear on a TV reality jungle/ice/dance show rather than work hard for the people that voted for him.

Sadly, Galloway is just another Dorries, Hancock & farage. It’s a shame that some folk are suckered in by his  populist rhetoric.

P.S – Unsurprising, it appears that certain regular STW contributors to these types of threads are doing their best to get yet another political discussion stopped by the Mods.

To the Russians it might be. To us it’s not. The question is not whether it’s right or wrong but what business it is of ours? Or are you suggesting that countries interfering in and undermining foreign governments is perfectly acceptable? That’s generally how wars get started.

And then there’s the double standards of course. Putin doing this sort of stuff is terrible, but on the other hand Saudi Arabia and other states doing it is perfectly fine. The main differentiator is the money we receive in return for the arms we supply and the resources and goods we can buy from them.

By all means lets be a crusading country furthering the cause of freedom of justice around the world, but lets not complain when the countries on the receiving end bite back. We can’t have it both ways.

I’ve yet to meet a Russian that thinks it’s OK to poison any political opponents…..

Double standards? Saudi Arabia? Maybe you/we all just need a bit more understanding & be less judgemental?

Was it the business of Chechens wanting their own homeland in 1999/2000? How did that go for the 8000/9000 Chechens killed by Russian forces? We can trace Putins blood lust back to when he first rose to prominence so I wonder just how much understanding we need to offer? Or do we just have to be much less judgemental?

 In fact a little more understanding and less judgement on all sides might result in a more peaceful world.

Yep, better remind the Georgians that they need a bit more understanding and less judgement of Putins Russia…..

Especially the ones that were driven from their homes & whose loved ones were killed by Russian forces in 2008…

Plus the Georgians that can’t return home due to the continued illegal Russian occupation of 20% of Georgian territory…..

But yes, grrrr the West…..

Agreed..!!

No idea why STW added the extra text to my post (maybe it’s a Russian bot infiltration eh?).

[dazh Full Member]

dazh  Full Member

Feels like he’s winning at the minute

What does that actually mean? I know we here in the west like to think we’re better and assume everyone in Russia wants to be like us but has it occured to you that they might not? Seems to me that this is yet another case of ‘the west’ projecting its own ideals and culture on others, for what are probably spurious self-interested reasons.

Hopefully we’ll see change eventually for the people of Russia.

See above. Why is it important to you that change occurs in Russia? TBH The only thing I care about is that Putin leaves us alone and doesn’t drop any bombs on us.

<small class=”bbp-reply-post-date” style=”box-sizing: border-box; –tw-translate-x: 0; –tw-translate-y: 0; –tw-rotate: 0; –tw-skew-x: 0; –tw-skew-y: 0; –tw-scale-x: 1; –tw-scale-y: 1; –tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; –tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; –tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; –tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 / 0.5); –tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; –tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; –tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; –tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; font-size: 10px;”>Posted 27 minutes ago</small>

Strange thing to say…..

Feels like he’s winning at the minute

What does that actually mean? I know we here in the west like to think we’re better and assume everyone in Russia wants to be like us but has it occured to you that they might not? Seems to me that this is yet another case of ‘the west’ projecting its own ideals and culture on others, for what are probably spurious self-interested reasons.

Hopefully we’ll see change eventually for the people of Russia.

See above. Why is it important to you that change occurs in Russia? TBH The only thing I care about is that Putin leaves us alone and doesn’t drop any bombs on us.

dazh

Don’t get me wrong, I get the dedication he had to the anti-Putin cause but it really wasn’t necessary to go back. Seems a bit narcissistic really, he wanted to be a martyr. 🤷‍♂️

Wrong. It was very important for Alexey Navalny to return to Russia. If he didn’t then all opposition to the current Russian regime would have evaporated. A.N knew the risks in both returning & staying away, he really had no choice.

I know a close associate of A.N and todays news has hurt them a lot. It won’t stop or deter the opposition.

Social media is very active covering the unfolding story, although pro Russian telegram sources are playing A.Ns death down. I don’t think this is a victory for the current Russian regime, in fact it could turn out to be the complete opposite. Time will tell….

It sounds like your (potential) operatives feel they aren’t getting enough money in their wallets after taxes & expenses etc.

Add in the rising cost of living, travel costs to the site, cost of eating out each day and a bit of beer money etc. then I’d say it’s quite understandable that good reliable operatives are few & far between. Plus add an agency that skims off the top for doing very little, poor working conditions & a company that has possibly quoted the project a bit low so they win the job……

Don’t forget that good reliable operatives will already be working for a company that pays better than you, appreciates their valued experienced operatives, keeps their operatives in regular work and provides a works van & fuel card. Whilst this isn’t criticism of you, it might be the way the industry works and as such, the odd labour pinch point always occurs. You have my sympathies and I hope you manage to find suitable labour and complete the project on budget. Good luck.

Faz to Racing has been confirmed.

Black Lion really struggled against a good Clermont team on Saturday, the French were a joy to watch at times. BL fans never stopped their noisy support of the team and with over 17000 in the Meskhi Stadium it made for a great evening’s entertainment. Lots of French fans made the trip which added to the atmosphere.

That’s a massive surprise….. and a massive snub (and loss) to Wales..!!!

Another vote for ‘Blue is the Warmest Colour’. An exhausting watch but well worth a watch IMO.

Some fabulous suggestions on this thread..!!

Lots of unconfirmed reports on social media that England captain Owen Farrell has signed a 2 year deal with French club Racing 92.

Interesting if true……

With Islamic State claiming responsibility for this tragic event I believe that the Iranian government now has an additional excuse to introduce more restrictions on its own population.

I really feel for the Iranian people, what a mess they find themselves in…..

t is one of the privileges of being President of the United States of America……. you don’t have to worry about international law!

For me one of the best example of how US presidents use their unchallenged power for personal advantages is Bill Clinton’s unprovoked attack on Afghanistan in August 1998.

On the 17th of August 1998 the FBI concluded after taking a blood sample from Bill Clinton that the semen on a blue dress owned by Monica Lewinsky was his.

https://www.famous-trials.com/clinton/889-lewinskydress

This was obviously hugely embarrassing for the US president as not only was Monica Lewinsky not his wife but it meant that he had publicly lied under oath.

It obviously risked bringing about his downfall so he took immediate action and ordered a cruise missile strike on Afghanistan. People needed to die to deflect attention away from the embarrassment of his semen stains on a blue dress.

He survived so you could arguably claim that it worked. And this was long before 9/11 btw.

http://edition.cnn.com/US/9808/20/us.strikes.02/   

Why do you keep doing this? It has nothing to do with Iran….. Go and start a thread on the subject if it’s so important to you & you want to discuss it.

t is one of the privileges of being President of the United States of America……. you don’t have to worry about international law!

For me one of the best example of how US presidents use their unchallenged power for personal advantages is Bill Clinton’s unprovoked attack on Afghanistan in August 1998.

On the 17th of August 1998 the FBI concluded after taking a blood sample from Bill Clinton that the semen on a blue dress owned by Monica Lewinsky was his.

https://www.famous-trials.com/clinton/889-lewinskydress

This was obviously hugely embarrassing for the US president as not only was Monica Lewinsky not his wife but it meant that he had publicly lied under oath.

It obviously risked bringing about his downfall so he took immediate action and ordered a cruise missile strike on Afghanistan. People needed to die to deflect attention away from the embarrassment of his semen stains on a blue dress.

He survived so you could arguably claim that it worked. And this was long before 9/11 btw.

http://edition.cnn.com/US/9808/20/us.strikes.02/   

I’ve just discovered Tashkent tea and I’m happily drinking this instead of alcohol at the moment. When done well the flavours are amazing and it actually feels quite healthy. Recipes are available online but it is best when it’s made by an Uzbek grandmother to a tradition recipe.

Iran has lots of potential internal strife too.

It has a large well educated young population who would like to have a more modern, open country.  It also has an old theocratic elite who would like to see the opposite.

Its this internal tension rather than external forces that are probably the biggest issues facing Iran

Good post.

I’ve spent a bit of time with a few Iranians recently whilst I’ve been in the region & most of them seem quite happy to talk quite openly with regards to how they would like to see their country. Unsurprisingly they are quite like us, they want a decent house to live in, they want a good education for their children, good healthcare, good employment opportunities etc etc. They do’t care that much about what is going on in the UK or elsewhere as they have enough to deal with ensuring they get the best lives they can under the current ruling classes. They know they have little chance of changing their government or the direction their government is heading. They really don’t like the restrictions their passport offers or western sanctions. Their country is beautiful and they like showing it off.  The Iranians I’ve recently met have been lovely, very generous, intelligent & well informed.

The latest slaughter just creates more problems and division, it certainly doesn’t help ordinary Iranians. I hope that one day Iranians will get the country that ordinary Iranians appear to want. That’s what we should all be hoping for. I’m not sure any outside interference would be constructive but at the same time it’s hard to know what can be done.

Edit – to those that keep adding that one side is worse than the other & vice versa etc. please stop, as it adds little to the conversation. The world really needs less armchair generals.

I worked far too hard for far too long, it (over) filled my life & had a negative impact on my personal life, so at 52 I decided to close my small company & seek adventure. I was a bit scared & excited at the same time as a life without a 4:45am alarm & a 10 or 12 hour work day seemed completely alien to me. Three years later the company has gone and I’m into my second year of having adventures, experiencing cultures I knew little about and meeting & spending time with some truly incredible people. I have absolutely no regrets.

Every single one of us is different with different needs & wants. If work is important to you then that’s great, it really is. I thought work was important but after a lot of soul searching I realised it really wasn’t, my sanity & happiness is and doing something that truly stimulates & engages me is the way forward. If you can find people & activities to keep you interested & interesting then you’ll have no regrets. Money is an issue but I don’t need nearly as much as I thought I did if I make my choices carefully.

OP, good luck with your decision & let us know how you decide to proceed.

Another Chase user here.

Veery happy so far. It’s accepted all over Europe (not just the western parts), interest on your balance that’s paid monthly. I’ve also used it all over Armenia & Turkey with few issues. Customer service has been great with the only issue being accessing large amounts of cash i.e to pay US dollars for high cost items/services in countries with high inflation.

Revolut is another popular card for people travelling across multiple countries or spending long periods of time abroad.

Tbilisi Black Lion win again.!! 27-17

This time in the Rugby Super Cup with  Tel Aviv Heat the opponents this time, a team stuffed with South Africans & a sprinkling of Fijians. BL played well in the first half with Tel Aviv coming back surprisingly strongly in the 2nd half.  Tel Aviv tried to play some entertaining rugby but BL held on. BL thoroughly deserved the win and the 3rd year running BL have beaten Tel Aviv.

The match was played in a different stadium than the Gloucester match and was well attended albeit with a lot of extra security. At the final whistle BL grabbed the cup and came straight over and celebrated with their loyal band of vocal supporters. We were embedded with these supporters for this match and the mix of old & young, male & female was remarkable, mums with their daughters and old boys with their grandsons and everything inbetween, it was great way to spend a Friday afternoon.

The entire BL squad then came down to my regular haunt, Pub44 in Tbilisi to celebrate their win, those lads can celebrate! Ha Ha

Roll on 20th Jan and Clermont…..

No mention of the Black Lions?

I watched Black Lion play Gloucester and I thought BL were a bit unlucky. Maybe the moment got to them as it was a Georgian clubs first outing in any of the big European competitions, plus it was lashing it down all day. Handling errors aside they played good attacking rugby and tested a young Gloucester side. Great support from the damp home fans & great to see some old Georgian legends and a few English ones too.

Great result last weekend for Black Lion, Scarlets were expected to win IMO but BL fought well and got a memorable win. It meant a lot to the players and the fans, now hopefully BL can beat Clermont on Jan 20th. People in Georgia really know their rugby and many have played but money & good opposition are holding them back. A good run in the Challenge Cup might just be a turning point.

Go for it! But warranty!

I was in a very fortunate position of being able to order a 991.2 GTS for myself & I’m glad that I did. I don’t think these kinds of cars will be around forever so experience one before it’s too late if that’s your thing. It was far too fast for public roads & only roads with very tight bends & short straights would allow me to use it in anger, it was eye-wateringly expensive to buy & run, I had huge concerns where I parked it & I was scared stiff of any mechanical work that it might have needed but it was utterly fabulous, well worth the hassle.  Don’t forget about the warranty!!

Warranty is key, as is buying one from a reputable dealer is just as important – new or old. I joined a Porsche forum (911UK I think) and the knowledge on there was amazing & helped me immensely. Did I mention warranty? :)

I understand B&B isn’t everybody’s preferred YouTuber due to his past behaviour but I’ve just watched his latest series and it is really very good. It follows the path taken by Venezuelans (and others) as they attempt to travel to the USofA from South America. The final part of the trilogy is probably the best of the 3.

Some great films mentioned and I’ll add;

Blue is the Warmest Colour

All Tarantino films, IMO he is a genius.

If within your budget then PH Designs will have everything you will ever need for extreme cold weather clothing. They do custom sizes, designed & made in England plus they do repairs.

Ha ha, this is a great thread..!!

I’ve got a RTT on a Defender and I think it’s a flipping marvellous bit of kit but RTTs aren’t for everyone.

It takes about 30 – 60 seconds to set up and then another 60 seconds to inflate the mattress with the tiny air pump. Taking it down takes around 5 – 7 minutes depending on faffage. Being on top of the car means I have more space in the car plus ants, scorpions and other creepy crawlies can’t get in. 

When it rains I’m not sat on top of wet ground and setting it up on wet ground poses no issues. I’ve been in some serious storms in mine and thankfully I’ve survived…!!! No leaks yet. It’s allowed me to get to places that would be tricky for a van to access. There’s no real penalty when driving apart from a 5 – 10% increase in fuel consumption.  It’s less obvious when stopping off the beaten track than a camper van. 

I haven’t met any lions or alligators to test the ‘climbing up the ladder’ theory  yet although I’ve had wolves, bears & European jackals in the vicinity and didn’t get eaten! I would post some photo’s of the RTT in some pretty cool spots but it’s a right pain in the butt to post photo’s on STW.

@MadBillMcMad – South east Asia sounds awesome! Do it..!! I personally wouldn’t rule out Nepal & India if I was backpacking.

The pick up with roof box in your link looks really good and LHD too I guess? I’m in a RHD vehicle and it’s fine TBH, lots of ex-UK & Japanese RHD cars on my travels. I didn’t look at the cost though……

Yep, to get further east from Georgia I need to get a flight. Even if I could cross the land border into Azerbaijan there is not a timetable for the ferry, it sails when the captain decides to leave Alat, AZ.  My cycling Dutch friends are able to get a visa to enter Iran (the border isn’t far from here either) but I believe it’s impossible for a British passport holder to get one at the moment which is a shame. To the north there is a good road to Vladikavkas, plus some minor roads into Dagestan…. maybe I’ll give them a miss!

If you do come this way I highly recommend spending some time in Georgia and especially Tbilisi, the people, the food, the wine and the scenery are all amazing. It’s a remarkable place to visit and the people are so so welcoming & generous, just the other day I was out in the countryside talking to someone and a random local stopped, looked at us and ran into the small shop and bought us all ice creams! Tbilisi is worth a visit alone, I’m going to stay here for a little while and enjoy the city for a while.

I think I might be able to add a little bit of content to this discussion as I’m currently having a coffee in Tbilisi as I plan the next stage of my over-landing trip. Plus  I’ve spent the last few days assisting a couple of Dutch friends with planning & logistics as they head to Bishkek, the Pamir and beyond on their touring bikes…..

Firstly, there is no right or wrong way of over-landing, it’s very personal, just find out what works for you and talk to people that are actually doing it right now.  The more time you have the better the experience. Keep your plans as flexible as possible, things are always changing. Borders, natural events, politics and public health emergencies will make you constantly reassess your plans. We had an earthquake on Sunday morning, luckily no-one was hurt and there was little damage but it was a reminder….

A few thoughts;

– A big overland truck is very sexy but due to its size of the things it will restrict you a lot. I’ve spoken to a few over-landers in big rigs whilst on my travels and they all state their trucks will be sold and something smaller would be much better. Plenty of over-landers are using a small 4×4 with a roof top tent – check out GrizzlyNBear on the tube.

– Cycling is a great way to over-land.!! It’s probably the best way meet the locals (my Dutch friends get invited to stay in the houses of local folks around 30 to 40% of the time! It’s a bit brutal though (for me) and my Dutch friends really enjoyed their time in Tbilisi and the modern things like washing machines, toilets, bars, showers & restaurants that serve great food. Cycling does give you huge flexibility.

– Backpacking is not for me as I would find it too restrictive and too slow but that’s because I know how & where I want to travel. For some, backpacking would be perfect, just a few weeks ago I met a lovely Aussie couple in Theth, Albania that had just retired and were backpacking around the Balkans. They were enjoying backpacking but they did have to get tour companies involved to assist with getting to areas they wanted to visit, it seemed quite a faff to me. Backpacking, like cycling needs to be lightweight, the lighter the better and luxuries are the first thing to ditch, I like a few comforts and so do many others…

– small 4×4 is perfect (for me)! It gives me total independence and I can get everything I need in the car. I have a roof top tent and this frees up space inside the car, plus the RTT is super comfortable. The car is small enough to allow me to travel on everything from mountain roads to freeways to small city streets. I can easily get my car on a ferry due to its size when compared to a motorhome. I have a 4×4 primarily for the extra grip,  I don’t go off road as you can get into some very serious stuff very quickly and if you’re not an experienced off-roader you could end up in big trouble.

– Motorhomes offer a good comprise as they have all the little luxuries to make a trip comfortable but the size puts me off and they’re a bit fragile.

– Converted vans are great and probably the most popular choice I’ve seen. They work well.

A couple of travel friends from Golders Green/Harrow have been travelling the same route as me in a very old Corsa, with a lightweight tent, tiny stove and not much else, they’re having fun but it’s a bit basic for me.

Costs will vary wildly depending on errr…. absolutely everything! Don’t underestimate fuel costs if you travel with your own vehicle.  Don’t plan too much as things can & do change. Unfortunately the Azeris have just announced they are keeping their land borders shut to at least Jan 24 so I will need to head south next (to the north is Tbilisi’s big angry neighbour, so that’s off the itinerary) and avoid Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). Strangely you can enter Azerbaijan by air! I don’t think the Baku ferry is an option right now either. That pretty much rules out anywhere east of Georgia for me. My Dutch friends caught a flight from Tbilisi, over Azerbaijan and are now cycling across Qazaqstan.

I would say do it, just find a way that works for you and go, the experience will be amazing and the people you meet will be amazing! You will have some challenges but you will overcome them and that will add to the experience.

You’ll learn and adapt as you go along and before long travelling will feel ‘normal’.  Talk to the locals and say yes when you’re invited to join them.  I’ve been invited to have dinner and spend time with a lovely Iranian couple & their 2 young kids, to share a natural thermal bath with a group of Russians, Ukrainians & Georgians, all happily chatting about the world we live in. I’ve ended up in a tiny Albanian village, high in the mountains where the hospitality from the locals was embarrassingly generous plus many many more adventures too. I have also learned a lot about myself.

Wherever you decide to go there will be a WhatsApp group or Facebook group for that area or region, the amount of up to date info these resources can offer is invaluable and extremely relevant.

So MadBillMcMad, get planning and please keep this thread updated. If you have any other questions, ask away.

Maybe take a look at MAN, they are a re-badged VW. Might even be a few deals about.