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I'm sure I'm not the only one on here who follows the world wide travels of Noraly Schoenmaker "Itchy boots" on youtube. I've been watching her for years on and off. I already thought she was incredibly brave, going to some of the places she does as a solo woman traveller. However, even in places which I would definitely think twice about visiting, she invariably, meets kindness and warmth. She shines a light on places most of us will never visit and she travels far off the beaten track. I always find it quite uplifting and a reminder that most ordinary people, wherever they are in the world are decent and just trying to get on with their lives. And as ever, I always find it remarkable how it's always the poorest with the least to spare, who are the most generous and hospitable. Humbling stuff.
She is about to cross the border from ****stan into Afghanistan. This is her most ballsy trip yet I think, just incredibly brave. I will be following this closely and with my fingers crossed for her. I'm not sure how she is going to upload to youtube since the Taliban switched off the internet, maybe it will all have to wait until she pops out the other side! Good luck Noraly! If you haven't already seen it and you like adventure travel, check out her back catalogue of videos on YT.
Hmmm, travelling in Afghanistan in recent times.
I'm pretty sure that Dervala Murphy said in her book 'Full Tilt' that the Afghans were the most hospitable of all the people she met.
Right now, with the Taliban in charge, the wisdom of heading in to Afghanistan is, at best, questionable. I hope it goes well for the lady, but I can see it ending in tears and demands for, whatever government to do more to help get out of jail, house arrest, etc, ...
Bit like the guy who recently decided he would detour round the official border in eastern Russia, there are consequences.
I agree Nic, I'm not convinced it's wise in current circumstances. But I also thought that when she was in Iraq, Iran, the tribal areas of ****stan, Saudi, Nigeria and loads of other places. The worst experience she's had recently? Her bike was stolen in Wales, whilst she was on a book tour!
I'm pretty sure that Dervala Murphy said in her book 'Full Tilt' that the Afghans were the most hospitable of all the people she met.
I really enjoyed Rory Stewart's book "the places in between" recording his walk across Afghanistan. His experience of Afghan hospitality was as you describe. But he was male, spoke Pashtu and had a police escort for most of it.
Bike stolen in the UK .. .. regrettably not that unusual
EDIT: and it seems long distance travellers garner a high sense of disgust amongst decent folk when its their kit that is stolen.
I hope that remains her worst experience.
Currently travelling through Iran and Afghanistan its the sheer unpredictability of their governments, I think it's less of an issue in ****stan. Travelling in the Middle East in the mid 80's, I usually found that if you met the the locals, were polite and respectful, they in turn, were pleasant and as interested in you as you were in them.
I taught some girls with family in Afghanistan who were super excited about heading back to see family and told me how awesome a place it was.
I asked if I should go , they looked me up and down and suggested politely I'd get shot.
Probably quite different from area to area but it's put me off going.
I think it's less of an issue in ****stan.
In parts yes, but in what was until recently the "FATA" (federally administered tribal areas), the Islamabad government doesn't hold much sway and it's all a bit lawless.
Dervala Murphy said in her book 'Full Tilt'
If you have not read this book, please do get a copy and read it. Amazing woman, amazing adventure, a place in time, and delight of people she meets.
Looks good, on the "to read" list.
I've been following Max Roving on YouTube cycling across Afghanistan. Remarkable effort. Doing it as a lone woman is another level of bravery though.
I've been following Max Roving on YouTube cycling across Afghanistan. Remarkable effort. Doing it as a lone woman is another level of bravery though.
I have been watching Max Roving too. Took me a little while to get into the first one I watched, but he is really good. Gives me itchy feet for sure.
Interesting stuff- I will bookmark this. I do really hope everything goes OK as even just off the top of my head I can think of several recent examples of this sort of thing going badly wrong. Though, I guess I don't hear about all the examples that go completely fine in the news.
Either way, she's got more balls than I have as I just don't think I could contemplate it. I am sure the odds are that you will be fine but its the thought that if it goes wrong it will go really wrong that would put me off.
but in what was until recently the "FATA" (federally administered tribal areas), the Islamabad government doesn't hold much sway and it's all a bit lawless.
Very much this - even until 10 years ago it was 'challenging' in the tribal areas, but it sounds like in the last 5 years or so it's become really unpredictable there. I'd guess she's going over Khyber into Afghanistan? IIRC that road's pretty well guarded on both sides. But then it goes from Peshawar, which has had more than its fair share of suicide bombings and other terrorist activity in the recent past.
Yep, Khyber pass route into Afghanistan. She spent a fair bit of time in Peshawar and had police escorts a lot of the time. In fact that has been the case for much of her journey across ****stan. She had a few side trips exploring the valleys around Peshawar and meeting locals from small ethnic groups. The scenery was stunning and the people (as so often) were hospitable, generous and friendly.
Big Itchy fan. Watch them all.
The constant police escorts recently in ****stan were crazy. Just mind boggling how things can work in some other countries.
Yeah she is really an incredibly brave woman and I hope her ability to make people warm too her all over the world really comes into play here.
Good luck Noraly.
Oh, and the bike stolen in the UK thing that people like to make a thing of. Terrible obviously, but she did also have it stolen in.... was it Iraq?
She got it back too luckily but had to pretty much fit a spare wiring loom.
I was 11, i think, when i stood at the top of the Khyber Pass and looked into Afganistan. We went up by train. All the local mean armed with bullets across their cheers. Itv was a double header steam train. It changed direction with points on each switch back. What a day out
I’d forgotten about the Dervelala Murphy book. I really must read it. When we were up near Gilgit we meet some one who’d met her
Got a bit behind - still watching her Saudi Arabia stuff. Understand Yemen is next and after that Scotland, so tribal ∏akistan and Afghanistan is not surprising.
Glad I'm not cycling those sand roads - even with the fatty.
First day in Afghanistan after a crazy border crossing then dealing with Taliban and police officialdom (pretty friendly to be fair) and negotiating the chaos of downtown Jalalabad. Kabul next.
Well, I must say, so far the Taliban seem like a lovely bunch of fellas! 😂
Seems reasonably hassle free so far, all things considered!
Yup, clearly she must have the same calming/disarming aura as Louis Theroux.
Oh, and the Tenere (Frankie) looks like a good tool for the job 👍
Bike stolen in the UK .. .. regrettably not that unusual
Not just the U.K.; I remember many years ago, I used to hang out with the local cycling club, and do a bit of riding around with them. There was a bloke turned up with a custom built Moulton, the company aren’t all that far away in Bradford-on-Avon, his bike had drop bars, lightweight tubing, full derailleur setup, the works, and I had a chance to ride it.
It felt very odd, after riding bikes with 650b/700c wheel sets, but interesting nonetheless. He rode it all the way to Australia, where it got stolen not long after he got there.