Earth Odyssey Expedition

Predators, Problems and Perception

Benji — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:10:49 +0000

A few years in Japan will turn any man soft. Life was too good. I knew the transition from comfort back to the nomadic experience was going to be tough but I’m not the kind of person who tiptoes into cold water. I needed a challenge that would allow me to take the plunge back into the ocean, that would beat me back into shape, battle hardened and expedition ready. The Far East provided the perfect bootcamp.

Arriving in ... Read on »

Bound for Mainland Russia

Benji — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 15:59:52 +0000

About a third of the way up Sakhalin island the coastal road veers inland. Traffic reduces to the occasional Japanese 4×4 burning passed or Lada Nivas struggling almost as much as me on the bumpy road, though more regularly I’m disturbed by the thunderous, clanking steel racket of dumpsters and transporters hauling machinery and parts to the energy camps at the far reaches of the island—their huge wheels spitting showers of ice particles and coal dust in my face, ... Read on »

Getting to Know Russia

Benji — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 02:55:13 +0000

In Nevelsk on the west coast, I rested up in an old, brick hotel for a few days to treat my toe and readjust my gear. Footsteps and chatter and snapping of locks echoing through the corridors like an old prison. From my fifth-level room I looked out over the marina at rusted hulks entombed in sea ice. The weather had deteriorated into blustering northerlies and heavy snowfall.

The staff treated me like family. I was invited ... Read on »

Setting Out

Benji — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:34:14 +0000

When I arrived in Japan in January ’08 after the long cycle through South East Asia and China, it felt like being on R&R; I could relate to people on level ground, no longer a freak-show and I could let my guard down. Now I awaken to new cultures, face new challenges. The holiday is over.

I spent a few days preparing at Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. I still need to sort through my stuff and do some customisation on my bike in ... Read on »

Sayonara Japan!

Benji — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 12:24:39 +0000

Greetings from the Russian Far East!

I’m set to begin the second stage of my journey, albeit later than I had intended because I’ve struggled to meet my own deadline with the complicated preparations for this leg pushing my start date deeper into winter and presenting a greater challenge to plan for.

I intended to cycle the length of Japan once I was ready to continue the trip, an easy ride through an extraordinary country—one of the few that ... Read on »

Tsunami Boats

Benji — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:39:36 +0000

Five days after the March 11 tsunami I visited the south-east coast of Hokkaido to see the results. I recently got around to processing the film from that trip, which reveals the damage sustained at one tiny fishing port. The boats were out of the water during the winter. The water blasted through the inlet and up the ramp, knocking the boats off their blocks and into a twisted pile.

Kodak TRI-X 400. Nikon FM3A, Nikkor 35mm F2

... Read on »

Leg 2 Final Preparations

Benji — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 13:31:59 +0000

It has been a while coming but since completing the first stage of the journey to Japan I have managed to pull myself from financial doom and set my focus again to life on the road. I am now in the throes of final preparations for leg 2 of this expedition. I have a lot to look forward to, an entire planet to absorb, but I have forgotten just how much work is involved in undertaking this journey.

Pre-expedition preparation ... Read on »

Earth Odyssey on Facebook

Benji — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 01:04:14 +0000

Stage two (cycling from Japan to Europe) of my world circumnavigation is about to commence. I’m going pro on Facebook with this dedicated page for the journey: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Earth-Odyssey/152143244868652?sk=wall

I have some big adventures planned for the next stage and I’m really looking forward to living the simple life again. Expedition updates and blog entries will be channelled to the Facebook page. You can now also connect with the journey on twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/worldodyssey

Both pages will only feature expedition related content.

... Read on »

Pen & Ink Sketches Japan

Benji — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 13:18:36 +0000

Roaming the streets in Hokkaido, Japan. These sketches are done on location with pen, brush and black Indian ink. The winter scenes show ice crystal patterns that formed in the ink wash while sketching in sub-zero conditions ... Read on »

Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 Review

Benji — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 04:30:39 +0000

‘How’s the Rohloff holding up?’

After building my bike and cycling halfway round the world, interest in the Rohloff SPEEDHUB has become an FAQ (more than the bike itself). So here’s my review to answer that question.

When I started considering the bike I would need for a world journey, there was nothing on the market appropriate and the only bike I was ever going to be happy with for the task was one I built myself.

I had ... Read on »