2022
In the last 2-3 years of Corona in Europe (and the world) practically no long-distance motorcyle-travellers rode overland to India or even Australia. Now there are just a few overlanders "on route". Australia opened his borders for strangers beginning of 2022.
- Because of a lot of time and my age I stopped
to summaries overland travels like this below already in 2014 after 44 years.
-
We know Ralf already many years. Because he lives close to us in the forest EIFEL in the western part of Germany our friendship grew continually.
2022 > 2023 approximal one year
German Ralf Plachetka is a world-traveller. He rode alread Trans-Americas and Transafria. This parts are already summarised by BT here:
https://www.berndtesch.de/English/Continents/WorldAround/WorldAroundMotorcycle2005-2010.html
His current wish is to to travel the part of his World-Tour. Part 2022-2023:
Overland Europe > Asia > Indonesia > Australia
19.04.2023: Ralf manged already solo 40.000 kms until Idonesia/Bali..

14.05.2022: Ralf Plachetka mit "Seinem Reise-Motorrad BMW K75-R 100 GS". Ralf Plachetka mit BT.

14.05.2022: Verabschieduneg von Ralf Plachetka.
Fotos: Patricia Govers-Tesch: li>re; Patricia. Matthes St. Bernd T. Conny St. Ralf. Dagmar und Udo Fi. - Herbert und Yuri S. , Luise Ge. und Heike Nü.

2005-2007: Alukoffer "Tesch-Travel-Tasche" mit BMW R1200GS bei Transafrika praktisch erprobt.- Re: 05.2022: "TTT" schon mal Probe testen bei seiner Reise-BMW K75 mit BMW R 100 GS-Teilen. - Alle Fotos Ralf Plachetka.

L: 2022.06.09. Asia. Turkey, Goereme: Ralf on a camping-place Göreme Ameth. R: Appr. 12.06.2022 in Turkey off-road-parking..
.- All Fotos Ralf Plachetka.

L: Asia. Turkey. Near Euphrat. Monuments from our early humans. -. R: Asia. Iran. Ralfs road down to the Caspian Lake..

Asia. Turkey. Best and only jumper in front of mountain Ararat. - All fotos "on route" by Ralf Plachetka.
29.06.2022: R: Asia. Iran. Ralfs road reached the Caspian Lake..

12.07.2022: Asia. Iran. Ostan e Yazd.
Ralf: "I love places like this. They are beautiful and repellent. Here is silence and solitude. Time slows down. I’m just a temporary guest".
.Solo vernight-camp with wolfes-sounds and storm at night.
R: 16.07. 2022: Asia. Iran. Old village Maymand.

2022.07.18. Asia. Iran. Zahedan-border-Restaurant-Owner. R: Parkingplace in Lahore.

25.08,2022. Pakistan border. The Pakistan custom denied to stamp the Carnet des Passage because Ralfs papers are nor correct.
BT: In Africa the could have put him in prison for this!
. > 07.09.2022: Ralf ist eingeladen als Ehrengast bei einer Hochzeit in India, Shimla.

xy.ab.2022. India. Up the way to Nepal.

11.10.2022: Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur. Ralfs motorcycle was transported by cargo from Nepal (Kathmandu)
to Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur). Not to Bangkok (which was normal in the past) because you need now a spezial permission form the Thailand governmnet to travel in Thailand with bigger bikes over 150 ccm. > On a hking tour with three European traveller-women (see Swedish Jasmin right photo) Ralf visited a tea-plantage (Malaysian worker left photo)..
20.05.2022 - 06.2023 approximal one year
Europe > Asia Indonesia > Australia
Ralf Placherka (*German, 08.06.1961, self employed) plans to ride solo overland to Australia. Ralf publishes his route in: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100081093063625
Real-Route: This is a short oveview about his route, Europe (20.05. Deutschland (Hummerzheim- Wuppertal- München)- Österreich (Plan was Slowenien, Kroatien, Montenegro, Albanien) - Italien (Venedig - Ancona- by ferry to Greece (Igoumenitsa. By moto to Lefkada - Piräus. By ferry to Greek Insland Kos. With a turkey ferry to)- Asia (Turkey (06.06.2022: Bodrum. 07.06.2022: Minor Asia Turkey Aphrodisias km 3.810). Konya- 08.06.2022 (on Ralfs birthday): Minor Asia Turkey Konya to Kapadokya km 4.712. - 11.06 2022. Km 4.984. After 3 days in Göreme Ameth
on the Campsire of Panormama. Here he met two younger German guys from German, Frankfurt who want to travel overland to Australia as well. But they were not interested to exchange datas.- 13:06.2022, 11:00: We telephoned with Ralf in Turkey, before Malacy. His Goretex-boots are too hot. He wants to send him his plastik-boots. I recommended him to aks the militaries and police where the get their shoes. He lost his leathermen)- 14.06.2022: Kemaliye beside river Euphrat. Hotel. Rain outsite. Ralf could order new leather boots directly in Turkey via amazon (?)..- 23.06.2022: After 8.000 kms.happy to be in Iran (Urmia ). This was easy because an Iranian professional helper organised all the necessary papers. HousseinHossein Sheykhlou https://www.overlandtoiran.com. 1 € is appr. Iran 45.000 Rial. - 27.06.2022: Täbriz, Iran. Shops with a lot of cloth and shoes of police and military. 28.06.2022: Tabriz (km 8.690) - Qazin - into the mountains of Albroz Berge. Km 9.180).- Stayed there because it is great there. > 09.07.2022: Km 10.220 (North of Mordab e Gav Westasia Iran, City Isfahan)) till 11.07. km 10.550 (Province Khuni, Khara Salt mine).- ?-?-?. 16.07.2022 (- halbtrockens Wüstenklima in Höhelendorf Maymand (Province Kerman). Unesco Kulturerbe seit 2015)- 18.07.2022: through desert on a good asphalt-road to km ?? until Bam (?? °C)- to km ?? Zahedan (??°C. Pakistan Consulate) at the border. The Iran visa is only valuable until 20.07.2022.- Ralf made it at the border with a help of Iran man into Pakistan. Instead of normally two days he had to travel very slow with the police-konvoi 5 days (km-convoi-begin? to km-.convoi-end?) Somebody hit Ralfs motorcycle from the back. From Ouetta (day? km ? °C) Ralf could ride himself again. He was very happy about this and went into a motorcyle shop in Islamabad (day? km? °C). Solo ? to city Lahore (day? km? °C). A mc-club-band played for him welcome.
25.and 26.07.2022: From Quetta (13.000 km?. °C ? Monsun ?)- Lahore (13.600 km ? - °C ? Monsun ?)- nach Kranksein (bis 07.08. schlapp) in Lahore in Totel und später Hostel. > 30th July till 11th August 2022 km 14.100 to km 14.800 > 11.08.2022: Lahore-Islamabad (ca.380 km). Dort Indien-Visum-Antrag gestellt: 20 Seiten. Foto war 3 mm zu klein. € 100,00. Genehmigungsdauer kann bis zu zwei Wochen dauern. > 13.08.2022, km 15.080 (Gilgit ?) to 15.400 (to the Khunjerab Pass ?).on the N35 north, called Karakoram Highway. The trading road between China and Pakistan. 2022.08.12. Asia. Pakistan. Karakorum Mountain Range, Naran (14.800 km) to Gilgit (15.080 km). > 13:08.2022: Pakistan, Gilgit-Baltistan (km 15.080) to Kunjirap Pass (km 15.400).
20. and 21.08.2022: km 15.400 (Gilgit) to 15.945 (Tranna) > 22.08.2022, km 15.945 (Tranna ) to 16.145 (Islamabad). Here Ralf got his visa for India.- 23th. and 24.th. Aug. 2022, km 16.145 ( Islamabad) to Lahore (16.450). >25.08.2022: km 16.450( Wagah Border crossing from Pakistan to India) to km 16.590 (India).
> 26. + 27.08.2022; km 16.590 (India, Amritsar) to km 16.860 to Nangal Uperla.> 28.08.2022: Nangal Uperla (km 18.860) to Shimla (17.020 km).> 31.03.2022 - 01.09.2022. India. Himachal Pradesh, Shimla (km 17.020 ) to Manali (km 17.250). The highway between Manali and the city Leh in Ladakh is famous for its beautiful high mountain roads. Pure motorcycling fun. .>01.09.2022: Passing city Kulla along the rivers Beas. > India. Himachal Pradesh, Manali (km 17.250) to Ladakh Sarchu (km 17.680). > 03.-04.09.2022: Village Sarchu (Ladakh. km 17.680 ) to City Shimal (km 18.120). Ralf had to return because he got the altitude illness of heihgt at 4.300 m. Because he got this at night it was very bad because there was no escape.
Höhenkrankheit: Conny Storms
dazu: Höhenkrank kann man immer werden. Auf unserer Kilimanjarobesteigung in Afrika (Tansania) sind wir hoch gegangen. Dann haben wir wieder 300 bis 400 m tiefer geschlafen. Am nächsten Tag wieder langsam höher. Sehr viel trinken und ganz langsam hoch!
07.09.2022: Ehrengast bei einer Hochzeit in India Shimla
10.10.2022: km 20.018 to km 20.225: Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur to Kameron Mountains. After a short time riding the highway north out of KL the skyscrapers had disappeared and the the landscape turned into densely green.
11.10.2022: Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur. km 20.225 unchanged. In Hostel Bunker in Tanah Rata are many travellers from Europe.
17.02.2023
: I stopped already summarising Ralfs great detailed dokumentation because he did offer this in his.way. I could not just copy the villages and dates by copying. It is very complicated to offer it here.
17.02.2023:
Overview: Nepal (Kathmandu)> by air to Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur). About Thailand Ralf could not find official information about riding big motorcycles in Thailand. In internet Ralf could only find three years old infomation by travellers. (B.T. Since some years Thailand government does not allow big motorcycles over 250 (?) ccm. You can try to get a special permission in the depatment of interior in advance). So Ralf flew to Malaysia. So Ralf did not choose Thailand (Bangkok) to avoid a stop of his travel.
At the airport in Malaysia, Kuala Lunpur,.he got a visa and the Carnet de Passage was stamped. Ralf bougth additionally an insurance for the mc for Thailand.
> Ralf just rode overland from Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur to the border of Thailand with his big motorcyle. The border-people made no problem and let him pass into Thailand. The Thailand-Visum Ralf got at the border. The carnet was stamped.
To get from THailand into Laos Ralf needed help.
Eine Agentur (wo und wie hast Du die gefunden?). hat sich um Visum, Zoll, Versicherung und Reiseerlaubnis gekümmert. Wo und wie hast du die Agentur gefunden?.
To ride from Laos to Kambodscha was easy. Carnet and Visum at the border.
Ro ride aögain from Kambodscha into Thailand was no problem because the insurance for the mc was still gültig.
>
Thailand > Laos > Kambodscha > Thailand > Malaysia > Singapore. To get a visa in ?? there for Indonesia was very easy at the airport online? in Singapore. Ralf sent his motorcycle by a cargo-ship from Singapore (Maysia, Malaka) to Indonesia (Island Sumatra (city Medan). Ralf flew by air with airline ? to Medan for € ? because there is no normal RoRo ferry as it was bebore Corona-time.
10.02.2023: With the help of a facebook-group Ralf became teh tip how to transport his bike by ship from Malaysia to Indonesia. It took him 5 days to get the motorcycle back in the Indonesian island Sumatra in the city Medan.
Ralf lost his handy in a taxi in Sumatra but got it back after one hour!.. Ralfs first impression in Indonesia was like in India. Many peoeple outside. Many people and many vehicles are on the street. It's loud, dusty and the air smells of two-stroke engines. ..
17.02.2023: Ralf rode by motorcyle in Indonesia, Island Sumatra from.City ? Medan to City Sibolga. Ralf kindly tried to reach me by phone. But we missed each other again.
17.02.2023: I sent this hcapter to Ralf by email to overwork it.
Die Fähre wurde mit der Pandemie eingestellt und immer noch nicht öffnen.
27.01.-04.02.2023: No RoRo Ferry in Malakka, maybe in the south of Malaysia? So I drove to Johor Bahru. But also here I couldn’t find a ferry to Sumatra. I was close to Singapore.
27.02. 2023: Ralfs overview about Indonesia: This is my new adventure, Indonesia. It is the largest country in Southeast Asia, the country of 17,000 islands, 250 million inhabitants, diverse cultures, many different ethnic groups. A relatively young country, about my age. In the next two months I will make my way here.
. . Überraschender Weise bekam ich bei der Ausreise Thailand Probleme mit dem Zoll. Die wollten mir den Ausgangsstempel in meinem Carnet nicht geben. Begründung, ein Carnet sei in Thailand nicht gültig. Also können die auch meinen Pfand für das Motorrad nicht fordern und so habe ich Thailand ohne Ausgangsstempel verlassen. Wieder nach Mallaysia mit dem Carnet und Visum an der Grenze. Singapore habe ich nur mit dem Rucksack gesucht. Da sah kleine Stadt, statt zig eine Motorradeinreise nicht lohnt. Visum gab’s an der Grenze. Indonesien war schwierig, da ich über die Insel Sumatra reisen wollte. Und diese Insel hat keinen RoRo Fähre mit Mallaysia. Fracht aufgeben und ich bin mit dem Flugzeug nach Medan. Mein Telefon hatte ich 1 Stunde später wieder bekommen.
Plan-Traumroute: Iran, Pakistan, Indien und dann irgendwie weiter nach Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesien). Gerne Australien und zu guter letzt bis nach Neuseeland führen. Von Auckland kann das Moto mit Schiff heim- Ob ich auch nach Hause will ?
Google-maps kann mir keine Route vorschlagen oder sagen, wie lange ich unterwegs bin. Egal, ist ja nur ein Plan. Vielleicht bin ich ein Jahr unterwegs oder auch weniger.
BT: > Die beste und aktuellste optische Dokumentation der Strecke Europa > Asien > Australien eines Motorrad-Reisenden bisher.
> Eine sehr gute Mischung von Fotos und Videos mit Texten. Leider-leider mit manchen unverständlichen km-Angaben. Leider auch keien konstane Angaben von Temperaturen.
Organization:
14.05.2022: Verabschiedung vom erfahrenen Moto-Traveller Ralf Plachetka aus Hummerzheim in Hammer: Ab 20.05.2022 für ca. 1 Jahr overland Europe > Asia > Indonesia > Australia. Ralf kombinierte eine "BMW K 75 GS" mit stabilem Rahmen und wassergekühltem 3-Zyl.-Motor mit vielen Elementen der Enduro BMW der R 100 GS (wie Gabel und Schwinge, etc.) in vielen Jahen Arbeit selbstständig; eine Reise-Motorrad-Meisterleistung! Natürlich mit Alukoffer "Tesch-Travel-Taschen".
waren schon wieder abgereist. - Wir wünschen Ralf viele "Fesch Fesch", Schlamm und große Steine unterm Vorderrad.
19.05.2022: Ralf: Morgen geht´s für mich auf die schon lang ersehnte große Motorrad-Reise mit Kurs Süd/Ost.
22.06.2022: The world changed: We could contact and telephone with Ralf several times.
27.06.2022:
This summary was published first time on the Australia-site.
27.07.2022: Another try to get a short update of his route at least.
Surname ?Taylor Two Wheel Daydream sticker.
- Australia- Asia- Europe. Solo overland with a Ducati (a fan of this motorcycle) from Australia (Brisbaine) >Asia (--INdonesia >Malaysis >Thailand..?) >.Europe. He met Ralf Plachetka in Indonesia / Sumatar about 27th.02.2023.
28.02.2023: Ralf please transfer this to: Dear "Taylor!! please offer me your email-address, your best photo and planned route with your Ducati! Ralf possibly told you who I am. Many greetingsa from Bernd Tesch in Europe > Germany > EIFEL-forest > village Hammer. berndtesch@gmail.com.
08.03.2023: ? Taylor answerde me first time by email. His route is not written down anywhere, only in his head..
08.03.2023. Asked for a summary of his tour.
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