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Activair 43
Adam (Ant’s friend) 136
Adventure Travel Show 241
Afghanistan 107, 137
Ainsworth, Mrs 156-7
Aisha (travel buddy) 191
Al (Ant’s friend) 183
alcohol consumption 41
see also vodka
Alexei (photographer) 159
Alexei (Russian Romeo 1) 155
Alexei (Russian Romeo 2) 187
Alexey,Tsarevich 162
Alexia (Ant’s friend) 220
Almaty, Kazakhstan 24, 115-16, 121, 125, 128-33, 135-8, 142, 150, 182-3, 187, 201, 210, 228, 243-4
Almodovar, Pedro 231
American Express 241
Anastasia, Grand Duchess 162
André (Jo’s friend) 52, 58
Angkor Wat temple, Cambodia 22, 64
Anna (friend of Jo & Ants) 6, 220
Anna (punk) 189
antidepressants 14, 39, 40-1
Ants
arguments 230
bad habits 230
blogging skills 38
childhood 1-2, 10, 99-100
in China 77-122, 124-6, 127-8, 217, 225-6, 227
commits to the adventure 6-7
Countdown to Lift Off 31-49
in the Czech Republic 207-8, 210-11
on driving shifts 228
on her fears regarding the trip 227
on her future trip plans 233
in Germany 208-10, 211
health problems 55, 56, 58
in Kazakhstan 125-53, 218
in Laos 61-2, 65-74, 76-8
Lift Off 57-9
mechanical training 225
panic attacks 4, 138, 182
planned tuk tuk route 21-30, 225-6
on planning the trip 7-9, 16-19, 31-49
in Poland 201-7
in Russia 153-86
suffers depression 4-5
in Thailand 51-65
Touch Down 213-21, 230-2
TV production career 6-7, 234
in the Ukraine 185-201, 202-3
wins Cosmopolitan magazine’s Fun Fearless Female award 223-4
ants (critters) 64, 68
anxiety 4, 138, 182, 239
Aral Sea 24, 25, 140, 157
Arasan Baths, Almaty 138, 182
Argus,The (newspaper) 220
Arkadia Beach, Odessa 194, 196
Armed Technician blog 60
Associated Press 60
Astana, Kazakhstan 24, 25, 141, 142, 143, 144, 146, 147, 148, 152
Atlantic rowing 41-2
Auschwitz 28, 205-6, 207
Auto Repair For Dummies (book) 39, 158, 173, 219, 225, 245
autobahns 29, 209, 211
axis of evil 8
Ayutthaya,Thailand 22
Aziz (Pakistani diplomat) 129
Bakhchysaray, Ukraine 191, 192, 194
Balkash, Kazakhstan 133-5, 138-40, 142, 190, 228
Bangalore 60
Bangkok,Thailand 1, 5, 15, 17, 21-2, 31, 35, 51-8, 60, 190, 208-10, 225, 243
Bashkir people 167-8
Bashkortostan Republic 26, 167
Batmanghelidj, Camilla 224
Battleship Potemkin (1925) 194
Bavaria 208
BBC 208, 214-15, 220
BBC news website 59, 60
BBC South Today 59
BBC Southern Counties Radio 48, 220
BBC World Service 64, 219
Beach,The (2000) 22, 59, 61
Beer Lao 63, 67, 69
Beethoven, Ludwig van 29
Beijing 23, 33, 110
Belgium 29
see also Brussels
Bella (Ant’s friend) 35
Berghoff, David 244
Bert (Ant’s cousin) 58, 220
Birkenau 205
Bishek, Kyrgyzstan 116
Black Sea coast 168, 189, 196
Bloomsbury Ballroom, London 223-4
Bob (Jo’s dad) 48, 51, 55, 64, 65, 80, 86, 193, 206, 210
Bohemia 208
Bolsheviks 162, 163
Boney M 189
Boorman, Charley 8
Borat 24, 135
Boris (biker) 190
Boten (China/Laos border) 23, 63, 77
BP (British Petroleum) 203
Brian (web designer) 37
Brighton 30, 81, 183, 198, 209, 216, 218-20, 231-2, 234
Britain, battle of 206
British Broadcasting Corporation see BBC
British embassy, Almaty 132
British embassy, Bangkok 52, 53, 57, 58
British embassy, China 83
British embassy, Prague 210
British Museum 105
Brussels 26, 37, 198, 208, 214, 215
Buddha 76
Buddha statues 23, 74
Leshan 93-4, 95
Buddhist art 105, 109
Buddhists 111, 112
bumblebee bat 21
Bush, George W. 8
butt-surfing 207-8
Calais 30, 213
Cambodia 22, 35, 244
see also Angkor Wat temple, Cambodia
camels 109
camel’s milk, fermented (shubat) 130, 138
cameras 47, 48, 89, 154, 156, 159, 161, 179-80, 248
Cameron, Colin 48
Cameron, David 231
camping 32, 197, 200
equipment 248
in Kazakhstan 138, 145-6, 149
in Russia 173-4, 177, 180-1, 183
Carden, Bob 198
Catherine the Great 192
Caves Monastery 27
celebrity endorsement 236
Central Asia 8, 32, 97, 99, 219
‘chakra’s of the world’ 204
Channel Tunnel 26
charitable trusts 237
Charles IV, Emperor 29
Charlie (Ant’s friend) 220
Charlie Waller Memorial Trust 42
Charyn Canyon 24
Cheb, Czech Republic 29
Chelyabinsk, Russia 25, 145, 146, 148, 151, 155
Chengdu, China 23, 94, 95
Chernobyl 25, 157
Chernobyl Museum 27
China 8-9, 23-4, 29, 37, 62, 71-2, 77-122, 124-8, 139, 142, 147, 166, 181, 217, 219, 225-30
earthquakes 96, 98, 228
food 86, 102, 106
Kazakh border 125-6, 127-8
landslides 96-7, 98
road rage 90-1, 93, 227
roads 78-83, 88, 89-90, 229
route 75
smoking 92
teas 86, 108
trends 97
China Sea International Travel Service (CSITS) 23, 33, 77, 80, 83, 84, 85, 93, 95, 97, 103, 225-6, 245
Chopin, Frédéric 27, 29
Christina (travel buddy) 159
Church of the Blood,Yekaterinburg 162-3
clothing 247
Cobden Club 45, 49
Cologne, Germany 26, 29, 198, 208, 209
comms 48, 80, 241
see also Skype
Communism 176, 177
Control Risks Group 34, 242
cooking equipment 248
Copernicus 27
Corfu 205
Cosmopolitan magazine, Fun Fearless
Female award 99, 189, 223-4
Cotton, Fearne 223
Crimea 172, 182, 185, 188, 191, 193, 226
cutting (self-harm) 2-3
cyberspace 44-5
Czech Republic 28-9, 206, 207-8, 210-11
Daily Mail (newspaper) 45
Daisy (Ant’s friend) 220
Dalod (travel buddy) 139
Dan (ITV employee) 180
Daniel (tuk tuk enthusiast) 17-18, 208-9, 211
Davis Cup 197
‘Dead Sea of China’ 117
death 86
Deccan Herald (newspaper) 59, 60
Delhi, India 204
Delphi 204
depression 2-5, 7, 10-16, 39-42, 46, 131, 239
Devon 32, 33
diabetes 32
Dimi (guard) 154
Dimitri (Russian Romeo) 155
DJs, outlawed 22
documentation 153-4, 185-6, 248
dogs, on the menu 89, 91, 93
Donal (Davis Cup organiser) 197
Doung (mechanic) 18
Dunhuang, China 96, 105, 106-7, 109, 113, 219
Dvorak 28
East Africa 42
Eastern Daily Press (newspaper) 219, 220
Edinburgh University 4
Eisenstein, Sergei 194
electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) 12
Eleonora (travel buddy) 191
Elich (travel buddy) 159
Emei Shan, China 23, 93, 95
Emil (Tartar mechanic) 192-3
England 30, 213-14, 215-21
English Channel 8, 235
equipment 48, 243-4, 247-9
see also cameras
Esme (travel buddy) 191
see also Western Europe
European Union (EU) 201, 203, 226
Eurotunnel 8, 30, 213, 214, 217
Ewan (Ant’s friend) 35
Expertise tuk tuk factory 16, 17-18, 245
Fall, David 53, 58, 217
Fall, Mrs 53, 58
Financial Times (newspaper) 45, 48
Fiona (Ant’s mum) 129, 144, 146, 147, 193
first aid courses 31-2, 244
Flaming Mountains 114
France 29, 30, 213
Friendship Bridge 22, 55, 61-2, 65
Fun Fearless Female award 99, 189, 223-4
fundraising 34, 43-4, 81, 99, 164, 234, 235
tips 235-7
Future Forests 44
Gagarin,Yuri 26
Gandhi, Mahhatma 183
Ganina Yama, Russia 162
Gansu, China 96, 100, 107
Gapyear.com 45, 70
Gashun Gobi Desert 105-6
Gavin (Davis Cup organiser) 197
general practitioners (GPs) 40
Genghis Khan 101, 111
German troops 175-6 Germany 18, 29, 208-10, 211
autobahns 29, 209, 211
police 209
Gill, A. A. 139
Globe (newspaper) 59
goat polo (Kokpar) 24
Gobi Desert 23, 103, 111, 112-14, 219, 223, 227, 228, 105-6
Goddard, Jimmy 42
Goddard,Trisha 223, 224
Gostiniza Academia Geologia, Yekaterinburg 156
Great Wall of China 23, 100-1, 104, 108, 227
Great Wall museum 103, 104
Greece 205
Grozny 187
Guinness World Records 37, 216
Guizhou Province, China 87, 89-90, 115, 229
Gulya (travel buddy) 191
Gypsies 205
Haadrin,Thailand 67
Hami, China 24, 111, 114, 227
handbag.com 45
Hannah (Jo’s friend) 5, 15, 52, 58
Hannah (PR guru) 47
Hearse Flies,The 173
Henry (rescued hedgehog) 155, 157
Hexi Corridor 23, 103-4, 120
Hicks, Olly 41-2
Hitler, Adolf 29, 206
Hmong hill people 22, 62, 71, 72, 77-8, 120
Holkham beach 109
Holmes, Dame Kelly 224
Holocaust 28, 205-6
Hopkirk, Peter 105
horse riding 121, 122
horsemeat 121
Hotel Balkash, Balkash 138
Hotel Glob, Oswiecim 206
Hotel Odessa, Odessa 193, 195
Hotel Rossiya, Samara 171
Hotel Zhiguli, Samara 172
How to Spend It magazine 48
Huanguoshu hotel, Guizhou 87
Humphrey (Ant’s friend) 7
Hungary 205
Hussein, Saddam 137
Hyderabad, India 37
Ibiza club, Arkadia Beach 196
ice-cream 23
Icon Films 234
Ili River 139
immunizations 38
Independence Square, Kiev 27
Independent on Sunday (newspaper) 39-40
India 7, 8, 32, 34, 107, 217, 225, 232-3, 234
Indian Financial Times (newspaper) 59
Indrum 37
Inglehearn, Catherine 136-7
Inmarsat BGAN (satellite modem) 48, 80, 248
insurance 241, 243
International Driving Permits (IDPs) 9
International SOS 34
Intrepid Expeditions 32, 243
Iran 8, 217, 225
Iraq 137
Irina (journalist) 176
irrigation 110-11, 113
Islamic fundamentalism 112
Ismail (travel buddy) 191
Israel 8
ITV (Independent Television) 6, 7, 180
Ivan (radio presenter) 156, 158-9, 161, 165, 166, 217, 219
Jack (guide) 97, 99-100, 102-4, 106-9, 111-12, 114, 117-18, 121-2, 125, 127, 128, 193, 217, 219, 227
Japan 8, 18, 208
Japanese troops 70
Jerusalem 204
Jess (Ant’s friend) 52, 58
Jews 20
Jiaohe, China 112
Jiayuguan Fort, China 23-4, 101, 103, 104
Jinhong, China 79, 191
Jo
arguments 230
bad habits 230
childhood 1-2, 10-11, 99-100
in China 77-122, 124-6, 127-8, 217, 225-6, 227
Countdown to Lift Off 31-49
in the Czech Republic 207-8, 210-11
depression 2-5, 10, 11-14, 16, 46, 131
dreams up the Bangkok-Brighton trip 5-7, 15-16
on driving shifts 228
on emotions 170
on her fears regarding the trip 228
on her future trip plans 234
in Germany 208-10, 211
on holiday in Thailand 2002 5, 15
in Kazakhstan 125-53
in Laos 61-2, 65-74, 76-8
Lift Off 57-9
love of ferrets 12-13, 45-6, 48, 60, 72, 86, 99, 183, 216, 217, 220, 232, 233
mechanical training 225
medical degree 233, 234
overcomes depression 14-15
planned tuk tuk route 21-30, 225-6
on planning the trip 7-9, 16-19, 31-49
in Poland 201-7
psychology degree 6, 15
in Russia 153-86 scary
tuk tuk dreams 118-19
self-harm 2-4, 11, 13, 15, 46
in Thailand 51-65
Touch Down 213-21, 230-1, 232-3
in the Ukraine 185-201, 202-3
wins Cosmopolitan magazine’s Fun Fearless Female award 223-4
John (Bangkok travel buddy) 44
Kamaz trucks 194-5
Karaghanda, Kazakhstan 25, 138, 140, 142-3
karaoke 98
Karlovy Vary 29
Karm (mechanic) 18
Kaufman,Yulia 136-7 kayaking 70
Kazakhstan 24-5, 31, 36, 83, 107-8, 115-16, 118-19, 121-2, 123, 124-53, 191, 218, 228
border guards 110, 115, 152-3
borders 125-6, 127-8, 145-6, 151-3
corruption 110
cost of living 130, 131
food 130, 132, 136, 144
people 134, 135, 136, 139, 140-1, 228
police 134-5
taxis 136
visas 80, 110, 116, 151-3
Kazakhstan Express (newspaper) 137
Kazakhstan Feminist League 130, 137
Khakimzhanova, Gulnur 137
Khao San Road, Bangkok 1, 15, 17, 52-3, 58
Khao Yai National Park,Thailand 22, 59, 61
Kharkiv 27
Khon Kaen,Thailand 64-5
Khorgos, Kazakhstan 24, 121, 135
Khrushchev, Nikita 191
Khurgalzhino, Kazakhstan 141
Khurgalzhino Nature Reserve, Kazakhstan 141, 143-4
Kiev, Ukraine 27, 197
Kilimanjaro, Mount 42
Kim (survival instructor) 32-3
Komsomolskaya Pravda (newspaper) 137, 186
Kostanai, Kazakhstan 25, 146, 148-9, 150-1
Krakow, Poland 26, 28, 201, 202, 203-5, 206-7, 210, 229
Krasny Luch 27
Krygyzstan 107
Kuala Lumpur 43
Kunming, China 23, 79, 82, 99
Kwang Si falls 23
Lake Balkash 25, 131, 134, 139-40
Lake Tenghiz 146, 148
Lanzhou, China 23, 96, 97, 103, 227
Laos 22-3, 35, 61-3, 65-74, 76-8, 228, 242, 244
Laos embassy, Bangkok 54, 55
Lara (Jo’s mum) 86, 216
Lenin,Vladimir Ilyich 163
Leshan, China 23, 93-4, 95
Libya 18, 208
Liftshare 43-4
Linjian, China 96
Lintao, China 97
Lisa (friend of Jo & Ants) 6, 220
Liter (newspaper) 137
Livs (friend of Jo & Ants) 44
Lloyd, Graeme 164
London 36, 215
London Marathon 42
Lonely Planet 27, 62, 121, 145, 170
Long Way Round,The (expedition) 8, 24
Lookanov,Anatoly Konstanteenovich 153
Lord Nelson club,Almaty 24
Louzhou, China 91
Lower Silesia 28
Luang Nam Tha, Laos 23, 63
Luang Prabang, Laos 22-3, 63, 70-4, 76
Lucas, Matt 18
luggage 247
Lviv, Ukraine 26, 27, 195-6, 197, 200, 202, 204, 210
Lynch, Kevin 163
mafia 161
Mail on Sunday (newspaper) 37, 139
Mamaev Kurgan,Volgograd 175-6, 178
Mao Zedong 95
mare’s milk, fermented (kumys) 24, 130, 138
Marie Claire (magazine) 37
Marx, Karl 29
Maryopol, Ukraine 186-7
Maxat (mechanic) 134, 139, 140
McDonalds 201, 203
McGregor, Ewan 8
Mecca 204
Mekong River 22, 73, 74, 78
Mengla 79
mental illness 239-40
see also depression
Mercury Music prize 231
Mikhail (Russian Romeo) 155
Mind x, 8, 16, 39, 41, 43, 44, 66, 99, 132, 137, 176, 210
Cosmo award 223, 224
funds raised for 81, 99, 164, 234, 235
work of 239-40
Mind Week 45, 47
Ming dynasty 104
Mistry, Rohinton 131
Mogao caves, Dunhuang 105, 108-9
Mogao Treasures 105
money 248
Mongol Rally 173
Mongolia 18, 107, 110, 181, 208
monsoons 35
Mooncups 243, 247
Morgea (travel buddy) 139
Moscow 157
Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval (MSVA) test 214
Moynaq, Kazakhstan 139
Muslims 96, 100, 106, 111-12, 167-8
Myanmar 234
Nam Nao,Thailand 22
Nam Ngum, Laos 22
Napoleon Bonaparte 30
Nastia (punk) 189, 191, 219
National Guard, Kazakhstan 36
National Health Service (NHS) 39, 41, 240
naturists 182, 189
Nazarbayev, Nursultan 142
Nazis 28, 205
Nicholas II,Tsar 162-3, 172
Nick (Jo’s brother) 51
Nigel (survival instructor) 32-3
Niki (Jo’s friend) 5, 15
Nikolai (Russian ticket salesman) 141, 146
Norfolk 47, 100, 109, 218-19, 220-1
Norwich 47
Novosibirsk, Siberia 187
Nureyev, Rudolf 26
Nurzhan 148
Nuttanee (press officer) 53, 58
Odessa, Ukraine 168, 190, 191, 192, 193-5, 196-7, 200
Odessa Lawn Tennis Club 197
Ohre River 29
Oleg (Russian Romeo) 156, 159, 160, 163, 164-5, 166-7, 217, 219
Olov (Swedish traveller) 110
Olympics 42
Opole, Poland 28
Oswiecim, Poland 202, 205
see also Auschwitz
outdoor equipment 242, 248
overdoses 4, 13
Pak Ou caves, Laos 23, 74
Pakistan 8, 60, 107, 217, 225
panic attacks 4, 138, 182
Pattaya,Thailand 52
Paul (driving instructor) 9
Pentagon 8
periods 243
Peter (BBC cameraman) 214
Peter the Great 29
Petropavlosk 25, 148
Pha Tat Luang temple, Laos 68
Philip, Prince 162
Phimai,Thailand 22, 61, 63, 64
Pilsner 28
Pingwu, China 94
Pinky (Land Rover) 215
Poland 27-8, 198, 201-7
police 36
German 209
Kazakh 134-5
Russian 165, 169, 171, 179, 181, 182, 183-4, 186
Ukrainian 197
Pon (guide) 70
Potemkin Steps, Odessa 193-4
Prague 26, 28-9, 198, 205, 206, 207, 208, 210
Press Association 219
prostitution 82, 192
Prozac 39
psychiatric hospitals 3-4, 12, 13
Qilian mountains 104 Queen 130
rabies 32
Radio 1 231
Radio 2 59
Radio 5 Live 47, 59, 66, 219
rain 70, 88, 89, 100, 114, 155, 158, 170, 171, 201, 203, 211, 229
Raja (Jo’s fiancé) 34, 232-3, 234
Red Army 175
Redvan (mechanic) 190, 191
Reuters 116, 131, 136, 137
road accidents 76
road rage 90-1, 93, 184, 227
Roma (Russian Romeo) 167
Romanovs 161, 162-3, 172, 176, 177
Rome 204
Rose (friend of Jo & Ants) 7, 44
Rostom 191
Rostov-on-Don, Russia 181
Route 13, Laos 22, 62, 63, 66, 71-2, 73, 76-7, 79
Royal Geographical Society 31-2, 33, 42, 243, 244
Rudy (Russian Romeo) 156, 159-60, 163, 164-5, 166-7, 180, 217, 219
Russia 8, 25-6, 36, 107, 125, 142, 144-8, 150, 151, 153-86, 204, 219, 225, 228-9 borders 145-6, 153-4, 180, 185-6
deklaratzia (customs declaration form) 153-4
dokumenti 185-6
expats 242
and Kazakhstan 139-40
mental health in 176-7
police 165, 169, 171, 179, 181, 182, 183-4, 186
population 25
Romeos 156, 159-60, 163-8, 178-9, 180, 217, 219
visas 80, 151-3, 159, 160, 161
women 163-4
xenophobia 171-2
Rutherford, Bea 36, 37, 215
Rutherford, Sam 36-7, 41, 215
Rzeszoe, Poland 28
Saigon 78
St Peter and Paul Cathedral, St Petersburg 163
St Petersburg 172, 233
St Petersburg Times 172
Salagdinova, Alexander 137
Salagdinova, Evgenia 137, 186, 219
Sam (guide) 77-81, 83-4, 86, 88, 91, 94, 96, 97, 99, 102, 108, 193, 229, 230
Samara, Russia 26, 169-72, 173, 176-7
Samitivej Hospital, Bangkok 56
Santi 46
Saratov 26, 173, 174, 177
Saryam Lake 120, 121-2, 127, 142, 166
Sasha (Russian Romeo) 187
satellite modems 48, 80, 248
SATR 132, 137
Sayo River Guesthouse, Luang Prabang 76
Sea of Azov 186
Second World War 26, 28, 70, 161, 172, 175, 178, 206
security issues 34, 35-6, 242
self-harm 2-4, 11, 13, 15, 46, 177
Semey nuclear testing ground 140
Sergei (engineer) 180
Sergei (Russian Romeo) 187
Serva (mechanic) 190, 191
Setta Palace Hotel,Vientiane 62, 63, 64
sex trade 82, 192
Shakespeare,William 166
Shehyni 27
Shell 201, 203
Shilin, China 84, 85-6, 94
Shiva 204
Short, Jim 53
Shymbulak,T. T. 137
Siberia 24, 25, 104, 150, 151, 167, 187, 191
Sichuan Province, China 95-6, 229
Silk Road 23, 97, 99, 103-5, 110, 113, 182, 227
Simferopol, Ukraine 193
Sinclair, Hugh 35, 41
Singing Dunes 24
Skype 34, 45-7, 48-9, 66
‘sleeping cave’, Laos 70
sleeping equipment 248
Slovyansk 27
Smewing, Gerald 37
Snow Project,Yekaterinburg 163-4
sponsorship 34, 43-5
SS (Schutzstaffel) 205
STA travel 244
stalacto-stalagmites 92
Stalin, Josef 190-1, 206
Stalingrad, battle of 175-6
Stanley, Henry Morton 42
Steen, Gemma 131, 136
Steen, Mike 131, 136
Stein, Aurel 105
stigma, of mental illness 240
Stone Forest, Shilin 84, 85-6
stress, misery of 40
Stuart (Travelfish employee) 52
Sudak, Ukraine 189-91
suicidal thoughts 4, 13
suicide 7, 10, 131, 176-7
Sun (newspaper) 45, 47
superficiality 41
survival training 31-3, 243, 244
Susi (tuk tuk enthusiast) 17-18, 208-9, 211
Tajikistan 107
Taklamakan desert 111
talking therapies 12, 40
Tanya (Ukrainian host) 191, 192
Tartars, Crimean 188, 190-1, 192, 203
Tatarsan 26
technical equipment 48, 80, 248
see also cameras
Tesco 201, 203
Tessa (Ant’s friend) 220
Thailand 5, 15, 21-2, 35, 51-65, 57, 71, 115, 217, 234, 242, 244
Thart (mechanic) 18
Thung (mechanic) 18
Tianfu Square, Chengdu 95
Tibet 107
Tibetan Plateau 23, 219
Tien Shan Mountains 117, 120, 124, 137
Ting Tong (tuk tuk) ix, 17-19, 34
‘birth’ 17-18
brakes 87, 94
and butt-surfers 207-8
and the Chinese route 79, 82, 83-5, 87-91, 93-4, 101-2, 104, 108, 124-6, 217
as custom masterpiece 226
dashboard accessories 224
future trips 234
in Germany 208-10, 211
Jo and Ants meet for the first time 52
in Kazakhstan 125-9, 132-6, 138-9, 144, 148, 152
and the Laos route 68-9, 73, 77
Lift Off 58-9
loved 38-9
maintenance issues 55, 68-9, 73, 79, 82, 84, 87-9, 93-4, 108, 118, 124, 127, 132, 134, 138-9, 156, 158, 160, 173-4, 176, 189-91, 195, 201-4, 206-7, 209-10, 225, 227-9
near misses 133, 135-6
oil changes 93
people’s reactions to 83-4, 184, 217
petrol sources 228
planned route 21-30
in Poland 201-2, 203-4, 206-7
punctures 229-30
remote controlled-start-up facility 101-2
in Russia 153-6, 158-61, 164-5, 168, 171, 173-7, 181-6
security issues 37
spare parts/accessories (general) 118, 249
spark plugs 118, 155, 158, 160, 174, 176, 177, 182, 202, 211
sponsorship 43-4
Thai meaning of the name 54
and the Thai route 58, 61, 64
Touch Down 214, 216, 218, 219-21
in the Ukraine 189-91, 193, 195, 197, 201, 203
vital stats 19, 226
toffee potato 102
toilet facilities 90
Tolkien, J. R. R. 137
Townshend,Tom 42
Travcout 244
travel guides 245
online 244
travel tips 233
Travelfish 44, 52
Troitsk 148, 151, 154-5, 157, 185, 186
tuk tuks
suppliers 16, 17-18, 244, 245
see also Ting Tong
Turkey 8
Turpan, China 110-11, 113, 116, 117, 227
Twyford, Ken 37
Tyumen, Siberia 167
Udomxai, Laos 23, 76, 77
Ufa, Russia 26, 164, 165, 167, 169, 171
Uighur people 24, 107, 111-12, 114, 116-18, 120, 124-5
Ukraine 26-7, 125, 172, 178-82, 185- 203, 204, 224, 227-8, 241
police 197
prostitution 192
Romeos 187, 192, 197
route 185
Ulan Bator 173
Ultraseal 230, 244
Uman, Ukraine 197
Ayutthaya 22
Krakow 28
Luang Prabang 73
Lviv 195-6, 200, 201
United Nations (UN) 25, 136, 139
United States 78, 207
Upper Silesia 28
Urals 25-6, 164, 167, 219
Urumqui, China 24, 97, 99, 112, 114-19
US Marines 137
USSR 150
see also Russia
Uzbekistan 191, 192
Valeri (local drunk) 178-9
Valeri (travel buddy) 139, 144
Vanda (Russian teacher) 34, 137
Vang Vieng, Laos 22, 63, 66-7, 69-70, 71, 73
Vecolny, Ukraine 188-9
Velehrad 204
Viagra 92
Vientiane, Laos 22, 62, 63, 67-8, 76
Vietnam 78, 244
visas 80, 110, 116, 151-3, 159, 160, 161, 244
Vittya (Russian Romeo) 187
Vladivostok 8, 233
vodka 25, 144, 146, 187
voices, hearing 4
Volga River 26, 170-1, 175, 178, 179, 219
Volgograd (Stalingrad), Russia 26, 172- 81, 183, 186, 206
Volgograd Hotel,Volgograd 172
Voltaire 166
Vova (punk) 189, 191, 219
Wallace, Scott 16, 60
Warsaw 28
Wawel Castle, Krakow 204
weather conditions 70, 88, 89, 100, 114, 155, 158, 170, 171, 201, 203, 211, 229
West Bohemia 29
West Siberian Plain 25, 151
Western Europe 229
wilderness survival training 31-3, 243, 244
Wilson-Stephens, Simon 41, 42
Winchester 215
World Health Organization (WHO) 39
World Heritage Sites see UNESCO
World Heritage Sites
Wroclaw, Poland 28
Wudu, China 96
Wuwei, China 99, 104
XFM 59
Xian, China 74
Xinjiang province, China 24, 104, 107, 111-12, 114-19
Yao hill people 22
Yekaterinburg, Russia 149-50, 155-6, 158-9, 161-6, 169, 176, 180, 184, 226, 230
Yeltsin, Boris 161, 162
Yenisey River 25
Yi people 86, 94
Yunnan Province, China 79, 82, 83-4, 86, 90, 113, 115, 147, 229
yurts 120, 121-2, 124, 141, 166
Yuteeraprapa,Anuwat 17-18, 52, 54-6, 58, 74, 79, 82, 87-9, 155, 158, 208, 217, 225-6
Yuteeraprapa, Dow 18, 52, 217
Zanil (Russian Romeo) 167
Zap Club, Brighton 220
Zelony (Green) Bazaar,Almaty 138
Zhangye, China 99, 104
Zhijin caves 92
Zhumatov, Shamil 137, 217
Zoofar (Bashkir sanatorium owner) 167-8