We've used a Canon XM1 before and there seems to be nothing on the market that is of a similar size with 3CCDs. We've had to compromise because this camera is a little bit too big, but it does fit in a small rucksack with a light and a wide angle lens.
We wanted to film HiDef video and until flash memory gets really cheap we decided that DV tapes are probably our best option - we can send them home as we use them and always buy new ones in major cities like Almaty in Kazakhstan. We've also got a pac safe so we can lock it up in hotel rooms. We didn't pay anything like the full amount in HK for the camera so we're not as flash as it looks.
24/06/2008
Cycle Touring - Best Sleeping Bags
We've hunted around for small, warm, light sleeping bags for a while and we ended up with these sleeping bags made by Rab. They're expensive but can cope with pretty cold nights and pack into the smallest stuff sack you could imagine. We've got the ones with a water repellant coating and we also pu them in a waterproof bag in our panniers.
Journey through Sudan from Chad via Darfur in 2003
We entered Sudan on the Chad border aware of BBC reports that the whole area and border post itself had been taken by rebels. When we arrived at the border no-one knew anything about it. We spent the bext 10 days trying to get to Khartoum through the desert - following the train tracks as much as we could. Garon got bitten by a rather nasty snake and at one point we even met the Janjaweed gathering in a village...we had no idea who they were and were quite excited to see loads of men on horses.
Sudan from Simon Taylor on Vimeo.
The video is about 20 minutes long.
Sudan from Simon Taylor on Vimeo.
The video is about 20 minutes long.
Cameroon Wedding
In Cameroon in 2003, we were trekking in the Mandara mountains up near the Chad and Nigerian borders and ended up being invited to a wedding. What an experience it was....
Cameroon Wedding from Simon Taylor on Vimeo.
Cameroon Wedding from Simon Taylor on Vimeo.
The Puppet
In 2003, we were driving through Ghana in the middle of a fuel shortage. The price was due to rise at the weekend and no-one wanted to sell us fuel until the price went up. We ended up getting nearly 200litres from a road-side fuel station where the fuel was delivered in buckets. We were surrounded by children and families staring at the strange foreigners. Keep watching carefully.
The Puppet from Simon Taylor on Vimeo.
The Puppet from Simon Taylor on Vimeo.
Copy Cat Kids
In 2002 we travelled from the UK to Nairobi overland through West Africa. We had with us a Canon XM1 and managed to film all over West Africa - only getting arrested once. The best place to film was amazingly Sudan - you just get a permit from the authorities and film anywhere you want.
Copy Cat Kids from Simon Taylor on Vimeo.
This is a clip from the Dogon region of Mali, a very strange escarpment with people living as they did 900 years ago. In the village in the clip, the children obviously learn by repetition - they don't speak French or English but it doesn't stop them copying us.
Copy Cat Kids from Simon Taylor on Vimeo.
This is a clip from the Dogon region of Mali, a very strange escarpment with people living as they did 900 years ago. In the village in the clip, the children obviously learn by repetition - they don't speak French or English but it doesn't stop them copying us.
22/06/2008
Route through Turkmenistan, Iran and Turkey
Here’s a Silverlight map of our route through these countries.
Click to Zoom, Shift Click to Zoom Out, Click and Hold to Move
routemapturkey routemapiran routemapturkmenistan15/06/2008
The Hong Kong we're leaving behind
Loads of cool memories but these are some of the brilliant places in and around HK that we've spent time in.
02/06/2008
31/05/2008
We've cycled the Pamir Highway
We've spent the last 5 weeks cycling around Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in Central Asia. They're amazing countries - sort of a cross between Mongolia/Nepal and Afghanistan. Yurts everywhere in Kyrgyzstan and not much at all in Tajikistan.
We'd read about some roads that are worth cycling and the Pamir stood out - there's also the Karakoram highway and the Friendship Highway in Tibet but this looked really exciting - 750km long, camp where you want, nobody lives there and mostly above 4000m!
Mongolia visa - letter of invitation with Legend Tours
Legend Tours offer an invitation letter service for Mongolia - I am in the process of getting one with them and will update to say how well it goes: http://www.legendtour.ru/eng/mongolia/invitation.shtml
mongoliavisa
mongoliavisa
Monkey Business Mongolia visa and travel service website
This website will sort out visas and letters for you but only if you book a train ticket with them. Go to original website: http://www.monkeyshrine.com/visas/
mongoliavisa
mongoliavisa
30/05/2008
Cycling in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan - Pamir Highway Road Guide for cyclists
This guide is from Betzgi's fantastic website and is formatted for easy printing en route.
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