Part 3 of Tajikistan Independence Day on 9 September. Tajikistan was my favourite country on my bicycle trip from Germany to Pakistan in 2015. Its high plateau landscape, majestic mountains, and hospitable people gave me the most cherished moments of the entire trip. A year later, when I cycled South America, I discovered that Tajikistan’s … Read more
In Tajikistan, I almost tied knots with the lady in the background. While cycling the Pamir Highway, I made a short stop in a lush valley to pick black mulberries from the trees. Nearby, a family was sitting on the ground having a meal. As I was tasting fresh mulberries, two women from the … Read more
Dear Tajikistan, Back in 2015, when I was cycling from Germany to Pakistan, you were the first country where I experienced pure wilderness. In your grand landscape, I felt so vulnerable. But, as I struggled to survive each day, you freed me from myself. In awe of your grandeur, I lost my ego. Your majesty … Read more
There is a knock outside. I peek through the door. Naeem Khan is standing there with a glass cup and a glass tray in his hands. A bunch of boxes tied together lay on the ground. “I am wandering from one street to another since morning, carrying this load of 50 kilos. I have been … Read more
Today, we are obsessed with time and growth. It makes sense. After all, when we get only this much time to live, why not make every second count? So we speed up in everything we do, be it pursuing career goals or travelling. I was no different. When I began my bicycle journey from Germany … Read more
In June 2019, I cycled the Dempster Highway as a part of my bicycle trip from Ushuaia, Argentina to Alaska. It is the only road in Canada that takes you past the Arctic Circle. It is a 900 km unpaved road in Yukon and Northwest Territories crossing the tree line on to tundra and ending … Read more
At Moraine Lake, ten jagged peaks surround the turquoise blue waters as if they have crowned the lake as the Queen of the Canadian Rockies. The mountain tops cling to clouds of the fear of getting stripped naked in public. I sit atop a rock and take a deep breath. Space expands, and things get … Read more
Today, we are obsessed with time and growth. It makes sense. After all, when we get only this much time to live, why not make every second count? So we speed up in everything we do, be it pursuing career goals or travelling. I was no different. When I began my bicycle journey from Germany … Read more
When the western world was going through the Dark Ages, Islamic civilization was at its brightest. There was one particular place in Central Asia which became the world’s leading centre of science, medicine, and philosophy during that period. Today this place is called Uzbekistan. Ushering in the Golden Age of Islam, its cities Bukhara and … Read more
“What is your biggest fear?” A voice hits my ears as soon as I finish my talk. I scan the room and spot a little girl with glasses holdind a mic. There is pin-drop silence in the room with dozens of eyes staring at me. I look at people’s faces for an answer, but their … Read more
A year ago on this date, I finished my 33,100 km Argentina to Alaska bicycle trip that took me three years and nine months, almost 10% of my life. Unlike my first tour from Germany to Pakistan that took 13 years from inception to realization, this one was a rather an impulsive decision. From the … Read more
Happy World Photography Day! I had an established career when my life took a strange twist. One day, I was a programmer, the next day, a bicycle traveller. I had nothing but a bicycle, a camera and a burning desire to see the world. Little did I know where my travels would take me. Little … Read more
A Letter to Pakistan on Independence Day 14 August Dear Pakistan, My story begins with you even before I was born. Mum always used to tell me that when she was pregnant, there was one Pakistani patriotic song “Har Ghari Tayyar Kamran Hain Hum” that would often play on PTV. While listening to it, she … Read more
Part 1 of Pakistan Independence Day on 14 August! Awakened by a dream, I realize that I have been sleeping for too long. I am in Tashkurghan, China for the past couple of days and have been doing nothing but resting. I’ve cycled 9226 km from Germany, and there is only 120 km left to … Read more
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