We love receiving updates from our world traveling friends Simon and Lisa Thomas. On May 18 Simon and Lisa celebrated their 7th anniversary on the road. An incredible accomplishment by any measure!
Since we last heard from them, the couple managed to ride through Iran shortly before the riots erupted on the streets of Tehran. They reported the country felt uneasy, and all online communications with the outside world were blocked by the government.
As they crossed into Pakistan they were escorted by the military special forces, 24/7 to ensure their safety. According to Lisa, Pakistan is a stunning country, with some incredible riding, if only one could travel unimpeded by the military.
The couple travelled in India for 3 months finding the country "fascinating, vibrant, beautiful, dramatic and easy to fall in love with," in spite of the incredible levels of poverty and hardship they saw.
Riding in India was not as pleasant as the scenery and proved incredibly frustrating. The riders were hit, "nudged at times, others times a real smack," by other road users several times a day, not to mention the sacred cows that often brought all traffic to a halt.
According to the couple, after 68 countries, India was the most dangerous country they have ridden, demanding 100% concentration every second of their day, whether on country or city roads. On the positive side, Simon and Lisa were overwhelmed by the beauty and history of India, as they watched the sun rise over the the Golden Temple in Amritsar, got spellbound by the views of the fort in Jaiselmer in the Great Thar Desert, and took a vacation from their vocation in Goa.
After seeing the Ganges during a heat wave (126 in the shade!), they were happy to safely cross into a quieter, calmer, and cooler Nepal.
If you are like us, and can’t get enough of the stunning images from Simon and Lisa’s adventures, you can now download over 40 of their best photographs as part of their website screensaver program.
Visit the photo gallery for more images from their adventures.