- Pieter Grimminck and Mandy Brander sold their possessions, quit their jobs and embarked on an epic adventure
- Couple, currently in Nepal, have no plans to go home soon with a road trip across India next
- They document their journey with beautiful photography on their website We Want Adventure
Pieter
Grimminck and Mandy Brander quit their stable jobs, sold their
possessions, packed up their belongings and embarked on the road trip of
a lifetime.
Departing
from their home in the Netherlands in March, the couple journeyed first
through Eastern Europe, across Asia to Mongolia on two motorbikes,
covering 16 countries in three months.
Mandy,
a photographer, has been documenting their adventures in Turkey,
Armenia, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan and more, capturing breathtaking images
along the way and documenting them on their blog, WeWantAdventure.com.
Riding off into the sunset: Pieter Grimminck (pictured in Kazakhstan) and Mandy Brander are on an epic road trip
An extraordinary adventure: The couple initially rode from Amsterdam to Mongolia, covering 16 countries in three months
Spectacular: Pieter and Mandy
journeyed through Eastern Europe across Asia taking pictures like this,
in Tajikistan, along the way
The
adventure did not end there, though. Falling head over heels for their
new lifestyle, Pieter, 33, and Mandy, 27, have no plans to go 'home'
anytime soon. They have been based in Nepal since June and this week
depart for a new adventure in India.
The
couple's nomadic lifestyle has come with its challenges. They tell
MailOnline Travel of going a week without any shower or toilet
facilities, off-roading from daybreak to nightfall in remote regions,
and facing sandstorms, freezing temperatures and long stretches without
encountering another soul.
'In
Armenia we were stuck because of heavy snow and a lovely family let us
stay in their house for days,' Pieter and Mandy say. 'We felt so
welcome, and even though these people are quite poor they welcome you as
their own family.'
The great outdoors: They faced sandstorms, freezing temperatures, and no showers or toilets for days in Mongolia (pictured)
Jaw-dropping: They have encountered incredible scenery, such as the 'Gate to Hell' in Turkmenistan
Remote: The adventurers followed the river border between Afghanistan and Tajikistan (pictured) for two days
But
the real adventure began, they say, in Tajikistan. 'We already had a
lot of bad roads, but Tajikistan was hard. No shower or toilet for a
week, sleeping at people's homes on the ground, high altitude, snow,
only soup with potato for dinner and eggs in the morning.
The couple spent two days following the Afghanistan border, only separated by a small river.
And
Mongolia was even harder. 'Almost no asphalt, just a lot of small sandy
paths or washboard roads,' say Pieter and Mandy, remembering days where
they only managed to travel 150km, calling it 'mentally and physically
challenging'.
'At
some points it felt like there was no ending. Our navigation didn’t
work, we didn’t know where we were and the roads were really bad that
sometimes we could only drive 10 to 20 km per hour.'
The road ahead: Pieter, 33, and Mandy, 27, sold their possessions and left their lives in Amsterdam behind
Nomadic life: Both of them had stable, secure jobs before embarking on their adventure
Isolated: The couple went long stretches without encountering other people. Pictured setting up camp in Kazakhstan
In
Mongolia, the couple encountered British adventurer Ash Dykes, who made
headlines in August when he became the first person to walk solo from
the country's border with China to its Russian boundary, camping
together for three days.
Turkey,
the reveal, felt like a 'summer holiday', in which they enjoyed 'nice
people, the best food, good roads and beautiful nature.
'We
noticed that right after every border you directly notice you’re in
another country. Even though the change is slower than travelling by
plane, every country has its own uniqueness.'
Above the clouds: One of their bikes pictured at the highest pass at 4,600 metres in Tajikistan
'Open to new opportunities': The couple marvel at the welcoming people they met along their way. Pictured: Oezbekistan
While
there have bumps along the road, the couple say their incredible
journey has only strengthened their three and a half-year relationship,
insisting that, remarkably, they 'never fight' while on the road and
don't irritate each other... except for when Mandy is slow to get going
in the mornings.
They
say: 'We've formed a really good team. Pieter is calm and never afraid.
Mandy is more impulsive, but also good in finding information. In
difficult situations we always were on the same page.
'Travelling
changes your view on life, and it is great to share this. It’s a
completely new lifestyle we were experiencing. Being with each other 24
hours a day is not easy, and we had to get to know each other in this
new lifestyle.'
The
couple say that travelling has always been a conversation since they
met, but that it wasn't until last year that the idea of a motorbike
road trip formed.
Committed: They say their journey has only strengthened their three and a half year relationship
Changing scenes: It hasn't been all
remote roads for Pieter and Mandy, who also travelled through cities
like this in Turkmenistan
It
was during a motoring trip in Germany last summer that the fantasy of
the epic journey arose. 'We talked about our lives and what we really
wanted to do,' they say. 'We knew that we had to do something drastic to
be happy with our lives.
Unsatisfied
with their jobs and with no children on the immediate agenda, they made
the decision at Christmas that they were ready for change. 'We wanted
more adventure and less security. To get the most out of ourselves and
be open for new opportunities.'
The
duo plan to purchase a new bike in Delhi and 'just drive', with a
indefinite plan to ride from the Ganges to the sea - undoubtedly
capturing beautiful pictures along the way.
Endless
journey: The couple (right) are departing for India this week, and hope
to continue their adventure for the foreseeable future
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2816025/From-Turkey-Tajikistan-Armenia-Afghanistan-Couple-capture-breathtaking-images-journey-16-countries-Amsterdam-Mongolia-motorbikes.html#ixzz3IVEkFGdv
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