Who is Bibendum?

1978/9

Apparently Michelin Man, whose official name is BIBENDUM, has been promoting tires since 1894. I found more about Bibs here, a fascinating story of one of the most recognizable brand ambassadors in the world.

That however, is not our story.

We were camped out in the wild. I am not sure which Encounter Overland trip it was, or even which continent we were on. It was one of three, Europe, Asia, or Africa. So that narrows it down!

London to Kathmandu - Asia starting with Turkey

Autumn 1978

Which way did we go? To be honest the breakdown managed to wipe out most of the memories of Turkey before it. Perhaps the photos will jog my memory.

Revolution in Iran

How different can the experience of a country be in just a few short years. No visit to a palace this time.

London to Kathmandu - Turkey; the breakdown

Autumn 1978

It was early morning. It was cold, very cold. We were in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Eastern Turkey, in the mountains. Everybody was keen to get going. We had been watchful during the night because, at the time, Eastern Turkey was known to have bandits, and westerners were rich pickings. Breakfast dealt with and packed up. Everyone was on board, in their thick coats, still shivering. The engine had warmed up, and we set off. We were on dirt roads that were a lot better than some. We were making reasonable progress. Then we came to an incline. We were in the mountains so that was not unexpected. What was unexpected was that a short while later we came upon a queue of tipper trucks and some roadworks.