News

New website

Our new website to present a part of our documentaries : www.elena-chernyshova.com

20th october 2010 - Calendar Eurasia 2010

You were all waiting for it, here it is, the calendar 'Eurasia 2010'.

Week after week, you will cross the year 2010 with 90 photos, for your dreaming time at office or your long winter evenings
12€ if you come to meet us, 14€ if you prefer make it flying by post. Don't hesitate, because it worse it!!

6th August 2009 – The samurai is waking up

While Gaël was writing few news for the website, he got to get the news on live, on the Nikon website. Elena is the emerging talent for Europe
You can find all the results of the contest there: results

And a special page for the emerging talent, where they do explain what it is about, why they choose Elena’s photo and so on. We let you read more in details on the website. emerging talents 18 000 photographer took part to the contest, with 51 000 photos. Elena has still lot of stuff to learn, but that’s encouraging.

3rd August 2009 – Here we are, still

We’re slogging; nothing to tell more...Except that it’s slower than expected. Little bit like on the bike in fact. But we are eating less rice nowadays.

15th July 2009- Nik-on, ni-k-is off

In secret, we have been informed since some months that Elena has been elected ‘Emerging Talent’ for Europe (one by continent), during the International Photo Contest 2008-2009 organized Nikon

The official announcement will be posted – one day –on the Nikon website. If you want to check: www.imaging.nikon.com

1st July 2009 – Some news about our exhibitions

Our first exhibition is planed at Labastide Saint-Pierre, the week end of 7th-8th November 2009 (normally you are writing that down, isn’t it?). We will speak on the Saturday evening. A part of the exhibition will be shown all along the week.

In Russia, we are in contact with the Library of Yekaterinburg (where we gave a small conference in December 2008), to organize an exhibition for spring or summer 2010. You may already plan your holidays nearby.

More news to come later

20th June 2009 – Meeting with Studio Nomade

Our godparents from Studio Nomade, especially Megan Son and Laurent Granier, welcomed us during their exhibition about Inca, in Bourge. 2 days full of learning, when we got lot of advices about a world that we do not know yet, and how to build up a book.
Thanks again for their help.

You may follow their adventures on: www.qhapaq-nan.com and www.studionomade.com

18th May 2009 – Permit to don’t leave

That’s done, here it is. Elena got her resident permit for a year. She will not have to go back to Moscow get a new visa. Thanks to everybody who help us in that struggle.

10th May 2009 – Answers to unasked questions but heard

Everybody asks us, “What will you do now?” Well, like everyone else, get sloshed, then sleep, then work. The real good life.

Stop the gossips, the program will roughly be the following: Some time off, to get rest of the cycle. 2-3 weeks, not more. 1 week per year on the road if we want.
Then we’ll come back to the desk. We wish to prepare 2 or 3 books, make up a photo exposition, and share our project in France, Russia and anywhere people wish we come to expose.
In the same time, Gaël will look for some job in Europe; hopefully he will get something for the end of the year or beginning of the next year. About Elena, we will fight to get a resident permit, so she will be able to stay in France. We already know that something like 100 000 photos are waiting to get her personal artistic point of view.

8th May 2009 - Home sweet Home

Yeap, it has to happen one day. A last turn on the right and Uncle Tom is there. End of the story, we are going to sleep, and no need to wake up tomorrow. We did not unpack our bags nor clean our bicycle yet, we never know…

Thanks to everybody who came welcome us, citizen of Labastide Saint-Pierre, major, friends, parents, dog and champagne.

Please, come check time to time the website, we will drop some news!

28th February - Moscow times

24th january 2009 - Going to Lituania

Gael spent a little week in Riga where is hike the streets of the old Riga city.
Thanks a lot to Ieva for her welcoming, who also invited another cyclist on her flat, the german marco ( www.berlin-hanoi-2008 ). The stay was quite nice in her place.
For the coming week, an easy ride in direction of Vilnius, passing by Rundale and its castle, and Siaulai and its Hill of Crosses.

18th January 2009 - Arrival to Riga

The journey in Latvia was calm, people were nice, landscapes were not the most grandiose, but charming, and wild animals amused by their greetings.
After a short visit of Cesis (thanks for Aija for her welcoming), Gael cycled 100 km that separated him from Riga, and reached the city in the evening.
Several days of visit and rest, before the trip restarted in the direction of Lithuania and Vilnius.

13th of January - Arriving to Europe!

Two feet and two wheels are at last on return to Europe.
The border passing was cool with some jokes of our dear customs officers.
In the program now: crossing of Latvia (impressive:)) till the medieval town of Cesis and after Riga.

Commonlife team in Kazan

Elena and Gael in the programm "Story in details" on STS channel, Kazan.

10th January 2009 - Restart

After Christmas and New Year holidays the project of Comm’on Life restarts.
Gael leaves toady Moscow in the direction of Latvia. His visa will finish the 13th of January, so he should hurry to reach the border. Half way he will do by train till Velikie Luki. From there, he will restart to cycle.
Elena should stay at home to recover from disease. Approximately In two-three weeks she will join Gael on the road in Poland.

1st January 2009 - Happy New Year!

Comm’on Life team wish you to trust in your dreams and make them realizing! Have all the best in 2009!

Father frost

A quick news abour us, recoded by the local Tv near Tyumen, but then took by the national Tv. Hopefully we will the original version one day too...
For info: we never have been in Chlyabinsk:)

Enjoy some moving CommonLife. The team is (was:) ) alive!

An interview at radio Mayak

Here is a little interview given at radio Mayak in Kazan (in russian with a little bit of english)

18th December 2008 – We got the visa. We got the visa!

The good news of the day, we got the visa (seems normal, but the things was not so much easy, will not enter in all explanations here). Thanks to the French consulate!

10th December 2008 – Happy frogs

The road from Kazan was quite hard. We got to cross a forest on a mud road. Winter (we repeat ourselves, but it is our common life) is still not here. We will put half a day to get out of all this, and cross several mini-lake. No anymore dry shoes, again some plastic bags to be wear around our legs till the end of the way.

We try to accelerate, but all this rain is hard to manage. 70km before the city, we are catching a suburb train to be on time to jump on the first night bus, direction Moscow. Tomorrow morning, we got a meeting on the French consulate; we have to be on time.

5th December 2008 – Going to Nizhniy Novgorod

We stayed little bit longer than expected to Kazan. We had met with 2 TVs and a radio, which took us lot of time and power. But it was quite funny.
We thus decide to go to Nizhniy Novgorod, and there take a train to reach Moscow. We have to be the earliest we can to do the final step for our visa, before the rush of request for Christmas.

26th November 2008 – When Dante has a date with Kazan

We enjoy 2 days and a night with our new friend the truck driver, in the well heated cabin. Much more comfortable than our bathtub on cycle.

We arrived in the night on the periphery of Kazan, under a snow-rain. We have yet 20km to cycle in the night. We attach our head-light to our arms, put our rescue shirt, and we start our figure squatting spectacle on the road.
We success to tame the ice of the road, get some injection from the police microphone, and finally to reach the expedition school of the city, which will welcome us during our stay in the Tatar capital.

25th November 2008 – We throw in the sponge!

We got two perfect days, snow and cold. Then the weather changed again, got rain and 3 degrees. What the hell! We never get opportunity to dry; the main road is crazy to drive on the middle of all that trucks. As soon as we try to get on secondary road, we are stop by mud, impossible to cross by. In winter, in summer, everything in perfect. But under the rain…

We are getting tired, psychologically, form this cold humidity. It’s not often we are doing this, but we are throwing the sponge. Decision taken the 24th under the rain.
Ironically, the 25th on the morning, we are waking up under a white coat. We hesitate again, but nope. The first truck driver we meet agree to take us in his cabin. On the truck for 700km…

19th November 2008 - Leaving for Europe

We got the chance to meet several people of the cycling club of Ekat and with the TV for a small documentary about us.
Thanks a lot to everybody, Sasha and Anya and especially to Igor.
We are leaving today in direction of Kazan, and will pass in 40km the border Asia/Europe. Bye-Bye Asia!

14th November 2008 - Yekaterinburg

We are now in Yekaterinburg, 4th city of the country.
The road was nice at its beginning, with snow and dry cold. We got an interview by a passing team of the Tyumen TV. The little country roads bring us to some charming villages, the last of Siberia for us, as we are now in Ural, the physical border between Asia and Europe.
We again got rain at the end of the way; winter definitely does not want to come to Russia!

6th November 2008 - Tyumen

We arrived today to Tyumen, 2 days late. The road from Tobolsk was not of the most interesting, but gave us some km to adpat to the winter.
However, we did not get the best scenari: one day of full rain, following by the first frozen night, and snow then. The cold is too much humid, freezing brakes and gear cables, and allowing cars to throw us dusty salt mud.
We will leave the 9th to Yekaterinenburg, hping to get more dry cold.

1st November 2008 - Tobolsk

We arrived in Tobolsk yesterday, after 37horus of train. We enjoyed the wide range of discuss in the wagon : from how to burry a man, to finding out if Zola was french or jewish, passing by how to cook a watermelon.
Today offered us a nice tour of the city, its kremlin and old wooden houses district. If everything is under renovation, the city gave us a wonderfull feeling, with restfull atmosphere and beautifull architecture.
Tomorrow, we are back to our saddle. Direction Tyumen!

29th October 2008 – Last minute news : Great news !

Snow is coming ! Better than the rain (for people who are afraid for us).
We just check the meteo, winter is coming to Tyumen. Soon, ice cream and butter under the tent. We will get back some kg (have we to do so ??)

29th October 2008 – Leaving for Western Siberia, going back to the road !

We are leaving this night by train, direction Tobolsk, in western Siberia, 2300km from Moscow.
Our plan : Tobolsk, Tyumen, Ekaterinenburg, Perm, Kazan, some ride on the Volga, Moscow.
We plan to be back to Moscow the 1st december, when we will be able to get back the new Elena’s passport, if everything goes well.

18th Ocotber 2008 – Coming back to Russia

Gawel came back to Peter the 16th of october, and today to Moscow. Elena finally start the process of making a new passport, her one beeing full and too much old to get a Schengen visa.

5th Octobre 2008 – A visa story

Since two weeks, we are visiting Moscow, the Golden Rings villages, Saint-Petersburg, are going to Ballet, experiencing the banya, etc...In short, the russian life.
The parents went back home now. Gael has to exit Russia for 12 days. He will pass the border during the night. Elena will return to Moscow for this time.

19th September 2008 – Family meeting

During the night, Gael’s parents and sister arrived from Toulouse. Break of two weeks !

14th September 2008 – Leaving Guryesk

From Novokusniesk, we rode toward Guryesk, little bit more north. We landed there for several days in this city, the Elena’s childhood city. Again a time, cousines, cousins, aunt and oncle, and of course vodka and cognac...
We are taking the train tonight to reach Moscow in three days, to be on time to welcome the Gael’s parents on the stairs of their plane.

4th September 2008 – Arrival to Novokusniesk

Our first day in Russia brang us among the fantastic mountains of Altai (russian part), which have nothing to envy to the Alps, culminating at 4500m. The sharp peaks enjoyed us after the dunes-shaped moutains of Mongolia. The region is still strongly traditional, with lot of shamanism and other dericated religions. We crossed loads of Moustaches (yeap ! that’s the funerary grave with carved human faces) as well as huge petrogliphs fields.
We are now in Novokusniesk, the biggest bassin (coal and metallurgy) of the country.

19th August 2008 – Russian border crossing, third

From Olgi, the road was without problems, only some steep climbs. We got the pleasure of riding the longest asphalt road we found since UB, nearly 50km to exit the city. A record !
The three days bringing us to the border allow us to meet lot of tourists, going out or entering the country. By the way, thanks to Marie Claude and Jean-Pierre to have offered us our last pastis (and the only one) of Mongolia.
The border crossing was quite boring, taking an entire day of waiting and discussion with the military who did not accept the bicycles. We even had to get a sanitary cleaning of our tires ! No comment.(And big thanks to the two swiss, Lucia and Bernie who helped us and offer tea in all this mess. Danke Schon!)

15th August 2008 – Into the mongol Kazakhstan

We left Khovd and took the direction of Olgi, the last city on the west Mongolia, capital of a khazak district.
The few hundreds of km which brings us there were quite stuff. The nearly two months we spent in off-roads in Mongolia have been hard for our material, and everything is breaking down one after one : zipper of the sleeping bags, rack, pump of our stove, luggages,... We all time find a solution, but all these problems suck our personal ressources.
However, we loved this waywhich bring us to the khazak of our beginnings, eagles hunters and nomads, everytime nomads, and landscapes gandiose by their emptyness.
We are now in Olgi where we are getting back some power, before heading toward Russia. The crossing of the border is planed for the 19th august, at 14h32min08s (aproximatively)

8th August 2008 – 2nd candle for the 08.08.08!

Yeap! 2 years already that our asses left their sofa and are sitting on a saddle. To celebrate it, we allowed us several beers and some good meal, hopping to get back some kg. We heard Chinese did a big spectacle for us…but forgot to invite us
This morning is again a start, every year the same. This time, we are going to some green valley where lakes and snow are waiting for us. Next news from Russia, where we will enter the 19th of August.

4th August 2008 – Khovd

At last we reached Khovd, city where we will rest some days and repair a dying wheel, before cycling further west.
The road between Altai and Khovd was full of good surprises and great challenges, all what we were hopping.

We crossed resort-jumping antelopes in the desert near Sharga, slept near slat lakes on the foot of snowy peaks, and admired a fabulous sun eclipse which enjoyed the CommonLife team on the middle of feared horses and Mongols.

22th July 2008 – CommonLife Rally.

Altai is in effervescence, full of Porsche, Mitsubishi and other rally cars are wandering on the streets. We are leaving the city to stop soon on the next steppes, where is setup the base camp of the transiberian rally 2008. Russian and French team will welcome warmly, and we will be granted by a festin under the main tent. Many pilote and co-pilote are also participating to Paris Dakhar, and we discover a world often seen on the TV, but for today, in reality.

After being waking up by the helicopters of the camp, we will start the CommonLife Rally, following a similar route of the rally, but in conter direction, direction Sharga, Darvi, Most…
5,4,3,2,1,…start!!!
(Finally, the French team will win, the Russian will finish 5th)

20th July 2008 – Altai by Hitchhiking.

In UB, we got one month more on our visa. Not enough yet to cross the 2000 or so km till the Russian border. The first 1000km are done by hitchhiking. Not so easy when you travel with two bicycles and 100kg of luggage.
3 minivan-jeep-minivan with 6-8-9 hours of waiting were necessary to reach Altai, after 3 days of a not so restful trip on the border of the Gobi desert.

10th July 2008 – Arrival to Ulan-Bator.

The first 3 weeks bring us among tranquil mountains to the jewel Amarbayagalan monastery; settled at the end of a gorgeous valley where yurts and horse are the only disturbance of the flashy green of the grass. This is the rainy season there, and we get rain and thunder every day.
The road will then drive us to the former capital of Genghis Khan, Kharohin, from where we will hitchhike to Ulan Bator, in order to prolongate our visas and to be on time for our already 4th Nadam (we met 3 nadam in different village on our way), but the biggest one of this national day – nomad’s Olympic games.

19th June 2008 – Crossing the border.

We arrived by train to Naoshky. A night and a small ride along the border bring us to the border post of Khiakhta.
The formalities are quick from the two sides. We are in the nomad’s country!

15th june 2008 - Interview from Irkusk

CommonLife interview in Irkusk (in russian)

1st june 2008 - Arrival to Irkusk

We took the Trans-Siberian the 28th of may, for three days of travel, which bring us 70km west of the Baikal lake. The lake is the biggest of the world, representing 20% of the world fresh water reserve.
The journey was tranquil, in a train surprisingly empty, which crossed nearly 4200km of pine forest. The snow even appeared in some fields.
Waiting our Mongolian visa, we will go walk around the Olkhon Island, 250 north of Irkusk.

27th may 2008 – Interview

CommonLife interview in Vladivostok (in russian)

21st may 2008 - Vladivostok

Reaching Vladivostok to catch the train was the primary idea of the project. Yihaa!
Contrary to Gael’s idea, it is not flat, with full of forested hills around. The city center has some real charm, with several eclectic style building.

13th may 2008 - Welcome back to Europe

Expensive border crossing… around 100 dollars. Bye bye China. To regulate the border traffic, we are forced to take the bus (20 dollars each the ticket) and to pay for every single kg of luggage. They cannot do yet the difference between our t-shirt full of holes, and some importation of cheap chinese quality clothes…
Program for the next days: visit to the Elena’s family, and reaching Vladivostok where the Trans-Siberian is waiting for us.

3rd may 2008 - Rest in Haerbin

3 days rest in Haerbin, city established by russians in the north of China at the beginning of the century.
The tendon is better; we are leaving to Jillin where our bicycles are waiting for us on the train station.

25th april 2008 - Thorn in the rain

Waiting day under the tent because of the rain, Gael hurt himself by getting a thorn in the Achilles tendon, during an excursion to the bushes. Harmless incident, but Gael cannot walk.
Slowly, we reached the nearest big city, where we will take the train to Haerbin. The bicycles will go to wait for us in Jillin, where we will restart the trip after some days of rest.

23rd april 2008 - Leaving Beijing

Leaving Beijing, in direction of the Manchuria. Still 1500km until the coming back to Russia.

7th april 2008 - Beijing

We arrived in Beijing for a dozen of days. We will swim in the papers to get the Business visa necessary to Gael to cross Russia.
Waiting the visa, we will go to visit the Great Wall and several tourist attractions as the Forbidden City.

20th march 2008 - Yangshuo

We arrived to Yangshuo, known for its magical Karst landscapes. We will stay there until the 6 april, when we will catch the train to Beijing.
After some weeks in China, our first impressions are: definitely, it has some beauty, but which has to share the space with the colorful smokes of the factories working in every village. The countryside, calm and traditional, contrasts with the modernism and dynamism of the bustling cities.

18th march 2008 - Welcome to China

Border crossing quite delicate, with more than two hours of wait.
The officer did not recognize the Gael’s eyes, and was thinking that he changed his passport photo. At the end of his duty, he decided to give us the require stamp.

12th march 2008- Hanoi

We arrived today to Hanoi, where we will take time to rest a little. The last days in Laos where tiring, as the climb at 10% are the restfull time we can get in these steep mountains.
We loved our first days in Vientam, but more we were approching the capital, less pleasant it was: sur-development city, industries and deep traffic.

29th february 2008 - Plains of Jars

We arrived in the afternoon to Phonsavan, center of the plains. The landscape reminds us Alpes, Carpates, or again Montenegro: Hills, dry grass and pin everywhere.
After a little break to visit the different sites of Jars, we will leave toward Vietnam, passing to Sam Neua and Vieng Xay. In Vieng Xay stands the caves used as military center for the Patet Lao during his war against American.

20th february 2008 - Luang Prabang

We arrived in the afternoon to this old colonial city of the North-Laos, listed to the UNESCO world heritage.
We will wander some days there, before leaving to the plains of Jars, named from the jars (some more than 6 tonnes) which sculpt the landscape, and remain a scientific enigma.

11th february 2008 -Vientiane

After a short stay on the 4000island, on the Mekong in the south Laos, we arrived this morning in Vientiane. We caught the bus in Pakse, after visiting the Angkorian (and pre-Angkorian) temple of Champasak.
We thus escape the not so interesting plains of the Mekong in south Laos. We are waiting for our Vietnamese visa, and will go back on the road for the North Laos Mountains.

2nd february 2008 -Kratie

Kratie was a meeting point with Pati, Yves and Fany, some friends from Lyon who are traveling the south till June.
Kratie is our last Cambodian city before Laos, 200km north. Our stay was short, but Cambodia will remain as one of our preferred country.

28th january 2008 - Phon Penh

After Siem Reap, we took the old Angkor road, which gave us plenty of emotions
On the half way, we left it to take the direction of Kampong Cham, small city on the Mekong. We left our luggage there, 120km north of Phon Penh. We are making the go and back to the capital by bus, in order to visit and take our Laos visa.

23rd januray 2008 - leaving for the Cambodia jungle

After a week wandering in Siem Reap and the temples of ANgkor, we are leaving in direction of Phon Penh
We choosed to follow the difficult road of the jungle, which will bring us to a dozen of angkorian bridges and 2 other temples.
See you in Phon Penh

7th january 2008

Happy New Year 2008 to everybody. Wishing the best to every people reaching this page.
After a hard cycling in Malaysia, under heavy rain and strong flood, we reached thaialand and its wonderful beach.
We celebrated new year in Bangkok, where we arrived just on time for the gong. We stayed there 10 days and are ready to go on with Cambodia.
See you from Angkor.

2 december 2007

Live from Singapore, where we are since the 2nd of demcember. We reached there the southest point of our trip. We will go back soon on the road to cross Asia, beginning with the Malaysia, under the monsoon. We will go on with the south of Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. China will be the last wall (great?) before reaching Vladivostok, between april and mai, at the end of the russian winter that we want escape with this route.

2008 Calendar

2008 Comm'on Life's calendar

Created from photos taken during the past year in between China, Pakistan and Nepal.

Buying it, you will travel with us during the whole year and you will bring a priceless help for us to continue the trip.

Orders are now open !

Happy Birthday

8 august 2007 HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!!

1 year already, spent on the eurasians roads, and the adventure keeps going on...

12 july 2007

We reached India the 9th of July. We succeeded at last to escape from Pakistan, to enter this country-monster. We are in Armitsar, the city of the Golden Temple, a major pelgrin site for the Sikhism (30.000 per day). We leave tommorrow for the fresh North, direction Srinigar.