Journey Perspective

Shehzadi (the Vagabond Couple's 2024 Toyota Tundra) has now covered enough ground to circle the Earth's equator nearly 1.7 times. This journey utilized approximately $11,500 worth of fuel (estimated at $4.00/gal, additives needed to balance quality of gasoline not included) and required a massive logistical effort to navigate the diverse terrains of the world's most iconic roads. At the current fuel rate, Shehzadi has consumed enough fuel to fill her tank approximately 89 times.

This journey represents a massive transcontinental undertaking, spanning 27 countries and thousands of miles of diverse terrain. What began as a foundational exploration of North America—traversing the Rockies and the deserts of the USA, Canada, and Mexico—evolved into a sophisticated global expedition across the historic Silk Road and beyond.

The route is defined by its ambitious transitions: shipping across the North Atlantic to the Caucasus, navigating the complex borders of Central Asia, and looping through the heart of Europe. The expedition even touched North Africa with a crossing into Morocco before making a definitive push eastward.

The final, most challenging stages saw us, the Vagabond Couple, navigate the high-altitude passes of Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and China, eventually crossing through China and Tibet. The journey culminates in a comprehensive three-month exploration of India, circumnavigating the subcontinent from the Himalayan foothills of Nepal to the southernmost tip of the subcontinent at Kanyakumari.

Shehzadi World Tour Statistics

The following data represents a comprehensive analysis of the journey logs across North America, the Silk Road, and South Asia.

(a) Total Distance Covered

• Total Miles: 42,748.00 miles
• Total Kilometers: 68,796.26 km

(b) Countries Covered (27 Total)

Shehzadi has traversed 27 countries across four continents:

• North America: USA → Canada  → Mexico → USA → ship to Republic of Georgia (North Atlantic, Mediterranean, Black Sea).
• Caucasus, Central Asia, Eastern & Central Europe: Georgia → Turkmenistan → Georgia  → Turkey (Türkiye) → Greece → North Macedonia → Greece.
• Western & Southern Europe: Greece → Italy (ferry) → Spain (ferry).
• North Africa: Spain → Morocco (ferry) → Spain (ferry).
• Western, Southern, Central & Eastern Europe (return to Caucasus): Spain → Andorra → France → Switzerland → Italy → Slovenia → Croatia → Bosnia and Herzegovina → Serbia → Bulgaria → Turkey (Türkiye) → Georgia → Russia.
• Central Asia: Russia → Kazakhstan → Uzbekistan → Tajikistan → Kyrgyzstan.
• East & South Asia: Kyrgyzstan → China → Nepal → India.

(d) Fuel Consumption Statistics

Calculated at a steady rate of 15 miles per gallon (mpg) for Shehzadi's 2024 Toyota i-FORCE V6 twin-turbo engine which producing up to 389 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque, paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission.

• Total Fuel Used (Gallons): 2,849.87 gallons
• Total Fuel Used (Litres): 10,787.91 litres

Route Hilights

The Road Ahead

Beyond the sheer mechanics of 42,748 miles and 2,849 gallons of fuel lies a narrative of human connection and mechanical resilience. Shehzadi has not only been our transport but our sanctuary, weathering the extreme altitudes of the Tibetan Plateau and the humid coastlines of the Bay of Bengal without missing a beat. From the neon-lit highways of North America to the dust-choked trails of the ancient Silk Road, this expedition has proven that the world is simultaneously vast enough to get lost in and small enough to navigate with a trusted vehicle and a shared spirit of discovery.

As we complete this massive circumnavigation of India and look back on the 27 nations that have shaped our perspective, we are reminded that overlanding is about the spaces between the destinations. It is found in the unexpected hospitality of a Turkmen desert camp, the silent majesty of Mt. Everest North Base Camp, and the vibrant chaos of a Kolkata morning. While the 10-speed transmission and twin-turbo V6 have powered our movement, it is the stories gathered at every border crossing that truly fuel the Vagabond Couple. Our journey doesn't end here; it simply shifts gears for the next great horizon.

Follow the journey as we continue to document the detailed stories behind every mile.

Road to Heaven (Swarg ka Rasta): National Highway 754K, Rann of Kutch, Gujarat, India

Alright, let's really unpack this smaller Indian epic. 10,252.28 km by road across 14 Indian state crossings, via India's highways NH-27, NH-19, NE-4, NH-48, NE-1, NH-44, NH-16, NH-316A and countless other local roads. Strap in, because this is the full, meandering, fact-soaked single-post summary of how our Texas-born Toyota Tundra pickup truck named Shehzadi and we - two slightly lost souls - ate up the map of India, one chai stop and mountain pass at a time. We embarked on this pan-India road-trip after our larger epic: a quad-continental North-America - Africa - Europe - Asia Silk Road expedition.

It all began with a negotiation. Not at a border, but with a cow. We had just rolled Shehzadi across the Birgunj-Raxaul bridge (Nepal-India Friendship Bridge, i.e. Maitri Bridge) from Birgunj, Nepal into the beautiful, blistering chaos of Raxaul, Bihar, India. The air changed instantly - thicker, hotter, smelling of diesel, dust, and something frying deliciously nearby. And there she was, a magnificent white bovine, planted squarely in the middle of the chaotic Station Road of Raxaul, as if contemplating the meaning of oncoming traffic. She didn't move. The trucks swerved. The rickshaws parted. We, in our giant American pickup, simply stopped. This was our welcome committee. This was India politely informing us that we were no longer in charge of the schedule. With a final, slow look our way, she ambled off, and we were officially on the Great Indian Overland Road Trip, our only plan to follow the squiggly line on our screen.

Belgrade: Where Rivers Decide History

Church of Saint Sava, Belgrade, Serbia: Ayasofya-inspired Byzantine architecture and stunning soaring dome

Bosnia and Croatia to Serbia, onward to Bulgaria

Having driven Shehzad from Croatia and Bosnia into Serbia yesterday, we slept well in Belgrade at the Hotel Villa Bulevar, not too far from the Embassy of The State of Palestine Serbia.

That mattered more than it sounds.

Belgrade is not a city you rush into tired. It carries too much accumulated history for that. Too many empires, too many burn layers, too many rewrites of itself stacked on the same ground. A solid night’s rest felt like a quiet pact with the city. We would meet it clear-headed.

Morning came softly. Tree-filtered light, quiet streets, Shehzadi waiting patiently outside, still wearing the dust of Bosnia and Croatia like travel badges. Our world-touring Toyota Tundra has learned this rhythm well. Long days on ancient routes, followed by pauses in cities that deserve attention rather than conquest.

Parkiralište “Viška” is a great parking lot for walking to the main attractions of Belgrade, Serbia

We drove into Belgrade early, traffic still restrained, Shehzadi rolling comfortably through streets that have carried carts, cavalry, tanks, and now commuters. We parked her at Parkiralište “Viška”, a simple, practical choice that let us leave her behind and step into the city on foot and by taxi.

Belgrade, like all cities shaped by trade routes, reveals itself best at walking speed.

Geography First: Why Belgrade Exists at All

Before Belgrade was Serbian, Roman, Ottoman, or Austrian, it was inevitable.

The city sits at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, one of the most strategically important river junctions in Europe. The Sava flows in from the Dinaric Alps, carrying the stories of the western Balkans. The Danube arrives broad and deliberate from Central Europe, continuing eastward to the Black Sea.

This meeting point made Belgrade a gatekeeper.

From a Silk Road perspective, this was not the main east–west artery, but a vital European distribution node. Goods arriving from Anatolia, the Black Sea ports, and Constantinople moved north and west from here. Amber traveled south. Metals and timber moved east. Ideas flowed in every direction.

Geologically, Belgrade sits where landscapes change character. The flat Pannonian Basin stretches north, ideal for agriculture and movement. To the south and west, terrain begins to rise and fracture into Balkan highlands. This contrast funneled movement into predictable corridors, making control here irresistible.

Every empire that understood logistics tried to hold Belgrade.

Most failed.

Kalenić Green Market

Trade That Never Left

We started at Kalenić Green Market, because markets are the most honest archives a city has.

vaga za tačno merenje, kalenić voja Milenovic, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Kalenić Market Hall, completed in 1928, stands as a modern intervention in an ancient trading space. Its architecture is functional and restrained, reflecting a period when Belgrade was asserting civic order without erasing tradition.

Outside the hall, the older rhythm takes over.

Kalenić occupies ground that once connected caravan paths feeding into Belgrade from the Morava valley and Danube corridor. During Ottoman rule, this area was part of a dense network of neighborhood markets supplying food, textiles, and imported goods to the city.

Today, the Silk Road survives here in fragments. Not silk bales or spice chests, but tomatoes grown outside the city, sheep cheese from nearby hills, honey darkened by wildflowers, dried peppers strung like punctuation.

Economically, markets like Kalenić were critical break-bulk points. Long-distance goods arrived in bulk, were redistributed locally, and sent onward in smaller quantities.

Kalenić does not perform history. It continues it.

The Church of Saint Sava

Built Where Memory Was Supposed to Die

The Cathedral of Saint Sava rises from the Vračar Plateau at the top of Vračar Hill with quiet authority.

Cathedral of Saint Sava, Belgrade, Serbia

This is the site where Ottoman authorities burned the relics of Saint Sava in 1595, hoping to break Serbian resistance. Instead, the act etched itself permanently into collective memory.

Statue of Saint Sava (Sveti Sava) in front of Church of Saint Sava in Belgrade, Serbia

Saint Sava was more than a religious figure. He was a diplomat, legal reformer, and the founder of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

The Church of Saint Sava is a monumental example of Serbian-Byzantine architecture, drawing inspiration from the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. The exterior is clad in white marble and granite, culminating in a massive dome that dominates the Belgrade skyline.

Interior of the Church of Saint Sava, Belgrade, Serbia

The interior is breathtakingly adorned with one of the world's largest mosaic compositions, spanning over 15,000 square meters and containing more than 50 million individual gold and colored pieces. In the central dome is a stunning mosaic of Christ Pantocrator, a figure whose eyes alone are nearly 10 feet wide. The cathedral also features an elaborate main iconostasis and a huge, 20-meter wide central chandelier, considered the world's largest and heaviest choros, adding to the spiritual grandeur of the space.

Central dome of Church of Saint Sava in Belgrade, Serbia

An important part of the complex is the crypt below the main floor, which houses the grave church of Saint Lazar the Hieromartyr and is decorated with numerous frescoes, serving as a burial place for Serbian patriarchs and an exhibition area for religious art.

Visitor Information at Church of Saint Sava in Belgrade, Serbia

Inside, mosaics continue to be installed, paid for slowly over decades. Gold tesserae catch the light like mineral seams exposed in stone.

Lighting a candle at the Church of Saint Sava in Belgrade, Serbia

When you visit the Church of Saint Sava, lighting a little candle is not just for show; it’s like sending a personal message or a prayer up to God. You’ll see people placing candles in two different spots - the top part is for wishing good things for family and friends who are still around, and the bottom part is to remember those who have passed away. Since this church is built on a spot that's super important to Serbian history, lighting a flame there feels really special. It’s a nice, quiet way to slow down, show some respect, and just soak in the peaceful vibe of the place.

Kalemegdan Fortress

The Place No One Could Ignore

Kalemegdan fortress at confluence of Sava and Danube rivers in Belgrade, Serbia

If Belgrade has a core, it is Kalemegdan.

The fortress sits exactly where the Sava flows into the Danube. Archaeological layers here include Celtic, Roman, Byzantine, medieval Serbian, Ottoman, Austrian, and modern Serbian periods.

Kalemegdan is, therefore, like a massive outdoor history book and city park rolled into one. As you walk around, you can see remnants of the city's past starting from ancient Roman foundations and old army camp walls (a castrum), all mixed in with medieval Byzantine gates and defensive towers. Later additions include tough Ottoman ramparts and mysterious deep wells (like the famous, actually-Austrian "Roman Well"). The Austrian influence is also visible in structures like old barracks and spots where they set up their big guns. History buffs will love the Military Museum, which is packed with everything from old armor to outdoor displays of tanks and cannons.

The most iconic view is from right near The Victor Monument, where you can clearly see the exact spot where the Sava and Danube rivers merge, which is a really cool sight. From there, you also get a great look at the "Great War Island" (Veliko ratno ostrvo) in the river and the modern "New Belgrade" area across the water.

Confluence of Sava and Danube rivers seen from the edge of Kalemegdan fortress in Belgrade, Serbia

For a quieter moment, you can visit the lovely little Ružica Church and the nearby Saint Petka's Chapel, a unique place built over a sacred spring. Towering over everything is The Victor Monument, a famous statue that has become a symbol of Belgrade itself and offers amazing views of where the Sava and Danube rivers meet. The whole place is tied together with nice walking paths, art pavilions, pretty fountains, and popular observation terraces where locals and tourists love to hang out and watch the sunset.

Standing at the edge, watching the green Sava merge into the brown Danube, the logic becomes unavoidable. Rivers were ancient highways. This was a toll booth for empires.

Rolling Out of Belgrade

Hotel Moskva (Hotel Moscow) in Belgrade, Serbia

Back at Parkiralište “Viška”, Shehzadi waited patiently, blending improbably into the urban scene. Our Toyota Tundra has crossed deserts, mountains, and borders that once required months of negotiation.

Gazprom Gas Station and McDonald's Restaurant off E75 in Velika Plana, Serbia

We fueled up at a Gazprom station off the E75 motorway in Velika Plana, Serbia. Russian branding unmistakable. Next door stood a McDonald’s.

Russian gas. American fast food. Serbian soil.

It felt ironic and completely consistent with Silk Road history.

South on the E75 and East on the E80

About the Morava Corridor

Think of the Morava Corridor as Serbia's main highway from north to south. It’s basically the big valley carved out by the Morava River - a transportation artery connecting Central Europe with the Aegean Sea since it's the easiest path to lay down roads and train tracks.

Morava Corridor: Serbia into Greece

It’s become Serbia's most important route for trucks, cars, and trains, connecting the rest of Europe down to Greece. It's not just a modern travel lane, though—it’s an ancient pathway that armies, traders, and whole cultures have moved through for centuries. So, it's a mix of a crucial trade route today and a place steeped in a lot of history.

Niš and the Ancient Funnel

The E75 motorway follows one of the oldest movement corridors in the Balkans, guided by the Morava River valley (the Morava Corridor). It takes us to Niš where we leave the E75 and merge onto the E80 motorway towards Bulgaria.

Niš Fortress on Nišava river in Niš, Serbia © Plamen Agov • studiolemontree.com, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Niš, known as Naissus in Roman times, was the birthplace of Constantine the Great. It controlled the Morava–Vardar corridor, linking the Danube basin with the Aegean and Anatolia.

Driving past, Shehzadi followed curves shaped by terrain rather than design. Geography still dictates movement.

The Gradinja-Kalotina Border into "Bulgaristan"

Before crossing the Serbian–Bulgarian border, we bought a Bulgarian vignette, a modern echo of ancient customs fees. A vignette is basically a mandatory, pre-paid pass you need to get if you want to use the major highways and main national roads in countries like Bulgaria, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Hungary. It's a simple system based on time, not distance. Instead of stopping at toll booths to pay for how far you've driven, you buy a pass for a specific length of time—like one week, a month, or a whole year.

Purchasing a vignette before crossing Serbia-Bulgaria border

The Gradinje-Kalotina border crossing between Serbia and Bulgaria is basically the E-80 highway's biggest choke point, acting as a main gateway between Western Europe and Turkey/the Middle East. The bordertown on the Serbian side is Gradinje, also known as Grandija and Gradina. Across the border in Bulgaria, the border town is Kalotina.

Goodbye sign at Gradina, Serbia before Bulgarian border

Gradinja-Kalotina is famous for being one of the busiest crossings in the Balkans, so a visit here is less a quick pass-through and more a potential test of patience. But we were lucky, we didn't have to wait very long. The crossing was calm. A pause, paperwork, and a shift in alphabet.

Approach to Kalotina Border Control, Bulgaria

On entering Bulgaria, we soon found out that in Turkish, Bulgaria is still called Bulgaristan, a linguistic fossil from Ottoman centuries!

Crossed from Gradinje, Serbia into Bulgaria at Kalotina, Bulgaria Border Control

Sofia and the Ascent to Boeritsa

Sofia lies in a basin surrounded by mountains, with Vitosha Mountain rising immediately to the south.

The road climbed into its lower slopes, winding through pine forests toward Hotel “Boeritsa”, following natural contours shaped by tectonic uplift.

Hotel Boeritsa high up on Vitosha Mountain in Sofia, Bulgaria

Shehzadi climbed steadily as the city lights fell away.

At the hotel high up on Vitosha Mountain, we were welcomed with a home-cooked Bulgarian dinner. Warm bread, slow-cooked vegetables, and conversation that did not need translation.

Shehzadi rested under the trees. We did too.

Tomorrow, we explore Sofia.

#VagabondCouple and Shehzadi

Bridge on Una river between Croatia (right) and Bosnia & Herzegovina at Hrvatska Dubica-Kozarska Dubica Border Crossing

We had a comfortable night's sleep at Zagreb. The morning sun rose, golden light slipping between baroque spires and red-tiled rooftops. It was the kind of morning that practically demands a flaky pastry and strong coffee—which is exactly how we started our day, perched in a café off Tkalčićeva Street. Today was another legend, we overlanded three countries on our beloved Shehzadi (meaning "the Princess") and also paid our respects at profoundly somber memorials at a horrible Yugoslav concentration camp site.

Bled Castle overlooking Lake Bled, Slovenia

The day started with a cappuccino in Venice, our spirits as high as the tide. Shehzadi, our trusty Toyota Tundra, and Chetak, the Odyssean Journey Toyota Hilux, were humming with anticipation. Today we would not just cross one, but two international borders — three countries, a shimmering lake, a wine-soaked sunset and at least six kinds of road trip snacks.

We were headed for Slovenia, then into Croatia, in one of the most charming cross-border days of our Silk Road expedition so far. The route was postcard-perfect: Venice → Valico di Sant’Andrea → Lake Bled → Ljubljana → Maribor → Obrežje border → Zagreb.

Luigi Bevilacqua Silk Weaving Mill, Venice, Italy

We woke up in the alpine calm of our campground near Chandolin, the birds chirping, the air so fresh it could probably be bottled and sold to stressed-out city folks. After a hearty breakfast (which may or may not have included a final farewell fondue), we bid adieu to the legacy of Ella Maillart, slung our packs into Shehzadi, our ever-reliable Toyota Tundra and hit the road with our fellow adventurers Odyssean Journey in Chetak, their Toyota Hilux Invincible-X.

Sierre, Switzerland

Our heading? Italy! But not the usual boring border crossing with passport stamps and yawns. Nope. We decided to ride through the belly of the Alps — literally — on the Autoverlad Brig-Iselle car train, rocketing through the legendary Simplon Tunnel like caffeinated hobbits in pickups.

Chandolin, Switzerland

We broke camp at sunrise near Lyon, France, the sky just beginning to blush behind the mountains and the air sharp enough to wake even the sleepiest overlander. Today was the day we (a) visited the famous Silk Museum of Lyon, France and (b) traveled into Switzerland through Charlie Chaplin and Ella Maillart territory. The next chapter of our Silk Road expedition was calling and it came with silk artesans, alpine peaks, endless switchbacks and the promise of standing in the shadow of the Matterhorn and visiting the Chandolin home of legendary Swiss traveler Ella Maillart.

Pont Séjourné viaduct, Fontpédrouse, Pyrénées-Orientales, France

We woke up in our pine-nestled campsite next to Spain's border with Andorra in the Pyrenees, to the sound of mountain silence, which is to say: the occasional bird call, a rustle of wind through pine needles, and Chetak squeaking every time Odyssean Journey rolled over in their rooftop tent. The air was crisp, almost alpine-sharp, and it smelled faintly of woodsmoke and damp moss. Shehzadi, our ever-stoic Toyota Tundra, had a light coat of dew. It was the kind of morning that feels borrowed from a postcard.

Coffee was brewed, stretches were stretched, and sleepy grins passed between our two overlanding couples. The Vagabond Couple and the Odyssean Journey were back on the road. Today’s mission: leave Spain behind (temporarily), enter the fairytale micronation of Andorra, fuel up, caffeinate, and then keep pushing toward France. Because that’s what you do on the Silk Road—follow the stories wherever they lead.

Pyrenees foothills at La Farga de Moles, Lleida, Spain - Andorra Border

Let’s get one thing straight—this wasn’t just another scenic road trip through Spain. This was a turbo‑charged Silk Road detour with two overlanding couples, two over‑equipped trucks, and about a hundred impulsive detours. Think: ancient Roman ruins, mountain witches, haunted walnut orchards, paella feuds, flat tires, and one suspiciously enthusiastic goat farmer. Buckle up, because this leg of the Vagabond Couple’s Silk Road ride went full Iberian madness.

Ksar es-Seghir

Fresh off the blue-drenched high of Chefchaouen, the Vagabond Couple and Shehzadi found themselves chasing a different rhythm. Gone were the dreamlike alleyways and chilled-out cats of the mountain town. The road (here's a map) pulled them westward, toward the sea, into lands that had seen too much and still stood proud: Tetouan, elegant and stubborn and Ksar es-Seghir, tiny but heavy with centuries.