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ANNA CUNNIFFEand her husband, Diarmuid, set off on a honeymoon with a difference, cycling eastwards from Ukraine towards Mongolia, through countries that had, for them, been just a black hole on the map. First of all, though, they had to build their bikes

‘WHO’S STAN?” I asked when my husband, Diarmuid, first asked if I fancied cycling the Stans. I know now. Six months ago we packed our panniers and set off on our travels. Battling head down, against icy winds, to the top of a 4,000m pass in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan or Kazakhstan – lungs rasping, sweat pumping – has become a frequent event in my new life. With nothing around us but a fiercely wild and barren landscape, the going can get tough. Cycling side by side, we urge each other on, eager for the almighty reward that lies ahead: a Snickers at the top.