Helen Watson – Author of Tea and Grit and Cycling 15,000km Along the Silk Road from Scotland to China with Her Husband
- 23 hours ago
- 4 min read
Helen Watson is a traveller, writer, and conservationist based in the Scottish Highlands. Born in Scotland and raised in Switzerland, she has always been drawn to adventures that are both physically and culturally challenging.
In 2009, shortly after completing her PhD, Helen and her husband Ed set off on an extraordinary bicycle journey from Scotland to China. Over the course of a year, they cycled 15,000 kilometres across Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, and China, following sections of the ancient Silk Road and relying on paper maps, curiosity, and the kindness of strangers.
The journey took them through countries including Syria, Iran, and the Central Asian 'Stans', where they experienced incredible hospitality and forged meaningful connections with people from vastly different cultures and backgrounds. The trip would later inspire Helen's first book, Tea and Grit: A Bicycle Journey along the Silk Road, published in January 2026.
In this episode, Helen shares the spark behind the adventure, the logistics of planning a long-distance cycle journey, and the realities of life on the road. We discuss what it means to become comfortable with discomfort, the privileges and challenges of travelling as a woman, and how her experiences in Syria took on a new significance in the years that followed during the refugee crisis.
Helen also reflects on the importance of storytelling, why she felt compelled to write her book, and the lessons she has learned from a life shaped by travel, endurance, and human connection.
Listen to this episode to hear about cycling 15,000km along the Silk Road, the generosity of people across cultures, and why stepping just outside your comfort zone can lead to the most transformative adventures.
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Show notes
Being based in the Scotland Highlands
2009/2010 - cycling from Scotland to China
Being born in Scotland and moving to Switzerland at 5 years old
Going to St. Andrews for University
Speaking; English, Swiss-German and German
Growing up in Switzerland and spending time in the outdoors
Growing up with a lot of cultures
Wanting to take on this adventure and where the spark came from
Being interested in long distance journeys
Being inspired by Ffyona Campbell
Walking some long trails in New Zealand
Meeting her husband Ed at University
Wanting to do a longer trip after marriage
Heading off after she fished her PhD
Studying genetics of the red deer in Scotland
Applying the lessons learned from studying for her PhD to planning the cycle ride
Learning endurance from her PhD
The logistics of getting visa’s
Not wanting to set a specific route in advance
Using paper maps and making route decisions as they went
Making some radical route decisions and deciding to go to Syria
Why it was one of the best decisions she’s made (apart from marrying Ed!)
The route - Scotland - Newcastle - Holland - Germany - France - Switzerland, Austria, Hungry, Serbia, Croatia, Albania, Greece, Syria, Turkey, Iran, the Stans…to China
Spending 2 months cycling around China
The reality of what it was like being on the road
Loving the experience most of the time!
Meeting different people and experiencing hospitality in different countries
Getting to the deeper levels of connection with people
Becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable in awkward social situations
The privilege of being a woman while travelling with her male partner
Getting to experience the best of both worlds
What being a feminist means
The amazing women who are fighting against oppression around the world
Gender roles while travelling as a couple
Having a love for writing
Keeping a journal to document the journey
Feeling depressed with what happened in Syria
Doing volunteer work related to refugees
Wanting to tell the story of the people she met
The Arab Spring and the refugee crises
The book being released in January 2026 - Tea and Grit: A Bicycle Journey along the Silk Road
The point she wanted to make with the book
Wanting to go on the same trip again
How to connect with Helen
Final words of advice and wisdom for other women who want to take on an adventure or challenge
Start with something that is a little bit outside your comfort zone and build up
Break it down
Social Media
Website: www.helenwatsonwriting.com
Instagram: @helenwatsonwriter
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