You want to know the real tragedy? They could have gone to 60+ nations and had no problem riding all across them. Hell the US itself should have presented untold options but dumbass didn't believe in "evil" so he gave no thought to the idea that maybe riding through the stans, just might not be the best idea ever. Tajikistan, a 98% muslim majority nation with what appears to be a "president for life," a terrible economy propped up by remittances of foreign workers, with a history of civil war, and is a major heroin supplier and transit nation. It also has inadequate health care, rampantent and widespread poverty, government corruption, little internet access which is state controlled and censored, oh and muslim terrorism; yes this is a fantastic place to plan to ride your bike across.
The only saving grace is that at least he and the girlfriend hadn't polluted the gene pool with their special offspring who also haven't be taught any common sense. Nasty, brutish, and short...most of the world hasn't changed a bit. The NYT wrote an article about them. The comments section was full of the same stupid people who still haven't seemed to grasp the concept.