1/9/02 This trip is planned for 12 months and is ostensibly the last part of our journey. Whether we continue after the 100th birthday of Harley-Davidson party in Milwaukee in August next year is a current mental debate. The first half of the next trip is planned to be in South America and the second half in the Caribbean and the U.S.A. The longer we travel the more casual we get with planning. Either good or bad it results in being more relaxed but less prepared. The countries we are visiting on the first half of the next trip are fairly relaxed in terms of entry requirements for us and the motorcycle. The facilities for accommodation, food and parts for the motorcycle seem adequate so there is little planning required other than where to visit and what route to take. The second half is more complicated and still a matter of great discussion between us. If we decide to continue to the U.S.A. via the Caribbean then we need to get from the western side of South America to the eastern side. This requires either going through Colombia to Venezuela or backtracking from Equador to Peru and travelling down the Amazon to Manaus in Brazil and on into Venezuela. Neither prospect is greatly appealing. Colombia is dangerous at present and whilst the river trip sounds great the backtracking doesn't.Argentina , Chile , Bolivia , Peru , Ecuador , Colombia , Venezuela , Trinidad & Tobago , Grenada , St Vincent and the Grenadines , Barbados , St Lucia , Dominica , Antigua & Barbuda , St Kitts & Nevis , Puerto Rico , Dominican Republic , Haiti , Bahamas , Jamaica , Cuba and the H-D 2003 rally in the U.S.A.
Once in Venezuela we have a few options for travelling through the island countries of the Caribbean. Again none perfect (or perhaps even desirable) or there would be no debate. To buy a boat would be great but expensive. A sailing boat could not carry the H-D unless it was large. An open motorboat would be cheaper and quick between islands, could be beached for loading and unloading the motorcycle but being and open boat would be more dangerous in terms of getting swamped. An enclosed motorboat more expensive and could not be beached, requiring loading and unloading from wharves resulting in extra charges. There seems to be no regular boat services between many of the island countries. The minimum number of shipping times to see all the countries is 14. 14 times to arange a boat, wait for its departure, negotiate a price etc is not appealing either in terms of cost or logistics. One advantage of having our own boat is we could sleep aboard reducing the high costs of accommodation in the region. The debate continues and we may yet choose to not travel to this part of the world.
Morgan and Wacker of Harley-Davidson Brisbane Australia have again continued their support by providing a great service of parts to us at cost. This reduces our expenses enormously as the motorcycle is getting older and requires more parts to be replaced. Dunlop of Germany is still supplying us with tyres after over six years of providing great tyres to us anywhere in the world. Both tyres and parts are often difficult to obtain in more remote parts of the world and being able to start a trip with the motorcycle running well on new rubber is a great boost.
We return to Argentina on the 8th of September to install
the new parts and tyres before heading south to Ushuaia. We hope to move
more slowly at the start of the trip allowing the spring weather to catch
up with us as we head South. We usually move more quickly than we plan,
part of having travelled so far and seen so much and enjoying the riding
we seem to keep moving for no particular reason.
| Clothes - Peter | long shirtsx3 | Tshirts x 2 | jeansx2 | shorts | blue jacket | belt |
| undies x 5 | socks x 5 | thongs | boot laces x 1 | T-shirt tube | cap | |
| calico clothes bag | leather gloves | spare glasses | helmet & visor | boots/hikers | small bag | |
| rain pants | rain jacket | track pants | Widder vest | winter gloves | beanie | |
| Clothes - Kay | skivvie | long shirtx2 | T shirt | fleecy jacket | cotton pants | jeansx2 |
| undies x 5 | Damart socksx1 | thin socks x 3 | H-D jacket | tights | thongs | |
| boots/hikers | clothes bag | cross stitch | rain jacket | rain pants | scarf | |
| spare glasses | brush | nail file | gloves | boot laces x 1 | belt | |
| diary book | sun hat | coin purse | helmet & visor | T-shirt tube | ||
| Toiletries | soap | toothpaste | toothbrush x 2 | dental floss | vaseline | deodorant |
| soap dish | insect repellent | scissors | nail brush | nail clippers | comb | |
| toilet paper | 2-in-1shampoo | sunblock | chamois towel | needle & thread | tweezers | |
| Camping | mattressesx2 | sleeping bagsx2 | small pillowsx2 | pillow casesx2 | 3 man, 3.5kg tent | sheetsx2 |
| ground sheet | spare shock cord | |||||
| Cooking | cook potsx2 | multi fuel stove | sponges | 2 tin mugs | tin platesx2 | knivesx2 |
| forksx2 | 2 spoons | knife | freezer bags | tea towel | scourer | |
| tea bags | vegemite | pot handle | hand towels | FREDx2 | lighter | |
| detergent | ||||||
| Medical kit | bandages | sticking plaster | dressings | cotton buds | elastic bandages | burn cream |
| ear plugs | itch cream | antihistamine | bandaids | Betadine | Rennies | |
| Panadol | aspirin | antibiotics | anti diarrhoea tabs | anti fungal cream | 1st Aid book | |
| syringes and needles | anti malarial tablets | thermometer | antiseptic powder | |||
| General | tank bag | rubber gloves | paint pen | short wave radio | torch & batteries | torch bulbs |
| maps | stickers | vinyl | business cards | rubber bands | binoculars | |
| calculator | 2 cameras | 10 films (36's) | multimeter | alarm/meter battery | pens | |
| pegs | ockey straps | air thermometer | highlighters | LP guide books | Araldite glue | |
| sheepskins | wash powder | water bag | day back pack | light tie downs | tidy bags | |
| clothes line | ||||||
| Paperwork | passports | tickets | money | optical scripts | International license | budget |
| addresses | insurance | Carnet | passport photos | drivers license | credit cards | |
| writing pads | note books | internet disks | travellers cheques | document copies | rego | |
| HOG mileage form | ||||||
| Bike Spares & | bike cover | clutch cable | throttle cable | speedo cable | spare keys | cable ties |
| Bits | fuel hose | bearing seals | wheel bearings | tyre gauge | carbi jets | new belt |
| oil hose | headlight bulb | brakelight bulb | stand springs | top box catch | oil filtersx3 | |
| spark plugsx4 | speedo driver | rear brake pads | front brake pads | front fork seals | fuses | |
| regulator | thrust race bearing | silicon grease | scourer pad | primary chain tensioner | Loctite | |
| Gaskets --> | speedo driver | primary cover | inspection cover | funnel | plastic tube | |
| fork oil | electrical tape | brake fluid | bicycle pump | heat shrink plastic | tie wire | |
| grease | electrical wire | electrical connectors | bash plate | washers/nuts/bolts | duct tape | |
| manual | chamois cloth | gasket silicon | puncture kit & glue | tyre valve stem | WD40 | |
| O rings | hacksaw blade | toothbrush | front disc lock | hose clamps | switches | |
| alarm remote | sandpaper | bike tie downs | fork oil tube | ignition module | coil | |
| Tools | alan key set | multi grips | torx set | screwdriver set | 3/8 torque wrench | pliers |
| shifter, small | shifter, large | hacksaw | long screw/dr. | Stanley knifex2 | round file | |
| triangle file | black file | valve remover | drill bits | electrical crimper | ||
| Sockets --> | 7mm, 13mm, 16mm, | |||||
| 3/16, 7/32, 1/4, | 9/32, 5/16, | 11/32, 3/8, 13/32, | 7/16, 1/2, 9/16, | 5/8, 11/16, | ||
| 3/4, 13/16, 7/8, | 1 3/16, 1 1/2 | 3/8-1/2 adaptor | 3/8-1/4 adaptor | 3/8 elbow | ||
| 1/2-3/4 driver | 3/8 extension | open spanners | 10-11, 12-13, | 14-15mm, 5/16-3/8in | ||
| ring spanners | 14-15mm |
You can now move onto the first country of the ninth trip if you wish. Start Travelling
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Story and photos copyright Peter and Kay Forwood, 1996-
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