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I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!
Photo by Ellen Delis,
Lagunas Ojos del Campo,
Antofalla, Catamarca
.... packed full of our kit!! Beautiful Rukka gear (Armas and Arminnas Jackets and Trousers!)
Super dooper chuffed and happy! Will be doing reviews on them a bit later today with videos and piccies so watch this space!! Also had confirmation our helmets will be sent out in the next 2 weeks and had the start of all the PR kicking off with a couple of press releases (May is going to be mental with magazines / events and press stuff!)
It's all becoming quite real now! Only 4.5months to go.... and having to wait another couple/few weeks for bikes! Exciting!
Bikes are due to arrive first week of May (yeehaaa!) and then we have are attending various events and holding stalls to promote our charities!! If you're about, the first one will be at Touratech, Wales on the 11th, 12th and 13th of May!
So much happening, can't wait to get the bikes!! Wheeee
Well. As said the past few weeks have been manic. I cannot explain how hard it is to juggle the amount of calls and arrangements we have been needing to make! Here's a shortened list of all we have been doing:
Sorting out medical side of things (details to come soon as jabs etc are in a couple of months)
Figuring out exactly what gear we need... then revisiting this list and reducing it down again... and then doing that again (we have to travel light and budget)... and then finding where we can get them at the best price ... then revisit the list again! You get the general idea
Sourcing bikes.We've been dangled a carrot for a deal with regards to a couple of bikes but this has been going on now for over 6months and we finally had to make a decision and go elsewhere. If anyone does this kind of thing, make sure you have an earlier deadline and aren't such suckers for marketing spiel... 3months before is pushing it a bit!! Especially for me seeing as I've only been on a bike 7 times!
With regards to bikes, sorting out what adaptions we need to make. Once again, making a list, revisiting, finding where we can source them at what price, finding costs for anything that needs to be fitted by mechanics, revisit lists etc.
Liaising with our Charities! Yeh we've been greedy in having three but they're all so superb and cover all expanses of our challenge so we're mega happy to be supporting all of them! But sorting out things for events so leaflets, posters, shaky tins, handouts etc as well as press opportunities is quite a handful!
Sorting out event bits and bobs. Where on EARTH do you find two mannequins for example!! Haha! Luckily TranAm have leant us a couple which are standing in our dining room (scared the Be'jesus out of me when I came downstairs the following morning! Hahaha!) Display boards, transport, storage of things, gazebos, tables, chairs, bikes, maps etc etc.
Arranging all the PR. So much going on here and it's all about to kick off! So constant phone calls and emails to various media connections.
Sorting out website bits, conducting *previews* arranging for kit and gear delivery, taking photos, blogging etc. Hours of fun here!
Insurance... with Sam having a "new" license again this has been a right pain in the bum but eventually Bike Sure have come back and helped us out massively with insurance! As we only need it for a few months before we hit Canada and then back in Europe we were struggling to find anyone who would help us out (it was all year insurance deals etc). Can't sing Bike Sures praises enough here and super quick/friendly
Building garages to home our bikes-to-be! We built one a few months back but had COUNTLESS problems with the roof (never EVER buy from Gardens Building Direct! Utter tripe customer service and poor quality stuff!) so today have spent the day outside replacing it! Lush!
Finishing off the house and preparing it for renting out. Only odds and sods left but they all take up hours at a time (gravelling the front garden, fixing a couple of doors, painting the outside wall, emptying the house of junk etc)
Sounds daft... but seeing friends and family. We have only 3months and a bit left. With such a lot going on all the time we're trying to fit everyone we know and love in before we head off. We will have a launch party but it's just nice to catch up before hand!
Working! We have to do our own work too so whilst all the above is happening we're working through the evenings and nights to get projects done and dusted!
Finding time for us! Not happening much! But we're trying to switch off and do non-bike-challenge-related-things too from time to time!
Annnd... I think that's about it! Each item is simple enough to deal with one or two at a time but we are constantly juggling phone calls, emails, running to and from locations, tools, more phone calls, emails, collections, events, geeking out on blogs and internet, reviews, photos, crunching figures, researching, visiting people, docs, working, trying to sleep, phone calls etc!
Admittedly last Monday I had a major down day. After 6 months of speaking with people who would constantly promise returned calls and emails... no one was answering their phones and if they were they were being rude:
"I'm sorry they're not available"
"They're away from their desk"
"They're in a meeting... and I don't know how long the meeting will be, want me to put you through to voicemail?"
"Oh they're away now for two weeks, can it wait?"
"I'll just put you through *beep beep...... beep beep.... beep beep* *line cuts out*"
"If you leave a message they'll get back to you"
"I don't have an answer yet. I'll let you know next week."
The thing is... with regards to some of the calls I have been making I don't mind if people just are honest and say "we can't help you" or "we're not interested" etc... that's great for Sam and I as it means we then can focus on different avenues. But to have people say to us "Amazing great, that's superb, we love the idea, we'd love to help, leave it with us and we'll get back to you this week..." and then that rolls on to two weeks... then a month... then they're away... then they don't take calls... then they're interested and will finalise details... then no response... then no answers.... it's a complete mind mash.
So last Monday I just burst into tears! The above, combined with being shattered and also still suffering from a knee injury so unable to exercise and feeling like a fatty... I just broke! I officially had given up! I felt horrendous as I could see no way of doing the challenge, monetary wise or physically and what's more I had been rejected by all contacts all day. Worse of all though.. I felt that if I couldn't pull myself together I would be letting so many people down, namely our charities.
Sam was such a sweetie though. After cuddles and tea I was sent to wake up with a shower for my frazzled bed hair (getting changed in the morning has not been happening lately due to so much being on!! It's a case of fall out of bed, make porridge, drink tea whilst checking emails, get out note book of godliness and calendar, start organising, emailing, calling and working!) He then took me outside to DIY... probably one of my favourite past times!! Granted... it started raining and thundering (cue us holding up our rakes and shovels cheering... probably not the wisest of ideas )... but it was lovely and he picked me back up!
Tuesday Sam took on various phone calls and we made some executive decisions and by Thursday the bikes had been sorted for pick up in a weeks time, various kit arranged, insurance done, event organising all organised, mannequins collected, parcels received and picked up and work completed.
Not only that but we have had some LOVELY phone calls and support from friends, charities and sponsors this week which has really helped to pick me up.
So!
Next week... we get the bikes!! I cannot wait, I am so relieved it's all coming together now and feel we can really get moving! We *can* do this challenge! So far, so good! Last week, yeh I had a blip but I'm back and with a vengeance! We're a little short for time but by heck, if I have anything to do with it we will make the date and we will do all we can to raise as much monies and awareness for all our charities!
Finally! Sam and I managed to lay our hands on these two beautiful KTM 690 Enduro R 690’s!
Lovingly named Calvin and Hobbes we’ve been grinning ear to ear... well I have been... Sam on the other hand has been a sad sad bunny as his bike kept going *POP* detaching the throttle body detached from the Engine!
Since having it new... he’s ridden the bike a total of 5 times and 4 of those occasions we ended up broken down at the side of the road! Once we managed to catch on camera... and luckily in the dealers car park too! Weh hey!
After weeks of problems and the technicians at Fowlers (our dealership) not having a clue what is wrong with the bike... we’re now awaiting a brand new one! Fowlers have been mega and helped out as much as they can... the duff bike is currently with KTM who are trying to figure out why it keeps happening, when we find out more we’ll let you know!
For a more in depth story about what’s happened including videos and pictures take a look at our blog post here (and sign up to our facebook! We’re always updating with news and competitions and all sorts!)
Touratech:
Amidst all the above we took time out to pop along to the Touratech Adventure Travel Weekend to hold a charity stand and met some STUPENDOUSLY awesome people (including Sam Manicom, Caroline Taylor (the resident Doc for Nick Sanders Expeditions), Nathan who nuttily rode a 50cc back from the land of Oz in flip flops, Andreas Hülsmann a journalist and photographer (thanks for the tips on the D200!!) and so many more adventure riders (Jason, Lisa, Jon, Charlie, Kim, Rod, Craig, Barbara, Louise, Alec are just a few!).
We learned so so much! SO much! Not only that but we had a tremendous time charity raising, so many people donated to the Wales Air Ambulance, Riders for Health and World Land Trust and everyone was keen in taking part in Guess the Weight of the Cake:
The winner was Mister Jason Spafford who guessed the closest to the whopping weight of 6.83kg!
So much happened and there’s a diary post to the day here if you want a proper read but such a great weekend!
Birthday Biking Surprises:
I managed to have the most tremendous birthday ever! Not only was it a gorgeous day, but we had the fun of tootling out and about on the bikes (Sam at the time had a courtesy bike of a KTM 990 SMT which was beautiful!)
When stopped off at our favourite lake (Blagdon) we took pew on a log in a nearby shaded wooded area to cool down.... when Sam completely threw me and popped the question! All caught on camera too as we were testing the Contour ROAM cameras we had Needless to say I said yes!
So yeh! It’s all super busy! We’re currently sorting out our off road courses, are getting in all the kit for the bikes, have a couple of events to pop to and lots of people to meet up with before we head off... hopefully from the Travel Adventure Film Festival in Sherborne (that’s another story... randomly meeting Austin Vince and having a BBQ with him and a fellow biking friend who is also doing a mammoth RTW trip! Nuts!)
We have previews and reviews coming up on various items (including the Contour ROAM and XLite X551) and our website is bulking out with more and more details on gear, bikes, press and all sorts so do visit!
All go go go but all good good good! Not long now!
Once again, please please please if you get the opportunity “like” our facebook page as the more likes we get, the more moolah we will be getting for our charities from our sponsors! Yaaaay for charities!
Bikey Mc Bikes:
Sam’s new bike (Stimpy) has arrived and is being a good little bike unlike his last one who’s throttle body kept popping off the engine! After happening 4 times, Fowlers swapped the bikes out which was mega by us! Still no news from KTM as to what was actually wrong with his bike… seems to be a bit of an enigma… when we find out we’ll let you know!
Day of Champions 2012 (MotoGP) Riders for Health:
Sam and I were invited up to the Day of Champions which was just incredibly superb fun! We met so many people from all over, did a little interview on their MASSIVE stage, saw lots of famous people (see video below… if anyone knows who the devil they are do let us know! We caught the Ride in too so hello to all those on the video!) and generally had a great day!
Off Road Training:
Well… after 16 times on a motorbike (including my tests) I was thrown in at the deep end and went on a stupendous off road training day with Wheeldon Training in Devon! Never have I had so much fun! Despite a number of offs (mainly when stopped funnily enough) I loved it and learned so much! The team down there are amazing too… managed to cater for both Sam (8 years of riding – off roading and rallies) and me all in one! Videos to come… watch this space!
Today's getting a bit too much for me. I'm overloading on joy it's like Christmas. Exhausts, Fluffy, Scala Headset, new sprockets, screen and new episode of The Walking Dead on Steam to download... I may just explode.
Sam and I have had a bit of a set back but nothing we cannot get past! From a recent smear test... (why do they call it this?! They should make it sound more fluffy! Foof test. That'd be better!)... I had some results back flagging up some cellular changes. Due to the level of change it is looking like I will have to have a minor op which despite being a day in-and-out experience will mean we cannot travel for 4-6 weeks after (it invalidates our travel health insurance)! This then easily drifts past our leaving date of the 20th August 2012!
Despite this being a bit of a pain in the nether regions (excuse the pun), we're glad it's something that has been spotted now and can be easily resolved! It just means a little bit of fudging with routes and leaving dates!
For all ladies out there may I big up foof checks once in a while in case things like this do crop up! Please please make sure you or your partners make these appointments... as manky as they are it's always an excuse for a glass/bottle of wine and some pampering afterwards and saves on any problems at a later date!
New Route:
Right. So due to the above our route is needing a little bit of a rework. If we were to leave in September / October time to Canada and then Alaska we’re looking at minus 20’s if not colder (it’s already snowing apparently in Alaska! Haha!). Naturally this means it will be at the most barely passable on bikes!
With a good excuse for a bottle of wine and some good om nom food Sam and I sat down with our world map and various annual climate charts and had a ponder. We’re now thinking if it is… worse case scenario… November / December time East and West is out… but Australia and Asia isn’t! Our current musings (only rough estimations on worse case scenarios!):
November / December: Australia
December / January / February / March: Australia and Asia island hopping (perhaps Japan)
April / May: New Zealand
June / July / Mid August: Alaska / Canada – Toronto / Back via top end of America
August / September / October: West Coast America / Central America
November / December / January: West Coast South America to tip then to Buenos Aires
February / March: South Africa
April / May / June: East Coast of Africa
July / August: Middle East and Europe
September: Europe - Home
If anyone has any ideas or thinks of a different route (which includes South America and Africa as it’s where our charities have projects) for a start date of November / December then let us know your thoughts!
Bike News:
Things are going stupendously with the bikes! With a big thanks to Fowlers Sams KTM has been replaced with a new one which means no more throttle body popping off! We are upgrading the bikes in the next few weeks which is super exciting we're just awaiting some quotes and time scales!
Riding wise, we are certainly getting much practice in! As above we had a day with Wheeldon Off Road school who not only helped tweak Sams riding but managed to get me going sideways and catching air! The basics are slowly sinking in and even though lately a few Green Laning expeditions have meant I have felt the need to hug the Earth a fair few times after sliding through mud, grass and ruts, we are loving every moment of it!
Events and Fun:
As it's now looking like we'll be kicking around for a few extra months it means we can attend more events and do promotional work all round! Let us know if there's anything we can join in and help out with!
Wee update from us here in... kinda sunny UK!
Medical:
Good news AHOY! After a few more meetings with the Docs we finally had a letter come through confirming that I have the all clear and do not require an op! Despite the fact it was only a minor op I was still not looking forward to the potential of it so am SUPER happy at this news!! I’m still sad we had to delay things because of all the above shenanigans but it’s best to be safe than sorry. Big thank you to my lovely hubby to be for being super supportive
Bad news though... we need to have pretty much every jab going for where we’re heading!! BOO HISS! Lists to be posted on the webby soon
Route: After talking through various routes and looking closely at time scales, our route has changed for the last time! We’ve decided to chase the weather... always a plan batman!
So leaving around 20th - 24th November (date to be confirmed in next 2 weeks!) here goes:
EUROPE (November 2012)
UK – FRANCE – SWITZERLAND - ITALY
NORTH AFRICA (December 2013)
TUNISIA – LIBIYA – EGYPT
EAST AFRICA (January - March 2013)
SUDAN – ETHIOPIA – KENYA - TANZANIA – MALAWI
SOUTHERN AFRICA (March - May 2013)
ZAMBIA – BOTSWANA – NAMIBIA – SOUTH AFRICA (CAPE L’AGULHAS)
NORTH AMERICA (May - September 2013)
CANADA (TRANSLABRADOR HIGHWAY) – ALASKA (PRUDOE BAY) – U.S.A – MEXICO
CENTRAL AMERICA (September - October 2013)
BELIZE – GUATEMALA – HONDURAS – NICARAGUA – COSTA RICA - PANAMA (DARIEN GAP)
SOUTH AMERICA (October 2013 - January 2014)
COLUMBIA – EQUADOR – PERU – BOLIVIA – CHILE – ARGENTINA (USHUAIA)
Depending on monies and times, we are then considering routing back through Australia, Asia, Middle East, Europe and Home!
Training and Riding:
I recently had the absolute pleasure to do some more off road training with Black Desert in Wales (Tamsin and Craig). There’s a video coming soon of this and a write up... (lots of falling off, skidding, laughing and general fun!) I will post back when it’s up!
Tamsin Demonstrating AWESOME riding skills!
Kitting out the bikes:
Having spent months researching kits and tanks and upgrades for the bikes we finally found a kit that ticked all those boxes and made Sam go weak in the knees! In 2 weeks time we’re heading out to Switzerland to have both our bikes decked out with the kits below by KTM Basel:
BEAUTIES! Watch out on our website / facebook and here for updates on how it goes
Sorting out Visas and Documents:
Good grief, nothings simple when it comes to the world of paperwork! It’s almost been a full time job juggling it all with forms coming out of my ears for Carnets, Vaccinations, Visas, Duplicate Passports, House Sale etc!
So far, so good! For details on what Visas you need for North and East Africa, prices and how to obtain them then take a look at our recent post here.
The only trouble we’re having is acquiring one for Libya... after calling through to their embassy I managed to be directed to a mobile number for details on how to obtain a Visa but unfortunately it’s always an answer phone message. I have a couple of friends looking things up for me so when I know more I will post!
Carnet wise it’s all a bit of a battle. Originally we were going to go through the insurance route as we were renting out our house and didn’t have a large enough deposit to put down to cover Egypts 800% carnet rates!! Now that we’re selling the house we can save a few bob by obtaining a carnet on a bank guarantee... but my good grief what a pain in the backside is it to get one! The RAC Carnet people are superb... but the banks are a nightmare! Trying to explain Carnets over the phone and also bank guarantees (which I have done before and been put through to the right department) I have had so many varied responses but mostly “We don’t know what you’re talking about, I’ve asked my supervisor and they don’t know, the screen isn’t showing anything so I guess we don’t do that service”!!
ArrGgh! I’ve managed to finally have some success though by going straight to my bank manager although I am still awaiting details on monthly costs! Currently with HSBC and normally they’re fantastic but right now... they’re being ditsy as can be!
Bit of an update! We were supposed to head out to KTM Basel this week to have our bikes kitted but there’s been some minor delays with some parts so we’re hanging fire until next week! Eeee excited! We posted an update on the other thread in the hubb (linky here) so do pop along there to see the pics of the bikes but for a sneaky view, here's one:
YAY!
We both have had a pretty awesome couple of weeks! We popped off roading with some friends in North Wales and my good grief it was a giggle! I managed to hug a tree several times (some hilarious footage to come) and also had a fight with some big rocks! Fortunately this was at the end of the day and I came away laughing but with a rather swollen hand which made me sound like I had tourettes due to the colourful words which would spontaneously spill out of my mouth when changing gear on the way home!
Rainbooooow!
Empty my boots of a river...
The result of a fight with a rock!
Due to an injury as a kid I have no sensation in my thumb so just to double check all was well we did pop to the hospital to have it checked over and they said it was potentially a fractured scaphoid!! BOO HISS! I’ve since been back though for another xray and WOOHOO, they discharged me plasterless! A couple of weeks and I’ll be back on the bike fine!
I’ve been swotting up some more on visas and what... especially since all the commotion in Libya, Tunisia, Egypt and Sudan. We’re keeping a close eye on it all and playing it by ear... rumour has it though it’s all calming a fair bit! Fingers crossed eh!
Also been learning how to change tyres... ahoy noobiness!
Other than that, all is mega!
Thanks again for all your support and follows, not too long now til we’re off! Wheee!
Well it's been a long time and for that we're super dooper sorry!
Since we have last posted we have sold our house and finally started our trip after muchos fun running around like headless chickens for weeks chasing up paperwork and all sorts! WOOOO HOO!!
Europe for us was pretty manky! We knew it would be being the middle of winter and also the breaking in of the trip (niggly problems, time pressures, 12 hour days riding in rain etc), but what managed to make it even worse was by the time we hit central Italy I came down with a virus which hospitalised me and put me out of action for 3 weeks! It was a maaaajor poopy moment for us, it felt like everything was trying to stop us from starting the trip at that point and to be fair Sam and I even considered just getting preggers as a good excuse to have to come home
BUT!
We persevered and soon found ourselves entering North Africa. From there on in it has been amazing Truly superb! With the unrest which has been bursting out left right and centre in North Africa including the hostage situation in Algeria, terrorist threats and the removal of westerners from Libya, we have found ourselves in the thick of it having had guns pointed at us and at one point Sam "being shot at" (see the Libya blogs for that one!)... but it has all be quite an experience and one we wouldn't change for the world!
Amidst all the madness we have enjoyed some awesome places and people, including:
Amazing streets of Medina in Tripoli with bustling markets and loooovely people:
We have some summaries for each country coming up including help with border crossings, camping sites, restaurants and sight seeing ideas so keep an eye out!
Thanks again for all your support and patience!! Keep following us on Facebook
We have a couple more blogs and photos to upload which shines a much prettier light on Egypt! It was our mere misfortune that led us to the above situation!
For more photos and what do look at our facebook, it seems the easiest place to upload photos at the moment as our website is being a big pain in the bottom! http://www.facebook.com/chasinghorizons
So sorry we haven't posted for a loooong loong time! In short, wifi in Africa has been diabolical with pages taking 30mins to open and normally crashing when we go to post!
We have, however, had the most amazing, yet challenging time ever in the past 7 months and have finally managed to ride down through Africa to the very tip!
Here's a few snippets of our Charity Chasing Horizons trip so far from Europe to Cape Agulhas:
Switzerland:
We arrived and had our bikes serviced by KTM Basel before a loooong long trip down to Kenya where we had our next. Superb guys with an awesome new kit for us to try out (Defy Series - Quest - genuinely top kit!)... we were excited and new to it all
Italy:
A week on we were battling horrendous weather and frustration from breaking in our new routine, the kits and just coping with the organisation of last minute things (visas etc). We were already exhausted. It was just after Christmas and I had become very dizzy but put this down to tiredness. Two days later I ended up being rushed into hospital with suspected encephalitis. The next two weeks was diabolical after nasty hospital visits, being inappropriately touched by a doctor and passing in and out of conscious states. Fortunately, it turned out to be a sort of hepatitis strain and I made a full recovery. This piccie was taken at mid night on New Years Eve... hospital loving!
Tunisia:
Tunisia... our first country in North Africa! We were excited and glad to slow up a bit travel wise. We met some lovely people, stayed at some beautiful places and in random peoples homes, brushed up on some Arabic and French skills, met 3 foot high chickens, were offered by the police to camp up on a roundabout in the city centre, went to Star Wars sets and rode salt pans and sand storms... we felt the trip had begun!
Libya:
This place... is just simply amazing. Yes we had the heebie jeebies put in us as it was during the time of the hostage takings in Algeria and also the week previous when the ambassadors were assassinated... but we loved it. Genuine people, AMAZING Roman Ruins, so much culture and a fascinating history. We simply cannot wait to return to explore the deserts in the South.
Lady praying in the Roman Ruins at Leptis Magna
Egypt:
Having been held at the border at gun point for hope of sexual favours and due to not being able to speak arabic, to riding out in the middle of no where for hundreds of miles in a stunning desert... we had a varied experience of Egypt. Granted, we will never EVER go through again with our own vehicle... the expenses and pain to do so along with the abundance of corruption just far out weighed the enjoyment. But we did experience some seriously stupendous artefacts, history and culture as well as some great desert rides. A hard hard country to travel but having met some amazing people there, we did okay!
Alexandria - probably the top or on parr with the top City I enjoyed in Egypt. Lots of beautiful buildings and bustling streets.
Pyramids! Yay! Although we kept our distance and enjoyed them from a ride around the perimeters in sand instead
Tehir Square amidst the protests a burned out riot van. Popped there to say hi and enjoyed watching all playing football!
A trip through the deserts with wild camping.
Sudan:
This one took us by surprise. Loved it. Yes, we were boil in the bags (55 degrees celcius) and yes, being a Muslim country I suffered a fair whack with having to stay covered up but the riding, camping, company and people just blew us away. More pyramids than Egypt there did you know? Plus, a national park with lions and an insane amount of wildlife! Hard for climate, awesome memories.
The Aswan to Wadi Halfa ferry... this was the cargo ferry which rocked up with both our bikes on and two big cars (a landrover and land cruiser). Can you spot them!?
Just one of our few campsites... no one for miles. Simply stunning.
My personal highlight... I think a top one for the whole trip up til now. The Whirling Dervishes in Khartoum, Sudan. An amazing weekly ceremony where guys dress up and spin round and round and round in circles for hours. Lots of singing, beating of the feet and just a superb ambience. Loved it.
Ethiopia:
A place which was top on my list to visit and well, it was truly gorgeous. We did have a slight concern just before having met some insane South Africans who had just travelled through Ethiopia in their car and claimed that the people there were so scary and threatening to them at one point they had to pull a cattle prod on them (we... were horrified at this!)! But, despite being quite a challenging place to get things done in (service is not high on their list ), the views and sites were one of a kind. I had a bit of a harsh time after I managed to get first degree burns on my legs (combo of kayaking, sun burning in 30mins and then taking doxycycline - a malaria tablet that makes sun burning UBER bad!). It meant I had to be driven about for two weeks which broke my heart but we had an amazing friend with us at the time which just made everything a million times better!
Around 4700ft up, the view was simply flabberghasting in the Simien Mountains!
Babooning around!
My first degree burned leg. Swollen, blistered and having been trapped up a mountain in a thunder storm I made it all worse by tripping and catching my leg on a truck causing my skin to slide off. Very... very... unpleasant!
Kenya:
From this point in we had to pick up our feet a fair bit as we had lost about 5 weeks from my illness in Italy, delays in Egypt and a 10 day delay in Ethiopia. With the pressure to catch a flight from SA to make it to Alaska in time we had to get a move on. But. We did some awesome riding Kenya was so varied. We rode in via the Moyale Road as Lake Turkana was experiencing major flash floods and we had no one we could ride with there. The Moyale was an experience and a half... not necessarily technical for a biker but absolutely mentally and physically exhausting. We made it though and satisfied our three month craving of no bacon with a whole plateful from a friend in Nairobi! Nairobi itself was an eye opener... we had realised that security and safety was a major issue but not to the point of electric fences, big dogs, guards, cameras and interior gates to a house. Not only that but as we looked like tourists we had to get taxis everywhere as we were a robbery target (taxis required blacked out windows so people couldn't see us!) Madness! We met some amazing people though and it was very nice to be back in a place with supermarkets and sit down toilets! So much we didn't see which was a shame but what we did whilst riding out was beautiful.
Muddy Moyale Road
Equator Line... wooo
Tanzania:
Again, a country we had to fly through but by far it had the most divine and just breath taking roads to ride which is all we could ask for. The main road down to Mbeya... it just stops you in your tracks. Mind blowing. Loved it, best road riding we did without fail (minus the mental buses!). Plus we got to go to the Indian Ocean which was cool as in a couple of weeks we were then at the Atlantic Ocean!
Yummy
Malawi:
A funny little country and stupendously pretty. With a MAHOOSIVE lake surrounded by winding, perfectly tarmaced roads, a bundle of cyclists and curvaceous mountains it was a complete pleasure to ride through.
Our morning break!
Zambia:
We were so excited about Zambia as we were meeting up with a project which our Charity Riders has set up in Chipata! When we met them we were just in awe of the work they do, so much dedication and passion to help deliver aid, results and help out their fellow community. It blew us away. The generosity of this country is phenomenal too, all muddled in with some truly wonderful sights too. Beautiful country.
Riders for Health HQ in Chipata
Victoria Falls
Nelephaphants!
Namibia:
I think we found another favourite country here. So so vast, so varied and extremely camping friendly. We thoroughly enjoyed it here from riding with elephants, spotting dinosaur tracks, stroking a wild rhino, visiting ship wrecks, riding to the edge of Fish Canyon, dunes, the atlantic and seals that sound like a million chewbaccas. We are definitely returning here!
Ship wreck on the skeleton coast
Keeping fit - skipping in the morning mists
Dirt track riding
South Africa:
Again, sad we had to cut this one short but a really stunning place to be. We saw some sweeeeeet sunsets, amazing coastal lines, mountains and well so much more.
Actual colours... lush eh?
Agulhas - the tip of Africa - we made it!!
Leaving our mark in the Agulhas Backpackers place... wicked wicked hostel!
New York:
A complete culture shock being back in a fully fledged westernised world. Traffic, people, more people, everything at the tip of your fingers and more, food and lots of it and super high costs after being used to paying peanuts for everything! We have met some incredibly kind and sweet people and had a thoroughly great time. It took a few days to get over the manicness and jet lag but we're back into the swing of it all now. Cool city to be in!
Not so much graffiti in NYC which is a shame really, we like street art! See... it looks awesome
The end is nigh... but the beginning of our USA trip has only just begun!
Annnd that's a brief up of what we've been doing! Our website has been a pain in the derriere to upload anything and it's very out of date but this is all changing now we have wifi. Generally speaking though we have posted loads on our Facebook page and we are now updating it frequently (daily now, although some of the off road we will be doing in Canada may reduce it to weekly).
We have a load of reviews coming on things we've done, taken, ridden with, ridden on, visas, how to cross etc but this may take a couple of weeks to get up to date fully!
Thought I'd let you all know how it's going! We managed to travel most of the east coast of Canada and then traversed across to Alaska last year where my both bikes had a bit of a hiccup (stupid rocker bearing arm which they've now replaced the part altogether as it's faulty! Doh!). This caused us a few weeks delay so we ended up riding in to Alaska in October where it was an almighty -20 degrees celcius! Riding was BLOODY FREEZING! Hahaha! The border guards laughed at us going in to Alaska but were super nice! Due to the weather (6foot of snow) we didn't make it to Prudhoe Bay and because we exhausted all our cash waiting for parts for bikes (seriously takes FOREVER in the Yukon to get anything!) we had to take the bikes back down to Calgary and return to the UK to work for some more moolah!
We have since returned though and are back on the road! Have enjoyed the Stampede in Calgary (seriously, I may swap my helmet for a cowboy hat and chaps! I've never seen anything quite like it!) then have been marvelling at the sights on the ice road to Jasper through the rockies then up the Cassier highway where our socks and sidi boots have been blown off with how stunningly awesome it all is!
Lots of bears (furry cute and dangerous!), ridiculous amounts of waterfalls, a tonne of glaciers, lakes, mosquitos (no joking here... 40+ bites on my person and itching like a muddy funster), gravel, pot holes, camping, sunshine and rain. It's pretty darn awesome.
We're about to embark on the Robert Campbell Highway North to Dawson City where I am supposedly being pushed in to drinking a Sour Toe drink (someones severed toe in a shot... the toe has to touch your lips). I'm only doing it is we raise £50 for each of our charities - links here if you want to put me through this - Wales Air Ambulance, Riders 4 Health and The World Land Trust.
From there we will go to Prudhoe Bay (fiiiinaallly) on the Dalton Highway (may have seen Charlies Boormans World's Most Dangerous Roads on this... truckers and gravel delight!) Looking forward to finally reaching the Northern most point of Alaska!
Afterwards, we have to return again to the UK to finish off a project but we're planning to be back out again veeeery soon
So yeh!
Just thought I'd update! Please like/share/follow us on Facebook and help us raise awareness for our charities! If there's anywhere you see us heading and fancy a ride then hey, come along and join up It's awesome fun (if a little hard work / tiring / stinky from time to time!)
I would post pics in here but the internet is operated by hamsters so it's taking FOREVER to upload anything! Here are a couple but I have uploaded a few more here if you're interested
Solid guys! I'm riding across the states on a klr and would love to ride for a bit if our paths cross! I'm currently in Salt Lake City, where are you guys?
Have YOU ever wondered who has ridden around the world? We did too - and now here's thelist of Circumnavigators!
Check it out now, and add your information if we didn't find you.
Check the RAW segments; Grant, your HU host is on every month!
Episodes below to listen to while you, err, pretend to do something or other...
2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.
"Ultimate global guide for red-blooded bikers planning overseas exploration. Covers choice & preparation of best bike, shipping overseas, baggage design, riding techniques, travel health, visas, documentation, safety and useful addresses." Recommended. (Grant)
Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance™ combines into a single integrated program the best evacuation and rescue with the premier travel insurance coverages designed for adventurers.
Led by special operations veterans, Stanford Medicine affiliated physicians, paramedics and other travel experts, Ripcord is perfect for adventure seekers, climbers, skiers, sports enthusiasts, hunters, international travelers, humanitarian efforts, expeditions and more.
Ripcord travel protection is now available for ALL nationalities, and travel is covered on motorcycles of all sizes!
What others say about HU...
"This site is the BIBLE for international bike travelers." Greg, Australia
"Thank you! The web site, The travels, The insight, The inspiration, Everything, just thanks." Colin, UK
"My friend and I are planning a trip from Singapore to England... We found (the HU) site invaluable as an aid to planning and have based a lot of our purchases (bikes, riding gear, etc.) on what we have learned from this site." Phil, Australia
"I for one always had an adventurous spirit, but you and Susan lit the fire for my trip and I'll be forever grateful for what you two do to inspire others to just do it." Brent, USA
"Your website is a mecca of valuable information and the (video) series is informative, entertaining, and inspiring!" Jennifer, Canada
"Your worldwide organisation and events are the Go To places to for all serious touring and aspiring touring bikers." Trevor, South Africa
"This is the answer to all my questions." Haydn, Australia
"Keep going the excellent work you are doing for Horizons Unlimited - I love it!" Thomas, Germany
Horizons Unlimited is not a big multi-national company, just two people who love motorcycle travel and have grown what started as a hobby in 1997 into a full time job (usually 8-10 hours per day and 7 days a week) and a labour of love. To keep it going and a roof over our heads, we run events all over the world with the help of volunteers; we sell inspirational and informative DVDs; we have a few selected advertisers; and we make a small amount from memberships.
You don't have to be a Member to come to an HU meeting, access the website, or ask questions on the HUBB. What you get for your membership contribution is our sincere gratitude, good karma and knowing that you're helping to keep the motorcycle travel dream alive. Contributing Members and Gold Members do get additional features on the HUBB. Here's a list of all the Member benefits on the HUBB.
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