Anyone over 55 wanting a partner to make a trip soon,please contact me , Julian

Hi Julian,
I see you live in Northwich, Cheshire. I live nearby in Anderton. Although not over 55 (42 next month) I have ridden overland from Barnton to Bombay, and crossed the Sahara by the Atlantic route. If you need any advice on planning etc, I would be glad to help. Where you thinking of going? I Am thinking of a big trip myself, not sure where yet though.

Hi, both

At 58 years old, may I consider myself as an old git, please, please, please?

I'm planning a (for me) big trip, three possibilities, 1.Alps, 2.Morocco, 3.Istambul.

As Northwich is on my way to Bluebell's, Crewe... bugger, no it isn't, that's Nantwich, innit? Just checked on the map, not too much of a diversion though. What I was going to ask was, could I call for a chat regarding big trips and so on? However, I'd better say now that I want to go by myself, although I have already had one kind offer of an partner for a trip. (Neil, if you're there, I may yet have to come crawling back to take you up on your offer if I chicken out)

So, good men of Northwich, would you mind if I did pop over some time on my way to Crewe? I've made tentative arrangements to have a test ride on something a tad more current than my '82 RS, it will be some time in the next 2-3weeks I expect. Either e-mail me or put a message on this thread.

Cheers,

John

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Johnefyn

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Johnef

Dear John Roberts,
Sorry to jump in on your thread but I'm currently spending a week in Cyprus after coming through the 'normal' overland route - France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Northern and Southern Cyprus.

I notice you are 58 from Nefyn whilst I am a mere 52 year old originally from Penmaenmawr but now living in Bicester. Let me know via this thread if I can help with planning your trip if you decide on Istanbul (a fantastic city with the worst drivers in the world!).

Regards

Tony

Hi, Tony

My thread doesn't mind in the least being jumped on, thank you for doing so.

Yes, please, I would be grateful of any help you could provide. As a matter of fact, I went to Istanbul By Landrover and hitched back in 1969, the driving in Istanbul was pretty fearsome then, too. The place was a raging torrent of old Mercedes taxis with their horns apparently permanently wired on.

At that time West Germany took in lots of cheap foreign labour, mainly Turkish, and you could see them going home on holiday hell for leather with their cars bursting at the seams with passengers and luggage, the boot and roofrack overflowing.

Altogether a pretty memorable visit.

One question that occurs is whether Turkey now requires a carnet now that it has joined the EU (if it actually has, that is; I believe there was a bit of a debate about human rights issues)

Thanks a lot for your offer

John

PS Just realized it isn't my thread at all, well, I'm still pleased you've jumped it!

J
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Johnefyn

[This message has been edited by John Roberts (edited 05 April 2005).]

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Johnef

Young Pup (a mere 39) just down the road from Tony in Oxford, putting his ha'penny worth in here;

Turkey's not yet joined the EU & won't do so until the Cyprus question is resolved. Even if that happened tomorrow, Turkey is a couple of years away from EU membership. Not sure about Human Rights in Turkey, guess I'd better watch Midnight Express again......

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My photos: www.possu.smugmug.com

Hello again, Steve, how's things?

Thanks for that, so, the thing to do is not to wave any Greek flags (or Greek Cypriot if there is one), not say anything nice about the Kurds, and to remember to do all my smoking and popping before getting to Turkey. Yes, I feel that would be wise.

Thinks: do I really need to go there? Dammit, yes I do, it was superb last time, both the place and the people. I just have to go sooner or later.

Hi Tony,

I've just seen your other thread re UK to Cyprus via Turkey, it has a lot af answers to my questions, Great!

Have you seen Fred's Columns? Have a look at his comments on Istanbul, the one on
http://www.fredoneverything.net/FOE_Frame_Column.htm

I was there at the time he was but was rather better behaved than him and hooligan friends. Good on yer, Fred! Actually, his columns are well worth a read. You can also find him on any search engine, look for Fred Reid's column's (it might be READ not REID)

Thank you both

J

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Johnef

Just a thought!

In this day of Labour/Blairight politically correct brainwashing, are you allowed to advertise for felow travellers by age? Becareful, the thought police might come to get you for being age-ist.

Good luck mate with your search, i am a mere young whipper snapper at 45yo so i cannot join you, but i am not offended either )

Maverck bubble

Hi Julian and all the rest of you youngsters, if anyone is interested I hope to be off from the UK in early Sep the route being; UK - eastern Europe - Turkey - Syria - Jordan - Egypt and then Down the east side of Africa. I am hoping to be at the HU meeting in June to meet with some others who are also planning a similar trip. At the moment I am stuck in Quito waiting for an oilseal for the rear end of the transmission on my 1200GS but hopefully it will appear sometime this month but this is SA. Anyway Julian et al, if anyone is interested in accompanying a 61yr old drinker on a 2 wheeled cultural extraviganza they will be most welcome. Ride safe, Mike.

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Mike
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Mike is riding the twisty road in the sky

hi chaps
reguarding carnets you don't need one for Turkey one get a their own form issued at the border
good luck
nobby

I haven't been asked for a carnet anywhere. But Turkey issues a Triptique at the border (as well as a Visa). One other thing to note, make sure your passport is stamped in and out of the countries you're visiting - this is important with regards to getting the bike back in to a country you have left, if you see what I mean.

I'll be returning to UK starting out on Sunday or Monday so will be offline for a while.

Regards to all and safe riding,

Tony

So, the thing to do is not to wave any Greek flags (or Greek Cypriot if there is one),


As to the above statment, i thought i would take time to educate you and perhaps you will think again before you use that throwaway remark, yes there is a Cypriot flag, the country has been independant since 1961, it has its own currency (Cyprus Pound) It's own goverment, and military forces.

With Cyprus having been a former British colony, the drivers there drive on the same side of the road as the drivers in the UK, unlike Greece.

They have two very large British soverieign military bases stationed there, and the laws are roughly based on the British laws, And the vast majority of the islands inhabitants speak English

If you want to get by without incident in any country don't make statements like the above,rule of thumb is, if you know naff all about a country culture/politics etc either stay silent, or read books about the country and educate yourself.

My handle 'London Bubble' is because 1) i am a born n bred Londoner 2) Bubble is derrived from the shortened version of cockney rhyming slang 'Bubble and Squeek' which means Greek in that venacular, I am a Londoner of Greek Cypriot extraction.

There was a lot of spilt blood from Cypriots to gain there independece from the British and other colonisers for the past thousand or more years. They gained there own flag and independence for the island in 1961, this was a first in the history of islands the indiginous population,

The flag i believe (correct me if i am wrong) is (was) unique because it is (was)one of the only flags in the world that shows an image of the country it represents upon it. It is a white flag with an image of the island Cyprus coloured yellow in the middle of it,surrounded by images of green olive branches. This flag is completly different from the Greek flag.

The commom link with mainland greece is the language (dialect is different) and the religion, the food in Cyprus has more influenced from the middle east and North Africa than mainland Greek food.

They consider themselves Cypriots first, then subdivide into Greek or Turkish, like being British, then Scottish,Welsh,English, etc

Unlike Turkey Cyprus is in the EEC now, so it would be a good idea before you start your travels, to at least learn the flags of your European nieghbours, it might save you some trouble one day by preventing you making a 'faux pas'whilst standing on foriegn soil.

I have consantly heard the statement all my life, Greeks and Turks there all the same whats the difference? Well Scots 'n' English(or welsh etc) there all the same whats the difference.......how does that sound?

There can always be a reason for a lack of an academic education i.e social, financial, etc, but with the plethora of information at our fingertips at the touch of a button in the 21st century, there is no reason for ignorance, unless the person in question wants to remain that way?????


London Bubble

Bubble,
For Gods sake man, get rid of that chip from off your shoulder. You really let your self down by trying to patronize the person who made the statement you refer to. I should imagine it was obvious to most that the statement was made with an amount of humour attached to it. As for your lecture on the history of Cyprus, i'm sure we can all quote from the same guide book as yourself.

As for getting by in a country without incident, dont make statements.... Thats the joy of living in a democracy, we can make statements such as the one you refer to unlike certain areas of Turkey. To suggest we all start learning other countries flags, well, I couldn't think of anything more boring. As I say, chill out.

Althogh I do know a little of the background of the country I'm going to (Turkey) and also some of the counties I've been to (Turkey, Greece and Cyprus) I still do not know if there is a GREEK Cypriot flag, you still haven't told me. Turks the same as Greeks? Intriguing idea, certainly never occured to me.

Having read what I wrote again ('or Greek Cypriot if there is one') I really can't see why you got so excited.

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Johnef

Have just noticed your previous contribution:
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Maverick Bubble
New Member
Posts: 4
From: London England
Registered: Mar 2005
posted 06 April 2005 07:15 PM
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Just a thought!
In this day of Labour/Blairight politically correct brainwashing, are you allowed to advertise for felow travellers by age? Becareful, the thought police might come to get you for being age-ist.

Good luck mate with your search, i am a mere young whipper snapper at 45yo so i cannot join you, but i am not offended either )

Maverck bubble
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Noticed the time and date? It was AFTER my mentioning the flag. Seems you missed the chance to get outraged, took a little while, obviously. Go and thump your tub somewhere else.

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Johnef