Portugal 2003: First Annual HU Travellers Meeting

Why Come to a Horizons Unlimited Motorcycle Travellers Meeting?

You can meet people who don't think you're crazy for wanting to ride your bike to South America or Africa or across Asia, or even around the world! Admit it, all your 'normal' friends and most of your family fears for your sanity! So, this is your opportunity to meet the people who will encourage you in that craziness, share their experiences and advice on how to do it, and maybe you'll meet them again in Mongolia or Timbuktu!

São Miguel, Azores, Portugal, July 11-13, 2003

Story on the first HU Travellers meeting.

Rally Location - Where was it? and what did YOU miss?
Information about the area


The Meeting Report from Gonçalo Pais, the meeting organiser;

(em Português)

First of all I want to thank everyone present, otherwise the meeting would be a complete failure. Presentations were 5 stars. We’ve travelled to Cape Nord running from deers, through Europe by the compilation of a lot of trips in a book, to Iceland were rivers are tricky, to Guinea-Bissau were Portuguese can be heard in the streets, to Portugal from the northeastern spot to the southwestern one always off-road, to Morroco full of scorpions, to Mauritania where there’s plenty of sand, to Russia of bribery….everywhere our travellers have been.

I want to thank the camping site staff as well for all kindeness, patient and hospitality.

At the beginning everything was falling apart. Grant couldn’t make it on time, the slide projector stopped working on the day before, there was a huge fire nearby as well as the Baja Leca Optiroc (part of the national off-road championship).

Went to Odeceixe, everything would be fine. Lisbon traffic delayed a lot of participants and caused two presentations to be postponed. That night Jorge Nobre showed his photos from a trip to Cape Nord. Allways funny, he dynamized very well his presentation and people were amazed for one and a half hours. Everyone was curious and keep on talking through the night!

Saturday morning we travelled by some beaches nearby and to the mountain. Off-road bikers discovered the interior of Monchique’s mountain, we’re they met with the Baja participants. Everyone saw the Algarve that doesn’t come on touristic leaflets!

Meeting point was "O Fernando" restaurant. A nice lunch was served there, giving a thumbs up to Portuguese hospitality.

On the afternoon, we went to Foia, the highest spot on the algarve. It was cloudy, so we couldn’t see the views... another time! Group was again divided on off-road enthusiastics and road addicts. Next meeting point was the little coffe shop of Mr. Inácio. A nice guy natural from Algarve, that makes a great medronho (alcoholic drink). We were 12 km away from the camping site, but no tarmac at all. We were on the deep algarvian interior, where hippie’s comunities live freely, some as North American Indians. A real traveller must be flexible and accept what the road gives...and everyone agreed on going the shortest way. The lack of confort brought excellent views, with the river and wildlife as company.

Back in the camp it was dinner time, with photos projection of the off-road trip through Portugal. 1300 km off-road in 1 and ½ weeks. After that Victor presented his trips to Iceland and Guiné-Bissau. Staying in Africa, Quim present NOMADs raid in Morroco, and his trip to Mauritania in deep sand.

Everyone asked questions, and enjoyed the photos.

The book: Travel on motorcycle, destination: Europe was presented by Paulo Mafra and Carlos Cordeiro.

A nice compilation of several trips in Europe, and some tips to those journeys.

On a non-stop basis, Luís Rocha presented his trip to Russia following the Masters Rallye. It only finished at 4 a.m., and because we’re pity of the camping staff. One weekend is short for these meetings I guess.

I went to bed with the idea that my job was done. In the end everything went fine and the seed is firmly attached to the ground. Everyone was pleased with the idea, and there are some volunteers that want to make that seed grow. Next year we’ll have another meeting.

See ya next year!

The details:

We had about 25 participants and 7 trips were presented and one book! Two travellers from Spain came as well.

Trips were: Cape Nord, Iceland, Guiné-Bissau, Morroco, Mauritanea, Portugal by pistes and Russia.

The book: "Travel by motorcycle, destination Europe" was presented as well.

Lots of tips were exchanged and at least one future trip to Senegal is being arranged.

2003 speakers:

  • Quim (NOMADs) - Trip to Mauritanea on DR350.
  • Luis Rocha (NOMADs) - From the most western to the most eastern point of Europe following Masters Rallye - Rallye dos Czares.
  • Jorge Nobre (MCPorto) - From Oporto to Cape North.

Em Português)

Viva Pessoal!

Também eu quero fazer uns quantos agradecimentos em relação ao meeting.

Obrigado a todos os que lá apareceram... senão o meeting seria um fracasso.

As apresentações foram todas 5 estrelas, desde a viagem ao Cabo Nord a fugir dos alces, ao trabalho de compilação de relatos de viagens á Europa, á islandia dos rios q mudam de caudal repentinamente, � Guiné onde se fala o tão saudoso Português, a Portugal de uma ponta á outra sempre fora de estrada, a Marrocos com lacraus, Mauritanea com areia a rodos até � Russia dos subornos....excelente montra dos viajantes que temos em Portugal.

Outro tipo de agradecimento é feito ao pessoal do Parque de campismo, pela disponibilidade, amabilidade e paciencia!!

O meeting parecia meio assombrado e ainda nao tinha começado. Primeiro recebi a noticia de que o Grant Johnson nao ia aparecer. Ainda insisti para que viesse, pois muitas pessoas estavam interessadas em ver a sua apresentação e falar com ele, mas nada disso.

Depois ao fazer o ultimo teste do projector de slides, fundiu-se a lampada. Quando fui buscar a mota, tinha faltado a luz e o resultado era nao ter pneus montados!! Fui a correr buscar a outra (é um luxo eu sei). Nos telejornais corria a noticia de que um grande incendio se tinha alastrado na serra de Monchique....e a BAJA Leca OPTIROC estava a acontecer no mesmo sítio!

Segui para Odeceixe. O transito infernal de Lisboa atrasava muitos participantes do meeting, o que causou a anulação de duas das apresentações, ficando a animação da noite a cargo do Jorge Nobre do Porto com o relato da sua viagem ao Cabo Norte. Excelentes fotos, e uma narração á altura dinamizaram as cerca de hora e meia de Sexta-feira.

Nesta altura a curiosidade e a vontade de aprender e trocar dicas já se notava naqueles que mesmo cansados continuavam a conversar pela noite a dentro.

No Sábado de manhã concentrámo-nos ás 10h00m á entrada do parque. Era altura de partimos para um passeio pela zona. Por causa da Baja, o Quim queria descobrir uma alternativa para o caso de sermos interrompidos á tarde pela passagem dos concorrentes da prova. Eu li nos olhos do Quim que pedia que não lhe dessem alcatrão. E, bolas, viajar de mota não é só alcatrão, e os NOMADs sabem-no bem. A flexibilidade que quis impor ao meeting começava a funcionar e sem ferir susceptabilidades o grupo dividiu-se. O Quim liderou os verdascas TT, que não eram só NOMADS, mas também futuros-NOMADs, e eu segui com o resto do pessoal para mostrar as belezas da zona.

O ponto de encontro era o restaurante "O Fernando" (passo a publicidade, mas vale a pena!!) em Monchique, já a caminho da Foia. Ficamos á espera do pessoal da cabrada que tinha parado pois o Carlos Martins teve uma valente Enche_a_cueca. Nada que nao se resolvesse e apesar do atraso não foi considerado tempo perdido. O pessoal passou o tempo a falar de viagens, tecnicas, material, tudo relacionado com o prazer de viajar de mota!!

Seguimos para o passeio da tarde que nos levaria ao café do Xor Inácio que produz Medronho normal e doce....uma iguaria para os apreciadores. Aqui o pessoal da terra chegou primeiro pois a estrada serpenteia toda a Serra.

Seguimos para Odeceixe... pelo caminho mais próximo (um estradao aberto para as estradistas e um petisco de TT para as trails.

O tempo livre para ir á praia não existiu...mas o tempo estava mau para a praia, por isso.....tomam banho para a próxima, hehehe.

Estava na hora de ir jantar e por o portátil a projectar fotos. Como aperitivo foram servidas as fotos do Ponta a ponta, depois umas fotos da islandia, e da Guiné apresentadas pelo Victor Lima.

Para nao sairmos de ÿfrica continuamos com a apresentação do raid Marrocos 2001 dos NOMADs seguida da viagem do Quim á Mauritanea. As fotos eram complementadas com o relato dos intervenientes e com perguntas da plateia sobre as fotos, os locais, as motas, etc., etc.

O livro Viajar de mota, destino: Europa foi apresentado pelo Paulo Mafra e pelo Carlos Cordeiro.

Sempre "non-stop", o Luis Rocha apresentou viagem Rota dos Czares a seguir o Master Rallye pelas terras da Rússia. Quando acabou esta apresentação já iam nas 4 da manhã. Já não dava para mais nenhuma....sim o Carlos Azevedo ainda tinha fotos para mostrar. Fica para a próxima.

Fui para a cama com a sensação de trabalho feito e de, pelo menos, ter conseguido lançar a semente. Certifiquei-me de que haveria continuidade. Para o ano que vem o Jorge Nobre e o António Caldeira, ambos viajantes do Porto vão organizar o 2º meeting.

Vemo-nos para o ano que vem!!

Um abraço a todos
MuiTTo Obrigado!

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The 2003 Rally Location

Camping São Miguel
E.N. 120
(1,5 km north of Odeceixe)
São Miguel - 7630-592 Odemira
Portugal
tel.: (+351) 282 947 145






Getting There - GPS, Maps

From north follow E.N. 120 that comes from Odemira. You see it at your left 1,5Km before Odeceixe.

From south , you'll pass the Ceixe river, the natural frontier of Algarve and Alentejo regions. Follow E.N. 120 and you'll find camping entrance at your right 1 km after the bridge.

Odeceixe GPS coordinates:

37° 25' 60 N
8° 46' 00 W (DMS)

MSN Maps - Map of the area, zoomable etc.


Click above for larger image


Click above for larger image.

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Information about the area

More Odeceixe photos

Portuguese info on Odeceixe:

Aljezur.pt

Terrasdemouros.pt

English info on Odeceixe:

Algarvenet

German info on Odeceixe:

Westalgarve.de

Norwegian info on Odeceixe:

Online.no



 

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