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Horizons Unlimited
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| Are you a TRAVELLER? Are you interested in human sacrifices, evil dictators, riding on Mars, risking the family treasure, hanging on the back of a charging rhino, swimming with sharks, personal encounters with wasps and spiders, armed cows, African hospitals, Growling Greg and Grandmother Goose, razor-sharp rocks, gorilla writers and much more...? Then you're reading the right newsletter! |
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Administrivia On the Website:Home
Page Every newsletter is permanently archived online. Back issues here.
errr, what's an RSS Feed? there's a great RSS guide here, or a more detailed one here, an RSS Q and A here. TIP: If you like to print the e-zine, in Outlook Express or Outlook go to View / Text size (or Font size) and select smallest. If you're reading this online, in IE select View / Text Size and set it to "smallest." Then print it. The smallest font size is just right for printing, and saves a lot of paper. Netscape, Mozilla and Opera etc. are similar.
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Welcome to the 54th Edition of the newsletter. As this is written, Grant is in Vancouver and Susan is in London, but we will be reunited again soon. Grant is still spending lots of time organizing travellers meetings, and the next couple of months will be very busy with the USA East (North Carolina), UK and USA West (Colorado) meetings all in a short space of time. See details. The site redesign is well underway, and we're hoping to launch midsummer, in between the June/July travellers meetings and the Sep/Oct travellers meetings! Just to ensure that Grant has no spare time in which to get himself into mischief, he also has the small task of getting a house ready to sell in the next couple of weeks (lovely place with a fabulous garden and breathtaking mountain views, not to mention a garage to bring tears of joy to a man's eyes, all at a great price, if anyone is looking ;-). Once the house is sold, he gets to pack a houseful of stuff and move to England, also in between travellers meetings! So, no apologies for the fact that newsletters will continue to come out as we can get them done, but they won't be monthly for a while yet. We hope you'll feel they're worth waiting for, though. As usual, we do have lots of exciting, inspirational and funny stories in this issue from intrepid travellers in South America, the Middle East, Africa and southeast Asia. Why do some people travel on a motorcycle through dangerous countries to far off places? Most people are quite content with spending a week or two on a packaged holiday. If the trip is to a less developed country, it will be to a small enclave for the privileged, with filtered drinking water and all the comforts of home, and preferably surrounded by people who speak the same language as they do. What motivates some of us to ride a motorcycle, which most people consider the most dangerous form of transport, through the insane traffic of Cairo, up a canyon wall in Utah, or along the hairpin curves of the Karakoram Highway? An urge for real adventure, escape from something or someone, overcoming fears, exploring one's limits, boredom, a desire to experience other cultures in a more close up and personal way, and many other reasons. Two events recently brought this question to mind: 1. The death of Simon Milward in an accident in Mali. Simon was riding a handmade motorcycle around the world on a humanitarian mission, which began as an 18 month journey and turned into a 5 year odyssey. Many travellers met Simon and were touched by him, and some, such as Frankie Surgener, were inspired by him to make a difference on their own trips. Our deepest sympathies are with his family and friends, as he will be greatly missed, but in our view the world is better off today than it would have been if Simon had just stayed home where it was safe. 2. Meeting Mick McDonald, who is leaving on 15 May from London to Vladivostok through the 'Stans, riding for Friedreichs Ataxia, "an unusually cruel disease but very rare, and as such gets no funding, but is terminal." Mike met Cathy Mclean, who has the disease, on an overland truck trip in South America. They became friends, he decided to do the trip, and has inspired three other guys to join him. Mick, Chris, Patrick and Scott have raised $10,000 to date, which is all going to the Friedreichs Ataxia Research Association. See their website for more details or to contribute to the charity. Note that they are not asking for funding for the trip itself, and we would not be promoting it if they were. The trip is entirely self-funded. All donations go directly to the charity. Susan will be helping to see them off on 14 May at the Kings Head Pub in Earls Court, London. See the post on the HUBB for details. We're immensely proud of all our travellers, regardless of their motives, because just by venturing outside their comfort zone, they will experience personal growth, and by making real contact with people from other countries and cultures, their awareness and tolerance will increase. But our hats are off to these travellers who decide to make a difference on their trip, whether by helping conserve wildlife that is under threat, by supporting polio vaccinations in the third world, or fund raising for a disease that has minimal public awareness. Good on ya all! And thanks to all our generous supporters for helping us to keep going. For those who haven't yet contributed, or haven't recently contributed, here's all the ways you can help! Become a Member - Support HU via PayPal Can't/Don't want to use electronic payment? Support HU via Snail Mail Start your planning with travel books at the Horizons Unlimited books page, and use the Amazon search function for your region to look for what you want. Don't forget to visit the Souk for sweatshirts, mugs, boxer shorts and much more. If you know anyone who should be advertising with us (anyone who sells motorcycles or motorcycle accessories, riding gear, camping equipment and clothing, transports motorcycles, organizes motorcycle tours, or has motorcycles to rent should be advertising), please let us know or send them to our Advertising page with your recommendation. It's our advertisers, sponsors and product sales that make it possible for us to make the website and e-zine available to you. We hope you'll check out their products and services and if you plan to buy these products, do it from our site or links. If you do use the services of one of our advertisers/supporters, we hope you'll let them know that you're buying from them because of their support for HU - and of course that they have a great product or service! :) AdministrationIf you've had problems receiving the e-zine due to spam filters or insufficient bandwidth, remember you can subscribe to the 'Notice' edition instead of the full HTML version. The Notice edition is a short, straight text message that contains a URL to bring you to the full text on the website. Because the Notice email is so small, it downloads in a flash, and leaves your mailbox uncluttered. Change to the Notice version here. We now have an Please submit news reports, web links etc. to us for inclusion in this newsletter. We try to link to your website if you have one. And if you don't have a website, we can help, and it won't cost you anything. This newsletter is provided as a complimentary service for travellers everywhere, both on the road and (temporarily of course ;-) off. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Horizons Unlimited Travellers Meetings 2005 - time to plan ahead!There's Nine meetings on three continents this year, so plenty of opportunity to get to at least one meeting. If you haven't been to one, why not? If you have been you know why it's worth going! It's a great experience, different from any other motorcycle event, described as a "...uniquely typical travellers atmosphere that's an odd ball combination of mellow, and tail wagging enthusiasm." Make 2005 the year to get to one, two or more events and meet your fellow travellers! If you are planning on coming to one of the meetings, please register early. Also let us know if you'd like to show a few slides from one of your trips too - it doesn't have to be a fancy multimedia presentation, a few slides and a few words about the area is great. Length can be anywhere from 10 minutes to 45 minutes. We have added "breakout sessions" to all meetings for 2005. There will be sheets of paper to post up that anyone can write on and say:-Breakout session on "Crossing the Sahara" table 6 at dinner - 8 people max - sign up here So what do you want to talk about? Come prepared! For the Saturday afternoon (for most meetings) we are also adding even more prepared seminars on all subjects, and looking for more volunteers to lead them. Tech subjects such as tire changing, travel prep on documentation, health, packing the bike and anything else anyone wants to talk about are all of interest. You don't need to be an expert, just have done it! Let us know if you can help! See the Meetings page for more details on all events. See you there! Grant and Susan.
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Plan where to be when!If you know of any events of interest to travellers, send me a note. Horizons Unlimited Travellers' Meetings:Lots of HU Travellers Meetings planned for 2005 - check them out to see if there's one near you - and if there isn't... well, you're a traveller, right? Eastern USA / Canada, Second Annual Meeting, North Carolina, June 17-19, 2005 UK 2005, Fifth Annual Meeting, June 24-26, 2005. Well over 250 registered, we're expecting a sell-out at 300, so get your registration and payment in VERY soon! Western USA, First Annual Meeting, Colorado, July 7-10, 2005 Western Canada, Fourth Annual Meeting, Nelson BC, Canada, September 9-11 2005 Portugal, Third Annual Meeting, September 22-25, 2005. Copper Canyon, Creel, Mexico, MID-week - Oct 11 - 14, 2005 Viedma, Argentina, Third Annual Meeting, December ?, 2005 Note: Grant will be at all the North American Meetings plus the UK Meeting. Susan will only be at the UK Meeting this year.
Other Events of Interest: Motorrad Reise Treffen Gieboldehausen, Germany, 04.09.2005.Always a good event, well worth going.Tynda's annual rally for Foreign Travellers will be 6-8th of May. Oregon (USA)Free camping at the end of the famous motorcycle road in Oregon, the Aufderheide Forest road. Speakers will be Maarten Munnik from Holland (travelling around the world), Tom Hunter (just back from South America), and Lew Waterman (returning from Central America with Punky). Free. All members of BMWMOA and BMWRA are invited. Last chance?New York City's world famous Guggenheim Museum has hosted much of the world's fine art in the four plus decades of it's existence, but none has been more popular than the 1998 exhibit of "The Art of the Motorcycle" It was literally a "Blockbuster", with lines four abreast going around several of New York City`s blocks. The exhibit was so successful that it traveled to Chicago, Las Vegas, Bilbao, Spain, and now we are fortunate to have it come to Memphis, TN. The exhibit opens April 22 at the Pyramid.
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Maarten Munnik, Netherlands, around the world, in Utah, Honda Africa Twin,"It was a sunny but rather cold morning when I entered the Canyonlands National Park in Utah, USA. Since the temperature had dropped noticeably since the day before I asked the ranger if there would be rain, on which he replied: 'Absolutely not'. I decided to follow the so called 'White rim road'. This 4X4 road leads around the 'Island in the sky' just about half way of the canyon-wall. It's a little over 150 Km of rough and unspoiled canyon-land. When I came around a large rock-face the sky turned black and big, and wet, drops came down. Being in a canyon when it rains like that is not a good idea. Flash-floods can wipe out anything on it's trail... and I was definitely on it's trail, so I turned around and raced away from the black sky and the red rock. The rain was pounding down on me and before long I was soaked to the bone...
Following the edges of the White Rim, halfway up the canyon wall. Don’t make any mistakes here. …The road (ahum...) was beautiful. Rock-slabs, washboards, steep tracks up and down and every now and then a real piece of gravel-road. My steering-head-bearing did not like it, but I loved it. The scenery was fabulous; it felt like being on Mars. In fact, at one point I became convinced that NASA never set foot on Mars... They, accidentally, landed in Utah and seeing all this red desert, figured they actually were on Mars. I even made my own Mars-photo. I might sell it to NASA later.
Balanced rocks in Utah - hoping for no wind! …I saw it coming, a shear rock-face with a track climbing up it... at a 45-degree angle. That in itself was a pretty adventure (remember it’s all sand and dust) but while turning onto it and opening the throttle in first gear I saw what I was really up for.... The trail was exactly one (small) car wide. The surface was bull-dust and big rocks scattered around everywhere.... and the side was, well at first only a few meters deep... but the further I drove upwards, the deeper it became (kind of logical) and halfway I did not dare to look to the side again since it was now at least a hundred meters deep. Hanging backwards on the handlebar, standing on the pegs I just 'went for it'’ Avoiding the rocks was no option. Any course-correction would take me close to the edge, and I did not want to be close to the edge (I was close enough on the other side). Big rocks and small slides forced me more and more to the middle of the track... but I concentrated on the top, which was coming closer now and I prayed there would not be any down-traffic. Stopping here was not an option since I would never be able to get moving again... In the right direction that is. Luck was with me and my super-Pam. We made it, actually pretty easy, to the top and no one had even tried to come down....
Making music in the Valley of the Gods, Utah While riding along the track and enjoying a short lunch on the edge of the canyon, I encountered a group of dirt-bikers. They invited me to join them at their campsite in Moab where a large group of HSTA (Honda Sports and Touring Association) was having a gathering. A little bit later one of these guys had a small encounter with the (strange) law in this park. He fell down. Now, there is absolutely no shame in falling of your dirt bike on a trail like this... It just happens... Unfortunately it seems to be illegal to do so... and so, this guy got a traffic citation for falling off his bike. Officially it said: ‘Unable to maintain control over his vehicle’... and the ticket was.... 100 US Dollars. I guess in the USA it is better not to fall off your bike.
Natural bridge, Utah …After enjoying the hospitality of the HSTA and ‘Radcliff Racing’ in particular, it was time to head to Oregon to meet up with Eric and Gail. Via Salt Lake and the Bonneville speedway, which was sadly covered in 10 cm of very salty water so no speed record for Pam and me, I camped out in the desert near Bonneville. It was not the best spot since there was a railway close by, but I figured that one of two trains would not keep me awake... Now, either the same train was driving up and down the track all night, or it actually is the busiest railway in the entire USA, but the result was the same... I awoke every 20 minutes when a train would come by, blasting its horn and roaring it’s two or three diesel locomotives.... Not the best place to catch some sleep. Ahh well I thought, it could be worse.... it could be raining.... So the next morning it started to rain.
Bisons passing campsite in Utah Quickly I jumped into my clothes, packed my tent and other stuff and..... did not shake out my pants... Actually I never shake out my pants, but obviously it is a good idea. A small spider had found it a comfy home and was highly irritated that it now had to share its new home with a badly smelling piece of white meat... So it tried to persuade the piece of white meat to leave... by biting it. ...I definitely needed a doctor. There is no taking risks with the family treasure and they looked as if they would fall off any minute now. The next morning, just before I was going to see the doctor, I noticed the small spider apparently was not very poisonous... and everything had returned to normal. Now, that was having a good day! But in the future I will always shake out my pants. Maarten" |
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Mahabouddha Temple |
Aerial assault in the water fight |
Unique travelers invade Nepal. From thrill seeking mountain-climbers or simple trekkers, to those out taming wild rivers, few wander about lost. There's purpose in the steps of visitors like in those of athletes. Environmentally conscious explorers concerned over Nepal’s future display a sincere respect for its natural beauty and conduct themselves as world citizens. The bargain-hunting, dope-smoking parasites prefer India.
Everyone gets nailed in the water/paint fight
... A ride through Tibet and down into China for access to Southeast Asia via Laos would be blazing a trail world-riders have merely fantasized about. But there're reasons why such objectives aren't reached. Governments. China is growing more lax regarding tourism but picky about whom visits Tibet. All tours involving land under their rule are processed through CTS. Journalists are forbidden for fear they'll expose of what's become of the inhabitants. Tried for permission from CTS in Lhasa for an overland exit through Tibet into China but was denied. Unless travelers are willing to pay exorbitant salaries of military escorts, it’s illegal to enter with private vehicles. Even short stays, cost in the thousands. Yet in a land and bureaucracy as vast as China's, often the left hand is unaware of the right. Scattered reports from motorcycling websites discuss lone motorcyclists appearing at borders fast-talking their way in. Getting out can be another story...
Last nights storm washed out the main road
... It was a glorious ride to the Tibetan border with no hassles from anyone. Just enough standing on the pegs riding to keep me smiling. Soldiers wave Westerns through checkpoints and the people are as incredible as ever. Most hotels and resorts are empty and you can name your price. I stayed in a deluxe tent at the Last Resort and went rafting down the Bhote Kosi for pennies. Did I mention how awesome Nepal is? It's going to be hard leaving."
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"After leaving the butterfly reserve (Santuario Mariposa Monarca in Michoacan), I was looking at a map of the area and decided that by taking a dirt road, I could knock off a good 20 miles or so on my trip to my next destination, Cuernavaca. The road began friendly enough, plenty of width for two normal sized cars and fairly smooth. But the farther I got back, the rougher it got… It was apparent I had made a mistake, the road was clearly too rough for my bike, especially being loaded down the way it was. And I was really in the middle of nowhere at this point…
I crested a hill... A washout had eroded the top half of this hill, but the bottom half had remained intact. This had left a pit of sand midway, and down went my front wheel into the pit. This might not have been so bad, because the rest of me and the bike followed faithfully, and gravity might have done its job and pulled us through, but being in the terrified state I was in, had grabbed a handful of front brake on the way down. This was the wrong thing to do. Now one thing you can say about a BMW motorcycle is when you really apply those brakes, they really work. Next thing I know I was skidding down this hill, looking like a rag doll feebly trying to hang on to the back of a charging rhino. Down I went.
Motorcycle safety gear has come a long way in the last few years, and it did its job. Luckily I had been wearing all of it at the time, and didn't even get a scratch. The bike on the other had, didn’t fare as well as I had. It was laying almost upside down, in a rut, nose first. The back wheel stuck up in the air, whimsically spinning from the momentum. It was mocking me...
Ever hear the phrase ‘It’s a really big small world’? Here I am brushing off the dust, trying to figure out how in the hell I was going to lift a 600 pound motorcycle out of a hole on a hill, in the middle on nowhere, when out of the bush walks this little Indian farmer. He had an inquisitive look on his face that reminded me of the movie ‘The Gods Must Be Crazy’ when the coke bottle landed in the village. He must have been amused by the whole thing. Anyway, he helped me lift the bike back right side up, and I gave him a Swiss army knife for helping me. There was no way I could have gotten it without his help…
Helpful farmer
As for the bike, one of the side cases was torn off, the front hand guard was wedged into the front brake lever, the turn signal was broken off, faring scratched up and a small plastic piece was broken off the engine. Nothing that would keep me from continuing on, or so it seemed. Well, as fate would have it, that little plastic piece was some kind of engine idle sensor that allowed the motor to idle without the gas being applied. So the bike would start and run as long as I kept the gas applied. Now consider this for a moment; brake was not functioning properly and the only way I could make the bike run was to apply the gas. And I was still in some really treacherous terrain. Oh, and it was starting to get dark. Now we’re talking adventure!
There were several other obstacles getting back to the roadway, but I made it. At this point, I looked like something out of Road Warrior, but none the less, I was back on a paved road and thanking my lucky stars.
So I'm driving along this curvy mountain road, catching my breath when up ahead I notice a dark cloud in the middle of the roadway. As I get closer, I realize it is not a cloud, but a swarm of something. Wasps. Was I an evil dictator of some poor 3rd world country in a previous life or something? This really was not my day. A swarm of wasps was in the middle of the roadway and I had no choice but to ride right through! Again, my trusty motorcycle gear saved me, because I was only stung a few times on my neck and once on my chest. (The little bastards tried to sting me all over my body, but the heavy jacket, pants, gloves, boots and helmet I wear saved me). When I got to a hotel that night, I found a hose and rinsed several hundred dead wasps out of my oil cooler and from inside my faring."
"I've ground to a halt in Patagonia with a busted shoulder and written-off bike. The track was reasonable gravel track, but with heaped gravel in between the tyre tracks. It was also very windy as we're now east of the Andes and on the Patagonian plain. I was running nicely at around 50mph; a gust of wind caught me and forced me on to one of the heaped gravel bits; the bike went into a bad weave which I couldn't control, and of course slowing down is absolutely not an option. There then loomed a sort of stone parapet at the side of the road, and the bike was heading for it; I really couldn't do anything about it so I hit it. I remember hearing my collarbone break, and then I was on my back on the ground facing back the way I'd come and the bike was behind me. I was pretty scared at first as I couldn't breathe - this was presumably because the punctured lung deflated suddenly and the other one was taken by surprise. But I tried to breathe slowly and it got a bit better.
They put me in the truck, and even found my specs which had flown off but not broken. Skip the truck driver took me back to the Argy border with Roberto the local guide on his 1150GS and did the exit stuff for me, then down the road back to the Chilean border where they got me out and sat me inside the office next to the stove. I was feeling pretty second-hand by then. Skip took my keys and carnet and said he'd go back for the bike, get it out of Argentina and back into Chile for me. Meanwhile the Carabineros put me in their pickup and took me to the local clinic where a male nurse checked me over, inserted a drip and put me on oxygen. He very carefully listened all over with his stethoscope - there were all sorts of strange noises and he was clearly pretty worried. I gather from Francisco that they were considering sending the helicopter for me, but eventually a Paramedic ambulance came out from Coihaique and they brought me to the hospital here. It´s the only one for over 600 miles. This whole thing took about 6 hours.
On Saturday Francisco looked at me again and said he thought they could no nothing much more and that I was clearly pretty healthy and that they would discharge me. That's when they discovered that I was in fact on my own. So Francisco said he wasn't happy about me being alone in a hotel, rang his wife Fabiola, and insisted I come and stay with him.
So here I am with four broken ribs and a broken collarbone. They are all lovely people. I was even taken to a BBQ party on Saturday night. Fabiola has been brilliant, taking me round to do the necessary paperwork and see the orthopod (who says 4 not 3 broken ribs).
My chums in the UK are organising a new frame, forks and front wheel to be shipped out (yes, it was that bad). Load of stuff is being shipped - chums are collecting frame, complete forks (they're destroyed), front wheel (also destroyed) etc together and shipping as one crate (with cooperation of dealer in UK), and Reg is flying out to help the rebuild. Also, the engineer son of another friend is flying out at his own expense at the end of next week to help the dismantling so we're ready for Reg and the new bits. Amazing. The bike is basically a write-off, but I have no choice but to rebuild. The Chileans here are being great. I'll add stuff as I can - I suppose it's a pretty big adventure, really, especially for a grey-haired middle-aged Englishwoman."
Ed. Take it easy, Cynthia. Think you've had your adventure quota for at least a month!
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"The road from Sana'a to Muscat was extremely pleasant and full of wow's. From Sana'a we went through some stunning mountain scenery as you decline from 2350m, Sana'a altitude just as high as Addis Ababa. From the little town of Marib you start entering the real desert. Marib is a farm growing area, a type of an oasis. We slept the night in Say'un, a real big oasis town with dry scenery and the green farmlands and plenty of small motorbikes. The next day was from Say'un to the Yemen Oman border, Al Mazyona. There we found that there is a very big difference between Yemen and Oman.
Yemen mountain roads
On the road from Thamarit to Muscat I felt that one of the wheel's bearing is not so happy, so we slowed down from 120-130 to about 90-100 and slept the night in our tent next to a fuel station/hotel in the middle of nowhere. The next morning after we left, the bearing felt very ruff, but the next town was Hayma still 120km further on. I decided to nurse the GS to Hayma by riding 2nd gear, 25km/h for more than an hour until the sound became less when we could managed 60km/h. Hayma is 550km from Muscat, and the GS just made it to the town, then the seal broke and the back wheel was full of oil. God sent us once again a truck after waiting maybe 1 hour only. And that's how we got here. Oman is ok, but too much of a first world country and very expensive for us.
Motorcycle surrounded by sheep
Sunday 20 March 2005 - We are still in Dubai, trying to find a job. We've realized that it is not as easy to find work here than what we thought it would be. The only jobs worth while is managing jobs, anything less than a manager gets paid very little. To rent a flat or a house here is very expensive, one bedroom flat will cost us around DHS 35 000 (R60 000) per year. We have given ourselves two more weeks to find a job or continue to Europe.
We are enjoying our stay here in Dubai and have seen some very nice places. Two weekends ago we went to the northern part of UAE and rode through some beautiful mountains. There we camped in the mountains with nobody in sight. Very different to Africa, where you can't camp anywhere outside a campsite, here there are no campsites and so safe to camp where you want and nobody will threaten you or steal anything."
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"So what have been the highlights of Belize for us? Well, the first thing has to be the people we've met here. The Belizeans are wonderful, friendly people who have gone out of their way to make us feel a part of the country. We've been to everything from baby showers to fiestas with local friends. They are some of the best people in the world. Then there's the 'international' friends we've made. Other volunteers and the ex-pat communities here. There is a spiders web of people here who have made Belize their home and helped us get to grips with the red tape of the country, or just kept us supplied with alcohol and conversation. I think the most bizarre assistance we received though had to be someone offering to flying a packet of Oxo cubes out to us in the jungle by helicopter. We can't say too much about that though. The natural wonders of Belize are on a par with anything the rest of the world has to offer. Many travelers miss Belize and go straight to Guatemala as its perceived to be expensive. In comparison with the rest of C. America it is but it's worth it. Here on our doorstep at Pook's Hill we have the world famous ATM cave.
Rediscovered in 1986, it has revealed itself from amongst the trees and hillsides as an archeological treasure trove of the Maya world. A trip into the cave is a mixture of swimming, wading, walking and climbing as we make our way up the underground river that has been carving the cave out for millennia. As we pass stalactites and stalagmites, flow-stone and a hundred other formations we edge nearer to the jewel of the cave. Climbing a large bolder and struggling over a rock ledge we take our shoes off to protect the site. Then climbing a final ladder we enter a world of broken pots, offerings to the gods and the bones of human sacrifices. The chamber is littered with close to a 1000 artifacts and human remains that have lain hidden for 800 years or more. Its an incredible sight that demands respect. We haven't seen anything like it before in our lives and its got to be in the top 5 of out favorite places to date.
There have been so many highlights for us in Belize I don't think we could write them all here but trust us, they're here. If you ever get the chance come to Belize, you'll not be disappointed. Just a few pictures to whet the appetite.
It would be so easy for us to settle here and we've had offers of help with the red tape but we must move on. We can't hang up our boots so early in the trip. Its only been 15 months now - we've only just started and there's still so much to see. All being well our next update will be coming from a country other than Belize. Which country remains to be seen but whichever it is it will have to be something special to live up to Belize. From a 'bikers' perspective its an easy country to travel through. The major roads are good and the more minor roads are not too much of a challenge at this time of year. Coming into Belize from Mexico is a relatively hassle free experience. If all your paperwork is in order you'll receive a temporary importation certificate for the bike for a month, the same as your tourist visa. Both can be extended with out too much trouble if your finding it hard to escape the country, as we have. Like the rest of C. America its who you know here. We got a letter of support from the ex-Deputy Prime Minister without any trouble. You can't help but bump into an ex-pat as you travel round Belize and many of them have contacts here, so just ask! "
Ed. See Chris and Liz blog here on Horizons Unlimited for more stories and great photos! Also see the NEW "Make a difference" forum on the HUBB.
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"I ran into Patrick (from the beach in Puerto Rio Tranquilo, Chile) at an internet cafe in Bahia Blanca, and we traveled north together to Azul. Patrick mentioned that in Azul, Marco was waiting and there was a place for motorcycle travelers to hang out. We arrived in the afternoon to a low building, closed because of a siesta, with BMW, Yamaha logos painted on the outer doors. We rang the bell, and waited. A lady appears, and tells us we must be looking for pollo. No, I thought, we don't want chicken, we were looking for a place to put a tent maybe, and also for our friend, Marco. Turns out the Pollo is the nickname of Jorge, the loving man that runs La Posta de Viajeros de la Moto, with the support of his family. Jorges real job is a little shop that sells scooter parts attached to the garage with the BMW logos.
The La Posta is a large room with a small kitchen area, small bathroom and a table and chairs. Along one wall is a bunk bed, and beneath the window to the street is another. Under both beds are mobile, low bed frames with wooden slats that can be moved to anywhere and used with a thermorest.
Jorge is a motorcycle aficionado, but more than that, receives great joy from having travelers come from around the world to stay with him. It has become tradition to paint your name some where on the walls, and leave a memento. Also, during your stay, you are expected to improve some part of the area. There is no charge for anybody staying there, or for any of Jorge's help. It is unlike any place I have ever been, and to think I almost drove by. I ended up staying a week, enjoying every day. In the attached garage, there is an indoor asado (bbq) pit that is usually going two or three times a week. Marco related that in 8 days, he had 5 asados there. The travelers intend to stay a day or two, but normally that is stretched.
Our last asado (13 guests) had 13 kilos of meat and 2 kilos of chorizo, 6 kilos bread, and salad. My first night there was a birthday asado for Conejo (rabbit) a friend of Pollos. After a week of authentic Argentinean hospitality, I headed north with Bob (UK) to Buenos Aires. The major agenda in BA was the servicing of the motos. I wanted to preventively take care of any issues that may rear their ugly heads in Africa, and I am getting spoiled now by working on the moto in a nice dry garage rather than on the side of a road somewhere. My to-do list was consisted of many bearing and seal replacements, things hadn't thought to look at, and since we ride the same model of bike, it would be just as easy to find two sets of spare parts and install them.
There is another motorcycle community in Buenos Aires, (contact through the Horizons Unlimited Community in BA) which is spearheaded by Javier and his wife Sandra. Most overland travellers on motos stop by to get work done at Javier's shop, Dakar Motos, or just to have a maté and receive local information. This is also where most of the work on our motos is done.
Javier of Dakar Motos, probably doubting that I will be able to put back together my motorcycle this year...
...Ever since my birthday in February, I had been struggling with some bouts of homesickness and cravings to get back to Canada, and was flirting with the idea of heading back home. Finding out that my British Columbian drivers licence was not renewable from outside the province helped make my decision. A current licence is required for a International Drivers Licence, and they need to be renewed every year. In addition, my passport only has two more blank pages left, and that needs to be renewed, as well as the Carnet for the motorcycle. The more I drank coffee and made lists, the more sense it made to head home. One of the problems with this plan is that Bob and I were making tentative plans to travel to Africa together after South America but this throws everything askew. I told Bob the morning after I decided that I was not ready to go to Africa. My head isn't in it, and I was going home for a few months. This was a wrench for him, but he took it well. That evening we spoke about this again, and he was willing to drive around Brasil and the rest of the northern South America for a few months while I go back, so the plan to travel together in Africa is still current."
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"Like the famed American Pony Express riders, the 'Ride The Dream' team of Polk and Frazier have switched mounts, now using a BMW R1150 GS. They also changed continents. After reaching the end of the earth on the South American continent while dodging errant cars, lustful ladies and aggressive Latino boys (Donna-Rae learned what a daylight mugging was in Argentina), Donna-Rae and Greg flew to Africa to continue Donna-Rae’s dream ride around the world.
Greg says after nearly 20,000 miles with a pillion on the back of his motorcycle, 'So far Donna-Rae has managed her Parkinson's Disease better than I have riding with a female passenger.' This is Greg's fifth motorcycle ride around the globe, his first four being solo.
Donna-Rae has a small digital camera she carries strapped to her wrist. While she can not see around me in front of her and much of the road ahead, she can see sideways and often takes pictures of what is flashing by. We have an agreement that she gets to stop, get off the motorcycle, and take two photos each day. Getting on and off the motorcycle for her is a major chore, often requiring several minutes as she fights to lift her leg high enough to clear the luggage on the back and sides. Her Parkinson’s Disease limits her leg movement making what would be an easy leg lift a painful exercise for both of us. She has to balance herself using her weakened hands on my slippery jacket while I have to balance the 1,200 lbs. of us and the motorcycle using my right knee which should have been replaced 15 years ago. While she has not fallen during this process we can still laugh that when she does I will take a photograph before helping her up.
Donna-Rae said of her sometimes-grumpy lone wolf pilot, 'I have never seen this side of you before.' Needless to say their being together this long may have let them learn more than they wanted about each other. One of the pair calls their expedition the 'Growling Greg and Grandmother Goose Ride.' An old American Indian saying abounds: 'If you pull on a wolf's tail you should be prepared to deal with its teeth.'"
"29/3/05 I had met Timon in Africa, Uganda. He was on a six month overland truck trip from the south through to Europe. We had met the truck a couple of times and by co-incidence five years later he stumbled across our web page and generously invited me to stay where he is now, in Tokyo. The easy flight on China Airlines (Taiwan), Narita Airport Express train, change of trains and a reasonable walk had me at his apartment in almost central Tokyo late evening. The stories of Japanese running on time true, the train to the minute leaving each station on schedule. The stories of clean and orderly also true. Not a piece of litter to be seen, almost no-one talking on the trains, no-one smoking or eating whilst walking about, an unhurried progress of people and vehicles.
1/3/05 Sightseeing and absorbing the different culture. It is amazing how this culture has evolved so differently from other Asian societies in the region. Already I am finding the blank, almost expressionless faces, as people robotically move about the city on a work day, a little disquieting. The public chatter, laughter and bantering, that I am used to in Asia, not here. The gaiety of children, not visible in the city. Uniforms abound, bland mono colours, pressed and new, like a wardrobe for a 1950's movie scene, not a thread out of place. Occasionally a group of university students will rebel, eat and smoke in the street, even when walking, sometimes laughing, dresses as outlandishly as possible, bright colours, even the hair, but the society will have them in the black suits, if they want a job on graduation.
2/4/05 Kay and I have been discussing our situation recently and thought it a good idea to travel Japan together for a while. She will be flying into Kyoto on the 10th April for a month.
10/4/05 Early morning Sunday traffic was light, only a few trucks, into Kyoto by 11 am, easy to negotiate with most signs almost everywhere in Japan in both Japanese and English. Kay's plane arrived at 7.15pm and she was at Kyoto train station by 9.30, our dormitory bed accommodation, all we could find in Kyoto, not the best first night after not seeing each other in almost four months, a lot to discuss and talking to catch up on.
15/4/05 Despite high levels of service the rules are laid down to work within. Most accommodation has a check out at 10 am, and check in after 4 pm. Whilst those staying more than one night can usually remain in their room between these hours, few do. No staff are visible other than cleaners, no services available. Rainy days, or arriving in a city drenched off a motorcycle and having to wait till 4 pm would be no fun. We took a day off, our room overlooking a lovely Japanese garden courtyard in crisp sunshine. A time to relax in each other's company."
Horizons Unlimited is proud to host Peter and Kay Forwood's complete RTW story and pictures here!
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"(Lima, Peru) - Pierre and I are going through a grim and badly agitated, rash-like spot in our relationship. I say to him, 'You're mean and spiteful to me.', to which he responds, 'You don't know how to apologize for anything', to which I respond, 'That's because you are a mean French-fry!'. Well, now we are grim with one another, and again we get to experience the pro-con, the push-pull, the love-hate of not being able to get away from one another.
Do I feel that being in the same 20 ft radius of ourselves for 2 years has helped our relationship? Probably. Because we are both hard-headed and prone to righteousness of opinion in the heat of arguing, in hindsight I see that it is great to be forced to deal with the sometimes reactionary frustration and blame in the moment, before it festered and is given a chance to become long-term resentment. This situation of having to deal with conflict in the moment tells one much about themselves and their inherent abilities (or lack of) to communicate. In normal life, it is too easy to run off and find solace with your best-friend, or clam up and stay silent for several days until you forget what it was you were mad at, or seek out distraction (my personal favorite), or exaggerate scenarios inside your head to your ego's content. But not here brother! You get one friend, one lover, one confidant, and it's all the same person. One room, one bed, one credit card, one map and it must all be shared with one person.
One chance to make it work, because if you don't reconcile, the trip is over, at least for the couple. So, we stand in our corners, and like any animal, make a choice and a dance to either reconnecting or eat each other. Sometimes it's clumsy and pride-swallowing; sometimes flawless. To truly 'change' an aspect of one's self is the most difficult thing to do in human nature. People rarely truly change no matter how much they like to think so. Yes, we are adaptable, but to change old patterns in ways of reacting and thinking, is a rare rare endeavor and experience indeed.
- I'll bite your nose off, my love! - I'll pluck your eyeball out, cupcake! - Will you smile for the picture now?
Today we have spent every hour and night together for 660 days or 15,500 hours (sans the one night I spent alone with creepy peepers). Aren't there people who do experiments of this sort? I do know of the American woman who as a performance art piece tied herself to a Japanese man for 1 year with a 8 foot rope. If you have tried similar experience, please write us and tell us all about it. We are a captivated audience already!"Ed. Merritt and Pierre are still together, last we heard, and have updated their travel tales with beautiful pictures on their site - check it out!
"Tommy - As far as I can remember I loved motorcycling and I've spent all the money put aside for this hobby. I have to think hard to remember all the bikes I've owned: RD 350, CB 750 four, GPZ 600, XT 600 Ténéré, VFR 750 Intercepter, FZR 1000 Genesis, FZR 1000 Exup, GSXR 750, Yamaha OW 01, FZR 600, Bimota YB 9, Bandit 1200, XJR 1200, XJR 1300 SP, Z 1000, R 1150 GS and now: F 650 GS Dakar. I have always been a bit of an adventurer and my favourite travelling method has ever been riding a motor bike. So I've travelled half of Europe as well as parts of Africa and Asia with all kind of motorcycles. After having seen nearly all countries on my own continent, I tinkered with the idea of travelling a longer and more distant tour. My thoughts went round and round the issue, and at the beginning I rejected this phantasm. But in December 2003, Rosa and me made the decision: We'll go on a journey round the world!
We, that's Tommy and Rosa, and our motorcycles are on our Round-The-World-Trip since April 1st, 2005!
Rosa - I've got the licence to ride a motorcycle since 1995. My first bike was a Honda CB 650 C, which unfortunately got a jammed spool shortly after buying. Altogether I've spent about 100.000 km on a bike, thereof around 300 km off-road. And at the first off-road opportunity I've overturned and wasn't able to get up again. Since then I've rather some respect for gravel roads!! Therefore I took an off-road course for not taking always a bath in the mud… ;-)
I've tinkered quite a long time with the idea of getting on a really big trip with the bike. Best time in year is for me, when taking our motorbikes, tent and sleeping bag and just ride straight on!
First report from Romania
... On a meadow below the street we pitch camp. Suddenly, a shepherd appears. He tells us - in Romanian probably - his life-story. Unfortunately, we don't understand him, because we speak no Romanian. He vanishes for an hour and comes back drunken! And he brings his dogs, a motorized saw and one plastic-bottle with 'labde' (cow's milk) for us! Unfortunately, he manages to start the motorized saw. We are afraid that he injures himself in his condition, but everything is well. He makes enough wood for us for at least 2 days by cutting down almost one tree! An interesting meeting! However we are glad that he leaves us alone soon again and we can sleep in silence."
Camping in Romania
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Long Way Round: Chasing Shadows Across the World
 by Ewan McGregor, and Charley Boorman Buy now! Just click the Amazon nearest you:
La Vuelta al Mundo por la Paz - Un Sueno que se hace Realidad,by Ricardo Rocco Paz, |
Milward's Millennium Motorcycle Ride"It is with the deepest sadness that we report that Simon Milward has passed away following a road accident. The accident took place on the afternoon of the 4th of March near the city of Kayes, Mali, West Africa. Our sympathies and prayers go out to his family and friends.
Mrs. Jane Milward and Family and the Federation of European Motorcyclists’ Associations A celebration of the life of Will be held on Saturday 7th May 2005 at the Riverside Leisure Centre, Cowick Street, Exeter EX4 JAF from 10.30 am to 12.30pm. And afterwards at The Double Locks, Canal Banks, Exeter EX2 6LT A Memorial Fund has been established in memory of Simon Milward. Simon's family has asked that all donations go to the Flores Project 'Health for All'. Ed. Horizons Unlimited has supported the Flores Project in the past. We urge you to support this very worthwhile endeavour, which extends the successful Riders for Health concept (using motorbikes to deliver medical assistance to remote locations, combined with extensive training for the mechanics and support personnel to ensure the bikes are 100% reliable) to Asia. Simon's energy and enthusiasm for motorcyclists rights, and advocacy for the Flores Project are an inspiration to us all. He will be sorely missed. Federation of European Motorcyclists' Associations (FEMA)"The Federation of European Motorcyclists' Associations (FEMA) regrets to announce that it's former General Secretary Simon
Milward passed away following a road accident on the 4th of march 2005 near the city of Kayes in Mali (Africa). Simon was forty
years old. Simon Charles Milward was born on the 28th of january 1965 in Strete, South Devon, United Kingdom. Comments from Horizons readers who knew Simon personally"Iris and I knew this man, before he left we talked about his upcoming trip a few times, and he was a GOOD guy... We are appalled, incredulous, shocked, as hundreds of people throughout the world will be, and certainly his closest friends and family. Trui (and Iris)" "Our friend and travel partner, Simon Milward died a few weeks ago in a traffic accident in Kayes, Mali, West Africa. Simon and I traveled together in Laos; we crossed the front lines of a civil war together; we rode the bikes where there were no roads or tracks; we met again in all this years on the road in Argentina, South Africa and the last time in Uganda. We have lost a true friend and it hurts more than riding with a broken leg on angolan roads. Mika Kuhn" "Ride in peace Simon. You were my inspiration with RideAid. Frankie Surgener" BMW has released a surprise new model, the HP2, HP for "High Performance." For lots of photos of it, see the BMW HP2 Slide Show. (Click "Nächstes Bild >" for next slide.) Designed as a serious, full-on off-road bike, it's BMW's answer to the KTM 950. Will it be suitable for travelling? At the quoted price, not likely for most of us, unless you're seriously bucks-up, but it could be a lot of fun to ride hard, and if you're serious about places like North Africa and other off-road heavy areas, it could be the weapon of choice.
Dave Smith, RTW, in Australia, Ducati 250cc,"I was up the east coast of Australia over by Gin Gin. One of my oil leaks was acting up again, and then I noticed the fuel dripping from the tank… I had close to a full tank when I noticed the leak, and I should've stayed in Gin Gin but what fun is that? I rolled the dice to see what happens. As I ride, there are bush fires on both sides of the road. That's always a good thing to ride through with fuel pouring out of the tank. Better riding than pushing. I made it to a rest area. I check all the trash cans looking for an empty bottle to save what fuel is left. No bottles, so I drink what's left of my water and fill up the 1.5 liter bottle. I pop off the tank to put it on its side to save what's left. Have to put it in a weird spot so the fuel doesn't pour out the leaky gas cap and doesn't pour out the hole in the tank. A friendly Aussie gives me a bit of Army Tape that's should hold up long enough to take it to a garage in Miriam Vale tomorrow. One good thing about riding up in the rain is it put out the brush fires. No big deal about the smoke from the smoldering fires. I'm from California—Land Of Smog.
Now that's a crocodile! A tow truck driver stops to take a leak. He's got nothing to stop my leak but the friendly Aussie finds some heavy-duty glue that doesn't give a petrol warning. The tow truck driver files off some of the bondo (bog in OZ) on the tank to uncover the leaking braze. He makes the first comment (out of dozens) about what a shitty job was done on the tank. The braze and bog on a tank meant for a round the world run. It's also my first look at the JB Weld. And then he dumped fuel on his nuts from the leaky gas cap." Mika Kuhn and Damaris, Germany, around the world, in Gabon, West Africa, Ténéré,"...I had two accidents and I rode the bike 1000km with a broken leg in Angola. Most of my time on the computer at the moment I spend writing letters to my health insurance in Germany, because they refused paying for the surgery I had a few weeks ago in Germany. For now, we are fine. My leg is healed and riding the bike is fun again. Tomorrow we will leave and go further North - Cameroon and Nigeria. All the best to you, keep in touch Mika and Damaris."
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"This travelogue, illustrated with over 400 photos, follows their journey
through North and South America, West Africa, Europe and Asia."
