Feedback
 

Is anyone interested in this longer account please? Or is it wasting space? Linzi.

I think I'm speak for everyone by saying they're reading but not wanting to clutter up this thread with their own comments, so keep writing mate. :thumbup1:

Great story and as for the magazines, it's their loss.

I'm reading it. I'm right there with you in the pub and the bike yard. Keep posting.

I Don't Want To Go Home
 

Eenglish? I wake and answer yes to the old farmer looking down at me snuggled up in my bag. He is well dressed for the frosty morning including a woollen hat. Well I'll be damned! I chuckle at my confidence that no-one would find me here. From what A to what B had he been walking up here and so early in the chilly morning? And why had he thought Eenglishi? Ah the GB on the number plate no doubt.
I had picked this spot for its solitude, failed, and to catch the morning sun, success. I gaze lazily out from my cosy down bed at the other side of the gorge, here quite wide. Scatterd houses can be seen in even really remote places. I wonder what people do for a living. It's a world away from down town Podgorica!
What a tramp I am! I get out of my sleeping bag in fibre pile and socks, water the plants, replace fluids from a water bottle and wash my face and hands in a dog's folding bowl. Bought new I'll have you know, form e-bay. Far cheaper than from camping shops etc.
With the heavy frost of my wake up call I am pleased to see the sun's warmth has melted the frost from the track. I can ride down safely to the bottom road and return to Podgorica. I want to say bye to my new friends at the Calabria as I am now leaving and must begin the journey to UK. Oh Yes. That journey. I'd almost forgotten about it!
I park the Beemer by the Vespa again and have a morning coffee in the Long Road. Now I know there is 24 hour security at the cafe. The bike really is safe here. Infact the whole trip turns out to be safe. Around the corner to the Calabria and chat to the guys for a couple of hours. I take some shots of the interior and my new friends then tear myself away to head for Mojkovac.
I reach the edge of Podgorica and then gas it. Well after some practice I take it a bit faster but still with the intention of surviving. It takes immense discipline to pull over mid journey for a photo shoot. That can be easily understood I'm sure. A bit of luck and frankly good thinking and, just before its too late I brake hard and turn into the carpark outside a remote cafe. Warmth, coffee and some photos! I u-turn in the carpark, having overshot, and park up. There is an ouside sink at this rustic abode so I take the opportunity of washing the bike's bodywork. Ah, doesn't it look nice! The roll including this ride was developed in Montenegro and printed, not burnt to disc as later photos were. So here goes, a detailed description: A bridge over the gorge. Some big mountains, some houses and the road. Nice eh!

White Soil and Black Mountains.
 

The next section of gorge run I have only done once so after a shaky start, after the cafe I get back into game mode and make it to Mojkovac happy and sated. I've had about six bad moments but this bike is really perfectly in its element here. Man that tyre up to pressure made a world of difference. I struck my right toe on one perfect corner that I knew. That came as a surprise! Those boots were made for walking! Yes I know I haev to keep getting them resoled using my Le Mans.
Somehow I manage to slow to the speed limit through the few villages near Mojkovac. Fun's fun, but I'm here as a visitor so 50kph it is. Grrr. I'm still in corner killing mode and it ain't easy. I can't repeat here the words I used out loud in my helmet as I described that road to myself. And boy I love this little bike. If I'd used my beloved Le Mans on that route, brilliant fun as it is, it would have had the forks bent, wheel bent and it can't change direction to tighten mid corner like the Beemer. Come to think of it on the tracks up to the ealges' perch, well impossible. Guzzi: bloody brilliant. But not here at all. This little Beemer is so trusty, versatile and FU++, it just did that gorge with Metal Mules on it!!! " When I grow up, I want to be a boxer". Don't worry little un, you're a bloody kung fu expert already!
There's no photo lab in Mojkovac. Wish I was a kung fu expert. No, only kidding. I feel so happy with this country that I'm only glad when I'm directed to another town for a lab. Another road. YES. Bijelo Polje, 35 km north means white soil. Soil? Better calm down and not get too confident! Linzi.

Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud.
 

In Mojkovac I fuel up and find to my surprise that the bike needs very little fuel. Now that isn't down to economy. I realize that the route I have just done is an immense journey in involvement but only a short distance in km on the speedo! This is a compact country but the roads take a long time to negotiate bless them. Images of a streaking white RSV-R!
I intend to visit the mountain top farmhouse with their photos before going to Bijelo to a lab. Back to Rade with his photos and on up the canyon to camp high up to ensure a low enough temperature for my sleepiing bag. I'd sweat in about 3C in it! I find the turn off easily--the VW van carcass. The first section of this road is like an abandoned airfield. Concrete, ribbed and patched and uneven. Around a corner and all changes! 3km of land slide damage. Remember the biblical downfall? Well it came down the mountain and has simply washed tons of mud over the road. It is open again, but a bull dozer has been at work and still is in the middle where it's worst. Trucks are filled and take away the rich soil for use elsewhere. After slowing down a lot, entering the arena and feeling the spray off the front tyre, I lift my leg supermoto style to the front and side to view the damage. Mummy! Mummy Look! A chocolate coated biker! Right to the knee was thick muck. In places the lack of grip was terrifying. Only for a short section then it is OK again. Then wet, totally clear for a bit then hard brake before I hit it and super slow again. In one wide sweeping bend I am surprised at 50kph to find the surface is super slippery. the tail begins to slew round. Off the brake, bike upright, off the throttle and smoothly slow to the edge of the road to almost stop before turning, through some water and back to normal. Phew. Graceful but lucky. Great bike. Like some little kid I seek out every puddle after that to clean off in the spray.
When I reach the farm the bike and I are simply dirty rather than thickly coated.

I am recieved again with enthusiasm by the family members at home. The dogs accept me calmly after I'm recognized as a family member! I hand over the photos and they insist that I stay the night! I have to go to Bijelo first so off I go. Well, back down the very steep track, through the muck, clean the tyres over grass and speed up to take the smooth, curvy road at 85kph. The most even tarmac I've seen yet. Waiting for the photos I leave the dripping, filthy bike in town centre, away from anyone to get dirty rubbing past it. I kill the two hours waiting for the photos in a cafe with my boots outside on the pavement. But my mucky trousers dry off and I leave a mess of powdered dirt on the carpet. I take the photos back through the mucky 3km yet again ( One more time to go tomorrow!), up the mountainside and finished! The evening is chatter, pivo, rakji and heaps of food. It now dawns on me that the diet varies hardly at all! The same stew, meat, fetta and bread. They use no salt, spice or herbs to add flavour at all! Their hearts are in the right place but this life is very basic.
One of the men covers the bike with a piece of carpet which I think is totally pointless. Next morning the ground is frozen solid! The carpet is thick in frost. How did he know such a drop in temperature was coming? I hadn't noticed anything had changed. The same huge breakfast- and pivo declined. At last I have to go. It's almost midday and the tracks are still frozen but it is possible to get down in one piece. Some hairy moments but made it.
I am back out of the sticks as I pass the VW van carcass again, and out in a filthy state! I stop for petrol and it only takes 2.80 Euros! Again I have mixed activity up with fuel used. At the petrol pumps the attendant is friendly as almost everyone is here. He is surprised at the choice of mid winter to tour here. I can't explain but am beginning to think that the surprise of locals at a biker here now, means that I've been lucky with the weather. I ride back up Tara Canyon to Rade's house. Sadly he isn't home. At work, Sanja tells me, but I don't ask what work. I'd assumed he'd be there, a pity to miss him. Bye, bye and off again. This time actually beginning the long road to UK. The canyon is deeper and grander past Rade's house and the road is again epic. Now I stop often as this is to be an important photo target for me. Further up the canyon though, the air is heavy with water and I am frustrated at the poor light due to the totally overcast sky. I come at last to a very famous bridge round here and realize that the rafting takes place in this section of canyon not by Rade's home. This is actually downstream though it looks like upstream to me. An optical illusion. The mountains get bigger and the canyon deeper. The multi span bridge crosses it in style but the trees make a photo difficult. Do the magazine photos come from a helicopter or huge crane? Maybe they chain saw a few trees for the photo shoot. I am having more trouble with uploading photos than I can believe. I shall try and crack it and illustrate this section. Linzi.

[IMG]http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee332/DerMenace/_14_0272.jpg[

Linzi, great trip report very awe inspiring.:scooter:cant wait to see the photos

Google View
 

Sorry no uploads yet but have you tried this? In google earth, viewing Dobrilovina, or anywhere for that matter, put two finger tips on the mouse pad of a laptop and drag down, across, twist etc. It comes up 3D. Linzi.

Great write up, just waiting for the pictures now. :thumbup1:

Wow!
 

Hm. Really seriously. I can't go any further without learning how to post. Can you please either tell me how or do the same each time I post the text link? Linzi.

Here it is:

[IMG]internet address of the Photo[/IMG]

You almost got it right ;o)

here is the help page of the HUBB http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...vb_board_usage

(Thanks)
 

Hi, thank you. I'm puzzled why the address did'nt print out in full. I need now only ensure they come out larger than thumbnale but HUBB has a limit less than the original file and that's another hurdle. Here goes then. Linzi.