Ahhh ......civilisation ...... perhaps we got it wrong :oops2:

Great pics John this guy might be worth a shout
Christmas Safari 2 - 2014 Edition (Botswana & Namibia) - ADVrider

Hello, sorry its been a while. Bad planning, enjoying myself or just plain lazy? Ahhh, you decide. Hahahahaha

So I left Durban with two destinations in mind. I needed the bike serviced and Alfie Cox was a way up the road. For those who don't know who he is............ Well...... probably the toughest most hard core racer I will ever meet in my life. Dakar stage winner and podium achiever on the motorcycles and now a car racer. He and his wife Hazel run what must be the best KTM workshop in South Africa. Ex works racers as mechanics and staff with a level of involvement that is inspiring.

So me the tight fisted Brit walks in and says I want to service the bike, but as I don't want to pay for the labour can I just buy the parts, pitch my tent for a night and do the work! I end up staying in their accommodation for three days, get the work done and spend the evenings with Alfie and his family. Lets just say as trophies go the mantelpiece takes some beating! I don't do the hero worship thing. I am too old for that, people are people and we all have different strengths and talents. But to listen to and ask questions of a man with Alfie's background and drive was a pleasure. As I said probably the toughest and most hard core racer I will ever meet!

After this I moved on to Sani Pass. Wow, what a road! I intended to travel up through Lesotho but once I got there I had a change of heart. The nights were cold and I was at the bottom only around 5000 feet up. The top being around 9400 feet up was going to be way colder. Nah, I have done cold camping before, the knees just moan like hell in the mornings! However a beautiful sunny day to play on the pass, now that can't be refused. The road, the scenery, the views and the crazy riding were all superb. Definitely a highlight in more ways than one.

:thumbup1: that Sani pass looks interesting :clap: and a man after my own heart with the suggestion of an "offer please mate" :rofl:

But i have found on my own hummble travels that ordinary working folk are very generous to dirty travelers on bikes

Stay and ride safe mate :D
Phil

The Sanni pass is a must do for me, but I know that in the winter it can be closed due to ice.

Tim if you are going to do it, do it soon. There is talk about tarmacing the top section and judging by the ground work that has been done up there I would say it is serious talk. The pass is closed a lot during winter due to the weather, the top is at about 9400 feet. Quads and two wheel drive are already banned. I was told the quads due to accidents and the two wheel drives because they get stuck and block the pass.

It is an amazing stretch of road, well worth the effort to get to.

Ok update time, as I have been distinctly lazy about this. You know I don't understand how these people with blogs keep up with it all. Hell I seem to lose track of whole weeks at a time!

Righto then. I left Sani and headed along the garden route towards Cape Agulhas. Now I like others had heard lots about the garden route and well....... can't see what all the fuss is about myself. Maybe I am getting old or maybe I have just seen so much wonderful scenery that I am spoilt. But somehow the little section everybody raves over just kind of went by. For me the highlight was dropping onto the old road at one point. then bypassing the don't be naughty signs and riding the gorge under the Bloukrans Bridge. No traffic, no people and fantastic scenery. With the added advantage of passing the toll booth up top!

Then down to the Cape, the southern most point in Africa. Now that place was great. I come from the west of England and the Cape reminded me of Portland Isle and the Isle of Purbeck. I felt right at home there, campsite within a few hundred yards of both the sea and a lighthouse. A very, very nice place to be.

Leaving there was to be the last of the gravel roads before Cape Town. I took my time and enjoyed them, trying to make them last. Took a little detour to an interesting trail shown on the satnav and headed straight out to the beach! Hahaha a little plotting error I think! The road to Gordons Bay was possibly one of the best tarred roads I have ever ridden. Not a straight bit for miles, the mountains on one side and the sea on the other. Even with the bad weather it was spectacular!

And so on into Cape Town, where I have been lazing around since. But that I will put up soon...............

Fabulous posts John, where next I wonder, North Cape? :mchappy:

Regs

Simon

Nice one mate , good to see you saving money on razors :thumbup1:

Oh its been a while! Again!!!
I seem to have hung around in Cape Town for a while and not really done much. I knew it was the end of the road and I think maybe that was part of the reason. So now I am back in Blighty! I left the winter and headed back to the summer sun...............yeah right!

Cape Town was ok but just a means to an end. The bike needed a load of parts, just consumables nothing drastic. So a refresh was undertaken, hell I nearly washed it! I think I was in Cape Town for five weeks in total and although I did nothing really it just flew by.

So what next............ I hear you ask. What will Horizons worst trip writer do next? Well I have to confess I have had a big picture for a while now. The bike is back in a box and on its way to South America. :thumbup1: I toyed with the idea of the real world again.......... Nah, did I hell!!!! I am going to keep this up for a while yet. Hahahahahahahahahahaha.

Righto, pretty pictures time. I have some other stuff to write but I will put that up later. Pictures are more fun anyway.

OK - I was wrong about Nord Cap. So, Cape Horn it is then :)

Regs

Simon

Way to go beer

has no one told you that a box has sides and a top

Keep them posts coming
all the best
shan

Hellooooo everyone.............. It's been a while. No pictures I am afraid, not yet.

As before, when the bike was on the boat I went back to England to catch up and see my family. Now I am wandering again.

Last year was amazing. I had a ball and enjoyed every bit of it. I only saw a small part of Africa's huge continent. I travelled with no plan and do not feel as if I missed out on anything, just didn't get to see it all. I hope to go back there again and see more. With no plan I never felt rushed but another year there would be good.
I met many people and was helped out many times. The people of Africa are just amazing. Warm, welcoming and full of spirit. I learnt a lot, an awful lot.

So now I have to thank a few people. My bike is central to my travel and my way of life, without it I simply do not have the freedom to wander.
Alfie and Hazel Cox. People pay to be with them, I turned up said I wanted to use their workshop and not pay! I stayed days and was taken into their home. For me, a bike nut this was truly special.
Ray and Barry in Lusaka. To be able to fix the frame in the way they did was perfect. No stress or worry about who was touching my bike and how it was being worked on. Free use of a workshop and being left alone to do the job was for me perfect.
Johan at Mefo south Africa. From one email he sorted tyres and had them sent around the world for me. I am precious about the gear I use. The confidence it gives me is important when I am out on my own. He understood that and provided a level of service that was first class. Please look on his website, some more of my pictures are there. Mefo Sport Africa - Gallery
Lastly, Duncan and Elly at African Overlanders. Their reputation preceeded them, travellers I had met had used them and had every confidence in them. I stayed too long, had fun, even did some work! But again the biggest thing was I could do sort the boxing of the bike myself.

So now I am in Buenos Aires awaiting the big box of fun. I am told the boat is in port. Over the next week I hope to see my bike again. Was my packaging ok? Has it fallen over in its travels? will it be put down right way up and did I ever put sides onto that box! Time to hit the road again soon............ Hmmmm maybe I should look at changing the thread title. doh

:thumbup1:

beer

Africa, a memory. Now South America!!!!!
 

Back on the bike!!!!!!!!!
Customs was a breeze. Mainly due to Sandra from Dakar Motors, well actually totally due to Sandra. I cannot speak any Spanish and without this the paperwork would be impossible. They love their paperwork in Buenos Aires. All the usual stuff just heaps of it, signed I don't know how many times!

I have had some problems with the bike. A real first for me! It broke down, as opposed to me breaking it. An electrical issue and the fuel pump not working. At 47,000 miles and still on the original battery I will forgive it. But it caused some embarrassment and some running around for a while.

Now I am free again. It has taken me a while to get back into it. I am finding South America very, very different to Africa. Nothing like as laid back. I also miss the wide open spaces of Africa. I know these are out here I just haven't got to them yet. One thing that is fantastic is the ease with which I have crossed borders. I went into Uruguay really just to check out the process. A breath of fresh air after last year. No pressure, no constant fending off the fixers and the Aduana are helpful towards the traveller.

Now I am near the Iguazu Falls. I haven't seen them yet, for the moment I am just relaxing and enjoying being here.

And the tale continues :thumbup1:

Nice one John! :D

Simon

Nice one John, travel safe.
Louis

Come on John .....................where are you?????

Peek a boo!.............. Hahahahaha.

Flippin' 'eck this travel lark can run away with you! So I was looking at the pretty waterfalls. That was so long ago. Let me think, two countries, too many punctures, some mountains, some snow, some volcanoes, camping at 14000 feet and an earthquake!

I am booked into a hostel for a rest! I will bring this wayward tail up to date over the next couple of days.

Your fuel pump problem was actually you battery?

Yeh come on ya swine get typing :thumbup1:

Argentina....Hmmmm...... Well we didn't get on! I had the worst run of bad luck I have had travelling there. I met some fantastic people but on the whole I just didn't gel with the place. I did I think maybe 3000 km but for me it just never got better. I like to wild camp and Argentina seemed to be a land of fences. I rode across to Salta I wanted some parts for the bike. I found the KTM dealer. He didn't have the bits, that was to be expected. But also the main agent in Buenos Aires didn't have them either! One of the bits was an M8 bolt! I was just being lazy and putting it on the list!

It did get better when the mountains came along, it got hotter too. But again wild camping seemed an issue. I found a couple of great places but again the fences were back. I took to using the truck stops, not the best.

And then the last straw. Again a wild camping issue. Heading for Mendoza and looking for somewhere. Nowhere appropriate and when I tried one place I picked up something in the front tyre. One puncture later, no worries swap the tube. Along the road, flat again! Ok fix the original puncture in the dark and look for a garage with an airline to get full pressure. Five flippin' garages later and well into Mendoza before I could find one with a working airline and gauge! Ok so now I have had enough I will ride through the night to the Chile border and camp there. Too cold for safe mountain riding at night. Again I struggle to find somewhere to camp. Tried three spots, one just too many rocks, the second had dogs barking from the nearby farm and the third I was scoped out by a car, far to interested in what I was doing. Not good. The end result camping at the Gendarmeria post on the side of the road at three am!

Sometimes it just doesn't go right! I would like to go back to Argentina and see more. But it has to be when it's warmer and I would have to be more organised about accommodation. The thing is I don't like to organise. It takes a bit of the fun out of it for me. Still some amazing places with fantastic pictures.

Thats a shame John i thought at least you'd have got a good steak !!!!

Good last pic mate :thumbup1:

Will it be warmer in "Chile" :innocent:

Ah well it can't always be sunshine and roses. And I don't want anyone to think I am being disrespectful towards a country. As I said I would like to go back. It was just cold and a few things went wrong. My style of travel doesn't help. I am very lucky in that I don't plan or care how things flow. This approach just didn't fit with Argentina. No worries, I have nothing to prove so I move on.

Life is good!

Shrek to answer your question. I am not sure. The bike was in a box for a few weeks. The battery was weak when I left the docks and needed a jump start from another battery. But then the bike ran fine. The odd thing with the pump is the distance I rode meant it must have been pumping something. However as we found later one of the phases of the regulator was shot, so the battery was not being charged effectively. The battery is the original, ten years old, so I don't feel let down by it. Also the KTM fuel pump is known to fail. The one on the bike was a new one when I left and the original was the spare. They work using points and these do break down over time. I will open the defective pump and check it. It may be it just needs servicing and it will be fine.
Why it all happened at once? I don't know. But my bike is used hard. It is also into the 80,000km mark so I can forgive it for getting grumpy with me.

Chile...... a good place! But before I ramble on I need to say something about the amazement of travel. About how it can surprise and teach you everyday. So please indulge me, this cannot always be a look at me aren't I great story!

I left the side of the road, Chilean border maybe 50km away. A bright sunny morning after an annoying night. Cracking! About 2km and the front blows again! So not happy I stop. Now the issue with the front blowing is that due to the weight, trying not to crash and all that, it generally rips the valve from the tube. This has happened already so I don't have a spare tube. Hmmm not good! Still it's a nice day and the sun is out.

Some times you can patch over the old tube hole and reinsert the valve into another part of the tube (if you have the right kind of valve). So I try this. I have done it before but a 200 kg bike and luggage is having none of it. Each time I go to inflate it leaks past the valve.

Ok, spare rear tube into front wheel. Not ideal but what the hell. Hmmm Keep trapping the excess rubber. Now whilst I am mucking about a few bikes pass. I put a thumbs up and they continue. I decide it's brew time! Another chap stops and I sort of explain what is going on. He says the next town is 30 km away. He will go and get a tube and return. Top Bloke!

So I sit and continue going over stuff. Another chap stops. I try and explain I am ok and off he goes. I check over the tyre and pull out what look like cactus thorns. Lots of them. That will be the issue then! Maybe should have checked earlier.

Now I have been here a while, I think the first guy is a bust. So I start to think I will push the bike back to the police post, hitch to the town, get a tube and hitch back. No worries, it's a nice day. Then the second guy rocks back up, with a tube! I speak nada Spanish and he speaks no English. His name is Pablo Oliva from Mendoza. He waited whilst I sorted the bike, would take no money from me or let me give him fuel! He was just pleased to help. Pablo is a star!

I go on to Chile which I will come onto. However second day in Chile as I pull up to a toll booth a bike drops in front of me and pays my toll. We ride on I pull up level and express my thanks. Then we pull over and in perfect English the guy asks where I am from. This is how I met Benjamin. We talked and I asked about campsites. To be told there aren't any in or near Santiago. I then spend four days living at Benjamin's place! Sorting chores and being taken out by himself and his friends.

So over a few days two people who have never met me go out of thier way to help me. I am humbled hugely by their good will, good grace, trust and faith in other people. Travel is good for many, many reasons. Reminding you that people are special and should be treated well and with respect is way up the list.

Benjamin and Pablo, thank you. People like yourselves are part of the reason people like myself can continue to do such daft things. Thank you very much.

:thumbup1: Puts your faith back in us nasty humans John , had a couple of occasions similar myself :thumbup1:

Nice one John, some of my best friends are from Chile, bikers included, so pop down to Spain next time - meanwhile have fun :)

Regs

Simon

Great story. I will hit Chile with the motorbike for sure after that!

Chile. Fantastic place! I very, very much enjoyed it. Talking bikes and travel with two guys at the border. The pleasant and interested approach from the border officials, this whilst there was some kind of industrial action underway. The amazing ride down the mountains to the coast, you know when the first sign you see says Curva 17 you know the road will be good. Benjamin and his help. So much! Chile is fantastic.

I had my time off in Santiago and Benjamin's place. Santiago is a huge busy city. Whilst there I had my first earthquake! I was alone in Benjamin's flat two floors up in a ten storey building. Now I know nothing of actual earthquakes. But from my old job a lot about their consequences. At first in my innocence I wondered what was being driven into the basement garages to cause the vibrations! Hahahaha. Then it got really going and the penny dropped. All I can say is wow! I was told it was a big quake and lasted a lot longer than usual, I know it caused a lot of damage in other parts of the country. Benjamin and his friends checked up on me to make sure the uneducated Gringo would be ok and not hiding in the bath tub!

From Santiago I went up the coast to San Pedro De Atacama. It was great to see the ocean again, I miss it when inland. The Trans American Highway is good road, amazing scenery along the coast. Then back into desert, my kind of country. San Pedro was in an amazing place. However the town itself is plastic backpacker territory! Maybe I am getting old? Maybe I just don't mix well with others. Maybe I am just getting grumpy, but two days was all I could take. I worked out a course through the back road to the border. A few things to look at on the way, salt flats, alpacas, desert, volcanos. You know the usual stuff.

Great place Chile, did I mention that?.............

:wave: where are you ?????????????????

I am in Bolivia!!!!................................ er................ actually I am not but I am so bad at keeping this up to date I will use some journalistic licence.

To be honest I find this really hard to do. The stuff in the forum, the comments in threads I am ok with. But somehow this feels like showing off all the time. I am amazed people keep following what I do.

So with that in mind I am going to stop being a lazy so and so, and get this thing back on track. Now South America was set as a year in my mind. Well it just hasn't gone like that. I have again been really enjoying riding my bike. I set out to travel as much to ride as anything else. I am at heart still a kid, damned if I am ever growing up. I tried it once and it just didn't agree with me! Riding my bike makes me happy, sounds daft but it's quite deep in me. When I was getting to grips with leaving and doing this I read other people reports and remember scoffing at the speed some people covered the ground. And here I am doing the same thing and enjoying it immensely. Big mileages have raced by. The bike has been pushed way harder than a loaded adventure bike should be, both on and off tarmac. I have enjoyed my road riding more than ever, and I really was fed up with the roads a while ago. I am awake, alive and flowing. I have for the first time in a long time, a reason to be. And if that isn't what this thread, this website and this whole endeavour isn't about then we all need to give up! Life is good people. I am very lucky to still be involved in it............................ especially after some of my overtakes...................... Man these trucks are huge!!!!!!!!!!

So Bolivia. Fantastic place, wonderful people, reminds me of West Africa a little. People are the important thing. The infrastructure is there but it's the people that make the place thrive. Everything is done on the street. Forget big shops and chains. Just take a walk and start asking. Wonderful, real contact, real trust, real connections. An example, I met a chap in a hostel in La Paz. He asked about food and I said I was going to walk down the street and see which Cooking Mama had the biggest crowd. We walked and then sat down. I still have no Spanish so I look, smile be respectful and ask to be fed. Big Mama smiles, laughs and feeds dumb tourist. We eat real food, we eat good food and we have fun. I have no idea what half the stuff I eat is, but it is always good.

I entered Bolivia with no mapping on the sat nav and just the one page paper map in the lonely planet. So no idea where I was going again. Asked at the border for directions and rode away. Damn near fell off on a straight road with no one else on it. I was looking around so much at the fantastic scenery I hit a big pile of gravel and nearly dropped it! Hahahahaha. Wild camped the first night at 14,000 something feet. Felt like I was camping on the set of the original Star Trek planets. I eventually made it to Uyuni, got a bigger A4 map! and checked out the Salar. Strange place. A whole lot of nothing, like the flats in Botswana but solid and so bright under the sky. The road to La Paz was there, mostly. Just great, no real idea about fuel, lots of guess work. You know keep the volcanoes on your left and don't fall off type stuff.

Got to La Paz in the pouring rain. Nice city, mad place but great fun. Stayed a few days so I could check out the Death Road. The trip up to the road is amazing. The Jungas Valley is huge and a real pleasure in its own right. A massive ribbon of good tar through an incredible rock valley. The road was found and off I go. Now I have to say I have ridden other roads that I thought were more risky and more dangerous. And before people wade in, yes there is a bypass now so it is not full of big trucks, however it is still used by trucks but I think they only go down and not up. Mountain bikers are the biggest user now! There are a lot of crosses on the road and I suspect these are biker going down faster than they anticipated! It is however a stunning place, absolutely beautiful to ride and enjoy. To walk it would be a fantastic days trek. I rode down and then turned around and came up. The last few kilometres were done is a huge thunderstorm, lightening, heavy rain, the lot. I so wanted an AC/DC soundtrack blasting away at me. Again, when I shouldn't I started to push and play! Damned foolish place to do it but I just can't help it. Uphill on gravel with my unloaded bike spinning away. too much fun! And unlike Lesotho I didn't fall off this time! Hahahahahaha. Alfie would be proud. Hahahahahaha.

From La Paz a quick blast to Lake Titicaca with a puncture to keep me on my toes! A night at Copacobana right on the shore. Here I had some bad water, despite boiling it. Man did it make me ill. I have been ill three times over this travel, all three times it was water. Never food. I took the ferry over the lake. Just one of the coolest, chilled to things to do. I miss the water, always feel good when I see lots of it. Strange really, I don't like to sit on a beach and rarely swim in the sea. But having lived surrounded by it for so long I need to see it occasionally. The ferry ride was cool. Master and commander was a million and one years old, and knew more about life than I ever will. I felt like an excited kid!

At the border I was treated to my first bit of corruption. After doing the paperwork the police decided they wanted a chat! Weak, lads. Very weak! No money passed hands and off I went! On to Peru...................... which is where I am now...................... er no I'm not. But I will be when I write it up, 'onest Guv'nor................

These are just the Death road. Don't take the hype too seriously and go for the views. Incredible place.

Ok I admit it, now I am showing off.:D

You be steady now playing !!!!!
https://youtu.be/e2xTB5BijsI

Good on ya John .................its better to ride than write anyway but i need to feel pissed off every now and then :rofl:

No way Big John! You're not showing off, showing away or anything else like that.

What you are doing is inspiring the rest of us to do our Big Trip - and any other trip - and a timely reminder to do it NOW!

I passed up an invitation to hook up with a couple of guys on their way to Morocco a few weeks ago - but did decide to go next spring after getting exited about the idea - until yesterday and a trip to the dentist: it's either €5,000 now or a mumbling toothless crone in a few years time ... so that's Morocco out for at least a year and the Big Trip f*** knows when!

Back in the late 'seventies a very wise person said to me, "Go - Now!" What a fool I was ...

So, everyone - Go - Now! :D

Regs

Simon
PS Polly and I are also glad to hear that you're still alive! :thumbup1:

Ride Report
 

John, you just do your updates when it suits you, as the trip is the thing, not the writing. It can be a real pain to keep doing updates, when you should be chilling and having a few beers in the evening.

I loved your thoughts on riding versus staying longer in a place. I mostly just stay one night and ride on the next day. When I do stay more than a day, I look longingly at the bike in the morning and wish I was on the move again. You seemed to capture the essence of the excitement of adventure biking in that paragraph. I could never describe it so well.

Great write up and pictures of Bolivia (or where ever it was). Keep it up, when the trip allows.

Look forward to that beer sometime in Hampshire if you ever feel like coming back here.

Cheers

So Peru. A place of mixed feelings for me. As I have been going north it is noticeable the people are more friendly, Bolivia was great and Peru followed suit. It also had the big open spaces of the desert, that for me is a draw and always makes me feel good. There is nothing better than riding across huge open scenery. Something that really helps to put perspective on just how small we really are.

I took to the mountains to get to Machu Picchu by the back door. Way better than the standard route. Backpackers................Hmmmm.............The North Face uniform..........Hmmmm............ Hahahahaha. Anyway Machu Picchu was cool, but to be honest the trip to get there was cooler. Big mountain roads, finally a bit of gravel and dealing with real people to sort things out.

The ride up through the rest of the country was great. I followed the Pan American highway and just took it easy. Big road, big scenery and easy riding. Nazca is a place I wanted to see. All the mumbo jumbo over the lines. Has it never occurred to anyone they might just have been done for a laugh! You know big party, guys wake up hung over going "Hey who drew the Humming Bird? that's cool." Just something to do in the desert after a few jars. I took the plane flight, fantastic way to see it all and well worth it.

Unfortunately Peru has the worst drivers of anywhere I have ever been. The big trucks are great but the coaches and the cars are just appalling. That and the huge amount of litter everywhere got on my nerves in the end. So great place but it was good to push on into Ecuador.

So you're still with us :thumbup1: looking good mate and i'm with you on wide open spaces with no one around ride safe and take more fecking pics :rofl:

Hola ZD
Ive only skimmed thru your travels here but was curious if you have hooked up with any other ADV kin folk along the way ?
And how have the border crossings been for ya?

Cheers compadre bier

JOHN .....................I'M SICK OF WAITING !!!!!! WHERE THE FECK ARE YOU :innocent:

Ahhh........ er....... not Peru! Phil I have an idea. You have a word with the powers that be and we just do this together. That way I will not feel so bad about being utterly useless at the update, internet stuff.
Life's good, it seems to get in the way of telling people how good it is! Hahahahahahaha.

I will over the next couple of days get the camera downloaded and bring this wayward tale up to date. For now I will answer the border crossing stuff.

To date I have, I think gone through around twenty five countries. Some I have only been in for a couple of days, some a whole lot longer. I have only once used a fixer, that was the story at the start of this thread. There was one other border where I crossed with another traveller. It was a little chaotic there but still no worse than any African border.

In the experiences I have had I would say fixers are not needed. Sure if you want to go that way they are there and in a lot of cases are very useful. But it is a door that swings both ways. In corrupt countries the fixers may well be tied in with the corruption and as such you merely exchange one type of inconvenience for another. Homework prior to the border is in my opinion the best option. Also using smaller less travelled borders worked well for me. There is more chance of genuine interest in you and your story and as a result a greater degree of help.

Culture is also a big part of it. I made a huge mistake at one border because I wrongly assumed they were trying to rip me off in a way I was used to from another continent. I very nearly didn't get through and to be honest if I wasn't with another traveller I probably would have been turned back. I should have known better and should have approached it differently.

Borders are stressful there is no doubt about it. But they don't need to be. Preparation and approach are key.


Pictures will follow..............

Just checking you're alive mate bier

Still alive and kicking! And still whizzing about on a motorcycle. Cool isn't it. :scooter: I am a very lucky chap! Hahahahaha.

So I am going to bring this folly right up to date. It has gone wayward and for that I apologise. I blame the weather, it rained!


Ok After Peru it went a bit quick. I decided I wanted a break and hammered it through both Ecuador and Columbia to Cartagena. Once there I managed to nearly drop the bike on my foot and I think broke something in there. I ended up with a rest, like it or not! Both Columbia and Ecuador were great riding. My tyres were way past their best and I pushed them just enjoying the roads. Big views, big trucks and fantastic fun. I did yet another oil change in some hotel car park and just kept riding. Cartagena is straight out of Pirates Of The Caribbean. But and it is a big but, very seedy. To be honest walking around it especially at night was a pain. I know there are certain types of tourist out there but I am not one of them. I didn't like the place much. Huge history but dirty both literally and metaphorically.

Oh and I had my worst police bribe attempt yet! When you type into google translate on a coppers phone " so you just want a bribe then " and he types back " yes " you know it has turned to farce. Pathetic! And no I didn't give them any money.

From Columbia I chose the Stahlratte as my means to get to Panama. I did a bit of homework and Ludwigs boat always came out top dog. It seemed that any other way whilst providing that great adventure tale had too many flaws. Mostly money orientated, with exact costs not being able to pin down. I have been through all this before, I don't need to be held to ransom over charges with the bike as collateral. The Stahlratte was a known system and turned out to be a great choice. If I go back there I will use them again, no question.

On the boat there were just four travellers. All lone motorcyclists and not a blinged up beemer amongst us! I think we were a bit of fresh air for the crew, we were certainly not their normal group. No airs and graces, no egos and no worries. It was a great few days and if you ever wanted to see the chocolate box Caribbean Islands the San Blas is it. Truly astonishing!

The four of us on the boat teamed up for the ride and associated customs antics in Panama. So myself. Randall, KLR and ex military. Tommy, KTM and nuts. Brad, something bought in Columbia and a surfboard all hit the road. I ran out of petrol and it rained. Did I mention the $%^&^%$£%ing rain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And a confession. The only tyres I could get in Cartagena were road tyres. I know......... a sad, sad day.........my first pair of road tyres ever on the big katoom......I feel dirty........ great on the road.............. but not so on the gravel...........can you guess yet...................

Great to hear more from you Big John.

OK, my guess is that your whiling away some time in hospital after going for some stunts on the gravel! :)

Regs

Simon

Central America and rain! Lots and lots of rain! Well the four of us left the boat and if we could have seen the views I am sure we would have enjoyed them. We took on the usual travellers games of hunt the customs office and then the do we don't we get all the legal stuff.................

After that we all bombed it into Panama city. An amazing place! especially the ride in at night. All Hollywood skyscrapers and waterfront. It was a huge shock after South America. The city was a laugh and our night out was............ interesting, with me being the main cause of laughter. And no I will not explain. You need Tommy and Brad to talk. I will just say it was fast food and fast women with no knickers! Hahahahahahahaha. But I promise not what you are all thinking.

We parted company in Panama. I did something I haven't done since the start of this trip. I rode with someone else for a while. Randall was heading to Ometepe and I joined in. I relaxed a lot and went with the flow. Randall I am sure will not mind me saying is a great bloke! I had a very good time in his company and I hope very much to meet him again. I meet a lot of people travelling and Randall is without a doubt someone I could do great distances with. We rode the same style and travelled well together. His taking me to Ometepe is the highlight of Central America.

The Island is beautiful. Two volcanoes and a chilled out atmosphere. Get there before lonely planet ruin it. I spent I think a week there. I like island life, I am used to it. If I didn't have the reason to move on then like Randall I would stay there.

But the rain! Wow did it rain a lot. We were soaked most days with huge, heavy downpours until we got to Ometepe. Central America is all small countries and border crossings. With the weather and my wish to get to the USA it just became a place to get through. A place that is wonderful but I prefer deserts and open spaces. As I rode up through Mexico the horizons retreated and the heat was back. I felt more and more at home the further north I rode. Strange really, I have no home. It's great.

Hello Simon. Well no hospital but a dropped bike. I haven't done it for ages. I was just playing, spinning the back up and pushing the front, then bang. Down I go. Damned tyres are dangerous...... shouldn't be allowed.....could get a guy into trouble out in the desert! Hahahahaha.

On the plus side the bent handlebars on the right now match the bent handlebars on the left! doh

What i give to get wet ..............................THERE !!!! good on ya John , great pics and teaser writing !!!
Ride safe mate :thumbup1:

ho ho ho
 

Well..
how do big fella...

happy christams to you and the mighty katoom :rofl:

dont get on here much but follow your wanderlust with envy....yep we are back out to france for chrimbo in the camper...

Still got the ccm644 and its going fine for a change and hope to see the "french idiot" in spring bier so keep the mudd under them wheels and dont do owt daft..

Hello Russ. Good to hear about the camper. I have been looking at the ones here with envy. I am seriously wondering about the possibility of getting one in the long term. I was with an Englishman who lives in Canada but winters in Arizona. As far as I could make out a perfect lifestyle. I am very envious of his position and whilst I in no way want to wish my life away I could see that in my future.

You didn't make the jump to the big KTM then? You know mate the CCM is a good bike. In many ways the KTM is no better. They both have issues and are an enthusiasts machine, not run of the mill.

Take care out in the sticks and watch over the crazy man! Hahahahaha.

Christmas is coming and the Adventure Rider is getting fat! Hahahahahaha. The food out here is incredible, way too much fried stuff but it is soooooooo nice!

My first time in the land of the free and my preconceptions are all TV and Hollywood based. I feel like a big daft kid riding around. There are just so many toys out here and I want most of them. Maybe not the Harleys though, Not sure I could do the Southern California ape hangers thing. Did watch Sons Of Anarchy the other night, it's in colour so it must be true, right?!

Arizona was incredible. I road into town and moved in on a ride shown on ADV. That started a fantastic 10 tens or so. I met Bob, Ken and Steve. Three people who each provided support and help. Bob shared mapping with me and took me out into the Arizona desert. Beautiful trails with huge open scenery. I just rode around enjoying the view, feeling the heat and immersing myself in the fun of riding. After hearing about my suspension woes Ken made a call and put me in contact with a first class guy to get both the front and rear ends refreshed. And Steve! An offer out of the blue to stay at his house. To stay with Steve and his family was a pleasure. Wonderful people with a patience for the dumb questions I was asking. Real home cooking from Katrina, a ride with Steve's son, taxied around to get bike parts and a workshop to do yet another oil change. It was a holiday from the pressures of travel and a pleasure to be within their household.

The weather has played a huge part in my travel over this last year. I don't mind riding in the rain but I have come to realise I need the sun, must be getting old! My original intention had been to head into Utah but the temperatures were not good and snow was real possibility. So I have gone east. Steve told me of a place to wild camp in the Southern Californian desert and I headed that way. I had the best nights camping I have had for ages. One of those times it just goes right. I turned up in the dark, found a great spot, had food under the stars and fell asleep reading a book. I awoke to a flat torch battery and a beautiful view of the mountains. I felt free and at peace. Travel is wonderful, in a way I cannot get across. It just has to be experienced individually.

So now I am in San Diego. I have been for a while. Each time I go to leave I look at the weather to the north and book another night. I got as far as Los Angeles. That lasted one night, not my sort of place. I packed up in the morning and rode back to San Diego. But next week I will definitely move on. I think Christmas in San Francisco, there should be something to do there!

Whilst in Tucson I took the opportunity to see a couple of things. The Boneyard is something I have seen on the movies and various "down with the kids" type bike videos. A scrap yard for the USAF and next door to the Pima plane museum. Big stuff! Big stuff on a scale we just don't have in Britain. It was a great day out. being allowed to wander around the planes and get a grasp of how truly large some of the cold war stuff is. Then a bus tour around the Boneyard itself. Line after line of hard ware. America projects power and with all the stuff it has laying around it clearly shows the power it can put out there. Impressive and a touch worrying at the same time.

Then I went to the Titan Missile museum. The bunker is open to the public for tours and a decommissioned missile, minus warhead is sat in the hole. An amazing sight. Paranoia on a scale I barely remember from my youth. The missile is huge! the guide put its power into perspective by saying that when Neil Armstrong was an astronaut before his mission to the moon the missile was used as a vehicle for space missions. The space that house the warhead was a two man pod for the astronauts.

Big stuff. Big power. Big engines...................

More pictures.

Hmmm, sorry I don't know why it turns a couple on their side.

You bought a new camera in the USA ????? most pics yet mate :rofl: don't need to tell you to have a good one John , take care mate :clap:
Phil

Hi Jon,

Greetings from Johannesburg,

Have been enjoying your tale. I echo the others' comments that stories like yours are wonderful inspiration to us who are not quite there yet... look out for two South Africans called Poodle and Meghan! Lovely couple who are en route to Alaska raising funds for Docs without Borders.

Enjoy the States,

Richard

Sent from my SM-P605 using Tapatalk

Good morning Rich, thank you for reading. I hope your friends have good luck with the weather.

I have moved on from San Diego to San Francisco. The city is very different from San Diego, it shows its history. I really like it here, there is a whole different atmosphere. Alctatraz, the tram cars, the buildings, the bridges and of course the Streets Of San Francisco. Just have to find myself a second hand Ford Torino..............................

Ok so a little indulgence here, after all it's Christmas and all that. This will be my second Christmas on the road, last year was in Namibia after getting the bike back from the boat. A fair few miles have gone under the wheels since then.
I have a lot of time on the bike to think and absorb what is happening to me and around me. Something that living in the working world just doesn't allow. Relax now, no deep hippy stuff is about to come out. I haven't lost it all yet.....................

The world is a strange mucked up place. It is however beautiful and full of the most incredible people. I have been fortunate enough to see some of its wonders and meet some of those people. I still get overwhelmed by just how I get treated sometimes. The care, interest and help I have received. I can never be able to thank everyone enough and of course I just disappear and move on but I do not forget. I cannot, without help from people I simply wouldn't have got here now. Life is good and to be free to travel through it is amazing.

I have many places that have been special to me but the deserts are always where I feel most at home, the Sahara, the Namib, the Kalahari. The heat and the space allow for different perspective. The Western Sahara is my most favourite place of all. I have been there three times now and I will return again one day. The sand and I have some unfinished business to sort out. I never really know how to put across how the desert makes me feel. Then just yesterday I bought two books from a second hand book store in town. One about the Yukon, a place I hope to visit and the other about the Sahara. In there was a quote from a Polisario Commander that explains it all;

"This may seem like the end of the earth to you, but it is not for us... In the desert we are free, there are no restrictions. We can see forever. We can cast our eyes to the horizon, and all we can see is sand and sky. In the desert our spirits can fly."



Merry Christmas where ever you are. Take care and enjoy the day. Me, I hope to take a walk through the Redwoods.


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Oh goody! I'm thew first to wish you 'Happy Christmas' back John - there's got to be an upside to being a lifelong early-riser sad bastard! :rofl:

Keep thise wheels a'turnin' Big John! :thumbup1:

Simon and Polly (sensible girl, still tucked up ...)

:thumbup1:

Hey whats going on big man ????? them yanks feeding you to many burgers and dounuts :cowboy:

Ok......... Well I am writing again. I have purposefully been hiding from this lately, even more than normal. I will over the next couple of days bring it bang up to date. Lots of things have happened and they spelt the end to this part of the adventure! I left England without a plan. Over my travels a plan never really formed. I had no real idea where I was going or why. I didn't know if I was aiming to ride around the world, I never had a list to tick, I wasn't restricted by a time frame and I have been a very, very lucky man to have had this opportunity.

I wandered homeless and happier than I think I have ever been in my life. I never felt unsafe despite some of the things I got caught up in and I think I came to realise that I always was the person I thought I was. I just had a chance to be that person and not be trapped with the confinement of the modern all encompassing world.
My travels reinforced within me patience, reliance, respect, integrity, hope and love. Both for myself and for all the other people I was lucky enough to meet. I know in my heart I am not scared of anyone, anything, or any circumstance. I realise that sounds incredibly pretentious to say, after all many people have achieved far more than I have, but travel has reinforced in me my ability to be. And now I am stronger and calmer than I have ever been. I am lucky, I have seen things and experienced things that have built on that strength and opened my eyes to a much, much bigger picture.

Riding alone gives time to think. When something wasn't going well I just used to think, as long as the trees were green and the sky was blue it would be ok. I must have said that to myself hundreds of times at the start of this journey. I have talked many times about my love for the desert. Its vastness gives me, at least, a sense of perspective. We sit and worry about our problems, and they are all real for each of us, all important. Then I would ride out into a desert, you know going somewhere I had been advised not to go alone, at some point I would stop and sit. The heat and the space were fantastic. Camp, spend the night and allow everything to be reset. I would spend hours sitting by my tent, the bike always in view and just looking. When you can sit somewhere long enough to see the shadows move or the stars rotate, then you are at peace.

Funny old life isn't it?

On from San Francisco then. I liked it there, another place I want to return to. One of the days I took the loop around the bay going over all three bridges. A wonderful ride under a clear blue sky. America has a pace and intensity all of its own. But there at least in some parts the slower side of life was on view. I spent the Christmas in the hostel and then looked forward to the road again. The Pacific Cost Highway going north. I was in no rush, wanted the scenery and was mindful of the cold. Clear skies in the day and very cold nights. Travel alone again and wild camping, they were my aims.

The Pacific Coast Highway going north is beautiful. I have been asked many times about favourites, favourite country, favourite city, favourite roads and I am never sure how to answer. I can never pick a single out of so many. I prefer to think along the lines of places I would return to. The Pacific Coast Highway is one of those. I will go back there and travel along it again, it is stunning for so many reasons. I got my wild camping in and the nights were indeed getting colder as I went north. I had a personal goal to wild camp on New Years Eve. But alas this was not to be. At around four each day the sun would drop and with it the temperature. I had to have found somewhere and be set up ready for this. Wild camping on this coast was not allowed everywhere and twice I had used the very good Government Sites. On New Years Eve I pushed it too far and whilst sat in the darkness under a carry snow chains sign I knew I had blown it. Damn!

The route north took me through Redwood country. Trees are cool, really big trees are incredible! Muir Forest is just outside San Francisco and a walk through the redwoods was on the cards. I had tried to get there earlier but with the holiday season it was packed. Also further up the highway is the Valley Of The Giants. These trees are just fantastic. Their ages and size are mind blowing. To think of them sat there patiently growing whilst us ants are crazily buzzing around underneath their boughs! And I was told somewhere up there was the scenery chosen as the Forest Moon of Endor for the proper Star Wars films. Never saw an Ewok though................

The road led me into Seattle, like San Francisco another waterfront town with history. A hostel in China Town for a few days to get the gear back in order and a mooch about. Lots of homeless and lots of missions. The skies were crystal blue and the wind was very cold. The views were amazing. I spoke with someone on the roadside about the light. Somehow along the coast it was crisper, the colours and views were more intense.

Seattle up to the Canadian Border was just a small hop. I expected quite a grilling at the border about my onward travels. I had been led to believe they would want to know my intentions, for how long and where I was intending to go. But nothing of the sort, a cutie for a border guard and on my way................

Kettle's on mate :D

Cheers Phil. I will bring t' bags, no worries.

So........ Canada! Well whilst there was never a plan there was and still is an idea about Canada. The North American continent as a whole has a lot of places and events I want to see and do. the Alcan 5000, the Dempster Highway, Alaska, the Dalton Highway, the Yukon, the Moab, Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, the trans American Trail and lots more! In short not just a few months visit but enough stuff to fill a few years and needing more stability than I have at the moment! My aim in Canada was to see about work and how to get it. Check out the lifestyle and generally do lots of homework so an informed decision could be made at a later date. I really had no idea how this would pan out. I had one contact there and a place to stay.

Well I only visited Vancouver and did a couple of day rides out from there. It was cold, too cold to go far and camping was really out of the equation. Within the first couple of weeks I had found out most of what I needed to know and it got me down a bit. A lot to be honest! My last twenty years working in England count for nothing abroad. I sort of knew that but to be told quite so firmly was still a shock! I was very, very lucky in that I had some fantastic people to stay with for my final week and I cannot thank John and Laurel enough for their hospitality. John and I bounced things around and they both kept up the encouragement when I was obviously not happy. Being able to talk things over with them helped me to look past my disappointment and think properly about what was best to do.

I had a few choices. I could keep riding and go all the way round the world. This I am sure I could do and I thought it would be at least another two years on the road. But I just don't have the enthusiasm for Russia and Asia. I know that is odd to say as I have never been there but that's how it is. I am not one for a tick in the box and saying I rode around the world would be just that to me. The next choice was to start wandering around Canada and keep asking questions looking for work. More easily said than done at this time of year. Another choice was to go back to the warmth of America, travel for six months and return to Canada in the summer to look again. The issue now being money and how fast I use it up living out the time. The option that kept getting to the top was to return to the UK and plan for getting back to Canada, any part of Canada and not be restricted to the Vancouver area. Research it, organise it and get it sorted properly not just bounce from one decision or piece of information to another. Being in the UK would be good for funds and give me a base to work from. Something more than a tent! When the cost of shipping the bike back to the UK came in I reluctantly decided it was the best option.

So as said before this part of the adventure is over. I am not happy! Not happy in a way I cannot even explain. I am in the UK, I have been for a couple of weeks now and I just don't like it! I want a very different way of life. I have seen it, experienced it and I know I want it. My bike is on its way back. I think that at least when I have it and my gear again I will feel better. But for the moment I am just here.

I never had a plan, but I have one now. I am going to work hard to achieve it. At the moment I am not sure what the best options are. I have some ideas and am going through them.

I am not going to finish this on a negative note so I will get some pictures up over the next couple of days. Canada what little I saw was incredible and inspirational for so many reasons. I will be back!

Pictures! Canada was just such a fantastic place. It was of course cold. Vancouver city was wonderful and I enjoyed walking around taking it all in. There cannot be many places you can sit for a while and watch the sea plane service running up and out over the river. I took a ride out one day to Hope, the place Rambo First Blood was filmed. A stunningly beautiful area and still looks like the film. The depth of green out there is incredible. The trees rise up the valley sides and then into the snow line. What starts as a dusting of icing sugar along the tips becomes solid white.

I also took in a bike show and a boat show, Toys everywhere all with a hint towards the weather and conditions Canada lives with. My last day involved taking lunch by a river and watching the Bald Eagles fish. Not just one but birds all along the river bank. An atmosphere of calm and the outdoors I could drop into at anytime.

I have many pictures of my bike. Some all adventurous, some looking decidedly worse for wear and some of it just plain old tired and used! For me riding my bike is being alive. Big distances are no issue. I look back over my picture collection and going back years there are different bikes in different places all providing me with an adventure of some kind. A head full of memories and too many stories. My bike is my way through the world, to ride is just the best thing, the most instant freedom I can get.

My current beast of burden has done me proud. It has evolved over the years I have had it. Twice it has taken me to Morocco and into the deserts. I have broken it in more countries than was good for it! For the last 20,000 miles it hasn't been serviced. Just regular oil changes and abuse. It is in a box somewhere on its way back to me. Like another bike I have it will be rebuilt and I will never sell it. It has done now somewhere around 75,000 miles. It has been through over 30 countries. I know it will still start first time and will take me many, many more places yet.

I have a plan....................:scooter:

Shipping
 

Just curious why did you skip so much of West Africa ?

Cheers
Paul

Hello Paul. The simple reason was Ebola. At the time I was in West Africa the Ebola virus was around. Countries were closing borders and travel restrictions were being talked about. I did at one point go to a Guinea border post and was told I could go in but may not be able to easily go out. Whilst in Bamako we were told to be wary of our travel plans and met people who were leaving the coast to get away from the troubled areas. Whilst in Ghana the Nigerian/Cameroon border was closed. People were crossing Nigeria only to be turned back. A friend who cycled the length of Africa waited it out and was held up for some months. Also in Ghana the tension was increased. Ghana was Ebola free and was being touted as a staging post for international agencies, more road blocks and more questions. Having a passport with stamps from an Ebola infected country was bad news. People were not happy and West Africa has it's own rules and way of doing things.

Now I must counter all this by saying West Africa was in many ways my favourite place. The freedom to roam was astonishing. I never felt threatened and was way off the beaten track a huge amount of the time. Once away from the corruption that is endemic with authority the people of West Africa were some of the warmest, most helpful and generous people I have ever met. I would without hesitation go back tomorrow and again travel alone without a care. West Africa is a stunning, welcoming and beautiful place.

The pictures are wild camping in Senegal, Burkina Faso, Mali and Togo. As I said freedom in a way that is hard to describe.

Maple Syrup isn't that good anyway John !!!!

You'll make there i'm sure mate great closing pic.......loaded and leaving :thumbup1:

Phil

Ebola
 

John,
I thought it may of been Ebola related...why I ask the question !
I am heading up there myself from South Africa in June or July.
One more question have you got co-ordinates for your free camping spots ???:innocent:

Cheers
Paul

Hi Bigman....

keep the chin up I know exactly how you must be feeling after we returned from a while in west Africa to have to return to the Uk was not waht we wanted but had to because of a coupe...

Arrived back to be told at the Airport we dont except cash just cards..had we really been away that long , should have just jumped on the first plane anywhere...but then we wouldnt have meet you nice folks lol..bier

Its also a age thing ..:oops2:....I`m far less tolerant of others and if i dont like a situation I just walk out the door and sit in a open green space letting the world keep on spinning...

A bike means freedom....new friends around every bend and new destinations so...


:taz: :scooter:...Some folks are just ment to wander:rofl:....my camper is my second natural home,feel so at peace in it wherever we go..