Wow! ....... John you've excelled yourself with that comment !

I can only assume you have been having a bad day?

While you are of course, fully entitled to your view and thoughts on anything you choose, and indeed to express them in any shape and form you choose. There is a time and place for them.
To come to a forum website which is proliferated by people who travel in the very places you refer to, with such ridiculous preconceptions of doom and gloom........... is honestly quite laughable.

You give the impression of a clueless teenager ! You're clearly not, but with comments like that will only serve to make people have "ridiculous preconceptions of doom and gloom......" about John933. Which is no doubt completely ridiculous, ......right?

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Regards Tim

Learning my craft for the big stuff, it won't be long now and it's not that far anyway

This is your first post on the subject. Not knowing what it was pertaining to. I'll give you a bit of back ground information to see if I can clear the muddy water's. There are two young lad's. Who both are caring injures of such a level that has seen them both come out of hospital. Then they post up saying about riding to Cape town South Africa. Then they tell us that it's there first time out on a bike, touring.


I was trying to point out that it could be a bridge too far. And a trip with in the EU could well get them blooded in to traveling. I then went on to give the reason's why. It was at that time the Mod's moved the post from that section to the pub. So what has been said before has all been lost.


With that lot in mind I still stand by what I have posted. I'm not no dumb azz poo shooter. Who douse not know what they are talking about. It's a case of learn to walk before you try to run.


Just to put the recorded straight. The place's I have been but not on a bike are. Aden, Worked up and down the Gulf, Two year's. Bangladesh, Singapore, and most of the Malaya. Crossing in to the Philippines, Then down on in to Darwin. British Solomon Island and Mombasa. And that's the place I can remember while I'm sitting here. Bet there is a few I've missed off.


My post to the two lad's. Was trying to be helpful, and informative.
John933

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To buy petrol in Europe. Pull up at station. Wait. Get out a 20 Euro note, then ask someone to fill up the bike. Give person money. Ride away. Simple.

It's not an adventure without at least SOME risk

both my parents are in their mid 70s. 10 years ago my dad made his first road trip out of Europe when we both drove to the Gambia, It was a relatively safe introduction being part of an (semi) organised group as the Plymouth Dakar challenge.

Last year, now in their 70s, my folks drove to Poland, where we met up with them before driving on with us to Belarus, no mean feat at 73. Hopefully, this September, me and my dad will be going with some other like minded individuals to tour around the off road areas of Romania.

Maybe something like that would be a good intro to the rest of the world, some kind of tour. There's lots of organised type events available, and there are lots of folks on here you could probably tag on with.

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1990 Landcruiser H60. Full rebuild completed 2014

Not having got to 73 quite yet I'm no experience of what I'll be like then (:confused1 but I do know lots of people that age or older who are extremely active. We were discussing travel plans at a family gathering yesterday and my wife's parents (80 next birthday) mentioned they're off to North Cape next summer as part of trip trip round northern Scandanavia. A friend of roughly the same age is an active skier and is off to La Plagne shortly while another (mid 70's) still does long distance (LeJog for example) cycling events.

Even at my relatively tender age I've noticed that the insurance industry is rapidly becoming the biggest obstacle to an active older life era. The renewal for our "easy trip" travel insurance came through a few days before Christmas and I rang them up (more in hope than in expectation) to see what, if any, of next year's planned trips they would cover. As an intro I said I was planning a few more active events in the next 12 months and got the reply "yes, we do cover cruises". ... What hope is there really if that's their idea of being out on the edge.

These days I work on the medical desk of a medical assistance company organising the repatriation of people from overseas who have damaged themselves or got sick abroad. We work for various insurers

What you really want from an insurance company is the knowledge that when the sticky stuff hits the whirly object they will pay out and not quibble.

From that perspective, Thomson are not too good. Price is quite good, but balanced against that is the fact that they will go through your medical history with a fine tooth comb in the event of a claim, and if there is anything in there you haven't declared, they probably won't pay out. And all that checking takes time of course, when time may not be on your side

At the other end of the scale, for the over 50s SAGA are hard to beat for normal everyday type stuff, not too sure about the more 'dangerous' activities. That will hopefully change though as over 50s get more adventurous. But they are very reliable.

For the under 50s, sainsbury is suprisingly good and the one I will probably go for.

Don't forget other specialist insurers though, like through the motorcycle federation, but check who the underwriter is. Cigna is the main underwriter we deal with and they seem pretty good.

of course, all that only applies in the UK!

The key though is hide nothing, if you don't declare something and you need the insurance they may not pay out, even if the reason for the claim is unrelated to what you didn't declare, and they will find out because in almost all illness claims and some accident claims, we will need a medical report from your GP before cover is agreed.

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1990 Landcruiser H60. Full rebuild completed 2014

Life's a risk, then you die

Why go- a thousand reasons- but for me it is to understand and maybe in the end be able to influence change here at home to make the world a better place.

As for the risks I once had a conversation with a round the world traveler and the only trouble he ever had was when he was robbed - in USA state of Oklahoma.

I think travel outside of ones comfort zone should be required at least once in your life.

It is for me, it seems to be for you, but who are we to assume that everybody else are like us and that they will derive the same things we derive from traveling out of our comfort zone.


There is probably a lot of things you won't experience in your life that might be requirements of a fulfilling or valuable life to others.


To me reading and learning about history and philosophy would be a far more important requirement then traveling out of your comfort zone. Traveling is just one way, among many others, of opening your mind.


The human experience is vast and complex, I don't think our very limited and subjective experience of life warrants us the perspective and the authority to state what should be required in life.

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http://solomonde.blogspot.com
http://euromoto2015.blogspot.com

I am about to leave on an adventure and I am not doing it because it is safe if you want safe stay at home if you want safe get a car if you want safe play golf.
I hope to be going to places that some would consider not safe and I have also considered not going to these places because of the dangers but after many hours of contemplation SAFE = BORING

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http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tstories/jarvis/

Well said !

Guess who pressed the like button on your post?
John933

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To buy petrol in Europe. Pull up at station. Wait. Get out a 20 Euro note, then ask someone to fill up the bike. Give person money. Ride away. Simple.

Some apes leave the fertile valley and some stay behind. I think the latter will always be as unable to comprehend the former as much as the former are unable to the latter but neither are wrong or right. But why traverse Africa on a C90 or do a RTW on a 1200GS? For me the answer is simply because one can!