Horizons Unlimited
Motorcycle Travellers'
e-zine
in cooperation with
 |
Horizons Unlimited |
|
|
Are you a TRAVELLER? Do you fancy crossing rivers while the sharks wait for easy prey, counting 'coup' in India, kamikaze truck drivers in Lima, punch-ups with the Army in Cote d'Ivoire, roughing it at the Radisson in La Paz, getting mugged in Villarica, whacking sacred cows, rain in the Atacama Desert, monarchs in Michoacan, rock showers in Ecuador, visiting Love Temples, fending off unfriendly dogs, wrestling with Indians in Mexico, and much more? Then you're reading the right newsletter! |
| Administrivia Books Calendar, Events 2001 Comments Community Final Thoughts Funnies Helpful People Home Again In Progress... Leaving Soon New Links Prizes/New Quiz Repair Shops on the road Seen on the road Shorts Subscribe Tech Tips and Bits Travellers Community Travellers Tips Travellers Questions Who's on the Road Who Are They? Quotable Quotes Your Privacy
On the WebsiteHome
Page Don't forget, every newsletter is permanently archived online |
It's STILL winter here in England, even colder, flakes of horrible white stuff this morning, and we've been reading too many great stories of adventure in far flung corners of the world, hearing about too much hot sunny weather, great food and interesting people... And if you're like us, you'll find there's plenty here to get your feet itching, hands polishing or fixing up the bike, and mind and eyes roaming through atlases, travel stories and much more. The Website is growing, and hopefully providing useful information to all of you. If there is something not on the site that you would like to see please let me know. I would like to add more forums on the Board, especially for technical subjects, such as a KTM forum, a BMW forum etc., as well as anything else anyone thinks up. If you feel you have expertise in an area and would like to moderate a forum, just let me know. It's not hard, when someone posts something you will get an e-mail, and can respond or not as appropriate, so you don't have to keep checking in. We are working hard on a redesign of the site to improve accessability, ease of use, looks, and download speed, so if YOU can spare a half-hour to an hour or so to give us your opinion on a few pages, go to this address as of about the 2nd - 4th March - maybe sooner! Trip PlanningWe've had a number of requests to put this sort of information on the website, so we're working on it, and we'd really appreciate your feedback, support and any content you can provide. We're working on a form to make it easier to contribute. It's very much in draft stage, but Border Crossing information is well started, Shipping is done for information we currently have, and the outline for the rest is there, with lots more to come. See more on Shipping below. We're hoping that eventually it will give you everything you need to know to prepare for a trip, whether it's just a few hundred kilometres (or miles!) or around the world. We invite you to submit articles, and hints and tips we can incorporate into this new resource for travellers. Have a look! Your input could help! I especially want to thank all the volunteers that currently help out on the website. I'm sure everybody appreciates your contributions to the motorcycle travellers community. Please submit news reports, web links etc. to me for inclusion in the newsletter.I try to link to your website if you have one. If you don't want me to do that please say so! This is a free service to travellers everywhere, both on the road and (temporarily ;-) off. Your support is appreciated!
|
|||||
|
nothing exciting happened last month! or at least that you're telling me about...
Plan where to be when!If you know of any events of interest to travellers, send me a note. Cold Flame Rally, Australia, 10-11th March 2001This rally is in a stunningly scenic area of the Snowy Mountains. At the junction of the Snowy and Pinch rivers on the Barry Way (the Barry Way runs from Buchan in Vic to Jindabyne in NSW) 65 km south of Jindabyne and 15 km North of the Victorian border. BYO everything (water available from the river, firewood can be collected around the site) Greg Aldis (Australian events website page) Sydney Australia Tel. +61 (0)2 9311-1119(H) Tesch 23rd Meeting for World Travellers, April 6 to 8, 2001, Malmedy, BelgiumApprox. 300 travellers meet for slide shows, conversation, bonfire etc. Contact Bernd if you want to go. BMW Bike Festival, 20 to 22 April, 2001, Izmir, TurkeyBMW is organizing a Bike and Bikers Weekend in Izmir, Turkey. Contact Paolo Volpara or BMW in Kurucesme. Deadhorse, Alaska, July 12, 2001"... Let's make Deadhorse (Northern end of the road) like the annual Ushuaia (Southern end of the road) Christmas gathering. If you are going to Deadhorse in 2001, co-ordinate it (on the Bulletin Board) with other like minded folks with common interests in the land of the Midnight Sun. I'll be there with my Yorkie 'Punky' on a Kawasaki KLR650." Lew Waterman, USA, North and South America 2001-2 There are at least a half dozen riders already committed to being there - how about you?! Roadrunner 1000 Irish Rally, 21st - 23rd June, 2001, IrelandIronButt event - A chance to achieve (your choice) 1000 Kilometers, 1000 miles or 1500 Kilometers certificates. Roadrunner 1000 European Rally, 27th - 29th September, Starting from a US Military Base in Germany.IronButt type event. If you are interested, there will be a 100 rider limit, so it pays to get your name on the list. 47th annual Routledge Dual Sport Tour, July 7 & 8, 2001, Surrey BC, Canada"Starting in Surrey (suburb of Vancouver), going up to Coalmont (near Princeton), camping there & back to Surrey....80% good gravel & 20% paved... Fast Truck for carrying camp gear... BBQ at end. All for Cdn $25.00 driver & $15.00 passenger... about US$18.00 & US$10.00. Info: website or e-mail"
GET YOUR WEB SITE LISTED in the LINKS section by listing Horizons Unlimited on YOUR web site, let me know you've done it by mailing me a link to the page, and you may get listed here in the next newsletter and on the Horizons Unlimited web site Links page. All sites will be considered for listing, but must be a MOTORCYCLE or TRAVEL site, useful or of interest in some way to travellers. Links will be rotated regularly as needed. Tours and rally in the interior of Beautiful British Columbia, Canada The home for motorcycle toys, trinkets, gadgets, and gizmos! Bike rentals in New Zealand. Recommended by Bruce Clarke, Canada European tours with Triumph... in German only Chris Scott's Adventure Motorbiking website
There are many "Helpful People" listed on the Links page, a huge thanks to all of them. How about you? Or just join a Community, or start your own!
Do you know of a good shop "on the road,"in other words somewhere there isn't a number of shops? USA, Canada, Europe etc. don't count. That's too easy. And too many! We're looking for those rare items, good repair shops in South America, Africa and Asia etc. I will create a web page for them eventually. From Bente Bråthen and Dag Jenssen, Rocinantes Travels:MOTOS BREYMANN S.A. San José, Costa Rica.Specialists in KTM and Triumph, but also with long experience in BMW, these guys were very helpful and thorough in their work on Rocinante. They supported our trip with special rates on all parts we bought, and should definitely be plotted on the map of anyone going south. The best workshop I saw after leaving the States. The owner, Oswaldo von Breymann, and his brother speak excellent English. Address: P.O. Box 2733-1000, Avenida 7 Calle 1 Y 3, San José, Costa Rica Telephone: 506 221 2274 Facsimile: 506 233 6952 E-mail Submit your tips and questions here, anything goes! Got a great idea for travellers, found a new solution to a problem? Send it in! If you're having a problem, just ask, there's a lot of people with a ton of experience out there to help. Glue tip from Gino:"I was at my daughter's science fair last night. An industrious young lad did his project on testing the strength of various adhesives. The test that caught my eye was the metal to metal tensile test. He had two small plates with hooks welded to the tops of the plates. He put the amount of glue specified on the package between the plates, let it cure and pulled the plates apart and measured the force needed to break the bond. Super Glue gave up after 60 pounds, 5 Minute Epoxy took 75 pounds before it gave up. JB weld got up to 124 pounds... then the hooks broke. Good stuff that JB Weld. Gino" Chitech Electrical Manual for BMW R models.available from: CRBMOA (Chicago Region BMW Club). Excellent manual on the ins and outs of the BMW R series electrics. Recently reprinted. Internet Tip:Does your Internet connection fly like an eagle or crawl like a tortoise? Is it just your imagination, or is your Internet connection slow today? If you're in an Internet cafe and the connection speed is terrible, find out just how bad by clicking here. If you're at home, add the link to your favourites! Contains info on what the problem could be as well as telling you the speed of your connection. I've made contact with some of the people we were looking for last month, thanks! - but the following are unaccounted for. If you know any of them, please send in full names and e-mail addresses would be much appreciated! Keown (sp?). Keown is on a Honda Africa twin (from South Africa). Daniel, USA on a KLR650 travelling the world. Claire and Mark from England riding two XT600's... Lionel Marx, I have no e-mail for him... Chris van de Goorberg, Netherlands, XT600, last seen in Mali... Kiwi Brian and Japanese Junko, both seen in Chitral Johan ? traveller from Netherlands, last seen in Rio de Janeiro. Ed Tarleton, Matt Stockpole, Boulder CO Richard and Christine Mather, UK, RTW R75/5 Gary Hofegger, Austria (Alaska - Tierra del Fuego, BMW R1100GS Swiss riders, on Yamaha's in Chile a couple of riders from French Guyana, she's riding a Suzuki DR 350 and he's riding a new Honda XR 650. Tourist on an Africa twin, Gernot, in Australia Carola and Reto from Switzerland, in South America on an Africa Twin. Dai from Japan, Americas to Russia to Japan Ralf 'Rallerastlos' Enders and two other Germans named Stefan and Vivien, in Africa Rob Arnell, UK, in India When you meet travellersout there, please get contact info and let me know so I can add them to my who's who and where list! Grant E-mail address Problems:Sometimes there is a problem with an e-mail address - it's not that I'm deliberately ignoring you! I have been unable to reply to the following, as the address they gave me bounce. If anyone knows them please let them know the problem: Jürgen Hoffmann, and anyone else @slpol.de, I am unable to get anything through to slpol.de addresses. Please supply another e-mail address by resubscribing at the Subscribe Form. Thanks!
"Grant, I am thinking of doing a doco on my trip from Vancouver to Australia via Europe / Asia. It would focus on adventure touring in general, not just my trip, but I'm wondering if the camera would cause me hassles at the border. I read the latest Horizons newsletter, a couple of stories about vid cameras getting stolen. I'm also concerned how the electronics would hold up on washboard roads etc. For dirt riding I would wear a backpack, and keep it in a watertight box like a Pelican... what are your thoughts? I'd hate to be accused of spying or anything in Iran. More of a hassle than its worth? Have I got enough to worry about already? Re space - I'm on a KLR, but I'm going to take next to no cooking gear as I expect to be eating the local fair everywhere anyway (just water filter). Is this wise? This would free up a bit of room for the camera, tapes etc. P.S. - I know Peter (India doco) and have worked with him. He's a great guy. Richard Kickbush, Canada" I've given Rich my thoughts, now it's your turn! From Sean Kelly, on the Bulletin Board, planning UK to Oz,"I believe that there is a ferry from Venice to Istanbul which might be of interest and cut out some of eastern Europe. Anybody got any info? Sean" RE Mika Kuhn, in Thailand with a toasted alternator, from Brian in Oz,"Mika is travelling around the world on his 1VJ model Ténéré (this is the second model sold in Australia between 86-87. Mika needs a replacement alternator as his keeps burning out. He has had it rewound at least twice (once in Thailand and once in Vietnam I think) with little success. Workmanship apparently was dubious. I have been told by the XT600 club in Germany that the alternator off the later 3AJ model Ténéré (88-90 with rear disc brake - I don't think too many of these were sold in Australia) will also fit but not the alternators off the standard XT600E trail bikes. I am not sure about this. Mika would like to replace his with a good second-hand alternator (complete - rotor and stator assembly). If anybody can help Mika in tracking down an alternator I can be contacted here. Or contact Mika directly here. Foster, Australia From Istvan Szlany...if there is a chance of selling my bike instead of shipping it home for 2200USD (thanks a lot, Carl, for the information!) I will do it. For those of you who can help me with information on prices and dealers interested in buying an excellent Kawasaki KLR650 A13 (1999) with right now 49250 km ran with no major problems, please, let me know. The bike is equipped with 3 good 27 litre Pelican 1520 boxes, MSR bash plate, Master Cylinder protector, NATO 7.62mm ammo Tool box, map-holder above the gauges, EMGO aluminum hand guards under the original hand guards and the original hard saddle is well softened :o). Shipping - Everything You Need to Know to Get the Bike from Here to ThereBy popular demand, there is now a Shipping page on the site. It can be reached directly or from the Shipping link on the Trip Planning page. This is a compilation of information from e-mails to us, scattered throughout the newsletter issues, and the bulletin board on shipping (air or sea) between continents. It includes stories about 'bad' experiences as well as good ones. We have information on: San Francisco to Frankfurt, Los Angeles to Madrid, London to Buenos Aires, Lima to Netherlands, Bogota to Miami, Cartagena to Panama, Panama to Guayaquil and Quito, Houston to Quito, Panama to Bogota, Cape Town to Buenos Aires and New York, Harare to Buenos Aires, Cairo to Nairobi, UK to Mombasa, LA to Sydney and return, Kuala Lumpur to Sydney, Santiago to Sydney, Singapore to Darwin and return, London to Australia and return, Brussels to Melbourne and return, Australia to Yokohama, Sydney to Auckland, Sydney to Christchurch, Melbourne to Auckland and Auckland to Buenos Aires, Kathmandu to Bangkok, Japan to Bangkok, and Magadan to Anchorage. I've left out the country names to save space, if you don't know where most of them are you're on the wrong site anyway! A big thanks to all those who have submitted this information, and a request. Can you please look at your item(s) and check it, and send us any missing information. Also, if anyone has more recent information on any location than what is on the page, please let us know. If you have any information to contribute, there is a form at the bottom of the page which you can submit and we will put it on the page. As you all know only too well, this information is critical for those of you who are on the road searching for a shipper, so please provide local contact details and price, as well as whether you were happy with the service and would recommend them to your fellow travellers. Thanks in advance David & Cheryl Laing, Australia, in Southeast Asia"Who ever is considering going to Australia for a month really needs to re think or trade his/her bike in on a helicopter. Just not practical to attempt to do Australia that quick. We have been gone 6 months and did the center road of Aus. We live north of Sydney, so rode south to Adelaide then up the centre to Darwin, shipped to Singapore,then on to Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, back to Thailand and now ( if its meant to be) on to Nepal, India, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey etc. Forget Burma. Even from Thailand we could not get our bikes in, even for a day trip. And China is not ready for us motorcyclists yet either. Spend a good amount of time in Thailand. The road that follows the border between Burma and Thailand from Mae Hong Son to Pai and Chiang Mai is wonderful bike country. As is the Ranong area in the south. We are taking longer than we intended ( and spending more money than intended) because it is better to go a bit slower. I don't mean miles per hour, I mean take the time to look around. And even buying fuel takes longer than at home. People want to look and talk about you, your bike, and what you are doing. As we have 2 Honda cruisers and we are in our 50"s we tend to draw crowds for 2 extra reasons. Not only are we old, but one is an old female. . . . . We call ourselves a mobile tourist attraction. Take the time to talk to the people. We have good memories of the people we have met along the way. But however you do it, make sure you do it. Life is way too short to just dream about it and read reports from others who have done it. You are a long time dead, and there are no lolly shops in heaven, so we are told." A tip useful in many countries..."A friend of mine had only 2 weeks vacation and wanted to ride to Alaska. He encountered problems when he said he was shipping a motorcycle. So he crated his bike in his garage. Stencilled"this side up" and "screw machine" on the crate. The carrier picked it up and shipped it to Anchorage. The warehouse crew watched in amazement when he began to take apart the crate, assemble the bike and ride off. Something to consider... Alex Jomarron, Illinois USA" I like it! Grant Dealing with dogs - from Istvan SzlanyOn the way to Cusco I had some encounters with the local dogs. One of them bit me on the leg, too, but other than the pain, - wearing jeans and riding pants - no harm was done. I learned my lesson and I started to think about all kinds of strategies on how to get out unharmed from these encounters 1. Outrunning them - not always works, Insurance in India"...you can get Indian insurance for a few quid from any insurance agent, it is useless but at least having the appropriate documentation saves you from having to baksheesh the cops. Tim Pearce, India to London (currently in South India)" Australia MapsThe NRMA web site has a good map of all of Australia in PDF format. Download it and save it. Thanks to Frank Warner, Australia, for the info. Carnet de Passage - from Herbert Roelandt, Belgium"Getting a Carnet de Passage in Belgium is now possible at: Royal Automobile Club De Belgique Tel +32 (0) 2-.2870911 Cost is 5000 BEF. They told me that they only deliver carnets to Belgian people with a vehicle registered in Belgium" Dirk Bernhart, Germany, from a BB post..."I was in Sudan in April 2000. Northern Sudan I would consider quite safe, much safer than Kenya. The people there had an outstanding hospitality." Travel Advisories:The Foreign Office in London's Travel Advice Unit advises against all travel to all sorts of places. Check out the listing before you start!
The US State Department has issued travel advisories, information and/or warnings. Gonzalo Figueroa and I are working on full border information for all of Latin America, and beyond. Gonzalo has done a remarkable amount of work in researching and collating all that is known about the requirements, and the realities, that travellers need to know about Latin America. Central America is partly done, with information for Guatemala, Nicaragua and Costa Rica posted. South America is in progress but will be longer. If anyone has any information please let us know. When you cross ANY border, take some notes, and pass them on to us. Eventually we would like to have information for all the borders of the world posted on the website to help you, and other travellers. Wouldn't YOU like to know all about the border you're approaching - what it should cost, paperwork required, "tips" needed, and who to talk to etc.? Just send in whatever you can as you go. Thanks to all who have sent info in the past, please keep it up! Thanks, Grant |
Istvan Szlany, Canada, to Alaska to Ushuaia, in Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Chile, Kawasaki KLR650,Ecuador:"...The road from Riobamba to Cuenca is ... not good. Several years ago the rains washed away about a dozen bridges, and they are still not replaced, instead there are some rough go-arounds, some of them not very charming. (Read Grant's story on travelling through Ecuador during El Nino, when this all happened!)
photo by Grant Johnson, in 1998, during El Nino, of what used to be a major bridge ... all Ecuador was protesting against the government because of the price increases (the 89 octane gasoline costs have increased from 0.80 USD/gallon to 1.00 USD/gallon)... there were many roadblocks, cacti or moss, trees or just branches, a deep cut in the pavement, small rocks or huge boulders. At one point I had to go through between the villagers (on the hill) and the Ecuadorian Armed Forces, young soldiers with plastic shields hiding behind their trucks, expecting a rock-shower any moment... For a moment I wasn't sure whether I can pass through safely, or not, ... but since there were no rocks flying at that moment, I accelerated and got out of the danger zone unharmed. PeruOh, God, here we go without papers for Csardas. (bike) Migracion exit stamps in my passport and Adios! Aduana: I give them my passport. "... and the papers for the moto?" They just looked at each other totally puzzled, and one of the officials said "Carramba, they have changed it again in Quito, and didn't tell us!" So the whole thing took me about 5 minutes and no fee to pay. I was very much relieved when I crossed the bridge into Peru. Over there, I could not find anybody at the Migracion office. A guard told me that I might find the officer at home. I went there. The wife said that he is playing soccer right now, but soon will be over. Cool. 10 min. later I found my man, but ... he is off today. Even so, he was very kind, and returned with me to the border crossing and gave me an entry stamp, and 90 days tourist card. No fee here either. ...The road from Chiquian towards Huanaco is a private road, built and maintained by a mining company at Antaminas. The guard told me, that I can not enter. I started to talk to him, asking about the road, and other roads that go to Huanaco. Then we talked about the motorcycle, about the economy, politics and girls - of course. After about a half-hour of friendly conversation I was free to go, and the guy gave me even his magazine of local female celebrities. I guess this trip for me is a great lesson of psychology, too. ...This is a beautiful country, but is very hard to find a time when you don't soak yourself for hours. High passes, humidity, and bad roads make travelling here a nightmare. Worth it? Yes and no. I curse myself at the end of the day, because I'm dead tired, wet and cold. But next day morning, looking around from the tiny tent, my heart is full of joy, and looking forward to the ride. Then there is more rain, and the roads have no bridges, so I have to ford the creeks that are turned into flooding raging rivers by the constant rains. Sometimes I'm really scared, and Csardas started to cough many times, because water got into the air filter. I got to the point with this damp/cold weather, that I wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. I turned towards Lima, the coastal warm weather. I spent a few days exploring this giant city, and I started to ride south on the Pan-American Highway. The coastal zone of Peru is all desert country. Nothing but sand. I got bored, and I decided that after visiting Nazca I head back into the mountains. I have to tell you, that sometimes I have a very hard head, and tend to bang it against brick walls. I needed a second lesson to learn: in the mountains is rain and cold! BoliviaThe Altiplano in Bolivia is beautiful, peaceful, and wet this time of the year. I didn't spend much time at the Tiwanacu Ruins either (didn't really impress me - perhaps because after Machu Picchu will be hard to impress me) and I was running away from the rains ... to La Paz. It was a great city to visit. I liked it very much, its charming up-and-down side streets, and the street vendors food was pretty good, too. Here, too, I noticed the huge difference between the majority who can barely survive from one day to another, and the very rich driving the biggest sport utility cars they can get. It was part of the learning experience. ChileAt the border, on the Chilean side: for quarantine reasons they took away my honey, and all the fruit I could not eat. I hate throwing away food, so I processed my paperwork while I stuffed my face with bananas and tomatoes. Funny to see, but I had to learn this trick, too. It rained all the way to Arica, and - you won't believe this - in the Atacama Desert, too. The driest place on this planet! I find it amusing that I can bring rain even in the desert... but luckily the desert was stronger than my curse, and I had about 1500 km of dry high speed ride south - just what we needed! Now I'm in Vina del Mar, ...I have about 6-7 weeks to go, and this trip is over. June and I decided to get married (please, don't flood my mailbox with your kind messages, I know you all wish me good luck and such, and I thank you all, before you send them!) I still want to do my ride to the End of the World, and I will ride north from there, perhaps to Sao Paolo in Brasil. I had much time to think about things, life in general and my life, where to go from here, how to live and such, and I think this is the way it should be. That's all for now. Next report will be sent out either from Ushuaia or from a major city in Argentina. Wish me dry weather and soft winds!
Thanks!
Gregory Frazier, USA, around the world for the third time, now in Khajuraho, India, (home of the Love Temples), on an Enfield this week,"...After escaping/crossing the Bangladesh and India border I rode some more ugly India highways until stopping in Bodhgoya for some touristing. It was in Bodhgoya that the 35 year old Buddha (The Awakened One) had his awakening. Buddha (563-483 BC) started his wandering at the age of 29, about the time many globetrotting motorcyclists began their wanderings. After some years Buddha ended up in Bodhgoya and here he achieved Nirvana or a "state of full awareness." I also found a state of full awareness in Bodhgoya, aware of how many Buddhists monks can be gathered in one place at one time. Bodhgoya is Monk Central for Buddhist monks, their most important pilgrimage site in the world. It was filled with ten thousand Buddhist monks who were bending, kneeling, smiling, chanting, riding in rickshaws, walking the streets and some even touristing. I smiled for several who excitedly hoisted their cameras to take pictures of me taking pictures of them. In my motorcycle helmet, Aerostich motorcycle riding suit and Combat Touring Boots I looked far different from the other tourist white-faces seeking knowledge and truth. ...Riding a motorcycle across India has become a larger adventure than seeking answers to truth and enlightenment. It has been exciting, definitely not a meditation ride. Lose concentration for a few seconds and there is a good chance a motorcyclist will be chatting with Buddha in the first person. One of the major road hazards in India has been the amount of movement on the roads. Movement from people, cows, goats, dogs, camels, monkeys, elephants and chickens. People compound the movement by using bicycles, small motorcycles, tuk-tuks, cars and wagons to vary their movement. All of the above observe no rules, making a roadway a channel filled with varying sized objects moving in unrestrained directions at different speeds. A motorcycle traveller like myself is one out of one million objects in motion in a fifty mile stretch of pavement. I have been run into by animals, hit from behind by vehicles and bicycles, and sideswiped numerous times by oncoming objects, some soft, some hard. On a motorcycle, a rather small one like my 500 cc Bullet, a rider is really at a disadvantage. If hit or run off the road to avoid being hit, there is little a motorcyclist can do, just curse and ride on. I have had to take up arms to maintain some sanity in the Indian road insanity. My "arm" is a bamboo cane. When I purchased it the seller assured me it would not break, and it hasn't. I have affixed it to the left fork tube and it slides through three plastic cable ties with the handle hooking over my mirror left. When I see something ahead of me deserving a good flogging I pull out my cane and apply a solid whack as I ride by. To do so took considerable practice as the punishment is usually applied in town amid thick traffic. Riding one handed in Indian traffic and applying a good thump to a car hood or dog should be made part of the Olympic Games. My score so far has included cows, monkeys, dogs, pigs, goats, taxis and a couple of two legged animals. Before some of the readers start to write me to complain about my poor ambassadorship for motorcyclists around the world and whacking sacred cows, let me relate a short episode. As I rode into a small town, a holy man dressed in white clothes and wearing a turban with dark sunglasses walked towards me on my side of the road. As I approached he lifted his bamboo cane (thicker than mine) and made an effort to anoint me with his blessing as I passed by, missing by the thickness of a frog hair because I swerved and ducked. I made a U turn, rode calmly back past him on the opposite side of the road and 100 meters down the road, made another U turn and began my run at him. He was standing by the side of the road, rocking on his heels, holding his cane in both hands behind his back, smiling, pretending as if nothing had happened. I could almost see his lips pursed as if whistling to some God in the clouds. As I neared him he prepared to make another swipe at me. Imagine his surprise when I quick-drawed my cane and applied a love tap to his belly at 40 kilometers per hour, leaning off my bike like an Indian would do making a grab from a horse. SCORE! My love tap nearly knocked his turban off. It did send his sunglasses flying. A crowd of children watching the entire event cheered. My guess was his holiness had been blessing them with whackings too. We Crow Indians place more weight on touching an enemy with a stick than shooting them with a gun or arrow. The stick used is called a "coup stick" and the event is called "counting coup." My bamboo coup stick is doing well and I suspect I will continue to count coup as I roam India. I have cut back on whacking the cows, however, now I just rap their horns. The monkeys are the hardest to hit, much harder than people. The most satisfying? The car/truck/bus/taxi that has run into me or run me off the road. I doubt any coup counting teaches lessons to the recipients of my adoration, but it makes me feel better and balances my internal scale of fairness given my motorcycle and me against the odds of survival on the roads of India.
surrounded by Indians... ...My Enfield Bullet motorcycle was close to home when I saw on the map the city of Jaipur. Near Jaipur is a new Royal Enfield factory, so I rode "my Baby" right up to their front doors. Inside was a modern manufacturing plant cranking out 20-25 new motorcycles each day. Given what I had read in the motorcycling press over the years about the Enfield Bullets, I had expected to find piles of rusting pistons sitting in a field with workers using hammers to make frames and bend handlebars. What I found was a modern factory with an assembly line looking like some BMW technicians had designed them. There was a sense of pride I could feel as the workers assembled the only "all India" motorcycle. It was a good feeling and gave me an enlightening knowing that the motorcycle I was riding had been assembled by workers who seemed to love what they were doing, making a quality motorcycle. One of the things I liked seeing was the way pin striping was being done to the gas tanks, by hand. BMW used to have workers that did the pin stripes on the BMW motorcycles, but the high price of German workers caused the BMW Bavarian bean counters to replace talent and craft with machines and plastic tape. To stand and watch the paint guy lay a perfect stripe on a hand sprayed gas tank was like watching an artist at work, and an artist he was. The gold stripes he put on the gas tank were perfect, as perfect as any plastic tape. He actually smiled when he finished, just before he saw me about to take his picture. It was the smile of a man proud of what he had just done. Coming away from the factory I felt lifted of my sin of ignorance, now knowing how the owner of India Royal Enfield feels when they take possession of a new motorcycle. For them it would be a major life investment. Previously I had not felt that pride, knowing that my Bullet had cost me so little compared to the smallest BMW (about 1/5th the cost). As I was about to ride away from the Royal Enfield factory, my chest pumped with "full awareness" and pride, I asked a company official, "When would my Baby here have been manufactured?" The company official kindly smiled one of those all-knowing meditation smiles and said, "Oh, I could not tell you. Your Baby was not made here, but at our other factory 2,000 kilometers south." Maybe I will ride down there next and take my Baby back home. Or maybe I will enlighten more and realize it is just a machine. ...I have bumped into BMW GS traveller Matthew Newland for the fifth time in less than two years! The first time I met him was at Victoria Falls, Africa. Then he was hooked up with Richard Smith, fellow BMW R100GS traveller from Britain. They were on the first leg of their long ride and I was about one-half of the way through my second. They drank all my beer in the campground while picking my brain about the routes and ladies of South America. I couldn't help them with tips about the ladies, but passed on a few tips about the roads. The second time I ran into them was in Namibia, then again in Cape Town. Like bad pennies they kept showing up and dogging me around Africa, swilling my beer. I missed them in the USA because they got stuck in Cali, Colombia for six weeks waiting for a rear shock absorber to be sent from BMW and missed their window of opportunity for a run to Deadhorse, Alaska. Imagine my surprise when I rode into a parking lot at a cheap hotel in Varanasi, India and there was Matthew standing on the steps, looking thirsty for a beer. This time he was hooked up with DR 650 rider Rob Arnell, also from Britain. Wiser now from having met these Brits on the road around the globe, I carefully guarded my supply of beer. Several days later, in Khajuraho, as I was touristing at the Love Temples, I hear my name being yelled from across the grounds. There was Matthew, again looking hot and thirsty. For a world which is 24,000 miles around, it surely is a small place when it comes to the hardened two wheel travelers - or Brits just know where they can find free swill. I may post on my website ('What's New') a photo of Newland to warn other travelers. We have again parted, with warm promises to meet somewhere down the road.
In the meantime here is a photo of the three of us, seeing no evil, hearing no evil and speaking no evil, having fun at the Temples of Love." Ricardo Rocco Paz, Ecuador, "Around the World for Peace," in Chile, Honda NX 650 Dominator,"I depart from Quito riding my Honda NX 650 Dominator. In the town of Baños, my friends Ed Tarleton (Honda XR 600) and Matt Stockpole (XR 400), from Boulder, Colorado, are waiting for me. Upon seeing the huge load both riders are carrying on their bikes, I ask them if they are serious about riding mostly dirt roads. At the Peruvian border, after a long discussion with the Peruvian custom officials about my friends lack of 'Carnet du Passage', they are allowed to ride off with their papers in order. The real adventure begins, through dirt roads, we enter the region of the Chachapoyas, in the northern Peruvian Andes. Our goal is to find the ancient pre-Inca ruins of Kuelap. The road ascends from 1670 meters above sea level to more than 4000, with amazing views of the cordillera. When we finally get to the Kuelap fortress, we are completely impressed. A whole city with the remains of round stone houses, stands on the top of a hill, surrounded by high stoned walls, made out of immense granite rocks, that meet one another perfectly. The place is practically deserted, very few tourists venture in these remote regions. Late in the afternoon we descends towards the village of Leimebamba, where we get to visit the site where they preserve the many mummies found in the ruins. We go to the Baños del Inca, the thermal waters used by the Incas, with Marlit and Susana, two really nice local girls that work as tourist guides. This was great for our sore muscles, the baths I mean. The bikes arrived into Cajamarca pretty beat up, cracks in chassis, wheel bearings gone, oil blackened. Complete tune ups are required. Tuesday, we depart for Trujillo, on the Peruvian coast. Of course, after about 50 km. of a twisty pavement road, we manage to find the longest dirt roads, that traversing two huge cordilleras and valleys, descend the Andes and arrive into Trujillo. On arrival, we go directly towards the ruins of Chan Chan, the biggest adobe archaeological complex in the world. Impressive. |
|||||||||||||
|
We are now an Associate with Amazon, the biggest bookseller on the web. If you want to buy a book, you can go to our Books pages, where we have listed some of the best motorcycle travel books, as well as a number of BMW books, general motorcycle books, and travel guides. Very much in progress, with hundreds more to come, but there is a good list to start with now. There's links to Amazon USA, Amazon UK, and Amazon Deutschland, so no matter where you are - Aussies order from Amazon USA ;-) you can order books at great prices, and I'll make a dollar or a pound, which goes to supporting this e-zine. There are links to search Amazon sites for all their products, books, cds etc., and yes, we get a tiny piece of that too. We really appreciate it when you start your book search from our website! Thanks for the support. Book suggestions please!If you have a book or want a book that you think other travellers would be interested in please let me know and I'll put it on the site. Thanks, Grant
"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." Philip K. Dick
"...Your site is fantastic; the most interesting one I have ever seen. Henri Pearson, Canada" "I appreciate the time and effort on your part to provide your excellent e-zine...Thank you, Phil Roddenberry, Live Oak, FL USA" "Thanks very much. This site is by far the best and that seems to be down to your good self. What can I say but thank-you. Fast Fossil" "This is the greatest site I've discovered on the web!!! I bought the computer one year ago so I had a way to "Talk Motorcycle" when I wasn't riding or working on a motorcycle. Browsing this site is great entertainment, educational, and provides motivation to get out and ride, ride, ride. Jim Corzette" "I've been reading your whole site for months and I find it the most informative / entertaining site on the net, figured I should subscribe. Thanks, Ed Gaffney, Windsor Ohio USA" "Thanks for everything, it is very exciting to be a part of Horizons Unlimited!" Juan Carlos Ibarros, Mexico "Thank you! The web site, The travels, The insight, The inspiration, Everything, just thanks, Colin Askey" UK "Thanks SO MUCH for adding the bikes being used on the trip reports where possible in the Traveller's E-zine! Now I can get an even better feel for the experiences that the traveller's are reporting on their trips. Again Grant, THANKS! The E-zine is fantastic! Justin" "Fantastic photos. After a long day with elementary students, it was great to really laugh, especially at Greg Frasier's monkey episode. Laura Thompson" "Your e-zine is superb. Keep up the fine work. Vic & Glenda Sims" On the quiz..."Did I win yet? Will this be the incentive for me to tell my boss what to do with this job and hit the road? Let's see... Russia is out of the question this time of year. So, I guess I follow Mika Kuhn to SE Asia to get my copy of "One Man Caravan" back. Oh, wait. I don't have any money... 2002 for sure! Love the site. Come visit Japan sometime! Great riding and nobody shoots at you." Chris Lockwood, Japan and from a post in the DUST mailing list,"...I read the ride reports on the Horizons Unlimited site - that is where the action is for Adventure Touring. Lauren Bish"
How to Live with a Neurotic MotorcycleRule #1: Just because it started and ran fine yesterday doesn't mean that it'll start today. Rule #2: Never presume to move the car, move the bike, then move the car back until you have actually tried to start the bike. Under NO circumstances put on jacket, scarf, boots, helmet and gloves before verifying that the bike is running and is going to continue running. Rule #3: A fully charged battery is like a delicate lily. Cherish it now in its full flower, cause it'll die tomorrow for no apparent reason. Rule #4: Always know where your petcock is and how to move it from on to reserve -- not just while standing, but while cruising down a hill at 50 mph with the bike choking and surging beneath you. Rule #5: "On" means "prepare to switch to "reserve" at any given moment." "reserve" means "ha ha, you're stranded." Rule #6: The probability of the bike running out of gas or otherwise breaking down is inversely proportional to the distance you are from a gas station or other safe location. Corollary to rule #6: All owners of neurotic motorcycles have permanent bruises on their calves. Rule #6a: The probability of being able to start your bike on the first kick is inversely proportional to the number of people watching you. It's even worse if you are trying to impress any of those people. Rule #7: The tiny space between the top of your sock and your pants leg is always just wide enough to come in contact with the exhaust pipe. Rule #8: You will never remember if that funny whirring noise you suddenly hear coming from the engine is normal or not. To make sure, you'll rebuild the engine only to find out that yes, it was normal. Rule #9: There is always one more bolt. And that bolt is not metric. Rule #10: Do not lean the bike over on its sidestand when the sidestand is not down. Rule #11: Swearing does not help, but it provides amusement for the neighbors. Copyright 1992 Laura Lemay
Please note that you are receiving this newsletter because you have personally subscribed! We are 100% opt-in only. To subscribe or UNsubscribe to this newsletter.
Please be assured that we will NOT under any circumstances, rent, lease, sell, or give out our mailing list, and/or your name and e-mail address, to anyone for whatever purpose. Your privacy is assured, and personally guaranteed. Grant Johnson All comments and suggestions are carefully read, and where possible will be acted on. Your help will make this a useful service for all travellers. Feel free to use the Bulletin Board for questions. If you think there is something you'd like to see in the newsletter, please let me know. I will try
to respond, please be patient. ALL e-mail is normally replied to quickly,
but who knows - we may be on the road! If you would like to advertise your product or service in this newsletter or on the website, please contact me at the above link. Ad rates are very reasonable. Details at this link.
Horizons Unlimited Motorcycle Travellers' e-zine - Copyright 1999-2001, Horizons Unlimited and Grant Johnson. All rights reserved.
Legal gibberish disclaimer: (particularly for those in countries that have more lawyers in one town, just for instance, New York, not to name any names, than some whole countries, as another example, Japan. Again, not naming anybody specifically you understand) Recommendations are based on positive or negative experiences of somebody, somewhere. Your mileage (kilometrage if you insist) may vary. We are not responsible in any way any product or service mentioned, and do not warrant any such mentioned product or service, and are not responsible for any bad things that may befall you. You are responsible for yourself! Act accordingly. We check all links and information given as close as possible to publication, and all info is correct as best we can determine at that time. |
Well, obviously February is a low brainpower month, as we had no correct answer to last month's quiz. Let's try to do better this month! As an added incentive, in addition to great books (like Motorcycle S*x) from Greg Frazier, and Bernd Tesch, we've decided to sweeten the pot. We're offering an alternative prize of a US$25 gift certificate from Amazon.com, or the equivalent in GBP or DM if you prefer Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.de.All of the answers can be found in this newsletter, so no excuses! Basically, first correct answer we receive WINS. Have fun! Susan, Quizmeistress... Here's the February Answers and the March Quiz! Rules on the Quiz page. Here's what you get to choose from when YOU win! Choose from A:NEW PRIZE: US$25 gift certificate from Amazon.com, or the equivalent in GBP or DM if you prefer Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.de. or B:Dr. Gregory Frazier, round the world traveller and author extraordinaire has very generously contributed a FREE book (or video) a month. -New Zealand By MC, book
|
||||||||||||||
"...The ride to Copacabana and the Bolivian border on the southern tip of Lake Titicaca was wet and cold and passed through flooded Julianca and Puno, where I had to instill a little 'master-servant-doctrine' with another motorist who insisted on pressing his horn constantly while I tried to do a U-turn in front of him with my overloaded bike on a wet cobblestone road going up a hill. I am sure he understood the gist of what I was saying and waving my fist within an inch of his nose may not have confused him. The amusing thing was, a Peruvian policeman who watched the whole incident then proceeded to give him a bollocking also! I did like Peru. On the whole gracious and friendly people, great mountains and funny coppers.
After an easy as you like border crossing and a half hearted attempt at a bribe by the border police -'yo no speaka spanglish senor!'- the sun shone for the first time in days. Just as well as the bike was blessed by the local Catholic priest. (A day or so ago I was thinking that I hadn't dropped the bike since then and guess what? While trying to park it at a campsite in Argentina, it fell over!!) I also got a shower. He chucked a little too much holy water on my head...
The ride to La Paz, a city at about 4000m above sea level was great. Sun, views, mountains, breathless altiplano. Bolivian drivers are totally insane - traffic lights, stop signs and suchlike are purely decorations on the roadside, but there seemed to be a method to the madness. I will definitely return to Bolivia. Due to the weather and 95% dirt roads, the weight of the ex and the lack of time to get to Tierra del Fuego before the snows start, I only spent a total of 5 days in this beautiful, hospitable country. Another time and on a luggageless Honda XR or similar.
I ran a few errands, bought some souvenirs , sending them straight home, as well as doing a full service at Walter -Chuck Norris- Nosiglia's, the local Honda dealer. What friendly people they are. The road led west through rain from La Paz to the border at 4600m down through fog and snow to the prohibitive heat and sea level of Arica. Here my fleece and heated vest were definitely not required...
In San Pedro de Atacama I again team up with the German couple, Lars and Tini, on their Africa Twin and we drive back into Bolivia to Laguna Verde. Was this side trip worth it? Most definitely! I would have loved to drive the whole way from Uyuni across the Salar de Uyuni salt lake to Laguna Verde, but the entire region being flooded, made it a bit difficult, even for me. Another time... We camped at a hot spring and were greeted to a great sunrise with flamingos and steam rising off the thermal water overlooking the shimmering green water nestling against snow topped peaks.
Five meters from this 30°C H2O there was ice on the bikes!
The looooong run down the Panam to Santiago was loooooooong! And hot and boring. For the first time in now 70,000km I had to stop the bike because it was going to overheat. A 1000m rise over 80km, 40°C in the shade, a 100km/h tailwind (it was, I could ride at 100 with my visor open.... the bike's windscreen is purely cosmetic) and as the oil temp needle began to creep over 150°C, it was time to stop.
Santiago is BIG. Mucho cars and silly one-way streets. Normally not a hindrance for Bright goes where he wants, but now again being a law abiding citizen...."
"...Since Cancun we drove 1300km and the bike worked well. We passed Campeche, Teapa and the lovely mountains of Chiapas until we reached Tuxtla Gutierrez. Here we visited the spectacular Sumiderocañon. Mayas threw themselves in it when the Spaniards arrived because they didn't want to be slaves of them. In parts it is 1000m high. Very imposant! Another attraction is the zoo. You can see there all the animals of the region... the monkeys live free and you can see them climbing the trees and hear them howling.
...today is circus time! There is one in the town and we won't miss it..."
"We are on our way to Sudan for a 40 day long desert trek expedition. Our objective is to create awareness for the ongoing war in Sudan and the Sudanese peoples wish for peace through our adventurous 400 kilometers walk amongst the rebels in Southern Sudan.
We are collecting votes for peace in Sudan on our website and so far 10,000 people have voted for peace! Can you help us to link our page (http://www.atmc.nu) on your website too? Each vote is important!!! The votes will be handed over to the Swedish government after the expedition.
Thank you for assisting us and welcome to follow our expedition on www.atmc.nu
Andreas Zetterlund for Expedition Peace"
"Good news, the parts arrived yesterday and no import duty had to be paid. Also made a dash to Delhi and extended our visas. Hope to be back on the road by this afternoon. We can certainly recommend Royal Mail Swift Air to send parts from England. The parcel was collected on Friday and arrived Wednesday and the freight cost was a fraction of what DHL charge.
We hope to leave Jaipur tomorrow for Pushkar. Will keep in touch."
"On 22.02.01 I go to New Orleans to see the Mardi Gras followed 1 week later by the Daytona Bike Week. After that, the rest of the trip will be guided by the weather report for the next 8 weeks. Gonna do that ride on a borrowed K1100, because my good ol' R100PD blasted the engine away, when I came back from a trip to Turkey, Syria, Jordan and Israel. Fortunately the blast happened at the returning 90 Km before my hometown Cologne, Germany. Now I had to change the whole engine and unfortunately that costs me a lot of money.
Go ahead with your superb newsletter. It is always a pleasure and really interesting to read. Keep rubbers always upside"
"...Last night, after a long and sweaty day riding up the northern part of Peru, I took it upon myself to start reading the footprint guide to Central America and Mexico.
Reading the section on Mexico you are quoted as saying it is not allowable for a motorbike to use the big 4 lane toll roads that lead to the border with the USA. Can you confirm this is correct or not as the case may be?
Also,if you feel you have any other info that may be relevant and may help an aged old cruiser I would much appreciate it.
Today I find myself in a northern Peru town called Chigalayo, and not too far from the border with Equator. Once in Quito I will need to decide whether to fly the bike to Panama or Houston.
I am in the state of mind where I am sick of small flea bitten towns and sand."
I replied, "I didn't know I was quoted as saying anything about the 4 lane highways, but I do seem to remember recently that there was something about that. I would stay off it anyway, the interesting stuff is off the toll road... BIG recommendation - find some place NICE and hole up for a few days and rest and relax. It's worth the bucks and will greatly improve your state of mind - it's something we learned the hard way.
"The advice on living well was already on the cards. As you say the few extra bucks are not worth bothering about.
A bit of hot info for other bikers doing this trip. The road between Sullana and Loja is all paved and almost free of potholes, two hands would count them all. The border crossing was the best I have ever experienced anywhere on all of my trips.
Another bit of gen - there is a new road between La Paz Desangaue and Moguage, the spelling of these two may be wrong but the road is fantastic. It tops out at 15,600 feet and the bike coughed and spluttered as I did.
I have just made contact with a Swiss couple who are a day in front of me so we have arranged to meet in Quito and pool our resources with regard to shipping the bikes etc.
Keep up the good work and thanks again. If you are still in the UK when I get back I will have to buy you a couple of beers.
regards Geoff, Grandpa motorbike."
"My sister, Ariella, arrives! After a two week waiting period, my beloved sister finally touched down on the sandy shores of Goa.
It only took 36 hours, two weeks of planning, seven shopping lists and three aeroplanes to get her here! I think I would prefer to come by bike.
I am planning to be in Cochin by the end of the week. Ariella may be coming with, Ainshallah! Or she may be chillin' in Goa for a month and then hitting the road.
The next update will be from the road - Yeehaaa!"
"...another tourist on an Africa twin, Gernot is heading north from Sydney today and plans to be in Brisbane by the weekend and spend about 10 days before heading north again."
"(Luka) on a Dominator and the other (Jakob) on a Tenere... they arrived in Australia on 14th February and are here for another ten days or so. They intend going to Melbourne via the Great Ocean Rd, then on up to Cairns. They'd left their homeland - Slovenia - on 12th February."
"...I will be in Bolivia for 3 weeks. Just a short visit to my Transalp and the altiplano."
"...In May 2001 we are starting our motorbike trip to Asia. Our plan is East: Europe, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, to Australia. From there we plan to go to Japan and start driving back to Holland via Russia, Mongolia, China? and the Baltic States. We have about 15 months to realize this dream. And we are still riding on our good old Suzuki DR600's."
"...leaving February 13th for a six month trip to South America (Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador). Right now we are preparing my homepage on which I will write about this trip at least twice a month. There also will be lots of pictures and information about riding a bike through SA and much more.
PSD: In two weeks I will meet Jo and Birgit, they are also gone for half a year and we're heading the same direction..." Web address to come...
There are 55
56 57 Communities in 27 countries running already.
Thanks to all those who took the first big step and established the Community in their area!
For details on how you can join or use the Community to get information and help or just meet people on the road or at home, go to the Community page.
Send me some photos - with captions please - and a little text and you can have a webpage about your Community!
If anybody would like to translate the explanation text of the community page to make it easier for those whose first language isn't English - it's only a couple of paragraphs - I'd appreciate it. My German for instance is limited to fraulein, bier, weinerschnitzel, and uh... that's about it. Any other languages appreciated as well!
French and Spanish translation has been done by Jean-Pierre Poitras, Ottawa, Canada. Thanks very much Jean-Pierre! Dutch coming as soon as I can post it, thanks to Jan Marc Staelens, Australia! We could use a few more translations if there is anyone out there with a little time - and a second language?
"... last year's trip was a bit of a disaster. I rode as far as Trabzon in Turkey with a failing motorcycle. I had fitted an electronic ignition prior to leaving and could not keep the timing correct. The timing disc kept moving in the retard position causing overheating and engine shutdown. Also the voltage regulator failed which I think caused the ignition coil to burn out as well as the lights to explode.
These things happened gradually. I went back to points ignition and had the voltage regulator repaired, but all too late. I had hoped to limp to the factory east of the Urals, but the performance had deteriorated so badly; i.e. no tickover, overheating in traffic, and loss of power, I turned around and nursed the bike back to France and trucked it home. I tore it down and found that an exhaust and inlet valve guide had pulled free of the cylinder head and battered the head to where the guides were floating. I have had the heads rebuilt, fitted a new voltage regulator, and new timing gears. I am waiting for the alternator to be rebuilt.
I have finished reassembling the engine. The head repairs are a work of art. My alternator rotor drive gear had to be welded to its shaft in Romania as the keyway was badly worn. In grinding the weld off I lost three threads making it unusable. My spare alternator still is not back from being rewound so I have borrowed an alternator from Chris Smith at Speedway m/c in London. I will unwire the voltage regulator installed in Greece and modify the wiring diagram for the bike. I also need to determine what spares to carry for it. I shall publish the system when I get it straight in my head as it seemed to work well when I was limping home. My next step is to fit a less restrictive silencer and modify the petrol tank to take a fuel tap on either side ala BMW. I am waiting some technical advice from Boyer Bransden regarding refitting the electronic ignition.
In addition I am beginning the paper chase all over again. I hope to get underway in April for a second go at this."
To subscribe, or even UNsubscribe "now why would you want to do that?" to this HTML newsletter / e-zine.
Horizons Unlimited Motorcycle Travellers' e-zine
to a friend! Just forward it to them, or send them the link to the newsletter on the website.
I am working on a listing of people who have ridden around the world, as well as what I call "significant journeys" e.g. the first across Africa. Any information you may have on this topic, please let me know. Preferably post it on the Bulletin Board, or e-mail me direct. I currently have information on around 100 world travellers listed, but there are many more. Some people think there are around about 100 people who have done a full around the world. And there's at least 20 enroute now, although some won't make it all the way. Have YOU done it?
Bernd Tesch has produced a very comprehensive list, at his website of long distance travellers. Bernd now lists some 240 travellers. Not all have actually done an around the world, some are in progress.
I'll let you know when we have the actual RTW count to date. We have some overlap, and some new to each other. We'd like to think that we have everybody, but of course we don't, so please continue to send any new information on any travellers you meet.
Send me your national AA address or wherever you get Carnets from, and I'll post it. Fees, contact info etc. would be very useful of course! So far we have Canada/USA, Belgium, Germany, and UK. So plenty more needed! Thanks for your help
We hope you've enjoyed this issue, and do please let us know your thoughts. It's your newsletter, so tell us what you want to know about!
See you next month, or on the road somewhere, someday... sooner than you think...
|
|
Concrete
flower, over six feet tall, in Xilitla