Horizons Unlimited
Motorcycle Travellers'
e-zine

Are you a TRAVELLER? Are you interested in motorcycle island-hopping in the Caribbean, riding at -33C in Lapland, navigating land mines in Angola, riding the Khyber Pass in Afghanistan, sheer terror in Patagonia, revolutionary women bikers in Iran, drunken roof-dancing, road hazards in Bangladesh, coffee ceremonies in Ethiopia, bumper cars in the jungle, the snows of summer and much more...?

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Every newsletter is permanently archived online. Back issues here.

We seem to have started a new trend for 2003 - late with the e-zine! Last month we were late, because, well, it was January 1 - and we were both off sick. :) This edition is late because we've just simply got too much on the go. Next month will probably be late too... but it will be worth it!

We have received several anonymous contributions through the Amazon Honor System. Thanks so much to all our loyal supporters, and a reminder to those who haven't contributed that we still need your help. After a short lull over Christmas, the HUBB, newsletter subscriptions and website traffic are growing again at an amazing rate. While that's great news, it hastens the day when our web hosting costs hit the $300 a month rate (expected in the next few months). So don't forget to visit the Souk for new lightweight fleece jackets or your summer t-shirts. If you don't need any clothes (or you have to work off a few pounds before you can fit into any ;-), here's a link to all the other ways you can support your favorite website.

Horizons Unlimited Travellers Meetings 2003 - time to plan ahead!

2003 is shaping up to be a banner year for Horizons Unlimited Motorcycle Travellers Meetings around the world. We have organizers busy and dates set for the following:

Australia - 25-27 April 2003 - Ulmarra, 12kms out of Grafton, NSW. Please let us know if you can help out.

UK - 27-29 June 2003 - 3rd Annual Meeting - Chris Bright and Glynn Roberts are organizing this again at the Black Horse Inn in Somercotes, same location as last year. The UK meeting last year brought together over 100 travellers from the UK and Europe, and was the highlight of the motorcycle travellers social season. Registration has already begun and numbers will be limited. If you'd like to present a slide show or put on a talk for the UK 2003 event, please let us know.

Portugal - 11-13 July 2003 - 1st Annual European Meeting - Goncalo Pais is organizing this event in Budens, in the south-western point of Portugal. Contact or me if you would like to assist in Portugal, or can be there and would like to put on a slide show.

Mexico - Oct. 31-Nov 2 2003 - Juan Carlos and Gerardo Ibarra are organizing this event, in Copper Canyon. If you'd like to present a slide show or put on a talk for the Mexico 2003 event, please let us know.

Bolivia - Nov. 8 2003 - Frank and Ann Schwarzbauer are organizing this event in La Paz. Details on Frank's page. If you'd like to present a slide show or put on a talk for the Bolivia 2003 event, please let us know.

Argentina - Tentatively planned for Viedma late November. If you'd like to help out, please let us know or contact Oscar Knecht.

New Zealand - 2004 - Nigel Marx is organizing this, tentatively in Christchurch. If you'd like to help out, please let us know or contact Nigel.

Thanks to all the volunteers! We still need volunteers to organize events in eastern US/Canada (hopefully this will be the first of many) and a 2nd Annual western US/Canada travellers meeting this summer. We have a lot of HU Communities in the US and Canada, so who wants to host a travellers meeting? Let us know what you think - we'll do all we can to support you and your Community. It's really not that hard, and it's a lot of fun!

So mark your calendars for at least one of these events. This is your chance to meet your fellow travellers, share adventures and travel tips, and incidentally to help support your favourite website, namely us! We are going to try very hard to be at as many of the meetings as possible ourselves, so we hope to see you there!

Your bike could be on the Horizons Unlimited Posters for all the HU Travellers Meetings! We are working on the posters for all the HU meetings this year, and the design needs a picture shot from the riders point of view, with handlebars etc showing. Could be any serious travel bike, BMW GS, Tenere, KLR etc etc. No street bikes, cruisers etc. We require free permanent usage rights etc. Thanks! Send to me . Don't worry about size, bigger and higher quality is good.

Horizons Unlimited Communities

I've had a couple of comments from Communities that not enough of you are dropping by for a visit! Remember that they are Communities, not just in case of a problem - they really do want to meet you! They'll show you around town, or just provide a place to stay for the night, or help service your bike - so start contacting them! The Communities are a terrific resource for travellers on the road, so check out the list and get in touch!

Please submit news reports, web links etc. to us for inclusion in this newsletter.

We try to link to your website if you have one. And if you don't have a website, we can help.

This newsletter is provided as a complimentary service for travellers everywhere, both on the road and (temporarily;-) off. Your support is greatly appreciated.

your editors, Grant and Susan Johnson, (about us, contact us)

 

Arno Backes and Sian Mackenzie, Germany and UK, Australia via USA to South America, in Guatemala, on BMW R100GS PD and Yamaha XT600E,

"... The ruins of Tikal were spectacular, bathed in the glow of the setting sun, tops of pyramids poking out of the jungle. After the sun had done its thing, we went to put up our tent and fell asleep to sounds of the jungle. We got up the next morning around 5 and walked back to the ruins. Climbed a pyramid and waited for the sun to appear. It was really misty and as we waited the mist thickened instead of clearing and the sun stayed stubbornly hidden. It was very atmospheric though.

... We had spent the night in Chiquimula, less than an hours ride to the Guatemalan side of the border. Things went smoothly, we paid 10 Quetzales at migracion to leave and nothing for the bikes - they didn't even remove the blue stickers. Rode the 30 metres to Honduras, arriving the same time as a bus full of Copán bound tourists. Now wishing we hadn't lingered over breakfast, we had to queue for a good hour to pay our U$1 to get our passport stamped.

Waiting around, we noticed that there were oranges in little piles everywhere and every now and again, people would just help themselves. The mystery was solved when we looked across the road and saw the underside of a lorry staring back, the axles at a rather strange angle. On closer inspection it seems that the vehicle had toppled off the road and into the riverbed below, its cargo of loose oranges escaping for all to help themselves. As we started the customs process, another lorry arrived to pick up the ever diminishing pile of fruit, which was now being transferred into sacks by an army of workers.

... The ruins of Copán were not that smashing, after the likes of Palenque and Tikal, although the carvings were splendid, we both felt it was overpriced. I suppose the Hondurans have to make the most out of their biggest attraction. I found it more of a shame however, that for most of the people visiting the ruins, this is all they get to see of the country, as they only make a quick trip over from Guatemala.

When we got back to our bikes, we were surprised to see another parked beside them, and with German plates. We waited for the rider to return and so met Georg, who has been on the road on his Africa Twin since May. Chatted over coffee in the café until we were kicked out as the park was closing, swapped e-mail addresses and agreed to meet up later on the north coast. We then rode up the hill to Jesses place, squeezed our bikes into his garage and spent a very enjoyable evening with him and Jenny.

... Omoa, a small village by the beach was our next destination... We stayed at Rolli's place, as he had plenty of room for the bikes and a nice area to camp. Here we met Robb, also heading south on his R100GS. We spent 3 lovely days here, recharging our batteries, with little to do but walk on the beach or read a book.

With the New Year came rain, we postponed our departure by a day as the rain wouldn't stop long enough for us to pack. We eventually left for Tela, drove in the rain for most of the way and booked into the first cheap hotel we found. It was at the bottom end of the pile, but had great parking. Arno came down with a severe case of food poisoning and spent a good amount of time in the toilet! We decided to leave ASAP, the crappy hotel room doing nothing to make him feel any better. After a visit to the chemist, I packed the bikes and by noon we were ready to ride to La Ceiba. Arno wasn't really fit to ride a bike, but he managed and we only had to stop once for him to be sick. We found the hotel in La Ceiba easily enough, checked in and Arno slept for 24 hours, while it rained and rained.

If it rains anymore we'll take the boat and leave the bikes!

Alon Carter, USA, in Chile, Argentina and Brazil,

"Got lucky in Santiago. While I was illegally parked looking for a hotel address the police came by letting me know of my infraction. Well, the hotel thing didn't work out, but in the conversation with the officers about me, the trip, next hotel options and etc., I found I had an offer to stay at one of their homes! Nice experience, and a wonderful family.

From Puerto Montt I shipped the bike by ferry to Puerto Natales... yes, the riding is very easy when sitting in a bar topside, and the archipelago is wonderful to see, and the only way this can be done is by ferry. One hazard is that the sudden Pacific storms can shake things up, one evening about half the ship got sick from the waves, including me... Bike did okay though!

Was able to put the Ushuaia sticker on my bike on December 17th. This was a few days ahead of my planned arrival of the summer solstice, and unfortunately, too soon to meet with the many long-haulers that start showing up there for Christmas. Would have waited, but after 4 days in that beautiful city I found the hotel rates too high, and the town too small to stay much longer. That is when I headed north and into the Patagonia Winds.

A lot has been written about these winds. I saw/felt little of them on the way south in Tierra del Fuego, but they were just waiting to pick me off on the ride north. Just past the Chilean Border while still in TDF, I stopped the bike to look at my map, and while just standing still the wind dropped the bike and me. You would think I would learn, but a day later on Rt. 3 the wind forced me into an oncoming lane, lucky me, no trucks coming the other way. You would think I would learn. After crossing back into the Andes and battling the winds to see the Moreno Glacier, I return to the east coast and Rt. 3. The wind gives me fits the entire route. You would think I would learn. A few miles south of Caleta Olivia while leaning the bike hard over and doing about 100kph, the bike and I were suddenly lifted up and floated off the tarmac down a steep bank... I heard a voice inside my helmet telling me: 'This is gonna hurt!' Sometimes you are just lucky; by total chance the bike missed all the boulders, limbs and debris down in the arroyo and I was able to navigate all the Honda metal back up the road without incident. This did create a hell of a hangover though, as I spent that evening in a good wine bottle celebrating my second chance at life.

Brazil is hot. So hot I thought I had fried a valve because the bike was running so poorly. Turns out the 76 octane alcohol-mix gasoline is the problem. But other than the rain and the heat Brazil is super, the twisty (and sometimes slow) coast road north of Santos to Rio de Janeiro simply a delight to ride. Scenery is islands, waterfalls and seascapes that could consume a thousand rolls of film and never capture the beauty. The drivers are not as bad here as advertised. Also the people here are very friendly. Once again in a chance conversation I was invited to stay with a family for a few days. I did not really want to stop, but the opportunity to talk at leisure with folks about their lives, the politics, and the land was one I could not pass up. This was a highlight of my time here so far.

Now stuck in Rio. Not a bad place I suppose. Problem is, cannot go into Venezuela. It is just not practical to ride into a country with fuel shortages (prices in Caracas are 10 times normal) and courting civil war. But, after 13 countries, I'm very disappointed at missing the Amazon, Manaus, and Venezuela."

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Cliff and Jenny Batley, UK, UK to New Zealand, in Cambodia,

"Just for info - we tried to get into Vietnam on the 3rd of January via the Cambodian border at Moc Bai (South) and did not make it. Have heard that there might be another one further South open or opening at Chau Doc - you never know!

Also, did the road to Siem Reap (Angkor) and it is crap but no worse than some in India - max 4 miles at a time of dirt / potholes / dust etc etc.

Because Siem Reap is on the doorstep of Angkor Wat, it was a bit more expensive than we had expected but that's the price you pay for visiting one of the wonders of the world, and Angkor is certainly big. It costs you $40 for a three day pass which has the advantage that you do not need to rush around the site. Over the three days we visited Angkor Thom and the various temples within, Angkor Wat and several other sites that are spread around the area.

Then a break for tarmac with potholes and some good stuff. Siem Reap to Phnom Pehn about the same but longer stretches of rough dirt without the major potholes. All the road is being worked on at the moment and looks like it will be really good in a year or two - assuming the monsoons don't wash it all away.

South road via Battambang is better for most of the way but still long stretches of rough dirt and roadworks, where it can be quite horrid with loose stuff. Again will be good soonish."

Mika Kuhn, Germany, around the world, in Chile, Tenere,

"Hello all, after 3 years, 8 months and 18 days I have reached the END OF THE WORLD - or maybe better to say the END OF THE ROAD. 140.000kms on the fantastic 1987 Yamaha TENERE XT600Z. 34 countries and thousands of fantastic people along the way. Half of the journey is over. Tomorrow I start to ride back to Bochum, Germany, where I started. Hard to say if Bochum is still my hometown, my home is the bike, and it is difficult to say if I will ever settle in Bochum again.

But this is not the time to think about settling down. The idea today is to ride back and visit the following places. Brazil, Japan, Siberia and the Far East of Russia, Brazil, the Guiana's, Colombia, some of the Caribbean Islands (?), Cuba (?), North America (?), South Africa and along the West coast of Africa back to Europe. As you can see on this choice of the way back, it will take me maybe two more years to complete this, my journey of my lifetime. Vamos a ver.

Within six weeks I rode the Tenere down from Medellin in Colombia to Ushuaia in Argentina. 14.000 kms from the north to the south tip of South America. An incredible continent. I met many other bike travellers. But to do this trip in six weeks was a bit of a rush, un poco loco. A different way of travelling for me, I enjoyed it. But I am sure I missed a lot on the way. Anyway some of the places I had visited on my way up to Colombia from Buenos Aires. Ecuador in five days was a bit too fast, maybe I go back to Ecuador.

Ushuaia is cold, even now in the summer, the mountains around have big snowcaps and it rains every day. Today I went to one of the museums and in the evening I will ride into the national park for the foto at the end of the road - Ruta 3 Argentina. And of course I had to write a few postcards, my touristy day. Later on I will drink a carton of wine with a few other German bike travellers at the campsite.

Next will be Sao Paulo, Brazil. I am looking forward to meet good friends - the Palomniks - again. And my girlfriend Damaris will come over from Europe for a month. And of course it is carnival in Brazil in a few weeks. Where are you ? Tell me more about your life and your plans. And thank you for all the seasons greetings. All the best to you and keep in touch MIKA"

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Robb McElroy, USA, in Guatemala and Honduras

"I lost my job and I had to find a new apartment - what to do? So I left San Francisco on October 15th, and headed south into uncharted waters, trying to sleep on the deck of a ferry full of Mexican truckers from Baja to mainland Mexico. My Spanish was poor, my mechanical skills were mediocre, but I still felt fairly well prepared.

When I entered Guatemala, I headed for Quetzaltenango, where I met Julio Miralbes. Julio is 82 years old, owns a hotel, and loves motorcycles. As it turns out, Julio has four motorcycles, all BMWs, and has traveled extensively throughout North America. He is planning another trip to Alaska next summer, but is concerned that his riding buddies, all significantly younger than he, might wimp out.

Lago Atitlan

I traveled throughout Guatemala and fell in love with it. Finally though, after my visit to Tikal, it was time to leave. I almost made it. About ten miles from the border with Belize, on a very heavily potholed dirt road, my transmission died.

So in my poor Spanish, I asked the friendly villagers (I think they were friendly, they were pointing and laughing) if anyone in this village owned a truck. Luckily, there was one man who did, so I 'negotiated' a price with him to drive me to Finca Ixobel, about 110 miles away. I say 'negotiated', but really he named his price, I countered, he named his price again, I countered, then we settled on his price. I contacted friends in California, and they came to my aid with a new transmission. It took three weeks, but I was back on the road, albeit with a sprained wrist and broken toe suffered in a drunken roof-dancing incident.

Rio Grande

I entered Honduras in a very small border town called Corinto (as I learned later, there was something posted on HU about the hassle of entering here). I spent almost ten hours trying to get my paperwork for the bike. I even paid someone to help, and spent the afternoon running around in the heat and humidity in my motorcycle gear, chasing a fat Honduran man through the streets of Puerto Cortes. Several times, it was necessary to throw him on the bike and race through the streets, as we had about eight offices to get to, and they all closed at four.

Omoa

I'm in Nicaragua now, already with a few stories. The speeding ticket, the disco 50 meters from my bed, and on and on."

Pieter, ?, heading south on the west coast of Africa and through Angola, KTM,

"Together with Lenny and Peter, a Dutch couple travelling in a Land Rover I was going to tackle the 'funny countries'. We drove south to Gabon, sleeping out in the bush and being attacked by some pretty active insects, resulting in hundreds of itching bumps on my arms alone. The rainforest otherwise is great; beautiful noises and flying insects that glow in the night looking like distant airplanes flying through the night sky. I even heard some genuine Tarzan drums.

The further south we get the denser the rain forest. The humidity is extreme; my socks took 3 days to get a bit dry...

We traversed Gabon in 3 days, passing Oyem, Lambarene and Ndende. We actually crossed the equator in Gabon, but neither of us saw any sign so we missed the exact spot...

The roads were not too bad, we had some serious mud sections, but I got through ok (with clean clothes). Gabon is mainly rain forest and a bit of Savannah, quite hilly and some parts we drove alongside rivers cutting through the dense forest. The weather turned: during the day thick clouds and heavy rains in the evening and during the night. The insects were killing me. My arms looked extraterrestrial with that many bumps and each bite itches badly for 3 days. The insect repellent seemed to attract insects more than keep them off...

Entering Congo, you first drive through a 'safety zone' of 10km's. No checkpoints there. The road immediately changed to a narrow dirt track with many water patches. After the 10 km's we hit the first checkpoint: a bunch of beer drinking border patrols. They wanted money and it took half a day to get past these guys. After a day and a half in the Congo, we had passed 5 checkpoints and managed a total of 40 km's!

Arriving at the Angolan side of the border, my big smile didn't work with the guards and the three of us expected the worst. Luckily they got very friendly later on. They didn't expect any tourists, as we were the first tourists to enter Angola at this border crossing they told us. We heard that many times in the previous days, also in Congo/Zaire we were the first to come through this way...

... Congo/Zaire. There we had all types of road conditions: mud, water and even soft sandy tracks just like in the sub-Sahara. Good fun! We didn't quite make it to Boma the first day, so camped outside. The locals are all very friendly and never did we feel in danger. Getting out of Congo/Zaire was terrible. The military wanted money and started to unpack everything from the jeep, throwing it onto one huge pile on the ground upsetting Lenny and Peter. Eventually we had to pay US $20 to make them stop.

...we found a Catholic mission run by 3 nuns, who allowed us to stay the night. They also gave us food and even beer. Heaven sent!

The following day they packed up some food for our trip as well. Bush camping in Angola is not really a good idea as millions of mines are still in the ground somewhere and often right next to the road, so even taking a piss off the road is considered dangerous...

For the next days we stayed at 3 different Catholic missions. All of them having beer and wine by the way. At one of the missions we were welcomed by 25 or so young girls singing a welcome song for us. The priest there even arranged petrol for both the Land Rover and the KTM.

We arrived in Luanda pretty beaten up, both us and the vehicles...

After Lobito and Benguela the tarmac stopped and was replaced by very tough rock climbs and descents, all set in a great rocky desert where we found whole cities built up from just mud- or thatched huts. Fantastic to see...

Arriving in Namibia was like another planet, great tarmac roads (with white lines even!), modern shops and large supermarkets."

Peter and Kay Forwood, Australia, around the world since 1996, in Venezuela, on a Harley Davidson,

"We were pleased to be carrying the extra 20 litres of fuel as every petrol station on the way to Maracaibo was closed. Some had queues up to 1.5 km long but weren't pumping petrol. 20 litre drums and siphon hoses were on sale and we did see one petrol station pumping gas in Maracaibo city. The military were regulating pumping and cars had numbers painted on their windscreens to stop queue jumpers. We saw no black market sales. 460 km to Barquisimeto and only one more station pumping and a dozen or more with long queues and we were now well into our 20 litre drum. By the time we reached El Sombrero, south of Caracas more stations were open and queues as short as 50 cars, still a couple of hours wait. We approached a tyre change place and managed to buy about 25 litres from someone's 'stash'. Within 120 km the whole situation changed and most petrol stations were open and queues of only a couple of cars.

... It's about now that an idea that seems so doable at the time of inception starts to fade as it's details and difficulties materialize. Trying to solve all of the problems that leap into our minds, moving the motorcycle by boat through 13 island countries to the U.S.A. it seems insurmountable. But we have found in the past that most of the perceived problems don't eventuate or are solved as each arises without too much hassle. But it is at this stage that most plans become too difficult and pass to oblivion. Corruption here is as rife as anywhere we have been. To get a boat transferred requires many documents, a boat check, a tax clearance and time. To speed it up, extra money.

... A tentative arrangement with the skipper to use the 72 ft yacht, Monsoon was agreed today. We leave here in about a week. Trinidad and Tobago for a month where he does work on the vessel and we live ashore sightseeing. Two months to get to The Dominican Republic, island hopping. Three weeks ashore there for us while he looks around on the boat alone, then on to the Bahamas and Jamaica arriving in Cuba early June, the end of our arrangement. The price about the same as we calculate to buy and sell our own boat with running costs. The disadvantages, the loss of it being our own trip and privacy. But the advantages, a fixed price, reduced worry regarding safety and reselling a boat and of course increased comfort."

Ed. The Forwood's have been to over 125 countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Europe. In September 2002, they started their final leg, through South America. Horizons Unlimited is proud to host their entire trip story here.

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Mike Klobucar and Melie DeChamplain, Canada, New Zealand to Russia, KTM Adventure and ?,

"...Just a quick note... We spent time with Nigel in NZ. Met a bunch of Horizons people there as well. After we found a Russian cargo ship from Auckland to Sydney. We both got on the boat with our bikes for a rough ride in the Tasman Soup. We went with a company called Freighter Travel (400 usd for everything including food and our own cabin) unfortunately that was the last passenger service from that shipping line. I think they were the only ones doing it and now they have changed their charter to Cyprus (no passenger clause).

We then got a call from Medecins Sans Frontieres to go to Angola. Three months of slogging it out in the trenches of one of the most senseless famines I have ever seen. Melie and I were responsible for feeding over 4000 children in 3 feeding centers. Major land mine incidents and just recently we heard that we lost 7 of our friends in an antitank mine explosion when one of our cars drove over the f'kin thing.

Anyway, back in Australia we decided to retire my old Suzuki Dr 600. It was getting a bit too fragile. We bought a KTM Adventure and now are regular contributors to the horizons BB's Broken and Dying KTM section. I miss my Suzuki. She is sitting in Vancouver port awaiting someone to get her. My KTM continues to give us grief, but hey, it's an 'Adventure'.

...So here we are in Kuala Lumpur. I just received an email from Amran (Horizons Community) saying he will help me find tires for the Adventure.

As a last note, tonight I have a telephone interview with Medecins Sans Frontieres to see if I get the job as Western Canada Coordinator. This would mean returning back to Vancouver soon. Could be the end of the ride for now..."

Chris and Erin Ratay, USA, around the world, in Costa Rica and Nicaragua, two BMW F650s,

"Hangin' out in San Jose with Merv, Ruth, and Jo-Anne Smith. The climate is good and so is the weather... trying to get the busted shock sorted. I hit a large hole leaving the Amazonas, just before crossing into Venezuela. Got the bike to Panama, where the original shock was waiting for me -- trouble was, the preload did not work, so there was too much sag... Got to SJ and found a guy who rebuilds shocks. He replaced the dampening seal, and we were off... 200km later, the shock was down when the rebound hose punctured and lost the oil. Back to the shop. Got a new hose made and while the shock was being re-assembled, one of the legs on the bottom bracket snapped (again). It looks like there was a hair-line crack (now filled with dirt/oil) from the big bang in Brazil, and now the leg just gave up.

... We are now in Nicaragua, our 46th country, with only 6 more to go. As always, it took longer than expected but we finally got the issues with the shock sorted while in Costa Rica. Fortunately, the delays lead us to build stronger friendships with many people in Costa Rica.

The border crossing into Nicaragua last Friday was not terribly difficult, just took some time and our most expensive land border crossing since entering Egypt in 1999. We are currently in the colonial city of Granada -- the oldest, continuously occupied city in Latin America.

We are hoping to take the ferry across to Isle Ometepe later today, the largest fresh water island in the world -- it also has 2 spectacular volcano's, one at either end. After Ometepe, we will head north through Managua to Leon, then make our way over the border to Honduras. First, we will visit our friends Darrel and Susan, who we stayed with in Cambodia and who are now living in Tegucigalpa. Then, later in February, Erin's brother Mike is meeting us for a week, and we will go to the Bay Islands for some diving. It has been 4 years since Erin has seen her brother, and she is very excited!"

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Neil, UK, to Morocco, Honda Hornet CB600F,

"After sitting on the ferry for 36 hrs I was keen to get going and just went for it through Spain getting to the ferry at Algeciras in under 11 hours. Passed through Cueta with no hassles the next morning, headed south and found the new tarmac road all the way to Erg Chebi. Good for me on the Hornet but I guess this road does take some of the fun out of getting there. Arrived in a minor sand storm so it was adventure enough. Sat there for a few days, and snowboarded the big dune before heading back over the Atlas to Marrakech via the most amazing road imaginable. About 4 hours of smooth, clear tarmac with almost constant even radius bends to swoop around. Then beach for a few days to chill out before the ride back. 2 days from Malaga to St Malo in France in sub-zero temperatures and much rain and snow, horrible but still an experience and not work! Glad I finally succumbed to getting heated grips on the bike, I honestly don't think it would have been possible to do it without in those temperatures.

For anyone thinking of the same who sees this I'll do my best to give you what I was having trouble finding out - The roads are nearly all perfectly good, mostly like good UK B roads, usual clear of debris, well signed and marked for what's ahead, all constant radius bends (I didn't find one bend that might catch you out) the driving was fine by the Moroccans at least, watch out for the hire cars though as they are often more interested in the view than the road. Occasionally there was gravel kicked up from the side of the road but not much. Do watch out on steep uphill bends though as often its a bit oily, I guess from the old trucks changing gear and dropping oil.

Of the gear I took I'm glad I had small padlocks for the zips of my panniers. It wouldn't stop a determined thief of course but 90% of curious fingers and pilferers wouldn't cross the line of breaking a lock and making it obvious they'd been there. It's also nice for when there's a few people milling around the bike when you stop as you don't have to worry as much about what's going on behind you. They're not naturally thieving people anyway but for piece of mind...

Glad I didn't take camping gear as it was mostly far too cold at night to camp. I did take a tiny sleeping bag and used it as an extra blanket one night but I really didn't need to take that either. Wish I hadn't taken my disk lock and Kryptonite barbed wire, I never used it as in Morocco at least there is always somewhere to put your bike either in the hotel or a 60p a night secure car park. Saying that I have an alarm on the bike, though this beeps different when you turn it off if the alarm was activated and it never was. I really don't think there's much risk of your bike being stolen there, there's no market for stolen bikes in Morocco, far more chance of having it stolen in Europe.

There are masses of petrol stations in all the areas I went to, far more than are shown on any map. Getting unleaded would have been more of a problem if I needed it as they often didn't have any, but saying that I didn't look too hard as my bike was running better on the leaded stuff. The quality of the fuel was never a problem, in fact it seems better than in the UK, the bike was smoother throughout the trip than it used to be and getting back to the UK I filled up and back came the vibes, I suspect UK fuel is not very good. I had a pair of ladies tights with me - to filter fuel you understand - if it came out of a barrel but I never saw this, I'm told it happens more the further south you go.

So a great trip, totally recommend Morocco as a place for a ROAD trip, you do not NEED an off road bike! Happy travels, Neil"

Didier Martin, France / Australia, around the world for World Vision, in Ethiopia, F650GS,

"Crossing the border was a little more complicated than I expected. On the Ethiopian side they insisted on searching all my luggage, which means that I had to unpack everything while they went through it. The laptop and the video camera had to be declared, this is to prevent me selling it in the country. The whole process took 2 hours but I was not in a hurry having planned to stay for a couple of nights in the town anyway.

Konso market	Didier and running companions

... The market did not get going until 11am as most of the locals have to walk for hours to get to it and it's usually the women who carry all the veggies, wood, fruits etc. on their backs, while the men just hang around. Until quite recently, outside influence was almost unknown to the people of Konso. A pagan society with a complex age-grading system similar to that of the Oromos, the Konso boast a rich culture and a highly specialized and successful agricultural economy. The beautifully constructed, buttressed stone terraces have allowed the Konso to eke out a living from the dry, unyielding land around them. Surrounding the Konso villages and fields are sturdy stone walls, which serve as a defence against straying cattle and flash flooding, as well as against unwelcome visitors.

country visits	coffee ceremony

... An invitation for coffee in Ethiopia is not just a quick cupper. Let me tell you about it. The coffee ceremony is the best feature of Ethiopian hospitality, and an invitation to attend one is a mark of friendship or respect, but make sure that you are not in a hurry. Scattered on the ground is freshly cut grass and nearby there is an incense burner smoking with etan. The host sits on a stool before a tiny charcoal stove.

Coffee beans are first of all roasted in a pan. As the smoke rises, it is considered polite to draw it towards you, inhale it deeply and express great pleasure at the delicious aroma by saying lovely. Next the beans are ground up with a pestle and mortar, and then brewed up with water in a pan until it starts to bubble. When it's finally ready, the coffee is served in tiny china cups with at least three spoons of sugar. At least three cups must be accepted. The third in particular is considered to bestow a blessing."

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Patrick and Belinda Peck, Australia, USA to Chile, in Chile, Yamaha Super Tenere XTZ 750,

"When we wrote last we were just about to board the Ferry in Puerto Natales, Chile. Wow, what a trip, it was definitely the way to go as there are no roads in Southern Chile and the only other option was the notorious Route 40- a rough gravel road in Argentina running along the top of the Andes.

Pat and Luis enjoyed the break from driving and Belinda enjoyed the break on her bum! We sat back like a couple of oldies on a cruise ship and read, ate, slept, OK- we did party a bit too and Belinda even excelled at Bingo, though always yelling 'Bingo' too late! The cruise was expensive at US$250 each, but we probably saved that much on maintenance on the bike, tyres etc!

We arrived 3 days later at Puerto Montt, Chile and went straight to the seafood market and had the best feed of mixed seafood soup and Chilean Salmon- Yummo! The scenery around the Chilean Lake District was awesome with gorgeous, quaint, German-style lakeside villages everywhere. Currently Chile is way more expensive than Argentina, so we splurged for our last night in Chile and had a lovely lakeside cabin with cable TV!

Next morning we drove through wonderful scenery, crossed the Andes and back into wonderful Argentina. January is a terrible time to travel in Argentina as everyone else is travelling and the Chileans are over here too, cause its so cheap!

We rode about 200km per day, stopping at lovely little villages until we got to Valle Grande, near San Rafael. We met a great Chilean family at a service station and they told us we must go to Valle Grande. Well it was fantastic- a wonderful road following a huge gorge down to a lake and then a white water river. The river had many lakeside cabanas, rafting companies, ski boats- just our scene. We stayed for a couple of days 'playing' in the water. We went down the river on a surf ski and it was awesome!

next trip...

We are now in Mendoza- the wine capital of Argentina. We are getting some work done on the bike in preparation of selling it in Santiago in the next few weeks."

Tiffany Coates, UK, Prudhoe Bay to Ushuaia, in Chile, R80G/S,

"It has been a month of milestones- Thelma clocked up her 100,000 miles and I had my birthday, though I have to confess I still haven't quite reached Ushuaia, as I am having such a good time in Patagonia and have slowed down a bit.

The month started with a welcome reunion with our second gear, Thelma and I had been coping without it since Quito - 4,000 miles and two months of travelling. I had quite got used to just kicking straight up into third gear but it had made the mud and dirt roads of Bolivia (never easy at the best of times) even more of a challenge. The guys in Santiago eventually got my gearbox operational again - and I have to say a huge thanks to Ricardo Baros of the Horizons Community in Santiago for all his help and patience, particularly his diplomacy during the times when I just wanted to go round and boot the mechanic up the backside!

Southern Chile has been fantastic and I have been lucky with the weather - so great views of the forests, mountains, lakes and glaciers as I rode along.

And then... Ruta 40 - I started off along it blissfully ignorant of the notorious reputation that this road has - yes, I know I am probably the only rider in this part of the World who didn't know that it was the Road from Hell. I had a rude awakening though when I was swept off the road by a 70 mph gust of wind, through all the gravel, into the gully, across the field and then finally managing to turn Thelma back into the wind and onto the road - the startled faces of the land rover occupants heading the other way almost made it worthwhile. After that, it was a terror ride all the way, apparently it was a particularly windy day that I had chosen to ride on! I am proud to report that I didn't drop Thelma once, though it was close at times, tackling sand and gravel combined with those deadly winds.

'I know there is a road here somewhere'

Near El Chalten I saw another bike - it was Lance Wiggs (NZ) on his BMW, we had heard of each other through Horizons and as luck would have it I was just 15 miles off my 100,000 miles so had a witness to the event and someone to take photos as well as singing Happy Birthday to me the next day.

Close to Calafate, things got nasty when I hit a rock (don't ask) and smashed two big holes in my engine cover -ooops! A pick-up truck stopped to see what was up; once they had ceased scanning the horizon for some errant husband or boyfriend to appear on a bike and actually started to believe me that I was on my own, they took things into their own hands. There was only one option according to them, they would tow me to the nearest house - two miles away.

I was understandably hesitant, and how right I was. Before I knew it, I found myself being dragged at 20 mph on a woefully short piece of rope through the gravel and sand, buffeted by the winds, while the driver spun his steering wheel - occasionally remembering to look back and see if I was still there and amazingly I was.

I got the engine cover repaired in Calafate and then it was back on the road again. Still loving life on the road, getting used to this Patagonian wind and meeting lots of people, giving lifts to the occasional unsuspecting hitchhiker. Roll on Ushuaia."

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Arne Bomblies, USA, to Ushuaia and back, in Bolivia, KLR650

"The thunder and lightning rapidly diminished, but the rain didn't let up until the next morning, and the salt flat had been transformed into a giant lake. A 5 cm layer of water covered the salt. No worries for riding out, it was a great ride! The effect of the clouds and sky being perfectly reflected in the water made for a bizarre, very unique effect that can only be described as dreamlike.

There were times on the first leg of the journey between the Salar de Uyuni and Laguna Colorada where I thought we wouldn't make it. The rains had turned the other salar on the route- the salar de Chiguana- into a huge tub of thick dark bike-swallowing muck. This thick slippery mud really did it's best to hinder our progress but in the end we made it through after endless difficult hours, and finally were happy to see a sandy track heading south through the mountains.

Only a short distance off of the salar de Chiguana we came across a vicious thunderstorm hanging over the exposed and treeless mountains. The intense electric storm was just daring us to continue, but we decided to stop for the night and wait for it to clear out. The next day the track wound through a volcanic moonscape as desolate and rugged as any I have ever seen. This is an exceptionally harsh, windswept land that supports very little life and is plagued by an extreme climate- bitter cold in the winter and strong storms and rain in the summer. But that is the appeal of it. Further south, approaching Laguna Colorada, the track deteriorated to many parallel jeep tracks on the deep, soft sand. The gale-force winds kept trying to knock us off our bikes and make us freeze to death, but in the end we finally rolled into Laguna Colorada and splurged by taking a $2 bed each in the lodge. We were absolutely finished at that point."

For more stories, check out Arne's blog here on Horizons Unlimited!

Peter Cameron and Carol Palladino, Canada, London to Australia, BMW R80RT,

"In Pai we also met Bob ... an American engineer who works on power projects in various parts of south east asia and a motorcycle enthusiast who was riding his Yamaha TDM 850. He told us to look him up when we got to Chiang Mai. The most interesting thing we did in Pai was to go for an elephant trek through the jungle for about an hour and a half and then we went swimming in the river with the elephants! This was truly unforgettable and loads of fun. Then into the largest city in northern Thailand - Chiang Mai. We met up with Bob again and David Unkovich, another motorcycle guy who has lived in Thailand for the past 20 years and is totally familiar with almost all of the roads in the area (he rides a Honda Africa Twin) and Reece with his Thai wife Nui who were visiting from New Zealand and also riding a rental motorcycle.

... Due to the bad weather we decided not to venture any further north or east as the roads were in bad shape and we headed back south to Veng Vieng. On the way we had the only real 'crash' of the trip so far. We came upon a mud slide that only days before had been hard packed dirt - it was now red slippery gumbo. Bob headed in slowly and fell over first, rolling off his bike and yelling 'don't stop' we couldn't! We managed to stay upright most of the way but slowly the bike started to skid and over we went. No damage, everything was in slow motion - but there was other bigger traffic coming so it was important to get the bikes out of the way! or else! We carried on to Veng Vieng for a night and then back to Ventiene the next day with a stop at the resort that has bumper cars in the jungle (not working, but funny to see just the same) and a huge fish lunch at the reservoir with an Italian world traveling biker named Ennio (Honda Trans Alp - covered in duct tape!)

... We met up with Ralf & Caroline (a German couple riding from Australia back to Europe - on Honda 650 Trans Alps) and a few more folks who had long experience touring in this great part of the world as well as newcomers like ourselves (Bill and Sharon from the USA riding Harley Sportsters). Great times at the Kafe with Bob, David Unkovich, Greg Frazier, Kristen, Phil aka (Mr.Bean the fish lure man)... A great crew! There were a few folks in Bangkok who were also touring on Motorcycles - Jason, Sean & Adrian (Brits) and more expected (Jenny & Cliff). Some of these folks had ridden through Iran, Pakistan and up the Karakoram and then to Nepal and shipped bikes to Thailand.

... Peter went to Kuala Lumpur to arrange the shipment of the bike from Port Klang to Perth Australia (Jan 18) and returned to Melaka with two German guys (firemen from Kologne) who are also shipping their Honda Africa Twins on the same ship. We also met another Canadian couple on bikes Mike and Melie, they just arrived from Indonesia (a little bushed it seems...), the roads there were crazy! They are very interesting folks - having worked in some dicey parts of world for Doctors Without Borders (Angola, just to name one)... great stories. Last evening we were treated to dinner by some local Malaysian bikers, good fun, great people. We will be off to Australia tomorrow morning and back into 'western culture' sort of ... at least they speak English there - we hope!"

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Daniel Todd, USA/Puerto Rico, second around the world tour, in Australia, KLR650,

"Australia... my last Continent to cross! I didn't get far; after 90,000 KM the KLR sprung it's first oil leak and to my dismay, I realized that I didn't have the extra gaskets and water pump seal that I needed. Kawasaki Australia was estimating 4 weeks for these parts so I consulted Baxters Motorcycle Engineering in Darwin and the good old boys obliged with all home-made parts.

The Olgas

I headed directly south on the Stewart Highway to dodge the Tropical monsoons and take advantage of a 'Down Under Summer'. In all fairness, this was the most mundane ride I have ever experienced. In the 1700 Km to Alice Springs I took in many dirt airstrips from World War Two, a few waterfalls and lots and lots of road-kill. The 'Red Center' however was a bikers paradise with great off-roading, lots of National Parks and the best camping facilities."

Maarten Munnik, Netherlands, around the world, in Bangladesh and Thailand, Honda Africa Twin,

"Katmandu was great, but cold. So I left it 7 days after I arrived for warmer places - such as Bangladesh. I took the old road, straight south to the border... and this was great. OK, a bit icy and the surface had mostly disintegrated, especially in the many hairpins. But the views were superb. I even got to see Mount Everest.

... It happened on the way up. Coming out of one of the many hairpins I saw some snow on the road. Two stretches to be precise, and in the middle there was a good piece of black tarmac, I thought... The black stuff was not tarmac at all... but Ice... solid hard and slippery ice, so before I even knew what happened, I was sliding down the road... on my side. Fortunately it was ice, so I just sledded along. Only my crashbar punched through it and scraped the road surface. So I am sorry to say I am responsible for even more damage to this road.

Ed. There's such a thing as being too polite, Maarten. Apologizing to the road you crashed on is in that category ;-) Susan

The problem was picking the bike up... which I could not. Too heavy with all the luggage. I saw some people. I waved and shouted and they came to the rescue. We had just put the bike up again... and the next bike (small one) crashed on the same spot (just to let you know it was not solely bad driving from my side... hahaha).

Damage: scratched and little bit bent crash-bar (well that's what it's for) and a (small) scar on one of my side-bags... and I had to sew a zipper that had come loose a bit. Not really devastating.

Bangladesh is something else. The roads are mostly perfect. A bit busy with bicycles and bicycle rickshaws, and an occasional truck, but no problem there. Every police officer would salute me when I pass and all people are terribly friendly. When I stopped for a bit of a bite, within no time at all people were gathering, but never got pushy and no one touched the bike without asking first - a refreshing change from India and Nepal. Even a truck-driver stopped in the middle of the road (well, ok, it's only 3 meters wide) and joined in with the chat. Now, there was the problem, no one speaks English, and my Bengali is very limited... how much does it cost, how do you do, thank you very much... that's about it... From the 50 people that were standing around (men, women and children) only 3 spoke English... but it was fun... a lot of fun.

After a while I got to the town Rangpur. This town is dominated by bicycle rickshaws... literally hundreds and hundreds of them. They fill the streets completely so my speed was reduced to about 5 Km/hour. Ever been in a traffic jam where you did not hear any horns, but hundreds of bells? It's very very strange... I could only find one luxury motel. Like a 5-star palace, but a bit cheaper. I had to pay about 10 USD for a very luxury room... and Pam (my bike) could be parked inside my room. Now, for security this was not needed, but for a good photo... I'll do anything... even sleep with my bike... It was kind of fun actually.

The next day I drove on to Dhaka. Straight to the Myanmar embassy, where the necessary permits for crossing Myanmar were - of course - denied. I did have a very nice conversation with the first secretary to the ambassador, but this did not help. No was still no.

So, next stop the airport, where I was send to an agent for airfreight to Bangkok. While the agent arranged everything for me, I strolled through the streets of Dhaka, where the police still saluted me when I passed, even on foot. Bangladesh itself has not much to offer to tourists... but the traveler can enjoy the good roads, the rice paddies that go on for ever, the friendly people and the superb food. Now I am in Thailand, and I miss the Bengali people... a lot. Maarten"

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Sharon Whitman and Bill Berwick, USA, around the world, in Cambodia, on Harley-Davidson Sportsters,

"Cambodia is a fascinating country, full of potential. We loved being there. Yes, the roads were worse than awful, but with cultural attractions like Angkor Wat, which rivals the famed Machu Picchu in Peru, relative peace, and the eradication of thousands of landmines, tourism is bound to flourish, and good roads will follow. In this country of extremes we also found one of the best roads since leaving Europe, Rt 4 from Phnom Penh to Sinoukville. Built by the Americans, it even has deer crossing signs! (But we don't think there ARE any deer in Cambodia.) Going north we were on dirt again making four river crossings on rafts tied to canoes.

Sharon in Cambodia.

Our exploration through Cambodia provided us with plenty of challenges. Bill and I have come to enjoy these kinds of days where we can test our strength, endurance, and skills, more than the mind-numbing days of paved asphalt. We feel exhausted, yet exhilarated at having faced fear (yes, it IS scary trying to hold these big bikes up in slippery clay and deeply rutted roads ) and kept going.

Into Lao for another set of challenges and the friendliest people we have encountered in ANY country. We practically drove all day one-handed returning waves and salutations from the hundreds of people we passed in the villages. All the while dodging chickens, pigs, puppies, water buffalo, and strangely constructed vehicles resembling giant roto-tillers pulling wagons. Still not able to cross into Vietnam we now had extra time on our hands, so headed north into Lao's beautiful mountains. The dirt road from Luang Nam Ta to the Thai border at Huay Xai is steep and extremely slippery after rain, bridges made of logs parallel to the road rather than perpendicular, make the crossing particularly tricky for two-wheeled vehicles. We spent three days waiting for a ferry that would transport our bikes across the Mekong River. No matter how much they insisted, we knew there was no way we could get our monsters onto one of their dugout canoes.

Bill Berwick

In Thailand we attended Chiang Mai Bike Week. Over 700 cycles, mostly HD's, from clubs all over Asia. They were incredulous about what we were doing to and with our Sportsters. The rocks, sand, and mud are taking their toll on the moving and stationary parts of our bikes. The sprockets will be replaced here because the drive belts are now only lasting 12,000 miles.

But we are getting close to the end of the trip (Damn!) We've been out here a year and a half now, really enjoyed South America and Africa. Then six months in Europe, and now Asia. We head to Australia at the end of this month. Hope to do the crossing with Rich Kickbush and his bike.

Then back to the States this summer for the big Harley party in Milwaukee the end of August. The Forwood's are supposed to be there too. We wish all of you health and happiness in the New Year. Sharon and Bill"

Jason Homewood, UK, Round the world, in Laos, BMW,

"Today I did something really stupid. Arrived in Laos yesterday and had 200kms of dirt to do today to get across to a town on the 'main' drag.

160kms on and everything is going well. The conditions are perfect and I'm really having fun riding this beautiful dirt track. I get to the umpteenth river crossing and it's another long one which I can't see the bottom of. I am just about to get off the bike for a look when to the left I see a disused log bridge 2m above the water. The last few meters of planks are missing but I think I can ride it on the logs at the side. Too lazy to get off the bike again.

So I start off but decide to stop half way for a look. I put my foot down but the plank just falls away and before I know it I'm falling of the bike, helmet first into the river. For a split second I think the bike has somehow managed to stay on the bridge but then there's a big splash and the bike tumbles in on my back. The water was only about 18 inches deep but I find myself pressed to the bottom face down. I really struggle hard but can't get free and then I think I am going to drown. I put my hands under my chest and with all my strength I do a big press up and stretch my neck as far as I can. My helmet is still full of water and I don't know whether to try for a breath. I have to, but as well as some water I also get some air. I cough it out and push up again. This time it's all air, so it's back under water and I manage to get a knee up and twist out from under the bike.

I can't describe the feeling! I was so elated.

The bike is upside down in the river but still running. I get the bike up, and feel that soon it's going to hurt. I work to get the bags and boxes up on the bank, have a quick look to the bike - the clocks and mirrors are damaged and the rack is broken, a few marks but it all looks OK. I use the remaining adrenalin to dig a track up the river bank and then wait for help.

After 45 mins 2 men turn up on a rotorvator, and after laughing their heads off we set to to drive and push the bike up the bank. I tip all the water out of the boxes and my boots and slowly strap everything back to the bike. I give the guys 10 dollars each, a lot, but I feel so grateful to still be here I could have made it 100.

So tonight I have a 3rd arse cheek growing on my back and I ache everywhere else. The bike will be OK. Nothing I can't fix. Stuff will dry out, but unfortunately my camera's had it. I hope when I get to a shop they can save the film as I finally took some pictures of the bike in a long-tail boat when we went across the Mekong.

So the moral is: If you're travelling alone in remote places on a motorbike, don't do something stupid. Tonight I feel very, very lucky."

Read more in Jason's blog, here on Horizons Unlimited!

Vincent Danna, France, around the world, in Pakistan, BMW R100GS,

I've been in Pakistan for a month. I entered from Iran, slept at the border, Iran side, then Dalbandin, then Quetta, Loralai, Dg Khan. You need noc (Ed. No Objection Certificate) from Quetta to Dg Khan, tribal areas.

Read Lonely Planet, they tell you about it. Then through Di Khan, slept in Kohat - not so safe Kohat, I had problems to find a place to stay and I had to stay inside my hotel, forbidden to go out. Then Islamabad - register at your own embassy in Islamabad! Then KKH until Kunjerab Pass.

Snow and ice, but I did it (10th jan) - then back to Islamabad. No need noc for KKH. You need noc for Khyber Pass. Afghanistan, Pesh and Lahore are ok, it's friendly, safe, but always be careful, don't tell your destinations to strangers, get a nice safe hotel, feel the atmosphere. It's worth it, but be careful. I even met 2 Swiss on bicycles. Email me directly for more info. Vincent Danna. Have a look too on my website.

oops.

I'm in Pakistan for 2-3 more months. I had an accident on the KKH, so have to stay! I have a broken clavicle and the front of the bike is damaged. Be careful on the roads. The police were very helpful with me. I had insurance for me, but not for the bike."

I sent a mail to Vincent to make sure he was okay, get details on what happened, and to see if he needed a connection for assistance. (There is an Islamabad Community). He wrote back:

"A German biker, Knut Lebang, almost died in Iran, I was with him when he crashed badly because of a truck. He goes on Horizons Unlimited too, I forgot his email, I don't have it on me.

I have to wait, will work here and fix the bike (R100GS) front forks. Did you get the info on my website "informations pratiques pour les autres voyageurs"

Now I have time to prepare for my trip to Afghan and Tajik maybe :-) Otherwise, I'll be in the perfect days for Ladakh Zanskar :-) I have very good friends here + the French Embassy, etc ...

Thanks Grant, I'm fine. If you need anything for the website, info, etc ..., don't hesitate, Happy trails. Vincent."

Anybody passing through Islamabad in the next month or so make sure you look up Vincent! And if anyone hears more about Knut please pass it on. Grant

Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road
by Neil Peart

Looking for a travel book for someone special? 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.

There's links to Amazon USA, Amazon UK, and Amazon Deutschland, so no matter where you are - you can order books at great prices, and we'll make a dollar or a pound or a Euro, which goes a very little way to supporting this e-zine.

There's also 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

Norwegian temperatures - an international observation

+15°C/59°F
This is as warm as it gets in Norway, so we'll start here. People in Spain wear winter-coats and gloves. The Norwegians are out in the sun, getting a tan.

+10°C/50°F
The French are trying in vain to start the central heating. The Norwegians are planting flowers in their gardens.

+5°C/41°F
Italian cars won't start. The Norwegians are cruising in cabriolets.

0°C/32°F
The water in Oslo Fjord is getting a little thicker

-5°C/23°F
People in California almost freeze to death. The Norwegians have their final barbeque before winter.

-10°C/14°F
The Brits start the heat in their houses. The Norwegians start using long sleeves.

-20°C/-4°F
The Aussies flee from Mallorca. The Norwegians end their Midsummer celebrations. Autumn is here.

-30°C/-22°F
People in Greece die from the cold and disappear from the face of the earth. The Norwegians start drying their clothes indoors.

-40°C/-40°F
Paris start cracking in the cold. The Norwegians stand in line at the hotdog stands.

-50°C/-58°F
Polar bears start evacuating the North Pole. The Norwegian army postpones their winter survival training awaiting real winter weather.

-70°C/-94°F
The false Santa moves south. The Norwegian army goes out on winter survival training.

-183°C/-279.4°F
Microbes in food don't survive. The Norwegian cows complain that the farmers' hands are cold.

-273°C/-459.4°F
ALL atom-based movement halts. The Norwegians start saying"Faen, it's cold outside today".

-300°C/-508°F
Hell freezes over, Norway wins the Eurovision Song Contest.

From a Norwegian friend via Seamus Campbell, Australia.

"If you’re looking for friends when you need them… it’s too late."
Mark Twain

"If there is a rumor in the air about you, you'd better treat it as you would a wasp: either ignore it or kill it with the first blow. Anything else will just stir it up."
James Thom

"You can do anything if you have enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes rise to the stars. Enthusiasm is the spark in your eye, the swing in your gait, the grip of your hand, the irresistible surge of your will and your energy to execute your ideas. Enthusiasts are fighters, they have fortitude, they have strong qualities. Enthusiasm is at the bottom of all progress. With it there is accomplishment. Without it there are only alibis."
Henry Ford

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The Galmukoff Family Clan, Port Townsend, Washington

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Aaron McIntosh, Mount Vernon, WA

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Alan Hopkins, Birmingham, UK

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Stefen Jobs, Germany

"Finding you could turn my dream into reality. Ride on!"
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"Great site with lots of information. Hopefully planning a trip to South America and the site certainly has plenty of tips. Thanks."
Phil Newton, Branchport, NY, USA

"Isn't this web site excellent!"
Pete, Ashland, Oregon

"About a year ago I stumbled onto your site. I don't know what I was looking for anymore, but you probably weren't it as I owned a k100 at the time. At any rate, your site has quickly become my favorite. It is an enormous inspiration to me, and I'm sure to many others around the world as well. You're doing a wonderful job, I just hope you still find time for your adventures."
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ISSN 1703-1397 Horizons Unlimited Motorcycle Travellers' Ezine - Copyright 1999-2003, Horizons Unlimited and Grant and Susan Johnson. All rights reserved.

REDISTRIBUTION is allowed, indeed encouraged, but other than the following requirements, only with permission. You may forward copies of the Horizons Unlimited Motorcycle Travellers' e-zine by forwarding it yourself by hand. You must forward the issue in its entirety, no fee may be involved. Please suggest they Subscribe!

Legal gibberish: (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 for 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.

John and Annette Taylor, UK, in Ushuaia, Argentina,

"Happy New Year. Very pleased you got out of bed to write the newsletter, more than a lot of us would have done!

We had a great party in Ushuaia at New Year - about 25 bikers turned up.

Keep up the good work, Annette and John"

From Iris Heiremans and Trui Hanoulle, Belgium, (after their ride through Iran)

"I don't suppose we have anything to do with this, but then..."

Attached was a Sunday Times press clipping showing an Iranian woman in chador on a small motorcycle. The story was headlined: "Iran's women in small roar of defiance." Datelined Tehran, by Tom Walker, it continued: "Thousands of Iranian women have applied for motorcycle lessons, marking the quiet crumbling of another taboo of the Islamic Republic. Although Iranian women have been driving cars for decades, it was decided after the 1979 revolution that deposed the Shah that it was not appropriate for them to ride motobikes. But in recent weeks reformist newspapers have carried advertisements featuring a woman - properly attired in a  chador - riding a scooter. There has been no adverse reaction from the authorities..."

good on 'em!

, UK, to Morocco, R1150GS,

"I'm back in computer world. Had a great trip:

No speed cameras... no banding on the roads... no MOT's... Hectic cities... Empty highways... Hundreds of dirt roads... Year round sun... campsites and abundant cheap hotels... Your bike will be able to outrun the local vehicles (including the cops)... Helpful locals... er... Fast highways... Cheap... and cheap to get to... Ancient history... In winter the cost of the ferry from Spain (Europe) to Spain (Africa) for one person one bike with an open return is 53 Euros.

Now I'm struggling... most important for us in Europe is that it's little visited compared to Spain and Portugal in the winter and it's a real 3rd (?) world country with adventure if that's what you're looking for. You don't need an off road bike with loads of extras. I've been to the edge of the Sahara on my 1982 R100RT. I've been there 3 times but think I've done all Morocco now... Tunisia maybe next winter...

Some of the stickers that weren't given out at the rally are now strategically placed around Morocco... Glynn"

Ted Simon, UK/USA, "Jupiter's Travels," around the world, again, in Indonesia, R80GS Basic,

"I have posted a few more pages from Australia, and am now in Indonesia on my way to Singapore.

Anyway, folks, it's time for me to bite another bullet. My band of loyal supporters has dwindled to a very few - too few. There are large, and unavoidable expenses ahead. If you are one of those anonymous ones who enjoy what I write, now is the time to kick in. You know how to do it. Just press the Supporter button at the bottom of my home page. From those who have already given I want nothing more. Really. I mean that most sincerely. Cheers, Ted" Ted's latest story and photos here.

, UK, around the world, in Ethiopia

"January 10 ...we are in Addis at the moment, staying at the Bel Air Hotel out past Arat Kilo, pop in if you're about and we will have a beer or two, we are heading south... Regards Chris and Gill

Lew and Achi Waterman, USA, North and South America 2001-3, in Argentina

"It is summer here (93 degrees) and we are heading into the rainy, hot and humid tropic zone. Want to stay on the coastal routes as much as possible to enjoy the cooler weather and the beaches. A couple of nights ago, we had a great dinner at a nice restaurant, with 13 other riders, compliments of Eric and Gail Haws. They are leaving their beemer in Buenos Aires, returning to Oregon and coming back to continue touring South America in August.

... Rode north in the rain Jan. 19 with my friend from Quito, Ecuador, Ricardo Rocco, and crossed the Parana and Uruguay rivers into Uruguay... We met Andre Witt in Porto Alegre, a very nice Suzuki 1400 Intruder rider. He insisted we go to his house. We had intended to leave, but Andre was so nice we decided to spend the night with him. Andre gifted us with his club stickers, shirts and pins and fed us lunch... Spent the night in the small town of San Joaquin. The next day we rode through more spectacular scenery in cool high country, where it is known to snow in winter (in Brazil?), hence the name Vale Neve (Snow Valley). We then descended into a long deep canyon, Serra Gaúcha, of mind boggling twisties. Ricardo is generally riding faster and more reckless (like I used to) than we are and boiled his super-duper brake fluid rendering his KLR brakeless. ... Prices are very reasonable. Gasahol (Brazilian gas) is not. It was even higher in Uruguay. Punky is still the star of the show and continues to draw attention everywhere we go.

... We are now flopping on an enchanting beach for R&R on Ilha Santa Catarina in Florianopolis, SC, Brasil, a first class resort area. Ricardo is in his 7th heaven with lovely chicas everywhere. His neck must be sore from swiveling his head, sighing and salivating at yet another beauty in a skimpy bikini. I look, but out of respect for Achi refrain from commenting. Even she says the chicas are beautiful."

Pan-American 2002, Fabien Mirabaud, Thomas Girodot and Aurélien Chardeau, France, NY to Tierra del Fuego, Honda Transalp's, in Chile,

"We are at the edge of Lake Titicaca... Already 14,000 km of roads, paths, tracks, on the sea level or at 4,300 meters of altitudes...

The crew in Peru, Atacama Desert - a favourite stop for travellers. Hundreds of miles of dry desert, then sculptures in the sand - for no discernible reason...

The Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia (just in case you wondered what it looked like...)
La traversee du Salar d Uyuni, 5 jours... ENORMES!

Bolivia

"27 January, We are in Valparaiso..."

Ged Schwartz, Canada, to Baja, R1100GS,

"...our group of six oilhead GS's had a great trip (one Adventure GS... brand new... blew a shock seal between Puertocitos and Bahia San Luis Gonzaga; one Ohlins shock's spring-preload hydraulic hose blew off fitting on a GS 1100; two flats: one a pinch and one a puncture; one fork seal leak on GS1100 (second time).

I won't burden you with the itinerary and details, but will say that most bikes down there were BMW's, mostly oilhead GS's...but Peter from San Francisco had a sweet R100GS - black and understated elegance at work.

Gas was not difficult to find and was readily available from independent vendors (no contamination problems); the paved roads were better than ever, the washboard roads were better at 50 mph than slower, and the soft sand set up entertainment, high pucker factors, and only one fall that resulted in Curtis (Arizona) injuring a shoulder near the end of his trip.

Votes for rides

a) Harshest on Bikes: Puertocitos to Bahia Gonzaga;
b) Best fish tacos: Any small street vendor;
c) Best Beaches: Bahia Gonzaga's luminescent sand Bahia San Francisquito... smoked yellowtail;
d) Best rides: Loreto to Agua Verde; Mulege's west-side circle tour;
e) Best decisions:
- To go to Baja!
- 12 volt air compressor and flat repair kits;
- Eric's decision to NOT ride through Redwoods at night in freezing rain;
- To speak up and say, "Hey, there's no tequila in these margharitas!" both times they tried."

Mariola Cichon, USA/Poland, in Senegal, West Africa, KLR650

"7 January, Hi Grant and Susan! I apologize for a long silence on my part. Things are going well, but not exactly the way I am used to. I am in West Africa, more precisely in Gambia, where I got stuck for almost 3 weeks waiting for some parts for my bike to arrive from Chicago. Everything is ready now and I am heading toward Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Benin, and Ghana, from where I am planning on shipping to the east coast of Africa, probably Kenya.

In the face of current global political situation I am beginning to doubt that I will be able to complete the African part of my around the world journey. So far I have been lucky and had no problems crossing Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal and Gambia. New reports and photos are posted on my website www.rideoftheheart.com.

I wish you as well as all motorcyclists across the globe a peaceful New Year... I wish for all not to forget what life is all about. It is definitely not about hate... it is about love. Hope to see you on the road one of these days! Mariola Cichon"

Not long after we received this, we heard about a bad accident Mariola had. See "Home again" for details.

Jens Peters, Germany, to India, in Pakistan, R80G/S,

"Don't be too scared of Pakistan, you will miss a lot! Spent three weeks here now and had absolutely no problems. Nice people, and most love foreigners since there are nearly none, especially Europeans. And the atmosphere is great, very traditional and origin. And, yes, a little bit wild in the north. I love it. Came from Iran to Quetta, then Jacobabad, Sukkur, Multan, Peshawar, some mountains in the north and now Rahwalpindi. Very warm in the south, but landscape is much more beautiful on the Quetta-Loralai-Route.

Did a little KKH last week, Swat valley up to Shanglan-Pass (don't remember the exact name), and from there KKH back to Manshera and Kaghan-Valley up to Naran. Not very far, i know, but I don't like forth-and-back-tours. Road okay, some bad holes but no real problems, no ice, people friendly everywhere (needed to stay in hotel only one of 5 days), easy driving especially the road in Kaghan-valley, it was the best road I found in whole Pakistan (!), brand new, and therefore good for some faster mountain-driving with curves u can trust. Real Fun. But only up to approx. 30km to Naran, from there more and more icy, old road, made it up to 2km to Naran, then I had to give up, when the track is crossing a glacier. Road there is beautiful, but the towns less the further u go, very touristy, mainly hotels and some like ghost-towns in off-season. Have fun there, I had!"

For more from Jens on Pakistan (JEP on the HUBB) see here.

Help support the Horizons Unlimited E-zine - visit our sponsors! Please be sure you tell them how you heard about Morton's BMW!

Thanks!

Just in case you thought it was too cold to ride; (and see the Norwegian temperature chart here)

"Allroad Tour Team is a group of friends and touring enduro enthusiasts who are also organizing trips for other same minded riders. Year by year more riders were interested in joining us and today there are about 30 participants in addition to the team.

Allroad Tour will be organized as long as we in the team also enjoy it ourselves. Organizing a new trip every year is quite an effort but so far everything has run so well that we still want to share this experience with new riders. Traditionally Allroad Tour takes place in the area of Kainuu and Lapland because of the dense network of forest roads there. The severe northern nature and harsh landscape are key elements of the trip as well.

Temperature was -33 C in the morning start.	Terassikelit Kaunispäällä. Only -12 C.

All the team members have plenty of experience of acting outdoors, camping and of course riding on gravel roads. We all have empirically learned what it is to operate in remote areas where there are no shops, gas stations and services next to you. For this reason it is clear that enjoying and respecting the nature is the only way to act for all of us."

For more photos and information, and to join in the fun, visit their website.

William - (KTMwill), UK, to India, KTM,

"I am currently heading from Goa to Agra, after which I will spend a few days in Varanassy and then head into Nepal. I was also planning to fly the bike to Bangkok in February and would be pleased to meet up and maybe arrange the shipping." more here

John Kennedy, (kcfire) USA, to Mexico, KLR650,

"I am now in Puerto Arista. I will be heading to San Pedro Guatemala after the first of February. John"

That man is straight and to the point... :)

John Wilson, Belfast, Northern Ireland, and Gerry Tiernan, Roscommon, Ireland, around the world, R80GS basic,

From their webmaster, Alex Bradley: "...making good progress up the west coast of South America. At last contact they were in Quito, after visiting Machu Picchu and Nasca. They are now preparing to fly to Panama. I have the web pages fairly up to date but the lads seem to be having problems with the internet having to send massages three or four times and some just not getting through.

Reports for Ushuaia and Chile with pictures for Bolivia and Chile. The boys were a bit reluctant to visit Bolivia after hearing tales of locals stoning tourists but I don't know how true this was. They went ahead anyway and seem to have remained unscathed.

They met quite a few bikers including John Green and Annette Taylor. Picture in the Chile page with Annette's bike adorned with Christmas tinsel."

Jim Stanley, USA, Argentina to USA, XR650L,

"I just got laid off from my engineering job and am seriously considering a LONG ride..."

And a few days later in a post on the HUBB...

"OK. I'm doin it. Flying down to BA Argentina with a XR650L I haven't seen yet. Will meet up with 2 friends who will be about 3 weeks ahead of me. Then up coast of Brazil, ride the area the ISDE will be at next year, then up the Amazon, into Bolivia, peru, etc northward to home."

By Chris and Erin Ratay, USA, around the world, in Costa Rica, two BMW F650s,

"We just met Remus Preda, another former New Yorker (and nice guy) who left NYC in September on his black R1100GS, and in the last 3.5 months has ridden up to Alaska and down to Costa Rica where we bumped into him on Dec 30th.

He hung out with our small group for New Years, and is hoping to reach Ushuaia by March.He will then turn 'round and be back up to New York by early summer..."

Rene Cormier, USA, around the world, (in response to a post on the HUBB)

"My company here in Colorado Springs (RockShox) was recently purchased by a Chicago based firm and instead of moving to Chicago, I took the severance package and am doing exactly what you are considering. I sold my house to my roommate and will be having a party/auction to sell off (purge) all of my belongings that I will not take on my RTW. On the specific topic of making money on the road, I have inquired into teaching English. If your time line is open this may be for you as you usually need to commit to a contract (3m - 12m). For me, teaching English in Central America for 3-6 months before going into South America will not only make me a few dollars, but would also give me a chance to learn Spanish, which would make the rest of the journey more enjoyable. www.teachandtravel.com and www.englishjobmaze.com.

I have also looked into working on organic farms where labour is traded for food/lodging. You don't get paid, but the time commitments are short (usually starting at 5 days) and would be a nice way to get your bearings entering a foreign country, eating well, and getting the local take on good riding, safe routes, etc. www.wwoof.org.

Cheers, Rene"

Mariola Cichon, USA, back home after an accident, KLR650,

From Kris Cichon:

"January-16-2003 - Mariola has been involved in a head-on collision with a passenger car while ridding ROMA (her KLR650) in Gambia (West Africa). Accident happened on the outskirts of Banjul which is a major city of Gambia. Incoming passenger car apparently did not have properly functioning brakes and driver just turned into her lane to avoid rear-end collision with a stopped bus.

Having maximum 100 feet to decide, she had no chance to avoid accident. She impacted car right in the middle of the front bumper. Impact force was enough for both vehicles to be written-off... Somehow she managed to clear steering bar and only left leg was impacted by the body of the car, and severely broken in a lower part of the leg. Right leg has been broken on lending, since she was thrown several yards to the soft roadside which prevented further injuries.

Accident was witnessed by a fellow motorcyclist who secured her at the accident scene and managed to contact Mr. Heinert Hantke (fellow German motorcyclist / mechanic living permanently in Banjul/Gambia). Heinert with his friends were able to provide basic medical treatment for Mariola as well as provide a legal help with a police investigation. Heinert was able to secure flight reservations and we were able to put Mariola on a flight to Brussels (Belgium)... AA finally agreed to take her directly from Brussels to Chicago.

Both legs are broken but no other serious injuries are found to date. Hips are badly bruised but not broken, helmet saved her head. She cleared over a handlebar so it was miracle 'in action' out there - literally saving her life. Right leg is in much better condition but left leg required 4.5 hours long surgery. As of now, surgery has been completed and malaria seems to fade away. However Mariola is very weak and tired and needs extensive rehab before she will be able to carry for herself. But this will happen ... And she is already planning go to back to Africa :-)

Well... it is going to be at least 6 months before she will be able to ride again. And her beloved ROMA (KLR650) needs to be resurrected from the grave. This time she plans to use to write her story of crossing the Globe from the North to the South ... and organizing her finances which are pretty much nonexistent by now. She did not have MedEvac (some crooked dealer quoted us $2400/year... and it was way over our head ... now we have learned one can have it for about $400/year... directly from a MedEvac Company)."

And from Mariola on the 25th January,

"I am determined... to finish my journey. My money is now completely depleted, not to mention tremendous medical expenses, which I do not even want to think about yet. But it is hard to kill a spirit..., and even though a lot of people are already doubting that I will ever get on the bike again, I will show them otherwise. All I need now is lots of time (about 6 moths for recovery) and some money to be able to continue... after all... I am 2/3 of the way through! "

Ed. See Mariola's site for more information and to contribute.

Paul Backes and Henk De Lange, South Africa, London to Cape Town, Starfish AIDS charity, Yamaha Tenere's,

"After seeing Victoria falls and swimming in the 'Devils Arm Chair' (a big rock pool at the edge of the falls) we drove down to the Botswana border. We crossed into Botswana and had to get through the Chobe Game Park or make a 1500km detour. We got to the gate and did some sweet talking but the park guard would not have any of it! After about 30 mins we got him to let us go but we had to follow a car. He was worried that we would get eaten by lions as they were hungry. When we got going we saw some warthogs and elephant but no lions.

We got to a camp site on the Caprivi Strip and watched the sun go down. There were hippos swimming everywhere and they were making a big noise. It was great to see that, having a beer, watching the sun go down and seeing hippos swim in the Zambezi river.

We made our way to the Okavango Delta where we stayed at the Ngomo Lodge. We went for a Mokoro boat ride in the swamps and spent the night on an island. The water was very shallow so it was hard work for our guide to get us every where. It was a great experience, we tracked an elephant but he crossed over to another island and got away. We saw a lot of fish eagles and crocs.

African Fish Eagle, Malawi (photo by Grant Johnson)

Namibia is a great place and is a must see for every one. After Walvis Bay we went to Sossusvlei where we watched the sun rise over the red sand dunes, it was beautiful and was well worth the climb.

Gemsbok in Sossusvlei, Namibia, (photo by Grant Johnson)

After riding into some serious head wind for a few days we hit Cape Agulhas, the most southern tip of Africa. The trip was coming to an end and we could not wait to have a rest. We reached my house where my mom and dad were waiting for us in the street with balloons, hugs and kisses. The trip was now over and time to relax and come to reality."

Sara Down and Chris Jagger, UK, around the world, 2000-2003, on R100GS,

"Yep - we're back! After 2 years 4 months away, 45,000 miles, 32 countries, 6 punctures and 2 broken bones, we finally rolled off the ferry on 12th December into the cold damp fog of Dover!

After leaving Quito, Ecuador we travelled down through South America via Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. In August 2002 we flew from Buenos Aires to Cape Town. From there it was a fairly swift journey up through Southern and East Africa to Kenya. At that stage, instead of braving the uncertainties of the Sahara, Egypt and the Middle East, we went to the beach for a month! We then flew back to Europe (Paris) from Nairobi having had a week's stopover in Ethiopia.

So that's it - our travels are over and now comes the hard part - finding homes, getting jobs and paying off the debts. Given that it's taken us 3 weeks to let you know we're home, it may be some time before we're sorted! If you want to get in contact, our new e–mail addresses are: Chris and Sara"

Wow - we've hit over 200 Communities in 60 countries! A big thanks to all those who took the first step and established the Community in their area. New Communities are Leon, Mexico; Linkoping, Sweden; Gorey Co. Wexford, Ireland; Arroyo Grande, California, USA.

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 web page about your Community! A few links to web pages about your area would be useful too.

Just a reminder to all, when you JOIN a Community in your area, send a note to the Community introducing yourself and suggesting a meeting for a beer or a ride or something. It's a good way of meeting like-minded individuals in your own town.

Support the Horizons Unlimited E-zine - check out the HU Souk for fleece vests and jumpers / pullovers, t-shirts, hats and other products with the new logo and a variety of slogans! Just in time for Christmas presents for your favourite motorcycle traveller!

Thanks! Grant and Susan

Please recommend

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 e-mail me direct. I currently have information on over 100 world travellers listed, but there are many more. See Bernd Tesch's page for more. Bernd lists around 245 long distance travellers. And there's at least 30 enroute to an around the world. Have YOU done it? Let me know!

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!

It is not the unknown, but the fear of it, that prevents us from doing what we want...

Grant and Susan Johnson

Live the dream! at:
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

All text and photographs are copyright © Grant and Susan Johnson and their respective authors or creators, 1987-2003.
All Rights Reserved.