Horizons Unlimited
Motorcycle Travellers'
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Welcome to the 74th edition of the HU e-zine! Since our last issue, we've been in the Spanish Pyrenees hosting the 3rd annual HUMM motorcycle orienteering event. We then raced through France to Niedereschach, Germany to visit Herbert at Touratech and see the factory and new showroom, which is very impressive! We carried a spare tyre (or tire) all the way from England to Germany and then to Switzerland searching for the perfect remote Alpine pass to change the front tire and videotape it for DVD3. Of course, things didn't go exactly to plan! I'm sure eventually Grant will look back with amusement on the whole experience, but for now I am sworn to silence about what actually transpired. We did get the footage we wanted, but I can tell you that the out-takes will be priceless some day ;-) Back in the UK for just a couple of weeks and then Grant flew to North Carolina for the first of several HU meetings in North America - North Carolina, Colorado and California. I dropped him off at the airport and picked up my assistant Editor, a.k.a. my sister Gerri, for a visit. Of course, she doesn't just get to play here at HU headquarters. In fact, she spent all day yesterday working on the e-zine so we could get it out by the end of August! She was last heard muttering something about sweatshop working conditions when she headed off today for a train journey to Norwich. Grant is 'out of office' for all of September, having a well-deserved two-week off-road trip in Colorado and a family visit in Vancouver before heading to the first HU California meeting end of September, then back to the UK. That means your editor IS Horizons Unlimited for most of the month. The good news is that we do have a real video editor again to work full-time on the DVD project, so I only have 2 instead of 3 jobs ;-) But enough about us. Our intrepid travellers are making the most of summer, chasing the sunshine in Kyrgystan, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Belize, Guatemala, Mexico, Alaska, Yukon, Ecuador, Croatia, Peru, Russia, Korea, India, Gabon, Nepal, Switzerland, France, Pakistan, Indonesia and Thailand. And those are just the ones we tracked down! So, get out there on the road - we want YOUR adventure stories and pics! Susan Johnson, Editor The new 'Achievable Dream' DVD Series! First press reviews in!
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Too many to list! If you haven't checked out the Links page it's time you did - it's scary long, but it's a fascinating browse. Get your website listed in the LINKS Sectionby 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. To make it easy for you, we even have our logo and link code here! All sites will be considered for listing, but must be a MOTORCYCLE or TRAVEL site, useful or of interest in some way to travellers. We reserve the right to refuse to link back.
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There are many 'Helpful People' listed on the Links page, a huge thanks to all of them. How about you? Or you can 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 large number of shops? (Also of course any shop that specializes in travellers equipment and repairs is of interest.) But we're particularly looking for those rare items, good repair shops in South America, Africa and Asia etc. Please post your info in the Repair shops around the world Forum on the HUBB. There are now 100's of shops listed in out - of - the - way places, from Abidjan to Ghana to Peru! Be sure to check out the HUBB 'Repair shops around the world' forum if you need work done! When you meet people on the road, and they haven't heard of this e-zine or the website, we'd appreciate it (and hope they would too!) if you'd get their names and email addresses and send it in to me. Thanks, Grant Request for infoWouldn'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.? When you cross ANY border, take some notes, and pass them on to us. Thanks! ShippingThe Shipping page on the site is HUGE! It can be reached directly or from the Shipping link on the Trip Planning page. Travel Advisories:The Foreign Office in London's Travel Advice Unit advises against travel to all sorts of places. Check out the listing before you start! The US State Department regularly issues updated travel advisories, information and/or warnings. Motocare
Motorcycle Therapy, by Jeremy Kroeker From the Canadian Rockies to the Panamanian Jungle, Motorcycle Therapy rumbles with comic adventure as two men, fleeing failed relationships, test the limits of their motorcycles and their friendship. Get it here!  Get the Achievable Dream DVD's NOW and learn how YOU can hit the road!
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Tiffany Coates, UK, UK to Mongolia, in Kyrgystan,"...Highlights from Kyrgystan: Horse riding for a day though the world's largest walnut forest on horses that had wooden saddles, not the most comfortable of rides with my notoriously bony backside. Riding some of the best roads I have been on - steep mountain tracks, challenging enough to be enjoyable and high enough to experience eagles swooping in at 3000 metres for a closer look at the bike Tobi and Claus catching us up having ridden from Germany to Kyrgystan in nine days! just the thought of it is enough to make my backside go numb again. Tobi collecting dry cow dung for a local style fire - more smoke than any flames unfortunately and that was only with a bit of petroleum assistance. Lunching in a yurt with a family who invited us in when we turned up in their village looking pathetically hungry
Trying kymys - fermented mare's milk the nomadic families don't cultivate anything but have lots of horses so they make their alcohol from the milk. Kymys has a poor reputation but to be honest it was OK, tasted a bit like scrumpy (rough cider) but with a yoghurt after-taste. I was ready for seconds but thought I had better not as I still had 100kms of riding to do that day. Camping at 3000 metres and the rain freezing to the outside of the tent. Followed by swimming in the lake at the same altitude- a brief but refreshing swim, the others would not believe me when I said it was a similar temperature to the water at Porthcurno.
Trying to get close enough to the yaks to get a good picture but getting a bit spooked by the nasty look in their eyes and so retreating."
White desert sunset Ed. Tiffany shares her top tips for travelling in the new 'Ladies on the Loose!' Achievable Dream Series DVD - shipping now! Help support the Horizons Unlimited E-zine - visit our sponsors!
Johan and Charmaine Claassens, South Africa, RTW, in Argentina and Chile,
Strange tree - Chile "The road between Mendoza (Argentina) and Los Andes (Chile) has the reputation of being one of Argentina's most scenic, and to top the amazing scenery we had a perfect sunshine day to make it one of our most enjoyable rides between the two countries. The scenery was stunning as we rode past a few ski-resorts and saw people on their snow boards or skis coming down the steep white slopes. It was the kind of scenery we as South Africans only get to see in postcards and overseas travel magazines. We considered ourselves extremely blessed to be able to see it in real life.
Snowy road to Chile After the border crossing, on the Chilean side we stopped and played a bit in the light fluffy snow next to the road. This type of snow was different than what we have experienced before, as it was more like dry-ice, and we did not get wet playing with it. It was an amazing experience. The road itself was perfect with no ice on the surface, which made the riding a pleasure. Yes it was cold, but with scenery this beautiful who cares about the temperature? The road took us down to the town of Los Andes, where we had an empanada (meat pie) and Pap (local cool drink) for a snack, before we headed on to Santiago. As we rode past the rolling hills covered with vineyards we both agreed that the Chilean side of the mountains are much more scenic and nicer than in Argentina. In Santiago we stayed at the same hostel we stayed two months ago. Unfortunately the owner of the hostel was away on holiday, so all rules and regulations were not being enforced like last time we were here. The place was a mess, and guests were noisy until 2AM. In Santiago we fitted a new set of tires on the GS, as it is cheaper here than down under in Melbourne. The guy at the BMW shop told us bikes have gained amazing popularity here in Chile the last two or three years. While we were there waiting for the tires to get fitted, we witnessed a student and his dad buying a brand new blue F650. It reminded me of my first new bike, an excitement you can't explain and can only experience once in your lifetime.
Hairpin curves The next Sunday we left for Valparaiso. This would be our last ride on this Continent on this journey, and I wanted to make it a memorable one. Instead of riding on the main dual carriage highway, we rode a scenic road over a winding mountain pass and past the lovely Vina del Mar Resort-town. There was not a cloud in sight and it was the perfect final day on the bike for us." Oliver Abrahams, UK, in Belize and Guatemala, Honda XL650 Transalp,"When it actually happens you don't have any last thoughts! Being constantly confused is frightening. I now understand what my grandma (with dementia) is going through and I really feel for her. Today I woke up in a strange place and had no idea how I got there. At first I thought I'd got really drunk and found my way here. Then as bits started to come back I realised it wasn't the drink that hit me but the road. A guy called Winston found me wandering around a dirt road near Placencia, Belize. He stopped and apparently I asked him where I was. He pointed to the spot on my map and I then said, 'No. What country am I in?' At that point he realised something was wrong and he brought me to Lisa and John's beach resort in Riversdale, Belize. It appears that I either hit a rock or mud, came off my bike and hit my head pretty hard. Thank God for bike helmets and body armour. More importantly, thank God for people like Winston, John, Lisa, Bill, the doctors that treated me, Maria, Rosie and everyone else at the Lost Reef Resort, Belize. These people have taken me in, had me seen by world class doctors and are doing everything they can to make my stay here as enjoyable and comfortable as possible. I can't tell you anything about the accident because I'm still pretty confused about a lot of things and my short term memory is shot. I'm told it will eventually return but it's a matter of time. The good news is that I banged myself up very close to paradise, so the convalescence is an enjoyable experience. I'll fill you in soon on how these people are looking after me and what they are doing to help my body and mind recover. In the meantime I need to reiterate how important proper motorcycle equipment is.
Oliver's foot after accident. If I hadn't been wearing motorcycle boots I could have lost my right ankle. If I hadn't been wearing knee and shin guards I could have lost my right kneecap or perhaps leg below the knee. If I hadn't been wearing a proper (certified) helmet I would not be writing this now. It doesn't matter how hot it is or inconvenient the motorbike kit is to wear. It's definitely worth it. A picture of the bike on the road - no idea if I took it!
Much later - from Guatemala -Ollie is much recovered and on the road again. ...Much as I'm enjoying myself here I'm starting to get itchy feet and feel I need to get back on the road. Following the advice of all the doctors I know I've given my brain the recommended 4-5 weeks to recover, reducing the chances of serious problems if I have another knock. So I'll be heading off at the end of the week." Help support the Horizons Unlimited E-zine - visit our sponsors!
Daniel Shell & Jacquie Brazier, USA, in Mexico and Belize,"...From Campeche we had a hard ride on a dirt road 21miles down to Celestun to see the pink flamingos. The 'short cut' added about an hour to our journey, and caused a not insignificant amount of tension between Jacquie and I, but that was all washed away on the boat trip to see the Flamingos the next day.
...From there, it was a straight shot to Cancun, via the amazing, and very expensive, ruins at Chichen Itza. It was blistering hot again, but the site was incredible.
Pyramid - Chichen It was a shame that it is no longer possible to climb the pyramids, apparently health and safety is making a rare appearance, however, the ruins were irresistible to explore. After a few hours scrambling round the huge site, we rode down to the nearby Sambula for a quick refreshing dip in one of the Yucatan's many cenotes - an underground pool of water, before heading to Cancun. (later, Daniel continues alone, in Belize) ...I continued down the road a little further until I reached my turnoff, and started the 25 mile dirt and gravel track, bumping and bouncing my way down to Placencia.
Cafe - Placencia ...arrived hot, tired and hungry at Placencia and set about the arduous task of finding a reasonably priced room that wasn't too shabby, or at least clean. In some places this is an easy job, in Placencia it was a chore. With the help of some friendly locals I found Oscar's Guesthouse, unloaded my gear, and set out in search of some good old Caribbean fried chicken. I wasn't too taken with Placencia, and set off after a hearty breakfast burrito back up the dirt road, along the wooden plank bridge, and towards Guatemala."
Ed. Lots of great pics and stories on Daniel and Jacquie's blog, here on Horizons Unlimited! Stephen Bray, Ireland, Argentina to Alaska, in the Yukon,"The thermals are on. Woke up today in my tent with freezing toes, reminds me of Patagonia. It takes frozen toes to remind me of the setup: Motorbike jacket goes under feet. Rookie mistake, won't happen again. We were camping out on a forestry access trail last night and some guy drove by and warned us about Grizzlies, hide your food after dinner! Chips and beans, delicious. Camping food always is. The mozzies ate well that night too, they were relentless vicious swines.The next morning the Canadian hunter guy rocked by at 6am, he had a chat and we wasted some time. The friendliness of the Canadians is really holding us back, don't they realize this is an arctic sprint, hahaha, Oh yaa... Entering the massive YUKON territory ...Welcome to Watson Lake, A town with the most stolen signs in the world... something like 70,000!
From Venezuela to Austin and from every corner of the world. We looked and we couldn't find one from Ireland, it was late and we just wanted to get to Barry's... so this is as good as we could get." Help support the Horizons Unlimited E-zine - visit our sponsors!
Drop in on Alaska Leather on your Alaskan adventure for service, tires, accessories and a hot cup of fresh coffee! Ian Moor, UK, Wrong Way Round The World, in Canada, F650GS,"Nova Scotia- It's good to be in a county that has money with the Queen's face on it again! Canada is HUGE. Lying in my tent playing with the GPS as you do, I discovered my house in Newcastle, England was 2611 miles away. The Alaskan border was 3162 miles away in a straight line and 4849 miles by the shortest road route.
Collecting the bike, a BMW F650GS from Adrian's Cycles in Moncton, New Brunswick mid afternoon in hot sunshine I headed for Nova Scotia. The 12,000 mile service cost $324 Canadian (180 pounds sterling). Probably a good deal cheaper than a BMW dealer although I hadn't checked. Adrian, a Dutchman who emigrated in 1957 had a BMW dealership but now in semi-retirement has a shop selling spares, the occasional second hand bike and does servicing and repairs with his son.
Campbellton, New Brunswick from Sugarloaf Mountain
Gaspesie, Quebec There is a monument in Moncton commemorating the French who had settled Nova Scotia first, in 1604 (apart from the First Nation 'Indians' of course). A treaty signed the area over to the British who from 1755 to 1765 rounded up the French and shipped them back to France or one of the French colonies. Some escaped and settled in Quebec. A similar monument in Nova Scotia celebrated the first Scottish settlers from the Highland Clearances, making no mention of the French they replaced. So, we forced the French out to make room for the Crofters we were evicting from the Scottish Highlands. Makes you proud to be British." Ed. See Ian's blog here on Horizons Unlimited! Simon Fitzpatrick, UK, Americas, in Ecuador,"Proper, Sensible Motorcycle Travel Advice Section. La Tina is a really easy border crossing if you're going from Peru to Ecuador. I was out of Peru in 15 minutes and into Ecuador in 60 (only because the Ecuadorian Customs computer is a Windows 95 pig-stool). There was no suggestion of a back-hander at any point. The one issue you might want to look out for is the possibility of a gun-battle between Peruvian smugglers and the Ecuadorian army. I missed one by 10 minutes.
Border crossing, Catamayo, Ecuador ...I stagger home at 10pm from Bar Lovely in Happyville and decide it's time for a haircut. I'm armed with an electric razor and sheer, bloody-minded, booze-enhanced willpower. I am, literally, Mad Britney, with way less cash. A tramp, if you will. I haven't had a haircut since Margate in September last year, and my shaver is crap, so it takes 2 hours, but at last it's done. Something that looks like a flattened adult cat is left on the floor. I look in the mirror. I am Telly Savalas. Cool. Bedtime. The next morning I blunder towards the mirror, confused, dehydrated and vaguely ashamed. Oh goodness. I am Telly Savalas, but as he would look now if you dug him up and punched him in what used to be his face."
Telly Fitzpatrick? Ed. See lots of pics and very funny stories on Simon's blog here on Horizons Unlimited! Warning, some profanity! Laura Bennitt, UK, in Croatia, Honda Transalp 650,"Once the weather finally cooled down, I set about exploring Split. It is very similar to Dubrovnik, Kotor, and all the other old towns along the coast - a pedestrianised city centre with tiny winding alleys and cobbles slippery as the fish sold in every restaurant. Split does have a bell-tower as well though, so you can peer down on the muddle from above.
Roman ruins - Salona Next day was supposed to be very cultured. I stopped off in Solin and wandered round its extensive Roman ruins. A hippy appeared out of nowhere and started singing the Cranberries to the tune of a small guitar, which combined with the already intense heat to make me feel oddly detached from my surroundings. The information boards around the site include computer reconstructions of how things would have looked - but there are no people in them. The reason these places fascinate, the reason they catch our imagination, is that people once lived there, saw these temples and streets the way we would see our local church or high street. People so very like us, yet so different we can't begin to put ourselves in their shoes.
Kravnice waterfalls Between Split and Trogir supposedly lie a string of castles, which were next on my list. I rode through a lot of villages with 'Kastel' in their name, but not a fortress in sight, so I carried on to my intended final destination for the day, Krka National Park. I wasn't quite sure what I'd find there, but dutifully followed the signs, and to my horror ended up in a packed car park surrounded by garish cafes and tacky souvenir stalls. The price list shamelessly proclaimed that admission in summer is three times the winter price. If I decided to visit, I could be bussed to some waterfalls for €13. Up the river is an island, where a monastery houses an old illustrated copy of Aesop's fables, which I really wanted to see. To get there by boat, with only half an hour on the island, would cost a further €14. If, as planned, I wanted to camp overnight then walk the next day, I would have to buy yet another €13 ticket. At that point I realised I genuinely disliked Croatia. It's the perfect example of what happens when greed and capitalism get hold of a beautiful place. Everywhere else since I left Austria, people have wanted to show me their country, to make sure I didn't miss anything worth seeing. Here, they're not interested in people any more, only in milking the tourist cash-cow. So I left. had I been nearer the border, I might have left Croatia altogether. Instead, I compromised and went to Murter, where I hoped to be able to kayak in the Kornati National Park archipelago. After many enquiries I realised this wouldn't be possible, and that if I wanted to see the islands I'd have to take a boat tour. Luckily, my hunt for a kayak had led me away from the main tour operators, and my instructions on booking were 'look for the smallest boat'! Where others were packed with a hundred people or more, ours had fewer than twenty people on it. I became even more bemused by Croatia's idea of a national park, when the captain explained that all the islands in Kornati are privately owned by twenty or so families, his own among them. We stopped on 'his' island, a tiny place with a picture-perfect beach, a restaurant, and not much else. After a brief swim, I left the rest of the group sunning themselves and climbed the hill next to the beach. Then the one behind it. You can only really appreciate the archipelago from above: mostly bare islands lie scattered haphazardly in a sea by turns deep blue and pale turquoise, depending on its depth." Ed. See Laura's blog here on Horizons Unlimited! Help support the Horizons Unlimited E-zine - visit our sponsors!
Carol and Ken Duval, Australia, RTW (again), in Brazil,"...While we were enjoying our time in Parati we received an email from another motorcycle traveler who had suffered the square wheel syndrome after hitting a large square pothole (man made) due for a repair job. Several spokes were broken and she was now waiting in the small village of Lencois for the repair to be completed in Salvador. Cecilia (Swiss) rides a weathered R100GSPD and her reputation preceded her as we had heard from other travelers of her adventures and problems experienced in South America. Cecilia sent us an email saying things had gone a little astray and she had been waiting in Lencois for almost six weeks.
Adjusting our planned schedule we headed to Lencois to see if we could give some assistance and also there was the chance we could have a riding companion to Belem should the work be completed as she was also heading in that direction. Lencois looked like a two to three day ride from Belo Horizonte. ...We arrived the day Cecilia's wheel arrived back in town after she had bused to Salvador to collect it. We road with her on a test ride and noticed the wheel was still severely buckled. The decision was made to head to Salvador and try to fix the problem there as we had been in contact with the XT600 Clube and they were confident the problem could be fixed. ...There is quite a blend of races in Salvador and the African culture plays a significant role in this city as well as providing many of the tourist attractions.
Food is also very different here; in fact it varies a lot from state to state in Brazil. The weather in Salvador was wet and dry alternating wildly from one hour to the next. We often got caught in torrential downpours followed by a baking sun."
Gold in the Cathedral, Salvador Ed. See all Ken and Carol's stories and great pics on their blog here on Horizons Unlimited! Andy Berwick and Maya Vermeer, in Peru, BMW R100GS+sidecar,"We are in the middle of the drug growing area, but we don't have any problems. Everybody is just so surprised to see a sidecar, something they have never seen before. The Lonely Planet says this is a no go area, but we think that is wrong, we don't feel unsafe here at all, but the roads are in a unbelievable bad condition, not able to transport back packers easily.
The days of riding are long, the jungle is beautiful, but not too hot. The people are friendly. We move slowly, the mud is deep in places...
Mountain pass, Peru My bra is in fourth gear, I bounce around and all the stuff in the sidecar is bouncing with me. I get tired. At night we stay in a room without windows, it's raining all night and the mosquitos are attacking us continuously. The cockcrow never stops impressing the ladies, so the next morning, after a sleepless night, we promise each other that we never will sleep in the same bed, in the same room again and for sure not in the same hotel. As I said, it rained all night, but there is no water to flush the toilet or to wash ourselves. I saw the woman who owned this place taking the lice out of her daughters hair, I didn't have the guts to shake hands when we said goodbye...
Canoe ferry ...Andy impresses me by riding the bike over a very small and damaged wooden bridge. He does that again when we have to take a ferry, which is made of two big canoes and planks. The tracks are still stony and if I was a banana I would have ended up as a milk shake." Ed. Read Andy and Maya's stories here on Horizons Unlimited! Help support the Horizons Unlimited E-zine - visit our sponsors!
Grant says: "The Omega system is simply a must-do for all airheads" (And I just got the starter too!) Annette Pearson, London, UK, in Ecuador,"Lots of people ask me if I get lonely riding by myself. But always when I need it the most I meet really nice people like the Austrian girls who were on my whale watching trip as well as meeting up again with Myles from Ireland who I first met in Honduras. Finding this poem by Bryce Courtney (who wrote the Power of One) helped me make a living changing decision years ago. Actually the path sounds a lot like some of the roads I have ridden.
...Rather than head south and catch up with the few other bikers I have met I have decided to go to the coast as I have been told that the whales are jumping out of the water and really wanted to see it. It was a hard decision as I would really like to ride with someone else for a while. When I asked Oisin (an Irish bloke I met in Anchorage who rode from Alaska to Argentina) how his trip was going he said it was all ups and downs. Then I had one of those days. I slept in, my laptop wasn’t working and I couldn’t find my bike keys. I finally got on the road and I was stopped by the police and for the second time on my trip they asked to search my panniers (which meant taking all my bags off). The police told me that my intended route had bad roads and was unsafe. So I had to go almost back to Quito which was annoying. Then I did probably my best of riding along a beautiful road winding through these huge hills. But overall it took me 13 hours to ride to the coast including almost running out of petrol as the two petrol stations I passed had no gas so I ended up buying some off this young boy. I hope those whales are worth it!" Erdem Yucel, Turkey/USA, RTW, in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, Suzuki V-Strom 1000,"There have probably been two or three other times I wrote about topping-up my best biking route throughout this journey. Well, it happened again. The road to Bishkek from Tashkomur is absolutely the best one so far. It climbs up to the top of the mountains where you ride so close to the clouds. It usually rains if it's not snowing. The plateaus in between are full of yurts and herds of horse scattered around. Road conditions are perfect. Lakes and rivers originating from the nearby glaciers have an unbelievable illuminated turquoise color to them. You see horses courting each other and mares feeding their offspring under sublime rainbows. Water is springing from every crack on the steep mountain hills. Everything is so ridiculously beautiful, even my camera couldn't take it and broke down.
Glacier lake between the mountains ...DorDoi is the biggest bazaar in Central Asia. The most unique aspect of it is that it's made of shipping containers. Hundreds of them… It looks as if a transatlantic container ship fell from the sky in the middle of Asia. There are sections divided into types of goods and origins of goods. You can find anything here as long as you can find the container it's being sold in... It was amazing to walk through the alleyways and get lost in the vastness of the place.
Dor Doi bazaar, Kyrgyzstan
Biker bar in Kazakhstan Ed. Check out Erdem's site for lots of good pics and video as well as really good writing! Help support the Horizons Unlimited E-zine - visit our sponsors! Murray and Joyce Castle, Canada, in Brazil, on Katie & the Bumblebee,"...Sometimes, well OK, on rare occasion, an innocent event provides an unexpected Ah-Hah Moment. Our innocent event starts out as a need to repair the steering head bearing and ignition circuit on the Chicitita. An internet search reveals a BMW dealer in Belo Horizonte. In two days we are there. Luckily, like looking for a needle in a haystack, in this case a haystack of three million people, we find Euroville BMW on first try. No sooner have we explained the mechanical problems to attentive staff than boom, the Chicitita is wheeled into the shop, up on the mechanic's lift and being fixed. We get an immediate good feeling about this BMW auto and bike dealership and the folks here. The Ah-Hah! moment arrives with two new BMW motorcycles from the factory. Still in their crates, the new bikes pass by as we stand visiting in the shop. We think, hey, those are good crates....we want to ship our bikes to Texas soon - hey, wonder if we could crate and ship our bikes right here from Euroville? To communicate important questions like, can you fix the bike; how long will it take; can we ship our bikes from here; can you recommend a logistics agent; etc, etc, we need a translator. Up steps Danielle Zubeu, Euroville receptionist and totally fluent in Portuguese and English. As a young girl she spent several years in the USA. Over the next week we utilize the translation skills of this intelligent and personable woman a number of times. Thank you Danielle, estamos muito obrigado a vocês. Chicitita is ready the next morning. Good news but not as good as what Cassius Nunes, Gerente Comercial, tells us next. He confirms, much to our delight, that yes, Euroville can crate and ready our bikes as air cargo; and yes, he can introduce us to a local shipping agent. Cassius recommends we come back in a couple of days to start the process. In the meantime, why don't we check out nearby Ouro Preto? Only 2 hours drive away, the former capital of the state of Minas Gerais is famous for its baroque architecture and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We agree it's a must-see.
Joyce in Ouro Prêto Ouro Prêto, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was capital of the state of Minas Gerais from 1822 until 1897, when the needs of government outgrew this opulent berg wedged in a narrow valley. We approach the city by angling down a mountainside, arriving just above the city centre. We stop and look down. From here it looks like 90% of the streets are black diamond runs made from cobblestone. Tightly packed tile-roofed buildings, like an over-eager crowd, squeeze in too closely both sides of the streets. Motorcycles and cobblestones are not friends. Cobblestone, especially made from soapstone, and rain are not friends. We could have fun getting back out of here.
Crating the bike at Euroville Leaving Ouro Prêto in late afternoon, we ride toward our rendezvous with Euroville tomorrow to begin the process of shipping ourselves and motorcycles home." Ed. See Murray and Joyce's blog here on Horizons Unlimited! Help support the Horizons Unlimited E-zine - visit our sponsors!
Nathan Thompson and Akiko Nishikura, Taking the slow road round the world, on the cheap, on a postie-bike... 2-up, in India,"We have been in Jaisalmer for the last couple of days. Its the biggest city we have been in since Chennai but actually is nice to ride around in. Lots of little bazaars and back streets, plenty of Chai-Whallas and street stalls, at first we were kind of relieved to see such luxurious trappings. Street wildlife also appreciative of the abundance of Jaisalmeri wealth/generosity. Cows and dogs roaming the streets here seem fatter and happier than in other parts.
Sacred cow - Jaisalmer Damn hot though. We went out to see Tilon-Ki-Pol too, otherwise known as 'Prostitute's Gate'
Prostitute's Gate - Jaisalmer, India In 1658 while the King was away doing what kings do, his favorite concubine, Tilon had the gusto to build a monument to herself just outside the fort walls on the banks of Gadi Sagar Lake, a place she liked very much. When the King returned he threatened to knock it down but Tilon quickly built a Temple to Krishna on top of her gate rendering it safe from the kings aggressive threats. Unfortunately it also ended Tilon's hopes of spending cool relaxing days at the lake. Women are forbidden to walk over, under or through Krishna Temples. The main reason tourists come to Jaisalmer is for the Camel Safaris. On every corner there is a shop selling 1-4 day all inclusive packages to get you, oh wealthy foreigner, both more acquainted with these large animals and closer to the 'nature' seen in these parts. We were unable to meet our camels before paying our money so we decided to head out into the desert to look for some friendly camels of our own, sans the greedy middle man. It proved very easy as the Sand Dunes just 40kms outside Jaisalmer are covered with camel-wallahs renting, Indian tourists flogging and plastic bottles a-rolling. Not a particularly savoury situation but as we were not sold on spending the time and money for an overnight 'Safari' we decided to rent a couple for an hour and see if it was for us...
Camel ride Unanimously it wasn't. The camels didn't seem to be too happy and our rear ends just couldn't make the needed adjustments. Perhaps we will try it when we reach the Sahara on a real Arabian Beast..." Help support the Horizons Unlimited E-zine - visit our sponsors!
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Motorcycle Therapy, by Jeremy Kroeker From the Canadian Rockies to the Panamanian Jungle, Motorcycle Therapy rumbles with comic adventure as two men, fleeing failed relationships, test the limits of their motorcycles and their friendship. Get it here!
Lois' new adventures in Africa! "Alone. No support vehicles, no fancy GPS and no satellite phone. Leaving from London, finishing in Cape Town - and the small matter of tackling the Sahara, war-torn Angola and the Congo Basin along the way - this feisty independent woman's grand trek through the Dark Continent of Africa is the definitive motorcycling adventure." Get it here! Distant Suns, by Sam Manicom
"Sam Manicom's dynamic third book transports you to Southern Africa, South and Central America in an action-packed three year voyage of discovery... a thought-provoking mix of scrapes and encounters with people which illuminate some moments of true darkness... acute observations on everything from human behaviour, to remote and stunning locations. Distant Suns grabs you, enthrals you and spits you out as a convert to the dream of overlanding these amazing continents." Buy direct from Sam here!
Adventure Motorcycling Handbook, by Chris Scott
Into the Den of the Bear and the Lair of the Dragon on a Motorcycle. Werner, 66, was born in Germany and worked in Canada until his retirement. He has authored a number of books since getting bit by the motorcycle travel bug, including -8 Around the Americas by Motorcycle, For details on his books see here.
The Producers of Mondo Enduro present Terra Circa, Around the World by Motorcycle (6 x 20 minute episodes). Regular readers of this newsletter will remember Terra Circa's adventures around the world, and especially the Zilov Gap. Now's your chance to see it in video. Austin Vince is a very funny guy and the video is hilarious, as he leads his intrepid crew through misadventure after misadventure. "This is adventure motorcycling" says Chris Scott, who wrote the book, so he ought to know! Contact Aimimage for the PAL video or all format DVD. Don't forget to tell them you heard about it on HU, we'll make a bit, and it won't cost you any more. 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, Amazon Canada, 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! NOTE: If you buy a book starting with one of our links below, we get a little bit to help support the website!
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 Help support your favourite website! Here's how!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. See our complete Privacy Policy here. Grant Johnson, Editor Please note that you are receiving this newsletter only because you requested it! We are 100% opt - in only. To subscribe or UNsubscribe to this newsletter. Reader commentsAll comments and suggestions are carefully read, and where possible will be acted on. Your help will make this a useful service for all travellers. Please use the Bulletin Board for questions and suggestions. If you would like to advertise your product or service in this newsletter or on the website, please contact me. Ad rates are very reasonable. Details at this link. ISSN 1703-1397 Horizons Unlimited Motorcycle Travellers' E-zine - Copyright 1999-2009, Horizons Unlimited and Grant and Susan Johnson. All rights reserved. Redistribution - sending it on to friends 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. MotocareMotorcycle Rental, hiring Honda's Transalp for touring Argentina and Chile. Ride across the Andes, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific, lakes, deserts, salt pans, waterfalls, beaches, rain forests, glaciers...
Motorcycle Therapy, by Jeremy Kroeker From the Canadian Rockies to the Panamanian Jungle, Motorcycle Therapy rumbles with comic adventure as two men, fleeing failed relationships, test the limits of their motorcycles and their friendship. Get it here!  Get the Achievable Dream DVD's NOW and learn how YOU can hit the road!
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Peter and Kay Forwood, Australia, around the world since 1996, 193 countries two-up on Harley Davidson, in the UK,"With last nights rabbits stewing on the stove for dinner, and after a relaxed morning, we all headed out to the Long Meg stone circle for a bit of history and peace. Helen described the place for us, dating back to a similar time to Stonehenge, the seventy odd stones arranged as a meeting place, also oriented towards the summer solstice. Giving the rabbits a slightly better chance we took the gun out for an afternoon shoot, another four rabbits, frozen for a later meal, while we enjoyed last night's rabbits in a stew with a few ales and wine. A call to Paul, the workshop manager at Thames Valley Harley-Davidson, the dealer who will be repairing our engine, and he agreed to collect the old engine from Full Bore Motorcycles, pull it apart and see what work is necessary. So we can now relax on that score.
11903 feet high, someone must have changed the sign?? It was no surprise and little consolation to hear that last July in the UK was the wettest for over 100 years, and the way August is going it will likely be the same. Heavy rain again this morning delayed our departure till 1pm with the forecast clearing in the afternoon. We had booked accommodation, laterooms.com again over the internet, again reasonable with the travelling public (both business and tourist) numbers down. 300km's to Ayr via Stranraer, and we were now in Scotland. The coast road between Stranraer and Ayr was spectacular in the afternoon sunshine, as we were still enjoying the smooth running of the new engine in the motorcycle. " Horizons Unlimited is proud to host Peter and Kay's complete RTW story and pictures here! Mark Hammond, USA, from Morocco to Cape Town, in Gabon, Suzuki DR650,"...It rained hard the night before. We had lodged in Ndende, Gabon. It was a tiny town with a single but decent hotel called Le Barbecue, 30 miles from the Congo border. In late afternoon, I marveled at a colossal cumulonimbus storm cloud that sprouted like a mushroom in the tungsten blue sky of the southern horizon.
By 8 p.m., the storm had arrived. It was a monstrous African thunderstorm, theatrical in scope and as riveting as an Oscar-winning film. Lightning flashed behind the low clouds and thunder cracked like cannons. The rain pelted down furiously, and I stood outside my motel-style room and listened to the staccato drumming of raindrops in the sheet metal awning above me and watched as Mother Africa turned the yard into a muddy swamp." Ed. Mark's got more great stories and pics on his blog. Help support the Horizons Unlimited E-zine - visit our sponsors! Simon Roberts, UK, The Road to Kathmandu - the comic strip - in Nepal!"...'You must return to Delhi for a new Visa...' the customs official calmly announced. ' Your Visa is out of date'. 'Or you can make a small extra payment', said his identical twin. A 'small' payment was infinitely more appealing than a ride back to the offices of Delhi so it was with some relief that I crossed into Nepal. So far so good, but now which way?
You are here In truth, my visa had run out the day before but I'd arrived at the border at Sunauli at night and, not wanting to cross into Nepal in the dark, had decided to return the following morning. I'd booked into a rough 'hotel' nearby and was duly asphyxiated by the exhaust fumes from their generator which chugged and coughed beneath my window through the night. Oh for some fresh Himalayan air..."
Ed. See Simon's 'Road to Kathmandu' comic strip on Horizons Unlimited. Alastair Todd, Round the World, in Korea,"...A couple of days in Seoul, a few days in Tokyo, 5 days in Vancouver. It will resume when I (hopefully) pick up the bike in Vancouver and get back on the road. But I couldn't resist posting this picture of a bike courier, Seoul-style. And I thought I was carrying a lot of stuff!
Bike courier in Seoul Notice how, even with a load like that, he's still filtering past the traffic. Spectacular!
Crating the bike It's amazing watching the crating guys hand build made to measure crates for each bike, but I wish they'd do it faster." Xander and Tam Kabat, UK, in Switzerland and France,On the morning we left Zurich, Kerstin remembered that the H.R. Giger Museum lay in the direction we were heading. Giger is the creator of the Alien movie monster and is Xander's favourite artist. The lure of seeing a museum set up by the painter himself was too much to pass, and it turned out the location was very worth visiting itself - Gruyeres, home of the cheese, with a walled chateau housing museums and shops and nestled under part of the Alps. The museum was fantastic, and next to it was a Giger-designed bar, |
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Sam Manicom's dynamic third book transports you to Southern Africa, South and Central America in an action-packed three year voyage of discovery... a thought-provoking mix of scrapes and encounters with people which illuminate some moments of true darkness... acute observations on everything from human behaviour, to remote and stunning locations. Distant Suns grabs you, enthrals you and spits you out as a convert to the dream of overlanding these amazing continents.' Reviews"It's been a pleasure to read as it makes me feel as if I'm there seeing the people and landscape that Sam describes. He has a gift for painting pictures with words, which is rare amongst long-distance riders… In summary, a damn good read, not to be missed." Dave - BMW Club Journal "…as the book progressed and the story unravelled, it developed into a truly involving and enthralling read. Distant Suns doesn't just document the journey, Sam also describes cultural differences, traditions and lifestyles of the various countries they cross, whilst painting a vivid picture of the terrain they cross… A really great read that'll doubtless give you itchy feet…" TBM - Trail Bike Magazine "Distant Suns' is based on what Sam acknowledges are Birgit's wonderfully descriptive diaries. The result is a strangely powerful combination of Sam's already masterful writing with the added perspectives of a travelling companion who is both in-tune and adding a different melody line to the rhythm of their journey together." Nich Brown - The Road Magazine Signed copies available directly from the Author here. |
"July 2009: We have reached Timor, the last island of our Indonesia trip. The bikes will stay here while we fly back to Bangkok, where Su will apply for German and NZ visas, so we can visit my parents. All going to plan we should be back at the end of August to continue to Timor Leste. We haven't decided yet whether we will travel to Australia.
...(In Java) We try to ride along the South coast as much as possible. This makes for a much longer distance, but nice scenery. At a lunch stop we meet a nice bunch of bikers from Jakarta. To my surprise two of the women also ride.
"
Jakarta bikers
Freight hauling in Bali
Rice paddies in Bali
"It's either ironic or fitting that my journey ended the same way it began. A long ride, a short night's stopover, once with my brother and once alone, and a badly timed boat crossing once from and once to an insignificant yet deeply personal island.
I've been here a month now yet a part of me still itches, still waits to leave. I know myself I am staying but how to convince that part of me that sent me out here in the first place? People here ask me 'where next?' and I don't really have an answer. The plan is still there but does it fit any more? Is it even possible? Money? Time? Desire? There are too many questions and no answers because honestly I am happy here. Why think about the future when it is now that is good? Tomorrow the only decisions I have to make are: 'Do I dive? Do I lay in my hammock? Night in or night out?' They are not hard questions and whatever the answer it is always the right one. So I lay in my hammock and as I drift off I know it is over. For now, at least, I've stopped."
Overland to India |
Synopsis:In 2008, Gordon May set off on an 8,400 mile ride from Manchester, UK, to Chennai, India, on his 1953 Royal Enfield. Despite encountering intense heat, suffering a crash in the Baluchistan desert and battling against some of the worst roads and driving standards on the planet, Gordon and his old Bullet did make it to Chennai. In Overland to India Gordon describes how he restored his beloved motorcycle, the build up to departure, the larger-than-life characters he met and how he tackled the many challenges that came his way. He also recounts the more personal highs and lows of life on the road. Above all, Overland To India is a heart-warming book that reveals that there is much human kindness and hospitality to be found, sometimes in the most unexpected places and situations. Review:What I really liked about Overland to India was the sheer determination of the rider. Gordon's love of his motorcycle shone through too; he often thanks it for getting him to his various destinations along the grueling route and I liked reading about his running repairs. I felt his joy, his euphoria, at being out on the open road. I also felt his exhaustion. When Gordon suffered a crash I could almost feel those bruises and also his fear following an attempted highway robbery. What was also really striking was the generosity, friendliness and humility of many of the people he met along the way, who Gordon describes with real warmth. It's uplifting to discover that it's a welcoming world out there. Overland to India is a lesson to all of us who have a dream and want to pursue it. Inspiring. Judith Coyle |
"At Aralsk, I parked my sidecar in the house of these people who would not let me go before breakfast.
Breakfast in Aralsk
Ed. Check out Hubert's website for lots of great pics!
"Belize was a breath of fresh air ... literally, the wind was coming of the Caribbean Sea and it was fresh... ahhh. I changed some money with yet another friend and went to customs and immigration . 'How long ya staying ?' he says with a smile. I say 'a month', he says 'you can extend if you want to when you get to Belize City'...
I said that I would bear that in mind. I went to the customs man who had an even bigger smile and asked about the bike. He said that I could have five days transit straight away or I could have it for a month but that was more hassle. I asked what kind of hassle, he said that he would have to fill in a form, that kind of Hassle. I asked him to do his best with the form. It took about half an hour in between searching bags and answering the phone. It was as simple as that. Laid back.
By the time it was all completed it was nearly lunch-time so I started looking for something to eat. I was riding through the little town of Corozal looking for a likely spot when I looked down a street and saw the emerald green Caribbean for the first time ... I was In Love.
From El Rumate I headed south again and stopped at The Finca Xobela, which is a little farm that has become a travellers mecca. At the moment it is overrun with Israelis, they are fun to watch... very unselfconscious people.
At Finca Xobela I ran into a couple of young Australians who had decided to buy a couple of small bike and ride through central America, they were great, made me feel very proud ... don't know why... It was something about giving it a go..."
Book special just for Horizons Unlimited Readers!"Into the den of the Bear and the Lair of the Dragon on a Motorcycle" Werner Bausenhart has written several books on his travels around the world, and has offered them to HU readers at a great price. Tell him we sent you and get US$5.00 off the regular US$20 price! For details on his books see here. Contact Werner now via this link to get the deal. |
"After 7 months, 25 countries, 38,000km, 3 punctures and a few tumbles, I rolled off the Pride of Dover onto the Dover quay side...
Landfall
After that, all that remained was the final 200 miles up to York to see my parents. And sure enough, the English weather lived up to its reputation. By the time I reached Newport Pagnell on the M1 at 8 pm, the rain was so heavy and the spray was so bad that I had to put on the high-vis vest that had not been required on the entire journey thus far...
Is that a gun, or are you just pleased to see me?
So did the trip live up to expectations? Of course, it far exceeded them. I had more fun, met more interesting people, and saw more incredible sights than I could ever have imagined. And the Honda Transalp performed absolutely flawlessly - the only maintenance required was routine replacement of tyres, filters, brake pads and chain, in spite of some pretty rough treatment and a few big stacks. It was always up to the job, even though it was up in the snow at 4,800 metres one week and in the sand at 50 degrees the next. It always started first time, even though it didn't get a service for almost 40,000km - hopefully this will still be the case after I've stripped it down and rebuilt it next week...
Would I do another trip like it? Of course - in fact I'd happily do the same trip again. But hopefully the next big ride will be Argentina to Alaska - may be a few years away though... "
"Paused - While the website was down, due to issues outside of my control, things have taken a big change with an opportunity coming along for me to join the company building the cars for one of the new F1 Teams. I will be based just outside Oxford, developing the race engineering software again. So I will return to Malaysia in September to bring Vafa back to the UK and the trip will be 'paused', allowing me to spend more time with Abi. Maybe in a few years time together we will explore NZ and Canada - two of my dream destinations. Until then a big thank you to everyone who has supported me in any way whether by sponsoring me, hosting me or just following me on this website. Paul."
High tide means wet road
Support Horizons Unlimited - check out the HU Souk for jumpers / pullovers, mugs, steins, t-shirts, hats and other products with a variety of slogans!
Thanks! Grant and Susan
We've now reached an amazing 606 Communities in 101 Countries as of August 11, 2009!
A big thanks to all those who took the first step and established the Community in their area. New Communities are too many to list!
If you are on the road, do check out the Communities - don't feel like you're imposing on people! They signed up for a Community because they want to meet travellers - that's you! You'll have a great time, so go to the Communities page and let them know you're coming. Please remember that they are volunteers and offering to help because they're great people - common courtesy helps! When you write, tell them who you are, that you're passing through, and would like to meet them. Let them know if you need anything, and I'm sure they'll help as best they can.
For details on how you can join a Community in your area, or use the Communities 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, or go for a ride or something. It's a good way of meeting like-minded individuals in your own town.
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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 800 world travellers listed, but there are many more. 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... We'd like to think that Horizons Unlimited; the website, the HUBB, the Communities and this newsletter help to push back the fear through knowledge and connecting with others, and teach all of us about the world and it's wonderful people. See you on the road!
All text and photographs are copyright © Grant and Susan Johnson
and their respective authors or creators, 1987-2009. |
