This afternoon , a day after getting home after several weeks of very infrequent internet visits during a long wander through Mexico I finally checked my email again. What I read was the equivalent of getting hit between the eyes with a sledgehammer.

A message dated 26 Feb from Janet Atchison in Alberta broke the tragic news that her husband Bill had died on February 22 in a traffic accident in Oaxaca state while he was riding his BMW 800GS. Bill is the author of a travel report here on HU under his moniker of Backroadexplorer.
I had never met Bill in person and just missed that opportunity when I found out a day after the fact that we had both been in the city of Veracruz on the very same day 19 Feb'10. From email correspondence with Bill and through reading his travellog I felt a great friendship for him and knew he was genuine explorer.
Bill had been riding solo in Mexico these past months as a preparation excercise in improving his Spanish skill and road experience in Mexico so that he and Janet would set of for a big ride through South America.As Bill had explained in his travellog ,he was travelling without Janet because she had injured her heel while they were packing up the bike last fall and she stayed home to mend while allowing Bill to enjoy his riding.
How sad.
My deepest sympathies go to Janet, Bill's father and the family.
Sjoerd.

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http://advrider.com/index.php?thread....207964/page-5 then scroll down to post #93