Last June '03, while traveling around the Great Lakes, my wife & I ran into Vladzimir who wants to go down in the record books as the 1st deaf/mute to go around the world on a mc. He left Minsk, Belarus, Russia on 5/16/03, went thru Europe, from Spain to Morocco, Venezuala, Aruba, Jamacia, Puerto Rico, Dom. Rep, Cuba,(new engine), all 50 USA states & DC, across Canada to Alaska & Pt. Barrow (!) & back to Colo where he stayed with us outside Denver for 5 days. The best time was when he met 6 other deaf/mute bikers at the Rocky Mt H-D party & we all ended up at my house. What a raucous affair it was with hands flying all over the place; I could hardly get a word in edgewise! He headed out Mon 9/8 for Wyo, the Dakotas, Minn, Neb, Kans, & at present is in KC, MO for a rest & tour of the H-D factory. Some notes on Vlad: He's 62, at 5'4' & built like a he-man; does pilates & yoga, eats voraciously, likes pickles, & is hard-headed in his quest. He can read & write some English but can understand the simplest sign language you can muster. He's a wonderful, likeable guy who lives hand-to-mouth daily & with his sheer pluck & great karma has made it across borders & situations that would daunt any of us. You can't help but like the guy & I strongly invite all bikers to help him out any way they can. From the East coast he'll travel back to Calif then south to Baja, mainland Mex, & down the Pan Amer Hgwy to Tierra del Fueggo. From Santiago he heads to NZ, Australia, Indonesia, China & Japan, India, East Africa, Mid East, eventually Tunisia & Italy & then home. To look at his map you'd think he needs a compass or GPS. He's been featured in many newspaper reports, recently in Anchorage & Thunder Press. My letter brought many sightings the day he arrived. We will miss him & hope he stops in on his way west, barring any snow or cold. I'll keep track of his whereabouts on a 2nd posting on "sightings". 3 HUZZAHS for Vladzimir !!!

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Brendan Murphy

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Brendan Murphy

The San Francisco motorcycle paper "CityBike" did a short piece on him. The whole crux of the article was, "You hotshots with your Beemers and Touratech bags think you know how to travel? Dig this!" They featured photos of him on his battered Jawa 350cc twin, with panniers made from Rubbermaid tubs strapped to his bike. They also had an old photo from 1971 - a much younger man, but still on a battered Jawa, on a trans-Russian trip. Pretty amazing guy, I gather.

Cheyenne, Wyo 9/8 Casper, Wyo 9/10 Worland, Wyo 9/11 Moorcraft, Wyo 9/12 Kadoka, SD 9/14 Minot, ND 9/16 rain all day St. Paul, MN 9/20 Mankato, MN 9/23 at dad of P.Rico girl Souix City, IA 9/25 Omaha, NE 9/27 Manhatten, KS 9/28 Topeka & KC 9/29 KC, MO 9/30
As of Tues 10/8 he's still in KC, MO, visting the H-D factory, & other sights with a biker he met on the Iron Butt Rally in ID. St. Louis 10/8 FLASH!!! He was hit by a semi on I-74 near Bloomington & is Hospital since 10/13 See below.
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Brendan Murphy

[This message has been edited by Brendan Murphy (edited 16 October 2003).]

[This message has been edited by Brendan Murphy (edited 28 October 2003).]

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Brendan Murphy

I have not heard from Vladzimir since 10/8 - almost 3 weeks. I'm hoping that he's just having trouble getting his cell phone recharged. I hope that nothing happened to him. Anyone out there seen him???

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Brendan Murphy

Not good news I'm afraid -

See http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb...ML/000199.html

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Grant Johnson

Seek, and ye shall find.
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One world, Two wheels.
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

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Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
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Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

Vladzimir argued with a semi - guess who won! He's in St Francis Hospital in Peoria, Il Surgical ICU (530 NE Glen Oak Ave with 2 busted legs, a broken pelvis, broken arm & head wounds. But he's faring much better but will be laid up for a while. See above link to other BB's & a page on him. Thanks to all the bikers & other who are visiting him & helping him out.

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Brendan Murphy

Vladimir's son sent me a url for a new website in Belarus about Vladimir. www.a-due.pisem.net/yarets

Also a new email address for Vladimir.
yarets @ (remove thisnospam)land.ru


[This message has been edited by Grant Johnson (edited 29 November 2003).]

Any updates on Vladimir's condition? Im asking as the thread has disappeared?

Steve

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My photos: www.possu.smugmug.com

Which thread has disappeared?

Have you checked http://www.caringbridge.org/il/vladimir/

It seems to be the most up-to-date.

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Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
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Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

I was referring to the thread re: Vladimir that appeared on the homepage about a week ago.

Thanks for the link.

Steve

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My photos: www.possu.smugmug.com

Ah! Sorry about that - I thought everyone knew about it by now, and I had someone else's crash to replace it with! (Amalia Zimmerman, on the Travellers Stories page) As long as you have it now, that's great.

Seems to be crash season...

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Grant Johnson

Seek, and ye shall find.
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One world, Two wheels.
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

[This message has been edited by Grant Johnson (edited 29 November 2003).]

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Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
------------------------
Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

GOOD NEWS!!! Vlad is out of the rehab nursing home Sat. 2/21 after racking up $500,000 in hospital bills. Most of it was written off by their charity arm. Nothing from the truck insurance co. as he was at fault. He'll be staying with some biker families till his last Dr. appt. on 3/25. He's looking to be fully fit & hit the road in early April. He was given a RS 65 from the Chicago BMW dealership - a lot safer than that lawnmower he had. He'll be heading for Texas & then Mexico as he has a lot of time to make up. I'll kep you posted.
I got a phone msg., then a call from Milwaukee - I guess he wanted to visit Harley-Davidson HQ. Then a call from TORONTO! He's going the wrong way!! Vlad really needs a compass!! He wants to visit Newfoundland (& say goodbye to the Atlantic before heading southwest, or whatever route he follws). He must renew his US visa in Ottawa soon so he can return. Hope he stops by Colorado on his way to the Baja.

[This message has been edited by Brendan Murphy (edited 08 June 2004).]

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Brendan Murphy

Picts are nice....

Czech it out...

www.caringbridge.org/il/vladimir/photo.htm

-The last one is the Best... One happy dude.

Ahoj

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'Live long and Prosper'

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\'Live long and Prosper\'

Forgot to damn the truck company..
-F...in' Bastards.

That is unbelievable,.. how could they get away with it ... ???

Thanx 4 keeping us informed, Brendan.

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\'Live long and Prosper\'

"Forgot to damn the truck company..
-F...in' Bastards.
That is unbelievable,.. how could they get away with it ... ???"

Thanx 4 keeping us informed, Brendan.

???????

Why should the trucking company be liable when the accident was Vladimir's fault? My understanding is that he was advised to avoid the US Freeways & he was either travelling very slow or had come to a stop on a freeway. The car behind managed to swerve & avoid him but the truck behind the car could not do so. I believe the truck went off the road & sustained very heavy damage. I've never heard if the truck driver suffered any injuries?

There's a thread on the Adventure Riders site that states this is basically what happened. I've never heard of Vladimir disputing this, although it's possible that he has little recollection if the incident? -apologies to all concerned if I'm wrong on any or all of this.

BTW, It's not my intention to put down Vladimir or his achievements. I respect the man for what he's accomplished & wish him all the best.

Steve

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My photos: www.possu.smugmug.com