hello all of you adventurers,

I don't really know how or where to start... ok first introduction than the story.

my name is Emile van Hoogdalem and I am a lurker for quite some time now but from day one here planing my round the world trip.
It all started with the idea to make a big trip when I would finish my studies in Germany as a Jewellery and Product Designer, I wanted to ride round the mediteranian sea on a motorcycle.
At the time I did not have a license nor did I own a bike.
Looking for a bike in my budget I found a XL 600 LM an 1985 Paris Dakar replica wich needed a lot of TLC so I got to work on slowly getting the bike ready for a big trip round the mediteranian sea. while busy with my license I found out that a trip round the mediteranian sea would take up about 3 months, this was not enough to compensate all the time I have been in school thats where my plan had some drastic changes. I want to ride round the world!!
being on a limited budget I took about 2 years for getting all my stuff together, this is the first time in my life that I actually planned something sofar ahead, it felt really weird but good.
the '85 bike was almost build from the ground up with al the technical stuff new only the outside looked still crappy and old but I don't really care about that, altough I am a designer
ok skipping the build stuff.
departure date was set at 20-11-2011, carne de passage was on the way I was having fun with friends having a bbq on the banks of the river Maas in Holland, but when I wanted to go home my bike was not there anymore :S so I freaked out a little. I could not believe it I was going to start my trip in just 3 weeks time !!! f*ck my bike is stolen !!!
and even my self made panniers where on it. someone stole my dream that was how it felt. My life was taking this trip so this really came hard on me the past years I had constantly worked on the bike and collected stuff and money to set off, and now all was gone. without the bike I felt like crap I had to make a dicision going or not going. It was hard because it would mean that I would have to start all over again. but with the support of friends an family I went for the go with delay option and set the new date on 24-3-2012. Hein and Carla the family with wich I was staying to renovate their house helped me the next couple of days to get a new bike. Hein searched the internet all night and found a XL 600 LM from 1986 with only 24.000km on the oddometer wich would mean saving time in rebuilding and getting the bike ready. I went for the same bike because I still had a lot of spares from the old bike lying around.
Just a few days later the new bike stood on their driveway and I felt a lot better
The next day a friend informs me that my bike is not registered stolen anymore on the government website for stolen vehicels. I was confused so I called the police to find out whats going on, they had no clue ofcourse and even said that they had no report of a stolen bike matching my description! I freaked out again, the policewoman on the other side told me that the computer was slow so I will be called back by an other officer that would be able to tell me whats going on. next day I was called back and the officer said well your stolen vehicel is back and now in storage you will be contacted when you can get it bye. what I want it now !! so I found out where it was stored and had a look at it all the locks where gone and the rear end was bend a bit and one pannier was dented. I could not get it running anymore wich was probably the reason why the thiefs dumped it and the police was able to find it. the bike got sent back to my parents place and there I was with two bikes and a huge whole in my budget
The new bike is was in great condition even better than my old rebuild bike so I said the old bike is donor and the new bike is the one to ride !!
Swapped all the selfbuild parts from the old to the new and made some improvements on the new bike.
I love the new bike, its far better than the old one.
now about a week before my initial departure I found out that I have two hairnest cystes just above my anus. I went to a doctor to ask what's up, he replied your not going on your tripe my friend. How long will it take before I can? Well about 3 months up to half a year of delay before green light. Fnck!! I said, this is not happening again this is the third major thing going in the opposite direction for me and my trip. So all good things come in threes so lets look on the bright side, when this is over I will be prepared for everything Now sitting in bed getting you all up to date of my travel status, sucks that i'm not on the way and not getting on the way for a bit eighter. wel to get the mental thing a bit more positive again I just bought a pair of new boots some of you will recognize this remedy

so time for pics!!

first photo I just put the link only because mods seem to find my possion concerning for your eyes: http://www.passingalong.nl/blog/wp-c...1/08/emile.jpg

so this is me again


the old bike a few weeks before it got stolen.


new bike finished.






and my new shoes ! the remedy


Emile

__________________
www.passingalong.nl to follow my round the world motorcycle ride.

Emile, thanks for the update - sorry to hear about the problem, that sucks - but keep the dream alive with a little more and the occasional new boots and get well fast

I look forward to hearing your stories from the road!

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

Hi Emile,

Sorry to hear about your bad luck but look on the bright side, better have those cystes removed by a good European docter then having this trouble somewhere in a 3th world country.
I wish you a speedy recovery and hope to read your trip reports on this site soon.

I know how you feel. I have my little NorthCape to Gibraltar "project". In 2006 I went to the Northcape (I had a wonderful trip) and the next year I wanted to do the trip to Gibraltar. Unfortunately, every year after that, there was something that stopped me from going to Gibraltar. I do hope I can do it this year.

__________________
Jan Krijtenburg

My bikes are a Honda GoldWing GL1200 and a Harley-Davidson FXD Dyna Super Glide

My personal homepage with trip reports: https://www.krijtenburg.nl/
YouTube channel (that I do together with one of my sons): motormobilist.nl

Hi Emile,
Sorry to hear that. But maybe, just maybe, it's for the best.
Fate works in strange ways.

Maybe your first bike had some unknown problem in it that would have brought your trip to a sudden unrepairable end in some inconvenient place.
Your second bike certainly looks good and ready to go.

And the cyst problem.... well, maybe the same. Maybe if you departed right now you'd ride into some difficulty best avoided, so fate keeps you home a little longer before the OFF!

All the best, tell us when you're Passing Along.
Ken

__________________
TTR250 - London to Cape Town

thanks for the supporting words makes me feel a bit better already

today at 11.00 h in Holland the operation starts.

I will post update soon, I'm off


Emile

__________________
www.passingalong.nl to follow my round the world motorcycle ride.

@ grant, no booze and boots for me for a while :S have to take rest for at least 3 weeks. and then no motorcycle riding for at least 6 more weeks because of the skin thickness on my butt.

@ Jkrijt, definately better here than in a 3rd world country, sncks that you missed out so many nice rides the last couple of years, spring started good this year maybe it brings good times for you and your attempt to get to Gibraltar, If you leave late this summer maybe we can wave at each other down in Spain Tips to visit there are the village of Casares and the Roman baths down stream from there.

@mccrankpin, good theory, I had a similar one because it's actually the third thing that happend and all good things come in 3s. Maybe some angel wants me to be very very well prepaired so I wont have to get back for some stupid breakdown on me or the bike.


Here is a small update about my recovery.

I went in the Hospital at 11.00 in the morning sat there for ages, then they prepared me for the operation at around 15.30.
At 16.00 the operation started and I was put to sleep.
The only thing I remember is that the people that helped me where very nice!
At around 17.00 I was in recovery still under drugs but awake could not really focus on what happened around me over there.
About an hour later I was brought to my shared room to rest, and there I stayed until 21.00 when I went home.
Yesterday I was so tired that I fell asleep immediately.
Today all feels well I have a good view of my bike and some books to read and movies to watch, I’m also tired because of the large open wound in my butt so sleeping won't be a problem.


still under a fair dose of morphine.




getting some rest with a good view of my future perspective.


Emile

__________________
www.passingalong.nl to follow my round the world motorcycle ride.

I hope you have a speedy recovery Emile! And look forward to reading about your boots, bike and of course you on your travels. Take it easy untill then.

Get better soon !
Six weeks no riding with this weather is hard but think off all the weeks you'll be riding after that.

If my plans work out this year, I'll be going to Spain in september. I'm not sure on wich bike because my GoldWing is for sale now. It is to heavy for the kind of roads I like. Probably I'll buy a BMW GS again. When will you start your trip ?

BTW, if I click on the facebook icon on your homepage, I get the message "De opgevraagde pagina kan niet worden gevonden."

__________________
Jan Krijtenburg

My bikes are a Honda GoldWing GL1200 and a Harley-Davidson FXD Dyna Super Glide

My personal homepage with trip reports: https://www.krijtenburg.nl/
YouTube channel (that I do together with one of my sons): motormobilist.nl

__________________
TTR250 - London to Cape Town

@ Jaydub, BIG thanks !! I will not let you down !!

@ jkrijt, GS is nice. one of my uncles also rides one. september sounds very good for a trip to Spain. the hole is still a bit large to give a exact date but I hope to be ready to go in the end of May or beginning of June. lets hope for the best!!

@ McCrankpin, BIG thanks !! nice e-card !!

no real updates on the trip, currently working on improving my blog by adding a small webshop where there will be a large selection of hand-crafted jewellery for sale that I will make during my trip and some decals and cool t-shirts or whatever passes my mind and fits a envelope
all out of bed work at the moment.

Emile

__________________
www.passingalong.nl to follow my round the world motorcycle ride.

Hey all my dear friends,

First I want to thank all of you for the kindness and support that I received, it really kept my dream alive!!
You have all been waiting for way too long, including myself.
The wound is almost closed only the skin has to grow back and I will be able to do all the things I did before.
I can’t wait!!



During the time I spent in bed heeling, Jonas called me and asked if I would like to exhibit some of my work in his small gallery project called “small room big ideas”.
This sounded real good, mainly because I needed a sort of kick off to get in the rhythm again.
The only problem was that I had no real new work and I did not want to show my old stuff again because the majority is stored.
I had some doubts now about doing a exhibition.
But soon an answer came, I will do a exhibit of my journey to come and put my big idea in the small room.

“This time I will leave when I feel like leaving”



Check it out on: SMALL ROOM BIG IDEAS | PROJEKTE

Most of the past time I have spent in bed, this really sucked.
Only a few small jobs have been realized besides reading some books and sleeping, and not to forget watching movies.
Also I have purchased a hammock with a large tarp which can be set up in a matter of minutes, the only drawback is that it needs trees or something like them.
Yesterday I did my first motorcycle ride since the operation, I had to keep it short but I had a blast!!
Today I will do some more just for the feeling.
The old bike is now one of the means of transportation for my petrolhead brother only it did not work that well anymore since it got stolen, so I did a little cylinder head maintenance including valve grinding and some heli-coils.



“Le mouton” also received some attention, the rear wheel got balanced and the carburetors including fuel lines are cleaned.
The bike rides better then ever!

Emile

__________________
www.passingalong.nl to follow my round the world motorcycle ride.

I arrived on 31-05 in Duesseldorf to celebrate Lenia’s birthday, the ride was nice altough I was scared because of the heavy back-end.
The bike rode very different then what I remembered. Cornering was a bit weird at first but I learned fast. The way I packed the bike turned out to be not the best way after a little while, but I rode on and enjoyed the ride to Duesseldorf.



I hate to think about it but I will go back to Holland next weekend to start working again so I can leave soon for real! A shame that it’s only a testride.

Yesterday I drove to Wuppertal for the exhibition at Jonas Brückner’s project smallroombigideas.
Because the lesson learned 2 days before I packed different this time and it really payed of.
When I arrived at Jonas we pushed the bike up a few steps to get the bike in the hallway to the small room.
The door to the small room looked like a impossible obstacle to get the bike trough and in the room.
But after unmounting the mirrors, gas-tank and panniers we got the bike in.
It barely fitted in the room.















At nine friends and friends of friends started arriving, and the started flowing.

I had a great time! Thanks friends!

__________________
www.passingalong.nl to follow my round the world motorcycle ride.

I was working on this for a while already, but now time has come to announce to all that there are t-shirts in the gift shop.

During my stay in Düsseldorf Lenia and Merlin helped me out with the screen printing basics. Preparing the screens and getting ready with the printing. Lenia made the illustration for the t-shirt check her website @ www.leniahauser.de and Merlin helped me at Werkstatt Werkstatt to make the screens ready for printing check his work @ www.werkstattwerkstatt.de .
At the moment there are only two t-shirts in the shop both with the size M, if you want one with a different size just tel me and it will be arranged.

I did not forget the girls, there are white t-shirts and tanktops in all sizes xs,s,m,l,xl.
Write me if the gift shop is not updated with the desired t-shirt or top.

Here is how we did it.

__________________
www.passingalong.nl to follow my round the world motorcycle ride.

Today, Anne and I went to bring Phylicia to the station from where she would travel back to London. I will be staying for a few more days at Anne’s place in Munich, she left a little later today to go to her parents and build a new fence in their garden and monday she will be back again. Meanwhile I will have some time on my own to get stuff done clean Anne’s house and enjoy the weather while swimming in the Isar.

2 weeks back Crip came by at my parents place so we could make his van into his home, before he was not able to sleep normally in his bed and had not enough storage room for his stuff. We made a small list with the priorities and started sculpting the van’s interior. After 4 days of at least 15 hours a day we finished and took off for a test to Tuil en’t Waal with and firewood !! We talked and drank until the early hours and I decided that I would leave on my trip the following morning from my parents place.

The following morning I felt a bit crap but after a quick dip in the Waal all was better and we took off arriving at 11.00 at my parents place.
I packed my bike we ate some french fries and took off with my brother escorting me towards the German border and Crip heading the other way for Den Haag. I said my mother goodbye and she was holding back the tears I could see and feel it. For me it felt like good and bad coming together.

It was good to ride out with my brother on my side. On some small truck-stop on the A67 heading for Venlo we stopped to say goodbye from then on I would be alone until Düsseldorf. Lenia is waiting for me there and I will be staying there for a few days to get the last things sorted out before I really head for the unknown.

The bike felt real heavy the first stretch towards Düsseldorf and was suffering from a 25 year old leaky seal. As soon as the seal arrived I changed it and found out there is another failing seal on the gear lever shaft. But that one will have to wait until I get in Munich.
At Lenia’s place I had a great time, we did some nice small trips together on the bike trough the countryside around Düsseldorf.

From Düsseldorf towards Frankfurt where I would stay with a friend of Kris. She helped me when couchsufing.org was offline because of to many visitors.
Thomas lives in Neu-Isenburg just south of Frankfurt. The day was nice and sunny I was dripping with sweat when I arrived at Thomas his place. His housemate Bernd was there to welcome me and show me in. Bernd and Thomas both are real motorcycle enthusiasts and have made numerous trips on their bikes.
When Thomas arrived he invited me to eat at the garten Trefpunkt. A good tasting schnitzel with french fries and salad was my choice accompanie
After a good night sleep I packed the bike to head towards the Bodensee where I would be staying with Sybille and her friend Joachim.d by a glass of . Next to me a girl screamed that there was an insect on her glass, I laughed because I could imagine the insect drinking her .

This would be a long ride for a day on B roads, about 475km in total trough beautiful grasslands and forests. Also I would encounter my first real rainstorm which soaked me completely.
But all was forgotten when I arrived in Hagnau am Bodensee.
What a beautiful small place it is. I stayed only for 3 nights and would leave for München next.
Swimming in Bodensee is nice except for the rocky beaches.

On my arrival in München Phylicia was hanging out of the window screaming Oewe Oewe to me when I drove into the street. Anne was still working so we went for ice cream, the best I ever tasted!!

And now I am here writing my first real update that could be even longer than it already has become.















[IMG]http://www.passingalong.nl/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/****weer-naar-Hagnau1.jpg[/IMG]









Emile

__________________
www.passingalong.nl to follow my round the world motorcycle ride.

Excellent write up so far. Good to see you recovered and on the road. Best wishes for an excellent trip. Hope to cross paths with you one day as I am returning to Europe to continue my adventure soon.