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

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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.
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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.

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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

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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.