Announcements

**saralou** · #**2086** 18 Apr 2017

Route Germany-Czech-Slovakia-Serbia-Romania-Turkey-Georgia-Armenia-Iran-Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan-Tajikistan-Gorno/Badakhshan Autonomous Region- Krygyzstan-Kazakhstan-Russia-Mongolia-Russia-Mongolia-China-Tibet-Burma-Thailand-Laos-Vietnam-Cambodia-Thailand- Malaysia-Indonesia-East Timor-Australia-Tazmania-New Zealand…

The route in Europe is to loop thru Slovakia (which we skipped last year except Kosice), go south thru Serbia via Novi Sad and Nis, and onto Sofia and Motocamp Bulgaria. Here we will meet up with the rest of the “team” Orvar (King of Sweden) and Trevor (fellow Canadian). We Met Orvar in Guatemala in 2012 and Trevor in Ushuaia in 2014. We have ridden a lot with both of them and we all get along very well. Anyone who has ridden in a group knows that this can be very difficult on many levels. You have to be able to mesh on riding style, safety consciousness, likes and dislikes for travel style, and financial means. We could not ask for 2 nicer guys to travel with. From Motocamp we may head to the Black Sea and travel down the coast or go cross country to the Turkish border.

Screen Shot 2017-04-02 at 18.09.11 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

Turkey- e visa same day processing valid 6 months.

Screen Shot 2017-04-02 at 18.10.25 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

Georgia-No visa for Canadians.

Armenia- e visa 3 days processing valid 3 months.

Screen Shot 2017-04-02 at 18.13.04 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

Iran- Canadians need actuation number only issued in Iran to travel service. Can not apply until 3 months before travel and it can take 1 month to get a number. Canadians require a “guide service” Valid 3 months. We will have all the paperwork done, but must apply in the Iranian embassy in Istanbul Turkey. We will also be here during Ramadan.

Screen Shot 2017-04-02 at 18.15.42 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

**saralou** · #**2087** 18 Apr 2017

Turkmenistan- Transit visa for 3-5 days but risk 50% rejection rate. Tourist visa required a tour be booked to get a letter of invitation. We “obtained” a letter without actually booking a tour. Plan for 3-4 days to cross. Can take 3 to 4 weeks to get an actuation number in order to apply for a visa. You can not even apply for a number without a Uzbekistan visa to prove you are leaving. We will pick the visa up in Ankara, Turkey.

Uzbekistan- Need letter of invitation we used Carivanistan. Sent passports to Washington DC to get the visas and they were back in 3 business days.

IMG_8090 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

**saralou** · #**2088** 18 Apr 2017

Tajikistan + GBAO- e visa issued in 2 days. (Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region - essentially where the Pamir Highway is in south east of the country, which requires an extra permit).

Screen Shot 2017-03-26 at 15.50.52 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan- No visa for Canadians, But currently they have a foreigners must register policy started in Dec 2016. This may well be temporary.

Screen Shot 2017-04-01 at 21.19.36 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

Screen Shot 2017-03-29 at 11.15.07 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

Russia- We requested and got double entry transit visas of 9 days each. This is so amazing because they do not issue double entry transit visas to Canadians! This will include a loop from Omsk to the Mongolian border and a loop to Lake Baikal thru Siberia and into eastern Mongolia. Very extensive application. They ask the day/month/ and year of every country you have been for the last 10 years. They (not customs) decided they had an issue that our Canadian and not rented bikes were somehow in Germany and they required proof of ownership and shipping.

IMG_8091 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

Mongolia- No visa required for Canadians, but the Swede does need one!

Screen Shot 2017-04-01 at 12.55.59 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

**saralou** · #**2089** 18 Apr 2017

China- Visa required and the form though extensive is easy. They do require a detailed itinerary for getting the visa, but interestingly since it is good for 9 years they do not require this for any subsequent visits. The bikes are another story all together. Foreigners are not permitted to ride their own motorcycles in China without a guide service and they must have Chinese License plates and we need a Chinese drivers license. There is of course no way for us to pass the drivers test in Chinese, but everything has its price. The Companies fee included getting all this done including solving the problem for Orvar who is 63 that it is illegal to drive a motorcycle after age 60. The trip across China is ridiculously expensive, but it is what it is if you want to go overland, thru Mongolia, and not across Russia. We will however ride into Lhasa, Tibet and to the Everest base camp!

IMG_8092 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

Screen Shot 2016-11-09 at 21.06.11 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

**saralou** · #**2090** 18 Apr 2017

Burma- Visa required, but can not be applied for more than 3 months from entry. For us this means we will have to send the passports to the Burmese embassy. The only place we have the time to do this where we will not need them is in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. They have DHL and we can either send it to Bangkok or Ottawa, but at least for Canada we can pay with visa and not have to come up with the fee in Thai baht. Foreigners also require a guide here. e visa only available for airport entry. As of March 24 the Chinese/Burmese border is closed due to tribal conflicts, so we will make a game time decision in Ulaanbataar. We may spend 1 more day in China and cross into Laos. None of us are too stressed about this issue.

Thailand- Visas now required on arrival. As of May 1 2017 foreigners on motorcycles will require a guide to travel in Thailand. All other overland vehicles have been banned all together. We hope to just get a 3 day transit visa from Mae Sot Thailand to Vientiane Laos.

Laos- visa on arrival
Vietnam- visa required
Cambodia- e visas

Screen Shot 2016-11-12 at 18.36.09 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

Malaysia-No visa
Indonesia- No visa
Timor-leste- Visa on arrival

Screen Shot 2016-11-12 at 18.38.21 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

Australia -ETA required
New Zealand - No visa

**Rondelli** · #**2091** 18 Apr 2017

Phew, I'm tired just reading that, well done guys, impressive bit of preparation, looking forward to the next few months installments , maybe catch you on the road somewhere...........

**troos** · #**2092** 18 Apr 2017

Exciting!!

Waiting with anticipation for the blog to be updated with news.

Good luck and best wishes

**saralou** · #**2093** 19 Apr 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rondelli

Phew, I'm tired just reading that, well done guys, impressive bit of preparation, looking forward to the next few months installments , maybe catch you on the road somewhere...........

Ha ha Thanks Gino! We will wave at you in Nepal!!!

Sara

**saralou** · #**2094** 19 Apr 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by troos

Exciting!!

Waiting with anticipation for the blog to be updated with news.

Good luck and best wishes

Troos

Thanks for the shout out!! S&D

**saralou** · #**2095** 19 Apr 2017

"Carnet de Passage en Douane- "Notebook for Passing Through Customs" and is often abbreviated to just carnet.

A carnet (pronounced car-nay) is a simple customs document, which acts as a passport for your motor vehicle when you take it overseas. It allows you to temporarily import your vehicle for a limited period of time without the need to pay cash at the border, equivalent to the customs duty and other excise taxes. It helps to save time and hassle when dealing with customs officers at international borders.

The vehicle, to which the carnet refers, once having been granted temporary importation status, must be removed from the country within the time limit imposed by that country. If it is not, the country will be paid all duties and taxes that would normally be required to permanently import the vehicle.

The use of a carnet is an alternative to leaving cash security deposits with foreign governments. Use of the carnet is restricted to the countries listed on the back cover and it is valid for one year from the date of issue.

The cost of the bond is based on the value of your vehicle and the highest percentage bond required by the countries for which you will use it.

Motorists can typically obtain a Carnet de Passages en Douane from their national automobile association or touring club. The U.S. and Canada are a notable exception where a private company experienced in ATA Carnets, boomerang carnets, was appointed as the national guaranteeing association for CPDs in 2015.

Required most of Central and North Africa, Asia, Middle East, and Oceania. Recommended for much of the rest of Africa, The Americas do not require a Carnet for Canadians. Our problem comes in with Iran, since our issuing body (Boomerang) is in the USA and will not issue CPD for Iran. Thank goodness for the Swiss. Their national auto association will issue a CPD to any person who’s own country will not issue the needed CPD. They process this in 3-4 days.

The carnet comes as a number of sheets, usually ten or twenty-five, stapled together into a book. Each sheet is divided into three perforated sections and each section has details of your vehicle on it. As you enter a country all three section of one sheet are stamped and signed by the customs officials, who keep the first (volet d'entrée) section. As you leave the country the second (volet de sortie) section is kept and the third section, the counterfoil (souche) is stamped and signed again by the customs officials. The double stamped counterfoil, which remains in the carnet, acts as a receipt proving that you have left the country with your vehicle.

Once you have completed your trip and returned to your home country you must discharge your carnet. You must return the double stamped counterfoils, along with any unused sheets of the carnet to the relevant Automobile Association or Organization that issued it and they will discharge the carnet. Failure to do this or if you do not have all the double stamped counterfoils could prove costly, as you may not receive any deposit held by the organization or even have to pay importation duties on your vehicle. "

IMG_4488 2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

**saralou** · #**2096** 20 Apr 2017

One more e Visa done!!

Sara Armenia Visa by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

**saralou** · #**2097** 28 Apr 2017

We decided it was time to replace the 5 year old DB blocker ear plugs we have and so we had to go out to get new molds made. Love these vented ear protectors and would never ride without them.

IMG_7948 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

IMG_7949 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

IMG_7953 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

IMG_7954 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

IMG_8288 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

**saralou** · #**2098** 14 May 2017

The plan is to fly back to Germany to get the bikes near Leipzig. We have a few items to sort out like installing the new Odyssey batteries to replace out 5 year old Deka. We are a bit worried they will be toast after 8 months again. They have been awesome, but we don’t want to risk any battery issues this year. There is a new bash plate for Dan’s 800 since the current is so bent up from hitting rocks on our river bed routes that it is almost impossible to get on and off. We also purchased a couple of Rotopacks for extra fuel, we are putting the exhaust silencers back in, and adding rear shock socks. So we will be a bit busy before we set out.

We are flying out of Vancouver May 1 on the return portion of our ticket home from Spain last fall. Strike one was that our pre-booked cab to the airport was 40 minutes late, but since we were going extra early we still managed to arrive before the check-in cut off. Strike 2 was the flight to Heathrow scheduled to leave at 2045 left 90 minutes late because a luggage container got jammed in the cargo door and they had to cut it out to get the luggage unloaded. This did have a plus since our very long layover was now much shorter. From London we had a 90 min flight to Hamburg, where we had strike three and the skyway wouldn't approach the aircraft. They finally managed to fix it after 20 minutes. We were surprised and thrilled to be met by our fiends Wolfgang and Brigitte who came to get us even though we had a rental car. Now it was time for a

and Ativan to get thru the night.

Return to Hamburg by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr