I dropped offline for a while due to being in Cuba where Internet is as rare as post 1960 motorcycles!

I have some video and photos of the motorcycle trip I made on the Stahlratte with six other people for three weeks. Taking a motorcycle to Cuba was exciting and challenging, especially without much Spanish, but if you get the opportunity it is a MUST DO

A few photos to tempt you but much more to come over the next couple of weeks as time and Internet allow.

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When you come to a fork in the road…take it!

BLOG: paulnomad.blogspot.com.au

FaceBook: www.facebook.com/PaulNomadRTW

Good to hear from you again!!

__________________
Submariner
Life Member DAV
BMW MOA member
BMW Riders of Oklahoma

I have put together a video of my time in Cuba.



Enjoy

PN

__________________
When you come to a fork in the road…take it!

BLOG: paulnomad.blogspot.com.au

FaceBook: www.facebook.com/PaulNomadRTW

Good video work!! Friend of mine rode his scooter around Cuba and loved it. His only complaint was "getting gassed" by the old cars, LOL

__________________
Submariner
Life Member DAV
BMW MOA member
BMW Riders of Oklahoma

Nice photos. Great video. Hey, I recognize that tank bag cover....I hear some generous bloke in Texas donated that.
(Might be the only thing from here that travels for a while yet!).
Hope all is well and you're getting caught up on the posts (and blog?). We'll keep following.

Hey Pat, the video takes time and the blogging is way behind. But I'm travelling and enjoying it! I've slowed down so much it will only take a week to catch me lol!!

PN

__________________
When you come to a fork in the road…take it!

BLOG: paulnomad.blogspot.com.au

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So it's now been four months on the road....How about some tips on what you originally packed that it turns out you didn't need, and what you didn't originally pack that you wish you had?

Paul its been some time since i have caught up on your post ,very interesting as always .loved the video ,did you get pestered much by locals wanting money ( in Cuba) this has been the downer for other travelers i have been following .Any how its great that you are at peace with yourself ,and enjoying traveling .catch you latter regards Noel
P.S the Blues won the series in the state of origin ,about time eh?

And deserving of a good answer.

The bike. I am 100% happy with the bike I chose. 2006 BMW R1200GSA named Ziggy. I've now done 50,000kms on her (total is 67K) and the only issues I have had are two blown globes (headlight and tailight), the front switch for the brake light (caused the blown globe) and an unusual mechanism dislodgement in the headlight assemble, a ball and socket that holds the position and adjusts the light. This caused the front globe to blow. Apart from that, she has handled everything I have thrown at her so far without a groan. As you know Pat, I'm a six footer, so this bike is not for everyone, but for me has been the perfect choice so far.

Invaluable equipment:
iPhone. My lifeline, my GPS, camera, sound recorder, Internet connection with the world, alarm, clock, compass, notebook, contacts, reminders and emails. I can even make phone calls. Absolutely my right hand. Wouldn't leave home without it. I think Siri loves me.

Apps. Maps With Me. Just download it. Replaces a GPS. Best online maps I've used. NO INTERNET CONNECTION REQUIRED!!. this App has saved my getting lost and finding my hotel again without Internet more times than I can remember. Best App ever.

Riding Gear. I purposely spent good money on good gear. Don't compromise. Riding gear that works how it should every time you put it on is worth gold and will last. I set up for all climates with body armour mesh (motocross) and evaporative cooling vest for HOT weather (over 40C) and it has kept me alive. Likewise thermals and an electric vest for the cold...perfect. Get the best gloves you can afford. My BMW GS summer gloves have done most of the 50K kms with me and are still perfect. Happy with all of it except maybe the fit on my waist with the pants. Not bad enough to change.

Luggage.
I chose to go soft gear and have a Giant Loop Great Basin (original style), a 49L Ortlieb Pack Rack bag and a similar 24L one. Finally a Wolfman Rainer Tank Bag.
I am very happy with my choice and the quality of all the gear. There are always some compromises with soft gear, it isn't as easy to simply lock the boxes and walk away. That said it takes me ten minutes more to strap everything on and not much slower to unload than hard cases.
The advantages first and foremost are weight. My total weight for gear is around 25-30kgs including camping, cooking, clothes, tools, computer and electricals. My handlebars and tank are the widest part of the bike so I find it easy to manoeuvre in cities. The weight is stacked behind me in the pillion position and is half the weight of a small passenger. I am barely above the standard weight of the bike (due to other mods) and I can pick it up easily by myself when needed

I spent two years researching gear and reading 'millions' of posts on what works and doesn't for others.

My tent with groundsheet, pegs and pole (singular) weighs 500 grams. It is an ultralight designed by extreme walkers. I camp probably 10-15% of the time at this point of my trip so 90% of the time I am carrying it 'for nothing'. At half a kilo it's not an issue. It has stood up in tropical thunderstorms, zero degree nights and one big sandstorm without incident.
I carry an Exped Ergo Hammock Combo which weighs about 1.4kg and includes the biggest parachute tarp that can be used alone to park the bike under. It is my most comfortable night's sleep. If there are a couple of trees around it is my first choice. Fast, comfortable and completely waterproof under the tarp.

Sleeping bag. I have a 0C rated down bag but it is not warm enough for me. At 0C I wore all my thermals and riding gear and was still uncomfortably cold. I'm a cold fish and prefer the tropics and hot sweaty nights. It is the only thing I want to replace with a -10C bag before I hit South America.

Exped SynMat UL 7 LW with Schnozzel. Super comfortable. Quick to inflate with the schnozzel, I've used it heaps in all climes for two years and hasn't let me down once. Would buy another one tomorrow.

Whisperlite International stove. Awesome. Boils water in no time, cooks my food easily, packs into a tiny bag and runs on unleaded gas from my tank. I carry a 300mL bottle attached in a bicycle water bottle holder. I pump fuel from the bike with an outboard motor priming bulb.

Computer. Apple Macbook Air. Awesome. No moving parts, weighs one kilo, stores video and photos (500GB and 8MB RAM) so I can easily edit video. Charges quickly, lasts for hours and hours between charges. Love it. I carry a 2TB external harddrive. I store them in a SealLine 10L Dry Bag and carry an ultralight Marmot 20L backpack containing computer and valuables that I can easily take out of the Ortlieb and carry with me away from the bike.

Security. I spent $4 in Mexico on a 4M x 8mm cable and made a loop either end with aluminium swages. I feed it through all the luggage and padlock it to the frame. Looks effective. No issues yet.
Pacsafe 12L portable safe. secure all my valuables to a solid object in the hotel room or to my bike if camping. Nothing is completely secure but it makes it a bit harder for would be thieves.
Bike cover. Motoline large. Getting a bit grungy but proving its longevity with no rips or holes after 2 years and 50K kms. And all the stories about it making the bike 'disappear' are true. With it on I don't get a second glance. Off, Ziggy attracts a crowd.

Chair. Helinox portable camping chair. Comfy with back support. I love it and it makes people with tri-stools jealous. Weighs not much, is the same size as one of my shoes and a must for us oldies!

I have a bunch of smaller stuff as well that I won't go into details with here. I'm happy with everything so far, had no breakdowns with any of my gear and apart from the sleeping bag, would use all the same gear again. There is nothing I want to send home.

There is also nothing I would take that I don't have. Everything else I have needed has been available so far. Two years of research really made a difference as did knowing what I wanted and how I wanted to travel. For me the important thing was to keep the bike as light as possible so I can be confident in lifting it by myself because I travel solo mostly. I have travelled with other riders and we have compared gear, but I wouldn't change my system. Certainly not after 4 months, maybe in a year I will be talking differently!

FINALLY, I am NOT sponsored at all and have no affiliation with any of the companies or equipment I have named. I named it because it has performed well for me and I am happy to recommend it.

PN

__________________
When you come to a fork in the road…take it!

BLOG: paulnomad.blogspot.com.au

FaceBook: www.facebook.com/PaulNomadRTW

Thanks Noel, being a NSW boy originally it was nice to see the drought broken.
Thanks as always for your feedback. The video was fun to make and hopefully sums up my three weeks in Cuba. The locals wanting money is a real thing and did taint some of my experiences in Cuba. The group I went with all had different experiences but we all found it challenging, confusing, inspiring, amazing and worth every moment. If you get the chance to go, don't hesitate!





PN

__________________
When you come to a fork in the road…take it!

BLOG: paulnomad.blogspot.com.au

FaceBook: www.facebook.com/PaulNomadRTW

Thanks for the feedback. Always appreciated!!

__________________
When you come to a fork in the road…take it!

BLOG: paulnomad.blogspot.com.au

FaceBook: www.facebook.com/PaulNomadRTW

Thanks mate for the reply .i thing travel experiences good or bad are all memorable ,and add to the tapestry of life.look forward to you next update

Well it's a good 7 or 8 weeks since Cuba, and Mexico has continued to have my attention. I returned to Puebla to do three weeks of Spanish course and go more slowly through the states I missed in my rush to get to Cuba. After a month in Puebla I headed to Veracruz, Oaxaca and San Cristobal de Las Casas. Every place has been different and interesting, people have been awesome and basically I'm not looking forward to leaving because I'm enjoying this beautiful country so much.

If you have been considering going to Mexico and worried about all the negative press it gets, do yourself a favour and ignore 98% of it, get here and don't rush through. Take your time and savour the flavours of Mexico and it's beautiful friendly people.

I have blogged a bit of my recent weeks at Nomad - Round the World so drop by and have a look. In the meantime here are some pics to tempt you.

__________________
When you come to a fork in the road…take it!

BLOG: paulnomad.blogspot.com.au

FaceBook: www.facebook.com/PaulNomadRTW

Great shots mate ,looks like the journey continues to interesting .

I was planning to meet up with Alex and Alison, a Malaysian couple on a BMW 1200GS Adventure doing a world trip the same direction as me. We met in Mazatlan. Alex had given me the hotel name and street, but Oaxaca being another maze of one-way streets, had me circling for an hour before I found it. It was great to catch up.


We talked and ate and walked through town and had a great meet up. I stayed for two nights and on the last morning we rode together to see this giant tree, arguably the biggest diameter tree in the world. Whether it is or not, certainly it was impressive.


The tree was on the edge of the city and fortunately it was on the way to the cascada petrificada, a stalactite-like waterfall made of calcium deposits over hundreds of years flowing down a cliff. Pretty impressive!





We spent some time taking photos then we rode back towards the city and I stopped at the town of Mitla. This is the heartland of Mescal, a tequila-like drink made from the agave cactus. I found a nice little shop where they gave me some tastings and I bought a small bottle – for medicinal purposes – after taking some photos of their distilling operation.






There are hundreds of small stills and businesses producing this drink and plantations of agave are dotted everywhere. In the centre of town was the square and a nice looking hotel so I went in to check prices. 780 pesos. I laughed.
‘This is Mexico, nobody pays those prices.’
I rode 300 metres up the road and found a hotel for 200 pesos. It was fine! The next morning I walked around the ruins that the town claims fame for and walked again through stall after stall of indigenous handcrafts. It’s lovely colourful stuff but I have no room to buy anything on the bike so I just look and try to explain over and over why I can’t buy. Good practice for my Spanish. It was a picturesque town with some ruins at the top.

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When you come to a fork in the road…take it!

BLOG: paulnomad.blogspot.com.au

FaceBook: www.facebook.com/PaulNomadRTW