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31 May 2012
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5/29
The weather was cold and overcast and we had only 75 miles to the Arctic Circle so we hung out at the comfortable hotel until noon. The drive to Rovaniemi was a chore. Windy, rainy a temperature of 38F or 3C. It went quickly as we could drive 65 to 70mph. The driving in Northern Sweden and Finland is mostly trees and reindeer. There were many signs for moose but we only saw one. The next leg of our trip will be to take a train to Helsinki, so this riding in the Arctic Circle is done.
We arrived in Romaniemi , checked into the Borealis guest house and went to check out the town. Rovaniemi is the largest city in Europe by area. There are only 60,000 people and the rest are trees.
We walked to town, saw the river, had a drink and a bite to eat and went back to the room. There is a strategy to sleeping here. It is truly disorienting to have sunlight all the time. The sun sets at 12:30 and rises at 2:30. Even then, it doesn’t really get dark. We are more north than Fairbanks Alaska or Mackenzie River in the Northwest Territories.
Rovaniemi
People use bicycles quite a bit for transportation. They are parked at the malls, schools and where ever. The bikes are rarely locked. Even in this bike store, the bikes are on the sidewalk without locks.
Bicycle parking without locks
We went to the train-station to try to get change our train to Helsinki one day earlier but the answer was “no.” Do you have room on the train tomorrow? “Yes.” Can’t we go a day earlier? “No.”
We checked out what the transport cars look like. They are two levels.
Upper level of the train transport car
The Trondheim to Rovaneimi leg of our trip was over 700 miles and because of the potential for cold, rain and even snow, we built an extra day into the time we thought it would take to ride. The weather ended up being quite nice for most of the trip. It was only cold and not fun for the last 100 miles. Consequently, we have an extra day in Rovaneimi. A good time to get caught up on our blog and read more about Russia before we get there.
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1 Jun 2012
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5/30
Today was a no travel day. We went to the Arctic Circle Park and Santa Claus village. The Arctic Circle is a theoretical line where the sun never sets for one day (June 21) and never sets for one day (Dec 21). Today, sunrise is 2:20 in the morning and sunset is 12:40. Sleeping is an issue.
Santa’s village is apparently where Santa lives and has some displays and information about the Sami people or Laplanders. You can send out post cards postmarked from Santa’s village in the Arctic Circle. And of course we did that. Sent cards to mom and the grandkids.
In any tourist area, there is plenty of shopping. We bought the grand-kids something authentic from Lap Land and had the elves send it home.
Mike and the elves at the post office
It costs 25 Euros to have your picture taken with Santa – 45 Euros for a digital picture. We took our own tourist pictures.
Cheesy tourist pictures
The oldest building at the Arctic Circle was built in 1950 to honor the visit of Eleanor Roosevelt. Since she is someone I admire, it is only fitting that I should follow in her footsteps to the Arctic Circle.
Beverly at Eleanor Roosevelt Cabin
Mike at the Arctic Circle
Beverly at the Arctic Circle
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2 Jun 2012
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5/31
Today is museum day. Rovaniemi has a good museum, the Arktikum, that covers life in the far North and the local area.
Mike at the Arktikum
Rovaniemi was a major military post during the 2nd world war period and the area was under siege from Russia. Russian wanted use of Northern Finland land strategically because Germany’s expansionism. Finland wanted to maintain their neutrality and said no. In 1939, Russia attacked Finland but Finland fought back to the point of humiliating the Russians. But the Russians came back the following year and attacked the Karelian Isthmus in North Finland. This time the Finnish army was on the verge of total collapse. Finland was saved only by agreeing quickly to Soviet terms in a “peace agreement.” Russia got a lot of Finland land and 400,000 refuges had to be moved out of the ceded territories. Russia kept pushing Finland beyond the terms of the agreement. Finland didn’t trust the Russians so they allied with Germany. German forces moved in to help protect Finland…that is until England declared war on Finland for allying with the Germans. US didn’t declare war but still, Finland was forced to kick the Germans out of their country. The Germans were very pissed off. They mounted an attack in Northern Finland that wiped out almost every building in Rovaneimi. The museum has two models of the city: one before the attack and one after the attack. There are only a few structures remaining after the attack. There are other twists and turns but that is the short version of their history. When we talk to people there is always mention of “the war.” And although the feelings appear not to be gone Finland understands its vulnerabilities and emerged from the war determined to establish a new and constructive relationship with the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union got the Korelian Ithmus plus more valuable Finnish land. The Finns refer to the shape of their country as resembling the Finnish maiden. But the maiden lost one of her arms in the deal.
The museum also had quite a display on the effects of global warming on the Arctic Circle.
And a special exhibit with dolls – special dolls with interesting faces, poses and some sayings. Here is one that was appropriate for our travels.
The museum covers among other things, the history and culture of Lapland. The Sami people are the indigenous people and are close relatives of the Inuit people of Canada. Lots of good information on the Arctic and its people.
There are no historical buildings in Rovaneimi and the town looks a bit non-descript. It is a center for adventure travel in the north with hiking, dog sledding, and the like.
Then we got on the train.
Loading on the upper deck
The car car on the train to Helsinki.
Our berth.
Black out blinds. Yeah! There wasn’t much going on in the diner car but we had a drink before retiring to our berth. The scenery was just thousands of small birch trees so we closed our black-out blinds for a night’s sleep.
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3 Jun 2012
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6-1-12
The train arrived in Helsinki about 8:30. After finding our bikes, we drove to town and had a nice breakfast. Anu, our waitress, shared stories about Finland and Russia. We went to the store to get a map of St. Petersburg because we aren’t going to have GPS while there.
Helsinki
Then we drove about 80 miles to the Cumulus hotel in Kotka. I ran for about an hour – the only time this trip. Then we were treated to having the sauna room for an hour to ourselves. It was quite luxurious.
A breathalyzer? in the hotel hall
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4 Jun 2012
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6-2-12
We were still smiling at the end of this day. We made it into Russia and we had a place to stay for the night. How we got here is the adventure. Isn’t that how it always is? We probably should have included Russia in the title of our story. It took more preparation than the other countries.
When we started this day we looked out our hotel window and saw heavy rain and wind. We decided that the weather wasn’t going to stop us. The Russian border and 150 miles separated us from St. Petersburg.
Attachment 6862
Mike loading up in the rain at hotel Cumulus
After about a half hour of driving rain, we discovered that our water-proof boots are not water-proof. We had been in rain on several other days but not this much rain for this long. Time for new boots. We were still Gung-Ho for our border adventure.
Well an adventure it was. It turned out that although we had two registrations for two bikes, we didn’t have the registration for the red bike. Instead, the second registration was for a bike at home. Of course, they tried to verify the numbers at the border and of course, they didn’t match up.
After several hours of trying to figure out how we could get the bike into the country we gave up and repacked one bike for the both of us. We went into St. Petersburg 2-up.
The border officials might have accepted an electronic view on the ipad – except the ipad had copies of the documents we had with us – not the needed registration for the red bike. Beverly turned on her data roaming (she had paid for a data-roaming package before leaving) and we brought up the email where the registrations were copied in the insurance application application. The red bike attachment was html for some reason and the iphone couldn’t open it. We considered going back to Finland to get all the paperwork and then come back later. But our VISA’s were for single entry only; if we left Russia, we couldn’t come back. Eventually, after waiting for the slow data service, waiting in lines, waiting for answers from border officials who could speak English, we loaded up the blue bike and Mike went to park the red bike. It is in limbo between two borders.
Attachment 6865
Beverly waiting at the Russian border
We have talked about having a bike problem and throwing one in the ditch and continuing on. We get to test that.
The bike is parked in the border control point. It was interesting going through the process. After about 20 different pieces of paper and many discussions among the Russians on how to accomplish this we put the bike in a locked yard and agreed to pay 460 rubles ($14)/day for storage.
The Russian border officials were really trying to be accommodating to the extent that they could. We just broke one of their major rules and could not come up with anything to prove we had registration. Not until we could call home and get people at home to help.
There are very few non-Russians crossing the border. This would support our assumption that most Finns have never been to Russia. We came to this assumption by asking Finns if they had ever been there. They would always say no.
Before our adventures with the border buracracy in Russia we had to wait at a few stop points. At the Finland border, they let cars out in a group of about 15
Attachment 6863
Beverly waiting to exit Finland
The next stop point was Russian though it was just a shack with a barricade letting cars through in groups.
Attachment 6864
Mike at Russian barricade
This is where the driving changes. Russian drivers are nothing like Scandinavian drivers i.e. waiting in line, always passing on the left, etc. Once we got out on the highway, the free-for-all continued. The cars will pass you on the right just to get in front of you – even when you are right on the tail of the car in front. Oh well, Mike easily got into the swing of it (remember we are 2-up now.)
The good news is that the new GPS that we bought in Germany finally proved that it is good for something. It led us perfectly to our hotel, Columb on Kazanskaya street, which is within a few blocks of the major tourist sites in St. Petersburg. The hotel has an inner courtyard where we could park the bike.
When I got to the hotel, I called the local Washington State license office and Pam answered the phone. I had dealt with Pam over the years on license and insurance issues. How lucky to hear a friendly voice. Pam got a new registration, Cassidy our neighbor went to the office to make it as legal as possible, and I got a new registration as an email attachment. With friends and technology, we will win over Russian bureaucracy.
Oh yes, and get these soggy boots and socks off our cold wet feet.
Stay tuned. It is about 120 miles back to the border.
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4 Jun 2012
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Something happened to the picture attachments. The internet connection keeps turning on and off here. Maybe that has something to do with it. Will try again.
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4 Jun 2012
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6-2-12
We were still smiling at the end of this day. We made it into Russia and we had a place to stay for the night. How we got here is the adventure. Isn’t that how it always is? We probably should have included Russia in the title of our story. It took more preparation than the other countries.
When we started this day we looked out our hotel window and saw heavy rain and wind. We decided that the weather wasn’t going to stop us. The Russian border and 150 miles separated us from St. Petersburg.
Mike loading up in the rain at hotel Cumulus
After about a half hour of driving rain, we discovered that our water-proof boots are not water-proof. We had been in rain on several other days but not this much rain for this long. Time for new boots. We were still Gung-Ho for our border adventure.
Well an adventure it was. It turned out that although we had two registrations for two bikes, we didn’t have the registration for the red bike. Instead, the second registration was for a bike at home. Of course, they tried to verify the numbers at the border and of course, they didn’t match up.
After several hours of trying to figure out how we could get the bike into the country we gave up and repacked one bike for the both of us. We went into St. Petersburg 2-up.
The border officials might have accepted an electronic view on the ipad – except the ipad had copies of the documents we had with us – not the needed registration for the red bike. Beverly turned on her data roaming (she had paid for a data-roaming package before leaving) and we brought up the email where the registrations were copied in the insurance application application. The red bike attachment was html for some reason and the iphone couldn’t open it. We considered going back to Finland to get all the paperwork and then come back later. But our VISA’s were for single entry only; if we left Russia, we couldn’t come back. Eventually, after waiting for the slow data service, waiting in lines, waiting for answers from border officials who could speak English, we loaded up the blue bike and Mike went to park the red bike. It is in limbo between two borders.
Beverly waiting at the Russian border
We have talked about having a bike problem and throwing one in the ditch and continuing on. We get to test that.
The bike is parked in the border control point. It was interesting going through the process. After about 20 different pieces of paper and many discussions among the Russians on how to accomplish this we put the bike in a locked yard and agreed to pay 460 rubles ($14)/day for storage.
The Russian border officials were really trying to be accommodating to the extent that they could. We just broke one of their major rules and could not come up with anything to prove we had registration. Not until we could call home and get people at home to help.
There are very few non-Russians crossing the border. This would support our assumption that most Finns have never been to Russia. We came to this assumption by asking Finns if they had ever been there. They would always say no.
Before our adventures with the border buracracy in Russia we had to wait at a few stop points. At the Finland border, they let cars out in a group of about 15
Beverly waiting to exit Finland
The next stop point was Russian though it was just a shack with a barricade letting cars through in groups.
Mike at Russian barricade
This is where the driving changes. Russian drivers are nothing like Scandinavian drivers i.e. waiting in line, always passing on the left, etc. Once we got out on the highway, the free-for-all continued. The cars will pass you on the right just to get in front of you – even when you are right on the tail of the car in front. Oh well, Mike easily got into the swing of it (remember we are 2-up now.)
The good news is that the new GPS that we bought in Germany finally proved that it is good for something. It led us perfectly to our hotel, Columb on Kazanskaya street, which is within a few blocks of the major tourist sites in St. Petersburg. The hotel has an inner courtyard where we could park the bike.
When I got to the hotel, I called the local Washington State license office and Pam answered the phone. I had dealt with Pam over the years on license and insurance issues. How lucky to hear a friendly voice. Pam got a new registration, Cassidy our neighbor went to the office to make it as legal as possible, and I got a new registration as an email attachment. With friends and technology, we will win over Russian bureaucracy.
Oh yes, and get these soggy boots and socks off our cold wet feet.
Stay tuned. It is about 120 miles back to the border.
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5 Jun 2012
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Hi CaperMike. I have been following your trip. Your route is what my wife and I would like to do next year. Last year we used Stefan, and will be using him again. He and his place was great. I have PM'd you about the Russian crossing. Good luck.
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5 Jun 2012
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6-3-12
Our errands for the morning were to get cash, water and a print-out of the registration that Pam sent last night. All were within a few blocks of our hotel. The copy store, although in a main street mall of lots of shopping, had a buzzer to get in. And then through a cluttered courtyard which led into a nice store.
The copy shop entrance
We walked and walked to see the tourist sites in St. Petersburg.
Beverly at the Winter Palace
I had always wanted to see the church shown in tourist photos for Saint Petersburg. I didn’t know it but the church’s name is “The Church of our Savior on Spilled Blood.” That name does not match the magical look of the architecture. It was built in honor of Alexander II after he was assassinated in 1881. Alexander II worked for government reform and signed the Emancipation Edictfreeing the serfs. Had he lived, Russia might have followed a path to constitutional monarchy instead of the long road of oppression that defined his successor's reign.
Alexander II initiated several reforms increasing Finland's autonomy from Russia Alexander II is still regarded as "The Good Tsar" in Finland.
The Church of our Savior on Spilled Blood
We walked the main street of St. Petersburg, Nevsky Prospekt. We then got on the tour bus and rode it for almost 2 hours seeing the sights and learning some history.
We also researched the best way to get back to the border. With registration now in hand, we should be able to get the bike into Russia.
The plan is for Mike to take a cab, arranged by our hotel, to the bus station. We went by it on our tour-bus. He will then take the Helsinki bus to the border. Everyone gets off the buses at the border. He simply won’t get back on.
Although we watched this process in our several hours at the border yesterday, the hotel verified that it would be ok to do that. He will then show them the registration we had printed out and bring the bike back to St. Petersburg. It seems so simple but will it work?
The bus leaves at 7am tomorrow morning. Stay tuned…..
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6 Jun 2012
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6-4-12
Mike left early to catch the bus at 7am.
-----Beverly waits for Mike to come back-----
The morning was leisurely writing the blog, reading, computer stuff etc. Then I went walking.
I wanted to go back to the Church of Spilt Blood and see if I could get a decent picture. I have been discouraged with my learning to use the SLR camera ever since my Nikon D5000 took a flying leap off my bike last year on the Italian autobahn going 80mph. It did not survive. Several months later it was replaced with the D3100 which has most of the features of the D5000. Miraculously, the telephoto lens did survive and it fits the D3100.
Before I went out with my camera, I looked up on the internet what the best settings would be.
ISO 200-400
Aperture Priority F/16 F/22
Increase color saturation in shooting menu which I did by putting it on vivid
White balance -- auto
Here is the result
The Church of our Savior on Spilled Blood
----Mike goes to the border -----
Today was the day I had to fix my paperwork mistake at the border. The border is 120 miles away. My plan was to take the Helsinki bus, get off at the border, do the paperwork dance and drive back to St Petersburg. The bus was a van; crowded and bumpy but after a few stops, we arrived at the border.
Mike’s bus back to the Finland-Russian border
Went through customs control, then customs, paid my storage fee of 1160 rubles ($34.00) and through customs again. It took about two hours and the administrivia was interesting, but the people were helpful and curious. Ai am calling this a good experience.
Bike in Customs
I drove back without stopping. I am getting into the Russian way of driving. I was home by 3:00.
-----Touring the city together----
We went touring the city. St Petersburg rivals Prague in building architecture. Most of the buildings were built by the Tsars. The excesses were incredible.
We had dinner at one of the in-places, the Singer Cafe and people watched for a few hours. We had the best seat in the city. All in all another very good day
Singer Café
View from Singer Café
St. Petersburg is called the Venice of the North because of it’s canals.
Canals in St. Petersburg
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7 Jun 2012
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6/5/12
St Petersburg is like a lot of big cities (5 Million people) although it is more beautiful than most. There is more to see and do there but we decided to go to a smaller town to get a different view. We headed for Pskov which is an historic town south on the way to Lativa. It took about 20 miles to get out of the city of Saint Petersburg. The traffic was heavy but orderly. We must be getting used to being passed on the right. Beverly is getting used to keeping cars from separating us. The heavy traffic continued for about 80 miles on the mostly two lane road. Lots of passing. Lots of making 3 lanes out of 2.
The road Pskov was pleasant but uninspiring. It seems our expectations are set by roads in the Alps, or Norway, or the Black Forest.
A snack along the way at the gas station
We arrived at our Hotel Golden Embankment, had borsch for dinner and visited the tourist spots. The Pskov Kremlin (fort) dates back to the 13th century. The town itself alternates between interesting historical sites and crumbling buildings. It was a pleasant few hours and all the Russian Tsars and princes are scrambled in our minds.
Mike at the walled fort
Beverly with our hotel (the orange building)
The view
We have a few extra hours in our next two days of travel so we are talking about going to Riga tomorrow which is apparently a must see city. We would have to cut across Estonia to get there. We'll decide in the morning.
We tried some Russian wine. We will probably stick to Italian or Spanish.
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7 Jun 2012
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6/6 Part 1
The next morning we went to Breakfast and the power went out. I think we had a peak into Russian life. Everything stopped, and no one took notice. It appeared like a common occurrence. All we could have was tea and a cheese sandwich.
We got going early and decided to go to Riga, Estonia which was not on our schedule. Riga was tempting us. We couldn't have a must-see so close and not go. So we made a quick drive to the border.
There was a huge backup of traffic. People were saying there was a 3-hour wait. We questioned ourselves whether motorcycles were allowed to jump to the head of the line like they are in most instances of car cues. We decided to go for it. Other cars moved aside and allowed us to move through so it must be the expected thing to do. We were happy about that. Things are looking good.
Waiting in line before we decided we could jump ahead.
We still had to wait but just near the front of the line. The driver of a car waiting in line near us was helpful when he checked to make sure we had all our papers. We didn't. But he just happened to have forms in his car. We filled the extra form out while waiting in line. It was an exit form for the bikes identical form to enter -- just a different box checked. No problems going through the Russian side of the border. We made it through everything in less than 2 hours.
Then a quick cross the no-man’s land between the borders. There is only a short line on the Estonian side of the border. Things are still looking good.
Things turned not so good while checking in to Estonia. They didn’t like the look of our registration so they checked the “Interpol database” and one of the bikes showed it was exported to Germany and then never registered. I thought Interpol was all about James Bond stuff. The army border guard along with another official to translate came out to talk to us. Then entire border stopped. No cars were processed for about 20 minutes as they talked to us. All the other employees were standing around to watch the excitement.
They said that that Beverly’s bike was ok but Mike’s bike was not. She joked that she should just go on. They went along with it for a moment then said “no, you should stay with him.”
We had to wait until they could call the US to verify our registration. As I write this, We have been waiting 5 hours. We are in the truck terminal so we have comfort, food, bathrooms and internet.
Beverly waiting at the terminal
The terminal
The Estonian border where our bikes are parked -- taken from the terminal
We have been very calm and smiley, but I think I will walk over there and make an AH of myself.
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8 Jun 2012
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6/6/12 Part 2
I went over to the border office and the two border guards came out with big smiles on their faces. Although they looked like hardened guys, especially the heavily armed military guy, they acted like little kids who had just solved a problem. My registration checked out OK but apparently the US customs have this bike noted as being exported to Germany. I will need to fix that when I get home.
I went to get Beverly at the terminal to tell her the good news. We walked back to get our bikes.
Bikes in the distance parked at the Estonian border
Beverly loading up the bike
We were very happy to get to Latvia which was only about 25 miles.
The Latvian border
It was about 7:00 when we left the Estonian border so we decided not to go to Riga. Instead, we wanted to get to the nearest hotel and hoped we wouldn’t be camping. We drove about 60 kilometers on some beautiful back roads to the nice little town of Aluksne where we found a wonderful hotel.
We will head directly to Vilnius on the back roads in the morning.
Our hotel
The town has an ancient history and belonged to Germany, Sweden, Russia and others but it was also the site of a secret Soviet missile launch site.
We had a great dinner, walked around. On the side of the road, some local people were turning a crank to haul water out of a well. They said the water was good and anyone could get it. Though our waitress said she wouldn’t drink it.
Locals getting water from the well
We went back to our beautiful 30 euro room. We feel like we salvaged the day. Instead of a big city adventure, we had a border crossing adventure and a small town adventure.
Mike noticed a welding shop behind the hotel. He is thinking… Hmmmm maybe Beverly’s kick-stand can be fixed. Will have to check it out tomorrow.
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9 Jun 2012
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6/7/12
Breakfast was a treat with the usual fare, including fresh tomatoes and cucumbers from the garden. Mike went out to the shop out back where they were working on cars. They have a MIG welder where, in just a few minutes, they lowered my kickstand about 2 cm.
The shop behind our hotel
Then he started up a conversation with Janis, one of the sons of the owner. Another of the owner’s sons races small hydrofoil boats. In fact he was the European champion.
Hydrofoil trophies
Shortened kickstand
We said our goodbyes much later than we had planned but it was such an enjoyable morning, it was difficult to cut it short. We left town at 12:30 for a ride of 240 miles to Vilnius.
Mike Janis and Beverly
The ride was almost all countryside roads. Fields of grass and crops surrounded by copses of trees. Sometimes a tree-lined road. A few giant white storks with red legs and huge stick nests. A small town here and there. A speed camera in one of the towns where we both got our picture taken. We don’t have front plates on our bikes and wonder what will happen. We learned to spot the warnings and the cameras. Traffic was almost non-existent in the first 100 miles except for some local traffic around the towns. After that, traffic was still light. The drive, although longer than our usual drives, was pleasant and enjoyable. The border to Lithuania was deserted just as the border into Latvia. After stops for lunch, gas and to buy batteries we arrived in Vilnius at about 6 but we didn’t get to our hotel until 7. The delay was because our hotel is in the old town, full of one-way streets. The GPS does’t know about the one-way streets. A local biker noticed us wandering around and offered for us to follow him. Thank you anonymous biker.
We walked around old town, went to cash machine and had some dinner. Vilnius is far enough south that it actually got dark and the street lights came on. It has been several days since we have seen darkness.
We are looking forward to visiting tomorrow with Martynas and Migle, a couple we met in Spain a year ago. They were very helpful in planning this part of our trip. In fact, our hotel, Mana Liza, at only about $60 was a result of his sleuthing. Rooms are usually over $100 in this area.
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11 Jun 2012
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6/8/12
Martynas came to get us at about noon. He took us for a tour of the city sharing history, stories of growing up here, pointing out the sites, and showing off his comedian side. As a Canadian, you would think that Mike would have heard all the Canadian quips but Martynas had one he had never heard. “What is it that they have on the Canadian flag that they have to cover it with a leaf?”
Touring in Vilnius
He told us of when the Russians came in with their tanks and destroyed the communications tower and 13 people were killed. This happened in January 1991 after Lithuania declared independence from the Soviet Union on March 11, 1990. We talked about the economy, social systems, and government transitions.
Overlooking Vilnius with communications tower on far hill
We had lunch at Belmontas, a tourist site that originally was a site of an old grain mill run by the river. Mike had Cepelinai a traditional Lithuanian food with ground potatoes stuffed with meat. He liked it, especially after getting some spicy garnish, much like Mexican salsa, to put with it.
Cepelinai a traditional Lithuanian dish
Lunch at Belmontas
We went back to the hotel and a few errands, until 7pm when both Martynas and Migla came by.
Martynas leads a development team for an IT company Headquartered in San Diego, and Migle is a heating and air conditioning engineer. Building in Lithuania is slow so she is doing IT project management.
We went out to a fabulous in a beautiful setting outside on a cliff overlooking the city in the valley below. We ate and drank and talked for hours before going elsewhere for mouth-watering desserts. We said our good-byes and are hopeful that we will have the opportunity again in the future to get together.
Fried bread
Martynas, Migla Beverly Mike
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Check the RAW segments; Grant, your HU host is on every month!
Episodes below to listen to while you, err, pretend to do something or other...
2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.
"Ultimate global guide for red-blooded bikers planning overseas exploration. Covers choice & preparation of best bike, shipping overseas, baggage design, riding techniques, travel health, visas, documentation, safety and useful addresses." Recommended. (Grant)
Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance™ combines into a single integrated program the best evacuation and rescue with the premier travel insurance coverages designed for adventurers.
Led by special operations veterans, Stanford Medicine affiliated physicians, paramedics and other travel experts, Ripcord is perfect for adventure seekers, climbers, skiers, sports enthusiasts, hunters, international travelers, humanitarian efforts, expeditions and more.
Ripcord travel protection is now available for ALL nationalities, and travel is covered on motorcycles of all sizes!
What others say about HU...
"This site is the BIBLE for international bike travelers." Greg, Australia
"Thank you! The web site, The travels, The insight, The inspiration, Everything, just thanks." Colin, UK
"My friend and I are planning a trip from Singapore to England... We found (the HU) site invaluable as an aid to planning and have based a lot of our purchases (bikes, riding gear, etc.) on what we have learned from this site." Phil, Australia
"I for one always had an adventurous spirit, but you and Susan lit the fire for my trip and I'll be forever grateful for what you two do to inspire others to just do it." Brent, USA
"Your website is a mecca of valuable information and the (video) series is informative, entertaining, and inspiring!" Jennifer, Canada
"Your worldwide organisation and events are the Go To places to for all serious touring and aspiring touring bikers." Trevor, South Africa
"This is the answer to all my questions." Haydn, Australia
"Keep going the excellent work you are doing for Horizons Unlimited - I love it!" Thomas, Germany
Lots more comments here!
Diaries of a compulsive traveller
by Graham Field
Book, eBook, Audiobook
"A compelling, honest, inspiring and entertaining writing style with a built-in feel-good factor" Get them NOW from the authors' website and Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk.
Back Road Map Books and Backroad GPS Maps for all of Canada - a must have!
New to Horizons Unlimited?
New to motorcycle travelling? New to the HU site? Confused? Too many options? It's really very simple - just 4 easy steps!
Horizons Unlimited was founded in 1997 by Grant and Susan Johnson following their journey around the world on a BMW R80G/S.
Read more about Grant & Susan's story
Membership - help keep us going!
Horizons Unlimited is not a big multi-national company, just two people who love motorcycle travel and have grown what started as a hobby in 1997 into a full time job (usually 8-10 hours per day and 7 days a week) and a labour of love. To keep it going and a roof over our heads, we run events all over the world with the help of volunteers; we sell inspirational and informative DVDs; we have a few selected advertisers; and we make a small amount from memberships.
You don't have to be a Member to come to an HU meeting, access the website, or ask questions on the HUBB. What you get for your membership contribution is our sincere gratitude, good karma and knowing that you're helping to keep the motorcycle travel dream alive. Contributing Members and Gold Members do get additional features on the HUBB. Here's a list of all the Member benefits on the HUBB.
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helps answer the question - Why Go? Inspirational stories by veteran travellers Greg Frazier (5 times RTW), Peter and Kay Forwood (193 countries), Tiffany Coates (Mongolia Mayhem) and Rene Cormier (University of Gravel Roads).
Get Ready! covers planning, paperwork, medical and many other topics! "Inspirational and Awesome!" See the trailer here!
What stuff do I need - riding gear, clothing, camping gear, first aid kit, tires, maps and GPS? What don't I need? How do I pack it all in? Lots of opinions from over 150 travellers!
break down language barriers, overcome culture shock, ship the bike and deal with breakdowns and emergencies."Just makes me want to pack up and go!" See the trailer here!
Grant demystifies the black art of Tire Changing and Repair to help you STAY on the road! "Very informative and practical." See the trailer here!
Ladies on the Loose! For the first time ever, a motorcycle travel DVD made for women, by women! These intrepid women share their tips to help you plan your own motorcycle adventure. They also answer the women-only questions, and entertain you with amazing tales from the road! Presented by Lois Pryce, veteran solo traveller through South America and Africa and author of 'Lois on the Loose', and 'Red Tape and White Knuckles.'
Cotton or synth sweat-wicking t-shirts with the cool Horizons Unlimited graphic on the front and a snappy slogan (changing every year) on the back.
Show your route on your panniers. Great conversation starter when you meet people on the road!
Motorcycle and travel books to inspire and inform you!
The definitive guide to planning your motorcycle adventure! This insanely ambitious 2-year project has produced an informative and entertaining 5-part, 18 hour video series. "The ultimate round the world rider's how-to!" MCN UK.
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