We were having a shouty and cynical chat last night about people who have the TV rights sorted, newspaper coverage, the whole kit and caboodle, of their latest adventure.

Then we got down to talking about people who'd 'done stuff' just to satisfy themselves.

Things like...
I remember being in Addis Ababa and meeting a cyclist heading for London. He'd started off in Cape Town. I left him my phone number. Much later home in London I got a message left on the phone just saying he made it and 'thanks for the coffee'. That was it...never heard from him again.

Follow my drift?

I often ride solo and do so because I like to go to places that interest me. I have completed many long trips in Australia (some have been with other riders) and had a couple of trips to New Zealand (one to North Island and one to South island - I shipped my bike to South Island). I have met interesting locals, interesting local riders and riders who are from other places in the world. An enjoyable chat is often had over a simple meal.

It is a rewarding experience to exchange email addresses and have someone contact you later and simply ask "how was the remainder of your trip"?

I have presented at a few HU meetings - not to show photos - but to simply pass on "experiential learnings" that may entice others to "go for a long ride".

I must say that I have found the HU site and members to be a very helpful and a valuable source of information.

I'll sit on the fence here. I can't watch the "What I did on my extreme adventure extreme adventury holiday" YouTube series, but I can appreciate a nice photo on Instagram or something.

Andy

For me, I like to be able to read what other people have done - it helps to remove the mystique and barriers to the prospect of my planned journey. I think I understand what Mike means about some people - the journey seems to be the means to an end rather than its own objective.

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You will have to do without pocket handkerchiefs, and a great many other things, before we reach our journey's end, Bilbo Baggins. You were born to the rolling hills and little rivers of the Shire, but home is now behind you. The world is ahead.

I always think it's nice to share what you've done, especially these days when it's so easy to share. Back in the 80s you wouldn't have found many people interested in coming round for a slide show, even if your trip was more groundbreaking than a quick weekender to the Nordkapp these days. If nothing else it's nice to have a way of looking back on your memories and thoughts from the trip.

But that said, there are a lot more travelogues and YT channels out there than are actually worth watching. Only so many different pics of someone grinning in front of a statue or an alpine pass, or a lingering drone shot of a bike going down a dusty road over a stock guitar soundtrack...

So yeah, blog it by all means, but leave out the pretensions to being the next Ewan and Charley or Ted Simon, don't regale us with tales of "me, being greeted by all the local bikers because I'm such a celebrity" or "my sponsor's gear worked brilliantly" because you're the only one interested in that stuff. Unless you're going somewhere really special, your televisual skills are not the attraction.

Making a fuss about nothing does seem to be a viable career path these days - ask any newspaper columist or YouTube 'influencer'. Years ago everybody wanted to be a rock star but as there's no money in it since Spotify there's a lot of people looking for alternatives. 'Adventure Travel' does have some of the same 'sex and drugs and rock and roll' glamour to it (to an outsider anyway) and as getting people to pay to live a kind of second hand danger free travel life has become much more achievable there's a lot of people jumping on the bandwagon. It's all just a branch of showbiz these days - even down at grass roots level (HUBB meetings for example) Anyone who's sat through a talk by Simon Gandolfi (or even Austin Vince) will know what I mean.

Meanwhile, down at the other end of the spectrum, there must be plenty of people who are out there traveling for their own personal reasons but you ever get to hear about them. I've met lots of people like that when I've been on the road, people who do it because they enjoy it (or whatever) and that's enough for them.

I suspect that as and when I do my trip I will log it on the HUBB and "The Dive Forum" as it will be a great deal easier to do that than to use either a personal website or Facebook and it will mean that my family will be able to see where I am and what I am upt o more easily - Facebook is virtually unsearchable as far as I am concerned. I want people to be able to see what I have done - if only to demystify and possibly even inspire others - but by the same token I do not want to be all "shouty" about it.

I realise that I am contradicting myself within the same paragraph but I have never claimed to be consistent.

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You will have to do without pocket handkerchiefs, and a great many other things, before we reach our journey's end, Bilbo Baggins. You were born to the rolling hills and little rivers of the Shire, but home is now behind you. The world is ahead.

are you referring maybe to Long Way Up (Round and Down) series ?

Personally I never travel without whole Television crew and cheerleaders LOL

I think that there is one large factor,
besides beeing wanted to be "popular".

Economy/Buisness.

Popular Youtube channels generate money.
When Corana hit i saw this:
Person #1's largest problem was how to generate income. When there was no travel to make videos from. Not that the travel itself stopped

Person#2 was releasing a video more or less daily. Sitting at a table drinking and talking about Corona situation. And hoped for som clicks and some money.

And so on.....

People having popular Youtube chanels also get sponsor support.

It is a way of solwing the finacial for travelling.
(But as I stated earlier. Also a willing to be known and get many likes,
Many likes make some people happy.

There are traveller that do not talk about themself and what they "achieved"
But descibes the world that they could see.

I have one example of a person who used a bicycle from Chile to Alaska. Long time ago. And the wrote a book of what he saw and learned. He wanted to describe that part of the world for us. And the real world for the people living there. Not tourist attraction.
That is what I like.

And to see a country/culture you have to approach them on their level.
You can't come in a huge 4X4 and look out the window.
But alone on a bike/motorcycle. Tired, frozena and hungry. They will treat you in a completely different way. And you will learn the culture in a different way.

Without any political discussions. My view is that Ernesto's and Alberto's travel is a good example of that type of travel and travel story. They wanted to learn how South America was. And they described what they saw in their books. And what they saw and learned, affected them hard.

I will never write any book, or make any youtube video. I want to experience and learn. For myself. And to do that I need to get away from big cities and tourist attractions. And be ready to meet the real world. And if I can collect some memories and learn something. I will be happy.

Others may have other goals. I do not care. Let them do what they want. As long as I can be the one I want to be.

I, like Erik_G, will never write a book on my travels. The learnings I have from travel started a fair time ago and have not left me. They have been added to and changed over time.

I used to ride a motorcycle to work and university at night. After graduating I had an idea I should experience other parts of the world. I talked my employer into giving me at least six months off work so flew to Europe and bought a cheap car (not a motorcycle - but thought about swapping the car for a motorcycle in Holland but that is another story). Travelled as far north/ south/ east and west in Europe.

This was the mid seventies - no mobile phones, no internet, no GPS, many borders to cross money to change and talk your way into some of the Communist countries. You learn a few things about yourself and others in these (sometimes challenging) circumstances.

The learnings and experience from travel stay with you, in my opinion. I can still remember many of the characters I met where we had hearty conversations using a bit of English/German/French. A great education in people, life, geography and politics.

I think these things are personal and may not be of interest to others.

When we again venture to previously visited places we have a great basis to compare the (inevitable) changes over time. Again based on your own experiential framework.

I will say that motorcycle travel has more potential to brings out the best in people. Locals (in my experience) like to come up to a packed motorcycle rider and ask where you have been and where you are going. "But you have not been to ***, I will show you on your map where to go!" Priceless.

That sounds so good/positive..

I met a few of these travelers on the road, very modest and have extensive travel experience but keep mostly to themselves. These guys are usualy awesome to travel with and are a goldmine of information and good advice. They wont boast about anything but you start asking questions you quickly realize that they have are the real deal and they probably have a few books in them. Keep these guys in your contact list and give them some help if you can.

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Alaska 2014: Hotel Budget ZeroXmas in Death Valley, New Year in Urique