I see people traveling to places that would never cross my mind. Then see a call for help on the hub. Africa is one such place. War pestilence and corruption. Not to say about crime high way robbery, and crappy road's. Why go to a place where your safety and any standard that you recognise is not in place. That's not only Africa, but other south American country's. Soviet block, Indian, and the far eastern country's. A good chance you are either going to get robed, mug, or shot at. Or just ripped of by the police. A biking trip to me, is to go some place that I feel safe. Should get a fair crack of the whip. And not stopping at petrol station, or traffic light's. Only for some scum bag to rip something of the back of the bike and leg down the road.


Me I stay with-in the EU. Why? First off my UK bike insurance will cover me where ever I go. Should get some kind of health cover if I need it. Last but not least. Just about every one speaks English.


Europe is a dam big place. Even after saying that, If something goes tit's up, there's a good chance you can get your self home. It's a plane or a train ride away. Me I have a trailer at home. If push come's to shove. I'll come home hook up the trailer and go collect the bike my self. Some of these recovery companies don't do what it say's on the tin. I know that from a friend who broke down in Germany. The long and short of his tail of woe was. The bike was only valued at a grand. He had a £200 excess on the recovery. So the company told him to dump the bike and they would pay him £800. Easy way out for them. So what did he do? Stored the bike locally. Flew home. Got a trailer and when out and brought it back. Only to find out later that the insurance company owned the bike. Ring Ring, Insurance company. I've got the bike back, can I have the V5 please. You want to buy the bike back? Cost you £1200 sir.
John933

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To buy petrol in Europe. Pull up at station. Wait. Get out a 20 Euro note, then ask someone to fill up the bike. Give person money. Ride away. Simple.

When I first read this I thought it was a wind up, you only need to read some of the trip reports to realise most of your preconceptions about the rest of the world are totally wrong. The vast majority or people on this planet are decent, honest, friendly people and your chances of meeting and having a problem with one of the unsavoury minority are as great in a western country as anywhere else, just go out in any UK town centre on a Saturday night.
Stay within the borders of Europe if that is what you enjoy but read up on other people's experience elsewhere in the world and try to learn it is not the big bad place you seem to think it is.

John - Life begins at the end of your comfort zone

..

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Right Way Round ...

No it was not a wind up. I posted that in all serious. But that the problem with opines. The people who post them believe them. You tube has many a film story's about event's that happen that is not something to look forward to. Or post about corrupted boarder crossing police wanting to be paid to cross from one country to another. When challenged, all you get, it's just business my friend. In all my travels. Meeting people who travel further a field than me. Tell me story's about trouble they have that come with-in that category. That would not happen in an EU country. Greece used to be a place where every now and again the police would make up a story about something you have done. Just to take money from you. Not now. Any way a helmet camera work's wonders when they see it. Just flag you by, catch the next one. The biggest problem I've had in the EU is getting your pocket picked. But the police are not interested in catching them.
Apart from that. Go where you want. But in some places it's not a bed of roses.
John933

VVV

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To buy petrol in Europe. Pull up at station. Wait. Get out a 20 Euro note, then ask someone to fill up the bike. Give person money. Ride away. Simple.

There are many many nice places to see in Europe. You can use endless amount of time to see only small portion of it.

I truly enjoy seeing places which I have previously seen only in magazines or nat geo -channel.
I have now been travelling 2.5 years and I can tell that biggest surprise for me has been truly amazing people everywhere.
As soon as you leave "western" countries behind, people will become so warm, welcoming and helpful that it will blow your mind.
Do not believe everything that comes from news channels, only bad news sell.

After Australia, NZ, USA and Canada I was really looking forward to get outside of western countries.

Mexico is bad, isn´t it? USA border controls told me that my bike will be robbed and I will be killed...
Well, people over here are just amazing. Truly wonderful, warm and helpful people.

As mark mentioned, you can get in to a serious trouble in western countries, so they are not so safe as people think...

Go out, see and be prepared to be amazed

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www.whereishemuli.eu
Riding round the World

Facebook:WhereIsHemuli

+1

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My memory is becoming that good, I should be able to organise my own surprise party soon

I find that a very strange post.

For me the greatest pleasure of travel is when I get ouside of the EU and its thought police, corruption and state control of everything (for state read politicians and more importantly 'lobby groups').

In the EU/Western European/American mindset, one almost feels the need to look for signs saying 'you MAY do this' in a certain area. The rest of the world is not like that (yet) for the most part.

Wealth and consumerism breed jealousy and thus crime like nothing else.

Europe is a lovely place, the further east you go away from the EU the nicer it and the people get. You should try it.

+ another 1

John....its great

Wayne

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The Balkans
https://new.horizonsunlimited.com/poi_entity/8417

John - I'm very pleased your happy in crowed Europe.

Leaves more of the world for the rest of us. And yes I've been to Europe, thanks. Got robbed there .. twice. Been assaulted a few miles from my home too. Never had any of that in Asia. I've a lot more of the world to see. Preferably dry and warm rather than damp and cool.

Hmmm, "Limited Horizons"? What a great name for a website, not!

When I fill up my bike's fuel tank I do it myself. To pay, be it in Europe or beyond, I either pay by card at the pump or pay the cashier with a card or cash in the local currency. All just like at home. I also try to speak the local language. Simple.

It seems there are some blinkered people in the UK too. This is a (some might say?) humorous map taking the mick out of some insular Americans



Maybe we should draw one with the UK in the middle too?

I'll also move this thread to the Pub. I think it's a better place for it.

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Brighty's website: TheBrightStuffDotCom

CURRENT RR WITH REGULAR UPDATES: The Wife Takes on Chlamydia: A South American Retrospective

I just love the way you think, because your idea is different from mine, your's is right and I'm wrong. As for the American map. That's an old standing joke. Simpler to the statement. America goes to war to teach their people geography. If you talk to American's about why some of them never travel out side the US. The answer is, because there is so much to see in their country why travel abroad. I can kind of see that. As it would take next to a life time to visit just about half of what America has to offer. Same with Europe. Or the other side of travel. Ten day trip to see Europe. Land in London. Fly to Paris, then Rome. With a few other places. Home to the states. To them they have seen Europe in ten day's. It's each to there own. I like the way I do thing's you like the way you travel. Neither is right or wrong.
John933

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To buy petrol in Europe. Pull up at station. Wait. Get out a 20 Euro note, then ask someone to fill up the bike. Give person money. Ride away. Simple.

Where exactly did I say I was right and you're wrong?

I suggested you were blinkered in your strange views and posting them on a website catering for vehicle travellers from all over the world is pretty weird. But hay ho, each to their own.

FWIW I've only been (attempted: I persuaded him it was better for his health to go home) mugged in Bristol (in the UK) and robbed/burgled in West Yorkshire (UK). No problems ever abroad, even in "dangerous" places outside Yurop.

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Brighty's website: TheBrightStuffDotCom

CURRENT RR WITH REGULAR UPDATES: The Wife Takes on Chlamydia: A South American Retrospective

My parents thought almost exactly the same - "Why go to a place where your safety and any standard that you recognise is not in place". Except they thought it about Europe. Anywhere over the channel was corrupt, disease ridden and criminal. And no, I'm not making this up for effect; they never went on a package tour or any other holiday out of the UK - the only exception was Ireland where we had relatives.

And it wasn't just them. When I started Euro travelling in the late 60's it was to dire warnings from many people that I would be mugged (except we didn't use that word back then), catch a fatal illness or die in a traffic accident as the "foreigners" couldn't drive. Leaving the UK was a one way journey. The arguments that went on over this you would not believe.

These days Europe is pretty much exactly the same place except somehow it seems less foreign - one currency, hardly any borders, the same EU regulations in Rotherham or Rome. All nice and easy - and that presumably is why you're happy to travel there. Very little culture shock. I doubt you'd have liked the 60's post war Europe.

The parts of Africa and the far east I've visited get much the same reaction now as Europe used to. Don't go there it's "War, pestilence and corruption. Not to say about crime, high way robbery, and crappy road's."
And there's about as much truth in it. Which is to say - a bit. If you're interested in cultural differences then go to these places with the same amount of caution as you'd exercise in Europe. I've never been gassed overnighting in a French Aire and I've not been robbed overnighting in a Senegalese field. But I have seen acts of kindness to the impoverished that would have got the police involved in the UK. We are not the top of the lifestyle tree despite what we may like to think. The rest of the world by and large (warzones excepted) isn't so much dangerous as different. That's the whole point of going there.

If familiarity breeds contempt these days then ignorance must have a similar relationship with fear, loathing and worry - much of which vanishes as soon as you experience what somewhere is like. It really isn't that bad a world out there.

OK... I posted that because I believed it. The other thing is I'm knocking on the door of being seventy. So at my age I'm looking for a soft life with a bit of travel. The post was started to advise prospective travellers that are talking about round the world, or round Africa as the first trip out. To look at Europe as a starter for 10. And I put my reason why. After saying that, I would like to travel the States before I hang my boot's up. On my own or with someone, I have no idea.


I did try a few year's back posting along the line's of a bike swop. Get over the problem of a bike hire or getting mine over there and back. The same with someone from the States. The best of all possibilities would be. Some one who want to tour for say two three month. Fly over use one of my bike's and all the kit. I'll travel with them round Europe. And they do the same for me. Kind of like a buddy system. Any way that's wish full thinking.
John933

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To buy petrol in Europe. Pull up at station. Wait. Get out a 20 Euro note, then ask someone to fill up the bike. Give person money. Ride away. Simple.