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-   -   Need objective advise on my around the world journey 2020 (https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/the-hubb-pub/need-objective-advise-my-around-99181)

sushi2831 17 Aug 2019 10:37

Hello


Official sites about security are not usefull, to overprotective, read here in the hubb where and when someone travelled the "critical" countries.
Those countries are usually hard to get into, to get a visa.
Same goes for automobile clubs for infos about the CDP.


For the shipping I've linked the database from the hubb.
https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/get-ready/shipping
But at the moment it is broken, so only few a result:
"Please NOTE: Due to a Google change in the API, the system is partly broken - you can ONLY search Continent to Continent! We will get it fixed as soon as we can but it is a big deal. :( "


There are many infos about the weather/clima of the countries around.
For motorbikes it's winter and rainseason that can close roads, heat is just unconfortable.
Have a look at websites/blogs when they travelled and how fast.


What is your planned travel time/duration for your RTW?


sushi

Homers GSA 17 Aug 2019 13:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by vagabond2020 (Post 603390)
Hey man, I appreciate the reply, I agree it's about what we can handle, I am taking the same approach, I am going to go 100% while I have the youth and vitality.



Have a great trip


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

vagabond2020 17 Aug 2019 15:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by markharf (Post 603391)
Couple of quick points: You’re going way overboard on your security concerns. The US State Department may have access to certain forms of information, but their ground personnel are largely ninnies who are forbidden to leave their precious safe zones. There are better sources of “security” information, including these forums. Note that the above holds true for all levels of skittishness about foreign travel.

Second, I’ve never heard of anyone shipping from Brazil to Morocco. I’d be inclined to doubt that it’s practical—or even possible—whether by air or sea. Of course, I haven’t looked into it and you’re welcome to prove me wrong.

And sure, you can fly into various cities and rent local transport, but that’s going to be unpleasant, inefficient, ridiculously expensive, and wholly unsatisfying. You’ve already said you don’t like cities; now you’re going to see an entire continent by flying into major cities, then trying to find vehicles to rent, making your torturous way out into the countryside(s), then back again? Yuck.

I’m pretty sure you didn’t find this stuff on The HUBB or ADVrider, and I’m positive it’s not based in any Chris Scott book. Guess it’s time for me to step out of this discussion and let it go wherever it goes.

And again: hope that’s helpful.

Mark


I agree with you on the security issue being overblown, for the most part, you have to understand because of my professional background I am trained to always analyze my environment from a tactical perspective when I went into a country it was survival. I have seen people ripped to pieces from RPGs, small arms fire, and have had people in general commands around me kidnapped and tortured/murdered. I am hoping through my travels that my defensive mechanisms to violence and humanity will be weakened and I can see the world from the outside of an indoctrinated political ideology that is not so purely tactical or political in nature. I think it is easy for the general population to speak about conscious constructs such as peace and to view everyone or everything in a holistic perspective of cohabitating. Unfortunately, I have viscerally experienced the worst of our unconscious biological mechanisms of humanity and when those conscious constructs of humanity we use to cohabitate are deconstructed and all that is left is survival. You can not just release these defensive mechanisms from your mind once you experience them, you just lessen the responses so they are less acute. So if you never experienced that you will not appreciate the threats that exist out there until you see your own blood or someone else's as a subsequent response from those actions of survival. So when I start my planning process, my training and my experiences drive my conscious actions towards certain paths of those processes. Again my goal is to break away from this and to get on the ground objective opinions from people who have experienced large parts of the world themselves to prove me wrong hopefully so I can grow past what I hope are false barriers towards me connecting to something beyond my own ideology and mechanisms.

You are right on the State Department, they put their political barriers to what they asses as threats, these are sometimes very subjective in nature towards what is a threat. There may be threats to them because they are a target of political ideology, but towards the average drifter, they are probably not, because we are disconnected from that ideology.

On the shipping from Brazil to Morroco, I was doing research on that last night, I saw a few random threads on it, I don't know if it's possible either. Again I am putting information out there to be proved wrong or to steer me in the right direction towards my planning process.

You are right once you put it in perspective about renting a vehicle and flying to specific countries, now that I imagine that it seems quite arduous.

Finally, I understand your perspective or why you may seem disenchanted with some of my ignorance on certain subject matters and I understand. However, I do not have willful ignorance or a desire to stay ignorant in certain perspectives. That is why I am on here, I am checking factually what is true and not and I understand I need to alter my perception to connect the world around me. I don't mind being wrong, I am not insecure. Part of the journey is discovering myself and the world I live in, I am no so ignorant to think the way I perceive reality is the epitome of perspective.

vagabond2020 17 Aug 2019 15:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by sushi2831 (Post 603395)
Hello


Official sites about security are not usefull, to overprotective, read here in the hubb where and when someone travelled the "critical" countries.
Those countries are usually hard to get into, to get a visa.
Same goes for automobile clubs for infos about the CDP.


For the shipping I've linked the database from the hubb.
https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/get-ready/shipping
But at the moment it is broken, so only few a result:
"Please NOTE: Due to a Google change in the API, the system is partly broken - you can ONLY search Continent to Continent! We will get it fixed as soon as we can but it is a big deal. :( "

There are many infos about the weather/clima of the countries around.
For motorbikes it's winter and rainseason that can close roads, heat is just unconfortable.
Have a look at websites/blogs when they travelled and how fast.


What is your planned travel time/duration for your RTW?


sushi



Sushi,

Thanks for the reply.

Again you are echoing what Mark on this thread was speaking upon. I agree that security threats can be overblown. I am personally working on lowering my defensive mechanisms from my professional career and looking at the world outside a political or tactical ideology. My goal in my journeys to reconnect to the world from outside those perspectives and defensive mechanisms I have acquired.

Thank for you the link on shipping.

I don't have a set duration for my journey, I am single with no kids, little family, and on a retirement pension. I have unlimited flexibility in my travels, I want the world to be my oyster and to just explore it all. If it takes 2 years great if it takes 7 great too.

vagabond2020 17 Aug 2019 20:41

1 Attachment(s)
[QUOTE=sushi2831;603395]Hello


Official sites about security are not usefull, to overprotective, read here in the hubb where and when someone travelled the "critical" countries.
Those countries are usually hard to get into, to get a visa.
Same goes for automobile clubs for infos about the CDP.


For the shipping I've linked the database from the hubb.
https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/get-ready/shipping
But at the moment it is broken, so only few a result:
"Please NOTE: Due to a Google change in the API, the system is partly broken - you can ONLY search Continent to Continent! We will get it fixed as soon as we can but it is a big deal. :( "


Sushi,

I looked into that link you sent me from hubb. It appears there are few options from South America into Africa, one is indeed from Brazil.

Homers GSA 17 Aug 2019 23:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by vagabond2020 (Post 603390)
Hey man, I appreciate the reply, I agree it's about what we can handle, I am taking the same approach, I am going to go 100% while I have the youth and vitality.



Actually I meant as a shakedown before you go.

I found I dumped a fair bit of gear from my kit.

Just for a laugh - when two of Australia’s main explorers went off to find their way nth thorough the bush they took a Chinese gong with them to announce meal time.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

vagabond2020 18 Aug 2019 01:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Homers GSA (Post 603413)
Actually I meant as a shakedown before you go.

I found I dumped a fair bit of gear from my kit.

Just for a laugh - when two of Australia’s main explorers went off to find their way nth thorough the bush they took a Chinese gong with them to announce meal time.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for the response, I agree with you 100%. I thought about that, I plan on doing some short overnight trips a few hours a few every other weekend for a few months before I leave to do my final adjustments on the bike. Less gear I carry to facilitate my journey the better!

A Chinese going? Man that is comical!

7800 18 Aug 2019 10:38

Hi Vagabond

Forgive me if I speak out of turn but if you are trying to deconstruct yourself, for want of a better phrase. Why not start somewhere less intimidating than South America or Africa. Might it not be easier to start with a trip to the port in America as a way of testing your gear and set up. Then ship to Europe for the summer and work your way round. I started a trip round the world once with a ticket to Bangkok and made the rest up as I went. There are so many options from Europe and making it up as you go might help. Take a rough idea of the thing that you want to see and work around them.

vagabond2020 18 Aug 2019 16:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by 7800 (Post 603424)
Hi Vagabond

Forgive me if I speak out of turn but if you are trying to deconstruct yourself, for want of a better phrase. Why not start somewhere less intimidating than South America or Africa. Might it not be easier to start with a trip to the port in America as a way of testing your gear and set up. Then ship to Europe for the summer and work your way around. I started a trip around the world once with a ticket to Bangkok and made the rest up as I went. There are so many options from Europe and making it up as you go might help. Take a rough idea of the thing that you want to see and work around them.

No please speak out of turn, I want the objective criticism.

I thought about what you said this morning and I will already have environmental stressors compounding the inherent baseline of my mind as it is, I think getting use to the bike and doing shakedowns here in the U.S and having the European leg would make more sense. I could basically venture into the rest of the world on a path that naturally creates itself as I travel, but I would be starting out in more permissible and lower skill region to begin in.

Even if I start late into Europe August/September 2020 as I have currently planned for my timeframe, I could still conceivably ride into October for a few months with the weather, probably get back into it around March/April and go all through Europe and after having that experience I could segway into a more challenging Asia region. I would like if I ship the bike to Spain to hop down and see Morroco before heading into the rest of Europe though, I always wanted to ride through Morroco.

What do you think about that?

7800 18 Aug 2019 18:18

Sounds like a good base for a plan and the weather in northern Europe is good in August(most of the time). Your plans might change 100 times the more ride reports you read. The planning is all part of the trip enjoy it :thumbup1:

vagabond2020 19 Aug 2019 01:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by 7800 (Post 603431)
Sounds like a good base for a plan and the weather in northern Europe is good in August(most of the time). Your plans might change 100 times the more ride reports you read. The planning is all part of the trip enjoy it :thumbup1:


At this point, my first departure date for 2020 is going to be Aug-Sept definitively. It will give me a few months in Spain, Portugal, Morroco, and beyond into Western Europe. I can come back regroup after lessons learned and from getting my feet wet, then when March/April rolls around it will start warming up and I can go for 6-7 months into Europe and so onto into Asia as I will be in the optimum season. The further I go I will become more seasoned in my craft and I can use that in more challenging regions. I agree that the planning and this whole process is part of the joy for me.

Now that I am pegging down a macro framework of my plan and have the bike, the details of the variables will shift as it all comes together, I agree.

Jay_Benson 19 Aug 2019 09:50

My trip that is in the initial planning stage at the moment has me going to Egypt via various countries including Iran. The only legal problem that I know of is getting through Iran as a British citizen - I can go there but I would need a guide - who I would have to pay for including accomodation etc. The same is true of American (and Canadian?) citizens.

I have managed to avoid this situation because I have Irish citizenship as well and will travel on an Irish passport. I was wondering - are you able to do the same? It may make access to some countries easier.

7800 19 Aug 2019 10:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jay_Benson (Post 603447)
My trip that is in the initial planning stage at the moment has me going to Egypt via various countries including Iran. The only legal problem that I know of is getting through Iran as a British citizen - I can go there but I would need a guide - who I would have to pay for including accomodation etc. The same is true of American (and Canadian?) citizens.

I have managed to avoid this situation because I have Irish citizenship as well and will travel on an Irish passport. I was wondering - are you able to do the same? It may make access to some countries easier.

If you go by oil tanker at the moment you might have a good chance of getting into Iran I think that the accommodation could be free as well :rofl:

vagabond2020 19 Aug 2019 18:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jay_Benson (Post 603447)
My trip that is in the initial planning stage at the moment has me going to Egypt via various countries including Iran. The only legal problem that I know of is getting through Iran as a British citizen - I can go there but I would need a guide - who I would have to pay for including accomodation etc. The same is true of American (and Canadian?) citizens.

I have managed to avoid this situation because I have Irish citizenship as well and will travel on an Irish passport. I was wondering - are you able to do the same? It may make access to some countries easier.

My issue is getting past my indoctrinated security perspective of the world to not over-analyze threats due to my past professional career. I’m looking past the State Department warnings for a lot of places, you mentioned Egypt that sounds lovely, I want to go there too.

I will say countries like Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, etc I have been to some in my career I’m not sure I would go there outside a professional dynamic without asset support. I understand the people as a whole are wholesome enough and not a direct threat, but the political ideology of the governing body is radical. Since we are not affiliated with our nations political ideologies professionally currently (I’m assuming for you too) you think you will be treated as just another “tourist”. I wouldn’t be so quick to make that assumption, you are still a representative of your nation and it’s ideology. It makes for a great propaganda opportunity for the small percentage of the radical ideology of the population of that nation to potentially make an example of a wandering tourist that’s part of a nation that directly opposes their interest.

9/10 you could probably go through checkpoints and various gateways throughout these countries and be fine, I’m worried about that 10% chance. I know from experience from my past work in more under undeveloped countries the corruption is beyond belief. A lot of government officials are directly interconnected with the very “insurgent” forces they oppose. It takes one of those local national military or police force checkpoints to tip-off on a vulnerable and isolated tourist to make an example of you to further their ideology.

I’m going to complete my around the world and take the calculated risk, that’s part of the experience if my return on investment is there for my risk. I don’t personally see the ROI on putting yourself in regions that are historically known to be high threat areas comparatively to the rest of the world. The travel would have to be incredible to take that risk, if you determine that it is, then do it. Personally, the most beautiful country I have ever been to currently is Afghanistan so I see the appeal and challenge.

Jay_Benson 19 Aug 2019 22:20

My rationale for using the Irish passport is that it reduces the level of investment I need to make to visit a country that has a magnificent reputation in welcoming visitors at the “Joe Public” level and has some interesting, to me at least, architecture and history. If I were to travel on my British passport I would firstly have to pay to have a guide and be limited to where I were to stay - they get to choose the hotels, etc.

As you say whatever the reality of your political / religious beliefs you are likely to be viewed through a particular lens by host nations political infrastructure based on your nationality - hence choosing use the lower profile nationality as it is likely to lead to less formal contact with the powers that be.

There have been few, if any reports, of non-Iranian nationals getting hassle from Iranian authorities that I am aware of. Please note that I am aware of a couple of dual nationality British-Iranians that have fallen foul of the Iranian authorities and I do not make light of their plight (unlike the pillock that is currently the British Prime Minister who single handedly managed to double the prison sentence for a British-Iranian woman). The biggest problem is that Iran does not recognise the second nationality of a dual national and so does not allow consular visits etc.


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