Dakar thru Asia

1st May 2004

Just a progress story on my trip to Asia.
One the first fateful Saturday of May 2004, Doris (that’s my bike’s nickname) left Brisbane on a Ulyssian epic that would take us up to 12 months to who knows what adventures and exotic places we would encounter.

12/5/04

TOTAL 690 k’s

I left Newcastle on a crisp Autumn morning, the southerly wind was building up the ocean and the sea breeze was blowing in storm clouds.

Saying farewell to my parents and kids, I headed off West along the New England Highway, basically the same way that I had come down the week before. Anyone visiting this area, known as the Hunter Valley, should take time out t visit the vineyards, some of the best in Australia.

DARWIN TO BRUNEI - 1/6/04

Well after 5099k's, 54 hrs & 16 mins. in the saddle and a max. speed of 140km/hr, with a moving average of 94km/hr. (Isn't technology wonderful!). I can finally put the GARMIN 60C GPS away until Singapore.

ON TO K.L. (WELL ALMOST) - 14/06/04

I had all the intensions of leaving for K.L. from Malacca on sunday, but unexpectantly the German Bikers I met in Darwin turned up on Saturday afternoon. So to catch up on our experiences since Darwin, I decided to stay another night.
Well, they reinforced the very same problem I had about Singapore, Being German, I thought they would take it in their renowned logical way, noway, they got as frustrated as me.

ON TO HATYAI - THAILAND - 19/06/2004After fueling up in PINANG, 95 octane, does't that make your engine purr! I t was off the island via the bridge, definitely not the ferry, I decided to make my way to the border by the expressway, no more bloody trucks on the artery roads. Alittle over 2 hours and 140k's of uneventful riding I approach the Malay border, full of apprehension at what problems I will encounter, I entered the customs and police check points, with a big smile of course!

ON THE ROAD TO TRANG 21/06/04I left HATYAI with the usual protein breakfast of fried eggs and bacon for $3A, including tea and toast of course. through the hectic traffic of the city and onto Highway 4. Ashort detour after 13k and I have morning tea at a beautiful system of waterfalls at TONE NGA CHANG, well worth the 15k trip in and out.

I am riding along CHAWANG Beach in shorts and sandles, when a German guy rides past shouting out "were is your helmet", I thought "bloody cheeky bastard" and give him the finger.....Singapore to Koh Samui, total distance 2240km, and if you want to travel non stop it will take you around 33 hrs. Well thats what my GPS says!

I caught the vehicle ferry from DON SAK on the main land, about 70k east of SURAT THANI, it cost 90b and takes about 1.5 hra to THONG YANG on the west coast of SAMUI.

Dave 2 seemed to have a sign on his bike, saying “HIT ME!” as he not only disappeared into the biggest pot hole on the trip, trucks, bikes and the occasional animal, including a dog and a cow were all near misses, I got off relatively lightly with the chook, decapitated by my spokes.

23/7/04
Leaving KAMPHAENG PHET, a historically listed town on the World Heritage List, noted for its fine example of an unrestored walled city and temple. I crossed the river Ping and again joined Highway No1 to CHIANG MAI, around 360k north.

you may encounter the odd elephant and as you idle up to this great king of beasts and pat him on the trunk and say “hello”, look into his eyes and wonder what he is thinking, maybe “piss off and leave me alone or I will throw you and your noisy motorbike into the bush,” or “what a nice bloke, where’s the banana?”. I prefer the latter.
After our ride to the Golden Triangle the previous week, DORIS (my F650 DAKAR) was booked into Joe’s for new tyres and an oil change and a general going over.

On arrival at the ferry landing, we were promptly told by the head ferry person, a big Thai woman, commanding a lot of respect, that there was no vehicular ferry at 3 o’clock, so I had only one choice, wait till tomorrow, or take an open boat, the size of an Aussy surf boat across the swollen Mekong River, with Doris, my bike on board, for 500b.

QUOTE FROM A LAO SAFETY PAMPHLET
"Driving in Laos is risky, mainly in urban areas. Lao people are driving by inspiration and with the assistance of Bouddha…. The road code is existing, but not really respected by the Lao people. So be careful and especially with motorbikes. The insurance civil responsibility is a necessity in Laos.”

I once again have to tend to Doris and my equipment, as the constant rain and bad LAO roads have taken their toll. I am glad I am riding a duel purpose bike; a big roadie would not have survived it.
First of all the standard battery in the Dakar is up the shit, it is a standard type, which in the tropics, just looses water through evaporation, VERY RAPIDLY! At least every 2 weeks in these conditions.

Can you image 2 dugout canoes tied together with timber floor boards, about 6ft by 8ft wide? That is what was offered to us to transport our motorcycles to this remote island in the middle of the Mekong.
At first I refused to put my bike in unnecessary danger, but after watching D1successfully ride up a 6”x2” plank from the rivers edge I decided, what the hell, I’m getting too soft, and I don’t want to let the Aussy side down do I!

I come to grief twice on these lousy roads, the first, I had to totally strip DORIS and walk her over a creek, 2m above the rice paddies, then pay the resident local elder 100b as a donation.
The second was more serious, as I was navigating this road from hell, when I was confronted with a washed out bridge, over a rice canal, with about a 2m drop to the water, I gave DORIS a gut full of juice, the front wheel followed a 12’ Diameter log, but the back end lost traction, and ended up between 2 logs, with the immediate result of an instant brake.

For all you bikers that are old enough to remember a Clint Eastwood movie, called “ANY WHICH WAY, BUT LOOSE”. The totally bizarre happened.

The immigration is as chaotic as any Asian port, with all the Europeans singled out and made to pay the $25US for a 4 week visa.

Another rider then come out on my left, braked and run into my left Pannier, then pissed off, I caught up with him, pulled along side and give him a thick ear for his trouble, the last incident occurred when I was in such a shit fight of a traffic jam, that I seen a gap and gunned it, some guy coming from the opposite direction, tried to cut across me, he braked, and my right pannier ripped off his front mud guard. I just kept going.

I took 6 days to get to Brisbane, nursing Doris all the way, total distance, 3437k, max speed 130k/h, moving average 100k/h. The tyres I replaced in Chaing Mai, 12,000k have seen better days as have the brake pads. Interestingly the chain and sprocket set I purchased from the Aussy company “Chain Gang”, and had installed at the same time, come through with flying colours, not needing any adjustment, despite the hammering Indonesia gave the bike.