I’ve just finished mowing the lawn and Liz is cooking tea. How quickly social conformity takes hold once again it seems. On the surface anyone looking at us would think life has always been like this for us, but they’d be wrong. For two hand a half years we’ve had the time of our lives, experiences we will never be able to share or explain to anyone, even those people closest to us. To say we lived life to the full would be a huge understatement; we lived a lifetime every day and came to know ourselves and each other like never before.

I’ve just finished mowing the lawn and Liz is cooking tea. How quickly social conformity takes hold once again it seems. On the surface anyone looking at us would think life has always been like this for us, but they’d be wrong. For two hand a half years we’ve had the time of our lives, experiences we will never be able to share or explain to anyone, even those people closest to us. To say we lived life to the full would be a huge understatement; we lived a lifetime every day and came to know ourselves and each other like never before.

There are the inevitable high and low-lights and there’s far too many to mention but a few of the “must mentions” are………….
Helping to save the lives of 2 manatees.
Looking after a bunch of out-of-control orphans in Belize have the time of their lives because we could be as mad as they were.
Riding the Copper Canyon of Mexico and living with the Taramahara Indians and drug cartels.
Sailing from Panama to Colombia on a little boat where the sea is warm and the storms are frightening.
Getting lost in a forest 15 times the size of the UK in Canada.
Crossing the Southwest loop of Bolivia and living to tell the tale.
Riding into the Darien Gap and living to tell the tale (again)
Going blind in Mexico and seeing again.
Swimming with turtles in Mexico.
Everything Galapagos Islands.
The people of Colombia; the friendliest in the world.
Reaching the real end of the world south of Ushuaia.
The steak and bums of Argentina.
3,600 miles of dirt roads in Peru.
Being mugged for 2 hot dogs.
Settling disputes in Bolivia the way men do in a world where it makes sense.
The 7W road of Guatemala, like no other.
Discovering you can live through a scorpion sting in Costa Rica, and another, and another, and another.
Flying kites in Colombia.
Colombia
Colombia

The trip of a lifetime is over for the moment but we don’t look back on the end of this trip through sad eyes, or even as the end. People say to us. ”It’s going to be so hard for you when you get back to the UK” or “How will you ever go back to a normal life”. etc, etc. etc. The questions imply that we should have some regrets about the trip being over but we don’t. We made a dream come true for ourselves and it’s impossible to regret that. Life was good, it’s still good and if we keep on dreaming it will continue to be good. We have our plans and now we have the experience to know that if you want something enough you can make it happen. So much of that has been with the help of other people though, like Julia and Kevin who we now live with for the moment.

We didn’t really know them before the trip began but as double Guinness World Record holders we knew who they were. (Record for circumnavigating around the world in the fastest time (19 days) and riding the length of the Americas in the fastest time (34 days). They were passing through Cusco in Peru while we were there and, well, we got drunk together and went our separate ways again. A couple of months later we got an email with the title of “Hi” and the next thing we knew we were leading a tour for their company (GlobeBusters) through Argentina, Bolivia, Peru and Chile. That’s what life on the road does for you. Sooner or later fortune will come your way, and it did (again). We didn’t know if we would love or hate leading 7 English/Irish bikers around South America but we took the chance, just as Julia and Kevin were taking a chance on us but at the end of the day we loved it. The group made our life easy as they were all great people and to our surprise they loved South America for the same reasons we do. We were wrong in thinking they would just want to get their knee down on every bend, get pissed and do the same the next day. Oh yes, we had days like that (and I was the worst it seems) but there were the days where we pottered along in second gear with a bunch of bikers dragging their jaws on the ground as they took in the scenery, watched people watching them and tried to come to terms with where they were. It seemed they weren’t so different from us after all. Watching a big sweaty biker moved to tears by the profound experience of where they find themselves and to know you played a part in making that happen is one of the most rewarding things we’ve ever done. For the low-down of the High Andes Tour go to ……………………………

So, now being back in the UK having left Argentina for the last time and being accused of smuggling for having 2 bikes in my name illegally and both bikes only inches away from a crusher (whole different story) what has life got in store for us. Well, no sooner had we returned to the UK than we rode off through France, Belgium, Austria and Germany to work at the Garmisch International BMW Bike Show for a few days before returning to Swansea, Wales to move in with Julia and Kevin. I’ve been asked to become an instructor for BMW Rider Training (having ridden a Honda for two and a half years) and Liz will be a consultant for Green Leopard (motorcycle hearing protection) if things go to plan. We’ll also be leading a part of or all of the next tour for GlobeBusters from Alaska to Ushuaia next year. That’s how we’ll be putting food in our mouths and saving some money again but we have bigger plans still. Other trips and ambitions which will one day be a reality. Cooking tea and mowing lawns for now yes, but not forever. We’ve learnt so much in the last few years and one thing we’ve learnt is to make the most of NOW but look to the future for one day it will be now. Liz likes cooking and mowing the lawn is quite therapeutic I find. Yep, life is still good. But have you seen the price of bloody petrol………. WHAT!!!!!!!!!!

Finally, there is no question that we owe so many people our great debt, admiration and a hell of a lot of beer. There’s no way we could ever mention them all but if you suspect you are one of those people then you probably are. You can rest assured that we think of you often with big smiles on our faces, but to name just a few………………..

Ricardo……… the Ambassador of motorcycling in South America and oh, how I want your workshop.
Arturo………..A day in Chihuahua and a lifetime of memories. A truer gentleman we never met.
Chris & Denis………3 days that turned into 3 weeks. We laughed so much it still hurts!
Rauol………….. For convincing an entire town I was Austin Powers.
Mark………. For stalking us all the way through Death Valley.
Jeff and Yahira……….. For the best bar in Cusco and far too many pisco sours on the house, a new suit and tires.
Ernie……….for building a bike that survived us.
Bob & Jules…………..for being wonderful parents!
Howie…………. For friendship and knowing what life’s about.
Ian Coats……….. for showing a young lad how to change a bloody tire.
Coco……….. one leg, one sock and one hell of a guy. Liz misses her knickers by the way!
Larry………… for doing what no British bike shop could do and getting us back on the road when it all went to shit on day 3.
Leigh & Gina……….. for having plenty of toilet roll in Baja.
The WildTracks girls…………. We love you all.
Horst & Criggy………… for having no Spanish whatsoever and being the worst card players in the world. You owe us money and beer.
Martin & Silvia ………..for friendship, adventure, good food, conversation and laughter
Ewe & Ramona…………… for your maps and the jar of wasps.
Dereck…………. For your friendship and staying alive despite best efforts.
Alex………… for not putting your tent next to ours and the bend at Kuelap.
And the list goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on.