Just riding around...

We've been on the road for nearly one and a half years now which obviously makes us experienced "overland motorcycle adventurers". We're no longer "wanna-be's" or the people who need to ask the questions of the inexperienced. We've been there and done it all! So, here we are in Guatemala riding to Antigua on tires that are once again bald and in need of replacement. Every mile counts. We ride into a lovely town as we get closer to Antigua, the streets are cobbled and the builldings are Colonial and unmolested.

501 days on the road is a long time by anyones standards. Does it feel like we've been traveling for that long? In some ways yes, in others no. When we look at the bumps and bruises on the bike or the huge number of photos we've taken we know we've been on the road 501 days. At other times we wonder where the time has gone. Have we really been in Central America for 6 months and ridden over 36,000 miles. Its nearly a year since we were in Canada but it seems like yesterday.

Somehow life on the road just keeps on getting better. In our last update we said that we were craving a little adventure. Well, since then we've certainly been having adventure! Panama began for us with endless discussions of entering the Darien or not. The Darien is a pretty impenetrable jungle steeped in legend, myth and ruled by Columbian guerillas in the border area. Guerilla activity varies almost on a week by week basis but they are always around.

When the subject of Colombia comes up its all too easy to talk of
guerrillas, kidnappings and danger. Yes, Colombia has all that but there's another side to the country, a side that never seems to be given the justice it deserves. Without a doubt Colombia is the friendliest country we have ever had the pleasure of traveling through. With one exception we received nothing but hospitality and friendliness.

We came to Ecuador with 3 things on our minds - To meet our good friend Ricardo Rocco, rebuild the bike after 19 months of rough roads and rough riding and to go to the Galapagos Islands. We have seen very little of Ecuador so far as we rode straight to Quito to meet Ricardo. Ricardo is known as the South American Ambassador for motorcycling with just cause. His life is Motorcycling and anyone who passes this way generally stays with him. When he's not traveling himself he spends his time doing whatever he can to smooth the way for people like us.

We left the South American Ambassador for Motorcycle Travelers two weeks after returning from the Galapagos Islands having undertaken 52 separate repair and overhaul jobs on the bike. Ricardo Rocco is a friend we shall remember dearly and think of whenever Ecuador comes to mind. With a seemingly new bike we rode off through the Andes for the Quinoloa Loop. A 200 mile loop of dirt roads meandering through the extinct volcanoes and indian villages of the Andes. Ricardo had told us that this was one of his favorite rides so, for us it wasn't to be missed.

Peru, Llama Land. Its a country which conjures so many images, Inca ruins, snow capped mountains, rich indian cultures, and of course the llamas. Everyone thinks of the same things when thinking of Peru and we're no exception. However, we've added a few extra images to our list since we've been here. Robberies, terrifying mountain roads, freezing nights and insane bike chasing dogs. There's no question that we love Peru but either we've made it hard for ourselves or its just hard full stop.

A sand storm is just beginning, we're at 5,000 metres and still hundreds of miles from any settlements. The sun is dropping behind the mountains and the temperature will soon be below freezing and will continue to fall until the sun rises again in the morning. We've just come off the bike and petrol is pouring out of the hole in the tank where the tool box has just gone through. Once again we've made it tough on ourselves!A sand storm is just beginning, we're at 5,000 metres and still hundreds of miles from any settlements.

It was a long and cold ride across Tierra del Fuego to Ushuaia all in one day but upon reaching Rio Pipo campground it was like coming home. We pulled up at the gate to be greeted by old friends. Alec, Martin and Katya, Martin and Siliva and others. Hugs and warm welcomes were exchanged as we tried unsuccessfully to get of the bike with sore backsides. It was the 23rd of December and despite the best efforts of fate we’d bloody made it!

Christmas is long gone, as are the chills of Tierra del Fuego and for the first time in 2 years the compass is reading due North. In less than a month Tierra del Fuego was over 4000 miles behind us and we were back in the North of Argentina fighting off the mosquitoes again. These last 4000 miles had been an odd mix between enduring howling winds, the boredom of endlessly straight roads and the enjoyment of experiencing a vastness of flat landscape like nothing we’ve ever seen before.

Well once again we find ourselves diverting from our own personal travels to work for a while. Although this time it does involve motorbikes. We are well into ur first tour as guides for Globebusters and already lots of adventures and new friends. I am not going to repeat it all here but provide a link to the site for our Travellers tales.
Hope you enjoy the stories. The site is updated every few days so keep looking for the next installment.

Just click below and look for the Tales from the Road section.

High Andes Tour

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.