Wrinklies Wround the World 2006-2007

Welcome to the journal of our Gap Year - at 60 years of age (hence the title). We are travelling on a BMW 1150 GS.Welcome to the journal of our Gap Year - at 60 years of age (hence the title). We are travelling on a BMW 1150 GS.

Some people think we are unique but we think that's a posh term for "slightly nuts."

A little background for you. Colin is a semi-retired clock maker and I am a retired nurse. We live in the west country of England.

What the weather threw at us !Left UK 3rd march and landed in Cherbourg after a good crossing. Within an hour the weather had deteriated to snow showers. We made it to Tours, France and then it started as a blizzard for the whole of the next day.-
We stayed put in the hotel and slept, read and ate for 2 days and it probably did us a world of good to have a complete rest. It had been a hectic build up to the leave.

We went to Pompeii- and it was shut!- and so to Greece and unknown territory.Left Pisa 13/03/06 to Tarquinia which is a medi-evil walled city. Very windy- this is called 'The Montana' and lasts either 1 or 3 days. It was day 2 when we got there. Normally I am not keen on high winds on the back of the Bike but she felt very stable and comfortable.

Colin has been very pleased with the very last 'mod' that he did before leaving UK. That was to fit handle bar muffs. They have been very succesful. I'm OK with the heated jacket and gloves.

Left Thessolonýka 21/3/06 for Alexandroupolý. The 2 hour týme dýfference and seeýng a road sýgn for Yugoslavýa and Bulgarýa brýgs home how far we are away- but ýt does,nt seem very long sýnce we started.

The shops are stýll open at 9pm and the chýldren out wýth theýr parents. There ýs no graffýttý and everywhere ýs clean. Concrete houses of 2 storeys each wýth verandas.

High winds
Who lost the intercom lead
Total eclipse of the sunWe entered turkey on 22 march hav1ng driven past the 50 lorries wa1ting to cross the border. We had to buy vusas for 20 euro and insurance for 17 euro because despite what the RAC and insurance compan1es say - you still need the Green card.
The crossing took 2 hours and the Customs were more 1nterested in the bike ane where we were going than looking for controband.

An amazing country.....Cappodoc1a was a surreal place . The underground c1ty was l1ke Swiss cheese w1th a maize of tunnels interconnecting. Very claustrophobic- as it went down 40 metres. The columns of tuffa that have been formed from the lava rock are amazing with the biggest phallyx symbols in the world. In the early morning there must have been at least 10 hot air balloons over the area. Apparantly it is one of the best places to do this (expensive ).

Roads- what roads!We ended up staying inDiyarbikir for 2 days due to the weather. managed to have a look around but did not walk the city walls , (whých are the second býggest after the Great Wall of China) due to the warnings that you may be robbed.-- Discretion was the better part of valour. There are huge underground shopping malls here.

Petrol cheaper than waterWe waved byebye to Mount Arrarat, the mountain guide who had 14 children ( and had promised his mother to have 20 !) and 3 English lads who were cycling from London to Bejing.
The hip flask was drained and a book swap managed ( very important ).
We changed money to Rials and ,for once in our life were millionaires, as there are 16000 rials to 1GBP.

Colin went into the Iran weather on the Net and was very impressed- as you can get the weather for the actual piece of road you are travelling.

Remember to drive on the right ! (or left, or central )

Came to the desert -- and it rained !. 20th april and Taftan. 100 yards down the road there is one hotel here- the Pakistan tourist.(1.41 GBP !)were glad to see it - it wasa bed and out of the dust storm that was blowing., we were covered in a fine layer of white film.
As we entered there was a film crew there filming some musicians and they advised us not to go our intended route of Lorreli and DG Khan as this was terrorist area but to go through the Bolan pass and Sibi, as it was safer ( but hotter ).

Bam- a devastated city.

We come to india and they have a heatwave !30th April and exited Pakistan where the crossing was very efficient and on to the Indian border control-( who go to lunch between 1pm and 1.30pm)-- so we had our picnic too--much to everyone's amusement.
We the only europeans there and and very few others crossing either. The bike was scrutenised here and the luggage checked before the Carnet was stamped.
We gained 1/2 hour and are now 4 1/2 hours ahead of UK.

Interviewed by the press !
Heat exhaustion in Delhi Back to Chandrighar on 6th May where we were due to arrange the air freight of the bike and us to Bangkok, Thailand.

We landed in Oz on 13th May and 12 days later the bike was cleared of Customs and Quarantine. We had arranged for an Agent to do all the necessary dealings with them and the total bill came to 615GB , which was money well spent as far as we were concerned.

Colin and Judy's house is absoltely idyllic- set in 6 acres of woodland and is virtually like having your own nature reserve. The kangaroos will come up to the edge of the decking to feed nightly and when you drive down the gravel road to get to the house, you must look out for them on the side. The swimming pool is in the front and at the back is the wide river where you can walk along the shore.