Around the World - Life On A Bike

We are Ken & Carol Duval from Brisbane, Australia. In 1983 we met, Ken was the motorcyclist and Carol the traveller. We combined our passions and in 1985 rode around Australia and New Zealand for 9 months on a Honda CX650.

Our travels from England have covered many miles with our 1st port of call to our friends Hans and Monique in Holland, visitors to Aus some 7yrs ago. We made a promise to visit them should we ever be in Europe. A fun time seeing slides of their travels.Our travels from England have covered many miles with our 1st port of call to our friends Hans and Monique in Holland, visitors to Aus some 7yrs ago. We made a promise to visit them should we ever be in Europe. A fun time seeing slides of their travels.Then off to Germany following the Rhine.

Carol's brother Wayne here in Brisbane. Unfortunately, Carol and Ken got to France and blew a valve in the engine about 119km north of Paris. They have been waiting for parts to come from England which were suppose to be there last week. The bike parts from England did not arrive in France as of Monday evening French time. Carol and Ken telephoned us to say they are still stuck north of Paris. They will ring again Tuesday evening to let us know their progress. They told me that once they get the bike fixed they will head to the south of France and over to Tunisia.

Carol Duval's brother, Wayne Roberts here again. Our latest news on the Duval duo is that they now have the parts for the bike and it was being repaired (most likely finished now and they have headed off to the south of France). Ken and Carol were leaving Roye (where they have been stranded) on January 7th for an 8 hour trip to Marseille. From there they are booked on the ferry to Tunis on the 13th but hope to get the one on the 8th if possible. It is a 22 hour trip to Tunis. They plan approx.

We are back on the road again after dropping another exhaust valve about 115 kms north of Paris: 24hour Parts delivery from England took six days extra: Watched New Year on T.V. Wow!!! Presently in Tunis as our Moroccon leg had to be cancelled: Sorry Charlie: Spending a few extra days in Tunisia and Libya before heading to Cairo to catch the finish of the Dakar/Cairo Rally on the 23/1/00. Will be staying at the Camping ground The Motel Salma next to the Wissa Wassef Art Centre at Harrania south of Giza. Hope to meet Glynn & Jo and possibly Charlie there. Love Ken & Carol

Greetings from Cairo, Left Tunis and zigzagged our way south staying at cheap hotels rather than camping due to the cost and erratic weather. Over night ports included Kairouan, Tozeur, Douz and ben Guerdane. Saw plenty of Roman ruins dry salt lakes date palms camels goats sheep . People were very helpful and friendly despite the language barrier. Tunis/Libyan border crossing was O.K. once the Tunisians allowed us to leave..without a visas to Libya. This was done at the border. An exceptional case and not the norm. Libya was a shock with the litter problem, quite unbelievable.

As you know from our previous message our fifth gear has gone on holiday. We are trying to find out the problem without removing the box as there are no facilities in Cairo to execute the repairs. All the remaining gears are functioning OK. When fifth is engaged a rattle/grate sound occurs and the gear does not engage. The oil was changed and no metal was found on the magnetic plug. The bike has been ridden 2000kms in this condition with no apparent ill effects. The gear box has 1993 internals with the kick starter adapted.

News News News.. and it is all good. There is a BMW shop/mechanic in Cairo.. A long and lengthy process to hook up with this chap but suffice to say another traveller not a biker introduced us to him around 10.00pm last night. This morning we have a reconditioned gearbox fitted (with a kick start.....wow)

The news is all good so far. The best being we were able to obtain another gearbox in Cairo so we have our fifth gear back. Headed Sth west along the Oasis road enjoying the sun and the clean air . Great after the choking polution of Cairo. Reached Luxor in three days and played the tourist bit checking out the Valley of the Kings etc. Got ripped off by those ever present Egyptian hustlers. When you think you have a bargain!!!! Ha Ha. There is always someone cheaper. Luxor to Aswan was done under escort..

Firstly many thanks for everyones well wishes and replies to our Emails. Our trail through the remainder of Sudan was not without mishap and we now can verify that Africa has some of the worst roads to travel on in the world. Travelling east to Gedaref was paved and quite ok. Gedaref , we lost an hour in the morning dealing with a security check and another passport stamp. Khartoum office previously advised that no more was required until Gallabat. (They have a rubber stamp and stamp pad so they must use it.) Late departure meant more riding in the heat.

The beer is cold and the weather is hot in Nairobi. The journey south through the Ethiopian Lakes district was great after the dusty rough roads of the north. The potholes and dirty dusty detours made the riding interesting and our Swiss travelling companions in the Pajero kept pace with us to Lake Lagano, the only safe lake to swim. Our cooling splash in the murky waters left us refreshed but with a strange soapy feeling. The next stop at Moyale had us preparing for the Kenyan border crossing.

Leaving Nairobi after a week of R&R we headed to Thompson Falls north of Nakuru. The sole campers at this retreat in the mountains we enjoyed camping on grass and the sight of English style buildings in a well maintained garden. The Ugandan border crossing was uneventful with our visas being purchased on the spot for US$30.00 each. The Carnet allowed the bike in for no cost and procedures were completed in under an hour. Proceeding to Kampala saw a very potholed road road but the scenery more than compensated with the vegetation becoming lush green against a very red soil.

Crossing the border into Zimbabwe had its usual hiccups with the officials asking for US$ but unable to provide change. Carol walked to a money exchange but he was of little assistance. We were able to exchange for a little of the local currency to pay our way into the commercialized section of Vic Falls. A pleasant stay with Pres. Mugabe making his presence known when he held talks with the 'rebels' and the farmers about land rights issues. Heading to Bulawayo we arrived on Good Friday. No shops open for bike tyres so we set up camp and headed out to get a little food.

Border crossing was uneventful although Carol had her calculator stolen by one of the money touts hustling at the border. This really p--- -d her off. The road south although listed as tarred was very badly broken up to the point of it being just another dirt road. The surface was red soil and the ensuing rain turn the 'track' into a real mess. We headed to Nkata Bay on Lake Malawi stopping for supplies Mzuzu. The road from Mzuzu to the Bay was very potholed . Road maintenance is not a big priority in Africa.

Next stop Botswana and Francistown. A modern town with much development on the horizon. We camped at a Hotel Resort with excellant facilities. Unable to locate tyres again we headed to Maun. We confirmed all previous reports that the Caprivi Strip was out of bounds becaues of border problems with Angola so our trek would take us Sth West along the Kalahari Desert. There was approximately 150kms of rough dirt to cover so the Metzler was employed to cover the next leg to Windhoek in Nambibia where we hoped to get new tyres.

We have gone from East to West since our last message covering some five contries. We enjoyed a couple of days at Zanzibar although we considered facilities were a little over priced compared to the rest of the countries we have been through in Africa. The seafood on the waterfront was tasty and the tour of the spice farms was great. A walk around Stone Town revealed plenty of carving shops with eager salesman bargaining for the best price. We escaped without buying anything.

The long ride to Lusaka was a bumpy affair with a number of Police checks on our papers. A chance encounter on the road with a green mamba broke the monotony. THe tyres on the bike by this time were well past their use by date. However we were having great difficulty in obtaining rubber of sufficient size and quality at a reasonable price. Lusaka could be our answer as we were told their were bike shops there.

Joining forces with the Forwoods (Harley Davidson world riders extrordinare) we headed off into the Namibian Deserts. Enroute to Walvis Bay we had a look at a cheetah park come game reserve . The Austrian owner was very informative as we watched four fat cats lazing in the early morning sun. They had just been fed and looked quite fat and taller than we had imagined. The gravel roads in Namibia are generally well maintained and a reasonable speed can be realised as we chased the P.M. sun into Naukluft Park.

Our days in Capetown were blessed with many fine days which complimented our sight seeing. We enjoyed the hospitality of Anton (chairman BMW Club Capetown.) and Gill with a drive through the wine district of Stellenbosch. A cool fine day saw us visit Cape Point, Simon's Town Penguins more wineries, one with a Cheetah farm, Tabletop Mtn, Charlie's Motorcycle Shop - a must for the overlander. Busy, Busy, Busy . After fitting a new front tyre and a little maintenance we headed off to Africa's most Southern point, Cape Agulas.

Crossing into Romania was easy although the money changer tried to take a little too much commission. Carol was on the ball though. Arriving in Bucharest we contact our friends who track us down (big city) and escort us back to their large house. Carols' old school friend Shelley her husband Steve and their two children Charlotte and Joshua are living/working in Romania for a couple of years. We intend to enjoy their hospitality and arrange our visas for Iran Pakistan and India. Thanks guys.

We spent a number of days in Athens enjoying the sights and an airconditioned hotel room. Carol's brother did a bit of sightseeing with us then we headed down the south coast to Cape Sounion. The Med coast was still very crowded although we had little trouble finding campsites. The road was as smooth as glass and appeared to have a film of grease. We had a couple of front wheel slides and we watched a local spin the rear wheel from the traffic lights through a few gears in a straight line.

Crossing into Turkey at last. We have heard so much about the splendours of this country. We take the freeway to Instanbul to catch up with Steves brother John and his wife Jude who are backbacking around the world. We do the tourist things like the Blue Mosque and the Palace and play games with all the carpet salesman. How do they all make a living? Seems like a little of the 'oversupply' to me.Enroute we made e-mail contact with the One More Mile Motorcycle Club (OMM). A great bunch of guys ready to help us travelling types with information and hospitality.

Crossing the border into Bulgaria caused few problems and we headed towards Sofia stumbling with the foreign road signs and hoping we would not get lost. We decided against a Guide Book of Bulgaria as we were only passing through. What a mistake. In Sofia we had considerable difficulty finding cheap accomodation let alone a campground. Most enquiries were greeted with a shrug of the shoulders and a very glum look. Eventually one was located. We believe it was a brothel. The plumbng barely functioned (the toilet did not) and it stank.

Our border crossing into Iran took just under three hours, 1 hour in Turkey two hours in Iran. Border officials were helpful and most of the delay was caused by so many officials asking about our journey. Carol changed into her garb and immediately complained about the heat. What a fashion statement she made. Not the normal black covering but a plum (pale) gown with gold buttons and a black and white head piece bought in Tunis earlier in the year. The men all turned their heads and the women looked on in envy I'm sure.

Leaving Iran was a pleasant experience as we enjoyed some cakes with some very pleasant officials. Pakistan was just as friendly telling the girls they can disgard their hot garb. Met a young English chap taking an Enfield back to England, Tough ask. Back to left hand drive and enjoy the entertaining trucks and buses. What decorations and those horns!!!! Stop and talk to a German couple on an old XT500..full of enthusiasm and lust for those never ending roads.The road on this leg was quite good.

Departing Islamabad (and the pollution) with Connor (XT600 Tenere) we make Besham on the KKH late on the first day. The mountain passes were choked with horn blasting mini buses and diesel belching trucks but this is all part of the fun and challenge. Our 700 rupee room was over-priced but the hot shower and good food compensated.The "meat" of the KKH started today as the rough paved road cast its spell over us. Carved into the cliff face high above the Indus River, signs acknowledged the military companies that had built and now maintain that particular section.

Leaving KTM was hard but the roads were waiting and our Indian visa was loosing time. We made Varanasi in two days with only one Indian truck driver attempting to run us off the road.

A party of four bikes left Islamabad Campground for Lahore, Connor (XT600), Angela (Dominator), Oliver (Transalp). We enjoyed walking the bazaars, the old fort and riding backwards in the Tuk Tuks as the traffic aimed at our toes!!

Time to leave Islamabad Campground

Next day we crossed into Nepal at Banbasa on the western border. The road to this point was rough but crossing Nepal things improved dramatically, and the sign said "Roads built in co-operation by Nepalese and Indian Governments"!!! The traffic problems all but disappeared and the night was spent in Kohalpur at a very basic Guest House. We enjoyed traditional Nepalese food of Dhal Baht.

We left Agra disappointed in not seeing the Taj Mahal but Aus$40 per person is over the top for us budget travellers. We vow to make a complaint to the Indian Government Tourist Office and, if we get motivated, one to a large newspaper. The road to Jaipur varies in condition from smooth to bumpy but the chaotic traffic tests our nerves to the extreme. When three vehicles head toward us in two lanes, Carol's frantic waving gets the necessary results as a path is carved through the bemused truck drivers. The road is littered with crashed vehicles, dead camels, cattle and dogs.

Bangkok was steamy and hot in contrast to the dry heat of India. Getting the bike out of customs was a marathon effort and Bangkok airport cargo on a Monday morning would have to be one of the busiest we have seen. Connor's story of releasing the bike taking a day without an agent had us engaging one, hoping this would speed things up. No such luck and we departed the cargo terminal at 5pm charging into the peak hour traffic. This was after negotiating a substantial reduction in our fees, 3,800 Thai Baht to 1,500 Thai Baht.

It's another border crossing today and Peter escorts us down on his R1100RS. We say farewell and begin the procedures. Although there was a little to and froing both sets of officials were done in around 1.5 hours and that included insurance, police permits and carnet. Instead of headng south we tackle the road east to Kota Bharu. Winding roads through the forests culminating in a tropical downpour at Keroh. We found shelter in a hotel just as another down pour beings.

Scavenging information from several sources we are able to arrange a vegetable boat to take our motorcycle from Melaka to Dumai. Departure day saw us loading the bike onto an onion boat and it lashed to the wheelhouse. Bags of onions were then stacked around the bike to ensure it did not abandon ship while crossing the Straits of Melaka. Our passenger ferry arrived a couple of hours before the much slower cargo boat and the ever- present con men fleeced us of a few hard earned dollars for overpriced taxi rides. Beware those who follow!! Use the rickshaws.

Darwin, Australia

Arriving in Darwin at 6.30am after a two-hour flight, collecting the bike turned into a marathon effort. No quarantine Officer was available to inspect the bike and we had to wait till 2.00pm when the 'magic hand' was wiped around the under-belly of the R80G/S to ensure no gremlins had been transported from overseas to pollute our pristine environment. This important procedure cost the princely sum of Aus$80.00. WOW! Combined with all the overheads and freight, this was the most expensive transfer we had encountered in all our travels.

THE JOURNEY BEGINS……………..28/09/2007

Lan Chile flight LA800 exited Australia with little effort. The past six weeks of our lives did not enjoy the same organization. For those who have done this type of adventure you know the excitement is sometimes dulled by the sheer volume of things to be done before departing.

BIKE IMPORT PROBLEMS

Our route so far

Sarmiento looked a long way with little in between so we departed Esquel around 9.00am hoping to get to there in time for lunch. Road signs in Argentina are very inconsistent. You may pass a sign saying 160kms to the next town. Travel a further 10kms + on your trip meter than come across another sign saying 161kms to the same town??? We gave up trying to work out which was correct but always kept plenty of fuel on board in case it went a little pear shaped in the distance calculation. I might add that our maps were way out in comparison to the road signs as well.

We have seen so many videos, documentaries and photos on Antarctica we were wondering if it would switch to overload once we got there. It didn’t … In fact mere words cannot describe the magnificence of this place. Putting the journey into perspective I will tell you that I, and I believe Carol as well, do not deal with cold weather. To say the least we are tropical types and the extremes we experienced here (in summer) was hitting our limits.

Our ship MV Discovery

Arriving back in Ushuaia, we raced to the shed to collect the bike and head to Rio Pipo campground to meet up with all the bikers enjoying Christmas in Ushuaia.

Christmas Eve Dinner Ushuaia

Christmas Eve Dinner Ushuaia

On the fifth of January it snowed which was to be our day of finally leaving Ushuaia, not that we wanted to leave. Despite the crazy weather we loved this place so we delayed our departure another day, finally leaving around 1.00pm on the sixth of January and headed to Rio Grande. The weather was sunny in Ushuaia but once in the mountains the skies closed in and around 70 kms from Rio Grande the rain started drizzling. In a fine patch of sky we stopped to check out a beaver dam that we spotted heading south a few weeks before.

Los Antiguos and its paved roads faded quickly into the distance as we headed south on Ruta 41. The ripio was sandy and corrugated (washboard) and the newly repaired fairing rattled more than I would have liked. Stopping, we contemplated returning to an easier route but a quick inspection revealed a loose mounting bolt. On the road again and things were a fair bit quieter as we rattled along. Around the fifteen kilometre mark we were stopped by the Chilean Police in the middle of a fairly inhospitable piece of real estate.

Before departing Puerto Varas we enquired with our host Andy at Casa Azul the whereabouts of a motorcycle shop in Puerto Montt so we could purchase a new front tyre. His direction however was to a shop less than a kilometer away. A small Yamaha dealer who had exactly what we wanted and it matched our current rear tyre. Fitting the tyre in his workshop we departed for Puerto Montt around lunchtime. After all the hassles with the purchase of the rear tyre this was too easy.

Puerto Madryn is used as a base to access Peninsula Valdes so it was no surprise to find backpackers discussing the attributes or lack of in using a day tour to sight the wild life on Peninsula Valdes. Some had already been and were extremely disappointed that less than an hour was given to get a chance sighting of the killer whales in action. This rarely happens and we encouraged a few to combine forces, hire a car and head out for a whole day or even more as this would be the best way to get a possible sighting providing the tides were suitable.

May, June, July 2008 Update

Our plan was originally to head north from Santiago as far as we could, time and seasons permitting, jump the Andes through one of numerous passes, then head south back to San Rafael in Argentina. Mario was quick to point out that many of the passes were seasonal and some would be closed. Alas, we changed directions once again, as our intended Andes crossing was not possible due to a late April closure.

August September 2008

Departing from John and Annette’s farm in San Rafael we headed north east to Grl Belgrano passing through San Luis. This ruta has one of the longest straight roads we have ever ridden probably around 100 kms long and reminds us very much of the Nullabor in Australia. Belgrano has a strong German influence and also celebrates an annual Oktoberfest. The weather was superb with warm days and cool nights and the festivities were in full swing when we arrived.

November 2008 Part 1

November 2008 Part 2

The tourist office in Posadas gave us a number of options to bunk down for the evening so ‘cruising’ the streets on a very quiet Sunday was a different experience. Posadas is another river city and has a very active waterfront laced with parks and restaurants. The evening brought no respite from the afternoon heat and hundreds of people gathered on the grassed banks trying to get cool in the river breeze. Restaurants were packed as we walked the pathways searching for a suitable eatery. Outside tables were at a premium so it was inside or nothing. Whew!!! Was it hot!!..

Thursday 1st Buenos Aires

In the evening after our first contact with the Dakar vehicles at la Rural we were fortunate to dine out with several motorcycle travelers staying in Buenos Aires. Rider # 116 Don Hatton from Canada visited our small group before dinner passing on his thanks to Javier and Sandra for their help in Buenos Aires. Good to meet another rider to look out for over the next two weeks.

February 2009 Update

March 2009 Update

Our family of campers at La Posta was down to five with the departure of Andy (USA) and the mood was dampened a little when it rained over the next couple of days. No leaks with the tent though and we hoped that the rain would disappear for Jorge’s Birthday asado. Fabrice (France) a free lance motorcyclist journalist arrived with his girlfriend from Venezuela in their small motor home and proceeded to photograph and interview everyone for a special article on La Posta.

Delaying our departure from Rocha was the correct decision with a clear blue sky greeting us early in the morning. Hotel Arrarte included a light breakfast in the price and after a quick pack we were on the road early.April 2009 Update

May 2009 Update Brazil

June 2009 Update

July 2009 Update Brazil

August 2009 Update Belem to Manaus The Long Way Belem appeared busy every day of the week with people bustling around even on the weekends. Our boat ride organized and with the help of Alex who also owns a small motorcycle shop, we were able to find a suitable knobby front tyre for the anticipated dirt roads ahead. Pirelli MT 21’s are manufactured in Brazil but they are almost impossible to find. Even the Honda dealer did not have them listed in his Pirelli tyre book. Even the Metzler Sahara 3 also manufactured in Brazil was not available.

September 2009 Update Manaus Brazil to Cajamarca Peru

Carol had a days rest from navigating a big city as Joelmir escorted us to the bustling wharves of Manaus. Two in a row for her, as Cecilia’s GPS gave her a holiday in Belem as well. Competing with cars, trucks, motorbikes, pushbikes and pedestrians in 40+C heat is not fun but having someone who knows the way up front makes it much easier.

October 2009 Update Peru

November 2009 Update Peru - Bolivia - Chile – Argentina

December 2009 Update Argentina

January 2010 Update Argentina/Chile Dakar 2010

February 2010 Update Argentina

Preparation for our ride north to exit South America began, commencing with repairs to the bike after the last blow-out crash. Parts were ordered from the UK and Australia. We expected time issues but the customs delays were something else. It appeared the parts arrived in Buenos Aries from their separate International destinations in 3 – 6 days but customs took around three weeks to process the imports and the taxes…WOW… was all we could say.

March 2010 Update Argentina/Chile/Peru

April 2010 Update Peru and Ecuador

May 2010 Update Ecuador Colombia

Departing Banos we filled with petrol and a strange vehicle that had caused a few highway problems on our way to Banos followed us into the garage. These brightly colored road trains are used in many tourist areas to show off the local sights.

June 2010 Update Colombia

July 2010 Update Colombia Venezuela

August 2010 Update Venezuela Colombia