Alaska to Patagonia

I have run into some incredible luck in the name if Chuck Manley, a local, who has loaned me a motorcycle and given me info on all the prime off/on road routes. For the last week I have been checking out south of Anchorage. The landscape is stunning, like the European Alps on a big dose of steroids. There are more glaciers and rugged mountains than you can wave a stick at. First and foremost beware the shipping company Frontier Forwarding, my bike has been delayed, has incurred much cost (the original 920 pounds plus 460us so far)and hassle due to their incompetence.

The Bike Arrives and I Head NorthAt last my bike arrives in Anchorage. Have had a good time hanging around Girdwood. Lots to do, I have even been initiated into the way of guns. My friend Chuck took me out with an arsenal of weaponry that we fired at targets. Very enlightening and real good fun. My shoulder still pangs me 5 days after it! After a day on preparation I hit the highway bound for the most norhterly accessable point by road, Deadhorse in Prudhoe Bay. One hell of a ride to one hell hole of a place is the best way to sum it up.

You click into first and pull away. You have 20 tunes lined up on your MP3 player. Fifty miles into the dirt road leaves you with 40 more to go to the small town and gas station. The sun is blazing down, very few other people are on the road. The road starts to climb from the valley full of Spruce trees towards Eagle Summit Pass, the highest point on the road. The scenery and sky is getting bigger and bigger as you leave the tree line behind.

Two Up CruisingShe finally arrived all be it late at Anchorage Auirport. I was no longer anchored down in Anchorage but free to leave. First destination was to go see some calving sea glaciers and some whales. Rode south in anticipation of blue skies and stunning scenery. All we got was good old english glag and drizzleShe finally arrived all be it late at Anchorage Auirport. I was no longer anchored down in Anchorage but free to leave. First destination was to go see some calving sea glaciers and some whales. Rode south in anticipation of blue skies and stunning scenery.

Bike Goes BangJess did remarkably well enduring the back of the Dommie for 6 weeks over some long distances and bad roads. Sadly she is now gone and on another sad note so is my bike. Yep it went bang and is now recieving the kiss of life. More of that later.After indulging in the luxury of a Motel room with hot tub outside the door we decided to start the journey south. First port of call was Keno City, another out of the way mining town that had been recommended by Claire and Lorne. Of course this involved long distances and more dirt roads. Nothing I couldn't handle or so I thought.

Three weeks on Vancouver Island, not exactly what I had planned, more like three days. I have learnt two valuable lessons from it. Foremost, european model only bikes are a pain in the ass to get bits for and there are plenty of fantastic people out there ready to rescue a motorcyclist in distress like I was.Standing outside the closed bikeshop with that ball in the pit of your stomach feeling was not the relaxing sunday ride I had planned. I kept looking at passing cars hoping one of them might take pity on us and help out.

I cruised the coast road, survived traffic hell in San Fransisco, modified the bike in Yosemite, survived death in Death Valley, lost no money in Las Vegas and cruised through a furnace to get to Albuquerque. Another fantastic month on the road.
(sorry folks, no pictures but coming soon )I was glad to escape Canada with no more mechanical problems. Some hadn’t been so lucky as me. Timo had rescued another couple from the UK whilst I was on Vancouver Island, the diagnosis, blown gearbox and stripped studs in their Beemer. Lots more money than my problems and lots more weeks.

From lots of rules and regulations and relative order to chaotic driving and congested living and people doing what seemingly doing just what they want. Yep you have just crossed the border into Mexico.From lots of rules and regulations and relative order to chaotic driving and congested living and people doing what seemingly doing just what they want. Yep you have just crossed the border into Mexico.No one at the border seemed to care what I was doing or who I was. I had to stop them to ask how I go about temporarily importing the bike and myself into their country.

Have the border crossing all become a living nightmare like people tell me, did Guetemala in a pre-election frenzy cause me some hairy momentsHave the border crossing all become a living nightmare like people tell me, did Guetemala in a pre-election frenzy cause me some hairy moments, read on.....The border crossing into Guetamala was at Mesilla was a breeze. Half an hour of time and only cost me $6. The first police roadblock turned out to be a good laugh and lots of waving people. My first impressions were that the people are incredibly friendly.

After 7 long winter months teaching back in the UK at last I am can start the second part of the adventure. Bring it on

After 7 long winter months teaching back in the UK at last I am can start the second part of the adventure. Bring it on!!

Besse getting felt up, all for $5!

It may look easy to get out of Ecuador but that just aint the case for us. Dont know who to blame it on but someone didn't want us to leave Quito, let alone Ecuador. Go on click on more to see how we did it, you know you want to.............

On the bikes at 5am on a drizling Lima morning and we finally escaped the the city without drama, headed for our desert oasis 200kms down the road.

I found a new friend at Machu Picchu!On the bikes at 5am on a drizling Lima morning and we finally escaped the the city without drama, headed for our desert oasis 200kms down the road.

The worlds most dangerous road!!! Naarrrr the M1 is more dangerous on friday rush hour.
We survived it but we didn’t get the t-shirt, (you have to do it on mountain bike to get one of those.) There is no doubt though that it’s a pretty spectacular road , 70km of single track road that hugs the mountainside from 4200m to 1200m, giving way to 200m drops to the jungle floor below.

We were warned about the endless straight roads, we were told horror stories about the fierce winds but what we were not told was how many asados (bbqs) we would have to eat and how all those fantastic steaks would convert to fat so quickly.