A Travel Story by Belinda and Patrick Peck
Wow, what an awesome 6 months its been!
We arrived in Edmonton, Canada early June 2011 to see our new purchase, a 30 foot Winnebago motorhome (fondly named "Miss Adventure VI") that we had just purchased sight unseen from www.craigslist.com. Pat was born in Canada, so knew that cold wet rainy weather is always in the forecast. As we have developed into fairweather riders an RV was a great alternative to a motorcycle.
Our route through Alaska, Canada and USA from June-Dec 2011.
We are now in Baja, Mexico heading south to La Paz, Mexico over the next 2 months. It would be great to catch up with any other travellers in the area.
We entered USA near Vancouver mid September 2011 with the aim of going down the Rockies to Mexico and then coming back up the West coast in Feb 2012 as far as the weather will allow us. Our RV partners John and Jerry will then have a holiday in her, drive her back to Edmonton and we will fly back to Cairns via Vancouver early March 2012.
We have just found paradise in the Baja, Mexico and we must describe this place to you!
About a 1/3rd of the way down Baja we were driving along the coastal mountain roads when we looked down to see this big horseshoe bay with small islands and yachts anchored just offshore. We couldn't resist it...100metre wide beach stretching for 2 km. Getting closer we noticed a tropical restaurant at one end and a couple of RVs parked next to palm sun shelters just above the high tide mark and facing a waveless shore line.
We are writing to let you know we have fallen for a yahoo look alike email to upgrade. We clicked on it, put our email address and password in and wham..they had everything they needed to delete our contacts, inbox and folders with all our details! Somehow they also got into our hotmail account as well.
They also wrote to all our contacts saying we are in Manila and in trouble and need money. This is a scam. We are in Mexico, not in trouble and do not need any money...
Its been a while since we wrote last! We had an absolutely amazing time in our motorhome in the Baja, Mexico and would thoroughly recommend it! We didn't feel unsafe for one minute..in fact we haven't felt so relaxed and welcomed in a country as much as the Baja! It is right up there as one of our favourite destinations and by motorhome has to be THE best way to experience it!
We are getting ready to get back on 2 wheels on "Miss Adventure III" in Europe...leaving Cairns in just over 2 weeks!
Pat and "Miss Adventure 3" in front of an awesome Swiss House...just cant get enough of them...so unique!
The beginning of our trip...Belinda, Patrick, Oli, Dominik, Erik and Csilla, with Miss Adventure3 on the trailer.
Gday from our beloved Switzerland! We have just found out about the "Schengen Agreement" which means non Europeans can stay in Western European countries for ONLY 90 days in any 180 day period.., so a slight change in plans is required!
With only days left on our Schengen visa we must leave our beloved Switzerland to enter Croatia (which is scheduled to join the Schengen programme July 2013). We had heard many great reports on the Stelvio Pass in the Italian Alps and as it was on route the accent was a must. The switchbacks were so tight that you had to carefully plan your approach to each 160 deg turn and it was to our amazement that we passed a few medium sized motorhomes creeping up and down the slopes! We still dont know how they did it.
A relatively short flight from Greece to Oman took us to our Muscat based friends from our home town Cairns, Chris and Dale Bartlett. Now did they have an action packed agenda for the next 2 weeks! From porsche drives through the country to a 4 day desert and mountain 4WD camping trip.
We are now back in sunny Australia and will attempt to summarise our 3 months motorcycling around Sri Lanka! Having searched the season weather for Sri Lanka, we were mentally prepared for the wet November that is expected each year, but the following two months of predicted sunny weather would make it worth while (or so we thought!!)
Motorcycle Travel Hints
- Only ride at night or in the rain if it is unavoidable, due to poor visibility for you and other traffic.
Poor road conditions are magnified exponentially.
Beautiful surroundings are not visible. Remember that travel is not all about just getting there.
-Constantly check your turn signal switch.
Its something simple, but it can KILL you if you don't.
-Relax your shoulders continually as tension will exhaust you on long rides.
Your reflexes are much quicker in emergency manouvers if you are relaxed.
Howdy folks! You haven't heard from us for awhile, but you are about to regularly! hehe
We have just spent an awesome 3 months at home in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. Catching up with family, friends, health issues, health tests, get fitter, financial stuff etc and planning the next trip!!!
Happy Davis-Peck Clan! Nephew:Daniel (12), Brother:Paul, Sister in law: Jacqueline, Belinda, Neice: Hannah (7) and Patrick!
Over the last few years we have been travelling in Canada US and Mexico in an RV/ Motorhome. We loved every minute of it, but miss the freedom and comradery that motorcycle travelling gives us!
Introducing "Zora"... our Susuki Vstrom 650 currently travelling from Rio to Amazon River in Brazil with very helpful Rio HU members George and Denise Bunker.
After 23 hours flight time from Sydney, Australia we arrive in Rio de Janeiro into the welcoming arms of George and Denise Bunker, HU communitee members for Rio, living on the opposite end of the bridge from Copacabana beach and away from the hustle and bustle. They invited us to stay with them and their dogs while we explored Rio and graciously offered to drive us to Tubate, 4 hours south where the Vstrom has been stored in George's lounge room for the past 6 months!
Moving along up the coast of Brazil we stay in Pousadas near the beach and meet up with and are hosted by "WOW man" Dido, the president of a local M/C group around Teixeira de Frietas. We treat he and his wife to local pizza before leaving the next morning. Rui at Ilheus is our next host with his 18 year old son as our translator! Belinda tries a Grande Caipirinha and finds it hard to lift her head off the pillow the next morning!!
Exiting Brazil at Santa Elena, the border office is easy to miss. Its a building on the right with a sign saying "Stop Police Check". There is no TIP paperwork needed for motorcycles entering or exiting Brazil. Entry stamps INTO Venezuela are in a portable office on the left and the TIP (temporary import permit) is in the building on the right. After presenting all motorcycle paperwork we were told in Spanish that we needed a permit issued in the next town 20km north IN Venezuela.
Isla de Margarita was our next destination off the Caribbean coast very close to Trinidad and Tobago, by a 4 hour ferry ride from Cumana for US$5 for us and the bike. When we pulled up to the dock 15 minutes late, we missed the ferry by 1 minute and had to wait 5 hours for the next ferry!