Alaska to Tierra Del Fuego 2006, Around Oz 2008, Around the Baltic 2011, Taiwan 2013

Finally made it to Machu Picchu! What an EXCELLENT site to visit. Did a LOT of climbing (didn´t plan it that way but the clouds and rain forced my hand). Got a LOT of pictures (many withOUT me in them) :=) The Machu Picchu tour is in the bag and what an excellent adventure it was. The train trip from Cusco to Machu Picchu is a 4 hour ride that is interesting from the very beginning and just gets better as you continue to Agua Calientes (the little village where the train stops and you stay overnight if that is the way you schedule your trip).

Finally left Cusco headed for Lake Titicaca, La Paz Bolivia, and Uyuni, Bolivia for some great salt flat riding. I will cross into Argentina in a couple of days headed for Mendoza or Santiago, Chile, then on south!Ok, we had overdosed on ruins around Cusco and had drank all the beer in the world famous Norton Rats bar so it was time to move on to our next destination, Lake Titicaca. The ride from Cucso to Puno was another one of those 14,000 foot roads with more beautiful scenery.

Finally made it to Mendoza, Argentina after some pretty BAD roads getting out of Bolivia. The big push to Ushuaia will start form here. Sal needs to be there by the 22nd of Dec. (his sister is flying in from China) Gotta Hurry! Riding on the Salar de Uyuni and taking funny pictures was a lot of fun but little did we know that there was a BIG price we were going to have to pay. That price was the road south from there to Tupiza, Bolivia (where the map said paved road started again). The gps said it was 97 straight line miles.

Ushuaia. South, WAY south! Penguin Country. The town folks bill it as the "Southernmost City in the World". Very nice little city. The Beagle Channel to the south and snow covered mountains all around! Lots of tourists (and a few crazy motorcyclists) :=) We still had a LONG way south to go so it was time to leave Mendoza. We decided to set a course southeast toward the Atlantic side of Argentina. Sal and I both had spent a lot of time on the Pacific ocean in California and we wanted to see what the Atlantic looked like

Left Ushuaia on Dec 25th and made my way to El Calafete, Arg. A very touristy town with lots of snowcapped mountains and glaciers. Got to go fly fishing for trout though (and caught 3)! :=) I have received some email asking about my status since the last time I updated was Dec 21 or so. Thought I would give you a quick update but no pictures since the connections here in El Calafate, Argentina (now you know where I am on Jan 1st 2007) :=) are really slow. I was in Ushuaia (the End of the World) for 5 days.

Made it home after 5 months and 23,300 miles of riding. Flew out of Buenos Aires with very mixed emotions. Glad to be getting back home and sad that an excellent adventure was coming to an end!OK, made it back home again and I am already into the old routines. It
feels good!!!

We were able to take some tours of the very nice snowcapped mountains
and the many glaciers around El Calafete.

I have been home from South America for over a year now just riding around the USA and Mexico. Its time for another BIG adventure. :=) Another place I have heard about since I was a kid (yes, a LONG time ago) is Ayres Rock (now called Uluru) in Central Australia. Unlike the Nazca lines and Machu Picchu, Uluru is not "on the way to anywhere" :=) There seems to be several thousand miles of ocean involved just to get to Australia then a thousand miles of "outback". Oh well, that's what makes it an adventure ride.

Australia here I come!! Only a couple of days till I leave for my 2008 Around Oz Ride and there is Good News and Bad News! Yup, Aug 28th is fast approaching and I still have all kinds of things to do before I leave. SOME even having to do with the trip. ;=} Visas, plane tickets, reservations (for when I arrive), suitcases, and motorcycle bags, are just a few of the additional things I have to be concerned with this time unlike last when I just threw everything in the boxes on the bike and rode away.

I made it to Melbourne "Finally" after HOURS of flying!! Did a walking tour and a Yarra River Cruise. Now it is time to go get the bike and get "back on the road again".We are not in Kansas any more Toto! Actually I wasn’t sure where we were when we landed. I figured it must be another PLANET after 15 HOURS of flying. :=) I slept 5 hours, watched 3 movies and still had time to kill . It DID turn out to be Melbourne though which is a good thing since that was where I was headed. I planned a couple days here to recover from the jet lag and it was definitely needed.

Another update so soon? How DOES he do it. Shouldn't he be riding instead of writing? :=) Picked up the bike, packed and repacked it several times and hit the road. Movin North looking for WARM weather!I made my way to Castlemaine about 75 miles Northeast of Melbourne via a very nice and fast train. Norbert, from the motorcycle rental company met me at the station. I swear I saw him try to sneak away unnoticed when he saw the two big “Dry Bags” and the even bigger suitcase that I had, but I didn’t let him get away.

Scenery to Die for, Beaches, Sunny Skys, Warm Weather, and Cold Beer. The ONLY way it could be any better would be if Julia were here (blatant sucking up). :=) There I was, holed up in a very nice motel room for a couple of days because it was raining and COLD (40 degrees). I was OK but when Julia said “are you going to spend your whole vacation in that motel", I decided to “man up” and hit the road. The next morning it was 36 degrees and raining but I HAD to go (must show Julia). Rain gear and electric clothing on with thermostat up to 10, and away I went (crying like a little girl).

USA Accents, Telescopes, Tall Tales and Adult Beverages! :=) An aside!! After being in Australia for a week and a half, I had become accustomed to hearing the “accent” wherever I was. On this particular evening I was in a Pub (yes, I have been known to frequent them. Surprised?) taste testing the local brews. I became aware of a group of guys that had obviously arrived at the Pub well ahead of me. They were having a great time telling stories about their adventures with each one “topping” the other (kind of like bikers). :=) The unusual part was they, had USA “accents”.

Byron Bay was an EXCELLENT stop but then they all are in one way or another. Fraser Island makes leaving Byron worth it!!!Byron Bay is a GREAT place to spend some time. A bit "touristy" but still a GREAT place to just "kick back". What place that is well worth a visit doesn't have a some tourists? I have already mentioned the Lighthouse and the Easterly most point on mainland Australia but there is more than that. Excellent beaches (only half a block from town center),

Discovering a new "Favorite" place every couple of days!!! Airlie Beach and the Whitsunday Islands moves to the top of the heap (so far)!!I finally tore myself away from Hervey Bay and Fraser Island. I had already changed my vote for “favorite place” from Byron Bay to Hervey Bay so it was very hard to leave but the guide book said that Airlie Beach (500 miles north) had a lot to offer so I rode north a bit reluctantly (you know how wrong guide books can be). There wasn’t a lot to see on the main road except sugar cane harvesting

Go West Young Man (dreaming)!! I made it to Cairns and turned WEST, after going a bit farther north!!I dragged myself away from Airlie Beach and the Whitsunday Islands. I like Airlie very much (remember, it had moved to the top of my favorite beach places) UNTIL I got to Mission Beach (recommended by the skipper of the sail boat that I cruised on). Mission Beach is about 60 miles south of Cairns and has everything Airlie Beach does EXCEPT the traffic and tourists. It is a sleepy little place

Cairns to Daly Waters on the Savannah Way. Sounds Exciting Huh? It is for any number of reasons.I headed west from Cairns on one of the best motorcycle roads I have ever ridden. Cairns to Mareeba, to Atherton, to Ravenshoe was “perfect” riding. Warm, sunny, great road, excellent scenery, and no traffic.

I saw a sign on a side road that said “Queenslands highest road to the highest city“. Had to see what that was about!

Darwin, Top End, Northern Territory, Way North. Yup. Made it to Darwin. 7500 Kilometers done (that sounds so much farther than 4500 miles huh?)!!Let’s see where was I. Oh yes the “Road from Hell” was done and I was back on tarmac, sweet tarmac. :=) Actually the road wasn’t as bad as I have made it sound (except for that sand/bull dust part), it was mostly the stress of being out there alone, especially after seeing so many signs that said “don’t travel this road alone“. I KNOW what you are thinking and I am guilty! :=) I reached the Stuart Highway where I turned north once again.

Team “Channel Islands” is back together again in Darwin. After their antics in Central and South America, they are looking forward to a whole new country full of pubs (to get thrown out of) :=)Corey made it to Darwin Saturday afternoon and his bike was delivered Sunday morning. After partying hard for two days (actually, it was lights out and in bed by 9:00 PM both nights. Corey‘s fault. Jet Lag) :=) it was time to hit the road.

Team Channel Islands has 500 miles of ”fun?” in the dirt, dust, mud, and river crossings on the Gibb River Road. An alternate title might be “Ride Point or Eat Dust”! :=) It was time for some more dirt riding along the Gibb River Road from Kununara to Derby and Broome,

clear over to some beaches on Australia’s left coast. First a little side trip up to Wyndham for another “big” plus some lunch.

Broome south toward Perth! A lot of nothing interspersed with some great Beach Communities!Broome was an EXCELLENT stop where we could ride our motorcycles on the beach.

Eat at great restaurants on the beach,

And enjoy some excellent beach sunsets!