The First 11 Days...

We didn't (Ok, I didn't want to) leave the Park but off we went still heading towards Lands End. That night (the night before Jo's birthday) we stayed in a great beach town called Newquay. We applied our new found camp site criteria DTP (distance to pub) and stayed in a great spot on the beach and walking distance from two pubs. The site was fairly empty but was really nice. The fact that the toilet block had music playing inside was the deal maker for me !! A pub meal and the rediscovery of vanilla vodka lead to a great night. A walk along the beach was even squeezed in between drinks.

Part I - Letters From The Road

...and so it began. An epic motorcycle odyssey that has been 9 years in the making. A father and his son careening through corners that will span over 9 countries and rougly 10,000 kilometers of road. On steel horses they will ride!...it would be enough to make Jon Bon Jovi smile. The mission quite simple - an homage to the sites and sounds of a trip my brother made when he travelled to the tip of South America and back in 1997 as a charity ride (www.moonride.org) for the Cancer Foundation and Save The Children which was completed just one month before his passing.

Miss Universe

There was no traffic and lots of police about. They had close the road. 'No wonder he’s late' I thought 'the traffic must be a nightmare'.

Eventually he turned up full of apologies.

Quakes

I'm begining to feel like the Rain God in the Hitchhiker's Guide. Quakes and other disasters seem to be following me around. The tally so far is four quakes and two typhoons.This one was felt a little in Bangkok (they evacuated the 64-floor Banyan Tree Hotel amongst others), but I slept through it (it happened around 8:30am and it *was* Boxing Day).

Chimborazo

Febuary 17, 2014
Rode E35 South in hopes of seeing Cotopaxi Volcano but again, doomed by weather. Decided to give it a day or two in hopes it would show itself so I found a place to stay in Lasso. Day two, rain. The morning of the 19th the weather didn't look promising either so I decided to ride to Guaranda in hopes I'd get a view of Chimborazo Valcano along the way. Wasn't expecting to see it however I didn't want to stay in my room anymore.

The Lead Up - 2008/2009

How it came about, our team and some of the preparations.How it came about, our team and some of the preparations.Hello and thank you for coming along with us on our ride across the USA. This section will just briefly cover the lead up to the trip, a summary of the three of us and a few of the preparations.

July Y2K7

Encountered my first real breakdown with the bike during the transit of Tanzania from Kenya on the way to Malawi. This was the consequence of picking up a tank full of bad fuel and resulted in a truck ride back to the nearest town. I got to experience first hand why it is that these trucks are seen on their side in the ditch on the side of the road. It was a frightening ride at some speed for something weighing many tons and controlled by someone scarcely old enough to have a driving license.

Easter Island

I have wanted to come here for many years.

I really liked the idea of a shot with my bike beside a moai.

Unfortunately, and not entirely unsurprisingly, the frieght charges from Santiago and back were a bit too steep so I had to settle for a rental bike instead.

A Pint of Bitter

Everyone in Colombia is amazingly friendly and helpful, and very aware of their country's reputation in the rest of the world.When they ask what I expected I give the usual list of drug barons, shootings, kidnappings and so on, and they know that's the perception, but they're working really hard to make all visitors really welcome.

La Rinconada June 25, 2014

June 25, 2014:
One of the items on my "Bucket List" was to visit the town of La Rinconada. I don't remember when or how I learned about this place but it's on the list. The town was built and exists because of the gold mining in the area. It's supposedly the highest permanently inhabited town in the world. Depending on the source of information the towns altitude is from 16,700' to over 17,700'.

Leaving Albania, and Montenegro

I leave Albania, and the rain catches up with me yet again in Montenegro.I left Berat in a bad mood after the hotel tried to charge me an extra 5 euros or so for paying in the local currency - especially annoying as I'd specifically got extra cash out to do just that!

Nearly there

Not long now. The bike is actually going to Adelaide, South Australia to be sent from there. Seems that Sydney had to much on over the new year or something was amiss.

Recieved the Carnet documents just in time. Something ive learnt now is the Carnet must be signed off at the Customs House with/when the bike goes. The little things that need to be sorted, my hint to others is to get things done early so as to save on stress.