Two Wheels, Micks, Capes

UPDATE 19 - EQUIPMENT AND PLANNING

2007-11-21T09:37:00.000Z

EQUIPMENT AND PLANNING
At the outset of this trip we said that we would give you some feedback on the kit and equipment that we used. Having used it over a six month period, covering 30k miles in vastly varying conditions, climates and terrain we think that we have a fair idea of the strengths and weaknesses of each item. We have also included a list of companies that we used for insurance, shipping etc.

EQUIPMENT
Commercial disclaimer. During this trip we were not supported, sponsored or funded by any individuals, dealers, organisations or companies. The inclusions of the companies and their products in this website is not an endorsement, they are the companies that we bought products from, and with discount from some. The aim of including the equipment that we have used is for interest only and to help anyone else planning a trip of this kind. Our comments on the positive and negative issues are as we have found them along our journey.

BMW
http://www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk/

BMW 1150 GS Adventure Special Edition: Well obviously; well perhaps not! You can do this sort of trip on anything; we met people on foot, mountain bikes, tandems, and skate boards, on four wheels and every conceivable size and type of motorbike! For the trip that we planned, with its time constraints and the distance to be achieved, there were only two bikes that we would consider; the KTM adventure or BMW adventure! Each one has it merits and neither is the sales support or enthusiasm of their dealers!

We opted for the BMW; not sure if it was because it had the greater fuel capacity, shaft drive so no chain to maintain, or was it the Macgregor/Boorman experience when KTM said that they would not provide bikes for the Long Way Round because they would fail! Was it that Macgregor/Boorman would fail, or they would fail on and because of KTM or it was KTM that would fail?

We think that we made the right choice and we have nothing but praise for these machines. They were bought new in March 2006 and completed 30k miles each in the following six months in some very testing conditions and over even more demanding terrain. During the whole period neither of these bikes let us down once; although we did let them down a few times and quite hard; they just got back up and carried on as though nothing had happened; more than can be said for us! We have not had a single mechanical fault on either bike which is testament to the competence of the longevity of this model and their robust engineering.

We’ll be keeping these two bikes, as they’re only just run-in, and use them for the next jaunt which will probably be the real “Cape to Cape” as the Americas was just the warm-up rehearsal for the trip from the UK to Nordkapp, the northern point of Norway and onto Cape Town South Africa; starting either this summer (2008) or next? Highly desirable

CLOTHING
BMW Rallye 2 Pro Suit: Mick S had the full Rallye 2 Pro suit and I had just the jacket and used a pair of BMW Air Flow 2 trousers. The Rallye suit did not impress us; the design is flawed by trying to be all things to all men for all conditions! The suit is not waterproof but has a gortex waterproof liner that you insert into the jacket and trousers! The jacket may not be much of a problem, but you have to get your trousers off, which means boots too, to put the gortex trousers liner on!

The suit has a number of venting zips to increase the air flow through the clothing but they were not very effective when you consider the size of the Beemer’s screen and the added wind protection from its large front end! The venting zips were not weather proof and during cold wet conditions they allowed the ingress of water and cold air.

The external lower pockets are next to useless. They are too small and poorly shaped with a flap closed by two small patches of Velcro which are insufficient to secure the contents; and they blow open when riding at speed. These pockets fill up with dust, dirt and water. The two chest pockets are good and work well, but only the small pocket is water proof; the other larger one is more useful but your kit gets wet in it!

The build quality leaves much to be desired. Both of the cuffs of Mick S gortex jacket separated from the sleeve not long into the trip and bits fell off the clothes too

Our recommendation for this sort of clothing would be that the suit should be constructed with an integral waterproof membrane; all zips should be waterproof, including venting zips. Pockets should be as large as is practical, waterproof with weather tight seals, with lower pockets located so that they do not rest on the thighs when riding. Desirable

The BMW Air Flow 2 trousers: These worked really well in all conditions giving the greatest flexibility by using a combination of additional thermal trousers and gortex over trousers to suit the conditions. Highly Desirable

For total foul weather protection we used an all-in-one waterproofs.

BMW Pro Winter Gloves: These were the mutts nuts for cold dry conditions and as we experienced a lot of very cold dry conditions these were used continuously to great effect. Unfortunately they are not waterproof which would make them the only glove you’d need for cold dry/wet conditions. Highly Desirable

Bike Spares: We travelled with a few specific items that might be difficult to find on route:
Fork seals
Fuel Tank Quick Release Fuel Couplings + O-rings
Fuel Pipe Clamps
Improved Headlight Bulbs
Oil Filters
Oil filter tool

Kenwood Radios: We had a pair of radios for bike to bike comms that worked through the Pro Com 7. Unfortunately we never did quite manage to get them to work properly. The concept was great but the reality was that we could only talk to each other occasionally and even then intermittently! These are a very useful tool if they work when you’re separated or navigating through dense traffic. Desirable

WUNDERLICH
http://www.wunderlich.co.uk/
Big Foot: This is an oversized plate, attached to the standard side stand plate to increase the size of its footprint. It is very useful for heavily laden bikes parking on soft surfaces. Unfortunately the design of this plate is not that clever as we lost two; one before we left the UK (which was replaced) and the second in the second week of the trip! The concept is highly desirable but you could achieve the same effect with a locally produced product. Highly Desirable

Blue Air Filter: We fitted washable, reusable, long life air filters in order that we could wash and service them on the road instead of having paper filters that would perish more easily if they got damp or we drowned the bikes during river crossings! Desirable

Filter Plus: This is a magnetic plate that attaches to the oil filter to attract and collect any metal debris in the oil. As the bikes were brand new we wanted to reduce the threat of engine wear during the early weeks. Desirable

Magnetic Sump Plug: A magnetic oil plug that collects any metal debris from the engine. As with the Filter Plus, they were fitted to assist in collecting engine filings. Desirable

Signal Minder: Enables the indicators to remain on providing a permanent light while remaining a direction indicator. It provides additional visibility of the bikes/rides – safety. Desirable

Lifting Handle: Provides a handle in the right position to assist lifting the bike onto the centre stand. This is absolutely essential if you have a heavily laden bike. Essential
Splash Guards: They fit below the pots providing a weather shield to the feet and they work very well. Highly Desirable

Fenda Extenda Front Mud Guard: These are highly desirable in order to give added protection to the front of the engine from flying debris. Highly Desirable

Rear Extenda Rear Mud Guard: These are supposed to reduce the splash at the rear of the bike and provide additional protection! Not Required

Oil Filler Plug Lockable: This is to help prevent tampering with the oil filler plug. It is a useful security option but not essential. Desirable

Cruise Control: This is an unsophisticated throttle friction lock cruise control system that did work reasonably efficiently and helped on those 600 mile straight roads of Argentina! Desirable

Puncture Repair Kit: Could state the obvious!! Absolutely essential, include tyre levers and a method of pumping up the tyres too! Essential

Micro Flooter Spot lights: Additional spotlights were for safety; to be seen was more important that to see! Highly Desirable

Black Side Panels: They are cosmetic really but they do cover the brake reservoir and would help to deter and prevent tampering. Desirable

Battery; Improved Amperage: We opted for the improved battery providing greater amperage as we were going to run/recharge all sorts of electrical equipment and didn’t want to find a dead battery. Highly Desirable

Handle Bar Risers: These did provide a slightly more relaxed riding position; not essential! Desirable

Foot Peg Lowers: Mick Simpson had a set, I did not; Mick S spent a lot of time dangling his legs off the pegs, I was quite happy with the standard riding position. We do not recommend them due to the huge expense (£100++) of this kit and they catch the ground when riding rough ground or leaning low on tarmac! Not Required

Foot Brake Enlarge: This is a larger plate fitted to the foot brake to makes it easier for the foot to make contact with the foot brake. It is very useful when you’re desperately trying to find that rear brake pedal, especially when riding cross country! Highly Desirable

Pro Com 7: This device provides the interface between bike to bike communications, mobile phone, IPOD and GPS audio feed into a helmet earpiece. It is not essential unless you are using multi gadgets as you can put your IPOD earpieces in your ears and listen to the music on the go. If bike to bike communications are used some form of interface device will be required. Desirable

GPS BMW Nav II (Garmin 2610): Although our GPS did not have digital mapping for Americas, they were useful for dead reckoning and enabled us to plot where we’d been as well as enable us to return to a known point, especially if we had to go for help and then return to our companion! Desirable

TOURATECH
http://www.touratech.co.uk/ Oil Cooler Grill: The protective grill collected all sorts of flying debris, but none of it made it to the oil cooler, probably an essential piece of equipment. Essential

Centre Stand Protector (Belly plate): This was an additional plate to extend the standard belly plate. We felt that it would be essential to protect the underside of the bikes as much as possible as we were not sure what we were going to encounter. Essential

Exhaust Y Centre box (Exhaust non Catalytic): We were advised that the standard catalytic converter could be fouled by poor quality fuel and the Y Centre Box would prevent this. It also reduced the weight by a few kilos! Desirable

BMW to Cigarette Lighter Socket Adapters: BMW provide two electric power sockets on the bikes, but their size is not compatible with standard cigarette lighter powered equipment; making them unusable for anything other than BMW supplied electrical items. Adaptors are essential. Essential

Headlight Guard: An essential piece of kit as neither of our bikes suffered any damage to the headlights. We were either very lucky when riding the gravelled tracks of the Americas or the headlight guards did their job. Essential

Sondersystem 41 Litre Pannier System: A very good load carrying system. Not only did the panniers swallow a huge amount of kit, but they gave very good protection to the bikes on the few occasions when we put the bikes on the floor! Essential

Touratech Pannier Security: They do provide at additional cost integral locks and keys to be fitted to the catches, for their boxes and panniers. But they are as much use as an ashtray on the handle bars! We found that the locks were not robust enough for the job; they fell to pieces. It would be more secure and cheaper to buy a suite of small padlocks with identical keys. Although the catches keep the lids on the boxes during riding and crashing, the mechanism is woefully inadequate for the security of your kit as we found out in Canada when our panniers were broken into and kit stolen. A screwdriver will flick the soft aluminium catch open. We will fit additional security to these panniers for the next trip! Not Required

Top Case 33 Ltr: I do not think that we will use the top boxes for the next trip. Although the box was of good quality, the interface bracket to the bike was not sufficiently robust. We will probably dispense with the box in favour of a large bag/grip/canoe bag. It’ll take more kit and be more versatile. It can be secured to the bike with straps and use a Backpackers wire net to prevent it being slashed and kit stolen from it. Not Essential

Hand Guard Extenders: It is difficult to measure the level of additional protection that these give as they were fitted from new. Desirable

Bottle Holder Brackets Holds X 2 Sig Bottles: One pair of bottles on each pannier provided an additional 4 litre of capacity; one litre of oil and three litres of fuel. Highly Desirable

GPS Handlebar Bracket (Lockable): The stock BMW GPS cradle is plastic and although very competent in general use it would not withstand the rigour of our trip. If you’re using GPS a secure bracket to prevent/reduce the risk of theft is very useful. These brackets kept the GPS securely on the bike even when we threw them on the floor at speed! Essential

BIKEBITZ
http://www.bikebitz.co.uk/

Airhawk Seat Cushion: It is a comfortable pneumatic cushion that you clip to your seat. Absolutely essential, an absolute must if you’re going to be in the saddle for long periods and it really does work. Essential

TYRES
Continental TKC 80 (Knobble): These are a superb tyre, capable of good progressive road riding on tarmac, keeping up with the road bikes and gave us no problems off road either. These are our preferred choice of tyre, capable of dealing with all surfaces and terrain that we encountered. We averaged about 6k miles on each set of tyres. Essential

Metzeler MCE Karoo (Knobble): A good off road tyre but a nightmare on tarmac. Not Desired

Dunlop Road Tyre: These were a set of genuine road tyres that I had from Quito to San Francisco and they worked very well as we were on tarmac; except for 50 miles of muddy track!

Metzeler Tourance Dual Purpose: Fitted in Denver for the last run to LA; sheer luxury to get off the knobble’s as they were giving us RSI to the hands after so many miles on tarmac with high vibration knobble’s! Highly Desirable

PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS.

INSURANCE
Travel Insurance: Campbell Irvine (insurance Brokers) Ltd, 48 Earls Court Road, Kensington, London W8 6EJ. Tel +44 (0)20 7937 6981. http://www.campbellirvine.com/

Bike Insurance: Maria M Alessie. Assurantiekantoor Alessie, Eliotplaats174, 3068 VL Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Tel +31 104 555 946 fax +31 104 555 948. Email Alessie@Alessie.com

Bike insurance USA: Harley-Davidson Insurance, Drive Insurance, PO Box 6807, Cleveland, USA. +01 800 925 2886

PERMITS
International Driving Permit: RAC Motoring Services, Travel Administration, PO Box 1500, Bristol, BS99 2LH. http://www.rac.co.uk/

Carnet De Passage en Douane: Paul Gowen. RAC Operation, Great Park Road, Bradley Stoke, Bristol, BS32 4QN. +44 (0)1454 208000 (switchboard) +44(0)11454 208304 (direct line)
pkgowen@rac.co.uk http://www.rac.co.uk/

SHIPPING
UK to The Falkland Islands: Darwin Shipping Ltd, Crozier Place, Stanley, Falkland Islands, FIQQ 1ZZ Tel 00 500 27629. Email: Darwin@horizon.co.fk

UK office: Charringtons House, The Causeway, Bishop Stortford, Hertfordshire, CM23 2ER
+44 (0)1279 461630. http://www.the-falkland-islands-co.com/

Falklands to Punta Arenas Chile: Via The Falkland Island Company Ltd

Receiving Shipping Company Chile: Agunsa, Av Independencia 772, Casilla 60-D, Punta Arenas, Chile. Tel +(56) 61 241065. Email: mbuljan@agunsa.cl http://www.agunsa.cl/

Colombia to Panama: Diaduanas Ltd, NIT 830.093.753-7, Manga Cra 29 No. 28-29, Cartagena, Colombia. Tel 6609216/02

Receiving Shipping Company Panama: Seaboard Marine Ltd, Via España, Plaza Regency, Piso 12, Panama City, Panama, Apto. Postal 4369 Zona 5. Phone: (507) 210-9600Fax: (507) 210-9635. Contact Person: Joris Deruwe.
E-mail: jderuwe@seaboardmarinepanama.com Website: http://www.seaboardmarinepanama.com/

USA to UK: American Export Lines, Global Logistics Company, 13500S. Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90061, USA. Tel 001 31- 523 2300. Email, info@shipit.com http://www.shipit.com/

Receiving Shipping Company UK: Kingstown Shipping Ltd, Ferry Birth, King George Dock, Hull, HU9 5PS. +44 (0)1482 374116. Email: info@kingstown-shipping.co.uk http://www.kingstownshipping.co.uk/

Update 18 Alaska to Las Vegas

2007-11-21T09:35:00.000Z

To Be Completed

UPDATE 17 - ALASKA PRUDHOE BAY 05 SEP 06

2006-09-09T05:09:00.000Z

ALASKA PRUDHOE BAY.
31 Aug 06 (Thu). Whitehorse – Fairbanks: Route 1, 2: 625 Miles

(Double click on the photos to enlarge them)

There was a fresh dusting of snow on the high hills around Whitehorse this morning with a crispness in the air that would require an extra layer of clothes. It was also the first morning that we had really ridden into the autumn with its vibrant colours of gold, bronze, yellows and every shade of reds and pinks. Riding along highway 1 through Destruction Bay and Burwash Landing alongside Lake Kluane in bright sunshine was a real pleasure as you can see from the photos.

We crossed the Canadian border at Beaver Creek into the US without a hitch and a friendly welcome, making straight for Fairbanks, to be ready for the final 500 mile push to Prudhoe Bay in the morning. We will do this over two days as we understand that the Dalton Highway or locally know as The Haul Road is not in great shape and it would be more than a challenge for a single long days riding.

01 Sep 06 (Fri). Fairbanks – Cold Foot: Route 2, Elliot Highway, Dalton Highway (The Haul Road): 270 Miles.
The Haul Road has surprised us; we had been led to believe that it was a graded track in poor condition that would require considerable care and time to travel. In reality, where it is a graded track it is generally in good condition and with very little traffic we were able to maintain a good speed. And what really surprised us was that the greater percentage of the road was paved making it any easy days ride, at only 270 miles today.

We crossed into the Artic Circle at 1600 hrs this afternoon in glorious sunshine at latitude North 66,33.345 longitude West 150,48.649 where everyone stops to have there their photo taken; we were no exception. The autumn colours continue to increase, vibrant and as varied as you’d get in the UK, with the countryside in this part so similar to Dartmoor or parts of Scotland. The only difference is that we do not have a massive oil pipe line cutting through the landscape and the temperature can drop to -40 degrees in midwinter.

Cold Foot Camp claims to be the furthest north truck stop in the world; it sits halfway between the civilisation of Fairbanks and the head of the oil pipe line at Deadhorse, Prudhoe Bay and is the last fuel stop before you tackle the final 240 miles north. The original town of Cold Foot was founded in the summer of 1900, due to the gold rush, 5 miles further south of the current location. It is thought to have been names after a group of green Stampeders reached this point up the Koyukuk, then got cold feet and ran! The current Cold Foot camp was built on Slate Creek in 1970 to accommodate 260 workers who constructed the Alaskan State Highway in this area, and then accommodated workers who built the oil pipe line after the oil find in 1977. Its claim in the temperature range is that its coldest winter temp was -82 degrees Fahrenheit and the highest summer temp of +97 degrees Fahrenheit; a temp range of 179 degrees, that is some temp range!!

02 Sep 06 (Sat). Cold Foot – Deadhorse, Prudhoe Bay – Cold Foot: Route The Haul Road: 480 Miles.
A very crisp start to the day with a colourful sunrise and good layer of ice on the bikes, but it was a bright clear and sunny morning for that final run to the top and journeys end (phase 1). Only 240 miles along the Haul Road riding higher into the autumn season as the colours became more vivid with the terrain changing as we approach the North Slope Borough and with it our first bit of mountain scenery for a few days. As we’d ridden north about 100 miles the clouds had started to form and we stopped before the first rise into the high ground to change tapes on the helmet cameras and zip up collars and cuffs as it looked a little colder.

Climbing the first slope brought us into the snow line with a light dusting on the track followed by a wall of freezing fog that froze the visors and cut the visibility to a matter of metres making this section very tricky as the oncoming trucks were oblivious to the fog and us!! Thirty miles later we cleared the fog and were on the wide open tundra of the far north. Flat and desolate from horizon to horizon; all that was visible was the oil pipe that was the reason for the road in the first place, hunters with bows and arrows as firearms are banned within a 5 mile corridor either side of the pipe, but someone had a couple of pot shots at the warning sign!

We spent only 2 hours in Prudhoe Bay as it is just an industrial site supporting the oil industry; unless you make a long stay to visit the industry there was nothing that really caught our fancy. Also, we had ridden up through some atrocious conditions, so we decision was to ride back to Cold Foot the same afternoon as we stood a better change of clearer visibility than waiting until the next morning. It was a good decision; after a hundred miles we left the overcast tundra and we were in bright sunshine and what we had missed in the fog in the morning was a superb ride in the snowy mountains with spectacular views and colours.

That’s it! We’d done it and we were on our way south, the first time that we have deliberately headed south in over 4 months with our objective achieved.

The declared end state has been achieved; the undeclared end state is still to be firmed-up. Do we go home or go on for some more and if so where? West to Magadan is not really an option as we’re too late in the season and have lost the weather window and haven’t packed enough winter woollies! A ride trans-Canada to Halifax Nova Scotia is an option, but the weather there is starting to chill quickly too. Back through the USA and then Christmas in Cape Town or somewhere in Africa is looking good. The critical factors for us to continue were; getting to Prudhoe Bay first, done that. Still to be talking to each other; most of the time. Do we want to ride anymore; yes. Is the weather on our side; in Africa it is. Are our wives still on our side; think so?

03 Sep 06 (Sun). Cold Foot – Fairbanks: Route The Haul Road: 270 Miles.
The Sun God is with us again today; an even sharper frost this morning but not a cloud in the sky and that’s how the day would remain. With the self induced pressure off as we’ve reached the top and the urgency has gone it was a very sedate ride south with frequent stops to take photos in this superb light and the spectacular colours. We even saw a bear on the side of the road about 100 metres in front of us but unfortunately it did not stay long enough for us to get a good photo; just its backside as it wandered back into the bushes.

04 – 05 Sep 06. Fairbanks.
We are now sitting in Fairbanks having returned from Prudhoe Bay via Cold Foot; time to change the tyres (again), wash the bikes (last washed in Bogota), bit of maintenance, catch up on the writing and decide what next? A new rear tyre for each bike was a high priority as the last 1000 mile took the treads down very quickly. The easiest way, but not necessarily the cheapest way to get the right size tyres for these bikes is to contact the local BMW dealer. We had already got the dealers details from the internet and made an appointment to have the tyres change.

It was a little bit of a surprise when we arrived at BMW Fairbanks! Now BMW are pretty anal about corporate image and presentation; so when we arrived at an overgrown wooded track with a BMW sign at the top we were a little surprised and as we rode into the Agency we were even a little concerned! But George, who had been running bike dealerships for over 40 years, said that he had the tyres, could change them and balance them too; all at a competitive price, in fact he was the only one with the TKC 80s that we wanted! It took nearly 4 hours for him to change two rear tyres, but he was thorough and diligent, making sure that the brake pads were still within acceptable thickness and decided that we should have the rear axel oil check as it’s his experience that not enough attention is paid to this, causing catastrophic failure! Although it was long drawn out process, it was a good lesson to us on how to change tyres and balance them without the sophisticate equipment of a modern garage. He said that he will be handing over the BMW Dealership, probably to Harley Davidson next year as its getting a bit too much for him, but I’m sure that he’ll still be tinkering with bikes, so if you’re in the area and stuck for help I’m sure he’ll be delighted to help, just make sure that you have plenty of time.

Good news, bad news. Just before we arrived in Fairbanks last Friday Mick S received a job offer that would be too good not to apply for but if he was successful it would put an end to the possibility of him commencing phase two. He was successful and got the job and will have to be home at the latest by mid November which means that phase 2 will not be on his radar…………..YET!

Journeys End, Phase 1, Cape One,
Arriving in Prudhoe Bay, our target destination to end this phase of our ride from Ushuaia Argentina, we have completed 22,000 mile in 135 days, covering the length of the continent of the Americas visiting 21 countries, including The Falkland Islands, but only 20 with the bikes, cause we didn’t take them to Antigua.

We are supporting:
Charity:
Macmillan Cancer Support – www.justgiving.com/MickDaly-Hereford

Schools:
Christ College Brecon - www.christcollegebrecon.com
St Richard’s Bredenbury - www.st-richards.co.uk

Some statistics:
Days away 135
Days Riding 85
Days not riding 50
Miles covered per bike 22000
Av miles per riding day 259
Fuel used in litres per bike 2228
Fuel consumption 9.8 miles per Litre or 44 MPG
Tyres used per bike 5 sets
Counties visited 21
Number of border crossings 31 entries = 4 x Chile, 4 x Argentina, 2 x Brazil,
4 x USA. 1 x the rest

Breakages in total:
1 x Rear view mirror
1 x Left & 1 x right cylinder guard
3 x Speedo cables
2 x Spotlight bulbs
4 x Touratech short reach rear indicator arms. 100% failure
1 x Clavicle
1 x Ankle #
1 x Handlebar throttle bracket
1 x Rear spray guard

Bashed in total:
1 x Fuel tank (slightly)
4 x Side panniers
1 x Windscreen (slightly)
1 x Crash bar
1 x Big toe
2 x Wallets

Our intentions next.
The aim of this jaunt was to ride two motorbikes from the southern most habitable city navigable by bike, on the planet; the city of Ushuaia in Argentina to the northern most point navigable by bike in Alaska; Prudhoe Bay, visiting every or as many countries as we can en-route. That done we will wander south through Jasper, Banff, Calgary and into the USA for a while until the middle of October 06. With Mick S destined for home, I have to decide what I will do; join him on the trip home, stay on this continent or go to Africa to ride home from the second Cape an our list; Cape of Good Hope?

UPDATE 16 - USA & CANADA 31 AUG 06

2006-09-09T04:59:00.000Z

THE USA AND CANADA

21 – 31 Aug 06.

(Double click on the photos to enlarge them)

21 Aug 06 (Mon). El Paso – Blythe: Route Interstate 10: 615 Miles:
A very pleasant cool start to the day; the coolest day since leaving Bogota a month ago! We are still trying to make best speed and have opted to riding up the Pacific coast; having crossed the Mexico border at Ciudad Juarez to the USA at El Paso we rode Interstate 10 (I10) all day through Tucson and Phoenix to Blythe, just inside the California state line. The cool start only lasted until midmorning when the furnace of the Arizona desert started to ramp up the heat. By midday it was cooler to ride with the full face helmet visors fully closed to keep the heat out as there was no wind chill at all.

During the various stops today, there was a lot of interest in what we were doing and lots of advice on routes that would be fun and interesting to take as we wend our way north. Lake Tahoe was a strong recommendation heading across Nevada through Las Vegas and all that desert too! A little later today while we were trying to hide from the sun for a few minutes another guy sought us out having seen the bikes and recommended heading through Los Angeles to the Pacific coast where the temperature would be about a cool 20 degrees C opposed to 35 degrees C ++ in the desert and the scenery is spectacular. As we were reaching the high 30s already and we have been devoid of good scenery for a while, it seemed to be no contest – go for the coast.

The other reason for heading to LA is that we have been put in touch with Aled who has offered us a place to stay overnight when we are in the area and the possibility of flying with one of the Helinet LA News helicopters. But Aled is returning from Australia some time tomorrow morning and the contact is a little tenuous!

22 Aug 06 (Tue). Blythe – Los Angeles: Route I10: 290 Miles.
Someone forgot to turn the blast furnace off last night! It was only marginally cooler this morning than it was last night and it was going to get considerably warmer as the morning progresses. It was a short run into LA, 290 miles, but traffic began to build up as far out as 29 Palms, which is over 100 miles out! We were hoping to get the bikes serviced while we did some sight seeing but the BMW dealer, who was also a dealer for all the major Jap bikes too couldn’t fit us in for another week. We’ll do that in San Francisco on Friday instead.

Contact was made with Aled just after he arrived from Oz and he invited us out to Helinet Aviation Services at Van Nuys airport to see their news coverage operations. Helinet provides the aircraft, pilots and some camera crews for all the major TV news channels across the USA using a range of helis, but all with very high tech stabilised cameras. They have helis on standby for that all important breaking news opportunity and tomorrow they are going to see if they can get us up for a flight too.

The company was founded by Alan Purwin who was the pilot of the 1980s TV show Airwolf. They also fly for film companies who need aerial filming such as Island, Pirates of the Caribbean 3 & Transformers etc etc.

Dinner was at a restaurant in the heart of the Hollywood scene (sounds very grand!) with a few of Aled’s friends one of whom is the girl from the Marlborough cigarette adverts. We walked Hollywood Boulevard and read the stars names on the walkway but didn’t bump into anyone we recognised as being famous; I’m sure they were out there though! Mind you, they didn’t recognise us either!

23 Aug 06 (Wed).

Today reminded us of days gone by; sitting on standby to crash out at a moments notice as we waited with the pilots for that news worthy call that would launch the helis. And what is news worthy? Well that’s up to the news channels to determine, as they are the ones paying for the flying time! We flew separate helis with Sky Fox 11 News Teams covering a siege being dealt with by the police, a brush fire threatening to engulf an expensive property and over flying LA international airport following a report of a construction strike but all seemed normal.

In the afternoon we had a ride out to Santa Monica and the Promenade beach in the hope of seeing Pamela Anderson and the Bay Watch beauties; didn’t see them, but did see some other beauties. Returning to Aled’s home we rode down Hollywood Boulevard and found Elvis hanging out with Marilyn Munroe, and looking very well on it too.

24 Aug 06 (Thu). Los Angelis – San Francisco: Route 101: 455 Miles.
The bikes have been booked into BMW at San Francisco for a service tomorrow so we’ll do this stretch in one go, up route 101 following the Pacific coast, dipping in and out of the sea mist which makes a huge difference to the temperature; one minute you’re melting, the next its brass monkey conditions! The scenery would have been great, we think, but the mist blocked most of it.

It never ceases to amaze me how small this world is; arriving in San Francisco we pulled off the highway to do a map check and deliberate on the route; a truck had followed us down and park behind us. Eventually we had to go and ask the truck driver for some help. Mick S went back to the truck to be met by “I wondered how long it’d be before you asked for directions” the English accented driver said! He had noticed the UK plates on the bikes and assumed (correctly) that help would be required, so pulled up behind us. Mick S got the directions to BMW and as he returned to the bikes a pick-up came along side, another Englishman offering help. He had gone to a school in the same town that I had!! BMW located and bikes left with them for servicing tomorrow we adjourned to a hotel ready for a bit of sight seeing tomorrow.

25 Aug 06 (Fri). San Francisco sight seeing. Seen the films; all those car chases up and down the steep ramps of the city, the trolley buses, Alcatraz, the harbour and the bridges. Well we rode on the trolleys and walked the rest, it’s as good as the films, but we didn’t see one car get airborne, how disappointing!A walk along the harbour front gives so many great photo opportunities that it’s impossible to print them all here; but the sea lions basking on the floating pallets just metres from the waters edge, behaving just like the ones we saw in Ushuaia; all grumpy, snapping and snarling at each other. The flight of the pelicans couldn’t be resisted. And this chameleon or is it an iguana? Anyway, are very tasty with a bit of garlic butter!

BMW completed the service for us as well as putting on the last set of tyres that we had been carrying from Belize. That should set us up for the run to the top of Alaska

26 Aug 06 (Sat). San Francisco – Roseburg: Route 101(Redwood Highway), 199, I5: 538 Miles.
We crossed the Golden Gate Bridge heading north on an overcast morning with the helmet cameras running, but it was not the success that we had hoped for. The best photos are taken from the side of the bridge and as our route to the bridge was quite obscured we did not get what we’d hoped for.

Route 101 contours the Pacific coast and as yesterday the sea mist was rolling in and out creating quite a change in the range of temperatures; couldn’t quite get the amount of clothing right!

We were cruising at quite a good pace when we’d set ourselves up to overtake one of those large pick–up trucks towing a big speed boat when a ginger cat popped its head up over the side of the boat, took a look, then jumped! Now this was at least an 8 foot drop to the road at 60 MPH! Not sure that it had its feet and knees together, but it hit the road, took the landing as it came, rolled a couple of times, on to its feet and off to what it thought was the safety of the centre reservation that was a concrete barrier. What it hadn’t counted on was me, closely followed by Mick S bearing down on it and we weren’t changing course. It managed to miss me by the skin of its teeth and over the centre reservation before Mick got to it. Hope it made it a cross the other carriageway safely. Not sure how many of its nine lives it had used up until that time, but by my reckoning it used at least 3 in those few seconds?

We got to Crescent City where we refuelled and put on some more clothes on as we were gibbering! That was a mistake; as we then took route 199 inland and into the warmth! Route 199 is a spectacular route, a winding road in a steep gorge with pine trees and a clear river. Half way along route 199 we crossed from the state of California into Oregon onto I5 and on to Roseburg for the night.

27 Aug 06 (Sun). Roseburg – Vancouver Canada: Route I5: 523 Miles.
The interstates, like motorways are an efficient way of getting from A to B but oh so tedious; even though we passed some of the largest cultivated areas that we’d seen on the whole trip and people actually working. Acres and acres of lettuce.

Mick S was lead bike today and I was just following along and by the end of the afternoon it was struggle to maintain concentration! But fortunately the US/Canadian border arrived sooner that we expected and the crossing was a doddle. Nothing to do on the US side and just a case of getting our passports stamped on the Canadian side, giving us a 6 month visa. We were a bit surprised that the US did not require us to book out of the USA after all the effort they go to control and identify everyone coming into the country; how do they know who’s still around?

CANADA
28 Aug 06 (Mon). Vancouver – Prince George: Route West 1, 99 (Sea to Sky Highway), 97: 494 Miles.

It’s so nice to be back in the snow capped mountains, running up the “Sea to Sky Highway” through Whistler with spectacular views and a winding road wending its way through the forests and alongside crystal clear lakes of turquoise water. The wild life was out to day too; a racoon crossed the road in front of us at a very leisurely pace and we stopped to watch a wolf padding down a stream bed, but it was too quick for us to get photo.

Prince George was the overnight stop and not an easy place to find a room as the Canadian basketball championships were being staged there and nearly all the rooms were taken!

29 Aug 06 (Tue). Prince George – Fort Nelson: Route 97, 39, 97: 532 Miles.
A wild life bonanza today, with Caribou, bison, fox, deer, squirrel, wild sheep or are they goats? But no bear!

The temperature has taken a serious nose dive. Hard to believe that two days ago we were riding in two layers, tee shirt and jacket; now we’re up to 6 layers! But the weather, albeit on the very cold side of fresh is clear giving outstanding views of the mountains and enhancing the colours of autumn. The further north we ride the greater the change in the season. Vancouver was still in late summer but Fort Nelson is definitely in early autumn.

30 Aug 06 (Wed). Fort Nelson – Whitehorse: Route 97, 1: 646 Miles.
The rapid onset of autumn continues as we move north and west towards Alaska with all its rich colours. The roads are desolate, not seeing another sole for mile after mile; this is true wilderness and it’s big. We thought that we’d seen some isolated and lonely places over the last few months and the USA is big but nothing has been quite so remote as these areas of British Columbia and the Yukon! Road conditions vary hugely, from smooth well surfaced to rough and bumpy and the wild life continues to be oblivious to the fact that man thinks that he owns the wilderness by driving a road through it. They do enjoy the warmth of the tarmac and the easy route that it provided; which is bonus to us as it’s a drive through zoo.

We are supporting:
Charity:
Macmillan Cancer Support – http://www.justgiving.com/mickdaly-hereford

Schools:
Christ College Brecon - http://www.christcollegebrecon.com/
St Richard’s Bredenbury - http://www.st-richards.co.uk/

Our intention for the next week. Did we achieve last week’s intentions, try to cross into Canada by 27 Aug 06. Yes just.

Next is to reach Fairbanks by the end of the week, 01 Sep 06.

UPDATE 15 - CENTRAL AMERICA & MEXICO - 20 AUG 06

2006-09-09T04:50:00.000Z

CENTRAL AMERICA & MEXICO

(Double click on the photos to enlarge them)

06 Aug 06 (Sun). Panama
Leaving Cartagena: As we left Cartagena yesterday there had been a visible increase in the level of Police and Army patrols on the streets of the city. As we drove to the airport, roads were closed channelling vehicles into an increased number of vehicle checkpoints for routine checks. The Colombian President has been re-elected and will be inaugurated this weekend which has raised the security levels around the country. Over the last couple of days there has been an increase in the reporting of improvised explosive devises being detonated causing the loss of life mainly to the police, as well as number of major finds of unexploded devises.

Security at Cartagena airport is high and probably routinely; all bags are search if they are going in the aircraft hold. The Army security screener asked if our baggage was for the hold or carry-on? We said carry-on and were directed to the check-in desk. Other passengers went through the process of having there bags completely emptied and searched. But all this and the subsequent searches that we went through were conducted with eye contact, politeness, conversation and humour, unlike Miami and the USA experience.

Panama City:
This morning we located the Panama City shipping office so that we can be there first thing on Monday morning and start the process for recovering our bikes. This afternoon we thought we’d walk to the old city and get some photos; unfortunately the heavens opened, taking shelter under a tree we waited for the storm to pass before continuing; but a few minutes later the heavens opened again. This time we were able to shelter on the walk way under a wide veranda where the rain created a curtain of rushing water screening the road. We did try to persist with the walk to the old town but sometime you’ve just go to call an end to folly; rain stopped play!

07 Aug 06 (Mon).
Due to a national holiday in Colombia our shipping papers had not been sent and would arrive on Tue by email. We were informed that we would also have to pay US$265 to have the container opened at Cristobal to get the bikes; this was a bit of a surprise as we had been told that all cost were covered in the shipping fee! We cannot do anything today and will have to return tomorrow, which starts to eat into our riding time!

We visited Bavarian Motors, BMW Panama City to see if we could get Mick’s bike checked as his engine management light has been on again. We are hopeful that the fault is due to a faulty rear light, but we need to check it before we head north out of Panama City.

08 Aug 06 (Tue). Colon – Panama City: Ruta: 60 Miles
The shipping agents had all the documents to authorise the release of the bikes by 1030, which meant that we could get a taxi to the port of Chrisobal on the Atlantic coast at Colon and start the retrieval process. Today was an outstanding example of bureaucracy doing its best to squeeze as much cash as possible from the punter! The first stop was the shipping company at the port who gave us an agent to take us around the various other agencies to try and secure the release of the bikes this afternoon. It was a case of being bumped from pillar to post around the customs offices to get letters of release written by one customs officer (backhander required) to be given to the customs officer at the next desk to try and complete a computer form and then try to get the head of customs to sign it before they all finished for the day. This took over two hours; it was a fine example of bureaucratically ineptitude and incompetence; and all the time the office junior, who must have been either the bosses son or the village idiot spent his time being a sex pest to the female staff and abusing the male staff – very strange!

Returning to the docks we thought that we had all the correct authorisations, but no, obviously an opportunity to squeeze a bit more cash! The bikes were cleared but the panniers were not, and time was running out to get the dock staff to deliver the container. More negotiating and a bit more cash seemed to do the trick. Pay the port fees of US$135, which was 50% less than we had been told it would be, what a nice surprise; container delivered, opened and the bikes were as we’d left them, in good order. Then as we tried to leave the port there was a problem with the paperwork; another US$10 seemed to clear that little problem and we were out and free for a wet and mucky ride back to Panama City.

During the five hours that it had taken to extract the bikes the heavens had opened to a torrential and sustained tropical storm, the sort that produced raindrops the size of eggs and soaks you to the skin in a second. We thought it was going to be a very wet 60 mile return journey to Panama City; but the gods were on our side, it stopped just before we departed, but it was still very damp. The final costs were; obviously to tip the agent who had “helped” us secure the bikes and the taxi that we though that we had taken off hire was still there! In all it cost the best part of US$400; will have to investigate the flying option next time!

09 Aug 06 (Wed). Panama City – Ciudad Neily Costa Rica: Ruta Pan American Highway (PAH): 240 Miles
You know that feeling, you have forgotten something, not done something or should be somewhere that you’re not? Standing at the mirror shaving the penny dropped, I hadn’t seen the big video camera this morning, or yesterday!!!!!!!! Then you start to do the mental back-track, when and where had I last seen it? I had not taken it to the port; it must be in the last hotel, which fortunately was just around the corner. Asking at the desk, ever hopeful, yes it was there and was delivered in moments, what a relief!

On the way out of Panama City we stopped at Bavarian Motors for them to check Mick’s warning light problem. The fault was the rear light and just needed a bit of work to repair the electrical connections. They spent an hour doing this and did not charge a penny, another very helpful and efficient BMW dealership. There was another Brit BMW 800 having some major work carried out on it, belonging to a girl riding the world solo.

The ride to the border having left the city and crossed to Panama Canal was straightforward on the PAH. As the afternoon approach we could see the build up of the afternoon rains and at 2 o’clock it hit us; we drove into a wall of water that reduced the visibility to metres and drenched us in seconds! Fortunately we found some protection in a bus shelter where we stayed for the best part of 30 minutes while the storm eased to torrential and we could see where we were riding! As we approached the Costa Rica border a solo bike was heading towards us; this time we all stopped and went for a coffee to exchange stories and advice. Lewis was riding a BMW 650 from his home in Canada through the Americas and then heading to Africa. Stories and advice exchanged, he gave us his Central America map that he no longer needed and had been given by another rider as he was approaching the area. Gratefully received as we did not have one, we will pass it on to the next rider we see going that way.

Our ride up through Central America was a rapid transit and a fairly uneventful event with each country very much the same as the previous and unless there was something of outstanding interest I will not be commenting. We did not take any photos either! The border crossings were all of a similar nature, an inept cluster of inefficient individuals purporting to be part of an official Government organisation. Unlike the border crossings of South America, where there were no charges, these were more like a cottage industry than an organised government agency, keeping as many people earning a bit of cash as possible and having travellers moving from official to photocopier to official to bank to official. For the first time we also experience that every crossing, both exit and entry had to be paid for. There was also a degree of blatant official corruption at each crossing too. It took more time to complete the formalities than it did to ride through Central America and it cost more in border crossing fees than it did in fuel!

10 Aug 06 (Thu). Ciudad Neily Costa Rica – Managua Nicaragua: Ruta PAH & Coast Road: 435 Miles.
We had been recommended by a customs officer yesterday to take the direct route north along the coast instead of staying with the PAH and riding through the mountains to San Jose. He did say that a section of this route would be on tracks but our bikes would be fine. The bit he didn’t say was that it was a muddy stone track about 50 miles and after rain would be like a skating rink! Never mind, all part of the fun slipping around on road tyres; just to hones the skills a bit!

11 Aug 06 (Fri). Managua Nicaragua – Honduras – San Miguel El Salvador. Ruta PAH: 270 Miles
While we were clearing the Nicaragua/Honduras border we met Sam, an Irishman riding KTM 650 from Ireland, through Europe to Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Australia, the USA and from Central America to South America. He had been travelling for 10 months and had a positive view of the all the countries that he’d travelled through; Iran and Pakistan were particularly high on his praise list which is encouraging to hear; wonder if we should go that way?

During the last couple of months we have been in contact with Pablo who lives in Guatemala and was keen to meet and ride with us for a coupe of days if the opportunity arose. We had arranged to meet him in San Miguel this afternoon and if we arrived early enough we’d ride on to his house on the Pacific coast of Guatemala. We were running late after another slow border crossing and were making good progress through the traffic when we approach a police check point on the outskirts of San Miguel, we thought we were clear to drive through when at the last minute the police made a very positive order for us stop and pull over. More checks we thought; then a red Mitsubishi Evo pulled in front us and the driver got out pointing at us and speaking excitedly to the police - had we cut him up, was he a plain clothed cop? No, he was a friend of Pablo who had come out to find us and lead us to the hotel, but on his way out of the city he’d asked the police to stop us and either give us directions or lead us to the hotel; that was a relief!

Meeting Pablo, he said it was too late to ride to Guatemala; which was a huge relief to us as we’d crossed two borders today and our tolerance and patience for another crossing was not high. The plan was to stay in this hotel tonight and leave first thing in the morning for a 6 hour ride to his house. After a very pleasant evening sharing stories it was time for an early finish although David, the Evo driver wanted to take us out partying he knew some very exotic places; maybe next time?

12 Aug 06 (Sat). San Miguel – Iztapa Guatemala: Ruta CA1 PAH, CA2: 260 Miles.
It was going to be an easy day for us as Pablo was going to lead which meant that we did not have to navigate and could just follow the leader. El Salvador is a very densely populated country and traffic was bumper to bumper as we left the city and the obvious consequence of heavy traffic, poor driving and little observation of the rules was evident as we passed a police cordon where a cyclist had been knocked of his bike and killed, but left in the road waiting for other agencies to arrive to deal with the incident.

Crossing the border from El Salvador to Guatemala holds the record for the shortest crossing time so far; 50 minute, but that was with Pablo using his influence to get the Customs Officer to get the forms signed quickly. The last part of today’s ride included a couple of ferry crossings of the coastal mangrove swamps, which was another of those interesting experiences as you’re never quite sure that you’ll make it to the other side! The ferries were similar to the one we used to cross to Copacabana in Bolivia, but very much smaller and considerably less stable; as we made slight turn, the ferry flexed and one of the bikes shifted and came close to being tipped overboard!

We arrived at Pablo’s weekend retreat to be met by his wife Lucky and children (big children) Pablo, Marcela and Danny. This was a very nice weekend retreat indeed; set on an island amongst the mangroves and waterways of the lagoons around Iztapa. Lucky was offering snacks that were more than welcome but not until we’d showered and changed, she thought we smelt like goats, can’t possibly understand why; I’m sure we’d put clean shirts on at least three or four days ago and as the temperature was only in the high 30s….

Showered, fed and smelling more acceptable we were off with Pablo and Marcela in one of his boats for a tour around the neighbourhood, and quite a neighbourhood it is too. The Pacific Ocean was pounding the sand bar beach that provided protection for the community; this sand bar had once been the site of luxury houses and hotels but surf had gradually eroded the beach and the final act was hurricane Mitch that wiped out all of the sea front properties and the continual erosion is expected to take its toll on the next line of habitations in the years to come. Never miss the opportunity for a sunset shot as we made our way home pasted the pelican nest and the more elusive and unphotographable blue and green parrots!

This evening we were treated to a delicious supper cooked by Lucky of shrimps and Anacates mushrooms that can only be found in the forests of the Guatemalan highlands, with the conclusion to the evening being a tropical down pour that’s volume even surprised Pablo and thunder and lighting that was cracking overhead which turned into a bright electrical storm providing constant light without the thunder; very spectacular.

13 Aug 06 (Sun). Iztapa – Tikal: Ruta, CA9, CA13: 407 Miles.
With a glorious sunrise and light early morning mist to start the day, Pablo would lead today and ride with us as far as the El Rellend on the Rio Dulce where we had lunch and parted company, he would have a 7 hour return journey to Iztapa and we would attempt to cross the border into Belize. On the ride to lunch there was one of those hairy moments again; on a long sweeping right hander, bike laid over for the corner, without warning there as a large oil spill right on my line of travel. Both front and back ends slipped away left with alarming speed. I knew that this was going to be more than a challenge to get straight and there was potential for total disaster. I had to get it under control before I could do anything about controlling the speed and direction, just hoping that the road remained clear of traffic! Shut off the throttle and stay off the brakes; opposite lock to counter the left slide brought the front under control but sent the back end out to the right, opposite lock the other way sent the back out left again. I’d learnt from my motocross days that you have about three goes at straightening a bike when its fishtailing, then it will most likely dump you on the forth bounce! I was trying to identify my exit route too as I knew I was not staying on the road. The back end came back into line and stayed there, now I could steer and brake. There was a good run out on the apex of the corner, just to the side of a bar where a few fellas’ were enjoying a morning beer or two. Anchors fully deployed and steering for the point that what gave me the longest run without hitting something or someone I left the road and was on gravel; now, ABS brakes might be useful on a firm surface but cross country they’re about much use as an ash tray on a motorbike, they do not recognise the urgency with which you are hauling on the brakes and it stops you locking up the brakes which increases the braking distance enormously! Rather alarming!

The bike came to a halt inches from the wall which I was aiming at, thankfully and as it did it was off balance and I just stepped off it and laid in on its side, to be surrounded by the excited locals; not sure if it was because they were concerned for me, or for themselves thinking that they were going to get Beemer in their beer?

Mick S had been following me at this stage and his thoughts, from his diary, as this was unfolding were; “We were riding as usual on the edge, when Mick D hit an oil spill on a long right hand down hill bend. I saw the back end step out and immediately wound back on my throttle. All I could see was Mick’s bike fish tailing into the distance and out of sight. There was no way he would be able to hang on to it; there were three possibilities that flashed through my mind and staying upright was not on the list. I would see him coming back in the opposite direction on the front of a truck; he would be piled into a tree, ditch or something on the other side of the road or best case he would have high-sided, been dumped but stayed on the tarmac but no doubt done his shoulder damage again or worse. To my amazement as I crested the brow of the hill and rounded the bend he was laying the bike down and stepping off literally inches from a concrete wall and surrounded by a stunned crowd of blokes that had been sitting quietly having a beer. I pulled up and rushed across burbling something like “how the **** did you hang on to that!!” He composed himself and dusted himself down, lifted the bike upright with the assistance of the also amazed crowd and jumped on then we were off as if nothing had happened. We rode a few hundred yards down the road and Pablo was coming back to see what had happened, a brief explanation and we were back on our way”.

We had lunch at El Rellend on the Rio Dulce at the mouth of the Lago de Izabal a massive lake that is a major boating location, where the fish and turtles congregate under the wooden walkways of the restaurant ready to snap up any morsel that should be dropped to them causing the water to look as though its boiling with so much activity. It had been a great 48 hours in the company of Pablo and his family and he had one further piece of advice; the road from here to Flores was deadly in the wet as the surface is as slippery as soap; this advice he did repeat a few times just to make sure that we got the message! We parted ways and in no time the afternoon rains came in torrents and we slowed to a crawl in order that we did not test the limits of traction; done that in the morning.

14 Aug 06 (Mon). Tikal – Belize City: Ruta CA13: 175 Miles.
We had intended to cross into Belize yesterday but with a slow ride to Flores and being in the vicinity of Tikal, a World Heritage Site of the Maya Indians, we though that we should visit the site. I’m sure that we would have been given some grief from home is we’d ridden past it and not visited? This, as with Machu Picchu is an amazing feat of engineering, precision building on this scale is magnificent irrespective what it’s purpose was and as an tourist attraction it is well restored, with continuous archaeological explorations, finding and restoring new sites. Unlike Machu Picchu, we did not have a guide, just wandered around taking a few photos, enjoying the jungle and its sights and sounds, so we have no facts or figures to write about, you’ll have to look it up for yourselves! There was a troop of monkeys in the trees tops but too elusive for the camera, as well as the birds and bugs, but the turkeys were willing to pose. This has been the only jungle that we have seen so far on this trip as mass clearing is being conducted to make way for agriculture and development.

Crossing into Belize was doddle. Pay a few Dollars to the Guatemalans for the exit stamp (all genuine and above board) and enter Belize through there very friendly and efficient procedure. Ah, must be that good old Brit colonial influence? Just vehicle insurance to pay for once we had our passports stamped and we were in Belize City within two hours. What was noticeable from the last time I was in Belize, some 23 years ago was that the jungle had disappeared! From what I can remember the jungle came up to the road in many places but now it was all agricultural land! But Belize City hadn’t changed, still smelly and dirty.

11 Aug 06 (Fri). Belize City – Escarcega Mexico: Ruta 186: 486 Miles.
It may seem a bit of a detour to go from Guatemala City to Belize to then be heading back to the west coast of the USA? There were two reasons for this, one we wanted to visit as many countries as possible and two we had pre-positioned 4 sets of tyres via the RAF at the British Army Training Camp under the safe keeping of the Quartermaster. The joy of going to a British military camp is that you can get a cup of tea! While our tyres were being found we had our first cup of proper tea since leaving the Falkland Islands, and very nice it was too. It was only a short visit before we were heading north to cross into Mexico at Chetumal, pay US$15 to the Belizean authorities to exit and US$20 to Mexicans to entry Mexico, which was all very straight forward.

MEXICO
Mexico was a blur and blast along its biggest roads that were usually toll roads to avoid the Topes (speed bumps) that are placed with almost careless abandonment, in places where there seemed to be no reason to have one and often they we unmarked which meant sliding the bikes into them if seen in time or being launch out of the seat! It was the expensive, very expensive option but it was a very efficient method of covering a lot of ground quickly. We crossed the Tropic of Cancer without seeing a sign for it (if there was one) which was a pity as we missed the equator too. It was at about this latitude that the terrain started to change from the influence of the tropics and the jungle turned to the dry prairies and desert with searing dry heat and little or no humidity.

We did see a massive rain storm hovering on the edge of high ground one afternoon; it was unusual as it was just a column of rain; the edges were clearly defined with a rainbow, not in the conventional arch but as blobs at the foot of the wall of water! Trains were new to us too, big ones, we measured them at over a mile in length being hauled by up to 7 engines!

16 Aug 06. Escarcega – Veracruz: Ruta 186, 180, 145D: 516 Miles.

17 Aug 06. Veracruz – Victoria: Ruta 180, 81, 85: 484 Miles.
We took a well earned and needed lunch break at Tampico and ventured into a road side Dominoes Pizza. After the usual language difficulties Mick S thought that we had got the order placed. We took a seat and waited patiently when a girl asked in broken English to confirm our order as only a small Pizza and some chicken wings? She also, probably wanting to practice her English, asked us about the bikes, what and where we had been. Thought nothing more of it and our food duly arrived. We moved out to the bikes and while preparing to saddle up a young pizza boy ran out and thrust a yellow post it into Mick S hand and indicated it had come from someone inside. It read “Have a great travel. The world needs people like you, because you go for your dreams. Keep your adventure soul!” Presumably from the girl that had spoken to us? Mick S said that the rest of the ride was thought provoking as a result of this message; was this really a profound thing that we were doing, were we really adventurers with souls, does it really conjure up those youthful dreams that he thought he was the only schoolboy daydreamer, were we living our dream? It had a moving effect on him all day, that out of the blue someone would write that and he hoped it had inspired her to get out of flogging pizzas and do something, if that is the case then that’s great but we will never know.

18 Aug 06. Victoria – Chihuahua: Ruta 85, 40, 49, 45: 575 Miles.

19 Aug 06. Chihuahua – El Paso USA: Ruta 45: 244 Miles.
We left Mexico at Chihuahua and crossed into the USA at El Paso. We joined the queue of traffic waiting to cross and slowly inched our way forward for a couple of hours, being told by one very drunk pedestrian that we can jump the queue as we were on bikes. This advice we did not take as it did seem a bit necky! But sure enough he was right as a car driver told us the same and when a customs officer saw us he called us forward too. Clearing customs and immigrations was quite easy, even though Mick S said that I got my hackles up to early! Customs and Immigrations were friendly and more straight forward than the equivalent at US airports. They’d had a number of bikes through recently doing the same as us and though that we were part of a Trans-America race.

The first job to do in the US was to get bike insurance and after a few calls to insurance brokers; most of whom did know that Alaska was part of the USA we were put in contact with Harley Davidson Insurance (001 800 832 4449) and they were superb. Once we had established a US address that details could be sent to it was swift, efficient and cheap; US$90 for each bike, third party liability for a year covering us for the USA and Canada.

20 Aug 06. Admin Day in El Paso to catch up on the writing and laundry.

We are supporting:
Charity:
Macmillan Cancer Support – http://www.justgiving.com/mickdaly-hereford

Schools:
Christ College Brecon - http://www.christcollegebrecon.com/
St Richard’s Bredenbury - http://www.st-richards.co.uk/

Our intention for the next week. Did we achieve last week’s intentions? We crossed Central America and Mexico in 10 days, a total of 4133 miles averaging 413 miles per day.

Next is to reach the Canadian border by the end of next week, about 27 Aug 06.