Newsletter

16th Edition, February 1, 2001

"...Subtly at first, and then with more force, I felt the bike starting to labour and inexorably lose forward momentum. I shifted down a cog and continued, but the drag worsened. ...Then I looked down, and knew with certainty that we were sinking. The surface here was not as solid as the previous day, and we were making heavy weather through what was rapidly becoming soft salt-topped mud. Oh dear, I thought, or words to that effect."

Connor Carson, UK, in Pakistan

15th Edition, January 1, 2001

"...They were more than a little dispirited, but we consoled them with the newsletter ...'Look, there are other people out there doing the same mad things, driven by the same inexplicable compulsion.' I think we all felt a slightly warm and fuzzy feeling at the confirmation of the existence of this brother (and sister-) hood of RTW motorbikers..."

Siobhan McInerny, Ireland

14th Edition, December 1, 2000

"...Without a doubt-without a shadow of a doubt the best enlightening, growing, fun, insane, unforgettable, weird, bizarre, educational, crazy, incredible experience of my life of 23 years. However, don't think that our traveling days are over. Oh no!! ... My only advice is that if you are thinking of having a little adventure of your own-- leave now without further procrastination. Don't use money, jobs, and materialism to stop you from experiencing life. Drop everything and GO!!"

Ryan Wagner and Dan Koengeter, USA

13th Edition, November 1, 2000

"...When the last jeep of the guerrillas is fleeing, they see me and then return. They yell, forcing me to go with them. 'If you try to escape, we fill you with lead', is their final warning...along with other seized hostages and several confiscated trucks, we went into the mountains using dirt roads...The level of my anguish and anxiety is increasing with the passing of the minutes, all kinds of thoughts go through my head: Kidnapped by the guerrilla, what a way to finish an adventure for Peace."

Ricardo Rocco Paz, Ecuador, in Colombia

12th Edition, October 1, 2000

"...I'm off tonight to a Carnival/Music festival with a group of 17-24 yr old babes (braces an' all) and no one thinks (or says) that I'm an oldster, they are so marvellous and have become great friends they want me to stay here. The Brazilian audience is wild and superb everyone sings along with the performers. 'When I die, I don't want to go to Heaven - I want to come to Brasil`- Wish I had discovered this country before."

Keith King, UK,in Brazil

11th Edition, September 1, 2000

"...A clean room, hot water, safe parking and a hotel full of women, what more can be requested?"

Ricardo Rocco Paz, Ecuador, in Brazil

"...Nairobi is a dangerous city. Very dangerous. Especially at night when it's dark in the treacherous alleys. My first walk ended in hospital, where the doctor sewed my wounds and where I left a puddle of blood on the green sheets..."

Dirk 'Krid' Bernhart, Germany, in Nairobi, Kenya

10th Edition, August 1, 2000

"...We opened up the second pannier and knew it was full of stinking clothes. We hadn't done laundry for over two weeks, and Kevs socks were almost leaping out of the bag as we unzipped the hold-all and the knickers were equally as gruesome! The stench hit our nostrils and in a fit of impatience, Kev grabbed a handful and shouted at the Officer, "solo ropas" (only clothes) "necessito limpiar" (need to clean!) and proceeded to shove them right under his nose. The Officer stumbled backwards as if hit with a brick and coughing, finally waved his hand to say he was done."

Julia Powell and Kevin Sanders, UK, in Bolivia

9th Edition, July 1, 2000

"...Not far out of Opuwo a dozen or more Himba women stopped us. These are the ladies who smother their bodies in animal fat mixed in red clay (or something red). The smell was...mmmmm different."

Ken and Carol Duval, Australia, in Namibia

"...Christel had to use a long black all covering chador riding the bike, but 25 liter petrol for 1US$"

Theo Geilen and Christel, in Iran

8th Edition, June 1, 2000

"...There we were, home free, the wind whistling past our ears again...And that's when the road stopped and the bridge did not start. The edge of the new road just hung over the deep river bank staring at its counter part opposite."

Julia Powell and Kevin Sanders, USA, in Bolivia

7th Edition, May 1, 2000

"...we managed to get out of Vientiane before the bomb/grenade went off..."

Erin and Chris Ratay, USA, in Laos

"... A night in jail in Honduras, paying $6.80 for a BIG Mac in Tokyo, finding that condoms can carry gasoline, and splinting my own broken bones were pretty mild stuff compared to the bureaucrats in Egypt."

Greg Frazier, USA, home again, ruminating on round-the-world travel