Tuesday, 21 April 2015
Saturday, 7 March 2015
Daylight saving time...
Tuesday March 3rd I boarded a flight from Phnom Penh Cambodia to Seattle Washington ... There was a short stop in Bangkok Thailand and another 8 hours in Tokyo .. 15 time zones in total.. Topping in at 39 hours !! Tuesday was finally over..
Now home I am getting back into my old ways fast .. a stop at Gold's Gym in Issaquah they said it was 383 days since my last visit !! Down 20 pounds at 168 pounds its time to EAT .
Next stop is Canada to visit family and brave the cold weather .
The past year was certainly a lot different from travel thru Africa, or European countries. looking back at some of the highlights I remember the thousands of people in India who were constantly taking photos of me every day. The 800 cc BMW is out of place in India, as well as over landers who do more than cut a path across the northern provinces. It is a massive country, everyone is busy, on the move. I will remember so many people .. wow .. people buying me drinks refusing my money, the horn honking, the schools ... it seems everyone is taking classes of some sort.. Indian food !! I LOVE IT .. just a little less HEAT ..
My first night in Iran was in Urmia at Hussein's place .. where he and his family made room by sleeping on the floor and giving up their beds ... The opportunity to ride Iran and see the country first hand was priceless .. If I had traveled in a car I am sure it would have been very different , a motorcycle is the way to go. . My modular motorcycle helmet lifts up easily, so chatting at red lights is common, as I answer the standard questions over and over again. There are often photos, and email exchanges, an endless welcoming ...
I do have to ask myself how can a place supposedly be so bad , be so Good ? It really changed how I had, in my head , seen this part of the world. Walking the main Bazaar of Tehran I see women showing there independence by pulling back their head scarfs as they sit in crowded restaurants.
Police in the last Iranian hotel escorted me to the border of Pakistan joined with 2 other riders and armed " Security " the next 10 days or so were sobering, we had travelled from Quetta to Lahore
with armed men keeping us safe . They spent nights in the hotel lobbies , escorted us walking across the street, and riding down the road all day , every day.. As we moved away from the border region of Afghanistan towards bordering India it was finally in Lahore Pakistan that our armed forces let us travel on our own again. Resting along a road side near a compound of Osama bin Laden I will always remember a security force guy asking me if I was sacred ? Looking back I probably should have been, not that it would have helped.. but I guess it was my general feeling that most people everywhere are good that made me feel things will be OK .
Again on the Silk Road trail , I was north of Islamabad Pakistan on the famous KKH ( Karakoram ) highway. Adventure seekers from around the world have spent time in the Himalayas trekking near the 1200 kilometers of the Karakoram, that is unquestionably an engineering marvel. This road cuts thru the Khunjerab Pass and enters Western China at 4730 meters .. It was a ride I will NEVER forget .. !!
Avoiding Bangladesh, my departure from India followed the northern route bordering Bhutan into Myanmar. I felt after Myanmar all adventure travel was over . It became more of a vacation then an adventure.. Don't get me wrong , I like the nice beaches of Thailand and Cambodia , Starbucks, KFC .. cheap 4 star hotels, and great roads... But the type of travel in SE Asia cannot compare to the Adventure of places like Nigeria, the Republic Congo, Pakistan and the Sudan Desert.
The Motorcycle is collecting dust in Cambodia .. and I expect when the rains of the Pacific NW return, I will be back on the bike.
Watch for Canada, and a Seattle update, I know there have been requests from people on the road to see more of my homeland !! Cheers, Garth !!
Foot traffic in Turkey is often going under the street , instead of traditional crosswalks.
Me, in Tehran.
In Tehran, I think this is a protest painted on the building to free the Cuban 5 intelligence agents .. which just recently the last have been set free as part of a prisoner swap for an American held in Cuba.
This photo is from the roof top of the Grand Bazzar in Tehran
From Kolkata headed towards Myanmar in Meghalaya state of north east India . I did little trekking this past year, but found India to have some incredibale regions worth exploring.
Living root bridges in India .
Where ever Sake ( Japanese rice wine ) is sold in Japan ...
Vietnamese girls I met in Tokyo ..
This is my system for making coffee the past year.. it is simple, yet it makes a great cup of drip coffee.
Tokyo subway system ..you can eat off the floor or sidewalks its so clean !!
One final pic of me in Pakistan .. While in the country Chase Bank stopped my ability to bank online. I needed an American to notarize where I was.. The only way to find an American notary was to travel to the US embassy in Islamabad.. Surprised by my showing up on a motorcycle , embassy workers were soon snapping photos and uploading to face Book... A frustrating and also fun experience.
Now home I am getting back into my old ways fast .. a stop at Gold's Gym in Issaquah they said it was 383 days since my last visit !! Down 20 pounds at 168 pounds its time to EAT .
Next stop is Canada to visit family and brave the cold weather .
The past year was certainly a lot different from travel thru Africa, or European countries. looking back at some of the highlights I remember the thousands of people in India who were constantly taking photos of me every day. The 800 cc BMW is out of place in India, as well as over landers who do more than cut a path across the northern provinces. It is a massive country, everyone is busy, on the move. I will remember so many people .. wow .. people buying me drinks refusing my money, the horn honking, the schools ... it seems everyone is taking classes of some sort.. Indian food !! I LOVE IT .. just a little less HEAT ..
My first night in Iran was in Urmia at Hussein's place .. where he and his family made room by sleeping on the floor and giving up their beds ... The opportunity to ride Iran and see the country first hand was priceless .. If I had traveled in a car I am sure it would have been very different , a motorcycle is the way to go. . My modular motorcycle helmet lifts up easily, so chatting at red lights is common, as I answer the standard questions over and over again. There are often photos, and email exchanges, an endless welcoming ...
I do have to ask myself how can a place supposedly be so bad , be so Good ? It really changed how I had, in my head , seen this part of the world. Walking the main Bazaar of Tehran I see women showing there independence by pulling back their head scarfs as they sit in crowded restaurants.
Police in the last Iranian hotel escorted me to the border of Pakistan joined with 2 other riders and armed " Security " the next 10 days or so were sobering, we had travelled from Quetta to Lahore
with armed men keeping us safe . They spent nights in the hotel lobbies , escorted us walking across the street, and riding down the road all day , every day.. As we moved away from the border region of Afghanistan towards bordering India it was finally in Lahore Pakistan that our armed forces let us travel on our own again. Resting along a road side near a compound of Osama bin Laden I will always remember a security force guy asking me if I was sacred ? Looking back I probably should have been, not that it would have helped.. but I guess it was my general feeling that most people everywhere are good that made me feel things will be OK .
Again on the Silk Road trail , I was north of Islamabad Pakistan on the famous KKH ( Karakoram ) highway. Adventure seekers from around the world have spent time in the Himalayas trekking near the 1200 kilometers of the Karakoram, that is unquestionably an engineering marvel. This road cuts thru the Khunjerab Pass and enters Western China at 4730 meters .. It was a ride I will NEVER forget .. !!
Avoiding Bangladesh, my departure from India followed the northern route bordering Bhutan into Myanmar. I felt after Myanmar all adventure travel was over . It became more of a vacation then an adventure.. Don't get me wrong , I like the nice beaches of Thailand and Cambodia , Starbucks, KFC .. cheap 4 star hotels, and great roads... But the type of travel in SE Asia cannot compare to the Adventure of places like Nigeria, the Republic Congo, Pakistan and the Sudan Desert.
The Motorcycle is collecting dust in Cambodia .. and I expect when the rains of the Pacific NW return, I will be back on the bike.
Watch for Canada, and a Seattle update, I know there have been requests from people on the road to see more of my homeland !! Cheers, Garth !!
One final pic of me in Pakistan .. While in the country Chase Bank stopped my ability to bank online. I needed an American to notarize where I was.. The only way to find an American notary was to travel to the US embassy in Islamabad.. Surprised by my showing up on a motorcycle , embassy workers were soon snapping photos and uploading to face Book... A frustrating and also fun experience.
Don't say it cannot be done, I have been very blessed to do, and go to, many of the places I have and thank God every day for my safety and well being . Love Garth
Sunday, 22 February 2015
Asian Drivers
Asian Drivers : I have become one :) ! Don't laugh, its not a skill, it is a survival instinct. To survive they stay in the group, that extends to heavy traffic. Pull out into the traffic and don't look back , your part of the group. Most motorcycles do not have mirrors, and very often cars turn there mirrors in and never use them. Why would you use a mirror , your in the group. ? The culture is way to polite to honk there horns, so bad driving is never recognized , unlike western road rage, letting drivers know they did something stupid.
Left hand turns across several lanes of oncoming traffic are accomplished by slowly driving into oncoming traffic, one lane at a time. The oncoming traffic will swerve around you as long as they can, until eventually it has to stop. If you did look back into a mirror you would see that others have joined your group to make a left across several lanes of traffic you brought to a stop. I could very easily be the first one thru any intersection when a light turns green , but I wait , staying with the group , and never sure how big the group of traffic running the red light is , I avoid being part of any accident.
I find pockets of tourists are scattered around most countries, as they follow there guide books. Forty years later, tourism is still flocking to the genocide sites of Cambodia. Cambodians would love forget this past, and have the rest of the world see the country as it stands today. The architecture , universities, a young, fast growing middle class. I see I-Phones in the hands of those working long days, and everyone seems to have a motorcycle, or scooter.
Unable to fill the demand for construction workers , Thailand uses eager workers from Myanmar who work long days , every day, and put up buildings at incredible speed compared to western standards.
English teaching schools are everywhere , as well as shopping malls that have everything from cosmetic surgeons , teeth whitening, skin whitening, shops with the newest electronics, latest fashions, and movies. Students fill coffee shops bringing their I pads to staying connected, while sipping expensive tea...
I have broken my New Years resolution to stop exercising :) ..Staying at a 4* hotel with a good gym, I stood on a scale... 170 pounds / 77 kilo's :( down from the 188 pounds when I left Seattle last year. The Asian diet is healthy compared to western , so maybe I will just let weight be what ever it is and just stay focused on putting on some more muscle and getting in the gym more often.
There is still a lot for me to see and visit, but it will have to wait. Vietnam, Bhutan, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, East Timor are still on my radar.. but its at least another year and will have to wait until I return from the USA. I miss my bed, rain, cloudy days, friends, and family. I did meet an Australian travelling SE Asia on his motorcycle. he modified a carrier to take his surf board with him . He loved SE Asia, spent a year with his surf board, now headed towards India. I can see that its going to take some time to properly see these countries...
Chinese New Year ..
Many parks have these open gyms the public uses. In the early evening they are busy, as well as large groups in the parks doing aerobic exercise to loud music. " always groups "
Country life , farmers homes are kept above seasonal floods waters. It reminded me of parts of Africa where the kids stopped what they were doing at the sound of the motorcycle and came running to see what was going on.
Travel along the Mekong River is common between Vietnam, and Cambodia.
There are small and large temples everywhere. Homes , businesses , all have a temple where daily offerings are placed. I see everything placed in front from a cup of coffee, to cigarettes .
Cambodia hosted an international bicycle race , held at night businesses closed early.
Left hand turns across several lanes of oncoming traffic are accomplished by slowly driving into oncoming traffic, one lane at a time. The oncoming traffic will swerve around you as long as they can, until eventually it has to stop. If you did look back into a mirror you would see that others have joined your group to make a left across several lanes of traffic you brought to a stop. I could very easily be the first one thru any intersection when a light turns green , but I wait , staying with the group , and never sure how big the group of traffic running the red light is , I avoid being part of any accident.
I find pockets of tourists are scattered around most countries, as they follow there guide books. Forty years later, tourism is still flocking to the genocide sites of Cambodia. Cambodians would love forget this past, and have the rest of the world see the country as it stands today. The architecture , universities, a young, fast growing middle class. I see I-Phones in the hands of those working long days, and everyone seems to have a motorcycle, or scooter.
Unable to fill the demand for construction workers , Thailand uses eager workers from Myanmar who work long days , every day, and put up buildings at incredible speed compared to western standards.
English teaching schools are everywhere , as well as shopping malls that have everything from cosmetic surgeons , teeth whitening, skin whitening, shops with the newest electronics, latest fashions, and movies. Students fill coffee shops bringing their I pads to staying connected, while sipping expensive tea...
I have broken my New Years resolution to stop exercising :) ..Staying at a 4* hotel with a good gym, I stood on a scale... 170 pounds / 77 kilo's :( down from the 188 pounds when I left Seattle last year. The Asian diet is healthy compared to western , so maybe I will just let weight be what ever it is and just stay focused on putting on some more muscle and getting in the gym more often.
There is still a lot for me to see and visit, but it will have to wait. Vietnam, Bhutan, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, East Timor are still on my radar.. but its at least another year and will have to wait until I return from the USA. I miss my bed, rain, cloudy days, friends, and family. I did meet an Australian travelling SE Asia on his motorcycle. he modified a carrier to take his surf board with him . He loved SE Asia, spent a year with his surf board, now headed towards India. I can see that its going to take some time to properly see these countries...
Chinese New Year ..Many parks have these open gyms the public uses. In the early evening they are busy, as well as large groups in the parks doing aerobic exercise to loud music. " always groups " Country life , farmers homes are kept above seasonal floods waters. It reminded me of parts of Africa where the kids stopped what they were doing at the sound of the motorcycle and came running to see what was going on. Travel along the Mekong River is common between Vietnam, and Cambodia. There are small and large temples everywhere. Homes , businesses , all have a temple where daily offerings are placed. I see everything placed in front from a cup of coffee, to cigarettes .Cambodia hosted an international bicycle race , held at night businesses closed early. Wednesday, 14 January 2015
Cambodia
Happy New year 2015 !! Crazy thinking that 2014 is over.. it went incredibly FAST .. and now January is 1/2 over and I haven't done anything .. So if the blog is a bore ahhh sorry..
Have a look at my restored BMW F800 GS .. It was my Christmas gift to myself , new paint, and many new bits and pieces. $300 USD well spent :)
Not sure if I was just tired when I decided to make NOT exercising in 2015 my New Years resolution, or what, but so far so good !! How many of you are still keeping your resolutions ?
The highlight of the past year was Pakistan , riding to the border of China in the Himalayan mountains.. the low was probably the horrible traffic accidents in India..
A few days ago I entered Cambodia and headed the same direction most tourists do, to Angkor Wat .Angkor Wat is a world heritage site. First a Hindu Temple, now Buddhist, dating back to the 12th century . Over Lander Dan from England is here and we will catch up on each others travel before moving on again.
Although there are a large number of tourists in Cambodia, it is nothing like Thailand . Thailand was a lot of fun, but I needed to move on .. Lelo is a great friend from Tanzania who visited over the holidays. We will have a lot of laughs years to come looking back on our tour of Thailand. Hiking, site seeing, meeting up with our friends here, discussing our global travels, and future goals over more than a beer or tooo...
I asked this older boy if I could take his picture, and he started lining up his brothers and sisters for the photo.. :) it took him a while , but I loved watching him get them just right, more than the photo it self.
I should be on the banks of the Mekong River soon.. Boats travel to Phoem Penh Cambodia, then on to Vietnam. Its not an option to ride solo in Vietnam on your own motorcycle, so I may leave it someplace in Cambodia and take a boat for a visit while I am so close. A boat ride is probably just as safe as flying these days ... and I can swim if there is a problem !
It is still winter , and cold for most of you reading this, and if a day on a beach under the sun reading a book sounds like a good idea, let me know when your coming for a visit !
Have a look at my restored BMW F800 GS .. It was my Christmas gift to myself , new paint, and many new bits and pieces. $300 USD well spent :)
The highlight of the past year was Pakistan , riding to the border of China in the Himalayan mountains.. the low was probably the horrible traffic accidents in India..
A few days ago I entered Cambodia and headed the same direction most tourists do, to Angkor Wat .Angkor Wat is a world heritage site. First a Hindu Temple, now Buddhist, dating back to the 12th century . Over Lander Dan from England is here and we will catch up on each others travel before moving on again.
I asked this older boy if I could take his picture, and he started lining up his brothers and sisters for the photo.. :) it took him a while , but I loved watching him get them just right, more than the photo it self. I should be on the banks of the Mekong River soon.. Boats travel to Phoem Penh Cambodia, then on to Vietnam. Its not an option to ride solo in Vietnam on your own motorcycle, so I may leave it someplace in Cambodia and take a boat for a visit while I am so close. A boat ride is probably just as safe as flying these days ... and I can swim if there is a problem !It is still winter , and cold for most of you reading this, and if a day on a beach under the sun reading a book sounds like a good idea, let me know when your coming for a visit ! Saturday, 27 December 2014
Myanmar video
Its been a while since the last post, and visit to Myanmar, but I still have fond memories of travel thru the country with a mixed group of riders from around the world. Christian was one of the riders who made the Myanmar video . I hope you enjoy watching .
I have enjoyed Christmas in Thailand with a friend Lelo from Tanzania, and Ebin from Denmark. In a week its back to Bangkok, and soon after Cambodia.
Its been an exciting year visiting countries as Cameroon, Italy, Turkey, Georgia, Iran, Pakistan, India, Myanmar and Thailand.. The adventure probably was at its highest while in Pakistan, and calmest in Thailand.. Now enjoying Starbucks coffee again, I feel more at home in a rented house enjoying the holidays.
China has opened to unescorted travel and is on my GPS as a country to see. My dream is to spend some time in Seattle, & Canada, before eventually returning to the motorcycle. I am also looking at storing the BMW in Cambodia for a while and always having it ready for my next trip..
Christmas was also celebrated with a gift of TLC Tender loving care ... getting the BMW painted .. !! it looks great and seems it will be ready to do a few more miles. The bike now has 63,000 miles, and many new parts..
Thanks for all the nice emails over Christmas , its always nice to here from you.
Love garth
The Countryside of Myanmar , Thanks Christian ....
http://vimeo.com/111093622#t=12s
Friday, 7 November 2014
Burma / Myanmar
Hi Guys , Sorry for the delay in a blog update .. emails are more personal I know , but sometimes a quick post with pictures can give some reference to where I am. About 10 days ago I entered Myanmar with 10 other riders from Australia , England, Iceland, Russian, Dutch, German and myself. Its interesting traveling in such a big group and with other riders every day.. no conflict, we do all have a common desire to travel , learn , enjoy a few laughs, meet new people , so its a nice change ...
Next week the tour of Myanmar will be over and we will all go our separate ways again , for myself I look forward to touring Thailand for the first time. Many people speak great things of the country and the food .. so I expect to spend up to 2 months there .. Hiking in the north and kicking back on the beach in the south .
Next week the tour of Myanmar will be over and we will all go our separate ways again , for myself I look forward to touring Thailand for the first time. Many people speak great things of the country and the food .. so I expect to spend up to 2 months there .. Hiking in the north and kicking back on the beach in the south .
Friday, 10 October 2014
Kolkata or Calcutta ...
What/s up ?? The post title should say enough ... I am broke down in Kolkata India waiting on UPS to deliver motorcycle parts. Its been an interesting two weeks , visiting consulates of Thailand, Myanmar, and Nepal ...I also paid a visit to the national museum, parks, malls, coffee shops, and of course the annual Hindu Durga Puja celebration .. It lasted 4 days ... lots of lights , music, food and people every where ...
I had intended on continuing travels north onto Kathmandu, Nepal, then east towards Myanmar, but time is running out . October 30th I am entering Myanmar with 9 other riders . We are all on a guided trip thru the country into Thailand so I have no flexibility on dates. The stator on the BMW burnt up the first time in South Africa ...and now in Calcutta. It seems to me and most BMW owners, that its a bad design next to the exhaust pipes... and a very expensive fix ... The break down and time waiting for parts will mean no time in the Himalaya mountains, but I am happy it happened now instead of 1000 miles from now in Myanmar on a guided tour.
Over the course of travel I have also become a better mechanic able to repair or replace things like fuel pumps, stators, regulators, fork seals, steering bearings , cables, and wire or tape things up really good !!
If a hammer cannot fix it , its probably electrical !
Taking one's own car or motorcycle into Bangladesh is not really an option, so the next two weeks I will do a loop around small country east towards the Myanmar border.
India can take some time to get used to, but if you are willing to laugh at things we might find odd, or different it can be a great place to visit. People are everywhere, never alone and always watching where you step !! Riding here is an experience that will make me happy when its over. The country has a growing middle class and everyone wants there independence starting with a motorcycle or car.. making room for the added wheels every year creates a huge problem.. Cars driving right towards me are normal, as are the many accidents I have witnessed.
Walking can have its hazards also .. a cow walking towards me yesterday did his business just as we passed each other .. the funny was, we were both using the sidewalk :) ..
Kolkata now exceeds 14 million people , the growth is amazing .. I see residential development projects that make anything in Seattle look small. Growth rates averaging 6% require new housing to be built to house almost 100,000 new people every year .. Elevated roads are being built, trains and public transport all keep things moving..
The down time in the city has allowed me to rest and eat better than I had been . I have always liked spicy food, but India puts a whole new twist on SPICY ... be careful if making a visit .
I had intended on continuing travels north onto Kathmandu, Nepal, then east towards Myanmar, but time is running out . October 30th I am entering Myanmar with 9 other riders . We are all on a guided trip thru the country into Thailand so I have no flexibility on dates. The stator on the BMW burnt up the first time in South Africa ...and now in Calcutta. It seems to me and most BMW owners, that its a bad design next to the exhaust pipes... and a very expensive fix ... The break down and time waiting for parts will mean no time in the Himalaya mountains, but I am happy it happened now instead of 1000 miles from now in Myanmar on a guided tour.
Over the course of travel I have also become a better mechanic able to repair or replace things like fuel pumps, stators, regulators, fork seals, steering bearings , cables, and wire or tape things up really good !!
If a hammer cannot fix it , its probably electrical !
Taking one's own car or motorcycle into Bangladesh is not really an option, so the next two weeks I will do a loop around small country east towards the Myanmar border.
India can take some time to get used to, but if you are willing to laugh at things we might find odd, or different it can be a great place to visit. People are everywhere, never alone and always watching where you step !! Riding here is an experience that will make me happy when its over. The country has a growing middle class and everyone wants there independence starting with a motorcycle or car.. making room for the added wheels every year creates a huge problem.. Cars driving right towards me are normal, as are the many accidents I have witnessed.
Walking can have its hazards also .. a cow walking towards me yesterday did his business just as we passed each other .. the funny was, we were both using the sidewalk :) ..
Kolkata now exceeds 14 million people , the growth is amazing .. I see residential development projects that make anything in Seattle look small. Growth rates averaging 6% require new housing to be built to house almost 100,000 new people every year .. Elevated roads are being built, trains and public transport all keep things moving..
The down time in the city has allowed me to rest and eat better than I had been . I have always liked spicy food, but India puts a whole new twist on SPICY ... be careful if making a visit .
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