Light....yes, the light from the sun guiding us 20,000 miles through 15 countries. The light of our motivation pushing us forward with a bit of a crazy idea at our ages. And the lightbulb that went off in one of our heads coming up with a plan a year in the making.
People always tell you to do crazy things while you can; and it's a damn great idea, but no one ever tells you the planning involved in crazy ideas. Sure, there are a ton of people who get up and just go, without a care, a doubt, a worry. For the rest of us, it takes a helluva long time to plan something nutz, and in this case, with all the planning complete (well theres rarely the reality that ALL the planning is ever truly finished), I'm trying to figure out how to cram it all in to this blog. I tell ya, it's a lot, but its important. I started this blog to try something different:
I've read many many blogs about motorcycle journeys up to this point, and while the stories shared make the wait for my own turn all that more exciting, theres seldom any help in making my own dream come true.
THAT BEING SAID: Because the trip is not for another 3 months (from the date of this post), I want to provide as comprehensive a guide as I can to how I've personally planned this trip: the tools I've used, the forums I've joined, the money I've saved and spent, the whole damned lot. That way, just in caseeeeee theres someone out there wanting to do something just as crazy, it'll give you a bit of an idea what you're in for and the websites, people, places to get in touch with along the way.
Once all the planning is done and written out here, me and my buddy Nik will be writing (mostly me though, hes a lazy bugger and I'm too damn motivated about keeping others happy) about the adventure from the get-go, from here in Ontario all the way to Buenos Aires, a trip thats gonna be attempted in two months, another something you never really hear about.
We plan on heading out in January 2011, with two KLR-650's, and a minimum of gear. No GPS (way too expensive in my opinion, although trust me im gonna wish I had one), no extravagant budget (this is a bit of a shoestring trip) but at the same time, no worries because we planned this so well. The most important object I'm packing for myself is my Canon Rebel T2i. Just got it the other day, just so I could physically...mm visually, please you guys along our entire journey. That and it's 1080p support will allow me to Video Log the entire trip (but as of now i'll be editing and posting that on my youtube channel only after I get back due to time constraints taking so long to edit in hotels along the way).
Yah I know were supposed to be enjoying the experience, ya I know people tend to do this over the span of 6mo- a year, but I'm fresh from University, engaged (yeah, I don't need to hear it from all you, I'm getting one hell of an earfu....sorry lady I know you're reading this I best shut up if I know whats good for me), and needing to be finding a home as soon as i come back. I figure if we ride hard, and I do mean hard, we just might make it. Earlier this year we travelled through Gaspe to PEI and back, 4000 km in 4 days. The true endurance test to see if we could push even half that a day on this trip. Wonder if it would be setting any records. Bah, anyway, can't drag this one forever, but there will be loads of blogs coming shortly.
Just to keep a few of the hopeful buggers who have fallen upon my blog coming back, heres a quick colourful map of the trip:
View 20,000 Miles Under the Sun in a larger map
(OK dammit google, I cant embed the whole map because there are pages). But.....
Thats the map, its quite detailed, so detailed in fact, google keeps messing up the page numbers on me. But remember, like i said, I like to plan, its still rough, but its planned precisely. So hopefully I can provide every one of you reading this the same level of planning to prevent hours of using useless forum search engines (Sorry ADVRIDER, but you're search is one pain in the ass).
Before I go, let me introduce myself:
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| It was warm, I look happy but trust me, i'm sad |
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| I promise you my waist is not really that small |
I'm Rob --- Mr. will try anything once, maybe twice if provoked....including a ridiculous trip across continents. Been an avid rider for hmm maybe only 15,000 km but skilled every minute of it, love photography, and of course, wine, another reason for the trip. Yeah I'm a vintner so to speak: work, breathe, sell, make and live wine everyday. Chile/Argentina here i comeeeee. Other than that, I suppose just your textbook 23 year old.
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| See, we're pretty good right? |
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| He'll be wearing that helmet so much be the time the trip's done his earring will be forever embedded into his brain |
This is Nik --- Will also try anything twice, about as hard-headed as I am. We'll call him the instigator, watch over the course of the next five months the trouble he will get me into :P. He's been riding as long as I have, we've always done the outdoor stuff together since mid-high school. He'll probably be the reason you'll keep reading this blog, trust me (:
More to come on PLANNING,
Robeeeez
