And finally, for tonight at least, an unexpected little cameo from the deserts of the Western Sahara.
— Mr Chairman (@BoardroomBoy) October 13, 2019
I’d just returned from an exploratory excursion off road around the rim of an escarpment to find this, a ‘Dr Livingston’ moment in the middle of nowhere.
Enjoy. Goodnight. pic.twitter.com/bbg6rukTrg
October 18, 2019
In the middle of nowhere.
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26 comments:
There are two kinds of people in this world. Those guys, who will leave it all behind, go over to Africa to just cruise on a bike, by themselves, in the middle of a desert. And me, who will go to a restaurant/bar on Sarasota Bay today to have a drink, watch the storm roll in, and think about those guys riding their bikes in the African desert by themselves.
I have to say, they are living a life.
BNW Dakar model. Single cylinder and chain drive.
Wall Street investor Jim Rogers went on a long motorcycle trip with a woman at least 20 years his junior. He didn’t marry Tabitha and later married another young woman. I think he now lives in Hong Kong or Singapore with his wife and kids.
Sounds like the motorcyclist was doing the Paris-Dakar route.
I wonder if he's on a BMW PD (Paris-Dakar) 1000, since he's going from Dakar to Paris.
Though it looks newer. Pretty sure it's a BMW. Maybe the new 1250 GS!
The P-D is a legendary bike made for moments like this anywhere in the world.
See "Long Way Round" with Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman
I've been across the country three times on BMW motorcycles. Nothing like it really.
David Begley: I went to see Jim speak in Chicago in the 90's about the book. It was amazing. I don't think that's a P-D. Too new looking.
"He gonna die for sure."
I’ve had that scene play out maybe 50 times. More, probably.
Most often it’s another motorbike, but occasionally pedal bikes. From on the Salar in Bolivia, following the Mekong to source in Tibetan China, on a death ferry to Sumatra in Indonesia, usually in the strangest places.
Just a few months ago three Californians on pedal bikes at a curry house in Botswana going from Cape Town to Cairo, an easier and common route that I think mockturtle would like, by 4X4, mostly paved.
I met my best adventurer friend, a British lady, in Australia this way. We crossed paths again in Canada and we’ll cross paths in Africa in a month.
On motorbikes, it’s usually Germans and Brits. On pedal bikes, It could be anybody from anywhere. I met a hilarious half-starved Japanese guy following the Cordillera Blanca in Peru on a pedal bike.
Yanks are underrepresented.
Here’s the strange thing: solo travellers like this meet, chat for a while, and move on usually after 20 minutes or so. Only occasionally do you continue together for a day or more. The feeling is quite formal. Inexplicable. However I was in southern Colombia when trouble broke out around us and rode (and hid) with 2 young Americans who were a bit traumatized by the circumstances for a couple of weeks, until we were safely into Ecuador.
Hundreds of stories about meeting other solos, usually short.
David Begley, as far as I know the PD was always a boxer. No single cylinder. I know thy had the single cylnder GS but was it ever in the PD livery or trim level?
Where is the safe traverse of the Congo Republic?
For some reason, the post shows the text below the headline for only a moment. A day ago, it was Chrome only but now it it Firefox, too.
I've been across the country three times on BMW motorcycles. Nothing like it really.
I put a lot of miles on a mid-80s R100RS, all over the western US (loved that fairing! - take off the lowers and you have serviceable jeep-road bike), and a friend rode an old BMW 500 twin down ("two wheeled tractor") to Tierra del Fuego and up to the Arctic ocean. The scene in this post looks like his pics from the Altiplano - once he ran out of gas and was propelled by a sail he made from his tent. Now he rides a Suzuki, and a few months ago was in the Canadian news for his off-road adventures up there.
“See "Long Way Round" with Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman”
Good guys.
But not solo, did a very short route, had a support vehicle, and were at zero risk.
The best are solo, don’t make movies or use social media. Why would they? They want to ride the world by themselves for a few years or more, meet challenges without an audience, come home with few selfies, and slip right back into what they were doing, usually successfully, before. There are more than you’d think.
The exceptions are the fully sponsored solo riders. But they’re rare.
TML
I owned a BMW for a bit. What I figured out was that I had to really pay attention to other drivers. This was before smart phones and I’ve got to think it is more dangerous now.
I bought a BMW because I read that Zen book by Pirsig back in the 70’s.
Wow, a Brexit Scot! You don't see one of those everyday.
Temujin in a restaurant/ bar on Sarasota Bay having a drink, watching a storm rolling in while thinking about two guys on bikes by themselves in the desert.
You,Sir, are living a life...
Cheers!
David Begley said...
Wall Street investor Jim Rogers went on a long motorcycle trip with a woman at least 20 years his junior. He didn’t marry Tabitha and later married another young woman. I think he now lives in Hong Kong or Singapore with his wife and kids.
Investment Biker! I read that book in college, had not thought about it in a long time, thanks.
Probably available through Professor A's Amazon portal, definitely a good read.
Lots of places in the world to see. Those in Muslim countries are not on my list.
Too bad they didn't have anything more interesting to talk about.
“Where is the safe traverse of the Congo Republic?”
I haven’t done it, but from Ndende to Brazzaville. The very hard one is immediately south of that, through the DRC from Kinshasa to Lubumbashi.
If you want to see 2 pedal bikes doing an epic ride through the area, visit this great photo essay:
https://maptia.com/archie/stories/the-road-to-kinshasa
Fantastic photography, lots of hardship.
Phil 314 said...
Where is the safe traverse of the Congo Republic?
________________
At 35,000 feet.
Western Sahara has an amaateur radio club. S01WS.
I didn't think the scenery was all that impressive, but I guess when you've gone to all that trouble you have to pretend it is.
David Begley- I concur on "Zen" . I read it, too. Loved it.
The German’s bicycle trip to So. Africa wears me out just thinking about it.
For some reason, the post shows the text below the headline for only a moment. A day ago, it was Chrome only but now it it Firefox, too.
I've been having the same problem. In order to see linked tweets, I have to open the comments and click on "Show Original Post".
Escarpment! Not a word you hear every day.
I admire people who do things like this, but have never felt the urge to do any of them.
It occurs to me that there's tourism, traveling, and trekking. I'm a tourist who tolerates travel, but trekking is right out. One thing I like about Theroux and Raban is that they aren't particularly strenuous when they travel, aren't looking for adrenaline highs, if you will.
Narr
Why did Chief Mogumba ALWAYS look down? Aiiyy!!
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