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13/07/05
Well ,after having grief from the Sudan embassy I decided to use my "get out of jail" fund to fly the bike and me out of Addis, and Africa , all the way to Rome. I had met a German couple who had come down through EGYPT, who said the bureaucracy was a nightmare etc, also my passport was nearly full, my carnet didn't have enough pages left, because my planed route across the med from Alexandria, was not an option, no ferry, which meant ether Libya or through the middle east, both stinking hot desert this time of year. So it was a flight to Rome, and wait three days for the bike to arrive by freight, boy it was good to be riding again, went around the Mediterranean coast into France, then up through the middle to stay with friends for a couple of days, then a 4 hr ride to St Malo and back to the rock. I was sad to leave Africa, I have so many memory's from such a relatively short trip, most from the children, and the older people I have met and had a great time with, also some of the places I have slept, or pitched my tent, some bush camps were truly awesome, I could go on and on, but that's it ,at least for now!. I have worked out that if I sell my house, I will be able to travel for 45 years, with the same kind of budget, makes you think.!!. My sincere thanks to all who kept in touch, through the net, it means a lot when you are out there on you're own in a foreign land. Somehow I don't think this will be the last big trip, or the last time in Africa. thanks all.
All the best
John
13/06/05
Hi there, back again. I was a bit naughty in dar, I turned up on the spur of the moment at Colin Dawson's, Clair and Dave Shorto's dad and in-law, but he was very kind, and I had a great time .stayed there over the weekend and left on Monday morning heading up towards the border with Kenya. I got as far as Moshe, at the base of Kilimanjaro, found a really nice old rundown colonial stile hotel, big courtyard with massive non working fountain, it must really have been something in its day. I didn't see any thing of the mountain because of mist and low cloud . Next day I got over the boarder and rode up into Nairobi. I was looking for some digs when a black guy on a 250 Honda stopped and said that I was in a dodgy part of town!. He recommended a place that had safe parking just up a street nearby, a good place for next to nothing. I really enjoyed Nairobi, it had a feel like the helmsman pub in the old days, a bit raw, but nice people. I was there for about a week, trying to sort out visas for Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt, and got to know quite a few of the locals,. I had my first haircut in 6 months, a grade 3, wish I could have taken a photo of the barber and his shop!. I also picked up a spare back tyre, so I look like a real overland biker, with a tyre strapped on my back. Before I left a lot of the people around new me, known as mister John. I set of riding around mount Kenya towards Ethiopia, didn't see the mountain because of mist and low clouds again. From Isiolo towards Marsabit I thought I had to go in convoy, but a guy at the petrol station said there was no trouble so I went on the dirt road for 260ks, then from Marsabit to Moyale, was 250ks of worse dirt road, someone had said it would take 3 hrs, 7 hrs later I rode in to the border at Moyale. after the border I was heading up towards Addis Ababa, and met two bikers coming the other way on Honda Africa twins, had a chat for a while, then I went a bit farther and camped. In the morning I set off and nearly got to Addis. I am now in Addis, and will try to get my Sudan visa tomorrow on Monday. no sign of the trouble here, all is very quiet .the next stretch towards Sudan should be very scenic, I will se how the bike runs at altitude. I had my first puncture yesterday, not bad after 19 thousand miles! .
All the best
John
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25/05/2005
Well I managed to tear myself away from kasani, complete with thumping head. the border crossing was fairly painless, then on to Livingstone, and Vic falls. the falls were very impressive, I got soaked to the skin, as you do, was nearly dry by the time I was back to my tent. then I headed up towards the Malawian boarder I had heard that students were revolting in the capital Lusaka, and when I passed through there were police and army people all over, but no sign of trouble, not very revolting students. I entered Malawi at mchjnji, then on my way to Lilongwe the heavens opened and I took shelter in a big warehouse, stayed there the night, sleeping on a big pile of tobacco, smelt a bit in the morning!. from there I had a big riding day to get to nkhata bay, where I stayed over the weekend, very loud crap music till 4am sat & sun, glad to move on up and into Tanzania, a superb biking road through the mountains. I had one bush camp high up which was superb I could have stayed for longer, then another long day and bush camp, and now I have just got into dar es salaam. there is a friend here I have to stay at, so will be here a while. just to cheer you all up , it is raining here as well. by fore now.
All the best
John
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12-05-05
Hi there Fred , Every one here is well imprested with the delivery of the
starter, it got here on wed, just 6 days" that's what I call service. it went
straight in, and the bike is now back running, thanks very much mate. I hope you
enjoyed liberation day, I hear it was a big one, hope the weather was kind.
Every day is a sunny day here. I will ask my sister to pop in and see if she can
sort the bill out, her name is Jackie spacer . I will be nipping over the border
into Zambia probably on Monday, and will go to see Vick falls on the way. Thanks
again Fred,
All the best
John
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12-05-05
Well I was heading up towards the border ,to go into Zambia, on my way to Victoria falls when the wheels fell of, not literally, but the bike decided to brake down on me. at first I thought it was the battery, as the motor would only turn over very slllooollleeey, so had a new one sent from Jo berg ,9 days later, with new battery, no difference! KASANE is a small town on the edge of a game reserve, and the wildlife roams through all the time, to go to the chobey river fore drinks and eats, so it has been an entertaining time. I have been through chobey game reserve twice, have been on chobey river to see the crocks and hippos plus elephants and all sorts, and been into the bush on a game drive, had a game of golf in the bush, plus lots of tinnies and bries (barbies). I finally decided that the starter motor was the problem, and asked Fred at Millards if he could help, within 6 days Fred had had one sent straight from England, what service, the local guys here couldn't believe it, they all said 3 weeks minimum. the new starter has done the trick and so I am running out of excuses, I am having a bash at the local pub on Friday, for all the guys who have looked after me, and there is a birthday party on Sunday, so will set off on Monday, maybe!. there is also a squash court at one of the lodges? so have had 2 games of squash, its a hard life!! see you at Victoria falls.
All the best
John
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17-04-05
HI ALL, Thanks very much for all the birthday greetings. I spent the night in pubs along Long street in CAPE TOWN, then back to the backpackers I was staying in. After resting up in a nice place called THE STOPOVER, in Windhoek for 5 nights, I headed down the road towards cape town, I had met a guy who had written a travel book on Namibia, and he recommended I go to Fish River Canyon and a 4 x 4 track on the way down, the canyon was impressive ,but the 4x4 was a bit much for the state of the bike and also me, so I stuck to the good dirt, which was really enjoyable, cruising along at 50 with a plume of dust behind me. Back on tar, on boring straight roads down to CAPE TOWN, got in just before Easter, and had a hell of a job finding somewhere to stay, I got lucky again, and got in the best place in town, a back packers hostel and some. On the wall it said no illegal substances? but you could place your order at reception fore something to smoke!, it had a good bar and live music, and a free barber on Sundays, there was a balcony the length of the building two floors up, where I would sit and watch the action down below, I stayed there fore 11 nights, in between giving the bike a much needed rebuild, a new back tyre change, rear and front sprockets, mirror ,clutch lever, front and back disk pads, clutch cable, throttle cables, spark plug, oil change and filter, clutch adjuster, clean air filter etc. I then headed down towards cape AGULHAS, the most southern point of Africa, where I took my boots of and walked into the sea, just to say I had walked of the end of Africa, it was a good feeling. I then set of along the garden route, a road along the south coast, staying at the beautiful JEFFREYS BAY for 5 nights, where I was treated like royalty, invites to Barbie's, with a lot of beer involved. then up towards JO BERG where I was going to meet a friend of Ralph Browns, but after struggling through some big city's, I didn't fancy J B , so past by, up to GABORONE, then to FRANCIS TOWN where I am now. I will be setting of towards VICTORIA FALLS maybe on Monday. South Africa had an air of tension, with problems between blacks and whites still apparent, and I want to get back to the real Africa, further north, where colour doesn't seem to mater so much. Also I want to get back to the wilder side of the continent. I bet spring is sprung over there.
All the best
John
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08-04-05
Hello all you anxious Whalley-watchers out there - it's John's sister
here. We had a phone call from John this evening and he is fine. Since arriving
in Capetown just before Easter, he has been having problems logging on to his
e-mail account and this is why he has not been in touch or replied to any of the
messages he has had recently. He has now moved on from Capetown to a place
called Jeffrey's Bay where he is hanging out with the surfers and
dolphin-watching. Unfortunately, he is still unable to access his e-mail
account - we are not sure why but hopefully the problem will resolve itself as
he moves on. Will keep you updated if John doesn't manage to.
Best wishes
Jackie Spicer
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20/02/05
Hi all,
Finally left Ghana and rode along the coast to Togo. The border crossings are
getting much easier the more I do. unfortunately I only spent two days in Togo.
It seamed like a nice country, went half way up ,then across in to Benean where
I had arranged to meet the others before crossing into Nigeria. had two nights
in Parakou till they all turned up, then across to Nige, the border crossing was
a long affair 3half hours, the guys had not seen a carnet before, so I had to
wait for the big chief, then a big discussion and finally through. The small
track from the border was the worst yet; came off twice, up to nine times now.
Had to bush camp the first night, cant remember all the towns we stayed in but
headed up towards the north east, the idea was to go to the Yancary national
game reserve and do a touristy bit, the reserve was a run down affair, no water,
sometimes electricity but worth going, didn't see much wildlife. We were told
that visas were available further north for Cameroon, so rode up, but no visas,
so had to ride all the way down to Calibare in south east, it was the hottest
yet in north nige, murder on the bike. by this time I was travelling on my one
again, the others were getting stopped all the time in police checks and other
checks, where they were letting the bike sail through and I felt safe enough.
Arrived in Calibare on 13th Feb, stayed in a guest house where a lot of official
convoy drivers were staying, they were running some official lady around in
unmarked Peugeot 504s. On the 14th they decided that I needed a woman, so hired
a prostitute for me for valentines day. I had to be my most diplomatic to get
out alive, had a good time though. had my first road kill in nige, I hit a
chicken that wasn't quick enough, sorry dom,. from Calibare it was up and in to
Cameroon, the border was a pleasure, deep in the rain forest single track road
with trees to the edge, the Cameroon side was a dirt road with incredible
scenery, lots of birds and butterfly's, went over a massive viaduct with a huge
waterfall, all the little villages, saw some pigmy people, I thought they were
children from a distance. I rode on down to Douala on the coast to look for a
rear tyre and some chain lube, no luck, the tyre might last till S A, I will
see, should have brought more chain lube with me though. From Douala I have
ridden along to Youonday to get my Gabon visa, the quickest yet,10 min, no form
to fill in, no passport photos, just 35000cfa s. I am staying in a hostel type
place, there are two other travellers here, a mining engineer and a film
director, you couldn't make it up, we were talking about a reality show in an
overland truck
All the best
John
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19/01/05
yaaaa wazzup man , All is well, I am down in Gana just west of Acara the
capital, in a camp site called Big Milleys back yard, it is a popular place for
overland tours have just got some good up-to-date info on Nigeria and other
places. From Bamico I rode down and across to Bobo Laso in Burcina Faso, stayed
in the capital Ouagadougou fore three nights ,then got my Gana visa and headed
south ,the dusty wind called hamatan made it a real shit to ride in so I was
trying to get away as far as pos, the pollution that most of the vehicles pump
out is unbelievable, I am sure some of them are still running on coal. Acara
itself is another mad capitol, and I was lucky to find a place on the beach with
a chalet to myself called acuma village ,a bit more expensive than I am used
to but it was worth it. I went to the UK high commission to get info on Nigeria,
they say places to avoid but don't say not to go, so I will plan to go, I will
let all know before I set off. I am trying to meet up with an English biker I
met in Bamiko to Mabey go through together. Big Millys is in Kocrobity about
thirty k west of Acra along the coast, another camp site right on the beech with
good bar and food, I hade my first pitsa in a small place just up the track last
night, superb, Big Milly it a small English lady very nice, I will stay here a
wile and see if Ian on a RS BMW, the English biker turns up, I have actually
sent him an e mail (I think),. will keep in touch
All the best
John
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04/01/05
hey spent new year in Bamico the Mali capital ,the ride here was a mixture of
smooth empty tarmac and the worst dirt track so fare ,it was really bad
corrugations for 160 kilo ,spent a lot of time alongside the track ;took 2 days
; just like trials. Bamiko is a great place ,full of friendly people ,I am
staying in a catholic mission ,really cheep ,3000 cfa per night ,there is a bare
cum eatery across the street ,so am living well .have met several travellers
here ,a Dutch guy turned up just after me riding a 49 cc zundapp he had done a
similar route to me ,don't know how .will be getting my Burkiner Fasu visa
tomorrow and then back on the road .I was thinking of you all over the hols
;sorry to here about Lucy ; just in case you wondered people are helping with
the net .thanks fore the e mails they mean a lot when away from home .on to
Burkiner then Garna Togo Benin ;will have to sort out Nigeria some time , it is
supposed to be possible now.
p.s. how was the new-year trial .that's it fore now
All the best
John
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I am in St Lewis just north of Dakar. it has been hard at times ,especially through the desert, two nights in the middle of nowhere. The bike is going really well, I am getting 200 miles to 10 litres ,with spare 10 litre can ,that gives me over 600 miles range, I needed most of that in Sahara it is a huge place with no roads or signs just sand. have already hade a shed load of experiences some good, some not so. The border from Mauritania to Senegal at Rosso must be the pits absolutely un describable .Christmas dinner was spent at a brilliant camp site called Zebraban ,15k from St Lewis, a great night with good cold beer. will be moving down to Dakar on Monday or Tues. All the reports are not to good so may keep moving on to Bamico in Marly. Met two German bikers at the camp site they moved off going north yesterday, am with a Swedish biker who has his one web page ,www.dakar.se ,iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiisome of it is Swedish but there may bee some photos to look at will sign off now
All the best John