ADVrider - December 08' Peru to Virginia trip

This ride is featured in the 2010 March issue of "Rider" magazine.
Titled- "The Long Ride" Enjoy!! Thanks Jim!! A.K.A. James Petersen

The purpose and fundraising side of this ride was published in the 2009 May issue of "The Rotarian" magazine. It is a publication for and about the history, projects, and accomplishments of Rotarians worldwide. You can see it here :deal http://www.rotary.org/en/MediaAndNew...lediaries.aspx

Four of us landed in Lima,Peru in Dec. and rode back to the states. Click on my links below to read more about the how and the why of this ride. It was a trip of a lifetime. We had some incredible riding, saw some incredible sites, and got to meet some incredible people. All the things you want in an adventure. I was unable to keep up with posting on this ride report while on the trip due to a fast-paced timeline, bereaucratic custom officials, and a lot of breakdowns making for some very long days. We had some family fueding, a very scary wreck in the Peruvian Andes, and got drunk a lot. Salud!!!!!! The trip was a success and at last check we raised a lot of money.

Alittle info on how this ride started. My step-father Ken told me 2 years ago that he was interested in riding South America and Central America on his motorcycle. He asked me if I was interested and I said hell yeah, at the same time thinking in my head yeah right. Time progressed and plans started to emerge on how to make it all happen. I was alittle overwhelmed with it all but continued to be a part of the planning. Well, then we bought a BMW R1150GS for me that needed some work and the trip got real. Other bikes were bought for the trip for other riders and I had to work on all of them more than once. I enjoyed the knowledge gained from the repair work but it was a lot of work. Ken is a 23 year long member of Rotary. Ihttp://www.rotary.org/en/pages/ridefault.aspx I invite you to learn more on The Rotary Fondation.
Well, for the past two years, my step-father's Rotary Club of Newport News has been involved in building footbridges in Honduras and Peru. Thus far, they have helped build nine bridges. They can be viewed at www.bridgestoprosperity.org. My step-father came up with the idea of riding from Lima, Peru to Newport News,VA to raise money for the fondation. The initial goal was to be $30,000. That goal was then raised to $60,000 and was paired with an application for a $300,000 grant from Rotary International. If that grant was awarded, the Rotary Club would initiate a $360,000 project to imbed footbridge building technology in Zambia, East Africa. It is a huge project that is supported by my step-father's Club, the Rotary District 7600 and Rotary District 9210 in Zambia, and other Rotary Clubs around the country. Even though our goal was large, the potential rewards were enormous. This project will imbed, within Zambia, the ability and capacity for them to build footbridges with an average life span of 40 to 50 years. These bridges will connect villages with schools, medical clinics, and agricultural markets and lead to dramatic improvements in the lives of thousands of people for many years to come. This ride was a trip of a lifetime and will benefit many at the same time. It does not get any better than that.
Peru, Ecuador, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, U.S.A.:freaky :clap

http://www.rotarybridges7600.org/index.html