From Estonia with love (Round the World)

Bernadette, two thumbs up from us and go for it. We consider it a compliment. Very nice work done!

If there's something that beats also (even the mighty analog) photography for me in terms of art in it, it's the real thing itself - painting. It's just so human, no robotic software or pixels involved in creating it

Yes, IMHO a footprint is a 100% must if you want the tent's own floor to last. I think Hilleberg should include this with every tent, otherwise you'll damage your very expensive high-end tent too quickly and get highly disappointed (but then again, high-mountaineers and arctic expeditions - Hilleberg's main bread, they count every gram and camp on the soft snow most of the time so they don't need it.) Floor was the only place some drops of water leaked in from after around some 100 nights, it finally got some micro holes from sharp rocks, pieces of glass, nails and other sharp objects you actually mostly find on official camp grounds soft grass after some "partying" someone had done on the same spot. Looking at our tent now against the light I'd even flip the footprint 180 degrees after around every 50 nights or so the small microholes between footprint and tent's own floor don't match up (we learned this now). Ideally I'd probably buy a new footprint after there's too many small visible holes if you look against the light.

With our minimalist travelling style we wouldn't have used GT version vestibule space effectively enough. Weight was important for us two-up on the same bike, so we had 3 person version with all our riding gear we took inside the inner tent to fill this one spare place, so nothing valuable gets stolen from the vestibule. Only our smelly riding and walking boots, wet clothing, some food (tied into plastic bags, so rats, cats etc don't find it by smell - although cats have a tendency to come and look around in the vestibule by curiosity too, they have some sort of nest-instinct or something - and create holes with their nails while playing there - we know this ) we left in the vestibule. We often found some secret bushcamp place where we could barely squeeze in with our regular version of Nammatj 3 - with trees, rocks, walls, our bike and other room restricting settings, often we thought of this and with long GT wouldn't fit in many occasions.

I'd recommend GT only if you go travelling with 2 bikes, have detachable panniers and lots of loose stuff so you have and need a lot of space for camping anyway - big vestibule GT adds some comforts in this case for sure. Or if you're really gourmet-type of cooker yourself with a lot of dishes and equipment that need good clean space to manage then GT would be perfect. We basically had only one spirit cooker just hand's reach outside the tent and on rainy days we would just sit in the vestibule, open the outer door to use it (only our hands got wet while cooking). I wouldn't cook inside the tent anyway - all the food smells etc stick on it in time...

Some film shots from Hamer people in Ethiopia.

Portrait of Hamer man - see the compass as a necklace.














Wooden guns were part of some sort of ritual.






...::: LISTEN the sounds of their women making in the bull jumping rituals :::...




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Turkana tribeswoman.














Turkana woman closer.

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Oh thank you! I really appreciate your approval. My apologies for not remembering where each photo is from - if you (or any followers) have any input regarding the location or person in my work, feel free to let me know! I have not made money from my work (not really my goal!) but if I ever do, and it's due to your wonderful photos, I will add to your paypal account, for sure! I will occasionally post an update with new work. Seriously, I can't say enough compliments about your photos and excellent ride report.

Those last film photos were absolutely amazing. Great job!
My friend Bernadette is a non rider that I introduced to your travels about 1/2 year ago. She's loved reading through the entire report and I'm glad to see her post paintings and have you acknowledge them. You two have made an amazing journey and have touched more lives than you might imagine. I'm so happy that you touched a friend of mine and brought her into this adventure. I expect only to hear of great things from both of you in the future.

Hi Margus,

i saw that u have some wide pics like the above. Is that multiple pics with Sigma and merged with SW or has been taken with your Pentax lens?

thanks in advance!
Pavlos

Marcus..i'm from Portugal and i cross that bridge (25 April Bridge) everyday twice...to go to work....nice pic...hope you both have enjoyed Portugal....

It's with Sigma compact shooting multiple pics and merging together, basically just a vertical panorama.

With those grilled platforms it makes crazy sci-fi sounds below too, reflected from the water and supporting columns, at times it sounds like some sort of a space port.

AHAH yehh...but when we cross it in a car motorcycle or in the train...the sound is not like that...we only ear that sound when were under thm or near them...

Hi you two, hows the bike TLC coming on, any more surprises?

Yes, we crossed it too with Abilio's car and on the bridge you almost can't hear anything. It's the sounds from the deep you hear in the recording

That's how our bike looks like now:















Sorry, no pro-garage, just everything do-yourself, home-brewed style. "New" design input shaft for the gearbox is in order, that hopefully "cures" our gearbox to go beyond 150 000km without a bearing replacement. Top end I don't plan to touch - out of curiostity I want to see how far 1100 powerplant can go without an overhaul with running cheap car-oils like I do, I'm already satisfyed with 250 000 km it has collected, but hoping it'll be over 300 000+km. Just received package containing Throttle Body rebuild kit from Dan Cãta, should run smooth as silk once the TBs are done. Will write about it when the time comes.

Margus

Seeing this makes me remember the time-lapse video of the previous time you opened up the gearbox on route

oh yes. winter time is good time for small inspection of the bike

Seen it more apart when you were on the road

Least you shouldnt need tyres for a while....most tread youve had for a while

I think she'll be right as rain, Ride magazine in the UK have just stripped down a R1100 engine with over 100k miles and there was minimal wear

I have heard of a BMW mechanic in Arizona with over 500,000 miles on an 1100GS, with only a cam chain guide replacement. I have seen several with well over 100,000 miles. I think that is one of the best engines BMW has ever built. (the best is the Rotax 650 single IMHO)

Yes, that's Hank. We met him in Chile when he was on his Pan America journey, doing this leg with his g/f:



And his R1100GS mileage back then was this:



(707 000 kilometers!)

Engine all stock except the plastic camchain guards (and I assume camchain tensioner(s) too) got worn out once. One time gearbox bearings replaced, some 4-5 times final drive bearings replaced. That's pretty much it.

I'm guessing why his engine has done so well is because he's very careful on maintaining it. If I remember correctly he uses only Mobile 1 full-synthetic oil and replaces it after every 5000 miles instead of 6000 like manual states. He's also a pro BMW mechanic, so he knows his way around the bike and he's making living from it now in Texas

I've been running cheap semi-synth car oils in mine most of the time and mostly going over 6000 mile limit when travelling so can't expect the same mileage from mine. If mine gets past 200 000 miles without top end overhaul I'll be happy.

Not sure if it's been posted before, but I discovered I have a radio show recorded about North-American music, to kill our time in Djibouti while we waited for our Ethiopian visas for two weeks.

It's from the vinyls I sucked into the computer, many bought from Detroit while we were in USA, to be listened through our iPod on our travels. Music records have mostly been the only things we buy as souvenirs (to be sent back to Estonia with post ASAP - no room on the bike for them ). That was then, this is now - I can finally listen the real thing:

Our good ol' tube amp that's now fired up again.















Along with turntable.









...::: Click to listen the music show :::...





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Skip my estonian speech, just some selection of American music what I like.

Playlist:

1. Chick Corea – Christal Silence (ECM, 1972)
2. Lonnie Liston Smith – Expansions (Flying Dutchman, 1975)
3. Jimmy Smith – 8 Counts for Rita (Brown Sugar, 1978/2001)
4. Jaco Pastorius – Kuru/Speak Like a Child (Epic, 1976)
5. Funkadelic – Red Hot Momma (Westbound, 1976)
6. Ellen McIlwaine – Higher Ground (Luv N’ Haight, 2005)
7. Joni Mitchell – Goodbye Pork Pie Hat (Asylum, 1980)
8. Herbie Hancock – Getting To The Good Part (Columbia, 1982)
9. Gladys Knight & The Pips – Bourgie Bourgie (Polystar, 1981)
10. Roy Ayers – The Golden Rod (Polydor, 1976)
11. Herbie Hancock – Sun Touch (Columbia, 1975)
12. The Detroit Experiment – Too High (Planet E, 2003)
13. George Benson – The World is a Ghetto (Warner Bros, 1977)
14. Isaac Hayes – Joy (Stax, 1973)

Background: Kool & The Gang – Summer Madness (De-Lite, 1977)

Ohhh valves...

Reminds me of my old Vox A30 from 1963... and my Marshall JMP 50W from 1968...tube soumd is more organic, more alive.

Cool photo, Margus.

Say hi to Kariina for me.

You friend, Abilio

valves and vinil...keeps running here to....

this is absolutely amazing...cant wait to see the rest of it..

please do message us when you're in Indonesia, would be an honor to assist you both ..