Around the World in 800 Days

Amen to that!

I will say that it's tough to go completely wrong with the Wine Spectator's points system. You probably aren't going to find a bad vintage of Opus 1 or Screaming Eagle, for instance, but few I know can afford to drink that high up market more than on very special occasions. I certainly can't. Beside, I have had great experiences with what some might consider mediocre wines. I have really grown to appreciate some of the old vine zins made from Lodi fruit, that give you this big mouth full of fruit that many wine aficionados can't stand. For me, the fun is in sampling different wines and finding something I like, that doesn't have a huge price tag to go with it.

The smaller boutique wineries are great for that, the same with in town tasting rooms that will carry wines from smaller places with low productions, say under 1000 cases/yr, that don't have (can't afford) their own tasting room. They enter into these co-op arrangements with independent tasting rooms that is becoming a trend in downtown Napa right now, and not a bad one. WS doesn't bother to rate many of the boutique blends, and that's fine with me. The dirty little secret of for profit magazines... "if they can't afford to advertise, we can't afford to mention them...". It's not wrong, it just 'is what it is' as my good buddy Geoff says.

I say screw the lable 'taste, experience, and buy a few bottles if you find something you enjoy'.

Re: how to get to Africa. I've never done it on a bike, but years ago working in the travel industry we took a ferry from southern Spain to Tunisia. I know this ferry has been upgraded, takes vehicles, and is affordable. We found Tunisia to be very safe, because we only ever saw about 3 people the whole time we were there. Libya is still refusing Americans I believe. Double check that, or try in advance to get a visa. Access to Libya makes it all easy for you. Failing that, Tunisia, Morocco, then follow the coast south, Mauritania, Senegal. If you can make it to Bay of Guinea and cut cross country to Rwanda you're in business. Rwanda, for all it's brutal history, is probably the most stable country on the continent currently. And they have Starbucks now! From Rwanda to South Africa your biggest problem will be not tripping over tourists.

I'm rethinking that as I type it. Couple of countries are too dodgy (I know you hate being told that but this is 'guys with rocket launchers type dodgy', not get your pockets picked dodgy. Option #2: obtain a Libyan visa on the grounds that you are a moto-journalist, seeking to draw attention to what a great moto-tourism destination Libya is…if you can scoot through Libya, cross The Nile just south of the Egyptian border and get over to the Red Sea coast you're laughing. Great, reasonably safe route south from there.

Option 3 (I'm just brainstorming here, maybe this can't even be done). You and the bike hop a freighter in Turkey that's headed south through the Red Sea. Disembark in Eritrea or Ethiopia. You avoid Somalia completely, you're safely around all the unrest to the north, and ride Ethiopia-Kenya-Tanzania-Malawi-Zambia-Zimbabwe-South Africa. Plenty of shipping options from there.

Getting across the Sahara is a lot trickier than it use to be. If you can get permission, the route south from Morocco through Mauritania use to be relatively safe (and for the most part paved) - of course, it is not as dramatic, beautiful, or challenging as the old route through Tamanrasset and there's not a lot to see or do, even in Nouakchott . On the upside, you get a chance to ride Morocco (there be wine there too!), and you do eventually make your way to Dakar and there are lots of options from there.

The Algerian crossing is stunning (if you make it) - although it is long, hot and requires some degree of care (and no, don't take it alone - particularly south of Tam). It is too bad Timbuktu is off limits these days - definitely worth the trip.

If you go up the Nile, you get to ride most of Egypt (which is very cool), but you will be on a boat from Aswan to Wadi Halfa and then a train to Khartoum. Surreal trip, but not much riding across the desert. And Patrol is right, by all means, avoid Somalia.

I like Patrol's suggestion of hoping a freighter - perhaps all the way south to South Africa and then look to ride north. It would give you time to see how the politics shake out in the Sahel.

In every case, scope out the weather - you will need to commit by Fall or a desert crossing will be unbelievably hot.....

This map was made by the Canadian government:
It shows which countries may be more dangerous than others




Option 1 is not good for me because I want to travel down the east coast of Africa. I understand that obtaining Visas is difficult at best in some west coast countries.
Option 2 has me going thru Libya which I not so sure about.
Option 3 is best but has me and my moto sailing on the most dangerous waters in the world. But it might be the only way......that or another airplane. Or maybe just another motorcycle starting south of Sudan. But how many 500cc or bigger motorcycles are for sale in that area and would I want one anyway
The truth is I could probably ride straight thru the center of Africa (Sudan to Mali) without any troubles if I just kept riding and didn't stay in one place for more that a night. Good thing is I don't have to think about it right now. Right now, I just want to get healthy, get back on my moto and enjoy Europe while there is no snow on the ground

Asianrider has a pretty great report from the region.

http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=619155

His map is a couple years old, so he got through Egypt, etc. before a lot of the instability, but he came up the west coast pretty recently. It may be a good source of intel for you.

On your wine business: How rad would it be to take a film crew to different vineyards and do a tasting, giving your honest (seemingly expert) opinion of their wines on the spot?! I'm sure you're familiar with Gary Vaynerchuk, love him or hate him, he built a pretty big empire on video blogs about wine (or so the story goes).

Godspeed!

Morocco has wine??????
Why doesn't anyone tell me these things sooner.......
LOL
Good tips
In another trip, I want to ride Spain to Morocco/Algeria to Dakar and then turn around at that point. That part of Africa seems doable. I think a good time to go would be in late October when it starts cooling off in Europe. Another reason to keep The Flying Dutchman close to Europe.

Yes, I can see it all now..........Film crew is rolling......I am at the prestigious XYZ Napa Valley Winery. Their wine maker pours me a glass of their finest 2009 Estate Reserve, I twirl the wine in my glass, swish it around in my mouth, spit it out at their feet and scream out..........."THIS WINE IS BLOODY AWFUL!!!!".......all with Top Gear style and class. And then wheelie off thru the vineyard on The Flying Dutchman lighting off sticks of dynamite and blowing up their vineyard in my wake behind me. And in the past year of my travels all the above stories are actually true. Just not all in one place at one time and without the cameras rolling..............

Note: I will not vouch for the quality of the wine..... but they say it is improving....

East, West, and North Africa are totally different experiences. A GSA would do well for a Morocco/Mauritania/Senegal r/t (BMW Mottorrad did some promotional exercise with GSAs in the Atlas Mountains in the past year or so - maybe one of the more knowledgeable members here has info.). The Dutchman might be a bit heavy for Algeria and hauling it on to the ferry in Aswan alone would be worth filming

Libya would be interesting, but remember, it only takes you east-west, won't get you across the desert.

If I do the Aswan ferry, I will buy some live chickens, leash them to my motorcycle to blend in and no one will even notice me

Just bury yourself in bags of flour.....

You've had a pretty good run so far, but I think you should forget all about Africa.

I was thinking wearing robes and towels would be better. With the chickens, I will just slip on thru.........pay no attention to the motorcycle behind your ordinary Arab chicken merchant

No
Gotta do some Africa........both North and South.
And besides, by the time I get there, there might actually be world peace

Just look at this beauty!
EFI
Electronic Ignition and start
80 years of development history
what could possibly go wrong???
And it can be yours for only $3000.
Just go buy one in India.
And I might just do it.
It is oh so tempting.
I need to do some more research but from what little I have heard, it sounds like a really stupid idea.
I have read the bikes are a pile of rubbish.
But I saw one ride by in Spain and it looked oh sooooo cool. And it was moving under its own power, wasn't dropping parts in its wake and wasn't seeming to be leaving a trail of fluids behind.
So will we see.
Even if the bike crapped out at some point, I would still have the experience of riding one around India for a bit, and I could just ditch it or better yet, toss it off a cliff and watch it explode in to a million pieces.
Might be worth it

Or I could just stay here in Lima and drink wine with the girl friend

Dude! I think you're frigg'n losing it.........

Run! Don't walk back to the Flyingdutchman and get back on the road!!!!!

First off, I am still too weak and dizzy to do any running or riding.
I have been on my ass for five days in bed, that is when I am not in the bathroom every other hour. Of course I am losing it!
After a year of frolicking around the world on my moto, my world has become a room 12 feet by 12 feet. I am going nutz here.

I'm certainly no expert on the Red Sea, but my understanding is you can almost walk the length of it by hopping from warship to warship, there are so many there. I believe the piracy problems are centred around southern Somalia.

The idea to ship into South Africa and ride north is brilliant, if that works logistically/schedule-wise for you. You could do Cape Town to Rwanda, see the best of what Africa has to offer, and be relatively safe.

If I was you, I'd put down roots in Peru, open a motorcycle business of some sort, and chase the bikini model around. Hopefully you are nothing like me, because I really need this RR to live vicariously through. You riding through central Africa is good for me (maybe not so much for you). Perhaps you could wrestle cobras along the way. Take up shark punching. All good for the RR, and thus for my entertainment.

Glad you're starting to feel better.

I just returned from Morocco, Egypt, and Ethiopia related to my work, plus a little R&R. I had no problems but you do need to exercise caution. And I would be careful in Egypt due to current political tensions. As one guy said every country can be very different. The people in Ethiopia were wonderful (and some hot women too!) but there is also extreme poverty in parts. I think the main issue you could have is potential theft but that could be managed. With good planning and judgement, go for it!

You should definitely do this. Buy the bike in India then see if the bike will make it to the East China Sea. Why not?



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