Tales From The Bivouac, Dakar 2012

[Deadly99]

Originally Posted by lastplace

Robb and Niles generally enjoy show tunes.


You'll fit right in.

Show tunes eh

We'll see if my Canadian accent can combat three weeks of show tunes....eh!

Originally Posted by Dread Pendragon

Ted, these earplugs are seriously worth their weight in gold.



I have a difficult time sleeping, especially with any noise at all. When I go on rides with my friends they almost all snore (one guy makes the sounds of a calf being eaten alive, tail-first . . . true story!). I get terrible sleep, unless I remember to bring these. They darn near completely shut out the outside world.

If you don't have time to order some I might have a new pair I'd be happy to mail you.

Mike

Given I leave in a week and our postal services won't be running due to government forced holidays (Christmas) I don't think receiving something in the mail at this late hour is realalistic. A huge thanks for the offer though

+2 on hearing the story


I grabbed a handful of those orange ear plugs from the shop at work, should be fine as I'm half deaf from years of two strokes

[Dread Pendragon]

Originally Posted by Bluebull2007

That made me laugh. Go on- tell us the story!

Well, it's not that good of a story, but any story that happens in Moab is probably worth telling. The first time I went to Moab we didn't do much planning ahead, but were able to get a camping spot in Canyonlands Campground. It's one of those places that have 100 people camping within 100 meters (is it really "camping" if you can hear someone fart 4 tents over?).

Three of us were in a tent, shoulder to shoulder. I was in the middle and both of the other guys were snoring, but one guy started snoring especially bad. When I say he sounded like a calf being eaten alive, that is absolutely not an embellishment. I remember thinking that every camper within 80 yards of us had to be hearing him loud and clear and must be getting angry.

I finally decided I had better wake him up. He flipped over and went back to snoring "normally". I don't know how a person makes that sound. He was probably near death via sleep apnea and waking him saved his life.

[bumblebee1]

Hey Deadly.
Do yourself a favour and grab a couple of packs of silicone earplugs at any pharmacy. They're about five bucks a dozen. They're for kids but work great as I too am a light sleeper and use them all the time. you can combine one and a half to make a bigger one if needed.
There's some orange ones too.
Just make sure your hands are clean and oil free. Oh, and your ears too.

Bring back many pictures
Good luck and enjoy your adventure.

[Robb Mc]

Ted you'll be fine...

Earplugs are good, but you'll also be so tired you could sleep in a disco. Which incidentally, it will sound like in the truck most of the time. I'm also a big Cameo fan. Word up.

We'll have a nice sit down at the house before the race with the crew and talk about what to expect, what everyone's expected to do, etc etc. Then the race will start and we'll adjust that plan as necessary. I will also apologize then for getting testy at some point later in the race. It'll happen, don't take it personally!

Biggest thing is just to roll with the punches.. you'll have to get up before you want (we all do) you'll have to go hungry at times. You'll want to go to bed but have one more thing to get done before you do. You'll want to take a shower but not have time.. But as long as you keep a positive attitude and laugh a little, you'll have a blast.. Niles and I laugh the whole way through (which reminds me, sometimes we like to watch tv in the truck so if you want to bring some videos on your phone or ipod, we'll watch them in the mornings when we hit the road, before naptime).

See you in Mar del Plata!

[UngaWunga]

Very jealous. Have fun!

[4badboyz]

Hey Ted you lucky tard you!
I can only imagine what’s going through your head right now. Being a part of a team in one of the most renowned motorcycle racing events on the planet must be intimidating to say the least.
I think you need to give yourself some credit though. The team is very lucky to have someone as knowledgeable, focused, dedicated and experienced as you, along with them.
I’m Deadly certain that when it’s all said and done you will have made a solid contribution to the outcome of the event.
Cheers and good luck Ted!
we're with you every step of the way

[B-Rod]

Originally Posted by UngaWunga

Very jealous. Have fun!

No kidding. What an opportunity. Can't wait to get the book.

[Bluebull2007]

Sheet I'm getting excited, and I'm not even in your shoes.

[Deadly99]

And the drama begins.....

Originally Posted by Robb McElroy

And Ned hit's his first snag.. container delayed in Brazil, will arrive late in Argentina.. But should still be there in plenty of time.. Ned's relaxing pre-race vacation in Buenos Aires just became a bit more stressful.

P.S. I don't think we've ever done a Dakar where the shipping went smoothly. This is just the way it goes when shipping overseas.. As long as there are no further delays, we'll all be ok...

[MapRider]

Originally Posted by Deadly99

And the drama begins.....

[gagnaou]

Sounds like it is going to be fun!!! I am looking forward to hear your tales from the inside of the rally.

Luc

[bend27]

[Jadon]

Go for it Deadly! Based on what you have shared so far, this isn't going to be as easy as I thought it would be when you started this thread.
Best of luck in recording the nitty-gritty of the event as best you can, in spite of the turmoil that is Dakar. Don't forget that for tragics like many of us, EVERYTHING IS OF INTEREST!

Most of all, enjoy this trip of a lifetime to the full.
Travel safely.

PS: Where do we order the book?

[Deadly99]

Originally Posted by Jadon

Go for it Deadly! Based on what you have shared so far, this isn't going to be as easy as I thought it would be when you started this thread.
Best of luck in recording the nitty-gritty of the event as best you can, in spite of the turmoil that is Dakar. Don't forget that for tragics like many of us, EVERYTHING IS OF INTEREST!

Most of all, enjoy this trip of a lifetime to the full.
Travel safely.

Cheers

Originally Posted by Jadon

PS: Where do we order the book?

TBD

[Deadly99]

Once again, no editing done so excuse any typos or inaccuracies


For the 2005 Dakar, Charlie convinced his brother Dave to join him. A re occurring theme keeps appearing with these Dakar stories, triumph over tragedy. Both Charlie and his brother finished the race successfully after a very long struggle through the dunes of Africa. Dave broke his leg along the route and managed to keep riding his bike for days on end, this once again demonstrates that the stories that come from the Dakar are nothing short of inspiring. Charlies race resume continues and utilizing his experience he gained in the Dakar he started up a team called Rally Pan Am. An accomplished racer named Jonah Street joined the team and the rest is history. This friendship and business partnership has grown over the years and continues for the 2012 edition of the Dakar. In 2008 Charlie, Jonah and the team were at the start line of the Dakar. Due to terrorist activities in some of the countries that the race was to cross and a direct threat aimed at the ASO and the competitors; a hard decision was made to cancel the race. Imagine hundreds of race vehicles, competitors and thousands of fans finding this out the night before the race was set to begin. The RPA team decided to leave their vehicles and gear in Europe so that Jonah could compete with the top riders at the Central European Rally.


Jonah Street has certainly become the star of the RPA team; he is a top ten contender in the Dakar and has a very impressive resume. For a person like me, he is in the hero category and the prospect of hanging out with and getting to know him seems surreal. I, along with most of the Dakar tragic on the internet, have a great deal of respect for Jonah. Known not only for his racing accomplishments but also for his reputation as nice, humble and genuine person Jonah has become a fan favourite in North America. In previous years he has won stages of the race and had some very respectable finishes. Two years ago Jonah was in the top three overall before withdrawing due to an injury. A sponsorship program for Jonah was created in 2007 called the Riff Raff. You send in a few dollars and get some swag from his sponsors in return. For the past few years I have been a member of the Riff Raff and have cheered for Jonah to win, heck even my wife has gotten on the band wagon and asks every morning how Jonah did the day before. This is no small thing as motorcycles don’t fascinate her and in some way are actually resented due to the money and time away they represent in our marriage. For my wife to get “caught up in the mystic of the Dakar” speaks volumes for Jonah’s fan base. Fast forward and I was to be on his team playing a small part in his potential success at the 2012 Dakar, crazy.