Mechanics, Spain and siestas

Whoever invented siestas didn´t make any clause for emergencies. Everything stops at 2PM. Sleep time for mechanics, beer time for Marky.

This breakdown has been great for my Spanish though. It has been pushed to the limits with words like "chain" and "tow-truck driver" and phrases "Excuse me but my bike appears to have lost the will to live"

The chain is on order and I will get going tomorrow if no more siestas get in the way.

My mechanic´s name is Paco. That is a a great name.

I´ve posted the camping gear to New Zealand to try and lighten the bike. I´ve also tossed out all of the clothes and books. I´m going to be travelling with my leathers and a pair of shorts. Nothing more. Super-light. I like it. The panniers have done their duty, but will now be retired as a present for the bike mechanic to say thanks for doing the work tomorrow (hopefully).

Hope springs eternal.

The bike, the road and me - but no chain

I continued riding south and was less than 5 kilometres from my final destination. Plenty of time - it was only 11AM. Happy days.

I got directed onto a diversion which led me to an odd area. I asked my way and was pointed down a road that was a local road. Spanish local roads are good if you want to do your washing in the back of a car, but no good for my type of bike.

My bike was getting shaken up lots. I stopped to read a map, went to start off and when I tried to get to second a horrible crunch came from below.

I quickly thought it might be the gear box and remembered what the guy the who built the cross-Australia road said to do, I went up the gears so as not to stop the bike. If a gear was stripped, I might be able to ride all the way to help in a higher gear.

Nothing... all the gears seemed shot. The engine seems okay. I am in the middle of nowhere. I have euro RAC, so ring them. It is a laugh because they can´t find me on their maps. they ask for landmarks, but I am at a loss because I really am driving on a little road and am surrounded by shrubs. Nothing. Nada. Nothing but sun.

I check the bike again. Under my panniers I can see the chain is shot. Doh! The steep valley climb and the weight on my bike must´ve taken it too far. My poor little bike couldn´t take it!

Six hours later, two tow trucks and two bike shops later I am in a hotel waiting to see the mechanic tomorrow.

Everything was wonderful and sweet and beautiful and then the bike goes belly up and world goes black. Funny though. I would laugh if it weren´t happening to me. Well, actually I am laughing, but I wasn´t yesterday...

Riding the Spanish highways

All the bikes roll off the ferry with roars and pops. We all go in a convoy and then slowly peel off to our individual destinations until there is only me, eating the tarmac with my bike, alone, warm and loving it.

I get off the main highway as quick as I can and switch to the smaller, twistier A-roads. The bike loves it. I love the bike. What could possibly go wrong? (see entries later as to what could possibly happen! But at this particular moment, there is only me, the road and the bike making life poetry together.)

I rode through a huge valley and began the climb up the valley walls. Halfway up I stopped for lunch, cooking some 2 minute noodles (plus an oxo cube for that extra special occassion) and eating the pot contents using some pliers I found in my toolkit. I love this life, this beautiful basic life. The view is stunning. Life on the road. Happy marky.



The view...


Riding through sunflower fields...

The cruise ship - nice way to start a holiday

I rode up to the ferry queue and was put in the bike queue. There were Dragstars, Harleys, BMWs etc. It was great. Parents would bring their chilren down the line of bikes and they would comment. Mine gotted picked several times as the bike the kids would have. Yay! My suzuki beat Harleys!


This sticker was on one of the dragstars in the queue...


On the ferry I had a room all to myself with a porthole view. Luxurious! It will only go downhill from here on my budget. Living on a budget is entertaining; I seem to recall 5 quid going a lot further than it does these days... insert old man Hamlin jokes here if you like...




On the ferry we had a caberet show that was great and a comedian that was terrible. His jokes went down like a lead balloon tied to a tonne of bricks.

The ship looked like a giant refrigerator. Lucky for me there was cold beer inside!

Ride to Portsmouth

I said goodbye to Nicci on the Sunday. Was sad, but also fun because we are meeting in ten days or so once I finish riding down Spain - in Malaga.

The ride to Portsmouth was glorious. It was hot and exciting. The bike wound its way through all of the roads, making beautiful leans on the curves.

I couldn´t stop smiling. The trip has finally started! It feels like I am standing at the start of a path and I can see it wind away into the distance, and I know I have long to go, and I am happy for it.





A small hiccup occured when I stopped to say hi to my old flatmates in Windsor. When I got off I accidentally knocked the emergency cut-out. I spent a good 30 seconds freaking out when the bike wouldn´t start again. Doh.

Day before the trip...

Less than 24 hours to go...

She got a clean ready for the trip.


And the final noddy touches were added...

Last day at the office

I had my last day at the office. I will miss the team here. It has been great working with them. Many of them have gone out of their way to tell me I am a b@stard today. I hope that is merely an affectionate way of saying they are jealous of the trip. If not, at least I've kidnapped a guy's toy sheep, holding it to ransom for a can of Fosters.

Next task - bumming around for the next six months. Lovely. Time to play on my motorbike!

Packing it in...

Nic and I are almost there. We've been packing up our lives into boxes. I chucked my spare pants into a box and was done, and then proceeded to spend the rest of the day boxing up high-heeled shoes. 20 boxes later we're all done.

Here are some shots of us hard at it...