Finished

The last day of the trip and the last day on the bike. The sad day arrived with the destination being the freight forwarder in LA. We gave the bike a total go-over at the car wash, so hopefully NZ customs will be happy , otherwise it will be a bucket and mop in the customs shed for me.

On the road early to try and beat the heat in the inland valleys and it wasn’t long before we were on the freeways into the huge sprawling city of LA. I didn’t manage to see much as it took concentration to ride the six lanes, watch the GPS and look out for road signs. All at 65 miles an hour.

We arrived sooner that I thought and started the unloading process. Hell, did we carry that much stuff? Its amazing where it all fits.

A last look at the bike, a quick flick with the cleaning cloth, a BIG kiss and it was gone, hopefully on its way to Dunedin in the next week or two.

Sitting in our motel out by LAX it is hard to realise that it is finished. A dream for so long, yet 10 months has passed so fast.

A look back.

We rode from Valparaiso, Chile down to Ushuaia on the island of Tierra del Fuego, the bottom of South America, then up to Deadhorse, Prudho Bay, Alaska, the top of North America. Then back down through the Mid West to L.A.

A total bike distance of 60,000 km.

We rode for six weeks with our friend John from the UK, and a couple of weeks with friends, Scott and Joanne, then the rest was on our own.

We had no falls. A couple of close calls though on wet cobble stones

We had no flat tyres, although we helped a couple fix flats when they were not carrying the right gear.

The only problems with the bike were:

1. A flat battery on arrival in Chile, which was expected after sitting idle on a ship for so long.

2. A fuel filter change on the road side on the high mountain Andes in Peru after having bad fuel in Bolivia. Quite stressful when you are in the middle of nowhere and it is up to you to find and fix the problem.

3. A broken electrical wire from the ignition switch had the head scratching for a while. Nothing a pocket knife and electrical tape couldn’t fix.

We went through five sets of tyres.

Changed chains and sprockets once.

Bike services were done at KTM dealers in Argentina, Ecuador and Reno, USA.

Other oil changes we did ourselves and we would have to say that the KTM dealers in South America were fantastic. Everything on hand and very modern shops and great techs. Not what you’re led to believe.

Photos, thousands. Annette wore one camera out.

Cheapest country was Bolivia and the most expensive, Canada.

Biggest surprise would have to be how unthreatened we felt in South and Central America. Beautiful people only too willing to help and always greet you with a smile and hello. Good manners and a friendly smile will get you anywhere you want to go. Yet in LA it is very aggressive and tough. I was even told no one would cut my hair in a shop as I was white. Hmmm.

The other BIG surprise is what I thought the US would be like and what it IS actually like. Something that is taking me a while to formulate on.

Corporate bad boy would have to be Coca Cola. South and Central America are covered in plastic bottles and Coca Cola have 90% of the trade. No refunds on plastic bottles there, yet they can pay a 5c refund on plastic in the States. To see wee kids with rotten teeth from drinking so much Coke was real sad, and the price of Coke was less than bottled water, which Coca Cola owned as well, told you something. The flashest trucks on the roads where always the Coca Cola trucks.

Food in the south was fresh, wholesome and cooked on the spot. My favourites would have to be the roadside stalls cooking and selling all manner of meats, corns, and breads. Ones I remember the most are home made soup high in the Andes, fresh breakfasts that lasted us all day and the famous Argentine BBQs. I never could finish one. Fresh squeezed orange juice sold in roadside stalls was the best yet in Central America.

In the States its food everywhere of all kinds, processed, burgers all over the place and food from all over the world. Cheap food being the fast food.

Seeing the wildlife in each country has been magnificent. A true highlight.

Everyday was different and had its own story to tell.

Annette and I want to thank you all for following our adventure. Many thanks for all the emails and good wishes.

Special thanks to Scott and Joanne. A home away from home and we very much appreciated it. Your hospitality has been fantastic. We will even the score in this ongoing game at some stage Scott, rest assured.

Would we do this all over again? You bet.

We left not knowing what we would be getting into and finished realising that the world lives in fear of everything and everyone. Yet what everyone wants in every country is to do the best they can for their children. Be able to feed their family, put clothes on their backs and try and educate the next generation to do better than the previous. How hard can it be?

We look forward to a return home and catching up with our families, friends and the cat, as well as a good old fashioned roast, a Speights, and the first Vodka for Annette in 10 and a half months. Bring it on.