Don’t leave! Context will come:
>>Nanci and I got off the ferry at Gilimanuk in Indonesia and the rear wheel of our tandem bicycle collapsed into a potato chip shape. We had to hire a pedal-cab to get to lodging and – miles from nowhere – how were we going to solve the busted rear wheel issue?
>>My brother Paul and his wife Carol were new arrivals in Senegal. They were in their car, approached by a pen salesman, who became agitated at some point and began choking my brother. Carol had to chomp the guy’s arm to make him let go.
>>Bret Foster and myself had traveled cross-country on our BMW R90 and Honda CB750 motorcycles to the aforementioned brother’s wedding. Along the way we camped unknowingly on a golf course. I don’t recall if these were both the same incident, but, the sprinklers came on and we were accosted by a local cop wondering what we were doing.
Yes! Those are incidents that fall somewhere under the category of travel “adventures”. Isn’t that what the readers of this blog think this “5000milesofdirt” thing is?
Indeed, as I write this, I am in a Honda Odyssey with my niece Corrie, her husband Rob, and their two extremely cute preschool-age kids. We are on our way to Dollywood. And we have been eating so many delicious home-cooked meals by my sister-in-law Carol Bramsen.
Now, one thing that would upgrade our adventure status here is motorcycles. And we do believe some are coming from Honda corporation; all the way from Torrance, California to North Carolina. Our previous blog notes explain the Honda connection. While the Hondas really are coming, it has been a process. If you stay with us, I have confidence that you will read about a launch. Soon! If you look at the attached video sketch, you will see the motors we we are projected to ride. And, as my brother Paul pointed out, “Why are there not 3 motorcycles?” If you would, please; picture two of the CRF 250s. One should be a standard model and one a rally model — which has a few upgrades. The big bike is the Africa twin. For you non-motorcyclists, that is Honda’s revitalized model out of the past for the adventure bike market which has been released with very good reviews. Yes, this is surely a range of bikes: a 1000cc motor and two 250cc motors. Which one will better handle 5000 miles of dirt!? In the meantime, does Dollywood have funnel cake? Adventure on!
10 pm post-Dollywood update:
One roller coaster ride reminded me we don’t need lots of coaster to have a happy day. And there WAS funnel cake. And not just that – even if you don’t dig country as much as my friend Aaron don’t, things that might send lo-tolerance Californians into paroxysms of no-tolerance, like songs of praise to Jesus, abide comfortably at Dollywood. Hollywood; Dollywood; lands apart.
During the day, my Morse Code texting device delivered hoped-for good news: “BIKES SHIPPED Fri/5/26”! This means they’ll perhaps arrive for sure possibly Fri 6/2 or Mon 6/5 or Fri 6/9! We will want to get through Colorado before Thanksgiving to avoid snow on the passes*. And after a day of Dramamine, fast coasters, funnel cake and Zaxby’s Fried chicken, Caleb barfed on the way home. He was excellent in giving Uncle Paul fair pull-over warning. The cows that were watching exercised caution and backed up about 100 feet while staring down the spectacle. Adventure on!
*jk
