Morocco, Chefchaouen, 19 – 20 November 2014

Posted on Friday, 21-November-2014 by Chris Desmond

From Algeciras I took a ferry to Ceuta which is a Spanish territory in Morocco. You don’t have to buy a ferry ticket in advance as there are ferries leaving at least every hour all day and the journey takes 1:15 hrs. Follow the signs to the main ferry terminal, buy your ticket, mine came to E66 including the bike, then follow the signs that say Ceuta Con Billete (Ceuta with ticket) to the ferry check-in and boarding. I got to the terminal building at 0915 and left on the 0930 ferry, very simple and easy, the ferry was not even half full.

A short ride to the border, the Spanish guys just wave you through. After that its absolute chaos with cars and people screaming and pushing not sure what was going on, being on a bike I just threaded my way through to the front. Then Morocco Immigration where you stop at a booth and don’t get off your bike, the guy gives you a form to fill in, it takes 2 minutes he stamps your passport and ride on to Customs. I acquired a couple of helpers along the way dressed in brown robes with ID’s around their necks, they both spoke good English, thought they were officials at first but they are just out to make a buck by doing all the running around for you and telling you what to do. Next fill in a Green customs form for the bike and wait for the guy in the booth to enter the details into the system, then get it stamped by two other guys wandering around and you are out. Now go to the insurance booth and buy insurance, I bought 1 month for 950 dirham which according to the guys exchange rate worked out to E95. Ten days insurance costs 650 dirham. Next tip the helpers E10 each, avoid crashing into the million waiting taxis and out of there.

The ride from Ceuta to Chefchaouen is about 100 km and it took 2 hours. The first bit was along the coast with hundreds of hotels and resorts lining the road, it must be a complete mad house in summer. After that into the mountains on a narrow, winding, bumpy road with some very slow traffic, speeds under 40 kph, cool weather, overall a good ride.

Chefchaouen is the town where all the buildings in the old town are painted blue. Its an absolute rabbit warren of narrow steeply sloping alley ways with many stairways, all packed with shops, impossible to know where you are, I got lost did a complete circle and finished up where I started hahaha.

 

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Spain & UK, Algeciras, Gibraltar, 17 – 18 November 2014

Posted on Wednesday, 19-November-2014 by Chris Desmond

After a short break in Sevilla I rode to Algeciras which is where you get the ferry to Ceuta a Spanish exclave in Morocco. I was informed by another bike rider that this was the easiest way to enter Morocco as opposed to getting a ferry direct to Tangier.

Gibraltar is located opposite Algeciras across the Bay of Gibraltar about a 30 min ride. The Rock as it is known is under British rule, the currency is the pound and they have their own distinctive notes but they drive on the right.

The ride from Sevilla to Algeciras

Day trip to Gibraltar from Algeciras

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Portugal – Lisbon, 10 – 14 November 2014

Posted on Sunday, 16-November-2014 by Chris Desmond

Lisbon, capital of Portugal, population 3 million, I arrived there in a drizzle and left in a drizzle, 2 good weather days out the 5 I stayed there.

The buildings all need a coat of paint and the streets are full of Africans, all the small shops are owned by people from Bangladesh or China, the new look Europe.

And there is no Tapas or Paella hahaha, quite different from Spain.

Public transport is disorganised, there is the Metro (Underground), 2 kinds of Trams, Buses and also Trains. You buy a card for 50 cents and load it with credit which you can use on any of the above but when you continue a journey from one to another you get charged another ticket and the prices all vary.

I took the back roads for the ride from Sevilla to Portugal, up to the border the road went through hills with winding roads dotted with small towns and villages, great ride. After the border it flattened out and then an hour from Lisbon it started to rain.

First stop was to buy an umbrella from a former resident of Bangladesh, I asked him where I should have dinner and he gave me directions to his local hangout and it was good, authentic Chicken Biryani in Lisbon.

The Castle of St.George (E8.50 entry) up on a hill dominates the old town and you have to hike up the cobblestone streets to get there but I discovered a lift coming down. Its a well kept secret, on Largo do Chao do Loureiro behind the Pingo Doce supermarket, you  knees will say thank you.

Sintra, 40 minutes by train west of Lisbon in the hills has a fairy tale palace called Pena Palace completed in 1854, there are a number of other sights as well in the area. There is a train every 15 minutes from Rossio station and costs E4.90 return. When you arrive at Sintra there is a hop on hop off bus that takes you past all the sights for E5.00 and entrance to Pena castle is E11.50. The castle is a bit run down and is undergoing renovation.

Praca do Comerico, Lisbon Cathedral and Belem

The ride back to Sevilla, my favourite Spanish city. I decided to use the freeway a toll road to get out of the Lisbon urban sprawl and the rain as quickly as possible, should have done this on the way in, lesson learned. After 120 kms (toll E9.05), the rain stopped, off the freeway and back on to the same road I rode in on.

 

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Spain – Cordoba, Granada, Sevilla, 01 – 09 November 2014

Posted on Sunday, 9-November-2014 by Chris Desmond

From Ronda I rode to Cordoba, out of the mountains and back into the plains, though I don’t think there is such a thing as a plain in Spain, flat straight roads do not exist making it a motorcycling paradise.

Cordoba, 1 – 3 November 2014

Quite a large old town with the usual narrow winding streets, motorcycles can park anywhere in Spain so I parked right in front of my hotel on the footpath in the heart of the city. The most unusual feature was the Cathedral which looks more like a mosque on the inside because apparently that’s what it was in one of its previous incarnations.

From Cordoba back into the mountains to Granada and a serious drop in temperatures down to 7c during the day, “muy frio” as the locals would say hahaha. The backdrop to the town is the Sierra Nevada mountain range and you can see the snow on them waiting for the skiers. The best part was the Albaicin area, a maze of streets left over from the Moorish period. The Alhambra is a sprawling complex of palaces and gardens also from the Moorish period.

Granada, 4 – 6 November 2014

After Granada I rode back to Sevilla for a couple of days on the way to Lisbon, Portugal.

 

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Spain, Sevilla, Cadiz, Ronda, 22 – 31 October 2014

Posted on Friday, 31-October-2014 by Chris Desmond

I rode from Madrid to Sevilla then to Cadiz on the coast and then back into the mountains to Ronda.

Sevilla, 22 – 25 October 2014

Sevilla, capital of Andalusia and the nicest city so far, population 1.5 million, a large and vibrant old town, something always going on, though the Spanish evening does not start until 8:00 pm, well that’s when restaurants open for dinner.

Cadiz, 26 – 29 October 2014

An ancient port city built on a tiny sand spit it is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Spain. Wandering the streets of the old town is fascinating as always and for some fresh air air you can do a complete circuit along the sea front in a couple of hours.

Ronda, 30 – 31 October 2014

A town in the mountains, 750 meters altitude made famous by a remarkable bridge completed in 1793 which rises 120 meters from the base of the gorge. Getting a picture of the bridge was hard work hahaha. On the way to Ronda I stopped at the Jerez MotoGP circuit to visit the museum and have a look around.

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Spain, Madrid, 15 – 21 October 2014

Posted on Tuesday, 21-October-2014 by Chris Desmond

Madrid, capital of Spain, population 6.5 million, altitude 650m, a big modern city, good public transport (5 day pass €26.80), lots of Monuments, Museums, Parks, Plazas, Buskers and a few Beggars. Perfect weather, around 25c during the day, cool at night and not a drop of rain.

The ride from Benicassim on the coast near Valencia to Madrid was 4 lanes most of the way and no tolls, not much traffic, hilly, cold and very windy with the road going up to 1000m at times.

Puerta del Sol or Gate of the Sun the place where tourists congregate. It is also  Kilometer Zero for all Spanish roads.

Plaza de Oriente located between the Opera and Palacio Real

Walk down Calle Mayor

Retiro park huge and and a nice place to stroll around

Prado Art Museum the Spanish Masters, no pictures allowed (€14)

I decided to visit an area located near a football stadium on Sunday not realising that there was a football match on, there was nearly a riot in the very small station with a few thousand fans piling up from trains and trying to get out and I was stuck in the middle hahaha.

Templo de Debod a BC temple donated by Egypt to Spain. the Palacio Real (€10) no photos inside and the Gran Via street

 

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Spain, Benicassim, Valencia, Barcelona, 25 September – 14 October 2014

Posted on Wednesday, 15-October-2014 by Chris Desmond

I left Veghel on the 24 September to ride to Benicassim in Spain a distance of about 1,800 km, it took 2 days with an overnight stop in Chanas, France. The route from the Netherlands went through Belgium, Luxembourg, France and Spain, the whole distance was on the freeway which in France and Spain are Toll roads. Toll costs for the journey E84.75, you can pay with cash or a credit card.

I got out of the north just in time, temps down to 10c and wet as well, after I crossed the border into Spain I had to stop and take off my heated gear hahaha a pleasant change. I stayed with a friend in Benicassim which is a seaside resort town where the accents are mostly British and they serve beer in Pints with a few other northern Europeans thrown in for a bit of variety.

The ride from Veghel to Benicassim

Benicassim Festival

Where the bull gets to chase people around the arena and occasionally gore one.

Day trip to Valencia

Oropesa

3 days in Barcelona

A very nice place to visit, excellent public transport, look out for the pickpockets and bag snatchers. A woman tried to pick pocket me on the subway and someone I met had her bag snatched.

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Netherlands, Veghel, 17-25 September 2014

Posted on Thursday, 25-September-2014 by Chris Desmond

Last year I came to the Netherlands to buy a bike and found out that you have to be a resident to do this so I hired one instead. When I arrived last year I brought with me a box of accessories to be fitted to the bike I was going to buy, this box was stored at a friends place. Now I have returned a year later to finally fit these parts to the bike I just bought in the UK.

After fitting the parts I went on a ride to the 3 borders monument (Netherlands, Belgium and Germany) to complete the 1000 km running in period and then do the first oil and filter change. One litre of Bel-ray 10w-40 JASO MA mineral oil for motorcycles costs Euro 11.75 expensive. So far its been all work and not much play.

Beware: I went to the Holland Casino in Eindhoven and paid for drinks twice with my Mastercard about $10 each time. On my statement I saw an additional Cash Withdrawal Fee of $4 x 2. When I called Mastercard they said that if the place does not accept Mastercard the transaction still goes through but as a Cash transaction, so always check to see if they accepts the card you are using whether Visa or Mastercard.

Also check that they complete the transaction in the local currency not the currency of your home country because the exchange rate and other fees the local banks charge to convert to you home currency are far more than what your own credit card company charges.

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United Kingdom, Hastings, 8-17 September 2014

Posted on Wednesday, 17-September-2014 by Chris Desmond

I arrived in Hastings on the 8th of September, picked up a new Suzuki DL650 Vstrom on the 9th spent a few days bolting on accessories then visited friends in the area. The weather was perfect, ten days of sunshine and not a drop of rain, a first for me in the UK and probably some kind of record.

Buying a bike in the UK

Preparation started 2 months earlier when I did a search on Auto Trader UK and found Alford Bros in Folkestone. I contacted them by email and after some negotiation put down a £200 deposit via Paypal and arranged to buy the bike. Next I bought a Pannier system (38 & 45 litre) and Engine Guard from Touratech UK online and a Givi adjustable windscreen, Givi Topbox and SW Motech Crash bars from Bykebitz online. All the parts were delivered to a friends address. The balance of the bike payment due on pickup was made via a transfer to my friends bank account in the UK and he paid using his debit card, credit card payment attracts a 2% surcharge.

The Bykebitz order was fulfilled in a couple of weeks but I did not hear from Touratech so after a month I contacted them and was told that there was a problem at the factory and they could not tell me when the order would be delivered. Emails went back and forth until a week before I was due to arrive at which point I told them to send me whatever they could,  so they shipped 2 x 45 litre panniers and cancelled the Engine guard. I now had to find an engine guard at short notice, normal delivery time is 2-3 week so I called Bykebitz and they said they could get me a SW Motech Engine guard from Germany before I arrived but it would cost an extra £30 for air freight.

I arranged 12 months 3rd party Insurance through Bennets by calling them from Perth, they will give you a quote valid for 30 days. Insurance can only be finalised after you get the Registration number from the Dealer in the case of a new bike. I also called the RAC and Carol Nash but they will only insure UK residents.

On arrival in the UK I checked the Touratech order and found that they had shipped me 2 left hand pannier mounting racks and a complete rack system for a different bike altogether, it even had an invoice to someone in another part of the country hahaha. After several phone calls and emails with photos attached to prove their screw up they shipped me a right hand rack overnight. I have never had so many stuff ups from one company ever.

To summarise:

1. You need an address in the UK where the Registration and Insurance documents and parts can be delivered.

2. The process needs to start at least 2 months before your arrival and if Touratech is involved earlier than that.

3. The Registration documents take 5 to 7 working days to arrive after you pick up the bike so plan on spending a week or two in the UK.

4. If you buy a new bike you won’t need a MOT certificate for the first three years. You need an MOT certificate in order to register the bike every year. This is important as I do not plan on coming back to the UK for a couple of years at least.

5. Having a garage to work in is useful if it rains.

Note: Costs spread sheet – The Tusk seal guards were not wide enough for the fork tubes and the Tusk D-Flex handguards did not fit either, they fouled the levers. I will have to find alternatives.

I travelled to the continent on the train which goes under the English Channel from Folkestone to Calais, a first for me, cost £50, journey time 35 minutes. You have to check-in at least 50 minutes before departure and if you arrive early they will put you on an earlier train as they did in my case. You park the bike inside the train and stand or sit on the floor beside it, there are no facilities of any kind in the train and you cannot move between carriages. The Ferry costs £35 and takes a bit longer.

 

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USA, Daytona Beach, 19 – 26 February 2014

Posted on Monday, 3-March-2014 by Chris Desmond

After a break I hired a car and drove from Ohio to Daytona Beach in Florida for the Daytona 500 NASCAR race. Two days to get there, 4 days there and drove back to New York from where I flew back to Perth.

Again I went from well below freezing temperatures and snow storms to 25C with rain showers. The rain unfortunately decided to descend on race day after 38 laps out of 200 had been completed. Believe it or not they do not just change to rain tyres and continue to race in the rain as they do in every other form of circuit racing including Motorcycles. The race is stopped and they use these massive hair dryers towed behind trucks connected to huge power generators alongside on semi trailers, to dry the track, quite a site. The rain started around 2 pm and got heavier, I left at 5 pm and by then there were only a handful of people left in the stands out of the approximately 150,000 crowd.

The next day I learned they had re-started the race at 9 pm and it finished at 1130 pm. Oval track racing is an acquired taste and after 38 laps I was disappointed but also relieved that I did not have to continue to sit in a very narrow, hard and uncomfortable seat with absolutely no leg room, squashed between two extra-large spectators hahaha. The race weekend is quite an event with race itself being the icing on the cake.

Ohio to Daytona

Daytona Beach, before the Race

Daytona 500 Race day

Short video of the race 

 

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