If you stumbled on to this website seeking unique adventure, you’re in the right place. After recuperating in California from time spent as a prisoner of Colombian rebels, this temporarily delayed world motorcycle odyssey continued from Tokyo, Japan. From there, the ride progressed around the island until boarding a ferryboat to Vladivostok on the edge of the Russian Far East. That led to traversing Siberia with a detour through the Mongolian Gobi Desert and onto the Middle East, India, Southeast Asia and the homestretch; Cape Town to Sudan. So what’s this all about anyway?
There was no particular goal in mind except to travel solo by motorcycle from Siberia to Africa and back to California while electronically recording what occurred in between. I was outfitted with a 650cc BMW Dakar, Toshiba laptop, Sony digital camera and two Jesse aluminum panniers packed with what was left after selling all my earthly possessions.
Yet so much time spent in developing nations living, eating and sleeping with locals has made this a soul bending metamorphosis worth sharing. Far outside the comfort zone and beyond the bounds of what has always been assumed as true, life’s stark realities confronted versions the media has presented. Perils and pleasures along the way were revealed through journals posted here every few days and now finally you can read the entire story in book form. We think you’ll agree it was worth waiting for. Between dramatic photos and electrifying prose, readers will be able to feel every moment of a two-year, fifty-two thousand mile solo journey. Beware that it gets lonely out on the road so sometimes the adventure was spiced with romance and spontaneous sex. It’s nothing too explicit but please bear in mind, boys will be boys.
Anxious to travel while still young and healthy, I left the US with a sincere determination to meet the inhabitants of earth face to face, look them in the eye and shake their hand. The reaction has been astonishing as the natives greeted me with hospitality and kindness in the most unexpected places. From Russian Buryats providing shelter during a Siberian tornado, to Bedouins sharing their tents while Arabs shouted at every stop—Welcome, Welcome! Everyday was a surprise. In spite of the media’s interpretation of world events, as a species, we still like each other far more than is reported.
Consider this a personal invitation to meet the total strangers of a bewildered planet who have appeared to befriend me just when thinking my luck had expired. From Omo Valley, Ethiopia to Borneo, to witnessing the aftermath of Tsunamis in Banda Aceh, you will be able to gaze into the eyes of the nicest people on earth. Time and again, the truth surfaces–although governments don’t get along, people do.
You can sign up for future updates in real time by subscribing to the email list at the top of this page. Since you’re probably reading this at work, now is a good time for a break from the hustle to order my new book, a great investment as all royalties are donated to Room to Read, an NGO building schools in the developing world. Or even better, grind on your local BMW dealer or motorcycle club to host my show– a dramatic multimedia presentation packed with sound, video and a variety of compelling photos encapsulating this incredible journey. As a sample, you can view the slides in our photo gallery–minus a spirited narration.
Keep checking the schedule here to see when a 2012 show is coming to your area, or sign up on our email list for instant notification. If interested in booking an event for your organization or dealership, shoot us an email and we will be delighted to provide details. Benefit shows for international aid organizations are always given priority. See our exciting ten minute promo video here.