Near the end of ...

February.. and plans coming together. 

Up with the sun, gone with the wind
She always said I was lazy
Leavin' my home, leavin' my friends
Runnin' when things get too crazy
Out to the road, out 'neath the stars
Feelin' the breeze, passin' the cars

Visa applications are in.. I have no passport at the moment - wont get far then - need that back with the required stamps inserted. time tide and Russian visa applications wait for no man it seems. 

I'm hanging on for the carnet payment as the RAC date it from the date it is posted from their office, so end of March I'll pay up and wait for delivery. 

Whats left? - the list is getting shorter. 

Still got to service the bike but that’s a days job.. a warmer days job.
Still icy cold up here in the peak district. 

Still got a few house re-decorations to finish... but then I've always had a few house re-decorations to do in the 10 years I have lived in it.. It has always "done the job" for me - other more interesting things to do or buy that silk finish paint and wallpaper or new carpets. Its been warm(ish) with a somewhere to fix the bikes and park the car off road with music, and a bed - what more do i need? - except it now has to be more respectable cos no one wants to live in the mess I would leave behind. Not that I dislike decorating, Its quite a satisfying task when its all done. 

So with road beckoning.. a couple of places booked en route initially its getting close. 

Everyone I see asks me how long to go, but I’m not counting the days as it all went wrong last year.. but an eye checkup confirmed its all good. No issues expected over the next few years (cataract expected following the eye surgery last year) but its not developed and not expected to until I get older (more old than I am) 

in the meantime, I've been having a life clear-out - I have been amazed at how much "stuff" I have gathered over the last 10 years in this house. I've never been a hoarder, but then I've never lived in one place for this long, so perhaps haven't had the opportunity to not throw stuff away. 
Well now I have.. The local charity shops have benefited from a few donations and do I really need a dog eared 2005 British Grand Prix programme? - Nope guess not, but it was nice to read through it before it went in the recycling :o)

So sit back and let i happen - no point stressing - other people can do that for me ..

Moving on...

Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time.

January 2015

Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way
The time is gone, the song is over,
Thought I'd something more to say.


I have - lots more to say before a lifetime slips by ... Its a relative thing I know, but the years are definitely shorter to me than they used to be. I passed another birthday and my grandson (Noah) was born. its like standing on the pavement staring at the TV sets in the shop window without being in there. I want to be the swashbuckling adventurous star of my own series. I want to get going.. 

So plans...

Carnet application is going in the post this week.. With further investigations I only need it for Australia. I will value the bike at £1000 and see what happens, in the end its not far off the actual value. 

Visa applications : - ongoing and I will get those moving in the next week as well. I plan to get Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Russian visa's before traveling, which does to a certain extent tie me down to a couple of fairly specific dates but that can't be helped .
One issue is that I now have to provide biometrics for the Russian application which will require a personal visit to the application office in London. 

I will take the ship from Baku in Azerbaijan to Aktau in Kazakhstan across the Caspian Sea and I have found that the first European Games will happen in Baku just before I arrive. 
I wonder if the famed ex soviet shipping will improve? 

So things are moving .. the clock is ticking ...

 

That dam reset button

So after the health issues last year with my sight that delayed my departure, I reset and aiming for April 2015 - which in the end has been something of blessing as it allowed me to be slightly better prepared and more confident in my plans..

Due to recent world events I will stay away from middle eastern routes and head north...
Now heading from the UK at the end of April

> Germany / Austria / Italy - Until the end of May
> Greece / Turkey - Until first week of July
> Georgia / Azerbaijan / - middle of July

> Kazakhstan - August
> Russia - to Vladivostok by middle of September
> South Korea Until middle of October

- Ship the bike direct to Australia - Korea shipping link - Travel Philippines / Malaysia / Indonesia without the bike

- End of October to end of November

> Australia end of November - Melbourne by Christmas
> New Zealand - January - Ship Bike to USA west coast by mid February
- bikes abroad link
- GetRouted link
- Cruise People link

> USA west coast / USA East coast by early April
 - Ship bike back to UK Dynamic freight link

> UK by mid April

I hope to be able to arrange most Visa's en route so that I'm not stuck to being at certain borders by certain dates, but will look more into that over the next couple of weeks.

Would definitely like to sort out the Visas up to Russia as that shouldn't be too difficult I hope.

My brother is moving to South Korea so will spend a little time mooching around there while I sort out shipping the bike directly to Aus.. Lots of shipping agency links that seem to suggest that is entirely feasible.. It frees me up for a little bit of R&R off the bike to travel through the south china sea / pacific islands before getting myself to Aus.

I then plan to travel down the east coast of Australia - despite advice from a friends who emigrated to Aus a couple of years back that December isn't the best time to be in northern territory.. To visit him on Melbourne by Christmas

Then I want to get to NZ before shipping to the USA to cross west to east and head back to the UK easy ! anyway - The bike is prepped - apart from fitting a set of new tyres before I depart

- I have all the kit I need (and probably more - but that will sort itself out as I travel) and fitting a sump guard 

Money situation is good - I don't envisage many issues Still got to sort out renting the house out for 12 months.. 
Will look at that early January 2015 - hopefully renting shouldn't be too difficult to sort out - available from beginning of May. 

Carnet - should be little bit cheaper by missing out Indonesia.


  

Visa: 
Quick glance at the Thevisamachine - 
prices are from VM site including their charge 

Turkey - eVisa 
Georgia - not required 
Azerbaijan - 15 day visa £90 
Turkmenistan - 30 day visa £100 (£50 @ Embassy) 
Uzbekistan - 7 day visa £119 (£79 at Embassy) 
Kazakhstan - not required up to 15 days - £90 for 30 days (£35 @ Embassy) 
Russia - 30 day transit visa + Invite £166 (Embassy £82 + invite cost) 

South Korea ?? 
Philippines - £53 (£22 @ Embassy) 
Indonesia - on arrival 
Australia - 12 month £15 (£0 at embassy ?) 

Carnet:
Looking ta the RAC site.. I reckon that will cost somewhere in the region of :- 

Step 1: Cost of the Carnet de Passage document (non refundable) 5 pages - £215 

Step 2: RAC deposit (for Private vehicle applications only and is 100% refundable on receipt of the correctly discharged Carnet and within the timelines set out in our Terms & Conditions) £350 

Step 3: Country specific payment (50% refundable on discharge of your Carnet as detailed above) Vehicle value x Security Risk Rate x 10.6% (Assuming highest rate for far east -South Korea @200%- otherwise Australia at 150%) Valued at £1000 * 200% = £2000 / 10.6% = £212 

Total: £777 - (£456 refundable on return) total cost £321

Wake me up when September ends...

So after a bit of a break from blogging, planning and generally working..all the time! It feels like I should start getting things moving again. As the year races by and it's already August I would have been on the road for more than 3 months by now. Conversely it's only 8 months until I plan to set off again.. This is a strange place to be. Neither here not there.

I have had a couple of mini adventures, first taking a trip down to Brittany on the Triumph in June. I managed to carry a surprising amount of camping gear on the back seat and had a thoroughly enjoyable week in the warm French sunshine. Lots of glorious French food and wine, warm nights, hot days and buckets of local muscles made it a trip to remember.

A month later and the Kawasaki was fully loaded for a trip to Cornwall and the chance to test out some of my collected camping paraphernalia.. The additional tarp on the front of the tent proved its self to be an invaluable addition and I slept extremely well on a lightweight inflatable mattress. Apart from the chain leaping off the sprockets about 10 miles from home it went very well. I knew the chain was worn, with a severe tight spot but I had hoped to make it last a while and replace it during the winter.. But it cried enough and after slipping it back into place we limped home without further mishap.

One thing I did find out was that the seat on the versys was not at all comfortable for any type of long distance. Since getting back it has been suitability modified with the addition of a gel insert and a new cover. It remains to be seen if it is viable for more than a couple of hours non stop travel.
One other short trip I did in June was to go to the hubb meeting at donington park, which proved a very enjoyable and inspiring weekend with lots of great travel stories adventure films and some useful advice

Since then it's been a case of all work and no play. Earning cash, stashing savings and sometimes spending more than I should! But right now it feels that having been given the additional time to save I don't have to try so hard. Maybe that's a bad thing but sometimes life is for living and 3 months ago I was about to manage on what I had, if I can't manage better on what I will have it was a fools plan from the start.

I am seriously considering a ride to the Adriatic coast in September. Wednesday to the following Thursday taking in the motogp round at Misano... Part of me is saying do it, another part is saying spend the money on a few bits I need to do around the house.. Troubled times!! Hardly!!

On the house subject, I am now leaning more and more towards selling up. What I will do when I get back I don't know, but I have lived here for 10 years. Longer than I have ever lived anywhere in my life and i it feels like time to move on.. And yet it is somehow difficult to imagine doing so. I guess that's the downside to settling in somewhere, you get to know people and places get familiar. There are positive and negatives to every situation in life.

I have been thrilled at the uncertainty of travel on my little trips. Not knowing where I will stay on that night, getting lost and finding my way with equal aplomb. It feels like what I should be doing. So I have gained another insight into what works for me.

So. The plan for now and in the new year is to  start the buildup again.

One major milestone before all that will be the birth of my first grandchild in a few short weeks from now. An occasion I wasn't going to be around to see had initial plans come to fruition. More to follow on that one!

Granddad will report in again soon!

So long as this blogger app on the tablet manages to actually spell the words I type!