Post 146: State Highway 1, California, USA

Jason is a 'Surfer', he drives a vintage VW Camper and wears his ponytail comfortably, .... he calls me 'dude' and wants to introduce me to his cannabis, ....... Troy and Ellen call me Geoffrey and they want to introduce me to their God, ....... this must be California.

I didn't notice the sign, 'Welcome to California', I'm on '101 South', the car park overlooks the ocean and it's overflowing with people. It's Saturday morning, it's still early and I suspect that many of these good people have broken the clearly stated 'No Overnight Parking' rule. I'd left the forest campsite in Oregon at dawn and covered as many miles as possible before the need for caffeine had overwhelmed me. I'd pulled off the main road into a large gravel parking area and for the first time in America, ..... I'd been approached by dozens of people at the same time. I brew coffee and answer questions, ..... not the direct and personal questions asked of me in so many countries, ... these are more travel and bike related. I try to convert Liters to Gallons and then into US Gallons, I try to remember where I have been and the bike hasn't, where the bike has been and where I haven't. I answer the questions as best I can and then I move on, ...... the scale of my map has fooled me, ..... Boonville is much further south than I had imagined, ..... today will be another long day in the saddle.

At the City/Town/Village of Leggett, I leave 'Route 101' and turn onto 'State Highway 1', .. I think. The 'Titles' for roads here is still confusing me, but on '1', .... I care not what it's official title might be. For twenty-plus miles heading south towards Fort Bragg, I ride the most amazing stretch of road that I have ever ridden. This 'Blog' is no doubt littered with my claims of 'Best Road Ever', .... and perhaps at the time each of those statements has been true, ..... but today this little piece of Utopia is beyond comparison. Wow, ... the tarmac is perfectly smooth and the direction is never straight. One moment I think I'm back in the Black Forest, ... the next it's the Pass de Giovo and the next it's the beauty of the Adriatic or Black Sea Coast. The temperature has risen above 100 degrees, but alternately I'm cooled by the shadows of the giant redwood and the breeze from the Pacific Oceans. The decision at each bend is to continue enjoying the ride or to stop and capture the view, ........ the ride wins every time.

Through Fort Bragg and I enter the Anderson Valley, .... I see the first neat rows of vines absorbing the midday sun and ripening the grapes, .... the vineyards alternate with the redwoods, ...... always entertaining the senses, .. the signs for 'Boonville' always encouraging me forward. After the town of Mendocino, I turn away from the main road and head down to the beach at Navarro. I love this beach, .... the sands are littered with the trunks, branches and twigs of seemingly prehistoric trees, .... they lay like relics randomly for as far as the eye can see. Over time, people have fashioned them into amazing structures, ..... 'dens' for the kids, .... shelters from the burning sun for the parents, ..... this was the last beach that my Mother had visited here, .... it was also one of her favourite places to be, ... a place filled with only the happiest of memories.

I brew more coffee here, there are a few people but they keep their distance, ... perhaps they sense that this is a 'Private Time'. Boonville is less than 20 miles South of here, ... no hurry.

http://www.justgiving.com/geoffgthomas

Post 145: Route 101- Oregon, USA

I was on 'Route 101', following the pacific Coastline and heading South through Oregon, .... and for me this was by far the most emotional part of Poor Circulation, perhaps the most emotional part of my life. The road was great, fast, clear and winding, .... the sun shone from a cloudless sky and the view of the ocean and dunes through a thin veil of early morning mist was beyond any words that I could ever choose. For me and the Tiger, .. this seemed like the most perfect place to be.

In March of 2007, whilst my Mother Barbara was in ward 32 of Darlington Memorial Hospital and receiving support from her many friends at St Teresa's Hospice and Cockerton Methodist Chapel, we had many light-hearted and emotional conversations. She was obviously aware that I'd inherited my parents love of motorcycles, .... and although she constantly worried about my working as a despatch rider in London, ..... she never failed to support my choices. During one of our last conversations she mentioned that she had few regrets in life, ..... but there were two things that she wished might have happened.

Firstly, she wished that my Father George Thomas could had lived to visit my brother Alan at his home in Boonville California and to have met his two newest grandchildren; Sam and Willow. Barbara had visited Boonvile in 2006 and had fallen deeply in love with both the area and the people, ... she said that it was a place where any free-thinking person would feel instantly at home, .... she knew that George would have shared her feelings.

Her second wish was that George could at some time in his youth have ridden his Triumph Thunderbird along the coast road, 'Route 101', 'State Highway 1' and then down through the beautiful redwood forests of '128' to Boonville. Barbara had travelled this road several times with my brother and his family in the car, she had marvelled at its beauty and instantly fallen under it's magical spell.

Today I was doing that same journey on their behalf, not on a Triumph Thunderbird, but on a Triumph Tiger. I was on '101' in Oregon and heading south, a little further north than my Mother had travelled, ....... but I know that George and Barbara were enjoying this ride every bit as much as I was. With thoughts of my parents constantly in my mind, ...... I braked early, kept well below the speed limit and attempted not to swear too loudly at other motorists.

As the sun sank towards the horizon and just North of the Californian border, I found a campsite deep inside a forest of the tallest trees imaginable. I felt like a 'Hobbit' in a giant wood as I pitched the tent and cooked the remainder of my food supplies. Tomorrow I would arrive in Boonville, ....... the purpose of Poor Circulation would be fulfilled, .... wishes would be granted, ..... belatedly, .... but late is always better than never.

http://www.justgiving.com/geoffgthomas

Post 144: South from Seattle, USA

I'd spent almost a week in Seattle and to be honest, I'd explored very little of the City. My days had seemingly been hijacked by constant conversations with customs officers and freight houses in my attempts to get the Tiger's released early from captivity. It was frustrating being so close to the bike yet unable to do anything with it, ...... like riding it. I was also flat broke, I was breaking the $37 per day budget and trying to avoid any activity that would cost money. Unfortunately Alan had experienced ATM problems in Seoul and I'd used my 'Emergency Fund' paying to freight both bikes out of the country. That had left me with very little in the way of cash, ....... and I don't use a credit card. On a daily basis in Seattle it seemed that demands were being made on the amount that I could draw from the local cash-points, .... as fast as I could draw the money out, .... a hand was outstretched to take it from me; Customs Charges, Handling Charges, Inspection Charges, Administration Fees, Crate Disposal Charges, ..... the list was endless. 

On my first venture into the centre of Seattle I'd bumped into Burke and he'd introduced me to another biking colleague, Colleen. Plans had been made for the weekend when all of the paperwork with customs should have been completed, .... but on the Friday morning the Tiger had been released from captivity. My desire to continue the journey and to ride south with my 'Special Package' had become overwhelming, I wanted to arrive in Boonville for my Brother and Sister-in-Laws wedding anniversary on the Monday. Sadly those weekend plans that had been made by Burke and Colleen never came to fruition, ....... but again I send a heart felt 'Thank You' to both of them for their support and generosity and a promise that one day I will return.

With the Tiger running perfectly and the sun at long last shining, I headed South from Fife on 'i5' towards Tacoma Triumph. I found the dealership with ease and received the warmest of welcomes from Robert and his colleagues. With nothing to be fixed on the bike, they pointed me in the direction of their friendly local Insurance Agent. Although insurance is not compulsory here in the state of Washington, I certainly didn't want to risk riding without it. I parted with around $100 and in return received third party insurance for a full year, ...... that's almost ten times less than I pay at home as a courier, ..... so thanks to all at Tacoma Triumph and to Yuommi at Nationwide Insurance for helping me along my way.

Knowing that in the country that brought us 'Ambulance Chasing' I was now fully insured, I felt an awful lot safer as once more I set off South on 'i5' towards Oregon. The interstate was busy, the heat was intense and at the first opportunity I turned West onto State Highway 6 and headed for the coast. The temperature dropped and the roads were fantastic, twisting and turning, rising and falling, ..... roads the likes of which I hadn't ridden since leaving Turkey way back in May. The speed limit here may be 55mph, ...... but on these roads that's not a 'Limitation', .... on most of these roads it is actually a 'Target', ... but only for the brave or foolish. Despite constant complaints from a once more aggravated hernia, I was enjoying this ride more than any other this far on Poor Circulation, ..... it actually felt like 'freedom'. I stopped frequently, took photographs of amazing views, brewed coffee by the roadside and chatted with those that wanted to pass the time of day. Here in America it seems that people respect your personal space a little more than in countries previously visited. After the overwhelming friendliness of Russia, .... this comes as something of a shock to the system. It's not that it's better, and certainly not that it's worse, it's just different and takes a little time to get used to.

Down the coast my senses were constantly bombarded with beautiful scenery and I eventually decided to camp just north of the border with Oregon. I'd been warned that 'Free Camping' was frowned upon here, ...... care would be needed. I stocked up with food at a local market, cooked and ate by the side of the road and then wobbled into the dunes as the sun set over the Pacific Ocean. I didn't risk the attention that a campfire might bring but I pitched my tent, opened a cold bottle of beer and marveled at the amazing array of night time stars. For the first time since Lake Baikal, I took the 'Special Package' from the security of the bike and it sat beside me in the doorway to my tent, looking upwards and enjoying the heavenly show. I think I'm going to enjoy my time in America.

www.justgiving.com/geoffgthomas     

Post 143: Leaving Seattle

Finally, after what has felt like a lifetime, the call came to say that the bike was ready for collection. I made my way under clear skies to the warehouse in Fife, just south of Seattle. I parted with several dollars and the crate containing the Tiger was mine. Armed with hammers and crowbars, I broke open the crate and saw the bike for the first time in weeks.

The bike had been away for a total of 24 days, I turned the key and at the first touch of button, the Tiger burst into life. It was a sound that I'd almost forgotten, but a sound that also made me smile. Leaving the bike running, I quickly pulled on my riding gear, returned the tools to their owner and rode the bike from the base of the crate. The bike has ridden around 20,000 miles without problems, no major breakdowns and no punctures. Through my own stupidity, that was all about to end. As I rode it from the crate, one of the many nails that I'd foolishly left protruding from the base of the crate punctured the front tyre, ...... 'bugger'.

Five minutes later, sweating from the heat of exertion, I'd plugged and inflated the tyre, .... the wheels were turning and I was heading south, ...... next stop: Oregon.

Aside from puncturing the front tyre through my own stupidity, the only other problem has been the demise of my laptop computer. Sadly, 20,000 road miles has taken it's toll on this cheap and cheerful device, ... it is no more. Hopefully I'll be able to retrieve the data from its memory, possibly it may even be repairable, ..... but until then, ..... I'll borrow computer time where and when I can. 

www.justgiving.com/geoffgthomas  

Post 142: Seattle, USA (Still)

I've just received an email from my sister-in-law in California. Torrey points out that Seattle has only two seasons, ..... the Rainy Season and August. Perhaps she is being unkind to Seattle, but it is August and the rain has been pouring for the past four days, .... maybe this year Seattle has but one season. It actually feels like autumn, I'm walking around in shorts, flip flops and tee shirt, .... all of my clothes are on the bike, the second hand shoes purchased in Bangkok already discarded, .... if the bike is not available today, I'll have to find myself a thrift shop and invest in some more suitable apparel.

The weather here reminds me of England, ..... but not in a nice way. England is not a place that I miss, I'm not at all 'homesick', ... I no longer have a home in the material sense, ... but I am missing the 'People'. I haven't seen my daughter Hannah for over three months, she's 14 years old and enjoying what remains of the English summer holidays. When I was her age, the summer holidays seemed to last forever and if that feeling is the same for her, ..... then she must feel that I've been travelling for years. Kicking my heels in Seattle was never part of the plan, the plan was always to keep riding, ....... it just serves me right for not fully researching the 'Plan' prior to departure, ...... once again, .... only myself to blame.

Yesterday morning I had high hopes of collecting the Triumph and riding south, ..... but yesterday afternoon they asked me very politely to 'call back tomorrow'. Today I will call again, ... and if necessary on Friday and Monday too, .... but one day soon they will say 'yes Sir, ... thank you for your patience, ... your motorcycle is now ready for collection'.

If the customs clearance issues continue, then Colleen (Dante's Dame) has invited me to stay at her home here in Seattle until it is resolved. We have never met, ..... our connection is purely accidental. On Monday I said 'hi' to Burke, a biker that I'd met on 4th Avenue here in Seattle. Burke first introduced me to the people at Tacoma Triumph and then later passed my email address on to Colleen. Yesterday, Colleen sent me an email with a link to her website from which, using her experiences as a guide to the best roads, I will plan my route southwards to Boonville. If by Friday the rain has 'Cleared' and the Triumph hasn't, then I will probably accept Colleen's kind offer of free floor space and at the same time, ..... accept Burke's offer of some evening sailing around Seattle Harbour. If on Monday I'd decided to take 5th Avenue instead of 4th, .... then who knows?. Even when your stranded in a strange city, ...... your still travelling.

www.justgiving.com/geoffgthomas

Post 141: Seattle USA (Still)

From the corner of 4th Avenue and Spokane I decided to walk, the Customs House is on Klickitat Avenue, .... no more than half a mile away, it should take me ten minutes. I'd forgotten, or had never realised, that here in America, .... folks tend to drive and not walk.

I arrive at the rail crossing, it is on my map, I was heading in the right direction. The train was long, ... very long indeed. It stopped several times, .. it pulled forwards and then reversed, .. and then forwards again before stopping and blocking my path. Twenty minutes later, I finally walk across the rail lines, .. heading west. My destination is on Harbour Island, ... the pedestrian walkway ends but there is a cycle track that will take me safely across the water. Thirty minutes later, I arrive at Marginal Way West, .... I've walked too far, I've somehow managed to overshoot Harbour Island, I'm not 'lost', I'm just in the wrong place. I can see exactly where I need to be, I could easily ride or drive there, ..... but walking is difficult, there is no pavement, ..... is 'Jay Walking' still a crime in the USA?

I backtrack and find a staircase leading down from the cycle path onto the island below, .. I walk down and find myself on Klickitat Avenue. I have a choice, North or South. I choose North and set out in search of Building D, 1021. Another thirty minutes pass and I'm back at my starting point, this time heading south. I see a postman, ..... I ask for the Customs House at 1021, ... he points to the building just ten feet behind me, the large sign announcing 'US Customs' ... a wry smile on his face.

Inside the office, I introduce myself to the two immaculately uniformed customs officers, .... they seem to be expecting me. The Brazilian rider Roderigo has been here already, he has telephoned several times .. he has left an impression, .. an impression of great urgency. They ask me how my 'Race' around the world is going, ... I explain that for Poor Circulation it's more 'Reclining' than 'Racing'. My papers are stamped and the procedure for collecting the bike is clearly explained, ... however there is a small problem. The Tiger's are part of a larger consignment; three individual motorcycles and a crate of reading glasses from Korea, ... no part of that consignment can be collected until the entire load has been cleared. We are still waiting for Customs Clearance from one party, ..... and the container is still awaiting a 'Customs Inspection', ..... possibly Friday, more likely Monday.

We're already on first name terms, Jennifer asks me to wait for a minute, ..... she busies herself on the telephone as I chat with other customers. Minutes later the news is slightly better. Jennifer has contacted the Customs Inspection Team, .... they hope to move the container onwards tomorrow, Wednesday 20th August, ... it is not a guarantee, ..... but every little helps. I thank them sincerely and begin walking back towards 4th Avenue. A horn sounds behind me, a fellow customer from the office pulls alongside in his car, ....... 'can I give you a lift?'.

At this moment in time, I do not know exactly when the bikes will be ready for collection, ... but I hope that it is soon. Seattle is experiencing unseasonal storms at the moment but the forecast for the weekend is good, .... warm air and sunshine. It will be nice to begin riding south towards Boonville under clear skies, ........ I can only hope.

www.justgiving.com/geoffgthomas

Post 140: Seattle, USA (Still)

My watch and computer are now synchronized, they tell me that its 7:45am on Tuesday 19th of August, my body simply tells me that it's still time to sleep. I've been to reception at the Motel, I've extended my stay for another night, .... the receptionist looks at me from above her undersized spectacles, .... she understands why I'm waiting in Seattle, .... the ballet-like movement of her eyebrows suggests that one extra night may not be sufficient, ..... from somewhere deep down in my instinct vault, .... my heart tends to agree with her.

Yesterday I was told by me freight forwarding company that one motorcycle, I assumed the small Yamaha of the Brazilian rider Roderigo, had already flown the container, .. he was heading for New York. They told me that my lack of a Customs Release Form was holding up the show, ... once secured, ... Poor Circulation could continue onwards to Boonville California. This morning I learn from the freight handling company in Fife that the container from the vessel is still held at the port, ....... US Customs have not yet released it into their custody, .... nothing could move in or out until that happened. I ask how long it might take, .... they tell me to call back tomorrow. I ask them to be more specific, .... they tell me possibly up to a week, .. my heart begins to sink.

I'm so close to Boonville, between Seattle and Boonville there are some amazing things to see, some amazing adventures to be had and some amazing new people to meet. The 'down-time' between South Korea and America was acceptable, it had been expected and I'd filled the void by having a parallel adventure on a rental bike in Thailand, ..... but this delay is different. Each day is bringing me closer to exceeding my budget, ... four more days in Seattle and I will be above the £20 per day marker, .... for each single day beyond that, two days of Poor Circulation will be sacrificed. The cost of the Motel is equal to the £20 per day budget and thus far I am running almost £100 under budget, ..... but that small surplus will soon be gone. Although 'Hotels' were never on the Poor Circulation menu, at certain times it has simply been necessary, ... without a bike and needing to be close to the heart of the city, ... camping is not really a workable alternative. I need to retrieve the Tiger within the next two days, .... that is my mission.

I've had an email from Alan, but I still don't know where he is. I suspect that in arriving here before me he's secured his customs release form and like me is simply waiting, .... holed up in the cheapest place possible. I've sent him copies of the procedures for retrieving the bikes and hopefully he too will soon be setting down rubber on his journey along Route 66.

www.justgiving.com/geoffgthomas

Post 139: Seattle, USA (Still)

The vessel, 'HJ London' transporting the Triumph from South Korea arrived in Seattle on time, Friday 15th August 2008. Today, Monday 18th August the bikes should be ready for collection. I check the website of Mercer Logistics who are handling the container and find that I need to acquire a Customs Release Form, .... and then the Tiger will once again be mine. I make calls on my new cell phone, 'our menu has changed, please listen carefully, .... for X press 1, for Y press 2'. I know the drill by now, ... nothing quite matches my requirements, I hold for the overly polite but non the less incomprehensible operator, ... 'your call is important to us, please continue to hold'. Eventually I receive an answer that I can understand. I must come to the Customs House with three documents and my cheque book. They can not tell me the 'Cost' because that apparently depends upon the quality of my paperwork, .... but sadly they fail to inform me that the Customs House address on the Internet is incorrect.

I head into town and I'm immediately struck by the efficiency of Seattle's bus service. $1:50 for the ride into central Seattle, ... it takes 35 minutes. As the bus approaches the centre of town, it enters a tunnel and rides beneath the city, .. no congestion, no rain, .... one day all bus services will operate this way. When I'd first arrived here, it had been cloudless skies and 95 degrees of burning heat, ... one day onwards and its below 60 degrees and pouring with rain. Apparently such contrasts are common in Seattle, ... it will remain this way for three more days and then sunshine and clear skies for the weekend. I hope that by the weekend I'll be down in California, ...... but I'm dealing with Government Agencies, .... my future is not my own until they verify that fact in triplicate.

I visit the wrong Customs House in downtown Seattle but they do give me the correct address, ... I put it down to experience, ... I should have checked the details before setting out this morning. Whilst in town I decide to take a walk around Seattle, I see a Suzuki V-Strom with aluminium panniers and wearing the stickers of many adventures, it's parked a little way up a side street. it's rider struggling into waterproof clothing as the heavens open and the rain begins to pour again. I chat with the rider, Burke Kron, a local Seattle biker who seems to have a second career helping fellow two wheeled travellers. We talk for several minutes as the rain falls and by the time Burke rides on his way, several things have happened. Firstly, I've been introduced to the people at Tacoma Triumph, a Triumph dealership just south of Seattle and once Poor Circulation is mobile again, I promise to call in for tea. Secondly, like Roman and Slava in Volgograd, Burke and his friends love boats and sailing, .... I'm invited to join them on the water later in the week, .... it's turning into a fruitful day after all.

As I return to the suburbs and attempt to dry out, I power up my ailing laptop and check my emails, .... I have several new messages. Mr Hussein Ibrahim and Lady Rosemary Squires both want to temporarily use my UK bank account in order to deposit multi-million dollar charitable donations, both the Halifax Building Society and Nat West Bank are asking me to confirm my personal details and several messages are offering me various solutions for 'erecti1e dy5function' (sic). At the bottom of my inbox is a message from Colleen, ... 'DantesDame'. I open the message and see that Colleen is a local biker from Seattle, she has travelled extensively in the USA and Canada, ... she is a friend of Burke and like him, ... is offering assistance. Travelling around the world on a motorcycle is easy, ....... your invisible support team is huge.
Tomorrow I will take my documents to the correct Customs House, obtain my Customs Clearance Forms and hopefully, ..... collect my Tiger from the bonded storage depot in Fife, ... just south of Seattle. This is after all America, .... what could possibly go wrong?
www.dantesdame.com
www.justgiving.com/geoffgthomas

Post 136: Seattle, USA

America was always going to be the easier part of this trip, …. from the very beginning I’d convinced myself that this would be true. I’d left Taipei airport at 00:47 on Saturday 16th August, I’d flown for 11 hours and landed in Seattle at approximately 21:00 on Friday 15th of August, .. 3 hours and 47 minutes before I’d left. My computer now tells me that it’s 22:12 on Sunday 17th of August, … my senses and the density of traffic outside of this cheap motel room tell me that it must be a weekday, .. I guess Monday 18th of August. It feels as if I’ve lost a day, .. possibly two days, … I’m totally disorientated and have only two urges; Sleep & Food, … Food and Sleep.

Whilst in Thailand and Taiwan, China had headed the Olympic medals table with USA (or Michael Phelps) in second place. By the time I’d arrived in America, the medal count remained the same but the tables had changed, ….. America was now leading with China in second place. I wondered when American TV had decided that the tables would be based on ‘Total Medal Count’ and not ‘Gold Medal Count’, …... I wondered if there was any known mathematical formula that could be used to promote Great Britain to the top? It all just added to my state of jet-lagged confusion, but at least now I could more easily understand how George Bush was twice elected to the Presidency.

I’ve been watching TV for the first time in months, 240 channels of 24 hour viewing. American sports that I don’t understand, … it’s the top of the 5th and somebody has a ‘5 & 2’ record, I’ll be able catch the next game at ‘9pm Eastern Standard Time’, .. but only if I subscribe to HBO? In an unofficial advertisement sponsored by local business people I hear that the current Governor of Washington State, Dino Rossi, voted for fuel tax increases but voted against a drug price reduction bill, ….. but in the next infomercial the Governor himself tells me that he didn’t and did respectively. I can buy a new Chevy, nothing down and payments of only pennies on the dollar, … but surely they use ‘cents’ here and not pennies?

The Triumph will arrive today in Fife, just south of Seattle, …. but Fife looks to be several miles from the Ocean and the Triumph arrives by boat. I have two telephone numbers to call, ….. when tried, both inform me that the numbers have been temporarily disconnected. I have an email telling me that the bike will be ready for collection on the 20th, 21st or 22nd of August but I must obtain customs clearance on the 20th. They will explain the procedure when I telephone the number provided, … ‘we’re sorry but the number you are calling has been temporarily disconnected’.
In search of sanity, I go to the local gas station to buy some beer. I’d tried to buy beer yesterday evening, the gas station had been open and indeed they sold beer, …… but unfortunately as it was already dark, … they’d refused to accept my cash. Today they were more accommodating, It was daylight and they gladly accepted my money. Outside I bumped into Dan and Stan, … or possibly Stan and Dan. They’ve ridden up from California, Route 101. They are meeting their wives who’ve flown into Seattle Airport before heading up into Canada for a few days riding on their Harley’s. I’m jealous, ….. I need to start riding again soon, … I’m missing the Tiger, America is already driving me insane.

www.justgiving.com/geoffgthomas

Post 135: Seattle, USA

On arrival in America there was one thing that had to be done, ….. I had to eat from a menu that was written in English. That might sound a little weird, but it’s at least two months since I’ve seen a menu where every dish was familiar. I don’t think it’s that the food will be any better or worse than the food eaten in any other country, …… it’s more to do with the comfort of familiarity, .. to be able to order and eat without thinking.

In south Seattle where I’m staying until the Triumph is ready for collection, there is a Denny’s. Like a vegetarian returning from the darkside, I sat at the bar and drooled over a laminated menu of dreams. I ate breakfast; crispy bacon, sausages, eggs easy over and hash browns, all washed down with a bottomless mug of coffee and followed by pancakes with syrup.

It was delicious, in fact it was everything that I’d dreamed it would be for so many weeks, ….. but it’s done now and I’m over it. On the road I must've lost almost 30lbs, …. but I somehow feel that I’ll gain it back with interest whilst travelling through America.

www.justgiving.com/geoffgthomas

Post 134: Leaving Bangkok, Almost, Certainly, Perhaps.

I arrived at the China Airlines check-in desk the necessary three hours before my flight was due to depart. I wasn't in the best of moods or health, not just a hangover, but things were about to get worse. 'Sorry sir, but you can not fly to Taipei and onwards to America today, ... not with China Airlines'.

The problem I am told is that I don't have a visa for the USA in my passport and I have no onwards ticket from the USA to London. Apparently, no other airline will accept me as USA Immigration will not allow me to enter the country, I will be returned to my port of origin and the airline will be fined .... bugger. To clarify this information, I check with several different airlines at Bangkok airport and they sadly all tell me the same bad news. My options are to either wait four days for a visa from the US Embassy here in Bangkok or to buy an onwards ticket from the USA to the UK, ..... $1,400.00, ... ouch. This is one problem that I had not seen coming. Each time I've flown to America I've simply got my visa at the port of entry, .... but each time I've had a return ticket in my possession, ..... this time is slightly different.

I invest in a strong cup of coffee and begin to think of a better solution than the two mentioned above. I don't have $1,400 and I'm due to collect the bike in Seattle on Sunday the 16th of August. I know that there is a better solution to this problem, I just don't know how much coffee I will need to consume before I find it. After all, this is Bangkok, a city where I can find my way around,.. a city where anything is possible. I begin to hatch a plan, .... it's not the best plan in the world,.. but it's still a much better plan than waiting four days for a visa or paying $1,400 for a ticket that I can not afford and might never use.

Firstly, I part with 100TB (£1.75) to rent a strangers mobile phone for 30 minutes, .. daylight robbery yes, but my need is great. I make several calls and set in motion a chain of events that I hope will see me safely boarding today's China Airlines flight to Taipei and Seattle.

Forty Five minutes before the flights departure, I return to the China Airlines Check-in desk armed I believe with all of the necessary documents. I wait in line and hope that there are no unforeseen flaws in my plan. I shuffle slowly towards the front of the queue, .... hot and nervous. I present my documents to the petite young lady behind the large counter. 'Did you pack your own bag sir?, .... your flight is already boarding at Gate A2, .... your baggage will go straight to Seattle, .... enjoy your flight with China Airlines Mr Thomas', .. thank you very much indeed. On boarding the plane, I find that I've also been upgraded to 'Business Class' for the entire journey, ... double result.

In the past two hours I'd managed to acquire a 'Ticket' on a genuine British Airways flight from JFK New York to Heathrow London; Saturday 4th October, seat 17A, meal included. However, .... this ticket that I'd purchased for the princely sum of $80, from whom and from where I will not disclose at this time, is of course a 'Bangkok Ticket'. It is a little like the Chanel #5 perfume that you can buy from any of the street vendors on Sukhumvitt Road. At first glance it looks to be genuine, ..... but whatever happens, .... don't ever try to use it. I do love Bangkok.

www.justgiving.com/geoffgthomas

Post 133: Bangkok, Thailand

I've been asked to explain the 'Relationship' between myself and Nurse Wipa Klampeng (Pa) of the Sappaya Hospital in Chai Nat. The person 'asking' that question is non other than my brother, Alan.

Well, .. it is indeed a very long story dating back to the days when I first began making plans for Poor Circulation. I was looking for a route through Burma into Thailand, Laos, Cambodia etc., and I was put in touch with Pa who began helping me with translation. Sadly, Burma was never going to be a real possibility for Poor Circulation and it is a story far too long and complicated for inclusion in the blog.

Every cloud however has a silver lining and in this case it was meeting Pa. Yes she is beautiful, yes she is hilariously funny, .... and yes she can ride a motorcycle an awful lot better than I can. Pa and her colleagues at the Sappaya Hospital have supported us from the beginning, donating to our charities and sending special items from their temples in order to keep us safe on our journey. Perhaps it is a story, like so many of the other unrecorded events on Poor Circulation that will have to wait for a book, .. perhaps it is a story that will continue, ..... who knows?. However, what I can say is that the reputations of both Pa and Poor Circulation, ..... remain untarnished.

In the meantime, .. getting lost on the road has it's benefits. Here is another Temple that I bumped into accidentally. I could post another picture of Pa at the dam on the Chao Phraya River, ..... or in the Chai Nat National Bird Park, ... or riding a pair of bikes around her father's rice fields, .... but you probably think that I'm having far too good a time already.

Talking of having a good time, I'm apparently having a leaving party with some of the taxi riders tonight, but they seem to know more about it than me. Beer might be involved. Early tomorrow morning I'm off to Taipei and then onwards to Seattle to collect the Tiger. I will probably be away from the Internet for a few days but I will endeavour to catch up with any news as soon as possible.

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Post 132: Bangkok, Thailand

It was hot and humid, the sky was cloudless and the sun at this early hour already burning. I found gaps in the traffic that made the hairs on my neck bristle with fear, but at the first set of traffic lights I was back alongside Sunthon and determined not to get separated again. Here in Bangkok at each set of traffic lights there is an electronic counter that counts down the seconds to the changing of the lights. 45, 44, 43 ….. 6, 5, …Go. Always bikes first, .. always before the ‘Green’, .. always a racing start.

The lady with the overly short skirt was dismounted and making her way into the office building when I finally pulled in behind them. A 2Km journey had taken approximately 6 minutes. I was soaked, my Gortex jacket trapping in the heat, the air vents useless against the fierce heat of Bangkok. With a knowing smile Sunthon handed me his plastic bag of iced tea, ….. I was too grateful to politely refuse.

Beneath a tattered canopy on the edge of a large and hectic market, we rested and waited with other riders in an unofficial line, .. waiting for Sunthon’s next passenger. The other riders were eager to understand why I wanted to do this, .. perhaps they thought I was some kind of adrenaline junkie, but then they do not see this job as being dangerous, … to them it is simply a job. I tried to explain that I did a similar job at home in London, I tried to explain that I wanted to understand how their jobs were different from my own. In the end,.. we simply spent the minutes comparing ‘crash scars’, .. of which they have plenty and I thankfully, have but a few. In a way, it felt a little like being back on the London Circuit on a quiet summers day. Between jobs we tend to congregate in specific areas with other couriers; Smithfield Market, Lincolns Inn, Royal Courts of Justice etc. In common with the resting places of Bangkok, …. good toilets, shelter from the rain or sun and a decent food vendor are all present at such locations. In London if you want to know where the cleanest public lavatories are, ….. just look to see where the Black Cabs and Couriers rest, …. for there you will find only the finest of facilities.

As the day drew on, the jobs began to flow, we were criss-crossing the city as if our bikes were attached by invisible string. The down-time was scarce, we ate watermelon and drank iced tea at every opportunity, .. my Gortex jacket now riding passenger on my sadly empty pillion seat, …. 34 degrees of wet heat had gotten the better of my concerns for additional crash protection. With a passenger safely dropped at Bangkok’s highest hotel, I followed Sunthon through a swift and tight ‘U-Turn’, …. straight into the arms of a motorcycle cop. He didn’t look happy about this apparently illegal manoeuvre. His massive mirror shades and immaculate uniform reminding me very much of ‘ChiPs’ from 70’s TV, …. but his smile had sadly deserted him, he was no Eric Estrada. However, a frantic conversation, a donation of 150TB to his personal retirement fund and we were mobile once again.

We’d completed a full circuit of this district of Bangkok, returning to the platform where it had all begun at 7am this morning. For Sunthon the day was only half way through, but for his unfit shadow, it was sadly over. My rental Honda had to be returned in readiness for my departure tomorrow morning. I said a fond farewell to Sunthon and his colleagues who had chaperoned me and kept me safe throughout the day. I was hot, I was wet and I was totally exhausted. Had I been carrying the passengers myself, … I would now be approximately 350TB richer. Today has been one of the most nerve racking and exhilarating days that I have ever spent on a motorcycle. I enjoy trackdays, I enjoy racing, I enjoyed the Amur Highway, …… but shadowing a Bangkok Taxi Bike for a day is in a totally different league. I’m happy that I had the opportunity to do this, but would I do it again?. Not On Your Life.

www.justgiving.com/geoffgthomas

Post 131: Bangkok, Thailand

Due to lack of interest, tomorrow is cancelled, let the clocks be reset and the pendulums held, because there’s nothing at all except the space in between, finding out what your called and repeating your name ………

The day started badly and threatened to deteriorate. Perhaps it was something that I’d eaten, perhaps it was just a case of first day nerves, but the communal bathroom of a backpackers guesthouse had never felt so inviting as it had done this morning. On a brighter note, …. at least it wasn’t raining. It’s fair to say that last evening in order to help me sleep I’d consumed several bottles of local beer but it seemed that this morning, remembering my own name was as much mental exercise as my scrambled brain would manage.

I arrived at the wooden platform close to the market where the taxi boys spent their downtime between jobs, …. I hoped for my own sake and not theirs, that today the ‘down time’ would be plentiful. Sunthon introduced me to his colleagues and to a man whose name I could neither pronounce then nor remember now, ….. but this man was their unappointed leader, top dog on the circuit. Immediately he saw a flaw in an otherwise perfect plan. The ‘Farang’ had no permit to work, no licence to carry passengers and therefore no insurance. I reflected for a moment on how these guys ride their bikes around this chaotic city and wondered which underwriter in his or her right mind would ever cover such a risk. Whatever the answer to that conundrum might be, I was still unable to work. To be honest, at the breaking of this news a warm sense of relief washed over me and for the first time today, the urgent need of a bathroom subsided.

A huddle was quickly formed with much chattering and gesticulation, a huddle into which I was not invited. After several minutes a verdict had been reached. It was impossible for me to legally carry passengers or packages on my weird motorcycle, ….. but if I wished to ‘understand’ their jobs, then I was welcome to follow them for the day. And so it came to be that although ‘Blue88’ could not become a Taxi Bike Boy, he could if he wished, ….. tag along for the ride. They explained that today, Thursday 14th of August, would be a quiet day in Bangkok as many people were still on holiday. Tuesday had been both the Queen’s birthday and ‘Mothers Day’ here in Thailand, .. a holiday for all in a country where the King and Queen are revered. It was agreed that I would follow the first bike to secure a passenger.

The first to secure a passenger, either by design or default, was Sunthon. A large lady of indeterminate age with overly short skirt, high heels and a becoming smile. She mounted sidesaddle, the spare crash helmet crooked into her elbow and into the traffic they shot. I sped forward in pursuit, 50m travelled and already several cars and buses separated us, … this would indeed be a very testing day for the London Courier.

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Post 130: Returning to Bangkok

My time in Chai Nat was all too short,... but then that is true of all of the places so far visited. I leave Nurse Wipa Klampeng and her colleagues from the Sappaya Hospital promising to return in the not too distant future.

I make my way out of Chai Nat on the road heading south towards Bangkok. The little Honda now feels like home, ... I miss the power and comfort of the Triumph but this little cruiser feels like a proper 'Holiday Rental', ... when I ride it I'm relaxed. Unfortunately I don't think that 'Relaxed' will be the word of the moment tomorrow. I must meet Sunthon and his colleagues at 7am tomorrow, ...... Bangkok Taxi Bikes start work rudely early.

At every stop on the route south people take time to look at the 'Farang' on the weird motorcycle. Unlike in other countries, .... the people here keep a safe and discreet distance, it is only when I greet them in Thai that they will approach and talk. Unfortunately that is when it all goes horribly wrong. I can say 'Hi' and 'Bye', but beyond that, ... if they respond with proper sentences, ..... I'm totally lost and confused.

I accidentally manage to take in a few more temples, ..... not by design but more through lack of sense of direction. I thought that heading towards Bangkok would be easier than heading to the smaller town of Chai Nat ,... more signposts etc. Unfortunately, ...... trying to pick the correct route and avoid Police interference by staying off the forbidden roads is far more difficult that I imagined. I eventually ended up in an area of Bangkok that is unfamiliar to me. I employed the services of a local courier to find my way to a hotel. I give him 50TB with the promise a further 50 if he can get me there, ..... he's fast, but we make it in one piece.

Sleep may be a scarce commodity tonight, .... I am a little more than apprehensive about my day tomorrow, .. but a promise is a promise and I'll do my best to uphold the good name of CitySprint here in Bangkok.

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Post 129: Chai Nat, Thailand

I’ve been installed in room 230 at the Chai Nat Thanee Hotel and to the best of my knowledge, … I am quite possibly the only guest here. I’m quite shocked when I arrive on the Honda, I’ve followed Pa in her car, … my friends here are possibly worried that I will scoff at a smaller cheaper hotel, the Hotel Thanee is by far the best room in town. They believe that as a European I expect certain things in life; a comfortable bed, clean linen and fresh drinking water straight from the tap, a bath and a shower, MTV and air conditioning, .. they have little concept of camping on the Amur Highway. On first sight, I worry that the Hotel Thanee will break the £20 per day budget, … but this is rural Thailand, …. £8 per night, …. thank you very much.

Pa apologises for the rain and humidity as if the rainy season were somehow her own fault. We go to dinner on the banks of the river, .. a floating restaurant of sorts where the food is delicious and the service attentive. The price of the meal is reasonable, I get change from 200TB (£3), ….. lots of change in fact. Europeans are strangers in these parts but the attention that I receive is humorous, never invasive or annoying. The Thai people are, if treated with respect, the most amazing people to spend time with. Rich or Poor they ‘give’, because that is their nature. By the evening’s end we are chatting with the staff, they are embarrassed to ask questions directly, .. they fear that they will inadvertently offend me, …. beyond anything else, .. they want to ensure that my time in Chai Nat leaves me with only the fondest of memories, … they need not worry on that score.

Tomorrow we will visit the Chai Nat National Bird Park and again Pa apologises, … ‘the park is very beautiful but unfortunately no birds, ….. bird flu’. It is said with the warmest of smiles making it impossible for me to tell if she is serious. She wonders why I cannot stay longer, why I must return to Bangkok on Wednesday, .. ‘Wednesday is too soon’. Looking into eyes that are filled with life and mischief, … I am beginning to think that she may possibly be right. I try to explain that in Bangkok on Thursday I have a ‘Job’, a job similar to my job at home in London. On Thursday 14th August 2008, ‘Blue88’ will become quite possibly Bangkok’s first ever British ‘Motorcycle Taxi Boy’. I do not expect to make any money and any that I do make will go straight back to the Taxi Boys who have agreed to help me. They hold out very little hope for my success, …… but they are still far more confident than I am. The boys feel that a good result for me would be ‘300TB’ (£5). I on the other hand feel that as results go, ‘Alive’ will suffice.

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Post 128: Sappaya Hospital, Chai Nat, Thailand

The journey onwards from Seoul in South Korea to Thailand was both planned and accidental. The way in which flights are priced is a mystery to me. The price of a return ticket is often half that of a single ticket, travelling on a Thursday can often be fifty percent cheaper than travelling on a Wednesday or a Friday and greater distances with the same airline are often cheaper than shorter distances. You just have to keep looking for the right deal and once found, … make the purchase before the prices change. Back in Seoul I discovered that my cheapest route to Seattle was via Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Taipei. Once my ticket had been purchased I was guarded about the actual destinations. The reason for not declaring the exact route lays ahead of me in Chai Nat, …. Or to be more precise, …. In a small Emergency Room at the Sappaya District Hospital.

According to my map I’m still almost 50Km from Chai Nat. I believe that I can make my way across country using road signs in the same way that we had in Russia. On main roads here in Thailand the signs for major towns are written in both Thai and English. By taking photographs of the two words together, I can now recognise the Thai word for each town ahead of me. It is hot and humid, the second hand shoes that I’d bought in Bangkok for 90TB (£1.50) are heavy and my feet are pounding, .. my clothes are soaked with sweat, … 36 degrees and 80% humidity. Every other rider on these roads is wearing tee shirt, shorts and flip-flops, they look in astonishment at me in my fully armoured jacket and CitySprint vest, …. if I’d recently landed from Mars I would look no more out of place than I do now. I encourage the tiny Honda onwards, ….. I have it on good authority that Nurse Pa Klampeng and her colleagues will finish their shifts at the Sappaya Hospital in forty minutes time, …. I need to hurry.

In Chai Nat I discover that I’ve entered the town from the wrong direction. Instead of passing through the village of Sappaya I have for some reason arrived from the north. Sappaya must now be 20Km to the south of me. I stop at the main hospital in Chai Nat and ask for directions. They understand that I am looking for a hospital, …. they no doubt see me hunched as I walk, protecting a hernia that protests at the ‘Cruiser’ style of riding. They cannot understand why this magnificent hospital is not good enough for me. After several minutes of explaining, I have a new map, .. a map scribbled on a piece of A4 paper, … it looks frighteningly similar to the map that was drawn for me earlier in the hour, the map that had brought me in the wrong direction. With a bow to each of my new friends, I race out of the Chai Nat Hospital car park and head past Tesco’s as directed. (Yes, … Tesco). After about 15Km, I see the first sign for Sappaya Hospital.

No time to stop and dry myself, .. no time to cool down and take on water. I ride the burning Honda into the hospital and stop in front of the emergency room. I remove my helmet, … I turn off the ignition, ….. Nurse Pa Klampeng is standing in the electronic doorway, … her face held in her hands, jumping up and down and screaming excitedly in Thai. I see her colleagues massing behind her, straining to see the reason behind the commotion. ‘Farang’ are scarce in these parts but a visit from Poor Circulation is even more of a surprise.

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Post 127:Road to Chai Nat, Thailand

I’m getting used to this weird and wonderful bike, .. it’s got no power and all of my weight is placed firmly on my arse, … but it’s actually quite good fun. Each time I pull away from stationary my feet search for nonexistent footpegs below my knees, no doubt this provides some nice comedy moments for all of those behind me, but for myself, …. It’s a little disconcerting. It’s hot and humid, 34 degrees and this is still the rainy season, .. but thankfully today, ..the rain has not arrived. My clothing is soaked, the little Honda is too slow to allow the air to flow through the material and cool me, I need to keep drinking water to avoid dehydration. After another 100Km I decide that it’s once more time to fill the tank. Thankfully here in Thailand petrol is cheap and very easy to buy. There is none of the Russian opera where you guess how much you will need and pay in advance. Here, you ride to the pump, choose the colour of fuel that you require, which for me is green, the attendant fills your tank and once full, … you pay him. I have no idea how much fuel this teardrop shaped tank holds, but 100Km has sipped just 3L of 91 octane fuel. It may not be as swift or as comfortable as the Triumph Tiger, …. but the Honda Phantom is certainly as economical.

With my spirits and confidence running as high as the air temperature, I decide that sticking to the main highways is becoming too tedious. After too many weeks of ‘safety’, I need to explore the unexplored, I have a sudden urge to remove myself from the beaten track. I see signs written only in Thai, signs that I believe contain the word ‘Wat’, … meaning ‘Temple’, .. I think. I turn left, the road is narrow with only paddy fields and stilted houses to either side and the traffic consists of only motorcycles and scooters. At the junction where I turned from the highway there had been a second sign, this sign was again written only in Thai. I can only assume that this second sign stated that ‘All Highway Rules End Here’. Towards me, from behind me and from either side of me, powered two wheeled vehicles carry any number of passengers, engineering equipment, farm produce and even refrigerators in every possible direction. ‘Left & Right’ seem to mean very little here, it’s every boy or girl for his or herself, … I join in, ,… it seems like the polite thing to do.

Within a couple of hours I visit two temples, each of which is both beautiful and peaceful, each busy with people yet as quiet as the air around me. There is an overriding feeling of peace in these places, a feeling that is always in stark contrast to the chaos of the life that is happening outside. These temple complexes are small enclaves of tranquillity where even the air seems to cool itself in response to the desire of the spirits. The influences around these complexes are a mixture of Buddhist and Hindu, two religions seemingly now living in perfect harmony. I quickly learn to differentiate between the two styles of architecture and see clear evidence that ‘Harmony’ has not always existed here. At one temple, the heads of every image have been removed, some cleanly, some violently. I believe that these vandalised images are Khmer but I did not discover the reason for the decapitation. I believe that this violence was metered out by an invading army during an invasion that took place in which century I do not know, .. and for what reason remains unclear. Perhaps I have it the wrong way round. Maybe they are Hindu images decapitated by the Khmer armies, .. or perhaps Khmer images are actually Hindu, .. one day I will find out. In an area where western visitors are more common, the information at such sites would be repeated in English, French and German etc. Here, slightly away from the road towards Chai Nat, where I am the only ‘Farang’, all information is strictly in Thai, … and in a way, .. I enjoy that more. Travelling often asks more questions than it answers.

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Post 126: Road to Chai Nat, Thailand

It’s Sunday 10th of August and I hope that the day and the early hour will beat the cities traffic, …… perhaps I’ve already forgotten that this is Bangkok. I firstly discover that on Toll Roads and Overpasses, motorcycles are not allowed. On all other roads bikes must ride on what in the UK we call the ‘Hard Shoulder’ but what here in Thailand I should simply call the ‘Suicide Lane’. I have the route planned in my head, the Thai place names committed to memory. Find Highway ‘1’ and head north. From there, I’ll slip seamlessly onto ‘32’ heading towards Ayutthaya and then Ang Thong before picking ‘311’ to my destination, ….. Chai Nat, … some 195Km north of Bangkok.

I reach Bangkok’s ‘Victory Monument’ with ease, my confidence is high, I pass through the green lights and onto the roundabout searching for exit 3, …… I find it. The traffic is dense and I soon discard the ‘Suicide Lane’ rule, …. staying alive using all five lanes will be difficult enough. Then without warning, the route I need rises onto an Overpass, … I take the low road. I’m looking for signs whilst trying to keep the path of the flyover in my vision, the compass is on the Tiger, I feel as if I am riding blind. I stop often and practice my Thai with resting taxi drivers. They look at my map as if it were a forbidden book of dark spells, they laugh at my attempts to communicate, .. they each point in a different direction, …. they each have a strong opinion as to which direction is best, … they each in a way remind me of London’s black cab drivers, … but eventually my direction is true, … the buildings become lower and the trees taller. I’m back on ‘1’ and finding that through some divine intervention each destination that I require is written on the signs in both Thai and English.

I look in my mirrors and see the skyscrapers of Bangkok vanishing behind me. I open the throttle and cruise onwards with much more noise but seemingly no more speed. I consider the size of the engine powering this large bike, …. 750cc, … 600cc? I stop for fuel and hunt for the capacity stamp on the engine casing, …. 200cc, ….. today could be a very long day.

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Post 125: Bangkok, Thailand

It’s the 8th of August 2008 and by the time I’d retrieved my ragtag assortment of luggage from the airport carousel and cleared customs, it was too late to consider even a cheap hotel for the remainder of the night. The £10 that would have been spent on a room for the night could easily be invested elsewhere. Bangkok is an amazing city, it’s been too many years since my last visit and although the buildings and transport systems have changed, …… the atmosphere is unmistakable.

The plan is to find a rental bike, get out of Bangkok as soon as possible and head north. I’d hoped to ride to Aranyaprathet and then make my way across the border on foot into Cambodia. Unfortunately due to a major cock-up the evening before leaving Seoul, I’ve arrived here with an empty ‘Emergency Fund’. Unfortunately it appears that a journey into Cambodia will have to wait until a future date. The first challenge here would be to find a rental bike. Hiring a car in Bangkok is easy, hiring a bike in any of the Thai resorts is also very easy, ….. but in Bangkok, bike rental is either scarce or prohibitively expensive. I’d heard of a man in Bangkok called John Moriarty, an American expatriate who helps travellers with motorbikes, …… but the information I had was old and my emails to him had remained unanswered. Tomorrow I would seek help in tracking John down, ….. but I had time to kill until dawn.

The 24-hour food stall was busy, the food and drinks were cheap and delicious, the life around me was eclectic and vibrant. Bangkok is the city that properly defines ‘The City That Never Sleeps’, it’s a perfect place to explore but a poor place to relax. I sit waiting for dawn to arrive with a Jonny Depp look-alike and rotating groups of hyperactive ‘Taxi Bike Riders’ in their once fluorescent orange vests. They speak a form of Thai that I cannot understand, they are red eyed and suspiciously too awake for this hour of the morning. These guys ride their Honda Waves around this chaotic city at break-neck speeds, ferrying passengers who have neither the time nor the money to take a taxi, they make London Couriers look like Health & Safety enforcers. I suspect that the redness of their eyes and speed of their chattering owes more to chemical stimulation than to any love of their jobs. It passes the time, ….. it also plants a new seed of adventure in my imagination, …. but more of that later.

My Thai was never ‘good’ and nowadays it’s practically nonexistent, .. I needed help in finding the elusive John Moriarty, I needed to start riding again, Poor Circulation had been ‘pedestrian’ for two long weeks, …. I was missing my Tiger, I needed a bike. If you need a good guide or interpreter in any strange city on a low budget, find a college. At the college you’ll find a student, .. hopefully a student studying English. Thankfully here in Bangkok, colleges and universities are everywhere and English students are plentiful. Whatever this support will cost you, …. it will save you time and money and allow you to discover things that other tourists will undoubtedly miss.

Around midday, I find Ae, an English student who is bright and full of life, … she agrees to help me for the sum of 400 TB (£6) per day, …. one day will suffice. By 3pm, I’m in an unfamiliar district of Bangkok looking at an even more unfamiliar motorcycle. It’s a Honda Phantom, it looks like a ‘Cruiser’, …. it looks too large for it’s tiny engine, …. but at 400 TB per day with insurance included, … it’s bang-on budget. I agree four days, …. I hope that will be enough. I take John’s number just in case I need to extend for an extra day. John hands me a map, he looks at the beautiful Ae and gives me a wry smile (wrongly I might add), ….. he’s seen too many wide-eyed travellers like me before, ….. he can probably smell my fear, .. he wishes me well. I familiarise myself with the bike by returning Ae to the college where we had met. Riding a new bike on the left side of the road in a city this busy is not easy, ….. but reading road signs written only in Thai is impossible. By 7pm, Ae is safely back at her college and I’ve unsafely secured a backpackers room with parking for the bike for 300 TB, .. £5. Overnight I suspect that the bike is slightly more secure than it’s rider, ….. but tomorrow is a big day, an early start and a journey that I fear more than the Amur Highway, … I fall asleep clutching my wallet and passport.

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Post 124: Leaving Seoul

Mike and Jo are from Australia, ... but despite that, ... they're actually a great couple ;-). We first met in Vladivostok when we found their BMW R1150GS parked outside of a hotel and left a brief note for them. When we returned to our bikes, .. Mike and Jo had reciprocated with a note of their own. Eventually we ended up at Vlad Moto where Mike and Jo used the Iron Tiger's workshop facilities to clean the bike and change to a new set of tyres. The following day they were setting off for Seoul and onwards back to Australia. They've been traveling around the globe for two years and when we finally said farewell to them, ... we believed it would probably be for the last time.

Amazingly, last night in Seoul Alan once again bumped into Mike and Jo and arranged for us to meet up for drinks and dinner later that evening. A city the size of London, in a country where they were not supposed to be, ...... and we meet by chance!!!!. It transpires that they really don't want their amazing journey to end and have enjoyed South Korea so much, ... they've decided to remain here for a few more days, ...... good news for all really.

Unfortunately, I missed the drinks and dinner and instead spent a joyous evening in a warm bath at the guest house trying to deflate the angry uprising of a long standing hernia. I should have had it fixed before I left home but the 'Hospital Appointment' only arrived two days before departure, .... so I didn't. When the bike fell from it's side stand at a petrol station near Volgograd I should have let it fall, .... but I didn't. 300Kg's of fully laden Triumph Tiger against 70Kg's of aging courier with a hernia, ..... there could only be one winner, ...... 'ouch'. For the past six weeks it's been a bit of a pain in the groin, .... but so long as I don't walk, run, carry anything or sit on a bike, ... I'm fine. It would have been a great parting evening for the four of us, ..... but I sort of guess that at some point in time, .. we will meet again.

I made my way to Incheon Airport this morning and caught an amazingly cheap flight to Kuala Lumpur with Malaysian Airways. I've always wanted to see the 'Petronas Towers' which until 2004, were the worlds tallest buildings. Wow, .... they look absolutely stunning, ... I should know, I've just looked at them on the Internet. Unfortunately today, ........ the fog is so thick that I can see absolutely bugger all in real life. It's a hell of a long way to come just to browse 'Google Images'. On a brighter note, .. the current 'Tallest Building' is now in Taipei, ..... and I'm going there as part of an amazingly cheap 'Round Robin' air ticket, ...... I just hope it's not cloudy there too.

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Post 123: Seoul, South Korea

This evening I met with Wendy Choi, the most able representative of Areo International here in Seoul. Wendy has arranged every detail of our bikes crossing through, and departing from, South Korea. She is professional, punctual and 100% reliable. Wendy also bought us dinner, ...... which perhaps casts some doubt on her otherwise faultless credentials, but without her help Poor Circulation would be struggling to meet both budget and schedule. A big Thank You to the lovely Wendy.

In earlier posts I mentioned our encounters with a young Brazilian RTW rider. We had not seen eye-to-eye on several matters and our parting at the port of Zarabino had come as a slight sweetener to the bitterness of not being allowed to board the ferry to Korea on our first attempt. Roderigo was a man in a great hurry, his ailing bike was brought here to Korea for an onward flight to Anchorage and his deadline of reaching New York by 31st August 2008. In conversation with Wendy, .... I innocently asked if she had enjoyed the pleasure of Roderigo's company. Wendy bowed her head slightly and her voice softened to an apologetic whisper, ........ 'sorry Geoff, ... Roderigo did not fly to Anchorage, ..... instead his bike is now also sailing to Seattle, ... same ship,.. same container'.

It would seem that although Brazil had overtaken England in this journey around the world, .... we are once again neck and neck. Thankfully Roderigo's journey will take him along the 48th Parallel whilst mine will take me south. Sometimes mercies may be small,... but never the less, .... most welcome.

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Post 122: Seoul, South Korea

Compared to Eastern Russia, Seoul is expensive, .. but then all cities usually are. In any new city it generally takes a few days before you discover the cheapest ways of doing things and that’s just beginning to happen here. Eating from the street, …. food stalls not pavement, saves money, …. discovering how to use the excellent subway system saves money, …. and finding ‘Backpackers Rooms’ can save a fortune. Today we’re moving to the Namsan Guest House, it’s in the centre of Seoul but it’s cheap, clean and has free WiFi, .. result.

Alan has decided against travelling any further in the Far East, .. he’ll stay here in Seoul for ten days before taking a direct flight to meet the bike in Seattle. He’s always wanted to see Hong Kong but doesn’t feel confident enough to fly there alone. I’ve found him cheap flights and cheap/safe accommodation just off Nathan Road, …. but he prefers to stay here in Seoul. ‘Travelling’ in the Far East costs exactly the same as ‘Killing Time’, .. especially when that time is being killed in a capital city like Seoul. Finding the cheap ‘Guest House’ will help, … but it seems such a waste not to visit the places that he wants to see while he’s in the region.

Behind the ‘Guest House’ is the Namsan Tower sitting atop Seoul’s largest hill, … here called a ‘Mountain’ and offering spectacular views of the city. I understand that I’m getting old, with both time and unhealthy living taking it’s toll, … but wandering the streets of Seoul was wearing me out. It was only from the heights of this mountain that I discovered the real reason for my weariness; … Seoul is a bloody huge City. It sprawls outwards and upwards for as far as the eyes can see or the mist will allow. From the vantage point of the tower I can retrace the routes that I’ve walked, …. it looks spectacular from here, .. but I think that my next task will be to investigate how the Seoul bus system works.

The fencing around the top of this mountain is covered with thousands of padlocks, .. all sizes, shapes and colours. Each padlock has an inscription, a message of love or loss, …… they are locked onto the fencing forming a spectacular mosaic the likes of which I have never before seen. Signs ask visitors not to add new locks to the already overloaded fences, .. but the people pay little attention. Seoul reminds me of Singapore, … safe, clean and new. I feel that fixing new locks to this fencing against the specific instructions of the authorities is as close to anarchy as it gets here, …… and that’s not a bad thing at all.

('Blogger' will not allow me to upload photographs today, ... I'll try next time)
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Post 121: Seoul, South Korea

It’s Monday 4th August and I’ve been here in Korea for almost a week. Seoul is a fine city, …. but after the forced wait in Vladivostok and then Zarabino, I’m itching to move onwards. It will be two weeks before the bike is ready for collection in Seattle, …. I’ve got two weeks to kill and a plan is beginning to form.

Flying to Seattle from Seoul seems to be the same price whichever way you plan the route, ….. so in my book that means ‘Adventure’. It will cost more to stay here in Seoul for twelve days than it will to travel to other parts of the Far East en-route to Seattle, … and so that is what I will do.

No real plan, .. it will depend on which is the cheapest flight on the day, ... and who I meet on the way. I enjoy this style of travelling, ….. ‘show up and fly’. As long as I arrive in Seattle on or around the 15th of August and keep within budget, …. it would seem rude to miss out on such an opportunity, ….. so I’ll let you know where I am once I land.

In the meantime I’ve had some rather alarming news from home. My daughter Hannah has decided that this summer’s fashion disaster should be ‘Red Hair’. I’m not going to warn her against doing it, .. we’ve all been there and we’ve all made similar choices. It's probably a mistake that through the medium of digital photography will certainly come back to haunt her, .... but it's her hair. Before I left home in May, Hannah donated £10 to my ‘Just Giving’ page and left a comment asking me not to embarrass her. Well, … if she can have ‘Red Hair’ then so can I, …. it’s not as if I’m going for any important job interviews in the next few weeks. So,.. you’ve been warned Miss Thomas, …. Watch this space.

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Post 120: Seoul, South Korea

For many years now South East Asia has been an area where I've felt most at home, ..... relaxed and welcome. When I finally hang up my CitySprint Vest, I guess that I'll settle somewhere in this region where the hearts are warm and the £Pound stretches just a little bit further. I speak a little Thai and Tagalog and in the very distant past, .. even a touch of Khmer, but this is my first 'non-transit' visit to South Korea. At first it failed to inspire me, ..... the people are warm but not outwardly vivacious, the culture is friendly but a little subdued, .. the architecture efficient but not inspiring, ... everything seemed slightly more 'Singapore' than 'Thailand'.

At some point in time it had to happen, ..... eventually is always does. In every City and in every Country, .... there is something that will from nowhere, ... jump right out and bite you on the arse, ..... sometimes good, .. sometimes not so good. For me the 'Bite' came this morning as I wandered aimlessly towards a building known as 'TM' (Tech Market), ...... eight floors of electronic consumerism neatly packaged in air conditioned comfort, ..... a zillion square feet of techo-nerd-nirvana. TM is a magnet for a thousand 'Comic Book Guy' doppelgangers, a place where 'girlfriends' are an unknown species. As a man who struggles with SMS and Windows, the electro-bling meant little to me. Although ignoring the gadgets and observing the people was fascinating, ..... it was on the outside of this emporium of dreams that I was finally bitten by Seoul.

At the entrance to TM's underground car park stand two stainless steel platforms with small red canopies above. On these platforms stand two young ladies dressed in Disney uniforms and wearing little white gloves. The music plays from speakers above their heads, .. they dance constantly and rhythmically in time to that music, ........ directing the traffic with exaggerated hand signals and facial gestures. I stand and watch this amazing opera for what seems like hours, .... it's a genuine traffic safety service, ..... the people of Seoul walk past as if it's the most natural thing in the world, ....... and of course to them it is. It is indeed a beautiful thing, ... not that they are attractive young ladies (though that does of course help), .... it's just the whole craziness of it that simply screams, ...... welcome to Asia.

www.justgiving.com/geoffgthomas

Post 119: Seoul, South Korea

It feels like I've been in Seoul for weeks now, ... that's not a reflection on this great city, .... I'm just eager to reunite myself with the Tiger and carry on my journey towards Bonneville. It's August 3rd, .. or possibly the 4th, .. the 'day/date' on my watch has stopped working. Here in Seoul I feel a little awkward, almost like a trespasser, ..... I know it's a city that I should explore but concentrating the mind when so many variables remain outstanding is difficult.

The bike is now all 'Documented' and will be loading onto the Seattle bound boat on Monday or Tuesday, .... sailing on Wednesday. I hope to fly out on Thursday but only once I'm certain that the bike has left before me. There is I am sure nothing worse than arriving in your destination city only to discover that due to some minor administrative oversight, ..... the bike is still back in your city of departure, ... surely that could never happen?

Yesterday I took a chance, ...... my first trip on Seoul's Subway, but actually it was a breeze. Unlike London's underground network, here in Seoul it is clean, cheap, efficient and very easy to navigate. I speak and read no Korean but easily found my way to the Jongmyo Royal Ancestral Shrine.

The shrines were built in the 14th century following the Confucian traditions of honouring ancestors. Rebuilt over the years, and as a complex very beautiful, it seems to resemble a 'film set' more than an ancient monument of historical importance. Even with the many large groups of older Koreans gathering in the outer grounds to pass time, to talk animatedly and put the world to rights, ...... I felt little atmosphere and no great sense of history. The 'Subway Journey' had been a revelation, .... but perhaps the destination was simply the wrong choice.

On Monday I'll meet with Wendy Choi of Areo International and settle my account for shipping the bike to the USA. Once that's done, ..... and hopefully I'll be over the bout of tonsillitis that I picked up on Friday, ... I might find it easier to relax and concentrate on 'Where I am' and not simply 'Where I'm going'.

www.justgiving.co,/geoffgthomas