Make Life A Ride

A little inspiration.

OK, now get out and go.

Best Gifts For The International Traveler

Here is my new list of the Best Gifts for the International Traveler.  Many travelers already own their favorite travel gear whether it might be a bag, backpack, electronic, travel towel, water bottle or piece of clothing.  However, this gear list is for the "hard to buy for" friend or family member that seems to have everything and lacks for nothing.  But oh how they will appreciate these little gifts that range from $5 to $50 that are so very utilitarian and packable.

Satechi Travel Adapter/Router $49.99 video Common electrical adapters can be purchased for $1 to $15.  But most travelers will find that they need more than one electrical adapter because they carry various electronics. Like many adapters this product will work in about 150 countries and can simultaneously accept mulitple electrical plugs and USB plugs so that electronics may be simultaneously charged. What makes this adapter special is that it can also serve as a router to create wifi hotspots anywhere there is an electrical outlet and internet connection. Cool!

Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter $39.99 video It is true that a traveler can now easily buy bottled water in almost every country and even in very remote locations. However, the cost of buying bottled water can cut into one's travel funds and contribute to plastic waste build up in a country where recycling is not readily available. So for economical and ecological reasons, I now travel with a Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter and a water bottle. This filter system packs lightly (about 3 ozs) and compactly (about 5 inches) and is very quick and easy to use. The filter removes 99.99999% of all bacteria, such as salmonella, cholera and E.coli; removes 99.9999% of all protozoa, such as giardia and cryptosporidium. Sweet!

Apple iPhoto Hardback Photobook gift certificate $29.99 to $49.99 video OK, this gift is probably better given as a gift after someone returns home from their epic adventure. Sharing photos on Facebook, Instigram and other online websites if fun.  But to create a tangible and lasting memory there is nothing better than an actual high quality hardback photobook.  Many travelers may not buy such a book for themselves because of the cost or because these days photos quickly become an afterthought.  But most travelers will certainly appreciate such a gift from a friend or family member.  The clincher is that the Apple iPhoto Hardback Photobooks are easy to assemble and are produced in very high quality.  If one's best photos are curated and incorporated, these photo books will be treasured for years to come. Perfect!

Swiss Tech Utili-key $10.00 video  Most international travel involves flying or crossing borders. With restrictions placed on carrying knives or multi-tools through check-points, one is often faced with the dilemma of going without, checking in luggage or confiscation.  One stealth multi-tool that I have carried with me and never had it confiscated is the Swiss Tech Utili-key. The traditional model stealthily clips on to a key ring and may be used as a knife, bottle opener and screwdriver. The newest version may also be used as a nail file, nail cleaner and wire stripper.  It is like the Swiss Army knife that you wish you could carry through security check-points. Handy!

Nikon Micro-Fiber Lens Cleaning Cloth $5.00 video Whether one is using a smart phone, point-and-shoot or DSLR camera, everyones taking photos while they travel. Nothing can ruin a great photo more than a smudge or spot on the lens of a camera. For those circumstances, I have one of these handy little micro-fiber lens cleaning cloths clipped on to my camera strap ring. It neatly tucks away into the attached pouch when not in use and it is easily pulled out when needed. It is also handy for cleaning eyeglasses, smartphone, tablet and computer screens. An additional tip, I place an extra SD memory card in a card case and wrap it inside the cloth and pouch. That way I always have a clean lens and extra memory card attached to my camera. :)

So there you have it… The Best Gifts For The International Traveler.

As a disclaimer, I do not have a relationship with the manufacturers or any retailers of these items. I am recommending theses products purely based on my likes, preferences and usage. Search online for local or online retailers.

The Baja 1000…and Dust To Glory

To watch live and recorded footage check out Score International.

In tribute to the Baja 1000 Rally, which is occurring at the moment, I thought that I'd point all of you in the direction of this action filled film that chronicles the event, places and people… Dust To Glory.

Check out the full movie on youtube!

Crossing The Darien Gap… New Ferry Service

UPDATE:  It appears that this ferry service has been suspended. 

http://wikioverland.org/Panama_to_colombia_car_ferry_xpress

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Crossing the Darien Gap just got a little easier with the operation of a much anticipated luxury ferry service called Ferry Xpress. The service runs from Colon and Bocas del Toro, Panama to/from Cartegena, Colombia.

Fees as of Nov 1, 2014 can be as low as US$99 per person for a seat (US$155 for a cabin) and US$180 per motorcycle.

This represents a substantial savings over air cargo flights with Girag Cargo which range from US$450 for passengers and US$900 for motorcycles.

Or with sailboat charters which range from US$450 for passengers and US$550 for motorcycles.

This new ferry service will certainly be a welcome form of transportation to cross the Darien Gap for budget minded adventure motorcyclists and travelers, but it will certainly take a little of the "adventure" out of the experience. Read about my experience crossing the Darien Gap at The Adventure Begins. 

On Any Sunday… The Next Chapter

On Any Sunday!!!

Can The Next Chapter be any better than the original On Any Sunday? I'm looking forward to checking it out.

Check out the original on YouTube.

From Dalat to Ho Chi Minh City… All Good Things Must Come To an End

I was sad to leave Dalat. I had a great time hanging out with my new friends and seeing the highland countryside. However, I needed to press on toward Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC, formally Saigon) because I was planning to meet another friend who was traveling from the US to meet me in the city.

According to google maps the ride to HCMC would be about 6 hours. I knew from experience that it would probably be longer.

So I departed Dalat in the rain. There was light rain… medium rain… heavy rain… let's just say that there was lots of rain. Luckily there were plenty of opportunities to pull over to the side of the road to rest. In Vietnam there are often these places to rest along the side of the road designed for drivers or riders that are called cà phê võng. At a typical cà phê võng there would usually be a little store with basic items such as snacks, drinks and noodles. The best part about these establishments are that they have hammocks spread beneath a canopy for short rest breaks. I think that they are designed to provide shade from the mid day sun, but in my case... the rain. I stopped at a number of these cà phê võng establishments along the way to HCMC. I attempted to wait out the rain, but it continued to rain all day. I think that it was the most rain that I encountered during the entirety of my trip.

I eventually arrived into HCMC. I believe that the journey took me nine hours. I reached the outskirts of the city within six hours, but then battled through the traffic and maze of streets within the city for an additional three hours. The ride was a blur. I was anxious to arrive in HCMC, but I was also reflecting on my journey and everything that I had experienced over the past month… cties, villages, farmland, caves, mountains, beaches, highways, dirt roads, strangers and friends.

I eventually found my way to the city center and an area with budget hotels called Phạm Ngũ Lão street. I had a reservation at a hostel, but had a little trouble finding the hostel… because… well… it was not along the main street, but located down this alley. I eventually found my hostel and settled in. This photo was taken during the day, but can you imagine trying to find this alley at night in the dark?

HCMC is a big sprawling city. The city is broken down into 19 inner districts and an additional 5 suburban districts. There are about 8 million people living in the city… and it often appears that all 8 million of them all traveling around on scooters. 

Arriving into HCMC would signify the end of the road... or at least the end of this little motorcycle adventure. My original plan was to travel Vietnam for about a month from north to south, Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, and see all that I could see in between. It turns out that I traveled further north, east, west and south than I originally planned. I visited more beautiful places, saw more interesting sights and met more friendly people than I could have ever imagined… mission accomplished.

Although there was one thing that I stilled needed to do.

I cleaned my motorcycle.

Changed the oil.

Gathered my documents together

And sold my motorcycle. The little Sym motorcycle that I bought in Hanoi, was sold in Ho Chi Minh City. 

I able to sell it for about US$100 less than I paid for it. Best $100 that I've spent in a long time. My helmet and boots… I donated to a local charity that helps underprivileged children. 

While this short motorcycle adventure came to an end in Ho Chi Minh City an adventure of a different sort would begin. My friend Bee traveled from the US to meet me in HCMC. We would begin traveling around South East Asia by any means possible.

Go back to the beginning.

Dalat… Rain, Shelter, Lakes, Farms and Friends

After two full days of riding, I arrived to the city of Dalat. I believe that it rained almost the entire journey.

By the time that I arrived in Dalat all that I really wanted to do was to find a dry place to rest and find something warm to eat. Luckily I found this little restaurant. You can tell from the photo that even my camera/phone was cold and wet.

I ordered this little bit of happiness… Vietnamese style chicken noodle soup for the soul… phở ga. While traveling, I tend to find great enjoyment in the little pleasures in life… like a good meal. After I finished my soup, I sat in the restaurant for a loooong time…. just resting… just watching the rain fall.

I waited and waited for the rain to stop… but it did not. I gradually accepted that it would rain all day and that I would remain wet most of the day. I contacted a friend of mine that lives in Dalat name Hoang Anh. I first me Anh when I was visiting the town of Hue. My other friend Phuong introduced me to him at the New Space Art Foundation. After a short conversation, Anh said that he would come and meet me at the restaurant. He met me at the restaurant, then he took me to his house, then he provided me a warm shower and allowed me to rest for a while. But I did not get to rest for long, because his mother prepared a huge home cooked meal for all of us… such generosity. 

I was feeling much better after the meal. Anh said that he would like to show me around Dalat. We went to a cafe and met some of this friends. Then we went for a motorcycle ride around the outskirts of the city. There were some beautiful roads in and around Dalat. But… then it started to rain… and rain… and rain. 

At one point it was raining so hard that we pulled off the road and found shelter under a little shack. We probably waited 30 minutes for the rain to stop, but it did not. We amused ourselves by taking goofy selfies… Ta Balo, Me, Ngo Ngoc and Hoang Anh.

There was a break in the rain so we had the chance to ride down close to the lake. The trail to the lake was wet and muddy. First, Ngoc fell over on her motorcycle. Then Anh and I feel over on our motorcycle. We decided to park the motos and walk the rest of the way. It was worth the effort because the view around the lake was quite picturesque. However, it was even more of a challenge pushing the motorcycles up the hill back to the road. 

Later that evening, we all met up again for dinner and were joined by some other friends at the house of Rong Reu. My contribution to the dinner was guacamole salad. You may notice that there are quite a few images hanging on the walls. Rong Reu is an award winning photographer and had some beautiful images of Vietnam. 

Actually, my friend Anh is a talented artist that produces large scale installations and paintings. 

The next day Hoang Anh, Rong Reu and I went for another ride around the countryside.

This part of countryside with all the tall pine trees reminded me of East Texas.

I believe the area that we visited was called Ho Tuyen Lam. 

We stopped by a farm that belonged to a family that was friends with Anh. 

They grew a number of crops… coffee being one of the principle crops.

They also grew oranges...

Oolong tea...

Bell peppers...

Lots of big bell peppers...

I think that even Anh was impressed with the size of this bell pepper.

The farm also grew flowers for export.

We had the opportunity to meat some of the farm workers and see how they seeded, planted and grew the crops.

After checking out the farm, the family picked some fresh vegetables and prepared them alongside some chicken and fish for us for lunch.

After lunch, we hit the road again and rode around the lake. Luckily the weather was nice and to my surprise there was no rain.

This lake was one of the few lakes that I have ever seen that had not been overdeveloped around the lakeshore. We were able to ride around almost the entire lake and we had an unobstructed view of nature.

I really enjoyed seeing the agrarian land and lifestyle around Dalat. Maybe it was the soil, the rain, the altitude or just the overall climate of the region that made the land rich. However, what really enriched my visit to the area was the kindness and generosity of the people of Dalat. Thanks Y'all!

The New Ducati Scrambler… specifications, images and video.

I was just mentioning to a friend that I have never really liked Italian motorcycles... even Ducati.

Ooooooh, but this motorcycle… this new motorcycle… this new Ducati… I've changed my mind… The new Ducati Scrambler is my kind of motorcycle.

From the Ducati website… The Ducati Scrambler is the contemporary interpretation of the iconic Ducati model, as if it had never been out of production. The style is “post-heritage”: to take the best of the past and create something unique and absolutely contemporary. Anti-conformist, accessible and essential, the Ducati Scrambler is the perfect blend of tradition and modernity and marks a return to the pure essence of motorcycling: two wheels, a wide handlebar, a simple engine and a huge amount of fun.

The specifications…
Engine: L-Twin, Desmodromic distribution, 2 valves per cylinder, air cooled
Displacement: 803 cc
Bore x stroke: 88 x 66 mm
Compression ratio: 11:1
Power: 55 kW (75 hp) @ 8,250 rpm
Torque: 68 Nm (50 lb-ft) @ 5,750 rpm
Fuel injection: Electronic fuel injection, 50 mm throttle body
Exhaust: Exhaust system with single stainless steel muffler, aluminium silencer cover, catalytic converter and 2 lambda probes
Emissions: Euro 3
Gearbox: 6 speed
Ratio: 1=32/13 2=30/18 3=28/21 4=26/23 5=22/22 6=24/26
Primary drive: Straight cut gears; Ratio 1.85:1
Final drive: Chain; Front sprocket 15; Rear sprocket 46
Clutch: APTC wet multiplate with mechanical control
Frame: Tubular steel Trellis frame
Front suspension: Upside down Kayaba 41 mm fork
Front wheel travel: 150 mm (5.9 in)
Front wheel: Spoked Wheel, 3.00” x 17”
Front tyre: Pirelli MT 60 RS 110/80 ZR18
Rear suspension: Kayaba rear shock, pre-load adjustable
Rear wheel travel: 150 mm (5.9 in)
Rear wheel: Spoked Wheel, 3.00” x 17”
Rear tyre: Pirelli MT 60 RS 180/55 ZR17
Front brake: 330 mm disc, radial 4-piston calliper with ABS as standard equipment
Rear brake: 245 mm disc, 1-piston floating calliper with ABS as standard equipment
Wheelbase: 1,445 mm (56.9 in)
Rake: 24°
Trail: 112 mm (4.4 in)
Total steering lock: 35°
Fuel tank capacity: 13.5 l - 3.57 gallons (US)
Dry weight: 176,5 kg (389 lb)
Wet weight*: 192,5 kg (424 lb)
Seat height: 790 mm (31.1 in) - low seat 770 mm (30.3 in) available as accessory
Max height: 1,150 mm (45.3 in) / brake reservoir
Max width: 845 mm (33.3 in) / mirrors
Max length: 2,100 - 2,165 mm (82.7 - 85.2 in)
Number of seats: Dual seat
Standard equipment: Spoked aluminium wheels, front and rear aluminium mudguards, vintage design seat, fuel tank with black stripe, high plate support, dedicated logo

Here are some images (click to enlarge)…

 The Classic version

Front view

Side view

Rear view

Urban Enduro version

Icon version

 Full throttle version

The official promo video.

Early sighting in September by MCN.

Unveiling by Motorcycle.com

Motogeo is planning a trip and review of the moto.