Mandello Anniversary stuff..(then the trip)

[LowRyter]

Huzo, what the heck is a "catweasel"?

[Huzo]

Huzo, what the heck is a "catweasel"?

Not so much “what” but “whom”….


He lived in a swamp consisting mostly of primordial slime..

[Huzo]

Well…
Today was a bit of a time for reflection and an alteration of plans.
From the moment I crossed over the tip of the Adriatic, just like last time I began to witness a gentle yet inexorable decline in the level of privilege.
The descent from Ljubljana down to Craiova, saw the entry into Romania and the realisation that the standards of living that we learn to enjoy, diminish as you head East and South. It’s not one particular thing, just a sliding of standards of social etiquette, driving, building standards etc…
If you go to a hotel, it’s as if all of the foregoing is a load of rubbish.
The rooms are clean, well heated and the staff are charming and very obliging, that’s because you are where the money is…
I’ve noticed it before, there is a wide gulf between the have’s and the have not’s. Western European money allows you to enjoy every luxury that you’ve come to expect at home, but more than once in a beautiful entrance lobby, it was intimated to me that the person behind the desk could not afford to stay in the hotel that they were working in.

I mused at the possibility that these Eastern European countries do not place the same level of importance on the outward appearance of their homes as we do, certainly in Australia. It’s possible to ascertain a person’s socio economic status, by the look of their house at home.
I think here it is not necessarily so.
Still, like before as you’re tootling through the interminable rural villages, old men and ladies sit outside on wooden benches and fix their gaze on you as you roll by, you get the feeling it has been forever thus.
Some things are just sad though.
As I left a store to get back on the bike, a young man of about 12 or so, just stared at the Norge as if he’d never seen anything so fabulous, yet in Rome, Rimini or Paris it wouldn’t get a second glance. He had old sneakers with his toes poking out, grimy trousers with a piece of cord where the belt would normally be and a top with a logo of (I think) Boston State University or something emblazoned on the back. I gave some thought to wondering if tomorrow’s corporate bankers, surgeons and stockbrokers on the Blue Blood streets of Boston, were even aware that a young man destined for (at best) a life of petty crime in an impoverished rural area of Romania, was championing their learning institutions.
I think not…
Particularly sobering was the 4 wheeled cart with horse still attached, bogged up to the hubs on the roadside and the patch of grass within stretching distance of the poor beast, grazed down to the mud and the 1’ high green shoots just out of reach. I wondered how long the poor thing had been there.
A little dog dead on the road, 10 metres from where the initial collision happened (judging by the trail), that had dragged it’s poor self that far before dying. He was probably the lucky one, no one even took any notice.

There were miles and miles of this..












You know you’re in an underprivileged place, when you can’t tell the difference between the buildings being built and the ones being demolished.
The children’s playground with rocky dirt and broken glass under the swings was I thought, a fairly powerful metaphor.
As was this…


A symbol of faith and hope, disappearing under the years of neglect and lack of care.

I certainly did not want my Norge to break down there and in some ways felt guilty for even owning it…

It’s with a slight pang of implied guilt that I’m going to Dubrovnik tomorrow, because fortunately, I can…

We’re a very lucky bunch…

[Huzo]

Oh BTW..




The damage so far…
About 4,000 k

[bikeridertim]

Yes Huzo, we are a very "lucky bunch"! Wonderful writing,  thank you for sharing!

[Tusayan]

I gave some thought to wondering if tomorrow’s corporate bankers, surgeons and stockbrokers on the Blue Blood streets of Boston, were even aware that a young man destined for (at best) a life of petty crime in an impoverished rural area of Romania, was championing their learning institutions.
I think not…

In the US they are generally not "blue bloods" even in Boston... and they are often immigrants, like the Romanian PhD who reports to me for $180K per annum. He and his wife are both engineers from Bucharest, and good ones, now happily working in the US.  The secret for those with ambition anywhere is to go where the opportunity lies, and don't take no for an answer.

I had a great Euro bike trip this year, Mandello celebration included, but am now back in the US working, making money for next time    Each trip is about $6K the way I do it.

[Huzo]

In the US they are generally not "blue bloods" even in Boston... and they are often immigrants, like the Romanian PhD who reports to me for $180K per annum. He and his wife are both engineers from Bucharest, and good ones, now happily working in the US.  The secret for those with ambition anywhere is to go where the opportunity lies, and don't take no for an answer.

I had a great Euro bike trip this year, Mandello celebration included, but am now back in the US working, making money for next time    Each trip is about $6K the way I do it.

As usual Tusayan, your words are sage and ignored at one’s peril.
However to a degree, you have catalysed my thoughts. The guy is well educated, but sees that his talents would be wasted in his home country.
Hence the brain drain.
BTW mate..
If he “reports to you” and is on 180 large a year, I can’t see why a European jaunt @ $6k would require you “saving up”.

[Tusayan]

I keep a separate reserve for travel money, most of which is earned and denominated in Euro.  It’s complicated 

[Huzo]

I keep a separate reserve for travel money, most of which is earned and denominated in Euro.  It’s complicated 

Mine is similar..
Discretionary income is earned in the truck, spent on the bike…

[pebra]

I posted some photos on September 15th (# 136) and managed to get some of the names wrong - sorry!
Here are the photos I took in Mandello on Sept 9th again, with what I believe are the correct names:

From left: Joseph, Harold, Nick, Patrick; Chris and Judi Collins from Wisconsin




Again from left: Eric from Michigan, Chris, Judi, Patrick and Joseph

[Huzo]

Well, I don’t know what to tell y’all about today..
I was a bit jumpy from the word go. Last night I was assured that my dinars would not be of any use where I was going, so I used them up instead of the plastic.
But.
After 45 minutes out of town, I came to the Serbian/Bosnian? border.
 I went through the usual “YOU GIVE DOCUMENT….!” Request and after sliding my passport through the half inch opening that Vladimir had arranged for me, he threw it back at me..(almost)
Then, “You now give document for Moto….”
Okay, here’s one I prepared earlier, but then the hijinx really began.
“YOU GIVE GREEN CARD INSURANCE, HURRY UP…!”
(Jeez Vladimir, don’t tell me your Marlborough is getting cold….)
“IS BIG PRROBBLEMMBB……YOU NO INSURANCE FOR BOSNIA…!”
Son of a mongoose, this is for sure not good.
“Ahhh, is no prroblemmb” says Vladimir
“You can buy here..”
You beauty Vladimir all is not lost, until I was made aware that plastic will not do the job.
“YOU MUST GIVE CASH….CASH…!”
Just like this guy. https://youtu.be/4NFv5IGP2uA
So off I went, back the 50 km over the mountains to secure 2,400 dinars..(bugger all in € but definitely required)
Upon returning all was well, but by the time you factor in finding a Bancomat (ATM) then riding back, you’ve no change out of two and a half hours..

The real destabilising thing about today and it wasn’t a fun killer, but the way that drivers coming towards you, WILL NOT, stay on their side of the road. All of the driving side (left) wheels were over the white line and gently drifting into my lane, just for no damn reason and when going around (mostly) blind corners in the mountains, the ubiquitous black Audi or silver Benz absolutely flogging around the bend and coming across the line…!
I don’t know if I’m just getting old, but I rather hoped to keep doing it and I’m hoping not to die over here..
I have a V85 to service in Australia.
The worst one was and I am not exaggerating…
It was a straight road with good visibility approaching a small village, speed was about 50 mph.
There was a guy riding a pushbike quite safely and legally coming in the opposite direction…No dramas.
But old mate in the red Fiat Panda coming up behind the pushbike, seemed to judge it perfectly so he needed to pull out..(I wish his Father had all those years ago..) and flung the Panda to (his) left and headed STRAIGHT at me. His position in the visor did not move left or right, it just got bigger…
When the old fart realised there was 350 kg of red bike and rider about 30 metres ahead, he woke from his stupor and slammed back across into his lane…!
If he had flipped the thing over and it caught fire, I SERIOUSLY don’t think at that point I would have felt disposed towards dragging him out…
Cruel I know, but fair..
Anyway I’m here, who could ask for more ?


and there’s this..












and this

https://youtu.be/HrWP7Z-2Ufk

I can’t, so I won’t.

[Tusayan]

I had a similar insurance problem when riding north from Dubrovnik, through the little piece of Bosnia that pokes out to the coast.  Nobody at the border asked for a ‘green card’ to show proof of insurance, which was expedient because I knew on my card Bosnia had an X through it.  I rode the short stretch back into Croatia very carefully. 

Earlier that morning (still in Croatia, just north of Dubrovnik on the coast road) a local kid on a scooter came up from behind, almost hit me and then lost the front end in front of me.  I was sure I was about to witness something pretty bad when he saved it like some knee-down Moto GP rider and carried on, throttle twisted full open.

Enjoy dinner, give thanks that the day went without incident, and ride with care tomorrow…. It worked for me anyway in Slovenia that evening.

[Huzo]

Here’s an example of believing what you want to believe..
Today as I was coming up out of Dubrovnik, I had occasion to sample some long uphill (and downhill) grades.
Because my Norge is no monster in the power and torque department, I noticed that given the loaded weight, I opted to downchange a few times where an 8V would not have needed to..
But here’s the thing.
I feel that having a bike with less than tyre shredding performance, means you have to be cognisant of what load you are asking it to bear.
Something like a Centauro or Ducati Multistrada et al, would just take the hill and crush it with no conscious twist of the throttle.
I’m not sure that is necessarily a good thing.
My bike tells me what it is feeling and that is because it needs a mindful approach to working it through the mountains and overtaking in marginal spaces.
You are cajoled into considering the bike’s “feelings” if that is not too romantic a notion.
An example might be, you are looking to overtake a truck on a twisting mountainous road and only get short 100 metre sections to accomplish it.
With an estimated 90 kg of rider and 60 kg of luggage aboard, you’ve to plan and understand your bike to get it done safely, where a Centauro or V100 would doubtless just slam past in top gear, my 2VPC tractor needs to be spun up to 4,000-6,000 rpm… and I love it..!
A bike like my mate’s Kawasaki ZX14 R will just crush anything beneath it’s wheels, but you do feel insulated from the work being done for you.
You can tell what the Norge is thinking and how it is feeling by how it responds.
With the Kawasaki, you just have to order a hit and the job will done without you feeling a thing…

Not sure that is necessarily a bonus…..

BTW..
A bit of today’s action.
Dubrovnik


https://youtu.be/N9Czo937zFo
https://youtu.be/HrWP7Z-2Ufk

[PJPR01]

Very well spun indeed...engagement of man and machine right there!

[LowRyter]

Not so much “what” but “whom”….


He lived in a swamp consisting mostly of primordial slime..

He resembles about anyone I've met from this board.....Not sure where you're going with this.  I won't mention the other photos (above)

Anyway, Huzo, Patrick, Judy, Chris and the rest of you, what a great time.

[leafman60]

Huzo, you are an eternal optimist with a good attitude to make sure your glass is half full instead of half empty.

.

[pebra]

^^^
60 kg of luggage? 
I didn't know there was that much luggage on the planet!

[Jorg66]

I just enjoy every little bit of his endeavors.
some of it,travel's in Romania reminds me of '89/'90 when East Germany opened up ,... 'a country full of grey and pale people.

[Huzo]

Huzo, you are an eternal optimist with a good attitude to make sure your glass is half full instead of half empty.

.

All I have to do is think about a country a little further North and nothing seems as bad.
I took these shot 2 minutes ago @ 5:45 local







I’m here..


I’m 10 minutes South of Senj…(But it still feels like North)

[Huzo]

Huzo, you are an eternal optimist with a good attitude to make sure your glass is half full instead of half empty.

.

Mine always seems to be brimming…

[Huzo]

^^^
60 kg of luggage? 
I didn't know there was that much luggage on the planet!

Well, it was an estimate..
But the left pannier holds tent, and other wet weather gear. Gotta be 15 kg.
Right pannier has extra clothes, oil, various items for repairs and such. At least 15.
Top case has documents, bathroom supplies, spares, various other paraphernalia. No way under 15.
So conservatively 45 kg.
The red Ortleib bag that is ever present between me and the top case, would be 5 or 6.

Really, the empty weight of the panniers and top case is not negligible.

[Huzo]

Ok..
About to leave Venice (again) and I’m heading up to Cortina at the start of the Dolomites.
The weather is forecast to turn somewhat and so if it goes downhill, I’ll park up there. I got a call from a friend in Paris this morning and a rough plan was hatched to meet up with him next weekend, where if things go as usual, the bike will find itself in an underground garage and I will have to settle for a couple of days slumming around Paris with a native Parisienne Lawyer, who knows every square millimetre of the place and is across all of the customs….
On the way across, I’ll be stopping at Mandello to have the oil changed in the bike, it will not be 10,000 km at that point, but close enough not to ride by.
I expect to do something like 15,000 on this trip, but could blow out to 20,000.
It’s happened before..

Anyway…
Off to the Dolomites.






Every time I “accelerate” up a hill, I think of when Roper and Michael took my “enrepairable” CARC from it’s trashed state to perfect.
I really need it to be ok and it has not let me down since he did it….

[Pescatore]

What?!? Nooooo.
I was sure you were heading for Greece!
Then all the way back up through Italy.

[Pescatore]

Well, it was an estimate..
But the left pannier holds tent, and other wet weather gear. Gotta be 15 kg.
Right pannier has extra clothes, oil, various items for repairs and such. At least 15.
Top case has documents, bathroom supplies, spares, various other paraphernalia. No way under 15.
So conservatively 45 kg.
The red Ortleib bag that is ever present between me and the top case, would be 5 or 6.

Really, the empty weight of the panniers and top case is not negligible.

Those panniers can hold a lot. I have the same ones.
I haven't tested them in rain yet.
I am curious about the repair items and spares.  What items turned out to be needed and what did you have to buy locally?

I'm not trying to jinx you, but check your top pannier is locked to the rack and doesn't rattle.
Mine flew off and tumbled into the middle of a highway.
It unlocked itself after going over a very rough patch because some of the rubber bumpers on the rack went missing.
I was procrastinating replacing them and didn't expect it would fall off.
A truck couldn't avoid it and hit it with the front tire.
The box skidded across two lanes into the breakdown lane.
Nothing broke. Just skid marks. I should be able to sand and repaint.
These bins are really tough.

[Huzo]

What?!? Nooooo.
I was sure you were heading for Greece!
Then all the way back up through Italy.

I have been down to Sicily and up again in the past and it was great..!
There were some things about travelling in and around Romania and Albania that I did not like. Now I have to settle for the Italian Alps and later Paris….

[Huzo]

Those panniers can hold a lot.
I am curious about the repair items and spares.  What items turned out to be needed and what did you have to buy locally?

I'm not trying to jinx you, but check your top pannier is locked to the rack and doesn't rattle.
Mine flew off and tumbled into the middle of a highway.

I have added a latch to the front of the pannier as well, it now has three.
Also I have made a 5 mm steel pin that is fitted to the rear rack, there is a corresponding hole in the top case and the pin pokes through it into the inside when the case is on.
Then there is a Clevis pin that goes through that..
The case cannot come off.
I actually forgot once that the pin was in and wondered why I could not get the case off…!

[Huzo]

For Canuck 750…
500 €


Saw it in a roadside market.
And this.













Then there’s this..

[Pescatore]

I have added a latch to the front of the pannier as well, it now has three.
Also I have made a 5 mm steel pin that is fitted to the rear rack...

Yep. I have to do that.

[Huzo]

Yep. I have to do that.
[/quote]This.

[Huzo]

Sometimes I’m certain that what I do is somewhat out of the ordinary and possibly noteworthy in some small measure, then there are times when I’m sure it’s nothing.

A couple of days ago I was sitting and on the point of dozing off, while waiting for the campground washing machine to finish. I saw a guy who looked about midway between 40 and 60 come riding in on a pushbike, with various items of paraphernalia hanging off it.
His legs looked like the skin was paper thin, because every damn muscle that existed in them was visible, although he was wearing long socks…???
After what seemed like a reasonable time, I engineered a chance encounter and found that he was (and presumably still is), a lively conversationalist.
After swapping a few dot points on our respective lives, he happened to drop the comment that he had spent some time (2 years) in a wheelchair as a result of a paragliding accident..(No I did not use the gag…)
Realising that my life was about as boring as a faceless inner city office worker’s compared to his, I asked him could he share some insights as to what he was about.
Well it seems that prior to his mishap with the paraglider, he was the standard social drinking, partying (in every sense), ordinary Belgian male, but the time in the chair caused him to reflect on how he wanted to spend the rest of his life…
So…
After finding that the surgery on his (now) crooked lower limbs, was showing signs of success, he became determined to leave the chair behind and alter his outlook on things. I did not ask what his vocation was but whatever it had been, he threw it in the scrap bin, sold EVERYTHING, bought a pushbike and began circumnavigating the world.
After having done it once, he thought the only thing he could think of to do, was do it again…and again…and…well, you guessed it…
He has been around “multiple times” and top to bottom USA and Australia, it’s all he does now…Nothing else.
I felt that he knew he had my respect, so I felt it safe to ask..
”Do you need to work to fund your venture..”
His reply was..
“I don’t need to work anymore..”
The accompanying look told me that his accident whilst dramatically unfortunate, had left him able to support his lifestyle indefinitely.
As for the long socks..?
He rolled them down and his lower limbs looked like they’d been attacked with a hammer over an anvil…
I asked him how he managed to do what he does with them in such condition..
His reply…?
“Sometimes it hurts a lot….”