Karen's view point of this Adventure

I guess it's my turn to write my two cents.

First of all, a lot of people think I was the person behind this "adventure".   Stewart had been kicking the idea around for a while, and we talked about it for a some time as well........even though I swear we talked about it for a week before everything was said and done........but, I obviously don't remember that first part very well.   Anyway......I am always in for some fun, and will go with Stew anywhere.

I love love love Motorbike trips, I have no problem packing for them.  Although, I found it hard deciding what I was going to pack for this trip.....we are going to be gone for a year......I have some kick ass outfits I wanted to bring!   Realistically I knew I could only bring the basics......jeans, t shirts, maybe one pair of shorts.    My computer, iPad, cords to charge....these weren't a necessity, but I refused to leave them at home.....I swear I will carry my own luggage!

First day......leaving our house for the year...........

We were all pretty excited to get going....Adrenalin going, can't believe we are actually doing this!!!!
In this Photo I m actually pretty pissed off....let me back up.

After all the biking I have been doing, you think I would know how to load my bike.  I was carrying Stewarts and my luggage......I couldn't figure out how to get both of our bags on properly.  (remember..my bag is a lot heavier than Stewarts....have no idea why). (sarcasm)
Stewarts bag fit perfectly on the passenger seat, and I could fit mine on the back.(sissy bar).   I knew I shouldn't ride with mine on the very back....will make it too difficult to turn.  I tried switching them around but couldn't get it to work.......so, of course I tried driving up our little, curvy driveway back heavy.   By the way....we have Sand Stone rocks going up it as well.    Needless to say, I couldn't turn.....but no, I didn't stop cause I can do it........I crashed my bike into the sandstone!!!  Thank God I only bent my crash bar up and took off part of the front reflector!  If you look closely you can see it.  We spent another two hours fixing it, and wow, I figured out how to put my bag on the passenger seat, where it should have been in the first place.   This isn't a great start to our trip..........

I stayed at my friend Karen Hudson's place for the week, since Stewart had to go to Sundry for work.....Yes he had planned to work right up until we left....August 30th.
Anyway, I stayed at Karen and Dave's, who are also looking after our dog and cat for the year.  thanks guys for this!

 Petey and Dave

 Petey and Ali

Karen and me

We met up with my brother-in-law Bob Schneider, his brother Gerry and wife Rita, and Stuart Gammel, in Calgary to travel with us.  

Stuart was going with us as far as BC, he branched off just before the border into the States.  It was great riding with you Stuart, we will have to do it again.

 Stuart, Bob, Brandon, Jada

Gerry, Rita, Stuart, Bob

The Schneider's rode with us into the states, through good times and bad.........They saw the best and worst of me.....and I am so glad they were with us through the worst times.

The very worst, when Jada had her spill.   I know we keep bringing it up, and she really wants to forget about it, but I really felt like selling the bikes right there and flying the rest of the way.  This is accident number two!  First me, now my daughter...........I never saw what happened being that she was behind me, but it is a sound I never want to hear again!  I thank God she only had minor scrapes, and that Dan and Bonita were behind us in there vehicle.  Thank you for not being in a rush and passing us....instead, they travelled behind us for the longest time enjoying the view, when Jada had her mishap.

Bonita is a Triage Nurse, who works in a helicopter much like Stars Air Ambulance.  We had the best of the best with us that day......and Thank you Dan for driving the kids to our hotel, and offering to take Jada's bike with you.   Jada's bike was hardly damaged.....which was surprising.  She just had a scuffed windshield, a cracked engine guard, and her gas tank was just dented a little in the front.  We replaced everything except the gas tank.

Her tires were worn from regular wear so we replaced both of them as well.  

Jada has done extremely well getting back on her bike and riding.  She pleaded to keep going and didn't want us to sell.  I know some of you think we should get our head examined for continuing on, but I wanted to give her the chance to get her confidence up again.  It was best for her to ride with us, learn from her mistake, and have Stewart and I coach her through it.  

Dan and Bonita, angels on the highway.

Continuing our journey through the states was pretty much stress free after this.  We met up with Bob, Gerry, and Rita in Washington.  They had left a day earlier while we waited to get the bike fixed.

It was so nice walking on the ocean beach and investigating sea life with them.  We watched a sea otter playing in the ocean, looked at sea stars, and sea shells, and Gerry found a really neat rock which he gave me for luck.   

 Brandon, always finding a place to climb

 Rita and Gerry Schneider

 Jada and Brandon 

Bob and Stewart

We travelled through the redwoods as a group, and this is where Jada had her second incident.......she of course steered right where she was looking over a curb.........that's all I will say about this.......but she buggered up her starter because of it.   We had to push start her a few times after getting gas, and I was getting pretty pissed off..........I couldn't believe she had that brain fart!  I just about got rid of the bike again.......I think it would be safer to drive a car at this point......plus, I am now thinking the Schneiders' and my lucky rock are actually unlucky!!!!  Both incidences happened in front of them.....no offence guys!! 

We got her starter fixed by a great and wonderful mechanic in Ukiah, by the name of Mark. Stewart and I decided to get our oil changed by him as well, since it was about that time.   We ended up staying over night there, but Bob, Gerry and Rita returned back to their hotel in New Port washington.  We said our goodbyes, and we were now truly traveling on our own from this point on.  I wasn't ready for our groups to separate, I tried to talk Rita and Gerry into traveling across the Mexican Border with us.  Unfortunately they couldn't.   Thank you guys for joining us on this first little part of our leg.

What was really neat for me when traveling through another part of the Redwoods after Ukiah, was realizing I had been here before.  One of our first bike trips 7 years ago was by the one log home, and the Grandfather tree in Brookings.  It was so great to have the kids travel the roads on motor bikes like Stew and I did.  I thought back then how neat it would be to have our kids travel with us on motor bikes to see the same sites we saw.......and wow.......it happened!

Fast forward a little.....Driving the bikes in L.A was a little nerve racking.  Figured if we can drive here we can drive anywhere!!!   L.A. was great!  We took the kids to Universal Studios, by cab, and really enjoyed the day.  The rides were great, Stew can only do so many rides before he feels sick.  Brandon loved the simpsons ride, and Jada and I really loved the Transformers ride.  After doing it a couple of times I was starting to feel a little queezy myself.

 we thought we were being shocked.  lol

 LA. in front of our hotel.

I know I said I was going to give my view point of this trip, and it seems like I am telling a story instead of giving my thoughts.    I am going to shorten it up a little bit now otherwise this could go on forever.

I realize the best carefree, stress free traveling was in Canada and the United States.  I know, ironic right, since Jada had her accidents in the States.  I mean the absolute best roads ever are in the first world countries.....ding ding ding!  The Central American border crossing were awful, stressful, and an average time of 3 to 3 1/2 hours.   I will not write about this for I feel I will just be saying what Stewart has said......I may as well cut and paste his version.    I absolutely hated it, and I am so glad he has a calm, logical disposition.....because if i was on my own, I would have had a bleeding ulcer long ago.   When things went wrong and I had panic attics and temper tantrums, he just looked at me at said, relax.....there is always another way of doing something.  By the way, I never relaxed until I was actually driving away from borders.   Funny how driving a motor bike, trying to get enough air flow to cool you down from sweltering for 3 hours, helps you to forget the drama, and enjoy the ride!   

Yes enjoy the ride somewhat........If mud was holding my bike together, it would be in pieces now.  You will never appreciate the highways back home until you drive on shit roads here......like holy cow, I never thought roads could be so bad!  It even makes Saskatchewan roads great....i mean I will never complain about the road from home to Loon Lake, or gravel roads for that matter ever again!!!

I've lost a couple screws that I know of since we are done driving.  Those will be replaced once we get to a Kawasaki dealer.    There was one road in particular that was so bad, Stewart would be the navigator........he would see what hazards were up ahead and actually tell Jada and Myself where we should position our bikes on the road.   Crazy!!!!

Every Country we entered the people were really nice.  That is once we were out of the Border crossings.  The people who try and scam you in the border crossings are all bandits who try and take you for everything you have..........I have nothing nice to say about those assholes. So I won't talk about it.

A few great friends we have made along the way are Carlos and Socrates.

Carlos, we met just before Mazatlán, at the ferry.  He helped us tie down our bikes since the ferry workers will not do it.  It would have taken a lot longer if it wasn't for Carlos.  We became fast friends and will hopefully meet up with him again over the Christmas holidays.  He will be in Panama sailing, and has extended an invitation for us to join him for a couple days.  Since we have never sailed before, this will be a great learning experience for all of us.

Socrates, we met in Tapachula.  He works for the hotel we had stayed at.....the hotel we stayed at for 3 days because I had gotten sick.........no one likes to travel when you have the shits!!!! Socrates really helped me out with translating for me at the doctors office.  If it wasn't for his help on his day off, wow....I will always be grateful for your help, your kindness, and most of all your friendship.  I look forward to having you and your family as our guest in Canada.

Stew, Socrates, karen at the Hotel in Tapachula.

Thought I had a photo of Carlos......can't seem to find it.........

Fast forward again.......bad pothole roads.....a few shitty little towns......starving stray dogs.........we arrive in Panama after a month and 10 days.  Stew gets in touch with his friend, who gives us contacts in Panama to help us get into his home away from home.

Brian and Jeannette have helped us out a lot since coming here.  They have been calming my nerves about the bugs and spiders, and even helped to encourage me to walk in the jungle.   I did it.....I don't plan on doing it again any time soon.  They live up the mountain in Altos Del Maria, have about 13 dogs.....all strays they have rescued, and 3 cats.   They have huge hearts when it comes to animals........it is so nice to see how loved these animals are, and how they are loved back.    There is also community dog by the name of Sisco.  He stayed outside our house one night when he followed us on our walk.   I plan on picking up dog food like the other people here, who feed dogs at the basura...(.garbage dump).     

 Jungle in Alto....

 walking back from the garbage, Sisco followed us.

 One of many many many spiders yuck

 Karen, Driving shot in Panama

 Welcoming Committee near Altos Del Maria

 pretty oxen

 Jada, driving shot

 Stewart, and Brandon...aka...helmet bitch. Brandon can explain in his blog.

 Starting our jungle trek

 maybe wasn't so bad....Jada & Brandon

 I'm still freaked out...took a lot for me to walk this

 this is why I don't like the jungle....as well as scorpions, spiders, anything that crawls.

can you see the frog?

Okay........so...if i had to do it all over again.......would I?

Yes I would!  Even with all the bitching I have been doing, it has been a life experience I got to do with my husband and kids!!!!!  I am so lucky to experience adventures with them.  Yes, there were times I wanted to say screw it......I am done.  I am glad I stuck it out.....their were far more fun times than bad...border crossings could not out weigh the pleasant times.   I laughed, I cried, I swore, hell, I even almost shit my pants.......... Road side stands will never be ate at again.......EVER!!!!!

Lets just say....I was a great host! you guys can figure that one out.

But just so you all know....I am not doing this again going home.  I am selling my bike, buying a plane ticket and flying home.  I already have a buyer for my bike and we are only a week into Panama!  As for Jada's Bike.......I'll be giving that one away.........

Until next time......I will still take photos and blog every once in a while.....it just won't be every day like when we were traveling.  

Adios.......for now!