“Good morning ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to Delhi International Airport where the time is 0320 and the outside air temperature 36°C (97°F)” …WTF!!!
I was on my way to Manali, set amongst the foothills of the Indian Himalaya where I was to spend the summer working with Blazing Trails Tours as an outrider and ‘trainee’ tour leader.
Happy to be back in Ladakh?….I was on top of the world! (Damon I’Anson photo)
22 Comments | 
Chapter 30 - February 2013 | Tagged: Adam Lewis, Adventure, Blazing Trails Tours, Himalaya, India, Ladakh, Leh, Manali, Motorcycles, Motorcycling, Royal Enfield, Spiti, Zanskar | 
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…”we got fun ‘n’ games”. The bugs ate me alive, I broke my speedometer, tent, laptop, sleeping pad and got stuck in Brazilian customs. Oh…and then there were the snakes…Fun ‘n’ games? Oh yeah…
100% Deet!? Hah…the bugs laughed in my face!
What did I find poking around in this Venezuelan swamp?
14 Comments | Chapter 29 - May 2012 | Tagged: Adam Lewis, Adventure, Amazon, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, DR650, French Guiana, Georgetown, Guyana, Jungle, Motorcycles, Overland, Paramaribo, Riverboat, RTW, Suriname, Suzuki, Transamazonica, Travel, Venezuela | Permalink
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Trip distance and Time trip correct at La Paz, Bolivia on 28/11/11
After a painless border crossing at Copacabana (I’d exited Bolivia there in 2009 and so knew the system) I rode on to La Paz only to arrive at Hostel El Careterro just as Mark & Claire appeared on foot to take a look at the place. They’d been staying elsewhere but soon moved when they realized how much they could save my moving to El Careterro.
Bolivian policeman Amadeo Condori was impressed with Rosie!
27 Comments | Chapter 28 - December 2011 | Tagged: Adam Lewis, Adventure, Altiplano, Andes, Andes Mountains, Antofagasta de la Sierra, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, DR650, La Paz, Latin America, Motorcycles, Overland, Parque Nacinal Salar de Huasco, Parque Nacional Lauca, Parque Nacional Sajama, Parque Nacional Volcon Isluga, Paso de Jama, Paso Jama, Paso Sico, RTW, Ruta del Che, Salar de Surire, Salar de Uyuni, Short Way Round, South America, Suzuki, Travel | Permalink
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When I first properly looked at the map of Peru I was immediately struck by the potential to traverse it along the Andes, primarily on dirt roads. Despite a government TV advert claiming 10k km of new roads had been built (or should that be ‘surfaced’?) I still rode 3193km of dirt; almost 50% of my total distance in the country. The graph below shows how much of that time was in the mountains.
GPS profile of Peru 2011 route
22 Comments | Chapter 27 - September 2011 | Tagged: Adam Lewis, Adventure, bike, Cajamarca, camping, Cordillera Blanca, Cusco, DR650, Huaraz, Kuelap, Lima, Machu Picchu, moto, Motorcycles, Overland, Pan American, Peru, RTW, Sondor, Suzuki, Travel | Permalink
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Trip distance and Time trip correct at Ecuador/Peru border 16/06/11
More photos in the Ecuador gallery
I was a little nervous as I rolled down the hill to the border, filtering past a long queue of traffic in the rain as my Temporary Import Permit for Rosie had expired whilst I’d been back in GB attending my niece’s 1st birthday and best mate’s wedding. As a result I was hoping to bypass customs, go straight to Immigration and then ski across the across the border to Ecuador unnoticed. Mike at Casa Blanca Hostel in Cali had told me how the border was laid out and so as everyone queued for the customs window I slipped down the outside, around the back to the carpark and walked into the empty ‘Migracion’ office where I quickly got stamped out. For once the rain was probably doing me a favor as no officials were outside wandering around. Once across the bridge I was directed to a parking space by an Ecuadorian Policeman and I relaxed and grabbed a quick coffee outside the photocopy shop.
12 Comments | Chapter 26 - August 2011 | Tagged: Adam Lewis, Adventure, Cuenca, DR650, Duke J, Ecuador, Lago Quilotoa, Motorcycles, Overland, Parque Extremo, Quito, RTW, Suzuki, Travel | Permalink
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“What do you mean you want the receipt for my tourist visa!!!???…How could I have entered without paying for it!?”
The ‘migracion’ officer was adamant I pay again and gave me a form to take to the bank opposite. I was adamant I wasn’t going to pay again and so began our Mexican stand-off. To let him know I was prepared for a long wait I removed my crash helmet, donned my sun hat and shades but refused to move away from the window.
I’m not sure exactly what changed but after several minutes a different voice asked me for my passport and I handed it to a different officer who stamped me out without question.
27 Comments | Chapter 25 - May 2011 | Tagged: Adam Lewis, Belize, Casa Blanca Hostel, Colombia, Costa Rica, Darien Gap, DR650, El Cocuy, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Motorcycles, Nicaragua, Overland, Panama, Punta Gallinas, RTW, Stahlratte, Suzuki, Travel | Permalink
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“Mmmm…that was a bit too easy” I thought as I rolled out of the Mexican border in Tecate. No US exit post, no Mexican immigration, no Customs. No paperwork was bound to make things difficult for me later on so I returned to the border and spoke to a security guard who pointed me to the immigration office. I was given a tourist visa form to complete and told to walk two blocks down the hill to the bank to pay the M$262 (Mexican Pesos) and obtain a receipt. Once I had my visa I asked about Customs and the temporary import document for my bike only to be told they couldn’t be issued there; only Tijuana or Mexicali. Both of those were wellout of my way and so I asked about La Paz on the Baja peninsula. “En La Paz tambien”. Great, no detour required. Read the rest of this entry »
13 Comments | Chapter 24 - February 2011 | Tagged: Adam Lewis, Adventure, Baja California, Copper Canyon, Mexico, Motorcycles, Overland, RTW, Suzuki, Travel | Permalink
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Short Way Round
