The last post

Final Post


So this is my final post and I am writing it from my mom's home in Slough, England. I returned home to the UK with my beloved motorcycle around 4 weeks ago...


In total
I was gone for just over 5 months
I rode through 19 countries
Covered 11,000 miles
And happily did the whole thing with just maps


This final post has taken me ages to write, maybe because I'm not sure on what to put in it, maybe because that means it's all over, anyway... My last post was about arriving in Dubrovnik, Croatia. So in this one I am going to only really briefly write what happened from Dubrovnik to Slough. 


So here we go!


Miles and I stayed in Dubrovnik with Miles' brother Fraser in his apartment which he shared with Maria. Both Fraser and Maria worked at the Fresh Sheets Hostel, where we also spent quite a bit of time. Fraser always had a very a cool and happy aura surrounding him, a characteristic I really liked to be around. Maria and Fraser were a lot of fun and very hospitable and I felt like I had already known them for years. 


I was planning on staying with the gang for 2 maybe 3 days, time flew by and I think I was there for 10. I had a great time hanging out in Dubrovnik with Miles. I finally got some much needed rest from the road. We had our coffee and burek every morning and met some pretty cool people at the hostel, people I really hope I will meet again. We all happened to hang out for quite a few days in Dubrovnik which really just made my whole stay there. There was quite a bit of drinking, some swimming, kayaking, hiking, a pirate cave, the city walls, a bombed out hotel, an island, of course Irish snap and a lot of fun!


Some of the gang in the main street

Our little walk of the city wall's

Another Pirate Cave

Tom Foolery

With Julie and the Captain in the Bombed out hotel

Arun, what else can I say?

Miles and I borrowed a couple of Johnnies kayak's and paddled out to a little cave 

The old city of Dubrovnik

Catching up on much needed rest

 Fraser

After 10 or so days in Dubrovnik Miles caught a flight out back to England to meet with his younger brother Emmett. I stayed two days longer with Maria and then packed up and left for Zadar which is in Northern Croatia. There I met up with Fraser who had left Dubrovnik on the bus for his adventure with his two brothers to the Ukraine. Dave, a good friend of Frazers flew in from Sweden to hang with Frazer for a week. We all stayed in Zadar for two nights and then left for Ljubljana the capital of Slovenia. I arrived earlier in Slovenia than the guys and got settled into another hostel. The ride into Slovenia was cold. Very cold. I had all my gear on and was packed with layers. 


I ended up staying for 6 days in Slovenia, mainly because I knew it was my last real stop before home. In Slovenia, I hung out with Fraser and Dave again in Ljubljana who arrived a day later than me. We explored the little capital, hung out in bars, had fiery drinks, smoked shisha and had a pretty good time, I did love our conversations over the shisha pipe guys.

 The Horse Burger, which took us a very long walk at night into some random park to find.... weren't that bad!

Later on Arun, part of the Dubrovnik gang came to join us. We all had a great time hanging out, and I really liked little Ljubljana, I was sad to see everyone go.

Eventually, after much personal persuasion I decided it was time to head home. I left Slovenia and decided to be home within two days. As you can imagine, it was cold, very cold. I made long, long runs along motorway routes through Austria, into Germany, to Belgium then on to Calais. I slept for one night in Koln, Germany. I pulled into a little village just outside the city and rode around until I saw someone who I felt had a kind face... Soon after speaking to them and convincing them I was not some crazy, murderous biker... I was crashed out, exhausted in the family's spare bedroom... The next thing I remember I was having morning coffee and breakfast the next day watching the mother and father getting the kids ready for school, (thanks for the much needed warm rest, coffee and breakfast).


I made my final push for home that day, again I was wearing every single item of clothing I owned and was still freezing cold, my brain was rattling and body was numb from the severe monotony of motorway riding whilst cold. It felt like I had been riding for ever, my whole body was continuously vibrating, fingers were shaking and I was constantly battling with my eye lids, screaming at them to stay open. I needed to concentrate on the road signs and know which exits to take in advance as the long motorway roads were not easy to turn back on yourself. I did not enjoy the last ride back, it was in a sense, an emotional one. All the greatness of my trip lay in the warmth of the east, not here on cold, hard German roads.   


In the Slovenian countryside

After much determined and hard-core riding I landed in Dover, I rode off the ferry boat and my tires touched English Tarmac. The gentle pit pat of rain started to land on my visor, the sky was grey and I couldn't feel my fingers. I pulled into a petrol station to fill up. I was met with a stern face and realized I was not going to be offered tea, coffee, cigarettes or a warm bed for the night... It was strange to be back. Now I was just another biker.


Although, being honest I was not happy to return, I was looking forward to seeing all those I left behind. Also a feeling of pride came over me, mainly I was proud of myself for not dying out there, also I was proud that I rode all that way on my own, unassisted, through some crazy places, got myself out of some awkward situations, did it without a GPS, made friends for life, imprinted memories, learned a hell of a lot about myself and most importantly I realized what I am capable of. Finally I am proud that I actually did it, my point being, I have heard so many people on my trip, before and after say that they want to do something like it.... Or they wish they could, usually followed by: if only... The if only's were then followed by a multitude of similar, usual reasoning's such as: money, family, friends, work, guts, time.... None of which I believe, if they really, really, deep inside wanted it they would go for it regardless, nothing else matters. 


I'm glad I did the trip I wanted to do, exactly how I wanted to do it and I did not become one of those that just talk about doing it. 


Of course, the trip would really be nothing without the people I met along the way. So many people have asked me whilst I was gone where my favourite place was. I always reply with the same answer.
It's never the places I remember, I don't remember the churches, castles, pirate caves, seas, cities, mosques, streets, statues, mountains, cliffs, hills, roads, forests, lakes, rivers, views or sights... They all become blurs, they all look the same once you've seen a dozen. I will only remember them when I look through my photos. Instead of the place it is always 100% the people. Places I've visited are not prioritized by the sights but the people I've met there and that is what is most important to me when traveling, people.
So in effect I wanted to use this last bit of my final post to thank all those people (most of whom will never read this but..) who helped me out along the road, as friends I will remember everyone.


Thank you to:


Jean and family - for taking me in, feeding me, letting me use your shower and the morning coffee. It was a brilliant start for my trip.


Peter, Bernard and Anne - for kindly trusting me, letting me pitch up in your back yard and for the morning coffee. Also thanks to your neighbours for the biscuits.


German farmer and family - I loved that latte with a passion. The huge packed lunch you gave me, all the fresh orange juice and of course your farm hand who shared his beers.


Greenhouse lady - I turned up cold, tired and messy, thanks for the comfort of your warm, dry green house!


Nina - for the 3 nights I spent in your cool apartment in Frankfurt, all the wine, the pizza and the unlimited supply of cherries


Klaus - for the 2 nights in your apartment in Bamberg. For taking me out with your friends, showing me around, the beers and the late night movies... Also that weird ham flavoured beer


Helena - for being my second mom and treating me like a son, truly... Just thinking about all that food you force fed me... Thanks!


Stephano - for letting me shoot your crossbow :D
Robbo - for letting me shoot loads of guns
Barney - for the cool axe


Rusty - because you know I love you


The Talbots - Richard and Julie, I was supposed to only sleep in your garden but you took me in and gave me a bed for two nights, fed me, serviced my motorcycle, taught me about my bike and helped me again whilst I was on the road. I loved staying with you guys and especially your stories... I still tell people your stories! And I use the Ileaveforsyria expression when I ride off! Also thanks again for the bike trousers, without them, in the cold, soaking wet mountains of eastern Turkey I would have literally frozen my nuts off, so me and my future kids say thanks so much! For everything!


Stephan and Luda - for making me breakfast every day for over a week whilst I slept in your neighbours garden and for all the free coffee in your cafe, oh and of course the cake.


Romanian family on the Hungarian border - thanks for the road map, for the fruit and water


Monica and family - amazing level of kindness from Monica, don't really know what to say! Serious kindness, it was such a pleasure.


Istanbul motorcycle club - thanks guys for letting us stay in your apartment for those nights and taking care of our bikes


Motorcycle shop - to the two guys that drove around busy istanbul for us for half an hour to find our place


The young Turkish lads on the beat up old bike - who in the middle of the night let us follow them to the campsite I was looking for


Levant and the Iznik motorcycle gang - super cool dudes, thanks for showing us around Iznik, the unlimited tea, all the stickers, the songs, the music, the huge dinner and the place to sleep... Brilliant time with you guys


Russ and Caroline - well basically congratulations and thanks for inviting us to the wedding!


Buggy rental - not so much a thanks, more of a sorry


Restaurant owner in Tusucu - thank you for letting me sleep in your place and for feeding me!


 Bulent and the Mersin Bike garage - Bulent, thank you for being such a cool dude, buying me dinner, taking me to the bank and for sorting me out those tires! Also thank you so much to your wife for the purple stone necklace for luck, I havent taken it off and I am still wearing it now.


Fidel - For taking so much time out of your busy day to sort everything out for me in Antakya


The Russian dude at the Iraqi border - For showing me around


The Iraqi border guards - because you guys were cool, nothing else to it


Iraqi hotel owner - For dropping your room rates by such an amount and wheeling my bike into the front foyer of your hotel and also for buying me presents


Bonnie - For letting me and Anthony sleep in your apartment


Canadian Iraqi dude - For driving us around the mountains at night, for the ice cream and tea and pizza


The young three Kurdish dudes - Who let me follow their car when I was lost in Erbil


To all the Kurds I met on the long roads between cities - for giving me tea and fruit


Athena - for taking me in when no one else would, also to Addonnis for being such an interesting dude


Svetlana, Ljbucia, Makedonka and Dime - I love all of you, cant wait to come back!
To all the countless people who invited me into their homes and places of work and business for tea, breakfast, lunch and dinner

Fraser and Maria - for letting me stay in your apartment for so long and being such cool people, also thanks to Fraser for being such a damn good cook

All of the petrol station attendents in Turkey - for all the hours spent on the forecourt of those stations be it in the middle of nowhere or up a mountain, drinking tea and chatting away with you guys all over the entire country... and for all the times I was given breakfast of course - Turkish petrol station attendants are the best!


Everyone who let me pitch up my tent in their garden or on their farm, or in a couple of cases in their neighbours garden


Everyone that gave me a warm bed in their own homes, for trusting me like that


All of the Iraqi military and police for being so cool, I want to see some of those photos one day appear on the internet, enough were bloody taken!


All those random people I met on the side of the road who pulled out fruit, food and water from their own bags


The men in Turkish villages who would becon me in to share tea


Men walking with donkeys on dusty old roads that would always share fruit


The million and thirteen men, women and children who gave me directions


Turk the Tortoise - for the chat


Finally thank you to everyone who took time to read all of my ramblings! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed sharing it.


So the trip and this blog is finally over, that's that. I learnt a lot about people, keeping cool, taking it easy, how not to panic no matter what, dealing with difficult situations and how to get by on your own. Things and skills that I would or could never, ever be able to develop living in my home country. Those things can only be learnt out there on the road.


The beautiful thing about it is that truly anyone can do it and I really hope that at least one person that read this entire thing decides to. All you need is a pair of balls and then your good to go!
The road awaits you, life awaits you, people await you, Adventure awaits you... so what the hell are you waiting for?

Andy and Miles hit the Balkan's

The Balkan's

Our route was from Thessaloniki - Greece, through Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and our destination was Dubrovnik - Croatia.

Macedonia


The ride to Skopje was long and cold but it was a good idea to get it out of the way in a day. As the weather was only going to get worse. We arrived at the Greek border to find a ton of cars waiting. We spoke to two motorcyclists who were sitting down and had been waiting for two hours. We were told that the border guards are on strike and no one can go through.... Cool!
So I leave the bike with Miles and walk into the main building where everyone looks at me suspiciously. I find the main office and tell the guy I'm on a motorcycle and would like to go through. His reply was no, it's a ten day strike. Ha! I gave a little sob story and said can't I just wheel my bike through? We spoke for a few minutes and then he called over an older chap who told me to follow him. I followed this guy outside, when all the people waiting at the border noticed this guy they swarmed around him shouting, I stood watching....

(there I am looking confused in the corner)


 Moments later an agreement was reached, somehow .... and everyone jumped into their cars and the Greek guy just let everyone through without checking passports, they didn't care. I had no idea what had just happened but hey we were through! Then to get through the Macedonian border I had to depart with 50 euros for a green card which was outrageous!


We parked up in the centre of Skopje and I rang Svetlana who came to meet us with her friend Makedonca and another friend Nara who was staying for one night, and then later her boyfriend Dime. After some coffee we all went back to Svetlana's apartment to stay for the night.  Svetlana was an extraordinary host, she cooked great food for us all and truly made us feel at home.

It was truly an amazing experience hanging out with Svetlana and Makadonka. Both me and Miles felt lucky to spend time with them. I think that they are difficult to describe as people, I'm laying here in Slovenia, listening to good music, with friends and nothing but time and I still just can't think of the words.
They were free, there was no embarrassment, no inhibitions, they would just get up and dance to the most random of songs for no other reason than they had to. Just sitting there watching them you could see that they were really just.... genuinely happy.


They took us to a few clubs and pubs and on the last night we all drove up the mountain to overlook the city of Skopje by night. Although it was freezing cold, I always find it beautiful overlooking cities peppered with luminous sparkles and glows at night.

Kosovo


Miles and I decided that it would be a good idea to go into Kosovo for a day to visit the capital Pristhtina. I fancied a break from riding so we left the bike and all our bags with Svetlana and took a day sack each and caught the bus.
We walked down an empty boulevard in the capital's centre, Miles remarked that it would be funny if this baron boulevard was actually the epicentre, we later found out that it was... that's pretty much all the excitement we got there.


I guess the photos below are the main attractions if you like

 After a few coffees, we went in search of the only hostel in the city and checked in...... Soooooo...... Not much to do in Kosovo then! We went out that night for about 5 minutes then had to go back as it was just so cold. We sat in the downstairs communal kitchen talking the night away, until an Albanian chap joined us. He was a nice dude.... But soon after this weird guy also joined, on the plus side he brought beers with him but he never gave straight answers and there was something really weird about him. I swore that he fancied Miles. Sometimes you get a bad vibe from people and it's always worth following your gut and making a pleasant departure.

Obviously the next morning we decided to leave and head back to the warmth and comfort of Svetlana and her friends, not to mention it started snowing!. So it was back on the bus to Macedonia.


We spent one more night with the Macedonia's. I decided to stay up late with the girls, Makedonca, Ljubica and Svetlana as they all did their uni work and listened to music, it was fun relaxing with them. The next day we packed up and left. It was very cool hanging out with those guys and I'm already looking forward to seeing them again.




Albania


Life on the road

We had a long old ride ahead of us into Albania. From Macedonia the quickest route to the Albanian coast was through one national park and then straight west through the interior of the country. Along the way we planned on sleeping somewhere as it was too long of a ride in a day. The national park route turned out to be basically a freezing cold mountain with a ton of twists and turns. The main road in Albania was literally terrible and littered with potholes. Luckily only one dog gave chase. The drivers were terrible and overtaking became extremely dangerous as they never, ever, ever indicated before turning. Every overtake was a gamble. I remember thinking at one point that we were actually going to die and that was that when a truck overtook on my side of the road. I have had a few of those moments over the course of the trip where for a split second I thought it was all over, in each case I was always more worried about my bike!

Checking the map and using the emergency petrol in Albania

We rode literally from the complete east to the west of the country in a day, over hills, mountains and through deep dark tunnels. There was one tunnel that sticks in my mind as it was pitch black. As I entered, I will be honest, I shit myself as there was not even a fragment of light. I could barely see the light at the end as it was only a small dot. I never for a second imagined that the full beam on my bike could not in anyway even light up a millimetre of road ahead of me. I completely lost balance as it threw me off, I thought my lights had broken, Miles thought I switched them off and I had no idea if I was riding into the wall of the tunnel or down a ditch!

All of the towns we passed through did not look like the types of places I was comfortable keeping my bike overnight. So we eventually found a cheap hotel in a larger city where the bike was put in a secure car park overnight. The hotels electrics kept going on and off but we slept well.

The next day we left for Montenegro


Montenegro

The ride in was beautiful, especially the coastal road. We rode to Budva and stayed in a hostel in the Old City. The season was well and truly over and it was pretty quiet. The owner of the hostel was very.... How do I put it... cuddly.


Budva itself was very pretty

We followed the snaking coast road northwards to Croatia

Bosnia


After following the coastal road to Croatia for a few hours I realized I took a wrong turn and we ended up high in the mountains. Never mind, I looked at the map quickly and noticed a new route in to Croatia so we rode on. Finally we reached the border. The guy in the booth asked me for my green card. I don't have one as I don't need it for Croatia? He repeated his request for the green card... No? I don't need one? After discussing it with the policeman for a few moments Miles tapped me on the shoulder and said:


"dude... I think were in Bosnia!"


Ahhhh that would make sense... Right i'll buy your green card then. So I parked the bike up and walked all the way over to the green card office. It was empty.  So I walked back to the border guard and told him. He didn't speak any English and I assume he thought I didn't want to buy it as he made gestures for us to go. Luckily there was a woman passing through in a car who could translate for us for a moment, she told the officer that the office is empty. The guard said that the green card dude must have gone out, and he had no idea how long he would be, maybe 2 hours. But that was clearly a complete guess. We were told to park up the bike outside the border and wait if we wanted. Needless to say the officer was not friendly. It was a long ride back to the coast and we wanted to get to Dubrovnik before nightfall so we waited. We gave it 1 hour.
So a general, obvious rule at border posts is not to take any photos. In fairness I didnt get hardly any of the border in my shot, it was just me and Miles and the bike whilst we were sitting down, the bike covered the border guards view of us. Nevertheless the guy saw and started walking over. Fantastic, the camera goes in my pocket. He made me get it out and delete it, fair enough! But then he went on a power trip and made Miles empty his bag all over the floor while he gave it the most uninterested and stupid search I had ever seen. He then turned and looked at me, squeezed my bag and said "problem?" I replied sternly "no problem" and he left us to it.


I did manage to keep one photo though

An hour passed, it was clear we were going to be there all night. Miles stayed with the bike and gear and I went back to the green card office, I was going to do the only thing I knew that I could in order to get this green card... I was going to annoy them until they gave in! So I knocked on the office door next to the green card office. The man in there ignored me. He was already pissed with me as I had been knocking on his window early and he kept making shooing motions with his hands. This time he just blank ignored me. I kept knocking, he shouted 'No!' so I kept knocking. Minutes past and then he finally opened his door, grabbed my shoulder and pulled me to the side, angrily wrote down a phone number, slapt it into my hand and slammed his door shut. Brilliant, one step closer!
I walked back over to the Police dudes triumphantly holding my paper in my hand. They were just so uninterested in anything I had to say. I asked them to ring the number to find out what time this dude is back. 'No, no phone', well that was a load of bollocks as there was a huge office where I could see desk telephones and they obviously had mobiles. I made the best I could of explaining to them, to please use the office phones or their mobiles, 'NO'.
So I just kept asking, kept going, they walked away from me and I followed. Dubrovnik was so close yet these guys made it seem so far, I kept repeating, Dubrovnik, Dubrovnik, come on bro I have family there. 'No phone!'
There were three of them, at one point they all just stared at me and two of them spat at the floor at the same time and fixed their gaze upon me, I could do nothing but smile (which I have learnt is THE single most important thing to carry when travelling, literally, never underestimate the power of a smile). One of the guards finally let out a long, exasperated sigh and mummbled something in Bosnian, he then got his phone out! Yay!
He phoned the green card guy and spoke for a few moments then hung up and walked off. Ha, so I follow, 'what did he say? what did he say? what did he say?'
'Go office'
I walk back to the green card office, what the hell am I looking for? I walk back
'Man in other office, do'
Brilliant, I knock on the angry dudes door, I get the feeling he's close to pulling his pistol on me, instead he shouts NO!
I go back to the Policeman: 'He said no' so the policeman shruggs, there is absoloutly no facial expression on this man but he was my best bet. So I followed him again and kept asking him to do it: 'You do papers for me please, come on, you can do it!'
Exasperated, he definately addmitted defeat, he tutted and mumbling and grunting he walked the slow walk to the green card office with me, he walked as though this was the worst thing he had to do in his life, like a kid he kicked stones on the way. He sat down and wrote out my paper. He could have done this two hours ago! I paid him 25 euros, grabbed my paper, jogged back to Miles, we loaded up and got the hell out of there!

After 10 minutes of riding down the mountain, away from the border, Miles tapped me on the shoulder and asked me to pull over as he had to adjust his shoulder strap. So I pulled up and he jumped off. We then noticed that my bag had actually been turned slightly and was resting by the exhaust. The exhaust had burned a hole straight through the bottom corner, melted through one of my tshirts and smoldered and blackened my maps, there was smoke coming from it. A couple more seconds, max and that would have all gone up in flames.


Croatia

After no more than an hour of riding through Bosnia we crossed the Croatian border, we had finally made it!
We stopped off for a sit down, overlooking the Old City of Dubrovnik as it would be our last one. The short ride down the mountain and into Dubrovnik would be our last ride so we enjoyed the moment for a while.

So I took Miles on the back of my faithful XT660R from Greece to Croatia. We had previously only spent 2 days together. Nevertheless, we travelled through 7 countries, it took us 6 days and we covered 900 kilometres. We had a great time and I am truly happy that Miles accepted and we did it together. Its an amazing thing travelling, not for the places but for the people you meet. Especially, specifically when they turn out to be as cool, down to earth and as easy going as my brother Miles.

Our trip was not yet over though. I was supposed to hang out with Miles at his brother Fraser's place for a few days. Days turned into a brilliant two weeks in Dubrovnik with some truly cool people.