Canada/Alaska Ride - D - 7

Friday, 7 June 2013 ( 28 Rejab 1434)

         Next week , I am off to start the Canada/Alaska Ride. Eager as anyone in the same shoe. When I tick my checklist, all seem in placed now. There are of course some teething problems but that would be solved in time to come. I am not unduly worried about it. If you want a 100% well-prepared trip then you will not even kick off. The best way is draw a general outline plan and just do it. The details will come as it comes. At least that how I did all my previous trip.
     I was doing some riding lately and the following pics always encourage me how nature at works and Allah the Almighty knows bes

Off-road towards home

t.

Sunset along highway

Quick snap before downpour

Watching the sunset

Sunrise and moonset

Sunset by the sea side

These make one wonders what is the purpose of life. Think about it. I hope there will be more of the nature at works pics from the other continent.
Salam.

Short Trip to Home

May 8, 2013 
                     After the subuh solat I took a drive home to visit my mum. Alas! It was on four wheels this time. Its nice to have a change though there are big difference between four and two wheelers. Luckily, this little car had the roof down during this trip. Atleast I can still feel the wind past my ears.

Dawn at day breaks before trip 

Subhanallah..beauty skyline

At home - Mum's house

Stretch of Mahagony trees

Anytime you visit your mum, it is always a wonderful day. Happy Mother Day Mum.

May 5, 2013

May 5, 2013
                    Today is a "special" day for Malaysia. The 13th General Election. I am not going to talk about politic as I have vowed in this blog it is purely motorcycle adventure travel only.
                  " One of the things that made motorcycling so great is because it never fails to give 
                     you a feeling of freedom and adventure" 
                                                                                  Steve McQueen 
I was looking at the past motos that have brought me to places in this world. These two come up all the time.

Blue "Penguin" aka Camel KLR

Red "Penguin" aka Rojos KLR

These bikes is not about Miles Per Hour but Miles Per Day. I have ditch em, mud them, cross partial river, work in farm, carry heavy fence poles and equipment, snow, high altitude, storm, desert, tropical rain, took diesel, remote workshop repair, parked infront of 4 star hotel, jungle camping and high wind. Most of all its dirt cheap to run. Now you know why the US Marine still used this machine in their inventory.
  This day, I still admire the KLR. A bike to keep.

Ride Here Ride There

May 1, 2013
                    Between late last year and now, I did some local rides solo and also with friends. Best describes in pictorial form:

Western most Thailand

Bridge over River Kwai

The Golden Triangle from Thailand side

View of Bay Of Bengal from Myanmar side

Border Thailand/Laos 

These two are on their way to work - Thailand

Ugly side of moto riding

James Bond island - Krabi, Thailand

Cool ride - Cameron Highland, Malaysia

My little "Tompok" doing his routine round in the farm

"Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy" - Dale Carnegie.

Trip Preparation

30 April 2013

 Between my last posting and update till now there about a month gap + -. I have been busy with my farm work, lecturing in the University and other chores. Riding has been mostly local and into the farm. I enjoyed the robustness of the KLR which I bashed around up and down the farm, drop, stuck in mud, carrying loads for the farm and ferry me to and fro house some 51 km away from the farm. Call it Working Camel. That's exactly what it is. No wonder the USMC still relied this machine in their inventory.

Working Camel   

By end of March, I got the Canadian visa stamp in my passport and the US visa on 18 April. Finally what a relief from the visa application questions and answers. A bit on the US interview that I have gone through just to share with my fellow Malaysian. I fixed my interview time at 7.20 am. The earliest possible time the better. The queue at the main entrance to the US Embassy build up very fast for Visa applicants. I was queue number 9. As I was called for the personal interview, these were the questions the official asked me; Why are you going to the US? Do you have  friend in the US? How long your friend have live in the US? You have been to the US 5 times, what were you doing there ? Why your wife is not accompanying you ? How old is your youngest child? Do you have any grandchildren? End questioning. 
  Last month also I had a visitor from Australia riding round the world on his motorcycle. I offered him to stay in my rented house in Batu Gajah, Perak ( about 210 km from Kuala Lumpur the capital city). We had the opportunity to share experiences and ride up the hill (Cameron Highland). We also did some Geocaching hunts. That was my first Geocache experience and thought it was a wonderful way to enjoy riding activities. Thank you Richard.
          

Richard getting ready for C.Highland ride.

Richard the TravelingStorm

Richard got tied up!

The TravelingStorm

On the trip preparation, I bought a new rain-proof luggage and a rain coat. Other than that I think all my riding gears can still last this trip and would not want to spend unnecessary. Already the flight tickets have taken a large chunk of the budget. So, I must say I am almost ready to go now and counting days. Set date 14 June 2013 I fly out Malaysia for Canada, transit UK enroute. Salam.

Canada and Alaska

Mar 18, 2013  
                      
       Possible route Canada into Alaska and return. Hah! I love route planning. Look at places from map, interesting places to visit and stay, stories of that places and what to do there. The more you know the better equip you are before you physically there. So, you are imagining things already. That why I like about looking at these new places. Call it dreaming, if you like. But I had had the same dream of Europe, South America, New Zealand, South East Asia and Middle East. And I had traveled all of them. That wasn't dreaming but reality. So here goes and let start from Nelson, AB Canada:

      Nelson - Jasper - Kamloops - Vancouver - Prince George - Whitehorse - Beaver Creek (border cross into US) - Tok, AK USA - Big Delta - Fairbanks - Livengood - Coldfoot - Wiseman - Galbraith Lake - Deadhorse.

Let say this Northbound leg takes 2 weeks of traveling time.

    Deadhorse - Coldfoot - Arctic Circle - Livengood - Fairbanks - healy - Anchorage - Glenallen - Tok - Boundary (cross border into Canada) - Little Gold Creek - Dawson City, YT Canada.
This Southbound leg takes around a week but slightly more if I stay longer in the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska.

        

22 Feb 2013 - The Bike (potential candidate)

Lets call her "Red Riding Hood".  Why this bike? This kind of question has been dealt with since the invention of the adventure bike era. No one answer is right. What ever answer given has it own merit and reasoning. I have mine too. I want a bike that I have knowledge of riding. I rode this Wee during my Europe Ride in 2010. Except for a minor hiccup in Taragonna, Spain the bike performed superb. Cheap to operate and comfort on long day ride over paved and mild off-road routes.
 I would leave the bike in as it is condition during the time of purchase or rental. No additional fancy frackles!
More on this later.