DAVE'S VIEWPOINT

Perspective of a motorcyclist – A travel diary

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Published inPanigale Around Australia 2016: Day 19 – Katherine to Ranken

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Day 86 - 06/09/2019 – Shortened from original FB post - This is it. 27835km and 86 days are all I can and will do for the journey that I have taken from Malaysia to the UK. The day after my arrival in Sydney will be a quiet time spent at home to begin life as an adult in my 30s. For a few years, I have dreaded the point in time when I would have to bid farewell to my 20s. Perhaps the specific thought of having to act like a 'real' adult was something that I'd never be prepared for. The thought of dropping out of a younger demographic was terrifying to a mind that seems not to have established full maturity. Somehow though, as I sit here on the edge of the Thames in London, it all doesn't seem to matter anymore. I am just happy to be alive. Life is so short, holidays even shorter. There are many issues I have observed that others face on the daily around the world; my personal issues are trivial in comparison. The opportunity to even be able to have travelled on a motorcycle though tens of thousands of kilometres is one that I cannot be anything but thankful for. I have to acknowledge that this is all in part because I live in a beautiful country like Australia that financially and logistically allows me to travel through so many different countries without too many unreasonable restrictions. I can only be thankful for this opportunity, because the vast majority of the world does not have it as great. I hope that in this next decade in my 30s to expand my horizons and achieve more meaningful endeavours. Some day, I will grow up to be sensible, mature, forward-thinking and become some sort of practical inspiration to a group of a few mortals here and there who should know better. Until then, I guess motorcycles will continue to be a part of life. #honda #crf250rally #motorcycle #roadtrip #adventure #travel #london #unitedkingdom #england #uk #europe #overland
Day 85 - 05/09/2019 - Barely over 24 hours of arriving in Germany, I had to get a move on with a revised final destination to end this journey. I had originally organised a German company to handle the freight for the return of my motorcycle to Sydney, but that fell through whilst I was in the middle of this journey. Thankfully, after a small moment of panic, I found out about Get Routed, an entity that specifically deals with bike freight between Australia and the UK particularly for the dates surrounding the Isle of Man TT events. I was lucky to have been informed that there was exactly one spot remaining for the return shipment to Sydney. Thus, my journey points towards London, and then finally the small port town of Felixstowe. Heading through Belgium, my journey still had new areas to be explored. Just like Slovenia from last year, Belgium was just a transit country between other main destinations, so I did not see anything apart from the motorway. After checking out the small stone marker at the borders where Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands meet, I made Brussels my major Belgian stop before getting to Calais where I had booked for the Eurotunnel shuttle service to the UK overnight. Reaching the Belgian capital, I utilised the very short time available to observe the seedy and the classy; two clear contrasts of the city. Perhaps the Dutch had something to do with the prominence of window girls at Rue d'Aerschot in the city central's north, while French influence may have had a hand with the amazing architectural finesse that is evident from the courtyards of Grote Markt. Whatever the reason, it was great to have visited Belgium and see a few more place than the last visit; a day not wasted despite now being more susceptible to laziness as I had already completed my original goal of reaching Germany. #honda #crf250rally #motorcycle #roadtrip #adventure #travel #brussels #belgium #overland #europe
Day 84 – 04/09/2019 – Guten morgen, Deutschland! Oh Cologne. it's been just over a year since I visited. My European home away from home, Cologne was the heart and the centre of my road trips on the BMW last year. The city was the start point of the journey, purchasing my motorcycle at the BMW Cologne dealership within 24 hours of landing in Germany by plane. The city also represented a midpoint of that 20000km journey across Europe, before eventually spending my final night on the banks of the Rhine River where I spent time to contemplate the jubilation that resulted out of the whole process involved in making such a road trip a possibility. So much hard work and long hours were invested into the preparation of that trip, so much that I thought that it would have been easier if I just spent those two months of leave from work to stay within the bounds and familiarity of Australia. I once thought that a motorcycle trip around Europe was a step too far for me, both financially and mentally. I once was terrified about the prospect of dealing with foreign languages, a variety of currencies and a huge array of roads and landscapes, tens of thousands of kilometres away from home. When I finally went through all of that, I wish I had done the trip all over again. The exact same sentiments apply for this year's journey across Asia and the parts of Europe that I had explored this year. And really, who would have bloody known that I would return to Cologne, Germany after just a year, but this time the more difficult way? I could have just picked another destination for the end of this trip, but there was no way that I'd miss out on catching up with my best German mate, @konrad.dng , who made last year's road trip a seamless and fuss-free experience. I can't even express completely how grateful I am to have a friend like him. Gummersbach is just an ordinary town in the outskirts of Cologne. But with Konrad's abode up in the hills of the town, it's simply a special place. It is that place out of home that I feel the most comfortable. Welcome home! #honda #crf250rally #motorcycle #roadtrip #rhine #river #cologne #germany #europe #overland
Day 83 – 03/09/2019 – A quick overnight nap before heading north from the coast of the French Riviera. Still a long way to go to reach Cologne in Germany, so I figured that a bit of fatigue is an acceptable trade-off for an earlier arrival at my mate's place in the small German town of Gummersbach. I was hoping to reach the hometown of @sebrdn , the French on the Royal Enfield whom I rode together with in few parts on the way from northern Pakistan to eastern Uzbekistan, before he reaches the European continent. Today, I am happy to have fulfilled that small goal, arriving in Lyon to check out its central city area which is the location of the confluence of two significant French rivers, the Rhone and Saone. If I had the time to relax in Lyon, I would have taken the effort to buy a bunch of croissants and French sticks to pose with them in front of a large Lyon sign with the intention of provoking jealousy and homesickness out of Sebastien. I'm in a hurry to get to Germany, alas I had to continue on with the ride to Luxembourg. My arrival in Luxembourg a few clicks before midnight marks the 49th country ridden on my own motorcycle. It's been a physically taxing journey, feebly depending on energy drinks and excessive sugar to keep me awake. There wasn't much to see or do without further research of the country, nor am I sure if there was much on offer anyway apart from the usual old European buildings that have by now lost my interest. On the plus side, Cologne is not too far from Luxembourg City. It's been a long journey, and I can barely remember everything that's happened in the Asian part of this adventure, but I am happy to say that I am less than a day trip away from my end destination! #honda #crf250rally #motorcycle #roadtrip #adventure #travel #scenery #landscape #lyon #france #luxembourg #europe #overland
Day 82 – 02/09/2019 – I’m getting worried now. I know that I was running out of time before today, but Monday has really hit me hard as I realise that I’m still in the southern part of the continent when I should have been up north in the weekend. With my post-holiday work schedule in effect starting next week, I must get the motorcycle cleaned up and prepared within this week and fly out of Europe before the end of the weekend. Despite the lack of time, Pisa was close enough to be visited after Florence. The Leaning Tower doesn’t seem too badly tilted from some angles; I reckon she’d be alright for another few centuries. What was more interesting were the surrounding landscapes that are partially walled. In the middle of the well-maintained lawn sits the Pisa Cathedral, which encompasses a floor plan akin to the shape of the crucifix. The nearby dome-capped Pisa Baptistery completes the grand scenery. I would have liked to have a tour around the city for longer, but separation anxiety leads me back to my motorcycle to continue the journey out of Italy. The highway system that links the coastal Italian region with the French Riviera is nothing short of an engineering marvel. Tunnels run through the many hundreds of kilometres of mountains that separate villages and towns that inhabit the valleys in between them in intervals of just a few kilometres. The ETA on Google Maps indicated that my journey from Pisa to the French border would have taken at least 10 hours using local roads, versus just 4 hours if I used the tolled highway. That 20-Euro toll fee was definitely worth the time saving. Just a moment from the border road sits a tiny but very wealthy country, Monaco. The visit to the city of Monte Carlo makes Monaco the 48th country that I’ve ridden on a motorcycle. I’ve never counted the countries I’ve visited until yesterday when I visited San Marino, and thought that it was interesting to have gone through three countries in one day. Should I try and push for a 49th country in Europe, just so that it gives me the excuse to visit the USA as the 50th country? You know, like the 50 stars on the US flag! #honda #crf250rally #motorcycle #roadtrip #overland
Day 81 – 01/09/2019 – A surprisingly wonderful visit to the Republic of San Marino, a landlocked country that lays its claim within its much larger neighbour Italy. San Marino is believed to be the oldest republic in the world, established in the year 301. Its iconic mountain, Monte Titano, dramatically rises out from the middle of the beautiful tiny country, crowned with old fortresses and heritage listed structures. Surrounded by the rolling hills of the Italian countryside, entering the mountaintop city was like a step into the fictional Castle of Cagliostro, with parts of its walls almost protruding out of the vertical cliffs. Unlike many other western European historical sites, San Marino seems to have retained its small village atmosphere with only small groups of tourists exploring the area, possibly because it is so out of the way from other major Italian cities. Although the paths up to the very top of the eponymously named capital city of San Marino were steep, the city was genuinely a pleasure for me to explore even though I insist on doing as little walking as possible for this trip. I’d imagine a family tour in large Italian city would be chaotic for the inexperienced. A Sammarinese holiday should comparatively be a very relaxed and quietly uplifting one. Last year, the only taste of Italy was in the form of the incredible mountain roads of Stelvio Pass. This time, I’ve had the opportunity to make the detour through the urban regions of northern Italy. I needed to choose my battles in the pursuit for a time-efficient Italian trip. Florence is meant to be among the best European cultural destinations, but a complete experience requires time off the bike during normal daytime hours. I had to really get a move on towards the end of this motorcycle journey, so I only had the hours surrounding midnight to step into the city of Florence. Looking over the city from the lookout of Piazzale Michelangelo for a quick moment, I could see that all was well in Florence. Good stuff. Now time to move on with this road trip. #honda #crf250rally #motorcycle #roadtrip #travel #adventure #scenery #landscape #sanmarino #florence #italy #europe #overland
Day 80 – 31/08/2019 – D-day is here; Deutschland Day. The end of the month has now come, but I am still over a thousand kilometres away from Cologne in Germany where I was supposed to arrive by today. Inevitably, I must readjust my travel schedule, and give it a few more days until I arrive safely in Germany and get to see my old mate Karl again who helped me out so much with a lot of the important paperwork for the BMW last year. On that note, I reckon I can fit a few more new cities on the way to Cologne. Starting my day early in Zagreb in Croatia, I immediately headed towards Ljubljana, another city that I couldn’t explore properly last year. The only place of interest for me in Ljubljana was the Dragon Bridge because, well, I felt that my cool travel story just needed some dragons to make it seem more legitimate. The arch bridge is guarded by four ferocious looking dragon statues, one for each corner of the bridge that crosses over the Ljubljanica River. I do indeed feel love when I see the natural beauty of SLOVEnia, particularly when I went up to the north west of the country. The naturally stunning landscape adorned with dreamy abodes, old churches and imposing castles make the whole area of Lake Bled seem as though it’s a town that belongs in a fairytale novel. Masses of tourists ensure that you’re not totally lost in your own imagination, but I’d imagine that a moment of escapism can be had by rowing a boat away from the crowded shores and to the opposite side where the body of water extends into deep forests. Just when I thought I was done with Slovenia, I approach another incredible sight. This time in the form of a castle partially built into a cave, Predjama Castle is not only special for its man-made component. A network of tunnels and cave voids remain perfectly in place which can be explored with a fully integrated rail tour. I’m positively satisfied today to have seen a few of the many beautiful aspects of Slovenia. The tradeoff has been to delay my arrival to Germany, but there are no regrets when a new experience has been gained. #honda #crf250rally #motorcycle #roadtrip #adventure #travel #ljubljana #slovenia #europe #overland
Day 79 – 30/08/2019 – Rested up so well last night in the hostel at Makarska after 2 weeks spent, sleeping in not-so-normal locations. The last time I spent a night in proper accommodation was back in Turkey when the guy at Trabzon paid for a hotel room and forced me to rest for the night and not risk the journey in the dark over the mountains. Apparently, according to my room mates at Makarska, I fell asleep immediately after I turned on the laptop and closed my eyes while files were being transferred from the camera. I enjoy sleeping rough when travelling but I do need the extravagant luxury of an inner-city backpackers hostel once in a while. I even got to wash my riding pants; shocking to see how clean it was once I took it out of the washing machine! It was great to have met @jeniferandren in person with whom I were Facebook friends, initially added as friends as she needed some advice on travelling around Europe. I like to think that I inspired her to buy a bike in one of the EU countries, rather than bring over her Ducati from Sydney, and then plan to sell it, just like what I’ve done with the BMW last year in Germany. Whether or not she allows me to take all the credit for that idea, it’s nevertheless awesome to know that she’s had a fantastic journey so far, going through some beautiful routes from France, Switzerland and the Czech Republic. She’s got another month, maybe even two, left for her own journey across Europe. Feeling so jealous, as I’m now on my last days in this continent! Although I’ve travelled through Croatia last year on the BMW, I’ve had no time to explore the more interesting places apart from Dubrovnik. This year’s trip also doesn’t allow me to spend time and experience the country in depth, but the coastal route taken from Makarska to Split was enough for me to say that I’ve experienced another one very beautiful region of Croatia.Perhaps there will be more opportunities in the future for me to travel in Europe again. In due time, I might end up exploring many more regions of Croatia, one by one. #honda #crf250rally #motorcycle #roadtrip #adventure #travel #makarska #croatia #europe #overland
Day 78 – 29/08/2019 – My last day in Bosnia as I head towards the Adriatic coastline. Starting my day early by leaving Sarajevo at 1am, the aim was to make a detour to Tjentiste to end my run of Communist-era monuments. The Memorial Valley of Heroes is a tribute to a military operation during WW2 where the Axis forces attempted to capture the Yugoslav military leader in the region. The mission of the Axis was a failure but came at a massive cost of thousands of civilian lives. Like many other monuments built during the Yugoslav years, the Valley of Heroes exhibit an abstract style to deliver a message that is better understood once its history is closely observed. But even without any understanding of its message, there is an element of otherworldliness that makes a visit a memorable one. The towering monument stands on top of a hill overlooking forested mountains, providing an opportunity for momentary relaxation in a quiet, secluded place. Mostar was my last major town before heading into coastal Croatian territory. Another city that came under heavy fire throughout the Bosnian War, 70% of its buildings were damaged during multiple periods of military sieges. Like in Sarajevo, evidence of destruction across the city remains in plain sight. Stari Most, a 16th century Ottoman-era bridge, was blown up during the war, but has since been rebuilt using original stones retrieved from the river below. The bridge was the venue for the Red Bull diving competition just last week, where competitors would make the 30-metre fall, and it has been a regular annual venue since 2015. Reaching the beautiful Croatian town of Makarska, I got to get back on track towards my journey to Germany. A very long road remains until I get to Cologne, and there are many more amazing places that haven’t been explored in last year’s Europe trip. I must remain focused on my final goal, because work in Sydney is waiting for my arrival. The reality of life will soon sink in as another motorcycle adventure closes its chapter in the personal book of Dave’s Viewpoint. #honda #crf250rally #motorcycle #roadtrip #travel #adventure #mostar #bosnia #europe #overland
Day 77 – 28/08/2019 – If it were any other Olympic podium, I’d be standing on that winner’s platform right now just for fun. Not this one though, with its gruesome history in mind. A sobering day as I reach the Sarajevo region in Bosnia and Herzegovina. As part of the Siege of Sarajevo that occurred from 1992 to 1996, the former Winter Olympic venues was a significant conflict zone between the ruling government and opposing belligerents of Republika Srpska who wanted to create their own state within the newly independent Bosnia and Herzegovina. Where the world’s greatest athletes were once celebrated, the walls of the winner’s stage turned into a backdrop for the brutal civil war that costed so many lives and a great deal of city infrastructure. Repaired after the war to hide the damage from multiple gunshot executions, the Olympic podium remain today in the middle of a derelict venue up in the mountain ranges that surround Sarajevo, its facilities left unmaintained. Visiting the urban area of Sarajevo with fresh eyes and minimal prior research, I got lost on the way as the maps downloaded on my mobile failed to work properly. Using the back roads to avoid the motorway to Sarajevo that prohibits motorcycles according to the signs, I rode through small villages in the southern part of the city region where I observed countless homes littered with bullet holes. Residents live in freestanding houses and apartment blocks, some with obvious signs of repair attempts with concrete paste to cover up the remnants of the worst war that occurred in Europe since WW2. Others continue to live with the damage, a lasting reminder of the atrocities that occurred almost three decades ago. My time is seriously running out by this point of the journey, with just days left until I should end this journey. I don’t think there’s any way for me to achieve the planned arrival to Germany by Saturday. I’ll still try my best to get a move on, but this won’t stop me from visiting some beautiful Bosnian places such as the Pliva Waterfall in the central part of the country. #honda #crf250rally #motorcycle #roadtrip #travel #adventure #sarajevo #bosnia #europe #overland
Day 76 – 27/08/2019 – A brief ride through Croatia before heading back down south to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Monument to the Revolution of the People of Moslavina, approx 100km east of Zagreb, is a sculpture that sits on a hill that is a burial ground for 900 soldiers who died fighting in the Moslavina region of eastern Croatia during the WW2 period. In contrast to the tiring border crossing from Serbia to Croatia last night, today’s pass into Bosnian territory was as simple as an international crossing can be. Riding towards Bihac on the most fabulous roads that I’ve ridden in recent times, natural surroundings that follow the Una River seem very akin to what you’d imagine an enchanted forest from a storybook would be in real life. Literally translated to “The One” by the Romans who were astounded by the beauty of the river, a significant length of the waterway forms the current-day borders of Bosnia and Croatia. Eventually by evening, I arrived in Bihac. Continuing my run of Communist-era monuments, the only place of interest in this part of Bosnia was Garavice Memorial Park. Garavice was the location of a massive extermination camp set up by Croatian fascists during WW2 where tens of thousands of Serb civilians were murdered. A monument consisting of multiple stacked concrete blocks inscribed with a teardrop on the highest parts, stands on top of a hill that overlooks the towns of the surrounding area. #honda #crf250rally #dualsport #motorcycle #roadtrip #adventure #travel #croatia #bihac #bosnia #europe #overland
Day 75 – 26/08/2019 – What’s a visit to Serbia without seeing its capital city, Belgrade. Meeting up with the local Serb, Nikola, who contacted me via Instagram to offer a tour of the city alongside his Yamaha, we sat down at a café in front of Church of Saint Sava, one of many icons of religious and cultural significance for Serbians. A lot of things were discussed, of course motorcycles being included in the topic. Of more importance above everything else was the topic of Serb history and its past and current relations with its neighbours. The history of the Balkans for a good part of a century had been a mixed bag of both good and bad, but the horrors of what had happened during WW2 and the Yugoslav Wars continue to be a central point when an explanation of its various cultures is prompted. Thank you to Nikola for showing me around the city even though there was more walking than I would have liked. My legs right now are not in the best of condition to handle a proper walking tour; please keep me on the bike, thanks! He may as well become a tour guide for the city; pretty much spoke like what I expect out of a guide that knows the ins and out of a city. The only thing that was of issue was that he made it too comfortable for me in the city, therefore leaving was a hard thing to do. Eventually, I left by evening, by this point having to toss away the rest of the day’s original schedule of making a transit run towards Zagreb in Croatia. The border crossing from Serbia to Croatia had been a nightmare to deal with. With a queue on the highway lined up for over 5km, moving a car’s length by the minute, it was also a struggle to even filter through it all as my luggage would get in the way. Eventually, after 2 hours, I made it past the border, and rode into Croatia. I was way too tired to continue for more than 30km, so I decided to sleep overnight at a parking lot of a highway fuel stop. For the first time, I didn’t feel awkward about camping at a parking lot as droves of exhausted drivers pulled over and laid down cardboards on the ground to rest up for the night #honda #crf250rally #motorcycle #roadtrip #travel #adventure #belgrade #serbia #europe #overland
Day 74 – 25/08/2019 – Thinking that I had a great night’s sleep up in the hills of a Serbian national park, I woke up with great expectations of visits to many key locations that I had researched since entering Europe over a week ago. When I started loading up the bike, I discovered that the rear rim was flat on the ground. I thought it wasn’t a big deal, until I opened my Rotopax toolbox and realised that the tube for the volcanised rubber glue, intended for the tyre repair patch, had a leak and that all its contents had dried up. The most I could do with the dried clumps of glue was to partially melt it down with a lighter and try to make a seal over the tyre tube puncture, wrapped with electrical tape. While I was working on the tyre puncture, a drunk Serbian appeared out of the bushes and attempts to be of some help. Whilst he slipped liquor out of a plastic Sprite bottle, he rabbled on continuously in Serbian. My day was going to be more productive if I just kept going with the incomplete repair that only seemed to have a very slow leak, inflating the tyre to the required pressure on the go with my mini air compressor. Met up with some bikers on the way up to Uzice, before the massive hailstorms arrived, who were of actual help. One of the riders gave me a tyre repair kit with proper rubber glue just in case my half-arsed tyre patch came undone. So thankful for the continuing assistance that I get like this throughout my journey, especially in this case because I now have the confidence to keep going with the current tube in any road condition, knowing that I can have tyre repairs done properly when required. By evening, I made it to Kadinjaca Memorial Park, the location of a distinctive Yugoslav monument dedicated to the Serbian fighters who defended the country against Nazi forces during WW2. The monument, named the Heroes of Kadinjaca, features a gunshot hole through a blank-white wall that respectfully represents the resilience of the Serbs against a merciless enemy force. #honda #crf250rally #dualsport #motorcycle #roadtrip #landscape #travel #adventure #serbia #europe #overland
Day 73 – 24/08/2019 – Time really is running out now, with just 7 days remaining until my scheduled end of this journey in Germany. There is so much to see in the Balkan region, that I wish I had even just a few more days to relish in the natural sights and historical structures. Fortunately, many of the main attractions include religious buildings located in awesome locations. Queue the visit to Ostrog Monastery, near Niksic in Montenegro, a Serbian Orthodox church that was constructed into a vertical cliff face from where a full 180-degree view of the surrounding mountain region can be enjoyed. The most important and popular of all monasteries in Montenegro, the venue was crowded with pilgrims for their morning ritual, the mesmerising atmosphere marred only by the occasional throat clearing through the loudspeakers as religious passages were read out. Tara River in the northern region of Montenegro, is a popular tourist spot frequently visited by both Montenegrins and neighbouring Serbians. Zip line rides and kayak tours are a major attraction in the region, as well as the nearby mountains where Bobotov Peak is hiked by many keen adventurers during the summer season. The result of this are long traffic jams to Serbia, as I had experienced for myself. The one-lane road from Montenegro and Serbia gets particularly busy during the afternoon when the Serbs all line up to go back home for the evening. At least I got to enter Serbia, unlike a few days ago when I failed to cross from Kosovan side, so a few hours in line at the border area was a non-issue. Missed out on a scenic sunset shot to start my journey through Serbia due to the border delay. Found a group of Czech campers having a BBQ as I rode through Uvac Special Nature Reserve. They kindly invited me over for some grilled foods, complemented with Pilsner Urquell, a Czech lager, and finalised with some aromatic Hruskovice, a brandy made with pear. It was going to be a cold night, so I made use of the ashes remaining from the campfire for the purpose of tent floor heating. No need for a sleeping bag when the inside of the tent is already warm. #honda #crf250rally #motorcycle #roadtrip #montenegro
Day 72 – 23/08/2019 – A very warm day in sunny Albania as I leave Tirana early in the morning. Due to the summer holidays, it seemed like the whole country was highly keen to head to the beaches. The single-lane road from Tirana to the beachside area of Shengjin was absolutely chockers with traffic that was at a near-standstill. Good thing that I’m a foreigner on a foreign motorcycle, so rules don’t apply to me, right? Nevertheless, the cops seemed okay with me using the emergency lane and footpaths while traffic wasn’t moving. As mentioned yesterday, thousands of concrete bunkers are spread across the whole country. Since the fall of Communism in Albania, many of them had faced demolition as people sought ways to make some money from scrap metal to keep their head above the waters in an economically troubled nation. Though many of them in urban areas had been destroyed, there are still many examples that exist. In Shengjin, larger bunkers had been built into cliff faces. The interior of these particular bunkers feature trenches and recessed walls to enable defence in case of an attack, as well as enough room to roll in an artillery and store ammunition supplies. One of the best-known example of a functional bunker in the small town of Bajze is the tattoo parlour created by Keq Marku. Born in Albania in an era that he describes as being not too different from present-day North Korea, he spent some time emigrating and living in other parts of the world for decades, being deported many times from various countries before eventually returning to his home country and settling down as a family man. His creations both as a tattoo artist and a canvas painter reflect both the hardships and personal triumphs throughout his life. A humble human who wants nothing else but to provide for his family at home while exercising his creativity in this original bunker 100 metres away, it was a great privilege for me to hear about his life story, and to learn and understand the challenges faced by the Albanians. Much respect. #honda #crf250rally #dualsport #motorcycle #roadtrip #travel #adventure #albania #bunker #europe #overland
Day 71 – 22/08/2019 – My visit to Kosovo would not have been complete without a tour of one of its many monasteries. I had no intention to travel to the western side of Kosovo, but it was inevitable that I had to make this detour due to the Serbian border issue from yesterday. Only by coincidence that I found that Visoki Decani, an important monastery of the Balkans, was almost directly on the way to the Albanian border. Visoki Decani is held by most historians to be the largest and best-preserved example of its kind in the Balkan region. The interior ceiling and walls are completely covered by paintings of subjects including Biblical themes and illustrations of the ruling monarchy. This is my second time travelling in Albania, the last being the year before on the BMW R nine T Racer. I had spent very little time in this part of the Balkans for that trip and rainy weather across the country had watered down any enthusiasm I would have had to explore anyway. The Pyramid of Tirana, originally built to honour the life of dictator Enver Hoxha, is a decrepit but very noticeable structure that takes up one large block in the centre of the city. Albania’s former Communist government was regarded as more extreme than neighbouring Yugoslavia’s comparatively benign model. Enver Hoxha, the country’s dictator for four decades until his death in the mid 80s, was known to be hyper paranoid about a potential invasion by other more powerful nations who may potentially see Albania’s natural resources as a viable target for military action. His legacy in Albania is in the form of hundreds of thousands of concrete bunkers scattered across the country, by far the highest per capital of any other nation on earth at approximately 1 shelter per 5 people. These shelters were built in preparation for military conflict that never happened. The immense financial and labour resources required for their production had meant Albania’s economy was a perpetual wartime economy. #honda #crf250rally #dualsport #motorcycle #roadtrip #travel #adventure #decani #monastery #kosovo #tirana #albania #europe #overland
Day 70 – 21/08/2019 – An unintentional additional day in Kosovo. The plan today was to head straight up to the Serbian border to proceed on my journey to Belgrade. The ride for the day was stopped midway as I got my passport stamped on the Kosovan side but refused entry to the Serbian-administered side of the crossing at Jarinje. Essentially, my whole day was used to go up to the Serbian border, then back down so that I could go to Serbia via an alternative route through another country like Montenegro. Nobody told me that I couldn’t cross the Kosovan-Serbian border, so I had no idea. The roads of northern fringe of Kosovo that borders Serbia is lined with Serbian flags, as opposed to the rest of the autonomous state, or country depending on your political stance, which are reinforced with Kosovan and American flags. Some provinces such as in Peja have large populations whose families maintain close ties with diasporas based in Germany and Switzerland, so there are many German and Swiss plated cars driven on these roads. “Sprichst du Deutsch?” is a question that I’ve been asked so many times already, to which I respond with my most frequently used German phrase, “Ich spreche kein Deutsch”. Have I already reached my last destination, Germany? Due to the border crossing mishap, I couldn’t make much progress, and ended up at Peja in north western Kosovo. This is where I stopped for a quick fuel stop. Well, it was meant to be very short one, but I ended up camping behind the petrol station after being offered food and drinks, including the locally brewed Peja beer, by the servo guys. I insisted that I must pay for all these edibles that they offered to me at their own expense, but apparently it would be offensive to them as I was their guest. Going as far as trying to get me to stay in their office overnight, opposed to the lawn at the back, I expressed that camping made me very happy and that I went out of my way to stay outside, going as far as saying that a real man does not succumb to the cold. They concurred and nodded in agreement, leaving me to my own device. #honda #crf250rally #motorcycle #roadtrip #travel #adventure #kosovo #europe #overland
Day 69 – 20/08/2019 – In search of Brutalist Architecture in the Balkans. This style of architecture, which emerged out of early 20th century Modernism, had been in vogue throughout the 50s and 60s in many parts of the world. Brutalism extends the concept of minimalism of Modernist architecture by exposing and accentuating structural concrete as an essential component of its visual design theme. The result is a blocky design that can seem incomplete and sometimes offensively raw. By the 80s, Brutalism had very much died out due to what critics considered cold and uninviting character. Brutalism was the main architectural style that was used in Communist Yugoslavia. It’s possible that many people would conflate Brutalist Architecture in the Balkans as Communist Architecture, but they are not directly applicable. Brutalism just happened to be what was preferred at the time, especially in cities like Skopje of North Macedonia whose city plans were designed by a Japanese architect. Unfortunately in Skopje, there is continuing work done to cover up as much evidence of this style, as seen in the image that shows the newly rendered Administrative Court that now flaunts a faux classical theme, beside a tower that for now has kept its original Brutalist design. The most interesting of all the Brutalist buildings visited today was the National Library of Kosovo, located in Kosovo’s capital of Prishtina. Its basic form looks quite similar to Sydney’s famous public housing block in The Rocks, Sirius Building, but with additional embellishments such as stylised steel lattice that line the walls, and multiple domes on the various roof sections that light up at night. Brutalism is beautiful in an ugly way; unapologetic confidence that disregards contemporary conformity, and an effective middle finger to artistic elitism and aesthetic snobbery. #honda #crf250 #rally #crf250rally #dualsport #motorcycle #roadtrip #adventure #travel #scenery #landscape #architecture #brutalism #balkans #skopje #macedonia #prishtina #kosovo #europe #overland
Day 68 – 19/08/2019 – A simple route today for Bulgaria. Went up the Shipka Pass and climbed the road up to the Buzludzha Monument. The monument looked just as run down as last time, and at least few of the concrete letters of the communist slogans at the front have probably gone missing. Went westwards to go to Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital city, to see more than the unremarkably boring highway that I rode last year on the BMW without stopping in town. Before that, however, I needed a shower as I hadn’t had one since staying at the hotel for my first night in Turkey. Three nights of vast distances covered and camping overnight, some in rainy conditions, so things were getting slightly musty. When I went on my trip around Europe last year, I spent the majority of the time tent camping, so I made it a thing to eat at McDonalds whenever I needed their restrooms to take a bath. The great part about McDonalds toilets is that they almost all have similar designs. I knew what to expect from all the McDonalds stores and, also to some extent, other fast food restaurants, so bath time at these places had become second nature to me by the end of my Europe tour. Putting that experience in practice for today’s personal hygiene dilemma, I was as clean as a whistle after my shower, good to go on with the rest of the day. Reached Sofia before sunset and went to Kambanite, the bell monument in Sofia. 1979 was declared the year of the child by UNESCO to draw attention to the issues that children from less fortunate backgrounds face around the world. Each bell at Kambanite, donated by various countries, represent a commitment by those countries to help fight for the rights of all children, the result of which had formed the treaty of the Convention on the Rights of the Child of which almost every nation on earth is a signatory. The Mound of Brotherhood remains standing despite initial approved plans to have it demolished after the fall of the Communist Party in the 90s. Just like many other structures in Bulgaria that glorify Communism, the monument is not allocated maintenance and is left to deteriorate. #honda #crf250rally #motorcycle #roadtrip #bulgaria #europe #overland
Day 67 – 18/08/2019 – The first frontier of the European continent as I reach Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city. This massive metropolis consists of over 15 million inhabitants, and its history spans a timeline of the rise and fall of multiple empires. It was going to be impossible to see the best of the city in just one day, so I had to accept the fact that I will have to miss out on a lot of things. The best of Istanbul requires a pair of active legs, good walking shoes and a cup of tea between stops. Over two months of my time almost exclusively on the moto saddle and overall inadequate diet have meant that my leg muscles are now nothing more than twigs that struggle to walk around for hours so I refused to do too much walking. Unlike the majority of the pretty touristy villages within Istanbul, the colourful town of Balat remains fully open to traffic through its steep, narrow laneways. Overall, my experience in Turkey has been positive despite most of the time spent going from the west to the east of what is geographically a very large country. I’ve got to experience the charitable and very kind hearts of the people, had the opportunity to ride over some beautiful mountain roads and made it out alive despite the crazy drivers on the road. Four days are not close to enough to experience everything that a whole country can show, but it's still given me the opportunity to learn, understand and appreciate the ways of life that others lead. Certainly, a few days were enough to appreciate the good things for majority of countries that I’ve visited in this manner, including Turkey. Goodbye to Turkey as I reach the Bulgarian side of the border, in a country that I have previously visited last year as part of the Europe trip on the BMW R nine T Racer. The end of the journey across Eurasia is nigh. Give it a few more days and I will be able to start counting down the days to the final point of this trip with my fingers. #honda #crf250rally #motorcycle #roadtrip #turkey #istanbul #eurasia #overland
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