Two Years And Counting.

I started my journey two-years ago today. With an interruption from January to October in 2006 due to my broken leg mishap in Bolivia, I’ve been on the road for 15 months, visited 17 countries and logged 35,228 miles. It was originally a two year journey. And it was about now that I HAD dreamed I’d be returning home after traveling 50,000 miles and visiting 50 countries. I never dreamed it would take this long. Yet I remember an email from August or September 2005 from a reader I’d never met:

“[…] Allan, it seems that you are always in a hurry? What’s the hurry? Do you have a schedule? Take your time. Breathe. You’re doing this for a reason, and I’m sure it’s not to keep a schedule and rush through it. […]”

Dropped off Doc at the local BMW dealer today as with 36,978 miles it’s time for a major service. While my diligent effort in chain cleanliness and maintenance has paid off, it’s been more than 10,000 miles since Doc’s last major service in Santiago in January. Though on my second set of tires since then, the chain and sprockets look good.

I’ll change the fork oil, and run a complete diagnostic and BMW will do what they do to barely earn the huge prices paid for servcie in South America. But today I met Manoel Escorse, a fellow BMW rider with a K1100 RS. He speaks a bit of Spanish so conversation for me is easier than usual. He drives me back to the hotel and for the next couple days we have lunch, chopps (draft beers) and conversation. We even join a friend for a birthday party under the mooncast shadow of Cristo Redentor.

But two years. Wow. Eight months recuperating after surgery included. So cashing in a boatload of frequent flier miles, It turns out I will return to the States to be with a very special person. I’ll take care of some business, too. Notwithstanding filing some income taxes and other esoteric minutiae. But it will be nice to be with family and loved ones. Meanwhile, the local BMW dealer will hold my bike and I will return to continue the ride to Northeastern Brazil and the Amazon.

H. Stern, the precious stones retailer and jeweler is everywhere in Rio. I got roped into a factory tour with the promise of a free Caiparinha!