Saturday 24 January 2009

big thank yous !


5 days in ushuaia has given me time to look back on , what has been the most incredible 6 months of my life. i remember touching the arctic ocean up in prudhoe bay and looking south wondering what i would be thinking when i am down south looking north. .....its the people that are in my thoughts. the scenery, riding and all else involved on the trip comes a close second. i miss everyone i have met and long to see them all again. i am still amazed by the genuine interest, help and time all have given me. without this i would have had half the trip i did and would no way have been able to get the publicity i was seeking..... i want to say now a huge heart felt thank you to all the following people and organisations that have bent over backwards for me from when it was just an obsessing idea to right now. .................
THE FRAGILE X SOCIETY IN GREAT DUNMOW. AMANDA , WENDY AND ALL TOOK ME IN WHEN I WAS WIDE EYED AND OBVIOUSLY NAIVE WITH THE PLAN. TAKING ME SERIOUSLY AND HELPING ME WITH ALL MY REQUESTS. AON GROUP LIMITED LONDON. SALLY, REUBEN AND MATTHEW. FOR THE GENEROUS DONATION TO THE FRAGILE X SOCIETY AND ALL THE WORLD WIDE PUBLICITY. TRANSWORLD COURIERS FOR THEIR GENEROUS DONATION AND HELP WITH SHIPPING MY GEAR QUICKLY AND SECURELY, LISTENING TO MY MOANS AND WORRIES ALONG THE WAY. NITE WATCHES FOR THEIR IMMPECABLE HELP WITH PUBLICITY AND LETTING ME PUT TO THE TEST ONE OF THEIR TX10 WATCHES, WHICH I HAVE TO ADD HASNT A SCRATCH ON IT EVEN AFTER ALL THE BATTERINGS I HAVE GIVEN IT ALONG ROUTE. IT HASNT MISSED A SECOND. DAVE GURMAN AT THE RIDERS DIGEST FOR HIS 2 PAGES OF INSIGHTFUL HONEST WRITING ON THE FXPEDITION. BIKE ANIMAL.COM AND DIRT BIKE RIDER MAGAZINE FOR THEIR PUBLICATIONS. A HUGE THANKS TO PHIL FREEMAN AND ALL HIS TOP EMPLOYEES UP THERE AT ALASKA RIDER TOURS. A GREAT BUNCH WHO SORTED OUT THE BIKE PERFECTLY TO HANDLE A NOVICE LIKE ME. I HAD A REAL HAPPY FUN TIME IN THEIR COMPANY AND MISS LIKE MAD SITTING AROUND THE OFFICE WITH BEERS AND LAUGHS. ASH AT A AND Z SPORTS IN GRAVESEND FOR THE STUNNING T-SHIRTS AND KEEPING UP AN ORIGINAL SPORTS SHOP, WHEN ALL AROUND ARE DULL CHAIN SHOPS. COLIN PATTERSON-SMITH AT THE FALKLANDS TOURIST BOARD, WHO HELPED NO END WITH INFO AND THE PERFECT FINISH TO THIS ALL. SALVADOR FOR HIS SPANISH LESSONS AND PATIENCE WITH ME. WITHOUT THOSE GENEROUS LESSONS I WOULD NOT HAVE HAD THE FOUNDATION IN THE LANGUAGE THAT QUICKENED MY LEARNING ON ROUTE. MAILSOURCE FOR UNDERSTANDING AND GIVING ME THE TIME NEEDED TO GO DO THIS..DEANO, DAVE, ALLAN, FABS AND ALL IN THE POSTROOM FOR PUTTING UP WITH TALKING OF NOT MUCH ELSE...TERRY, SPARKSY, MARK, BRI, TREV AND ALL, AT WEEKENDS SECURITY FOR THE LAUGHS AND CHANCE OF EXTRA WORK, U U U U U U ! .....KELLY - VANCOUVER FOR THAT FIRST NIGHTS KIP AND SHOW AROUND THAT BEAUTIL CITY ! GABY, GUIDO AND DALE, WAS A REAL PLEASURE IN THOSE EARLY DAYS !...PETE PIEL FOR JOINING ME AND RIDING SOME OF THE ROUTE. WE HAD A FUN TIME. PETE SHOWED ME THE WAY TO STICK MY NECK OUT WHEN IT COMES TO RAISING AWARENESS, JUST WHEN IT WAS NEEDED. AND THANK YOU PETE FOR THE PERFECT STICKERS AND T-SHIRTS. DEBBIE, PETES SISTER FOR LETTING US ROAM AND SLEEP AT HER PLACE IN PHOENIX. KERRY MOORE, THANK YOU LOADS FOR THE CONTACT IN THE STATES AND THE INTEREST MATE - COME ON THE EAGLES !FXMOM FOR ALL HER ENCOURAGING COMMENTS. PETER SOHM AND ALVARO URIBE WHO WORKS AT AON MEDELLIN FOR THE HELP AND WARMTH. MAKING IT EASY FOR ME TO GET THE PUBLICITY DOWN THERE IN DREAMLAND COLOMBIA. PATRICIO RODRIGUEZ AT AON QUITO AND ALL HIS COLLEAGUES FOR THERE HELP AND WARMTH AGAIN IN TRUE LATIN AMERICAN STYLE. TRUST AND UNDERSTANDING ALWAYS PRESENT. JOSE LUIS CONTRERAS AT AON LA PAZ FOR WELCOMING ME ARMS OPEN. ALL AT THE OTHER AON BRANCHES I VISITED. ALL GIVING ME HELP, TIME AND WARMTH. SIGNE, FRED, JOHN, JO, BRIAN , ROGER AND JAY UP THERE IN PHILIPSBURG. THANKS LOADS FOR MY FIRST TASTE OF GENEROUS HOSPITALILTY AFTER I HAD BEEN ALONE FOR WHAT SEEMED LIKE AGES. ALFREDO AND HIS WONDERFUL FAMILY IN COLIMA MEXICO THANK YOU. THEY FOUND ME SHOUTING AT A NON GIVING CASHPOINT MACHINE IN THE RAIN AND LOOKED AFTER ME FOR 2 DAYS, NOT LETTING ME PUT MY HAND IN MY POCKET AND SHOWING ME THE LOCAL SIGHTS THAT I WOULD HAVE MISSED. ALSO INTRODUCING ME TO FRANCIS FROM KLIENT FM IN HERMASILLO WHO SORTD OUT THE FIRST RADIO INTERVIEW OF THE TRIP. CHEERS LOADS OMER, MY NEXT RIDING BUDDY WHO KEPT ME LAUGHING FOR A MONTH. ALL AT THE CASA CARMEN. TARIQ, HANNAH, CASSY, PJ, I STILL MISS YA ! .. KAREN AND PATRICK FROM JERSEY, ANOTHER BONKERS COUPLE WHO MADE OUR TIME HILARIOUS- MISS YA LIKE MAD TOO ! CANT FORGET KARINA LA RATTA ASWELL ! TODOS RATTAS !!.. VICTOR AND JOSE HELLO AND THANKS FOR THE ENCOURAGING ENTHUSIASM OUT THERE IN THE WILDS OF THOSE RADIANT COLOMBIAN HILLS. JAIRO AND YORSMAN THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP WITH THE OIL CAP AND GIVING UP YOUR DAY TO SHOW ME SIGHTS I WOULD HAVE MISSED. THE CASA KIWI GANG, IN MEDELLIN. ANOTHER HILARIOUS TIME , I MISS YOU ALL !..TODD, WHO DROVE DOWN THE SAME ROUTE AS ME IN A CAR, WHERE ARE YA ? LOST IN ANTARTICA ? ALDO, ROSA MARIA AND THEIR BEAUTIFUL FAMILY, THANK YOU FOR PUTTING UP WITH ME AND THE BOYS FOR THOSE GREAT DAYS IN TRUJILLO. MARTINA AND DIDI, YOU NUT CASES. THANK YOU FOR KEEPING ME ALIVE AND LAUGHING IN BOLIVIA ! CRISTINA, BARBY, ANDRES AND JOSE . YOU ALL REALLY TOUCHED ME. I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR YOUR PATIENCE, WARMTH AND GENEROSITY TO A STRANGER. THE RADIO INTERVIEW WILL ALWAYS BE ONE THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WHOLE TRIP. MAGGIE IN LONDON, CHEERS LOADS MATE FOR ALL THE HELP AND GETTING MY ARSE GOING WHEN I WAS DISORGANISED AND DOZZY. MIRIAM YOU STILL ALIVE ?... THANKS TO ALL THE PEOPLE WHO WROTE TO ME AND ENCOURAGED ME.I NEEDED TO HEAR AND READ IT ALL..NEARLY FORGOT TO SAY THANKS AND SEND MY BEST WISHES TO MIKE AND HIS CLASSIC EMPHATIC STATEMENTS, THE BEST BEING WITH SOURFACED GRIMACES AND VERY VOCAL " I DONT WANNA RIDE WITH THAT PERVERT" AND " I DONT WANNA LISTEN TO ANYONE " CLASSIC MOMENTS OF PAINFUL LAUGHTER ! AND DAN "LETS GET SOME COW, POLLO AND FAT SAUSAGES TO COMPLEMENT THE WINE ", THIS BOY CAN COOK ! - WANNA HEAR WHEN FUEGOS OPENS SON !AND JEFF, THE BOY THATS UP FOR IT ALL ,I.E. THE RED NECKS THAT PUT UPWITH ME LONGER THAN WE THOUGHT, RIDING AND RISKING ALL TOGETHER - IT WAS INCREDIBLE CHAPS AND A RIGHT LAUGH THAT WILL KEEP ME GRINNING FOR YEARS !! STAY ALIVE BOYS !!!! GONNA MISS YA !!.... CHEERS MUM , DAD, SUEZ , IAN, TOM, OUR SIAN AND ALL FAMILY ON BOTH SIDES FOR NOT THINKING IM NUTS TO DO THIS...CHEERS ENCOURAGING MUCKERS : VANGUS the "TERRIBLE", MR.STREETER AND ARIEL MRS STREETER (CONGRATULATIONS ON THE WEDDING (sbout time) , JASON...YASMIN CROWTHER FOR WRITING THE SAFFRON KITCHEN. THE BOOK HONESTLY KEPT ME SANE IN CENTRAL AMERICA. A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO ALL THAT SPONSORED ME. THE DONATIONS HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLE. I NEVER EXPECTED TO SEE SUCH GENEROSITY !! THANK YOU ALLLLLLLLL !! LOVE YA AND GONNA MISS YARRRRRRRRR !!!!!!!!!!!!!

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Hi Simon,


It s so fantastic you've made it !!! And I also really think you made a difference for the fragile syndrome. I ve enjoyed all your posts since we ve met in Panama !!

Anyhow - I have moved to Barcelona now. When you are ever around and need a free place to crash - send me an email !!!

PJ