On my way !

This is it, after 14-ish months of obsession, unsettled sleep, excitment, doubt and confidence wrestling, research, then more research, Just work, wonder & aiming high, its finally here, the morning of departure. No longer is life about talk, work and organising. Its about finally putting it into action. No more words, just doing it. I`m not an Oasis fan, but i am smiling right now listening to "we`re gonna make it happerrrrnnnnahhh " aptly on the airwaves. London looks angry this morning. A sheet of grey is hanging over it. The radio has just mentioned another man dies from stab wounds last night. Even those birds aint singing this morning. The trees aint swaying. Its all still and seems to be growling. 2 hours time i am out of here !

There hasn`t been much to write on the blog over the past few months. Its been hard to know what to say, without digressing into irrelevance, but that all stops here. The road should do the writing from now. I do want say more thanks though. All at work have been incredible. The boys in the postroom and the boys from weekend security. Thanks for the high tolorance and the laughs, which kept me from slipping away somewhere not nice, where i could`ve easily slipped. The Panama hats will come flying in very soon and i expect them worn !Everyone in the various medias who actually took me seriously and spread the essential awareness in perfect ways. Nite watches, bike animal, dirt bike rider, riders digest, & all those word of mouths. Cheers loads , Ash at A & Z Sports, one of the last independent sports shops out there, for the top t-shirts. Thank you AON for taking the venture on board and getting the news out there ! Thank you everyone who has donated to the cause and for your kind words of encouragement, that really sink in and help me more than you could know. Thanks Mike for the info and the wonderful encouraging stories of your adventure. Salvador and the language lessons, can`t wait to gain in confidence speaking spanish at last, thank you !. Nice one Maggie ! have a wonderful wedding mate ! Friends and family have been right behind me on this idea, thank you ! i won`t let you down !

The bag has been packed a week and i can just about lift it above knee level. There is no way i have forgotten anything. Gatwick, then Vancouver for a night, before reaching Anchorage, the top left hand corner of the map. A 40th birthday on the 5th, then the road north to Prudhoe Bay, then turn around south to the bottom of the planet. Pete, i am nearly there mate ! see ya ! next post Alaska !

Inside the mind of Pete - The other Fragile X Peditioner

Fragile X-Pedition Ramblings
Wednesday 03/05/08 09:12

Today I spoke with Simon, the first time have spoken to him since being in South America, and the second time I have heard his voice. I have been in a blue funk for the past few days and in and out of funk for the past few months. However, yesterday after work in the morning I was ecstatically surprised to hear the accented limy on my voice mail. Then this morning we spoke and I have a new feeling.
I will start to put some of my ideas to work. As Ted has told me “You have great ideas your problem is that you just think and talk and never act”. I am taking this to heart. I have committed to 4 weeks of riding once Simon arrives in Colorado. I am going to take the logo and see what I can do with T-shirts. I think that the more I do the more involved I will stay and the more I will be able to function. So with that said I will start with the tax refund, $4000 to put in the bank soon. I have a KLR on Craiglist that I will check out. I will also start with Lee to get a deal on some gear from Darin. Talk to Connie about T-Shirts on Saturday. See you next time.

Wednesday 05/21/08 2141

Today oil hit $155 a barrel and the reality of $5.00 a gallon of gas is here. What does that have to do with Fragile Xpedition. While I was watching the news I became worried again. I was stressing on how I may be in over my head and losing the sight of the fact that I don’t really care. I have always said that it is only me and none has to pick up after me. I was wondering to myself have I really done it and maxed out. I may have.
However, while I was riding the Mineral Belt I had the spark. I was thinking about solar energy for the house, grease for the ambulance and maybe propane for the van. That is what it is all about. I decided that I will pull this trip off . I will return and begin to make these dreams reality. As Ted says “You have great idea’s, you just need to act.” So I will start working towards that goal. Today was a huge step forward. I went to the Dentist. I did something for me.

Tuesday 06/10/08
I have been thinking what I should put on paper or computer screen so here we go. Last weekend I was in Moab Utah with a friend. We road our bikes over and then meet up with a couple of others in a 4x4 and we headed out on the Kokapelli trail. It is a 4x4 trek over to Moab. The plan was a little riding and then camp for the night and then into town for some motorcycle tech stuff. Well, to our surprise we were able to do some trail side repairs with a little ingenuity and a pair of vise grips. I broke a cluth cable and was able to put it back together with vise grips. things like this that will come up on our way south, so it is always good to know we have skills.
Well that was last week this week I am back in Wisconsin with my family. It is the first all family vacation we have had as adults. We have rented a cabin, well I should say a house on the lake and all the toys, and have brought all our selves together to celebrate our parent’s 50th wedding anniversary. What does this have to do with Fragile Xpedition? I have brought the bike here to be ridden, that makes my ass tougher, and also to get some input from my dad and my brother. Dad is the mechanic and my brother is the one that I watched riding motorcycles growing up and were I first dreamed of riding around the country and now the world. It is good to have them present while I prepare for this. I have always enjoyed there imput and there presence, but have not been able to have it due to our geographic separation. I would love to have them around, but our lives have taken us separate directions and we must take advantage of our time together. Well enough of that, glad we are able to share.
As Simon prepares to head to Alaska and start heading south, I am anxiously preparing here in Colorado for his arrival and our departure south from here. We have been talking on the phone and making plans. I have the bike, a 2004 KLR 650. The panniers have arrived from Happy trails and today I went to Areostich and picked up a pair of Darian Pants. I think all I have to do is prepare my stuff and do a couple of more packing trial runs. The first was with out the panniers last weekend when we went over to Moab Utha and did a little dual sport riding, a few trail repairs and some networking. Still have some work to do. Ok I will call it quits for now and I will try and write something meaningful tomorrow.

06/11/08
Well I am sitting here again and trying to figure out what to say. As much as I have been thinking about all this since Simon brought it up last year, the last few months have really had my mind racing. The month of May has been most productive. I received the stickers that I ordered and I also had some t-shirts made. It has been fun distributing them and talking about the trip.
I also picked up my new used KLR that will take me through Central America with Simon. I was so proud of find the old girl on line making the deal and bringing her home for my birthday. Now that she has been in the stable for a month I am wondering if I should have been more diligent about finding a newer bike. I went to Moab Utah last week and had a bit of a problem when a clutch cable broke in the back country. Not a huge problem, just a bit of thinking a vise grips and we were able to make it to town and buy a replacement. Today I went to go for a ride after we mounted my pannier racks and heard a clunk. Stopped, took a look and noticed I had broken my master link in the chain. Again not a big deal went over to the local shop and picked up a new link and prepared to put it all back together, not so quick. When remounting the chain I noticed a bit of play in the rear wheel and noticed I may have a bad rear wheel bearing. So I will need to tear it down and see what it needs. All a bit discouraging since I am planning to put 10000 miles on the old girl. Some might look as this is just the beginning of many issues and problems that will come up as we make our way south. I just look at them as training. We are going to meet some great people and have a few bumps in the road, but I figure if it can be fixed or solve we will be able to do it. The couple of challenges I have had and we will encounter along the way are nothing compared to the families living with Fragile X. I look forward to the challenge and look forward to spreading the word in order to make their challenges a bit easier. wish me luck.

Saturday 06/21/08

Today I have been working on my rear hub and have determined that it is beyond my capability. I have this lateral play in the rear sprocket. I originally thought I may be missing a spacer after researching the problem at KLR World .com, however after taking it apart and inspection it with the parts diagram all parts are there. So I am going to see if the KLRWorld folks have any suggestions and then take it in to be examined by a expert. I am really getting excited. I have a copy of the Long Way Down and am watching it as I prepare some stuff. I feel like the task at hand is overwhelming, but it will all come together. Until next time.
Since Simon has asked me to write a note for the blog I have written rewritten and written again. The last month it has all been coming to reality. I purchased my KLR and have been sorting it out. A used bike although economical needs some tender loving care. Broke a clutch cable on a trip to Utah last month and was able to test my trail road side mechanical skills. All worked out and it made me realize the importance of planning ahead. The panniers we order arrived before my trip home to WI for my parents 50th wedding anniversary, what a accomplishment, so I toke them with me and had the pleasure of my fathers help in mounting them. It was a great feeling to work with Dad and have his assistance in my preparations.
While I was home I was blessed to spend time with my brother, sisters nieces and nephews. It made me so grateful that all are healthy reaffirming the importance of our mission; raise awareness and funds for the families of the world that suffer from Fragile X. It is easy to forget the needs of others when all of your family is safe and healthy. I am so excited to be able to be a part of this. I`m so EXCITED. Cant wait for you to get here Simon.

Sians Story. By Susan - my sister - my drive

SIAN


This is Sian my beautiful, happy, loving 14 year old daughter.
Sian has full mutation Fragile X Syndrome she has severe learning difficulties and Autistic Spectrum Disorder. I have found this hard to come to terms with as I know girls are usually affected less severely, although I realise this must come with its own set of difficulties.
I love the article ‘Welcome to Holland’ by Emily Perl that Simon has already included in the blog. For me it sums up the pleasure and pain of having a child with a disability. It also expresses how lucky I have been in all the people who have come into my life because of Sian.
I began to worry about Sian’s development when she was about 30 months old. By the age of 3 1/2 she had been diagnosed with Fragile X Syndrome. I realise now that we were lucky to get such a quick diagnosis. We were seen by a brilliant Community Paediatrician who was aware of Fragile X Syndrome and told me to insist on her being tested for this when she was seen at our local hospital.
When Sian was 5 we were very fortunate to be funded by our local LEA to teach her at home on a Lovaas programme. This is a language based behaviour modification programme. “If a child can’t learn in the way we teach, we must teach in a way the child can learn” [O Ivar Lovaas]. If you want to know more about this you can contact Peach (Parents for the Early Intervention of Autism in Children) at http://www.peach.org.uk/. Please don’t be put off by the word Autism. These methods can be used with children or adults with all types of learning disability. Sian was on the programme for 5 ½ years. We employed a team of six therapists – who have become close family friends and, without wanting to sound clichéd, gave us our child back. I am convinced that without the programme she would never have been able to access the wonderful school placement she has at the moment. She gained an attention span, confidence and an interest in the world around her, although this is still, and I think will remain only on her terms.
Sian is now in her fourth year at a wonderful school. I love her school because they have a holistic child centred approach to education. They have continued to build on the work started by her therapists on the Lovaas Programme and she is making steady progress. Sian’s teacher, has kindly put fingers to keyboard to explain what it is like for him to have her in his class.
“When I first took Sian in September last year I was a little nonplussed as to how I would meet her needs and as to what progress I could expect or hope to make. She was the first pupil I had encountered who showed no desire to communicate with the others around her. If left to her own devices she would spend the whole day looking at picture books and magazines. She would look at them flicking fervently back and forth through the pages and licking the pictures she liked, thereby ruining for others many of the books she came in contact with.
Her communication was very basic and her targets at the time were for her to communicate using Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) symbols. I noticed however that she did have a certain amount of speech and decided to try and encourage that. I started out by insisting that she said good morning and worked from there. She can say it quite well but will tend to mumble it incoherently. When spoken to firmly she will use it quite clearly. Her mother told me that she is more capable than you would think from observing her and that she hides her own capabilities. I agree with this as she often achieves things quickly when offered books as a reward. Although she doesn't speak willingly, her speech has improved and her targets are now related to oral communication rather than speech production.
Sian's relationships with the other members of the class were minimal with both staff and peers. She knew another girl in the class from activities outside the school and they would occasionally put their heads together and look each other in the eye. I started to try this with her and she has progressed to the point where she now has moments of being very affectionate with the staff in her class. She will suddenly, almost desperately, ask for a tickle or a squeeze and once this has been given, she will just as suddenly turn off. I believe this to be very good progress as previously she would only do this with her family.
Although it is a challenge, I have enjoyed working with Sian and I am pleased with the progress she has made. I was surprised when I discovered she could recognise her own name in print and I think it remains to be seen exactly what she is capable of.
Finally, it has taken many years but I have come to terms with Sian’s disability. I don’t think this is a gift from God but I feel it is meant to be. Sian has a brother Tom who is 13 and for me he summed everything up when he said “I wouldn’t want Sian to not have Fragile X because she wouldn’t be Sian.”

Snowflakes - a lonely office - Homage & Thanks

Its just turned April. The clocks have moved an hour forward. The urban birds are back, singing the South London neighborhoods awake on mild mornings and it’s snowing! Not just snowing, but chunking it down! I have just lost an hour standing at my deserted office, reception post, doing my Sunday security job, with my face pressed up against the large windows under a noisy heater, grinning, like a kid longing to get out and dive into the inevitable snowball wars with the neighbors kids. Mind you it doesn’t seem to be settling. The huge flakes are windlessly, wandering down from the sky and dissolving on impact leaving nothing but wet, with no white. Standing there has set my mind wandering. I cant help feeling amazed at how people cope with their lives when they have disabled children that become disabled adults. The hardships they deal with 24hours a day. The optimism they think, feel and show i only hope rubs off to the rest of us out there leading the usual life. My sister Susan has said to me with a reassuring smile "this is my life now". Out of that brutal realization comes the iron built optimism i mention. As well as undefeatable strength. That in itself has inspired me to ride into the magic and mayhem that the road from prudhoe to ushuaia will be. Where does that courage come from? When parents, like Susan and Ian, my brother in law, notice that their own kids will never be the same as the kids, having snowball wars, dancing around in the school playground or down the high street with their mates chatting and laughing as young kids do, in that regular, unsolitary daily existence. “this is my life now”, WOW ! Unbelievable! I want that level of spirit! . Thank the universe also for those single-minded researchers and society workers, who strive for knowledge and results to aid the families affected with syndromes such as Fragile X. I recently read an article, which Magdalena kindly sent me, saying that researchers funded by FRAXA have discovered that a drug used to treat afflictions, such as acne and lyme disease, might be able to reduce anxiety & behavioral problems in people with fragile X. Tests start this spring. Fingers crossed on that then ! For in-depth understanding visit the FRAXA.org site and click on research.

Publicity has been growing for the FXPedition of late. Nite Watches, who run an anything is possible initiative, have taken me on board, with great interest. They have been doing publicity for me, which lead to a Television interview on Nuts TV. A great confidence boosting experience for me on a personal level , which I enjoyed after being apprehensively scared stiff , but followed it through for the cause, which can only help the spread of awareness of Fragile X. Nite watches have created a range of essential out door activity watches, which are proven to be robust and unique at a very reasonable price. If you are involved with the great outdoors, or even just clumsy with a habit of smashing watches, I strongly recommend a look at their range and a read of the interesting gaseous inventions of their watch mechanics. Dave Gurman, the editor of Riders Digest kindly wrote a fantastic article on the FXPedition, getting right to the point in an honest, real way, which isn’t surprising really to anyone who knows the riders digest. I have to be honest and say that Dave’s magazine, which is free by the way, gets to the heart of matters bikes and beyond in ways the glossy pay for mags just cant find. A unique, earthy read ! a pleasure & an education ! I must mention also, after loads of research and past experiences I was having trouble finding the right kit, as in bike clothing for the trip, to get. In the end I found Hideout leathers, out there in darkest Essex. Thinking that normally sellers just want a sale and I wont get any help really I only went along because they seemed to have a wide selection of race and touring gear. I was wonderfully surprised to find Kate & Sandra working in what seemed like a small farmyard barn, stacked out with all the right stuff and willing to get stuck in with all the help and advice I needed, comparing all different styles for all climates & even making a phone call to a Dakar racing acquaintance for advice for me, which lead to me finding what looks like the right choice of gear ! . I want to Thank Magdalena “Maggie” Mayo also , for helping me loads, in making contact with People in Latin America, her input to the Blog and also giving me the kick in the rear that I needed to get a bit more organised ! .. Donations have been slowing up recently, but with all the publicity bubbling up the awareness importantly is getting out there! Thank you again and again to everyone who has donated so far. Remember if you are considering donating, bare in mind please that your donation IS going straight to the Fragile X Society and not slipping into my wallet.

International day of disability – Puerto Madryn - Argentina. Introduction by Magdalena

The following short Film shows my aunt, Cristina Camarasa speaking about an exhibition set for the International Day of Disability in Puerto Madryn. The exhibition was set up to show a group of young disabled adults and the work they do, outside the institutions set up to help disabled people. For example there is artwork produced by disabled people as well as a photography exhibition showing pictures of others playing sports. The intention of the exhibition is to inform society that young disabled people are also capable of doing everyday things and that friends, family and society need to support, encourage and give them the freedom they need to achieve their goals.
Hace click en el siguiente enlace para ver a mi tía hablar sobre una exposición de fotografía en Puerto Madryn para el día internacional de la discapacidad, mostrando las cosas que hace la gente con discapacidad como ser deportes y arte.

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Magdalena - Historia

My story/ Mi Historia

Me entere del viaje de Simon mientras visitaba a mis primos en Puerto Madryn, Argentina. Yo vivo y trabajo en Londres hace 17 años y visito Argentina cuando es posible a visitar a mi familia. Mi tía me contó que un chico ingles planeaba un viaje por América para recaudar fondos para la sociedad X frágil de Inglaterra y buscaba contactos en América Latina. Inmediatamente me intereso el proyecto porque yo tengo dos primos que son X frágil y conozco como afecta este síndrome a la familia y la poca ayuda y conocimiento que hay sobre esta discapacidad. Así fue como me decidí a encontrarme con Simon en mi regreso a Londres para ofrecerle mi ayuda en lo que fuera necesario.
Como tengo un poco de conocimiento sobre los medios de publicidad le sugerí a Simon que esto debería ser su prioridad para que el viaje sea un éxito. Simon esta recaudando fondos para la sociedad X frágil de Inglaterra pero hemos decidido que durante su viaje lo más importante es concientisar a la mayor cantidad de gente posible sobre lo que es el síndrome X. El Síndrome X Frágil es la causa genética más común de deterioro mental, pero a pesar que ha sido identificado en todo el mundo, se estima que el 90% de los individuos que lo padece aun no ha sido diagnosticado. Por esta razón Simon se concentrara en difundir información sobre el síndrome y las sociedades y organizaciones donde personas afectadas pueden buscar apoyo. No existen organizaciones o sociedades en todos los países de América pero esperamos poder poner personas en contacto con si mismas para apoyarse y en los casos que se pueda, crear organizaciones de apoyo e información. Por esta razón si usted conoce de personas u organizaciones que quisieran cooperar con el proyecto, de difundir información y crear publicidad durante el viaje de Simon por favor contáctese con nosotros. Todavía estamos buscando contactos en México, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panamá, Colombia, Ecuador y Bolivia. Realmente deseo que todos podamos hacer nuestro pedacito para poder apoyar, ayudar, informar y concienciar a la mayor cantidad de personas posibles y crear un movimiento positivo global.

Magdalena Mayo
Maggie_mayo@hotmail.com

I found out about Simon’s xpedition while I was visiting my cousins in Puerto Madryn, Argentina. I have lived and worked in London for the last 17 years but I try to go back to Argentina as much as possible to visit my family. I was immediately drawn to Simon’s project because both my cousins suffer from Fragile X and I know first hand how this disability affect my family as well as the lack of support groups and information there is about this disability. This is how on my return to London I got in touch with Simon and offered him my help. We got together and I shared our experiences of the disability and talked about how best to take his idea forward. We agreed that publicity is the most important thing to achieve, not just for the xpedition but also to spread as much information as possible about the fragile X syndrome. Few people know that Fragile X Syndrome is the most common inherited cause of mental disability and it is often wrongly diagnosed as autism. Despite this there are very few organisations or societies offering support to families affected by fragile X, particularly in Latin America. We hope that Simon’s xpedition brings people affected by fragile X together and that it creates enough publicity to spread the word about what this disability is about and how it affects people. We are still looking for contacts in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador and Bolivia who Simon is able to visit. If you are interested in this project or know someone affected by Fragile X, please send us an email or donate using the link on the right.

Intermidiate ramblings

Most people have in their memories, images of Shackleton`s ship The Endurance, wedged in the jaws of Antarctic ice or Hilary and Tensin`s grinning, burnt complexions descending in triumph, but what about names like Carl Stevens Clancy, stanley Glanfield, Avis & Effie Hotchkiss, or Ted Simon, Dan Walsh. These names, with images of bent handlebars buried in deserts, rusty paint cracked panniers smothering machines and ancient brown bomber jackets are only wedged in the memories and research of motorcycle obsessed minorities. They deserve their names & stories stuck in the vaults of hero`s. Forerunners in the world of " Adventure Motorcycling" without whom i doubt i personally would`ve had the belly to do this FXPedition. It looks like the first round the world by motorcycle was in 1913. Carl Stevens Clancy, an American, rode his Henderson motorcycle 19,000 miles though Europe, North Africa, Asia, Japan, west coast States onto East coast States. (a similar henderson in the photo)



This must have been pure endurance and a great advertisment for the Henderson company, proving the machines ruggedness and reliability. Imagine it though, feeling every internal organ shaking pot hole, on terribly maintained roads (if there was any maintenance), no machanics in every town, hardly any fuel stops and basic clothing unsuited for the ever changing climate. These Bikes were not fast either, you couldn`t just blast out parts of the route at an average 80mph. There is some history of a mother and daughter team, Avis and Effie Hotchkiss riding their sidecar outfit the whole length of the States, undirectly covering 5000miles, in 1915, how they must have been looked at with judgmental eyes. We jump to 1928 now. Stanley Glanfield devoured 18,000 miles and 4 continents in just 8 months. He was riding a Rudge Whitworth combination, with a "wapping great" 3.5 horse powered single cylinder motor. How did the locals in the far Mesopotamian mountains see and behold a grumbling, rumbling sidecar outfit with a wide eyed lonely Englishman, "what - oh"-ing it up & grinning at them ??. Not long after this Mad Dogman, along rode Another Young North American. Robert Edison Fulton Jr. 1932 to be exact. He rode a huge 40,000 miles in 18 months on a Douglas T6 twin, which going by a rare photograph ( i can`t show) started to actually take the appearance of a modern bike and not look like a victorian Hobby horse. By this time it looks like they had started to get to grips with the bike travel stuff, because the bike was modified with a larger fuel tank, room for his luggage, including a movie camera and 14,000 feet of film, also enough space for clothing and a sneaky place for his gun (wonder if he used it ?). In later years the bike travel bug spread, bikes became more accesible to the average person, like everything else and the stories were spreading, which inspired people to bite the bullet and get out there. Elspeth Beard, a fearless young English woman of 24 years went out to eat up 48,000 miles on a BMW. Then of course you have Ted Simon, who in the early seventies took his triumph out there for 4 years, subsequently writing the book Jupiters Travels, an honest, exciting, insighful coverage of his adventures. A book loved by all , including anti- motorcycling, couch lords. Then theres Dan Walsh. A riding writer, lost in the wilds, that appears in the UK`s BIKE magazine, from time to time. A definate inspiration, finding comical, sometimes dark and insightful situations. I think most of us search Bike mag every month hoping that Dan has managed to fill some pages with that colourful, rich & dangerous prose of his. Unlike a lot of adventurers these handful of characters went in search of stuff other than glory, that i am sure of, which makes my hat go out further to them. My hat comes off again to go out to all the invisble ones who over the years and now, also ride across, war torn lands, beauracratic walls, dangerous jungles, over populated unknown cities and general life threaten situations everyday in search of something other than the usual mundane nothingness. What is it about motorcycling that gets in the blood forever ?

There is definatly a strong bond amongst motorcyclist, no matter what kind of riding they are involved in, whether its blasting around as fast as possible, lording it up outside the local cafe or riding as far as possible chasing something inside, we all make time for each other and instantly become more than aquaintances, listening easily to each of our stories. I learnt of this bond when i was 16, bone shaking around on a Yamaha FSIE 50cc rascal, which had a habit of falling apart each time i parked up somewhere. On a winters night my little FSIE decided to fall apart once more, which left me with my head in my hands screaming obsenities at a broken gear lever, when a loud bass rumbling machine came up the street (a washed out kawasaki Z1000, carrying two oil faced, older than me urchins, with tattoed cobwebs on their necks. I thought this was my time to die, until these gentlemen spent half an hour out of their precious terrorising to help me out & fix the bike until i could ride off once more. Some say its the freedom a bike brings, some say it clears a cluttered mind, some say its as close to being part of the earth around them, feeling the temperature drop in the woods, then feeling the sunshine the other side. A famous quote : "Driving a car is like watching a film, but riding a bike is like being in a film". I do know that during a long ride the mind goes to other places, sometimes shockingly profound places that gets forgotten that night around the dinner table. The risks are massive, and we all know this. Maybe thats where the bond is. Knowing the risks brings an acute sense and vision of things. Reading the road and expecting the worse. Knowing what that nut case in the rickerty truck, with the family of pigs on the roof is going to head straight for you expecting you to ride off the road out of HIS way. Everything and all of it is Fun, even when your buttocks are killing you and the Darker than usual storm is following you everywhere until you are soaked beyond the bone. On top of this i think that riding into everywhere on my trip will get me noticed more so than any other means of transport, which will get the message of Fragile X out there on a wider scope. Down sides to Motorcycle travel ? There isn`t any !


A date is settled. I leave the fluffy safety of England on 3rd August. (Lee, you know it makes sense !)