| I found the Florida Hotel in Greece, I shoulda |
|
| stayed there just for the souvenior |
| Greece was the only way to get thru this part of |
|
| the area so I can continue southeast. |
OK, here it is late November and even in
Italy it's cool during the day and getting colder as the dayz go by. A few dayz of R & R and I'll be ready to launch for
somewhere else. I am on a around the world journey ya'no. I got the maps out and tried to figure out what the best Route to
go will be to miss all the bullshit in that Iraq and Iran areas. I see I can stay on dry land by going to Istanbul then turn
south to Syria and west a bit to Cairo.
I did the servicing on the bike and basically hung out for a couple dayz. Aldo
and I can't talk to each other as he speaks no English and I speak no Italian. So I follow him around like a little dog and
waste a buncha time wonderin' what I should do. It's not gettin' any warmer. Finally I decide to head out to Istanbul and
points southeast towards the equator.
I didn't have to load the bike first thing in the mornin' cuz I did it last night. I gave my farewells to all at the
Ranch fired up the Purple Bitch and made my way to the electric gate. It opened as I was rollin' up to it and out I was, on
the next adventure of the journey.
The first 25 miles were all down hill as I was on a mountain when I started. Gettin' to the coast at the arch of the
foot in the boot known as Italy was a breeze. The next major stop was at Brindisi to ride the ferry over to Igomenitsa, Greece.
Of course I had on all the appropriate long sleeve T's and jacket under a bigger jacket and up close to the body I had on
3 short sleeve T's not to mention 2 pair of Levis. Didn't really need it after about 2 hours so I stopped at my favorite roadside
coffee shop and took all that shit off. Rode the elevator and was ready to ride.
I had been this way, both direction a couple times, so I hauled ass thru it to make the ferry. When I got to Brindisi
and the ferry loading area I found out I was 2 hours early. Great!. I waited around for a few minutes and was just about to
go to town when 2 Kowz pulled into where I was gettin' on my bike. I didn't start the Bitch and instead got off to strike
a conversation with the new arrivals.
My first question to them was, " Do you speak and understand American English?" Their response was "Yes" I said to
myself 'Far-out', I don't hav'ta waste any gas killin' time by ridin' around.
The conversation with them was great. They were from Scotland and on their way to anywhere they can find work to make money
so they can leave to go somewhere else to work to make money to go somewhere else.
A guy, George,
and his girlfriend, Lizzie, on matchin' Kowz and on a journey of their own. WOW. I prefer the Solo trek. Especially after
listening to her for a few minutes, I sure as hell wouldn't want to have to put up with that shit. Oh Well, to each their
own. We did go in to town for a coffee and found a stand up only coffee shop. They both spoke a couple different languages
and I had them ask if I can smoke dope in the coffee shop. They related to me that I can out side, so I went out, they followed
me. We smoked, I mean we rode the elevator to the roof and looked down on the world from that point, laughed a bit, drank
our drinks and then it was time to head back to the loading zone for the ferry.
When we got back there, Holy Shit, where did all these car come from? There were a million cars waiting to load the
ferry. My new friends and I stopped at the ticket box and they got tickets to somewhere and I got mine for Igomenitsa. That's
where we split up. See Ya Later. I rode over to in front of all the cars and almost immediately was directed to load. I drove
onto the ramp and parked where the guy showed me to park. He got me a few tie downs as it is necessary cuz the boat do rock
and roll a bit. I grabbed my needed gear and headed up onto the passenger deck. It'll be over night to get there.
I got comfortable
in a zone of my own and let everybody know where not to tread. My Zone. Most if not all the passengers looked like scared
rabbits to me. Not a spine bone between them. I guess that's what happens to ya when ya live for so long under a dick-tator.
That's alright with me, less for me to hav'ta worry about. I walked around the boat for as long as I could and then went to
My Zone to get some sleep. It will be a tough day tomorrow.
The ferry was right on time and I got off at 7:50a in Igomenitsa, Greece and Istanbul was thata way. God Damnit. Look
at that fuckin' mountain range I have to go over. Son of a bitch it was a cold lookin' tall and long mutha'fucker. I rode
up to the BP station I always shop at when I'm in Igomenitsa and got supplies and put on more shirts and levis. I had gloves
too so I got them out.
Filled up
on everything I needed for a 500 mile stretch. I hope gas is available the way I'm gonna go. This according to the map is
wilderness and this time of year isn't traveled much. I headed up the road and rode about 30 miles. The road kept climbing
and I was gettin' colder and colder. Damnit it must be 35/ 40 and the chill factor made it 20/ 25. FUCK, this is just the
beginning too. I went another 10 miles and the road kept going up. The view behind me was great. The bay at Igomenitsa was
in full bloom. Crystal blue water and ships all over the surface and the spit where the 2001 Super Rally was held was beautiful.
Houses on the mountain sides here and there looked like fortresses doting the landscape.
Small villages
clustered here and there too. But it was gettin unbearable for ridin'. It was still early and the sun wasn't really up enough
to start heatin' the surface of planet earth where I was so I pulled up on the reins and found a dirt road that lead up even
higher to a spot where a fire break was just cut. With plenty of fire wood available I started one and got back to operating
temperature. Got the map out and looked for another way to go. Nothing easy, so I gave up on Istanbul and made plans to head
back down to Igomenitsa and do the coast road to Athens. From there I can get a boat to Cairo.
Stopping at the same BP station to top off the tanks I found a big map on the wall and saw the way I was gonna go.
It went more south bound to the warmer zone that I was lookin' to get to. Under construction at that time is the new and improved
Autostrat to replace the windy 2 lane road. I prefer the windy 2 lane stuff as it takes me closer to the real life that I'm
here to see. There are turn outs for rest and relaxation al along the way. At the one I pulled into was a rolling coffee shop.
Of course he had other choices of liquid refreshment including alcoholic beverages.
What the hell
it's 9:30 in the morning. I had a cup of tea and chased it with a beer, sitting at a table just a couple feet from the sheer
cliff 1000 feet to the water crashing on the rocks. Heavy duty, that's all I can say about it. I could see a million miles
out into the Mediterranean Sea. Ships look like dots on the surface. Cars zoomin' by on the highway and the birds raising
hell above me in the trees.
The guy that ran the place didn't speak English so I sat there, rode the elevator, talked to myself mostly about where
I was goin' and what might happen when I got there. I really didn't have a clue. I was playin' it by ear. Then it was time
to go. I was back to operating temperature and the bike was anxious. I could tell by the way it was out there waitin' by itself.
Just didn't look right, ya'no. A Purple Bitch all loaded just parked out there with no rider on it is a strange sight. I had
to change that, Right Now. In a cloud of dust and the thunder of the pipes I was gone from there and goin' somewhere else.
I'd been outa the construction for hours and the 2 lane road ran along the coast. It was a roller coaster road. The
faster ya went the more fun it was but the stuff went by faster too. That's the stuff I wanted to see. The off season was
great. All the resorts, if ya wanna call'em that were closed. Ramshackle joints next to the crashing waves for camping, parking,
picnicking, all the stuff we used to do in the USA until 'They' made it against the law to enjoy yourself. I stopped many
times to enjoy the elevator without the interruption of the thought that the cops may arrest me for ridin' the elevator. You
can do that over there but ya can't do it in the USA.
The 2 lane highway leads off away from the coast and inland. The topography was bitchin' for ridin' thru. The effect
of deep drops in the road like a roller coaster were gone now it's just a windy rolly highway thru the many abandoned buildings
and houses, barns surrounded by fenced pastures with everything in'em but cattle. Goats, sheep and the rest of the domesticated
wildlife that abounds here.
It was way past noon and I found
myself coming up on a small fishing village the size of a cornflakes box. I guess about 10 /20 small fishing boats and trucks
parked all around and a sandwich shop right in the middle. Hell, I used to be in the submarine sandwich business, High Plains
Diner, on wheels too, so I thought I'd try one out Greek style. I parked near a crowd of people and went in.
The only person in there was a good lookin' thing and I asked her right up front. "Do you
understand American English?" She responded that she did and we were gonna get alone fine. I ordered a special and she got
to work fixin' it. The whole time she's playin' the 40 questions game. Askin' me all the
stupid one's and throwin' in the important one's here and there. This chick has all the bases covered. I'm in her ball
park. I bet she own's this shop too. I asked her and she did own it. The sandwich was great and Greek at the same time. The
beer was free as a gift and was from the area.
| This the second time I've been to Greece, the 1st |
|
| was for Super Rally 2001 just a few months ago. |
| The boat rides to Greece are overnighters at least |
|
| So ya might as well get comfortable and enjoy sleep |
All good things have to come to an end and Amfilochia, Greece was
no exception. The sun had moved way across the sky by now and the better part of the day was gone. The mountains meant the
sunshine would be gone soon and it would be dark soon after that. I had about 4 hours of ridin' before this day was done.
Continuing on, the small villages and/ or towns as I call'em came and went by like gas stations on the road. What the hell
does that mean? I don't know. Don't ask, just read. I'm confused too! This is like dizzyland on acid and I'm operating a 700
pound monster on these roads. You're lucky I made it back to write this. Don't forget I shot the video too.
The town Agrinio, Greece was next and I had to go thru
it to continue. My loud pipes had all the people in ear-shot lookin' to see if it was the German Panzer tanks comin' thru
town like they did 60 years ago. I had a shit eatin' grin the whole way thru and throttled up when I got to the edge of town
and was gone. I'll be back some day and those folks will remember those pipes when I do return. Nafpaktos was the next town
and had a ferry that was the only way to get across to get to the next whatever. Before I got there I saw some signs that
alerted me that there was something to look at up ahead. Binders on and skidding and gravel and dust and I came to a safe
stop at the turn off.
5 miles later
I parked my Purple Bitch, in the shade so as to keep her happy, and right there before my very eyes was a sign that told me
not to enter or climb on the 1200 year old ruins that was an amphitheater from the Roman dayz. Shit Howdy and Shit Happens.
What are they gonna do?, throw me in jail? I grabbed the video camera and headed up into that mess. It was too much. They
had security back then to keep people out unless ya paid to get in. Not barbed wire but another wall with big fuckers on it
to kick yer ass if ya tried to crash the gate. Ticket booth and everything. You can stand there and see how it all worked.
Over across the street and down a ways was another place that was a race track. About a 1/4 mile long and a hard turn then
back the 1/4 mile to a hard turn. Had seating for 20,000 and was right there before my eyes. These were my first stops at
Roman ruins in Greece but not my last.
A little further
back on the road I came up on was another ceremonial Roman place and over there was a piece of the Walled City. 1000 year
old wall that held the citizens in safety from everybody other than the Romans. Roman security for the people they conquered.
Plenty of places for them to have fun and keep them happy. What a plan those Romans had. Kinda like Russia and the USA, don't'cha'no.
All ya had to do was pay yer taxes and die.
After seeing and shooting the video of those ruins I headed for the ferry. A quick ride across about 1/4 mile of water
to the other side. On the other side was a fort that I found out was used for the
collector of the taxes and guard the port from the next invading group. This area had been thru alot of occupiers that came
and went. I walked all around it. But before I made it past the portal of the fort I noticed hundreds of tissues and paper
towels. Well, I wonder what went on around here.
The stench
was outrageous and the obvious piles of shit were everywhere and I noticed indentations of knees in the dirt from many a blowjobs.
Where were those ladies right now! I was ready for some fortress fuckin' and suckin'. All I found was a cistern where the
soldiers got their water and abuncha root damage that needed to be fixed quick. Gun ports and walkways where the guys could
shoot down on the assholes outside the fort. 5 miles from that fort was another bigger fishing village with a giant fortress/
castle up on the hill top. I had to get up there.
Sur'nuf I made it. It was bitchin'. Nobody here but me and I walked all over the place checkin' out the joint and analyzing
the structures and could see that anybody that wanted in here could be made to loose alot of soldiers before gettin' in if
they did at all. This fortress had 2 outer walls with fightin' space between each. 'Fuck me runnin' This place was 1100 years
old. Under reconstruction and renovations and someday the tourists will flock here in droves. I was here now and naturally
by myself. I could think what I wanted to think. I could do what I wanted to do. I could be whatever I wanted to be. No Bull
Shit. No compromise, no conclusions. Just more of the same.
Now I had about 45 minutes of daylight left and needed to find a spot to fall down. It wasn't convenient for alot of
miles and it got dark on me. I couldn't see anything off the side of the road so I took a shot in the dark and pulled up to
a road that went off to the left. There was a big building, abandoned and pitch black inside until I got my flashlight out.
It was a cement bagging facility. I pulled the bike thru the double doors and set up camp.
I walked around for the next couple hours and 'discovered' the place. Gathered wood for the fire, it was about 50 or
so degrees ya'no. Rode the elevator, drank some wine, ate a sandwich and rode the elevator again and went to sleep. In my
tent, inside a concrete block building.
It had'tav'been 6 am when I was awakened by a buncha noise outside. I thought for sure I was gonna get in a scrape
with the cops or somebody. Turns out it was the harvesters of the olive crop. I watched them as they laid out these cloths
under the trees and then they would shake the hell outa the trees until all the olives were off. Then they gathered up the
corners and harvest the olives. Then on to the next tree. I decided to check the area out that I stayed at. It was awesome.
This place had not been used as a bagging center for probably 10 years and yet was still here, not bulldozed.
The shear
rock face mountain was just behind the factory about 500 feet. I mean straight up for 500 feet. Across the highway was about a mile of down sloping ground to a lake. On the map if was a big long
lake that I was riding along for the last 50 miles and didn't even know it. It was dark when I pulled in here last night remember.
The harvesters were busy and I was ready to tear down and load up my gear. After doing so I opened the double doors,
got ready for a quick exit, fired the bike up and launched outa there and turned in the direction I'd just come from last
night. I went back that way for about 5 miles and stopped for 10 minutes then turned around and continued south and past the
campground I used last night. Just ta'kinda throw anybody off that might'a wanted to follow me. I was playing the James Bond
thing.
This highway I was on worked it's way up to the top of the mountain and I could see for 2 million miles now.
OK OK Maybe 30/40 miles out into the Mediterranean Sea. There was a lot of BLUE water out there. The highway was smooth and
had guard rails and everything. I was a bit shocked. Then the road, after about 30 miles, worked its way down to the waters
edge. Well, maybe not at the edge of the water but up from it a bit, and continued along for the next buncha miles.
I could see the Island that I needed to get to and the ferrys that would take me over there but couldn't see where
the loading zone was. Another 20 miles along this huge rock face mountain above me and the water next to me was a bit belittling
I felt really insignificant at that moment. Then I see the port for the ferry. Actually there were 4 ferries that launched
outa that port. I got on the one that was going just over there. The short ride across. A 45 minute ride to Patra, Greece
and I was free to roll again. Cost of the ferry was $4 USD. I was up in the lounge drinkin free drinks with the locals and
dancing with them while I shot the video. They thot I was some kinda nut. Well, I am. So there!
I rode the coast road thru 10 or 15 small costal towns and dodged the pot & bob holes stoppin' here and there
to ride the elevator and just stand there in disbelief that I was where I was doing what I was doing. I wondered many times
how many others did this. I mean on a 21 year old Shovelhead Harley. No direction, just finding a way to go, to a place I
didn't know was there and gettin' there. It started to look like rain and I was 100 miles from Athens. The Autostrat was the
fast way so I got off the coast road and jumped on it. I hadn't eaten anything substantial in 2 dayz and was gettin' on the
Hungary side when all of a sudden there they were.
Them Golden
Arches. McDonalds just ahead. Far-Fuckin-Out. Food, American style. Pulling into the service plaza and parkin' at the front
door of the McDonalds I made my cold ass way into the warmth of the building. In case I hadn't mentioned it recently it was
cold out there. I was near frozen and ready for a warm-up station. Purchasing a half dozen burgers and a large fry I got comfortable
in a booth. Then 'They' started comin' at me. At least 8 people came up to me to talk about my bike. Hey Folks I Eatin' Here.
Don't bother me unless you speak English. When a couple of them did I changed my attitude towards them and had a good talk
about my travels.
When I was done there I hit the road
and made Athens and what a headache I got when I got there. This place is wild. Traffic is fast and furious. You better know
what you're doing or at least where you're going. I had a couple places I wanted to check out but I needed to find a place
to call home for a couple dayz. After ridin' around town, what little I saw of it, and as huge as it is, I located my camping
spot for the night. Unloaded my gear, set up the tent and stored my gear in it then went ridin'. I needed to find the port.
I needed to find a boat to Cairo. I knew it wasn't gonna happen in a day. Makin' my way around I found many Monuments to the
Greeks and Romans and this and that and I also found the Acropolis. Parked the bike at the ticket office and pulled my Press
Pass out to the girl and she waved me in. Excellent! Walking up to the building I met some Russians.
A guy and his wife. We walked around and talked about alot of things concerning freedom. As
they had just become free after the fall of Russia. I grabbed my video camera and shot the Acropolis some of the surrounding
stuff and was finalizing that segment when the camera stopped working. Shit Howdy and Shit Happens. My new camera was dead.
That's 2 cameras dead now on this trip.
| The H-D shop was just a mile down the road. |
|
| So naturally I had to stop and get a T and other goodies. |
| It rained when I got here, never really did stop. |
|
| It's one of them things, ya just put up with it. |
I'll
survive all this camera shit, it's everything else I'm worried about. I made it to camp and it started to rain. I spent the
night cold and wet. The next day it sprinkled all day too. I did ride to the port and stopped at 10 offices to see about workin'
on a boat to Cairo. None were going that way this time of year. Nothin' was comin' outa Cairo to be shipped to Athens so no
boats were going down there. Fuck That Sucks. How'bout Crete? No. How'bout anywhere in that general direction? Nope. I was
stuck here and can't get east, I have to go south and around all that Iraq shit. Well, I was fucked up and dejected and close
to suicide. Not really but it sounded like a good idea. It's still rainin' and I needed a better place to camp. I found an
abandoned school. 3 story with a basement. First night I set up camp out back. In the mornin' I was awakened by all the cars
that used the parking lot 40 feet away. Teachers from the school that had moved outa this building to the one across the street.
Damnit. I found the basement and moved in there for the next night. In the meantime I'm ridin' all around Athens and gettin'
to know the place. Found a camera shop and left it there. Found a guy that has a shop for woman’s clothes. He told me
why woman’s clothes. It's the best way to meet women. Of course he was single.
Athens was a huge place, thousands of cars at every intersection, millions of people everywhere but it all ran smooth.
I had no trouble at all. Of course I wouldn't. This is like the supreme game for me. Never Had Any Trouble. My camp was a
stones throw from a giant department store. Bigger than anything in the USA that I've ever seen anywhere. Found the Harley-Davidson
Dealer and stopped by for a chat. The entire service staff came out to see the Purple Bitch. She was high on all the attention.
So was I. Got the free T and some other H-D of Athens stuff and was on my way to camp in the basement. Found a hooker walking
the street but she didn't speak English and was on her way to a job. Missed out on that one. Over near the Olympic Stadium
is where I got the news. Hookers are expensive in Athens. In a underpass for the main road south I sat on a barrel drum and
watched a beautiful young Greek goddess jack me off while she licked and sucked the dickhead. She spoke very broken English
and I tried to get her to come to my camp in the basement for the night, I couldn't afford her. $200 for the night. 10 for
the blowjob. That's OK I can get more gas to ride. I went back to the port to see if anything had changed about boats to Cairo
and I was disappointed.
It continued to rain as I rode around Athens and I was fucked up and gettin' more fucked up as time went by. 3 dayz
now and no good news. I loaded up my gear and headed outa there back the same way I came in. Pouring rain now. For 30 miles
I'm doing 20 mph, trucks nearly blowing me off the road, cars just missin' me and it's pourin down now worst than before.
I made it to the bridge over the canal that was dug way back when and it quit raining.
I knew the McDonalds was about 10 more miles and that's where I wanted to be. I got there. Soaked to way past my bones
I mean to the inner core of my sanity, the cold was ridin' shotgun with the wet and the two of them didn't have a chance against
me. I'm a Stoned Cold Shovelhead Harley Rider. Ain't nothin' gonna stop me 'cept death.
It was 10:30a I'm wet but at operating temperature and I have miles and miles to ride to get back to where I started,
Castrovillari, Italy. It's now December 6th and it's cold all over Europe. I can't get a boat to Cairo, can't go to Istanbul
there's no way to get past the bullshit in Iraq so it's back to Aldo's place. I'm gonna ride back the same way I came down
here so the trip should be uneventful.
I rode the coast road instead of the Autostrat and saw much more than I wanted to. The Florida Hotel and the Hawaiian
Inn Resort in Greece. Yea Right! Well, it's true. Tons of truck traffic and cars that obviously don't know what rules of the
road are. Almost got killed a few times but being a veteran rider I was ready for it and dodged the bullets. The Autostrat
was under construction and they were digging tunnels and building bridges so the highway went from tunnel to bridge to tunnel
to bridge and so on for miles. I was under it all but saw what it was gonna be like in the near future. I did find a abandoned
fish processing factory and had to stop and rummage thru it for about an hour. Ferries that were not working and ferries that
were working. I needed one that will take me back to the mainland right over there about a mile across the water. Never did
see one until I got back to the one I came across on a few dayz ago. There was a fortress at the shoreline and it was free
to get in. There was a sign that said no video cameras. What the Fuck is that. An 800 year old Fortress and no vid-cams? I
didn't have one anyway so I took my still camera in. That's when I realized it was full of pictures. Oh Well, I walked thru
the place anyway. Bitchin' place. Makes me wonder, how many people died defending it? Or trying to conquer it. Ah shit, I
don't really care but it's something to think about when you're standing in it. Or how 'bout the guys that built these places?
Shit Howdy.
It was noon plus when I got off the ferry and needed to get up northbound and fast if I wanted to get back before it
got any colder. The rain was way behind me and clear skies ahead. The highway was good and I knew the route. So I buckled
down and got busy knockin' down the miles. I blew by the same things I passed on the way down and saw it in reverse mode.
It looked different and I wanted to stop and should have. I wasn't on any time plan and had nothin' but nothin' to do tomorrow
or the next or the next. I get like that sometimes, the rush of gettin' it on. Just to get there and wanna go some more. I
made it to the second ferry, across the 1/4 mile water and had a long way to go yet. The sun was falling fast on my left and
I knew it was gonna be bad tonight. It was about 48 degrees now and it was tough to keep going. Had'ta do it till I did it.
Chill factor made it even worse. I was low on gas and needed it fast. I past the last place 130 miles back and the
sun was hittin' the water line. It's gonna be dark in 15 minutes. Damnit. I was freezing by now and didn't wanna get off the
bike cuz if I did I'd break into a million pieces. The bike ran outa gas on the
main tank, reserve was next. I had to get to the 3rd ferry. There was a gas station a mile south of the loading ramp. I passed
the sandwich shop I stopped at and knew it was close to the gas stop. Another 10 miles or so. I was hoping like I never did
before that I would make it there before runnin' outa gas and when I rounded the last curve in the road there it was. God
Damn it sweetheart lets get up there honey.
 
It hadabeen 9pm and I wasn't sure the station was even open but I had'ta try. I nailed the throttle
so at least if I ran out I could coast farther than if I stayed at speed. Sur'nuf right at the top of about 90 or 100 the
'ol gurl gave out and I pulled the clutch and rolled on. You'd be surprised how far you can coast from 100 mph. I still had'ta
push the bike about 20 feet to get to the pumps. I made it. I was frozen to the bone and hobbled into the office. The guys
in there had the heater going so I hugged up to it like a tick on a dog. They were drinkin' beer and offered me one. Yea right,
that's what I wanted right now was a cold beer. They were just closing the station and I was the last customer. I'll say it
again, Shit Howdy and Shit happens. I made it. I stayed in there until 10pm and they had to close. They even pumped the gas
for me.
The ferry was ahead and then it was about 70 miles to Igomenitsa. The
ferry at Igo leaves at midnight so I can make it, I can make it, I can make it. That's the only thought I had. When I got
off the ferry I blasted northbound at break every bone in my body speed. Dark and very little traffic is what I was into.
So I broke the land speed record to Igo. and was doing great until I came up over the top of the last mountain and was on
my way done to the port. Al of a sudden the headlight went out and I doing about 80 on this dark as hell 2 lane highway. I
had just passed 2 cars and they were now behind me and I had no lights so I had
to slow down and get off the road. Where to turn off I can't see anything, no moon at all the cloud covered sky was fuckin'
with me.
God-damnit and son of a bitch too. I had very little time to catch the midnight ferry and was frozen and my flash light
was in the bags somewhere. I pulled off the road very carefully and almost went down the embankment but caught it in time.
The cars I passed went passed me at 70 and couldn't see me as I'm invisible after dark. Ya'no black on black. I was fucked
up, cold as hell wet too, and the bike ran fine but no lights. I dug the flashlight out and got the test light out too. Did
some fast checks and found the wire at the circuit breaker had broken at the connector. God damnit that happens too much.
I have got to figure out a better way to attach those wires in the very near future. I stripped the wire back and wrapped
it around the post at the breaker. Checked the lights, had them again, now I had to put all this stuff back together again.
Seat back on then the gear then me. That's when I realized I was cold. I'd forgotten for about 10 minutes. Fired the
bike up and blasted down the highway towards town. The Minoan lines ticket office is open 24-7 so when I got there I rushed
in and booked passage on the next boat. How long till it launches I asked her. She says 10 minutes. I looked at the clock
and it was 11:50p. I made it. I hobbled back out to the bike that I left idling and warmed my hands at the rear exhaust. I'd
been doing that the whole way up here and that's the only thing that kept me going. Warm wet gloves that get cold real fast
at 90 mph with a 34 degree chill factor. I went to the front of the line of cars and was signaled to load when I got there.
Excellent. I rolled onto the boat and the guy saw I was fucked up and he tied the bike down for me. I watched him and he did
a good job. I will be comfortable for the next 11 hours anyway. By the way in Europe ya hav'ta wear a helmet and the one I
used was a full face Bell. I'm sure glade I had that fucker. I got my goods off the bike and hobbled up the 4 flights of stairs
to the passenger deck and got my spot in front of the TV.
After 5 hours of shear bliss I came to my senses and turned the TV on and started watching the satellite tube. About
30 minutes later the guy came around and wanted the remote. I said no way. We got into an argument and I wanted the captain
down here and now. I paid my fare and wanted to watch TV. Well to make a long story short I lost and went down to the car
deck and made my bed outa my road gear and fell down there until the deck hand woke me 20 minutes before we docked. I had
all my gear locked and loaded and was the first vehicle off the boat. It was just before 11 am
and I had 3 hours to get home. Castrovillari and my casita at Aldo's Ranch. Fire place and everything. Even a saloon
with all the fixing for a king. Like Me.
I was in heaven again, the ride from Brindisi was a snap and I even stopped a few times to ride the elevator and do
the tourist boogie. They were shocked to see me as I was supposed to be going to India. Well, I explained what was going on
and they all agreed. I rested and relaxed for the next 2 dayz and then it was time to go again. I made arrangement to fly
outa Rome and land in Orlando a day later. I made a deal with Roberto to leave my bike with him and later he would get it
back to Aldo's ranch at American Dreams Motor Company. Roberto and Nik took me to the train station 10 miles down the mountain
and they even stayed there until it arrived. I said my good byes and got on. See ya later guys. The train went south first
and at some point reversed and went north. I watched Italy fly by me and eventually got to Rome. The train station is right
there at the Airport so I walked about a mile to the loading gate and was on the plane. After going thru customs and all that
shit. No problems for me. I really looked rough too. I'm surprised I didn't get yanked into the investigation room. In New
York I had to transfer to the flight to Orlando. When I got off the plane I had to go thru US customs and breezed thru that.
Called my friend Bob to come and get me. He showed up about an hour later and I was home at last. My other 2 bikes were there
and all I had to do was put the B-78 back together as it was completely apart. New Flat Black Paint and 2 weeks later I was
riding it. The B-79 XLH was always running and I was ridin' it till I got the big twin going.
I will return to complete the around the world journey at the appropriate moment. My bikes are still there in good
hands and will be ready when they need to be ready.
So ends this portion of Jazzridez the Globe. I hope you enjoyed it. I know I did. Every minute of it. Without question.
Stay tuned it should happen in about 2 years.
HAPPY TRAILZ TO ALL.
JAZZ
| Before too long I had both bikes up and runnin' |
|
| Lookin' like their bad ass selves should look. |
| My '79 Sportster was waitin for me when I got home |
|
| Of course I had to paint it like my friend JOJO's bike. |
| I was glad to be back and it shouldn't be long |
|
| before I'm ready to get outa the USA forever. |
|
