[YEAR 7!] Quit our jobs, sold our home, gone riding...

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In Thailand, we are greeted by Red Tape and Goats

Leaving Thailand, it was impossible to find someone to export our bikes out of the country. The Thai officials there kept waving us out of the border zone: "Go! Go! Go!" But I had done the research beforehand and knew that we needed an export document. It's a bit of a backwards system, because Thailand allows Thai vehicles to be out of the country for 30 days only. If your vehicle stays out longer, you get fined on the way back in.

Thankfully we had persisted and found someone to stamp our export document on our way out of the country. Because the officials that were so scarce on the way out were waiting for us on the way back in.

I think the customs guard was surprised we had all of the proper forms... I'm sure many many travelers just blow past the border on the way out. He checked the dates on our export document, International Drivers Permits, license plates, Greenbooks, everything, and seemed satisfied that all was in order.

Welcome back to Thailand!

Over the communicator, I proclaim to Neda, "We're home!" But the minute I said that, the words sounded hollow. We had just spent nearly three weeks with family, enjoying their company and hospitality. And now we were back in a country where we didn't know anyone, didn't know the language, and couldn't even read the writing...

It's making us rethink where we should be calling home. Thailand is cheap, we love the food, the weather is nice all year round, and the standard of living is safe and comfortable. But are those the only criteria for choosing a place to settle? These are things we realy need to think about for the future.

 

[lightcycle]

Thailand is familiar though. After spending months in the country, we get how they drive on the roads, which shops to go to to get stuff, and how things are done here. We really feel like we've gotten the hang of the country.

We're reversing the route we took out of Thailand. Which meant another stay in the same place in Hat Yai

On-The-Road Meals at familiar food stalls

Neda hides from the hot afternoon sun while I feed the stray dogs some scraps

 

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Our final destination is the island of Phuket. We've heard so much about this place, some good, but mostly bad. But we wanted to check it out for ourselves.

We were prepared for a tourist ghetto hell, but upon crossing the Sa Phan Sarasin bridge into the island, we were very surprised at how manicured everything is. Phuket is one of the top tourist destinations and I guess this is where all the foreign dollars go. We're staying in a nice hotel on Kata Beach, which is on the south-west side, so we see a lot of the island on the way down from the top.

It's so developed here. Some parts of Phuket remind me of Oahu, Hawaii. It's probably the most western place in Thailand that we've visited. And so many farangs too! Most look like they live here, and not like they're tourists.

Farangs on scooters, a familiar island sight in Thailand

We're both exhausted. The heat has wiped Neda out and while we have booked this place just off the beach for over a week, we don't venture out onto the sands. Not even once. Imagine that, visiting Phuket and not even seeing the beach?

Every day, we hide in our air-conditioned room and wait for the sun to descend to a comfortable level just above the horizon. Then we venture out to the food stalls and the markets to get some cheap eats.

Evenings are the only time we experience Phuket

Food markets spring up on Mondays and Thursdays so we take a break from the stalls to try something different

It's difficult to find good food in Phuket. And we tried. Every place on the main strip is terrible tourist fare. Overpriced and not very tasty. Also, Neda walked into a convenience store, bought a few drinks and the Thai checkout girl smiled and said to her, "Spasibo!"

Huh? Was that Russian? How did she know Neda was slavic?

Then we noticed... all the signs are in Russian! Apparently Russians make up a sizeable chunk of the tourists who visit this place. We had heard that the Thai government is having problems with Russians taking over all the businesses in Phuket. Now that we were tuned into it, we heard Russian being spoken and Russian signs everywhere. How random!

SlavicNeda patrols the aisles looking for borsht and vodka

 

[lightcycle]

We're hot and tired. Being in Phuket is kind of a waste since we're not going to any beaches.

I think we're done here.

Not just Phuket. Or Thailand. I think we're done with SE Asia.

The weather is getting good in Europe, so we're going to ditch the dirtbikes and hop on a plane back to our BMWs.

We picked up a really ugly suitcase for cheap in one of the tourist malls. I think it was so cheap because it was such an ugly colour. We just need it for one trip back to Croatia, so we didn't want to spend too much. The only problem was how to get it back to the hotel... Well, not a problem if you have have bungie cords:

I got a lot of funny looks riding down the streets of Phuket with this thing strapped behind me

Next, we found somewhere to stash our bikes. We're not completely done with SE Asia yet. There are still some countries we haven't visited, so because we own these bikes we're going to keep them here so we have some wheels to come back to as a Plan B if we ever get caught out by winter because we travel so slow.

We're moto-snowbirds now!

Making sure we disconnect the batteries. Not sure if they'll still be good next winter though...

Bye bye, bikes. Europe, here we come!!!

 

[jay8s]

WHOOOHHOOOO Back to the big bikes!!!! I can't wait to see where you head in Europe. I have ben following for quite some time, and love the trip so far.

 

[motom]

Thank you for all the great photos and travel commentary! Makes me want to get out from behind my desk and explore...

 

[lightcycle]

Thanks guys, appreciate the kind words!

 

[lightcycle]

Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/310.html

It's been a while since I've posted up a video. So to say goodbye (for now) to Thailand, here's a little retrospective of the places we saw and the things we did!

 

[lightcycle]

Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/311.html

The border official at Zagreb Airport glances at our European passports and pushes them back to us, unstamped.

And just like that, we're done with Border Runs and foreign embassy visa applications. This is what home is supposed to feel like, isn't it? Not being kicked out of the country every 90 days and begging to be let back in the next day?

We've slept in fits and bursts for the last 36 hours. In airport terminals and shivering on the benches of the cold outdoor bus terminal, waiting for the morning run to Pula.

On the bus, I stare out the window as the early morning sun hits the terra-cotta roofs of Istria's small villages along the coast of the Adriatic Sea. What a change from Lanna temples, searing temperatures, Buddha statues, high humidity and Islamic mosques! Not exactly Culture Shock, more of a Culture Jolt.

We are staying in Medulin again. This time Iva is helping us out with yet another Culture Jolt - the prices for rentals in Istria have skyrocketed because tourist season has officially kicked off here and we're unable to afford a place to sleep in while we pick up our bikes and prepare for our European tour (part III). So she's graciously offered us her apartment to stay in, while she moves in with her mom. That really helps us out a lot.

It's so expensive here and now, compared to Thailand.

 

[lightcycle]

The next day, we're giddy with anticipation as we throw open the barn doors to be reunited with our bikes

We never really bonded with the Honda dirtbikes. They were too small and uncomfortable, and they couldn't carry any luggage at all. Neda is beaming as she quickly threw off the covers to reveal her F650GS. "My baby! I've missed you so much!", she proudly exclaims.

The next hour we spent hooking up our batteries and stacking all our RTW luggage on the back of our patient mules

We wheel the bikes outside. Before we thumb the starter motors, we nervously whisper small prayers. We've had really bad luck with drained batteries all throughout our trip. We finally got wise to disconnecting the terminals before storing them and this time, we've even splashed out on trickle chargers and Iva has been maintaining our batteries all winter long for us in her apartment.

There should be no drama this time round.

Will they start? Or will we be catching the bus back to Medulin?

The moment of truth: Neda's bike starts up with a small cough and starts chugging away healthily. My bike is more middle-aged (mileage-wise) and turns over less exuberantly. And then it dies almost immediately. I closed my eyes and thumbed the starter again. More pleading under my breath, "please... please... please..."

*BRRROOOOM*! But its vital signs are faint. The engine chugs along with a sickly air and settles to a tentative idle: Brm... Brm... Brm... It sounds like the crankshaft is revolving at vinyl record speeds. 33 1/3 rpm. It's as if I can count each individual Brm and I fear touching the throttle will kill the engine. And in my mind, this death will be punctuated by the cartoon sound of a needle scratching the vinyl.

We let my bike idle for a couple of minutes until the revs rise and sound more confident. I goose the throttle and after six long months of hibernation, my GS roars to life. SHE'S ALIVE!!! WAHOOOOOO!!!

I'm very happy. But this exhilaration will be short-lived.

We suit up to head back to Medulin, but as soon as I put my leg over the seat and try to lift it off the side-stand I notice something horribly wrong. Somebody must have broken into the garage and tampered with my motorcycle. Because it feels like someone has been feeding it a steady diet of potato chips, KFC chicken, hamburgers, pizza and high-sugar drinks every single day while we've been away. It's so friggin' heavy!!!!

We ride off and I'm wobbling all over the place because the weight of the bike+luggage is so heavy and high up on the motorcycle. If feels like I'm trying to ride while balancing a bowling ball on top of a broomstick. And to do all this, while trying to remember to stay on the *right* side of the road, after so long in SE Asia.

I've owned this bike for over 10 years. I've personally put over 200,000 kms on it. And now because we've gotten used to booting around on 100lb dirtbikes for the last half year, I feel like I've never ridden this motorcycle before in my life. I'm scared to death I'll drop it.

I radio Neda, "I don't think I can ride this thing. It's too heavy".

Neda's voice is just as shaky as mine. "Me too."

We wobble back the 7 kms to Medulin. At every stoplight, I put both feet out like a newbie rider, unsure about which side it'll lean towards.

This sucks.

 

[lightcycle]

Neda is reunited with the rest of her clothing!

We haul all the luggage off the motorcycles and bring them back in to the apartment to enumerate the contents.

Stuff that we had sorely missed while in Asia was hastily unpacked. Neda took out all of the clothes she left behind in Europe and spread it out on the bed and flopped happily onto the modest pile. You know, like how rich people sprinkle $100 dollar bills on top of their bed every night and fall into it before they go to sleep - like in all the Instagram photos we see.

We have 10 days worth of clothing again, and we feel wealthy beyond belief!!!

We pay a visit to Neda's grandmother and she feeds us

After we took off all the luggage, we've been taking the bikes out and running errands and visiting friends and family around Pula. The bikes feel sooo much lighter without the bags on. We are slowly getting used to the weight. I never thought I'd say this, but the seating position on the GSes is soooo low - compared to the dirtbikes. The CRF seats were 3 or 4 inches higher than the GS. I feel like I'm sitting inside the bike, whereas on the CRF, it felt like I was perched on top of it like a horse. It'll take some getting used to again.

However, I do like having over 100 horses at my command within the grip of my right fist once again. BRRRRRM!!!!

 

[lightcycle]

We rode our steeds to the local autopraonica (Car Wash) and gave them a good scrubbing down

This is for everyone who has been ragging on me about my dirty windshield. I did this for you.

It's nice being in Europe, but one reservation Neda had about departing Asia was all of the delicious food she'd be leaving behind. "Everything is going to taste so bland in Europe!", she lamented.

Then in Pula, one of the first places we visited was Neda's favorite bakery to get some Burek

Mmmm... chowing down on some delicious Bosnian cheese pastries

Then after, we went to the grocery store where Neda loaded the cart with Istrian prosciutto, Istrian truffle spread, Istrian olive oil, fresh fish caught that morning just off Pula's coast. She literally skipped down the aisles of the market like a kid in a candy store.

Yeah, you really look like you're missing Asian food, Neda...

Then we loaded all the heavy groceries in the panniers of the bike and wobbled all the way back to Medulin.

 

[lightcycle]

We are only in Medulin for a few days, but to re-pay Iva back for her generosity, Neda does some yardwork

I'm working on the blog. It's months behind and it's tempting just to let it slide and go outside to enjoy the nice sunny weather in Istria.

But we stay in the apartment most of the time. Medulin is sooo crowded! Foreign tourists have invaded Istria and cling to its streets and beaches like flies. I remember when we were here back in October before we left for Thailand, the streets were absolutely empty. The local restaurants and stores, which were boarded up in the Autumn have flung open overnight, as if the doors and the windows and the signs behind them were spring-loaded. Now we can't even find parking for our bikes amidst the German, British and Russian-plated cars and SUVs clogging up the laneways outside Iva's apartment.

We spend most of the time just relaxing in the apartment, away from the tourists.

Iva's apartment is not the land of Milk and Honey, though...

We... well actually Neda, has been victimized by the neighbourhood cats who hang out in Iva's back yard. Every morning, she finds footprints on the seat of her motorcycle. They like sleeping under the bike cover because it's sheltered and warm in the night. However, they've scratched up our seats pretty badly.

Neda's Nemesis #1

Neda's Nemesis #2

I'm also very allergic to cats, so we keep shooing them away from the yard, but they keep coming back.

And then one day, we go out to grab some stuff out of our drybags, which we've left in the corner of the yard. Only to discover that the cats have peed all over the bags, either in a display of territorial behaviour, or maybe just to get back at us for chasing them away every day...

Cat pee is a sharp, acrid smell that permeates and invades the furthest corners of your nostrils. Thankfully, the dry bags do their job and keep the contents safe from the smell. But the outsides of our bags... such a stink! Then on another day, we walk out to the bikes and found that they had peed on Neda's seat as well. She is pissed!!! No pun intended. I've never heard her swear more in my life.

All-out war has been declared.

I hid inside and watched Neda cursing away while trying to rid our bags of cat pee

You don't want to get in Neda's way when she's mad.

 

[lightcycle]

But other than that, our short time in Medulin was quite nice. For once, Neda is able to go outside during the day and her brain doesn't melt like it did in the soaring temperatures of SE Asia. She is much more used to the Nedaterranean weather here.

Also, she takes the opportunity to spend as much time with her friends, going out to concerts and parties

The Pula Girls, Iva and Tajana, help plan our European motorcycle trip

We are really looking forward to riding around Europe this season. I hope the weather holds up for us. Fingers crossed!

 

[skypix]

Gene & Neda

Thank you for bringing us virtually to places most of us will never see actually.

You made us feel like guests, after 3 years we feel like family.

Old E-Biker in New Hampshire