Changing plans

Well, life is a roller coaster. I have been juggling so many options for the next leg of the trip, I am slightly confused. However, I have suddenly formed a firm plan for the next few weeks.

Before I leave NZ I am going back to Picton for some more much needed work. Then I am going to meet Karen from Bristol who is visiting the British Embassy in Te Puke where I stayed in November. From there we will go to the nothernmost point of NZ to Cape Reinga, where it is possible to travel all the way up 90 Mile Beach on the sands. Then I will be set for the next part of the journey.

Check this guy out.














He is Vladimiir, aged 64 from Minsk, Belorus. He is riding a USA registered BMW F650. He has done 88,000 miles round the world in the last 6 years (see the map in the picture gallery). He is also deaf and mute.

Despite me being able to speak Russian, this conversation was entirely in silent sign language. I discovered that he is about to go to Japan, then China. He is only on his third chain. The bike is a bit heavy, it is a bit overloaded but he manages. He survives by donations from the public. He has a website and will email me the picture he had taken of us both on our adventure bikes.

Look how his panniers are suitcases straped to the custom built frame. Now that is what I call an adventure rider. Ironically, my panniers are totally empty in this shot but I didn't tell him that!

To take a bike around the world you need a carnet. When going to places like India you have to pay a bond of 470% of the value if the bike as insurance against a sneaky importation of the vehicle into their country. Therefore I would have to find a deposit of $25,000! That's plan A down the pan. Australia offers an insurance against anything going wrong, so maybe that is the best option- to ship something from Darwin perhaps.

No news yet on World Vision projects to visit. Timings for the ride across central Asia are looking very tight. I am still looking at the costs from Australia and will at least do Syndey and Melbourne. There are WV projects working with Aborigine people. Now that would be interesting.

I did some more work for WV in the local mall. I got two people to sign up and sponsor a child. I am so inspired and re-invigorated about the work that goes on and how easy it is to make a significant difference.

I would love to go to India just to see the projects, and spend some time there rather than shooting through on a road trip home.... now there's an idea.

[follow Vladimiir Alexseevich Yarets's progress by Googling www.yarets.com]