Dec 3
Several months ago we embarked on a massive adventure touring trip from London to Morocco by motorcycle. That trip changed us. We realised we wanted to do more motorcycle traveling and of all the other ways to travel (plane, boat, train), traveling by bike was our new preferred method of transport. Read more
When researching Marrakesh, several guide books and bloggers cautioned us about the sneaky sales people in the city’s main square. Watch out for the monkey men! Don’t touch the snakes! They warned. Nobody mentioned the ninja henna hustlers.
It’s almost upon us. One of the greatest sporting events in history and potentially, one of the greatest events in London’s history. The hype has been building for months. Experts are suggesting 11 million people will visit the city over the next six weeks. Sounds like pound signs for the retail and travel industries and a total nightmare for residents of London, like me.
We rolled into Marrakesh on one of the hottest days of the year, a mere fifty-four degrees! My helmet was too hot to touch, my trousers were stuck to my legs, my feet were swollen and I needed to pee. Things were never going to go well.
Cats. There’s something about them that often forces me to stop mid conversation and announce to whoever is present; whether they’re interested or not, that I’ve just discovered the cutest cat in the entire world. Of course this can’t possibly be true as I can often be found making this declaration several times a day.
It’s only been seven days since the boys set foot and bike in Morocco but it feels like months of touring. So many miles have been covered; over mountain passes, across deserts and through canyons. Morocco continues to amaze us.
Adventure motorcycle touring sheds an entirley new light on the word gear and that thing I sometimes despise, called packing. You’re exposed to the elements and you need to be prepared for all kinds of eventualities. If you’re camping you need your camp gear, if it’s winter you need your thermals, if it rains you need wet weather gear, if something breaks you need tools. Then there’s non-motorcycle clothing; toiletries, cameras, phones, maps, the list is never ending.
For the past couple of months Neil and his friend Sean have been steadily working towards their adventure motorcycling dream – London to Morocco overland. On the eve of the expedition, Neil talks about the motivations behind the journey, the decision to purchase the Yamaha Tenere and what he’s planning next.
We loved our recent trip to Istanbul and could have spent several weeks; checking out churches, cruising between continents or shopping up a storm. The city successfully straddles the Asia Europe vibe – street vendors, sunshine and century old buildings mixed in with a smidge of crazy. Here are our five favourite Istanbul attractions and a couple we thought were over-rated.
It’s hot, it’s crowded and like most of Istanbul, it’s ancient. I hold tight to my handbag whilst trying to navigate the narrow winding streets, crammed with tourists, touts and busy Turkish housewives.
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