Are you the guy from the National Geographic Channel?

Soundtrack: Stealers Wheel – Stuck in the middle with you

I was very tempted to say yes, when the guy from a gas station in Loures, Portugal asked me! But then again, I didn’t want to be compared with those sissies ;oP He was referring to “The Long Way Down” Ewan & Charley! When looking back, I think it is pretty funny that the guy thinks the two Brit’s are still riding around on their bikes out there!
By now you should know that I’m not a stranger to champagne or the beer. But after a second week in Pamplona during San Fermin, I felt it was time for me to get into the saddle and hit the road again. I missed being on my own, missed the feeling of riding the bike. Curious of what was waiting for me over the next hill-side, new people girls etc.
I got my things organized and packed, which can be quit demanding. I was independent again, with the possibilities of cooking my own food. All in all it felt good to be on the road with the wind in my hair, revving the VFR engine on the national roads from Pamplona to Zaragoza. I was heading for Belchite an old Ghost town situated 50 click’s south of Zaragoza. The temperature that day was as normal, hot like hell, so I pulled of my riding gear as the first thing on my arrival to walk around in the old town. Only a young couple was visiting the place that evening beside of me, so I guess you may call Belchite a ghost town.
It was time to take up wild camping again, so I spend the first night sleeping beneath a windmill ready to go high speed every second due to a broken tip on one of its wings.
The night after I found a perfect spot, on an old abandoned road. Unpacked my things and was about to think of getting something to eat, when a sweet smell appeared. I looked around, searching the area, to see where it came from, and got myself a surprise when I discovered that in the ditch next to the road was a dead dear. It was the sweet smell of a rotten animal that I had enjoyed for one hour while being there. I quickly took some photo’s and decided to leave another 150 meters down the road, of cause opposite of the wind direction. The final morning before reaching Lisboa, Portugal meant waking up, surrounded by sheep’s shitting all over the place. I don’t know why, but I still love to wild camp…
I have to admit that I hadn’t had any descent conversation since I left Pamplona, España, but things were about to change. By coincidence I pulled over at a gas station on my way, just to take a break and as I entered it, a guy gave me the thumbs up, I waved him back. Before I got my helmet of, he was standing next to me, speaking English. The blokes name was Joaquim Silva, a truck driver heading from Spain to Lisboa, Portugal in his heavy loaded Scania puller. Joaquim and I enjoyed a good coffee and spend an hour talking about travelling and what life can bring you if you want to take some chances on in our limited time here on earth! Joachim had a couple of motorcycles back home, one of them was a Harley Davidson. One of his dreams was to do an around the world journey. But he had a family to take care of. I guess I gave him a glimt of what it was like, and I bet he enjoyed the time we spent together that day.
Later the same day I decided before leaving Spain and enter Portugal, that it was time to get an oil change. The bike had already done some 13430 kilometres on the oil since I left home. I wasn’t able to trace down a Honda shop, but instead I manage to find a Suzuki dealer in a sleeping town  called Membrilla, not that far from Ciudad Real. I convinced him to lower the price on 4 litres of oil, due to my financial situation. He agreed and gave me a good price on the Castrol oil he had in store, but the hurdle was not over yet! After I paid him, I rushed out to the bike, took of all of my luggage and the fairing to get down to the heart of the bike. I vent back in to ask him for a bucket to drain the old oil! He didn’t understand! So I pointed at the bike that he should come out and take a look. He finally got it, and said “No, no, no!!!” I pointed at the engine again and making some sort of sign showing old oil draining out underneath of the engine. He started whining very loud, ”No no no” I asked him if he didn’t service the Suzuki’s he had in his store with fresh oil occasionally? He didn’t answer that question! What a wanker, I bought the oil at his store, but he wouldn’t help me with a drain bucket. I guess he didn’t want any unnecessary work of getting rid of my old oil. I must admit that I thought about draining the whole thing out on the pavement in front of his store, but I didn’t!
I later found a garage nearby and got help to get rid of the old oil, they also lend me some tool…
I liked Lisboa the moment I arrived, though the smell of sewer and piss was very penetrating at some points in the inner city, but that is just the smell of Lisboa. I managed to hook up with Susana and Raquel from the Couch Surfing forum. Raquel introduced herself as the most lazy girl in Portugal I guess she was right, if not the most lazy girl in Europe. We had a great time, and she took her time to show me around the streets of Lisboa, including taking a peek at the USS D. Eisenhower carrier which had come to Lisboa. I guessed she didn’t have any other things to do. You can say that I had plenty of opportunities to buy Marijuana that day, old guys approaching me with chunks of it as big as a f ist. I could have been so stoned that day, but I didn’t. I stayed in Lisboa for two days, enjoying the company and good food made by Raquel’s mom, Susana. Should I mention that I forgot setting the watch to the timezone of Portugal, they  share the UK time zone. It ment getting up in the mornings one hour to early. I guess I still have a lot to learn.
I got myself some of a surprise, when getting my freshly wash underwear on after a bath. I found a Scolopendra cingulata in my boxers after I had taken them on. Fuck, I quickly got the shorts of and squashed the little bastard with my bottle of shampoo. Later after a little Google search, I found out that it is “light” venomous. People are keeping these reptiles as pets when searching YouTube, crazy fucker’s.
This was my first close contact with reptiles, and sure not the last ;oP Next time I just hope it will pick another place, and not my Willie…
When I left Lisboa, it was with a smile, not knowing what I was going to face over the next hill-side, which I just love about this way of travelling. I was going west again, to hook up with the guy who started the support in Spain. I had let Brad down now for two and a half month’s saying that I would arrive at his place soon, but something would always get in between us, slowing me down, sorry Brad. But before riding all the way from Lisboa, Portugal to Murcia, Spain, I had two members to check off on my list of whom to visit here in Spain. This ment stopping in Palma del Rio on my way to Murcia, spending only one day saying hello to the two guys Juanito and Jose. Hey, I had in mind to be in Morocco the first of August. Well, it wasn’t that easy, it was quickly changed to 3 days…
Before arriving in Palma del Rio I wild camped two times, the last time was at a private property, a big field of fruit tree’s. I decided not to take notice of the sign saying “Prohibido Privado” and I manage to find a good spot for the night. To start with a car came by, which stopped when I waved at them. It had three person’s plus an aggressive dog inside, trying to bite me when I wanted to shake hands with the driver. None of them spoke english, but I figured it was okay that I stayed here for the night. Later they dropped by again, this time they were the ones waving at me. I was sitting in a ditch doing you know what. I guess at this point I was ready to leave, but I decided to stay!
During the night another car came by with the high beam’s on, I was lying beside the bike, fighting against the mosquito’s and trying to get a decent sleep. The driver stopped next to my bike, got out of his car, standing in the doorway smoking a cigarette, telling something like this was his property that I was on. I told him the usual sentence, that I was trying to go around the world on my motorcycle, Dinamarca etc… I guess he bought it, because he suddenly sounded very curious and we chit chatted for some 10 minutes, him in Spanish, and me in “Spanglish” He said goodbye, wished me good travel and left further down the road. Later when he returned he honked the horn and I waved farewell to the dude!
The next day I was sitting on a bench in Palma del Rio, thinking of my family. I missed my mom and dad. suddenly a guy showed up. It was Juanito from Club VFR Spain. We had arranged to meet up at the “Ayuntamiento” Spanish word for city hall. But I was in good time and hadn’t even reach the city hall yet. But how many Danish guys on an overloaded VFR are to be seen in Palma del Rio. So I guess he didn’t have a hard time spotting me. We quickly went to the local bar to hook up with José and the other guys from the local motorcycle club PAR (Escuderia Palma del Rio A Rass) and together we watched the Sunday edition of Moto GP.
Later that evening I had the great chance to meet José’s family and spend time with them by the pool, and not to mention enjoying a good meal in Palma del Rio by night.
During my three days I in PDR, José’s sister Beatriz showed up every morning to spend the day and evening with me. I didn’t figure that she liked me, but I liked her very much, that’s was for sure. It might be due to my poor skills of reading the signals of the opposite sex. You might say that I’m not the fastest bloke in town. She was very beautiful and funny too, I enjoyed her company very much.
I also had the opportunity to visit Cordoba with Juanito and Beatriz to see the lovely city, the old Mosque, smoking water pipes at an Arabic café. I was in good shape and enjoyed one of the best moments on my journey during my stay in PDR. On my departure day, I promised to come back to PDR after visiting my friend Brad in Murcia.
I should also mention that while staying at the family in Palma del Rio I became a famous radio star for a day! Hear the interview right here…
It is not that difficult for you, to guess why I came back to my new family in PDR, before I head of for Africa ;oP