With exactly six months until departure, the list of organisational items to be resolved remains overwhelming. We are making progress slowly, but I already know some things will go down to the wire. In fact, some things may not get done before we leave!
From a “trip logistics” perspective, there are three big challenges: –
(1) getting from Hong Kong into China on bikes (never been done unless on organised tour), then riding around in China (yes, believe it or not – the government still has time and inclination to want to follow and even direct where foreigners can and can’t go on a motorbike!)
(2) the “Mekong trio” of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia present a formidable challenge, primarily because they are authoritarian regimes and relatively disconnected administratively from the rest of the world. They don’t recognise international driver’s licences, they don’t recognise international carnet and they don’t seem to want foreign-registered motorbikes in their countries.
(3) travelling from East Timor to Australia and then getting the bikes into Australia. Hopping from any one island to another with a motorbike is going to be tricky, but this crossing is particularly daunting given it is 718 kms from Dili to Darwin. Foreign registered bikes need to meet emission-standards and be quarantined upon arrival, who knows how long that will take. Lucky we have BMW’s!
I feel we have made somewhat of a break-thru on items 1 and 2 with the “two Pete’s”.
I’m talking about Peter Schindler, the former race car driver, who runs a upscale tour company called ‘On the Road in China’ (http://www.ontheroadinchina.com/). Pete S has agreed to get us from Hong Kong into China and then to Vietnam, with hopefully a minimum of fuss. It would be heartbreaking after 18 months of planning for Wheel2Wheel to ride 60 kms to the Hong Kong / China border only to be turned back!
The second “Pete” is Peter Murray, an dynamic fellow who has lived in Vietnam for 16 years and runs a film production assistance group called Introducing Vietnam (http://www.introducingvietnam.com/about.html). Pete M has done it all and seen it all in Vietnam, he speaks the language and knows everything there is to know about Vietnam. He is also pretty handy on the neighbouring countries of Laos and Cambodia.
There is still much to work out in these first four countries we pass through, but with the 2 Pete’s I feel a lot better about our chances of making it!
As for East Timor to Australia and getting the bikes into Australia – – well that’s the beauty of Wheel2Wheel, there’s always something else to do!
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/Wheel2Wheelchannel
Join us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/wheel2wheel
Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/wheel2wheelteam