The Whoa Nellie Deli was teeming with business, cash registers ringing, cooks shouting numbers and a line to order. It was my third night ordering and I felt local, part of the crew. And now, we were in a bind. We needed to get Jeremiah's bike on a truck headed to Reno and I looked forward to crossing Tioga Pass into Yosemite.

So with my baby back ribs, I asked for a little help.

"Do you know anybody with a pick up or a trailer who'd like to earn some extra money taking my friend and his bike to Reno?" I asked the 20 something cashier. I explained our situation and then the word was out.

Licking the bbq sauce from my fingers and dirtying up several napkins while Jeremiah chowed on his thick steak, we had several visitors at our table inquiring about our dilemma. One ambitious and enterprising employee of the Whoa Nellie Deli was a true problem solver. Brendon works as a cashier at both the Mobil Station and the deli. In his early thirties with a slight paunch and an easy smile, he moonlights as a fishing guide in the summer and alpine ski instructor at Mammoth in the winter. Sincere and eager, he wanted to help Jeremiah. And he wanted the money. Though his truck was fitted with a cap over the bed, he was negotiating with one of his fellow workers, a hispanic guy in the kitchen. He was going to borrow the truck, pay the kitchen worker $100 and take Jeremiah early in the morning—to be back in time for his shift starting at 11am. The price? $200 plus gas.

"Would you like to go tonight? he asked. "I have to go to the airport," he explained, "it would be much more convenient if we could go after work." I'm not sure if it was the lure of another windy night in his tent at Mono Vista or just nostalgia, but Jeremiah wanted to leave in the morning.

Even after Brendan agreed to the early morning run to Reno, Jeremiah balked, reasoning that he'd find another offer more suitable and perhaps cheaper. "We'll let you know," Jeremiah expressed his uncertainty. But in a town with a population of just a few hundred, I suggested he not hedge his bets. Meanwhile, our enterprising driver was making calls.

By the time Brendan returned, I'd convinced Jeremiah to take him up on the deal. However, Brendan raised the price to $300 plus gas. He called the local AAA and got a quote to take a bike to Reno: $500+

Feeling he shoulda closed the deal earlier, Jeremiah was pissed. Too expensive, he reasoned.

"If you want to go tonight, I'll do it for $200," Brendan offered. "We have to go anyway." That's all it took to convince Jeremiah. An hour later we were loading El Viento into the back of a pickup and tying his baby down.

They got to Reno at 1:30am. The next morning before climbing the pass to Yosemite, I chatted with the crew at Whoa Nellie Deli while getting a good dose of protein from a massive breakfast burrito. After explaining the events the night before, chef owner Matt Toomey laughed.

"They had to go where?" he asked me a third time.

"The airport," I explained, "that's why they gave Jeremiah a better price if they left last night."

"You know what the airport is, Allan?" Matt asked, his cheeks burning red and eyes wide as he laughed and shared the story with the kitchen workers, "they were going to Mustang Ranch!" For those of you who don't know, Mustang Ranch was Nevada's first licensed brothel in the only state in the USA where prostitution is both legal—and regulated.

The next morning Jeremiah waited until the doors of Sierra BMW were open for business. Jeremiah's e-mail explains what happened to his bike:

I got the bike into Sierra's service shop at 9AM on Thu. They've been very accommodating. I took everything apart. The water pump impeller/gasket and seals are fine (hence no oil/water mixing), but the impeller's gears (2, plastic) were completely stripped. This means the engine was unable to turn the impeller and push water to the radiator.

The thermostat failure and the failure of these gears could be related--or not. In 30 years working for BMW service, they've never seen this happen, but aren't surprised. They said they rarely see an F650 with 62,000 miles, and attribute this primarily to normal wear and tear as opposed to a special event. The Death Valley heat may have accelerated the inevitable, but who's to know?

Stockton has the parts. They were ordered just in time on Thu, so they should show today, Fri. So, with any luck I'll be back in business today. We had to drop the oil and coolant to get into the water pump, so I'll be changing both here, at the dealer instead of in a parking lot. I'm also going to change the water pump impeller/seals with the spares I've been carrying, so everything is renewed. This is going to be expensive.

This should be a lesson for you too, as you have a lot of miles. A water pump rebuild should be done to Doc asap.

I bid one last farewell to Matt and the crew at Whoa Nellie Deli, and headed up Tioga Pass, at some 9943 feet, it's California's highest mountain pass.

The BMW tech from San Diego BMW motorcycles told me that a thermostat is absolutely necessary. We can't ride the F650GS Dakar without something to restrict the flow of water through the radiator. Without the thermostat the water flows through too quickly leaving the radiator no time to cool the water. At once this makes sense, and it doesn't Years ago we used to remove faulty thermstats from cars to solve overheating problems. Then again, the radiator on our bikes is very small.

We spent the day reviewing our photos, reading and finally closing the evening with yet another meal at Lee Vining's Mobil gas station's infamous Whoa Nellie Deli.

Lee Vining is not only famous as the eastern gateway to Yosemite National Park, Bodie Ghost Town California State Park and Mono Lake, its reputation as perhaps the windiest spot along California Route 395 was confirmed as all night long the chilly winds shook my tent and whistled through the leaves of distant cottonwood trees.

Eager to catch the early sun at Mono Lake, Jeremiah and I took off around 5am. In an effort to spare my shock further abuse, Jeremiah took his bike hoping it'd be cool enough to allow him to get there in time. Unfortunately, he had to pull off the road about ten times, let the bike cool and move on. An eerie steely blue sky with streaks of grey and platinum clouds accented by the subtle glow of the rising sun made for better pictures this morning as we tried to rationalize our time pent here as prisoners in Lee Vining.

Sitting in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and on the fringe of the shores of Lake Mono, Lee Vining takes the brunt of climatic activity as cool air whips down from the mountains and meets the warm desert. This contributes to the windy climate. But the odd thing about the small historic town of Lee Vining is its lack of shade. There are no mature shade trees, and none of the businesses and even the school, local park and community organizations have built any shade structure. One restaurant in town has a few umbrellas on its patio, but that's about it. So the prospect of tearing down Jeremiah's bike in the blazing desert sun wasn't appealing. Figuring a UPS arrival of late afternoon, we reasoned that the local high school building would provide a tad of shade and flat concrete sufficient to work and layout tools.

We waited in the Lee Vining Public Library, which is open only three hours daily, from 2pm until 5pm. We were still mulling around the high school parking lot at 5:30pm when UPS finally arrived. Jeremiah jumped into action and in less than an hour the thermostat was fit in place and we were bleeding the cooling system and packing our bikes.

The only shade in Lee Vining -- behind the High School and next to the library.

The new thermostat on the left has four tabs keeping the spring in place. The old thermostat barely has one tab, while a broken piece fell out as Jeremiah pulled the unit out. Where are the other two tabs? Perhaps floating around El Viento's cooling system. Uh oh.

Notice the wacky hose clamp sculpture. When removing the thermostat housing, Jeremiah cracked the bottom of the housing where the clip secures the unit and keeps it from dropping down. So with pressure that crack will get larger and eventually break the housing. Using this maze of clips is Jeremiah's way of jerry-rigging the unit for longevity -- we hope -- by reducing pressure down.

Worried about the presence of deer on the road to Yosemite, we headed up Tioga pass with trepidation. But it wasn't the deer that fouled up our plan just 3 miles into our journey, it was coolant spewing onto Jeremiah's riding pants and all over the left side of his bike. The new thermostat failed to correct the problem.

Now we were stuck. As daylight faded, Jeremiah waited on the side of the road while I ran back to Mono Vista RV Park to grab the last campsite while spreading the word we were looking for someone with a pickup or trailer who wouldn't mind earning a little money by taking Jeremiah and his bike to Reno, 120 miles away and home to the closest BMW dealer . But it was inevitable. We'd spend a third night in wonderful Lee Vining.

When I returned roadside to Jeremiah he was talking to a man in a late model pickup. In his hand was a familiar looking computer case. Confused, I wondered why he had my computer. I used it last at the Lee Vining public library and packed it up before we worked on Jeremiah's bike. Turns out I never locked in my pannier, instead it lay under the only shade tree in Lee Vining. After leaving for Yosemite, the school bus driver saw it under the tree and tried to catch us. But he was too late, we were already a few miles up 120 toward Yosemite. Amazingly, he passed us in the other direction as we headed back to town. He pulled a fast U-turn and caught up with Jeremiah as I headed to camp.

Back luck for Jeremiah, turned out to be good luck for me. If Jeremiah's latest fix hadn't worked and we made it to Camp 4 in Yosemite tonight, I would've been in for a devestating surprise–my computer would be gone. What would've I done? Go back to Lee Vining to look? I'd rack my brain for the chain of events to the last time I saw my computer. Luckily a good samaritan in Lee Vining went out of his way to help us—and returned my computer. Just goes to prove that while I experienced kindness, trust and friendship from humanity all around the world, we have the same right here in my backyard— in the USA. I was lost for words. But still needn't to get Jeremiah out of his jam.

We headed to the Whoa Nellie Deli one more time: looking for food and truck ride to Reno.

I've seen Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and a bevy of other questionable food for sale at gas stations on the road. But this Mobil station just a 1/4 mile west of 395 on route 120 toward Tioga Pass and Yosemite National Park had the most unusual food selection and highest prices I'd ever seen for a roadside gas and convenience store. From lobster taquitos, wild buffalo meatloaf, St. Louis style bbq ribs, burgers, fish tacos, grilled pork tenderloin and $25 pizzas, the Whoa Nellie Deli even had elk on special. The breakfast menu was equally enticing. And just like you'd expect, you order at the counter, grab your own silverwhere and wait for your number to be called. The hot food met our expectations. Sitting in a sterile, laminate booth in a Mobil Station eating prime cuts of meat, Jeremiah and I realized that while the status of our bikes was in question, we wouldn't go hungry in Lee Vining.

During the summer the Whoa Nellie Deli offers live music on Thursday and Sunday nights and is very clear, with signage and on its menu:

Warning To All Customers!

We do not allow excessive drinking,
smoking, foul language, womanizing, gambling,
fighting, lying, tree hugging, bear wrestling,
trout taunting, spraying, bird watching,
or just plain screwing around…unless you work here.

-- The Whoa Nellie Deli, Lee Vining, CA

The sunrise over Lake Mono was stunning. We rode two-up south on 395 as the bright orange orb slowly appeared from behind distant desert mountains, casting long shadows and looking east, silhouetting the tufa formations rising out of Mono Lake. To the west, the snowcapped Sierra Nevada Mountains reflected in the still waters. For better photographs, we should have arrived 30 minutes or more earlier.

It took nearly 30 minutes to get to the lake. After returning to our campsite I realized that riding Jeremiah on the back of my bike with a shock in questionable condition wasn't a good idea. With each mile my bike bounced three or four times before settling. I was losing dampening.

The thermostat on a BMW F650GS Dakar sits in a cylindrical housing that fits vertically in a tubular channel at one end of the radiator. Held in by a hidden u-shaped brass spring clip, it's not evident how to release the clip. With a screw driver, as Jeremiah tried to lever the clip he cracked part of the plastic channel which secures the clip in place and holds the thermostat housing. The plans was simple: remove the thermostat and run the bike without it until we had a new part to replace it. We figured this would get us into Yosemite and then the California coast.

Replacing the housing was the toughest part. The clip just wouldn't give and we couldn't slide it back in until we applied intense upward pressure on the bottom of the housing while shimmying the clip into place. Took more than an hour. I packed up camp as Jeremiah put the pieces of his back together. Fired up and eager to continue our journey, we blasted out of Mono Vista RV Park about 2:30 pm, stopping to fill our tanks and stomach at the Mobil Station and the Whoa Nellie Deli.

Just above the hose is the bottom of the radiator.
Through the narrow opening you can spot a copper colored clip,
this is what must be levered in order to release the thermostat housing stuffed vertically up that friggin' hole!

With my visor open and the cool wind whipping through my helmet, the pine trees towered above and the tarmac zoomed beneath my boots. I leaned into the first set of turns and I fell into a great groove as the rhythm of riding again quickly set. I rolled the throttle to feel the torque and passed the slow moving motorhome. Riding a motorcycle in such surroundings ignites the senses, pumps the heart and can't help but make me smile. I'm alive.

I look in my rear view. All I see in the distance is that motorhome. No sign of Jeremiah. Forced to break my rhythm, I make a u-turn and find him on the side of the road. Ugly green coolant drips from his pant leg. The fix didn't work. We limp back to Lee Vining and the Mono Vista RV Park.

Lee Vining Mobil Station at 395 and 120 (Tioga Road) home of the Whoa Nellie Deli.

More riding the Alabama Hills outside Lone Pine

With its smooth granite orbs and towering pinnacles and wrinkled and beveled hills glowing amber and rich copper, Jeremiah and I cruised down from Whitney through the Alabama Hills and Lone Pine and headed north to Bishop. With the snow capped mountains to our east and the seeming endless desert baking in morning sun, now hot and begging for a thinner layer of riding gear, our goal would be lunch in Bishop, ride through Lee Vining to Historic Bodie, a California State Park and the site of a well preserved ghost town. We'll camp in Lee Vining so we'll have a shot at catching the sunrise over Mono Lake before taking Tioga Pass (Route 120) over the Sierras into Yosemite National Park.

As we passed through Independence, home of Manzanar one of the sites of US Japanese internment camps during World War II, I remember from our travels in South America Jeremiah's bread stash. Pancito, the latin people called, were small bread rolls. Not very flavorful, but always somewhat crusty and filling. He'd always buy a small bag for less than a dollar, and he'd have an instant snack when combined with the peanut butter he always had handy in his panniers. "I love bread," he's always remind me, "I could live on bread." When we arrived in Bishop I introduced Jeremiah to the Sin Qua Non bread of the Sierra Nevada: Erik Schat's Bakery. Where in stone hearth ovens, the Schat's Bakery since 1909 bakes natural bread using pure well water from the Sierras, stone ground unbleached flour, other natural ingredients depending on which of the more than a dozen varieties the sell, and of course, never any chemicals or preservatives.

I tried to get photographs inside the bakery showroom, but the staff told me the owner forbids photography, a very strange policy. To put in perspective, perhaps the most secret and protective company in the world, Apple Computer, has no qualms should anyone wish to shoot photography in any of the company's retail locations. Certainly, Schat's capture's its share of tourists passing through Bishop, but more photos, tweets, blogs and Diggs etc., couldn't hurt. Nonetheless, Jeremiah is is in breadlover's paradise. He chooses the 150% Raisin bread and we head north.

As I downshift to make the turnoff to Bodie a dozen Harleys from Florida rumble by, each offering the ubiquitous biker wave, but no sign of Jeremiah. I busy myself sorting my gear, playing with my GPS and watching travelers pass. I reason that Jeremiah, dressed only in a mesh jacket, was feeling a bit of the late afternoon chill climbing the Conway Grade to the 8,000+ foot pass and pulled over to add a layer. Or maybe he wanted to grab a quick birds eye photo of Owens Valley and Mono Lake. Either way, I was worried after fifteen long minutes and headed back. Nearly at the top of the pass I spotted a California Highway Patrol cruiser and Jeremiah's motorcycle. I spotted the cop tucked behind tall brush as I blazed up the pass. But these 650cc motorcycles, heavily loaded and climbing steep passes just don't gain much speed. Plenty of other cars, trucks and bigger block bikes push MPH north of 80 climbing that pass. Was Jeremiah winding out his bike, El Viento fast enough to trip the radar of California's finest? Not a chance.

The only photo we got at Schat's Bakery in Bishop was out on the patio where I finally felt what it was like to ride a Harley along the Eastern Sierra.

Looks like he's being interrogated. Nope. Just a concerned officer helping a stranded motorcyclist.

What have we here?

The CHP had to take off when an accident report flashed over his radio.

Jeremiah begins his coast down the pass - 12 miles to Lee Vining, I had to tow him the last seven.

Turns out, my shock would be the lesser of our bike problems. For El Viento bubbled over. It overheated. And Jeremiah had nearly half his bike in pieces on the side of the road trying to diagnose the problem. Perhaps the tell tale sign was the radiator cap wasn't hot. Coolant had spewed from the overflow. Either the water pump failed or the thermostat was stuck closed. Peeking into oil reservoir, the fluid looked nearly as black as the Gulf Coast, but without the water. You see, in most cases when the water pump impeller fails, the seals go along with it—and when the seals fail coolant mixes with the oil. With the oil clean, it had to be the thermostat. The bike couldn't run for more than a few minutes before overheating. We contemplated getting a truck to take El Viento back to Bridgeport of Lee Vining. But sitting at the crest of an 8,000 foot pass, we figured it'd be best to run the bike for a few minutes and then coast down to the valley. From there, we strung three tie-downs together and I safely towed Jeremiah and his bike back to our camp site at the Mono Vista RV Park.

Before it was dark, we stripped El Viento again and tried to figure out where the thermostat was and how to remove it. Without a shop manual or previous experience with the bike's thermostat, we were confused. With the aid of a couple New Mexico riders towing trailers from their Gold Wings and a phone call to a friend we were ready to remove the culprit part. By now it was dark and it was clearly evident exactly how to get to the thermostat. So we cut our losses for the day and headed to dinner at the local Mobil Station: home of the Whoa Nellie Café. According to the CHP officer, it was the best food for 100 miles or more.

Mono Lake Sunrise -- Lee Vining, California

Photos from Jeremiah, the left taken in the afternoon at Death Valley Visitors Center; on the right the thermometer on his bike shows the morning temp as he arrives in Death Valley: 118° - ouch! I am definately pleased at my decision to choose alpine temperatures versus death temperatures!

After Jeremiah and I split up in January 2007, I never heard from him again. Not through the rest of my time in South America, nor Africa, the Middle East or Europe. I tried to connect with him many times to no avail. I never received another email nor heard anything about him. After my return to the USA in late 2008, my route across the country took me through his home town, Durango, Colorado. Through some investigating while staying in Durango, I managed to find the address to his ranch, which is located on the outskirts of town and down a dirt road. When I showed up in late October 2008, there was nobody home. So on his front steps I left the homecoming gifts and a note. Perhaps the local critters ravaged the food I'd left, but once again, no word.

I was worried. But moved on.

In January 2009, I made a pilgrimage the annual Macintosh computer show, MacWorld, at Moscone Center in San Francisco. Joining my friend Ken, it'd been some six or seven years since I'd been to the show. Wandering the massive show where two huge halls are jammed with exhibitors touting software, printers, iPhone Apps, monitors and more, it takes the better part of three days to completely check out the show. Midday on my second day at Moscone Center, at the eyeTV booth I spot a familiar profile. When the guy turns around my suspicion was confirmed. It's Jeremiah. Here at one of the largest trade shows in San Francisco where nearly 100,000 people visit over 4 days I run into a guy I spent many days traveling with throughout South America.

He's startled when I appear out of the crowd and ask him if he's received any of my emails or telephone calls. There's a lot of silence. Then after a few minutes of catching up it feels as if no time has passed. We relive those days in Bolivia when I broke my leg, and the crazy journey through Northern Mexico. Later that evening Ken and I meet Jeremiah and his buddy for dinner in Chinatown.

Ken Hauck keeping afloat thanks to tens of thousands of iPhone Apps at MacWorld January 2009

We've been trying to coordinate a 'reunion' trip since those days in San Francisco. We'd finally agreed to beginning June 2010. Jeremiah started from Durango Colorado on the 24th of May. We agreed to meet in California on June 3rd. Through email, voice mail and text, Jeremiah suggested he'd be in Death Valley on the eve of the 3rd. I could get an early start from San Diego and meet him somewhere along the Eastern Sierra. I'd questioned Death Valley in June, and by the time I got to the turn off to Death Valley, I'd made the decision that it'd be too hot. For me, it would be better to meet in Lone Pine. So I made my way to the Whitney Portal Campground and sent word to Jeremiah I'd see him here the following morning.

Hanging with Jeremiah in Chinatown, San Francisco January 2009

It's a bit of deja vu. His bike looks the same. He's wearing the same gear and helmet. Turns out, McDonald's WiFi was down, so we continued our storytelling and made plans for the next few days at a nearby coffee shop outfitted with working WiFi.

Jeremiah is a former National Park ranger having worked at Rainier National Park in Washington, Canyonlands, and others. But this was the first time in many years since he'd been to the Eastern Sierra. With the Alabama Hills awash in red light as the sunset, we decided to camp at Whitney Portal -- this would be my second night. For Jeremiah, the cool mountain air, rushing alpine creek and towering pines would provide the much needed relief and stark contrast to his night at Furnace Creek in Death Valley, where he surely felt he slept in a furnace.

Even Lone Pine experienced a heatwave this weekend. After getting up to catch the sunrise and riding the Alabama Hills, by afternoon we searched and found shelter and smoothies at a local shop before heading toward Bishop and points north.

The primary road north, California Route 395, with the majestic snowcapped Sierra Nevada Mountains towering to the west crosses the Owens Valley where Cottonwoods and saltbush scrub blanket the high desert to the eastern horizon where the White Mountains, home to the oldest living things on the planet, bristlecone pines, form the border between California and Nevada. Our destination, the historic ghost town of Bodie just outside of Bridgeport.

Morning sun filters through the Ponderosa and Sugar Pines at Whitney Portal Campground.

The Road to Whitney Portal Campground looks north up Owens Valley toward Bishop.

Second night campsite along Tuttle Creek at Whitney Portal Campground outside Lone Pine, California

Jeremiah taking a photo break while exploring the Alabama Hills outside Lone Pine, famously remembered for many Hollywood Westerns that were filmed here, including High Sierra, How The West Was Won, Gunga Din and many others.

Nice riding in the Alabama Hills with the towering Sierra Nevada Mountains as the backdrop.

Early morning, heading from Mount Whitney north toward Bishop.

Eager to get off the slab and find a one or two lane road!

Soon Joshua cactus trees towered, and sage brush disappeared into the horizon and the dimpled and neatly folded hills of distant mountains appeared across the umber desert. And I'm back on my motorcycle.

I have a bit of a hard time with travel by bike these days. First, it takes too long to get anywhere interesting. Second, even when it's interesting, my mind drifts to Wadi Rum, Ethiopia, the Nile River and the Sudan. So I learn to look closer and get in tune. My ride across the Mojave was marked by killing a few liters of water and feeling the motion and rhythm of a packed motorcycle.

Though I just passed through these roads a month or so back in a car, on motorcycle the scenery, other cars and trucks and the commercial establishments that appear and then fade all take on a new dimension. It's perspective combined with awareness. In the car I don't really know how hot it is until I get out. Music fills the space and tinted windows filter the sunlight. On the bike it's me, the road whizzing by at speed and the wind and everything it carries with it is in my face. If I stop, the temperature surges. When I cruise, I'm comfortable.

The short little journey is a bit of a reunion tour. You see I'm meeting Jeremiah, aka Miah. For regular readers of my world travelers, you might remember him as I traveled south through Mexico. I then reunited with him just a week before the fateful day my bike slid out from under me on a rutted muddy road on the way to Uyuni, Bolivia. I broke my leg badly that day, and had to call it quits to my journey—that is, until I returned many months later and continued for another two years.

Jeremiah is heading from Durango, Colorado through the amazing southern Utah deserts, through Vegas and Death Valley. Had I departed earlier today I might have caught up with him at Furnace Creek in Death Valley National Park. But traveling, for me and by motorcycle, takes a warm up period. So while he baked in 116 degree heat and finally set up camp at perhaps the lowest place on earth, I'm hanging in the shadow of the tallest mountain peak in the Continental United States, or as my friends in public service might say, CONUS.

I look forward to riding again with Jeremiah. It's a short stint, but we're on a bit of photo odyssey. I hope to share images with you as we take in some of the best of the Sierra Nevada mountains and surrounding areas.

I finally found a dirt road that looped off the main highway. Closest I could come to real adventure today!

Hot days like these requires a lot of hydration.

Classic roadside signage in Lone Pine, California

Camping near the portals of Mount Whitney outside Lone Pine, California

Days Details:

291 miles traveled

Moving Average 61.1 mph

Moving Time: 4 hours 40 minutes

Total Time 6 hours 6 minutes

wish I had average and high/low temps!

I gave a presentation to a group not long ago and during the question and answer session I was asked a loaded question. One that I thought I'd share here. The question was multilayered and focused on what were the most important things I brought with me that without them my journey would've been much more difficult. And in the same breath was asked if at anytime I felt in danger and what did I bring to keep myself from trouble.

Almost instinctively I first acknowledged that the most important thing I packed on my trip was patience. For without it, it would've been hard to make any progress. Too many of us tend to get used to our own expectations. It's those expectations and the failure to realize them that causes frustration, anger and ill will. As for what did I use when I felt in danger, threatened or in a compromising situation? I brought the cheapest, lightest and frankly, most powerful weapon known to mankind. My smile. Not only does it transcend language, culture and political borders, it's so easy to use. Though I know some people might need a bit of training or practice in using it. Trust me. It's the universal language. And it works. I touch on these things in greater detail and in context with stories in my upcoming book.

The good news is that things are progressing nicely my two book projects. These should hit the bookstore shelves this summer. Two books? Yes. My travelogue adventure and discovery story tentatively titled "From the Boardroom to Bolivia and Beyond," is an exciting story of personal quest and adventure and explores the motivation of my three-year journey, my resignation from the company I founded, divorce and many lessons and discoveries along with the and nail biting adventure and challenge of my journey including finding myself in the jungle with two Colombian guerillas through the tragic injury in the middle of nowhere on the Bolivian Altiplano and to my journey home.

Yet it seems it's the second book that's gaining all the attention. For regular followers of my journeys, you'll remember that I had an epiphany a few months after returning from my journey. And that was after cooking a casual meal for good friends consisting of some of my favorite foods from my journey -- a moqueca from Brazil and an amazing Syrian salad. It was Bonnie's casual suggestion "Allan you should do a cookbook," that triggered this adventuring in cooking and food from around the world. The book includes some 30 recipes from most of the countries I visited. The book is designed to be an adventure and exploration in food, culture and geography. Thank you to all my friends from all over the world who've helped me track down recipes from those amazing local meals I enjoyed.

We're in the middle of photographing the food and our first batch includes recipes from Brasil, Syria, Turkey, Zambia, Rwanda, Uganda and Peru. Some time this spring I'll post a few of the recipes so you can try out the food. But you'll have to wait for the book to truly immerse yourself in the experience.

Many have asked if I'll be giving any public presentations this winter. As many of you know, I've been getting booked for a number of corporate meetings and conferences. These are typically prvate and closed events. However, I'm working with BMW to see we can't organize a mini-tour of dealers throughout the states. Ask your BMW dealer if they've received the notice from BMW corporate.

California - The WorldRider Podcast Returns - PodCast #21

Visit and subscribe to WorldRider PodCasts at iTunes Music Store

As the cliché aptly dictates, 'the rest is history.'

Modern day Alta California, or the 31st state to join the union, is the fifth largest economy in the world. But southern California, a significant contributor to that position, is an unlikely oasis smack in the middle of a grand desert -- unable to sustain itself with local water sources. Thus, the on-again, off-again rival with Northern California and the other Colorado River basin states -- many of which, ironically enough, were part of territories negotiated from Mexico.

Water is life. And while I certainly didn't need to span half the globe to find evidence of this notion, it hit me harder than I ever imagined as I skirted the border of Namibia and Angola while trekking Kaokoland and the African nomadic tribe of the Himba.  And then seeing how water is also death as the mighty Zambezi spilled and spilled its bounty into the flood plains of Mozambique and Zimbabwe forcing people to migrate and spreading disease along the way. We see it when the media makes it news. But until you really see it and see the people does it move one into action.

But here in California, we've somehow negotiated not only the state from foreign hands, but the water that we need to stay alive. Except we've negotiated that from our domestic brethren and neighbors. Fortunate to turn the tap and have the magical elixir quench our thirst instantly, this seemingly basic American privledge disappears once you cross that line once drawn by the missions which now is a wall separating the United States from Mexico and California from Baja California.

My around the world odyssey also took a turn when I crossed that line and entered Baja, California a few short years ago. On a rough yet beautiful road that parallels the pristine coast along the Sea of Cortez from Puertocistos to Coco's Corner through the Sonoran Desert, I found myself out of water. With temperatures north of 100 degrees fahrenheit, the often rocky and washboarded road eventually caused my shock to blow -- overheated, overworked and over done. Sandy washes caused me to dump the bike. And my overworked body was nearly dehydrated -- and there were no services, no taps, no convenience stores along the way. Exhausted and spent, I was saved by the one-legged man known to all as simply Coco.  

I often wonder what Baja California would be like had it been part of the Treaty of Guadalupe back in 1845. For more than 150 years it has remained wild, beautiful and host to wildlife that reaches the tops of its mountains to the coral reefs of the Sea of Cortex and the surf-pounding waves of the Pacific. And while its natural beauty is compelling on its own, the dolphins, whales, lizards, turtles, rays, birds and more all make for a fragile ecosystem that is in serious jeopardy.

The road from Puertocitos to Coco's Corner -- I'm told this is being paved today. I hope not.

The road often not forgiving.

The man only known as Coco.

Recent changes in Mexican law have opened the door for foreign ownership and development. And if not tended to with commitment to care and conservation, Baja, and what makes it so endearing and seductive could die. And that's why I spent my Saturday morning viewing amazing photographs and listening the words of the photographers that shot them at San Diego's Natural History Museum.

Ralph Lee Hopkins has been shooting nature for more than twenty years. Leading many photo adventures with National Geographic's Lindblad Expeditions, Ralph has traveled the waters from Alaska to Baja - and along the way touched whales, swam with dolphins and observed from afar the amazing polar bears. While the beauty cannot be denied, Ralph isn't shy to share those photographs which are not so beautiful -- photographs of places where human intervention and development have left open wounds and irreparable scars on the face of our planet. Ralph has teamed with WildCoast, a non-profit that aims to protect and preserve coastal ecosystems and wildlife in the Californias and Latin America.

This is just one of the amazing photographs of Baja California you'll see at Baja - the photo exhibit featuring Ralph Lee Hopkins  at the Ordover Gallery in San Diego's Natural History Museum.

While Ralph's photo work focuses on the ocean, sea and coastal areas of Baja, Saturday's exhibit and talk also included work and stories by Miguel Angel de la Cueva, who just weeks ago endured and watched the damage caused by Hurricane Jimena.

If you find yourself in Downtown San Diego (Balboa Park) I urge you to check out the exhibit of photographs by Ralph, Miguel and others on the fourth floor in The Ordover Gallery.

For those of you who made it to last night's presentation at San Diego BMW Motorcycles, I want to thank you for joining me and the guys at SDBMW. I had a great time and am please you enjoyed the photos, videos and storytelling.

For those of you who didn't make it, I'm sharing a handful of photos shot by good friend Rob Eccles.

I delivered my presentation on the showroom floor while those shiny new BMW's graced the front of the dealership. They wheeled my bike, Doc - my 2005 F650GS Dakar - onto the showroom floor for all to see. Yes. The same bike that traveled 62,000 miles through 35 countries over five continents. When the sun finally dipped behind the horizon, I delivered my presentation and hosted a lengthy Q&A session afterwords.

Also, the good folks at Airhawk donated a AirHawk motorcycle seat cusion for a raffle last night. For those of you who don't know about Airhawk and do any distance riding, you better hop on over to their site now and check out what could be the smartest accessory you'll ever buy for your motorcycle -- it'll save your ass! It did mine. I used one the entire three years and 62,000 miles. And I won't ride without it. You can see it in the photo to the right. One of the women attendees was the lucky recipient, Cincy Sutalo. She'll get her choice of an AirHawk Motorcycle Seat Cushion. Airhawk will also be giving away seat cushions at my other presentations -- you just might be lucky enough to win one!

But perhaps the best part of last night's event was the food. I had mentioned to Gary at SDBMW my plans to release a cookbook in early 2010. It was his idea to take the event up a notch and agreed to take some of my recipes and cook them for those who came to the event. Between the San Diego BMW staff and their spouses and customer volunteers they cooked an amazing array of delectable goodies. It was true family-style event from the cooking, to the serving to the community of riders and friends who joined us last night.

To recap the menu:

First Course: Syrian Fattoush Salad

Second Course: Brazillian Moqueca w/steamed rice

Third Course: Lamb Schwarma (Israel / Jordan)

Dessert: Malawian Banana Nut Cake (Malawi, Africa)

  

Judging by the instant feedback last night and the e-mails and posts I've seen already today, the food was a hit and the presentation was okay too!

Next Friday, July 24th, I will be in Northern California south of San Francisco giving my presentation in Mountain View at CalMOTO / CalBMW. While there won't be a four-course WorldRider-inspired menu service, it will be a great time and camaraderie and I'm sure a great audience and presentation. Hope to see you there.

I am happy to have the opportunity to bring my experiences, photography and video to a number of locations this summer. If you are in the neighborhood please drop in and say hi.   

I've put together a dynamic multi-media presentation that combines storytelling from my three-year journey, some of my best photography and a handful of video clips. There will be a Q&A at each event and I hope to ride Doc to each location.

July 17 - Friday - 7PM - San Diego BMW Motorcycles, San Diego

Gary Orr and his excellent team will host an international fare of foods from my upcoming WorldRider cookbook prior to my presentation. Come for the good food, camaraderie and WorldRider presentation.

San Diego BMW
5673 Kearny Villa Road
San Diego, CA, 92123
858-560-BIKE (2453)
GPS: N32°50.250' W117°08.083'

July 24 - Friday - 7PM - CALMoto, Mountain View

Kari Prager hosts me at California BMW Triumph Motorcycles in Mountain View for a multimedia presentation and Q&A.

Cal Moto
2490 Old Middlefield Way
Mountain View, California 94043
650.966.1183

Want Me To Speak Somewhere Near You?

If you, your company or your local motorcycle dealer are having an event or interested in hosting one with me as a speaker, drop me a note to discuss details and schedule! And stay posted here for updates for future speaking events.

Here I insert an image.... but I wonder how I can tell MacJournal where to put the file when uploading?

​

After my test, I find that I can insert an image and it uploads correctly, but I don’t know where that file is uploaded to. Also, it appears that MacJournal doesn’t allow me to use a thumbnail and an active link to a full size or large image of the file.

On first view, there is no intuitive interface. Just making a word link in the copy is not standard. The command-K keyboard pair handles this. Nor is there an intuitive way to center that photograph above. Or what about putting the photo inline?

So while in five minutes I’m able to write this text and insert a photo, I’m still lost. Is there a way to access or download a list of all my previous entries?

I notice there isn’t a quick “publish” button anywhere and must use the “share” menu to publish a blog entry.

Okay. I’ve figured out how to download all the entries from my blog. Though when doing so the program freezes this entry screen.

I feel lucky to have made this trip and to be sure the aclimation back into life in the USA has been interesting, if not challenging. Have I changed? Or am I just seeing things differently, perhaps with more awareness? Regardless, I've been taking time reconnecting with old friends while making new ones.

In fact, I've made lots of new friends both on the road and through the pages of my website through generous "friends", active commenters and curious and vicarioius travelers. That's perhaps the most rewarding part of my trip.

Since I've been back in the USA I've developed a strong friendship with a gentlemen who is on the board of directors of a non-profit organization that has touched a chord in me. As many of you know, I've tried my best to leverage technology in an effort to capture my trip and convey the essence of my experience through this blog. From digital photography, to dynamic PodCasts and video production and story telling, my computer and those things that plug into or integrate the technology have enabled me to learn, share and communicate simply and cost-effectively from virtually every corner of the globe.

But most of the warm-hearted and culturally rich people I've met over the past three years cannot do as I have done. Here in the USA and other developed nations, we have access to technology that allows us to grow personally while providing us an economic advantage. Often on my journey I've wondered what it would take to get this technology into the hands of the disadvantaged. I believe that with computers, internet access and training these people can improve education, healthcare and commerce -- ideally helping them become self-sufficient.

That's where the non-profit comes in.

I urge all of you to take a look at World Computer Exchange. This organization acquires computers that would be otherwise relegated to landfills, tossed into a heap in the garage or sit lonely awaiting just any bid on e-Bay. They then service the machines and ultimately get them into the hands of community leaders in third-world countries.   

Here's where you can help. Right now World Computer Exchange has a container shipment of personal computers destined for Senegal in western Africa. They're short about $3,400 for paying for this shipment to Africa. The gear in this twenty-foot container will supply 15 schools and offer 6,000 youth access to 200 computers. The Peace Corps in Senegal is involved in this effort too.

World Computer Exchange is a very small organization but extremely focused on bringing technology to underdeveloped communities. Ideally, World Computer Exchange would like to find contributing "sponsors" to cover the $3,400 container shipment to Africa.

For more information about the Senegal shipment and details of how you can help and send contributions visit the Senegal info page here.

More about World Computer Exchange - Expand Minds, Not Landfills.

Used computers connecting 2,500 schools, libraries, universities &
orphanages in developing countries.

700 volunteers building capacity in 500 partner groups in 67 countries in
planning, fund raising, content & partnerships.

Teams of volunteer tech professionals using vacation time to train & help
upgrade and troubleshoot networks.

Consortium of professionals promoting recycling of electronic waste in
developing countries.

I hope some of you, even in these tough times, will find a way to get these computers shipped to Africa.

Stay tuned for more on my WorldRider travels... soon!

I

2005

BMW

F650GS

DAKAR

2005 BMW F650GS Dakar

Though I'd owned a 2001 BMW F650GS, it was the standard GS version and not the Dakar. One thing that was critical in my decision to sell my trusty ole 2001 BMW steed and switch to a more modern 2005 was the size of the front wheel. The Dakar version of this bike sports a 21" front wheel while the standard F650 uses a 19". You'd think that the 3 inches wouldn't make a big difference. But it does. In rough terrain where you are pounding rough roads, often with large rocks or badly maintained paved roads littered with potholes, those extra three inches soften the blow and could make the difference between a rough bump and a bent rim. So in March 2005 I sold my F650 and worked with the great team at BMW of Santa Cruz County and bought the 2005 Dakar. The 2005 was the first year in BMW's fuel-injected F-series included twin sparkplugs. You see the 650cc powerplant is a single cylinder engine build by Rotax and modified by BMW for this bike. The extra spark plug helps smooth the ride while making sure that there's no unspent fuel in the cylinder chamber. I went through a painstaking process to determine the smartest, lightest and cost-effective accessories to outfit my BMW. This list is in no particular order, but in my opinion represents the best selection of accessories that offer protection, comfort and security for an around the world motorcycle journey. Modifications

1. Fuel Injected (BMW factory)

2. •Anti lock brakes (BMW factory)
   

3. •Heated hand grips (BMW factory)
   

4. •Garmin GPSMAP 276C
   

5. •Hepco Becker Engine Protection Bars
   

6. •Touratech Fork Protection
   

7. •Jesse Luggage (Odyssey Bags)
   

8. •Jesse Sidestand Xtender
   

9. •Wunderlich Sidestand Foot Enlargement Plate
   

10. •Wunderlich Folding Shift Lever
    

11. •Rok Straps
    

12. •BMW Top Case
    

13. •Wunderlich Rear Master Cylinder Guard
    

14. •Touratech Chain Guard
    

15. •Touratech Center Stand
    

16. •Touratech Heavy Duty Front Fork Springs
    

17. •Touratech Wider Foot Pegs
    

18. •Touratech shock mount locking GPS mount for Garmin 276c
    

19. •Throttlemeister Cruise Control (for heated grips)
    

20. •Saddlemen seat modifcation
    

21. •Works Performance Ultra Sport HD Rear Shock
    

22. •3” PVC Tube Strapped with hose clamps to engine protection bars for tools
    

23. •Ortlieb RackPack Dry Duffels (2) small size strapped to top of Jesse Bags
    

24. •Aerostich Tank Panniers Standard (black)
    

25. •Ventura Light-Guard Headlight Protection
    

26. •LED Pulsing Brakelight
    

27. •Bikestart Jumper Cable System
    

28. •PIAA 510 Riding Lights (changed to HID Cross Country in 10/2008)
    

29. •Aerostich Ultralight Motorcycle Cover
    

30. •BMW Front Fender Extender (Plastic) I learned of this in Cape Town and wish I had it fitted for the first 1.5 years of my journey. It’s an accessory for the old F650 pre-2000 and is inexpensive and avoids getting mud, dust and water splashed in your face.

    

    Al Jesse installs his legendary aluminum panniers, the Jesse Odyssey Bags, on my then new F650GS Dakar - May 2005.

    
    

    

    My original 2001 F650GS - March 2005.

    
    

    

    The old bike in Mexico where in 2003 I took a test ride prior to finalizing my plans to ride around the world. I spent more than two years resarching and planning this trip.

As I winded my way across Kansas I knew I'd be kissing the great plains good bye and would soon be climbing the steppes to the Rockies. Decisions must be made. As winter sneaks upon this part of the country I wonder where should I cross the continental divide. Have the Aspens begun their transformation? When will the first snow fall? And where?  

I set my sites on Colorado Springs. Two reasons. Two very dear friends, both of whom worked for me in some capacity or another in the past moved from California not long before I started this journey. My old company spawned a number of love affairs, relationships and marriages. But perhaps none has sustained like Heather and Doug. Doug an amazing illustrator and perhaps an even better watercolor painter met Heather, a production artist, designer and production manager there in the mid-90's. They shared passion for music, art, travel and wine. Seems that before I even knew what was going on, they were making marriage plans. Then came their lovely children, Frankie and Beckett. And they pursued their passion and love for the outdoors and moved to Colorado. Even better, they've opened an Art Gallery and Wine Bar (including serving delectable eats, I've heard) just outside the city in the historical district of Monument: The Second Street Art Market and Wine Bar. Anyone traveling between Denver and Colorado Springs or find themselves in that part of the country must visit!

Though as I crossed the border into Colorado, there was no hint of mountains, continental divide or anything but more silos, agriculture, tractors and field workers. My plan was to try to make to the Springs by nightfall, though I knew I'd be pushing myself and Doc.

Also in Colorado Springs I'd hoped to connect with another kindred spirit, Kyle. I never expected that I'd meet someone at perhaps the country's best producer of ear protection products -- for sound attenuation - that shared a passion for travel and motorcycles. I'd been using Westone products for more than 15 years when I contacted the Colorado Springs based company in 2004. In preparing for my journey, I knew I'd need a good set or earplugs or two that would make it around the world. I rarely ride my motorcycle without my Westone custom fit ear plugs designed specifically for motorcyclists. I also hoped to find high-quality custom earphones (or earbuds) that would be comfortable under a motorcycle helmet -- for those rare times I might be on a long road where music might make the miles go by quicker.

One of the executives of the company took an interest in my journey and helped me with the earplugs and buds. But two things happened to me in South America. First, some Ecuadorian school children took advantage of my absentmindedness and stole the earbuds I'd draped over the door in a gas station bathroom while changing into some rain gear. And the nasty winds in Patagonia got hold of one of my ear plugs and sent it sailing into the chilly waters near the Perito Moreno glacier.

When I contacted Westone again to requisition replacements I met Kyle. With a V-Strom and a restored 4 x 4, Kyle and his band of local friends love to take to the miles of dirt roads in and around the Colorado Springs area. Through my travels we communicated regularly and built a friendship. I hoped to finally meet him in Colorado Springs.

I continued to follow Colorado State Route 96. Through the town of Haswell, where I had to make the decision to pass on seeing the nation's smallest jailhouse. And then through Sugar City where 96 crosses railroad tracks that seem to have long been ignored. Soon came nightfall. Temperature dropped. Wind picked up. No sign of city lights. Dark and lonely on the prairie.

When I arrived in Monument I was greeted by happy faces, smiles and home cooked meal. Starting to really feel like I am coming home.