Responses to comments - and half a post.

Responses to comments:
Brett: Um, I kept most of the swearing off camera.... but I do have a piece recorded that I'm confident would get my money back ;-) Ahh youtube. It provides a podium for nobodies to get heard!
Cassie/Charlize: Glad to have you along - yeah it was fun crossing the river.
Steven: New career... no one could pay enough money to make me do this crap lol. Nah, it could be fun, but I think one risks becoming a sellout if you rely on advertisers to feed you. I can be unbiased this way. When we return, I intend to write to the suppliers who's products have worked perfectly to thank them for making decent equipment. There are some products that we use each day that make me shake my head thinking 'how is this thing still working?!' It doesn't take long before the cheap products fail and the better products prevail.
All: Glad to hear you liked the video - I thought it was stupid and was very reluctant to post it.

I'm going to manufacture run-flat tyres. They are going to be horrible and rough when flat, but my oath they will be round and enable you to get home. That, or an internal beadlock system that works as a run-flat which you can retrofit to any tyre/wheel combination. Don't anyone steal my ideas! Lucky this is only going on the internet.

Graeme's half post:
Over our cups of tea, we just finished watching episode 7 of Long Way Round - the inspiration for this trip. I had made a point of not re-watching any of the show leading up to this adventure. I'm not sure why, but I didn't want to somehow wear out the experience. We watched the episode tonight to to see if we could spot which rivers were where etc. Throughout the trip so far, I've felt that we were having a very different experience. A good experience, but different. I'm sure that frustration had simmered within me due to an inability to match my memory of the hollywood production with our real life adventure. I was wrong on several counts:1) I didn't appreciate how scarce resources would be
2) I didn't appreciate the distances
3) I didn't appreciate that we're actually in outback Russia. I figured it would be sparse, but populated. It freaks you out to see big dots on the map, but rows and rows of buildings with smashed windows, obviously uninhabitable. It gets your hopes up, then smashes them big time.

Of this single episode we've watched, most of it is linearly correct with voice overs and video diary's being the only opportunities to flash back and tell a story. In our own very basic productions, it has proved very difficult to compose something interesting to watch, whilst retaining accurate timeline. The lesson we can take from this, is that no one will ever know if the timeline is inaccurate, but they will certainly know if something is boring.

After seeing the actors arrive in Magadan, I have a few observations:
-The chronological order of the episode was flawless.
-Seeing sights and scenes that we have witnessed first hand is terrific - it triggers that weird celebrity stalker vein in you. But about places, not people ;-)
-We stayed in the same hotel in Magadan! It's so weird to see it on TV when you were just there! We noticed that the inner door was still in their room, ours was removed.
-I'm a bit sad we've missed out on the old summer road adventure, but perhaps we were kidding ourselves thinking we could take it on our own.
-If I was to come back to do the old summer road, I'd fly into Yakutsk or Magadan. I wouldn't drive from Vladivostok JUST to do the OSR. It's exhausting. It's a bit like driving to Brisbane from Perth to go to Fraser Island. By the time you get there, all the adventurer in you is sapped.
-I've had the opportunity to DO SOMETHING in life! I get that this dream wasn't for everyone, but sometimes I'll stop and think where I am and be speechless about the opportunity I've had.-Part of me is sad that not everyone gets this opportunity, but then again, they don't just fall in your lap - they are damn hard work.
-I've also learned that if you put one foot in front of the other, you can do ANYTHING! Everything is impossible until you start.
-I'm indebted to Cassie. I don't know anyone else who would put up with this obsession for so long. Thank you for also giving me this opportunity through all your hard work and patience.

I feel like a huge chapter of my life will close by making it to London. I feel like so much of my life has been obsessed with this adventure, hopefully not at the detriment of any other facets. I do feel a bit guilty for pursuing this dream so relentlessly. I don't know why I've had to do this, but I just did.
I have heard you can see one or both of the bikes at a London museum. That would be mind blowing. About as mind blowing as touching a moon rock.

Don't feel sad by my occasional deep and meaningful posts, just be thankful that you've had a rare insight into what makes me tick. I'm certainly not sad or down in any way. I've had and am having the most terrific time! Who else can you say is actively pursuing their dream?!
PS. Just a heads up, I had heaps of trouble posting the last blog, so in the event we stop making posts, you can assume some element of the transaction has failed big time(sat phone, laptop etc). Hang in there, we'll make posts once we reach big cities. We're thankful for the SPOT, it's been perfectly reliable, except in cities with highrises - that stuffs it!

Position: 12-07-18 19:39:57 +1200 +0000
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