Online-Report Kite & Bike Dreamtour IV
Online-Report Kite & Bike Dreamtour IV
JJ´s report from June, 19th.:
We arrived safetly and the flight was a dream. It is always a pleasure to fly over the atlantic again, over the icecovered hudson bay and then finally to arrive in sunny California.
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We already have begun to drive to freedom on highway 1 towards malibu, the smell of the Pacific and three godless Motorbikes.
I experience wonderful fealings of freedom, my lungs are flooded with the smeel of the Pacific Ocean, and I realise I have arrived in the land of the Easy Rider.
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As our luggage got lost our start was delayed, however you can rely on our leaving soon. Probably tomorrow we are of towards Flagstaff, Arizona through the 48° Mojave Dessert.
Sometimes one prays for the baggage to arrive.
The older guy on this picture is Gene Thomson, Harley Fleetmanager.
Bartels is the start of the kite&bike tour, a local harley dealer, the other drivers are Jens Fromme, Michael Pastor and Jörn Töpfer.
June, 20th.:
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We went for a quick swim in the pacific, two pelikans above us, when all of a sudden we saw 6 dolphins ahead of us. It was absolutly amazing, a great experience.
As to the tour itself: 800 km of driving nearly drove the gang crazy, because we had to cross the Mojave dessert at 52 degree and were 11 hours on the go. I even got got my skin grilled and I was very tired at the end. Apart from the
blisters on my hands the Harleys are great.
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June, 21th.:
Well, we are now off to the Grand Canyon, having spent about an hour in the pool. We still have 45 degree localy, but the morale of the group has improved again.
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22nd of june:
After the absolut fantastic outlook from desert view... Grand Canyon, we are off to page, another highlight of the tour, since we are visiting the antelope canyon, a native monument of the navajo indians. The Canyon itself has been formed by wind and river and if you are standing inside, you can hear the spirits talking to you.
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Afterwards, we throw away helmets and jackets, because we ride through monument valley, no helmet law, great ride, about a 110 degrees and the classic harley feeling. Off limits, just the road and I.
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23rd of june:
After a night in Moab-Utah we are heading towards pocatello-idaho. On the way up there, one utah policeofficer seems to be concerned about three harleys with manufacturers plates. He stops us and we have a pleasent talk about the good old harley days. Nice man.
Idaho offers and splendid outlook towards beautiful landscape and I find the time to fly my kites at devils creek. Simply beautiful.
The night, we join some locals at a karaoke festival and have a ball, because they love our accents.
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24th of June:
In pocatello the team splits from the commander. Michael and Jens want to go whalewatching in Portland and I am about to go to the sundance of the Blackfoot up north in the Blood reservation. It leaves a harsh feeling when we blow horn on the highway, as they turn west and I go north.
The way north through Idaho is pretty much covered with rain, but I seem to get through without a drop, like magic.
25th of June:
Montana wheather. As I go up north I am facing 8 bft. of wind and my bike is jumping from one lane to another. I feel like I am being transferred like a feather. Additionally you do not see any cars of hours. It is so wonderful.
How many different aspects you face, riding a harley. You are in a way part of enviroment, as you travel in direct contact with nature, you smell, you feel the heat directly on your skin, you feel the wind blowing at you and you are one with your sorroundings. I just love it.
Especially since all the people I meet are so happy to see a guy, living american dream to get a bike and hit the road.
26th of June:
For one week I participated in the sundance ceremonies of the Blackfoot Confederacy-Bloodtribe. It has been one of the most fascinating things I have done in my life.
These people dance for 4 days without drinking and eating, being pierced and connected to their wholly tree, for the healing of mother earth, for the healing of man kind. And even though I am a white man, they treat me with respect and dignity.
I really have to thank each one of them, to let me be part of their most powerful ceremony, they have. I will furthermore dedicate my work, for the financial and personal support of this important cultural heritage. This is something to be preserved, to be honoured and supported.
My salary for the articles I write, will all be donated to the Blackfoot Foundation.
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After the sundance I went through the rockies to find back to myself and discovered the most wonderful mountainlakes, the splendid experience to ride highways with streams going along, where salmon might jump any time and to swim in crystal clear mountain lakes to relax an enjoy the richness of mother earth.
I will get back to you, when I am back in L.A. at Bartels.
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Thanks to the Boys from |
and the Tour goes on:
So after the sundance and the tour through the rockies I decided to have a little stop over in Great Falls Montana. Smart move, since it was the weirdest wheather ever.
As I was checking in at the hotel some cowboy in front of me turned around and said: "So, you are a Harley man?" and I answered: "Yo, and you are a cowboy?". That was the start of a great talk, that Marvin Kimmet and I started later in a bar. We had so much in common about nature and other life aspects, that he invited me to his farm to become a wrangler and finally learn, how to handle horses, without jumping up and down in the saddle. Great talk, thanks marvin.
Nethertheless I hat to continue to L.A., so I went about 1200 miles in 2.5 days, through Montana, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Nevada and California. A ride through at east 10 thunderstorms with 150 lightnings, through gusty winds along with severe rain, through 120 degrees in Mojawe, but always happy to sit on my Harley because this is, what makes a man happy from inside.
I really enjoy riding my bike and whenever it gets too rough, I remember the saying of my friend shooting in the air: ...if you face a storm in life, be like the buffalo is the only animal, that takes down the head and walks through the storm, to pass it even faster... so I do, with every situation in life, I face it, I walk through it and I see the light, when storm is over.
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Now I am back in L.A. and I will cruise a bit, to get some more pictures and chill out. My heart is already breaking, thinking, that I have to give the Harley back on wednesday.
17th of July:
The last pictures from L.A.
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 I love L.A. |
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The last days I spent 24 hours a day on my bike and ride at the finishline, just one hour before I had to enter my airplane the Fleetcenter gave me the newest Harley Davidson invention, the V-Rod. What a farewell... My heart was broken, to leave my bike in L.A.
The lonesome rider JJ
