FreeSpirit Adventure Tours - Blogs
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Saturday, 29 August 2009 11:26 |
"As A Child I Was Fascinated By Flying Machines..."
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As a child I’d always been fascinated with things that flew or sailed; engines, machines, electricity and things mechanical.
I studied, trained and worked in the aero-industry with Rolls-Royce in Bristol, SW England for 8 years, but Rolls-Royce was a place where one had to wait to fill a dead man’s shoes. I had more important things to get done. It was time to climb another rung of the ladder.
Postgraduate studies at Cranfield followed 7 years of sharp edged aeronautics - forecasting, statistics, mathematics, computers; I started all over again.
In the late 1980's Total Quality Management was the buzzword; my Cranfield Masters set me up for a series of jobs in the City of London, though Banking and Insurance, I was to discover, were not for me.
Late 1991, I quit my job, packed-up in London and headed north to my home town of Stamford in Lincolnshire. |
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Read more about A Little Bit About Me
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Friday, 28 August 2009 21:28 |
"Getting To Nowhere Fast!"
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| Sometimes I get the chance go on a long solo ride; weeks rather than days. With an interest to explore new regions and states I’ve yet not explored.
I plan routes into less developed regions, places less visited and usually off the major trucking routes I ride to places of historic, cultural, architectural, religious and geographical interest.
But it’s not always easy. It takes time and buckets of patience. Riding across large tracts of India often calls for several days of hard slog. It’s often quite hard to get to the brilliant bits.
Then the adventure starts by default, if it hadn’t the moment you kicked-off! How to get to your start point? Indian Railways is one way.
The largest rail network on earth, carries 18 million passengers and over 2 million tonnes of freight, through 6,909 stations, every day. The odd lost parcel is inevitable.
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Read more about Indian Motorcycles On Indian Railways
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Sunday, 23 August 2009 15:09 |
"It's Not Over Till The Fat Lady Sings!"
We returned back to Delhi adventures over, the ride done. We were all in one piece; the motorcycles intact and we were all satisfied that the route had taken us to some very beautiful places whilst commanding our very best riding skills.
Early tummy upsets - largely due to the heat of Delhi and India’s rich masala dishes, dampened our enthusiasm a little, but we pressed on and after a couple of days we were all back on form.
Riding with one guest rider is always a challenge and Mark remarked at the end that Sherap and I had cared for him excellently - yes he really used that word. The balance between keeping a watchful eye on a rider new to the quirks and dangers of Indian traffic and giving a free rein soon evened out and within a day or two Mark was happy to lead and ride on a few kilometres scouting the route ahead for us.
It’s not our style to ride in India-file all the way, leaders and followers in strict position. We don’t control our riders with radio sets, checking speed and progress all the time.
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Read more about Spiti Valley August 2009
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Monday, 20 July 2009 17:21 |
"So What’s It About? This Twittery Thing."
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Call me an Innovater, I like Early-Adopter, call me quick, I’m 3 years late. FaceBook died, for me at least. No lack of friends, but who wants ‘teddies’. Ok I came back but I’m a Returner too. What’s wrong with Skype? “...can’t live without it.” But Twitter? “Oh Pete, please shut up!”
It’s not SMS, you get only the 140; perfect for those who can keep it short. Who needs 160 when you’ve got the #Hashtag? RealTime PeelTime but Tweet all the same. Why not to @Zenshine sunshine and joy. Banter with Keith AT PearlyDean, tweet him a Tiny URL and tell a story in half a jiffy.
Then you bump into @BusinessBiker Dwain from deep down south, who writes and rides. Or @SunnyRyder, who rides and writes. I met @Chesshirecat and @CarolCasey ‘a DIETITIAN & Patriot Guard Rider’. I found @REBullet from Napier New Zealand, who’d bought a 500 and been for a ride.
What's it about? It's Twittery Twoo. @PeterFrancon.
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Thursday, 16 July 2009 13:04 |
“Petrol, Ignition And Kill-Switch On!”
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We use a quick-fit pannier luggage system, four clips each side. Stow loose ends, tank bag, day bag all strapped on. A quick walk-around for final checks; tyres, brakes, engine oil level, ‘manhandle’ the bolt-ons; nothing loose!
I’ve zipped up my jacket, helmet secure, goggles, bandana and gloves to finish.
Mine’s on its side-stand and I mount from the left or I risk a burn. The bike feels solid and I feel the balance. Then decompress and ‘kick’ oil to the mains.
Petrol, ignition and kill-switch on, decompress and zero the ammeter. Then follow through with a smooth firm kick and a sip of the twist-grip brings it all on.
Snick it up for first, turning heads for the ‘lifesaver’ and we’re off. Weave through side streets and onto the highway. Remember to breathe! The adventure’s begun! |
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When Is A Fruit Not A Fruit |
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Wednesday, 15 July 2009 14:15 |
"Coast Road Rides And A Bag full Of Cashew Nuts"
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Out riding one evening along a coast road in Goa, I’d stopped to enjoy the sea-view across a large cashew orchard. Local Goan people returning home from harvesting the nut, gave me a bag full of this strange fruit, two of which were bearing the nut.
The soft fruit - or false fruit as it’s know technically, which when eaten has the effect of sucking the moisture from your mouth, is used to produce a wickedly strong liquor called arrack or feni.
The nut is roasted to remove the double shell whose phenolic content burns and scars the hands of the nut roasters.
In 2008 India was the third largest producer of this exotic and expensive nut, harvesting over 600,000 tonnes of cashew nuts. The Cashew nut originally brought by the Portuguese from Brazil is now grown in over 30 countries with a warm and humid climate. |
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A Watched Pot Never Boils, Dry |
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Wednesday, 15 July 2009 11:56 |
Does Your Pressure Cooker Have A Broken Handle?
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An essential cooking utensil in any Asian kitchen is the pressure cooker, a simple device with few parts, rugged and reliable. Its gentle hissing can be heard wherever you go, heralding an impending meal of rice, dal and if you can afford it mutton curry.
Yesterday, I was charged with the simple task of turning off the gas after only a few minutes, when the rice would be ready. As I stood and watched it, it occurred to me that I’d never seen a pressure cooker without a broken handle and thought...
That's daft enough, I’ll write a piece about broken pressure cooker handles and nipped back to my desk.
Hissing forgotten, words flowing off the keyboard a story was written. As long as it took to write these words, the hissing ceased and silently the contents began welding itself to the inside. Satisfied I’d covered the details I returned to the kitchen and felt that dreadful feeling... I’d burnt the rice! |
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Day Dreaming On The Road To Langtang |
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Monday, 13 July 2009 21:10 |
"How many times did I ride to Langtang?"
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...and how many times did I swear "Never Again!"
The first 75k’s just get you warmed up. Then the Bullet begins to rattle. Exhaust brackets fracture, mirrors start flapping; seat feels like iron, then the fork seals pop. Bones jarred to splinters then the black-top just stops; I knew it would. 65kms more of low gear shuffles, on a road made of pebbles.
How nice would it be, for forks that take out the knocks, to twist and roar up the steep climb, on a frame that clings to the mountain side and dances across the landslides?
Sometimes a smooth bit and back in the saddle, ease the pain, an instant of pleasure; blurred fantasies of a powerful off-roader, then wide awake with a bottomless fall. Slippery mud, the landslides at Dunche with the sun fading as you loop down to Shyabru.
My dream bike... |
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Touring In The Rain Without A Front Fender |
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Monday, 06 July 2009 14:09 |
"Ann Daly Touring New England On Yellow Sunshine"
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"I do have the original yellow fender, but its back in D.C. in a box in a friend's garage.
I like the way it looks better without the fender, but its rained so much, I couldn't take the fountain thrown up by the wheel anymore.
I picked up the other one off a wrecked bike at the shop when I was getting the bike repaired.
Not a bad attempt at a paint job, if I say so myself - first time I've painted a bike and first time I've painted anything in a parking lot ;)”
Ann Daly riding her "Oh So Yellow Sunshine" Harley Sportster, has just returned from a month long Motorcycle Tour of New England.
Ann plans to ride Tigers and Temples with us in February 2010.
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Sunday, 07 June 2009 11:10 |
"Highway Banda! Riding Across Nepal On An Empty Highway"
 Riding solo on Nepal’s arterial east west Mahendra Highway recently, from Kathmandu to Nepal’s western border, revealed a country in desperation.
The highway had been closed for 9 days due to a Banda called by Tharu political activists - protesting a recent inflammatory government statement regarding their ethnic origin.
People I met on my journey told me in varying degrees of the hardships they were suffering.
Food scarcities, one man hadn’t worked for days, little or no petrol at the pumps, violent mobs controllers of the highway, lawlessness was plain to see.
Alone for 750kms, beautiful jungles, crossing huge rivers, pushing the 500 all the way, a hot breeze in my face; twisting Himalayan foothills, ‘straight as a die’ across the Terai and not one beat was missed.
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