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25 JAN 01
- MEETING WITH MRS LUDMILLA BILLICHENKO
| KURSK
CHILDREN VISIT ENGLAND |
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Yesterday I met with
Ludmilla Billichenko from Moscow,
who is assisting with coordination
of funds for the Kursk appeal. She has been a driving force these past
months ensuring all the money raised was distributed fairly to the
families of the Kursk Submariners. In addition Ludmilla with the
cooperation of the Russian and United Kingdom Governments and the
Royal and Soviet Navy has been bringing the orphan
children of the
Kursk Submariners to the UK for short holidays to help alleviate the
pain of loss. The Royal Navy has been proactive and supportive
ensuring the children have a fabulous time during there time here in
the UK. Ludmilla has promised to help were possible with my desire to
pay a small tribute to the
submariners who died on the Kursk, by arranging for me and Monika to
visit the Russian Submarine bases at Murmansk.
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LUDMILLA BILLICHENKO
Children of the sailors who perished on the Kursk SM |
Ludmilla is a remarkable
women, some would say a modern day Florence Nightingale. |
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25 JAN 01
- MEDICAL INSURANCE
I would like
to thank Victoria and Mr Portwood at
B
PORTWOOD & CO LTD
for the advice and assistance and great discount for
our medical insurance. They came highly recommended by Terra Circa, Mondo
Unduro and "The
Ultimate journey com".
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145 Newgate street
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Bishop Orkland
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County Durham |
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DL14 7EN |
24 JAN 01
- JABS, JABS, and more JABS !
Another
morning spent in the good hands HMS Raleigh's medical "A team". Dr Imm and
Marie the wards Sister, have been my World Tour case workers over these
past few months. This morning I gave blood and received more injections
which means I have now received the following:
-
Polo
-
Typhoid
-
Yellow Fever
(2001)
-
Ditherier
Still to
come:
The rabies
jabs have to be given over 3 periods spread over four weeks. Marie has
kindly agreed to create and laminated a few medical cards documenting all
the jabs received and expiry dates which I will copy and upload to my
hotmail account for download in emergencies and will carry a couple more.
A Team
No Pain
No Gain, No entry to Russia !!
OCEAN BMW
- PLYMOUTH / BMW GB - THE TEAM WORKS
Bill and
Peter at Ocean BMW - Plymouth have offered to service my bike and ensure
it is ready for the big one, Which will include a full service and strip
down with all electrical parts being cleaned and Silicone. A fantastic
offer for which I am really grateful.
The support
from "BMW GB" now extends to:
-
Bill and
Peter at Ocean BMW - Plymouth
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Steve Angus
at Cooper Reading Nr London
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Dave and
Chris at CW motorbikes Dorchester
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Shaun and
Kevin at Rainbow Sheffield
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Ron Simpson
- SPC BMW
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Kevin
Pascoe, David Taylor, Andy Dukes, Howard Godolphin at BMW GB.
Talk about
sharing the dream.
18 JAN 01
- DOCUMENTATION SCHEDULE
We aim to
have all the bike paper work completed by the end of January, which will
leave February and March free for Visa's. The support from
Sue Collins at the RAC has been
fantastic. If you are even thinking about over landing outside Europe then
email Su, as she will provide some useful facts and more importantly
provide you with a good incite into cost versus route. Next week we
complete all the Medication Jabs to include Aids. If you intend staying in
Russia longer than 3 months you will need an Aids certificate which costs
about £25.00 from your Doctor, assuming that is, you are negative !
Barclay bank
will be guaranteeing the Carnet, and don't be to quick to value the bike
as if you are selling it, remember the lower the value the cheaper the
carnet. There is no direct relationship between Carnets and Bike
Insurance. I valued my bike at £2.500 which means the value of the carnet
for stage one UK - USA is £5000.00, two times the value of the bike, The
carnett legally is not required until Japan, however We have decided to
activate our carnet's in Russia, better to be safe !!!
We are still
in discussions with BACKPACKERS our proposed medical insurance as we do
know from personal experience that they will repatriate in the unlikely /
likely event of an accident.
14 JAN 01
- DOMESTICS
When ever
you hear about overlanders talking about setting off to distant climates,
they will always discuss the preparation of the trip, but rarely discussed
is the planning required for what you leave behind. I can tell you this
has occupied more time these past weeks than the actual journey.
Thing to
consider:
Because all
this needs to be left to the last moment you will find when you should be
sorting out visas, carnets and bike preparation you will also be dealing
with the above, so leave plenty of time for the domestic issues.
06 JAN 01
MANY THANKS TO DAVID TAYLOR , KEVIN PASCO & ANDY DUKES - BMW GB
BMW GB Have
sponsored Monika a motor bike, a BMW 650 GS which has been modified with
crash bars, sump guard, panniers and extra electrical sockets. A fantastic
gesture, for which we are both extremely grateful.
Monika
- 650GS
There is not
enough room on this web site to thank everybody for their help. It is
remarkable the kindness and enthusiasm that has been bestowed to us this
past year. It is almost easy to take it all for granted because so many
have been generous with their time, money or products.
We have lost
count of how many invitations we have now received from all around the
world, especially the USA. Such kindness we will never forget.
Mention to a a Overlander that you are preparing for a trip and mention
you have none or little experience and you will receive his undivided
attention, not to mention the benefit of his experiences.
We have
every intention of documenting and filming our world tour and the very
first thing we shall do, is thank everybody that has supported us. It is
essential we promote the sponsorship or support we have been lucky to
receive, because all over the world there are people who dream about
motorbikes and distant climates and we would love them to receive the same
sort of help we have been lucky to receive.
26 Dec 01 -
ROUTE STAGE 1
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UK TO
ARCTIC CIRCLE |
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Ireland |
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Wales |
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Scotland |
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England - From BMF SHOW |
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France |
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Belgium |
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Netherlands Amsterdam |
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Germany – Berlin |
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Poland |
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Germany - Hamburg, Ferry
Rostock |
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Denmark Copenhagen (Amalienborg
Palace) |
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Sweden –
Gothenburg,(Gamla Stan / Skansen) |
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Norway - Oslo (Akershus
Fortress) |
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Sweden – Stockholm
(Gamla Stan / Skansen) |
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Finland - Heksinki
Ferry from Vassa |
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Sweden - Arrive on ferry
at Umea |
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NORTHERN
POINT OF EUROPE |
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Norway - Arctic
Circle (Akershus Fortress) Karnoyvaer (North Cap) |
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Finland - Border
Crossing a(Karigasniemi Norway / Finland) |
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WEST
COAST TO EAST COAST EUROPE / ASIA (Norway – Siberia) |
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Russia - Enter Murmansk |
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Russia - St Petersburg
(State Hermitage Museum, Peter & Paul Fortress and the Nevsky
prospect) |
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Russia – Novgorod |
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Estonia |
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Latvia - Riga |
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Lithuania |
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Belarus - Minsk (Praspekt
Skaryny / Ploshcha Nezalezhnastsi) VISA REQUIRED |
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Russia Moscow (Red
Square, Kremlin, The Volga) |
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Russia – Kurgan (Entry
to Kazakhstan) |
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ASIA |
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Kazakhstan – Astana
VISA REQUIRED |
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Russia – Novosibirsk |
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Russia (Naushki-Sükhbaatar
– exit point from Russia) |
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Mongolia – Ulaanbaatar |
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Mongolia - Gobi Desert |
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China – Beijing |
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Mongolia – Ulaanbaatar |
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Russia - Enter |
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Russia - Chernyshevsk
start of Zilov Gap (Trans Siberian to Vladivostok) |
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Siberia - Vladivostok |
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Japan Tokyo – Ship to
USA |
24 Dec 01 - Green Light
I spoke
to
Sue Collins (Overland Department) at
the RAC on the 24 December 01 requesting permission to submit documents
for Carnet, IDP, IMCV explaining I would like it all completed completed
before the end of January and she happily accepted. This would then
allow us to concentrate from February on our Visa.
24 Dec 01
- Europe to
USA: First year the guarantees will be for 200% of bikes value,
Carnet not required until Japan.
- Alaska -
South America 300%. Carnet not required to South
America.
- South
America - North Africa 500%. Carnet x 5 the value for Egypt.
- North Africa -
Asia is 500% of value to cover India.
- £50.00 (5 page carnet -
valid for 1 year)
- £55.00 (10 page)
- £65.00 (25 page)
- Bank guarantee fee of
£35.00 (unlimited)
- Bank guarantee £45.50
(limited guarantee)
International Certificate Motor Vehicle (ICMV) £4.00
- International Driving Permit (IDP)
22 Dec 01
We aim
to conclude this before the end of January 2002. One copy to be left
with our solicitor, and 1 copy to be scanned and emailed to Hotmail
account and 1 copy each on our persons, its best to be safe.
Registration Papers
International Registration papers
Carnet de passage F650GS / R1150GS
Driving Licence
International Driving Licence
Medical Insurance
Injection / Medical Certificates and log book.
2
x Passports for each of us.
Letter from Charity confirming association.
MOT if applicable
TAX Disc - (It may impress somebody)
VISA's / Invitation letters.
21 Dec 01
- Before leaving, it is also essential, if you
can, to get full details of the vehicle registration rules for any
country you could be passing through. Although these are often
available from tourist offices or embassies, the AA and RAC have
collated most of the information you will need and provide advice for
their members. Insurance cover providing for, at the very least, local
vehicle recovery is also a good idea. As most countries charge duty on
the importation of cars, those who drive in are also expected to take
their vehicles out, even if it is involved in an accident or fire. In
Italy, for example, it is illegal to dump a car, and computerised
records mean you can always be tracked down. Breakdown insurance can
be expensive, but it probably won't be as expensive as the fine or
recovery fee you may end up having to pay a foreign government's
embassy for leaving them to clear away what was left of your bike.
- The AA and RAC have co-operation deals with
their European counterparts, but once you've crossed the Bosphorous,
Mediterranean or South Atlantic, you will probably have to turn to a
company that offers near-worldwide cover, such as Europ Assistance (Perrymount
Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 1DN, tel 01444 444631). When
you come to sell at the other end, immediately contact the insurers to
cancel the balance of breakdown insurance time remaining, for which
you should get a rebate. Before leaving the UK, you should take two
photocopies of all your motoring documents, including those that prove
insurance registration, ownership, road tax and, if applicable, MOT;
together with your passport. You should take the originals with you,
keep one copy in a locked compartment in the vehicle and deposit one
copy in your bank or a PO box at home, where it can be checked out if
necessary. This should help you to prove ownership if the police in
any country or the insurance authorities require it. The papers will
also be useful when it comes to selling the car - as they show that
you own it and are therefore entitled to sell.
08 Nov 01
Aids
Certificate, not compulsory but possibly required. Imagine the scene
at your local doctors when you ask at the counter for a "Aids Test",
The receptionist whom you have known for year's does a double take
"What did you say" ? .... I would like an Aids test please because I
am travelling around the world on a motorbike. She is now completely
puzzled, you can see her in an instance reviewing the alternatives, is
he promiscuous, has his wife been messing around, or is he really
riding around the world on a motorbike ?
Seriously,
you could well be asked for a Aids certificate at a countries border
and the options are get one from your local GP or obtain one from a
sex clinic. The advantage of obtaining one from a sex clinic is that
you can have it done in private with out the need to have your test
submitted in your medical file. The down side is, you could well see
your neighbour in the same clinic which could take some explaining.
Your local GP would have to submit an Aids Test in your records and it
is getting more common for Insurance companies to ask "Have you had
the test" and if you have declared "No" and in the unlikely event of a
serious illness where you insurance company would have to pay out,
they would ask to see your records and if they see you have had a test
and not declared it. It could well have serious ramifications.
Have
you fallen foul of the Police in the past and now have a criminal
record, well what do they have on you. Not really relevant if you are
an English, but countries such as America will insist on seeing you
record prior to issuing a Visa if you are a foreign National. It's
better to be safe especially if you are stopped to have in your
possession a record that says you are and always have been a good boy.
08 Nov 01 - NATIONAL EXHIBITION CENTRE - BIRMINGHAM
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BMW STAND - NEC SHOW NOV
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Andy Dukes - World of
BMW |
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Monika and Andy Dukes
(650 CS) |
Charlie Batty |
06 Nov 01
- NEC Motorcycle Show -
Birmingham
- GSCLUBUK
Monika and I have been
fortunate enough to receive an invitation from BMW GB to attend the NEC
to talk about our impending world tour. This for us will be the
realisation of our dream. In six month time we have departed the shores
of England heading North to the Arctic Circle prior to crossing the
borders of the old Soviet Union. I don't know why but for me personally,
I will not feel the adventure has began until we cross into Russia at
the end of May 2002. What ever the future brings nothing can
take away what a fantastic year it has been for both me and Monika.
04 Nov 01
-
International Registration Document
Until I heard from the lads
in Japan (Terra Circa) I had no idea these exist and more importantly you
require one to enter Japan so ensure you obtain one to complement your
original Registration papers. Terra Circa have also located an English
Speaking shipping agent in Osaka - Japan details to follow.
04 Nov 01
I checked on his web site
for the first time in a month and his site has now been revamped and it
has to be said it looks really impressive. Have a look at
www.rauchertour.com.
02 NOV 01
-
OVERLANDER'S COME TO VISIT
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Plymstock Inn 03 Nov 01 |
kelly
1st left |
Morning After |
A really nice weekend, made
better by the company we had stay with us in Plymouth this weekend.
Left to right picture one:
- Monika (Red) RWT 2002
- Louise Hillier
(Motorcycle sports and leisure / RWT 2002)
- Mark Manley (Almost
RWT - remaining continent Africa)
- Sam Manicom (RWT 1992
- 2000)
- Gary (RWT 2002)
- David Parkinson (RWT -
1984 - 1998)
- Simon (RWT 2002)
- Tiffany Coates (RWT
1996 - 2000)
There can be no better way
of preparing for a RWT than receiving your information right from the
horses mouth, add to that a dozen bottles of wine and tales of Adventure
from every corner of the world and what you have is the makings for a
fantastic weekend and that is exactly what we had. Top tip of the weekend
from a females perceptive has to be "SEA SPONGES" which are used as a
replacement for Sanitary towels. Apparently just three of these can be
used for a RWT adventure. Rinse and Go !
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