Lantie, Holly, Rock and I were in a little bar, right on the malecon in San Felipe. It was New's Years 2003/04, if fading memory serves. I remember I was having sopa de pescado, and very good it was indeed. We were sitting around yakking when this booming voice addresses me over my shoulder. I turn on my seat, staring at a belt buckle directly in front of my eyes... Looking up, waaaaay up, I see the friendliest of giants.
Having overheard some of our conversation, he introduces himself as Paco, Spanish for Frank. We have a jolly old talk, his Ingles was muy bien. Standing over 7 feet tall, and weighing about the same as my DR650 and Holly's Suzuki TS250 combined, my new friend Paco had to stoop, to get in the doorway.
I have met soooooo many people while biking. I am always inspired when I travel and awed by the willingness of strangers to approach just so they can talk motorcycles.
Everyone has their experiences to share with me, whether it's the great grandmother that wanted me to know her husband had courted her while riding a sidecar equipped Matchless, or the young guys that encourage me to 'wheelie' my dirt bike for their personal entertainment in down town La Paz, to Paco here, just interested in buying some gringo's a fria cerveza.
What a fabulous experience this has been.
I can't share enough what a wonderful, delightful, interesting and rewarding world, two/three wheeling has opened up for this revolutionary refugee young boy.
So... I'm officially, retired!
Yup that's right, after several careers, including 20 years in the MC biz, I have pulled the plug on this life and and heading off to the next. Not literally of course, figuratively. The immediate plan is to hop a plane on Wednesday and wing it to Glendale. Once there I will change the gearing on the newly aquired XT350 and do some local riding.
From my first "touring bike" R 60/5 (pictured above), right on up to a Diversion in Europe, spanning many months, I learned that touring is really a state of mind. Hell. Rob, Paul and I even rode YSR 50's from PEI to T.O.
Like Clive Cussler says... "Get your ass off that couch and get out there!"
Stay tuned for the next report from sunny Phoenix AZ:)
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