Friends, fellow adventurers & readers, Herewith possibly my last (major) post & surely the least exciting, but the writer & his wife/brilliant riding partner, Myriama, are heading to Australia. This, however, is not so much to advise of my movements as to thank all those who added to my GTR contributions for the overall benefit of all. The countries through which we are travelling are developing at a most rapid pace, but I trust these reports will be of assistance & interest to many in the short term. If I'd known how to post photos earlier I'd surely have furnished another full 2 years of reports - maybe I should take a leaf out of Jurgen's book, search for the photos & post a report, all-be-it slightly late; the quality of Jurgen's work certainly sets a standard worth following. The last 4 years adventuring through Thailand, Laos & Vietnam are amongst the best I've enjoyed. Living in another country for a longer period of time permits one to have a better understanding of the country's people & its culture & it's an extremely enriching experience. We've been blessed to have had that experience. Along the way we've met some wonderful people, made friends for life, lived a dream. The greatest rewards surely came not so much from commenting through one's own eyes but in trying to glean how the locals see it. Eastern philosophies, beliefs & culture have much to offer. I started posting as I felt a need to contribute back to a source of information that I had found invaluable, that had added so much to my own enjoyment of the countries through which we travelled. So a big thank you to GTR, to those who went before me & reported their journeys & to those that made their own invaluable contributions as we proceeded along the way. It goes without saying that it could not have been possible without Myriama who incredibly rode all we covered in Thailand & Laos on a Sonic & almost all of Vietnam on a Future. Safe riding & many a wonderful adventure to all, R
Rod You've been an absolute star & inspiration on GT Rider with your brilliant trip reports. You have made an invaluable contribution to building up a S E Asian motorcycle touring community. All your input has been highly appreciated, even though I dont get the time to comment on every post. Once & if you settle in to the 9-5 grind back home if you want to go through your archives & start posting your unreported earlier trips in Thailand & Laos - please do as they will be most welcome & well received. Thanks too for your brilliant warm friendship - we had a few superb trips & experiences together up country. All the best for Oz & hopefully we can still meet up in Vietnam for that ride & beer together.
Rod- You truly set a great example for motorcyclists and travelers as a whole on many fronts. Not only your fine reports, as commented on by many, but also your ability to deal with adversity and overcome obstacles that presented themselves along the way and in most cases transform them from problems to opportunities. Thanks for your friendship, kind words, and also your contributions to the Chiang Mai ToyRide. I hope to see you again somewhere "down the road".
Rod, Thanks for the words of advice/guidance prior to our Vietnam ride in April. You helped blaze the trail for many of us and your reports generated great interest in exploring Vietnam, at least for me. I wish you the best of luck in Oz and keep the shiny side up.
Hi Rod Page, Hi Friends, Thanks for all the good posts you wrote, from dow here where I stand in France most of the year "waiting for the great moment", for the "great jump", I read (or eat) your posts with a great interest and want to share the good time you enjoy ther; Congratulations, wish you the best in Oz, have fun and health...and as David allways says Keep the Power On
I have enjoyed your travels and reports immensely. You have set a very high standard for us to follow and I'm sure we will have fun trying to reach them. Thank you Rod and all the best for the future.
Well we will be missing your trip reports Rod, you have set the bar pretty high for us. I am sure that many many folk will benefit for years to come from all the info that you have posted for Thailand and for sure all the detailed and comprehensive information for VN, where not so many of us go to ride. However I am also sure that you will not be hanging up your boots up just yet. We enjoyed the rides with you and Myriama around Thailand greatly and have no doubt that we will do so again at some stage. In the mean time I look forward to the trip reports of riding around the Lord Dudley in Paddo, which will be a bit of a contrast to the cowboy bar in Wiang Haeng! Another great adventure awaits you, so safe travels and enjoy. Ron & Kob
Will miss your great posts Rod I suppose you are missing the Rugby season to much at home. You are going back to the cold and every one complaining about every thing. Its been great knowing you so keep in touch. You have lived a dream and yes its a dream many people would have loved to have done and you have done it better than most could have ever imagined. All the best to you and your family. Your former Bear mate David
Well Done to the Both of You! I wish You all the Best in Australia and please keep in touch once You are settled in as You may be surprised one Day and receive a Visit from Us!
Thank you one & all for your kind words. Its pleasing to read that one's efforts in reporting are so well received but I can assure you such praise pales into insignificance when considered in conjunction with the experience itself, the friends made, the personal enrichment gained. It intrigues me but as I write I see the Vietnam Trip Planning thread that I proposed & subsequently prepared has passed the 1000 readers mark & I find this particularly pleasing especially as without the usual reply option the thread does not get the usual boost in numbers that flow from such commentary. More than a pat on the back reply, however, it points to people genuinely preparing their travels into this beautiful country in using the thread. Alas the apparent difficulty in using the alternative comment section to reply sees the writer devoid of input to assist in its improvement. In all modesty I feel that the GTR Trip Planning threads for Vietnam & Laos provide the best, most comprehensive & up-to-date guide available for these two countries bar none! To witness this improvement flowing from the efforts of so many is most rewarding. I did not wish to single out any particular reply but one (which gave me a good laugh) talked of "Cowboys". For those who dont understand see http://www.gt-rider.com/thailand-motorcycle-forum/showthread.php/34463-The-quot-Chong-Loop-quot?highlight=chong+loop This is one of the great day rides out of Chiang Mai & I commend it to you. I'm looking forward to remaining abreast of things through the reporting of each & every one of you.
