65 days to go but who's counting

Two months to go. Actually 65 days to be exact. Not that we are counting or anything J

Dale is heading off this weekend to drop the bikes down to Phoenix. Once that is done we are in a holding pattern for things to do. We there is lots to do but the intense part is done, for me at least. The bikes are as ready as they can be. Spare parts and tools are selected and packed. Riding gear has been cleaned, repaired as required and sent down with the bikes to Phoenix.

Well there is always more trip planning. We have been going over itineraries for months. This is Dales area of expertise. He and Brad have traveled through much of Mexico and Central America so I am leaving some of this to their expertise. That said I am still poring over maps, travel guides and vacation brochures for ideas of where to stop and visit.

There are some of the basic things to see: Colima the classic Mexican colonial town, Atlin volcano, Antiqua, Costa Rico canopy tours, etc. Then there are the beaches, resort towns, the myriad of small rural town along the way. But what we are really searching for, in my mind, are the people.

Whenever and wherever you go it is the people who make the difference. Yea you will take the photos of the ruins and the sunsets and of the motorcycles parked somewhere but it will be the people you will remember. The people you meet; the people you interact with in the hotels, the customs officials, the police – hopefully not to much – and the other travelers. It is meeting people like ourselves but from another country and culture exploring the similarities and differences.

It is also the people who make you look at your own life and try to put it into some perspective. Perspective regarding how we live our lives, both materially and culturally. Will we come away from the trip changed individuals? Will it make us “harder” or more cynical to the world around us that is not of our culture? Will it make us more open to idea and ideals? Will it make us appreciate our family and friends more and maybe make our ubiquitous North American quest for material things less important. I guess these are some of the things we are going to find out for ourselves.

Or we could be a bunch of middle aged men looking to ride motorcycles, eat interesting food, drink beer and not have to answer a cell phone for 5 weeks. Guess we will find out