Half a Day around Goa

I'm attending a meeting in Goa, and before it starts decided to hire a scooter for the afternoon. 

After a brief pootle around Donna Paula where I'm staying, I decided to head south to the home turf of the legend that is Alex Pirie, the owner of Nomadic Knights, the company with which I started my overseas biking adventures many moons ago in India. 

Unfortunately Alex is away on a tour up in the Himalayas, but I visit his manor, Colva, as I meandre my way south and imprint BD on the neighbourhood. 

Lovely beaches - I can see the attraction of life in Goa!

I'm used to manic driving from my many trips in developing countries, but apparently Goa has the highest accident rate. Doesn't seem anything out of the ordinary from what I can see, your still need to use the horn judiciously. 

I keep heading south to Benaulim where an ex-work colleague from my GEC Hirst Research Centre days now lives with her husband. While they finish watching the Wales Japan rugby I visit their local beach. Very nice. 

But the weather is closing in, looks like a storm is on the way. 

The half fuel tank I had at the start now indicates into the red, so I fill up. I ask for 500Rs worth, but only 350Rs goes in. That's only a few litres. The attendant tries to short change me, but a lady on a scooter behind intervenes and I'm issued the right amount - thank you!

I head further south and come across a sandy track that emerges into a much quieter area with the best beach I've seen and very few people around. 

But in the distance I can see the waves are white topped and a few rollers land on the beach. There's a power boat that jumps the waves heading out!

The match over, I meet up with Bee and husband Dave for coffee.

They moved here years ago and are well settled, even starting up a local rugby club for the kids. They've handed that down to others now, but still follow the local tournaments as guest VIPs.

Time to get back, as I have to return the scooter by 8pm, so I set off on the small roads leading to the NH66 trunk road. But before I get there the heavens open and it's now really pouring. On top of that it's now dark and rush hour! With car headlights on full beam and the rain inside and outside of my visor it's hard work. I stop under a bridge to shelter for a bit.

Restarting, the rain has eased a little but it's still challenging. It's probably also good practice for the rainy season in Indonesia whose adventure follows in a week's time - stay tuned.

I join the NH66 but traffic becomes clogged in places - Google says a 14 minute delay, but I make good progress in gaps, and on the dirt at the roadside, leaving the traffic behind me. 

Traffic and weather cleared, and this little locally produced 125cc Yamaha is not a bad little mount. I've not ridden scooters much, but this one is agile and can do an indicated 90kmph.

I eventually get back to Dona Paula and return the bike, somehow, with 30mins to spare. 110km today and the petrol gauge still indicates almost full despite the crazy ride back. These really bikes barely use fuel.

Upnarth - Monday, a 9-5 tribute to Dolly

Hugo leaves us before we leave Snads. Five hours later he reaches home.

Steve, Ray and I depart (9am). We are in a tight schedule as Ray needs to catch the ferry to be back in time for a family reunion.

We stop to admire the statue of Alice Nutter, the last witch to be hanged in Britain. 

Apparently one of her last descendants lived in Barnoldswick. She used to wash her windows at night while stark naked. Her dog roamed the streets shitting everywhere. When the local council said the dog needed to be on a leash, she obediently attached one. Without a human in the loop the dog no doubt continued to shit indiscriminately! 🤣

No more stops except to empty our tanks. Steve sets a blistering pace on the damp roads, but it's hard not to ignore the magnificent Yorkshire Dales. The roads are awesome and there's not much traffic despite being a bank holiday long weekend.

We arrive at Devils Bridge by 11am, where we say goodbye to Ray. It's a popular bikers stop and there are many other bikes parked up. We have a coffee while there.

I resist the urge to jump.

Then we wend our way though the Dales, but this time stopping more often to take pictures.

We stop for a spot of lunch at the Wensleydale Creamery, where I order a 'South Canadiano coffee' to go with my cheese roll, but my humour is lost on the young server, no fault of theirs. 

Steve has a cheese scone

After that we go cheese tasting, sampling the various cheeses for sale. I manage to leave with an arm full of goodies.

Then more great views.

We reach a series of gates, where we have to stop, open, ride through, and close the gate, each time. Just after the last one I set the bike on its stand so I can close the gate, but I left it in neutral. It doesn't rolls forward, off the stand, and topples over... 🤦🏽 Rookie mistake. 

The gear lever is broken. 

Luckily nothing else is damaged. I ride the next 10km or so, trying change gear, but the sharp edge is damaging my boot and it's especially difficult to change up a gear. We stop and I do a makeshift repair with a scrap of duct tape and a short piece of twig. Surprisingly it makes enough of a difference to allow me to change gear more easily. 👏🏽

Steve asks if we should cut the day short, but I'm good to go. My F800 engine is flexible enough to just about pull away in 3rd gear, which can also reach motorway speeds. But on the longer straights I snick it into 4th. We carry on for about an hour continuing to make good progress.

As soon as we get back (5pm) I set to work fashioning a replacement gear lever, rummaging around in Steve's garage for bits. 

Initially I thought of attaching a small 90 degree angle bracket, but in the end decide that it's simpler just to drill a single hole a fix a bolt in place, then wrap it in duct tape. It's a method I've used before and it works well. Steve has the tools and bolts, so job done. I'm sure that will last for months.

262km today. Almost spoilt by gravity. But we resisted.

Upnarth - Sunday

Steve is leading us south today, into Derbyshire, going into Rochdale, but we're the only cowboys we see.

Except for the cold and rain, we could be back in Medellin, Colombia.

but at least the toilets have a little character 

Stopping by a reservoir 

A dry lunch just before the rain comes

We almost escape the worst of the rain until the end of the day, when it really pours. Soaked through, the cold rain seeps into my gloves, into my boots, through my trousers, and into my underwear - although oddly, it's the latter that occurs first.

Fortunately it's the end of the day, so it's not so long until we can strip off and drape our things across Steve's radiators.

207km, another cracking today.

Upnarth - Saturday

We're joined by local, Jeremy, who will be leading today's ride.

Not so many pictures as we're enjoying the riding and trying to avoid the rain.

Today's route 265km

Stroud to Upnarth

Leaving Stroud, I fill up before joining the M5 northbound. Rain threatens. It's a 300km slog, and I'm planning to ride the trough between two waves of rain also heading north. I leave at 1pm and have timed my journey to not reach certain places until the rain has left, so I mustn't ride too fast or I'll catch it. I'm helped by the traffic and traffic jams, which slows the pace, but I'm careful not to stop, or my bike will overheat like yesterday. 

So I make steady progress, and filter between lanes when they stop. As long as I keep moving the bike should be fine; and it is, not missing a beat for the entire journey. Eventually I'm not bothered by the rain and just push on regardless, putting on my rain jacket to keep the rain out. The rain on the engine will help cool it anyway. 

I arrive in Barnoldswick at 18h30, only slightly earlier than planned. And I have a gift for Snads which she really appreciates. 🖕🏽

Steve has prepared a bean and mince chilli dish, jacket potatoes, and chicken - yummy.

Aldershot to Stroud

Setting off from Aldershot, up the M3, then the A332 to Bracknell, then M4 towards London, before reaching the M40 via the A404. On to Oxford to meet yet another pal for lunch. Barton, where we attempt to get fish and chips, but the chippy is closed. 

So, a bus ride to Headington, where we eat fish and chips in the park. Disappointing fish (no salt or vinegar and bland), but good chips.

Walking back this time, we stop off at a neighbour, Kirk, and I admire his old original Mini Cooper (1000cc) in very good condition, we chat about SU carbs and unit Mini engines (with shared oil across the engine and gearbox). He's a volunteer marshall at Silverstone and travels there many weekends to help manage the track events.

Leaving Oxford it's a run along the A40 towards Gloucester before turning south to Stroud. There's traffic in Gloucester and crawling along where you can't go around the outside my bike overheats. I can hear the fan go on and feel the heat on my leg, but it's not enough to cool the engine, which starts cutting out. It's doing it a lot so making progress difficult. I stop for 15 minutes to let it cool down, but still, getting up the hill to Stroud is hard work. Eventually I make it there and hose the bike with cold water in an effort to get some heat out of the engine quickly. 

A short while later I ride to another relative who I haven't seen for years and who has been unwell. He looks on the mend, which is a good sign. In fact, this relative was a huge contributor to the BikerDom blog in that he helped edit my early writing pieces, which led to the blog style you're reading now. He was big in publishing and is an NLP master, which he still teaches. 

Fish and chips for dinner, which I collect from a local chippy that cooks haddock, The Nippy Chippy. Much better than the lunch version. 

The following day, after yet another fish and chip lunch, I take a photo with my hosts, and then talk bikes - Triumph Tiger 1050 in this case. I depart shortly after.

London - Going around in Circles (North and South)

Sunday was relaxed, rode across turn to have lunch with pals 

And then on to Greenford to visitp my aunt, further around the North Circular Road. We had time for a longer chat than usual as their was no rush to catch a ferry. Helped her to understand her smartphone, figure out WhatsApp, and introduced her to her new friend, Google: Hey Google.... ? 

Back to NotNat's the other way on the North Circular.

Monday, another relaxed day, breakfast at the Ace Cafe on the North Circular Road, first time for the fluoro orange to grace their carpark (should have taken a picture🤦🏽). 

A quick tea stop and another pal's

Then back to my aunt's to set up her Freeview Play TV box so programmes can be paused for loo breaks. Dinner with another pal at a most delicious Kurdish restaurant in Greenford. 

Then back on the North Circular again!

Tuesday, my stalking skills were put to good use in solving a personal mystery; I manned to finally track down a long lost, favourite chemistry teacher. Sadly he died a few years ago, but I met his wife who told me they had a good life together. I said he had had a positive impact on my life and she seemed to appreciate that.

This time it's the South Circular Road to Clapham, for lunch with a pal. 

Then onto Aldershot to stay with my cousin and hubby. Nice dinner in town. Sad to see it's not what it was, as many of the army units have left, including the famous Parachute Regiment that had been based there.