simon and lisa in difficulties!!

Bonkers

Guest
haven't got the full info yet but just got an email from lisa's mum say there is an email coming to us with the full story.

they are ok though after lisa pulled simon from a gorge it took them 4 extra days to get to a village and simon has injured his neck and back.

lisa's mum is looking for email addresses of press in the uk to give them some press coverage i've managed to send taunton gazette and western daily press to her if anyone knows of another please feel free to email it to me and i'll pass it on.

thanks for your time and i'll let you all know more when i get the rest of the info.
 
Keep us posted on what the tosser has done.Where when and why,you know,all the normal stuff
 
Wholly goosh!

I really hope it isn't that serious and they can move on in time!

And let us know if we can help somehow?!

Good luck!

Ride safe you all, Margus
 
story so far

this is an email sent to lisa's mum.


éllo,

...we´re exhausted, drained, dirty, dehidrated and physically a bit broken...but we´re in Humatai and we´re SAFE!

hello ---its now me! Well.....Simon can´t type any longer as he is in too much pain! MMmmmm....want to know what happened??

Well...we started off and the road was OK and crossed the ferry which was OK at 6am. We managed to do 200 km in the first day withe the road bad, loose dirt needed a lot of concentration what with fully laden bikes and extra fule and spare tyres!

That night we spent out in the open jungle....if jungle can be considered ópen´. Dark, green and very scary. When setting up the first camp I was wandering not too far away from where we had set up the hammocks and tarp (not poss for tent) and saw...would you beleive only 300-400 metres away...a big black cat! that made me move fast back to our fire that we had just built and kept going all night...not cos of the cold! The only thing it could have been was a jaguar. What with the heavy continual rain all night and the strange flahing lights int the trees (lots of fireflyes) and noises that sounded like a very big man walking (we think cat prowling) we didnb´t get much sleep.

The following monring everything was sodden and we pakced up ready to attack the big bridge (ha...if you could call this holey wooden falling down piece of shit (as Simon called it) a bridge - it was like something out of an Indian Jones movie. So packe dup and ready to go its Simon´s turn first. The first bit of the bridge was a step up and the big bike struggle to get its back tyre on as everything was slimely and the plank was very old and crumbly. Very sunddelny the back of the bike left the bridge dropped about a foot and Simon went off the bike and off the side of the bridge down the embankment after landing very badly on the top of his head! Simon was lying there for 3 -4 mins and battled to stand for the next hour. He actually passed out for a very short period of time after the fall. The bike lay on its side for 2 hours as there was nothing I could do with it. and Simon was injured. His neck ´crunhced´he said and he was in a lot of pain. I tired to get as much stuff off the bike as I could but with it on its side and stuck and hanging off a bridge it was a little difficult and the temp was going up all the time.

So...you know those pulley and ropes we bought..? Yep..they were a good idea as we did end up using them..not just this once either. After Simon could just about stand we had to get the bike up and after tying up the pulleys and rope we needed to get both bikes to the other side of the bridge. This alone took us over an hour., I tied the rope around me and held the wieght of the bike as it was slowly puched inch by inch up by Simon. Once up it was a very slow push over the bridge with Simon and I very nervous about going over again as the planks of wood were split and broken all the way over. On the other side however, after my bike got over the smae wasy with pushing....the day got worse! Simon´s bike just wouldn´t start...not a thing!
by 5:30pm (we started to corss the bridge at 8:30) Simon´=s bike still wasn´t moving. We had spent the entire day in the heat and humidity of the Amazon tyrying to see and fix what the problem was.

It was now getting dark and we´d figured that it was an electrical problem as with the ignition on light plumbs of smoke were coming from the main wiring harness....this is just such a huge knot of all sorts of coloured wires!! By 6:30 it was pcitch back and just then out of nowhere (we werre literally miles from anyting and anyone!) a local guy appaered with his wife on the back of his small betten up bike wich had a small trailer attached. She was carrying a gun slung over her shoulder and they had huge planks of wood in the trailer. After a quick and desperate explaination they said they lived 10km up the ´track´and we could spend the night with them. But how do we get ther if Simon´s bike doens´t work and its too far to push and the track is full of huge holes slime, mud and rain...?? Well....we fix the baggae in the trailer (they take thier wood out and leave it on the track) and I towed Simon for another two hours in the slime. this was so very hard and we were so knackered and dehidrated by this time (we had water but of course had to be careful witht he amoount we drank as we didn´t know how long we would be stuck in one place).........

Their house was a bamboo, wooden and plam leaf shack. at the time it looked l ike paradise! we were so tired and Simon w as in agony.......he had dropped his bike a couple of time as he had lost the sensation in his left arm and so when arriving at the house he just needed to lie down. They gave us rice and egg and water (river water untreated..and brwon but we drank it) and their bed and we collapsed.

We then spent the next 3 days with them with us wokring 10 - 13 hours straight on the bike tyring to tie down the exact problem. Simon had to completley dismantel the rear subframe of the bike in order to access the main wiring loom which containes 56 seperate coloured wires. 2 of the wires had complelety shorted, had made contacted with loads of others and dmaged those. so the main loom was physically welded together!! We didn´t know what to do...byt had no choice but to try to remove the bad wires and replace them and then cut and strip the other wires and reinsulate them with duck tape. This took two days. plus it rained big time and thunder, lightneing and humid wiht it...you know typical rain forest. Simon was finding it difficult to concentrate due to the pain and the constant pain killers and muscle relaxants that I was feeding him so he could work!

On the fifth day the bike started and remaind going!! But since staying with Raymondo and Sandra we had heard just how terrible the track was in front of us and that there was no way we dould cope with it and baggage. There was another 160km of really bad stuff...!

they really wanted us to turn back to Manaus. However, we´d been through so mcuh to turn back would have been terrible for us. As we were getting ready to leave a beaten up pcikup (the first we had seen in quite a few days) parked up and asked for water. He was taking supplies donw to workmen on the track near Humaita. We talekd him into carrying our bags and set off.

this day we managed to travel 67 km in 13 hours. This was harder than Mali. The heat is just so unbearable. Simon was in such a lot of pain and close to passing out on several occasions....I was finding it difficult to breath at times and just overheated...there were mud ravines, big enought to swallow buses, brdiges that we had to physically rebuild, mud that got so thick that it stopped our wheels from turning. We had to walk through the huge pools of slime and water in order to judge the deapth and see if the bikes could go though. Our feet have been mud and water-looged for over 5 days and they have a few sores that ooze stuff at the mo. Actaully our legs have lots of red oozy bits on them as well.....just hopeing that they are now the larvae from the warble fly that we have been warend about. Will tell you later if they are.
At the end of this day and at dusk the guy in the truck dropped off our bags and left us at another shack (fishing shack this time) at the edge of another large river and tatty scary bridge. He was carrying on in the dark. but he was familiar wiht the route.

the next day we didn´t leave until 12 noon.....stupid time yto leave cos of the heat but we just could´t move any earlier as too kanckered. This day was yet another day in hell. We had to load and unload the bikes over 10 times in order to get across small sections of swampy mud and non-existant bridges. We had been given river water to take with us and after a while you do get used to the funny coloyur and muddy warm taste. We also had loads of rain which made the already bad slime even slimyer.

We ended up stoipping in the dark under a broken down bamboo structure , putitng up the hammocks and getting afire going and eating we maanged 3 - 4 hours sleep at the most. Waking every so often to keep the fire going as we had once again heard funny noises and snorts etc from the undergrowth all around us.

By morning time we were the walking dead. As we climbed into our mud water sodden kit, sticky gloves and obscene socks (we hadn´t had a wash since we´d left Manaus) another truck (well the second one we´d seen) passed by.....and stopped. He gave us coffee and offered to carry our bags to Humaita!! 5 mins after he´d left (we said we would catch up) we were both physcially sick....I mean puking up the nohting in our stomachs....and also feeliung very, very dizzy and disoreintated. We ended up taking an hour to get going and therefor had no cahnce to ´catch-up´this guy.......we had nohting apart from our water bags with us.....no tnet, no hammcks, no tools only our leathermans......and it had started to rain. We started at 6 am and finally ran out of petrol 15 km from Humaita at 2 am in the morning. IN the meantime Simon had snapped his clutch cable (we had a realacement) I had puked up lots more of nothing, drained the battery on Simons bike (its not happy at all) and had Simons front tyre defalte itself 6 times wihch meant reinflating it with a hand pump as the batteery couldtn´t be counted on and we wated to make sure my battery was as full of charge as poss. this was all in the dark.

I enede up jump starting Simon´s bike by once again towing him with a 5 foot strap (our ropes were on the truck!) after alsomt pulling me off a few times we manage to get it going......as we said unitl we ran out of fuel. There was nothing we coyuld do we had alrady tiltled the bikes, syphoned fuel from one to the other...etc... they were bone dry. We simply went to sleep in our wet kit , soggy boots and t-shirts on our bikes in the bush in the side of the jungel......hoped we woudln´t get eaten by the big snakes we had earlier seen on the road.

Ha....no sleep...we tried to sleep on the bikes it was a damp and there were loads of bugs....We had already been bitten to peices over the last 6 or so days and this night was no better.....huge bugs banging into our heads, mozzies etc.
We ´woke´up to another very hot morning and it was only 5:30 am! and we were stuck until a vehicle was to pass.....and this was yet another track.
We stopped a few guys on cycles and asked for info....but we really needed someone with a vehicle going into town. Eventually a guy on a bike called Bill helped us out ....and has so far bene really great. We are staying at a small and chep hotel in the towm of Humaita.......a really nice and realxed town where the peole have been very helpful.

however....we are now stuck again as Simon´s bike has stopped wokring again....this means that tomorrw we can´t go to Porto Vleho but must fix Simon´s bike....we think its the wiiring playing up again. there is nothing we can do until we can get to Sao paulo....we are going to email andres from BMW Brazil and ask for help.. Our route theref or has changed........no Paraguay but direct through Matto Grosso and then to SP. We have to have a big BMW palce for Simon´s bike before we move on and yes.....this is the closest one!

so.......we are so tired...as you can see from my typing...and spelling! we have been looked after today by Bill who took us out for lunch so have eaten well. Now we need slepp and to be ready for Simon´s bike tomorrw. We will let you know how it goes as will try to get back into the internet tomowrrow...but its Sunday and we don´t know itf its open and the bike will have priority.

We are so pleased that we managed to get this far and that we have done this route as we feel it is a reall achievment...but wuld we do it agina?....no way and we would advise others not todo it either!

lots and lots of love and we are safe tongiht inan aircon room iwth real bed!
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
 
What incredible resilience and guts those two have! Wishing them both the very best and goodluck on the rest of their travels. Amazing 'Boys Own' adventure stuff!!!
 
It brings into focus the harsh realities of doing something like that... not all "wind in the face" and glorious scenery.
I wish them well.
 
One wonders where the strength and reslilience comes from in these conditions - the human capacity for survival is incredible - you are both pushing the limits but have come through in 1 piece - can you come home? - everyone would be very proud....take good care...
 
I'm exhausted just reading it. Gawd knows what the reality must actually be like.

Paul
 
good luck

Keep it up guys,can't wait for your book to come out,it will be a great read perhaps you should call it- THE REAL LONG WAY ROUND.Andy :D
 
I fully simpatize with you, guys. In 1995 I did a similar trip across the Amazonas on the "Amazonas Highway" from Belem to Manos and from there to Porto Alegre Via Porto velho ans Sao Paulo. Although in an old Yamaha XT500 and almost no luggage it was a nighmare. Crashed 13 times one day.
And funny enough I got stranded in the same place, Humahita with a desintegrated spark plug. Try to find one in the UK, not to mention there. So I'm full of aprisal for simon who managed to go that far in the elephant GS.

I'm sure somebody in this forum must have a elctric diagrama for a 1100GS to sort your troubles. Or tell me which wires are shorted |I'll try an look at my bike to help.

You are almos out, so keep it safe and well done!!

My regards to Simon and it seems he is very lucky to have you along side...

Um abraso y beisos, Yosi

Muita saudade!!
 
I'm just about to pick the bike up from the port here in Buenios Aires, so your story is good preparation for the mind.

Really glad your both OK, as I know will Fritz & Bev and Javier & Sandra who I'll see later today....

Hope to see you on the road at some point or maybe at Viedma!

Take care annd ride safe :thumb

Nik
 
You guys are nuts!! Though I have similar adventures when I travel from here to the Ace Cafe, that car park is trecherous to say nothing of the A406 and A40!! :eek: :eek:

Heal well Mr T you fekkin nutter and stay safe as well Mrs T, jeez all this trouble just to write a book for my bedtime cocoa :rolleyes:
 
Bonkers said:
haven't got the full info yet but just got an email from lisa's mum say there is an email coming to us with the full story.

they are ok though after lisa pulled simon from a gorge it took them 4 extra days to get to a village and simon has injured his neck and back.

lisa's mum is looking for email addresses of press in the uk to give them some press coverage i've managed to send taunton gazette and western daily press to her if anyone knows of another please feel free to email it to me and i'll pass it on.

thanks for your time and i'll let you all know more when i get the rest of the info.


Can you email me? :thumb
I have the electrical schematics diagram for the 1100GS in colour in PDF format
Email me as file too big for uploading here-
 


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