TRAVERSE 26
With faith in my machine and confidence in my knowledge of it , I felt that North Africa would be our next port of call and Baloo would continue to roam for many more kilometres - it ’ s not time for retirement in the garage yet , old friend ! Along the TET I recalled all of the fix-ups and maintenance over the years and it reminded me that you don ’ t need the most powerful , most expensive , most technical bike to embark on an adventure , nor do you need to continually buy more gear ; instead , focus on the necessities , buy less and choose well . After all , the most important thing is something you cannot buy , it ’ s not a thing at all - the act of just going .
So , in January this year , driven by a deep calling as much as conscious choice , I once again loaded up my slightly too heavy , maybe underpowered but soulful and capable Baloo and we crossed the Mediterranean Sea bound for the sand of North Africa .
My plan ? Ride like it would be my last adventure . That doesn ’ t mean reckless but rather with eyes and mind wide open , absorbing
every detail and sensation with no distraction . My route ? Unknown , as always . After years in the saddle , I understand that true freedom can only be experienced when nothing is to be expected . I still carry a GPS Montana with me and a road map on my tank bag , but I don ’ t plan too far ahead . Each hour or so , I stop on the side of the road looking at the map to decide where I ' ll go for the next hour . I never know where I ' ll sleep at night . I rarely know which road I ' ll be taking . I have a rough idea of the points of interests I would like to see during my trip and the rest is chance . For example , on this two-month Moroccan journey , there were four or five places I wanted to visit but the actual routes between them remained a mystery , I was led more by my curiosity than a specific itinerary , the map was a way marker like directions from a stranger more than a fixed signpost .
As soon as I was free from the administrative hassle of entering Morocco at Nador ' s harbour , after 40 hours on the ferry , I set a course for the dirt . Within 45 minutes , I was already on a splendid track
TRAVERSE 26