The Travel Channel Academy

I love video, but I don't have a whole lot of experience with it (just look at my website:-)). That's why when I learned of the Travel Channel Academy I got excited and immediately booked a spot in their class in Washington DC. It's taught by a guy named Mike Rosenblum who is seen by many as the leading proponent of 'short-form video' in the world. Mike has an extensive video and film resume and his take on the world is that video has progressed to a point where just about anybody with a little training can put together broadcast quality product. That opinion appears to get him a lot of scorn from certain areas of the broadcast community.

At first, I was a bit skeptical about this approach, after all don't you need a trained eye to be an video 'artist'. Well, as I sat there in class I began to realize that's not the case. In my class sat absolute newbies to video and people trained at film schools. If I learned one thing, it was simply that those with extensive training and fancy camera's were just as capable of putting together a pile of crap as the rest of us. Seems the more training most people had the worse the crap they put out, didn't make sense.

That's what made this class interesting. I got to watch the work of 40 people scrutinized and critiqued. On our first go around, there was a lot bad video, even from smart people. The second time around, however, not a bad video emerged. Yes, people who had never touched a camera before actually made some very interesting stuff, that only would have been better if they had better microphones and recording techniques.

I hope to figure out a way to incorporate more and better video in my travels in the future. It will be trial and error to figure out what works and what doesn't, so I hope you'll be patient with me. In my opinion a photo might be worth a thousand words, but a short video can increase that exponentially.

The Winds of Change...

are blowing!! WIth my neck feeling a bit better, I decided to take a ride down to visit my friends at BMW Grand Rapids last Friday and maybe test ride a bike or two. Before the day was out I had traded in my LT on a new F800GS. I've only put on 400 miles or so, but it's the bike I should have taken around the world. I really like this bike a lot!!

I have been seeing the F800GS since Ekatrinburg Russia. My initial take was that it looked like a nice bike, but seemed a bit top heavier than the Dakar. Now that I have had a chance to ride it, I will agree that it weighs a bit more and probably is a bit toppier, but it's handling characteristics are very good and I doubt it will be much more of a challenge to get across a deep river than the Dakar.

That aside, the changes in this bike are very significant and make the maintenance much easier. It also retains the 21 inch from wheel, which I prefer for 'adventure' travel. Oil changes go from complex and time consuming on the Dakar to very simple and straight forward on the F800GS. Changing and adjusting the chain is much easier and it has a smaller diameter sprocket, making it easier to fit a spare in the pannier. Access to the shock, lights, horn are all easier. They've done away with the buttons on the handlebar mount. (my ABS button was mounted there on the Dakar and raising the bars broke the wires, a situation that damn near killed me in Iceland). They've added a computer which gives you some nice information, including outside temp and two trip odometers (the later is a very nice feature, given how many GPS's I've gone through). The lights are hugely improved and I can actually see at night so I don't feel compelled to add more lights. The alternator has grown in size, large enough to run all my gear. There is easy access to the accessory plug. BMW put a normal chain guard on this time and included fork guards, basic stuff that should have come on previous F bikes.

Yes, there are a couple of things missing that I would have liked. Tubeless tires lead the list here, followed by no EWS (which I have heard will be option on next years model), and finally typical hex bolts for attachments. A real tool kit that addresses the needs of the bike would be nice too! The rear subframe bolt looks beefier, but I'll still remove it and through bolt it.

I can't speak to any known problems about the bike, but from my stand point the bike is HUGELY improved over the previous generation and performs accordingly. Going through the list of upgrades I'm finding I'll need to spend less too. One thing I won't be upgrading this time is the shock. I had a bad experience with HyperPro and I won't go down that road again. Besides, if the shock blows it will be covered under warranty.

What a difference a Month Makes...

I first got to Iceland just shy of seven weeks ago and stayed for two weeks. It was one of the weathiest countries I visited and earlier this year had won an award for being the 'happiest' place on the planet. Since leaving the currency has corrected 55% as of yesterday and the their government stepped in today and fixed the currency to the Euro. The locals I met there were all worried about their economy, but who would have thought the severity of it, especially in such a short time. Now they hang on the precipe of becoming the first national bankruptcy. (Read Article) It's amazing that in some of these small countries that the banks become larger than the countires.

Now, when I rode into Europe (Poland) in the beginning of July, I began to realize how bifurcated the European Union is.   As someone in told me in Norway, we are not part of the EU, we are part of the EEC, that's different. And despite the wide use of the Euro, I had to get separate currency for an aweful lot of countries. Hmm, shattered my image. Now they have a huge financial crisis and seem less equipped to deal with it than the US with all of it's problems.  Since I arrived in my first Euro country this summer the currency has lost 16% of it's value against the Dollar. This shows how fickle the investment community and human nature can be. A year ago when the Euro was going strong everyone was talking about how it will displace the dollar and every one wanted to own it. Today, as I watched the news, commentators were discussing if it would even survive this crisis.   I thought it was scary in the US, but Europe scares me more.

I spent a month in Russia before Europe. It seemed more prosperous than I expected despite the fact in small cities people still walk down the street to fill buckets with water at a common well and getting heated water in the same towns is just non-existent in the summer. That said, the big cities have done well due to oil money and commodities (and a stolen car or two). Still, they're stock market is down some 60% over the last year, 19% for the day. People there are crying out for a second bail out (read).

The appreciation of all these currencies made my trip a lot more expensive than it would be now, just a couple of months later. Now if I could just get my neck to cooperate, I'd go back, because it's all on sale right now! Crazy times for crazy people!!

Proof of Life, well sort of...

Presently enjoying a little time off the bike in some undisclosed locations in North America.  I've been nursing a pinched nerve which has made riding a literal pain in the neck:-)  Last time I had this in '01 it took a while to cure, so I'll let you know when I'm back.

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Regards,
TJ Parrent

Time is Winding Down

I've been checking the weather in Croatia and other areas I want to get to.  Overall, Europe has been having a cool autumn thus far.  Weather it's Germany, Croatia or Ukraine, it's cooler than average.  The problem is I've been traveling in cool weather since before going to Iceland.  I want some warm weather and if the beautiful Croatian coast can't give it to me, then I'll have to seek it out in a different hemisphere.

Yep, after perusing the rest of my Itinerary taking me to northern Africa and around the Med to Turkey, I figure I have a 10,000 miles.  In a cool fall, it is perhaps not may favorite time to do it.  Consequently, I'm contemplating storing the bike in Germany and continuing on with this leg of the trip in a different season.
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Regards,
TJ Parrent

Make it Stop!

Warren Zevon was a favorite of mine growing up.  Same with the Lynyrd Skynyrd Band.  That's why I liked Kid Rock's song 'All Summer Long' when I heard it last week in Estonia.

But damn, I've heard it everywhere.  Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and even at the upscale restaurant I was in in Esslingen Germany last night while nawing on some kangaroo.  

A friend just told it's popular in Norway and one of my best mates knows it from Korea.  Make stop, make it stop please!  

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Do note the hat though!! :-)




Regards,
TJ Parrent

The LIthuanian and Russian Shore Line

I report, you decide. I'll finish this post when I get the time, until then you Northern Michigan types can figure out if other parts of the world do indeed look like your home.