Elvis on the Move - Motorcycle Adventure Travel

Getting through the border and tasting the icy cold beer on the other side is something I never thought would happen. I've steamrolled my way through this adventure with a strong mixture of ignorance and confidence. As I sat at the cafe drinking my Karlovacko I had a glorious epiphany. I was actually too stupid to fail. Of course I still had a lot of open road ahead of me before my trip ended but for all intents and purposes I had reached that 'close enough' mark and I could call the trip a success! I was hoping to make it to Rijeka today but without maps I had no idea how long that would take me. After Budapest, Lake Balaton, and the border crossing fiasco I was having troubles believing that I was in Bratislava this morning and it was only early afternoon. Man I can really fly when I need to. View Larger Map There was a center set up for renting cars, changing currency, and some tour operators. I found a place to buy a SIM card for my telephone so I got myself a local num...

If you don't remember what the last post was about you may want to have a little recap. Part one of this epic day can be found here: (Part 1) As I approach the Hungarian - Croatian border I start to get a little nervous. I did purchase additional insurance in Frankfurt but it doesn't cover you in certain countries. Croatia is one of the countries I'm not covered in. Of course the fact that I have Canadian license plates on my bike is more than enough to confuse anyone. Exactly how did I drive here from Canada? But I don't think that's why I'm nervous. It's been awhile since I have seen any border crossings. The EU has created a travelers paradise in Europe. Now crossing the border into Croatia I find myself wondering how they are going to react to a motorcycle painted up with Canadian emblems and using 50mm ammo cases for panniers. Oh right! I've also had about three beers in the last thirty minutes and I know Croatia is known for zero tolerance. What g...

I would love to have spent a few more nights (months...years) in Bratislava but I had to keep moving. If I stopped anywhere for too long I know I would probably not be able to move any longer. Not that getting stranded in Bratislava would be such a bad thing. Speaking of being stranded in Bratislava, I forgot to mention in my last posting that I broke down in Bratislava. Fortunately, the locals were very helpful in getting me revved up and moving again. It wasn’t really a true breakdown but I discovered my bike has an idiosyncrasy that I didn’t know about until later on in my trip. When I start my bike for the first time on any given day, if I screw up and don’t get it started on the first push of the ignition button my bike won’t start for 10 to 15 minutes. The only way you can get her to run sooner is if you have the energy and strength to push her with 100 pounds of luggage on her. After all the riding I’ve done, strength and energy are the two things I need to conserve the most. Be...