‘Into Africa’ has just been released as an Enhanced e-book on Apple i-Tunes. There are loads of pictures; many of which have never been seen in public before. Interview video clips, and lots of maps – something I’m frequently asked for. Mind you, when you see the maps you need to look at them with one point in mind. Africa is roughly 5,000 miles long. I rode 22,000 and if I’d tried to put all the twists and turns (plus the frequent ‘getting lost’ wrong turns), the maps would have looked as if a 2 year old had been let loose with a crayon!

And May? It’s has kicked off with me on the run again. I was invited to book sign at the Paignton BMAD (Bikers Make a Difference) Bike Festival and it went very well indeed. It was unexpectedly cold but who cares when the rain mostly stayed away. Do check out BMAD when you get a minute. These guys, bikers from all sorts of backgrounds, do great work.

Our friend Peter arrived from the USA immediately after. If you’ve read ‘Tortillas to Totems’ then you’ll know all about Peter. He’s the biker Birgit and I met at the east rim of the Grand Canyon. A Harley Davidson up a dirt road? Peter’s comment was, “Why not.”

And now I’m just back from sunny Wales. Yes you read that right. The sun shined on us all at the Touratech Travel Event. Amazing weather – have to start off with that because this is the first time I’ve been to Wales and it’s been clear blue skies. Wonderful, and according to all the guys and girls who went out riding the trails in the area, perfect. I met quite a few people who tried trail riding for the first time and mates were they grinning.

The presenters were Andreas Hulsmann who is one of the best travel photographers I’ve ever seen. Nathan Millward, who kept everyone enthralled in spite of having no shots as his laptop ended up on the bonfire (yes you read that right). Paddy Tyson had everyone in stitches and Nick Sanders rounded off the presentations with a very funny performance. Yours truly did a stint too but the best bit I thought was the question and answer session that ran for most of the evening. Great questions from the audience and we were all put well and truly on the spot on several occasions.

Terrific atmosphere. Excellent weekend – though I think the clear skies meant that a few folks are now thinking about upgrading their sleeping bags! Finally, what an excellent opportunity to meet up with friends. I really enjoyed the chance to have conversations with friends that were more than the 5 or 10 minutes bikes shows and the like allow.

So what next? Well, there’s yet another new project on the way and I hope to be able to tell you all about that in June. But first, this coming weekend I’m off to the UK’s biggest outdoor motorcycle event at the Peterborough Show Grounds – 18th to 20th of May. It’s time for the BMF (British Motorcycle Federation) rally. I suspect it’s going to really hop this year as there are all sorts of new things going on. Another one to check out!

Department of Transport Talks on Ethanol in Petrol

The Department continues to receive a significant quantity of correspondence expressing concerns about the potential impact of ethanol in petrol on historic vehicles. Although some of this correspondence relates to known problems (e.g. compatibility of fuel tanks made from certain types of fibreglass) many of the concerns appear to arise from misunderstandings of legislative requirements (e.g. reports that supply of petrol containing no more than 5% ethanol will be prohibited from 2013) or confusion about the technical implications of ethanol blends (e.g. suggestions that ethanol’s hydroscopic nature makes drainage of vehicle’s fuel systems essential during short-term storage).

The Department arranged a meeting with historic vehicle and fuel industry stakeholders to clarify some of these points and facilitate exchange of information on availability of low or zero ethanol content fuel.

The subsequent meeting was attended by club representatives. The AA was also represented, and the meeting was well attended by oil company representatives who I gather were generally helpful and sympathetic.

One of the key messages which DfT were keen to put across was that E10 is definitely not going to be mandated in 2013. It was widely believed that E10 would become the norm in 2013, but this was stated to be an error or myth. Up until the end of 2013 Super unleaded petrol (97 RON) sold at filling stations with more than 3 million litres per annum fuel throughput must contain no more than 5% ethanol (‘E5′).

It is a requirement of the Fuel Quality Directive that Member States’ legislation explicitly mandates that some E5 be available. The intent was to support operation of older vehicles if petrol containing 10% ethanol (E10) is introduced. This requirement may be academic in the UK as no E10 is currently supplied and biofuel targets for 2013/14 are set at the 5% level.

In fact, 10% ethanol is the MAXIMUM allowed at present under the EU Fuel Quality Directive, that seeks to reduce Green House Gas (GHG) by 6% over 2010 figures by 2020, but there is no minimum limit. Some 4 million vehicles in the UK vehicle parc are thought not compatible with E10. EN 228 is the European Industry Standard for Petrol. Any pumps dispensing E10 MUST be labelled and include the words “Not suitable For All Vehicles”.

In addition to mandatory requirements specified in regulation, more detailed specifications for petrol are defined in BS EN 228 which is a national (i.e. UK) implementation of the European industry standard EN 228:2008. This supplements regulatory requirements with standards on fuel stability, corrosivity, pump marking, winter volatility etc and sets out to ensure compatibility of vehicles and fuels. BS EN 228 specifies a maximum ethanol content of 5%.

It was confirmed that most super premium petrol (i.e. octane quality of 97(RON) or above) does not currently contain any ethanol.
In addition, some 95 RON fuels are supplied in UK without any ethanol content. The UK distribution network means that garages may get fuel from any of the refineries and the ethanol is added when the fuel is put into the tanker. This introduces an inconsistency such that not even the garage selling the fuel knows whether the fuel contains any ethanol, only that is has been supplied as compliant with BS EN 228 (max 5% ethanol and no minimum level).

The industry representatives agreed that there are almost certainly garages in UK that have never (since the introduction of ethanol recently) had a delivery of fuel containing ethanol but it might be almost impossible to confirm which ones they are or to guarantee that they will not have a delivery of fuel containing ethanol. So, it is not always easy to know exactly which forecourts are selling ethanol-free petrol and which are selling petrol with some added ethanol but buying 97 RON fuels in UK still represents the best chance of minimising or avoiding ethanol, albeit with a cost penalty (but maybe a performance advantage?).

Use of ethanol in fuel is not a new idea. Ethanol’s high octane rating and ability to be produced from local resources made it of interest from the earliest days of motoring and commercial petrol-ethanol blends were supplied in the UK from 1928-1968 with 10% or higher ethanol content. Brands included Cleveland Discol, and Cities Service KOOLMOTOR. Specifications on ethanol content of petrol were first introduced in industry standards (BS 4040 Leaded Petrol) in 1988 which specified a maximum 5% ethanol content. Subsequent standards (EN 228, BS 7800) also include this limit.
Ethanol was reintroduced in UK petrol at up to 5% content by some suppliers from 2002 so your car or bike may have run on fuel containing ethanol at any time between 1928-68 and 1988 until now!

The FBHVC are looking into the suggestion that they should collaborate with the oil industry to try to establish a more detailed and accurate picture of where ethanol-free super-premium petrol could be obtained for those interested in buying it.
This will only be a temporary respite as it is clear that ethanol is not going to go away, and that a sensible strategy is to learn to live with it. The Department summed up compatibility as follows:

* At current E5 blend levels

- Some fibreglass fuel tanks (mostly on motor cycles) are incompatible
- Some aftermarket fuel tank sealants are incompatible
- These would need to be replaced to run vehicles on E5

* If historic vehicles are to use future E10 blends

- Carburettor jets and needles may need changing
- Fuel hoses and seals may need replacing

* Alternative is to use ‘protection grade’ fuels (currently this means the 5% ethanol level)

The three-pronged approach advocated by the Federation is:

* Compatibility: move progressively to the use of compatible materials as this becomes necessary.
* Corrosion: employ a proven corrosion inhibitor in the fuel tank as a precautionary measure.
* Combustion: adjust mixture strength to counteract the leaning effect of ethanol in the blend and re-route fuel feed lines and/or employ baffles or other thermal barrier devices to reduce heat transfer from the engine to the liquid side of the fuel metering system on the vehicle remains a valid and common-sense approach to the potential problems of the use of fuels containing ethanol.

The international organisation, FIVA, has submitted views to the European Commission on a consultation on the future infrastructure requirement to ensure the increased use of alternative fuels in the EU. The submission stated FIVA?s view that both traditional fuels and E5 must remain available on the market to ensure the continued use of historic vehicles because experience has also shown significant technical problems for historic vehicles by the use of E10 – with vehicles most likely to be affected being vehicles ten years old or older, carburettored vehicles and first generation direct spark ignition vehicles.

So, ethanol is here to stay and we all need to adapt, use additives, adjust mixtures, replace sensitive components etc etc etc. On the other hand, we may all have being putting ethanol in our tanks since 1988 and almost certainly since 2002. So, if it hasn’t broken yet, and if we can hang on to 5% maximum ethanol content fuels (the so-called protection grades) then we might just carry on as we are.

********************************
After this report was published, the following information was forwarded:

The author says ‘I have seen a couple of reports saying that E10 is ‘definitely not’ going to be introduced in 2013.
As indicated, UK targets for biofuel uptake are set at 5% for the 2013/14 financial year as an average across all petrol and diesel supplied. It is therefore correct to say that there is no necessity for suppliers to introduce E10.

There is though nothing to prevent fuel suppliers marketing E10 if they wish, so it is not possible to categorically say that no E10 will be marketed in 2013. However, as discussed at the meeting it is not expected that there will be a major shift to E10 (and any pumps dispensing E10 would have to be marked “Not suitable for all vehicles etc”).’

So, well, it’s coming. I hope this lot, though wordy as I said, answers some questions.

Let’s start with Lois. Lois Pryce I mean. I wonder how many motorcyclists haven’t heard of Lois, her two fantastic books and her involvement with the Adventure Travel Film festivals.

But before I go any further, I must tell you that I’ve had the offer through from Compass Expeditions that readers of my website can get a huge £500 discount on a really rather special adventure. A women only tour through Brazil with Lois leading! The 1460 miles ride is on BMW F650GS and its suitable for both off road novices and two-up riding.

What an amazing country to ride through. Talk about cultural differences and eye-opening scenery! And what a person to be riding with – Cosmopolitan said this: ‘Lois Pryce knows what it takes to be a fun, fearless female. She rode solo from London to Cape Town, with the barest of essentials’

And from a more personal point, she’s full of surprises and one of the most genuine characters you could wish to meet. No doubt, with a grin, Lois coined the adventure as, ‘The Ultimate Brazilian’. The 14 day tour still has some spaces left. Check out the links below to see what’s still available – you’ve still time to get organised.

These links will take you to more info on the trip, and on Lois herself – be prepared to be surprised.
Link One
& Link Two
A taste of what you’ll find on the links:
Experience some of the best that Brazil has to offer starting in the magnificent Rio do Janeiro, with its spectacular beaches, world famous scenery and vibrant nightlife. We then transfer to our ride base in Penedo and begin the motorcycle tour, riding south and along one of the world’s most scenic coastal rides, the Costa Verde. We will visit wonderful colonial towns, enjoy chilled coconuts on the beach, dine in seafood restaurants and spend a day out, sailing amongst the islands and bays that dot this magnificent coastline. Turning inland we will visit the Germanic village of Blumenau and ride the amazing Serra do Rio do Rastro before visiting Brazil’s highest city of Sao Joaquim. You will see the plume of mist long before you see the 275 separate falls that make up the greatest waterfalls on earth, Foz do Iguazu. We catch a jet boat to the face of the falls and wander the dramatic walkways around them. A fitting way to end this exciting motorcycle ride of Brazil.

Don’t forget that discount offer. £500? Pretty good eh. If you aren’t a Pound Sterling type, the offer is available in US dollars too. Oh, and am I getting anything out of posting this as an Anything Goes? Not a bean, but real pleasure at being able to tell you about the trip. Tell ‘em where you heard the news when you book, to get that discount!

By the time we arrived (7.15am) at one of the UKs most iconic motorcycle sites, the sun was up and adventure travel companies were already on site unloading boxes and bikes from vans, putting up marquees; all blowing breath clouds as they did so. Darren, the Cafe’s events duty manager was moving swiftly around the site, welcoming newcomers as he did so, and answering a steady stream of questions from everyone.

We were shown inside the cafe where early bird bikers were sitting down to the Ace’s famous full English breakfasts – they are huge by the way, and an absolutely perfect way to start the day. Birgit, Dave, Mon and I got stuck straight in to unloading the boxes of books and t-shirts, the pop up banners and all the other kit that’s needed to do a book signing. We like to put on a good display – so there’s always lots of ‘stuff’.

By the time we’d finished, the car park was almost completely ringed with stands and adventure bike riders were rolling in. BMW GSs, new Triumphs, Teneres, some gems of Honda Africa Twins, Transalps and so on. And there were quite a few surprises amongst the bikes. Author Nathan Millward rolled in on Dorothy. She’s his 105cc Australian postie bike – the one he’d ridden across Asia.

Other authors book signing were Robert Wicks with his brand new book on some of the world’s greatest overlanding routes, Norman Magowan with his two books on South and North America and Jeremy Bullard with his new book Life on the Line.

By 10.30 the car park was full and bikes were stretched down the road for hundreds of yards in both directions. I stood at the doorway to the Cafe for just a moment and all I could hear was the confident burble of overlanding bikes and the cheerful natter of people talking to the guys from such companies as Traveldri Plus, Metal Mule, Adventure Peru, James Cargo, Compass Expeditions, Stahlkoffer, Touratech, Continental Tyres, Adventure Travel Shop, KTM, Triumph and many more.

The temperature maxed at around 6C but in spite of all the cold handshakes that were going on (I could easily tell who were the riders with heated grips that worked well), everyone seemed to be enjoying the sunshine of a brilliant spring day. Surprise visitors were the two Korean girls who have recently arrived in the UK, having ridden 125cc Hondas from Vladivostok in Eastern Russia. Plucky lasses who are touring the UK before heading out to explore more of Europe.

And one other surprise visitor was Bob Porecha. We simply don’t get to see Bob often enough. He has been running an Independent BMW garage and showroom for, well, almost as long as BMW motorcycles have been around! (It feels like that anyway) You know those moments ‘out there’ when you’ve exhausted your own knowledge and quite simply, are stuck? We had quite a few of those and by phone or email Bob, based in Sydenham London, got us sorted out. You’ll read about him in my third book Distant Suns.

The riders who’d travelled the furthest to get to the Ace Café? I suspect that was Ray Walton and his son Ben. They’d ridden down from Rochdale for the day. Good stuff!

I had great fun meeting loads of friends from Adventure Bike Rider, Horizons Unlimited, UKGsers, Honda XRV guys, and lots of people who have been buying my books over the past few years. It’s a huge social opportunity for all of us, and being able to do a bit of dreaming and drooling over travel goodies? Well it’s a pretty good combination.

The sun stayed with us all for the day and it wasn’t until the first hints of evening red were easing into the sky that people began to head off. All, I think, with happy grins. My best-selling books of the day? Into Africa and Distant Suns.

And finally, a big thanks to Mark, Linda, Jan, Darren and all the staff at the Ace Cafe for setting up such a great day.

Years ago, when I first received an invitation to book sign on the Traveldri-Plus stand at the Motorcycle Show at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into. But this duo made me amazingly welcome and as I signed books I watched the two of them at work.

They have birthed and brought the firm to being the well-known company that it is in the UK. But what’s the company all about? They specialize in everything that you will need to go touring on a motorcycle, whether you plan a long distance adventure across exotic continents, or a two week tour through the snow topped giants of Scotland. And they have kitted out some very well known people. Just some of those are Chris Scott, Damon L’Anson, and Kevin and Julia Sanders of Globebusters fame.

Les has the perfect background for this job. He was a long-standing member of the Moorland Rescue Service on Dartmoor, is an enthusiastic camping man and has been a motorcyclist, I suspect, since he first wore long trousers! Combine these talents with Jane’s caring and enthusiastic nature and you have a firm that’s worth taking note of. And there’s one other vital ingredient too…

I really enjoy watching the two of them at work. In part because they always have open minds and they listen very carefully to their customers needs. This helps to make their customer service is second to none.

One of Les’s favourite sayings is, “Anyone can travel in discomfort.” I soon learned he firmly believes that if you have a great tent, a really good sleeping bag, an excellent sleeping mat, and a camping stove that really works; you can have an amazing time out on the road. I’m certain he’s right. These core investments are vital. If you sleep well, come what may, and you eat well, then you can have a dream of an adventure. Facing down the adversities of the road, or taking advantage of the unexpected opportunities are so much easier to do if you are awake and fit.

It’s all well and good buying things from the web but I for one miss the contact that talking face to face with an expert can give. And Traveldri-Plus’s logo will give you an idea of what they are about – ‘Quality kit for serious fun!’ In other words you won’t find cheaply made junk on sale with these guys. In these times of thin wallets I find myself a little concerned at the number of people who are prepared to sacrifice quality and sound advice for a little money saved. I watched this happen too many times at the London show. I too am always on the lookout for a bargain, but I know for sure that junk doesn’t cut it when on the road. Cut corners leak!

So have I made Traveldri-Plus sound like the best thing since sliced bread? I hope so. The ability to have a great time on the road is based on the foundation that well made kit gives you. You don’t need much, just the right stuff and the good stuff. Check out the Traveldri-Plus website and don’t be afraid to call for advice. Les and Jane will always give that to you. But please, don’t spend ages on the phone plumbing the depths of their experience and then go hunt out a deal that might be just a couple of quid cheaper. All that time and knowledge needs to be valued or one day we will find that we are left with only robots and answer phones to deal with. Can’t travel on the back of them! But you can on Traveldri-Plus.

I’m very pleased to show my support for Traveldri-Plus. I can’t fault them and how amazing is that!

And talking of support, I’m delighted that so many friends from previous shows, clubs and events stopped off to say hello and to buy books. The feedback you guys have been giving me is really humbling. Thank you!

One of the things that this show really brought home to me is that I have a lot of work to do. I lost count of the number of times people said words such as this to me – “You have four books out now! Why have I never heard of them?”

Of course the reality is that by making the books happen over the last six years, I’ve spent most of my time writing and that’s left hardly any time for getting the word out about them. I suspect that most of the sales to date have been as a result of word of mouth. So, if you are one of those who have been spreading the word for me, I’d like to thank you. I really appreciate your help.

I look forward to seeing you at the next show or presentation.

And finally, it was fun to be involved in the launch of Robert Wicks’ new book The World’s Great Adventure Motorcycle Routes. The book is packed with fantastic rides and stunning photographs. I’m pleased to say that it has an article from me included – ‘The Golden Triangle’. I had fun with this tale. Rather than choose an off-road route, I selected one of the most exciting on-road routes through one of the most challenging countries in the world for a motorcyclist to ride.

This is the tale of riding a 105cc ex Australian postie bike called Dorothy across 18 countries from Australia to the UK, and I think this is one of the best adventure travel books to hit the shelves in recent years. Chances are you’ll be hooked by the time you’ve wizzed to the end of page 2, and as the next pages turn you’ll find that Nathan Millward does just about everything the way you are not ‘supposed’ to. But because of his own ability and fascination with the journey, he latches magnetically onto the special things and that makes this an amazingly refreshing story.

In fact, this author is obviously a man who is going to thrust through life doing ‘it’ his way. As an example, he’s bunged out the idea of having colour photos in his book. Instead, he’s placed black and white photos exactly where the relevant story is. It works very well. As do his hand-drawn maps.

And the story? I think it takes in all the things a good travel book should. Part of the key to the read is that Nathan is never overdramatic. There are times when I found myself thinking, now there’s a fine bit of understatement! Another part of the magic is that this fast-flowing adventure is told with amazing honesty and genuine self-depreciation.

The tale almost thrusts the reader onto Nathan’s steep learning curve across the world. Well, its going to be steep isn’t it; he literally only had 2 days to plan the trip. I really like the way he describes his interaction with both locals and other travellers. His descriptions of scenery and events had me there with him. The way he has woven in splashes of local history and politics are all part of the very entertaining read that this is. Laced into the story are tales that had both Birgit and I laughing out loud. Perhaps one of the things that makes this book work so well is that he comes across as a courageous and thoroughly likeable man. And, his pithy, thought-provoking but never ponderous musings on life the road and everything are wonderfully worded.

This segment of his book will give you a taste of what I mean. He’s in Pakistan, and faced with riding some very troubled roads:

‘Almost every day you’d feel like you’d reached your limit and then something happens – you feel you have to push yourself just a little bit further, a little bit harder. It’s almost as though you start the journey with the string on your kite nice and tight. You’re nervous; you don’t want to fly it too high. Then, every time you face a danger you’re forced to let out a little more string. As the danger grows and the journey continues, you let out a little bit more string and up the kite goes, higher and higher. Every time it happens you think that’s as high as your kite will fly, until the next time, when you realize you have all the string in the world…’

And finally, I love the way this book bins more than a few overlanding myths. A get-just-about-everything-wrong story? Not at all! There’s no way my copy will end up in a charity shop, or collecting dust on a bottom shelf. It’s a keeper for sure.

NB 22-02-2012. Nathan has just advised that the book has just been reprinted with a new cover! It looks great!

ISBN 978-1-4709-6065-0
364 Pages
£9.99

Available from www.lulu.com
NB This book was previously published under the title ‘Going Postal’.

The thing is, I’m a bit of a traditionalist, which is perhaps, one of the reasons I still stick with my old R80GS. As I like oil and grease on my fingers, I really like the feel of a book in my hands. There’s something about the weight of the thing that matters to me. Mind you, I’m not a fan of hardbacks – too much weight with those! I like the feeling of turning a page, and I like knowing at a glance how much more of the book I’ve got left to enjoy. Or if it’s a library book, how much I’ve got to make reading time for before the due back by date! And yes, I’m completely disrespectful. When I own the book, I like to have the page corners to turn over to mark where I’ve got to, and I even like the way the paper in each book smells different!

Within past conversations, the flow sooner or later turned in the direction of my own books. ‘Everyone’ advised me to get them put into e-book format. “Kindle is the go.” I was told by many who are considered to be in the ‘know’. And, quite a few readers kept nudging me towards them too…

I’d not really considered this prospect before so perhaps, I’d thought, it’s time to start investigating, but oh goodness, yet another form of technology to learn how to use. And I started to wonder what environmental issues were likely to be involved? After all, just about everything we petrol heads do nowadays should take that into account. We do need to think about ways to balance out the effects of our grin factor on the environment don’t we. There’s also the issue of theft to take into account. I don’t mind if I forget or have a book stolen, but an expensive bit of kit with the value of all the downloaded books on board? Another ball game eh.

There’s another thing I have to mention. When I’m travelling I really like looking for books to swop. In fact, it’s not only the oddball books I end up with that are the main importance to me, though would I have ever read a science fiction book? Or would I have ever read Animal Farm again? The last time I’d read it was at school. Years on I actually understood the thing! I never did aged 13.

The main value of book swopping to me is the human interaction. All sorts of conversations have started up with someone I’ve met only because they have a book to swop. And sometimes I’ve even got on so well with the person that we’ve ended up travelling together for a while. Would I like to miss out on this?

And anyway, are e-books any good? Being a positive-minded sceptic, (if there can be such a thing) I tried to approach the subject with as open a mind as possible… I really surprised myself when I was given a Kindle to play with. They are not a book. It’s a simple as that. I suppose we can liken them to the difference between instant coffee and fresh ground. Or even, a BMW and a Royal Enfield – both bikes, but very different things.

When I found out I could store around 3,000 books on a Kindle, and those purchases recorded in case of theft, I started to be sold on the idea. They fit into the hand really rather nicely and they are lighter than a paperback, which actually is a bonus after all. And, though I still like the idea and feel of a paperback, being able to carry so many books for so little weight and space made the motorcyclist in me grin. I can take a big selection of books on every trip. That means I can pick out the one to read that I feel in the mood for at the time. I can also read the latest guidebook, look at maps, hunt out camping sites and hotels, work my way through my repair manual, and I can escape into a great read at any time.

In amongst the learning curve I also had the chance to answer some other questions. Why is it possible for there to be so many free downloads for Kindles and the like? That’s a simple one. Many of the titles are out of print, or the market was so saturated by the titles that no one would spend any real money on them. They are considered to be a draw by Amazon, Apple, Kobo and others, just to get us all to buy and use the equipment. But why not! Everyone is a winner. Even the author, whose books have passed their sell by date, wins with regards to any new titles they may have on the way. It’s a profile maintaining and raising thing.

With that in mind, how can it be that some titles carry e-book prices very close to their hard copy price? For some, it’s because it isn’t expected that many copies will sell. It may be a technical book for example. So the publisher and author want to gather what they can, when they can. That’s natural eh. It’s also in part because e-book hosts have a virtual stranglehold on book publishers and authors – they dictate, to a major extent, how much a book should be, and of course they take a significant percentage of the sale price. You don’t want to know how much! A publisher or author also has to take into account the time and costs of converting a manuscript into e-book format. Each company has their own preferred format!

But there’s another significant issue to take into account here. Paper books don’t carry VAT, and that’s quite right I think. Anything that can be done to encourage people to read has to be a good idea doesn’t it. However, legislation hasn’t kept up with technological advances and e-books carry VAT. So, when you look at an e book cover price you need to take the 20% tax into account.

Another question – who else publishes their books in e-book format? I’m rather excited about some. Motorcycle and motorcycle travel books are incredibly difficult to get a mainstream publisher to take on board. The big publishing houses only want to make money and that means they have to know that they will get a big return for their investment of time and money. Many professionally published authors will have a team of 10 or more experts working for them behind the scenes. Publishers know that unless an author is a very well known media personality, they won’t make any money on a first book. Their stats say that if they are lucky they will break even on the second, but it won’t be until an author’s third book that they start to make a profit.

To make a living in real terms, an author has to write a new book every year, at least. For most travel authors that simply isn’t possible, so they don’t get published. Or they go the self-publish route; itself a great new adventure. However, the author has to stump up all the costs of design, layout, printing, editing, marketing and so on. This, if done properly, is really expensive and therefore a huge gamble. Even more so for a first-time author who doesn’t even know if they really can write something worth reading. So, e-books are the answer.

Though many of the expenses are exactly the same, they cost less to produce as you have no up-front print costs, and you have no storage or transportation costs. This in part answers my question about the effects on the environment. It’s also a bonus for the author that they don’t have to spend time on packaging books, post office runs and dealing with buyer queries. You have almost no physical marketing costs and so I could go on.

For we readers, this is brilliant. Many great books that would never make it into print can do so in e-book format. In fact, the whole changing times aspect has got quite a few experienced authors rethinking how they go about getting published. Many are electing not to go the traditional published route and are now only publishing e-books. A strange side quirk of this is that publishers are watching sales of e-books. When one sells well, they jump in with freshly printed contracts in hand. That’s great for them, but also a huge bonus for the author. They haven’t got lost in the thousands of manuscripts that are presented to publishing houses every year by first time authors. Many never see the light of day…

But I’ve shot off at a tangent haven’t I. Sorry, I do tend to do that. I like to think it’s enthusiasm for a topic, but suspect I’ll get worse as I carry on aging!

My fears about learning the new technology were unfounded. Why? Because the systems work simply and clearly. As far as my own books are concerned, I got an expert to deal with setting it all up for me. Yes I had to pay for that and no, it wasn’t chickening out. It simply seems to me that if I am going to publish anything, then it has to be done as best as possible. I am up against the big boys you know, and what’s the point in doing anything that’s not as good as it can be.

So it’s done. My books are now all in e-book format on Kindle and to my still slightly sceptical surprise they are selling rather well. A bonus is that e-books have given a format that people overseas can use. To buy hard copies costs them a fortune as they are printed in the UK. This advantage to all of us works the other way around too. Via e-books we have the chance to read books that, for example, are only available in the US. I think it’s for all the above reasons that e-books are here to stay. I’m not sure if they will ever take over from hard copies but there’s no doubt in my mind that they have their place.

So, am I an e-book convert? Of course. As a motorcyclist they make infinite sense. I’ve not found a down side yet, though they don’t smell so interesting… Will I stop buying paperbacks? No, I still like to read them, and as most of our bookshelves are on outside walls, our paperbacks double up as excellent wall insulation! Also, on the long road I do like the idea of book-swopping connections, but on a normal trip… And turning the page corner? Amazingly, you can do this, virtually, in an e-book. Now who’d have thought of that?!

You can also download Sam’s books for the Amazon Kindle, and in the spring of 2012 an enhanced e-book version of Into Africa will be available from the Apple store.

I was delighted when, earlier on in 2011, I was invited to present at Wilderness Lectures. I have to say that with this roll of honour I was really rather nervous – not my natural state!

We were lined up for the 14th of December and by the 7.30 kick off time, the 320 seat lecture theatre at Bristol University was well on the way to being full. The atmosphere was great. What a friendly bunch these people are. The people who attend the lectures are very experienced travelers themselves and, I was told in advance, a very passionate set of people. So they proved to be.

For once, Birgit managed to come with me to help set up and with book sales afterwards. She was also there to make sure I didn’t talk too much and overrun! I do get a bit carried away when I’m doing presentations. After all, it’s travel, and that means there’s always plenty to talk about!

The presentation was about riding through Africa and I started off with asking the audience how many of them had been to Africa. More than 80% of the audience put their hands up! At first I thought, that’s it. You are going to struggle now, but I think that the reality was that all the Africa experience in the room just helped the stories to flow.

The only down side of the evening was that we didn’t have much time to book sign. Why? We all got far too stuck into the question and answer session!

A great evening and if you live in the Bristol area I can highly recommend Wilderness Lectures as being a great way to spend an evening.

I was invited to book sign on the Traveldri-Plus stand for the duration of the 9 day show, and included in the invitation was the offer of being there on the set up days. I really enjoyed this. You roll into the huge halls, which are just about empty of anything except steel girders, concrete floors and very cold air. And over the next three days, with enthusiastic hammering and sawing from carpenters, the efforts of fast working crews of decorators, carpet layers, delivery men and coffee vendors, the show suddenly seems to come alive.

The sense of excitement is quite tangible as the last hours roll by towards the show opening. Last minute changes are made to stands, uniform shirts are straightened and everyone wonders if this show is going to be a success, or whether the significant financial investment is going to be an expense which simply hasn’t paid off. You should see how much it costs companies to be at the show! It’s brain boggling!!!

Then, that’s it. The doors open, and the first people come rushing in. The day is on a roll and equally quickly you suddenly realise that its 5pm and the announcers are asking people to head for the exits. Phew!

Every day rolls with the same level of tension and excitement and I love it. I particularly enjoy the chance to meet people from all over the UK – many of whom have read my books and stop off simply to say hello, or to buy the next books in the series.

This year the Motorcycle Live entry figures were up by 14% which just goes to show that even in times of recession, you can’t put motorcyclists down! Motorcycling is a passion, not just a form of transport, a hobby, a sport or a leisure pastime.

By the end of the show I was smiling. Book sales were great, with the best seller this year being the first book in the series, ‘Into Africa’. To me this is a really good sign. It means that many people are finding my books for the first time. Hopefully I’ll be seeing them again! But I also enjoyed the show for all the people I managed to talk to. The buzz of enthusiasm that surrounds this show is magnetic and there’s something special about being surrounded by so many positive enthusiasts. Will I do the show again next year? I certainly hope so! See you there?

Vietnam the Country

• Population is just under 87 million
• Bordered by China, Laos and Cambodia
• 331,690 sq km – 58 provinces
• Time is +7 hours GMT
• The Roman alphabet is used

Best times to visit

• It’s a long thin country and the weather in the north has a very different pattern to the south.
• The mountains in the Centre and North confuse the patterns.
• Tropical in South. Monsoonal in the North – 2 monsoons per year.
• November to February is best for just the south but cold and misty in the north.
• July to November is the worst period in the north.
• Late March, April and early May is the best period to visit if you want to travel the length of the country.

Visas
Download the application from the Vietnamese Embassy in London. This info is applicable at the time of writing.

• Pay by cash, postal order or bank draft
• A 30 day single entry visa costs £38 plus postage of £8
• A 30 day multiple entry visa costs £70 plus postage of £8
• Processing time when there are not national Vietnamese holidays is 5 working days.
• You’ll need your passport with a minimum of six clear month’s validity at the time you intend to enter the country, and one recent passport photo.
• You can also apply for your visa on entry – bit too risky?
• You must be very precise about your entry and exit dates.

Maps and Guide Books

• ‘Reise – Know How’ maps are the best we came across. One for the north, and one for the Centre and South. £7.75 Good road maps and don’t rip easily.
• Be warned though, as with most maps for Vietnam, not all roads are marked, even main roads.
• If you have time, track down the Cartographic office in Hanoi – 85 Nguyen Chi Thanh, it’s behind the Fortuna Hotel in the Ba Dinh District.
• Guidebooks strongly recommend the Vietnam Administrative Atlas by Ban Do. You can buy this in good book shops in both Hanoi and Saigon. Good for city and town maps in particular.
• Both Lonely Planets and Rough Guide do guide books for Vietnam.

Getting there

• Flights vary tremendously according to what is going on in both our holiday calendar and that of the country itself. Check really careful on this for good deals. Avoiding the holidays is the key.
• You can (at the time of writing) pay around £300 if you look hard and plan well but can expect to pay between £600 and £800 for split city, return flight.
• All the major airlines or their partners fly there.
• Thai can be one of the cheapest, using Bangkok as its hub. Also try Malaysia which uses Kuala Lumpur as the hub.

Travel Insurance
Don’t skimp on this!

• The local hospitals are not what you or I are used to.
• Many people fly to Thailand to get treated there.
• Make sure your policy covers you for repatriation and of course for riding bikes.

Contact Mr Cuong
Cuong Motorbike Adventure
Buy, Sell, Repair, Rent
1 Luong Ngoc Quyen Street
Old Town, Hanoi
cuongminsk@yahoo.com
Minsk Owners Club

Motorcycle Touring Companies

• www.offroadvietnam.com
• www.voyagevietnam.net
• www.exploreindochina.com
• www.motorbikevietnam.com
• www.greentrail-indochina.com

Are you legal to ride a bike in Vietnam?
Technically, no you aren’t unless you have a Vietnamese motorcycle licence. That is almost impossible to get if you aren’t living in Vietnam.

However, if you have a full UK Motorcycle licence and have an international licence to back it up you’ll almost certainly be ok.
The real time situation is that the police are highly unlikely to stop you unless you do something daft or dangerous. It seems that they have been told to leave tourists alone. They have been told that they, ‘Will be fired and arrested if they try to shake down tourists.’ This sort of threat has turned into a catchall which means that tourists on bikes rarely get hassled. Quite rightly, in these times of recession in particular they need our tourist money to come into the country.
You’ll get blank expressions if you ask about insurance. You are going to have to wing it but be prepared for the fact that even your UK travel insurance won’t cover you for third party liability. It’s the risk you take.

Health
You need a full set of typical travel inoculations – your GP can advise, or you can get in touch with the St Pancras Institute of Tropical Medicine. Some of the inoculations you should have require a course of injections over a period of 3 months, so you should check this out well in advance.

Food or waterborne diseases are the main sources of risk. Bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever.

The vectorborne diseases are dengue fever, malaria, Japanese encephalitis, and plague.

And finally the catchable water contact disease is leptospirosis.

The only vaccine required by international regulations is yellow fever but proof of vaccination will only be required if you have visited a country in the yellow-fever zone within the six days prior to entering Vietnam.

Avian Bird Flu is an issue in some areas and Dengue Fever can cause some real problems. The main risk to your health, besides manic traffic, is malaria. However, there are significant chunks of the country that are virtually malaria free – these are mainly in coastal regions but its work checking for the specifics. It’s also worth taking the usual care to lower risk of being infected. Spray your clothes with Permethrin. Wear light coloured long sleeve and long leg clothing in the dawn and dusk. Use a mosquito repellent that has a minimum of 50% Deet in the mix. Do take your prophylaxis as advised, but you should be aware that your tablets won’t stop you getting malaria – they will just slow down the effects so you can get to help while you are compos mentis!

Its well worth packing waterproof plasters and a small container of disinfectant – it’s those small, easy to make cuts that are the ones so often infected fastest.

Should you worry about all of this lot and should they put you off going to Vietnam? Nope. This set of warnings is pretty light for a tropical country and most of the safety factor comes from doing your research and then using common sense.

Food
Vietnam has an amazing reputation for superb cuisine and tucking into the local grub is without doubt one of the highlights of a visit. There are a few cautionary thoughts though. Usually you’d try not to eat anything that has been sitting around and has just been warmed through but many of the soups or Pho is made of ingredients that have been sitting around waiting for you to make your order. With these I think the best way to make a decision is to judge how clean the situation is and to look to see how many locals are eating there. Steer clear of salads and other uncooked vegetables. Try to steer clear of raw meats and fish, though that’s not going to be so easy unless you read Vietnamese! Ice is generally ok to have in drinks in the big cities but just don’t do it out in the countryside.

One of the reasons that Vietnam has such a large and varied menu is that it’s a neighbour of China and over the generations, Vietnam has been occupied by the Chinese on several occasions and one of their legacies is the taste for the more unusual foodstuffs. Some times it’s best to concentrate on how the food tastes than what it looks like or may contain. Oh, and if you can’t use chop sticks yet, get some practice in. In most places you won’t be given a choice of eating utensils.

Also, try to change your mindset about how you order your food. This is another Chinese influence. If there are two of you, order a range of dishes and a couple of extra plates. Then both sample each of the dishes. The Vietnamese have a whole range of customs about eating together and they are really useful to know about in advance – just in case you are lucky enough to get invited to someone’s home. Oh, and if that happens, always take a gift and present it with both hands.

In the main there are three regional cuisines – North, South and Central Vietnam. North Vietnamese food is usually simple and is less spicy as compared to the South Vietnamese food and has a Chinese bias. Central Vietnamese food is more spicy so if you like your nosh to have a zing…

Vietnamese cooking is more like an art and there are some restaurants where you are given a virtual cooking lesson with the food being prepared right at your table. It is always beautifully presented.

Cultural customs
The culture of this country is extremely complicated, or perhaps I should say, very alien to Western cultures. It’s worth spending some time learning about the rules as simple knowledge will stand you in very good stead. I can’t do them justice here, but some of the rules are:

• Never touch someone on the head.
• If you touch someone on one shoulder make sure you touch the other shoulder too or its bad luck for the person you have touched.
• If you need to indicate that someone needs to come to you, or you want to attract their attention, do so with the whole hand and with your palm down. Waving or attracting attention with a finger is considered to be incredibly impolite.
• A broad smile can be both a welcome and an apology.
• Never lose your temper in public – never even raise your voice. If you hear a local doing so then you can quickly gauge that whatever is going on is of a horrendously dire nature.
• Learn the rules of chop stick use – there are several important ones and your hosts will judge you by your knowledge of them.
• And yes, you need to avoid displays of affection in public with someone of the opposite sex. We did see both people holding hands though – boys too.
• Don’t take pictures of anything to do with the police or the military.
• The penalty for drug taking is extreme. For once I was only approached once by someone wanting to sell me marijuana – it’s the ponytail effect!

Quite simply, this land has so much to offer an adventure traveller. There are plenty of challenges and surprises, but everything is manageable if you have an open and enquiring mind, and love to sample new things. I hope you enjoy as much as we did.