Despite what everybody thinks we did not make this journey just by ourselves. We were fortunate enough to have long distance support when we needed it. First of all, there’s Bien en Sip, who took care of all we left behind, that is, lots of paperwork, tax related issues and bankaccounts. At times it seemed they were busier keeping this whole enterprise on track than we were. Then there is Loes’ parents whose moral and at times generous support is much cherished. A warm welcome in Perth was the icing on the cake. Herb’s parents, who in the last year probably burnt more candles than you can fit in St. Peter’s, in the meantime moved from Belgium to Amsterdam, we think in an attempt to make up for all this time we’ve been away. Paul and Silke regularly sent us crucial items such as inflatable pillows and toothpaste. Sjoerd looked after our appartment and Sven helped us out with our weblog when our computerskills fell short, or when Chinese National Interest deemed it too dangerous for us to enter our blog ourselves. Frederique from A la Carte organised and sent us the maps we needed to find our way and Jan-Willem from Fietsplezier and the guys at Santos Bikes were there when we needed them, just once, in Uzbekistan. Tamar, Renee and Boudewijn, Wilma and Rik made sure we were provided with all these things you start craving when away from home for a long time, liquorice and the Viva, to name but a few. And of course there was our friend Elroy, who only started reading our story just now, from finish to start, so he knows it has a happy ending.
And then there is you, the people who read this and have followed our whereabouts over the last year. Your interest, at times underlined by a message left on our blog, has been a great support and surely motivated us to keep up both pace and blog.
We are looking forward to seeing you all again, tell you all we didn’t put on our blog and hear about the beautifully white winter in Holland. Since we arrive on Schiphol at the unholy hour of 6.05 in the morning on feb. 20th we suggest you sleep in. But do join us the day after. We’ll be having a drink on sunday the 21st from about 4.00 in the afternoon at our much loved and much missed Wynand Fockink in the Pijlsteeg just off Dam square. And you are most invited.
February 12, 2010 at 7:24 pm
‘k heb zo’n zin in alle verhalen en de fototentoonstelling!
March 23, 2010 at 4:08 pm
Beste Herb,
Ik heb geen e-mailadres van jou, maar hopelijk gaat dit ook.
Met hartelijke groet, Bert
DE NOORDKAAP
We fietsen naar de Noordkaap, al is het nog zo ver
We doen het trapje voor trapje en eens dan zijn we er
De Noordkaap, de Noordkaap, de Noordkaap
Hield ik maar van apekool, want ik lust geen wortel of raap
We fietsen via het zuiden als extra hindernis
Laat ons allen toch bidden dat de aarde bolvormig is
De Noordkaap, de Noordkaap, de Noordkaap
Achter moeders keukendeur zit op een stokje een aap
We trappen ons het apezuur, waarom toch al dat gezwoeg?
Want ik heb me laten vertellen, er is daar niet eens ‘n kroeg
De Noordkaap, de Noordkaap, de Noordkaap
Logeerde ik maar in de Krententuin of in logement de Aap
En als we er ooit komen, is het niet voor niets
Want dan wacht ons de thuisreis, op die vermaledijde fiets
De Noordkaap, de Noordkaap, de Noordkaap
Is de mens spontaan geschapen of stamt hij af van de aap.
Herb en Loes ze fietsten
Zich te pletter iedere dag
Vooral de afstand over zee
Dat was een hard gelag
Australië, Australië, down-under-continent
Het lijkt van hier veel verder
Dan als je er eenmaal bent.
*
May 16, 2011 at 4:32 am
Hi Herb, Loes,
Lots of water under the bridge since last we talked. I was thinking of you as I just bought a new bike, and got a Rohloff hub. It was meeting you guys on your remarkable trip that set my thinking into motion. Last year I had trouble with my bike on a secondary airline in Madagascar, so decided I wanted a bike with S&S coupling, so I could pack it smaller. And a Rohloff.
I’ve just had it out for an inaugural weekend, and love it already.
This year I’m back to the mountains of central Asia – heading to Ladakh.
Hope all goes well for you. Cheers, Gregg