Solo Riders.. Messages between Jim and Dave

Its Time to start working on my book/blog again. Anyone who has ready our blog knows that we got separated a few times while on our motorcycle adventures riding home from Brazil. Here is a little conversation gem between Dave and I that I came across.

Quick background on this conversation for anyone who might not know our story. So, our game plan if we ever got separated on the trip was find the nearest internet house and send a message to the other guys stating where we could meet up. Pretty fool proof plan. We thought....

The First bit of this conversation is in March of 2010, when Dave's motor goes out on his bike. He demands that we continue on to a beach town without him. He then hitchhikes a ride back to the last town with a trucker so he can get his motor fixed. Nian and I ride on.

The second half of this short excerpt from our conversation is in April 2010, right after I crashed and got separated from our three man motorcycle gang in Southern Mexico.  These are our messages back and forth to each other as we attempt (and fail) to meet up before we get back to Utah.

• 
  

  March 13, 2010 3:11 a.m.

  Dave Kiley

  • I don't know why this caralho of a phone won't call to you! Anyway, I'm going to a party with the mechanico and sleeping at his place in arembepe which is only like fifteen kilometers outside lauro de freitas. Thought it would be a good idea to ride her around for a bit to make sure everythings running good before I take off. I tried to sell it today and found out it has to be in my name, so I went to put it in my name and found out I have to do that in the city my CPF is in.... Without the documents In my name I won't be able to sell it unless to a farmer who won't ever need the documents but probably for about half the price, but I didn't really want to ride all the way back to floripa to fix the problem either. So I went and had dinner with Alan and his girl and he's got a buddy who could "dar um jeito" but he'll only be able to know tomorrow morning and would only be able to do it Monday! Chato! But then I could sell it. Where you guys at and what day we looking at catching a boat to Manaus?
• 
  

  March 13, 2010 4:38 a.m.

  Dave Kiley

  • Bike was leaking oil everywhere and sucking again this morning. Still here with my boys at moto racing. Gonna try and figure out my document stuff to sell it. If not I guess I'll hit the road and pray for the best
• 
  

  March 14, 2010 1:21 p.m.

  Jim Anderson

  • well brother. we're thinking about bouncing outta here late tonight and heading up to pipa. its in a city called Tibau do Sul.. i guess there have been mad shark attacks around recife so nian wants go get some surfing in and this isnt the best place. we're thinking we need to try and make river boat by the 25th with will put nian in manaus by sunday the 28th.. maybe make peru by the 5th? just thinking? look at our distances and whatnot and let us know what you think either way. also we may have to be adjusting flights soon? i dunno?

    
    

    chiliean marcela marcelayazigi@

    
    

    mcsf_amorim@

    
    

    hurry and get that ish straight and get back up here! i cant stand all nians crying at night from missing you so much.

    
    

    JIM
• 
  

  March 15, 2010 7:47 a.m.

  Dave Kiley

  • haha!!! sorry to leave you Niansitting dog!! i´m trying to get all the ish figured out right now, i think riverboat by the 25 sounds good, hopefully i can meet up with you guys before then! HAHA and if not i will have to at least tell my mother i have! surfin sounds great. tear it up.

    
    

    i´ll adjust all the flights when i meet up with you guys, its simple

    
    

    i heard we gotta take a boat to peru, that roads from manaus to peru suck, or there aren´t any. so maybe we´ll sell our bikes in manaus or belem, i don´t know, tell me what you think.

    
    

    dude there was a fight at this party, some kids tried to start a brawl right in front of me, i stood in the middle of this rumble waiting for some punk bahiano to hit me when my buddy pulls me out of the circle, aparently the cops don´t care who started it or if it was self defense, they catch you fighting, you go directly to jail!! good to know. so we went and danced the samba with some fine big bootied hoe´s instead!! haha.

    
    

    few more days and we´ll be together again

    
    

    hugs and kisses

    
    

    Dave
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Part 2 of our Conversations 
    
    
• 
  

  April 23, 2010 7:48 p.m.

  Jim Anderson

  • bro.. im in acayucan mexico

    where did you fools go?

    waited for 30 mins

    searched for 1 hour

    rolled by the cops for 20 mins

    rolled by a semi for 15 mins.... Thats right, I crashed! I'm OK though

    rolled by the cops again for 30 mins

    rolled back on the hwy 180 to here.

    im gonna find a dr get this freakin road rash cleaned up

    i'll get back on in an hour or so to see what the deal is

    if i dont hear from you by then im gonna press on twards mex city and then head north twards juarez

    
    

    peace
• 
  

  April 23, 2010 9:01 p.m.

  Jim Anderson

  • hey bro.. this gas station guy told me to kick it in Orizaba, México

    i guess its right before some gnarley mountains so im going to head there and get some shut eye.

    lemme know.........
• 
  

  April 24, 2010 12:52 a.m.

  Jim Anderson

  • ill be at the oxxo mexigas station on main st in orizaba at 6:30 a.m.. meet me there if you can. if not ill get a monster and jus keep on truckin. if you get off at orizaba. take a right. its up like 1 or 2 kms on your left.
• 
  

  April 24, 2010 1:22 a.m.

  Jim Anderson

  • scratch that last one. im this crappy hotel de la france or something like that. if you get here early just ask the dude where the late rider is. ive got my bike locked up and a bed here. 
• 
  

  April 24, 2010 10:39 a.m.

  Dave Kiley

  • yo thug, were changing nians oil getting gas and headed to toluca, i`ll check internet again when we get there, lets try and meet there in about 4 hours, its about noon now. let me know where your at. if not lets plan on church in either guadalara or mazatlan. taking the coast up to nogales still. good luck amigo
• 
  

  April 24, 2010 12:03 p.m.

  Jim Anderson

  • amigo, my bearings went out in Heroica Puebla de Zaragoza, ill get these fixed and see what i can to to catch up. let me know where youre headed to and i´ll come find you there if i dont catch up!
• 
  

  April 24, 2010 6:03 p.m.

  Dave Kiley

  • dog, we are about 3 hours in front of you, have fun in mexico city, we did, for about 2 hours!!! haha, we´re in a poe dunk town on our way to guadalajara looking for some ponchos cuz its freezing balls cold! you might want to dress really warm if your gonna ride through the night. we´ll get a place in g town, but the internet wíll probably be closed, so we´ll try and choose an obvious place, if not we´ll see you at church, we´ll go to the early one. there may be a bunch of wards so if we don´t see you then we´ll try and use a members internet or phone or something. good luck bagira. sorry about your bearings. i´ll try and find you a poncho to make you feel better

• 
  

  April 25, 2010 12:02 p.m.

  Dave Kiley

  • jim, we`re kickin it here in guaralajara. i`ll check the net again in a little bit. maybe we`ll go and try to buy a chip for our phone so you can call us
  • There is a temple here!!!! we`ll go kick it at the temple for the next little bit. maybe shower and take a nap. meet us there. we`ll check the net again in a bit too. its 1 p.m. right now
• 
  

  April 25, 2010 12:43 p.m.

  Jim Anderson

  • hey brother im in mazatalan.... I haven't slept in long couple days. Where you boys at right now? Im gonna need some rest at some point. it was a rough night. and you were right about being balls cold!
  • ill jump back on here in an hour or two to see what the game plan is
• 
  

  April 25, 2010 2:50 p.m.

  Jim Anderson

  • hey brother im gonna roll outta here. this place stresses me out. to touristy. i think im gonna roll a couple hours up the coast and find a place where we can kick it. where niggas go when we die. a place called.. thugs mansion. ill try and find a hotel with the net and get you my whereabouts when i get them. if i cant ill go as far as the state of senora and ill hang a message on the right side of the welcome to senora sign.

    its almost three. figure illl get there around 6 or so?
• 
  

  April 25, 2010 5:03 p.m.

  Dave Kiley

  • dog we just kicked it in guaralajara for 4 hours at the temple trying to find an internet place. hang the sign on the welcome to senora sign. we´re about to make the trip up, but we´re pushin it for time. so hang the sign on the welcome to senora sign where we can find you, or else it might just have to be at the border. peace out brother. don´t put any rocks on the road
• 
  

  April 25, 2010 6:48 p.m.

  Jim Anderson

  • sounds good brother. i just fell asleep at the handlebars for the last time!! My life flashed before my eyes. way sucky.. im going to push to senora and get a hotel i think. and then get an early start for the border in order to cross without lines
• 
  

  April 26, 2010 3:26 p.m.

  Jim Anderson

  • fellas..  i broke down again in Ciudad Obregón. My whole back wheel is completely Jacked!  its now two thirty and im just pulling out. that shoud put me at the border around 9 pm. hope we can meet up there before it closes and cholos get us
• 
  

  April 26, 2010 4:36 p.m.

  Dave Kiley

  • we`re in navajo, about 7 hours from the boarder. its three thirty. we`ll get there between 10 and 2. if you want to wait it`d be fun to roll home together. if not i understand and i`ll see you at the weddings. if you wait. make sure its in an obvious place because i`m sure all the internet places will be closed by the time we get there and if we don`t find you we will assume you left. we would have been there this morning but my sprocket and chain gave up the ghost and turns out the one i bought in colombia doesn`t even fit and mine doesnt exist here! we found one on some guys shelf that fits. but has about 6 more teeth then my last one so i`ve just been wheeling all the way here. my bike was sounding like shiz so i`m just swithin the ooil while i write you and then i`ll hope this heat doesn`t blow up my bike this close to the boarder and the glory. hopefully we see you soon buddy. and please don`t mess with the signs! and by the way. the note was great! it was like finding a treasure map!!!!!
• 
  

  April 27, 2010 12:03 a.m.

  Jim Anderson

  • Borders closed til 7 tomorrow. I'm at a wing place by walmart. I'll go check the border at like 11:30. I might hammock up there or get a room. I'm not sure yet. If I don't hammock il put a note in a white bag and hangg it on the furthest USA entry gate
• 
  

  April 28, 2010 12:32 a.m.

  Jim Anderson

  • brother.. i searched the borders for yous forever. anyway. after two and a half painstaking days of riding solo i've arrived in fillmore. Whats your 20? I stopped and spent $200 on warm clothes in Kanab. the freakin wind is unreal. blew a bunch of my gear out of my net. not happyy about it. let me know what your plan is. maybe we can all make the home streach together

    
    

    peace
• 
  

  April 29, 2010 11:07 a.m.

  Dave Kiley

  • BAGIRA!!! dog we made it home last night ten minutes after wandgards reception!! haha, that blizzard through beaver to nephi kicked our arses!!! crazy being home, glad you made it fool. you are a true american bad ass!!
    
    
    
    

“HEY!! HEYYY!!!” Poke.. poke……  There I am, Lying in my hammock. Its 3:30 in the morning. I’m all tied up inside my sleeping bag which is taco’ed inside my hammock. I’ve only been asleep for an hour or two and for some reason someone is rudely waking me up?! I peep out of my sleep cocoon and all I can see is bright lights. At this point I’m  super confused. Did I die? Am I dreaming?  Then I see it, those old familiar red and blue lights. It takes my eyes 30 or 40 seconds to focus but when they do I realize that there’s an officer standing  about 10 feet away from me with his hand on his gun. Then I realize that he’s talking to me. “Who are you and what are you doing?” I reply, “I’m Jim and I’m trying to sleep.”  The officer then yelled, “Do you have any weapons?” I replied in super sleepy voice, “Yeah.”  He then asked me what it was and I told him that I had a 20 inch machete. He continued asking me the same things for a minute or two.  Finally, I just yelled, “What do you want?!” I was extremely incoherent.  The officer then ordered me to leave my hammock. I slowly untied myself and fell out of my hammock. “Where are you coming from,” he asked me. I sleepily replied, “Brazil.” “Don’t mess with me!” He yelled. The next twenty or so minutes were dedicated to me telling our story about how we made our voyage from Florainopolis, Brazil up until that point where I was sleeping, in po dunk Arizona, in my hammock.  He of course didn’t believe me. I searched around and found my Brazilian documents and proved my case. I woke up a little bit more and we talked for another good while. He had called two back up cars earlier. They showed up. So now I was standing there, surrounded by three cars with their lights flashing and six or so officers. I was just leaning on my bike smiling. After talking our way out of trouble with the Venezuelan military police just a few weeks prior, a bunch of Arizona deputies were no big deal. One of them got my information and went to his car. He came back a couple minutes later and whispered something to the other officer. He then came over to me and asked me if I had ever been in trouble with the state of Arizona? I told him that I didn’t think so. He then said, “The state of Arizona has a warrant out for you arrest. Are you aware of that?” I laughed and said, “ha ha yeah right!” He replied, “Did you  get a ticket in Lake Powell in 2006?” “Umm yeah,” I replied. He told me that he had to take me in. I yelled, “YOU’RE KIDDING ME! I just rode a fetching dirt bike 16,000 miles through some of the most hostile countries in North and South America and you’re going to lock me up in Po Dunk Arizonia?!” I was so mad. He calmed me down and after another 20 minutes of persuasion he decided that he’d let me go back to sleep. I laid back down, and within minutes I was passed out again.

After another 3 or 4 hours of well deserved sleep I was up and back on the road. I rode fast and hard until I made it past Tucson. I stopped for gas right before I approached the outskirts of the Phoenix metro area. As I walked in to pay for my gas I remember smiling from ear to ear and chatting up a storm with the gas station guy. What a good feeling to be back in the US. Back home. Well, almost home. I filled my bike and Gatorade bottle with gas and got ready to ride. As I tied my newly filled Gatorade bottle by the other ones I noticed that the Mexican gas was almost a brown color and the American gas was clear. All along people had told me how terrible Mexican gas was. Back on the road I rode all the way through the Phoenix. I stopped for more gas on the way out of the Phoenix.  A couple hours later my bike started struggling as I was climbing in elevation and fighting a hard head wind. The climb up to flagstaff was a long cold one. I stopped at Maverick because its adventures first stop and I needed gas. I bought myself some delicious chocolate milk and doughnuts and hit the road. The wind picked up even more as I got closer to the Grand Canyon. By this point I was wearing all my clothes again with my rain gear on over that. It was pretty chilly. I stopped again at the Indian reservation gas station before Page. I topped my tank off and tightened my chain. It was in super bad shape. There were several rollers missing and it was extremely stretched. I got it just right, pushed started by bike and rolled onward. I rode another hour or so and passed Page and Lake Powell. I just smiled as I crossed into Utah. Almost Home! As I crossed Glen Canyon Dam I was about 70 miles from Kanab when my bike started shaking a little bit. I was right in the middle of the Indian Reservation when I felt a pop and my bike RPM’s went all the way up. Right after that I started slowing down. I looked down and…. No chain. I stopped at one of those little pull offs where the Indians sell their souvenirs. I hopped off and walked back to where my chain dropped. I grabbed it and walked back over to my bike. One of the busted rollers had worn out the link and it broke. Now what. NOOWww What! I looked at my GPS and figured I was close enough Kanab to hitch a ride into town where I could hopefully find a chain or new link. I tried hitching a ride for almost half an hour. Nobody even blinked. I was standing up holding my chain, waving both my arms, and still people would just speed past. I thought, “Are you serious? What a bunch of loser people.” After hitch hiking without any success I walked over to my bike and sat down on the ground. As I looked at the chain and bike I realized that all I needed was a new link clip. I propped my bike up and loosed the chain tensioners all the way up. Then I wrapped the broken chain around the sprockets and lined it up. I looked like I would be able to take out a whole link. I took the chain back off and went to work with a pair of vice grips and a big rock. Somehow I managed to break the chain link and get it apart. I wrapped the chain back on the bike and hooked the chain on. It just barley reached. Then I took the old busted part of the chain and smashed the link on over the chain rollers. I pounded it on tight and rolled my bike forward a bit to see if it would work. 

Worked like a dream! I packed up my tools, put in my head phones, gave my bike a push and I was off! A short hour later I was 30 miles from Kanab. I was fighting a 40-50 mph head wind. My bike was struggling and I was Freezing! I fought through it and made it to Kanab. I searched the whole town for bike parts and found nothing. I started getting ready to ride and then realized that it was freezing cold outside! I walked into the local Levis store and bought every bit of warm clothes they had. I now had gloves, a beanie, a huge sweater, long underwear, thermal socks, and sweatpants to go along with all of the other clothes I was wearing and all covered up by my rain gear. I jumped on and rode fast and hard as it was getting dark fast. I pulled into Beaver at about 9:30 pm and got gas. The girl inside gave me a really funny look. I looked at her, smiled, and said, “I’m riding my motorbike home from Brazil! Haha” I put my gloves on, got a good run, bumped my clutch and started my bike, and rode off into the foggy windy night. The next hour and a half I spent reminiscing the last three months. Just thinking about all the crazy nights, all the amazing rides, all the amazing people, all the answered prayers, and all the things I had seen. As I came down the last hill coming into my hometown of Fillmore I caught a crazy tail wind and got my top speed of the entire 3 months I had been gone. 165 kms per hour.  As I pulled off the exit at Meadow a crazy feeling came over me. Another mile later and I could see my house off in the distance. It was about 11:00 pm so I was a little nervous that everyone would be sleeping already. Keep in mind that nobody knows that I’m coming home. The last time I was heard from by anyone in my family was almost three weeks earlier in Costa Rica when I called home to have my shot card faxed to me. The last time I had seen my buddies was five or six days earlier in southern Mexico. My arrival at home was a complete surprise.  The last three miles I could see that the lights were on at the house and I smiled the whole way there. I pulled into the driveway did a little circle on the front yard, and went straight up the eight steps to our front porch! As I got to the top my chain came off and my bike tipped straight over! It made a huge crash as my cheap glasses scattered and gear scattered everywhere. I stood it up and looked in the kitchen window. There was my mother, with the most confused / surprised look on her face, washing dishes right inside the window. Another second later and her and my Dad were on the porch with me.  My Mother instantly started to bawl and my Dad laughed and then chewed me out for making them worry. It was pretty inconsiderate of me not telling them what I was doing but it made for a good story in the end. In the end, they were just glad I was home. 

I hadn’t been home more than 10 minutes when my Dad said, get that stuff off and get in the bath tub! You’re filthy. I went and looked in the mirror and he was right. I hadn’t shaved in a couple weeks and hadn’t taken a shower in days. I had been riding behind semi trucks to catch their tail wind, so my face was completely black with road grime.  It took me a good 30 minutes of scrubbing to get all of it off. The next few hours were spent telling stories and rejoicing with my family.

On a whim, two buddies and I just bought dirt bikes and rode them home from Brazil. We traveled some visited 13 countries. We met some of the most amazing people and saw some of the most amazing sights in the whole world. I came to know myself better, and most importantly came to know God better.