Miquel Silvestre

[rinty]

Spanish adventure rider Miquel Silvestre recently passed through western Canada, and we were fortunate enough to be able to host him for a couple of days. Statdawg, who is a friend of his, had written me for some route advice for him for the B.C. / Alberta legs. For those of you who haven't been following his blog, http://www.miquelsilvestre.com/blog.html he has most recently been riding with Paul Franze through Oregon, and with "Big Al" Smith through Washington and B.C.

We thought we would introduce him to Alberta Beef, so the first night we took him to the Keg, where he enjoyed a good Sirloin steak:

http://rinty.smugmug.com/photos/659265834_xMPCR-M.jpg

Here we are in the bar, prior to dinner, with my brother in law Bert, from Holland (he rides a Yamaha, but we invited him anyway).

Miquel liked this so much that my wife followed up the next day with a roast beef dinner at home. My step sister Lydia is in the background, and Karin is across from Miquel:

http://rinty.smugmug.com/photos/661278070_BGLGd-M.jpg

He was also able to attend Octoberfest at Anderwerks BMW, where he met another well known member of the BMW community, Dave Anderson:

http://rinty.smugmug.com/photos/659269299_wcNwL-M.jpg

Getting the bike ready for the long leg across west central Canada:

http://rinty.smugmug.com/photos/659270058_fCWWk-M.jpg

Lawyer, novelist, adventurer, Miquel is a true Renaissance Man, and it was a pleasure to meet him.

[bigalsmith101]

Hello Rinty,

Great photos of your time with Miquel. I am Alex Smith, aka: Bigalsmith and rode with Miquel through Northern Washington and South Western BC. It was a good time indeed and I am still trying to figure out how put photos into my account of our trip. How did/do you put photos into a new thread?

[Voni]

Miguel was here with us last Thanksgiving!

Small world :wave

Voni
sMiling

[rinty]

...great photos...

Thanks Alex. My wife has a new Lumix, and the thing is just amazing. I'll try to link you up to a simple photo posting thread later.

P.S. Here you go: See post 5.

http://www.bmwmoa.org/forum/showthread.php?p=458548&highlight=gene#post458548

And you can practise posting pictures in this thread:

http://www.bmwmoa.org/forum/showthread.php?t=2021

If you still have trouble, get a photo imaging expert to sit down with you, and walk you through it. The guy that helped me is a graphic arts student at university.

Miquel was here...Voni

We heard all about it; he really enjoyed meeting you both. :)

[Statdawg]

:) Miquel will be in NYC tomorrow. He plans to relax, visit BMW Manhattan, then head down to the Ear Inn where the clean GSs are parked. One of my friends is hosting him in the City before sending him to me in Pennsylvania. Then we will head to the Catskills so he can be the longest distance rider who traveled from Spain to the Catskills via Russia, the Stans, and Canada.

I will fill everyone in later I want to give Alex time to post his report and tell you about the traveler.

Miquel was asked at the US Border what his business was in Uzbekistan and Russia, he told them the same as the USA just to see what is going on. More here. http://www.miquelsilvestre.com/blog.html :brow Click on back to America.

[KGT1200]

:) Miquel will be in NYC tomorrow. He plans to relax, visit BMW Manhattan, then head down to the Ear Inn where the clean GSs are parked. One of my friends is hosting him in the City before sending him to me in Pennsylvania. Then we will head to the Catskills so he can be the longest distance rider who traveled from Spain to the Catskills via Russia, the Stans, and Canada.

I will fill everyone in later I want to give Alex time to post his report and tell you about the traveler.

Miquel was asked at the US Border what his business was in Uzbekistan and Russia, he told them the same as the USA just to see what is going on. More here. http://www.miquelsilvestre.com/blog.html :brow Click on back to America.

His adventures sound like a dream; will anticipate your report!

[Statdawg]

His adventures sound like a dream; will anticipate your report!

He rode with Alex in western Canada so as soon as BigAlSmith101 posts and sort out his pictures I will contribute more. His education is interfering with his forum time.

Anyway a short note

Miquel is a Renaissance Man and a traveler searching the horizons. He is a little of everyone that rides a BMW is his short story. The original Spanish Explorers came to America to find gold he came and found friendships worth much more. He is a journalist so his travels have taken him to Voni & Paul, the Beemerchef, Jeff Dean, the Arizona Clubs, the San Diego Club, our California members of Burnzilla, DarrylRi, Franz, towards Canada with Big Al, in Alberta to Rinty, then he drove by the Montreal group and toured Quebec City. Now he is headed towards NYC to meet a few Adv Riders and MOA members at their Tuesday night gathering at the Ear Inn. He is finishing off at the MOA Catskills event then heading back to Madrid for career matters. I think his GS stays on my farm till his next venture or we ship it. I guess I can keep an eye on it, he said he doesn't know when he will return but he would like to get the bike to South America...........is he driving it or does he want me to drive it there ? :)

My main problem with Miquel is how do I tell of his accomplishments when he doesn't tell people about them ? He has a blog but that is so he doesn't have to write many emails and its an exercise of his English writing; a Tarzan language to him. He has a web site but he is a professional person, an editor and lawyer so I guess its expected. All that mattered to me is he was on a GS and asked for assistance. I was just fortunate to know a few people along his journey even in far away places. Luck and fate ? Opportunity ? Karma ? In any case all I ask is to pay it forward, and help another. Who knows one of us maybe in Spain someday and its nice to know there is an MOAer there.

[bigalsmith101]

Here is a link to my newly posted ride report.

http://www.bmwmoa.org/forum/showthread.php?p=502620#post502620

I hope you enjoy it!

[BubbaZanetti]

.is he driving it or does he want me to drive it there ? :)


if you don't want to, let me know.:thumb

think i'll be meeting Miquel tonight.

[Statdawg]

if you don't want to, let me know.:thumb

think i'll be meeting Miquel tonight.

Careful he is as thirsty as his GS and he smokes.

Dr Rock should be out of work by 1800 and plans to go.

Callum is headed there so keep your eyes peeled, I doubt he will be wearing a kilt.

[rinty]

You guys have a great time in Ol' Gotham! And say hi from Karin and myself.:wave

[Statdawg]

I am listening the Ramones on the Ipod while running along the Hudson River. It is cold but the scenery warms me up. I am not feeling like an stranger. This is my place in the same way Jerusalem, Cape Town or Samarcanda were. I felt there in the right spot and even with wide open eyes nothing was weird for me. Those cities were part of me and I was part of them. Maybe the reason is I didn’t take in land from an airplane after a boring transatlantic trip and suddenly opened my eyes and ears to a new reality. Instead of it, I have been coming day by day, mile by mile, step by step since I left my home fifteen months ago. I left sweat, tears, smiles and fears all over the way to arrive here. And I am proud of it.



I hate that common saying “I am a World Citizen”. No one is World Citizen and neither am I. I am just a f@#$ing normal guy riding a fat motorcycle and getting surprised daily in every place I reached. I love to talk to local people and I hate also those who say “the Planet is small” just because they earn a lot of flight miles using American Express. No, this Planet is not small, is diverse, terrible and beautiful. And is really Big and takes a lot of time to ride a little part of it. People are small, not the Earth. I know now that we are not anything else but silly ants trying to survive and procreate, just like ants do. The tiny difference between they and us is that we can also love, laugh, paint, write and ride motorcycles.



Why is so important riding motorcycles when is exhausting, hard and terrible in hot or cold weather ? Because we are different people. A guy who I didn’t know has left me his apartment on Broadway in the middle of the Big Apple. David, Dr. Rock, a middle age doctor in the hospital has hosted me just because we both understand the meaning of biking. I knew through Chris that he rode the Transamerican Trail (a dirt path which goes all across the USA from East to West) with his wife, who was riding her own motorcycle. You should be a real rough rider to do that. And he knew by the same guy that I had been riding USA, Canada, Africa, the Stans and Middle East. That was enough to trust each other, that was enough for Chris to make the connection.



Five minutes after my arrival, he took me to the Ear Inn, a famous pub in Manhattan, and introduced me to the hard core of New York Adventure Riders. There were the beers (the best Guinness since I left Ireland) and the bikes. And then I learnt something curious. For bikers my terrible accent in English is not an Spanish accent, is Dani Pedrosa´s accent, because the pilot has to speak to the International Mass Media after the races. Pedrosa is not Valentino Rossi, a real showman. He is boring and flat and his English is awful. So I did my best to put our flag up. After few pints of stout I think I got it. Now Pedrosa has a terrible ambassador in New York and I can keep forever a good night with real people in real places, something not achievable by tourists.



Thanks to all of you for being there reading these emails and sorry if anyone has felt annoyed for my insistence on travelling and telling it. Next adventure, behind the desk and wearing tie instead dirt biker gear. I am sadly happy for finishing this World Tour Trip 2008-2009. But nothing lasts forever and I have found a lot of faith. All the best

[tessler]

Sorry I missed him. Derek, Dave and a bunch of the other regulars (the hard core of New York Adventure Riders :ha) had a great time hanging out with Miguel.

[rinty]

Statdawg:

That's an appropriate "exit" shot of Miquel :thumb

I wish I could have joined in the New York festivities.

[rinty]

And Miquel is back in Africa:

http://africanmotorcycletrip.blogspot.com/2009/11/back-to-old-love.html

[Statdawg]

That crazy guy should have worn his BMW gear he bought at Hermys. Now with road rash and a broken ankle his mission is just going to be a tad harder.

:bow

Miquels (http://riders.org/n_details.aspx?nwId=279) Mission:

Tell the Spanish world via a film documentary along with print and electronic media about Riders.org operations in Africa. I believe its remarkable that there is a camera on his airhead GS.

Scout out Riders next event (http://riders.org/experienceafrica.aspx) for 2010 and produce marketing media. I am not a hundred percent sure but its interesting he is in country for the Roof of Africa Rally and the UK press release was recently.

Inspire the next generation.