*Liam's Wild Ride*

[MotoLiam]

This will sound strange, but Lisbon reminds me of SF in a big way. There's a replica Golden Gate, and across the bridge it totally reminds me of Sausalito. It's kind of creepy, really, how similar this place is to SF. You need to see it to understand.

 

[MotoLiam]

This is art, and in the right place, too! The perfect blend of relics!

 

[MotoLiam]

Total Insecticon Street Cleaner!

 

[MotoLiam]

DC, Yo! Support your local skate shop, fools! So good to see this level of support from the extreme industry.

 

[TeamZigen]

Mt.Bike

Hey Barfers, I have been looking for a decent mountain bike (or even BMX) for the last couple months. After a lot of deliberation, I think this is the best way for me to get around at this point. With all the travel I expect to be doing, I don't want to have anything that's going to be parked on the street for a week at a time and I can always stuff a bicycle in the apartment. I am used to riding Haro BMX's but at one point put a lot of miles on a Kona Mountain bike. So I think I'm looking for a combination of the two. Does anyone have a Spanish Bicycle connection? I think I've found the most complete place in Barcelona, Pro-Bike, but they're a little pricey.

Kona & Haro, pretty good but, it's gotta be a Santa Cruz. I know, it's pricey too I likem'.

 

[MotoLiam]

Re: Mt.Bike

Kona & Haro, pretty good but, it's gotta be a Santa Cruz. I know, it's pricey too I likem'.

Figure I'm a little bit far from Santa Cruz. . . . . also, certain bikes that are available in the USA aren't sold in Europe (the GT Moto and Chucker/Ruckus line aren't here!). That said, for my particular brand of idiocrasy, I think an all-rounder would do me well, something along the lines of the bikes mentioned above or the Specialized P-2, something that will outlast me! How's the New Year treating everyone? I'm here in BCN for four days before embarking on yet another glorious motorcycle destination, which no one has guessed yet

MoTo Lust!

 

[MotoLiam]

Some last Dakar shots, before I delve into the Lisbon and Castelo trips. These race trucks are unbelievable. I think this particular one hails from Japan.

 

[MotoLiam]

Watching the coverage on TV every night makes it seem easy, but seeing three crew members scrabbling in the sand trying to dig their trucks out brings it all home. Sometimes the trucks are so stuck they attach a rope and literally "roll" their truck down a dune. . . .
Sideways! They flip over several times and hopefully land on their wheels.

 

[MotoLiam]

Gotta love independent tire pressure, controlled from the cab with remote inflator/deflators.

 

[MotoLiam]

This armored car looks like the A-Team designed it.

 

[MotoLiam]

One of my favorites, the UniMog!

 

[MotoLiam]

Did I mention that these Trucks are HUGE?!? That's a full size Toyota Land Cruiser sitting there. And these trucks and cars sometimes blaze past the bikes (we're talking clipping distance!). Can you imagine splitting traffic with these big boys? I had dinner with this crew the night before at a seafood joint. They were all relaxed and smoking up a storm. Hailing from the Netherlands, most of them spoke halting English, and I wished them luck. Haven't seen them on TV yet, though.

 

[MotoLiam]

The start. One race day, there was a crowd of thousands waiting in the dark. I had to stand very far away, wrapped in my American Flag, and using my 300 lense. Many people stopped to talk to me (because of my flag toga) and take pictures. I was conscious to flash the peace sign a lot.

 

[MotoLiam]

The whole she-bang. There was a great monument across the street from the Museum and for two Euros you could take an elevator to the top. If the weather was better the pictures would be outstanding, but as it is, the winter won and the gloominess only added to the foreboding feeling and the challenge of the Dakar.

 

[MotoLiam]

This baby castle was situated on the shore facing the Atlantic. I assume it's an early warning station for ships entering the harbor and heading up the bay into the Lisbon Peninsula.

 

[MotoLiam]

The dark of the Start.

 

[MotoLiam]

This building provided the most light, and it was a really classy touch to an otherwise dreary morning. Then the rain started falling.

 

[MotoLiam]

Here's Rauseo and Krynock gearing up for the beginning. I have more Dakar photos but I'm anxious to begin posting other pictures!

 

[MotoLiam]

The day after the race began I met Peter Pan.

 

[MotoLiam]

Two hours after leaving Lisbon, by trains, I started an uphill ascent that took nearly an hour. These are some photos along the way. What kind of plant is this? I used it quite a bit as a child because it grows wild in Hawaii.