Oct 13th, 2010- Let the Blogging Begin!

First off, I want to welcome everyone to my blog. I hope to keep a fun/interesting description and commentary about my pre-current-and post travel to South America. I will relay pictures, statistics, location and great story via this blog. I will also be documenting deep and personal experiences in order to profoundly capture this adventure for an audience such as you as well for my own sanity and record keeping of this amazing journey.

As I consider the worst case scenario of not returning from this trip, aka death, this blog may become a lasting online legacy of my life. 

So to start off my blog with a bang, some fun facts on my preparation for this journey thus far.

Took me 8 hrs, a load of engineering, brainstorming, lots of hammering and breaking of power tools, but I officially created and mounted my luggage on my motorcycle. Along with modifications include, a tool tube near the front tire, tank/crash bars and highway pegs, upgraded bottom skid plate, cruise control, 12V outlet form battery, heated vest connector, secretly hidden compartment for valuable like cash and passport, tank bag, and some other items.

$150 on vaccinations (Yellow Fever with International Certificate + Typhoid Fever)-skipped our on the $135 perscription and filling of malaria pills.

International Driving license $30

Found out insurance for Mexico and Central/South America for my motorcycle would be around $1400 for 3 month coverage....yeah think I'll have to skip out on that one too

$130 on maps ( $12 per map per country (x) times 12 countries.... yeah... that's something I never realized would be so pricey.... oh well, better than being completely lost)

Mexican importation permit and visa $60

There's much more, but these are just a few things to remind myself that I must expect the unexpected, as I never thought I'd be forking over $400 so quickly on random things such as these I never really planned for.

Regardless, the trip is still on!!!