Hari Swchwighofer of Ural Motorcycles Europe
says he had no trouble identifying me at the Vienna airport. "First I
looked at the luggage and then I looked at the woman." Okay, so lugging
a 60-inch duffel and a wheeled carry-on stacked with another duffel,
I'm carrying more than the average traveler. And believe it or not, I
only packed 3 pairs of shoes: motorcycle boots, trail shoes for
trekking, and sandals. It's the gear, I swear! On
our 1 1/2 hour drive to Linz I get a chance to grill Hari about the
motorcycle. "I won't tell you the story of the bike," he says, with a
twinkle in his eye, "or you won't like to take it." Needless to say, I
dragged it out of him. Read the dispatch, here.
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Why in God’s name are you touring on a 2005 Ural? The 2007-2009’s are sooo much better. Herzog gears. The ’08s and ’09s have the improved heads.
Please be careful Carla. I’ll pray for you (but also envy you).
I just got back from Troy NC, near where you grew up. Lots of cigarettes and twangy accents. I took some instruction called “Welding for Gunsmiths” at a community college, even got a diploma!. Most of the students were middle-aged guys like me with similar interests, so we had a blast.
I love that Carolina style BBQ, especially with Cheerwine. Items on the menu that you’d probably like were fried squash, okra, and hush puppies. Also a local relish called Chow-Chow.
You may not be aware that you still retain a vestige of Southern womanhood, something you learned at an early age which has have served you well. I recognized two examples when I met you: 1. Presenting your cheek to be kissed, and 2. The Helpless Female act, i.e. “I’m just a girl”, etc. The latter may not work on someone who has read your book.
Southern women are renowned for their beauty and charm, and are one of the reasons I moved to Atl. In times past, they had developed techniques to endear and empower themselves in a sexist society.