People around the world are friendly, and those south of the border are no different.

When a friend visits you from Belize and says let’s go for a ride, you don’t refuse. Not really. Not even when your motorcycle is on its last legs and its survival is doubtful. My partner Aidan and I had become friends with Emma while staying at her hostel on our recent Vancouver to Ushuaia trip. Now that we were back, she came to stay with us in Vancouver before riding down to Washington for the Touratech Rally, and she invited me to come along.

The invitation came at a time when sentiments in Canada were beginning to turn somewhat anti-U.S.A., and many chose to avoid vacationing across the border. Emma had signed up for the rally long before things had gotten that bad, and was now committed to going, although even she planned to spend most of her North American stay in Canada. I, too, had my reservations.

But then I reminded myself that one shouldn’t equate a people to their government. If I had stayed away from every country where the politicians were up to no good, I wouldn’t have gotten very far on my travels. On the road, I have always applied the philosophy that people everywhere are likely wonderful human beings with similar goals to you and me: as good a life as they can manage and a better future for their children.

This approach had resulted in the most heartwarming experiences all over the world. With little information from other travellers, we’d had a lot of doubts about visiting Venezuela at first. Yet, when we did, we were received with immense curiosity and kindness, even welcomed with big hugs by total strangers. In the end, visiting Venezuela
became the biggest highlight of the trip, specifically because of its people. If, the world over, those we met were kind regardless of their political situation, why would that be any different close to home? I decided Washington state would be well worth exploring and meeting its people would be a treat. Especially like-minded riders at the rally.

Worn Out but Up to the Task

With those scruples resolved, there was only one problem: after its extensive travels, my trusty 1991 Honda NX250 was a little worse for wear, with the connecting rod bearings so worn out I was expecting the engine to seize up at any time. But Emma is a wonderfully enthusiastic, larger-than-life person that just makes things happen, and her energy is contagious. So…