Here’s a link to the PDF.

And this is what it looks like:

http://www.examiner.com/motorcycles-in-national/adventures-for-the-cures-2011-to-ride-alaska-yukon

Many of them are new and never published.

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MotoAdventureGal's last leg in the USA...riding to the border at Presidio

All the parents dressed their children up in the *campesino* costumes and had them blessed at the local Church

Lunch Break

Lunch Break

There sure were a lot of signs for them, but I never actually saw one crossing the road

Overloaded bike, soft beach sand...what did I *think* was gonna happen? (El Salvador)

Igorshen, MotoAdventureGal and Mad4Bikes

Stone Face at the Copan Ruins

No way was I able to eat all that, but what I *did* eat sure tasted good.

You better like rice & beans and fried bananas if you spend any time in Nicaragua...

Slow down for monkeys, dogs and kids crossing

Photo Credit: Igorshen

Tourist PicPhoto Credit: Igorshen

The Bike Lands in Bogota, Colombia

Bike Porn

Middle of the World, Mitad del Mundo

Painting on a Wall at Mitad del Mundo, Quito, Ecuador

Can you imagine that in the USA? (Ecuador)

Monkey Sanctuary (Baños, Ecuador)

Monkey Sanctuary (Baños, Ecuador) Yeup, that's Monkey Pee on my shirt.

Ecuador

Riding from paracas (Sea Level) to Cusco (8,000 ft) I crossed the Andes, and almost reached 15,000 feet on the DR650

Markets are so full of color and fun and good things. I love them.

Oh-My-Goddess Scenery

Local Color at the Ecuador-Peru border (Peruvian Side)

A local feeding the pelicans at sunset in Paracas. Afterwards he asked me for a "tip"

Cañon del Pato

I stopped to take a picture and this boy came running out of nowhere. Then his sister came along. He asked me for a "tip", presumably for enhancing my photo. I gave them each a piece of candy.

No, I did not eat one of the "coy" (guinea pig) that were running around the place.

The trip was not without injury...but you *can* choose to have a sense of humor about it.

How do you ride with a broken hand? Zip tie your fingers together and hope for the best.

No, I did not eat one of the "coy" (guinea pig) that were running around the place.

Waiting at the Bolivian side of the Peru - Bolivia Border for my paperwork to be finished

Bolivian Immigration

What goes up, must go down...and around, and around and around...

Rick on the Edge of the World

Off-Street Parking in the Bolivian Desert

Road Signs on the Way to the Bolivian Salt Flats

Road Signs on the Way to the Bolivian Salt Flats

Fill-Up in Copacabana, Bolivia (Lake Titicaca area)

Dedication to all the women, more courageous than I, who have battled against Breast or Ovarian Cancer

Scammed by Argentinian Police looking for a bribe

First Flat Tire of the Trip (Note to self: Make sure you put the bike on HARD PACK instead of sand before removing the rear tire...)

Parilla, or BBQ, Argentinian Style

Taken at the Lujan Zoo outside Buenos Aires, Argentina

Today I did a television interview at the Santa Monica mammography  center. It should be aired tomorrow (1/19/09) on the Noontime news…
Dr. Monica is truly a saint. She is the first woman to graduate from the medical school here in San Jose, Costa Rica. The men running the mammography lab in the local hospital were prejudiced against her as a woman, and would not teach her anything, so she paid for private training in the United States.

She recognized a need among the women here, and makes things happen for women here, skirting the edges of the system, getting women the treatment they need, once diagnosed, rather than making them wait for the system to process them in its absurdly slow manner…
Breast Cancer is an ENORMOUS problem here in Costa Rica.

If a woman has a lump, do you know there is a TWO YEAR wait for a sonogram at the local (free) hospital? If it is a cancerous lump, you just lost your chance at early detection.

A mammogram at a private clinic is $40, and a private sonogram is $20. If people have the money they can get them the next day at snta Monica’s clinic.

Many people ride the bus ALL DAY to get here, and unfortunately only when they discover a really really large lump…and by then it is too late.

Dr. Monica has one patient she told me about that cannot pay, but rides the bus over four hours lugging a giant bag of mangoes, bananas, and other fruits, which she leaves for Monica at the end of her appointment.

I also learned that Santa Monica had to pay $38,000 for her ultrasound machine here in Costa Rica, which is two years old, when she can buy a NEW one in the states for $10,000-$15,000. By the time she finishes payign it off with the interest (in 7 years) it will end up costing her over $60,000.00.

(Sorry, I had my facts misxed up last night–her mammogram machine is 14 years old, and it takes pictures that are not so clear…)

Freaking robbery or what?

The damn thing is the size of a laptop…I told her that if she can figure out how to buy a new one for the clinic, I will drive it down here myself (on a motorcycle of course).

My plea for a hookup:

-Anyone know anyone working at a breast cancer foundation that I could talk to on her behalf to donate breast self-exam brochures printed in Spanish? Or someone that runs a printing company here in Central America that I/we could contact?

-Anyone have a medical industry hookup for an ultrasound, sonogram or mammogram machine? A newer used one at a GREAT price would be ideal.

I am not kidding I will carry it down in one of my panniers October 2010 for Worldwide Breast Cancer Awareness month (well, the ultrasound machine, anyway, mammogram is too big for the bike).

Jeez, I was cold today. It seemed pretty warm when I got started, but it never got above about 50 degrees today…so my body core eventually got cooler and cooler. Twisted Throttle set up the bike with heated hand grips and a plug for my electric (Gerbings) . The DR650 has a puny alternator, so Twisted also very cleverly installed a battery monitor — a little dashboard device — that shows me whether I am running the battery down or whether it is being charged. It took some getting used to because it was another light that I had to keep track of.

Anyway, since the DR650 has a puny alternator, I cannot run all the electrical heating devices all at once. I have to decide whether I want my body warm, my hands warm, or just a little of both. Cleverly, Twisted throttle also installed a headlight “kill” switch, so I can turn off the stock headlight (that draws ~30 amps) and instead use the Denali LED lights that are super bright (that draw ~1.5 amps). In other words, I have a Rubick’s cube of electricity I can play with to keep me comfortable.

Anyway, I rode almost 300 miles, some highway and a bunch of county roads (I highly recommend WV 219–great road!) to Joel’s place.

I didn’t know Joel (he is the brother of my friend Linda) and had never been to his place. He suggested meeting me on the other side of the river and driving me across…I said “no, that’s OK, I ride a dualsport I can cross a river”. Well, here’s the river separating Joel from from the rest of civilization:

mmm…lemme rethink that. 2-3′ deep, ~450 feet across, 45 degrees, and almost dark.

No thank you, I opted for the truck.

Both ways

BEFORE

AFTER

The ride leaders decided that we’d been pushing ourselves really hard and we needed a day of rest, so rest it is.

We got up leisurely, later than usual, and had a great breakfast in the back condo. We had a rider meeting, and then we held the Medallion Pass ceremony since we missed it yesterday with Neda getting sick. Once again it was a moving ceremony, remembering those that have passed, and also looking to the future and a CURE.

At first I thought I’d go crazy not riding for a day, but you know what? I’ve enjoyed being a little lazy to tell you the truth. It’s enabled me to catch up on some things at home and on the computer, and I even started a trashy novel I picked up at a rest area a week or two ago. It was a good time to be quiet by myself, chat with others, and in fact I shared “stories” and got to know some of the other women better. It’s such an honor to be with these awesome and dedicated women.

This evening we gathered for dinner, and got a surprise: our major sponsor, Proogressive Insurance, donated T shirts, so we all now have “Dirty Dozen” T-shirts. Also Carolyn, Neda and Daryl presented us all with souvenir little keys with the word “courage” inscribed on them. I was moved by this and have hung mine on a pink nylon string I had with me and it will now be my permanent necklace.