BCAA Travel Blog

There are a lot of ways to see the world. For Mike Thrower and Ruby Altmann, the best vantage point is from the seat of a high-performance BMW motorcycle. The Calgary couple, who work as contract consultants for oil and gas engineering companies, began touring with their choppers in 2004, starting with one- and two-week road trips. They have since advanced to ambitious global expeditions. In 2006, they completed a six-month, 32,000-kilometre odyssey through the Middle East and Eastern Europe. That adventure took them to several places that cautious travelers would normally bypass, such as Egypt (where they narrowly avoided a terrorist bombing), Lebanon (where they almost got caught in the war between Hezbollah and Israel), and Yemen, a fundamentalist Islamic nation in which more than 100 foreigners have been kidnapped since the 1990s.

Despite the risks, the majority of their experiences in the Muslim world were very positive. They were especially moved by the hospitality and generosity of the people they met. “The media gives you the impression that everyone in these places hates Westerners,” says Thrower. “We found that wasn’t true. It was unbelievable how open and friendly people were.” Thrower believes that their mode of travel encourages personal contact. “People can approach us easily and the sight of the bikes draws attention.”

In Yemen, the sight of the two Canucks in their helmets and leathers was such a novelty that it was routine for them to be surrounded by 20 to 30 people, all smiling and laughing and reaching out to touch them and their gear. “It’s not the personal space we’re used to in North America,” admits Thrower. “Over there, it’s about five millimetres.” These encounters were made even more disconcerting by the fact that virtually every Yemeni male they met carried an AK-47 assault rifle and a nasty looking dagger.

But this is exactly the sort of intense, visceral experience that these two road warriors seek. Culture shock, surprise and adversity are all part of the kick. Their itinerary is typically characterized by strenuous outdoor activities, UNESCO World Heritage sites, experimentation and a willingness to get sidetracked and lost. Bars and nightlife are not part of the menu, nor are expensive hotels. They travel as cheaply as they can, camping whenever possible and carrying a stove to cook their own food. The cost of their six-month expedition in 2006, including food, accommodations, fuel and maintenance came to $18,000.

Today, Thrower and Altmann are in the midst of an even more extreme undertaking–a 12-month, 60,000-kilometre trek around Africa. The highlights to date include visiting the mountain oasis of Tamerza in Tunisia, the tombs of Jebel Barkal in the Sudan, the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela in Ethiopia and climbing Tanzania’s Mt. Kilimanjaro. But they still have six more months of travel ahead. Like all of their journeys, this one is meticulously documented on their web site, www.2canadiansonbikes.com, which features an impressive array of photographs.

In the future, Thrower and Altmann plan to tour Russia and Asia in 2009-10, Australia and New Zealand in 2010-11 and Central and South America in 2011-12. After that, they may even give up their precious motorbikes and buy a boat and sail the world. “Our goal is to keep on exploring and finding other ways to travel,” says Altmann, who finds inspiration in Helen Keller’s famous quote: “Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”

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