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Leaving Malaysia wasn’t so easy after all…
Next destination – India. I have been looking forward to that day for a very long time. Firstly, I have never been there but I have read and heard lots of different opinions. Secondly, it is a country one will visit once he is mentally and physically ready for.

So here we are, right in the middle of New Delhi centre. How can I possibly summarize my first impression; colorful and busy! No matter where you look, there are many locals walking, riding their bikes, motorbikes or sleeping on the side of the roads.
We had a 1st day very emotional visiting the largest public hospital of the country, AIIMS based in Delhi city. There, the local professors organized our day. Press conferences including TV and newspapers, followed by a TV show live on national channel. Hopefully by combining all those media exposure soon we will be able to see a difference in the behavior of all individuals.

Awareness and prevention really is a key message for India. My discussions with the professors and patients reinforced that idea. WorldRiderZ will keep working very hard to generate more attention for CKD and organ donation around the world.

Delhi is an experience but we need to keep moving to our next destination in India and meet with the Dalai Lama for a truly unique moment.

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I think since we’ve arrived in Malaysia what is a challenge is the humidity. So, the team was in need of some water action ! A short stroll from the city is Sunway lagoon – the largest water theme park in this region of Asia. The staff kindly took care of us, guided us through the various activities and we had a ball ! ! ! I would have never thought I would surf a wave or body board on a static wave and even less bungy jumping… now, that was real scary ! I am addicted to adrenalyn but it took me a long while before i jumped out from this bridge. What a feeling – a must to do if you have a strong heart and feel like a big wooosh in your life .

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Re-energized, it was time for us to meet with National Kidney Foundation (NKF) of Malaysia that organized from a visit to 1 of their dialysis centres to the dozens of riders leading us to from our hotel in the morning to their headoffice to meetings with doctors and patients. There are times in life when you meet amazing people ; today was definitely one ! Paul and I spent a large part of the morning discussing how we will start generating more awarness and prevention around CKD, how our journey can impact positively in Malaysia and the global renal network and the partnership with doctors and the NKF members.

I was introduced a little later on to a patient on dialysis following her request. That woman, born in Malaysia is diabetic, lost her eye sights and also is affected by CKD. Her dream always has been to go for a ride on ‘big motorbikes’… it was an absolute honor to have her as a pillion passenger. It was a very emotional moment, I was being able to fulfill that woman’s ultimate dream and I could feel so much life in her that it gave me hope, lots of hope !

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Since we have arrived to Malaysia, I have experienced so many unique moments. The malaysian are so generous, friendly and have a great sense of support.  Tomorrow, we are embarqing on another great adventure : India ! But, beforehand the team was invited for a private riding tour of the Sepang F1 circuit… How good is that ? We found ourselves riding on that tremendous circuit, had a full visit of the facilities and even got to race some very fast go-karting. Sepang circuit is a fantastic address for all amateur of high speed and motorsports !

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After an early wake up call, the team left to visit the famous ‘Batu caves’ situated about 45 min drive from Kuala Lumpur. It clearly is an amazing place ; you can see the giant golden buddah (some 80 metres high) there next to the moutain in which are the caves. Unless you see this, it is very hard to visualize that amazing landmark. By the time Paul and I arrived in front of the main entrance of the car park, we must have been asked for over 30min by tourists for photos next to our bikes.

It is a very uplifting time to get the support from people from all nationalities and their words of support definitely is a plus ! Anyway, back to those caves… unless you are ready for some serious fitness action, you won’t be able to access the entrance. So, we all got to climb over 300 steps, very steep to finally reach the top of the mountain and enter into the centre of those caves. Once again, the experience is just fantastic ; it is one of those moments when words can’t quite translate the emotions. Batu caves are a huge area naturally built in the centre of a mountain in which you ‘ll find peace and harmony to relax and feel the energy. A must to see…

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We then got back on the road to the elephant sanctuary. I always wanted to see some elephants from close up. They are those giant animals, placid and elegant that seem to be very relaxed. That place is just a perfect getaway to explore with a family and enjoy a bath with them !

You read it correct, by the time I realized it, I was in a river riding an elephant who quite gently threw me in the water so I could start washing him with a strong brush. Now, that is some crazy experience – simply close your eyes and try to use your imagination : a river, 1 massive elephant on his side and yourself there rubbing his side and ears !

That experience confirmed that elephants are very genle and placid. We needed to get going back to Kuala Lumpur to collect our most waited visas to enter Saudi Arabia. This moment was very special, travelling to Saudi can be difficult as you can not enter the country unless a sponsor ease the visa application procedure. It took us over 3 months, but in the end the Saudis have been very helpfull !

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I was looking forward to our hospital visits. The paediatric nephrologist at the Children Hospital in Kuala Lumpur and I have been in contact for a long while now. 9 .30am – a bikers escort composed of fathers children that also are patients of the hospital guided Paul and I to our meeting.

I was amazed at the effort the hospital did to greet us ; a large part of the staff was there on arrival, it was a very emotional moment. Short after, we were invited to the conference room in order to discuss about WorldRiderZ work in progress (GRN) and the hospital’s needs.

Escorted by doctors, nurses and security staff of the hospital, we got introduced to patients from both children and adults wards. Those moments are difficult to live as a father of a baby boy having decreased kidney function but also are showing the challenges this disease is for a life time for patients. I met extraordinary people that have suffered for so long and still carry a smile during a dialysis treatment ! Those 1 on 1’s are to me an emotional moment that gives me even more desire to fulfill what we have initiated since the last 14 months !

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HUMIDE… I think I have never ridden under such weather condition ! It really was our 1st test for the team, traffic in Malaysia can be as stressfull as some capital cities during peak hour. Add to this extremely hot temperature and a large dose of humidity and you’ll get a good understanding of today’s great achievement !

K.L is definitely a busy city ; lots of cars, plenty of action in the streets and many areas to visit. It was good to leave the city and explore the inland starting with a good morning ride to Melaka, the historical city of Malaysia. I liked the numerous shops and the variety. But getting there was a challenge. Riding on these roads can be very dangerous ; locals have the habit to overtake so close to you that you are lucky there is no crash !

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An early start at Sydney airport on Sunday, destination Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia ! What an experience organized by our partner Malaysia Airlines spending quality time in their golden lounge then boarding first to business. That definitely is helping us to arrive fresh and relaxed, ready to start our busy schedule in Malaysia.

3am… our KTM’s are cleared – Paul and I did our very first kms on overseas soil ! What a feeling riding with australian number plates in Asia. It’s very early in the morning but it’s already almost 35 degrees outside and about 90% humidity. It’ll be challenging to ride in the middle of the day when the temperature will reach its peak.

1st stop for the night is at our hotel partner – Traders Hotel – right in the heart of the CBD of Kuala Lumpur. The hotel is fantastic, direct views on the famous Petronas towers. The team had a short sleep, waking up early so we could get started with our plan for the day : visits of the local area, organizing our stay in K.L. and finalizing details before our hospital visits and press conferences.

My first impression is that locals are not used to see ‘big’ motorbikes. I think just about every car, taxi driver, pedestrian or shop owner has been staring at us riding in the city centre. We met with the local tourist police that ended up escorting us for a large part of the afternoon, clearing the busy roads for us and making the experience just amazing !

We also got a good idea of how interested asian people are when it comes to foreigners in travelling in their country for a cause ; overwhelming ! I can’t wait for tomorrow… a special day ahead starting with a group of fathers, also passionate riders who will pick us up from our hotel and escort us to K.L Children’s Hospital for our interview with the local doctors and patients.

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It was always going to be a ‘special day’ when we will be sending the bikes overseas. Australia being surrounded by sea, it is unusual to take with you 2 wheels across a border.  At Gibson Freight, we pushed the 990’s in the custom built crates. These guys have been very helpful and when I say very, I mean it! They did a awesome work to prepare all documents and coordinate with MASkargo timing for departure.

Soon after, we were granted the access on tarmac and Paul and I had the unique opportunity to visit the inside of a 747 400 series being Maskargo plane escorted by the General Manager himself and the ground crew! Now, this was a special moment. Those planes can fit  29 cars or even 50 horses in the belly area… When you stand up inside them, the thing is just gigantic!

The day was glorious, once more a clear blue sky, perfect flying conditions. In about 8 hours from Sydney, the bikes will land to Kuala Lumpur for the first leg of our world trip. It really is impressive to feel that support given from all our partners and individuals to make WorldRiderZ an easier journey. Let’s see how things will unveil overseas now. This is the start of a long, challenging and fantastic adventure!

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A real jewel in NSW. I know everyone has different tastes, but having said that Port Macquarie has it all; stunning beach, great walking tracks, spectacular views and good climate. What else do you want!?!

After a long night working on the filming  and progress of our hospital visits, Paul and I started the day by a run on the main beach followed by a swim. The water is so hot! About 20 degrees at 9am. Not bad for winter is it? We wanted to spend the first hour visiting that place and get a feel for it. All positive, I definitely will take my family there for a city escape and enjoy looking at Ilhan running around on those beach.

We had a long journey ahead of us on the road so we didn’t spent much time visiting and got back early enough on the road. It was 1 of these days where we needed to burn some kms to reach our next stop. Not a lot to talk about; the ride was quite difficult as we experienced a strong easterly wind, gusty and blowing about 70kms/hr. Doesn’t help much when you are riding on 2 wheels!

It was also weird the drastic change of weather and temperature when we past the hunter region heading toward Sydney. We left Port Macquarie on a sunny day, temperature reaching 25 degrees but by the time we arrived to Sydney, we got caught in a storm, lots of rain and quite cold. Seems like a ‘déjà vu’… from departure day!

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Always interesting to stop in Byron bay for a night! Firstly, we decided to stay at a local backpacker and make the most of our night after a few very long days on the road. After a good BBQ we headed to town for a drink at a local bar. I totally forgot we were in Byron on a Saturday night… what an atmosphere, all restaurants and pubs were packed. Live bands, lots of people and a warm night. What else better could we hope for?

A few hours later, we went back to our place for a few hours sleep as we decided to wake up really early; that way we will be assured not to miss the legendary sunrise at the lighthouse facing the ocean!

A short sleep but well worth every minute of that spectacular sunrise. 5.30am, we were ready to capture the moment the sun was rising over the sea on a clear blue sky. An hour later, we were back on the road ready for a glorious day in NSW.

By lunch time, we stopped over in Coffs Harbor and stepped out from our bikes to experience a run on the outdoor bobsleigh run in town. I discovered another side of Paul’s sporty spirit wanting to win the race over safety no matter what…! Not!

Coffs harbour has a great little town centre and a beautiful jetty with friendly people. We enjoyed a nice coffee there facing the beach, a nice Sunday afternoon with kids and parents around. The team is enjoying that moment, a good quality time before heading down the road for the last stretch for the day… Port Macquarie, some 23 hours ride away.

We’ve reached our destination by sunset. Perfect timing to arrive and visit that town. What a town! I have heard about it, but never been there in all those years living in Australia. What a mistake!!!

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A great break at Glen’s grand-parents that are living just outside Brisbane city. There is something so special that older generations bring to us… Knowledge, food and warmth!

I was looking forward to that ride to Gold Coast. I have done it several times by car, it was kind of weird to do it this time on a bike. Ah, well I just love the feeling of being on my bike every morning, travelling through amazing sceneries.

Gold Coast being a short stroll from Brisbane, we had time to stop there and check out the new ‘hot spots’. It was busy there, very busy for a winter day – but how good is winter up there about 28 degrees!
I forgot how Gold Coast has so many activities for families and sports addicts. I look forward to take my family there and experience those great theme parks. We stopped by for a coffee break in the main street and I ended up meeting with the “Mermaid Meters”! … some might think that after living in Australia for over 10 years, I would have heard about them but I didn’t. I won’t explain any further for now, sure the series will unveil what those mermaids are!

Our next destination: Byron Bay via the coast. Now, that’s some great riding roads. Bring it on!

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A sunny day, about 20C at 7am… what a nice way to start the day with a ‘Team breakfast”. Funny enough, since we’ve departed in our journey, it’s been go-go-go and go!  But, by the time that thought crossed my mind, we had to rush to be on the ABC Queensland radio interview at 8.15am. Luckily, the station was close by our motel in town.

Radio interviews are fun! You’ve got plenty of time to explain your story, have a great time with the host and make fun of Paul on air… or was it him making fun of me? Anyway, we kept going on our great KTM’s  to be in time for our hospital visit in Brisbane. I was looking forward to that visit as firstly, I find Brisbane very nice as a big city and full of hot spots.

The Matter hospital is a very impressive location, enormous and ready to take a good care of patients in need. Dominic, our local doctor showed us around and gave us a tour inside the laboratory. I was impressed just by looking at this secured section of the hospital. The research team is definitely in another world. It made me realize how precious and important this is for our future generations, to protect their jobs, their ongoing work and dedication to research.

The visit ended with a special boy: Jordan a little man of 10 years old waiting for a kidney transplant. He is unwell, has written a book for other kids that are in pain named: “Be Brave”. That book got even published by the hospital! What a lesson of strength and life from Jordan. I hope he’ll get a match soon…

The afternoon was quite emotional and we needed to take some time off from the bikes, the cause,  the ride and enjoy Brisbane. Before I knew it, I found myself rock climbing in the middle of Brisbane city at sunset! What an experience.