Green Tortoisesees.
January 14th, 2007 by JonnoHas been a few days now in San Fran, and i’m starting to get my bearings.
A 12 hour flight from Auckland to San Fran was eased by a lovely british lass in the seat next to me. We chatted a bit, then braved San Fran customs together. Swapped email address with her, but in typical fashion I can’t remember her name. I started with a D I think. Ah well.
San Fran weather is strange in that it reminds me exactly of a good day on a skifield. There hasn’t been a cloud in the sky the whole time i’ve been here. The air is crisp, cold, and very very dry… but the sun has a great warming heat in it. When it disappears however, it gets super cold - below 0 degrees C. Chapstick being put to good use. Jumped on a train to the central city with my luggage, got off and walked 6 blocks to my Hostel… The Green Tortoise
and…. sleep. At 8.30pm local time. My mother would be proud. Up at 8.30am and on to a train to meet Josh, then drive out to pick up…..
I have a bike! One hell of a deal as it turns out…. well looked after, plus a whole bunch of well-done mods to make adventure riding much more fun. 2005 model with 12,000 miles. At this stage we’re still floating around looking fort the perfect bike for Josh, will hopefully have something nailed down in a fews days time. At this stage we have our fingers crossed to start our journey in about a week, but it really depends on how ready we are, how ready the bikes are.
My second night at the hostel was crazy good fun. Guitars and bongo drums lay around all over the place, and an old piano was put to good use. I had a great talk to a guy named Samson, and meet some wicked Americ/brit/ozzys, drank some beer, then slept.
Today was spent looking at a bike for Josh, then doing some shopping at REI (a huge outdoors store) to pick up some vital bits and bobs. Had a fantastic dinner and a chat with Bob and Julianne Stokstad, who kindly fed us after we had got ourselves lost in the windy streets with the sun slowly sinking. Julianne baked us some tasty cookies! We sure are roughing it 
Here are a few photos from the hill where the Stokstads live:
For the next week or so the Jacobsens, Tineke and Torsten, are kindly letting Josh and I stay with them… a change from the Chaos of the Hostel, but a nice change. Theres only so long I can really stay in a place as fast and loose as the Green Tortoise without going crazy. They live in a lovely big house in the City of Walnut creek, east of San Fran.
Thats all for now, signing off..
P.S. My new Bike needs a name. Readers, suggest me a name for my nobel Steed of Steal. The winning name will be plastered along the bike in as big a sticker as I can get printed.
January 14th, 2007 at 8:40 am
Duuude! That bike looks mint! Nice work, hopefully Josh can get a similar bargain. Looks like it will do the trick just perfectly…
The other photos are primo too…
As for a bike name, how about KiLleR (emphasizing the KLR) haha. Its already got half the letters on the sticker, and you can just write the other ones in with a vivid
Have you taken it for a spin yet? How does it ride?
Don’t jump at the name suggestion just yet though, as im sure many others will have some much better suggestions!
Take it easy bro,
Ben
January 14th, 2007 at 8:44 am
Bed at 8.30p.m. I don’t believe it!!! Are you sure it wasn’t 8.30 a.m. you have been known to get confused before!!!.
Your bike looks great. Did the guy you bought it off like his ice breaker clothing?
Please tell Tineke & Torsten Jacobsen that Dad and I would be happy to host them if they ever came to Wellington. Their hospitality is amazing.
Ride your bike carefully, keep smiling and maybe before you leave the Jacobsen’s you might like to try out your bathroom cleaning skills.
Love Mum & Anna
January 14th, 2007 at 11:17 am
Hey Jono
Sounds like you’re already having a blast! How about viajero for your bike - its the spanish for traveller…. pronounced vee a hair o
???
Be safe, have fun!
N
January 14th, 2007 at 7:31 pm
Heya brother glad to hear that you made it safe and sound!
Sweet ride mate!!!! The views over the bay looks amazing!!
Have heaps of fun spread the Kiwi jah love to the West Coast!!!
Keep in touch
Cya
January 14th, 2007 at 8:57 pm
Re. name .. dunno. You’re going to have to live with it for a while and you don’t want to look like an arrogant gringo south of the border. Think of it as branding (the locals will pick it up) .. you want to emphasize Austral (south) Asia rather than the US. How about ‘hooiho’ - horse in Maori ? A good conversation starter .. See
http://translator.kedri.info/ or
http://www.learningmedia.co.nz/nz/online/ngata/
for ideas.
January 14th, 2007 at 9:37 pm
I think you should call your bike Gerard. Thats a very reliable sort of name, a man named gerard wouldnt let you down or pull any stunts on you in the desert.
Or you could call your bike Josh
January 14th, 2007 at 9:58 pm
.. or Kiran
:-)
January 15th, 2007 at 1:46 am
Brother Man, Nice Looking bike!!
Stoked about the pre-modification!!! That’ll make it heaps easier to mount all your luggage.
January 15th, 2007 at 3:15 am
Nice bike Jonno. Is it the same one that you took the Icebreakers over for the owner? Looks like custom padding by the tank for leg comfort and metal pannier attachments at front of tank as well as right round the rear. Did you get actual panniers with it as well? What other mods came with it. Knobbly back tyre eh. How does it ride?
As it will be your trusty steed for the next 20,000km you could call it Big Red or if you want a NZ flavour recognisable in USA and Sth America - how about Jonah or Merino or Ice (breaker). You might even get an endorsement or sponsorship from Jeremy Moon.
Keep in touch - Dad
January 16th, 2007 at 12:15 am
Kea
January 16th, 2007 at 2:43 am
Jonno .. check your gmail ..