My first motorcycle trip (accidentally) abroad (March 2008, Part 1 Ikaria - Samos - Chios)

In my previous posts I introduced you to my dear Aussie friends and biker mates Pat & Bin and our adventures around central Greece. Digging into my unpublished travel content I found our first trip we ever did together which kinda accidentally ended up being my first trip abroad on a bike. Ladies and gents, let's go back in time with some help from AI to make pictures more presentable by today's standards.

I texted Pat & Bin for the first time in mid 2004 as back then I also used to trip on the same bike as theirs with my girlfriend and we all were members on the XTZ750 owners Yahoo group (pre FB and other social media hysteria Yahoo groups were a thing).  However, while hadn't taken my 2 wheels abroad ever, they'd be working one year and travel around the globe the next one. Are you impressed? How about the fact that they were already doing this for several years in a row? Not bad eh?

Fast forward in October 2006 we finally manage to meet and I host them for a few days in Athens where they arrive without their bike so they rent a car instead. The bond we build allows them to ask me a favour in February of 2008 which is to pick their bike from the port of Pireas as another guy would send it from Crete, to later take it to my mechanic so an extended service. I gladly agree without second thoughts though I'll spare you the details about how complicated this ended up (ferry routes cancelled, bike not firing one cylinder and other Murphy's law stuff). It's all good if it ends good so here's their beauty in the safe hands of my mechanic:

The strip down speaks about how demanding the service is. Valve adjustment, brakes, carb adjustment and service, drive chain and sprockets are only the ones I still remember 16 years later. The guy in Crete had put a new battery already and my mechanic would also change engine oil and air filter. Long story short, he had to do everything.

When the bike is all done after a few days I visit him for a test ride. I don't own the same bike anymore as I now have a brand new Suzuki Vstrom 650 (and still do!) but I'm curious how a perfectly serviced bike like my previous one feels like compared to my new one. I managed to take it up to 180+km/h on a straight highway near my house which I call success so I close the throttle approaching the corner in front of me cause... do I have to say why? It pulled really nice through the whole range. Brakes felt like half of my current bike but they are notorious for that.

Meanwhile, lucky Pat & Bin having trusty bike sitters in Greece like me and they guy in Crete are enjoying their time in Egypt and when they arrive early March (2008 let me remind you) they really arrive in style. It's a pity I have no pictures but they step off the metro (almost) unrecognisably wrapped in bed sheets😂 I warned you in my previous posts that I'm hanging out with funny guys didn't I? And look at their gift from Egypt:

I might be cracking up to the fact that this is the God of Love and Pleasure:

Or could be one of the one too many jokes we share on any chance given. This thing still lies under the glass of my kitchen table by the way, 16 years later! Time flies...

Don't allow yourself to think that this Egyptian Goddess was their thank you for babying their bike, these guys are beyond generous and while we visit various bike shops for their gear shopping they hand me a motorcycle jacket as we exit one of them!

So now we both have bikes in tip top condition so we take a ride by the Athenian riviera for our first time on two wheels together. Here's Bin with their freshened up iron horse:

We catch a bit of rain on our way back so we take the bikes for some washing. Funny how mine looked much dirtier than Pat's but they both look OK as they dry now:

So here's our plan: They guys have a long trip ahead through the Middle East and I will escort them on a few Greek islands before we split at one of them. We jump in a ferry one sweet Greek afternoon and here's some Greek blue one hour before we reach the island of Syros passing near Kythnos:

Here's our first view to Ermoupoli, capital and port of Syros:

The town is lovely but we are not staying at the island - ti's just a stop by before our destination so enjoy the view we get as the ferry maneuvers to enter the port:

Part of the local ship repairing infrastructure:

This was frozen during the years of the Greek crisis but now they thrive again.

Ermoupoli is a lovely town:

But it's time to say goodbye:

A lovely sunset escorts us as we head to our destination, Ikaria:

The sun's behind me,

now it reflects on the ferry's window,

and now it's gone:

We arrive at Ikaria at the port of Evdilos in the dark and kinda late. Despite my hard efforts I didn't manage to retrieve the place we stayed (sorry folks, it's been 16 years) but as far as I recall we drove from the port to the other side of the island probably North East. It's off season and late so not many choices.

Here's what next morning looks like at dawn:

Weather could be better as I look back at the mountain from my room:

Fortunately it gets better when we decide to ride so we get this classic Greek sunny island picture at the port of Agios Kirikos:

From here we will later take the ferry to Samos, after we take advantage of this nice day to ride the island. No content from that though as a)we didn't see that much of interesting stuff and b)once again, that's pre image hysteria which made IG what it is🙂 The island lives on a VERY slow pace, slow even by Greek island standards.

At Samos island we are welcomed by rather winterish weather, by Greek standards at least. Hence these doggies are hanging out on the dry side of things while it rains:

We take a walk to see what is what here at Karlovasi and do a bit of shopping. The building that easily stands out around our neighborhood is this one:

This is a school built in the late 18th century hance its looks and it's among the must see of the town. We visit an internet cafe as the guys have stuff to do online and there they invite me to follow them to Turkey later for as long as I want (meaning as long as my days off allow me to). Fun fact, I actually have a green insurance card with me cause months ago we discussed doing Italy together instead. So I take it out of my money bag, cross check it and... Turkey is included in the countries covered. However, I don't have a passport. Then I remember that I've heard Turkey accepts Greeks with their National ID. So I call a friend of mine to cross check and...actually I have all documents needed. Turkey it is then! It wouldn't be my guess as my first country abroad on my bike (that would be Italy) but why not, especially with company like this🙂

The walk is over as we have to move on to another place in questionable weather so we're back at the hotel we overnighted to undress our bikes and go:

Now looking at this picture I must tell you it has bits of Pa & Bin's generosity as it reminds me that the cover of my bike was one more gift from them for my previous bike. The hotel was not bad at all with an attractive and helpful lady at the reception but they guys like to move, we have things to see so we are in "now you see us now you don't" mode, with Bin totally fine with that despite some sort of flue that starts to affect her.

Our next place is at the outskirts of the other port of Samos, Vathi, and the owner is an interesting guy who among other things in the past he used to race cars. He definitely has a taste when it comes to decorating so I spot dear Jimi hanging on the wall:

He also does great breakfast which we enjoy next morning. Speaking of next morning, it looks so much better from my room as I open my eyes, much better than the surrounding buildings at least:

With a bit of recommendations from the owner we start a tour circling the island counter clockwise which brings us near the artificial lake of Glyfada:

 Lovely view isn't it? Here's one more looking South East:

There's an ancient site here dating back to 6th B.C. when Eupalinos made water works at this location:

We move on as we also have to catch a ferry today (I told you, now you see as now you don't). The ride brings us up to some considerate elevation (for a small island riding near the coast) when we even experience riding in fog. When it clears up this view makes us stop without second thinking at this view point:

The island you see above is called "Samiopoula" - means small Samos in a way and that makes it even more cute.

Here's the rest of this epic view:

Continuing counter clockwise we decide to make a last visit to the waterfalls of Samos before we head back to the port. We take a road that leads to a path which narrows to a point where we have to leave our bikes and continue walking. It seems it might take too long to see real waterfalls so that's all we capture before we walk back to our bikes:

The guys take this picture of me at Kokkari beach as we head back to the port of Vathi to issue our tickets to Chios and later Turkey:

Last bits of Vathi before we say goodbye to Samos:

On board now leaving the port behind:

Heading North West to Chios:

What a lovely sunset we enjoy on board:

We arrive at Chios kinda late at night and start searching for a place to stay as we are constantly on last minute/no plans mode. We stop at a hotel near the airport and Bin as usual hops off first to do the talking. It's off season, the place is in some sort of soft open mode and there's only one guy in there, a cross between watchman and receptionist but the poor man was profoundly not born to be the brightest man on this planet, or any other one. We help him to find us some extra bed sheets and when we're set we ask him if we can buy some wine so after a call to his boss he sells as a bottle. Me and Pat take the wine to my room and consume it while having a chat with my humble K750i phone in the background playing the same 5-6 songs I had stored (it's also the one responsible for the original files of the edited pictures you see). Bin feels a little more ill so she misses this no budget show which me and Pat enjoy and laugh at this weird welcome Chios preserved for us.

Next day's sunrise from my room:

Get's clearer shortly after:

It's actually ideal conditions for riding so we rush to se what this island is about - I'm also a first timer here. The following image is the most gross so far as we find this unlucky 4 legged at a drain:

The rest of the island feels nice from the very first km so we hop back on our bikes to start touring it counter clockwise:

As we drive West the views are stunning, regardless if we're looking at the sea,

the local water springs,

or the mountainous wealth of this small yet diverse island:

Nice views and riding makes us hungry so we stop at the marina of Limnia to see if there's anything open here:

Not only there's one tavern open here but the food is absolutely epic and the view is not bad either:

Chios already feels it can hardly get any better when a couple of hours later it does at Trachili beach:

You saw that medieval watchtower above? There's a few tens of them around the island which is full of medieval ruins. This spot offers top view:

Moving South this next beach is called Didima which means twins in Greek and by the looks of it it's a no brainer its aptly named:

What a lovely island this is. It impressed even a native like me so imagine how it might feel to you. We ride back to our hotel for some rest so it's time for you to rest to and see you on the next part as we'll be making our way to Turkey!