After finalizing shipping of the bike to Frankfurt there was the next complication.  I had a ticket to Istanbul since that's where the bike was originally going.  I found that I could not exchange or change my ticket so I was either going to fly to Istanbul or lose the ticket.  Because the bike arrangements weren't accomplished until so late, I had no time to do anything about my plane ticket or to purchase another ticket to Frankfurt.  So I decided to fly to Istanbul and then get a ticket from there on to Frankfurt.  I didn't know how much a ticket from Istanbul to Frankfurt would cost, but I figured it would be less than a ticket from Delhi to Frankfurt.  Plus I already had the ticket to Istanbul and I had a few free days while the bike was in transit, so why not enjoy Istanbul.  So I was off to Istanbul while the bike was headed to Frankfurt.  Not a reassuring feeling!

But I spent 3 days in Istanbul visiting all the historic sites, mosques, and museums in the old city.  I really enjoyed Istanbul, and the cool weather was a nice change from hot and humid Delhi.  And I found a cheap ticket to Frankfurt for only $170, so after 3 days in Istanbul I flew to Frankfurt in the early morning.  When I got to Frankfurt I heard that 4 bombs went off in Istanbul that evening, targeting tourist hotels.  I guess I got out just in time!

I had picked a hotel in Frankfurt near the airport.  I got there about 9 AM and proceeded to make arrangements to get my bike.  First I had to get green card insurance to drive in Europe.  I called ADAC (the German automobile association) and they told me to come to their office, so I took the shuttle back to the airport, then the train into the city.  At the ADAC office I arranged 4 months of insurance, for which they quoted me only 88 Euros.  I told them they must have made a mistake since other companies quoted me 400 Euros or more for 4 months of insurance.  But they assured me it was correct so I paid my 88E and left with my green card.

Next I had to buy some gas and a can since I had completely drained the bike tank in Delhi.  After getting a couple of liters of gas in a can I was off to the cargo warehouse, which turned out to be only a mile from my hotel.  At the warehouse customs stamped my air bill after verifying that my insurance was valid.  Then I went into the warehouse to get the bike.  Here's where things got complicated.  The warehouse officials did not want to let me uncrate the bike in the warehouse.  I explained that I had no way to transport the crated bike and so they would have to let me uncrate it there.  Finally I convinced them by agreeing to pay a fee for the disposal of the empty crate - 20E or about $25.  After pleading with them some more, they brought me an old hammer and pry bar and I freed the bike from its wood prison.  Now the next problem.  For some reason my rear tire was completely flat.  I got out my CO2 cartridges and added some air, keeping my fingers crossed that the tire would hold it.  It seemed to be holding!

Now I came to the next problem.  The security guards at the warehouse gate would not let me bring my gas can into the compound.  I was hoping there would be just a small amount of gas in the tank to let me get the half mile back to the gate, but the tank was completely dry and the bike would not even start.  The security guard had told me to push the bike back to the gate (!) where I could add the gas from the can.  But there was no way I was going to push my heavy overloaded bike, especially with a low rear tire.  So I went back to the gate to plead with them to let me bring in the gas can.  They said no, I said I wasn't/couldn't push the bike.  We compromised with the security guard accompanying me into the compound with the gas can, which was fine with me since she had a car and drove me back to the warehouse.  I filled up the bike and it fired right up!  But as I drove away I found that my front tire was almost flat too!  What else would go wrong!  By this time it was getting late and I was afraid I would get locked in the compound for the night.  So I drove the bike slowly on the low front tire back to the hotel.  Once there I filled it with my hand pump and it seemed to hold air.  I think the airline let the air out of the tires so they wouldn't explode on the unpressurized plane.

So after a long day I had my bike in Frankfurt.  Over the next couple of days I rode up the Rhine River and spent a couple of days exploring that region.  I enjoyed the scenic rides along the river and I visited several old castles from the midieval times.  It was quite a shock to be riding on good roads once again with traffic laws and conscientious drivers!  And once again I was riding on the right side of the road after almost 4 months on the left side.  But the riding all felt very comfortable and sane for a change.

After the Rhine I headed south to meet my Mom and Doc who were visiting Doc's son in Italy.  And Diana was to meet me in northern Italy for a couple of weeks of sightseeing too, so I was excited.  I had a few days to get to Italy so I rode through the Black Forest in southern Germany, on scenic back roads marked specially for motorcycles.  It was quite enjoyable even if the weather was overcast and showery.  When I got into Switzerland I used my ADAC map to find all the scenic back roads and worked my way down the middle of the country, riding through quaint villages and over towering passes.  I've never seen as many motorcycles as were on the roads in Switzerland, enjoying the passes and twisty roads.  These were the first big motorcycles I had seen since I left Australia, and they were all seriously outfitted in full leathers and riding quite fast.  My overloaded bike and I were the slowest bikes on the road - another change from my recent riding.

I eventually arrived at Lake Como and met up with my Mom, Doc, and Diana.  I'm currently enjoying the quite civilized north Italy atmosphere (and food!).  I'll tell you more about my adventures here in my next report.  Talk to you soon.

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