July 29, 2006

After more than a year in planning, the pre-departure good byes, last business dinners and what seemed to be an endless round of planned and several unexpected TV and newspaper interviews, the morning of our departure arrived in a state of total confusion.  All the planning went down the tubes because time that was supposed to be used for packing was taken up with other activities.  So it was throw everything into bags, cart them downstairs and try to fit ten pounds of stuff into a one pound sidecar.

No time to think, we were already late for our 5:00am meeting at Perfect English for a last hug and goodbye to our staff and friends crazy enough to get up so early to see us off.  Not enough time to really say goodbye, our 100+ motorcycle escort and cadre of press people were waiting at Culture Square for the planned departure.

 Thankfully our engines started without pause, the lead press car moved out onto an empty Tong Zhi Street and we were off.  The occasional taxi or private car pulling along side to gawk and wonder; then a left turn on Jia Feng Street and there was the mass of bikes, people and cars waiting for the start of The Dragin’ Run.  As the bikes moved passed the crowd to the front of the pack where a space had been reserved for us there were cheers and applause.  As soon as we stopped the mob moved in.

Our friends, the press and many of the Chinese bikers descended on us with last good byes, questions about the ride and will we miss Changchun, will we come back and how long will we be gone.  Bikers trying to get into press photos and on TV, requests that we autograph the Dragin’ Run tee shirts we had printed for the bikers who would escort us out of town.  Then it was time to leave.

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