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Getting Ready for Summer!

Only 4 weeks left in India before i head to Europe for the summer. I will spend most of my time in Europe promoting/taking part in my rally race the Black Sea Run and hopefully a little sight seeing. The Black Sea Run starts in Krakow Poland on July 25th!

Here is My 2010 proposed country list:

Ireland
Poland
Sweden
Spain
Portugal
England
Ukraine
Russia
Georgia
Turkey
Bulgaria
Romania
Hungary
Slovakia
Austria
Czech Republic
Germany
USA
Columbia
Venezuela
Ecuador
Panama
Costa Rica
Nicaragua
Cuba
Brazil

Posted by Jimmy under Europe, Photos, Projects, Thoughts, Travel Tips, Uncategorized, Updates | Comments (0)

Time, Energy & Logic

I’m starting to wonder if I should start worrying about my energy or the lack thereof. I’m finding that living in a hot tropical jungle can really take the life and energy out of you. The heat is becoming intense, to a point where you avoid any sort of outdoor or physical movement during the mid days sun.

Also I’m finding that the Indian food as much as I love it is packed full of things that make you fat and gives you zero energy. After eating you barley have enough energy to find a good shady spot to lay your head for the much needed mid day nap. I sort of feel like a bear that’s hibernating from the winter, although I’m doing it in a steamy jungle rather then a cold dark cave.

Also dealing with everything Indian in terms of “trying” to start a business or work in India is proving the most life draining/maybe someday rewarding experience of my life. I have run multi million dollar projects with less stress then one week of work here. For me the biggest problem is nothing ever really gets finished or at least finished in any way close to what you set out for. Time seems to stand still; things just take forever and for no reason at all. Trying to figure out why is even more challenging, something that has sent the world’s brightest minds to metal institutions for trying to understand the ways of India.

I come from a world where pride, honor and your word mean a lot. People here will make promises with no intention to actually follow through they just say it because they think that’s what we want to hear. I mean they “try” to do what they say but it seems they have not a care in the world if they promise you something and never deliver. They even go as far to say 100% tomorrow, but all tomorrow brings in 100% let down! In every country I have ever been to if this happens they will do their best to explain why it didn’t happen, but here there’s no explanation its just normal. But I’m not trying to sit here and say why this country is better of worse then others… I am just trying to paint the real picture of how “I” feel India is as a functioning country.

Other foreigners here would think I’m crazy for saying this but they are looking at it from a touristy vacation spot, which of course you avoid all this stuff when sitting on the beach with not a care in the world. But living and working here is another story, so maybe I need to start looking at this place the same way I did 5 years ago when I fell in love with it. A place that’s full of color, life and a place where truly nothing makes sense to our foreign eyes and while the rest of the world continues to become the same, India will push on into the future as this wonderful crazy country that’s says NO to logic, NO to reason, NO to time…. But yes to being 100% different!

Posted by Jimmy under Europe, India, Thoughts, Travel Tips, Uncategorized | Comments (1)

I am Ready!

It has been over a week since my tired and tattered corpse limped into Istanbul. After 4 months, 15 countries and endless partying…. my body was dead! I was in need of a major detox/recharge.

Istanbul has turned out to be the prefect solution. I have spent the last week doing absolutely nothing other then getting a tan and going to the dentist. It’s amazing how just sitting in a place for a week and doing nothing can make such a difference in someone’s mental and physical wellbeing.

A week later and probably a few pounds fatter thanks to the Iskender, I feel 100% again and ready for what lies ahead. The “Summer of Love Tour” has officially come to an end and now it’s time for the next adventure.

I fly to Spain on Monday where I will meet up with my business partner to do the unthinkable and drive from Spain to South Africa! We are doing a scout for our up and coming adventure race “World Cup Trek”. The route will take us down the west coast of Africa for the next 8 weeks. For more info check out our site www.nomadicnation.org

But for now all I can say is, “I am ready!”

Posted by Jimmy under Africa, Europe, Thoughts, Uncategorized, Updates | Comments (0)

Goodbye Poland!

I find the word “Goodbye” coming out of my mouth a lot lately. As quickly as I meet new people or start to fall in love with a city or a woman, that word “Goodbye” keeps slipping out of my mouth.

I came to Poland not knowing what to expect. I am %50 polish, but I have no idea who my grandparents were or where in Poland they came from, but I still felt the need to find out for myself and see where my roots are. I can’t say I have learned anything about my past, but I have found another place in the world that feels like home, a place where my roots have taken hold and a place that will for sure be a part of my future! I will take away a lot of things I have learned here in Poland, but yet I feel like I am leaving a part of me behind… and not to mention I am leaving behind my trusty baby blue Fiat ;-(

I am finding it really difficult to say goodbye to my car that I paid $100 for and drove 4500 kilometers over the last 2 months through 8 different countries. I think the reason I am having such a hard time letting go of the car, is the fact that it’s the only real thing I own in this crazy world. Everything I consider “Jimmy’s” is in my bag on my back. I try not to get attached to things because of this every reason, it makes saying goodbye soo much harder.

So for now with a sad look on my face I say Goodbye Poland and with a fake smile… Hello Ukraine! But before I get to comfortable in Ukraine I will have to say Goodbye again and leave for Turkey. I believe that there’s no such thing as a final goodbye, I feel that we will always see each other again. If it’s meant to be, it will happen!

Posted by Jimmy under Europe, Thoughts, Uncategorized, Updates | Comments (1)

Update from RUSSIA!

It’s been a while since I have wrote anything, actually for that matter this whole trip I have been pretty silent. I guess I’m not sure if that’s because I’m finally just enjoy the moment, and can’t seem to find time to write down all the things that are going on, or maybe because I sometimes I feel no one actually reads this crap!

Ok well I will do my best to catch you up on what’s been going on.

After spending my birthday in Riga Latvia I went north to Tallinn Estonia for a few days. Estonia was my 3^rd and final Baltic country to visit. Tallinn is a lovely little city, although the weather seemed to have turned for the worse. It was still august but yet it felt like the dead of winter on my thin Californian skin. I ended up meeting up with my friend Paul that I met 2 years ago in Japan. Unfortunately for me the cold weather proved to be too much for me, so found myself sick with a cold (one that I’m still trying to kick).

I didn’t really do much other then go out at night and stay in during the day when it was cold and pissing down outside. My plan was to go to Finland but I didn’t have enough time due to my Russian visa dates, so I will leave Finland for another trip.

I took the 6 hour night bus from Tallinn to St. Petersburg RUSSIA! The bus trip was pretty easy other then it was filled with drunk Russians! The only major highlight was that I got yelled at by the Russian military guys for trying to go pee during the boarded crossing.

Before I came to Russia I wasn’t sure how I was going to like it. I grew up during the cold war, it always seemed to be Russia vs USA. To me Russia was this big country that was very mysterious, filled with tall women. I’m not sure my opinion has changed that much, other then there are very cute short girls here too. It’s been said Russians are cold people, hard to get to know and hard to read. That is a little bit true but if you take the time to break away some of the ice they are very warm and friendly people. The 2 things they seem to love the most are Cigarettes and Vodka. I feel like I have been smoking 5 packs a day. When walking in the streets its hard to find fresh air. I tend to hold my breath and wait for the clear patch of air. The clubs and bars here are so full of smoke its hard to see. When I went into my first bar I said to my Russian friend “Do they have a smoke machine on?”… nope that’s just good old cigarette smoke. Despite the smoke and the vodka that can power the fiat, this place is awesome! I am now kicking myself for not giving myself more time.

I leave for Moscow on Saturday for only 1 night, then its back to Latvia to pick up the Fiat and my Irish Leprechaun, after that it’s the open road… who knows where, but for sure a stop back in Poland!

Here are some pictures from Estonia.

And here are the ones from St. Petersburg, Russia!

Posted by Jimmy under Europe, Photos, Russia, Thoughts, Uncategorized, Updates | Comments (2)