There's also a Horizons Meeting planned for Sept. 2012 - the 1st one in Ontario. Good place to meet up with other travelers and be inspired to do your own trip.
LoL, I just realized who you are. Wife and I really enjoyed following your blog. We're planning on attending the Ontario HUBB meeting and hoping we can get to the NC one also.
SOUTH AMERICA: 360 DEGREES
125 days: 19 Feb - 22 Jun 4 Places left
Rider: US $33,990 / Co-Rider: US $24,990
Compass bike rental
F 650 GS: US $120.00 per day
F 800 GS: US $130.00 per day
R 1200 GS: US $145.00 per day
Take your own bike and you will have a lot more fun + it will work out a lot cheaper. We found on our travels the few times that we rode with others, we interacted less with locals and preferred to be on our own.
In groups like these, you will stop as a group for gas, breaks, lunch stops etc. and then end up spending the evening together as well. Locals are less likely to approach you in a group and you will be less likely to learn the language and speak to locals if in a group. You will end up pretty much speaking English through your entire trip. Learning Spanish is half the fun as well.
Latin America is not that difficult of a ride. Riders themselves make it out to be harder than it actually is. My wife learnt how to ride 2 yrs. prior to her riding her own bike (DR650) some 55K km through Latin America and Africa. Again, it is very doable.
many many people don't aspire to that. Hard to understand why not, but some people only want to go to an all inclusive resort and sit at a beach doing nothing more then drinking and eating. Its not for everyone.does anyone NOT aspire to do a trip like this?