Jacqui still rides her Enfield regularly 16 Find out more at www.getting<strong>into</strong>adventure.com
THE LADY ON THE BIKE RETIRED NURSE JACQUI FURNEAUX SPENT 7 YEARS RIDING AROUND THE WORLD ON A ROYAL ENFIELD. HERE SHE ANSWERS THE QUESTIONS MOST PEOPLE ASK... What about your pension? I gave in my notice after thirty years in the NHS. I thought I’d let someone else have a go and went off backpacking for a year. I had the safety net of an unpaid career break and was told there would be a job for me when I got back, but I never did go back. I was having too much fun and learning so much about the world. Now I am of pensionable age and I manage! Where will you sleep? I was a bit concerned about that, until I arrived in Asia to find hostels, hotels and guest houses everywhere. I forgot that human beings have exploring in their genes and have been wandering around the world trading and exploring since we came down from the trees. Weren’t you worried about going to Islamic countries? I had been working for and with people with a Pakistani heritage for seven years before I went to Pakistan so I was aware of some of the culture before I went. Adopting a ‘when in Rome do as the Romans do’ attitude, I bought clothes to hide my shape and a scarf to cover my hair. This was much appreciated and I received only kindness and generosity. Aren’t you afraid of rape, robbery and murder? I looked at British daily newspapers and heard the news and reckoned it is a risk anywhere. After almost ten years spent travelling, I was robbed only once (in Australia). What if you get ill? When I first set off, I carried an extensive first aid kit. Needles, syringes, a drip set, bandages, plasters, antibiotics and my backpack was full of lotions and potions. After a month, I could see that all these things were available in pharmacies everywhere so dumped them. They have doctors and nurses abroad, too! What if the bike breaks down? I learned to do minor repairs myself and found that help is never far away. In a remote part of Australia, part of the frame of my bike snapped. A welder who visited the outpost came once a month. His visit was the next day! Things have a way of working out and breakdowns result in meeting local people, which is the best thing about travelling! “I HAVE VERY MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT CONSTANT COMMUNICATION” What do you do for money? It wasn’t quite so easy when I started backpacking in Asia, but now there is internet banking and ATMs are everywhere. So if you have some, money is easily accessible. I carry two different cards: Visa and Mastercard to cover those countries where one is more acceptable than another. In some European countries, credit cards are not widely accepted. I found it better to carry cash in Germany and Portugal for instance. I worked as a nurse in New Zealand and taught English in Pakistan to boost my savings. What do you DO all day? People whose foreign travel may be annual holidays of a couple of weeks imagine that longer spells away are an extension of being in holiday mode. I found the process of bike maintenance, eating and drinking, finding somewhere to sleep, finding roads to the next destination, talking with people and information-gathering in a different language, learning a new culture, finding fuel and most of all doing all this on a strict budget in stiflingly hot or bitterly cold temperatures took up most of the day! Rearranging and jettisoning luggage is a major occupation in an effort to carry less weight more efficiently, I managed with about half the stuff I took originally. Being minimalist is important! What if you get lost? I do not travel with satellite navigation, although if off-roading in the desert, I probably would. For me, one of the pleasures of travelling is meeting people and what better introduction is there than to pull up to someone and say, “Excuse me, I’m lost. Can you help me?” Making yourself vulnerable seems to trigger the best in people. That’s one of the best surprises I discovered. People will literally go out of their way to show you the right road or somewhere to stay or eat. I have been taken back to someone’s home on many, many occasions. What do you do about clothes when going from hot to cold countries? At first I took clothes for all occasions and situations! Then I realised that the people who live there need clothes and have to buy them somewhere so gave most of them away to save weight and space. You can buy suitable clothes wherever you are. Many countries have charity shops and secondhand stalls. I took dozens of pairs of knickers with me at first, but of course they are available on market stalls. Everyone wears them! It’s the same with medical supplies and hygiene items. Everyone needs them. Don’t you miss family and friends? Yes, very much. Email, social media and Skype have replaced letters, postcards and expensive phone calls. It’s easy to keep in touch now. I have very mixed feelings about constant communication tying travellers to where they come from and not where they are. I find people talk to those around them less. Won’t the food and water be a bit ‘dodgy’? Being on a budget meant I ate street-food rather than five-star gourmet dishes. This is usually delicious and has the advantage that you can see it freshly cooked in front of you rather than sitting in a hotel kitchen for hours. I did have tummy upsets from time to time, but one of these occasions was in New Zealand so it can happen anywhere. Appalled at the empty water-bottles littering places I visited, I started drinking the same water the locals do and was OK. Did you worry the Enfield might get stolen? If my bike was stolen, it would put a stop to this wonderful lifestyle and after a while, I bonded heavily with it (and no other bike would do!) So if I couldn’t have it either in the room with me or sleep next to it in warm countries where I could wild-camp, I made sure it was out of sight and chained up. But I don’t think anyone was tempted! I love it but it isn’t everyone’s dream machine. Jacqui is currently working on her book, titled ‘Hit the Road Jac’. Keep an eye out for it.
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