After eleven years, Richard finally felt he possessed the necessary skills to put his first, and most adventurous trip yet, down on paper. This is his story. This is a book about a rather ordinary man who had an extraordinary adventure. At thirty-seven, Richard wanted excitement so embarked on a month-long, solo motorbike ride from England to Morocco and back. What he didn't realise was that he was about to get a little more excitement than he bargained for. He was shot at somewhere around the Morocco/Algeria border, he rode through a minefield, completely lost his way in the blistering fifty-degree heat of the desert, got blind drunk in Alicante and cartwheeled his bike down the road in Ibiza. He also experienced many wonderful characters, moments of pure joy, intense emotion and enlightenment that changed him as a human. This book is not only about his adventure, but also about Richard's progress as a person and his battles with his past.

This book is about my month long, 10,000 mile, solo motorbike trip from Buxted in East Sussex to the Sahara Desert and back. Along the way I meet interesting people, a thief, a number of policemen, a very sweet donkey, a large mountain range, a suicidal black bee and a scorpion that fell from my ceiling. I rode through France, over the Pyrenees and through Spain, over the Gibraltar Strait and into Morocco, west to the coast, south to Rabat and Casablanca, inland to Marrakesh, over the High Atlas Mountains to Ouarzazate, then to Zagora, Erfoud, Errachidia, Merzouga and Mhamid. Oh, and back again. I experienced the phenomenal 50 degree heat of the Sahara Desert in the summer whilst wearing thick, black motorbike leathers, I saw sights that will remain in my heart forever, I ate a dinner that left me with a bottom like a red hot bullet hole and I rode through rain like you've never seen before. So, why not join me for my adventure of a life time and enjoy my humour, my propensity for disaster and my lust for laughter. From the back: "After getting on my bike I became so excited that I just couldn't sit still, I was twitching like an idiot, talking non-stop and rocking in my seat. When I left it was all I could do to stop myself from screaming and punching the air. I somehow managed to control myself but about 50 yards later I looked in my mirror and saw my wife standing there, on her own watching me leave. Every little bit of excitement instantly turned to guilt and loneliness, the feeling was so strong that I almost blubbered in my helmet. However, I wasn't just leaving my wife, son and dog, I was also leaving my home, job and most importantly, familiarity. Everything from this point forward was going to be very different in a 'make it up as you go' kind of way. Well, that was the first 200 yards of my trip, only another 10,000 miles to go. This was going to be one hell of a ride!"

Practical guide for anyone planning a long-distance motorcycling trip. Choosing, preparing and equipping a motorbike, documentation and shipping, life on the road, trans-continental route outlines: Asia, Africa & Latin America. Updated and now in full colour, this best-seller has been in print for almost 30 years.

The Advocate is a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) monthly newsmagazine. Established in 1967, it is the oldest continuing LGBT publication in the United States.