11 minute read
FEATURE
From the Super Sausage to a Saharan adventure!
When we last spoke with Lavinya Scholl and Oliver Gamblin they were geared up and ready to hit the road for the charity trip of a lifetime, circumnavigating the globe with their motorcycle, a Suzuki V-Strom 1050XT named Bumblebee. Six months on, Sammy Jones checked in to see how things are going for Northampton’s intrepid duo...
Ollie and Lavi began their journey back in April, leaving from the village of Horton. First stop?
A breakfast at the Super Sausage café down the road in Potterspury (every traveller works best on a full belly, after all), and then a ride to the Ace Café in London for the official start of their journey.
Since then, their motorbike has been tucking away more than they have – eating up 11,000 kilometres, which has taken them through countries and scenery every bit as dramatic as varied.
The rural roads of England were swapped for a frenetic trip through the streets of France’s capital before French countryside became their ever changing backdrop, taking in medieval villages and grand châteaus along the way.
“We were lucky enough to be invited to stay in an 800-year-old castle owned by a wonderful Belgian man who believed in a society without money and wanted to share his belongings, and his home, with weary passers like us who were more than happy to be accommodated for an evening around the fire,” recalled Ollie.
The duo pushed on, through the Pyrenees Mountains into Spain, where they enjoyed more adventures.
“We explored and wild camped our way through the most stunning wildernesses the country had to offer, from an abandoned village in the mountains where we came face to face with a wild fox who visited our tent one evening in the hopes of a free meal, to the barren badlands of the Tabernas Desert where we were just minutes away from being caught by the police,” Lavi said, “Sometimes it’s beneficial to wake up early!”
Morocco became their ‘home’ for 40 days, and Ollie and Lavi crossed the Atlas Mountains and journeyed to the edge of the Sahara at the Algerian border.
“We camped with wild monkeys in the cedar forests of Ifrane National Park where both our tent and Bumblebee were welcomed in the only way that monkeys know how, by being pooped on!
“We visited the ancient cities of Marrakesh and Fez, where we accidentally booked a traditional homestay in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage old town and didn’t realise that it was a pedestrian only zone - it’s one of the most densely packed in the world, with 80,000 people living within its thousand year old walls,” said Ollie.
“This meant carting all of our luggage 30 minutes through the busy labyrinth of narrow streets and markets past donkeys, hawkers and market stalls wearing our full motorcycle gear in 30 degree heat!”
Having travelled to the edge of the Sahara, our charity trekkers decided they wanted to camp out among the dunes for an evening, despite the protests of a local hotel owner.
“He had spent the afternoon trying to convince us of all the reasons why we wouldn’t want to camp out amidst the dunes and should instead take a room, warning us of scorpions, snakes and spiders, and the danger faced in the desert.”
Not about to waste a night under the stars with such a stunning landscape for company,
Ollie and Lavi pressed on regardless – the sand would be a perfect place to spend the evening. Or so they thought.
“We were quietly enjoying our dinner, looking out over the undulating pinky/ orange landscape with our tent set up and
Bumblebee all covered up safely, when
Bonjour from the Arc de Triomphe
we noticed a dark cloud moving in over the horizon,” recalls Lavi, “It turned out to be a cloud of sand and in only a few minutes we were in the midst of a Saharan sandstorm! We quickly returned to the Kasbah with our tails between our legs and took a room for the night!”
In the southern half of Morocco, they had to deal with the relentless heat of the North African summer – at one point enduring daytime temperatures of more than 40 degrees and nighttime lows of mid 30s.
Monkey business in Morocco
“Being vegetarian we’re often left without much choice of food in remote places where all roadside restaurants would serve only meat dishes. Sometimes it’s just bread and Laughing Cow cheese for days on end...”
If the food issue is a bit of a bore, the journey so far has provided in plenty of other ways.
“Being able to explore the country of Mauritania in the middle of the Sahara was a high point, it’s a country rarely visited by foreigners and certainly one that most people wouldn’t choose for their holiday. But in riding around the world we are forced to explore places like these in intimate detail and often they become the unexpected favourite parts of the journey.”
And, after sand, sand and more sand, Senegal offered something quite different for their eyes to feast on: “Our first green landscape at the Senegal river full of wildlife and water after a month of riding in the dusty windy desert was a real highlight as it signified with such exuberance and extravagance the end of our Saharan crossing and the start of West Africa,” Lavi said.
Here in Northampton, we know more about that sort of temperature today than we did 12 months ago, but if struggling home with the groceries or feeling the irritation after not being able to sleep in that heat was enough to upset you, spare a thought for these two – wearing biking gear, travelling through the desert sans a supply of chilled water and air con can’t have been too much fun.
Progress was slower in the extreme heat, but they kept moving, and for 1200 kilometres they traversed the single lane highway of Route National 1 that snaked its way between the ocean and the desert.
And then Bumblebee fell poorly – their trusty motorbike quite literally hit the dust, leaving our travellers wondering what to do next.
“We were just about to start unclipping our panniers when we spotted the group of figures moving towards us, emerging from the dusty backdrop. It was the Moroccan military, come to save the day!”
The duo talk often about the kindness and generosity they experienced from the Moroccan people, and thanks to that meeting, they lost little time and continued with their plan – heading to Mauritania’s second largest city, Nouadhibou.
A thicker and hazier atmosphere welcomed them, a combination of sand and exhaust fumes from the sea of old Mercedes cars residing there.
“It felt like a new experience despite all that we had seen so far. The environment had reached a whole new level of barren, a windier, sandier, harsher place devoid of all peace and comfort,” Ollie said, “Dunes rose up frequently on both sides of the road, often covering entire lanes! Luckily we were always given a sliver of tarmac to squeeze through on, as long as there wasn’t a truck coming the other way!”
As the journey progressed, they bore witness to many victims, left to perish: “Abandoned cars we passed along the way told the tale of those old Mercedes that were pushed just that little bit too far.”
The journey so far has taken the pair to some desolate spots, and some incredibly bustling stops – not least Nouakchott, which sprawls from the centre of the remote desert coast.
“A sea of single story cinder block houses radiated out from its centre in an unstoppable expansion that has turned what was once in the 1970’s a small fishing village into the sprawling 1.2 million resident behemoth that it has become today. From the isolation of the desert to the roar of the capital, Mauritania was certainly a country of extremes,” said Lavi.
The couple are documenting their journey – a Guinness Book of Records attempt for the ‘youngest pair to circumnavigate the globe by motorcycle (riding pillion)’ on their own YouTube channel which allows you to check in on their travels and enjoy their experience from the comfort of your sofa. It is well worth subscribing to.
Do that, and you’ll also share in their genuine delight when they find a tasty snack, which doesn’t happen all the time.
The colourful ‘Puits de Sel’ salt lakes of Palmarin on the coast of Senegal
Just 300km further and Ollie and Lavi reached the end of their three month, 11,000km journey in Dakar.
Having successfully navigated their way through Europe and into the heart of West Africa, Bumblebee was loaded into a container ready for a trip across the Atlantic Ocean for Rio de Janeiro, where the next leg of this incredible 50,000km two year round-the-world adventure will begin...
> Ollie and Lavi are using their journey to raise funds for the Born Free Organisation. If you would like to make a donation, please visit justgiving.com/laviandollie
Keep up to speed as their journey continues by following their YouTube channel: Lavi and Ollie or catch them on Instagram & Tik Tok: @lavi.and.ollie
Dr. Diana Rose Head of Family Law
NORTHAMPTON 29 Billing Road Northampton NN1 5DQ 01604 622101
KETTERING 18 Brooklands Court Kettering Venture Park Kettering NN15 6FD 01536 523434 bmtclaw.co.uk
This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Please note that the law may have changed since this article was published.
Reconciliation; can we change our minds about getting a divorce?
You are likely to have spent some weeks, months or perhaps even years contemplating getting a divorce before you decided to apply, and even then, you may still wonder if it is not too late to save your marriage.
“Issuing or receiving a divorce petition can be the spark that awakens feelings or renewed efforts and could lead to a reconciliation,” says Diana Rose, a Solicitor with Borneo Martell Turner Coulston.
While the decision to divorce is a big step, there is time to change your mind and there are alternatives – such as a trial reconciliation or a formal separation. Diana outlines the options at each phase in the divorce process, and the things to consider.
When is the latest opportunity to stop a divorce? Your marriage will be treated as being formally dissolved when the court issues your final divorce order (previously known as your decree absolute). At any point up to the making of your final order it can be possible to reverse your decision.
What are my options during the divorce process Before the petition has been formally served, you can stop your petition and seek for it to be withdrawn. Under the no-fault based divorce, if your petition was a joint petition then you must both provide your written consent to the court for the withdrawal.
If your petition has been served but no final order made, then an application can be made to the court to dismiss the petition.
Considering a trial reconciliation You may have been unhappy in your relationship for some time and wonder if your spouse is now just on their ‘best behaviour’ or if your reconciliation will last. If you want to test the waters, a trial reconciliation may be a good route to consider before you make any final decision over the dismissal or withdrawal of your divorce petition.
If you have been living separately, you may need some legal assistance in agreeing the financial terms of any trial reconciliation period. We can assist you reaching agreement over who is responsible for various outlays, and ensure you are receiving the correct level of maintenance during any trial reconciliation.
What about a formal separation? A formal separation is usually only appropriate where you have decided to live apart. It involves drawing up a formal agreement to deal with how to separate your finances and assets. It can also deal with a number of other practical issues such as where each of you and any children will live, and any maintenance payments either of you will pay. After signing a formal separation, some clients have reported that the mundane pressures of life and running a household together reduce. This allows time to refocus on what first attracted you to each other.
If you wish to continue to live together then a postnuptial agreement may be a good alternative option. This can deal with many of the same issues as a formal separation, without agreeing to separate at that time. It can mean you both give reconciliation a chance without the anxiety of what a divorce would mean financially.
We can assist you in agreeing the terms and drafting any formal separation deed or post-nuptial agreement.
For advice on this or any other family law matter, please contact Diana Rose on 01604 622101 or email diana.rose@bmtclaw.co.uk Borneo Martell Turner Coulston have divorce law specialists in both Northampton and Kettering offices.
