About
Matthew Thorn
Matthew is a software engineer and motorcycle fanatic living in Seattle, Washington.
Inna Shmelyova
Inna was born in Moscow, Russia and emigrated to the U.S. in 1998. She owns a creative services business specializing in marketing, consulting, event planning, and design. She is also a certified Interdisciplinary Yoga instructor, and received her training at the Nosara Yoga Institute in Costa Rica.
It was really great running into you at the co-op in Eureka. You are taking a trip that many of us only dream about. It will be fun following along as you continue on your trip.
You guys are not even out of the states and have already seen so many beautiful sites! with many more to come
Ya’ll are so lucky….
Ride Safe
Hey Matt, Inna!
Thanks for the email! I know you were on a mission…..but on your way back……give me a ring when you’re in the vicinity of the SF Bay Area. It was great to meet you at the Casa…..it was cool of you to take the time to connect with some of the Tornadiacs.
I’d forgotten about our conversation and the trip you’d been planning. Have a great time……it IS the ride of a lifetime. But something tells me this won’t be your last! I will “channel” my ole buddy Brad (the one I told you about)……and tell him to keep an eye on you both! Best wishes! I’ll be watching!
Oh…..about Nepenthe. Haha……when I saw the photo I knew where you were without reading. I’ve been there…..it is an amazing place!
Cheers,
Graystroke
Godspeed.
No more unexpected gusts!
Your own Amazing Race, I love it.
Have a ball and soak it all in.
Living vicariously through the blog will be fun.
Mario send us your web link. It looks fantastic!!! My wife and I did the same right two years ago-meeting up with Mario in almost the exact spot that you did!!! He and his family are great people. It was one of the highlights of our trip. Anyway, we will be following your ride and wish you all the best!!!
Matt and Inna,
Perfect timing is all I can say. I am from Eastern WA, actually tri cities area. But believe it or not, I am leaving tomorrow on the exact same trip you are on at this time. It has been in planning for some time as I am sure yours was, but tomorrow 2/19/09 my brother, dad and I all leave tomorrow for Texas (to save time) and will be on your same route from Guatemala down. I have only just found your site via advrider.com, but none the less, it was of great pleasure to know and read your stories. I have done a fair bit of travelling and motorcycle riding around the globe, but this will be my first long voyage. I will be in touch more on other details, but I wanted to mention shipping bikes home. I have a shipper lined up to ship our Three 08 KLR 650s home from Buenos Aires to Seattle in May. What are your plans? Please contact me and we can discuss.
Hope we can get to know each other soon. Safe travels.
Jonathan Glessner.
jonathanglessner@yahoo.com
Matthew & Inna
Just looked at your site, nice nice. In the meantime we made our way past the corrupt police in Peru, struggled through the mud and landslides in the Canon del Pato, and are now ready to leave for Otavalo, and rush for Columbia to escape the rainy season.
Lust of luck and nice travels,
Paul & Sigrid
BMW-riders Cuzco
Hey guys it’s a rainy day with nothing to do so I decided to check your website. WOW!!! You have gone quite a ways since visiting us. What an adventure and you are an accomplished photographer. I can’t believe the quality of your photos.Good luck on the rest of your trip
Jeff & Mary
Hi
We are the couple that meet you in Puyuhuapi.
We are very happy that you arrived to Calafate.Hope everything OK.How was your ride? Did you visit Chaiten (Fitz Roy) & Glaciar walk?
We are in Esquel and started our back trip to Buenos Aires.
We hope to ear more about you and as we told in Puyuhuapi if you dicide to visit us in Buenos Aires, you will be welcome. Meanwhile I’ll check your website.
Huggs
Fernando
PS: Please confirm us if you reicive this. Thanks in advance
Hi Matthew and Inna,
I ran into you the other day in Bariloche and you gave me your card. I was discussing with you the possibility of buying your bike when you have finished your trip. I’m interested, so if you have had a chance to give it some more thought, please send me an email.
Best of luck on the rest of the trip. Hope to hear from you soon.
Owen
En Bariloche
I was just sent a link to your blog by a friend–Congratulations! This is one of the most fantastic travel blogs about South America I have ever read, and your pictures are incredible!
Shmel, ja toboj gorzhus!!
Hello Matthew and Inna.
I suppose that now they must be in your country, resting. I hope that they have come well. Now reading yours chronicles I am learning a bit more of English, jeje. Then I will tell them how start and finish my trip. It was a very big pleasure to know them.
A big embrace and a lot of luck in everything.
P.D.: Thank you for the container of fuel COPEC
Guille Sitek
I had the pleasure of talking to the two of you for a few minutes outside Chaparral Motorsports in Southern California. I’m glad that I checked out your blog as it has been fun to read, congrats on the overall success so far. Ride safe, take care, Dan
Matt, sorry we could not get together again before you left, I guess Mary & I will just have to visit Seattle!
Hi Matt & Inna,
I met a guy at Metsker Maps of Seattle who was told me about your epic adventure!!
I’m about to bounce town and try to make it up to Alaska on before it gets too cold:)
Check it: http://luigicycle.blogspot.com
I can’t wait to read your blog when I get up to Fairbanks!
Thanks a million for taking the trouble to share your journey with the world!
Sincerely,
-luigi