Itchy Boots

We (my non-riding spouse and I) have clicked right back into the Itchy Boots routine and I am delighted with her videos on her new bike and gear. I am surprised that Honda has not sponsored her (or....maybe they have - but they are keeping it on the QT to cut down on copy-cat requests). I note that this latest bike "Alaska" is her very first brand new bike.

....hmmmmm....:shrug1:

All of that aside, the key question on our minds is: how will she handle going through the dangerous areas of Central America and Mexico where the drug cartel creeps prevail - even over the police and army - let alone private citizens?

No matter how tough and determined she is - the straight fact is that a woman (or a man, for that matter) travelling alone in some of those areas doesn't stand much of a chance.

:bigpop::bigpop::bigpop:
 
GryST said:
Here's another girl who travels the World. A bit of a different angle which Noraly never talks about -
advrider.com

Perks of Being Homeless: Why Roots Aren’t Everything //ADV Rider

Is being voluntarily homeless and living on the road as stressful as most people think? It all depends on how you look at it.
advrider.com advrider.com
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Aha! Yes, Egle Gerulaityte (EvergreenE). I’ve been following and reading Egle for quite a while. You’d never know that English isn’t her first language (she’s Lithuanian). A terrific writer. Pretty sure I’ve posted here about her before. Here’s her wonderful ride report that first hooked me:
advrider.com

Around South America accidentally on a blue 150cc

So a couple of years back, I kind of accidentally ended up riding across South America for about 19 months, and I’ve decided to write it up purely...
advrider.com advrider.com
She also traveled for some time with Paul Stewart (rtwpaul), another vloger (and spectacular photographer!) I follow. Here’s a page from their SA travels with a great post by Egle (scroll down to #3975/Oct 2, 2018, “Jimango the Ilama”):
advrider.com

Riding RTW and back - on as much dirt as possible!

Wow that is incredible. Such beautiful photos and writing. Such unbelievable artistry! I am blown away. Very inspiring! I would love to meet them and...
advrider.com advrider.com

Edit: read the previous page also, p198, about the leather craftspeople.

Enjoy,

John
 
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GryST said:
Noraly likes to concentrate mostly on positives, and I'm sure she has her share of not so good days too.
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I think her quarantine in Peru was about as close as I've seen her handle disappointment and frustration, but even then her videos were more matter-of-fact, than angry or gloomy.
Her effusive persona is definitely a trademark of hers, and I believe she realizes it is one of the reasons her channel continues to grow.
She has obviously done a great job of branding herself, and whether it's her decision or she has a marketing coach, for her to change that now would be a grave mistake.
At the same time, she continually drops hints, and has told us outright, that she always focuses on the positive.
She is not likely to broadcast a temper tantrum or bouts of depression, if and when it ever happens.
 
GryST said:
Not showing the other side doesn't mean it doesn't exist
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She has alluded to issues, crossing the borders and some of the frustrations she has dealt with. Two years ago in Peru she expressed difficulty with locals in regards to the pandemic and being very uncomfortable.
Noraly has done a video on crashes and other like incidences. I know it doesn't really address the point you're making but sometimes she does give us an indication of some of her frustrations.
I can only assume she does research on a daily basis to manage risks on the road. Somehow I don't see her buying a bus and driving incognito through some of the questionable areas......
 
I see what you're saying, @GryST , but at the same time, consider we ALL have our crap and hassles and personal tragedies, not to mention disappointments and boredom.
So the expectations of positivity, adventure, and lots of riding and exploring, is a welcome respite from the humdrum lives many of us lead by comparison, and that's not even mentioning the dreadfully psychotic, depressing and suicide-inspiring "news" that incessantly attacks our spirit day after day.
And of course, I will mention she is easy on the eyes.
Don't want anyone to think I'm overlooking the obvious...
 
kiltman said:
she’s not in our face with her sponsors, the odd feature video like today. We might see a logo in a frame in a brief amount of time.
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This is one of my favorite things about Noraly and her sponsors. She must be doing OK with them or they wouldn't pony up the stuff. She mentioned each piece of kit some by name mainly for the bigger ticked items. She posts links and she's done.

She's sharp as a whip so no doubt she's made it clear how she'll handle sponsored mentions. New sponsors – at least most of them – must have seen some of her videos is only at Noraly's suggestion as CV of sorts. So I'd say they know what they're getting out of the deal. No huckster she.
 
Indeed - this gal is smart with a capital "S" and she understands how to reach an audience and touch people without being "icky" or bitchy (like "On her bike"), or too sweet and syrupy.

We all know when she is really struggling - but she never whines.

My wife (who doesn't ride with me any more) and I watch these videos and Cathie has pointed out that when we see Noraly in a tough spot, it is important to note that the events had happened at least a week or two earlier and at that moment, she really was all alone on some lonely road in the middle of God-only-knows-where and she really WAS in a tough spot.

The video (at that moment in time) was quite secondary and yet she always remained composed, positive and classy - and she shows us what she showed us the issues with which she dealt.

All-in-all, she truly is a very impressive person.
 
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GryST said:
How can she possibly breath freely with this scarf up to her eyes, and why??
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The neck gaiter is actually quite thin and I think she started wearing them for dust protection and it became a bit of a signature. Now she only wears her branded neck gaiter and has them for sale. I have a couple (not her's) and I do find them great. Keeps the neck warm.
 
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So two things I've noticed about her this year. Call me crazy, but she's riding a lot faster now since her "Rally days". Zipping thru Mindo's 30 Km areas at 50 Km! :biggrin: And 2nd, I think she should have gotten a little sister to Savanah rather than the big Sister Alaska. She seems to be really struggling in the rough today. Yes, I know, give her couple of weeks... I was getting somewhat bored with the desert of Africa so I'm glad we're now in South America, nice to see some serious green again. Rock on Noraly!:headbang:
 
I noticed her zippier km/hr as well, so it's not just you.
Recall that she's riding around 2500 meters altitude, too - comparable to you going from Scotland to the Zugspitze (had to use Euro analogy, as I'm woefully ignorant of Canadian provinces and their topography). Or, stateside, going from Louisiana to to the top of the Rockies.
Over a mile difference, so there's thinner oxygen. So you're correct again, in that her body hasn't yet acclimated to the altitude.
Last time I poured water out of my boots, I'm pretty sure I wasn't smiling and laughing...
 
I haven't seen today's episode yet, but I think Monday's were the worst roads I can remember seeing her on, and we've watched them all.
 
Sadlsor said:
as I'm woefully ignorant of Canadian provinces and their topography
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Highwood Pass in Kananaskis area of Alberta. 2.2k meters above sea level she’s about 600-800 meters higher than that currently.
In the 80’s I lived in Banff Alberta, and it took me a few days to get used to the altitude there.
 
You have Itchy Boots Mail!
Oh, so excited! Because she FINALLY posts a link to her Season 6 gear list, and I've been waiting since E1 to see what the new GoPro chinbar mount is that she's using.
It definitely is not the ProShot of seasons past.
And now I'm so disappointed!
After going into great detail about her RevIt! clothing, her high-zoot boots, her smaller Mosko bag setup, her new Garmin Montana GPS, and the Sena Bluetooth communicator, here is her statement about filming from the helmet:
"I mount one GoPro to my helmet, and have one attached to the handlebar."
Oh, good grief!
Can some eagle-eyed purveyor of Noraly's videos please identify the camera mount on her chinbar?
Google hasn't returned this model, and I've paused and rewound the video segments I thought would help.
I'm guessing it may be a Euro-based product, but comments and questions on her YouTube channel hasn't produced results, either... I will go to ADVrider next.
Did I somehow turn off of the Information Highway?
EDIT: I left a question after logging into her blog, and got "Thanks! Your message has been sent. My support team will reply soon."
That would be nice. I can wait.
 
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