Having posted what I have above, thinking about it a little more... I know we give some of the rank newbies a bit of a hard time when they front up here with an ambitious plan to ride across a continent with nothing more than a dream and the motivation to experience something new.

The old hands here know about Flic, and then there is Mri G and her partner. They plow blythely on with their plans because they have those absolute essentials listed in my post above.

Yes, Flic did end up with something of a disaster that almost killed her. And Mri G and her partner are experiencing some culture shock. But you know what? They had the courage to get out there and live their dream. It might not be the way I would do it, but certainly, more power to them and others like them.