Multiple offers of help for Hungarian biker stranded at Thurso
A Hungarian biker undertaking an NC500 road trip sent out a big ‘thank you’ to Caithness residents who came to his rescue after coming to a grinding halt at Thurso.
Gergő Vasas (Geri) now lives in Vienna, Austria, and describes himself as an “adventure bike traveller” who has ridden through 45 countries on a KTM Enduro over the past 5 years.
“I'd been in Scotland for about two weeks and was in Thurso on my NC500 trip,” said the thirty-six-year-old.
“I was doing my evening shopping at Tesco, getting ready to leave the town to wild camp somewhere. I usually sleep in my tent while wild camping or at friends’ or fellow bikers’ places who invite me because they follow my motorcycle blog – @geriontour. Lately, my bike had trouble starting, and the battery died, so I got stranded.”
Geri posted on a Facebook group called Thurso Community Noticeboard explaining what had happened and within a few minutes several people replied and offered to help.
“I was coordinating with Lydia Hossain on Messenger, as she said she could charge my battery overnight.
“Suddenly, a girl appeared in a white Volvo, with jumper cables in hand, ready to help jump-start the bike. Two minutes later, a Ford Transit pulled up, and it was Damon Bagguley with his daughter, offering to take the bike to his garage to get it fixed there.
“We were just about to load the bike into the van when another person – unfortunately, I don’t know who – arrived and was also there to help after seeing my Facebook post. Later, I found out that the girl with the Volvo was Lydia’s daughter, and Damon had been following my motorcycle travel blog for a while.”
That evening, Geri ended up staying at Damon’s place and the next day his wife treated him to breakfast, hot tea, and some snacks for the road. “I could continue my journey feeling recharged,” he said.
“What’s also interesting is that within one hour, my post had already been shared 42 times. So many people wrote to me from all directions that I could barely keep up with replying to them later on.”
Geri called Caithness “a true gem” from a motorcyclist's perspective. “The coastal roads and hilly landscapes offer breathtaking views. My personal favourite was Duncansby Head.
“The helpfulness of the people was simply unparalleled. I’ll never forget how quickly and how much help arrived when I found myself in an emergency situation.”
Geri can be followed on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/GeriOnTour
There is also a link showing all the social media pages and sites where he posts updates at: clcme.eu/geriontour/
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