THE SCOOTER DIARIES
Synopsis
In November of 1959, Ron Bowman quit his job as a newspaper reporter, sold his car and bought a 150cc Lambretta scooter. He intended to ride it from his hometown of Thorold, Ontario, Canada all the way to South America. As far as he knew, no one had ever made such a journey, but he was going to try.
Three weeks before the trip, he met a beautiful young woman. He was utterly smitten. Suddenly he had misgivings about leaving for what could be a full year. But it was too late to back out, so on a bitterly cold morning, he started his journey.
The farther south he rode, though, the more he began to feel that he had made a horrible mistake and had left the woman of his dreams behind. He wrote her letters every day, each more heartfelt than the last, until finally he asked her to fly to Mexico City, marry him, and continue on to South America for as long as their money would hold out.
When he arrived in Mexico City, her letter was waiting for him. Would she be willing to take a leap of faith and marry an irresponsible character whom she had only known for 3 weeks? His stomach in knots, he opened the letter.
It was going to be a scooter honeymoon.
This is the story of Ron and Tove Bowman and their epic adventure romance through Latin America on a motor scooter, during a time when such a journey was virtually unheard of. No crew. No support vehicles. Just two crazy Canadians in love on a little scooter, discovering the world, discovering each other, and having the greatest adventure of their lives.
About the Book
My brothers and I grew up listening to the many stories our parents told of their epic honeymoon motor scooter adventure through Latin America from 1959 to 1960. The stories seemed larger-than-life and got better with every telling and I never grew tired of hearing them. I remember telling my Dad more than once that he should write all these stories down. He would always just nod and smile and say, "Someday."
When he died on November 3, 2004 – 45 years to the day that he departed on his motor scooter journey – we were retelling some of the stories at his wake and again lamenting the fact that he had never written it down when my mother walked into the room and handed me an old yellowed manuscript detailing the entire adventure. Back in 1959, my Dad had been a newspaper journalist and had taken a portable typewriter with him on the trip (I still can’t figure out how they found room for two people, all their luggage plus a typewriter on a little 150cc Lambretta scooter). He wrote about their adventures in a series of newspaper articles that he mailed home throughout the trip. Soon after the trip was over, though, he wrote this manuscript that my Mom now placed in my hands.
Upon returning home, I typed it all into a computer, with the idea that maybe this could become a book someday. As well as being a true life adventure romance, it was a historic journey – to the best of my knowledge, my parents were the first people to ever ride from North America to South America on two wheels – so it’s a story that really deserves to be documented.
I soon realized the problem, though. It was a first draft. Sure, I could fix spelling mistakes and grammatical errors, but it needed more than that. Some of the most colourful stories were missing while many of the others had been glossed over. If he had still been alive, I would have loved to help him edit the book and really bring the stories to life. But now I had a dilemma. Would it be right for me to change his words posthumously? Should I try to add extra details and stories via footnotes? I really struggled with this, so much so that I simply put the manuscript aside for years.
In early 2012, I picked it up again and started editing the manuscript in earnest. I had decided that footnotes would not be enough. This had to be told properly. I had asked myself if I thought my Dad would mind me changing his manuscript, and I decided that no, I really don’t think he would mind at all. I can still vividly remember him telling the stories and I’ve retold them countless times to my own children, so in a way it would still be my Dad who was telling this story in his own words.
With the help of my Mom, who provided me with numerous corrections and extra details (and even a few stories I hadn’t heard), I have tried my best to bring my Dad’s manuscript to life, to tell the tale as it deserves to be told, while keeping it true to his voice and writing style.
The next step was to digitize all the old 35mm slides. He had taken over 500 of them. Unfortunately, they hadn’t aged well, having become red and splotchy. I scanned them in and did my best to restore the colours with image processing software. It wasn’t always possible, though, because the dyes had simply disappeared. The hard part, however, was removing all the blotches. No algorithm could do it well without also degrading other parts of the image, so after choosing the slides that I wanted to include in the book, I resorted to fixing each blemish manually – a slow and meticulous process that took most of a year. In the end, though, I was pleased with the result.
Next came the fun task of attempting to track down all the people my parents met during their travels, to see if any of them might remember any stories of my parents or even have old photographs that I might use in this book. Despite the passage of 53 years, I was actually able to locate quite a few of them, or in some cases their children. They were all very surprised to hear from me, and some of them were kind enough to share old photos that I have included here.
Creating this book has truly been a labour of love. I hope I have done my parents’ story justice.
About the Adventurers
Ron Bowman was born in 1930 in Thorold, Ontario, Canada. A History & Economics graduate of Western University, he became a reporter for the Welland Tribune and later for the St. Catharines Standard before becoming a teacher for Thorold High School.
Tove Bowman was born in 1935 in Strøby, Denmark. At 17, she moved to Stockholm, Sweden to work for the Danish Embasy. At 19, she came to Canada. She was a bank teller before having three children (all boys), after which she became a nurse.
After retiring to Dyer’s Bay, Ontario, Ron and Tove ran a craftshop & tearoom and later a bed & breakfast, where they shared their many tales of adventure with their enthralled guests.
Ron passed away on November 3, 2004, 45 years to the very day that he set out on his scooter journey.
Tove currently lives in Fonthill, Ontario where she is very active in the community. In 2013 she was recognized with a Paul Harris Fellow award for her charitable work.
Photos
Over 500 35mm colour slides were taken during this adventure. They have all been scanned in and colour corrected as best as possible, as they turned red over the years. The ones chosen for this book were painstakingly corrected to remove all the scratches and blotches that also appeared over the years. But many more excellent pictures couldn't fit in the book, so they are all being posted to Instagram here:
https://www.instagram.com/thescooterdiariesbook/
You can also find pictures on our Facebook page or by following @scooterdiaries on Twitter.
Links
Ride along with Ron and Tove as they explore Guatemala, Colombia, and Peru in 1960, via Maptia's gorgeous website.
Read a story I wrote for Medium on October 13, 2013, when the Kickstarter campaign was only 38% funded with just one week remaining.
The Voice of Pelham: The Scooter Diaries retells the ride of a lifetime
Read what Tove's local newspaper wrote about her and the book release.
Media
Ron and Tove had an 8mm film camera with them during the scooter adventure and took some colour footage. I'll be posting various clips here over time. Hopefully, I'll also be able to talk my Mom into doing a few interviews so you can hear her tell some stories in her own words! Be sure to join our Facebook page or follow @scooterdiaries on Twitter to get the updates whenever I add new videos.
The Kickstarter Video
This is the video I made for the Kickstarter campaign to crowd-fund the publication of my book entitled “The Scooter Diaries” about my parents’ adventure romance through Latin America on a motor scooter in 1960.
The Restoration of the Famous Lambretta
On Saturday, September 21, I visited my cousin Fred in North Gower, Ontario, Canada, where he told the story of how he came to own the now-famous ‘58 Lambretta 150ld that my parents, Ron and Tove Bowman, rode from Canada to Peru in 1959-1960.
Interview #1 With Adventurer Tove Bowman
Tove Bowman sits down to talk about her 1959-1960 scooter adventure.
Interview #2 With Adventurer Tove Bowman
While visiting with my Mom for Canadian Thanksgiving, I sat down to chat more about her adventure. I intended it to be just 5 minutes or so, but we got talking and the stories started flowing…
Interview with CTV News Ottawa
Back on November 27, before the books arrived at my door, CTV News Ottawa's "Regional Contact", Joel Haslam, interviewed me about The Scooter Diaries. Joel is a great guy and it was a really fun experience. This video segment appeared on CTV News Ottawa (CJOH) on Friday, January 10. Click the picture above to watch it.
The Lambretta Lives Again
I am pleased to announce that the world's most famous Lambretta lives again. Its restoration is complete and it is purring like a kitten. To commemorate its reawakening, please enjoy this video containing never-before-seen footage of its life from 1959 to present day. Be sure to watch right to the end for a special announcement!
Interview With Live 88.5
I was privileged to join the LiVE 88.5 Startup crew -- Katfish Morgan, Dave Schellenberg and Amal Wahab -- in their studio recently to talk about The Scooter Diaries book. I listen to this excellent Ottawa radio station all the time, and this morning show in particular, so it was a real thrill to meet them.
Interview With CBC Radio’s “In Town and Out”
Giocomo Panico of CBC Radio's "In Town and Out" had me on his show on October 12, 2013. It was a fantastic experience for me. Click the image above to hear the interview.
Interview With News Talk 610 CKTB Radio
Larry Fedoruk was kind enough to invite me onto his radio show on News Talk 610 CKTB in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada (I spoke by phone from Ottawa). What a great guy, I really enjoyed talking with him.
Excerpts
My parents' story reads like something out of a movie. Encounters with bulls, bandits, cockroaches, sneaky bank clerks, gun-toting soldiers, and administrative officials from hell. I enjoyed these stories so much growing up, I'm thrilled that now you can enjoy them as well. Here are just a few excerpts from the book to give you a taste.
Kickstarter
The Scooter Diaries was funded via an incredibly exciting Kickstarter campaign, which came right down to the wire. That campaign has been saved for posterity so you can see it here:
http://kickstarter.thescooterdiaries.com
Here are the names of all the wonderful backers from Kickstarter, except for those who wished to be anonymous.
Aaron Hecker
Adrian Fisher
Adventure Hermit (Joe Trey)
Alain Labadie
Alana Duran and Tom Parkin
Alastair Humphreys
Alex Ellul
Alexis Gilbert
Alexis Luko
Amber Swope
Amy Boyes
Andre Torrez
Andreas Larsson
Andrew VonSquirrel
Andrew Whitehurst
Angelo Storti
Annie Holtby
Anthony Lucente
Ashley Duncan
Attila Algan
Barry Bangson
Ben Oliver
Ben Slavin | www.MotorcycleMexico.com
Benjamin R. Watkins
Beth and Bryan Hoey
Beth Hess
Bill & Gloria Mascoe
Bill Haagenson
Bill Sylvester
Billie McNamara
Bloodworth Motorcycles
Bob Heiges
Bob Mueller
Brandon Johnson
Brandon Pennington
Brenda Mollison
Brian Hayes
Brian Henderson
Brian Kelley
Brooke Ballard
CapnK & the Crewdogs
Caroline & Neil Bostwick
Chad Ferguson
Cheeky Seats
Chris & Iliese Bowman
Chris Bentley - Wild Dog Creek SC, Australia
Chris Borger
Chris Goodman
Christopher Harries
Church H. Tucker
CJ Mullin
Clint Mullins
Corey Fraser (Scooter Fix!)
Cristian Franzén, Lambretta Club Stockholm
Curtis Krause
D. DeGregory
D. James Ryan
Dan & Val Bailey
Dan K.
Dan Piassick
Daniel Superina
Darren Misiak
Dave Matthys
Dave Robertson
Dave S. Clark
Dave Varney
David Efurd
David Hardy
David Kitchin
David Sherrod
David Stover Smith
Deano Paravantes
Deb Vaughn
Debbie (aka Throttlebunny) Elkington
Denise Surles
Diego Armando
Dion Morse
Don M Peterson
Don McCallen
Donna Bauer
Doug Sharp
Dr. Bruce Ramsey
Ed and Sheila Hildebrandt
Edward Dale
Emmet Connolly
Eric Almendral
Eric Curtis
Erik Kastner
Erika Web
Fiona Pullar
Flora Baker
Frank Adamson
Fred Frederiksen
Gabriel Kenner
Gale & Sandy Tuggle
Gary Steckly
Gary Woood
Gavin Duck
George Bauer
Gerry Michaud
Gilby
Glenn Guillas
Greg Weatherdon
Gwen Hensley
Howard Rains
Howie W McCollister
Hugh C. McBride
Il Svedese
Ingeborg Orozco
Ira Walton
Ivan Law
Jackie Fitzpatrick
Jaguars Scooter Club
Janine McGinness
Jason Khoo Yew Kim
Jason Kottke
Jen Smith
Jenna McCann
Jeremy Wilker
Jesper Bergom-Larsson
Jim Ehrismann
Jim Kennedy
jjustj
Jock from Lambrettista.net
Joe & Kimberly Robinson
Joe Grimes
John Clarke
John Headley
John Meilahn
Johnny Bravo
Jon Fedyk
Jonny Miller
Joost Zoetebier
Jordan and Daniel Orofino
Joshua Debner
Juanita Mewhinney
Justin Bowers
Kathy Hicks
Katie Lee Emmer
Katie Wirt from Kansas City, MO
Keith Davis
Ken Johnson
Kerri K Bernhard
Kevin Clifton
Kieran "K-Dog" Walsh
Kyle Miller
Lance Fauber
Laura Myers
Laurie Powers
Leslie Sofarelli aka advgrrls
Linda Smith
Lisa Hague
Loretta Michaud
LunaP
M Shapiro
M. E. Mangan
Mani K. Trump
Mapsail
Marcel Ray
Marcus Zadra
Margaret Thomas Buchholz (cousin of George Holton)
Margot
Mark Hubber
Mark Mathewson
Martin Sweeney
Marty
Marty Empringham
Martyn Meek
Mary Bolton
Matt Jackson
Matt Ufholz
Matthew DeVries
Michael Cowell
Mike Anhalt
Mike Bowers
Mike Furth
Mike Stirrat
Mike Sub
Ming Koh
Mitcho (Michael Yoshitaka Erlewine)
Natalie Macquire
Nathaniel Davis
Nathaniel Howe
Naz Rimmer
Neal Kelly
Neil Humphrey
Neil Morris
Nellie and Robert Bowman
Nicholas Henri Tay
Nicholas Markusic
Nick Townsend LCSA
Nicole Gauthier
Omer Yariv
Overland Magazine www.overlandmagazine.com
Pablo Kenney
Pat Jurek
Paul Barber
Paul Nicholas Blezard
Peggy
Peter Lundgren
R. Best
R. James B.
Rachel C. Hoyt
Rae L. Hanson
Raelene Woods & Graeme Allbon
Raghu Patibandla
Ralph Dunkel
Rebecca Coupland
Red Wideboys Lambretta Club Sheffield
Rémy "Skuz" STIEGLITZ
Richard Machida
Rick Pannemann
Rick Schippling
Rifat Z. Turgen
Ritch Davis
Rob Bowman
Rob Long
Rob Martens
Robert Brazile
Robert McClelland
Robin Andersen
Ron Arnold
Ryan Hess
Ryan Ressler
S&M Boiler Works
sarah anne clarke
Sarah Martz
Sarah McLester
Scooterlabs Melbourne
Sean and Holly White
Sean Lynch
Sean Mare
Sean Smith
Seth Erik Neilson
Shelly R Poole
Siobhan Ellis
SirWheelsy.com
Stace Martin
Stanton S. Scott Jr.
Stephanie Yue
Stephen johns
Steve Benstead
Steve Grant
Steve Zeck
StoryWorth.com
Stuart Lanning
Surya Jhajhria
Susan Dennison
Susan Tomlinson
Taina & Rick Dacosta
Tasia Custode
Tim G
Tim Hayhoe (exit 17 sc)
Tom McGee
Tom Sneath
Tony Scerri
Tori Allen
Traci Miskell Millman
Treppenwitz
Vanessa Woods
Vladimir V Zaitsev
Wayne & Cath Love
Wayne Perkins
WorldRider, Allan Karl
Wouter Six Dijkstra
Yasmine Kirkorian