A Most Remarkable Visitor To West Ealing

Deaf and mute biker stops off on his round world trip

I made a quick stop in West Ealing yesterday and came across the rather remarkable biker Vladimar Yarets - shopping in the 99p store!

The sixty-nine year old from Minsk in Belarus, is on the last part of a ten year world-wide tour. He's hoping to get into the Guinness book of records as the first deaf mute to travel the world by motorbike.

Yarets left Minsk on his round the world trip on May 27 2000, and believes in doing things really thoroughly - so in the USA he visited every state except Alaska and Hawai.

He stayed in the USA rather longer than expected when a crash and various fractures kept him in Peoria for almost a year. And in Cuba he spent three months in jail for not having the correct papers.

So far he has visited more than 69 countries, covering over 300,000 kilometres on his heavily loaded and sticker-covered BMW.

This isn't his first visit to the UK, he spent 47 days and rode 3000km here in 2000. Unfortunately he was forced to move along by police in Parliament square.

He managed to park up outside Iceland in West Ealing with no trouble yesterday though and a variety of people gathered to look at the bike and this unusual visitor.

Although Yarets can't talk, he manages to communicate exceptionally well through gesticulations, facial expressions and mime.

He 'told' me that lots of people will stop and stare but not many will actually try and engage with him.

He shook my hand (and nearly crushed it!) as I wished him the best of luck on the final stage of his incredible trip.

If he is still around do say hello - he's quite a character!

6 August 2010