I am writing this as we anxiously await the outcome of the American election debacle. Like so many, Claire and I have been compelled to follow what is happening south of our border. To witness what we see as the rapid decline of the US over the past 4 years, has been very unsettling. We … Continue reading Luck and Gratitude in the Time of Covid
NB – Reader beware, this is long! I tend to go on. We’ve been back from our South American bike trip for six months now. Being home has been great. Seeing our kids, extended family and friends was the first priority. Within days of getting settled, we rode the classic Sea to Sky Trail from … Continue reading Road Trips: California
We’re back from our 6 month bike ride through South America and would love to have you join us for a night of photos and stories about the trip. We’ve booked the Firebread Restaurant at the Brew Pub for Thursday night, June 27. Doors open at 7 PM and the show starts at 8 PM. Please come early, grab … Continue reading Invite to Slide show
We left Medellin for the 5 day ride to the coast at 6:30 AM hoping to avoid the chaos of rush hour traffic. Following the location-indicator on our GPS app with the phone mounted on the stem of my handlebars, when on a multi-lane road, with on/off ramps in rapid succession, in fast moving traffic, … Continue reading Homeward bound
As a builder/designer I can’t help but note the construction standards of the places we stay in (i.e., pretty cheap). I have seen some pretty abysmal plumbing and flimsy structures that one marvels are still standing but the ‘piece de resistance’ was certainly our shower in Pitumarca. The electric shower head (aka. Suicide shower or … Continue reading Colombia: Cali to Medellin
The ride into Cusco was a bit intense. The nearer we got to the Centro Historico the streets became busier, steeper and narrower. I flatted on a busy street and had to use a bucket in the toilet of a nearby restaurant to locate the pinhole in the tube. We arrived at our AirB&B frustrated … Continue reading Machu Picchu
There is something I think we should clarify. It seems to us that many people have the impression that we are doing something particularly difficult. It is not the way we feel. We read the blogs of bike tourers that do longer distances, higher passes, in tougher weather, camp more often and survive on instant … Continue reading To Cusco: Capital of the Incas
We ended up staying four nights in the lovely town of Sucre. We found a funky hostal (once a wealthy family’s villa), with a good vibe in the historic centre of town just a couple of blocks from the main plaza. Plaza 25 de Mayo, laid out in classic symmetry with statues, flower beds and … Continue reading Bolivia: Sucre and La Paz
We left Tupiza for the fabled city of Potosí with the expectation of four tough days of riding. Our ride planning app, MapOut, indicates the elevation gain/loss on our proposed route, and the ride to Potosí had one big climb after another, each to a progressively higher elevation. Can’t believe it but my lips are … Continue reading Bolivia: Ups and Downs
Ever since crossing into Bolivia our preconceived notions of the country keep falling by the wayside. In contrast to La Quiaca on the Argentinian side, the Bolivian border town of Villazon was a hive of activity, full of Argentinians looking for a bargain. The constant changing of currencies, both physically (bills and coin) and rate … Continue reading Bolivia: Getting our Feet Wet
