Note to reader: Claire just convinced me to abandon a much longer post describing the politics, history and economy of Albania, which I was sure everyone wanted to wade through. Oh well, next time. What a wonderful reception to this country. We were greeted at the ferry (from Corfu) dock in Sarande, Albania by the … Continue reading 7. Albania: The Edited Version
Our last post was from the town of Thakhek, after completing the scenic, eponymous Loop. We’ve since continued south following the Mekong on our way to the southern most tip of Laos and the famous riverine archipelago of Si Phan Don (4,000 Islands). The ride south was largely flat and not particularly interesting. Primarily rice … Continue reading 7. Laos – Island Hopping on the Mekong
We crossed from Albania into Montenegro at a remote location in order to avoid traffic on the main road. A sleepy border guard waved us through and we set off with hopes high for moderate grades and light traffic. Rounding our first corner and before us was what looked like an endless, 45 deg. hill. … Continue reading 8. Picturesque Montenegro
After almost 5 weeks traversing Laos from north to south, we are in a better position to articulate the differences between the Vietnamese and Lao. With Cambodia, however we see a striking difference right from the outset. With our border hassles behind us, we started the 65 km leg to the first town of note, … Continue reading 8. Cambodia – surprisingly different
Was I ever lucky we were in ‘searching-for-a-place-to-stay’ mode (in Trogir) and going slow. A crucial bolt holding my front pannier sheared suddenly and the pannier rack wrapped tight around my front wheel stopping me dead. I did a track stand on my front wheel, Claire crashed into me and we both collapsed onto the … Continue reading 9. Croatia: Island Hopping and History
Finally, a border crossing that we didn’t screw up. The Cambodian town on the border, Phsar Prom, was full of casinos, which are banned in Thailand and accordingly, the town was full of Thais. We were in no rush to get to the actual border, as we spent our final riel, changed dollars for baht … Continue reading 9. Thailand – End of the Road (Jan/2024)
There are times when it seems like there are only mad dogs, Englishmen, and Jim & Claire are out in the midday sun. It has been blazing hot with high humidity but somehow we end up riding into the early afternoon when conditions are at their worst. We are both consuming vast quantities of water. … Continue reading 10. Slovenia: Of Caves and Axe Murderers
I can’t remember where or when but it was during one of my many broken conversations with an Italian bike enthusiast. He eloquently likened bike travel with the speed at which the soul can move across the land. As an atheist, the concept of soul is hard to get my head around but I can’t … Continue reading 11. The Speed of Soul & Attacked by a Bear (of all things!)
Our last post ended with the tale of meeting Giorgio Mazza, It was, we thought, a unique chance encounter but somehow these sort of meetings continue……but more on that later. Prior to leaving Rieka in northern Croatia our route had been largely defined by following the Mediterranean coastline. Once we headed inland to Slovenia, our … Continue reading 12. Italy, Austria, Italy, Switzerland…..and so on
There are times when we feel we are losing it. Of course, it is just an age thing but nonetheless we are both frustrated with our declining memories. Just the other day we realized we (I) had left a much valued head lamp at our last camp. Before that was the recently purchased clasp knife … Continue reading 13. France
The decision to go over the Pyrennes instead of around them was not taken lightly but also with a certain amount of blind faith in our on-going good luck. We took two days to cross the mountains with an unplanned stay in a pensionne (at least on my part – Claire always has her own … Continue reading 14. Spain: Over The Pyrenees then head North
As of our last post we were headed to the north coast of Spain to escape the heat. I’m now writing dressed in long pants, socks, my long sleeve merino and windbreaker and sipping tea to keep warm. The dramatic change in temperature has not only taken us by surprise but also reminded us of … Continue reading 15. Spain: The Camino and the North Coast
From Santiago it was just a two day ride to the Portuguese border and back to a language that I always struggled with. After three weeks in Spain, I was back speaking Spanish comfortably but switching to Portuguese has been a struggle and the best that I muster is a rudimentary ‘Portunol’. Claire is more … Continue reading 16. Portugal and the End of the Road
I recently reread copies of the long letters we sent home during our posting in Nicaragua and soon realized how difficult it will be to recount those diverse experiences in a single blog post. Our 3 years in the country were full of emotional ups and downs. We witnessed major social, economic and political change. … Continue reading Nicaragua (1986-89): of Sandanistas, Potable Water, Spear-fishing & other Adventures
(Apologies for the old, degraded photos) CARE Canada’s offer of a posting as Regional Coordinator for the Southern Angola Relief Programme sounded good. We would be in the small provincial town of Lubango, away from the problems of head office. We spoke adequate Portuguese, or more accurately ‘Portuñol’: a mix of Español and Portuguese. After … Continue reading Angola: What were we thinking! (1992-93)
(Note: Once again, my apologies for the blurry, old photographs.) In our last post I touched on our misadventures in the Okavango Delta of Botswana and finished with our hitchhiking north to Zimbabwe. Our plan was to check out the world famous Victoria Falls then continue downriver (overland) to Kariba Dam where we would join … Continue reading Tales from Africa: Paddling the Zambezi and climbing Kilimanjaro
(Note: Apologies for the poor image quality. All our old photos seemed to have deteriorated with age. Blame it on the tropics!) Our abrupt departure from Mozambique (Nov/1986) was tough emotionally but, in the end, a huge release. Both Claire and I had been working with the International Red Cross assisting in the development of … Continue reading Tales from Africa: Dirt roads across Lesotho and the Okavango Delta by dugout
Preface: What with Covid lock downs and travel bans our wee adventures, modest that they are, are on hold for the foreseeable future. Claire suggested we change tack and blog about past postings in far flung corners of the globe and the many challenges, near disasters and unforgettable experiences we shared. The following is more … Continue reading Life in Mozambique, 1985-86
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
OVER THE HILL AND BEYOND 