Everyone in Jaén had recommended that I take the slight diversion through Chachapoyas. I’d heard talk of ‘The Machu Picchu of the north’, mummies, and an incredible countryside for bike riding. Well, now I had gotten myself to Chachapoyas. First of all I decided to take a long hard look at my nutrition. The small …
After two days of riding twisty dirt roads up and down hills, I was more than ready to enjoy the final descent down to the border crossing at La Balsa. I kept on the brakes to moderate my speed on the steep bits and carefully picked my line between potholes and corrugations in the road, …
It was election time again. Voting stations sprung up all over the country in schools and other public buildings. Everyone is registered to vote in person at a specific polling station. Apparently it is almost impossible to change that location when you move to a new town. The result? Half of the country had to …
I came to this little country of Ecuador just over a year and a half ago. After a long stretch of living on the road, riding the first leg of my journey from Alaska, I was eager to experience a stable and predictable life, and have friends that didn’t disappear in a matter of days. …
Here are 4 excellent reasons to visit Ecuador. Food Before I moved out here, I often got asked ‘what do Ecuadorians eat?’ A quick google search is straight up nightmare fuel. Dead rat on a stick. I was prepared for the worst. But I needn’t have worried. It turns out that the cuisine is actually …
I love living in Ecuador. Despite being one of the smallest countries in South America, it is absolutely packed with biodiversity, hospitable people and boundless opportunities for adventure. However, having lived here for a year and a bit, there are some things about this place that drive me crazy. I arrived in Quito, Ecuador the …
In July 2022 I decided to ride a Bicycle from the northernmost point in Alaska, to the very bottom of Argentina. Known as the Pan-American Highway, this is the furthest distance that you can travel continuously upon dry land on the planet. In my travels prior to this entry I worked my way down through …
It was with some sense of trepidation that I approached the Mexican border. Various conversations with folk in the US had led me to expect the worst. Perhaps the juiciest warning had come from a homeless chap in California, who told me that I would get robbed, before being sexually abused. Great.American movies don’t generally …
California is a place that is well drummed into our consciousnesses. We’ve all seen the movies, experienced the culture, seen scenes of beautiful bodies on the beaches and heard about how you need to wear a flower in your hair when you go to San Francisco. Having pedalled across the state line from Oregon, I …