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 …
I stayed in Vancouver for a few days. Needed to get various mechanical tasks completed on the bike and surely it couldn’t hurt to soak up a bit of metropolitan culture? Didn’t get more than three or four hours sleep on a given night. I began to wonder whether the Cambie Gastown Hostel had been …
The ferry from Prince Rupert to Port Hardy took 18 hours. Every now and then the captain would announce a humpback whale, or a pod of orca alongside. Every single passenger would immediately detach from their spot and flock over to that side of the boat. I saw a few tails slap, lots of blows …
Just one out of the three hosts I had messaged were able to offer me a place to stay.Both were passionate cyclists who had made extensive use of Warmshowers in the past. Over the course of my stay I got the impression that they were hosting as an act of reciprocation, rather than a joy …