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 […]
4 Reasons not to come to Ecuador Read More »
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
PA10: Mexico – Mazatlan to Mexico City Read More »
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
PA9: Mexico – Baja Read More »
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
PA7: Vancouver to Oregon Read More »
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
PA6: Vancouver Island to Vancouver Read More »
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
PA5: Whitehorse to Prince Rupert Read More »
Tok isn’t Anchorage. Tok is what some Americans might call ‘a wide part of the road’.There is a visitor centre, library, a few campsites and motels, a couple of gift shop/ tourist trap affairs, two gas stations, a motel/launderette/public showers and a medium sized grocery store. I rolled up to a campsite under maintenance. The
PA4: Tok to Whitehorse Read More »
I reached the front door of my Warmshowers host, Ted. I’d never used Warmshowers before, so I had absolutely no idea what to expect. I wasn’t left in any doubt about whether I had found the correct house. There was a big blue plastic sign in the window with Ted’s name on it, advertising campaign
PA3: Anchorage, Kenai, Valdez to Tok Read More »
I pedalled into Fairbanks, tired, dirty and in desperate need of a pint. First order of business was getting some accommodation sorted, then I could secure the bike and head out to explore. Summer is the high season in Fairbanks (in fact it’s pretty much the only season for tourism, unless you want to see
PA2: Fairbanks to Anchorage Read More »