Nong Khai to Bangkok

After a relaxing time just chilling out on the Mekong river it was finally time to get back on the bike and make the final push to Bangkok and the end of my cycle trip. I got the bike fixed a little but it was still making some strange sounds and wasn't feeling quite right but it made it all the way. The riding was good as the road was excellent but it was highway riding which isn't the best but it meant the km went passed quickly. After my first day back on the road I got sick so had to kick back in Udon Thani for a rest day. From there it was all good riding while stopping at some nice but less touristy Thai cities along the way. I got one final puncture which changed my destination for that day meaning it would be an extra day on the road but as it turned out it was another interesting one. I arrived in a small town as I was tired and needed to get out of the sun for the day so began looking for a hotel. I was told after some time that there was only one hotel in town and that was back on the main road so I cycled out there to find out it was a 'love hotel'. Oh well, I've stayed in a couple before under similar circumstances so checked in to the much amusement of the staff. 'Just a room for one please' wasn't what their usual clients asked for!! After a good nights sleep I was up early heading into Bangkok which as expected turned out to be a nightmare as the roads are all highways and most of the signs are in Thai characters making it impossible for me to understand. After a few wrong turns and plenty of stops to ask for directions I finally made it to my destination in central Bangkok. Tired but so stoked that I completed my cycling trip I had a beer to celebrate with two French cyclists I just met.
It has definitely been one hell of an adventure with numerous experiences that I will never forget. I've met so many great people and interacted with a number of different cultures making my experiences all the richer. I wouldn't have got half as far without the support, encouragement, blog comments and emails from my all family and friends so a big thank you to you all.
Where to from here? Working I guess which I'm sure will come as a shock!! Well, I hope the blog has been enjoyable and I'm just glad I could share some of my experiences with you all. It was possibly the hardest thing I've done but would I do it all again.......in a heart beat.
Thanks again, signing out Reevesy-Ryder!

Riding Stats
> 27th Oct - 58km
> 29th Oct - 121km
> 30th Oct - 194km
> 1st Nov - 110km
> 2nd Nov - 100km
> 3rd Nov - 90km
SEA total - 4561km
SA total - 8618km
Grand total - 13,179km

Other Stats
Highest Cycling - 4700m (Bolivia)
Longest Day - 215km (Peru)
Shortest Day - 6km (Chile)
Punctures - 5 plus one blow out
Crashes - only one (Colombia)
Daily Average distance (SEA) - 103km
Daily Average distance (SA) - 108km

Vang Vieng, Laos to Nong Khai, Thailand

This section didn't involve much riding as once I arrived in Vang Vieng it was definitely a hard place to leave especially with all the activities on offer and the great people I met there. The main reason to go here is for the tubing, which is a lot of fun but as I found out can have it's pitfalls! Renting a tractor inner tube and being driven by tuk tuk 3 kms out of town you then enter the river and float back to into town. Sounds easy and pretty harmless but just to keep it exciting there are open air bars serving beer and shots with rope swings and zip lines situated along the river making for a fun but full on day. After a couple of minor injuries it was off to hospital the next day where the practices and care aren't quite up to the same standards as back home so it was an experience I could have done without! This also meant that I had to have a few days off the bike so it was a good opportunity to take in all the other sights and activities of the place and to do some relaxing. Finally back on the bike I cruised down to the capital of Laos, Vientiane where I was meant to get the bike fixed. My contact was away on holidays so I decided just to continue on back into Thailand where I'm currently relaxing at a hostel situated right on the Mekong river. The plan now is to cycle back to Bangkok and finish my cycling trip there all the time hoping the bike stays together. After 10 months and many adventures it will all be over in another week or so where I will have to consider working again!

Riding Stats
> 19th Oct - 157km
> 21st Oct - 27km
Total - 3888km

Hanoi, Vietnam to Vang Vieng, Laos

Well, what a leg of the trip which was a long hard section involving numerous steep hills and countless traditional hill tribes which rarely see foreigners making for some interesting times! Leaving Hanoi was a mission in it's self with heavy monsoon rains and my bike in worse shape than I first thought. I couldn't actually change any of the gears so was in real trouble from the start. After the first day I managed to fix my gears so some of the back ones worked and fixed the front ones into the lowest one so I could climb hills with it. Perfect, as for the next 9 days I was going over some very mountainous country. Crossing into Laos was a bit of a laugh as it was a remote border post and I had to wake the Vietnamese guys up to get stamped out before getting charged an entrance fee into Lao under the pretence of a 'stamp' processing fee. Not sure if that one usually comes with a receipt or not!! Anyways, being in Lao certainly didn't mean the heavy rain was going to abate so after one long day where I was cycling into the night as well, arriving at a town which didn't believe in turning on it's lights making it extremely hard to find a place to stay, right through to the next few days of riding where I and all of my gear were totally wet through. A rest day where I finally dried out all of my stuff and rested my legs was much needed then it was back on to the mountain roads for more hard riding. Some of the hills were just so ridiculously steep that pushing become the norm and the days become long tiring ones. At least the scenery and little traditional villages were interesting and the people really friendly but food was sometimes hard to come by so a bag of sticky rice carried on the back of my bike in the rain and sun would usually see me through a day. Not really enough to satisfy but something is better than nothing in those situations. Another concerted effort to fix my bike failed so it has made the riding a bit slower than anticipated but it has managed to stay together to my currently situation of Vang Vieng. The famous Lao town with it's amazing limestone cliffs, caves and the now infamous tubing down the local river which is all in store for my coming days rest and relaxation before I head to the capital to get the bike fixed as I now have a contact who owns a bike shop there. As time and money are running out, plus with the added bike dramas I've decided to head back to Bangkok then make a decision on where to work from there. Bummer, as the prospect of having to go back to work is a little daunting!! In the mean time check out the new photos in the Vietnam and Laos folders.

Riding Stats
> 27th Sept - 75km
> 28th Sept - 68km
> 29th Sept - 101km
> 30th Sept - 110km
> 1st Oct - 28km
> 3rd Oct - 103km
> 4th Oct - 87km
> 5th Oct - 55km
> 8th Oct - 138km
> 9th Oct - 104km
Total - 3704km

Hue to Hanoi

Cycling, crazy drivers, beef noodle soup and more cycling dominated this section of my trip where the road was mainly flat but the riding was hard due to the hot humid weather which drained my energy and ensured my water intake was immense. Food consumption seemed to be at an all time high as well where on more than one occasion two to three meals in one sitting wasn't uncommon to the much amusement of the locals at the restaurants! The main highway lived up to it's reputation as not the best place for cycling but some of the small towns and the scenery were worth the effort. With not much to do except to ride I was looking forward to getting to Hanoi and seeing what the city and surrounds had to offer so I was riding hard to hit my destination. Coming into Hanoi, I wasn't disappointed as it was chaotic but manageable and I found my hostel easily where it was a good change to be around backpackers and to swap travel stories over a few beers and to relax. I knew I was in the right place when I was greeted by the friendly staff in their 'don't take life so seriously.......it's not permanent' t-shirts and an invitation to the free keg on offer! A couple of days here before I head out to Halong Bay on a boat then back on the bike heading once again into the mountains and hopefully some quieter roads.

Riding Stats
> 15th Sept - 70km
> 16th Sept - 92km
> 17th Sept - 147km
> 18th Sept - 151km
> 19th Sept - 104km
> 20th Sept - 92km
Total - 2835km

Kon Tum to Hue

It took me another three days of hard riding to get out of the central highlands where I popped out on the central coast of Vietnam at the old port trading town of Hoi An. It is a great little city and I used my time there to soak up the colonial charm and eat my way through a number of fantastic meals. I also had to get my bike fixed as all of the back gears weren't working unless I changed them manually by pulling the gear wire but this didn't always work. This wasn't the best situation to be in as some of the hills were fairly steep and on one such hill I couldn't get the gears to change so I spent the next hour and a half pushing my bike straight up in 35 degree heat. You could say I wasn't happy as I'd already biked for over an hour and hadn't had anything to eat!! Although Hoi An was a great place I wasn't meeting any other travellers and after spending the last 11 days in the highlands where my conversations consisted of hello's and good-byes only, I really wanted to talk!! So I heard about this great little travellers hang out 20km out of town called Hoa's Place. Hoa has been labelled the coolest guy in Vietnam and I was about to find out why. He runs a group of guest houses on a deserted part of China Beach and learnt all of his English from the American GI's during the war. He is hilarious as all of his sentences contain the buzz words of 60's & 70's America. 'That's so rock and roll dude' and 'take it easy bro' are just a couple of my favourites which seemed to be said in every other sentence. Plus there was a good bunch of other travellers just hanging out and enjoying the beach, free flowing beer and local rice wine on a nightly basis so I was struggling to leave the place as each day I was a little more hung-over. I finally made the big decision and got up early one morning and cycled out after having spent some great times with a good bunch of people. I cycled to my next destination of Hue but got caught out in some heavy rains just south of town. After relaxing in a cafe for about half an hour it was back on the bike to finish off the final kms and find a hostel for a couple of nights.The plan from here is to get up to Hanoi in the next few days and get my visa extended before heading out to Halong Bay where I plan to do a couple of days cruising on one of the traditional Vietnamese Junk sailing ships.

Riding Stats
> 5th Sept - 117km
> 6th Sept - 116km
> 7th Sept - 82km
> 9th Sept - 23km
> 13th Sept - 108km
Total - 2179km

Saigon to Kon Tum

Leaving Saigon and the crazy scooter madness behind was a lot easier than I anticipated and it felt good to be riding in Vietnam. I followed the main highway for awhile before deciding to take a left and head into the central highlands for some quieter riding and better scenery. The plan was to cycle a couple of days until I hit the old Ho Chi Minh trail used by the north Vietnamese as a supply route in the American War (it’s not called the Vietnam War in Vietnam!), then follow it back to the coast half way up the country. The riding immediately got tougher as the landscape changed to rolling hills with some bigger peaks thrown in for good measure. It was fantastic riding though, through sleepy little villages and crazy but laidback locals which were incredibly friendly. It was like they had never seen a foreigner and as I passed through the small villages heaps of people would yell the only English word they knew, hello, good bye or if they were really fluent then ‘what is your name’! Then I would stop for something to eat or drink and within a minute I would be surrounded by the locals just staring at me and smiling. This has been pretty good but I’m starting to feel like a bit of a freak as all the pointing, yelling and laughing is a lot of fun but I’m just starting to wonder what is so funny! Anyways, the riding has been tough and some of the distances long especially considering the terrain but also rewarding and I’m really starting to get back into it. After the last 6 days riding and one day spent sick off the bike I haven’t met one other foreigner nor spoken more than a couple of words of English which has been great but surprising as I understood this to be a popular travel destination. This section has been made even more incredible by the complete remoteness of the place and its apparent isolation from the outside world which has allowed me to experience the Vietnam of old. Well, I’m currently in a small city called Kon Tum taking a rest day before I continue through the highlands, skirting the border will Laos then hopefully popping out on the coast at Hoi An in a few days time. Should be a change of scene, from mountains to beaches and hopefully a good place to chill out in for a couple of days R & R as this is the sight of the famous China Beach!

Riding Stats
> 28th Aug - 114km
> 29th Aug - 110km
> 30th Aug - 96km
> 1st Sept - 128km
> 2nd Sept - 148km
> 3rd Sept - 88km
Total - 1733km

Siem Reap, Cambodia to Saigon, Vietnam

Heading out of Siem Reap was hard as it was a cool little city but being back on the road and cycling again felt great as the roads were heaps better and I was starting out early to beat the worst of the heat. To add to the experience the scenery was fantastic with rice paddy fields and local farmers ploughing them in the century old ways using water buffalo. Again the locals were friendly and if they weren't laughing at me they were waving and cheering which kept me going each day as it got hotter and hotter. After three days of riding I rolled in the the chaotic capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh. After finding a hostel and getting cleaned up I was off checking out the local sights and some of the sad history which this country has been through. During the 1970's the Khmer Rouge took over the country and for a number of years inflicted some horrific atrocities on the Cambodian people. The genocide museum which was old school converted into a prison for interrogation and torture plus the mass graves of the killing fields were interesting but truly saddening sights to take in. To lift my spirits headed out for a few beers and had a great night hitting a few of the local bars with a bunch of other travellers. It was lucky my Vietnam visa took an extra day to come through as the next day I was more than happy to chill out glad I wasn't on the bike in the heat with a hangover! The following day I was back on the bike heading for the Cambodian/Vietnam border which was another two long days in the saddle. My new Khmer head scarf was proving a winner in the heat as well so I was happy to be back on the road. As I rolled into another little Cambodian village I saw a foreigner at a house so decided to stop and ask for directions. He happened to be a kiwi as well and after giving me water and shade showed me around the town where I was going to spend the night. Another crazy little encounter showing me yet again that there are Kiwi's all over the world doing good things as he was there with his family helping out all the local families affected by war and poverty. Anyways, the next day I headed over the border and into Vietnam where I met a local cyclist out on his Sunday ride. We rode together for a number of km's and then had some lunch before we hit the city of Saigon. With some local knowledge and directions I continued on to find a hostel and was introduced to the scooter madness of Saigon, 5.5 million people and over 3 million scooters! Well, I've got a couple of days here before heading to the coast and north up Vietnam. It has already proved interesting so hopefully the next month of riding in this narrow but long country lives up to it's reputation as a great country to travel in.

Riding Stats
> 17th August - 151km
> 18th August - 93km
> 19th August - 81km
> 23th August - 129km
> 24th August - 119km
Total - 1048km

Bangkok, Thailand to Siem Reap, Cambodia

Well after the first two hard days on the bike I think my body is finally getting over the shock of actually having to do something physical each day and I seem to be getting into a little rhythm again. The only problem is that it is just so hot and humid that being outside in the heat and sun all day takes its toll and I've been dizzy and faint on numerous occasions in the last 5 days of riding. On day three out of Bangkok I arrived at the Thai/Cambodia border earlier than expected so decided to cross over and spend my first night within Cambodia. Things are just never that straight forward as on the way to the border I got another puncture which was annoying then when I got to the Cambodia visa office they tried to scam me for extra money to enter the country!! The stand off and arguing went on for about half an hour before they finally processed my visa for the stated fee and not the additional charges they had just made up. Great, but by this time the monsoon rains for the day had decided to unleash their fury and I had no option but to get back into it, luckily for only a short time until I found a hostel for the night. Up early the next day but after all the rain, the dirt road, which was supposed to be the main highway was now a street which looked more like a mud wrestling pit! Oh well, I thought it would only last until I got out of town then hopefully I would hit the 'real' road. Well, it kind of worked like that for a while anyways, then straight back into even worse stretches of some of the worst mud streets I've cycled to date. The routine went like this, cycling in mud for maybe 100m then stop and find a stick to clean out mud guards and brakes so bike could go again, push bike, clean bike, ride for 10m, clean bike.....until finally sections of the road started to dry out in the sun and again it was back to hard packed dirt roads, which weren't good but better. That night I rolled into a sleepy little village and crashed out for the night hoping the next day the roads would be considerably better. They were and they weren't! The mud was mostly gone but the dirt road was now full of potholes which jolted me all the way into the city of Siem Reap. A pretty cool place with a lively tourist scene due to the temples of Angkor being a couple of kms up the road so I took the opportunity to explore them today and it is truly an amazing site. Anyways, the riding as been hard but lots of fun and has been made even better by village after village of smiling and waving people along the way and an assortment of different foods which included duck blood soup amongst some other shockers. Plans from here? Head south to the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh then after a few days there into Vietnam which should take awhile to get through. Comments and emails are always appreciated whilst on the road so don't be shy!! New photos are in, plus an updated route map so I guess the blog's all back up and running.

Riding Stats
> 11th Aug - 101km
> 12th Aug - 101km
> 13th Aug - 60km
Total - 474km

Thailand & Laos - Holiday Mode

Hey all, I'm back on the bike!! Well, I've finally finished being a lazy guy on holiday and managed to get back on the bike. In the last month and a bit I'm spent time in Bangkok, northern Thailand then crossed over into Laos for a couple of weeks before I headed down to the beaches of southern Thailand. All of it has been amazing but it was a long time to spend off the bike!! Anyways, I departed from Bangkok early yesterday morning and after a very hard first day on the bike I managed to roll into my destination town absolutely shattered! Getting out of Bangkok proved to be the challenge I was expecting and after 4 hours and over 50kms of getting lost and going around in circles I finally got on the correct road and out of the big bad city. Oh, I also got my first flat tyre which certainly didn't help. Feeling sore and warn out I found a hostel and crashed out. The next day didn't start much better and after about 30kms into the ride I started to throw up...not good but after a rest and something to drink I was back to it, all but very slowly. Finally reached my destination and again crashed out for a couple of hours before heading into the local markets for some food. I'm hoping the riding is going to get easier as my fitness gets back up to scratch and I get used to riding in this heat but until then I think it is going to be extra hard work. Well, from here I hope to cross over into Cambodia either tomorrow or the next day and head for the city of Siem Reap and the famous temples of Angkor Wat. Stay posted as again I will be updating the blog regularly from here on out.

Riding stats
> 8th Aug - 107km
> 9th Aug - 105km
Total - 212km

Santa Fe, NM - USA

Well, the idea to get aboard a yacht and sail around the Caribbean didn't pan out as it was hurricane season and most of the cruising yachts had either sailed north or were moored up for the rough weather season. So I boarded a flight from Cartagena, Colombia to Santa Fe, USA where my brother and his family live. It was good to see some familiar faces again and hang out in a house but we all got sick the first day I arrived so it made for an interesting few days!! After we got over that it was straight down to immersing myself into the US culture and way of life!! What better place to start than a gun range!! Armed with a 357 Magnum and another hand gun we proceeded to blow away the 'bad guys' with the other freaks at the range which was hilarious but a little scary.
As it is the busy season for my brother's painting business I have ended up working a few days for him as a master painter! The only problem is I can't really paint so have been of limited help but it has been heaps of fun hanging out with the boys and enjoy a beer after a hard days work under the hot Santa Fe sun. In between the work we have managed to get in some great mountain biking and a couple of short road rides as well but despite all of this I have managed to put on weight from all the US food and beer!
Anyways, the plan from here is I fly to Bangkok on Saturday and after about a month of chilling out and doing some small trips plus catching up with a couple of friends I will finally get back on the now newly serviced bike and cycle around South East Asia then, with all things going well into Central Asia. Countries and dates haven't been decided apart of a loose plan of attack but it should work itself out as I go. Hopefully you will follow my new journey with interest and I'm sure this will be just as big an adventure as the South American leg. In the mean time check out the new photos under the Santa Fe file!!

Medellin to Cartagena

Leaving Medellin and heading to my final destination of Cartagena felt good but the road soon turned into hard mountains again and the riding become extremely difficult. After a long day but with only completing about 80km it was getting late so we stopped in another small but cool Colombian town for the night. The next day we were up early and it was to be my last day riding in the Andes mountain range which I had followed on and off for most of my trip before the road went downhill for a good 50km into the Colombian lowlands. The temperatures increased dramatically and so did the scenery from the typical highland landscapes to a steaming hot tropical environment. The riding didn't seem to get any easier on the lowlands though as it was rolling hills and super hot so the intake of water increased to ridiculous levels as it was sweated out so fast. The instant change of scenery was great and you know you were in the tropics when the road kill changed to snakes, frogs and bats!! It was then another three days of hard riding where we clocked up some large kms in the attempt to reach Cartagena before the weekend. Then on Saturday 31st May right in the middle of the day I rolled into town completely exhausted but stoked to have completed my South American cycling journey. 5 months, 5 countries, lots of hard riding, loads of amazing people, heaps of fun and over 8600kms (all on my trusty bike) sure made for one incredible trip.
Well, where to from here?? I'll have a couple of days relaxing in Cartagena while trying to find a yacht I can crew on to sail through the Caribbean and hopefully up into the US. Then all going well I will head over to South East Asia and get back on the bike for more cycling adventures.
Thanks heaps for all the comments and support as they were always appreciated and it made some of the lonelier moments all the easier! I'll definitely keep the blog going for the coming adventures.......Reevesy-Ryder

Riding Stats
> 27th May - 83km
> 28th May - 143km
> 29th May - 147km
> 30th May - 159km
> 31st May - 112km

Total - 8618km

Popayan to Medellin

Well, after a rest day in Popayan it was back on the bikes with a long ride ahead of us to the next city on the map, Cali which is famous for it's love of Salsa music and dancing plus for it's beautiful women, claimed to be the most beautiful in all of Colombia! The riding ended up being a bit easier than the previous days but close to the city it started raining and I managed to catch my front tire on a ridge in the road and crashed hard with my bike and panniers being scattered all over the road. Luckily I got myself up and out of the way of the oncoming traffic where I regathered my gear, thankfully all in one piece! Back on the bike after a bit of a rest but by now the light rain had turned into a full storm making visibility extremely poor. To add to the confusion, as the three of us had separated on the road and were cycling alone we all managed to get terribly lost in the city where it took us another two hours each to find the hostel we were searching for!! After another rest day we decided to get back on the road and head towards the next big city of Medellin, which we estimated to be about 3-4 days riding away. Things got off to a good start but as we had a head wind we decided to draft and were going along great......until Iwan decided to clip my back tire and he and his bike go flying through the air and take an extremely hard landing in the middle of the road. Not good as we were in the middle of nowhere and he had knocked himself out and was in bad shape. After some rest and first aid administered by myself and Alex we were back on the road cycling for the next town where more repairs could be made to both Iwan (now nicknamed the 'Flying Welshman') and his bike! Another rest day and then we really put the foot down and tried to reach Medellin within two days. The first day we managed about 140km through the rolling Colombian Andes but the second was much harder and we all stopped approx. 50km short of our intended destination. Totally knackered after climbing from 600m in the steaming hot Colombian jungle to over 2000m back in the Andes we had a quiet night in a quaint little village where we were the star attractions once again. The Colombians are extremely friendly people and curious but in a lot of the smaller villages they don't really see too many gringos and when we roll into town on the bikes we are viewed as if some aliens have just landed in their backyards, so it's a pretty cool reaction and one which we play up to! With only a short ride into Medellin the next day but with more hills and then torrential rains plus the fact that on a huge downhill section my brakes decide to stop working the short day ended up being more interesting than first intended. All this plus coming into the the large city of Medellin (2.5 million people) with it's dangerous reputation all added up to another exciting day. Checked into a Kiwi owned and run hostel (The Black Sheep) and after some food we relaxed with a few beers....magic! A couple of days of relaxing are planned prior to heading north this time to my final destination of Cartagena and the Caribbean coast. Should be a good 10 days riding and as per usual, never with a dull moment!!!

Riding Stats
> 17th May - 154km
> 19th May - 100km
> 21st May - 140km
> 22nd May - 138km
> 23rd May - 53km
Total - 7974km

Quito, Ecuador to Popayan, Colmbia

Back in Quito after my trip to the Galapagos Island where I was preparing to leave the next day on my bike when my Austrian cycling mate, Alex rolls back into the hostel after 7 days of hard riding in the jungle!! That night after a few beers and comparing our stories we delayed our departure for another day and made trip plans and preparations for cycling together into Colombia. Cycling out of Quito was easier than most large cities but the diesel fumes from all the trucks and buses made it a little uncomfortable but once out of the city it was good riding passed highland lakes and volcanoes where I crossed the equator finally leaving the southern hemisphere and into the north after 4 months of cycling. We managed to get up north to the highland market town of Otavalo where we stayed for the night ready for the famous Saturday morning market the next day which was excellent and worth the effort. After the market we decided to continue riding but only about 25km to the next town but once there we decided to go to the next town. This continued for a while until we were in the middle of nowhere with the night fast approaching and a huge mountain to climb in front of us. We manged to roll into a small highland town well after dark after completing 90km not the leisurely 25km we had planned and luckily found a locals place to stay at! The next day was hard riding again to the Ecuador/Colombia border where, as we were being stamped out of Ecuador a cyclist I'd met in La Paz, Bolivia (Ewan, a Welsh guy) turns up so we join forces and head into big bad Colombia. We survived the first night with no problems so it was up early the next day and straight into some hard riding to our first city (Pasto) where we checked into a hostel for the night. The following day we completed some amazing cycling through a spectacular gorge and some highland valleys. The only problem was on one of the extreme downhill sections my front tire had hit one too many potholes and blew out with a huge bang which scared the hell out of me and I nearly crashed over the side of the gorge!! Half an hour later I was all fixed and back riding but trying to take it a bit easier on my now damaged tire. That night the three of us stopped in a little rural town in southern Colombia's lowlands where we had descended from nearly 3000m to only 700m. As it was extremely hot the only remedy to cool down was to drink a few beers at a local street stall which ended up being a good night as pretty much the whole town came out to check us out and have a chat. The Colombians seem genuinely friendly people but the military presence is strong everywhere and they are definitely not hear for show so we are picking our route carefully and only riding in the daylight hours to hopefully avoid any major problems. The riding from Quito has been hard as the region is very mountainous and there have been numerous steep uphill sections followed by steep downhill ones which has continued for the last 7 days so I'm currently relaxing in an old Spanish colonial city called Popayan which is full of beautiful whitewashed churches and cobbled stone bridges before again heading off north through central Colombia.

Riding Stats
> 9th May - 104km
> 10th May - 93km
> 11th May - 68km
> 12th May - 83km
> 13th May - 92km
> 14th May - 123km
> 15th May - 39km
Total - 7389km

The Galapagos Islands

I finally managed to book a trip to the Galapagos Islands the day before my tour was to start so I was up early and at the airport waiting for my flight to Baltra Island the next day. Leaving the cold and rain of Quito and landing on the Galapagos Islands in 35 degree heat was certainly a shock to the system and I was initially struggling with the humid conditions. After meeting half of my boat tour companions it was a bus-ferry-bus ride into the main town of Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island where we headed straight for Tortuga Bay which included our first interactions with the local wildlife and a much needed swim to cool off. Straight away we were in amongst the strange and interesting animals, many only found in the Galapagos Island chain as they are so isolated from any other piece of land, were the animals have evolved into their own unique forms to help them survive. Walking along the beach we came across marine iguanas, which swim in the ocean, pelicans and the gorgeous coloured sally lightfoot crabs but this was only the start and a little taster of bigger and better things to come.
The next day I met the rest of the people I would be spending the next 4 days with on our boat, the Guantanamera and we headed off to the famous Charles Darwin Research Centre for a up close and personal interaction with giant tortoises, huge land iguanas and baby sea turtles. We also got a great overview of the Island's history and amazing formation which helped to set the scene and try to help us understand the evolution process which has taken place out on these Islands. Later that day it was into the Islands highlands trying to spot giant tortoises in the wild, which we managed before descending into huge lava caves left behind by the volcanic eruptions which formed the Islands. Onto the boat that night for our first meal aboard before we set sail for the nearby Island of Rabida (the red Island). The next day we awoke right in front of the magnificent Island and once ashore we started to get amongst the wildlife and it was incredible. We also did some fantastic snorkeling where we swam with marine iguanas, white tipped reef sharks and a group of young sea lions which really blew my mind but was only a start of the amazing snorkeling we were going to complete over the coming days. Back to the boat and we sailed off to another Island, Isla Bartolome and the famous Pinnacle Rock. A quick tour over the volcanic and twin beach Island were we discovered sea turtle tracks and nests plus a host of marine iguanas, sea lions and the cool coloured crabs. Then, as it was heating up we donned the snorkeling gear again and got straight down to business where we swam with penguins, more reef sharks, sea lions and sting rays all in the one little bay. The marine life just wasn't scared of our human presence and in some cases was intrigued by us being in their environment. After recovering from the amazing snorkeling we got the walking shoes on and climbed up the small volcanic peak to get an incredible view of the surrounding Islands and the setting sun, what a perfect way to finish out the day. Another great meal aboard and a few laughs were had discussing the days activities before we again set sail for a long over night passage crossing the Equator to Genovesa Island. We awoke to another great day and after a dinghy ride to explore the volcanic cliffs and the resident bird life it was back into the water in the hope of swimming with huge hammerhead sharks!! The water was a bit rough but we dived from the dinghy straight into some deep water and within a couple of minutes were amongst some very frightening hammerhead sharks which were cruising the ocean below and around us. To make matters worse or better, I'm really not sure a school of approximately 70-80 huge sting and manta Rays joined in on the action and we were transfixed in the middle of all of this wondering what the hell we would do if it all went wrong!! After about an hour of this my nerves were a little frayed as the last hammerhead shark I saw was well over three metres long so it was time to head to shallower waters where we instantly swam into a sea lion who was very keen to play. We spent the next 40 minutes trying to catch the sea lion while he swam under, over and around us blowing bubbles and tauting us with his incredible underwater skills. He also would collect sticks in his teeth just like a dog and invited us to try and get it from his mouth. As we swam away he followed for awhile making barking sounds as he didn't want us to leave. We completed more amazing walks where we interacted closely with the bird life that seemed undisturbed by our presence and we managed to see and photograph birds with bright red feet, blue feet, and huge red puffed out chests just to name a few. That night we had another long sail in some choppy waters back across the Equator into the Southern Hempishere to the Island of North Seymour. Upon landing we had to walk over a sea lion and her pup but the sea lion had a huge wound on her side the shape and size of a large shark bite just reminding us of the potential dangers of swimming in these waters!!! More birds and wildlife were encountered and we even managed to see the famous Blue Footed Booby's love dance which had us all laughing as these birds look so cute but a little dopey!! After some breakfast it was back to the main Island where I said goodbye to a great bunch of people who were heading back to mainland South America as I was staying on for an extra couple of days relaxing on the Island of Santa Cruz with the local iguanas and pelicans!! What an incredible trip in such an unbelievable environment with the strangest animals and marine life I've ever encountered. It's definitely a must on any trip to South America and one I will never forget. Check out the amazing photos.......all are labelled so click on each or view in ´grid´format.

Mancora, Peru to Quito, Ecuador

It was hard to leave the beach town of Mancora but I'd had enough sun and surf plus I was looking forward to getting into a new country and seeing what Ecuador has to offer. Being stamped out of Peru and stamped into Ecuador was pretty drama free but border crossings are always a little dodgy as the area seems to attract an interesting bunch of people! It was amazing how quickly the landscape changed from dry heat desert to extremely humid rain forest and banana plantations. The temperatures were so hot and humid that the next few days riding was more like swimming as each day within a couple of minutes I was totally soaked in sweat. The hot weather only lasted a couple of days before we started to head back into the Andes mountain range and the going started to get really tough. In one day we climbed from 1500m to over 3800m at an incredible 5-6kms an hour up some of the steepest terrain I've encountered to date! It was one of those amazing days on the road though as we meet some great people and scared a whole bunch of kids in one small village who were just totally blown away to see two gringos on bikes. We also had kids running beside us and we even managed to talk a couple of them into pushing us up the hill for a few hundred metres!! They were stoked and so were we! Raising over 2kms vertically in one day was a little too much and I was suffering from altitude sickness with a headache and dizziness but thankfully we then had a big downhill run into the next town where we stayed an extra day as Alex's bike was having a few issues!! Cycle touring is always interesting and never boring as the second day into Ecuador was spent riding by myself as at a cross roads Alex went the wrong way but by the time I came through there I headed in the other direction but the correct way!! A full day and a half later I was sitting in a restaurant on the Pan American highway and there out of nowhere Alex came around the corner cycling up the hill in the pouring rain!! Reunited we compared stories of what we'd been up to for the last couple of days and discussed how the riding was, then we set about preparing for the coming mountain riding and getting some much needed sleep. The next day was my birthday and we had some more hard riding and ended up in this small town where I celebrated with a couple of beers at a local bar! The real celebration was going to have to wait until we arrived in Quito the next day were we hit the town in style and certainly had a few beers! Currently I'm exploring Quito which is an amazing city and also trying to get out to the Galapagos Islands and onto a yacht for a few days before then heading north on my way to Colombia, this time riding back on my own.

Riding Stats
> 18th April - 105km
> 19th April - 111km
> 20th April - 142km
> 21st April - 80km
> 22nd April - 87km
> 24th April - 106km
> 25th April - 98km
Total - 6776km

Trujillo to Mancora

After looking around the Chan Chan pre-Inca ruins and spending some time out at the beach town of Huanchaco, also recovering from getting sick it was time to head north again and do some hard riding through more deserts. This time though I had a riding buddy, a young Austrian guy with a dodgy local bike and some hand made saddle bags! It actually worked out well as some of the places we were riding through are a little dangerous so having a riding partner was a great help, this said we did come very close to getting held up and robbed in one town!! Anyways, riding with someone else was a great change and we seemed to be riding well and doing a lot of kms in good times so it made the boring scenery and headwinds a bit easier to manage.
The further north we rode the hotter the temperatures were getting and the terrain more barren but the riding was fun and just so different from riding by myself. Also, we had a couple of really early starts so were up and out the door by 4.30am as we had some serious kms to do, but riding in the dark was hard going and probably not the smartest thing to be doing! After a couple of 100km days we got a good flow going and on the third day out from Trujillo we had the Sechura desert to get through in one day as there is not much in between the two towns on either end of it. The road was flat and it was hot with shifting winds but we managed to complete the 215kms and get through it by late afternoon. Carrying all my gear plus an additional 10 litres of water certainly made the bike a little heavier but as the day went on the bike got lighter as I chopped through the water and food in the 38 degree heat! I was knackered and had very sore legs after the longest ride of my trip so far but we had another 185kms to do the next day so it was an early night and out the door at 4am again the next day. This time with extra sore legs and a bunch of hills the going was even harder but we managed to get through to the beach town of Mancora. We were off the bikes and straight into the closest bar for a beer to celebrate our 400kms in two days before finding a hostel for the night. The last couple of days have been spend eating a lot of food and relaxing on the beach in preparation for the next week or so of riding across the border and up to Quito, Ecuador. Peru as been a great place but it is a extremely large country and cycling through it has had its fair share of challenges so the prospect of a new country and getting back into the Andes mountain range are going to be a welcome change. Border crossing are always fun and the first few days riding in Ecuador will be through lots of banana plantations and I hear in they have free bananas on roadside stalls so that is going to suit me just fine! Oh, and for those who have forgotten it is my birthday next week (24th April) so just send the gifts etc on to Quito, Ecuador and I'll get them when I arrive! Look out Ecuador here I come!!

Riding Stats
> 12th April - 106km
> 13th April - 107km
> 14th April - 215km
> 15th April - 185km

Total 6047km

Lima to Trujillo

Well, since leaving Lima it has been desert, desert and more desert!! Not the most exciting riding but still fun all the same. I'd been planning to leave Lima for a couple of days now but the infamous Loki Hostel and it's abundant vices were keeping from get up in the morning and getting on the bike!! Finally I decided to get out of there early on Thursday morning and into the chaotic traffic trying to get onto the Pan Americana highway again and out of the city. The riding was interesting to say the least and there were a few close calls but I managed to get out in one piece and up the coast. I arrived in a small town later that afternoon and decided to call it a day totally covered in sand, dust and diesel fumes but it was a successful day and I was finally back on the road riding. The next 5 days were spent riding in total desert and in high temperatures making it extremely hard work. The riding has been a little uneventful but sometimes I think too much sun and long desert stretches are frying my brain and turning me a bit insane!! Yesterday I was hoping to make it all the way to Trujillo but after about 80km riding under a blazing sun I was feeling very sick and dizzy. I made it to the next town and had to stop for the night as I was in bad shape. After a shower, food and some rest I was feeling better and was able to function again. The next day I was up early to beat the worst of the sun and heat and rode the remaining kms to Trujillo where I'm staying at the famous cycle tourist hostel. This Peruvian guy's house is also a bike shop plus he hosts cycle tourists as well. It is pretty famous as far as cycle tourists go and he has had over 900 cyclists stay with me over the years. I'm the 11th Kiwi in the hostel so I'm looking forward to a couple of days rest and getting the bike serviced. There are also some ancient pre-Inca ruins to explore and a good beach where reed boats are made and used to fish the local waters and surf the waves. The plan to head back into the mountains changed at the last minute and I've decided to head north and into Ecuador sooner rather and later. I still have a lot of riding to do in Peru to make it to the border and I'm sure there will be plenty of fun in between but I'm keen for a change of scene and the challenge of a new country.

Riding Stats
> 3rd April - 91km
> 4th April - 116km
> 5th April - 100km
> 6th April - 141km
> 7th April - 91km
> 8th April - 58km
Total 5434km

Nazca to Lima

Nazca ended up being a great little place just to chill out in for a couple of days and recover from the last few days of very hard riding. It was a bit of a shame to have to leave the next day but a beautiful desert sunrise and the chance to see the Nazca Lines got me out of bed and on the road. The Nazca Lines were a bit of a let down but good to see all the same. Always, they were right next to the Panamericana Highway which I was riding on anyways. This is the same highway which I started my trip on coming out of Santiago as it runs the length of all the Americas from Alaska down to the bottom of South America. The day ended up being a long hot one through mostly desert until I reached the town of Ica. I wanted to spend a couple of days here as there were some nearby vineyards but the place was a dump and I didn't feel that safe so the next day I decided to cycle out of there and down to the beach town of Pisco. I was a little apprehensive about getting into Pisco though as on 15th August 2007 a 8.0 earthquake stuck the place and destroyed 70-80% of the town. There was also a large death toll and I didn't know what the place would be like only 7 months later. But as I wanted to check out the nearby islands which are famous for their abundant marine and bird life I decided to give it a try. The town was still in bad shape with a large number of the buildings either still in piles of rubble or just not there anymore but the people seemed hopefully and the place was starting to rebuild. I found a great hostel as well which had a pool and a relaxed atmosphere. I also booked a boat tour of the local islands which ended up being will worthwhile. After a couple of days I decided I better get back on the bike before I got to used to the pool and free flowing beer!! Another three days of coastal riding and I was on the manic highway coming into Lima. After getting terribly lost I ended up at my planned destination, the Lima Sheraton 5 star hotel. My leaving gift from Fonterra was being cashed in and it was fantastic. One night of luxury in the heart of Lima. It did take some convincing of the hotel security before they would let me in as they didn't believe I had a reservation but once checked in they were all good and just interested in my travels. The next day it was pretty hard to leave the hotel but I cycled out of there and back into the crazy traffic to find another hostel more in my price range. Got one in the trendy suburb of Miraflores but I'm sharing a 6 bed dorm with other travels so a bit of a comedown from the Sheraton!! Another few days to check Lima out before again I head north, this time some more coastal riding before again I have to climb into the Andes. I'm looking at going to the Cordillera Blanca which is a region with more than 50 mountains of 5700m or higher!! Also a great place for hiking and mountain biking so I bet I'll be looking forward to the change of scene after a few days in Lima.

Riding Stats
> 21st Mar - 149km
> 22nd Mar - 77km
> 24th Mar - 143km
> 25th Mar - 54km
> 26th Mar - 83km
Total 4837km

Cusco to Nazca

I'd spent a number of days relaxing and hanging out in Cusco now so I thought it was time to move on. All the comforts of a touristy town were turning me soft and making me into a lazy backpacker so the next day I was up early and out the door back on the road. The riding started out great but after about 100km I hit the biggest hill and it nearly finished me! I embarrassingly pushed the bike the last 2km into town after nearly passing out and puking with all the effort. I was feeling better within an hour or so and had another half chicken and chips for dinner. The next day started as the last finished with the road going straight up. I made it to the top of the pass (4000m) then it was all downhill to the next town where I stopped for the night. The downhills are great but I knew it would be more uphill the next day so it kind of took the edge off it. Starting out the next day I came to a river running over the road and there was no way I could ride through it. Standing there with a bunch of locals laughing at me three little boys came running out to offer a hand. As I watched in horror they rolled their trousers up and ran my bike through the river coming so close to losing it half way through I nearly had a heart attack!! I walked around over a little bridge and paid them 1 Sol each and they were stoked. My plan was to cycle the next few days through the Peru central highlands via a number of small high altitude towns. I turned off the main road and started out on the dirt road which was to be the norm for the next few days. About 10 minutes into it I got a bad feeling about the way ahead and pulled out my maps and guide book to see what my options were. After a bit of indecision over the which way to go I decided to back track and take the road over the Cordillera de Los Andes to Nazca. The only problem was I didn't have a map for this section so was flying blind so to speak. Not sure if it was the right choice as for the next 4 days I was either going straight up or straight down! The scenery was spectacular and I had everything from deep lush tropical valleys through high altitude plains, snow capped mountains and searing hot desert at the end. I also met some great local people who tried helping me with directions and explanations of the terrain ahead which was always a laugh. Typical of my trip so far I thought the last day's ride from Puquio to Nazca would be an easy down hill stretch with no hassles but true to form it was a little of this and a lot of the South American unexpected! It started ok with a beautiful sunrise and an easy route out of town but that is where it turned sour! The road went from sealed to total mud and within a couple of minutes my bike was so caked in thick mud that I was unable to ride it. I cleared it out with a stick and carried on.....for about another 100m before again it was caked in mud. This went on for awhile before the road got a little better and I'd made some adjustment to the mud guards for better clearance. Just as I got over that I came around a corner and saw the road went straight up hill.....what happened to my downhill!! The next 4 hours were spent climbing over this high pass from 3000m to over 4500m. Then finally I got my downhill where over the next 80-90km it was straight down through some surreal scenery into the desert surrounding the town of Nazca. Tomorrow I go and check out the famous Nazca Lines which are huge animal forms etched into the desert by the ancient Nazca cultures before heading north along the coastal plains on my way to Lima.

Riding Stats
> 14th Mar - 122km
> 15th Mar - 70km
> 16th Mar - 129km
> 17th Mar - 82km
> 18th Mar - 105km
> 19th Mar - 159km
Total - 4329km

The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

After a few days relaxing in the pretty town of Cusco it was time to start my Inca Trail hike to the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu. I was still recovering from getting very sick but was starting to feel better and was looking forward to the change of riding all day to hiking all day! Starting out early on the first day it was a bus trip to the beginning of the trail via a small Inca village where I was talked into buying an Inca walking stick and a drink bottle holder. I was so excited with my new purchases I totally forgot to buy the most important item, a wet weather poncho!! My group consisted of 16 people from a range of different nations and ages plus a bunch of porters, cooks and a couple of guides. Getting the obligatory group photo under the 'Inca Inca' signpost marked the start of the trail and where the walking began. The first day was easy going but the weather decided to make it a bit harder and we had driving rain for the next few hours before hitting our first camp. The fantastic thing about these organised tours is the porters get to the destination first and set up all the tents and start preparing the meals. It was a welcome change from how I travel on the bike as when camping it's all up to me to get everything sorted. The only problem was the rented backpack I had wasn't waterproof so all of my gear was soaking wet including my sleeping bag!! Never mind as being on the trail and heading towards Machu Picchu was all the motivation I needed and a bit of rain wasn't going to spoil that. It was two people to a tent and the only other solo guy was this huge Scottish bloke so him and I ended up sharing a tent for the duration of the trek. He was a great laugh and it made the experience all the funnier. The next day was the hardest of the trek and we climbed from 3200m to over 4200m before dropping steeply to our second camp at 3400m. The hiking was amazing with surreal high mountain and deep valley scenery which at some points totally took my breath away. Thankfully the weather held out and I got into camp early and managed to dry out all my gear. After this an older German/American couple gave me a poncho for the wet weather trekking which certainly helped in the coming days. After a early, quiet night it was up early again where we were greeted to a beautiful morning with absolutely stunning views of the surrounding mountains. Each morning consisted of being served hot coca tea in our tents before getting up to a breakfast served in the main tent where all 16 of us would sit around eating and joking. Day 3 started with a very hard climb but was broken up by stopping and exploring old Inca ruins along the way. After another great lunch it was time to pick up the pace and get to the third camp site as the weather was coming in and there was a promise of a hot shower in our future!! Myself, the big Scottish guy and an English couple broke away and over the next 3 hours walked hard to try and be the first to get the hot showers and a cold beer! Again the walking was breathtaking and we descended 1000m into camp three with sore knees from the uneven Inca steps. Showers, dinner and a couple of beers before climbing into a soaking wet tent concluded the final night on the trail. It felt like I had just got to sleep when the porters knocked on the tent door at 4am so we could prepare for the final trek to the ruins. After a couple of hours walking we came over a ridge and through a place called the Sun Gate and looked direct down on the Machu Picchu ruins with the mountain Huayna Picchu in the background. It was certainly a moment I will remember for a very long time as it was just an amazing site. We walked the final stretch to the ruins and spent the remainder of the morning exploring them and soaking up all the history of the Inca empire. Hopefully the photos give an idea of how amazing the place was but I'm not sure any photo of this place would do it justice as it was truly an awesome site.
Getting back into Cusco at about 6pm after a train and bus ride it was a long hot shower before heading out on the town to celebrate with my new trekking mates!! The plan is to have another day or so in Cusco before I head northwest towards Lima. The road ahead is supposed to be extremely hard with a couple of high passes to cross before descending into one of South America's biggest cities. All things going well I should make it there within a week or two where the treat of staying in a 5 star hotel will be my motivation! One of my leaving gifts from Fonterra will be a welcome change from the campsites and hostels that I've been staying in!! Stay tuned....

Copacabana, Bolivia to Cusco, Peru

After a few relaxing days spent in Copacabana it was time again to head north this time across the border and into Peru. With no problems being stamped out of Bolivia and stamped into Peru I was off on my way to Puno. My biggest concern was the weather and sure enough within a hour or so I was riding in some heavy rain and thunder and lightning storms. I weighed up the options but decided to carry on riding and about an hour later the rain stopped...thank god as by this stage I was very cold and wet! The rest of the ride went well and I arrived in Puno at a decent hour as Peru is one hour behind Bolivia. The next day I was feeling like crap due to the wet weather riding the day before so I decided to have another day in Puno just chilling out and trying to recover as the next few days were going to be hard ones. I also booked a Inca Trail hiking tour to see the famous Machu Picchu ruins just outside of my destination city of Cusco. The next two days were spent riding in some amazing high altitude valley landscapes dotted with tiny villages and friendly locals. At the end of the first day I rolled into a smallish town called Ayaviri with about a 2km ride into the main plaza. All of the locals were just steering, laughing, waving and yelling out to me! I guess they don't see many gringos on bicycles rolling into town but it felt great and I was waving and yelling stuff back all the way to the central plaza, I guess that was my 15 minutes of fame!!! That night though must have been one of the coldest nights I've spent and going out for dinner I had nearly all the clothes I owed on. The half a chicken I ate for dinner certainly helped me get over the hunger and some of the cold as well! The following day was a hard one as I still wasn't feeling 100% and it involved mostly climbing for the first half of the day over the Aban La Raya pass at 4335m above sea level. Luckily the riding was stunning and the second half of the day involved a lot of downhill!! That afternoon I stopped in a town called Sicuani just as the thunder and lightning was rolling back in. After another uneventful night it was back in the saddle and heading directly for Cusco. With about 140km ahead of me I was ready to get it over with and relax for a few days in the touristy town before doing the Inca trail. The riding was again superb with deep valleys dotted with more small rural villages and the odd Inca ruin thrown in for good measure. I got within about 20kms of Cusco when these local kids on bikes decided to join me for a race!! I was knacked but gave them a run for their money. After about 5kms I let them catch up and I rode the remainder of the way into town with one of them. By this stage I was really tired and had to have a few stops which the kid thought was hilarious. After some cokes and cookies we finished the final few kms into town. The next few days will be spent relaxing in town before I head out on the Inca Trail which I'm certainly looking forward to. 4 days/3 nights of hiking on the Inca Trail to the Machu Picchu ruins should be a great way to rest and recover from the last few days riding. I think I'm going to need all the rest I can get as I hear the road to Lima is a little up and down!!!

Riding Stats
> 27th Feb - 145km
> 29th Feb - 141km
> 1st March - 112km
> 2nd March - 143km

La Paz to Copa plus Isla Del Sol

After a week of relaxing and catching up on drinking and eating I thought it was time to get back on my newly serviced bike and head north again! I got up early and got the bike packed ready to head out of the hostel into a grey and wet La Paz morning. I wasn't thrilled as it was still a little dark, raining and I had a huge climb in front of me to get out of the city. After an hour and a half I'd made it the 12km out of the city which was one steep climb the whole way. After that it was another 140kms of hard riding but through spectacular scenery to my destination of Copacabana on the shores of Lake Titicaca (the worlds highest navigable lake). That night over dinner and a couple of beers I met a French guy, two German girls and an English/Burmese girl. We arranged to meet the following day to travel together to Isla Del Sol which is a island in the middle of Lake Titicaca and is a perfect place for hiking and exploring the Inca ruins which are scattered over it. The island was a surreal place which we managed to see a great deal of during the next couple of days via boat and hiking trips. The infamous Inca stairway was certainly a highlight even though my new travel mates thought it was the funniest thing!! After a cold boat ride back to Copacabana we finished the trip off with dinner and a few beers before I had to say goodbye to my new friends. I decided to stay another night in relaxing Copa before heading into Peru tomorrow and the long stretch to the city of Cuzco which should take me 5-6 days of seriously hard riding. I'm definitely looking forward to getting into Peru to see what it has to offer. Travelling by bicycle in Bolivia has been extremely challenging with the poor roads and high altitudes being two of the major factors influencing my experience. Also Bolivia is one of South America's poorest countries which can add another level to the travels!! In saying this I've had an amazing time travelling through and trying to interact with the people of Bolivia. It's definitely been a travel experience to remember....

Riding Stats
> 23th Feb - 153km
Total - 3121km

La Paz

Well, I've been in La Paz almost a week now and the city is still treating me well. The other day I when mountain biking down the ´world's most dangerous road' with Gravity Assisted Mountain Biking and it was truly amazing. One of the best and scariest rides I've been on and the team at Gravity were excellent. Check out the photos as we started the ride in the snow at 4700m above sea level and finished at an animal refuge in the jungle at about 1500m. They also serviced my touring bike for me and the bike now looks brand new again. Looking forward to getting it back out on the road heading north for Copacabana, hopefully in the next couple of days time. La Paz is a full on city but also fairly relaxing at the same time. There are truck loads of street markets, crazy drivers and loads of shoe shine boys who wear full black ski masks and basketball caps so you can just make out their eyes. The look pretty menacing but everyone seems all good. The food and beer are really cheap but you have to be a little careful about what you eat as I've found out!! The last day or two I've been a bit sick so have had to take it easy and recover! The plan is to hang out in La Paz for a couple more days before heading north, if i can ever figure out how to ride out of this city!! I've got a very long day or potentially two days riding to Copacabana which is situated on the southern shores of Lake Titicaca. From there I can do a bit of hiking and visit the nearby legendary Inca Islands of the Sun and Moon. It will be my first taste of Inca ruins before I hit Peru and the famous Machu Picchu.....

Oruro to La Paz

Riding out of Oruro was no where near as fun as riding into the place. It was early and there wasn´t much traffic around but I was on my way to La Paz and I was happy! There just wasn´t a great deal to do in Oruro so I decided to carry on north after only two nights in the city. The cycling was great as it was a proper pavement road the whole day winding through lots of little villages along the way. After a solid day of riding I came to a place with a hostel so decided to stop for the night. After some dinner and a great nights sleep I was up early for the 70 odd km´s to La Paz. I was so excited I forgot I left my sunglasses on top of my bag and just cycled off. About 5-6kms into it I was thinking somethings not right and I finally figured it out. I decided to back track and try and find my sunnies. I got all the way back to the hostel with no luck so I had to start the day over riding again this time highly pissed off!! Oh well, I´ll be adding sunnies to the shopping list for La Paz! The riding was a bit hilly and my legs were really sore so it was a long day. At a police check point on the way I meet a Kiwi guy on a motor bike heading south. It was great chatting to another Kiwi and to get some info on the towns to the north. Coming into La Paz was just amazing and the traffic was hard to negotiate but I found a hostel alright. Just as I was checking in a Swiss guy on a motor bike pulls up so after a quick shower we go out for a couple of beers and something to eat. The night ended up being another crazy South America one where we meet some others and bar hopped until the wee hours. Saturday was spent relaxing and recovering but was still an interest day! After a great night sleep its now time to explore La Paz and see what the city has to offer.

Riding Stats
> 14th Feb - 159km
> 15th Feb - 90km
Total - 2960km

Uyuni to Oruro

Well, I made it to Oruro after 4 very hard days riding thanks to the superb Bolivian roads!! First thing on the agenda was a shower as it had been 5 days since the previous one, I thought I´d gotten really sun burnt but it was just dust and dirt which was soon washed off!!
The last 4 days have just been amazing with some spectacular scenery and fantastic riding but just made all the harder by some of the worst roads I´ve ever seen. Sometimes the road just disappeared and it became guess work before getting back on it or the road was the river bed and riding up one of these on a fully loaded bike is not pleasant at all!
I was planning on spending a few nights in Uyuni but the place but a bit disappointing so after two nights I got up early and rolled out of town on route to the famous Salar de Uyuni. I really wanted to cycle across them but knew at this time of the year they would be under water. Anyways, I still rode out on them as far as I could and it was just the best feeling. I´d wanted to visit this place for a long time now and to finally to so, and on a bike was just amazing. Check the photos out but they don´t really give you a feeling for the place. Getting back on track the riding for the rest of the day was a but of a blur until I realised I was running out of light and energy. I meet this random old guy on the side of the road and managed to ask if I could camp somewhere. He showed me the back of his friend´s house where I set up camp for the night. It was a brilliant cloudless night sky and during the night I saw 4 shooting stars amongst some restless sleep. It was damn cold though and when I was packing up the next morning I found my tent covered in ice and that my water bottles on the bike were frozen solid!! After another hard day riding through beautiful landscapes I stopped at a small town just after getting stuck in the middle of a river I tried to ford!! I managed to get the bike back out and once the shoes and socks were back on I had to ride around a sandy detour before hitting town. That night I was so hungry but there was only one food stall open which was the most disgusting place I´ve ever come across. I was too hungry to care and sat down to some food fully prepared that I would be very sick that night!! Anyways after two full plates of the stuff I was off to bed for some rest. To my surprise there was no worries with being sick either so it was up early and back into the merciless Bolivian roads!! Riding all day I was getting a little worried about all the dark clouds coming in around the hills so was trying to pedal faster to make it to the next town and some shelter. My poor tired legs were trying their best but they weren´t going so well but I arrived just in time as a full storm hit the town with thunder and lightning, not much rain but the wind was incredibly strong. I decided to call it quits for the day and finally found a hostel for the night. Starving again I ate two dinners before totally crashing out. Today was fantastic riding on pavement again and it was an easy 82km to Oruro which is the altiplano´s main city with a population of around 200,000. Cycling into the chaotic city was hair raising but heaps of fun with all the cars, buses and trucks going in all directions and tooting and yelling. Not sure what cycling into La Paz is going to be like in a few days time but I´m sure there´s a story or two to come out of that one as well.
Bolivia is a very interesting place and is just so different from Chile. I could feel this the moment I crossed the border. The people seem really friendly but the differences between my culture and their´s is massive. I´m still trying to settle into the Bolivian way and get the most out of this place but even simple communication with the locals can be hard going. I´m definitely looking forward to getting to La Paz and having a week or two there off the bike. The legs are tired and getting a little sore. The passed couple of weeks with the combination of long rides and bad road conditions have taken there toll. Anyways, ahead are a couple of days to explore Oruro and it´s treasure´s before the 3 day ride into the capital city!! Stay tuned!!!! Oh, I´ve brought the best Llama wool Bolivian beanie.....photos to come!! Take care and keep the comments coming as they are always appreciated.

Riding Stats

> 9th Feb - 71km
> 10th Feb - 89km
> 11th Feb - 94km
> 12th Feb - 82km

Chiu Chiu (Chile) to Uyuni (Bolivia)

An exciting few days over this leg of the trip with me finally crossing the border into Bolivia! I started out from Chiu Chiu after a great relaxing day spent there and back in Calama. The riding was great with not too bad roads and minimal traffic but as the day progressed so did the climbing!! I again got up to 4200m before dropping back to 3900m where I spent the night at a place called Cebollar. A really odd place as no one was there!! There were a few houses and a mining camp but after knocking on all the doors etc I just decided to pitch my tent in the middle of town. No one came during the night so it was all good! Next day was a short one to the Chilean border town of Ollague. I just wanted to stop for some lunch then carry on into Bolivia. The border guards didn´t seem too keen to stamp me out and told me to come back tomorrow. I thought it was a bit weird but hey it is South America! I got a hostel and had a shower before wondering what the hell I was going to do as the town was tiny with no one around. I decided to go for a walk to check the place out and get some supplies for the coming days. I ran into a group of locals who were preparing for the annual carnival and they invited me to join them by wrapping streamers around my neck and spraying me with fake snow!! Well that was the start of a great night as after this the beer started to flow along with the wine, shots and of course loads of coca leaves to chew on! All the locals thought I was mad cycling but they had plenty of laughs about it during the night. Carnival de Ollague wasn´t like the one in Rio but it was heaps of fun all the same. The next day I got up early as promised the day before the border would be open at 8am to let me through. The old lady running the Hostel wouldn´t let me go until she had made me breakfast so I didn´t get to the border (just across the street) until about 8.45am. I waited and waited until about 10.10am when a very hungover border guard finally stamped me out!! 3-4km down the road I did the same thing on the Bolivian side where the friendly border guard only charged me US$4!! Oh well it got me through plus I was carry lots of fruit, meat and coca leaves so all good in the end. Due to the late start I only cycled 72km......in the wrong direction (!!!) before camping in the desert for the night. I didn´t feel that safe in the Bolivian desert at night but it worked out OK just bloody freezing at -10 degrees!! The next day I thought I would hit the next town by mid morning but I rode into a totally different place. I was sratching my head thinking this town shouldn´t be here before I figured out that I wasn´t on the road I thought I was!! I´d been travelling south east instead of the north east I thought I was. I blame it on the altitude as it was very high through this section!! Anyways, it worked out to my advantage as the road was fairly good and it only took me two days riding to reach Uyuni when I thought it was going to take me three!!
Bolivia is certainly a lot different from Chile with the people being extremely poor. It will take a little getting used to as Chile was so relaxed with no real concerns about crime but here I think is a little different. We´ll see as I have a lot of riding to get through before hitting the capital La Paz in about a week or so time. I can´t wait but first a couple of days in Uyuni checking out the salt lakes and other amazing scenery. Tonight I´m heading out for some Tortilla´s but I hope they aren´t dirty like the ones I had the other night!! Anyways, the food here is a bit dodgy so we´ll see.

Riding Stats
- 4th Feb - 120km
- 5th Feb - 49km
- 6th Feb - 72km
- 7th Feb - 161km

Total - 2375km

San Pedro de Atacama to Chiu Chiu

Well, today is an ún-scheduled´rest day as the last three days cycling have taken their toll on the body. Three full days of crap roads and high altitude riding has both inspired me but at the same time left me totally drained.
I cycled out of San Pedro de Atacama early to get a good start to the day. It was certainly hard leaving that town as it was a great spot. Anyways, I only had 30km to go which you´d think would be a piece of .....but it was climbing from 2400m to 3400m over the 30kms on dirt and gravel roads which were not easy. It took me 5 hours until I reached this amazing natural hot river with hot pools and little waterfalls. Needless to say I spent the afternoon soaking in the pools and relaxing my tired muscles. Thankfully the guy let me camp there for the night so when all the others tourists left I had the place to myself which was great but freezing cold! Thanks Macpac for the toasty warm sleeping bag! Well, the next day started early with me having to push my bike out of the gorge back to the road. I knew this day was going to be a tough one but I didn´t realise how tough. Currently at 3400m above sea level I was finding it hard enough to breath as it was but the day was just getting started. I was on the road for 10 hours and 8 of those were spent above 4100m. Throw in some awful roads which consisted of gravel, dirt and the most dreaded of them all.......sand! I would have fallen off my bike a dozen times after riding along and hitting heavy sand. I´d get up and push the bike for a 100m or so before being able to get riding again! Actually there was a hell of a lot of pushing the bike that day due to being so tired from the altitude and the road conditions. With about 6km to go until El Tatio geysers I hit sand again and came off my bike but after nearly 60km of this I totally lost it and had a bit of a meltdown!! Finally I got it together and limped into El Tatio which took another hour to reach. Thankfully on arrival two girls helped me with getting some tea to drink and sort out a room for the night. They could see I was totally stuffed from the day so they only charged me $4 for the night which is mega cheap. As there were no showers they also sorted me out with a hot tub!! It was just a plastic tub with natural hot spring water running into it but after my day it was heaven (check the photos out) with the Andes as a backdrop.
Up early to check the geysers out at their best it was bloody freezing with the temperature during the night getting as low as -12 degrees!! After breakfast I headed back out for another day in the saddle, well kind of!!! Basically I spent most of the morning pushing my bike as the road was too bad to ride on!! Then I started to go down hill which was great for me but I think the bike was taking all the hits. I dropped from 4300m to 2500m over the day until I finally reached a little place called Chiu Chiu. Totally knacked today I took a day off the bike and hitched into the nearest town (Calama) which I was in last week to rest and do some emails!! I´ll hitch back to Chiu Chiu tonight and head out tomorrow.
Heading north again for the Bolivian border...finally, but it will still take me a few days to get there! Hopefully the next update will be from a Bolivian PC! I hope you like the new bunch of photos?

Riding Stats
> 31st Jan - 30km
> 1st Feb - 63km
> 2nd Feb - 93km

Something other than cycling!!

Well, after arriving in San Pedro de Atacama with it's relaxed feel and quaint little mud streets I decided to have a few days off the bike and soak up the relaxed atmosphere. I've been camping in a great spot surrounded by an amazing desert garden which is full of other interesting travellers. The other night I was having a beer in the Plaza when a couple of English girls turn up and invited me to join them. I'd just got into town and was so tired I arranged to meet them the next night for a few beers. The night was fantastic if not a little strange. Starting off with a few beers then moving swiftly to Pisco and cola (Pisco is a strong local liquor) the night was just warming up. Throw in a couple of others plus the girl's South American tour guide after the bars closed we carried on back at his place. It was a long fun night and I crawled back into my tent just before the sun came up. The next day was spent relaxing and recovering in the sun!
I also meet a German couple also cycling around South America and have been chatting bike stuff with them for the last couple of days. They aren't going my way which is a bit of a shame but I'll surely meet some more cyclists along the way. I head out cycling again tomorrow which I'm looking forward to. Heading north again on the Chilean side of the Chile/Bolivian border for about 5 days before crossing at Ollague into Bolivia.......all going to plan!! Hills and altitude the are order of the next week so challegnes a plenty.
Well, I hope the blog is being useful for you all and that someone is reading it!!??? Anyways, below are a few funny things which will hopefully make you laugh.
As you know I don't eat cheese - well everything has cheese in it over here so needless to say I've eaten my fair share of the stuff!! One example was the other week I was cycling through the desert and was getting very hungry when I came upon a store selling Empanadas which are a lovely local dish. I ordered a couple but as I found out they only came in one favour......full of cheese!! I was so hungry I downed those and went back for more!!
Again I don't really eat chocolate or ice cream but after one long hot day without food for a few hours I completely hit the wall and was getting dizzy and faint. I found a mini market and downed a couple of chocolate bars and an ice cream followed by a coke and some lollies. It fixed me up a treat and I managed to crawl the next 35km to the next town for a decent meal. Since then I have an emergency chocolate fix stuffed into one of my panniers just in case!!
My Spanish is terrible and doesn't really seem to be getting better so I get laughed at a lot by the locals. After ordering food it is always an apprehensive wait to see what comes out is what I think I've ordered!! Hopefully I'll start progressing with the Spanish soon.
Well, that's about it but everyone in Chile has been extremely kind and friendly. I've been given food, water, places to stay and directions from a whole host of locals trying to help me out. One thing the Chileans can't seem to get right is distances as when I stop to ask how far the next town or truck stop is I get a range of responses!! In a car it doesn't really matter too much but when on the bike in the heat it can make a huge difference. So when a reply comes back with 'oh, it's only 10kms up the road and it's all down hill' I've learnt the hard way to interpret that as 20-30kms away and straight up hill!!
Take care and please keep writing me comments and emails as they are always appreciated.

Antofagasta to San Pedro de Atacama

Heading out of Antofagasta was always going to be hard after a couple of days off the bike but I managed it. Straight into a hard climb but it easied off during the day. Slowly climbing for the rest of the day until I got to a little place called Sierra Gorda where I stopped for the night. Back into it early the next morning as I wanted to beat the worst of the sun as I knew it was another day of slow climbing to get to Calama. Once there I had a relaxing afternoon checking the place out and reading in the central plaza. I wanted an early night as I knew the ride to San Pedro de Atacama was going to be hard work but as typically with the Chileans they don't start drinking until about 1am and don't stop until dawn. They love having the TV or music banging away in the background so sleeping is impossible. Come 7am I'd had enough and it was getting light so I packed up and cycled out of there. After a night with no sleep I wasn´t really in the mood for 9-10 hours in the desert on my bike but luckily the scenery was fantastic. I had the amazing desert landscape all around me and with the Andes and numerous snow capped volcanoes in the background. The riding was hard as I climbed to my highest yet of 3350m before descending into San Pedro de Atacama. San Pedro is a touristy but relaxing little adobe village stuck in the middle of nowhere with all these natural wonders surrounding the town. There are geysers, hot pools, salt lakes and amazing rock formations all around so the next few days are going to be spend being a touirst and doing some of the sights. Finally I've meet some other travellers and even some other cycle tourists so it's been great chatting and hanging out with people I can actually talk with!!
The route map is updated now so check it out as I'm still deciding which way to take into Bolivia. I've been told one option is flooded out and would be madness by bike so maybe my decision has been made for me!! We'll see eh.

Riding Stats
> 25th Jan - 152km
> 26th Jan - 72km
> 27th Jan - 107km

Copiapo to Antofagasta

It started off with an easy ride from Copiapo to Bahia Inglesa which was great as I met another cycle tourist coming in the opposite direction. We stopped and chatted for a while before heading in our own directions. He gave me some good advice on the conditions further north and I did the same for him to the south. Bahia Inglesa was a lovely place with a couple of fantastic beaches. Sunbathing, swimming and a few beers were the order of the day. The next day I woke up with a cold and feeling not that great so it was very short ride into the next town which was a bit cheaper as well. Caldera didn´t have a lot to offer but I needed to rest as I wasn´t feeling brilliant plus they have a lively port scene which was great hanging out and watching all the locals doing their thing.
I felt a lot better riding out of Caldera early the next morning and I had a great day of coastal riding. I was heading for the National Park of Pan de Azucar which was definitely worth the ride. The scenery and beaches in the national park were stunning and I had a fantastic campsite right next to the beach. The peaceful night watching the sun setting was soon disrupted with an all night rave!! It just seemed like totally the wrong setting for a rave plus there was no one around so it was just a bunch of 5-6 local tweakers! As I packed up the next morning I rode out through the rave to cheering and chapping from the partygoers to another days cycling.......crazy eh. This day ended up being a hard one through a lonely part of the desert but I was helped out with some food and water from a local driver. Lucky as the next truck stop (the first I´d seen all day) was still another two hours away. I then had 30kms of straight downhill to Taltal. A port/beach town on the coast but with all the hostels full I ended up again camping on the beach for free. Stocking up on food and water I headed out a bit later than I would have liked but I only had the intention of riding up the coast and spending the night at another beach town. The beach town was a dive so I decided to carry on but the problem was the way out of town was up a very steep dirt and gravel road. That afternoon I only managed to cycle 18kms in 4 hours. It was hard going and I was totally drained at the end of it. Now in the middle of nowhere I started to look for a campsite out of site of the road. I found a spot and had a great night under the stars in the desert. With some water and a little food the next day started out great with lovely calm conditions but a couple of hours into it a strong head wind developed. Then the pavement which I woke up to run out and I was back to the dirt and gravel roads again with some large hills thrown in for good measure. I had to walk/push the bike for some sections as I couldn´t even ride through it. The day was a killer but after pushing my bike half way up one final hill (2140m, highest yet!!!!) it was all downhill for about 70kms. Thank god as I had zero energy left in me. Another couple of stops and some more kind people providing me with food and water, as there is nothing out in the desert I made it to Antofagasta.
The riding has been challenging to say the least but it also has been a lot of fun. Not much exciting news happening but these were always going to be long lonely kms of riding and more riding. My legs are totally stuffed now so I´ve got a couple of rest days in Antofagasta before heading west over the Andes into Bolivia. I´ll go via San Pedro de Atacama which has geysers and hot pools etc so hopefully some more exciting news coming other than riding!!
Riding Stats
> 17th Jan - 86km
> 18th Jan - 6km
> 19th Jan - 123km
> 20th Jan - 131km
> 21st Jan - 80km
> 22nd Jan - 160km

Total to date - 1456km

La Serena to Copiapo

The last three days have been spent on the bike doing the hard yards. The desert heat and hills certainly take their toll on the body and mind! Currently I´m in a city called Copiapo which is in the heart of mining country. There seems to be random mining for all sorts of minerals scattered all over the landscape up here but I believe it is a huge boost for Chile´s economy. Anyways, after a long day in the saddle out from La Serena I finally found a drain under the road to camp in. It sounds bad but to me getting some shade and food it looked like heaven! I was there out of sight from the road and anyone else for safety reasons for maybe two hours before I had a couple of random visitors! This was enough to scare me into packing up and back on the road to the next town, thankfully only a few kms up the road. Once there an old guy who had the keys to the church let me spend the night in there. So much for my first night under the stars camping wild!!! The next two days were much of the same, lots of riding in the sun and trying to find shade and food/water as often as possible. Whenever I come across a Posada (Truck stop) I usually stopped for some food or at least fill my water bottles. The truckies and locals all steer at me and my bike in amazement. Trying to talk with them is aways great fun as they don´t speak English and my Spanish is terrible so there´s a lot of sign language and laughing. The people in Chile are very friendly and always helpful which makes a huge difference when travelling. Yesterday while cycling along a guy on a touring motorcycle coming in the opposite direction toots and waves. I´m doing the same but think nothing of it as this happens about every km or so with random motorists. Then about two minutes later he pulls in beside me for a chat and some photos. This was awesome and made my day as it was good talking with someone who is also travelling through South America. A funny Brazilian guy who also thought I was a bit crazy!! Well, that´s most of the news. Emails and blog comments are always appreciated so keep them coming! Take care

Riding Stats
Jan 13th - 101km
Jan 14th - 97km
Jan 15th - 152km

Santiago to La Serena

Well, I made it to my first major town, La Serena in one piece! The last few days have been interesting and hard but also lots of fun. Trying to cycle out of Santiago on a Monday morning had its share of challenges but I finally got out and onto the main highway which runs all the way through the Americas (Alaska to the bottom of Argentina), the Pan Americana Highway. Once on there I was away and it felt really amazing to finally be on the road after so much time thinking about and planning this trip. I must admit I had a tear in my eye as I got underway. After a long day in the saddle I found a great campsite with a pool and relaxed for the night. Up early the next morning it started as the last finished by being chased my dogs! These are angry dogs, I mean really angry and fast dogs that really hate me on the bike. Off the bike they barely seem to care if you are there or not. Later in the day I was relaxing at the side of the road eating a snack when a local pulled up and offered me lunch at his place with his friends which was awesome. They were laughing a lot at me but we all had fun. No one really seems to speak any English so this has its moments, both good and bad. I´m learning hard but everyone has a different accent or word for the same thing. That night I spend at the beach at a place called Punta Molles, seafood and cervezas were on the menu too.
Day three was a long one riding over ever rolling hills which really started to hit me in the legs and mentally as it was one hill after another all day. In the middle of nowhere and with nowhere to camp I was getting a little worried as I was running out of energy fast. Then around the next corner was a site to behold ( check the photo), one house in the middle of nowhere. I approached and asked to stay the night and for some food. After a bit of consideration, moving of family members out of rooms and a quick clean I had a room and some great food for dinner. Up again early on day four this was going to be a very long hard day. More killer rolling hills and no breakfast until about midday. After lunch I was feeling good so I decided to go all the way to La Serena. Not a bad idea but it was 35-40 degrees and unbeknown to me I just passed the last shop for the next 5 hours!! After nearly passing out I finally found some food but still had 40km to go. They were hard fought km´s I can tell you. Anyways, I made it and will now spend the next couple of days here relaxing and sightseeing. I hope the above gives you a feel for my daily grind in the saddle.......from now on I´ll concentrate more on the highlights/lowlights than a running commentary.
Summary of riding
>Day 1 - 95km
>Day 2 - 112km
>Day 3 - 119km
>Day 4 - 184km

Santiago, Chile

Well I've spend the last couple of days hanging out in Santiago which has been great. A really friendly city with pretty of atmosphere. The weather is great but extremely hot. Way hotter than I expected so I think the riding is going to be even harder......great eh like I need it to be even more challenging!!!!
Last night I went out for a couple of beers and something to eat which was fun as I meet up with a few other backpackers. Had a couple of mas grande cerveras in an area called Bellavista which has a lot of bars and restaurants and then came back to the hostel for a couple more!
I also managed to put the bike back together yesterday after the flight over and it seemed to survive ok. I've checked and re-check all of the nuts and bolts to make sure everything is fixed on correctly and I've packed my packs yet again all ready to head north tomorrow. I've be getting up early before the real heat of the day kicks in and ride out of Santiago. Looking forward to finally getting on the bike so I hope it all comes together tomorrow with no major problems. Getting out of Santiago will be interesting as it is a pretty large busy city! I'll let you know how the riding goes after tomorrow!!!
Check out the new photos I've posted.........just follow the link on the blog home page.