Kamran
It was late morning. Somewhere in the Highlands of Peru, the sun had just emerged from the fog. I was huffing and puffing on a steep uphill when a voice hit my ears, “Hola, amigo! (Hello, friend!)” I turned around and saw a woman, carrying a white chicken in her hands and baby wrapped in … Read more
My cycling itinerary in Peru followed Peru’s great divide that is the part of the Continental Divide of South America. The Andes are the world’s longest continental mountain range (about 7000 km long) and have the world’s highest peaks outside of Asia. The Cordillera Blanca is part of the Cordillera of the Andes. It is … Read more
Part 2 of Peru Independence Day July 28. Women of Peru, I saw them in many roles. Roaming the streets and mountains of Cusco with alpacas and baby sheep for some photo money. Pacing along with guide horses at 5000m altitudes, carrying babies wrapped in the shawls on their backs, wearing sandals made from recycled … Read more
Dear Peru! you were my 4th country between Argentina and Alaska. Today, when people ask me, “what is your favourite country from the entire trip?” I struggle to name a country, but in my head, I see vivid images of your majestic mountains touching skies and the road twisting and looping in them. It was … Read more
Six years ago, if somebody told me I would be travelling by bicycle for several years, I wouldn’t have believed them. Oscar Wilde said, “if you want to be a grocer, or a general, or a politician, or a judge, you will invariably become it; that is your punishment.” Once I too considered my career … Read more
During the last five years of my bicycle travels, I have spent numerous nights in the wilderness and camped in all sorts of abandoned buildings, ghost towns, churches, mosques, bus stops, deserted vehicles, and offices. In Alaska, I even spent a night inside a pit toilet. Far away from home, these unusual places became my … Read more
Somewhere in Ecuador, a swing hung over a steep rock face at 2600-m above sea level. They called it the “Swing at the End of the World” because a fall from the swing into the abyss could bring the end of the world to the rider. The swing was attached to a wooden house nestled … Read more
Today is July 21. I turn 43! Sitting by the Minor Canal in Layyah as I dip my feet in the water, the arrow of time suddenly stops and then starts flying in the reverse direction. I am only six years old and spinning a tricycle along this canal as if trying to break the … Read more
Dear Colombia, When I took my first pedal in Ushuaia, Argentina, all I was thinking about was you!For the 18 months in South America, amongst all fears, uncertainty, and aloneness, every breath I took and every pedal I pushed, I dreamed of you! You were my last country in South America, and for that, I … Read more
The Atacama Desert glows in the moonlight, and I look at the twinkling stars in great amazement. It is hard to believe that we all are made of stardust. Long before we were born as humans, we existed as lifeless matter at the heart of a star. How long did it take for the stardust … Read more
The world is full of natural wonders but if there is truly a place on earth which belongs to heaven, then Machu Picchu in Peru should be the one! It has the most majestic setting which one can imagine for a city–set on top of a mountain with sheer vertical cliff drops, Huayna Picchu (translated … Read more
Was this the best ride of my entire Argentina to Alaska trip? “El Camino de la Muerte” or “The Death Road” in Bolivia is dubbed as one of the world’s most dangerous road. It runs between La Paz and Coroico. A 2006 study estimated that 200-300 people were killed on this road every year. About … Read more
There is a world out there with pristine mountains, mighty rivers, oceans, never ending roads, and vast deserts waiting for you. Once you go and see them, they will change your heart.
A cactus tree stands beside my tent like a sentinel. I sit on a rock looking at the stars wondering who has set the wheel of the sky in motion? Is the universe dancing in unison with a whirling dervish? What are these lights? Is the sun shining on the night ocean or the roof … Read more
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