On Being Alone!

People often ask me, “don’t you sometimes feel lonely on a long journey like this when you are always on your own?” Sometimes I get astonished by this question as loneliness has never occurred to me on the road. When I am out on the road I am always absorbed by something—the landscape, reflections of … Read more

Banff and Jasper National Parks, Canada

Little did I know, when I left Calgary two weeks ago, that summer was over in Alberta. Two days later, I found myself cycling in the rain and cold wind in Banff National Park. On the fourth day, I was stuck in Mosquito Creek for two days because of the heavy snow. Later, the weather … Read more

Swimming In The Grinnell Glacier

After a long pause, I opened my eyes again. A panoramic view of the Grinnell Glacier was in front of me. The glacier was melting and had a turquoise pool in which small icebergs floated quietly. In the background, a vertical cliff overlooked the glacier. It appeared as if nature had sculpted a giant Batman … Read more

Hola de El Salvador

Hola de El Salvador! Today I entered my next country El Salvador along the route. It is the 39th country I am travelling by bicycle. At the eastern border of El Salvador, the Goascoran River divides the country from Honduras. A bridge over the river connects the two countries at Amatillo. Crossing the border was a … Read more

Yellowstone National Park

Do you know what was the world’s first national park? The answer is Yellowstone National Park in the US. It took a photographer, a painter and a geological survey team to explore the region and convince the US Congress to withdraw this region from public auction. In 1872, Yellowstone was declared as—“a public park…for the … Read more

On Home!

In the Monument Valley, a group of sandstone buttes and mesas tower above the Colorado Plateau. A long road stretches out into the distance like a straight line on the sandpaper. This was the road where Forrest Gump decided to stop after running for three years, two months, 14 days and 16 hours. He quit … Read more

On Freedom!

At Horseshoe Bend, the Colorado River bends around the sandstone for almost 360-degrees, very much like my thoughts twisting around my head. I sit at the edge of the cliff and have an unobstructed view of Horseshoe Bend shimmering gold in the morning light. My feelings start to flutter around inside the cage of my … Read more

On Being Quiet!

After entering the US, I took two months off the bicycle, which is the longest break I have taken on this tour. I had my bicycle completely overhauled and my camera equipment upgraded. Meanwhile, I went to San Francisco Bay Area and spent a few days there where I would meet new people every day. … Read more

A Story Without A Listener Is A Lost Treasure!

Inside Ali Baba restaurant in San Diego, forks clink against the plates and middle eastern music plays in the background. I sit around a long table surrounded by a number of people. “What has been your favourite country on this trip so far?” someone asks me. As I think my eyes become smaller and focus … Read more

Welcome to the US!

When I embarked on this journey more than two years ago, I had no idea that if you have been to Iran after the year 2011 you are not eligible for the Visa Waiver Program to enter the United States and need to apply for a visitor visa in your country of residence which in … Read more

Goodbye Mexico!

My time in Mexico is over, but the journey continues. Over the past five months and a distance of some 4500 km from the south-east to the northwest of the country, I received a lot of help from the locals. Countless people invited me into their homes and opened their hearts to me. On the … Read more

Last Day in Mexico

It is my last day in Mexico. I spend another day along the Mexico-US border wall in Tijuana and cycle west to the coast. My journey takes me to the beach where the border fence meets the Pacific ocean. There, a historical monument marks the initial point of the boundary between the United States and … Read more

Mexico US Border in Tijuana

After cycling for 4500 km in Mexico over the past five months, I hit a massive wall in Tijuana which brings a halt to my journey to the north. I walk and cycle for hours along the wall, and at one location, stop to take a peek over the rusted panels. The colour of the … Read more

Layyah Signpost in Mexico

If you draw a horizontal line on the world map at the 30.963280° latitude, somewhere this line is going to cross Layyah city in Pakistan. About 9 km south of San Felipe in Baja California, I push my bicycle through the desert. After half an hour of walking in the soft sand, I take a … Read more