Is suicide bombing a tradition in Pakistan? While cycling across South America, the first question I get on the road is, “where are you from?” When I tell people that I am from Pakistan, the first reaction is, “aaaah, it is very far!!!” Then there are more questions. Where is Pakistan? What is the weather … Read more
It was a crisp winter morning. My mum had bathed me and applied Surma (kohl) to my eyes. Then she made me wear brown pyjama pants and shirt with long yellow stripes which as a kid I was very shy to wear. I was only used to wear Shalwar Kameez. “If you wear this, I … Read more
Tatacoa is also called as the Valley of Sorrows because of the sadness it evokes. As I sat on the edge and watched the sun set slowly in the valley, the clay rocks glowed in red and golden colour casting pitch black shadows. The gullies and canyons seemed as if they were once carved by … Read more
Because of the robbery incident in which my Macbook Pro and other valuables were stolen from my hotel room in Pitalito last week, I have beefed up my security, courtesy Colombian Military! Just kidding! 🙂 Actually, I took this picture before I reached Pitalito while coming from Mocoa. Mocoa is a gateway to Western Colombian … Read more
Has it ever happened to you that you were afraid to see a person because you knew it would be hard to say goodbye? Or, you didn’t taste something because you were afraid of becoming addicted to it? Or, a place so special you were reluctant to visit because it would be hard for you … Read more
It is Colombia’s most dangerous road. They call it El Trampolin de la Muerte or The Trampoline of Death. The road is carved out of near-vertical mountains and winds through the thick cloud forest. Looking down from the edge of the road, you see no bottom, only layers of vegetation going several hundred metres below. … Read more
After staying in Quito for six weeks, working tirelessly day and night from the hotel room on a dozen photo essays that I recently published on Facebook I was back on the road. My bicycle felt heavier but my wallet, much lighter, with a little money left for the next leg of the travel. Leaving … Read more
How much weight have I lost in this journey so far? Judging by the clothes I wear and feeling my rib bones while sleeping at night I already knew that I have lost some, but how much exactly? Today in Quito, I saw an old man in the street with a weight-machine and after paying … Read more
Indigenous people named it Cotopaxi or Neck of the Moon. At full moon, the crater of this mountain seems to hold the moon perfectly. With its 5897-m height, Cotopaxi is one of the highest active volcanoes in the world and Ecuador’s most destructive—destroying nearby towns repeatedly. The last eruption was in January 2016. Due to … Read more
Over 2600-m above sea-level, a swing was hanging over a steep rock face. 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 in a tree … Read more
One early morning pedalling slowly on a steep road in southern Ecuador, I feel a hand on my shoulder. A familiar voice speaks to me. “What is that you seek?” “I want to escape. I am searching for something, but I don’t know what?” I reply. “You can only search for something when it is … Read more
Cycling along the Utcubamba river in North Peru today, my bicycle and I achieved a little milestone on this journey. We completed 10,000 km out of 25,000 km from Ushuaia to Alaska. It was hot today but the sun was behind the clouds, so I took a little break along the road and tried to … Read more
Descending from the 4390-m pass in the Central Highlands today. It has been raining every day and it is just the beginning of the rainy season in Peru! Since leaving Cusco about three weeks ago, I have spent 101 hours on the saddle during 16 days of cycling, covered over 1200 km and climbed 17 … Read more
At the moment I am cycling in the remote and rocky Central Highlands in Peru. The mountains are steep, the valleys, lonely, and the roads, narrow and carved from the side of steep mountains. The elevation of the road is between 2200m to 4000m. For the first time since the beginning of this trip nine … Read more
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