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
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
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 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
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
It is my second day in Belize. The sun is relentless, beating down on my head all day long. The month of September is supposed to be the peak of the rainy season but there is no rain at all. It feels unusually hot because of high humidity and lack of wind. The locals say … Read more
I push the bicycle through streets and follow the distant sound of music. Soon I reach the central square where loudspeakers are blasting live Marimba music. In front of me are the backs of hundreds of people who are looking over each other’s shoulders. Unable to see anything, I park my bicycle on the side … Read more
The tarmac on the Panamerican Highway melted under my tyres in the tropical heat. I struggled to keep the bicycle on the wide shoulder of the road which was dotted by dead frogs who were baked dry in the intense sun and had been flattened out by the traffic. These paper thin frogs flew in … Read more
In January 2016, I came to Ushuaia, Argentina with nothing but a wild dream to travel 26,000 km from Ushuaia to Alaska on a bicycle—a journey which spans the entire length of South and North America. Within months, I was out of money, and my journey had come to a dead halt. I somehow managed … 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
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
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