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
Deep in the rainforest, a waterfall plunges into a deep canyon with a thundering noise. They call this waterfall Pailon Del Diablo or Devil’s Cauldron. Like a moth overwhelmed by the love for the flame flies directly into it, the (Rio) Verde river jumps from the cliff in a suicidal manner and crashes into the … Read more
Standing at the edge of a road in the Southern highlands of Ecuador today, a sweeping valley was in front of me. The view was so big that my eyes couldn’t contain it, similar to holding a bowl under a large waterfall. The bottom of the valley was covered with thick clouds. It appeared like … 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
I sweated profusely and my heart knocked like a hammer inside my chest as I ground my teeth on the way uphill. A vehicle carrying a family honked the horn as it overtook me and then stopped. A man stepped out of the car and came running to me. “Are you Okay? Do you need … Read more
As I write these lines from San Ignacio, my bicycle ride in Peru is almost over. I entered Peru 85 days ago and cycled over 3400 km and climbed over 43,900 meters following the great divide route of Peru. It is the most mountainous country I have ever cycled. Peru is an amazing country at … 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
After a long day of cycling today, I was about to reach Celendin when I passed through a small town with the name Bellavista. There, I saw a bunch of people gathered in a circle not far from the road. The curiosity to know what was happening overwhelmed me and I steered the bicycle towards … Read more
Cycling on an isolated dirt road along the River Tablachaca in the northern highlands of Peru, I was stopped by two men who warned me that there was no road ahead and two river crossings were to come. These men were gold prospectors. They were panning for gold in the river bed. One of them, … Read more
During the past four days, I was cycling in the National Park of Huascaran in Peru. This park covers the area of the Cordillera Blanca (the world’s highest tropical mountain range). The Cordillera Blanca is part of the Cordillera of the Andes which extends from Venezuela to Argentina and Chile all along South America. Out … Read more
After cycling for 13 consecutive days, I am out of Central Highlands and into the Huaraz & the Cordilleras region. My cycling itinerary in Peru follows the Peru’s great divide which is the part of Continental Divide of South America. The Continental Divide runs along the Andes mountain range and divides the watersheds such that … Read more
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