Dear Argentina! You were my first love on the trip through the Americas, but like any true love, you hurt me so much. Right from the beginning, your fierce Patagonian winds tested my commitment to the long paths. But I know that you wanted to strengthen me. Those roads of ups and downs, those endless … Read more
In the Monument Valley, sandstone buttes and mesas towered above the Colorado Plateau. A long road stretched out into the distance like a bold line on the sandpaper. It was here when Forrest Gump decided to stop after running for three years, two months, 14 days and 16 hours. He quit much to the bewilderment … Read more
33,105 km with you, my dear bicycle! Four years, sixteen countries, the entire length of South, Central and North America. Some mountains climbed, some deserts crossed, and a few plateaus travelled. Together we endured rain and snow, dust and sand, winds and storms, and sun and shadows. We shared smiles and tears, joy and pain, … Read more
“So, why are you doing this?” Someone asks me. I take a deep breath. My eyes scan around for some visual clues and get hooked on a giant LED screen with bold blue letters “Welcome to Facebook!” It is a hot day. I am rolling a motorcycle tyre in the street of Layyah. A … Read more
Cycling the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan as I descended from a 4000-meter pass, I spotted a Kyrgyz yurt on the right side of the road. Its colour and shape stood out in the barren landscape. I immediately pulled the brakes and asked a man getting out of the yurt if I could stay inside for … Read more
A year ago on this date, I finished my 33,100 km Argentina to Alaska bicycle trip that took me three years and nine months, almost 10% of my life. Unlike my first tour from Germany to Pakistan that took 13 years from inception to realization, this one was a rather an impulsive decision. From the … Read more
A Letter to Pakistan on Independence Day 14 August Dear Pakistan, My story begins with you even before I was born. Mum always used to tell me that when she was pregnant, there was one Pakistani patriotic song “Har Ghari Tayyar Kamran Hain Hum” that would often play on PTV. While listening to it, she … Read more
Today is the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples! When the European colonizers arrived in the Americas, the indigenous population was diminished by 80–90% within the first few centuries mainly due to epidemic diseases the new settlers had brought with them. The colonizers destroyed indigenous empires and butchered natives to capture gold and land. … Read more
Travels teach us that there is a world beyond our own, not only because of different landscapes, but also in terms of cultures, religions, and belief systems. As I travelled the world on a bicycle, I felt a need to document my encounters. After more than 5 years, my catalogues contain over 250K photos/videos, several … Read more
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
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
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
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