Argentina Independence Day

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

The Dad, The Son, And The Stars

Once upon a time, a child from a remote city of Layyah in Pakistan was afraid of the dark. Waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to spot a speck of light in the room terrified him. He couldn’t go back to sleep. The darkness choked him. He felt disoriented … Read more

You Are Not Lost In Atacama Desert

The Atacama Desert in Chile is the driest desert on the planet. There are some places in the Atacama where no rainfall has ever been recorded. Nothing can survive there, neither plants nor birds or even insects. It is not a typical desert where it’s just dunes. The Atacama offers much more. Valle de la … Read more

A Flight At Gocta Waterfall

Gocta Waterfall plunged from a height of 771-m into the forest. From where I sat, the leaping waterfall appeared like a long lock of white hair draping over the shoulder of a mermaid. Beneath was thick amazon cloud forest; hot and humid. Gentle morning breeze caressed my sweaty skin as if blowing air on my … Read more

Your Biggest Fear?

“What is your biggest fear?” A voice hits my ears as soon as I finish my talk. I scan the room and spot a little girl with glasses holdind a mic. There is pin-drop silence in the room with dozens of eyes staring at me. I look at people’s faces for an answer, but their … Read more

Part 2 of Peru Independence Day

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

Never Too Lost

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

Are We Alone?

The Atacama Desert glows in the moonlight, and I look at the twinkling stars in great amazement. It is hard to believe that we all are made of stardust. Long before we were born as humans, we existed as lifeless matter at the heart of a star. How long did it take for the stardust … Read more

Machu Picchu

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

Endless Story—Baja California Star Trails

A cactus tree stands beside my tent like a sentinel. I sit on a rock looking at the stars wondering who has set the wheel of the sky in motion? Is the universe dancing in unison with a whirling dervish? What are these lights? Is the sun shining on the night ocean or the roof … Read more

Signpost: Mexico–Pakistan

If you draw a horizontal line on the world map at the 30.963280° latitude, somewhere this line is going to cross my hometown Layyah in Pakistan. During my bicycle trip from Argentina to Alaska bicycle tour, I crossed this latitude near San Felipe in Baja California, Mexico in January 2018 and thus, was in perfect … Read more

Alaska Is Calling

hree and a half years is what took me from Ushuaia, Argentina, to reach the border of Alaska. After spending one year in Canada and covering almost 6000 km, I had established so much emotional attachment with the country that I stopped just short of the border and kept staring at the landscape and the … Read more

Terrace to Stewart BC

[aesop_video src=”youtube” id=”bViQbqasjj4″ width=”100%” align=”center” disable_for_mobile=”on” loop=”on” controls=”on” autoplay=”off” mute=”off” viewstart=”on” viewend=”on” revealfx=”off” overlay_revealfx=”off”] Leaving Terrace BC on 26th April, I was back on the saddle after six months. The next day I reached Kitwanga where I resumed my journey to the north. The bicycle was heavy and my mind, scattered. I questioned my journey … Read more

Beyond The Wall — US/Mexico

After cycling for 4500 km in Mexico over the course of five months, I hit a massive wall in Tijuana which halted my journey to the north. I have always been fascinated by international borders so I spent a few days in Tijuana to observe the US/Mexico wall. Read my full essay on Facebook.