tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12070526838839452472023-11-16T07:54:24.733-08:00GLOBAL CYCLE RIDEWelcome to Mark Doherty's blog.This blog is to record my attempt to travel around the world using my bicycle as my main mode of transport.The 'Dream Plan' would be to circle the globe in around 2 years,the 'Reality Plan' will be to keep biking as long as my health allows and the challenge remains exciting.Welcome to my adventure...GLOBAL CYCLE RIDEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725459988293026216noreply@blogger.comBlogger193125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1207052683883945247.post-467826559575699762010-04-21T14:12:00.000-07:002010-04-24T19:03:24.423-07:00MISSION COMPLETE<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Tt2G_w3ptbEeJTITtYjRGcjjlMrnLXj5J-7shTu9brWqvBmrVJscYY-E2NjauSAbOG8J8czL8shfUzVkQJi74BJlYCWGa2UWvr2e_zjiLQCcnmzoC2_wHVHEJl_XL5V55q5OGkfLqH4/s1600/THE+NUMBER+1+PHOTO.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Tt2G_w3ptbEeJTITtYjRGcjjlMrnLXj5J-7shTu9brWqvBmrVJscYY-E2NjauSAbOG8J8czL8shfUzVkQJi74BJlYCWGa2UWvr2e_zjiLQCcnmzoC2_wHVHEJl_XL5V55q5OGkfLqH4/s320/THE+NUMBER+1+PHOTO.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462702516296378882" /></a><br /><em><strong>Name</strong></em> : Mark Doherty<br /><strong>The plan</strong> : To cycle around the world using the bicycle as my main mode of transport.<br /><strong>Bicycle</strong> : Koga Signature <br /><em><strong>Date of departure</strong>: </em>19-11-08<br /><em><strong>Date of return </strong>: </em>27-4-10 <br /><em><strong>Distance cycled</strong></em> : 23,680KMs<br /><em><strong>Number of continents visited</strong></em> : 3 (*see below)<br /><em><strong>Number of countries visited</strong></em> : 18 **<br /><em><strong>Number of punctures</strong></em> : Too many (approxmatily 100)<br /><em><strong>Number of deserts crossed</strong></em> : 6***<br /><em><strong>Favourite country</strong></em> : Iran<br /><em><strong>Favourite city</strong></em> : Las Vegas ****<br /><em><strong>Most shocking experience </strong>: </em>Witnessing a Sky Burial, in which human corpses are fed to wild vultures<br /><em><strong>Any near death experiences?</strong></em> : That Kara Su river in Kyrgyzstan nearly had me. It truly nearly had me.<br /><em><strong>Example of 'It doesn't get any crazier than this' </strong>: </em>Skiing down a glacier with one hand on the bicycle handlebars and one hand on the saddle and using the pedal as brakes by leaning the bike towards me.<br /><em><strong>Hardest day</strong></em> : Somewhere in Western China anyway. Probably the day that included a 33KM uphill in first gear and at the end of the day the altimeter showed a 2000M altitude increase.<br /><em><strong>Longest distance travelled in 1 day </strong>: </em>163 KMs when I had a great tailwind crossing the Karakum desert in Turkmenistan.<br /><em><strong>Shortest distance travelled in 1 day</strong></em> : 9 KMs. Just too hung over to continue after an unfortunate experience involving a 2 euro bottle of French wine.<br /><em><strong>How would you describe the past 17 months of Global Cycle Ride?</strong></em> : Best time of my life. <br /><em><strong>Longest stretch without a shower</strong></em> : 17 days<br /><em><strong>Best meal of the trip</strong></em> : Il Latino restaurant, Florence, Italy. If you are ever in Florence, visit this place with an empty tummy and leave it to the chef's recommendation of the evening.<br /><em><strong>Best country for food </strong>: </em>I'm undecided between Greece and China.<br /><em><strong>Worst meal of the trip</strong> </em>: Yak rectum with shite sauce in Tibetan truckstop<br /><em><strong>Worst country for food</strong></em> : Uzbekistan<br /><br />* Europe, Asia, North America,<br />** Ireland, Wales, England, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, United States of America, Mexico, Belize.<br />*** Karakum desert in Turkmenistan, Kyzulkum desert in Uzbekistan, Taklamakan dersert in China, the Mojave and Sonaron deserts in United States and the Chihuahua desert in Mexico<br />****Las Vegas. Why does this city get continually slated by people? It is a one of a kind city in the world and I love it. If you know where to look you can get a 4 star casino hotel bed for less than the price of a hostel dorm in Dublin. You can get a 16oz T-Bone steak for the price of a sandwich and coffee from an O'Briens sandwich outlet and best of all: Don't pay for alcohol in Vegas. Every casino on the strip including the Bellagio will give you free drink as long as you are willing to spend a little time in front of a slot machine. My advice is sit in front of a 1c slot and tip the waitress $2 per drink. The bottom line. If you want to break even in Vegas- Don't gamble. To quote Robert De Niro from the movie Casino; "The house always wins". It is an extraordinary city that by very definition is the opposite to banal.GLOBAL CYCLE RIDEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725459988293026216noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1207052683883945247.post-17814992579051888082010-04-21T13:48:00.001-07:002010-06-17T04:47:04.073-07:00GLOBAL CYCLE RIDE - WHAT'S THAT ALL ABOUT??<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZh-yRbCx7yV1i_mQMubGKhPiMk4IT_gh7R_xkFu3Ql4K2igEBAtlgd0bnOkR6YA5teinc02hLN7morBmefr5HIXfIrS-8IaoNQ9u_QjWaPecyQsMiVr0qSlxiseKndpbLyrpVTbTTPCQ/s1600/1A.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZh-yRbCx7yV1i_mQMubGKhPiMk4IT_gh7R_xkFu3Ql4K2igEBAtlgd0bnOkR6YA5teinc02hLN7morBmefr5HIXfIrS-8IaoNQ9u_QjWaPecyQsMiVr0qSlxiseKndpbLyrpVTbTTPCQ/s320/1A.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462701099589112066" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ5pbz26i_sDHSzynKBsJJhEFK1kOsOdKzRkCT3iPrcOOD1LARGfUYirEO_q-xVtSIHZjddK2Zgrr7nh3WaPBlp_QMnEKjsIXNCBeJCyKsBkm5_3cmjvDv5ORuBACvOz4V5EFqRIVYhrM/s1600/1B.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ5pbz26i_sDHSzynKBsJJhEFK1kOsOdKzRkCT3iPrcOOD1LARGfUYirEO_q-xVtSIHZjddK2Zgrr7nh3WaPBlp_QMnEKjsIXNCBeJCyKsBkm5_3cmjvDv5ORuBACvOz4V5EFqRIVYhrM/s320/1B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462698983970194482" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO64wXvxc6K9cEkbiUtI3jW9ZpofvlCv_ZQgg0_pSHhOzgPSdLW_FOBIvekDtT4am1nvsP82AZTDF6aYSUUq55RdTJ8loC-UJ1H12WT0MY1AHDu2YEiLXE8ns7iItXb77LCzvZdWJ8D80/s1600/1C.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO64wXvxc6K9cEkbiUtI3jW9ZpofvlCv_ZQgg0_pSHhOzgPSdLW_FOBIvekDtT4am1nvsP82AZTDF6aYSUUq55RdTJ8loC-UJ1H12WT0MY1AHDu2YEiLXE8ns7iItXb77LCzvZdWJ8D80/s320/1C.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462698015937356834" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz-V3GNbScSWPSFvjehXFED0EMHJGa5M0tsaQAPTUVcHeUqo3Tkkepxj70kx62AmAxSWGyR0cvxKIn1fE5YgAIeShLRCJY3RUXFVRieewRYlds_SRX3HVSaAo8eO0ixG7FW3YvBzF9ahw/s1600/1D.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz-V3GNbScSWPSFvjehXFED0EMHJGa5M0tsaQAPTUVcHeUqo3Tkkepxj70kx62AmAxSWGyR0cvxKIn1fE5YgAIeShLRCJY3RUXFVRieewRYlds_SRX3HVSaAo8eO0ixG7FW3YvBzF9ahw/s320/1D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462697275387592658" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXtsLvsFgh3_Yebhw4elGEEUcXS73VYRjYCTOWHaT0bEZzO40NYix6cjOb-qvp9WnOOsZ4C6qW6PF1B3x7S3DcCQFLgChh2JEIraSmpoBL0-oG_mTECOEVaX_DC8h7mqnSkP2kxY5xlvY/s1600/1E.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXtsLvsFgh3_Yebhw4elGEEUcXS73VYRjYCTOWHaT0bEZzO40NYix6cjOb-qvp9WnOOsZ4C6qW6PF1B3x7S3DcCQFLgChh2JEIraSmpoBL0-oG_mTECOEVaX_DC8h7mqnSkP2kxY5xlvY/s320/1E.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462696875427663954" /></a><br />One afternoon in mid November 2008, I wheeled my bicycle out my front door and begun a journey of cycling around the world. When I begun out of Naas in Ireland. I could barely pedal it up the hill past the police station on the Kilcullen road. The weight of all my winter gear and the fact that I was so unconditioned to handling a bicycle with such weight on board. First night by the river in Baltinglass, second night on Currocloe beach, third night in Rosslare. By the time I met my great friend, Andy, in Wales, I felt burnt out with saddle sores and a cold. But Andy knows how to build reassurance; "not to worry mate, you're 1% into cycling around the world". As I rode across France in the winter of 2008, I refused to look at my map of the world. I would get depressed when I compared how little I'd travelled to how exhausted I felt. Dad and my brothers Paul and Eoin came out to visit me. Then Genevieve arrived for the New Year. By the time I got to Italy, I was beginning to enjoy the whole affair. Good food that just got better in Greece. I was feeling real fit now. The weather was great and the best of campsites were available everywhere. I'm happy in a museum, but with 130 museums in Athens, Greece, this was a serious overload for the senses. Next up was Turkey. There were 2 major set backs in Turkey. The neck cracking antics of the 'wanna-be-physio' and the loss of 80% of my stuff when I foolishly turned my back and should have known better. The disappointing realisation that the close of the trip was at the doorstep. But then who walks in the door, but a physiotherapist on a bicycle, with a quest to pedal around the world. A month later, I was 'back in the saddle' heading east towards Iran. I was so nervous heading in here. There's just no good news about this country. As it turned, Iran became the highlight of the entire bike ride. A country that shone like no other due to the overwhelming goodness of its people. Global media's obsession with misrepresenting this country is more than an irritation. Its a crime. Dehydration in Turkmenistan and hunger by choice (and for the good of my health in Uzbekistan). When hungry in Kyrgyzstan, I helped skin my own dinner. I carried my bike up mountains and skied with it down the other side. In China, I've been ordered out of my bed by police at a ridiculous hour. 'This hotel is unsuitable for foreigners. You must sleep in a tourist hotel'. Tibetans taught me how to dance. 'Swing your arms, Don't ye Irish swing your arms when ye dance'. I pedalled my bicycle up mountains half the height of Mt Everest and saw used oxygen canisters been thrown from tour buses by wealthy Chinese tourists as they struggled with the thin air. My legs were exhausted at this stage. But I wanted to continue travelling under my own steam, so I bought an inflatable zodiac boat. I tied the bicycle on the back of the raft and paddled down the Mekong river from the Golden Triangle to Luang Prabang in Laos. Didn't spend long in Vietnam but between Hanoi (Vietnam) and San Diego (United States), I spent a Christmas in Paradise (also known as Hawaii). Pedalled across the Mojave desert to make it to Vegas. I neither felt the thrill of winning nor the lull of losing, cause I never gambled. Mexico was bigger than I realised. When I entered, immigration said it would be impossible to cycle to Cancun. 'Its too far.'I was told. They gave me a 6 month visa. 45 days later I arrived into Cancun. Three days later I had a flight home. It was a bit of a rush towards the end. And then a volcano blew up in Iceland and I got stuck in New York City. I needed to dismantle the bike and put it in a box for the flight home. All I need to do now is cycle it from Dublin airport back home to Naas. The complete journey was 24,000KMs and it took 17 months.<br />Here are some movies created by Markus from Austria, whom I travelled with for 3 months in Asia.<br /> <br />www.unet.univie.ac.at/~a0440584/GLOBAL CYCLE RIDEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725459988293026216noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1207052683883945247.post-78111619545351463472010-04-21T13:16:00.002-07:002010-04-22T03:51:32.910-07:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNUvvW74B_LseQwfSTzwsGm1S89EQEsNiiwJ0fho1PiYapFFANrpJOeFsf4xl3BRLRGk4lUKAWSyWYbb67JehTsa1cMtZho86AXVoyJxOLSV7W6P8iYyC4TDAxvV2wx_GMywUD8y1Gz4/s1600/2A.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNUvvW74B_LseQwfSTzwsGm1S89EQEsNiiwJ0fho1PiYapFFANrpJOeFsf4xl3BRLRGk4lUKAWSyWYbb67JehTsa1cMtZho86AXVoyJxOLSV7W6P8iYyC4TDAxvV2wx_GMywUD8y1Gz4/s320/2A.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462695407921421346" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQc6wRSixnlthysJYWAa-dKCAPPLj_yMhSOP9iT7TUM6pURd1F4BEFWo6jyFsuRXLsS8UZEfVXgUTKlfR_RywqQmf0lDXXi8sDPKU5qai5aEJpP_8C-MCnAYV2d96eDhcFWZgENa7YcyY/s1600/2B..jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQc6wRSixnlthysJYWAa-dKCAPPLj_yMhSOP9iT7TUM6pURd1F4BEFWo6jyFsuRXLsS8UZEfVXgUTKlfR_RywqQmf0lDXXi8sDPKU5qai5aEJpP_8C-MCnAYV2d96eDhcFWZgENa7YcyY/s320/2B..jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462694390701622930" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRuUPh2Vt3Xq1Q0UVzCKFeIkM30kT6ZXm9YcQa6yQkL6Q_rEc8s33_0K0eXWaSwBHasOXDFG_Qra4Dk3yX9tCpm7j5WULKYEzgc44aSKDST5JIUJJf5s_20VeRUb3Fxkp6L3pmfpi_pBc/s1600/2D..jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRuUPh2Vt3Xq1Q0UVzCKFeIkM30kT6ZXm9YcQa6yQkL6Q_rEc8s33_0K0eXWaSwBHasOXDFG_Qra4Dk3yX9tCpm7j5WULKYEzgc44aSKDST5JIUJJf5s_20VeRUb3Fxkp6L3pmfpi_pBc/s320/2D..jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462692130846220498" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtYGO7GMLDyaW-WiJtGz6ycGwCJG0atlc73_yXOGAYiA23fLpxywRDxsiQl4aKftw2Ju8Pct12pUN4s0mymFbZOya3altw-Mk8i-Sv0DJ6bZGrOhQBPMyO1RwtUIw-PES_8icgDXdXgi0/s1600/2E..JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtYGO7GMLDyaW-WiJtGz6ycGwCJG0atlc73_yXOGAYiA23fLpxywRDxsiQl4aKftw2Ju8Pct12pUN4s0mymFbZOya3altw-Mk8i-Sv0DJ6bZGrOhQBPMyO1RwtUIw-PES_8icgDXdXgi0/s320/2E..JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462691126763469730" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRtPr3oW_vaGvHafWA7VCZkGw-7w_9_03u0Llrz8jQp-CWb3NuMuqX_drcDW0fNAgZG1i5WFGv59bKhgf7IyL4MPgnwBsLJkHLA4-YmslYHIA97v-ZVlltBrB8kg_QzUop25PoeXQbGMY/s1600/2F.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRtPr3oW_vaGvHafWA7VCZkGw-7w_9_03u0Llrz8jQp-CWb3NuMuqX_drcDW0fNAgZG1i5WFGv59bKhgf7IyL4MPgnwBsLJkHLA4-YmslYHIA97v-ZVlltBrB8kg_QzUop25PoeXQbGMY/s320/2F.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462690589851988066" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm_yrwkLbxq2Xd_a_wjpXzSg3zgO2zamaQfrNrI-IveCYJoQWzId04mnsxjXjWlQRyAa-9OJN3Iog9uiHNZYqV-S_eE2w5-BRovLctq7l-ELnYhKrKv2KiC-pUmAGU_xsqlP-OYvpOvVw/s1600/2G.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm_yrwkLbxq2Xd_a_wjpXzSg3zgO2zamaQfrNrI-IveCYJoQWzId04mnsxjXjWlQRyAa-9OJN3Iog9uiHNZYqV-S_eE2w5-BRovLctq7l-ELnYhKrKv2KiC-pUmAGU_xsqlP-OYvpOvVw/s320/2G.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462690134962638322" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI1BciuOgpzeaGuyAWL5FmnCrMBFThLhG4es9x-iCXmG9W2qSnfZVg_F2r95sDR4tU88_p2KPLxiEKqyCVDZ1XwvzBybDmEVz9TSz8VfRsXA2aYGEvr372FOZbloJzVD9uHbQRAul4ojk/s1600/2H.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI1BciuOgpzeaGuyAWL5FmnCrMBFThLhG4es9x-iCXmG9W2qSnfZVg_F2r95sDR4tU88_p2KPLxiEKqyCVDZ1XwvzBybDmEVz9TSz8VfRsXA2aYGEvr372FOZbloJzVD9uHbQRAul4ojk/s320/2H.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462689267062740018" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwEru1fy9o_Iy7y2CPEgu2Y7AuR61eIAoWsoWCHj_4vQRwn7RDwfGL1xjfOOg4VbtiM5zwSy1st-2iuUjpvjLu0z11rQWCIM5g2HB1tnuSND7ecyyuUQ-GhGNI5IyoFbbW9bIryWj2qCY/s1600/2I.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwEru1fy9o_Iy7y2CPEgu2Y7AuR61eIAoWsoWCHj_4vQRwn7RDwfGL1xjfOOg4VbtiM5zwSy1st-2iuUjpvjLu0z11rQWCIM5g2HB1tnuSND7ecyyuUQ-GhGNI5IyoFbbW9bIryWj2qCY/s320/2I.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462688796443980354" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPO7pj39sYbknhs1KLFlgpPXwYOOe3uZA6H_of-VVjrG2c45VPn8x4UxO7tef-IN7580r8DkN0DwScqYs9B9ilkLOHiInLLmgXiPCHEGNnapaEVD-XQiEnalqmoO1pl4WpafsrGF45_5E/s1600/2J.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPO7pj39sYbknhs1KLFlgpPXwYOOe3uZA6H_of-VVjrG2c45VPn8x4UxO7tef-IN7580r8DkN0DwScqYs9B9ilkLOHiInLLmgXiPCHEGNnapaEVD-XQiEnalqmoO1pl4WpafsrGF45_5E/s320/2J.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462688250071523730" /></a><br />A journey that consisted of a continual stream of smiles and waves and cheers of encouragement. I've slept in everything from building sites to UNESCO world heritage sites. I've slept in peoples' back gardens, industrial estates, under a tree in front of a police station, bus stops, under motorway bridges, 4 star golf resorts etc etc. (I actually meant to sleep in a graveyard at some stage, but never got around to it. Ah well, there will be plenty of time for that later.) There were so many evenings spent watching the sunset or staring up at the stars. And then being woken up by the call of Prayer throughout Turkey to being woken up by the howl of the coyote throughout the North American deserts. I seem to automatically wake after sunrise and I never get tired of pedalling my bicycle. I've been chased by big dogs in England and very excited locals in Iran. In one village I was stoned by the school kids. In another I was directed to fields full of wild marijana. I've had lunch with heroin addicts and got drunk with police chiefs. I regret that I never made it into Iraq or Afghanistan. I just don't believe our media. When they are not publicising the irreverent antics of some 'celebrity', their main international topic of debate that they like to repeat over and over again is; 'The world is a dangerous place. Stay inside your bubble'. NEWSFLASH; Afghans love being photographed and when you enter Iraq from Turkey, there is a huge sign at the border saying "WELCOME TO IRAQ" in an attempt to develop the seeds of tourism. I hope to visit both these countries within the next 2 or 3 years. I've learnt that no matter where you go in this world, dogs pee on car wheels, moths fly towards the light and we live in a world full of good people. (Well, apart from Chinese police. Using brain washing and other aggressive methods of training, these people are transformed into pure evil robotic figures of authority. Only a very small percentage of these portrayed any vague human-like qualities.)GLOBAL CYCLE RIDEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725459988293026216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1207052683883945247.post-8684536396537303032010-04-21T13:16:00.001-07:002010-04-22T03:59:55.855-07:00THANKSI got so much help along the way.<br />A very special thanks to my girlfriend, Genevieve, who not only tolerated such a selfish endevour as me going on a 17 month solo adventure holiday, but to continually support and encourage me throughout the journey. Just an incredible girl.<br /><br />Special thanks to my Dad, Jim. In all he visited me 5 times during the trip. Great to have the company and also great for him to get the chance to spend his retirement travelling the world.<br /><br />Thanks to the many other touring cyclists I met on the road. In particular, Markus from Austria. Not only was he great company and always keen to attempt the road less travelled, but the guy saved my live when that Kara Su river in Kyrgyzstan had the upper hand of a potentialy nasty situation.<br /><br />Vincent the French physiotheripest on a bicycle, who checked into that Istanbul hostel and played a big part in sorting out my neck.<br /><br />To the many home invitations. There is too many to mention but a few that particularly stood out was from Jerome in France and Clare and Recep in Turkey. Thanks guys.<br /><br />Haji, The American guy living in China was a legend. The man's strenght exceeds the borders of time and the limitations of age. He's 70 years of age and is presently pedalling across Tibet, the rooftop of the world. This will be followed by a bike ride, not through, but around Australia, and then up the lenght of South America. Come on Haji, Whats your secret??<br /><br />If anyone reads this blog and feels ready to give it (or something similar) a shot, my advice is; To do plenty of research and then go for it. Its important to work with the weather and wind direction. Long distance cycle tourers are always complaining about having the wind in their face. Check out the 'wunder map' on www.wunderground.com and plan accordingly. Have the best of maps and the most up to date information on visa requirements. Listen to local advice ,but don't always take it. <em>"You can't go that way. The mountains are too high. Its too cold. Its too dangerous. Its not possible on a bicycle". </em>When it gets really, really hard, remember that one day you will be looking back over that moment and enjoying the memory.GLOBAL CYCLE RIDEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725459988293026216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1207052683883945247.post-21202548710747392582010-04-21T13:14:00.000-07:002010-04-22T04:07:16.634-07:00EQUIPMENTI bought all my own equipment, so when I recommend something, its not because I'm getting a sponsorship cheque at the end of the month, its because I genuinely believe in it. Rather than using cheap inferior equipment and carrying a load of spares, I only used what I believed to be the best available and I only carried 2 spare tubes, a puncture repair kit and a set of allen keys (and from China on, I carried one spare tyre).<br />First you need a good bicycle. I chose a Koga Signature. Its not available it Ireland so I took a one-way flight to Amsterdam and enjoyed the test ride home. All bike components were Shimano XT Deore. The saddle was a Brooks B17 and I have the same tyres since Rome; Swalable marathon plus. I encountered no problems with the bike. That bike has been left out in everything from freezing snow to the searing sun. Its been dropped, thrown over fences, dragged through ditches, choked with sand and dirt, smacked into potholes and those pedals have rotated a million times or more. I didn't even break a spoke. I believe its the best touring bike available. An average bicycle would have fallen apart within a month of what I put them through. I don't want to get to technical now, but if anyone wants more info on the chain choice, oil used, wheel rims etc, email me at markdotsd@hotmail.com<br />You need a good tent. It becomes home. I chose a Lightwave t0 ultra xt. I've slept in it about 400 times and only recently are the zips starting to fail. It only came down on me once - that was in a flash flood in Iran. It cost 300 euro and weights just over 1.5 kilos. It was worth every cent.<br />Sanity is relatively valuable - don't forget your ipod.<br />Now for equipment to avoid. Number one is Magura brakes. The first 5000KMs, they were just incredible, but after that they slowly deteriorated. Not stopping the bike when I needed them to and then sticking to the rims when I'm pedalling uphill. They were seriously expensive. The overpriced service kit was a joke. No instructions and not even brake pads. Magura brakes were probably the biggest regret of the trip.<br />And as for that XTX tyre from Bontrager. It takes a collective effort from research through to manufacture to create a tyre as hopeless as this. It failed to perform almost daily, giving countless punctures. Although I could never locate it, I'm certain there was some built in device that was able to locate and attract thorns. After a measly 2000KMs, I dumped this piece of balding rubber. I replaced the bontrager with the old swalable marathon plus tyre. Even though she had covered 13,000KMs, the retired swalable limped on the last 1,000KMs to Cancun. Its also worth noting that the bontrager cost more than the swalable. (It must have been that thorn tracker device.)GLOBAL CYCLE RIDEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725459988293026216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1207052683883945247.post-65043670089361873542010-04-21T12:36:00.001-07:002010-04-23T04:06:44.280-07:00"ITS NOT ABOUT THE BIKE"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYHF5DgNNPg0MtajWMlUXxfhHlbbPrcJenhO3ejaTtYOHGCIe6ecym3sVZ7RqViTcZNxSWmP1PQ1panDVJdguPpikrKcO7R6uXeHqzZdvixSAZvz3bh1fX1bnKIckVSuQsCtOmjVV6TNk/s1600/3a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYHF5DgNNPg0MtajWMlUXxfhHlbbPrcJenhO3ejaTtYOHGCIe6ecym3sVZ7RqViTcZNxSWmP1PQ1panDVJdguPpikrKcO7R6uXeHqzZdvixSAZvz3bh1fX1bnKIckVSuQsCtOmjVV6TNk/s320/3a.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462685691887501042" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFACvo2pkiMawNzXT6e8Mtl_bS73L4RWi4vpBaewAbztAu0Y4JomXvChqXIZPilSxBbmX8kdo91hAqmuhnswgBSLYPUR-7wgRHu2xP9Wl3hA9hVzgi7_4_7BwsFLhd_ZKzrAZitnDJS1s/s1600/3,b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFACvo2pkiMawNzXT6e8Mtl_bS73L4RWi4vpBaewAbztAu0Y4JomXvChqXIZPilSxBbmX8kdo91hAqmuhnswgBSLYPUR-7wgRHu2xP9Wl3hA9hVzgi7_4_7BwsFLhd_ZKzrAZitnDJS1s/s320/3,b.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462685213960117330" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNFgY43Kd2-cTD9hyphenhyphenCZzmW2XVu0-SG3JcouvRqw-vLgDKvBd0WROsjs6dkfB3G_uraXcAFF8XPssYizFvZ9VtYB9fwh90uDCXgeU62_6Ze-jksrc6b2eYc3msY1xt_l6eM_hDKcJj4TxA/s1600/3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNFgY43Kd2-cTD9hyphenhyphenCZzmW2XVu0-SG3JcouvRqw-vLgDKvBd0WROsjs6dkfB3G_uraXcAFF8XPssYizFvZ9VtYB9fwh90uDCXgeU62_6Ze-jksrc6b2eYc3msY1xt_l6eM_hDKcJj4TxA/s320/3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462684569829550162" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Sypg7YI-qo1w7FFE5-6FSnCHIkP1X4RpnI7ze-lbcr8xGMiF-bybFvScrVCNQh31d5_ahXhwXbkIXUkMaOhzJLl3Ry0y9p7b_4Dzcb1jUT-N5T6OfBqzrzcLNw2Zq3RKug8Vf0BuLts/s1600/3'..jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Sypg7YI-qo1w7FFE5-6FSnCHIkP1X4RpnI7ze-lbcr8xGMiF-bybFvScrVCNQh31d5_ahXhwXbkIXUkMaOhzJLl3Ry0y9p7b_4Dzcb1jUT-N5T6OfBqzrzcLNw2Zq3RKug8Vf0BuLts/s320/3'..jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462684066040737170" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1_TtjRyj3IY5n83lv7HGqgo0U8d57pcfe-PgdBQgfV2iGY3FqIhyfLcWgD6eTB6HKgFmPl5lP-KynO2GNT3P5mqfh0w344p9G6p-9OFhDLibPpvmKwZZ8LVtBdrjs8K59bFaokLtFk-w/s1600/3c-.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1_TtjRyj3IY5n83lv7HGqgo0U8d57pcfe-PgdBQgfV2iGY3FqIhyfLcWgD6eTB6HKgFmPl5lP-KynO2GNT3P5mqfh0w344p9G6p-9OFhDLibPpvmKwZZ8LVtBdrjs8K59bFaokLtFk-w/s320/3c-.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462683429091518674" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnQwvrujvOMCGEfH3W1VjtiqG8Ec2MIrXKjjSXlwMvzBbDZx6X4Iq13ueSaFNMZQS2s6sSl_N6Mnx0s86WS-jWkO3kIUXuPObS5Jj1Vku5JvXAwUoM74CFj0NpZN8m5xwmdTf31d9uzKg/s1600/3d.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnQwvrujvOMCGEfH3W1VjtiqG8Ec2MIrXKjjSXlwMvzBbDZx6X4Iq13ueSaFNMZQS2s6sSl_N6Mnx0s86WS-jWkO3kIUXuPObS5Jj1Vku5JvXAwUoM74CFj0NpZN8m5xwmdTf31d9uzKg/s320/3d.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462682954088905618" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie5fQGoPdLJs1HiYm6Ap4VVDWH1ApQm8YCJ945iX4k4GSZTGIcUXMdzJAmP8SDQAPbvm3fScS82D-NsdUXNNufDV0PxNdqgWF0vHSVcJJzX7kPpGdZTlN9YX3_LWeGPFk-UQ66_JHtAa0/s1600/3E'.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie5fQGoPdLJs1HiYm6Ap4VVDWH1ApQm8YCJ945iX4k4GSZTGIcUXMdzJAmP8SDQAPbvm3fScS82D-NsdUXNNufDV0PxNdqgWF0vHSVcJJzX7kPpGdZTlN9YX3_LWeGPFk-UQ66_JHtAa0/s320/3E'.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462682174425505522" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXtaT99fYzXUJwSFIljOQgj1Xpz0nzD-qzsNYKfTcNt0g95ou77l2mMYsJmTK3YZ8DLuA0Q47NJHERS8zZ4AYULnQ-zDO9-0PCNCNzTpwKHw-V1ROnuqHiXR-eA0lIf7G1SeRfS-Kbv2I/s1600/3F.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXtaT99fYzXUJwSFIljOQgj1Xpz0nzD-qzsNYKfTcNt0g95ou77l2mMYsJmTK3YZ8DLuA0Q47NJHERS8zZ4AYULnQ-zDO9-0PCNCNzTpwKHw-V1ROnuqHiXR-eA0lIf7G1SeRfS-Kbv2I/s320/3F.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462681418581840674" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLRNY-4bGsrlLJ8XikckWQtvVrAsNne-4CgrHei3oj4ST5qPFkdcLs1umYqBjLwxSd7gn1kO0K7tedLem50lR7te760g6MRLbTL31WvRxOYYzSI1BiLOlrrnywPXaKRqtipn7ejnIiVB8/s1600/3G.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLRNY-4bGsrlLJ8XikckWQtvVrAsNne-4CgrHei3oj4ST5qPFkdcLs1umYqBjLwxSd7gn1kO0K7tedLem50lR7te760g6MRLbTL31WvRxOYYzSI1BiLOlrrnywPXaKRqtipn7ejnIiVB8/s320/3G.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462680741369050850" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJOAcp-IXkCb7g881BPi15K-_-AqhKzimSoHQXJ6oWpD3pP2b8s0uTdIefvR5HpOwR6ZPAmW7u670bExqqM7YF7FUhlkOtQPucsv4nmN0TxPv7K_uVNCaJmoYD63ANkk3mHyUAoJEoCNQ/s1600/3H.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJOAcp-IXkCb7g881BPi15K-_-AqhKzimSoHQXJ6oWpD3pP2b8s0uTdIefvR5HpOwR6ZPAmW7u670bExqqM7YF7FUhlkOtQPucsv4nmN0TxPv7K_uVNCaJmoYD63ANkk3mHyUAoJEoCNQ/s320/3H.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462680306639802498" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBRAtcjDFpeW_FL81QPy7B7ah6cxsKlUwmhfOem3I0qy8TjWKY3BYzF_IZCUuwuBeGxrk6wHz12q-zn3ZD8UhgBzEip1qEK-77keBuHaKwmT1Qg0JHTlcM59w0SfzzCHQm5M3f1xGge0/s1600/3I.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBRAtcjDFpeW_FL81QPy7B7ah6cxsKlUwmhfOem3I0qy8TjWKY3BYzF_IZCUuwuBeGxrk6wHz12q-zn3ZD8UhgBzEip1qEK-77keBuHaKwmT1Qg0JHTlcM59w0SfzzCHQm5M3f1xGge0/s320/3I.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462679841207023122" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoTh1r3cyBq74I9mItqQT4Nq9TiH5veguCi2mnRrlT-O8KwyVZBAC1EBbEwItIVScBs2Xwkm1hq1-IL4wL6YTrI4ltHCCcTOeGky7_I0zs0J9FMq_ojGi_iI0REV-8LzC5PR_meaJb3dY/s1600/3J.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoTh1r3cyBq74I9mItqQT4Nq9TiH5veguCi2mnRrlT-O8KwyVZBAC1EBbEwItIVScBs2Xwkm1hq1-IL4wL6YTrI4ltHCCcTOeGky7_I0zs0J9FMq_ojGi_iI0REV-8LzC5PR_meaJb3dY/s320/3J.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462679367567451490" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMLRE1wVBIN25MRlFGHS6nEn-O7ug77-XNF2_WANC2gdYDktdVeN3QwgnvT-Zc7rynWK6ND2PItcHpUuUV3UdTe-CclXL9CvuI4kk6cihAw9ZtyXH7aMtsGKtv4jX825VmBh1S9S67blo/s1600/3K.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMLRE1wVBIN25MRlFGHS6nEn-O7ug77-XNF2_WANC2gdYDktdVeN3QwgnvT-Zc7rynWK6ND2PItcHpUuUV3UdTe-CclXL9CvuI4kk6cihAw9ZtyXH7aMtsGKtv4jX825VmBh1S9S67blo/s320/3K.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462678608834636258" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibqd1M0uBpHhAKmrYepO_Gie-KHRwMwDEeqy8ScP0Qx7Al-MCUQxhwgi6nj80dC6QuOZzybLP5fB3Xo7n2z3sfiskjAOILDXU-b06WS6fhF1e-QDokaK_6mpUfFz4wrO6hodUQWaxBO9A/s1600/3L.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibqd1M0uBpHhAKmrYepO_Gie-KHRwMwDEeqy8ScP0Qx7Al-MCUQxhwgi6nj80dC6QuOZzybLP5fB3Xo7n2z3sfiskjAOILDXU-b06WS6fhF1e-QDokaK_6mpUfFz4wrO6hodUQWaxBO9A/s320/3L.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462678171386230338" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkRP4H7wlhFFFHxkmDSgfeU7YRx13jhcWIWTktDA-rQk-NBXwh9eco62UAe4x1MNGMoG3YDfXf-FUbR-qcCKI2O3a38a4d5So1riYorDVrza0oee7Il-qL8bMIYYTjsHdIMSGYy9ijNog/s1600/3M.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkRP4H7wlhFFFHxkmDSgfeU7YRx13jhcWIWTktDA-rQk-NBXwh9eco62UAe4x1MNGMoG3YDfXf-FUbR-qcCKI2O3a38a4d5So1riYorDVrza0oee7Il-qL8bMIYYTjsHdIMSGYy9ijNog/s320/3M.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462677578183341778" /></a><br />I believe the bicycle is the greatest mode of transport and possibly the greatest invention ever. It was Leonardo Da Vinci at his best. It can take you wherever you wish to go. And if you are faced with an obstacle, its easy to push and light enough to carry. It can hold great weight (more than 40 kilos), and it can pull a trailer if necessary. Its non polluting, great for your health and fitness and its just fun being on one. If there are any problems mechanically, the bicycle is relatively easy to fix. And if I can't fix it, practically every town in the world has some sort of bicycle mechanic. Most of us probably have happy memories as kids on bicycles. Why do many of us turn our back on this enjoyment as we get older. I believed the bicycle would be the perfect mode of transport to travel around the world but personal security was always a concern. A solo touring cyclist is very vulnerable. Pedalling alone across some desert with everything you need to survive attached to the bicycle. The fear was it was going to attract the attention of some enterprising criminal. It took me 21 days to cycle across Iran and with no international bank cards recognized here, I crossed that border with U.S.$1000 in my pocket. Only one bank in Turkmenistan would give me money. 30 days in Uzbekistan and I only found one ATM working. These countries receive very little tourism and from the stares I was getting, I'm convinced most locals had never seen a tourist on a bicycle before. But rather than seeing a foreigner that they could rip-off or steal from, most people greeted me with smiles and waves and welcomes. <br />If you are whizzing through some country on a tour bus, you can very often be viewed as that wealthy tourist, but it seems that when you are on a bicycle, you are just greeted with curiosity and welcomes. In general the bicycle is the mode of transport of either children or the poor. So when I pedalled through some random town, I was neither viewed as a threat or as a wealthy tourist. People see you as something different and their curiosity welcomes you more than 99% of the time.GLOBAL CYCLE RIDEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725459988293026216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1207052683883945247.post-37745571523291672172010-04-21T12:29:00.000-07:002010-04-22T03:50:08.694-07:00SIGNS AROUND THE WORLD<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-mxfn_sF2JnbWLznlTsd8Su4KjMA7-FSBewwDjHlNYt_81zy6GODhMeivNXMGfRrU1-fTrIkf_S4oSaMrswOk0hmwA1LsrlyMJeWf-eDLpjBbnwf_LFIahe-sFmZ4nggk1-mY3II1Q1I/s1600/1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-mxfn_sF2JnbWLznlTsd8Su4KjMA7-FSBewwDjHlNYt_81zy6GODhMeivNXMGfRrU1-fTrIkf_S4oSaMrswOk0hmwA1LsrlyMJeWf-eDLpjBbnwf_LFIahe-sFmZ4nggk1-mY3II1Q1I/s320/1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462912350707036402" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1sAGicq2eNGUoQ6kZ7gNwxckxqH9LAo6GFrad1zI3BFWGCra6JzZ0w0c-PAmPi4u3RdxHVC0SdgGXUsPk6teCgZG2NteBxw8WBQARmZuHoVpPUcvADRO7zQWtTYq0rcvFamcxI42Y3m8/s1600/2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1sAGicq2eNGUoQ6kZ7gNwxckxqH9LAo6GFrad1zI3BFWGCra6JzZ0w0c-PAmPi4u3RdxHVC0SdgGXUsPk6teCgZG2NteBxw8WBQARmZuHoVpPUcvADRO7zQWtTYq0rcvFamcxI42Y3m8/s320/2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462911536756153490" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic7bScsoPS5zuKxXnjDREo7Ooye5UH0sfvhgNVIzRqfcD8BCNgL7V8taX7SDECawepwKQBzBBXRJ5Y_bSh7Z9-d1u8_tgsqV4E6O0U8EcZtc2E9sZOSfNC7XVgbjLnGtPpRAze7I9m6SY/s1600/3.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic7bScsoPS5zuKxXnjDREo7Ooye5UH0sfvhgNVIzRqfcD8BCNgL7V8taX7SDECawepwKQBzBBXRJ5Y_bSh7Z9-d1u8_tgsqV4E6O0U8EcZtc2E9sZOSfNC7XVgbjLnGtPpRAze7I9m6SY/s320/3.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462910493690190290" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyms0o3BbI4EBGMzZe430JsIEdTFPtl3gcW5ZHSp1A82SYc0Q8x4ym9Ha8x4Y_jIZm7dZQ4mj-Ft2i4q2aCzMb3jxiJsWJb9tNXiOnjTJhW-s8BSfSEg37y_-T-LJyhlgTBdrFZ6A0Pd8/s1600/4.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyms0o3BbI4EBGMzZe430JsIEdTFPtl3gcW5ZHSp1A82SYc0Q8x4ym9Ha8x4Y_jIZm7dZQ4mj-Ft2i4q2aCzMb3jxiJsWJb9tNXiOnjTJhW-s8BSfSEg37y_-T-LJyhlgTBdrFZ6A0Pd8/s320/4.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462909414115834002" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_GPt9e5uD17_lcbtfcpKS7NjaNNplEhPpPJtyEbIetS3Tr9PcsV1-YM3lSFh6J7QpDRcWjMxV4xEbbRHHGgQEPLZ2Ytn6CXbKBE9-hb4yHwrIkbBpHMqwTXWAek4v6d1JPtDjrqk5GUY/s1600/5.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_GPt9e5uD17_lcbtfcpKS7NjaNNplEhPpPJtyEbIetS3Tr9PcsV1-YM3lSFh6J7QpDRcWjMxV4xEbbRHHGgQEPLZ2Ytn6CXbKBE9-hb4yHwrIkbBpHMqwTXWAek4v6d1JPtDjrqk5GUY/s320/5.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462725367970321458" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGIDWODg77Yqgy0pB1zKkvPvkvRHLwrUmv_2dn3IOIuZLC4_L5wcc5E8FHbxKXUmn9g_OjXZVopiV9fmDo2EHd0y-C_RP5oKTZCWxwDi0YoG9K-Yt1RaoWLsOZh9lMHFVGoYVRY_4ludU/s1600/6.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGIDWODg77Yqgy0pB1zKkvPvkvRHLwrUmv_2dn3IOIuZLC4_L5wcc5E8FHbxKXUmn9g_OjXZVopiV9fmDo2EHd0y-C_RP5oKTZCWxwDi0YoG9K-Yt1RaoWLsOZh9lMHFVGoYVRY_4ludU/s320/6.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462724381344804738" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9q78Mmh2KT16_bBEoG6_7yHgtqIPFvUrFZ2CKF7RRb_JWUe6FdEikUBZvAksY1ByrDmHfGAlUWnmLAVKpiPHtxdf2g4H08YNUwGrf9Q__P1rzhe_JnofQl5okGqKLJoFspNYG3BuUHpU/s1600/7.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9q78Mmh2KT16_bBEoG6_7yHgtqIPFvUrFZ2CKF7RRb_JWUe6FdEikUBZvAksY1ByrDmHfGAlUWnmLAVKpiPHtxdf2g4H08YNUwGrf9Q__P1rzhe_JnofQl5okGqKLJoFspNYG3BuUHpU/s320/7.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462723439600379426" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSjIGLwB8J3GY91LDR-4mU8zE3AoI2P4JZ23pPFSu5Y6zz8VK_o4lY_J_r7C7FzN7SNyjBtDTKFA78CCIZ0CByvze3oLHnO1lktZGJwI0dJvvnwmcTDG3Rdy1ahEubfAItQnh0oXG0gdg/s1600/8.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSjIGLwB8J3GY91LDR-4mU8zE3AoI2P4JZ23pPFSu5Y6zz8VK_o4lY_J_r7C7FzN7SNyjBtDTKFA78CCIZ0CByvze3oLHnO1lktZGJwI0dJvvnwmcTDG3Rdy1ahEubfAItQnh0oXG0gdg/s320/8.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462722281339149394" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96fmQDGYpbFwgUqDTSxh_MIRE9sj-Z1phsW7C0-SimqWG6U_t1F4_t_NnmTtilB8Z4Y-_MgYdiN0ANIveVitQxdJgnrc6FPm9eUoyx-EyiXyQ8mSQWf7FEckrCZa2TEhPchU13S3KVMY/s1600/9.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96fmQDGYpbFwgUqDTSxh_MIRE9sj-Z1phsW7C0-SimqWG6U_t1F4_t_NnmTtilB8Z4Y-_MgYdiN0ANIveVitQxdJgnrc6FPm9eUoyx-EyiXyQ8mSQWf7FEckrCZa2TEhPchU13S3KVMY/s320/9.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462721789527522146" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghxSImUcrFWJ2DpfJ0dRz2D1Rv0Mu6cyhFg42JQiHS2vVh-w1mUt_PX4WkJPVHPRonk84fplslLJzijpJyewG-g9X_IZo7c91FoLRjXKlX4PJ0C5vA32wDFHPGW-CEp-hRKt7B5R5SdKs/s1600/10.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghxSImUcrFWJ2DpfJ0dRz2D1Rv0Mu6cyhFg42JQiHS2vVh-w1mUt_PX4WkJPVHPRonk84fplslLJzijpJyewG-g9X_IZo7c91FoLRjXKlX4PJ0C5vA32wDFHPGW-CEp-hRKt7B5R5SdKs/s320/10.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462720868981383490" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcSYrTEQ4GfpWfmod-_yYFjyub2IhuxEYPCyE6Nus4pTw_Nl6bj-vHJ66i3Xl1DFyJsQsc2SoC029PmJ1axljeinPgl9w1n6TvkbsSdSb-LMr_e08kawuXdOp5DBEzPQ1nteWvaMhS7r8/s1600/11.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcSYrTEQ4GfpWfmod-_yYFjyub2IhuxEYPCyE6Nus4pTw_Nl6bj-vHJ66i3Xl1DFyJsQsc2SoC029PmJ1axljeinPgl9w1n6TvkbsSdSb-LMr_e08kawuXdOp5DBEzPQ1nteWvaMhS7r8/s320/11.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462719155698379106" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_otr8Xi9IqGclMeC8Zudyb6PbU4noNlI04lKlUs1I6I0sL22ztVYC0ECpfSa0YKpkkRCVgXcXETSywQDG-f8_IHQvCma2Msz8-EqRBRBAahqsHMsEK_f5Igq9xKCRsw7BIwJoSIeWGyE/s1600/12.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_otr8Xi9IqGclMeC8Zudyb6PbU4noNlI04lKlUs1I6I0sL22ztVYC0ECpfSa0YKpkkRCVgXcXETSywQDG-f8_IHQvCma2Msz8-EqRBRBAahqsHMsEK_f5Igq9xKCRsw7BIwJoSIeWGyE/s320/12.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462719140772802162" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVZvph_j5QUqVXc6c-ARePBdxswE6RMVO1aWcaS4DuQH0iy00UbNvp_VQRKoJV7czIZsLeNJADm8_Kph5Imc7vfrHBqm-vXUgyIl3noxLhyphenhypheng-npL0lpZGQT3pN6ZutWzMCRAMZhtZ-tU/s1600/13.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVZvph_j5QUqVXc6c-ARePBdxswE6RMVO1aWcaS4DuQH0iy00UbNvp_VQRKoJV7czIZsLeNJADm8_Kph5Imc7vfrHBqm-vXUgyIl3noxLhyphenhypheng-npL0lpZGQT3pN6ZutWzMCRAMZhtZ-tU/s320/13.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462719137745335138" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY5txAZPaWt5MqEvdsDiQVtwKHdRoFYVbYQFwcVX1nkFXNwAvHNgcOTbPoYi7cCKv0r14cEQwqZmrRqjzF1oISIe3h9Fq2PccWW71Td0KZl2jR6nJwJwxeuGSBRhEqB-WLp9N4tT1bSHU/s1600/14.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY5txAZPaWt5MqEvdsDiQVtwKHdRoFYVbYQFwcVX1nkFXNwAvHNgcOTbPoYi7cCKv0r14cEQwqZmrRqjzF1oISIe3h9Fq2PccWW71Td0KZl2jR6nJwJwxeuGSBRhEqB-WLp9N4tT1bSHU/s320/14.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462719131244581874" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0BpbYaluPMlBY1MysGUWpyPKfzLzZimMFqrKwIGbkYvMrKhmccr2nZk3Pe3Tft-HDFDPVZYgQPrHOyD_Nv2N9PzE5A83b4WaQmnWLGmBITKEAFScPEB7TwOBmrIIYOuQ69TcX-jCPMYc/s1600/15.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0BpbYaluPMlBY1MysGUWpyPKfzLzZimMFqrKwIGbkYvMrKhmccr2nZk3Pe3Tft-HDFDPVZYgQPrHOyD_Nv2N9PzE5A83b4WaQmnWLGmBITKEAFScPEB7TwOBmrIIYOuQ69TcX-jCPMYc/s320/15.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462708962620566834" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRQv93WTtgWAJHqCwAtNx6oT_xyZDKTXuOBam8OSu95SDb-fV2ODCroHKc_QH8xnIMro94uqWQHbmMhPB2hLfc5BFoQd52zYr6wIjRhFwiD1bRT26-JvmGKzzeOKgYuyDsNGODeIwovoY/s1600/15b.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRQv93WTtgWAJHqCwAtNx6oT_xyZDKTXuOBam8OSu95SDb-fV2ODCroHKc_QH8xnIMro94uqWQHbmMhPB2hLfc5BFoQd52zYr6wIjRhFwiD1bRT26-JvmGKzzeOKgYuyDsNGODeIwovoY/s320/15b.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462708510506222178" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIuXPdRSfO3D2Ro__J8QZuHHb37tVvsQvn_CeUB7clNDHW0gwVSVwNTtLUxbexEN41hPAEXYyrOpZ7AZy-lPrikDaSlSkumg-_-uTnHvS0IXkOfU252wIhmJ2BZ4sPDVcT49HBbiL1i5M/s1600/16.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIuXPdRSfO3D2Ro__J8QZuHHb37tVvsQvn_CeUB7clNDHW0gwVSVwNTtLUxbexEN41hPAEXYyrOpZ7AZy-lPrikDaSlSkumg-_-uTnHvS0IXkOfU252wIhmJ2BZ4sPDVcT49HBbiL1i5M/s320/16.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462708065217297890" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc4JoD_Q59b84CJw1WDcCUb9rOnITZRBD3bqbY8MkMZhvTPgew1Y6Wp8y2cBJpvwS744DeB73r8FVVmoPzVYezbNdRdWomvQ5XlmZG5ujWDfiUh3s_xdnEzIM5FMQQBID3l08BRDL6H7Y/s1600/17.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc4JoD_Q59b84CJw1WDcCUb9rOnITZRBD3bqbY8MkMZhvTPgew1Y6Wp8y2cBJpvwS744DeB73r8FVVmoPzVYezbNdRdWomvQ5XlmZG5ujWDfiUh3s_xdnEzIM5FMQQBID3l08BRDL6H7Y/s320/17.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462707606845918882" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBQWCbAd9cHmCIPHsOuHWlLptKFjyQawjyTwEk4TkDwqUvox6luIWMq-jD17kZKLiDiX_QlsOF4RMw8D6uKU3spo85Z0N2jZ2JqDdSi2dVcVw7AUdMMbhDemBNHlsnleQWo2BwScBG-oY/s1600/19.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBQWCbAd9cHmCIPHsOuHWlLptKFjyQawjyTwEk4TkDwqUvox6luIWMq-jD17kZKLiDiX_QlsOF4RMw8D6uKU3spo85Z0N2jZ2JqDdSi2dVcVw7AUdMMbhDemBNHlsnleQWo2BwScBG-oY/s320/19.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462706729059463250" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0czqR7tOEp7BNi89nATOTYYQfoMF5jTUhkuzFBrF2KvAzV4typlVBX1_-hdBsBa3_JSupWtBSCYHsQc7g5F5_YH1IWrWEGUa5hC_SHphSGdhoi-2woKIrGBYXNLGURsjND439Mn6GcF0/s1600/20.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0czqR7tOEp7BNi89nATOTYYQfoMF5jTUhkuzFBrF2KvAzV4typlVBX1_-hdBsBa3_JSupWtBSCYHsQc7g5F5_YH1IWrWEGUa5hC_SHphSGdhoi-2woKIrGBYXNLGURsjND439Mn6GcF0/s320/20.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462706346088455506" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9IYr21Q7N1ZhcriDcwvdc49i0JwY9SfviW5NKKhh1GvydaEzgHQXglCF6RU_pY9Mio8Fq3oR4jP7zrxlRebzCR-0LnhYuQ0Ymqq_XZoyzKXLSdIUQz0uIpDbg1cZhoGR60gQ2OEt3zfA/s1600/1b.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9IYr21Q7N1ZhcriDcwvdc49i0JwY9SfviW5NKKhh1GvydaEzgHQXglCF6RU_pY9Mio8Fq3oR4jP7zrxlRebzCR-0LnhYuQ0Ymqq_XZoyzKXLSdIUQz0uIpDbg1cZhoGR60gQ2OEt3zfA/s320/1b.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462676648238443922" /></a>GLOBAL CYCLE RIDEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725459988293026216noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1207052683883945247.post-71196976876469506862010-04-21T12:27:00.000-07:002010-04-21T14:27:20.253-07:00<strong>NOTE - THIS BLOG WAS UPDATED AS I WAS ON THE ROAD. SO YOU WILL NOTICE THAT THE BLOG BEGINS AT THE END OF THE JOURNEY AND AS YOU SCROLL DOWN THROUGH IT, YOU WILL EVENTUALLY COME TO THE START OF THE JOURNEY.</strong>GLOBAL CYCLE RIDEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725459988293026216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1207052683883945247.post-3264139764743572052010-04-21T12:14:00.000-07:002010-04-22T04:18:51.208-07:00WELCOME TO CANCUN<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcqvYbO5XtG4RFe8NUi29wvVBI9r6Y8G5GnLTBbzXNhDyfiOp1TVCsTfJFsQnaWt3_3JmcBzomtTKOURElLRhGus5bu7NatBfI7w2dlhikz1fmfchYAnVOAXMy0oEKSxaqbVZkys401lc/s1600/6A.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcqvYbO5XtG4RFe8NUi29wvVBI9r6Y8G5GnLTBbzXNhDyfiOp1TVCsTfJFsQnaWt3_3JmcBzomtTKOURElLRhGus5bu7NatBfI7w2dlhikz1fmfchYAnVOAXMy0oEKSxaqbVZkys401lc/s320/6A.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462674474948004850" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaGfNHNNK6xjzrF659-4X1cJ3gfs4-f6rq8SPl1xofaXZg-fXqy-siWubKdMcrc8-1zfzO_FVhyphenhyphenzdcHG_XwazfbweTNaphRJY2nZQ9qW4IEv_mm45XeN4do6X3P4K2lhmvxb7tob8NE7U/s1600/6B.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaGfNHNNK6xjzrF659-4X1cJ3gfs4-f6rq8SPl1xofaXZg-fXqy-siWubKdMcrc8-1zfzO_FVhyphenhyphenzdcHG_XwazfbweTNaphRJY2nZQ9qW4IEv_mm45XeN4do6X3P4K2lhmvxb7tob8NE7U/s320/6B.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462673223246633922" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnjH8SyqMhCMYdYcwo9QN53PKQWjquYZxvFbMJXbb4Y4eeIScq6TknHgcFCKfa9XwO7LeeLpuFml9XmB6BSHtP8nqf3WHFziNpX8lhFyHK5IO_x8xWZUq19QW5KiO-bPom0UNQc_u-v3U/s1600/6C.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnjH8SyqMhCMYdYcwo9QN53PKQWjquYZxvFbMJXbb4Y4eeIScq6TknHgcFCKfa9XwO7LeeLpuFml9XmB6BSHtP8nqf3WHFziNpX8lhFyHK5IO_x8xWZUq19QW5KiO-bPom0UNQc_u-v3U/s320/6C.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462671812443723458" /></a><br />The rain poured down as I pedalled into Cancun, Mexico. It was the end of a journey that begun 17 months ago. And the previous 5 years were spent planning and saving for this venture. In two days time I had a flight to Dublin and all that was left was to pedal it down to Naas. It was a strange feeling. I'm looking forward to getting home. I'm going to miss Global Cycle Ride.<br />It was a busy week. My flight to Dublin goes via United States and due to recent changes in U.S. immigration procedures, I needed to leave then re enter Mexico before I could take my flight out of Cancun. I pedalled hard towards Belize. I didn't see much of Belize. Immigration stamped me in. I found a nearby lake for a wash. And then immigration stamped me out again. I was back in Mexico but those Belize stamps in my passport should ensure a smooth passage past U.S. immigration and on to Ireland.GLOBAL CYCLE RIDEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725459988293026216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1207052683883945247.post-2787607429575558182010-04-21T11:51:00.001-07:002010-04-22T04:35:05.288-07:00THE REMAINS OF THE MAYA EMPIRE<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9yILgPseWMmP50EIjA6dF4ugQs_etdMaSKDLM9pBXN_RCZQ9X9pgWslJ1W3IVT9FVje_yqwh6gte2C5YYXClg90rYBH0zL9jfJN3uzdCTKHmlKuC6BdO9q-Cy5QFFgskJcY6tzEvWIY/s1600/5A.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9yILgPseWMmP50EIjA6dF4ugQs_etdMaSKDLM9pBXN_RCZQ9X9pgWslJ1W3IVT9FVje_yqwh6gte2C5YYXClg90rYBH0zL9jfJN3uzdCTKHmlKuC6BdO9q-Cy5QFFgskJcY6tzEvWIY/s320/5A.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462923916647237586" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbhjw6X_UdTzIFlWiFgx03C2qc76-J4i933nF_zXZ7xXaRCTI-FT74sxTsK6bThk0Go1poXhsil4z9do19Ou6XxN6ehndaRvtPuxzihb1oDrZiB4NmoneVc03gH9ARYdwfjsuWLEjWU94/s1600/5B.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbhjw6X_UdTzIFlWiFgx03C2qc76-J4i933nF_zXZ7xXaRCTI-FT74sxTsK6bThk0Go1poXhsil4z9do19Ou6XxN6ehndaRvtPuxzihb1oDrZiB4NmoneVc03gH9ARYdwfjsuWLEjWU94/s320/5B.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462922463461156098" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPaTFBfUh_cyCZakKNhrIdQIUUXsHgzxjq8-6eriK-I9BFdpTw14w9t_WKCYuaXyudBR3Glcaig9Cy16awpli1Kx8MpcLgr1pKFsZbGwZf0Maj74mp5Q3_FNxGnPto8Qe02_TwDWNXHa4/s1600/5D.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPaTFBfUh_cyCZakKNhrIdQIUUXsHgzxjq8-6eriK-I9BFdpTw14w9t_WKCYuaXyudBR3Glcaig9Cy16awpli1Kx8MpcLgr1pKFsZbGwZf0Maj74mp5Q3_FNxGnPto8Qe02_TwDWNXHa4/s320/5D.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462667740050092162" /></a>GLOBAL CYCLE RIDEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725459988293026216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1207052683883945247.post-45276131462541572082010-04-21T11:30:00.000-07:002010-04-21T11:34:44.411-07:00UNEXPECTED WEATHER<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgou-qEZZOhiBV2InEVEQcuzvKT1WlQitmnspWF2zg2xhgtK2zIJpskd9SlSJZi8uEKXAAJ3ACyXWozF-wnlKaw4yclWbiDvtzWX4ooxNABHMzCYFdVWp0xoTNTgQaRZHwnSXGPQmDcCZ4/s1600/4B.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgou-qEZZOhiBV2InEVEQcuzvKT1WlQitmnspWF2zg2xhgtK2zIJpskd9SlSJZi8uEKXAAJ3ACyXWozF-wnlKaw4yclWbiDvtzWX4ooxNABHMzCYFdVWp0xoTNTgQaRZHwnSXGPQmDcCZ4/s320/4B.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462660936096698594" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHuSjgOQ8soOXnHRfi9hLHuajvnT6LtrmG7yUkHkSv0gp4CXZB1N2_oDP1MCkR5OLT0l_9K2fyHDlbSDadyOI5iFvF_UpL9LM1DicheVXs5BIst4BphqTbedga_Z9KL5NDVYs6ipxutrQ/s1600/4A.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHuSjgOQ8soOXnHRfi9hLHuajvnT6LtrmG7yUkHkSv0gp4CXZB1N2_oDP1MCkR5OLT0l_9K2fyHDlbSDadyOI5iFvF_UpL9LM1DicheVXs5BIst4BphqTbedga_Z9KL5NDVYs6ipxutrQ/s320/4A.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462660932257362690" /></a><br /><br />I never would have expected the weather that I'm getting here in south east Mexico. Its just the worst rain of the journey. Maybe its preparing me for an Irish summer. I don't know, but when you're wet, you're wet, and I just pedal on down that road regardless.GLOBAL CYCLE RIDEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725459988293026216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1207052683883945247.post-90824561131906091062010-04-21T11:24:00.000-07:002010-04-21T11:30:22.110-07:00BREAKFAST AT THE OFFICE<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQz9zFmhM_MMU98zX9SuGpHg0_tPwewivf4hq3qjxPAKoeVg-mN1jZLBEpZutAmLFPLlAJgRRFDtLpXYreVdn-RQgG2Zd97LfpM7PLY9IKOnQLOcTzXNMjpQ4GTVUEKMsjWjCY3f1O5AY/s1600/BREAKFAST+AT+THE+OFFICE.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQz9zFmhM_MMU98zX9SuGpHg0_tPwewivf4hq3qjxPAKoeVg-mN1jZLBEpZutAmLFPLlAJgRRFDtLpXYreVdn-RQgG2Zd97LfpM7PLY9IKOnQLOcTzXNMjpQ4GTVUEKMsjWjCY3f1O5AY/s320/BREAKFAST+AT+THE+OFFICE.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462659416007176626" /></a>GLOBAL CYCLE RIDEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725459988293026216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1207052683883945247.post-61771489410244033452010-04-13T14:33:00.000-07:002010-04-21T13:14:12.870-07:00GLOBAL CYCLE RIDE - THE FINAL STAGE<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUnDTdxCt5AY1ZcLEHaQ0HdWll6L9571CQcRF4z_yKRqZcFwOTQERmUULfUWLkWtJqkbD6LrWI7AwJddKiSYDrIFoAlx3doFrcepbsBfe-uZI3n4cGMVUCWkG7OpRQ_Csuf1t5zmzKvk4/s1600/istanbul+to+back+sea2+067.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUnDTdxCt5AY1ZcLEHaQ0HdWll6L9571CQcRF4z_yKRqZcFwOTQERmUULfUWLkWtJqkbD6LrWI7AwJddKiSYDrIFoAlx3doFrcepbsBfe-uZI3n4cGMVUCWkG7OpRQ_Csuf1t5zmzKvk4/s320/istanbul+to+back+sea2+067.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459740539526836738" /></a><br />Below is an extract from Flann O'Brien's book 'The Third Policeman'<br /><br /><em>'People who spent most of their natural lives riding iron bicycles over the rocky roadsteads of this parish get their personalities mixed up with the personalities of their bicycle as a result of the interchanging of the atoms of each of them and you would be surprised at the number of people in these parts who nearly are half people and half bicycle.'<br />I let out a gasp of astonishment that made a sound in the air like a bad puncture.<br />'And you would be flabbergasted at the number of bicycles that are half human almost half-man, half partaking of humanity.'</em><br /><br />Although there is a part of me that wants to continue pedalling down that road forever, life contains much better options than that. I'm going home. The initial plan was to "cycle around the world as long as my health allows and the challenge remains exciting". That global circuit is now almost complete. In fact, to the best of my knowledge, this makes Global Cycle Ride the first cycle around the world by any Irish person.<br />If you keep travelling east eventually you will arrive from the west. I'm 500KM from Cancun and Mexico's roads don't go further east than that. I have a flight next week that takes me back to Ireland. I'm so excited the last stage of the trip is finally here. I've been pedalling Global Cycle Ride for 17 months. I, and all my bicycle atoms are certainly going to miss this adventure that has been my day to day life for so long.<br /><em></em>GLOBAL CYCLE RIDEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725459988293026216noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1207052683883945247.post-9645323555898722362010-04-06T22:49:00.000-07:002010-04-07T09:01:28.940-07:00CENTRAL MEXICO AND INTO THE TROPICS<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTLfP8vgk-3haiVOGdvfzAAjAZ0hRkJ3ivf5nUjfTSIuenMbwEoCvX7PlNTNRarkUtts25DtLNHOWp4GPajC_kDcxFQCtSWMO6twBEFBR-ttvTOZws-MdWgudZER6RmHV9V3wM1qhK3Ww/s1600/1.CENTRAL+MEXICO+AND+INTO+THE+TROPICS.txt.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTLfP8vgk-3haiVOGdvfzAAjAZ0hRkJ3ivf5nUjfTSIuenMbwEoCvX7PlNTNRarkUtts25DtLNHOWp4GPajC_kDcxFQCtSWMO6twBEFBR-ttvTOZws-MdWgudZER6RmHV9V3wM1qhK3Ww/s320/1.CENTRAL+MEXICO+AND+INTO+THE+TROPICS.txt.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457271530763516626" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4vfnFZW6gCWHbNapOwrVsRE5gI_n9YyKQHE7426edNXBh-Ep0L9vK4LWI_Uo2GKvfimAo2DrXP-_n-5hFA_uQi5wpFwCsnpqCQ_fPoj1nbacvQNrjnwQKCtCp7clFshSchM0Fvfh5o5M/s1600/2.CENTRAL+MEXICO+AND+INTO+THE+TROPICS.txt.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4vfnFZW6gCWHbNapOwrVsRE5gI_n9YyKQHE7426edNXBh-Ep0L9vK4LWI_Uo2GKvfimAo2DrXP-_n-5hFA_uQi5wpFwCsnpqCQ_fPoj1nbacvQNrjnwQKCtCp7clFshSchM0Fvfh5o5M/s320/2.CENTRAL+MEXICO+AND+INTO+THE+TROPICS.txt.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457270908008643202" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKwCVBpvw4lXcF6pkMd9COv01c3BjT7D5itZuvgeBehjfshQwk8sunxf6PFuMnpQ4cFNOVz05puSgrYfG85lYpHIKLWCUytU__bhycbG7CGsQscKa7aLLPo4FPY_6mCkSVW2VXPqsMaLk/s1600/3.CENTRAL+MEXICO+AND+INTO+THE+TROPICS.txt.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKwCVBpvw4lXcF6pkMd9COv01c3BjT7D5itZuvgeBehjfshQwk8sunxf6PFuMnpQ4cFNOVz05puSgrYfG85lYpHIKLWCUytU__bhycbG7CGsQscKa7aLLPo4FPY_6mCkSVW2VXPqsMaLk/s320/3.CENTRAL+MEXICO+AND+INTO+THE+TROPICS.txt.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457270044525631266" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFdfH1OwUjZufTQCRnX1d3LV1awEZltxZjaKoYRTkH41hlcgf_rUPS49Z_O50MNXLWh6Q2cf0KiNE-4q9Y6PKIhswKzaZy7DOw3oPoMP2ouOty13ME-dC1uBpwzTxPPxVXrlWfhhejg2w/s1600/4.CENTRAL+MEXICO+AND+INTO+THE+TROPICS.txt.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFdfH1OwUjZufTQCRnX1d3LV1awEZltxZjaKoYRTkH41hlcgf_rUPS49Z_O50MNXLWh6Q2cf0KiNE-4q9Y6PKIhswKzaZy7DOw3oPoMP2ouOty13ME-dC1uBpwzTxPPxVXrlWfhhejg2w/s320/4.CENTRAL+MEXICO+AND+INTO+THE+TROPICS.txt.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457269446116517954" /></a><br />My surroundings are gradually changing from desert back to jungle. Yesterday I crossed south over the Tropic of Cancer. Today I packed up my tent in a valley full of cactus plants. It was mostly a journey of downhill off the Sierra Madre Oriental mountains. I free wheeled past the first banana trees I'd seen since Asia. As a prepared my pasta dish in a grassy valley at sunset, I was joined by that all too familiar pest of the tropics, the mosquito. But at least I won't be getting any more punctures from those cactus plants. And by entering the tropics, natures evening tune had changed too. No more howls from the coyote but there are more birds and they are singing louder. Progress is slower through the jungle. There is more rolling hills and the meandering road rises and falls through these lush surroundings. Its a new heat too. The dry desert heat has become the hot and sticky tropical heat. The Huastac people of this region live a very simple life, but they have been very generous to me. Payment has been refused two days in a row for my lunch. Traffic has increased as I move away from the less populated desert regions and these roads don't have much in the line of a hard shoulder. I'm beginning to think the Mexican definition of safe driving is to hang the rosary beads on the rear view mirror and leave the driving to a higher power. But with 50 million Mexican drivers and so many crucifixes' by the side of the road, it should make these drivers' reconsider their belief's ability at multi-tasking.GLOBAL CYCLE RIDEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725459988293026216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1207052683883945247.post-50505813587747310522010-04-06T22:46:00.001-07:002010-04-07T09:01:02.471-07:00GOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhC2N3XqZiJdGYY-4axjge_Va7eagxPSYZ4YLVMaKS6m4TyOJloLHhqrXIiXvwz5xk-G0C_fYxJwnooH_m5qJ38ch8KrUUmK1kQTJxQhcd5LrfiGubxiBvdJQitic6jgAWhKlrNfIV1_8/s1600/THE+BEAUTIFUL+GAME+1463.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhC2N3XqZiJdGYY-4axjge_Va7eagxPSYZ4YLVMaKS6m4TyOJloLHhqrXIiXvwz5xk-G0C_fYxJwnooH_m5qJ38ch8KrUUmK1kQTJxQhcd5LrfiGubxiBvdJQitic6jgAWhKlrNfIV1_8/s320/THE+BEAUTIFUL+GAME+1463.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457268489388981666" /></a><br />Almost every town and village in Mexico seems to have a basketball court, but its not basketball that the school kids are playing.GLOBAL CYCLE RIDEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725459988293026216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1207052683883945247.post-84094218558510763282010-04-06T22:42:00.000-07:002010-04-07T08:59:25.900-07:00A PINA COLADO FOR WHOEVER SPOTS THE BABY<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6bknJtz8FRyM7V50Go6LJ93hthpRbXIW-J2m_3Yu0MzIVm-Ha8sajHYlQe9t70C_kTMEsAtH4ClbS2Flgjj0UZZrwsC9yADzF5xMs8AlJijEO5u4XOCU9-6Y7_CsQbmgslJHmwgYt5A/s1600/SPOT+THE+BABY1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6bknJtz8FRyM7V50Go6LJ93hthpRbXIW-J2m_3Yu0MzIVm-Ha8sajHYlQe9t70C_kTMEsAtH4ClbS2Flgjj0UZZrwsC9yADzF5xMs8AlJijEO5u4XOCU9-6Y7_CsQbmgslJHmwgYt5A/s320/SPOT+THE+BABY1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457267489174884962" /></a>GLOBAL CYCLE RIDEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725459988293026216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1207052683883945247.post-45591495320061613032010-04-06T22:37:00.000-07:002010-04-07T08:58:35.619-07:00BUENAS NOCHES AMIGO<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnRwsCrURLxZjbLnfeuW_S59TOZPH5ByebGKCezWhPQVQCk6H-dyVMWeBzpUWRbvLPzVM2vKnlL6WHhFQksUxe215EOcUeO49ZGUemqDk99H8PHe8GAM6ptQDfy7IUee18NatnPFREyhU/s1600/MICHAEL+JACKSON.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnRwsCrURLxZjbLnfeuW_S59TOZPH5ByebGKCezWhPQVQCk6H-dyVMWeBzpUWRbvLPzVM2vKnlL6WHhFQksUxe215EOcUeO49ZGUemqDk99H8PHe8GAM6ptQDfy7IUee18NatnPFREyhU/s320/MICHAEL+JACKSON.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457266464589199986" /></a><br />It was soon after sunset when a bunch of local kids came across my tent and bicycle camped up by a river. Curiosity as to who this passing stranger was, caused them to wake me. With broken Spanish/English, we chatted away for an hour over a map of the world. I'm sure many of these kids had a bicycle and I think their minds were filled with wonder and excitement at the thoughts of just how far a bicycle can really take you. I had to stick this photo on the blog. The guy on the far left hates his nickname; 'Michael Jackson'.GLOBAL CYCLE RIDEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725459988293026216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1207052683883945247.post-28830420537292673312010-04-06T21:44:00.001-07:002010-04-08T07:43:31.223-07:00EL TAJIN<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4LvljExAYVi-WXAUqQosBFzrljYxV-7F099PUwHVu3BWkCOrnTp29XytTfHJjTNZ9P-meE3E_IFfarL87S1RbmBQe6YMgtRJOgptqyos8cnjqXORdmXO6UAxpeq9ru3Z0cZLjL8uSlts/s1600/1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4LvljExAYVi-WXAUqQosBFzrljYxV-7F099PUwHVu3BWkCOrnTp29XytTfHJjTNZ9P-meE3E_IFfarL87S1RbmBQe6YMgtRJOgptqyos8cnjqXORdmXO6UAxpeq9ru3Z0cZLjL8uSlts/s320/1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457265419733776386" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNezO9_kwNbc9lWPTK39MykGW3GaWpx-sRKi3beNZYwhzbmi4ge4itw31JooAZY9B7WQGSl_QP83qfaiPJeE_Gb-n81ByGdBt1nDTpfsXY8QWjRkj4xLsq5hmedjZPUzaXmbLH0NMXxuw/s1600/2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNezO9_kwNbc9lWPTK39MykGW3GaWpx-sRKi3beNZYwhzbmi4ge4itw31JooAZY9B7WQGSl_QP83qfaiPJeE_Gb-n81ByGdBt1nDTpfsXY8QWjRkj4xLsq5hmedjZPUzaXmbLH0NMXxuw/s320/2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457265411760434754" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDVoDBXLjPUP3GZEb_ktNE6cvsOIu0903V1m_Lk9ocurY486CeHzRK0qEFFMa__84uLWAo_a4C91mpyYIppZl5aOVOyIz55pom71UBSw4kx7VTTjYXodIX-gunM5RZSyEF7UkaxUAtxZ8/s1600/5.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDVoDBXLjPUP3GZEb_ktNE6cvsOIu0903V1m_Lk9ocurY486CeHzRK0qEFFMa__84uLWAo_a4C91mpyYIppZl5aOVOyIz55pom71UBSw4kx7VTTjYXodIX-gunM5RZSyEF7UkaxUAtxZ8/s320/5.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457264599122758050" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnyJUeggAgN2u_i_khW5b-w2bNtzEF_KDOY4no9PgK_lZ4Edi2SpkJieHc-pPfxnwk7tHNjz_oinH-T4skxBHfpNgsoUZ009lSx0sLntK1mweHIpYZLCakeimkpIwi9pTdwYC_K1F1x5I/s1600/4.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnyJUeggAgN2u_i_khW5b-w2bNtzEF_KDOY4no9PgK_lZ4Edi2SpkJieHc-pPfxnwk7tHNjz_oinH-T4skxBHfpNgsoUZ009lSx0sLntK1mweHIpYZLCakeimkpIwi9pTdwYC_K1F1x5I/s320/4.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457264595260821026" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv6y9cQRlAsPVNQ6BYRKf_75lHYST5Z7viayvi_DWujGBJCaGXcQB0wTPZkcB283MIP2HzS1K6eBWYkgDXq6xzpGIPMbfQD0EFzourAEyvLmtylgfSyUH-QoU_vKqAdvkQE-FG_u98WMA/s1600/3.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv6y9cQRlAsPVNQ6BYRKf_75lHYST5Z7viayvi_DWujGBJCaGXcQB0wTPZkcB283MIP2HzS1K6eBWYkgDXq6xzpGIPMbfQD0EFzourAEyvLmtylgfSyUH-QoU_vKqAdvkQE-FG_u98WMA/s320/3.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457264587158752834" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4dEnPmi_IREtAOwm1-fU4ededD5qpFht75JsVt7E9yyVowcI_opZp8H50GVBLbdFCZmlQzWlS_3LPrP3cW-Kp7ZTb75IDXmP2dBBUm-gzTaFiQcZ0tfl5_kmfHPQXtWeN41bAA9LhBY/s1600/8.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4dEnPmi_IREtAOwm1-fU4ededD5qpFht75JsVt7E9yyVowcI_opZp8H50GVBLbdFCZmlQzWlS_3LPrP3cW-Kp7ZTb75IDXmP2dBBUm-gzTaFiQcZ0tfl5_kmfHPQXtWeN41bAA9LhBY/s320/8.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457263568440331058" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqbsRFNlIFc-xaiJ54lCFsdfEc3xinUr3Jaw0szKVe451BzpY4hQr5Hc4DBjzEqQFsUkv5simw4tpO4JxynRxYm6Fq96gds5bxlUcU3digtHg0BkYdzWRvyRbgm90KfPweqOSimEGgs9c/s1600/7.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqbsRFNlIFc-xaiJ54lCFsdfEc3xinUr3Jaw0szKVe451BzpY4hQr5Hc4DBjzEqQFsUkv5simw4tpO4JxynRxYm6Fq96gds5bxlUcU3digtHg0BkYdzWRvyRbgm90KfPweqOSimEGgs9c/s320/7.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457263557965668258" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkVNL1rjPDBfX8p55Nlma9Z3qOALeQFA5G1dX7kwvWdPhp1ap0Z6XB4-F1P8nqmp-S3urvH-nE1eEf0e2lHhoZJI9O1TiyCCqMk86NKN1QIS5-icu_9N820hmp-Lmbgt5g3BhM6a-k_BU/s1600/6.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkVNL1rjPDBfX8p55Nlma9Z3qOALeQFA5G1dX7kwvWdPhp1ap0Z6XB4-F1P8nqmp-S3urvH-nE1eEf0e2lHhoZJI9O1TiyCCqMk86NKN1QIS5-icu_9N820hmp-Lmbgt5g3BhM6a-k_BU/s320/6.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457263549391003874" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxpocg7AK-DbT70AiWn8ropKv3XIQ9DBwIs__m-Qi3vTFwAgQ0nyfP0vi310KaDtbgvrRk4SS9wr4jcxQIWLsdpFBwjyoLJljADMAjdvp5iOXJkpnJmeAEfi9YaRQ80-XTZVNiR2whUp8/s1600/10.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxpocg7AK-DbT70AiWn8ropKv3XIQ9DBwIs__m-Qi3vTFwAgQ0nyfP0vi310KaDtbgvrRk4SS9wr4jcxQIWLsdpFBwjyoLJljADMAjdvp5iOXJkpnJmeAEfi9YaRQ80-XTZVNiR2whUp8/s320/10.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457262522874790306" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4A05K7qdnThM94SHnf1B5h46fghYbRgbfs4f5lGiwiF6hd2eToFJAFk-WQGZ7Heh4eAvGj__LG1nYQ2RDfsHCDPrsePnUDNDJc9NhWbkszToTqPs2oxI9MYIx5fY_tJph98ZzDgCZLtE/s1600/9.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4A05K7qdnThM94SHnf1B5h46fghYbRgbfs4f5lGiwiF6hd2eToFJAFk-WQGZ7Heh4eAvGj__LG1nYQ2RDfsHCDPrsePnUDNDJc9NhWbkszToTqPs2oxI9MYIx5fY_tJph98ZzDgCZLtE/s320/9.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457262508614782434" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj__BRltPDAZHteUWlG7cqoRg2Mzukn3OkCm6Y2KZZuPk96eT-VA2mJrSTNHvR0BAeAMTNIBEkfnBdQL36OJnDx8O0QUAbAivyR-6XwqaEqR_U5309brc5R6T48m5ZmfF3iSlaJnfnepZA/s1600/11.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj__BRltPDAZHteUWlG7cqoRg2Mzukn3OkCm6Y2KZZuPk96eT-VA2mJrSTNHvR0BAeAMTNIBEkfnBdQL36OJnDx8O0QUAbAivyR-6XwqaEqR_U5309brc5R6T48m5ZmfF3iSlaJnfnepZA/s320/11.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457261384264946802" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD52JILjoRCgMUVUVq-STsA39hVsZKjANvdZ0pcl8Su3NCtMV1dJun2CLeuqzbghVIy9-y-J-ai3araTMS1YAoE5QOe22NmRicKtDuVwJksS5jPmmDRWt9r243dihJNKZUREwD-8IGDGA/s1600/13.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD52JILjoRCgMUVUVq-STsA39hVsZKjANvdZ0pcl8Su3NCtMV1dJun2CLeuqzbghVIy9-y-J-ai3araTMS1YAoE5QOe22NmRicKtDuVwJksS5jPmmDRWt9r243dihJNKZUREwD-8IGDGA/s320/13.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457260782024649442" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNcn2pcxUXOEhDtFRjMjwFMrd4tqSE1lI7d_35kbbzntqeOk4QgcpxjG7UXt1ZpKheyXt_EjQzVP0TuYER9-XX6zFTbCISzARz9rsTqmzUcJh-tp2frrfs7CB88E-9PXaSkiZUZnNBZrY/s1600/12.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNcn2pcxUXOEhDtFRjMjwFMrd4tqSE1lI7d_35kbbzntqeOk4QgcpxjG7UXt1ZpKheyXt_EjQzVP0TuYER9-XX6zFTbCISzARz9rsTqmzUcJh-tp2frrfs7CB88E-9PXaSkiZUZnNBZrY/s320/12.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457260767399797122" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEyh9BNKljO2w0WPw4zdUdxjw9CgUvwPJaNG2lcE_15U3bvflg3J44v0oHVxfn-B3_9b3vG5R9mxzs9bqKZwbSBpX-M5ZCK-iEwrVpes4JVEaNYBAB4uirxBNcCmrHc0QsRumpg5VG8Es/s1600/14.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEyh9BNKljO2w0WPw4zdUdxjw9CgUvwPJaNG2lcE_15U3bvflg3J44v0oHVxfn-B3_9b3vG5R9mxzs9bqKZwbSBpX-M5ZCK-iEwrVpes4JVEaNYBAB4uirxBNcCmrHc0QsRumpg5VG8Es/s320/14.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457259666015705026" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBauAQs-dzOZR3x6dh14ESQtBEiVzigR1xtl202Tzd6gezhHRqeto_rch_vsBkKUpFPLrZNC5BW4y-9YY_6Pzzlcx9t1cuyVj7H-bqKnE-92c6YKz4FLBBVCLRd19eoQzQAfJKZMQ_mEI/s1600/15.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBauAQs-dzOZR3x6dh14ESQtBEiVzigR1xtl202Tzd6gezhHRqeto_rch_vsBkKUpFPLrZNC5BW4y-9YY_6Pzzlcx9t1cuyVj7H-bqKnE-92c6YKz4FLBBVCLRd19eoQzQAfJKZMQ_mEI/s320/15.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457259044424437922" /></a><br />A liquid lunch of caramel tequila and mango juice with a bowl of walnuts set the right tone for my day of rest from cycling. I took a six kilometre bus journey from Papantla to the wonderous archaeological site of El Tajin. With shades, a sunhat and Pink Floyld's Pompeii on the ipod, I happily strolled about the ruins. The Totonac people who occupied the area between 600AD and 1200AD certainly took their football hooligism very seriously. The entire area has 17 ball courts and sculptures depicting human sacrifice connected with the 'ball game'. Back in Papantla the town was filled with celebration and very basic but amusing dances by the locals. I'm unsure, but I believe the sense of carnival is part of a religious celebration of the approach of the end of lent and the arrival of Easter. With so many people in traditional dress and almost everyone was holding vanilla pods woven into intricate designs of flowers and crucifixes, it made for a lovely evening as I strolled about the town square. I was just thinking; I'm 27 days in Mexico now and I haven't met a foreign tourist yet. As the day came to a close I decided to complete the day with a dessert similar to my liquid lunch. Now what's a "Turbo Muppet" cocktail?? considering I'm struggling with Spanish, there's only one real way to find out!GLOBAL CYCLE RIDEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725459988293026216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1207052683883945247.post-8462602383948669032010-04-06T21:38:00.001-07:002010-04-07T08:52:55.553-07:00"HEY MAN, WE GOT A BIKE WASH IN HERE!"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsNE7tTODQuJtI1pa7Vwb_B1o2UhgwuFIUmSEwDGFyxO5vn6bWA3mDYA7esWwBBVz9AXlvt-9Rnte7yWBNTafCVxJGEZHsgkP5tQGe83VgQs1BW2vcxh1dDEYcvFt4tzYckItJxmFCFkI/s1600/DSC01443.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsNE7tTODQuJtI1pa7Vwb_B1o2UhgwuFIUmSEwDGFyxO5vn6bWA3mDYA7esWwBBVz9AXlvt-9Rnte7yWBNTafCVxJGEZHsgkP5tQGe83VgQs1BW2vcxh1dDEYcvFt4tzYckItJxmFCFkI/s320/DSC01443.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457251464302011666" /></a>GLOBAL CYCLE RIDEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725459988293026216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1207052683883945247.post-10646917663771803032010-04-06T21:36:00.000-07:002010-04-07T08:51:15.895-07:00WELCOME TO THE CARIBBEAN<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9vJP7IbtChlLzNuVRgJEXXeC9kRv7VCYdQ6q3tO1t7XbcP3t8QXJqCNnr5ZDnfC5qF9YYIqYrdCuAdXajGYMUvVGZ1Y3BX1pT9Uaa61kSrq0aVfL4x7zXD_LRjS6OTp0XgfTkrqCPuNc/s1600/7.5B.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9vJP7IbtChlLzNuVRgJEXXeC9kRv7VCYdQ6q3tO1t7XbcP3t8QXJqCNnr5ZDnfC5qF9YYIqYrdCuAdXajGYMUvVGZ1Y3BX1pT9Uaa61kSrq0aVfL4x7zXD_LRjS6OTp0XgfTkrqCPuNc/s320/7.5B.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457417350837822450" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi0eetT6SS1eSq-3N4cL5KGrZ41-Eta-NZvAmHW6eX7s8ToqDiLWoifwE5Jf5cTHELnjEncC8cHo_TZ-R7suxWRMvFmw8JTIGWN96_y74-PvSWwENMlURmPI-lBc3BvmaQHJWpnSZHq-o/s1600/7.5A.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi0eetT6SS1eSq-3N4cL5KGrZ41-Eta-NZvAmHW6eX7s8ToqDiLWoifwE5Jf5cTHELnjEncC8cHo_TZ-R7suxWRMvFmw8JTIGWN96_y74-PvSWwENMlURmPI-lBc3BvmaQHJWpnSZHq-o/s320/7.5A.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457417341229344866" /></a><br />The wind increased. The horizon turned blue and the air was filled with the sound of the waves against the beach front. By reaching the Caribbean, I had crossed the North American continent from salt water to salt water. It felt good to be back on a coastal cycle. Anywhere and everywhere could be a camp spot. Each upcoming town would be filled with endless choices of cheap seafood restaurants. The sun would rise across the Caribbean horizon and would set in the westward surrounding jungle.GLOBAL CYCLE RIDEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725459988293026216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1207052683883945247.post-57031662066249725562010-04-06T21:35:00.002-07:002010-04-07T08:50:28.839-07:00FOLLOWING THE ROAD SOUTH<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbNl72qByRhZYYdjq_8q7Lpz7-8ZD3Shh-IzqEToTVWWk6kydQLTPIYbGFsEKMrxz3PgxY9mku_9ahyphenhyphen1F0GF2GFDUlmMbVAtk1F8CYCcQsH0yXvyGp3rzCU7twKlxeC6QTDqWy79l1DbY/s1600/8C.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbNl72qByRhZYYdjq_8q7Lpz7-8ZD3Shh-IzqEToTVWWk6kydQLTPIYbGFsEKMrxz3PgxY9mku_9ahyphenhyphen1F0GF2GFDUlmMbVAtk1F8CYCcQsH0yXvyGp3rzCU7twKlxeC6QTDqWy79l1DbY/s320/8C.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457401278362307218" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji8EAJf8MLjRJhljN-lUvJeWVUDRuBcUeP3HCaN0kUcfkCO48ulEdEP6LGwDq5vJVFcC2y9d9S0FKHBEg1Dc-SeVWD1EaSAg7qBnGiXBoOHJFF31rJCo-Ky9xHCwF1HwdeTYAC5tbYwc4/s1600/8B.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji8EAJf8MLjRJhljN-lUvJeWVUDRuBcUeP3HCaN0kUcfkCO48ulEdEP6LGwDq5vJVFcC2y9d9S0FKHBEg1Dc-SeVWD1EaSAg7qBnGiXBoOHJFF31rJCo-Ky9xHCwF1HwdeTYAC5tbYwc4/s320/8B.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457401268949097218" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX17ZfD5POM1ZNX56haaK1h04bOdqMKgsPaE6YfBq_z6k_rceAeKg2_TW3f0KFuEOaZwKNQ7PE88u_yDNvwe2A7_nwQhDpN4a-_fGHISchyphenhyphenkCRVxtiGwmBdjgvMNx7etborfVtFY4yoko/s1600/8A.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX17ZfD5POM1ZNX56haaK1h04bOdqMKgsPaE6YfBq_z6k_rceAeKg2_TW3f0KFuEOaZwKNQ7PE88u_yDNvwe2A7_nwQhDpN4a-_fGHISchyphenhyphenkCRVxtiGwmBdjgvMNx7etborfVtFY4yoko/s320/8A.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457401261301250514" /></a><br />I pedalled on down past La Antigua where the Spanish colonist, Hernan Cortes first arrived from Spain in 1519. Apparently he sunk his 11 ships soon after arriving. "We're going to take control of here or die trying." Within 2 years they had wiped out a 3000 year old civilization and introduced a new language and religion. I continued south. Veracruz is one of the hedonistic capitals of the world. Good Friday afternoon didn't seem to quench its thirst. There were already 6 different DJ's blasting out the rubbish on the beach as I rode past it. Apparently the party doesn't really start till after midnight. I left town.GLOBAL CYCLE RIDEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725459988293026216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1207052683883945247.post-54609540896341695092010-04-06T21:35:00.001-07:002010-04-07T08:49:47.000-07:00MATT BLAKE<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ8fkCCEjdsO_Cpvr2n6cK7FhgXWNRfMjnY0G8a8KT-X0DEA36kC9AqmuTxV1rUqdrgQun_QvzZjobRI-gtQJY2wFTyvlufhTS7cYJwDoBSlsoE5dXiG_PNB2upLB4QRdU1SDsq1y9Qmk/s1600/9A.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ8fkCCEjdsO_Cpvr2n6cK7FhgXWNRfMjnY0G8a8KT-X0DEA36kC9AqmuTxV1rUqdrgQun_QvzZjobRI-gtQJY2wFTyvlufhTS7cYJwDoBSlsoE5dXiG_PNB2upLB4QRdU1SDsq1y9Qmk/s320/9A.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457398708391552802" /></a><br />10KMs up the road I met Matt Blake from England. Matt is the first long distance cyclist I've met since leaving Asia. This interesting guy had already pedalled 35,000KMs and he was only about half way through his journey. He was presently cycling between Prudhoe Bay (top of Alaska) and Ushuaia (bottom of Argentina). Matt invited me back to a farm where he was visiting friends and learning Spanish. The evening was spent comparing routes and experiences while playing dominos with the children.GLOBAL CYCLE RIDEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725459988293026216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1207052683883945247.post-7931687194668580322010-04-06T21:31:00.001-07:002010-04-07T08:48:50.333-07:00CAMPING OPTIONS<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhREbIuwI0DCITbezw0WglsU7qBCQBNARwm7oLel8R8rngZhG3q7bzGRrtKDeFdUccbXb9PHpr6dKqbmdEayrfiTPNFjGe7k38ovVrXRJ_7lrCpQO7cqD3IYguLw494KGpCguflifsn8rE/s1600/10+A.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhREbIuwI0DCITbezw0WglsU7qBCQBNARwm7oLel8R8rngZhG3q7bzGRrtKDeFdUccbXb9PHpr6dKqbmdEayrfiTPNFjGe7k38ovVrXRJ_7lrCpQO7cqD3IYguLw494KGpCguflifsn8rE/s320/10+A.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457402130853602786" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1IyPSgSXVxnoms0zqIi6UlGJPH-7I0BFkJzYFmsGwoaLos4Syn8rH8L9w3M5X_rpRQmrDkJH05C0Yic3qP3OBc3pce7azDAp5lNe5oR2ACqoHQREpZ8hhO3HdWLT7nMhaJKMqgiX2FyE/s1600/DSC01808.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1IyPSgSXVxnoms0zqIi6UlGJPH-7I0BFkJzYFmsGwoaLos4Syn8rH8L9w3M5X_rpRQmrDkJH05C0Yic3qP3OBc3pce7azDAp5lNe5oR2ACqoHQREpZ8hhO3HdWLT7nMhaJKMqgiX2FyE/s320/DSC01808.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457249309421882706" /></a><br />When I'm given the choice, I'd always choose the corner of some quiet field to pitch my tent. Matt told me would regularly sleep under bridges. I found it too noisy. You can call me a fussy sleeper, but tomorrow I'm back in my ditch.GLOBAL CYCLE RIDEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725459988293026216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1207052683883945247.post-87577076570522317242010-04-06T21:30:00.001-07:002010-04-07T08:48:28.819-07:00SWAMPLANDThere has been a lot of long biking days over the last few weeks. I almost always exceeded my daily 100KM quota. In Mexico, I've crossed desert, jungle and coastal plain. But just as evening began to set in today, I entered into a large swampland. I pedalled on fast as the light grew dimmer. I was getting concerned that I was just not going to find a campspot this evening. Then a gateway appeared; leading up a small trail to an island of palm trees surrounded by a swamp. Mosquitoes everywhere. I quickly put on an extra layer, including balaclava, to limit the bites. But my may concern here were crocodiles. I have read in my guide book that swamp tours to view crocodiles were available within a few hundred kilometres from here. If in doubt, set up a campfire. It generally freaks out any potential predators. I pumped the stove so that I could be ready to start another fire in seconds. That may not be enough time so I went to bed dreaming of crocodiles.GLOBAL CYCLE RIDEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725459988293026216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1207052683883945247.post-8612599539850672022010-04-06T21:28:00.000-07:002010-04-08T07:47:40.013-07:00THE ROAD AINT CLOSED. ITS GONE<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzRjKnucctgLhD5bXCbobKFcs1aL_oeLxRYA3PfJjeO8DrSXc5_EJa0j6LYx-SzZr2hICcKEHoZ5QXawNErEJcHZIXIGrDFU2M1zMDENZvpqU-dPhWCIIb5VItxDhVprQuQocTF5Siwyk/s1600/11.5E.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzRjKnucctgLhD5bXCbobKFcs1aL_oeLxRYA3PfJjeO8DrSXc5_EJa0j6LYx-SzZr2hICcKEHoZ5QXawNErEJcHZIXIGrDFU2M1zMDENZvpqU-dPhWCIIb5VItxDhVprQuQocTF5Siwyk/s320/11.5E.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457408000618568850" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfEKevC7oUKdaxqbehIINudwfEMJUn4ZjmI3Do7OapbkBnVr36bYINhWlnB8r36jVrMR6nxAkd1FrTOAq0zZnl7XVnJxay35EXH4IJJ8hbvan6K6-Yg4Fc3MzNfYgXJNzmhg9nai5X6jE/s1600/11.5+D.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfEKevC7oUKdaxqbehIINudwfEMJUn4ZjmI3Do7OapbkBnVr36bYINhWlnB8r36jVrMR6nxAkd1FrTOAq0zZnl7XVnJxay35EXH4IJJ8hbvan6K6-Yg4Fc3MzNfYgXJNzmhg9nai5X6jE/s320/11.5+D.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457407998227188914" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoYxdT1JbBwxepwXtDrZtSYnrse0sj9d9gRMIjSj0lHEV2dUjs8Bn-rn1zszvQBhJ7fDYJDgET8kVDAXMUjmM7gxle45r-CSp6Na3xrqBJs8PSQhybprvzKfXZ-luLXvoIcWXrS1pnfDM/s1600/11.5C.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoYxdT1JbBwxepwXtDrZtSYnrse0sj9d9gRMIjSj0lHEV2dUjs8Bn-rn1zszvQBhJ7fDYJDgET8kVDAXMUjmM7gxle45r-CSp6Na3xrqBJs8PSQhybprvzKfXZ-luLXvoIcWXrS1pnfDM/s320/11.5C.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457407987700770162" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm_NVcXa6gjv-7NmeY1Z-L0gfUD9dnA79mnwXvrwrN4MmBJXUxydVVCWwyBau0jaohPyJs5IMcKgvXtgLmJyERREYgj9Alw910Fp08L4u6SmcA3c6k5vkwGlVNHLPjkfM0ZihVSU6P3_E/s1600/11.5B.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm_NVcXa6gjv-7NmeY1Z-L0gfUD9dnA79mnwXvrwrN4MmBJXUxydVVCWwyBau0jaohPyJs5IMcKgvXtgLmJyERREYgj9Alw910Fp08L4u6SmcA3c6k5vkwGlVNHLPjkfM0ZihVSU6P3_E/s320/11.5B.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457407978894102898" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBU7SkrPiK1Ifq7JfQ2SOFiMQ7erVAB7mnfNk_qn28_XDCW4wM5mL4F9mKx-WzrUJVbU14QGFLZw38pCgrxlSLbqKauLyPmQJ2gWy9dROCEpyV40JM2IShLRKnFV0-sNjsjUBe_L2DqwI/s1600/11.5+A.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBU7SkrPiK1Ifq7JfQ2SOFiMQ7erVAB7mnfNk_qn28_XDCW4wM5mL4F9mKx-WzrUJVbU14QGFLZw38pCgrxlSLbqKauLyPmQJ2gWy9dROCEpyV40JM2IShLRKnFV0-sNjsjUBe_L2DqwI/s320/11.5+A.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457407968751753650" /></a><br />Considering mosquitoes lose their appetite about 90 minutes after sunrise, I had a bit of a lie on this morning. Mosquito bites are mildly irritating. Crocodile bites raise more concern. But I pedalled out of that swamp with all limbs intact. I had not gone 20 KMs up the road before I passed the archaeoligical site at La Venta. While Olmeca is more infamously known as a world wide brand of tequila that apparently affects the hearing rather than the liver (...Hello Frank Booth...), they are originally renowned as an ancient civilization that sculptured heads out of giant rocks. I had the entire 10 acre site to myself. Although I begun the tour with Sigur Ros's {} on the ipod, I just had to change back to Pink Floyd's Pompeii. It truly is the album for wandering about a ruin.<br />My map clearly showed a secondary road that followed the coastline on south. I imagined a gorgeous cycle with the Caribbean on my left and a massive lagoon to my right. But local taxi drivers seemed adamant that I should not travel this way. They recommended the longer tolled motorway instead. I couldn't figure out why they were against the coastal route but its generally when I'm told a direction is impossible, that the journey becomes most interesting. <br />As it turns out the taxi drivers were talking about erosion. The reason I had this road to myself became more apparent 20KMs up the road. ie The end of the road. The locals seemed to suggest that as long as I follow the coast, the road will eventually return. Its lovely meeting these locals. They are very friendly throughout this region. Every family seems to have a dozen kids or so. But its hard work. Pushing a fully laden bike through sand in tropical heat is not easy going. The road comes and goes. When its there, I pedal along it. When it disappears, I can choose between the beach and the sandy trails through peoples' gardens. But the campspot opportunities are just magic. This evening I have a massive beach all to myself.GLOBAL CYCLE RIDEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725459988293026216noreply@blogger.com0