12 Mar

HAYWAY Podcast 37 – Valizas, Uruguay

Apologies in advance for a navel gazing episode of the How Are You? Where Are You? podcast.

We’re finding it difficult to make sense of our trip and what we have learned. It’s also not easy to try and explain why we have decided to cut our journey short but we give it all a crack for you here.

It’s strange to think that we are about to start cycle touring in our own country. After eight years away there’s a whole lot of reacquainting to get done but they reckon the South Island is stunning so we’ll probably be alright.

We do all this while grilling meat and drinking red wine on a remote beach in Uruguay. It’s been paradise but travelling here without our precious bikes…well that’s been super strange.

If you are up for a read from someone who has written about the realities of cycle touring much better than we have been able to articulate, check out this blog. We felt oddly emotional about our whole experience after reading this.

Colonia, Uruguay

Cycle touring in Uruguay

Clockwise from top left: ruins of church and lighthouse in Colonia; lots of old cars in the streets; street sign for main square; street scene.

Valizas, Uruguay

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Clockwise from bottom left: On the beach; big, empty beach; giant ice cream; our little beach bach; we built a raging fire a BBQ, or asado as they call it.

Buenos Aires

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Clockwise from top left: statue on Avenida de Liberator; Juan and Evita Peron at the Evita Museum; interior shot at the Museum of Latin American Art; this is for cigarette butts at the bus station – a vote between Messi and Ronaldo for best footballer.

01 Mar

HAYWAY Podcast 36, Lima, Peru

We have found the end of our road in Latin America.

This trip will be London to Lima.

After an agonising decision, we have come to the conclusion that a year is enough and in this week’s How Are You? Where Are You? podcast we discuss why our bikes will travel in a plane home from Peru’s capital.

The cycling journey isn’t over however. We still plan to reintegrate into life in New Zealand by exploring New Zealand’s South Island by bike starting on March 13.

Every day is still an adventurous day in the world of cycling touring and the road to Lima was no exception. We were breathless at the top of the Cordillera Blanca. It even snowed on us!

Baden has been looking forward to arriving in Lima to find out if the food lives up to its reputation. Listen in to make sure it doesn’t disappoint.

Arriving in Lima

Clockwise from top: arriving on the beachfront; view on the way to Cerro San Cristobal; street art in Rimac; lots of religious symbolism here; Lima's cathedral; Peru's branding.

Clockwise from top: arriving on the beachfront; view on the way to Cerro San Cristobal; street art in Rimac; lots of religious symbolism here; Lima's cathedral; Peru's branding.

Peru above 4,000m

Clockwise from top left: happy campers admire the sunset; Pastoruri glacier; dwarfed on the way down; Puya plant; the road down the mountain; campsite in the National Park.

Clockwise from top left: happy campers admire the sunset; Pastoruri glacier; dwarfed on the way down; Puya plant; the road down the mountain; campsite in the National Park.

Peru's Politics

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Clockwise from top left: our host Andres; campaigning from Keiko; Alan Garcia; Julio Guzmán; Richard Acuña; PPK.

Lima Street Food

Left to right from top: breakfast cart with health tonics in bottles; scraping the aloe; an emoliente drink a day keeps the doctor away; Baden's plate of anticuchos (heart, stomach, intestine); the lady responsible for grilling those offcuts; picarones; pisco sour at Juanito's.

Left to right from top: breakfast cart with health tonics in bottles; scraping the aloe; an emoliente drink a day keeps the doctor away; Baden's plate of anticuchos (heart, stomach, intestine); the lady responsible for grilling those offcuts; picarones; pisco sour at Juanito's.

Our End of the Road

21 Feb

HAYWAY Episode 35 – Huaraz, Peru

We have left the desert behind and have climbed back into the mountains following the River Santa to Huaraz in Peru’s famous Cordillera Blanca. It’s the world’s biggest mountain range outside of the Himalayas. Seems we can’t get enough of the Andes.

You get a bit of a cycle touring warts and all How Are You? Where Are You? podcast this week. Our stomachs have been rumbling (in a bad way) and Shelley experienced some strange esophageal feelings while on her bike.

Baden’s lunch will annoy pet lovers out there and Shelley rocks out her translation skills as we interview Luis D’Angelo, a legendary Trujillo host of cycle tourers from around the world.

Come along for the ride!

Casa de Ciclistas in Trujillo

Clockwise from top left: logo for Trujillo cycling house; Luis the owner; Baden at the offending market restaurant; Baden with Jean-Baptiste and the miraculous new tyre; Aji de gallina-coloured church.

Clockwise from top left: logo for Trujillo cycling house; Luis the owner; Baden at the offending market restaurant; Baden with Jean-Baptiste and the miraculous new tyre; Aji de gallina-coloured church.

Visiting Chan Chan

Cycle touring in Peru

From top: Chan Chan sits in the middle of the coastal desert; Baden and fellow cycle tourist from Brazil Daniel explore the site; restored squirrel art.

Riding Back Into the Andes

From top left and left to right: Baden feeling ill; remote mountain restaurant; reaching a paved road; the tunnels in Cañon del Pato; heading from the coast to the mountains; lunch in the shade of the canyon wall; crossing the Rio Santa; mototaxi licence plate; heading for Cañon del Pato; Cañon del Pato tunnel in the foreground and hydro dam behind.

Yunguay Earthquake Memorial

From top and left to right: View of the memorial park with mountain behind; crushed bus; replica facade of the church, one of the huge boulders from the mountain that wreaked such destruction; remains of the original church.

From top and left to right: View of the memorial park with mountain behind; crushed bus; replica facade of the church, one of the huge boulders from the mountain that wreaked such destruction; remains of the original church.

Street Scenes

Clockwise from top left: fruit seller with traditional hat; Inca Kola advert; street knife sharpener; guinea pig , or cuy, for lunch; guinea pig mascot outside restaurant.

Clockwise from top left: fruit seller with traditional hat; Inca Kola advert; street knife sharpener; guinea pig , or cuy, for lunch; guinea pig mascot outside restaurant.

Our Ride Back Into the Andes

18 Feb

Mobile library

childrenofthedaysChildren of the Days
Eduardo Galeano
This book blew me away. Galeano also wrote The Open Veins of Latin America, so I expected it to be good. He uses each day of the calendar year to tell a story about whistleblowers, rebels and free thinkers from around the world, but particularly Latin America.

Read More →

12 Feb

HAYWAY Episode 34 – Chiclin, Peru

We have been hammering it through Northern Peru. How did we get so fit? It seems like a lifetime since we were plodding through France trying to get used to this whole cycle touring thing if you consider a life to be 10 months.

Check out the map below to see our effort over the first 11 days of February. We talk about why we’ve been putting the pedal to the rubber-soled shoe if that’s an acceptable use of the phrase.

There’s been a lot of nothing riding through the deserts of Northern Peru but it has provided us with stunning scenery and plenty of time to contemplate some of the environmental issues in this part of the world, which we talk about in this week’s How Are You? Where Are You? podcast.

We were also invited to a sugar-fuelled rave masquerading as a 2-year-old’s birthday party and the quality of the cooking in Peru has been a big step up for this trip. The big question is why Shelley has been preferring to eat all this magnificent food with less-than-hygenic implements?

Desert Riding

Cycle touring in Peru

Clockwise from top: the road frequently stretched as far as we could see; we’ve been setting off early to escape the midday sun; whole lot of nothing; the only place selling drinks in the desert. Shame they weren’t cold.

Life in Peru

Cycle touring in Peru

Clockwise from top left: El Niño starts in this part of the ocean; Zika Virus warnings at the border; the famous King Kong biscuit; Peruvian moto-taxi

Sugar Party

Cycle touring in Peru

Clockwise from top left: party treats; with Lester, our party host in Sullana; Baden edges in on the cake; Duck rice; Manta Ray Omelette; Crazy hour at Stephanie’s party

Our Big Push Through Northern Peru

31 Jan

HAYWAY Episode 33 – Guayaquil, Ecuador

We say goodbye to the Andes and hello to the the hot and steamy coast in this week’s How Are You? Where Are You? podcast.

The Andes gave us one of our most traumatic days of our trip and then one of the most magical. All in the space of two days.

We have seen some jaw-dropping sights and try our best to turn the vision into words. Luckily we have some photos to help out below.

It sure feels weird to be sweating profusely again. What a strange enduring memory o be left with of Guayaquil, Ecuador’s biggest city.

We have managed to cool off by drinking the local brew and eating refreshing delights like ceviche. Cue a return for What’s in the Pot.

Tigua Art and Quilotoa’s Crater Lake

Cycle touring in Ecuador

Clockwise from top left: Andean art scene; Quilotoa’s crater lake; our purchase; the farmhouse in Tigua; Julio displays his art that we bought.

Climbing the Andes

Cycle touring in Ecuador

Clockwise from top left: a woolly llama heads to market; Shelley at 4,000m; awe-inspiring views; Shelley nails the climb.

Guayaquil Rest Day

Cycle touring in Ecuador

Clockwise from top left: urban iguanas in Parque Bolivar; Barcelona football club from Guayaquil; night out with our hosts Fabricio and Alicia.

What’s in the Pot?

Cycle touring in Ecuador

Clockwise from top left: Cerviche ingredients; the result; Fabricio’s Mum Yadira takes over in her kitchen.

Pedalling Down Volcano Alley and Across the Andes to the Coast

23 Jan

HAYWAY Podcast 32 – Quito, Ecuador

We have climbed to the second highest capital city in the world. Somehow by arriving in Quito we have acclimatised to become human mountain goats with some strange ability to breathe at 4000 metres.

Quito took a while to capture our hearts but a walk around the city’s historic centre and a visit to the home of Oswaldo Guayasamin, one of Ecuador’s most celebrated artists, did the trick.

As always we have met some interesting characters on the way here and the transition back to using U.S. dollars in Ecuador has increased our need to become scavengers.

Hear all about it in this the 32nd edition of the How Are You? Where Are You? podcast.

First Days in Ecuador

Cycle touring in Ecuador

Clockwise from top left: Baden on the Equator; river views; Shelley climbs; Edwin and family in Lumbaqui; Hosts Jose and Mercedes in Lago Agrio.

The Road to Quito

Cycle touring in Ecuador

Clockwise from top left: Baden in Papallacta thermal pools; Shelley descends to Quito; San Rafael waterfalls; 4000m summit; volcano view.

Hanging in Quito

Cycle touring in Ecuador

Clockwise from top left: Shoe shiners in Plaza Grande; Baden and Shelley on the gondola; Plaza San Francisco; mountain view from Pinchincha Volcano; view of Quito on gondola descent.

Guayasamin Museum Visit

Cycle touring in Ecuador

Clockwise from top: Inside Chapel of Man; painting in Guayasamin’s studio; artist’s house; back garden

Our Grind to Quito

With Google+ plugin by Geoff Janes and Thorsten Hake