Have Bike, Will Travel

“Donde Estamos?” I asked when the touchdown of the overnight plane jolted me awake. The gentleman in the seat next to me cocked his head and gave me a blank stare. My mind did several sleepy clicks and calculations ... More »

The burglary at the Paraguay/Argentina border forced several things to a head. I'd been on the road for over six months, and was feeling a bit worn-out. Responsibilities back home were mounting – and were getting ... More »

It took several moments for my eyes to translate the scene in front of me into coherent thought. It was morning, and I was going to the motorbike to pack up and travel for the day, yet my panniers were already open, the ... More »

“What is that road called again?” Mom asked. “Um, the locals call it the Yungas Road,” I told her. No point in telling her it was internationally known as the “Bolivian Road of Death.” “I'm riding better now ... More »

For some travelers, it's the destination that makes the trip. For others, it's the method of travel itself – motorcycle, plane, train, automobile. Yet for others it is the sights seen, foods tasted, sounds heard, ... More »

I was devastated. I had just landed in South America and heard the news: the Peruvian government announced that Machu Picchu would be closed for several months due to landslides. I began to cry. There were about five “must ... More »

Well, if I had to crash at least I picked the most scenic place possible, I thought to myself as I looked at my downed bike. I'd been staring at my mangled hand for the past 10 minutes, when I finally turned my attention ... More »

Cars and trucks fired up, engines raced, and vehicles jockeyed for position just like the start of an Indy Car race. I thought it a bit silly since we had all been parked behind a sawhorse blockade at a ... More »

My stomach was rumbling, but there were enough distractions to keep my mind from acknowledging it.  I was on the Ecuadorian side of the Colombia – Ecuador border waiting for customs to clear my motorcycle, and things ... More »

As you travel along there are certain landmarks that you look forward to  that not only mark the passage of the miles under your wheels, but also mark a psychological point of your journey. For me, reaching the Equator ... More »

The brakelights ahead should have been my first clue. The second clue should have been the traffic backup. Somehow, I missed both clues because I was “in the zone” – riding in that space somewhere between joy and ... More »

“Naked Indians”! It wasn't the most eloquent nickname, nor the most politically correct, but between ourselves that was our label for the village we were trying to find. We'd heard that there were a group of indigenous ... More »

Rick flagged me down yesterday as I'd ridden into Uyuni, a tourist town and home to Bolivia's majestic salt flats. He was expecting to meet up with a fellow moto-traveler on a DR650, and when I rolled by (on ... More »

“That's very dangerous” said the border official. “Why?” I asked. “”Tigers” was his reply. “Tigers?” I asked, incredulously. “Yes, Tigers”, he answered. “Tigers. TIGERS?” I ... More »

I have just eaten an aphrodisiac. I am not wearing any panties. And I am in one of Latin America’s famed “Auto” (pay by the hour) Hotels. How did my innocent search-for-self / pilgrimage across the Americas come to ... More »

As I pull up to the border crossing, there are eighteen-wheelers lined up on both sides of the street. I dodge a couple of men pushing a cart of wood over a speed bump. I swerve around two dogs fighting over the contents of a ... More »

Ever since I began conceptualizing this motorcycle trip three years ago, the route, in my mind, has always been from the USA to very bottom of Argentina. My home in Connecticut always seemed like the natural point of ... More »

Yesterday I rode through the lush and mountainous farmland in the northwest of Honduras. I was leaving Copan Ruinas, headed for the capital, Tegucigalpa. It was early in the morning; the air was rather cool, and I was ... More »

I'll admit that even though I was excited to be realizing a long-held dream of riding my motorcycle from the USA to Tierra de Fuego, Argentina, I was also nervous. I didn't realize it at the time, however, and only now that ... More »