…living in and dreaming of…

Already in La Paz, the guitar was out of shape. Sadly unlike with cyclist, this could not be mended by some days of resting. With some meddling and putting a piece of a bicycle tube under the bridge i could get it back to a level that it was playable. Another month of riding through one of […]

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We had received a recommendation for a hostel which is quickly becoming the cyclist hangout in town: the Huayra Sanipi. It turned out to be a stroke of luck and soon all plans to reach Mendoza until christmas were forgotton. Five kilometers from town starts a trek to a series of waterfalls along a steep valley. The […]

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Our arrival in san pedro was a bit overwhelming at first. After a month of being surrounded by bizarre landscapes and hardly any opportunities to get fresh produce, here we were in a posh tourist place with everything that money can buy. After changing our bolivianos for chilenean pesos, we went straight for a heladeria. Only […]

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The first view of La Paz is an impressive one. Arriving in el alto, the city is lying in a huge bowl below. Humbert, another cyclist travelling with a guitar, and stephan rocking the casa. While usually not too motivated to explore cities, i sometimes yield to persuasion and take a look. The plan was […]

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Having heard a bit about Vilcabamba beforehand, i approached the town with mixed feelings. There are a lot of ‘gringos’ staying long-term and half of the businesses are owned by ‘extranjeros’. I arrived on a sunday, while the market was on. The central square was filled with people and as the sun was out, two […]

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Like in Quito, i stayed at ‘el cafecito’ hostal, which has a relaxed atmosphere, superb breakfast and came this time with a glass covered court yard complete with bicycle themed art on the walls. After the Chimborazo round, the first days were spent solely relaxing until new arrivals were luring me out to see something […]

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The downhill continued and by the time i reached Riobamba, it was time to peel off some more layers of clothes. Jo, a friend from France whom i had met in Indonesia, sent me the contact details of Borja, a friend of his in town. I ventured through town to find a place that could […]

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Arriving in the mariscal district, it could hardly be a more drastic change from the last evening spent around Mojanda. Bars and discos with booming music and people running to and fro. It took a while to find a hostel as many were booked out. I was glad to get an early rest and enjoy […]

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Arriving in the center, i soon got off the bicycle to push it through the cobblestoned streets. These were redone only sixty years ago to recreate the paving during colonial times, before the town was declared a national monument. Many overlanders travelling through Colombia stay at the Hostal Renacer, which offers camping and a nice atmosphere to […]

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Stopping in Mompos for a rest day, i soon moved on as the heat was too much, even for just relaxing in the shade. I followed the Rio Magdalena for a while, before i took a turn off to Ocaña and the start of the Andes. It was a heavy and rocky climb to the […]

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