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[WORLD WIDE ROUTE] [EQUIPMENT] [SPONSORS] [MEDIA
COVERAGE] [QUESTIONS] [PHOTO MEMOIRS] [FULL CIRCLE CYCLING
EXPEDITION] 
[WORLD TOUR 96/97 PHOTOS]
Phase One
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Phase 3 | |
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| ROUTE | BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF INTENDED ROUTE & TIMES |
Hello from Natalie and Chris in San Diego! We have just completed our West Coast journey (2500 miles) and are preparing to enter Latin America through Baja, Mexico. Progress was slow because of all the interesting people we visited and met along the way (not to mention a few killer hills). The hospitality and friendliness we have encountered so far on our travels has surpassed our wildest expectations. The cycling has been fairly easy and enjoyable, with fantastic scenery, great camping and good roads.
The Canadian Content portion of our trip! For those of you who have never been out West, let us explain the West Coast mindset a bit - naturopathy, astrology, organic produce, espresso and solstice parties are the mainstream here. Of course, people still adhere to the consumerist ethic the same as anywhere else, it's just that they demand an ecologically and spiritually aware component to the products they buy. Our route from Vancouver took us north up the Sunshine Coast and then down to Victoria along the East coast of Vancouver Island. We took a total of 5 trips on the luxurious B.C. ferry system during our journey. Near Earls Cove we encountered Peter, a very friendly German touring cyclist decked out in fancy Ortlieb bike panniers. We hooked up with him later in Courtenay at the home of Stefan and Ulrike, two recent German immigrants to Canada. While enjoying excellent homemade beer and fresh baked bread, we asked Stefan and Ullie why they moved out here. They felt that young people had better opportunities in Canada, and that the standard of living was higher than in Germany. But their biggest reasons were for the outdoor activities, the wilderness areas mere hours away and the easy access to oceans, mountains, lakes and forests that many Canadians take for granted. A few days later we set out with Peter for the Pacific Rim National Park and enjoyed such wonders as 800 year old trees in Cathedral Grove, stunning rainforest hiking trails and heavenly Tofino sunsets over the Pacific Ocean. We persuaded Peter to take some photos of some massive clearcuts along Highway 4 to show to the folks back home. We made our way down to Victoria and prepared to cross over to our Big Brother to the south, the U.S.A. Taking the ferry to Port Angeles, Washington, we forgot our homesickness as the spectacle of the Olympic mountain range and the sparkling snow peaks of Mount Olympus awaited us on shore. Nat and Chris would like to thank Sharon, Emmerson, Julien, and Jeremy and Rachel in Vancouver, David and Rosemary in Roberts Creek, Stefan and Ullie in Courtenay, Terry and Gerd, and Doug and Janine in Victoria.
We headed west towards Olympic National Park, past beautiful Lake Crescent, and detouring inland to the Hoh Rainforest, a small, green, moss covered oasis of massive trees, teeming wildlife and lush ferns, in marked contrast to the surrounding clearcuts. Hoh Campground was our first encounter with the wonderful Park Service rangers, who try to maintain America's wilderness areas while dealing with budget cutbacks, pollution and erosion sources, poachers, and careless campers. It was there we saw first-hand the destruction of gravel spawning beds for salmon by logging-induced soil erosion. Heading south and then east towards Puget Sound, we saw a constant stream of logging trucks, stumps, and local businesses displaying "We Support the Logging Industry" signs. Arriving in the Seattle Area, we visited Mount Rainier and did a little "tush tobogganing" on the snow peaks (even though the temperature was 25 C)! In Seattle we had the good karma to stay with the amazing Sada, where we learned about yoga, meditation, tantra, and therapeutic massage. In return, we demonstrated to Sada the potential of the Internet and the World Wide Web, which she grasped very quickly and used to get information about her ashram in India! From there we headed west and south to the Oregon border. Nat and Chris would like to thank MaryLynn, Roger, Joshua, Amy, and Shelby (way cool!) in Puyallup, Sada and Therese in Bainbridge Island, and Ray and Jane in Bremerton.
Our Oregon route followed Highway 101 along the Pacific Ocean. The coastline route had dramatic rocky cliffs overhanging the ocean, long sandy beaches, excellent campgrounds, historic lighthouses, and sea lion colonies. South of Florence lies the Oregon Dunes Recreation Area, where we hiked and camped in the sand. Surprisingly, the dunes are being threatened by European Beachgrass, a species originally planted to reduce sedimentation of the area harbours which was so successful that it has proliferated everywhere, even in the dunes. It is predicted that in a few decades the dunes will be completely vegetated. One of the best parts of the Pacific Coast route is the hiker-biker sites at many of the campgrounds. At 3-4$ per person, the cyclist is guaranteed a spot at a communal site without a reservation. The sites are a great way to meet other touring cyclists - every night is like a United Nations conference with Germans, Australians, British, Norwegians, Americans and a few Canadians arguing over which country makes the best beer. We were lucky to exchange addresses with a few Californians who invited us to stay with them when we arrived in their towns later on our trip. We hooked up with Chris' parents and their brand new Home and Park RV in Southern Oregon and spent a few luxurious days with them eating in restaurants, sleeping in the RV and using them as a sag-wagon while we rode around without our gear! Time passed too quickly, and we regretfully parted company near Eureka, California. Nat and Chris would like to thank Kent in Lakeside, and the Snyders and their Home and Park.
Our route headed inland after Eureka to the Redwood Forest, where the weather changed from pleasant ocean breezes to swelteringly hot. Fortunately the road was well shaded by the immense redwoods, allowing only stray shafts of sunshine to penetrate the forest canopy. Before the arrival of commercial timber operations, the majority of the northern California coast was covered with redwood groves - now only a narrow strip remains protected for the public to enjoy. After a stretch of long, slow climbs in 100 C temperatures we returned to the coast and continued south on Highway 1. We had to be on our guard when the road became narrow, busy and started switchbacking - with good reason, it turned out, as we saw a car that had driven over the cliff and was parked on the rocks overlooking the ocean. Further along on a hilltop we watched the ambulance and tow-truck rescue the driver. The next day we came upon an accident involving a fellow cycletourist and a suddenly opened car door. Result: a broken collarbone and a ruined vacation. Later that day we heard rumors of a collision between a cyclist and a logging truck. We were relieved to see all the familiar cyclist faces back at the campground that night! We survived to cross the Golden Gate Bridge and visit San Francisco, where we saw the sights with our pal Susan. Heading south, we spent time in Silicon Valley, where we visited Steve and Fawn's solar-powered trimaran that they are outfitting as a floating internet site, complete with satellite links, and paid homage to the Winnebiko, a solar-powered recumbent bicycle outfitted with a home office that Steve rode across America in the '80s (see www.microship.com for more info). Heading back to the cooler coast road we stopped in Santa Cruz to visit Roger, a cycletourist we met on the road in northern California. As luck would have it, Roger turned out to be the author of "China by Bike", the main resource we used for planning the Chinese portion of our trip! Over an excellent dinner at O Mei, Roger's chinese restaurant, we picked up some advice on ordering food, going to the bathroom, choosing hotels, and trying not to cause a scene while cycling through China. Travelling farther south, we saw the dramatic coastline of Big Sur, headed inland to hills and farmland, and continued on to the famous beaches and surf culture of southern California, meeting and staying with many terrific people along the way. Highlights included hot-tubbing in Big Sur, canoeing in Morro Bay, 4-wheeling on Pine Mountain near Ojai, flying over Los Angeles on Nat's birthday in our friend Walt's private plane, and lots of gourmet food. Nat and Chris would like to thank Susan, Phillip, Bhaggie and 'Boo in Benicia, Fred and Anne in Berkeley, Moe and Steve in Palo Alto, Steve and Fawn in Santa Clara, John, Heather and Cayley in San Jose, Roger, April and Kevin in Santa Cruz, Eby and Sam in Big Sur, Ted, Katie and Aileen in San Luis Obispo, Nina and Steve in Santa Barbara, Gilbert, Marilyn and Dub in Ojai, Walt and Edie in Santa Monica, Rochelle in L.A., Jenny and Dale in Newport Beach, and Marc, Linda, Dahlia, Maya and Emma in San Diego. We are presently in San Diego, California, where we have overhauled our bikes and are preparing for the Latin American leg of the journey. We will send our next update in a few months time. Until then, hasta luego!
FULL CIRCLE CYCLING EXPEDITION UPDATE #2
Hello from Natalie and Chris in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Since our last update from San Diego, California in September, we have headed south and east across Mexico, northern Guatemala, south through Belize, and have turned west towards southern Guatemala, a distance of about 4000 miles. Half the time we are using basic hotels in the cities and towns and the other half camping in villages, natural areas and farmlands. People are either friendly or indifferent to us and are very patient with our Spanish, which is passable now and improving daily. We are learning to love chicken buses (rusty old school buses packed like sardines with people, chickens and bags of corn), street food, and tiny children who yell "Gringo! Gringo!" as we ride by. This region has many fascinating aspects - the pre-Columbian ruins and history; the present-day indigenous people and their culture; conflicts with environmental conservation, resource extraction, agriculture, and tourism; politics, human rights and the economics of the developing world; Latino culture and the influence of American culture.
We crossed the U.S.- Mexican border at Tijuana, entering Latin America (at last) through the Baja California peninsula. Baja is a long, narrow desert region surrounded by idyllic beaches and fishing camps. Although there is a steady stream of mobile homes plowing up and down the Transpeninsular highway, the area still retains a bit of an untamed frontier feel. Our big challenges in cycling this area were ensuring we had sufficient water and slathering on sunscreen frequently. The hot, dry weather helped us avoid danger from the "vados", small valleys in the highway with very steep sides that turn into raging rivers in rainy periods. Looking down the road on a chain of vados gives the appearance of a ribbon of asphalt waves flowing to the horizon. The Baja landscape has a harsh beauty - the cactus forest with its strange, elongated forms, dormant volcanoes, cloudless azure skies and clear starry nights. The remote beaches and marine life are still relatively pristine although sport and commercial fishing are beginning to take their toll. We spent a week camping (and eating) on the beach of a fishing camp, seeing dolphin pods, giant squid, mackerel, dorado, triggerfish, and all sorts of shellfish. One fellow landed a 115 pound Gulf grouper which they estimated must be 50 years old. From La Paz we caught a cargo ferry to the mainland, where Natalie was treated like royalty by about 50 male truck drivers during the crossing - given blankets to lie on, food to eat and as much moonshine as she wanted (not much). We took a train through the incredible Copper Canyon, a system of winding chasms and steep rock faces lined with green copper veins, pine trees, and cacti. After visiting some of the colonial mining towns in the Sierra Madre mountains, we made our way south to Guadalajara, where we had great luck in befriending a group of designers, photographers and artists who adopted us for a week, taking us to a folkloric ballet, art auctions, gallery openings, bawdy cantinas (bars) and a photo safari at a fiesta in Patamban, a small village in Michoacan state. Later we met up with them in Patzcuaro at the Day of the Dead festival, where the villagers lavishly decorate their cemeteries and celebrate the memory of the deceased. Cycling towards Mexico City we crossed the Mil Cumbres pass (2800 metres above sea level) and saw thousands of Monarch butterflies as they completed their migration from Southeast Canada to their winter nesting grounds. Mexico D.F., the world's most populous city, has one of the best subway systems in the world. The subway is vastly entertaining as the panhandlers and buskers are extremely creative. We saw one busker walking the cars with a battery pack and 44-key synthesizer strapped to his body and a collection cup velcroed to his head. Like most large metropolises, the disparity between the poor who live in the slums and the wealthy who reside in walled communities is distressing. Many of the working poor are self-employed merchants who sell their wares in street stalls. At night our friends took us out to some extravagant nightclubs - one built on the roof of a skyscraper that set off firecrackers at 2 am and where the women danced on the bar - at 4 am closing time everyone heads out to roadside taco stands and then drives home semi-sober at 5 am. From Mexico we travelled through Oaxaca state and on toward the isthmus of Tehuantepec, a hilly stretch with few villages or good camping spots. In the small town of Jalapa de Marques we camped for a few days with a family we met by the roadside. Although they had no material wealth - 6 people living in a tiny concrete bunker and their source of income from 2 pigs and a few chickens - they enjoyed the friendship and assistance of their tightly woven community, had an incredible view of a mountain range and a lake, and best of all, lived beside a thermal bath where we bathed by moonlight every night. Next we visited the state of Chiapas. In San Cristobal de las Casas we learned about the Lacandon Indians, who have until recently preserved their sustainable agricultural system, using mixed, high density crops and regular fallow areas; hunted with bow and arrow; and worshipped Maya deities at the ruins of Yaxchilan. We pedaled on to the amazing Mayan ruins of Tonina and Palenque, then headed for the border of Guatemala. Politics in Chiapas, for the short time we were there, seemed very calm, with a very strong and visible army presence. Since the Zapatista's (EZLN) uprising in early 1994, many roads have been newly paved, probably for a combination of strategic military reasons and for easier access to the rainforests by oil and timber companies. At the border town of Corozal we befriended the local immigration officer who let us camp in his office for a few days while we visited the ruins of Bonampak (hiked 15 km of ankle-deep mud, hitched 3 rides, 3 hours on a chicken bus and 2 military checkpoints, but worth it) and on the Usumacinta river to Yaxchilan (bargained with corrupt boatmen for 2 days, finally scammed our way on a package tour group with extra room). The Peten region of northern Guatemala contains a diverse tropical semi-rainforest which was the heart of the Maya civilization. Many companies would like to log this area for its valuable hardwoods but for the moment it is a protected zone. We travelled across the Peten to Lake Itza and studied Spanish grammar for 2 weeks at the Eco-Escuela, a Conservation International project which is encouraging eco-tourism businesses and sustainable agroforestry owned and operated by local people. The hope is that the rainforest will be of greater economic value intact than cut down for lumber. Currently they sustainably harvest chicle resin for chewing gum, flowers and leaves for potpourri, allspice berries, and shate leaves for floral bouquets. We visited the Maya ruins of Tikal, which are great for bird watching and howler monkeys. These small, harmless monkeys make a terrifying lion-like roar that adds a sense of drama to the most tame jungle trails. Riding on we crossed into Belize, a former British colony best known for its coral reefs, beach resorts and conservation areas. Christmas was spent on Caye Caulker where we were invited for free fish dinners by the fishermen at the hotel every night, did some incredible snorkeling, and danced to live punta music! New Years was just as rough as we relaxed and snorkeled on Tobacco Caye. After this vacation from our vacation we had the good fortune to travel to Cockscomb Basin Jaguar Reserve with 2 American vacationing naturalists who were able to identify every plant, bird, animal poop and paw track that we encountered, including fresh jungle cat tracks. From there we rode down the dirt track to Punta Gorda, stopping at fincas, or fruit plantations, for free papayas, bananas and oranges. The Toledo district is home to a tropical rainforest that is being destroyed by slash and burn agriculture, and recently some protected areas are being sold by corrupt government officials to Malaysian logging companies that use clear-cut techniques (for more info see the "Belize Center for Environmental Studies" webpage ). After one last meal with rice an' beans fried in coconut oil (mmm) we returned to Guatemala via Puerto Barrios. At the ruins of Quirigua we tagged along on a guided tour, the participants clutching course notes and listening with rapt attention to the guide, who was none other than the chief archaeologist at El Mirador, a huge and important early Maya city in the Peten. He had some interesting theories about the downfall of the Maya civilization - that egotistical kings wanted to create vast decorative stucco edifices that proclaimed their greatness to posterity. They required the use of so much wood to manufacture lime stucco (9 tonnes of wood to make one tonne of lime) that they destroyed too much of the forest and triggered an environmental collapse! He also discussed the very serious problem of looters stealing from archaeological sites to sell on the antiquities black-market.
Now in Guatemala City, we are planning to visit the Highland areas of Guatemala, with their colourful people and customs, before again heading south through the rest of Central America and into South America.
It has been great to receive email from friends and family while we are traveling. Although we haven't found the time to reply to each one of you, we do hope you continue to write to us and tell us how things are going in your neck of the woods. We have also sent some photos to our Webmaster, Steve, who spins magic and finds some time in his busy schedule and manages to put these new photos up on our web page (http://www.chembio.uoguelph.ca/fullcirc/). Please check the webpage out from time to time. If you like it, email Steve (seifried@chembio.uoguelph.ca) and let him know! He has done a great job and is a good friend.
Bye for now, Natalie and Chris
FULLCIRCLE CYCLING EXPEDITION UPDATE #3
CIRCLE CYCLING EXPEDITION UPDATE #3 Guatemala City, Guatemala to Quito, Ecuador Hello from Chris Snyder and Natalie Edery. We have successfully cycled to the Panama Canal, a journey of 10,000 km and 9 countries with many new friends and great memories along the way. In Guatemala City we stored our bikes with a friend and spent 2 weeks sitting on the roofs of many chicken-buses traveling the highlands of Guatemala and enjoying the scenery - volcanoes, gorges, valleys and mountain ridges. Considering the state of the roads, namely switchbacking narrow gravel paths clinging to sheer drops, the bus drivers were amazingly professional; slowing down on tight curves and honking their horns frequently. Then again, it may have been that their brakes were shot…. The insides of the buses (reconditioned Blue Bird School buses from Burlington, Ontario) are decorated with Catholic deities, naked babes and American flags. The indigenous people, dressed in their colourful, traditional costumes, use the buses to transport their goods to market. They resemble over-grown school children in their tiny seats, packed 6-7 across each row. Those in Western clothing look shabby and forlorn, especially the elderly; but those who retain the regional costumes seemed more dignified. In a remote village called Jacaltenango, we stayed with a lovely family who live in town and own a coffee finca (farm) in the valley. The father introduced us to a retired Canadian doctor and his wife who are working with the local hospital that serves the surrounding valley. He described the hygiene situation there. “Garbage is thrown out in the streets or dumped over cliff-sides - as much of it is plastic it doesn’t decompose and creates stagnant pools, which act as breeding grounds for mosquitoes, spreading yellow-fever and malaria. Sewage is dumped directly into the river or runs in the streets. The water from the mountain enters the river clean but becomes contaminated as it runs downstream through the valley. The poor have switched from cheap, local herbal medicines to modern pharmaceuticals, to which they attribute magical properties and purchase on the basis of packaging or attractive colour, often spending their life savings on useless drugs improperly prescribed. I hold the drug companies morally responsible”.
From Guatemala City, we made our way to Honduras. We rode and bused our way along the Pan-American Highway, making time to Nicaragua. Passing the Los Marrabios volcanoes in the west of Nicaragua, we cycled to Leon, a charming colonial town, though still showing signs of recent civil war. Many buildings damaged in the Eighties had not yet been repaired. Outside Leon we met a Miskito Indian-Nicaraguan man who works part time as a chauffeur/interpreter for a Cree Indian-owned Canadian forestry products company! The Miskito Indians, who live on the Atlantic Coast, have had to defend their territory against foreign-owned mining companies and the Sandinista/Contra conflict. Now the Canadian Cree are helping them develop economically with this joint-venture. Riding on good pavement down to Granada, another colonial town with horse drawn carriages substituting for taxis, we took a ferry to the twin-volcano peaks of Omotepe Island. We camped underneath the disco-ball of a bar/hotel owned by a Dutch expatriate who told us he was a 500 year old Highlander and used to be a nuclear physicist. Sure. Next we rode around volcano Concepcion to Moyogalpa, where we befriended Bob and Lou, an artist couple working the for the U.S. Peace Corps, developing a ceramics co-operative on the island. In the evening they invited us to meet some illegal antiquities dealers. The middleman was quite the salesman, telling us not to feel pressured into buying anything but that his many children were starving and life was very hard (later we saw his comfortable home). Like a bad detective novel we were led down dark alleys to a back room where they uncovered a collection of beautiful ceramic bowls, figures, and funeral urns, priced from $10 - $100. Although tempting, nobody bought anything as we all felt the artifacts should remain in Nicaragua to retain their cultural heritage. Arriving at the Nicaragua-Costa Rica border, we waited for 6 hours. The line-up was full of Nicaraguans purchasing fake visa documents and identity cards. As there is high unemployment in Nicaragua (Nic.), and many low-paying jobs in Costa Rica (C.R.), there are estimated to be 1 million Nicaraguans in Costa Rica out of a total population of about 4 million Costa Ricans, mostly illegal immigrants. After a few weeks in C.R., it became apparent that its relationship with Nic. is similar to that between the U.S. and Mexico. The Costa Rican economy could not survive without all the cheap, illegal labour of the Nicaraguans and when something goes wrong in C.R., they blame “those darn illegals”. Riding through the hot, humid lowlands we arrived in Liberia where Carlos, the past president of the Costa Rica Cycling Association, befriended us, took us out for dinner, and invited us to stay with him and his family in San Jose! Then we cycled through the region near the Monte Verde Cloud Forest Reserve and around the active volcano Arenal, but the weather was overcast so we saw no pyrotechnics. Climbing the mountain pass and coasting down into the central valley, we arrived in Alajuela, hoping to stay with some contacts. We met up at the family pizza parlour, had a great dinner and followed our friends to their house by riding our bikes behind their taxi. It was dark and there were a lot of potholes. Chris fell into one, falling over and knocking his rear pannier off, but luckily he was unhurt. Unfortunately we lost the taxi and our friends! 15 minutes later the taxi came back and we followed it to the house. But nobody was home! We sat with our bikes outside their gate for an hour until their neighbours invited us in and gave us some tea. They suggested that our friends might be at a local salsa bar and took us there to find them. We got to the bar, exhausted after riding 120 km that day and still dressed in our bike clothes… our friends grabbed us on the dance floor and made us salsa dance until 1 am, when we finally got to go home for some sleep! After a lovely stay with our friend Carlos’ family near San Jose, we rode north through the beautiful Braulio Carrillo National Park and enjoyed a 1500m descent to the Atlantic coastal lowlands. Riding towards the Panamanian border, we detoured for river rides along Tortuguero Canal and camping on Cahuita beach. The Atlantic there has incredibly powerful waves that make for great bodysurfing but can knock you over as you walk along the beach! We visited a banana plantation in Freeman owned by Del Monte, staffed by Nicaraguans living in company lodgings. A friendly computer programmer showed us the bar-code system used to track all the tasks each employee completes each day, like pesticide application or cutting down banana bunches. Average wage? $50 per 60 hour week. They are starting to recycle the plastic bags and twine used to ripen the banana plants, but there is still a lot of plastic polluting the nearby Pacuare river, not to mention the constant pesticide runoff! Riding through heavy rain, we crossed the Panama border on a rickety old wooden bridge, caught the ferry for Bocas del Toro and did some snorkeling at the reef. Cycling the road over the continental divide, we got stalled by an avalanche which blocked all traffic for hours and had to wait for bulldozers to clear the way. Finally arrived in David where an immigration officer confiscated Natalie’s passport for not having a tourist visa. When she demanded her passport back, the officer handcuffed her to his truck until we agreed to come to his office. $20 later we were set free! Later that day Chris got heatstroke (temperature 40 deg. C) but quickly recovered and cycled to Santiago, where we stayed with Linette and Mariano’s family for a pampered and fun week. Our hosts showed us a photo of them at a cocktail party with General Noriega! We then traveled to Panama City where we stayed with Felicidad and her daughter Maura, who works for the Panama Canal Commission. Maura gave us an insiders’ tour of the Canal Administration offices, where we learned about canal operations and history. The Canal Zone passes from American to Panamanian control in the year 2000, while critics predict corruption, mismanagement, and deterioration of the canal when America leaves the Canal Zone. Our friends also took us to see Old Panama, once an elegant neighbourhood of Art Deco and Victorian buildings, now mostly decrepit slum tenements. We received an urgent e-mail telling us that Chris’ mom, Doreen, was coming to meet us in Quito, Ecuador! We bought plane tickets and were reunited with her on March 12, after a 7-month separation. The next 2 weeks were a blur of sightseeing, making new friends and catching up on each others’ lives. It was great fun introducing Doreen to her first indigenous market, Inca ruin, and Andean volcano. She made many friends during her short stay, including a group of Christian Missionaries, the staff of Hostal Viscaya, our house-mother Marta at Casa Paxee, the staff of the South American Explorers Club, and a Shuar Indian family who cried when Doreen left. We cried too when Doreen got on her plane back home to Canada. Our next leg of the journey will take us to East and South Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Chile, taking us through jungle, mountain passes and deserts. It has been great to continue to receive email from friends and family while we are traveling. Although we haven’t found the time to reply to each one of you, we do hope you continue to write to us and tell us how things are going in your neck of the woods. If by chance you have not received updates #1 & 2, they are available from our web page (http://www.chembio.uoguelph.ca/fullcirc/) under the “World Wide Route” section. Please check the webpage out from time to time. If you like it, email Steve (seifried@chembio.uoguelph.ca), our friend and webmaster and let him know! He has done a great job. Bye for now, Natalie and Chris
FULLCIRCLE CYCLE EXPEDITION UPDATE #4
Full Circle Cycling Expedition Update #4- South America Chris Snyder and Natalie Edery
Hello from Sao Paulo, Brazil, where we are recovering from our South American journey of +10,000 km, visiting Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina and Brazil. The love affair with Latin America has sadly come to an end as we prepare to cross the Atlantic and continue in Egypt. Speaking our basic Spanish and Portuguese has allowed us to get to know many incredible people and cultures that we would otherwise be ignorant of. After leaving Quito, Ecuador in the Andes Mountains we rode up the Papallacta pass and descended to the Oriente, or the Tropical Lowlands of Ecuador. Climbing up to 4100 m, we were surprised to find ourselves in the midst of a hailstorm and had to take cover in a wooden shack for a couple hours. We watched the passing cars skid around on black ice and marveled that we were at the Equator and not in Canada! The Oriente was once a remote area of Amazonian river tributaries running through tropical jungle populated by indigenous peoples living off the land at the riversides. It is now undergoing intense development by agricultural colonists and oil exploration companies, negatively impacting the ecosystem and original inhabitants. Cycling the Oriente was worth the bone shattering gravel roads and intense sun; surrounded by waterfalls cascading down lush green valleys with giant orchids and red heliconia over We planned to head east from Macas to Makuma, a small riverside village located on a tributary of the Amazon river, as we had an invitation to a Schuar Indian cultural festival there. The Schuar Festival of the Chonta celebrates the season of the Chonta fruit and its fermentation into wine, a convenient excuse for a big party! Excitedly we prepared for our expedition to the village. Deciding that a chartered plane would be too expensive, we figured on bicycling partway, catching a local bus for the in "How long will it take us to reach Makuma? Whatïs the trail like?" "Not too long, maybe a day or so. I think the trail's all right." "Have you ever walked the trail? Ever heard of the Schuar Festival of the Chonta?" "No." We were somewhat concerned when the bus dropped us at the trail. It appeared that we would be hiking to Makuma along a mud-bog. After half an hour of wading through the muck we encountered a Schuar farmer called Dionysius and his sons. They were shocked to see us and even more surprised that we wanted to go to Makuma. They were very helpful as we all walked the trail together, pointing out good places to step and even helping us with our heavy backpacks in tough spots. Finally we arrived at Dionysiu Accepting his hospitality we were invited into a wooden shelter and his wife offered us the traditional staple of the Oriente, chicha de Yuca, which is a porridge type drink made from shredded manioc root and fermented with human saliva. Pretending to enjoy it we sipped from the communal bowl and entertained everyone all evening with a Schaur and English language cultural exchange (Thank You = Yah Mee Sam Wae). In the early morning we told Dionysius that we would continue on the trail for a while and see if we could manage it. After a half-hour we found ourselves standing knee-deep in mud at a riverbank facing a 2-meter deep descent. Finally we gave up and walked back to Dionysius' farm. He seemed to be expecting us! Bidding him farewell, we headed for the bus back. Boarding the bus, all eyes were upon the 2 filthy mud-covered gringos who sighed despondently as the bus drove away from the dreaded Makuma. We climbed back up to the Andes and spent our remaining time in Ecuador visiting and learning first-hand how Andean cultures are adapting to the modern world. The campesinos, or subsistence farmers, are generally retaining their lifestyle of cropping potatoes, quinoa, and corn and raising sheep and llamas on the high grassland paramo, bringing their produce to weekly village markets. They proudly continue the legacy of their pre-Inca ancestors, with distinctive language, dress, culture, social conventi Descending to the desert at the Ecuadorian-Peruvian border we enjoyed beautiful mountainous scenery but gravel roads until we crossed into Peru. In front of us lay a ribbon of smooth pavement stretching to the south of Chile! We cycled south along the coast through the desert, dealing with burning sunrays, long, boring distances between towns and strong headwinds that sandblasted our faces. The Peruvian desert and Andes were home to many highly sophisticated societies dating back to 2000 BC, with buildings, art and cultural artifacts equally impressive but less famous than those of Egypt. We spent our days visiting archaeological ruins and museums, learning about the stunning art and treasures found in the adobe tomb of the Moche Lord of Sipan, the elegant stone engravings in the labyrinth of Chavin de Huantar, the strange stone fortress decorated with cartoons of eviscerated and beheaded Peru was well known as a dangerous country to visit due to terrorist groups (Sendero Luminoso, MRTA), theft and drug smuggling. In Chiclayo, Peru we watched on TV the Japanese Embassy hostage release where the military dug a tunnel to free the captives and killed all the teenage MRTA guerillas. Currently terrorism is 'under control' by the government and poses no problems to the tourist, although poverty and desperation are turning some to crimes of theft. We personally found Peruvians to be honest, h In Cusco we celebrated our first year of traveling by bicycle by leaving the bikes in storage for a week and going with a group to the Manu Biosphere Reserve, a pristine neotropical rainforest of 2 million hectares whose protection is financed by carefully controlled ecotourism. 80% of the area has its access restricted to research scientists and contains 5 indigenous groups that have had almost no contact with the outside world. The park is being contaminated with mercury, used in gold mining/extracti Heading south we cycled along the coast of Lake Titicaca, worshipped as the site of the birthplace of the Inca empire. Enjoying literally breathtaking scenery at the Bolivian border we climbed to 4300 m, viewing the backbone of the Andes to the east as we descended to La Paz. From there we traveled by bus, visiting the fascinating Andean towns and their mix of modernity and the 18th century. In Potosi we explored Sumaj Orcko, or the Cerro Rico silver mine, which was a sacred Inca mountain mined by the In the country the subsistence farmers quietly continue on with their lives, sustaining ancient traditions, handcrafts and beliefs. Some campesinos live in communities completely independent of the legal system, where they are free to execute any community members that commit adultery or other serious unsanctioned behaviors. Crossing the border to Chile through the Lauca National Park we were held up at the border post as Chris' name came up on the InterPol computer as a wanted Chilean criminal! Chris spent a few uncomfortable hours there as the police contacted their headquarters and found out that the Chris Snyder they were after was a short, bald, 50 year old man with scars on his forehead. Finally we were allowed into Chilean territory with only a two-week visa. Taking overnight buses through the desert coast we arriv Fast-tracking to Argentina we entered at Mendoza and traveled to Buenos Aires, staying with a wonderful family and enjoying the cultural life of the city. Travelling north we crossed the Rio Parana Delta and made our way to the Brazilian border at the Iguazu Falls. The Falls are situated in a stunning virgin forest teeming with birds and butterflies, graced with a brilliant rainbow when the sun shines. The tacky tourist shops are few and far away, unlike in Niagara Falls! The Argentinean side is trying Crossing into Portuguese-speaking Brazil we found ourselves completely unable to communicate for the first time since the US/Mexican border. Written Portuguese appears very similar to Spanish, but the spoken language is completely different, sounding like a mixture of French and Martian. Fortunately we were able to figure out the differences and could communicate pretty well within a few weeks. Continuing north into Brazil the temperature kept rising until we arrived in Campo Grande and began preparing for an excursion into the Pantanal, a vast wetland wildlife preserve. We cycled across the southern portion of the Pantanal on a partly paved road, while parrots and hawks flew overhead and giant Jaibiru storks, Jacare crocodiles and water pigs waded in the swamps along the roadside. For one week we stayed at an encampment on the banks of the Rio Negro where we waded through swamps looking at t "No, we should be O.K. Only half of this hive are Africanized Killer Bees." As Chaporro started the fire and the smoke began to rise, we began to worry how half of the bees might react. Their buzzing rose until it reached a crescendo and the bees began to get agitated. "Run!!!" bellowed Chaporro as we sprinted towards the river. Luckily we were unhurt but Chaporro was stung 3 times. Natalie pulled the bee-stings out of his back. Returning to the tree we saw hundreds of dizzy bees, drunk with smoke, confusedly buzzing about. We were quite relieved when the guide decided tha It was difficult to travel very far without being invited by the incredibly hospitable Brazilians to stop for a chat, drop by for dinner, and finally to stay at their homes for as long as we wished! We stayed with several friendly strangers and left as good friends. We were impressed with the prevalence of protests in Chile, Argentina and Brazil. The Chilean educational system is currently in an uproar, with teachers striking and students bombing buildings. In Argentina the Mothers of the Plaza de May Next we will visit the Middle East, possibly Egypt, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel, continuing on to Asia. Thanks to all those along the way that lend us support and advice, we can't do this trip without you! Keep in touch, Chris Snyder and Natalie Edery.
| Page Last Updated |
| Aug 26,1997 |
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