A really bad day

This is a post that I would hoped we wouldn´t have to write. We were robbed on July 5th on our way from Rivas, Nicaragua to the Costa Rica border. We are both okay, but our bikes are a lot lighter.
The short version is that 3 guys came out onto the road and blocked our […]

Ring of Fire

To the north of the city of Leon is a string of 10 volcanos which rise up out of seemingly nowhere from the flat coastal plain. The youngest of the volcanoes is Cerro Negro, which is only about 150 years old and around 700 meters tall. It is also covered in black rock and shale […]

You say goodbye, I say hello

We’ve noticed so far in Honduras (and sometimes in Guatemala, too) that it’s much more common as a one-word greeting to use “Adios!” rather than “Hola!” At first, I was a bit unsure as to whether it was supposed to be somewhat disparaging, as if to say “Scram!”, but now, after having tried it myself […]

One Down- Eleven to Go

We’ve had quite a ride on the way from San Cristobal, Mexico to Xela, Guatemala. The first day out was great. It’s always nice to be on the bikes again after a hiatus. We did pretty well—we were hot and tired afterwards, but not in pain. The second day was pretty nice, too. That is […]

Who is an American?

Following the example of other countries and continents, an American should be a person from the American continents. Peruvians, Canadians, Mexicans and Argentinians should all be considered Americans as well those from the US. (Just as Spaniards, Germans and Italians are considered European.) It’s not something people from the US think about too much, since […]

Oaxaca Part II

When we left the US we weren’t sure if we should go to Oaxaca or not due to the political unrest of the past year, where a teachers strike and protest for the removal of the Governer of Oaxaca, Ulises Ruiz, led to Vincente Fox sending federal troops into the city. As often happens, the […]

Oaxaca Part I

As I sit in the hotel room and write, Matt is taking the bus back to our last hotel where we hope our tent poles and stakes are waiting for him. This extra “rest” day is not completely unwelcome; we have descended from the mountains and are finding the heat and humidity of the low […]

Guitars, couches and ice cream

We are now in the state of Michoacan where the best ice cream in the world is made. Tomorrow, we are going to Patzcuaro where the best ice cream in Michoacan is made. I am already salivating just thinking about it.
Michoacan has treated us very well so far. The scenery is beautiful. Our rides take […]

A road built for two

We are on the mainland and back on the bikes after a long (16 hr) ferry ride from La Paz to Mazatlan. We went the cheap route and didn’t get a cabin for the overnight ferry. The cabin might have been worth the extra money as we ended up sleeping on the floor in the […]

Twas the first day of riding

One of my lesser known talents is changing the words to songs to fit my own perspective. It started as a way to divert my attention from the subzero cold while walking home after classes at the U of MN. One of my first songs was about the mac and cheese I was looking forward […]