JoJo

Remembering the trip

2011-01-16T11:34:00.012-06:00

After settling down and settling in we are ready to share a few memories from the road. A night that might keep you awake with stories and tales could be true!

6:00 pm Thursday, February 3rd, 2011

Hosanna Lutheran Church - 105 Hosanna Drive, Mankato, MN 56001

Hope to see you there!

Eric and Christie

There's no place like home

2010-11-03T10:18:00.010-05:00

As the days on the road slipped away our grieving increased. Our shared times of ups and downs would soon be replaced by separation.....a parting of ways each day as we rejoined the working world. We certainly had strains on our relationship throughout the journey, but were they really any more difficult than relationships in normal US day to day living? Maybe the only difference is the chance to escape any problems that may arise, with the "excuse" of a job to go to. The powerhouse carrying us home. Christie's view rarely changed, but her legs were always pumping.

North Dakota winds took their toll. We hid out behind some bales along the road.

A goldmine! We rarely stopped for pennies, sometimes nickles and always for dimes or more. We hit the mother load between Lisbon and Gwinner, ND.....$1.37.

Leonard at an NDSU research facility let us tent at his place. He sent us on our way with some monster potatoes.

Adam passed us on a slow ride into the wind. When he saw us in the next town he figured we could use a little energy.

We found the place to hang out in small town SD. Farmers from miles around flooded in at noon.

No trip is complete without a trip to storybook island. We hit the scene with a good childhood friend and her kids.

Another church provided a resting place. We were glad the back door was open.....well open enough to fill up on water!

Diving days. Doughnuts powered us for a few days at this jackpot.

Last day on the road, last town before Mankato, one last chance to go all out. A quick jump and I was under the black cover. Pumpkin pie, rolls, frozen pizzas.....did we really want this to end?

So close to Mankato and the wind actually at our back.

A very familiar road in to town...decked out in fall colors.

And home in time to celebrate a friend's wedding. Was the pedaling really over?

Maybe not. I was a little wobbly starting out. Parking the big rig and jumping on this nimble beast rendered me shaky as a 5 year old without training wheels.

And the only way to get past that feeling was to hit the road again....off to South Dakota. Christie and I had stopped here 14 1/2 months prior...still hard to take it all in.

Now a home of our own. After a few weeks of home searching we ran across one we could both agree on. We plan to move in mid-November.

Settling down....settling in.....the freedom of the road.....sweaty nights in Baja......freezing nights in Peru.....a job......a house. We are still adjusting.

For Christie, the job search continues, the excitement of the house propels her forward, the opportunity to shift, stand and power up hills has re-ignited her joy of cycling (for shorter trips).

And Eric? The lure of the road is present many times each day. The job is not as easy of an adjustment as he'd hoped and the house, while very exciting tings with fears of confinement.

So in the not too distant future, we plan some level of story telling in Mankato. Some of the stories may even be true! And a book......that is a definite maybe.

Just a little more time

2010-10-04T08:09:00.011-05:00

Eric - As our bike made its way West, I was faced with one of my greatest fears of the trip. Stopping. Christie had the end in her sights, a stop in St. Paul, then two easy days in to Mankato and the madness would end. She would be finished with this trip that was a physical cake-walk compared to the mental and emotional strains, never to cycle for more than a month or two at a time again.

Could we compromise on a new route? Mesh Christie's need to see family and friends, with my desire to make the freedom roll on a little longer. Our route adjustment has brought us to Fargo, a reunion with Christie's family, a 10 year Concordia Cobber reunion, and two more blessed weeks on the bicycle.

Chicago gets a big thumbs up for their bicycle friendliness. The lake path, good bike lanes and free maps of the city bike routes combine for our best big city cycling experience.
At the end of a long day in to the wind, we knocked on George and Georgia's door asking to throw a tent in their field. Within minutes we were making the bed on their back porch and getting ready to watch Monday Night Football. We continue to be amazed by the kindness we encounter.
Certainly not getting any younger. Celebrating my second birthday on this trip. Here with our niece and nephew.
Family filling the cheering section. A sunny day for some hard hitting 7th grade football action.
Back in the foundry family. Mike is Neenah's Metallurgist and was a great stop on our way home.
Chain-o-Lakes. Todd is a former co-worker. He and Sharon opened his house to us on a rainy night. We took in a great boat ride during a break in the rain.
Thankfully there wasn't a night game. Tucked out of the wind and out of site, this super-sized dugout was home for a night.
Colfax, midway between the North Pole and Equator, every small town has a claim to fame.
Hiding out during a lightning storm.
A few soggy days in the rain. Thankfully we had dry places to sleep each night.
More reunions. Being close to home has given us lots of people to celebrate with. Here some Cobbers and their families.
A highlight of our trip was sitting at an internet cafe in San Salvador de Jujuy, Argentina, talking to our good friends, Chris and Kristin, and hearing that after 14 years they were finally engaged. Celebrating with them in person was even better.
Still loving the warmshowers stops. Paul was our 15th and probably our last WS stay.
The choice to turn our route North, took us through the full palette of fall colors. On the Lake Wobegon Trail between St. Cloud and Fergus Falls.
Cobbers unite!
We converged on Christie's sister and brother-in-law as we hit Fargo. As usual, Michelle took the house filling onslaught of people in stride.
Due to some visionary friends, we found ourselves in the Cobber homecoming parade. Maybe we'll continue throwing candy for the rest of our ride.

We've arrived at the conclusion that this journey must end....and actually have a definite stopping date (October 13th or 14th). We continue to be challenged by our desire to live on the fringe of typical US society and not be outsiders. Maybe now is the time to dance with the changes in our near future.

Reflecting on the return

2010-09-10T09:30:00.013-05:00

Eric: As our wheels roll closer to Minnesota, the realities of a changing life are becoming more apparent. The day to day freedoms we have known on the bike - pedal or not, this route or that, long mid-day nap in the park - as well as the discomforts of a long trip - are nearing an end........soon to be replaced with jobs, a real bed, and a mortgage?

The finish line is in sight....but this wasn't supposed to be about a finish line. We wanted to be impacted by the world. Have footprints left all over us and be changed by the bruises. The comforts of our homeland now are filled with pin pricks of discomfort. The typical American fears that surfaced before we first crossed into Mexico a year ago, never materialized. Now we are more impacted by the safe and sterile life many Americans try to create around them......and we don't like it. No trespassing, wash your hands, eat before this date, beware of dog, caution coffee may be hot, warning this peanut butter contains peanuts...........
Still have a few things to figure out. Keep riding.

I've got a mule, and her name is Sal. Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal. She's a good old worker and a good old pal, Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal. We've hauled some barges in our day, Filled with lumber, coal and hay, And we know ev'ry inch of the way From Albany to Buffalo.

Christie was treated to music every inch of the way.

My grandparents went to Niagara Falls on their honeymoon...and again 40 yrs later (grandma always said the second trip was because they actually wanted to see the falls). This was our first time there, it was all it was cracked up to be.

We were drawn to the international flair of the area. Chinese, Colombian, Polish, Swiss and US travelers found the Jojo train a little more exciting than water falling....for a few minutes as we strolled by. A $1 ferry ride addressed our bridge crossing issue. Detroit and Port Huron bridges didn't want anything to do with our preferred mode of transportation.

A friendly face on our final return to the states. Ray went pedaling around town looking for a map we could use, then prayed over our journey before we left him. I believe his understanding of Michigan roads and drivers triggered his prayer.

One cool family! A last trip before the start of school, the determination of this family, particularly the 8th grade twin girls impressed us. They were nearing the end of a week long bike ride along the Erie Canal.

Just part of the family. We enjoyed a Labor Day warm shower host and were welcomed as part of the family. We enjoyed our departing ride with Jim to the dunes of Lake Michigan.

Making new friends.

Stealth camping and warm showers have been the primary places we lay our heads in the US. Rural churches during the week and schools on the weekend are easy, urban camping has been a little more of a challenge.

Lift off in the dunes.

Christie's joy of shopping was slightly dampened as she walked into this mall...soaking wet, bright yellow cycling jacket, cycling shoes, and no shower in a few days. As one of our friends commented, the click of C's shoes walking through were the "loudest clicks ever heard."We filled up at roadside stands throughout NY, Ontario and Michigan.

Grocery stores are hard. We are a nation filled with choices....going in to a store to grab simple things....maybe peanut butter, salad dressing and cereal turns into a colossal chore filled with no less than 100 options. On this Sunday morning it just seemed simpler to go with pumpkin pie....and you can't have pie without cool whip! There wasn't very much talking as we sat in front of the store and our breakfast disappeared.

Sometimes it is easier to have food choices whittled down for us. Hirsch (cycling for 6 yrs around the world) is teaching us the finer points of dumpster diving during our virgin experience. With our endless number of food choices comes a mountain of waste. These bagels were maybe a day old...and mighty tasty. We are excited to practice our new found skills for the rest of the ride. Brings a whole new meaning to the term dive master.

Peace Corps Vanuatu re-unites. The five of us overlapped for one year in the South Pacific. E, C, Hirsch - having a bit of a zen moment here, Sarah and Aaron Reedy - both Chicago teachers. A great stop and opportunity to discuss items with people who can readily relate to our experience as they have had so many of their own unique adventures.

A high school friend from Albert Lea who lives in the Chicago area. Christie is getting comfortable holding a young one.

We enjoyed moving under power while the clickity clack of the wheels on the steel rails sped us towards Chicago. We stayed with Pete (Eric's cousin) in NW Indiana.

The honeymoon period of our return home is giving way to the day to day US realities. Before we could dismiss oddities (to us) as just being an East coast thing, no longer. We are now in the Midwest, the world we left, and it didn't seem to take a year off. A year removed from our cell service we notice nearly everyone is walking or driving or riding the train, while texting or with a phone to their ear. Those who aren't have stuffed their ear buds in isolating themselves from interactions.

So we give you a challenge today. For a few moments be electronic and media free. Move under your own power and engage 10 other people who are moving under their own power. Hey, Hello and Nice Day all count! Then remember what it is like to be a human....without fear.

Ridin' in the USA

2010-08-23T21:28:00.014-05:00

Our week long whirlwind of travel included ferries, cabs, subway, planes, people movers, and of course Jojo to carry us through 3 countries and two of the largest cities in the world. Through it all, we continued to have amazing encounters with people and said a bitter-sweet adios to South America......for now. At the same time flying into the NYC area, cycling in the WTC area, seeing the Statue of Liberty, and American flags on nearly every house we passed pedaling up the Hudson, our patriotic levels are overflowing. We love this country!
Conserving body heat. We spent quite a few cold nights in Argentina and Uruguay. The heat was more important than the fact that Christie hadn't showered in several days.
The Rio Plata is known for its sunsets. We caught a few beauties on our ride South in Uruguay.Andres is an Ecuadorian we met up with in Uruguay. We enjoyed the riding company as we cycled together for a few days. He had been on the road solo for 8 months, going through Colombia, Venezuala, Brazil (including the Amazon), Paraguay, and Argentina.
Every little town in Uruguay has a radio station.....cycling in we were the hottest show in town. More days than not we made it on the radio. We were greeted by cheers from several people in their fields who had heard our interviews.
Loading the ferry from Uruguay to Argentina.
A place to crash in BA. Claire hosted us for a few nights as we packed up and got ready to fly. Here we crossed paths with a French cyclist nearing the end of his round the world tour.
The original Buenos Aires subway. Manual open doors and wooden seats. We met Emanuel at a small town a few weeks earlier when he was home on school break. He met us for a tour of the city where he goes to University.
Overlooking BA. A huge green zone and wildlife area sits between the river and the city.
Hope it all fits. There was as much weight in plastic wrap as components.........
but in 4.5 hours, Jojo went back together just fine. We made a bit of a scene as the reassembly took place next to the luggage carousel in Newark airport, NJ.
Few airports are designed with cyclists in mind. Newark-Liberty is no different. We got some local help from a pilot and a commuter and made it through.
Dennis and Heike hosted us near the Newark airport. A huge thanks as we needed the rest and local cycling advice!
Bridges have not treated us kindly over the last few weeks. On the bridge from Argentina to Uruguay, the border police said it was unsafe to cycle and we would need to hitch a ride across....the problem, there was no traffic (either to hitch a ride or make it unsafe). After 20 minutes, we took off with the senior officer running after us, shaking his finger and whistling. Who knew our year of training was simply to race across the border!

Getting into Manhattan from southern Newark proved to be a similar challenge. We shared the road to Jersey City (above) with a little truck traffic. Honk - honk!
Finally through the traffic, downtown NYC was only a ferry ride away. We got some great looks at Miss Liberty, an exciting experience and a symbol of the freedom that allows us the opportunity to realize dreams.
The green spaces, cycling lanes and loads of people using them on a warm NYC day was well worthwhile. This cycle commuter paused on his way to work to swap stories. He has lost 50 lbs after 1 year of commuting to work 15 miles a day!
Down the Hudson overlooking Jersey City.
A more peaceful crossing back into New Jersey....this bridge had a functioning pedestrian walkway, allowing us to stop and take in the river (NYC on the left, Jersey City on the right.
The kindness continues. Ray saw us resting on the banks of the Hudson. He and his wife, Linda, opened their house to us for the night as we swapped traveling tales. In the morning he rode with us a few miles down the road (his is the bike with the basket- he was slightly ashamed to admit!).
An old friend. Our route crossed the AT at Bear Mt. State Park. For the mile and a half that our routes overlapped we relived that foggy, rainy day from our younger hiking years.
Let the reunions begin. A highlight of the trip is meeting up with old friends. Bob was in Peace Corps with us (and he's a Metallurgist!) and our route allowed us to spend a few days and meet his fiancee, Jess.

We are celebrating our return to the US....enjoying the beauty of this country, speaking in English (although all that wants to come out is Hola, Como esta?) and being more comfortable with our surroundings. Our ride home will contain more reunions, realities and re-adjustment to normal life.

A change in........U?

2010-08-07T12:58:00.007-05:00

Over the last few months we´ve noticed a slow change in our trip. Still pedaling, meeting people and moving forward, but our focus has shifted. The shift occurred as the destination took a higher priority than the journey. We found ourselves placing a greater emphasis on mileage and details of timing rather than the everyday occurrences and interactions. So this shift, Argentina´s worst winter in 40 years and the passing our 1 year anniversary on the bike have helped us figure out it is a time for a change in U.

Instead of heading towards the city of Ushuaia, we are swinging through the country of Uruguay before we fly out of Buenos Aires, Argentina and in to New York City. A highlight of our trip was leaving from our hometown, riding down the Red Jacket trail. We look forward to riding back towards and to our hometown as we wrap up this trip.
Taking full advantage of the siesta time. Nearly everything shuts down from midday until 4 or 5 pm. We´ve had to learn new shopping habits to re-supply.

Trucks, wind and long flat stretches. While we´ve met some amazing people in Argentina, there is a definite shift when they get behind the wheel. No shoulder and heavy traffic have resulted in hitting the grass and gravel shoulder on several occasions.

A bright spot in the day. The sun has been very welcomed as we awake each morning to freezing temperatures.

The view from the captain´s chair. Dealing with the conditions has meant keeping my head down and grinding into the wind.

Only takes a year in the saddle to get calves like that!

Tunnel trouble. As usual we rode through the pay station on the road. At this one, we set off alarms and had several people waving for us to come back. Ahead was a non-bikable tunnel. The manager got the work truck and drove us a mile to the other side.

How can you not smile at this picture? Oscar helped us figure out what to do at the tunnel, escorted us through a few intersections and said we should stop by his house, 40 miles down the road.

Bikes just aren´t made for one person.

These kids got such a kick out of our 2-seater, they needed to make a quad. Th boys in back lifted their knees like they were pedaling as the girls rode on.

A warm welcome. Jojo came through again in landing us a place to stay. This family noticed our bike, ran outside and offered their extra apartment to stay in for the night.

Mate with Oscar´s family. We enjoyed several rounds of the tea like drink as we shared stories. As a symbol of unity and community, Mate is one cup passed around the group. In true Argentine style, the night ended with dinner around 11 pm.

We weren´t the only ones sleeping in the ditch. We´ve seen several shelters where people sell everything from charcoal and wood to carvings and cacti.

Sharing the road. Horse and buggies are still common sites, especially in the rural areas.

We are excited to return to the ¨Motherland¨ and cycle through areas where we know how to buy food, have a better understanding of language and culture, and have the opportunity to see some old friends along the way!

Let it snow Argentina

2010-07-22T12:31:00.007-05:00

Argentina has welcomed us with some of the friendliest encounters of our trip, more snow and cold than we care to remember and a farm stay cut short. We have crossed another 10,000 foot pass and will be in the 1,000 foot - and flat! - farmland region for the next few weeks. We´ll keep the wheels rolling!
The ag area we´ve entered is primarily a sugar cane growing region. B.O.B. has been converted into a cane hauler for some quick energy on the road.
The caretaker of the community hall offered us a floor to sleep on and delivered sugar cane. I think I know why there are so many dentists around.
Off to the races. We crossed these three siblings at a small restaurant miles from the nearest town. Shortly after rolling up on Jojo, the bikes came out and the race was on. We played official starter instead of joining in.
Making friends everywhere we go. The grazing pigs - I guess they graze - responded favorably to my oinks and gathered around.
360 days of sun....we were stopped in this town for 3 days waiting for the road to be cleared of snow. We experienced 2 cloudy days and heard the 2 days before were cloudy as well. The rest of the year is looking very bright!
A long curvy and icy road slowed the 9,000 foot descent. This 30 mile stretch of canyon contained some of the most spectacular scenery thus far. Thick growth forests blanketed in snow. WOW.
Slowing down for an icy patch. This area hadn´t seen snow in 10 years, so clearing the roads isn´t a well defined process. The wait for sun approach seemed to be the main clearing method.
Climbing out of the valley. The dry side of the mountain is one of Argentina´s major wine regions.
We tested our sewing skills to keep our feet a little warmer. A used winter coat gave itself to become our shoe covers.
Cold under the clouds. We spent a few days waiting for the warmth. The cloudy weather kept the temperatures near freezing for most of the day.
The last two weeks have been winter vacation for school kids. In Argentina, that is a time to hit the roads and travel. This family stopped while we were taking a break. The grandmother´s parting advice was Don´t worry, be happy to a jig that Bobby McFerrin would be proud of.
South of Jujuy, Argentina we took a more scenic route filled with Argentine tourists. That allowed us to have cameo shots in 19 home videos and be in hundreds of pictures. This family, with a Wisconsin exchange student connection, brightened our day with a long stop for pictures, stories and invitation to a BBQ if we get to their town.
Devil´s throat, Oblisk, Toad, Friar, and Castle were rock formation along this route. We met people from across the country and South America along the way.
Even in winter, the campgrounds are in use. The German traveller on the right has taken his land cruiser over N and S America for the last 5.5 years...with plans to ship to Africa before too long. The Argentine in the middle was full of stories and stopped roadside a few days later as we crossed paths again on a climb. There is always more to explore.
Mr. Swimmer, go in with your swimsuit. Quite possibly the largest pool we´ve ever seen. Eric (in the middle) had to get a better look. In summer this fills with thousands of swimmers. Too bad we are 4 months late.
The typical hostal doesn´t have a workshop for bikes. Here a crowded room is doing the trick. We´ve become quite adept at snaking Jojo up stairways and around corners.
Two of our farm hosts. Gerrardo and Mattheis. We enjoyed our time working with them.
Christie couldn´t be happier sporting her rubber boots and playing in the dirt. A significant portion of the food for this 7 person place came from the garden.
Fixin´ fence. We were able to dive into some familiar tasks as we spent a little time on the farm. Good to settle down for a week.
The look out from the volunteer´s cabin. The setting was wonderful, but in the end we decided to leave early. Maybe we´ll find another farm down the road.

Since our last posting, we made one of the most difficult decisions yet, to leave the farm, and keep the wheels rolling South earlier than planned. We´ll see what the next few weeks bring as we move towards Uruguay, then swing back towards the West.

Christie´s Uncle Rich has dedicated several minutes of his life changing words to well known tunes. His re-write of Rawhide is listed below. Sing with gusto and blow some hot air our way!

Keep rollin, rollin, rollin
Headin south on tandem,
Keep those legs a pumpin, - Nelsons

Through rain and wind and weather,
Exploding spikes and rubber,
Knowing my gal's on my backside.

All things we're missin

Good food, metal and nursin

Are waiting at the end of our ride.

Breakin down, fix em up,

Fix em up, breakin down,

Breakin down, fix em up, - Nelsons

Goin south, riden hard,

Riden hard, goin south,

goin south, riden hard, - Nelsons

Movin, movin, movin,

Popin pills called Motrin,

Keep ol' JoJo rollin, - Nelsons

We're desperate for a shower,

We're down to our last dollar,

Soon we'll be livin just on pride.

Our heart's calculatin,

Our bed and jobs are waitin,

Are waitin at the end of our ride.

Breakin down, fix em up,

Fix em up, breakin down,

Breakin down, fix em up, - Nelsons

Goin south, riden hard,

Riden hard, goin south,

goin south, riden hard, - Nelsons

(repeat as often as tolerable)

Our seven year anniversary?!

2010-07-03T14:44:00.008-05:00

As we rode through an amazing canyon this morning, we had a awareness that has alluded us for much of this trip. Not only did we know the day, but also the date...and both at the same time. The elation level increased as we realized today is our seven year anniversary. No, not marriage we are much more seasoned in that institution, but this was the day we summitted Mt. Katahdin in Northern Maine, thus completing the Appalachian trail.

We reflected on reaching the top, touching the sign together, looking at each other and saying almost in unison, ¨Now what?¨

As we rolled down the road, it was encouraging to think of others who had removed themselves from their comfort zones and became inspirations to us. A good friend from our Peace Corps days has pushed the edge on more extensive trips and, if anything, helped us see the possibilities. Maybe that is part of our purpose.....helping others see possibilities and opportunities. Regardless, life for us just wouldn´t be the same without pushing the edges!

July, 3rd, 2003. On top of Katahdin. Don´t we look young!

Not a tree in sight. Northern Chile was an amazing place to see for a few days. At taking us nearly 2 weeks to get across, it became much more of a challenge than we expected.
Towns were few and far between. We found a campground with running water where we could take a partial rest day, do some laundry and take a shower. The locals were thankful!

Desert camping. Warm days, cold nights and sandstorms. Later this night the wind switched directions and brought a dust bowl to the tent.

Camping on the salt flats. A few stubborn shrubs held tight and provided a wind block. This night Eric provided the entertainment, reenacting Christie´s favorite TV shows...Project Runway and Design Star. At 3:00 am when we woke to an unexpected heavy fog and drips on our faces, Eric realized his design flaw in the Design Star show titled ¨Tent¨...the rain fly was necessary (being in the driest desert in the world...who knew?).

Straight up. 30 Km (18 miles) and more than 1800 meters (6000´) elevation gain in 5 hours. We kept looking back and could see the town where we stayed the night before.

This volcano hung on our left hand side the whole day. No matter how hard we pedaled (okay walked) it never left our side.

At least the pumice stone scattered about provided entertainment at a roadside rest.

Finally after a night below freezing, no top of the mountain in sight, time ticking away to get to our WWOOF volunteer opportunity, and Christie in tears, Enrique stopped and offered a ride. We couldn´t get loaded quickly enough and took a quick trip over the mountains and into Argentina.
The salt flats we expected. Early flats were more mud colored, these much more white. In the heat of the day we could hear the crust creaking and cracking.

Green again. We were excited to see trees, grass, water and have some downhill to go with the uphill.

Now we are in Northern Argentina and will take 3 to 4 weeks off and volunteer on an organic farm. We are excited to stop the wheels for a little while, let the warming of places farther South in Argentina begin and think about what possibilities may lie ahead.

Escaping Peru

2010-06-20T11:28:00.008-05:00

Our last few weeks in Peru were filled with amazingly beautiful scenery, good roads and riding conditions and frustration over the things in Peru that just don´t seem to make sense. We made another pass of the Andes, topping 15,000 feet again and had our highest campsite of the trip. We awoke to more ice than we´d seen since our last winter in Minnesota. The sign welcoming us to Chile was a relief and renewed our excitement and optimism about the next stretch on the trip. We even started mourning some of the things we´ll miss about this trip when it´s over!

Setting sail on Lake Titicaca. This was a highlight for me (Eric). Ever since reading The trail to Titicaca I had this on my list of places to see on our trip. Amazing!

Floating islands....absolutely nothing like them. A little commercialized. My feeling was they could create more interest overall by focusing on the island and less on the craft, then again, I don´t really like crafts!

On the water´s edge. The root structures are cut and floated into place, tied together and anchored to the bottom of the lake.

The soft carpet is made of reeds laid length and cross wise. Did I mention amazing?

Many clear days riding along the lake. Still gasping for air at times, but the paved road was wonderful.

Pedal power! Wheat and oat harvest were in full swing from the small fields along the lake.

Hand thrashing seemed the norm. People power is cheap in Peru.

Celebrating flag day. We found that there were several celebrations in Peru that gave kids a chance to miss class. Our feeling, they could have used the additional time in school!

Celebrating flag day.

For a small country, the Swiss seem to be taking over the roads! It was fun to see cyclists again.

A few days later we passed a German couple. Both couples had come through Bolivia. We chose the Chile route as Americans are charged $135 per person to get into the country. That would nearly double what we would typically spend for our time in Bolivia.

Our 10,000 mile shot. Over the edge there was a small farm on its own. We considered it as our future home....peaceful, quiet, open spaces and biking distance from our families!

The lack of Oxygen started to affect Christie. Not sure what she is doing here, but it was after a night at over 14,000 feet. We raced to lower elevations to minimize the loss of any more brain cells.

Desert camping. Some of the barest desert we´ve ever seen. No plant life....just a strip of asphalt through the sand.

That would be the strip of asphalt. Good road, a little windy and the military was performing artillery tests.

The road signs in Peru seemed to punctuate the end of our time. Don´t throw garbage, show your education.

Don´t put rocks in the road.

If in doubt, don´t pass.

Along with:

Only pass on the left.

Obey the signs.

Don´t burn tires on the road.

and Honk your horn.

All seemed fairly obvious yet were seen over and over again in Peru. We were quite cynical by the end.

So we arrived in Chile within hours of having our visas expire. We entered a land of smooth roads, higher prices, more diversity in the way people look and more western dress. Can´t wait to see what the next turn will bring!

Limping into Cuzco

2010-06-02T13:21:00.016-05:00

Christie: Look at all the people awaiting my arrival into Cuzco! Here we are! (OK, the truth is, they are celebrating a huge Catholic festival called Corpus CHRISTY...with bands, loads of people, and food.)

...and lady and llama on lookout...

AND FIREWORKS TOO?!

_________________

I can relate when my sister questions over Skype ¨When are you ever going to get out of Peru? We should reach the border of Chile the exact day our visa expires...90 days in Peru! Our 1.5 weeks here in Cuzco has been good for the bodies, minds, and spirits. AND a great place to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary...and 10 months on the road!

We had about 5 of these passes, then down to a river, the week preceding our arrival into Cuzco, (3 of which were on gravel). I´m not sure why there was a lookout built here...we´re high enough already at about 13,000 ft, then we need to climb a ladder?

And when we´re pedaling at 4 to 5 mph for 30 miles, there are days we only climb and never reach a town to sleep. We met this family when I asked to fill our water bottles on the way up and they invited us to sleep in their house (food seller on the floor...and we were thrilled). Great family dynamics and fun to watch food prep including grinding corn for flour to make tamales while the Guinea pigs (called cuy) scurried about on the dirt floor of the kitchen.

Long climbs equal amazing lookouts and a chance to stop cursing the climb and thank God for His awesome creation!

Following a river valley.

Early morning chores...all corn is planted and harvested by hand.

High on a pass, the day was nearing an end and it was time to rest. We spotted this abandoned building that was a perfect place to set up camp. We counted sheep grazing as we closed our eyes dreaming of the downhill in the morning.

We have visitors arriving...time for a hair cut...the pull and chop technique is Eric´s signature styling method. The top of hostels have multiple purposes...besides salon...vista, cook area, and laundry drying.

Cereal is bought out of bags taller than me (come on...I´m 5´3!) and put into SMALLER ones like this for a price of $1.50. Oh and don´t miss my cute hubby in the background sporting his biker tan lines.

A fabulous dinner with our new German friends. The couple on the right with their kids (15 mo and 4 years) are volunteering in a hospital for 1 year, the couple on the left came to Peru for 3 months so their 5 year old boy could learn Spanish while going to Kindergarten. Pretty inspirational young families! Thank you for inviting us for the night...the peanut butter was a long awaited treat!

On to PAVEMENT...HURRAY!...and another climb up. (Our road into town is seen on the far mountain range, which turned out to be the straw that broke JoJo´s back...2 rims failed on one of the roughest gravel and steepest downhills yet).

Checz cyclist started in NY a month before we set off in MN. We have been on a similar route the whole way and finally met up on a climb.

Eric doing the only thing he could with the cracking front rim...epoxy glue...everyday for 4 days before Cuzco UNTIL....

...our last downhill when I starting having flashbacks of our Baja blowout...shooting sparks as we screech down to a halt. I flagged down this truck and held on for 20 miles into Cuzco...not necessarily safer than riding on bad rims it turns out...eeeeasy does it around those mountain curves...YIKES!

CUZCO, we´ve arrived! A lookout from a hillside near our hostel. In the foreground school kids at recess, in the background reads Vive el Peru (Live Peru). A town of 400,000 people.

Taking the ¨donut¨ off for a new rim meant being creative with an iron worker.

A parade to promote Peru´s biggest festival at the end of this month. This is a lively place!

The colors of Cuzco at attention.

I caught this lady´s beautifully proud smile at the start of the parade...isn´t she lovely!Welcoming dad and taking in Cuzco´s central plaza.

Our day to Machu Picchu started with a 4:15am alarm and 5:15 bus for 2 hours, then hopped on the train for 1.5 hours. Normally the train goes all the way to MP but because of the landslide earlier this year, it´s bus, train, bus. Beautiful full moon and snow capped, rugged mountains to frame our ride along the river.
Stunningly perfect day with our visitors: Greg (Eric´s dad), Denny (Eric´s former boss at Dotson Foundry), and Jean (President of Dotson).

AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING! Couldn´t believe there were ruins even built on the very top of the steep mountain in the distance. I´m glad I wan´t an Inca...geewiz that´s a lot of work!

Struck up a conversation with a great family from Montana. Fun to meet so many travelers and surprising when we saw a Twins t-shirt strolling down the cobble stone streets!

We were interview by these girls and 6 other groups while sitting in the park, as a part of their school assignment to practice English and learn about professions.

_________

A write in author to our blog....the following words are from Greg: Two North Americans surviving in South America on two wheels and prayer. Through the ups and downs of the roads and the emotions...through the close calls and the distant vistas...through the break downs and the break throughs...through the welcome gestures and the uncertain stares...these two pedal on with the challenge of engaging people in meaningful ways.

Witnessing these 2 curiously engage the child on the street or ask where to find bread thrills me each time. Simple acts of grace acknowledging that we share this earth as one people. What a wonder to experience Peru and Machu Picchu with you, Eric and Christie! Love, Dad

Christie: So our long list of bike parts were delivered and Eric has overhauled JoJo. A big thank you to Charley at Mankato Scheels and our delivery boy with the 60 lb suitcase! We also need to wish our 5th grade class followers a happy summer and wonderful last day of school tomorrow! Give Mrs. Nelson a big bear hug for us please. Dad G., it was an absolute thrill to have this week with you!

We will be powered tomorrow morning on alpaca pizza, cuy, Dove chocolate, Twizlers, PB, and power bars as we head towards the highest lake in the world, Lake Titicaca. We plan to be at the Chile border in about 2 weeks and then are looking forward to taking a month for volunteer work on an organic farm in Argentina around July 10. For those who are wondering the general plans after that...we should be at the tip of Argentina around mid October, fly into LA and spend some time with the Strecker family, the pedal into Mankato around Thanksgiving. We still understand the wonderful gift of time with each other we have been given, so we pedal on. Each day growing in our marriage, individually, spiritually, and from the kindness taught to us by others. We are definitely looking forward to the changes a new country always brings (and most likely less gravel!). Cheers.

9 months and 9,000 miles

2010-05-10T12:31:00.007-05:00

After 3/4 ths of a year we have had more ups and downs than expected. We get tired of sitting on the seat at times. Tire at checking, re-checking, and triple checking prices only to have the price change when it comes time to pay (the ¨Gringo price¨comes after a long pause, a roll of the eyes, and an obviously higher price). We are still learning....and smiling!

Over the last few weeks we´ve come as close as ever to taking a quick trip back to a more familiar land. Greater effort on our relationship and attempting to take ourselves less seriously has renewed our drive to keep moving south. In the end, we believe Peru, or more specifically our route through Peru, will prove to be the most challenging time on the trip. We will spend more time here than in any other country to date.

So here we are, 375 miles from Cuzco (which means visitors and new bike parts to address some nagging issues!). We are liking each other more today than over the past few weeks and are getting ready for a 240 mile stretch of gravel.....we are currently contemplating mechanical assistance to speed us through a portion of the rough areas!

A cool morning on the flat altiplano. Fantastic riding at 14,000´. This harsh area brought ice and some very cold rain as well as a wonderful downhill along a river.

Where the llamas live. Instead of a meal, roadkill means warm clothes!

Open air passenger cars along a river in an amazing valley. They nearly got the views we did from the bike.

Rough gravel took its toll, but offered many opportunities to enjoy both the natural and man made beauty.

A dusty road with everything in super scale. Eric is just in front of the bus with Jojo.

First broken link on the trip....quickly followed by the second. We are currently on our 5th drive chain of the trip.

Happy to hit a sizable town. This one actually had Pizza Hut, Burger King and a real supermarket. Huancayo was a refreshing stop.

We could see the storm clouds rolling across the hills and ducked into these crumbling mud brick walls. It was near the road and appeared to double as an outhouse for animals and humans, unfortunately our only option....Crap!

Entrepreneurs at their best. A city park wall, a few tarps, some sort of bucket and a sign ($.10 to pee and $.17 for traveler´s gold - toilet paper) and this person was in business. We cycled by the next morning with no visible signs of the makeshift bathroom.

Part of the reason we were so excited for a real supermarket.....we could leave there with our appetite in tact, a difficult challenge when walking through the typical markets.

The ultimate form of torture. Frogs in a tank looking up at their fate....fried frogs hanging on the side.

Large pumpkins, sold by the slice. Bicycle carts are big business....we are getting ideas for Mankato.

We wish you a wonderful summer as we start our ride towards winter. We are excited about our continued journey South and the opportunity it holds.

Peru Part 2

2010-04-26T10:49:00.006-05:00

The last few weeks our route has included many roads less travelled! The climbs and descents have been significant in shaping this section of the trip. They have brought about the greatest challenges both physically and mentally of the trip.....and yet we roll on!

¨Wilber¨ was our roommate for a night, snorting around the door to our room. He became the inspiration for how to deal with the constant staring from kids as we slowly climb up the mountains. Now our passing by is highlighted by animal noises, calves, sheep, but our favorite is pig snorts. We figure if you are going to stare, might as well be something good to stare at!

We´ve seen our share of dogs on the road. This of the friendly variety was our guard dog for a while until he had cattle round up duty. On the road it´s a little more challenging. I now have rocks in my jersey pocket for Christie to grab and throw (currently she is hitting 47%). A highlight to one riding day was two chasing dogs, one of which got hit with a rock and backed off. As the other one came closer Christie shouted, ´´I have one for you too´´. Priceless memories! (HEY...you would do it too after months of nipping dogs)

Moving in slow motion! Hills and gravel have made for some long cycling days. A few unexpected paved sections were never so welcomed.

Sharing the road. Our path has crossed many a Shepard. Usually seems to be an old woman who spends a good chunk of her time spinning yarn by hand.

Think we´ll walk here. Like I said, paved roads are certainly a blessing!

Down and up. Many people saw SPOT on this day and commented on the descent and climb. Yep, it was that challenging! Down 4,000´and up 5,000´.

We are getting a little too good at changing spokes. Luckily my dad decided he needed to see Machu Picchu....he will also play delivery boy with a new wheel and other goodies!

Rocky roads in the darkness of a tunnel. Had to turn on the light for these. This was also a mining area, so each of the 40 tunnels offered the possibility of getting up close and personal with a mining truck.

Bridge out! Glad it hadn´t rained the few days beforehand. Jojo, Bob and the bags got a free ride across the swift current on our backs.

The Oxygen levels were slightly higher at plant level. We needed all the help we could get conquering the passes! We´ve also found our sleep a little more restless above 11,000 feet. The curse of the flatlanders bites us again!

While we missed the Minnesota winter, we are still catching snow. A day after we passed this area, there was a rain and hail storm that made the whole area white.

16,000 feet in the second highest mountain range in the world on bike. It hasn´t sunk in for us yet either!

Bundled up. Even late in the day we were wearing most of our warm clothes. The Cordilla Blanca stretches out behind Christie.

A shack for the night. $2-3 rents a room with a light, electrical outlet, straw bed and maybe running water. Here at 2,000 feet the cold shower felt good!

A room with a view. We tucked in behind the rocks next to the road and were sheltered in this cave. It offered a wonderful view of the sunrise.

Our neighbor to the North. Our path crossed this Canadian´s at a small remote town. Due to a few problems with his motorcycle, we were able to meet him a few more times down the road.

Always fun to see tourists and these Italians were no exception. Their month long trip included a stop at the famous Cañon del Pato. Our common language turned out to be Spanish.

Werner and Maria hosted us for a few nights. This German-Peruvian couple are working on starting up a hostel. With their location, knowledge of the area and Maria´s cooking - it is sure to be a success!

Christie is on the right. This lady sat down and shared her story as we stopped for a rest.

We were greeted by this mother-daughter crew as we entered the Huascaran National Park.

As we end a few grueling weeks, we are excited about pavement for a while, some flatter areas in our path and the prospect of visitors coming at the end of the month.

So this is Peru?

2010-04-08T09:04:00.009-05:00

Peru.....for all the images it conjures up, the reality is a challenging place to pedal through. We took a risk entering near the end of the rainy season and have received what we should have expected.....cold downpours on gravel roads that chill to the bone and leave JoJo in need of a bath and oil.

Travelling in more remote areas has returned us to the calls of Gringo-Gringa, prolonged staring and typically an icy initial response. With our flags being stolen in a walk-by (yes we move that slow!) our spirits have been challenged to remain positive as we try to, ¨Speak softly and wear a big smile¨.

Our spirits are on the rise following 3 sunny days of riding and a recent, although brief, return to pavement. The next few weeks will carry us through Cañon del Pato before our probable return to the coast and Lima.

ROAD HAZARDS

It has rained almost everyday since we crossed the Ecuador-Peru border about 2 weeks ago, so needless to say, we´ve had our share of river crossings. Generally we have been able to pedal through them, here with the swift muddy water, we unloaded the bike and carried things across.

A days ride in Peru wouldn´t be complete without dogs chasing and barking at us, donkeys hauling sugarcane (above), wood, or metal milk cans and herds of cattle and sheep sharing the road.

So tempting. We are considering buying a 3 wheeled tuk-tuk to complete the journey. Maybe that will be our mode on the next go-a-round!

Another Pass. We´ve now had a few over 12,000 feet. This one came at the end of a 19 mile climb up, followed by a 36 mile descent in the rain.

Road conditions are becoming more and more challenging. We pick up bonus miles by swerving around the potholes.

KULAP RUINS

Less well known than Machu Picchu, there is no train to the top of Kulap.

4000´up over 6 miles. Thank God for switchbacks.

We are in rural areas. The typical construction is handmade clay and straw bricks with plaster over the top.

Kulap (AD1000) is surrounded by farm fields. It sees less 1/100th of the visitors of MP. The hill across the valley was the staging grounds for the tribe that took Kulap. It took 10 years and eventually ended when the stronghold ran out of food and water.

A grand entrance. Everything about this seemed supersized. Thankfully McDonald´s has come here yet.

NORTHERN PERU PEOPLE

Rice fields and harvest time. They must have wrinkly feet like us.

Nap time for this little one- all bundled up in a hammock.

Just after crossing the Peru border, this nice family let us sleep inside on their restaurant floor for the night.

Young and old all want to have a look at JoJo. (Take a good look at his shirt....our Gringo pal)

All aboard...Peruvian style transport...good for people, hogs, dogs....

All the equipment needed for rounding up the bulls....front wheel rammed into it´s side and big stick for prodding from behind.

An invitation to learn how to start the stove top...using wood and corn husks. She makes a mean soup!

Market day. Seems like the smaller the people, the larger the hat!

No caption needed.....CHUMP (is faded on the wall of this house).

"The price of admission is getting steeper!"-Eric

2010-03-15T13:10:00.012-05:00

Ecuador is a unique country with rich traditions mixed in with modern life. We are generally greeted with moderate suspicion and curiosity. The people have been both intriguing and frustrating because we sense a distance...in stares, in laughter as we pedal by, and in greetings not being mutual. On the other hand, we have been shown some incredible kindness and welcomed as friends.

We crossed 7500 miles on the ticker and the riding in Ecuador has been the most difficult yet....STEEP! The last 150 miles we had to the Peruvian border has been, not only STEEP, but also MUDDY, gravel, and had a few streams to pedal through as well. We have been walking and pushing the bike in short sections just to stop the insanity of our 5mph pace as we strain to keep the pedals in motion. During our trip, whenever I start to complain about climbs, Eric's response (so enduring) has been "It's the price of admission." I had to laugh, as we were straining up yet another mountain, around every bend up...and more up, and begrudged, he said "The price of admission is getting steeper." In general, the Ecuador road conditions have been very good, besides the hand full of landslide areas that have left the highway crews working. We are now about 2 degrees south of the equator and our elevation fluctuates between 4,000 and 11,000 feet. In the mornings we can sometimes see our breath (I´m not expecting any sympathy from the Minnesotans). Eric has a camelbac tan line on his back, through his shirt!...we have great respect for the sun here, even on cloudy days...reapplying sunscreen and lip balm numerous times in a day, and still our lips look like we had botox. It is the rainy season here through April, and as you may have heard Machu Picchu ruins, in southern Peru, had a huge landslide about a month ago. Our route through Peru will be determined by what others tell us about road conditions and rain. We have had rain nearly everyday in southern Ecuador, mostly in the afternoon, with obvious areas of landslides, but we have been fortunate so far.

RIDING....

Riding in the clouds. I wish I got to look at this face in my rear view mirror on all climbs. Usually there is more tension and exhaustion on it.

Back over 11,000 feet again. A little scary for us flatlanders.

We can´t seem to get away from the clouds and rain. I imagine the view here is fantastic!

And when the clouds clear we get this view. Complete with a patchwork of fields on the steep slopes.

CAMPING...

A great place to camp in a city park. Near the food stalls and police station. Volcano Tungurahua is spewing ash in the background, which it does nearly every day. On the other side of the road rises snow covered Volcano Chimborazo. While not the ¨tallest¨mountain, it is the furthest point from the center of the earth due to equatorial bulge.

No doubt we were the hottest show going in this small village. The kids wanted to see what a ¨Gringo¨ looked like while sleeping. Christie helped some kids with their after school chores by pushing a wheelbarrow of feed through the village...all eyes were turned in curiosity.

Our view from the tent...clouds upon clouds. We were eye level with a thunder and lightning storm and above another set of clouds.

Drying out in Riobamba. We are appreciating the coolness of the nights. Even broke out the stocking hat for a while.

FOOD....

Our market options are expanding. Pets or lunch?

Looks like lunch. Please burn all of the fur off of my Guinea pig.

A soup just isn´t the same without the foot. I think Christie went vegetarian this day.

Preparation for lunch. 1. Stab pig in heart. 2. Flush insides with water. 3. Trim what you want for now and throw it in a pot. Make sure you use all the pieces!

PEOPLE....

I was invited into this home for a chat...interestingly enough, there is a queen size bed and a tv inside!

We were welcomed to tent at the back of a restaurant in this city and got to meet these 2 fun kids.

Amazing family.....stopped us on the road and asked us to stay when we got to their city. Alfredo took us to meet 2 of his 12 siblings! He kept insisting that we stay one more day. We felt very welcomed in Cuenca.

We met many other kind people, one lady directly escorted us to Alfredo´s house when we asked for directions. Once there, while we waited on the sidewalk at a busy stoplight, a lady stopped, waved us over, and gave me a bag of pears. Another car full of people actually parked and came over to hear out story!

We met these 2 girls, aged 15, at our camp spot at the park. One aspires to be a Phamacist and the other a lawyer.

Some of our posse at the tiny village we camped at.

Ecuador has diverse groups of native people, distinguished by the type of dress and hats they wear.

The typical way women carry babies.

A busy market street.

Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name. Unfortunately it was closed.

So, we are rolling South.....living each day as it may be our last.....and with these mountains it may just be!

Closing out Colombia and Onward to Ecuador

2010-02-23T11:49:00.013-06:00

Our moods and temperaments have rolled up and down with the hills of the Andes. A few bicycle challenges have taken their toll on my (Eric's) patience. A long period of downtime, waiting for parts has turned into an opportunity to rest and re-energize ourselves. We look forward to the challenges of heading further south and rolling in the Andes mountains....though we're still looking for the hidden stash of the little green mints!

Another way to handle the Andes climbs. While we never attempted this skill, it sure would have come in handy.

Yes...we are on the right road..."Colombia via Panam"...we've been on the Panamerican Hwy most of our way in South America.

The scale of the terrain is beyond pictures, but this one is close to doing it justice. We were rewarded on this curvy, steep road with a magnificent waterfall that crashed even further down, below the road.

Our last town in Colombia, I became street entertainment while Eric made a quick stop into a bike shop. While we were stopped, Alvaro, a Colombian who has traveled all over the world and now runs an English school, asked us if we'd like to help him practice his conversational English and stay in a spare room at his school....

Alvaro and his family has us over for lunch and wonderful conversation. We learned of a young man from Oregon, who Alvaro met 1 week ago, who worked in Mexico on a farm, was given a donkey for his time, which he proceeded to ride through Central America and is heading south! Unfortunately, we never crossed paths on the road.

We welcomed in the Ecuadorian mountains by breaking the two lowest gears on our rear cog. This turned many of our steep climbs into walks. Currently waiting for the new parts to clear customs in Ecuador.

We dropped elevation into a desert area of Ecuador where the population is mostly of African descent. We met these ladies on the road gathering mangoes and they showed us to a hostel. They celebrate 4 days of Carnival which co-insides with Marti Gras in Brazil. In Ecuador the celebration is not about beads and parades, but done by dousing any passerby with water (squirt gun or bucket) and shaving cream, loud music plays, hundreds of people play in rivers, and dance in the streets.

A little Carnival fun...

Not understanding the idea of Carnival, the first time we got a face full of foam, we were left confused and frustrated, as the bus zoomed by and a little boy smirked with his hit. After the festivities were explained, the second time it happened, Eric went chasing after the culprit, this time to steal his bucket and return the favor. We were glad when Carnival was over and we could stop looking up towards the roof tops, anticipating having to dodge the next bucket of water crashing down...looking left, right, forward and back is enough to worry about!

A Warmshower stay in Ibarra, Ecuador. Here with our host family in front of their house. We had a wonderful time. I got to help the ladies cook in the kitchen and we got a tour of their huge backyard garden. They are a family of teachers and students and have a thirst for learning, so we had some English and Spanish tutoring.

One of their friends, 78 year old Jesus, came over one morning to collect sugarcane (pictured) and avocados from their garden. She had the most warm and caring spirit and a beautiful smile...and a hard worker! I'd love to know all those eyes have seen and arthritic joints endured.

Our host father, cutting the skin off the sugarcane for a sweet treat to gnaw on. Don't ask about the Panda bear in the background....I don't know....

I dragged Eric to one of the most well known markets in South America, in Otavalo, Ecuador. It was a playground for me...hand woven goods of all kinds, beautiful colors, and friendly merchants. I bought a few scarves, hammock, and blanket made of alpaca wool....

...and this picture painted with fruit juice extracts. Such a talented artist...it was hard to choose!

Eric noticed a loaded bike parked at a restaurant, so we turned around to meet......Anders, from Norway, started in Buenos Aires, Argentina and has been moving north, on a similar path we will take south. So, we swapped stories and information for about an hour, then pedaled our separate ways.

We have reached equatorial equilibrium...the center of the world. Crossing the equator seems like a milestone. Nearly half way on our route. Presumably at this point we are travelling faster while standing on land than we've ever travelled before.....25,000 mile circumference, 24 hrs over 1,000 mph, where as Mankato we are travelling at maybe 600 mph. Ah, too much time on the bike to think!

Some myths and facts:

- We do weigh less than at the poles, .3% due to the centripital (centrifugal) force...again another point of discussion.

- The toilet water does not swirl in the opposite direction,

- There is less wind in the doldrums, the intensity of the sun heating the earth causes the warm air to rise instead of blow.

We love hostel roof tops. This one had views over the church square, Quito and the surrounding mountains.

A patch of grass in the shade near a supermarket......don't know if it gets any better!

Quito warmshower hosts Adrian and Aisling. We were overwhelmed by this English couple's hospitality. They allowed us to stay while waiting for parts to ship from the states and took us around Quito. We were peckish and fancied a nibble as we sat down to eat!

This Skype's for you. Our long rest in Quito was a great time to reconnect with family.

Eric getting a lesson in re-lacing a wheel from our host Adrian. Hopefully this addresses our broken spoke issues.

We hope to continue rolling south in the next few days, and continue to be excited about what is around the next curve in the road!

Biking crazed Colombia

2010-02-07T08:58:00.010-06:00

On top of the world! Our climbs have felt like the stairway to heaven!

A rest in the middle of a long climb. Lots of gorges and rivers cutting through the steep hills. Amazing that here we´re only at 4,000 feet. We will finish our 2.5 day climb at 10,000 feet.

Grand Canyon-esque in its steepness. Just taking it all in. Luckily there was a rail to lean on after the long climb!

A time of Change

The change of pedaling in a new continent has affected us several different ways. The planning, preparation and research to get across the Darien gap took a fair amount of our time as we finished Central America. As the crow flies, we are 3000 miles from Mankato, MN and 4000 miles from Tierra Del Fuego. In actuality, we have pedaled almost 7,000 miles and have approximately 8,000 to go. The challenge of cycling in the mountains again (bigger than we have ever seen), another shift in language (still Spanish, but words used differently) and the miles yet to travel have left us a little homesick.

In amazing feats of kindness we have had some of our best personal interactions which have helped counter the lulls. Colombia is a cycling country. Every day on the road we have seen (been passed by) groups of road bikers out on training runs. People from their teens to 70´s all seem to get a thrill of pumping up a mountain and racing down the other side. When we pull in to a town we are approached and engaged by several people asking about the trip.

Much like Mexico, we heard horror stories of what Colombia would be like. We feel extremely safe. The roads are the best we´ve ridden (people even sweep the shoulders) and our interactions have been overwhelmingly good.

Our stay with Mauricio and Doris was wonderful in Medellin! Thank you again for hosting us, sharing your kindness, culture, and city with us.

My first South American foundry. It was great to smell the foundry again. We were able to go through a captive foundry making cookware and grinding mills. The complete assembly line was next door with aluminum disks to a pressure cooker in a box happening in the span of 30 meters.

We´ve been resting a lot in Colombia. Great views and always ready for a break.

I think we can bike the edge, but Christie keeps vetoing the idea.

All aboard. This was our second option. Looks a little tight so we´ll stick to the bike.

Still looking for Juan Valdez. He´s around here somewhere.

Thought we found the perfect spot. Along the highway, near a house and 3 people in the community said it was okay. We got a knock on the tent door at 11 pm by the police. Apparently this area is a little hot with guerrilla activity at night and we were encouraged to move closer to the police station.....

They helped us move to this lady´s backyard and get set up. She woke up, saw us in her yard and prepared breakfast for her surprise guests. Absolutely amazing hospitality.

Had to make a new stove...couldn´t fly or buy fuel for the old one, so it went home. Two aluminum cans and some denatured alcohol and we are in business. Still learning the finer techniques.....like get the alcohol boiling before placing the pan on top. We´ll get there.

One of many mountaintop villages we´ve stayed in.

Yep....we still like each other. Enjoying a day off listening to the church choir.

Simple beauty in nature in people. We are in awe. Here we are on the back deck of a hotel where the owner asked us to stay there....for free. Outstanding!

Our flag delivery. This guy saw we didn´t have a Colombian flag yet, made a phone call and within a few minutes one was delivered.....only 4 more to go!

Guess I spoke too soon. This bus driver thought we needed a soccer flag.....so we´ve added that to our collection.

I´ve never seen a bicycling sign with a full suspension mountain bike depicted. Colombians love their cycling.

They need a trailer! Several days in a row we saw groups of cyclists out riding. Fun to cheer each other on.

We cycled with this group for a short distance. Fun to talk to and share our cycling stories.

Another blog is in the books....this one with pictures.

Have a happy Valentine´s Day!

Adios Central America, Hola South America

2010-01-26T15:59:00.011-06:00

The skyline out of our host's 15th floor apartment window tonight in Medellin, Colombia...pretty....yes....but how are we going to get out of here?!

Christie: Mostly a narrative for this blog. We lost half of our Costa Rica pictures and all of our Panama pictures. A bit disheartening, but the priceless memories will remain strong (with the help of Eric's brain that never quits). Side note: for entertainment on the bike, he can recall every place we have slept this trip and the day of the week it was...is that freaky or what?

In CR, we ran into some hurricane strength gusty winds...at least that's what it felt like when it pushed us off the road, into the ditch twice, in less than 1 mile. We finally had to seek shelter at a nearby church for an entire day and a half because...well (the truth)...I was in tears because I was so scarred. Darn wind. Our other weather challenge was the heat. Being less than 10 degrees from the equator at about sea level makes things pretty steamy...about 100 degrees that is. Sure doesn't feel like January.

In Costa Rica, we got to meet Gary (57 year old Wisconsinite and has the body and stamina of a 30 year old) who has been pedaling from California south, then had to fly back home because his sister had a massive heart attack...would like to finish his trip to the tip of Argentina some day. Also met Matt, who has dual citizenship in England and Canada and is biking super speed from Montreal to Chile before he goes back to bush piloting in May. He started the end of November (YES Canada in NOV), through MN and followed the Mississippi, straight down Mexico and zipped through Central America in 2 months...amazing. Fun to travel the road with them for a couple days. We also hit our 6,000 mile mark in CR at a great lookout of the Pacific. The last time we saw the beaches was in Mazatlan, Mexico 4 months ago, so it was fun to camp and enjoy the sound of the waves again...although, we could have done without the biting ants EVERYWHERE and the salt on the bike is tough on ol' JoJo. Our only other pesky animal encounter were the crocodiles, about 20 of them, we noticed as we crossed a bridge...nothing close enough to get excited about though.

We crossed into Panama, got a little more mountainous than CR and hotter yet. Eric was on a pedaling spree of 10 days in a row and finally I (literally) put my foot down and said I needed off the bike. We ended up staying in one of the nicest hotels for our money yet, poolside, and we soaked in that pool all day. On the road again, after realizing BOB was without a Panamanian flag, a nice lady ripped one off of her windshield and gave it to us...a fun encounter. We were also greeted by a kind gentleman who was doing some maintenance work at a restaurant in a big city just before Panama City. After going to 3 different hotels and finding out one was full and the other 2 over our budget, we went back to him and asked if we could tent in his restaurant (that wasn't open that day)....(I know it would have been a better story if it had been open)...he asked his 89 year old mother for her okay, and the restaurant floor became our resting spot for the night. Carlos then took us in his car to meet his sister, who served in the US Army for 20 years. The whole family has dual citizenship because their father (now out of the picture) was a US soldier in Panama. They had wonderful things to say about all the Army had done for their family, including providing university educated children who are engineers now in Panama. Additionally, Carlos thought it was pretty great that he got a Pension check every month.

The day we layed eyes on the Panama Canal was one never to forget (it was a good picture, believe me....get over it Christie...I know). Before crossing, we took a few minutes to take it all in....6500 miles, across the US, Baja, Mexico, Central America, and now at the end of the road (well...almost). It took 25 minutes to walk across the bridge, and it wasn't very glamorous....it was incredibly noisy with traffic, the side walk was narrow and garbage everywhere....not just old wrappers, we're talking entire car bumpers, old tires, and metal scraps. I had to walk in front of Eric, who was pushing JoJo, so I could clear a path for him...not really what we were expecting. We did have some nice views of the locks in the canal and the huge container ships loading at the dock. Our host, Harvey, was a friend of a friend of Eric's dad. Harvey is a retired gentleman from Mankato and has lived with a Colombian family in Panama City for over a year. They were wonderful hosts the 3 days we were with them, spoiling us with field trips of the city, homemade Colombian food, and my spa makeover including a massage, pedicure, manicure, and haircut! There was no way we could say thank you enough, but tried by treating the 7 of them to tatertot hot dish (this is a new word in Spanish). Eric spent a day and a half disassembling the bike and boxing it up....what a darn process that was! We ended up piecing 3 boxes together, taping and taping and taping it more, then saran wrapping it (that REALLY was a good picture).

Some of you may be wondering why we had to fly to Colombia. There IS land that connects Panama to Colombia, the kicker....there is no road. The Pan American highway completely dead-ends about 100 miles after Panama City, so the options are to trek across the drug infested gorilla war zone of the Darian Gap, take a cargo ship that has an unknown timeline, take motorboats from island to island on the Caribbean side, hope that a sailboat in the Panama City harbor is leaving for Colombia and wants a bike and cyclists on their boat, or fly. We considered checking out the motorboat option, but seemed too risky with the damage the waves and salt could cause on the bike...so we flew. We took the cheapest flight available on an airline called Aires and were seated in row 8 of 9 on the mighty Dash 8.

Our first look at Colombia high in the sky was exhilarating...there is something to be said about going from 1,000 feet to 5,000 feet in a matter of hours and never sweating. Medellin is a gorgeous city of 2.5 million people set along a valley of 2 huge, rugged mountain chains. We loaded our 2 boxes, we had been fighting all day, into our last obstacle...the taxi, strapped them into the trunk, and arrived at our host's apartment. Maricello, is a friend of a friend at Eric's former employer, Dotson....(these friend of a friend deals are working out quite well!) He and his lovely wife Dorris, have showered us with generosity from the moment we unloaded our heap at their 15th floor apartment door. We ate an amazing roast chicken, veggies, and potatoes for dinner on their deck, then took a stroll around their hip, young neighborhood...the skyline is breathtaking, we keep taking ¨one more look." Today Eric spent 6 hours reassembling JoJo...it's like putting Humpty Dumpty back together again....oh my....I reorganized all our other stuff and also put my handy bike mechanic skills to work by screwing on two water bottle cages. I must admit here, as I was repacking our gear, I realized I am getting really tired of my same two outfits everyday. When we were in Panama, we were out for a walk and I asked Eric what he was going to wear on the plane (I don't know why I asked that)....he turned and looked at me and said "Ta da." I guess it does make wardrobe decisions pretty easy. Tomorrow, Eric is psyched because Maricello is going to give us a tour of the foundry he works at (I just hope there in a candy dish like at Dotson). They talked foundry all night tonight at dinner...it's good he can have a conversation about metallurgy that goes beyond the question "Is that English your speaking?" from me. Then we will hit the mountains on Saturday and right out of Medellin, we have a 4,000 foot climb over 18 miles, and at an average climbing speed of 5 miles per hour, it should be....fun.

Panama City to Medellin...all accounted for (notice the blue saran wrap:)

Bare bones: What first?....hummmm....

Nicaragua wrap-up and Costa Rica fun with family

2010-01-07T03:43:00.014-06:00

Christie: We started pedaling south in August not really having a clear answer to the question ¨Why are you doing it?¨ We basically wanted to allow ourselves to feel uncomfortable...to allow the world to impact us in unexpected ways, and then to let God work with those experiences in our hearts and transform us as Christians and servants in this world (whatever that may look like). Nicaragua most definitely impacted us in some difficult ways. It is the second poorest country, next to Haiti, in the Western Hemisphere. Spot was stolen (replaced and in commission again!), a blatant and planned robbery, different than the mere curiosity that walked away with spot a few times in previous countries. In Nicaragua there seemed to be a sense of desperation that blanketed morals and over-shadowed the expansive and ornate Catholic church buildings. The feeling of material inadequacy (70% unemployment) was compounded by the sights of tourists dinning in restaurants and peering over their second story balcony hotel. Additionally, media was around every corner in the form of magazines and TVs. It was suggested that we NOT give money to the kids on the street requesting ¨1 dollar.¨ There are several reasons for this including 1) begging for money is more attractive than school, so they stop going 2) there are food kitchens in most bigger cities 3) there is most likely native Nicaraguan food available to them at home, but they prefer soda and burgers that the tourists eat 4) parents may pressure their kids by abuse or kids may be paid to go out on the streets to get money 5) few children are homeless and do have homes to go to. By giving change to the open hand, these behaviors are encouraged. It goes as far as this....Carol was strolling down the street sipping a Coke, and was asked by about 6 different people along way for her half empty bottle. Kids would sometimes hiss and spit when we passed them by without giving them money. I decided to start giving the kids a ¨five¨with my hand...that seemed to by more valuable than money measured by the big smiles and giggles I got back, especially when Greg followed behind me with a ¨high five!¨

When we were in the Peace Corps in Vanuatu, people did not have much money, the vast majority did not have ¨jobs¨, but they did have huge gardens, they were strong and thankful Christian people, and generally content with their life (no cars, no electricity, dirt floor houses made of bamboo and palm leaves, and open fire as kitchen). No doubt, there are many many factors playing against the Nica people, recent political turmoil, revolution, and war, a sense of hopelessness related to unemployment, alcohol and drug abuse...and more that I could never understand after only 3 weeks there. It was very interesting to get Greg and Carol´s perspective after completing 3 months of their Peace Corps service there.

The oldest Catholic church in Granada. On Christmas morning, the cross pedestal was the site of the stolen SPOT, quite sad and telling of the desperate state people are in.

The main mode of transportation, not only in Nicaragua, but in most Central American countries. People carry EVERYTHING on bikes....we´ve seen huge sacks of rice, generators, re bar, firewood, on and on. The most impressive was the family of 4, just add one more child riding side-saddle on the back rack to the picture above.

Haven´t ran across many long distance cyclist, but in the last 2 weeks, have meet 4! These 2 girls are from Germany, started in Mexico City heading towards Argentina. Despite meeting some wonderful people, they have been tormented by men shouting profanity at them as they ride down the road. This has affected their trip greatly, have had to take buses for stretches, and has left a sour taste for Central America unfortunately. It is quite a different experience traveling as a married couple.

Wandering the streets of Granada with Greg and Carol.

We took a chicken bus (yes, there was actually a chicken under Carol´s seat) and ferry to the island on Lake Nicaragua for lunch. The bus was an experience...kind of fun to move without having to burn calories (although still sweating). Most interesting was the amount of people they can smoosh into the good ol yellow school buses with standing room only...not to mention, the lady who then got on to sell her basin of fresh made cheese and tortillas and actually sold out with only one determined pass, shoving her way from the front to the back!

Ma and Pa Nelson. Such a cherished time together! We love you guys.

Our favorite ¨Gran promocion.¨ Made a number of stops for the Eskimo fudgesicle.

The border crossing into Costa Rica was the most disorganized and lengthy by far. We stood on the Nicaraguan side for almost 1.5 hrs through rain and 6 randomly scattered ¨lines¨ among, I´m guessing, 750 other bothered people, then onto the CR side for another 45 minutes. Here, on CR pavement, looking eagerly to what awaits with a volcano in the back ground.

More cyclists! The couple in yellow and white (middle), Peter and Sally from WI, have cycled sporadically for shorter lengths of time throughout the world. And Dave and Lynne from England (on the end of the table), have been on the road for 18 month and started their trip in Asia, flew to Venezuela and cycled south the Bolivia, flew to San Jose CR and are heading north to Mexico. They are quite inspirational...after the devastating early losses of their parents to a brain hemorrhage and cancer, they realized tomorrow is never a certainty, and retirement is not worth waiting for, so set off to live their dream today at age 52 and 54.

Just a week after saying good-bye to the ma and pa Nelson in Nicaragua, we said hello to ma Strecker and sis Michelle. A brilliant rainbow welcomed us to the Costa Rica Nation Park of Rincon, we hiked 11 miles to boiling mud and lagoon pools, then too...

this spectacular waterfall....

.....and this beauty. So much fun to swim in the cool turquoise colored water, under and behind this 60 meter waterfall!

The next day, we all shreaked whoooeee, as we flew through the canope of the forest on a zipline, then relaxed at the beach.

Had a great hike through the cloud forest, called Santa Elena Biologic Reserve, 5,000 ft high and on top of a lookout tower provided a great view! The 69,000 acre reserve opened in 1992, initiated by a group of Canadian school kids who wanted to save the rainforest, and now has long term sustainability. The entrance fees are reinvested for the management of the reserve and given to a local high school to help upgrade technology and fund courses in environmental education...pretty cool!

Also visited a huge butterfly park and greenhouse that houses thousands of butterflies, including all parts of the lifecycle. Here an Owl Butterfly is just emerging into adult-hood, notice the owl like eye AND and snake looking face on the wing! Good defense!

An awesome rainbow to close the day...we all agreed the most spectacular we´ve ever seen.

We will be back on the bike today after dropping mom off at the airport. We had a great time with family and seeing the sights of Nicaragua and Costa Rica with them. Looking forward to pedaling again and the surprises the road brings. We expect to be in CR for another week or so, and about 2 weeks in Panama before flying over the Darian Gap into Colombia....here we come South America!

SPOT round two!

2009-12-29T12:01:00.002-06:00

Our SPOT has been stolen once again. And unlike the first time, there will be no tales of a rescue mission, no reunion pictures and no more updates for a little while. In the meantime I present ¨Christie SPOT!¨

Christie standing in for in spot´s absence, index finger is in Granada and pinky finger in Liberia, Costa Rica where we hope to have another unit.

After our first go around with spot, we learned not to leave it alone, so on Christmas morning we stopped at an open courtyard in front of a church with the intention of sending a signal. As the unit was sitting there a bicycler pedaled by and grabbed it. This has happened before, people not sure what it is and curious, with us right there, we though no big deal and asked for it back. He pedaled more quickly down the ramp and down the street with Christie and I chasing on foot. Our hostel was 1/2 block away and the clerk ran outside at our yells, but could not stop the cyclist. A few minutes later we settled on the fact that we were out of luck.

Travelling through Nicaragua, the most impoverished Central American country, has opened our eyes to more of a survival mentality. Where people once looked out of curiosity, we are finding more people willing to take out of desperation. Maybe the 2 - AA batteries can be exchanged for something worthwhile......maybe the unit can be sold as something other than it is. In the end, we continue to learn the ropes in the countries we cross.

In the meantime, we have slowed significantly and are spending Christmas to New Years with my parents. We are enjoying seeing Nicaragua through their eyes after spending Peace Corps training in the area. Oh, and they helped Santa deliver a rear cassette, chain rings, brake pads, tires and other goodies he knew we needed!

Happy New Year! We have very simple resolutions this year, spend more time together and bicycle more!

Hurray for Honduras....Now Nicaragua

2009-12-19T15:30:00.010-06:00

What do you know about Honduras? The latest has been the former president exiled, re-election turmoil, political corruption, and of course the banditos. What WE know about Honduras....wonderfully delightful people, breath-taking scenery, and welcoming "Bueeennnnas!"around each bend in the road....oh yes, and the steepest gravel roads we have encountered thus far.
The midway point of a 1 1/2 hour climb up a mountain that followed a river cutting through a deep valley. Pretty spectacular after we got the sweat stinging our eyes wiped away.

Getting directions Honduran style: Eric with stick and dirt.

Greeted in the central park by two very curious boys in Copan Ruins.

This little girl, thou small, has a big stick and a big herd of cattle to tend.....we weren´t about to mess with her. Keep moving!

Supper time is always a highlight. Our little stove is a big hit and the topic of many conversations. Here we found a piece of ground to camp on behind the local police station.

A stop for a mid-ride snack turned into entertainment for a group of kids at the playground.

Solar drying at its best. Hope she washed her feet! (Kidney beans take 3 days to dry.)

A school bus in rural Minnesota or the local bus on a main road in Honduras??? Old US school buses get a new life down here. We saw one a few days ago that was from Owatonna, MN.

Another tire change as the 2 bulls and cowboy stroll down main street. This rear tire lasted about 900 miles. We were happy to catch it early! A little more rural in Honduras. The mainstreet into this village doubled as a bikewash. Christie was high and dry on the pedestrian rope bridge.

More kid-os!

Another excellent warm shower stop. We had fantastic hosts 5 nights in Honduras and Nicaragua. Here, our host and roommates work at NGOs in northern Nicaragua.

Natural billboards: "Cristo viene, estas listo?" (Christ lives, are you ready?)

El Centro Solar offers classes on how to make solar dehydrators and solar ovens for locals and travelers. This is a great sustainable technology for the rural areas because people spend a lot of time and energy collecting firewood, not to mention the improvement in air quality in the home. Fun for us to get some ideas for our future kitchen.

4 days in language school was a larger challenge than we expected. After 4 months of total freedom and near constant movement, it was difficult to be confined in a classroom for 4 hours a day. We had an excellent teacher who was so patient and endured hours of ummms, aaahhhhs, and mispronunciations galore. (Note the intense concentration.)

...............and the glee of revelation. (Note E´s expression of "fiiiiinalllly".)

Our final night in Esteli was a wild event to start the Christmas celebration. Packed streets with a parade and bands, stages with dancing santas and pounding music that competed with the fireworks to rock us to sleep.

So we are nearing the end of an eventful year. We will celebrate Christmas with Eric´s parents in Nicaragua, then christen the New Year with Christie´s Mom and Sister in Costa Rica. We have been wonderfully blessed through our months of transition and travel and are thankful for the peace that we experience through the birth of Jesus Christ.

We wish all of you a wonderful Christmas!

5,000 down along with Guatemala

2009-12-02T16:33:00.005-06:00

What started on the Red Jacket Trail out of Mankato, MN 4 months ago has now reached a milestone. While the focus of our trip is on people, today we celebrate the mileage - 5,000 miles- as we cross another border.

Coming out of the tree tunnel as we wrap up Guatemala, we hit 5,000.

Our short jaunt through Guatemala was little more than a week. The Central American countries are coming at us fast. Each with something new to see and different challenges.

In Mexico people were interested in our trip, but it was usually one or two people at a time who approached us. At an early rest in Guatemala, Eric went to grab some food and returned to find Christie surrounded by a group of 30 people interested in what was going on.

The scenery in Guatemala has been beautiful. This is a most common site as we pedal through, houses, mostly dirt floor and thatched roofs, tucked into the mountain side. People busy washing clothes, working fields, cutting firewood, and carrying water.

A new country and new challenges in finding food. The grocery stores in the areas we´ve crossed are bare bones and fairly expensive. We now take additional time each day to search out a market, then bargain for the food we want. It´s required a quick learning curve.

Coming out of the jungle. To get to a camping location on Rio Dulce it was necessary to conquer the swinging bridge course. The two plank widths carried JoJo and BOB to the waters edge.....

And at the waters edge we found a group of sailing Minnesotans (who call Mankato and Rochester home!) coming from South Africa, to share in conversation and watch the Vikings game with.......

Instead of our routine dorm room, they treated us to a beautiful cabana over the water. The next morning, we loaded up JoJo and BOB in their dingy so we wouldn´t have to conquer the swinging bridge again. We had an amazing experience. Thank you!!

Our personal escorts to our hotel after asking them for directions.

The main market trade area for Western Guatemala, Chicamula. Busy, noisy place!

Guatemala has been more of a cultural challenge than we expected. A simple border crossing resulted in a different world where we needed to re-learn how to get food and find places to stay. While still speaking Spanish, many different words were used or spoken in a different manner. While we had some of our best cycling days of the trip, good temperature(85-90), scenery, our people interactions were not as rewarding. We have encountered more people begging for money as well as prices changing when it comes time to pay. The most challenging part of this trip will not be the cycling, but the internal conflicts we feel in how best to interact and "help" in a sustainable way. We pray for those here that God´s love is evident and they find peace in their day to day challenges. Even though we fight with the internal struggles that are presented, we believe one of the purposes of this trip to to let the world impact us in beautiful, as well as, difficult ways. We hope the sound of the jingling cup will mold us in unexpected and positive ways.

SPOT this

2009-11-22T13:35:00.007-06:00

Apparently we have a following. Over the last few weeks we slowed down as Christie had a stomach sickness that knocked her out. In the process we had a lapse in SPOT activity and have since received many questioning comments. So yes, we are still alive, making forward progress and having a fantastic time meeting people! We are now 2 biking days away from Guatemala and are looking forward to adding a new flag to BOB trailer.

We have yet to "follow the rules" for any part of this trip, so why start now.

Victor and his family saw us pedaling by his bike shop. He insisted we drive to the pyramid sites near his hometown. We enjoyed some "family time" with this clan. The thoughtfulness in seeing strangers pedaling down the street, making an effort to befriend, and create a whole afternoon just for us felt so gracious. We have grown from your genuine kindness Victor. THANKS!

Back to the heat. We rolled out of the mountains (approximately 8000 to 9000 feet) and dropped 4000 feet over the next few miles. We are currently back at sea level and in the hot and humid rain forest.

Our second warm shower stop (international biking community). Juan and his family were fantastic hosts. We had a few additional days with him as Christie was recovering. Loved playing Jenga with the girls and the wonderful food out of the family Restaurant.

A view from the top. Many of the cheap hotels ($8-$10 per night) are in the center of

town. This has become one of our favorite pic-nic locations....on top of the roof (where most of the laundry is washed and dried). This doubles as an excellent location to send SPOT signals from.

Company. This local semi-pro cyclist rolled with us for a few miles on the highway.

The waves, thumbs-up, and honks continue as we roll. These guys stopped roadside and waved us over to stop, took our picture and we took theirs. Fun times.

The exact quote from Eric as we passed...."I know how that guy feels." (What a stinker.) This town was filled with taxi bikes taking people here and there.

Fun to help these girls with their English homework while they waited for the bus.

Climbing the AD 600 Mayan ruins of Palanque. Quite spectacular against the rain forest and howler monkeys.

This could have been home if we were 2000 years younger.

Instead, this cabana is home for tonight. Eric is always working to keep JoJo in tip top condition. Pretty beautiful setting with the stream out the front door and rain forest all around. This is the first place we have found other travelers like ourselves. Met 2 guys from the US, bought a bus, converted it to a camper, and started driving south until the bus broke down in Mexico, so they flew to Colombia and traveled around for a month, now back in Mexico to get their bus. 2 Australia girls have traveled through Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador, and now in Mexico. Interesting to share stories.

So here we sit a day away from the Guatemalan border. We have spent more time and covered more miles in Mexico than the US. This part of the ride was filled with more unexpected than expected. Our surprises:

Scenery and landscape is much more diverse and beautiful than we expected,
We have felt extremely safe. The majority of people we talked to in the states were extremely scared of travelling through Mexico......our experience, fantastic!
More temperature extremes. Elevation will play a huge roll in the rest of our journey. The curse of being flatlander Minnesotans.
People, people everywhere. Part of this is our route choice, but we have been surprised by the number of and size of the cities.
Bike problems. After rolling fairly pain free through the states, the bike has been a little more of a challenge than we were hoping. Looking forward to a Christmas overhaul.
Families. We knew of strong family connections, but experiencing it firsthand is fantastic.
People. The highlight of our trip continues to be people. There are good and bad people everywhere. Our contacts have been extremely positive and we are blessed to have such wonderful encounters.

So as we roll into another country we send out Happy Thanksgiving greetings to you. Please pass the pumpkin pie.

Going around Mexico City

2009-11-07T10:16:00.007-06:00

I didn´t know milk crates were approved as baby seats. Maybe I should consider that for the stoker seat on JoJo.

Stoker tryouts. We had fun with the people in this small village. Gave us some delicious homemade tamales. Were also excited to teach us about the many ways corn is used in cooking.

One of the many bakeries we have taken full advantage of for carb loading. The oven here is about 15 feet in diameter.

For having the biggest city in the world, we are surprised by the farming methods. We have seen a minimal amount of farm machinery. Horses, donkeys, carts, hoes, and machetes are the rule. Many times we pass shepherds with their sheep dogs too.

Our bike shop friend. Victor saw us bike by his shop and had to say hello. He led us by bike to a good place to stay and has offered to bring us by car to ruins just outside of Mexico city this afternoon.

Local cuisine. I bellied up to bar for a little meat. The older gentleman assured me it wasn´t that hot. Within a few minutes I was searching for water.....lightweight!

How many bird cages can you carry on your back? Impressive.

A memorial to a priest during Day of the Dead on November 2. Many families created similar memorials in cities all over Mexico to loved ones who have passed away.

Creating the memorial is hard work! People had huge armfulls of flowers.

The market smelled beautiful. Pick-up trucks loaded with flowers came in to the city to sell.

A few ¨pings¨ on a downhill led us to these guys. During a 1000´curvy descent we broke 3 spokes and wound up in front of this Jimmy´s house. Turned out we needed an additional .5 cm on the spoke length for our new rear rim. Initially we thought we´d have to bus into Mexico city, but once again we were blessed with local grace. Off to the bike shop, only 10 miles away, with the rim and after trying all in stock he pulled out a die for cutting threads. New spokes cut to length! We were off an rolling again (with 6 spares) within a few hours.

It´s good to have options. We have been trying to learn from the locals and are currently looking for a horse.

A road to our own. This is the new highway that isn´t open yet. We were told by the construction crew we couldn´t go through, but after flashing our smiles and asking several times for directions, we were allowed to pass. The traffic was fantastic!

We´ve seen a few of these signs with a single racing bike and a line through it. Good thing we´re on a tandem. It doesn´t appear to be an enforced rule.

As we moved closer to Mexico City, toll booths started questioning a bike on the road. We´ve taken the ride quick, smile and wave approach. So far so good. We haven´t been chased down yet.

Lakes in the highlands. Cool weather, riding through clouds and mountains beyond mountains. Fantastic.

Closing down for the night. The owner of a store let us camp in his back yard. We could get used to this!

We endearingly named him ¨Verdeito¨ (little green guy). He rode for a few miles, then we parted ways.

Mission improbable

2009-10-24T20:58:00.006-05:00

For those of you who didn't catch our quick post on Saturday, our SPOT tracking device was stolen. The following is a primarily non-fiction account of THE LOST, THE CHASE, and THE RECOVERY MISSION.

The lost:

As we typically do, we arrived at our place for the evening and activated SPOT. This unit requires a clear view of the sky so we left it near a corner that didn't have tree cover. Over 5 minutes two people picked up the unit and started walking with it.....we were approximately 15 meters away (we are in the metric part of the world now!). Being a little slow to learn, we tried a 3rd time by placing it on a fence across the street. Several people walked by without noticing.

Around that time our warm showers host's parents arrived to let us in. In our haste we left the SPOT on the fence.

Three hours later I was checking e-mail and noticed we kept getting signals from SPOT.....ummmm Christie, do you have SPOT? The unit had grown legs and found its way to another part of this 7 million person city (Guadalajara, MX). Then another e-mail popped in and the race was on.

The Chase:

We quickly grabbed the GPS coordinates of the last signal. The coordinates are in decimal form and our GPS is Deg-min-seconds (this conversion and rounding would play a critical role later in the evening). We entered the coordinates and found the unit was about 5 miles as-the-crow-flies away. With our host not home yet and no motorized vehicle around, Christie and I got quick directions and rushed to our unloaded tandem.....the chase was on.

This was the first time we actually road an unloaded tandem since Wyoming. Between the rush of potentially catching the culprits and the lightness and agility of the unloaded bicycle, we flew through traffic and up hills. The sun was setting as we attempted to navigate the traffic, Christie monitoring the GPS (note we don't have detailed Mexico maps in the GPS) and following her rough map scratched on the back of a napkin.

Our excitement and determination quickly got us within 3 miles before we took a wrong turn. As we backtracked our half mile, and darkness and traffic increasing we realized we were out of our league in this unfamiliar city with nearly twice the population of Los Angles. As any married couple has had, intense words went back and forth at the stop light. Christie, with tears streaming down her face said, "let's just go back". With less intensity, but still with great speed we tore off in what we thought was the right direction. Again, a half mile down a different road we turned around and slowly worked our way back to our host's house.

With our host home we dropped the tandem for a motorized vehicle and sped off into the dark. Assuming our GPS coordinates would be perfect we only briefly looked at the google earth map. The rounding errors in converting to DMS had resulted in a .25 mile difference from the actual location. Going by memory we walked up and down the block where the signal was sent from....no luck. Our needle in the haystack turned up a few squirmy teens but no way to press the issue. We left saying we would return in the morning if they found anything.

The Recovery Mission:

Upon returning home we dug a little more deeply into the last SPOT transmission. We printed the map pinpointing the exact location of the unit. Following a semi restless night of sleep we woke up with SPOT on our mind. At 9 am our gracious host and I took off, colored map in hand. We went to the location and found a small food stall with a woman and her two daughters selling tacos. After a quick description and pinpointing her food stall on the map she simply asked, "What do you want that for? It doesn't play music, make phone calls or do anything." We walked to her house.....yes the same house where the teenage boy got nervous and squirmy the night before.....and produced the SPOT! Her daughter works at a diner near where we are staying and simply picked it up. We drove off thankful and relieved.

In the end, we received a gentle reminder that items can grow legs and any material items we have with us can be replaced and are less important than our safety. And tonight I get to tell the great tale of THE LOST, THE CHASE, and THE RECOVERY MISSION.

And maybe tonight 5 miles away a lady is telling the tale of how two bearded men came to her food stall and produced a map that said she had this worthless orange gadget with 4 buttons and doesn't make phone calls or even play music.

Picture this!

2009-10-24T16:24:00.016-05:00

A pictorial week in review from Mazatlan to Guadalajara.

Our warm shower hosts: David and his girlfriend Yolanda. Warm showers is an international group who opens their houses to the bicycling tour community. This was our first stay and we had an exceptional experience. David's family owns a bike shop in Guadalajara and he is an excellent bike mechanic, so could assist Eric is a few tweaks (in addition, he has done long distance touring, is a mountain biker, surfer, environmental conservationist, will graduate in civil engineering, and is the best tour guide in all of Guadalajara).

I would have never imagined my 32nd birthday would be spent cruising Guadalajara. On Sundays, the main street is blocked off for 5 hours to encourage exercise including bicycling, walking, skateboarding, and running. The parks along the way are filled with people double dutch jump roping, live bands playing, hulahoopers, and synchronized hiphop groups. It was quite a scene!

Not a few seconds after finding our hosts in Guadalajara, we were greeted by their neighbors Hector, Cecilia, and Andrew who were just driving by and curiously asked about our story. They were a delightful family and have connections in Central America we may use in the future.

Multiple modes of transportation. The burro had us on the uphill, but we smoked on the downhill!

Side shot. Riding with our Swiss friend for the last week allowed more photo ops along with great conversation.

A flat at the end of the riding day. What a perfect spot, right by the green coconut stand. A quick fix and rolling again.

A field of Agave. We rode by the city of Tequila (yes, that is the one). The Agave plant grows for 8 yrs before the center of the plant is harvested and used to make tequila.

A near perfect nighttime setting. We discussed how we would remember this place, the backdrop, the sounds of kids playing baseball and futbol, wonderful temperature.

Our new friend rolled up and asked where we were from, after stating Minnesota he asked if it was Mankato. Turns out his family owns the Mazatlan restaurant on Madison. Who would have guessed.

Can't help but smile at these two cuties! They spent their afternoon sliding down a dirt pile, having a good ol time.

We weren't expecting the stunning beauty of highland Mexico. There are dormant volcanoes in every direction covered with lush green vegetation. The climbs are challenging, but the views are well worth it! At times, it feels like we can just reach out and touch the clouds.

Travelling into the high country (5500 ft). We had great road conditions with excellent weather as we rode away from the coast. Here we are on the toll road (free for bicycles) with wide shoulders, few on and off ramps and little traffic.

A view over the city from the roof top. Since leaving the Baja, there are fewer opportunities to throw up a tent. In a typical town we'll look for the church steeples and head for the central plaza. From there it's a quick walk to find a few cheap places to stay as well as food and Internet.

We still like each other!

Center square of the city. Here with our cycling partner Markus.

Traffic jam. We have been impressed with the number of bicycles on the roads. It is a way to commute, the basis for food and delivery businesses as well as a simple form of exercise.

We have been pleasantly surprised with what we are finding on the mainland. Wonderful scenery, beautiful old towns and we continue to enjoy the people. We are currently in Guadalajara, a town of 7 million people, working our way towards Mexico City. What an amazingly diverse country!

The grace, beauty, and blow-outs of south Baja

2009-10-17T12:13:00.017-05:00

Another East-West crossing of the Baja. We crossed these mountains 4 times to get to La Paz.

While this mishap significantly shaped this portion of our journey, it added more flavor than it took away!

A helping hand at the bike shop. Don, Manny and a little logistical work to put JoJo back together again.

Christie: We have had a wild, wild, yes...3 wilds...time since we last said hello...all centered around tire problems that started plaguing us just north of Loreto. If you can (and desire to) follow these crazy details, here they are: 1) We were very much looking forward to a couple days rest in Loreto and had positioned ourselves only ("only"...would come back to haunt us) 35 miles out of town. We woke up just before sun-up for the rest of our climb in the mountains. About 15 miles into it, the front tire sidewall failed (this means tire change). 2) Okay, on the road again, pedaling smooth, envisioning the comfort of a hotel bed and the possibility of seeing the Vikings vs "Packalores" game on tv, but only for about 3 miles, when the rear tire (which we had just changed the PREVIOUS day because of bulging) bulged out again on the side wall (Bulging: a new word for me and I do not like it) after only about 50 miles on this new tire AND the tube was flat. We patched the tube and since we had done 2 tire changes in 2 days had NO spare tires left. So, Mr. Magyver used duct tape to "patch" and reinforce the bulge. 3) With 15 miles into town on duct tape, I was doubtful, but we needed to keep moving forward. Went another 8 miles and didn't want to chance the tire blowing on a hill, so started walking with the bike, arms flailing in the air at each truck passing by. 4) Not 10 minutes roll by before Frank and Francisco came to our rescue, a retired American guy living near Loreto and his Mexican friend who was along for a ride. Loaded up the bike and trailer, took us to the bike shop. 5) (This is an important number...and another that will haunt us) The owner, Manny (a champion mountain biker in Baja), had no good tires in the store, so took used tires off his own bike and gave them to us. Then Frank dropped us off at the hotel. 6) Watched the Vikings beat the Pakalores with Espanol commentators (the best was "Si Senooooor...Touchdown!"). 7) Had a good rest day and were off and rolling, hoping to get to La Paz, a bigger town were we could get better tires, about 4 days away. 8) A gorgeous ride, rugged mountains to our right, over looking the sea on our left with little islands, and a lush green desert....for about 15 miles. 9) Going down a hill at 30 mph, the rear tire exploded, everything locked up, and we were fishtailing, with sparks flyin', on the rim of our bike (yes, scary). 10) We were at a dead stand still and not going ANYWHERE soon. Again at the side of the road. Saw some houses in the distance along the coast, so Eric started walking down the road while I stayed with the bike. 11) The next steps I only found out that evening....Eric gets picked up by a Canadian guy driving down the road, he brings him to a marina area about 7 miles down the road, some lady calls on the marine radio saying "There is a guy and his wife who need a ride north or south to the next town." 12) The guy who answers the call will turn out to be our angle of the week, his name, Don Beck. Don picks Eric up at the marina with his jeep, drives to where I am waiting, load the bike up, and drive BACK to Manny's bike shop. 13) If you're still following...congratulations...this is where it gets even more fun....In need of a brand new rim and GOOD tires, the final solution was the following: call the maker of our tandem (Santana), order a rim. Santana can not send this directly to Mexico, so sends it to a bike shop in San Diego. Manny has a friend in San Diego who's wife is coming to Mexico, so this friend picks up the rim and 6 new tires, gives them to his wife, wife puts them on a bus in Tijuana, bus comes to Loreto, and we pick up all of the parts we need to keep this journey going (Ahhh.) So after about 3-4 hours of talking on the phone and about 12 hours of waiting at the bus station over 2 days, we get the parts! 14) Remember Don? During all this waiting, calling, and rigamaroll, he and his lovely wife Brenda put us up in their "guest camper", treated us to delicious dinners, let us use their kayaks, jeep for transportation, and were our prayer warriors through it all. They were so incredibly gracious and welcoming, day after day. 15) Remember Marcos....no I haven't told you about him yet....just testing you! Marcos, a Swiss biker, pulls into the same little town (Juncalito...pronounced Hunk-a-lito, but it's more fun to say Junk-a-lito) where we were staying. We hit it off with him. He has been on the road for 14 months, started his travels with a friend in Southeast Asia, then whet up to Canada, biked through Calif, the friend went back to Switzerland, and he's been biking alone through Baja. We met up again at the ferry crossing in La Paz, biked together though Mazatlan, and are currently staying together at a CONDO (yes-condo) for a couple days. 16) Remember Rob and Rebecca (I'd be surprised-we met them in San Felipe about 2.5 weeks ago). They offered their condo in Mazatlan to us for a few nights...this is like magazine beautiful with the pool water flowing over the edge, ocean in the back, golf, palms, crazy luxury kind of place (with air conditioning too). Not too shabby! 17) Then...get this...as we are pedaling though the golf course with Marcos, and a guy in a mini van pulls up, rolls down his window and curiously asks "Where are you guys from?," "Minnesota," we say bluntly, with sweat beating down, just anxious to get to our condo. He says "I'm from Red Wing!" So the story goes, David and his wife Hazel, invite us to their condo that evening. Belly up to their big kitchen bar, Eric, Marcos, and I had endless snacks and drinks, laughed and told stories through the night. Their energy is so much fun. Hazel repeatedly said, ending each sentence with a high infection of her cute voice, "I just can't Belieeeeve it!...It's just so unbelieeeeeveable... (then she'd change the adjective to be "amaaaaazing"..."incredible!" I AGREE!

Making good use of our downtime. We wanted to go Kayaking while in Baja anyways!

One if by land and two if by sea? Two of us, we'll take the ferry!

Free-spirited Frenchmen, working and hitchinghiking their way South from Canada. Maybe we'll cross paths again! (Note: we now carry 5, yes 5, spare tires)

All aboard! Bicycle parking in the rear.

Weaving our way through old Mazatlan with Marcos. Watch for the bus behind!
It was tight in a few places. Christie said I hit a car with the side of our bike bag, but I'm not buying it!

Eric: So here we are at the mainland of Mexico....we continue to be in awe of the people we meet and are excited for each next step in this journey. Our plan to go down the Pacific coast is up for debate. We were concerned about the traffic going through Guadalajara and Mexico City, but also have questions about the hilly, curvy coastal road combined with more heat and humidity. We'll see what the road brings, but we are fairly confident we'll keep moving south!

Trust in each other, in others, and in God

2009-09-30T13:58:00.010-05:00

The view from the stoker seat.

Eric

From the back of the bike there are several limitations, limited vision, no ability to steer and the curse of always being downwind. Our decision to take the road less travelled from eastern to western Baja has heightened my awareness of the level of trust Christie has in venturing on this road.

After several discussions with locals and expatriates while on the good road, the most common advice was go back 20 miles from San Felipe and take the road across the mountains to Ensenada. As we pushed further people said we could make it and it would be ¨A Hell of an adventure¨. We took the latter advice and ventured onto the road that has the dubious distinction as being the worst in the Baja. Our wide, lightly travelled paved road with a shoulder quickly turned into steep grades with loose sand and rocks. Our next four days were filled with hills, rocks, sand and washboard all accomplished at an average speed of 4.5 mph.

One step at a time, up from the sea of Cortez.

After being relatively stable and having good control for the first 2,500 miles of the trip, our rocky road brought about our first falls (5). Each fall was a slow motion can´t catch the bike and hold it up experience with the same result, lying on our sides. Each was an opportunity to test Christie´s trust in me as she choose to climb back on and re enter the the perilous world of the stoker seat.

Christie

Ahhh yes....Trust! It is the word of the day these days. Eric is doing an incredible job in finessing ´ol Jojo through the terrain and trucks. It takes significant concentration and awareness in the midst of fatigue and heat. As we walked down the street to reload on groceries, he noticed himself looking in his rear view mirror, despite him not wearing his helmet! We are reading the book The Love Dare by Kendrick, in Chapter 14, they write about the ¨timeless quality, class and dignity¨of the work honor. It goes on to say that to honor someone means to give them respect, talk to them with clean language, be courteous, listen to their words and give those words significance, and accommodate their needs. Honor acknowledges the value of someone, it´s a noble word and is true in marriage, within families, friendships, and the stranger we meet on the street. The word that forms the basis of honor is ¨holy¨, not meaning perfect, but special, unique, sacred, that no one else rivals in our heart. Eric and I now smile when we think of each other as holy. It has been a significant chapter for us, especially as we need to work as a team, trust in each other, and forgive the shortcomings.

When you don´t know where you will sleep or get your next drink of water, you end up relying on and trusting in the people around you A LOT! This is a humbling experience and an absolute opportunity to realize the good in humanity. Where are we going to tent....well how about next to the restaurant were Mary, the cook, offered when there was no place else in town....or how about at the beach with Mike and Trevor who flew in on their 4 seater airplane from California...or how about on Coco´s flat bed truck. Where are we going to get our next drink and food to eat....well how about from the ONLY 3 cars we passed in 2 days, ALL of who gave us some water they had with them....or how about the tortillas the Martin family, on a road trip from San Diego, shared with us. People are GOOD and it is an honor to grow from their thoughtfulness, kindness, and generosity.
When we woke up this morning, NEVER did we think that an airplane would carry Mike and Trevor into our lives. An afternoon in their fishing boat in the sea of Cortez, telling tails of swimming with whale sharks, mountain biking with mountain lions in California, and Oh Yeah...eating Cliff bars.....¨Bad roads, Good people¨as Mike (Rt) says, couldn´t be more true.
Coco, a double amputee from poor circulation issues, is full of determination and has a great heart. His place (and a lot of the road we took) is highlighted in the film Dust to Glory about the Baja 1000 race.

The Martin and Gabby family from San Diego at Coco´s. What fun!

A place to camp at Mary´s restaurant. We had good laughs when we told her we had traded our house and car for this ¨beautiful house and bike.¨Loco!

Eric

In then end, we continue to grow in our faith in and reliance on our Creator God. We find ourselves praying that we will have a place to stay, find the necessities of life, be safe and to know the people we meet (conocer is the Spanish word ¨to know¨and also is used when you meet people). When we look back at the previous day we are in awe of how we have been provided for and blessed by our meetings. Sometimes it requires taking initiative, like the night we stayed on the porch of a boarded up cottage, but always it´s a blessing.

Our sweet audience watched as Eric put some air in the tires.

The other side of the border

2009-09-22T17:39:00.007-05:00

Figuring out the Baja roads.

Pit stop.

The open road and desert.

El Campo Mayor along the Colorado river.

The trip has now been turned on its head once again. We have added language, culture and questionable road conditions as challenges to work through.

Our initial fears in crossing the border have been largely put to rest. We slipped across the border without getting off of our bike as the border guards stared and smiled. Sunday morning in Mexicali was quiet with minimal traffic which allowed the street vendors and paper salespeople to have quick discussions with us. With our elementary espanol, the furthest we got was "We're going to Argentina." With the responses mostly being "To Argentina?!" Mostly interested, curious and filled with excitement about something out of the ordinary (a tandem) rolling through their area.

The horror stories of traffic have been hugely overstated. To this point we have had a better response from truckers and cars than we had through our last several states in the US. Trucks have slowed nearly to our pace allowing plenty of room for passing. Roads thus far have been excellent, but we expect that to change soon. Over the next 3-4 days we've heard sand, rocks, gravel, mountains, but believe it will be doable with some possible pushing.

Jesus and Karen

People have been incredibly gracious to us. It's been so much fun as people pass us with heads out their windows, thumbs in the air, clapping. A field of workers noticed us and sent a "tandem bikers over there" message all the way down the field and whistled, arms in the air. My arms actually had chills (although it was probably 100 degrees)--it was a moment of relief and comfort after feelings of nervousness. People have been giving us water when we were just asking where we could buy it. Most are very patient with our Spanish and want to help us learn. We've also met an American gentleman who married a delightful woman who's family lives in Mazatlan. They offered us their place to crash for a couple days when we get there! We ate at our first roadside food stall - Enchiladas and fish tacos that were made on the grill as we looked on. Yummy.

Baja sunrise outside the tent on Sea of Cortez.

Peace Corps friend, Susy, and her husband Dan in San Diego.

More Extreme

2009-09-14T12:11:00.017-05:00

In UT, just before the Arizona descent on a gravel road cut-across.

Eric (with Christie's 2 cents): Our turn to the southwest from northern Utah is removing us further from what is comfortable and was "normal" in our life from six weeks ago. In doing so, our senses are more awake, our hearts more open, and our arms stretched wider. We've worked our way through smaller ag and ranching towns into areas driven by tourism, thus changing our human interactions and conversations. We learned we can quickly slip into the "hurry-up" routine (whether we are wandering in a casino, checking off our grocery list, or at the beach, the opportunity to take even 1-2 minutes with somebody is always present). Our bodies are continuing to adapt, and are being challenged by the 110 deg-F heat of the desert....at least it's a dry heat (ha)!

Desert riding in NV- we're taking our chances.

In rolling across Utah, we were able to bike through some amazing country. The extremes of river valleys and reservoirs to jagged mountains and beautiful arches kept us anxious to see what was around the next corner. We took time off around Labor Day to take what my sister termed "a vacation from your vacation", to rest and explore the national parks of southwestern Utah with Christie's parents. The slot canyon hiking near Escalante was definitely the highlight. We have inside information from a Deputy in Huntington to thank for that tip.

Bryce Canyon with the Streckers.

Slot Canyon hiking.

Yeah...I'm not going up there.

Following our downtime, we crossed another 10,000 ft+ peak and then began our 15 mile descent from UT to AZ into the heat and torture of the desert. While we embrace each descent we get, this descent was mixed with a bit of uncertainty. With each foot drop we were more nervous. The inner lining of our noses began to tingle with each inhale, like we were sitting in a sauna (with no door to escape). The challenge of our next few days was laid out. We were out of the 50 deg nights and 80 or 90 deg days. Welcome lows of 80 and highs in the 110's. "Do as the desert tortoise does," as one information center gentleman suggested, "bury yourself for 90% of your days." We were also reminded that "this is the same sun you have in MN...." (not a very helpful statement, but...) yes, we CAN get through this.

So the gauntlet was laid out. Could we conquer the desert as Mr. Powell did or maybe make it bearable as Willis Haviland Carrier made possible by developing AC? Our challenge was not to fight, or overpower nature (practically impossible tasks with our two-wheeled beast), but to dance. We are attempting to embrace the early morning rides, 4 am means less traffic and romantic sunrises - thought the profuse sweating does diminish the mood slightly. We've stumbled here and there, running out of water a few miles before the next station, but aren't ashamed to take advantage of the kind works of others, soak in the strategically placed reservoir, or $20/ night casino hotel with $.99 breakfast ending a 3 am. We embrace the thinking behind the beloved siesta.

Soaking in the water on a clay shelf of Lake Meed (for 6 straight hours-we were WRINKLY!)

JoJo's first appearance in a casino-we were quite the show!

Even our entertainment choices are adjusting. We are becoming slightly obsessed with ditch trash. As an aside, I'm confident a resourceful person could furnish a house, small workshop, and wardrobe on a 5 mile stretch of a NV highway. In addition to our running totals of flat tires - 6 and money found total $1.59, we are adding pee-bottles. At first hearing this, it may seem like a simple and boring item to count, but remember a bottle cannot be counted until verified. For example, a 1/4 full Mr. Pibb bottle left in the sun a little too long could be misinterpreted so we immediately reject those. The same can be said for any amber colored glass bottle. Whether or not to count often leads to lively discussions between Christie and I, but in the end I defer to her years of schooling and experience as a nurse and yield to her call. Current count is at 21 from the UT border.

So we are holding up well. Our bodies continue to feel strong, Vitamin I (Ibuprofen) use is down to maybe a pill or two/ person/ week (before it was 4/person/day). We will cross the border with Mexico in a week and are excited to throw another set of challenges into the mix.

Christie's Uncle Rich from Phoenix came for a visit in Lake Havasu.

Thank you all for your continued support and encouragement. It's fun to have you along for the ride.

Yip yippity hawww in the mountains

2009-08-28T15:46:00.028-05:00

Overlooking "Flaming Gorge" UT

Top of our first mountain pass in WY 11,000 feet. (We say "wrists of power unite" because we think we're some type of super hero with our thumb sleeves....weird, but fun).

Christie: It's been just 7 days since we left Cheyenne, WY and we've crossed 2 state borders. The border crossings are always fun. I like to raise both of my hands (one for me and one for E) and give a "Yeah!" The first day of altitude biking quickly humbled me, with shortness of breath, heart racing, and upset stomach. The following days felt better, after a container of iron filled raisins and our bodies making the extra necessary hemoglobin our oxygen starved lungs cried for. We made it over an 11,000 ft pass in the Medicine Bow National Forest near Laramie, WY, our first mountain pass of the trip (really our first mountain pass ever on bike) and first snow sighting of the journey as well. The same day, the next mountain pass was the continental divide. E had fun by blessing this country with a river of sweat from his brow sending a stream to both the Atlantic and the Pacific.

Continental Divide blessing of Eric's brow sweat to the Atlantic and the Pacific.

The downhills, I must say, have been slightly frightening and exhilarating at the same time. At times, crossing the 50 mph mark (while braking) - I was only informed of that after the fact. The "Yip yippity hawwwws" abound from the captain, and then I joined in once I got used to my cheeks flapping back in the wind.

Mountain lake rest.

The camping has been phenomenal, beautiful scenery, and we continue to be in awe of God's creative masterpieces in our backyard. We were at the end of a long day of climbing in the mountains, decided to pull off the road to what appeared to be a flat place to lay our tent (perfect), hiked in about 50 yards and happened upon a small waterfall and mountain lake (awesome)! Another day, we ended up getting a "Community use of school facilities and equipment" permission slip from the head of maintenance to camp under the Craig, CO Junior High bleachers. When we asked to camp there, he said in a matter-of-fact kind of way..."No body has ever asked me that before" and we chuckled. The request, as the official permission slip states, "use of area under bleachers", the type of activity "camping out of the rain" and the insurance required "none" and fee charges "none." Our entertainment that evening was the first football practice and then the cross country runners. Our final random camping event was in Dinosaur, CO in which the information center ladies told us there were showers across the road at the city park and "I think people have put tents there before"...that was enough to convince us that was our spot (after a 95 mile day I didn't care, really, where I was going to sleep, I wasn't pedaling anymore anyways). Aaahhh...the shower was lovely.

Treating mountain stream water with UV light.

Mom and Dad Strecker met up with us on 8/23 with the 5th wheel in tow after being in Yellowstone and Grand Teton parks. We so affectionately called them "Central Command" back from the Appalachian Trail days. It has been a blast having them roll with us, exploring the area more than we would have, and spoiling us with a roadside lunch, and camping together. We took a day with them to go to a natural hot spring pool and then to Flaming Gorge. We plan to pedal another 4-5 days before we camp with them again in southern Utah to explore Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks. A roadside lunch with "Central Command". It's not the size of the trailer that counts!

Hobos at the "Hobo Pool" hot spring

Hot spring for aching muscles

We met John Wayne ("that's my real name") outside a grocery store. He suggested a motor for our bike (thoughtful). He also told us his secrete on how to remember names...so we are now Christie Brinkley and Eric Estrada. Fun guy.

When asking a fellow biker in Centennial, WY about the climb of our first mt pass, he said, "You'll sweat no matter which way you go." He was right.

Mrs. Moon in Baggs, WY.

Biker who took a few minutes at a slower pace to discuss our trips. His 8000 miles in 26 days, ours 1,300 in the same period of time.

A blog follower asked if there was anything we've learned about each other these past 3 weeks of traveling 24/7 together that I didn't know from our previous 9 years of marriage. Let's see....he sweats way more than I ever knew...the kid streams sweat from the brow endlessly. His shirt and camelpack have salt deposits that flake off when dried. It is truly an amazing gift. (He also craves potato chips now which we never ate before...little salt depleted? or pregnant? Salt depleted I'm pretty sure.) We are also enjoying the devotion "Love Dare" that has challenged the way we express love in our marriage (highly recommended for all you couples out there).

E - Christie can eat more than I've ever seen a girl eat. I think she's actually putting down more food than I am. It's impressive.

E- So with that we leave on another week or two of cycling and exploring before the next post. In speaking with a few co-works over the past few weeks, one asked if we needed a ride - not yet. We are continuing to have a wonderful time and the legs are feeling better by the day. As far as feeling guilty about not working....that hasn't really crossed our minds. The price is sometimes sleeping under the bleachers or struggling up a hill, but each day is new and we continue to enjoy, and be amazed by the world around us. Life is good!

Body, Mind and ......People

2009-08-20T11:57:00.015-05:00

An early morning stretch across the badlands.

We've seen plenty of road construction and no speeding tickets yet!

Lunch at the SD Capital. Gov. Rounds wasn't able to join us.

Christie trying out a different mode of transportation. Decided against as she thought she might get saddle sore.

Body, Mind and People

Body parts, check - they are all sore, so they must still be attached. The good news is callouses are starting to form where they are needed most......where the body meets the bike! Health continues to be good as we work with the weather and cycle accordingly. E is down 15 lbs in 15 days and C is down 5. We'll probably loose the weight of the trailer before we cross the Mexican border.

Our last 10 days were filled with changes in weather and terrain combined with a significant amount of sweat and very few showers! Our 1st 100+ degree days were encountered while rolling across SD. We biked early, biked late and took long siestas when we found shade. We climbed out of Rapid City in the rain and had cool weather through the Black Hills. The first significant winds hit as we approached the Wyoming border. As we rolled into the wind at 5 mph, we felt at one with the grasshoppers. Sharing a shoulder of the road, they would try and jump out of our way only to be carried in the opposite direction by the wind-poor souls. We have moved past good days and bad days....now there are just days, each one exciting, new, different and to be experienced. Slowly we are learning to roll with the weather.

There's a storm moving in. Garth might have said that as well.

All roads lead to Wall drug. We took advantage of the free ice water.

Sleep? - Wherever and whenever we can. The night time challenge of coming up with a place to stay is turning into an adventure. From sheep pastures to hayfields, county fairgrounds to national forests, wayside rests to orthodontists offices (thanks doc!) our little tent has provided a shelter and a place for rest.

Finding rest....and a great view in the sheep pasture.
Frozen veggies. Almost cooked by the time we found the hayfield campsite.

The most important part of this journey is the people. We enjoy the opportunity to connect with others and share in their experiences. There is something so rich about meeting a stranger, sharing smiles and laughter, and learning about their journey. The small towns (small....like pop. 100) have been fun to discover-3 girls in Midland, SD said they had 14 kids in their K-8th grade school with 4 total teachers. The ACE hardware owner basically kept the town afloat with the traffic he got for farm necessities and told us about the concerns associated with increasing farm sizes. The Scheels crew in Rapid City took great care of us as we rolled our "parade" into the back of the store barely flinching at our stench! It was also fun to get to know the people using the 110 mile Mickelson Trail through the Black Hills, though we did not ride on the trail, we stopped at a number of the picnic areas and met many travelers enjoying their time in the great outdoors. The Minneapolis mother who's excitement for everything she saw, from a babbling brook to the buffalo spread quickly to her kids and husband. The Detroit family who took the opportunity of the auto industry downsizing to explore together. Then there was Larry, a middle aged gentleman who called his camper home, and invited us for cereal and eggs at the wayside rest we had called home.

Former SD Tech football player Eric played ball with. Working for SD DOT near Pierre.

Calling on all technical experts to get the job done.

We continue to be very blessed by the opportunity to re-connect with people from out past and to meet new people as they are. A way that can only happen when the pace of life is slowed down and we experience God and others in a new light.

Christie getting a lift in Cheyenne, WY as we crash with Donny Volcano - Eric's collage roommate.

Drying out and getting some rest. Thanks Don.

Thank you for your continued support. Please drop any comments with questions you'd like us to answer in the next blog.

Rolling in Corn and Beans

2009-08-07T11:24:00.013-05:00

Thank you for a wonderful sendoff on Monday night. We appreciated seeing so many friends and preparing for the next step of the journey. Your excitement will be our fuel for these aching weeks ahead!

8/4 Mom Nelson rode out of the driveway with us, down the Red Jacket Trail.

Rolling in corn and beans, southwestern MN

We have completed 1% of our journey rolling through the flat lands of MN and into Brookings, South Dakota. One of our goals has been to meet people where they are at in ways that we can't when travelling at 60 mph. That definately came true at our first rest stop in Hanska. There are now a few 5th and 6th graders who think it would be great to do a similar bike trip, asking about a 3-seater. They were inspirational to us, and hopefully we inspired some dreams for them. Then there were the lovely ladies at the Tracy Vet Clinic who in the process of giving us directions, turned our trip into an article for the local newspaper. Meanwhile the neighbor who saw the commotion, picked an arm full of cucumbers from his garden and walked across the street to give them to us. God Bless small town USA! We then realized the impact of our celebrity status when I (Christie) overheard 2 older men belly laughing as they stood in line at the grocery check-out line...saying "and they're going to Argentina!....and there's half of them right there" as I walked out of the restroom. I gave a friendly wave and double checked to make sure the paporatazzi wasn't following (just kidding).

Our Tracy Vet Clinc fans and photographer

We feel like kids...so free....taking each moment as it is. Our first night we tented at a tiny country church in the middle of nowhere after getting permission from the farmer nearby (who's brother and sister-in-law also rode to Argentina by bike in their younger years! "And still talk about it today"). The second night we tented in the Tyler fairgrounds, chatted with the fair secretary about his 100% danish herritage, splashed our sweat off in the barn spicket, ate dinner in the deserted grandstand, overlooked the sunset and a softball game. We are now enjoying our time with the Nelson crew in Brookings, went with grandpa to run some farm errands, were introduced to praire golf, and of course had to stop to get fresh ice cream at the SDSU dairy bar. A CHERISHED time with family!

We'll visit MN again, for now...on to SD.

Grandpa and Eric on the farm.

Praire golfing with the Nelsons (Darred, Darren, Eric, Darrel, G-pa the caddie, Dana). Aim for the alfalfa tuft.

Beware of hazards (ie. marshland, groundhog holes, and Eric's swing)

2 Weeks and Giddy

2009-07-21T14:36:00.009-05:00

Christie: Exactly 2 weeks away…not 2 years or even months…it’s becoming the days we are counting down. We are both giddy with anticipation of the day we pedal out of the driveway, towards Argentina. At times, each of us has our “welling up” moments, overcome with emotion, when we think about what is to come…the last 4 years of planning, saving, and dreaming is finally here. Eric recalls a saying…a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step (so translated for us I think it reads: a journey of 15,000 miles begins with a pedal stroke). We know this journey will have its highs and lows, but our focus is to live in the present, taking one pedal stroke at a time, and each moment as it presents itself.

People continually ask us if we are scared…we choose to not worry about things that have not happened yet. DID YOU KNOW…Most people in the U.S. die of….guess….heart disease. Most young people die in…….car accidents. The most dangerous creature in the world is the…….you won’t get this……..the mosquito (yes we will take malaria medication-mefloquine). The most dangerous place in the world is……..your HOME! Maybe we should be worried for you (from the book Come Back Alive by Robert Young Pelton). It is incredibly freeing to put life in the hands of our creator and allow our hearts to be open to the unknown.

As our back up defenses, we bring with us lots of powerful prayers from home, big smiles (not a gun as one random man in Fargo highly suggested), a bright pink bike horn, GPS, and the SPOT. Those interested can locate us at anytime by linking to the SPOT’s web page by clicking on the link on the top right corner of this blog labeled "Spot tracking". At the SPOT website, it is neat to click on the satellite view in the top right corner, giving a true picture of the landscape. SPOT is a 4in x 3in device that uses satellite technology, so when we hit a button on it, you will be able to see our exact location with Google Earth. It also has the capability to send a message to emergency personnel in the area we are, which is gives a bit of peace.

These days, when we are not working, we spend most of our time tying up loose ends, planning, and packing. Eric is working on packing all the tools and spare parts we will need. I continue to work on Spanish, record country specific info we will need, shop for whatever keeps popping up on the endless “to do” list, and laying our supplies out on the floor.

Of course we will never be "lost" if there is a man driving.

The gear has taken over the basement.

The good-byes have started. I went up to Fargo to see my sister and brother-in-law. The Cobber crew did our adios gathering at Como park last weekend, which was a great time with the hubbies, kid-os, and pregnant bellies to boot. Crazy, knowing there will be at least 2 new babies soon, and they will both be walking when we get back!

We wonder about all the other changes that will happen as the world keeps spinnin'....we remember coming back from the Peace Corps and reading some advertisements out loud as our friends mocked us and listened in disbelief...."What is Krispy Kreme?"...."Chip-po-tle?"...."Everyone has cell phones!" (post 9-11), then they started calling us the Encino people who had thawed from the Ice Age.

Little sis Michelle and Christie in Fargo.

We invite all of you to our Mankato good-bye on Monday, August 3 from 5-7pm at 215 Oak Knoll Blvd, my in-laws are hosting. Our bike will be packed for a Tuesday morning departure!

Multiple Sclerosis Society and Fund

2009-06-24T08:36:00.004-05:00

As a part of our trip, we have decided to hook up with the MS Society of MN. My cousin, Erik, was recently diagnosed with MS. He is a loving father of 8 children and is a pastor leading a congregation of a new church in Duluth, The Water’s Edge. He is an inspiration by the way he has not wavered in his faith or zest for life as a Christian servant through this roller coaster ride. As God’s plan is revealed, Erik and his wife Jess embrace the highs and lows with thanksgiving and see the blessings in each day. We want to bring awareness of MS through our bike trip, acknowledge the heroic journey my cousin and his family are on, provide strength, prayers, and support his way, as well as an opportunity to donate if you feel moved to do so. The website linking Erik’s story and donation fund is http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Events/MNMChapter?pxfid=174741&fr_id=7409&pg=fund

The Facts About MS from the MS Society Minnesota Capter site:
http://www.nationalmssociety.org/chapters/MNM/index.aspx

What is multiple sclerosis?
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, unpredictable disease of the central nervous system (the brain, optic nerves, and spinal cord). It is thought to be an autoimmune disorder. This means the immune system incorrectly attacks the person's healthy tissue.

MS can cause blurred vision, loss of balance, poor coordination, slurred speech, tremors, numbness, extreme fatigue, problems with memory and concentration, paralysis, and blindness and more. These problems may be permanent or may come and go.

Most people are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, although individuals as young as 2 and as old as 75 have developed it. More than twice as many women as men have MS. Studies suggest that genetic factors make certain individuals more susceptible than others, but there is no evidence that MS is directly inherited. MS is not considered a fatal disease as the vast majority of people with it live a normal life-span. But they may struggle to live as productively as they desire, often facing increasing limitations.

How many people have MS?
Approximately 400,000 Americans have MS, and every week about 200 people are diagnosed. World-wide, MS affects about 2.5 million people.

What are the typical symptoms of MS?
Symptoms of MS are unpredictable, vary from person to person, and from time to time in the same person. For example: One person may experience abnormal fatigue and episodes of numbness and tingling. Another could have loss of balance and muscle coordination making walking difficult. Still another could have slurred speech, tremors, stiffness, and bladder problems.

Sometimes major symptoms disappear completely, and the person regains lost functions. In severe MS, people have symptoms on a permanent basis including partial or complete paralysis, and difficulties with vision, cognition, speech, and elimination.

What causes the symptoms?
MS symptoms result when an immune-system attack affects myelin, the protective insulation surrounding nerve fibers of the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord). Myelin is destroyed and replaced by scars of hardened "sclerotic" tissue. Some underlying nerve fibers are permanently severed. The damage appears in multiple places within the central nervous system.
Myelin is often compared to insulating material around an electrical wire; loss of myelin interferes with the transmission of nerve signals.

Is MS fatal?
In rare cases MS is so malignantly progressive it is terminal, but most people with MS have a normal or near-normal life expectancy. Severe MS can shorten life.

Can MS be cured?
Not yet. There are now FDA-approved medications that have been shown to "modify" or slow down the underlying course of MS. In addition, many therapeutic and technological advances are helping people manage symptoms. Advances in treating and understanding MS are made every year, and progress in research to find a cure is very encouraging.

What medications and treatments are available?
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society recommends that a person consider treatment with one of the FDA-approved "disease-modifying" drugs as soon as possible following a definite diagnosis of MS with active or relapsing disease. These drugs help to lessen the frequency and severity of MS attacks, reduce the accumulation of lesions (areas of damage) in the brain, and may slow the progression of disability.

In addition to drugs that address the basic disease, there are many therapies for MS symptoms such as spasticity, pain, bladder problems, fatigue, sexual dysfunction, weakness, and cognitive problems. People should consult a knowledgeable physician to develop a comprehensive approach to managing their MS.

Keep vs. Throw Piles

2009-06-08T13:05:00.000-05:00

Christie:
Our story has been featured in this summer’s issue of Concordia Magazine and Enews, the link is http://www.cord.edu/Enews/Summer/faith_and_Learning.php. I am quite sure now that Oprah will be dialing my number soon. I have officially filed my termination request at the hospital for August 2. My parents, the roaming, fifth-wheeling, “Central Command,” visited for 2 weeks. We said our good-byes, knowing the next time we see them again will be in Colorado at the end of August on our bike. With my BS in Nursing completed, I have some extra time on my hands and have been officially assigned to gather trip data from Lonely Planet, including desired border crossing, time it is open, entry fee/departure tax, visa requirements, currency, how to exchange money, nearest ATM, US embassy, and places to stay in all the countries we will pedal through including: Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia?, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. Although Eric has compiled a very through list, I have also included shower/hot water availability and the nearest beaches. The reality of the trip is here, homeless and jobless, by choice, in 8 weeks.
We are “settled” into Eric’s parent’s basement as our temporary post. The middle of the floor has a small mountain of plastic bins too heavy for me to carry up the stairs and to my parent’s storage shed, so there it rests until Eric gets back from his Pittsburgh/Japan travel spree for work. Labels read “Vanuatu,” “Canning supplies-heavy,” “Scrapbooks, pictures, yearbooks-heavy,” the beloved “Nic-nacks” (that Eric says with a nasally “naaaaacks”), “Eric’s toys and childhood books-heavy,” “Eric’s stuff ????-heavy”….can you tell who the sentimental one is? We had a small garage sale and the rest is destined for the greatest store on earth… The Thrift Store. Packing and sorting is not fun for me, maybe because my family lived in one place for 22 yrs. I tend to be a quick decision maker when the “keep vs. throw/donate” issues arise – just to get the job done…where as Eric LOVES to sort…and it’s not really sorting because he tends to keep most everything…it’s more story-telling time. Each of his thin, armpit stained Jr. High and High School sports t-shirts have a story, “Stanley” the stick – of course must be kept, his baby teeth, the track and field ribbons from the last day of kindergarten…oh my…it’s torture for me. I encourage him towards the “throwing” pile from a distance (teetering on becoming the nagging wife)...usually a futile effort on my part, so the box is reluctantly labeled “Eric’s stuff????.” I smile when I look at it. And why he needs to keep 2 boxes of notes, mathematical formulas, graphs, and what-not from college is beyond my human understanding since the boy dreams in engineering equations…Lord help me.
This is my high-school sweetheart and husband of 9 years (we just celebrated on June 3rd), the quirky fun-loving spirit, the adventurer, the dreamer, goal oriented, peaceful at heart, sarcastic as heck and full of faith. Everyday I laugh because of some random thing he does or says…more recently breaking out the Zumba Latin American aerobic dance moves…he’s sure he is improving on with each attempt. I am ever grateful to have him at my side (actually in front of me on JoJo) and to be doing life with him. I guess I can understand why people say, “Why are you doing that?” and “I could never do that.” Without him, I would probably be saying the same thing. As a Christian couple, we are a unit that feeds off each other’s passions and shared sense of adventure.

Feeling Free

2009-04-20T10:46:00.006-05:00

Out for a ride through the local State park.

Eric: With 15 weeks on the countdown, we are truly blessed by the way things are falling into place. House is sold with an official closing date of May 14th, 2009. A good chunk of our move was completed early as Craig’s list once again came through and quickly sold our bedroom set and a kitchen island.

So those are the boring details. What’s happening now? We are simply enjoying our time of preparation. It seems each day we are celebrating some of the “lasts” that we will do before our trip. It is an excellent way to bring closure to this chapter of our lives and make the transition to homelessness and the vagabond lifestyle smoother.

People continue to amaze us. My dad was at the “Y” the other day and struck up a conversation with his neighbor (soon to be our neighbor). This neighbor is an avid biker and has known of the trip for a while. Over the past few years he has been quite critical of this endeavor. He’s a worrier and extremely nervous when it comes to safety. Their conversation began as normal:
“Are your kids still going on the bike trip?”
“Of course” responded my dad.
With a look of worry his head sank down and began to shake, “I’m sure glad they aren’t my kids.”

We're thankful our parents are at a point where they can set aside some of their fears and enjoy the journey.

What a blessing it is to continue to be at peace with this change and be encouraged by all the items that are falling into place. We are feeling very free!

Mouse in the Corner

2009-03-26T09:50:00.002-05:00

2 years ago, on the Red Jacket trail in Mankato

18 weeks and counting...

If you were a mouse in the corner, the conversation goes like this:
Christie: “Nothing in our lives makes sense. Nothing!....Do you realize that 0.00001% of wives would even consider doing this?!”
Eric: “Yep. That’s their loss.”
Christie: “Augh.”
Eric: “Why would you want to know where you’re going all the time? The only place I want to know where I’m going is when I die.”
Christie: (wondering) How can I want to strangle him and kiss him at the same time?...and where are the mouse traps?

Most people’s response to us leaving is a sincere yet stern “Be careful and be safe,” usually followed by a shaking of their head in disbelief. We interpret that as an offering of care and love. I do wonder though, how our cities, neighborhoods, and families would be different if the words of advice were rather, “Be more adventurous. Do something extra-ordinary. Step out of your comfort zone,” followed by a swat on the butt. Hhhmmmm….

We are surprised and anxious about our pending house sale thanks to our friend Craig (Craig’s list) no less! We are at the lawyer stage now, if all goes as planned we will be moving in with Eric’s parents May 1. Isn’t there a show about married 30 some-things moving in with their parents on Dr. Phil? They are so gracious to us. We are also very excited about partnering with the MN Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society as a part of our trip. MS has touched loved ones in our lives and we hope to use our trip as a way to educate others about MS and provide the opportunity to raise some funds for research. We will soon have a link to their site. We have been inspired by a few of our friends who do the MN MS bike ride from Duluth to the Twin Cities every year. I have also completed my first official interview about our trip with my alma mater Concordia College, complements of one of my Cobber friends. I anticipate our appearance on Oprah soon. We got in a good ride last weekend with our 65-degree peek at spring. Despite 2 flat tires, we were gitty with anticipation as we imagined the day we pedal out of Mankato for 1-½ years.

Mexico Mission

2009-02-19T06:38:00.000-06:00

Eric playin at the park

Love those smiles! The one on the right became like my little hermana (sister), Perrlita.

Walking the streets to give out spanish Bibles, quilts, and clothing (mom on Rt).

Eric: We have drifted past the six month mark - the trip still on track.

Our trip to Mexico continued to fortify our desire to be in new, different, and uncomfortable situations. We have come to view the comforts of life as something to be overcome and not obtained. We have made small concessions in this area, Christie will be carrying an inflatable pillow and I am wearing padded cycling shorts, but discomfort includes and goes beyond the physical.

We are so blessed to continue to be at peace with our decision. Worry on our end is nearly non-existent...this may be due to an overall balance as it appears others are worried about how we will make this happen, safety and all the things peopel like to worry about. It is amazingly fun to slowly put the pieces together for this adventure and have others thoroughly confused on the how's and why's.

Christie: Our mission trip to Rio Bravo, 30 miles south of Mc Allen, TX, filled our hearts and excited our souls as we continue to plan for the bike trip. I was captured by a little angle, Perrlita, who has not escaped my mind since we were there, so I wrote a few thoughts as I reflected on the sharp contrast in our lives and culture.

Perrlita, you are a pearl of wisdom. Can you answer a few questions please? Why are you wearing aqua shoes on this dusty road…do you believe there is water in the distance? Are you concerned about the falling stock market…and what about falling into the sewage that runs like a stream by your house? Your hair is sticky and a tattered mess…do you have an appointment for the beauty salon? Does the cost of gas concern you…or does a day without a hug cost more? What are you going to be when you grow up…what are you going to eat tonight? Are you overbooked…or feel overlooked? Although we are strangers, why do you embrace and hold me like we are sisters? Your smile radiates, your big brown eyes capture me. I needed you more than you needed me. Perrlita, little pearl, thank you for showing me the humility, strength, unconditional love and light of a beautiful Christian child. You have touched my core deeply.

God, when it is dark, please hold Perrlita close, protect, and comfort her and when the sun rises again, kiss her check and whisper I love you. How can I be more like you, Perrlita?…more like Jesus?

We were greatly blessed to share and receive the love of Christ in Rio Bravo on our week long trip. The highlight being able to do it right along side Mom and Dad Strecker.

Currently, we have our duplex for sale and both apartments for rent. In weighing out who is smarter, we believe God is and has more experience in planning than us, so we will leave it in His capable hands. We already have 8 people who are interested in renting after one day of it being posted. We will have a busy few weeks in getting the details in order, but it's all apart of the journey, unknown, and excitement. The pathetic stock market and job security issues loom everywhere we look. There is talk about laying off nurses in hospitals and Eric has had to cutback the hours of his employees. I would be a fool not to say this is slightly unsettling as I will voluntarily be leaving my job for (in essence) homelessness, yet I must believe we will be okay, and the experience will be priceless. Eric is much better at his faith in this than I and is a rock and great support when I list my "what-ifs." And the journey continues....

It's a new year

2009-01-12T10:12:00.000-06:00

I feel like I'm just spinning my wheels in this world and going nowhere...hummm....09 is a New Year

Written by the fingertips of Christie – (We’re going to try to update this blog monthly before we leave, so you’ll have to wait in suspense for February to arrive.) Christmas 08 was a good time, focused on time spent with family…realizing we will not be here for the next 2 Christmas’. I clearly understand that the choice we have made to travel, also means choosing time away from those we deeply love…this pulls at my heart. I try to justify this knowing we will be traveling with my parents down the Baja and hopefully meeting my in-laws in Peru to hike Machu Picchu, and maybe even some friends along the way (can I talk anyone into Costa Rica on the beach?). We also will be getting “The SPOT” – a GPS tracking system that will tell our friends and family (specifically, my nervous and protective father) where we are to the last foot every 10 min. We will also try to stay connected via email and a website called “facebook” that my ingenious self recently discovered…not bad for a person that doesn’t know how to text yet! And as they say, whoever “they” is, distance makes the heart grow fonder... so for these reasons, I can sleep at night, but that won’t make saying good-bye any easier.

We pedaled in the New Year (see photo)…well we actually were sleeping at 9pm as usual, but pedaled the next day…close enough. New years eve we enjoyed watching home videos and our wedding video, highlights being removal of my guarder via Eric’s mouth (who thought of that tradition?…geez!), with music pumping and guys wrestling to the floor…classic…as well as the chicken dance, enjoyed by all (why?). Resolutions… direct quote from Eric’s red puffy work laden eyes and dirty foundry face… “Sleep more, bike more, walk more, work less.” What will this year bring?

We’ve started laying out our “stuff.” We have a designated bike stuff area now (yes, I realize we still have 7 months to go- YOU realize by now we are slightly crazy). Some people get jewelry and perfume for Christmas, we get new Ortlieb panniers (which are also called “side bags”, but drives Eric nuts for some reason, so that’s what I call them). They are suppose to be great because they are waterproof….although, I have checked-in with the “captain” (really, that is what the front person on a tandem is called…sigh) and he has informed me, the “stoker” that we will continue to use a heavy duty garbage bag inside the pannier for extra protection, like we have done previously, I’m not sure why (he’s a “Do it Once, Do it Right” person), it’s just harder to pack (choose your battles…right?). My luxury bike trip prize, that I could turn cartwheels about and Eric just rolls his eyes, is a blow-up pillow…YES! I love that thing…I’ve done the scrunching sweaty clothes under my head trick, and I have decided to upgrade for these 18 months and treat myself. That will be an extra 8 oz that I will gladly haul along….Eric is yet to be convinced that this is a good thing, but soon he will come around and have one too. Sunglasses and zip-off pants are also in the pile of stuff. We’ve also made a To-Do list, which is not as much fun, and includes appointing a POA, drafting a will, selling/or making arrangements to rent our duplex, getting insurance, roll- over our 401K into an IRA, set up HSA, get immunizations, sell our vehicles, and have a garage sale/move/pack….I’m sure there is more.

We are looking forward to a mission trip our church is going on to Rio Bravo Mexico at the end of January. My parents are meeting us down there and will be working with our group (they hibernate in AZ). We hope it will not only be a good opportunity to serve (construction, bible school, and work in a clinic), but also allow us to graduate from picture book level Spanish to putting nouns and verbs together. The warmth will be nice too. Eric’s dad just came back from Nicaragua on a mission trip and had a great time. I start my last semester of school at MSU this week to complete my BS degree in nursing…I’m so tired of school…in case you are counting (Eric loves to rub this in)…yes, this will be my third graduation from a college (Eric: “Shouldn’t you be a doctor by now?!”). We also have fun news, for those who know us well, you know we dream of having a small vegetable farm and orchard. Yesterday, we talked with “the guy” and sounds as though it may work to buy his land (80 acres – just south of Mankato) when we come back from our trip. It would be a dream if it works out….it’s a fun journey and we’ll continue to walk to where ever the Lord points…hopefully it will be clearly defined with lightning and thunder (just not when we’re biking please Lord).

The what, when, who, how, and why

2008-12-03T14:23:00.000-06:00

The world from the stoker seat.

Just keep pedaling...we're not lost.

Eric and Christie in Minneapolis on our trip from Mankato to Duluth, summer 2008

The Goods:
What- Tandem bike trip Mankato, Minnesota to Tierro Del Fuego, Argentina
When- Start time: July 2009, Stop time: around November 2010
Who- Married couple, Eric and Christie Nelson, 31 year old Minnesotans, Christians, Servants, Dream-seekers, High-school sweet hearts, Engineer, Nurse, Environmentalists, Organic Gardeners, and as many of our family and friends say…”Crazy.”
How- quit our jobs, sell or rent out our duplex/house, sell our vehicles, and have a mighty garage sale, then generally pedal in the southerly direction on our tandem bike named Jo-Jo with our single wheel trailer, seeking a 7x6 foot area to tent nightly
Why- We don’t want to live with forehead slapping regrets based on fear of the unknown… read on…
Words to live by- “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”-Unknown source

We welcome you to join us on our journey from Mankato, Minnesota to the southern most point of the Americas-Tierro Del Fuego, Argentina- via our tandem bike starting in July 2009. We don’t assert to know exactly what we are doing, but that’s the fun of it and where faith falls.

A little about us. Eric and I (Christie), were high school sweethearts… awahhh…and have been married for 8 years. Eric graduated in 2000 with a degree in Metallurgical Engineering (I explain it as “metal stuff”…he explains it in words uncomprehendable to most humans) from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City. I graduated in 2000 from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN-go Cobbers- with a BA in Biology and Environmental Studies degree and at age 30, graduated…again…as an RN and work at a hospital. After college, we committed 2 years to learning how to speak Pigeon English, be minorities, understand black magic/sorcery, and make laplap in the Peace Corps. We were stationed as teachers on a tiny speck of a volcanic island, Ambrym, in the South Pacific country of Vanuatu. Living without roads, vehicles, lights, refrigerator, running water, carpet, couches, mirrors or make-up opened our eyes to the world beyond our Midwest security blanket. It was an experience that will change who we are and how we live our lives forever. After returning to the states, we hiked the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine the summer of 2003-another incredible experience.

(This is the “WHY” of Why are you doing this?!) Eric and I refuse to be complacent in this world that is crying. We call on direction from our Creator and Savior as to how to work, where to go, what to say, and think. “God’s love has freed us to be the persons we are without having to become more attractive, more intelligent, more popular. God’s love frees us to live in confidence, not needing to be self-absorbed, but ready to listen and to hear the stories of others. God’s love frees us to take risks, to surprise even ourselves with courage, sometimes to fall flat on our faces – but always to more onward with the knowledge that God is encouraging us. God’s love frees us to view the world not from the standpoint of wealth gained or ambition achieved, but from the perspective of relationships lived and human love shared”-unknown source. So we set out to escape routine, what is safe, and what is known in order to grow as individuals, as a couple, and to serve where we are called along the way. We are addicted to God’s mysterious, omnipotent, creative, and many times humorous paths He paves. We have learned, in order to receive that, completely, we need to feel uncomfortable, live with intention, walk on the edge, we need to let go, we need to be vulnerable, and humbled. We don’t want to live with forehead slapping regrets based on fear of the unknown. We just want to go…and be…and experience a new culture…a new people…and learn, grow, pray, play, sweat, laugh, love, question, listen, help, serve, appreciate someone who is different than us, gain understanding, and be a friend in this hurting world.