Europe's got it all: soaring
snowcapped mountains that take your breath
away, ancient cities saturated in history, terraced vineyards spreading
up steep hillsides, and refreshing alpine lakes that tempt you stop and
take in the beauty of the land. A traveler's paradise that would make
any normal human being want to linger. But not us.
With
55,000 kilometers of road under our wheels, we
were obsessed with the
idea of making it back to where it all began one fine June day
in
2006: Obernai, France. Such was our drive to
complete our 55 country tour that we were almost
oblivious to
Europe's charms. We raced
through the tiny green oasis of Sloveniato
reach Italy where we puttered alongside lycra-clad speed demons on
high-tech bikes who sneered at our ratty t-shirts and ripped shorts as
they flew past. Romantic Venice, the city of tiny bridges and
mysterious alleyways, got less than an hour on our
itinerary--we didn't
even have time to get lost. But, one thing we
did make time for
on a daily basis was a scoop of deliciously creamy gelato.
We felt the indulgence was well-deserved after
subsisting
throughout Africa on a diet of rice and beans with the occasional treat
being a bag of stale biscuits imported from India.
Crossing
into Switzerland we were faced with the final obstacle of our tour: the
formidable Alps looming in the distance. At 2108 meters the
St.
Gothard Pass is one of the highest in Switzerland and we
aimed to
cross it. Often flanked by rivers and streams swollen with
late
spring snow melt, the road climbed steadily higher and the slight nip
in
the air turned into a downright chill. The snowline was
almost
within reach and we knew we were in for an adventure--I was already
imagining myself slipping and sliding down an icy mountain road.
With a sense of triumph
we made it all the way to the picturesque town of Airolo on the
southern flank of the pass. And then we were turned back.
The road was still closed. Too much snow.Impossible
to pass. Come
back in July. What devastation. Almost
'home' and forced onto a train through the tunnel to cover the final 15
kilometers up and over the Alps.
Just a few hundred
kilometers remaining and the butterflies were doing somersaults in my
stomach. I could hardly believe that we'd cycled all the way
to
Cape Town and back. Until the very end I fretted that
something would
stand in the way of reaching our goal. Perhaps my sturdy Koga
bike frame would suddenly snap. Or maybe I'd be crushed by a
ten
ton lorry. Or worse yet some madman would slit my throat while I slept
soundly in the tent. Suddenly we were crossing the border
into
France and I let out a little squeal of delight and satisfaction.
Time to track down a boulangerie
and remind myself what it's like to bite into a flaky croissant.
As good as I remember, although the French are very
disapproving
of cyclists who plop down curbside to indulge in their fine food.
Only
a 100 easy kilometers from Basel to Obernai, Eric had assured me.
Or
maybe 110. Well I'm sure it's not more than 125. Okay, we
should
make it by 140 max. In typical fashion we were rushing right
down
to the last kilometer, anxious to make it on time for our rendezvous
with the photographer from the local newspaper. Pedaling harder and and
harder until finally my
no-longer-so-little nieces were rushing out to greet us and their
sparkling eyes and wide grins assured me that we'd been missed.
We'd made it. Through parched deserts and hostile tribal
zones.
Through deep dark jungles and flooded roads where we pushed
on,
knee
deep in mud. Through hundreds of chaotic African cities
dodging
kamikaze drivers and on the rare occasion stone-throwing teens.
We'd cycled down
lonely highways under big empty skies with the sun beating down on us.
We'd cycled through driving rain for weeks on end and even
battled our way through a snow storm. It hadn't been easy.
Many times I
was on the verge of giving up-- convinced that the joys weren't worth
the many moments of suffering. But on every occasion someone
popped into my life and made a difference. A family pulled
over
to offer us tea from a thermos as the snowstorm raged. Locals
invited us in to warm up and dry off during a downpour.
Laughing
children called out greetings as we slogged on through the heat.
Kind villagers presented us with fruits and snacks, giving
generously in spite of their own poverty. Someone
following our blog took the time to send us an encouraging email.
Small things,
really, but life changing nonetheless.
The Africa chapter of our
tour officially came to an end on 14 May 2009 at
5:05 PM.
Two years, eleven
months and seven days on the road. 55, 236
kilometers pedaled and 55 countries visited. And just
one bicycle: the World Traveller by Koga Miyata.
It's been
an unforgettable adventure.
What next? Steady jobs,
a comfy bed and a €600 espresso machine? Tempting
yes,
but... Since we're not entirely bankrupt and not quite ready
to
settle down to a stationary life, the obvious thing to do is keep on
pedaling and exploring the planet. Where to you ask?
Ushuaia, the capital of the Argentine province of Tierra del
Fuego and the southernmost city in the world. But first we're
going to spend some time discovering the good ole USA while pedaling
from New York to my hometown Missoula, Montana. June 11th we
touch
down at JFK and my mission to convince Eric that there's more to
America than fast food and fat people and that all my fellow citizens
aren't gung-ho war-mongers will begin. But seriously, the US offers
everything from adrenaline-charged cities to empty deserts and loads of
friendly people who'll surely be queuing up to wish us a
nice day. We can't wait to hit the road again.
Not only are we excited about our new adventure, we're also
excited about raising funds for a new charity, World
Bicycle Relief.
WBR provides
access to independence and livelihood through The Power of Bicycles.
While cycling through Zambia in 2007
we were able to see firsthand World Bicycle Relief’s work and the
impact access to bicycles
can have on developing countries. Bicycles are simple,
sustainable and appropriate technology and we are
proud to be linking up with World Bicycle Relief to help fight poverty.
Our
current fundraising balance is ZERO (insert sad face here).
If
you've enjoyed following our cycling adventure and have found the
site useful or entertaining, please consider helping us in our efforts
to raise funds for World Bicycle Relief.
Your donations will go entirely to World Bicycle Relief and
will help empower people through the power of bicycles.
Thanks for your support.