Finally made it to Oruro. Due to a protest in La Paz, a 3-hour trip turned into a 7-hour schlep. The folks in El Alto are notorious for their protests. Unexpected obstacles are just part of the fun of travel. Today “we” put our bikes together. Mine was in many pieces in order to getContinue reading “Oruro”
Author Archives: Denise LaFountaine
Cholitas Lindas
“We travel, initially, to lose ourselves; and we travel, next to find ourselves…” Pico Iyer Week two: check. This week I’ve been spending time up in El Alto. El Alto is the city above La Paz. It’s where the airport is located and it’s only slightly smaller than La Paz in population. It is almost all Aymara.Continue reading “Cholitas Lindas”
Bolivia: Home of Aymara, Quechua, Pachamama, Thin Air and Vertical Streets
I’m here. Today marks one week in La Paz. I was off to a shaky start. According to Google, La Paz airport is the world’s highest airport situated at 13,617 ft. As I sat in a chair slumped over gasping for air, I watched everyone else merrily gathering their bags from the conveyor belt. I,Continue reading “Bolivia: Home of Aymara, Quechua, Pachamama, Thin Air and Vertical Streets”
Why? Because!
“The best things of mankind are as useless as Amelia Earhart’s adventure. They are the things that are undertaken not for some definite, measurable result, but because someone, not counting the costs or calculating the consequences, is moved by curiosity, the love of excellence, a point of honor, the compulsion to invent or to makeContinue reading “Why? Because!”
Feng Shui of Cycling
I’ve been working on my Feng Shui for a minute. I feel the need to harmonize with my environment as I ride through new landscapes and over ancient earth. My tricked-out, Feng-shui ride will unite me with the invisible forces of nature that bind the universe, earth and humanity together. Who knew a simple bikeContinue reading “Feng Shui of Cycling”
Super Nancy and the Fantastic Vogel Family
In June 2008, Nancy Sathre-Vogel, her husband John Vogel, and their twin boys Davy and Daryl, (ten years old at the time) biked from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to Ushuaia, Argentina, a distance of 17, 300 miles covered in approximately three years. My friend, Linda Cox, met Nancy and her family while couch surfing on herContinue reading “Super Nancy and the Fantastic Vogel Family”
Where I Sleep
I got this! Figuring out affordable accommodations is what I do. It’s part of my skill set. These days there are a number of options for shelter. Here is the pecking order: In Cities Couchsurfing I’ve been couch surfing for about five years. I have a profile up on the official couch surfing website. IContinue reading “Where I Sleep”
Cycle Therapy
“There are dreams of love, life, and adventure in all of us. But we are also sadly filled with reasons why we shouldn’t try. These reasons seem to protect us, but in truth they imprison us. They hold life at a distance. Life will be over sooner then we think. If we have bikes to ride andContinue reading “Cycle Therapy”
Shake-Down Ride
This is definitely the biggest adventure that I’ve ever tried to pull off. I’ve done four other solo touring rides (Cuba, Spain/Portugal, Banff to Jasper and the Selkirk Loop), but never with this much planning involved. In fact, in 2011 when I did the ten day self-supported Selkirk loop, I decided to do it onContinue reading “Shake-Down Ride”
Logistics, Equipment, and Companions
Logistics Last October, when I first started mastermining this trip, my first step was to research the route (see itinerary), determine the best time of year (reverse seasons), and the feasibility of doing it alone (Yes! Well sort of). I found all the answers to my many questions on biker blogs like “crazyguyonabike” and theContinue reading “Logistics, Equipment, and Companions”