DAY SIXTY TWO

Off to cycle around Benelux - back in two weeks.

Let's see how life on a bike goes....

xx

DAY FIFTY FIVE

Fifty five days? Already???!?!!

I know you can never tell how things would turn out if you had taken another path BUT I'm sure all of the training side of things is having a massive effect on everything. At the moment things are winnings.

It's always dangerous to say that I know and obviously touch wood etc but getting out of living life underground in the sprawl makes suddenly makes you feel like this place is home.

Anyway...am planning a 2 week mini-tour to Amsterdam in a couple of weeks. I suppose it'll be like having one of those free pizza samples or using a computer in safe mode. Let's face it there are very few stories of armed gangs roaming the planes of western Europe and it's very flat. Should be easy...yes?

Why have I still not bought a touring bike??

DAY FOURTY THREE

"Hey man, slow down"

Much of what we do is routine and often for good reason. Understandably this begins to become mundane and we stop to bother to take a look around and we try to cut as many corners as we can. It just becomes about getting from A to B as quickly as possible. 

Part of the idea for this trip is about trying to take things slower. With everyone working as many hours as they can keep their eyes open for and having fewer holidays (gone are the 6 week summer holidays unfortunately) getting away seems to become ticking as many boxes as possible. Yes I've been away. Yes I went there. Here is a photo of me here and here and here. Tick, tick, tick. 

All of it though is on borrowed time. There's that niggling feeling that you know you have to get back. Most of us, me included, live on someone else's time. 

What do you want to do today? Is that something that you can really answer alone?

There's a great Bob Dylan quote that I've probably got wrong - "A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do." 

I suppose I'd caveat that by saying that I'm not trying to cut myself off on this trip. Lots of people have expressed an interest in joining me for legs of the trip and that'd be amazing if they're able to - the more the merrier. I'm just saying that I can't wait to get up and go wherever my legs will take me. 

THE ROUTE - 

It's beginning to take shape. Ushuaia, Argentina to Cartagena, Columbia. 4572 miles as the crow flies. 

The FCO Travel advice for Columbia - 

"There are a number of illegal armed groups operating throughout Colombia. Because they are mobile there are many parts of the country where it is not possible to determine in advance whether they will be unsafe at a particular time. In general, the more remote the area the greater the threat to your safety. If it is essential that you travel to areas that are remote or reported to be dangerous, you are advised to seek professional security advice and make arrangements for your security throughout your visit. 

Kidnapping remains a serious problem. Whilst levels of kidnappings have fallen off dramatically since peaking in 2000, Colombia continues to have a high rate of kidnapping for ransom. 201 kidnappings were recorded in the period January to September 2010 (Source: Fondo Nacional para la Defensa de la Libertad).  Most foreign nationals are potential targets for kidnapping, including backpackers and those working for foreign organisations. There remains a significant risk of attack or kidnap in many more difficult parts of the country."

Sounds like fun!!!