Measuring a heaping portion for my first cup, in southern Mozambique
The meaning behind our mornings (1,200 words). Continue reading
Why Evan makes me coffee
Category Archives: Africa
Instead of lions
I capture our short-lived excitement for the novelty of hitchhiking in the rain.
We caught a ride with a truck on our first day cycling south from Zambia into northern Zimbabwe. The why and how, here (1,500 words).
Who can’t get enough soya in southern Africa?
A mural advertising soya pieces in northern Malawi.
A story about our experiences with soya in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, and why we love this food in a different way than the people we met there (1,800 words).
Maputo doesn’t care
Walking around Maputo one must look both down and up. Down at things to avoid on the damaged sidewalks, up at the mix of styles and colours of the tall buildings.
Me: “Meh, Maputo” Maputo: “Whatever.” Me: “Never want to leave!” Maputo: “Whatever.” (1,100 words).
Where does the park end?
There are many reasons to kept wild areas unfenced, like allowing the animals to migrate as they please. This also means they can cross the road at the wrong time.
I explain why and how I’m updating my expectations of cycling in—and around—parks and reserves throughout East Africa (2,400 words). Continue reading
Uganda through its doughs
We used Uganda’s delicious chapatis for breakfast, lunch and dinner
When “Uganda” and “food” are put together in a sentence, it’s usually to talk about green bananas or rolex. I share fond memories of other Ugandan starches that filled me up while we cycled through (1,900 words). Continue reading
We are the terrors
A park’s caretaker, far right, approaches to find out why we are trying to break into a yurt near Osh, Krygyzstan
Generally I narrate my life story back to myself with me as a protagonist. But if everyone’s doing that, the people we meet on the road may cast me as the idiot, the callous foreigner, the terror. They might even have good reasons to do so (1,400 words). Continue reading
Gallery: Other bike travellers, aged 12 to 70 plus
Evan and I prepare to part ways with Timothy and Au Hei, as we stay in Kyrgyzstan and they head for Tajikistan. We stayed together in Osh Guesthouse for a few days.
Other people travelling by bicycle that I’ve been lucky to meet over the last few years. Continue reading
Plans for writing and sharing here in 2018
Me and the laptop near Lake Naivasha, Kenya at the beginning of 2017
I share what I learned last year that influenced my plans for writing this blog in 2018. I address voice, post frequency, videos, photos and of course: what I’ll be writing about, and why (1,500 words). Continue reading
Gallery: nearly three years of selfies
“Proud,” on the road in Kazakhstan
Narcissus fell in love with his image in a pool of water, hence “narcissism.” I must love my image if I now have hundreds of selfies from the last three years of travel. This album contains about thirty four of them—my attempt at a representative sample. Continue reading