I thought upon returning home there would be a ‘honeymoon’ period when I would be constantly talking about the trip. It is amazing, however, how people enclose themselves in their own worlds. Almost no one really seems interested in hearing about my trip. At best they tell me what they think of the places that I visited despite never having been there themselves. Bolivia, Venezuela, Mexico… you must be crazy. Me, I would go back in a heart beat.

So, for the few people new visitors who may visit this site in the future I will outline the trip as sort of table of contents for the website. Comments will be turned off because spam problems. I have deleted over 10,000 pieces of spam in two years! Finally, I leave you with a poem I happened upon.

I first spent several months trying to get myself and my motorcycle prepared for the trip. This did not go very smoothly. I did eventually leave New York at the end of May 2006.

By the end of June 2006 I was in Inuvik, NWT, Canada for the summer soliciste.

Then I headed down the pacific coast for Mexico.


On my second full day in Mexico I crashed in deep sand and broke my leg and ankle.

The next day I had a titanium rod and screws put into my leg by a very expensive carpenter. I continued the trip after four months of rehabilitation and battling thoughts of abandoning the trip.



January 2007 I explored the great people and delicious food of Mexico.

Finally leaving Mexico, I continued down through Central America– Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica , and Panama.

A short plane ride and I was in Colombia for Semana Santa.


Next was Ecuador a county that has some of everything and within reach.

By the end of August 2007 I crossed into Peru.



Cusco needs special treatment. Beyond Manchu Picchu, the city of Cusco and its surroundings contain endless wonders.

The country I intended to spend the least amount of time turned into an adventure of a lifetime in itself. Riding in Bolivia was the best- period. Dirt roads, desperate poverty translated into great riding and great people. Even better I was riding with my friend Tom who took some great pictures of the ride.

I then crisscrossed Chile and Argentina on my way due south for Tierra del Fuego, the end of the road, before turning around and resting in Buenos Aires.





A long rest in Buenos Aires and it was back on the road for Brazil


A finally, I reached Venezuela, the country that lifted my spirits at the end of my journey.

Ithaka, by C.P. Cavafy

As you set out for Ithaka
hope your road is a long one,
full of adventure, full of discovery.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
angry Poseidon-don’t be afraid of them:
you’ll never find things like that on your way
as long as you keep your thoughts raised high,
as long as a rare excitement
stirs your spirit and your body.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
wild Poseidon-you won’t encounter them
unless you bring them along inside your soul,
unless your soul sets them up in front of you.

Hope your road is a long one.
May there be many summer mornings when,
with what pleasure, what joy,
you enter harbors you’re seeing for the first time;
may you stop at Phoenician trading stations
to buy fine things,
mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
sensual perfume of every kind-
as many sensual perfumes as you can;
and may you visit many Egyptian cities
to learn and go on learning from their scholars.

Keep Ithaka always in your mind.
Arriving there is what you’re destined for.
But don’t hurry the journey at all.
Better if it lasts for years,
so you’re old by the time you reach the island,
wealthy with all you’ve gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaka to make you rich.
Ithaka gave you the marvelous journey.
Without her you wouldn’t have set out.
She has nothing left to give you now.

And if you find her poor, Ithaka won’t have fooled you.
Wise as you will have become, so full of experience,
you’ll have understood by then what these Ithakas mean.

I finally figured out a way to publish GPS data within the blog. Please have a look at the Routes page. Right now there is not much but I will be adding more quickly. I am very excited about this feature. It is not as easy as it looks because the blog is created on the fly each time a page is viewed. A new WordPress plugin by German programmer Patrick Matusz made this possible.

I will give a small presentation on January 23 atJanuary 31 South American Explorers clubhouse in Buenos Aires at 7:30 pm. Admission is AR$ 5 for members and AR$10 for nonmembers. Wine and cheese will be served.

The rider has been “found” or rather was never lost but rather irresponsible. Thanks to those who sent me updates because I do not have much access to internet these days. I am in southern Patagonia blowing in the wind. It may be some time before I can do an update.

Trying to catch up. Currently in Salta, Argentina but still recovering and missing Bolivia. My motorcycle and my body took a beating.

Tickling the bike doesn’t seem to make it feel better.

Praying elicits no response.
(Thanks to ‘Juan’ for the photos.)

I wasn´t particulary qualified for the trip. . . Still, I felt that the life I lived was a step removed, filtered, rehearsed, relaxed… Six weeks after the first phone call, I quit my job and kissed my girlfriend goodbye.

… Dr. Kate Durrant, her teeth chattering despite the sleeping bag in which she wrapped herself. Thirty, sharp-eyed, lean and British, she had a long, artistocratic face and auburn hair cut in a short punk style laced with orange. She stuck her head up and best she could, surveyed the barren puna. “At times like this,” she shouted, “I wonder why I ever came here.” “You come because it is better than your boring life in London.” Bydak shouted back.

“Running the Amazon”, Joe Kane

Yet another one year anniversary has passed. It was August 21, 2006 when I crashed in Baja Mexico. (I know it is already September.) Once again I wish to thank all those who generously helped me through my ordeal and got me back on the road.

I am sad to see a good friend of this website has had a setback and may not be able to take his South America trip. I had hoped to see him through his trip and start a dialog on our websites.

On a more cheerful not, another good friend of this website won a free motorcycle trip in Africa.

I still tell people that there is no place I would rather live other than New York. However, it is starting to sound like middle America these days. The city just hasn’t been the same since they removed all the graffiti from the trains.
An engaged couple were arrested for engaging in intercourse on their motorcycle. Glad to read they were from Brooklyn.
The New City Council is getting into the business of regulating free speech. I may have to relocate if this keeps up.

P.S. I am now in Quito, Ecuador waiting for my motorcycle to be repaired. “Manana” sure lasts a long time, sometimes.

P.P.S. And now they are having tornadoes in Brooklyn!

Last week I past the one year mark since I left New York. I had planned on being back home about now. Oh well.

This may be as close as I ever get to celebrating an annivesary given that I have yet to be married.

I will be making regular posts updating my position. My larger posts are posted days after the fact so don’t get confused.
Thurs Feb 15= leaving San Cristabol in the morning for the Guatemala border and Huenhentango (sp?).

I can’t believe there are people voting in the poll for me to go home. I think my mother must have found my blog or something!

Blog upgraded to WordPress 2.04. and a new theme called K2. Look for new features and please report any problems. Explorer users having problems should convert to Firefox. I have discovered that Microsoft Explorer does not like my blog. I am trying to fix this but people really need to switch to a standards compliant browser such as Firefox.

If you are still checking this site you are hardcore. I am sad to say I had a bad crash in some Baja silt and the trip is on hold indefinitely. I really can’t say more than this right now.

I am still updating the blog and have some great stories and photos. IMHO

I made it back down the Dempster. It was quite the adventure. I will rest a day in Dawson because I sprained my knee and will do a major blog update. Stay tuned …

OLD POSTS ARE BEING UPDATED WITH NEW PHOTOS AND STORIES, PLEASE SCROLL DOWN!