Cycling Trips 1986-2000

My first long distance bicycle trip was a 4-5 day ride from Montreal to Boston in June, 1986. This was followed by bicycle trips in parts of Mexico and Central America in 1986, and others. Imagine cycling on a quiet road in some distant land, in the early morning or late afternoon when the air is cool and scented with the smell of wild flowers or freshly cut hay; feeling the sun on the brow, wind in the cheek; listening to the songs of birds, baaing of sheeps, or murmurings of rivers, lakes or seas. Imagine meeting friendly locals who welcome you into their home despite differences in culture, language, ethnicity. Imagine roads that lead us to new worlds and encounters...

Mayan ruins at Copan, Honduras
1986

I bicycled through parts of Mexico and Central America in June 1986. Here I was at Copan in Honduras. My guide was showing me a classical example of Mayan carving. Excavation at the site was ongoing.

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Border crossing, Nicaragua
1986

I have reached the Nicaraguan side of the border with Costa Rica. This was during the Sandinista regime/government, as the FSLN Sandino sign testifies. The infrastructure in the country suffered badly from the war with the Contras and U.S. sanctions.

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Pan American highway, Costa Rica
1986

On the Pan Am highway in Costa Rica, on my way from San Isidrio del General to Palmar Sur. Cloud forests can be seen in the background. Costa Rica has the best infrastructure (and most stable democracy) in Central America, unscarred by war or dictatorship. I stayed with a very warm-hearted family in Cartago.

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The family of Caballero in La Conception, Panama
1986

After crossing the border from Costa Rica into Panama, I encountered a rainstorm at night. I was invited by the family of Caballero to stay with them overnight.

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Amazonas, Brazil
1986

After flying from Panama city to Bogota and leaving my bicycle with a friend there, I flew to Leiticia and took a river boat along the Amazon river to Manaus. From there I took a long distance bus to Foz do Iguazu at the border with Argentina. Here I was between Manaus and Porto Velho on the Trans-Amazon 'highway'. The burning and clearcutting of the forest was not so visible here, possibly due to swampy nature of the land.

Machu Pichu, Peru
1986

From Foz do Iguazu, I traveled south to Buenos Aires, then westward to Santiago, and then northward through the Atacama desert to Peru. Here I was at Machu Pichu. From here I continued northward to Ecuador and Colombia.

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East coast, Taiwan
1987

I made a bike tour of Taiwan in June 1987, starting and ending in Taipei. This was a way for me to reconnect with my birth place. Here I was on the rugged east coast, looking for a place to stay that night.

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Brussels, Belgium
1991

A bike trip through the Netherlands and Belgium, starting and ending in Amsterdam, August 1991. Here I reached Brussels. The excellent bike paths, the picturesque scenery, and the flat terrains made this one of the most pleasant cycling experiences.

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Home of a Morrocan family
1992

I bicycled through parts of Spain and Morroco (Madrid, Toledo, Granada, Gibraltar, Tangier, Meknes) in September 1992. Met some very nice folks in the small towns of Spain (muchas gracias). Overheating in the hot Spanish sun was a risk on the inland road. Communication was difficult in the countryside of Morroco since I spoke no Arabic and had to resort to using a phrase book. In the cities, French worked well enough.

Entering Meknes, Morroco
1992

Reaching the end of my bicycle travel; will continue by bus onto Fez and Marrakesh.

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Cathedral at Amien, France
1994

A bike trip through parts of England and France in July, 1994. Here I reached Amien in France. I liked the picturesque countryside in this part of France, with rolling hills and quaint villages.

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Half way between Sydney and Melbourne
1995

Bicycling from Sydney to Melbourne on an inland route in the summer of 1995. Met parakeets and kangaroos along the way, but koala encounter had to wait until Magnetic Island off Townsville.

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Tuscany, Italy
1997

In August of 1997, after a conference in Switzerland, I made a bike trip from Milan to Rome in Italy and then from Igoumenitsa to Athens in Greece. Here I was somewhere between Bologna and Florence in the Tuscan countryside. Riding on the Adriatic coast of Greece was particularly memorable.

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Jerusalem, Israel
2000

In March of 2000, after a conference in Haifa, I bicycled eastward to the sea of Galilee and then southward along the Jordan valley to Jerusalem. This is the main gate to the old city in Jerusalem. My bicycle leaned against the wall.

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