DownTheRoad.org
The continuous bicycle touring story since 2002
no plans to stop

The story of how we saved money, quit our jobs, sold our possessions, and set off to bicycle tour and travel around the world

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Alaska / Canada / USA
5-3-08 to present
Index to all pages

New Zealand
9-16-07 to 5-2-08
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Australia
9-15-06 to 9 -16 - 07
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SE Asia / China
11-22-04 to 9-15-06
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South America
6-3-03 to 6-17-04
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North & Central America
3-30-02 to 4-17-03
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Equipment Pages Index

Introduction
How Much to Bring and Weight
Some Advise About Advise
A Note to Perspective Sponsors and Gear Suppliers

START HERE for Touring Bikes and Commuting Bicycles
Bicycle Touring Frames 
The Steel Repair Myth.
Steel and Aluminum Derailleur Hanger Repair.
Bicycle Touring Wheels
Phil Wood: The Best Bicycle Hubs

Panniers / Bike Bags
Cargo Trailers Vs Panniers
Tires for Bike Tours..
Bicycle Touring Saddles.
Cindie's Women's Specific Bike Touring Saddles
Brooks Leather Touring Bicycle Saddle Care and Conditioning
Bike Computer
Touring Handlebars, Bar Ends, Adjustable Stems, and Padded Grips.
Sealed Cartridge Headsets

Camping
Buying Camping Equipment
Tent and Ground Cloth
Sleeping Bag
Sleeping Pad
Camp Stove
Pots and Pans
Water Filter

Clothing
Bike Touring Shorts

Health and First Aide

Electrical
Short-wave Radio
Computer
Internet
mp3

Books
Packing list
Pictures of Equipment Failures
Shopping

Cindie's Daily Journal and Travel blog writing index.

Arizona, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile. Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Laos, Thailand again, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Alaska/Canada/USA

Cindie working on her journal at our campsite, people often wonder what I am doing on the computer.

SNIP.....We had our first rain today it lasted about a minute and barely wetted the ground.  We are in the  desert with lots for saguaro, Palo Verde, creosote, cholla, and prickly pear cactus.  The wind kicked up about 9:30 am and got stronger as the day went on.  We were rolling along at a blistering 4 mph into a gusty headwind.  We got to Oracle Junction at about noon and waited until 2:30 to get rolling again.  The gusts just about knocked me off the bike twice so we pulled over again.  Later that day we heard that there was a 26 car pile up in a dust storm not far from where we were riding.

SNIP......This is the big day for Day of the Dead.   The town was quiet because everyone was at the cemetery.  Everyone was there from Grandma and Grandpa to cousins and nieces and nephews.  The women were dressed nicely, the kids were flying kites and the men were drinking.  We were invited to visit a family and we actually sat on the grave of their mother.  They did not mind they were sitting there to.  Mexicans look at death so differently then we do.   People were not sad but more like somber.  The kids were well behaved and seemed to be enjoying the party like atmosphere.  Venders lined the main walkway into the cemetery.  I tried some popcorn, ice cream and what I thought were olives turned out to be pickled cherries.  We stayed for awhile with the Ramirez family, they began to eat their lunch and we decided to leave.  We did not want to but in any more then we had.

SNIP......I was hoping we would make it all the way to Huallanca but a good stiff head wind slowed us down.  We climbed to a pass of 4280 m (14,035 ft.) and descended to an elevation of 3500 m (11,480 ft.).  We gently climbed up to Pachapaqui but still the head wind was strong.  In Pachapaqui we had lunch.  We decided to buy water in this town, the water coming out of the tap did not look very good, it was full of sediment and who knows what else.  After our experience last night we decided to camp rather than stay in a Hospedaje.  We camped at 3940 m (12,920 ft.).  It was cold and the wind made it worse. 

SNIP.....The following description may not be appropriate for children.  It was where people were torture and interrogated by the Khmer Rouge before they were sent to the killing fields at Choeung Ek. The grounds use to be a high school.  It was left in the same condition as the Vietnamese found it in 1979. Step through the door and step back in time and back to Cambodia's dark dark past.  The bottom floors were large cells, they had photos of the prisoners they found there. Gruesome.  In another building were the photographs, to me the most disturbing.  Room after room had mug shots of people who were brought there.  The Khmer Rouge documented everyone that was there, recorded their biography and took their photo.  People of all ages, and numerous nationalities were photographed, including an Australian. At first the faces were just looking back, then I could see the sheer fright in some women's faces as they clutched their young child, some men were defiant, some were badly beaten, some were thin already, they all were dead, tortured and killed.  I had to leave halfway through the building, I was overwhelmed with emotion, I could not look anymore, those photos will haunt me for a long time.  Why do I look, I have too, I have to know, we have to remember what happen here, so it does not happen again.  I had no idea that people could be so ruthless and evil. How.  The Khmer Rouge recruited children, most of guards at the prison were children age 10 to 15. Shocking.

SNIP.....it started to rain so we decided to make camp off to the side of the road.  While we were setting up I realized it was going to be another cold night without a shower and I just cried, why didn't I get on the bus.  Tim on the other hand, said, look how beautiful it is here and as I looked up the valley I saw a herd of Yaks coming our way.  Yaks, oh boy, I have not seen many up close and personal, that would change quickly.  The herd slowly made there way towards us and I realized that we needed to protect our camp site or they would trample our tent.  So here I was, herding Yaks, they are about the size of a cow but have huge horns and a long furry tail.  I guess I am a little rusty because a little one got by me to the right and he hit the fence pretty hard, bounced off it and right into our tent.  Good thing our tent poles are flexible, the tent just bent away from him.  Our bikes got pretty rattle when the little guy hit the fence.  We were entertained the rest of the evening watching herd after herd of Yaks, horses and goats walk by us.  Then it was dark and we crawled in our tent, it seemed colder than usual and we were lower than the night before.  Then it began to rain and rain hard for more than an hour.  After the rain let up some I could here the river loud and clear. Hey wait a minute, I did not think it was that close. I looked outside and saw a river of water coming down from the road, straight for out tent and then veer off away from us.  Tim had picked the highest point around, another nightmare narrowly averted.  Our bikes were not so lucky, the river of water was flowing over Tim's rear wheel.  I tell ya that bus ride sounds pretty good right about now.  We went to sleep and it rained off and on all night.