Cycling

Cycling is a lifestyle. Your life: food, clothing, shelter, time, transportation, are all contained on this small vehicle. Its simple, straightforward, self-contained. And utterly elegant. Already I had gotten sick of tourism—of seeing town after town. My mother wished me well on my travels here simply to get the travel bug out of my system. In a sense it has worked. I don’t want to buy souveniers, hit the town hot spots, take the same pictures that have been take thousands of times before. I travel for the story and the adventure. For the knowledge and people. I want the experience and challenge of living somewhere else. I’m done speed visiting cities. But I’ve only started living other lifestyles. Living with purpose in new places. And the bike is a lifestyle in itself.

As Danny described, time here moves at just the right pace. You have time to think and watch. You are working towards survival—travel, cook meals, set up camp. But you can be alone, work alone. Write. Pray. This is living. I know I’m spoiled. Its sunny and dry now. Cold and wet lie ahead. It depends on the price of the bike I told Danny. If we find a bike for cheap, I’ll consider riding with you. But nothing is cheap in this tourist town.