Update: Cycling’s Ceased

It happens that some don’t know where I am, or wonder where the country I’m cycling through is actually situated, or that I am elsewhere than where some think I am. Confusion all over.

My stories on the blog are about a year behind with where I happen to be.

On the blog I am in Patagonia, right now I am in Germany, a few weeks ago I was in Paraguay. Paraguay is nestled mostly by Argentina and Brazil. So now, all who’s interested is with me.

Cycling since 2012 I came to a point where I was tired, sought refuge on a farm in a Mennonite colony in Paraguay to work and settle the mind. While working 5 hours a day 5 days a week I met Geo from Germany who worked there too.

Geo and I went on several adventures with a motorbike, something I was in for since I lost inspiration to push the pedals of a bicycle through boring landscapes always fenced off.

https://videopress.com/v/1yABFNzG?hd=0&autoPlay=0&permalink=0&loop=0

In doing so we came to conclusions, shaped ideas into actions and flew over the ocean to be in Germany for a little while.

Germany had Heike Pushbikegirl suddenly in reach. She is a world-cyclist too, and contacted me 5 years ago through social media. While we both traversed the world, often being far away from one and another, never being closer than Oman separating me from her in Iran, we now had only 40 kilometers apart.

Needless to say that we spend an intense time together in the woods. 3 days were filled with non-stop talking, baking bread and preparing food. It has been some years ago that I could hook up with someone having such a similar lifestyle.

A talk about food:

https://videopress.com/v/MXpUNndY?hd=0&autoPlay=0&permalink=0&loop=0

Thank you Heike, you made beautiful portraits and very dynamic selfies of us (I liked being your patient model; it’s so much easier than making selfies).

Meeting with Heike, cycling only 20 kilometers away from home, has me puffing and panting when climbing a very moderate hill, sweat instantly wets my shirt. This, and more, makes me once again realize that cycling is over. The months prior to reaching the farm in Paraguay existed mostly of cycling from one camp-spot to another. Often not more than 40 kilometer a day was enough, as I wanted to be in camp more than facing the boredom of the eastern part of South America.

Sure, I could take a vehicle and have myself and the bicycle hauled to a more exciting part, but for me the boring parts lead me to the better parts.

Yet, noticing that I developed loving the lifestyle around cycling, finding places and camping I embraced wholeheartedly, but not so much the cycling part anymore. The living out of panniers, the never being able to decide on the spot where I wanted to stay longer, the constancy of fences, the agricultural damage, the changeless movement robbing me from getting things done other than kilometers passing away underneath my tires simply got me done with the cycling part.

It felt as if I could go on for the rest of my life, cycling had become so normal, with little challenges, other than finding provisions.

Now being in Germany, with only a 400 kilometers apart, my dad came over. Previous meeting was in the Andes, with about 3500 meters less altitude and only 2 days to show dad where I am now, we pressed some German beauty in his visit.

Once again I am astonished! Instantly I feel being in a country where Iran and Armenia are combined, never been so close to where I am born and yet so far away.

My calves hurt from the 20 kilometer cycling the barely visible hills of Germany.

Meanwhile Geo and I have unanimous decided to live life together in a truck. This way my bicycle can be taken along, I can cook on a human sized kitchen where I can unearth the salt container from something quite luxurious as a -stowed-full-with-spices- drawer instead of stinky panniers. Another luxury might be an indoor wood stove, but that’s about it, no shower, no water-tap, nor automatic toilet.

Bring on the camp fires, outdoor nights and sharing of basic human essentials!

I prefer to keep life down to earth, simple and clear.

Soon another post will follow, back to the adventures down the road in Argentina. Stay updated (you can follow this blog by subscribing to it), and in due time you will read all about the oncoming new way of life.

This post is mentally the deepest valley I went through on my ride, while this post is perhaps the highest peak I was on.

This post has my creativity which I make on the road.

Heike’s interview about cooking while on the road. Heike’s blog with incredible beautiful photography.

When you want to know how it is to come back into society after being for years on the road, read here. You may ask your questions below in the comment box and I write you back.