Distance Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

Waking up on our rest day in San Luis, we spent the morning apart from one another. The few hours of separation caused some serious anxiety since we hadn't been more than about 10 feet from each other for an entire week, but it was probably helpful to smell something besides the stench of Kai and Jon's Luther riding jersey. I spent my morning blogging, finding the best flavor of ice cream (vanilla with chocolate and caramel swirls mixed with oreo if you're wondering), and trying a guava fruit from a very friendly gentleman. Not wanting to  be too ambitious, we made sure to meet back up that afternoon.

Finally on the Road

After our Independence day celebrations, we had a bit of a late start to the morning. Getting back on the Trolls, we made our way to the road and immediately went through a 2 km tunnel to pass through the mountain. The other side had a stunning view of the valley, complete with low hanging clouds. The next 25 km was all downhill, but the road was made of a dense cobblestone that made us wonder if our wheels would last. Whenever possible, we opted for the angled drainage on the sides because it was smooth. I must say, even though our first few days were very physically demanding and our wheels probably should look more like squares, our Trolls have miraculously withstood every test thus far with flying colors.

The First Few Days

Training

Well... I think it´s safe to say we've found adventure!

Our journey south in the car was about as ridiculous as you might expect. About 3 too many bags of chips, infinite brownies, and loud singing of the Spanish alphabet as a final attempt at learning the language. Talking with our Spanish guide, Laura, we quickly learned we are in fact not fluent, and spent more time emphasizing key phrases and ways to avoid speaking such as pointing and asking "What's this?"

The Final Countdown

Jon 

We are finally within the 24 hour countdown to crossing the Mexico border and thus the beginning of our adventure. It seems like a long time ago that I propositioned Ben the idea to take bicycles down Central and South America. We agreed to go even if we had to work crap jobs and pick up extra shifts to make it happen; knowing we would be leaving friends, families and, at least temporarily limiting our access to ‘comfort’, ‘stable incomes’, ‘cell phone plans‘, ‘good night sleep’, ‘careers’. A.K.A. ‘normal lives’; we thought we knew what to expect and figured our intermediate college level Spanish would see us through.

The Beginning of "To the End"

It's finally about that time to head south! Although we're super excited to get pedaling, before we go the three of us want to hold one last event in the place that brought us together. On Sunday, September 6th there will be a leisurely ride (all are welcome to join!) on Trout Run Trail at 11 am, a free-will donation for a Phelps Park cook-out beginning at 1 pm, and heading to the new Pulpit Rock Brewery that evening.

We would love to see each and every last one of you. This event will be a day to thank those who have already been so supportive, show off our gear, and give all of you one last chance to tell us what you honestly think about our trip :). It will be a day we remember for the coming months, and a memory of all those who believe in us. So please, come to Decorah, eat our food, wish us as much luck as you can find, and share one last beer before we embark on the adventure of a lifetime! Hope to see you there! Updates and additional details can be found on our Facebook page.

Why Bike?

Initial Reactions

Whenever you tell someone you're planning a bike trip for 6 months, the initial response is usually pretty entertaining. Sometimes you see eyes light up by inspired people who think it's "so cool" that we're taking steps toward an adventure. Others seem to laugh and say "good luck" or "sure you are." A few simply look like they must have misheard the words coming out of your mouth because the last phrase was one of the least relatable statements imaginable.

Feature Video

Special thanks to Bailey Mulholland for putting this awesome feature video together!!! Keep up to date with our trip by liking our Facebook page!