November 7th

A year seemed like a long time to travel on a bike a year ago when heading out on a brisk morning on my favorite road ride into Pennsylvania. Now I understand the allure to people traveling for years - life is simple, yet engrossing, and you reward yourself each day with an accomplishment. Some days are more adventurous than others and you welcome both. However, I miss other enjoyments like my kitchen and the familiarity of friends. I am good about making myself comfortable but I am achieving new levels. I figure out where to buy beer, find a decent market, a bakery, and pick a couple restaurants I enjoy then into a nice familiar routine and rest. When I have still time it is good to be still. By the end of a few days I have met most of the owners and know a few names by the time I roll. One year on the road and I am a little over 2/3rds of the journey, kind of about where I thought I would be . . . I am disappointed that I am not traveling from Cusco down into the Amazon basin to cross the Bolivian amazon on dirt roads through the jungle into the Gran Chaco of Paraguay. But the Bolivian amazon has been on fire for months and now the fires may stop because of the rains, both bad for bike riding. I have been tempted by the total lack of recent news about the fires to go for it on the theory that no news is good news. However, I am now 200km past my turn off decision point crossing 650km of Pacific coastal desert into Chile and onwards for 800km browned in the sun. The amazon basin can wait. But now Chile, who I think of as the rich conservative less colorful cousin of Argentina, across the Atacama Desert to San Pedro, driest place in the world, southeast through the Andes of Argentina, south into Medoza wine country, south to San Carlos Bariloche in Northern Patagonia, west to the Isla Grande de Chiloé, and south on the famous Austral highway into Southern Patagonia. Damn! I am almost done just 5000km or so left.

My one year campsite overlooked the Pacific Ocean from the backside of the sand dunes instead of rural school sports field in Northern Pennsylvania.