"car-free adventure" self-designed & self-supported bicycle tour adventures

..hostess in Berlin helped with lost luggage on British Airways.....  ..friends from Holland we met along the Danube Bike Path...  ...our photographer from Toronto at the Colorado Utah border sign...  ..Information Center in Ybbs Austria reserved the last available room in town for us..

When traveling alone or in a small group of cyclist at 15 miles an hour one is exposed to the surroundings and the local population in a way that cannot occur when travelling in a vehicle.  The visits to the historical sites, museums and culture sites along the route are memorable but do not communicate what this part of the world is thinking "today."  The kindness, generosity and conversation experienced when talking with or being saved by members of the local population is a truly unique experience and changes ones view of the world.   The interaction with the people along the route is the most enduring experience from our bicycle adventures.  Those experiences are talked about and remembered long after returning from an adventure.    I asked a cyclist who was giving a presentation at our bike club about his travels in France, “what do you remember most about your bicycle trips?”  He responded “the people.”  He is correct.  The conversation with the population begins with breakfast and extends for the full day until asleep at night.

return

Ride Across America One State at a Time in no Particular Order (RAAOSTNPOD)

On our first state ride, California, we decided to ride from Carson City, Nevada to San Francisco.  So we added “in no particular direction.”   Then we did the RAGBRAI (the bicycle ride across Iowa) so we added “in no particular order.”  We also decided not to worry about order we rode across each state, or even if the States were contiguous.  Just as long as they covered the complete distance they did not have to be end to end.   That would allow us to select what we considered the best areas of each state we planned to ride across.  The logo for our RAAM became RAAOSTNPOD; "Ride Across America One State at a Time in No Particular Order or Direction." 

return 

 

THE HIRAM BINGHAM TRAIN

....our coca tea cups.......  ... dining in luxury .....  .... the meal ..........

The unexpected adds spice to an adventure.  We visited the ruins at Machu Picchu in Peru in 2005.  We stayed at the Sanctuary Lodge located at the top of the mountain at Machu Picchu after hiking into the site on the Inca Trail.  Our three days at Machu Picchu had come to an end and it was time to return to Cusco.    The return trip to Cusco would be by train.  The train station was located at the bottom of the mountain in the town of Agues Calientes.  Agues Calientes is where most of the tourist stay when visiting Machu Picchu taking the bus up to the Sanctuary each day.  I had a colleague from Cusco who was able to secure two nights for us at the lodge at top of the mountain.    To get to Agues Calientes it was necessary to take a bus from the lodge and traverse down the mountain to the town below.  The only way to describe the bus ride down the mountain is wild.  The road is not the best and looks directly over the edge of a cliff the bottom of which cannot be seen because it drops off so dramatically.  The driver is on a schedule or coca tea and appears to be attempting to better his best time to the bottom of the mountain.  Since he is driving the bus it must be assumed he a good driver or he would have died flying off the mountain by now, or this is his first day on the job and he is developing his skill on this run.  Mr. Toad’s wild ride ended successfully for us and we safely entered Agues Calientes at the bottom of the mountain.    Our first task after exiting the bus was to locate the train station.  We located the station, checked our luggage and verified our time of departure. The departure time provided us with time to visit the bustling flea market which covered an area of several square blocks in the town.  We went shopping.  We walked through the market but my wife could not find the bargain she wanted.    We returned to the train station a few minutes before departure and our train was waiting.  We were unaware that our tour service in Cusco had scheduled the “Hiram Bingham Train” for our return to Cusco.  The train is operated by the Oriental Express folks from Europe.  I had no clue what riding on the Hiram Bingham train was about.  In fact at the time I had no idea who Hiram Bingham was which would not come as a surprise to my community of friends.   We were met as we entered the train by a doorman who guided us to our seats or I should say table.  We entered a private booth with a table covered by a very elegant table cloth.  The remainder of our car was laid out in the décor of an expensive restaurant.  A short time after we sat down our waiter appeared and  gave us a quick verbal tour of the train.  He explained that there was an entertainment car two cars forward.  The entertainment car had a live band and dance floor.  There was a bar where one could order their favorite beverage.    We would be served a multi course meal.  Tonight’s selections were shown on a menu he provided.  He asked if we wanted to start with a cup of “coca tea” our Peruvian stable.  We of course said yes.  The coca tea was served in special Indian pottery mugs which we brought home with us to commemorate the event. It was our weding anniversary which made the entire event even more special.    After we finished our coca tea we went to explore the dance car.  The band was lively and the layout was quite pleasant.  We only stayed briefly and returned to our table and told the waiter we were ready for dinner.  I am unsure of the time required to return to Cusco from Agues Calientes by train but it went unnoticed.  We spent the time enjoying the delicious meal and reminiscing about our Inca Trail adventure, the ruins and views of Machu Picchu.     Our adventure did not end immediately when we exited the train.  To exit Cusco a train must transverse back and forth up three inclines until it reaches the height of the valley floor before it begins its journey.  The Hiram Bingham train did not attempt this maneuver to enter Cusco and instead stopped at a station North of Cusco.    It was late and the location was remote.  At first we stood with a crowd of people who had exited the train as well.  As these folks were picked up by cars from Cusco the crowd thinned out rather quickly.  A car from our tour agency did not show.  Finally as the last car came to pick up a passenger the guy said we should come with him.  He said I am sure there is room so we joined him in the car for the ride into Cusco.    I have always been fortunate when stranded and have been extended a helping hand in many difficult situations while traveling.  This has happened so often on my various adventures that I have decided it is not luck.  People are good.  They will come to your aid and in many cases without you even soliciting their help.  The driver dropped us off at our hotel ending a perfect day.  Of course we had a cup of coco tea in the lounge of the hotel before turning in.    The next day our guide was very upset because we had not been picked up at the train station and apologized over and over.   The folks who supported our trip to Peru provided us with a very memorial adventure.  My wife says it was her "best."  The great thing about our itinerary was that we were by ourselves with our guide and driver which allowed us to adlib on the trip.  When we saw something we wanted to get into as we toured or if we asked to visit or participate in something that we had heard or read about that was not on the agneda it was arranged.  Often arrangements had to made on the fly.   The tour group made our trip to Peru especially wonderful.

Google> Hiram Bingham Train  > click on Hirman Bingham in the search list for  details about the train

return

"car free adventure"

---