Hello there Folks! I'm back into posting. Two crazy guys, two bikes, 400+ km, 12 days. Check this travel story.
I've been absent from steemit for some time, but now it's time to go back to work with full focus. The main reason for the abandonment is because I was traveling and to avoid unnecessary weight my laptop stayed at home, also internet was scarse, making it really difficult to post in real time.
It's the first time I post a travel story, anywhere, ever, so I don't have a full understanding of the writing concepts to do it. I'll do my best to bring it as entertaining as possible letting the texts evolve naturally.
This series of posts will tell you an adventure a friend and I lived from Feb. 12th to Feb. 23rd where we went from my city Pelotas - Brazil to Montevideo - Uruguay, bought some bikes and rode it back. I'll bring tips, funny facts, overcoming situations and a lot of reasons to motivate you on your dreams.
Hope you all enjoy the reading!
While I organize my brain to translate this experience into words, the first thing that comes to mind is the realization of how fast time passes by, we don’t even notice it.
Have you ever looked back in time to evaluate your life experiences?
I was thinking during the New Year resolution that, at this exact time last summer (Dec. 2016), I was preparing to go out on my biggest adventure so far, my hitchhiking trip around Patagonia that lasted me 62 days and more than 10.000 Km. It’s been one long year after that life changing trip. One year of working routine, planning, dreaming, saving money and trying to figure out what to do next.
Once you discover the freedom of traveling there’s no going back to a “normal life”. Through the highs and lows of such a trip you become so strong that nothing can stop you from believing in yourself, you become independent and for every difficulty you find a solution, you find out that almost everything is possible if you really want it and your objectives in life start to be more ambitious.
There is, however, the downside of travelling, if you are not a full time traveler you need to go back home and prepare for the next one. It is hard, it feels like everyone’s stuck doing the same old things and that you don’t belong to the routine anymore. The only thought is “When will I travel again? I just cannot stand still.”
After a long year of waiting and gathering resources my dad had cancelled our road trip to Chile, I was sad. I had the urgency to find something to do, my legs were getting impatience, I was about to wander anywhere, just to move, since I had spent Jan. doing nothing but complaining about the super hot weather of the brazilian summer. It was when my good friend and small ventures partner, André, called me to share his ideas to tour Uruguay on a bicycle.
André loves to go out on trails and camping trips, but unlike me, he has a solid job at a bank giving him 20-30 days of vacation each year. He is focused on his routines and saving money to have his own house. Even though his mind is not focused on travelling, life doesn’t hold him from time to time to join me to explore new places.
I like when we plan something, because 99% of the time it works without lots of planning. We just set the main idea and go. This time it wasn’t different.
- Dude, I’m going by bike to Uruguay to spend my 20 days’ vacation, are you in?- He said.
- Totally! But I don’t have a bike.- I replied.
- I could lend you one of mine if you want.- He said.
I took some time to think real quick a moment of silence took place.
- I’ll think about it, just give me time. - I concluded.
Uruguay by bike? That would be awesome and a new experience, but how would I find a bike? Why not buying there and ride it back home since they are cheaper there than in Brazil? I immediately called André.
- I’ve got a solution! Instead of going and coming back on a bike why don’t we use the opportunity to buy some good bikes in Montevideo? We could go by bus and come back riding, that would be perfect to your limited time.- I proposed.
- Deal! - He answered without hesitation.
As simple as that the plan was set, departure date set to Feb. 12, 2018 just before Carnival. In the matter of days the preparations were done and André came by bus from his city Porto Alegre to Pelotas, where I live, to finish the details and spend the weekend before departure.
During the weekend we prepared our backpacks, we made sure that we got everything to be auto-sufficient on the road.
- Backpack
- Kitchen kit (stove, pans, utensils, propane gas)
- Sleeping (tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat)
- Food (protein powder, pasta, tuna, peanut butter, etc)
- Clothes
- Tools for bike
- Electronics and cables
- Medical Kit + sunscreen
- Hygiene and Shower
- Useful Stuff (Silver tape, pen, fire kit, swiss knife)
- Notebook and book.
Loaded up, primary road map marked. We went to Cassino beach to relax and enjoy the last days of confortable beds and hot shower before the D-Day.