1000 Americans: Enrique, Cancun, Mexico

Enrique manages the Hostel Quetzal, a great haven for all kinds of travellers that come to downtown Cancun. Like most Mexicans, he is as helpful as possible, making sure your stay is great and his smile rarely leaves his face.

1000 Americans: Cook Amberina, Cancun

Amberina is a cook and saleswoman at the Palapas Square in downtown Cancun to tourists and locals alike. She makes about 15 different tortas: sandwiches, filled with meat and/or vegetables and some avocado, you can then add more veggies or spicy sauces to your liking.

The daily menu, which does not seem to vary in weeks, includes a refreshing drink, together it costs 20 pesos, about USD $1,50 for a nice lunch.

Intermezzo: Anniversary: one year on the road

While we were watching the locals dance on Isla Cozumel I realized that exactly a year ago we had started out in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, more than 10,000km/6250mi North-West of here. One of the main paradoxes of time showed itself, as it seemed light-years away, while it also felt like we only started yesterday.

But the 200+ posts including more than 1300 pictures that I have published on this blog in the past year tell a different story, though they only scratch the surface of our real trip.

We saw glaciers, deserts, giant trees, volcanoes, canyons, ancient cities & pacific waves, cycled past bears, foxes, wolves, eagles, deer, elephant seals, snakes and lizards, while being eaten by mosquitoes and ants.

We have eaten spaghetti many days in a row but also have tasted and enjoyed more different fruits and other foods than we can recall.

We met old friends again and made countless new ones. We have been inspired and inspired others in return. We have seen poverty and wealth and experienced the kindness of people, irrespective of nationality, income, colour, religious or sexual preference.

We switched from laughing to crying and back hundreds of times, screaming of happiness and cursing each other and our circumstances, often on the same day. We roughly planned our route before leaving, but all the best experiences were encountered without warning or preparation.

We have been part of a Native potlatch, played with a fox, camped in the desert, hugged trees, won our dinner in las Vegas, climbed mountains and sailed between dolphins. Meanwhile, thanks to the wonder called Internet I worked in a hundred different rooms in this giant office called Earth.

Our trusty Santos bikes have taken us all the way without problems. Even though we have been rained and hailed upon, blown off the road by side winds, camped in the snow and the freezing cold and cycled in 45+ degrees Celsius/113F, overheating at night. We cycled 160km on one day while I could not walk from pain a few months before, ready to quit. We have climbed the equivalent height of Mount Everest 10 times, many times pushing the bikes while doing it.

We have been alive, a full year, which is more than many people have been in their life. Oh, and we probably burned less than 3 gallons of fuel and likely spent less than USD $5000 in the process.

This is a huge amount of money for most of the world’s less fortunate population, but often blown away in mere weeks, days or even minutes by others on short-term rewards.

Our experiences have been more luxurious than any car-upgrade, more rewarding than any grand bottle of wine, and definitely longer lasting than any ounce of substance sniffed up the nose that might have cost the same.

The only problem is that life is even more addictive than all of these…

Thanks for joining us on our journey. Thank you for supporting us, helping us out where needed in person and in mind, urging us to write more, asking where and how we are, commenting on the site and writing us your emails, letting us know how you are. Thank you for dusting off your bicycle and making a difference. Thank you for hosting us and other travellers, it means so much more than a place to sleep or eat.

You are special and we feel thankful for having had the opportunity to share a tiny part of your life and for the way you are now forever part of ours.

As said, it feels we only have just begun…

1000 Americans: Ivan, Isla Cozumel, Mexico

CouchSurfing host Ivan works with his US girlfriend; together they help tourists rent great places on the Island of Cozumel.

Though there is always a lot of work to do, he still enjoys the small island he grew up on, snorkelling, relaxing, walking his dogs and showing friend around his little paradise.

1000 Americans: Lee Christie, Ek Balam, Mexico

Lee has emigrated from Canada to build up a an ecologically friendly retreat in the Yucatan jungle in Mexico.

The result is the Genesis retreat, filled with local plants, animals and trees and close to the ruins of Ek Balam and the Maya village of the same name.

1000 Americans: Hector Beristain, Cancun

 

Hector works during the days, in computer repair, fixing laptops and desktops, both hardware as well as software. But late at night, when the heat of Cancun takes a rest, he goes out to run on the bike path leading to the Zona Hotelera.

Hector was part of the Mexican Mountain Bike demonstration team during the Atlanta Olympics and has biketravelled in India, but now he focuses on running. Not just for fun or to stay fit, he actually earns part of his income by competing –and finishing 1st, 2nd or 3rd- in the many prize runs on the Yucatan Peninsula.

(Read Hector’s blog (in Spanish) here.)

1000 Americans: Veronika, Cancun

Veronika is not only a massage therapist, she is also a dancer in the Maria Felix dance company. Together with her colleagues she performs several times per week in exclusive resorts around Cancun, whirl-winding through many Mexican regions in Dance and clothing.

Off stage, she is a timid, quiet woman, but the moment the lights shine and the music starts, she is like a tornado.

I have managed to capture 2.5 seconds above…

(Read Veronika’s blog (in Spanish) here)

1000 Americans: Francisco, Mexico

Francisco –Pancho for friends- is a gentle man who runs a moving company, near the border with Texas.

He has a fleet of about 20 trucks and regularly drives himself as well and knows every road in Mexico.

1000 Americans: Roberto, Tlachichuca

Roberto lives in the highlands, on the slopes of Volcan Pico de Orizaba. He travel on bicycle and cycled with us for a while, from his home in a small town, all the way up to Tlachichuca, so he could enjoy the nice long downhill back home.

1000 Americans: Guadalupe, Pico de Orizaba, Mexico

Guadalupe is a mountain guide and has climbed the highest mountain of Mexico, Pico de Orizaba, more than a hundred times. Still he enjoys the climb and the views from the mountain and is always cautious when climbing up, knowing that the conditions on any mountain can change quickly.

This picture was taken in the base camp hut after yet another successful climb to and from the summit.

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