Helen's Take On... The Great Americas

[hlloyd33]

Hey,
Posted recently about my completed 25,000km cycle ride from UK to Cape Town.
As now on another journey figured I'd mention it here if anyone is interested...
Now cycling from Canada to somewhere in Central America, maybe Panama. So far it's 2 months in the road, 4,000km cycled and on the way into Utah now.

I know it's not strictly an overland trip, being on a bicycle, but the places we see and some of the challenges we face are the same...

Here's my blog: www.helenstakeon.com
And if noone objects, i'll let you know when I write something or post some photos...
This is the latest piece: http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/a-new-beginning-south-to-nevada/

Cheers

[Streakerfreak]

Refreshing change of pace around here. Thanks for sharing your blog with us and yes I would most certainly count this as an Overland trip. Sure beats our lazy butts in motorized vehicles.

[hlloyd33]

Just posted a couple of photo galleries from the latest part of the trip... Elko Nevada to Richfield Utah.
Photos of Remote Nevada (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/photos-of-remote-nevada-elko-to-ely/)
Photos of November Utah (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/photos-of-november-utah/)

Hope you enjoy!

[hlloyd33]

And here's the blog post for Elko to Ely, Nevada on some of the state's loneliest roads. (not as lonely as one we took in Utah since though):
The Loneliest Roads in Nevada (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/the-loneliest-road-in-nevada/)

[targa88]

I am impressed by your resolve to do this trip on a bike. Seems like a lot of hard work and potentially dangerous since vehicles have little respect for cyclists.
Would be curious to know what your budget for a trip like this is...

Safe travels.

[hlloyd33]

Just arrived in Las Vegas after 5,000km... will be writing a full update in the coming days, but for now a few photos from Utah's highway 12 from Torrey to Tropic.

Photos of Highway 12 in Utah (http://http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/photos-of-utahs-highway-12-and-calf-creek-falls/)

Bryce Canyon and Zion coming soon...

[hlloyd33]

As promised...

Photos of Bryce National Park (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/photos-of-bryce-national-park/)
Photos of Zion National Park (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/photos-of-zion-national-park/)

As for budget... not entirely sure to be honest. Spent about 220 dollars on accommodation in 3 months and zero on transport. Basically food is the major outlay but I guess that also counts as 'fuel'! I usually buy supermarket food, but have eaten far more burgers/fast food than expected! Obviously there is then the flights and travel insurance as initial outlays. I had most the gear already.

All my travels in the past have worked out costing about £100 per week (including flights/insurance/accommodation/transport/food). I expect this trip will be similar - with the bias towards food!!

Out of interest - how does that compare with overlanding with a vehicle? (I intend to head off on a motorbike some day fairly soon)

[hlloyd33]

So we've made it to El Centro, having cycled 5850km since Vancouver. Off to Mexico today... very excited about it.
Latest blog stuff is here:

Blog Post - Desert Roads and Snow - Ely, Nevada to Torrey, Utah (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/desert-roads-and-snow/)
Photos of the Road to Las Vegas (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/photos-of-the-road-to-las-vegas/)
Photos of Mohave Desert and Joshua Tree National Park (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/photos-of-mohave-desert-and-joshua-tree/)

[hlloyd33]

Catching up on the blog over a Corona on a rainy day in the Baja desert...Not too many reasons to leave this Guerrero Negro hotel room!

Red Rocking Utah and Crazy Las Vegas/ (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/red-rocking-utah-and-crazy-las-vegas/)

[hlloyd33]

Catching up on the blog over a Corona on a rainy day in the Baja desert...Not too many reasons to leave this Guerrero Negro hotel room!

Red Rocking Utah and Crazy Las Vegas/ (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/red-rocking-utah-and-crazy-las-vegas/)

[HumphreyBear]

Helen, I've met people like you before, going London-Cape Town, Melbourne-London (via Vladivostok!) or Anchorage-Ushuaia. You all share (at least) three things in common: you could all crack walnuts with your buttocks (if the inspiration ever so took you, I guess...), and you are all truly, madly, deeply crazy. Nuts. Bonkers. And God bless you for it. :)
.
And apart from the requisite bonkersness and optional tricks with seed pods the third thing I also find that ultra-uber-really long distance cyclists have in common is that you are all interesting, wonderful people with fascinating, thoughtful perspectives generated from experiences most of us cannot fathom (and also from endless hours of talking to yourselves, usually, rounding out the arguments from several perspectives). I have been reading through your blogs, and love them. The photos are beautiful and you have a lovely (dare I say wry British) way of describing some of your encounters and experiences. Thank you for taking the time to feed my envy, which helps drive my travel lust and inspires me to get back out there.
.
BTW, you'll be happy to know that the second and third characteristics will stand you in good stead when you adopt a motorised form of two wheels, but the buns of steel will fade somewhat. As a former long distance motorcyclist (around the corner and back home in your context) I did plenty of talking to myself in the helmet - the extra voices just keep you company ;) I never kept a budget (or so much as a receipt) for the moto travels, but there is a chap on ExPo called Doug Hackney (alias: dhackney) who has documented his motorbike travels with his wife in great detail, and I am sure that he has done very detailed budgets (he's like that - and I admire his posts for it). I commend his web site to you. (http://www.hackneystravel.com/)

[hlloyd33]

Hah! Well what can I say to that! Thanks... although I have no plans for walnut cracking at this stage.

Until I get back to writing something, some more photos online now - 3 weeks of biking down Baja...
Photos of Baja California North (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/photos-of-baja-california-north-mexico/)
Photos of Baja California South (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/photos-of-baja-california-south/)

[hlloyd33]

And I've written something... about the ride across southern California through the Mohave desert and Joshua Tree National Park.
Blog post: Southern California - Misnomers Galore (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/southern-california-misnomers-galore/)

[hlloyd33]

Blog update about northern Baja...

Baja Hey-Ho Go Slow (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/baja-hey-ho-go-slow/)

When we made it to La Paz, we got a ride on a sailing boat...

Photos of Sailing the Sea of Cortez (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/photos-of-sailing-the-sea-of-cortez/)

[roboter]

Great website and thanks for sharing. One of the best things about sailing is night watch during passage's. As soon as you begin to get bored a pod of dolphins come by to pay a visit and give one fantastic light show from the bioluminescent plankton. The closest feeling to being in space.

[hlloyd33]

Latest blog... the second half of Baja
Baja Ho-Ho-Ho (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/baja-ho-ho-ho/)

[hlloyd33]

Next update on the road from Puerta Vallarta along the coast and uphill to Oaxaca...
Long Road to Oaxaca (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/the-long-road-to-oaxaca/)
And photos of the journey/ (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/photos-of-the-long-road-to-oaxaca/)

[hlloyd33]

Had a great time in Oaxaca...
Do Good As You Go (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/do-good-as-you-go/)
Photos of A Little Religion in Oaxaca (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/photos-of-a-little-religion-in-oaxaca/)
Photos of Monte Alban ruins (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/monte-alban-ruins/)

[hlloyd33]

Well, slowly making progress through Mexico. Been here well over 2 months now, and looking forward to the rest of central America. But first we're heading to Palenque...
For now, the latest blog of the ride from Oaxaca to San Cristobal:

Winds of Change into Chiapas (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/winds-of-change-into-chiapas/)

[Funrover]

WOW!!! What a great view of life. Thank you for sharing!

[hlloyd33]

Latest photos from the ride from Oaxaca to San Cristobal de as Casas, on to Palenque and then across into Guatemala. We stopped at Flores for a trip up to Tikal and are now in Rio Dulce... 10,000km and 6 months after leaving Vancouver!

Photos of Chiapas and El Peten (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/photos-of-chiapas-mexico-and-el-peten-guatemala-regions/)

[hlloyd33]

More photos and a bit about packrafting....
Packrafting on Rio Dulce (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/lessons-learned-packrafting-on-the-rio-dulce-guatemala/)
Photos of Maya Ruins, Palenque and Tikal (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/maya-ruins-palenque-and-tikal/)
Photos of Rio Dulce and Livingston, Guatemala (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/photos-of-a-taste-of-the-caribbean-in-rainy-season/)

[hlloyd33]

Been catching up on the blog writing. More stories from Chiapas, Mexico and Guatemala too...

Fear of Falling Rocks/ (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/fear-of-falling-rocks/)
Across Guatemala - Monkeys, Dentists and Beer (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/across-guatemala-monkeys-dentists-and-beer/)

No more for a while though as heading off on a packrafting trip... and don´t know how long I´ll be gone!

[hlloyd33]

Well, been having lots of fun with the packraft!! Makes a nice change from the bike.
Anyway, first up was a day trip to Somoto Canyon in Nicaragua. And then we´ve just finished a big one along the Rio Bocay and Rio Coco...
Blog - Off with the Bikes - Chicken Buses and Packrafting Somoto Canyon (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/off-with-the-bikes-chicken-buses-and-packrafting-somoto-canyon/)
Photos of Packrafting the Rio Bocay and Rio Coco in Nicaragua (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/photos-from-packrafting-the-rio-bocay-and-rio-coco-in-nicaragua/)

[hlloyd33]

Some blog posts on the packrafting trip...

A Crazy Idea? (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-
americas/to-packraft-the-rio-coco-a-crazy-idea/)
Getting to Ayupal (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/packrafting-nicaragua-getting-to-ayupal/)
Afloat and Quiet Content in.the Rio Bocay (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/afloat-and-quiet-content-on-the-rio-bocay/)

[hlloyd33]

Blog updates:

Another post from packrafting the Rio Bocay -
Crocodiles and Ray Mears (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/crocodiles-and-ray-mears/)
And back on the bike -
Last Honduran Days (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/last-honduran-days/)

[hlloyd33]

Well, the end of another trip... it's been great! If you've been following the journey, hope you enjoyed the blog. The final posts below:

Photos of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/photos-of-guatemala-el-salvador-and-honduras/)
Photos of Belize - Backroads at their Best (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/photos-belize-backroads-at-their-best/)

Blog - Saving the Best til Last - Backroads of Belize (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/saving-the-best-til-last-backroads-of-belize/)

I flew home on Friday and now it's back to work... and planning the next trip.

[HumphreyBear]

Bravo! Great effort and a fantastic adventure. Thank you for letting us share it by proxy (and without all the, you know, actual effort... :)). I have to catch up on the last posts but I have been avidly following and enjoying.

Enjoy work!

[mtnbike28]

Very fun trip!

[hlloyd33]

Well, I've been having fun putting together a couple of videos of the packrafting trip - hope you enjoy too.
Might give a little glimpse of what it was like during the 8 days on the river...

Video of packrafting the Rio Bocay (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/video-of-packrafting-the-rio-bocay/)
Video of packrafting the Rio Coco (http://helenstakeon.com/the-great-americas/video-of-packrafting-the-rio-coco/)