In 1997, Fred and Andrew quit their jobs, loaded up two touring bicycles, and set off to ride around the world. This is the journal of that journey — every flat tire, border crossing, and roadside meal, told in their own words.
1997
California to Arizona
1 Prologue 2 San Diego to Jacumba March 10, 1997 78 miles 3 Jacumba to Ogilby Rd. (near Palo Verde) March 11, 1997 102 miles 4 Ogilby Road to Salome, AZ March 12, 1997 111 miles 5 Salome to Wickenburg, AZ March 13, 1997 55 miles 6 Wickenburg to Phoenix March 14, 1997 72 miles California to Arizona Photo Essay 12 photosArizona & New Mexico
7 Phoenix to Globe March 19, 1997 92 miles 8 Globe to Safford March 20, 1997 77 miles 9 Safford to Buckhorn, NM March 21, 1997 80 miles 10 Buckhorn to Silver City March 22, 1997 39 miles 11 Silver City to Hatch March 23, 1997 101 miles 12 Hatch, NM to El Paso, TX March 25, 1997 84 miles Arizona & New Mexico Photo Essay 12 photosTexas, Part One
13 El Paso to Van Horn March 27, 1997 122 miles 14 Van Horn to Alpine March 28, 1997 107 miles 15 Alpine to Sanderson March 29, 1997 87 miles 16 Sanderson to Comstock March 30, 1997 90 miles 17 Comstock to Del Rio March 31, 1997 31 miles Texas, Part One Photo Essay 6 photosTexas, Part Two
18 Del Rio to Camp Wood April 3, 1997 81 miles 19 Camp Wood to near Hunt April 4, 1997 68 miles 20 Near Hunt to Blanco April 5, 1997 91 miles 21 Blanco to Austin April 6, 1997 28 miles 22 Austin to La Grange April 13, 1997 77 miles 23 La Grange to Navasota April 14, 1997 72 miles Texas, Part Two Photo Essay 10 photosTexas & Louisiana
24 Navasota to Coldspring April 15, 1997 66 miles 25 Coldspring to Silsbee April 16, 1997 76 miles 26 Silsbee, TX to DeRidder, LA April 17, 1997 78 miles 27 DeRidder to Mamou April 18, 1997 66 miles 28 Mamou to St. Francisville April 19, 1997 80 miles Texas & Louisiana Photo Essay 10 photosLouisiana, Mississippi & Florida
29 St. Francisville to Franklinton April 21, 1997 96 miles 30 Franklinton, LA to Gulfport, MS April 22, 1997 96 miles 31 Gulfport, MS to Dauphin Island, AL April 24, 1997 — 32 Dauphin Island, AL to Pensacola, FL April 25, 1997 60 miles 33 Pensacola to Crestview, FL April 28, 1997 62 miles Louisiana, Mississippi & Florida Photo Essay 6 photosFlorida
34 Crestview to Marianna, FL April 29, 1997 86 miles 35 Marianna to Tallahassee, FL April 30, 1997 80 miles 36 Tallahassee to Exit 84 (White Springs) May 1, 1997 111 miles 37 Exit 84 to Neptune Beach May 2, 1997 101 miles Florida Photo Essay 8 photosSpain & French Pyrenees
1 Prologue 2 Lleida to Fontllonga May 14, 1997 64 km 3 Fontllonga to Rialp May 15, 1997 72 km 4 Rialp to Vielha May 16, 1997 77 km 5 Vielha to Tarbes, France May 17, 1997 124 km 6 Tarbes to Pau May 18, 1997 66 km Spain & French Pyrenees Photo Essay 10 photosFrance, Part One
7 Tarbes to Nogaro May 21, 1997 74 km 8 Nogaro to St. Symphorien May 22, 1997 113 km 9 St. Symphorien to Bordeaux May 23, 1997 57 km 10 Bordeaux to Soulac-sur-Mer May 25, 1997 122 km 11 Soulac-sur-Mer to La Rochelle May 26, 1997 94 km France, Part One Photo Essay 14 photosFrance, Part Two
12 La Rochelle to Arcais May 28, 1997 58 km 13 Arcais to Pouzauges May 29, 1997 81 km 14 Pouzauges to Chalonnes May 30, 1997 84 km 15 Chalonnes to Vitré June 2, 1997 120 km 16 Vitré to St. Malo June 3, 1997 105 km France, Part Two Photo Essay 11 photosEngland
17 Portsmouth to Lewes June 5, 1997 57 km 18 Hiatus: London June 6–8, 1997 19 Hiatus: Paris & London June 9–17, 1997 20 Hiatus: New York & Wilmington June 16–23, 1997 21 Vienna & Europride June 18–26, 1997 22 Lewes to Dingleden June 27, 1997 64 km 23 Dingleden to Ramsgate & Dunkerque June 28, 1997 97 km England Photo Essay 7 photosBelgium & Holland
24 Dunkerque to Brugge, Belgium June 29, 1997 82 km 25 Brugge to Antwerp July 1, 1997 113 km 26 Antwerp to Stettendam, Holland July 2, 1997 92 km 27 Stettendam to Delft & Amsterdam July 3, 1997 55 km 28 Amsterdam to Zwolle July 7, 1997 132 km 29 Zwolle to Ter Apel July 8, 1997 114 km Belgium & Holland Photo Essay 9 photosGermany
30 Ter Apel to Oldenburg & Hamburg July 9, 1997 115 km 31 Hamburg to Grossenbrode July 11, 1997 126 km Germany Photo Essay 4 photosDenmark
1 Grossenbrode to Copenhagen July 12, 1997 95 km 2 North Seeland Bike Tour July 13, 1997 74 km 3 Vordingborg to Copenhagen July 15, 1997 113 km Denmark Photo Essay 8 photosSweden
4 Prelude: Copenhagen 5 Copenhagen / Malmo to Horby July 31, 1997 74 km 6 Horby to Lonsboda August 1, 1997 97 km 7 Lonsboda to Kosta August 2, 1997 123 km 8 Kosta to Oskarshamn August 3, 1997 109 km 9 Oskarshamn to Stockholm August 4, 1997 Sweden Photo Essay 8 photosFinland
10 Turku to Mossala August 5, 1997 107 km 11 Mossala to Mariehamn 105 km 12 Turku / Salo to Helsinki August 8, 1997 134 km 13 “Hellstinky” by Olivier Trimon Finland Photo Essay 6 photosEstonia, Latvia & Lithuania
14 Tallinn to Parnu 148 km • Aug 14 15 Parnu to Ungeni, Latvia 100 km • Aug 15 16 Ungeni to Riga 87 km • Aug 16 17 Riga to Siauliai, Lithuania 137 km • Aug 19 18 Siauliai to Kaunas 150 km • Aug 20 19 Kaunas to Suwalki, Poland 120 km • Aug 22 Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania Photo Essay 24 photosPoland
1 Suwalki to Elk August 23, 1997 81 km 2 Elk to Lomza August 24, 1997 99 km 3 Lomza to Ostroleka / Warsaw August 25, 1997 4 Warsaw August 26–29, 1997 5 Warsaw to Radom August 29, 1997 116 km 6 Radom to Krakow August 30, 1997 7 Krakow to Oswiecim (Auschwitz) September 1, 1997 67 km 8 Krakow to Pcim September 3, 1997 72 km Poland Photo Essay 12 photosSlovakia & Hungary
9 Pcim, Poland to Dolny Kubin, Slovakia September 4, 1997 109 km 10 Dolny Kubin to Sturovo September 5, 1997 105 km 11 Sturovo / Estergom to Budapest September 6, 1997 81 km 12 Budapest to Balatonfenyves September 9, 1997 62 km Slovakia & Hungary Photo Essay 7 photosCroatia, Slovenia & Bosnia
13 Zagreb to Ljubljana, Slovenia September 12, 1997 102 km 14 Split to Trogir September 15, 1997 91 km 15 Split to Makarska September 17, 1997 68 km 16 Makarska to Medjugorje, Bosnia September 18, 1997 76 km 17 Medjugorje to Dubrovnik September 19, 1997 136 km Croatia, Slovenia & Bosnia Photo Essay 40 photosGreece
18 Patras to Kalmari September 23, 1997 102 km 19 Kalmari to Athens September 24, 1997 127 km 20 Athens 21 Rhodes to Lardos October 22, 1997 107 km 22 Lardos to Rhodes October 23, 1997 60 km Greece Photo Essay 8 photos
1
Limassol to Pafos
October 26, 1997
70 km
2
Pafos to Pera-Pedhi
October 28, 1997
68 km
3
Pera-Pedhi to Nicosia
October 29, 1997
83 km
4
The Turkish Republic of North Cyprus
Essay
—
5
Nicosia to Limassol
October 30, 1997
85 km
Cyprus
Photo Essay
21 photos
6
Haifa to Akko
November 2, 1997
25 km
7
Akko to Ginosar
November 3, 1997
56 km
8
Ginosar to Neve Eitan
November 5, 1997
84 km
9
Neve Eitan to Jerusalem
November 6, 1997
86 km
10
Jerusalem
Essay
—
11
Jerusalem to En Gedi
November 9, 1997
84 km
12
Ein Gedi to Ein Yehav
November 10, 1997
107 km
13
Ein Yehav to Elot
November 11, 1997
135 km
Israel & the West Bank
Photo Essay
29 photos
14
Aqaba to Amman
November 12, 1997
—
15
Petra
November 14–16, 1997
—
16
Back to Aqaba
November 16, 1997
—
Jordan
Photo Essay
22 photos
17
Eilat to Basata
November 17, 1997
70 km
18
Basata
November 17–23, 1997
—
19
Basata to Dahab
November 23, 1997
100 km
20
Dahab to Point Zero
November 25, 1997
46 km
21
Basata Revisited & Heading Stateside
November 25–December 1, 1997
—
Egypt
Photo Essay
24 photos
1998
New Zealand
1 Egypt to Auckland February 14, 1998 36 km 2 Auckland to Kaiaua February 15, 1998 88 km 3 Kaiaua to Okauia Hot Springs February 16, 1998 111 km 4 Okauia Hot Springs to Rotorua February 17, 1998 74 km 5 Rotorua February 18, 1998 — 6 Rotorua to Taupo February 19, 1998 103 km 7 Taupo to Whakapapa February 20, 1998 99 km 8 Whakapapa to Ohakune February 21, 1998 54 km 9 Wellington February 21–23, 1998 — 10 Picton to Hauwai February 24, 1998 65 km 11 Hauwai to Kaikoura February 25, 1998 104 km 12 Kaikoura to Cheviot February 26, 1998 76 km 13 Cheviot to Christchurch February 27, 1998 70 km New Zealand Photo Essay 22 photosAustralia
14 Sydney March 1–2, 1998 — 15 Newcastle to Shoal Bay March 3, 1998 55 km 16 Shoal Bay to Forster March 4, 1998 114 km 17 Forster to Wingham March 5, 1998 57 km 18 The Batwatch, Wingham March 5, 1998 — 19 Wingham to Comboyne March 6, 1998 42 km 20 Comboyne to South West Rocks March 7, 1998 127 km 21 South West Rocks to Coffs Harbour March 8, 1998 114 km 22 Coffs Harbour to Grafton March 10, 1998 85 km 23 Grafton to Casino March 11, 1998 106 km 24 Casino to Byron Bay March 12, 1998 86 km 25 Byron Bay to Brisbane March 14, 1998 — Australia Photo Essay 19 photosI: Bali & Lombok
1 Denpasar to Senggigi Mar 18, 1998 52 km 2 Senggigi to Senaru Mar 19, 1998 82 km 3 Senaru to Tetebatu Mar 20, 1998 70 km 4 Tetebatu to Mangsit Mar 20, 1998 72 km 5 Mangsit to Tirtagangga Mar 25, 1998 72 km 6 Tirtagangga to Kalibukbuk Mar 26, 1998 96 km 7 Kalibukbuk to Bama Mar 28, 1998 85 km Bali & Lombok Photo Essay 22 photosII: East Java & Madura
8 Bama to Situbondo/Surabaya Mar 29, 1998 85 km 9 Surabaya to Camplong Mar 31, 1998 86 km 10 Camplong to Sumenep Apr 1, 1998 81 km 11 Surabaya/Gresik to Tuban Apr 5, 1998 105 km East Java & Madura Photo Essay 27 photosIII: Central Java
12 Tuban to Kudus Apr 6, 1998 94 km 13 Kudus to Bandungan Apr 7, 1998 90 km 14 Bandungan Apr 8–9, 1998 — 15 Bandungan to Pekalongan Apr 10, 1998 86 km 16 Pekalongan to Slawi/Cirebon Apr 11, 1998 85 km 17 Cirebon Apr 12–13, 1998 — 18 Jakarta Apr 14–16, 1998 — Central Java Photo Essay 12 photosIV: Western Sumatra
19 Jakarta to Padang Apr 16–18, 1998 — 20 Padang to Maninjau Apr 19, 1998 95 km 21 Lake Maninjau to Bukittinggi Apr 20, 1998 49 km 22 Bukittinggi Apr 21–22, 1998 — 23 Bukittinggi to Kota Nopan Apr 23, 1998 157 km 24 Kota Nopan to Prapat Apr 24, 1998 120 km Western Sumatra Photo Essay 28 photosV: North Sumatra & Malaysia
25 Samosir Apr 25–26, 1998 — 26 Tuktuk to Brastagi Apr 27, 1998 112 km 27 Brastagi to Medan Apr 28, 1998 73 km 28 Bukit Lawang Apr 29–30, 1998 — 29 Penang May 1–2, 1998 — 30 Penang to Alor Setar May 3, 1998 102 km 31 Alor Setar to Hat Yai May 4, 1998 98 km North Sumatra & Malaysia Photo Essay 8 photosThailand South
1 Thailand — Prologue (Hat Yai) May 4, 1998 2 Back to Thailand (Bangkok) Late May 1998 3 Phitsanulok June 6, 1998 4 Phitsanulok to Sukhothai June 8, 1998 65 km 5 Sukhothai to Si Sachanalai June 9, 1998 57 km 6 Si Sachanalai to Sawan Kholok June 10, 1998 48 kmThailand North
7 Sawan Kholok to Chat Trakan June 11, 1998 133 km 8 Chat Trakan to Dan Sai June 12, 1998 98 km 9 Dan Sai to Kaeng Khut Khu June 13, 1998 131 km 10 Kaeng Khut Khu to Sang Khorn June 15, 1998 105 km 11 Sang Khorn to Nong Khai June 16, 1998 100 kmLaos North
12 Arriving in Laos (Vientiane) June 18, 1998 28 km 13 Getting to Luang Prabang June 19, 1998 14 Luang Prabang June 19–23, 1998 15 Vientiane to Pakxan June 25, 1998 160 kmLaos South
16 Pakxan to Tha Khek June 26, 1998 101 km 17 Tha Khek to Savannakhet June 27, 1998 139 km 18 Savannakhet June 27 – July 6, 1998 19 Savannakhet Postscript July 1998Cambodia
20 Bangkok, Pattaya & Angkor Halloween 1998Photo Essays
Thailand South Photo Essay 14 photos Thailand North Photo Essay 12 photos Laos North Photo Essay 12 photos Laos South Photo Essay 13 photos Laos Monkmania Photo Essay 9 photos Holiday in Cambodia Photo Essay 13 photosVietnam I — South
1 Savannakhet to Huế July 7, 1998 108 km 2 Huế to Danang July 10, 1998 108 km 3 Danang to Hoi An July 12, 1998 29 kmVietnam II — Central
4 Hoi An to My Son July 13, 1998 22 km 5 The Death Loop July 14, 1998 121 km 6 Back to Hanoi July 16, 1998Vietnam III — Hanoi
7 Hanoi July 1998 8 Hanoi Continued July 1998 9 Are Gucci Shoes Necessary for Survival? July 1998Vietnam IV — North
10 Hanoi to Hoa Binh July 25, 1998 98 km 11 Hoa Binh to Ninh Binh July 26, 1998 127 km 12 Ninh Binh to Hon Gai July 28, 1998 119 km 13 Hon Gai to Mong Cai July 29, 1998 92 kmChina I — Guangxi
14 Dongxing to Qinzhou July 31, 1998 100 km 15 Qinzhou to Nanning August 1, 1998 128 km 16 Nanning to Guilin August 7, 1998 17 Around Guilin August 8, 1998 38 km 18 Guilin to Yangshuo August 9, 1998 69 km 19 Around Yangshuo August 10, 1998 58 kmChina II — Return
20 LA to Yangshuo September 14–17, 1998 21 Yangshuo to Jiangyong September 21, 1998 132 km 22 Jiangyong to Yongzhou September 22, 1998 111 km 23 Yongzhou to Hengyang September 23, 1998 120 kmChina III — Hunan & Jiangxi
24 Hengyang to Xiangtan September 25, 1998 61 km 25 Xiangtan to Shaoshan September 26, 1998 50 km 26 Changsha September 27, 1998 27 Changsha to Pingxiang September 29, 1998 135 km 28 Pingxiang to Xinyu September 30, 1998 126 km 29 Xinyu to Nanchang October 1, 1998 97 kmChina IV — Zhejiang
30 Hangzhou October 3, 1998 31 Hangzhou to Shaoxing October 7, 1998 65 km 32 Shaoxing to Yuyao October 8, 1998 104 km 33 Yuyao to Ningbo October 9, 1998 53 km 34 Putuoshan October 10, 1998China V — Eastern China
35 Slow Boat to Shanghai October 12, 1998 36 Shanghai October 12, 1998 37 Shanghai to Suzhou October 16, 1998 115 km 38 Suzhou to Wuxi October 18, 1998 93 km 39 Wuxi to Jintan October 19, 1998 106 km 40 Jintan to Nanjing October 20, 1998 110 km 41 Back to Shanghai October 22, 1998Photo Essays
Vietnam I — Huế to Danang Photo Essay 16 photos Vietnam II — Hoi An & My Son Photo Essay 13 photos Vietnam III — Hanoi Photo Essay 8 photos Vietnam IV Photo Essay 10 photos Vietnam V Photo Essay 10 photos Boat Gallery — Vietnam Photo Essay 15 photos China I — Guangxi Photo Essay 16 photos China II — Hunan Photo Essay 12 photos China III — Hunan & Jiangxi Photo Essay 11 photos China IV — Zhejiang Photo Essay 16 photos China V — Eastern China Photo Essay 16 photosDelhi to Agra
188 Delhi to Sohna 10 November 39 miles 189 Sohna to Deeg 11 November 70 miles 190 Deeg to Mathura 12 November 26 miles 191 Mathura to Agra 13 November 49 milesRajasthan I — Agra to Bundi
192 Agra to Bharatpur 15 November 62 miles 193 Bharatpur to Gangapur 17 November 79 miles 194 Gangapur to Sawai Madhopur 18 November 63 miles 195 Sawai Madhopur/Kota to Bundi 22 November 41 milesRajasthan II — Bundi to Dungarpur
196 Bundi to Begun 23 November 61 miles 197 Begun to Chittorgarh 24 November 60 miles 198 Chittorgarh to Udaipur 26 November 80 miles 199 Udaipur to Dungarpur 2 December 76 milesGujarat I — Dungarpur to Palitana
200 Dungarpur to Himatnagar/Ahmedabad 3 December 62 miles 201 Ahmedabad to Utelia 5 December 64 miles 202 Utelia to Bhavnagar 6 December 67 miles 203 Bhavnagar to Palitana 7 December 36 milesGujarat II — Palitana to Junagadh
204 Palitana to Diu 8 December 101 miles 205 around Diu 10 December 41 miles 206 Diu to Veraval 11 December 58 miles 207 Veraval to Sasan Gir 12 December 42 miles 208 Sasan Gir to Junagadh 13 December 40 milesMaharashtra I — Jalgaon to Ahmednagar
209 Jalgaon to Fardapur (Ajanta) 18 December 37 miles 210 Fardapur to Ellora 19 December 68 miles 211 Ellora to Aurangabad (and around) 22 December 35 miles 212 Aurangabad to Ahmednagar 23 December 72 milesMaharashtra II — Ahmednagar to Bombay
213 Ahmednagar to Pune 24 December 76 miles 214 Pune to Khandala 25 December 54 miles 215 Khandala to Bombay 26 December 50 milesPhoto Essays
Delhi to Agra → 13 photos Rajasthan I — Agra to Bundi → 16 photos Rajasthan II — Bundi to Dungarpur → 16 photos Gujarat I — Dungarpur to Palitana → 12 photos Gujarat II — Palitana to Junagadh → 16 photos Maharashtra I — Jalgaon to Ahmednagar → 15 photos Maharashtra II — Ahmednagar to Bombay → 14 photos Ajanta & Ellora Caves → 12 photosOther Voyages
Belize & Mexico
1 Belize City to Orange Walk December 16, 1996 54 miles 2 Orange Walk to Bacalar December 17, 1996 78 miles Belize & Guatemala Prologue Photo Essay 8 photos Belize to Bacalar Photo Essay 3 photosCuba
3 Havana to Las Terrazas December 25, 1996 55 miles 4 Las Terrazas to Vinales December 26, 1996 93 miles 5 Around Vinales December 27, 1996 25 miles 6 Vinales to Santa Lucia and back December 28, 1996 40 miles 7 Vinales to Las Terrazas December 30, 1996 80 miles Cuba Photo Essay 28 photosYucatan
8 Merida to Izamal January 2, 1997 45 miles 9 Izamal to Chichen-Itza January 3, 1997 46 miles 10 Chichen-Itza to Valladolid January 5, 1997 28 miles 11 Isla Mujeres January 8, 1997 Ruta Puuc — Mayan Ruins Photo Essay 4 photosA 10,000-mile American odyssey on a mountain bike with a front basket and no money. Five installments of email from Dirk Homeier, 1998.
• Overview & Introduction 1 Part I: Orlando to Pennsylvania May 4 – June 1, 1998 2 Part II: Cleveland to Rapid City June 4 – June 30, 1998 3 Part III: Montana to Oregon July 7 – August 3, 1998 4 Part IV: Bike Father, Bike Son — Oregon Coast to California August 8 – 12, 1998 5 Part V: San Diego August 19 – 25, 1998