Travel Story: Spencer james conway - south america
South America Circumnavigation by Motorbike
After successfully circumnavigating Africa through 34 countries and covering 55 345 kilometres in nine and a half months I am now attempting to circumnavigate South America. Attempting is definitely the appropriate word as things are certainly not going to plan as you will clearly see from this article! I left from Bogota, the colourful capital of Colombia on the first of September and have now travelled through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and I am at this minute sitting forlornly in San Juan, Argentina with a semi-burnt out bike and a look of despair on my face. More of that later.
I was lucky enough to have my Africa trip televised in a successful series African Motorcycle Diaries and consequently, I am filming this saga for the predictably titled second series South American Motorcycle Diaries. However, my primary delight is the challenge of circumnavigating another continent, experiencing the beauty of the ever-changing landscapes and the exceptional and eccentric people I meet on the way. South America has not disappointed and of course, I get to ride my trusty Yamaha XT 660 Tenere every day for a year! I am travelling in exactly the same manner I did in Africa, with no frills. I was offered a number of new bikes and gear for this adventure but turned them down. I am riding the same bike I used for Africa, the same battered Army green sausage bag, the same tatty rucksack and the same pungent boots. I am camping all the way or relying on the hospitality of local people, living on a strict budget and most importantly have shunned technology. I have no GPS, no phone and until recently no map!
My philosophy is to ask five or six people for directions and if two of them are the same I take that route. This proves to be a very unsuccessful strategy so I'm sticking with it. Often a comment of ' it will take you only one-hour' leads to a sweaty ten-hour ordeal, or 'the road is very good, top class' leads me into a quagmire of difficulty and numerous breakdowns and tumbles. However, I have ended up in incredible situations and experienced some stunning rides and landscapes which I would never have experienced. A cursory look at t a map will show that the distance from Bogota to my present location in San Juan is 5200 kilometres. I have covered 11 118 kilometres because I have been hopelessly lost on many occasions. Long may it last. I hope to experience the 13 countries of South America in under a year and cover 50 000 kilometres. Although I am circumnavigating I decided it would be undiplomatic not to visit the two landlocked countries Paraguay and Bolivia. So if I am still wandering around aimlessly in two years do not be surprised!