Outdoor Central Oregon January/February 2020 | Page 25

JAN/FEB 2020
PERU:
The land of endless tourism; if you want to see ruin after ruin, meet people from all over
the world,and learn about the people that came before, this is your country. From north to
south we found so much history and met so many people. Endless mountains and endless
places to go and things to see and do. Riding here was not technically difficult, but it was
very cold in the Andes. The high plains made camping colder and we only had 20°F sleep-
ing bags. We made it, but for comfort, I would recommend a better rated sleeping bag.
ARGENTINA:
Western and modern, free or close to free camping almost in every town or in-between
towns. If you know how to camp in the US, you can figure it out here. The landscape is
gorgeous in the mountains and very flat the further east you ride. Countryside filled with
agriculture and industry, not unlike some parts of the United States.
My favorite part, even though we were running out of money and did not have more time
here, was the mountains. I wish I could have kept going to Patagonia, but it just wasn’t my
time I suppose; this will have to be a separate trip for us in the future.
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BOLIVIA:
What a beautiful country, very similar to Peru, but their tourism industry was not like Peru;
it fell behind and did not offer or feel as comforting as some other countries. Perhaps
one day it will feel more welcoming, but that did not stop us from having fun here, you
just have to know where to look and by now we are experts on fun on the road.
A LONG JOURNEY:
Our motorcycle trip, spanning through a dozen countries and over seven months, has left
me speechless. All the knowledge and information will take me a long time to process,
but I know it is valuable and precious. Seven months is a long time to be gone, but it has
helped me realize a few things about myself and the direction I want to go; how I can use
this experience and knowledge to help my community and the world I interact with every
day? There are some images and memories that will be seared into my brain forever; I
hope this inspires you in some way or another that the world is vast, you don’t have to
see it all, but just a glimpse can change your world. I was born and raised in Oregon, my
opportunities and privilege has led me here and who knows where it will take me next;
where will you go with yours and what can you do with it?