abort their trip of lifetime midway. And I of course feel
very sorry for people who were impacted by the virus
and the lockdown, lost their jobs and are struggling
financially.”
Despite the initial slap, the uncertainty of conflicting
information, the possibility of plans being changed or
taken away, the consensus amongst everyone is that
at a personal level this could be seen as a positive. A
challenge indeed yet not to be beaten by.
“I have more time to do some editing of my journey
video,” smiles Mario Iroth, an Indonesian currently in
Argentina. “Planning my future.”
The 33-year-old is hopeful that borders will reopen
in the near future so that he and his partner, Lilis
Handayani, and their Honda Africa Twin can continue to
Alaska.
“We feel grateful for the choices we have been able
to make as a family,” explained Sandra Dwyer, not a
motorcycle traveller but in a similar predicament.
Sandra, her husband Jason and children, Matilda (7
years old) and Isaac (4) were caught up, as travellers, in
the pandemic lockdown whilst in the Australian state of
Western Australia. A continent away from home yet, a
caravan shared with family is home.
“At no time did we feel unsafe,” Dwyer nods. “If
anything, it felt more like home. We were one of seven
vans in a caravan park, so it was a small group of
wonderful people.
“COVID-19 has certainly changed where we thought
we would be as in geographical location, but it hasn’t
stopped us.”
They might not be bike riders, but they have that same
sense of adventure, a need to learn, to understand, to
experience.
“COVID-19 has affected every single person across the
world.”
“In hindsight, it was the right decision for me,” added
Charles. “Colombia closed their international borders
until the end of August and has extended lockdowns
several times.”
Almost in tears the Canadian added, “the day I rode
away from Filandia towards Bogota, to put my bike into
storage and prepare to fly home, was a perfect sunny day.
“The police and military checkpoints were extremely
kind to me. Many of them chatted for a while. It was
however,
heartbreaking, to see so many families with small
children actually camping along the sides of the
mountains ... begging for food, not money, because they
were unable to buy anything in the towns.”
It’s that human impact that will flow on for a long
time, a consequence of lockdown that our travellers are
seeing firsthand. Unlike Charles, the Dwyer’s haven’t
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