:bounce:
MEN wrote:
Cycling the Americas for charity
Mike Keegan
21/ 8/2008
AN OLDHAM man has cycled the length of the Americas on a tandem bike to raise money for a children's charity.
Dominic Gill, 26, covered 20,000 miles from the tip of Alaska to the tip of South America in an epic journey.
But he didn't go solo all the way - on his way through 15 countries he gave a lift to more than 500 strangers on the spare seat of his bike over the course of his two year journey.
The cyclist braved temperatures from a bone numbing low of -20 Celsius in Bolivia to a sweltering 40 Celsius in Mexico.
He carried all his possessions and specialist kit on his bike and at one point had to pedal for his life after being chased by a machete wielding Mexican
.
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Local delicacies he sampled along the way included a sheep's head for breakfast in Peru, dried crickets as a bar snack and cow's stomach soup.
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We need the HURL smiley guy.. Ye gods! I wonder how IG .. the "geared up gourmet"
and the equally Gordon Ramsey-esque intertwined with Jamie Oliver on that "health mission" would serve up this stuff..
All I can say is that Wildy
is currently adding the finishing touches to a Friday stir-fry with all the normal trimmings.
Yep.. Wildy has broiled a sheep's head and a pig's head .. but she served that to our dogs..// It goes into some kind of jellied brawn when cooled ...Our dogs just love this with their Winalot or dunked Bonios in the jelly ...
I cannot say I have fancied this.. nor have I ever bought or chosen tripe .. but I understand from Krissi and Marianna's husband (also a vet surgeon) that tripe works for the canine digestive system in much the same way as prunes/prune juice works for the human digestive system in that it "clears out and keeps a bit "regular-like" UARRRGH!
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The journey has raised more than £5,000 for the Hope And Homes For Children charity which helps orphaned, vulnerable and abandoned children in Europe and Africa.
I take my hat off to him .. and will donate a bit more to his cause.
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Dom returns to Britain at the end of the month. But speaking to the M.E.N. from a Buenos Aires internet café he said the fact that his adventure had come to an end 'had not sunk in yet'.
"I don't think it will for some time," he added.
The former environmental consultant said the trip had 'restored his faith in humanity'.
He added: "The last month was a stand out for me. It was winter in South America and people were looking at me like I was some kind of crazy man because it was so cold. But I hardly ever had to unpack my tent. The farmers were inviting me into their homes and would not let me sleep outside. Everywhere I went I was given a rack of lamb and a floor to lie on."
Ah.. the difference between cultures.
The developing countries.. I do hate the rather patronising term.. but these people perhaps are similar in values to our own society of the past. Patient.
I think our technology and accustom to "instant" has taken away our sense of time and patience.
I am not knocking our progress.. but perhaps remarking that we have not evolved quite as quickly in temperament.
I think this is more a soapbox bone to gnaw over.
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Dom, a keen climber, said the inspiration for the trip came from a previous tandem ride with a friend.
"We went from Vancouver to San Francisco and it got me thinking," he added. "I know the charity was a great one and this seemed like a great way of making some money for them."
When he returns he is hoping to make a documentary about the trip.
"To be honest that will probably be more difficult than the ride itself," he joked.
"But I'm seeing this as the beginning rather than the end. I'm hoping to go out and do talks about the trip and make as much money for the charity as I can."
I look forward to his documentary .. profitable proceeds of which will cover his meagre expenses and the charities.
I do not begrudge some of the pledged cash paying for necessities of life for such brave folk.
His adventure .. strengthens the cycling stalwarts .. and I think this type do just as much as our sporting heroes in encouraging folk to take to a bicycle as a pastime.. hobby.. fun activity and a commuting means if viable.
As far as commuting to and from work is concerned..
SOME folk do not have the stamina.. live too far away from work .. or find it just not practicable for their life-style.
If excessive hours are worked .. there is the danger of fatigue as well.
But the feel good stories encourage folk to pedal away.. and promote the fact that that cycling on our roads is actually rather safe anyway.. despite the hype from the scam merchants who are the ones who keep telling everyone that the roads are "dangerous"
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