(short version)
Name: Cristi Harbuz
Dream: to take a long ride in Latin America
Target: make the dream a reality 🙂
(extended version)
Short version + one bicycle
I start in Ciudad de Mexico and I stop in Valparaiso, Chile “where the land ends”.
How I go? From Ciudad de Mexico (point A) I buy a bicycle and I go with this nice 2 wheel item a couple of km 🙂 to Valparaiso (point B) via 18 countries, 16 capitals and many other cities, towns and villages where I will meet, I’m sure of it, beautiful people and I’ll see speechless some landscapes which I can wait to devour them like in an IMAX cinema. The complete itinerary OUT ON SALE it’s below the next lines where I try to explain what the hell I want to do. Sure I won’t be able to that, but be nice, it’s just the 1st large bicycle ride I make 🙂
How long it will be? I really don’t know. I’ll see. The thing is that I’m not in a hurry. I’m going to take a walk on a bicycle, that’s the only thing I’m sure of. The things you enjoy doing them you can do them in 2 ways: quickie or take your time. Both of them are nice for the… soul too, depends on the mood.
When I start? This winter 2011-2012, when there the summer starts 🙂
Advantages: endless list.
Disadvantage (that doesn’t matter): endless pain at the ass and its bones 😀
How many km there are? That I’ll see at the end, anyway easily over 15000 (and then the ass says: “Cristi, I really hate you!”)
The rules that I’ll follow in this ride are (taken from the National Geographic guide):
– realize that you have an influence in a way or another to the places you visit.
– spent your time and money in ways that support the local identity (anyway, it’s funnier this way)
– appreciate the natural and cultural heritage of the destinations.
– respect the local manners and traditions.
– show to the local people that you appreciate the new and unique things that you discover in the places that you visit: nature and landscapes, music and food, historical sites and buildings.
– support with Money the people who care the destinations and also the small businesses which are making an effort to value them and to protect their beauty. Look for small boutiques, local restaurants, hostels that love those places, which are enjoying taking care of them and they are open to show them to anyone. Avoid those commercial activities which reduce the value of the local identity
– enrich your experience, take home with you memories and stories.
At the end it’s all about the people you meet on the road.
What I am going to do with the bicycle when I’ll stop in Valparaiso? I’ll give it for charity there to some kid, or I’ll sell it on the internet with the equivalent in RON (Romanian money, 1 EURO= 4 RON) of the km that I traveled (if exists someone stupid enough to buy such a thing), and the money I get I’ll give for charity. ‘Crazy man with money to spent on a second hand bicycle: we are talking about approx. 3700 EUR!!!’ Anyway, my ass will be very proud of me and will thank you (not in that way :D, I like girls, especially the blonde ones.) Also I’ll thank you in the name of the children with cancer from an hospital from Bucharest (Romania) where I will donate this amount of money. As I told you. „You are not quite a top business man if you buy a second hand bike, which probably will have serious damages and oval wheels” 🙂
Price list and services included:
– 50 RON (10 EUR)/ small town or village
(1 local cooking recipe,
photos from the small town/village that you bought).
Ex: Aracataca, native village of Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
– 100 RON (25 EUR)/ big city
(1 local cooking récipe,
1 post card to the buyer’s home address,
photos from the city you bought).
Ex: Rio de Janeiro.
– 200 RON (50 EUR)/ capital
(1 local cooking récipe,
1 post card sent to the buyer’s home address,
photos from the capital you bought,
1 personalized letter in which I tell you my feelings and other cool stuff my brain will refuse to forget from/about the capital you bought, old style, hand written, relax I’m not a doctor, in an envelope with a stamp with the destination: your home address).
Ex: Lima.
– 400 RON (100 EUR)/country
(2 specific cooking récipes,
1 post card sent to the buyer’s home address,
photos from the capital you bought,
1 personalized letter in which I tell you my feelings and other cool stuff my brain will refuse to forget from/about the country you bought, old style, hand written, relax I’m not a doctor :), in an envelope with a stamp with the destination: your home address).
Ex: Costa Rica.
ITINERARY:
- Mexico 400 RON
CIUDAD DE MEXICO 200 RON
Teotihuacan (archaeological site) 50 RON
Tepoztlan (archaeological site) 50 RON
Puebla 100 RON
Orizaba 50 RON
Cordoba 50 RON
Veracruz 100 RON
Coatzacoalcos 50 RON
Paraiso 50 RON (SOLD)
Villahermosa 50 RON
Palenque (archaeological site) 50 RON
Frontera 50 RON
Ciudad del Carmen 50 RON
Campeche 50 RON
Uxmal (archaeological site) 50 ON
Merida 100 RON
Chichen-Itza (archaeological site) 50 RON
Cancun 100 RON
Tulum 50 RON
Chetumal 50 RON
- Belize 400 RON
Corozal 50 RON
Orange Walk 50 RON
Belize City 100 RON
BELMOPAN 200 RON
San Ignacio 50 RON
- Guatemala 400 RON
Tikal (archaeological site) 50 RON
Flores 50 RON RON
Santa Ana 50 RON RON
Dolores 50 RON
Poptun 50 RON
San Luis 50 RON
Morales 50 RON
Quirigua (archaeological site) 50 RON
Los Amantes 50 RON (SOLD)
Gualan 50 RON
San Agustin 50 RON
Guastatoya 50 RON
Chinautla 50 RON
GUATEMALA CITY 200 RON
Villa Nueva 50 RON
Escuintla 50 RON
Chiquimulilla 50 RON
- El Salvador 400 RON
Santa Ana 50 RON
Ciudad Arce 50 RON
Mejicanos 50 RON
SAN SALVADOR 200 RON
Usulutan 50 RON
San Rafael 50 RON
San Miquel 50 RON
Santa Rosa de Lima 50 RON
- Honduras 400 RON
Nacaome 50 RON
Sabanagrande 50 RON
Santa Ana 50 RON
El Tizatillo 50 RON
TEGUCIGALPA 200 RON
Ciudad Choluteca 50 RON
- Nicaragua 400 RON
Somotillo 50 RON
Chinadenga 50 RON
Leon 50 RON
Ciudad Sandino 50 RON
MANAGUA 200 RON
Masaya 50 RON
Granada 50 RON
Nandine 50 RON
Belen 50 RON
Rivas 50 RON
- Costa Rica 400 RON
La Cruz 50 RON (SOLD)
Liberia 50 RON
SAN JOSE 200 RON
Copey 50 RON
San Isidro 50 RON
Mercedes 50 RON
Buenos Aires 50 RON
Ciudad Cortes 50 RON
San Vito 50 RON
Corredor 50 RON
- Panama 400 RON
Aserrio de Gariche 50 RON
David 100 RON
San Felix 50 RON
Viejo 50 RON
La Mesa 50 RON
Santiago 50 RON
Penonome 50 RON
La Chorrera 50 RON
Arraijon 50 RON
PANAMA (Pacific) 200 RON
Colon (Atlantic) 100 RON
Tocumen 50 RON
Ipeti 50 RON
Santa Fe 50 RON
Yaviza 50 RON
- Colombia 400 RON
Acandi 50 RON
Turbo 50 RON
Monteria 50 RON
Sincelejo 50 RON
Cartagena 100 RON (SOLD)
Barranquilla 100 RON (native city Shakira)
Cienaga 50 RON
Aracataca 50 RON (native village Gabriel Garcia Marquez) (SOLD)
Santa Marta 50 RON
Riohacha 50 RON
Maicao 100 RON
- Venezuela 400 RON (SOLD)
Maracaibo 100 (SOLD)
Colombia:
Maicao
Valledupar 50 RON
Agustin Codazzi 50 RON
Curumani 50 RON
Aguachica 50 RON
Bucaramanga 50 RON
Barbossa 50 RON
Zipaquira 50 RON
BOGOTA 200 RON
Girardot 50 RON
Ibague 50 RON
Armenia 50 RON
Tulua 50 RON
Buga 50 RON
Palmira 50 RON
Cali 100 RON
Popayan 50 RON
Pasto 50 RON
- Ecuador 400 RON
Ibarra 50 RON
QUITO 200 RON (at the North of the city is the Equator line)
Latacunga 50 RON
Ambato 50 RON
Riobamba 50 RON
Guayaquil 100 RON
Machala 50 RON
- Peru 400 RON
Tumbes 50 RON
Talara 50 RON
Sullana 50 RON
Piura 50 RON
Chiclayo 50 RON
Trujillo 50 RON
Chimbote 50 RON
Huacho 50 RON
Callao 100 RON
LIMA 200 RON (native city Isabel Allende) (SOLD)
Pisco 50 RON
Ica 50 RON (SOLD)
Nazca 50 RON (archaeological site) (SOLD)
Abancay 50 RON
Cusco (archaeological site) 100 RON
Macchu Picchu ( archaeological site) 50 RON (SOLD)
Juliaca 50 RON
Arequipa 100 RON (native city Mario Vargas Llosa) (SOLD
Puno 50 RON (SOLD)
- Bolivia 400 RON
LA PAZ 200 RON
Patacamaya 50 RON
Oruro 100 RON
Sucre 100 RON
Camiri 50 RON
La Rosa 50 RON
- Paraguay 400 RON
Fortin Coronel Eugenia Garay 50 RON
Estancia El Pampero 50 RON
Estancia El Dorado 50 RON
Teniente Ochoa 50 RON
Mariscal Estigarriba 50 RON
Filadelfia 50 RON
Mision Yalve Sanga 50 RON
Estancia Santa Maria 50 RON
Pozo Colorado 100 RON
ASUNCION 200 RON
Capiata 50 RON
Caaguazu 50 RON
Ciudad del Este 50 RON
- Brasil 400 RON (SOLD)
Foz de Iguaçu 100 RON (SOLD)
Cascavel 50 RON
Guarapuara 50 RON
Curitiba 100 RON
Paranagua 50 RON
Peruibe 50 RON
Santos 50 RON
Sao Paolo 100 RON
Guarulhos 50 RON
Sao Jose dos Campos 50 RON
Resende 50 RON
Nova Iguaçu 100 RON
Rio de Janeiro 100 RON
Florianopolis 50 RON
Criciuma 50 RON
Porto Alegre 100 RON
Rio Grande 50 RON
Chuy 50 RON
- Uruguay 400 RON
Dieciocho de Julio 50 RON
Castillos 50 RON
Rocha 50 RON
Maldonado 100 RON
Pan de Azucar 50 RON (SOLD)
MONTEVIDEO 200 RON
- Argentina 400 RON (SOLD)
BUENOS AIRES 200 RON (SOLD)
Quilmes 50 RON
La Plata 100 RON (SOLD)
Rosario 100 RON (native city Che Guevara)
Santa Fe 50 RON
San Francisco 50 RON
Cordoba 100 RON
Rio Cuarto 50 RON
Villa Mercedes 50 RON
San Luis 100 RON
Mendoza 100 RON
- Chile 400 RON
Los Andes 50 RON
SANTIAGO DE CHILE 200 RON
Valparaiso (priceless, but SOLD)
If you have any village/town/city to add to the itinerary above which won’t drift me very much from the road I have in mind, be my guest! I will analyze it and I will give you an answer.
For information, shopping and ideas for the name of my bicycle (unborn yet) you can contact me:
Mobile phone: +40 741 21 60 69
e-mail: cristianharbuz@yahoo.es