Brits on Bromptons: Pedaling Ethically Across theAmericas.

Welcome to the second episode of season 6 of the Ciclismo Obscuro Podcast: S6.R02 Brits on Bromptons.

Meet Joanne, Tim, Sam, and Ben — a British family on Brompton bikes, pedaling their way across the American continent from south to north. Their journey isn’t just about distance; it’s about doing it ethically and sustainably: Una noche más.

In this episode, we dive into their story, values, challenges, and the joy of discovering the world slowly, together, and with purpose.

You can follow their journey at:
britsonbromptons.uk
https://www.instagram.com/joanne.bowlt/

🚲🌎💚 Get ready for inspiration on two small wheels with a big mission.

Many thanks to https://www.instagram.com/dfccmx/ and https://www.instagram.com/ese.cafe/
Our social networks:
https://www.instagram.com/ciclismoobscuro/
https://www.instagram.com/brompton.duo/

[Music] Hey, welcome back to Cismuro podcast. My name actually it’s not my name is my my nickname. And today’s episode is a very special one. I am joined by by an incredible family that we met here at at Mexico City. They are doing an amazing adventure. They are traveling the entire continent from north from south to north. They are they are from from the UK. So let me do a quick stop. Thanks to Mario and all the people from the street of club deismo our home and h for let you know the street of fico club deismo was the first ever cycling cafe in Mexico City. So everything else you see on the city, it’s a copy of Cismos of the the street of sorry. So it was it if you are visiting the city, this a stop, this stop is a must. They have the brand new coffee as a cafe. They are also roasting their own coffee. They have this beautiful uh bicycle shop here. They have their their workshop a few blocks on the same on the same street. So, thank you very much to to the club and cafe to let be here with this amazing family. So, let’s do a quick introduction but of yourselves obviously, but let’s do it in a kind of different way. So please say your names and if you remember or if you can describe which were which was your very first bicycle and what do you love about cycling? Who’s starting first? Y okay please. So, my name is Tim and uh the first bike uh that was my own was a a racing bike, a rally record and um No, no, no, not the record. Rally arena. Okay. Was a blue one. And um uh yeah, I tried to go as fast as I possibly can. And um uh what was the second part of your question? What do you love about cycling? What do I love about cycling? I think it’s the freedom. So, um, when you arrive somewhere in a city and and take a bike and and just go and the freedom that you have with a bike is is incredible. Perfect. Thank you very much, Tim. Okay. Uh, so my first Your name, please. Oh, my name. I’m Sam or Samuel Espanol. Uh, my first bike, what was it? I’m not sure. It was a long time ago. While you’re thinking to say that not only is this a lovely venue with wonderful bike things, they do fantastic chai. Okay, thank you very much. Thank you for the thank you for the for the barista and the drinks that you are preparing today for us. Thank you. Balance bike. It was a balance bike. Wow. I definitely knew that. All on my own. Um I don’t really remember it. So there there were no pedals. No pedals. Oh, so you were like running along with it, right? Um I remember cycling along around where we lived, being pushed along mainly. So yeah, that was my first bike. I was around seven, I think. Never about cycling. Smaller. Oh, what do I love about cycling? It’s fun. You can go really fast or really slow if if you want to, but yeah, freedom basically. Enjoy. It’s fun. Yeah. Great. Thank you very much. So, I’m Joe, but actually that doesn’t translate well into Spanish. So, I here in in in South Central, and now Mexico, I say you now. That’s how it’s spelled. Um, my first bike was a shopper. It was called a shopper. I think it had a little little basket on the front and now at home I still have a bike which has a basket on the front but it’s a lot bigger. Um as well as my Brmpton bike of course. Um I I like cycling because like Tim said I I feel free when I go on a bike. I can cover much bigger distances but also I don’t have to worry about parking the car or anything like this. I just go where I want. I stop and I’m there. It’s great. Yes. That’s terrific. Thank you very much. Yo, hello. Um, I’m Ben and I think my first bike after the balance bike, which is the same one that Sam said about we shared. I think my first bike that was really my own was probably I had a Thomas the Tank Engine bike um with a basket on the front and Yeah. And I think I think that was my first bike which was great. I remember. Yeah. Um Yeah. And the thing I like most about uh cycling, it’s probably I think it’s it’s largely been said to be honest. Um but kind of all of what they said, the freedom and it’s more fun. It’s more sociable than driving or rather than being in your own metal box, you have more it’s more of a social experience and yeah, I think yeah, it’s social and um and it’s active and it’s fun. Great. Thank you very much. I like to ask these questions to to our guest because sometimes h we forget about how we started on cycling, right? And when we look back on our memories and said, “Wow, that started so long ago.” So, and I’m still riding my bicycle and as long as I can ride it, I will do it. Yeah. Once you you use your bicycle and it is part of your lifestyle, it’s it it is amazing. No. And uh let’s back to the to the beginning of your of your adventure. What inspired you to to start this journey? I know I have been reading your your blog. I have been reading some of your background as a as a couple and also as a as a family. And I know that you have an adventure spirit on your on your mind, on your on your skin, on everything. So you have been always been into great adventures. But let’s talk about this one specifically specifically. So what inspired you this adventures when this idea first come pop and you start and decide to do it and start planning it? So I think it’s developed. It has developed over time, but like you say, I’ve always wanted I I have this idea to do adventures and with Benjamin and Sam and sometimes Tim, we’ve often done mini adventures. So, we take our bikes and we might go camping in France or we would go stay at a hostel, but we’d go biking different routes in the UK. uh maybe also in Sweden, Copenhagen, lots of lots more small places but never a long distance because we made a commitment not to fly because of our concerns for the environment. So then the reason this journey developed after all those ideas was because I wanted to do a big journey with Benjamin and Sam. Well, we have a lot of friends in United States of America and also in Mexico, okay, Mexico City. That’s very hard to do without flying. And we did try. We tried. We thought maybe we could take a we could go on a ship across the Atlantic. But sadly, it’s not possible. So then we thought if we’re going to fly, well, we have to make it worthwhile and we’ll see our friends there. But I’ve always wanted to go to Patagonia and to South America and Central America and Mexico. The only way to do that is one big journey. So then we thought about how we do this and we thought we’d bring our backpacks. But you know that we said about the freedom of biking. Yeah. And when we left our home, we let our house out. We left our bikes behind and suddenly it felt a bit restricted. We didn’t have the freedom we do with our bikes. So we thought, okay, well, we have Brmpton bikes. Maybe we could just take them traveling with us. So that’s what we decided to do. We thought, well, okay, we’ll tell you what, we’ll go from the south of America cuz we want to see these places and we have time. And then we’ll go see our friends in Mexico and United States. But it’s a very long way. Uh, so that’s what we chose to do. And then we bought bikes secondhand for Benjamin and Sam. And here we are. It works some well most of the time people when think about bicycle adventures think of huge wheels a lot of bicycles with uh with racks with b it’s not basket it’s for carrying a lot of luggage on the on the bicycle but uh we have done some kind of bike packing with our Brmpton and it’s completely different right the the I I think that the Or I believe that the freedom increases as you can pop on the train with your bicycle and you sit on the train your bicycle here and you enjoy a good hot coffee while also still moving forward in your journey. So we knew that there was not it was not possible unless we have maybe 3 years you know to do that whole journey by bike you need a good 3 years we don’t have three years we had less than one year so the only way to do this was with sustainable transport and that’s got to be a combination okay of public transport but the biking gives us that freedom to join up the public transport and also be able to bike and meet people and travel in a different more fun way so it’s I I I have another question. Why did you decide decided to start from south? My mindset is from north to south always. Yeah. Okay. So, a lot of people do do that. You’re right. Many many people go north to south. Um because I felt this way we were following the seasons. Okay. Because we started. So I knew we started in we were starting in October. Actually we started in November and it was still it was still quite nice weather and not too hot and not too cold. And then we were coming north and I knew if we went quickly enough we wouldn’t we would miss the rainy season and it would not be too hot and then we would get to North America in the spring early summer not too hot and that would work. Whereas the other way around, I thought the weather would not be quite so good. And so far, it’s been okay. Wow, that was very very clever. I I was It was a bit a lot of this journey is luck. No, sometimes I was I was planning it. It was an idea. I I I found some cheap flights from Montter to to Korea. It was very very cheap. And I say, “Let’s go.” And my girlfriend said, “Have you seen the weather minus I don’t know minus everything everything minus something we will try to avoid because we are not used to ride on those on that weather. But let’s continue with the with all of of your of your journey. And for the record, you already mentioned that you started you started this this journey back in November of 2024. We are in mid May. Yes. You have been to amazing places places. You are currently at at Mexico City and you’re almost done. I I I will think so. You are almost done. It feels like Mexico City was a big step for us. Okay. So, well, there’s still a very long way to go and we really need more time. I think we do keep saying this, but uh Sam and I have to go back for school and they have to go back for work and so arguably we really need two years, but we only have one and that’s how it is. So, we have to we need to go quickly now. Um, but it’s been really nice spending some time here in Mexico City and yeah, so we’re not finished yet. We not finished yet. Thank you very much. So uh you describe this journey um in an in an ethical in an ethical and sustainability way. H how can you go a little bit deep on that or how can you describe like doing this journey in an ethical way? So there are lots of different layers to that and and the the first point that um Joe mentioned is is the fact that we um although we did take a flight uh to the Falkland Islands, um it was one flight and then we’re traveling by by bus uh and biking and um boats and and um uh in the States we hope to travel by train as well. So that’s that’s one of the the starting points really is how we travel. Um, not to ruin it, but we do have one more flight coming at the end of the trip to get back to England from America. Except not dad. Not dad because he’s very determined to be eco, but we need to get back to school like I think in terms of on a deeper level with the ethical thing, our way of life at home, it’s kind of it’s a way of our way of living. It’s part of our of our life of being sustainable and trying to minimize our impact. And so we kind of always wanted well it was always a bit of a plan to kind of do a big trip like this. And it just felt imperative that it had to be uh in line with our values um environmentally. And so that’s how it’s played out. And I feel I don’t think I could imagine us doing it any differently environmentally. and the bikes and the Brmptons have have clicked into that into that way of doing things as well. So yeah, um and so I but on a on another level, it’s it’s where do we stay and what do we do? And um so typically we don’t stay in five-star hotels, we don’t stay in in resorts, we uh we try and find and and this is Joe’s planning skills are amazing. So, um she manages to find some incredible places for us to visit that very often are small and local and um uh maybe exploring interesting ways of looking at sustainable tourism. Um, so we didn’t go to Machu Picchu um, uh, in Peru, but we although in some ways that was uh, something that we missed out on, but at the same time we know that there’s so many tourists, it’s a real problem in some places where there are too many tourists. So, we’re always exploring different options and maybe there’s an alternative that isn’t so busy that we can help a little bit with our um uh present and it um but it’s not such a popular route. Okay, that part I I have a fun quote with my girlfriend. We call those places that are full of tourists and we try to avoid those places that are with aunts and uncles on those places. We try to avoid them. So true. Yes, please. done. I really think that um I I’ve leed a lot actually on this journey particularly about and met a lot of people doing amazing things in sustainable tourism and I I genuinely believe that I know at the moment a lot of places like that are concerned that tourism is bad. There are too many people going to some places. Firstly, it’s not so much fun for us going there. Mhm. But also I I really think tourism can be a positive force for good. If if tourism develops in the right way, it can help local communities and it’s more interesting for us as visitors to go to stay with indigenous peoples or maybe support like recently um we stayed in Nicaragua. We stayed in a very very small community in a little hostel. It was very simple and we did some work with the man who was who was running a sanctuary for turtles and you know that was it felt like we were really trying to help him do something very positive. It was also rewarding and it felt good for us. So I think we can do good things. There’s a lot about sustainable and ethical travel. It’s quite a big topic but for us it’s really important. Yes. as it it is part of your day-to-day activities you carry with you and you why do you have to change your lifestyle while you are traveling it’s definitely uncongr yes in congruous absolutely and you know also the Brmpton bit fits that because not everybody can cycle a great long distance yes but but actually what to me is important about transport is that it all fits together and we need to be able to use public transport sport uh and also be able to have the fun of using bikes. That’s perfect. A perfect. Yes. So is can you share a moment while your values were challenged or reinforced within this uh adventure? Oh yeah. So, uh, our parents have, well, my parents have very strong opinions on Coca-Cola, okay, and Nestle and all the other big not so great brands. Um, annoyingly, lots of everything in South America and Central is owned by those companies, especially Coca-Cola. So, um, in some areas all of the water was not drinkable, so we had to buy bottled water and almost all of it was owned by Coke. So, that was rather annoying, but we just had to do it. You know, one of those things you have to do. Wow, that’s interesting. And I know that you are vegetarians and also h going to these uh new places where maybe the language will be a a challenge and you try to eat avoiding animals. It has been an issue for you or you always find a way to I think now it’s increasingly easier. I’d suggest in Mexico City it’s more it’s more normal being vegetarian and I think the main I remember it seems like a long time ago now but I remember in Patagonia and in southern Argentina and Chile it was it was more of a challenge and I think because a lot of local people didn’t really know what being vegetarian was and they would say so you can’t have meat but is chicken okay and it was like no but so it was a bit of a challenge but I think and I think It’s it’s got better and we’ve had to learn to be a bit more flexible I think in food in general. Um eating different things like platano and which at home aren’t aren’t a thing. So um I think it’s been fun and we’ve learned to be more flexible about food as well. Great. So yeah, I found it was quite interesting learning about other how other people eat as well. So for example in we were in a rural libraries project in um is that Peru Kakamaka? market and um we talked to them about not eating meat cuz we shared a meal and and they said but that’s how do you eat and it was quite an interesting discussion for them they said but um I know they eat guinea pig for example but in England you know a guinea pig is a pet it’s very difficult for us I I wouldn’t want to eat guinea pig I don’t really eat meat but so they they really struggle to understand because for them that was so normal but they would say but it’s very good for you why do you not eat that? So, we didn’t want to offend, but we it was good to have a positive discussion about that and we didn’t offend. We worked together and we shared meals and it was good. But, yeah, it’s a way of learning. Food is a really interesting way of learning about different people and different cultures. So, I I can I imagine that you have passed through some tropical places where they have some fruits. I think so. That are not available in the UK where you’re from. Have you tried something new? That taste that you it blown your mind. Yeah. So, which was especially I would say in the Amazon, we could just go to a tree when we were walking through and pick fruit and it was completely different to anything we’d ever tasted. And all of these things just aren’t accessible in England or in the UK because it’s a completely different climate. It’s wet and cold and tropical fruits don’t really grow in that conditions. So yeah, it’s really cool. And lots of other fruits, not in the Amazon like Oh, dragons. Dragon fruits. Yeah. And especially the coconuts. We can’t have green coconuts or yellow coconuts. Okay. In England, we have to have brown brown coconut. It’s dry or brown coconuts which are much less nice. Yeah, you don’t get it’s just much less nice. But so sorry, sorry to interrupt you. Do you remember yesterday that we went riding along that railroad? I didn’t knew the the the this story about the coconuts, but we passed some street vendor. He was at his bicycle selling a huge coconut and with a kind of axe. They Yes. Oh yes. We missed that. Yeah. I think also about the fruit, it was worth mentioning this kind of applies to mom and I largely, but we we’ve been experiencing the markets here. Well, in largely in Central and nor and northern South America, there are so many of these markets like fruit and veg and everything markets. They sell everything. But um those are non-existent in the UK. And so it was such a kind of a shock, but a positive shock. And we really enjoyed being able to explore and all the fruits were so different and colorful and and it was a much more fun shopping experience. and we could uh try all the different fruits and make a smoothie when we got back or it was just a much more it’s a much more fun way of enjoying fruit. I think at home it’s it’s going to seem quite boring I think. No, it’s not a supermarket. Um Yeah, that was it. Yeah. Yes. And maybe the the producers are the one that was selling their their own fruits. Yes. And that’s it. Actually, yours about the coconut was probably the best because they went up to the trees to get them, right? Yeah. Ram. Very fresh. Yeah. We stayed. We spend this time with the guy and he would just say, “I want to show you yellow coconut.” Now, I tried green coconut. I love fresh coconut. But he said, “Ah, but yellow’s different. I’ll climb this tree and get it for you.” So, he just climbed up the tree and he knocked them down and cut them up. And, you know, that was You can’t get fresher than that. And have you found some fruit on the road that you were riding and all this? We’ve seen fresh fruit stalls. There was actually when riding we were in a we had a lift in a car once in um in Nazca. Nazca. Yeah. In Peru. And they have these big bean pods which we’ve never tried before. They’re amazing. Yeah. They’re like these long green pods. I don’t actually know the name in Spanish or English, but they’re they’re like a big pod. Beans. It’s like big bean pod and you kind of suck the stones. But I couldn’t really honestly look at them and think how do I eat that? Yeah. It was the funniest thing, but that was cool. They’re very nice. So, and the life while you are road tripping or or bike pack? No, it’s road tripping with your bicycle or by packing. Do you have specific roles as a family and also as a team also? You are teammates. You are family. Oh, I think that you have roles. Yes, they they have evolved a little bit. Um, I mean, we all have different strengths and abilities. I I mentioned Joanne’s amazing planning skills and although maybe she would like other members of the family to do a bit more, but she’s very good at uh reading a lot and researching and coming up with a plan for the different things that we might do. Uh uh I tend to focus a bit more on the bicycles uh maintenance and and security. Um and Ben and Sam are very good at at at practicing their Spanish. Um uh so yeah, we we um what else have we got? Sam is our cafe expert. Wow. And navigation. So when we get to a new place, we say, “Okay, Sam, where are we going to eat?” So he perfect. Ben’s very good on markets and food shopping and also buying tickets for train well buses particularly. So he’s really our bus expert and all of this is kind of developing I suppose but yeah we kind of fallen into our own roles and but we also all get involved with the blog. So we all do photography, we do filming and writing and then we all but Benjamin manages our blog but then we all contribute. Okay. So that’s a team effort. I want to make a post here. Joe, you have an amazing blog when you are documenting all your adventure. We will add that blog on the description and also we will sharing on our social media so everybody can take an eye on what you are doing, where are you currently, what are you doing and I found that it’s a platform for for travelers. Yes, it’s really good. Benjamin knows it. It is amazing. Yes. So, it’s called uh uh Polar Steps. Polar Steps is the platform and it’s I think I believe it’s a Dutch company and you can and you can you can have your blog on there and you can add steps and it tracks on your phone and so you can follow where people go and you can write and add photos. So, it works really well. I have to apologize. It’s a little behind currently. We need to You’re still at Colia, right? But the the the the actual location, the actual tracker is is you can still see where we are and we are catching up. So hopefully soon um hopefully soon it will be there. But yeah, so our blog is called Brits on Brmptons.uk is the link and so if you search that you it will take you straight to it and um yeah hopefully it’ll be caught up by the time our our listeners dimming things instead of recording. Yes. Yes. you you are most more focused on the adventure, but you will need to to arrange some times on your schedule just to do a quick updates. That’s what we have to do. Otherwise, we get messages from people saying, “Um, what are you doing? Are you okay?” Wow, that’s perfect. And just to to have all the the family involved not not only on the journey but being part of this h process of this process the challenge the decision making process where we’re going to eat which bus we’re going to take in. Oh that that that is that is amazing. It’s got to be a team effort. Yes. Absolutely. Thanks. Sam’s also we discovered very good at doing wheels. So when it comes to our reels of photos, I just look to Sam. Perfect. You know, all these things develop and we’re also all learning as we go, you know. So I think that’s really important. You can always keep learning. Wow. I I I think that probably most people of of your age, teenagers will be very jealous jealous about what you currently doing. Most of the teenagers are stuck on their phones are playing video games. H but you are living the world right on your bicycles. What could be perfect? Yeah. Well, I think I think it’s a challenge in a different way. I mean often I think it’s easy to kind of think that maybe we’re kind of having a holiday and and at school it’s really but I mean there are there a different I think it’s just a different challenge. So we have to work out buses and also cope in a very different environment. So, it’s kind of although I’m not saying it’s the same challenge as exams or I mean I I think I I’d rather do this to be honest, I still I think it’s a very different it’s we aren’t just holidaying. It’s it’s it’s travel versus holiday. So, it’s it’s a challenge in a different way. Yeah. Yeah. And also, it’s cool to meet friends as well. You know, making new friends and we’re seeing old friends but in a very different environment to how we knew them before. So, that’s that’s quite Yes. That that is perfect. Um stories from the road. Do you have any um any We talk about the food. We talk about a few challenges. Let’s talk about places that have blown blown your mind as well or the opposite that uh well you told us that you avoid those very touid tourist places but what about the those the fun are they not fun? Sure. Uh I think a good example of that was uh in Valareerezo in uh in Chile. Great. And um we were uh we were traveling from the from the city of Valparezo to Laguna Verde and we were going to do a woofing project uh to go and and work with some people for a week or so. And uh we thought we could we could cycle there and so we started cycling in Valpreso is very hilly so it was quite challenging to go to go up the hill and then we got to a place where we were a bit worried about the security and some local people said to us this is really dangerous. You’re going near the prison. It’s not a good uh environment for you to be cycling. So then we had a discussion about maybe going in a in a a pickup truck and and so we did uh put the bikes in a pickup truck and and we drove for a for a short distance. And then we were going downhill to to the the beach and it was a fast road with lots of trucks, but we were all whizzing down the hill and and there was this amazing view looking out over the sea. And then suddenly Benjamin had a puncture on this fast road and so we had to take the bikes over the barrier and there was there was no there was no pavement. Um and it was quite stressful. Uh and then suddenly uh another a pickup truck stopped. This woman saw a situation. Oh yeah. You were thumbming a lift. Okay. And uh so we we we threw the the the the bikes really quickly into the back. Uh Sam, you and I were in the uh in the back of the the pickup truck with the bikes and she just very quickly left cuz it was a was a dangerous spot of the road. So uh that was a great act of kindness that she this woman stopped and and helped us. And so we we had changed so quickly from this amazing view as we were speeding down the hill. Suddenly we have a puncture and a problem and then this act of kindness. So there’s so many different things happening in a short space of time. Wow. Wow. That’s amazing. I Why do you say that it was a dangerous place that part? So well the so the road was dangerous because it was it was a fast road. there’s no pavement but also in the in parts of the city of Valparezo they suggested that um particularly visitors tourists uh shouldn’t be there because the security concerns okay um and the local people were were worried for our safety so they said we shouldn’t we shouldn’t continue cycling there um okay so a lot of mixed feelings right at yeah at that moment but a good outcome so in the end this woman that that rescued us she she took us down to the to the um uh the small town and uh we had some snacks and then the the people that we were going to be staying with came and collected us. So it was good. Wow. So that was on your way to Laguna Verde in from Valparez. See? Well, I never been there. Stay. Yeah, it it was for a um a willing workers on organic farms project we were doing. Well, it was it we were going to go and stay with uh family uh for a few days for about a week it was, wasn’t it? And so it was really great and it was just quite the adventure getting there in the end. Um but yeah, but in the end I think I think you were asking about places but actually we have seen some fascinating amazing places. It’s really hard to decide what what would be our favorite. That’s so difficult. But I for me um this this was actually an example of how it’s a lot of our um places we’ve enjoyed have almost been more because of the people we’ve met in those places. Yes. Actually than the place themselves which is sounds slightly not what you necessarily expect. I think if you’re going on a holiday for 2 weeks maybe you just see amazing things. But for us, because we’re on the road for a long time, it’s the people and the kindness that people show us and the friendliness and the connections we make with people that for that stand out in our memory of being great places. Yes. And that’s unalable. Valuable. Yes. Totally. I think the amazing people that we meet on the on the road where you stay, where you eat. Absolutely. Actually, it’s worth mentioning in terms of uh meeting people, our Brmptons have also been a significant part of that. Like all the Brmpton clubs, I have to say thank you to Dan for doing this because he’s been he’s been very good on Facebook at finding the clubs. But here in Mexico City, it’s been great. Thanks to you and everyone else. And in Lima, there were some really lovely people. Um so, thank you to them. And in Bogatar, so it’s been a really great connection we’ve had with the Brmptons. Um and I think it’s really enhanced our experience. Do can you imagine that there will be this uh communities or Brmpton specific groups or people on this side of the planet? Well, we did because sorry because that bicycle is not very it’s not popular. Let’s say it’s not. No. So, actually when you see one it’s like wow that’s really shocked. The first I think we saw was maybe Santiago in Chile and we didn’t think Califhate. Oh, Califhate. Yes. Oh, that’s we saw a Brmpton and uh it was a black Brmpton and it looked a bit like Sam’s and and we didn’t have our bikes at the time. We’d been we’d been out for the day to see a Glacia and we suddenly thought, “Is that Sam’s bike? Has somebody stolen his bike?” So, we went chasing after the bike and it wasn’t Sam’s bike. It was fine. But, um it was great to meet somebody with a with a Brmpton. Great. Now that we are talking about Brumton and you have a flat, have you been challenged by some erh mechanical issues with your Brumton? It has some um parts that are Brmpton specific. Have you challenged that? So, we um before we left the UK, we I went to the our local Brmpton bike shop, and they were really helpful to choose and to recommend some parts to bring that were Exactly. very specifically Brmpton that we couldn’t get from a regular bike shop. So, uh some cables, some spokes, some brake blocks, um uh a clamp, uh the rear derailia, things like that that that would be very difficult to to find. That little chain that go through the hub for the internal gearing. No, we don’t have one of those actually. No, perhaps we should do it. Yeah, let But the We’ve had a few problems. Um, but nothing Yeah, that is part of the of the of the Yeah. Yeah. But also part of that is is learning because although I do some bike maintenance at home, this is kind of very specifically Brmpton now. And um some issues that I’ve not encountered before. So Ben was a problem with Ben’s bike in that he was getting repeated punctures in the back wheel on the inside of the tire and the rim tape I think was just old and it was getting brittle. So the So the rim tape was puncturing. Exactly. And it was driving me nuts because I was mending punctures and and they would come again. Wow. Let’s get back go back about uh sustainability. I that that is a topic that I very passionate about and what what have you learned yourself or yourselves on this journey? Um I think for me I’ve learned a bit more about I tourism as and travel wasn’t something I thought about particularly from a sustainable point of view and it was only when we were thinking about this journey I started to connect with people around the world who are actually trying to work to make tourism positive have a positive impact and and that’s that was really good to know that so many people really are trying to do some really good projects. Um the first person we met was um a lovely guy called Marco who in in Santiago in Chile and before we left the UK he invited us to go meet with him and that was lovely to have the connection straight away and he’s working with so many people across the world including even Vancouver Island he has people there who are trying to do the similar kind of work. Um, so being able to connect some of those things and maybe maybe help some of the other people we’ve met who are doing things like trying to save turtles on a beach in Nicaragua on their own with no support. Trying to maybe link those things together is really would be amazing to be able to do. Um, cuz there’s only so much we can do. You know, I’m trying to do more. We try not to use the plastic bottles for example, but then you see so many plastic bottles on the beach and he’s trying to save turtles and it’s trying to put those things together is kind of important and I don’t have all the answers. Mhm. But I hope that by connecting more people we’ll be able to have more positive impact. What do you say? I think one thing so I’ll be quick. One thing, one thing I think it’s easy for us, at least in my it’s easy for us to think that maybe cuz we try very hard for uh for the environment and trying to uh have a positive impact and it’s easy to kind of think that everybody should be doing that and everybody should be doing what we’re doing and not having a car or not. And I think we from this journey I think it’s I’ve more it’s more understanding there are so many people doing amazing things and it doesn’t you don’t necessarily have to be doing all the same things that like you don’t have to be vegetarian you don’t have to be but everyone’s doing their little bit and it can be lots of different ways and lots of different things but I think we’ve learned to be more flexible and understanding and I think everyone’s in different situations and not everybody can afford to to uh uh to to be vegetarian or to there are lots of different there are lots of different ways people are doing things I think we’ve have to accept that and we’ve learned yeah I think that’s yeah you you can have some different approaches let’s say that somebody uh it’s okay I respect your your meal index whatever you want to do but you could also focus on reduce your footprint for the planet and do more things that are environmental friendly and that means the way of you move through the city, the way you transport and it this is a question for you guys and I’m going to tell you just a quick quick story. I don’t I I’m not telling which city but once arrived to that we arrived to we fly by plane once we were we were with our backpack. Okay, let’s go to the subway. And I ask a guy in the in the airport, excuse me for taking the subway or the bus to downtown. Really? No. Call an Uber. No, no, no. But there is a bus stop and they say that it was frustrating to me because I like to to use the public transport, move like local as soon as I can do it. It was frustrating to me. It has something similar. Well, not similar, but something during this uh journey has been frustrated to you or makes you angry kind something should go first. I would say actually that I totally understand that transport thing because sometimes we think we have this idea that no, we’re just going to cycle and people saying you can’t do that, you need to get in a car. So, I totally understand that. Yes. Um I’m I found what I found really difficult to to well I because I don’t have a solution I think and um is even in this community we visited we’ve been to some communities are so poor and in being sustainable for them is just so way off for a lot of them they can’t even think about it they just need to find their meal for the next day but then we meet individuals who are trying and doing so much on their And there but then next to the next to the community or right through the community you just see rubbish and so much rubbish so much plastic from these huge companies. It’s I find that really difficult because we don’t have a solution for that. Okay. Try really hard to do the right thing but how do we fix that? find that really hard. And uh one of the uh other frustrations that we’ve had is is the fact that um so far that we’ve almost it’s almost been impossible to have access to any trains and there are train lines in in uh in the places we’ve been to. But since co a lot of them have closed down certainly for passengers and and uh we love traveling on on trains and it’s been disappointing that we’ve not had that option. Just more about your point about the Uber versus public transport. I think about that I think what we’ve learned is that I mean well our Brmptons have been a big part of this but I think traveling on the local metro or or on the chicken buses or in the micros in Laaz and Bolivia. I think it’s such a part of the experience for us that I think we’d really miss out on if we just went in an Uber to our to our Panama. When we first of everything was Uber. Yeah. And it was difficult to plan a bike like one block away. We then realized there’s a metro and we could actually go with our Brmptons on the metro. It was a little bit challenging some of it because not everybody was used to having bikes but they were allowed bikes. So sometimes we had to say I want to speak to a manager because now I need to go through this barrier. It wasn’t always easy, but but I think we real once we learned sometimes we found that we get to a city or a new place. It takes a day or so just to learn how things work, where the metros are, where is the whatever the local transport is. And the first point that people say is, “Oh, you get an Uber.” So then we do that then think actually we didn’t need to do that. Well, we don’t actually. In Panama, we used Uber a couple of times, but otherwise we’ve only used it twice, I believe. And and I think that’s just like what we say, I think it’s such a part of the experience going on the local public transport and I think our Brmptons enable that largely. So rather than going in a hotel and then the bus station is half an hour away and we’d have to get an Uber or somehow get there and having our bikes enables us to do that in a much better way. And so yeah, it’s been really great that as an option and and something that I I I I I think about this huge journey you are taking. I can figure out that not let’s say that what’s going on the following week or the following uh month. It’s it’s kind of planning but adjusting to the of how the the things are going on. Did you change your plans constantly? Okay. So, um on a good day, I think um we’re traveling by serendipity. I don’t know if you know that word, but serendipity, you know. So, if something works, it works because it’s meant to be. Okay. And if you plan everything too much, you miss those opportunities to just take an opportunity because it presents itself to you. Um, that’s my excuse. So sometimes not having everything planned very well. Um, and also because we have to adapt. So I’m always always thinking what am I doing? What are we doing tomorrow? And then what are we doing to get to the next place? And then how long will it take us to get to Vancouver Island for example? And then when are we going home? and they have these thoughts all the time but the immediate then it’s what do we eat tonight so I but can’t plan everything I have a sort of an I have an idea about what to do and then if somebody says well why didn’t you come here I think okay that’s good I mean Nicaragua was a good example Nick yeah well I was going to say okay I was going to so I think there are sometimes when that works really well um and sometimes it doesn’t So frustrating can be very frustrating. So one example when we were going to leave uh Nicaragua and we were going to go through Honduras on the bus and we hadn’t realized that British people need a visa for going through Honduras and so we were turned away at the border which was very annoying. That was the first time that had happened. So that was a bit of a a bad day stuck at the border. But um and so that that was perhaps if we’ done more research and planning maybe we would we would have found that out earlier so it wouldn’t have been a problem. But there are sometimes when traveling through serendipity does work really well. Like one example that comes to mind that did work out well in the end but it was that worked out well because um we we were stopped there. We were literally at the border thinking and they all said you have to go back. you just go back to the capital city and I I don’t like going backwards. I never even like going back the same route somewhere. I want to keep going forward and do something different. I refused to accept that was the only option. So someone said you go by boat. So I did some quick research. I found the internet. I did research and thought okay this what I want to do is see turtles and surfing. These are on my list. Okay. I found a hostel that said turtles surfing and boat crossing and where the eco San Salvador is an eco hostel in a very small community and it was on the way to the to the boat crossing to go direct to San Salvador to miss out Honduras. So I said this is what we have to do. So now so then we had to cycle. We just got the bikes out of the bus. We’ve unfolded. We cycled to the local bus station which was very small. We got on a local bus and the people were really friendly and they put the bikes on and it was all very jolly and it was a really fun experience. That was when we stopped in the town. We had to get on another bus which was a very interesting experience. It was very hot. It was a very basic bus. Surf. Yeah, it was our first time surfing. Well, it was the first time for Sam and I. Um, so we did surf and this was with the man who we’ve talked about already, the man from Nicaragua who works with turtles to save turtles on his own without any support. And he also does surfing classes. So we did one of them one day, which I was bit sad that we didn’t do anymore, but I will. Um, and it was great. Yeah. So my first time surfing and it went really well. He was very good. I’m still got the scars from the surface. Me, too. But that was serendipity. It was a very frustrating climb at the border. But, you know, because we still continued um and we made it work and it became a good thing and we met great people and it was a good choice. But I must admit it was there were some challenging moments there when some of us lost patience and were a bit cross. Yes. Oh sorry that that is part of the of the learning. I can’t imagine when you are talking to your friends on university on your friends when you go to to high school of all the experiences you have in in this huge journey. Maybe you are having another journey larger than this but this is part of your of your of your life and wow I I I I would love to do that this kind of stuff when I was a a teenager I can’t imagine all what is all in your mind when you are talking and some people only rides bicycles and never do a never move from one city to another by bicycle and you are doing amazing things. Um I have this I have this belief that we all need to develop our resilience, you know, uh to be able to cope with situations. So when things are very bad and and I admit I get a bit cross about things and everybody does it um sometimes and then afterwards I say okay that’s developed our resilience. We are now all a bit stronger. Yeah. But at the time it’s very difficult and we it’s not always been easy and not everything has been perfect and lovely. Sometimes it’s been quite difficult and it’s made us I think it’s going to make us realize maybe if the bus in Oxford is is 5 minutes late it’s not that much of a problem. We can cope with it. We’ve had much worse and yeah 8 hours late it’s quite a lot worse. And and I think I’d like to think it’s given us some more international perspective on things and maybe when like in the news if we hear about uh uh uh new stories in South America or in Ecuador it gives us some it they feel much more relevant to us whereas in the past we may have ignored them or not because we didn’t have any personal connection there whereas now we spent time there and met local people there and made friends there. they have a much more significant place before us I think and yeah wow that’s great that’s an amazing stories that you are sharing with us we could spend hours talking about all of this huge journey but let let’s move uh we are almost 50 minutes of of this uh recording I have some uh quick five round questions for you so Well, whoever wants to answer it, it it is okay. I think this one we you already answered, but favorite meal on the road so far. Oh, I definitely know which one that is. So, we’ve been looking forward to Mexico for a long time for the food. Well, and and we’ve got friends. Yeah. For the food. And uh our first night we had these mini taco things. What were they? No. Pork. Marinated pork. And you put onion and salsa. Okay. In a little tortilla. I don’t know. Like a soap. Yes. So So I put everything I could fit in it. And I ate quite a few actually. So I’d say that was my best meal. But if any of you have any favorites? Well, I I want to point out that it was only Sam who had the pork because all the rest of us are vegetarian. But um sharing it with our friend, but it was really fun. Yeah, it was a shared shared fun meal and it and and the food here is so different to all the rest of of the of the continent. So, it was it was really fun. That was um Yeah, I’m trying to think. Sometimes um breakfasts are uh significant for us particularly if we’ve been on a night bus and we’re all feeling a bit tired and and a bit dirty and and uh so to stop somewhere for a really nice breakfast is is actually a really positive experience and uh where was it we did eco brunch? Was that in spread? No, he wasn’t arake. Yes. And uh that was Sam found that one. Of course, most of our uh our favorite meals are thanks to Sam. I guess they’re your favorite breakfast. Sam Sam was just reminding me. Do you want to say about um La Paz breakfast? Oh, so that was quite interesting. Was it a night bus we came off? Yes. So, we came off a night bus to Le Paz, which is very hilly, and I wouldn’t say a cycling city. So, it was we we we tried for the first bit. So, it was insane. There were cars everywhere. The junctions weren’t functional. It was gridlock. There was gridlock at a roundabout that we went to. Biking in the morning, weren’t we? Yeah. And it must have been rush hour. Rush out. Yeah. So, great timing for us to be cycling through the city. Um, and then we found a really nice little uh cafe with an English owner. So, she was the daughter of someone we’d met. Yeah. Called the English Cauldron. All the what was it? Calderon English. Yeah. Um, and it was really nice. Gray drinks. Uh, you had amazing blue smoothie or something, didn’t you? big. I We went three times and I had stacks of pancakes three times. So, it was very nice. And that was off the night bus and none of us were feeling great. And that was just very well written, wasn’t it? That’s because it was because she was the daughter of a man we’d met previously in Bolivia. So, it felt like we had that connection again already. And she served fantastic food and the most amazing cake. So, it was a real treat, especially coming off a night bus. I think these are meant to be quickfire. So maybe we maybe we should go a bit faster. Sorry. It’s okay. I am starving now. Do you try in Colombia the areas? Yes. They were so good. And actually one one of the meals in Colombia which was amazing was these things called empanadas pan. Okay. And they papayan. Oh yeah, only in papayan. And they have maniu or peanut peanut paste in and and potato and these little mini empanadas. Um and they were they were so much fun. Um yeah, that was really fun. Big fast. One item you could not live without it. Well, given that uh phones are really important to us, actually being able to charge our phones and we we one of the last things we bought before leaving the UK was a international adapter plug with with uh two types of US so US regular USB and the USBC and the UK socket. So having that without that we we would really struggle. And I got to say, hand san. Hand sanitizer. Gosh. Sorry. Hand sanitizer. Hand sanitizer. Yeah. Gosh, we all have our own little bottles of hand san. I have one in my pocket now actually. Although it’s empty, but it’s the most helpful thing cuz we’ve gone to lots of places where there’s soap. It’s like great. And then so you put soap on your hands and then you turn the tap on and there’s no water. So you just have soap on your hands and there’s nothing. Some of the buses were a little um basic on some buses and so being able to yeah clean our hands. We all did a first aid course, a big uh first aid course with a a lovely guy called Guon before we left the UK and he gave us hand sanitizer. Said this is very important and he was right. That’s not very exciting, but it’s quite practical. What else? I don’t know. I mean, I was going to say our guitars. I mean, it it technically two items for Benjamin. Yes. So, I’m not sure if it fits the rules, but anyway. Um and um yeah, they’ve been really fun and and a really nice way uh to connect with people here. It’s been fun. Yeah. And also a bit mad really carrying two vehicles. Very crazy. What do you miss about being away from home? Should I start? Yeah, you start. I’m talking a lot, but anyway. Um probably Well, I used to go up to my grandparents every week. um to go and spend time with them and and I I I would have a guitar lesson at their house and we’d work on our family tree together and that was really nice. And I feel like that’s probably one of the main things I feel I’m missing um is is going to their house every Friday. So, I’m looking forward to that when I get back. Um yeah, and actually having a cup of tea and a piece of cake made by his grandma and mashed potato and cauliflower cheese. You can’t get it here. It’s not the same. Think about all the stories that you will share to them when you are back to to their place time. What you going to say in the States? I was going to say food. Yeah, English. Proper English food. Nice. And the cold, but I mean it’s a bit chilly over here, which is nice. And it’s rainy, so it’s a bit like home. Still quite different, though. So, back in the Amazon everything, it was completely different. I just missed quite a bit of cold which isn’t air con and then when you step outside it’s like oh flip. Yeah, I think it’s the simp sometimes the simplest things that that when you’re away you don’t realize when you’re home that you really appreciate them until you just don’t have them anymore. Like a really nice cup of gray tea, right? And toast and marmalade and baked beans. Like this has been so important. I mean, I I have to admit here here here here in Mexico there are similar beans and they’re really nice, but I’ve been I’ I’ve been waiting for proper beans for the whole Sorry, Karen. I have something with the beans in the UK. I think forgive me if I think that those are beans with ketchup. Yeah, they aren’t they aren’t very good. I mean, I’m sure the beans here are of a much better standard, but just the kind of like nostalgia of having Hines baked beans at home. Um, yeah. And Hines tomato soup with the cheese. Oh, and garlic bread. The family of our grandparents. Yeah. And you with pies. What do I miss? Uh, [Music] well, no, that’s definitely not the right answer. Um, yeah. Well, our cat, actually, it’ll be lovely to see our cats when we get home. Topsy. He’s very old. Uh, he’s have lots of cats sitters. Well, they’re not catsitters. They’re our tenants, but they’re very lovely and they love the cat as much as we do. It’ll be really interesting to see his reaction when we come home and and to see how see see what what he what he does when we go through the dorm. Wow. Just one word to describe the journey so far. Do you know? Serendipity. Incredible. tirings. This is a few words, but a bit mad. I think probably a bit mad. Crazy. Crazy. I’m sorry. Well, this has been an incredible conversation. Thanks for sharing with us and with uh podcast listeners and subscribers to our YouTube channel. H thank you very much for taking your time uh to have this uh conversation. Uh safe travel. Keep your Oh, I forgot it. Stay your w and keep your wits about you. Another crazy expression, but it kind of works. And God, I was thinking in the morning and and I was repeating that’s so true. And if you’re traveling, keeping your wits about you is and when you’re biking, it’s really important. And you know, I think we must say a thank you to you because honestly, it’s always the people we meet and we’ve met some amazing people on our journey and um we still got more people to meet. You know, we’re being hosted here by lovely friends of Benjamins from school and and meeting you and going off and seeing different places in Mexico, meeting all of the club with the bumpton, cycling the big sea with them. It makes all the difference to our journey. So, I think we should say a big thank you. No, you are very welcome. And as soon as you want to go back to Mexico City, you are always very very welcome. Yes, you’re good. Thank you very much. Bye. Ciao. [Music]