A couple from Madison, Wisconsin, finished up a 17,000-mile Pan American bicycling adventure in Argentina a couple of weeks ago.
Meanwhile a couple from Tempe, Arizona, are waiting there to get their tandem out of customs to begin their journey north.
Southbound
Alan Turnquist and Erin Syth, at left, arrived in Ushaia, the southern-most city in South America, in mid-December after traveling for 550 days from the Arctic Circle.
The Madison couple quit their jobs and drove to Canada's Northwest Territories where they departed by tandem from the town of Inuvik in June 2010.
They updated their blog — 2ToTango — on a regular basis to tell about the people they met along the way and their culture and customs. That's certainly worth a read, and the photos they posted are worth a look.
'The Best'
In their final post from their journey, they write:
“We did have a few emotional moments in the last couple of days, but mostly we have felt overwhelmed by gratitude for having had this wonderful experience. Travelling by bicycle is really the best.”
In addition to their regular blog posts, Alan and Erin wrote about the tandem they chose, a Santana Encore, and all the other gear they brought along. There's also an extensive section on planning and logistics, designed for anyone thinking of taking off on a long-distance bicycle tour.
They raised money for Nature Conservancy on their trip.
Northbound
About the time Alan and Erin arrived in Ushaia by tandem, Taura Chaw and Christiana Bruchok arrived by air from Phoenix to begin their northbound Pan American journey by tandem bicycle.
The couple want to show that their vision problems that make them legally blind don't pose a handicap to their living a full life.
The single problem they've faced, however, is getting their tandem bicycle out of customs. They've been writing at their website — 2Blind2Ride — that the process has been mired in red tape, but they're hoping for a resolution soon.
Originally, they had a problem getting the bicycle to Argentina; their airline balked at shipping it at the last minute and they had it shipped via UPS. Now it's locked up in Customs in Buenas Aires.
We hope they can get their tandem bike soon and get on their way.
Photo above from 2ToTango.
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