Taking My Ride With Destiny: Cycling Korea & Japan (Video)
When our son Neil was seven months old we went on a cycling trip to South Korea – from Seoul to Busan and then around Jeju Island and Japan – across Kyushu and island hopping south to Okinawa. Although we had both done many cycling trips before, we didn’t know what it would be like to travel by bike with our baby in tow. It really felt like we were taking our ride with destiny… It turned out to be an amazing experience, and such a great way to get to know our son and see him develop every day. We had many people helping and reaching out to us along the way, which made…
Israel: Down the Rabbit Hole Again
Japan (Part 2): Cycling The Forgotten Islands
From the ferry window, I observed rocks that looked like mushrooms, surrounded by the most turquoise water I had ever seen. We had just arrived to Yoron Island via the overnight ferry from Kagoshima, a 20 hour journey, but luckily we stopped on other islands on the way to break the long journey. When we got off the ferry, we were greeted by the ferry terminal – two peeling shipping containers, where we obtained a map that was 100% Japanese. We cycled to Ohkaneku Beach, where we camped for three nights. The only nearby place to eat was a tiny take out sushi stand, in the place you’d least expect…
Goodbye South Korea & Japan: End of Trip Reflection
As 2015 is coming to a close and our trip is nearing its end, I thought it’s time for some reflection. Yesterday, as we were riding around Zamami Island, we stopped for a break at a beautiful view point. Neil had just woken up from his morning nap in the trailer and was happy and chatty as usual. We took him out, changed his diaper, had a snack and hung out, just the three of us. I suddenly realized that those will be the moments I’ll miss the most. We spent the last three months traveling by bicycle in South Korea and Japan. We left when Neil was seven months…
Japan (Part 1): The Opening Doors Experience of Cycling in Kyushu
When asking cycle tourers what is their favourite part about cycle touring, the answer is often ‘random acts of kindness’. I guess there is something about seeing people on bikes that opens people’s hearts. It may be curiosity, or pity, or just basic human kindness. We had experienced this many times during our bike trips, but what we experienced so far in Japan was far beyond our previous experiences. I am sure the combination of having a baby and some bad weather along the way helped too. We were often given food, toys for Neil and many invitations to spend the night. It all started with Asami, our first Couchsurfing…
South Korea (Part 2): Cycling Jeju with Teddy Bears and Kimchi
Jeju Island is the Korean version of Hawaii. At least that’s what we read in the guidebook. I read this and thought: “oh oh, bad news”. You see, I like to travel to places with a minimum of expectations and preconceptions. That way, I can keep myself open and flexible to whatever ends up transpiring. It’s like a movie trailer that gives away the plot of the movie you are about to watch, spoiling the surprise. Regardless, once the word “Hawaii” had been uttered, it could not be taken back, and we were often tempted to compare our trip to Jeju with our two week cycling trip around the Big Island.…
South Korea (Part 1): A Cyclist and Foodie Paradise
The stress was building up before this trip with endless lists of things to do, things to buy and things to finish before we took off. This time we had to think more carefully what to pack, especially for Neil. Did we pack too much or too little? Does he have enough toys, books or clothes? How about diapers? In the end you realize it doesn’t really matter. He will grow out of his clothes any way, the bag of toys will become useless at some point since anything is a toy, we make up stories as we go and we make do with the diapers of course. So once we…
Nicaragua: A Test in Attachment and Other Such Adventures
Some trips are different. This was not a cycling trip, backpacking or hiking trip, nor was it a trip to visit family in our homeland. This was simply a trip to get out of our routine, get away from Vancouver in the gloomiest time of year and try to live in a new place for a few weeks. It was supposed to be about relaxing, getting some work done and other projects and enjoying the heat and the sun. What we didn’t expect would happen is that we’d get so emotionally attached to a few creatures, that every week we’d have to face another emotional obstacle. That we’d get so…
The Journey of Cherry on a Bike
We are once again in Granada, Nicaragua, where the idea of Cherry on a Bike first started. When you’re on a trip, especially a cycle tour, your mind often wanders. Although we tried to live in the moment as much as we could, thoughts about the future always came up. When we stopped in Granada where Gili’s aunt Peta and her husband Ben lived at that time, many of our conversations were on this topic. Since we both have a weakness for food, especially fruit, we first thought of a fruit drying business, with a baking component, my favourite hobby at the time. In a brainstorming session the name Cherry on a…
How to Make Chocolate Milk, From Scratch
I’m obsessed with chocolate. I guess lots of people say this, but I feel like I’m worse than others. Barely a day goes by without me digging in the cupboard for some dark chocolate, ideally Belgian and 72%. Since I also have a thing for making stuff from scratch, I was very interested to learn about making chocolate, and in particular, whether I could make chocolate at home. Two years ago while cycling through Central America, we took a chocolate making workshop in Nicaragua, and then another one in Guatemala. Then, in Belize, we cycled into a small Maya village named San Antonio, where a young kid climbed up a cocoa…
