Thousands of waterfalls tumble at the Agua Azul in the Chiapas rainforest in southern Mexico. The cascading water glistens in the soft light, and a gentle breeze sprays tiny drops of water on my face. Despite all the action and noise of the waterfalls, it all seems still and silent. I could have been anywhere … Read more
Gul Banafsha is a traditional song from the Northern Areas of Pakistan which symbolizes the beauty of the beloved girl to a unique flower called “Banafsha”. The word “Gul” means flower. During my recent visit to Shimshal, I met Sifat Shimshalee who played this song to us on Rubab at Sifat Guest House. The minute … Read more
Ever since my childhood, I had always imagined the US as a country with big sweeping vistas of the Wild West. This perception mainly came from movie shots of the Monument Valley, the Death Valley, and the Grand Canyon. It was only much later in life I got to visit these locations on my bicycle … Read more
A Letter to Ecuador on Independence Day 10 August My dear Ecuador, I first met you when I crossed the Canchis river while coming from Peru. The first gift I received from you was the steepest road with up to 25% slope. My heart knocked inside the chest like a hammer and the rear wheel … Read more
At Horseshoe Bend, the Colorado River bends around the sandstone for almost 360-degrees, very much like my thoughts twisting around my head. I sit at the edge of the cliff and have an unobstructed view of Horseshoe Bend shimmering gold in the morning light. My feelings start to flutter around inside the cage of my … Read more
Has it ever happened to you that you were afraid to see a person because you knew it would be hard to say goodbye? Or, you didn’t taste something because you were afraid of becoming addicted to it? Or, a place so special you were reluctant to visit because it would be hard for you … Read more
Deep in the rainforest, a waterfall plunges into a deep canyon with a thundering noise. They call this waterfall Pailon Del Diablo or Devil’s Cauldron. Like a moth overwhelmed by the love for the flame flies directly into it, the (Rio) Verde river jumps from the cliff in a suicidal manner and crashes into the … Read more
Cycling on an isolated dirt road along the River Tablachaca in the northern highlands of Peru, I was stopped by two men who warned me that there was no road ahead and two river crossings were to come. These men were gold prospectors. They were panning for gold in the river bed. One of them, … Read more
After a day of cycling on the gravel road, I reach the bank of Rio Baker river. Each screw of my body is loose. I wipe off the dust and sweat on my face with the cold turquoise-blue water of the river. It is very quiet but in my head I can hear the bicycle … Read more
Where I sit if you look up for this location (38°28’35″N, 70°57’56″E) on a map and draw a vertical line through it, in the south the line will cross a city named Layyah in Pakistan. Layyah is my home town, where I was born and spent two-third of my life. This is where my brothers … Read more
On Oryahovo ferry port in Bulgaria. Romania is only 0.5 km across the river. Maya on the ferry
What is freedom? Freedom is throwing stones in the river after the sunset and watching the ripples let go. What is freedom? Freedom is enjoying aloneness and drinking the last sip of warm water left in the bottle after a ride of 130km in the scorching sun.
275 km in one day! My day started in Vienna, Austria, then I cycled along Danube River and crossed Slovakia. I cycled non-stop except for a few photo and drink breaks. At night, I entered Hungary. Cycling the Donauradweg was fun, albeit it didn’t last very long.
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