On Being Quiet!

After entering the US, I took two months off the bicycle, which is the longest break I have taken on this tour. I had my bicycle completely overhauled and my camera equipment upgraded. Meanwhile, I went to San Francisco Bay Area and spent a few days there where I would meet new people every day. … Read more

A Story Without A Listener Is A Lost Treasure!

Inside Ali Baba restaurant in San Diego, forks clink against the plates and middle eastern music plays in the background. I sit around a long table surrounded by a number of people. “What has been your favourite country on this trip so far?” someone asks me. As I think my eyes become smaller and focus … Read more

Welcome to the US!

When I embarked on this journey more than two years ago, I had no idea that if you have been to Iran after the year 2011 you are not eligible for the Visa Waiver Program to enter the United States and need to apply for a visitor visa in your country of residence which in … Read more

Goodbye Mexico!

My time in Mexico is over, but the journey continues. Over the past five months and a distance of some 4500 km from the south-east to the northwest of the country, I received a lot of help from the locals. Countless people invited me into their homes and opened their hearts to me. On the … Read more

Last Day in Mexico

It is my last day in Mexico. I spend another day along the Mexico-US border wall in Tijuana and cycle west to the coast. My journey takes me to the beach where the border fence meets the Pacific ocean. There, a historical monument marks the initial point of the boundary between the United States and … Read more

Mexico US Border in Tijuana

After cycling for 4500 km in Mexico over the past five months, I hit a massive wall in Tijuana which brings a halt to my journey to the north. I walk and cycle for hours along the wall, and at one location, stop to take a peek over the rusted panels. The colour of the … Read more

Layyah Signpost in Mexico

If you draw a horizontal line on the world map at the 30.963280° latitude, somewhere this line is going to cross Layyah city in Pakistan. About 9 km south of San Felipe in Baja California, I push my bicycle through the desert. After half an hour of walking in the soft sand, I take a … Read more

Starry Sky in Baja California

It is another night in Baja California and the desert is my home. A cactus tree stands beside my tent like a guard. I sit on a rock looking at the stars wondering who has set the wheel of the sky in motion? Is the universe dancing in unison with a whirling dervish? What are … Read more

20,000 km

Exactly two years ago, I started pedalling from the southernmost city in the world, and today, just a few km before Loreto in Baja California Sur, I reached the 20,000 km mark on my journey through the Americas. On this special occasion, nature treated me with a serene view of the coastline of Gulf of … Read more

Dear Santa

Dear Santa, I wrote you a message before Christmas. It was the first time ever I asked you for something, but all I received on this Christmas was one new like on my page. Maybe, the new page like came from you, but that is gone too. What can I say on this except that … Read more

Hello Mexico!

Today I crossed into Mexico (my country#42 by bicycle) and finally began my ride in North America! The border crossing between Belize and Mexico is located on a river bridge. I rubbed my eyes when I saw the “Welcome to Mexico” sign over the bridge. It has taken me about 20 months of cycling to … Read more

Black and White in Belize

It is my second day in Belize. The sun is relentless, beating down on my head all day long. The month of September is supposed to be the peak of the rainy season but there is no rain at all. It feels unusually hot because of high humidity and lack of wind. The locals say … Read more

Horse Show in Tactic, Guatemala

I push the bicycle through streets and follow the distant sound of music. Soon I reach the central square where loudspeakers are blasting live Marimba music. In front of me are the backs of hundreds of people who are looking over each other’s shoulders. Unable to see anything, I park my bicycle on the side … Read more

Santa Ana Volcano: On Travel

High above the clouds, in the volcanic range of El Salvador is the Santa Ana volcano which never sleeps. Inside the ring of nested calderas, a green boiling lake releases clouds of fumes into the air. From above it looks like the eye of a volcano which is full of rage but is holding back … Read more