An Unconventional Hero: The President of Uruguay

Posted on September 19, 2014 by The Wandering Nomads

“A poor person is not someone who has little but one who needs infinitely more, and more and more. I don’t live in poverty, I live in simplicity. There’s very little that I need to live.” -José Mujican (president of Uruguay)

I sort of have a new and slightly unconventional hero – the president of Uruguay. José Mujican has become somewhat notorious throughout his presidency as being the “poorest president in the world,” but that’s not the only reason I think he is so great. For starters, the reason he has earned this title is because he has given up 90% of his income to low-income housing organizations so that his salary amounts to that of an average citizen in his country. He doesn’t particularly like this title though, and has many things to say about it such as the quote at the top of the page and these below:

Oh the Beauty of the Mountains

Posted on September 18, 2014 by The Wandering Nomads

“A day without sunshine is like, you know, night.”

After coming up and over the pass we ended up passing through a gorgeous valley surrounded by the Caucasus, a mountain range which runs from Russia into Georgia.

Foods We Cook

Posted on September 17, 2014 by The Wandering Nomads

“When we are young, we don’t take anything too seriously. But slowly, this set of daily rituals becomes solidified, and takes us over. We like to complain, but we are reassured by the fact that each day is more or less like every other.”

Spaghetti: Spaghetti and cheese. Spaghetti and homemade tomato sauce. Spaghetti with aubergines, spaghetti and pesto when we feel like spending the extra few bucks… and just plain noodles when we are low on supplies and have nothing else to eat with them. It’s a good thing I love noodles because they really are a cheap and fast meal while cycling, plus they are easy to find in most of the countries we have been through.

The Georgian Cuisine

Posted on September 15, 2014 by The Wandering Nomads

“He never realized that people are capable, at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of.”

I haven’t ever given much thought to talking about or photographing food – I’m the kind of gal who can eat spaghetti and cheese seven nights a week and never complain – but Kevin has convinced me that some of you out there may be a little more curious about the Georgian cuisine than I appear to be (though don’t get me wrong, I love the food here too!) so here is your obligatory post about food.

Camping is the Best

Posted on September 13, 2014 by The Wandering Nomads

“Do not squander this time. You will never have it again. You have a crucial opportunity to invest in the next season of your life now. Whatever you sow, you will eventually reap. The habits you form in this season will stick with you for the rest of your life. So choose those habits wisely.”

We took another offshoot from the highway which led up into the mountains, though we must be getting soft since we didn’t take the road all the way to the end this time. Instead, we spent three days camping and fishing along the river. I know I have said this a million times already, but camping here in Georgia is probably the best thing about this country. There are plenty of open fields with trees and rivers, most of which already have a fire circle since the picnic culture is so prevalent here. We have now started to take advantage of this to make our own fires, which, as Kevin puts it, makes it “real camping.”

Get Outdoors. Period.

Posted on September 12, 2014 by The Wandering Nomads

“If not now. When?”

Kevin and I realized the other day that we haven’t spent more than five minutes with a roof over our heads in months now. Seriously, the only time we have been indoors has been to pop in and out of small local shops to buy groceries, a five minute or so affair every day. And that, a life outdoors surrounded entirely by nature is one of the things I love most about this lifestyle.

WOW: Women on Wheels

Posted on September 11, 2014 by The Wandering Nomads

“Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world.”
-Susan B. Anthony, 1896

People thought I was crazy when I started out on this journey as a young solo female because apparently the feminist movement is not quite as advanced as we would all like to believe. That being said, there are actually a whole lot of us out there today, pedaling across every continent on Earth while pioneering women’s rights by simply living our lives how we please. Though I personally have only met a few short term solo females (no world tourers), there is a wonderful website, Women on Wheels (started by Loretta Henderson – a well traveled solo female cyclist herself), where us solo female tourers have been able to see that we aren’t alone in our endeavors.

Check it out!

And click here for five interviews done by a very well toured solo cyclist!

It’s The Little Things That Count

Posted on September 10, 2014 by The Wandering Nomads

“And if you’re not as young as you’d like (few of us are), travel anyway. It may not be easy or practical, but it’s worth it. Traveling allows you to feel more connected to your fellow human beings in a deep and lasting way, like little else can. In other words, it makes you more human.”

After two nights in a really nice guest house (we needed wifi to give our parents their well deserved “I’m alive and happy” emails as well as update the blog) we set out on what we assumed was a paved rather easy road across the country. It was an extremely quiet country road with less than one car an hour and we quickly figured out why. It was horrendously bumpy and rocky (and of course uphill as always) and we were desperately trying to pedal through the 40+C afternoon since we were just about out of water. It was a miserable afternoon made worse by the heat and the prospect of seventeen kilometers of hell to go.

Cycle Touring Gear

Posted on September 9, 2014 by The Wandering Nomads

“I was never a cyclist. Merely a person with a bicycle.”

I have recently had a few questions about my gear, and though I really don’t know anything about bikes, I figured I would share what I know for those who are interested. First off though, I want to start out by saying this – you don’t need a fancy bike or the best gear money can buy to tour, you simply need a bike which fits (so much more important than quality) and the right attitude. I have met tourers on fixies, broken down mountain bikes, and road racing bikes alike, and though of course it’s easier to invest in a good bike and panniers when possible, it’s equally great to tour with your backpack strapped to the back of your old commuter.

The Art of Drinking Wine: A Georgian Tradition

Posted on September 8, 2014 by The Wandering Nomads

“When you stop doing things for fun you might as well be dead.”

Though I have mentioned it many times already, wine in Georgia is an essential part of the Georgian culture and therefore deserves it’s own post. First, let’s start with the history. Wine making tools from over 4,000 years ago have been excavated here which means that Georgia does indeed have the earliest (found) records of wine making; though legend has it that wine making actually started much earlier than that, as early as 8,000 years ago. In any case, it’s definitely been part of their culture for a very long time.