Cycling
What Makes the Trout in Ecuador Look Like Salmon?
Aiming to catch a few trout for dinner, the author decides to try his luck at one of the region's many "sport fishing" sites
February 12, 2013 |
By Alastair Bland
Bike, Bark, Bite, Blood: The Perils of Cycling in Rabies Country
An unfortunate run in with a mutt in Ecuador turned into a trip to the doctor's to be treated for rabies, a surprisingly fatal disease
February 07, 2013 |
By Alastair Bland
Much Ado About Nothing at the Equator
Just north of Quito stands a grand and glowing tribute to one of Ecuador’s proudest features: the Equator. The problem is, it was built in the wrong place
January 30, 2013 |
By Alastair Bland
Things to Do in Quito While Nursing Achilles Tendonitis
With its clean public parks, brewpubs, museums and tapas bars, Quito is a fine place to spend a week recovering from an injury
January 24, 2013 |
By Alastair Bland
Ecuador, Land of Malaria, Iguanas, Mangoes and Mountains
The author leaves Peru behind and crosses into Ecuador, where he encounters his first sign of a mosquito
January 23, 2013 |
By Alastair Bland
What to Eat—or Not—in Peru
The roving ceviche carts and meat grills are colorful pieces of street scenery, but eating a creamy cherimoya or a sweet and starchy lucuma could be the truest taste of Peru
January 17, 2013 |
By Alastair Bland
Braving the Pan-American Highway of Death
Along the roadway in Peru, hand-built memorials to accident victims occur almost as regularly as the kilometer markers themselves
January 15, 2013 |
By Alastair Bland
No Place Compares to the Unrelenting Lifelessness of Peru’s Sechura Desert
From the lush, tropical mountains, we descended into a landscape of flailing-armed cacti, spiny succulents like giant artichokes and sand dunes as high as mountains
January 10, 2013 |
By Alastair Bland
From the Slums of Lima to the Peaks of the Andes
After unpacking and assembling his bicycle at the airport terminal, the author heads north on the Pan-American Highway toward the mountain town of Canta
January 07, 2013 |
By Alastair Bland
A Short Bike Ride in the Peruvian Andes
The author kicks off 2013 with a 1,100-mile cycling journey through the Andes from Lima, Peru, to Ecuador's lofty capital of Quito
January 03, 2013 |
By Alastair Bland
Have GPS Devices Taken the Fun out of Navigation?
With the rise of the digital age, the fascinating skills of map reading and celestial navigation are becoming lost arts
December 03, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
Breaking News From France: My Hidden Beers Discovered!
Six containers of lager remain hidden in remote crevices and crannies in the French countryside. If you wish to find them, read these instructions
November 13, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
Marking 50 Years of Luxurious Travel With James Bond
Since 1962, the films have introduced the world to all sorts of exotic, jaw-dropping destinations
November 08, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
Health Hazards of the Traveler
Russian scientist Leonid Rogozov was the only doctor within 1,000 miles when, in 1961, he was struck by appendicitis in Antarctica. Fortunately, he had Novocain and a scalpel
September 28, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
An Unofficial Guide to the Breweries of California’s North Coast
From the Anderson Valley Brewing Company, in Boonville, to the often irreverent Lagunitas brewpub, in Petaluma, here are several breweries worth pedaling for
September 06, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
The Best Backroad Bike Rides of the California North Coast
Cycling the West Coast is easy, whether you're riding from Canada to Mexico or Portland to San Francisco. To add some spice to this predictable and popular route, I've taken to the backroads
September 04, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
At a Glance: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of the Oregon Coast
The coastal Highway 101 route, through rainforest and redwoods, is as beautiful as it is popular
August 29, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
Your Unofficial Guide to Portland, Oregon’s Many Brewpubs and Breweries
In parts of Portland, Oregon, one must hardly walk three blocks before running into another bar that pours its very own beer. Locally brewed? The concept takes on a whole new scale of meaning in Portland
August 24, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
Is Portland, Oregon the Best City for Bikes in the Country?
With dedicated bike lanes and businesses catering to cyclists, the Oregon city is a true pedaler's paradise
August 22, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
The 11 Things You Didn’t Know About Wheaties
Wheaties has been around for nearly 90 years, but when did they start putting athletes on the cover?
August 17, 2012 |
By Jim Morrison

