UPDATED September 14, 2015

BY Britten Ferguson

IN Company, South American Epic

3 comments

UPDATED September 14, 2015

BY Britten Ferguson

IN Company, South American Epic

3 comments

Papa’s got a brand new ride

Living as a guide and traveling all over the Latin America for the last couple years, I rarely get to share my nutty lifestyle with friends and almost never with my family. In Lima, however, that finally changed.

Peter warms up with some classic Peruvian soup in the tiny town of Guadalupe

After months of discussing, planning dates, talking about bike selection, and piecing together the gear, I convinced my dad to join us for a section of the tour. The stars have finally aligned and the rare opportunity to share this unique experience is pretty exciting. My own passion for cycling was most definitely inspired by his obsession with finding old discarded bikes, building them up, and then ripping all over the neighborhood with my friends. Fast forward all those years ago as a little boy to now, and the roles have been reversed – I feel like a proud parent watching his nervous son interact with other kids on the first day of kindergarten. For his first long-distance touring, he chose one hell of a ride. Cusco to La Paz is not exactly a walk in the park.

small desolate town at the base of the sand dunes

Together, we’ll climb some of the largest mountains in the world and explore one of the most interesting cultures of South America. The Andes represent a special place for me and now I feel like I get to share that source of inspiration.

The oasis that actually sparkles

Yesterday we rode out of camp on a balmy morning en route to the rolling sand dunes of Ica, which was a huge departure from our normal South Lake Washington loop around Seattle. Still groggy and full of breakfast, our destination for the day was the Huacachina oasis – in the middle of the desert, nestled between a series of massive sand dunes, hides a sparkling laguna (no cliche adjective here by the way – because of the desert sun and the sand surrounding it, the water does, indeed, sparkle).

Dune buggies

Touristy and a bit contrived? Yes. Still worth the visit to watch dune buggies and sand boarders tear across massive sand dunes while looking out over a legitimate oasis? Absolutely. After a little over 100 kilometres we rolled into camp, looking forward to upcoming rides.

Cafe, tamales, and caldo de gallino is life-giving on a cold morning

So to all you people who never get to do what you love with people you care about, pick up the phone, call your dad, and tell him he needs to start training.

3 Comments for "Papa’s got a brand new ride"

In my opinion it is very good idea to share our passions with people we care about. For sure it was great experience for both of you, great memories for the rest of life. I keep my fingers crossed for the next tour. Keep it up, I will read your articles with pleasure!

britty,

uncle paul here. this parent trap is extraordinary. your message is inspirational for sure – thinking about you both…. praying for Peter.
get him home safely!

love you both
Paul

[…] so my best friend Peter is in the middle of south america – riding a bike – with his son, Britty. Her is a blog post from Britten on the journey – posted on September 14. […]

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