Author: Loretta Henderson

Country Name: Namibia

WHERE DO I SLEEP?

Schools throughout the Caprivi strip welcome bicycle tourists. I always remembered to share my maps, stories, photos with the kids. There are several rural homes on the road south into Windhoek, the capital,  who waved me down and invited me to stay in their front yard.

TIPS TO KEEP TRAVEL SAFE, CHEAP AND FUN!

Tip 1:

Sleep With A Full Bladder! There are many large poisonous species of snakes in Namibia. Be careful where you put your tent. During a flash thunderstorm I had an enormous handful size snake under my tent.  In the dark, I couldn’t find my headlamp. Peeing outside was not on options until morning!

Tip 2:

Fatten Up!  If touring in surrounding countries prior to arriving in Namibia, the imported food options from South America will certainly put a smile on the hungry cyclists face!

Tips 3:

Hippos Rock!  There are several large meteorites on display in Windhoek, the capital. Yes, rocks the size of hippos did and still fall from the sky in Namibia! Or perhaps it’s just aliens having some fun with foul balls at their baseball games!

Country name: Bostwana

Where Did I Sleep?

There are an abundant range of options for wild camping but watch out for the elephants. That is a joke by the way, elephants rarely step on tents.

Tips To Keep It Safe, Fun, Cheap

Tip 1:

In the northern region of the country the elephants are too plentiful to be contained inside the park boundaries. When you see elephants, wait for the local cars to stop. Several times, motorists offered to drive on either side of me while I cycled through the many herds of elephants.

Tip 2:

Consider using empty 2 liter soda pop bottles in your water bottle cages. I can easily cycle with 6 liters of water. There are long stretches or desert road throughout Bostwana. I often also filled up my Ortlieb water bag as well.

Tip 3:

Most national parks in Bostwana will not let you cycle through them. I met elephants outside of park boundaries. They must have been walking to the park to meet their glamourous, employed to work with tourist elephant friends!

Country Name: Peru

Where Do I sleep?

I found it pretty easy between communities to find a place for my tent. I often stopped on the top of the hills where I could find less inhabited spots. In tourist town such as Cusco I stayed in guest houses for about $10 usd for a private room. The prices and room quality vary greatly so cycle around and see what you can find.

Tips For Keeping It Safe, Cheap and Fun!

Tip 1:

Fall in love with going up and down the hills. Peru is one of the only countries I have seen that has a tendency to make you drop way way down to the river and then make you climb back up. I enjoyed cooling off in road side waterfalls. The temperature varies greatly throughout the day, have both your winter parka and your bathing suit on hand!

Tip 2:

When I was there I cycled into some folks near the Bolivia border who were not big fans of me. They through rocks, so my tip is, learn to duck, cover and swerve your handle bars while giggling and trying not to fall off.

Tip 3:

Camp with families on the mountain tops! Take the time to appreciate the beauty in the highlands. The smiley glowing traditionally dressed kind matriarchs are a rare beauty that this world needs more off.

Country Name: Costa Rica

Where Do I sleep?

Free camping at local campgrounds cost me between $7 usd and $10 usd. I also camped in the national parks in the north for free.

What Does It Cost?

Shockingly pricey if you have just come from the cheaper surrounding countries. Groceries will cost between $10-$20 daily.

Tips To Keep It Cheap, Safe, Fun

Tip 1:

Avoid cities where free camping is not possible! I cycled and pushed my bike around Liberia though a national park on a trail for 2 days, after a river crossing, I emerged back on the main Pan-Americana highway heading towards Nicaragua.

Tip 2:

Warm Showers, the hospitality network is becoming more available. There are hosts in Tamarinda and some of the larger communities.

Tip 3:

Eat ice cream cones, it is cheap ($1 USD) filling and oh so much fun.

Country Name: Nicaragua

Cost of Bicycle Touring: $10 a day if you mainly camp

Where Do I sleep?

Free camping on beaches, rain forests and in farmers’ fields. Other options include; $5-$20 dorm beds and hotels

Tips To Keep It Cheap, Safe, Fun:

Tip 1
The country is largely fenced, there are fence openings the locals use. I was told by locals they use the fences to contain cattle and are not at all concerned with the western view of trespassing, therefore I sometimes I moved/opened the string of barbed wire and camped on the other side.

Tip 2
Drink local water. In many restaurants the locals are drinking filtered water. I asked for “local” or “aqua normal” and filled up my water bottles for free.