A view of turtle beach, where the sea turtles come to lay their eggs, and where the babies just finished hatching only about a week ago.

Journal and photos by Nancy Olson

I had a big day today!

I awoke in the turtle hatchery campground (the hatching season ended only a few days ago, so no baby turtles...turtlets?) at about six in the morning, with rain sprinkling down on me. I jumped up and put my sleeping bag, clothes, and everything else that needed to stay dry, into my North Face Waterduffelo (dry bag) and moved to a tree where I could set up a tarp over my tent and things. I rested a bit and watched the sunrise over the ocean from within my tent.

A bit later, I got up and went for a short 20-minute run on the beach. It was a great run, but my ankle was hurting. I went back, changed into my bikini, and put my laundry in the wash. I hit the beach for some body surfing and swimming for about a half hour and then tended to the laundry and took a shower.

I didn't have enough change for the dryer, so I had to hang everything on the clothesline to dry, which meant I had to kill another half hour. I grabbed a trashy gossip magazine and headed back to the beach. It was an amazing morning, and the beach was beautiful. Finally, I packed up, grabbed the laundry off the line, and headed out.

I needed to check e-mail before heading out to Childers, because I suspected a town as small as Childers probably wouldn't have Internet. I went seven kilometers in the opposite direction to use the net at Bargara, because I had to make sure the e-mail I had sent to our subscribers had gone through. It hadn't.

After using the net, I found a $7.70 salad bar and piled fruit, lettuce, cheese, vegetables, rice, and brussel sprouts as high as I could onto a plate in order to get my money's worth. I couldn't even eat it all...oops.

I didn't pull out of town until 1430, which meant I had to race to make it the 60+ km to Childers before dark. The race was on!

It was a nice ride along a country road, but I was disappointed that there was no shoulder. Luckily, traffic was low. I got to Childers at 1720, and all the pub rooms were closed for renovation. There was a disastrous fire at a backpacker hostel herenot long ago, and 17 or so travellers were killed. Because of that, all the lodges, etc., had to renovate to conform to new fire regulations, and they are still closed for those reno's. I had to go a couple of kilometers north to the other side of town to a campground.

The caravan park was full of backpackers who were employed as fruit pickers, so I was worried about possible noise from partiers. But, for $10, I couldn't afford to pass up this campground. Heck, the humor on the bathroom door was enough reason to stay at this campground. On the men's room door was a sign with a male stick figure and the word "MANGOES." I didn't think much about it, I mean, this place was populated by fruit pickers, afterall. And I was too tired to notice that it was misspelled. It didn't click in my head until I saw the sign on the women's door: there was a woman stickfigure and the words "NO MANGOES." HAHAHAH. Man-goes and No Man-goes. Too funny. I appreciate that sort of humor.

I set my tarp up over my tent using my bike and a power terminal as supports, and laid out my camp. I had fruit, cheese, crackers, and Vegemite for dinner and went to bed early. I went to bed with the Blackeyed Peas playing through my headphones.

I needn't have worried about loud fruit pickers. They were well-behaved, and I slept well until morning.

Mileage: 68
Weather: Brief morning shower/Partly cloudy/Nice
Final Location: Childers

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

Neil and Adam enjoyed the beach and the waves in Florianopolis.

Journal and photo by Adam Burgess

Today Erica, our friend from Rio whom we met through Rolf, came to visit us down here for the weekend. It’s funny really how we all became acquainted. I guess Rolf, the writer who was with us, has a few published books out there. One of which is “Vagabonding”, a travel guide for the major budget traveler. Well, one of his fans wrote to him when she read in his daily online “blog” (online journal). He talked about going to Brasil for Carnival. She told him to contact her friend out there who lives in Rio. So Rolf dropped an email to Duda. Duda got the email and said to her roommate, “Hey I got this email that says, “Hey I am a friend of one of your friends, and I’m coming out there, would you like to meet me?” Duda was pretty confused and said to her roommate, “Do you want to meet this guy, Rolf, I don’t really know who he is and I think I will go away this weekend?” Erica said. “Ok I will meet with him.”

Rolf shows up to their house and brings a friend with him. They meet the two girls and then leave after a week of Carnival and hanging out with Erica. Soon after this, Rolf gives us her phone number and says, “Hey you can call my friend in Rio; she will show you around”. We call her up and say, “Hi, we are a friend of your friend Rolf” and later meet. She was extremely nice, and over the period of a week she showed us many different parts of the city and various night-spots.

One night we decided to cook dinner for the two girls and their neighbor. Over the table, it was revealed that the girl who originally sent Duda an email was just an American girl that met her once or twice during Carnival the year before. Erica didn’t know her, she didn’t know Rolf, and here we were sitting at their table thinking we were cooking for a friend of Rolf’s. So, although those sitting around the table had no connection with each other, we all spent a perfectly good week together, and Duda and Erica turned out to be very helpful and considerate. We saw a Rio and some of Brazil that other visitors would never see, the streets of the Lata, fountains above the city, and hidden beaches north of the city.

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

I came across this huge spider and had to take its picture. It was the size of the palm of my hand! YIPES!

Journal and photo by Nancy Olson

I got up at 0730, and Gabbi left at 0830 to go to work in Bundaberg. Luckily, Ajay and I will be able to meet her at the cheap Indian buffet in town for lunch. Cool!

I got a lot of work done on the Internet while Ajay worked on the ute all morning. He had to fix the brakes and the clutch.

Finally, at about 1300, we were ready to go. We would probably miss the Indian buffet and Gabbi, unfortunately. We pulled into town right at 1400 and went into the restaurant with the buffet. We asked if Gabbi had been there, and she had not. Well, at least we hadn't made her wait! We went ahead and ate lunch, and then we headed to the bike shop.

The shope wouldn't have it ready until after 1700, so we killed time by driving to a marina nearby. We also scoped out a place for me to camp near a turtle hatchery on the beach.

Finally, we picked up my bike and then headed to nearby Bargara. It's a cute, new town on the ocean, and I suspect it will be like any of the nice Southern California cities in 10 or 20 years.

I had a deadline to meet, and I needed an Internet cafe. The one cafe in town was closed for the night, but the nice lady inside let me in when I showed her the most dejected and sad face I could muster. Whew! I had an e-mail to send to our Drive Around the World journal subscribers, and I had to get it out that day!

After the Internet, Ajay and I went to the pub across the street to eat. We shared an amazing seafood platter and sat and talked for an hour or so. Finally, after delaying goodbyes for as long as was possible, Ajay dropped me off at my campground, where I was bitten by no fewer than 23 gigantic mosquitoes.

Mileage: 0
Weather: Perfect
Final Location: Bundaberg

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

This is not my happy face. Here I am, hopelessly broken down just 10 km outside of Baffle Creek. I need a special tool to remove the cassette and unstick my chain. I'll be loading onto the ute in the background for a ride into Bundaberg.

Journal and photos by Nancy Olson

Well, I am writing today from Baffle Creek, still. I tried to leave, but a mechanical failure caused me to be delayed another day. Here's how it all went down:

I got up late, and it was raining. Early in the morning, I'd had to jump out of my tent and cover it with tarps to keep from getting soaked. Fitful sleep made me want to sleep late into the morning. I got up and did a little work on the Internet, and then we had some breakfast.

I prepared to leave, and we said our goodbyes. Gabbi gave me some cool felt juggling balls that she made, and I gave Ajay a USMC sticker, because he's a big military enthusiast.

I finally got on the road at about 1240. Just as I left the driveway, I saw a huge spider camped out on my handlebars! YIKES! I quickly pulled over and flicked the uninvited hitchhiker off with a stick. Yech. I HATE spiders! (Speaking of spiders, Gabbi and Ajay have a HUGE huntress spider living behind a cabinet in their home. She comes out at night to catch flies near the light, but she never comes down to where somebody might accidentally get too close to her. She is big and beautiful and terrifying.)

I finally got back on the road and realized that my shifting was a bit hesitant. I figured I'd fix it at my first rest stop.

Well...ten kilometers down the road is a small town called Rosedale, the intersection for which is at the top of a small hill. I climbed the hill and attempted to shift to an easier gear near the top. Just then, my sluggish shifting turned into disastrous shifting, and my chain went beyond what should have been its stop limit and ended up getting stuck between my spokes and the rear cassette. Normally, this wouldn't be a big deal, but the cassette wrench is the ONLY tool I didn't bring with me on this cycling trip. Who'd have thought I'd need to remove my cassette? (The cassette is the pyramid of chainrings attached to the rear wheel of a multi-speed bicycle.) I removed a couple of spokes in hopes of making enough space to free the chain, but it was stuck. I also tried to take the chain apart, but the link I needed to access was inaccessible.

SO...I had to walk to the nearby school and call Ajay and Gabbi's place. Ajay said he'd ceme and get me. While I waited, several nice people pulled over to ask if I needed help, including a pair of Swiss tourists in a big camper van. In a few minutes, though, Ajay appeared in his "Ute" to rescue me. His utility vehicle, a flat-bed rear with a car front, had recently been in an accident and needed brake and transmission work, so we went back to the farm. I called around to bike shops in Bundaberg, the town I had been heading for when I broke down, and found one that could do the work immediately. It was about 70 km away. Ajay worked on the car, and we decided to wait until morning to head to Bundaberg. I was disappointed, but one more day with my new friends was a nice prospect, and we got to eat leftover Thai pumpkin soup for dinner! YUM!

After dinner, we watched Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and had a delicious desert. I even got to do some Internet work. Tomorrow, I will try to leave again.

Mileage: 10
Weather: Rainy morning/beautiful rest of the day
Final Location: Baffle Creek

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

A cyclone south of where Neil and Adam were surfing in Brazil made the surf on their beach outstanding.

Journal and photos by Neil Dana

We are on our last week in Brasil and our friend Erika from Rio showed up to spend a few days with us. Adam, Erika and I have been going to the beach, walking around different areas, and exploring the terrain. All the walking is a bit difficult for me right now since my feet are torn up, but oh well. I am still surfing, but not as much, since I am trying to heal my wounds. Unfortunately, since they are deep, it will take many consecutive days, if not weeks, out of the water until they completely healed. The beaches around here are so beautiful, with green trees everywhere and white sand beaches lining the coast.

We are in a smaller town, renting a nice house, and we buy most of our food from the market and have breakfast at home. For lunch, we have been eating at this all-you-can-eat buffet. They prepare fresh fish or beef for you upon request, and then you have your choice of all kinds of various salads and vegetables, among rice and potatoes and beans, etc. And all this for 9 Reals, which is $3 in the U.S. Erika also made us some great pies too; one apple pie and one banana pie, mmmn, that was a treat.

And of course, the surf has been great, too. Unfortunately for people down south, there was a cyclone that destroyed many houses, but we were far enough north to receive the swells from the storm and benefit with great waves. We really got lucky the past few weeks with the surf. It usually is flatter during this time of year.

Well, this is a short journal entry, as we are just chillin', playing guitar, and enjoying our last week in Brasil. Adam and I are flying to Chile for a week before we head to Australia to meet the team. Until then, Ciao!!

Neil

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

The beach at Agnes Water, where Ajay and Nancy surfed and surfed.

Journal and photos by Nancy Olson

I woke up with Ajay and Gabbi's dog, Sera, sleeping outside of my tent. Ajay had tried to coax her to follow him when he went to move the goats from one pasture to the next, but she wanted to stay with me...how sweeeet... Ajay has five goats, including two babies whom he and Gabbi had to raise by hand when the mother died in labor. One of them is named Boof, and he wasn't feeling too well today. Boof's sister is PJ (I think...I get the goats confused). They have another bigger goat, an Afghan goat with beautiful, soft, white hair, who likes to shake his head and make funny noises at people. His name is Weasel. I forget
the oldest goat's name, but he is stubborn and rules over the other goats like a dictator. Ajay's male dog, Sheba, the pride-and-joy of Gabbi and Ajay, had to help move the stubborn goat out of one pen and into another by barking and nipping at his heels. A couple of times, I thought for sure he would get a big head-butt.

After we moved the goats, I went on a walking tour of the ranch with Ajay. He pointed out the dams and water sources, the big old primary trees, the old cattle dip (where the ranchers used to dip the cattle in insecticide), and an old shed full of junk and treasures. The cement cattle dip was etched with the date 1047...I can't imagine the history some of those giant fig trees have witnessed. They are the only living things that have been around for the entire history of the cattle property.

After the tour, I worked on the Internet all morning, and we finally decided to head to the beach at about 1400. All three of us headed out to Agnes Water, and Ajay and I rented long boards for surfing. The waves were inconsistent as could be, and the wind made them choppy. At times, they were huge and powerful and scary, and at times they were teensy.

After about an hour of catching short little mediocre waves, I finally caught a real beaut and rode it all the way in to the shore. It was awesome. I felt like Gidget! Unfortunately, the guy who rented me the board was there on the shore motioning for Ajay and me to return our boards. It was time to close up shop. We got half of our money back, so we ended up paying just $5 for an hour and a half of surfing! After paddling around on the board on my belly for so long with no rash guard and only my bikini-clad bare skin as protection against the deck of the surf board, my stomache was sore, red, and raw from the friction. Ah, but it was worth it!

Gabbi had been collecting shells and rocks and walking the beach, and we all met up at about 1730 to head home. A club next to the parking lot was having $10 dinner specials, though, and we decided to hook into some cheap grub. We ate and listened to locals jam on the guitar, and then we headed home. At home, we had a desert of pumpkin soup! It was so good that I'm afraid I'm going to crave it for the rest of my days. It had coconut milk in it. Anything and everything that contains coconut milk is El Numero Uno in my book. This "Thai Pumpkin Soup" will go down as one of my all-time favorite meals. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water!

I really need to get on the road, so I'll leave tomorrow.

Mileage: 0
Weather: Beautimous
Final Location: Baffle Creek

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

More than 100 years ago, at Barrio La Boca's start, the residents painted their homes with bright paints given to them by the shipyards. The bright colors are still used today.

Journal by Chanda Baggarly

With little resistance, Nick, Todd and I broke away from the chains of the Ethernet and spent the afternoon in La Boca.

La Boca is one of Buenos Aires' best tourist attractions. In the 19th century, when scores of Italians immigrated to Buenos Aires, some settled in La Boca barrio (neighborhood) and began a colorful tradition that is still carried on today. La Boca is a port city and there are many fishing boats and ships. One hundred years ago, for economic reasons, the residents of La Boca used left over corregated metal from the ship yards to build their homes and also used the excess paint from the ship yards to paint them. The ship yards sold them many bright and colorful paints, all of which were used by the residents. The neighborhood quickly became one of the most colorful neighborhoods in the world. This tradition is still carried on today, and at some point La Boca become a major tourist spot. Being tourists, we we grabbed our tourist gear----cameras, sunblock, and map---and headed out to see La Boca.

We happened to visit the barrio on a soccer game day. La Boca has their own team and thousands of proud fans. We saw some of the more zealous fans on the streets as we entered neighborhood---it was easy to spot the decked out fans in blue and yellow Boca colors. The stadium is just two blocks from the touristy area where we were, so we could also hear the game's high and low points. Boca fans take the game very seriously and have been known to go a little crazy after a game. In fact, our afternoon in Boca was cut short when the soccer game ended. At 3:00 the shopkeepers, cafes, and restaurants closed up quickly around us minutes before the fans---defeated or victorious---flooded the streets. We were sitting at an outdoor café, enjoying a cup of coffee, when our waiter packed up all of the tables and chairs and offered us a cab ride home. We reluctantly took the cab offer. Would have loved to hang out there a little longer just to see what happened.

La Boca won, by the way.

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

We caught some beautiful waves and beautiful sights at this beach at Agnes Water.

Journal and photos by Nancy Olson

I was having a wonderful time at Baffle Creek, and I hated the prospect of leaving, but I had much work to do on the Internet. Knowing that my need for the Internet was the thing pulling me away from Baffle Creek, Ajay and Gabbi called their Internet service provider and connected to the world-wide web. Cool! Now I could use Ajay's laptop to get work done, and we could go fishing and surfing for a day or two longer!

I got a lot of work done in the morning while Ajay and Gabbi did their work around the farm, and then we decided to head to Agnes Water and the beach. On the way, we stopped by a surf shop to get wax for Ajay's boogie board, and he showed me some knit beanies that Gabbi had made out of wool and natural dyes. The beanies are in the surf shop for sale, and I am really impressed with how awesome they are!

We hit the beach with the boogie board, and I brought my goggles for body surfing, but we decided not to rent surfboards as it was too late in the day. I did catch a bunch of waves, though, and I was even able to stand up (briefly) on the boogie board. I definitely feel the need to surf! It's only $10 for two hours, so I think it's a must-do!

The sun set on our way home, and Gabbi had dinner ready when we returned. It was super-delicious, again, and we all ate 'til we were full. I also got a bit more Internet work finished, and I showed Gabbi and Ajay our website with the journals and photos.

Mileage: 0
Weather: Super
Final Location: Baffle Creek

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

Rio's famous Pão de Açucar and beaches.

Journal and photo by Justin Mounts

Today is LONGITUDE Expedition day 149, and I have found redemption…Actually, I’ve finally found time to go to Corcovado to see statue of Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer).

This famous statue of Christ with his arms outstretched has sat atop Corcovado (Hunchback) Mountain since 1931, and it is visible from everywhere in Rio, night or day. It is particularly impressive at night, simply because the way it was designed and lit: Jesus appears to hover over the city in the darkness, granting his protection and guidance to all Cariocas below.

After beginning my day by visiting the Flemengo futebol training camp (my new favorite team, if you remember), I borrowed a car from a friend and headed off to the Parque Nacional da Tijuca. The drive through the park and up the mountain provided ample opportunities to see not only the greener side of Rio, but also some spectacular peeks through tree lines to the city spread out beneath me.

Arriving at the base of Cristo Redentor was nothing less than amazing. Here I am face-to-face with the icon of Rio, a 30-meter tall sculpture of Jesus. His arms are outstretched, welcoming visitors from all over the world to the fabled beaches of Rio. In short, it is an awe-inspiring place. Immediately, you recognize the pose from postcards of Brazil, with the statue facing Pão de Açúcar. To his right, you can see the Jardim Botânico gardens, Ipanema, and Leblon, while to his left the city expands beyond Maracanã with the Serra dos Órgãos Mountains in the distance.

Another sight from Corcovado is the collection of favelas, where the poorest four million of Rio’s population live. In a city that contains immense amounts of beauty and culture, it is difficult to imagine a group of people so destitute that they almost exist as a community of exiles. These shantytowns that blanket many of Rio’s surrounding hillsides have no schools, no doctors, and no jobs. What they do have is copious amounts of violence and drug abuse coupled with police brutality and corruption.

In spite of knowing all of Rio’s problems, when you look down on the Cidade Maravilhosa, you are immediately filled with a sense of peace. You are separated from the noise and pollution that accompanies every large metropolis, and you are alone with the city and her aura. Corcovado is a placed revered by all Carioca’s, and it is only after visiting it that you feel Rio. It is then that you began to understand a small portion of the Carioca’s spiritual fibre.

In my time in Rio, I have had the opportunity to meet people of every different class. I have met poverty-stricken families that live in apartments the same size as some peoples’ closets, and I have met Brazilian celebrities from an Oscar-nominated film, and what I learned is that every person, regardless of his or her social status, cares deeply about Rio, about Brazil, and about other Cariocas. The rich regularly give to the poor, and the poor regularly give to the poorer, because the social infrastructure does not exist to provide assistance to those who need it.

So, more than I have seen in other places of the world, the people are looking out for the people. Through a conscious choice, they are all linked together as a community, and many feel guilty for having an easier or better life than the others. Sure, less help is given to those who have self-inflicted problems, but for those who simply have not had the opportunity to make a better place in the world for themselves, the others are there helping, even if only in a very small way.

The Encarta Dictionary (it’s the only one I have available right now) defines redemption as, “the saving or improving of something that has declined into a poor state.” Whether it’s the Carioca way to make up for the gluttonous celebrations they have, the governmental deficiencies, or something more personal, it seems to me that Christ the Redeemer is the perfect role model for the city, and perhaps Rio is a good source of inspiration for us all.

Until next time, I wish you all well from the far side of the world.

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

Colin and friends have rented this house on the beaches of Jericoacoa.

Journal and photo by Colin McAuliffe

Ok,
Well, I know I keep talking about how I'm going to write this big thing about my first horseback riding experience, but it's just too hot, and I'm on vacation. I'll just say that it was tons of fun, and since then, I've been riding horses almost every day. In fact, when I'm done with this email, I'm going to go riding.
Lee and Rob(aka Dave) left this morning on a buggy going up the coast toward Belem. It was a sad departure, and I'm going to miss those guys. We had lots of fun together, many a joke was told, many a good time was had, and many a hammock was laid in. I think I laughed more in the last week than I had in the last four months of my journey. Now it's just me and Jasmine, the Isreali girl. Apparantly, John, the crazy American I met in Salvador is on his way up here, but who knows.
So now my main question is, where do I go from here? I really don't know what to do. I suppose I should fly down to Sao Paulo for a while and see my buddy Leo, one of the subjects of the film I made in Australia, or I could just go back to Rio and hang out with Erika and Duda, but 10 more days in Rio would be a little extreme, I think. I could also hang out on one of the islands outside Salvador for a few days and then go back to Rio. The Sao Paulo deal sounds like the best one, but I have a feeling it would be a little costly. Ah, I just can't make any decisions right now.

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

New friend Ajay Parmanand sits on the shores of Baffle Creek, Queensland's last pristine river.

Journal and photos by Nancy Olson

Ajay and I had grand plans to do some early morning fishing, but nobody was awake and ready early in the morning. Instead, we went down to the river at around 0900 and tried our luck. It was too late to catch the good ones, but Ajay got a catfish on about his second or third cast. We let him go, though.

After more than a half hour of waiting, my attention was distracted by what I thought must be a silver-dollar-sized turtle swimming near the bank. I put my pole down to investigate, but I ended up stirring up a lot of mud with my feet and clouding the waters too much to see. I was unable to locate the mysterious "turtle." I went back to my pole and began reeling it in. Just then (and isn't this always the way?), I felt a tug on my line. I valiantly fought a six-inch brim and pulled him into shore. I ran over to where Ajay was fishing and had him take my photo and then remove the hook (Ajay also put the stinky chicken bits on my hook for me, because I am a GIRL, and girls don't have to touch the bait or the fish!). Unfortunately for the little brim, he had swallowed the hook. It was too far down in his throat to remove without injury, and Ajay had to practically rip his guts out to remove the hook. I would have let him go, but he was a goner. I promised the little fishie we'd enjoy every bite of him so his death would not be in vain. As Ajay was cleaning him, an big aquatic roach-like bug came out of his mouth and tried to swim back in. Apparently many fish are the host to such parasites, who feed off of what the fish eats! He was a disgusting little sucker!

So, we brought the prize fishy up to the house and put him in the fridge for later. Meanwhile, Gabbi and Ajay and I decided to head to nearby Agnes Water to see the beach and to have lunch at a Thai restaurant in town. Next to Agnes Water is the Town of 1770, where Captain James Cook arrived on the shores of Australia when he discovered the continent in that year. It's a beautiful place.

While waiting for our Tom Ka Gai soup (my absolute favorite meal in the universe), I got online to check my e-mail. I'd been in dire need to do that for several days, but the last few places had problems accessing my mail server.

In my mailbox were several old and looming taskers from Nick, including some hate mail urging me to get my rear in gear and get some work done, (because Drive Around the World comes before bike riding and being a bar maid). Ugh! Because we were all just in Central and South America, where there is a great Internet cafe on every corner, nobody quite understands that this First World country (or Queensland, at any rate) has very few internet access points and very slow and unreliable connections. That's why I end up spending a day or two in the towns that have good Internet. Anyway...

My failure to perform my duties put me into a funk, and Gabbi told me to go for a swim to get over it. That was excellent advice. I went into the waves and body surfed with Ajay until both of us were exhausted and water-logged. It was awesome! Tomorrow, I want to come back and rent a surf board.

After a couple of hours, we called it a day and headed back to the farm on Baffle Creek.

Gabbi cooked up a dinner of yummy chicken curry, and we ate teh sad little perch as an apetizer. Boy, was he gooooood! Mmmm! His excellent flavor allowed me to get over the guilt I felt over having killed him before his time, and we planned to fish for some more of those tasty brim tomorrow morning, before I have to leave.

Life is GOOD!

Mileage: 0
Weather: Brilliant
Final Location: Baffle Creek

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

It was difficult saying goodbye to new friends Suzanne, Maddie, Sam, and Chris Dougall.

Journal and photos by Nancy Olson

I had a lazy wakeup at 0800 and met Suzanne and Chris downstairs for breakfast. Suzanne made a wonderful Texas dish of egg, cheese, and tortilla chips scrambled together and placed inside of a corn tortilla. Last night, Suzanne and I discussed the difficulties of finding proper Mexican-food ingredients in Australia. Her biggest regret is that she cannot get Velveeta, and it is impossible to import it. Actually, you can't even find orange cheddar cheese here. It's all white. She said it's also impossible to find ingredients for making real tamales, which is a bummer because I wanted to give her a good recipe.

I really did not want to leave my new friends. I just felt a real connection with them, and it is sad to have to move on. I think I'll see them again, and the Realfs, too, when my team comes back through Miriam Vale.

Suzanne surprised me with a CD by Shannon Knoll, runner up for Australian Idol (their version of American Idol), and they gave me an "I love Australia" koala keychain, too. I gave them my Nora Jones "Feels Like Home" CD, and it was a very teary-eyed farewell. We have a very special connection, and I am so thankful to have made such a wonderful new friendship.

On my way through town, I stopped by the visitor's center to say goodbye to Greg Realf. There, he gave me the name and address of some friends near Baffle Creek and said I should pay them a visit. Since the other introduction he made went so well, I said I'd stop in on Ajay and Gabbi at Baffle Creek.

My chosen route will take me off of the Bruce Highway (YEA!) and along a smaller country road to the coast, and then it will shoot me back onto the Bruce Highway to the south, at a town called Childers. Childers is three days from Miriam Vale that way.

I enjoyed biking along a quiet country road for 50 km until I came to Baffle Creek, where Greg had told me I was to make a right onto the driveway just over the bridge.

I turned onto a driveway covered in tall grass and came to a closed gate. I went through the gate, closing it behind me, and greeted the goats I passed along the way. About a hundred meters up the drive, I came to another gate, behind which stood a small storage shack and a house under construction.

I timidly yelled out, "Hello? Ajay?" I was praying Greg had called ahead to warn them of my arrival.

I needn't have worried. Ajay Parmanand came out of the storage building, which was converted into a cozy one-room home, and introduced himself. He gave me a generous lunch and then we did a short tour of the property. Ajay has several head of cattle, a couple of horses, five goats, and two dogs. He and his partner, Gabbi, have planted all sorts of fruit trees, vegetables, and herbs, and are working on getting certified as an organic farm. Ajay impressed me with his knowledge of grasses, insects, trees, and all the species of plants and wildlife on his property. Ajay's ethnicity is Indian, and he is from Fiji, where his ancestors were brought to mind the cane fields. I asked if his knowlege of farming comes from his life in Fiji, but he said it comes from reading books, researching on the Internet, and experimenting.

By the time we finished the tour of his property, Gabbi had returned from town, and they invited me to stay the night. I accepted, and Ajay and I went down to Baffle Creek, which borders his property, for a swim. The water was refreshingly cold and full of jumping fishies. Tomorrow, we will try to catch some.

After our swim, we each enjoyed a hot outdoor shower and a delicious meal prepared by chef Gabbi. I set up my tent and went to slept under a big mango tree in the yard, thankful for all of my new friends. Missing the Dougalls, I fell asleep to the CD they gave me.

Mileage: 50 km
Weather: Perfect
End Location: On the Baffle Creek, just shy of Rosedale

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

Chris and Suzanne Dougall (and dog, Kid) survey their property from high on a hill. Their cattle ranch, or "station", is a pleasant home where young cattle go to grow up into big, strong, beef cattle.

Journal and photos by Nancy Olson

We had an early morning at the Realfs. This disciplined family wakes up early to prepare for work and school, and it felt good to be getting an early start. The whole house was awake by 0600, and I was treated to a delicious bowl of Milo cereal, which is a little bit like Coco Puffs crossed with Frosted Flakes. DEE-Licous! Over breakfast, we discussed the possibility of me going to meet friends of the Realfs, Chris and Suzanne Dougall. Suzanne is a transplanted Texan, and she, Chris, and kids Maddie and Sam live on and operate a cattle ranch (which, in Australia, are called cattle stations).

Torn between getting on the road and going to see the Dougalls and their ranch, I had to remind myself that I had plenty of time and only one opportunity to meet the Dougalls. Greg phoned Suzanne, and I received an invitation to go and see them.

I NEVER travel in any direction other than South, whenever I can help it, but I actually went about six kilometers back up the road and out of town to the north in order to pay a visit to the Dougall family. When I arrived, I was greeted on the long dirt driveway by Kid, a beautiful cattle dog with a friendly disposition.

Suzanne and I talked for a bit, and I explained to her a little bit about what I was doing in Miriam Vale, and then I met Chris and got to know the two of them a little bit. I also had the privilege of meeting their two terrific kids, big brother Sam and younger sister Maddie, before they left for school.

Later, Suzanne and Chris and I went on a 4X4 driving tour of their property. They have acres and acres of grazing paddocks full of cattle, most of which are a type of Brahman. We were on the hunt for some kangaroos, because I wanted to see them, and Kid had fun running around in front of us and scoping out shortcuts and places to swim. We saw quite a few roos, but they're difficult to snap photos of. Chris pointed out the differences in the cattle breeds, talked to me about his ranching practices (he works with the cattle's natural herd instincts, rather than against them, creating a happier animal, a better job, and a better product), and showed me the blue gum, iron bark, blood wood, and paper bark trees. I learned about the importance of bugs such as the dung beetle and dung fly, which help to fertilize the soil and break down the cattle excrement. We saw where the cattle graze and drink, and I learned the importance of rotating the paddocks to keep the nutrient content high in the grass. I also learned about the importance of checking the watering holes for dead kangaroos, which end up there as a result of dingo chases, and create a danger to the cattle who might drink in the decaying animal's bacteria.

I am going to arrange for an educational visit to the Dougall ranch with my team, and I hope school kids will be interested in learning more about Australia's beef producers and life on a real Australian cattle ranch (station). What do you think?

By the end of the day, the Dougalls and I were fast friends, and I was pleased to accept an invitation to stay the night. The guest room was fantastic, and I enjoyed an incredible steak with au gratin potatoes for dinner, prepared by the host with the most, Chris.

I am so glad I decided to go and meet the Dougall family. I feel certain they will be lifetime friends of mine--and not just because Suzanne is a Texan, like me. They are just amazing people. I have to thank Greg and Phillipa Realf for introducing us. Amazing people always have amazing friends. Thanks, Realfs.

Mileage: 6 km
Weather: Beautiful
End Location: Miriam Vale

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

Chanda, Todd, and Nick, out and about in B.A.

Journal by Todd Borgie

Work was on the agenda all day today. Yes we are fairly boring here in Buenos Aires, working on Education stuff, sponsor deliverables, and generally anything that comes up. Nick, Chanda, and I are trying to get ahead of the game so the next half of the expedition will be a lot less demanding. We are certainly looking forward to all the upcoming sights.

I have been working on the educational pages, trying to get a better format that will be easier to use, and a more straightforward design in terms of navigation. After traveling for four months, I have realized the difficulties in keeping stuff updated from the road, and also what I have to do to get ahead of the game in the future. I have also had time to reflect on what has worked, what is confusing, and how I can improve the site. The education program is a lot of fun, but web work is extremely tedious.

In the mornings, I am usually the first one who wakes here; occasionally Chanda will wake up before me, but not usually. Chanda has been patiently waiting for her laptop to be repaired; a mishap with gravity has led to great agitation for her. She has to wake up before Nick in order to use his laptop; Nick usually gets up at about noon, as he is synched up with the workday in the United States, in particular he is synched with California, which is five hours after us.

Anyway, after five or six hours working on the computer, three cups of coffee, two cups of mate, and a Roquefort calzone, Chanda sprung me from this cyber jail. I am the Spanish speaker for all of us, so I get to go on all the cool and not-so-cool errands. Today we were headed to the American Airlines offices, trying to secure inexpensive flights to Australia for the team. The great thing about these errands is when I go with Chanda, we always get coffee and desserts; when I go with Nick, we either get coffee or a beer. Besides the treats, I think it is just nice to stretch the legs and check out this beautiful city. I am always up for the adventure, and I love quests.

Anyways, we started out with dessert; a nice lemon merrangue gave me enough juice to talk to the airlines. Unfortunately, American Airlines couldn’t help us out unless we were to fly through the United States, kind of a long way around to go from Argentina to Australia. They were sorry and sent us off to Lan-Chile and Qantas airlines, as they have direct flights. Unfortunately, the airlines keep more regular business hours than other stores. Oftentimes, stores close here in the afternoon for a siesta, and then reopen at about 4:00 p.m., at which point the stay open until about 9:00 p.m. Unfortunately, this was not true of the airlines, which closed at about 5:30 p.m. We got directions to the other airlines, but found them all to be closed.

There is a giant obelisk in the center of town. It looks a lot like the Washington Monument in D.C. A couple of weeks ago, we met a fellow named John who said there was a hostel here called the Lime House that was a lot of fun. Getting tired of hanging out with the married folks, I decided we should figure out where this place was. All we knew was that it was somewhere around the obelisk. We walked to the obelisk and started asking around. Once I ask more than two people, it becomes a mission to find whatever I am looking for. Much to our dismay, no one had heard of it. We started asking in the Internet cafés, frequent hangouts of travelers, but after two of them, we found no love. Finally, we ran into a fellow that sent us in the direction of a number of hostels, a couple of blocks away, but we still couldn’t find this seemingly fictitious Lime House. It was then that we ran into a Norwegian woman and guy from Saratoga, CA. After talking to them for about 10 minutes, we told them of our mission to find the Lime House. They said that the Lime House was just around the corner, less than twenty yards away. Having gone this far, Chanda and I ducked in to see what it was all about.

This place, although not very fancy, was great. It had a big common room where everyone could hang out, a pool table, and couches that various people were sitting in reading books. It was not hard to strike up conversations with fellow travelers, despite the loud music playing on the stereo, and before I knew it there were about eight of us in the front room playing guitars and chatting. There were people from England, Germany, South Africa, Peru, Australia, Ireland, and the United States. We all spoke English, and sometimes we would slip into Spanish. We had a ball just hanging out, being goofy, and swapping stories from all over South America. Talking to travelers is always fun and informative. Everyone has wild stories, and laughs are guaranteed.

Topics ranged from politics, the plummeting dollar, to travel spots, and making fun of each other’s countries. Chanda introduced the topic of birth order and found that the crowd was mostly made up of youngest kids, which in psychology is characterized by a do-your-own-thing, playful attitude. Hanging out with the young ones is always fun, sometimes much to our older siblings' dismay.

I began giving a guitar lesson to a Brit (British person) named Jo; we had a lot of fun just goofing around. Suddenly hunger struck, and people began to filter out for dinner. I had no idea what time it was, but I had caught the hunger vibe as well. Jo and I had to complete our guitar lesson, but we said we would meet up with everyone a little later. Chanda went home at one point, but I was having too much fun to leave. Apparently Jo and I missed the rest of the group but found another corner restaurant and had raviolis and grilled cheese. I am always surprised at the hours people keep here, because as Jo and I were walking home, I looked up to see a clock reporting 4:30 a.m.; I was surprised but then remembered were I was. The restaurant had just closed at 4:00 a.m. We got back to the hostel and things were still in full swing with at least half-a-dozen to a dozen people hanging out.

Jo is heading down to Patagonia, but she offered to let me take her guitar while she is traveling down south. Great, I hope she has a wonderful trip there, and look forward to seeing her when she returns. Soon after, I was on my home, with a guitar and another great evening under my belt. I love traveling!

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

A country ant (left) and a city ant (right) each have five cents. If the city ant steals the country ant's nickel, how much money does he have now?

Journal and photos by Adam Burgess

I’ve got a newfound interest in ants lately and confessed to Neil the other day that I could spend a lifetime analyzing them in all their differing forms. Or lets say if I were to wake up an entomologist tomorrow, I would choose them as my focus. In Rio, the sugar was extremely fine grained, and the ants were minuscule, absolutely tiny and jet-black. I drew the conclusion that ants had evolved to the size of sugar grain around the world, but Praia Do Rosa threw a wrench in the theory. The sugar is the same grain as Rio here, but these ants are among the largest I’ve ever seen and have legs so long and powerful that they belong on a spider. Their heads are huge and black, while their bodies are a wicked red. This flaw in my sugar-grain theory led me to draw a new conclusion.

The city ants have it really easy, and the need of such a machine-like body has become obsolete. Instead, they work in shear numbers almost effortlessly through your tiled sink crack, pouring through in throngs, invisible in size. Whereas; in the countryside, the terrain is a little more demanding what with dirt roads and wild animals. The lack of infrastructure offers less shelter, and so when it pours, these hybrid ants need long legs to hold their torso and massive heads above the puddles.

The benefit to these massive walking heads is that they take away that chunk of food by the sink almost immediately and single-handedly, while the city ants call in an army and work on it for a couple of days. For this reason, I have more respect for the larger brothers, whose ant trail consists of two or three workers. Obviously I’ve got time on my hands. Little is happening here other than relaxing days of surfing and the occasional email.

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

Nancy with Phillipa, Greg, and Kelsie Realf at their home in Miriam Vale. Through Greg, Nancy has made nine new friends.

Journal and photos by Nancy Olson

I left the camp ground at about 0900, and I was feeling like I was pretty much in the middle of nowhere. There just isn't alot to see along this stretch of the Bruce Highway, and what you do see isn't always that pleasing to the eye. I saw a spider whose abdomen was the size of a 50-cent piece, and it scared the heck out of me! As gross as it was, I still had to get a picture of it.

I was getting pretty hungry a little after one, and I decided to pull over for some lunch, even though I only had about 20 km to go. I had some pita bread with cheese, Vegemite, and chutney, and then I got back on the road. Just as I pulled onto the pavement, I realized my tire felt low. Dang! I had a slow leak. Rather than patch it or change the tube, I decided just to pump it up and hope it would last me to Miriam Vale. As I was stopped on the side of the road, two cars stopped to see if I needed help. See, Australians are awesome people. The second car offered me cold water, and they gave me a big bottle of H2O with ice in it. That was an incredible treat on this hot day.

When I arrived in town, I checked out the first caravan park I came to. It looked a bit crowded, and the spot that wasn't crowded was next to the stinky bathrooms, so I moved on. There was a visitor's center one kilometer further south, so I went inside. I was met by smiling Greg Realf who, after a brief conversation, invited me to stay with his family just down the road. He has hosted a number of guests from all over the world, and I immediately took him up on the offer.

We both had errands to run, so I got directions to the house and agreed to meet there at 1730. By then, wife Philippa and daughter Kelsie would be home. I stopped to use the Internet in town and was offered a place to stay by another nice Aussie local. When I told her I already had a place, she (Melissa) said I should stop by for some barbecue, at least, and I agreed. Unfortunately, I couldn't find her house after using the Internet, and I had to get over to Realf's. I know she must think I stood her up, but, well, I didn't mean to!

The Realf's live in a cool eco-friendly home that Greg built, and their hospitality was warm and genuine. We had a delicious spaghetti dinner and got to know a bit more about each other. This is the part of solitary travel that is so enriching--I've made wonderful new friends all over Queensland. Phillipa teaches mentally and physically-challenged children, Kelsie is an aspiring gymnast, and Greg is running for city council. One of his biggest concerns is preserving Queensland's only pristine river (meaning it has no dams and is 100% natural), Baffle Creek. They own quite a few acres along its banks, and active/caring citizens meet regularly to try to keep the river pristine.

The Realfs have invited my team to stay on their property and have a barbecue when we swing back through on our way north to Cairns. Now, that would be fun!

Mileage:
Weather: Fair/Partly Cloudy/Extremely windy
End Location: Miriam Vale

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

Neil Dana shredding it on the outrageous surf of Brazil. (The name of the surf spot is being withheld to protect the sanctity of the location...)

Journal and photos by Neil Dana

Alright, this is Neil coming at you from Brazil on a beautiful cloudy day filled with epic surf!

The day started out in the early AM, about 5 a.m., to be exact, when the generous pousada attendant knocked on our door to wake us up. I told him the night before to wake us up this early so I could go walk up and down a huge hill for an hour to reach the surf before anyone else did. Adam wasn't feeling so hot; his back has been bothering him for a while now, and even though the surf has been helping his back, today he took the day off and decided to be a bro and take some photos of me surfing. We awoke and Adam grunted and moaned a few times before we grabbed our grocery bags filled with bananas, apples, crackers and water and headed out the door. It was pitch dark when we left. We actually took a bus to a different town than we are renting a house in right now because the swell picked up and there is a surf spot that picks up the swell and, quite frankly, GOES OFF!!! ("Goes off", for those of you non-surfers is surf slang for when the waves are epic, fantastic, unreal, dreamlike, or incredible.) This town is closer to the surf spot than where our house is situated. If I were to take the earliest bus from our house to the town that is an hour walk from the surf spot, I wouldn't arrive until 9:30-ish, and that is unacceptable when the crowds arrive a little after dawn.

So it was an hour before dawn, and we were walking up the dirt road to this great surf spot, and I was hoping to be the first one in the water. The walk was long but fresh and filled with biting mosquitos, soon to be called "mozzies" once we're down unda. A quarter of the way there, a car passed, and a big "darnit!" resounded through my head. I guess I wasn't going to be the first in the water; oh well. We finally arrived, and the surf was cranking, and to my amazement there were already 6 people on the bluff getting ready to go out. By the time I ate some bananas and apples and waxed my board, there were two people in the water. So I gave Adam the lowdown about my camera and told him to click away.

I headed out towads the point, which is lined with boulderous rocks that are slippery and encrusted with barnacles and moss. It is really beautiful and set up perfectly for waves. Unfortunately for me, I wasn't exactly sure where to enter the water, so I headed down to one section of stones that looked like a good place to try and jump in the ocean. Jumping in the ocean may sound easy; however, when you have waves smashing against the rocks and you have to time your entry just right in order to jump in as the wave is crashing on the rocks, it becomes a challenge. Also, part of the game is that you can't get too close to the water's edge when the waves are smashing or else you will get pummeled. So you need to wait for an opportune time, and rush down slippery rocks to the jump-off point before a set comes. Well, when I chose the moment to go, I rock danced down to the edge of the rocks, but there were still too many rocks just beneath the surface, and it wasn't a good place to jump in, so I had to turn around. But before I turned around, I was checking out another area to jump off from. A wave was coming in, and I thought I was clear of any danger, but sure enough, the ocean wanted to slap me in the face, so she crashed on the rocks and swept me off my feet and slammed me into the rocks. It all happened pretty quickly, and I stood back up and jammed back up the rocks out of harm's way. I felt fine, a bit shook up and angry with myself for being an idiot, but I wasn't hurt...well not really...as I looked at my bloody feet!! Oh well, I had a big gash on one side of my left foot and other pieces of fresh, gleaming flesh (tongue twister) shining into the sun on the backs of both of my feet, and one slice on the bottom of my right foot.

One of the nice things about surfing ist that if you get cut up by reefs and rocks and your board, you can still surf and not feel the pain and have just as much fun. So I looked at my wounds and laughed at myself, and also watched a few other people get in the water 50 yards up from me, so I saw the good entry point and headed over there. Once I was there, I waited for the right moment and scurried down the rocks and jumped in the water, simple and easy.

So I paddled out to the boil on the point and tried to get some waves. Now, I say "try" because the locals here are pretty cool and friendly, but they still own the surf spot and will paddle around you every single time and sit deeper than you no matter what. And that is cool, and to be expected, I am just a foreigner there for the day. Everyone has to pay their dues. And sure enough, I caught plenty of waves! The first hour-and-a-half was the best; there were no more than 10 guys out, and it was possible to get a fair amount of waves. Once 9 a.m. rolled around, it started to get more packed. It just becomes a fierce arena to get the set waves, and I don't really dig being super aggressive trying to get waves. I'd rather find a spot with fewer people. But I had a blast out there and surfed until I was exhausted, then walked in the blazing sun for an hour back to town. Not to mention, I had to wrap a plastic bag around my foot to keep my sandal from rubbing into my wound. It makes you feel alive, I tell you!

I could describe the waves and the day in even more detail, how it is right point break and hollow at the take off, and describe how the locals here drink mate too, and all the other subtleties. Oh, and how the sun sets beautifully and the local restaurants are empty, and the children are practicing capoeira, even doing flips, and young young kids are jumping off of benches having fun carrying their homework, etc. But, I will leave the pictures to describe many of these details for you. It is yet another day and time for me to go and be a part of it in a more pleasing way, mentally and physically, than sitting here reminiscing about past events in front of the computer screen. Oh, and I am sorry I didn't name the place I surfed. Some things are better left unsaid.

Ciao,

Neil

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

Ken and Carmel O'Dowd displayed remarkable hospitality and generosity when I was a guest of their beautiful O'Dowd's Irish Pub. They are impressive people and wonderful friends, and I wish Carmel could have come along with me for a leg of my cycling tour.

Journal and photos by Nancy Olson

I'm leaving today.  I got up at eight and packed.  I realized the blank CD's I bought yesterday are defective, but, luckily, one of the guys staying at the pub is a computer geek, and he burned my images to a disk of his own for me.

I said goodbye to Swampy, Bernie, Cora Lee, and Bill, and I got all of Bill's contact info. I went by O'Dowd's Irish Pub to say goodbye and take a photo with Carmel and Ken.  Carmel said she wants to go with me, and I wish she could.  I think I'll see them again when the team swings back through Rockhampton.

I went by the store that sold me the defective CD's and exchanged them for a Black-Eyed Peas CD.

I finally pulled out of town at 1040 to begin my 75-km ride to Mt. Larcom.  The headwind was absolutely FEROCIOUS.  It was worse then ever, by far, and at times I was barely able to make forward progress.  Somehow, though, time went by quickly.  I was just happy to be on the road again, I think.  I was pleasantly surprised during my ride to see the O'Dowd's drive by me, not once, but twice!  I don't know where they were going, but it was super-cool to see them.  They honked and waved the first time, and then they pulled up next to me to talk the second.  Oh, it was great to see them.  From there, I had only 15 km to go, and I was getting tired.  With the wind, I was twice as slow as normal.

I arrived at a camp ground at 1530 and paid $6.60 for a spot.  The weather was windy and a bit chilly, and it looked like rain, so I set up my tarp.  I cooked vegetable lasagna, the last of my freeze-dried Mountain House meals, and coffee.  I spread some cheese and Vegemite on a piece of pita bread and topped it with fruit chutney.  Wow!  That's pretty good!

I finished up my day's journal entry and went to bed at 1830 with Nora Jones' new CD, “Feels Like Home”, playing in my headphones.  For a while, that was the only CD I had, and I can listen to it all day, every day, without getting sick of it.  It's all the music I need on this cycling trip.

Mileage:  73 km
Weather:  cooler, windy
Final Location:  Mt. Larcom

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

Nick, Chanda, and Todd play near the shore in Colonia del Sacramento, Uraguay.

Journal and photo by Chanda Baggarly

Nick, Todd and I went to Uruguay for the day. A three-hour boat ride across the River Plate from Buenos Aires can get you to a little town in Uruguay called Colonia del Sacramento.

We left Buenos Aires without a clear plan. We decided to just wing it; I knew of a good hotel and had read about some good restaurants. The historical town is small; you could walk through it and stop for ice cream in an hour, so there is not much to think about planning-wise.

We arrived at 4:00 a.m. Although there were a few people out and about, the town was quiet and calm. We walked about 8 blocks to Posada Don Antonio and knocked on the door. Pablo, the owner, greeted us with a smile as if he was expecting us, and let us in. The Posada Don Antonio is a 200+ years old, fully restored, Spanish villa. Beautiful. And only $15 USD per night.

Colonia is a UNESCO historical site. It is a charming little coastal town dating back to the 17th century. Colonia has wonderful old Portuguese colonial architecture, sycamore-lined streets, cobblestone lanes, and the oldest church in Uruguay, the Iglesia Matriz del Santisimo Sacramento, which dates from 1699. We hear that there is an old bull ring worth checking out, too, but we didn't make it. The bull ring is the only one in Uruguay and apparently never used, as bullfighting was abolished shortly after the ring was built.

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

The Fitzroy Hotel, also known as the "Swamper's Pub", is located in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia.

Journal and photos by Nancy Olson

Today was supposed to be the day I left, but I realized I needed photos of all the characters here at the Swamper's Pub.  So, I decided to stay one more night.  I have a ton of notes on the regulars at this pub, and I've tons to write about, but I don't want to say anything that might be misconstrued.  Instead, I will just say that this is a really interesting lot, and I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.  The people who are staying in the hotel, and the people who work here, are really wonderful.  They are good, caring people, and they would do anything for their friends, myself included, except give you money, because they don't have a lot of that.  But they'd give you the shirt of their back, and I do feel privileged to know them.  They've really welcomed me into their family here.  I wish I could say more about the amazing people I've met here, but that stuff is for my personal diary...and maybe for the book I might write about this experience one day...

I could write volumes on Robin, the middle-aged woman with a face full of piercings and a see-through mesh tank top that revealed another piercing. She's facing a third conviction for stabbing man with a knife, so she was closely monitored by the bar staff that night. I didn't mess with her. I believe that if someone is scared, he or she should say he/she is scared. I was scared. I wish I had a photo of Robin.

I spent most of the day updating journals, taking photos, and burning images to CD's so I could take them with me.  I also stopped by O'Dowd's to see Carmel and Ken, and then I went back to Fitzroy's to do more Internet work.  I even worked the bar for about an hour when the bar maid became ill. That bar maid, bless her heart, asked the question I had been dying to ask of the patrons at the Swamper's Pub. Out of the blue, she piped up with, "What happened to all of your teeth?"

The question was directed at the people at the bar, in general. When nobody answered, she asked again, "What happened to all of your teeth?"

Dumb looks all around, and then, "What do you mean?"

"Your teeth. You're all missing teeth. What happens to them?" she asked, more clearly.

Nobody really answered the question, probably because it was directed at no one in particular, rather than directly at somebody. Swampy did mention that his tooth had been broken by a beer bottle inadvertently bumping into his face.

That evening, Bill treated me and about five other friends to a wonderful dinner at a nice Thai restaurant.  I had some incredible yellow curried chicken.  My favorite!  Thanks, Bill!

When we returned, I had to get back on the computer to finish updating my journals, and I finally got to bed at 0245.

Here are images of my new friends:

My Rockhampton angel, Bill Duguid. He is the "publican", or owner of the Swamper's Pub, and he is my new friend. His hospitality is amazing.

This is Wally the Walrus. He lives in Gold Coast, but he was a guest at the Fitzroy for a while. He's totally loveable. Likes to whistle. Very polite and sweet like a big teddy bear.

I can't remember their names, but these two are regulars at the Swamper's Pub.

Regretably, I can't remember his name, either. He's the "Seafood Guy." He's the one who supplied me with my first taste of mud crab my first day in town. He pays his way at the pubs, etc., with fresh seafood.

This is Bernie. He's a great guy who frequents the Swamper's Pub and often helps out the owner, Bill. I am now privileged to call him a friend, and he went with Bill and the group to the Thai restaurant on my last night in town. The night before, he knocked out a guy who was drunk and tryin to pick fights with the clientele. One punch.

This is Gary, Cora Lee's significant other. He tends bar at the Swamper's Pub and helps out around the place. Cora Lee also works there. Gary is a real sweetheart, and he's a great friend to have.

Mileage: 0
Weather: Cool, Windy, Rainy
End Location: Rockhampton

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

Journal and photo by Justin Mounts

As part of my life in Brazil, I have started a new chapter this week. I am officially taking Portuguese lessons. Now, for those of you who know me, you know that I’m not really the type of person to go sit down in class for two hours a day to learn a language. I prefer my guerrilla-phrasebook tactics that have served me well all over the world. Rather than spend a couple of hours in a class with people who probably know less than I do, I would rather go to a local market and struggle through my interactions with the merchants, forcing myself to learn as rapidly as possible. I have found one thing to be true when you are in a foreign country that uses a different language: when you learn how to say something that is essential to you, you remember. Period. I don’t know why the brain works this way, but I imagine it is closely related to our sink-or-swim mechanism.

This is the second language I have studied so far on this expedition, and I know that soon I will be learning bits of Malay, Thai, Burmese, Hindi, Nepali, Mandarin, Uyghur, Uzbek, Kyrgyz, Kazakh, Nepali, and Russian. As the navigator, I frequently have conversations with people on the fly with three other cars waiting to hear what I found out. As such, my ability to absorb a language quickly has become paramount. While in Australia, I am spending time every day studying the essential things I may need to say or hear. I learned a lesson the hard way in Latin America. I knew for months that I would be traveling in Spanish-speaking countries, but with everything going on before the expedition departure, I neglected to study any Spanish. That came back to haunt me many times, and I stared at people blankly while trying to receive directions. In fact, I never even bought a phrasebook before we left. I will never go anywhere that unprepared again.

Volta a Portuguese…Portuguese, when written, is very similar to Spanish. And truthfully, as I thumb through my Portuguese/English dictionary, I am amazed at how many English words translate directly. Sure the pronunciation is different, but that’s the rub. Portuguese sounds very different from Spanish or English if you haven’t had any exposure. I am also finding that my Lonely Planet guidebook is correct when it says that, “most Cariocas speak little or no English.” I feel comfortable saying that ninety-nine percent of the time, if I can’t say something in Portuguese, I can’t get what I want. Similarly, if I can’t understand what is said back to me in an exchange, the lines of communication break down instantly.

Many of you are probably thinking that sign language or body language probably come in handy, and while that is true, I usually find that I feel dumb or that I am insulting the person I am talking to if I can’t keep going in Portuguese. You can only give the thumbs-up of “Tudo bem” so often before you just look like another grinning idiot who learned how to say one phrase before coming to Brazil.

So, determined to overcome my Portuguese deficiency, I have taken it upon myself to go back to school. Classes are four days a week from 8:00 am to 10:00 am, and I have 6 other people in my class. As it turns out, the studying I have been doing on my own (I currently own 4 books on learning Portuguese), combined with the pocket dictionary that I carry with me more (I actually carry it more often than my passport) have resulted in me learning a wealth of Portuguese. Granted, when I speak, it is all in present tense, but people understand what I am saying. And on a handful of occasions, I have actually been asked if I was Brazilian. Now, before you even have a chance to ask if I am kidding you, I’m not. And let me tell you why…

I have mastered the art of looking Brazilian. When I am in a conversation with a group of people, I look them in the eye and make all of the appropriate body language to indicate that I am listening and that I understand. I have also learned one other secret that is widely used by Brazilian men everywhere. When listening, all you have to do is grunt every now and then. When combined with an effectively timed, “uh-huh,” people have no reason to suspect that you are not Brazilian. It’s as simple as that.

Of course, it could also be this great tan that I’ve gotten here, too. Regardless, I will continue my classes at 8:00 am, four days a week, until I learn to correctly conjugate at least one word. I think I have enough money for that. Of course, conjugating one word requires learning 20 different variations of that same word. Good thing I have so much time in Rio.

Until next time, I wish you all well from the far side of the world.

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

At the horse races in Rockhampton, Nancy's new friend the jockey, Craig, won first place in the first race of the day...but the horses were so fast that nancy chopped off the winning horse's head...

Journal and photos by Nancy Olson

I woke up groggy, at about eight.  Four hours of sleep is insufficient for me.  I've always required a lot of sleep, and I consider sleep to be the absolute best thing on Earth.

I got dressed and ready, because I knew Bill wanted to show me the ropes at the rugby fields.  I ate some Rice Krispies for breakfast, but here they call them “Rice Bubbles.”  You have to love the subtle differences...

After an uneventful trip to the rugby field, I jumped back on the Internet.  The problem with the Internet at the Fitzroy is that it uses the same phone line as the debit system, which, in Australia, is called EFTPOS.  Don't ask me what that stands for, 'cause I haven't a clue.  All I know is that, every time somebody needs cash, I get kicked off the Internet.  Likewise, my Internet use causes the machine to reject the first try.  I feel bad, because I know it's a pain in the tushy for Flame and Bill and the clientel to have to tell me to hop off the net every time they need to run a debit.  Sorry, Bill!  After a little while, Cora Lee came upstairs and told me I couldn't use the Internet at all today.

Well, that's alright, because today is race day.  I stayed here in Rocky to see the races, and that's what I needed to do.  I rode to the tracks with one of the hotel guests, Warren, who owns and trains trotters.  They are the horses that trot really fast around the track and pull a little buggy behind them.  He and I went to watch the thoroughbreds, and I was excited to see Craig, the jockey from O'Dowd's Pub, race.  He was in the first race, so I put two dollars on his horse and two dollars on another.  Craig's horse won, although the other horse lost, and I ended up winning $5.00.  How 'bout them apples?  I only had time to stay for one more race before it was time to go help Bill at the rugby matches.

It was a slow night.  The population of Rockhampton is too small to fill two separate venues, and it seems most of the town was at the races.  There weren't many people at the rugby matches, and I didn't sell many drinks.  By nine p.m., I was ready to go to bed.

I put my earplugs in, and I was able to go to sleep very easily.  I slept blissfully through the night.

Mileage: 0
Weather: Sunny
End Location: Fitzroy Hotel, Rockhampton

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

Colin (center) enjoys beautiful Jericoacoa, Brazil, with new friends Lee and Rob.

Journal and photo by Colin McAuliffe

Well, I'm in a new locale, a small town called Jericoacoa. Its a cool little place surrounded by huge sand dunes and ocean. I'm having tons of fun. I've rented a house with two crazy English guys, Lee and Rob, an English girl, Beckie, and an Israeli girl named Jasmine. Tomorrow we are going to try and find a place right on the beach, but for now our crib is pretty sweet. Anyway, I think I can throw some new pictures up soon.

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

Nancy found a job as a bar maid at the Fitzroy Hotel for a couple of days while resting in Rockhampton.

Journal and photo by Nancy Olson

Reluctantly, I checked out of beautiful O'Dowd's Irish Pub this morning.  I hated to leave, because it was such a comfortable, clean, safe place to rest.  Carmel, who, along with husband Ken, owns the pub, mentioned maybe putting on a fundraiser for the team when we pass through on our way north.  Ooh!  That might be a good possibility!

I cycled over to the Fitzroy (About two miles) and moved into my new room.  It's a no-frills place, and my room was private and cozy.  Yesterday, Bill asked if I want to work for him on Saturday, because he needs somebody to sell beverages to the spectators at the rugby matches.  Huh.  Ok!  Sounds good.  It'll be fun, and I need the cash.  I worked on the Internet in Bill's office most of the day, and then he asked me if I wanted to learn how to pour a beer.  Well, I guess I need to learn before the matches on Saturday.  I worked the bar for half an hour and then returned to the Internet for a few more hours of work.  At about nine, I was summoned to the bar and worked until closing at about 0130.  I am a bar maid.  (They are not into political correctness here in Australia; bar maid is not considered rude or degrading...) Not my chosen profession, but it's an interesting change of pace.

Even though I was extremely tired, I had difficulty falling asleep in my new surroundings.  I think I just wasn't comfortable in this pub environment.  It's sort of a sketch part of town, and I'm unfamiliar with the clientel and the general vibe.  Outside, a man and woman were screaming obscenities at one another for several hours.  I finally fell asleep at around four in the morning.

Mileage:  0
Weather:  windy
End Location:  Fitzroy Hotel, Rockhampton
Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

Bill Duguid (pronounced "do-good") stands in front of his Rockhampton pub, the Fitzroy. Bill provided me with several free nights accommodation and lots of wonderful new friends and memories.

Journal and photos by Nancy Olson

I awoke in my lovely new surroundings at around 0800, did my laundry, did some quick window shopping, and hit the library to try out the Internet.  Wouldn't you know it, my e-mail was down.  That was a bummer, because I had big plans to get some much-needed work done!

I called Bill over at the Fitzroy pub and went over there to try my luck on the net again.  Still no luck, so I went downstairs to hang out with the people in the pub.  Bill bought me snacks and refreshments all day until he decided to show me Yeppoon.  Yeppoon is a beautiful city on the ocean, not far from Rockhampton.  I drove, and we had a nice tour of the area.  It was really strange being behind the wheel after riding my bike for so long, and it was stranger still driving on the wrong side of the road!  In a right-hand-drive car, everything is reversed.  Even the lights and windshield wipers are on the opposite side.  Every time I went to activate the turn signals, I ended up turning on the windshield wipers instead.  It was a big mess, and I just couldn't get it right.  Without fail, I turned on the wipers every time I went to make a turn.  Ugh!

I was getting tired, so we finally headed back to Rockhampton.  Bill dropped me at O'Dowd's by nine.  It was then that I had my first Australian beef.  I ordered a steak, and it was the size of my plate.  It was accompanied by delicious mashed potatoes and vegetables, and it was more than any human should consume in one sitting.  Delicious!

Tomorrow, I will move into the Fitzroy and, hopefully, work all day.

Mileage:  0
Weather:  Hot
End Location:  O'Dowd's Irish Pub, Rockhampton

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

The Rockhampton Pipe Band's drummer beats on as the sun begins to set on St. Patrick's Day at O'Dowd's Irish Pub.

Journal and photos by Nancy Olson

I was up by 0800 and on the road by 0845.  I awoke with my belongings slightly wet from rain, or dew, or something, but it wasn't a big deal.  I'll have to dry out my sleeping bag when I arrive in camp tonight, I think.

For the first hour or two, I had no wind, and that was super-sweet, but it picked up later.  The first thirty or forty kilometers went by very quickly, and I was psyched to finish this final leg on my 330-km stretch through the nothingness between Mackay and Rockhampton.  I stopped for a quick break at a service station along the way, and I couldn't resist a chocolate chip cookie that practically jumped out at me from beside the cash register.  With the cookie and a diet Coke, I was on the road again.  In the 100 kms to Rockhampton, I only saw maybe one other station, and I had a cold lemonade there.

I pulled into Rockhampton feeling triumphant and rewarded myself with a fish fillet meal at McDonald's.  Yummy!  I need to get out of this McDonald's habit!  At home, I never eat at Micky D's.

I had been planning on staying at Riverside Caravan Park, which is recommended in my Lonely Planet guidebook, but when I arrived, I decided I should maybe press on to a pub, instead.  My shoulders were feeling painful, and I longed for a comfy bed.  I pulled out the guidbook and was reminded of a highly recommended pub in town called “O'Dowd's Irish Pub.”  Irish pub...SOUNDS GOOOOOOD!!!

So, I jumped back on my bike and blazed a trail to the pub.  I parked outside and walked in to be greeted by a throng of partiers in green hats.  Imagine my luck!  I had arrived in Rockhampton at 3:30 p.m. on St Patrick's Day!  The party had started without me, but I was quickly asked to join the celebration by local legend Swampy Marsh.  Swampy, whose real name is Brian Douglas Patrick Marsh, made the mistake of touching my back, which was soaked in sweat from my day's ride.

“Are you Irish—Whoa!  Is it raining outside, or is that you?” he asked.

“I'm afraid that's me,” I said.  “I'm a little sweaty from my ride.”

They all enjoyed throwing questions at me about what I'm doing, where I've come from, where I'm going, and why in the heck I'm riding a “push-bike” down the East Coast of Australia.  Swampy and his friends, Bill and Cora Lee, were eager to have me join them for some St. Patrick's Day fun, but first I needed to get a room and secure my bike and gear.

Ken and Carmel O'Dowd are the proud owners of beautiful O'Dowd's Irish Pub, and Ken checked me into a room (for ½ price) and summoned some blokes to help me bring my gear upstairs.  What a treat it was to have help with my things, for a change!  They brought the stuff up, and Ken put my bike on one of the two single beds.  Ha!  The Santa Cruz Blur would sleep well tonight, and so would I...the beds were brand new and super comfy.  For $15, I had A/C, laundry, a beautiful room, and clean bathrooms and showers.  Nice!

Downstairs, I rejoined my new friends and was introduced to a famous local jockey named Craig.  I also got to find out a little more about Swampy Marsh.  He was a famous champion fighter in his youth, and he was even a double millionaire once...but that story will have to come later.  They were a great group, and I had fun hanging out with them for a couple of hours.  They told me the real fun begins Saturday, when everybody would be out at the horse races and the rugby matches.  They said I should stay, so I agreed.  I've never stayed in one location for so long!

Later in the evening, a pipe and drums band came in and entertained the pub patrons with beautiful bagpipe tunes.  The bagpipes are my all-time favorite, so it was a real treat!  My new friend, Bill Duguid, it turns out, owns another pub in town, and he and I and Swampy and Cora Lee all headed over there to see how things were going.  The bar maid, Flame, came over to pick us up.  Flame is awesome.  She has bright pinkish-purpleish-red hair, and a million-watt smile.  She's a singer/guitar player in a band, and tending bar is her way of making ends meet.  I want to hang out with her more, because she's just so cool.  And smart.  And she doesn't drink or do drugs.  And she rides a Harley!

At Bill's pub, the Fitzroy Hotel (aka the Swamper's Pub), we ate mud crab, spring rolls, and other assorted goodies out by the swimming pool.  I had a great time, but I wanted to call it a night.  I told my new friends I'd see them later, and Bill got me a cab back to O'Dowd's.  It was an early night, and I was pleased to lay my head on a real pillow, on a real bed, in a real, clean, beautiful pub.

Mileage:  100 km
Weather:  Sunny, hot, humid
End Location:  O'Dowd's Irish Pub, Rockhampton

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

Todd was invited to make a presentation at a school in Buenos Aires.

Journal by Todd Borgie.

Yesterday and today, I had the opportunity to go to Lincoln International School, located in a suburb of Buenos Aires called La Lucilla. This was an amazing experience! Yesterday, I visited a high school biology class and a couple of third-grade classes, and today I visited several high school science and philosophy classes.

This school is amazing. I began the presentations asking each of the students where they were from; Columbia, Israel, Canada, Italy, the United States, India, and Argentina were all represented. I was blown away. I told the students that our education program was focused on the geographically challenged people of the United States, and they all kind of smirked. I also said that we were promoting cultural awareness. I said that most people in the United States don't know much about other countries. I speculated that most people would think that if you were speaking Spanish, you were probably eating tacos as well. A student, kind of irritated, said, “We don’t eat tacos here!” I asked him where he was from, and he said the United States. At that point I asked him if I was unrealistic in saying what I had said, and he said, kind of embarrassed, that I was probably right on in my assumption.

At that point, an Italian student said that things were not much better in Italy. He said that people were not very aware of international geography and of other cultures. That took the heat off of the students from the United States and opened up a number of new conversations. Chanda and I asked students about life in Argentina and were surprised to hear that students stayed out until sometimes 7:00 a.m.; they could go to nightclubs and such, and it was ok. They didn’t seem to question their safety, as many of them had cell phones, and many families had accounts with remises (personal taxi services). Buenos Aires seems to be a fairly safe place, and people seem to live on different sides of the day. I can go to an ice cream place, like 31 Flavors, at 12:30 a.m. on a Sunday, and the place would be packed with people of all ages. On a Saturday at 2:30 a.m., I saw parents with young kids and teenagers and older people strolling the streets. It is truly amazing. I digress.

The presentations were fun, and the school was amazing! During the course of the day, I heard students switching between English, French and Spanish, almost flawlessly. I must confess that this is not a typical school in Argentina. Many people who work here from other countries send their students here, and some wealthy Argentines send their students here. The facilities were amazing, and the spirit great. I saw a poster on the wall which said, “The world would be a better place if we limited the amount of self pity to ½ hour a day.” I thought that was interesting. The students were interesting and engaging.

The teachers were also a lot of fun. There is a real circuit of international teachers. The teachers here are mostly couples from the United States and Canada. They all had stories of many places they had lived, and many of them had ideas of where they wanted to live next. It seems like most of them go from country to country just to check things out. Apparently there are annual international school fairs that recruit teachers from around the world to come teach. It sounds like an interesting prospect to me for future employment.

The reason we were able to give a presentation is we were invited by an American fellow who had just moved down here from New England. He has four kids, two of them in school. He read about us in the local newspaper, went to our website, and invited us to give a presentation at the school. His oldest child, Henry, was in one of the third-grade classes.

Before I did the presentation to the third graders, a number of them were in the library looking at the site. I felt like a real celebrity walking into the library. The students saw me and starting smiling and pointing.

“There he is, that is one of the guys,” he exclaimed. Henry walked over to me and said, “My father brought you here.”

“Yes, he did,” I said as I smiled.

We will definitely visit more international schools on our route. I was just great to see students face-to-face. I had the opportunity to give a talk about Parkinson’s Disease, its symptoms, and many of the trials that individuals fighting this disease face. These are they days that make all the hard work worth it; the heart definitely fills recharged, and I know that this is what I am supposed to be doing. Smiles.

Todd

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

Adam tastes the "forbidden fruit" on La Praia.

Journal and photo by Adam Burgess

We caught a flight to Salvador in Bahia (northeast Brazil), home of the Brazilian Rastas and Capoiera, the Afro-Brazilian Martial arts. I think we sort of followed Colin’s suggestion on this one. It turned out to be a pretty annoying place filled with drug dealers, raunchy hookers, and constant pestering from the street locals. Tourism had destroyed this place, and it was evident from the start. According to an old French fashion-shop owner, the place is now riddled with crack addicts that replaced the previous flow of cocaine. He proclaimed his sadness by telling me he was trying to get his young local girlfriend off of the stuff by sending for doctors from Europe. I looked at his face and realized despite his aged and experienced mind, he was naïve when it came to the modern drug age. She was doomed.

In order to surf, Neil and I had to catch a bus for an hour outside of town. The waves were no good, so Neil and I bailed on Colin so he could enjoy the Rastas, while we evacuated south. We tried one small town, Olivencia. The surf was OK, but I got a mean sun burn, because Colin lost the new bottle of sunblock just before we left town. So, to add to Colin’s ever-growing list of lost items, we can put sunblock, an underwater spear-gun, his custom’s exit document from Brazil ($60 replacement), and the $3000 HP laptop computer lent to him by Nick and DATW.

Neil and I have decided to leave Salvador and head 20 hours south via bus back to Rio. From there we’ll catch a flight to Florionopolis, an island/city that is surrounded by surf spots and quiet beaches. Obviously Neil and I are trying to get in as much free time as possible before joining the crew back in Australia in April...

A secluded beach north of Rio.

...Later that day...March 16...

South of Florianopolis, Brasil

I’m convinced tonight I’ll find him. I’ve hunted the room from wall-to-wall and window-to-window, but regardless of his engorged and laden state I can’t find the little rascal. Last night I smashed his buddy and had two swings at him, but regrettably missed. Thinking positively, I went to sleep with the sheet over my head to prevent the buzzing in my ears, but accidentally left my right foot hanging out. This morning, while walking the beach with Neil on his morning routine of pulverizing surf, I noticed a trail of 7 red bumps from the big toe up to the ankle. The little bug sucked and walked inch-by-inch. Revenge? Perhaps, but I’ll get mine sooner or later. Tonight I’ve stuck a fan next to the bed, and am hoping that he’s still full. It’s been pretty mosquito-free in Brasil, until we hit Praia Do Roso, south of Florianopolis. It’s a small surfing town set up with a maze of dirt roads that weave in and out of the hills backing up to a few long, beautiful, white sand beaches. In the summer, this places rages as a surf/party town for tourists from Florianopolis in search of a little retreat, but right now it sleeps, really sleeps. You see a few people a day, usually the same ones, and the shops are open all day with no visitors. Regardless, it’s a pleasant stay. Neil and I rented a two-story house for 40 Reais, or $13 per night.

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

These great-looking birds are loud, sleep-stealing pests, but you have to love them for their beauty. They can be pretty friendly, too.

There are beautiful rainbow lorikeets and white macaws here, and they are super-duper loud and aggravating. Their chatter woke me up at about 0700, and I was not too happy. They’re beautiful pests.

My country-and-western-loving neighbor, Errol, a widower, invited me over for coffee and toast. Like most of Australia’s Queenslander men, Errol seems lonely. We chatted a bit over a mug of milk-coffee, and then I got up to pack my gear. Later, Bill came over to wish me a good morning and invite me for coffee, and I had to turn him down.

On my way out, I filled my containers with rainwater and then said goodbye and snapped photos with Bill and then Errol.

I set off at about 0845 with Salt ‘n Peppa playing through my Walkman into my left ear. I kept the right ear free so I could hear traffic coming up behind me (we drive on the left side of the road here in Australia). The signs indicated that I have more than 190 kms to Rocky.

The ride to Marlborough was uneventful and sunny. I had decent cloud cover overhead at times, and that kept it from getting too hot. There were very few road stops on the way to town. About 30 km outside of Marlborough, I ran down to the last little bit of water in my bottle. Uh oh. The headwind had become very strong 20 km ago, drying out my throat and forcing me into the smallest gear on my big chainring. I knew I’d be ok without water for just 30 km, but I didn’t like it.

I finally arrived in Marlborough at about 1515, and I found the pub Biker Brian had told me about. They have free camping in the back…AWESOME! I went to the convenience store next door and had a cookie, Powerade, and a diet lemon drink. I chatted with the locals at the pub and then paid the bar maid $2 for use of the showers before setting up camp. I cooked a meal of Mountain House Lasagna and coffee and then sat in my tent to rest my back and write in my journal until about 1930.

I went to the pub for a couple of hours to chat with a 60+ year-old man, Rudy, from Austria, who had spent years riding his bike around Australia. He told me about the benefits of eating raw foods, drinking lots of water, and drinking apple cider vinegar. It must work alright for him, because he looks about 40.

I went back outside and fell asleep, feeling thankful for my bug tent and thinking about my friends back home in the States.

Mileage:
Weather: Hot/Sunny
Location: Marlborough

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

On the way to Clairview, I met Brian, who is cycling to raise money for the children of Tibet. His website is www.brian4tibet.com.

The banging and clanging of construction on the roof of my pub woke me at about 0745. I left at 0830 to stock up on provisions, call my mom, and fill my water containers. I started heading south at about five minutes to ten.

I had a strong headwind right from the start, and the sky was cloudy. A tiny bit of sprinkles fell on me for a few minutes, and I was wishing for a bit more rain.

I was headed for Clairview, where I knew there would be a pub and a camp ground. Just about 12 km outside of Sarina, I met a guy on a bike, towing a trailer, who was headed the opposite direction! This was the second biker I’d met, and the first with a trailer. His, too, was manufactured by B.O.B. We stopped and chatted at length about our respective cycling trips.

Brian, in his 40s, is from the UK originally, but he has been living in Australia for more than 16 years. He’s on a 10-13 month ride to raise money for the people of Tibet. He has Tibetan prayer flags and a “Free Tibet” sign on his trailer. If you want to read about his charity or find out where he is now, go to his website at www.brian4tibet.com.

Other than my encounter with Brian, here was nothing very eventful about the ride. On the way, I passed a couple of small gas stations and stopped at them for cold drinks.

Clairview consists of a few buildings right along the beach, and I stopped for the evening at Clairview Beach Caravan Park. The nice woman there gave me a $4 discount, and I ended up paying $6 for showers and a tent site. In camp, I met Bill, a nice old man with a great personality. He was just the sweetest thing. I guess he’d been living there for a number of months and was widowed some years back.

I showered and sat down at the pub to chat with the locals. I had my journal with me so I could get caught up, and I asked one of the guys the name of the caravan park. He told me, and then he added, “It’s a nudist colony.” Hahaha. That was a good one, and he had the whole crowd (4 people?) laughing.

I turned in early, just as the sun went down, and I watched as little lizards darted from the bushes on my right out to the field on my left. I actually had a tough time falling asleep, partly because sweet old Bill had left his light on for me thinking I might need to move my tent under his awning if it started to rain, and partly because of all the ants on my tarp and the birds jumping around in the trees. That Bill is so sweet, and he refers to me as “Love” and “Lovey,” in classic Australian fashion. Meanwhile, my other neighbor played really great old country-and-western music, and I finally fell asleep.

Mileage: 92 km
Weather: Fair/Strong Headwind
End Location: Clairview

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

Women in Salvador, Bahia, wear the traditional skirts. These traditionally clad women are known as Bahianas.

Journal and photos by Neil Dana.

Well, we decided to head north, all the way up to Salvador, Bahia. We ended up staying in the old colonial part of Salvador, called Pelourinho, which has been very built up in the last ten years for tourism. The town itself is beautiful, with brightly colored buildings and vibrant people and instruments everywhere. This is also one of the towns where slaves were bought, sold, and whipped back in the 1800's, so it remains a very Afro-Brasilian community.

I was a bit dissapointed at how Pelourinho has turned out due to mass tourism. It seems as if it has lost the natural charm and soul it once had. I met a lady on a bus who grew up in Salvador, and she told me how in the past ten years, it has changed completely, and they painted all the buildings, weeded out certain types of people, and geared it up for tourism. And because of all this tourism, you cannot walk around without people trying to sell you things, all kinds of things, from clothes to food to drugs to themselves. It is a bit sad.

However, there are still plenty of wonderful things to see and do. There is a massive amount of reggae, and one night we ended up in a favela, which is a shanty town, more or less, and it was filled with hundreds of people dancing to reggae music. There was also a reggae band playing in front of a house, vibrating with everyone surrounding them. It was a very tranquilo scene. At one point I noticed that Adam and Colin were the only whit- skinned people there. But color didn't matter; everyone was having a blast and dancing to the reggae music.

And of course, not only was there reggae, but there were people all over the place practicing capoeira. This is a martial art and dance that was created back in the slave days by slaves. They also perform this art to a very unique instrument, called the Berimbau. And also around town, were a few of the Bahianas, which are women dressed up in the old traditional Bahian clothing, which is dresses that are white and extremely large and wide. And yet another fiber of Pelourinho is the braids that women have. There are women in the streets with chairs set up to give anyone braids and extensions. And then, here too, as in Rio, there is quite a bit of samba and drum troupes in the streets. On all the street corners there were shops selling all kinds of hand drums. Throughout any part of town at any given moment in a 24-hour period, you can hear someone or a group of people beating on a drum.

Bahia is a place full of rhythm and beauty, and also of hardship. There are mass amounts of people who are extremely poor. And the sad thing is that public education is very poor in Brasil, and only those with money can afford to send their children to good schools. So the chance of someone who grows up poor staying poor throughout their life is very high. It is a huge problem and a difficult one to solve.

So, we ended up staying in the north for a few days. We also went to three different beaches for surf as well. None of the beaches had really good waves, but all of the beaches were nice to hang out at and eat some caldo do camarou, which is shrimp soup…mmmnnnn. And of course, those delicious caiparinhas are a treat.

Adam and I are headed way down south now, south of Florianopolis, to a town called Garopaba, where the surf is supposed to be outstanding. We'll keep our fingers crossed.

Pray for surf.

Ciao,

Neil

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

Peacocks roamed freely in the Beach Tourist Caravan Park. These perched themselves on the fence next to my tent.

I got up and did about a half hour on the Internet before cooking up a breakfast of meat and eggs. I bought a bus ticket for the 330 kilometers of desolation between Mackay and Rockhampton, and it was slated to leave at 1330. (FYI, Cairns to Mackay is mostly sugar cane fields and a tropical rainforest environment. Below Mackay, it turns into cattle country and becomes much drier. No longer would I be travelling along stretches of wet cane fields and over full and clear rivers. From here on, it would be hot and dry.)

I packed up camp and left for town at about 1000 and inquired with the information girl at the bus station about the road to Rockhampton. I just was not feeling good at all about boarding a bus and riding south. I mean, my goal is to CYCLE from Cairns to Brisbane, not take a bus. The info girl said there are places to stay along the route, no problem. Next, I went to the police station to talk to the cops about it, and the officer there couldn’t give me any reason not to go to Rocky by bike, other than it is boring and there are only two lanes, one lane each way. Well, that describes the entire Bruce Highway, so I wasn’t convinced.

I went back to the bus station and cancelled my ticket, and then I went to a pub to change into my cycling gear. There, two blokes kept buying me beers (“You gonna have a beer with us, or what?”), and the guy named Gary bought me lunch. I spent the next few hours turning down invitations for more drinks. I wasn’t there to drink, and I needed to get on the road!

I just had 35 km to travel that day, because I only wanted to go as far as the most southerly town before the blank stretch north of Rockhampton. Hit the road at 1530-ish and arrived in Sarina at 1730. There, I got a pub room with A/C for $20 and chatted with the locals about 9/11 and terrorism. The attacks on Spain were just a couple of days ago, and it was on the news again in the pub.

Upstairs, I watched an Australian made-for-tv movie called “Go Big”, ate leftover Chinese, and then hit the sack.

The next three days will be 100 k-ers.

Mileage: 35 km
Weather: Hot/Headwind
End location: Sarina

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

White tigers at the Buenos Aires Zoo.

Journal and photos by Chanda Baggarly

Beautiful day. Went to the Buenos Aires Zoo. One of those days where you just don’t want to work.

Met a pack of furry cats. The cats are rare white Bengal tigers born at the Buenos Aires Zoo. They were named recently after a contest where hundreds of children submited suggestions. The winning names were Blacky, Lola, Luna, Manuel, Tomy and Rayitas (Spanish for ``Little Stripes''). Super cute.

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

Flemengo (red) and Botafogo (black) prepare to go head-to-head.

Journal and photo by Justin Mounts

There is one word that seems to have the ability to unite millions of people all over the world. It a word, when said properly can bring throngs of people to their feet cheering in an emotional frenzy. A word, that when spoken, is understood regardless of what language you speak. That word is gol. Or, perhaps more appropriately:

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!!!!!!

Brazilian soccer, or futebol, is perhaps the most imaginative and exciting sport in the world. Complementing the action on the field are the fans. The stands at these games are filled with fanatical supporters who cheer their team on in all sorts of ways.

It is day 135 of the LONGITUDE Expedition, and since I am not one to miss out on participating in cultural ceremonies, today I entered the enormous temple of the sport, Maracaná, to witness these modern-day warriors do battle for the glory of victory and for the love of their fans. Maracaná is perhaps more revered by Cariocas than all the cathedrals and churches in Rio combined. It is also the largest soccer stadium in the world. This spectacle, for the uninitiated, is sheer lunacy. Fans singing, shouting and waving banners are accompanied by the sounds of huge samba drums beating rhythmically. It’s not uncommon to see roman candles or other larger fireworks shot off by enthusiastic fans during this athletic ritual.

Having been in Brazil for a few weeks now, I must admit that even I am somewhat addicted to the sport. As such, I have chosen a favorite team, and now it is my duty to scream like a lunatic, boo bad calls, and do everything in my power to ensure that my team emerges victorious. Today’s game is a classic battle between two neighboring barrios—Botafogo and Flamengo.

I am now such a dedicated fan that I have learned the Flamengo chants (more or less), so that while I am at the game I appear less of an outsider. It is better to be marginally accepted into the inner sanctum of the true fans than to appear indifferent to the teams playing, or worse, be mistaken for a Botafogo fan. There are other more practical reasons to this sudden injection of passion for a team I barely know. First is a matter of safety. Skirmishes often break out in the stands of these games. If there’s going to be a fight, I want to be on the side of the bigger fan base (more people to get involved while I get out of there). The second, and more truthful, answer is that the girl I have started dating in Rio is a die-hard Flamengo fan. So is her father. So was her grandfather. It really is a generational thing in Brazil. The last reason is purely selfish. Going to a game, any game, is more fun if you have a small stake in the outcome.

So, on this muggy evening, I experienced my first futebol game. And it was spectacular. The fans, the players, the night—everything was perfect, except for the score at the end of the game. Botafogo won 1-0. It didn’t bother me that I was running a low-grade fever and felt terrible. And truthfully, it didn’t bother me that the refs made some lousy calls and that we lost. I was participating in an event that is deeply rooted in history and is much greater than I am. For a brief instance, I was one with my Brazilian friends.

Before I go, there’s one thing about the game, or more appropriately, the stadium, that I don’t understand. Perhaps one of you out there knows the answer to this question.

Why are there pay phones located down on the grass just beyond the end of the field?

Until next time, I wish you all well from the far side of the world.

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

Getting ready to hit the road and head south to Mackay.

I was up and checked out by 0830 this morning, and I stopped at the BP station’s Internet to download some images and send a few e-mails. Today is sunny with a massive headwind, and my quads glutes are shot.

It is only a 50 km day today, though, and I feel relaxed. My hands and fingers are feeling less numb since I put the padding on my handlebars, and I almost have full feeling back in my fingers!

Along my route today, I stopped for a Popsicle and then a hamburger at local service stations. I arrived at my destination, Mackay, at about 1330 and checked in to Beach Tourist Caravan Park for $11. It looked like rain might be in store for the evening, so I set up a tarp above my bug tent.

I hopped on the park’s Internet for about an hour and started writing my Bicycle Tour journal. The computer wouldn’t let me open e-mail attachments or disk files, though, so I was unable to post the journals and photos that Neil and Todd had sent me. I’ll have to do that tomorrow, I guess. One hour on the net cost me $6! The Internet here in Australia is expensive, usually quite slow, and very hard to find. Internet was all over the place in Central and South America, but here in Australia, it is extremely difficult to locate. Weird, huh?

I cooked up some Mountain House Teriyaki Chicken, watched TV with other campsite guests, and then hit the hay.

Mileage: 50 km
Weather: Sunny/Massive headwind
End location: Mackay

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

Me with my new friends from the retirement home.

I got up, ate leftover chicken and beets on bread, packed, and waited for the pub to open at 0930 so I could check out. I mailed Mom’s card and then stopped at the Internet.

There, I was delighted to met and chat with a busload of retirement-home residents who were out on a Friday field trip to nearby Arlie Beach. They were delightful, and they really took a shining to me. They were impressed by my ride and the fact that I am a U.S. Marine. My new friends, Dick and Doris Jones and John and Joyce Rowe, used to be cane farmers, I think, and they are just as cute as can be.

After some work and some mingling, I hit the road at 1135, to be greeted by a horrible headwind. I was thankful to get a little bit of rain to cool me down late in my ride.

I stopped at a Mobil Roadhouse (service station) for a chicken sandwich for lunch. I then rode on in to Calen and checked into an expensive but nice cabin at St. Helens Caravan Park. There, a nice old man and a yellow lab greeted me and helped me get settled.

I cleaned up and then jumped on my bike to ride to a little market about half a kilometer up the road, and I realized I'd forgotten my helmet. Bike helmets are compulsory in Australia, and cops will pull you over and slap a fine on you the moment they see you with a bare head. I learned this the hard way by forgetting my helmet in Cairns. Luckily, the cops let me off then. It's ridiculous, because I always ware a doggone helmet. I know how important it is. Somehow, though, I forgot again. The moment I realized it, I thought, "Man, I hope I don't see a cop car." Seconds later, I saw a cop car headed right for me. They were really sweet, and they let me off without a problem. I did apologize, and we ended up having a nice chat. Argh! How can I forget my helmet?

I rode back toward the caravan park and worked on the Internet at the neighboring BP station for a while before going back “home” to cook up some pasta and sauce I had leftover from Chile!

I was pleased to sleep in my sleeping bag on a nice bed with cold A/C blowing and lots of good stuff on TV.

Mileage:
Weather: Fine/Light Rain/Headwind
End location: Calen

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

The city streets of Salvador, Bahia, are crowded with tourists.
[Photo by Neil Dana]

Journal by Colin McAuliffe.

Well, I'm still here in Salvador, having blast as usual. Adam and Neil have headed south to surf, so I'm on my own. But readers, don't fret, for I have met plenty of people to hang out with and occupy my time. John from Chicago, and I have been sharing a room, and he's a hilarious guy. He has some similar qualities to me as far as being an uncensored speaker, only he's even more unfitered than I am. Rob, from South London, is another crazy friend I've made, and It looks like I'll be travelling up north with him and his friend Lee, and possibly renting a house in a town called Jerico Quiaia, which I just horribly misspelled.

Yesterday John and I went with Marike and Sarah (Dutch and English, repectively) to the mall, of all places. I needed to buy a few things, but after 20 minutes in that oasis (kinda) of North American consumerism, I had had more than enough, so I beat it out of there ASAP. I spent the rest of the evening eating and wandering the cobblestone streets of Pelirinho.

It is, however, time for me to leave this place. The area we are in, which is kind of the most touristy, is pretty gross. At night, beggars work hard to rope gringos. I’ve adapted a new personality to replace El Gringo Loco , and that is Supergringo, so that when I or someone I'm with is being bothered, I tell them that I'm Supergringo, and they leave me alone…sort of. At least, they think I'm wierd and know that I won’t give them anything, so they leave. Laugh all you want, but it works.

Anyway, so, tomorrow night, which is Tuesday, is always a huge festival here in Salvador. I'm going to enjoy the live music of Olodum, one of the most famous drum groups in all of Brazil, and then I'm going to hop on a plane at 4:00 a.m. to go to Fortaleaza, where I am going to meet the English guys and then head up to Jericocioua, which is supposed to be remote, fun, and unbelievebly beautiful.

That’s all for now,
Colin

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

With this new bug tent, I will enjoy more restful and more comfortable, bug-free nights.

I was roused from sleep at about 0800 this morning by spitting rain. I jumped up and covered my tent with a tarp and then began moving my belongings under the roof of the eating area nearby. I had actually planned to sleep late this morning, but I am glad for the rain. It will help keep my ride cool today.

It really rained down hard at times. I mailed three post cards, said goodbye to Elizabeth and Bert, and hit the road at 0935. It was pouring down rain when I left.

Elizabeth warned me for the second time about the stretch of road between Sarina and Rockhampton. I’ll have to look into that. It’s about 330 km of road with nary a town or village. A few locals have said it is too dangerous and remote for a lone girl on a bike. But it requires further investigation, because most people think this whole trip is too dangerous for a lone girl on a bike.

The padding strapped to my handlebars really helps, and my gears are shifting great. I did have a flat in my trailer tire this morning from a sticker, but I fixed it very easily. Again, I patched it instead of replacing the tube. I also fixed a bent pin in the piece that connects my trailer to my rear fork. By the time I had a breakfast of cornflakes, coffee, and grapes with my UK friends, it was time to go.

I keep forgetting to mention that there have been umpteen million dead frogs along the road between Cairns and here. This morning, a lot of little baby frogs and toads were in the road trying to dodge the falling raindrops. A few must have ended up under my tires, but I concentrated on avoiding them. It helped me pass the time.

I had a good ride to the next town, Prosperpine, but had to stop at an Internet café to check for word from Nick about our shipping date. The rain had stopped by then, but the skies were still dark. I had intended to travel another 22 km to a camp site down the road, but two hours on the net and a sudden cloudburst made me opt for a pub room in Prosperpine, instead. For $20, I got a private, clean room with no A/C, but with a nice breeze through the balcony doors.

I showered and walked to the local grocery store, where I bought a roasted chicken, cheese, beets, and bread for dinner. I also bought and wrote a birthday card for my mom, whose birthday is on the 15th of March.

I did laundry in the hotel facilities, worked on a Land Rover Certified testimonial, and went to bed.

Mileage:
Weather: Rainy/Horrible headwind
End location: Prosperpine

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

This is the view of Queen's Beach from the Coral Coast Caravan Park in Bowen.

I awoke at 0715. Thanks to the new tent, I had no new bug bites, but the hard ground did have me in pain. My sleeping mat is thin and worthless, but I haven’t the cash to buy a new one, so I’ll just suck it up.

I had a dip in the pool, where I met Michele and her husband, both from Sydney. I sat in the sun for a little while to try to even out the incredible farmer’s tan I have been developing. My hands were still hurting, and my fingers were still numb. The ring finger and pinkie fingers are worse, I think.

I showered and changed to ride to Target with Michelle, and then I came back and had a sandwich and grapes for lunch and lounged in the pool for the rest of the day. Now, that’s what I call a day off!

I did some route planning for a couple of hours in the evening. I have a big 100 km day tomorrow, followed by another the next day. Today, I put some extra padding on my handlebars, made from a section of my sleeping pad taped to the bars. I hope it helps.

I had a nice chat with Bert before calling it a night.

Big thanks to Bert and Elizabeth Cockerill at the
Coral Coast Caravan Park
Soldiers Road
Queens Beach
Bowen 4805, QLD

Mileage: 0
Weather: Sunny and warm
End location: Bowen

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

Journal by Todd Borgie

I've got my running shoes on, and I am off to see the city!

Jogging is a great way to get in shape. It is also a great way to see a new city, and it is a great way to get the brain refocused after sitting in front of a computer writing organization stuff for too many hours. Besides, if Nancy is riding her bike every day, I have to be doing something so that she won’t be stronger than me when we meet up in Australia! Having a car mate that is tougher than me--that would be horrible.

I began jogging, and I had myself quite an adventure. Generally on my first run after not running for a while, I like to start out slow, maybe twenty minutes of good, strong running and a ten-minute walk to cool down. I like to take it easy on my knees and not cause my body too much pain.

My exercise program all started out great with stretching in the apartment. I confided to Chanda that I thought it would be cool if I could do the splits; she said she could, and she could also show me how. So we stretched for a while.

After completing my stretches, and imagining being able to do the splits in another week or so, I set out down the elevator and off to the park for my run. We live in an area surrounded by parks, so it is a perfect place to get in shape. Running, running, running, feeling good, and feeling proud of myself, running, running, running, looking down and being proud of my new Ace Freely running shoes (if you saw them you’d know why Nick calls them my Ace Freely shoes).

I dashed through the park and began to cross a six-lane, one-way street. I was surprised to hear a car accelerate in the distance. Yep, this one was in the far left lane and accelerating towards me. As I ran across each lane, he tracked me, getting closer and closer. I kind of laughed and shook my head as I stepped back onto the curb to his honking about 20 yards away. “What is up with that,” I thought.

I continued my run down the street, past a house that looked like it was a part of Fantasy Island set, and onto the shoreline of a small lake with paddle boats. “This place is beautiful,” I thought, as I curved right, under a brick railroad bridge where something was being filmed.

The only problem with parks, lakes and windy roads is the fact you just don’t know where you are going to end up, and this is what happened to me. I thought I was headed back to the flat, but quite the contrary, I ended up running up a freeway ramp and ran right up onto the freeway. Figuring that I would be able to jump off fairly quickly, not really accepting the fact that I was on a freeway, I kept going. Unfortunately this took me past were I need to go and off into a new area with which I was unfamiliar. Generally having a good sense of direction, I figured I was headed the right way back; however, I was not recognizing anything. Despite this, I kept going, figuring that something familiar would turn up just around the next bend. At this point, I would jog for a while and walk for a while; I didn’t want to kill my feet with a new set of shoes, or at least I thought that was an adequate excuse.

Past the airport, past the golf course, and past a bunch of things I had never seen before, I ran. Should I retrace my steps and get back on to a familiar course? No, this was turning into an adventure...besides, I knew that at any moment I would realize where I was.

Seeing the river, I decided to follow that down south. It's the muddiest river I have ever seen, the mighty Rio de Plata, which brings the eroded tropical soil down to the Atlantic Ocean. Seeing the river, I knew I had to be going the correct way. I followed the river south, trying to find the huge street called La Libertador, which we live next to, but I couldn’t find any passageways leading to the right, where I needed to go. I was in the shipyards. At this point, most of the jogging stopped, and I was just walking. I had no money for a cab, if I really got lost, but my resolve and sense of adventure were still strong, despite the sunburn my shoulders were taking on. Things were just getting worse, and it made me laugh. I decided to tempt the fates, because I just didn’t believe things could get worse.

I walked up this wide street in which trucks were slowly travelling up and down, and I looked at the many different types of ships docked in the river. Am I really going the right way? Is this the river I think it is? How far should I go before I turn around? All these questions and many more were running through my mind. I also figured if I got mugged that all someone could take were my running shoes, and a sweaty pair of shorts and a tank top. I knew I stood out, as I was the only blond guy in the area, but my luck just had to change.

I kept going. Soon I found a place to make a right turn, but that only took me so far. After another 15 minutes, I saw a sign to Puerto Madero. “Uh oh,” I thought, “I went way too far.” At the first fork I could find, I took a right. Unfortunately, this was a freeway off-ramp! Not again! Where am I? I saw some road workers, so I thought I would ask them how to get back to Palermo. They looked kind of puzzled at me and asked me where my car was. I pointed to my shoes, and said I was jogging. I have no idea what they thought, but I knew that they felt a little sorry for me. At this point, I had been so fully committed to forging my own trail back, that I would have been devastated if I would have had to retrace all of my steps all the way back to apartment.

They looked sheepishly one way and then anther, and then they motioned to me to come over to a chain -ink fence. Two guys lifted up a stretched area in the fence and told me what I had to do. After climbing under the fence, I was now in the train yard. I knew where I was and what I had to do; however, I didn’t know what I would have to climb to get where I was going. Through the yards I went, running at this point, climbing a few trains, and speeding down the tracks. Pretty soon I saw some guys running toward me. I wasn’t going to be thrown out of here. I had to make to Palermo. I made it to a railroad bridge and up and over, across eight sets of tracks I went, losing my pursuers at some point. (Maybe they weren’t pursuing me at all????) Running down the edge of some buildings, I noticed an area opening up; I even saw some cars driving through. Was I home-free? I ran down this road, not really knowing if I was out of the train yard or not, knowing that I still had to cross two more sets of tracks. I saw a small little train building and two cops standing just outside of it. Was I supposed to be there, or not? Down the way I saw and older women walking towards me with a couple of shopping bags, just on the other side of the tracks. Apparently I had made it to a pedestrian crossing and was home free. Yes, Yes, Yes! I was back home within ten minutes, feeling quite proud that I had actually made it. A 20-minute run had turned into over a two-hour adventure. What was really funny was that Nick and Chanda were in exactly the places in which I left them, both sitting in front of the computers having quite a different experience than I'd had. I kind of felt like a character out of one of the Chronicles of Narnia books, returning to reality after a life-changing experience.

The rest of the day was quite uneventful after that. However, I especially enjoyed my dinner that night.

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

A view of beautiful Ipanema from above.

Journal and photo by Adam Burgess

Our last night in Rio was spent neighbor fishing. It was 10 p.m., and Colin and I were sipping a few Antarcticas. From our 7th story apartment I could hear quite a fiesta blaring out five stories below. Of course it required a little attention, so I took my bed sheet and, contrary to Colin’s deterrence, I began tearing it into long strips. After about five minutes, I had a pile of red, heart-covered lengths. I grabbed another cold Antarctica from the fridge and tied it on the end of one strip along with a note that said in poor Portuguese, “a cold one for your party.” From there Colin, and I began making a long rope, and as I lured the drink out the window, Colin continued tying lengths to the fishing line. After a few minutes of weaving the can through various lines of laundry strung up by neighbors below, I managed to get the drink to hang outside the party window below. I took the gamble that it was the one on the right and began to swing the lure. Slowly it oscillated further and further back and forth until it eventually banged against the glass. At that point the window opened up, and screams of excitement came bellowing up from below. After a few minutes, the line was finally released, and with it was a reply. We hauled it up and it read in Portuguese “We are 8 cute girls, our names are…” and they listed them. We were on our way out to a samba bar, and so we thought we’d drop in and say hello, but by the time Colin and Neil motivated the fiesta had moved on.

Rio has an excellent nightlife, and with the recent discovery that our cars missed their boat connection in Panama, that meant another two weeks of Brasilian adventures. Rio is a relatively clean and beautifully situated city. Sheer, jungle-covered mountains drive upwards all around the city allowing for breathtaking views of Ipanema beach, a beautiful stretch of white sand that attracts sun worshippers from early morning ‘til sunset. The old women hit the beach from 8 a.m. until about 10 a.m., when the college students start filling their days with sun. Despite complexion, everyone is dark here. There aren’t too many bulging muscle guys, but most are trim and are either juggling soccer ball in circles, playing smash ball (they love that game here and are quite good), or drinking caporienas in chairs. As for the girls, they come tanned and toned with thong bikinis. I guess it’s the new fashion. But contrary to the stories, there are no bare chests exposed here, because toplessness is illegal in Brazil. Culture booms from this city, and mesmerizing live samba, bossanova or jazz can be found every night, be it in the streets, clubs or small cafés. It really is all about the music and dance in Rio. Rio has now entered my favourite places on this drive, along with Cusco in Peru, and Costa Rica.

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

Me and the Japanese cyclist I met at the caravan park in Ayr. He's riding from Sydney to Cairns!

I spent an extremely fitful, itchy, uncomfortable night in the caravan park. There were just too many insects. I moved into the bathroom, finally, because it was screen in, and slept on the bench in there. The light was on, and it was really hot and stuffy, but it was better than bugs. I slept on and off until 0500 and then moved back outside to my campsite and got inside my bivy sack. I slept until the sun woke me at 0800.

Last night, I saw somebody come into camp on his bike, and I went and introduced myself this morning. He’s from Yokyo, Japan, and he’s been riding his bike north to Cairns from Sydney. Wow! That’s a long haul! We swapped info about campsites, hotels, and food places along the route, and then we took some photos and said goodbye.

I went directly to the camp store to buy that bug tent and then headed south.

My hands and back were hurting a lot. There’s a nerve in your hands that receives too much pressure on it from the bicycle handlebars, and it gets irritated after a while. My pinkies and my ring fingers have been numb since the beginning of my bike trip, and now my wrists and the palms of my hands are hurting. I think I’ve developed a little carpal-tunnel syndrome in there.

At 50 km, I stopped at a fruit stand to rest and get water. It was a very hot day. After the fruit stand, I experienced a massive headwind and severe hand and back pain until I arrived at my destination in Bowen. The kilometre indicators along the road were wrong, and when it said I had only 10 km to go, I really had 17. Ugh. I was in pain, and I just wanted to be there!

Fed up with the headwind and the extended distance, I pulled into a service station to rest my aching back. There, I met a woman (Colette) and her teen daughter. Colette was searching the parking lot for an opal that had fallen out of her ring, while her cranky daughter wined and griped. I helped Colette search while the daughter just complained and pouted. Colette asked me if I have a good bike so I don’t have to pedal very hard. For some reason, that struck me as funny. Then, she saw the Queensland license plate that I had found on the road several days ago and strapped onto my trailer and said, “Huh, so they still make you register your trailer, eh?” God bless Colette.

The caravan parks were five km from the Bruce Highway, and the road faced directly into the wind coming off the sea. At the first caravan park, nobody answered the door. I took that as a sign to go on to the next one, so I went a bit further up the road. I drove by another, but it smelled like dead fish, so went on. At the third, I hit the jackpot.

I asked the older, dignified lady at the desk (Elizabeth) if they give discounts to people who are raising money for Parkinson’s Disease. She had just had a woman (in her 40’s) who has Parkinson’s in the other day. Elizabeth gave me the name of a German doctor in Atherton who has made great strides with treatments for that woman and others, and I will give Todd the info so we can contact him. She and her Husband, Bert, also gave me two nights free in the nicest caravan park I have ever visited.

I took a shaded area by the pool and settled in.

I went to bed at about 1900, after a shower and a chat with my campground neighbours from the UK.

Mileage: 120 km
Weather: Sunny/Hot/Headwind
End Location: Bowen

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

This is no way to camp in Australia...the bugs will eat you alive.

I was up a little after 0500 and hit the road a little after six. I only had 78 km to go today, but I was feeling very tired and unmotivated. I stopped a lot to just sit and rest along the route. I stopped at a fruit stand and had a mango milkshake and a little bit of fudge. The milkshake was incredible! After that, I had just 30 km to go.

I pulled in to Ayr, my day’s destination, at 1111, and the local pub recommended that I stay in the caravan park rather than the backpacker’s place or the hotels.

I paid $11 for a camp site in the shade. By noon, I was showered and resting. I was really looking forward to vegging out. I snoozed in the shade for an hour or so, then I left for an Internet café. I stopped in a camp store on the way and looked at an inexpensive insect-proof tent. I left and spent two hours on the Internet updating journal pages, and when I returned to the camp store, it was closed. Darn.

I laid down under the stars and tried to get some sleep, but the bugs were biting…

Mileage: 78 km
Weather: Sunny/Hot
End Location: Ayr

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

Iguazu Falls, on the Argentina/Brazil border.

Journal and photos by Neil Dana.

Iguazu Falls. You really need to see these waterfalls up close yourself to know how impressive and powerful they are. These waterfalls define the border between Brasil and Argentina, and they are the finale of a river that is a kilometer-and-a-half wide! It is a pretty shallow river, which makes sense since it is over a kilometer in width, but when all this water culminates at the "Devil's Throat," one gets to witness the ferocity and untamed beast that mother nature unleashes in this majestic display of a waterfall. The Devil's Throat is only one of hundreds of the waterfalls of Iguazu, yet it is the most impressive. Thousands of people come from all over the world to a border town, of all places, to see this waterfall. In fact, my parents came all the way out here to see the falls, and I was fortunate enough to share the experience with them. People tend to steer clear of most border towns, but not this one. Foz de Iguazu is a beautiful town that is next to a nature preserve, which hosts the Iguazu Falls. And "Foz" is Brasilian for “final” or “end”, meaning the end of one river, and turning into another river, which is exactly what happens here. The Parane river turns into the Iguazu river at this point in geography, and it is a magnificent turning point.

These are also the falls that a scene from "The Mission" was filmed, with Robert DeNiro, I believe. Do you remember the scene where the main character must climb up the falls carrying a gigantic sack on his back? Well, those are another one of the falls at Iguazu. There are also many rainbows at the falls, created by all the mist that hovers around constantly from the pounding water. It is a very spectacular place.

My parents and I stayed on the Brasilian side of the waterfall the first night, which was amazing because, although they close the park to visitors in the evening, the one hotel that is inside the park, ours, was right smack dab in front of the falls. So we were blessed with the opportunity of seeing the falls for sunset and sunrise without tons of other people around. However, in the morning there were some other friends around, the coatis, and they were not fearful of people at all. The coatis are similar to a raccoon, but a bit cuter. They were scurrying all over the place in the morning, climbing guayaba trees, and filling themselves up. They are really used to people and will just walk on by you, not even budging or hesitating at any of your movements. Iguazu also has quite a few flowers, as well as butterflies, which you see flying around, and they have all kinds of different colors. The morphos, or the blue butterflies are my favorite, they are so brilliant and striking to see.

So, during the morning, we strolled around the Brasilian side of the waterfalls, and man, let me tell you, shooting photos of waterfalls is a difficult task. It is practically raining with mist 100% of the time, so you have to wipe your lens every minute, and keep your camera guarded from the water. So while shooting in the mist from the Brasilian side, you really get to see an interesting perspective of the falls. You are on top, across from the falls at one point, and at another, you are actually at the base of the falls when you get near to Devil's Throat. It is really impressive.

Then we headed over to the Argentine side, and walked about a mile over the river on a bridge to the actual top of the mouth of Devil's Throat, and WHOA!! That was definitely the most epic view of them all. You are standing on top of these waterfalls. These falls are larger than Niagra Falls!! This takes your breath away and puts you in awe.

We also went and saw many of the other falls, and it really is too bad we didn't have more time to hang out. It would have been nice to hang out there for a few days and really soak it all in. You can take a boat up the bottom of some of the falls and let the water nail you on the head. I talked to some people who did it and they said it was their favorite part of the Iguazu experience.

For me, one of my favorite experiences was being on top of Devil's Throat and watching all the water heave itself over the cliff into the cloud of white mist where no bottom could be seen. It was AWESOME!!! Right, Mom, awesome!!!!! My Mom told me that I needed to use the word awesome more in my journals, so here it is one more time, Iguazu Falls was truly awesome! Hee hee…

But the best part of all was being able to share such a scenic location with my mom and dad. We had a really good time together. We spent about 5 days together. We hadn't seen each other in over four months. They flew down to Rio, met me there and then we cruised to Iguazu. They are on a three-week vacation through South America, and luckily, it coincided with me being in Rio at the same time. Now that is awesome!!!!!!!

Until next time,

Neil

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

Anthony Lafragua (top left) taught me a little bit about the Aboriginal culture in Australia. His mother was an Aboriginee, and his father is Spanish.

I slept in until after 0800, and I couldn’t leave until after 1000, because the pub didn’t open until then, and I needed to retrieve my key deposit. Today would be a long ride to Townsville, more than 100 km south of Ingham.

I made good time to a famous tourist stop called Mango Madness, where I had a mango juice and a banana and refilled my water bottles.

The lemon Tang that I put in my water bottle was key, and I hammered on down the road, inspired by thoughts of my new cyclist-friend, Noeline. I hammered along in my big chainring all day, and the gears were shifting great after the tuning job I did on them in Ingham. I have to thank my friend Jay Zech at Gungho Bikes in Pennsylvania for teaching me the intricacies of the rear derailleur. Thanks, Jay!

The day was very, very sunny and hot, and I kept passing by a lot of cool, clear rivers. Finally, I stopped at Clearwater Creek, where some kids were swimming, and jumped in. I’ve been warned about swimming in Australian rivers; the locals tell me the crocs love American tourists. Since so many locals were swimming, I figured this river was safe. Ahhh…it was cool and refreshing. Just what the doctor ordered.

I got back on the bike and made my way to Townsville, and the first thing I saw on my way into town was the local Land Rover dealership. I stopped by, but it was Sunday, and the place was closed. I went into the main part of town and ended up at The Strand, which stretches along the waterfront. I rode by the recommended backpacker’s hostel, but I didn’t like the looks of it, so I asked about a pub room. On my way to find the pub, I stopped at McDonald’s and talked to some Australian ex-Navy guys for a while. After they moved on, I started talking to Anthony and his friend, Scott. Anthony struck up a conversation by asking me if I’m Canadian. That’s a popular question, after people here my non-Australian, non-British accent.

He’s in the tourist industry, has a 5-bedroom house that he rents rooms out of, and offered me a place to stay for the night. I accepted, and he and I and his friend/housemate, Wilma, talked and watched television. It was very kind of him to give me a free, safe place to stay for the night.

Anthony is half Aboriginal and half Spanish (mom’s side/dad’s side, respectively), and he teaches the native culture in Australian schools. He used to run an Aboriginal dance troupe, and he can play the didgeridoo so beautifully that I was left speechless by his performance. He’s been practicing for 15 years, and he is amazing. I promised to send him a postcard from a far-off place, and he promised to send me a recording of his didgeridoo playing. I wonder if I can put that on the website?

Anyway, it was great meeting another terrific Aussie (Australian hospitality rules!), and I got a good night’s sleep in my private, air-conditioned room. Thanks, Anthony!

Mileage: 130 km
Weather: Sunny/Hot/Headwind
End location: Townsville

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

Even a visit to a local cafe requires attention to the fashion of the day when in Buenos Aires.

Journal and photos by Chanda Baggarly

Buenos Aires is a fashionable city. In some neighborhoods, like Recoleta and Palermo, you can confuse the sidewalk for a catwalk. Women wear everything from DG to Prada and wear it well, as do the men. And why not? The local shops are chalked full of these amazing clothing creations at a fraction of the cost we would pay in the US---if we could even find them in the US. (Mental note...when going to Buenos Aires don’t bother with packing, just bring money.)

A matching outfit is a big thing here. Your shoes absolutely must match your blouse, even if you are just wearing a t-shirt. If you are a flip-flop wearer, you are in good company, and you have a choice of about 20 different colors to choose from. This is a good thing, because you simply must match. Really: no excuses for non-matching outfits here.

Another fashion curiosity worth mentioning is the matching underwear…never seen before as an accessory until now. If you are part of the low-rise club, that is you can wear the low rise jeans, shorts, or skirts with or with out your bum showing, you might as well make sure that your underwear matches the rest of the outfit. Who are you kidding--while wearing low-rise jeans, your underwear is going to show, if not while you are standing, then definitely while sitting--no matter how clever your descent.

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

Exploring Rio Niteroi, Garota de Ipanema, Copacabana, Beach, Fresco ball

Daybreak in Rio.

Journal and photo by Justin Mounts

Spending long lengths of time away from home in foreign countries is a liberating experience. You learn volumes about yourself—your likes and dislikes, and you learn to be comfortable without many of the comforts of home. You also spend a lot of time thinking about what your life is about. What are the things that make you happy? Were you happier before you started traveling, or have you found out something new along the way that will change you forever? Where do you belong?

Today is day 128 of the LONGITUDE Expedition, and I have spent the last 12 days adapting to my new “home” in Rio de Janeiro. I have often been overheard saying, “Home is wherever I happen to be standing at the moment,” simply because my life has always been full of travel. And, when you travel as much as I tend to, you really don’t become attached to any particular place as home. You think of the world as your home. However, this week I have decided to make Rio my home and spend my entire break away from the team in the Cidade Maravilhosa (the Marvelous City) with seven million of my newest friends. Escaping to Rio has always been a far-fetched travel fantasy for me, but I have to tell you that the real thing is much, much better. Recently, I read that the most beautiful cities in the world are Rio de Janeiro, Sydney, San Francisco, and Hong Kong. Rio de Janeiro was ranked number one. I believe they’re right.

Rio’s full glory starts early—around 5:30 a.m., when the sun begins to peak over the horizon. Its golden rays delicately illuminate this gloriously exuberant tropical setting, sandwiched between the mountains and the sea. As the blue begins to fill the sky, the sand on the praia (beach) starts to warm—anticipating the throngs of sun worshipers that will visit today. The streets are already alive with people jogging or biking, the beaches dotted with groups of people playing volleyball, and the ocean is alive with swimmers, surfers, and fisherman. Every morning in Rio is a good morning.

Today is no exception. The only difference, today, is that I am committing myself to a home for the next six weeks. I am signing a lease on an apartment. It is modest, of course. I have found a small studio apartment that is about 250 square feet two blocks from the ocean. It is nestled in between the boroughs of Copacabana and Ipanema—one made famous in a song about a girl and the other in a song about a club.

I’ve decided to stay in Rio to do some soul searching and to answer a few questions about myself. First, how will I fair living in the heart of a big city? Will I like it? I have lived in various forms of cities before, but never one this large. Second, how would I fair living in a foreign country by myself? Can I adapt? Will I be happy? I have often dreamed of taking up residency in another country, and this two-month break is as good of a chance as any to try it out and slip into a new life for a while. Maybe when this experiment is over, I will have a better idea about where my place in the world is.

Until next time, I wish you well from the far side of the world.

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

The cutest little green tree frogs were camping out around the water fountain in Ingham's public library.

I woke up at 0830 this morning in order to get to the library in time for my 0930 Internet appointment. I could have slept all day…

At the library, I saw the cutest little green tree frogs congregated about the water fountain. I think the librarian’s children must be taking care of them or something. It was weird to see so many (about 6) cute little frogs inside a building.

The library closed at noon, so I went back to my pub room to work, intending to do some writing on a press release and write an expedition summary for North Face. The plan was to type it up and send it from the slow restaurant Internet I used yesterday. The problem was that I left the disk in the computer at the library (oops), and the Internet at the restaurant was broken.

Knowing that Nick needed the article right away, I worried over how to get it to him. I ended up calling my mom in Idaho, dictated the corrections to her, and asked her to send it to Nick. She’s a champ, and she got it done for me. I was on the pay phone with her for what seemed like an hour dictating changes as she typed. Thanks, Mom! Mission accomplished.

Feeling relieved and in the mood to celebrate, I went to my pub for a cold drink. There, as luck would have it, I met a crazy (crazy in a good way) Australian woman named Noeline Otto, who used to race bicycles on the track in the 60’s. She and I hit it off the way a couple of bike-crazy cyclists would, and we sat and talked at that bar until midnight. I met her friend, Marita (only Noeline can call her “Rita”), and their other friend, Arthur (Noeline affectionately calls him her “good little mate”, and he rolls his own cigarettes, one after the other. He was carrying a dead bug around in a plastic container, and they told me the story about how it had crawled into his ear at the pub last night, and started crawling in toward his brain. He went crazy, fell down on the floor, and had to be rushed to the hospital, where they removed the intruder and sent poor Arthur on his way.). She also introduced me to the pub owner who, as a young man, was a very successful cyclist back in Italy.

Noeline Otto is a tall woman in her 60’s, with five grown children and several grandchildren. She still rides her bike every morning, and her pride and joy is her new, Italian road bike, an Orbea, with top-of-the-line Campagnolo components and an electric-blue paint job. She had retired from racing for quite some time until she jumped back on the bike in 1994 as therapy for her rheumatoid arthritis, and has been “pedalling ever since.”

She has white hair cut in a flattering buzz-cut style, thinly plucked and pencilled eyebrows, double-pierced ears with silver hoops and pink gemstones (pinkish-purple is her favorite color), a black shirt with white roses, black hot pants, a gold heart in the middle of her right front tooth, a tattoo of a rose on her left forearm (it’s covering up what used to be a heart with some fella’s name on it, and Noeline was the first woman in North Queensland to be tattooed), a big silver cross pendant on a chain around her neck, and a great-big personality that makes you just want to be her friend. The locals know that wherever Noeline is, that’s where the party is.

As a young woman, she packed up her five kids into a mini-bus and left her Italian-stallion husband who made the mistake of fooling around on her (Her ex-husband was dying of cancer many years later and came around to visit her, saying to her, “You’re the only woman I ever loved; you’re my best mate. I’m sorry for what I did to you.”) She arrived in Ingham, a very Italian town and home of Australia’s yearly Italian festival, and was welcomed into the community by the locals. She has been there and done that. She was even a bouncer once (got beat up in an unfair fight and then got her revenge in a fair one), and she has been a bar maid, too. She’s a tough lady. Her mates respect the heck out of her, and they told me so, and she has taught me a whole lot in the 4.5 hours that I’ve known her.

I have Noeline Otto’s contact information, and I’m going to send her a bicycle-spoke bracelet like the one I’m wearing, only hers will be pinkish-purple. I hope to see her when the team drives back through Ingham on our way to Cairns.

I have a feeling the characters I meet on this cycling trip are going to be the heart of my experience.

Mileage: 0
Weather: Sunny/Hot/Headwind

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

A typical pub room in Queensland, and my typical mess inside it.

I was very happy when morning finally rolled around, and I was up and packing at 0600. By 0700, I was on my way. The next town, Ingham, should have good Internet, and I’ve been told the pubs have good, cheap rooms. I can use some good sleep!

The road to Ingham was pretty flat until I hit a mountain range about 18 km north of town. Everybody had warned me about it, so I was expecting something massive. As it turns out, it was a pretty simple hill, and it didn’t take long to reach its crest. Of course, towing that heavy trailer of mine, I did have to put the bike in granny gear for a slow ascent. There was no shoulder on that stretch of road, but somehow I got lucky and didn’t have a single car pass me on the hill. That was serious good luck, because the mountain road had some dangerous blind curves. At the top, I snapped a photo of Hichinbrook Island down below.

I arrived in Ingham at about 1015 and found a nice pub room through the nice gals at the local visitor’s info center. For $15 per night, I have cold A/C, showers, and a small, clean, private room.

After settling in, I set out to find some Internet. Ugh. It was Slooooooooowwww. It was so miserably slow that I couldn’t get any work done. The library is fast and free, so I went there. The problem was, you are only able to book 30-minute sessions. I got a tiny bit of work done and then my time was up.

Since I couldn’t do any work, I went to the bakery and bought an Australian treat—a meat pie. WOW! These things are incredibly good. They have a nice, buttery, fattening crust, with some sort of meat and spice inside. I had meat/tomato/onion and then had to get another for later, it was so good.

I had a cold drink at the pub, reserved one more night’s accommodation, and then went upstairs to work on my bike. I spent a long time on the derailleurs, and they were perfect by the time I put the tools away at 2200.

Mileage: 50 km
Weather: Sunny/Hot

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

A Brazilian butterfly that stopped by to say "hello" to Colin.

Journal and photo by Colin McAuliffe.

Well, I made it to Salvador, in the state of Bahia, and it’s great up here. We are in the city right now, but soon I’ll be heading out for some sweet beaches where I can string up my hammock, kick back, and relax. For now, we are enjoying the African culture and reggae music.

Today, I went to a crazy market with this guy from Chicago, John, with whom I’m sharing a dorm at our hostel. The place was crazy: miles of stalls and shacks full of so much random stuff. I bought my kid brother Charlie a slingshot to cause some trouble with, ate some random wierd sour fruits, and then had a hearty snack of assorted mystery meats that included a pig ear. You know, I always try to eat the local food when I travel, but sometimes I just can’t do it. That’s what happened with the pig ear; one bite and I’d had enough. Anyway, now I’m here, in an Internet cafe, writing in the blog, and I am finished, because the sun is setting and I am going to go watch it.
-Colin

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

Signs posted along Cardwell's shores warn of recent crocodile sightings.

I woke up at about 0730/0800 and set about trying to adjust the rear derailleur on my bike. I did a miserable job of it. I never can remember which screw to turn which direction, so I’ll have to look it up again on the Internet. It’s shifting a little rough.

I left at 1010, and the nice people at Banana Backpackers wished me good luck. By 1130, I was half-way to my destination in Cardwell, so I stopped for lunch at a rest station. I have some Mountain Home freeze-dried meals with me, so I cooked up some turkey tetrazini on my camp stove. I was back on the road by noon for the final 20 km to Cardwell.

I arrived at 1330 and cycled out to the oceanfront. There, I saw crocodile waring signs. I had heard on the news that locals had sighted a big croc in Cardwell, so there isn’t any camping allowed around there right now. I was napping on a park bench when an 80-year-old man stopped by. I told him my story, and he offered me a place to stay at his retirement home. I accepted and then did some Internet work before meeting him at the pub next door. There, I met some of the Aussie locals, including Eric and Frizz.

After more work on the Internet, I retired for a night of fitful sleep on my crappy little sleeping pad on a hardwood floor. Not too comfy!

Mileage: 50 km
Weather: Good/Hot
End Location: Cardwell

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

A rainy day near Cairns, Australia. This tropical area is marked by mile-after-mile of sugar cane fields.
Journal and photo by Nancy Olson

It rained very loudly most of the night, and I was thankful to be safe and dry inside. The big, fat raindrops and the frogs and bugs made a loud sort of jungle music outside all night. The sky was still fit to burst when dawn rolled around.

When I awoke at 0630, the McConnells were all getting up and ready for work. Jane cooked up a wonderful breakfast of steak and eggs (what a treat!), and then Ian got a call to deliver some equipment to a customer (he runs Babinda Hire Service in town). Their driveway is several kilometres long, so I hurried to get my stuff ready so I could catch a ride to the highway. After a quick photo with the family, Ian and Tessie and I got ready departed. At the Bruce Highway, we unloaded my gear and said our “see you laters.” I hope to stop by with the Land Rover convoy when we head through on our drive through Oz. Our route will take us right back by here on our way to Cairns.

Well, I was about to start pedalling off when I realized my trailer had a flat tire! I was pulling out my patch kit when two sugarcane farmers came by in their truck and brought me to their shed where I could hide from the rain shower that was blowing across the fields toward us. I chatted with them over the noise of the morning shower while I patched the tube and put the tire back on the trailer. I have spares for my bike, but I still need to buy a couple for the trailer tire!

It was still raining when I hit the road at 0930. I reached Innisfail quickly and easily and located a bike shop on my way through town. The rain had stopped by then, too, so it looked like luck was on my side. I purchased a couple of spare tubes and stopped for a cheeseburger at McDonald’s at 1130.

The weather was clear for a short time before another downpour hit. At 1330, I took a short rest under the shelter of a bus stop in a little town called Silkwood. From there, I had only 24 km to go to reach my destination in Tully. I rigged up a little map case for my handlebars out of a Ziploc bag and two zip ties. Now I can read my map while I’m riding, without taking my hands off the bars.

I arrived in Tully under a dry sky, but I was pretty wiped out. I felt sleepy, my shoulders were hurting, and I was having a little chaffing from the pad in the butt of my shorts…My trailer was feeling very, very heavy, and I just wanted a nap.

I arrived at a nice hostel, Banana Backpackers, at about 1530-ish. There, I had food, a shower, and a cold drink, and I stopped by the Internet.

I don’t have much money, and Australia is super-expensive, so I spent a little time figuring out a budget. If I eat PBJ from now on and camp in cheap caravan parks, I can send $250 per month to my bank, leaving me with $150 per month to spend. The plan is to eat a lot of fruits and veggies and sammiches.

I think I’ll probably ride tomorrow and then have a day off so my muscles can get used to pulling this trailer.

Mileage: 85 km
Weather: tropical showers

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

This watch indicates the time is 2147. That means it is 9:47 p.m. to you civilian types.

I use military time in these my journals, and it is based on 24 hours in a day.
For those of you who are new to it, it goes like this:

1:00 a.m. is 0100, 1:00 p.m. is 1300
2:00 a.m. is 0200, 2:00 p.m. is 1400
3:00 a.m. is 0300, 3:00 p.m. is 1500
4:00 a.m. is 0400, 4:00 p.m. is 1600
5:00 a.m. is 0500, 5:00 p.m. is 1700
6:00 a.m. is 0600, 6:00 p.m. is 1800
7:00 a.m. is 0700, 7:00 p.m. is 1900
8:00 a.m. is 0800, 8:00 p.m. is 2000
9:00 a.m. is 0900, 9:00 p.m. is 2100
10:00 a.m. is 1000, 10:00 p.m. is 2200
11:00 a.m. is 1100, 11:00 p.m. is 2300
12:00 a.m. is 1200, 12:00 p.m. is 2400 or 0000

You simply count the hours from 1 a.m. to noon, and then you add the p.m. hours to 12:00. For example, 7 p.m. would be 12 plus 7, which is 19. That becomes 1900. Many other countries use this type of time, and it keeps you from confusing a.m. and p.m.

Todd is welcomed to a Parkinson's Disease support-group meeting in Buenos Aires.

Journal and photos by Todd Borgie.

As I mentioned last time, I have been conditioning myself to stay up late, trying to adjust to the Argentine schedule; however, today I had to be up early. We had tracked down a Parkinson’s Disease support group, so I planned on joining them today at their weekly meeting. The meeting started at 10:30am, and I arrived right on time.

There were about 10 people there, and more straggled in as the meeting progressed. The group asked me a lot of different questions, most of which I didn’t have answers for. People that show up at these meetings, I imagine, who do not have Parkinson’s Disease, are generally doctors, so they addressed me like I was a doctor. I managed to convince them I was a fundraiser, but our expedition is somewhat difficult to explain. People in South America have difficulty with the concept that we are soliciting donations per mile. They can’t imagine why someone would pay us to drive. What we are doing is creating an extraordinary event so we can refocus the attention from the expedition onto Parkinson’s Disease. Anyway, they asked me about the stem-cell research, what were the exact causes of Parkinson’s, and how they should go about choosing a good Parkinson’s doctor, all of which I really didn’t have answers for. I felt sort of helpless, getting all these questions for which I don’t know the answers. At times I thought they might think, “Why are you even here?” Anyway, I told them I didn’t know, but managed to share with them a few of my father’s experiences, and mentioned people I had met along the way, but I did say that I could look up the answers to some of their questions.

It was interesting to hear them talk. They talked about the many things that were now happening to them and their bodies. They also discussed how they could help other members of the community who were unable to come that day. They were all keen to the degrading effects this disease has on the body and the depression that runs parallel to these effects. One woman was asking about stomach problems caused by her medicine, another was asking about disjointed sleep habits, and another topic was about one of their fellow members who was dying of cancer. They all recognized the depression in this particular patient and were discussing strategies on how to help her. It was a fascinating meeting, and they invited me back for tomorrow’s meeting, where they will meet with a psychologist.

I was grateful that they let me into their world. Diseases like these are very personal things. We all try for so long to pretend that we are not different from everyone else, that we can make it on our own, that these diseases really don’t bother us. But is disconcerting to see the fear they cause in other people. The minute you say you have a certain disease, you can see the change of expression on the other person’s face. It is like all of a sudden you are different, and there is a wall that goes up.

It seems like a whole new set of fears spring up, for the person without the disease, thinking to himself, “Can I get this disease? Am I going to say something stupid that will be insensitive to this person? I really should know more about the disease, but I don’t. Do they suppose they know they are shaking? Maybe I should just ignore them. Yes that is what I will try to do--ignore it…ignoring it…ignoring...” And, finally, “Oh gotta go!” It seems like the thinking process gets so overwhelmed that the conversation is stifled and ultimately dies.

The person with the disease thinks, “They are kind of looking at me funny. Do they suppose the see something strange? Maybe I should change the subject. Oh, they look uncomfortable. Oh you have to go? It was nice talking with you.”

Maybe this is over the top, but often times there is a general uncomfortable-ness when a handicapped person or someone who is not deemed “normal” walks into a conversation. There was one woman at the support meeting who didn’t have Parkinson’s Disease, but her husband did. After being diagnosed, he moved back in with his mother, and has virtually not left the house in two years because he is too embarrassed. Some of this problem lies with the general public, and some of it lies within the particular patient’s perception. In any case, we all have to learn to accept these things, and to ask questions about want we don’t know about.

I have learned that the hardest thing about Parkinson’s Disease is accepting it. One lady I talked to went to 10 doctors before she even thought about accepting the diagnosis. The group told me that, after accepting it, they try to live in the moment and not in the future. Many victims of Parkinson’s get caught up in the future, what is to become of them. It is true that this disease will slowly debilitate your body, but they say you should focus on what you can do today, not on what you can’t do tomorrow.

I am happy that we are spending time here. It will allow me the time I need to get to know these people. These experiences are great! I have been learning so much through these wonderful people

When I got back to the apartment, I was both excited and exhausted. It is difficult to go to those meetings by myself, speak another language, and be a focus point. But the first one is always the hardest, and I am looking forward to going to the meeting tomorrow to see how these meetings are run.

I wanted to relax when I returned to the apartment, but there is still a lot left to do. I began walking towards Ricoleta, because I wanted to see Evita’s grave, but I got about a quarter mile and then turned around. I need to run some errands, and they have a way of taking longer than I imagine they should. I managed to purchase a bus ticket to Bahia Blanca, to see my friend Marcela. I met her in San Francisco when she was studying cooking and English. It will be fun to see her and meet her family. Stay tuned for that story in another journal!

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

Brazilian colors in the sand.

Journal and photo by Adam Burgess

Feeling the affects of muscle relaxants for my bad back and overly sweetened black coffee, I’m rolling south with Neil in the back of a huge coach. We spent 14 days holed up in a rented apartment in Rio de Janeiro finishing the video and planning our next moves. Well, at least Colin and I were. Neil, on the other hand, delved into local customs by purchasing tank tops and shopping for a mystery item. This time he came home with yet another surprise: green Speedo trunks. They love them in Rio; 80% of the guys strut their stuff on the beach and sometimes through the streets of Rio. The other day I was sipping a capoirena (local liquor mixed with crushed lime and sugar) on Ipanema’s beach boulevard. Strutting by was a belly-toting man holding his shirt and trousers folded on top of his head. His shoes and socks remained in place, and so did what appeared to be a bright white pair of speedo trunks, but as he approached I noticed they were merely a pair of tighty-whities. So I assumed that this guy was taking a lunch break from work and decided to catch a few rays. Speedo or not, I guess nothing can get between a Marioca and his addiction to the sun.

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

Nancy's rig. It consists of a top-of-the-line Santa Cruz mountain bike, known as a "Blur", and a B.O.B. trailer for hauling camping gear.

Journal by Nancy Olson

It's raining cats and dogs, and the forecast is for more of the same here in Cairns, at least through Thursday. Actually, this whole week is scheduled to be pretty rainy, and it gets slightly drier the further south you look. It is for those reasons that I have decided to leave today, Tuesday, 2 March, 2004.

My plan is to cycle from Cairns to Brisbane, approximately 1100 miles down Highway 1, the Bruce Highway, which runs North/South along the east coast of Oz. I ordered a bicycle cargo trailer from B.O.B. Trailers, and it arrived yesterday at my hostel, Leo's Budget Accommodations, right here in beautiful downtown Cairns. Now I am all set to haul myself and my gear down the road for a few weeks of cycling adventures.

Very quickly, I'd like to recommend Leo's to anybody who might be headed for Cairns (Gateway to the Great Barrier Reef), and who's looking to do it on a shoestring. I got an excellent deal on my room, and they provide breakfast (toast and tea) and dinner (some sort of tasty, starchy meal). But stay there for the staff. They are amazingly friendly, and they make you feel right at home by greeting you by name whenever you see them. They are awesome!

So, I woke up to the third rainy day in a row this morning, and the forecast promises little improvement. Planning to go ahead and start heading south toward the sunshine, I stopped by the map store for a more detailed East Coast map and the grocery store for some provisions. After fiddling around most of the morning and into the afternoon, I was finally ready to go.

I left Cairns at 1:30 p.m., an unfavorable hour, and in unfavorable weather. Ah, but it felt great to be on the road! I had been holed up in Cairns for nearly a week, just waiting for my trailer to arrive and taking care of Drive Around the World work. I was thinking of shooting for the city of Innisfail, about 80 km down the road, with a backup plan to stay in Babinda if the hour became too late.

I ended up deciding upon Plan B, which was to stay in Babinda. I was sitting under the awning of a coffee shop in the little one-street settlement when a pickup truck pulled up beside me.

"Where are you from?" asked the friendly looking, middle-aged man inside.

I told him California, and he asked if I had a place to stay. He and his daughter, Tessie, who was riding with him in the car, helped me put my bike and trailer into the truck bed, and we all headed off to their home.

As it turns out, this was my lucky day! The McConnell family is amazing! I was in for a real treat when I arrived at their home, a real "Queenslander" house which, I found out later, had been moved to their property in two halves on the back of two semi trailer trucks. Ian introduced me to his wife Jane upon arrival, and I was given access to a much-needed shower. It had rained on me the entire 3.5 hours I'd been traveling, and I was ready to add a little soap to the water.

The McConnells and I sat around talking for a good long while (I did most of the talking, I'm afraid, yapping on about the Naval Academy, the U.S. Marine Corps, the Pentagon, Drive Around the World, my bike trip, and my life story.) while Tessie cooked a scrumptious dinner of mashed potatoes (my favorite!), chicken stuffed with creamed broccolli (another favorite!), and veggies. Yum! It was delicious. After dinner, I showed them www.drivearoundtheword.com and tried to explain a little about our programs.

I've never had so much fun talking to people about our mission. They were just so warm and inviting that I couldn't stop talking! We had fun visiting until about 10:00, when it was finally time for bed.

Just as I was falling asleep, I saw a flash of light along the wall, out of the corner of my eye. And then I saw another! It was bright, and it was traveling in a haphazard sort of diagonal pattern. There was no real method to its madness. It was just this bright, scary light, tiny and mysterious. I thought maybe it was a little alien come to dissect me and probe my brain. I thought it was either that, or a firefly. Luckily, it turned out to be a firefly. Very lucky, indeed, as it was soon joined by several more little lights. Unlike the fireflies we have in the States, which just flash for a fraction of a second, these stay lit for several seconds. That was the source for my confusion.

Anyway, I fell asleep under the light of my little buggy friends while the bullfrogs croaked loudly above the noise of the pounding rain outside. It was a beautiful night in the country.

Northern Queensland is the tropics, and they grown massive quantities of mango, lychees, pineapple, jackfruit, and SUGARCANE. The latter is the area's big cash crop, and you see it stretching along the road for miles and miles and miles. This region reminds me very much of Costa Rica, and they even have a lot of the same birds (giant parrots and such) and trees. What I didn't see in Costa Rica were flying foxes, which I have a tendency to refer to as "fruit bats" or "fox bats." A flying fox is a gigantic bat that feeds on fruits, especially lychees. They are considered a pest, but, gosh, are they incredible to watch! They're huge, maybe a foot-and-a-half long with a 2.5-foot wingspan. And they soar like birds, very graceful. They sleep hanging upside down in trees all day, and they they emerge in hoards when the sun starts to drop. That's when the farmers have to worry about the disappearance of their fruit crop!

I put in a good 55/60 km on Day 1, and I'm looking forward to a similar day tomorrow. I am excited about my new friends, the McConnells, and about the prospect of several weeks on the road making more new friends.

Stay tuned!

Nancy

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

The last time I saw the sun was during the snorkelling cruise a few days ago. Rain or shine, I'm leaving tomorrow...

Journal and photo by Nancy Olson.

MY TRAILER ARRIVED! I test drove it, and it works like a breeze! I’m all set to go…if it ever stops raining…Did I mention it has been raining for three days? The snorkelling day was the last day of sunshine we have seen. We were lucky the sun held out for us until we finished out Barrier Reef excursion!

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

[ Above: The famous giant Christ overlooking Rio in Brazil]

Journal by Neil Dana

Alright you all, I haven't written in a while, but what do you expect when you arrive in Rio on the last day of Carnaval!!! And because so much has happened and still is, I must summarize it all for you.

Justin and I left Buenos Aires on Fat Tuesday and landed down in Rio, Brasil, headed to Ipanema to stay at Rolf's apartment, and witness Carnaval's last hoorah! And what a spectacular evening, which started off with a "Bloco," which is a block party. And this is no ordinary block party, this is a bloco in Rio on Fat Tuesday, which meant that the streets along Ipanema were closed off to drivers, and were filled with thousands of people parading down the main street. It was an immense parade of transvestites and homosexuals, as well as percussionists and other musicians. It was helarious to see all the transvestites. They were all dressed up in the finest costumes they could conjure up. There were a few small floats, but mostly just people and musicians parading and singing Brasilian songs, while sweating and dancing like it was the last day on earth. We drank some caiparinhas, which is a drink made in Brasil with lime, sugar, and with a local sugar cane liquor. They are very strong and very delicious. So we had a blast watching and parading amongst the bloco for a few hours. It was similar to what I had imagined, streets filled with so many people that it is difficult to move, literally. We were there for a few hours and then the parade finally moved on out of our neighborhood.

After the parade, a local friend of ours, Erica, invited us over for dinner and made us Feijoada, which is a local Brasilian bean dish, and it was scrumptious. She lives in Le Blon, which is a very nice part of town, next to Ipanema. Erica is what you would always dream of a host being, super friendly, fun, and desiring to show you her country. I think that is the Brasilian spirit in general, very open and proud and always willing to show you a good time. She also told us of a great place to go later that night, which was called Monte Libano, an old country club turned into dance club, and this place was filled with over a thousand people dancing samba to a live drum troop up on stage. The stage was filled with 30 or so percussionists and a few other instruments as well. It was nonstop until the sun came up. I have never seen anything like it before, just intense samba and everyone dancing samba, everyone!!! The way these Brasilians move is heart stopping. There were some women up on pillars and on stage who had glittery carnaval costumes on and were dancing nonstop. It was amazing to see how long they can dance samba and not pass out. It is tiring to dance samba.

So anyway, in the following days, Adam and Colin showed up and Erica also brought us to her parents' beach house in Angra, which is a few hours south of Rio, and is breathtaking. The tropical foliage comes right down to the coast, which is littered with small islands. It is supremely scenic. She also brought us a few more hours south to a beach called Trinidade, near Ubatuba. And on our way back, she brought us to another gem, called Praina. Actually, Praina is only a 40 minute drive from Rio, so it was really crowded, but still fun and a great place to hang out for a day. The color of the ocean was pure blue and there were little huts on the beach you could get some food and drinks from. We chilled on these beaches all day everyday. It was very relaxing.

And to top all that off, Erica also brought us to Lapa, a town in downtown Rio which had live Samba and Bossa Nova! This is what I have always dreamed of, listening and DANCING to Samba and Bossa Nova, and we did this the last 3 nights. And of course, all the music is performed by live musicians, and is heavily drum dominated, so the intense rhythms and grooves are hypnotizing. We had some friendly locals teach us the Samba steps, and we haven't stopped since. It is an amazing dance, extremely fast and very fun. One girl told our friend, just do these few steps and keep practicing them for the next 12 years and keep speeding up, then you will be a samba dancer! She is right, the gracefulness and speed at which most of the Brasilians dance has been in their blood since childhood; I am envious.

So anyway, Rio has been a great time so far. However, the best part is that my parents just started a vacation to South America and we were able to meet up in Rio. It was really special to spend time with my parents in South America. We ate some really delicious food and saw some interesting sights in the city. We of course saw the grandioso Jesus Christ, which overlooks Rio. And we also spent some nice relaxing time on the beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana. Brasil has been even more than I had anticipated, and I am looking forward to the rest of our time here. I shall write again soon, as my parents and I are going to Iguazu Falls, which are larger than Niagra Falls! Imagine that.

Ciao,

Neil

Check out Neil's Rio photo album!
(Click on description to view photo)

Let it begin. Justin boards Rio-bound airplane
Angra, South Brazil
Adam relaxes on the beach in Angra
One of Brazil's crowded beaches
Ah, a pristine beach
Rio, a city on a hillside
Brasil's metro
Rio's colonial-style apartments
Brazil's endless beach

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.