T-Minus 36 Hours

Departure 7am Wed! We are very excited, but will be more excited if we can skate through the baggage check-in without any surprises. We will each be checking one bag at 50 lbs and one boxed bike at just under 50 lbs. The picture shows how Sarah and I will carry all the gear we need for three months. A total of eight saddlebags with sleeping bags and tent on the back all held together with metal racks and bungie cords.

First stop is Rome then on the cobblestone down to Pompei and the Amalfi Coast. wish us luck!

Generosity

Thank you very much for all the contributions thus far. If we keep our end of the bargain we are currently over $2,000 towards worthy causes. I wanted to take a moment to let everyone know the significant difference they are making. Fusion is aiding an area of the world that is in dire need of services. This is emphasized by the following:


"Internally displaced people in Colombia are subjects of one of, if not the worst humanitarian crisis in the western hemisphere,” and yet they remain “invisible, not only internationally, but even in Bogotá.”- Kamel Morjane, Assistant United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 2004

Ninety-two percent of internally displaced persons in Colombia do not make enough money to meet their basic needs and 80 percent live in situations of extreme poverty. - World Food Program, 2003

For the last six years, internal displacement in Colombia has been voted one of the top ten most underreported humanitarian crises in the world by the medical relief organization Doctors without Borders.

A Good Cause

We feel this bike tour gives us a great opportunity to raise awareness for two charities, ALS and Fusion (click for more details). Our goal is to get enough pledges per mile to realize that every mile we travel will make a difference. We believe that we can turn every $0.01 pledged into $20 by the end of the trip. Please email bikingforacause@gmail.com with a pledge and include your mailing address. It would mean a lot to us and would prevent us from claiming that we pulled a hammy after one week of suffering. If direct donations are preferred than we have a personalized giving page here.

Revised Route

Departure set for April 2nd. Here is our best guess at our route for the trip. Of course, everything is subject to change. It begins and ends in Rome. We will be traveling counter clockwise. Click on the map for a larger image.

Red = biking

Green = public transport