With less than four weeks before we start, it’s probably time to start getting all the kit together. We are really trying to travel light so we will have to be pretty strict with our kit choice by concentrating on the esentials and keeping warm.
I’m not much of a list person so I copied Bingo’s list and added a few items: namely prescription sunglasses, normal glasses, contact lenses and epi-pens (hopefully I will be cured from my recent wasp sting allergy thing, as I have been on an Immunotherapy course at Guy’s hospital, but still taking them!).
The spare bedroom has turned into a cycle touring kit room, with panniers and cycle kit all over the place. I’m sure I will get it in order soon, plenty of time!
Both Bingo and I have been using the touring bikes during our recent rides around the country lanes in East Kent, calling in all the local pubs. A big thank you to the Anchor at Wingham, the Haywain at Bramling and the Fitz at Goodnestone for keeping us well watered and supporting our little ride.
We are both happy with the bikes with no obvious rattles or niggly faults, so all good, another couple of rides before we strip them down and box them up. Managed to source a couple of bike boxes from Lockes cycles in Sandwich so big thank you to them. We are both reasonably bike fit so no need to over do the training, just ride, we will get super bike fit after the first couple of weeks touring. Just concentrate on the packing!
Adios amigos.
As has become the custom every ride has it’s own shirt. In the past the shirts have been in the classic red and blue of Snowdown Colliery Welfare Rugby Club but after a dozen years the team have had a little breakaway this year: the shirt for the Tour of Ireland last summer included green (of course!). The shirt still, naturally, carries the badge of SCWRFC, as they always have. The team will hope to bump into some local rugby clubs along the way, particularly in Argentina and Uruguay. They think however that they will be cycling in the off season. This wont stop them getting a beer in a clubhouse somewhere along the way.
In fact whilst we are here we can see that Ushuaia has a rugby team.
It might just have to be the first port of call!
This year the shirt features the colours of yellow, pale blue and red which are common on many of the flags of the South and Central American Nations.
The shirt has the peaks of the Andes represented and the flags of all the countries they will pass through.
I’ll leave you to figure out which flag is which country … bearing in mind that one of these flags is no longer a country though it was (briefly).
The back of the shirt has many parts.
Many will call me an adventurer, and that I am … only one of a different sort: one who risks his skin to prove his truths.
Ernesto (Che) Guevara
You will recall that that this revolutionary travelled through South America as a young medical student and was shocked by the povery he saw. Two fairly recent biographical films about his life story have been made (2008). Before that, in 2004, another film called “The Motorcycle Diaries” recalls his earlier life.
In Memory of and thanks to Auntie Irene (1936-02023)
all the House family
On a more personal note we’d all like to remember our lovely Auntie Irene who passed away last year. She was kind enough to donate funds to this expedition.
Our tour badge this year is this iconic image of the Incan Sun God. You may recognise it from the emblem on the Argentina national flag. Hopefully he or she will be on our side.
Across the shirt lies this ancient Mayan pattern. We don’t want to offend any of the gods of the renowned ancient civilisations of South and Central America!
On the sleeves, in homage to the great fauna of the Americas are stylistic representations of the Condor and the Jaguar.
Finally at the base of the shirt is the Logo and QR code for Slideaway which is again our preferred charity.
For a little bit of fun we’ve shown the Slideaway bear sliding down the Andes!
House Rides 