My last days in Brasil felt a bit long. When travelling, it is good not to stay too much at the same place. I was waiting for a potential buyer to gather the money so I could sell the motorbike. Unfortunately, he delayed to the point I could not take it anymore, and I simply left the moto at some friends’ place. So this is the end of my motorbike trip, which started in September in Lima.24,000km: from the highest mountains to the flattest beaches, from the driest deserts to the wettest lakes, from the coldest nights to the hottest days, from the windiest to the straightest roads, through snow, ice, rain, mud, sand, rocks, gravel, salt, water, dirt and dust, KLaRa was my bestest companion during what is the main part of my year of travel. I can say today that motorbiking alone is by far the best way to explore lands and encounter locals. Countless random and curious people asking about my trip when they saw the machine loaded and covered with flags. I will deeply miss her.That is also the end of 8 months travelling in South America: it all started and finished in Brasil with the Olympics (August 2016) and the Carnival (March 2017). I spent, more or less: 2.5 months in Brasil, 1 month in Peru, 1 month in Bolivia, 1 month in Chile, 2 months in Argentina, and 2 weeks in Uruguay. I always struggle answering the question: ‘what was the best place?’. Brasil for parties. Peru for food in general, Uruguay for meat. Roads in North Argentina and South Chile. People from everywhere! I felt particularly good in Argentina, but if there is a place that I could called ‘different’, it would be Bolivia. On a motorbike, I suffered from and was challenged every day by the altitude, the cold, the so called ‘roads’. Landscapes there are from another World. Climbing the Huayna Potosi (6,088m) and crossing the Sud Lipez were some of the highlights of my trip. This along learning Spanish (mainly in Peru), tango (Argentina), surfing (Brasil), and, of course, moto mechanics. I consider myself lucky given I did not have any issue with the moto. I did the maintenance on a regular basis, changed a few used parts… did not get a single puncture the first 5 months (but 3 in 4 days in Brasil!).

I also experienced loneliness, a lot (but I did not suffer from it!). Even though I met people along the road, I was alone most of the time. 2 exceptions however: the trip between Chiloe and Ushuaia, 2 weeks with Dutch Tom, on his Tiger 800:And around Buenos Aires with beloved Han (aka Chikita), 3 weeks 🦆:It is time to get onto the next chapter. I got rid of boots, suit, tent, sleeping bag and cooking gears. And here I am, left with a 10kg backpack. After I dropped the moto at my friends’ place, I booked flights tickets, had a lot of drinks with Enrique and my good mates from Rio, and I took off in the middle of the night. Cuba is the name of the next country:Here are some of the last things I did before leaving South America:

Went to the beach: Copacabana and IpanemaHad diners and drinks with Enrique, Oceane and Clemence:Went to a football game between Botafogo and Vasco de Gama with my good friend Thaynan:Washed the moto and gave it to my friends, Thaynan’s family:Partied in the streets of Rio:Visited the Museum of tomorrow, environment focused. It shows where we (humans) come from, what we do (pollution), and where are going (disaster). I was particularly impressed by the building itself!With Clemence, my good French friend, we went to the National Park of Tijuca, which is in the middle of Rio. Views are stunning, I like to think that Rio is the most beautiful city in the World:Enjoyed life at the hostel. The view from Santa Teresa:Great people:Enjoyed a good asahi, this Brasilian sweet, and frozen speciality made from a local fruit (asahi):Here is the last view of Rio, from the plane. I am on the way to Cuba, via Lima: