April 15, 2005

A cycling tour of the Americas in search of strange food. Starting in May, Tom Kevill Davies will cycle around North and South America. His website asks people along the route to invite him on detours to sample whatever weird local food they can come up with. I do wonder what he's got planned for the Darien Gap? Some parts of the site require Flash. Link pinched from today's London Metro newspaper.
posted by Plegmund 19 years ago
  • I admit when I first read the FPP, I saw "the Durian Gap", and thought, "Cool! They have durians in the States?" I'll go stand in the corner now....
  • Since I can't click on the southern U.S. does that mean he's not passing through there? Some of the best (and/or) most exotic food is down there.
  • I believe so, rolypolyman - only those states which change colour when you mouse over them. In gastronomic terms, it does seem perverse. Apparently he's been offered Jellied Moose Nose in Ottawa - maybe that swung it in favour of going north.
  • If he's doing Donner Pass, I've got some thoughts...
  • This is pretty cute, thanks for the post! There's a game on his site and everything. My only quibbles are that, what, jellied moose nose? Never freaking heard of it, there's better he could do in Ottawa, and if he wants really weird Canadian food he really needs to go to Newfoundland. Oh, and Manitoba did not suddenly encompass Saskatchewan. / grumpy old fart, who really did like the link.
  • Early in the twentieth century, a gentleman named Ed Schiffley (may not have spelled his name correctly, since I can't find any reference to him Googling) journeyed with two tough little horses from South to North America -- a journey I suspect would be be more difficult if not impossible today. But it sounds like great adcenture to me yet.
  • Alnedra, actually we do. There's even a local place that makes durian ice cream. Maybe we should offer some to him?
  • The usual thing to do (when biking the Americas) is to pack all of your stuff on a boat or plane from Panama to Colombia, or even better, Ecuador. Once, at the South American Explorers Club in Lima (a really great resource btw) I read the trip report of a guy who attempted to get his bike through the Darian Gap. He hired a bunch of local guys to help carry his stuff (and bike) and they slashed their way through. Once he was across to the Panamanian side he had everything stolen by bandits. I doubt this guy is going to try that, though.
  • *agrees vigorously with Cali* And pictures of him please. There's always a 50/50 chance that he'll turn an amusing shade of green.
  • Ahem!
  • Oh. Hi there, Hungrycyclist! *waves, cheesy grin*
  • Hmm. He last reported properly on Friday 13th. According to the stats, as of a week ago he'd done 107 miles in 8 days and apparently eaten only burgers, hot dogs and pizza...
  • What's so unusual about that? I'd like to see him cycling on a diet of grits and bug gravy and spam tacos made with ketchup. That would fix him.