From Anchorage to Ushuaia by Bike

You know, those little things that we’ve gotten use to... or not...

Since Anchorage, we’ve been noticing all the differences between the places we traveled through and our home country of France. It’s all part of what makes travel so interesting – discovering new cultures, customs, habits and ways of life. Some of the differences we have blogged about, some of them not, and here is a little overview, obviously only a sampling. It might seem like we’re complaining, but that’s not the idea. We’re just trying to give an account of how things are different here, based on what we’ve seen and experienced, and so is of course all relative to our own personal experiences and education in France.

The Bathrooms

In Canada and the US the bathrooms were clean, accessible and there was always toilet paper. In Mexico, like everywhere since then, things are a little different. There is never any toilet paper – it’s bring your own – and of course you can’t put it in the toilet because it clogs the pipes. You have to throw it in the little bin, right beside the toilet.

Pollution

Since Alaska the sides the road have been always covered in garbage, mostly plastic containers. In the US and in Canada there was a little less, but still a lot, and certainly much more than in France. We’ve seen people throw garbage out the windows of cars and buses in every country we’ve been through.

Since Mexico, the garbage is mostly disposed of by burning it outside since treatment facilities are too expensive.

Interestingly, the air pollution (at least what we could see and feel) was pretty low in Canada, Mexico, and especially in the US. We were surprised since the US is the highest atmospheric polluter in the world. We barely noticed any air pollution biking through Vancouver, San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego. So it’s easy to say that the perceived pollution in Paris is much greater. The explanation? It could be that the cities we passed through were all on the coast so that the air pollution is blown inland. Or maybe that the diesel engines in Europe discharge more noticeable air pollution than the gas-powered vehicles in North America.

The worst air pollution that we came across was in Mexico, where the perceived pollution was worse than in Paris. It was also bad along the roads in Guatemala and Ecuador, where we actually had to pull over more than once because the cars and trucks expelled huge black clouds of smoke.

Store Hours

Without getting into the Sunday shopping debate, in North America most stores are open most every day, most of the time. In Central America, there were some stores closed on Sunday, and generally they were open shorter hours. In Ecuador and Peru, about half the stores are closed on Sunday, and the hours of operation are maybe a little longer than in France.

Food and Eating Habits

We had some really delicious hamburgers in North America (not fast-food though). We noticed that many North Americans drink huge quantities of liquid and often carry around large mugs. In both North and Central America, people eat smaller meals and tend to snack a lot. In Ecuador and Peru, the three meals a day are bigger, and there’s not much room for snacking.

Everywhere we’ve been, sugary soft drinks are ubiquitous. Beer too, but there is barely any wine in Central America, Ecuador, or Peru.

Showers and Soap

In North America, we almost always had to buy tokens for the timed showers in the camp grounds. The “best” deal was US $5 for a 5 minute hot shower. Even if we turned the water off while lathering up, the time continued to run. In Central America, we barely even had hot water in the hotels. And in Ecuador and Peru, even though most places “guarantee” hot water, it’s a rare occurrence. Mostly, the water is heated by an electric water heater above the shower head, meaning that there is an electric current (110 or 220V) which courses only a few inches from our head while we are standing with our feet in the water. We’ve got a fair number of electric shocks when trying to set the temperature of the water, and most of the time, it’s lukewarm at best.

Also, the further south we go, the more difficult it is to find liquid shower gel. Most people use bar soap.

Air circulation and heat conservation

Since Mexico, it’s rare to see a closed door. In the restaurants in the Andes, those places with doors always leave them open. In the evening, when the temperatures dip almost to zero, you’d better not forget to bring your hat and scarf to the restaurant. And all the residents complain about the cold!

The Concept of Drinking Water

Since Mexico, the water that comes out of the tap is called drinking water, and although it’s rarely drinkable, the locals don’t seem to understand the difference. In Mexico, the water that people actually drank was filtered and there were constant deliveries of purified water. In the other countries, however, many people actually drink the tap water.

Clothes

Other than in the Andes where there were lots of people wearing traditional clothing, most people wear jeans and a T-shirt or over-shirt. The Western tourists are always clearly recognisable, though, sporting shorts and flip-flops, whatever the ambient temperature!

Manners and showing respect

In Central America, Ecuador, and Peru, we’ve noticed a certain amount of disrespect for personal space. It’s common to see elbowing and stepping on toes while waiting in lines. In stores, it’s often the person who came in last who is served first, or else whoever speaks loudest and with the most authority.

Racism, and changing definitions

We’ve been haunted by the term “gringo” since Tijuana. In Mexico and Central America there was a certain racist connotation to the word. It associated us with North Americans and reflected the imperial and colonial history of the past few centuries. We certainly had the opportunity to be on the receiving end of racism, and it was a very unpleasant experience. Even though in Ecuador and Peru the term is friendlier, referring to foreigners generally, it still bothers us, especially since we are called it all day long. It’s as if, in English, you were called “foreigner” all the time: “Hey, you, foreigner!” “Hey! Foreigner!” And of course, as soon as someone is trying to sell us something, it’s “amigo,” or “friend.”

On being cyclists on the road

In the US and in Canada, we were mostly ignored on the roads, or else the motorists would drive too close to us, and even deliberately try to cause us to fall.

Further South, we attract more attention, and cars drive by more carefully, often shouting out encouragement. Two things have remained the same: truck drivers are quite careful and give us lots of room as they pass. Buses and cars, on the other hand, tend to ignore us completely as they drive by, and they have been the cause of some of our scariest moments.

Hierarchy in “social” services

Since Mexico we have been surprised by the number of people with cell phones and by their frequent usage. Often it’s people without running water in their homes, without showers, but with cable TV. Having met with some microfinance clients, who are by definition the poorest people, we noticed that they almost always have cellphone and TV before other health-related services. For them it’s normal, but it still seems so strange to us. Some women wash their laundry by hand while chatting on their cell phones.

Cell phone coverage is generally widespread – even in the middle of Lake Titicaca, or other remote and unpopulated areas, you can get reception!

Sébastien le 9/08 à 12h44