haikus!...godblessyou

though a whole-hearted attempt was made, cycling where land is no longer land and where the atlantic and the pacific become one proved a bit tricky. so i decided to pose...

...yes indeed family, friends, loved ones....and even you. this ride has ridden itself out...

...i have reached destinations that were but dreams on that day, over 16 months ago, when i started pedalling from canada...

...and i have come, how do i not cliche this?, to the end of the road. this sign ¨proves¨ it. and proof is good...

...in fact, some would argue that proof is even necessary for belief. but i can´t truly prove anything. in fact, i might just be some dunkin´ donuts´ disciple based in nebraska with high tech photo-editing software and way too much time on my hands. i do have a thing for munchkins...

...but let´s forgo all this foolishness. this is a very serious moment.

so how about a little recap of the last leg? in addition, this will build anticipation for those three haikus that i spent months composing.

the three towers and one frozen fool in torres del paine national park, patagonia

do birds of prey pray?

a water fountain on a mountain

home sweet home

yes, spring has sprung...

...but fresh snow still falls.

when most people conjure up images of patagonia, they think of picturesque scenes like this......

...or like this...

...or even this...

...but the truth of the matter is, 95% of patagonia - and i hope this doesn´t spoil anything for you - is actually this:

can you see the three fingers of the glacier?...

...when those fingers cut their nails (you see, it´s simply manicurial matters, not this guileful ¨global warming¨ garbage), some of the clippings end up here.

some fancy footwork on a side trip. it´s pictures like these that hopefully metamorphosize me from just a bum on a bike to, perhaps, the greatest american hero.

i do not wish to be buried. i do not wish to be incinerated. in fact, i do not wish to die. ever.

this tree was set apart, or, conceivably, set itself apart from all the others. i can empathize with that. and for that very reason, i did not hug it, but rather, simply saluted it.

pictures don´t lie, i am a small man.

these signs warn of mines. but when nature calls, there is no such thing as voicemail. i dug carefully and left a little mine of my own.

again, the patagonia of posters and postcards. disturbingly, i prefer those sheep.

my last night on the road. it was a sad one. it was a good one.

if there is a picture that can symbolize how i feel about the three americas being behind me, then:

without further ado; the haikus:

please permit a pause
it´s home for the holidays
family! friends! fun!

imagine, i can´t
a life without my three wheels
and so, the next step?

plane ticket purchased
africa awaits! can´t wait!
mOrOccO, i go!

it might be quibbled that the third line of the first stanza is only four syllables, hence negating it from true haiku status. to those who who would voice such contention, i can only offer this proof: fam-uh-lee.

another rhubarb might be that no one cares. and i just might be the only one who would squabble with that.