Explorer Mikael Strandberg » argentina

Homecoming, Family of four cycled 17,300 miles from Alaska to Argentina

admin — Sun, 29 May 2011 23:23:07 +0000

When I first heard about the family of four cycling from Alaska to Argentina, a trip I have done myself, I was pleasantly surprised! My own daughter had just arrived and I wondered if that was the end of my travels. I than came across the Vogel Family, at that time somewhere in the north of Argentina, the mother, Nancy, had gone down with pneumonia. I still felt a lot of hope for the future and more traveling! A very inspiring read! Even though when I browsed through their site, the first thing I noticed was that they had been attacked as careless parents who took their more than grown up boys on their trip! I was slightly upset, shocked and sad that there´s so many people wasting their time in finding faults of others, especially when it is a brilliant idea! You wonder, doesn´t people know their own genetics? Human beings are not genetically set to live a non-nomadic life and doesn´t seem to be at their best by doing that. Of all stupid things I have come across the last year, this is the most irritating one! However, I did have one thought though, having known family´s who have spent 7 years travelling by boat around the world, what does it feel like coming home? Not easy, right?

Coming Home

Nancy Sathre-Vogel

It’s funny how thoughts of home kept me motivated as we approached Tierra del Fuego after nearly three years of travel – if we pedaled faster I could get home sooner. And yet now that I’m home, I think about hitting the road again and fantasize about how wonderful life on the road is. I suppose the grass really is greener on the other side.

I was so excited about finally reaching our goal of Ushuaia. We had cycled 17,300 miles through fifteen countries. I was tired. I had steadily plodded along for three years, slowly making progress toward our goal. For the vast majority of those three years I didn’t really even think about getting back home – I was living in the here and now.

But as we drew nearer to Tierra del Fuego and Ushuaia, thoughts of home swirled and twirled in my brain. Images of our house… my beads… my own kitchen where I could simply turn a knob and a burner magically lit up… It was home – and I couldn’t wait to get there!

And now, we’re here. In Boise, Idaho. Home. And it’s not all the glamour and romance I had been imagining.

Don’t get me wrong – in many ways it’s wonderful to be back home. I’m loving knowing where the supermarket is and knowing what I’ll find there. I’m loving being able to heat up water for tea with a quick turn of a knob. I’m loving being able to take a shower every day – a hot one at that!

There are so many aspects about life in Boise that I am truly enjoying. It’s only been eight weeks, so maybe it’s still the novelty of it all – but I suspect that wonder and joy of simple things will stay with me.

And yet – I feel like there’s something missing from my life now. I’ve tried to figure out what that is, but can’t seem to isolate it. Maybe it’s the vulnerability we felt while on the bikes – we were open to people and Mother Nature. We were just part of the food chain out there on our bikes. Now we’re not.

Maybe what I’m missing is the unpredictability of life on the road. Yes, it’s nice to have an idea of what might come in the day, but those unexpected twists and turns were delightful too. We still have those, but on a much lesser scale now.

Or is it the very fact that I’m not outside as much these days? Maybe feeling the sun on your cheeks and wind in your hair is what it takes to make you feel alive?

I keep telling myself these thoughts and feelings are a normal part of change. As we go through life and face the myriad of changes life brings, we miss the old and look forward to the new. Some days I do better than others on that one – maybe that’s a part of the process too?

I’m excited to be home. I’m thrilled that I can curl into my comfortable mattress on the floor with a good book knowing I won’t have to dash out into freezing cold pouring rain just to use the toilet. It’s exciting to buy frozen fruit knowing we don’t have to eat it all in the next couple of hours. I don’t have to lash, strap, or buckle everything I own on my bicycle every morning.

But I also know the day is coming when I’d give anything to go back on my bike. And when I’m there, I’ll give anything to come right back here.

Read more at www.familyonbikes.com

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Treated as a celebrity at the Hay festival in Segovia

mikael — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 08:54:08 +0000

Me and my family was invited to the great Hay Festival in Segovia, this fantastic medieval city located just south of Madrid, and where treated as royalties. When I look back at it, it is like a dream, all of it. Being part of the Hay Festival was one reason we were there, holding a lecture for one of the most prestigious Business Schools on earth another. So, we didn´t really get any time to fully enjoy this town so blessed by beauty and history.

We hardly got out of the plane at Barajas, before we set the full speed that would dominate our 5 days visit. We immediately met Baronessa Kennedy and her great surgeon husband Ian, drove in the dark to Segovia and went immediately to a cocktail party at the house of the local marquees. Many famous writers, artists, lecturers and humanitarians where invited and one of the local strong women came up to me and my family and said she knew exactly who I was:

“You are the last romantic on earth!”

My great partner of life smiled…we ate loads of paella, drank the great local red wine and talked about everything from what horses (percheron) are the best for exploring Patagonia on horseback and why my Siberian book never seems to hit the bookshelves. There were many Argentinians there, one of them Daniel the famous photographer, became a new very good friend of ours! An Argentinian who could recite Martin Fierro! Now that doesn´t happen a lot….it was that kind of a party.

A bit odder was seeing your name all over town, together with really famous people.

Next day started out with a lot of interviews, one of them with El País, the giant Spanish speaking newspaper, whilst sitting in the medieval plaza overlooking a great cathedral, munching on local tapas, what a great experience. True happiness! A bit odder was seeing your name all over town, together with really famous people. Therefore, I was as surprised when the interview in front of people, like a talk show, was sold out in the evening. Our great friend, the associate dean, Samuel Barbero-Martin and I talked about the odd life of an explorer and how life really can be up and down like a roller coaster.

It is during happenings like this I feel more privileged than ever. And I don´t regret choosing the life of an explorer. Even if it has a lot of backsides as well. The only thing I regret is that we missed Baltazar Garzons lecture. And Baronessa Kennedys.

Let me than tell my ex-wife, she doesn´t have to contact these nice people, they are aware of your existence.

The life of a tour guide and a few reviews from clients I have had on the 6 weeks of guiding in South America

admin — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 12:49:00 +0000

Being a tour guide is very fulfulling in many ways. Most of all, when it comes to making other peoples dreams come true. It is a very demanding job, you are a 24 hours service unit, you always have to be in a good and organised mood and, most of all, you have to fulfill the dream for all people, your clients, who for years have dreamt, maybe all their lives, to visit places like Rapa Nui or the Galapagos Islands. I just love that challenge!
I really love telling stories, lecturing, inspiring people, opening their minds, building a bridge from their culture to the one we are visiting, adding to their lust to live and explore, and living very close with people for 3 weeks at a time, gives a rich experience. I learn a lot from my clients, most of them over 45 years of age, full of the wisdom of life, and they´re well educated, so they don´t take any gibberish for right or wrong, so you have to be very well prepared and know exactly what you are talking about. It is like a small Expedition in itself. It is an honor and a privilege to be a guide and I want to be the best there is, of course.
On top of just having the opportunity to educate people, I love the locals along the way. The interaction makes me happier then anything and the most difficult issue of all, is returning home to the cold and dark place called Sweden. I´ve been home for two weeks now and I feel like I have been run over by the train. I miss the smiling, passionate and energetic people of South America. If it wouldn´t be for family, friends and love, I wouldn´t return. However, I have received great reviews from my clients, which shows that a good guide need to be educated and full of passion, yes, more than anything, passion!

The lovely Larson couple who joined me to Ecuador, Peru and the Galapagos wrote:

“Hi Mikael! We just want to say thank you for your extraordinary way of guiding us during this spectacular journey! We will never forget your humble way to confront nature, people and life in itself. We have never met a captivating human being like you. You have experienced so much in your life and you told us just fragments of it. We will go to Patagonia next year, only if you will be the guide!

Marianne, on the Patagonian journey said this:

“This was the best journey I have done in my life. All thanks to your guiding. It was exiting all the time and very funny. I haven´t laughed like this in twenty years! “

The Lawrences wrote:

“You are not only an excellent guide, but a genuinely sincere and honest human being. We are sure that you will have a very rich and engaging life, no matter what path you follow. We admire your courage and enthusiasm.”

You never know what expect of life and the legacy of the Kolyma Expedition

admin — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:50:00 +0000

Can you imagine this scenario? I am visiting La Bombonera, the homeground of Boca Juniors, almost 58 000 visitors, an atmosphere which is unbelievable. They´re playing their worst enemies, River Plate, with an old favorite of mine in midfield, El Burro Ortega, who is meeting Juan Riquelme, in his best moments, propbably the best player in the world. Nobody knows me. Suddenly I guy walks up, and says in English:
“I´ve read about you in Justin Marozzis book Faces of Exploration.”
I did loose my face there, my jaw hanging down in surprise! Turns out to be a friendly Brit, working for the MI 6, who loves travelling. And exploration. He has read about my travels in Geographical as well. Well, such is todays world, you never know what to expect from one moment to the other. Great!
Another thing which has evolved after the Siberian Expedition is all, and we´re talking quite a lot, people who wants to travel and explore the Kolyma region. The latest one is Marcin Gienieczco, a young pole, who wants to ski the Kolyma from Seimchan to Cherskiy. He has invitied me early January as a consultant of the Expededition, to visit Gdynia, his hometown, to be part of the offical media presentation of the trip. He sees me as a hero, the poor chap.
The good thing with all this, of course, is that all these fellas, yes, they´re all men, are very positive, outgoing and full of life and they inspire!
And, there´s always a reason for everything, don´t believe anything else, last night, I went to a meeting for oil prospectors, and they were talking about the sultanate Oman, and there…I just remembered a long forgotten dream to explore the Empty Quarter…well, well, here we go…I have strated to read my old books by Wilfried Thesiger again!