Cycling across South America on Human Power
6,500 kms? Check. Rely on the generosity of fellow man? Check. Our new adventuress lays out her plans for the coming months….
Article by Laura Bingham
I’m Laura and I have just begun my journey cycling over 6,500km across the continent of South America along with my friend Cho and with absolutely no money. In other words, we’re solely relying on human power and human generosity alone. Cho is an experienced and knowledgeable guide who I met through my fiancé Ed Stafford after they walked the Amazon together. Yes, I have great kit and yes, I have a great Maddison bike, but everything else, like sourcing food, shelter, water and supplies is completely up to us. Nothing is off limits: we will survive off of insects, snakes, wild honey, seasonal tropical fruit, Brazil nuts and whatever we can find to replace the 3,000 calories that we will be expending each day. We are cycling from Ecuador to Buenos Aires which I am hoping will take me no longer than six months – I have the small matter of my wedding to get back to the UK for!
First, let me tell you a little bit about why I am doing this. For a long time my life has revolved around a list, a ‘bucket list’ or ‘life list’ as some might say. It has 87 points on it and these range from small things like giving blood or to one day owning a perfectly organised wardrobe, to big things like cycling across a country or continent. See where I’m going here..? I started the list when I was 18 years old and it’s made me who I am today by giving me a direction in life and reminding me of not only what I want to achieve, but also the person I want to be.
In 2015, after spending four years travelling around the world, I sailed across the Atlantic Ocean from Mexico to England (as I didn’t have enough money for a flight back home). I was living and working in Mexico and my salary was so low that saving money was quite difficult! I sailed for two months on a 38ft Trimaran with two men whom I’d never met and I had absolutely no sailing experience whatsoever – I’d never even been at sea before! It was the toughest and most challenging experience of my life but also the most rewarding; nothing will beat the moment when we finally docked! I felt the strongest sense of pride and achievement - it’s indescribable. This sparked a passion for adventure and it wasn’t long before I couldn’t stop myself from planning my next big challenge. At first I thought I’d try to become the fastest person to cycle around the world… then I realised, I’m not about the race. I’m all about the adventure. I’m about the quest and the stories I hear and capture along the way. Cycling across South America? This seemed like the perfect fit for me.
So, why with no money?
When I have travelled in the past with very little money, I have met some truly incredible people and had the most wonderful experiences. You don’t take anything for granted. When I have travelled with money, I’ve just stayed in a nice hotel and had nice food. It’s not the same. I thrive on that slight uncertainty and coming from a relatively comfortable background, I have been privileged enough to have never worried about food or money for the majority of my life. But, now I want to learn how people from different cultures work, live and exist. My aim is to inspire anyone I can to travel, meet people and to restore their faith in mankind by proving that it is possible to trust and rely on the goodness of follow human beings.
We will be working hard for food by volunteering whatever services we can along the way, and helping the local communities where we can. In return, hopefully they will help us by giving us fruit from their garden or perhaps a bowl of rice. I want to thank the people who have helped me in the past and who might help us in the future so I am working with a fantastic charity called Operation South America who will help me show how grateful I am! It is a Christian based organisation in the UK which funds and runs a house in Paraguay that homes 25 young girls from broken and abusive backgrounds. They also feed and nurture over 70 children; every single penny donated has a huge impact on changing their lives. I feel so incredibly passionate about this charity and all the incredible work they do so I will be supporting them throughout my journey and thereafter. You can find out more about Operation South America and make a donation on my website if you’d like to!
My route isn’t set in stone; it will be very dependent on the weather, the trail and the work we can find. We have started in Manta which is on the North West Coast of South America in Ecuador. We will then cycle down to Peru and past Lake Titicaca, then on to Bolvia, Paraguay and we plan to finish on the east coast of Argentina in Buenos Aires. I’m not sure how this journey will go, but that’s part of the adventure! It will take determination and mental and physical endurance and I am expecting a long six months of worry and fear, but I can’t wait to get out there and make the most treasured memories. Be sure to follow the highs and lows of my journey with me!
Until next time… Wish me luck! 
Further information: Laura Bingham/ www.laurabingham.org/ Twitter/ Instagram