August 12 Renaud:
  Saturday, not much to do with the planning, might feel like the beginning of a week-end, no? Well, it was not too far from it. I took some time to go to the cinema, worked only a few hours for Pole to Pole on one of the mysterious tasks you don't remember what it was, but took an eternity, and finally went with everyone to Jessica's place to meet her family and friends.

In five days, we'll be out of the States, entering the Spanish part of the journey. It's also for me to get out of the wealthy North America, not so different from Europe, and to enter a place I've never been before. Let's try to sum up our first five months in a few lines. I would say it's an impressive way to discover more about the others and myself. I saw fantastic places: the hoodoos in the Arctic, the vast and empty Yukon on the Dempster Highway, the Rockies, the Grand Canyon and Canyon de Chelly, the Deserts of Southwest US ... and crazy cities like New-York and Los Angeles. I also had the chance to meet incredible people: natives in Canada, Shannon and her crossing-Canada-wheelchair, 400 Canadians around my age having a big party and discussions on youth involvement and abilities, guys helping in a shelter for homeless for years, or cycle with LA's 70 years old and a very healthy mayor! I also discovered how frustrating it is to rush across all those things and to keep on going without stopping too long! Hard but passionate and what a learning experience!! An example of what I learned? I don't want to use those small plastic bags for ketchup; or else you find them everywhere. OK, it's a very small example but that's our trip, juggling between huge concepts, small realities and vice-versa.

August 13 Dylan:
  A day off in Phoenix Arizona! What to do? Look for an adventure - Devlin and I in a childlike state of enthusiasm go to REI (outdoor recreational gear) and purchase a few more climbing accoutrements to make climbing a reality for us and other team members for the rest of our journey. In times like these I am sure that my child-like cravings for "stuff" has not been altered at all, but only evolved to more "mature" endeavors such as the quest for "gear" to make our adventure a reality. I hope that if I live to grow old I can still connect with this feeling of youthful enthusiasm. After a quick purchase we no sooner throw our ropes in the back seat than we find ourselves at the airport dumping Martyn in the back seat with the gear. He didnt give us much of an explanation except "we're going to play", we wisp him away to our little playground. Our playground: 100 feet of shimmering red rock pedestals, propped up stoically against the urban background of greater Phoenix. Our goal: a 100 ft rappel; or abseil (as our South African contingent attests to) down the backside of one of the faces: 110 degrees, a setting sun, and a sizzling carabiner bring good times, not to mention the raucous yahoo of Mr. Williams as he bellows his good feelings to a non-attentive urban audience below. Moments like this invite reflection and celebration, perhaps our own symbolic conclusion to one leg of a journey and inheritance of another. Dropping off the edge; my trust lay in the rope at hand. I now know Central America awaits and sends an invitation of possibilities and intangibles, which we must learn to adapt to: and trust in what is to come... Mexico awaits us.

August 14 Devlin:. 
After a late night last night, I had to drag myself out of bed at 5:15 to go to the Boys and Girls Club of Phoenix. We had some media to do, then give two presentations to the club. The kids were great and they really grasped what we were saying. They were really a bright bunch. Tosco bravely took us to lunch and thereafter it was back to our hotel for a meeting. Straight from it into the hills and heat of the desert to a local park to make a presentation to a "youth at risk" group who are involved in a project there. After another great presentation we were treated to dinner in a Mexican restaurant by the mayor's office. It has been a really long day and all are worn out. We are doing this all day and at the same time, thinking ahead to, Central America and all the unknowns. We have to search for all the gaps and fill them.

August 15 Jessica:
This morning we had the wonderful opportunity of presenting to Pappa's School for Homeless children in Phoenix. The buses go out every morning and look for the children on various street corners to bring them to school. They provide two meals per day per child and they also have what is called a clothing room which contains clothing of all different sizes for the kids. I was very impressed both by the teachers and the children; they were very attentive and full of energy.
Next I had a radio interview with NPR (National Public Radio) and then had to run off to the next school presentation at Carmenatti Elementary School. My mom has worked there for many years so it was very special for me to be able to share this experience at a school where I've volunteered many hours. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to stay long because Mercedes and I had another radio interview right away. As soon as we were finished with that, we had a few meetings back at the hotel and saw a semi-finished version of our documentary. It's so funny to see ourselves on TV and even now its a bit sad to think that we are half way done with our incredible journey. To top off the very hectic day, I was invited for dinner at a family friend's house and had a chance to talk a bit and say good-bye.

August 16 Heidi:
Today we left Phoenix, effectively ending our US tour. In the morning we did a presentation for Tosco, one of our sponsors who has gone far beyond the call of duty in supporting us. It was a wonderful presentation which is very fitting seeing as it is probably our last one in English in a long time. We cycled to Tuscon where a Tosco employee, Alexis, and her family opened their home to us for lunch and a quick dip. We finished the relay in Nogales, the city bordering the Mexico boarder. Tosco put us up in a beautiful resort right outside the town to enjoy our last night in the US with a shower. Tomorrow we head into Mexico... I am utterly thrilled to be entering Mexico, Central and South America where a completely different type of adventure begins. To learn about the people, the culture, the language and everything in between will be an incredible journey for the team.

August 17 Mercedes:
Border US and Mexico.
Incredible! I cant believe we are in Mexico, after five months of traveling around Canada and the United States, being in a Latin American country is absolutely amazing for me. Crossing the border was not as hard as we expected, but it still took nearly four hours to get across. The major problem was getting the car insurance and the permits to drive into Mexico. I'm very excited to see how the team will get by in this new country, since of course it has such a different culture and language. I am very sure that we are going to be okay. Looking at Renaud and Dylan today, trying to speak Spanish with the people makes me feel that this won't be a problem at all. After the border we had about three hours of daylight left so we went ahead and finished our relay near Santa Ana. Our first day in Mexico was very cool in comparison to the weather we had in Phoenix, and we hope it will continue like that.

August 18 Jay:
It was the second day in Mexico but actually the first day for me to bike. It was a pretty hot day. I began to cycle at 1 o'clock in the afternoon. It was almost the same scenery but the people were different. They were making alot of noise. It was not just yelling, but saying WOW!! They didn't look like wealthy people, but they were happy and energetic...I guess. And there is one more issue. I biked alone and I can't speak Spanish. That's pretty challenging. If I get lost, what do I do? Almost nothing for now. I started practising but I really don't like to study, generally. For now....to survive I better. Hmm...I've got a big headache these days.

August 19 Naoki:
Today it was incredibly hot. The temperature was approximately 110 F. Our first day in Mexico was very cool, but nowadays its totally different! I feel like I'm in Arizona again. All the water is nearly boiling, I'm serious!! Because it is this hot, we decided to do the double relay. It means we bike only in the morning and the evening. In this afternoon, we bought ice cream, and were just hanging around the park. I finished eating ice cream in 15 seconds. I miss the North Pole.....

August 20 Renaud:
Sceneries are changing again and again while we are rushing south inside Mexico. We started in a near desert with small hills and some green vegetation despite everything looking dry around. Then it was flat with mountains in the background and the sea was a couple of dozen kilometers away, still rather dry. And now, we enter a humid, still, hot region with a few small but rather steep hills. While we were in one of the vehicles, we saw an iguana on the side of the road taking a sun bath. Because our old friend the sun is still there and we know it. To avoid it a little bit, to have always someone in the vehicles, and to keep some margin in case of trouble, we split the relay: five people cycle in the morning, starting around 5:30, we all meet, and three people cycle in the afternoon, late or early, depending on the beauty of the place we're supposed to reach that evening. Today, I was one before last, cycling between 3 and 6 pm: nice and hot. Martyn and one of our guests nearly experienced heat-stroke while cycling with us in Arizona, reminding all of us how drinking and being careful with our reactions is important on crazy rides as we sometimes do. Cold water is a great asset, but keeping it cold is an interesting challenge that reminds me of keeping water not frozen in the North Pole. That's why at one third of my 63 kms of the day, I stopped to buy four liters of ice purified (major around here) into water. That's when I wanted to pay the eight pesos that I realized my wallet was still in the van. A quick inventory of my actual belongings lead me to offer one granola bar and a small bag of dried fruit to barter. It worked! I've been able to refresh myself drinking and taking a "shower" with cold water.

August 21 Dylan:
Mexican coast (Puerto Vallarta to Manzanilla)
Mexico greets us with 100 and plus degree temperatures and a humidity in the air which adds new flavor to the challenges offered by the heat. Our travel days have been long and steady, keeping me stretched and uncomfortable on many levels from dealing with the sopping humidity to the logistics of 12-16 hrs required to complete our bicycle relay. As well, I am presented with new lessons every day, as I seek to converse in and understand Spanish, which finds me speaking words such as "no entiendo" and "no se" a lot. So far impressions of Mexico are limited as we have only been traveling here for mere days but there are some common themes throughout. An increased contrast between the rich and poor becomes clearly evident, traveling past shanty town to high rise resort hotels, thatched huts to properties with massive fences, wires and bars; clearly constructed to protect the bountiful possessions within. There is life abounding, in this country as small town streets filled with merchants, shops and mercantiles go about their business, surrounded by the raspy sounds of old diesel buses and motor scooters with bad carburetors. The choking tastes of garbage burning on the side of the road are soon forgotten as a serene beach and mountain vista opens before me, temptingly promising another reality. What is most vividly recalled are the warm smiles and greetings from those I pass on the road, or a group of curious children come to check out the sweaty and gaunt Canadian stopped to purchase some agua. Tonight I will fall asleep listening to the sound of the waves and wind orchestrating their great symphony of sound to the weary traveler. Lucky I think I am to say this, and know there will be many more.

August 22 Devlin:
After a mosquito-infested night and very little sleep, we had still not found our other vehicle. We decided to stay in one place as we had left a message with our location at the office. I was grateful for the rest time because I was feeling the strain of the last few days of hot weather and long distance, added to this my 20 km backtrack in the dark last night, and I was ready to sleep in. We finally moved at 10:00 and found the others after speaking to the office. They must wonder what we are up to. Mileage was short as we started late and we were still beaten by darkness. The "beachside" road is steep and mountainous. The going is slow as travel time becomes much longer. Still, we soldier on aiming for our few days break, somewhere down the coast.

August 23 Mercedes:
Narrow and twisty lanes, hundreds of palms, incredible cliffs, white and warm sand beaches was the scenery that I have been enjoying today in my 60 km ride. As a team now, we are facing another challenge: the high temperatures of the tropic and the wet air near the Pacific Coast. This combination makes our rides very hard even though we start very early in the morning...there is no way to escape!!! It is usual to cross many poor, little villages, always near an almost dry river that seems to want to disappear under the burning sun. During midday you are lucky to see people hanging around, but taking a nap in a hammock under a shady tree seems to be a custom. We arrived in Acapulco, the grand-daddy of Mexican coastal resort cities with enough time to jump in the sea. Dev made a local friend and both of them, first with the kayak and then with a body board, went surfing in the waves. Seeing both having fun, sharing and communicating with the same passion, surfing, was a rewarding experience for me. It was a long day, hot, but such a great day too!

August 24 Heidi:
See you later Naoki, hellllooooo Puerto Escondido! Today we dropped Naoki off at the airport so he could visit with a friend from Japan who is here in Mexico. The rest of us carried on to Puerto Escondido, the beach town we decided to rest in for two days. As has been the norm lately, the ride was hot and muggy but today held the promise of a shower! Yipppeee! As I cycled, I was hoping for a festival like Jay and I had been lucky enough to see yesterday. The main road was blocked off as a procession of colorful and creatively dressed people passed through the streets to honor San Bartolo. I thanked my lucky stars that we had been able to see such a festival because I have heard about them many a time. But I guess asking for a spectacle two days in a row is a bit much :) In Puerto Escondido the team split up, Dylan and Renaud decided to travel inland to Oaxaca to visit the ruins and the rest of us decided to stay and enjoy the beach. The waves here are spectacular! Dev, who surfs a lot at home in South Africa, has seen tons of videos about Puerto Escondido and the massive waves on Zacatela Beach. Surfing mania was obvious by the look of the people and the numerous little surfing shops that spotted the town. I enjoyed a good meal at a local restaurant and decided to hit the sack early so I could get a full night's rest for my busy rest day tomorrow.

August 25 - Jessica: I slept in for the first time in ages! At 11am, when i just could not stay in bed any longer, I woke up in my nice air conditioned hotel room. I can't explain what a luxury that is after nine days on the road with no showers and hot muggy nights in mosquito infested tents. Heaven on earth!! Today though, House (Heidi)and I decided to switch rooms so we could spend that extra money on other things. We checked internet, did laundry, ate awesome food at a little restaurant and even got our whole head of hair braided while relaxing on the beach. After cleaning up again, and having a great dinner of tacos, rice, beans and tortillas, we chilled with some friends we met out on the town. I had such an awesome time and wished everyday could be a rest day!!

August 26 - Jay: It was another restday. I was enjoying the beach all day long. The wind was blowing, the sea was just there, I was sitting down taking a nap. At night I could drink what ever I wanted, I could take a shower and there was a nice bed waiting for me to lay down. It was cool inside of the room because of the air conditioner. It was pretty!! To think about my home, it was just like this( even better ), but I never thought it was so pleasant to have it. So...whoever is reading these updates (you might be sitting on your chair in your cool room)..."I really envy you. You now know you're lucky, right?!!"

August 27 - Heidi and Jessica: Today, unfortunately, we left Puerto Escondido. Our rest days are over. Tragic. We get so used to just moving through places quickly, that when we are able to stay in one place for longer than a night, it's sad to say goodbye to the wonderful people we meet. So, at six this morning, before the sun even peeked through the clouds, we were off for another day in the office. The military presence seems to have increased and we have to be more careful in these southern Mexican States, or so the locals say. In two days we cross the Guatemalan border and are anxious to see what awaits. Today wasn't quite so hot because the lazy sun didn't shine through the clouds until later in the day. Not that we're complaining :) Much to everyone's surprise, we arrived at our destination, the first Pemex gasoline station in Zanatepec, with time to spare, maybe jump in the river for a swim. We don't usually end our day until after the sun has bid us farewell.