Today I met Armando Basile.
He is 70 years old, cycling around the world. Currently, he is riding across the country to Washington DC.
But this isn't just any around-the-world bike tour.
Armando rides around the world each year, for the last six years.
Just let that sink in.
I asked him a bit about his style of touring. He only camps, usually on the side of the road, and only eats food he can buy at a market (as he pulls a banana out of his pannier).
I've been lazy the last few days and have been purchasing too much prepared food on the road. Although I've been eating a ton of bananas and peanut butter for breakfast, I'm going to work on my lunch and stick to better food from the grocery store. Not that I'll forgo my 11am McDonald's coffee break...
During our conversation, I made the rookie mistake of asking him what his destination for the day was. He said it doesn't matter. Just stop when you're tired. And start the next day.
This article about Armando is about five years old. And he is still going strong.
He gave me a photocopy of a news article about his journey to keep. I said farewell to Armando and pedaled on, arriving in Flagstaff Arizona about 2 hours later.
Just before ascending into the even higher, high-desert. Flagstaff lies at a cool 7k feet.
I picked up some local beer at a craft brew shop, and checked in at a hostel for the night.
Joe.