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Dirt Cruise

A bike touring blog. Mostly about bikepacking and single speeds. By Montana Miller

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Author: Montana

Colombia: Belén to El Cucoy

February 20, 2023February 21, 2023 ~ Montana ~ Leave a comment

I picked up the bottle in the D8 tienda, which is like Colombian Aldi's– put your own groceries in a used cardboard box after checkout. "Ron Viejo de Calandas" I wondered if it was some kind of brown aquaguardiente (aguaguardiente is like the national liquor, it tastes like licorice schnapps). Figured I'll try it. Back … Continue reading Colombia: Belén to El Cucoy

Colombia: Villa de Leyva to Belén

February 7, 2023February 7, 2023 ~ Montana ~ 3 Comments

Thunder, louder than it should be, boosted by the echoes on the green steep rocky walls of the valley, pounding rain. Booming cumbia reggaeton mixes, yelling dudes, and fighting barking dogs compete with the storm to be the loudest thing on Friday night. I kinda wish I was at the town party, but I'm so … Continue reading Colombia: Villa de Leyva to Belén

Bikepacking Colombia

February 2, 2023February 3, 2023 ~ Montana ~ 5 Comments

A little drip of sweat in right eye, burns, I stop pushing my bike up the rocky track and try to get a dirty glove finger under my sunglasses to wipe it away. Instead of wiping it out I add glove dust to the sweat mix and wipe it in further, dammit. Try to blink … Continue reading Bikepacking Colombia

Ha Giang to Lao Cai

February 1, 2020 ~ Montana

We just finished dinner at a little farm called the Cinnamon Eco Lodge, and the grandpa of the family just brought out his jungle pipe. As long as we've been here, I've been seeing guys sitting next to the road hitting these things- it's a bamboo bong, used to smoke Lao tobacco, which is very … Continue reading Ha Giang to Lao Cai

Vietnam: Cao Bang to Ha Giang

January 6, 2020January 7, 2020 ~ Montana

Close to the top of a giant climb, I see a pack of six little kids running down out of a steep field. Nothing unusual, kids are constantly running out to scream "Hello! Hello! What's your name!" I wave to these ones, and say hello, and keep moving up the steep hill. They're down to … Continue reading Vietnam: Cao Bang to Ha Giang

Vietnam: Ha Long Bay to Cao Bang

January 4, 2020January 4, 2020 ~ Montana

"Man, Colleen couldn't you have picked a place farther up the hill?" I'm doing the paper boy up the super steep street in Cat Ba Town, to the hotel Colleen picked which is like five feet below the very very top. "You're being super dramatic," she says. "No, I'm just telling you, please pick the … Continue reading Vietnam: Ha Long Bay to Cao Bang

Vietnam: Hanoi to Ha Long Bay

December 29, 2019December 29, 2019 ~ Montana

"Try, try it, this for you," says an old lady with a cone hat. She pushes a little donut into my hand before I know what's happening. Colleen and I were just walking down some busy side street in Hanoi, scooter horns and buzzy exhausts. "Oh, thank you," I say. I try the donut, not … Continue reading Vietnam: Hanoi to Ha Long Bay

Hello Vietnam

December 12, 2019December 13, 2019 ~ Montana

I never finished writing about New Zealand last year, work just got too busy. We rode all around the South Island, it was nice, I'll write it up sometime. (And here's a plug for a good gig- if you're interested in being a bike tour guide or mechanic, we're crazy short staffed. Work in the … Continue reading Hello Vietnam

Napier to Wellington

March 17, 2019March 17, 2019 ~ Montana ~ 1 Comment

“They's all meat sheep now,” says Will. He's a pot bellied bloke with a stubbly face, and is wearing a t-shirt with a screaming, flaming, ghastly ghost skull on it. Spooky! We're sitting at the Wimbledon Tavern, an old little pub at the bottom of a steep green valley. “Meat sheep?” I think of the … Continue reading Napier to Wellington

Wairoa to Napier

March 12, 2019March 12, 2019 ~ Montana ~ 4 Comments

“You looking at the bird?” There's a little black bird hopping around the grass. “He's called B-fah. You see? B for bird!” T starts cracking up at his own joke. He's an older Maori guy, thin and wiry, fluorescent camo bucket hat and little pink reading glasses. “I named him, he follows me everywhere. Poor … Continue reading Wairoa to Napier

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