Roam-n-Roll

Hi there!

We are a family of four: Oleg (dad), Lera (mom), and two boys: Fedor and Anton. This blog is dedicated to our cycling and, more recently, sailing adventures.

After finishing PhDs (Applied Physics/Computer Science) and work at Stanford University we took a gap year and cycled across South America. Fedor was 2 years old, so there were only three of us at the time. Over 8 months we cycled 7000 km from the Southern tip of the continent through Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. At times, when the wind was too strong or the traffic was too chaotic, we hopped on buses.

On the way we experienced the desolation of windy Patagonia and high Bolivian Altiplano where we camped under enormous night skies full of unfamiliar constellations. We crossed the Andes over a 4800 m pass, where our lungs and brains were depleted of oxygen. We passed through picturesque fishing villages on the Ecuadorian coast and rugged terrain of Colombia. Importantly, we met an infinite number of cheerful and generous people. Tire punctures, wild berries, field repairs, hospitality, lost tent poles, TV interview, dog bite, camping by the church… There was everything.