TWO YEARS ON A BIKE 4/4

My book Two Years on a Bike - From Vancouver to Patagonia has recently released and I would like to tell you more about the preparation and share some of the stories from the road. This time in southern Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile.

Both books are available via Amazon, but if you can, support your local book store.

[carlosg.martinez]

Martijn, this is a masterpiece! Your ability to weave an immersive narrative that enhances an already superb videography is second only to your determination.

[JoannaMoodstep]

It wasn't planed. I just wanted a little break and got swallowed by this 4 parts trip. I loved everything about it : the pace, the tone, the photography, the modesty. A youtube masterpiece.

[alfredondatra]

"If you do nothing today - tomorrow will be exactly the same" - words to live by and a perfect summary to this amazing series. Truly stunned by how you were able to record this journey and to share it with viewers with such high quality.

[eloimauri]

The production value of this film is insane, let alone the fact that it was done by just one person on a bike. The logistics and the day-to-day tasks of traveling on a bike are incredibly complex, I cannot imagine how is it if you're filming a documentary at the same time.

[thomasuberhoff]

Martijn, I watched this whole series breathlessly and stunned by its beauty. But if there is one thing I admire more than its technical brilliance, its quiet intensity, or its plainly meditative atmosphere, it is the beauty of your mind - your will, your endurance, your capacity to feel joy under difficult circumstances. If you're not Siddharta Gautama, I guess you must be one of his bodhisattvas. Well, take the latter with a grain of salt. But: kudos!

[lindabarr]

I literally have no words. This is an out of this world video. The physical, and perhaps even more, the mental fortitude to cross these vast expanses alone like the salt flats in Bolivia is simply mind boggling. I am so enjoying going through your two books but these videos are on another level.

[groundfold]

i rarely comment on youtube but I just wanted to say thank you for these four outstanding pieces of art. It really inspired me and moved me on a deep level.

[IamGaryRichardson]

Selfishly, I sort of wished you’d cycled round the world. I could have shut the doors, drawn the curtains and binged on this series for hours on end. Thank you for producing such a beautiful thing.

[lvee]

A masterpiece of story telling and videography. This blew my mind.

[TM]

If only programmes on UK TV were this interesting and well filmed. I've been looking forward to this so much. Thank you for this ray of sunshine in these troubled days. X

[peterrowe]

My wife and I stumbled across your channel describing your journey to restore the beautiful stone cottages in the Italian Alps. We gave up on commercial TV long ago and are almost exclusively consumers of YouTube channels. This is an eye opening chapter of your life journey that provides great insight into your current work in restoring the stone cottages. We have been following another of your fellow citizens for quite some time now. She has been riding an off road motorcycle around the world and we have become enthralled with her journey's of discovery through the Americas, Asia, and Africa.

[FurrychalkbagOutdoors]

Thirty two years ago I cycled from the UK down through France to Italy. After watching this four part series I feel the need to go out and get another bike and have a similar adventure again. This whole series has been the best thing I’ve ever seen on YouTube.!! An absolute fantastically, inspiring and beautiful production.!! Thank you for sharing such a wonderful masterpiece🙏

[hannutuomela]

Martijn, this bike adventure was beautiful and exciting! I always waited impatiently for the next part! You have the kind of gift that you strive to tell everything as you really feel... from one individual to another, without unnecessary ambiguity. You repeatedly told how the transition from the hustle and bustle of the cities to the loneliness of the deserts created a paradoxical state of mind in which you simultaneously experienced great, grand desolation and, on the other hand, wanted urgently to arrive at the next civilization. This was very interesting to me because I have personally experienced something of the same in my life. Only now, at 65, I am realizing something essential: we have been thrown into the world alone. Each of us lives in our own universe that others have no chance to access. But only from time to time, being in the wilderness with nobody else than our own universe, we become aware of it. And this is just mindblowing. In everyday life we may lose this fundamental state of affairs because we have an illusion about shared, objective reality. Contrary to what might be expected, facing this reality of loneliness is very relieving. It doesn’t set us apart from other people, quite the opposite: it unites us because we have this tremendous privilege of being able to communicate with each other trough little windows of our senses. Which windows are more or less dim, to be honest. Anyway, other people are crucial, not because we are in the same boat, but because we are not in the same boat. Thank you again of your great communication, Martijn!

[bbacalhau]

Loved this series man! It really inspired me to do something similar (but on a smaller scale for now hahah). And btw I can't imagine how tough it must have been to ride under all that rain and snow. Wishing you all the best for the next chapter!

[frankwieser]

it is still unbelievable that someone can make such a ride over such a long distance and period of time, so much barriers, hot sun, tons of rain and snow... i am sitting here in a warm comfortable room an my lower jaw falls on my desk watching this film.

[wolfsburgx]

Martijn, you are the Van Gogh of YouTube I sit here in my chair with tears at the end

[Fjalll]

Initially found Martjins channel through this adventure but got so engaged in the house renovation project I had forgot about the final episode of this series.

[Alex-jgmc]

YouTube Series of the year by a long shot. Thank you so much for giving us this Martijn. God bless you and I think I can say for everyone that we are excited to see the progress on your life in Italy as well! Well done.

[iqueque]

I did this route in 2007-2009. Cycled from Vancouver to Prudhoe Bay, then south to Salt Lake City. Then bought a motorcycle and continued south to Ushuaia. Travelled 66 000 km, so managed to see a lot more of each country. After that I hitched a ride on an expedition ship to Antarctica, South Georgia, Falklands, Terra del Fuego and Cape Town. Then rode to Cairo. A highlight of my 55 years, a memory to last forever.

[swenzeller]

Dear Martijn, you are a real hero for me. You live the life I dream of, but my commitments keep me from. Children, wife, house, garden and an office job cannot simply be ended. But, at some point I decided to do that and when I was young I thought it was all right.

Your last part of the series is amazing, so soulful! Bolivia is breathtaking, the colors, the sky, the vastness - unbelievable!!!

I read your book at home and have since read it too. Now watching the video and connecting it to the wonderful texts from your book is a great experience. Thank you for your great, open and honest account of your journey - you have enriched my life with it.

THANK YOU Martijn!