
About
My Story. My Mission.
Welcome and thanks for stopping by. On November 12, 2019 I started a 3 year, 50,000+/- kilometer bike ride in St John’s Newfoundland.
This amazing and epic adventure has me crossing Canada east to west during the winter of 2019/20 and then on my way to the bottom of Argentina.
Before starting this ride I anticipated the first 6 months during the winter to be a miserable and horrible experience. Every minute and every mile would simply suck. Either I was strong enough to bike and camp during the winter or I was not. The ride started out slowly and then some interesting things started to happen. What I have regularly referred to as “the magic.” First it started a little in Newfoundland and then it continued in Nova Scotia and then it really started to grow in Prince Edward Island. Coming back into Nova Scotia things really took off to a point that has had me speechless at times. The “magic” that I am referring to is the magic of generosity experienced from the locals in virtually every town I stopped in.
Complete strangers were hosting me and other complete strangers were giving me a few bucks here and there. Restaurants were giving me complimentary meals and I was being recognized almost everywhere I went (thanks to traditional and social media). The experiences were so amazing and moving that I ended up adding 1,300 km’s to my PEI and Nova Scotia route to simply expose myself to the locals. To see what was waiting for me around the next corner.
This is a ride that I have been planning and working very hard towards (and at the same time been constantly distracted from) since the end of 2011. The working, planning and dreaming began immediately after my first and life changing 6,500 km bike ride through western and northern Canada in 2011.
Part of the motivation behind my November 12 start date is to pedal a bike across Canada during a Canadian winter. In my world this is perhaps the greatest challenge that I can come up with that would possibly push me to the point of failure. I have to believe that at my age that some of my best years are still ahead of me. And this seems like the my way to prove this to myself. To push and challenge yourself to your possible limit in my mid years will give me my courage for the future.
“May your greatest dreams and goals be ahead of you; not behind you.”

This 50,000 km bike ride is an adventure that but a small handful of people on this planet would ever attempt.
An even smaller handful would ever attempt to start such a bike ride in during a Canadian winter.
During my ride I will experience different cultures and languages, extreme landscapes, extreme weather, extreme isolation and extreme beauty and wonder. I will experience risk, adventure and danger unlike ever before in my life. I will be required to push everything that I am to its limits. The success or failure of this ride will ultimately be in my own and Gods hands.
My hope is to share my experiences with as many people possible via social media, blogs, photos and video. So please stop by again and again for updates. Your well wishes and support will always be appreciated.
Please subscribe, like and follow me on all of my socials for amazing photos and stories!
Arie Hoogerbrugge – AKA Safari Arie

Stay in touch
Safari Arie’s Latest News
Almost 3 months in Belize now
I have been in Belize for almost 3 months now. Check out my latest blog HERE to find out what I have been up to.
My Mexico Route is Complete!!!
Over the last 160 days from June 9 to November 15, 2020 I biked 6,020 kms through Mexico from Mexicali to Chetumal. I am currently in Chetulmal for the next week getting 100% caught up on all my...
You can now live track my current location as I travel
Thanks to Zeek GPS I am now trackable. Just scroll a little down my home page and you will see the map. Thanks Zeek!
Current City:
Scotland Halfmoon, Belize (HOME)
Headed to:
No Where Soon
Days on the road
Nights in a tent
Km’s cycled
Canadain Hosts
International Hosts
Arie’s Current Location:

Recent Blogs:
Belize Part 9 (Jan 3 to 8)
January 3 Life in the jungle: Last night Derrick said he was planning to come down and help replace 4 rotted/termite infested pieces plywood in my crawl space with plycem. Good call on Jack for...
Belize Part 8 (Dec 30 to Jan 2)
December 30 Life in the jungle: I went to the city this morning. It was a hectic day and I did not escape my daily portion of grief. First stop to the bank, and then to DigiCell. This is my third...
Belize Part 7 (Dec 26 to 29)
December 26 Life in the jungle: I am still sick. This sucks, I can’t even remember the last time I was sick longer than a day. I have too much to do and no energy. I had some noodle soup for...
Recent Friends & Hosts:
Verna Mae Lodge
My most favorite Belizean. Verna Mae was waiting for me when I arrived at my village of Scotland Halfmoon. This would be my celebration of biking over 26,000 km's over the last 2 years.
Alexander Bul & his uncle
Alexander from Buena Vista came up to me and just started talking to me while I was fixing a flat tire. He let me camp in his uncles yard. The next day he showed me around his families farm.
Gary Kike and the boys
Biking down the highway towards Xpujil I ran into a bunch of motorcyclists. A photo lead to some beers which lead to a place to set my tent up for the night. I originally thought I was camping in...
Environment and Tree Planting
Assorted Desert Plants & Trees of the Northern Mexican Baja
I biked the northern Baja of Mexico between June 9th to the 20th. These are some of the cactus and tree species I came across along the way. I wrote Mexico Baja Part 1and Mexico Baja Part 2 and...
Boonjum Tree
I heard about these trees via another cyclist’s bike ride blog post. So, I was pretty excited about seeing a tree that was endemic to the deserts of Baja California. What information I found on...
The Plains Cottonwood Tree
I came across this particular Plains Cottonwood Tree in Dinosaur Provincial Park. The information plaque at this tree estimated the tree to be just over 200 years old. And that it was likely a...
