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
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Safari Arie’s Latest News
Jewellery making in Creel Mexico?
As crazy as it sounds I am taking an extra 10 days in Creel Mexico to learn how to make jewellery from a jewellery making master with 30 years experience in making jewellery. Read about how this...
On June 9, 2012 I entered Mexico
Check out my US summary blog post about biking through the US and all my stats HERE
We just released our Prairie to Badlands documentary video
We just released our Prairie to Badlands documentary video from when I biked from Manitoba to Calgary last year. Check out the video HERE
Current City:
left Chetumal, MEX
Headed to:
Scotland Halfmoon, Belize (HOME!)
Days on the road
Nights in a tent
Km’s cycled
Canadain Hosts
International Hosts
Arie’s Current Location:
Recent Blogs:
Campeche State (Nov 10 to 15)
November 10 Km’s Pedalled - 116 km’s Destination - Nuevo Progreso Some Notes - I set my alarm for 6 am again last night but I am still tired this morning. My foot is almost better. My arm and hand...
Tabasco State (Nov 7 to 9)
Yesterday afternoon I was coaxed off the road for some beers by some locals. Read about that HERE November 7 Km’s Pedalled - 120 km’s Destination - Jáltipan de Morelos Some Notes - I did not sleep...
Veracruz State (Nov 1 to 6)
On October 30th I arrived in Cordoba in the Mexican state of Veracruz November 1 Some Notes - I found my afternoon fairly unproductive thanks to a computer issue which is about as frustrating as it...
Recent Friends & Hosts:
Eduardo Cervantes
Eduardo was a lucky host for me from Ixtlahuaca near the pyramids in San Juan Teotihuacan which I had planned to visit before arriving in Mexico City. Eduardo became a host thanks to a chance...
Mario Fernando A Garcia
While in Vicente Guerrero I was messaged by someone interested in hosting me in Aguascalientes. The next day I received a message from Mario about hosting me in the same city. I replied to Mario...
Iohan Gueorguiev
On September 17th I woke up to a message from my Aunt Henny that Iohan Gueorguiev was dead. Iohan was the bike tourer/bikepacker that inspired me that biking through a Canadian winter was...
Environment and Tree Planting
Avenue of the Giants
In northern California there is a 31 mile section of old Highway 101 where the tallest trees in the world grow. These trees are called California Coast Redwoods (Sequoia Sempervirens) and this...
The Mahogany Tree of Belize
This is a blog post to help organize all my personal and online research notes of the Mahogany tree of Belize in one place. Disclosure: The purpose of this post is not about writing a post but...
One Tree Planted
On March 9, 2020 I had the privilege of visiting the Montreal office of One Tree Planted at the Montreal We Work Office. Now that spring and summer are upon us I hope to engage and learn from tree...