Robert Michon | Communications Specialist , ARTA

You may remember 80-year-old retired teacher , Bob Fletcher , from the spring 2022 issue of news & views , who shared his plans for a cross-continental cycling trip to celebrate his 80 th birthday . Since that first story , Bob has completed his journey , riding his e-bike from Alaska to Panama City , a trip that took five months . But it wouldn ’ t be accurate to call it the trip of a lifetime ; this summer , Bob will be taking his bike back on the road to complete the rest of the journey — riding from the northern coast of Colombia to the southern tip of Argentina .

Bob has been an avid cyclist all his life , but last year ’ s journey was the longest he had ever taken . In fact , Bob even set a Guiness World Record for the longest journey made by a motorized bicycle . His trip wasn ’ t just about completing an incredible feat , however . Along with his team ( who were travelling alongside him in a van ), Bob took breaks to meet the locals wherever his journey took him , opting to rent from locals rather than stay in hotels or campgrounds where he could . “ The people were so friendly everywhere we went ,” Bob says . “ They wanted to meet us and even give us gifts :

money , water , liquor , food , fruit . I had to stop many times throughout the day to shake hands and take pictures .” When he did receive cash gifts , Bob collected the money to be put to good use : buying bicycles for Panamanian children in one of the villages near the end of his trip .

In addition to taking pictures , he got to know his hosts , spoke with local journalists , and shared stories with the people he met . “ I was surprised by how many people we met in Central America were migrants from Africa , Venezuela , and Brazil ,” he says . “ I developed a lot of compassion for them . The juxtaposition of our holiday journey compared to their walking journey from as far as Brazil and the dangers they face every day was huge . It was such a contrast with our white-privileged journey of adventure .”

The next leg of Bob ’ s Octogenarian Odyssey is set to begin in Cartagena on July 3 and will end in Ushuaia , Argentina , on December 8 , during the height of the South American summer . Bob ’ s spirits are as high as they were before he set off in Alaska , and he is eager to begin this next leg . “ You ’ re never too old for an adventure ,” he says . “ Whatever your age , you are capable of incredible feats .”

See part one of “ An Octogenarian Odyssey ” ( news & views , Spring 2022 ). Bob Fletcher and crew in Panama news & views SUMMER 2023 | 37