Family adventure: photos and anecdotes from a Mendoza native who travels America by bike with her partner and their dog

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In the eight months that they have been pedaling for their dream , Sol, Luciano and Jengibre have already traveled and crossed four states in Brazil (from Rio de Janeiro to the border with Argentina ), entered Argentina through Misiones and, from there, continued through Corrientes, Entre Ríos, Buenos Aires and, through the entire Route 7 , arrived in Mendoza a few weeks ago.

In 2022 , in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic and with restrictions already relaxed , Soleil Cayrol arrived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil . As a backpacker , using hitchhiking buses , the young woman from Mendoza arrived in Rio de Janeiro . There she met Wilton Luciano .

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"I didn't even have a bike yet when I met Luciano . It was in June of last year . He was from Ceará —near Fortaleza (in northern Brazil) —and he'd been riding his bike all the way from there until he arrived in Rio de Janeiro . We connected immediately, and it just so happened that I 'd been wanting to go on a long bike trip for a while," Sol recalls.

Always with Paraty (on the outskirts of the city of Rio) as a base camp , they prepared an old bicycle that the Mendoza woman had obtained, and at the end of August 2024 they began their journey .

The first part was literally uphill . They had to complete a 15-kilometer stretch heading toward the Paraty mountains . And from then on, they haven't gotten off their bikes.

Pedaling in the sunshine , sleeping on peaceful, idyllic beaches , tucked away in the corners of abandoned buildings on the side of the road , or wherever hospitable people they've crossed paths with have invited them. This is how these past eight months have passed for Sol, Luciano, and Jengibre on the roads of Argentina (and Brazil) .

Last summer , for example, they stayed for a while on a remote, quiet island in the state of São Paulo . Not only did they settle in and sleep there—without any major problems—but they also worked out of a small kiosk on the beach, far from everything .

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"We've seen beautiful places while traveling by bike across the continent . And we're always looking for ways to support ourselves and make a living wherever we go," says the young woman from Mendoza.

Via Instagram ( @bicicletas.livres ), the family regularly shares photos and videos of the places along their route . More than 35,000 followers have joined this social network to follow them and feel like they're traveling with the couple and their dog .

For the next four months , Soleil, Luciano, and Jengibre will remain in Mendoza . The young men's plan is to work in the high mountains and in outdoor activities. Once winter is over and temperatures return to a pleasant temperature, they'll head south on their bikes .

"We want to go to Patagonia in September . Our idea is to get to the South on the Argentine side, cross into Chile and do the entire Carretera Austral and return north to Atacama . From there continue to Bolivia, Peru , continue north and return to Brazil from Colombia . In fact, Luciano is from Ceará , which is very close to the border with Colombia and Venezuela ," highlights the Mendoza native.

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Upon reaching his city, Luciano will have managed to circumnavigate South America and reach his starting point , proving that, as La Renga immortalized, "the end is where I started."

"We're thinking about small, long stretches . Now we want to get to Patagonia and cross into Chile , and then we'll see ," Soleil adds.

Throughout the four Brazilian states and seven Argentine provinces through which Luciano and Soleil have cycled—with Ginger always riding in her little box —the anecdotes are endless . However, none of those moments have brought them a risk or the idea of ​​rethinking why they're doing what they're doing.

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"We're really enjoying the trip . We've slept on beautiful beaches , in abandoned structures , and the reaction from the people we meet has always been the best . Many times we arrive at a place, tell them about us and the trip , they get hooked on the stories, and invite us to eat and sleep, " he explains.

Just over three weeks ago, on the stretch that took them from Alto Pencoso (San Luis) to Desaguadero , the couple and their "dog" once again felt the warmth and solidarity of the people.

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"We were in San Luis and we felt our bike start to go flat ; it had been punctured by the thorns from the rosettes . Luciano's wheel got stuck because the axle had come off the hub . Then, at one point, it stopped turning and we were left stranded on the side of the road," Sol recalls.

There they were, the three of them, when an unexpected and large procession surprised them while they were on the side of the road .

"At one point we looked back and saw a lot of people coming, all on double bicycles . It was a group of blind cyclists , who were guided by those who were riding in the front of the bike and who were pedaling . They were escorted by three police motorcycles and a van , and they helped us by getting us into the van ," recalled Soleil Cayrol .

When Ginger came into Soleil's life, the adventure of pedaling wasn't even on the Mendoza native's mind . However, the dog didn't have too much trouble adapting to life on wheels .

"She's beautiful , she's a year and a half old, and she's practically been raised on a bike . In fact, she understands some command words and responds . She's very affectionate , and when we're out walking, she always rides in a plastic crate . She also has her bed with her ," the Mendoza native says tenderly.

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Until they begin their winter work project , Soleil has been caring for children and babies since returning to Mendoza. Furthermore, the condition of her bicycle has forced the young woman to seek help .

"My bike is a 26-inch wheel , it's small and old, from the 90s . But that, added to the fact that I take Jengibre myself , means I need a 29-inch wheel bike . That's why I'm looking for one now. I'm trying to get some accessories for the bike, if anyone or a bike shop wants to help . We also need a coat , because cycling in winter is difficult," he says. Those who wish to help can contact the travellers on Instagram ( @bicicletas.livres ).

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And he adds that, in exchange for that help, he can offer the visibility that this social network and its more than 35,000 followers give him.