In addition to reflecting my passion for travelling, a couple of themes emerged during the journey and writing of the book. Firstly, travel is quite a challenge for my wife, Sylvia, who has Parkinson’s disease and who, as a disabled person, needs a wheelchair for getting around most of the time. This adds a whole new dimension to the practicability of travel, which my book addresses.
A second theme, however, apparent almost from Day One of our travels, emerged and never really left us during our time in the Americas. This can briefly be encapsulated in a single word – freedom. We came across it when we saw the Statue of Liberty in New York and in talking to people in New York, and again in Philadelphia, with its links to the American War of Independence from the UK, where we walked in the footsteps of George Washington. In Latin America we were constantly reminded of their struggles for independence from Spain, both in Colombia and Argentina, where the two larger-than-life liberators, Simon Bolivar and José de San Martin, continue to wield an influence and presence that still seems to permeate life in both of these countries.
Our story follows our travels and interactions with friends and strangers, from New York, across to Philadelphia and then down to Colombia and Argentina. Mike and Sylvia experienced many acts of kindness as well as great moments of discovery, as they travelled down the spine of the Americas, and our hope is that people, particularly with disabilities, will feel confident to step out of their comfort zones and explore a little more of what this wonderful world and its varied communities has to offer.
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