A big change of plans... Dad and I separate:

As most of you already know, we arrived in Huanuco, Peru after an incident with a vicious dog, bussed to Cusco and have not left since. We both got sick at the end of June and went to the doctor shortly thereafter; I was diagnosed with Giardia Lamblia and Scott was diagnosed with Typhoid Fever. After several lazy days of eating certain foods and taking medication, my parasite cleared up, yet my Dad was not getting better. After a week, I left to Copacabana, Bolivia to visit Heidi for a few days before she goes off to a rigorous Yoga Instructor certification course. When I returned, my father's condition had not improved, so we decided to return to the hospital. As it turns out, he was misdiagnosed by the first doctor, yet the consecutive doctors could not diagnose his sickness. After countless tests and blood samples, he is still very sick and has been sleeping all day with fatigue and weakness for almost three weeks now.

After discussing the options, we have decided it is best that he return home to receive the proper medical care and regain his weight and strength in the comforts of good food and warmth (our hostel is not heated and gets down to 40 at night). Likewise, it will help him to be at a lower altitude (Cusco is 11,500ft up). With his sickness as it is and Bolivia being notorious for contaminated food and harsh weather conditions, it would be completely irrational for him to continue. That said, I am well enough to continue (though I'm fighting a stupid cold) and have the opportunity to ride with a partner, a frenchman my age who is cycling around the world. I don't know how long we will cycle together, perhaps a few days or a few weeks, but through dangerous Juliaca and the outskirts of Puno, Peru, it will be good to have a second person.

So, all in all, my father and I are splitting up. Perhaps he will rejoin me in Argentina should he regain his health and will to continue. I don't have plans of stopping any time soon, pending any potential disasters or rising political issues between the U.S. and Bolivia... I hope that you all will have Scott in your prayers as he battles this terrible and debilitating sickness. In all this, I can't help but to remember what we are cycling for - our Water Project in Africa - bringing safe water to a community. The sickness my Dad has was 90% due to the poor water quality here in Peru and I know it is far worse in parts of Africa. Please do not forget who we are helping and the sicknesses we are preventing. I will continue to update our blog at www.OneRideOneWorld.com with pictures and text, though without the iPad, there will no longer be videos. Perhaps when I return home, I'll throw together a little something. To all our donors thus far, you mean the world to us and please know that we ARE going to build this well, no matter how far either of us have cycled or will continue to cycle. Thank you for following along and stay tuned for updates on Dad's health, on the trip as I travel alone, and on Bolivia, one of the harshest places in which one chooses to "go for a bike ride."

-Kurt

(Picture taken 3 weeks ago)