Postcards from South America

Meet Ethan and Lauri Boxer-Macomber, two Portlanders who are currently on a seven-month bike-centric adventure in South America. Ethan, a board member for Portland Trails, and Lauri, a lawyer specializing in bicycle and pedestrian advocacy, are avid cyclists who have taken their passion for two-wheeled transport to the Southern Hemisphere.

Since October of 2025, they have ventured through South America from north to south. As of this publication, they’re in the middle of the grand finale of their trip: a 2,000-mile bikepacking trip through Patagonia in Chile and Argentina.

I caught up with them for a quick email exchange during this leg of their journey.

Portland Trails: Why did the two of you decide to embark on this enormous seven month adventure?

Ethan & Lauri: It was time for regeneration. From past experiences, we knew that exposure to new cultures and environments was one way to cultivate restoration and new growth in ourselves and in the communities where we live and work. So, we decided to take a sabbatical and spend seven months in South America with focused time bikepacking and backpacking in Patagonia. 

PT: As cyclists, trail users, and active transportation advocates, what have been some things that have stood out to you throughout your travels? What lessons are you bringing back with you to Maine?

E & L: While bicycling on Chile’s Carretera Austral, which is a 1,240 kilometer road that runs through Chilean Patagonia, we were impressed by the mutual respect exhibited by drivers and bicyclists navigating the roadway alongside us. We suspect that this culture of care can be attributed to Chile’s investment in public safety campaigns focused on safe driving speeds, particularly near bicyclists. We also believe that many residents and visitors in Patagonia enjoy biking and see bicycle tourism as a way to stimulate local economies. As a result, there are additional incentives for people to drive and bike vigilantly and responsibly. Experiencing the absence of an “us versus them” mentality on the Carretera Austral made us hopeful that with similar marketing and educational campaigns in place, we might be able to achieve comparable results at home.

While in Bogotá, Colombia, we were smitten with the city’s investment in hundreds of kilometers of protected bicycle infrastructure and weekly Ciclovías — regular events in Bogotá where large sections of the city are closed to motor vehicle traffic and hundreds of thousands of cyclists, walkers, runners, and rollerbladers take to the open roads for exercise and social connectivity. Protected infrastructure and Ciclovías are important because they make bicycling safer and more accessible to people of all ages. These investments in cycling also appear to be paying off exponentially in terms of the fiscal, environmental, and social health of the city and its residents. What we experienced in Bogotá underscored that if you build and maintain bicycle infrastructure and programs well, people will use them and communities will thrive.  

Time on the Galápagos Islands reinforced the notion that when communities plan for the safety of children and animals — and not just cars and drivers — streets are much slower and safer for everyone. On the islands of Santa Cruz and Isabella, we enjoyed watching children and animals playing and roaming freely, even in places experiencing high traffic. We will never forget seeing a napping sea lion sprawled out in the middle of a busy city street and road users all just driving, walking, and bicycling around it as if that is just what you do. Similarly, we found ourselves happily yielding the right-of-way to an ancient Galápagos land turtle who decided to cross the bike path while we were out on a morning ride.

Throughout their journey, Ethan and Lauri have been producing “Postales Vivos,” or living postcards, that feature photos, videos, and stories from their travels. Check them out — and subscribe to their YouTube channel to stay in-the-loop!