After two weeks in Georgetown, Guyana, Maldague started out towards the Brazilian border, aiming to cross over before New Year’s Eve.

On Christmas eve he was welcomed in by a local family who fed him and gave him a bed for the night. The next day it was back in the saddle as he continued to peddle through pristine rainforest towards the border.

But the rough dirt road was taking a toll on Maldague’s bicycle. On December 28, he blew a tire. His only spare was already well worn, with previously repaired holes, and Maldague had to hope that his makeshift fixes would hold for the remaining 62mi (100km) to the next town.

The next day his repair job held, but the rest of the bike suffered. A link in his chain broke and his other tire punctured! He was able to fix both issues and limp the final 19mi (30km) into the small village of Anai. Here he was able to replace the tire and set off on the final 72mi (115km) to the next town through savannah grasslands.

Maldague didn’t quite make it to town that night, eventually stopping some 9mi (15km) short to string up his hammock between two lonely trees. The next day he made it to town before pushing forward on December 31 across the border to Boa Vista, ending his cycle journey.

The next stage of his project will take a month of preparation: Maldague plans to paddle through the Brazilian Amazon.