Cycle-touring with Podcasts

We were introduced to podcasts in Baja California by our cycling companions Aiden, Lorely and Russ. My technical ignorance was so that when we reached internet and they would say “I'm just going to download my podcasts” I would just smile and nod and have some vision of a small man with beans and a fishing rod beaming down onto their Ipods. When I finally asked them what a podcast actually was, and when they explained just how easy it was.. it opened up a whole new world for me. In fact you could say I got a little addicted.

I don't always listen to them while I am riding, but when the day starts getting a bit long, the scenery a little monotonous and I need a little distraction they are the perfect antidote. I also love to listen to them when going sleep in the tent at night, or when I wake up and hear strange “outside the tent night noises” and I need to be lulled off to sleep again.

My podcasts can sometimes make me look a little crazy tho', a funny one may make me laugh raucously while riding along or I get all excited at an interesting point and wave my arms around (not clever while riding). I once even cried during a podcast – but to be fair it was about climate change and the penguins, i think anyone would cry over that!

We are subscribed to a number of podcasts, so when we find internet along the way we can download the podcasts and be ready to be entertained. Our favourite podcasts to entertain us while riding are:

• Coffeebreak Spanish and Showtime Spanish: These Spanish lesson podcasts are great (besides the annoying themesong that makes me want to ride off a cliff)
• Dr Karl on Triple J: weekly talkback of science and answer questions
• On the Couch: A discussion of the weekends games of the AFL (Australian Rules Football – the best game in the world), particularly handy at this time because out team appears to be making a comeback. Go Eagles
• Environment ABC Radio National – automatically downloads any environment related podcasts great for nerds like me... as well as The Science Show with Robin Williams (ABC Radio)
• Radiolab it's science, it's stories, it's music, it's great
• A History of the World in 100 Objects A BBC history podcast- this is our falling asleep podcast, the English presenter of this history podcast has the most soothing voice – I am always asleep almost instantly (so I have no idea if the podcast is any good!)
• Joe Strummer Jules favourite – a rebroadcast of Joe Strummer's London Calling radio show, music from all over.

Unfortunately, our addiction has got a little out of hand lately – Jules is downloading anything that she finds (I have just found 10 new episodes of Sesame St on the computer!) and our computer memory has just become full. No more downloadng is possible. I'm not sure that we can continue riding......