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Hanna Sakakibara

@hannasak

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Currently wandering around on a mountain bike✌🏼
📍The Balkans 🇲🇪🇦🇱🇧🇦🇷🇸🇽🇰

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📍Southern Italy 🇮🇹
With cabins and assigned seats long sold out for the 14 hour overnight ferry passage from Sardinia to Napoli, there was a mad dash of people staking out any available inch of space in the common lounge areas upon boarding the totally overbooked vessel. Air mattresses, blankets, and bodies were laid out everywhere on the floors making it difficult to walk around, and there were even tents pitched on the sundeck—clearly they weren’t rookies like us. We cobbled together a few hours of sleep across two dining chairs when the restaurant closed. Oh well, it was our bad for making the trip during peak tourist season!

Disembarking in a groggy haze, we still had a short push to Pompeii where we explored the archeological site of the ancient Roman city, which was immaculately preserved under six meters of volcanic ash following the violent eruption of Mount Vesuvius around 2000 years ago. We got a fascinating glimpse into life back then—not just the grand villas of the rich or the religious architecture that usually get the highlight, but the everyday life of a working class city. Their brilliant engineering and infrastructure were all visible, making us realize how much of it served as the foundation for modern life. At the same time, thinking about the horror that the people of Pompeii experienced on the fateful eruption day made the heart heavy. One of the most striking details for me was the flooring. The intricacies of the stone mosaics were beautiful and completely timeless in design—any of them would look so chic in a home today!

With our Schengen zone travel visas quickly expiring and tickets for our next ferry to Albania booked, we had to ditch our usual meandering mountain trails and instead opt for the most flat and direct route across Puglia. The dry farmland views were a bit monotonous, but interactions with warmhearted and chatty Italians more than made up for this! It was also through here that we scored perhaps the best meal of the trip at an agriturismo, surrounded by the best farm dogs. Grateful for this sweet doggy hang, especially after days of being chased by snarling guard dogs charging out of farm gates at every blind turn😰 by @hannasak

📍Sardinia 🇮🇹 (& our final week in Spain 🇪🇸)
Next we were headed to Barcelona for our exit from Spain via ferry.🥲 Somewhere on the coast along the way, we were fortunate enough to witness a total solar eclipse! In the time nearing totality, a dreamlike light washed over the landscape and the buzzing bugs fell dead silent. When the fiery ring blazed, our surroundings were draped in a gorgeous and quickly fleeting otherworldliness. It was a truly magical sight to behold.✨
Still riding high from this experience, we rolled into Barcelona where Gaudí’s architecture continued the surrealist views. I really enjoyed the museum at Sagrada Família, where displays of models and sketches revealed the genius behind the nature-inspired design of the basilica.

After a crammed and chaotic overnight ferry to the island of Sardinia left us exhausted, the pristine Sardinian beaches and a laidback summer holiday rhythm recharged us enough to start our transversal of the island from north to south, following the isolated eastern massifs in the island’s interior, where free-roaming farm animals far outnumbered people. Wild camping opportunities were everywhere, and we were often woken up to sauntering sounds of cows, horses, donkeys, pigs, sheep, and goats passing by our tent in the night. In the brutal August heat, we got started before sunrise and tried to be done with our riding by noon. The rest of the day would be spent being lazy in hammocks under breezy trees, snacking on perfectly ripe figs picked from abundant road-side trees. Whenever we wandered back into civilization, we were greeted by charming townscapes and jolly locals communing with each other in cafes. The artsy town of Orgosolo with its mural-adorned streets was a particular favorite.🫶🏼 by @hannasak

Spain 2.3 🇪🇸
After Andalucía, we were headed to the lively city of Teruel—the gateway to Montañas Vacías, Spain’s famed “Empty Mountains” route. Nearly every bikepacker we’d crossed paths with had raved about it, so we knew it needed to be our next section of riding.
En-route, we made a stop in a village called Titaguas, initially just in search of a campground where we could have a shower, but found so much more! Great food, wine made a stone’s throw away from the village, and a lovely campground that happened to have a punk festival going on the day we arrived. Good timing! The vibes were so good that we decided to stay an extra night, which gave way to an invite to a delicious paella lunch, prepared right there at the campground by a kind and fun family that also graced us with local travel recommendations.
Once on the Montañas Vacías route, quiet cruising through pine forests, river valleys, and small villages brought us immense peace😌 The villages we passed were facing many issues surrounding severe rural depopulation, and the bikepacking route was created in part to bring tourism to the region to keep remaining community economies alive. The hardships are undeniable, but yet, the slow pace of life here held a lot of allure.
By now the Spanish summer heat was cranking up (many more heat rants to come😩). At every public water fountain passed, we would completely douse ourselves from head to toe, only to gain about 30 minutes of relief before being bone dry again. Seeking out daily swimming holes was a MUST, and nothing sounded appetizing besides a cold beer or horchata de chufa. Still, it was an exciting time to be in the country. The World Cup was happening, and rolling into a village bar when Spain was playing was a real treat! Plus, there was promise of a total solar eclipse just a few weeks away! by @hannasak

Spain 2.2 🇪🇸
REALLY fun biking through the mountains of Andalucía!! So many single track trails through forests and quiet dirt roads along high mountain ridges—what bikepacking dreams are made of🤌🏼 It was June, and the re-supply descents into the valleys between ranges felt like riding through an oven, but once we were back in the mountains, the crisp air made us grateful for the many refugios (or mountain shelters) where we could spend the night out of the wind. At one in particular on a starry night, we had the pleasure of meeting a local family that kindly shared their stargazing picnic and company with us, adding to the magic of this region!☺️ by @hannasak

Spain 2.1 🇪🇸
A country so nice we visited twice! A short ferry crossing of the Strait of Gibraltar landed us back in Tarifa, where we reunited with some dear friends for a few perfect days of shared meals and casual bike rides.☺️
Our plan for the upcoming weeks was to traverse Andalucia in the south of Spain while staying up in as many mountains as possible—for the views, but also for avoiding the rising temps. Sun-drenched days through colorful landscapes were the norm as we rolled into the city of Granada, and we even got to hangout with some peacocks at a campsite along the way.
We’d heard about Andalucia’s tapas culture, but I was honestly surprised when free little plates of food would actually come out with each drink order. It felt too good to be true! We barely went out for actual meals, and just opted for drinks and tapas to fill our bellies.🤭 Even better than this, was our visit to the Alhambra. The brilliant medieval engineering fed running water through fountains and decorative channels all throughout the complex, creating soothing sounds and cool environments. The window placements framed the beautiful historic neighborhood of Albaicín below, and the intricate plaster and wood carvings made the interiors appear as delicate lace. Just stunning! We wandered for hours, loosing track of time and getting lost in the history, design, craftsmanship, and gardens until getting kicked out at closing time. by @hannasak

Morocco 8 🇲🇦
My final collection of photos from Morocco🥲 It was early May and wildflowers were painting the hills. In this season of new beginnings, we were preparing for our own ending here—treasuring every conversation, every tea, every cat cuddle, just a little extra! Rattling along Talassemtane National Park and the Rif Mountains was a tough but gorgeous end to this chapter. Riding down into Chefchaouen, a city nicknamed the “Blue Pearl,” will remain one of the most memorable sections. The chunky and tricky white-knuckle descent was made more difficult by beautifully commanding views of blue buildings cascading down the mountainside, stealing away our attention.
Once in the city, we wandered the blue alleyways and ate the best bissara—a fava bean soup I’d come to love, topped with a thick layer of olive oil and served with shakers of salt, cumin, and chili, paired as always with sweet mint tea.
Leaving from the port of Tangier felt like reluctantly peeling ourselves away. So very grateful for this adventure, and for the opportunity to meet and be inspired by such wonderful people.💕 I can hardly wait to go back! by @hannasak

Morocco 7 🇲🇦
Riding north to the city of Fez via Khenifra and Ifrane National Parks brought us into busy urbanity for the first time in a long time. The trails became spectacularly green in this region, and we even got to see monkeys!🐒

The hustle and bustle of Fez’s Medina clearly had zero effect on uncle here. 😂

Average sibling experience:

A breathtaking entry to a mosque in the Fez Medina showcasing plaster/wood carving mastery!

A bird’s eye view into the Medina shows the dense and maze-like layout. Getting lost through the streets was a true joy.☺️ The building complex with the green tile roofing is the Mosque and University of Al-Qarawiyyin, regarded as the oldest existing, continually operating university in the world!

A leather tannery in Fez in operation since medieval times

Huge and majestic cedar trees in Ifrane National Park

I now have a new dream of adopting donkeys🥹

Cool bike shop in Fez skillfully building bikes completely from used and refurbished parts. Thanks for the great service… and tea! @aziz_achaaraoui

Moroccan food forever🤤

More stunning plaster carving work

Medina kitties🥰

Roadside turkeys and wildflowers🌼

Camping on grass for the first time in a long time!

🥹🥹🥹 by @hannasak

Morocco 6 🇲🇦
The road to the lively high mountain town of Imilchil brought our highest elevation gain yet. With dramatic snowy mountains in every frame, the views were breathtaking, day after day. The air turned crisp, and amid the pretty patchwork farmland (no monoculture here!!) apple orchards began to appear. Crazy, because just a few weeks back we were in the land of pomegranates and date palms. A testament to Morocco’s incredible climatic diversity! Along a desolate mountain pass, we met a kind nomadic goat herder who invited us into his tent for tea. His tea included various foraged mountain herbs and had a delicious, slightly medicinal taste. He shared with us the brilliant design of his hand-woven tent, made of wool and goat hair. The heavy and dense fibers offer insulation from the cold mountain winds, and they swell up when wet, closing the gaps between the weave and turning it waterproof when it rains. Also just beautiful to look at!
To beat the cold, we fueled up on loubia, a hearty bean stew that was easy to find in the mountains, and made many roadside coffee stand stops, where the coffee seemed to taste the best😌 by @hannasak

Morocco 5 🇲🇦
Parting ways with the Sahara Desert, we set our sights on the High Atlas Mountains, getting our first glimpses of snow capped peaks. Smooth riding along the epic Dades Gorge brought views of a fertile valley where wheat and figs grew in abundance, and fields were tended by strong women carrying out massive bushels of crops on their backs.
The water-carved rock formations of the gorge were strange and captivating, and we decided to stick around the area for a bit to hike into one of the canyons. Along our hike, we didn’t pass a single person until our turnaround point, where we came across a hilltop plateau with irrigated fields. Moments later, a nomadic farmer named Yusuf greeted us with a big smile and one word—“tea?” The answer to this question is always yes, but where? We were in the middle of nowhere after all! Following Yusuf down a hill revealed caves that he hand carved out of a hillside using a pickaxe! The insides were converted into remarkably comfortable dwellings where we drank pot after pot of tea and passed hours in Yusuf’s lovely company, despite a language barrier. The radical hospitality here is really something. It’s a way of moving through the world I’d like to strive to carry forward.☺️ by @hannasak

Morocco 4 🇲🇦
Well I’ve fallen quite behind on my lil trip recaps, but I’m picking up where I left off🤭 Next up was the Sahara Desert! We set out to cross between the gateway towns of Foum Zguid and M’hamid. With strong winds forecast, we decided to wait out a few days at a campground, giving us time to befriend friendly village dogs and wait for a better weather window.
Once we ventured in, the desert rattled us immediately. Either relentlessly rocky or slippery from deep sand, the riding was extremely slow going🥲 On top of that, the area proved to be quite touristy, with frequent passage of 4x4 tour vehicles or massive European off-road campers kicking up huge plumes of dust. This got old fast, but their tire tracks were valuable guides whenever the camel caravan paths vanished in the shifting sands. There was only a short stretch that offered truly enjoyable riding: 20km across the dried bed of Lake Iriqui. Cruising over the smooth, compacted ground with a refreshing breeze on our faces felt like pure freedom. We also encountered our first camel herd here🐪 If only it could have lasted longer… When the rough terrain finally wore us down, we stashed the bikes behind some trees and explored the swirling textures of the dunes on foot. This was just the thing to lift our spirits!
Reaching M’hamid four days later felt like a huge relief. I’ve never been happier to see asphalt in my life… Exhausted, we pushed on to the city of Zagora to recover for a few nights. Resting alongside the resident hostel cats in a traditional open-air courtyard—a beautiful signature of Moroccan architecture—was the perfect recharge.
A final stretch through desert landscapes and one particularly epic camp spot in an empty palm oasis brought us to N’Kob, known as the city of 45 kasbahs. Kasbahs are historic fortresses, private homes, or citadels that were built to protect families and trading routes, and the kasbahs here remain remarkably preserved. Seeing the details of traditional earthen architecture set against the oasis palm groves was a very special experience! by @hannasak

📍Morocco 3 🇲🇦

Leaving the coast behind, we started riding up into the Anti-Atlas mountains, the mountain range furthest south before the land flattens out into the Sahara Desert. Unexpected rain caught us on our first day out, but it quickly lead to the legendary warmth of Moroccan hospitality.✨ After meeting at a bus station shelter, the ever so kind @h__man_1 invited us into his home, sharing his world, and introducing us to his friends in his village. It was a beautiful, spontaneous reminder of what makes traveling so special.🫶🏻
Shortly after, we linked up with the Route of Caravans published by @bikepackingcom , which served as our guide through the mountains of Morocco’s interior. Scenically, this was my favorite region of the whole country! Rock formations twisted into beautiful, swirling patterns, and small villages built from the local stone seamlessly emerged from the hillsides. In the valleys, desert oases hid settlements under palms and canopies of fig, pomegranate, and almond trees.
The high desert air soon turned bone-dry, gifting us a bikepacking luxury: sleeping without the rainfly almost every camp night right under clear skies.🙂‍↕️ As lovely as this was, rolling into a remote mountain guesthouse after days on end of eating bread and tinned fish in the backcountry was one of the best feelings ever. Each guesthouse was lovingly run by the families that lived there, who would welcome us with sweet mint tea and towering portions of tajine, couscous, and olives, always against a beautiful backdrop. One unforgettable spot had a tea salon that was better described as a museum! by @hannasak

📍Morocco 2 🇲🇦

Continuing south along the coast, the cities got smaller and the spaces in between introduced us to a world of beautifully gnarly argan trees and sweet natured donkeys. When we rode through our first mountain oasis, we were escorted by a couple of pups who had kept us company at a cafe earlier in the day, adding to the joy of experiencing this lush pocket of green on a hot day!
Essaouira’s medina turned out to be a treasure trove of art and craftwork, and I loved how every time we’d sit down for a meal or a tea, within seconds I’d have a kitty in my lap.😌
Eventually, we hit the busy surf hub of Taghazout and decided to settle in for a week of surfing! It was a ‘right place, right time’ moment that we got to overlap with a really fun crew at our hostel, making the surfing and town exploring all the more special. Sunsets from the town’s hilltop skatepark overlooking Anchor Point are especially memorable🧡
Shoulders now sore but legs fresh, next we set out to climb up into the Anti Atlas mountain range! by @hannasak