Inspired by his late brother's words, Todd Lawson and his partner Christina Tottle set out on a motorcycle journey through South America in October 2004. Nineteen months, 4,000 kilometres, and 23 countries later, the couple returned with 25,000 images and an experience so inspirational they wanted to share it with others.
Seven years ago, Lawson went on a motorcycle tour with his brother Seanin southern Africa. The trip was cut short by tragedy, when Sean contracted malaria and died just days before it was due to end. Several years later, when Lawson met Tottle while living in Whistler, he would remember the words of his brother.
"One night when we were sitting around a campfire in Zambia, my brother said, 'we could do this in Canada and ride motorcycles to South America,'" said Lawson. "I suggested to Christina that we could do the trip. She had never ridden a motorcycle, but she learnt to ride in four months and we took off on a crazy adventure."
Lawson and Tottle left with no guidebooks, no schedules and no planned destination.
"We really didn't do a lot of research," said Lawson. "We went by word of mouth and asked locals about destinations."
As the trip evolved, the pair became more and more taken aback by reactions of the people they met along the way.
"We would be looking for places to camp and we would drive up to people's yards and asked them if we could stay in their yards. So many times families would invite us in," said Lawson. "They were so generous and so kind to us and we wanted to give back."
Since returning, the couple has decided to take the images of their trip and make them into a travelling slide show in an effort to raise money for their "hosts."
The pair's images depicting their year-and-a-half adventure and the "spirit of Latin America" will be showing at the Howe Sound Inn and Brewing Company on Saturday (Sept. 30) at 9 p.m.. Proceeds from the event will directly benefit the Squamish Rotary medical centre project in Nuevo Eden, Guatemala. Tottle and Lawson visited the town where the medical centre is being constructed and said adding it to the community would greatly improve the lives of people in the area.
"Any time a woman is having a baby it is really, really hard to get to medical facilities," said Tottle, who is also a yoga teacher. "Right now if there was any kind of complication, or a c-section, the baby would likely die."
Tottle said the spirit of those the couple met on the journey has affected the way she lives her life. "This trip was a total eye-opener. These people are so poor, but rich with what they have inside."
Lawson also said the people they met made the trip for them.
"It was all about the people," he said. "We passed thousands of people on the side of the roads every day, smiling and waving at us. At the end of the day our faces were sore from smiling."
As a professional photographer, Lawson said he hoped the images would not only show viewers about the freedom of their adventure, but would also motivate them to follow their own dreams.
"I hope people are inspired and act on their feelings," he said.Tickets for the event are $15.
