Jorge M. Serpa, a self-described “world traveler with a deep love for photography and writing,” has traveled around the globe by every means of transportation—including motorcycles, sailboats and container vessels!

Born in Portugal in 1960, Jorge grew up in Mozambique, where he lived until 1974. In 1979, he moved to the US where he completed his college education (BS and MS degrees in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA degree in Finance). In 2000, after a career in the energy business, Jorge decided that he would spend the rest of his life doing what he loves to do: traveling, preferably by “alternative modes of transport.” Some of the projects that he has undertaken since then include a trans-Atlantic crossing on a 39’ sailboat (2002-3); extensive traveling on his cars and motorcycles around Europe and Northern Africa (2007-13); a Trans-Pacific crossing on a container vessel (2009); and a close to 28,000-mile road-trip on his motorcycle through both North and South America (2014-5).

Traveling far and wide has given Jorge the opportunity to further develop his love for photography. Recently, his travel work was the subject of an exhibition put together by the Institut Français du Bénin in Cotonou. Titled "Ils Est Temps de Décider," the exhibition ran from January to February 2018. Prior to that, his work on Portugal was exhibited at the Embassy of Portugal in Washington, DC. This exhibition, titled "Looking for Portugal," ran from May 2014 to May 2015. His photos have also been used to illustrate articles in a variety of media outlets, from BBC News On-line to Correio da Manhã (highest circulation print newspaper in Portugal).

On the writing front, in 2018 Jorge published "Benin: Land of Magic," a compilation of some of his previous works on the rich historical heritage and cultural diversity of that West African nation. Previously, in 2011, Jorge published "Slow Roads! Beautiful Drives through Portugal for Cars & Motorcycles," a practical touring guide for Portugal’s scenic back roads geared towards the independent traveler. Currently he is a regular contributor to various travel-related magazines.