OK, so the love affair with Kansas is over. Bored of it now. We've cycled 40 or so miles today so far with a side wind, not even a head wind, and it's a nightmare. Fortunately the aspirations are low today and we're probably stopping in the next town, Scott City, which is only 24 miles away. The scenery is now how I imagined Kansas to be. Flat, can see nothing for miles, sunny. Last night was great though. After Chris and Chris set off early again yesterday, we met up again about 15 miles from Bazine where there was Elaine's Bicycle Oasis, where we all decided we were staying, mainly becauseof the promise of the hot shower. Got there, home-cooked meal almost ready, finally had the hot shower, which felt soooo good, then stuffed ourselves on chicken, pasta, pesto, home-grown sweetcorn, tomatoes, squash etc etc. It was fantastic. Elaine and Dan were great too. 7th Day Adventists i think (no idea what that means exactly), really generous, happy to feed up weary cyclists. Chris asked her why she decided to start operating the B+B for cyclists and she answered 'Because I saw all these miserable cyclists going past'. I think that's because it's frequently 100 degrees plus here and they were passing out from sunstroke and exhaustion. I did the cheap option and didn't get a bed but got to sleep on the porch in my sleeping bag which was good - kind of under the stars but not quite. Although I was covered in cat hair when I woke up - I must have had the cats bed. Dan brought his mate in to talk to Chris about teaching kids about drugs this morning - he's 6 years clean from meth, coke, weed...it was like a morning at home, all the drugs talk. You're missing out Alex - you should have come! So after last nights very good evening of relaxing and home cooked food, it's back to normal tonight. I think we'll be in the lobby of some athletic club tonight. But it's only $10.
1 more day of Kansas, then it's Colarado...and not far to the 11000 ft Hoosier Pass. That ain't going to be flat.
By the way, I've no credit and no reception on the phone if anyone has attempted to get in touch. Going to try and sort that out next.
This should be the route I'll be following...
Friday, 31 July 2009
Thursday, 30 July 2009
Is it Thursday?
Losing track of the days and dates...I'm in Larned, temporarily, recovering from this mornings 50+ mile ride with no gas stations, no grocery stores, no nothing apart from 1 long, straight road, a few cows and Kansas to look at. It was quite dull. I think there is another 2 days of this then the Rockies start to kick in. I have got the opportunity of visiting The Barbed Wire Museum this afternoon, which sounds like something I shouldn't miss. Or the alternative is The Stone Post Museum, which exists because they had to erect stone posts to connect barbed wire to as there were no trees left to use for timber. Spoilt for choice. This all depends on me not fannying around for too long, which I am particularly good at I now realise. I did manage to leave at about 745 this morning though, which is good for me. I was motivated by the fact there is a chance of a hot shower if I cycle about 110 miles today and as I haven't had a hot shower for at least 3 days (I think) that sounds quite appealing. The prospect of yet another Wet-Wipe wash isn't doing anything for me.
I came past some wildlife refuge on the way, salt marshes and wetlands, habitats for birds, deer etc etc according the the information board (which I bet every cyclist reads as there's little else to do). Unfortunately for the birds, this little oasis of natural habitat is also advertised as a spot for shooting. Nice. The blurb was talking about how habitat destruction was having an impact on bird populations and so on - mmm....and possibly being shot out of the sky might play a small part too! And also in this wildlife refuge was some of those little nodding donkey (or is it dog?) things that pump oil out of the ground. They dont cause any pollution at all....I did see a very pretty red headed woodpecker though. And various dead frogs - roadkill.
Chris and Chris haven't managed to shake me off yet...ended up at the same City Park last night and my need for a shower means we'll probably end up in the same place tonight. If they aren't carefull we'll be spending much of the next 4 weeks together.
Better go..need phone credit and the Barbed Wire Museum is calling....
I came past some wildlife refuge on the way, salt marshes and wetlands, habitats for birds, deer etc etc according the the information board (which I bet every cyclist reads as there's little else to do). Unfortunately for the birds, this little oasis of natural habitat is also advertised as a spot for shooting. Nice. The blurb was talking about how habitat destruction was having an impact on bird populations and so on - mmm....and possibly being shot out of the sky might play a small part too! And also in this wildlife refuge was some of those little nodding donkey (or is it dog?) things that pump oil out of the ground. They dont cause any pollution at all....I did see a very pretty red headed woodpecker though. And various dead frogs - roadkill.
Chris and Chris haven't managed to shake me off yet...ended up at the same City Park last night and my need for a shower means we'll probably end up in the same place tonight. If they aren't carefull we'll be spending much of the next 4 weeks together.
Better go..need phone credit and the Barbed Wire Museum is calling....
Wednesday, 29 July 2009
Day 22 in the Big Brother House
ok, well Kansas actually. Lovely, flat Kansas. Flat, flat, flat , flat , flat. And a bit wet. And not that hot. Which is all good. America is still having unseasonal weather so Portland, where I should be meeting Alex, was 102 degrees yesterday, Denver, where I'm meeting mum and dad was 59 (bring a jumper!! I think it was 72 today though) and it's still in the early 80s in Kansas, which is great as far as I'm concerned. It seems the Americans are as obsessed about the weather as much as the Brits. If you go in a cafe with a TV they nearly always have The Weather Channel on.
I wasn't so happy with the weather when I was crossing a relatively high bit of Kansas yesterday during a thunderstorm. Me on my bike was the highest thing for miles and there was nowhere to take cover, so I just carried on, thinking I was going to get hit by lightening, which obviously i wasn't, which was a relief. I ended up sat on the porch or some church for half an hour then when i set off, discovered a cafe 100 yards up the road.
After that, the sun came out and it was gorgeous. Massive prairie, lots of cows, big, big sky and nothing else. It was fab. I like this end of Kansas. Got to the city park in Cassoday and found Chris and Chris again who had had a late start so hadn't made it any further. Sat around eating pizza with them for a while before we set up camp on a bandstand. They were off by six this morning but we should all be in Nickerson tonight. I couldn't face that early a kick off. I've started listening to the radio so I'm sitting around more and taking longer to do things. I did an hour of a classic country station this morning - quality.
Met 5 or 6 cyclists heading east today, all part of the same gang but spread out. They've met each other along the route and decided to ride together. A couple of them are planning on 200 miles today, aiming to finish around 2am. Seems a little extreme. One of them is a film student so he's filming everything and going to edit it all when he starts back in August. I gave him your address Beth so he might give you a call.
I had to laugh at the white line down the side of the road. They must spray the line on as at one point they had sprayed a white line over a big bit of tyre that was lying in the way and further on, they sprayed some dog or cayote turd that was on the route. They must have been in a rush to finish.
I met a Sheffield guy called Paul Davenport who must be a professional cyclist - he writes for the cycling press, cycled all over the world. He was very chilled, limiting himself to 60 miles a day so he didn't finish early and end up having to wait in Yorktown for a week for his flight home.
I now have money again having come very close to running out - thanks mum and dad. I got one of the Thomson Travel Cards which you load up with currency, then you can use it whereever the mastercard sign is etc. I was told by the Thomson person I could load it up electronically, which you cant. Then when mum went into the Thomson shop with cash, she was told you had to load it up using a credit card, which you don't. They are f***ing idiots. Anyway, it's all sorted now.
Lots more miles to go today, probably in the rain, so better go. I like the way the locals here see you and laughingly say 'you're gonna get wet'. Yeah, great, thanks.
I wasn't so happy with the weather when I was crossing a relatively high bit of Kansas yesterday during a thunderstorm. Me on my bike was the highest thing for miles and there was nowhere to take cover, so I just carried on, thinking I was going to get hit by lightening, which obviously i wasn't, which was a relief. I ended up sat on the porch or some church for half an hour then when i set off, discovered a cafe 100 yards up the road.
After that, the sun came out and it was gorgeous. Massive prairie, lots of cows, big, big sky and nothing else. It was fab. I like this end of Kansas. Got to the city park in Cassoday and found Chris and Chris again who had had a late start so hadn't made it any further. Sat around eating pizza with them for a while before we set up camp on a bandstand. They were off by six this morning but we should all be in Nickerson tonight. I couldn't face that early a kick off. I've started listening to the radio so I'm sitting around more and taking longer to do things. I did an hour of a classic country station this morning - quality.
Met 5 or 6 cyclists heading east today, all part of the same gang but spread out. They've met each other along the route and decided to ride together. A couple of them are planning on 200 miles today, aiming to finish around 2am. Seems a little extreme. One of them is a film student so he's filming everything and going to edit it all when he starts back in August. I gave him your address Beth so he might give you a call.
I had to laugh at the white line down the side of the road. They must spray the line on as at one point they had sprayed a white line over a big bit of tyre that was lying in the way and further on, they sprayed some dog or cayote turd that was on the route. They must have been in a rush to finish.
I met a Sheffield guy called Paul Davenport who must be a professional cyclist - he writes for the cycling press, cycled all over the world. He was very chilled, limiting himself to 60 miles a day so he didn't finish early and end up having to wait in Yorktown for a week for his flight home.
I now have money again having come very close to running out - thanks mum and dad. I got one of the Thomson Travel Cards which you load up with currency, then you can use it whereever the mastercard sign is etc. I was told by the Thomson person I could load it up electronically, which you cant. Then when mum went into the Thomson shop with cash, she was told you had to load it up using a credit card, which you don't. They are f***ing idiots. Anyway, it's all sorted now.
Lots more miles to go today, probably in the rain, so better go. I like the way the locals here see you and laughingly say 'you're gonna get wet'. Yeah, great, thanks.
Monday, 27 July 2009
Still smiling
Watching mamma mia in a cheap motel having cycled 131 miles, half of them in the rain, got a puncture 10 miles from the end. . Surprisingly, i dont want to kill anyone
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