Wednesday 28th Dec 04
Thomas is now in his 4th day of travel, and has just phoned in what could be
a slightly demoralised state of mind from somewhere in Phoenix Arizona. A
damp Scotland-style wind has been blowing rain into his face and slowing him
to 7mph, which is not fast enough to escape the fierce dogs that pursue him
on the quieter country roads. On the less quiet country roads, he merely
gets passed at speed by trucks. A disturbing moment was re-passing one of
the same trucks that had gone out of control down the hill and overturned:
the rescuers were cutting out the unfortunate driver as Thomas freewheeled
past. Discouraged by the storm wind, he has taken the Greyhound Bus to
Phoenix. (Or is planning to take the bus from Phoenix? Not sure.)
That said, he has (to my mind, triumphantly) overcome the coastal range,
pedalling all the way up it on Day 1 - a climb that as far as I recall is
from sea level to 4000ft, almost as high as Ben Nevis. He was joined by a
gang of local cyclists going up the hill 'for fun' and camped along with
them at the top.
Day 2 was freewheeling 10 miles at a time down the eastern slopes. The only
campsite was actually a pull-in for monster Winnebagos (US style truck
homes), no little tents and bikes - but the kindly manager lent him an empty
Winnebago (did he put his tent up inside it, I wonder?).
Day 3 was the discouraging one, with storms that are apparently not really
expected in the desert even at Christmas time. Sand blowing in the eyes,
water blowing across the roads. He turned back, and was given a lift by what
must have been a very kindly woman as somehow the wet bike got lifted too.
Overnight in an expensive hotel, presumably in Phoenix?
At the moment he is hopefully gridironing downtown Phoenix. And is already
in his 2nd time zone. The hostel is (according to mapquest.com) near the
intersection of Interstate I-10 with 7th Street; it's 500m southwest of Good
Samaritain Hospital and 2ml northwest of the Sky Harbour International
Airport. Alas, there are no Internet cafes in Phoenix and there is no way to
get this info to T. Will he find the hostel, its welcoming Susan concealed
as she is behind bamboo and green trees?
Dad 30th Dec 04
Thursday, December 30, 2004
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
Cycling through the desert in the rain
Well on my third day I decided to risk the weather and tried to set off through my second stretch of desert. I got plenty of water, and had two options - either do 40 miles to a campsite half way with no water, or head right through to the next town 85 miles away. The first 14 miles were OK, but then I turned east and hit the wind. At first I was struggling along at 10 mph, then 9, then 8, and then 7mph. It was so seriously demoralizing. It's difficult to describe. And it was in a straight line, first through farmland, then through gravelly desert like yesterday, then into real sandy desert where loads of people take their dune buggies and bikes. In the sandy part the sand was blowing everywhere and into my face. At least there weren't any dogs! But the shoulder was getting really narrow, so I had to keep checking for trucks and RVs, and had to get off the road if there was something coming the other way at the same time.
After about 35 miles of this a woman stopped and offered me a lift. She took me to where the half-way campsite was supposed to be, but it was in the middle of sand dunes with really strong winds and tonnes of sand flying everywhere - there was no way I could camp there. So she very kindly drove me back to where I started that morning at (which was pretty depressing) and dropped me at the Greyhound station. She was a great woman. She owned a chain of icecream vans in the area, and really hated all the tourists who came to drive in the sand. She chatted like crazy. She said the only reason she gave me a lift was because she was bigger than me! Being a skinny kid has its bonuses sometimes!
I hung around in the greyhound terminal for a while chatting to the guys at the desk who were really friendly, then got a bus to Indio, and then another to Phoenix. The bus was busy, but fine, and the terminals were nicer than in LA. We stopped for half an hour in some random town full of fast food places, and I attempted to get something to eat at Jack in the Box. There was hardly anything veggie there. I ended up with an egg roll (I think it was basically a spring roll) and a portion of fries. Not particularly appetising. I got chatting to the guy next to me on the bus. He was a journalist who'd spent the last few years in Thailand and had two adopted sons out there. He'd worked in London for a while for the evening standard, and had worked for lots of the gossip and scandal magazines in the US. Interesting guy.
In Phoenix I got a free bus to a rather dull motel, which ended up costing me $44 - they never advertise the tax here, I always forget.
And the weather is still foul here - heavy rain showers, windy etc. They're getting it much worse on the coast though. The locals are really glad about the rain, but I'm hating it. Because it's desert here the rain doesn't soak into the hard ground, and there's flooding and warnings of flash-floods, and i really dont' want to be in the desert in that. Especially with the wind.
This morning I managed to find the Youth Hostel here (the only hostel in the whole of this 40 mile wide city!), which is a really cool little house on a suburban street - I almost missed it. I've left my stuff there and will stay for a night or two until the weather improves. I was hoping to meet up with a friend of a friend of Jimmy's, but I've not been able to reach him on his mobile (or cell phone as I'll have to start calling them here). So I'm killing some time in the library doing this, and will maybe go explore downtown soon too. I'd hoped to see Frank Lloyd Wright's stuff because I saw it on the city map, but I asked someone and it turned out to be 30 miles away! I really struggle to grasp the size of these cities!
Well bye for now, I'm really hoping the weather improves soon. I might hang around here until new year, or I might head off back into the desert...
T
x
After about 35 miles of this a woman stopped and offered me a lift. She took me to where the half-way campsite was supposed to be, but it was in the middle of sand dunes with really strong winds and tonnes of sand flying everywhere - there was no way I could camp there. So she very kindly drove me back to where I started that morning at (which was pretty depressing) and dropped me at the Greyhound station. She was a great woman. She owned a chain of icecream vans in the area, and really hated all the tourists who came to drive in the sand. She chatted like crazy. She said the only reason she gave me a lift was because she was bigger than me! Being a skinny kid has its bonuses sometimes!
I hung around in the greyhound terminal for a while chatting to the guys at the desk who were really friendly, then got a bus to Indio, and then another to Phoenix. The bus was busy, but fine, and the terminals were nicer than in LA. We stopped for half an hour in some random town full of fast food places, and I attempted to get something to eat at Jack in the Box. There was hardly anything veggie there. I ended up with an egg roll (I think it was basically a spring roll) and a portion of fries. Not particularly appetising. I got chatting to the guy next to me on the bus. He was a journalist who'd spent the last few years in Thailand and had two adopted sons out there. He'd worked in London for a while for the evening standard, and had worked for lots of the gossip and scandal magazines in the US. Interesting guy.
In Phoenix I got a free bus to a rather dull motel, which ended up costing me $44 - they never advertise the tax here, I always forget.
And the weather is still foul here - heavy rain showers, windy etc. They're getting it much worse on the coast though. The locals are really glad about the rain, but I'm hating it. Because it's desert here the rain doesn't soak into the hard ground, and there's flooding and warnings of flash-floods, and i really dont' want to be in the desert in that. Especially with the wind.
This morning I managed to find the Youth Hostel here (the only hostel in the whole of this 40 mile wide city!), which is a really cool little house on a suburban street - I almost missed it. I've left my stuff there and will stay for a night or two until the weather improves. I was hoping to meet up with a friend of a friend of Jimmy's, but I've not been able to reach him on his mobile (or cell phone as I'll have to start calling them here). So I'm killing some time in the library doing this, and will maybe go explore downtown soon too. I'd hoped to see Frank Lloyd Wright's stuff because I saw it on the city map, but I asked someone and it turned out to be 30 miles away! I really struggle to grasp the size of these cities!
Well bye for now, I'm really hoping the weather improves soon. I might hang around here until new year, or I might head off back into the desert...
T
x
My first desert
My second day wasn't quite so strenuous. Still a bit of up and down to begin, but then I had 4000 feet of descent down to below sea level, over about 10 miles. It was amazing. The road wound through really beautiful scrubby boulder-covered mountains. But on the way down I came across a load of emergency vehicles. At first I thought it was just the border patrol busting someone (I was a few miles from the US-Mexico border here) but as I got closer I realised a truck had lost control on the highway going down hill and had pulled off at an exit thinking it was the emergency truck exit (which was the next exit). It hadn't been able to stop and had gone off the edge and got really smashed up. It was carrying paper for recycling, and the paper was spread everywhere. The driver was being cut out as I pulled up - he was in a really bad way, but was still conscious. It was horrible.
I carried on and came out of the mountains and crossed my first desert - the Yuha desert. It was strange cycling through this area of the Imperial valley with nothing but flatness all around. It wasn't very sandy desert - more gravelly. And it was a dead straight road for 14 miles, then a corner, then straight for 10 miles! Then I reached the farmland of the Imperial valley, and got chased by a horrible dog that got within about 6 inches of my ankles. And I was really tired by this point and struggled to out-pace it for ages. Bloody scary.
Eventually I reached the town near where there was a campsite marked on the map, El Centro. I passed an RV (recreational vehicle, basically massive american camper vans) park, so I went to see if they had space for pitching tents. The guy said they did, but it would be $20. That seemed a bit steep, but another guy there persuaded him to charge me less, so I offered $15. I figured it was worth it as I was really tired and couldn't be bothered hunting around the town for somewhere else that would probably be the same price. And then the guy, Gary, offered to let me stay in his RV as he wasn't using it! That was so kind! And it had a gas stove and a really comfy mattress! And a TV. I had a great hot shower and cooked some cous-cous with an avocado that a guy had given me earlier that day at a stall at the side of the road (another really kind gesture) and had a very chilled-out evening infront of the TV watching a Bond film. Also saw the news about the awful tsunami out by Indonesia. It's shocking what's happened there, it really upset me. I'd considered cycling out there instead of the states. I'm really glad I didn't.
The weather forecast was really bad - storms coming in with heavy rain. Gary offered to let me stay another night for nothing, but I decided to press on.
But my time on the computer's running out again, so I'll publish this bit and come back and write some more in a few minutes.
T x
I carried on and came out of the mountains and crossed my first desert - the Yuha desert. It was strange cycling through this area of the Imperial valley with nothing but flatness all around. It wasn't very sandy desert - more gravelly. And it was a dead straight road for 14 miles, then a corner, then straight for 10 miles! Then I reached the farmland of the Imperial valley, and got chased by a horrible dog that got within about 6 inches of my ankles. And I was really tired by this point and struggled to out-pace it for ages. Bloody scary.
Eventually I reached the town near where there was a campsite marked on the map, El Centro. I passed an RV (recreational vehicle, basically massive american camper vans) park, so I went to see if they had space for pitching tents. The guy said they did, but it would be $20. That seemed a bit steep, but another guy there persuaded him to charge me less, so I offered $15. I figured it was worth it as I was really tired and couldn't be bothered hunting around the town for somewhere else that would probably be the same price. And then the guy, Gary, offered to let me stay in his RV as he wasn't using it! That was so kind! And it had a gas stove and a really comfy mattress! And a TV. I had a great hot shower and cooked some cous-cous with an avocado that a guy had given me earlier that day at a stall at the side of the road (another really kind gesture) and had a very chilled-out evening infront of the TV watching a Bond film. Also saw the news about the awful tsunami out by Indonesia. It's shocking what's happened there, it really upset me. I'd considered cycling out there instead of the states. I'm really glad I didn't.
The weather forecast was really bad - storms coming in with heavy rain. Gary offered to let me stay another night for nothing, but I decided to press on.
But my time on the computer's running out again, so I'll publish this bit and come back and write some more in a few minutes.
T x
Santa was good to me
At midnight on Christmas eve a big merry man dropped off my bike at Jimmy's parents' house. I was a very happy guy. And it wasn't wrecked or anything!
Christmas day was fantastic - it was gloriously sunny & hot. After a delicious breakfast of French toast baked with eggs Jimmy's family opened all their presents, and Jim & Connie gave me a really great T-shirt - a surfey one from the local beach here. Then me, Jimmy & his dad Jim went to the beach to look at the surf, and Jimmy & I met up with Josh & Nathan, and we went for a walk along the beach and watched the surfers. Very surreal - it was snowing in Scotland!
We had a massive delicous meal. I'd brought some veggie haggis, which everyone liked. Also had great stuffing and these pretty wierd savoury dishes made from Jello. And for pudding I had my first ever pumpkin pie, which was fantastic - so creamy and light.
Anyway, I'd better get on with what's been happening. I'm writing this in Phoenix library and I'm limited to 15 minutes. The first day's riding was really tough - climbing to 4000 ft from sea level. I made it, but got really knackered. As I was looking for somewhere to camp I bumped into a group of 50 people from an American Hosteling Association Annual christmas bike ride. They let me pitch my tent at the school where they were staying, and let me share their supper and breakfast! It was so kind, and great to be able to be sociable. It was a pretty chilly night camping at that altitude, even with my down sleeping bag and thermarest carry mat.
I'll continue this in another post if I can get back onto the computer as I've run out of time.
T x
PS - George sent me this article to inspire me (I think) -
http://www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=55&ArticleID=903785
Christmas day was fantastic - it was gloriously sunny & hot. After a delicious breakfast of French toast baked with eggs Jimmy's family opened all their presents, and Jim & Connie gave me a really great T-shirt - a surfey one from the local beach here. Then me, Jimmy & his dad Jim went to the beach to look at the surf, and Jimmy & I met up with Josh & Nathan, and we went for a walk along the beach and watched the surfers. Very surreal - it was snowing in Scotland!
We had a massive delicous meal. I'd brought some veggie haggis, which everyone liked. Also had great stuffing and these pretty wierd savoury dishes made from Jello. And for pudding I had my first ever pumpkin pie, which was fantastic - so creamy and light.
Anyway, I'd better get on with what's been happening. I'm writing this in Phoenix library and I'm limited to 15 minutes. The first day's riding was really tough - climbing to 4000 ft from sea level. I made it, but got really knackered. As I was looking for somewhere to camp I bumped into a group of 50 people from an American Hosteling Association Annual christmas bike ride. They let me pitch my tent at the school where they were staying, and let me share their supper and breakfast! It was so kind, and great to be able to be sociable. It was a pretty chilly night camping at that altitude, even with my down sleeping bag and thermarest carry mat.
I'll continue this in another post if I can get back onto the computer as I've run out of time.
T x
PS - George sent me this article to inspire me (I think) -
http://www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=55&ArticleID=903785
Sunday, December 26, 2004
Sunday 26th December, Pine Valley, CA
52 miles, at least 4000 ft of climb!
I’m having a great time! Christmas was amazing, but I’ll write about that later. Woke up at 6.30 this morning and put everything together and had a bowl of Lucky Charms, then Jimmy drove me to Ocean Beach. I got pretty nervous! V. sad to say goodbye to Jimmy – him and his family have been so so kind. But I think he’ll come to Scotland.
Set off through early morning San Diego. It wasn’t too bad – big roads and freeway entrances – but it was early so traffic was light, and the map gave me a good route. But it was pretty dull – just going through ugly built up areas for hours. Was one nice section through a park on a pedestrianised path. But it was a really tough day and I didn’t enjoy it much – really tough climb from sea level to 4000+ feet over 50 miles. And it was the first time in four and a half years I’d cycled with full panniers, and the only other time recently I’ve done that distance was a few weeks ago with Lyndsay on the flat.
The route got out into the countryside eventually, but it was mostly following (and at one point on) Highway 8, which was busy and noisy. The other hassle is that I forgot to buy gas in San Diego, and I can’t find the right can anywhere. But the bonus of that is that I got to go into lots of random stores, and saw a guy with the most amazing facial hair in the world – including a big white tuft down his neck.
Saw loads of road cyclists about all day, and towards the end of the day one caught up with me so we chatted. I mentioned I was looking for somewhere to camp, and a few minutes later she came back to me at the store I’d stopped at and said I could camp with her group of 50 cyclists at a school in the village! It’s really cool – they are a really friendly interesting mix of people from all over the USA, and they’re giving me supper and breakfast and let me use the shower! So sociable and fun – just what I needed after a really tough day.
Spent the evening chatting to lots of nice interesting people. Loads of v. superfit people – loads have done marathons and ‘ultramarathons’ – 100 miles in 24 hours. There’s a nice Wall Street Banker for Goldman Sachs who’s an iron man person. Nice girl from Phoenix who offered to let me do my washing at hers when I got there. Had a huge and tasty meal – salad, spaghetti and veggie sauce. Lots of nice hot ‘cider’ (non-alcoholic), good cookies too. The only problem now is that everyone has to take turns to talk about themselves and it’s taking ages and getting a bit dull and I’m tired and would rather visit the pub across the road.
Christmas was amazing! We drove over to Jimmy’s parents at 8.45 – it was a great morning. Had a delicious breakfast of French Toast roasted with egg (nice), also scrambled egg, donut things. Then all opened presents. Jim & Connie gave me some American sweets and a really nice T shirt – surfing T shirt for local beach near the spiritual retreat Jimi Hendrix used to use.
I gave his gran and parents two sets of mum’s Burns postcards – they really liked them. Also gave them some chocolates. Gave Jimmy a CD with a mix of British recent band MP3s.
Me, Jimmy and his dad Jim drove to the beach to look at the surf. When we got back we bumped into Josh and went back to the beach with him and Nathan. Had a coffee and paddled and walked a mile or so along beach. Loads of people surfing. Beautiful hot sunny day. Bizarre.
Went back for huge Christmas meal. I bought a MacSween’s veggie haggis, which everyone liked, also had great stuffing, peas, fresh home-made rolls, and two types of this weird Jello stuff that Americans are into [I discovered later on my journey that it’s actually a Californian thing]. It’s jelly as a savoury. One was green with fake whipped cream stuff. The other one was made by their guest and was red and really tart and weird.
I helped Joy and Jessica wash up, while Jimmy played guitar and his dad played banjo. They did the duelling banjos, which I really like. Then we had pudding – my first ever pumpkin pie! Tasty, surprisingly light and subtle. It’s got a pastry crust and a very fluffy sweet pumpkin filling. I had it with a glass of what they call cider – non alcoholic hot spicey apple drink. Lovely. I was so full!
I sadly said my goodbyes to the family. I’m so glad I’ve been able to see them again. And they’ve been so kind! Me and Jimmy went back to his to feed the dogs and I unpacked my bike. It had been a bit battered on it’s journey – had to fix brakes. Nothing too serious thankfully. Nathan came over and we went to cinema to see Life Aquatic – pretty funny and well made film about a guy going to discover the shark that killed his friend, and making a documentary of it. I even managed to stay awake!
Saturday, December 25, 2004
Sat 25th December, 8am, Oceanside, CA
Well actually Jimmy got a call at 11pm and they dropped it off about 12. But I’m so relieved. I’ve not seen it yet, so I don’t know if it’s been damaged. So happy!
And now it’s Christmas! I got up at 7 because I was excited. And I’ve just phoned the family – it’s snowed there, and they’re just peeling the sprouts for supper. Jessie said all my old school friends were asking after me in the Buccleugh last night. And we’re just about to head over to Jimmy’s parents for Christmas breakfast.
Yesterday afternoon we took the dogs for a walk, then drove over to Jimmy’s parents to put together a cool mountain scooter that was a present for Jana’s husband Michael. Two of Jimmy’s sisters were there baking cookies (Joy and Jessica). They are so beautiful! Connie and Jim were there, and his gran. Sadly his grandpa died last year. They were all so welcoming and pleased to see me. We drove around to Michael’s parents for a meal. It was a beautiful drive – so many houses decked out with lights, inflatable santas, glowing candy canes, etc. On one street they’d lined it with white church candles – so gorgeous! The house we went to was huge and very expensively decorated. They are Mormons too, so no alcohol.
Friday, December 24, 2004
I've made it. Sadly my bike hasn't...
Hi folks. I've made it to Jimmy's house in San Diego. Sadly my bike is somewhere between here and LA, Chicago or London. American Airlines left it at Heathrow, and promised me it would be flown to Chicago, then down to LA yesterday evening and delivered to Jimmy's parents' house near San Diego. It's not arrived. The most likely reason is that Chicago has got loads of snow, so planes aren't flying there. I really hope it turns up...
Otherwise things are great. The 10 hour flight was fine, I had a pleasant guy called Troy sitting next to me who gave me loads of advice about places to see. The queues in the airport were pretty bad, especially when I was trying to sort out my luggage. Flying over LA was amazing - a beautiful view of downtown and the Hollywood sign up in the hills. I found it really powerful seeing the huge extent of all the houses and freeways. Driving on the bus through LA was wierd - it felt so different to cycling through it last time I was here - much less friendly. The Greyhound bus terminal was really busy - loads of people travelling home for Christmas. The bus journey was a bit nerve-wracking because I was so tired I kept falling asleep, and I was sure I was going to miss my stop. But thankfully I managed to be awake at the necessary point and got off, and Jimmy picked me up.
Some of his friends were having a party at their house, so we went along. I got a great second wind and had a great laugh. There were quite a few guys there that I met last time, it was cool to see them again. I had some of the tasty Californian beer, and a white russian made with local Californian milk (there was a very patriotic guy there!)
Today we drove around a lot. It was great seeing the places I'd cycled through before. Had a fantastic veggie burrito for lunch - I've really missed them! The weather is fantastic - it was well into the 20s. It is surreal going shopping in the malls with the Christmas music playing, in the glorious hot sunshine. The poor santa clause must have been sweating! It's mad - people are mowing their lawns and surfing on Christmas eve! Right now I'm at Jimmy's parents' house - we came over to help put together a scooter for someone's christmas present. His sisters are baking cookies, and there's christmas music playing. We're going round to his brother in law's parents for a meal and stuff later.
So things are fantastic! I just hope my bike arrives, otherwise I might become the first person to cross the USA on a scooter...
T x
Otherwise things are great. The 10 hour flight was fine, I had a pleasant guy called Troy sitting next to me who gave me loads of advice about places to see. The queues in the airport were pretty bad, especially when I was trying to sort out my luggage. Flying over LA was amazing - a beautiful view of downtown and the Hollywood sign up in the hills. I found it really powerful seeing the huge extent of all the houses and freeways. Driving on the bus through LA was wierd - it felt so different to cycling through it last time I was here - much less friendly. The Greyhound bus terminal was really busy - loads of people travelling home for Christmas. The bus journey was a bit nerve-wracking because I was so tired I kept falling asleep, and I was sure I was going to miss my stop. But thankfully I managed to be awake at the necessary point and got off, and Jimmy picked me up.
Some of his friends were having a party at their house, so we went along. I got a great second wind and had a great laugh. There were quite a few guys there that I met last time, it was cool to see them again. I had some of the tasty Californian beer, and a white russian made with local Californian milk (there was a very patriotic guy there!)
Today we drove around a lot. It was great seeing the places I'd cycled through before. Had a fantastic veggie burrito for lunch - I've really missed them! The weather is fantastic - it was well into the 20s. It is surreal going shopping in the malls with the Christmas music playing, in the glorious hot sunshine. The poor santa clause must have been sweating! It's mad - people are mowing their lawns and surfing on Christmas eve! Right now I'm at Jimmy's parents' house - we came over to help put together a scooter for someone's christmas present. His sisters are baking cookies, and there's christmas music playing. We're going round to his brother in law's parents for a meal and stuff later.
So things are fantastic! I just hope my bike arrives, otherwise I might become the first person to cross the USA on a scooter...
T x
Friday 24th December, Oceanside, California
Flying into LA was cool – saw downtown, the Hollywood sign, and miles and miles of boxy houses and roads. Really powerful sight.
And after landing came that dreaded thing – the tannoy announcement, “would Mr Turnbull please report to…” So after queuing for about 30 mins to get through immigration and have my fingerprints taken I picked up my bag and discovered that the box with my bike and tent in had been left in London, and would be flown here via Chicago this evening. But I had to queue for about 45 mins to fill in a form and give them Jimmy’s parents’ address for them to deliver it to. And because they’re nearer San Diego they’ll have to put it on another plane from LA to SD, more chance of problems. I was really tired and in a foul mood.
One thing that worked quite well was the shared shuttle bus downtown. After about a 20 minute wait this minibus took me and five others downtown – a very loud black woman who chatted on her cell phone the whole way, gossiping about her friend’s crack habit; a girl going to the Amtrack station to San Diego. It was weird being driven through LA – it felt very different to my experience of the city last time. I got dropped off at Greyhound terminal, which was in a pretty rough part of city. The bus station was mobbed! People on all the seats and floor, all carrying loads of stuff for Christmas. I was still pissed off about my bike, although was kindof glad because it saved me the hassle of lugging it around on all the buses, which would have been a nightmare! But I was also pissed off because with all the queuing I’d missed the 6pm bus to Oceanside. I queued for about an hour and got my ticket, and the guy recommended just checking to see if the bus was still there, and despite it now being after 7pm the bus was just calling for any last passengers!
So I jumped on, got 2 seats to myself and away we went! It’s interesting – most of the people on the bus and in the terminal were Mexican. On the bus I was really paranoid about falling asleep because I’d miss my stop. In the end I was so exhausted that I couldn’t avoid sleeping. I managed to wake up pretty regularly and try to work out where we were. It was difficult though because there were so few signs. But the driver called out when we got to Oceanside so I got off OK. I gave Jimmy a phone and he picked me up! Really great to see him. He’s so friendly and welcoming, and it’s fantastic of him to have me stay.
One of his friends was having a party, so we drove there. It was a bunch of people that I’d met last time – including Brad and Ronny. It was cool to see them. Had a great beer that I’d tried last tiem (Rock?), had champagne, and a white Russian. Tried some American whisky – v. different to Scottish – much smoother, less subtle. Great laugh. Chatted to a guy called Nathan lots – he got v. defensive when Jimmy mentioned that America was the fattest nation. There was a daft little dog there too. And a really good studio. We left at about midnight. Drove past a couple of accidents.
Quite a long drive back to where we’re staying – Jimmy’s house/dog-sitting. Lovely house. Mad dog – v. nervy. Jimmy’s got a mad dog too – Banjo – really big and full of energy. Cool kitten too – cowboy – v. lively. Chases the nervy dog! By the time I got to bed I’d been awake for 30 hours!
Today we drove around a lot in Jimmy’s girlfriend’s car (Alison). It’s a VW Jetta, which Jimmy said is very much a girl’s car. He feels self-conscious driving in it with me! We drove to Ocean Beach in San Diego where his house is. That is where my route starts. His house is pretty small, but nice. Him and Alison are moving soon to be in Encinitas. Had a drive past the beach – v. beautiful. The weather’s so good – it must be in the mid 20s! We went round a few malls to buy some presents for Jimmy’s sisters. It was surreal doing Christmas shopping with Christmas music playing, all in the blazing sun! Phoned home, but parents were out at watchnight service. Got delicious burrito in Encinitas for lunch. My bike’s not arrived yet. I’m a bit nervous because there was a lot of snow in other parts of the US, so many planes got hold up and stuff. I don’t mind a bit of delay, but I hope they don’t lose it…
Wednesday, December 22, 2004
my last few hours in Scotland...
Well that's me almost off. I've said my goodbyes, opened my Christmas presents and got lots of lovely emails and texts wishing me well.
And I'm slightly less nervous about it all now, though I'll be much happier when I've arrived in San Diego and got all the travelling over with. Except for the 3000 mile ride obviously.
But people keep saying things to make me more nervous: Duncan "Have you written your will yet?"; Nicky "My dad's friend, one of those Iron Men guys, did that route in the same time that you're planning to do it in". Cheers guys.
Packing's been a struggle. I bought a holdall to put my panniers, tent and presents in for the flight, but unfortunately it did not 'hold all' as I'd intended. But I've abandoned a few things - my one vaguelly fashionable item of clothing (a t-shirt) and my wash bag (I'm sure a plastic bag will work just as well) , so it now all fits... I'm just going to have to wear nothing but cycling gear for the next 42 days. The other difficulty was that I couldn't get my pedals off my bike, so the box that it's packed in bulges in a rather nasty way, I hope nothing gets damaged.
If you're interested here's my route:
California:
San Diego, Alpine, Jacumba, Seeley, Brawley,
Arizona:
Blythe, Phoenix, Tempe, Globe, Geronimo, Safford
New Mexico:
Buckhorn, Silver City, Hatch, Las Cruces
Texas:
El Paso, Fort Hancock, Van Horn, Kent, Fort Davis, Apine, Marathon, Del Rio, Hunt, Austin, LaGrange, Navasota, New Waverly, Kountze, Kirbyville
Louisisana:
Merryville, De Ridder, Simmesport, St Francisville, Baton Rouge, Bogalusa (though might skip most of this and divert to New Orleans)
Mississippi:
Poplarville, Vancleave
Alabama:
Mobile
Florida:
Pensacola, DeFuniak Springs, Marianna, Chattahoochee, Tallahassee, Madison, High Springs, Archer, Palatka, St. Augustine, then bus to Miami
So In 3 and a half hours I've got to get up and get the bus to the airport, fly to Heathrow, then on to LA, get a bus down to San Diego, where I'll be met by Jimmy - a great friend who I met last time I was cycling in the States down the West Coast. He's really kindly invited me to spend Christmas with him and his family, so at least I won't be spending Christmas in a tent, or having to find a soup kitchen as one friend suggested.
But I'm really looking forward to this, the food will be brilliant, I'm going through some areas with amazing music, cycling through the desert will be incredible and best of all the weather will be better than Edinburgh. California's looking like at least 17 degrees C during the day at the moment.
Bye for now....
T x
And I'm slightly less nervous about it all now, though I'll be much happier when I've arrived in San Diego and got all the travelling over with. Except for the 3000 mile ride obviously.
But people keep saying things to make me more nervous: Duncan "Have you written your will yet?"; Nicky "My dad's friend, one of those Iron Men guys, did that route in the same time that you're planning to do it in". Cheers guys.
Packing's been a struggle. I bought a holdall to put my panniers, tent and presents in for the flight, but unfortunately it did not 'hold all' as I'd intended. But I've abandoned a few things - my one vaguelly fashionable item of clothing (a t-shirt) and my wash bag (I'm sure a plastic bag will work just as well) , so it now all fits... I'm just going to have to wear nothing but cycling gear for the next 42 days. The other difficulty was that I couldn't get my pedals off my bike, so the box that it's packed in bulges in a rather nasty way, I hope nothing gets damaged.
If you're interested here's my route:
California:
San Diego, Alpine, Jacumba, Seeley, Brawley,
Arizona:
Blythe, Phoenix, Tempe, Globe, Geronimo, Safford
New Mexico:
Buckhorn, Silver City, Hatch, Las Cruces
Texas:
El Paso, Fort Hancock, Van Horn, Kent, Fort Davis, Apine, Marathon, Del Rio, Hunt, Austin, LaGrange, Navasota, New Waverly, Kountze, Kirbyville
Louisisana:
Merryville, De Ridder, Simmesport, St Francisville, Baton Rouge, Bogalusa (though might skip most of this and divert to New Orleans)
Mississippi:
Poplarville, Vancleave
Alabama:
Mobile
Florida:
Pensacola, DeFuniak Springs, Marianna, Chattahoochee, Tallahassee, Madison, High Springs, Archer, Palatka, St. Augustine, then bus to Miami
So In 3 and a half hours I've got to get up and get the bus to the airport, fly to Heathrow, then on to LA, get a bus down to San Diego, where I'll be met by Jimmy - a great friend who I met last time I was cycling in the States down the West Coast. He's really kindly invited me to spend Christmas with him and his family, so at least I won't be spending Christmas in a tent, or having to find a soup kitchen as one friend suggested.
But I'm really looking forward to this, the food will be brilliant, I'm going through some areas with amazing music, cycling through the desert will be incredible and best of all the weather will be better than Edinburgh. California's looking like at least 17 degrees C during the day at the moment.
Bye for now....
T x
Monday, December 13, 2004
My Route
This is the route I'm taking - 3100 miles from San Diego in California to St. Augustine in Florida. In between I will pass through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Texas, Texas, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
So if you know any interesting people in any of these states please get in touch - it would be great to have some people to meet up with when I'm out there.
So if you know any interesting people in any of these states please get in touch - it would be great to have some people to meet up with when I'm out there.
Edinburgh - Another Flaw
Where am I now?
Well not only am I not fit enough, I can't count either.
Between yesterday and today it's gone from being 12 days 'til I leave to being 10 days. This doesn't bode well.
Hmm...
Well not only am I not fit enough, I can't count either.
Between yesterday and today it's gone from being 12 days 'til I leave to being 10 days. This doesn't bode well.
Hmm...
Sunday, December 12, 2004
Edinburgh - Planning My Trip
Well it's 12 days until I go, and I'm alternating between sheer panic and complete denial.
Most things are ready - I've bought all the kit I need, I've got the maps, my bike's working well (thanks Ewan), the flights are all booked and seem to work well.
However I'm not sure I'm going to make it the whole way across. Last Sunday I did a training ride from Edinburgh to Glasgow via Falkirk along the Union Canal and the Forth-Clyde Canal with Lindsay. We didn't make it. My excuse is that the headwind made a big difference. And the landscape was pretty bleak after the Falkirk Wheel, so when we reached Corby we gave up and got the train. So it's made me pretty nervous about my target of doing 75 miles every day - no rest days - for 42 days. I don't think I'll manage to be honest. But in a vain attempt to get myself fitter I've started doing three laps of Holyrood Park every morning before breakfast (though I didn't manage yesterday due to a lack of sleep & too much beer the night before, and various other things). Today I went out cycling with Goerge, who is much faster than me, but a bit of competitiveness managed to get me going a bit faster.
I'm sure everything will be fine though... I'll keep you posted as much as I can when I'm out there to let you know how I get on.
Most things are ready - I've bought all the kit I need, I've got the maps, my bike's working well (thanks Ewan), the flights are all booked and seem to work well.
However I'm not sure I'm going to make it the whole way across. Last Sunday I did a training ride from Edinburgh to Glasgow via Falkirk along the Union Canal and the Forth-Clyde Canal with Lindsay. We didn't make it. My excuse is that the headwind made a big difference. And the landscape was pretty bleak after the Falkirk Wheel, so when we reached Corby we gave up and got the train. So it's made me pretty nervous about my target of doing 75 miles every day - no rest days - for 42 days. I don't think I'll manage to be honest. But in a vain attempt to get myself fitter I've started doing three laps of Holyrood Park every morning before breakfast (though I didn't manage yesterday due to a lack of sleep & too much beer the night before, and various other things). Today I went out cycling with Goerge, who is much faster than me, but a bit of competitiveness managed to get me going a bit faster.
I'm sure everything will be fine though... I'll keep you posted as much as I can when I'm out there to let you know how I get on.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)