Day 33 Livonia, Louisiana

Stats
Daily mileage 123 (New record) Ride Time 8hr 42min
Avg speed 14.18 mph Total mileage 2309

At 0400hrs some idiot started kicking at my tent telling me to get up and get lost. I politely told him to get lost as I had the owners permission to camp where I was. I tossed and turned for a further 40 mins and decided to get up. The gas station was already serving breakfast so I had a couple of bacon, egg and sausage baps whilst waiting for the sun to rise. I got on the road at the earliest opportunity and knew I had to put in a lot of miles today.

I had my first sprinkle of rain since I started the trip but it did not last long. The first 40 miles flew by and I had done 70 miles by 1230hrs. As I left Eunice I bumped into another tourer called Bob. He has been on the road for 70 days and is also heading towards Florida. It is always interesting to share stories but I was so focused on pushing on I didn’t speak to him for long.
With over 8 hours on the saddle I was aching everywhere. My knees were screaming for me to stop but I had to push on. I was on the road when the sun came up and I was about to see the sun set whilst still being on the road. A scenario I don’t want to repeat too much.

I passed a few possible wild camp spots but wanted to reach Livonia and check into a hotel. I felt disgusting and dirty and really needed a shower. After a brief discussion with the hotel receptionist it was clear she was not going to rent me a room. I asked to speak to the manager and after giving her the spiel, she offered me the disable room.

I jumped straight into the shower and watched the brown water fill up the tub. Afterwards I browsed the internet and discovered my friends house is still 110 miles away. Another hard day is required tomorrow but I cant wait to get there and have 5 days off!

Total spent: 86 bucks

Day 32 Singer, Louisiana

Stats
Daily mileage 93 Ride Time 7hr 11min
Avg speed 12.90 mph Total mileage 2185

A friend once told me he hated two things in life; Flies and Work. I naturally agreed but after today I have decided to add to that list. I don’t like headwinds. Its been so tough at times I don’t know where I have found the desire to keep going. I would scream and shout and almost fall into tears from the frustration. I really want to reach my friends in New Orleans by Friday, but to do that I will have to produce two massive days.

I had a good nights sleep and woke prior to my alarm at 0600hrs. I packed up and made use of the bushes for the toilet. I broke the record today by being on the road by 0640hrs but stopped shortly after as I hadn’t eaten the night before and was hank marvin. I found out by some locals that Obama had won the election and according to them he will be the next Sadam Hussain! I didn’t really care who won but I wanted the Obama to win because he was black and I was interested how America would react to that. I haven’t heard any direct racism but you can tell in the undertone of some of their voices.

I had the munchies all day and couldn’t stop eating. I was definitely working harder than I thought and needed the calorie intake. Eventually I crossed into Louisiana and I was glad to see the back of Texas. Crossing that state line was a major reality check of how far I had come. There was no officially sign so I took a picture of this one.

The day wore on and I was getting slower and slower. I arrived in a quaint village called Singer and stopped for some desperately needed food. I had been weak and shaking for the previous 6 miles. I spoke to owner who offered me a spot to camp behind the shop. Once again I found myself in a dilemma as there was about 90 mins of day light left. The other problem is that there is a lot of dear hunting going on at the moment and I didn’t fancy wild camping and being woken to the sound of a bullet shooting through my tent. I decided to stay and relax and hope the wind is kind to me tomorrow allowing me to catch up on those miles.

Whilst I was chilling outside the store I got speaking to these two high school girls, called Morgan and Chelsie, who insisted they are classic country hicks and wanted to take me to church tonight. I declined their kind offer and we chatted some more. They seemed happy simply to have spoken to an Englishman.

I watched the sun drop and the mozzies disappear into the night. Before I forget, I was wondering if anyone, or knows anyone, has spare £15,000 they can donate to me so I can enter into the Woodvale Record breaking attempt of rowing the Indian Ocean on 19th April 2009. If anyone has an suggestions email me at krisbearryman@yahoo.co.uk. I am serious about this but have no idea where I could generate that sort of money.
Total Spent: 26 bucks

Day 31 South of Lufkin, Texas

Stats Daily mileage 93 Ride time 7hr 10min Avg speed 12.88mph Total mileage 2093

What a battle that was today. Incase the wind was not enough to stop me, the earth decided to throw rolling hills at me all day. Anyway, back to this mornings breakfast. I woke up hungry and was waiting at for the dining room door to open so I could jump in. I made a school boy error and scoffed my food too quickly and was full in about 20 mins. I rated my buffet breakfast challenge as a shameful bronze and the only reason I got a medal was because I put at least 4 muffins, 7 mini donuts and an assortments of other cakes in my pockets as I left.

I got on the road before 0800am and promised myself I would not stay in a hotel tonight. The bike felt great and I accepted the slow speed I was going. The road meandered through lovely rolling countryside enclosed by an assortment of coloured trees. Eventually, I got to Lovers Lookout, a rest point I wanted to reach last night. In hind sight I should have just gone for it as there were great facilities there and the view was magical. I spoke to the wardens who offered me more donuts and coffee.

The day consisted of going up, down and then up again. I would occasionally have a swearing fit at the wind and could not help think what it would be like if the wind was patting me on the back. The condition of the road was terrible and was not making it easy riding. I passed massive smoking Barbeque in the shape of a pistol that I thought was pretty cool.

I stopped only a few times and once I got on the 69 south of Lufkin I had had enough.. The traffic was insanely busy as people were finishing work and the road was very bumpy. I stopped at an RV park beside the road and it looked very run down, possibly even closed. With no one insight I just pitched my tent and hid in it from all the mozzies. A local approached me and confirmed the park has closed down and reckons the police might not be happy to find me here. I told him I was leaving at the crack of dawn and would deal with them if they show up.

Its only 1800hrs and its been dark already for about 40 mins. I reckon I am going to be tucked up in bed by 1900hrs but I am aiming to be on the road before 0700am. However, that has been the goal on several other occasions! Lets have a vote…..Will I or wont I? Total spent: 3 bucks This video is my impressive of the wolf man, be warned its scary.

Day 30 Tyler, Texas

Stats
Daily mileage 57 Ride time 4hr 38min
Avg speed 12.28mph Total mileage 2000!

Thank you Angela from the Alba Hardware store and Lee and David from the Elite Bicyles shop. Yep, you guessed it, another broken spoke in the middle of nowhere but I am now currently sitting in my luxury room on the outskirts of Tyler after having a miserable day. I packed up and was on the road at 0705hrs. Pleased with my early start, I thought I would make a quick stop for breakfast and get back on the asphalt. The wind was hitting me head on so I got down onto the drop handle bars to minimise the drag.

57 miles down highway 69 and I heard that dreaded sound, “Ping”. I looked down and my wheel was wobbling around like a local a pre-teen on a drunken Friday night. I decided to just carry on and not look down as there was a town called Alba 4 miles down the road. I wasn’t expecting a bicycle shop there but I was hoping something would evolve from visit. I headed to the general store and spoke to the owners Angela and Dean. They confirmed the closest bike shop was 40 miles away in Tyler but Dean believed he knew someone could fix it. He gave the man a ring and I spoke to him. I explained the predicament I was in and that a special tool was required but he reckoned he could remove it with some pliers. At that point, I realised he was not the man for the job so I thank him for his offer and decided to get to the bike shop somehow.

Angela and I banged our heads together and called the Greyhound (National Express coach equivalent). They laughed down the phone and said “No”, implying you are in the middle of nowhere. Angela then suggested calling a council representative and offering him 50 bucks to drive me to Tyler. I reluctantly agreed as I had no choice but I really didn’t want to pay that much. To prevent me from making the same mistake as last time I called the bike shop and spoke to a lovely lady called Lee. She confirmed the shop was open and they can help.

Angela introduced me to Wade, the council rep, and we said our goodbyes. I was very grateful for her help. The 40 miles took about 45 mins to drive and I could not help think that would have taken me 4 hours to cycle with the current wind situation. I walked into the bike shop and was greeted with a lovely smile and the stress lifted of my shoulders. I explained the problem to the Boss, David, and he did his thing on the wheel. He gave the rest of the bike a brief going over and offered me lots of advice. His staff were very interested in my trip and asked me lots of questions.

By the time we had finished talking I had about 90 mins of sunlight left. David only charged me 20 bucks and Lee gave me some dosh for a burger. I thanked my new friends and decided to head for the rest area some 25 miles away. I got about 2 miles away and thought “Sod it”. The wind had made it a physically tiring day and with the broken spoke my moral was exhausted.
The first hotel I came across was a Best Western so I thought I would enquire about the room rates. The lady said, “Well, as I am a sucker for accents I can offer ….”. I stopped her in her tracks and laid on the sob story of my eventful day and what I am currently doing. She offered me 70 bucks for the night and I accepted. I received a business suit with sofas and everything! Of course breakfast is included and all my regular readers know how I will tackle that!

I spent the evening catching up on emails, researching how I am going to fly home and tending to my rashes. I came within a cats whisper of making the most dangerous mistake of my life. I put some tiger balm on my ankles and then I placed some rash cream on my bits. If it was an action movie you could imagine my fingers moving down to my bits in super slow motion. Everybody would be shouting….“no, change hands!!”. At the very last minute I remember I still had tiger balm on my fingers and I was about to cover my balls with it. I have done some stupid things in my life but that would have topped the list. There needs to be some sort of government advice on those Tiger Balm pots, I suggest: WARNING: KEEP AWAY FROM CHILDREN AND TESTICALS!

Total spent: 150 bucks ouch!

Day 29 Princeton, Texas
Stats
Daily mileage 81 Ride time 5hr 34min
Avg speed 14.53mph Total mileage 1943

My bed felt so sweet last night. I even got up during the night and slept in the other double bed next to it just because I could! The clocks went back an hour last night which meant an extra hours sleep. I limbered up in preparation for buffet breakfast. The plan was, as usual, empty the contents of my stomach and then take breakfast at a slow pace. I started with a fry up, then another one and then I hit the cereal and bagels. This was in between me gulping down countless glasses of juice and coffee. Forty five minutes later I decided I had had enough but I took 2 bananas, 2 apples, 2 muffins and 1 yogurt back to the room for later.

On the way out I thanked the receptionist for burning a hole in my wallet and helped myself to the complimentary chocolates. I took a massive handful containing all sorts of goodies. I got on the bike and felt strong initially. The lack of wind made me feel good but the traffic has really picked up. I am no longer on those isolated roads, instead they are fast flowing dual carriageways.

Prior to leaving the hotel, I google mapped my friends house in New Orleans and realised it was nearly 600 miles away. That meant I had to do 100 miles a day to reach them by Friday. As soon as the wind picked up my speed plummeted and so did my moral. I looked around for inspiration but there was nothing to pick me up out of this mood. The traffic, the road condition and the scenery were all horrible. To top it off, I could not get comfortable on the saddle and was in agony. It was no good I had to stop. I stopped at the next place I could get a drink that happened to be Walmart. I bought a massive drink and sandwich and relaxed a little.

Realising that I would not be able to complete 100 miles today, I decided to look for somewhere to camp. Eventually, I came across this spot that made the ending to my day perfect. I picked a spot just of the road and beside a lake. I hate having to do extra mileage when looking for accommodation so this was a bargain. It means that in the morning I will be knocking off the miles as soon as my tyres hit the asphalt.

The location was beautiful. The sun was going to be setting and I found a small place to have a fire. The clouds have drifted it, which means I am going to experience different weather in the morning, but gave an even better back drop for the sunset. I sat there with my cameras in hand snapping happily away at the sky. It really cheered me up and I have some fantastic shots as a result.

With the sun gone and the moon shining brightly, I lit my fire and gazed at the flames dancing over the wood. I started thinking about the remaining part of the trip and decided I have to head south soon. I have been avoiding it for days purely because the wind has been blowing a southerly gale making it impossible. But tomorrow is the day that I will have to bite the bullet and hit the wind head on!
The picture of me grimacing is a re-enactment of my face when I was sitting on the saddle. I know it’s a bit late, but I hope y’all realise that I also put video clips on the blog. They usually look a little different from the photos and have a triangular symbol, indicating Play just beneath the image. Look at yesterdays and today’s blog for example. Total spent: 5 bucks

Day 28 Bridgeport, Texas

Stats
Daily mileage 93 Ride Time 6hr 42min
Avg speed 13.88 mph Total mileage 1862

I woke up to the smell of omelette and fresh coffee. I jumped in the shower and then enjoyed my breakfast whilst Andrew went to fetch Juno’s friend, Jon Q. Yesterday, Jon Q and I spoke for some time regarding my travels and he wanted to see me off this morning. Farewells were exchanged and I hit the road. Last night was a wonderful experience and I hope I made as much of an impact on their lives as they did on mine.

The road devil was out in full force this morning. Every mile felt a struggle and the thought of sitting on the saddle for 7 hours was messing with my head. Eventually, my mind drifted about a few challenges I want to complete when I get home and the road devil burnt away.

The scenery has changed dramatically today. The road has become undulating and covered but an array of multicoloured trees. I saw my first armadillo today, albeit dead. Infact, I have seen a lot of road kill today including a dear, raccoon, cat, skunks and an eagle.

I have made some calculations regarding visiting my friends in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and they are approximately 600 miles away. I am aiming to get there by 7th November. This requires me to cycle approx 85 miles a day. As if by fate, I passed that marker and I saw a Best Western Hotel shine on the horizon. I was annoyed with myself for even considering it as I was doing so well on the 100 buck challenge. I thought to myself there was no harm in finding out the price. The hotel receptionist were very welcoming but quoted 160 bucks. I told her what I was doing and after some negotiations she dropped it down to 85 bucks. It was still way out of my price range but there was free chocolate, cookies, cereal, coffee, orange juice and a fitness suit plus hot breakfast. I decided to treat myself and ate everything insight. Every cookie and coffee eaten was making the price of the room cheaper and cheaper.

I got changed and went to the gym to lift some weights. The room was covered in mirrors and I noticed I have lost a lot of weight. My upper body tired very quickly and I fear I will be aching a lot in the morning. I went back to my room and had a lovely soak in the tub.

The rest of the evening was spent chilling and watching TV. My 100 buck challenge is over but in 4 days I only spent 41 bucks, or approx 24 pound.

I want to thank everyone for their comments on the blog, text and email. I don’t always have the opportunity to reply to them but believe me when I say they are a real moral booster. Keep them coming please!

Day 27 Throckmorton, Texas

Stats
Daily mileage 88.83 Ride time 5hr 51min
Avg speed 15.16mph Total mileage 1769

I reluctantly got out of bed and felt the cold on my aching bones. I was concerned at sticking out like a sore thumb in the park and did not want to get in trouble. I packed up in record time and was on the road by 0717am. I checked the bag of goodies that the teacher gave me before throwing it away and to my surprise, she had put 50 bucks in there. It’s a shame I could not have thanked her in person for her generosity.

I had to wait 24 miles before I could have any breakfast and it felt like forever. Eventually I arrived at the town and went straight for a large burger, fries and coke. It tasted delicious. My calorie intake for the last few days have been minimal. It pretty stupid on my behalf but I am curious to see how far I can go on little quantities of food. I guess I am trying to work out my miles per the gallon ratio! During the 90 miles I covered today I only consumed 1 pear, 1 chocolate brownie, 1 herseys bar,1 burger, fries and coke. To be honest I didn’t feel that week either.

As I approached the town of Throckmorton , I spoke to man on the side of the road and enquired about food and water. It was another 40 miles before I reached Graham so I had to be prepared. Also, that would have made a total of 130 miles today and I was gunning for a new record. He was very polite and intrigued about the trip. He offered me a place to stay here in town and I made the tough call to stay the night. It was difficult as I had been aiming for that allusive 130 mile marker all day and I was on track of reaching it. But I reminded myself this is exactly what I wanted from this trip.

We went to his house and the first thing I did was have a hot shower and it felt amazing. I did a quick laundry whilst Andrew, my host, returned to work and I introduced myself to his adopted foreign exchange son called Juno. Juno is from Korea and is on a cultural programme to experience life in rural Texas. Once Andrew returned from work we went and fed his horse and goats and then put some massive steaks on the barbeque.
Andrew suggested we go and watch the local schools American football match featuring the Greyhounds versus the Wild Cats. It was such an awesome experience from the band to the cheerleaders. I had been desperate to watch a football game whilst I was here and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

We returned back to his house and I spoke to Andrew for a bit before retiring to bed. All in all, a very enjoyable day.