6.38 am - Before us lay a smooth blanket of white mist, illuminated by the morning sun. We rode side by side as not another soul shared the road, bursting in and out of crisp cool shade and warming light. That morning bags were packed in record time, and we covered 13 miles before finding the perfect lakeside bench for oatmeal, where we sat and watched the morning joggers. This self-satisfied bubble was burst when a kind lady in a white saloon, obviously passionate about helping the destitute, pulled over to offer us a hot shower. After checking our appearances in a darkened window we could understand her mistake.
Just 1 week earlier the dream of cycling from Vancouver, Canada to San Jose, Costa Rica, (and the opportunity to cultivate our trampish facial hair and manes) looked to be in jeopardy. We were due to leave at 6am on Friday 29th August, when it was revealed on Thursday's 10 o clock news that Zoom airlines shall no longer be zooming anywhere, announcing their liquidation with immediate effect. Frantic googling ensued (thanks to all flight researchers!) which eventually found a flight on Mon 1st September. Greg was relieved - he hadn't packed yet. The ride was still on...
After arriving in Vancouver, we decided a hearty burger would be an apt 'last supper' before 4 months of stringent budgeting. Greg's housemate Oli kindly recommended the meatfest challenge that is the 2lb burger at the Two Parrots restaurant. Check out the gallery for photos of this monstrosity. The result? Burger 1, Greg 0.
The first week on the road has brought us so many experiences already. We had the privelige of watching the sunset from a deserted clifftop campsite. We rode the awesomebridge at Deception Pass (video camera precariously balanced atop handlebars). We were treated to free corn and bagels by the generous ladies at Port Ludlow market. The overwhelming generosity of strangers has been a theme throughout this week, exemplified perfectly by our experience on Saturday, when a family of 4 pulled over and invited us to stay in their home up the road. We welcomed the chance to lay our sleeping bags in their garden, but these expectations were wildly surpassed as we were treated to a warm (and necessary) shower, a comfy bed, and even blueberry pancakes in the morning. We rode away with full stomachs and huge smiles.
The previous night, in Fort Kitsap State Park, we had shared an intriguing and enlightening evening with Chuck, our larger than life campground neighbour, a fan of classic rock radio, strong beer and beautiful women. Topics of conversation; religion, politics, and how to make the perfect s'more (that's a toasted marshmallow and chocolate biscuit sandwich for you Brits!)
As for the riding, we've come through the initial days of extreme achage and are becoming stronger and more in tune with our trusty Muddy Foxes. At times we've found ourselves slipping into a state of fluid efficiency where we are at one with the bike, and the miles of road slip by as if the world was rolling beneath us, pushing us towards our destination.
The kindness we've experienced so far is underlined by the fact that we are writing notes for this blog sat in the garden of another American family, strangers before we knocked on their door, who allowed us to camp here rather than riding the remaining miles to a campground in darkness. We were even brought a bowl of ice cream each, which after a hard day under a hot sun nearly brought me to tears of joy!Bring on week 2...
Week 1 - 351 miles
Lessons learned:
- Gas stations suck, farmers markets rock.
- Pesky racoons are greedy and relentless.
- It's possible to get fat even when riding 70 miles a day if you consume your own body weight in chocolate and peanut butter.
- State Park rangers don't start work until 7am - leave by 6.30.
- Green tea before bedtime leads to awkward midnight wee breaks.
- National Insurance cards spread peanut butter effectively.
- Wear sunscreen...
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