Sweating Like Piglets

So far in the United States we have withstood either crazy storms or extreme heat.  There never has been anything in between.  Many days we have endured temperatures well above 40°C.  Way too hot.  One particular day in central Louisiana the temperature read 47.7°C on the GPS!  Not sure if it was in fact that high but it felt like it as we were cooking all day long.  The constant heat waves are just too much that I have to keep cycling to get the breeze.  Stopping for just a short while becomes very uncomfortable.  Strange because it isn’t even summer yet.  At night it is a sauna in the tent and both of us are just swimming in our respective pools of sweat.  I can’t decide if I want for a storm to come to just cool me down or remain dry but super hot and sweaty.  Why can’t we just meet somewhere in the middle? 

Always noticeable in the USA is the abundance of ‘No Trespassing’ or ‘Private Property’ signs posted everywhere.  I even saw a ‘Trespassers Will Be Shot’ sign today.  They are very protective and watchful of what is theirs.  Fair enough but I find it a bit excessive.  On a day where temperatures were well above 40°C all throughout and the sun was unforgiving, Trevor and I both had flats and looked for some shade to fix the tires.  We parked it against this tree right by this side road and began to fix the flats while dripping sweat.  Not even a minute in a man in a truck pulls up and asks what we were doing.  Then he says we are on private property and it is his.  He ends up letting us stay and fix the flats as we would only be 10 minutes or so.  But both of us were kind of annoyed at this since really I had only stepped one foot onto his property and if you just see what we were doing you can kind of figure out we are passing through and just wanted some shade in the blistering heat to fix a couple of flats.    

Not the religious type, the number of churches in the South is quite overwhelming.  I didn’t even know there were so many different branches of Christianity.  It certainly makes things even more confusing if they aren’t already.  I remember in the Middle East and Central Asia they would only have 1 mosque per town.  Here, they have 4 or 5 churches per town; Baptist, Pentecostal, Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Anglican, and so on.  And even if it has become a ghost town, the only buildings still intact and looking immaculate are the churches.          

I find people’s knowledge of geography quite amusing at times.  When I say we have cycled around the world I get a lot of mixed reactions from blank stares to excitement.  Either way it is apparent more often than not, their knowledge of world geography doesn’t extend much beyond the USA.  I had a humorous conversation with some elderly gentlemen at a McDonald’s in Mobile, Alabama that went something like this:  “Where y’all be riding from?”  “Canada.”  “Mexico?  Wow!”  “No, we kind of went around the world and now we are heading back to Canada.”  “Mexico!  So how did y’all get to here from Mexico?  Through Texas?”  “No we came up from Miami and are now generally heading northwest back to Canada.”  “Wow.  Well you must be really fit.” *bumps his fist with mine*  A couple minutes later the McDonald’s staff approach us and ask “Did I just hear y’all cycled here from Mexico?!”  “Not quite, we went around the world and now are heading back to Canada.  We’re Canadian.”  “For real?  Let me take a picture of y’all and put it up on Facebook just in case I see you on TV.”  We then say cheese for the camera.    

I am beginning to think that it isn’t just Florida that has so much crap on their roads but all of the United States.  We continue to average multiple flats per day and it is becoming frustrating.  At most we have had to deal with 4 flats in a day but usually the number is 2 or 3.  I really didn’t think this would be the case going in.  The United States is on track to exceed the number of flats we had total for the rest of the world!  Always trying to be the best but this definitely is not something you want to be crowned champion at. 

We had a run-in with the police last night.  I had a feeling this might happen somewhere en route in the USA since they are big on their security and what not.  Lots of crime in the United States and that has been evident with all the penitentiaries and bail bond stores we have passed as well as the ex-cons we have had conversations with.  Last night after a big day of cycling we looked for a camp spot.  Not much around other than farmland.  Finally we found a spot near the train tracks in between the towns of Wayne and Purcell.  We raced in to the spot as we always do to avoid being seen.  About 10 minutes later while setting up shop a Sheriff Vehicle cruises on by very slowly.  Then a couple minutes later it strolls by again slowly.  We both duck down as we do when anyone drives by, to again, avoid being seen.  Clearly the police were looking for something around and I was pretty sure they were probably looking for us.  However, we still stay down.  A policeman finally comes out of his vehicle and walks into the bush towards our spot.  He yells out if anyone is there.  Knowing that we have been had, I emerge from our spot and say yes we are here.  He then pulls out his gun and yells hands up!  I slowly walk out in front of him and he yells at me to stand back keeping my hands up.  He asks me if I have a girl back there.  I say no, it is just me and my brother.  Quite tense I begin to explain the situation that we are just cycling through and are pitching a tent there for the night.  I was worried we may have trespassed on someone’s property.  Trevor then comes out with his hands up and the cop puts his gun away knowing that we aren’t up to no good.  Before leaving he does an ID check on both of us.  He was a really nice guy and cool about the whole thing.  He just said they got a call from the people across the street about some suspicious characters racing into the bush and that a lot of crime happens in the area.  Later Trevor tells me I should have been calmer as my nervousness would make a police officer think I am guilty of something.  Geez, thanks Trevor for your wisdom, noted for the next time I have a gun pointed at me.  All kidding aside, I agree that would have been the better way to go but easier said than done. 

We are now clear of the hurricane prone region and it is less humid so things are looking good.  We just arrived in Oklahoma City and will spend the next couple of days here for a little rest and relaxation.

A heavy duty ship ready for the open ocean just outside of Mobile, Alabama.

We are now out of alligator territory but I didn’t leave the area without sampling some gator meat.  Had me some in New Orleans and it was quite nice. 

The torrential downpours kept ruining our gear and equipment.  Crossing this bridge in Mobile we were hit by another storm and Trevor’s tire blew up.  I guess because of wear and tear the tire ripped so he had to replace it.  Then the next day in Mississippi while battling through another storm, his replacement tire tore.  Very strange as that one was pretty much new.     

Lots of long ass bridge crossings in and around the Gulf Coast.

Leaving Mississippi Trevor almost lost his beloved jacket he has taken all over the world.  It somehow dropped off his bike but luckily he discovered something was missing and we only had to backtrack about a kilometer or so. 

Many raised houses on the Gulf Coast of Louisiana. 

Trevor cruising through the French Quarter in New Orleans. 

The generosity of Americans continues.  Trevor’s bottom bracket needed replacing so we went to East Bank Cyclery in Metairie.  A sign was posted outside saying the bike mechanic shop is full and no new jobs will be taken unless it was something purchased from the store.  Trevor still tries his luck and goes in explaining his situation.  Knowing that we are touring, the bike mechanic drops everything and replaces his bottom bracket with another one lying around for absolutely nothing.  Trevor has lucked out when he has needed work on his bike.  He even lucked out again this morning when standing outside Walmart eating spaghetti from a can.  A kind lady approached him, asked him about the trip and then handed him $30.  All the while I was inside filling up on water speaking with a nice employee reminding me that Jesus loves me.      

Meet Shady, Wayne’s energetic 2 year old Labrador.  Kind of reminded me of Cody, the goof, our dog back home.  Though he is now 9 but still acts like a 2 year old. 

A huge thanks to Wayne for letting us stay a couple of nights in Metairie and treating us to some delicious food at Drago’s, Vincent’s and Morning Call. 

Crossing the longest river in North America and the fourth longest in the world.  Yes I am talking about the Mississippi River. 

With all the unbearable heat, you may ask why am I geared up?  Well, it is because of those annoying little insects and bugs, mainly mosquitoes, that love to bite me especially in the bush when I am trying to set up camp.  They have gotten really bad here in the USA.  Pessimistic Trevor suspects they will only get worse as we head north.  I don’t wish harm on any living thing but when it comes to mosquitoes and other blood suckers I wish they would all just die a painful death and leave me the fudge alone.  They piss me off so much. 

It was a relief to know that I wouldn’t likely be shot at inside the information center in Dallas, Texas.  Because we all know how dangerous information centers can be. 

X marks the spot where JFK was assassinated back on November 22, 1963.  We spoke with a guide around who asked about our trip and said “you are doing the Forrest Gump thing huh.”  He then said his adventurous thing he did when he was younger was join the army, though he is still sort of messed up in the head as a result.  He also said it is good what we are doing as it makes one more aware of the world around us.  Very true.  I am finding a lot of people we have had conversations with who may not have much in terms of material things do have a wealth of knowledge, wisdom and stories.  

Always nice to be surprised with an unexpected attraction en route.  Turner Falls in Oklahoma State.  

We passed through Moore, the suburb of Oklahoma City that was partially destroyed at the hands of a tornado last month.  Mother Nature is one thing you do not want to mess around with.  It will win all the time.  We still have some ground to cover until we are out of ‘Tornado Alley’ but I think we’ll be fine. 

The site of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.  Pretty crazy to see how much destruction one blast can make.