since i last wrote i have been doing some serious miles but am trying to take it fairly easy so i dont burn out. I carried on west through Live Oak where i had my first proper mexican food which helped me on my way to a small town called Lee and that is where I started to get worried...asked at a hotel where the nearby campsite was. A polish guy appeared and said "you from europe, you are brother, you stay for free here." He showed me the room but didnt have the key and instead of opening the door he took a piss in the garden before searching for the key. of couse he had to show me his 2 sports cars and his jeep and of course i had to listen to pink floyd on his Bose speakers. he finally went to the back of the hotel and searched in the garage and i thought he was going to bring out a gun but thankfully it was a drill. he attempted to take down the door but stopped short of knocking it down. Then he went to reception where his son gave him the key.....very strange behaviour indeed. anyway the room was alright in the end although it was very messy. I locked myself in, had a bath and slept like a baby, thank god!
woke up sunday morning and had some waffles, chatting to the waitress who seemed to be really interested in icelandic water. fair enough. anyway it was a stunning day and i just kept on riding and loved it. really felt great about the trip and wasnt stuck in any introspective quagmire but was in fact just enjoying the scenery and the blue sky. cycled through Madison which is a beautiful southern town with all those drooping trees. is it wisteria? Stopped in Greenville where Ray Charles grew up and then decided against the short cut into Tallahassee and am well pleased about that decision. rode to a small town just south of Tallahassee called Woodville where in the first shop i went in to i met the manager steve and his wife samantha who said i could camp on their lawn. in fact they took me out for chinese with their cowboy friends (clinking with each step!) and i slept on their couch. awesome, cant believe how kind the americans are turning out to be. both steve and samantha were such great people and I feel so fortunate not only because of their kindness but also to be doing this trip. so far so good!
