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Day 18 - May 12 - A Friend

"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Forests on fire off the shoulder of the road. I watched sea beams glitter in the dark near the Mississippi coast. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to dry"

Hi, and welcome back to my bike blog.

I Met A Friend

Today, on my ride, I met Isaac Banks.

This is Isaac.
We biked together for the majority of the ride today, and are now tenting together behind some abandoned silos in Eunice. He has agreed to write a guest entry for the blog.

Unlikely Meetings (Isaac Banks)

Waiting at the Morganaza spillway to hitch a ride, I spotted another bicyclist in the distance. This was the first time in 2000 miles I just didn't feel safe. As Assaf approached, I could clearly see that he was a similar breed. Dirty, sweaty, panniers packed to the brim, on a journey...

We had a brief exchange and when I mentioned I was trying to hitch a ride, he insisted that he would ride ahead. I did not. A jeep with no doors towing a fishing boat arrived a minute later to offer a ride. A father and daughter with hunting bows had me throw my bike in the boat and shuttled me to the next exit after the bridge. This bridge was 4 miles long with no shoulder for riding. The option was to own the lane and take my chances or get a ride.

As we passed Assaf on his bike, it was the first time I saw how dangerous bike touring can be. I Immediately called my fiance and told her what had happened, and how concerned I was for my fellow journeymen. He was willing to take a chance I was not, and having done this sort of thing before, and been more arrogant in a previous life, I see how dangerous a young man's arrogance can be. I do want the road. And I do want the freedom. But like all things, it's a juggling act, and in the end one must choose which pins he will choose to hold and which he will drop.

The Image Gallery


A non-scenic road named scenic.

This is what flooding looks like.

The Map

Today I biked 130km. A good start for catching up on those rest days!

Thanks for reading! See you tomorrow!

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