By toughing out a 150k’er yesterday it meant that today I only had to do a 95k’er. Very nice day it was too. The sun shone, the wind wasn’t too strong and for most of it the roads were tarmac (or paved as they call them here). With In Our Time on the iPod the time flew by. I now know about Cleopatra, The Zulus and the neutrino. That’ll be an episode in Doctor Who, you just wait. So that’ll be my mind and my body getting a workout. If I can just solve world poverty it’ll be successful day.
To cap it off, the last 4k I had to pop the bike in the back of a truck to be taken through some road works. Result!
So now I’m here…
The Meziadin Campsite, and as you can see it’s a lovely spot. And cheap. At $16 it somewhat cancels out the huge price at the last place.
But there are more important issues that need to be reported. The War of the Roads seems to have escalated. The Bees, whilst still sacrificing themselves for every hard fought inch, appear to have enlisted the help of the Caterpillars. These furry, brown and yellow cylinders of death are running headlong into the middle of the road from both sides. I’ve yet to observe actual contact between the two sides, in part because I’ve usually passed them before I’ve noticed them, but mainly because they tend to get squished by the almost infinitely more robust trucks. This doesn’t seem to deter the others. No, they are a plucky bunch. Where one leads the others follow, that, my friends is Esprit de Corps. I will keep you posted.
Your correspondent at the front.
Pete
Ps looks like I got the publishing order wrong again. The days are correct though.
Patagonia Pete 
Is that a spare, unwanted canoe loitering in the foreground of the Meziadin campsite. That would make a wonderful change from cycling, don’t you think? Beaumont never had a canoe.
I believe thats his tent Neil!
I should be frowning at wearing an ipod and cycling, but i guess you need something to stop the thousand yard stare! You could really get into the spirit of things though and put the “Littlest Hobo” theme music on repeat.
Back here in civilisation, had a whole evening’s sherry tasting last night at my friend Hugo’s – you’d have loved it. There were flow charts and everything!
Still no job…which is bad as i can afford to live until about mid august, but good in that i am getting all the little jobs done around the house that i have neglected for ages. I could really get used to this not working lark!
Dont know whether you are seeing any international news, but the UK has gone *mental* over the News of the World “hacking” into the phones of, well, everyone it seems – 7/7 victims, Milly Dowler, various slebs, the familes of people killed in iraq/afghanistan – its only a matter of time until they get to you, so remember to speak in code tovarich. The flowers are blooming in Moscow this time of year 😉
That camping spot looks amazing, best yet (from the pics I’ve seen anyway), are you sleeping ok when you camp? Remember, when you’re in the tent at night with a light on, EVERYTHING is silhouetted, a little heads up there.
I think ‘The Littlest Hobo’ on repeat is a superb idea, although maybe try playing it backwards, it may give out some secret message, maybe an explanation of the ‘road war’?
Also, those Bears are pretty ripped, I have to say, as tempted as you may be, don’t offer up an arm wrestle, I’m pretty sure they’d have it in the bag
Safe going!
Paul
By the way, congrats on passing the 1000 mile mark. In addition to the book deal you could also do a calendar of the highways of North America, based on your photos on the map xx
Yikes! Don’t go anywhere near those furry caterpillars. If they’re anything like their Spanish relations, which nest in the branches of pine trees and emerge in long processions to terrorise the populace, just one hair on the breeze can make you break out in hives instantly on contact. I kid you not.
Much more dangerous than those dozy looking bears.