Headwinds, sidewinds, tailwinds and no shelter!

When I first planned this trip, for some reason, I was most nervous about Kansas!  The heat, wind, remoteness - it all seemed daunting.  It was also a big part of the trip, as a transition from East to West and the exciting land of the Rockies.  Well I have made it!

Today my wheels rolled into the city of Pittsburg, where I am to take my first rest day.  On first impressions, Kansas is remote - I cycled 30 miles (without a corner) between two towns.  It is also windy - I had a slight headwind the whole way today.  But the hardest part is the heat - 104 today, which is 40 celcius!  That is oppressive when on a bicycle with no shade!

But it is nothing I cannot handle, as I have acclimatized to this trip over the last few weeks.  I am actually very excited about crossing this state, contrary to most cyclists opinions, and if the countryside is dull, the people certainly make up for it.  So far they have been more than hospitable.  When taking pictures just off the road of the Kansas state sign, a big pick up stopped and the couple inside asked if I was alright?  They would have given me a lift into town otherwise!

Having said all of this, it is sad to leave Missouri.  Crossing the Mississippi was the most incredible way to enter a state, and it had everything - prarie, woods, hills, rivers, agriculture, pretty towns and lovely people.  Last night I stayed in a small place called Ash Grove, and I was welcomed by the sheriff, who came to check on me later in the evening.  He pointed out all the facilities in the city park, which I camped in, and that included a swimming pool!

If you are a farmer, you would love this part of the world, as arable agriculture dominates everything!  Massive tractors, vast corn/maise fields, towering silos and grain elevators and most impressively (and very American) I saw planes spraying fields - how cool is that!

Pittsburg has a feel of the wild west, with a main strip with all the buildings off it.  I imagine that the Western feel will increase as I go West (stupid!), but it is a start.

I am currently escaping the heat, but tomorrow I have chores to do - bike shop to fix back wheel (on that note, I did my first wheel trueing by myself, which is very satisfying if you have never done it!), I have booked an appointment with a lady to sow up my ripped tent bag and I need to get a new mobile phone - the current one is useless (never use Verizon!!!).  Otherwise there is a Mexican restaurant next to my motel, and highlights of Wimbledon on ESPN!!

I have been asked by a few people if I am enjoying this trip.  Well, it was certainly tough at the beginning, but I knew that would be the case.  Cycle touring, for this amount of time, is not a holiday.  It is an experience and there are good and bad days, you just hope that the good days outnumber the bad!  I usually wake up and dread getting on my saddle, but once you have warmed the legs up, the miles fly by.  What is noticable, though, is that time (and miles) go by very quickly, and that must mean I am enjoying it.  Once you have reached your destination for the day, there is an increadible sense of achievement, and I like that.  You meet amazing people, you see incredible landscapes and wildlife and you never know what is going to happen from day to day.  That is what I like about cycling!

I do a lot of thinking when cycling by myself - about the next adventure mainly! - and today I was thinking about how I will feel if I make it to Vancouver.  I ultimately concluded that I would be sad to finish, even though I want to finish (a slight contradiction I know), so there is the answer to the question!

Finally, Andrea is flying out to Portland in mid to late August to meet me at the Pacific and cycling to Vancouver.  I cannot wait, but my wheels have many rotations to make till then!