31st Jan 1992: We left Vancouver after a 5-month
stay. We had been renting an apartment in North Vancouver. I'd had
2 part-time jobs and Emi was attending English classes. It was cold
and very wet as we rode to the ferry that took us to Vancouver Island.
Island hopped to the USA. Cycled around the beautiful Olympic Peninsula.
Many log truck drivers had it in for us. It still rained and the average
daily temperatures were 5°C. We were lucky, it usually snowed.
Cycled to Portland, Oregon and went skiing with friends. Returned
to the Oregon coast. Excellent coastal scenery. Northern California,
the land of old age hippies and giant Redwood forests. Strain your
neck to see the tops of the trees. Was invited to Petrolia high school
for a few days. Slept in their barn. North of San Francisco beautiful
coastal scenery and country towns. Saw whales playing in the ocean
below the cliffs. San Francisco is one of our favourite cities. Very
hilly cycling though. We cycled in awe across the famous Golden Gate
Bridge. South of San Francisco, more spectacular coastline. Slept
at night on the high cliffs with the sounds of seals and sea lions.
Just north of Ventura we stayed on a farm (Bill's Home Hostel) and
worked for 2 weeks. Shovelled a lot of horse manure.
[ Arctic circle Alaska]
|
From Ventura (just north of LA) cycled to Utah and Arizona. Timed
it well, Los Angeles was in chaos due to the riots.
Went through Death Valley, 40°C heat and a sandstorm to top it
off. Reached the lowest point of the journey so far -86 metres below
sea level. Rode on the salt lake. Relaxed in Las Vegas with air-conditioning
and plenty of cheap all-you-can-eat buffet meals. Hard hit by the
desert heat when we left.
In Utah visited many spectacular national parks while trying to avoid
being struck by lightning during the regular afternoon storms. A frightening
experience. Quite hair raising!
Arizona: cycled through the beautiful Monument Valley;
the Navajo Indian reservation, where Emi was often mistaken for a
Navajo Indian.
We also cycled through the Grand Canyon National Park. Also in Arizona
saw some ancient Pueblo Indian ruins in the cliffs.Crossed again the Mojave Desert where
in places were the strange looking Joshua trees. In the desert we
met John with his Gypsy type wagon and his menagerie of animals: 13
donkeys, 2 mules, 4 goats and chickens. He has travelled around the
USA like that for 11 years. We spent a couple of nights sleeping in
his wagon amongst the hay with the chickens below us.
Spent some time in Los Angeles getting prepared for the long journey
south. Had 2 large earthquakes in one day. Stayed with a good friend
Nolan who in his 70's rides Penny-Farthing bicycles for a pastime.
[ Hang'n out in Northern California]
|
30TH JULY 1992. Left
the USA.
Cycled across the border into Mexico's Baja California. Spent 3 weeks
cycling the Baja in 40°C + temperatures through
the desert with the many strange cactuses. It was peaceful camping
under the clear night sky with so many stars. Breaking the incredible
silence of the desert the coyotes sang together every evening as the
sun set. There were many beautiful sunsets. From La Paz we caught
an overnight ferry to the mainland. Crossed the Tropic of Cancer.
Spent a week on a busy, rough road. Had many close calls with buses
and trucks. Life was cheap on this road. We would have been knocked
over as easily as would a stray dog. Some months later our friend
was knocked from his bike close to this area. He was left to die by
the roadside.
[ Monument Valley Arizona]
|
Visited Guanajuato and some other nice towns. Spent 10
days in Mexico City at 2400 metres and very polluted. It was hard
to breathe. Had to replace my rear rim due to many serious looking
cracks. Rode through the mountains to Oaxaca reaching at one point
a height of 3000 metres. Low oxygen.
Spent 2 weeks in Oaxaca with friends. Visited an ancient Mayan City.
Returned to the coast. Very hot weather, many beautiful quiet beaches.
We had a good time sitting in deckchairs on the beach while drinking
beer at 50cents a bottle.
Met 2 cyclists from Quebec cycling from Alaska to Tierra Del Fuego
with a
10-month time limit. They had a back up van and sponsorship. We cycled
with them a couple of days. They had covered 10,000 Km in 5 months.
We had been going for 20,000km over 15 months. No rush. (We eventually
arrived 1 year after them).
Re-entered the cool mountains and jungle, in Chiapas State. Many Indian
villages living with their own separate customs and language. The
clothes they wore were very colourful. The Indians there are mostly
pure-blooded descendants of the Mayans.
[ Baja California]
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