DAY 17: America's heartland

166 km (103 miles) - total: 2220 km (1379 miles)

Salem, Mo to Marshfield, Mo

I have put the worst of the hills behind, still a few peaks to conquer tomorrow but soon the Ozarks will be out of the way. It's been a slow grind today with endless hills all the way through which made my ride a real self-propelled rollercoaster. I don't think I have been on flat terrain for more than 200 yards today. It was a bit frustrating and extremely off-putting for the pace as the road was constantly hilly and I had to contend with short but steep grades. Once again I had no pace to settle with, so I had to go with the variation of the terrain. Today has been surely the worst day of all for cycling but maybe, just maybe, I can look forward to some flat roads late tomorrow with Kansas coming up in less than 150 km. While the short but endless climbs took a big toll out of my legs and my spirit, I must admit that the scenery was as pretty as any I have seen so far. The Ozarks hills, dotted with big farms and ranches make for a peaceful setting to ride in. Today, for the most part, it was a pretty solitary ride as I think I was passed by no more than a handful of cars for about 2 hours. It was sunny all the way through but again the temperature didn't hit 90 so it was another, yet again! fantastic day for cycling.
I haven't had a chance to mention the number of road kill I have seen so far so I will do it now. There are all sorts of dead beasts pasted all over the road, my list so far includes three armadillos, a deer, cats, dogs, all kinds of lizards, tortoises, squirrels, a good number of snakes, some of them pretty big too, pigs, foxes and many animals that look like long black rats but I know they are not so I have to find out which species they are. US roads are infested with disgusting carrions and the carcasses just lie on the asphalt decaying under the unforgiving sun while they are being emptied by ravenous and menacing vultures plunging from the heights of the sky to feast on the putrid dead animals. I have seen a few vultures quickly dismembering carcasses and fly up just as quickly as soon as I approached the dead body. It was quite a spectacle. I wonder if they would reserve the same treatment for the body of a dead cyclist. A bit of a crazy thought but when you are on the bicycle all the day long, something you are not in short supply of it is time, time to think and to conjure up crazy scenarios.

Once again I rode through Amish country today. Missouri's Amish population has been among the fastest-growing nationwide. There are an estimated 5000 Amish in Missouri, they normally migrate in search of more reasonably priced farmland, or to avoid government regulations which conflict with their religious beliefs and it seems that Missouri is a pretty good fix for them. Many Amish communities migrate from the East to find a piece of land where they can live peacefully and undisturbed.

Today I focused all my energy on the road and how best to deal with the hills. For most part of the day, the road was narrow and when I was passed by big trucks I was immediately hit by strong gusts of wind which made my day very interesting. This means that I needed full attention to be able to ride next to or on the white line without swerving to the middle of the road or falling into the ditch. This I find it to be the toughest part of this trip: the focus to dodge motored vehicles. You've got to stay mentally focused all the time, you simply cannot drop your guard for a second, You are sharing the road with cars and trucks, which means that cyclists are the lowest class in the system. As for the juggernauts, most of the time I can hear them approaching from a few hundred yards, however, given the high amount of sharp turns and short hills road visibility in Missouri is very limited and most roads, like the one I rode on today, have no shoulders. Once again I must say that traffic here is extremely respectful, actually most cars shoot down the highway in the opposite lane!

I had a chance to speak to a few people and they are extremely sociable and curious about what moved me to embark on such a trip. I got asked the question "what are you learning about America?". I tell them that it is far too complex to offer them a short answer but I assure them that the country is so rich in cultures and history and nature that it is a shame that most people focus on the two coasts offhandedly disregarding anything that has to do with the Midwest for instance. Midwest is undeniably the motor of the farming and many other sectors in America. It is the pulse of America, the beating heart that provides fuel and food to the rest of the country. This is the heartland that bleeds and the blood spills unnoticed, gushing forth in pools so deep to drown the cries of the dispossessed and the broken ones. The sun rises and burns bright and violet through the ghost-ranch hills, in the towers of steel like a burning spear! There is so much to learn and admire around here and I know that I am learning only a fraction of what this unique region has to offer. The beauty of cycling this country is to be able to stay close to the real people. Today I spoke to a 23-year old girl, she has 2 kids, of 2 and 4, and she told me that teenage pregnancies are very common in this part of Missouri. I was not surprised given that the United States has the highest rates of t.p. among industrialized countries.

I reached Marshfield at about 4pm, having cycled since 7.30 this morning; it wasn't too bad considering the amount of hills I climbed today. I had no doubt that I needed a rest so I quickly checked into a motel. Depending on my fitness and the weather for tomorrow I might take advantage of the flat terrain that Kansas has to offer so I might go the extra mile. I can almost smell the Great Plains from here...



Morning mist on the road


The road snakes through the forest again


Wild West, a long way ahead


Licking Missouri, a ghost town early in the morning


The Ozarks plateau looking South


The Ozarks plateau looking East


Missouri barn


Noted!


Missouri Amish


Marshfield, Mo gateway to the Ozarks


Downtown Marshfield