DAY 12: ILLINOIS!

149 km (92 miles) - total: 1647 km (1023 miles)

Central City, Ky to Elizabethtown, Il

South Illinois. This is simply the beginning of the American frontier. To the North the Great Lakes, to the West the Great Plains all the way to the Rockies, to the East the Appalachians. History was decided by the settlers, the adventurers, the pioneers, the outlaws that came. Some settled others went farther West. Their travels shaped this country for ever. Whatever they brought with them would make the wild west a lure to many generations of gold-searchers and broken drifters. Still early to get into all that...I still have a bit to go before I hit the 'Old West' but I am sure that the winds will take me there. The frontier is still there to be seen...
And another State is in the bag after having just passed the 1000-mile mark. But it wasn't all plain sailing today as I was back in the 'rollers'. I don't think I have cycled on a flat stretch that was longer than 300 yards today, not a single one, it was just insane! I was spoilt by yesterday's ride and this morning I left at 8am in no particular hurry. However, I soon realized the challenges ahead. It was disheartening, up and down again, as soon as I crested a hill I could see the next one waiting for me. I can say goodbye to flat terrains as I have the Illinois and Missouri Ozarks to deal with before I can ride on flat ground again, and that is gonna be in Kansas. I finished my day at around 4pm staying in Elizabethtown, a pretty little hamlet along the Ohio river in Illinois. Rose hotel, historic building of 1812 is my home tonight.

This area was originally a stronghold for outlaws including the bandit Logan Belt, Philip Alston the Counterfeiter, the pirate Samuel Mason, and the Sturdivant Gang. I am also close to the 'Trail of Tears' - in the early 1800′s when American settlers headed west into Illinois, the Native Americans were shifted off the land. In 1839 about 14000 Cherokees were forced off the land and made to move 800 miles to modern day Oklahoma through this part of Illinois. Short of food and held up by floating ice in the Mississippi, over 4000 of the Indians died, hence the name Trail of Tears. As soon as I walked into Illinois I spotted a cemetery for Korean war victims. Crossing states was yet another reward for my long days of cycling.

I crossed the river on a short ride on the ferry leaving behind me Kentucky with its bluegrass plants, music, chicken, horses and dogs chases. Just when I thought I had put those beasts behind today I had the worst chase of all. Out of nowhere came these two barking dogs, one was pretty big, looked like a rottweiler but I am not sure. The other dog gave up the chase almost immediately, the other one, this huge nasty thing kept on coming after me, I started sprinting furiously and the dog was getting closer. It chased me for about half a mile and when it realized that it could not get to me it finally gave up. Now that I left the State, I don't want to hear, EVER AGAIN, about Ky dogs.

Today I also met and chatted with another transAm cyclist, John something. He started in Oregon two months ago and was on his way East to the Atlantic. It was nice seeing another rider and being able to exchange details. I told him to get ready for the Appalachians and he told me to watch out for the 100+ degrees temperatures in Kansas where there is nowhere to hide, no shade at all. I will be ready. Tomorrow I hope to get to Carbondale where there's a bike shop, I want to take it in for a tune-up. The tires seem to be doing fine though. My fitness is still holding up, no knees issues and otherwise. I still want to go on for 2 or 3 days before I take another day off. And tomorrow should be a shortish one.

Tonight, I had dinner on a floating restaurant on the Ohio river. The food was good, river fish of some kind, but the continuous motion made eating an hilarious and possibly a seasick endeavor. So far Illinois people seem friendly, after all this is the State that propelled Obama to political glory.



Could this be a faded image of the big American prairie?



Downtown Madisonville


When you see one of these monsters coming right at you on a bicycle, you wonder whether it's a quick, painless way to go!


Today I was on Route 70 for a few hours


Kentucky tobacco fields


You have been warned!


Amish country again, I love this sign!


Amish-made furniture for sale


The barge over Ohio river


My bike and rucksack on the ferry


The floating restaurant on the Ohio river


Elizabethtown looks like a ghost town, the moon is out


Ohio river

DAY 11: Central time!

180 km (111 miles) - total: 1498 km (930 miles)

Bardstown, Ky to Central City, Ky

What a day! I pushed really hard today and I don't know exactly how but all of a sudden I feel I am going places! I am into a new time zone! My watch went back one hour. Washington DC is distant from here. Entering a different time zone implies movement. It is an unmistakable indication that I am making progress and it is certainly a big psychological boost. Dare I say it? Tomorrow night I could be in Illinois...
Another perfect day for cycling, I guess I am being very fortunate. Out of 11 days I had 10 sunny days and two brief showers, both in the late afternoon with most of the cycling already in the bag. No thunderstorms so far. But I know for sure that we will cross paths at some point.

When I got up this morning (5.55) it was still dark outside. I was the first one to get my hands on the meager breakfast buffet and after a double portion of oatmeal I was off. I was on the road at 6.55 with the sun barely out. With a significant amount of today's ride on relatively flat terrain I knew I could go for it. In fact, it has been the fastest day of the trip with the longest distance covered. And with the advantage of the extra hour of Central time zone I was done by 3.45. I thought about pushing on to the next town, 25 miles away, but I decided against it. Instead I prefered to chill, wash my clothes, update the blog and give my legs a breather. For today's ride I decided to leave the designated route and follow the more direct Route 62, which runs parallel to a bigger highway so there wasn't much traffic on it. However, today was the first day of school so I bumped into many school buses. Needless to say the kids went crazy at seeing a cyclist on the road so every time they passed me I had to reply to the many laughs, shouts, and jeers from the young crowd. I got to talk to more locals today during my pit stops. Western Ky feels much more relaxing than its Eastern counterpart. Certainly it seems wealthier and more economically diverse. In the afternoon, I stopped outside a post office in the tiniest village of Rock Port and the postmaster, an amiable lady came outside to offer me a bottle of water and a peanut butter bar. We chatted for a few minutes, I took her picture and was on my way again. I cannot emphasize enough how kind people are around here, not just that they seem more relaxed and more at ease with life but they also enjoy whiling time away by socializing and smiling a lot. I for one, feel welcomed here and given that there aren't many cyclists this time of the year I go noticed by the locals. Not once have I felt threatened or uncomfortable by my surroundings.

While riding hard through the countryside I saw some beautiful horses behind fences, I stopped for a few seconds to get a picture -posted below- I hope it shows the innate elegance of these animals. I think that people around here take great pride in working the land, cultivating the fields, breeding the horses and just respecting the plentiful rewards that nature has to offer. I haven't seen a farm in bad conditions, I haven't spotted a neglected or rotten barn like the many I saw in Eastern Ky. Riding through Western Ky made me realize how hard but also peaceful and rewarding country life can be. This part of the US reminds me of the English countryside. It was actually visited for the first time by an Englishman, Thomas Walker in 1773. This region is called the 'Blue Grass' region as on the fertile land there grows the famous Kentucky bluegrass. This plant has leaves that during certain times of the year have a steel-blue cast. I have also learnt that 3/4 of the land in Ky is used for crops. A lot of tobacco is grown as it is the most important single source of income, followed by corn and wheat. But my ignorance did not allow me to recognize a single tobacco field. Internet came to my rescue and tomorrow I will be looking out for those! My legs feel fine and I could just keep on going and going.

111 miles today and not a single dog attack, just a few faint barks in the distance. I hope the dogs are behind me for good. I've got to say that I was really tired of dog chases and confederate flags. I am really enjoying this side of the world!



Morning dew over Kentucky hills


The sign is still there but the motel was gone


Steam coming out of the water but it wasn't a hot spring


Nashville? Oh yeah!


Elizabethtown


Route 62, I spent all day cycling on it


An old railway bridge


The '10 commandments' sign, I saw 4 of these today


Kentucky horses


This is Jeanne, the postmaster at Rock Port, she kindly offered me a drink and a snack


Central City


Traffic lights at sunset


Highway life

DAY 10: "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee"

155 km (96 miles) - total: 1318 km (818 miles)

Berea, Ky to Bardstown, Ky

He is from Louisville, Kentucky. It's a story about dedication and pain and redemption, it is a tale about a boy who defied the US government and when they wanted to send him to Vietnam to fight he replied 'no Vietcong ever called me a nigger!' It's a story about a man who threw punches to get out of the poverty. He could dance on his toes and would dodge punches like a ballerina gracefully weaves magic on a stage. He relied purely on courage
I had a slow start this morning, I could not get up, I slept soundly and getting on the bike was harder than anticipated. However, it only took me a few minutes to realize that it was gonna be a good day. And today it was just perfect for cycling, after yesterday's heat it was as someone came to turn down the heat and I covered my 150+ km through absolutely wonderful hills quicker and with less effort than expected. I am going to continue to push my luck and (seemingly!) good shape and try to do a bit more tomorrow, I will try to draw strength from the story about that boy from Louisville who said you can't hit what you don't see. He also said many other things with his brash and defiant attitude. He was youthful, he was beautiful. 'What's my name?', 'What's my name?'

Early this morning upon leaving Berea going West, I turned around and gave the mountains a last look! But just because I left the mountains doesn't mean that I was done with climbing. And, as it turned out, the shorts hills of Ky, the "rollers" are every bit as challenging as the steep inclines of the Appalachians. These are short and frequent and the descent cannot generate enough momentum to carry you to the top of the next roller. Basically, it messes up your pace. Well, actually you cannot set any pace. So today I just went with the flow and decided to concentrate more on the scenery and the beautiful farmland around me than on the actual cycling. I think it paid off. I thought about the pioneers with an unbridled spirit of adventure that came to Kentucky. I thought about those brave people coming from the East that through all sorts of hardship crossed the mountains in search of a place to settle. After seeing the green hills of Ky they must have realized that this was home. These hills feel warm and welcoming, the locals are extremely kind and I notice it when I am on the road. The driving is extremely respectful here as drivers take their time to pass you by making sure that nobody is traveling on the opposite lane so they overtake by leaving plenty of space between me and the vehicle. This operation could take a while because only on a stretch where there's enough visibility can they really overtake with much safety space. This didn't happen as often in Eastern Ky and not even in Virginia where most passes were close calls for me! Also, drivers usually stick their hand out acknowledging the cyclist, which makes me feel extremely respected. I often exchange their friendliness with a smile or raising my hand.

My half point today was Harrosburg, a pretty historic town. I stopped for lunch at an old diner. The owners were very kind and sociable, they asked about my trip while they served me a delicious country ham sandwich. They were surprised when I told them that I am traveling solo but I added that there are certain things in life that require complete solitude. At least that's what I think! I quickly visited Fort Harrod, the first permanent settlement in Kentucky. I got back on the bike and passed through Lincoln's homestead, historic houses of Lincoln's family.

The scenery today was pure farmland, rolling hills, cattle, horses, those incredible thoroughbred horses of Kentucky and still a couple of dog chases but I am an expert now, I was actually the one scaring them off by stopping, dismounting and calmly saying "what you are gonna do now?!" at that they simply stopped barking and returned to their homes with their tails between their legs, this proves that they are really after the chase more than anything else. However, I must admit that I played this little trick on small dogs, on the big ones it was just "let's get the hell out of here!!" The cattle here is very abundant, with large and healthy cows everywhere and all the farms look up and running with farmers busy working. This part of Ky is certainly wealthier than what I have seen thus far. Agriculture has played a big role in the local economy. And it is an absolute joy cycling here.

Hope you like today's pictures.



Leaving Berea I stopped and turned around to take a last look at the Appalachians. and a last shot!


Intimate country road among the hills of Ky


Crossing lake Harrington


Farmland


No, it's not Georgetown, it is downtown Harrodsburg


The diner at Harrodsburg where I stopped for lunch


Free GPS inside? Salvation for those who are lost?? Are they kidding?


A traffic light in the middle of nowhere


I hope this picture does justice to the beauty of these hills


Another self-portrait nearing Bardstown, yes I am smiling!


Gift shop in Bardstown, What's with all the horses? It's Kentucky!


Highway at sundown

DAY 9: Goodbye mountains!

152 km (94 miles) - total: 1163 km (723 miles)

Hazard, Ky to Berea, Ky

As I set off this morning I knew one thing: I had enough of the Appalachians. I had enough of thinking how to gather my strength to overcome a hill or to focus on the steep descent. And so the story goes that after 9 grueling days I am finally able to put the mountains behind and I can look forward to the Great Plains of America. Still a bit to go before I can reach the open spaces though but I can safely say that the worst is behind me.
This morning I woke up to a low and heavy mist completely inhibiting visibility. I had to wait for it to lift so I started my day at the very late hour of 9am, quite late for a 150km day with several challenging climbs along the way. Although the big climbs are behind, today I had to deal with several short ascents and they were by far the steepest of the whole trip, with 15% plus gradient. The first half or so of the day was extremely slow and tiring. I cycled through a number of tiny villages comprising a post office and a handful of worn out houses and trailers. The hills got fewer and shorter and after about 100km the terrain began to flatten out and mountains gave way to rolling hills. It was a very encouraging sign, which gave me a lot of motivation. I stopped at a ridicolously shabby country store and I studied the map. It indicated that just before Berea the Appalachians would be gone! While the map tells me that I am making progress nothing can be as rewarding as seeing the scenery change around you.

This morning I was up early as I wanted to put in as much as possible before the heat but the mist changed all that. I took my time at breakfast and waited. The sun came out and stayed out for most of the day, it got really hot around 2pm and I took shelter in a gas station in the middle of nowhere and drank 2 lt of water and gatorade. I sat on a bench and fell asleep for a while. I woke up startled like I had missed a train, I bolted and grabbed my bicycle. Then the weather rapidly changed and I was caught in the rain for about 30min. At one point, during a long twisting descending road there was a break in the hills and I could see the plains of central Kentucky, I could not stop to take a picture as I was coming down pretty fast down that slope. But at that moment I knew that I had tamed the Appalachians for good!!

My hard fought battle with dogs continued today but I am proud to say that I outpaced them all. These little bitches come out of nowhere and are really dangerous as they pose a serious threat by running in front of the bicycle and getting caught in a spoke or something. Others just come out and start barking and try to lunge at you. I don't know if they would ever bite but I am not anxious to find out.

After a couple of hours of cycling today I stumbled upon the tiny village of Buckhorn where there is a most beautiful wooden church, the log cathedral, a massive building made of Kentucky log. Sunday mass was about to start, a group of people invited me to join but after a brief chat I thanked them and proceeded to continue with my journey. In the afternoon I completed my last big climb and passed through a small town called Big Hill. Apparently it is called Big Hill because it is located at the foot of what is considered the first 'big hill' of the Appalachians range. It certainly felt great to look at the hill and the sign indicating the gradient from my perspective traveling West. From there it was only a short push to Berea, which is a lovely university town, dubbed the "gateway to the Appalachians", if you heading East that is. The city itself is incredibly clean and well kept. It reminded me of an alluring small Yorkshire country village. Berea is a tourist attraction and the university, founded in 1855, has a distinctive history of allowing poor students to enroll without having to pay tuition. Arts and craft have also a very special place here, with many fairs and festivals all year round. I enjoyed a late afternoon stroll walking my bicycle through the college buildings which look a lot like Harvard in Boston. After today's ride sightseeing in Berea was the perfect reward, the icing on the cake of claiming the Appalachians!

After several days of climbing mountains, traveling through the shabbiness of trailer parks, sprinting from barking dogs, seeing confederate flags and bare-chested and tattooed men and the likes, I must admit that entering Berea felt like returning to civilization! It won't last long though, as the big open spaces of America, preceding the Rockies (impossible to imagine at this stage) beckon.


Political campaign signs are everywhere in Eastern Kentucky, particularly in Knott county where once you're elected you've got a good job.



The beginning of a very steep descent



The log church in Buckhorn


The interiors are based on Scandinavian architecture


The tiny village of Mckee, considered a 'jewel' in Jackson county, it was first settled by native Americans. The 2000 census revealed that 53% of the population live below the poverty line.



Mountains giving way to rolling hills...



...and countryside!



Arts and Crafts store in Berea



The famous college, this is Draper building

DAY 8: Rest day

Uneventful but necessary day.

Having clocked a 1000 km in 7 days, I think I deserve a rest. Despite my best intentions, I was fully awake at 8. It must be down to the routine I have established this past week on the road. I spent the day studying the route for the next couple of days, catching up on my sleep and food, updating the blog, doing laundry and doing some minor adjustments to the bicycle. By tomorrow night I should be out of the mountains and into the rollers.

My long conversation with America will resume tomorrow.

DAY 7: Finding a way out of Appalachia

142 km (88 miles) - total: 1011 km (628 miles)

Elkhorn City, KY to Hazard, KY

Another day of reckoning up and down the slick Appalachians, dodging dogs, cars and egos. Today's action unfolded by the flapping sound of Confederate flags.
Another day of intense pressure on my legs and I have decided to take a day off tomorrow to ease the pressure. Much has been covered and so much more lies ahead but it is a story that is yet to be written. The US is a country to be observed and possibly to be feared just as locals here amaze at me when I innocently claim that I don't carry a firearm. What firearm? Who am I going to shoot? Take my money, I am just an amateur cyclist, an explorer of the land, a dreamer wishing to get close to America, to flirt and get giddy with it, to get so close that it will hopefully disclose its secrets to me, that it will whisper in my ear its innermost feelings. While the poverty of Kentucky is a tough deal, I am blinded by the constrained beauty of these mountains, by the enduring temperament of its inhabitants, by their visceral need to survive. How can one find compassion in the midst of drama? How can one see through the haze of pain? What is it that I try to find out when I conjure up a way to climb a hill, to crest a mountain, to tame a steep slope, to overcome my own fears burdened with a 12kg rucksack on my back. It is as if I imbibe the temperament of the people I come across through every pore of my body. I get stronger by the day, every pedal stroke is an injection of energy. It is a gradual contamination, a transformation of the mind and the body. A metamorphosis of sorts that will make me better and not uglier. It nurshes me, it does not detract, it feeds. Possibly because all is visible and no stone of pain lies unturned. I suffer on the hills but for many inexplicable reasons I can't get enough. I want more.

I hit the road later than usual today at 8.45 and immediately felt the mileage of 6 days of riding in my legs. Sure I could climb and climb I did but the spring was gone. Seated, I could not apply enough force to get up those three big hills so I had to stand on the pedals Contador-like and for a while I disregarded the forest on both sides of the road and focused on the ascent while sweat poured off my forehead.

The temperature hit 105f at 2pm and I could not wait to get to that finishing line. Up and down several times through the Kentucky hills, I ambled along and at 5pm with Hazard in sight I sprang to life. I did not enjoy the last 11km on a busy highway with big coal trucks roaring past me and when I got caught in the rain I knew I had enough of cycling today. What really counts is that there is only one big hill left between me and the Great Plains of the United States of America. But that belongs to tomorrow. I met more people today. They're all talkative and kind but I did not feel like taking pictures of them. I also wanted to take some shots of the trailer parks to portray the level of poverty but I decided not to out of respect for those inside. The unfortunate existence of those who cannot afford more is not to be ridiculed.

And then the dogs. I must have been chased by at least ten dogs today. They come out of nowhere and start barking and chasing after you like there is no tomorrow. I managed to outsprint most of them but one almost got hold of me and I began to yell like crazy and after a while he just gave up. Dogs are wild here as people abandon them on the hills, they just end up roaming the hills looking for food. Another sad reality of Eastern Kentucky.



A coal truck going to work


A huge coal mine


Ascent in the morning sunlight


Self-portrait on the way up


and the well deserved rest by the post office in the tiny village of Melvin


traffic could be heavy..


Kentucky is home to large Amish communities


1000 km!!!!