Not so far, so good.

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This is only my second crack at updating this blog & I’m already getting slack. I’m having trouble finding the time, which I know is a poor excuse as I don’t actually have anything to do other then ride the bike & generally enjoy myself.

Well no matter, I’m sitting here now so I may as well give it a go. I'll ignore the Barn Bar for now. Hello by the way - hope you’re all good!

I've been on the road since last Saturday (it's now 8 days later) & I covered New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois & Iowa. Good going you may think but fortunately or unfortunately I haven't strictly been going in the right direction.

I should have been heading northwest but have instead been heading due west. Thus I still have 4000 miles to Alaska despite already covering over 2000 of the 5000 I originally thought it was going to take me. But what's a 1000 miles between friends... I'm quite proud in an odd sorta way that within a week of getting on the road I'm already 1000 miles off target. Good effort!

Okay so to the mundane.

To start with I had to clear immigration, a hurdle that post 9/11 is no longer taken for granted. I was a little worried as I know they are not keen on those who don't have a set itinerary nor any particular purpose i.e. Me.

I did have my file of randomly collected travel facts & info on hand if I started to struggle. I was asked purpose of trip - vacation, & despite standing there holding a crash helmet I neglected to mention the part about giving up my job, importing a motorcycle into the US & trying to ride around the Americas. After a few formalities he stamped my passport & I was in!!!

Whilst I waited for the motorbike to arrive into New York port Pat & Rosie Kielty (not forgetting Caitlin & Abigail) kindly gave me a bed, fed me & kept me entertained & to them I’m so very grateful. All I had to do in return was put puzzles together with Abigail (harder then it sounds) & join Caitlin’s cool gang (luckily cool is my middle name, well that's what I told Caitlin) which all meant I couldn’t have wished for a better start. Thank you!!!

Two weeks of waiting were spent learning how hard it is to entertain two kids (a lesson well learned) under the expert tuition of Rosie, Pat's wife. The summer holidays over here are nearly 3 months long & entertaining children for that length of time demands stamina levels I simply don't have. I was in awe of Rosie who worked as a personal fitness instructor at 6am & instructed classes some evenings but was still easily able to keep the kids entertained & active each & every day. (Bernadette - I now understand). Rosie did offer me the option of attending a few training sessions at the kick boxing gym she instructs at but unfortunately they always clashed with time I’d set aside for napping & such, plus I’d also forgotten my PE kit.

Instead I stayed in & enjoyed Pat's cooking & company. Pat is the best cook I know bar none, so after a particularly strenuous puzzle or nap there was always some delicious food waiting. Spare a thought as he'd work all day, get home & prepare dinner for the kids, Rosie & me. If I hadn't been so busy napping, being cool, or doing puzzles I'd have definitely helped out more.

So whilst the bike was in the middle of the Atlantic Pat & I took the opportunity to catch the train from New York up to Boston, a town that I can't recommend highly enough. Go! Good bars & good people & a really nice friendly vibe. I got the chance to meet some family I hadn’t seen for a long, long time & generally enjoy the city. Definitely a place I’m going to back to.

During the four & a half hour the train journey back to NY (slightly hungover) Pat & I were subjected to the dictionary definition of a Bridezilla. She was planning her wedding & after the journey both Pat & I were able to recite the wedding plans including the guest list, seating plan, cake, rehearsal, reception, service etc. etc. etc.

I know the name of the groom & I actually took the time to search him out on facebook as I seriously thought about warning him of what he's getting into. No man deserves that.

After Boston it was just a case of awaiting the bikes arrival. Give some thought to how you’d go about shipping your car to the United States & that’s the position I found myself in a few months ago. i.e I had absolutely no clue (not for the first time) of what needed to be done.

After a little research I discovered it’s all very simple. All you need to do is...
Apply to the US Environmental Protection Agency for a ‘Non resident exemption memo’ providing supporting documentation & explanation as to why you want to bother, followed by obtaining a non resident exemption letter, find a shipping agent in the UK who can get the bike to New York, oh & one in the US who needs to file an ‘Import Security file number’, then you need to contact Customs & fill out yet more forms (in triplicate) followed by some further forms with the ‘Foreign Vehicle Import Division’ & that’s without dealing with the people at the port. See, how hard can it be?

I eventually collected the bike from the port on a wet & humid Friday afternoon, as usual the assistance of the Kielty family was required as without them I'd never have found the correct dock & would still be wombling around New York port now. The day prior Rosie had taken me to the Customs office which is situated 5 miles from the port (stroke of genius for those that work there as despite being one of the largest ports in the world it was empty as no one can find the place!) & the part I'd been dreading actually only took 20 minutes. Some people I know have taken two weeks to get their bikes through US Customs so I was a happy chappy!

Despite being eager to get on the road, after two weeks of continual 30 degree I wasn't looking forward to getting into all my protective biking gear. I've promised that I'll wear it. Think ski gear (with armour) & ski boots & then think of how comfortable that would be to wear over normal clothing during let’s say, a Spanish summer with a huge amount of added humidity & you get the idea. So as you read this I’m riding around the Americas in mid-summer looking like I'm off to Darth Vadar convention & about to pass out from heat exhaustion. See, it's not all fun, fun, fun.

In fairness once I’m on the move (obeying all the applicable speed limits obviously) it isn't actually that bad & I pretend not to notice the other bikers looking at me as if I'm nuts. Talking of nuts, you try sitting in the same position for a couple of hours in 38.5 degree heat then you'll have some idea of how numb by bum cheeks (& other parts) go.

So I left the Kielty's & headed towards my cousin Una's who despite being born in Ireland now lives in the middle of Pennsylvania. On my way there the Interstates are all toll roads but as the previous day on my way back from the docks the machine refused to issue me a ticket until finally the embarassment of the tail back I was starting to cause got too much (within 10 minutes of getting on the bike) I just rode through thinking at least I tried. After that embarassment I spent one day stopping at the tolls paying my dues but after it hit $30 I decided to adopt the 'ride through policy' which worked a treat.

Once off the Interstate I was in Amish country (the people who refuse to use modern day technology foremost of which from what I could tell are electricity & motor vehicles & deodorant) with farms being worked by hand & mule & people going about there business in horse & carts. All very quaint.

The area is also home to the Mennonites (who do sound like something from Flash Gordon) & from what I can tell position very beautiful women dressed in clothes styled in the 1800's to sell fruit under shady trees. I would love to be able to tell you what they believe in & why they dress the way they do but I don't actually know. I do know they giggle a lot & are surprisingly very chatty.

Unfortunately I didn't get to see Punxsutawney Phil of Groudhog Day fame as he like me, struggles in 33 degree heat.

A big thank you to Una, Marty & family for taking me in & looking after me despite the fact that I turned up on their doorstep in a big sweaty heap. Thank you!!!

Prior to leaving home I signed up to Couch Surfing (google it) & after writing up a profile you then send random requests to other members asking if you can stay over on their couch on your way through. Sounds ludicrous & a little sordid but it works ridiculously well.

My first request was sent to Marlene in Ohio who said no worries & even gave me a bed & my own room for the night. When I turned up I was greeted, told to park the bike in the garage & that dinner would be on the table in 10. This I emphasise was someone I'd never met, who I knew next to nothing about & the same applied to Marlene about me.

After dinner her fiance Tom & I talked bikes & Marlene told me of her 5 year travel plan. To put it plainly I was spoilt & they're a cracking couple.

Just quickly, as I'm typing this there's a women opposite with a tatoo of a labrador on her leg. She's a little drunk & says hello. Her name is Sue & she's having issues with her husband & her husbands friend. I won't go into the detail but look out for her on Jerry Springer/badtatoos.com as she strikes me as that type.

From Marlene & Tom's its on towards Chicago.

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Photos

Caitlin Kielty
The Puzzle Queen of Weehawken

The start.
Without this lot I'd have been lost.

Too kind...
for their own good. Marty, Una, Owen & Saoirse.

Marlene
Has a huge amount of good karma coming her way.