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Bundaberg Rum Run and how to confuse Homeland Security continued...

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The search for Bundy rum and I take on Homeland Security!

Not many people know this but this whole trip was inspired by a request from a friend in the USA for a bottle of Bundy rum. Out of the blue back in April Bob who I first stayed with in LA when I started the great cycling project, emailed me and asked if I could mail him some Bundy rum. Apparently the USA takes a dim view of that sort of thing so ever one for the grand gesture I said if he could hold out until June I would deliver it personally. Que the mutual feelings of bonhomie etc. I mean what could possibly go wrong?

Fast forward to 14 June 2022, Sydney airport. After a quick checkin and a few drinks in the Qantas lounge (Fiji Airways business class pèeps can use the lounge) I sauntered off to the duty free to get the Bundy for friend Bob. BUT WHAT!! NO BUNDY YOU SAY! What sort of duty free is this? The young woman says there might be some at their gate 24 store but they might be closed. Ever the desperate optimist I go to gate 24, #@$%^ it is closed, even worse, there are several bottles of Bundy in full view, laughing at me. Undeterred but increasingly desperate I go back to the original duty free. Outlining my grand quest, the young gentleman says there is another store at the mythical gate 57 where all prayers are answered, he says he can call and check if I want. He calls, they are open, they have Bundy, lots of Bundy!!

I bolt to mythical gate 57 and as I walk into the duty free area I see bottles and bottles of Bundy. Friend Bob will get his Bundy...or so I thought.

A gentleman who very much resembled someone who sold me worthless gemstones in Agra back 80s commenced the transaction. For some reason I felt uneasy. Final step before paying was to show my boarding pass.....to be continued.

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Well 2022 and the journey continues! But first, IS THIS THING ON!!??

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People I have met along the way 5

Bruce....

In Michigan, Wisconsin it is common to come across small bars that seem to be in the middle of nowhere and not connected to anything that would resemble a town. They are a welcome sight on a hot day and long ride. La Branche is one of those places. It had been a long day already and about 85 degrees which was some what mitigated by the lack of humidity. My destination for the day was Escanaba still 30 miles down the road. La Branche was not even song posted on the road but there was a bar, with a couple of pickup trucks parked out the front, a sure sign that it was open. Just that sight made me feel thirsty so I pulled in and dismounted even more inelegantly than usual in my haste. The interior of the bar was dark and cool. As is standard at these establishments there were two retired blokes sitting at the bar. One of the introduced himself as Bruce Murrrrrrrrr, I not sure whether it was Murray or Murphy because the way he said his last name the rrrrrrs ran to the other end of the bar and over the edge. My accent was noted and discussion was whereabouts in Australia I was from. On saying Sydney Bruce pipes up and says yeah I been to Sydney, Melbourne, and other places. I do a double take, Bruce , in a bar that is in the middle of nowhere has been to Australia and probably seen more places than me!

Tell me more Bruce..he asks if I have heard of the Crusty Demons. Sure have, they are a motorcycle stunt group...world famous. But Bruce I say, and I mean this in a totally respectful way, you don’t seem to be Crusty Demon material. He takes the comment in good nature and tells me that his son was a rider for the Crusty Demons and took Bruce along when they toured Australia. He had a great time but pointed out that beer was very expensive in Australia, I couldn’t argue with that given in these parts a pint of beer was between 3 and 5 bucks. We chatted a little more and Bruce told me he was a retired high school teacher and that he enjoyed being retired. He seemed pretty happy. We parted ways and As I pedalled on to Escanaba I was still trying to comprehend La Branche, Crusty Demons, Bruce and The Australian connection.

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People I have met along the way 4

Jim from Illinois the truck driver

It was about 7ish in the evening after a long day on the bike and it still wasn’t over. Sometimes the last few miles to your destination are the longest. This was one of those days. I had pulled into a car sales lot to check out my map, I saw a semi trailer with some cars on it but didn’t pay much attention to it. As I hunched over the handlebars reading the map I heard a greeting from behind me. It was the guy from the truck, he introduced himself as Jim and handed me a cold drink from the cooler in his truck. Man after a long day it tasted great!

Jim said he was based in Illinois and delivered cars all over Illinois, Michigan and Indiana. He kept a mountain bike in the cabin of his truck so he could go for a ride whenever the opportunity arose, he loved cycling and wished he could do what I was doing. We chatted about the merits of 26” wheels and 700mm wheels and a few other things. Jim said he heeded to hit the road and so did I...we parted ways and I reflected on random acts of people like Jim that make trips like this so memorable.

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People I have met along the way 3

Will the Dude

When cycling along US2 in the U.P. it often tracks Lake Michigan very closely and so there is plenty of access to the lake just by the side of the highway. The beaches are usually very narrow and pebbly (much like euro beaches) but they also have a wilder quality as the vegetation goes almost to the lake edge. It’s normal to see cars pulled off the side of the highway and people going for a swim. I was no different and often pulled the bike over for a quick dip. Ok the scene is set, I’m sitting on a narrow beach watching the waves when along pops a young bloke in his 30s **note** young is all relative. He is dressed in cycling garb and is clearly looking for the owner of the bicycle parked on the road above. He spots me in a fluorescent green top and dark shorts (classic cycling threads) and comes over to say hello. Will the dude has the hipster beard a few tattoos and a open friendly manner, like most cyclists.

We start talking and Will says he’d recognize that accent anywhere. He has an Australian girlfriend who is from the Gold Coast (that’s in Queensland Australia for the overseas readers). Will and his girl live in Illinois and he likes to go on cycling trips around Michigan. Looking at our surroundings I tell him that I can understand his passion. Turns out Will works for a muscians union, I tell him of my involvement at the Fair Work Ombudsman and as a union delegate. We talk in a comradely fashion about the challenges facing workers here and in Australia and talk about the decline of unions in both countries. But we both agree that the pendulum is starting to swing back in our favor.

He is also a musician in a band and we talk music, he names a couple of Australian bands but my knowledge is so limited that I just have to shrug and smile. I do however reestablish some music cred by saying I have seen INXS live when Michael Hutchence was alive, he is impressed. Much in the way I would be impressed if someone told me they saw The Rolling Stones in the 60s...ie wow you must be old did they use microphones then old fella.

I ask about Will’s Australian girlfriend as I am curious as to if she works here in the USA. Will tells me that in Australia his girlfriend was a nail artist but here in the USA she is learning to be a tattoo artist, Will has a few tattoos on him of a pretty high standard, he shows me a small one that his girlfriend did, I look at it and make the appropriate sounds but I think she needs a bit more practice, fortunately Will has plenty of canvas on him.

The conversations reaches a natural conclusion, Will wants to explore further up the beach and I want to take another dip..we say our goodbyes.

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People I have along the way 2

Michael and Laurel

Reaching the top of a hill just outside Glidden Wisconsin I spied a couple of heavily loaded cyclists making their wY up the road , pedal by pedal. On reaching the top they naturally stopped. Meet Mike and Laurel from Muskegon MI. A retired and very fit couple. They were carrying a whole heap of camping gear. They were cycling to Minneapolis then down the Mississippi and head across Indiana Ohio and on to New York. They would be on the same route as me for the journey to NY, they gave me their email address so we could keep in contact with a chance of meeting up on the way to New York. ***News flash** We have been in contact and they are way ahead of me , due to my jumping in the lake and other activities that slow down cycling. Very generously they have offered a room at there place in Muskegon if I ever visit there again (it was one of the towns I stopped at along Lake Michigan). Mike and Laurel were camping all the way hence their heavy load. Their next stop was Glidden where I was coming from, they were going to camp there that night. When I told them that the hotel there only charged $40.00 a night. Laurels eyes lit up and that propmpted negotiations with hubby.....my job here was done, we said our goodbyes and I have a feeling Mike and Laurel stayed at the Glidden Motel that night.

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People I have met along the way

Apart from the scenery and riding one of the highlights is the people I meet along the way. It’s amazing who you meet and where you meet them. These are some of the people I have met on my ride so far.

Thoren the Kiwi

Guaranteed no matter where in the world you go you will run into a New Zealander. For a country with only 3 and a bit million people you have to wonder if any actually live in New Zealand. Thoren was cycling in the opposite direction to me , heading for the west coast (at the time of meeting we were in Wisconsin) . As touring cyclist do , pulled off the road for a chat, how could you not. I had not seen a touring cyclist since leaving Minneapolis. I guessed that, given Thoren’s name, his parents were fans of the Lord of the Rings series of books. He was traveling on a state of the art bike that you could pick up with one finger. He said he was camping but man he was traveling light. He also had the mod cons on his bike, digital navigation, solar panel for his electrical equipment and flash cycling outfit. By contrast I was very early 21st century...paper map, heavy bike, and seemed to be carrying all my worldly possessions in my panniers oh and he was about 30 years younger than me. It was good to have a chat with a fellow cyclist. Thoren had also ridden down the west coast of the US so we compared notes of our experiences there. We headed off in our separate directions realising that the the bikes won’t pedal themselves. Next up Michael and Laurel

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Things I Do While Riding

Touring on a bicycle is certainly scenic and lots of beautiful scenery. But not every hour or minute is an ohh ahh look at that moment. Sometimes it’s pedaling for an extended time with not much change in view or wanting to get to your destination. When it’s not an ohh ahh moment you need to occupy yourself. Here’s a few things I do.

- I practice my greeting nods. Very important for acknowledging/greeting oncoming cars and motorcylists. I have three nods. The chin up nod, quite effective as my chin is usually in a downward angle when riding. The chin down nod, not my preferred as it come across as being a little formal for the circumstances. But with practice can be just as effective as the chin up nod. The third is the sideward nod with wink, much like old blokes give at the RSL. There only problem with that one is that no one can see you wink when you have your sunnies on. So practicing cycling nods very crucial to practice whilst riding so whe the opportunity arises you have a well practiced nod.

- Thinking of things to write on this blog. Believe it or not I have written this blog over and over several times in my mind whilst riding. I suspect some of you may suggest I get on the bike and keep re-writing 😁

- Pretend I an airline pilot, instead riding a bicycle, I am flying a large jetliner. I even make my own captain’s announcements. The variation, if I am going fast, is to be captain of a starship issuing commands to my loyal and planetary diverse crew.

- I carry my map, wallet and cell phone in my pockets whilst riding. I check my pockets obsessively when riding to make sure they are still there. They are always there...

- I stand up on the pedals to give my backside a rest, usually on a downhill stretch. It can’t be a great sight for drivers behind me.

- I sing, but usually only a few lines of a song over and over again. I really must learn a whole song.

- And sometimes it is just head down and pedal and look at the road just in front of the wheel. Usually happens when I have the big gear going well and I’m going pretty fast. I really chew through the miles when I’m in that zone.

So there you have it, some stuff I do on a bike when riding.

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The Ride So Far

I have now conquered the technical difficulties I was experiencing in trying to update this little blog, see my previous “testing, testing” post. I am now in Naubinway at the top of the U.P (Upper Peninsula). So far the ride has taken me through Minnesota, Wisconsin and now Michigan. The riding conditions have been great! The route is undulating , some parts more undulating than others but nothing too exhausting. It is also very green. Riding through shady green foliage near lakes and rivers really is a treat. You can feel the air temp change as you get ride in the shade near a lake. It’s like walking into an air conditioned office. There have been a few dedicated cycle paths along the route, once again they are tree lined and often close to water or going through farmland or woods. I usually slow down or take a shorter day when on these paths just to draw out the time, it is that good. I had a early day when going to Boulder Junction as it had a great path leading into it and a lake at the end of it. I spent a few hours at North Trout Lake just outside Boulder Junction. No one else was around I had the lake to myself! I spent time swimming, wading, lying in the sun. The water was beatiful and calm. It was my idea of a perfect cycling holiday. Dotted along the route are bars in what seems to be in the middle of nowhere on not so main roads. It’s a given that whenever you walk in to one of these bars for a cool drink there will be at least two guys sitting at the bar always happy to have a chat. Invariably the conversation get’s around to “what the hell are you doing riding a bike around here” as in are you MAD!!! Without fail you get a friendly reception in these little bars, although I don’t know how they make a dollar. The drivers are pretty good. They all give you plenty of room on the road even the narrow ones. The roads vary in quality , the county roads, sometimes known as state roads are the secondary roads and my route has me on these sorts or roads a lot of the time. The shoulders on these roads are pretty narrow and can be a little worse for wear . The upside is there is usually not much traffic on them and when there is it usually locals who are very courteous. The temperature has been between 70F\80F but no where near as humid as my 2016 ride (don’t mention the Missouri incident 😊) Even the hills as I said are not too bad, more undulating not too many short sharp hills which are the real killers. So far it’s been a great ride, in all respects, scenic, good weather, friendly people and undulating hills!

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Testing

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Test

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And we’re off!

Well after a week in Minneapolis with “the family” and having a ball it was time to go riding. Packed up my faithful Soma Sutra with what felt like way too many clothes (my usual mistake) and set the alarm . The night before it pissed down rain and the morning was overcast and threatening. Undeterred I set off on a route out of town that I had followed a couple of times before. Destination St Croix Falls a ride of about 50 miles and about 4 hours duration a nice easy start with time to have a look around St Croix later in the afternoon. Of course I did not factor in my ability to misread a map and miss turn offs whilst going at the grand speed 16 Kph. The missed turnoff added about an hour to the trip. The biggie was misreading the map at Osceola and turning in the opposite direction to what the map said and going in the wrong direction for over an hour at a decent pace. I began to get suspicious when St Croix or signs to St Croix were no where to be seen. On checking at a local bar the young people there said it was in the opposite direction and I needed to go back through Osceola ...they were very nice and offered me ice water. Pretty sure they had a good laugh when I left. When I got back to Osceola I regrouped and asked for directions and tried to reinterpret the map. Finally after some dodgy directions I got to St Croix Falls at 7.45pm having started at 9.00am a long day..a very long day. I was exhausted . So decided to have today in St Croix and look around . A very pretty place. The St Croix river was very high due to heavy rain up stream. Also visited Taylor Falls across the river. All very scenic. Had early dinner in a bar and chatted with the locals. They are all very friendly and the conversation is easy. Tomorrow destination is Cumberland Wisconsin, which is once again an easy ride. Well we’ll see about that!

St Croix river

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The Journey Continues 2018

What awaits Soma Sutra and her unreliable rider Tim? Will there be drama, will there be the doing of stupid things? Who knows, one thing is for sure , it will not be boring. Stay tuned. Soma Sutra and I are having tearful reunion after having agreed to see other bikes/people.

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Albany and the end of the ride

Stopped in Amsterdam for the night before heading on to Albany which is where the canal rides ends in the east. Once again a very scenic ride and comfortable temperatures. No ride would be complete without the obligatory flat tyre and getting lost. The flat tyre was quite mysterious and I put it down the   Billy Marben factor. I was sitting by the canal in a park talking to Billy about storing my bike in his garage. All very innocent. When I go back to get on the bike, flat tyre, no rhyme, no reason. Yup, Billy just make sure you use your mind powers for good not flattening bike tyres. Replaced the tube and hit the trail again. Given it was the last day of the ride clearly the cycling Gods wanted to stretch it out for me as long as they could. They did this by routing me through a suburban park which had multiple paths. I made sure that I rode down all the wrong paths first before find the correct path, a metaphor for life surely. Anyway  got on the right path and rode into Albany, crowds lined the route to greet me and the Mayor presented me with the key to the city. The place I was staying at was quite close to the city center and very walkable. I hadn’t realized that Albany was the capital of New York State. And quite an old city going back to the 1600s. Spent a few days there having a look around and getting my faithful Sutra packed and ready to be shipped to Billy and Tory for safe keeping (thanks you two).

So that's about it another ride done, as always meeting new and interesting people, twists and turns (not just the road), but always challenging and fun. Thanks to everyone who followed the blog and thanks to everybody for their kindness and warmth and support along the way. 

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Fort Stanwix, and canal trail.

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When in Rome

Having spent the day at Sylvan Beach it was time to get back on the Canal trail. First stop for the day was Rome, which is where the Eirie Canal started being dug. It is also home to Fort Stanwix which was built in 1758 it was constructed to guard the trade routes through that area. I visited the fort and I was really impressed on how well it was preserved. However I overheard one of the Rangers telling a visitor that this version of the fort was built in 1973, still well preserved for something built 40 years ago. It is however an accurate recreation of the structure. And it was very interesting to wander around and see how the residents of the fort lived. The soldiers quarters were very cramped and the officers quarters seemed relatively spacious. Continued along the canal and spent the night in Utica. Hit the road again and in the mid afternoon came across an old church in Herkimer. It was there that there was an unexpected gathering of fellow cyclists. I was taking a few picks of the church when I met an old guy cycling along the canal and then up to Canada. Bit of an odd fish. He had a bandage across is nose and his bottom lip. He said it was because he was sunburnt but it looked like he had had a fall. As we were chatting a couple young guys cycling in the opposite direction stopped. They were headed west to Washington state. One was English and the other Welsh. We had a bit of a joke about Brexit and talked about the route. The English guy said there was a fresh water spring a few miles down the road in the direction I was heading and that the water was cool and fresh. When he was there there was a whole bunch of locals filling large drums of the stuff. They apparently sell it for a bit of a profit. We parted ways. The old guy dropped the hint that he would prefer to ride alone and so I headed off, glad , as he was a little strange. The canal route was once again scenic. I did discover the freshwater spring. When I came across it there was someone there filling several bottles up. The young guys were right, it was cool and refreshing and I had a few swigs and filled my water bottles as well. Made it to a place called Amsterdam for the night, the place had a laundry so I did a bit of washing so the Lycra was nice and fresh the next day,mmmmmm, fresh Lycra. Although the padding in the seat wasn’t what it was and and this would be the lycras last trip before heading to Lycra heaven.