Cramping my Style - Day 23 – 46 miles

I woke early and yet still somehow managed to leave late. It wasn't entirely my fault today. After everybody else set off it was just me and the old guy who'd been feeding the raccoons the night before. Last night he'd seemed like a cranky old guy but without everybody else around he was outgoing and friendly. His name was John and he was an impressive hiker who'd completed both the Appalachian and Pacific Coast Trails. He was now in need of a hip replacement so his hiking was on hold for a bit. John was in quite an unfortunate situation. Without health insurance he was unable to get his hip replacement. With a pre-existing hip condition he was not able to get health insurance. So now he was forced to live in a tent in state parks in order to qualify for what I think the Americans call Medicaid. John was a rich source of information about great hikes and bike trails in America. He'd also lived in Mexico for 6 years so was full of terrifying information about that too. Some of his friends had been killed and robbed whilst camping on the beach down there. Despite this he urged me to go to Mexico, he was clearly fond of the place. His advice was to always sleep somewhere secure and never to be on the roads after dark.

I was on the road at midday and in good spirits. The weather and scenery were excellent. Oregon is an incredible place and I understand I've been very lucky with the weather so far. I stopped in at a brilliant supermarket and bought a loaf of freshly baked cheese and jalapeño bread, a giant pot of hummus and a fruit salad. It was quite a feast and I couldn't wait to eat it. I found a small dirt road heading towards a beach. I took it to the end. At first I thought it was a dead-end until I noticed a small gap in the thick rhododendron hedge. I forced my way though and came to an opening. It was a secret little lookout over the beach. I sat and gorged myself, watching the powerful waves crashing on the rocks in front of me. I heard a noise behind me and turned to find a chipmunk staking out my lunch. Soon a squirrel appeared too. I felt a thousand tiny eyes on me from the bushes all around, each hoping I'd drop a crumb sooner or later.

Back on the bike I began developing stomach cramps. I should have waited a little longer after eating my beach banquet. The pain really affected my riding and I was forced to pedal very slowly. Despite the cramps I made it to the top of a wonderful long but gentle climb to Cape Foulweather. Somebody should really have a word with the marketing team behind Cape Foulweather as it was beautifully sunny and warm at the top. As I looked out over the miles of stunning coastline below I was approached by a bike groupie. A man in his sixties wearing a cycling t-shirt and a hearing-aid asked if he could take a picture of my bike. He told me about some of the cycling trips he'd done. He also asked about my trip but it was really a one-way conversation. If the hearing-aid was turned on at all then it didn't work. I let him talk himself out and headed off. Just as I was leaving the rest of his family arrived. They all seemed interested in my bike too and began prodding bits that interested them. Eventually they wandered off, I heard one of the ladies saying how nice my legs were. Chicks love Lycra shorts. She was a pensioner.

The ride today was filled with sign-posted points of interest. Americans conveniently make most of their attractions drive-thru. This allows them to park up their RV buses at the edge of a cliff and happily snap pictures of the view through the windscreen. I like to sneer at them but I'm not much better. I usually ride slowly through, snapping away with my camera, then rejoin the highway without ever leaving the comfort of my saddle.

Most of today's ride was marred by about 4 hours of stomach cramps. I've learned my lesson now and will be taking a proper lunch break in future. Having to ride so slowly all day meant I arrived at camp not long before sunset. I threw the tent up, jumped in the shower and then joined Elan and Kate on the beach to eat dinner and watch the sun go down.

Everybody was tired tonight after last night's big drinking session (2 pints). So after the sun disappeared into the ocean we all disappeared into our tents.