Jewells On Tour

Repetition eat sleep cycle do it all again.

Weather still cold still wet. Terrain is still hilly.

Food wise is junk food but it’s hot and we need energy.

We pushed on 47 miles today as we’re struggling to find an open campground. It’s still early in the season. We will wild camp soon but at the moment it’s all very muddy here and we need a hot shower to warm up!

The scenery is good would be better if it wasn’t so foggy!

We are both sore down below for those of you that always ask that question but after a few days we hopefully toughen up!

Tomorrow we have another long climb according to the locals but google maps says it’s flat! Only 21 miles to do though.

After a cosy night in our cabin it was time to pack up and go. The friendly lady in the office said take you time, but I don’t think she would of liked it if I took the 4 months which I was debating in my head as it’s still cold and wet! As it rained heavily all night.

So bikes packed and ready to go we have breakfast at the petrol station at the end of the campground road. Bagels and coffee.

All we had to do was follow the 2a all day for the next campground. Good old google maps tells us 30 miles and flat 3 hours it says. That will do us.

All I can say is google maps your a liar!

Checking the map, we must be nearly there! The weather hasn’t been kind its warmer but still showers. Onwards we push up very steep hills and back down only to climb another one flat google maps I think not.

After about 30 miles I’m climbing slowly in my granny ring another hill, only to see a dog running straight at me teeth showing and not at all friendly, I’m going to slow to get away from him and he managed to get a hold of my foot,he was locked on good and proper pulling at me almost getting me off my bike. All I could think of was if I come off I’ve got no chance. So I shouted and ripped my foot from his clutch and with the adrenaline I cycled away. I’m ok but have bruises on my foot no broken skin. I’ve heard that it a common thing dog attack’s on cyclist but you always hope that it never happens to you. Mike Was unawares of what happened as he was slightly ahead up the hill. He was waiting for me at the top so I held it all together until he saw me then I had to let it all out and started crying on the road side. A drink of water, some sweets all is well again. Off we go!

Total mileage today was just over 40. We have set up camp in another expensive campground it’s not worth the money so run down but I didn’t want to push on any further today.I’m now snuggled in my tent and definitely ready for sleep. Tomorrow is a new day.

We started off good but stressing about getting through a big city, The weather was cold and rain had been forecast but never mind it’s all part of the experience. Boston was surprisingly easy and car drivers were given us loads of space. We had picked out a route that after 12 miles we would be able to join a disused railway cycle trail. 12 miles in and coffee stop the trail starts

We chatted to a couple of guys at the coffee shop and one of them rode with us for about 10 miles along the trail, when he left us the rain started

We still had 15 miles to go cold and wet.

Plodding on to our campsite regardless. We made it. It’s $50 to put a tent up in the cold rain or for an extra $17 we can have a heated log cabin.

The cabin it is after 40 long cold wet hilly miles we didn’t feel like a cold wet night too. After a quick shower, we headed out for dinner and a beer at the sports bar opposite the campground.

Where we met Martin Robinson who very kindly paid our bill, thank you. Now home to bed.

Well, what a long day. We started nice and early UK time 5 am ready to go to the airport with a very kind lift from mikes dad, thank you, John. Really dreading that bit as we knew that the bikes were too heavy and We would get stung financially.

Mike’s was 32.5kgs and my bike was 27kgs however it wasn’t as bad as we were dreading small worry mikes being 0.5kgs over max allowed but staff very friendly and let it go we both had to pay £65 each extra.

Happily arrived in Boston with no problems customs was easy straight through and the nice man asked us how long did we need, we said about 4 months so he gave us 6! I guess we don’t look that fit!

We had posted a box from the UK to a contact here in Boston ( should have been the easy option). That was a nightmare in itself, we had to pay £150 to send via DHL it was big and weighed 17kgs. We also had to print out content labels, but by this time the printer was now in storage. Mad panic Susie our next door neighbour to the rescue.

It arrived in Boston In time. However, it incurred import duties. We weren’t aware of a separate form that we needed to fill in. We should have filled in a temporary import form. Another fee of $98 oh joy. Elinor our Boston contact very kindly paid this for us taking our word that we would pay back on arrival.

We also had brought a new tent and ground sheet so needed to go to the shop for that. So two things to pick up on day one.

Taxi straight to our previously booked hotel. We leave both bikes in the boxes in the hotel reception. It’s to early to check in it’s now 11am Boston time.

We decide to go to the tent shop over to the other side of Boston. Taxi driver number 2. What a character, really loved his city and was proud to fill our heads with its history. He wanted to know where we were going after picking up the tent ,we explained that we we had to pick up a box from another site. This coincidentally was near to where he was going so offered to just charge us the one way and drop us off there. All well and good but we hadn’t made contact with Elinor who’s got the box. So now we’re left on a complete strangers doorstep in a place we don’t know. Not a problem apart from we haven’t sorted our phones out yet so no way of contacting them, their not answering the door. What to do!

It’s now 2pm she’s probably at work, we wonder around the neighbourhood looking for somewhere with free WiFi and find a small Mexican cafe. Order omelette each but no WiFi. The waiter was lovely and shared his data so kind. We sent a email but she didn’t answer not knowing what else to do the waiter let us use the cafe phone to ring her, no joy. We hung around a bit killing time but with No idea what time she would finish work we decided not to outstay our welcome in the cafe and started wondering around the streets.

Luckily we find a gorgeous looking Spanish bakery that smelled as good as it looked. All goods were freshly baked on the premises in a small family run business. We would of loved to taste everything but we were full from the omelette which was served with spicy diced fried potatoes and fresh fruit all on the same plate with a side of toast and jam! Maybe that’s normal around here but a bit strange to us. The bakery was to good not to go in though so we went in to chat about all the lovely food and cheekily ask the girl if she could call a taxi for us.

Taxi number 3. 4pm we can check into the hotel lovely room with a view over Boston harbour and airport.

Now all we have to do is get that box !

We’ve been on the go all day it may only be 4pm here but it’s 9pm at home but we need that box today because it’s got all the tools we need to put the bikes together. Please Elinor get in touch!

5:30 Elinor emails us to say she’s home, can we please come now, yes. Taxi number 4 ordered no problem. We wait and wait a hour later we ring the taxi number and ask if it was still coming. No problem it’s 5 minutes away so we wait and wait 45 minutes later ring again yes it’s on it’s way it’s stuck in traffic. We wait it’s now 8:30pm it turns up but there’s a problem we ordered a round trip literally just to pick up box turn around and come straight back. He can’t do that as it’s only him working two members of staff have gone home sick and he has a regular 9pm booking the other side of town.

He was a larger than life Italian America just like we see on uk tv and came to the solution that we go with him and gave us a tour of Boston by cab talking nonstop but at least we got the box and a tour and he brought us cokes from a Mac Donald’s drive thru. We finally get back to our hotel 10 pm so that’s now on the go 22hours time for bed the bikes will have to wait to tomorrow. Night.

Day 2 relaxing and bike building.