An evening hue to the map tonight as it’s later than usual

(Again, apologies for not getting to comments at the moment. My ‘downtime’ has been so sociable and the cycling days so long that it’s been using up all of my ‘comments’ time! I do read them and I’ll get to them soon x)

I so enjoyed my stay at Zander’s, my Warm Showers host last night. Their house is just superb and I had an entire upstairs suite to myself. First this morning Zander and I sat on the couch drinking coffee, talking cycling trips around the world, music and bands and jobs and so on, and he got some classic Errol Garner vinyl playing on his beautiful old sound system. It felt just like how a lazy Saturday morning should be to me, which I realised quickly could be a dangerous feeling. I had 75 miles to cycle. I’m saving up some cracking lazy Saturdays for when I get home.

• Today’s Distance (miles): 72
• Time in saddle: 5h 37
• Max/min temp – in full sun (°c): 39°/23°
• Climbing (feet) : 223
• Calories used: 3,649
• Today’s 2nd Breakfast: Just coffee, in Georgetown (that was some breakfast at Zander and Kai’s!)
• Cafe time: 3h 15

Kai, Zander’s wife, is from Taiwan, and made me a lovely Taiwanese pancake and bacon breakfast, sweet and savoury, spicy, made with such care and absolutely DELICIOUS. Also so filling which set me up for the road ahead.

As I passed Archie, their kid, in his wheeled stroller, he looked up me, scrunched up his eyes in a smile, then made a ‘kissing’ face at me. It was so cute, I just crumbled.

After swapping loads of listening suggestions with each other, it was time to say goodbye. We both said that we’d be exploring the suggestions asap.

40 miles later, after a lovely route along a combination of wooded cycle paths, side roads, big highways and classic road bridges…

…I pulled into historic Georgetown and asked around for the best coffee in town. The answer was universal: Urban Brew.

Just outside there was a Saturday ceremony with music going on to commemorate a new statue in town. Kids’ choirs and bands were taking it in turn to perform, which just reminded me of the Beechwood Summer Concert!

I don’t know about you, but seeing people fanning themselves always makes me feel hot! It gives you some idea of the permanent humidity and warmth here, despite being overcast today (much better for cycling).

It was only later that Susie pointed out that Georgetown qualifies as a Beatle, but I’d missed it! So that’s John, George and Bingo. C’mon, we can do this.

There followed a long afternoon of hotter cycling, mostly in a dead-straight line along the super-wide Highway 17, but thankfully through woods with the sun setting on my right = shade shade shade. Lovely.

I crossed three huge rivers along the way, the Sampit, the North Santee and the South Santee, all involving a long slog up to the apex as ever, the only real climbing I ever get to do around here. You really feel it though, when the highway is hot and unshaded and the shoulder is full of debris. Just before the Nth Santee bridge I stoppped for a shady breather outside the Hopsewee Plantation, open to the public but closed when I was there. It looked absolutely amazing even just from the front gate:

Leaving the Sth. Santee I was greeted by a sign telling me that I was now in Charleston County, and as if by magic the shoulder SUDDENLY become wonderful, wide, clear of debris, smooth, with the rumble strip (the absolute curse of cycling around the Carolinas) well out of the cyclist’s way. I wanted to stop, stoop down and kiss the ground of Charleston County. I bloody love them. But instead I kept going at a nice average of 15 mph without having to keep swerving all over the place. Absolute bliss.

You might remember, if you’ve been following things on IoT for a while, that I once got checked into an absolute dump of a motel in Wawa, Ontario as Mr Buck Torn, and adopted the name for a while afterwards. I was very happy to reprise the role at this evening’s beautiful, peaceful, dry, sunny, friendly campground:

It’s felt like a long time since I pulled into a lovely family campground like this one, and I realised just how much I’ve missed them on this trip. There are kids playing ‘soccer’ next to my pitch, constantly changing which player they are from ‘Neymar’ to ‘Now I’m Beckham!’ ‘I’m Declan Rice!’ (!!!) and the neighbours the other way gave me three delicious hot dogs left over from their cook out. It’s right by a river that leads to Bulls Bay which is really part of the Atlantic Ocean! Not sure I’ll get to see it. (I did! More tomorrow)

Tomorrow is Charleston Day for me, which may well be an interesting one if all of the advice is true! See you tomorrow. X

SIGNS WITH MEANINGFUL NAMES:

SIGNS THAT ARE FUNNY: