MEXICO thus far

SO, far Mexico, (as with the rest of the trip), has been full of ups and downs. Luckily, the ups have outweighed the downs.

The roads; though VERY scary at times, are full of the most beautiful scenery. The people, even with the language barrier that exists, are the most KIND AND WELCOMING people. Everytime I ask if there is somewhere I can put a tent near by....the answer is no no no. Me casa es tu casa.... and with that I am invited into their house and treated like a member of the family ( a family member with which communication is quite difficult!).

 As I explained earlier, I got a bus from Brownsville to Tampico to avoid the dangerous border area. I was glad I did so, for a short portion of the journey from the mexican immigration to the bus station in Matamoros, I road on the stairs at the front holding my bike.While I was here, we passed a huge group of men on motorcycles with their faces painted for day of the dead. As we passed them, they were hissing growling and banging on the bus.... interesting to say the least, glad I was not on my bike.

When I arrived in Tampico at 4AM, I was sat outside the bus station waiting for the sun to rise before making a decision on my next move. I was approached by a man who knew my name and was there to pick me up and take me to a hotel which he paid for. A WONDERFUL SURPRISE that had apparently been set up through some friends of my mom (Jan and Lino Vella-Gregory) overnight while I was on the bus! Thank you soo much for this arrangement Fernando and Carlos were a huge help, paying for two nights stay in a hotel, showing me the sights of TAMPICO, and getting me set up with some necessaties (a better map and span/eng dictionary, a mexican phone and much more)... they made my stay much more enjoyable and less stressfull than it would have otherwise been.
It reminds me of a time... while in Africa, after a period of lack of contact with my mum longer than I am happy to admit to I got a letter from with in Africa when I knew no one in country... and when I DID finally get ahold of my mum she knew everything that was going on with our camp, logistical problems and what not... it is funny how mothers have this capability of knowing everything even when you are half way across the world.

Fernando and Carlos advised me that it was a good idea to keep bussing onwards to Veracruz, as the area is fairly dangerous at the time with Day of the Dead and what not. At first I was a little skeptical feeling getting on another bus would be a bit like cheating, but after learning that another cycler was kidnapped in the area recently and held hostage for a few days, the decision was easy and I got on a bus! I did not however bus all the way to Veracruz. I compromised and bussed to Poza Rica, whe my on bike adventure around 3:30 pm.I felt a bit bad for bussing through such a large portion of my Mexican route, but I do want to reach in one piece to the beautiful island that is my destination and safety needs to come first. Not only were there the dangers that most people think of while in Mexico but also the fact that everyone is still celebrating the day of the dead and therefor alot of drinking and driving making the roads even more dangerous than they already are. I am sure I would have made it safe on my bike... but better safe than sorry!

Upon getting on my bike I was immediately the happiest and most excited about my journey I had been in a while!! I was very excited for the start of the REAL ADVENTURE that was about to begin.

In my first day on the road I did not get far but that did not keep the smile off my face. I think the local people were as happy with me cycling through their area as I was with being there as I entertained them by constantly laughing and talking to myself as I went. ( I laugh because I was nervous about cycling through a country I don't know, a culture I don't know, surrounded by people who speak a language I don't know; I laugh because I had no idea really where I was or where I was going and I laugh because I LOVE everything about the previous statements!!).

Well, as I said I didn't get too far. I got a bit lost in the city of POZA RICA, and then as I got out of the city I got into construction... which in small town Mexico means large rocks, large holes, and a VERY large amount of dust that makes it impossible to see anything really...including oncoming cars.So after a couple of hours on the road I had only made the short distance from Poza Rica to Coatzintla... A town which only had 2 options in hotels. One looked like a castle and would surely have cost an arm and a leg... the other also cost more than I would have like to pay as it was normally rented by the hour- a truck stop that even came with your own personal strip pole and funny shaped sex couch in each room! I opted for the latter ;a point at which I was glad to have my own sheet in my packs.

The next morning I hit the road early with a permanent smile plastered on my face. After a fairly short and easy distance I came to my first site seeing event in a while. El Tajin Ruins. A beautiful site to start off my Mexican adventure. It was shortly after lunch when I left Tajin, and was immediately greeted with extreme heat and extreme inclines.... A VERY DIFFICULT YET VERY REWARDING few hours into  the city of PAPANTLA. Beautiful views from the hills, beautiful people and beautiful buildings.

Upon leaving Papantla city I was rewarded for my efforts, relieved of the extreme heat by a nice afternoon downpour! Though I was soaked to the bone, I appreciated every minute of it... until the rain got soo hard I could not see the cars so well (and there for they couldn't see me!), and large puddles on the roadside hid massive potholes making continuing quite dangerous! (I wish I had pictures but at this point all of my electronics were dead..including my odometer/speedometer which doesn't work so well while wet!)... So, again I did not cover too much distance, stopping at a restaurant at the top of a hill to take cover for a while around 4, and when the rain didn't seem to be lightening an hour later. I asked the ladies running the place if there was a place close by I could put up my tent for the night. To my genuine surprise, there answer was, come with me we have a bed you can stay in... which actually meant a whole house to myself for the night in their family compound and a free and very filling and satisfying meal..... An unnecessary act of kindness from a stranger I did not expect, especially with the language barrier that is quite prominent.

The next day; having showered, eatin and had a good nights rest I made good progress and reached the coast. Around 10 AM, after a few nice hours of light rain and slight declines, I could see the point at which the trees stopped. Even though I could not actually see the sea and even though I had never been there before in my life I could not keep the smile from my face. There is nothing that says welcome home like the view of where the trees stop and the ocean begins after a long a difficult journey through mountains, plains, desert and back.
 When I actually got to the point when I could see the water, there just happened to be a cold coconut stand. I sat and sipped the coconut, enjoying the wonderfully new yet familiar surroundings. I think the only coconut I will enjoy more is the first I pick and crack upon reaching my beloved island again!

After taking a minute to soak in the coastal air and views, I continued along on my way. A road running parallel to the coast, dotted with tonnes of amazing views and a fair few picturesque towns that I wish I had time to stop and explore... but after all I am on a mission and if I stopped everywhere I would like to it would Christmas 2014 by the time I actually made it to the island.

Around 4o'clock,  I came across some children and young adults tending goats along the side of the highway. I stopped to chat a bit; asking them how far to the next town, if there were any cheap hotels of hostels around and chatting as much as my Spanish allowed. It wasn't long before they too invited me into their home for the night, as it was a decent stretch to the next town and there were no cheap hotels to speak of. After being fed a WONDERFUL meal and chatting with the large and welcoming family, I was able (with some difficulty) to convince them that giving me the bed they would otherwise be used by more than one member of their family was not necessary. If I took the bed, their children would sleep on the floor, where as I had a perfectly good tent and air mattress...but their in their kind hearts giving me the bed was not even something that needed consideration..But eventually I won and the entire family came out, helped set up my tent and then took me around town to meet family, friends and neighbours before a late night snack and coffee before saying good night.I say again... I am BLOWN AWAY by the kindness of strangers!!
In the morning, the whole family helped me pack up my gear and get ready to go, another round of coffee and crackers and they all gathered to see me off and wave as I road away into the rising sun.

The day was fairly uneventful; minor hills, more spectacular views, a few scary moments on the road and an failed attempt at Internet and blogging in a small coast town (after being online for 1/2 hr I was unable to even update my facebook status, at which point I gave up, feeling trying any further would just be wasting money in the Internet cafe and getting nowhere.) I road around 75km into the pretty little town of PALMA SOLA, where after a long upward stretch of pushing my bike on the very busy narrow road I decided to stop for a rest.... said rest turned into the sort of rest which extends over night and is accompanied by a beer or two with a new friend and a good nights sleep.

The next day (wed., 6th/11) would be my entrance into Veracruz city, and the first day in Mexico I was truly scared on the roads and questioned why I was doing this whole insane journey.... being passed often much closer and faster than I would like by a stream of semi's on their way to port. Luckily for me, in a small town not far from Veracruz one of these semi-drivers who had passed me earlier in the day approached me and asked if I wanted a ride the rest away into town to escape the nonstop string of trucks that could quite easily be the death of me... needless to say, I thanked him, tied my truck to the bottom of his tanker and hopped in (which I was VERY glad to have done as not 10 mins into the ride we came across a sign that informed me bicycles were not allowed on the highway...don't know what I would have done really.

My new friend dropped me off at the entrance toll gates 10 km outside the city, pointed me in the right direction and said goodbye.... and then it got interesting. It took ages (and alot of very stressful moments) getting through the city on busy to find a cheap hotel for the night... which ended up being one not quite as cheap as I hoped near the beach in BOCA DEL RIO, as I was terrified of the roads that led to Veracruz city center. But I was happy to be anywhere off the dangerous streets and immediately fell asleep when I got into my room at 7.

The next day I relaxed for the morning before attempting the dreadful task of getting my self into Veracruz where I would await the arrival of my good friend May who would be joining me for the weekend. It wasn't so hard to get most of the way, as I found I nice wide walkway along the beach which I could safely ride my bike. And it turns out that would be as far as I would pedal that day.... my friend Alex Miramontes ( ...the wonderful lady that she is!!), got me in touch with her family in Veracruz; who, on very short notice came and picked me and my bike up on the beach to take me to their home and go above and beyond in making me feel welcome and making my stay in Veracruz the most enjoyable it could possibly be. They fed me amazingly, showed me around, arranged for media coverage I would otherwise never be able to get to help spread the word in another county and did more than I could ever expect from anyone... friend or stranger! Thank- you so much to all parties involved. ( Santiago Sanchez Arano, Maribel Corro Coello, Edith Coello Vscanga and Alex Miramontes and everyone else who I met and helped along the way! Everything is greatly appreciated you are AMAZING PEOPLE!!)

It is now Monday, November 12th. I have been on the road officially for 2 months. Spending close to a week in Veracruz it will have been the longest I have stopped but it was the most enjoyable it could be and worth every minute that it may put me behind if I had been pedaling all these days. I have had the chance to meet new friends and I will remember their kindness for the rest of my life. I had a chance to meet up with old friends, spending a WONDERFUL weekend with May Hackman...a good friend I met back on the island last spring and got time to relax, enjoy, have a few beers and be a tourist for a few days.

I was supposed to be back on the road early this morning, but yet again my hosts have surpassed any expectations and have arranged a television interview which will take place at 10:30 ( an hr from now). This will help to spread the awareness on my mission and cause in a country it would otherwise be impossible for me to reach.. so any delay is worth it 10 times over to help reach our goal to get the LEARNING CENTER up and running in as little time as possible.

When I do hit the road it will probably be another 12 days or so before I reach the Guatemalan border. The journey in between will have some spectacular views and some very tough days as I take on the mountainous region of Chiapas to get to San Cristobal and from there, Guatemala.
PLEASE DO NOT FORGET ABOUT LITTLE OLD STEPH SOMEWHERE ON HER BIKE IN CENTRAL AMERICA... BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY DO NOT FORGET ABOUT WHY I AM HERE!!!THE PEOPLE OF LITTLE CORN NEED YOUR HELP IN ANYWAY YOU CAN GIVE IT TO GIVE THEM THE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES THEY DESERVE! DONATE..SPREAD THE WORD AND DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO MAKE OUR GOAL A REALITY!

www.commonthreadz.org/stephsolverson

exhausted after hills&heat



a bit of nerves for starting to ride in Veracruz



Hasta Luego USA... It's been real

PALM TREES!!!

I have now been on the road for a total of 49 days. In that time I have managed to pedal about 4,000km from the the Northwest to the Southeast of the USA. I have crossed one international and five state borders, and if all goes as planned (though what ever does), I should be crossing my second international line later today.

The trip thus far has been one to remember to say the least; full of ups and downs, good days and bad. Beautiful scenery and some landscapes that were considerably less memorable.The states in which I enjoyed the scenery the most were Montana, Wyoming and Texas. But as I have said before what I will remember most about this whole trip is the wonderful people I have met and all the support I have been given from people on the road as well as those following and aiding my progress from a far ( both those that I know and that I don't..your help and support is greatly appreciated) .

 In addition to the approximate $2, 000 I have raised so far through the fundraising page, I have been giver around $300 from random strangers on the road, had multiple nights in hotels and meals paid for,even a few spare beds in people's own homes for the night. I have been in around 20 newspapers to help spread the word, and had countless people stop to aid me on the road. The list is endless in the ways strangers have outstretched their hands to help me on the way

While in Shiner, TX,I even got caught clearly in the act of trespassing (throwing my gear over a locked gate just outside of SHINER, TX). When the family who was out checking their cows caught me doing this and heard my story, they didn't get mad for what I was doing as one would expect.... they gave me an old house to stay in instead!..an very unexpected act of kindness I will never forget.

The last week has been a little rough.Though my tire problems seem to have been put on hold other problems have replaced them. I have started to feel quite lonely, being alone on the road 100% of the time.I had to camp in a very busy truckstop just off the highway after not feeling well, got stuck in a blockaded construction site barely making it out before dark; I got stung by a wasp not one but five times when it got stuck in my shirt in heavy traffic,  and the same day I almost went head first over my handlebars in rush hour traffic of the freeway in Harlingen, TX when I dropped my front wheel into a Storm drain.

I have spent the last day or two stationary in Harlingen, recouping and getting stuff organized for my entrance into Mexico I will be making later today. From here I will ride the last 25miles to Brownsville where I will be putting my gear on a bus to Tampico (as long as they will let me!). I feel slightly guilty busing this far but have been advised by a number of people that it is the best option to get out of the dangerous border reason... the goal IS to make it in one piece, so this is what I will do.

In the travelling world I am used to Americans get a bad wrap; marked as ignorant and coming from a land of commercialism. But travelling through the states in the way I have I can tell you that this is not the case at all; you have to be in a fairly large city to see the commercialism we connect with the USA. Most towns I have travelled through have been full of small private businesses and even a few one room school houses. Even Canada in my experience is much more commercial than rural USA, you have to be in a much bigger town to see a WALMART or similar stores here then you would back in Canada and I am happy to see that. I have thoroughly enjoyed my travels through the states, with many places I would love to come back to and many more I haven't seen that I would love to.

My entrance into Mexico is going to be a major turning point in my trip... a whole new trip in itself, really. I am entering an unknown territory both in landscapes and culture, one in which there is a bit of a language barrier so the loneliness is bound to increase even a little bit more. But I am excited!!! Even though I have been on the road for over a month it feels like my adventure is about to begin. THIS IS WHEN I WILL BE NEEDING EVERY ONE'S SUPPORT THE MOST.

I will no longer be able to be spreading the word and talking to newspapers to help raise funds and  support.I am asking that everyone do everything they can to help me in this matter. We may have gotten the funds up above the $2,000 mark, but there is still a very long way to go be for we reach our goal of having enough to get this learning center complete and give the wonderful people of LITTLE CORN the learning opportunities they deserve. So please, donate if possible, spread the word anyway you can.. we will also be trying to get computers and other supplies donated so if you have anyway you can help in that matter leave a message on here and I will get back to you.

Thanks guys, wish me luck :)

www.commonthreadz.org/stephsolverson

Central Texas and AUSTIN!.... about half way to Little Corn!

I have now made it into AUSTIN, TX.

This is the approximate halfway point of my journey, and the point at which my planning becomes hazy. So this is where it gets fun, starting with how to get out of the busy city roads without getting my self killed later today.

Getting here has proved a little more eventful than I had anticipated. Let me explain:

After  fixing my bike; changing the tubes and switching my tires so the newer was on the back, finally leaving CHILDRESS around 1 PM. I was about an hour into riding for the day, just getting into the flow, when... I HIT A NAIL. Completely destroying the new tire I had just moved to the rear.

Having a sizable hole in the new tire, and not having another spare... it was a problem I would not be able to fix roadside on my own. But I did not have to wait long before, a very nice lady by the name of Carol, picked me up and gave me a ride to a tire shop in the nearby town of QUANAH. where, the guys in the shop patched the tire (free of charge) and I was able to make it into the town of Crowell as the sun set.
Upon reaching Crowell, I tried to find someone to ask where I might be able to put up a tent, which proved to be fairly difficult. At 6PM, the town was a ghost town. Police department closed, sheriff's office closed... and not a soul on the road. I finally spotted a state trooper car, who informed me of a place near by  could set up for the night and advised getting there as early as possible, as aggressive wild hogs had been a problem in the evenings recently.
I made it to the park on the outside of the town.. set up camp and was into my evening routine; when I heard noises that told me some of these wild hogs were my neighbors. The bush right next to my tent happened to be full of wild hogs. But, thankfully other than keeping me up a bit with their loud squeals the night was uneventful and I was able to get an early start. Leaving before 8AM.

I was ticking along for an hour or so at a nice pace of around 30km/hr, thinking today was going to be a great day......
Few minutes later...PSHHH, the patch blew...flat again. Still no spare. Time to improvise. Off come the bags and the back wheel to start on a make shift fix.Lucky for me at this point some highway workers pulled over... because I had no idea HOW exactly I was going to make a patc,h only that it needed to be done. But, with the help of the guys, we managed to make a poorman's patch using a piece of hard plastic to line the tire and good ol' duct tape. I managed to make it another 15mile or so bumping down the road over the tape on that. however, it didn't last and again I was out of comission for the day at the side of the road. The local Deputy Sherriff picked me up and hauled me into the tire shop in the town of SEYMOUR, TX. Here I was informed that they could put a reinforced patch on my tire, but it probably wouldn't get me 50 miles (the distance to the next town).

Not wanting to end up stuck on the side of the road helpless (yet AGAIN!!). I decided to get some spare tires and tubes ordered and mailed to me where I was so that next time the unfortunate happened I would be prepared! so there I was, stationary in Seymour for two days waiting for my gear to arrive. The first night of which I stayed in my tent in the local park where some local joy riding teenagers came and kept me company for a little while. Mid-way through the following day, as I was sitting by my tent not wanting to leave all my gear unattended in the park; a police officer ( I don't know of what rank... nor do all of these rankings that exist down here meen anything to me. police is police is police no matter what of the seemingly endless titles they may hold). Well anyways, this kind police officer informed me that they had a program for financial assistance and would be willing to pay for a nights stay in a motel while I waited for my stuff. (Mostly I think he just wanted the crazy Canadian on a bike out of the city park.) I willingly accepted and loaded my gear into his truck for a ride to the motel. It is one thing to stay in a city park over night but to sit in one beside your tent all day... makes you FEEL a bit like you really are a crazy person.

The next morning I finally got my tires and spare gear around 9AM. I swung by the tire shop to say thanks and let them know I got sorted. And was glad I did so, the man who ran the shop gave a donation to help with my costs and it wasn't until I looked at it later that I realized just how generous he had been... the bill he gave me was marked $100!!.. That will feed me for over a week! Thank you kind sir.

The day continued on to be a good one. I made about 125km into JACKSBORO where I found a great little place to camp next to a lake, had my lunch bought for me, and was donated another $20 on top of the $100. Great first day back on the road after a few days stationary and few very stressful days of questioning my mission before that!

The next few days would continue in this high and low fashion, with high headwinds, many more hills than anticipated and hot weather making it hard to make much progress, followed by more newspaper interviews and extremely kind strangers letting me into their homes or helping me in someway...making me remember why it is I am doing this crazy trip after days of questioning whether all my stress is worth it.(Of course I know it is, but sometimes it is hard to see that after long periods of one hard day after another and long periods in which no one is donating to the cause I am trying so hard to make happen).

I finally reached Austin on the 22nd. (with a little help from my new friend Lewis, who, after meeting me in Hamilton earlier in the day, found me on the road in LAMPASAS. He informed me he was there to give me a ride into Austin, as we had been talking about how I wasn't exactly sure how I was going to deal with getting through the busy roads of Austin.)
So with a little help I made it into the city where I saw a familiar face for the first time since I have been on the road! I stayed with Dustin ( a friend from the island), who took me around Austin on his bike (of the motorized variety), showing me the sights and getting some logistical things done before I left town again on the 24th.

Getting out of the city was... interesting. I pushed my bike only a block before deciding there was no way I was going to get out of the city alive on only pedal power. As I was sat at a gas station calling a cab a lady overheard me and told me she would take me where I needed to go for $40 instead of the minimum of $80 the taxi company had quoted...Of course I accepted and had to apologize to the taxi driver who pulled up as we were loading my bike onto her roof... oops!

So, I am now out of Austin and on my way to the Mexican border. I will be crossing at either Brownsville or Mc Allen within the week where I will catch a bus through the most Northerly regions of the country to get out of the dangerous border areas before getting back on the bike.

Some very interesting things have happened since I left AUSTIN, but they will have to wait until the next update as I need to get back on the road.

PLEASE KEEP DOING EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO CONTINUE TO SPREAD THE WORD AND HELP WITH THE EFFORTS TO MAKE THE LEARNING CENTER ON LITTLE CORN A REALITY! I am doing the best I can (talking to media,etc.) but there are not enough hours in the day to devote to fundraising at the same time as trying to pedal 100km a day. I NEED ALL THE HELP I CAN GET TO GET THE FUNDS RAISED TO GET THIS THING STARTED WHEN I REACH.
www.commonthreadz.org/stephsolverson

this man has been on a bike for 7yrs, travels with fairies controlled by god and is heading to the mountains for shelter for the winter??

a dog that followed me for 10 miles, named him stalker as he was stalking the cars and biting the tires... sadly I would be surprised if he is still alive

The melting of time

Now that I have been on the road for a decent little stretch of time, I have started to have the familiar old feeling of THE MELTING OF TIME that seems to accompany me anytime I seem to get myself into a routine lifestyle. It is hard to say what happened yesterday, from the day or even the week before.

This feeling was most prominent in WELLINGTON, TEXAS on the morning of the 15th of October.
Upon reaching the town on the evening of the 14th, having pedaling around 80 mi that day from Canadian, I went to see the local police to ask if there was a place in town I could put up my tent. (I do this every time I plan on staying with in city limits.)
Now this particular tent was the firs of which the answer was no. There was no where in town they would be comfortable having me camp for the night. So instead, they drove me 6 miles back in the direction I came from, where there was a roadside point and campsite.
After waking a little late in the morning having not had the best sleep, (sleeping on a concrete pad in the "free zone" of the campsite) and having a coffee and chatting with the lady who is the campground host. I headed back into town. For the first time on my journey, covering the same ground twice.
 As I neared town I had a weird feeling. I remembered this patch of road. I remembered seeing two Mennonite ladies walking, after which came a very nice little roadside pullout in the trees where there was a historical marker, and following that I knew I would pass a little school house whose fence was lined with old wagon wheels. I remembered the road perfectly but I remembered it as if it was somewhere I had been a long time ago, years even; as opposed to the mere 16hrs that had actually passed in the time since I had last travelled this stretch.It was a weird moment of Deja vu that I think
I will remember forever.

For everyone elses benefit I will now speak of what has happened in the last little while in chronological order. (Lucky for you... I have become accustomed to taking notes on the day as part of my power down routine).. For me, the memories will remain grouped together not by time but by the simple category "while on the road in______ state or town". All memories are cherished but can not really be distinguished to a particular moment in time.

 Leaving the Best Western I was staying at in Perryton (courtesy of the Sabra Mc Adams Key Height Baptist Church; thank you!) at about 9:45 on the morning of the 13th, I was expecting bad weather as that is what was predicted. The weather was BEAUTIFUL. That does NOT however, mean my day ran smoothly.

After being told for the last few weeks that the "roads will be the best you have seen when you get to Texas"; the first decent length stretch of road I had....was under construction. This left no shoulder, and YET AGAIN I had to walk my bike for most of the morning. And because it had rained all night and the day before... I had to walk through mud. Pushing a heavily weighted bike through mud, is NOT a pleasant task by any means if you were wondering.

About 3 hours of this treacherous task, the construction pattern changed to my advantage, giving me a road of my own on the opposite side of the barriers. BUUUT... not half an hour into this new wonderful situation. I noticed my rear tire was a little flat, and upon pumping it up, it went COMPLETELY flat.... the tube tore where the valve meets the tube. AND, being that I was on the other side of the barrier making it very hard for anyone to stop and assist; I would not be able to use my sit and look helpless until someone stops to help tactic that I have become a fan of.. SOO, for the first time on the trip I was required to change the inner tube all by myself (well... that is not the complete truth, I had some long distance mechanical coaching over the phone from my mom's boyfriend Tom.) It took a while but I got the job done...Only seconds after getting the tube changed, a man pulled over. He had recognized me from the newspaper in Perryton, asked if I needed help,(to which I was proud to say no!, gave me$20, and the newspaper which featured me on the front page!).

footbridge in Canadian

With everything fixed up and good to go I was able to make it into the beautiful little town of CANADIAN, TEXAS by sundown (named for the Spanish meaning of "boxed in"..who knew?).

I decided that after a stressful day and as a month on the road celebration; I would treat myself to a nice dinner in town. But upon reaching the restaurant it became apparent that I would not have to treat myself at all. A couple in the BEEF EXCHANGE recognized me from the paper and informed my waitress that they would be paying for my meal...but upon hearing my story, instead the restaurant gave me a free meal, leaving the kind couple to donate $50, and even a few of the waitresses gave me a total of an addition $40 donation. Glad I opted out of the tuna sandwich I was debating having instead. I left town having had the best meal in a very long time (free of charge) and an extra $90 in my pocket. Again, there is nothing more inspiring than The Kind Hearts of Strangers.

The next morning (14/10/12) got off to a good start. When I woke, there was a nice old man in the campground with whom I had a chat and ended up getting another $10 donation. The day would go on to be a very enjoyable and productive one.I travelled about 80 miles from Canadian to Wellington over a much hillier terrain than I expected out of TEXAS. The weather was hot, but the wind cooled me down and it was a helping instead of a hindering wind, for the most part coming from behind me.I also saw my first armadillo!! Upon reaching Wellington, I was turned around and set back 6 miles (which I already mentioned) a bit of a pain.. but one I can deal with).

The day of the 15th would prove to be one of those days I question why I am doing this. After having to travel the same ground twice; I made it into town around 10, where I did a interview with the local news paper. I got back on the road a little before 11 and began feeling sick to my stomach almost immediately, which didn't go away and therefor made the day progress very slowly, not getting very far. After a slow day of stopping and starting, passing many cotton fields, I was finally making it into the city of CHILDRESS, TX., when I got a phone call. The road was fairly busy so i pulled my bike off and into the ditch to talk, and when I ended the call I realized that both of my tires were full of thorns and completely flat. They were both pumped full of sealant so I pumped them up and tried to continue on my way.... the front stayed inflated, the back did not. And I used the last of my spare innertubes on the way to Canadian. So, I pushed my bike the rest of the way into town to WALMART (pumping the tire up often). And upon reaching WALMART, I found... they did not have innertubes in my size, so I bought one size too small and will have the challange of dealing with that today. The only good things that happened this day were... first a game I invented of squishing peanuts along the roadside (small things ammuse me!), and more important and heartwarming... A very nice man named Raul noticed my problems in WALMART parking lot as it was getting dark, and drove me to his daughter (MARY HINOJOSH)'s house where I spent the night, and still am now.Another random stranger with a heart of gold who not only let me sleep in her house, but gave me her bed and slept on the sofa, not allowing me to disapprove of the arrangement. I will fix my bike and be on the road as soon as possible.

Wish me luck, I hope for no more flat tires in the near future and the winds to stay at my back. I am eagerly awaiting my entrance into MEXICO and the next leg of the adventure.

KEEP SPREADING THE WORD AND DONATING IF YOU CAN. I AM ALMOST AT MY HALFWAY POINT ON THE ROAD, BUT WE HAVE A WAYS TO GO TO GET TO HALF WAY ON THE FUNDRAISING
www.commonthreadz.org/stephsolverson


 

The Panhandle and ALL that goes with it

Yesterday marked one month on the road and was my first full day in my last state; TEXAS.

As you may know; I came out east into the prairie provinces to avoid mountains and hills, hopefully speeding up this portion of my journey......

This decision may have been a mistake.

 Where there are no hills and mountains, there are winds! And while mountains may be difficult, at the end of every long and difficult incline... you are inevitably rewarded with a decline on the other side. (Not to mention the beautiful sights along the way!). Where as winds are relentless and never stopping. Creating long and hard days, with not much mileage gained as a reward.... And then there are those dreaded goatheads!!

Now, I may have realized this potential problem had I ridden a bike, AT ALL, in the last 10 years; or if I knew more about geography and weather patterns of the United States.... That however was not the case. So here I am in the Texas Panhandle. Where sever storm warnings kept me stationary yesterday, these storm warnings continue through today, but right now it doesn't look so bad. So the plan is to continue on and just hope I make it to the next city before the wind hits.

Because I need to get on the road as soon as possible I will do a very brief update and add details and pictures once I get to the next Internet point.

Last time I posted I was in KANSAS. In fact up until the day before yesterday, I was in Kansas. On this day I woke up in Liberal, Kansas; crossed into OKLAHOMA around 9:30 and by sunset I had reached the TEXAS state line. Three states in one day!! I could have mad it even further into Texas but, due to high winds and no shoulders I ended up walking my bike through most of Oklahoma!

Some of the things I have experienced lately:

More wonderful people; I have received more personal donations, covered hotel rooms and even the hope of further fundraising help ... I have also experienced my first not so wonderful person who pretended to be a police man while I was sleeping in a city park, luckily I had my friend Howie on the phone and the REAL police knew I was there and were doing regular check ups on me.(more later)

More flat tires and even had to change a tire and not just an innertube. Thanks to the completely useless young man at the bike shop in Garden City. I swear he just put my bike on the rack... took it down and charge me $20, and then gave me the wrong size spare innertubes! (but luckily I met a very nice and knowledgeable man who helped deal with my roadside problems!)

More Newspaper interviews.

More bad weather. Including frost, high winds, rain, and even tornado warnings.

More wildlife. I have again met up with my beloved migratory companions... the GEESE. ( I do not know how far they go... maybe this is is the end point of their journey, but seeing them still puts a smile on my face!!. I also saw a black widow spider eating a beetle.. BEAUTIFUL. (got some pics but she kept hiding so I don't know if I managed to capture the tell tale hour glass.)

This is about as much detail as I can go into now. I have to get on the road now in hopes to have made it to the next city before the high winds predicted for the afternoon hit.

Hopefully I will be in AUSTIN, TX in about a week. This is the halfway point of my journey, so after a brief time of losing hope about making my goal and reaching before Christmas I again have faith that I will make it. I just hope we can also make the fundraising goal. I am trying my best to raise awareness and raise funds, but it is a bit hard to do this and pedal as far as possible in a day. Not enough hours in the day, and a bit over whelming. PLEASE HELP

 

Please keep spreading the word and donating if you can. Help me make sure all of my hard work is payed off by GIVING THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE OF LITTLE CORN THE CHRISTMAS PRESENT OF A LIFE TIME! ( not that my return isn't a present in it's self! haha). LET'S GET THIS THING UP AND RUNNING!!


www.commonthreadz.org/stephsolverson




a million of these massive wind turbine propellers pass me every day... not a good sign

The Good and the Bad of NEBRASKA

 




I have now pedalled over 2000km and crossed yet another border, entering the state of KANSAS. While doing so, I realized I crossed an entire state without once updating my blog on the ongoings of my journey.So, here we go.

NEBRASKA was the state that has reminded me most of home. Full of feedlots, cattleliners and cornfields (not to mention snow!). But it has also been the state that has seem to agree with me the least of all so far, with many minor setbacks and mishaps along the way.

 a brief summary of the entertaining and inspiring things that have happened in the last little while for those whoe don't want to be bored by the minor details of my travels:

THE ENTERTAINING:

CACTUS-BUMB (30/09)- A few days before I entered Nebraska, as the sun set and I looked for a place to lay my head, I came across a field with an open gate. Upon entering said gate, I realized that the field was absolutely riddled with cactuses. However, the sun was setting and I needed to get off the road so I continued on, paying very close attention to the path of my precious tires.... maybe too close attention to the path of the tires and not enough to that of my feet. Next thing I know I am on the ground with a bumb full of cactus spines.oops. At least I saved the tires AND had finished riding for the day so didn't have to immediatley sit on my pin cushoin bottom!!

THE ATTACK OF THE SPRINKLERS(03/10)- Upon reaching BRIDGEPORT, NE; I went to the local police station to ask a few questions,including where I could put up a tent. They informed me of a little park close by where I shouldn't be bothered. They failed however to mention the sunken sprinklers....but me, (being the smart cookie that I am), noticed that the grass was very green except in one spot. Therefor, I concluded that the sprinklers must not reach this spot. WRONG... it meens this spot is soo close to the sprinklers that they shoot water OVER it; meening that the water will be at very high pressure when hitting your tent, causing it to go straight through.And you will have to get up at 3AM, Brave the sprinklers to move your tent. NICE ONE!

THE DAY OF THE TUMBLEWEED(04/10)- 
Having covered over 80miles the day before (from Lingle,WY to Bridgeport, NE). I decided I could take it easy in the morning. So, after having a coffee, updating the blog, and talking to the local newspaper; it was around 1PM by the time I finally got on the road. All went well for the first 1/2 hr or so, with a bit of a tailwind helping to push me along at a nice, solid 30 km/hr. Then it picked up... now my speed was around 45km/hr on flat ground, and everyonce and the wind kept shifting to the side. This shift not only caused me to swerve to the edge of the road into loose gravel; but also regularily sent tumbleweeds fliying across the road, getting caught in my wheels, in between my arms, and on more than one occassion hit me in the side of the face. There was also a massive cloud of dirt that was lowereing the visibility...After close to 20 miles I decided to give it a rest for the day, determining it was no longer safe to ride in these conditions on a busy road.

THE RETURN OF THE SPRINKLERS (04/10)- After being treated to a rest (curtosy of the weather) and a meal( curtosy of a lovely lady I met..more later). I again retired into my tent in this new town's park. Having learned a little I did not go for any brown patch, and even hid my tent slightly behind a tree in attempts to avoid the wrath of the sprinklers. And at first I thought I had won... I DID get hit by the sprinklers, but I was far enough away that it was just a light spray that caused no leakage and the pattering sound even helped lull me off to sleep. However, when I woke in the morning I would immediately be aware that the sprinklers had in fact conquered again!.... The spray that landed on my tent had froze over night, causing my tent to be covered in ice, and the zippers to freeze shut. I had to spend quite a few minutes in the morning thawing the zippers with my breathe and warmth from my hands in order to even be able to get out of my tent, and once out of the tent I had to spend considerably MORE time brushing the ice off of my tent so that it wouldn't be soaking wet when I go to use it again...You win again sprinklers!

THREE FLATS IN ONE DAY.... AND SNOW (05/10)- Even after being stuck in my tent a little longer than anticipated on that icy morning; I managed to get a fairly early start and by 4PM had pedalled 72miles and made it into OGALLALA ( I know this particular distance only based on road signs as my the sensor on my odometer did't work in the cold and therefor didn't start recording until about 11AM). I don't mind sleeping in a tent in the cold. I am NOT however, a fan of sleeping in a wet tent in the cold. For this reason I chose to get a motel for the night. The very nice manager of Paradise Motel in Ogallala gave me the room for $30. So, for a cheap price I had a warm place to stay for the night. Whe I woke in the morning, not only was it snowing, but I also noticed that I had not only one but two completely flat tires....and the "self sealing innertubes did not seem to work AT ALL.



no shoulders and mud..hard to ride

 I finally got the problem fixed and the innertubes changed (which I will explain a little later), and set off in the snow around noon. But after about an hour and a half of half riding and half pushing my bike to avoid traffic on the terrible roads with no shoulders... my front tire was flat AGAIN. I continued on, pumping up the tire every half hour or so for a while. But one time, after pumping my tire and sitting down for a snack for it to be flat before I even got started again. I got up stamped my feet and kicked my bike in frustration when a lovely truck driver pulled over and gave me a ride off the terrible roads, and then helped me to pump my inner tubes full of tire sealant so I wouldn't continue to go through them at a crazy rate of 3 a day!!... hope it works!!


THE "BLIZZARD" AND THE VIRUS (07/10&08/10)-


the begining of a snowy day

When I woke on the morning of the 7th, first it there was freezing rain and my front tire had not held the air and was YET AGAIN completely flat. Taking this as a sign for the day I stayed in the warmth of sleeping bag in High Plains Campground which the lovely owners had let me stay free of charge. By lunch time, it did not seem like the weather was going to get any better, having turned from freezing rain to large snowflakes and wind. By now, even the warmth of my sleeping bag was not doing the trick in keeping me warm. So I packed up my stuff and headed to the closest motel. After one day in the hotel avoiding the bad weather, I woke up to a bad stomach bug. Not wanting to go too far from the bathroom I spent yet another day stationary, in bed. Hoping that by the time I wake tomorrow I will feel better and the weather will be decent to get me back on the road and that little bit closer to my goal tomorrow



It is days like these when I need every one's help and support the most. Sometimes when nothing is going right and I am continually having set backs it becomes hard to remember why I am doing this and how important it is that I continue on my journey. But it is that comments, donations, general support, and the kind hearts of strangers that remind me that what I am doing IS worthwhile and that no matter the setbacks; the payout of seeing a completed and fully functional LEARNING CENTER will be worth every bit of snow, flat tire and any other inconvenience I may come across along the way.

So please, keep spreading the word, donating and doing everything you can to support my VERY worth while cause.
 www.commonthreadz.org/stephsolverson

AND NOW, some of the things that heart warming things that keep me going;
THE INSPIRING:

THE HOUE OF A STRANGER (30/09)-
 After pedalling over 100km through eastern Wyoming (which was much more hilly than I had anticipated!). I was sat at a gas station, deciding what to do for a place to stay for the night when a man introduced himself as a landlocked rescue diver and asked if I needed any help. After a little apprehention about entering the house of an older man I had never met, our shared love for diving prevailed and very soon we were no longer strangers but friends with a shared passion for the ocean. Not only did he offer me a place to have a shower, and a bed in his spare room for the night. He also took me out for a ride on his boat, shared diving and travel stories and showed me some of the treasures brought up from Japanese war ships in his diving days. Thank you Tom Harnish, your kindness is greatly appreciated and maybe we will meet again one day and go diving!

A FREE MEAL AND GOOD COMPANY(03/10)- Whilst stranded in the small town of BROADWATER, NE. With not much else to do in this small town I spent most of my afternoon in the small library where I met a very nice lady ( who I feel terrible to admit that I don't remember her name). She was kind enough to take me out for dinner at a local restaurant with her and her grand daughter Amber. Thank you so much for a warm meal with great company!

GOING OUT OF THE WAY TO HELP WITH BIKE PROBLEMS (05/10)-
The morning I woke up to 2 flat tires and snow, while I was out getting a coffee, the manager of the PARADISE MOTEL (who also gave me a discounted rate on the room) had got ahold of a mechanic (who again I feel terrible but don't remember his name) who came to pick up me and my bike to take to the shop to change the innertubes free of charge!.. thank you to the hotel manager, the wonderful mechanic (I want to say his name is Scott??) and the shop in OGALLALA that were so kind to help me out.

FREE NIGHTS STAY IN OAKLEY-
After giving up on the tent in the snowy weather and deciding it would be ok to splurge on a hotel for the night to avoid the cold, I went across the road to the FREE BREAKFAST INN, where I learned splurging was not going to be necessary. The wonderful man who runs the place gave me a free nights stay, and... upon finding out that I was ill the next day and would be unable to ride again, gave me yet another night free of charge. THANK-YOU sooo much for your kindness, the money saved for these two nights stay will feed me for a week.

I am most surely missing some people that are deserving of my gratitude, but it is not because I am not grateful. I thank EVERYONE who has helped and supported me in ANYWAY on this journey.

 


 

o ya, i slept in a junkyard and still like dry noodles...good for the road!



 THANKS AGAIN! KEEP FOLLOWING AND SPREADING THE WORD!!..AND WISH ME LUCK

-STEPH

The KIND HEARTS OF STRANGERS

In the 21 days I have been on the road I have pedalled about 1,770km. I have crossed one international border and two state borders. Traversed from prairie farmland, to foothills, plateaus, mountains, high prairie desert and am now back in prairie farmland. I have seen bison, bear, elk, pronghorn, deer, and many different species of birds. And though all of these thing have been beautiful in their own way; the most beautiful thing that I have seen on my journey, has been THE KIND HEARTS OF STRANGERS.

Not a day goes by when I do not witness the outstretched hand of a stranger.

I stop for a rest on the side of the road; 5 people stop to offer me a ride, water, or just help out. (if I had taken all the rides I have been offered I would be in Guatemala by now!!)

If I talk to someone for a few moments about what I am doing and why; they do not hesitate to offer a personal donation to my trip, a meal, a free nights stay in a campsite or even an invitation into their home.

Nothing could have prepared me for the absolute generosity that I have witnessed from people who have never met me before and are unlikely to ever meet me again! My faith in the human race has been restored (not that it was ever completely lost.).But, I am inspired!( not to mention all the donations received from strangers!)

I never did really understand the common teaching of a mother to a child: Don't talk to strangers!....for everyone is a stranger, until you say hello.

I now want to take a minute to remind everyone that I am not just doing this trip to satisfy my sense of adventure (though an adventure it definitely is!). Nor am I doing it as another ride for cancer or MS. Where if not enough money is raised to accomplish the goal, there will always be someone coming behind to put in the effort to raise that extra money needed. The beneficiaries of this ride are a small, but very deserving group of people who have no one else to speak for them. WE ARE THEIR ONLY VOICE!. It is guaranteed that every dollar raised will go directly to the building and running of the LEARNING CENTER. If we do not reach the necessary amount to get it up and running, who knows when these beautiful people we be provided with the learning opportunities they so deserve.

I may be alone on the road, but I AM NOT and CAN NOT be alone on this mission. I NEED your continued support. More importantly the people of the island NEED YOUR SUPPORT.
Skip out on Starbucks, beers after work... or any other simple indulgences you may take part in for one week. If you still can't donate; then spread the word!!.... tell any schools, Churches, or other groups you may be a part of, tell you local media... TELL EVERYONE YOU CAN!!

Let us prove to the world that there are still people who do things for reasons other than their own personal benefit, simply out of the good of their heart. And let us prove that these people are not confined to any particular location or religion.

Kind-hearted people are where I came from, where I am going. They are from ALL corners of the Earth. From ALL walks of life!

LET'S GET THIS THING UP AND RUNNING AND PROVIDE THE PEOPLE OF LITTLE CORN ISLAND THE OPPORTUNITIES THEY DESERVE!!!

I may be riding my bike a very long way, but the funds we raise will carry the people of the island much, much further!

A link to the fundraising page:
http://commonthreadz.org/stephsolverson

in hindsight I wish I had pictures of all the people who have helped me out to post on here but I shall make a list of thanks due... (if I miss someone it is not because I am not greatful, but the list is virtually endless)

THANK-YOU

My family who are very supportive and helping in plannin my route
Adam Clarke, John Morgan, and Rasta Punch (helping to spreadd the word in Nicaragua)
ALL who have donated..a special thanks to those who do not know me or the island
All newspapers who have helped spread the word ( booster and Canadian in camrose, Riverton Ranger, and Torrington paper in Wyoming)
Campgrounds who have let me stay free or discounted rate ( Henderson Lake, AB., Grand Teton and Riverton RV Parks, WY...probably more can't think of right now)
Tom Harnish of Glendo, WY. (landlocked rescue diver who shared his home, his boat, and his diving stories with me in Glendo)
Fr. Eckley Macklin ( donated Sleeping bag and gear)
Lore, Frank and their dog Tar (donated $50 and breakfast in Riverton)
Jesse the construction worker ( short ride and search for lost sleeping bag)
Pete Peterson ( helped me when I lost my sleeping bag in Dubois and had the Church put me up)
Church in Dubois(paid for a nights stay when lost sleeping bag)
Julie and John (dinner and company in yellowstone)
Robert Patterson ( tour of yellowstone, use of camera and company for a day)
People of Monarch and Neihart (donations of food and funds)
Biker man (ride out of the winds)

EVERYONE WHO HAS HELPED TO SPREAD THE WORD, DONATED OR SUPPORTED THE MISSION IN ANY WAY!!!

THANK YOU ALL!!




Thanks again guys.. I will do another post on details of the last few days
-Steph