I am going to start with an argument I have been having in my head all day. Ever since I dropped the Austin bomb in my head it has not left. It has just been eating away at my mind and made me a cycling zombie. My first three hours on the bike I did nothing but obsess over what I was going to do. Stop in Austin and take a bit of a vacation. Possible rent a carbon road bike and go for a few nice rides. Or push on the 1400-1500 miles to L.A. and the Ocean. The easiest way to put it is my heart wants to go on but my body and mind want to stop in Austin. I said back in st. johns that I would end when I was crispy and I am officially crispy. Every day the riding is getting more and more routine, and more and more I find myself zoning out on the road.
I started today 49 miles away from New Orleans. A place I have had in my mind for years. I had always seen New Orleans as a mecha for blues, and a hometown vibe in a big city.
When I was 25 miles away I crossed this bridge that took you onto this little spit of land that weaved back and forth. If you went 2 feet to the right you were in the water. If you crossed the road you were in the water. The houses were placed on top of 15-foot stilts and had more boat parking then car parking. It was simply beautiful. I was thinking that New Orleans was going to be everything I expected.
After not seeing a sign that I had entered the town I was in New Orleans. It was not what I had thought. Every 3rd or 4th building was abandoned or demolished, and the buildings that were built all seemed to have this stale look to them. Thinking it was just this one area I moved on to a different section of the city only to find more of the same. As a side note if you are in a wheelchair, or have a handicapped loved one do not come here. If you do have a sidewalk it’s demolished and has no ramps at the stoplights. If it is smooth sailing there is glass everywhere.
I had fully anticipated spending a night in town but it just was not worth it. Maybe it was the argument I was having with myself already but I was actually upset with what I had seen. The only saving grace were two people that I stopped to asking for directions.
When I stopped for lunch I told the lady about my experience and she said she understood and that the only time the town is upbeat is during a football game or holiday.
Anyways I was back on the road and encountered the worst shoulder yet. It was like riding on a roller coaster that had it in for my rear wheel. Multiple times I stopped to check my tire pressure and wheel trueness. Though I had pressure the trueness was less then stellar.
Baton Rouge is my rest stop for the day. It was a long hard day in the saddle but I have this weird thing in my mind. I hate knowing that the road is going to turn during my ride the next day. This is because if I have a tailwind one way if I turn then ill have a headwind and ill be upset because I had a taste of what the tailwind was. Where as it is easier I think if you just hammer a headwind all day.
Trip Distance: 214km
Ride Time: 9:03hr
Avg. Speed: 23.63km/h
Total Distance: 13464km
Total Ride Time: 623hr
Destination: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
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The rebuilding of New Orleans is not done and may not be done for a very long time. Just imagine what it would have been like to be there during the hurricane and see the people of New Orleans see their whole world demolished.
ReplyDeleteAt least today you get to choose not to stick around, feel disappointed, and move on to greener pastures.
It breaks my heart to see what those people of New Orleans have endured. I am sorry that it was not the place that you had anticipated and dreamed of. Go back in 10 years from now and maybe then the rebuilding will see that your expectations are fulfulled.
If it is Austin Texas, Los Angelas California, or some truck stop in Arizona, then please know that the road home is just a phone call away! You have had an amazing journey and you need to keep your morale up, and your trusty bike ready for its tasks. Do what is right for you, Ev. You know that your fans are cheering you on!