August 15, 2012
St Barbe to Port au Choix
It was a slow start this morning, and when I did eventually get moving I would stop for the slightest thing, too hot - jacket off, too cold - jacket on, it was taking forever to get nowhere. Like a mirage appearing in the desert I saw a sign for a roadside restaurant, and after pinching myself a few times rode up to it and was actually able to rest my bike alongside it - it really did exist! At this moment a guy pulled up in a pick-up and mentioned that he had seen me yesterday morning just after I had left Quirpon, and we got chatting. When I mentioned that Port au Choix was my (hopeful) destination he told me of a gravel road to make the journey shorter and easier.
Chatting over, I went inside for a second breakfast washed down with some high octane coffee, and came out feeling like a different person. Just as I was about to ride on, I spotted a cycle tourist heading south. I waved, and Guenevive pulled over to chat. We rode for about 20 miles together (today is her first day of riding after hitching a lift to St Barbe), and the friendly guy in his pick-up pulled over again, just after passing us, and right by the entrance to the gravel road. As good as Guenevive's company was, I needed to get to Port au Choix, so said goodbye, with the possibility of meeting up again further down the road, and took the gravel road short cut.
13 years ago, whilst working as a service engineer in the water treatment industry, I worked for a week at the shrimp processing plant at Port au Choix, and wanted to return to say hello to the guys I had worked with. The crap repair that had been made to my front rack had also broken, and I hoped that the guys would be able to make a proper job of repairing it. The Chief Engineer had sadly died of a massive heart attack last year, but his replacement, George, remembered me and was only too willing to help out, and we swapped some stories, and remembered the "good old days".
I then made my way to the local (and new) campground, where I set up with no intention of moving for at least 2 nights. This body of mine is tired and needs some rest!
Today's ride: 54 miles (87 km)
Total: 6,737 miles (10,842 km)
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