Day: Jul 8, 2014

Christine here

Jan was setting off from Evanston early yesterday. He had set the alarm for 6am but then realised he would be heading east and have the rising sun in his eyes so we chatted on Skype for an hour before he packed up the computer and got on with loading the bike. He had checked the tyres and oil the previous afternoon.

I spent the day in London because I just worry the whole time if I stay at home. I got home at 2330 and the time would be 1630 in Wyoming; there was no flashing answer phone to greet me – so Jan hadn’t tried to call. I put Skype on – no Jan on Skype.

I think I went to bed at about 2am although I tried to stay awake. The time in Wyoming would now be 7pm and this is the time we always try to be off the road because the animals come out and are liable to cause accidents, so I was a bit concerned. I took the house phone and my tablet to bed with me, keeping them both next to my ear so I would hear them. I tried to stay away but must have dozed because I jumped out of my skin when the phone rang at around 0445. It was a tired-sounding Jan. He had ridden about 450 lonely and isolated miles. By now it was gone 10pm for him. He had finally found a motel in Lusk, Wyoming – the town after the one he planned stop in, Casper. No WiFi but he was too tired to unpack the bags anyhow. He was rushing off into town to try to find somewhere to eat – places don’t stay open late in these small western towns.

As I wrote the above, I had a phone call from Jan. He has just woken – 8am there and said he slept fitfully, due in part to the fact that the one bar still open last night were finished serving food. But someone in the barfelt sorry for him and made him a pizza – Jan and pastry or bread are indigestion hell. So, back at the motel, he ended up with violent indigestion but didn’t have the energy to unpack the bags to look for the Zantac.

Once he is awake and the sun is a bit higher, he will set off towards The Agate Fossil Beds National Monument in Nebraska; thank goodness that is only just over 100 miles further for today. He then plans to try to make the Moto Guzzi rally in Iowa this weekend.

Meanwhile, here is the route from yesterday’s ride