Day 39 - Charleston!!

Today was a great day of riding.  The humidity seemed to be a lot less today and of course the miles were less as well. We did ride 65 miles today, but compared to 90, it is a lot different.  Those miles above 60 – 65 miles are pretty much agony.  At this point in the ride, it is not the strength that seems to be lacking, it is the ability to sit on that seat for more time.  My tail end was complaining pretty loudly about the 90 mile ride today but it was happy that we only rode 65.

We stopped at this small grocery store/café in a little place called Bathera, SC.  I was riding with my roomie John and a few others and John always stops somewhere for a second breakfast to fuel him along.  This place didn’t serve breakfast and they had this lone lady in working cooking stuff up for lunch, so we had only a few things to choose from to eat.  I had black-eyed peas and cabbage and some cornbread.  Man, that was so good!  I don’t know if I was particularly hungry or what, but man that tasted good.  Maybe it is just that good ole southern cooking. The black-eyed peas were cooked with bacon and I don’t know what they had in the cabbage, but it really hit the spot.

We rode into Charleston, SC about 3:30 this afternoon.  We are staying in the southern part of the city in the “Not So Hostel”.  It is the older part of town and I guess has some great old homes to see.  We have two rooms.  One room has 8 beds in it and the women and the men are all sleeping in the same room.  The other room has four beds in it and the snorers are banished to that room.  I hope I don’t wake tomorrow and someone accuse me of not fessing up to be a snorer.  The hostel is clean, but they have these plastic mattresses on the beds that you know have been slept on tons because they are pretty much worn out and they give you clean sheets for your stay.  I think I have mentioned that I have never done the hostel thing before. It seems a younger, more foreign crowd that stay at places like this.

We had dinner at this cool place called, “Fuel”.  It was a restaurant in an old gas station and they served Caribbean food. I had Mahi Mahi tacos and black beans and it was delicious. I was just thinking while I was there eating that it will be sad to leave all these people in a few weeks.  We have really gotten to be good friends in the time we have ridden together.  It is a little weird, but I think going through the process of riding difficult stuff together really has bonded us together.  Everyone in our group is accepted by the others and I have seen no problems in people getting along and we just have a good time together.

Tomorrow it will be six weeks since I left home.  My odometer went over 2,000 miles today and we have three weeks until we arrive in Key West.  That seems a little unreal to me.  I am looking forward to seeing the City of Charleston tomorrow.  This looks like a City rich in history. Did you know Charleston is a short name for Charles Town? The City had its beginning in 1670.

This is a some pictures of us crossing the Cooper River into Charleston.