There is a very good reason for the two day delay in updates. I've been blissfully laid up in Houston enjoying the amazing generosity of Kate and Al, two friends from university who moved here last year. It's been bliss, pure perfect bliss, and the best half way stop I could've asked for. To be honest I've rather wanted to forget about the cycling for a couple of days, so this has gone by the wayside. However, before we get to the bliss, I must cover the grind of Tuesday.
The 95 mile slog into Houston has was never going to be the prettiest day of my trip and up till lunchtime, it was exactly as expected. Beautiful hill country flattened out into the dull flat, and the frontage road of I-10, on which I spent the bulk of the day, was as tedious as anticipated. Overcast skies and a crosswind did little to cheer up the mile after mile of freeway, petrol stations and odd small factory. When I did peel off the frontage road briefly I started stumbling across gas and oil fields, with their creaking nodding donkeys and pungent smells, and I was surprised to cross over the Colorado River again, which I thought I'd got east of days ago.
Nothing to complain about though, this is what I'd signed up for. All that changed 35 miles short of Houston, to get over one of the larger creeks, I had cross over the grass verge and onto the I-10 shoulder, and it was from here things went wrong. First a truck with oversized load came concerning close to my head, pushing me to the fringes of the shoulder, where debris collects, and jolted me into cycling headlong for the next 500 metres. As soon as I was back on the side road I felt the depressing clunking of my wheel rim on the tarmac. Repairing a tyre in that humidity was cheerless enough for me to botch the job, and I was back on the rim a mile further on, a second puncture in 2 miles.
Having trudged cursing into the next small town I stopped in the first shop I hit, a basic looking dry cleaners, run by a friendly old chap, who let me change the wheel inside and brought me water. In fact he turned out to be a little over-friendly.... As I was trying to concentrate on fixing the wheel he started telling me all about the massage course he'd done in Houston, and then completely unrequested started massaging my back.  |
| The baker and candlestick maker must be miffed |
He told me I was all tense, and I needed to come into the back room for a full massage. Crippled by a toxic combination of being English and not wanting to offend, and feeling like I owed the guy for letting me change the wheel in the cool of his shop, I found myself in the darkened backroom of a dry cleaners being frankly man handled by a rather ugly oddball in a way that I'm pretty sure is not in any massage text book. Obviously I made my excuses very fast and fled. Maybe he was just a decent bloke with serious boundary issues, but I'm pretty I read the situation right.
It did have the useful flip side of doubling my pace out of that particular town and on towards Houston, but I was running late by now. The last 35 miles was a slog, and much of it down pavements of the vast vast suburbs of Houston. It wasn't all bad, and definitely fascinating in parts, but you definitely feel small walking under the intersection of two twelve lane highways.
Two miles short of Kate and Al's I also managed to wipe out for only the third time on the trip, catching an edge on a pavement, and twisting my left side again. Hot, sweaty, late, and bruised, I can not tell you how relieved I was to see Al on the balcony of their lovely flat calling me up.
Two miles short of Kate and Al's I also managed to wipe out for only the third time on the trip, catching an edge on a pavement, and twisting my left side again. Hot, sweaty, late, and bruised, I can not tell you how relieved I was to see Al on the balcony of their lovely flat calling me up.
In fact it was the start of a blissful day and a half. A quick facebook message to Kate for a drink in Houston, has instead been 2 nights of awesome generosity, and just the best way to see this city. From the second I arrived, to full roast chicken cooking away, it has been just the most perfect halfway stop. Waking up yesterday in a home, not a hotel was heaven, even if I was a little slower after my first booze in three weeks. Throw in a fully laid table with marmite, bonne maman, croissants, and tea, and I was in a place just above heaven. Perfect.
Whilst I've spent a good chunk of the time here either on the sofa or at the pool just relaxing, Kate has done a cracking sell of Houston, whilst also kindly driving me to yet more dull cycle shops to get the bike fixed. Houston is never going win the prize for prettiest town in the US, but it's a fun, hard working boom town, and as always with such towns seeing it with someone who lives here is ideal.
A combination of a second hangover, and a realisation I needed further rest means I've woken up late again today and am going to set off for a short hop just out the city this afternoon. Before I go I've got to fit a third tyre to my back wheel after getting a full tear in the last new one (which was made of stab proof material no less), bringing the Texan Total to two tyres and three punctures, which I think tells you all you need to know about Texan roads. I also need to stash my unpleasant but vital new stock of Chamois Butt'r (I'll spare you the details, but google it if you are intrigued).Watching the news this morning has confirmed my new route along the gulf coast is best. A wave of brutal tornadoes hit the South last night, the second in the space of three weeks. So with that I better crack on. Unless something earth shattering happens today, next update will come tomorrow evening, as I'm not sure 35 miles through Houston suburbs is going to make fascinating copy, but let's see.
Tuesday 26 April
Breakfast - Bagel, Oatmeal and apple at the motel
Lunch - Cliff bar and an indescribably revolting sandwich from a rough looking supermarket after the punctures in Brookshire. It was bread with a sort of Cesar chicken baked in. Horrible, and did nothing to improve my mood at that point.
Supper - Roast Chicken, all the trimmings and veg, chocolate cake, sausison to start - Home cooked heaven at Kate and Al's on the end of a bad day. Not sure I could've asked for a more perfect meal to arrive to.
Wednesday 27 April
Breakfast - Shredded wheat, bacon and eggs cooked by myself and with no buggering around, crossiant and toast and jam. Awesome lazy breakfast at a home not a hotel, I've been dreaming of this for weeks, and it did not disappoint.
Lunch - Tiny's Summer Salad - Tiny Boxwoods. A yummy mummy garden haven down a street behind what looked like a normal house. Kind of place only locals would know. Salad was fresh, healthy and delicious. No ranch dressing or deep fried wontons or croutons, just a delicious yummy salad. City heaven.Supper - Sushi - Uptown Sushi. Best sushi I've ever eaten. After rather too much rose in the Tasting Rooms, a vast plate of perfection. Superbly cooked, amazingly presented sushi to make the tastbuds sing, and all in brilliant opulence of this restaurant, a very Houston spot, but I like big and brash when it's done this well.
