July 10th - ON BEING ROUGH WITH GINGER

*NOTE: I'm very sorry for any weird word mistakes on this post; I'm using my iPhone and can't scroll down to make corrections.





I DIDN'T REALLY THINK that little piece-of-shit computer I bought back in the Union Square Best Buy was actually a piece of shit. Turns out it is. Damn. But hey, typing on this cracked up little iPhone screen with my thumbs isn't ThAT bad.

It's been some days since my last post because things have gone bonkers quick. While typing in my tent one night, my computer shut off from drained battery. No big deal? Right? Wrong. The thing won't stay alive for more then two seconds with a full charge. That means three full entries vanished into cyber-hell.

Anyway that very same night turned out to be quite scary. The day was alright-- I decided to take Ginger (my bike) off road to test her durability. She did great until I crashed us into some stinging nettle in the mud by the river. After pulling out we made it back to a more reasonable road and pushed on towards our next campsite in Chaumont sur-Loire, a really beautiful town. The campsite was also pretty, and after following a country bike trail through Valaire all day, we were happy to arrive and shower.

After setting up the tent, I thought I heard American voices. At first i took it to
Be an auditory hallucination-- but then I met some American teens. There were at least thirty of them. The last group of Americans that big were the retarded people on the flight into Paris.

I walked over to their site to borrow a knife for my local cheese and sausage dinner with a beer in my hand. I hadn't thought this inappropriate until I got there and realized these kids were barely in highschool. I borrowed a knife and retired for the night to read and write.... Storm clouds gathered....

The most intense lightning storm of all time happened. I hadn't been securing my tent properly, and when I was evacuated for lightning reasons, I didn't even think of the trouble thy would ensue. Twenty minute later I'd be running out into the storm, bolting down my crippled tent. Nothing was wet, though.

I met an Australian couple while taking refuge and we agreed to have breakfast in the morning. All through the night the storm raged and it was hard to sleep. When the morning came all my clothes were soaked, but I put them on anyways. I pumped Ginger up and we got some pain chocolate with the Aussies. Then it was off to Tours, on the south side of the river. It was an excellent morning to explore thenoutlying towns on La Liore-- the rain had cooled off the day substantially. I even climbed a couple challenging hills!

Eventually I made it to Tours, starving of course, and ate a full lunch from the supermarket on the cheap. Then it wad time to arrange the night's lodging. I figured I could find a campsite, but tonight I longed for something more. Nathalie, the poor woman I'd been in and out of contact with for weeks was finally going to have the pleasure of having me. Trouble.

Nathalie couldn't be contacted and it was getting late. My phone was near dead and my computer wad nothing more than scrap metal. I Began to panic. Camping. I started biking South towards the closest site. Turns out I went East and fount myself in another factory park. Then I really started to freak. I just went. And went. Eventually I was back in Montlouise sur-Loire, and had nearly doubled all the way back to my previous campsite. Starving, and with little sunlight left, I started yelling the word "camping!?" at every poor French person I passed. At first no luck. Then a young, beautiful, bra-less French lady said I had to turn around for camping. I looked at her giant front yard, on the verge of asking if I could stay with her, but no, she didn't want this hot mess. At this point I was so covered in little gnats I just pretended my freckles had magically darkened. I could feel them squirming in my sweaty arm hair.

Down the road I went, back towards tours. I passed through another little town and found a stranger talking on a phone in English!!! He could tell I was freaking out and he gently have me directions to a campsite not 500 meters away. I thanked the Scotsman and went to there.

Naturally, the office was closed when I finally arrived at 11. I tossed Ginger over the rail and set up camp next to some vacationing Brits. They chatted with me while I set up my tent. They ogled Ginger's sleep, breakaway frame and my matching orange tent.

I showered an got all the bugs off me. I ate a bite of my sausage from the day before and finally retired. I don't have a towel with me so I've been using the only cotton shirt
I brought. Either way it didn't matter- fevers aside- it was the sweatiest night ever. I slept nude on top of my sleeping bag until I woke up from the cold and crawled inside it. I woke up and had hot instant coffee from the Brits. After chatting about our journeys I was on my way back to Tours. Magically, in found this cafe with wi-fi, couches and electricity. I left my computer to charge and bought a train ticket to the
South West coast in time for my surfing lessons. Looks like everything might work out afterall. I'm sleeping somewhere tonight - A LUKE ALONE.

Sweet Jesus the girls out here are beautiful. Asking them for extra toilet paper hasn't been a successful pick-up line. "Wanna see my tent?" hasn't been working either.