Not a chance encounter but we arranged to meet with former CrazyGal Emily Sharp in Corowa during our ride along the Murray River.
We had a great evening.
Mike
We were in one of the states close to the Canadian border, on the American side, tired and happy to stop. Our notes said we could camp in the park but on condition that we told the mayor or the local policeman.
It was a nice day and the mayor had gone fishing, which shows you the sort of town it was. There was no sign of a police station so, one uniform being as good as another, we went to the fire station. There we were a welcome distraction because nothing had burned down in days and they set to, phoning everyone in town to ask if they'd seen the single policeman.
He arrived, a mean dude with dark glasses who leaned against the door post and said "Waddya want?"
To camp in the park, we said.
He wasn't impressed.
He got into his car, a white monster adorned with aerials, lights, sirens and lord knows what, and we followed him through town at 15kmh, not at all normal for an American police car, and eventually got to the park which we had already found.
"Cyclists usually stick themselves there," he said, pointing at a suitable area with a tone of "I'm here for gangsters, not for you." And he turned and walked away, to no disappointment on our part.
I had just raised my eyebrows in Steph's direction and put my hand on the tent on the back of my bike when I felt a hand on my shoulder.
"Oh hell," he said, "why don't you come and stay with us so we can hear your story."
He drew us a map, said he'd be off-duty in half an hour, and we set off to find where he lived. And at home with his wife, he was totally different, almost timid, certainly welcoming.
"Sorry," he said, "it's an act I have to put on for the local hard-cases."
I remember Emily's journals on CG! Such a adventurous person and a great writer! So odd, I thought of her and her journals just yesterday.
She’d be glad to hear this, I think. You could reach her through our Cycle365 site: http://cycle365.life/profile/The%20Navigator/.
Good question, Leo.
I have had so many happy, unexpected, encounters it is difficult to recall them all off the top of my head.
There were the cowboys who helped me out in Utah
The Italian man who bought me lunch on a semi-stormy day in the mountains
Then there are the countless number of times I was invited to share a meal in a campground, or given a lift when in need, or driven to a bike shop when my rim exploded or tire gave out...
But the one that always jumps to mind is my chance encounter with a French woman and her dog on a miserably rainy day in Normandy. I had ducked into a cafe to get out of the rain and a chance encounter resulted in an invitation to stay the night with her and her dog.
These are the experiences that make bike touring special.
Karen
Emily journals now on Wordpress.
She prefers that medium because her followers (family and friends) receive an email link whenever she posts a journal there.
Mike
Funny that you should post this thread. We just finished rereading our blog "Travels with Bernie", posted here on Cycle Blaze, a loving retrospective look at how we met our late friend and the impact he had on our lives.
For the most part, I stay away from people while on bike tours but I've still had my share of enjoyable encounters. By far, the most memorable was on my short tour in Iowa, of all places. On the third day of my tour, I was working on my journal in the Webster City, IA public library when I got an e-mail from one of my favorite bike touring journal authors. I thought he lived out in Washington or Oregon, but he said he had recently moved to Iowa (by chance!) and he proposed a meet-up. Hell yeah!
We set a place and time. A few days later I met with Jeff Arnim at a small town restaurant and had a most enjoyable breakfast and conversation. The story is on this page:
https://www.cycleblaze.com/journals/iowamyth/grundy-center-iowa-heat-vs-a-determined-mind/
What's been your happiest chance encounter on the road?
3 years ago