Post 146: State Highway 1, California, USA

Jason is a 'Surfer', he drives a vintage VW Camper and wears his ponytail comfortably, .... he calls me 'dude' and wants to introduce me to his cannabis, ....... Troy and Ellen call me Geoffrey and they want to introduce me to their God, ....... this must be California.

I didn't notice the sign, 'Welcome to California', I'm on '101 South', the car park overlooks the ocean and it's overflowing with people. It's Saturday morning, it's still early and I suspect that many of these good people have broken the clearly stated 'No Overnight Parking' rule. I'd left the forest campsite in Oregon at dawn and covered as many miles as possible before the need for caffeine had overwhelmed me. I'd pulled off the main road into a large gravel parking area and for the first time in America, ..... I'd been approached by dozens of people at the same time. I brew coffee and answer questions, ..... not the direct and personal questions asked of me in so many countries, ... these are more travel and bike related. I try to convert Liters to Gallons and then into US Gallons, I try to remember where I have been and the bike hasn't, where the bike has been and where I haven't. I answer the questions as best I can and then I move on, ...... the scale of my map has fooled me, ..... Boonville is much further south than I had imagined, ..... today will be another long day in the saddle.

At the City/Town/Village of Leggett, I leave 'Route 101' and turn onto 'State Highway 1', .. I think. The 'Titles' for roads here is still confusing me, but on '1', .... I care not what it's official title might be. For twenty-plus miles heading south towards Fort Bragg, I ride the most amazing stretch of road that I have ever ridden. This 'Blog' is no doubt littered with my claims of 'Best Road Ever', .... and perhaps at the time each of those statements has been true, ..... but today this little piece of Utopia is beyond comparison. Wow, ... the tarmac is perfectly smooth and the direction is never straight. One moment I think I'm back in the Black Forest, ... the next it's the Pass de Giovo and the next it's the beauty of the Adriatic or Black Sea Coast. The temperature has risen above 100 degrees, but alternately I'm cooled by the shadows of the giant redwood and the breeze from the Pacific Oceans. The decision at each bend is to continue enjoying the ride or to stop and capture the view, ........ the ride wins every time.

Through Fort Bragg and I enter the Anderson Valley, .... I see the first neat rows of vines absorbing the midday sun and ripening the grapes, .... the vineyards alternate with the redwoods, ...... always entertaining the senses, .. the signs for 'Boonville' always encouraging me forward. After the town of Mendocino, I turn away from the main road and head down to the beach at Navarro. I love this beach, .... the sands are littered with the trunks, branches and twigs of seemingly prehistoric trees, .... they lay like relics randomly for as far as the eye can see. Over time, people have fashioned them into amazing structures, ..... 'dens' for the kids, .... shelters from the burning sun for the parents, ..... this was the last beach that my Mother had visited here, .... it was also one of her favourite places to be, ... a place filled with only the happiest of memories.

I brew more coffee here, there are a few people but they keep their distance, ... perhaps they sense that this is a 'Private Time'. Boonville is less than 20 miles South of here, ... no hurry.

http://www.justgiving.com/geoffgthomas

Post 145: Route 101- Oregon, USA

I was on 'Route 101', following the pacific Coastline and heading South through Oregon, .... and for me this was by far the most emotional part of Poor Circulation, perhaps the most emotional part of my life. The road was great, fast, clear and winding, .... the sun shone from a cloudless sky and the view of the ocean and dunes through a thin veil of early morning mist was beyond any words that I could ever choose. For me and the Tiger, .. this seemed like the most perfect place to be.

In March of 2007, whilst my Mother Barbara was in ward 32 of Darlington Memorial Hospital and receiving support from her many friends at St Teresa's Hospice and Cockerton Methodist Chapel, we had many light-hearted and emotional conversations. She was obviously aware that I'd inherited my parents love of motorcycles, .... and although she constantly worried about my working as a despatch rider in London, ..... she never failed to support my choices. During one of our last conversations she mentioned that she had few regrets in life, ..... but there were two things that she wished might have happened.

Firstly, she wished that my Father George Thomas could had lived to visit my brother Alan at his home in Boonville California and to have met his two newest grandchildren; Sam and Willow. Barbara had visited Boonvile in 2006 and had fallen deeply in love with both the area and the people, ... she said that it was a place where any free-thinking person would feel instantly at home, .... she knew that George would have shared her feelings.

Her second wish was that George could at some time in his youth have ridden his Triumph Thunderbird along the coast road, 'Route 101', 'State Highway 1' and then down through the beautiful redwood forests of '128' to Boonville. Barbara had travelled this road several times with my brother and his family in the car, she had marvelled at its beauty and instantly fallen under it's magical spell.

Today I was doing that same journey on their behalf, not on a Triumph Thunderbird, but on a Triumph Tiger. I was on '101' in Oregon and heading south, a little further north than my Mother had travelled, ....... but I know that George and Barbara were enjoying this ride every bit as much as I was. With thoughts of my parents constantly in my mind, ...... I braked early, kept well below the speed limit and attempted not to swear too loudly at other motorists.

As the sun sank towards the horizon and just North of the Californian border, I found a campsite deep inside a forest of the tallest trees imaginable. I felt like a 'Hobbit' in a giant wood as I pitched the tent and cooked the remainder of my food supplies. Tomorrow I would arrive in Boonville, ....... the purpose of Poor Circulation would be fulfilled, .... wishes would be granted, ..... belatedly, .... but late is always better than never.

http://www.justgiving.com/geoffgthomas

Post 144: South from Seattle, USA

I'd spent almost a week in Seattle and to be honest, I'd explored very little of the City. My days had seemingly been hijacked by constant conversations with customs officers and freight houses in my attempts to get the Tiger's released early from captivity. It was frustrating being so close to the bike yet unable to do anything with it, ...... like riding it. I was also flat broke, I was breaking the $37 per day budget and trying to avoid any activity that would cost money. Unfortunately Alan had experienced ATM problems in Seoul and I'd used my 'Emergency Fund' paying to freight both bikes out of the country. That had left me with very little in the way of cash, ....... and I don't use a credit card. On a daily basis in Seattle it seemed that demands were being made on the amount that I could draw from the local cash-points, .... as fast as I could draw the money out, .... a hand was outstretched to take it from me; Customs Charges, Handling Charges, Inspection Charges, Administration Fees, Crate Disposal Charges, ..... the list was endless. 

On my first venture into the centre of Seattle I'd bumped into Burke and he'd introduced me to another biking colleague, Colleen. Plans had been made for the weekend when all of the paperwork with customs should have been completed, .... but on the Friday morning the Tiger had been released from captivity. My desire to continue the journey and to ride south with my 'Special Package' had become overwhelming, I wanted to arrive in Boonville for my Brother and Sister-in-Laws wedding anniversary on the Monday. Sadly those weekend plans that had been made by Burke and Colleen never came to fruition, ....... but again I send a heart felt 'Thank You' to both of them for their support and generosity and a promise that one day I will return.

With the Tiger running perfectly and the sun at long last shining, I headed South from Fife on 'i5' towards Tacoma Triumph. I found the dealership with ease and received the warmest of welcomes from Robert and his colleagues. With nothing to be fixed on the bike, they pointed me in the direction of their friendly local Insurance Agent. Although insurance is not compulsory here in the state of Washington, I certainly didn't want to risk riding without it. I parted with around $100 and in return received third party insurance for a full year, ...... that's almost ten times less than I pay at home as a courier, ..... so thanks to all at Tacoma Triumph and to Yuommi at Nationwide Insurance for helping me along my way.

Knowing that in the country that brought us 'Ambulance Chasing' I was now fully insured, I felt an awful lot safer as once more I set off South on 'i5' towards Oregon. The interstate was busy, the heat was intense and at the first opportunity I turned West onto State Highway 6 and headed for the coast. The temperature dropped and the roads were fantastic, twisting and turning, rising and falling, ..... roads the likes of which I hadn't ridden since leaving Turkey way back in May. The speed limit here may be 55mph, ...... but on these roads that's not a 'Limitation', .... on most of these roads it is actually a 'Target', ... but only for the brave or foolish. Despite constant complaints from a once more aggravated hernia, I was enjoying this ride more than any other this far on Poor Circulation, ..... it actually felt like 'freedom'. I stopped frequently, took photographs of amazing views, brewed coffee by the roadside and chatted with those that wanted to pass the time of day. Here in America it seems that people respect your personal space a little more than in countries previously visited. After the overwhelming friendliness of Russia, .... this comes as something of a shock to the system. It's not that it's better, and certainly not that it's worse, it's just different and takes a little time to get used to.

Down the coast my senses were constantly bombarded with beautiful scenery and I eventually decided to camp just north of the border with Oregon. I'd been warned that 'Free Camping' was frowned upon here, ...... care would be needed. I stocked up with food at a local market, cooked and ate by the side of the road and then wobbled into the dunes as the sun set over the Pacific Ocean. I didn't risk the attention that a campfire might bring but I pitched my tent, opened a cold bottle of beer and marveled at the amazing array of night time stars. For the first time since Lake Baikal, I took the 'Special Package' from the security of the bike and it sat beside me in the doorway to my tent, looking upwards and enjoying the heavenly show. I think I'm going to enjoy my time in America.

www.justgiving.com/geoffgthomas     

Post 143: Leaving Seattle

Finally, after what has felt like a lifetime, the call came to say that the bike was ready for collection. I made my way under clear skies to the warehouse in Fife, just south of Seattle. I parted with several dollars and the crate containing the Tiger was mine. Armed with hammers and crowbars, I broke open the crate and saw the bike for the first time in weeks.

The bike had been away for a total of 24 days, I turned the key and at the first touch of button, the Tiger burst into life. It was a sound that I'd almost forgotten, but a sound that also made me smile. Leaving the bike running, I quickly pulled on my riding gear, returned the tools to their owner and rode the bike from the base of the crate. The bike has ridden around 20,000 miles without problems, no major breakdowns and no punctures. Through my own stupidity, that was all about to end. As I rode it from the crate, one of the many nails that I'd foolishly left protruding from the base of the crate punctured the front tyre, ...... 'bugger'.

Five minutes later, sweating from the heat of exertion, I'd plugged and inflated the tyre, .... the wheels were turning and I was heading south, ...... next stop: Oregon.

Aside from puncturing the front tyre through my own stupidity, the only other problem has been the demise of my laptop computer. Sadly, 20,000 road miles has taken it's toll on this cheap and cheerful device, ... it is no more. Hopefully I'll be able to retrieve the data from its memory, possibly it may even be repairable, ..... but until then, ..... I'll borrow computer time where and when I can. 

www.justgiving.com/geoffgthomas  

Post 142: Seattle, USA (Still)

I've just received an email from my sister-in-law in California. Torrey points out that Seattle has only two seasons, ..... the Rainy Season and August. Perhaps she is being unkind to Seattle, but it is August and the rain has been pouring for the past four days, .... maybe this year Seattle has but one season. It actually feels like autumn, I'm walking around in shorts, flip flops and tee shirt, .... all of my clothes are on the bike, the second hand shoes purchased in Bangkok already discarded, .... if the bike is not available today, I'll have to find myself a thrift shop and invest in some more suitable apparel.

The weather here reminds me of England, ..... but not in a nice way. England is not a place that I miss, I'm not at all 'homesick', ... I no longer have a home in the material sense, ... but I am missing the 'People'. I haven't seen my daughter Hannah for over three months, she's 14 years old and enjoying what remains of the English summer holidays. When I was her age, the summer holidays seemed to last forever and if that feeling is the same for her, ..... then she must feel that I've been travelling for years. Kicking my heels in Seattle was never part of the plan, the plan was always to keep riding, ....... it just serves me right for not fully researching the 'Plan' prior to departure, ...... once again, .... only myself to blame.

Yesterday morning I had high hopes of collecting the Triumph and riding south, ..... but yesterday afternoon they asked me very politely to 'call back tomorrow'. Today I will call again, ... and if necessary on Friday and Monday too, .... but one day soon they will say 'yes Sir, ... thank you for your patience, ... your motorcycle is now ready for collection'.

If the customs clearance issues continue, then Colleen (Dante's Dame) has invited me to stay at her home here in Seattle until it is resolved. We have never met, ..... our connection is purely accidental. On Monday I said 'hi' to Burke, a biker that I'd met on 4th Avenue here in Seattle. Burke first introduced me to the people at Tacoma Triumph and then later passed my email address on to Colleen. Yesterday, Colleen sent me an email with a link to her website from which, using her experiences as a guide to the best roads, I will plan my route southwards to Boonville. If by Friday the rain has 'Cleared' and the Triumph hasn't, then I will probably accept Colleen's kind offer of free floor space and at the same time, ..... accept Burke's offer of some evening sailing around Seattle Harbour. If on Monday I'd decided to take 5th Avenue instead of 4th, .... then who knows?. Even when your stranded in a strange city, ...... your still travelling.

www.justgiving.com/geoffgthomas

Post 141: Seattle USA (Still)

From the corner of 4th Avenue and Spokane I decided to walk, the Customs House is on Klickitat Avenue, .... no more than half a mile away, it should take me ten minutes. I'd forgotten, or had never realised, that here in America, .... folks tend to drive and not walk.

I arrive at the rail crossing, it is on my map, I was heading in the right direction. The train was long, ... very long indeed. It stopped several times, .. it pulled forwards and then reversed, .. and then forwards again before stopping and blocking my path. Twenty minutes later, I finally walk across the rail lines, .. heading west. My destination is on Harbour Island, ... the pedestrian walkway ends but there is a cycle track that will take me safely across the water. Thirty minutes later, I arrive at Marginal Way West, .... I've walked too far, I've somehow managed to overshoot Harbour Island, I'm not 'lost', I'm just in the wrong place. I can see exactly where I need to be, I could easily ride or drive there, ..... but walking is difficult, there is no pavement, ..... is 'Jay Walking' still a crime in the USA?

I backtrack and find a staircase leading down from the cycle path onto the island below, .. I walk down and find myself on Klickitat Avenue. I have a choice, North or South. I choose North and set out in search of Building D, 1021. Another thirty minutes pass and I'm back at my starting point, this time heading south. I see a postman, ..... I ask for the Customs House at 1021, ... he points to the building just ten feet behind me, the large sign announcing 'US Customs' ... a wry smile on his face.

Inside the office, I introduce myself to the two immaculately uniformed customs officers, .... they seem to be expecting me. The Brazilian rider Roderigo has been here already, he has telephoned several times .. he has left an impression, .. an impression of great urgency. They ask me how my 'Race' around the world is going, ... I explain that for Poor Circulation it's more 'Reclining' than 'Racing'. My papers are stamped and the procedure for collecting the bike is clearly explained, ... however there is a small problem. The Tiger's are part of a larger consignment; three individual motorcycles and a crate of reading glasses from Korea, ... no part of that consignment can be collected until the entire load has been cleared. We are still waiting for Customs Clearance from one party, ..... and the container is still awaiting a 'Customs Inspection', ..... possibly Friday, more likely Monday.

We're already on first name terms, Jennifer asks me to wait for a minute, ..... she busies herself on the telephone as I chat with other customers. Minutes later the news is slightly better. Jennifer has contacted the Customs Inspection Team, .... they hope to move the container onwards tomorrow, Wednesday 20th August, ... it is not a guarantee, ..... but every little helps. I thank them sincerely and begin walking back towards 4th Avenue. A horn sounds behind me, a fellow customer from the office pulls alongside in his car, ....... 'can I give you a lift?'.

At this moment in time, I do not know exactly when the bikes will be ready for collection, ... but I hope that it is soon. Seattle is experiencing unseasonal storms at the moment but the forecast for the weekend is good, .... warm air and sunshine. It will be nice to begin riding south towards Boonville under clear skies, ........ I can only hope.

www.justgiving.com/geoffgthomas

Post 140: Seattle, USA (Still)

My watch and computer are now synchronized, they tell me that its 7:45am on Tuesday 19th of August, my body simply tells me that it's still time to sleep. I've been to reception at the Motel, I've extended my stay for another night, .... the receptionist looks at me from above her undersized spectacles, .... she understands why I'm waiting in Seattle, .... the ballet-like movement of her eyebrows suggests that one extra night may not be sufficient, ..... from somewhere deep down in my instinct vault, .... my heart tends to agree with her.

Yesterday I was told by me freight forwarding company that one motorcycle, I assumed the small Yamaha of the Brazilian rider Roderigo, had already flown the container, .. he was heading for New York. They told me that my lack of a Customs Release Form was holding up the show, ... once secured, ... Poor Circulation could continue onwards to Boonville California. This morning I learn from the freight handling company in Fife that the container from the vessel is still held at the port, ....... US Customs have not yet released it into their custody, .... nothing could move in or out until that happened. I ask how long it might take, .... they tell me to call back tomorrow. I ask them to be more specific, .... they tell me possibly up to a week, .. my heart begins to sink.

I'm so close to Boonville, between Seattle and Boonville there are some amazing things to see, some amazing adventures to be had and some amazing new people to meet. The 'down-time' between South Korea and America was acceptable, it had been expected and I'd filled the void by having a parallel adventure on a rental bike in Thailand, ..... but this delay is different. Each day is bringing me closer to exceeding my budget, ... four more days in Seattle and I will be above the £20 per day marker, .... for each single day beyond that, two days of Poor Circulation will be sacrificed. The cost of the Motel is equal to the £20 per day budget and thus far I am running almost £100 under budget, ..... but that small surplus will soon be gone. Although 'Hotels' were never on the Poor Circulation menu, at certain times it has simply been necessary, ... without a bike and needing to be close to the heart of the city, ... camping is not really a workable alternative. I need to retrieve the Tiger within the next two days, .... that is my mission.

I've had an email from Alan, but I still don't know where he is. I suspect that in arriving here before me he's secured his customs release form and like me is simply waiting, .... holed up in the cheapest place possible. I've sent him copies of the procedures for retrieving the bikes and hopefully he too will soon be setting down rubber on his journey along Route 66.

www.justgiving.com/geoffgthomas

Post 139: Seattle, USA (Still)

The vessel, 'HJ London' transporting the Triumph from South Korea arrived in Seattle on time, Friday 15th August 2008. Today, Monday 18th August the bikes should be ready for collection. I check the website of Mercer Logistics who are handling the container and find that I need to acquire a Customs Release Form, .... and then the Tiger will once again be mine. I make calls on my new cell phone, 'our menu has changed, please listen carefully, .... for X press 1, for Y press 2'. I know the drill by now, ... nothing quite matches my requirements, I hold for the overly polite but non the less incomprehensible operator, ... 'your call is important to us, please continue to hold'. Eventually I receive an answer that I can understand. I must come to the Customs House with three documents and my cheque book. They can not tell me the 'Cost' because that apparently depends upon the quality of my paperwork, .... but sadly they fail to inform me that the Customs House address on the Internet is incorrect.

I head into town and I'm immediately struck by the efficiency of Seattle's bus service. $1:50 for the ride into central Seattle, ... it takes 35 minutes. As the bus approaches the centre of town, it enters a tunnel and rides beneath the city, .. no congestion, no rain, .... one day all bus services will operate this way. When I'd first arrived here, it had been cloudless skies and 95 degrees of burning heat, ... one day onwards and its below 60 degrees and pouring with rain. Apparently such contrasts are common in Seattle, ... it will remain this way for three more days and then sunshine and clear skies for the weekend. I hope that by the weekend I'll be down in California, ...... but I'm dealing with Government Agencies, .... my future is not my own until they verify that fact in triplicate.

I visit the wrong Customs House in downtown Seattle but they do give me the correct address, ... I put it down to experience, ... I should have checked the details before setting out this morning. Whilst in town I decide to take a walk around Seattle, I see a Suzuki V-Strom with aluminium panniers and wearing the stickers of many adventures, it's parked a little way up a side street. it's rider struggling into waterproof clothing as the heavens open and the rain begins to pour again. I chat with the rider, Burke Kron, a local Seattle biker who seems to have a second career helping fellow two wheeled travellers. We talk for several minutes as the rain falls and by the time Burke rides on his way, several things have happened. Firstly, I've been introduced to the people at Tacoma Triumph, a Triumph dealership just south of Seattle and once Poor Circulation is mobile again, I promise to call in for tea. Secondly, like Roman and Slava in Volgograd, Burke and his friends love boats and sailing, .... I'm invited to join them on the water later in the week, .... it's turning into a fruitful day after all.

As I return to the suburbs and attempt to dry out, I power up my ailing laptop and check my emails, .... I have several new messages. Mr Hussein Ibrahim and Lady Rosemary Squires both want to temporarily use my UK bank account in order to deposit multi-million dollar charitable donations, both the Halifax Building Society and Nat West Bank are asking me to confirm my personal details and several messages are offering me various solutions for 'erecti1e dy5function' (sic). At the bottom of my inbox is a message from Colleen, ... 'DantesDame'. I open the message and see that Colleen is a local biker from Seattle, she has travelled extensively in the USA and Canada, ... she is a friend of Burke and like him, ... is offering assistance. Travelling around the world on a motorcycle is easy, ....... your invisible support team is huge.
Tomorrow I will take my documents to the correct Customs House, obtain my Customs Clearance Forms and hopefully, ..... collect my Tiger from the bonded storage depot in Fife, ... just south of Seattle. This is after all America, .... what could possibly go wrong?
www.dantesdame.com
www.justgiving.com/geoffgthomas

Post 136: Seattle, USA

America was always going to be the easier part of this trip, …. from the very beginning I’d convinced myself that this would be true. I’d left Taipei airport at 00:47 on Saturday 16th August, I’d flown for 11 hours and landed in Seattle at approximately 21:00 on Friday 15th of August, .. 3 hours and 47 minutes before I’d left. My computer now tells me that it’s 22:12 on Sunday 17th of August, … my senses and the density of traffic outside of this cheap motel room tell me that it must be a weekday, .. I guess Monday 18th of August. It feels as if I’ve lost a day, .. possibly two days, … I’m totally disorientated and have only two urges; Sleep & Food, … Food and Sleep.

Whilst in Thailand and Taiwan, China had headed the Olympic medals table with USA (or Michael Phelps) in second place. By the time I’d arrived in America, the medal count remained the same but the tables had changed, ….. America was now leading with China in second place. I wondered when American TV had decided that the tables would be based on ‘Total Medal Count’ and not ‘Gold Medal Count’, …... I wondered if there was any known mathematical formula that could be used to promote Great Britain to the top? It all just added to my state of jet-lagged confusion, but at least now I could more easily understand how George Bush was twice elected to the Presidency.

I’ve been watching TV for the first time in months, 240 channels of 24 hour viewing. American sports that I don’t understand, … it’s the top of the 5th and somebody has a ‘5 & 2’ record, I’ll be able catch the next game at ‘9pm Eastern Standard Time’, .. but only if I subscribe to HBO? In an unofficial advertisement sponsored by local business people I hear that the current Governor of Washington State, Dino Rossi, voted for fuel tax increases but voted against a drug price reduction bill, ….. but in the next infomercial the Governor himself tells me that he didn’t and did respectively. I can buy a new Chevy, nothing down and payments of only pennies on the dollar, … but surely they use ‘cents’ here and not pennies?

The Triumph will arrive today in Fife, just south of Seattle, …. but Fife looks to be several miles from the Ocean and the Triumph arrives by boat. I have two telephone numbers to call, ….. when tried, both inform me that the numbers have been temporarily disconnected. I have an email telling me that the bike will be ready for collection on the 20th, 21st or 22nd of August but I must obtain customs clearance on the 20th. They will explain the procedure when I telephone the number provided, … ‘we’re sorry but the number you are calling has been temporarily disconnected’.
In search of sanity, I go to the local gas station to buy some beer. I’d tried to buy beer yesterday evening, the gas station had been open and indeed they sold beer, …… but unfortunately as it was already dark, … they’d refused to accept my cash. Today they were more accommodating, It was daylight and they gladly accepted my money. Outside I bumped into Dan and Stan, … or possibly Stan and Dan. They’ve ridden up from California, Route 101. They are meeting their wives who’ve flown into Seattle Airport before heading up into Canada for a few days riding on their Harley’s. I’m jealous, ….. I need to start riding again soon, … I’m missing the Tiger, America is already driving me insane.

www.justgiving.com/geoffgthomas

Post 135: Seattle, USA

On arrival in America there was one thing that had to be done, ….. I had to eat from a menu that was written in English. That might sound a little weird, but it’s at least two months since I’ve seen a menu where every dish was familiar. I don’t think it’s that the food will be any better or worse than the food eaten in any other country, …… it’s more to do with the comfort of familiarity, .. to be able to order and eat without thinking.

In south Seattle where I’m staying until the Triumph is ready for collection, there is a Denny’s. Like a vegetarian returning from the darkside, I sat at the bar and drooled over a laminated menu of dreams. I ate breakfast; crispy bacon, sausages, eggs easy over and hash browns, all washed down with a bottomless mug of coffee and followed by pancakes with syrup.

It was delicious, in fact it was everything that I’d dreamed it would be for so many weeks, ….. but it’s done now and I’m over it. On the road I must've lost almost 30lbs, …. but I somehow feel that I’ll gain it back with interest whilst travelling through America.

www.justgiving.com/geoffgthomas