Okay so here is the second leg on Gmaps Its friday evening, a day off in Gent on saturday, sunday's ride to just outside of Luze, qnd then this morning's cross to France. I'm posting right now from Valenciennes; I crossed the border at about 10 this morning after sleeping in a farmer's field (I was still looking for somewhere to crash close to midnight - desperate, exhausted, and having lost and then re-found my camera at a dodgy spot I had considered stealth camping). Yesterday was a day of highs and lows. I had trouble finding my way out of Gent (getting into cities is much harder than getting out - especially when your map is scaled 1:200000), got lost a couple of times, just about lost my camera, didn' make the mileage I wanted, and had trouble finding somewhere to sleep for free. On the other hand, I took a rural route thad had me, for the first time, really working on some climbs and with some exhillarating decents. I've got my packing system worked out efficiently now, and I know I can survive even in a shelter crisis. The weather was nice and I was smiling a lot. So 50/50 I'd say.

Anyhow, let me get back to my belgium story. Last I told you, I had crossed into belgium. I made for Antwerp, and spent several hours there trying to acquire a map of the area and food supplies, then crossed under the river in an awesome pedestrian/bike tunnel that must be a KM long. Was trying to make some serious mileage so I stayed on the smaller highway and pushed it to just outside of a small town called Lokeren, where I spent the night in an unfinished house. Belgium is a wierd country - all of the cities, and even the smaller towns, have really busy central shopping districts full of expensive boutiques and crowds and fashionable people (as opposed to the dutch who, despite their other good traits have little in the way of style -- my apologies to any dutch folk reading this!!) Then, only a few blocks away everything else (houses and shops) is shuttered up, and depressed looking. I'm not sure if it is some kind of economic contrast or that the belgians are just ultra private and like to lock themselves awlay from the world...

The next day I got up early and rocked into Gent. I had been planning on spending the night and had gotten in touch with a local girl, Lore, through couchsurfing and hqd somewhere to stay - it was a good thing, because one of my knees started to hurt really badly almost immediately and a day off the bike was badly needed. Looking for internet, amongst the heavy and overwhelming medieval 'skyscrapers'. Eventually I spotted (as is becomming a technique) an interesting looking person (dreadlocked girl on a bike) and asked if she knew where I could get online - Alla, her name was, rode me to the internet shop, gave me her nu,ber, and told me to stop by for coffee and a joint if I wanted.

It was a good thing I did - good conversation ensued, and, even better she introduced me to her neighbor Stijn who has biked and camped in france. We got along well (he's an environmental policy consultant - I like the ring - and the implications of that) qnd he GAVE me a high quality (Michelen) book of maps of france - the whole country, qnd suggested some routes to me. It was one of those amazing chance encounters.

Eventually I rolled on, explored the city (and its cursed cobbled streets), saw the castle, and swung by Lore's place, just in time to catch her before she headed out to work. She had another surfer staying, Mauro from Italy, and together we went out and tried some belgian beers. The next morning Lore sent me off with orange juice and tasty chocolate Gent wafers.

All in all one of the cooler cities I've been to - very laid back and postive vibe, amazing architecture and old feel (tons of squares to sit in) and hip and hippie kids everywhere (cute girl on bike overload. Seriously higher cute:bike ratio than amsterdam).

So now I have to find one more map (unfortunately the book Stijn gave me is missing like 2 pqges - which happen to cover where I am now), pick up some food supplies, choose the next destination, and hit the road. Sometimes on these midday stops in towns I feel lilke I am an RPG character- roll into town as a stranger, get suplies, potions, dig up nuggets of valuable information. My bike is my horse, and I am a wanderer - its sweet.

Miss you suckers and jealous I'm missing the Bikarnival. Email me with stories of life at home!