Land of Lincoln

By crossing the Ohio River on yet another ferry, I left rolling-hills-Kentucky and coasted onto another challenge: Missouri and its Ozark Mountains. But not before I dipped my fin into the tip of Illinois. After plowing through unfriendly, bashing winds, Illinois is, thank goodness, on a different micro-climate (or so it seemed). Two days I cruised through its territory and either Kentucky dogs followed the smell and swam that river after me or they spread the word cause Illinois dogs are even worse. They move in packs. All of the sudden, out of nowhere, there's 4-5-7 of them, all together, swirling around me and my bike. And it ain't those purse-sized-ones either, oh no, big lab-size they are. Anyway, I (only just) survived these attacks, as gracefully as ever (picture me, yelling, swinging a water bottle, try to move back in my lane as to avoid oncoming traffic, all the while balancing that bike and somewhere, in between all that, making the purple whistle do something, any-thing, that'll make the little devils back off). It's fun, cycling the States is fun, I really recommend.

Back in Kentucky I met a sweet couple, Lauren and Zach, doing a good part of the TransAm (same direction) and one of the (3) Illinois nights we even ended up at the same WarmShowers-host :) I've been biking some hills lately and thinking "If anything, this one is not designed to be cycled, at all" so it's nice to know there's other, real flesh and blood, people (not just some that signed the same bikers-log at some gas station back in '93) in my proximity that are, by choice, suffering the same faith as I am.

So Illinois was a quickie but I will not, ever, forget that last night I spend next to the Mississippi river, to cross into Missouri. Due to privacy reasons I'll keep it vague but it involved somebody's birthday, somebody handing out one too many tequila shots, an ex-striper taking me to some sketchy what-happens-here-stays-here-bar and some guy leeching on me all night with, believe it or not, European history ... (why, seriously why? Can I please collect my credits now?).
It was fun! And against all expectations, the next morning, as usual, or kinda, say one hour later, I got on my bike and said so long to Illinois and that sister-tattoo me and my ex-striper friend (great girl by the way) were supposed to have that next day.