Sierra Leone update

Hello everyone, Another 92 degree day in Makeni, 8 degerees north of the equator. We had an interesting walk through town last night. I was looking for a pair of croc’s to wear home allowing me to leave my sneakers and boots in Maboleh Village. Couldn’t find any but did see dried bats and monkey meat for sale. Only 20,000 leones for a monkey quarter (just like a chicken quarter only bigger). That would be less than $5. It was as dark as charcoal and looked positively unappetizing. The dried bats, same price for a handful made me gag. I also purchased inner tubes for our pastors bicycle, 20,000 for two. 4300 leones = $1. I will also be buying some tires, 11,000 leones each. Good price. Today in the village we finalized some building plans for the holy, holy, holy latrine (3 holer, duh). Local workers will be getting the granite for the founation and will also be bringing sand from the river and cutting bush sticks for shoring up the foundation. This will save us a lot of money, since we don’t have to buy it at the local store. We also purchased school supplies in Makeni. The village primary school, grades 1-6 has 227 children with no supplies. For $69 we purchasd 105 theme books, 6 boxes of chalk, and 20 personal size slates for the children in grades 1-3. Yes, they still use slate boards, and do a lot of rote learning. We bought lunch for all the children, 227 and the 6 teacheres and principle. Total cost $7. There is a group here from Minnesota and we have joined with their leaders for dinner tonight. They are going great work in a neighboring village, building a clinic, (approved by the gov’t) and providing solar power. Now they will be able to keep medicines that need refrigeration (insulin) and are authorized to give innoculations. we were able to purchase a bed net for every family to prevent mosquito bites during the night. Thank all of you at CrossPoint church for your donations. The villlagers greatly appreciated them. Most homes now have more than one. This is very important for the villagers. I gave a demonstration on how to use the grinder we brought here. We made peanut butter, which they had never eaten before. There eyes were as wide as saucers at the first nibble. They absolutely loved it. I showed them how to dissasemble, clean and reassemble it. They will be grinding corn, rice, coffee and ground nuts (look like our Spanish peanuts). Hopefully they will be starting a business and make money grinding grains. I suggested they make Corn bread from the flour we made from grining corn. They really like that idea. They also thought it was good they we eat corn bread in the USA. A little boy, about 8 yrs old came to us with a small Greyish Eagle Owl, that was soon to fledge. It must have fallen from the nest. He carried around all day, and I am sure it won’t make it throught the night. Several children also carried around small rats as pets. At least I think it was more than one. One was blind and just clung to their clothing. Yech. We will be heading home on Thursday. I guess to cool weather. what a contrast.

I will add pictures when I return to tnternet here is slow.

The ride is over the journey continues

Ken entering Sunset Beach, NH Augus 10, 2009

It’s been too long since my last update, so here it is.

What a wonderful experience riding across the USA and Canada this summer.  The people we met were so gracious and in awe of our adventure.  I met some great people and am still in touch with several of them.  Road biking is occurring less due to weather and shortened daylight.  But I am now continuing my joy of cycling with mountain biking.  This year I will be attempting a new adventure, night time mountain biking with lights!  Sounds like fun.

I want to thank everyone for the donations.  I reached the 40% mark of my goal, and am still in the process of raising funds for the Nothing but Nets campaign.  If you still haven’t donated, please click on the NBN site on the right hand side of the blog.  It will go directly to my team page where you can make a donation with a credit card.

The journey continues with addressing the issue of malaria.  I will be working with United Methodist Communications on a program called “Imagine no Malaria”.  The goal is to eliminate malaria in the world.  This is a very doable program.  We did it in the United States and with new procedures and technologies it can be done throughout the world.

I want to continue to educate and inform people on malaria and the effects it has on the people, especially refugees in Africa.  I would also like to tell people about the cycling adventure I had and how important it is to live your dreams.  The lofty mountains that are in your mind can be climbed in reality and not just in the drifting thoughts that pass your consciousness like billowy summer clouds. Please contact me if you are interested in hearing my story of how I am able to do those things I enjoy and am able to accomplish through faith in God, passing through the threshold of open doors, and attempting to discern His plan for my life.

Stay tuned as I present more information the eradication of malaria.

Bike along the Mohawk – Day 46 and 47

Chicks can fly

More donations, more Buzzkill T shirts.  Three more cyclists have donated and requested the now famous, in demand BuzzKill T shirts.  Your donation helps prevent the spread of Malaria to people in Sierra Leone.  Click on the link on the top left of the blog page to donate on line.

Item on note:  This was the last day we have to do laundry.  Sorry Kathy, I will be bringing home a load of dirty cycling clothes.

Day 46 from Liverpool to Little falls New York was a good cycling day.  Almost 18 mph for 78 miles.  The roads were quiet with little traffic in the morning as we cycled close to the old Erie canal.  This was ladies day.  All the women decided to ride together and they set a mean pace.  Who said Chicks couldn’t fly?  At one point I sprinted ahead to get a picture of these cycling femmes.  By the time I put the camera away and got back on the bike they were gone.  I sprinted very hard for quite a while until I finally caught up to them.  Thankfully they were slowing at an intersection or they would have beaten me to the first rest stop.  Take note:  Use restrooms in New York.  The policeman didn’t like us using his canal for a latrine.  Almost got arrested.  Boys will be boys.

Gene and John had 3 more flats.  6 yesterday and 3 today means they may be in first place for the most flat tires.   The last two hours of riding took us through some more great small towns.  How bad can a town called Herkimer be?  And, there is an East Herkimer.   The roads also had more debris along them causing several of the group to succumb to flat tires.  Staples caused more flats than any other debris today.  Strange.

I did see some more birds today, all pretty common.  I was surprised when a Pileated Woodpecker flew in front of our group.  I impressed them with being able to name it as it flew.  Some people are easy to impress.

Mohawk River at Little Falls New York

Little falls is wonderful little town that once had a cheese factory, bicycle factory and other manufacturing.  Unfortunately today the factories are closed and it has become a retirement, bedroom community.  The Mohawk river flows through the town between the main street and the Erie Canal.  Lock 17 is here. It has one of the highest lifts of any canal in the US at over 41 feet.  It takes 50 million gallons of water to fill it and it only takes 15 minutes.  We watched while a small boat was lifted to continue the journey down stream.

A small pleasure craft awaiting a lift in Lock 17 on the Erie Canal, Little Falls New York

We had lunch at a small bar and grill in town and got all the good news from the locals.  The limited menu included a few sandwiches and a mushroom stew.  The stew was a chili base without the meat and beans.  Mushrooms were in their place.  We had this and two beers for $5.50.  Too bad we weren’t here last night, there were fireworks and a parade celebrating canal days.

Saturday morning dawned cool and fresh.  The 50 degree temperature quickly warmed as we started the climb out of the Mohawk Valley and bade goodbye to Little falls. 

There was a long easy climb for the first few miles.  As we crested the large flat plain above the valley, we had a beautiful view to the west of the Mohawk River Valley.

Looking west into the Mohawk River valley and Little Falls, New York

After we crested from the morning climb, we entered a section of road with brand new paving.  It was like our tires turned to steel blades as we skated across the ice smooth surface.   The new surface made for a rapid, safe descent to our first small town and rest stop at Karen’s produce stand.

We entered the Erie Canal bike path once more as we moved along both the canal and the Mohawk river. 

A forgotten lock on the old Erie canal near Amsterdam, New York

There were beautiful estuaries and wetlands that I’m sure provided nesting for many birds.  The nicely paved path meandered through the woods, wetlands and along the locks.  We also passed an old lock that was a part of the original Erie canal.

 

I backed off my usual pace and decided to ride easy the last few miles along the Mohawk River.  It was quiet and quite lovely with the river on my left and the wooded marshes on the left.  I paused frequently to take a picture and enjoy the quiet beauty.

The restful pace will be do me good so that my muscles are ready for the two major climbs we have tomorrow to Brattleboro Vermont.

Mohawk River near Latham New York

 

Little Falls New York

Good Bye Canada, Hello New York, Day 44

Entering New York at Niagara Falls

Ken at Niagara Falls

More donations have come in from member of our group.  The Buzzkill T shirts are a hit and the NothingbutNets folks keep sending me more to give away with a minimum $20 donation.  Please donate and save a family from the devastating effects of Malaria.  $10 buys a net, distributes it to a family in need and teaches them how to use it.  All money goes towards nets.  Click on the Malaria advertisement on the right to donate.

 

Ten riders from our across America group made donations and received their Buzzkill T shirt.

 

Our last day in Canada was from Brantford, Ontario, the boyhood home of Wayne Gretzky, to Niagara Falls.  It was a cloudy day but the falls were magnificent.  We maneuvered our bicycles among the cars and people.  We found it easier to walk the bicycles along the park on the Canadian side to view the spectacular natural display.  It is amazing how much water is flowing over the rocks every second. 

 

The plaza adjacent to the falls was jammed with people from all over the world.  The Canadians were celebrating civic days and we were treated to a short but exciting fireworks display on both Sunday and Monday evenings.

 

I had a rear wheel failure, cracked rim, on the way to Niagara Falls.  The America by Bicycle mechanic gave me a loaner until I could get a replacement.  I spent much of Monday morning working with bicycle shops attempting to find a reasonably priced wheel that would get me to Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  Thanks to Jim at Pedal Pusher in Harrisburg, my home bicycle shop, he was able to arrange for one in Henrietta, New York.  There was an employee at a bicycle shop in Henrietta that actually gave me a wheel to use to the finish.  I will be mailing it back to him when I get back to Harrisburg.  What a magnanimous gesture from a fellow cyclist.

 

I have the area of central New York to be not as fertile as Ontario or Minnesota.  The soybeans and corn do not appear as succulent and the fruit isn’t close to fruition and we are another week into the growing season.  The weather has been quite cool across Ontario and New York.  Articles in the newspapers lament the loss of the summer due to the cool, wet weather.

 

We did see cords and cords of firewood.  The stacks of wood, looking so much like loaves of bread,  ready to be thrown in to the mouth of the furnace to satisfy the hungry flames to warm the homey hearth.  The early death of trees, lined up as corpses, being prepared for cremation, does not tell whether the monarchs of the forest were to meet a slow death at the mouths of the forest denizens that would gnaw at the bark and chew the roots.  But rather they were felled by the ravaging teeth of the woodsman’s chainsaw chewing a thousand more bites a second than the woodsy insects would do in a month.

 

We left Niagara Falls under a cloudy sky, with a warning of late day storms.  The cool morning gave way to a warm day with high humidity.  The dense air weighed heavy on my 180 pound frame, pushing me deeper into the saddle and making the wheels of the bicycle seem to roll slower and slower.  And then the nasty head winds picked up after 60 miles making the final twenty five miles seem even longer than expected.

 

Draw bridge ahead outside of Brantford, OntarioNagara Falls at night, US side

Niagara Falls at night, US side

The last days of South Dakota

Thanks everyone for the donations.  I just recieved word of another $350 donation for insect treated bed nets for people in Sierrea Leone.  Your donations are saving lives.  Please consider a donation if you haven’t already done so.  The NothingbutNets campaign, the United Methodist Church and I thank you.

July 16 we rode from Pierre to Chamberlain, South Dakota, 84 miles.  It was a very uneventful day, but was a nice ride along the very wide Missouri River.  For some reason Huck Finn kept popping into my mind, even though he drifted on another river many hundreds of miles away.  Everyone seemed down and unmotivated to ride hard.  Some people were suggesting the dinner at China Buffet was the reason.  Too much fried food and not enough carbs.

The road was rough and once we left the banks of the Missouri, there wasn’t much to look at.  Although the countryside is quite lovely, bucolic actually, with many herds of grazing cattle and vast stretches of verdent grasslands.  I did see a deer in a hollow, but no other wildlife.  We entered Chamberlain tired and hungry.

The Missouri river from the buttes east of Pierre, South Dakota

We left Chamberlain at 7:30A.M. and arrived in Mitchell at noon.

I saw a beautiful hawk on a fence post just outside of Mitchell.  Can anyone identify it?

Unidentified hawk on a fence post, Mitchell South Dakota

We are now in Mitchell, South Dakota, home of the famous (some people here would like to believe) Corn Palace.  Why isn’t this in Iowa or Nebraska?  Today was an easy day of 70 miles with only one small climb at the beginning of the ride.

Chamberlain South Dakota from the Butte above the Missouri River

We were in Chamberlain yesterday.  It is a very quaint midwestern town that is dieing a slow death.  The box stores in Mitchell, 70 miles away is drawing the dollars from the shops in Chamberlain.  The Chrysler/Jeep dealer is closed as is many other stores.  We had a great breakfast and a good dinner last night at the Anchor Grill.  Lunch was at the Derby.  An eclectic little place that was a strange combination of restaurant, saloon and living room.  There was an old piano which Scott Joplin should have been playing.  Stacks of newspapers, childs toys and a laptop were on tables around the long narrow hall.  The tap had 3 local brews and a sign announced another 15 brews from mid west microbrews.  We had excelent sandwiches on a choice of rye, sourdough, wheat and white. A pint and half a sandwich fetched a mere $6.00.  Not as cheap as the two dollar pints in Rapid City, but still a bargain.  Some people got haircuts for $8.00 and a history lesson of the town.  The bridge in the foreground was closed yesterday amid great consternation by the towns people.  Apparently the D.O.T closed it without notice, and it is not to be reopened until December, 2010.  There will be a hearing in a few days.

One of our stops today was at the store in the picture.  You can buy anything you want at Mac’s.

They had cattle prods, syringes and needles to vaccinate animals, chips, candies, spam, drinks, chain saws, bailing wire, tools, gasoline and too many other things to mention.  We were glad to tour leaders didn’t buy the cattle prods.

Farm and convenience store near Chamberlain, South Dakota

We had another day of wonderful weather.  Sunny and 75 degrees.  It just doesn’t get any better than that.

There a lot of concrete roads in the towns and outskirts. The problem riding on concrete roads are the expansion joints.  It doesn’t take many miles until the ta-dump, ta-dump, ta-dump every few seconds starts driving you crazy, not to mention the numbing of the hands and the additions stress on the butt.  We rolled along at a very nice pace until we reached 10 miles from town.  I don’t know why we don’t learn to control ourselves, but we saw targets ahead and had to catch the riders ahead.  Just like the Tour de France, we can’t let a breakaway get out of hand.  We finished the last 10 miles at a blistering 21MPH.

The last few days were easy and the mind tended to wander beyond the grassy plains.  I began seeing other cyclists with names befitting their riding style.  There was the Hunchback of Notre Dan; Upright Ursulla, Tommy Tuck and Wobbly Willy.  We are fortunate that almost all the riders are doing a great job and riding hard.  There are few problems and just about everyone is getting along just fine.

There is a rodeo in town tonight but I decided not to go.  I am sitting here icing down my hip.  I took a bad fall coming in to Mitchell on the concrete street.  My front tire got caught in a open crease that seperated the main driving lane from the gutter next to the curb.  As best I can figure, when the wheel went into crease, it stopped the bike very quickly.  Unfortuately I didn’t.  I was launched to the right, bouncing once off my hip then doing a header (yes, I did have a helmet on) into the sidewalk.  I was in a great deal of pain.  I landed very hard on the hip.  After a few moments of writhing in pain and getting the deserved attention I generally crave, I began reviewing the parts of my body that were sending messages to the brain.  Everything seemed in tact.  Several people were with me and a few men from a quick lube came to my aid.  The men wanted to call 911, but Ted had the sense to suggest they wait until they find out what my injuries are.  I’m glad Ted had the sense to do that.  If an ambulance showed up, I would surely have gone to the hospital, and then had to deal with the America by Bicycle and lots of hassles.

Ken writhing in pain. Mitchell, South Dakota (a reenactment)

After it was determined that I really was alright, we decided to do a reenactment for the record.  This picture is a recording of the event.  I am amazed that I wasn’t hurt and that there was absolutely no damage to the bicycle.  I had the mechanic check out the bike and he concurred.  A crash like this usually ends with a broken collar bone.  I’m glad I prayed for safety this morning.

Tomorrow, it’s off to Sioux Falls and our last day in South Dakota.  Can’t wait for cheese and brats in Wisconsin.  I hope I can find a cheese head to put over my helmet.

Here are some random pictures I hope you enjoy.

Corn Palace, Mitchell South Dakota

Ken at the Corn Palace, Mitchell South Dakota

Ken and Tom at the half way point across America, outside Pierre South Dakota

Much of the ride followed the Lewis and Clark Trail

Wild west silhouette outside Pierre, South Dakota

Ted riding through the rock spires near Mt. Rushmore

Mt. Rushmore South Dakota, July 2009

The ride begins

Day 0 of the bicycle ride across the USA.  All the cyclists gathered today for everyone to get introduced and learn to know the staff.  We had a rundown of all the rules and procedures.  With 51 cyclists and probalby $100K worth of bikes there are some definite issues that needed addressed.  The average age is 58 from a very varied walks of life.  Students, nurses, doctors, bankers, physicists, engineers, many retired, some just taking some time off and only doing part of the ride.

We did a warm up ride and a ceremonial dip of the rear wheel in the Pacific Ocean at Sunset beach.  It was a short 30 mile ride at an easy pace.  It rained off and on so the bikes were coated with a film of grit and grim which definitely needed a cleaning when we returned.

There sure is a mix of bike and riders.  There are people here from Trinidad, Tasmania, and England. 20 states are represented and a plethora of careers. The youngest is a girl who just graduated from high school.  The oldest rider is 80, a concert violinist, who is also a college professor.  He rides with wrist and arm guards, so if he were to fall, he won’t injure his arm and hands and end his music career. Most everyone is interested in telling their stories and why they are here.  Approximately five people are doing fund raisers for charity.  One lady was a former assistant to Martha Stewart and one man’s wife, whom we met, is a published novelist.

There is also a wide variety of cycles.  I saw a $10,000 Parlee (sp) and the standard Treks, Giants, Specialized and Cannondales. There are a few recumbents, some that are strangely rigged with all sorts of gear bags, flags and water bottles.  The experience level also varies with most people having a history of week long rides and many centuries. One lady, in her late sixties, just learned to ride last year so she could do this ride with her husband.

We saw several deer on the route, including a nice 8 point buck still in velvet.  We also saw 3 fawns, still with spots, tentatively crossing the road after their mother.  We saw one partially albino deer in the middle of a traffic circle.  It was white on the rear rump and hind quarters,mottled white in the the middle and brown on the front quarter and head.  A very unusual site.

Oregon is quite beautiful with large evergreen and cedar trees.  It is very lush with carpet floor covered with ferns.  Yesterday we visited Fort Clatsop, the wintering fort of the Lewis and Clark Expedition (named after the Clatsop indians).   It was very interesting historicaly.  There was a well stocked visitors center that had displays of the clothing, tools and hunting implements used by the indians and the L&C team.

Tomorrow is a 69 mile day with some long climbs and about 5000′ of elevation climbs from Astoria Oregon to St. Helens.  We are hoping to see Mt. Hood.  We will be riding along Rte 30, which is part of the Lewis and Clark Trail.  The road will take us along the Columbia river which have some beautiful scenery.  Come back to the site in a day or two, and hopefully I’ll have the details updated.

I did recieve a few more donations for the Nothing But Nets campaign.  Thanks for your donations and please spread the word to your friends.

Tune in again for more tales of the travels.

Ken mengel.

Off to Oregon

The adventure starts today, June 19th, as we fly to ORegon from Pennsylvania.   To date team Spokes 4 Nets has met 15% of its goal, with more funds coming in.  THANK YOU!

Thought you would enjoy seeing a great picture of some curious girls watch us work in SIerra Leone.  These are the people most protected when they have an insecticide treated bed net to sleep in.

Four Curious girls watch the Oportu (white man) work.

We can help prevent the spread of Malaria.  We must concurrently provide infrastructure and sustainable business and agriculture to provide enough food for the growing population.  Small businesses will provide the jobs to stimulate the  economy and provide income so peo ple can purchase the essentials for a healthy existence.