16th Jan.

The coastal road along to Jenner, quirky shaped houses, cabin homes perched on the coast, great cafes!  Met Gilbert, fellow cycle tourer at Bodega Bay camp.  A guy from the Philippines, no taller than me, cycling with a one-wheel trailer, tiny tent and improvised back rack with tent poles.  I thought he was very quiet and serious, turned out he was just a bit deaf.  He'd been cycling around since July, been north, until he found it too cold, now heading south.  He'd been a carer for people with Alzheimer's, and now mostly retired since the last elderly person he cared from had passed away.  He said sometimes he got a call about work, but otherwise he was just cycling around, staying places for 2 or 3 days, going hiking, breathing in deeply through marijuana-rich student towns!  He was staying another night, so he hung his washing out over a tree in the sun to dry.  (I wash my clothes and bunge-cord them to the back of my bike to dry through the day.)  He had a good sense of humour, and wished me well.  I love hooting my hooter and waving as I pedal off again.

The cycling wouldn't take so long if it wasn't for my camera and the cafes.  Sitting on decking in the sun by the sea, good music... the next place seems a long way away!

Some big hills.  How arduous or otherwise it is depends a lot on mindset.  Striving for and anticipating the top with every pedal stroke doesn't work.  That's exhausting just in itself.  Easier is to think, this is what I do now, and for the foreseeable future, I pedal slowly, gain height, and relax, forget the top.  There in no time! Same goes for the miles, a watched kettle never boils and all that.  Another scorcher of a day.  So nice to freewheel down into the dark of the trees every now and then, bit like a sauna plunge pool, into the settled cold air that the sun hasn't reached. 

Impromptu afternoon cyclists meeting in the road.  Vince, cycling south from Seattle, Mike from Alaska, just set off on his winter travels, and myself, all converged at the same point to chat about camp spots, hills, weight distribution, weather and so on.  Campground just after sunset, ~46 miles today, glad of my warm bulky gear at night.  My Dad's old fleece, getting on for 40 years old, been up Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn, still warm, no holes!