So I RoDe My BikE to ThE EveRGLaDes....Part 3 OkEeChoBeE to CLeWiStOn

Check out was 11 am.  So we were up and out of that room, JUST as it was 11am.  While Bob
was napping under a tree at River Ranch Resort, I had text messaged the Queen of Ultra Endurance, Lynne Daniels, and Asked her if she minded driving into Okee to get Bob.  At the time I had no Idea we would go on a HELL HIKE, but I could tell Bob, who had just come off a 3 month off the couch Hiatus, had perhaps bitten off more then he could chew.

When I gave Bob the news, he didn't complain, not even a little.  We soft pedaled a block or two to 5 guys, to have food, while we wait for the meet up with Paul and Lynne.  I had the bikes locked up but in sight, I never ever leave my bike out of it.  I ordered the biggest burger I could and the large bag of fries and ate forever, till Lynne and Paul arrived and I got a chance to give them snippets and bits of what I had experienced on the trail so far.

And so far the news was good.  The trail had really delivered with gorgeous terrain and adventure, except for that 12 mile hike.

Eventually after our food was done, we said our goodbyes and Bob left with them on his way to rest and catch a train and I continued on the route heading towards the Everglades.  The wind was bad and coming from the south.  That's the way it is in the summer ya know, the southern hot wind.

My perception at the time I left was that I was behind schedule so I skipped riding on the levy.  The sun was hot, and I was astounded about how tired I still felt from my late night ride, the wind wasn't helping and neither was the heat.  I stopped and took a break near a clearing and an entrance towards a picnic area up on the levy.  I Skype called Edith and told her about how bad my legs were cut up and how ridiculous the wind was, but after our talk, I got myself together and kept rolling.

After a short sixty mile wind blown day, I rolled into Clewiston, eye balling what would be the most logical start off point, to restock in the morning and get back on route.

Eventually I settled on this little hotel on the other side of town.  I paid Cash for the room, which I thought was strange.  She didn't ask me for ID and I could of very well used any name in the book, I guess I never thought paying cash for a hotel room was a possibility.

After cooling my heels I walked over in my clickity clackity cycling shoes to a little hole in the wall restaurant.  The music was so loud that it was inaudible. I have no Idea why they play the music at such a high and distorted volume.  There were a dozen people in the place and all of them except one, were MEN.  

So lets take a quick tally.  Ridiculous loud polka style Central American Spanish music, 11 men, one young woman and ME.  They stared at me, all the men did, like I had an elbow growing sideways out of my face.  But I sat down, had my beers and delicious plate of carnitas, whilst I got stared at, the entire time.

It was odd, for sure, but I don't ever venture anywhere without feeling like safe, and although I was the spectacle I felt safe enough.  After I left there I was still hungry and decided to hit the convenience store for two pints of ice cream.  Since I was in my camp clothes which consisted of a sleeveless base layer and camp/hike shorts, my cycling sculptured tan was obvious.  So obvious in fact that the clerk asked me if I was in some sort of gang.  OMFG will this trip get any stranger.  I ate my two pints of ice cream, talked to my loved ones and eventually fell asleep early, while on vacation on my bike in a comfy hotel room, because after all, the day before had been hell and the end of today, had a little slice of heaven.

NK2013