Tuesday, May 24th
What was intended to be a quiet semi-rest day turned into another 60+ mile excursion taking in Niagara Falls on the Canada side and a big loop of Buffalo.
I did not sleep well. The room was hot and small, the bed squeaky, my dreams anxious – and topical – I had a very clear vision of my bike crumpling into a heap. Thankfully in the morning it was still in one piece, locked to the fence outside where I left it.
I repacked my things and had breakfast and left. I think I will be avoiding hostels from now on if I can help it, they aren’t especially cheap and socially i’ve found the ones in the US to offer a lot less than those in other parts of the world. The only interesting interaction I had was with a guy who must have been in his 70s travelling by motorcycle. He had a tattoo on his left arm from the 1960s and seemed interested and insightful when we spoke, despite mumbling to himself the rest of the time.
I took the Niagara Parkway all the way to the Peace Bridge which crossed into Buffalo. It was a quiet winding road all the way along the waterfront, around 20 miles or so. The houses were big and well kept. Some flew both American and Canadian flags on the front lawn, others just Canadian.
I found the pedestrian / cyclist entrance to the bridge and the crossing was quick. Back on the US side I pressed a buzzer and waited for a response. I pressed again and was told to wait. Once inside the border agent reminded me I only needed to press once, as if I I didn’t grasp the concept of doorbells. She asked me about my visit and purpose in the states and, of course, when I was going to leave. I was handed back my passport and walked my bike round the side of the building through an exit gate. I was back in the US of A.
I almost ended up directly on the highway but was able to find an exit which joined smaller roads into the city. I was on the edge of Buffalo and bought a milkshake from McDonalds. I had made arrangements with a Couchsurfing host, Joe, and would head to his place at 5. Between then I cycled into the city and had coffee. It seemed like a fairly big place with maybe a creative edge to it, and reminded me of Austin a little.
I met Joe at at his house, a few miles from the centre of the city. His wife, Emily, took a photo of me before I took all the things off my bike and stored them in their garage. We headed out almost immediately to a local bike shop, Campus WheelWorks, to join their Tuesday evening ride around the city.
There were a few different groups dividing up people by speed and distance. I joined the slower ‘B – chatty’ group which would apparently travel at a pace slow enough to enable conversation. Joining me was Rani, another guest staying with Joe and Emily, all the way from Palestine.
We cycled around the city and the outskirts for about 25 miles. It was a big group. Cars honked and waved at us. I was a little too tired to make many conversations but enjoyed to sense of community and was impressed that a small shop could bring this many different people together on a Tuesday evening.
I got a good look at the city. It was a little rough around the edges. A lot of buildings in disrepair or abandoned completely. Towards the end I felt very tired but the momentum of the group kept me going.
We were back at the shop just before sunset. Beer and hotdogs were waiting. I ate 5. We cycled back in the dark, stopping by the park to see if the buffalo were out in the zoo but there were inside for the night.
Nothing is truly free. Though no money changes hands when using services like Couchsurfing, I feel you make some kind of social payment by allowing someone to host you. It feels wrong just to sleep then leave. Though i’d had to put off a list of things I wanted to sort out before I started cycling again, I was glad i’d headed out and seen some of the city and it’s friendly inhabitants.
I decide to stay an extra night and finally take a proper rest day. It’s was long overdue.
I fall asleep with my laptop on top of me.
Map
