I woke 3:30a.m. and did packing...with eating fast breakfast, 4 bread with peanuts butter, and apples. I fixed the right achilles tendon with some tapes, felt good, I hoped taping would alleviate hard pain. Today was tough day for my painful right achilles, there were two 3,000 feet hills between Elkhorn City and Damascus. This journey is not a war, but cooperation, like harmony. I just want to enjoy biking with bamboo bike2, study biking with bamboo bike2, promote bamboo products, raise awareness of Eco friendly life, neglected bamboo forests in Japan. I will pedal by using left leg power more than right leg's to help the right leg achilles, Bamboo bike2 will often use 3rd small gear to help my right leg achilles, during Appalachian Nature will entertain us I will forget the pain of right achilles.
We started biking 5:15a.m. Bamboo bike2 put the pedals on the Virginia for the first time, passed Breaks, Haysi, Council, Honaker, Rosedale, Meadowview and arrived at Damascuc 3:00p.m. Around Council, I saw beautiful sunrise. I stopped for some time, looked at the sun, and ate 1 energy bar.
Though I thought there were 2 big hills today....actually there were 3 big hills for us.. Around Haysi, there was one additional pretty big hill, curvy and curvy and steap.. I felt lots of sweat on the back, head, shoulder... when I was passing these 3 hills. I want to share the feeling at uphill/ downhill/ top of hill/ around here with everyone in some photos..
・Uphill...
・Downhill...
and Uphill again...
and top of hill !!
We enjoyed biking so much today. During climbing hills, descending the hills, when we reached top of the hills, I enjoyed biking, was always feeling good. I could alleviate the pain of right achilles tendon because of taping. We are loving the Appalachians.
"A feeling for the Appalachian 4th day" ;
Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!
Today's hills were fatastic, I thought today's biking would be one of the best riding in this trip. Particular the route of SR80 between Rosedale and Hayters Gap was tyo exciting for us. This route was special, I thought. We could feel the clear atmosphere in the forets. And car drivers was so kind that they gave lots of attention to us. Some drivers waved to us. The people in Virginia was friendly for cyclists. Around Meadowview, gentle hill were spreading, many cattles and horses there were. Around Meadowview it was very spectacle, filled with country atmosphere, smell. Tyo good!
I dropped by a shop and ate lunch, 2 slaw dog and chicken salada, chocolate milk, lemonado. I talked to Betty, the owener of the shop about Meadowview, Damascus, trip, and bamboo. She gave me a 100% clear water from spring in Meadowview. I mixed this water with lemonado.
"SNAVELY'S STORE"
Owner: Jack and Betty Swavely
12250 Lindell Road Meadowview, VA 24361
I arrived at Damascus and asked a lady,whose name is Eura, the owner of the beauty shop in Damascus, the direction to the church where we stayed tonight. She kindly showed me the direction, and furthermore showed me Buchbone rock, and Tennessee for some time. In Damascuc there were 3 bike shops in town. I visited these bike shops but 2 bike shops were already closed because on Saturday and I talked to the staff of 1 bike shop for some time.
Tonight I stayed at "the place" , hostel in Damascus. Though I expected other biker's or hiker's stay and to talk with them in that hostel, no one there were tonight. I stayed with bamboo bike2. I cooked rice and pasta by microwave which was equipd with this hostel and ate. Pasta was scorched because I set microwave timer too long..... Oops.. And there were no air heater in hostel, so I used sleeping pad and sleeping bag.
Before carsh, I prayed.
My right achilles tendon has been not good. It was difficult to walk normally because of pain. I prayed to arrow head which Cathy gave me in Golconda, "Please let me continue this journey, and give me some power". I prayed. I hold this stone, Indian's arrow head strongly..tightly.. Darkness covered this hostel, no one there were outside, inside, without me and bamboo bike2. There were no sounds, silent Saturday night. I heard voice of someone who were whispering to me gently, " bravery..you are brave..you can do it" , the voice was small but clear. Though I looked around at that time, no one there were outside, inside, without me and bamboo bike2. I gazed at this stone for some time. But I could not hear such voice anymore.
Mysterious..
The voice was from / Stone ?/ Indian ?/ Bamboo bike2 ?/ anyone ?/ ...I wondered...
But I felt mysterious power occurred from inside me, this power changed into bravery.
Inside sleeping bag it was warm. Good night.. Takashi 2010/11/20 @Damascus, VA
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