UGRR - on our way.

Huge thanks first to Mike and Joan in Cincinnati. They gave invaluable guidance, advice and encouragement on a whole lot of issues by email before we even left Asheville, and when we arrived in Cincinnati we had the most delightful evening with them at a charming Irish pub/ restauraunt just across the Ohio river from downtown Cincinnati. They had collected us at our motel ( recommended by them - it's sited just a few hundred yards from the UGRR trail and will be ideally placed when we reach there hopefuly in a month's time) - and helped us put the Buick, with all our non cycling gear, safely into self storage - again recommended by them and only a mile or so from our motel. Then the next morning they arrived, in a car AND a van, on the dot of 10 to ferry us and our boxed bikes and gear to the Greyhound bus station in downtown Cincinnati. Bus was there for scheduled departure at 12.05 , but no driver ! Eventually we left over 2 hours late and so missed our connecting bus in Atlanta. Thus a 4 hour wait in the rather grim Atlanta terminal from 1.30 to 5.30 am . But we laid our sleeping bags on floor in a corner and slept soundly , would you believe, despite the heaving mass of other travellers and 24 hour CNN news blaring above our heads. Next bus for Mobile left at 5.30 and we finally arrived in Mobile almost exactly 24 hours after leaving Cincinnati. Assembled bikes ( without hitch to our huge relief ) in the presence of amused fellow travellers at Mobile Greyhound depot . A young African American waiting to get on another bus asked us if we carried protection . What sort did he have in mind we asked . Well `a gun of course` he said and and then went on to express amazement that we weren't carrying at least a knife. Not an encouraging start.

Up and away fully laden ( 2 back panniers and light sleeping mats on Mary's bike) and 2 back , with tent on top, and 2 front panniers on mine. Plus of course easily removable front handle bar panniers for us both. An easy 5 mile ride down into downtown Mobile , saw the site of the old slave market at the corner of Royal and St Louis streets, and then over the bridge to the site of the historic USS battleship Alabama and world war 2 submarine. Had a fascinating tour of both and then booked into Best Western motel with a good fish restauraunt next door.

Only 1 hr 30 mins of cycling ( albeit against wind for much of way ) and a quiet 15 miles on 1st day . Being late on a Sunday afternoon the traffic was beautifully light. A gentle ` warmer upper ` . We head for Stockton tomorrow ( 35 odd miles ) and hopefully a campsite there. Then a longer day ( 70 miles ) to Grove Hill on Wednesday. We should be stronger by then . Hoping for South wind.

Mike spent some time ( some MORE time ! ) explaining how I can upload photos on to a motel computer . Will try , but early signs don't look hopeful . If not will get the help of librarian at some future small town stop .