We stayed up quite late last night, which meant that today was always going to be a tough one. Luckily we survived - and arrived in Lynchburg, VA at 7.30 this evening. We have had great burgers from the "Hash House" and good donations from its owner as well as breakfast tomorrow on the house.
As we get deeper into America, the woods lining the roads are getting thicker, the accent's of the people stronger, and their astonishment at seeing two crazy cyclists is greater - which is often very amusing. Most are extremely generous, happy to give cash straight to us as donations.
I have been keeping myself amused on the road by looking out for anything that moves in the tree's either side - it is odd not to know all the names of the wildlife, but I am working on it. Yesterday, I spotted a Black Vulture on a road kill, and today saw a Pileated Woodpecker - A woodpecker with the classic red head, but as big as a crow. The Cardinal - the state bird of Virginia, is a beautiful red bird we saw flitting around a road side. I have also seen animals - terrapins, rabbits, deer, and even a beaver!
Bicycling is monotonous and long - but vigilance is always needed, cars in America are huge, and take up most of the road (they have six-wheeled super pick-ups with engines as loud as lorries). It is interesting how the size of the hard shoulder - where we do most of our riding, varies depending on the county we are passing through, today was a shoulder-less day.
It has been seriously hot, 30+ degrees, which is fine, but means sweat pours off us, and that a thunderstorm is on its way. We are aiming towards Christiansburg tomorrow.
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