Im getting behind on my updates!!!

So my last update was from Lisboa (Lisbon in English). And I feel like its time for another update with some more detailed discriptions of our journey. I will apologize ahead of time for my spelling mistakes, seriously the keyboards here are very hard to use and you never get enough time on the computer, its expensive to use the internet. So, anyway, we have biked almost 600km since Lisboa and the countryside in Portugal was absolutely gorgeous if a little bit wet and rainy. Its also very humid here and that makes camping not so fun. We have camped a total of there nights and each one has been interesing. The first night was in the middle of a field of olive trees (not yet with olives on the branches) and a herd of goats roaming through our campsite, there was also a little dog not far off who would bark just about every second the whole night and it kept both of us up. The second night of camping was the next night and it was behind a school that we both assumed was abandoned (we thought that because the playground was in shambles and weeds and some of the windows were broken). We set up camp and shortly a janitor showed up to clean the classrooms, the whole time he/she was cleaning we sat outside behind the school in fear that we would be discovered and reported to the police for trespassing. It would have looked bad!! Then later that night a man and woman showed up behind the school in our little camp with their bikes (we think they were looking for a place to make out!) and after they should up I could not go to sleep! The third night of camping was just three nights ago in the Spanish countryside just 10 miles or so outside of the huge metropolis of Sevilla. Southwest Spain is pretty flat and as we were biking through it, we couldnt help but be reminded of Kansas or Oklahoma.

We have also stayed with several couch surfers. The first was a couple that lived in a flat in Lisboa, they were very hospitable and dispite being busy, they insisted on giving us big breakfasts. The second couch surfer was in Southern Portugal in a small fishing community of Santa Luzia and he was currently already hosting a man from Holland that was also biking, just in the other direction. He was a 52 year old man on holiday heading from Malaga, Spain towards Faro, Portugal. His name was Cornelius and Josh and I instantly took to him, because our host was busy, Cornelius was able to show us around and hang out with us. Cornelius even rode with us to the border of Spain and saw us off.

After crossing the border we entered a National Park and got lost in the backroads for about two days and it got a little scary for a while. Eventually, we found our way out of the national park/farmland and we made it to Rota (a united states Naval base) and josh was able to contact a man stationed in Rota who was a friend of a friend. We didnt know him or had ever met him. But after being lost for two days, hungry and thirst. Seeing Americans and being met with hugs was amazing. They paid for us to stay in a nice hostel since we couldnt go on base, and they took us out for tapas and pastries and showed us around the beautiful little beach community of Rota. They also saw us off and now we are in Cadiz. That is just a grain of sand in our jar of stories and crazy experiences and I hope to tell each and everyone of you more when I get home!! Love and miss you all.

A post card from Europe

Hey everyone, i finally have a chance to sit down and write a little bit about what i have experienced so far. Josh and I arrived at Newark Liberty Internation airport safe and sound. It was a tearful goodbye to my parents, but I know I will see them in the not so distant future. Josh and I then got in line to get our boarding passes and check our luggage. We were both very nervous about the size of our bicycle boxes and since i was checking two bags, I thought the fees would be out of the roof. But neither of us paid a dime!! However, Josh´s bag was a little heavy and so we had to take some of his stuff out and distribute it between the two of our carry ons. We were in such a hurry that we didnt quite think about what we were taking out of his checked box and into our bags that would be going through security. The best part was the funny little instrument that Josh decided to bring with us, a strumstick! I had never seen one before but it looks like a very skinny dulcimer or guitar and it only has three strings and very short. To protect it, Joshs dad made him a special carrying case made out of a piece of pvc pipe. It looked a lot like a bazooka or club! Sure enough the airport security had him pulled aside for questioning...luckly he got away by leaving the suspicious tube behind and toting the instrument himself. I also had a little trouble getting through, josh had put his liquids in my bag, contact solution, toothpaste and tire goo (used to fix flats). I was also pulled aside and questioned about the materials. But we both got through and found our gate. The plane we would be flying on was already sitting outside on the tarmac being prepped for the journey across the Atlantic to Belgium (jet airways). When we boarded we were both awed and amazed at the premier and business class accomodations. Premier looked like individual space pods for each person. Our seats were a little more standard but still luxurious in couch. We both had a TV in front of us with movies, games, music and other interesting stuff. But I was so tired I couldnt really enjoy the entertainment. The food was alright and the service just okay for such a nice plane. Im not sure if it was the Indian food, suspicious Indian medicine they gave me for my headache, or if it was the tap water in Brussels airport, but as soon as we landed in Belgium I was throwing up non-stop. I could hold nothing down. The flight to Lisbon, was spent in the bathroom of the plane!

Josh and I (still very sick) were met at the airport by a man we only knew as Jim. He would be our host for the next three days and nights. Im not sure what we would have done without him, because I was so sick and with our heavy luggage and nowhere to go. It would have been awful. I probably would have gotten back on the plane home. Our initial impressions of Lisbon was sunshine and lots of bright colored apartment buildings. Indeed it is much warmer here, but it is very rainy right now. We have had about two days of beautiful sunshine and maybe one or two days of just overcast and the rest has been pretty heavy rainfall. Anyway, once we got to Jim and Helens place we immediately felt at home and I went straight to bed and slept for the next 15 hours or so. I needed it! The next day I felt much improved. On Sunday we went to church with the Reimers and were blessed to meet such an amazing congregation of believers. It was trully a good time. The rest of sunday was spent putting our bikes together and packing for our trip south and then eventually east towards Italy. Yesterday (monday), we left Ericiera (which is about 50km oustide Lisboa on the back roads, but much faster and quicker on the autostrata) around 11 and immediately got a little turned around, but soon found our way south towards the city. The backroads are not the best kept and are very narrow. And it can prove challenging when a huge truck comes barreling behind you. Both Josh and I have felt Gods hand multiple times on the road. We finally got into Lisbon around 5:30ish and found our couch surfer friends that we had met at Jim and Helens church. They let us stay with them last night and tonight. Josh and I spent today checking out a little more of LIsbon and discoverd some beautiful cathedrals, castles and little tiny backstreets with old people just kicking it. Today was VERY wet and we were a little discouraged. But we decided that no matter what, we leave tomorrow morning and make our way south. We arent thrilled to bike in the rain, but we have no choice. So wish us well, send prayers to our father for weather blessings and for safety on the road. Ciao!!!

This is it!!!

So this is it! The day I leave for Europe. I set up this blog so that you can see where I have been and what I have done. Thanks for being a part of my life, you may not physically be with me, but you ARE with me and I will think of each one of you as I am peddling my way across the Portuguese countryside. Just in case those of you who are confused as to what I am saying, I am flying to Portugal and then biking to who knows where. I plan on being in Europe for three months. My blog and facebook are the only ways to get in contact with me and find out what is going on. I will try and post pictures! God bless You and keep Josh Wilson (my good friend from Tennessee who is venturing with me) and I in your prayers for safety and for God's blessings!!