lorettahenderson.com
Category: Uncategorized
solo female cyclist Loretta Henderson
skalatitude.com
Solenn Guillou
“Thanks a lot for your website! It was great to find this community of female cyclists and see their achievements. My cousin Marine told me that it gave her courage to know that other women like her travel on their own in the world. I’m trying to prepare for my next bicycle tour, but my problem is loneliness. I’m not really motivated, because the loneliness was the hardest part during my last tour. Especially at the end of the trip, when I didn’t meet anyone, just barking dogs. The south of France has a lot of guard dogs. Did you get used to the loneliness during your trips? Or is it something that never bothered you?” Solenn Guillon (french and german blog, nice photos)
Follow the facebook and instagram discussions about loneliness while on tour! What a great question, do you ever get lonely?
HAVE YOU READ THE BIG WOW BOOK?
Tread Marks Of Experience….Have You Ever Cycled Through Pooh?
Winnie The Pooh was a mighty fine bear
I will venture a dare and say without a scare
That at times when the toilet paper was rare
Even a pooh bear may have gotten some on his hair
Bring in a tire with tread so thick that gooey excretion
Couldn’t possibly justify the need for bicycle tour completion
We all have goals of which to stay true
But geez’ people even cycling through pooh?
Dogs do there do-do, cow’s patty the fields, how could we not bring shields for feces
While longing for rare spotting of some exotic species
Sewage systems are so lacking, it send me out of India packing
Indonesia is no different for PVC piping is utterly inconsistent
New Zealand cows squat wherever they may, as I pedaled by thinking get out of my way
Experience it all is, for I will not pout, for in the end, it is what bicycle touring is all about
How about you, ever cycled in pooh, I’d love to laugh at you too
Comment you might , no need to have fright
Fill the box, it’s got to better than cycling into the ass end of an ox
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Laughing At Lingams, Top 3 Phallic Tales Of Explosive Exposure
Lingam is defined by the Webster’s dictionary as “a phallic symbol,male in stature, historically referred to as a symbol of reproduction…protruding outward from the male statue”
Lingam as defined by the solo female bicycle tourist glossary of terms as, “oh no, not again, please put that thing away!”
Number 3 Horsing Around In Mongolia
As I make my way through Mongolia in the far north region near the Russian border area, I am way off of the map and heading into the forest to follow a horse road to cross back west to a lake. Bouncing along on the trail, Pandemic is spry and excited about trail riding in the trees. I am pedaling along listening to music. A nomadic man on a horse trots up next to me, I look up and say ……hello in Mongolian. As my eyes focus, I immediate look away and start giggling, did I just see that? I glance back up and sure enough there is masturbating nomad on a horse trotting along as if masturbating on a horse is completely normal behavior. I bust out laughing and in English say man not again, please put that thing away and I pedal off seriously baffled as to wether or not this particular courting technique has ever actually worked for this hard up nomadic horseman in far north Mongolia.
Number 2 Peek-a-Poo Peeing In Western China
As anyone who has driven long distances knows when you have to pee you have to pee. The Taklimakan desert is vast and huge distances pass without facilities. The shock value of a solo bicycle tourist crossing the desert under pedal power has significant voyeuristic consequences. As I pedal by, trucks drivers who have pulled over on the side of the road to pee. The Chinese truck drivers are startled by my presence in the remote uninhabited desert. Surprised by my jaw dropping presence, they all instinctually turn around to look at me and keep peeing. I giggle and look away, oh no not again, not another peek-a-boo penis, please put that thing away.
Number 1 Thai-Thai, Oh My, Is That Your Thigh?
In the mountains of Thailand, I pedal into the national park on my way to the Mekong River. A friendly Thai man in a truck does not think it is safe for me to pedal. He stops and stops again and insists it is extremely dangerous. At the time, I was new to cycle touring and unaware of how common it is for others to think the impossible is very possible on a bicycle just about anywhere.
After a few hours of Ed following, stopping and insisting, I eventually fall for it. We drive his pick-up truck equipped with big loud speakers mounted on the back, he teaches me Thai and I begin to sell corn over a microphone in Thai to all the villages along the way. Laughing, mobile Thai corn sales woman I am for a few hours. He eventually drives us down a side road, and my instincts clear the corn out of my mistaken head. He puts in a music CD and takes out his penis. I go for the door and dive out of the truck that is still moving. He stops the pick-up truck, I jump in the bed of the truck, pick up Pandemic The Magic loaded bicycle over my head, say sorry Pandemic and toss the bike at him. Pandemic bounces off of his head. He drives away injured, embarrassed and confused. I pedal off thinking note to self, going on dates in Thailand is a not a good idea. Also, if mobile Thai corn sale woman is my next big career move there is probably better ways to go about it. However, most of all I am thinking, oh no not again, please put that thing away!
Top 5 Symptoms You Are A Psycho, I Mean A Cycle Tourist
Number 5
Your clothes have gotten so mangy that even stray dogs are frightened of your appearance
Number 4
You are stuck in a vehicle and you want to get out and cycle
Number 3
Walking seems like too big of an effort
Number 2
You decide to use an old map as toilet paper because the last three shops you have been to don’t stock TP, because the locals don’t believe that paper is any better than a hand as a bum wiping utensil
Number 1
You know the words for ‘beer’ and ‘can I sleep here for free’ in half a dozen languages
Cyprus…How To Bicycle Tour Princess Style
As I make my way around N Cyprus, castles abound, the ocean scenery is splendid and the free camping is 5 star. As I was leaving Girne (Kyrenia) after a trekking loop of the eastern tip of the Island, I met up with 3 other bicycle tourists on their way to cycle N Cyprus. I truly enjoy trying new things therefore I was happy to pedal in my first mixed gender foursome for a bicycle tour of Turkish Cyprus.
My low maintenance lifestyle exploded into a high maintenance bicycle touring affair. My usual distances were reduced to 12km-56km a day. Our meals consisted of locating outdoor tables, and leisurely enjoying the best of the small market cuisine. Free camping became a paradise of options when we searched for camping inside buildings or free inside hotels under repair. Our lowest mileage day was 12km when my group decided to keep dry all day and watch the sky for rain. I was a little surprised by the rain day retreat of cyclists who had also crossed Asia into Europe and clearly done some rainy cycling but quickly realized that there are many ways to bicycle tour and enjoyed staying dry with the group.
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| photo taken by Loretta Henderson |
Highlights of a princess style bicycle tour on Cyprus in a group of 4 which contained a French woman who funny enough, I don’t think was that interested in cycling included swimming at Golden Beach and a visit to Salamis the archeological site. At times it was hard to believe that 2 human women could actually be of the same gender and have bicycle touring in common. My high maintenance friend seemed to prefer spending the bicycle touring day sorting out 5 star inside camping and her laundry. This is a wonderful personality type that comes in very handy when turning a bicycle tour into a 5 star princess style bicycle touring affair. The 2 guys and I were more relaxed about how many stars our picnic table needed to have and probably would of preferred spending the time increasing the distances and speed a little. However, I did appreciate the 5 star luxuries all the same.
Here is the route, which loops N Cyprus from Girne, Kyrenia. Small food markets and fresh water are located throughout the route. Inside and outside camping options are plentiful. There’s a lot of info on the internet about bicycle touring routes and trails in Cyprus. Here’s a great resource. Here are some public FB photos taken at the charming Cyprus Dorms and Hotel (the owner loves FB friends) where I stayed at the start and end of the loop.
Special note: I also want to apologize to every man, woman and child who doesn’t like laundry jokes and/or this website.
Cheers and Gears…How To Celebrate The Holidays On The Road
As the musical sound of some unknown voice belts out the verses of the Karan from the nearby mosque, my ears resonate with memories. I am reminded not of the Christmas holidays but of the need for all mosques to update their speakers.
Realizing I am politically incorrect to mention such things, the Karan verses that are so freely sung through circa 1980’s stereo equipment on Muslim streets throughout the world would be beautiful if the acoustics were not similar to the sound of a deaf dog barking underwater.
With that said, there will never be room for Ebenezer Scrooge on Pandemic The Magic Bicycle. And, there are many people who are celebrating the holidays while singing beautiful carols around the world.
As my family sits around an x-mas tree at my sister’s house opening gifts and eating turkey I find myself riding this holiday out solo not eating Turkey but in the country of Turkey (Cyprus) half way around the world. In the spirit of a happy holiday, I refuse to give way to the sad lonesome blues as I open not presents but my many messages on skalatitude.com, Facebook, Twitter and e-mail. My long time friend or rather someone I consider a sister by choice has send me a message, she has some big news to share. She has started a blog just in time for the holidays. My pinterestinglife.com is a hit in only two weeks and rocking off the charts with huge reviews and requests for guest blogging posts. My chosen sister of 20+years, Dawn Cochrane who is as obsessed as Martha Stewart with crafty ideas, has finally decided to share her gifts with a blog.
Her blog has become my on the road holiday choice to receive some well needed holiday cheer. Her gift of household crafts is as obsessive of my love of bicycle travel. Through her creative blog writing and excellent photos, I have smiled and learned about making x-mas gift wrap out of children’s artwork and drooled while reading her Rudolf pancakes recipe. I dearly appreciate such holiday cheer but most of all I love connecting and sharing the x-mas news with all of you. I hope you all enjoy the x-mas craft tips from her blog as much as I have this year. For all bicycle gears will also need some holiday cheer in order to pedal the continent of Africa by this time next year.
Para-Cycling, The Balancing Act Of A Champion
Sheyda’s M. Heydar’s first bicycle was an old red bicycle that he found near his dusty stone home in his desert village, it was 1981 in Afghanistan. Sheyda smiles at the memory of riding his red bicycle to school. As I peer down at Sheyda’s identification card, it reads ‘Iran Cycling Federation of The Islamic Republic’. I am bursting and can barely contain my cheer inside, for meeting a professional cyclist is a huge treat.
Sheyda’s affection for sports began as a young child on the dusty stone streets in his village near Kabul, Afghanistan. As youngsters do, he was taught be his family how to ride a bicycle. Soon the Taliban, a notoriously extreme political group took over the country side. Armed with bombs, guns and violent enforcement, the Taliban terrorized the area with new rules. Women and children were banned from schools. Museums, medical buildings and school texts were burned, banned or banished.
Sheyda could no longer ride his red bicycle to attend school. The streets were exploding in fear and such freedoms were now a frivolous thing of the past. Bomb blasts were a daily affair. Sheyda was given a gun by his neighbor. As a boy child, it was mandatory to replace his red bicycle with a weapon. He was ordered to carry it and protect his family on the bomb laced streets alongside his neighbors. Soon thereafter, Sheyda lost his leg to a Taliban bombing and fled Afghanistan to Iran, his family had been killed.
Today, Sheyda’s around town bicycle is no longer red but is a silver Peugeot mtn. bike equipped with one spd clip pedal. He is a professional para-cyclist sprint racer and most recently competed in the international para-games in Gangzou, China. He is presently training in Shiraz, Iran on the sprint track with the other Iranian professional cyclists. He hopes to beat his sprint record in the upcoming international games. I know this sister cyclist will definitely be bursting with cheer for him on the inside and the out.