Chaplog tries hard In which an ageing climber comes to terms with life closer to the ground.

The girls want to go shopping and I have a challenge. I think I understand the road system and would like to do the 100+ round trip into the Everglades and cycle the Shark trail – hire a bike and cycle the 17 miles round trip into the Everglades Prairie. The family would also like to do this but a feasibility study seems essential.

Petrol was the first target or should it be diesel. We had no manual and it did not say on the petrol cap. I had a simple plan pull into a gas station and ask someone. My choice of gas station was not a good one. I walked in and asked a man who was sat smoking next to the pump. He told me he did not have a clue and cold I give him a lift? I asked the man next to the till who informed me that he thought he knew buy could not tell me in case I sued! I tried the “what would you think if I put diesel in?” No response. It was at this point that I noticed a beggar looking at the car and the man who wanted a lift going towards the car. It was not locked. I felt under pressure. Walked quickly back to the car locked it, took fuel cap off and smelt it, decided petrol was the best option. Made the selection to “pay inside” on the pump and tried to put fuel in. No luck. The advice given over the loudspeaker was not intelligible. The beggar asked for a dollar and the man smoking asked again for a lift. Keeping my cool, just, I went back in and asked how I could get gas in the tank. Money was required. It was suggested I pay twenty five dollars. I gave her 15 and it overflowed on the last five cents. As I left and got back in the traffic I put on Jimi Hendrix, loud, and discovered a way of driving with reading glasses on allowing me to work out the junctions. When I reached the Tamiami trail, the name of the road, I felt great. Cruise control in operation, perfect blue sky, trees on either side and a completely straight road. The Turkey vultures circled the wide irrigation channel that was full of the bluest water and was parralel to the road .

The trip meter was on 55 miles as I pulled into the Shark Valley visitor’s centre. The bike I hired had a fixed gear which is fine when the road is flat, it was, and there is not a head wind, there was on the way back. I decided not to attempt this with the family until the wind drops. I passed a number of casualties on the way back – people who looked in pain and just wanted to get back pushing a too big gear for seven miles is not fun if you do not normal.

The road was a wild life extravaganza mainly birds with great views of the prarrie. The vultures came close while I rode and Alligators were on the road. The road was straight on the way out with wildlife in the pools by the side of the road. At the end of the trail there was a tower that gave you good views of the landscape – Saw grass and hammocks. On the way back the road twisted and gave you good views though with less wild life a more realistic view of things, though it was hard work with the wind against you.

I made no mistakes on the road system making it a very enjoyable day. In the evening we went out for a meal at the Sushi bar in Surfside a first for all of us. We liked the miso soup, tuna rolls and tampura particularly. We all mastered the chop-sticks and we will return with Lena later in the week