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For everyone who sat through the 111th Tournament of Roses Parade hoping to catch a glimpse of Randal (or at least somebody on a bicycle), let me assure you that he and 249 other riders braved the historically cold weather to ride, in shorts and short-sleeved matching bike shirts, the 5.5 mile parade route. From the Glendale & Burbank edition of the DAILY NEWS, "In a special millennium touch, the parade of 54 floats, 26 equestrian groups, 25 bands and four special entries was led off by 250 cyclists who rode down the 5.5 mile parade route and just kept going. The ride was the first stage in a yearlong round-the-world journey that will bring them back to next year's parade." Randal and I had said our good-byes at the hotel and he had boarded the bus for the parade. I think only then did it hit me that he was actually going to be gone for an entire year. There had been so much to do getting ready and meeting everyone up till then that it was easy to avoid the reality of parting. Randal's bike box had sprung a leak on the plane and so missing parts had to be replaced. Between Cardinal Bicycle in Roanoke and Bicycle John's in Burbank Randal's bike was ready to go. A spare bike mirror nut was luckily supplied by Jess at Igor Frank's Burbank Body Shop (a Collision Repair Shop) like Randal's that I had scouted out when the hardware shop across the street was closed. I had spent the 31st collecting last minute items at the Media City Mall and when I returned the whole group was having their one and only parade rehearsal in the hotel parking lot. It was raining, the first time all year! Randal's specially built luggage fit perfectly into the locker space and were the envy of several other riders. That night the New Year's Eve celebration was somewhat subdued, I thought. Riders were anxious, tired, and just ready to ride. Randal and I celebrated Virginia's new year at 9 pm California time and never saw the ball drop. Breakfast was to be a 4am and that left little time for sleep. Randal called Monday morning January 3rd and I was glad that I had been too tired to
make it in to work on time. He sounded fine and said that riding in the parade had
been wonderful. He also had ridden one of the most beautiful roads
ever. I knew then that our year apart would be worth this experience. I want
him to have all the beautiful roads he can possibly ride. He was on his
way to breakfast and then to Mexico. Hopefully he'll find somewhere to hook-up his
laptop and you can actually hear from him. I'm signing out now. Ruth
1/5/2000
January 23, 2000 It has been a while since I updated Randal's web site. Today he is in Costa Rica biking from San Isidro to San Vito where they will be camping. Randal has cycled every mile of the trip so far and seems to be having no problems with the long days, hills or heat. Apparently some people, for a variety of reasons, are covering the miles off their bikes. They have found alternative ways to get from place to place. Some can't pedal the entire distance. Some don't want to pedal the distance. Randal and his two roommates, both of whom have climbed Kilimanjaro, are biking all of the miles. I'm relaying all of this because Randal's Worldnet connection won't work internationally. We have residential service and only business service will connect internationally. That is what they told me when I called to find out why Randal wasn't able to make his laptop work. Randal is mulling over his options. Obviously this was something we should have checked into before he left. On his next trip around the world.…In the meantime, to keep up with the Odyssey group, I recommend following Al Young's journal. You can find it and others at www.bikeodyssey.com She has a wonderful description of a bus tour of Costa Rica. Randal's telephone description was tinged by the fact that his Mexican stomach illness hit harder in Costa Rica. The combination of antibiotics on an empty stomach and a really bumpy bus ride made Randal skip the boat tour and lunch in lieu of a nap on the bus. I spoke to him that evening and only added to his woes telling him the bad news about his unavailable internet connection. Unfortunately, since that last conversation Randal hasn't been able to call because they're camping. On the 27th in Panama City he'll be in a room which is when he usually calls. Two planes had been chartered to fly the group, 240+ riders (1/2 dozen have left the tour), their bikes, the Odyssey staff and all gear, etc from La Paz, Baja, Mexico to San Jose, Costa Rica. About 100 of the bikes, Randal's included, and all of the Odyssey gear had to be left behind because they wouldn't fit on the planes! When I spoke to Randal he didn't seem worried….nothing he could do anyway. I last spoke to him on the night of the 21st and the bikes were supposed to be there and ready to go when they left the next morning. Hopefully their arrival didn't delay an early start because that day included an 11,000 ft climb if I remember correctly. It's hard for me to remember what Randal says because I mostly listen for how he sounds and judge by that. If he sounds happy and excited, that's all I need to know and if he sounds down or ill, then nothing else matters. But since he seems to always have the same roommates and they seem pretty interesting, next time I'll take notes so I can tell you. Randal is definitely disappointed that he can't read the e-mail that some of you have been sending. I know that he would love to respond. I may try to Fed Ex a letter to him in South Africa because the one I mailed never got to him. I'm going to have to send it by Feb 1st so if anyone wants to include anything let me know. My co-workers and I have tacked up a wall map and all agree that this is the year we'll really learn geography. I definitely now know where Costa Rica and Chile are. If anyone has any questions you can e-mail me and I'll pass them on to Randal. My e-mail is Rlipnik@Worldnet.att.net Thanks for thinking about Randal. I'm sure he'll have lots of stories to post here eventually. Ruth...at home PS For those of you reading this in snowy southwest Virginia, Randal spends his time outside in shorts and t-shirts. They were warned of a major temperature drop as they climbed to 11,000 ft however. January 28th 2000 Randal called last night and tonight from Panama City! He sounded great!! He and roommate Larry spent the day bus touring modern Panama City, the ruins of the old original Panama City and the poorer parts of the city where laborers who had built the canal had lived. They also went off to see the Canal in action and a ship going through. Randal said that he also accomplished housekeeping chores and visited a bike shop. In our discussion about switching to AT&T business service to get Global Roaming I suggested that Randal call AT&T and that I would give him the number. When I got no response, it was because Randal was gathering his thoughts on how to explain to me that using the phone THERE was not like using the phone HERE. It seems that there are several more steps involved beyond picking up the receiver and dialing. So I'll try to work things out with AT&T computer whiz that I'm not. Randal did say that Costa Rica was absolutely beautiful and that he wants to go back. He took particular note of the women in high heels, dresses and makeup who waved as the riders went past. (I'm not sure how you can see makeup from a bike)….The point being that everything and everybody seemed beautiful and colorful and friendly. Prices in roadway stores varied however, the first group of riders getting the lowest prices. Seems that prices rose as the demand increased and the supplies decreased. If you have checked out Al Young's journal at www.bikeodyssey.com you'll know that the last few days riding were pretty tough. They had to climb 7,000 ft. on the day that they left Costa Rica. Randal said that he and Larry got to the top at about 4:30 in the afternoon. They didn't get to camp until after dark at about 6:30. The following days repeated that pattern: but both guys road every mile. Two thirds of the riders found other ways to cover the miles. Another pattern that seems to be developing. Randal said that riding into Panama City was like riding through traffic gone crazy. Cars went every which way with no discernible pattern. He said that riding THERE isn't like riding HERE. But then, that is the whole point of this trip…to see and experience what THERE is like. We don't talk long so I can't tell you lots about what he sees, eats ,or even thinks about things. I can only tell you that he is totally into this trip and is seeing the world by bike. Early tomorrow they'll fly from Panama City to Santiago, Chile. They will have 2 days there and then move on. Altogether they'll be in Chile for 13 days. But, I think I read that Chile is the longest country in the world. It does have a coastline 2,666 miles long and "stretches from the tropics Antarctic circle." Chilean trivia. "Chile plays an important part in the…book Robinson Crusoe. Its fictional hero is based on the {Scottish}…pirate Alexander Selkirk, a real life character who was shipwrecked on a Chilean island." Chilean Independence Day is September 18th. and July 16th is the feast day of La Virgin del Carmen, the patron saint of Chile. (You can read more about it at your local library!) Adios and La Paz (Good-bye and peace) Ruth…at home
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