I'm Baaaaaacccck(from Alaska, Ireland, etc)

Good to be home again. This time maybe we'll stay for a while. I have loads of photos but will likely post them on a new blog. "Ireland by Nancy, Chuck, Kathy & George". Alaska was great, a really fun and relaxing trip(7 days on the "Radiance of the Seas"). However, Ireland was, by far, the best trip we have ever made. Not just because of family connections, but because of the overall kindness, generosity, and friendliness of the Irish people. 'Cead mile Failte' says it all.

On one particular day stopping in the small village of Leenane in County Galway we stopped in a small pub for lunch. Sitting there trying to get warm and dry, from the irish mist were three bike riders from the US. Mike from Virginia, Ken from Montana, and Jason from Chicago. They had started in Killarney in County Kerry. We chatted for a while over some Potato-Leek soup and a pint of Guinness. Then it was time to go our individual ways. I have a photo and will upload it when I get chance.
Good to be back. The best cure for jet lag is to get back on the bike the next morning for a nice long ride.

What a Trip

All I can say is that I am back, in better shape now, and best of all riding again.

All things considered, Grenada was a good trip. However, after developing a hernia shortly after my arrival, of course my bike ride around the island of Carriacou was eliminated from my plans. Instead of three weeks, with one week of biking, I ended up with two weeks and a rescheduled flight home for surgery. So instead of being with the team at St George Hospital while they performed cardiac surgery, I was in South Florida Baptist Hospital undergoing my own surgery. Not exactly what I had planned.

It took a while to recover physically enough to get back on the saddle. Six weeks turned into ten weeks and I was still a little apprehensive. But not to be held back once healed, I am back at my 15 / 20 miles a day. A little warm riding a bike around Hillsborough County this time of year, but early in the morning, with the wet, cool air in your face, what could be better.

I talked with my friend, Hilmer, from Peru. Hilmer is the Dad of Luz Estephanie( http://www.luzestephanie.blogspot.com/ ). He has received an email from Angelica and Claudio. They are back on the road from White Horse, Yukon Territory. As soon as I hear more I'll pass on the information.

More later. Need to go put the squirrel repellants on my bike.(more about that later)