I left pensicola at 11:30am on Saturday and headed for Panama City. An easy day. My mate woke me early with a phone call (early by Brit Saturday morning standards...) so I decided to top up the oil and repack the bike in a new way due to the heat down here. I tried the backpack on the passenger seat but it was more irritating than when it sits like that old friend on my back and with these thick leathers the heat was the same. I actually fell asleep whilst riding! I was so tired that during a long straight stretch at a constant 50mph I realised I was nodding off and coming to with a jerk 1/2 a mile down the road. That is not advisable so I stopped for a late breakfast with tea (horrid, it is very rare to get a good cuppa here in the USA) and then spotted a Hot Rod gathering so I swung round and snapped pics. I LOVE flamed American Hot Rods so that brief stop was fun! Enjoy the pics Don!
By the time I cleared Panama City and hit Mexico Beach I was knackered and in need of fuel. I gave up and booked a room at a local motel. It was a smoker and the carpets reeked so I decided to move on. Then the chap at the reception offered me their Beach House for the same rate, but just for the one night. To add to the temptation about 25 German bikers were due to arrive.
I grabbed the little house (2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, kitchen...heck it's WAY bigger than my own home in England) and within 15 minutes was in the most beautiful surf on the best beach. Cancun Mexico? You must be nuts! This part of Florida is WAY better and they don't stick that awful cilantro in everything from corn flakes to tomato juice!
I washed and dried clothes (believe me, when you ride like this a washer/dryer gets exciting!) and then went to Mango Mandy's or whatever it was called. A guy called Kerry was playing favourites on his guitar. NOW I see what Jimmy Buffet and Margueritaville do to Americans! He played van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl" for me so I could remember my daughter Stephanie Elizabeth and he did a very nice version too. When he played "Sweet Home Alabama" the place was rocking and no wonder as that is one of the greatest hits ever. People party so easily with live music and food and drink. His girl Jackie asked for my card to follow the journey and said it was good to help kids.
Then the Germans came over and boy did we have a laugh. Alex Rudiger did a fine job of filming and organising drinks (they drank the bar dry!!!!) and we joked in Deutsch and it made me rather homesick for the fun people in Bavaria. They are an electrical firm "Aus Nuernberg" and together with their clients they flew to Florida, rented Harleys and were riding and partying for 12 day. Can you imagine if I tried to get 25 American clients together for a bike ride? The lawyers! The HR! The insurances! The naysayers! Many of these cheerful people asked for my card and I knew they would donate to the kids. Have a great ride you Bavarian Bikers! Von die Englische dep aus Muenchen. I mog die! Tschuss!
Sunday should see me headed well south toward St. Petersburg and the Sage office there. I'll behave then...
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