DOWN EAST IN NEW ENGLAND

Well, now I'm back in the USA, having crossed from Canada into the state of Maine. This is the third time I've entered the USA on this trip, and the immigration officers at the tiny border post at Vanceboro were by far the friendliest of the lot.

The route which I was following is obviously a major air corridor, as at any given time there were a number of aircraft con-trails overhead.

Once I reached the Atlantic coast I found that the many picturesque villages are not very different from those on the Pacific coast around Puget Sound in Washington state. The big difference around here is probably that Maine is famous for its lobster, whereas Washington has a lot of shellfish.

Also the people who I've met here have been very welcoming. Outside the village of Springfield I asked to camp at the small farm of Tony and Maryanne. Tony is a country musician and songwriter, and I'd just missed their annual weekend bash. The following morning I was treated to a great breakfast, and sent on my way with a tasty lunch pack.

Then, for the first time in about 3 weeks I stayed in luxury at Warmshowers hosts Ted and Laura, in the riverside city of Bangor (it was high time I had a shower and did some laundry, and Ted also gave me a pair of cycling shorts, my remaining shorts were hardly clinging to me anymore).

In this part of the country I've also found that people don't really bother about where I spend the night, sometimes I camp in full view of everybody. There was some unpleasant cold and rainy weather a few days ago, and I took the day off right where I was, camping in the gazebo at a little league ball park. (Not that I needed a day off, as I wasn't cycling very far on these days).

And so, eventually I made it to the East Coast, after crossing North America mostly via Canada, but also partly across the USA.

Currently I'm in the city of Portland, Maine, staying with Warmshowers hosts Steve and Nancy. I've spent the day here getting my pictures sorted out and updating my blog (eventually!). Tomorrow I'll head South down the Eastern coast, towards New Hampshire state.

Daily distances cycled since entering the USA this time are:- Springfield 78 km; Greenbush 63 km; Bangor 47 km; Stockton Springs 45 km; Camden 49 km; Wiscasset 81 km; Yarmouth 55 km; and Portland 38 km. The total distance cycled so far in USA and Canada is 12 207 km (7 629 miles), and the distance cycled from the Pacific to the Atlantic across the continent is 7 033 km (4 396 miles). The total distance which I've cycled so far on this trip is 116 833 km (73 021 miles).