Iowa days continued

It was a 84 km ride into Pella on  Friday. I was there around noon and soon got settled into my dorm room at Central College. This allowed the afternoon to explore this small town of 10,000 that has a very strong Dutch flavour. Even a bank used a windmill theme. I first had lunch, then visited two museums: First, the house of Rev. Scholte, who in the 1850's brought 800 immigrants from the Netherlands to establish the new town of Pella. Second, I visited Vermeer Mill, a large windmill build a few years ago in the style of the 1850's. Admission also included a small historical village. Around the town square the buildings were built with a Dutch flair. There were also a number of Dutch bakeries so of course I had to sample some of their offerings. The afternoon was soon filled.

After supper in the cafeteria of Central College, we had an outdoor worship service lead by a local CRC. Afterwards we still had a group meeting (called Pelaton) and then refreshments. It was soon 9 and off to bed.

It's early to bed because we are early up. In fact, my roommate set his alarm for 4:45. I knew that was coming. He was quickly off and made it first into camp. I took it a little slower, but I was off by 6:15. We biked to Sully, 30 kms away, for a full breakfast (pancakes, bacon, hard boiled eggs and juice/coffee.) Then the journey continued. Altogether it was a 150 kms, not quite a century. The hills were not too bad, but the wind was stronger. Most of the time, it was a crosswind, with some tailwind.

Today, I had the first issue with my bike, other than my previous two flats. My chain started to come off, when I shifted into the large front gear. Five times I had to stop to put the chain back on. As a result, I tended not to shift the front gears, which is a challenge when dealing with hills. Back at camp, this problem got quickly fixed.

Others in our trip have had more serious bike problems. In fact, one girl could no longer ride her bike, after Wednesday because it was compromised and could not be fixed. When she was in the bike store in Pella someone who heard about her situation, phoned the bike shop and paid for a new bike for her. It was a heart warming story. She was so pleased to have ridden today.

We are now in Coralville, Iowa (just beside Iowa City), where we will stay for the weekend. While it would have been nice to have stayed in Pella for the weekend, we are walking distance to some stores (like the coffee shop where I am writing this.) It's hard to believe that another week has gone by. The days are going quickly. Next weekend, we will already be in Grand Rapids and closer to Canada.

I truly appreciate the notes of encouragement that I get to open each day, as well as the comments on Facebook and my Blog. They help me feel connected to everyone in Williamsburg. Thank you for your words of support. There are times when I really miss my bed at home and the routines of "normal" life, but I keep cycling on, raising awareness and funds to help end poverty, as well as seeing this huge continent on which we live.