The Waffle House was just across the street so I had breakfast there.... waffles, of course. With strawberries and whipped cream - you know, because I need the calories for bicycling.
Outside the restaurant there was another bike. It was safely secured in a creative manner.
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| From Mark on a Bike 08 2 |
Thirty seven miles later I stopped for lunch at the Tiger's Den in Oberlin (pop 1437). You could order a wide variety of fried foods, or you could order a burger. The lack of food was complemented by the lack of service, the lack of ice in the machine, and the lack of desserts. There was also a noticeable lack of customers, which is surprising considering it's the only place to eat in town.
While I was waiting for my burger, a guy came in and asked if that was my bike outside. I said yes, and he sat down to chat for a while.
His name is Jim Riley, an 84-year-old pharmacist who retired 18 yrs ago ("Eighteen years??? Have I been retired that long??"). Anytime someone is in their eighties I assume they were in WW2, so I asked him. He said he was in the Marines, having joined when he was pretty young. Jim spent three years going to school all over the country, some type of officer's training, then was offered an early discharge as the war was coming to a close.
The Tiger's Den was closing, so Jim took off and I headed back out to my bike to keep riding. I was hoping to make it to Ville Platte this evening, another 25 miles. As I was about to ride away I heard a honk behind me and turned to see that Jim had pulled up in his Cadillac and rolled the window down. He yelled through the window, "You wanna come over and talk some more?"
If I did, I'd be spending the night in Mamou instead of Ville Platte. I thought about it for a second and told him that it sounds great. I'll bet he's got some stories to tell.
After his discharge from the military, he used the GI Bill to go to Loyola University to become a pharmacist. Although not originally from this area, his wife was, so this is where he landed.
His first wife died of cancer after many years of marriage. Several years later he remarried. She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 1990 and died seven months later, in 1991. (With some quick calculations, it looks like he decided to retire when she was diagnosed) He's a member of the Rotary Club and tries to stay busy.
He told me a story of a couple on bikers who came through several years ago. The husband was really sick and he ended up letting them stay in his house for a couple of days. He still has the thank you letter he received from them, and pulled it out to show me. I kind of wonder if, after seeing my bike, the reason he went into the cafe was just to chat (he only ordered a small drink).
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| From Mark on a Bike 08 2 |
Jim explained that Oberlin is the dividing line between Cajun Louisiana and French Louisiana. He also told me about the area's industry, that it's about half farming and half lumber. More and more companies are starting to get their trees from this area because they can replace them in as little as 33 years, whereas up in the Northwest it takes more than 60 years.
He talked a while about his niece, Kelly, who is attending medical school at LSU, and his sister, who is a Catholic nun (you know, his Sister sister) in Draper, Utah. He gave me her phone number and insisted I give her a call the next time I'm in Utah.
Eventually it was time to go. Jim gave me a couple of granola bars for the road and we said good-bye. He looked kind of sad that I was leaving, and I wondered what he'd do with the rest of his day, and how he'd spend the rest of his week.
Riding toward Mamou, I began seeing names on the mailboxes change to French names such as Fontenot, Deshotel, and Thibodeaux. Perhaps Oberlin is the dividing line.
Although the county lines are clearly marked, frequently I don't need a sign to tell me I'm crossing the county line. On occasion, you can tell because there's a liquor store just across the border of a "dry" county (alcohol can't be sold). The easier way to tell is simply by looking at the road. Sometimes, there are some dramatic road surface changes between counties.
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| From Mark on a Bike 08 2 |
Isn't the picture below a beautiful sight? It would even be more beautiful if it were on my LEFT side instead of my RIGHT side. A stiff headwind all day today.
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| From Mark on a Bike 08 2 |
Mamou (pop 2711) has one motel, the Mamou Bamboo Motel. When I rolled into town I gave them a call to find out the cost. (Apparently, I found the only ten square feet in town that my cellphone worked, because I had no coverage after this call)
Connie, the owner and manager, said it would be $35.00/night. You can get a room for pretty cheap in some of these small towns. While I had her on the line I asked her if there was a place near the motel where I could get some food. She said, "We're going to be opening up a bar but it's not ready yet." I briefly wondered what types of food she drinks, then asked her about a place to eat in town and was surprised to learn that there isn't a single cafe anywhere in Mamou. "You can try Main Street. They used to have one."
I pedaled through town and stopped on a corner. A guy was just closing up his store and he came over to ask me if I needed some help. I asked him about a place to eat and he also said that there isn't a cafe in town. He pointed across the street to an empty building and said apologetically, "We had a great Cajun restaurant but it closed a few months ago because of a divorce. It was kind of messy."
He added that the only place in town where you can get something to eat is the convenience store. They sell fried chicken and fried fish.
He asked a few questions about my trip and when I mentioned that I'm staying at the Bamboo Motel he raised his eyebrows and gave me a smile that said, "Boy are YOU in for a surprise...."
I pedaled down to the convenience store and placed my order: fried rice and shrimp. Sometimes you just take what you can get, and if you're hungry enough it tastes pretty darn good. I also drank a couple of soft drinks and bought a dessert to eat later.
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| From Mark on a Bike 08 2 |
When I was paying for my food, the woman at the cash register began chatting with me. She said she sees a lot of bikers come through but they usually just grab something fast and take off. It was unusual for someone to have a meal there. I told her I'm staying in town tonight... "at the Bamboo Motel."
She actually wrinkled her nose.
By now, I'm really curious.... how bad can this place be? I was about to find out. It was getting dark so I started pedaling.
My map notes that the motel is 2.5 miles off the route, so I got directions and started riding. I rode for what seemed forever, keeping an eye out, but never did see the motel. Three and a half miles later I stopped at a convenience store to ask.
Raised eyebrows... "The Bamboo Motel? You're staying there?" I said yes, and got directions. By now it was 6:20. Sunset is at 6:15 or so.
Three and a half miles later I finally found it, signless, tucked away from the road between a large grain elevator and a Store-n-Lock. This is a picture of the "sign" (taken the next morning - it was too dark to take any pictures when I arrived) which told of the motel's presence. It's so faded you can't read it, and it's off the road about 75 yards above the Store-n-Lock buildings.
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| From Mark on a Bike 08 2 |
I rolled up to the office as a couple of dogs began running at me and barking. They were small enough that I wouldn't have noticed if they'd bitten me.
The office had a padlock on the door. I pushed the doorbell, but I could see that the wiring to it had been pulled out years before.
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| From Mark on a Bike 08 2 |
The owner, Austin, pulled up in a worn-out truck just about two minutes after I did. He was really apologetic about the place. He and his mother, Connie, bought it only a week ago. They got it "for real cheap."
Once inside the office he told me the rate, $35.00, and I gave him two twenties. He gave me $11.00 back in change. When I told him he gave me too much change, he just shook his head and said, "Keep it." On the way to the room the dogs came up and started barking again. He yelled at them to shut up, then explained, "The dogs came with the place."
There was a padlock on the outside of the door, but I didn't feel worried about getting locked in... I think I could've leaned against the door and the hinges would've ripped out of the rotting wood. These pictures were also taken the following morning.
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| From Mark on a Bike 08 2 |
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| From Mark on a Bike 08 2 |
Austin said, "The rooms in the back are nicer. Since the ones in the front are full, I'm giving you one of the back rooms for the same price." As he said it I noticed a lizard in the corner of the room.
He left me with a key to the room - a key to a padlock on the INSIDE. I went into the bathroom but neither of the two lights worked. In the back of my mind I thought that might be a good thing.
Sheets old? Just turn them into curtains!
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| From Mark on a Bike 08 2 |
And when I peeled back the curtains of my rear window I learned why the back rooms are nicer... a room with a view.
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| From Mark on a Bike 08 2 |
The signs on the door didn't warn about liability the way they did in Texas.
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| From Mark on a Bike 08 2 |
The decor was puzzling. Literally. The pictures were framed puzzles that had been completed, then laquered and framed.
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| From Mark on a Bike 08 2 |
Art everywhere!!
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| From Mark on a Bike 08 2 |
I looked around for an angel on a toilet seat but couldn't find one.
A place to hang your hat and coat...
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| From Mark on a Bike 08 2 |
Still, the water in the shower was hot and the bed was soft (though I did wonder HOW the bed became so soft). Sure, there were a couple of holes from cigarette burns, but the sheets were clean... and when there are too many holes, they can be used for curtains. I used my flashlight to shower and shave.
While I lay in my bed, I watched the insect kingdom around me in a life and death battle. Just above my head, I saw the biggest mosquito I've ever seen in my life get caught in a spider web. (no symbolism here - just straight facts) The mosquito was three times the size of the spider and managed to extricate himself from the webbing before the spider could envenomate him.
There was no TV, but I didn't really need one. I could watch The Discovery Channel right here in my room without it.
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| From Mark on a Bike 08 2 |
74.00 miles (would've been 67 if I'd seen the motel right away)
11.8 average speed
21.4 maximum speed
6:13:34 time
1940.8 total distance
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