1999-11-12 Okay, my knee isn't broken, but sometimes it feels like it is. I took some Tylenol and that got the pain to the lower side of bearable. I blame my knee for the fact that I've done the number of miles in two days that I probably should have been able to do in one. Of course my knee probably blames me for the opposite during previous days. At first it was hurting so bad that I actually considered catching a train to Houston. The trains run right through here. But then the drugs must have kicked in, because for about 5 hours after that I at least wasn't clenching my teeth and breathing through my nose whenever I peddled. Then the drugs wore off. Back to clenching my teeth. It seems like it takes about 45 mintues for tylenol to kick in. If the problem persists tomorrow, I'll just remember to take drugs on a schedule so there is no down time. Even so, the pain never went away so I never pushed as hard as I could. I realize what I really need to do is just rest my leg. But it's tough making my whole body wait around for one little knee cap. I started this morning from Raceland, Louisiana and hobbled up highway 1 to Thibodaux (not a clue how to pronounce it). Saw lots of sugar cane. From there I followed 20 south/west until I hit 182 and followed 182 through Morgan City where I got back onto 90. I think 90 actually runs from Raceland to Morgan City, but it must be new, because it's not on my map. I made it almost to Patterson on 90 before I pulled off to camp. This is the first time I've camped in four nights. I'm starting to feel like some kinda city folk. I am in a jungle-looking forest not far from the highway. There are lots of spiders. Other than that there's not too much to tell. I saw a fair number of turtles (I would amuse myself by yelling "Turtles away, turtles away!" as they jumped into the water), and a little alligator (4 feet) sleeping on a log. I haven't got to go through as much swamp as I'd like, although that should change in the next day or so. The only real problem with biking through swamps and lowlands is that the roads are so nasty because they are always sinking (as I'm told).