'RIDING it Out', Pam Goodall's talk to Rye and District U3A's April meeting at the Community Centre on Monday, April 21, told of her adventures cycling round the world on her specially designed Roberts bicycle, which she had Christened Alchemy.
At the age of 59, she set out alone, from Horsham, on the first leg of a 10,000-mile journey, which would take her across Europe, following the Danube, to Turkey, where, unable to get a visa to cross Iran, she had to fly to Pakistan.
Everywhere sh
e went she was overwhelmed by the kindness of strangers, staying for one week in a tiny Pakistan village as guest of the villagers - only one of whom knew any English.
She had similar positive experiences in India, Thailand, Laos, although in Vietnam, where was joined by a young lone French cyclist, she met widespread of hostility, which vanished as she once again rode out on her own.
However, once on her own again, she entered China, cycling down to Hong Kong, being greeted as a welcome guest wherever she went, which was just as well as she had no idea what the Chinese signs might mean.
From Hong Kong, she flew to Mexico, and on to the USA, where baffled border security guards, on the lookout for drug smugglers and illegal immigrants, initially found it impossible to believe that a lone 60-year-old woman was making her way round the world on a bike.
The Rye U3A audience was captivated by her good-humoured tale of so many wonderful people, across the world, who were ready to welcome and help her out. After the talk, Pam autographed copies of her book.
Rye's U3A Militaria Group are just back from a day visit to Ypres war cemeteries, where they managed to locate, and honour, the grave of a relative of the members.
Details of membership from Sheila Maddock on 01797 224418.
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