Kindness of Strangers
When I've toured, I've frequently encountered people, complete strangers, who have helped me out along the way. I've heard that this is not infrequent among cycle-tourists, so I was wondering if you've got any stories about the kindnesses you have been shown from strangers.
My (first) story:
My friend and I were cycling around Tasmania, and I had reached a point where I had enough and decided to rest a couple days then take the bus and catch up with my friend who was going to continue cycling. We checked the bus schedules and agreed to meet in a small town called, Hamilton.
I checked the tourist information about Hamilton and while it seemed to have an over-abundance of Bed and Breakfasts (quite expensive ones), it didn't seem to have cheap hotels, hostels, or even campgrounds. But nevertheless we decided to meet there and see what we could arrange for accommodations when we got there (stealth camping is always an option).
My friend arrived there before I did, and settled in at the local pub to wait for me. Hamilton is a VERY small town which doesn't appear to get a lot of traffic, and so the presence of a cyclist from a foreign country attracted attention. He got chatting with the people in the pub and before long they fed him, for free, and after a bit one of them offered him (and me) a place to stay for the night.
I arrived and my friend and I made our way over to the home of the person who offered us a place to stay (Paul). Paul lived in a large 18th century inn which he was restoring!!! Cool!! He showed us all around the place and explained some of the history surrounding it. He also explained some of the restorations, and showed us photos of the before and after. He made sure we had supper before bed, and breakfast before we set off in the morning.
I had never had a complete stranger open up his/her home to me before. It was incredible!