Day Thirteen: April 22, 2004

From: Mile 420: Cherry Creek, New York

To: Mile 478: Buffalo, New York

Total Distance: 58 miles

Topography: FLAT, winding roads. A quick ride through Amish farm country.

Weather: Cool, and progressively turning to cold throughout the day with occasionally strong gusts of wind. Overcast and gloomy.

Major Landmarks: The motivational signs, which kept informing us we were getting closer to Buffalo. Outskirts of Amish Country, lots of cows, horse and buggies, and vast farm fields.

The Ride:
Start: 830am

End: 130pm Buffalo City Hall at Niagara Square

Total: 5hrs

Riders: 16

Casualties: Nyima ate it in the town of Eden, but was able to get back up and finish day. Minor scrapes and bruises. Thanks to the well-maintained signs for 62N in downtown Buffalo, a few of us went astray but regrouped in the city center without incident. While driving across town in Buffalo, Douglas Herman (Tour Coordinator/Photographer) was arrested for driving while talking on a cell phone. Gotta love the Buffalo Police.

Standouts: Sonam Wangdu: Refusing to ride in the van for his last day on the PeaceRide, he rode with Parzival on the Tandem all the way to Buffalo, without aggravating his ligaments.

Tenam, Rabten Jamtso, Gendin Gyatso, and Sonam Wangdu: Due to being delayed by government Red Tape, these four vital members of our family will no longer be with us on the PeaceRide. The simple fact that the US government will not let them back into America once they leave exemplifies the immediacy with which the world should force China to return Tibet back to Tibetans. They too deserve the right to peacefully traverse this globe without inconvenience. WE WILL MISS YOU ALL!!!

Rating: Too quick, painless, and very somber.

Host Family: Unitarian Church: Buffalo, NY

Meal: India Gate Feast!

Wake Up Time: 6am; OUR LAST STOP IN AMERICA at the Peace Bridge, then on to Rainbow Bridge at Niagara Falls, before covering another 50 miles to Hamilton, Ontario.

Quote of the Day: "Hey Larry, I¹m at the Tonawanda Police Station on Sheridan Drive. Yeah I need you come bail me out of jail. I got pulled over for using a cell phone while I was driving and it¹s gonna cost 2 bills."

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