I was shocked at Vandalia, the old Illinois state capital. It was a pretty big railroad town, but the downtown area was a ghost town. It looked as though it had just been abandoned leaving only a police & fire station and a library which had the cheek to charge me 2 bucks for half hours internet access on a windows 95 computer. Every town by the interstate is like this because businesses make more money from thru traffic than locals, and after the interstates became used by more cars businesses moved all their oh cool ice cream! I got bored pondering the historical decline of the US so after pursuading the staff at IGA that my travellers cheques and Georgia drivers license were real, i headed towards Mulberry Grove. When i made it there i got chatting to the boy in the photo. He was explaining how he was bored of the town and wanted to move to California so he could fight fires. If offered me his bike for 5 bucks to help me cross the states quicker, not to disappoint him i promised that if i won the state lottery i'd come back and buy it off him for 100 bucks. If cycled home happy and promised to clean it ready for me. A mile down the road i finished at the local campground for a much needed shower and shave. It was absolute heaven.