Damn, if it was 500 km for me, I'd be cycling there for sure! But with the current conditions and 1300 km, it's a bit too long ride with bicycle for me :(
But hey, at least there are hundreds and thousands of car drivers daily, so I'm sure I can get a few rides from kind souls :)
Looking forward seeing you, and your speech, man!
500km of cycling shouldn't take too long actually, it could be a fun thing to do but, I'm not the right person for such a challenge. :)))
Good luck with the hitchhiking, I hope you arrive on time. Looking forward to it as well.