And now for a different kind of impressively massive wood;
The kid's name is Levi. His mother walked past as Lauren took this photo, "Doesn't matter how old they get does it?"
No. It don't.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
The Redwoods
And now for a different kind of impressively massive wood;
The kid's name is Levi. His mother walked past as Lauren took this photo, "Doesn't matter how old they get does it?"
No. It don't.
Friday, August 22, 2008
From Stawalmus Chief to San-Jose
Jon:
Amy is a tiny person; BUT a tiny person full of explosive energy. A true a definition of the japanese word 'genki' that I've ever come across. It was great to see her again and hike around Squamish too!
Vancouver was at once as I remembered it, and not // As I hauled my belongings from the Amtrak station the dusk light dimmed and sounds of sea-gulls carried on the wind. Ah! The Pacific! I smiled.
... it's always strange visiting half-forgotten places; roads and junctions, the funny little roundabouts at crossroads, record stores on Main St, tree-lined streets. People watching was interesting being back in such a diverse city; lots more funny looking folks, a lot more evidence of alternatives, a city where you don't have to fit in to fit in, where you are as likely to see triathletes training as bums pushing shopping trolleys.
I feel ready and excited for what's next, my next home, next job, next challenge. After constant motion for so long I want a place I can return to at the end of the day. A place that holds my music, my books, my bicycle, my loves.
Guess I'm almost ready to be homeward bound.
The bus ride down the west coast was long and shambolic. We were delayed due to shattered windscreens, people left behind at the border, drivers walking out on the job, and delayed fuel-stops, but was at least made enjoyable by the final driver, "I'd like to thank you ALL, for choosing to ride in Daddy's Caddy. Now will you JOIN wi' me to ask the Lord for a safe journey, can I get a A---MEN??!"
Riding through Northern California the smoke hung heavy in the air, evidence of the huge number of forest fires that have blazed through the summer. We would squeeze through mountain passes, and where ordinarily huge vistas of ridges and hills would open out beneath, there was only an eerie whiteness in every direction.
The approach to San Francisco was hugely impressive as it appeared little by little, silhouetted against the bright sunlit sky across the bay. The long bay bridge from Oakland took us right in. But I wasn't going to stay for long. I grabbed all my gear and taxi'd to the train station to get to San Jose to see My.
I was surprised at just how many place names I recognised, how many building styles I recognised, it felt like being in a movie. American pop culture was such a part of my youth without me even realising it; film, television, and music, even the warm stark light bouncing off the concrete.
It was really great to see My and Pin. My and Pin like food. I like food. My and Pin like naps. I like naps. My and Pin like watching the Olympics. I like watching the Olympics. I like My and Pin.
It was fun seeing the places and peoples of my friends' youth. Wandering around Chinatown in 'the city', "That's the park where I learned that crazy old black dudes get along with crazy old asian dudes."
I visited Pin in Japan just before I started this trip and it was great to see him again at the end. Nice bookends to the trip. It's always good to see friends again to see how you measure up.
I've been thinking a lot about this trip and what it might mean to me, how I will look back on it. I think perhaps for the first time in my life I was more excited by what I was leaving (or rather who) than what I was approaching. It's imposiible for me to consider this trip as a single thing. I have to break it down to individual cities, individual friends, individual mornings or rides or views. It doesn't make sense any other way. It feels like a VERY long time ago that we left Boston.
I've had this trip in mind since my final year of school... just waiting for the opportunity and when it came ... having to stop early and watch as Wei continued on alone, questioning whether I'd have had the will to carry on if the situation was reversed. In many ways I was ready to stop when I did, and I know it was the right decision. I'm really happy Wei rode on and am looking forward to seeing him again in the UK and comparing notes.
When I first read my fortune I was amused. Without thinking I translated it as needing a car... but then my friend pointed out that it could equally mean a shopping trolley... maybe I'm destined to remain homeless a little longer.
Amy is a tiny person; BUT a tiny person full of explosive energy. A true a definition of the japanese word 'genki' that I've ever come across. It was great to see her again and hike around Squamish too!
Vancouver was at once as I remembered it, and not // As I hauled my belongings from the Amtrak station the dusk light dimmed and sounds of sea-gulls carried on the wind. Ah! The Pacific! I smiled.
... it's always strange visiting half-forgotten places; roads and junctions, the funny little roundabouts at crossroads, record stores on Main St, tree-lined streets. People watching was interesting being back in such a diverse city; lots more funny looking folks, a lot more evidence of alternatives, a city where you don't have to fit in to fit in, where you are as likely to see triathletes training as bums pushing shopping trolleys.
I feel ready and excited for what's next, my next home, next job, next challenge. After constant motion for so long I want a place I can return to at the end of the day. A place that holds my music, my books, my bicycle, my loves.
Guess I'm almost ready to be homeward bound.
The bus ride down the west coast was long and shambolic. We were delayed due to shattered windscreens, people left behind at the border, drivers walking out on the job, and delayed fuel-stops, but was at least made enjoyable by the final driver, "I'd like to thank you ALL, for choosing to ride in Daddy's Caddy. Now will you JOIN wi' me to ask the Lord for a safe journey, can I get a A---MEN??!"
Riding through Northern California the smoke hung heavy in the air, evidence of the huge number of forest fires that have blazed through the summer. We would squeeze through mountain passes, and where ordinarily huge vistas of ridges and hills would open out beneath, there was only an eerie whiteness in every direction.
The approach to San Francisco was hugely impressive as it appeared little by little, silhouetted against the bright sunlit sky across the bay. The long bay bridge from Oakland took us right in. But I wasn't going to stay for long. I grabbed all my gear and taxi'd to the train station to get to San Jose to see My.
I was surprised at just how many place names I recognised, how many building styles I recognised, it felt like being in a movie. American pop culture was such a part of my youth without me even realising it; film, television, and music, even the warm stark light bouncing off the concrete.
It was really great to see My and Pin. My and Pin like food. I like food. My and Pin like naps. I like naps. My and Pin like watching the Olympics. I like watching the Olympics. I like My and Pin.
It was fun seeing the places and peoples of my friends' youth. Wandering around Chinatown in 'the city', "That's the park where I learned that crazy old black dudes get along with crazy old asian dudes."
I visited Pin in Japan just before I started this trip and it was great to see him again at the end. Nice bookends to the trip. It's always good to see friends again to see how you measure up.
I've been thinking a lot about this trip and what it might mean to me, how I will look back on it. I think perhaps for the first time in my life I was more excited by what I was leaving (or rather who) than what I was approaching. It's imposiible for me to consider this trip as a single thing. I have to break it down to individual cities, individual friends, individual mornings or rides or views. It doesn't make sense any other way. It feels like a VERY long time ago that we left Boston.
I've had this trip in mind since my final year of school... just waiting for the opportunity and when it came ... having to stop early and watch as Wei continued on alone, questioning whether I'd have had the will to carry on if the situation was reversed. In many ways I was ready to stop when I did, and I know it was the right decision. I'm really happy Wei rode on and am looking forward to seeing him again in the UK and comparing notes.
When I first read my fortune I was amused. Without thinking I translated it as needing a car... but then my friend pointed out that it could equally mean a shopping trolley... maybe I'm destined to remain homeless a little longer.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Uff Da!
"Uff Da", Norwegian for 'darn', 'blast', 'doh!', 'oops', 'bugger'... I'm learning new things everyday...
Yes, time to leave again. Breaking free of the Malakoff family hospitality is no easy thing, first in Kaslo and now in Naramata, but after two days of indulging and the final stretch to Vancouver had to be tackled. I had eaten peaches, plums and mulberries straight off trees, got treated to giant 'seaside' icecreams, bbq, takeout pizza, games of monopoly, ran around crazy with Eric and Mackenzie, visited local wineries, star gazed, gawped at iron men & women (Penticton hosts an Ironman every summer, which Kristi has completed), discovered woodturning, watched the olympics and got accosted by a nutter in the supermarket. Life was fine in Naramata and Penticton and the people even better.
The mind is good at disguising, and it's not until you have the luxury of hindsight that you realise that perhaps you are more fragile than you think. My emotions fluctuated too easily. Feeling the smooth tarmac roll easily beneath me set me off eager to gobble up more road. But on the second day the climbing started straight out of Princeton and didn't end for the rest of the day. It was the first time i really, really hated climbing and wished Vancouver was just around every next bend. Even at nine in the morning, momentum died in a instant, the buff under my helmet keeping salty sweat out of my eyes was saturated in minutes and the handlebars became slippery with perspiration. There was brief respite as i held onto the back of a very slow moving truck but it soon sped up revealing a dead straight continuous 3km at 8% with no shoulder. Led Zep and lots of shouting got me up.
Hiding out under trees at lunch, every contrail across the sky had me dreaming of the moment of stepping on the plane home. Afternoon: felt the heat radiating off the rock walls, rode inconsistent shoulders, watched other cyclists struggling, walking up the other side, raced cars down the beautiful descents and loathed the inevitable up that followed.
Despite plenty of opportunity to wild camp, i spent my dollars on a provincial park and the last night of camping felt amazing. An icy pool in the stream meant a quick but refreshing wash. I watched the sun creep slowly lower over the carpet of pines, relaxing to the sounds of the water confidently bubbling over rocks. The full moon shone like a spot light, stars shot across the darkness and i lit my first and last wood fire of the trip.
The penultimate morning to Chilliwack rewarded the previous days uphill slog with amazing descending. After two and half hours of riding, my average speed was 17.1mph, max speed was 48mph and i had done 40 miles down empty roads. It paid to be out early. Later i learned a motorcyclist was killed just a few hours behind me, careering too fast round the tight bends, crashing and catapulting into the ravine below.
My Rapha bottle had split, the reflective piping on my jacket pealed away, shoes splitting, socks full of holes, tyre walls cracking, the honey jar empty, plums bruised, knees creaking and thighs protesting, the mountains gone. I was loving it.
The air got wetter as i took a recommended detour to the Othello Tunnels, the final part of the KVR, an incredible series of perfectly aligned rail tunnels carved through seemingly impassable walls of rock. I felt the journey didn't want to end, revealing surprises even so close to completion. Walking through the damp tunnels was quite an experience, every entrance revealing more fantastic gorge scenery. I stood with Chad and Susana, exchanging photos and watching salmon leap up the raging waterfalls before riding the the remaining, very smooth and shaded KVR to Hope.
Excellent directions from my kind warmshowers hosts, Char and John led me to their home Chilliwack and onward to Vancouver through pleasant farmland and thankfully flat roads! I can't thank them enough again for their hospitality, sharing their inspiring journeys and mapping a safe route into the bustle of the city that only comes from being a local. So after two and a half thousand miles i rolled to Lana's front door in Vancouver. We celebrated in style by hitting the chinese midnight market, a culinary eye opener for my friends and a delicious end to the journey.
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