California Dreaming

So, really quickly as I am now on the bus time countdown...


I am in California! hoorah!!!!

Oregon cycle route completed, I decided to have a rest day. Amber carried on she has a 100mile a day target to break. That left me with 130miles to catch up today (not likely!).

I woke up early (6am) - I have discovered that the trick to an early morning start is the smell of freshly cooking bacon. That got me out of bed and I made myself a fine collection of pancakes with my latest favourite topping: freshly squeezed orange juice with maple syrup and lightly stewed apples in cinnamin (yum yum!).

The breakfast was for the group of youth park ranger salmon restoration team that are based at the hostel at the moment. I kinda couldn't believe my luck as this is the team I was trying to arrange to work with whilst in the UK. The CCC (California Conservation Core) have a great youth scheme here; the kind of which I have been looking for in the UK and may even end up trying to integrate assuming I make it back to work at BSFC.

I was talking to a great girl this morning who recommended that I wait around to speak to their team leader at lunch time. So, I let the daily South bound bus pass and waited. A kiwi guy was driving into the nearest wifi connected town later that afternoon so I also let that bus go.

I discovered here that luck works both ways: In the morning whilst we were waiting, the team leader was involved in a pretty serious accident and the wire holding the logs snapped and lascerated his leg so he was taken off to hospital. Then the kiwi guy, Dan, discovered his jacket had been taken - his car keys in the pocket. So, my time here has been limited and once again I am leaving without sufficient internet time. Still...

Next time I guess I will focus on emailing essentials rather than blog. I am still working to back up photos and get them onto the blog. My idea is that there will be 'slide shows' so anyone who's interested can see the images to go along with my descriptions. It would be amazing if I could also add a soundtrack. I have discovered that even the most intimidating of situations can become a 'film like' adventure if accompanied by the right soundtrack. I have to put in a big thankyou to Jason here as a lot of the new music I am currently discovering is coutesy of him. So the biggest of THANKYOUS!!! I am now staying another night at the hostel (in the Trees of Mystery) then will attempt to catch up with Amber.

There is a really niice retiree cyclist from Germany staying at hostel. She thinks I'm travelling really quickly. Amber on the other hand thought my pace a little too relaxed. Anyway, the main thing for me is to arrive with my body and essential belongings in one piece. I'm hoping the bus journey is OK. In a way, at least cycling you have a little more control over your own destiny (or so one likes to think).

Tomorrow I continue South.

Love and hugs,

Anne x