On to Oregon

Olympia! I’d been here a couple of times, changing buses when I was looking at bikes, so I was familiar with the place. Even though this is the capitol of Washington State, it is a lot smaller than Seattle; there was one hostel in town, which turned out to be a little 2 bedroom weatherboard house in the suburbs, with an annex out back made into a dorm, I was in the house and ended up waiting 3 days for the rain to end. Hisham seemed to be the boss around here, a Lebanese American, who knew more than the web, about everything imaginable, Colin, an Englishman who’s travelled around and ended up here in his later years was doing the odd shift to pay his rent, having escaped life on the street. I spent my time there, looking at tents and mattresses for the coming journey;

Hisham had given me dirictions one day to a placewhere I could get cheap tents so I was hopelessly lost, walking in the rain, when I came across an Insurance Broker. One last try before leaving the State, once I’m in Oregon there will no doubt be more reasons why I can’t be insured, I came across another Mary, just when I needed her. I told Kathy the story and with a nod of her head disappeared upstairs for ten minutes; on her return I had two options, comprehensive $950 or just liability for $650. After picking myself off the floor, I thought about it, I wanted to be legal, I only wanted 5 months, it was a long way from the 100 I’d been quoted by Gieco and the others but they wouldn’t insure me. I paid about $250 for 5 months; I will ring and cancel when it’s time to leave the country. I would use the hostel address and Colin would forward it on to me where ever I am when it arrives, I am now street legal, any overzealous state trooper who might pick me up down the road will at least have the pieces of paper he needs to see.

I woke up, there was a break in the clouds, I could see blue and it wasn’t raining, time to go. I had three days to come up with a plan of action and the plan was to get onto 101 and head south. There are those who need to know exactly when they will leave on a journey, which route they will take, when they will stop for lunch, how far they will get that day, where they will stay, etc, etc, etc. They will spend hours pondering over maps and attractions along the way. I get up when I get up, decide if I’m going, pack the bike if I’m going, get on the bike, and on this occasion head south. I’d seen the signs for 101 whilst walking around so had an idea where I was going… I got lost… not that I mind getting lost, in my opinion getting lost is all part of finding your way around and you can always double back and start again. It’s the short cuts that stuff things up, you know, miss a turning right, so carry on, go right down the road and right again I should end up where I want to be right, why does it never work? Then it’s time to stop and ask a local, “scuse me mate, which way to 101 south.” “Oh you’ve come too far, turn around go about 3 miles you’ll come to a fork left, don’t take it, carry on till you come to a starbucks, …here we go… one on every corner, turn right you’ll come to a junction, you want to go left, so turn right bla bla bla. I’m already confused, now I’m so confused I don’t know if I’m confused or not, I went back to where I started, got on to 101 and headed for Aberdeen. Hisham had said to go to Portland and get on to the 101 from there, the people in Aberdeen were a strange lot and should be avoided at all cost, Kurt Cobain was from there he said and he shot himself. That should tell you what they are like in Aberdeen! OK I shall ride straight through and try to avoid the miserable buggers I said. The sun was shining I went through Aberdeen, avoided the miserable buggers, went over the Astoria- Megler bridge which is a sight to behold at 6500 metres long, spanning the mouth of the Columbia river and I was in Oregon. A few more kilometres and I was ready to stop for the night, I found a great little place in Seaside and was all ready for a ride down the coast the following morning.

I am….THE LONESOME TRAVELLER….travelling east….BE HAPPY!