My feet get cold every day, even when it is not that cold out, today i realized that water is leaking into my waterproof Sorel Caribous, there is a tiny hole in the burly rubber sole. I think i can find it if i fill the boot with hot water then look at the sole with a thermo imaging camera… i ruled out filling up the boot with compressed air and looking for bubbles, filling the boot with colored water and careful looking.

… rain and snow. i need to go skiing

ill just have an enlightened brownie at Enlighten Cafe provo utah

The trap

Sitting in a hammock after eating lunch at a long table under a tree after taking down a circus tent, after a night in a caravan, after a day of working on a small sail boat after my last night at Pius's place... Hamid asked if I want a beer, I don't think a day has gone by while I've been in Geneva that someone hasn't offered me a drink. Yesterday it was three beers by three different people, two offers of dinner and two offers of a place to stay, oh and I had to turn down a game of pitonque

Natacha and Adrian say I'm like a rainbow or a unicorn. Tony asked if I would travel with him to find a spot to set up an intentional community.  It feels like home, but knowingly temporary home... The sun just made its way out from around my nest of trees and Hamid just handed me a Calvinus blanche I think I'll adjust my perch.

 Jeremy gave me a bike, the Bike Switzerland guys ( if you want a nice bike tour these are the guys to see) helped me out with safety equipment... My path seems like to be full of only opportunities.

But which direction to ride, Italy, Germany, Switzerland?

Two weeks of work fell in my lap,

They say this place holds people

Several yesterday's and right now

At the start of this trip I had two destinations, Miami ( to catch a ship) and back to Portland Oregon. In the mean time I knew there would additional intermediate destinations. But I really have been trying to stay open to the next destination it Seems there are no ferries from Spain to Tunisia and Algerian visa's are expensive and hard to get and tourist vistas are impossiable to Lybia... And Atali said come to Geneva.

Ive been warned many times by assorted people about the Calvinistic nature of the people of Geneva, about Swiss laws that say that if you see a crime being committed and do nothing to stop it then you are an accomplice. I was invited to a party my first day here and was greeted warmly and told that work was easy to find and that I should stay.  But then not long after someone I met kind of hid from me in public,  people here tell me that is normal behavior for people from Geneva.

Someone just asked me if I had any rolling papers.

Then Atali started acting distant, told me to buy my own food... I had been, then while we were talking she sat back and accused me of being judgmental??? Barked at me about making a fool of myself I front of her friends and got really cold...

I like the music in here, electronic, 60s sounding, all French, loyce e os gnomes Brazilian guitar fuzzy

More and more pleased with my biking set up, new handle stem, handle bars, and mounted at a little bike shop that did its best to be invisible, no sign, off the street, down two sets of stairs then back under the street in an area with what look like embassies.

Many used bikes in all states of repair. One bike was being moved and it's back wheel wasn't rolling, I noticed a unlock between the frame and rear wheel.

in Carouge, checking out a bike shop and looking for a used rear bike rack. It's raining so I stopped into a shop, turns out to be a little restaurant, Fanta place mats, country western swing music playing, but old paint on the walls little tables, a man in the visible kitchen, I walk back and ask

Do you speak English?

No, wife ( and points)

She walks up

What would you like

We negotiate for a minute, they indicate that they are making salad and resoto with chicken, I say yes, pleased that I've found a place that only serves one thing each day

Proz jean Michel

He said " i love to hear, it's nice to meet you"

Sex pistols are playing in the next room, I couldn't pack anything but a back pack to that music, Golda is packing her entire room and moving out. I don't understand, yes she is finishing up her studies in pedagogy, doesn't have any money but she thinks she can't stay here anymore even though she invited me to stay, and I'll still be here after she a leaves this old decaying student apartment. 6 bedrooms each with sinks, one toilet and one bath, wood and tile floors, balconies, wood and glass double doors all over the place. And the elevator... Wood paneling and doors, steel grate outer door, nothing automatic. at first not sure if it's even safe, maybe an operator should be running it, but there isn't enough room for one.

Bikes locked to the stair railing, mines just out side the room I'm squatting.

After Atali wrote me " you can't stay anymore because you didn't say hi last night" I met up with Reto and Rafaela for beer, Reto said he had found a couch for one night, I started talking to Rafaela's two friends and they said, " you can stay with us" then I learned they didn't really know Rafaela.

At football two days before I was given a bike, then at pétanque I was offered a car. I think I've found and visited all of the used bike shops in town and successfully outfitted my bike for the journey onward, but I was just offered two weeks of work.

I can't hear the sex pistols any more but birds and street sounds.

Up to date travel recap

I must've fallen asleep, didn't feel like I slept but I was tired and the wait didn't feel very long before we started moving again... Through the yard and we kept moving...

But this was just going to be me catching up with the travel recap...

I'm the tale of the train moving while I'm moving back to the unit and having to get on the moving train and crawl along the side of the car.

Off the train in Kansas city, yea not Chicago, sleeping in a ravine behind a house, riding 20 miles to a truck... stop getting kicked out of two separate truck stops

Three rides in cars

Picked up by a truck that took me to Atlanta, one night in the truck

One hitch ride, spent the night at new friends house, they gave me a ride to the other side of Atlanta, 40 mile bike ride because that spot was impossible to hitch out of, ride on truck to lake city Florida.

Two days until boat so I bought a bus ticket to Miami.

One night in Jacksonville where I met some nice people and was even hosted for the night by a very nice person that I met

So after a night in the bus station learning that greyhound lost my gear trying to find my gear I walked to the boat, stopping on the way to buy a scarf.

11 days in the Vegas like luxury of shows, pools, buffets, restaurants dancing and sun of the cruise ship ( not to mention one day of motion sickness)

I took as much food from the cruise ship as I could pack, bread cheese, salami and apples.

Barcelona, a night in a hostel after my CouchSurfing hookup didn't pan out, metro out of town to a freeway on ramp. I got information about where to hitch out of from the desk clerk at the hostel.

All day waiting then three rides up into the mountains, a night in the hills,

A ride to the next town walked across town a different road caught a ride to a main freeway, but I had to walk through a big field, through a big culvert under train tracks, jumped a fence to a gas station on the main free way

Ride with a trucker to Lion.

Ride to airport train to Geneva...where I'm staying with Atali.

Reddit...Is this proof?

http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1eoqit/around_the_world_bywalking_riding_bike/

Back to the train narrative, in North Platte

24 hours later we stopped at what I assumed was outside the north platte yard, several sets of tracks to the right and left of us, but the north platte train yard was supposed to be the busiest train yard in the world, and this did not seem all that busy...seemed we must be waiting clearance to enter, or maybe this is were the crew change took place... I contemplated a move to a rideable train car further up the train because the word was that North Platte was "hot" there were even claims of dog searches and infrared scanners. The advice was to leave the train, walk, or ride my bike to the far side of the yard and catch out on that side. But was that posable? Was there security that would catch me if I wandered off in the open, would I be able to find roads that paralleled the main line, would I be able to find the main line, do trains stop in a convenient spot to catch out on? If I stayed in the unit would I be able to get off and hide again....

Another train traveling the same direction pulled up on the track next to us. I think it is a train that we passed on a siding, I think we are waiting to pull into the yard, I decided to wait.

We move forward picking up speed, it's surprising how fast the train accelerates, past a light tower... We slow... More tracks and trains and lights up high and everywhere... The instruments inside seem to indicate fuel quantity at empty... A pickup truck drives past, and another seems to be following us, then turns off and drives away. I wonder if I've been seen, if anyone cares, if they've called the police, if the yard is "hot"

We stop... Another truck drives past, I climb down, with gear, on the side of the unit opposite where all of the trucks have been driving and walk up the train to the 48 that has a floor, set out a tarp, get my things as low and out of sight as possible and curl up with the tarp folded over me and wait to get moving.

Rainy day in Geneva

Off and on rain, stayed inside looked for work, some new friends suggest it is easy here and the pay is good, but I'm not having any luck.

Sunny yesterday I met a French girl from Africa who was far cuter then she looked, happy and alive, different than normal Geneva people, she insisted that I get out of Geneva, she kept saying Vellee, go to Vellee.

I need more comfortable shoes if I'm going to hike thought the Alps

Visited the apple store, played patenque, went to a bar and met a man from Kosovo who said, and believed " America saved my country" ( i shed a tear) and I think he is right. Then had a beer at a underground bar on the second floor, called Pachinko, with a particle physicists that works at CERN who said " it quacks like a duck and smells like a duck and we are sure we have a bird" in regards to the Higgs Bosan.

The first day of trains

Travel recap.

After spending a night under the 42nd street over pass and traveling back and forth between that spot and Jewbitz truck stop, several hours talking to truck drivers, getting kicked out of said truck stop, eating fabulous goat soup at a Mexican dive, drinking beer and chatting with ted under said overpass, hunting around portland with Ted, at about 10:00 pm I caught a west bound train to Chicago.

Rode in the pusher Unit through Oregon and Idaho ( an engine that is on the back of the train.) it is heated has a toilet, drinking water and an instrument that tells speed and other things that are interesting to me. The views were spectacular, and I could climb outside and ride in the open air. I had MRE's to eat and made a little bed on the floor. I suspected that the unit need to be inspected once a day ( there was an inspection sheet on the wall that was per printed for the year with a space for each day. Ted told me that he thought there was an inspection in Pocatello, I did the math.

It felt like we were making good time, the train never stopped, it often slowed while either on a siding track or while another train was on a siding track so the two could pass each other in opposite directions.

At about midnight of the second day a truck started following us as we pulled into the freight yard in what I thought was Pocatello yard. the train was still moving but I took all my stuff with me out the side of the train opposite the truck... Waited for complete stop then climbed down and into the shadow of the train sitting on the track next to us... I was wearing all black. I watched the truck and realized that the light was such that the truck driver probably couldn't see me. I set my bike and backpack down in the shadows and walked up to the truck making sure to now be as visible and non threatening as possible, i.e. stayed 10 feet or so away from the truck and stood still, stooping over as to ask a question. The man in the truck opened his door and got out, he was wearing thick heavy clothes and put a flip down full face safety shield on his head and said

yes?

Are you inspecting this train?

Yes

He did not appeared concerned by my presence

Listen... I don't want to be trouble, but I just got off that train... And I'm planning on getting back on...

Don't touch anything, I didn't see you... See that blue flashing light on the train, I will take it off when I'm done, there is another guy inspecting the rest of the train, he will take off the other blue light when he is done. I'm the only one who will get in the train.

I retreated back into the shadows. Then climbed up into the unit and set up my bed as soon as he drove off.

Geneva

Hitchhiked to Geneva Switzerland, I'm staying with Atali for a bit

Hitchhiked all the way to Aiguafreda Catalonia Spain

Three rides in 7 hours for total of about 50K. I'm in the mountains north of Barcelona. Learned today that Tapas refers to the little plate placed on top of a beer to keep flys out of it

Ocean view

The simple realization that I had a room steward made me feel like a genius, yea I felt bad, it's a job no one should have to do, but gloves and a vacuum... Not too bad really... After that I took the maximum dosage of meclizine... And room service which brought said meclizine and dinner and breakfast became my favorite thing. And all that the first day at sea, long before the 50 foot waves, the biggest seas the Epic had ever seen...

All that conspired and the wind rain and cold to keep me from using the.giant water slides, pools and hot tubs on board. I did make it to shows i.e. Blueman group and Legends in concert, a magic show, an a cappella singing group... I don't remember everything right now...

Once I started feling better I also spent more time with friends I met aboard. Michael and Dorcas, Theo and assorted other people.

Once in the Mediterranean the seas got calm mad the sun came out...

Miami

Its 3:15 am in Miami Florida, Greyhound station, the only other patron here has 3 giant rolling suitcases. Greasy clothing and pony tail, loud whiny voice just screeched to the homeland security guard "you know I've been in prison, well I'm a very intelligent person" Next... the boat to Spain, but first, retrieve my bike (and some of my gear) which ended up in north Miami ... I'm so annoyed,

A gay witch, then a just released convict were my seat mates on the ride south

THe 42 nd street overpass

I stepped across the guardrail on the 42nd street bridge over Lombard street and the train tracks, leaving Ted and Molly to watch the bikes as i climbed down under the bridge to see what the situation was like at this the "traditional" spot to wait for a train, well at least according to Gudrik and his house mate... Ah Gudrik ... He helped on the Harvey house, then moved here, I called him just after i got to Portland and left a message, assuming this was him just returning the call, " I think I just saw you ride by on a bike" the serendipity Overload in Portland is giving me a brain ache... Running into Lali three times, the perfect bike and now Gudrik's housemate who rides freights into and out of Portland at least twice a year.

Down the embankment where Brandan, who introduced himself almost as many times as he asking me to not judge him and saying that he is in Portland for school... And his wife Dana camped/lived, he assured me that they were going into rehab Monday, and were staying here because the FBI raided their squat and they couldn't abandon their big white and black PittBull, Henry who they renamed after rescuing him from people who called him.

Brandan had on a red headlamp and was carefully handling a small silver cup with some goldish brown liquid, tamping it with a small plastic plunger from a small syringe. " this is the best place to wait for a train, to Chicago they come Tuesday or Wednesday between midnight and three. An Evergreen or "K"liner is what you want ,

He put the plunger into the syringe and pulled the liquid back up looked at it and gently put it back, tamped some more, " you can set up right here if you don't mind what is going on, but it's better up there." Dana pointed up to

He slowly drew it back into the syringe, put an elastic around his upper arm. There was one dark spot, a tiny tiny scab on top of the vein that bumped up, it looked exactly like my arm looked after the times I gave plasma. Dipped the needle back in the cup, slowly drew the contentment in it. Fine needle slowly into the dark mark, wait, push a little and wait, almost all the way... It seemed like he was paying attention to something that I could not perceive as he completed the process.

We talked a bit more, I expected him to get tired be I didn't notice any difference in his behavior talkative and a bit fidgety.

Ted had suggested that this 3 or so mile long siding was the perfect place... Gudrik and his friend pinpointed a spot.

I left them to go back and report to Ted and Molly, Brandon came up after me and introduced himself he was wearing long underwear as pants... That exposed .... You get the idea...and repeated the entire conversation again

Molly left, Ted and I took our bikes down and watched trains,

I didn't sleep much because I did not want to miss my train, but only west bounds came through.

Rushed

I'm making progress probably Atlanta in the morning... I'll catch up later

Truck stop

Before the 20 mile bike ride to this Truckstop I'm at, i went to Starbucks for wifi and power for my phone (GPS device) then stood at a on ramp for I-70 till Walmart pharmacy opened i needed blood pressure meds because the ones i had went AWAL at midnight in the Pocatello yard while i was changing train cars and staying out of sight ( thanks Cheri Farms for calling my prescription in)

On the ride, I came across the roar and whine of motorcycles and saw parked trucks dirt burms, motorcycles popping into the air. Racing.

Next Fields at forests and croaking frogs

Next the truck stop. First job, find a driver who would get on the radio to "call out"

Not from the train

Kansas City is the end of the rail line for me, hitching from here. Ate Gates bar-b-q , rode bike through east KC wany condemned and burnt out buildings, sure I saw a drug buy and a car chase, but also saw laughing Thai kids playing that foot only volley ball, Mexican families cooking in there front yards... Death and new life almost next door...Slept wild last night

From a train

I'm somewhere in Wyoming, it hard to know exact location from a freight train I'm riding the unit at the back of the train.
(First didn't post the trains Internet is spotty :-)
I woke up some there in Kansas, thought I'd be in Chicago by now.

North platte was supposed to be 'hot" heard stories about dogs searching and "30 days" was like any other yard, I moved to the stack well traveled through the yard froze till morning then used two sidings to move back to my trailing unit

Still here

Sister 2 Sister 1 next

Meyer Lemon tree in the front yard, so we had to make a Meyer Lemon Pie...  Nieces Mara and Ava, so we had to tie die shirts, Cameron so we had to go surfing, Lisa so we had to talk, cook (said pie), stand up paddle board, and sew (mended my long underwear) Dad so i had to listen to stories that I've heard a dozen times and repair a piece of equipment that he said doesn't work but really was just set up wrong.

I love these people, and feel like i could just stay and contribute to their household.  These little people are just that, people that are little.  in many regards they are among the most competent people i know, specifically Mara, the older one, is so self aware...

But I'm not so sure that being self aware is all that useful, yea the Buddhists in me claims it is the goal, but the neuro geek in me thinks that ignorance brings more happiness... maybe being self aware contributes to the happiness of those around.

in closing a shout out to the three school teachers who stopped and enjoyed the vista of the last picture Boca anyone?...

Day two in Santa Barbara, Surfing and tacos
Day three, botanical garden and stand up paddle boarding along with bonus Shaker Lemon pie.

Tall gifting

I was taking my bike with me to Portland, but my niece and nephew were visiting my sister in Santa Barbara when I arrived... I think Christie will make good use of it

First habit of highly effective hobos ... Hit the road

Growing up again

Just opened a bank account... Feel like I did at 11 years old, when I opened my first, a coming out event.

The steps of becoming a male adult in the USA

1 puberty and acting on it
2 buying and operating a car (extra points in ascending order for motorcycle and airplane)
3. Having a bank account
4. Buying a new couch

Leaving last tuesday

Driving ones home requires money for fuel...hitchhiking, not so much.

Tarot

I'm making the rounds to friends and family, really friends that I think of as family.

Raquel and Oliver threw my tarot. The upside down death card says that I'm not going to die on this journey

a poem

a Text from a friend

This is a poem for you James : 

Here we rest, together. 

Beyond form perceived, forever. 

Let not a thought give rise to fear. 

Let me not into that space to judge, for you have released me, my dear. 

The world shall never deceive me, for we have accepted our treasure beyond perceived pleasure, and no form we cannot leave. 

What dream is it you have?

Swirling intent, questioned lament, loving descent, do you see the moment's end?

You do ask what I see, 

I cannot say, shall I be deceived?

I said I would not, 

Do I judge what is not there now?

I am perceiving in a dream here, 

Will you help me let go of the form I have received now from my hidden intention?

In silent moment of acceptance, past gone, future reflected, light without evil, without good, without the world, within light, the only Delight beyond earthly sight. 

romantic or

The Picture right above is of LaRon, he was returning to LA to check in on the love of his life, a woman who rejected him.  for a time i saw the story as romantic, now it's sad and even pathetic to me.  The sun is setting and potatoes are cooking on a fire.  and i think i'll finish this beer.

Puppy or the road

Building a 30 Kw solar array for a zombie apocalypse fortress, two gates, safe room, anti-ballistic paneled roof, with, dude dog and dog dude as aids, plus bonus puppy for entertainment. For the first few days I could only be productive for a couple of hours because there are no warm gloves in the county that stock gloves that will fit on my hands.