[Riding South] A Gringo's Paradise

[Eric]

Hello friends and family!

 

To those who provided such wonderful hospitality along this section - Thank you!

 

After two leisurely weeks, I find myself once again sitting at a hostel, this time in San Diego. While the last one had a feeling of solitary fog, this one is full of life and noise.

 

The first big town I reached after San Francisco was Santa Cruz. After a night of pleasant hospitality and a warm bed, I headed south through farm land. Fields of strawberries, artichokes, lettuce and almond trees filled the horizons. And as always, these fields were filled with Latino laborers who, efficiently working away, are at the center of the current immigration politics.

 

Afterwards, Monterrey and it's aquarium passed quickly. Filled with intelligent octopi, silver sardines that swim endlessly in circles, and even a small white shark it was an interesting complement to the larger marine life I would see along the coast. I watched humpback whales, huge even from a distance, jump and fall again into the sea. I saw sea otters compete for the 'cutest animal' award. And oddly, I saw a herd a zebra that roam the land around Hearst Castle.

 

Next, I came upon the raw beauty of big Sur. This section of central California is filled with small, coastal towns separated by long expanses of undeveloped coastline. Lots of picturesque sunsets and the last group of sequoia redwoods that I would encounter. Nearby I would also see the fascinating Victorian excesses of Hearst Castle.

 

Much of my time these past few weeks, other than riding leisurely 40 miles days, was spent either getting to know my fellow cyclists, catching up on my cycle maintenance skills or planning the rest of my ride. I camped with the same group of people for many days at a time. I brought Spokey into working shape and delved into the mystery's of spokes, chains and bearings. And I spent hours pouring over the Internet and guidebooks; drawing vague lines across between distant cities.

 

And lastly, new pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/e.apt.dudfield/

 

Con Cariño,

 

Eric
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Eric Apt-Dudfield
e.apt.d...@gmail.com

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Posted by Eric to Riding South at 10/15/2006 09:01:56 PM