5/29/10
route planning....
tomorrow morning i will set out to leave the denpasar/kuta area and instead of just going west to go catch the ferry to the island of java, i will head east to circumnavigate the island of bali.. this should take 3-4 days and im guessing its about 350-400 km to go around.. ill stick mostly to the coast but i think i will cross some very small mountains on the eastern tip.. after i get to the west coast i plan to catch a ferry in gilmanuk to east java, which is a very large island with the biggest cities, then i will head north and ferry to an island called madura which, from what i gather, is a very poor island just north of east java that is very strict muslim... because it is devoid of fertile land and has a much worse economy than neighboring java there is said to be little to no tourism at all, and surely not on the east side where i will begin my cycle across.. that island is much bigger than bali and prob will take a week or so to cross.. once i hit the west coast of madura ill go back to java at the city of surabaya where ill renew my visa and hang for a little bit before setting out to ride across borneo and sulawesi.. both of those islands are very big and remote. borneo is the 3rd largest island on earth and i am very excited to cycle there.. i want to stick to a $2/day budget excluding ferrys and visas. which will be difficult but im up for it.. hopefully in the next 3 months ill become fluent in bahasa and have cycled across many amazing and remote islands.. this plan was %100 made possible by my friends erika and robin who cycled here from scotland.. they have been in the city of surabaya for a year and robin has cycled everything on my planned route, and much more of indonesia too.. i am soooo thankful for all of their advice on so many subjects, both in indonesia and the rest of the world.. they had some truly amazing stories from the middle east and china as well....great people and i am so envious of their 5 yrs on the road..
a psychadelic evening in indonesia...
friends of mine know that i have never been one to turn down a short escape from reality, primarily if it involves herbal or natural influence.. also, luckily for me, my personality doesnt lend itself to any kind of addiction (except for travel, food, and chess).. so when tobi, a german guy i met, told me that hallucinogenic mushrooms were not only legal here, but very cheap, i had to give it a go.. i did kinda feel like a teenager again which made me laugh.. i wouldnt trust anything sold on the street here, but this was at a licensed shop.. when in rome, eat pizza!! it made for a crazy evening which was mostly spent walking around small 'gangs' (alleyways) and staring at the night sky and at a baby monkey (a pet at the place i stayed that night).. it was nice to clear my mind for a night and just relax, but i woke up covered in sweat the next morning after a very vivid dream that my brother johnny and i lived together in the jungle and ate anyone who came near us!! haha..
5/25/10
5 days in denpasar...
i came to denpasar, the capital city of bali, 5 days ago to live with local people and vigorously study the language.. because there are no beaches or tourist attractions, this city remains occupied only by local balinese people, and many javanese as well (java is the large island due west which has indonesia's largest cities including jakarta and surabaya).. as there are more than 17,000 islands and some 98% of indonesia is muslim, the island of bali is unique in that it is hindu and one of the most culturally unique melting pots on earth..
i made the 10 mile trek from kuta on thursday morning which was one of the craziest bike rides of my life.. i often wonder what all of the people looking at me must think of me as the only people who ride push bikes here cant afford sepeda motor (motorbikes).. words cant describe how chaotic the streets seem to someone who is not used to them (i have since gotten much more comfortable riding here).. at that time i knew practically NO bahasa (indonesian) and my previous studies gave little real world contribution.. i managed to find my way to a hindu temple and bartered with the woman who seemed to run it by writing numbers on paper back and forth.. we agreed to a price and i got a room for 500,000 rupiah (US$5) a night.. at first i thought it might be a brothel because of all of the women and the way the rooms where laid out.. i later felt like a moron learning that it was a very religious place.. it's a beautiful and tranquil escape from the bustling streets, where indonesian women spend all day producing the intricate little hindu flower\insent ornaments that sit in front of all hindu businesses and households.. my room is very small and has a kamar mandi (bathroom) which has a squat toilet with a large blue bucket full of water next to it.. as my stomach struggles to adapt to the street food here i became well acquainted with this room.. my first day i spent about 5 minutes trying to figure out how to 'flush' the toilet before i realized that the bucket of water was not only for bathing, but for flushing the toilet and cleaning up after using the toilet.. there is no toilet paper and i no longer would eat with my left hand! i had heard from my kiwi friend robins, who has traveled extensively in india, that the 'squat' position of using the toilet was better than sitting for lots of reasons but mainly because it's what our ancestors have done for hundreds of thousands of years.. at the time i thought he was crazy, but now fully agree and after a week would say i prefer the kamar mandi here to their western counterparts..
bahasa indonesia is the name of the language spoken by all indonesians, although it is often their second language and their first depends on which island they are from... after 4 days of intense studying i feel like i have a small grasp of the sentence structure and pronunciation.. by day three i was more comfortable talking to people and hope to achieve a level of fluency after a month or so.. other than some phone calls to family and friends, i have heard/spoken no english and haven't seen one nonindonesian person.. the food is sold as street food and is absolutely incredible.. different stands can be found at different times of day in different places, and they are everywhere.. you can either eat there with other people or take your food to go which comes in a plastic bag as if you were buying goldfish.. each stand offers one 'dish' and i have yet to have a meal that wasnt a wonderful, spicy mixture of local ingredients and didnt bring a smile to my face.. a meal costs about 50 cents US.. another interesting side note is that the food here is equally amazing and wonderful as any $100/meal restaurant ive worked in or eaten at in chicago or new york. minus any pretension.. i also admire the people cooking here who are very skilled and resourceful. it's easy to produce a great meal with a huge staff, budget, and a million dollar kitchen, but cheers to those who can do it with a wok on a make-shift setup that they've built on the back of a parked motorbike!
almost everyone attempts to talk to me and i have befriended lots of the food vendors who know my face well after only 5 days.. i met one man, emiel, at a food stand and on the second night that we ate together he invited me to come to his home after buying my dinner.. i met his family including an uncle who was an 88 yr old retired army colonel.. when someone with very little money buys my meal then brings me to his home to meet his family and offers me kopi (a thick balinese coffee) it overwhelms me with gratitude and appreciation .. zooming around on the back of his motor bike he turned to me and said in his very broken english 'i happy you, you me friend!'.. he also offered an open invitation to stay at his home if i ever return to denpasar..
ive been in this random little neighborhood on the outskirts of denpasar for only 5 days and already know that im gonna miss it.. all the people and wonderful food, im happy to have spent time in their world even if only for a short time.. in the first 9 months of this journey ive come across countless amazingly kind and genuinely good people.. it is these people that make me happy to be alive and drive me to travel everywhere on earth that i can to meet more like them.. i pass on their kindness, smiles, and goodwill to every person i meet...
also i no longer use the word 'poor' to describe a people who are very happy, social, communal, and family oriented just because they lack financial and material wealth.. in fact, most wealthy people that i have known aren't nearly as happy as the people ive met here.. which would you consider to be 'poor'?..
i made the 10 mile trek from kuta on thursday morning which was one of the craziest bike rides of my life.. i often wonder what all of the people looking at me must think of me as the only people who ride push bikes here cant afford sepeda motor (motorbikes).. words cant describe how chaotic the streets seem to someone who is not used to them (i have since gotten much more comfortable riding here).. at that time i knew practically NO bahasa (indonesian) and my previous studies gave little real world contribution.. i managed to find my way to a hindu temple and bartered with the woman who seemed to run it by writing numbers on paper back and forth.. we agreed to a price and i got a room for 500,000 rupiah (US$5) a night.. at first i thought it might be a brothel because of all of the women and the way the rooms where laid out.. i later felt like a moron learning that it was a very religious place.. it's a beautiful and tranquil escape from the bustling streets, where indonesian women spend all day producing the intricate little hindu flower\insent ornaments that sit in front of all hindu businesses and households.. my room is very small and has a kamar mandi (bathroom) which has a squat toilet with a large blue bucket full of water next to it.. as my stomach struggles to adapt to the street food here i became well acquainted with this room.. my first day i spent about 5 minutes trying to figure out how to 'flush' the toilet before i realized that the bucket of water was not only for bathing, but for flushing the toilet and cleaning up after using the toilet.. there is no toilet paper and i no longer would eat with my left hand! i had heard from my kiwi friend robins, who has traveled extensively in india, that the 'squat' position of using the toilet was better than sitting for lots of reasons but mainly because it's what our ancestors have done for hundreds of thousands of years.. at the time i thought he was crazy, but now fully agree and after a week would say i prefer the kamar mandi here to their western counterparts..
bahasa indonesia is the name of the language spoken by all indonesians, although it is often their second language and their first depends on which island they are from... after 4 days of intense studying i feel like i have a small grasp of the sentence structure and pronunciation.. by day three i was more comfortable talking to people and hope to achieve a level of fluency after a month or so.. other than some phone calls to family and friends, i have heard/spoken no english and haven't seen one nonindonesian person.. the food is sold as street food and is absolutely incredible.. different stands can be found at different times of day in different places, and they are everywhere.. you can either eat there with other people or take your food to go which comes in a plastic bag as if you were buying goldfish.. each stand offers one 'dish' and i have yet to have a meal that wasnt a wonderful, spicy mixture of local ingredients and didnt bring a smile to my face.. a meal costs about 50 cents US.. another interesting side note is that the food here is equally amazing and wonderful as any $100/meal restaurant ive worked in or eaten at in chicago or new york. minus any pretension.. i also admire the people cooking here who are very skilled and resourceful. it's easy to produce a great meal with a huge staff, budget, and a million dollar kitchen, but cheers to those who can do it with a wok on a make-shift setup that they've built on the back of a parked motorbike!
almost everyone attempts to talk to me and i have befriended lots of the food vendors who know my face well after only 5 days.. i met one man, emiel, at a food stand and on the second night that we ate together he invited me to come to his home after buying my dinner.. i met his family including an uncle who was an 88 yr old retired army colonel.. when someone with very little money buys my meal then brings me to his home to meet his family and offers me kopi (a thick balinese coffee) it overwhelms me with gratitude and appreciation .. zooming around on the back of his motor bike he turned to me and said in his very broken english 'i happy you, you me friend!'.. he also offered an open invitation to stay at his home if i ever return to denpasar..
ive been in this random little neighborhood on the outskirts of denpasar for only 5 days and already know that im gonna miss it.. all the people and wonderful food, im happy to have spent time in their world even if only for a short time.. in the first 9 months of this journey ive come across countless amazingly kind and genuinely good people.. it is these people that make me happy to be alive and drive me to travel everywhere on earth that i can to meet more like them.. i pass on their kindness, smiles, and goodwill to every person i meet...
also i no longer use the word 'poor' to describe a people who are very happy, social, communal, and family oriented just because they lack financial and material wealth.. in fact, most wealthy people that i have known aren't nearly as happy as the people ive met here.. which would you consider to be 'poor'?..
5/22/10
another world..
i was in shock for my first 24 hours in indonesia.. one thing i have learned about myself is that i am extremely over confident when preparing for things i know nothing about.. whether this is good or bad im not sure, but it definitely keeps any worries or doubts completely out of my mind.. i thought 'yea ill just fly into bali around 9 pm, build my bike and find some nearby jungle to camp in'.. easy.. not so much. this place is crazy dense and there are people flying around on motorbikes everywhere.. just crossing a street, even side streets, can be very difficult, time consuming, and embarrassing.. there isnt a lot of 'free space' to just set up camp.. also it is very hot with insane humidity (another thing that didnt cross my mind at all prior to arrival)..
my prior island experience in the carribean and fiji was what i based my plan on.. but bali is different, this is no touristy paradise.. in the virgin islands you have to go and 'find' local culture, but here it is the opposite and i knew nothing about kuta, denpassar, or any other part of bali.. luckily i met a guy, alan, on my flight.. he was from san francisco but just traveling around aus nz and indonesia.. he had extensive travel experience in southeast asia and im so thankful for his guidance.. we split a cab and a cheap room in kuta, which is near the airport and the most touristy part of bali (maybe all of indonesia?)..
when i think of being viewed as a 'tourist' it turns me off to traveling.. the touristy parts of the virgin islands are all ran by white people and i believe that bad people go there when they die.. but here in bali it is still very local with lots of cheap food and culture.. you just have to barter a lot and even walk away before agreeing to a price.. in fact aside from a couple resorts and a bunch of australians it wasnt that touristy at all, or so i thought.. nonetheless i left after one day and went to seek out 'real bali' in the touristless denpassar...
my prior island experience in the carribean and fiji was what i based my plan on.. but bali is different, this is no touristy paradise.. in the virgin islands you have to go and 'find' local culture, but here it is the opposite and i knew nothing about kuta, denpassar, or any other part of bali.. luckily i met a guy, alan, on my flight.. he was from san francisco but just traveling around aus nz and indonesia.. he had extensive travel experience in southeast asia and im so thankful for his guidance.. we split a cab and a cheap room in kuta, which is near the airport and the most touristy part of bali (maybe all of indonesia?)..
when i think of being viewed as a 'tourist' it turns me off to traveling.. the touristy parts of the virgin islands are all ran by white people and i believe that bad people go there when they die.. but here in bali it is still very local with lots of cheap food and culture.. you just have to barter a lot and even walk away before agreeing to a price.. in fact aside from a couple resorts and a bunch of australians it wasnt that touristy at all, or so i thought.. nonetheless i left after one day and went to seek out 'real bali' in the touristless denpassar...
a tip for travellers...
when you enter a country via a large port (ie airports) the immagration laws seem to be pretty strict on showing proof of onward travel.. i learned this the hard way by not having proof going from new zealand to australia and almost missed my flight.. in fact it is impossible to board a plane in a country unless you have proof that you are leaving the country you're flying to within the timeframe allowed by your visa.. it is difficult to say 'yea im just gonna fly in, then ferry around, and leave on a bicycle.. but i promise ill leave in time (smiling)'.. so proof of a flight out is needed.. you have 2 options:
1. buy a 'throw away ticket' for like $150ish, or
2. make a ticket!!
this can be done by obtaining a template, or general idea of a local airline eticket, and editing in your info with some basic knowledge of a pdf editing software, or photoshop.. an hour's work saves you US$150!!
1. buy a 'throw away ticket' for like $150ish, or
2. make a ticket!!
this can be done by obtaining a template, or general idea of a local airline eticket, and editing in your info with some basic knowledge of a pdf editing software, or photoshop.. an hour's work saves you US$150!!
5/18/10
a conversation with my horse...
my horse (my bike) has been incredible for the first 6,000 miles with no major issues requiring repair whatsoever.. however, i had previously planned on getting something more like a mountain bike before heading to southeast asia where the chances of me riding on unsealed roads in poor condition are greater, or so i assumed.. when i broke the news to my horse on the eve of leaving for indonesia, the conversation went as follows:
me 'sweetie can we talk?'
horse 'of course papi, whats on your mind?' (although she is japanese, she talks with a latina accent and calls me papi.. weird)
me 'listen kiddo, its been one helluva journey but, its just, well, ive been thinking and you know southeast asia might be a little much and...'
horse 'shhhhhhhh' she motioned for me to be quiet as if she already knew what i was going ot say 'first of all dont call me kiddo im almost as old as you'
me 'sorry'
horse 'i understand' she wispered
me 'you do?!'
horse 'yea, you just want to hitch hike from here, or take a train or something.. right?'
me 'well actually i was thinking of getting something a little more dirt road friendly.. maybe a'.. my voice drifted off as i turned my head and said under my breathe 'a mountain bike'
horse 'you BASTARD!!!' she yelled as she slapped me hard across the faceme 'come on its not even...' another slap came across my cheek loosening a tooth (shes made of steel)
horse 'after all weve been through your going to throw me away for a.. A FAT UGLY MOUNTAIN BIKE!!' she yelped as tears ran down the fork
me 'come on its nothing personal, its just that im not sure you can handle..' she cut me off again
horse 'listen to me papi' she said sternly as she looked into my eye, 'go get me a 700 x 28 tyre for my front..'
me 'but that will rub your brakes?!'
horse 'JUST DO IT' she shouted, 'and i promise ill get you anywhere on earth that you want to go'
me 'but...'
horse 'DO IT!'
me after thinking for a moment i said in a soft voice 'even loas?'horse 'even loas' she assured me with a faint smile
while we were embracing i did wonder what all of the people around must have thought of a grown man having a deep conversation with a bicycle.. while it is legal here in australia to have relations with kangaroos provided that you rudely ignore travelers who try to say hello from their bikes and not wave back, it is however semi-illegal to be seen in public talking to a bicycle.. luckily there were no police around..
syposium in brisbane...
i was invited to attend a 'symposium' in brisbane called 'awakening the dreamer'.. it was a group of people who get together to discuss the world around us.. things that are good and bad, their causes, and ways we can all help to take care of the planet we share.. the main thing that i took from the symposium was a call to humans to 'wake up' as to our place in nature.. in the west we seem to see ourselves as separate from nature and superior to it, partly because of our recent achievements in technology and industry, and also because western religious philosophy tells us that we are the center of the universe and that the earth and her 'resources' are 'put here' for our consumption.. as science disproves these myths with evidence and reason there are still many who view the world this way.. we are seeing more and more negative effects from this bronze age mentality on both the planet and her inhabitants.. it was great meeting people of all ages and different backrounds who shared my views on things like this, as well as a desire to make a change.. the people of the symposium hope for a world where man lives in harmony with nature, and i am in full support of grass roots organizations like this
a week in brisbane...
brisbane has been soooo good to me!! in 6 days i met and stayed with lots of great people and its a great way to end my time in australia.. i cant believe how many wonderful friendships i made here.. ive only been in australia for a month but it feels like a year, with each day bringing new and wonderful things.. i spent the first couple of nights with jenni, who has ridden her bike to cairns (far away) as well as some extensive travel in borneo, a place that i am slowly growing an obsession with.. then i stayed with fiona whom i met through tony (see previous posts).. fiona is such a beautiful person with lots of great energy, felt so welcome in her home and enjoyed helping her fix up old bikes, she also owns the coolest vdub ever.. on my 3rd and 6th night here i stayed with claire and dave.. they both are serious cycle tourists with extensive resumes including south america, europe and dave did a 'london to australia' bike ride! i really enjoyed hearing stories and seeing photos from their travels.. the eve of my flight to indonesia was my birthday and i made some fresh pasta and bought some wine.. a really wonderful night and end to my time in aus...
5/14/10
motorways, brisbane, and the fuzz
brisbane was a tough city to ride into relative to sydney and melbourne.. its very confusing and since i dont seem to use maps i just took the motorway illegally.. got kicked off of the motorway twice trying to get into town.. the second time the cop wasnt happy, but i acted as dumb as possible as though i didn't understand 'NO BICYCLES'!! he was really cool and didnt give me a ticket (which surely would have been a waste of his time as im leaving the country next week) and by the end of our conversation he agreed to a photo..
5/13/10
an amazing encounter
i left the 2 kiwis in port macquarie because i had to get up to brisbane to do a million things before heading to asia, and they planned on hanging around port mac for an extra day.. on the third day alone i was riding along a very normal forested stretch of the pacific highway near ballina when i saw a guy walking in the distance towards me on the same side of the road.. he began waving hello when i was still about 30 metres away.. as i rode up i saw a slender, smiling man, probably in his mid 40s, pushing a stroller-like contraption loaded up with gear and covered with a tarp.. i was very curious as to what he was doing but he first began asking me things like where was i going, where from, etc in his semi broken english accent.. i told him that i was heading to brisbane to catch a flight to indonesia and that i had left nyc 9 months ago
'wow what a trip!' he said with a surprised look on his face and a genuine interest 'and for how long you going to go?' he asked
i shrugged 'i dont know, 10 years maybe..'
he got very excited and slapped my hand while laughing as if he had found something he had been looking for..
'where are you going?' i asked curiously
he began explaining that he had left his home in montreal nearly 10 years earlier to walk around the world.. i noticed my jaw hanging down and my chest tightening up as he showed me a map of the journey which took him the entire length of north and south america where he flew from brazil to south africa and proceeded to WALK the whole of africa, europe, through the middle east via turkey and iran, india, western china, japan, korean and south east asia before getting to the northern tip of australia last year...
i couldnt believe it, it was almost the exact route i had pictured taking but backwards, AND ON FOOT!! we sat and talked on the side of the highway for a short while and i just asked question after question as we went through photos he had taken in south america and africa.. his name was jean beliveau and i found out that he has a wife and 2 kids, as well as grandchildren that he hasnt yet met.. he explained that he stops for 1 month every year and his wife comes to wherever he is and they spend time together... he said he was doing it 'for peace and for the children of the world'.. he also explained that the current world record for longest distance walked was held by an american at around 65,000 km and he had already walked nearly 70,000 but was not at all interested in any sort of recognition for this..
he had a demeanor unlike anyone that i had ever met.. an eerie contentment with the world around him as well as a sharp intelligence.. i could tell from our short conversations that he would go out of his way not to pass any form of judgement on anything in any way.. it was as if he had seen too much to succumb to those impulses all humans seem to have to be opinionated and scrutinize things.. he seemed much more concerned with observing things impartially and he was so at one with the world.. he told me stories of being taken to the leaders of remote african tribes and waiting nervously for a translater to arrive, and showed me cartoons dipicting him that had been printed in a korean newspaper..he told me that he went through 45 pairs of shoes and has survived only through the kindness and generosity of others..
by the end of our conversation i wanted to walk with him, for days even, but i didnt say anything as i wasnt sure whether or not he would prefer to be alone, but too nice to say it.. i expressed how amazing it was to cross paths with such a legend and began to pick up my bike and head off.. i genuinely felt bad for the thousands of motorists that passed us just in that short time who would not have the opportunity to meet such a person, or the desire probably..
as i was mounting my bike he began telling me a story in his french-canadian accent about something that happened to him 9 yrs previous while walking through north carolina.. he said a very old man who could barely walk or see made his way out to the rural road as he saw jean approaching.. they talked about things to do with life and hapiness and the old man said that he often hears people talking about and caught up in politics, religions, differences, arguments, ect.. but that the key to truly being happy in life lye in one word, _____..
the sun was very bright and he looked me right in the eye and smiled and said, 'and so i give to you my friend, _____..' he repeated the english word then grinned as if he knew that the gift was not wasted on me..
i mustve said thank you 3 times and the whole experience was so surreal that i thought about his gift to me constantly for days.. as i was riding away we both turned around and waved at the same time, and i began repeating the word to myself, such a simple beautiful word.. i was thinking about all of the people and places that this man had seen.. it brought tears to my eye, it was the best gift that anyone has ever given me.. ill never forget it..
i didnt take any photos as my camera had been dropped into a river the day before (which no longer bothered me), and im kind of glad i didnt take pictures anyway.. although jean doesnt use technology often, his wife and kids maintain a website for him which is www.wwwalk.org .. and although im sure i was just a small memory towards the end of his long journey, he will be an important part of mine for years to come...
'wow what a trip!' he said with a surprised look on his face and a genuine interest 'and for how long you going to go?' he asked
i shrugged 'i dont know, 10 years maybe..'
he got very excited and slapped my hand while laughing as if he had found something he had been looking for..
'where are you going?' i asked curiously
he began explaining that he had left his home in montreal nearly 10 years earlier to walk around the world.. i noticed my jaw hanging down and my chest tightening up as he showed me a map of the journey which took him the entire length of north and south america where he flew from brazil to south africa and proceeded to WALK the whole of africa, europe, through the middle east via turkey and iran, india, western china, japan, korean and south east asia before getting to the northern tip of australia last year...
i couldnt believe it, it was almost the exact route i had pictured taking but backwards, AND ON FOOT!! we sat and talked on the side of the highway for a short while and i just asked question after question as we went through photos he had taken in south america and africa.. his name was jean beliveau and i found out that he has a wife and 2 kids, as well as grandchildren that he hasnt yet met.. he explained that he stops for 1 month every year and his wife comes to wherever he is and they spend time together... he said he was doing it 'for peace and for the children of the world'.. he also explained that the current world record for longest distance walked was held by an american at around 65,000 km and he had already walked nearly 70,000 but was not at all interested in any sort of recognition for this..
he had a demeanor unlike anyone that i had ever met.. an eerie contentment with the world around him as well as a sharp intelligence.. i could tell from our short conversations that he would go out of his way not to pass any form of judgement on anything in any way.. it was as if he had seen too much to succumb to those impulses all humans seem to have to be opinionated and scrutinize things.. he seemed much more concerned with observing things impartially and he was so at one with the world.. he told me stories of being taken to the leaders of remote african tribes and waiting nervously for a translater to arrive, and showed me cartoons dipicting him that had been printed in a korean newspaper..he told me that he went through 45 pairs of shoes and has survived only through the kindness and generosity of others..
by the end of our conversation i wanted to walk with him, for days even, but i didnt say anything as i wasnt sure whether or not he would prefer to be alone, but too nice to say it.. i expressed how amazing it was to cross paths with such a legend and began to pick up my bike and head off.. i genuinely felt bad for the thousands of motorists that passed us just in that short time who would not have the opportunity to meet such a person, or the desire probably..
as i was mounting my bike he began telling me a story in his french-canadian accent about something that happened to him 9 yrs previous while walking through north carolina.. he said a very old man who could barely walk or see made his way out to the rural road as he saw jean approaching.. they talked about things to do with life and hapiness and the old man said that he often hears people talking about and caught up in politics, religions, differences, arguments, ect.. but that the key to truly being happy in life lye in one word, _____..
the sun was very bright and he looked me right in the eye and smiled and said, 'and so i give to you my friend, _____..' he repeated the english word then grinned as if he knew that the gift was not wasted on me..
i mustve said thank you 3 times and the whole experience was so surreal that i thought about his gift to me constantly for days.. as i was riding away we both turned around and waved at the same time, and i began repeating the word to myself, such a simple beautiful word.. i was thinking about all of the people and places that this man had seen.. it brought tears to my eye, it was the best gift that anyone has ever given me.. ill never forget it..
i didnt take any photos as my camera had been dropped into a river the day before (which no longer bothered me), and im kind of glad i didnt take pictures anyway.. although jean doesnt use technology often, his wife and kids maintain a website for him which is www.wwwalk.org .. and although im sure i was just a small memory towards the end of his long journey, he will be an important part of mine for years to come...
here is a map of jean's journey from his website:
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