On the Bike Again

Many times I’ve made the trip to El Cajon—three days of about fifty miles a day, stopping in Laguna Beach and Carlsbad.  But the rate at Crescent Bay Motel in Laguna Beach, a run-down place, by far the cheapest place in town, has gone up to $120, and something had to change.  So this time I’ll stay in San Clemente at the Budget Lodge for half the price, making the trip in two seventy-five mile days, and take the cost of a bed out of my hide.  A child should be able to do more and go farther as she ages, right?

Summer officially begins for this traveler at the first twinkle of solstice light next Tuesday.  A leg thrown over the bicycle, a few turns of pedal, and old life turns young.  Starting in Ventura, I’ll simply ride home that first day—78 miles to South Pasadena.  Then on to El Cajon after a carless rest. 

My logic in these matters is selective; I pick logic that best serves emotion.  In this case I have the new world of Google maps to amuse me.  If you enter two locations and click on the bicycle icon, an amazing thing happens, entirely new under the sun.  Magic begins, and a reasonably good bicycle route pops forth.  I have tried them and they usually work.  Now I will try them all the way on a long trip.  Wow, if this really works I can go anywhere and not even need all those books, links, contacts and maps.  I can become free and stone-like as a gargoyle.

Imagine looking back, down that is, on wonderment, having knowledge on what used to be mystery.  To overlook or look it over, words and pictures in bits and code, from a godlike gargoyle stance, corroded and looking down on earthlings, while the new ones vie for what I’ve seen and notice not the gargoyle.  They speak ancient words not knowing they are mine.  Years wedge them apart from me, and nobody hears the gargoyle.  It never dies but thrives in stone.  Such sad endings to wonderful mysteries, revel in talk of a new generation, on which I look down and try to tell them how it was.  I’ll taste of this new kind of biking.  I must because it’s there.
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After this humble beginning the summer waits as in my last post with dates as follows:
Bike trip 6/22 – 6/29
Sierra Hike 7/16 – 7/26
Death Valley 8/16 – 8/30
Pakistan from late September to late October

This last drop-in element of a summer colláge has mounted and taken shape in the last two weeks.  I have an air ticket and will soon deal with the LA office of the Pakistan Consulate.  I will go there in person and request a Visa as tourist.  It’s an impossible process:  I have to buy a round-trip air ticket before they will issue a Visa, and I cannot go to Pakistan without a Visa.