Wanderings and Musings

I drove so far in my stupor last night that I’m only an hour from San Antonio this morning where I have a couchsurf arranged. Since I got a motel room, I hang out and write a little then cut my hair before heading out a bit before noon. It’s a short drive and I ride around the city just checking it out.

Over to my couchsurfing host Janet’s house around 2 or so and meet her and her three kids; Fabio, Isabella, and Bianca. They are great kids, so polite and nice. Janet is from Panama and had an amazing story to tell about locating her father after many years of never knowing him. Her story inspired me to finally start to search out my own father who I never knew.

Later in the afternoon, I head down to downtown San Antonio to check out the Riverwalk I’ve heard about. Without a guide, I pick a stairway down to the walk and start wandering. It’s nice enough but barren of people and things to see. Getting bored I head back up and out, not knowing that I was just a block away from the cool section with shops and restaurants to check out! The pitfalls of exploring on your own.

Up to the Alamo, I can’t really check it out except the exterior as it’s closed for the evening. What strikes my though is the way that history is written by the winners. The US was there stealing land from Mexico and the Mexican army was there to protect their land from the invaders, and it was turned into a rally cry for the continued injustice.

I rode on the next morning heading East again across East Texas and into Louisiana. It gets more humid and stays hot. The sweat isn’t evaporating from inside my riding gear and it starts to get uncomfortable. The scenery starts changing to more lush and green as I head east. Soon the freeway is engulfed in trees and the insects are getting thick.

I stop at a rest area for a drink and spot a huge grasshopper. They grow insect big out here. An apparently you can’t do much swimming in the lakes… or risk being a snack.

I drive on until dark. I stopped for a bite to eat and some gas in Lafayette where I had an open face crawdad sandwich with sweet potato fries… Very tasty, but that kind of eating will kill you!!

It keeps raining off and on, so I decide to sleep in a motel instead of a marsh…

Tags: Motorcycles, Travel