Day 13

Well now it's time to log in just our highlights (as we just wrote something really great and the fucking computer in Arcata, California was being stupid and kicked us off)... since our last entry the crappy things Jason recalls are as follows:
The chain falling off a few more times... AAAARRRRGGGGHHH
Feeling homesick
Not having phone reception when I want it
Getting stung by a bastard of a bee on my temple (as it got into my helmet) while going down hill off the 101
Not knowing how to make the really hard off road hill that we all pushed our bikes up not so horrible for Megan
Stupid dreams about prison
Other unpleasant bodily things I won't go into detail about (read this as censorship by megan)
getting really intense scratches on my legs
Standing in Poison Oak

Really GREAT things:
(There are far too many to list here as it would take up the entire thing but I will give a whole bunch just to preview you to the conversations yet to come)
Meeting up with Elokin and Ami (our new friends that we have been adventuring with for the past three days, and did I mention they are totally QUEER!!!! YES!!!!! and pretty damn cute too)
Looking at Seals up really close and seeing sea lions (they are SOOOOO adorable, I totally want to be a harbor seal in my next life)
Biking down the Hill after our huge trek up the hill, pushing my 100lb bike. The down hill was more amazing than anything i've ever seen in my entire life. We were in a redwood forrest that had overgrown and taken over the old 101. It was incredible. There was even a moment when you could both see the ocean and the redwoods, possibly the most beautiful thing ever. And we got to ride under, next to, over, around, and between GIANT redwoods (I now have a far greater understanding of Earth Liberation Front folks than I EVER have before.)
The incredible downhill right before the hostel we stayed at and then staying in the hostel and cooking some incredibly delicous food (including fake tofurky sausages that were so delicious and drinking tea that Ami made from herbs ze found on the mountain we went up).
Getting our ass up again on the day we thought would be our day off and riding a gorgeous day through the state redwood forrest and looking at all the beautious huge tall trees and going soooooooooo fast (definately between 40 and 50mph for numerous miles with Ami). We got into town (really smelly, dirty, hippy white dreadlocke town) Arcata and went to see harry Potter!!!! So fun (racist movie, great special effects)...

note from megan: most of my ups and downs are the same. the past few days have been extra challenging for me physically and on that trail where we had to push/carry our bikes up hundreds of feet of gravel/root/overgrown trail, with a cliff directly to our right the whole time that would send one tumbling through hundreds of feet of rainforest and boulders before it sent you careening into the ocean... well there it was also emotionally challenging. I've really enjoyed hanging out with our new travel buddies too. Elokin and I had some great chats yesterday as Ami and Jason rode ahead. We had a great discussion about gender on a trip like this and I really appreciate Jason for being one of the most receptive and pre-emptive communicators with me now. Thanks to everyone who has been writing on the blog and sending personal e-mails. Keep em comin.

heart
jason and megan