GreenGo Go! No?
Day one. Number of times GreenGo wouldn't go - one. This was expected, but already? In the morning we said goodbye to all of our Florida friends in the park. It was a great picnic for a while, but then the lightning alarm sounded, and before we knew it, we were running to the small covered pier seeking shelter from the flood that rained upon us with no mercy.
Some say rain on the departure day is for luck. Well, our luck ran out about an hour into the ride as GreenGo started coughing and sneezing in the middle of the Everglades. It must have got a cold from the rain. Well, at least it's not that hot. In fact, I've even resorted to using the fabric I took to use as a dividing curtain as a blanket when we were moving.
Now the guys are in the back. Armed with the basic tools that we have and a headlamp they are waging war against the clogged fuel filter. Once in a while they peek into the living quarters sending in legion after legion of mosquitoes, and so I have to defend myself on the home front. It really is a battlefield in here. Wherever you look, there are bloody splats of the other side's Air Forces who mercilessly fed on me and then took their after dinner nap on my walls. Here comes Sergey. He brings 100% DEET. Finally! Victory is mine!
Day two. Number of traffic tickets - one. We were sure the cop stopped us for the gas canister on the roof, and were falling all over each other to tell him it was empty. Imagine our surprise when he told us he stopped us for speeding. Luckily our blinkers were not working, so he only gave us a warning for speeding and wrote up a ticket for broken blinkers which we fixed half an hour later after stopping in an auto parts store.
Day… Hm. I guess I lost track of time sooner than usual this time around. You see, I slept through Alabama, and besides, as long as we are in the states the interstate scenery change much anyway. I do remember the times we set up camp for the night, so let’s see… We tried out the three-in-a-bed theory on the very first night, and slept in GreenGo who apparently has a mind of its own and took us to the same island (Pine Island, FL) where we bought it from Mike and Patty Anderson.
On the second night we found ourselves around Fanning Springs, FL where the guys parked on some overgrowing with weeds dirt road, which most likely was on someone’s private property, but we still took the chance. I remember one of the guys saying something about bears, and I, being the wuss that I am, fell asleep in fear.
Night three, due to unfortunate events and a general desire for comfort, we spent in a motel. Men those suckers are expensive (especially after South American rates)! $60 for a room with two beds was the cheapest we could find but Shurik has gotten sick with one of his migraines that makes him throw up, so it was definitely time for an air-conditioned night in Fort Walton Beach, FL
Night number four. At last! We are out of Florida. More then that, we have driven through Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, with a quick stop in New Orleans which was cute, and just the way I’ve imagined it with countless balconies and “fleur-de-lies” in all shapes and colors. I spent our short walk snapping pictures of store signs. To each its own. We didn’t spent the night here though; we kept going all the way to Texas, and parked, about an hour after crossing the border, in a truck rest area just off the road. Lesson learned. It’s the last time we are doing that. Even with the earplugs, the trucks and the road kept us awake all night, and if that was not bad enough, in the morning the bathroom, the main reason we stopped here, was closed for repair. Eh, the unforeseen delights of vagabond’s travels.
I’m in the back now, making my notes and trying to stop a leak in the old window seal. The guys are upfront. They look so happy navigating through the rain. These couple of weeks Sergey is joining us for, are probably going to be the longest they’ve seen each other since the time they were young boys in Minsk.
On Texas supermarkets - walking around, looking for the ingredients of our next meal, I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were in CostCo (a buy-by-the-bulk store). It took me a minute to realize, but it was the size of the items. Everything from huge cucumbers to enormous tubs of potato salad was just really really big. Texas sizes I suppose.
Tonight we sleep in Texas once again. Tomorrow - Mexico!
Some say rain on the departure day is for luck. Well, our luck ran out about an hour into the ride as GreenGo started coughing and sneezing in the middle of the Everglades. It must have got a cold from the rain. Well, at least it's not that hot. In fact, I've even resorted to using the fabric I took to use as a dividing curtain as a blanket when we were moving.
Now the guys are in the back. Armed with the basic tools that we have and a headlamp they are waging war against the clogged fuel filter. Once in a while they peek into the living quarters sending in legion after legion of mosquitoes, and so I have to defend myself on the home front. It really is a battlefield in here. Wherever you look, there are bloody splats of the other side's Air Forces who mercilessly fed on me and then took their after dinner nap on my walls. Here comes Sergey. He brings 100% DEET. Finally! Victory is mine!
Day two. Number of traffic tickets - one. We were sure the cop stopped us for the gas canister on the roof, and were falling all over each other to tell him it was empty. Imagine our surprise when he told us he stopped us for speeding. Luckily our blinkers were not working, so he only gave us a warning for speeding and wrote up a ticket for broken blinkers which we fixed half an hour later after stopping in an auto parts store.
Day… Hm. I guess I lost track of time sooner than usual this time around. You see, I slept through Alabama, and besides, as long as we are in the states the interstate scenery change much anyway. I do remember the times we set up camp for the night, so let’s see… We tried out the three-in-a-bed theory on the very first night, and slept in GreenGo who apparently has a mind of its own and took us to the same island (Pine Island, FL) where we bought it from Mike and Patty Anderson.
On the second night we found ourselves around Fanning Springs, FL where the guys parked on some overgrowing with weeds dirt road, which most likely was on someone’s private property, but we still took the chance. I remember one of the guys saying something about bears, and I, being the wuss that I am, fell asleep in fear.
Night three, due to unfortunate events and a general desire for comfort, we spent in a motel. Men those suckers are expensive (especially after South American rates)! $60 for a room with two beds was the cheapest we could find but Shurik has gotten sick with one of his migraines that makes him throw up, so it was definitely time for an air-conditioned night in Fort Walton Beach, FL
Night number four. At last! We are out of Florida. More then that, we have driven through Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, with a quick stop in New Orleans which was cute, and just the way I’ve imagined it with countless balconies and “fleur-de-lies” in all shapes and colors. I spent our short walk snapping pictures of store signs. To each its own. We didn’t spent the night here though; we kept going all the way to Texas, and parked, about an hour after crossing the border, in a truck rest area just off the road. Lesson learned. It’s the last time we are doing that. Even with the earplugs, the trucks and the road kept us awake all night, and if that was not bad enough, in the morning the bathroom, the main reason we stopped here, was closed for repair. Eh, the unforeseen delights of vagabond’s travels.
I’m in the back now, making my notes and trying to stop a leak in the old window seal. The guys are upfront. They look so happy navigating through the rain. These couple of weeks Sergey is joining us for, are probably going to be the longest they’ve seen each other since the time they were young boys in Minsk.
On Texas supermarkets - walking around, looking for the ingredients of our next meal, I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were in CostCo (a buy-by-the-bulk store). It took me a minute to realize, but it was the size of the items. Everything from huge cucumbers to enormous tubs of potato salad was just really really big. Texas sizes I suppose.
Tonight we sleep in Texas once again. Tomorrow - Mexico!