Friday, May 24, 1996 @ 10:15 p.m. The Tortoise is on the 580E towards Dublin. So far, I've met a wonderful couple from Europe (London), Steve and Tracey, and a German traveler, Alexandra. I can't tell you how good this feels! Community at last. Man, what took me so long to do this? Tomorrow promises an 8-mile scenic hike in Yosemite and more adventure. On a more sober note, I barely made the 8:30 p.m. rendezvous at the downtown S.F. bus terminal. After work, I rushed to do a work-out at the apartments, showered, shaved and drove to the City. Since I didn't have time to eat at home, I grabbed a gardenburger at Hamburger Mary's and then parked the car at the 5th and Mission St. Garage. After much difficulty, I hailed a cab and made it to the GT with not a moment to spare. Unfortunately, after I rushed to the GT, it was time to wait. We didn't leave 'til after 9 p.m. Friday, May 24, 1996 @ 11:57 p.m. - Dublin, Ca. Time to shop for the trip. Sitting in a parking lot at the at Pak 'N Save Foods in Dublin. Just devoured a Power Bar, banana and a muenster cheese sandwich with mustard - c'est magnifique! I guess all this shuttling about makes one hungry. The "miracle" was performed by the able-bodied Derek while we were all shopping in Pak 'N Save. Oh yeah, I didn't realize that you packed your own groceries at Pak 'N Save. Can it really save you that much money to bag your own stuff? Saturday, May 25, 1996 @ 6:39 a.m. - Yosemite Yosemite! I'm here and it's breathtaking. Absolute perfection. The bus ride here was uneventful and I slept for what seemed like four or five hours. No matter. I'm here now and all I want to do is go, go, go! A whole group of folks is working on breakfast while others use restrooms , chat or stare at the scenery. It's definitely a bit cold right now but most of us are mulling around and doing our best to cope. Saturday, May 25, 1996 @ 6:41 p.m. - Red Bud Picnic Ground in Yosemite Valley Wow, what a day! The people are wonderful. I'm so happy that I did this. I started the day at about 6:30 a.m. as the GT rumbled into a picnic area in the Valley. Slept horribly because the bunks shake so much during travel. Middle bunks rattle! Nonetheless, hiked the Panoramic Trail with about 30 other GT'ers at about 8 this morning. Hit Glacier Point, Nevada Falls, Vernal Falls and the Mist Trail. The Mist Trail, aptly named, was the best of the lot. It was basically all the spray from the water that hits the Vernal Falls basin. It was hot and I was sweaty so the refreshing spray of the falls hit the spot. My hiking companion, Connie, and me just luxuriated in the cool mist from the falls. Mike, one of our drivers, reminds me that I "fondled the mushrooms" during the cooking portion of tonight's meal. What's a man to do? I befriended a really nice Aussie, Michael, today. He's trying to squire a woman from Sac'to but has met with mixed success thus far. He majored in Geography at University in Australia but wants to study Journalism in the future. We talked feminist theory during the 8.5 mile hike today. He's very articulate, too. Nice guy. Oh yeah, the Aussies have been teasing me about "Drop Bears," too. As one of the resident Yanks, I do tend to attract a lot of abuse from them. The "Drop Bears," they says, lay in wait in the trees in Australia and then drop on to unsuspecting victims and gouge their eyes out. Yeah, right. Forgot to mention other friends I've met: Sue, Yoshi, Vroom, Mike and Rod. I'm sitting on the bus now, sunburnt from the long hike and listening to blues while several GT'ers finish cleaning up the remains from the dinner we ate. Man, my feet hurt from the hike. Sunday, May 26, 1996 @ 9:15 a.m. - Keogh Hot Springs (just outside of Bishop and 200 mi. east of Palo Alto) Last night I learned how to play "hearts" - the card game - on the bus with Michael, Eric and Jo. We had a good time and I joked with Michael how he said "thirDEEN" instead of "thirTEEN" when referring to the Queen of Spades. People got pretty drunk last night on the journey here to Keogh. I bathed this morning and for that, I'm grateful! The hot springs were a wonderful 90 degrees in temperature and most GT'ers shed their clothes to soak their bods. It felt great to soak since my body is still sore from the strenuous hike. Apparently we're going to hit an Indian cultural center for a Pow-Wow, which I'm really looking forward to. Who knows what it'll be like. Oh yeah, certain people's personalities are beginning to rub me the wrong way. Is the global village doomed? No pot yet, but I'm waiting for it to be broken out. By the way, the GT drivers are very considerate and very friendly to boot. Sort of a bummer: I think my camera took on a tad of water in Yosemite on the Mist Trail. Sad, but true. We will probably hit Eureka Valley and the sand dunes tomorrow. Bob, one of our drivers, says it's a blast to just roll down the dunes with reckless abandon. Sunday, May 26, 1996 @ 3:35 p.m. - Somewhere near the Death Valley Nat'l Monument The Pow-Wow was a wash. It was a tribute to fallen Native Americans in Vietnam rather than a celebration. There were Veterans From Foreign Wars (VFW) there, but a somber mood predominated and not one of celebration. The GT'ers in attendance looked bored and tired, myself included. On the bus now with Michael, Connie and Peggy. The mood is heavily flirtatious with sexual overtones. The flowing alcohol has certainly reduced inhibitions all around. Michael is showing his very popular card tricks. Connie has started circulating community postcards and I've been writing poetry on them. The cards are quite wild with us doing our best to embarrass her. My fave poem thus far has been: Monster trucks, stadium lights Marshmallow kisses Warm beer, hippie girls in tights Writing while we're snaking through these canyons has made me nauseous. Wait! My poetic panache rises again: Sunburnt, nauseous, desert skies Imagine the taste of some delicious moon pies Sunday, May 26, 1996 @ ~ Midnight - Eureka Valley in the Death Valley Nat'l Monument Went on a great hike up these sand dunes in Eureka Valley this afternoon with Andreka, Peggy, Ching, Ferris, Connie, Dan and Michael. The dunes were pictures of desert perfection save for the few human footprints on their backs. I hiked for an hour or so and even shed my clothes to get back to nature. I think I got some good photos, to. Oh yeah, I convinced Michael to go "Au Naturel," too. Soon, we had cornered Connie and kissed her in all of our nakedness, but she seemed non-plussed by the whole experience. Great fun. Oh yeah, they had freshly sliced watermelon for us once we got back to the bus. It hit the spot. Dinner was great. It was veggie burritos with all the fixings. I cooked some beans and did some light KP, too. Oh yeah, delicious "fresh coffee" to boot! Dessert was a cake for Connie's B-day and enough alcohol to make even the Aussie's happy. As I write, the stereo in the coach is cranked and people are drinking punch with 75% vodka and 25% fruit juice. My one beer was enough to last me through hours of socializing with two wonderful Brits, Hugh and Karen. My hair is quite bristly and I feel a bit like a piece of dried fruit. Here's a thought - a shower! Not that's a concept! I'm very sandy to boot! Monday, May 27, 1996 @ 4:30 p.m. - Mono Lake Scenic Area Visitor's Center The reason why I haven't written earlier is because I got really sick. I awoke this morning about 7:00 a.m. with a sore throat, body aches, sneezing and a runny nose. I feel like I always do when I'm sick - I want to be nurtured and taken care of. God, I feel awful. The rest of the GT'ers are watching a twenty minute flick on Mono Lake here at the Visitor's Center while I sit here in the lobby and write. You know people are feeling scummy on the trip when the major discussion between the men is the quality of the restrooms we visit. Michael announces, "This bathroom (Mono Lake Visitor's Center) is the best bathroom we've been to thus far! Even better than the Indian Cultural Center." Pete concurs and there are nods all around. The warm running water in the Men's Room is a slice of heaven that we all hungrily devour. I'm still extremely sore from all the hiking. My calf muscles are incredibly fatigued. I've been fantasizing about a massage for a long time. This morning's breakfast was the blow-out of the trip. Delicious blueberry pancakes with a great fruit salad, too. We went on to drive to Mono Lake proper, but nobody got out of the bus because the wind was whipping-up so much. Then, we went on to another hot spring and then finally to Reno for food at one of the casinos. Monday, May 27, 1996 @ 10:30 p.m. - The Sands Hotel in Reno I'm sitting in the Sand's Hotel and waiting for my pizza to be cooked. I'm sitting at the Pizza Hut, which just so happens to be adjacent to the video arcade. I'm hungry, which is a good thing, I think. I've definitely developed an appetite during our long drive to Reno. The people on the GT are great, but I have zero patience left since I'm so sick and sleep-deprived. It's filthy on board, I'm tired and I want to go home. I'd give anything for a peaceful night's sleep. Just finished pizza - delish! May go gamble. Wednesday, May 29, 1996 @ 3:35 p.m. - Burlingame, Ca. I got into S.F. and off of the GT at about 7:15 a.m. yesterday morning. The ride from Reno to S.F. was uneventful. I spent the last night of the trip alone at the Sand's Hotel. I was so sick that I didn't feel much like socializing. So, I ate dinner and contributed $10 to the local economy via a slot machine. We had three hours to kill in Reno and I came back to the bus early to decompress. To my surprise, Michael was there alone. We chatted for an hour or so and then were joined by both of the drivers, Mike and Bob. Clare was with them, too. Michael and I were selected to "do the miracle" which mostly consisted of recycling beer bottles and removing loose food items off of the tables. It was pretty easy. At one point, I surprised Michael and Clare in mid-kiss on the GT. I guess the GT trips bring out the romantic in all of us. Although some passengers came on board the GT coupled-up to begin with, there were some on-board romances that bloomed. By the time we arrived at the S.F. bus terminal early Tuesday morning, I had had enough. I was sick, filthy, cold and tired. I would have given anything to be magically transported to my home - freshly showered, slept, shaved with teeth brushed and flossed. At the terminal, I gathered my belongings, said my good-byes (including getting Steve and Tracey's address) and grabbed the Muni to my car at 5th and Mission in S.F. Now, a full day later, there's no questions in my mind - I might do it again. The community feeling was great and something that's been missing from my life. It was the general claustrophobia and lack of creature comforts I could do without.