I woke at a little before 6. I think everyone in my room was still asleep. There was a lot of revelry going on last night. Someone said they heard a fight on the beach at around 2 am. I slept through it. I tried to sleep on my stomach, so I wouldn’t snore. Hope I didn’t. It was not cold at all last night, probably due to cloud cover. I slept with only a top sheet, no blanket. And this morning, I didn’t need a jacket. It might actually be good that I’m staying 3 days, as today and tomorrow have rain forecast. Estimate 0.4 inch today, 1.0 inch tomorrow, dry Monday, when I resume.
There was a continental breakfast set out in the dining area. Pastries, toast, oatmeal, bananas, oranges, apples, coffee and tea. I think I may have been the first there, as all the mugs were still arranged with their handles at a 45-degree angle, and the pastries were undisturbed.L-R: Danica, her fiancee Dylan Pukall (pro photographer), and Lorenzo from Switzerland. Dylan and Danica are from Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, and traveling with their friend Bernie, and two other women whom I didn’t meet. Lorenzo got in last night, and is here for English Studies.
It was barely drizzling – the kind of rain that keeps you cool but doesn’t actually wet your clothes. My original plan was to have lunch, then ride by the church location, then go to Big 5 to pick up freeze-dried meals, to get that out of the way. I went to Poke Go, but they opened at noon, and it was not yet noon. I decided to find the church, and scrapped the idea of getting the meals today or tomorrow. Big 5 is very close to the Southern Tier Trail, so I can stop by on the way out on Monday.
At Poke Go, there were 3 sizes of bowl. I got the medium one, which was generous for $10.95 (extra seaweed salad so I could get some greens).This was what it looked like after a few minutes. Way too much fish for the amount of rice. I finished it, of course.The best wi-fi reception is in the TV room. This is Angela, who had recently come in from France. She is teaching French for 2 months here, after which, she will return to graduate. Angela is in the same 10-bed dorm as me.In spite of the cold wind, some guys were tossing a football on the beach. I think that may be Issac, a guy I met last night.Okay, this is Issac.This is the semi-open air area where most people eat breakfast.Bikes are stored in this area, along with surfboards. My bike is WAY in the back, behind the aluminum ladder.Since I’m having an extended stay, I did laundry. Only two shirts, a pair of socks, and my handlebar bag handkerchief. Kind of a waste, but it was just $1.50. The dryer was $1.25, but I decided to just try hanging the clothes in the wind, since I didn’t need them tomorrow. I brought everything back to my bunk at 9:30 pm or so, before the rain started.From the right angle, Keanu looks like Westley from The Princess Bride. He’s an Electrician on an extended holiday from Perth (Western Australia). His name means “Gentle Breeze” in Hawaiian, and in fact, he did visit Kauai early in this trip.A lot of the wiring seems ad hoc, but it seems safe enough. The kitchen light started flickering tonight, and someone said that happens when it rains.
I walked around the local area in the afternoon, and picked up a few groceries from Ralph’s a block away.
I decided to eat in tonight. One bag Birdseye frozen Asian Vegetables (surprisingly tasty), and one Banquet Spaghetti. A challenge to prepare with a 700-watt microwave.A crowd gathered in the warm TV room on this cold, windy evening.
Looks like the rain may pick up tonight. Hope it isn’t driving rain in the morning tomorrow.
Miles for today: 4.7 (still more than most Americans bike in a day)
