What a past few days this has been? Is there ever a dull moment on my travels? Even if there is I can make a cool story out of it. I'm in California for a couple of weeks to do some filming for Fearless Journey, as we've finally got funding! From Pape'ete to San Francisco I flew, and you may wonder why? I could have flown on Air France to LA for $1,100 (one way) or on French Bee, which is a French budget airline, to San Francisco for $225. Being my savvy self, I chose the latter and decided to hitchhike to LA. In a blast from the past, my first girlfriend, Teressa picked me up from the airport. I haven't mentioned her in a long time. She and I had Chinese food and she said she's "honoured to know me." My original plan was only one night in San Francisco but I opted to stay two nights just to rest up and prepare for the journey. I've never particularly cared for San Francisco: it's the city I compare most to the human body because it looks nice from afar but get beneath the surface and it ain't pretty. The homelessness is absolutely appalling, as they go as far as urinating and defecating on footpaths and in parks. Backpacker hostels are few and far between in the US but I've bumped into some real gems. The Adelaide Hostel, where I stayed in San Francisco the other night, is lovely. The Green Tortoise, in Seattle, is awesome as well and just around the corner from Pikes Place Market. I'd strike another lovely gem in Santa Cruz. The HI Santa Cruz Hostel is set in some historic cottages dating back to the 1880s and the owner is extremely lovely.
After an early morning walk in Santa Cruz I'd only make it as far as Aptos a short journey down the road but a lady named Kim invited me to stay at her home for the evening. Kim was the only person to pick me up that day. Her place is rather remote and reminds me of some homes I've stayed at in New Zealand. This journey of, what I thought was going to be a night or two turned into more than that. It could have been faster going inland but it's mostly prisons and farms, and not much to see. Hitchhiking likely would have been more difficult as well.
In Big Sur I ended up last night, five nights in California now. Two in San Fran, one in Santa Cruz, one in Aptos, and now the possibility of roughing it in Big Sur. Foolishly I didn't bring a tent with me. As I stood outside hopeless I heard some guys discussing basketball. "I'm a Lakers fan" I said. A few minutes later I was inside watching the end of a Clippers game and I hear somebody say "Chris." Big Sur seems like the kind of place where I'd bump into somebody I know from New Zealand, Australia, or elsewhere but it turned out it was a guy named Wes I went to secondary school with. I wouldn't have recognized him in a million years but remembered me when I mentioned the Lakers. He booked me a room and whilst I was extremely thankful, I was horrified when I saw the price. I said "Wes, I would have been content with crashing out on your floor" but he was like "Nah bro, I owe it to you." Going from possibly sleeping out in the cold to having a room I felt that Houdini spirit again. Instantly I felt rejuvinated, as I put my stuff away and then Wes and I went to the bar. I said "get Wes his favourite beer, and I'd like a sav blanc." Wes has been working here for the past several years as a massage therapist. We'd order drink after drink and just chat the night away about all sorts of stuff, old and new.
This morning I woke up refreshed, determined to make progess and get to LA for some filming. Wes had to work so I didn't have a chance to thank him personally but I gave him a call. Big Sur is most definitely a tourist trap with the price of everything sky-high. Despite the high cost of the hotel room, no breakfast or even coffee is included, but $3 for my morning cuppa is a small price to pay after Wes helped me out last night. He joins a long list of people who have helped make my travels memorable. With my thumb out I was picked up quickly by an Austrian couple going to San Simeon. I can say I've ended up at some cool spots on this journey. After waiting for more than an hour and being given some free tacos, a man named Miguel picked me up in his red Firebird. He was on his way to San Luis Obispo, meaning I was inching closer to LA. It was after 5 PM and chilly by the time I got to San Luis Obispo so I was thinking of calling it a day. There is one hostel but when I called they said they're full tonight so I walked through town and got a quick photo of the Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa.
California's Spanish missions are designed to be a day's walk apart from one other. With my thumb out and running out of daylight a cute girl named Bethany would pick me up and drop me in Arroyo Grande, called "AG" by locals. She gave me a big hug and then I was weighing my options: it was very cold and there are no hostels in either AG or Pismo Beach. The next Amtrak train to LA is at 7:15 AM tomorrow so I told myself that if I don't get a lift I'm getting on the train in the morning. After waiting for more than an hour, luck was with me again as a drifter named Martin would pick me up. He was on his way to Vegas and admits that he panhandles for petrol money and that he didn't have enough petrol to reach LA. From some of the stories he told me, it sounds like he's had it tough for much of his life. Putting $20 in the tank would get me to LA; had I pulled an all-nighter and waited for Amtrak, the train would have cost $41 so chipping in for petrol worked out well. Finally I was on my way to LA but where the hell was I going to stay when I got there? Despite the fact that I used to live in LA and have so many friends there, nobody was willing to put me up at their home whilst I did my filming. Posting several times on Facebook didn't help, either; it wasn't like I was there to have a big party, I'm going to be there for some filming. In a last-ditch desperation, I called my friend Javier only two hours before arriving. He and I have engaged in playful banter plenty of times over the years, as well as watching basketball, going to soccer games, and attending many parties and functions at his home. His wife, Cindy, and I went to high school together and she once said "mi casa es su casa" (my house is your house). Javier initially suggested staying at his mother's house but then said "never mind, come stay here. We have an air mattress in the garage." My "Houdini magic" worked in my favour again yet again, as I otherwise would have likely ended up staying at a backpacker hostel in Hollywood or Venice Beach. Martin allowed me to run into the supermarket for a bottle of wine and a frozen dinner before dropping me at Javier's home.
The best for last I saved as I made my best hitchhiking progress today. After five nights, this long journey is finally complete! I'm back in LA with a bang ready to get some progress done on Fearless Journey.
