OK, I am not actually Prometheus - having neither stolen fire from the gods, or been punished for it by being chained to a rock for eternity and having an eagle pick out my liver by day, only to regrow it over night ready to start again in the morning ....
Lets just say I am at present the Prometheus-of-Hostel life, working a reverse shift?! So, basically my regeneration is during the day, and the eagle bit in the evening.
Every morning (well, mostly) I leave the hostel I stayed at the night before, and just being on the bike puts a smile on my face and the world is all good. However mundane or hectic the ride that day, my spirit is bouyed and I have a fun adventurous day (sort of like having your liver grow back overnight?).
Depending on the hecticsysity of the day, I usually get to arrive at the next city and its hostel of choice early to mid afternoon and hope the eagle has forgotten about me. Occassionally, he does, and I meet some fellow travellers and have a nice chat, and if things work out then at least a few drinks together and sometimes a meal. All very social, and the reason I chose hostel life as opposed to hotels, or camping (now I am in 'Safe' America).
These, non-eagle days seem to only be about once a week or so, average, for a mulitude of reasons (real and imaginery!): most travellers are aged early 20s, travelling as couples / tight groups, non-english speakers. Oh, and there is me of course, feeling like an old fish in a young young pond, feeling odd talking to 25 year old women, and not interested in clubbing and smoking with the young guys.
On the more frequent eagle-days, I arrive at my hostel and find its either completely empty apart from me, or populated entirely by yut back packers who I feel (admitedly, probably not justifiably most times) that I am infringing on their party space and time, and they don't want to have a conversation with someone of the parents' age. So, like, totally, b.o.r.i.n.g! If its a quiet hotel, or the other guests are non-english speakers then its not so bad, as there is not so much I can do.
I know Prometheus ended up getting released from his rock-and-eagle stint, and so I hope that through a combination of luck, honing my oh-so-basic social skills and settling into my chosen persona as lone-traveller such will be my reward too!
