The last day started with long conversations with the old Indian guy at the motel reception. First, I got locked out of my room at 9:30, when checkout is only at 11:00. The man said that the room key stops working at 10 and had some reasoning to it that did not make sense at all. We ended up reducing our arguments: his was that this is the way it's done in all hotels in California, and mine was that he's wrong, and even if he was right, that doesn't make it a good reason. Our next conversation was about Israeli politics. Finally we discussed Judaism, naturally.
I had a lot of riding to do, so I got right to it. From Visalia, I took the 198 West. It's very pretty, and the landscape constantly changes.
But it's not an easy ride: it's curvy, hilly, and the worst part - there are no gas stations.
I had to switch to my reserve tank towards the end of the road, and by the time I finally got to the 5 freeway and got into a gas station near King City, I was on my very last drops.
So I pulled over next to a free pump, and right as I turned off the engine, another motorcycle pulled over right behind me, near the same pump. There were other available pumps, but Mike wasn't there for gas - he was just looking for conversation. Mike wore a metallic helmet, reflective sunglasses, and a wife beater, and gave me the impression that he was high. He lives in a motel in King City, paying $150 a week. He moved here from San Francisco, and he likes it here: he works at random things, mostly trucking, and that gives him plenty of spare time to ride his dirt bike. He really wanted us to be friends. He said that if I'm looking for a place to eat I could follow him into town and he'll point out some places, but I really didn't have time for new friends. I fist-bumped and I went into the diner at the gas station and had a chili.
Next I stopped in Gilroy, the garlic capitol of California. I bought garlic salt, whatever that is, some pickled garlic, and olives stuffed with almonds. Why not.
Next stop was Mountain View. I picked up Julia from work and we rode home together. Back in San Francisco, the city threw me a party for my homecoming. The timing was perfect, because the Giants also won the World Series, so we celebrated that too.
And thus ends another glorious road trip.
I hope you enjoyed it, and that I will see you again the next time that I'm a
Person
On
The
Road!
(tun, tun, tuuuuuunnnn!)
(bssst)
