alain’s dance blog

It’s been a crazy ride so far, and I’m so glad for the two days of rest in San Francisco. This past week riding into California has been exciting and inspiring. We’ve reached two mental milestones: passing 1000 miles in total distance and passing the half-way point of our trip.

Indeed, during the days leading up to the crossing of the Golden Gate bridge, I kept singing in my head two songs. “Woh oh, we’re halfway there…. woh oh, living on a prayer” and “if you’re going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair”. For those who haven’t recognized the songs, they are Living on a Prayer by Bon Jovi and San Francisco by Scott McKenzie.

So San Francisco felt like we had made it. We had reached a tangible destination. We were going to visit our partner Kiva. It was a great feeling.

The Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco

Kiva

Agents and the Kiva staff

Me with Matt Flannery

I got to see my friends Tsu and Amy. Tsu’s now at Google, so I had a taste of Google food. The flank steak was delicious!

I also got to dance on Thursday night at the 9:20 Special. I saw some familiar faces (Jean and Bromley, Rye and Carla) and even a fellow Francophone (Jay LeRoux). Jay and I had an entertaining dance together.

Here’s me and fellow Lindyhopper Chris Enriques, originally from San Diego. Funny enough, we had chosen to wear the same Threadless t-shirt that night.

And Carla Heiney being the awesome gal that she is. Btw, if you haven’t seen her choreography with Zack Richard this past year, make sure to attend ILHC.

Only two more weeks to go until we reach Mexico on our bikes!!!

Here are some pictures of the last week riding in Northern California.

Swimming hole on the road side

Stop for dance party

Foggy cliffs

We’ve got our own “Roche Perce” in Quebec, but there are so many on the West Coast

I’m excited. This week I got two notifications in my inbox from Kiva. Two of my micro-loans were paid back! These are loans I made in the past 6 months. One was to Anita Sabino in Comas, Peru, so that she could start a grocery store.

The second was to Asiyah Yanan in Rajeg, Tangerang, Indonesia, so that she could raise ducks.

I immediately used the $50 I got back to lend to two more entrepreneurs (one in Sudan and one in Vietnam).

Microcredit, one sustainable solution to global poverty. And why we are on this crazy bike ride of ours.

It’s Day 17 of Riding to Break the Cycle 2008, and we’ve entered Northern California. Here are a few pictures from the last week of riding.

Sand dunes in Oregon

Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach

My bike and Natalie’s

Eating lunch on the Oregon Coast Line

California

It’s Day 15 of Riding to Break the Cycle 2008. We’ve covered over 600 miles, about 1000 km now, and I’m still alive. The Oregon coast has been good to us.

So what does a typical morning look like?

Whether I awake on a camp site at a State Park, a Methodist Church or a Community Youth Centre, I’ve got the same routine. Roll up my Thermorest sleeping pad, my MEC +10C sleeping bag, and my newly purchased travel pillow and pack them away into a big REI duffel bag donated by my friend Phil in Seattle. Then I’m off to check on my bike, adding lube to my chain and wiping the extra off, checking the brake pads, pumping up the tires. I haven’t had a flat yet - which I attribute to keeping the pressure up in my tire tubes (slightly over 100 psi) and checking my tires for embedded foreign objects like glass or rocks. And finally I change into my bike clothing for the day, eat breakfast (usually cereal or oatmeal along with bananas and bagels), wash my dishes, and load my pack into the trailer.

Then we have a Route meeting, where ride leaders Emma and Jess distribute route maps for the day, and explain the itinerary we are taking, where the support van will stop for lunch, what alternative scenic routes we can take, and where we will be staying overnight that day. The directions have mileage counts on them so that we can keep track of when we’ll need to turn approximately - which makes me glad I purchased my CatEye cycle computer.

Once the meeting’s done, we stock up on snacks and fill up our water bottles or hydration packs. Then we organize ourselves in pods - small riding groups - and we’re off on the road.