Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
I'm so skinny! I looked at myself in the van's mirror and got a
shock. I'd be surprised if I'm more than 55 kilograms. I simply can't eat
enough calories to balance the energy I'm expending, running 85 kilo-
metres a day in blistering heat and 100 per cent humidity. Chris, my
brother, is already earning his keep. He rustled me up a terrific dinner
of fish, steak and vegies followed by delicious mangoes, my favour-
ite fruit, which I've been devouring every day here in the south. I was
ravenous.
Chris is a smart cookie. Emma will be leaving us soon, and Chris
will take on her duties of cooking, washing and doing anything else
that crops up. He's also a good mechanic and an excellent bloke. He
can think on his feet and has a calm head in a crisis. Nothing is too
much trouble. That's important. He's here for me, not just enjoying the
trip. He's good fun, like Bernie and Katie, and together they help me to
wind down. I'm feeling deflated since the children left, and I'm getting
bored by the United States and want to get to Mexico. We're due to
cross the border at the end of the month.
There was a lovely interlude on the road today. I came upon a
group of people crabbing and fishing, and stopped for a moment to
chat. They were pulling crab after crab out of the water, using chunks
of turkey neck as bait. Later they were planning to boil and eat them.
I had a go, ever the keen fisherman, and landed a crab. One woman
asked me what I was doing and I told her, and she hugged me and said,
'We lost everything in Katrina, and the Red Cross helped us. God bless
you for what you are doing.' I'll never forget her. Another bloke came
up and wanted to donate a $20 note. I thanked him and asked him to
do it via the Red Cross website. My aches and pains didn't bother me
so much after those encounters.
Tonight I pulled off my right big toenail with a pair of pliers.
It was loose and giving me hell. I'd had enough and had no other
way to get rid of it, so I yanked it off. There was blood, but it soon
stopped. I've put some artificial skin over the wound and bandaged
it. The nail became loose because when my running shoes get wet
they expand, and my feet slide around inside, and my toe has been
rubbing against the shoe. The others were grossed out. It was a bit
gory, but didn't worry me. I've pulled off toenails before and no doubt
will do so again.
