Day 5 - 4/8/09 (Wednesday)
it’s way too late to be typing this…i promise no wit:
- this mornings topics for conversation, which i listened to from my bed in the other room, were “best ways to alleviate pain” (which ranged from motrin to pot to morphine) and best “methods of retaliation” (in which pooping on the offending parties posessions, ie: cars, chairs, etc., seemed to surface far too frequently)
- quote from yesterday (words to live by from the parents of BE): BE’s dad said, “drink at 12, smoke at 14 but don’t do anything else. his mom gave him, “don’t steal, lie, or disrespect people.” they seem to have the same idea of what is important to cover when raising a child…or not.
- i spent today at the Walasi-Yi center. This hostel/gear shop/general hang out for hikers sits directly on the trail. it actually passes through an arch in the building. they are most known for their knowledge of packing. the tradition is to take your pack to the store and dump it out. one of the knowledgeable guys will then have you sort it, point out what you don’t need, tell you anything that you will need, and help you put it all back together while also helping you drop a large percentage on your pack weight. i’m somewhere around 30-35 depending on how much food i’ve got at the time. apart from wanting me to get rid of some camera gear he say’s i’m doing well.
- the photo project: what is it that i’m actually looking for in this photo project i’ve got going on. if i’m looking to capture the trail culture i don’t know that i will get it. ”there is no set culture here. i am just one of a company of misfits. who are we? this list will grow:
- the gear head: tells us everything we should own and that 90% of what we do we should get rid of.
- the retiree/graduate: finished a week ago and hit the trail for extended vacation.
- running away from something/chasing a dream?: chose the dream of hiking to escape the present situation.”
…what connects this group?
