/ 16 days hippie bus tour /
--- it begins ---
We set off at about 7pm from San Fran on the Friday, drive thru the night and arrive at sun-up in THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE desert place for a breakfast stop.
Clearly NO TOILETS in site.
Jimi [the lead bus driver] instructs us with glee that there's a SPADE that needs christening - some poor bastards had to use it. People scatter to find a bit of scrub to squat behind all bleary eyed and beginning to grasp what this trip might hold.
Turns out we had stopped at this spot for a reason. There were two natural HOT SPRINGS fed into large tubs. And we discover two harley BIKERS camped out beside one of the tubs. [Apparently I missed the older bearded biker geezer taking his morning bath and shooting the breeze from the edge of the tub buck-naked with a fag.] Took a very satisfying morning bathe in the super hot water and then we fixed breakfast - which was the first of many TOO TASTY culinary affairs.
--- "sleeping" ---
I think I averaged about 3/4 HOURS a night on this trip. As Jimi kept reiterating, 'YOU CAN SLEEP WHEN YOU'RE DEAD', and it was ALL GOOD. I got in a lot of SUNRISES saw a lot of scenery rolling by and managed to take advantage of all the TRUCK TOILET STOPS in the wee hours.
On the drive thru' nights we slept ON THE BUS.
You can check out some of the pics on my flickr - but basically the bus is converted from benches facing each other into platform. The cushions come up, wooden panels flips out and cushions are replaced to make sleeping area. The process of making this happen was called THE MIRACLE - as it involved disappearing everyone's shoes, luggage, crap which folk were not keen on being parted from.
In addition, running down both sides of the bus above the benches are hanging bays which are beds that double up as luggage compartments during the day. I slept up there once, a cosey experience.
Sleeping on the bus was only possible while moving, with air con running. When stationery, the bus turned into a SAUNA, and was not desirable. Hence on many nights, in many beautiful places, we CAMPED OUT under the stars.
This was supposed to involve us lying on the bus mattresses spread on a tarp - but most times I ended up on the tarp SANS MATTRESS [when the group expanded in size to 34, it was first comes first served on the mattress front], on one occassion a metal picnic table was the only place. Very special.
The other VERY SPECIAL thing as far as not sleeping goes was the SNORING. I think my hardest times were few occassions that I lay awake in desparate AGONY surrounded by a chorus of snoring - the one guy had a MICROPHONE up his nose man, and a SICK BEAR in his throat.
--- some highlights ---
- HIKING the Tetons, Yellowstone, Zion, Bryce CAnyon, Arches National Park, Gooseneck and Grand Canyon - all very different and awe inspiring. The pictures don't even begin to do it justice.
- spotting a BLUEBIRD in Yellowstone first think in the morning, and watching elk wander around the sleeping-bagged bodies.
- ANIMAL SPOTTING elk, moose, bison, deer, chipmunks [sadly no bear]
- waking up in the car park on the edge of the great SALT LAKE and watching the sun come up with a purring marina cat on my lap. The sky all blushing pink, tangerine, and egg shell blue.
- Hiking halfway down the GRAND CANYON one evening and lying awake with mice and lizards and stars - then catching the sun and seeing the silver COLORADO RIVER in the morning before the steep hike back up.
- giant stainless steel bowls of freshly cut FRUIT SALAD every morning with hippie granola and GLOOPY cinnamon flavored yoghurt.
- SWIMMING!! all the time, pulling over at rivers, lakes, resevoirs. An evening at CHICO HOT SPRINGS - which was a swimming pool, but hot - and they served you slushy margaritas to be sipped in the pool. TUBING down one river, WHITE WATER RAFTING down another, etc etc.
- drinking Sarah from Scotland's concoction of SWEET CAVA WITH STRAWBERRIES and chewing the fat
- tinkering with ROULETTE and SLOTS in VEGAS
- SUN SUN SUN - i think the rain visited us once
--- hippie bus tour ---
Jimi brought with us the beatnik hippie spirit: recited ginsberg's SUNFLOWER SUTRA around the campfire, instructed us on the history of WAVY GRAVY and WOODSTOCK, including the all important invention of GRANOLA. And also wore a super pair of retro flare jeans.
'is it harshing your mellow dude?'
--- it begins ---
We set off at about 7pm from San Fran on the Friday, drive thru the night and arrive at sun-up in THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE desert place for a breakfast stop.
Clearly NO TOILETS in site.
Jimi [the lead bus driver] instructs us with glee that there's a SPADE that needs christening - some poor bastards had to use it. People scatter to find a bit of scrub to squat behind all bleary eyed and beginning to grasp what this trip might hold.
Turns out we had stopped at this spot for a reason. There were two natural HOT SPRINGS fed into large tubs. And we discover two harley BIKERS camped out beside one of the tubs. [Apparently I missed the older bearded biker geezer taking his morning bath and shooting the breeze from the edge of the tub buck-naked with a fag.] Took a very satisfying morning bathe in the super hot water and then we fixed breakfast - which was the first of many TOO TASTY culinary affairs.
--- "sleeping" ---
I think I averaged about 3/4 HOURS a night on this trip. As Jimi kept reiterating, 'YOU CAN SLEEP WHEN YOU'RE DEAD', and it was ALL GOOD. I got in a lot of SUNRISES saw a lot of scenery rolling by and managed to take advantage of all the TRUCK TOILET STOPS in the wee hours.
On the drive thru' nights we slept ON THE BUS.
You can check out some of the pics on my flickr - but basically the bus is converted from benches facing each other into platform. The cushions come up, wooden panels flips out and cushions are replaced to make sleeping area. The process of making this happen was called THE MIRACLE - as it involved disappearing everyone's shoes, luggage, crap which folk were not keen on being parted from.
In addition, running down both sides of the bus above the benches are hanging bays which are beds that double up as luggage compartments during the day. I slept up there once, a cosey experience.
Sleeping on the bus was only possible while moving, with air con running. When stationery, the bus turned into a SAUNA, and was not desirable. Hence on many nights, in many beautiful places, we CAMPED OUT under the stars.
This was supposed to involve us lying on the bus mattresses spread on a tarp - but most times I ended up on the tarp SANS MATTRESS [when the group expanded in size to 34, it was first comes first served on the mattress front], on one occassion a metal picnic table was the only place. Very special.
The other VERY SPECIAL thing as far as not sleeping goes was the SNORING. I think my hardest times were few occassions that I lay awake in desparate AGONY surrounded by a chorus of snoring - the one guy had a MICROPHONE up his nose man, and a SICK BEAR in his throat.
--- some highlights ---
- HIKING the Tetons, Yellowstone, Zion, Bryce CAnyon, Arches National Park, Gooseneck and Grand Canyon - all very different and awe inspiring. The pictures don't even begin to do it justice.
- spotting a BLUEBIRD in Yellowstone first think in the morning, and watching elk wander around the sleeping-bagged bodies.
- ANIMAL SPOTTING elk, moose, bison, deer, chipmunks [sadly no bear]
- waking up in the car park on the edge of the great SALT LAKE and watching the sun come up with a purring marina cat on my lap. The sky all blushing pink, tangerine, and egg shell blue.
- Hiking halfway down the GRAND CANYON one evening and lying awake with mice and lizards and stars - then catching the sun and seeing the silver COLORADO RIVER in the morning before the steep hike back up.
- giant stainless steel bowls of freshly cut FRUIT SALAD every morning with hippie granola and GLOOPY cinnamon flavored yoghurt.
- SWIMMING!! all the time, pulling over at rivers, lakes, resevoirs. An evening at CHICO HOT SPRINGS - which was a swimming pool, but hot - and they served you slushy margaritas to be sipped in the pool. TUBING down one river, WHITE WATER RAFTING down another, etc etc.
- drinking Sarah from Scotland's concoction of SWEET CAVA WITH STRAWBERRIES and chewing the fat
- tinkering with ROULETTE and SLOTS in VEGAS
- SUN SUN SUN - i think the rain visited us once
--- hippie bus tour ---
Jimi brought with us the beatnik hippie spirit: recited ginsberg's SUNFLOWER SUTRA around the campfire, instructed us on the history of WAVY GRAVY and WOODSTOCK, including the all important invention of GRANOLA. And also wore a super pair of retro flare jeans.
'is it harshing your mellow dude?'
posted by marg at 6:40 AM
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