Category: Travel

My actual travels, those I aspire to, and those of others

Travel makes me appreciate all comforts and conveniences

Spending an extended span of time undertaking travel definitely makes me appreciate every comfort and convenience when they are available.

These comforts include a comfortable horizontal surface to sleep on in the dark and quiet; easy access to laundry; being able to have a shower; having internet access; being able to change outside a cramped bathroom or bathroom stall; being able to borrow access to a local telephone; being able to leave groceries somewhere cold; being able to hang up suits and dress shirts properly; being able to leave batteries around to charge; not having to worry about checkout times; and not having to worry about your things being stolen if unattended.

My period of transition is still not complete. I still need to relocate most of my possessions from Ottawa to Toronto and I still need to find somewhere to live in Toronto and shift all of my things there. That being said, I think I now have the basic requirements for being able to live and work. I can shuttle them around with me from place to place – as necessary – until I have a place of my own.

One lesson reinforced by this move is the general benefit of keeping personal property to a minimum, especially in terms of bulk. Every gram and cubic centimetre of objects you possess makes you less free, though much of it may be awfully pleasant and useful to own.

The road north

I am leaving on my return journey in a few hours.

I already have all the luggage Greyhound allows, so the smart course is probably to go to Toronto, drop those necessary items off, then carry on to Ottawa to get more things like work clothes and perhaps my computer.

The bus to Toronto takes about 20 hours. If I catch one this afternoon, it should arrive in the early morning of the 5th (estimate subject to amendment).

Returning to Ontario

Sometime between Sunday the 4th and Wednesday the 7th, I will get back on the Greyhound to return to Toronto/Ontario.

It’s awkward that I don’t have my own place to stay in either city, but hopefully I will find something in Toronto soon. It’s also awkward that it is proving complex and paperwork-heavy to get my stuff relocated. Hopefully, my physical presence will help.

I am not looking forward to another 20+ hours on the bus, but it will be nice to be back in familiar territory, even if I will not really be ‘home’.

Things to see in DC

I don’t have a great deal of free time, since my days are mostly being spent volunteering for the Tar Sands Action protest against the Keystone XL pipeline. Still, I would like to see a few unusual and interesting things while I am in the American capital.

Any suggestions for especially good things to see or do? Ideally, things that are a bit unusual and unlikely to be included in my Lonely Planet guide.

En route to DC

The bus ride from New Orleans has already been unusually uncomfortable and filled with stress and delays. Still, it is best not to complain and be grateful that I was able to salvage some audiobooks from my recent iTunes explosion. I have been listening to Little Women and finding it rather touching.

All told, my time in New Orleans was colourful and enjoyable. I wish it had been possible to spend a few more days there, but it seems like a good idea to be at the Washington DC event right from the beginning.

I should be there in about seven hours, barring additional delays.

The next stage

I am moving on to Washington DC either tonight or first thing tomorrow.

There are masses of things left to see in NOLA, but the pace of exploration so far combined with staying in a hostel are wearing me down. For me, at least, staying in hostels is not altogether sustainable. I tend to get more stressed and tired with each passing day.

It’s a one day bus journey to Washington, so it may be best to start at 9pm and go through the night, rather than spending a somewhat more restful night in a dormitory before heading to the bus station at 6:00am.

I am still looking for decent affordable accommodation in Washington, so suggestions would be appreciated.

Maple Leaf Bar / The Krewe of Oak

This has been a crazy evening. Everything I said before about the exceptional friendliness of NOLA deserves to be amplified.

A chance encounter led to a long night of excellent free music at a place I would never have found on my own or through a guidebook. I am invited back to the same place tomorrow for the Rebirth Brass Band.

At nearly 3am, my hostel is still a hive of activity. I should try to sleep, however.