The Green Tortoise Part lIl

We headed east through California farmland and towards NYC. It is 2563 miles between San Francisco and NYC or 4125 kilometers. We have an international group on our bus. Thailand, England, Japan, Germany, India, Australia and the USA are all represented. There will be many opportunities for me to work on my kilometers-to-miles equations in my head to satisfy my traveling companions many, many questions.

A couple hours passed and a handful of passengers sitting on the back bed asked the usual questions to form opinions and foundations of friendship such as, where are you from? Have you done this kind of trip before? What language are you speaking? Can you repeat that? Maybe try saying it slower? Can you write in English? How about saying it in German? No, I don't know the word for that? Use your hands and maybe I can figure it out...

It turns out that about a third of the passengers have done this type of trip with Green Tortoise before and are coming back for a return trip. Patrick, a tall blond hair, blue eyed German man is on his fourth trip on the Green Tortoise. I asked him what made him choose this particular trip.

"Eet is a goot vay to meet goot peoples unt camp unt hike" he says in his thick German accent. He arrived a week earlier to spend time in San Francisco to be with family who live in the States. In Germany, he works for a car dealership ordering parts for the mechanics who work on Opals. Sadly, I would find out later, he is not a mechanic.

Two hours pass quickly before our first truck stop and many of the passengers are getting tired from a busy day in San Francisco and preparing for our departure. We park in the truck stop and are given 15 minutes for teeth washing, clothes changing and general bedtime preparation before "The Miracle" happens.

Having traveled for thousands and thousands of miles in the Malibu Stacey Funtime Camper, I am very skilled at bedtime preparations in truck stops, rest stops or any McDonald's across the USA. In my day pack I have my toothbrush and toothpaste, a wash cloth, moisturizer, fresh underthings for the morning and pajamas. The women outnumber the men on this trip and we are all friendly and kind during our first stop allowing the mother and children the extra space they need to prepare for bedtime. I will find it interesting to witness how quickly those niceties dissolve.

We are instructed to pull all items out of the bus except our sleeping bags and pillows. I didn't bring a pillow and regret it from that moment forward for the next two weeks. Standing on the side of the bus a few volunteers go in the bus to perform "The Miracle".

The Miracle is when the bus is converted from its daytime configuration with seats looking out the windows and tables for games or cards to sleeping mode. All personal items are stashed below the wooden slates and the front is converted into a Big Bed like in the back. The table cushions are converted to bunk beds that are long enough for a regular sized human being and below is like a dark, hidden cubby. Above the eight bunks that held our day packs and sleeping bags are cleared of all items and people are to sleep up there. It is about twenty-four inches deep or 61 centimeters.

The people who perform The Miracle have first choice of sleeping spots. I find this out on day seven and volunteer to build The Miracle every night until the end of the trip.

As instructed, I passed all my personal belongings to the bus while it was being Miraclized and didn't think twice about what I might need in the middle of the night. We all did. Then we took off our shoes and walked across the first bed scoping out where we'd like to sleep. Since I had been riding in the back of the bus, I went back to that spot. I like the gentle hum, like white noise, from the engine. I find it soothing.

Cassie says since we are under-booked for this trip, there is plenty of space to spread out which means the top bunks get only one person instead of two and the top of the tables get one person instead of two. Keep in mind, these spaces are no wider than a twin bed and it is expected that if two are to sleep in those spots, it is head-to-toe or "sardine" style or "the zipper" as Cassie calls it.

"Cuddlers, you need to go under the tables! No cuddling on the big beds!" She instructs. The German couple, one of which is my buddy, throw their bags below and disappear from site. I sleep next to German and Japanese feet.

"Yah, eet seems early to go to bed," Patrick says but I am tired and ready to sleep. I grab a wedge-shaped extra cushion from the big bed to use as a pillow, lay down and fall immediately to sleep.

I awake several hours later thirsty. I notice that the bus is turned off and there are flashing blue lights reflecting off the windows. We are still in California and Cassie is pulled over by the State Police. As the officer approaches, she says in a loud whisper to the people still awake in the front, "Keep quiet! And for God's Sake Joe! Get that bottle of vodka away from here!"

Joe is a New Yorker who now works in politics in Washington, DC. His job is to run focus groups asking questions about today's issues and create "spin" for the media.

He is a conservative republican who later says he will be voting for Obama, but I don't believe him. He is also the "party master" encouraging heavy drinking as soon as the sun goes down and sometimes before. He had offered Cassie a swig from the bottle earlier, but she is smart and refuses. He stashes the bottle behind the driver's seat. Luckily she spots it before the officer boards the bus. I can't hear what the Trooper says to her but they speak for a long time. She hands him documents and he reviews them with his flashlight and returns to the police car. A little while later he returns and she exits the bus with him.

I start praying.

Dear Sweet God,

How's it going out there in the ever expanding and great infinite Universe? Hey, do you have a moment for me here on this bus? If you do, can you guide this bus so we are out safe and we still have a driver and all? And if anyone is holding drugs, can you shield that so we all don't get busted? That would be so awesome.

Oh, and God? Will you please remind me why I booked passage? I don't seem to be able to remember why I thought this was a good idea, but I bet you will let me know in your own time.

Thanks for reminding me to pack some food and for the warm sleeping bag. Peace. Ashey. Namaste.

A few minutes more pass and I hear some noises from the rear of the bus like a compartment opening and closing. Cassie returns to the bus alone, starts the engine and we are headed off again.

"What the hell was that?" Joe asks loudly.

"People are sleeping, keep your voice down." she says. I hear murmuring and inaudible conversation so I lower my head and fall back to sleep. In the morning I hear from another passenger that the hose from our toilet was dragging and creating sparks behind the bus. That's why we got pulled over and Cassie fixed it putting the hose back where it belonged.

Isn't the fuel tank in the back of the bus? Hadn't we driven about 400 miles already? Isn't that about 644 kilometers?

To be continued...

So much love,
All the way from over here....
Linda