San Luis Obispo, CA
Oct 9, 98

Yoho,

The sun's shining through the open window and it is quite warm. Oh happy days, waking up in the morning to perfect blue skies. Oh unhappy friends, especially in Germany, for every time I am checking the weather page I know it unusually cold over there - maybe it's gonna to change from Oct 23 on? A few days ago we took off from Santa Cruz,, a very nice little city 80 MI south of San Francisco. That day's ride was special for last trip we had had the same meeting point, the famous Safeway supermarket in Carmel, but 3 girls didn't make it and I found'em 21 hours later thanks to the great help of our then new friend Eddie Murphy.

a very nice, young man

The ride is a bit tricky since there are several parts where Highway 1 is prohibited for cyclists. But it was still easy, even less than 60 MI and I saw a big difference to last trip when it was our third cycling day only. Like I took of late, about 1.30 PM and still made it easily for our meeting time at about 7. Guido, Trabi and David even did the really famous 17 MI drive, a coastal detour of amazing beauty and even more amazing properties.
        Carmel and Monterey have loads of famous and rich people living there and they seem to try to outdo each other with the grandeur of their mansions. Well, it's hearsay for me since I am not that interested in seeing that stuff - it seems such a waste too me; same with the Hearst Castle that I passed the third time on bike now without being drawn to it at all. Carsten made it first, then funny enough Anneken and Daniel came in basically at the same time while Ude was still waiting 5 MI away. Daniel had a flat and Ude said she was going to wait at the first difficult junction. It came out that Daniel went a different way even before that.
        While I was busy looking up nearby churches at the yellow pages, a fellow cycling enthusiast and real estater, Ted, invited us to stay with him for the night. He is living only 5 MI south, in Carmel Highlands. So we bought food for travelling Big Sur - 'twas 120 MI 'til the next supermarket. So tomato sauce and granola for 3 meals each plus the regular stuff. Getting to Ted's place, Guido volunteered to cook while others took a shower or chatted in the garden as if they hadn't seen each other for days. Diner was very nice, including beer for those who wanted - Ted was so considerate to ask me first if the Kinders could have.

Prince Albert after Ude's haircut

The kids are really into sleeping, averaging 10 hours per night! I seem to settle for 7 since I find life and my books far too exciting to spend all this time without consciousness. Even though I understand the Kinders' sense for sleeping out of pleasure...
        Next morning, after our host had left for work already, we had the first part of David's birthday celebration - 17 years old or young now. He didn't succeed in blowing out the candles on his birthday cake in one try...and we didn't have time to eat the sweet delight anyway, so the rest was postponed to the evening. Our 46 MI ride to just south of Lucia was superb. Finally, we had reached Big Sur, the weather was perfect, even a slight tailwind, and we are in such good shape that everybody was surprised how easy the ride was.
        Funny detail, just before getting to our campground, right in the middle of Big Sur, I was taking a rest and a middle aged man with a video camera waiting for action asked me 'where do I find Big Sur, this place with cliffs and so on?'. Well, all I could tell him was that he was right in the middle of it - with 50 MI in either direction...

David had talked about wanting to get drunk at his birthday. We didn't have any party yet and I didn't mind helping him in his wish. So he had decided for a big bottle of brown tequila - 1.75 liters, almost half a gallon - along with oranges and cinnamon. At 6 PM, still daylight, he got his presents, including two packages from home, the cake was devoured and the first tequila shots poured. The shots were rather big since we didn't have shot glasses, but plastic cups.

David, still sober....

I had talked with Guido beforehand, telling him that in order to make sure that David would get drunk as he wanted, we should toast individually with him. It worked great and then he even agreed to play some dice games with us, the winner having to decide who is going to drink. When he understood what's going on, he quickly announced that he'd quit after three more games. By then our mission was accomplished.
        Carsten meanwhile, who never had had any alcohol before this trip, started to have a couple shots on his own and soon enough you saw with a 'stupid' smile on his face. The bottle was killed surprisingly quickly - Trabi staying true to his principle of never drinking - while Ude crossed the border line as well. We had diner in-between, but by 9 PM the liquor was working inside.
        We had selected our campground very carefully and only one other side was kinda nearby, but an angry man yelled down to us at that time that he wanted to sleep. Well, how much can you quiet three drunken teenagers, especially when Carsten'ss state is summarized by his desperate cry: "I cannot see clearly, I cannot walk straight, what is going on?" The angry man's wife paid us a visit and suggested that we went to the nearby beach. This we did, with 5 of us trying to regulate the 3 within certain limits. It was quite funny and a couple hours passed until I found it safe to go to sleep. It was a special evening and I learned quite a bit about Ude especially, who usually stays in a way low key with many people around. Besides laughing I had good talks with Trabi and the others.
        Just to explain my point of view, the trips are designed and aimed at students having a great time of joy and learning without needing to party - as much as many of them usually do. But I don't mind a party if it fits into the trip and the place we are staying at. Well, that was a difficulty there since it was a state park and I was definitely violating American law. While planning the outcome of the party therefore more carefully and being aware of what's going on, I am on the other hand quite willing to take the risk for I believe in what we were doing.

The next day we had a rest day, although everybody would have been able to go on, 30, 40 MI at least. But we've worked hard especially during the middle part of the trip and decided to end the trip more like a vacation, since everybody has to return to school - or civil service, that is Guido. And it'll be the trip with the most MI, as you know. The weather had just become really nice when we reached the coast again and according to everybody's desires, the day was spent with reading, cleaning, chatting, swimming etc. Trabi and I went shopping - so nice riding the 25 MI along Big Sur with no gear - and used this beautiful scenery for a personal talk.
        Riding on the next day, we would leave Big Sur that evening. There was a really nice tailwind and it was a day of grace, feeling strong and peaceful.
        David had another flat tire and it is time to reveal the current facts of our contest - I hope I get it right. Trabi is still not participating! Guido keeps sitting on his 6. Ude and me, leading with 9 several weeks ago, decided to leave it to the others and we remain comfortably at 10. Now Anneken, including a day with 5 flats!, got up to about 16, then, it is true, David with 19 and Carsten and Daniel with 20. So far, the flat tire queen had 14 on each trip, but this trip is different. That evening, yesterday night, it was quite windy and got cold after a special sunset, but then this nice guy came around and gave us a big load of firewood - which lasted until I went to bed at 12.30 AM. Daniel told the carefully listening Carsten, David and Trabi what he remembered about Parcival, stuff they have to make up once they return. s

This morning we took off mainly individually and had half a day in San Luis Obispo after only 17 MI. Guido and I met at Barnes and Nobles, a huge bookstore with armchairs and a cafe. It's so nice to sip a coffee and inspect some books. I sometimes end up buying one - used book stores are still my favorite, but how to find books there that were written within the last couple years? So, I will be late for our meeting time in an hour 15 MI from here, but I am sure my dear kids will understand once they know why I am late.
        Be well everybody, enjoy the sunshine - if not outwardly, I sure hope inwardly - and keep writing. Sharing a smile,

Andi