Jono's Travel Blog

06/09/2010 Day 6 Vancouver to Mexico

Distance Travelled: 7 miles outside Elma to Hewitt Rd somewhere in between Centralia and Toledo, 85km

Money Spent: $7 – Breakfast sub from Subway and some groceries from the supermarket

Again, I slept really well last night, I woke in the early hours to put my tart over my tent because it started to rain and because of the rain I slept in till a little after 9.30 and I had well over 12 hours of sleep.

The rain stopped at around 11 and headed to Elma. I was hoping to use the internet there at the library but because of it being Labor Day it was closed.

I went to subway… and now come to think of it, I could have used the internet there…anyways I treated myself to a breakfast 6 inch sub, first time having fast food in America and it was no different from the subway I’ve had anywhere else in the world.

I used the bathroom there for quite some time giving myself a sink shower as it now has been 5 days without a proper shower. Maybe tomorrow ill pay the money for a campsite with facilities… or not.

When leaving Elma I started cycling on Southbank Rd where a town marathon was taking place, there were a bunch of pit stops where the people taking part in the event could grab a drink. I thought it would be great to grab a drink for myself too, and so I did 4 times down this stretch of road, I managed to get several Gatorades and some chocolate energy stuff.

The roads today were flat, uninteresting and smelly farmland, nothing else to mention.

In Rochester I stopped by the local IGA and got some groceries, every time I go into a supermarket I always ask where the marked down/reduced section is, generally I get a substantial reduction on some snacks for the journey. Good advice right here for anyone wanting to save some money.

I cycled on and ended up in Centralia where the trail map I got from the German couple a few days ago snaked me around all these residential streets showing me no sights at all.

I finally gave in to one of the yard sales on the side of the road just before leaving Centralia. I thought a few days ago I needed a mascot for the journey and now I have one, meet General Ridgway! He’s mean, green and only cost me 10 cents. Picture below. With any luck he’ll be alongside me and in many photos for this journey and perhaps into others.

I cycled for another 15-20km before setting up my camp in a residential pine plantation between two houses; I cooked up some pasta and crashed for the evening and all my sleeping stuff is damp.. damn.

A landmark not even worth mentioning... its just been a few days without seeing anything exciting

Chehalis River... nothing special

And my new mascot... and my first... introducing General Ridgway