Just before leaving the house early this morning, host Mary informed me she had some vegan pancakes fresh made and sitting ready for me. I was still very sleepy, but having tasted her food the night before, upon arriving, I slowly drug myself up and out of bed. I could faintly smell the delicious hotcake aroma wafting through the air, and I firmly believe that it alone lifted me up, out of bed, and to the table. Mary had left out homemade apple sauce, maple syrup, organic peanut butter, and homemade pears. The pancakes had fresh fruit and cinnamon mixed in, and upon reaching the table, their smell emboldened me more than the typical morning shower. Three of Mary’s pancakes was more than enough to satisfy a person all morning, but as she’d left five for me, I obligingly at all five. How could I not..?
Mary and I chatted for a while before I began the day’s walk. Shane and I chatted for quite some time last night, mostly without Mary, who was studying for a nutrition class midterm. Later in the morning, after Mary’s class, it was time to converse more with her, and what a fascinating sweetheart of a pair Shane and Mary are. (Count this as another great Couchsurfing experience..!)
From where I left off outside of Beaumont last night, today’s walk was about a 23km endeavor to Banning. Mary dropped me off at last night’s stopping point, and through all the hours and miles of the day, I only had to make two turns– the rest was just following the bends of the road I was on. Fewer turns is often a sign of stepping into more sparsely populated areas, which is surely case for Banning.
“How many people stop and talk to you on any given day?” is a question that David, photojournalist from the local Record Gazette asked me as he walked with me, nearly half way through my day.
“Usually at least a half dozen.” And this was the case today, as a variety of locals stopped to ask what? why? where from? how long?
The further from the big cities, the more fascinated that the locals often are, it seems.
Palm Springs comes tomorrow, after a long, 22-or-so mile walk from Banning.