September 3rd - Vancouver Education, Property Tax & Kenyan Politics

I haven't ranted for a while but this one has been stewing with me ... in the spring, I learned that schools in Vancouver are funded by the property tax of the NEIGHBORHOODS in which they are based. So the schools in the wealthy area of town get more money than the schools in the poorer neighborhoods. And it is compounded by the fact that parents in the wealthier areas have more money for extras (e.g. field trips, programs etc.) than parents in the poorer areas. How is this possibly right? Children should be educated with the same resources to the same standard no matter where they live in a city, province or country. These kids are our, COLLECTIVE OUR, future and it can not be right to discriminate between them based on how well their parents do financially. I am not 100% sure it is true – largely because to me it seems so fundamentally wrong that I can't believe others, including teachers unions, would let it be this way without saying something - but if it is true, then I want to do something about it when I go home. And I am genuinely curious to understand the perspective of parents. As you can tell, this really winds me up – and it has only been reinforced more by my experience here, especially when I see such incredible disparity in everything, but especially education, between these two neighborhoods – one rich and one poor - that live beside each other.

There is not a direct link to my thoughts on Kenyan politics – if anything, I figured this way there is only one blog to either read or skip depending on your interest :-) I've had great conversations on the situation here with a number of people – from GVI staff who've been here 5+ years to Moha and others. I knew very little coming in and was curious to understand more, especially about the situation after the last election. What surprised me most was the strength of tribalism within the political system – and how the compromises coming out of that struggle for power have only created larger government bureaucracy (doubled the size and cost of government ministries) and lined the pockets of more people. My favorite compensation expression of 'there are no disinterested parties' seems to apply in spades here. There is money in the country – you see it in the parking lots of the wealthy supermarkets and apparently it is very visible in Nairobi – but with the corruption, the money is just so tightly centralized with a few. One story I heard was that there is a sugar shortage, with the supply constricted, the price rises, the packages sold become smaller – and yet, apparently there is sugar in containers in port, it is just not let in. Government ministers apparently make decisions that benefit their companies. Then, apparently, the individual tasked with leading the anti-corruption initiative within Kenya doesn't want to do it – if he doesn't believe it is possible, then what? And if a government is one tribe centric, then I do understand how the situation of the last election happens, of course the other tribes want their share. But for the country as a whole, it is disastrous and doesn't give confidence for the future.

Is there hope? I'm not sure. I don't know enough (as you can tell from all my “apparently”'s) to say for sure, but from the little I do know, a positive path forward is very hard to see. I believe the answer must be found from within Kenya – there is money in Kenya and the government needs to be held accountable by the people for how that money is spent – education vs. healthcare vs. debt payments vs. ministers salaries. I start to understand more why revolution and socialism have merit - when focused on benefiting the whole and not a subset of the population – not that I am losing my conservative tendencies but clearly capitalism in the form of corruption is not working here.

What role does the rest of the world have to play? Again, I'm not sure – the premise of Dead Aid (which I still haven't read yet) is that more aid is not the solution and from what I know I agree. If anything, our actions must not condone or facilitate corruption and need to reinforce accountability - and ideally, our actions should demonstrate a purity of intent versus simply satisfying our own political self interests – unfortunately, there never seems to be a shortage of 'interested parties'.

I also have to say, there are good things happening within Kenya – they are committed to getting strong internet and wifi into the country which can only help education, and global connection - and they are on hydro-electric power which is great from a conservation perspective (it does makes things a little more challenging during the dry season ... but the planned power cuts are very manageable).

I also believe there is a role for help but at the micro level – whether finance, education, health or conservation. What GVI is doing at Olives is a drop in the bucket – I think there were two other schools on the 10 minute walk between the house and Olives and I've no doubt they need help as well. But it is an excellent example of directed, grassroots support through partnership as opposed to 'aid' - and which is what they want as was reinforced by Steven, the director of the school.

I want to be optimistic and have hope and faith in the future of Kenya – the people I met were lovely, so warm and welcoming – but it is the kids for whom I have the greatest hope and fear – they so deserve a better future and unfortunately, from what I've seen, by 18, and I'm sure earlier, they have no illusions.

Ok – I'm off my soap box for at least a little while ... :-)

Saturday, May 30th - Exploring in NYC (w/ the Prez)

Today is a day for just exploring a few neighborhoods in NYC - with no particular destination in mind – walking, browsing, sitting, eating, typing, walking, browsing, sitting, eating, typing and then again … throw in some great people watching, a beautiful blue sky and you get the idea ...

A banana from a sidewalk vendor, and I’m off for a walk through Chinatown.  Then briefly into the Federal area – another pop culture moment as I recognized the court house steps from the many Law & Order series …. Then to Hudson Street and a brunch place I’d heard of  - Bubby’s - had a very trendy vibe -  I succumbed to the sourdough pancakes and yes, they were good!

Back walking - all the way up Hudson, through great neighborhoods, then down Bleecker - increasingly busy as I go - great shopping and puttering on Bleecker in particular.  Then, break time - I found a great little French café (does seem to be a theme …) for afternoon tea and fruit salad.  I really wanted (and almost ordered) a café au lait … and I must admit, drinking my tea, I did wonder ‘why the hell not’ … I’ll just have to go back or find another French café to have a little coffee again - maybe Montreal.

I’m on my way again, through Greenwich Village, and all of a sudden, I see all these cops, cop cars and crowds – I wander up curious as ever and ask – who, what?  It is President Obama and Michelle on their 'date night' at a restaurant on a little street off of 6^th Avenue – he’s following me and I still can’t get a picture!  I love this pic of New York’s finest and just seeing how they set up for this kind of visit – he really can’t go anywhere quietly from what I can tell … It was cool to see how excited people were, and how positive – definitely still the honeymoon phase and here’s hoping it lasts!

Wandering again - saw a basketball game on the corner behind a fence, Washington Square with people just 'hanging out', through a street market – fresh bar bq’d corn, a real treat.  Dinner in a small spot - the best true veggie burger I’ve ever had on a spinach salad – I have a new challenge to recreate it.  Then an excellent French film, Summer Hours, at an independent film theatre - a huge selection of films in this city - I love it!

Final walk of the day was back to the hotel through Soho - such a lovely summer evening with everyone out enjoying themselves - I did miss having someone to hang out with on an outside patio - having a glass of wine and watching the world go by.  And still, a really wonderful day in New York City :-)

Wednesday, May 27th - Ideal Day, Both Politics & Yoga

Today was back to politics with:

• a tour of the Capital Buildings - quite the organization, processing what must be thousands of tourists a day with a good visitors centre.  You don't get to see a lot of the complex, but at least I was able to see the House of Representatives - I was surprised as it was really quite small - it seems much bigger on TV
  
• breakfast in the canteen - congress not in session so pretty much just tourists and a lot of students ... read the DC free daily Politico - all the latest political scoop with a little inside DC gossip for entertainment - fun!
• then the Supreme Court - another wow – impressive and really interesting to hear how the history and how they operate today including how they manage their caseload and actual presentations of cases (their questions to the lawyers are often to highlight points to the other justices) - very topical given the announcement of the new nominee to the bench.
  

Then a little culture in the afternoon with a visit to the National Gallery of Art where I got a surprise - as I was walking through one of the halls on my way to the impressionists, I turn a corner and there in front of me was the painting I grew up with, A Young Girl Reading by Jean-Honore Fragonard  ... I still have the old framed print at home (never having known how rare the original was) - something I'd tried to give away recently in a spring cleaning binge but I just couldn't - so I bought another smaller print to frame and keep - a connection to my childhood.  It made me smile.  I enjoyed the rest of the museum - they have an excellent impressionist collection (my art focus) and the entire museum is housed in a really beautiful building, with two lovely indoor conservatories - with comfortable chairs and tea - just perfect!

Finally, that evening, I made it to a yoga class.  The main Iyengar studios in DC are Unity Woods founded by one of the well known US Iyengar teachers, John Schumacher.  I'd heard of him from the folks in Denver and I was very curious to try a class.  I didn't get to one of his classes but enjoyed the teacher I had (she helped with my lotus/padmasana attempt which I appreciated).  Unfortunately, it was my first disappointing experience with a studio - it was their Woodland Park location and was entirely underground with no windows ... light and fresh air make all the difference.  I'm also not entirely convinced on studios being built up around just one teacher, no matter how good they may be - it risks becoming too centered on that individual and their style as opposed to having a breadth of influencers all contributing to the community.  So far the best example I've seen of the latter is at the Denver studio which was co-founded by 3 or 4 teachers.

I also had a realization today - I’m getting better at ‘letting things go’ in the moment.  Generally, if something doesn't go as planned / as I've wanted, I've stewed, often berating myself or others for it not working out.  I think this more flexible, less 'planned' travel is paying off - I'm less attached to a plan and so able to detach more when things evolve differently than I might have imagined.  It's a good thing.

Monday, May 25th - Memorial Day w/ President Obama

Washington was the only destination on my trip where I knew I wanted to be there on a certain date, Memorial Day.  The reason – some of the big DC draws for me were the memorials: Vietnam, WW II, Arlington – and what better day to visit than Memorial Day.

So I was up early to head to Arlington for the Presidential wreath laying service – I wasn’t sure how early to head, but as soon as I got off the subway – with everyone else on the train – I knew I might have left it a little late … so I boogied – those who know me, know I can walk fast and this was likely the fastest I’ve walked the entire trip!  A good 2k up a hill in the heat of a lovely day – but I still missed the amphitheatre seating by about 5 minutes – ah well, I had a good spot in the overflow section, literally sitting amongst the headstones.   First, we all were eagerly waiting, cameras in hand - would we see the President arrive?  a lot of black cars, cops and secret service, but no President.  So find a comfy seat in the grass and shade and listen - we could hear beautifully - the music was wonderful and then the keynote, President Obama.  It was incredible to hear him live - a moment in history.  His speech was good - acknowledgement that while he hadn't served, he knew the importance of the military, calling them the 'best of America'.

After the service, I headed against the flow of people to see the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and almost ran right into Bob and Elizabeth Dole - maybe not the President, but I can still say, I've seen a major political leader up close!  I then took a slower path back through Arlington – by the Kennedy memorials (Robert’s was stunning in its simplicity – pictured).

The walking tour continued as I headed back across the Potomac to the Vietnam Wall for that memorial service in the afternoon.  A completely different feel to service vs. Arlington; smaller, less formal and much more personal.  There were tears in many eyes with a speaker's story of when she served in Iraq - a story that illustrated why they risk and sacrifice their lives: for each other, the people they serve with side by side.  There were a lot of Vietnam vets present and it feels like such a 'present' war for them still.  The emotional finish was Sam Moore (of Sam & Dave) singing Amazing Grace.  There truly is a steep price for war, paid on a very individual basis.

The walk continued as I headed back towards the Potomac and by the Franklin Roosevelt and Thomas Jefferson memorials - both very impressive and moving.  Walking back, I was trying to think, of the recent Presidents, whose historical view will rise to the point where they are memorialized in such a way - have to say, no one was jumping to mind, though my fingers are crossed for the current incumbent.

I finished the day with a walk to Dupont Circle - it was a cool neighborhood and I’d heard of a bookstore that also had a 24 hr restaurant which I had to check out.  It was cool – great selection of books and really good food.  Though I resisted buying any books – especially given the very large bag of them I have in my trunk – none of which I’ve touched … I’m very, very slowly still working my way through Clinton’s memoirs.  This is not a reading holiday it seems :-)

The end of a really good day - my feet were a little tired but I slept really well.

Sunday, May 24th (part 2) - I'm Still Canadian ...

Given my last post ... and to prove I still really am Canadian, I thought I'd better include a couple of the more ironic things I saw ....

So, can you say, political wedding ...

And what, a Lincoln town car in front of the AFL-CIO offices ....

:-)

Sunday, May 24th - I'm in Washington!!!!

wow!

wow! 

wow!

wow!

All I could keep saying as I walked around was wow!! 

The drive in from Richmond was easy - in part because I found C-SPAN on the radio and they rebroadcast all the Sunday morning political TV shows - so I drove in with Meet the Press and Fox .... so appropriate!

About 30 minutes outside of DC I just got really, really excited - couldn't believe I was here!  So I had a big smile on my face as I tried navigating infamous DC traffic and road blocks to make it to my hotel - I had really lucked out with Hotwire and was staying at the Hilton 2 blocks from the White House for really, really cheap!

So after 5 minutes in my room, I was off exploring the mall and just in awe.  The monuments are unbelievably incredible with the most amazing energy about them ... ah, I am so, so happy and excited to be here!!!!

Monday, May 18th - Atlanta Politics Over 3 Centuries

Today was my tourist day in Atlanta – it was a full day …. 

First 19^th Century – Atlanta History Center – it had a great exhibit on the Civil War with a comprehensive overview of the war, the details of which I admit, I knew very little.  Also included was a tour of the historic house on the property - with a stunningly imposing front garden.  And can I say, the walk-in-closet of the day was impressive …

Second 20^th Century – Martin Luther King Jr. Center – the centre was established by his widow shortly after his death and is impressive – it unfolds over at least 4 blocks in the neighborhood where MLK grew up.  Included is his childhood home, grave site, church (still used) and a historical centre with a film story of his life as well as a comprehensive exhibit.  There is also a statue of Gandhi - I hadn’t realized the extent to which MLK had been influenced by Gandhi, and that he and Coretta had spent time in India studying Gandhi's teachings.  Both were truly inspiring individuals and game changing leaders of their time.

Third 21^st Century – Unfortunately the Jimmy Carter Library was closed for renovations, so instead, I toured CNN – well, really 20^th and 21^st given the extent to which CNN has impacted the political debate since it began broadcasting … it was an interesting tour – with a view of the broadcast studio and an ear into the live control room.  Unfortunately, their politics broadcasting is done from Washington and Larry is based in LA so I did miss those two pieces but still a very impressive operation (1500 ee’s based in a tower/complex the size of a city block) with a real buzz.

Then off to find small town Georgia, I had a hotel booked in Macon and after checking in, I drove towards the town centre as I’d heard it was meant to be a very picturesque town with old homes in tree lined streets.  I did find some lovely streets with beautiful older homes and 2 really stunning brick churches on the top of a hill, but when I went in search of food, I couldn’t find a thing.  The centre of town felt incredibly desolate – lots of empty stores and what stores there were, just seemed drab – no quaint downtown area with humming restaurants and people ambling about.  So hungry, I headed out to a mall I’d passed just out of town – it was thriving … 4 different restaurants all doing good business plus a Barnes & Noble / Starbuck’s.  The malls of America do seem to be taking over as the heart of the local community – but maybe it is just me who still believes in the quaint town centre and I’ll find the same thing in small town Ontario when I’m there.

Though I have to say, the people watching at the Starbuck’s after dinner was the highlight of the evening … listening to two men in their 50s with lovely ‘drawls’ catching up on everything from gambling and alcoholism to football …    This is after watching the line ahead of me at the cashier – a guy in his early 30s, good looking, almost military with a ‘Guns’ magazine and then a couple ahead of him, where the guy was in full ‘dress-up’ cowboy mode – the boots, the good jeans, blue shirt and white hat – I’m thinking it was a date.  …. elsewhere, it was kids doing homework, what looked like a 1^st date … and 2 others like me with their PCs ….

Saturday, May 16th - My First Historic House

More history in the morning with a visit to Andrew Jackson’s plantation, The Hermitage – a beautiful old house, wonderful grounds, especially the gardens – I very much felt like I was back in time living history.  It was also interesting to learn about an early president - by all account, one who certainly knew his mind (polite way of putting it), took more control/power as president and could be taken as not only the father of the Democrat party but also partisan politics ... 

Then a last glimpse of the Nashville suburbs and country-side (much nicer than downtown with a real east coast ‘horse country’ feel - definitely not 'western') before heading out of town.  One of the Nashville highlights for me was the churches - often beautiful brick structures with very imposing spires - I was sorry to not have been to a service while here as apparently the choirs are quite impressive, as you might imagine with all the singers in town ...

I was ‘seen out’ by the most incredible rainstorm – there had been a preview the day before getting to the Grand Ole Opry and while there – seriously, rain like I had never seen it, simply torrential – everyone on the highway going about 20 miles per hour.  It was a real pleasure to drive out of ….bring on the sun in Georgia!

Thursday, May 14th - I Found the Music in Memphis

I arrived in Memphis last night – got there in time to watch the Idol Results show (first season in years I’ve been hooked).  Afterwards, I decided I was going to head out and find some Memphis blues … I headed for BB King’s club on the main music street.  As I arrived, I found a street party with a LOT of motorcycles – I discovered that it was ‘bike night’ – apparently happens every Wednesday night in the summer when literally hundreds of motorcycles and people take over 3 blocks of Beale Street.

It was great – beer and wine for sale on the street and live bands in the clubs and outdoor patio areas – the highlights …

• A Tokyo newlywed playing and singing the blues – seriously, not bad …
  
• A trio that were just wild – electric guitar, large cello (?) and drums – they were bouncing all over the stage – reminded me of Jerry Lee Lewis
  
• Standing against a tree in a park watching a band of 10 in a pavilion with an older man sitting on a stool, singing the blues – definitely old school and amazing
  

I have to admit, it was the first time on the trip that I felt a little lonely –it would have been nice to share - but I’m so glad I got out and found it – I was smiling all the way back to the hotel :-)

Today, I was up and out early so that I could attend an Iyengar yoga class with Lou Hoyt at Eastern Sun Yoga – it was a great class.  As Lou said afterwards, one of the wonderful things about Iyengar yoga (and pros of the regulations), is that you can go to a class anywhere in the world and know what it is going to be like. I found her to be an excellent teacher – a lot of focus on leg and foot alignment, which was a nice continuation from Cliff’s focus on feet yesterday.  In particular, she helped me with my Halasana and shoulder stand – with all the driving, my upper back is definitely a focus this trip.  Her studio is the opened up main floor of a small bungelow – it has a lovely airy feel – nothing like doing Shavasana with a warm soft southern breeze flowing through …

The ladies at class were incredibly friendly – curious about my trip, described as going to a wedding in Toronto with a slight detour south - and happy to give me advice on Memphis.  Their best advice was to lunch at Miss Cordelia’s on Mud Island and then walk along the Mississippi – it was beautiful – and yes, they’ve had a lot of rain and the trees are literally in the river.

I then headed for the National Civil Rights Museum, which is located at the motel where Martin Luther King was assassinated.  It's an exceptional exhibit that traces the history of the civil rights movement as well as a video recalling the events that led up to MLK's death - it's hard to believe just how recently it all happened and how long the struggle took - puts Obama's victory and what it means to the country into even more perspective for me.

And then, yes, I did go to Graceland – as I was told, no visit to Memphis would be complete without it.  They were right – but they do take advantage in how they price it … It was most interesting to see how relatively normally he lived - and I had the chance to once again see the lovely green shag carpet I grew up with!

Wednesday, May 13th - Me and Bill

It’s a lovely day and I am in Little Rock, and I have a full day of Bill Clinton world exploring to do.  First, the capital building where appropriately enough, there was a political demonstration on the main steps – a bus tour of union autoworkers raising awareness for ‘buying American’ I believe.  The Capital was much grander than others I’ve seen, Wyoming for example, and at the same time not so big that it lost the feel of a real work place.  I had the feeling that Bill’s energy would definitely have been a force in the place when he was in residence.

Curious to see Bill and Hilary’s home, I drove by the Governor’s mansion – it’s set in a lovely neighborhood full of beautiful old brick houses with lovely gardens.  I quite like Little Rock – it is a nice size with lovely residential areas close to downtown.

Then I was off to his presidential museum – it is stunning - a huge glass structure overlooking the river in the middle of an open park area.  They’ve done an excellent job with the exhibit – provides the history both chronologically as well as by topic area - and even has his daily schedules ... lots of blank 'work' time during the impeachment ....  It is of course, much like his book, a one sided view on history but still, very hard not to appreciate all that was achieved.  Definitely worth the drive to see it!  Like the picture?

I also managed to get in a lunch break yoga class - which was a nice interlude – in a lovely little studio in the middle of industrial downtown Little Rock.  Cliff is not Iyengar certified but definitely teaches in the style – and has a really good understanding from what I could tell.  He’s been practicing for a long time (on the wall, pictures of him with Mr. Iyengar from the 60s or 70s I think …).  Not being certified, he’s caught a little in the Iyengar politics – there are definitely pros and cons of it being such a highly regulated body …

I left by late afternoon for the drive to Memphis – more green rolling hills, beautiful lakes and rivers that seem very full (I've heard a few 'finally the sun' comments ...).

Tuesday, May 12th - On the Radio on the Road to Little Rock

I knew today was going to be another big 10 hr driving day – the good news, what was getting me through, is that it would be the last big driving day for a while.  By the end, I’d be in Little Rock and from there my explorations of the south east would begin – with everything much closer together!  The drive itself was uneventful – from the flat fields of Texas, through the rolling hills of Oklahoma to Arkansas.

I did stop briefly in Oklahoma City – I wanted to see the memorial to the Oklahoma City bombing – it was beautifully done and very moving.  

Landscape wise, I was surprised by the dense green of Arkansas – all rolling hills filled with green trees broken up occasionally with rivers that seemed to go right up to the tree line.  You couldn’t see far ahead for the first time in days and it felt almost empty.  In that way it reminded me of Galiano – where it feels like the woods just swallows the people up.  I went off a few exits early to explore and see what I could find – across a huge lake there was a small town, quite picturesque hidden amongst the trees, though with less character on the Main Street.  The pleasant, but less glamorous side of small town America.

On the long drives I do get desperate for real radio / live voices (lost CBC 30 minutes past the border) and NPR (US public radio) is limited to near the big cities.  Ever since Portland, the majority of my options fall into two categories - Country or Christian.  Country is growing on me but doesn’t meet the ‘talk radio’ criteria.  So I tried some Christian radio today ….. I found one program ‘Intentional Living’ that initially was ok – very common sense in many ways (nb for reference I’d classify myself as a spiritual Christian but not following an organized religion if that makes sense.).  However, it wasn’t long before I started to get frustrated with the fund raising aspect of the programming (encouragement for Intentional Giving to go to support Intentional Living ….) – it was just so overpowering to the programming.  Well, it must be the season, as when I switched to another station, it also seemed to be dominated by the request for money – and they had a tag line I couldn’t quite believe – “it’s not for K-Love (the radio station), but for God through K-Love ….” – you have to be kidding me ….  As you can see, it got me just a little wound up.  But wait, it gets better, I switched back to Intentional Living and heard an announcer encouraging a listener to take advantage of the radio’s prayer services specifically for people to participate in / listen to while on the road driving – a way to get a little church / prayer time into one’s busy busy life – well, for me, my reaction, how about encouraging a little Intentional Driving to ensure we will all still be living ….

It might be time for satellite soon … (and I’m done with my soapbox for now …)

But my evening recovered, I arrived in Little Rock just before 7pm – and just checked in and then headed right back out to find food.  I had heard about the River Market area as a good spot for the evenings – I found it and then very quickly found where I was meant to eat …. The Flying Fish …… A very casual spot serving local fish – crawfish, catfish, if it came out of the river, it was on the menu.  I had to try the deep fried catfish and shrimp basket complete with fries and … I know I could have had it sautéed with rice or salad, but somehow, that would have just been wrong … it was very very good and felt very very local!

For some crazy reason, I am really excited to be here in the south in the land of Bill Clinton - I can’t wait to explore more tomorrow!

Friday, May 8th - I Like to Drive

I was out by 8am – it was a beautiful blue sky day with warm winds whipping the air.  I was happy to be back on the road – with a big smile on my face and an out-loud, ‘hello boys’, I entered the freeway.  It is such a different, masculine world – there really haven’t been many of us non truckers on the road the last few days – fun to visit for a couple of days but not a place to live every day … 

The drive was beautiful – incredible ‘big’ land, and ‘big’ sky.  Still flat - you turn a corner and can see for miles and miles where you are going - and still feels high (not true I know, but somehow the clouds really do feel closer). 

Lots of time to think on the road - some of the things I’ve mused:

• I love my car – accelerates very nicely when I need it to
  
• Drivers follow the rules – drive on the right, pass on the left – thank god
  
• I smile when I see ‘England’ trucks – kid you not, big huge scripted letters on the back – makes me think of my English friends 
  
• “Parking Area” and “Rest Area – no facilities” really = truckers stop
  
• Driving buddies are great – one leads, the other follows, then switch
  
• I finally really get how I really should know how to change a tire (there have been parts of the drive where I know BCAA will do me very little good … I say nice things to my car, rub the steering wheel and tell myself, I will buy a tire jack with instructions ….
  
• I have a very healthy paranoia about my car, it’s noises and particularly how the tires feel – my pressure gage is close to hand
  
• I go faster with music I sing loudly to (but still in an ok range)
  

My one stop before Denver was Cheyenne, Wyoming – another place I really wanted to say I’d been – home to Dick Cheney after all … I have to say the downtown was disappointing – not a lot of life/activity at all.  (I have a feeling the sense of community has migrated to the outer malls.)  Though it did still feel like a “western” town – rough wood buildings, empty streets and big wind (incredible, like the kind on a ferry when you have to lean your body into it just to make progress – and helped explain all the drive in banks as at least it was warm wind when I was there).  I spent a couple of hours walking around – visited the Capital Building and the old governors house and learnt Wyoming was the first state in the world to give women the vote and had the first woman governor in the US – helps even things out a little for Cheney …

ps - the picture is for my nephew - it is one of the largest train engines ever built for the cross country rail line (Cheyenne is a major junction point - explains all the trucks on the highway and the very large K-Mart distribution centre on the outskirts of town ...).

Wednesday, May 6th - Off to Boise, Idaho

For some reason, I love to say ‘Boise, Idaho’ and always had a curiosity to see it … I can now say, I’ve been – and it actually is a really pretty little city. 

I left Portland first thing – in the rain, something about Oregon and the rain this trip … In Hood River, a very quaint little town, I found breakfast and my first glimpse as to just how popular Obama is … I was listening in as these two men (likely in their 40s) were ordering breakfast … One says to the waitress, “I think I’m going to switch it up and have something different today”, the waitress reassures him that ‘they can switch it up” and then the guy says “yes we can, yes we can” … change is coming to America, even at breakfast … it made me chuckle …

Then it was on to driving – really beautiful through the Columbia Gorge and then into the flat, almost dessert stretch before hitting the ranches in Idaho.  The drive was smooth – only unpredictable part was the weather – I managed to keep driving through rain – or more accurately – storm ‘patches’.  Luckily much more sporadic and short-lived than Monday’s drive!

Another break for lunch in Baker City – quiet town but with a good café but what really caught my eye was the cemetery on the outskirts of town – a too large section of white crosses with the American flag.  Here is where the war is personal and far too real.

Once in Boise, I managed to find a good wine bar for dinner, with an excellent Oregonian white.  Even better, my Guatemalan civil engineer waiter (we had an interesting conversation as to how we both ended up in Boise …) recommended a great park and neighborhood where I ended my evening with a walk up to a view point and then a tea in a restaurant with live music on the patio – just lovely.  The picture was taken from the hill – you can see an example of the ‘patch’ of rain ....