Travelog Tjoan

A headwind during the very last 20 miles from downtown San Diego southbound slowed my approach to the goal of this recumbent journey. It was Tuesday, the 27th of August near three in the afternoon, when I got to a dusty, hot and rather deserted State park which, a sign read, was not even officially open that day. Slipping passed a closed gate I entered the park anyway, because I saw the road continued to go west toward the pacific shore line and I hoped I could end this trip by sitting on the beach overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
However the road ended rather abruptly only a quarter of a mile later still quite some distance from the beach.
All that Border Field State park is, really, is an estuary plain right next to the border with Mexico and as such it has low scrubs and thorny plants as vegetation and a narrow strip of beach which I could have reached had I chosen to push the bicycle down a narrow track with loose sand over half a mile long,
I opted to not do this and instead decided to call the point where the paved road ended in a sandy circular turn around area the official end of my recumbent bicycle journey over the last 5 months.

Now that nearly 7000 road miles are behind me without any mechanical problems with my Fujin, no problems with either my body or mind, though I have been called crazy for doing this more then once during this trip, and having had the fortune of never having had a broken spoke or even flat tire on this entire trip!, it is now over. I did do what I had set out to do and completed the ride within the time I had made available to do it in.
It was both a joyous and somewhat sad occasion at the same time I think.
As there was no one else there to “celebrate” with I called Menno and a few friends to let them know I arrived there. So with a still partially cold can of Iced Tea in one hand and using the other hand to hold my cellphone to my ear I spent some time talking to old and new friends about my journey. Some kind of celebration after all.

The only disturbances in sound were the passing border patrol vehicles that very frequently used a nearby road and somewhat more distant some navy helicopters that were doing drop off, pick flight maneuver exercises in a similar terrain to my north. To my south I had a view of Mexico that lay beyond the security fence that followed the hilly terrain contours like a vertical ribbon. A bright white apartment complex, some high rises and a bullring were the most visible objects over there. It was to far to discern any people.

After the phone calls I sat there for a while experiencing the feelings and emotions I tend to have when a journey has come to an end.
Joy and relief over the fact that it had all gone without mishap, gratefulness for the many interesting encounters and numerous new friendships I have made while traversing this continent. Sadness too, over the fact that my cycling exploits would now, at least for a while be on hold again. I have felt very happy over the last few months doing this and it has rekindled the traveling spirit within, the very same one I must now quiet down again, at least for some time to come.
I do love to do the things I do while I am back at home in The Netherlands but to have the freedom to move every day, getting up not knowing what that day might bring and where I would be the next night has an always had a strong appeal to me from my very earliest travel experiences to this very day.

All done, I backtracked my route and pedaled back to the nearest town called Imperial Beach. The men on duty at a border patrol roadblock checkpoint along the way remembered me passing them some hours earlier and I was waived to go thought without any checking.
In Imperial Beach I found accommodation at a motel and not long after that I headed on foot to a restaurant to get a fine meal to end the day.

After a very good nights rest,I woke refreshed and ready to roll, then I realized I was no heading toward my goal but was actually backtracking to get back to San Diego where I planned to stay some days before taking a train back to Los Angeles. A week earlier I had booked a flight from Los Angeles airport eastbound to Atlanta on the 1st of September. So the remaining days would be spent divided between San D and LA.
In San D I would meet up with a friend I had met cycling down the coast some weeks earlier and in LA I would stay with family that lives there in Orange county.

Tomorrow I will fly east bound to Atlanta, Georgia and spend another 5 days among friends there before returning to The Netherlands on the sixth of September.

I have prepared my bicycle for air travel here in Los Angeles and have put it in a box ready to fly back with me all the way, that is if the baggage handlers don't manage to destroy the box while on this domestic flight.
The lay over time in Atlanta will be too short to make it worthwhile putting it back together over there to use it thus I will not be riding it again until it has been reassembled at home.
The Fujin has done it's last mile here in the USA this time around, but it might well be here again as my road companion on another bicycle tour.

A last word now, a BIG Thank You!!!.. to all the wonderful people I met and who have made this trip again so special for me. Be it only during the briefest of moments along the roadside somewhere, a short exchange of sorts or during a more extended period while riding along the same roads and sharing a meal or two somewhere or anything in between, whichever it was, meeting you all is what makes traveling such a great experience.
The helpfulness, kindness, generosity and friendships I have encountered once again has been fantastic!