So all this time Yermo has build the Mbymc site to be able to able to have maps that show all our stops via our Garmin zumo... I am now up to speed. I will now post a map of our daily stops for the day. The ozarks best western was really oddly. It was cheaper than expected. It looks like we are some baller yuppies on their BMWs. I discover this critter on the wall.
The weather is heating up so we put on out heat out suites... I rip the sedici that I got from Duncan. Because there are seems along side the arm. But it's useable, just likely will rip more times on this trip. I recon I will throw it away after the trip.
My gums was bothering me, my back kinda stop hurting, my ear was hurting from the ear plugs. Blah blah blah.
We took a slow morning, and are in much better spirits. I think the 6 am on the road was a bit much. We bend to Danny's needs a bit and got out of just riding to ride. We were leaving at like 9:30, as I was leaving some kid pointed to me, I totally freaked and thought it was one of my kiddos catching me out side of school. He might have look familiar, but I was no way going to verify that, hahaha.
A few miles in, we had to GPS the turn we have to make. Then we did out thing and stopped at Starbucks.
We stayed at Starbucks for a good half an hour. It was getting good and hot. The heat out stuff is money.
Then we got gas again after a few hundred miles
It was an unattended gas station. It had wierd above ground gas things with huge gas guns. Looked pretty industrial
We rode forever, and try to get food. Finally when we rode into town, at 2 ish we were tired and hungry. We saw food in the distance... Then we roll up... Bam, we had to wait for this shenanigans and bake in 100 degree sun... Then finally got food. We got some sub at this place.
Still in kansas. It looked like a barren wasteland with a tiny town middle of nowhere.
As we were leaving I ask the hostess+server+cashier hahaha how big is this town. She said... Oh I don't know, we were 3a in high school... I said to her with this look on my face 😒 "what does that mean?" She was like "I don't know blah blah blah." hahaha. She was so frazzled. I just let her get frazzled. I think I'm a master of awkward moments. Lol. I just watch her ramble and squirm and I just walked out when the check was paid. Haha
Gas again. 400 was not as bad. We went through little towns all along the way. It was not all flat, but rather there was different things to see.
We stopped here just under the bridge. I started leading now. It was rather interesting cause the cross wind that we were getting is coming at an angle, and earlier Yermo was telling me, "careful lots of wind, grip the tank don't tight up" I felt nothing. I was caught in his slipstream. Until I led for a good 100 or so miles, then I got the full blast.
Each time a 18 wheeler roll by, I got the full blast of wind versus much much less on the far side. At this stop. I was worn out. It's tough leading, not just paying attention, but this many miles taking windblast, it is physically more exhausting.
Cars and trucks are going at 80 mph. Catching bugs at 80 miles an hour hurts... Just like riding in the rain the last couple day at 80 mph feels like being pelted by BB gun. Even through the leather it hurts. Bare skin, was quite... The sensation. But I'm okay with this kind of pain.
There are some really interesting farm decors, that ran 1000 ft prob. Just random stuff. No clue. Then there are the slaughter houses that we can smell miles away.
We stopped short, real short of our daily goal. We never made it to Colorado. Instead we found dodge city. A famous tourist attraction. Apparently... It's suppose to be cowboy central.
We rolled into dodge city late. Maybe around 8 ish,we got settle with lodging at 9 ish. Soon after we went looking for food. Being a minority, throughout the trip, I notice my surroundings quite a bit. When you walk in you have to be aware of your surroundings. While I do not as Yermo would call it "war game " in my head, I am as I confess, "distracted" by what is happening around me. Maybe distracted is even stronger than the word to describe it.
I simply feel uncomfortable when I'm at a place when I'm treated like an invalid. Hell, that's the reason why I never went into cornerstone in College Park. Because its a white bar. People look at you like you are lost, walked into a wrong place. I use to go into Sante fe bar when it wasn't closed yet, when you go in, it was diverse. You don't feel invisible, and people will look at you when you walk in and recognize you as an individual. It is a feeling one would have to experience to know what it means.
So it was quite odd as we ridden around dodge city looking for food. We pass this shop and there must have been 15 Asian people in the store. In fact they were all Asians. I said "that's odd" and Yermo responded "who do you think built the railroads, they never left".
We stop at a restaurant soon after. As we sat down. A guy started talking to us, saying he was following us through Kansas for a long while and chatted us up. He looked mixed. His name was Albert. Turns out he owns the establishment
Half way through the conversation with Yermo and I, the owner started asking me where I was from. I told him Taiwan. He was like "my wife is from Taiwan!" Then he showed me picture of his 2 daughters his wife and his son. He began to tell me about their lives. Never once did he show Yermo the pictures or talk to him.
My minority friend of dodge city. He was indeed the minority. Our host at the resturant was Albert.
The truth is, I never really hung out with the Asian crowd growing up. I always had African American, Hispanic and Caucasian friends. But beyond that, I play tennis, I play chess, I did Asian club. From athletes to geeks to ethnic clubs, it didn't matter.
Racism is around everyday. Danny our former special forces person, never spoke to me, and never looked me in the eye, but talked to Yermo almost 100% of the time. People are prejudice, and as I look at my middle school kids, and the ones I sent to QOHS two years ago. I know the social elite sits on the top floor and most athletes and Caucasians. I know the ethnic group sits in the cafeteria.
I know, when they were in middle school, they accepted each other more and hung out together. I know that it will change, they may still be "friendly" on all accounts, but some will never be invited to birthday parties, some will never be included in social events. We learn to hate, and we learn to segregate, it was never in our nature.