2005 春北行纪事2

05/06/2005

那时我曾独自旅行，一日千里

一千座山川呵一千条河流

阅遍一千张面孔呵

一千遍看透自己

没有后悔

Started early in the morning heading "into the west". TNT had been broadcasting NBA playoffs and at the same time promoting the TV series “Into the West ”by Spearburg. So you could hear from time to time even by Charles Barkley “into the west we check on the Suns”. For this long distance traveling starting early is the key and the fun part. When the sun is still striving to shoot out, you get you gasoline and coffee and start hitting the road. There were few cars. All the way toward the west was deeply foggy. The air had a sense of humidity which is not common in Kansas. So you see at different times you can figure out something new with something very familiar, even on yourself. Not knowing from where, somewhere in Kansas, including Hays, there was no cell phone signal, all the way to within 20 miles towards Denver. Travelers should keep this in mind. It reminded me of the trip to Big Bend, west Texas, where you travel 200 miles to find 10 cars on the road and one gas station along the way without call phone signal. A sense of insecurity? Yes, maybe. So what? You want to be able to deal with yourself, at least; even if you do not want to lay your hands on the other things within or beyond reach. The most difficult thing is to recognize yourself, to realize what you really are, objectively, without excuses to make you think you are better than the truth. From Kansas into Colorado, the same highway I-70 changes speed limit from 65 to 75 mph.  Around noon some black lines were seen from the far end of the sky: they are the Rocky Mountains, finally. Quietly crossing the cloudy Denver I headed for Boulder, the college town where Colorado University main campus is. After several turns, ups and downs, a small town popped up at the foot of the mountains. It happened to be Friday, graduation weekend and the town and the hotels were packed with parents from all over the country and well, maybe from  all over the world. You have to feel so relaxed in a university town. Cars yield to pedestrians, for sure. Some graduates were walking in the black gowns with big degree hats. Cheer up! University towns are usually liberal places, no matter what the bigger environment such as the State is. CU campus has a unique feature, with all the buildings built up with rocks instead of bricks. It took me a while to find a small hotel run by a greedy landlord lady.  After dinner with my friend, we made a little drive to a very concentrated business area of the town –like a satellite town ten miles away. Rocks were used whenever possible in buildings or architectures. Had some sound sleep for the next day.

所有的奔波并非为了把什么追寻

5/25/2005

Houston