Day 183
I awoke just before sunrise above San Timoteo Wash. I was a good ways up off the ground.
I was swinging in my hammock beneath a bridge.
I broke camp. I grabbed the buggy along the slope and hauled it back up to the road.
I watched the sunrise down below. Then climbed back up above.
I hit the road. Into San Timoteo Canyon:
It was nice to see deciduous trees.
I was back in the country. I stopped at a little RV park and bought a few snacks at a general store. An Arizona Iced Tea, a danish, some sour cream and onion chips, and beef jerky. Breakfast!
I kept moving. It was a great stretch!:
Eventually, I made it out of the canyon and to Loma Linda, California.
Around 1:00 p.m., I decided to break for a short siesta. I found a Starbucks. I still had some money left on the gift card Gisela and her daughters gave me. I had a frappuccino, it was good!
Around 2:30 p.m., I was back on the road.
Sidewalk actually. I found myself in Greater Los Angeles!:
Nicolo was pretty amazed I was walking to LA. He told me I was in one of the most dangerous places of all of California. He gave me some tips on which towns to avoid, and which routes would be best for travel. I offered him some money and a meal, but he wouldn’t accept! He told me I needed it more than him. He was really nice, and we added each other on Facebook. We parted ways.
A short while later, a woman and her daughter pulled over! They were on their way home from a restaurant. While they were eating, they witnessed the manager kick a homeless person out of the restaurant. They felt so sad about it, that they through together a little meal from the buffet for him! Unfortunately, they couldnt find him, so they offered it to me! I was really thankful, I was getting hungry! We parted ways.
And it set. Coming out of the desert, and heading towards the city, it was getting harder to find places to sleep. I suddenly found myself on the street in Greater LA. At night.
I made it to the First Christian Church in Fontana, CA! I heard someone speaking Spanish inside and wandered in. It was a Bible study!
I was pretty dirty, and was really happy I was welcomed in. The Pastors son bought me dinner! I forgot his name :(, I think it was Jonathan. He told the volunteers to put dinner on his tab, haha!
Dinner was so good! And spicy!
I met Frank and Olga! They lived in Worcester, MA for a few years. Frank is originally from Puerto Rico. We talked about the island for a few minutes. It was fun speaking in Spanish!
Everyone was amazed that I had walked from Florida. I don’t think anyone actually believed me until I showed them pictures on my phone. It shocked them too when I pulled an iPhone out of my fanny pack! Haha! I thanked everyone for being so nice to me and for dinner. I spoke with the pastor briefly about a place to sleep, but he told me he only rents the building so he could not give me permission to camp. I understood. For some reason I knew I would be ok.
Back on the street, it was cold! At least it felt that way. Hoodie weather! I threw on the sweatshirt Manny had given me back in New Mexico. I hit sidewalk.
I kept moving through the night. Eventually, I made it to an industrial park area with very few people on the street. I was scouting locations to camp, but couldn’t really find any.
At midnight, I broke down the buggy and hid it under some brush. I climbed a tree! It was something that had been on my mind while passing through a few cities. With a hammock, I could go where others couldn’t.
Up above, I hung my hammock high in the branches. I fell asleep to a sweet scent and a gentle breeze. I was perhaps 10-12 feet up off the ground. I felt safe!