Just went and saw the palace and cathedral in Madrid and walked back to the youth hostel where some college age people start talking to me when they find out I'm from the states. They ask about the economy and I tell them I dunno, Ive been sleeping on the side of the road for three months but its fun to get to speak English........
......one girl says the US stock market crashed a couple weeks ago, not sure if that's true, but it did make me think about some things. A guy asked me if I have a job when I get back and I'm pretty sure I'm all set on that. Last winter I would joke with the guy who I work with/for, Noah at orchard hill breadworks, that its "time to ebay my racing stuff before the economy tanks".....um, maybe I was right. And its possible that I went to Europe just in time if its not affordable in the future. I think I swung this trip for around $40 per day plus airfare. Nat claims that we will be touring South America for less than $10 per day so looks like that's the next trip.
I remember one documentary that Noah and I watched once while shaping bread called "Money as Debt" that explained the history and basics of banking in a way that I really liked. But then it went on with some crazy ideas of an ideal economy that would work thru an honest system......rrriiiiiiight (think of Dr Evil saying right).
So heres the stats,which I may add to when I think of more
distance: 8100km (5000 miles)
duration: 12 weeks
nights in campgrounds: 6
nights in hotel or motel rooms: 10
youth hostel nights: 8
days off including Oracle Jen's walks: 9
tires used: 3
tubes used: 3
chains used: 2
dt spokes broken: 6
wheelsmith spokes broken: 0
cost per day including airfare: will figure that out when I get back
estimated calories per day: 6000
butter intake: 1kg per week
beef intake: way way less than ideal (I missed my Rosie)
starting body weight: 73kg
current weight: less than 70 I bet (69 when I got home)
Where's the real useful statistics, like tires per kilo of butter, or spokes per calorie?