August 29, 2004
An Expensive Lesson
I mistook the time of the bus to San Francisco. The price was expensive.
I somehow believed that the departure time of Amtrak bus was 4:45 while it was actually 4:25. When I noticed it at 4:35, a Greyhound bus for Reno arrived at the bus depot.
It was a difficult moment for me. Amtrak bus for San Francisco might have delayed. I could have got in the bus safely just by waiting a little more. However, I found no people waiting. Amtrak ticket office was already closed. If I have missed the bus for Reno, I could have had to stay at the station. If I take that bus, I can go to the city with an international airport. The airport will have flight to San Francisco. That’s exactly what I thought at the moment. I jumped in the bus. I do not know whether or not this was the right decision.
I was just in time for the last flight to San Francisco. But the ticket was expensive to the last minute customer like me. The security check was also strict, maybe because I did not give them time to check beforehand.
I was miserable when I sat down in the jet. But when I had arrived at the station, I had been very happy. Maybe, I was too happy to keep an eye on schedule. The lesson of today is that I have to be very careful when I am very happy.
Here is the story of what made me so happy.
The Lake
Just after I got up, I went to the lake. The air was pure. I could see Sierra Mountains clearly. I sat down at the outside table and enjoyed picnic breakfast.
The River
I went to a bike shop to rent a bike. I started cycling in the bike trail along the river. The trail was famous for its beautiful scenery. I enjoyed clear water and beautiful forest. The valley was lively in the morning air. After a while, the trail separated from the river and went into a valley with a beautiful meadow.
The Mountain
The trail ended in front of a rocky mountain. From there, I took a cable car to go to the top. After enjoying the view of the lake there, I started hiking.
I found snow along the trail. A peaceful small lake appeared from forest. I took a rest. Then, I climbed down to the valley enjoying the dynamic view of the valley.
The Beach
I went to the beach of Lake Tahoe. A bike trail enabled me to access the beach directly. Water of the lake was clear as if it were the water of a creek. I jumped into the lake. Cold water cooled down my feet that were overheated in cycling and hiking.
The Talk in the Bus
Lake Tahoe has a bus system connecting major points. The name is TART, slightly different from BART. It made me possible to access the lake shore from the train station. The bus is, off course, bike friendly.
I got on the bus for the station. The driver was the same person as yesterday. She remembered me. We started a talk and enjoyed it all the way to the station. We talked about many things. But it was mainly about cross cultural experience. She had visited countryside of China and had experienced a lot of discovery. That may be why she understood my feelings.
I was very happy when I arrived at the station. The talk, the lake, and the cycling and hiking were all exciting. You know the rest of the story.
Posted by hfuruichi at August 29, 2004 11:59 PM