Under The Pedal: Biking across America 1

20 Oct 2009

All night I did not sleep, because I was packing and waiting for the sunrise.

7:00 am I left home, standing alone on a Beijing street corner in the early morning I felt a little bit sad and lonely, then I took the subway to the airport.

10:00 am the airplane took off from Beijing stopped for a couple of hours in Hong Kong, and landed in San Francisco at almost the same local time that I left from Beijing, but I flew more than 16 hours already.

My American visa's expiration date is 21 Oct, which is very fateful for me, because my idol Jack Kerouac, died on 21 Oct 1969: It means that I stood on American soil, 40 years and a day after he passed away. I did not choose the exact day-21 Oct- because I do not want to get any trouble at the customs in San Francisco.

I prepared a lot of answers for the American immigration, but they did not ask me many questions and gave me a 6-month I-94 card! I am very surprised: usually, the first time come to America just get 1-3 months, I am so lucky.

I stayed at my university classmate's apartment in Berlingame, south of San Francisco. This time I did not bring my bike from Beijing, it is too difficult when you get on and off the plane, so the first thing I needed to do is buy a bike. I am pretty lucky I got a used bike for $ 150, it is a Specailzed - almost new one, and I bought two used panniers, a front rack and a front bike light, etc for $ 110.