Early morning bums and junkies...

i woke up yesterday at about 6 am...don't know why. i had been feeling the need to get myself a form of transportation for the past 2 days. those who know me would also realise i have a problem depending on other people to get me around. I like to be independant of anybody else when it comes to being mobile.

It was in this frame of mind that i decided to get myself a bicycle. Most of those who heard this idea suggested i buy or rent a car instead, citing long distances and fatal road conditions. I was offered a used bike by a black junkie for as low as $35, but the bike looked stolen, and the guy was too desperate to sell it, so i walked. walked into a bum with a broken shoe held together with scotch tape, who politely requested me to get him some string to hold his shoe together.

I stood by my plan steadfastly, and sure enough, got myself to the nearest Wal-Mart and bought a Schwinn mountain bike, ($159.75 only!) along with a few other neccesities such as a multi-tool sort of thingamajig and a leatherman, plus a can of WD-40 to keep it all ship-shape. in all, a question of $200, but worth it in the long run though.

Having thus sprouted wings, i decided it was time i had a look around this town. i pedalled downtown, a distance said to be worth 20 minutes of driving time, in 25 minutes of relaxed cycling.
Downtown Sarasota is filled to the gills with rich, old white people. seriously, i saw this lone black guy in there who looked as if he was on planet Mars...young people were hard to come by, especially the PYT's...

As i parked my bike in the middle of a vibrating hispanic street festival, i was accosted by an old gent on a motorised wheelchair, and asked if i was from "Injiea". After that, it was all downhill as the old gent and his wife took me in and fed me 2 pints of heineken in exchange for a dialogue on all things India. the oldies were terribly nice(and terribly lonely too, it seemed...) and invited me to visit them.

I found it hard to decline.