Like Lewis and Clark or Darwin on the Beagle, I too, being a natural science and biology aficionado have a research component to this trip. I have made careful observations on the flora and fauna along the way. Although my trip is far from over, here is a detailed report on my findings:

Flora:

A lot, except in central Texas. I love the huge magnolias, but my favorite are the humongous rhododendrons.

Fauna:

Armadilloes: Six, dead on the side of the road.

Birds: Many of the regular variety, plus of the falcon and vulture kind. A lot of egrets/herons in Louisiana of all sizes and colors, proving that you can never be too thin nor too cool.

Buffalos: none

Cats: a few strays around gas stations and hotels.

Cows: thousands

Deer: A bunch, the first one on the lawn of a house in Georgetown in Washington D.C.

Donkeys: unexpectedly, a lot.

Goats: Also surprisingly a lot, even of the rare Boer breed.
Fish: mostly dead and fried, on my plate.
Horses: hundreds
Lions: none, although I did see a sign for a drive through safari park in Texas. These, however, are not recommended when you are on a motorbike.

Sheep: Remarkably, none

Squirrels: Of course, although less than in New England
Skunks: half a dozen, (see armadilloes)

Zebra: No, wait, no (see Lions)

My parents are great travelers. I was blessed. And now I need to travel.

Traveling is not about seeing things, although there is that. Just in this trip I have seen: Augusta, home of the Master’s golf tournament, the Boy Scouts headquartets complete with a replica of the Statue of Liberty, the museum of agricultural machinery, the Mercedes Benz plant in Tuscaloosa (huge), the Arrow shirt factory, cities, towns, villages, etc. etc.

There is meeting people and listening to their stories. Everybody wants to tell you their stories. And each one is fascinating and unique.

There is the silence, the solitude, the mile upon mile of reflection. The distance gives you perspective, you can see the scale of your problems. Is it running away? Yes, so you can return refreshed and wiser to tackling your life. I was sitting at a traffic light in Alabama, looking into the sunset and I finally felt far, far away from my world, from everything, and for an instant, I was happy.

Rocinante as I’ve said before is not very fast. You sit upright. She’s not very loud, she has the original stock pipes. When you are sitting on a bike you have 360° sensory awareness: you see everything, you feel everything, you hear, ok, most stuff, you smell everything. You have no radio, no music, no temperature control, no gadgets, no GPS. You are sitting on the engine, the wheels, the gas tank, you only have the controls you need. Rocinante’s range is a couple hundred miles, so you need to stop at least every couple of hours.

Every mile that you ride you are a mile wiser, a mile more patient, a mile more understanding, a mile richer.