asheville Archives - Hobo Hacker

In 2 months, I took the train from Ottawa, Ontario to Halifax, Nova Scotia. I stopped in Ottawa, Montreal, and Moncton between. After I crossed the border into the US on a bus from Montreal, I arrived back in New York City’s Penn Station at 04:00 AM. I assembled my bike, and I rode through Manhattan to Brooklyn–crossing the East River over the Manhattan Bridge.

Mikey’s boots, two backpacks, and a big duffel bag are shown on a shoe rack. A yellow tag on his duffel bag reads “Montreal”.

Mikey's bicycle is leaning against a railing on a bridge. Above his bicycle is a sign that reads "Quebec". — Bridge to Quebec

A large USPS envelope is addressed to "Workspace Moncton" on "Main Street." The envelope lists a price of $23.95. — Moncton

Greyhound Canada bus ticket from Montreal to New York. $78. Leaves Montreal 09:00p. Albany, NY 01:35a. 0:30 layover. New York, NY 05:00a. — Montreal to NYC

Mikey's bicycle leans up against a sign reading "Manhattan Bridge" with a picture of a bicycle on it. Behind a concrete barrier covered in graffiti, a white bus with dark tinted windows drives past with the inscription "Brooklyn Transportation Corp" — Manhattan Bridge to Brooklyn

Mikey is standing in the walkway on a concrete-and-riveted-steel-truss bridge with a sign on it that reads "Madison Avenue Bridge" — Madison Avenue Bridge

Mikey's bicycle is disassembled, wrapped in cardboard, and just unpacked. Behind it is a huge cardboard bicycle box. Next to it is a backpack, a duffel bag, and a small tote. Mikey's sleeping pad lay crumpled next to his bicycle. — Montreal to NYC Greyhound Bike Box

Mikey and two women are posing while standing on a fence. The wall behind them is a mural--very psychedelic and colorful--showing a bird, a fish, and an octopus. — Nocturne, Halifax

Mikey's pack sits on a scale that reads 31 lb or 14 kg — Pack Weight

Mikey's 40L pack sits by his friend Q's Surly Long Haul Trucker — Q’s LHT + 40L

Mikey's bicycle is shown leaning against a monument at Mount Royal in Montreal, Canada — Mount Royal

I stayed in Brooklyn for a week, then caught the Greyhound to Miami–stopping for a week each in Asheville, Atlanta, and Orlando to visit friends & family.

Next week, I board a plane back to Chile. This winter holiday, I take my long-awaited journey to the south of Chile in Patagonia!

I’ve crossed the US by bicycle. I’ve crossed by plane. And now–I’m taking a train from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

I’ve crossed the US by bicycle. I’ve crossed by plane. And now–I’m taking a train

I just bought an Amtrak ticket from Atlanta -> New Orleans (for Mardi Gras!) -> Los Angles. It’s ironic to realize that I’ve never done the good-ol cross-US road trip; I’ve never driven across the US (or taken a bus), but I suppose I shall one day (update: I did !). For now, I look forward to seeing the South via rail.

Mikey as a child wearing a buttoned-up collared shirt and holding up 2 floppy disks. Behind him, a girl sits at an old laptop wearing a hat labeled "F" for Florida. — I may not have always been a hobo, but I’ve always been a hacker.

In any case, an update is due: After 4 magical months in in India, I came back to NYC just before the winter cold set in. After visiting friends & family, I traveled down the US East Coast.

I left a big duffel bag of possessions with a friend in NYC, and–due to price gouged bus fares ($700 flight from NYC to Atlanta? I don’t think so) over Christmas–I tried my luck at hitching from DC to Asheville with a backpack and 2 oversized duffel bags. I could hardly walk 0.1 km without needing to rest my back hauling that much shit.

Several people stand around an enterance to a building with a sign that reads "TRUMP TOWER." One person holds a sign that reads "TRUMP. Make America Hate Again." A uniformed gangster stands nearby with a hat that reads "NYPD." — Trump Protest

Within 10 minutes of holding up my cardboard sign indicating highway 81, a couple of southern boys (welcome back to Virginia) in an unmarked van stopped, started clearing junk out of the way in the back behind a full-size US flag strewn between the back and the cab, and told they could take me as far as highway 81, but wouldn’t be able to drive me South. I declined their offer. In the next 6 hours, another 4 people offered to take me part-way.

Having too many bags to be able to walk my way out of a bad spot, I left for the DC greyhound, slept the night in Union Station on Christmas Eve, and took the next Greyhound to Atlanta.

After a week exploring downtown Atlanta (read: where Martin Luther King Jr was born), I took a bus down to Florida–where I currently sit, a true NY snow bird.

A government building is capitaled lady liberty atop a dome. It also flies the American flag. Juxtiposed in the front of the building is a pole with several survalence cameras pointed in several directions. — Surveillance State

A young girl sits at a table in front of a plate of pancakes with lit candles in them. A man sits next to her looking on, and another man stands by them. — Birthday pancakes

Mikey smiles. In front of him is an old woman sitting in a wheelchair at a dining table in her home. — Grandma

After I hit LA, I’ll head north to Vancouver for Spring–traveling by train & bicycle along the majestic US-Pacific coastline. I’ve never spent much time in Canada; I’m sure looking forward to Vancouver!

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