Discovering the world on $20 per day ......................




Post 140: Seattle, USA (Still)


My watch and computer are now synchronized, they tell me that its 7:45am on Tuesday 19th of August, my body simply tells me that it's still time to sleep. I've been to reception at the Motel, I've extended my stay for another night, .... the receptionist looks at me from above her undersized spectacles, .... she understands why I'm waiting in Seattle, .... the ballet-like movement of her eyebrows suggests that one extra night may not be sufficient, ..... from somewhere deep down in my instinct vault, .... my heart tends to agree with her.

Yesterday I was told by me freight forwarding company that one motorcycle, I assumed the small Yamaha of the Brazilian rider Roderigo, had already flown the container, .. he was heading for New York. They told me that my lack of a Customs Release Form was holding up the show, ... once secured, ... Poor Circulation could continue onwards to Boonville California. This morning I learn from the freight handling company in Fife that the container from the vessel is still held at the port, ....... US Customs have not yet released it into their custody, .... nothing could move in or out until that happened. I ask how long it might take, .... they tell me to call back tomorrow. I ask them to be more specific, .... they tell me possibly up to a week, .. my heart begins to sink.
I'm so close to Boonville, between Seattle and Boonville there are some amazing things to see, some amazing adventures to be had and some amazing new people to meet. The 'down-time' between South Korea and America was acceptable, it had been expected and I'd filled the void by having a parallel adventure on a rental bike in Thailand, ..... but this delay is different. Each day is bringing me closer to exceeding my budget, ... four more days in Seattle and I will be above the £20 per day marker, .... for each single day beyond that, two days of Poor Circulation will be sacrificed. The cost of the Motel is equal to the £20 per day budget and thus far I am running almost £100 under budget, ..... but that small surplus will soon be gone. Although 'Hotels' were never on the Poor Circulation menu, at certain times it has simply been necessary, ... without a bike and needing to be close to the heart of the city, ... camping is not really a workable alternative. I need to retrieve the Tiger within the next two days, .... that is my mission.
I've had an email from Alan, but I still don't know where he is. I suspect that in arriving here before me he's secured his customs release form and like me is simply waiting, .... holed up in the cheapest place possible. I've sent him copies of the procedures for retrieving the bikes and hopefully he too will soon be setting down rubber on his journey along Route 66.

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