taco's & toucan's travels ~ 2019

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DAY 6

Week 1

CORINTH (Texas, USA) to BOISE (Idaho, USA)

Wednesday, March 20^th, 2019

TODAYS MILEAGE – 1,328 miles / 2,137 kilometres

TRIP MILEAGE – 11,339 miles / 18,248 kilometres

My morning started at around 3AM and it got me thinking: I’m not 100% sure when I left Boise for Australia – by my reckoning it was a bit over 12 years ago??? I initially packed up and placed all my gear in storage and proceeded to go on 171 day walkabout in a 34 foot motorhome, then returned to ship what I could over to Australia.

This is my roundabout way of saying that I woke up this morning feeling a combination of excitement, trepidation and anticipation in heading to where I’ve called home – one of only four that I’ve permanently resided in over my lifetime.

After a bit of a chinwag with Bekah (which I’m going to miss BTW), I hit the frog & toad out to DFW airport, which saw me 90 minutes into a 33 minute Google Maps trip. Nope, I'm not that shit of a driver or navigator, it was due to a combination of a broken down concrete truck on the freeway and pretty much naff-all sign posting for car rental returns at the tin crow depot.

I check in at the American Airlines counter for the scheduled AA3962 flight and copped a $25 USD checked baggage fee which in all fairness I knew was coming, but decided to query it anyways. Looks like most airlines are charging similar fees as their business model looks to be geared to turning over walk-on/walk-off traffic. The lady then says the charge has just gone up to $40 for the 1^st, $55 for the second and $120 for a third or subsequent checked bag.

Whilst killing the 2 hours for the scheduled departure, I had 3 gate changes and in doing so – ran into a young female Mormon missionary, returning from service in Peru and waiting for the same flight as me. Not one for missing a recruitment opportunity, she tries engaging my interest and participation in her flavour of faith. I was thinking that I could have so much fun messing with the mind of the 21-year-old second oldest of 5 sisters and about to be born brother.

Instead I just said that I lived in Idaho for ages and am familiar with Momo’s and 7 Day Apprentices and would certainly be interested in any organization that welcomes all comers with open arms - regardless of their sex, race, colour or creed, including beliefs or sexual persuasions.

It was at this point we got on to travel, especially around the areas we both were familiar with in Peru and Idaho.

Interestingly enough she asked me about my age, which I responded to truthfully. She said that her Dad is 46 and I look considerably younger than him. I commented that “his ageing may have to do with having to suffer through ½ a dozen rounds of the Chinese Red Army marching each and every month”. She asked if this was an Australian thing. My response - “Nope, I’m pretty sure it a universal female affliction”. Yeah ….. I know …. couldn't help myself ….. could I???.

I landed on time in Boise and was met with a thick blanket of snow in the foothills and no rental car as Avis was expecting me at 7:30PM. After a quick phone call or two, the attendant comes back with “we have a new Mustang available if that’s OK”, to which I responded “as long as I don’t have to throw a saddle on it, I’m fine.” The attendent had a good giggle with that comment.

You’d be thinking at this stage I’d light the fuse on 5 burbling angry litres of Detroit’s finest iron, sink the right foot into 460 horsepower and leave a rear tyre shredding “11 autograph” in heading out onto one of the best highway systems in the world. Nope … quite the opposite actually. I fired up the pony car to get the heater cranked to a more temperate climate controlled environment and sat in the airport car park to call my lawyer Coxy in trying to resolve Saturday’s interaction with the governmental department (operative word being mental) - I.C.E.

From there it was over to a couple of great mates of mines' place - Ian & Jax and the evening activities of their 8 and 10 year old boys.

• BOISE ~ Union Pacific Depot (Idaho, USA)