Quand le vin coule dans le bonhomme
Sagesse passe en la bonbonne.
Jacob CATS


Day 11

am

pm (super hot)

Rides = 2
Arrival = Detroit
km travelled = 309
$ spent = $24.00 (Amtrack ticket, food)
Time passed on the road = 1 pm - 8 pm
km walked = 10

Three guys picked me up in Woodstock, Ontario. The pickup truck stopped, the driver got out and said:

- We're going to Windsor, if you want to come along, hop in the box boy!

He opens the door of the fibreglass box which is closed with a small rope and a hook. I climb and roll inside like a little fox in a hole. And here we go. It does not take long before we are flying at 70 mph. The box is relatively clean, there is a spare tire and a cardboard box with a can of oil, some antifreeze and an empty cup of coffee. There is a small window with a screen between the box and the cabin. One guy slides the window open, we start to talk. I learned that they had been in a camp in the woods on a drinking binge for three days. They were now going back home to Windsor. As I was looking at them I realized what bad shape they were in. They had grey faces, baggy red eyes and thick yellow teeth. They looked like three vampires in plaid shirts driving in broad daylight, unaware of the danger around them. After few minutes the spokesperson for the Draculas had nothing more to say and closed the window between us. It did not take long before all hell broke loose. There was a huge bang. The floor of the box, where I was sitting got red hot. We started to swerve left and right on the highway. One of the tires had exploded. The driver was fighting with the wheel. I was bouncing from side to side in the box. The other passengers were digging their claws into the dashboard. All I could hear was the screeching of rubber on asphalt. As quickly as it happened, it suddenly stopped. It was quiet. The three guys jumped out of the pickup in a hurry, as if it was burning. One of them came around and opened the door of my box. We all stared in disbelief at the tire. It was ripped in half with long rubber fringes coming out of its side. Somebody says, "We're lucky bastards!" We all agreed. The rest of the trip was slower and uneventful.

As soon as I arrived in Windsor, I walked in the direction of the Ambassador Bridge. The walk over the Detroit River is stunning. The water is a bright turquoise and there is a smog floating above the city. It looks surreal. I walked the whole length of the bridge with my eyes wide open. At the end of the walkway, there is the Customs Office. The agent asked me how much money I had. I said I had $500.00. That was enough to get in. I was allowed to walk under the American sun.

My plan here was to go to the train station, and then directly to Chicago. I was not sure where to go but ended up at the right place anyway. I bought a ticket for the 7:30 am. The ticket agent told me to be vigilant if I was going to sleep in the station. He said that there were a lot a people hanging around at night and that sometimes there was trouble. I found myself a nice bench along the end wall. I had a good night of sleep.



-Daniel





mister
dugas

www.dandatadugas.com