Le soleil passe les frontières sans que les soldats tirent dessus.
Salim JABRAN


Day 39

am (Cool)

pm (Cool)

Rides = Bus - Ferry
Arrival = Seattle
KM travelled = 226
$ spent = $90.00 (Bus: $70.00 Ferry: $20.00)
Time passed on the road = 6 am - 10 pm
km walked = 5





6 am
The sun rose over the Denny's neon sign. The waiting game was over and the coffee pots were empty. I jumped onto the Greyhound bus, all pumped up to the idea of leaving for the south. The driver took his load out of the city. The motor was purring like a big cat and I felt asleep on the highway.

48 kilometres later: Blaine, Washington [point of entry]
I can not believe what is happening! The US custom agent said that I could not go in. I am devastated. What I am going to do??? Am I stuck here forever? They asked me where I was going and I said Mexico. They then asked me how much money I had and I said $200.00 Canadian. The agent said, "That's not enough. You'll have to go back, you cannot enter and blah, blah, blah." I don't know why I said Mexico, maybe I drank too much coffee, maybe I am too tired. I went back over to the Canadian side and sat in the waiting room of the Canadian Customs. There I shared my despair with a Canada Customs Agent. He was upbeat and said, "There are pretty stiff on the American side. What you should do is go back to Vancouver and take the ferry to Victoria. Buy yourself a return ticket Victoria - Seattle, and at the point of entry, in Seattle, tell them that you are going for a camping trip. That should get you in."

So I went back to Victoria, it was like a film being shown in reverse.

4 pm
I am the other side. I have passed through. [Yahoo!] I am writing really really small because I don't want my emotions to betray me. I did what the official suggested and it was like a well rehearsed play.


US Customs: "Where are you going?"
Me: "Olympic National Park for a weekend of camping. I have heard that it is very beautiful."
US Customs: "Do you have a return ticket?"
Me: "Yes I do." I was trying not to laugh. I felt I was crossing the Swiss border during the Second World War.
US Customs: "How much money do you have?"
Me: "Two hundred dollars."
US Customs: "Welcome to the United States of America. Enjoy your vacation."


That was it. I was in Seattle, legit and free! I quickly went to the Greyhound Station and bought myself a one way ticket for San Francisco. The bus was leaving at 2:45 am.


- Daniel




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