#2 - Portland

Portland, john and Conny's spare bedroom
Saturday, the 25th April 9:00 PM
Day 2

It's been a long long day and I am now lying down in my bed at John and conny's (my couchsurfing hosts). I managed to reach the place by taxi yesterday at night, after rushing out of the train station, which weirdly closes right after the last train arrives. The taxi driver said it was because of the homeless. "The Shame of America!" was what he called homelessness. I start to agree.

(...)

Remarkable things during the day in chronological order:

- on the bus to Portland downtown I saw (and accidentally was on the way of) a man who was so fat he had to move on a wheel chair.

- I went to what they call "park blocks" and bought bread ata farmer's market. On theway I saw many beautiful churches with strange names. "The first Christian Church" or... " The Sixth Church of jesus, the Scientist"...ok...

- I met Marie! It was so good to see her. (...) We went to "saturday Market" and to powell's- the best bookstore ever and a good rival to the Paris ones! (...)

- I met Daire too! I actually walked to Reed College and had dinner there with him (...). It Reed is amazing! such a a beautiful cmapu! And they have all these traditions and community spirit... I really love it. (...) And the poeple looked so groovy! (...) I loved the tour, and the library , and the students... It all looked just awesome.

- Portland: nice, filled with alternative stuff and trees. Activism too. One guy stopped me to inform me about the situation of wolves in Oregon and chatted for a while. There are a lot of homeless people though. Here they are not so much in ghettos. (it seems) Rather there is one in every corner. Quite sad and not friendly-looking (I must say).

Filipa