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Sunday 8th August 2004

drama queens sponsor road signsFrom Darby, Wilderness Motel Camping Area to Missoula, Super Seven Motel - about 70 miles. By the end of today we've done about 3258 miles in total - on route, but add a couple of hundred for non-route miles. Breakfasted on food from the local gas station - frosties. More tea and then headed out onto the road for a valley ride down the Bitterroot River valley. A fairly easy ride though a light headwind appeared. Saw where our Bitterroot Beer had been brewed - but didn't stop to sample since we had lots of miles still to do. The route wanders around a bit down the valley, but we eventually reached Lolo, and joined the dual carriageway that heads to Missoula. One of the sponsors of litter control was, as the photo shows, 'The Drama Queens'. Lovely! I bet you could really be a drama queen over litter! If I see another hub cap I'm flouncing off.... The traffic was very heavy on the dual carriageway into Missoula - on a Sunday afternoon too! I guess we are, perhaps, at the very end of the great gasoline age - where the peak is over and we have to find other ways to run around the planet (hope so). Hurtling along with the heavy traffic into Missoula, we noticed that Fahrenheit 9/11 was on at the local cinema and we also had a brew pub down for a visit. So we accepted a crumby motel, overcharging us at 46 dollars (no air conditioning, no pets, no parties, no third parties in rooms, no breathing after 10pm, etc, etc) - we don't recommend the Super Seven AT ALL - and headed out to the brew pub. It turns out that the Iron Horse Brew Pub doesn't actually brew it's own beer. Whooops. I though that was what a brew pub was. Clearly they haven't understood the concept. Still they had some decent beers available.

Then to the cinema. Fahrenheit 9/11 provided a humourous, shocking and very convincing account of the use of the 9/11 events by the powers that Bush represents. It's obvious that the recruits fighting in Iraq, drawn from the poorest of America for the most part, are part of a resource war that is extremely useful - resolves some of the unemployment problem, diverts social discontent, helps Bush (and the US?) keep the oil flowing in the 'right' direction, etc. Don't suppose it'll unseat Bush, though it certainly should! While anyone with a heart rejoices that Saddam Hussein has been kicked out, it's wise to be aware of the global strategy it fits into and of the way that war, even when entered into for noble reasons, breeds hatred and further war. Finally got back to the motel and fell asleep very rapidly. I wrote up my web diary at the Missoula HQ of adventure cycling the very next day - "Now we're visiting the Adventure Cycling HQ - in Missoula, and using their internet access. See their web site at Adventure Cycling."

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