Galveston and Austin

Its inevitable I suppose that news from abroad, no matter where you're living in the world, is brief as most aren't affected directly. I remember dimly, reports about Hurricane Ike last year but it just joined a long list of storms that hit the gulf coast of the USA. I couldn't have even told you the area that was affected.
That was changed this morning when I headed south from Winnie. 30 miles south I hit the coast and turned west towards Galveston. I rode along the beach road for miles before I came across the remains of many many homes.

I stopped to photograph some debris and turned to see trailers parked where there used to be these peoples houses. I was embarrassed to be taking pictures because I really had no idea what I had stumbled on. I really hadn't expected to see anything like it. Moving off I rode through mile after mile of desolation (not helped by the overcast skies). I thought it might have been Katrina but given the obvious rebuilding completed around New Orleans I couldn't understand why the mess I saw here.
When I stopped at the ferry for Galveston I spoke to the man organising the queue. "What happened here", I asked.
"Hurricane Ike", he said "hit us last year. Wiped out nearly the whole island".
I apologised for not remembering but wanted him to tell me more. "That must have been so frightening" (duh, understatement) "were you there when it hit?".
"No. I had left with everyone else".
"Was no-one hurt?"
"Some were killed. They decided to ride out the storm."
"I homes on both the island and in Galviston. I lost both".
"Thats terrible....."
"At least I'm alive. The rest doesn't matter....".
When I boarded the ferry another worker appraoched to ask where I was going. It turned out he owned the white Harley I had seen parked beside the terminus.
I asked him about Ike and he explained that his house was one of the few that survived. The majority of the homes on the island had not been built on 14 pilons required today so were simply washed away. His he had built on 16 ft stilts....
"Did you see that white house standing all on its own as you entered the residential area?"
"I did".
"Thats the only one that survived in that whole area. There used to be 12 thousand homes there".
"Did you ride out the storm?"
Laughing he said no. "I put my wife in the truck with the kids, I jumped on the Harley and got the hell out".
"Where did you go? Galveston?".
"No. Dallas!"

Afterwards we spoke about my trip and he asked how many miles I travelled. When I told him 2500 miles he said the bike needed an oil change.
So he rang the dealer he uses in Houston, booked a service for that day and gave me direction. He even gave me a voucher for a free wash.
Riding a Harley in the USA is almost the equivilant of walking with a puppy. Except its girls who speak to you when you have a scabby dog on a bit of string. Its guys speak who speak to you with a Harley. Still its been very useful so far. Directions, local knowledge, emergency fuel, and servicing advice.

Driving into Houston was the usual horrible experience of navigating the 6 lane chaos but Roci got serviced and seemed to appreciate it.

Finally arrived in Austin too tired to experience 6th Street but happy to eat in a student diner.

ps - Guess what? No charger....