Day Six

Took another walk in the rain forest, then biked West and South for the coast. Manu Chao sang:

Infinita tristeza
Tu sombra en la pared
Infinita tristeza
Viento de Washington

Stopped to check out a big cedar tree that had probably about 6 dozen different trees growing on top of its roots, branches, and off its trunk. Forests seem tranquil and serene, but the truth is that they're the site of massive and epic battles, with each plant trying to obliterate the others and achieve domination of the land. Trees grow right off each others fallen bodies, seed is blanketed across the forest floor in an attempt to grow a horde of offspring, and canopies are spread wide to try to block foes from seeing the sun. I wonder if we'll ever splice plant genes with ours to make people with chorophyll in their skin who can photosynthesize as a supplement to eating.

Later, I spooked a bunch of elk off the side of the road who ran into the forest. I stopped and saw a beach, another big cedar, and the Quinault rain forest before setting up an impromptu campsite on the South shore of Lake Quinault. Except for some loons, I had a bay on the lake completely to myself, . Bathing in the cold water felt good after the 80 mile day.