26th Day (Twin Falls - Boise)

I slept better, maybe because of the over-the-counter drugs you can get in the USA without a prescription. It's called Sleeping Aid, and indeed, a magic pill gently put me to sleep. The chaos in my pickup truck is increasing, and I throw the worn clothes into more and more plastic bags on the back seat. Over time, you become more careless because you realize that you have enough with you. Too much, as usual, I didn't even wear my 2 sweaters and a knit vest.

As I leave Twin Falls, I pass by one of the attractions that this city has in addition to the Shoshone Falls - the Perrine Bridge over the Snake River. As I get out of the car, 2 base jumpers are flying off the bridge, and the flight only lasts a few seconds. They have to pull the cord immediately, and watching it already makes you dizzy. So for me, that wouldn't be for me. The light on the bridge is fantastic, and I'm glad the sun isn't fully shining yet. The canyon looks so much more impressive.

I take the Interstate 84 to Boise, the capital of Idaho. Usually, I avoid this highway as much as possible because it's difficult to stop if you see something you like, but I've been told that the route between the two cities doesn't offer any really special sights, and that's true. You drive through agricultural land that is bordered by gentle hills on the horizon. No comparison to the past two days.

It only takes 2 hours, and I'm there. My room is not ready yet, but I park my car and walk to Downtown. It takes half an hour, and I immediately notice how clean and well-maintained everything is here. In addition, there are extremely many green areas and parks, and unlike typical American cities, there are hordes of cyclists here. Designated bike lanes also indicate that Boise is a cyclist-friendly city. Downtown also has a few high-rise buildings, but nothing compared to the metropolises I've been to. In all of Idaho, there are only 1.5 million people living (rank 39 - for comparison, rank 1 California: 37 million), even though it is the 14th-largest state in terms of area. So, it is a very sparsely populated country.

In a sushi restaurant, I order via a screen, which is becoming more and more common here. Payment is also made immediately by credit card. Brave New World. I walk through the city center and have an Uber take me back. My driver, Roy, tells me that they have a lot of snow here in winter. At the moment, however, it is 30 degrees, and I can hardly imagine that.

My slightly more elegant Holiday Inn hotel has an outdoor pool, and I use it for a while. There are as many towels as you like at the entrance - the difference in service between a motel and a hotel is quite noticeable. However, a chilled drink here costs $1.50, at the sushi restaurant it was only $1 for a can of cola. Drink prices for soft drinks like ours are unimaginable here, except perhaps in very fancy establishments. They make money on food, not drinks. That's why they definitely want to occupy a table more than once in an evening.

At 8 o'clock, I go back to Downtown and enjoy another fascinating sunset. Combined with the lights of the big city, it creates a completely different picture than in the small towns where I have experienced it so far. On the way back, I pass by a 'Five Guys' and order a small burger with everything. It is several times more expensive at $6 than one in the well-known chains - but my goodness, what a burger. There aren't many of these restaurants in Germany yet, there is one in Frankfurt. If you ever go there, try one. Yummy.