Читать книгу Hitch-hiking around the USA - Valery Shanin - Страница 6

We came to Atlanta, crossed the intricate web of streets and reached the residence block ‘Peach Orchard’ (two dozens of two–storey multiapartment houses, an open swimming pool, a self–service laundry; on one side – a rather dirty small river, on the other – a railway branch). Here Bipin and Geoff rented one apartment for both. They planned to stay for about three months in Atlanta and apartment fees were much lower than those of a hotel. I had my rest that night, instead the friends had to drive in turns and had no time for a sleep: business will be business. Bipin apologised for the business trip they had to make and suggested that I had a walk on my own until they came back in a couple of hours and gave me a sightseeing ride in their car.

Atlanta is the capital of the State of Georgia. It’s one of the largest cities of the U.S. – you can’t see all of it in one week. Fortunately, the Peach Orchard block is situated right in the center.

I saw a supermarket for the first time in Atlanta. At the entrance, the customers received special booklets with coupons. On each coupon there was the sort of product they were selling with a discount that day. Paying with those coupons one could save some money. Or, for instance, if you paid for three lumps of soap you got another one for free. I was astonished to see some 100% free products – those debuting on the market. They were handed out to anyone for advertising purposes. That time it was some sort of biscuits and I ate a whole package with great pleasure. It looked like you might not starve in America.

Having roamed a little by the downtown skyscrapers I came back. Bipin and Geoff had already taken care of their business and were waiting for me.

— When I was a student we used to travel Dutch. For example, if someone was planning a long drive by car he posted an announcement offering everyone to go with him if they paid their share of gasoline cost, – said Geoff and offered: – Let’s go and ask at the local Universities. Some students might be going to Florida.

I was not intent on going into paid hitchhiking but I didn’t refuse from seeing the Universities: I was curious to see what made them different from ours.

At first we visited the Technology Institute of the State of Georgia, which was located nearby the skyscraper housing the Coca Cola headquarters. We entered the main administrative building and found the information desk. Among the many of Buy/Sell announcements (offering everything one could wish: computers, cars, pieces of furniture, textbooks, electronic equipment – normally not new), we saw a few papers reading ‘Searching fellow–travelers’. They were inviting to Chicago, Memphis and even New–York… but no one was going to Florida.

We visited another two Universities – the University of Georgia and the University n.a. Martin Luther King, — but nobody on the information desk offered a ride to Florida either.

I was going to warn Steve about my soon to come arrival that evening. He could have forgotten about having invited me, could not he?

I called to Florida from the phone booth reversing the charges: I had read in an advertising brochure I was handed in on the Aeroflot plane, that to do that I needed to dial the digit ‘O’ and tell the operator who was calling. She would report your name to the subscriber and if the latter agreed to pay for the conversation she would connect you.

I dialed the digit, told my name and heard:

— Mister Leah Carbon, would you like to talk to Valeriy? Valeriy who? From Georgia.

Steve couldn’t figure out who was calling. I couldn’t help breaking into the conversation in Russian.

– Valera, is that you? Why are you calling from Georgia?

— It’s not the Georgia you’re thinking of! I’m in Atlanta! In the neighbouring state! — I realised why Steve had been surprised at my call – also the country in the Caucasus is called Georgia in English.

Without providing much explanation (it was he who was paying for the call), I told him I would arrive soon.