July 18

July 18
I last left off talking a about the irony of salem's current community, after that day we visited the little town of Gainsville, Alabama. This was probable one of my favorite days of the trip so far. We had an average mornings, a 5:30 wakeup and on our bikes by 6. Everything was normal, Mr.Brogden ( a local history teacher) was pushing the lead and somehow smoking the rest of the group with his constant revolutions, whith Kevin Hicks (co founder of SNR) staying In the back and constantly yelling "stay in line!" however our day took a turn for the awesome when we arrived at town hall to the sound of a large welcoming crowd and a band playing when the saints come marching in. We immediately discovered that the town had anticipated out arrival and organanized a welcoming party, hosted by the mayor and a group and college students who took a year off to do service work. The town and put together a program In out favor and treated us to a horse drawn carriage ride throughout the town, as well as play by the college organization (naps). The play went through the history of slavery, portraying a man who was captured from Africa and following his journey until he eventually "wades in the water" and "follows the drinking gourd" to his perpetual freedom in the north. Leaving the town was both a happy and sad moment. Happy because we were a to enjoy ourselves and feel like celebrities I'm a sense, but also sad because we had to leave those people by which held so much faith in us.




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