DISCLAIMER:
if unconvential modes of travel make you uncomfortable or upset, and you do not want to think about it, then i should advise you that you may not want to read this. i contemplated not including these pieces of my adventure, for the sake of some people's peace of mind, but part of the reason i do it this way is because i know i can and i know i can do it safely, and also to show other people that it can be done and done safely. if i wanted to travel in a different way, i could have, but i chose to do it this way.