Day 3 - Tierra Colorada

Today was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be. There weren't nearly as many hills as I had expected. I took off in the dark, around 7 a.m., and was in Tierra Colorada by 10 a.m. I've been resting ever since. I hope this makes tomorrow easier. The trip today was 35 miles total. Tomorrow will be around 40. Today I climbed only 1,800 feet before rolling downhill into Tierra Caliente. Tomorrow, I'll climb around 5,000 feet. Hmmmm!
That's what's in store for tomorrow. Now let me back up to yesterday. After I wrote yesterday, we went to a home for children living with HIV. There were about a dozen there of all ages. One was a new arrival, 2 months old, that had been severely anemic when she arrived. All the kids look healthy if not entirely happy. One girl in particular caught my attention. She was 12 years old and maybe a little mad at life for dealing her such a sucky hand. Or maybe she was just reserved because she's already lost her parents so young. I was thinking about her today and the rest of the kids. Looking at the challenge they're facing in life makes my little bicycle ride look stupid and pointless...and easy. I ride my bike up mountains because I want to. They fight a disease that wants to wreak havoc in their body because they have to and they didn't have a say in it. I admire the brothers and sisters at First Baptist Church of Acapulco who spend time encouraging them, loving them, and sharing God's love and Word with them. Those kids remind me that life is a privilege and a gift, and to enjoy one moment at a time is worth striving for. We only have so many of them.
I think I'll dedicate my 5,000-foot, 40-mile climb tomorrow to the kids of Villas Sarita. Maybe one of them will ride with me next year.
Next stop...Chilpancingo.