Saturday, September 19, 2009

Days 21 and 22 - Sabinas, Mexico and Eagle Pass, U.S.A.

I crossed the border into Texas, U.S.A. today!! I rode 200 miles in two days to get here. 125 miles yesterday and 75 miles today. Today's ride was difficult. I seem to have no energy. I think I'm fatigued. A week ago today I was resting in Querétaro, 667 miles from where I am right now. Maybe that's why the first thing I looked for at the Eagle Pass Walmart was Butt Paste. It's mostly for diaper rash in babies and bed sores in older folks, but I'm hoping it will help me out as well. I'm not proud.
I was talking to a friend about crossing the border and she asked me how I felt. I told her I felt like I could do just about anything. It's like the first time I ran a marathon. I pushed myself to do something that somewhere in my mind felt impossible. When I did, it made me realize nothing is impossible. Riding a bicycle to the border is not impossible, so maybe raising the $650,000 to build the Abandoned Senior Shelter isn't impossible either.
It's not over yet, though.
Yesterday we were in Sabinas, a lovely little town that reminds me a lot of small-town Texas or Oklahoma. They had a great steak house and I ate a T-bone and as soon as I was in my hotel room, I was out. No writing for me. I feel a little like that right now.
I'm weary. On the road I'm starting to lose my concentration. I think I'm looking down too much. I ran over a snake today. He was big and fat and fortunately dead. Jon said he was wondering what I was thinking. He thought I did it on purpose. I hate snakes! It gave me the heebie jeebies for several minutes afterwards. Yesterday I ran over part of a tire. I guess Jon yelled, but I didn't hear him. I'm looking down a lot because the road has been long and straight and really without a lot to look at.
Having said that, I did check out the flora along the side of the road today and it was beautiful. It was so perfectly put together with a pink flowering bush, cactus and yucca and a lot of stuff that I can't identify that it looked like something someone would request of their landscaper. Cool!
I also saw a half dozen scissor-tailed flycatchers on the telephone line heading into Piedras Negras. That's Oklahoma's state bird, but they're on their way to winter in Central America. All that migration stuff never ceases to amaze me. I think I saw some Monarch butterflies during the trip as well. They'll be arriving at their winter home in Michoacán, Mexico next month. Amazing!
I guess my little trip is nothing compared to theirs. They do have the advantage of flying, however.

2 comments:

  1. stayed up waiting for you to post. Thank you.You sound like weariness is taking hold so you need to rest my friend.Jacob and Raquel had a baby boy today. Nathan, 2.8 kgs. and 50 cms. Mom and Babe seem to be doing well!

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  2. Not sure if you heard about the death of the folk singer Mary Travers this week. She was popular way before you were born (back when I was still a child), and she sang a lovely song I think might be relevant and do you some good at this point in your travels.

    ¡Ánimo, Alisa!

    Peter, Paul & Mary - 500 Miles

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