Day 7 - Taxco (Rest Day)

I’m feeling pretty lazy today. It’s all I can do to sit in front of the computer and write. So far the day has been grey and chilly. The fog rolled in around 9:30 a.m. and hasn’t completely lifted yet. We ate breakfast and took a walk around town, but all I really wanted to do was go back to sleep. I know I needed the day off, but I’m not sure what to do with myself. Part of me wants to just pack it up and go home, but the other part wants to see it through. I can’t stop now.

I was thinking the other day how ironic it is that I’m riding a bike across Mexico for Don Gerardo and others like him. Don Gerardo, as most of you know, was a 70-year-old amputee whose family had pretty much abandoned him. He had been a womanizer and a bad father by his own admission and a typical macho Mexican. He was the kind to sit down at the table and expect whatever woman hanging about to wait on him hand and foot. I wonder what he would think of a woman riding a bike across Mexico in his name. He might have a hard time processing the idea, but it’s a moot point because Don Gerardo died for lack of attention.

My friend Gaby took him into her home for a while to live with her family until social services sent him to live with members of his family. They didn’t care much about him and he ended up alone again living in squalor. Not long after that he was left at the hospital, where Gaby and her group of youth from the church found him again. He died there with no one from his family at his bedside, just one young Christian who had befriended him.

Most people wouldn’t blame his family for not caring for him. He himself said he was a bad father. He was reaping what he had sown in his life. It was only just.

Gaby and her group believe in justice, but they also believe in mercy and grace. In fact, all of us who profess Christ as our savior have understood that God, in sending Christ to die for us, has shown us mercy because Jesus took the punishment we deserved for our sins, and grace, because He restored our lost relationship with Him through Jesus’ work even when when we didn’t care who He was or what He deserves from us.

We don’t deserve anything except God’s wrath and we get His unmerited favor. It tends to change your attitude toward the Don Gerardo’s in the world. That’s why Hablando Menos, Amando Mas is building a Home for Abandoned Seniors. It’s part of who they are to show mercy and grace to anybody whether they “deserve” it or not. That’s why I’m riding my bicycle across Mexico for someone who probably wouldn’t have understood or approved of the effort. If by getting the attention and selling miles I can raise all or part of the $325,000 (half of the construction cost) needed to start building the 26-bed home, then I will have done my part for now.

I don’t ride my bike to raise money for this cause trying to earn God’s favor. I ride because I already have His favor. What a wonderful life to get to do stuff like this.

Día 6 - Taxco

Hubo momentos en que rodaba tan lento que el GPS en mi iPhone decía que iba 0 kilometros por hora. Sé que estaba pedaleando y avanzando porque ahorita estoy aquí en Taxco, pero en el momento de era una lucha. En total, avanzaba a una velocidad de 13.2 km por hora sobre la subida de 34.1 kms saliendo de Iguala de una elevación de 823 metros al cerro arriba de la ciudad de Taxco a 2,036 m. En este momento estoy a 1,764 m.

Ahorita estoy encantada con la vida. Estoy sentada a una mesa en el patio del hotel tipo colonial donde estamos hospedados. El aire es un poco mas delgado y fresco. El sol ya bajó atrás el cerro y la vista de Sta. Prisca, la iglesia colonial en el centro de la ciudad es maravillosa…y esta es mi oficina para los próximos dos días.

Esa es otra razón para cual estoy disfrutando la vida ahorita: Terminé la primera fase del recorrido – 509 kms desde Zihuatanejo hasta Taxco. Ahora tengo dos días para descansar antes de arrancar la segunda semana de la aventura.

Tendré tiempo en estos dos días para escribir y reflexionar sobre lo que he aprendido en la semana pasada. Si quieres o no, voy a estar compartiendo, pues es lo que hace un blogger! Sé que prometí escribir de mis motivos y el porque estoy haciendo algo tan loco, pero será para otro día…tal vez mañana en la mañana con una taza de café y el sol saliendo sobre la ciudad. Ahorita, voy a disfrutar el momento.

Day 6 - Taxco

There were times I went so slow today that the GPS on my iPhone clocked me at 0 miles per hour. I know I was moving because I was still pedaling, but it wasn’t pretty. Overall, I averaged 8.2 mph over the 21-mile climb out of Iguala at elevation 2,507 feet to the hill overlooking Taxco at 6,692 feet. At present, I’m at somewhere around 5,735 feet.

Right now, I’m loving life. I’m out on the patio of the colonial hotel where we’re staying. The air is a bit thinner and cool. The sun is already behind the hill and the view of the old Spanish colonial church is spectacular…and this is my office for the next two days.

That’s another reason I’m loving life. I’ve finished the first phase of the trip: 316.1 miles from Zihuatanejo to Taxco. Now I have two days to rest before heading off on the next week’s adventure.

These two days will give me time to write and reflect on what I’ve learned over the last week and whether you like it or not, I’ll be sharing. That’s what bloggers get to do, after all. I know I promised to talk about why I’m doing this. That will have to wait another day…maybe tomorrow morning with a cup of coffee and the sun coming up over the city. Right now, however, I’m going to enjoy the moment.

Día 5 - Iguala de Independencia

Lo que sube tiene que bajar, Así se dice y siempre es mi esperanza cuando estoy sufriendo un día de subida como ayer. No fui decepcionada hoy en la mañana. Después de una breve subida saliendo de Chilpancingo hacia el norte, empecé una larga bajada que no terminó hasta casi 50 kms mas adelante. En una hora y media estaba a la mitad del recorrido del día de hoy. Wow! Desafortunadamente, aquí en México si estamos hablando de viajar, hay que decir que todo lo que baja, tiene que subir. Jaja. México en general, y Guerrero en particular, es muy montañoso, aunque aquí solo dicen cerros. Tal vez es porque soy de Oklahoma, posiblemente el lugar más plano del continente, pero me parecen montañas a mí. Pero bueno, después de tan rica bajada por una barranca verde por las lluvias y fresca por la mañana, con un arroyo corriendo al lado del camino y flores por donde sea, salí al abierto para empezar una subida no tan trabajosa como ayer, pero suficiente para bajar mi velocidad de avance a 16 km por hora en vez de 32.

También tardé en llegar a Iguala porque se ponchó la llanta de mi bici por una espina por ahí. La parché con éxito (hasta ahorita) y entró a la gran ciudad de Iguala de Independencia, Gro. a mediodía. Ya he pasado por tres regiones del estado de Guerrero. Por la Costa Grande, la región Central y ya por Tierra Caliente.

Estoy cansada ahora. Fue un recorrido de 103 kms en 3 horas y 56 minutos. Total llevo casi 500 kms en cinco días de rodar. En mi mejor semana de entrenamiento del mes de agosto, tuve poco mas que la mitad de eso en seis días. Tal vez por eso estoy cansada. También tengo un poco de molestia en la pierna izquierda por lo mismo. Ya mi cuerpo quiere un día de descanso. Después de la subida a Taxco mañana, tendré por lo menos el viernes para descansar. El recorrido mañana no es largo, pero es subida. El cerro (la montaña a mi parecer) se ve desde mi hotel. Me espera tempranito.

Aaaa, y para los que les importan estas cosas: quemé 2,730 calorias. Solo sé que tengo mucha hambre.

Una nota: Recibí una llamada de Moises Gomez hoy. Es de un programa de la tele en Nuevo Leon. Creo que dijo que se llama Hora Zero. Dijo que están siguiendo el viaje y quieren acompañarnos entre Saltillo y Monterrey, grabando y entrevistando, entonces por un lado estamos logrando lo que queríamos lograr: llamar la atención para que muchos conozcan nuestro proyecto de construir un asilo para ancianos abandonados en Zihuatanejo. En este aspecto el viaje no es en vano, pero si no recibimos los donativos para iniciar la construcción, el viaje será solo una aventura y no logrará su objetivo final. Uds. pueden ayudarnos lograrlo. Es su parte. www.bethechangeok.org. ¡Que sean parte del cambio que quieren ver en el mundo!

Day 5 - Iguala de Independencia

What goes up must come down. For every uphill I suffer through, I know that I’ll eventually get a downhill somewhere up the road. I was not disappointed this morning. As soon as I climbed out of Chilpancingo, I started a descent that was to last more than an hour and eventually cover nearly 30 miles…I was 30 miles down the road, or halfway through the day’s journey by 9 a.m. Excellent.

Here in Mexico, however, when we’re talking hills, you might as well add: everything that goes down must eventually come up. I had a feeling that might happen. As soon as I tweeted my glee at being halfway through the day’s journey only an hour and a half into it, the gradual climb began. Not excruciating, just enough to keep me at 9 to 10 miles per hour. Every once in a while I’d get a break, which kept my average pace above 15 miles per hour for the 64-mile ride. In fact, I probably could have rolled into Iguala at 11 a.m., but for my first flat tire.

There are a lot of thorny bushes along the roadside and one of them pierced my tire and tube. Out came the patch kit and after one false start we got it fixed and I was off. Between rest stops, bathroom stops and fixing the flat, I was an hour later than expected getting to Iguala de la Independencia.

It’s a semi-famous town and right in the thick of revolutionary history. It also has the biggest flag in all of Mexico on an equally big flag pole sitting on top of a hill over the city. You can see it from miles. Kind of cool. This is Tierra Caliente (Hot Country). That’s what they call the region. Basically I’ve hit three of the five regions of Guerrero on the trip. The first days were along the coast, then crossing into the central region on the way north to Chilpancingo, and now Tierra Caliente. I’ve never been along the Chilpancingo-Iguala road this time of year. I’ve only seen it in the dry season. What a treat! The big cacti that dot the steep hills along the canyon walls aren’t even the dominant feature on the landscape. I was pleasantly surprised by all the green and the flowers. It was a beautiful morning ride with lots of shade to the east, so I didn’t get much sun until I was out on the rolling open spaces around 10:30 a.m.

I’m tired today, probably because I got more sun that I wanted. I’ve got a little irritation at the back of my left knee as well. I’m not sure what’s going on with that, but after nearly 300 miles, my little body could use a day off. After the 20-mile climb to Taxco tomorrow, I’m off for a couple of days.

A few stats from today: 64.1 miles in 3:56; 2,730 calories burned, first flat tire.

I also got a call today from Moises Gomez representing a television program in Nuevo Leon called Hora Zero (Zero Hour). I think that’s what he called it. They’re going to join us on the road from Saltillo to Monterrey. He said they’ve been following the trip. I guess it’s kind of a big deal for a woman to ride a bike across Mexico for a cause. Mission accomplished on one front: to get people’s attention. Now all we need are donations. Buy some miles, folks. www.bethechangeok.org. Make this trip not only interesting, but worth it.

Tomorrow I’ll tell you a little about Don Gerardo and why I’m riding.

Dia 4 - Chilpancingo

60 kms, una subida de aproximadamente 1,300 metros, y vistas preciosas. Valió la pena.

Iba a ir por el autopista entre Tierra Colorada y Chilpancingo, pero una vez subiendo al autopista nos dimos cuenta que no iba a ser posible por toda la construcción. Regresamos a Tierra Colorada y bajé la bici del carro y empecé a rodar en la libre. No sabía que esperar en cuanto a las subidas, pero no eran tan mal, solo las tomé poco a poco.

Ahora que estoy en Chilpancingo, me cuesta un poco de trabajo subir las escaleras a mi habitación del hotel, pero me consuela el hecho que mañana debe ser relativamente plano desde aquí a Iguala.

Bueno, no voy a escribir mucho porque quiero ir a cenar pizza. Solo dejo el enlace al noticiero televisa con Lolita donde según salió el reportaje del recorrido y del proyecto en Zihuatanejo.

Estamos tratando de subir fotos a la página de web de Be the Change. Checa mas tarde hoy o mañana temprano. Deben estar. www.bethechangeok.org.

Lo siguiente es el enlace al noticiero:

http://www.tvolucion.com/noticieros/noticiero-con-lolita-ayala/041355/noticiero-con-lolita-ayala-31-agosto-2009

Day 4 - Chilpancingo

I'm sure people are praying because I've managed the first of the real climbs between Tierra Colorada and Chilpancingo. 38 miles, 4,000-foot climb, according to my GPS application on my phone. My legs are a little sore, but tomorrow should be relatively flat.

We actually had a couple of glitches this morning on the start. First, the hotel didn't open the main door (which happens the be the garage door as well) until 6:30 a.m. As soon as it was open, we literally drove the car down the hall (I'll try to upload a photo so you'll believe me) and out of the hotel and backtracked to the toll road, where I was going to get on the bike. As soon as we got up on the toll road, we realized that wasn't going to happen. There was construction for miles. As soon as we could, we turned around and headed back to Tierra Colorada. I got on the bike there and headed off a bit nervously on the old highway, wondering how rough the climb was going to be.

In fact, the climb was doable and the views were spectacular. Endless mountains, pine trees as we got higher, and flowers along the side of the road made the climb well worth while. I'm starting to remember what's so great about traveling by bicycle. There's nothing like it.

We rolled into to Chilpancingo around noon. Chilpancingo is the capital city. I was hoping to meet with government officials to let them know what we were doing, but that didn't happen. I did, however, get to eat American fast food. I went for the greasiest available - KFC. It was great, and as soon as I finish this, we're heading out for some pizza.

More later if I have time. We've got some photos that we're going to try to get on the Be the Change website this evening, so check it out tonight or tomorrow. www.bethechangeok.org.

I need you to buy some miles. That's what this is all about: money to build our abandoned senior refuge. It's a nice ride, but it's in vain if we don't raise some CASH!!!!

Ok, guys, here's a link to the national news yesterday where I've been told that the Z to OKC ride was covered.

Try it and let me know. Be aware that it's in Spanish:

http://www.tvolucion.com/noticieros/noticiero-con-lolita-ayala/041355/noticiero-con-lolita-ayala-31-agosto-2009