...to me! It's been one month since I bought my motorcycle, so to celebrate, I went for a nice long ride on Saturday, which was, coincidentally, my six-month anniversary of arriving here.
And, now, we interrupt this blog to give you some breaking news ~~ This just in: I have received a 60-day extension of my visa!!! That's right. Ana Rut and the OIM seem to have come through for me. The 60-day extension will take me up to April 20, and when questioned about the 8 days from then until I head back to the States on April 28, Ana Rut said that we'll have my carnet by then. So, now all I need is to have my passport back in my hands and then wait for more news of my carnet.
We now return to your regularly scheduled blog...
So, Saturday was a fantastic day. I started out by going to breakfast with Jenny. We chose La Princesita's Super Baleadas. I mean, any time you can get a great breakfast for 32 Lempiras (18 for the baleada and another 14 for a bottle of pop), is a good day!! Oh yeah, 32 Lempiras equals $1.69, based on an exchange rate of 18.895 Lempiras to the dollar.
After breakfast, I dropped off Jenny at the mall so that she could print out some stuff. Yes, we went on my moto. Jenny trusted me enough, even though I haven't purchased a second helmet yet. I think we did just fine on the bike, especially considering it was my first time having a passenger.
Then I was off to La Libertad. It's about 40km away. I had been on that road for a short while about two weeks ago, but turned back before long since I didn't know where it would take me, or how safe it was. Finding out that it was a safe road and incredibly beautiful, I quickly put a trip to La Libertad on my 'to do' list. I was going to go last week, but a bit of a nasty sunburn on my lower back put a damper on those plans. The thought of the sun hitting my back, even through a t-shirt just was not pleasant.
Besides, as it turns out, going to La Libertad on Saturday was so much more symbolic. Not only was it the one-month anniversary of my moto purchase, it was also the six-month anniversary of my arriving in Honduras. The drive out there was breathtaking. Truly.
Comayagua sits in a valley (called the Comayagua Valley, as it happens) so no matter which way you drive, you quickly hit the mountains. The road to La Liber, as I heard it called today, was no different. I was only a few short kilometers outside of town when I began ascending, twisting and turning. And around each curve there appeared a view even more gorgeous than the one before. So, I just kept right on driving. My mind was wandering and all of my senses seemed on heightened enjoyment: the mountain views, the somewhat scraggly fields, the smell of the earth, the warmth of the sun on my arms and legs, the sound of the wind. It was glorious.
I was lost in my own thoughts when suddenly I saw something unexpected heading down the highway toward me, coming from the opposite direction. What? Two guys on road bikes? Really? Then, three more. Hmmm... I realized they were all gringos and then thought that they might be from the base. Slowing down quite a bit, I raised the visor on my helmet and asked the next two guys, "Hey, where are you all from?" Somewhat startled, the guy looked back and said, "Soto Cano." Yeah, I was right. Within seconds I saw the last few guys, followed by a military van. But, oh, the lust and longing that stirred within me: those sleek road bikes, such skinny tires, helmets, gloves, spandex shorts, lycra jerseys, and cycling shoes. When I finally roused myself from my cycling induced fantasy, I had an epiphany, an aha! moment. There was absolutely no reason why I can't use that same road and do some Cottonwood training on that very same road. Yeah, it'll be on my 75 lb. mountain bike, but, it's doable. Even without clipless pedals, helmet or padded shorts. I doubt I'll ride all that way to La Libertad, at least not at first, but I'm gonna head out that way on my bike next weekend. I think.
A woman on a moto is definitely somewhat new here, but a gringa on a moto? Now that's almost scandalous. Almost. Actually, here in town, there are a decent number of ladies who are riding motos or scooters, but it was obvious to me that most of them don't ride to La Liber. As I passed by people on the roadside or in their yards or fields, they stared. All of them. I tried to wave to as many as I could, and most of them waved back or at least smiled.
I arrived in La Libertad and rode around just a little. There are lots of one way streets and the town is on the side of a mountain, so there are some steep grades on several of the roads. A few of them were easily 14 or 15% grades. They would have been killer on a bike. I wondered if the military guys had ridden all the way out there.
After making it to the parque central in front of the church, I relaxed for a minute while deciding what to do. I drove across the way to a little pulperia, took off my helmet, trying to pretend I didn't see everyone staring at me, and walked inside. They had Diet Coke in the cooler, but it was in plastic bottles so I opted for a glass bottle of Fresca, even though Fresca here is not sugar free. The woman asked if I wanted it in a bolsita, which would have been 'to go', but I told her I was going to drink it here. I paid my 8 Lemps and walked back outside. All eyes were back on me. It wasn't unsettling, though. To my right was a small table, but it was occupied by a young woman, her baby and her mother or grandmother (sometimes it's nearly impossible to tell). I started talking to them, and after a few minutes, they asked me to please sit down and join them.
Even with my limited Spanish, I love trying to talk to people. I guess I'm not quite as limited as I think I am, but, yes, my lack still frustrates me.
When I finished my drink, I said my good-byes, put my empty bottle in the rack on the floor and was back on my moto. I drove around the town just a little more and then made my way back to the highway.
Unfortunately, the ride back to Comayagua seemed to be over much quicker than the ride out. Isn't it always like that? At one point, though, as I was riding, I saw some people ahead of me at a little roadside eatery. They were furiously waving at me as I passed. I smiled and waved back, realizing that I had first waved to them on my way out. They must have seen me coming from quite a ways and started waving. Maybe it was the most exciting part of their day to see the gringa on the moto. Twice.
As I left the country air and attitude behind me, I made my way through the crowded, noisy streets of Comayagua. I opened the front gate of Enlaces, and by the time I had my moto through, the guard was right there, ready to lock the gate behind me.
All in all, a beautiful day, and it wasn't even noon yet!
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