Back on the Bike...

...And this time, with a helmet.

Yes, you read that correctly. I wore a helmet on my bike ride this morning. What, you ask, could have prompted such an action? Well, basically it comes down to this: About a week or so before my trip North, I was out on the bike and rode part way up El Volcan. When I turned around to head back to town, I was soon freewheeling at 37.5mph. That's pretty fast on a bike. I just had one of those "D'oh" moments and decided I should wear a helmet here, too, despite how strange it looks.

I mean, in the States, I won't ride a bike without a helmet, but here I have resisted wearing one since I want to try to blend in a little. But let's face it, I'm never going to fully blend in here. I'm a gringa. On a bike. For exercise. In the words of Marisa Tomei in "My Cousin Vinny"... "Oh yeah, you blend." Not.

The upside of wearing the helmet is that I rode today relatively uninterrupted. I still had to avoid becoming a hood ornament for cars, taxis, and even a motorcycle. But I only got one "Hey, Baby" and not a single marriage proposal. Wait! Is that an upside?

As much as I missed the feeling of the wind in my hair, I know that I'm much safer wearing the helmet while riding. I guess I'll continue to do it when I go out for exercise. Now, if I'm just headed to the store for something quick, all bets are off.