Getting wet and wildI awoke this morning to the sounds of Mariachi music as the party continued on. We headed out at 5:00 AM for Day 2 of the adventure – mountain biking. We drove a couple of hours, passing through higher elevations that afforded us an incredible view of the glacier. The bikes were readied, we were provided helmets, and we hit the road…a very rocky single lane dirt road that was also being used by various cars, vans and large semi trucks traveling in both directions. Depending from which direction traffic was coming, the shouts of ”car” would echo through our ranks as we notified the person in front of or behind us that it was time to move into single file. Unfortunately, my bike had a multitude of problems along the way – a broken spoke, stripped gears, and finally a flat tire. But, our mechanic quickly fixed the problems and had me on my way again, except for the gears; left with only two of eight gears hills became quite a bit more challenging, but I was bound and determined to make it and I did…eventually.
Along the way we stopped for lunch at the home of a coffee bean grower; the patio was covered with beans drying in the sun. The home and their way of living are very simple and untouched by time. After our guide toured us through the coffee field on the hill behind the home we enjoyed a lunch prepared by our cooks that would rival that found in any four star restaurant. We rode for another hour after lunch before the van picked us up to take to our campsite – the very large yard of a private home, complete with swimming pool, shower and restroom facilities and a cooking area for our cooks. With tents pitched and showers taken we relaxed over beers and prepared ourselves to enjoy another great meal. Sometime in the middle of the night it began to rain; having never experienced the sound of rain on a tent, I found it extremely relaxing and soon drifted back off to sleep.
