tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50235274787295482282024-03-16T18:22:55.184-05:00The Jürgen ChroniclesJürgenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03107533431710748040noreply@blogger.comBlogger417125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023527478729548228.post-78821590201343508622024-03-08T11:26:00.000-06:002024-03-08T11:26:00.629-06:00A quick get-away to Mexico's Pacific coast<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Su12EhJ-Nn88ilmD4vvrli1CND0UKDN_6JZLKnfiViR0mFjqq8CTxxRkxYleqh5wP4j058B9rUpn8UXxHNIVn_UdQ1qWXYsErm6x0Y1XQSHf-4ghXBjTWqWL09roNAABduGehBvggSnWTrEbn5L9ptBDa0w6dzPzEuouxqkOPRsK80DslhflqlXk3gSq/s2083/PXL_20240303_180209837~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1893" data-original-width="2083" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Su12EhJ-Nn88ilmD4vvrli1CND0UKDN_6JZLKnfiViR0mFjqq8CTxxRkxYleqh5wP4j058B9rUpn8UXxHNIVn_UdQ1qWXYsErm6x0Y1XQSHf-4ghXBjTWqWL09roNAABduGehBvggSnWTrEbn5L9ptBDa0w6dzPzEuouxqkOPRsK80DslhflqlXk3gSq/w400-h364/PXL_20240303_180209837~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Back in January, when Lubbock's weather was at its worst and I had just returned from Australia, I looked at my calendar, searching for an unoccupied slot to fill with some fun in the sun. March 1 to 6 seemed to be just ideal, with AA just having reset the annual Loyalty Point meter and a two-day buffer after my return before my next high-school race in Central Texas.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg52KVrxDTj-Lal4pEhSWDmTVePzPMMuVG-6v2yR3QSHJvLqbfn1gX-3NzTvwOSSL74opp0E5-X1eaxocuvifqPOZLNeFogogZ-WGF3Cu5dtese8BSxFJ5b1LvrUQEyvsBIQJkIowhV5pKIye_fcoIliB2wQKILNwDW433Litv8t5VIvRs4_iWW38zQcBlB/s3881/PXL_20240303_170718542~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2183" data-original-width="3881" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg52KVrxDTj-Lal4pEhSWDmTVePzPMMuVG-6v2yR3QSHJvLqbfn1gX-3NzTvwOSSL74opp0E5-X1eaxocuvifqPOZLNeFogogZ-WGF3Cu5dtese8BSxFJ5b1LvrUQEyvsBIQJkIowhV5pKIye_fcoIliB2wQKILNwDW433Litv8t5VIvRs4_iWW38zQcBlB/w400-h225/PXL_20240303_170718542~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>It didn't take long to decide on a destination that I'd never been to before: Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, about 150 miles north of Acapulco in the state of Guerrero.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSFG5HYFQhflgqb0Z1xY8EcXPG7DTH6Fzn5Epls9HIa4jF49e5BjqVq79RoRjN9i1QRWaoGNNojSD80maQvC1F4NqTRK2_D0gPCZ60P3y6GBY-HK1Mwba4YDYpdmN83pomwoySbEickAEYpO0matm4eFx-06rB0CEd9eZGB8Sx8i9dYvIsmiLJQUtIwx9G/s2994/PXL_20240305_165617466.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2994" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSFG5HYFQhflgqb0Z1xY8EcXPG7DTH6Fzn5Epls9HIa4jF49e5BjqVq79RoRjN9i1QRWaoGNNojSD80maQvC1F4NqTRK2_D0gPCZ60P3y6GBY-HK1Mwba4YDYpdmN83pomwoySbEickAEYpO0matm4eFx-06rB0CEd9eZGB8Sx8i9dYvIsmiLJQUtIwx9G/w303-h400/PXL_20240305_165617466.jpg" width="303" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgov_Yr2YnCLqfVZgJGiI4K7T8q63POLMsEF3wWWqeaRiLSTHmeaxWvgM1EPCqaqBNH4YsGHenwH6Odl3BtoG_H4HiSVwwaE830XHQa7VampdGbDJ7IiWkmXut5lkHYWivAv4qMeHqQ0KOM2yJ-bkuwT2bB6zGip5q9HJvWGrhQZTBN4RTH6WKhO39uyD7M/s4032/PXL_20240303_182316931.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgov_Yr2YnCLqfVZgJGiI4K7T8q63POLMsEF3wWWqeaRiLSTHmeaxWvgM1EPCqaqBNH4YsGHenwH6Odl3BtoG_H4HiSVwwaE830XHQa7VampdGbDJ7IiWkmXut5lkHYWivAv4qMeHqQ0KOM2yJ-bkuwT2bB6zGip5q9HJvWGrhQZTBN4RTH6WKhO39uyD7M/w400-h225/PXL_20240303_182316931.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>What should have been a quick two-flight hop down to ZIH turned into a 36-hour ordeal, once again thanks to American Airlines' inability to properly maintain its aircraft. A two-hour departure delay in Lubbock resulted in my missing the one-and-only flight to ZIH by less than 10 minutes, necessitating an overnight stay in Dallas. AA paid for the hotel and, quite generously, set me up with a $12 meal voucher for the extra 24 hours. My-oh-my, how low has this airline sunk?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWYT9pIDXZu0wPVFnkG0gKOu3zturb7pwz52m3PVe3ROjzbN-Wkm6ALCjnbV7qIlDIdmLqaCiI0_dVWFcJVR-8rjw85g_mPC21InepXaKwc9TAHXOkOt_4HDiojwC6POrz35AEEuE-su_Lu9RSudVJx2OV4yK4JR0uD5c5tbea-mHJ_qqWEbPf2sP-IZp6/s4032/PXL_20240302_213720375.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWYT9pIDXZu0wPVFnkG0gKOu3zturb7pwz52m3PVe3ROjzbN-Wkm6ALCjnbV7qIlDIdmLqaCiI0_dVWFcJVR-8rjw85g_mPC21InepXaKwc9TAHXOkOt_4HDiojwC6POrz35AEEuE-su_Lu9RSudVJx2OV4yK4JR0uD5c5tbea-mHJ_qqWEbPf2sP-IZp6/w400-h225/PXL_20240302_213720375.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Saturday's new departure time to Mexico came and went. Finally the pilot announced that an engine warning light was necessitating a visit by a maintenance crew (faster in DFW than in LBB, where service calls are not answered for at least 45 minutes because they are provided by a third-party company). Reset done, we headed out to the tarmac, only to return 15 minutes later for deplaning, shuffling to a new gate, and waiting for spare equipment to show up.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinfal5CuTPAyqFaJS_A1vTS66LybOzbdqBw83SIcpWWd6A6fsOZxC6fmoxtGoQPT7FsQT7S_30AFuKawH5zN-3Rdet4WJhSLMPoUyqfAmUlAF3HtIeNmEY_QMRknxopdf6rG7YxsA2-aE1gtv6QUVAXZdaz6OH6coXir3Y_B1MvHEl07LbD4DMAUFeBvx_/s2699/PXL_20240302_144521184.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2699" data-original-width="2203" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinfal5CuTPAyqFaJS_A1vTS66LybOzbdqBw83SIcpWWd6A6fsOZxC6fmoxtGoQPT7FsQT7S_30AFuKawH5zN-3Rdet4WJhSLMPoUyqfAmUlAF3HtIeNmEY_QMRknxopdf6rG7YxsA2-aE1gtv6QUVAXZdaz6OH6coXir3Y_B1MvHEl07LbD4DMAUFeBvx_/w326-h400/PXL_20240302_144521184.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL~2.jpg" width="326" /></a></div></div><div>Despite the salmon-avocado toast earlier in the Admirals Club, this was not the greatest way to start a vacation.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-3rHP3sayxdsszc0_oqpWriue1UAPqhsLvuTs_t8X91f-_naLcYGUUnKfK1_jBWxDpRb268aMg-hLW5jhc6bFBa0hEjZ5pBX9OyUQC5zVg5QFKlIhPdqF6FbeR5uLZ00YQKqDGqHDUhaQNS9kS-wvw2FoYmm797fVjPuKTU5Tn4ARC3Qr1WgEnzZD_6I/s4032/PXL_20240302_224338998.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-3rHP3sayxdsszc0_oqpWriue1UAPqhsLvuTs_t8X91f-_naLcYGUUnKfK1_jBWxDpRb268aMg-hLW5jhc6bFBa0hEjZ5pBX9OyUQC5zVg5QFKlIhPdqF6FbeR5uLZ00YQKqDGqHDUhaQNS9kS-wvw2FoYmm797fVjPuKTU5Tn4ARC3Qr1WgEnzZD_6I/w400-h225/PXL_20240302_224338998.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Tael49SKjVmvTFsaTvXiXRfyScB45WmfSKXSVvCErSnLWX5ooziQMNV6lMAFckqMHUBMunb4bZHA8NmD4CTY2UK6yg2aMzMYnMJ40PZjFqqXqZf-8AUSnGHrh4n5oWHuXXYpdf0w4QJO1yeq1_ZzfKw5C_v5zqthWySH33U-TND1TnoWhY7dsezuwcMx/s2251/PXL_20240302_222512301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2246" data-original-width="2251" height="399" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Tael49SKjVmvTFsaTvXiXRfyScB45WmfSKXSVvCErSnLWX5ooziQMNV6lMAFckqMHUBMunb4bZHA8NmD4CTY2UK6yg2aMzMYnMJ40PZjFqqXqZf-8AUSnGHrh4n5oWHuXXYpdf0w4QJO1yeq1_ZzfKw5C_v5zqthWySH33U-TND1TnoWhY7dsezuwcMx/w400-h399/PXL_20240302_222512301.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik9anIdEwDAmV22oqvJGR5rarzlP-VFc4mzEQBwkM1dd0odd1bDAfOVbPgLMLRyv8bB-E6EvI11gTzEHk88N4N3t_FML1k66fAT0-dYKY1qVYRbkOMwty7mFynqgWxi55qc5gz9KIsJMzb4kWXH7IvixbkBmmWyfLiCR06wO1y5c6vfK6JJSri3wbki59z/s4032/PXL_20240302_221958287.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik9anIdEwDAmV22oqvJGR5rarzlP-VFc4mzEQBwkM1dd0odd1bDAfOVbPgLMLRyv8bB-E6EvI11gTzEHk88N4N3t_FML1k66fAT0-dYKY1qVYRbkOMwty7mFynqgWxi55qc5gz9KIsJMzb4kWXH7IvixbkBmmWyfLiCR06wO1y5c6vfK6JJSri3wbki59z/w400-h225/PXL_20240302_221958287.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>Of course, eventually one always arrives. And we did, three hours late. A 30-minute taxi ride later I was at the Grand Azul Ixtapa, an all-inclusive resort just outside of Playa Linda, less of a village than simply the name of a wide sand beach stretching toward the north. My hotel, a modern high-rise with all-oceanfront rooms, was located in a medium-sized bay of the rocky shoreline south of Playa Linda. The hotel featured three large free-form pools, one of them an infinity <i>alberca</i> from where one had an incredible view of the shoreline as well as a small, sandy house beach below. It's easy to give the Grand Azul a 10 out of a possible 10 in regard to location, views, and recreational facilities. My room was on the 17th floor, in the center of the large edifice, with a fantastic view of the bay from my balcony. Since the hotel faces west, the mornings are nice and cool without any direct sun, yet the evenings feature spectacular sunsets. The room was extremely spacious, well designed, with an in-room jacuzzi, minibar, and a comfortable king bed. Housekeeping was impeccable, and even the brand-new coffee maker was resupplied daily with coffee pods.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmkirx3sUvCVU6Os5v-3-yS8a1ct6DZsejc0jWExVFvzuMc8F53mgVuIV174BHIXhoPhh5zDOQ5S9wL6LDI9E0aJhZCJEV_fHmuRivK7ODhqkoy_BlANTd0rEmZpm25P9XZahvIo0bG5m3SSjexUE6TGZE0J4zPUPMUXefBHyNluohH3Imn4jy2bhqk21k/s4032/PXL_20240303_002905701.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmkirx3sUvCVU6Os5v-3-yS8a1ct6DZsejc0jWExVFvzuMc8F53mgVuIV174BHIXhoPhh5zDOQ5S9wL6LDI9E0aJhZCJEV_fHmuRivK7ODhqkoy_BlANTd0rEmZpm25P9XZahvIo0bG5m3SSjexUE6TGZE0J4zPUPMUXefBHyNluohH3Imn4jy2bhqk21k/w400-h225/PXL_20240303_002905701.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmZ8e-z8Sf7F-uNW8O_4_qawTkQ58vqswl-FlOYLWgY_UrvpYklj6Wvo5sr2SX5vGyMXDgHXOlPgdrWRyy0mQ4EbrU46GqwrY_xR8swpkdBN2O01aYVGdTRCi9CRGZxP1rpfzzdnXQf9t0CYuV_V4OrXLQ4z6NnAH69jDsF1RiRJijN9MUw7BQiG_1qucO/s4032/PXL_20240302_231251229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmZ8e-z8Sf7F-uNW8O_4_qawTkQ58vqswl-FlOYLWgY_UrvpYklj6Wvo5sr2SX5vGyMXDgHXOlPgdrWRyy0mQ4EbrU46GqwrY_xR8swpkdBN2O01aYVGdTRCi9CRGZxP1rpfzzdnXQf9t0CYuV_V4OrXLQ4z6NnAH69jDsF1RiRJijN9MUw7BQiG_1qucO/w400-h225/PXL_20240302_231251229.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikSmT67I9de-rSE6SaE2c1VOIg6stdP2UMmeKkH2ZgOMJlxf4F09MUfTqJtUNiwY1WoZ8DBwBQhE7OJahA5dVS_XSlMdx6fS0NCvFJU0MxCbVcDyslX5Eoh6TccileyFXwGIgf_At3ijKLBF8xJ6S5NT2Ch7mNshAN13keRVaES5iC9h_bHzfVosn99KD_/s4032/PXL_20240304_171346128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikSmT67I9de-rSE6SaE2c1VOIg6stdP2UMmeKkH2ZgOMJlxf4F09MUfTqJtUNiwY1WoZ8DBwBQhE7OJahA5dVS_XSlMdx6fS0NCvFJU0MxCbVcDyslX5Eoh6TccileyFXwGIgf_At3ijKLBF8xJ6S5NT2Ch7mNshAN13keRVaES5iC9h_bHzfVosn99KD_/w400-h225/PXL_20240304_171346128.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGdtMlyB23ODfPVqWhOYOCpXGD6BVS3WJRdZz7dyNefVSn-eBjwl1sDU5f1c355fuoAvKQMscJleIatPD_Ta9z2FdBr45gcFtHNryV7HkXHVWnvwlvtUjaZhgoUuoU1m6Itk2z9F-600HMdl7ZTHCWXwub6Nn-U16QB7gq5irCWn4euFKCQRMwKbYW0q61/s3955/PXL_20240302_231403809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2224" data-original-width="3955" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGdtMlyB23ODfPVqWhOYOCpXGD6BVS3WJRdZz7dyNefVSn-eBjwl1sDU5f1c355fuoAvKQMscJleIatPD_Ta9z2FdBr45gcFtHNryV7HkXHVWnvwlvtUjaZhgoUuoU1m6Itk2z9F-600HMdl7ZTHCWXwub6Nn-U16QB7gq5irCWn4euFKCQRMwKbYW0q61/w400-h225/PXL_20240302_231403809.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVGpShSSz6Zl-RKmuhBeGSO9fumvqNZEzq7DabY-fo2hfnQRU_h-NiL0zv1L8WV6FQbp7miIl-hu3TWlBmX7gA8JiK494Y89leLgDYehueBpE3iuTRGnO8xXZ0u2j6Vvi3QslPHsIFR4WPq3lhfV6vdkyt-PKCt9oj73qgm1w3W0suy_P3eQUN50Iua7RG/s4032/PXL_20240304_052749441.LONG_EXPOSURE-02.ORIGINAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVGpShSSz6Zl-RKmuhBeGSO9fumvqNZEzq7DabY-fo2hfnQRU_h-NiL0zv1L8WV6FQbp7miIl-hu3TWlBmX7gA8JiK494Y89leLgDYehueBpE3iuTRGnO8xXZ0u2j6Vvi3QslPHsIFR4WPq3lhfV6vdkyt-PKCt9oj73qgm1w3W0suy_P3eQUN50Iua7RG/w400-h225/PXL_20240304_052749441.LONG_EXPOSURE-02.ORIGINAL.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>As an all-inclusive, the Grand Azul featured the usual main buffet restaurant (where I had all my breakfasts and a lunch) as well as a poolside snack bar, perfect for a light lunch. Located just half a kilometer north and reachable via a beautiful, eco-oriented boardwalk above the waves, a sister resort, the Azul Ixtapa, allowed use of its bars and facilities as well. On two of my excursions I ended up having a beer and some lunch over there. If I had a choice of the two, I'd probably go back to the Grand Azul for its location on the rocky shore instead of looking upon the less exciting sand beach of Playa Linda. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVW-A47DFSipAHvL_ytgeZ6LR-h16bg2_o9UaVO1CymvbmeHH5RHtz_UIp-lxkNTbiAY6FxLxAZqkj5Uac2aGCxoM0_IZS-Y6M2perNiCmX5fFZwTVviFA6aUZSzGErDQL5J1vwvV-OPFESKtL4s9rBDgMRixpQZhDF8HPtqZnWpu-d0cC68UkIF5YaRzx/s4032/PXL_20240305_163439477copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVW-A47DFSipAHvL_ytgeZ6LR-h16bg2_o9UaVO1CymvbmeHH5RHtz_UIp-lxkNTbiAY6FxLxAZqkj5Uac2aGCxoM0_IZS-Y6M2perNiCmX5fFZwTVviFA6aUZSzGErDQL5J1vwvV-OPFESKtL4s9rBDgMRixpQZhDF8HPtqZnWpu-d0cC68UkIF5YaRzx/w400-h225/PXL_20240305_163439477copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Green is the Grand Azul, red the sister resort, and blue the Oyster Bar mutual fish restaurant for both properties (as seen from <i>Isla Ixtapa</i>)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvd3VamavSDn_rXMnA9LDHJvZ-tTqcDlVRf-Kabe5HjbjD_XPsW4fQDIlwIm-NVcQBMvTM_b763o-tD2z7iJb9P-BOugFmSB6LYT11M3axE0ODSXZVCh8RtGCJ19L_fEbqsNgGM2SyT_MqnZ7Mq0NNw3WdQz2Z2yL5tLr_fD8U3RiPEZAFScIEpKrOSgqQ/s3252/PXL_20240303_180755853.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3252" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvd3VamavSDn_rXMnA9LDHJvZ-tTqcDlVRf-Kabe5HjbjD_XPsW4fQDIlwIm-NVcQBMvTM_b763o-tD2z7iJb9P-BOugFmSB6LYT11M3axE0ODSXZVCh8RtGCJ19L_fEbqsNgGM2SyT_MqnZ7Mq0NNw3WdQz2Z2yL5tLr_fD8U3RiPEZAFScIEpKrOSgqQ/w279-h400/PXL_20240303_180755853.jpg" width="279" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfyq5mfDUXB1edYlEyqPrn6Op6h-uOzfHKr1bIxV73WMzYF7PEFVkexSahLAnyfv1OVsWDYAZTvvEmaQ9YX2RAsG6UXtw99X51-qr7PctcOVuCGjJiogDqCHQGTEEDzNHc5hGKBmskD_pxiDyeDPI6hhLBznp8KImIDLCOb1dtiiA_0yZFnrmBfDFpvQYv/s4032/PXL_20240303_193258985.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfyq5mfDUXB1edYlEyqPrn6Op6h-uOzfHKr1bIxV73WMzYF7PEFVkexSahLAnyfv1OVsWDYAZTvvEmaQ9YX2RAsG6UXtw99X51-qr7PctcOVuCGjJiogDqCHQGTEEDzNHc5hGKBmskD_pxiDyeDPI6hhLBznp8KImIDLCOb1dtiiA_0yZFnrmBfDFpvQYv/w400-h225/PXL_20240303_193258985.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGBqc8Vb1GWqCoOXOa-hQ2V6Si_UnYS-8g9CUQIQHE9ZGbeyIs5KZz9W62p-X_kcWLrJ9jOPGGmw0c3-XR1akZc8wNqtQkP5yJTy7AIGRsPIRBZuVCu8q_DfPOr65sZbgcJ7naC7zgAuTBEMQT9Ua3IMP5XGFHR_oWinIIKfwrq_9F1-BFOMIGTf96zlAR/s4032/PXL_20240303_194601999.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGBqc8Vb1GWqCoOXOa-hQ2V6Si_UnYS-8g9CUQIQHE9ZGbeyIs5KZz9W62p-X_kcWLrJ9jOPGGmw0c3-XR1akZc8wNqtQkP5yJTy7AIGRsPIRBZuVCu8q_DfPOr65sZbgcJ7naC7zgAuTBEMQT9Ua3IMP5XGFHR_oWinIIKfwrq_9F1-BFOMIGTf96zlAR/w400-h225/PXL_20240303_194601999.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">View of <i>Isla Ixtapa</i> from my balcony</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>In addition to the buffet, three specialty a-la-carte restaurants are open for dinner. Guests are limited to only two meals per week in the specialty restaurants (computerized reservations are needed, so the hotel can actually keep track of them), but somehow I managed to sweet-talk myself into having dinner every one of my four nights in one of them. Compared to the specialty restaurants that I know from the H10 resorts on the Riviera Maya, I have to say that the food was more innovative and presented in an even more appealing way; the quality was excellent (definitely better than the so-so buffet offerings). Twice I dined in the Mexican restaurant and once in the Asian one (Japanese, Thai, Indonesian, and Chinese). The most pleasurable experience was dining at the Oyster Bar, a small outdoors-only place set on the boardwalk between the two hotels, over the waves and with a magnificent sunset view of <i>Isla Ixtapa. </i>And boy, that food was to kill for!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitAH8QZx7_9razd5hKrbj8Nq-O1zcve78InaOLfEnY2XTVX17xPhESovRSwaUN3HvDh_sX4YjLPf28PNREHU6RDJS1D1S5wsOcCeIZiaPNWoG9p-UpcBzjnynDXA8tYgBTVUUiTndBRUU5mHVKPpBu1N4N3kw8xJ_rwqTbT2X6XC3bo_GsnWIPM3jWs7Qp/s3846/PXL_20240305_005746804.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2163" data-original-width="3846" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitAH8QZx7_9razd5hKrbj8Nq-O1zcve78InaOLfEnY2XTVX17xPhESovRSwaUN3HvDh_sX4YjLPf28PNREHU6RDJS1D1S5wsOcCeIZiaPNWoG9p-UpcBzjnynDXA8tYgBTVUUiTndBRUU5mHVKPpBu1N4N3kw8xJ_rwqTbT2X6XC3bo_GsnWIPM3jWs7Qp/w400-h225/PXL_20240305_005746804.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3430" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHFSyC7lbfm5tsLeRGCFha1Q140orROdl-fp6mb5nhUttuUrygRO8mB1CkyoD4FUr3J_sWp_HXsxFWUdUlVuf0PVWG42m2zng9hRFdPxS-co_Cj8up1vUgE8U9KiOOJpbUy8VbdfMYTdpSCVGBywBbqKaAGKTjC6tR2FFDwkPnFUQ5LfqgQCXGlLhoIytL/w265-h400/PXL_20240306_020535488.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFn-CZQpaJZ7BYLoL8igDhuVygkduYzi7Np360D0850JOhzoxMEki0spkvaErcQ0Ri99ZD99r8ohEca44-QhHhIAP5e0bTlW54_lO1l1CwVxIW9zmXu3-ff2lWBkGaOmFtP1HyMOaE9xx-ajncDYsHiFqgh1aI2bhkVUkzz4qT6VoZUPbLk7optnSUAh6D/s4032/PXL_20240306_024604767.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFn-CZQpaJZ7BYLoL8igDhuVygkduYzi7Np360D0850JOhzoxMEki0spkvaErcQ0Ri99ZD99r8ohEca44-QhHhIAP5e0bTlW54_lO1l1CwVxIW9zmXu3-ff2lWBkGaOmFtP1HyMOaE9xx-ajncDYsHiFqgh1aI2bhkVUkzz4qT6VoZUPbLk7optnSUAh6D/w400-h225/PXL_20240306_024604767.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9c9dFvBQLrGU5KbLiqPe8mdjsp3Hw_Ub41LxYVgf1o_UyNMGHs1V_oZt9mh4AvV53Wc6ZUf26nYHgD1lMOxDrogDWrnp85NotewDPpXQJNQJG9uw8-c2qoYnGhxTN5RXUgpH8W97IC2Os3PfgDlwXBDsmFioyTz2U64_hRWM4Xm6arZo3eDJ96JNu7bv7/s3727/PXL_20240305_022155654.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3727" data-original-width="2247" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9c9dFvBQLrGU5KbLiqPe8mdjsp3Hw_Ub41LxYVgf1o_UyNMGHs1V_oZt9mh4AvV53Wc6ZUf26nYHgD1lMOxDrogDWrnp85NotewDPpXQJNQJG9uw8-c2qoYnGhxTN5RXUgpH8W97IC2Os3PfgDlwXBDsmFioyTz2U64_hRWM4Xm6arZo3eDJ96JNu7bv7/w241-h400/PXL_20240305_022155654.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwea-TjJ3kpHzNyL0vv_WxkYChKxVGb-YErJtWxkbt8_fivcfCGjM2vA8mpzkhezTwTX2qxygaNsHDqpP80q1q3ol0WjsagRRx4imdmVDmNWfqjvAeXTqh-kzBqyUkcjBrYWi2wjiNVsWYbeSVoWT0v4vNw_qN4zgVq9JpvXTOm06W3AzpbWP7FgqvOSGC/s4032/PXL_20240305_032300506.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwea-TjJ3kpHzNyL0vv_WxkYChKxVGb-YErJtWxkbt8_fivcfCGjM2vA8mpzkhezTwTX2qxygaNsHDqpP80q1q3ol0WjsagRRx4imdmVDmNWfqjvAeXTqh-kzBqyUkcjBrYWi2wjiNVsWYbeSVoWT0v4vNw_qN4zgVq9JpvXTOm06W3AzpbWP7FgqvOSGC/w400-h225/PXL_20240305_032300506.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>With only four (instead of five) nights I was left with only three full days that I used for different excursions. On day one, I went for a long hike that first took me through the hills behind the hotel, with panoramic views of the Pacific ocean, <i>Isla Ixtapa</i>, and the wide sand beaches stretching for miles north of Playa Linda. After a mile or so of clambering through an abandoned and overgrown subdivision I walked up and down the beach, which was busy with local families in the immediate vicinity of the beach restaurants and souvenir stands of Playa Linda but after that was almost completely deserted.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ8SyTP_z3m_OJdq4HXfA2Dvc4ThaKUwOr8lmwsa5w1ByeQbD_8yM8VJtho-BgTvzcYfsYfiaOF_4FsbPPAr3ZceLQt5JDPomel1FpenbNGMzFZgrTrGXwug8fMStDbm_om2yISRO3SZj1Wt93CSR5-Tl-Ammndsdx5XB9YQpNIWNXWz7sQBq7wJQ8u3Ot/s2970/PXL_20240303_161252599.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2970" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ8SyTP_z3m_OJdq4HXfA2Dvc4ThaKUwOr8lmwsa5w1ByeQbD_8yM8VJtho-BgTvzcYfsYfiaOF_4FsbPPAr3ZceLQt5JDPomel1FpenbNGMzFZgrTrGXwug8fMStDbm_om2yISRO3SZj1Wt93CSR5-Tl-Ammndsdx5XB9YQpNIWNXWz7sQBq7wJQ8u3Ot/w305-h400/PXL_20240303_161252599.jpg" width="305" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVe6V8pEBfRwcS3rSe06IAtThLHHWS7LKoq2Bp0je6ccNKGej44M5btp-IXtrkQHKcdbevd3CXw8x39RrMCpVJkY3x_3BSAOmuYK9o9EHB3LvStwSITx7mwzBQz2YPt8XEkip-fDhbCaVktuuDoq8V5mo_06Gz4EVIMeQwlzHUF6AEXBbaslwLg2ZKTzo3/s4032/PXL_20240303_161038402.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1521" data-original-width="4032" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVe6V8pEBfRwcS3rSe06IAtThLHHWS7LKoq2Bp0je6ccNKGej44M5btp-IXtrkQHKcdbevd3CXw8x39RrMCpVJkY3x_3BSAOmuYK9o9EHB3LvStwSITx7mwzBQz2YPt8XEkip-fDhbCaVktuuDoq8V5mo_06Gz4EVIMeQwlzHUF6AEXBbaslwLg2ZKTzo3/w400-h151/PXL_20240303_161038402.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2gGoxx9D1gWYvjJsWblPpEUaES7Wlp1IcMwE985LIarBnVhifUUJCnQBoNS4FEmYArc10aNGbendtOXy7lfthuNcB1Q-Pao9Zru5jxzY3yiIrNbVlLjySfdTGs6UhUk3L29C6WVzmNinSEKU3kU2KIXDBGtMsjPovtTk6L1mFyVVb7TUFx5vMRPkBeKR_/s4032/PXL_20240303_155611746.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLRPi68GiwQRKRej-fwwgwCMgfGueEVx_a35SXwisMXA0UdgPtkvCpR01LpSDzj13EF9MituWdd7o7CcaZDCyUIEZ45lF-Pd0hjZkbufxOS5Gab6zytW2jf6NLfm5sXQXkwQrlkvgtNbmSicg5klX3FmI_ouIiCMP2ISQv4kaeTUftmwdAxKWzaWg6hUFV/s2594/PXL_20240303_175208562~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2594" data-original-width="1425" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLRPi68GiwQRKRej-fwwgwCMgfGueEVx_a35SXwisMXA0UdgPtkvCpR01LpSDzj13EF9MituWdd7o7CcaZDCyUIEZ45lF-Pd0hjZkbufxOS5Gab6zytW2jf6NLfm5sXQXkwQrlkvgtNbmSicg5klX3FmI_ouIiCMP2ISQv4kaeTUftmwdAxKWzaWg6hUFV/w220-h400/PXL_20240303_175208562~2.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinLLQMQ9_xcPHeaDYJ9ncXWenAtw7RqN9fNJzUqKQpJ9YdmBcP1ahYi6VQsQ71ZelNabxrK-_qpxhq5qIg3ewQXwdmBuv_kNtkQzFKCQxoA8bcobr7u1MlNomTOiLmxQ3F3gdnwR41sEBqMhf9qqTV3LtNtDUrFdEB9syH2uTQ3qo0bckdLc1Zl98kIXqQ/s3127/PXL_20240303_175600771.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1673" data-original-width="3127" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinLLQMQ9_xcPHeaDYJ9ncXWenAtw7RqN9fNJzUqKQpJ9YdmBcP1ahYi6VQsQ71ZelNabxrK-_qpxhq5qIg3ewQXwdmBuv_kNtkQzFKCQxoA8bcobr7u1MlNomTOiLmxQ3F3gdnwR41sEBqMhf9qqTV3LtNtDUrFdEB9syH2uTQ3qo0bckdLc1Zl98kIXqQ/w400-h214/PXL_20240303_175600771.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>For the next day I signed up for a bicycle excursion with a member of the resort's activity team, a young man by the name of César. We were joined by a young Mexican couple, and the four of us rode on well-maintained, new Trek mountain bikes on an excellent <i>ciclopista </i>that traverses the general Ixtapa-Zihuatenejo area to the tune of something like about 45 kilometers. Well, I didn't want to get César into any trouble and thus was the compliant tourist who didn't just hijack the bike but resigned myself to riding just 7 miles in about an hour and a half, with many stops to make sure that the young couple was not too badly worn out. On the way back we stopped by the <i>Cocodrilario</i> in Playa Linda, a natural alligator and bird habitat that is a nicely kept, free tourist attraction.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhKag-Aep3vqo6PCB2Ng6uvF05gXF70T1Ij7X3jlg8APelaiU5eY1-iW91DGgsXhG78Dr9QMTvc7_JfbTB7Q9dBAIMUOPTbjdRVmSKclD9iBG_1NI45C9891ykcQbZhlWgLIYQzJQIA5eTeeSo-FynXYQPrBKNOxAc-xy1dBzf0KyKkrtzr0t4y_X5TCR3/s2274/PXL_20240304_150739744.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2274" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhKag-Aep3vqo6PCB2Ng6uvF05gXF70T1Ij7X3jlg8APelaiU5eY1-iW91DGgsXhG78Dr9QMTvc7_JfbTB7Q9dBAIMUOPTbjdRVmSKclD9iBG_1NI45C9891ykcQbZhlWgLIYQzJQIA5eTeeSo-FynXYQPrBKNOxAc-xy1dBzf0KyKkrtzr0t4y_X5TCR3/w399-h400/PXL_20240304_150739744.jpg" width="399" /></a></div></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgazKywhqnlXmB59c5SafXH1TwI6Xf7jVE04PuUoAVX7I2Maa2ldIyTAM-pUHHJyjl8vHii1ArH-P0SlSrxA6E0EMPO7tfvi-WKYFc8HszPZmaeKUXTY5Dz704T6p_1GEBrEa18RLPXaD1bQMDJa0iPzy7xcUvQustgBbh1eK_5fpqncEJsIlTqGUA8v6qm/s3631/PXL_20240303_193216033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2138" data-original-width="3631" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgazKywhqnlXmB59c5SafXH1TwI6Xf7jVE04PuUoAVX7I2Maa2ldIyTAM-pUHHJyjl8vHii1ArH-P0SlSrxA6E0EMPO7tfvi-WKYFc8HszPZmaeKUXTY5Dz704T6p_1GEBrEa18RLPXaD1bQMDJa0iPzy7xcUvQustgBbh1eK_5fpqncEJsIlTqGUA8v6qm/w400-h235/PXL_20240303_193216033.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6oFQfnMiYA-USfBrPCqtMpFgTndffFszHoEVx949RQnYzREIiE7Z2InHp7-05AaObDa8MuwTPF0avzegzb_XTeFow7BBlEnF60DdXjfCeWkaWcf8Abn_o7TzDpnG_gp_E5aidU2xnQpPK9qWzI-3ghelLy8IMdle4uOmgb8s98W-Saayuoezdl-R5RUoX/s2105/PXL_20240304_161011290.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2105" data-original-width="2102" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6oFQfnMiYA-USfBrPCqtMpFgTndffFszHoEVx949RQnYzREIiE7Z2InHp7-05AaObDa8MuwTPF0avzegzb_XTeFow7BBlEnF60DdXjfCeWkaWcf8Abn_o7TzDpnG_gp_E5aidU2xnQpPK9qWzI-3ghelLy8IMdle4uOmgb8s98W-Saayuoezdl-R5RUoX/w400-h400/PXL_20240304_161011290.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A wood stork approaching the sanctuary (and more wood storks in the photo above)</span></td></tr></tbody></table>For my third escape from the resort I walked the mile or so to the <i>muelle de Playa Linda</i>, a small pier from where water taxis ferry you for about $5 to the <i>Isla Ixtapa</i>. I had read that the island has several pretty beaches dotted with lots of tiny restaurants. The boat ride takes less than 10 minutes, and once on the island there's not much walking that can be done because of the dense vegetation and the lack of any other trails than the ones that connect the beaches. (While the beaches are sandy, the rest of the shoreline is way too rocky to navigate.) As it was a Tuesday, relatively few tourists from the mainland had decided on an excursion. Actually, when I had first seen the <i>lancha </i>service on Sunday, locals with coolers, babies, and grandmothers in tow had been queuing up to get ferried across; the beach at Playa Linda had been equally crowded with locals who were enjoying their day off.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMdS310Uor186L8hyphenhyphenQRo2RSNEParP8ONoEybjolEEQ66uuk1ZmhZwmJ6qZgHHghceh2puaRM4Gxv8hCPlqIWtXAgsxL03uk-YBy8tChXlOZihWhr7MGRrwLJRiMT0bTOXc874IpXlRw9ZucyYAI3e1dBJSYl2nyI-en03I19w_jjW0ykVwKiZA6dsMimma/s3947/PXL_20240303_181555866.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1968" data-original-width="3947" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMdS310Uor186L8hyphenhyphenQRo2RSNEParP8ONoEybjolEEQ66uuk1ZmhZwmJ6qZgHHghceh2puaRM4Gxv8hCPlqIWtXAgsxL03uk-YBy8tChXlOZihWhr7MGRrwLJRiMT0bTOXc874IpXlRw9ZucyYAI3e1dBJSYl2nyI-en03I19w_jjW0ykVwKiZA6dsMimma/w400-h200/PXL_20240303_181555866.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0bKCiwSxIPywrGtkU0CZtIX3GANgHLL75EmkJfpCiXXI0H_mD_HYCQ8JWzALEhzS9tmnD632bKmX-ELSAZ83jUkXRNV4sTgbwuzjO5-XWw2E8WZC45E0k-And9glkG29pa-Vo9dT4doXKWYlwrrd8KM7-SGWAr8Lh62IiybBpuTtCXn0HfnwlNEJ_-Be2/w400-h225/PXL_20240305_175945977.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Three days, three nice excursions. The rest of my daytime hours I spent lounging around one of the pools or on the beach, occasionally dipping into the water. It's easy to lose track of time while reading, dozing off to the sound of the incessant waves, or simply enjoying yet another drink. And watching the occasional thirty-year-old out for a private photo shoot was a nice bonus! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR77xgEUR10_EuiUzVoNlZcxKaXclEFKmeO-eH6XgyAxWEKpMw2rKr_Jni2exBlEliKRJSjR0LQxNEaZZSFElu3K0ImzTWPAJX-yeUiDQxK58Ze8q-SU_m8T37DVxygY021rh_8eqVYKegLBb_eHD9OxE0UREMWYXzSiPwe3eBAaxOpRgvl0rmKFFfS5c2/s4032/PXL_20240305_212655096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR77xgEUR10_EuiUzVoNlZcxKaXclEFKmeO-eH6XgyAxWEKpMw2rKr_Jni2exBlEliKRJSjR0LQxNEaZZSFElu3K0ImzTWPAJX-yeUiDQxK58Ze8q-SU_m8T37DVxygY021rh_8eqVYKegLBb_eHD9OxE0UREMWYXzSiPwe3eBAaxOpRgvl0rmKFFfS5c2/w400-h225/PXL_20240305_212655096.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKAhA2KgmT19-IMxPsXkMjghT5A5r4XnNYq_zKybUfMQMcUANKMa4KkeG31XHLGrIOlashPmjdGPPv84YUuNGim-MIGvD2UptnOo0YyfLjR4yUXB4yYzK0Onx6yVt_9oGN1QHzC91B-PYdc27JzCrKjST78Or42j-4U0xNucz0PonggYVo0gYI6yqJ6x-W/s2806/PXL_20240303_003413226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2806" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKAhA2KgmT19-IMxPsXkMjghT5A5r4XnNYq_zKybUfMQMcUANKMa4KkeG31XHLGrIOlashPmjdGPPv84YUuNGim-MIGvD2UptnOo0YyfLjR4yUXB4yYzK0Onx6yVt_9oGN1QHzC91B-PYdc27JzCrKjST78Or42j-4U0xNucz0PonggYVo0gYI6yqJ6x-W/w324-h400/PXL_20240303_003413226.jpg" width="324" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqH0CWEAmTbFjpg4L0SrptI-s8T5GF6UzaAdVbfaOmZPXbJP2hR-koMe2GMzTDO3qFD0JQRdxHQhKkYGXLCGslahZae-L4PQV-KUIjp9gFu-XOy-6k7yTBzhVEjwxNS41rmSld4DswW4xk4ZuD8Q0cMHJYmNrN9s6tz_i0_zXILQZgkvzwaILoa45DvAJ4/s4032/PXL_20240305_212647541.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqH0CWEAmTbFjpg4L0SrptI-s8T5GF6UzaAdVbfaOmZPXbJP2hR-koMe2GMzTDO3qFD0JQRdxHQhKkYGXLCGslahZae-L4PQV-KUIjp9gFu-XOy-6k7yTBzhVEjwxNS41rmSld4DswW4xk4ZuD8Q0cMHJYmNrN9s6tz_i0_zXILQZgkvzwaILoa45DvAJ4/w400-h225/PXL_20240305_212647541.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLEBAO8TzSIiIYh-J-foRk_SMEWEdvtFuhZ2-jEcEe6ehilxW2BBsd8KCZqkNs0Xfhn0-OmiuxO709G1a7z-puP0Mwaq69ugCGzzaBEdtnFJ28olM-rFnGg2FEANWPfahXaW-1AnALGEvm93o7c8a6F_auAPPdRxRyYhkiER_lIBnLtS3baq6ErokWrdEP/s2528/PXL_20240304_003938949.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2528" data-original-width="1473" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLEBAO8TzSIiIYh-J-foRk_SMEWEdvtFuhZ2-jEcEe6ehilxW2BBsd8KCZqkNs0Xfhn0-OmiuxO709G1a7z-puP0Mwaq69ugCGzzaBEdtnFJ28olM-rFnGg2FEANWPfahXaW-1AnALGEvm93o7c8a6F_auAPPdRxRyYhkiER_lIBnLtS3baq6ErokWrdEP/w233-h400/PXL_20240304_003938949.jpg" width="233" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyCDd0j7npRAqz1if5NMfg3dLu2BsL-ks4mbnFSzSc-AL6DqJmMGNM5Q0av32nqEmkY8pij0Y6yhmRvDaVOLH1TIOt_AjiDhc8IN6FUcqH0ZImIW-Cl5vmOyPsAQ6B_A95M6fhAzIjmXgbq-yOEBWI691cdbP4MVFhScR393FQnF_0TneYkNrvzmxlA18N/s4032/PXL_20240303_002852051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyCDd0j7npRAqz1if5NMfg3dLu2BsL-ks4mbnFSzSc-AL6DqJmMGNM5Q0av32nqEmkY8pij0Y6yhmRvDaVOLH1TIOt_AjiDhc8IN6FUcqH0ZImIW-Cl5vmOyPsAQ6B_A95M6fhAzIjmXgbq-yOEBWI691cdbP4MVFhScR393FQnF_0TneYkNrvzmxlA18N/w400-h225/PXL_20240303_002852051.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>But I think most of my time I spent simply watching the pelicans that were attracted to the obvious superabundance of fish in our bay! In the morning, fishermen in small skiffs would come out and cast nets, and flocks of pelicans and seagulls would mob them; later, when the humans had returned to shore with their daily catch, the pelicans would continue to patrol the area, barely flapping a wing—until their keen eyes would spot prey and an abrupt maneuver initiated a precipitous plunge. The continual dive-bombing into the water went on all day, and quite often they came up with something squiggling in what is caller their gular pouch (or throat sac). It was mesmerizing to watch them and I managed to take some very cool videos of their hunt.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkucLaXVWX4CwptIOX87TXVKWaBcikJV8L1q4GiEzFz3RZaJcN0Ncm9SXhLzjM-Db32Lw0-BJ8WiSWgN07OMMQWlKZWn2MLBBPfPLbJaCIEzk9qiw7rkgLPlu1Jv-pwiHvzMXZ5CqlSZbmpybcpOLtYdx8j8Ah03Ne4EkS731-YD7eSx-e2aRvfIh6Wm2/s2832/PXL_20240304_215408620.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2832" data-original-width="2099" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkucLaXVWX4CwptIOX87TXVKWaBcikJV8L1q4GiEzFz3RZaJcN0Ncm9SXhLzjM-Db32Lw0-BJ8WiSWgN07OMMQWlKZWn2MLBBPfPLbJaCIEzk9qiw7rkgLPlu1Jv-pwiHvzMXZ5CqlSZbmpybcpOLtYdx8j8Ah03Ne4EkS731-YD7eSx-e2aRvfIh6Wm2/w296-h400/PXL_20240304_215408620.jpg" width="296" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNXBpcbCldAO5-OlIzAlFAZWidq5NMeOAvbkYHl6GeLlpqZJpUOk3lFDRdKmIsybMPFrUW4CwaVpFi28MvZ2e0t5hhOJ3KxHkurdYXslQQ2XBh26EM-eOHumNxJf9QJJ3ppPjJnrFOXPsfYXRdd7iiUYmkMy3VJ5_BTisWlnHiOZTHR58xLDnQGJhN7yRT/s2619/PXL_20240304_215007313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2619" data-original-width="2120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNXBpcbCldAO5-OlIzAlFAZWidq5NMeOAvbkYHl6GeLlpqZJpUOk3lFDRdKmIsybMPFrUW4CwaVpFi28MvZ2e0t5hhOJ3KxHkurdYXslQQ2XBh26EM-eOHumNxJf9QJJ3ppPjJnrFOXPsfYXRdd7iiUYmkMy3VJ5_BTisWlnHiOZTHR58xLDnQGJhN7yRT/w324-h400/PXL_20240304_215007313.jpg" width="324" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglPrq7dw9k4FfXeyQ3KlLgHFKLfdEM4cPcZzRNQIBX2O2Zh8pxF1EBMsCkiPkhPBfvZ5ShKj-JPeeGFaZo0YOd1HNXTOTxia-f2rEPUbfXwhcebq4bjn4Q8RXQnteI7UEsHVsfUxEmt3-ZXzeFdQNc_Eht6UYeK7HBxRa_cOUMKpQ_O6p0XTbPX9C1_pmr/s4032/PXL_20240304_214205438.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglPrq7dw9k4FfXeyQ3KlLgHFKLfdEM4cPcZzRNQIBX2O2Zh8pxF1EBMsCkiPkhPBfvZ5ShKj-JPeeGFaZo0YOd1HNXTOTxia-f2rEPUbfXwhcebq4bjn4Q8RXQnteI7UEsHVsfUxEmt3-ZXzeFdQNc_Eht6UYeK7HBxRa_cOUMKpQ_O6p0XTbPX9C1_pmr/w225-h400/PXL_20240304_214205438.jpg" width="225" /></a></div></div><div>It would have been nice to have had the scheduled fourth day as I would have liked to go on a hike to the south, but that didn't happen. At least I did get to spend a little more pooltime before taking another taxi back to the airport on Wednesday. (Ground transportation is not inexpensive and one has to rely on local taxis as there are no reasonably priced shuttles like on the Riviera Maya. A one-way transfer from/to the airport runs about $35.) ZIH is a fairly small airport, with a two-lane security post and no jet-bridges. Boarding still happens via old-fashioned moveable airstairs, and if you have to use a wheelchair, well, a couple of burly fellas just carry you up or down. Actually, the lack of enclosed ramps gives it all a rather authentic, old-school flavor.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnMs1Vb22lVGv7V_g3SDEXfS55NuEqNF4LDfL2mhDiHkhKq0tcWFsaTzKEVY2Mg_mIMiOajbkEC-Tvk2a8tKc6TRqpVb3rTH_O9nRLxPPZuqrZg9Ax14Lz2ZgiHZlbrfdKZ8Re5ShguNZ8KqKJGzKV07xnHsNcfJOobV8rD_hqJWG2FkxzfIb20JUVIXGq/s3610/PXL_20240304_214109097~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3610" data-original-width="2030" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnMs1Vb22lVGv7V_g3SDEXfS55NuEqNF4LDfL2mhDiHkhKq0tcWFsaTzKEVY2Mg_mIMiOajbkEC-Tvk2a8tKc6TRqpVb3rTH_O9nRLxPPZuqrZg9Ax14Lz2ZgiHZlbrfdKZ8Re5ShguNZ8KqKJGzKV07xnHsNcfJOobV8rD_hqJWG2FkxzfIb20JUVIXGq/w225-h400/PXL_20240304_214109097~2.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8swZpS5YAqp5BaByu7_cbmsBsvMOGMQzh_vlwBvbrX1DmuYu5dQVq5Z0cZCkE8AQuYwGkaE0yIr4k2X6uEzbaa1XvumBe9vdeIzJNgSa0GWAmq8UoEIea33_fy4Cf3YeBGxWIKdUbUQ3IlMoj4gfCdqb9ZwhCjm5SLmSO0BQwIAVxrLalvP5Bi9w432zp/s4032/PXL_20240303_223617676.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8swZpS5YAqp5BaByu7_cbmsBsvMOGMQzh_vlwBvbrX1DmuYu5dQVq5Z0cZCkE8AQuYwGkaE0yIr4k2X6uEzbaa1XvumBe9vdeIzJNgSa0GWAmq8UoEIea33_fy4Cf3YeBGxWIKdUbUQ3IlMoj4gfCdqb9ZwhCjm5SLmSO0BQwIAVxrLalvP5Bi9w432zp/w400-h225/PXL_20240303_223617676.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1yoSsyTzLoGc6EgD_JK2dlTN07DpAmyyZRMSDBj-KaADH45cAEZQbIltylQt7ZrLwTv9QOAE8F6zzEXcmLF1kRWNmCfn95R6cHm2fpZ7SnYEblJ9L1TzZTo6MLiQu8SOqD1SJ5DA7bTjjMzIygqXC9DsGfh5YgIcwWc1UmvhA8O5ehySRU-b7INPVa7cl/s2767/PXL_20240303_003253545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1243" data-original-width="2767" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1yoSsyTzLoGc6EgD_JK2dlTN07DpAmyyZRMSDBj-KaADH45cAEZQbIltylQt7ZrLwTv9QOAE8F6zzEXcmLF1kRWNmCfn95R6cHm2fpZ7SnYEblJ9L1TzZTo6MLiQu8SOqD1SJ5DA7bTjjMzIygqXC9DsGfh5YgIcwWc1UmvhA8O5ehySRU-b7INPVa7cl/w400-h180/PXL_20240303_003253545.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCCtHaylkvxtu1-y2gs7nWAwZldTJvfC73d29SCoM3iyvpGHkuEpTTLyrx9yd8jtK7s7s1xrrUXVOWYMXHPwaXT66LP0GibITkhjkfo5U1prUcX4AZ0fyMYoM8NIXmw6Ax0vwJ-u5Y_1ZQAkOZ6i7G08XrdTY2rHTeSh2bncYplh1jq6mHQBair6nmFltk/s4032/PXL_20240303_003216745.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCCtHaylkvxtu1-y2gs7nWAwZldTJvfC73d29SCoM3iyvpGHkuEpTTLyrx9yd8jtK7s7s1xrrUXVOWYMXHPwaXT66LP0GibITkhjkfo5U1prUcX4AZ0fyMYoM8NIXmw6Ax0vwJ-u5Y_1ZQAkOZ6i7G08XrdTY2rHTeSh2bncYplh1jq6mHQBair6nmFltk/w400-h225/PXL_20240303_003216745.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrLbvkhYn0r3RQqkILu0XD5o2X2ZTSBDMFR8yQEM1awmSFgWpvS8rO21tAvczBbzdI9cHslF7Isnk3U6OlFFTuE3IMod-ObZwqhhjanX7AI1n8cU6_dsyK5mdI_wAvNFCOeVk3H9NY5pcj8U5aeu7iMkr6Aa8sueqW8BQFtrJjzuYsM14NQ52dXNEuQXhl/s4032/PXL_20240305_004427827.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrLbvkhYn0r3RQqkILu0XD5o2X2ZTSBDMFR8yQEM1awmSFgWpvS8rO21tAvczBbzdI9cHslF7Isnk3U6OlFFTuE3IMod-ObZwqhhjanX7AI1n8cU6_dsyK5mdI_wAvNFCOeVk3H9NY5pcj8U5aeu7iMkr6Aa8sueqW8BQFtrJjzuYsM14NQ52dXNEuQXhl/w400-h225/PXL_20240305_004427827.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6AmEFsk7rU0MWxqdj_kiJ13I40sl1MDOqlVvjzKsXrgNDijsq1vXFUaRgXKKIZ7Jl66oy4LMsMSE1E5EQij699T98g7UKkBx-FFrhpacTYBLZxBBPa98ono14uvLcquL64Yi4hcSrlSnQUbTE75f9PpvVNGE9VQ5HIRCFpYUTGXTqkU08CeAKZDox2npM/s4032/PXL_20240305_051629436.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6AmEFsk7rU0MWxqdj_kiJ13I40sl1MDOqlVvjzKsXrgNDijsq1vXFUaRgXKKIZ7Jl66oy4LMsMSE1E5EQij699T98g7UKkBx-FFrhpacTYBLZxBBPa98ono14uvLcquL64Yi4hcSrlSnQUbTE75f9PpvVNGE9VQ5HIRCFpYUTGXTqkU08CeAKZDox2npM/w400-h225/PXL_20240305_051629436.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>After take-off (on time! no mechanicals!) I got to enjoy a great view of the Grand Azul and was able to really appreciate its perfect location. It might be worth exploring this part of Mexico a little more. The mountains just a little inland were similarly alluring, but I know that the days of exploring those forbidding places the way Wayne or Tim and I did back in the 1990s are long gone.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsi9PbHDXfmlWG9mzt4YyqtRQXL34MPlxkQ7ppGnDhXPic8XUGWsTrsRuVOBmnO1oRPw8m-aFdpA2DYhjGSD0MM6pN5WQEBPS-dcy1ZGl9m31bqox9yqGQYotnJHweTJurNtE9o4ji04IyYprW2K6e03VoN1hlIRD5KAmeTJL1Q37ii6syYJ188rfqOM40/s3705/PXL_20240306_192802285.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="966" data-original-width="3705" height="104" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsi9PbHDXfmlWG9mzt4YyqtRQXL34MPlxkQ7ppGnDhXPic8XUGWsTrsRuVOBmnO1oRPw8m-aFdpA2DYhjGSD0MM6pN5WQEBPS-dcy1ZGl9m31bqox9yqGQYotnJHweTJurNtE9o4ji04IyYprW2K6e03VoN1hlIRD5KAmeTJL1Q37ii6syYJ188rfqOM40/w400-h104/PXL_20240306_192802285.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKufZGKBWfGEnH71CVtFTjQ3iv4i5P6zLz8vMZC973iYcMBj5FdtbJKxqX1j56_t-gLp6_Y4mbh75vVmUvmbKtllPFxld3xhaZU539hDN_klruSOLx8cDdUZueK7JD4a2xQ1grBT8pPVquVGTXTfQF7WUOWAqjfbe-L-DbXIWVp4abv7xILHhhoirLbrFe/s4032/PXL_20240306_200820799.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKufZGKBWfGEnH71CVtFTjQ3iv4i5P6zLz8vMZC973iYcMBj5FdtbJKxqX1j56_t-gLp6_Y4mbh75vVmUvmbKtllPFxld3xhaZU539hDN_klruSOLx8cDdUZueK7JD4a2xQ1grBT8pPVquVGTXTfQF7WUOWAqjfbe-L-DbXIWVp4abv7xILHhhoirLbrFe/w400-h225/PXL_20240306_200820799.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi16ScmMI4GjLLsRcS-tQ6GMAtllGNHHnYURV_uVLGG7fQU40UtKJfw3LACBHWV0vMWoff0-G6LvV-IpOEz0zfkfNoTOdxk6Xp58zpX5CVZEb24JYKo6fUYQfIvmVEhuOuQeG1RRTEe4cr7RvGrUbSMnO0ah7CGbyFeFxBexYeTCVo5JiPT5u-T6NWxDYz2/s4032/PXL_20240306_200825918~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi16ScmMI4GjLLsRcS-tQ6GMAtllGNHHnYURV_uVLGG7fQU40UtKJfw3LACBHWV0vMWoff0-G6LvV-IpOEz0zfkfNoTOdxk6Xp58zpX5CVZEb24JYKo6fUYQfIvmVEhuOuQeG1RRTEe4cr7RvGrUbSMnO0ah7CGbyFeFxBexYeTCVo5JiPT5u-T6NWxDYz2/w400-h225/PXL_20240306_200825918~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhfdxK0Ay70S12RkFmi0g69Q7xd2Ld_v9NChwVLKOtGQ8H7_WVFLyxumu8P5yjGQbpx-hpboa8Wf1Y1zX9XX0m-jFc2K6Z7nWB479YRoMkjiTYVesy_oNjI5f__xaoD7OGRBTc7yw8JHn6et7fbP9EDXOXmX2jQNyc7HlcSwFYVKWLqvIv92tU3QufzZpE/s4032/PXL_20240306_200913938.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhfdxK0Ay70S12RkFmi0g69Q7xd2Ld_v9NChwVLKOtGQ8H7_WVFLyxumu8P5yjGQbpx-hpboa8Wf1Y1zX9XX0m-jFc2K6Z7nWB479YRoMkjiTYVesy_oNjI5f__xaoD7OGRBTc7yw8JHn6et7fbP9EDXOXmX2jQNyc7HlcSwFYVKWLqvIv92tU3QufzZpE/w400-h225/PXL_20240306_200913938.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8pSOSP7Rr_8USknnR7zMbEC98FQFGWOcEQk9f9KTG2PAendTgqD8YVBIRQiRsIsaTD8rUPG1F9KJbNCcml6B714BlTwXgPQm7aO4ESztpilhkuoD1-BzH6_a9EzdnetiTnlfPbtKe4gpvFx7_x_Nd3nm6p4vXhPGDfz0FlBNvxSnP1XxImqiL5schDM9W/s4032/PXL_20240306_201434507.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8pSOSP7Rr_8USknnR7zMbEC98FQFGWOcEQk9f9KTG2PAendTgqD8YVBIRQiRsIsaTD8rUPG1F9KJbNCcml6B714BlTwXgPQm7aO4ESztpilhkuoD1-BzH6_a9EzdnetiTnlfPbtKe4gpvFx7_x_Nd3nm6p4vXhPGDfz0FlBNvxSnP1XxImqiL5schDM9W/w400-h225/PXL_20240306_201434507.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRBVFF94MTU162iGA9jqfqYDZtHGdtHxOiB7rFL9ehyphenhyphenwPhjpWdRQOBe2xJAascuwKo5NTOMrubf7hrs_QnM42HNN070h4b25mpUB66MX3VO5I-I8TTwL5UHmqyOvB-4iauK_xj8Oqb5ayHSjcKOPM0Vnmbo85mjRhAK3ierriXg5oc3kAOFA2LJoPiWObi/s4032/PXL_20240306_201642583.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRBVFF94MTU162iGA9jqfqYDZtHGdtHxOiB7rFL9ehyphenhyphenwPhjpWdRQOBe2xJAascuwKo5NTOMrubf7hrs_QnM42HNN070h4b25mpUB66MX3VO5I-I8TTwL5UHmqyOvB-4iauK_xj8Oqb5ayHSjcKOPM0Vnmbo85mjRhAK3ierriXg5oc3kAOFA2LJoPiWObi/w400-h225/PXL_20240306_201642583.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzd7-BqTvzUQ4a5b3lyVUhf7RVNyTkG6qCKlhGeeRVUbLQWpY_W1w1TuMKZFYqokVaNLVIs8EryCz_Dm8ypng4iRcAOjYvXPG-oMxHHnfubOLr8OlYSO4K0lU4GnpHRRRNoACNY8Vyo_4GrrAlZhWOO0hyS_FIv92iTnIf-gILqzFn1oZBhal_jmFla7zl/s4032/PXL_20240306_201703543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzd7-BqTvzUQ4a5b3lyVUhf7RVNyTkG6qCKlhGeeRVUbLQWpY_W1w1TuMKZFYqokVaNLVIs8EryCz_Dm8ypng4iRcAOjYvXPG-oMxHHnfubOLr8OlYSO4K0lU4GnpHRRRNoACNY8Vyo_4GrrAlZhWOO0hyS_FIv92iTnIf-gILqzFn1oZBhal_jmFla7zl/w400-h225/PXL_20240306_201703543.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>We made it to DFW on time, and thanks to Global Entry I re-entered the US in less than 45 seconds, despite a huge waiting line for travelers without pre-clearance. Of course, the TSA pre-check line was 14 minutes long while the regular TSA line was pegged at 10. Go figure. After an hour or so in the Admirals Club it was time to mosey over to B46 where, in true American fashion, we were told that the front lavatory was out of order—and then we had to deal with the third mechanical of this trip, which delayed our arrival in Lubbock by yet another 45 minutes. What can I say?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEF0N8ay3PeNIh98nc9JnyWn8rGQkX6e7StSkQ3A7SKqPZ8H6S-9Ia4sOZ7N_IAMu8SfdqpArTYP91p9qyoFswvcqJFRYN0FuJ9o9CszgaNxXXbgZ-irmWup8NBEdiLUve9oCsJg1S5cYvirapo3fxW3FFILAQrCl0hRBfRCiA05C0-wGxWD7bu2zZCWjQ/s3874/PXL_20240306_230738137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2179" data-original-width="3874" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEF0N8ay3PeNIh98nc9JnyWn8rGQkX6e7StSkQ3A7SKqPZ8H6S-9Ia4sOZ7N_IAMu8SfdqpArTYP91p9qyoFswvcqJFRYN0FuJ9o9CszgaNxXXbgZ-irmWup8NBEdiLUve9oCsJg1S5cYvirapo3fxW3FFILAQrCl0hRBfRCiA05C0-wGxWD7bu2zZCWjQ/w400-h225/PXL_20240306_230738137.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5oItCYoKXiClN14fSkB8hW8TxiY3sxBWNL99bD2pYDAa8uKID6ddU1x4ZdIIxw2zy0gm85jfrtFQLKlkFtaBoxxRt6y8sLOtxMCSXRyDykZ-GMhNsDmjQwDBHbf6BxPkT76v9s77BWDVCDo4LNfqvjT9AoooBluu7Fhu-3UBXbM07-Qm5SHoaTWaDQH97/s4032/PXL_20240307_002754674.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5oItCYoKXiClN14fSkB8hW8TxiY3sxBWNL99bD2pYDAa8uKID6ddU1x4ZdIIxw2zy0gm85jfrtFQLKlkFtaBoxxRt6y8sLOtxMCSXRyDykZ-GMhNsDmjQwDBHbf6BxPkT76v9s77BWDVCDo4LNfqvjT9AoooBluu7Fhu-3UBXbM07-Qm5SHoaTWaDQH97/w225-h400/PXL_20240307_002754674.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvFvPnWWW9PH_JxW6hL6ZtYreJECI5toZ6zF1_mRSG-eU0PQB1IGMDq7RkwWsMw8nU3FP3pDbdXpdwNlzA-IlCqxaaf9of6u_WQVVfJz7KvhCGh1kA0CBmTs8mX-VhhugccjrAiAIXGVgh7AfFB8BqPQ8YB3FkL3ButpNIjLUDCNjGi5NW_mleWqdwyp0W/s4032/PXL_20240306_211424386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvFvPnWWW9PH_JxW6hL6ZtYreJECI5toZ6zF1_mRSG-eU0PQB1IGMDq7RkwWsMw8nU3FP3pDbdXpdwNlzA-IlCqxaaf9of6u_WQVVfJz7KvhCGh1kA0CBmTs8mX-VhhugccjrAiAIXGVgh7AfFB8BqPQ8YB3FkL3ButpNIjLUDCNjGi5NW_mleWqdwyp0W/w400-h225/PXL_20240306_211424386.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Two different planes on the return, both held together with duct tape. Go American!</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Now, 24 hours later (Thursday night), everything is unpacked and washed and I am packed for this weekend's high school race in Burnet. The BMW received an oil change today, I removed four big barrels of dead Live Oak leaves, and I even managed to ride 27 miles with Smitty before going through my accumulated mail. In the evening, I watched the State of the Union address while having a nice Chilean Sea Bass dinner, before sitting down to write most of this blog post. Tomorrow I'll add pics to the words and then pack for my trip to Rome, where I will fly on Monday after driving 700+ miles and working the race on Saturday and Sunday. Man, retired life can be busy!</div><div><br /></div>JürgenJürgenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03107533431710748040noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023527478729548228.post-19781866650964372972024-02-21T22:24:00.001-06:002024-02-21T22:35:17.510-06:00The 2024 Texas NICA high school mountain bike season is rocking and rolling!<div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_prm7BMsrSe_9My7woe3eBicikKk-mLaSjgJj9283dhcNq5su_iifvDAYojCAD0oHhAX0Hy-q5nDgmA0PB9ZeKVg-nBPRmvI_vf1qdKFY7ixIc_PenJn4k2OMMBQatepC4oeI6VdjxNelwdnz54OhP6Dj9_WKMcRWzCcR4RCDqGNkpU-z2jwwM0NlTZNd/s3423/Jurgen%20and%20Kim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3423" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_prm7BMsrSe_9My7woe3eBicikKk-mLaSjgJj9283dhcNq5su_iifvDAYojCAD0oHhAX0Hy-q5nDgmA0PB9ZeKVg-nBPRmvI_vf1qdKFY7ixIc_PenJn4k2OMMBQatepC4oeI6VdjxNelwdnz54OhP6Dj9_WKMcRWzCcR4RCDqGNkpU-z2jwwM0NlTZNd/w354-h400/Jurgen%20and%20Kim.jpg" width="354" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">One of my favorite people: Kim, the NICA Race Director, <br />sporting one of Juju's Bula hats</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Paris seems to be such a long time in the past, even if I published the last blog update just barely a month ago. By now, I should have already worked three of our NICA races in 2024, but thanks to a terribly, terribly cold weekend right after I got back from France the first race of the season was postponed until mid-April. It was seriously cold, and even though I was a bit bummed since the cancellation came very late and I could have stayed in Paris for a few extra days, in retrospect it was the only sensible course of action to take.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDF1REHqt77c7wpuPSbb7Qg18PMjZTnV6rO6u38IEmG-yvJx1Er9A9cyn-bQQ78r-kQvfHRe4kRFX8kVndd10zCgou_ILsDHxjpN0QZz6XwYUSWgdluJrkcEgTjk7-T6sgGBGS9vGv9Rq6B1-bdQsTtLiOzRyU9Yq9dIQcWiIZ2s-b851mlynxgY_dnk5p/s4032/PXL_20240212_151058848.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDF1REHqt77c7wpuPSbb7Qg18PMjZTnV6rO6u38IEmG-yvJx1Er9A9cyn-bQQ78r-kQvfHRe4kRFX8kVndd10zCgou_ILsDHxjpN0QZz6XwYUSWgdluJrkcEgTjk7-T6sgGBGS9vGv9Rq6B1-bdQsTtLiOzRyU9Yq9dIQcWiIZ2s-b851mlynxgY_dnk5p/w400-h225/PXL_20240212_151058848.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitBcm5WtvsXLZSsWjCS9q_mZMwcroED9aXkJ6lcqVGhhwWjAV44jM7pFYQgYRkgF4exxp71sNl1rKkUN9XeN_ofKVGl369WLdDl2QAsI0aDsQJkfScF5QFDM2VfX96ahHxa5Kn3hslf4ZrzNUwPtxvX9dtj5xITqQg5_9kcTgWwurgTTmlrm1PG3wwSTqx/s4032/PXL_20240212_150956236.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitBcm5WtvsXLZSsWjCS9q_mZMwcroED9aXkJ6lcqVGhhwWjAV44jM7pFYQgYRkgF4exxp71sNl1rKkUN9XeN_ofKVGl369WLdDl2QAsI0aDsQJkfScF5QFDM2VfX96ahHxa5Kn3hslf4ZrzNUwPtxvX9dtj5xITqQg5_9kcTgWwurgTTmlrm1PG3wwSTqx/w225-h400/PXL_20240212_150956236.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDwxXj64QcWcJ8fSsuZwbqtXS0oZly6Fp5wHBTWZYUgdJG3wdAuDdWfxXsC7KPJSzQ5yHosL9Zjwb_DQBLATuuteHdezqnPyjzERiyShuSF6_CaRa5tVTqgEh33JYKH2UrWiW5dAqTGmszUJAhSTO6LPsaBv_RHz-Txp_HOuNXNkfN4UN9wizhig22ZsbJ/s4032/PXL_20240212_150943339.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDwxXj64QcWcJ8fSsuZwbqtXS0oZly6Fp5wHBTWZYUgdJG3wdAuDdWfxXsC7KPJSzQ5yHosL9Zjwb_DQBLATuuteHdezqnPyjzERiyShuSF6_CaRa5tVTqgEh33JYKH2UrWiW5dAqTGmszUJAhSTO6LPsaBv_RHz-Txp_HOuNXNkfN4UN9wizhig22ZsbJ/w400-h225/PXL_20240212_150943339.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>So, I hung out in Lubbock for the next couple of weeks, trying to sneak in the occasional ride but mostly having to limit myself to short recycling runs on the bike since January and early February brought some miserable weather to Lubbock. (The photos paint a much prettier picture than what reality dished up.) Cold is not my thing, as many readers know, but cold <i>and</i> grey skies <i>plus</i> winds from the north are no longer in my playbook. No wonder that during that time I booked a trip to Mexico, starting next week on March 1. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcFMdqwtw9JQy4K7HoImrccyayj82b_vpXitrjbuVgW4lmIkfA80TY4da06Wfuv6pWv6qaC97WY8wvGCzlzwoBVslvqDHA-edyWNObK06o6M90J4PTNhuG9YFH_MM6czjS3v3JpoY7-or_YsRa2q2zQa0a1-af6d_2R9TqogNjXoJ9GhLNF6JioC4kxqrt/s4032/PXL_20240215_021513206.PORTRAIT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcFMdqwtw9JQy4K7HoImrccyayj82b_vpXitrjbuVgW4lmIkfA80TY4da06Wfuv6pWv6qaC97WY8wvGCzlzwoBVslvqDHA-edyWNObK06o6M90J4PTNhuG9YFH_MM6czjS3v3JpoY7-or_YsRa2q2zQa0a1-af6d_2R9TqogNjXoJ9GhLNF6JioC4kxqrt/w400-h225/PXL_20240215_021513206.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiqx5xMR5zOTB17jOSmP5W-HJdwcMdynAMXrvbuy3wPUzb8MowuJgjZ2PzydiRy_hNXaD28HDcNg1bzhRM-Z4fLMX-Olsp3OPpg1Fhh3lRYOOGRWK1zzffzEXpkJQmjqilWp9rQ3Zk6RNB8aKMOIDpZSBbOJjHxO6kP-rBl_ED6scSpIqsmI3Yvzfdvusx/s3185/PXL_20240202_011727700.PORTRAIT.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3185" data-original-width="2241" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiqx5xMR5zOTB17jOSmP5W-HJdwcMdynAMXrvbuy3wPUzb8MowuJgjZ2PzydiRy_hNXaD28HDcNg1bzhRM-Z4fLMX-Olsp3OPpg1Fhh3lRYOOGRWK1zzffzEXpkJQmjqilWp9rQ3Zk6RNB8aKMOIDpZSBbOJjHxO6kP-rBl_ED6scSpIqsmI3Yvzfdvusx/w281-h400/PXL_20240202_011727700.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="281" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">At least I got to perfect my <i>pisco sours </i>while weather-stranded</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>Thanks to the postponement, our first NICA race thus came on February 3 and 4. Warda (about an hour east of Austin) is a <i>loooong </i>way from Lubbock. The beemer's odometer showed 911 miles when I finally got back after four days on the road. I was lucky enough that my friends Jay and Campbell offered me to stay in their historic house in Belton (just outside of Temple), both going to and coming from the race venue. As it was, they were off on a trip to Cabo, so I got to enjoy the place in the company of only the nekkid cats and Buck, the ginormous Great Dane or whatever breed of horse he may be.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjPFsrYGCyAr0agU9TZbAycrE7B3Of-ruR56_WwvyCLa8nD8vqu1DmidgKgDSuzaBgE65I4JTcieFb1jj-pUbAdN0MeEHPy28zu4Wp2DCwZ74OLNgq9ntadrCHtClSxzJj6Jlb8E9hrsv1IM1OD8BD8Gn2egsjS9ZzfgxF-BqQ0GaHA6BhyphenhyphennPO44-OES2q/s2409/PXL_20240203_155408616.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2409" data-original-width="2262" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjPFsrYGCyAr0agU9TZbAycrE7B3Of-ruR56_WwvyCLa8nD8vqu1DmidgKgDSuzaBgE65I4JTcieFb1jj-pUbAdN0MeEHPy28zu4Wp2DCwZ74OLNgq9ntadrCHtClSxzJj6Jlb8E9hrsv1IM1OD8BD8Gn2egsjS9ZzfgxF-BqQ0GaHA6BhyphenhyphennPO44-OES2q/w375-h400/PXL_20240203_155408616.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGSsnhfVZJMoEB8udxbwqCOcWZfQXcFQJySPHBXeawhRJnqUK19SzQgUjSLL8KYUDbTlF_UXAwkof9_WLFV9OLJDTqJ-6q8zdQSPbhNz8EbxOPI9oQRABdc2x6w5BMi9Y1RUlGQQwfNxyDGDp_DlXut2kBw17Jtc-Pk6a7CZGnsg4eXyz50y1_DRcEXaLu/s2682/PXL_20240203_154424084.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2682" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGSsnhfVZJMoEB8udxbwqCOcWZfQXcFQJySPHBXeawhRJnqUK19SzQgUjSLL8KYUDbTlF_UXAwkof9_WLFV9OLJDTqJ-6q8zdQSPbhNz8EbxOPI9oQRABdc2x6w5BMi9Y1RUlGQQwfNxyDGDp_DlXut2kBw17Jtc-Pk6a7CZGnsg4eXyz50y1_DRcEXaLu/w339-h400/PXL_20240203_154424084.jpg" width="339" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCSeYu6z1hmxQFCAcy08q4Qct01bNAreekExyZV2QOKMvuBfYOYYRkQaurrWVoYh4N3cunzXID56ceKZ6L6Ad2zR3QwfhUvg-51YqkKkcvldXqfiQrafCAFn3KwZQfeZj0Z1rY7cV3xGft4v2T8b9iqviyiX5oweyCcXv7eXPng8kj6keNSIyeKIxglF2R/s4032/PXL_20240203_154303247.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCSeYu6z1hmxQFCAcy08q4Qct01bNAreekExyZV2QOKMvuBfYOYYRkQaurrWVoYh4N3cunzXID56ceKZ6L6Ad2zR3QwfhUvg-51YqkKkcvldXqfiQrafCAFn3KwZQfeZj0Z1rY7cV3xGft4v2T8b9iqviyiX5oweyCcXv7eXPng8kj6keNSIyeKIxglF2R/w400-h225/PXL_20240203_154303247.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9LShwiXNBR_-eezRm_TnTSNY_kvPnLMZu6XTZTr3AOblteAwVamM9JC_k1VFXrlae_kSZo2yyPgJkqZsGYqOu44iWDVZiiag0Jyu_DxiuHbBSwpTz8IkkbPqzXHXw55w0Dtruf9-DMfN5CP_-vSNx3viFLlOUjpDulA3eavYm3DLFHqJmR48QenO4wmwu/s1914/PXL_20240203_020516260.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1727" data-original-width="1914" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9LShwiXNBR_-eezRm_TnTSNY_kvPnLMZu6XTZTr3AOblteAwVamM9JC_k1VFXrlae_kSZo2yyPgJkqZsGYqOu44iWDVZiiag0Jyu_DxiuHbBSwpTz8IkkbPqzXHXw55w0Dtruf9-DMfN5CP_-vSNx3viFLlOUjpDulA3eavYm3DLFHqJmR48QenO4wmwu/w400-h361/PXL_20240203_020516260.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>Rain had led up to the Warda race weekend, and when I arrived at Bluff Creek Ranch on Saturday things were damn muddy. But as they like to say, "it drains well," and the about 450 south division student athletes had a great season opener. (Our league has grown enough to split Texas into two series, with a combined State Championship race in May.) On Sunday, it was sunny, the races were fair, and everybody seemed to be smiling.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiazo4m2uWUuPLIqO4IfdsDXD-Ba49YfkJRAzZU2N7_VXYQVUVTNUelVaZllzkGVjcyOIU4sH6MhcnKZw1HiC7C34k1VpB9ayqb1y5OxOdw6x1Dl8haYJoqricvzeoydK-l-HWstTZOJBW1HmRnxJ_tAlcorlHl_G-P4JdrISR58J0T-g_e1gBQNmb6X9wE/s1610/PXL_20240204_212219317%20-%20Copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1610" data-original-width="1498" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiazo4m2uWUuPLIqO4IfdsDXD-Ba49YfkJRAzZU2N7_VXYQVUVTNUelVaZllzkGVjcyOIU4sH6MhcnKZw1HiC7C34k1VpB9ayqb1y5OxOdw6x1Dl8haYJoqricvzeoydK-l-HWstTZOJBW1HmRnxJ_tAlcorlHl_G-P4JdrISR58J0T-g_e1gBQNmb6X9wE/w373-h400/PXL_20240204_212219317%20-%20Copy.jpg" width="373" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje6oHZKqfbQb6ytDHMdeC7yIExCW7zYT5KW1d4okW1kopiJl1-5-LNYcCrKv5oZKu4185BfM6XVhuphaElPm6Sr2fmIaPTkVfJrosDfQHvWnFIxq0KBy8naNQAF-pVYezoDF_hpJKUm9BvK0r5PpiIj_LsHiLIM_EuUfq9RJORcx34YJsYTEx6KvOLmYfd/s2859/PXL_20240204_181606425%20-%20Copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2859" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje6oHZKqfbQb6ytDHMdeC7yIExCW7zYT5KW1d4okW1kopiJl1-5-LNYcCrKv5oZKu4185BfM6XVhuphaElPm6Sr2fmIaPTkVfJrosDfQHvWnFIxq0KBy8naNQAF-pVYezoDF_hpJKUm9BvK0r5PpiIj_LsHiLIM_EuUfq9RJORcx34YJsYTEx6KvOLmYfd/w318-h400/PXL_20240204_181606425%20-%20Copy.jpg" width="318" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTW8yZnUR56NDhXHys8wPsFnT8CHSnp8gNj21re4zvQAZ-DK5hBSPdIjhpzAEYytdN86xUifhxbIhUaDPPtJgl5-I2aa185PYOzHv3ijJGVXqQlUa97lCYrTLGlN34jdBPTCaNl_zK_KMxYGdGLrOzZ6GHV2qJ9xQpuHXpHvrUzgxe8t8FbeHS-Quxo1VS/s2980/PXL_20240204_171845993%20-%20Copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2980" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTW8yZnUR56NDhXHys8wPsFnT8CHSnp8gNj21re4zvQAZ-DK5hBSPdIjhpzAEYytdN86xUifhxbIhUaDPPtJgl5-I2aa185PYOzHv3ijJGVXqQlUa97lCYrTLGlN34jdBPTCaNl_zK_KMxYGdGLrOzZ6GHV2qJ9xQpuHXpHvrUzgxe8t8FbeHS-Quxo1VS/w305-h400/PXL_20240204_171845993%20-%20Copy.jpg" width="305" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgm37Sbs05nuui58ybE7uQ2gwGNXsJHjb0-uO4CsUGX3mYrM0l_FLgjYbHWN6sv_im0ifZhD8xjXjj3g4qkaacs9CO0ydsGbUKOoZ2mhyphenhyphentBPB-Hv6LtTqmqbBBoYfp5rrGG4fkdF6cNFePJf6u5OqHPTqkTHCwZLIOQksBBpk8Y1WFtBNPpdPqscCbTIaY/s2368/PXL_20240204_171814594%20-%20Copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2368" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgm37Sbs05nuui58ybE7uQ2gwGNXsJHjb0-uO4CsUGX3mYrM0l_FLgjYbHWN6sv_im0ifZhD8xjXjj3g4qkaacs9CO0ydsGbUKOoZ2mhyphenhyphentBPB-Hv6LtTqmqbBBoYfp5rrGG4fkdF6cNFePJf6u5OqHPTqkTHCwZLIOQksBBpk8Y1WFtBNPpdPqscCbTIaY/w383-h400/PXL_20240204_171814594%20-%20Copy.jpg" width="383" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZnWCJLFpAoHNxuFfBpZtlIaVMT9IMrjgzGPwA5D36dTnKs3QGdC1rNvxgBzdKIp05N4VCZoCAtq1Pjf5C-Mx3OV50SoFRQzqlKV1frYXeO9XNML3gmiM8a8kMvfDvKPqOatiHr4Ni7ft_FRurAMTmQ7vdhi3gWHttGK5fGF5-I_bjKKoZ_lMr7GcCF_br/s2827/PXL_20240204_133939422~2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="2827" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZnWCJLFpAoHNxuFfBpZtlIaVMT9IMrjgzGPwA5D36dTnKs3QGdC1rNvxgBzdKIp05N4VCZoCAtq1Pjf5C-Mx3OV50SoFRQzqlKV1frYXeO9XNML3gmiM8a8kMvfDvKPqOatiHr4Ni7ft_FRurAMTmQ7vdhi3gWHttGK5fGF5-I_bjKKoZ_lMr7GcCF_br/w400-h321/PXL_20240204_133939422~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Megan, JJ, and Kim (from left)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxcmCa84jLDWr0nj_8kHMdKwsiO3UnaqDZL9YJENmrGZbOUpEfdlu6UnIffBIy1URZNg9dMJINP8SVfffoDeDlhgbphnfhuQWctxC5rzzim1Brq4B-s6pGxrQGG-TMJ6d1QuiU_HEwdxgG0ecWd8svhqW-GEAHI4vgOwSzADObMkRXxbhIMiuRaisHkagY/s2268/PXL_20240203_235054664%20-%20Copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="2267" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxcmCa84jLDWr0nj_8kHMdKwsiO3UnaqDZL9YJENmrGZbOUpEfdlu6UnIffBIy1URZNg9dMJINP8SVfffoDeDlhgbphnfhuQWctxC5rzzim1Brq4B-s6pGxrQGG-TMJ6d1QuiU_HEwdxgG0ecWd8svhqW-GEAHI4vgOwSzADObMkRXxbhIMiuRaisHkagY/w400-h400/PXL_20240203_235054664%20-%20Copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedIqrPPGqcOQrMucpsby8_EX3nYIeYzzUbQR16RdjYlTFRqexBIa9koHfjcx7jYxFhIFLnrfP_4CpHYZWC_U6afuDZ1iUiqBuGfXuoN03mejeq_Qlfl1c9LLc7R-Plm_0gCFTi25F1VjktNVmQ-vjFiJumLnZo70AxNvC8x2NFUDCmNGqusMCLGxfI5W7/s2789/PXL_20240203_204657775%20-%20Copy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2789" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedIqrPPGqcOQrMucpsby8_EX3nYIeYzzUbQR16RdjYlTFRqexBIa9koHfjcx7jYxFhIFLnrfP_4CpHYZWC_U6afuDZ1iUiqBuGfXuoN03mejeq_Qlfl1c9LLc7R-Plm_0gCFTi25F1VjktNVmQ-vjFiJumLnZo70AxNvC8x2NFUDCmNGqusMCLGxfI5W7/w325-h400/PXL_20240203_204657775%20-%20Copy.jpg" width="325" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We are in Texas, after all....</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>I spent the next 10 or so days in Lubbock, trying to keep control of my live oak's leaves that continue to keep falling at a steady rate. The weather improved somewhat, allowing a few more rides; I enjoyed numerous good meals and a fair amount of red wine, and soaking in my Jacuzzi became my normal evening ritual. Believe it or not, I even watched the Superbowl. No comment here on the entertainment value of this American ritual.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLdihfj3sfFrbXoaGdVMY-_JqdkAj9VREmdfWD7TJfKnfVihf22bkP5VfCAfrzL2Bbi4ShfGI7J16c8kDzKGs0H7a5CKf4OCBEkAb13pPvPJq6__KGYAj_7yY1Ex702jVdEJ7ZpzxExuEQ9QKfIDRYBtZtHcg2RX4CoOxqEAWzC7IrQFek9bQj8pscoiW/s4032/PXL_20240127_153212063.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLdihfj3sfFrbXoaGdVMY-_JqdkAj9VREmdfWD7TJfKnfVihf22bkP5VfCAfrzL2Bbi4ShfGI7J16c8kDzKGs0H7a5CKf4OCBEkAb13pPvPJq6__KGYAj_7yY1Ex702jVdEJ7ZpzxExuEQ9QKfIDRYBtZtHcg2RX4CoOxqEAWzC7IrQFek9bQj8pscoiW/w400-h225/PXL_20240127_153212063.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZO8dJRizVKHD9mMLmMbczIBp55_HaccMcfUyJCF8Xfy0YCeFOXHZ2anVXiDwaiY_yIlSOxR6II1QDYxZZn3F-xZd9oOehPA1TM-xwQhz9ZfeLBCegIBe7JqeCWSuXarCAtqytTSzkV9FAnhymURsnNaLYFugq-gv-o7Ce55YTfe1ShFnzYJq6AshmR2n1/s4032/PXL_20240212_151144736.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZO8dJRizVKHD9mMLmMbczIBp55_HaccMcfUyJCF8Xfy0YCeFOXHZ2anVXiDwaiY_yIlSOxR6II1QDYxZZn3F-xZd9oOehPA1TM-xwQhz9ZfeLBCegIBe7JqeCWSuXarCAtqytTSzkV9FAnhymURsnNaLYFugq-gv-o7Ce55YTfe1ShFnzYJq6AshmR2n1/w400-h225/PXL_20240212_151144736.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8nEbVfTHM546wa0deV3XGitDAVpLRYHuP06BjUutpcSLzHf-atmx94B5e1_IXy1zafg3pMnBWZEce2NRgVZwz7aD-b40pP1w2Ov22kDMOLn7BpRHgfYgV9fW5CbAl0VknIYS5kDK6PZ-gKU-zJK0NoMdfIi0gQLq_rCEQFYC_PWsT2pFyjqpL25kgZDfZ/s4032/PXL_20240221_013802898.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8nEbVfTHM546wa0deV3XGitDAVpLRYHuP06BjUutpcSLzHf-atmx94B5e1_IXy1zafg3pMnBWZEce2NRgVZwz7aD-b40pP1w2Ov22kDMOLn7BpRHgfYgV9fW5CbAl0VknIYS5kDK6PZ-gKU-zJK0NoMdfIi0gQLq_rCEQFYC_PWsT2pFyjqpL25kgZDfZ/w400-h225/PXL_20240221_013802898.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAX7XUQ5mH4lKB3-tc-YF7Em2tgqEQwDHhfk7QBK1q_9KdQ0mRTBUCMwM2_HVlIsyQ2HYW5z_JQuZqFCtAw7xeBsOp6cZVMr0bN0NA0q5uINq6ql6WpxUqBzLGmSjy_NcPcmX4B8SPXVjjckLXmokolQcoYIhGH4R-in9YhVVPapFkpf1b8WZRBWh2lNkd/s3774/PXL_20240222_001312068.PORTRAIT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3774" data-original-width="2181" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAX7XUQ5mH4lKB3-tc-YF7Em2tgqEQwDHhfk7QBK1q_9KdQ0mRTBUCMwM2_HVlIsyQ2HYW5z_JQuZqFCtAw7xeBsOp6cZVMr0bN0NA0q5uINq6ql6WpxUqBzLGmSjy_NcPcmX4B8SPXVjjckLXmokolQcoYIhGH4R-in9YhVVPapFkpf1b8WZRBWh2lNkd/w231-h400/PXL_20240222_001312068.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="231" /></a></div>This past weekend, NICA's race at the 4-R Vineyards and Winery ranch about an hour east of Wichita Falls was on the schedule—the season opener for the North Division. It's the closest of all the high school races for me, at "only" 611 miles roundtrip. I believe this was the first time in all those years that 4-R was dry, but race morning was cold enough that we postponed the first start by 30 minutes to allow things to warm up a bit. Again, it was a fun weekend. I really appreciate the opportunity to work with like-minded individuals and contribute my background and experience to the success of the events. Our race staff has truly jelled over these past three seasons, ever since JJ and Kim took over as League Director and Race Director, respectively. They are the best thing that ever happened to the Texas League, except Vance McMurray's putting some vague idea into motion and founding the league 13 years ago (and bringing me onboard). Good people.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihSuEvx0ZG9UsS0ohyXxhPUyt1liQg_zaZ7o_vwTj0l4MpkvcPwGHRO5FDZg4x_1ssaR0CMwvXxqT563yeXCfY_fgtpd8BNDQp0p4NfU8zqRHuucZTZg9nPia2uPy15GZK-lvy0FO8BpqYoSYj6yie9Z_3EBlP9lDjWliZ8xV7mnKTRgTpTBPb59cyds2R/s4032/PXL_20240218_172204483.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihSuEvx0ZG9UsS0ohyXxhPUyt1liQg_zaZ7o_vwTj0l4MpkvcPwGHRO5FDZg4x_1ssaR0CMwvXxqT563yeXCfY_fgtpd8BNDQp0p4NfU8zqRHuucZTZg9nPia2uPy15GZK-lvy0FO8BpqYoSYj6yie9Z_3EBlP9lDjWliZ8xV7mnKTRgTpTBPb59cyds2R/w400-h225/PXL_20240218_172204483.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3V2LarMkuUdKLWMjNaKFnvAZm0-ZafDfps8GvyG6EvmIfjSVh8qpzfMhMsCMLLXDT8HAH49wmgqUl8y7jHJmQ1d_VFPFfoybauHsBlGhYx7gwzrSPsfX7GBVETOhy6jYQSPlmZDVBj3OOGG_5_al2VcexSC71Zvpoh5vfONQIl0JDpNBJ7j2RuUx5rRAj/s3375/PXL_20240218_152513169.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3375" data-original-width="2077" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3V2LarMkuUdKLWMjNaKFnvAZm0-ZafDfps8GvyG6EvmIfjSVh8qpzfMhMsCMLLXDT8HAH49wmgqUl8y7jHJmQ1d_VFPFfoybauHsBlGhYx7gwzrSPsfX7GBVETOhy6jYQSPlmZDVBj3OOGG_5_al2VcexSC71Zvpoh5vfONQIl0JDpNBJ7j2RuUx5rRAj/w246-h400/PXL_20240218_152513169.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9lALnTg5R5zcwWIcLTI5XR5_nhMj1cwA_lOGZYLcx0O1hjsbHTNH5CPdoYW5cP7bLzSl6axocJLy73DrEqCqFuk6l8DDQroUujVoCF9oeMzA_j5b23mforZ-WJYXt51TllfLgYzgiu_XIZzGBeGC2FjPaYXZRogkqOCIEonMcJ-gsEE_uxLV2qlcWLhP2/s2536/PXL_20240218_144559324~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2019" data-original-width="2536" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9lALnTg5R5zcwWIcLTI5XR5_nhMj1cwA_lOGZYLcx0O1hjsbHTNH5CPdoYW5cP7bLzSl6axocJLy73DrEqCqFuk6l8DDQroUujVoCF9oeMzA_j5b23mforZ-WJYXt51TllfLgYzgiu_XIZzGBeGC2FjPaYXZRogkqOCIEonMcJ-gsEE_uxLV2qlcWLhP2/w400-h319/PXL_20240218_144559324~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXnhL-MyRg7SPZlV1GmIjdHR1UYfSgzqN9GuuhOqRC4RNFZ_rcTYzoT80NYWK_cSoUzuN1DMYHT1wDDdGYjE6NyvYL4ERXSuNNFsJ3lttDEcmq6HwCl-cQyqdSLqO-1UpqIe3_TxAs020OC18tsIxBlpCUhFqr21-DCzD13T4jQvLoVa9Tq430XVjbpuzU/s4032/JJ%20at%20Warda.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXnhL-MyRg7SPZlV1GmIjdHR1UYfSgzqN9GuuhOqRC4RNFZ_rcTYzoT80NYWK_cSoUzuN1DMYHT1wDDdGYjE6NyvYL4ERXSuNNFsJ3lttDEcmq6HwCl-cQyqdSLqO-1UpqIe3_TxAs020OC18tsIxBlpCUhFqr21-DCzD13T4jQvLoVa9Tq430XVjbpuzU/w300-h400/JJ%20at%20Warda.jpg" width="300" /></a></div></div><div>The past three days I have been back in Lubbock, riding my daily 36 miles, alone or with my buddy Smitty. The weather has turned spring-like, with the temperature topping out at 82 F today. Unfortunately, the wind blew at 27 mph by the time I limped home. I'm getting too old for this crap.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit2mN14RTnBoifEPAljOIkp-hHcdCSzvhZ3BrCRbGAqBg7nDcfaXhh-6As3_bWXhZIl1Wd1_zFX4pXFFy6-WHMczSw0V0LCjMC9QoWu_Hf9LoA-gzcSHo781nr4IIFP75YQ-jdcZ768tBd3C9vFvGKARO7zMrb8yhSuIxoCSoD7r2DKtfGz6DoRH5y6c2r/s3962/PXL_20240219_003239649~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1988" data-original-width="3962" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit2mN14RTnBoifEPAljOIkp-hHcdCSzvhZ3BrCRbGAqBg7nDcfaXhh-6As3_bWXhZIl1Wd1_zFX4pXFFy6-WHMczSw0V0LCjMC9QoWu_Hf9LoA-gzcSHo781nr4IIFP75YQ-jdcZ768tBd3C9vFvGKARO7zMrb8yhSuIxoCSoD7r2DKtfGz6DoRH5y6c2r/w400-h201/PXL_20240219_003239649~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>Last night, René and Masako came over for dinner, and this weekend Wes and Susan will have a bite at Chez Jürgen. Additionally, my old friend Jessie from Colorado has been overnighting here during her temporary work as an anesthesiology PA at Grace Hospital, so I have actually been speaking to real humans and not only Mr. Google, who is very good at delivering the latest news and shuffling music from Pandora.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi19vfa6lU-Jo3sYdtHfd1QDqy7PjHcq0x2wUE7QT0N3HsDyyBM-vKGsdmLg8LbXjC75F64Mpu4ViyPLSSueMC438EETKkbc6LZTyALKJ5_KuL5KpjtYi97u1dbjNuaiNpLMZtPG5uw5mOd0PfS_-8Q9UiM-aFXW2axf3fbh-EeYlySfGJJ6KIiJqqhs8_x/s4032/PXL_20240220_232507966.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi19vfa6lU-Jo3sYdtHfd1QDqy7PjHcq0x2wUE7QT0N3HsDyyBM-vKGsdmLg8LbXjC75F64Mpu4ViyPLSSueMC438EETKkbc6LZTyALKJ5_KuL5KpjtYi97u1dbjNuaiNpLMZtPG5uw5mOd0PfS_-8Q9UiM-aFXW2axf3fbh-EeYlySfGJJ6KIiJqqhs8_x/w400-h225/PXL_20240220_232507966.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcmVEdEBFNfvjRhhSRr-opyM8iDmp1njGAqiBJ1j2tSPjC1l-6vGrSyEaWnmrdqMhQvmQx4nEdES-WV7tIYhDoH0UnqCNo-vn6JWNy7fdUtsvSlXkJFtws43rOOZTdC1XHcIq5_22OlWy5mICPWEd0GDxVLnvWqRFmfm6UqB4hOHbqnpzlbgRbc_BlRKjy/s2973/PXL_20240221_014130667.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="2973" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcmVEdEBFNfvjRhhSRr-opyM8iDmp1njGAqiBJ1j2tSPjC1l-6vGrSyEaWnmrdqMhQvmQx4nEdES-WV7tIYhDoH0UnqCNo-vn6JWNy7fdUtsvSlXkJFtws43rOOZTdC1XHcIq5_22OlWy5mICPWEd0GDxVLnvWqRFmfm6UqB4hOHbqnpzlbgRbc_BlRKjy/w400-h305/PXL_20240221_014130667.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>This afternoon I filed my 2023 federal tax return, and I am up-to-date with whatever paperwork and Quicken accounting is due. It's kinda nice to be home for a few weeks (these road trips are different from jetting overseas and count for "almost" at home), but next weekend flying is going to start up again, and quite frankly, I'm excited about it!</div><div><br /></div>JürgenJürgenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03107533431710748040noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023527478729548228.post-79775088941120751752024-01-20T21:46:00.001-06:002024-01-21T08:48:05.720-06:00It's difficult to ever get enough of Paris<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCLcpKRP0jcDk5PxEcBAiM1TwkPivRWdewf2lKEcgSimScJu6wZfCuD0LttNj-Mbq37hcvoCPADrztKzLdsfKOOgbvLhCwXnBpHhANKgH5FVmCT7-KhRG6kJGQK3gLkoT1FKkVStaQcvcMDtDhKoySVjNbk05C1t00qwnqVf8LzsaEYws0LEOWRD19Msau/s4032/PXL_20240115_110342240.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCLcpKRP0jcDk5PxEcBAiM1TwkPivRWdewf2lKEcgSimScJu6wZfCuD0LttNj-Mbq37hcvoCPADrztKzLdsfKOOgbvLhCwXnBpHhANKgH5FVmCT7-KhRG6kJGQK3gLkoT1FKkVStaQcvcMDtDhKoySVjNbk05C1t00qwnqVf8LzsaEYws0LEOWRD19Msau/w400-h225/PXL_20240115_110342240.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Honestly, I have no idea how often I have visited France's capital. The love affair started back in my high school days when we took our senior trip with our French teacher, Herr Kaduk, because, after all, we were in the intensive French course. (Yeah, right, that no longer has any significance in my ability to converse.) Those students who were enrolled in intensive math got to travel to Moscow....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4EVPRqHfaOzxstYEYzISOgCvro_XpsU3Ekgck2W8GYyiBc86kT8z7gKd_kq4ZUDFcoTfHbcwulw4QQE7_lolpfO1MAGOg8yzYr79Rc-vnUMfssE83xJ24Z64e2EHCmxK53KZnbyTcm7yI0JP55792XKlbPI8cHPX2oVUSPwVx3t5_DTCyn6bRJGlq3cF/s3674/PXL_20240112_104200220~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3674" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4EVPRqHfaOzxstYEYzISOgCvro_XpsU3Ekgck2W8GYyiBc86kT8z7gKd_kq4ZUDFcoTfHbcwulw4QQE7_lolpfO1MAGOg8yzYr79Rc-vnUMfssE83xJ24Z64e2EHCmxK53KZnbyTcm7yI0JP55792XKlbPI8cHPX2oVUSPwVx3t5_DTCyn6bRJGlq3cF/w400-h248/PXL_20240112_104200220~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZjs_nlKMZUIPmsTKbAWHhd2ZyKK0g7UrkmmqZvMZmE-LfX6oyAhRCg8omBCaaAkpVj1WIW2Zv8MtjtY53qBFnjSfJRXshWvyE39QDpRrohO9v-5MROg6BenpkSsb8uYPxygPKASzbFBBPIXFC8eBT7mZjv3FftcDE3dxSFH9vPHwOUOytvUKWT6rebA51/s3710/PXL_20240115_110903123.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2098" data-original-width="3710" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZjs_nlKMZUIPmsTKbAWHhd2ZyKK0g7UrkmmqZvMZmE-LfX6oyAhRCg8omBCaaAkpVj1WIW2Zv8MtjtY53qBFnjSfJRXshWvyE39QDpRrohO9v-5MROg6BenpkSsb8uYPxygPKASzbFBBPIXFC8eBT7mZjv3FftcDE3dxSFH9vPHwOUOytvUKWT6rebA51/w400-h226/PXL_20240115_110903123.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZeGDjDlQKZusr29i6xUhh_Uvz91OA3eXFbpxxDNVrNjcScdaqU_-mlOu24oiN0XCQ7h-NiZEGcVVXN_dNSD-xQFZYy1ORsFGwPhblh8YEHVskQK23W5lkoQLU8mCQb7hlev7x3L3dSxwhlGx5cpU2aPFiqxuhUdFoaW3meRHqnIXci2CymB3bgu6MUkUp/s4032/PXL_20240114_122512814.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZeGDjDlQKZusr29i6xUhh_Uvz91OA3eXFbpxxDNVrNjcScdaqU_-mlOu24oiN0XCQ7h-NiZEGcVVXN_dNSD-xQFZYy1ORsFGwPhblh8YEHVskQK23W5lkoQLU8mCQb7hlev7x3L3dSxwhlGx5cpU2aPFiqxuhUdFoaW3meRHqnIXci2CymB3bgu6MUkUp/w400-h225/PXL_20240114_122512814.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>When I started my true dabbling in independent travel, aka backpacking for three months across Europe with a Eurail Pass in 1974, my first stop after getting on the train in Aachen was Paris. A year later, Howard and I spent the better part of a week in his sister's apartment in the City of Love after terrorizing Tunisia and Sardinia beforehand. I remember smuggling Judy into France in my dad's Peugeot—Americans at the time needed a visa, but no problem entering via the tiny, un-manned border posts. The mistake was to assume that nobody would check her papers upon exit. Oh man, she threw the craziest fit, crying and telling the officers "Just take me to jail and lock me up forever!" Really. Somehow we got her back across the border, and it didn't stop us to travel to Paris numerous times, either on quick weekend trips or a little longer playing tour guides for friends and family.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwoUJWxwd_YUaYp6_UEOpAsp_ioZ0GvTmuG6Zh6MQrK_kCZcXHohdMMrwoMCcpe1v-2KJIVvR51EmNK-zC8ZFZk7lTm0DjH_uGVjQHtetkQViRZHfECiT6YrP_oOa3JuCNbRDxCnnyhR15eJOuWs8S-E8hJeqHy852Yuw8t-HQfh02zDfM652EQM7TZynP/s4032/PXL_20240111_165337544.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwoUJWxwd_YUaYp6_UEOpAsp_ioZ0GvTmuG6Zh6MQrK_kCZcXHohdMMrwoMCcpe1v-2KJIVvR51EmNK-zC8ZFZk7lTm0DjH_uGVjQHtetkQViRZHfECiT6YrP_oOa3JuCNbRDxCnnyhR15eJOuWs8S-E8hJeqHy852Yuw8t-HQfh02zDfM652EQM7TZynP/w400-h225/PXL_20240111_165337544.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0CjzrA6FbwLRCDCU6zkUcrtIfU5dbxUKiLv1mqq1b4asG4Iti7t6_9PeQ3SHPcsBy6By_jT2y2Cz5W1g7VJB2AhoFaAoaRd2IwJiVUQggwxaiz33mxU2XPy0fTsjuNfRniXYh7EnQoctNjHMGsVXqnXHIRS9hPVbNUkcfP1HJNCAs-xSRjYreHXEPUKLL/s3330/PXL_20240114_101253424.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1949" data-original-width="3330" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0CjzrA6FbwLRCDCU6zkUcrtIfU5dbxUKiLv1mqq1b4asG4Iti7t6_9PeQ3SHPcsBy6By_jT2y2Cz5W1g7VJB2AhoFaAoaRd2IwJiVUQggwxaiz33mxU2XPy0fTsjuNfRniXYh7EnQoctNjHMGsVXqnXHIRS9hPVbNUkcfP1HJNCAs-xSRjYreHXEPUKLL/w400-h234/PXL_20240114_101253424.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK0XLbUsY9DcgC25EANPNXcH_Qn-nNPN1x0UYA8uO3SoRSuS1HmeWLK_lFyDZGGfu1I3xMngDSs4tjJe1S6bdZ7k-WJTVYiYl1m6UxjhT6yo_DjOUms4u_7HBCGWe-TUlxDAlVnSNjLTV6xiCikx4OUk9s78Bl9f4WpAP5X3estnizCSZlUrz_IhvmXVFN/s3029/PXL_20240114_110750992~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1870" data-original-width="3029" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK0XLbUsY9DcgC25EANPNXcH_Qn-nNPN1x0UYA8uO3SoRSuS1HmeWLK_lFyDZGGfu1I3xMngDSs4tjJe1S6bdZ7k-WJTVYiYl1m6UxjhT6yo_DjOUms4u_7HBCGWe-TUlxDAlVnSNjLTV6xiCikx4OUk9s78Bl9f4WpAP5X3estnizCSZlUrz_IhvmXVFN/w400-h248/PXL_20240114_110750992~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Going back through The Jürgen Chronicles you can find a handful or more instances of my not being solo whilst in Paris. Ah, <i>l'amour</i>.... This time around, the best-laid plans met with nothing but adversity, and Birgit encountered one set-back after the other and was not able to meet up with me for what would have been her 60th birthday celebration. Well, so it goes.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQmTsrdSXwnnPfqierbrzeJEcOp0PlP6G_JawV0J5UiZ7YoiNKFl29IgA5qqlXoJ7jrJCTyqe6oSywCB8eC1ufO-DrztOfQtjc5c2TC8u46tK6TP1b9IMug22p2IAP5il6TOP4hv2KxQ-QflWjpDUowWLZ81w1yzxuBLSiW1TbCGEq1dqXwRlv9QgF_L6O/s2825/PXL_20240114_135915268.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2825" data-original-width="1791" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQmTsrdSXwnnPfqierbrzeJEcOp0PlP6G_JawV0J5UiZ7YoiNKFl29IgA5qqlXoJ7jrJCTyqe6oSywCB8eC1ufO-DrztOfQtjc5c2TC8u46tK6TP1b9IMug22p2IAP5il6TOP4hv2KxQ-QflWjpDUowWLZ81w1yzxuBLSiW1TbCGEq1dqXwRlv9QgF_L6O/w254-h400/PXL_20240114_135915268.jpg" width="254" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRLYY1nu9QuylPcDRUjCSWUjWY0EJCRescndu_dv0QmHXDe5-CQZMVi_R8Gyxd8mRbYJ2Xn87r5uUGt3XfN83vj_YZJXcPEZWei3UEhPdI9S3rXZ2_HJEbZUHuK7yDIqkjOz0p66nwUrrq9xVSDH-uqodWU_y-ZYRfo8bn8n6NbqvTBPv2bWR5DgLt2zAK/s4032/PXL_20240116_115244974.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRLYY1nu9QuylPcDRUjCSWUjWY0EJCRescndu_dv0QmHXDe5-CQZMVi_R8Gyxd8mRbYJ2Xn87r5uUGt3XfN83vj_YZJXcPEZWei3UEhPdI9S3rXZ2_HJEbZUHuK7yDIqkjOz0p66nwUrrq9xVSDH-uqodWU_y-ZYRfo8bn8n6NbqvTBPv2bWR5DgLt2zAK/w400-h225/PXL_20240116_115244974.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy7PhDjJmIxZUUEBpCsvTzOmx3rpWtDsisJeCgcieLQiLZ4Wp64ObfoDO8bGJqtsRs-Q5RTHiQPPy76bo1uJs7wW1rr0nDNTbfDghkDXkXRYv5IMjdkJdy99TRiT2MJAXr6VNqZHISOfM8ghi2Cb4fVmr-TETqcw0P_FWNMV-dSglwKQJvYOBrqy_74cEw/s3051/PXL_20240116_102023151.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3051" data-original-width="2168" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy7PhDjJmIxZUUEBpCsvTzOmx3rpWtDsisJeCgcieLQiLZ4Wp64ObfoDO8bGJqtsRs-Q5RTHiQPPy76bo1uJs7wW1rr0nDNTbfDghkDXkXRYv5IMjdkJdy99TRiT2MJAXr6VNqZHISOfM8ghi2Cb4fVmr-TETqcw0P_FWNMV-dSglwKQJvYOBrqy_74cEw/w284-h400/PXL_20240116_102023151.jpg" width="284" /></a></div>I myself experienced some initial hurdles during my trip, which should have been routine enough: Get to the airport 45 minutes before the flight out of Lubbock on a Tuesday morning, spend a few relaxed hours in Dallas in the lounge, connect in Heathrow (because there was no availability for award flights directly to CDG), and arrive around noon the next day. As seems to be normal nowadays, our AA flight was first delayed, then cancelled, because it was "leaking fuel onto the tarmac," and most of the other flights out of Lubbock had other delays that were partly caused by strong winds in Dallas that allowed only one runway to be used for all arrivals and departures.<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvAHqdYEVzQuexGPZoydXFbCzAgWpxQ_g8byp357u8Gmo-OyqTLkgnDpXIuAbRFEBNG88OnchSOkFhFFkGFfcMjbtpkxxfDIYVwBEmZwoWERXVtoTkqjWhwrbS9u9kat7OmvqYo49prqEUv0kQBQleV67mEIBZryHAX7nf3kfX7WoFMqU8249itdG4Phk9/s4032/PXL_20240109_220137581%20-%20Copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvAHqdYEVzQuexGPZoydXFbCzAgWpxQ_g8byp357u8Gmo-OyqTLkgnDpXIuAbRFEBNG88OnchSOkFhFFkGFfcMjbtpkxxfDIYVwBEmZwoWERXVtoTkqjWhwrbS9u9kat7OmvqYo49prqEUv0kQBQleV67mEIBZryHAX7nf3kfX7WoFMqU8249itdG4Phk9/w400-h225/PXL_20240109_220137581%20-%20Copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2r2smWc7ZAYXZPmGd_Qe5s5bngwbFqYgXrbqSVZlkHRMzJus4Wqd3JxuLNu9YZr4DBxJA-CyIz4fiX5kv2PVwOD92oR00a2ibP-pHhtbi7EKIFIXmE6SxtMHhPneNqeW6L_rl4uzzYD2MxrCyS0q7m8Ne8Aiv8yyQWFKCmv-TETKmv7QUE_3MyBRK0q2x/s4032/PXL_20240109_224843311%20-%20Copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2r2smWc7ZAYXZPmGd_Qe5s5bngwbFqYgXrbqSVZlkHRMzJus4Wqd3JxuLNu9YZr4DBxJA-CyIz4fiX5kv2PVwOD92oR00a2ibP-pHhtbi7EKIFIXmE6SxtMHhPneNqeW6L_rl4uzzYD2MxrCyS0q7m8Ne8Aiv8yyQWFKCmv-TETKmv7QUE_3MyBRK0q2x/w225-h400/PXL_20240109_224843311%20-%20Copy.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnnoRqlhh9mqBwuI8ezq_tPZg0YSqCYggn2MBNPeE8gNhH1kV9knUF5qQ1amK4YvAHuC5SCKfki19Ts9Wr9fJZOdOeQW6hCJIxF3-QffgyoeKAxBJspxpd85_r1nPAimO4DYeyZVoxq1nnRVArKcwiKerxKzjk0Rnd4guEWMxQF1ME4BpHCrwmcS3mnAKG/s4032/PXL_20240109_232148604%20-%20Copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnnoRqlhh9mqBwuI8ezq_tPZg0YSqCYggn2MBNPeE8gNhH1kV9knUF5qQ1amK4YvAHuC5SCKfki19Ts9Wr9fJZOdOeQW6hCJIxF3-QffgyoeKAxBJspxpd85_r1nPAimO4DYeyZVoxq1nnRVArKcwiKerxKzjk0Rnd4guEWMxQF1ME4BpHCrwmcS3mnAKG/w400-h225/PXL_20240109_232148604%20-%20Copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipPyDuarGhCmO6PMewAQieHasmfS6U82RJ7rSPEM0Ff0GKwqXHEWctyAw33TSpF6_Xcn5lxUoZyScvzngslXRt68M7U9BTB0BNQGxLJ44yvmi4eBZ__LfIvg_otYVGYfcYsO7NYR_Mv7gmZXLzK3w2liMEj-A9us9DWWZbk94ytGe2pqdxbI3JLALYfI68/s4032/PXL_20240110_002557690%20-%20Copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipPyDuarGhCmO6PMewAQieHasmfS6U82RJ7rSPEM0Ff0GKwqXHEWctyAw33TSpF6_Xcn5lxUoZyScvzngslXRt68M7U9BTB0BNQGxLJ44yvmi4eBZ__LfIvg_otYVGYfcYsO7NYR_Mv7gmZXLzK3w2liMEj-A9us9DWWZbk94ytGe2pqdxbI3JLALYfI68/w400-h225/PXL_20240110_002557690%20-%20Copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBH0MV-T2jDdhXDIB9xtpa45-6xtmtFm5LGr9EKPqLnrNO3aLO0pB_YjxniX6oq9_STGxUbBi8klnYRRQ43njmo_Y0PHXqliWga3Sus9V1cuCLFNc0uN8yzbQGs6KZXCVukKFoiC8RlSGsOpRRIGYvO3IdAgEwjrJFtDoFz287wWp0IYmzL344jCPjPwjA/s4032/PXL_20240110_104346610.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBH0MV-T2jDdhXDIB9xtpa45-6xtmtFm5LGr9EKPqLnrNO3aLO0pB_YjxniX6oq9_STGxUbBi8klnYRRQ43njmo_Y0PHXqliWga3Sus9V1cuCLFNc0uN8yzbQGs6KZXCVukKFoiC8RlSGsOpRRIGYvO3IdAgEwjrJFtDoFz287wWp0IYmzL344jCPjPwjA/w225-h400/PXL_20240110_104346610.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXZOueP4iKQseDmIHs9jRHeljy-nxDNRQX1LWU8rhJvuP9-nNg0zqqYqGQJpHeGYobLZ7ozhIz0uII4fBT6RLFFBcy6qxcDyyBd7L6eZqmu6AxV6hcQlfAI9uXKyo3jt6oOK-kpjw7Vz-78JZT2n0fmFEfB9dC-aE4BJVaqUoixkpizco8FsupLbX9vZgp/s4032/PXL_20240110_121252135.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXZOueP4iKQseDmIHs9jRHeljy-nxDNRQX1LWU8rhJvuP9-nNg0zqqYqGQJpHeGYobLZ7ozhIz0uII4fBT6RLFFBcy6qxcDyyBd7L6eZqmu6AxV6hcQlfAI9uXKyo3jt6oOK-kpjw7Vz-78JZT2n0fmFEfB9dC-aE4BJVaqUoixkpizco8FsupLbX9vZgp/w400-h225/PXL_20240110_121252135.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>Fortunately I have learned to assume the worst when these situations arrive, and I took things in my own hands. Despite what had initially seemed like a safe time buffer in Dallas I realized that in the best-case scenario I'd be sprinting through terminals to catch my connecting flight to LHR—and so I talked one of the local AA agents into booking me onto a British Airlines flight that was going to give me another two hours of ground time in DFW before departure. Somehow young Brittany didn't book me into Business; I assume that she was inexperienced enough to think that <i>domestic</i> First is the same as <i>international </i>First. And suddenly the world brightened when I saw "Seat 4A," which clearly put me at the top of the food chain. Once I was in DFW I had access to the really, really nice Flagship First Dining section of AA's top lounge, something that only ticketed First Class passengers get to enjoy. And the flight in BA's Airbus A380 was pretty damn nice, too.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1RUIDjgE1xo-5Bf51jgqCIXwR2clr96lDcqUsJk7E5bO41_g1UCAD5Z5sIuqoU8nyqvI1HjTv6v9yKxT0f9ZgLtkDQRzTBlLYhmpHVArMlTTdBjDihtwUPcEbWk4-Z_xH0No9nBMc42Sx7Ax7emILVhB_Yigg4877_wJExpPNMwFvjHHKPl8crWZfj_ho/s4032/PXL_20240110_121403494.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1RUIDjgE1xo-5Bf51jgqCIXwR2clr96lDcqUsJk7E5bO41_g1UCAD5Z5sIuqoU8nyqvI1HjTv6v9yKxT0f9ZgLtkDQRzTBlLYhmpHVArMlTTdBjDihtwUPcEbWk4-Z_xH0No9nBMc42Sx7Ax7emILVhB_Yigg4877_wJExpPNMwFvjHHKPl8crWZfj_ho/w225-h400/PXL_20240110_121403494.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh4TarnsSYPVdROQmyBQb-F_LDDybBBHl1xda-8Jq4BoldKh9cyHOX6r_-1UUd3gchccwDpO1ZWvxz3JbANNxs5NyEZrU3zC01T4FFqPGGqiS-HSVuLSPTTvLD8uO9CM2VEmQBFhhZmcaofSYTy5KHQc8tl0VXKDpUnTBTEGu0UxA1LXtAkvlpcLGvnZdP/s4032/PXL_20240110_133232454.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh4TarnsSYPVdROQmyBQb-F_LDDybBBHl1xda-8Jq4BoldKh9cyHOX6r_-1UUd3gchccwDpO1ZWvxz3JbANNxs5NyEZrU3zC01T4FFqPGGqiS-HSVuLSPTTvLD8uO9CM2VEmQBFhhZmcaofSYTy5KHQc8tl0VXKDpUnTBTEGu0UxA1LXtAkvlpcLGvnZdP/w400-h225/PXL_20240110_133232454.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJfdpNFjAeEmFw9ZsqpHsmf_0TvuVhmeg4HxAUB7mFEM7A8jhUOEdd5K30evC2o-g2m-n4GY0jdCA7ifBv8OMXssUrs4y5oSlzILsoBNbjY4YFMaQAa-OrXkCV_pGaS5vUgK9SYRR8OaT-cJtkRAF6d0PyHYA57YdFguvQdKtqAHy7j5SqH8PlcvN4KpgI/s4032/PXL_20240110_151137111.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJfdpNFjAeEmFw9ZsqpHsmf_0TvuVhmeg4HxAUB7mFEM7A8jhUOEdd5K30evC2o-g2m-n4GY0jdCA7ifBv8OMXssUrs4y5oSlzILsoBNbjY4YFMaQAa-OrXkCV_pGaS5vUgK9SYRR8OaT-cJtkRAF6d0PyHYA57YdFguvQdKtqAHy7j5SqH8PlcvN4KpgI/w225-h400/PXL_20240110_151137111.jpg" width="225" /></a></div></div><div>Despite all these shenanigans, eventually I didn't experience any delay in my eventual arrival in Charles de Gaulle's T2. It didn't take long to buy my ticket for the RER B train into the city center, and from the Saint-Michel—Notre-Dame station it was less than a 10-minute walk to my Airbnb. My host, Isabelle, and her adult son had just arrived themselves, and after exchanging keys and chatting about traveling (they're consummate road warriors themselves) I finally was installed in the Quartier Latin, in 78 rue Mazarine. Well done!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQcWlnmTr3SlXQLB0G6UYYd_yUj1ZekEFho3_dVvpDz1lt0EdVXAFhBiKpolNvQxA926ugMLPKVtu4jfeBI_TAoMpexAiVoMUaeLuKD6L24F0Kfx9fYYG-Ak7qtReVUzLVRK6qSGG0qcsCOuIpnb3Udu28T3_qCBwQjba9hiB_vRancFy1N8nGc0GhH16Y/s4032/PXL_20240111_095727961.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQcWlnmTr3SlXQLB0G6UYYd_yUj1ZekEFho3_dVvpDz1lt0EdVXAFhBiKpolNvQxA926ugMLPKVtu4jfeBI_TAoMpexAiVoMUaeLuKD6L24F0Kfx9fYYG-Ak7qtReVUzLVRK6qSGG0qcsCOuIpnb3Udu28T3_qCBwQjba9hiB_vRancFy1N8nGc0GhH16Y/w225-h400/PXL_20240111_095727961.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3BdTkOiunc44ZgfSn-EuhOuCldhLglRf9APNcl9eCcMv6Z7xfKW4-v7gjF1VC27DXtc_8d9FGScxcL67xSUjI8pb7v2QzMkkvlbO_fMBmGBAiSSqYCw_isGChpGEIC4Kge3jNI1KYAwdobJ22ZomZisym2l4lICGco90V3yqH3ggUy5Kw3wyKrQHT4lH1/s3143/PXL_20240110_211706134.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3143" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3BdTkOiunc44ZgfSn-EuhOuCldhLglRf9APNcl9eCcMv6Z7xfKW4-v7gjF1VC27DXtc_8d9FGScxcL67xSUjI8pb7v2QzMkkvlbO_fMBmGBAiSSqYCw_isGChpGEIC4Kge3jNI1KYAwdobJ22ZomZisym2l4lICGco90V3yqH3ggUy5Kw3wyKrQHT4lH1/w289-h400/PXL_20240110_211706134.jpg" width="289" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7WGeHhkhuisKpkoIfDPe8-W8GOtt0ewrAoLVVfYThpEA4WOnP0vc9ymW556Gng0chXeYscN93OQtF-qlP0CYNvr1eL-flTE8CAc79tHXHz_xMwlIkmUpgNu-zrw_q-5oBIjkpuBgdwKKpvCtNnsi-oGkcu2Bp1P4VUN3OyeH5Xrz55IMfNayHu_jzvqd5/s4032/PXL_20240110_205405648.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7WGeHhkhuisKpkoIfDPe8-W8GOtt0ewrAoLVVfYThpEA4WOnP0vc9ymW556Gng0chXeYscN93OQtF-qlP0CYNvr1eL-flTE8CAc79tHXHz_xMwlIkmUpgNu-zrw_q-5oBIjkpuBgdwKKpvCtNnsi-oGkcu2Bp1P4VUN3OyeH5Xrz55IMfNayHu_jzvqd5/w400-h225/PXL_20240110_205405648.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwkn-TvNKxCxbkq8QaRanB_JctTvUoXIHLoV2S3-Vbg61t3GirhQIPnTuAgn66iwXJlFkIc3jj8PYNNnYM9ABf2R8Jzb3z78B0DY28DLw5tfNoF_hBrvbM_dBjn176kvULggTNrPvRa_gVBhpyXNYKMyjnMQK59PAViR2DA0r0sXtnVKLs4aothVP7p_GY/s4032/PXL_20240110_205329696.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwkn-TvNKxCxbkq8QaRanB_JctTvUoXIHLoV2S3-Vbg61t3GirhQIPnTuAgn66iwXJlFkIc3jj8PYNNnYM9ABf2R8Jzb3z78B0DY28DLw5tfNoF_hBrvbM_dBjn176kvULggTNrPvRa_gVBhpyXNYKMyjnMQK59PAViR2DA0r0sXtnVKLs4aothVP7p_GY/w400-h225/PXL_20240110_205329696.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimV3qxAWcwSOXJsEGOsL5BYkkMuuTjf3kIjxvgZw4msOMxEbVyVFb8lgNOpeCDAtyorRitPIagNNnPrljPXu28z3gPG-nQZ5qtYSGuW5xCTTP3NspUJMhb_iw9kpxX65lpRc-0OP5DvPVf1Xdvov1PkheNSwdB7INa-gMY11Etm2QMugrs1iVVjs7kgNnS/s4032/PXL_20240110_205302100.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimV3qxAWcwSOXJsEGOsL5BYkkMuuTjf3kIjxvgZw4msOMxEbVyVFb8lgNOpeCDAtyorRitPIagNNnPrljPXu28z3gPG-nQZ5qtYSGuW5xCTTP3NspUJMhb_iw9kpxX65lpRc-0OP5DvPVf1Xdvov1PkheNSwdB7INa-gMY11Etm2QMugrs1iVVjs7kgNnS/w400-h225/PXL_20240110_205302100.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>For the next week I used this ideal Airbnb as my homebase for daily forays to familiar places as well as spots that I had never visited before. Thursday, my first full day on the ground, was a spectacularly sunny (yet also very cold) day that I used to ride about 20 miles all over town using Paris' original sharebike, the Vélib. Nowadays, a day pass costs €5.00, which is just a few pennies more in US currency (back in about 2006 it was just one euro). This 24-hour pass gives access to the system's traditional "acoustic" bikes (vs. e-bikes—get it? Think guitars!). There are almost 1,400 docking stations in Paris with around 19,000 bikes, and with the Vélib app one can see real-time which nearby stations have bikes available or offer some free docking spots. Especially the latter is an important consideration since one can rent a bike only for up to 30 minutes before incurring additional charges. Stay within the 30-minute limit, and you don't pay any more than those initial €5.00.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3_-Rd9ODWz6oY5RwC9EhI7P0JNdFwG3P7OHieWdIM5_bj__imKGOKT_kDBQkZqGwAwAuE4NdcHpvE_oPJtp2Qd16jTSFbX1U0_8csB_kkye2dWlJUCeaF7_RuIfzrmVI9L90MJ0tuS_xVKFWXcKDAnfuhnAvhjqnuL1iMSBpikjyewLLbpRJUPfmnnmVO/s543/paris_velib_stations_eutouring.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="543" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3_-Rd9ODWz6oY5RwC9EhI7P0JNdFwG3P7OHieWdIM5_bj__imKGOKT_kDBQkZqGwAwAuE4NdcHpvE_oPJtp2Qd16jTSFbX1U0_8csB_kkye2dWlJUCeaF7_RuIfzrmVI9L90MJ0tuS_xVKFWXcKDAnfuhnAvhjqnuL1iMSBpikjyewLLbpRJUPfmnnmVO/w400-h316/paris_velib_stations_eutouring.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsxv-aYmAg9hugNA8kvukK1qlSODjg-fHtdcRJHwmO7hkXVDxkTC7mv65ICm3jhIZmcR5yJaxjnP9-ywxbAMNonxMlRg8CeuIE9NuB_J9-f6QSsMPqzDxHotniLsFDhqBKME3QkfLLSikPkZiBxZDKxjwO_nfhyphenhyphendRRJlrqfpkyJnkThVRP7RrGlxszzLzY/s4032/PXL_20240111_125110493.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsxv-aYmAg9hugNA8kvukK1qlSODjg-fHtdcRJHwmO7hkXVDxkTC7mv65ICm3jhIZmcR5yJaxjnP9-ywxbAMNonxMlRg8CeuIE9NuB_J9-f6QSsMPqzDxHotniLsFDhqBKME3QkfLLSikPkZiBxZDKxjwO_nfhyphenhyphendRRJlrqfpkyJnkThVRP7RrGlxszzLzY/w225-h400/PXL_20240111_125110493.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLSSOo4okGTVpxsk2PPsY2_ZPo85sTPQ5Rn50nUM4DyDC_P2RSirO9LYUFdmjXMf-M6zLBUDwNnYX2Dfcf4y-_-uas2NfKeIb4UhU8-fZr4eVdcMSV7Anf8HlmIv5Mv5PqKzQ89xuENWZT55dutjha4NjDfjvyXlel_HW2VI5SwTaePieVF2h7DrHLkQUq/s3729/PXL_20240113_111647734.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1638" data-original-width="3729" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLSSOo4okGTVpxsk2PPsY2_ZPo85sTPQ5Rn50nUM4DyDC_P2RSirO9LYUFdmjXMf-M6zLBUDwNnYX2Dfcf4y-_-uas2NfKeIb4UhU8-fZr4eVdcMSV7Anf8HlmIv5Mv5PqKzQ89xuENWZT55dutjha4NjDfjvyXlel_HW2VI5SwTaePieVF2h7DrHLkQUq/w400-h176/PXL_20240113_111647734.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtziKTRzju-nqXP_7BcdRYDSEwSs2XcayN9IIipOgjR3aay3zDT1wQ46yEMcEwZpqRt5fRuItNRLvke8Qjm46TLVz1UVgwaCVLJqyK8lae3oVs6_LRTWZ7_77vqZnsE3yw-gN8gy7MroSY1SQYE2okN677PqPKa_wjXssf_aYO01wxxo1ff375sSKdz32q/s3645/PXL_20240111_142232408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3645" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtziKTRzju-nqXP_7BcdRYDSEwSs2XcayN9IIipOgjR3aay3zDT1wQ46yEMcEwZpqRt5fRuItNRLvke8Qjm46TLVz1UVgwaCVLJqyK8lae3oVs6_LRTWZ7_77vqZnsE3yw-gN8gy7MroSY1SQYE2okN677PqPKa_wjXssf_aYO01wxxo1ff375sSKdz32q/w249-h400/PXL_20240111_142232408.jpg" width="249" /></a></div></div><div>I had brought along my helmet so I'd be able to use the Vélibs guilt free. Danger comes less from cars than—especially—rogue e-bikes and scooters, some of which must have been modified since they zip along at insane speeds. Almost all streets in Paris have bike markings, and even the most narrow one-way lanes can be used by bikes in both directions. Some websites estimate that around 500,000 bike trips are being taken in Paris on a daily basis, and if you Google a bit you find amazing statistics in regard to the city's cycling infrastructure. Cars seem to be resigned to the fact that cyclists have taken over, and it is obvious that if you need to get somewhere on time, the bike is the only transportation option that will make that possible.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWiS_grdrMPSBkaW8DvC60LbEgBBqRqAyb0_-6tmgDUpQAJ5BAECaP5NTT6cBFE8Gur0x-3cpwj2zAs5vAHi0bYmSALBV7OvKt70QiouqLiA6RqcGiZePTsWA_RAhr7fgbRMdqUjAh0mwIiiGOVZGHTMq6zyadfaRZlfo3E2rX4Qea1ZrA6XVACVSZ7NOf/s2645/PXL_20240113_112944493.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2645" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWiS_grdrMPSBkaW8DvC60LbEgBBqRqAyb0_-6tmgDUpQAJ5BAECaP5NTT6cBFE8Gur0x-3cpwj2zAs5vAHi0bYmSALBV7OvKt70QiouqLiA6RqcGiZePTsWA_RAhr7fgbRMdqUjAh0mwIiiGOVZGHTMq6zyadfaRZlfo3E2rX4Qea1ZrA6XVACVSZ7NOf/w343-h400/PXL_20240113_112944493.jpg" width="343" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1rUroxjBAO5bZU_maCKvvAGAM9EQ0RoNYjMvFqihFNOIv-k3eRTl0Lg58GXWqcMcGgbWuV_8k_Ol79d87La7H7PEbziTjJlHeSu-ap7fnxyahVYHcqhDRK9X2fEAfgk2N9MAtVWhcgmIqNr7SU3vSfgO9Qfh3xCUczbdJhzQgAyCTFeUnzNy5_qggv0cW/s3732/PXL_20240114_102212786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1508" data-original-width="3732" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1rUroxjBAO5bZU_maCKvvAGAM9EQ0RoNYjMvFqihFNOIv-k3eRTl0Lg58GXWqcMcGgbWuV_8k_Ol79d87La7H7PEbziTjJlHeSu-ap7fnxyahVYHcqhDRK9X2fEAfgk2N9MAtVWhcgmIqNr7SU3vSfgO9Qfh3xCUczbdJhzQgAyCTFeUnzNy5_qggv0cW/w400-h161/PXL_20240114_102212786.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWjWTGSTJrWLWtxglM56KuSNHR4RUyNApxrTfh5F6LYIUzdM0m7BHnwV24oVG648S3VpXW6Y2fkSnrItf6vURC6jq7X7LPybK6UFbw1kBokeInt7KviQktbp0FiE88fp5H3Mp1SuEnhNXmdsPprSN17Zso9K1dA5hemi0hdpq0J_y2tsgRUmy71YS-XMSa/s2545/PXL_20240114_102654723.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="2545" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWjWTGSTJrWLWtxglM56KuSNHR4RUyNApxrTfh5F6LYIUzdM0m7BHnwV24oVG648S3VpXW6Y2fkSnrItf6vURC6jq7X7LPybK6UFbw1kBokeInt7KviQktbp0FiE88fp5H3Mp1SuEnhNXmdsPprSN17Zso9K1dA5hemi0hdpq0J_y2tsgRUmy71YS-XMSa/w400-h356/PXL_20240114_102654723.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirIP9d0RPlX7Cl9SYLaW37hHhGubcCRIKti9YFRU1MNAFWbXbtGxcn-Wl_7DuGMtQE10KkgtC6s-l6W7dzhAf1i0WUerXNpu08vOQ_n77TnPZIYQOZ9Fx4DqpkmlJyTuO_PaTWnKF1r-WVTO9H-QLD2cTyRnJaTN4FZJTyEh2Bn5BdLh9R2kNDNV0NfjjS/s4032/PXL_20240114_102236712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirIP9d0RPlX7Cl9SYLaW37hHhGubcCRIKti9YFRU1MNAFWbXbtGxcn-Wl_7DuGMtQE10KkgtC6s-l6W7dzhAf1i0WUerXNpu08vOQ_n77TnPZIYQOZ9Fx4DqpkmlJyTuO_PaTWnKF1r-WVTO9H-QLD2cTyRnJaTN4FZJTyEh2Bn5BdLh9R2kNDNV0NfjjS/w400-h225/PXL_20240114_102236712.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDIA43pxpP4nEdwcy7qaATu-bbQgf8IqG2S6BjA0iVz2iSbW3rZb0tNBC59JWNdW23QhKCDNz6zslHGRcyYowohslqWhK2LJufUDO7WIY_t67F7N-1-BjKa8W-BzYPotlsiLIz-MqzROASiaIV_N2-y2EElnDYTX78C0QSzZQNhvrGdWT0rT8qEl-cKwUx/s2749/PXL_20240112_143134459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2749" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDIA43pxpP4nEdwcy7qaATu-bbQgf8IqG2S6BjA0iVz2iSbW3rZb0tNBC59JWNdW23QhKCDNz6zslHGRcyYowohslqWhK2LJufUDO7WIY_t67F7N-1-BjKa8W-BzYPotlsiLIz-MqzROASiaIV_N2-y2EElnDYTX78C0QSzZQNhvrGdWT0rT8qEl-cKwUx/w330-h400/PXL_20240112_143134459.jpg" width="330" /></a></div>Other bike players abound: Lime/Uber, Dott, Tier, Zoov, and several others. However, all of these are dock-less, which means that they get dropped off (and often simply dropped) anywhere and everywhere. Quite frankly, it's a nuisance that many cities live with. Add to that carelessly parked electric scooters and the sharebike concept suddenly gets tainted.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi3O9yJR-_8m6dt6yVmnl2pJfpwAw5efwkEfD2Uk0JHd6CEo4m0Ocflh5B6irwpIiq6xyJcBxzCxWlfX1jylKjKOCJoVzdMzDE5-heZT00DARmx1IJAby9TmP1OukC5Ue8eJu7TeVI_waF8xUIRs1PG32xBigHcmBNU8taOhazM1-JC5pnHxoNwBWmAJ3L/s3635/PXL_20240114_141323969~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2183" data-original-width="3635" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi3O9yJR-_8m6dt6yVmnl2pJfpwAw5efwkEfD2Uk0JHd6CEo4m0Ocflh5B6irwpIiq6xyJcBxzCxWlfX1jylKjKOCJoVzdMzDE5-heZT00DARmx1IJAby9TmP1OukC5Ue8eJu7TeVI_waF8xUIRs1PG32xBigHcmBNU8taOhazM1-JC5pnHxoNwBWmAJ3L/w400-h240/PXL_20240114_141323969~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizlTbMSFPCI9195-lMokfdCOol1bVq6wBxNSRPvvu9CHGLJr1uh1u8D1X2f7Ub9u6Hu4A0sPkUhP4ragduyvwW1N4D3_fiA7EVpi91HqoJF-_V9WrKjWE8G-Hq4GUQlzmnszKe_C-_JYbRWKA7Uie4YgoTQjiJP8S0bW6rxe4ANFche-hhkgIj_hpwCGQE/s4032/PXL_20240111_214657626.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizlTbMSFPCI9195-lMokfdCOol1bVq6wBxNSRPvvu9CHGLJr1uh1u8D1X2f7Ub9u6Hu4A0sPkUhP4ragduyvwW1N4D3_fiA7EVpi91HqoJF-_V9WrKjWE8G-Hq4GUQlzmnszKe_C-_JYbRWKA7Uie4YgoTQjiJP8S0bW6rxe4ANFche-hhkgIj_hpwCGQE/w400-h225/PXL_20240111_214657626.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnBHJkJtG0WIUzFOhxld2MNUX-zfO9ljP7RPAjNxBQAGEwq5QcTQ_x0l3tXyGgZAuWTyyg1Dw9B1sJ2SAL3My-Pm4uZhNzv5r2V7U1CSeK9Y2obp5BbpSSMhid6bOQFXPD90EESuDXSd0uDDJ_JYxpQ2V7iIJ73tJ988cx1g88sQYGUhN9bBsG_gtdGfpI/s4032/PXL_20240111_121320107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnBHJkJtG0WIUzFOhxld2MNUX-zfO9ljP7RPAjNxBQAGEwq5QcTQ_x0l3tXyGgZAuWTyyg1Dw9B1sJ2SAL3My-Pm4uZhNzv5r2V7U1CSeK9Y2obp5BbpSSMhid6bOQFXPD90EESuDXSd0uDDJ_JYxpQ2V7iIJ73tJ988cx1g88sQYGUhN9bBsG_gtdGfpI/w225-h400/PXL_20240111_121320107.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggNKSe2MaIrlT6-XHDYTECPRnY7u9E4yts1RutcArKoO6fBfQOs39NZ6U0hO4LjMnhWz0RXg-qc6Q1wrSIRZq163DVUWiM5lx_IGofI-CsagtheQ1PYlBL3e1WxUc1PA1k1gywUu4OEWaDHpzljNNwrNG7vfBDjlnZL-K_fY4KE0jCmUZLmLnexDXT10SP/s4032/PXL_20240110_193822643.PORTRAIT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggNKSe2MaIrlT6-XHDYTECPRnY7u9E4yts1RutcArKoO6fBfQOs39NZ6U0hO4LjMnhWz0RXg-qc6Q1wrSIRZq163DVUWiM5lx_IGofI-CsagtheQ1PYlBL3e1WxUc1PA1k1gywUu4OEWaDHpzljNNwrNG7vfBDjlnZL-K_fY4KE0jCmUZLmLnexDXT10SP/w400-h225/PXL_20240110_193822643.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>Having visited Paris as often as I have means that I do not feel compelled to follow any kind of schedule to not miss any "must-sees." Instead, every day I'd get up thinking about what neighborhood or small museum I would want to explore. With severely overcast, almost foggy and very cold temperatures prevailing for the next few days after my first day on the Vélib I preferred to simply walk and occasionally duck into a shop, an art gallery, or a bistro so I could warm up. I ended up walking between six to ten miles a day, window-shopping, people-watching, and simply enjoying the vibe that Paris gives off. It is an extremely walkable city, and my location on the Left Bank was ideal for my daily forays.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg15sOZn97X7ZE5cyXfTCWxc-Irg-aNMhafuNH2xLtuavOrplhZNcpzpKOYPH25Q5_3nKKtBxjtt3u1pIVmTzcDsUsiNt8TaXvqlG388yQ6BdDL0nOjqdMJQLkF4mb5tSC572wGqV0LPIvVLGLydIstKQemCBDGv88Umb6F1XFcUZcuZCHtsALrNAKo9kj2/s4032/PXL_20240114_121340877.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg15sOZn97X7ZE5cyXfTCWxc-Irg-aNMhafuNH2xLtuavOrplhZNcpzpKOYPH25Q5_3nKKtBxjtt3u1pIVmTzcDsUsiNt8TaXvqlG388yQ6BdDL0nOjqdMJQLkF4mb5tSC572wGqV0LPIvVLGLydIstKQemCBDGv88Umb6F1XFcUZcuZCHtsALrNAKo9kj2/w400-h225/PXL_20240114_121340877.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdSLJuYBNgSxJW2iP0ZQXZA8zo-Gex7KFBvm5uWFqjVep-8BpGFvDVi7VU9KRnL4yZwBEznsEssyW9CDO0_Ts4Mfr6Chb5kjSX-9H8Uzw33mm61uO8v6wxC2mVzjEqvZbz5cnztiARWXOz8010Np-hIv3f-r2nYjrPmsZyh7b8Z2ZgcCmmCWZWz-vYZVPZ/s2585/PXL_20240114_122650116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="2585" height="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdSLJuYBNgSxJW2iP0ZQXZA8zo-Gex7KFBvm5uWFqjVep-8BpGFvDVi7VU9KRnL4yZwBEznsEssyW9CDO0_Ts4Mfr6Chb5kjSX-9H8Uzw33mm61uO8v6wxC2mVzjEqvZbz5cnztiARWXOz8010Np-hIv3f-r2nYjrPmsZyh7b8Z2ZgcCmmCWZWz-vYZVPZ/w400-h351/PXL_20240114_122650116.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ4DTeBLgI2LH0NqEZf-T_6QvBupFecUnEW8JzdDNPce0TymW4V82894j72E1kTMVoY17cX4RSWjG5gcU607tWjpTAHgcRmZCUqPJTe9dN0yIUZgVjwYVFkVe3rBxnPIopoJ6xkFL8ZhXt-T2jaWhAVhZjvAMsOEMXsMTawSeF7z2tSnT-YrLou3EPf4lG/s4032/PXL_20240114_122727831.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85Ou8EPCBveQ0BK3CxSyEkYZah5GHkX0TlDTMBFk00QLGMfT-g1jC9rcIp8oGw1ERq5wBblt6ifhoS5Titgo7AS1G7SyXi5Wf8Wf1-sQ9dJIn7zfT0s3somrScTJEsY_6VgvQwkZmxClv4o4msZkR_QhToRR_ofZwMQY_07QYccHSZTYQIjDETk5BCWeX/s4032/PXL_20240112_150303172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85Ou8EPCBveQ0BK3CxSyEkYZah5GHkX0TlDTMBFk00QLGMfT-g1jC9rcIp8oGw1ERq5wBblt6ifhoS5Titgo7AS1G7SyXi5Wf8Wf1-sQ9dJIn7zfT0s3somrScTJEsY_6VgvQwkZmxClv4o4msZkR_QhToRR_ofZwMQY_07QYccHSZTYQIjDETk5BCWeX/w400-h225/PXL_20240112_150303172.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1sZMh8r36cA7s7H7OAtGD41SS7Qe3tXjkoPmNJuJkdl7WYOng9QYDnNs7kUHptX0Q3zYwA7_Z_Hz6vuFU94omO5knnUjmR_xRx5MRJZHnsCi70HPMEcwp5Nm0M3i_6tKcud2ADkQY8XvI0Q27OKi-SqFmmP8Scpb9J1L31Ha-8e_aX9OnJS-PBHBceLNZ/s3447/PXL_20240113_110608683.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2086" data-original-width="3447" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1sZMh8r36cA7s7H7OAtGD41SS7Qe3tXjkoPmNJuJkdl7WYOng9QYDnNs7kUHptX0Q3zYwA7_Z_Hz6vuFU94omO5knnUjmR_xRx5MRJZHnsCi70HPMEcwp5Nm0M3i_6tKcud2ADkQY8XvI0Q27OKi-SqFmmP8Scpb9J1L31Ha-8e_aX9OnJS-PBHBceLNZ/w400-h243/PXL_20240113_110608683.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiJJXUnPaV1AwoVMuKzivsmOLtPfJqHFE5YlWoI6otvXFiK-dfuZa_I4bvUn_625NWQSu4pZNWc5_SSTxwxwBvqf_I_K0OgMjDSwyfLdfJkLRAwscVpikjjgQfw9987EoHh2a7TIQKbHnxWJDj2q9paQ_OqCQXa-OO9qhWllJaPGvcBl7mrOsabsff2BHT/s2749/PXL_20240113_112717225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1385" data-original-width="2749" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiJJXUnPaV1AwoVMuKzivsmOLtPfJqHFE5YlWoI6otvXFiK-dfuZa_I4bvUn_625NWQSu4pZNWc5_SSTxwxwBvqf_I_K0OgMjDSwyfLdfJkLRAwscVpikjjgQfw9987EoHh2a7TIQKbHnxWJDj2q9paQ_OqCQXa-OO9qhWllJaPGvcBl7mrOsabsff2BHT/w400-h201/PXL_20240113_112717225.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikmzQaSVmH4gpVwnJ6M3XeHfyqx6pG5M2gi4MMfBg4ia4jr94IwbDLCzE7zpShrok8kq6jDRbisRyOKncq49Lt-VqpCTgeFhkIVGBBwq1UjbZSiFuiEEzkyysRJi1PQB9JHgLrVnxPQBF_NMq4YGt_5S3Cp2asYwMKVkkwqrTsBbr85hbIrVoE8KoZ69Ql/s4032/PXL_20240114_104954199.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikmzQaSVmH4gpVwnJ6M3XeHfyqx6pG5M2gi4MMfBg4ia4jr94IwbDLCzE7zpShrok8kq6jDRbisRyOKncq49Lt-VqpCTgeFhkIVGBBwq1UjbZSiFuiEEzkyysRJi1PQB9JHgLrVnxPQBF_NMq4YGt_5S3Cp2asYwMKVkkwqrTsBbr85hbIrVoE8KoZ69Ql/w225-h400/PXL_20240114_104954199.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>The plan had been for Birgit to join me for her 60th birthday, but once again fate conspired against the best-laid plans: family issues, a weeklong strike by German train engineers, and then another <i>snowmageddon </i>that hit Germany kept her from even a quick two-day visit. Well, we will keep trying. It was a bit of a bummer to put it mildly, but I didn't let it ruin my stay. I've visited places by myself before, and I always seem to manage just fine.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgroMDXqUbULXyBCkURoQXXK2xFjvhDNaTPMNwYck-_U96EQr9SMd_NGUWKfbEeoN_oTvSVXJF9WHudsHIoNXlkvKbimT_FXC5fFZPbqzB08kItdP7tYcX8lpsUgN0RNY71b-9AbHSQcSVREefCTXiFT4IE1bdJ_3eHuZvqf_L6Jbv0jEdp8bG-fAbkMfx0/s3531/PXL_20240113_202931633~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2074" data-original-width="3531" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgroMDXqUbULXyBCkURoQXXK2xFjvhDNaTPMNwYck-_U96EQr9SMd_NGUWKfbEeoN_oTvSVXJF9WHudsHIoNXlkvKbimT_FXC5fFZPbqzB08kItdP7tYcX8lpsUgN0RNY71b-9AbHSQcSVREefCTXiFT4IE1bdJ_3eHuZvqf_L6Jbv0jEdp8bG-fAbkMfx0/w400-h235/PXL_20240113_202931633~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkOLv1QSWo34iELqmDGgQtspoSu2WDEObMEIp0bnRjQH3eyI5Gn80CO9vznMyWzHRiL5l1IasyHfrz_9wwdKWjp8dn09RJdd8CG10ckh2_ZsaR-aTN3_Ac_FyxhDwQ-yMJLI-jfdrTDVCw3pQg660BbcFSiHgBqWnHYPIaSGoyhyphenhyphenXUM6Pux-E8wAJsHBS3/s3787/PXL_20240113_111405293.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1951" data-original-width="3787" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkOLv1QSWo34iELqmDGgQtspoSu2WDEObMEIp0bnRjQH3eyI5Gn80CO9vznMyWzHRiL5l1IasyHfrz_9wwdKWjp8dn09RJdd8CG10ckh2_ZsaR-aTN3_Ac_FyxhDwQ-yMJLI-jfdrTDVCw3pQg660BbcFSiHgBqWnHYPIaSGoyhyphenhyphenXUM6Pux-E8wAJsHBS3/w400-h206/PXL_20240113_111405293.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoHDtxmGMfwkUKGeBrGikJsXjZ6dnvrn_5bsbOF2JkB9HGd_zd1yp_VJ7GYFuSWL8z-UQJDu-WRw4DtnSDDWfbv_4xXhWxGAc4T9bEiiDURm6yPOxBVn0M9GYRu1m9-Pl-WaJ8v8w-3Odp408SReCAC57qSxiYL49JxHqqhfb14gbHmwgMiCDloSAmXQCc/s3536/PXL_20240112_174317242~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3536" data-original-width="2208" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoHDtxmGMfwkUKGeBrGikJsXjZ6dnvrn_5bsbOF2JkB9HGd_zd1yp_VJ7GYFuSWL8z-UQJDu-WRw4DtnSDDWfbv_4xXhWxGAc4T9bEiiDURm6yPOxBVn0M9GYRu1m9-Pl-WaJ8v8w-3Odp408SReCAC57qSxiYL49JxHqqhfb14gbHmwgMiCDloSAmXQCc/w250-h400/PXL_20240112_174317242~2.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfxjjfQAyF1tKcssFoNQYmgkgoO4lKMFE5P-NpITlZkxoIuBhurdJKA7z2KLDX9eARpvE0d-Od3PklL-3wsosNocjIDCPvKK4fPqxVRbYWMSmWViZObZIWnFlFak2lvNpPZzopg-8I8wMFyqQFPYBfPnOYd_LDUtB5bcmsbLwlfgIBG7MeGxLbxNhSxhV5/s3241/PXL_20240112_171822215.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1549" data-original-width="3241" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfxjjfQAyF1tKcssFoNQYmgkgoO4lKMFE5P-NpITlZkxoIuBhurdJKA7z2KLDX9eARpvE0d-Od3PklL-3wsosNocjIDCPvKK4fPqxVRbYWMSmWViZObZIWnFlFak2lvNpPZzopg-8I8wMFyqQFPYBfPnOYd_LDUtB5bcmsbLwlfgIBG7MeGxLbxNhSxhV5/w400-h191/PXL_20240112_171822215.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNXDNvbqc-vJ7Cbm4VcDgAB-pPnP3U7l6iY198rNG4c2-85EtmmTiFps1SofE_sGUM8Q3t8NU81zmLOVoK5mOnl3r5nFsBvwLnhevp3PXiGCsy6OKiEsg3ELe5vS4d8mS2IKaZZymW0ugG4P2AA-QZ8oPdwv-KPV5kd7Guf1hsCozyE527HenkCwNbJUeK/s3181/PXL_20240111_204506652.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3181" data-original-width="2191" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNXDNvbqc-vJ7Cbm4VcDgAB-pPnP3U7l6iY198rNG4c2-85EtmmTiFps1SofE_sGUM8Q3t8NU81zmLOVoK5mOnl3r5nFsBvwLnhevp3PXiGCsy6OKiEsg3ELe5vS4d8mS2IKaZZymW0ugG4P2AA-QZ8oPdwv-KPV5kd7Guf1hsCozyE527HenkCwNbJUeK/w275-h400/PXL_20240111_204506652.jpg" width="275" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKd4GUqZ85aTrxwsdAicstoccPOQcZViSLbar3LrXb1kaGQLj0I5hiSul0jBOX-mJxHvEzCsAlthpEFwz3VksZ7h1uu3qW6W0z62LNZ-rGQQNOdIFFsiLppK-fBjRMlEwhPb0jMZUKNcN4Inz8v5YUCpFirrHGHE8eO4wmzV7lb_5n2p25N42kfTZdCZ37/s4032/PXL_20240111_171633864.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKd4GUqZ85aTrxwsdAicstoccPOQcZViSLbar3LrXb1kaGQLj0I5hiSul0jBOX-mJxHvEzCsAlthpEFwz3VksZ7h1uu3qW6W0z62LNZ-rGQQNOdIFFsiLppK-fBjRMlEwhPb0jMZUKNcN4Inz8v5YUCpFirrHGHE8eO4wmzV7lb_5n2p25N42kfTZdCZ37/w400-h225/PXL_20240111_171633864.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTmjmLWNtFISOZdf0P34Afn0w-o25pJ9NzWbw1qMwqetm_nNyZf72UTKhFd65rzBAbHj3ewq2Tcect8ttPmvx90BX9M4PZ-EoEg_AO7AgM4AAr1VnlvLSLLkaEmYsLJO3njDlIFV81dOi8jykJ1NHJYS2IM0edhTeoQ-ndVmWXtD9ZWKZx5PP9avqQowVu/s3745/PXL_20240111_163838390~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3745" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTmjmLWNtFISOZdf0P34Afn0w-o25pJ9NzWbw1qMwqetm_nNyZf72UTKhFd65rzBAbHj3ewq2Tcect8ttPmvx90BX9M4PZ-EoEg_AO7AgM4AAr1VnlvLSLLkaEmYsLJO3njDlIFV81dOi8jykJ1NHJYS2IM0edhTeoQ-ndVmWXtD9ZWKZx5PP9avqQowVu/w400-h243/PXL_20240111_163838390~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu-9r2wT6xrvU2MPnNdNhyn9vM0jf-UuOs4iYu4eOsvAwe-zv-iQcdu3dvV5C2UnoGV2ozFZ1SVwa4DHopFbqe7iZb4WczRE9ZZWTuBy1EOl5LCCidVniMznmMEVN88Wr-qcGCoLlMcsrYKvoj2dmMCUcHZYnSH6n9WYg04s3_mj24E6s99TNxACJ_tfly/s2435/PXL_20240111_154208438~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="2435" height="373" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu-9r2wT6xrvU2MPnNdNhyn9vM0jf-UuOs4iYu4eOsvAwe-zv-iQcdu3dvV5C2UnoGV2ozFZ1SVwa4DHopFbqe7iZb4WczRE9ZZWTuBy1EOl5LCCidVniMznmMEVN88Wr-qcGCoLlMcsrYKvoj2dmMCUcHZYnSH6n9WYg04s3_mj24E6s99TNxACJ_tfly/w400-h373/PXL_20240111_154208438~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc85xdT2W4Ju8dddcvZH_ITJ34av6KxuEqwD14ItGgotu9PcVTRbsHmnuKhDFNOmcWuX8mNqSI1s5ClALSNyRL7UCUCOfw-o-JlnVnw-fcLkAjRpH0sV6l0EVisivUP8BHIIYEjIF0kJwMlZ1aXCznFdkY3b-nxosyOc9Lp_Wi7wxhic_geroVrX3H99ch/s4032/PXL_20240111_152940427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc85xdT2W4Ju8dddcvZH_ITJ34av6KxuEqwD14ItGgotu9PcVTRbsHmnuKhDFNOmcWuX8mNqSI1s5ClALSNyRL7UCUCOfw-o-JlnVnw-fcLkAjRpH0sV6l0EVisivUP8BHIIYEjIF0kJwMlZ1aXCznFdkY3b-nxosyOc9Lp_Wi7wxhic_geroVrX3H99ch/w400-h225/PXL_20240111_152940427.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>When it comes to museums in Paris, everybody thinks of the deservedly world-renowned Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay, or L'Orangerie. They are top museums that one can tour time and again, but they also carry hefty entry fees and attract hordes of tourists even in the winter months. So, this time I wanted to see new places, and <i>free</i> just meant that I would have extra money for beers 😜. I have no idea how I had managed to never have visited the outstanding Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris or the nearby Petit Palais. Both are highly recommendable, as is the Musée de Carnavalet in the Marais district (as well as the intimate Maison de Victor Hugo), another museum that doesn't charge a €23 admittance fee that the Louvre now demands. I had been to the Carnavalet once before, but as a museum that is dedicated to nothing but the history of Paris it is a <i>tour de force</i> of exhibits that deserves reading in detail the excellent interpretive multilingual texts.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiafwOv8hklmN9Gm3xtDMBWTigO1Nctv8XMHSb3uBDV2-vxQQX6HF_qforIXxjligqpJpFZbwMuxDP01meuvQToz1GU8ICXbJfiSa1UUFZV5nLo25koJYnv7BnmjzVsBxNGmaCL8cNLr8tZuSsqA4Y597ETsqeuT_f7RzAK41m-sWOpLXaYO-xBjFFk3Gyq/s3495/PXL_20240112_114551990.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2224" data-original-width="3495" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiafwOv8hklmN9Gm3xtDMBWTigO1Nctv8XMHSb3uBDV2-vxQQX6HF_qforIXxjligqpJpFZbwMuxDP01meuvQToz1GU8ICXbJfiSa1UUFZV5nLo25koJYnv7BnmjzVsBxNGmaCL8cNLr8tZuSsqA4Y597ETsqeuT_f7RzAK41m-sWOpLXaYO-xBjFFk3Gyq/w400-h255/PXL_20240112_114551990.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQPZzND4Gk8lIeudYjOKjm7WvtL6qIeSMk8Vn8FFog9f_Mkc5soSeLS1Dx_WQmawcxqrCRVnTS0JOqr4mKoNG5Z5Y6TL_YWjH_DBraYOrUdW4JTxrFA0uPZ1diJwzv3xl1ld9a5847ZYTJDHgRnVuWO-DT_3XaHPCNATrpZ8tPIYYRaDU_5ALFde7fxBvx/s2898/PXL_20240113_141136802.PORTRAIT~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2898" data-original-width="2210" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQPZzND4Gk8lIeudYjOKjm7WvtL6qIeSMk8Vn8FFog9f_Mkc5soSeLS1Dx_WQmawcxqrCRVnTS0JOqr4mKoNG5Z5Y6TL_YWjH_DBraYOrUdW4JTxrFA0uPZ1diJwzv3xl1ld9a5847ZYTJDHgRnVuWO-DT_3XaHPCNATrpZ8tPIYYRaDU_5ALFde7fxBvx/w305-h400/PXL_20240113_141136802.PORTRAIT~2.jpg" width="305" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJevjEQJSn_AV-XwUXGvAPgoxBEk6RjZ_9sHYuXa3-ehYy9gwbWH3C4HrBk_57Bm2GFzYN3ARjM-BN1ZyzhWSmuVuR4gGEr7oLKl5W3kR1f6cd7KOkpQBEKqez80czptbbSysETSM7afja7pqp2lxt4HhH2fSEszJQCvRu_aq0PGfsy3t0ef1pG7I8mSjA/s4032/PXL_20240113_141653513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJevjEQJSn_AV-XwUXGvAPgoxBEk6RjZ_9sHYuXa3-ehYy9gwbWH3C4HrBk_57Bm2GFzYN3ARjM-BN1ZyzhWSmuVuR4gGEr7oLKl5W3kR1f6cd7KOkpQBEKqez80czptbbSysETSM7afja7pqp2lxt4HhH2fSEszJQCvRu_aq0PGfsy3t0ef1pG7I8mSjA/w400-h225/PXL_20240113_141653513.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>The last time I had been in Paris, the world hadn't yet heard of COVID and Notre Dame had not been crippled by that devastating fire. I tell you, it was quite sobering to see all the scaffolding, the cranes, and the bright LED lights illuminating the (re)construction site day and night. Hopes had been to conclude the restorative work by the time the Olympics will begin this summer, but it looks more as if it will be the end of 2024 before Notre Dame will be back in its original state—and I mean <i>original</i> as immense efforts have been and are being made to reconstruct according to historical plans, using materials that are coming from the same quarries and forests, and employing construction methods that, aside from incorporating modern fire suppression methods, hark back to earlier centuries. It was my first visit to Paris ever without seeing Notre Dame from the inside.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ2SFVXyZX8A0umPlCVzsf4oDE3_guPYSjKvIGQxEO_M8xaRGttUNnA0pVfN_FjRWQ2dvZ-K18tLm2TUS2R_KBHDm_LqffnN0lJWaupsi5259gBi_JpKL3wUtbwY4lLkY4qRCH5vfSGuv-gCAnByIv1jFKTGTXGR_G8-MkOXi-bTBACQmA5d_ZRv9K6yZE/s4032/PXL_20240114_141445206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ2SFVXyZX8A0umPlCVzsf4oDE3_guPYSjKvIGQxEO_M8xaRGttUNnA0pVfN_FjRWQ2dvZ-K18tLm2TUS2R_KBHDm_LqffnN0lJWaupsi5259gBi_JpKL3wUtbwY4lLkY4qRCH5vfSGuv-gCAnByIv1jFKTGTXGR_G8-MkOXi-bTBACQmA5d_ZRv9K6yZE/w225-h400/PXL_20240114_141445206.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjraoC6C0DEqZTyQ-DIcp8Y06NJuzpSJ9B4hD4xng-yd3tdB0-Wp5FcFQtw00C0A3BOuawZk-TXOVxI_Hecy7f9yPJoCMkjjQD3SVdA0GWKAaEayYOEMhp5M-gC25KKGXFsEnORgF60AwBOENwmio04n-1hIj2Lh2k5yFnK2b1ddAoiha4OjKhVkn7cMKCg/w400-h225/PXL_20240111_164404589.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTOF-7wqsgzibEKO4HOYbRQnYlxGfibk5Z4RIBek8hUaAVHJzW2s_mL-uO682QTsKrD7-urH1haxfCY-SIS7R-m59SfFsv7NUA9Vnd1DuBjqgEJyYNpbmV7UvXXnj_CHlqmXiWcC9qYgHtzJpQgtvCZgxzlPUbK4W3Te1o05f1ujmuTNf-aj8MnvllBbFt/s3507/PXL_20240111_164849967.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3507" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTOF-7wqsgzibEKO4HOYbRQnYlxGfibk5Z4RIBek8hUaAVHJzW2s_mL-uO682QTsKrD7-urH1haxfCY-SIS7R-m59SfFsv7NUA9Vnd1DuBjqgEJyYNpbmV7UvXXnj_CHlqmXiWcC9qYgHtzJpQgtvCZgxzlPUbK4W3Te1o05f1ujmuTNf-aj8MnvllBbFt/w259-h400/PXL_20240111_164849967.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjBzUATzrQkXKdjROjdRkMgTp_vmmn8vsNS_cPwNk1P7svPVacQ8jqUTPH9Xo7hF2zUyCowl7VSUuUpa_DE0fAdsdoVVKDKYGjLFIZSIJKOWGu_1iFnUEx8yRMFUDG-kn49STzcZ2mPwQlUFlHpoovURLLsJK9r28MFozkEPAZMgCL-ccR4G3fumLEfVR_/s4032/PXL_20240113_155721372.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjBzUATzrQkXKdjROjdRkMgTp_vmmn8vsNS_cPwNk1P7svPVacQ8jqUTPH9Xo7hF2zUyCowl7VSUuUpa_DE0fAdsdoVVKDKYGjLFIZSIJKOWGu_1iFnUEx8yRMFUDG-kn49STzcZ2mPwQlUFlHpoovURLLsJK9r28MFozkEPAZMgCL-ccR4G3fumLEfVR_/s320/PXL_20240113_155721372.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitIvcQ16dYbcWoPkg33-PC26n-i7MU43jTmvtcqWFadE6B_PZg-mrYlCwnqlwQzOiiFjh-ZJzASW-6SqcZC2m6KBW5IF9G4QL9Gr6_aEiwMZaui3lyxAnQsyMoTaAwmxwQD2CqgZc1Si9qhdazROYPATmfkUlL7GpLQVWceq5oRIT6lHbn2cSbmasYFyam/s4032/PXL_20240115_110418696.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitIvcQ16dYbcWoPkg33-PC26n-i7MU43jTmvtcqWFadE6B_PZg-mrYlCwnqlwQzOiiFjh-ZJzASW-6SqcZC2m6KBW5IF9G4QL9Gr6_aEiwMZaui3lyxAnQsyMoTaAwmxwQD2CqgZc1Si9qhdazROYPATmfkUlL7GpLQVWceq5oRIT6lHbn2cSbmasYFyam/w400-h225/PXL_20240115_110418696.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDFMbH9clqMnR8sgWmHVoUNJsxz2-NaOehn3z5TKi4wBrE9P0k9TOuVjszGaijHWEESlRnYvebdspwiXCS10yPeqVcuNe58vZekYoUBvyd1CVu9pzk0HLoeS2WZmNREm_mxYyuPXL42yokU9LwVbcLcIoCW9zItaPC4CE3vgaTQ_mgGOP5rKS6tAtecRxI/s3870/PXL_20240112_172744095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1872" data-original-width="3870" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDFMbH9clqMnR8sgWmHVoUNJsxz2-NaOehn3z5TKi4wBrE9P0k9TOuVjszGaijHWEESlRnYvebdspwiXCS10yPeqVcuNe58vZekYoUBvyd1CVu9pzk0HLoeS2WZmNREm_mxYyuPXL42yokU9LwVbcLcIoCW9zItaPC4CE3vgaTQ_mgGOP5rKS6tAtecRxI/w400-h194/PXL_20240112_172744095.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">To make up for not seeing Notre Dame from the inside I decided to continue adding to my list of microbreweries and taprooms at an accelerated pace. (OK, I admit I had to find some sort of segue from the paragraph before the pics of ND, and this is the best I could come up with.) Asking Google to provide me with a list of "microbreweries near me" will yield dozens of entries for <i>brasseries </i>within 500 meters that, technically speaking, are of course no longer true breweries. Any <i>bistro </i>will be listed, and one has to look a bit closer to find the cool places that still brew or at least have some decent local taps. One standout was Les Caves Alliées, a very small taproom just a couple of blocks from my Airbnb that was empty when I arrived and stayed so for at least an hour, during which I had an animated conversation with Gabrielle, the punky keeper of the place who also works gigs in Le Café des Chats, which Tripadvisor lauds as a cat-lover's must-do. While sampling various brews on that slow Sunday afternoon we discussed politics, health care systems, strikes, why nobody can afford to live in Paris (and where they live), and how a stunning number of people pay the exorbitant prices for lunch: Their employers set them up with meal vouchers that are accepted by most restaurants and that are part of middle-class workers' work contracts. Who would have thunk! Those nattily dressed business<span style="text-align: left;">men are actually on, let's be blunt, food stamp!</span></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRj1b7DuwZnaJq7Edtk_afs_8TsQ98j0knfJm8XQxl4RvYwi-gHK_yHNEsFsek-IPkBHHYvaMHT8KUmuUECG4el7Ukct7lyNbl_SpR2frfunXrnQaxf7aiQFH0CoHn4Al9UOfQbXD9mbeib81OJOGe2_I3g2gtUO9XGAf4K5dTECwNq5451-eHC_1zMN26/s4032/PXL_20240116_140939290.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRj1b7DuwZnaJq7Edtk_afs_8TsQ98j0knfJm8XQxl4RvYwi-gHK_yHNEsFsek-IPkBHHYvaMHT8KUmuUECG4el7Ukct7lyNbl_SpR2frfunXrnQaxf7aiQFH0CoHn4Al9UOfQbXD9mbeib81OJOGe2_I3g2gtUO9XGAf4K5dTECwNq5451-eHC_1zMN26/w400-h225/PXL_20240116_140939290.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A restaurant advertising which meal vouchers are accepted</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8qvosXX8XZhis8kKWBINVkBAgeeR2Bk9xFAPO5GE_A7jHygp84ezwFp2HdcEmGaOhcPpx6AytFuCSnpqYrjNojJqzfyS1gA-trDItCbiPRjoTxzLuPbjSEqKuI7QpOXv7V9ZWw85_MbrZLycCcYb-Rbzj90wIt-7bM-vQDwsF_QICL90Zof6vtZVG__I4/s3184/PXL_20240114_162813202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2135" data-original-width="3184" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8qvosXX8XZhis8kKWBINVkBAgeeR2Bk9xFAPO5GE_A7jHygp84ezwFp2HdcEmGaOhcPpx6AytFuCSnpqYrjNojJqzfyS1gA-trDItCbiPRjoTxzLuPbjSEqKuI7QpOXv7V9ZWw85_MbrZLycCcYb-Rbzj90wIt-7bM-vQDwsF_QICL90Zof6vtZVG__I4/w400-h269/PXL_20240114_162813202.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgBNN1rsb6_bw5rtamDOnLsps4c-1vGWcpkEcce9EaurZxG2YRQO4Hcaasz46jx65GBmbkQhM3TQuFQ1QeQ6DxwVc95mcOJxhs15QHJO1CPqo8XIAD6PGkJgEOH4xabEGU1zg9LTZBDJ4xEDP10_tvY29x2n_S3LKylDdDOvGnbXh5a2vO8vZ-3yXHGlEk/s2348/PXL_20240114_162817103.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2785" data-original-width="2235" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkvDY3oGBCRkRjsDROacCU04jRBBisM5tpAxgGQdWWPoWLJekI8HcQ0kF1zUt-oqkEzT6wFAcu35yDDnEtPfTFDWMkLEPcPr1-3umght0p2Nmzn8ZECZ0IdjTTzqsi8irBQswAI_6hYkH2Mr-yTFHOhn4FCfUDb8SM13HoHok_nZTPf_rQJmR6TNPLypyT/w321-h400/PXL_20240115_124338637.jpg" width="321" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZZvVdv75hr0kaqSlipO1UZNxUp98trJ-pQwZqoKgcmZ0DoDnzJUNyNXfDTR1F4TTCtPq9qcJe0oU0OmJyltD_tyjpw3Hp3PfLzJasfjOYG5T-Pk-uyrwMtHqtjjYW_yW2gUT44kqz3cq9ec5Yk8WYnCPclXe6w-Et_CT_D9698Lwh5dScdfxfstsvk98v/s3444/PXL_20240115_150344773.PORTRAIT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3444" data-original-width="2141" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZZvVdv75hr0kaqSlipO1UZNxUp98trJ-pQwZqoKgcmZ0DoDnzJUNyNXfDTR1F4TTCtPq9qcJe0oU0OmJyltD_tyjpw3Hp3PfLzJasfjOYG5T-Pk-uyrwMtHqtjjYW_yW2gUT44kqz3cq9ec5Yk8WYnCPclXe6w-Et_CT_D9698Lwh5dScdfxfstsvk98v/w249-h400/PXL_20240115_150344773.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="249" /></a></div>My French stinks to high heaven, at least compared to what it used to be back in my college days. But it still serves its purpose, and I think that if I were to just say bye to those bike races and relocate for a few months to Provence it would all come back. It was fun to go in the mornings to the <i>boulangerie</i> 30 meters from my Airbnb for <i>croissants</i> or a fresh <i>baguette</i> and try to not get recognized as the <i>touriste</i> that I obviously am. Whenever I ducked into a brasserie I tried to use the local lingo as well, of course.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3GcCihr7VGsixwAkH_ko7lkbaN6HpE2lmBg4DbV0e9s6w-QN_5n4KZjd70PbE_v9OlzwJOpwQVCB4nm4TYMTn0rctKjONZKEEW7rxc4zQ2Snr5TGrAnU6Tg-EZWqYFiESUjib0hZaSfD1l_0D8sAMnUrHdmpmGVvRc5bT1j98YoIhG6mdZ4FX1gK9qijL/s4032/PXL_20240115_173553361.NIGHT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3GcCihr7VGsixwAkH_ko7lkbaN6HpE2lmBg4DbV0e9s6w-QN_5n4KZjd70PbE_v9OlzwJOpwQVCB4nm4TYMTn0rctKjONZKEEW7rxc4zQ2Snr5TGrAnU6Tg-EZWqYFiESUjib0hZaSfD1l_0D8sAMnUrHdmpmGVvRc5bT1j98YoIhG6mdZ4FX1gK9qijL/w225-h400/PXL_20240115_173553361.NIGHT.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwM0CQm6Q3jvRep587zWT_01k_LxV04WPFBvKvOlm31-hIWC65TYWxmzmjduRZkmoH_evJVJt1vDqu3RYH5F5JJAW8iR24TP6GDSirXtC_IM-923fQBbV53AOQ_Ohcgn2DZDNVqduUF5Cc1KqlLZo0BqnqFSCe8SQkVTkhxVIZWz3C_XOm96v1l2PXNWUK/s4592/PXL_20240114_211905308.PANO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1633" data-original-width="4592" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwM0CQm6Q3jvRep587zWT_01k_LxV04WPFBvKvOlm31-hIWC65TYWxmzmjduRZkmoH_evJVJt1vDqu3RYH5F5JJAW8iR24TP6GDSirXtC_IM-923fQBbV53AOQ_Ohcgn2DZDNVqduUF5Cc1KqlLZo0BqnqFSCe8SQkVTkhxVIZWz3C_XOm96v1l2PXNWUK/w400-h143/PXL_20240114_211905308.PANO.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWQjLnigKNxB5XHmVxXGxAwdBEO9Jt1X2XpvLYvFW2CGswxW5w-udn3nXsdFRkYUhvrdwAm75N-O9BnE6knijWFKYyXfanUetrynGq9D72dw_c0yPlUWiO3_qB76PYfqVqB5OE_-dTbwQ9eRIAZshg7MrvdxRrbP2AJac5Q6TTxOBUIvLrM_wKvL3WxjrC/s4032/PXL_20240113_174730622.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWQjLnigKNxB5XHmVxXGxAwdBEO9Jt1X2XpvLYvFW2CGswxW5w-udn3nXsdFRkYUhvrdwAm75N-O9BnE6knijWFKYyXfanUetrynGq9D72dw_c0yPlUWiO3_qB76PYfqVqB5OE_-dTbwQ9eRIAZshg7MrvdxRrbP2AJac5Q6TTxOBUIvLrM_wKvL3WxjrC/w400-h225/PXL_20240113_174730622.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1xGOQ5rI6xhAEbUqa3casXyQRnKn3hIAzMfEMLKQbxhfom8FLde54cxoYDd-8mIbEdXgmHTu1f8Sv5h9PFXGkk5f1daQ3X1SMf8J5y_jElXD3OsK13IcafqwF8H8UGW-P_ai5Z-i6Q9-egYiiEmfmhGgIDlGX9OP4Z4v_wmncw1_x01vDLmP8cE3orlm/s4032/PXL_20240113_113642710.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1xGOQ5rI6xhAEbUqa3casXyQRnKn3hIAzMfEMLKQbxhfom8FLde54cxoYDd-8mIbEdXgmHTu1f8Sv5h9PFXGkk5f1daQ3X1SMf8J5y_jElXD3OsK13IcafqwF8H8UGW-P_ai5Z-i6Q9-egYiiEmfmhGgIDlGX9OP4Z4v_wmncw1_x01vDLmP8cE3orlm/w400-h225/PXL_20240113_113642710.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq7Z4yMgdOksnkpWrEmGmGW2xTQqyKO0yYcnL2ugPQKOxPE6vjuNdsCZ9Poj7c_E5JnEHtmI8lK7QrUSPU6MORoVP4ff_V3M5LoLndWjoOl5l6tF5FNTKDOqMW1qvOLlZqAfwQwpdNI882ILVaCp3DMOVn_0C9X-ScOoaGvzncgKPA4WKfjkpGWWVKfvbz/s4032/PXL_20240112_165401594.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq7Z4yMgdOksnkpWrEmGmGW2xTQqyKO0yYcnL2ugPQKOxPE6vjuNdsCZ9Poj7c_E5JnEHtmI8lK7QrUSPU6MORoVP4ff_V3M5LoLndWjoOl5l6tF5FNTKDOqMW1qvOLlZqAfwQwpdNI882ILVaCp3DMOVn_0C9X-ScOoaGvzncgKPA4WKfjkpGWWVKfvbz/w400-h225/PXL_20240112_165401594.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha815QGn8ZUVXyMsNQIYFMq09S8TG5waYVYcMrZtSCMUhUD6TfQk31mm5wFuBa0RQMJczYOT2yVfGCrahyphenhyphenzDLF7xi7NfHr0N_xLva60j2sk0oJyK-n5nlhu5s4ZfxERq44q-I2jCKPLDxbTRfkKHiDO0FqpCytzLpUPAkah7AHBRqAJQSVHiqUfypz2ZcY/s3508/PXL_20240110_194952541.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2025" data-original-width="3508" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha815QGn8ZUVXyMsNQIYFMq09S8TG5waYVYcMrZtSCMUhUD6TfQk31mm5wFuBa0RQMJczYOT2yVfGCrahyphenhyphenzDLF7xi7NfHr0N_xLva60j2sk0oJyK-n5nlhu5s4ZfxERq44q-I2jCKPLDxbTRfkKHiDO0FqpCytzLpUPAkah7AHBRqAJQSVHiqUfypz2ZcY/w400-h231/PXL_20240110_194952541.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>Just across the street from my apartment was the Café Le Buci, a corner bistro where twice I indulged in a dozen oysters <i>et une carafe du vin blanc</i>. Seafood in France is a biggie, and Le Buci had an excellent price of €15 <i>pour la douzaine. </i>The same dozen at the Atlas, just down the street (same size and type, as oysters are well classified) would have set me back €43. One can pick up <i>huîtres</i> in the markets, along with the gorgeous-looking Saint-Jacques (scallops), sea urchins (I have never eaten them, I have to admit, as I've never noticed them on a menu), and all kinds of mollusks and snails that only a French cook would know what to do with. BTW, the price for the half-liter carafe of house wine was a whopping €20 ....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVsbn3Kc04MfipFfUkMhrD4jva0xWXO4DaAVI_vPvMLk7PuE9MOMaKcSiOeDklJJfDM1h4vbHbEwi95omwpWlCUby04vjVb-oOmIvB7e8oLd4fRsfpcq4j_3JJhiMFGwuzSTht2nXaBNyjZ3d5rh2_FVwquursFQWhUIZv8iREqs-laF0wchztgOfoZCMu/s1768/PXL_20240113_162659093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1768" data-original-width="1446" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVsbn3Kc04MfipFfUkMhrD4jva0xWXO4DaAVI_vPvMLk7PuE9MOMaKcSiOeDklJJfDM1h4vbHbEwi95omwpWlCUby04vjVb-oOmIvB7e8oLd4fRsfpcq4j_3JJhiMFGwuzSTht2nXaBNyjZ3d5rh2_FVwquursFQWhUIZv8iREqs-laF0wchztgOfoZCMu/w328-h400/PXL_20240113_162659093.jpg" width="328" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjTMK8tiTWkyh32pNMXrTO-TsYhznxatieKerYxa7SSyG6Q-MX8tbJziL5UOMInXaIuRsNvqbUBwcGaDTujE9MEOitcBbtz2clQWNWaCMVaD7J9KLjoni5cY7Xw3mpQTsTnbUsxsVGd5uO1VVzk0JeTrQqEerTgj7ZosZ2wWZgQ0CByx5x_ugXgQ6jwjks/s4032/PXL_20240114_110156370.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjTMK8tiTWkyh32pNMXrTO-TsYhznxatieKerYxa7SSyG6Q-MX8tbJziL5UOMInXaIuRsNvqbUBwcGaDTujE9MEOitcBbtz2clQWNWaCMVaD7J9KLjoni5cY7Xw3mpQTsTnbUsxsVGd5uO1VVzk0JeTrQqEerTgj7ZosZ2wWZgQ0CByx5x_ugXgQ6jwjks/w400-h225/PXL_20240114_110156370.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCl3oevlJy0O-SgQPM6ouShZjsbStzqEKMm3kaqr8Mi5Lc-Cl7qxvLYfKIo4YgdthjmayHmUotMjkacsarcBPFqHeeHjOtJpPakjRsTVc0O-1HQNjuU2WHIDa9v5OpsXb7Ub_YO7YytYdvkgqCOBQgQ9IT5Uv9aIgC4xuILfHM_2bCy-BFCM0dFCLpeLTr/s4032/PXL_20240114_110204516.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCl3oevlJy0O-SgQPM6ouShZjsbStzqEKMm3kaqr8Mi5Lc-Cl7qxvLYfKIo4YgdthjmayHmUotMjkacsarcBPFqHeeHjOtJpPakjRsTVc0O-1HQNjuU2WHIDa9v5OpsXb7Ub_YO7YytYdvkgqCOBQgQ9IT5Uv9aIgC4xuILfHM_2bCy-BFCM0dFCLpeLTr/w400-h225/PXL_20240114_110204516.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5WlI81LXciUV-JkkpvueYOjkkoGk0oAg4u72qVX_FhuRXqvNH9p4CgfqNcE-NOdch2-AszZUADUWZyKzXlMs5jlaCpWVZQf9K_okrofpJ4A5ox1Sll2XCzKTeor9mnfZ2c7Ck2V2l17wT2rM3cHeC-pb_3K4dVunCjRUrRU8x1ZhC0DMwVHYLNsROqvh8/s4032/PXL_20240114_110715712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5WlI81LXciUV-JkkpvueYOjkkoGk0oAg4u72qVX_FhuRXqvNH9p4CgfqNcE-NOdch2-AszZUADUWZyKzXlMs5jlaCpWVZQf9K_okrofpJ4A5ox1Sll2XCzKTeor9mnfZ2c7Ck2V2l17wT2rM3cHeC-pb_3K4dVunCjRUrRU8x1ZhC0DMwVHYLNsROqvh8/w400-h225/PXL_20240114_110715712.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>As mentioned earlier, the plan had been to celebrate Birgit's 60th and I had planned to take her out for a nice dinner. So, with plans changed I decided to treat myself to my own birthday dinner—after all, I turned 68 on the day of my return flight. And so I made a reservation for a table for one at Le Procope, one of the oldest restaurants (they claim the oldest, and even the oldest in the world, but a quick fact check shows some hiccups) in Paris. Regardless of the various claims, dating back to 1686 and having been frequented by the likes of Danton, Robespierre, Napoleon, Victor Hugo, Balzac, and most of the pantheon of French icons gives the place a certain foodie cred. And boy, I was not disappointed. Upon entry into the cush foyer and relinquishing my coat to a footman I was led into a dining room that could have been straight from the 17th century.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAVlpfQaikt-K1ZR9iuC5g9h3sV47f4aVmb96vaieZU3IzNVbGsd9Va-8agXp2Vyz3pIOkGLTVtcbe9yI2In4pVJXkhtzlwC25dwOltRJS0bEn6-S02jYNmZOOn49Rdj59-X_OnrPGtI4qgLfq1uPz2gACZuLVCKM4tIh-SA0HbQ6metDofEb8NzwUUsDE/s1676/PXL_20240115_194433958.PORTRAIT~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1676" data-original-width="1675" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAVlpfQaikt-K1ZR9iuC5g9h3sV47f4aVmb96vaieZU3IzNVbGsd9Va-8agXp2Vyz3pIOkGLTVtcbe9yI2In4pVJXkhtzlwC25dwOltRJS0bEn6-S02jYNmZOOn49Rdj59-X_OnrPGtI4qgLfq1uPz2gACZuLVCKM4tIh-SA0HbQ6metDofEb8NzwUUsDE/w400-h400/PXL_20240115_194433958.PORTRAIT~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4vmRqKZDNHAmEHHmKCmODbwHn7K17xNuDrj54yjubcZEAit1aFP5KPBWf32zgc_cE0O6ua-pP0i_gxs26cmXMCY9RHKZMBKIDr5TRle-XdLo_n_HKCbv1BuvHJOd3OPAtRzJT0esFvPYZitbOxvt_RFynm9N9bKFAejvebDzCs3HioHFJRQEFg9gfESf3/w400-h225/PXL_20240115_215955162.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsMXgU6NxsUxMJQJZeWdMm2SlQOv3_02Ac6_Sx5SBdfL0_-S6iK4HAbs68Z-5y9EahON04PH5sMKRVZ8G46aRybzmPYoAsvRZpHFS__rHMkA3yK_zgpBuV1VAJANgymM0kCZuHR6UHRM0X9m4j-Iq2JCkL54_8qj7bdLQvfG1ReMwoc6FEBBeICuwtkqxG/s4032/PXL_20240115_220202451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsMXgU6NxsUxMJQJZeWdMm2SlQOv3_02Ac6_Sx5SBdfL0_-S6iK4HAbs68Z-5y9EahON04PH5sMKRVZ8G46aRybzmPYoAsvRZpHFS__rHMkA3yK_zgpBuV1VAJANgymM0kCZuHR6UHRM0X9m4j-Iq2JCkL54_8qj7bdLQvfG1ReMwoc6FEBBeICuwtkqxG/w400-h225/PXL_20240115_220202451.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2772" data-original-width="2236" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP2lm39G07-33lGMY4hjmpA01IOBzc4egDjAAq6k2b-Mtc7VocSAs_AZRnkbKB_TqPrWsii4kqzkMgSr_Pkx83_Au5DzExRBPzDqMNQiHDjvLHm-b5-yJaeYVBS8B2e_e4tl2Nxdxu-a2-RT8cHZqXupL_dx6MftfgucgcoYJfseQEJm8lNCHw1Phs7S3m/w323-h400/PXL_20240116_100541921.jpg" width="323" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9gBn_vxg5J8RdM9yQCZ54mzyarGGARnK-9ExC300dE-alxc_bsbEtonbw2PNtXBOAs_bWKTJeaIMgpygWfTuX5aAyW7ZszSeRrZ6AjqiWJnCS5oIjfKfDdJqg2lEGehYay5dhmzhMoVrlRFQ96V6cCelDb-RqfY75o2ZTAUD1FLEV4nK2daPq2majFQx-/s4032/PXL_20240115_200339826.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9gBn_vxg5J8RdM9yQCZ54mzyarGGARnK-9ExC300dE-alxc_bsbEtonbw2PNtXBOAs_bWKTJeaIMgpygWfTuX5aAyW7ZszSeRrZ6AjqiWJnCS5oIjfKfDdJqg2lEGehYay5dhmzhMoVrlRFQ96V6cCelDb-RqfY75o2ZTAUD1FLEV4nK2daPq2majFQx-/w225-h400/PXL_20240115_200339826.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib1o9ZXaRs44Qt5vKKqIYkJ7rL8g5WM6rXIH5_YmQZHxcadjuenY7-DpfNcwt92rBLd_oFzCKSfEBtAQx-YNDjvazOmKm_1qqUsXd-ZlLSXyi2aJizDn63oAF1l_wXey5nQC5j5R4ARgVGVMYdp-cFadwBAMCc3ZRTOtJe12ei08EO7ZOZCSW1Agra7smp/s4032/PXL_20240115_194645493.PORTRAIT~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib1o9ZXaRs44Qt5vKKqIYkJ7rL8g5WM6rXIH5_YmQZHxcadjuenY7-DpfNcwt92rBLd_oFzCKSfEBtAQx-YNDjvazOmKm_1qqUsXd-ZlLSXyi2aJizDn63oAF1l_wXey5nQC5j5R4ARgVGVMYdp-cFadwBAMCc3ZRTOtJe12ei08EO7ZOZCSW1Agra7smp/w400-h225/PXL_20240115_194645493.PORTRAIT~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>Ambience is one thing, but service and food quality need to match if the experience is to fully satisfy. Both surpassed my expectations! For starters I ordered escargot, perfectly prepared in herb butter. And for my main dish I decided on an original recipe that goes back to the founding days, <i>tête de veau en cocotte</i>. Not everybody may enjoy the thought of calf's head prepared in a small Dutch oven, but let me tell you, it is to absolutely die for. I could have swum in the <i>cocotte</i> and drowned and been the happiest person in all of Paris at that moment. Add to that a decent (no, not exceptional) bottle of wine plus an assortment of different cheeses, and you'd think I would have had to take out a small mortgage. Incredibly, Le Procope gives you the most bang for your buck you could ask for, and I walked out of there with a bill of less than $100, eighty-seven euros to be exact. That evening was worth flying across the Atlantic!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAbUWpDLqFZ8ReLqcewWnqDkilDlaVdEfFQ-gUqinVwXsE2VDHR16KDNin2P1Fa9lg4JH0uOaOg6k3EhnpyTxtUyEIayPcZ_bdhx42GtlAGiEUk2eO19CE-7gcss2-9NMNrAUSlWqCUCmhkIVTMdEnMSgjqPG9STjPpROkIqyI10jOtk_OHza2gZBVafcG/s3499/PXL_20240115_194153172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3499" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAbUWpDLqFZ8ReLqcewWnqDkilDlaVdEfFQ-gUqinVwXsE2VDHR16KDNin2P1Fa9lg4JH0uOaOg6k3EhnpyTxtUyEIayPcZ_bdhx42GtlAGiEUk2eO19CE-7gcss2-9NMNrAUSlWqCUCmhkIVTMdEnMSgjqPG9STjPpROkIqyI10jOtk_OHza2gZBVafcG/w259-h400/PXL_20240115_194153172.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiAvay1fuAmAgcMJ3lNyuAqtilYWR-v2Duw90PtDcD5Qudg5uLHRAhy7ryTHv1BqoV9RtIuMq1Zhw6giib51iLVjhMwEEXuvOGhi3G6xH8g4x1pAXAp-dBvL7Yh4OhQxHjGlzwPfPuCkY8noDROPYrSXBrSJyy25Q4dzodt3aweWNecFeITp1D1lt6nSi7/s4032/PXL_20240115_202006590.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiAvay1fuAmAgcMJ3lNyuAqtilYWR-v2Duw90PtDcD5Qudg5uLHRAhy7ryTHv1BqoV9RtIuMq1Zhw6giib51iLVjhMwEEXuvOGhi3G6xH8g4x1pAXAp-dBvL7Yh4OhQxHjGlzwPfPuCkY8noDROPYrSXBrSJyy25Q4dzodt3aweWNecFeITp1D1lt6nSi7/w400-h225/PXL_20240115_202006590.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAmmnMlZgdROUv8ZL5NCa-zJvXvnzWVPLUTxt2WflAquTDN5TmSPlnXbmlZ2-EMIZ-HtNNhgc8jvCIzsOCLxoYQW9gxnIgy-8o7WXSwvUMWBSzy05soZN8DCsrWVrS3s7AqAW0gj6o6i3eRSEyI1rs2vAi8BC36BjYWPOqsAdl37lxZy-P9vX3YQzEkiiV/s2498/PXL_20240115_202508212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2498" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAmmnMlZgdROUv8ZL5NCa-zJvXvnzWVPLUTxt2WflAquTDN5TmSPlnXbmlZ2-EMIZ-HtNNhgc8jvCIzsOCLxoYQW9gxnIgy-8o7WXSwvUMWBSzy05soZN8DCsrWVrS3s7AqAW0gj6o6i3eRSEyI1rs2vAi8BC36BjYWPOqsAdl37lxZy-P9vX3YQzEkiiV/w364-h400/PXL_20240115_202508212.jpg" width="364" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsso_7RseQk1k1IvSYnrE_g1a_WuP4atQsZIDqu79sL1t-yEXG7YGXWohctPejq39MgHeIJ5aNQYA6KKRsBCg1uVSjrxvsoch5kd_68vf-QujUpKSh1-lxIsY5P5iMwbIEterM-mr50ieIuffKC35x3lZwp_7VItemQe4Ffsr_tzBIRqMkjBjV5Z99jOlY/s4032/PXL_20240115_202728683.PORTRAIT~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsso_7RseQk1k1IvSYnrE_g1a_WuP4atQsZIDqu79sL1t-yEXG7YGXWohctPejq39MgHeIJ5aNQYA6KKRsBCg1uVSjrxvsoch5kd_68vf-QujUpKSh1-lxIsY5P5iMwbIEterM-mr50ieIuffKC35x3lZwp_7VItemQe4Ffsr_tzBIRqMkjBjV5Z99jOlY/w400-h225/PXL_20240115_202728683.PORTRAIT~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZa2Dw9Lf9_RsyULxcTPhAZladTSklCeuMyrugV7euqDDf4ujAcBGBSyoCuZic91ZNiRf0XnhIC3a6ai75TW-JcA-hQjxcscQvsDMGf1uOxN49Nm0N67sz7ksuN7hSvwFd7ZcNc3G6qBl4qAAmL4XWZR1BjrDhRh2ThZtn1HjxIrmotc3N5-yA5w1jMoJ/s4032/PXL_20240115_210609470.PORTRAIT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZa2Dw9Lf9_RsyULxcTPhAZladTSklCeuMyrugV7euqDDf4ujAcBGBSyoCuZic91ZNiRf0XnhIC3a6ai75TW-JcA-hQjxcscQvsDMGf1uOxN49Nm0N67sz7ksuN7hSvwFd7ZcNc3G6qBl4qAAmL4XWZR1BjrDhRh2ThZtn1HjxIrmotc3N5-yA5w1jMoJ/w400-h225/PXL_20240115_210609470.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCVlesxudSGck0hRpbsBiooUYTPDGKjXPeX3SRN1QcYqcLBWjZGKEPpuQuBDp7m5FnvzB9z5ypnXDClnQx9Fs3XckcDDjBB1ODr-Y-xajiJBJw4cU9Tt1pouYDnYRNvcilAFPV_HvVEtJ8zZT2ygYtXbLtZPd7AOdQuZGqZSm-PFlwJ2ukOjjxQGsB60Sd/s3285/PXL_20240115_214721911.PORTRAIT~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3285" data-original-width="2079" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCVlesxudSGck0hRpbsBiooUYTPDGKjXPeX3SRN1QcYqcLBWjZGKEPpuQuBDp7m5FnvzB9z5ypnXDClnQx9Fs3XckcDDjBB1ODr-Y-xajiJBJw4cU9Tt1pouYDnYRNvcilAFPV_HvVEtJ8zZT2ygYtXbLtZPd7AOdQuZGqZSm-PFlwJ2ukOjjxQGsB60Sd/w254-h400/PXL_20240115_214721911.PORTRAIT~2.jpg" width="254" /></a></div>Another Paris restaurant with history (well, which one doesn't have history?) is the Bouillon Chartier, with the original one in the Grands Boulevard district having opened in 1896, serving simple, affordable meals to the middle class. Judy and I loved to go there on our trips, and I am sure that our step-children (Alison and Emily) and the rest of <i>le baggage </i>did as well. A few years later, a second location was opened in the Montparnasse area, but I had never been there. On my last full day in the city it was time to rectify that situation. Both restaurants serve meals from 11:00 am until midnight, <i>service continu,</i> and generally people will line up for a while as there are no reservations.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMUMdmtL8sYmNUKtIWFNxuYDYRPlrFY3hl5ZJEEbVHat_vk9WUrQ6hO4KndZOmW6x8Z6XSIZ0CpnwBPVzurZq7pZI2txT5TRhO_KoglaQLUJZZKeXWR9IIVqppmwbVj8rHH4hyphenhyphen98gUkR8Kq7W-2gK8X9Nc8w3iRKwE6xGYMoiLDjkoUXTc18QBOW1ihzQ8/s4032/PXL_20240116_121201535.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMUMdmtL8sYmNUKtIWFNxuYDYRPlrFY3hl5ZJEEbVHat_vk9WUrQ6hO4KndZOmW6x8Z6XSIZ0CpnwBPVzurZq7pZI2txT5TRhO_KoglaQLUJZZKeXWR9IIVqppmwbVj8rHH4hyphenhyphen98gUkR8Kq7W-2gK8X9Nc8w3iRKwE6xGYMoiLDjkoUXTc18QBOW1ihzQ8/w225-h400/PXL_20240116_121201535.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyUX051NdOi96JWqmbMlHMbrdkhSbcD8I68LBmySKC2kD65T0C7ZkUtTzBQSFh3dZEfYq1qWDyTNiz0OIPljl4EM47fyMc6cR6Ahp2slbXJ2saxmmmOmi4J893RCmZCkk1GMAj6Pl-FX48176NsIPNCDRQyKjn_OxdnBpaYHHKiv-LwaK0QZEUl6r9iN_/s3338/PXL_20240116_123647814.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3338" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyUX051NdOi96JWqmbMlHMbrdkhSbcD8I68LBmySKC2kD65T0C7ZkUtTzBQSFh3dZEfYq1qWDyTNiz0OIPljl4EM47fyMc6cR6Ahp2slbXJ2saxmmmOmi4J893RCmZCkk1GMAj6Pl-FX48176NsIPNCDRQyKjn_OxdnBpaYHHKiv-LwaK0QZEUl6r9iN_/w271-h400/PXL_20240116_123647814.jpg" width="271" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwURX6Imf-iRljp8-fLrW0EPFQyZRGhxUZTTCbABzo3xIwoA-K1-Ml_Ni2Syh4NpoqKVDLjCMhyvp9zKSc_NgTkW-waRSEQKH_8iodVf8-evTZ-HcEHCLowpP_uRRxPDpIpcVMBFEPuxdlaIiGkO0EA6IBrkr1SOJbmUkRnOEqCDkDRs320y_-UWEC51zG/s3416/PXL_20240116_123641388.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3416" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwURX6Imf-iRljp8-fLrW0EPFQyZRGhxUZTTCbABzo3xIwoA-K1-Ml_Ni2Syh4NpoqKVDLjCMhyvp9zKSc_NgTkW-waRSEQKH_8iodVf8-evTZ-HcEHCLowpP_uRRxPDpIpcVMBFEPuxdlaIiGkO0EA6IBrkr1SOJbmUkRnOEqCDkDRs320y_-UWEC51zG/w265-h400/PXL_20240116_123641388.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX7P7vu9Zyme8OEDw2VLmGY3jJuO4vk0POr_mlIKFmwnUcp6g_qmdORAs46xayXqJV_VjqvyXGOsKLi74-OJNSOvRiK9CYdPj1Wlxt05ApvFPfAIR4T4j9zF4y-grRqiLFkQQKCEFAz278m19cgjfs0LFyi3o7uiDsS3TAOiBcI2hWyKrI5ArnO4Qrb3o8/s3298/PXL_20240116_121832914.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3298" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX7P7vu9Zyme8OEDw2VLmGY3jJuO4vk0POr_mlIKFmwnUcp6g_qmdORAs46xayXqJV_VjqvyXGOsKLi74-OJNSOvRiK9CYdPj1Wlxt05ApvFPfAIR4T4j9zF4y-grRqiLFkQQKCEFAz278m19cgjfs0LFyi3o7uiDsS3TAOiBcI2hWyKrI5ArnO4Qrb3o8/w275-h400/PXL_20240116_121832914.jpg" width="275" /></a></div>The interior of both restaurants is <i>art nouveau</i>, and you'll be served by surly waiters in black and white who don't mind bumping into you and chiding you for not being ready to order. Your <i>addition</i> will be written out on the paper table "cloth." The menu has simple meals ranging from <i>egg with mayonnaise</i> as a starter to <i>Alsassian sausages from the grill</i> as a main. Prices range from from €2.50 to not more than about €13.00 for the most expensive entrée, and half a liter of house wine in a <i>carafe </i>is €6.50. Don't order it but spring for a bottled one for an extra two euros, which I did on the advice of the couple with whom I shared the table. It was drinkable. You can expect to sit together with strangers since every seat at every table is utilized, making for an interesting dining experience. My smoked <i>herring fillet in oil</i> followed by <i>andouille avec pommes frites</i> followed by a piece of <i>camembert </i>and accompanied by that 375ml bottle of Bordeaux set me back about €25.00; the atmosphere and ambience were priceless.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd8tgDIry0u75ST1uxCf8JDniYVgBg6vLC1tJYzYzuY4kgzXab4GSjXXAYBmINONxnV4150jUJ9IKSKaZ_3EPdSV82DifHGDl5avZ1YaDq4V0Fz7sUBdqhNwCzuxLio7Pv3ODLwDLhyrIRTxXe9Mx_HKFma84YQZqvl19nbOFtp5IfPhLVPnBHKcQXXFiZ/s3797/PXL_20240116_123931304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3797" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd8tgDIry0u75ST1uxCf8JDniYVgBg6vLC1tJYzYzuY4kgzXab4GSjXXAYBmINONxnV4150jUJ9IKSKaZ_3EPdSV82DifHGDl5avZ1YaDq4V0Fz7sUBdqhNwCzuxLio7Pv3ODLwDLhyrIRTxXe9Mx_HKFma84YQZqvl19nbOFtp5IfPhLVPnBHKcQXXFiZ/w239-h400/PXL_20240116_123931304.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="621" data-original-width="840" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu6znFW292osgs5gxIPS51v2OpNNpvkETRGuU7ToSjrctCwIWLGrnM1Y-bAufb8g5m_b7bvEV8qd8hIs1IP1dgkqhyphenhypheninkiVAGE31cksxIXIj1_KEMo-v9zGIfgC14GJ9bOUO_zqM1XyqzuRNfbZh0l6d4RcQxLHt94mWa74camEPi30bWKsnJZCIOpqgG0/w400-h296/PXL_20240116_125837236.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip8WB9fpfSaBBcwQj1jDnBJvB0j31p9r47_Al0TAEV1vswDvOrKxqSERWTOy_9HewAWXTs-Pi8FvcAUmFKvng0GbuVu9-TqVsBB8uDKYYanAO-OiaK0ESNLLWJM5pjoG1H6z-8DlpSyQWRrBA-LOnIfck-cclkHWfPzL2I6_kTEonV1EGeVjqCkffQ0Vem/s3478/PXL_20240116_133446943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3478" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip8WB9fpfSaBBcwQj1jDnBJvB0j31p9r47_Al0TAEV1vswDvOrKxqSERWTOy_9HewAWXTs-Pi8FvcAUmFKvng0GbuVu9-TqVsBB8uDKYYanAO-OiaK0ESNLLWJM5pjoG1H6z-8DlpSyQWRrBA-LOnIfck-cclkHWfPzL2I6_kTEonV1EGeVjqCkffQ0Vem/w261-h400/PXL_20240116_133446943.jpg" width="261" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMRSymHAkCDkVMYYO7YRyyedbFhUEqhJ1B1MxUrsKkgaEOVl2GPDrGsLm-5BbfKdd0nslcHddWpKqU_OAiE-VdOOujLMBF0aeYfn4kqEKlCaFlx6w1KjHKCCb9xfU7Cllt23QqbOxZL39I0ypEZTpwVVWjG1111ghyphenhyphen9qMIpx-mBjGjp2bvHV_z2DLNEzBP/s3499/PXL_20240116_132158743.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3499" data-original-width="2066" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMRSymHAkCDkVMYYO7YRyyedbFhUEqhJ1B1MxUrsKkgaEOVl2GPDrGsLm-5BbfKdd0nslcHddWpKqU_OAiE-VdOOujLMBF0aeYfn4kqEKlCaFlx6w1KjHKCCb9xfU7Cllt23QqbOxZL39I0ypEZTpwVVWjG1111ghyphenhyphen9qMIpx-mBjGjp2bvHV_z2DLNEzBP/w236-h400/PXL_20240116_132158743.jpg" width="236" /></a></div></div><div>I spent my last night in an airport hotel using an award night certificate, meaning I didn't have to share the RER at 7:00 a.m. with the usual hordes of commuters. It was a good decision as it was a rainy and blustery morning, yet I had just a two-minute walk to the free CDGVAL airport shuttle that connects the various terminals, parking lots, and airport hotels. After a few minutes I had cleared security (rather rude personnel, so keep your mouth shut) and enjoyed my birthday champagne in the new Exige lounge before boarding my direct flight to DFW. It wouldn't have been American Airlines had there not been some mechanical problem: My tray table was stuck and thus inoperable, and with the usual full-to-the-gills flight there was no other option than to balance my Business class meal on a pillow on my knees. Hmmm. But don't worry: AA Customer Service has already deposited 10,000 miles into my account in acknowledgement of my "inconvenience." You gotta love their language .... We got early enough to Dallas that I was able to advance my flight to Lubbock by two hours, and so another trip ended on a positive note.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_S74PbV-7NkqXZURA-KzBL_wu5P-mJtn-be_nZqQuGNSkXWryy22c81p40hwSGsXMXHIc1xwBFOlQv7yZ_P49BIcWkXB88piKIbArRQgsMI5TfucOixdV87iDClSXWWZPwUYtGz9WmzOdQ1yPERphuAZg8CVu31ayiLWcYf0SR3Og0PTeOPTfG0vbAt3/s4032/PXL_20240116_155121710.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_S74PbV-7NkqXZURA-KzBL_wu5P-mJtn-be_nZqQuGNSkXWryy22c81p40hwSGsXMXHIc1xwBFOlQv7yZ_P49BIcWkXB88piKIbArRQgsMI5TfucOixdV87iDClSXWWZPwUYtGz9WmzOdQ1yPERphuAZg8CVu31ayiLWcYf0SR3Og0PTeOPTfG0vbAt3/w400-h225/PXL_20240116_155121710.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIVX9Af8NMzoNGtnNOB-p1MjlPMyVSDIUtvHXsPzlaf2MI71S6IpvAEGxyaaQ-UK1jjZZqR6mw9xe-winNqPGe3rb7Z5uBjXtpt21VhB8iZv3PANI7H5VRTCAvPX2ku_jFPaxTD9sl5eVZ0OfbzdjNOM0UqRz34102J_8-V_fU0jcXf-tHwJgTzTYRFigO/s3840/PXL_20240117_080514524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIVX9Af8NMzoNGtnNOB-p1MjlPMyVSDIUtvHXsPzlaf2MI71S6IpvAEGxyaaQ-UK1jjZZqR6mw9xe-winNqPGe3rb7Z5uBjXtpt21VhB8iZv3PANI7H5VRTCAvPX2ku_jFPaxTD9sl5eVZ0OfbzdjNOM0UqRz34102J_8-V_fU0jcXf-tHwJgTzTYRFigO/w400-h225/PXL_20240117_080514524.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnnELmCy3W02cgCYDcwU1r4y2u5YC-dbVhT1U-es5MNoD4qDHFboKDmSqKmNcHlGLUplE9yvro7tDGswIyWcA5zYt5QqwukNUAk5Bt8AcU4UNUmPS_6awZcnIoyF_OHD6l11TkARUjHCg0mOYj0HevMXeuWQLuG62wEyXHgCw-SPb3VsvWbZ7CCTydOc_i/s4032/PXL_20240117_083336005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnnELmCy3W02cgCYDcwU1r4y2u5YC-dbVhT1U-es5MNoD4qDHFboKDmSqKmNcHlGLUplE9yvro7tDGswIyWcA5zYt5QqwukNUAk5Bt8AcU4UNUmPS_6awZcnIoyF_OHD6l11TkARUjHCg0mOYj0HevMXeuWQLuG62wEyXHgCw-SPb3VsvWbZ7CCTydOc_i/w400-h225/PXL_20240117_083336005.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>So, that's my Paris trip. I left out so much: the Grand Mosque de Paris, a few words about the Montparnasse Tower, comments and explanations about the <i>bouquinistes</i>, ditto in regard to the complete lack of demonstrations and strikes, how much fun it is to go to one of the huge department stores such as the BHV Marais with their amazing ladies underwear and kitchen utensil sections, riding the Place d'Etoile and les Champs Elysées on a crap bike and thinking about the last Tour de France— it's all pretty awesome, you know? I saw the Americans' gift to Paris of a 1:4 replica of the Statue of Liberty; seagulls being confused by the ice-over pools in the Jardin du Luxembourg; that pointy finger called the La Bastille monument; the Coulée Verte René-Dumont where Sabine introduced me to urban planning; the Centre Pompidou; the oh-so-new-yet-attractive area around Les Halles; and so much more (as they always say). <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7IA2t82ECYbsBIuoDgsjeyndrrc2wocVZXqqN4KnGGDXlQjgC2wTZDTGamz3Y9adNHSA7mKvt1JrSnnoQJkLZEcBGpg2mjvLvI4QtFgbEI0edKoh1ebf4AGmSnyyCWenVaU860ixLldzix_9PLcO06S8P8UNq8htaLryQGdDGTIk2dIln5xPIntwlBSTO/s3407/PXL_20240115_170928608.NIGHT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3407" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7IA2t82ECYbsBIuoDgsjeyndrrc2wocVZXqqN4KnGGDXlQjgC2wTZDTGamz3Y9adNHSA7mKvt1JrSnnoQJkLZEcBGpg2mjvLvI4QtFgbEI0edKoh1ebf4AGmSnyyCWenVaU860ixLldzix_9PLcO06S8P8UNq8htaLryQGdDGTIk2dIln5xPIntwlBSTO/w240-h400/PXL_20240115_170928608.NIGHT.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1803" data-original-width="2850" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDTeXpXnizl8uICfxWzy8adUusdD5h6lfDMHwo9p5chGYVtXpA05-SuRg0NJ4hK70ZrKTAFHAaQmRqS4_UHJ7ESiF8dJFawD6QU8Ghk_m0CWcG6zVzodzatdHFVV0krfAXAWj_Vd4L2PTEOkYf2K0STxd2zm41T4eXalBg-lfS_McWxZY1JWQ9fpU4lyCO/w400-h253/PXL_20240114_130704426.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhza7xfx36Hpwbbrfd-7FbaFptU5aRFZ7w9Nj53jYzzizK1kF35mhwEqwcJNgEy5gR63ZXJeGsWPCnmsPLKFQjonF_aegxct1oz5r5rCv-MIzIKSPfc740vXcsVc9RNE95hA3kG-_6_b99lGhfKaV5DPClCDXqhmZ4UOL9xBprxYdm410uc2uS2DPMUPj0w/s3426/PXL_20240116_150752970.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2125" data-original-width="3426" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhza7xfx36Hpwbbrfd-7FbaFptU5aRFZ7w9Nj53jYzzizK1kF35mhwEqwcJNgEy5gR63ZXJeGsWPCnmsPLKFQjonF_aegxct1oz5r5rCv-MIzIKSPfc740vXcsVc9RNE95hA3kG-_6_b99lGhfKaV5DPClCDXqhmZ4UOL9xBprxYdm410uc2uS2DPMUPj0w/w400-h248/PXL_20240116_150752970.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Quite frankly, I can hardly wait for my next trip to Paris, but it certainly won't be during this year's Olympics, even if the ITA were to offer me a position to "Keep Sports Clean." Paris and that kind of work just don't go hand-in-hand for me. </div><div><br /></div>Jürgen</div>Jürgenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03107533431710748040noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023527478729548228.post-78162709557380277942024-01-04T13:34:00.006-06:002024-01-05T10:47:36.263-06:00My takeaway from the three weeks I spent in Australia<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuliEMh4hlXVdCBQYdWy7LD5x-OD2BTZW4yh9FpDWROM7_WtlsY3WfhcpgULPBv6hEIOHlQzdWHbUfEFjy9X1S-Oq2onPBFoShpqUevJPnpAC6ZJS1h_PJYnPlRwhwtXA9LAUddFA_iZs5ilLZEj1gH0j1hE2S0ZmrUOja56MRq_DLLkDwx1k43dwO4J0G/s1776/PXL_20231213_081820680.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1776" data-original-width="1231" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuliEMh4hlXVdCBQYdWy7LD5x-OD2BTZW4yh9FpDWROM7_WtlsY3WfhcpgULPBv6hEIOHlQzdWHbUfEFjy9X1S-Oq2onPBFoShpqUevJPnpAC6ZJS1h_PJYnPlRwhwtXA9LAUddFA_iZs5ilLZEj1gH0j1hE2S0ZmrUOja56MRq_DLLkDwx1k43dwO4J0G/w278-h400/PXL_20231213_081820680.jpg" width="278" /></a></div></span>First of all, <i>takeaway </i>in the title is not used in the Australian vernacular, where it means <i>carry out</i> for restaurant food. 😁 The Land of Oz is much more British than I had realized before I got the chance to spend the better part of a month Down Under. There are of course the linguistic similarities between British and Australian English (passing lanes are called <i>overtaking lanes</i>, the stuff that is used to propel vehicles is <i>petrol</i>, and being drunk is simply being <i>pissed</i>, which for any good American denotes the state of being very angry). The pronunciation is definitely rather British, and of course there are a gazillion Aussie-specific words that are foreign to the visitor from the US. <i>Brekkie</i>? Oh, you can have breakfast here. <i>Stubbies</i>? Forget about short fingers or legs and rather think of a can of beer. <i>Barbie</i>? Well, we all know that's not the chick from the movie but the BBQ grill.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtZCRO-fInbl5vRZwWrb8jjEcLbbpWTryEspnNMw0VLhYt-aW0YRs2hicZrm4wCyhBqjm9Cuc-uI6RnBHpfZ-4YEpIODoIJGHUdvkVb_BvJ8KkdV6fRlQn0-8wTID-DHKZEiuLGkuxGIiOIA252EmZnsoNQhPxu2gvIh5CCq-rRmqq9FVZi3JKN_HTQUnG/s1732/PXL_20231222_071430839.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1346" data-original-width="1732" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtZCRO-fInbl5vRZwWrb8jjEcLbbpWTryEspnNMw0VLhYt-aW0YRs2hicZrm4wCyhBqjm9Cuc-uI6RnBHpfZ-4YEpIODoIJGHUdvkVb_BvJ8KkdV6fRlQn0-8wTID-DHKZEiuLGkuxGIiOIA252EmZnsoNQhPxu2gvIh5CCq-rRmqq9FVZi3JKN_HTQUnG/w400-h311/PXL_20231222_071430839.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOIYm5EDf5JzlXgiiutRtfA4rnZW9nRXpGgH-FG2y7fKu40mOhFuaWLQ6WiI4HoKd3rVcRp6QRT6bOdS7LxaFXx0ElCfAYkH_j6JHV8X5PFKqb8o03ilbAW8WJPyyZZr2gBJrgn8I9FT5wbCev3QmjJzb1YECrb4VlVlGZ2YMrJBjxCx9JClVgdd6lTL_m/s3360/PXL_20231218_050843141~6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3360" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOIYm5EDf5JzlXgiiutRtfA4rnZW9nRXpGgH-FG2y7fKu40mOhFuaWLQ6WiI4HoKd3rVcRp6QRT6bOdS7LxaFXx0ElCfAYkH_j6JHV8X5PFKqb8o03ilbAW8WJPyyZZr2gBJrgn8I9FT5wbCev3QmjJzb1YECrb4VlVlGZ2YMrJBjxCx9JClVgdd6lTL_m/w270-h400/PXL_20231218_050843141~6.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi57rZ3qZ0DlAzsDC6L2PBNxGpzjjVGnhRY6xsX1w9-VMNkb56R78SBUa2gzoKdYnF6FDokjekw5D9N8zPPtyS5_7FrFFMf_mHMSBqITWpUF0vqWxanwi8xWKqx0hqe_LBmFT9gc41weDLZGadPXYw52ZaTNC4PJR9Q0kfSSm_dfpm10Vrq4jiObDbWqITK/s4032/PXL_20231212_100129444.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi57rZ3qZ0DlAzsDC6L2PBNxGpzjjVGnhRY6xsX1w9-VMNkb56R78SBUa2gzoKdYnF6FDokjekw5D9N8zPPtyS5_7FrFFMf_mHMSBqITWpUF0vqWxanwi8xWKqx0hqe_LBmFT9gc41weDLZGadPXYw52ZaTNC4PJR9Q0kfSSm_dfpm10Vrq4jiObDbWqITK/w400-h225/PXL_20231212_100129444.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmsjOB-nYqf4xEr5lsTLZ_3h5zVTnFusefwET9C0GybEdkphUI9f3qVplKb-OqDTBi7JatlkyQE643bpuQdxNCnkHe49eyQ6WpRxsHHMUvwwcaiD3wic3wIra0efqdqXzQKrIzRBeqvNlq7Pmm47kff-Bce3j70S9CrCPrByvuDnfMNlv5_HZ9874cHzW1/s4032/PXL_20231211_014501400.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmsjOB-nYqf4xEr5lsTLZ_3h5zVTnFusefwET9C0GybEdkphUI9f3qVplKb-OqDTBi7JatlkyQE643bpuQdxNCnkHe49eyQ6WpRxsHHMUvwwcaiD3wic3wIra0efqdqXzQKrIzRBeqvNlq7Pmm47kff-Bce3j70S9CrCPrByvuDnfMNlv5_HZ9874cHzW1/w225-h400/PXL_20231211_014501400.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjGP2EhCQfVWjwfys1PmeS8wEEl9EHEtONJWMjJAo0Lor0Tt6dlySu4PzKnk7ipUHhFWglUx_2lPjYZ18ZF_Ybg2DOCN2dUvWfPKAc2rYlCtVdT6mm2I3ZArG_v_u4aRF5jAZwMHhFASiX9FH6gqFbENHMxkoynSg73VvSmaJxOS_EBrV9bRZUT4outM7_/s2862/PXL_20231214_082256847.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2192" data-original-width="2862" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjGP2EhCQfVWjwfys1PmeS8wEEl9EHEtONJWMjJAo0Lor0Tt6dlySu4PzKnk7ipUHhFWglUx_2lPjYZ18ZF_Ybg2DOCN2dUvWfPKAc2rYlCtVdT6mm2I3ZArG_v_u4aRF5jAZwMHhFASiX9FH6gqFbENHMxkoynSg73VvSmaJxOS_EBrV9bRZUT4outM7_/w400-h306/PXL_20231214_082256847.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Language is clearly a big part of culture, and while it can appear amusing to those of us who are not used to a particular vernacular it is generally a good mirror of a people's history. Australia is a very young country (it wasn't until 1770 that Lt. James Cook claimed it for England, and even today the King of the UK [until very recently the Queen] is still the monarch of the continent), and change comes slowly. In comparison, the United States is near ancient, with the first permanent colony established in 1607. Of course, the Aboriginal People had lived on the continent for millenia, and their heritage is reflected in many town names and countless other ways. Visiting the Parliament Building in Canberra gave me small glimpse into the complex relationship that white Australians continue to have with the Aboriginal population.<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbtDr8JZKgrQ1RgOKCQyIKa0XvLVFp0rDI2cLBNxbM5p4E-x0HhigAhN38M4PFu-LoRmviojeJlYSTqokoolabu7xfMzAv9502c4MUk-0ECxUr8V7hGQM01-QJTNvA6mUiX1iJItMv0vrbKYQgitSWo5MnpN8fk7W3ah8VNwvhMnorZ5CXlH9g8bQSi_I/s2328/PXL_20231223_053239124~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2328" data-original-width="1948" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbtDr8JZKgrQ1RgOKCQyIKa0XvLVFp0rDI2cLBNxbM5p4E-x0HhigAhN38M4PFu-LoRmviojeJlYSTqokoolabu7xfMzAv9502c4MUk-0ECxUr8V7hGQM01-QJTNvA6mUiX1iJItMv0vrbKYQgitSWo5MnpN8fk7W3ah8VNwvhMnorZ5CXlH9g8bQSi_I/w335-h400/PXL_20231223_053239124~2.jpg" width="335" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2243" data-original-width="2351" height="381" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkPw9wxJLWtFiRFyhxA7bbi5wDrFRUgIVqhCGQxVgRlVQR1qBPn2A-Q-NwbPHdkWng5LplltBdeI5kOH0F46pFTY6m2wL3ptDzG5sy5ToXO1tlSo_PmbThvqPtBI9J26H0xLqcecSyDP-vPdnQoezGFLWsGp_dHzNdCu0poVr390pUltzMxVgGqZGAERsc/w400-h381/PXL_20231225_234843601.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLJVrLASu_J_6xoLhnQ75gJo1ouPxzvlBIK_-a_62JMRzn-REhmlyOctOxWiGPvwxZXaL11C6zi7xAYdJZVL56HD85mQGKE34f_Z2n52EhCsxpFDYvV5rRFCXjLDxlAQmzYcA8TnhxdI_R1Cg864lp1DxqzRfGKeqvwugiqZPjhPT35glDH07apym-1sMT/s1970/PXL_20231222_234829337.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1344" data-original-width="1970" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLJVrLASu_J_6xoLhnQ75gJo1ouPxzvlBIK_-a_62JMRzn-REhmlyOctOxWiGPvwxZXaL11C6zi7xAYdJZVL56HD85mQGKE34f_Z2n52EhCsxpFDYvV5rRFCXjLDxlAQmzYcA8TnhxdI_R1Cg864lp1DxqzRfGKeqvwugiqZPjhPT35glDH07apym-1sMT/w400-h272/PXL_20231222_234829337.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFE3pjkpU5QMTwSFet7yHSkgYdIqBXg4PAJRA6ieYRpFi9dKBMGDPU2xNjcM9ucFguSDGIN36fzEh7ERdoNKsclHdCtBPDYYhNEXrZgmiN_oDDJ6SbWNgXpws4ENx2XsH6FnjW2nmhBwnaFlR9Z6zKwS5HGhHSZiEmTsvL563hbyXSCYH6ZFJyraBtN3cr/s3460/PXL_20231222_063216528.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3460" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFE3pjkpU5QMTwSFet7yHSkgYdIqBXg4PAJRA6ieYRpFi9dKBMGDPU2xNjcM9ucFguSDGIN36fzEh7ERdoNKsclHdCtBPDYYhNEXrZgmiN_oDDJ6SbWNgXpws4ENx2XsH6FnjW2nmhBwnaFlR9Z6zKwS5HGhHSZiEmTsvL563hbyXSCYH6ZFJyraBtN3cr/w263-h400/PXL_20231222_063216528.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1u4U6G7uaU9spConYwki7aOxkZck9Fy5cuezZecCYGbeWhs8Zp0qAiSHKCD4RsbE1YFbP6VJi4ySL9sPpC4uPcslyEhBae8xGTRYPrclJnoMBs6wov51R4K_WO-2UuaEguP_9DNLgEfZvBqlXfXAgl2pIlXQurEth8daS3hqvdt76KU9YvbCaVh5MTOMl/s2976/PXL_20231222_063222189.PORTRAIT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1u4U6G7uaU9spConYwki7aOxkZck9Fy5cuezZecCYGbeWhs8Zp0qAiSHKCD4RsbE1YFbP6VJi4ySL9sPpC4uPcslyEhBae8xGTRYPrclJnoMBs6wov51R4K_WO-2UuaEguP_9DNLgEfZvBqlXfXAgl2pIlXQurEth8daS3hqvdt76KU9YvbCaVh5MTOMl/w305-h400/PXL_20231222_063222189.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="305" /></a></div>While criss-crossing by bike the three major cities that I visited (Sydney, Melbourne, and Canberra) I continued to think of England and all its parks and public gardens. All three cities have ample green space, and Aussies are a people who like to be outside. In the cities that means walking in the parks, having a picnic, sitting or just meandering, playing a match of cricket or rugby with mates. Parks are everywhere, and their layout is definitely English. Even some of the names reminded me of London as I saw two Hyde parks, for example.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTtvFQ5I89pr1BKvhjQHhdogFVJ31PgchiImNJ38ZgkTovhQJn6PFZFE-3zC2EZOfniysN12E3xm-upHDxqQdgKkWL6dfm10hVCJaFbZBCcMMqEMUscTtuyZmUnITVQZsSWjfNwMUAPt43_myAFDVJ1znanYVperJOad3NBHuzR5MjNhlrFXb8VVEI6_iJ/s2003/PXL_20231223_050331657.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="958" data-original-width="2003" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTtvFQ5I89pr1BKvhjQHhdogFVJ31PgchiImNJ38ZgkTovhQJn6PFZFE-3zC2EZOfniysN12E3xm-upHDxqQdgKkWL6dfm10hVCJaFbZBCcMMqEMUscTtuyZmUnITVQZsSWjfNwMUAPt43_myAFDVJ1znanYVperJOad3NBHuzR5MjNhlrFXb8VVEI6_iJ/w400-h191/PXL_20231223_050331657.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqWN0QcO4iu3puDxDQ1syT6CuW2hf8x46AwdFaw8SzAPRlvo5nLN4iDHZ85FLjoVbuvfjvQVhypD3jsOYQtNBEHuEeRXVseLhH3j-V5jvYej5UnI4QKhv_RGUFwT2qZ_jFiZStFild2sZzEgYCdXXCXFwbXi3sEW7OBP2TkJjNeQAlA5ASyl2FpA_QBSk-/s4032/PXL_20231218_050415275.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqWN0QcO4iu3puDxDQ1syT6CuW2hf8x46AwdFaw8SzAPRlvo5nLN4iDHZ85FLjoVbuvfjvQVhypD3jsOYQtNBEHuEeRXVseLhH3j-V5jvYej5UnI4QKhv_RGUFwT2qZ_jFiZStFild2sZzEgYCdXXCXFwbXi3sEW7OBP2TkJjNeQAlA5ASyl2FpA_QBSk-/w225-h400/PXL_20231218_050415275.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ba1f_1JTSG7YxJAcmYxe6gwNjc3EOiqE5t1HXaFzkAojTjq-YGa7VLE32SV1pcYwPKvPtEQU0tYVXC_eb5CLqSrAj-ylKqsfjlrY5RZMi5656CpxXYT5efmmKR7lsGtfesp3baScU3xzmoGJe9wmV16i_2xXIr4Ymgw5CPYppdks6vrj5sRJ-Kc1OFeC/s2574/PXL_20231217_054739736.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1541" data-original-width="2574" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ba1f_1JTSG7YxJAcmYxe6gwNjc3EOiqE5t1HXaFzkAojTjq-YGa7VLE32SV1pcYwPKvPtEQU0tYVXC_eb5CLqSrAj-ylKqsfjlrY5RZMi5656CpxXYT5efmmKR7lsGtfesp3baScU3xzmoGJe9wmV16i_2xXIr4Ymgw5CPYppdks6vrj5sRJ-Kc1OFeC/w400-h240/PXL_20231217_054739736.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3304" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixRxSaPDstcnIAl2hpfpo3jjxMJom0CccrEjlri9dYF1rGCwDKGx7WqMQzi9DKyGcWqn2T8bbb0p8jRWwV6YhVD7Bgt4b54l8UoVFRBc3qlxoQokK-1X4fuapxobnOEiVTV2Ln73jFvKGhqodyyBfIipzAUuPZ7DRQmMYdEsnuXyRlWZNVADo1I-Aa9ApK/w275-h400/PXL_20231220_065703440.jpg" width="275" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBpsM9FuW-My-2jZFjz95I9uVHC07XAfIB-erHEwPxVzYQo2BIjm_8Qdu5k0aTVbiy025FHgegtA4rxYysPqKN60U0LNUEV_xhPZGzkaFu69N77bdBMrMfyEYuTT_QY48fluVI3HyeHmFwFlY9dcjSkVuk9BmVsJBR7HB_mTYEwGlKAiYDc-dcyWv5XVN/s4032/PXL_20231220_070012362~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBpsM9FuW-My-2jZFjz95I9uVHC07XAfIB-erHEwPxVzYQo2BIjm_8Qdu5k0aTVbiy025FHgegtA4rxYysPqKN60U0LNUEV_xhPZGzkaFu69N77bdBMrMfyEYuTT_QY48fluVI3HyeHmFwFlY9dcjSkVuk9BmVsJBR7HB_mTYEwGlKAiYDc-dcyWv5XVN/w400-h225/PXL_20231220_070012362~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Some of the architecture is clearly derived from the Victorian era, as train stations or Episcopal churches could have been plucked straight out of a British movie set. Storefronts are reminiscent of what you'd see in one of the main shopping arteries of, say, Reading or Swindon, and pubs (sorry, <i>hotels</i>) have the same separation into the mates' bar area and a more family-friendly area where one can get food as well as drinks. Heck, the Aussies never re-learned how to properly pilot a car and are still following the Brits in driving on the wrong side of the road!<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJ4G2dut5TIg7P6VuhXUVhcTn1B9iWFiogTn2nnAfTfkl97NGFHNaUGRPWFBsFWCP9LALnimef8LM5BmdGQeead_YyjuDCHwBg-ccQwpYBLEEVYzdWFqsGNdTUY5iBDF6KNpHRDx1ShCtISvtAomqMWyHp3y82s1AcAQjfR8UlQyMZcp2_0Uo7jEwa-b6/s2887/PXL_20231220_070139149.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2887" data-original-width="2143" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJ4G2dut5TIg7P6VuhXUVhcTn1B9iWFiogTn2nnAfTfkl97NGFHNaUGRPWFBsFWCP9LALnimef8LM5BmdGQeead_YyjuDCHwBg-ccQwpYBLEEVYzdWFqsGNdTUY5iBDF6KNpHRDx1ShCtISvtAomqMWyHp3y82s1AcAQjfR8UlQyMZcp2_0Uo7jEwa-b6/w298-h400/PXL_20231220_070139149.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW0qt3uS_lZK9fMShkByQIZgi0FbErM5x_2See7cDXeRwma9hSE4mMsMDWZGvaRt71DXq41Q2hnezD78YmzngnT1RwJICkx1hJyOKgc20V4GTng8IW2AGKJ8spXQyK7GFlGt0vAHe-GOtSSnesiNQbQXBdZm6WYYOybnUDfl84GkmOXnpprJspkHHrLE11/s2812/PXL_20231220_060657456.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2342" data-original-width="2056" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEiD3ERIf9JheT0TD4zmdqqa15jHO7KtDNfC75VIfQjaDkeRRuaM4nnGZtAd8L3mwC2J0Y1xa36DxkSkVgcBV_fjl8BEOGKjADi7Jji1F-iEF4OI2j2pBaN8wahSyIBc5_8RmIjQaZL8aU34wisn8nojCYCBJvQ6bSCCrEG6e8QjGpHVLPlPI3yt62h-M8/w351-h400/PXL_20231217_082715179.jpg" width="351" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi48qgaRNQWhhIGLjEtimrWA1brD6oOQwMQGENdkryGc68xb5r7LsAXWLeitE_h8kLVICmhkpicdvdMMROOowx8IcQFaGCTVUDzi0V-MlhVQlhi8zZ5UKvORSKsCe4JNfZZDO3krJX7YF1ZVu7HCevWTErTFKqL5yUiPS-tL_MOTQDPAF0oUtgR75jC6FVS/s4032/PXL_20231217_043314819.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi48qgaRNQWhhIGLjEtimrWA1brD6oOQwMQGENdkryGc68xb5r7LsAXWLeitE_h8kLVICmhkpicdvdMMROOowx8IcQFaGCTVUDzi0V-MlhVQlhi8zZ5UKvORSKsCe4JNfZZDO3krJX7YF1ZVu7HCevWTErTFKqL5yUiPS-tL_MOTQDPAF0oUtgR75jC6FVS/w400-h225/PXL_20231217_043314819.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh078d-oIqtKi4pcUMHHd9KGW5iTqfo-kwN9q_rPkpDS569A0MjFAHO2tW6uME_ocGdLn8bLJUcSfu9towdc9z4j_4qm9l_j5lqyxBi3P5mnLsb2ANzYHtj7j9BCcpXkrQe8gw-0KIr8C_7wmB7lt-shFE4oOcJkEyOAS85ebMYMVfIAfxwyM15A00ln7Ne/s2919/PXL_20231217_044811204~3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2919" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh078d-oIqtKi4pcUMHHd9KGW5iTqfo-kwN9q_rPkpDS569A0MjFAHO2tW6uME_ocGdLn8bLJUcSfu9towdc9z4j_4qm9l_j5lqyxBi3P5mnLsb2ANzYHtj7j9BCcpXkrQe8gw-0KIr8C_7wmB7lt-shFE4oOcJkEyOAS85ebMYMVfIAfxwyM15A00ln7Ne/w311-h400/PXL_20231217_044811204~3.jpg" width="311" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7V9ZFE4s7L7HtbU9mABLZKTXOdZcoQgWxuqkzn1wEeS9C3YSFU7vcMUiTzG9QMAXcCav4ebxcne7FVd5IUKTgm9LsJsGvlOQv1JomnDTC0r71KMoQRgD1TecEXtKZnvHHklh31puRVklXG1z7h6gqwYJLLq14rxjsf7Vn0ZCNuP0uMPlPLgYZNBDlu1x1/s4032/PXL_20231216_061503091.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7V9ZFE4s7L7HtbU9mABLZKTXOdZcoQgWxuqkzn1wEeS9C3YSFU7vcMUiTzG9QMAXcCav4ebxcne7FVd5IUKTgm9LsJsGvlOQv1JomnDTC0r71KMoQRgD1TecEXtKZnvHHklh31puRVklXG1z7h6gqwYJLLq14rxjsf7Vn0ZCNuP0uMPlPLgYZNBDlu1x1/w400-h225/PXL_20231216_061503091.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>Apart from these similarities there are also some distinct differences between the two people. From what I experienced, I would say that Aussies are much easier to approach and more willing, even eager, to open up to a stranger than the British. Both cultures are very polite, but I found the Australians to be extremely friendly and always willing to help with an extra step or two while Brits often display a certain stiffness in their politeness. No wonder that Aussies have a reputation of welcoming strangers—they really do, with open arms. As I had said in my last blog entry, chatting with fellow campers was a real joy.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh_vuTsI51x-Rra5ppjdWPORawns0-9XelrxgGx2V6rMD7ChLuJundw71n4Dins-zx5_Ec1dz8pbpSbVl3St_c9n55z528uSz-1rR6-u89y3trOnUG6QtcWxH43A6LgVIDJ1VhZaQDJEVQu5HI9JzhtWU4L6ZpSv4dPJk8zQfhy8OICy4w3FghEX4jdaPK/s2897/PXL_20231212_051837718.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="2897" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh_vuTsI51x-Rra5ppjdWPORawns0-9XelrxgGx2V6rMD7ChLuJundw71n4Dins-zx5_Ec1dz8pbpSbVl3St_c9n55z528uSz-1rR6-u89y3trOnUG6QtcWxH43A6LgVIDJ1VhZaQDJEVQu5HI9JzhtWU4L6ZpSv4dPJk8zQfhy8OICy4w3FghEX4jdaPK/w400-h314/PXL_20231212_051837718.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKXgCfX7UCEtM0Av6iOpq63qENs9Zb273ZHBzeHUsZL9uEbNy6D1lWkotxTpkV0c3cEgFayoB5j1gI5J3A5JaAhncNN5m7ltHkU6L-NB_ZXcB5hz7_Wkq9DI_F6CQRvJlxYBhhzZ3McdQYDjrUrufNEpIzpUIe5JbHY-pL3ltzvei5NYWHTWN3ijgCSvZZ/s2672/PXL_20231225_232445129.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2672" data-original-width="2121" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKXgCfX7UCEtM0Av6iOpq63qENs9Zb273ZHBzeHUsZL9uEbNy6D1lWkotxTpkV0c3cEgFayoB5j1gI5J3A5JaAhncNN5m7ltHkU6L-NB_ZXcB5hz7_Wkq9DI_F6CQRvJlxYBhhzZ3McdQYDjrUrufNEpIzpUIe5JbHY-pL3ltzvei5NYWHTWN3ijgCSvZZ/w318-h400/PXL_20231225_232445129.jpg" width="318" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHL1XL020H8jXmEONCEk4kXyEcrdlasFCXKWHVSlP9tk7pxgS0w2S9ED_CExEt4u87FCi7HwgaErywSvzi5qJtHdkt0lWQKezcgDL0Y7Vg-GHKsu_fOiQGw4fgXJIFWFOlLbtCfyGsTzziLkLpuhTdIbwOT3W6g5lAkqmXYF3hRzaq9i9gscj0yekC9vvE/s3840/PXL_20231212_230758163.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHL1XL020H8jXmEONCEk4kXyEcrdlasFCXKWHVSlP9tk7pxgS0w2S9ED_CExEt4u87FCi7HwgaErywSvzi5qJtHdkt0lWQKezcgDL0Y7Vg-GHKsu_fOiQGw4fgXJIFWFOlLbtCfyGsTzziLkLpuhTdIbwOT3W6g5lAkqmXYF3hRzaq9i9gscj0yekC9vvE/w400-h225/PXL_20231212_230758163.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I drove the campervan just shy of 2,300 kilometers, or about 1,430 miles. Add to that another 817 kilometers (exactly 508 miles) of bike riding, and that totals quite a bit of time looking at the general landscape—beaches, bush, hills, rolling plains, small towns and large cities. My route initially followed the eastern coast southward from Sydney toward Melbourne, and then on the return I swung northwest for a day from Melbourne before heading on the inland route toward Canberra and finally back to Sydney. Most of the coastal route stays well away from the sea so that generally one does not get great views of the ocean; for that, one has to leave the main highway and follow much smaller byways toward the various small towns that dot the coast. However, in a few places the main highway skirts the water, and I stayed in places like Kioloa, Merimbula, and Lakes Entrance, which are all more or less on the water.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaKOOrhDhJv8sswy8Mg8F6hyphenhyphenJNvHxfcGTuLsGMPgkvbTUsxsAmUUeWrS99HcnDwCfdlznWEjN-fN2U5oaEbfXPjH1Ma5m28HcS0pF4GkLtOeR6q_nI7XglkbPiDFJpzoRrxf4a6FLZJKQ7AISJlzSyspcMl5MfY49n4PV_9F3sJSHWW4m1_zvlAIkGlkhE/s4032/PXL_20231211_005155310.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaKOOrhDhJv8sswy8Mg8F6hyphenhyphenJNvHxfcGTuLsGMPgkvbTUsxsAmUUeWrS99HcnDwCfdlznWEjN-fN2U5oaEbfXPjH1Ma5m28HcS0pF4GkLtOeR6q_nI7XglkbPiDFJpzoRrxf4a6FLZJKQ7AISJlzSyspcMl5MfY49n4PV_9F3sJSHWW4m1_zvlAIkGlkhE/w400-h225/PXL_20231211_005155310.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXdB7gn5v9vhsNw36q6bWeO6veL6CShcWFMwJhPi3MeWWjVupSqtLVUcIFQUeDtPDLLOpbLT43turaPAKJdvmzw0o5mrO3ep5QgMs4PiBsexveuyvZ4qELg7vAOD8VX7uLwBG6F0sTF1TuQbA_gmM9cB_JS3sPbvn2e0ZF6E8HR_-h6SsmOVFzPE55MV7Q/s4032/PXL_20231211_004634281.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXdB7gn5v9vhsNw36q6bWeO6veL6CShcWFMwJhPi3MeWWjVupSqtLVUcIFQUeDtPDLLOpbLT43turaPAKJdvmzw0o5mrO3ep5QgMs4PiBsexveuyvZ4qELg7vAOD8VX7uLwBG6F0sTF1TuQbA_gmM9cB_JS3sPbvn2e0ZF6E8HR_-h6SsmOVFzPE55MV7Q/w400-h225/PXL_20231211_004634281.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvIFWe3dkGKl8rNPkmrf9m58z8kpWTq9yXj2-WmTlluJ_MPgCtZaAxf2_LoRNgUDmCsQOl31Nq2WhZeddOCi9VgBaeHaORw8hixFu7sTQEmpu0y9rwEWraPCXr4cYi1aF0ztNJKPheZZoEeHGe6hiDsRqmQ7nEkw3NCWlJZ4p7iCGhRTdM2R-y5FaxPnUs/s4032/PXL_20231211_004559890.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvIFWe3dkGKl8rNPkmrf9m58z8kpWTq9yXj2-WmTlluJ_MPgCtZaAxf2_LoRNgUDmCsQOl31Nq2WhZeddOCi9VgBaeHaORw8hixFu7sTQEmpu0y9rwEWraPCXr4cYi1aF0ztNJKPheZZoEeHGe6hiDsRqmQ7nEkw3NCWlJZ4p7iCGhRTdM2R-y5FaxPnUs/w400-h225/PXL_20231211_004559890.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuTgw6f1SfBsG6af1F_YSFodDXNgTZ5H0eb9ILIoxT-7b0s1DeXiUg4XFo2xKqLYwtVBt2DMLpK7G1oBP1NsQaSfFSJDZnhNoah5br9s8oFcFDusee47UXgtWScGa12tBK7nzjeLu9aNBJdxWDFCJCLb5JiEq0owthif_uxSzDX4sSpVTdmvcUsqGf01Et/s3640/PXL_20231210_060415376.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3640" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuTgw6f1SfBsG6af1F_YSFodDXNgTZ5H0eb9ILIoxT-7b0s1DeXiUg4XFo2xKqLYwtVBt2DMLpK7G1oBP1NsQaSfFSJDZnhNoah5br9s8oFcFDusee47UXgtWScGa12tBK7nzjeLu9aNBJdxWDFCJCLb5JiEq0owthif_uxSzDX4sSpVTdmvcUsqGf01Et/w249-h400/PXL_20231210_060415376.jpg" width="249" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNSAEuP3L_lc3OlpEe7K6L6x3p33-5MVH60cC4mm4IqHqloidkdPNduX6x0rVk3710PB2AZ7oBcQOYW4R_xxCUSwF4qF3mcymXkWyVLhrGJ0HUDtOWBOBAMux4g_t_sPhBj2UWeI7VHhXEcX6tSFA1YkeE7BhvdBzw6OuRavrxII96a4zPMg9dEFAjBpkn/s3941/PXL_20231210_055221842.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2216" data-original-width="3941" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNSAEuP3L_lc3OlpEe7K6L6x3p33-5MVH60cC4mm4IqHqloidkdPNduX6x0rVk3710PB2AZ7oBcQOYW4R_xxCUSwF4qF3mcymXkWyVLhrGJ0HUDtOWBOBAMux4g_t_sPhBj2UWeI7VHhXEcX6tSFA1YkeE7BhvdBzw6OuRavrxII96a4zPMg9dEFAjBpkn/w400-h225/PXL_20231210_055221842.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7P9Yh6dYe7vgh2UOfkWNzj2Snr7b6w51BUTq_tCfB0ujxDSCLSm15_X7n8Qob1LLjX33KFYg9sTf4DxYys-djffNTW3qznfhO-EzO4UkeCcifUIwhZ0IoKjrHv_C1TvAqLP83sPvw1oFEMAhbGnwm_H38cyJ5MoNq4fGfo4ZtQe3fLtESihisFHTBrTy2/s4032/PXL_20231213_060035578~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7P9Yh6dYe7vgh2UOfkWNzj2Snr7b6w51BUTq_tCfB0ujxDSCLSm15_X7n8Qob1LLjX33KFYg9sTf4DxYys-djffNTW3qznfhO-EzO4UkeCcifUIwhZ0IoKjrHv_C1TvAqLP83sPvw1oFEMAhbGnwm_H38cyJ5MoNq4fGfo4ZtQe3fLtESihisFHTBrTy2/w400-h225/PXL_20231213_060035578~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJS_xGrX2bNcg9HqNnKU29TK8MCe6iUy6UqR9lzOB3buUStaajguJRzHNQ84l98AYsM2tYa2claX_frGbK6h_qnQWFkXVlXCR4K0P5VCcaZVmFxHs4CxfwtQetp_KH8QQ0hWXkrJn3BuhFjt8gCBra56shvlj3mqzG7960V27mkIXATLZcNjNdaBEfx2kY/s3582/PXL_20231211_064738930~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3582" data-original-width="2061" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJS_xGrX2bNcg9HqNnKU29TK8MCe6iUy6UqR9lzOB3buUStaajguJRzHNQ84l98AYsM2tYa2claX_frGbK6h_qnQWFkXVlXCR4K0P5VCcaZVmFxHs4CxfwtQetp_KH8QQ0hWXkrJn3BuhFjt8gCBra56shvlj3mqzG7960V27mkIXATLZcNjNdaBEfx2kY/w230-h400/PXL_20231211_064738930~2.jpg" width="230" /></a></div>Much of the often hilly drive south went through what is generally called <i>bush</i>; I'd simply call it eucalyptus forests. For miles and miles one is in the midst of large stretches of uninhabited woodlands, and it is easy to see how the wildfires of recent years were so difficult to bring under control. Most of the time I drove with my windows rolled down, and the smell of the eucalyptus trees was almost overpowering. Ride your bike through this kind of terrain, as I did when I did some true bush riding on a deserted dirt road on the day that I stayed in Kioloa, and that night you will dream of the noise of the birds and the smell of the trees. On that tough gravel ride a kangaroo crossed my path just a few yards ahead of me, and I really felt pretty vulnerable being out by myself in such wild terrain. On another ride, several roos hopped across the road right in front of me. I suppose I now know the origin of the word <i>bushwhacking.</i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQkxrdUY3SxRla4ncXnh9lPojpSfmMuHGnFSb6gynWACZIU8IAGcRhR8xYr322aC8GnlgfUZRU7HND9pZKaoJK3DqJ71iLYjJKlsCX3w4Vmzv9fM0uin0lkLl8JiDxIt9pGel3r9nMrCFGFlJnqLY-XW7myiqnC_-BGXOsAd_46ET_pK2Ya8CYbdEOQ1Nt/s1018/PXL_20231210_053859500.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="848" data-original-width="1018" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQkxrdUY3SxRla4ncXnh9lPojpSfmMuHGnFSb6gynWACZIU8IAGcRhR8xYr322aC8GnlgfUZRU7HND9pZKaoJK3DqJ71iLYjJKlsCX3w4Vmzv9fM0uin0lkLl8JiDxIt9pGel3r9nMrCFGFlJnqLY-XW7myiqnC_-BGXOsAd_46ET_pK2Ya8CYbdEOQ1Nt/w400-h334/PXL_20231210_053859500.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywW0h3Ugxtwga0u_L1i_3F8KP0J961N_1iMaHVQJUJ6EzhuysVbjp1JzSk8To2SIoczkOTZHtS8gEP3qjWSBA03DvqjxcdUWYGm_EUdftDe4nEndjNvt0sqqTp-pmBEyaNqOiS40I9ITonRa-eJgqEk7IqIdJBX8FrBxhX6wkEaw7CUMwWpWroyNLVG2B/s4032/PXL_20231211_050920778.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEief6iaxeu75RVI50LDNbyoS7MAQIRwcMibXFW714dMgtkZXU-wrhAnTafTE5FIojHsoxUvELBNFaEnOemN0oQtape_hK80_mIyLSNmGLw6f1m9Ha1_VtkkAA7mji93eyJJ2rGmBdRY7LVsHY2ZC7FAcHgYFdxvESf14McRinxt5RsgfwKof7puPbAV1eCK/w400-h225/PXL_20231211_052709891.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAOwd0i9WKaRto77tQ9x-V91ATHymIpMams8a9P3qCQ7TdtcqhETndQD5rEOreafLkcADRGCmZFLGVVY_DfLKZr4WRBi2qRyu_lIEnojKolwTtv1dPCaFTXoHnHoSL12z3YAIfYjBb34DaOW_SSPqvkHqFWRRoZTte3EWU8g0l3k72lpY1SP81qUX13f-N/s4032/PXL_20231211_052737270.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAOwd0i9WKaRto77tQ9x-V91ATHymIpMams8a9P3qCQ7TdtcqhETndQD5rEOreafLkcADRGCmZFLGVVY_DfLKZr4WRBi2qRyu_lIEnojKolwTtv1dPCaFTXoHnHoSL12z3YAIfYjBb34DaOW_SSPqvkHqFWRRoZTte3EWU8g0l3k72lpY1SP81qUX13f-N/w225-h400/PXL_20231211_052737270.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVjNQwqRaILhkOyAN299LCp9e6Wc08jo7OdbkDLRDWtbqcNysb-HVhkfnXN_j2kJpT9lrMR5a0OjcZKJO5fQb393o8pCSUlskDO80Qny5KqnzstXveVvhhwHS7rbDTgYR8aIHht0W2q8YdEnBNgJxpJ2GYnfmHXTccTDXlaNmMNDrSKLjB-Bt9VQfhO-yS/s4032/PXL_20231211_052810223.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVjNQwqRaILhkOyAN299LCp9e6Wc08jo7OdbkDLRDWtbqcNysb-HVhkfnXN_j2kJpT9lrMR5a0OjcZKJO5fQb393o8pCSUlskDO80Qny5KqnzstXveVvhhwHS7rbDTgYR8aIHht0W2q8YdEnBNgJxpJ2GYnfmHXTccTDXlaNmMNDrSKLjB-Bt9VQfhO-yS/w400-h225/PXL_20231211_052810223.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH9ZnR0OGoLPTVZBk6PFYf7Gf__P2aMHPDBecp4vVhow18EDT213v7SLOeRjLPboG1cWxxLx1rcc2n91JE5DIT7biLYQMrLEJ5bGD7hkk7kr33quj0oRxhr3K-ZKLRUDGwRCFSifpPBEd9yvj4_SA3JgNq4P1EykLjTj_TXBnVZaEs1v5RUm-6uYXJPnGi/s3602/PXL_20231211_054605530.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3602" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH9ZnR0OGoLPTVZBk6PFYf7Gf__P2aMHPDBecp4vVhow18EDT213v7SLOeRjLPboG1cWxxLx1rcc2n91JE5DIT7biLYQMrLEJ5bGD7hkk7kr33quj0oRxhr3K-ZKLRUDGwRCFSifpPBEd9yvj4_SA3JgNq4P1EykLjTj_TXBnVZaEs1v5RUm-6uYXJPnGi/w251-h400/PXL_20231211_054605530.jpg" width="251" /></a></div>Speaking of kangaroos: In three campgrounds, aka <i>holiday parks</i>, these odd creatures, which reminded me a bit of half-deer, came out in the evening to munch on the grass among the caravans and campervans. We're all familiar with roos from pictures and television shows and may have seen them in zoos, but seeing a wild one (or several) in real life is quite an experience. Stories about kangaroos being aggressive toward humans abound, so I kept my distance, but watching them nibble on the grass was definitely one of the many memorable moments of the trip. While out on the roads one will see countless signs warning of kangaroos crossing, and I saw countless carcasses of dead animals that had been hit by vehicles.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3WrqakGfP3cvJ6xHlpraQYNUcIum6wZW1C9Mse90UW3uK_SL-lR-gxZDdNn74WhPs0Ff_cPWKV8bGCPTVsTKfA41c_hUnSTnQhBKZDIpMC4ihaE6Vm65O4GqhNbyiFbJttQfaaXpe2Km53QE5QWIoY_8H7vDPsmMPsfqxaCD95VaPewJX4AFOfSzOhNoS/s3531/PXL_20231211_065933020.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1999" data-original-width="3531" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3WrqakGfP3cvJ6xHlpraQYNUcIum6wZW1C9Mse90UW3uK_SL-lR-gxZDdNn74WhPs0Ff_cPWKV8bGCPTVsTKfA41c_hUnSTnQhBKZDIpMC4ihaE6Vm65O4GqhNbyiFbJttQfaaXpe2Km53QE5QWIoY_8H7vDPsmMPsfqxaCD95VaPewJX4AFOfSzOhNoS/w400-h226/PXL_20231211_065933020.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1825" data-original-width="1385" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYWwwBhlHN4oQByeSDIJoca9qvBshCjkYB3ltWigmxjXq66h0hlNAOsEk2L12_b8mD4TdkmOerxUBmp5s0hZqP4AGQgv4Xp5WEZEyb8SgZHgnjIhymFF7enh7bRhYXVCDPfL4P-u_M_JOrONG53fPJi-7usoI4Jnd0k26-ipzyx5QpqguSVEkeGuf7Fy5f/w304-h400/PXL_20231210_091438427.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL.jpg" width="304" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNTply5A_xT7PraPgMBXD6vN0Tp-9JbXkUx3Ens7JGpv3rnbsj7ZZSxFuC85EC8rneTmv6xJ7_C4AP7aZb36ic8SL6iLqS2YORUx8frjJo6o7zTNii8JuxOGQ4avZNFbLshUQ0vsJIrJmt1sTED3lIu68QNqnAQYjWxadY1PShoQhuPGD92feesthCGlAG/s2268/PXL_20231210_091446497.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2139" data-original-width="2268" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNTply5A_xT7PraPgMBXD6vN0Tp-9JbXkUx3Ens7JGpv3rnbsj7ZZSxFuC85EC8rneTmv6xJ7_C4AP7aZb36ic8SL6iLqS2YORUx8frjJo6o7zTNii8JuxOGQ4avZNFbLshUQ0vsJIrJmt1sTED3lIu68QNqnAQYjWxadY1PShoQhuPGD92feesthCGlAG/w400-h378/PXL_20231210_091446497.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1716" data-original-width="1584" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih0GJWKDi5GnFYK8lRBByoNRt_XSWmZRKIINfkKXzUDTRtCPDKB-Tu3UPyJ-7W4f6olncAWPLPSP9kc1c8UP9k2R_ZYo6z_LIygLolvX0niLz1xHZ9EoayLXUIyJvqwjQhIm_Nu_8dw-zET7Ucc3l0khjlm_AlQleAijCXBiSn4OKIq04G5VU6ryof4kPg/w295-h320/PXL_20231213_081849803.jpg" width="295" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDh114q_8E7Eb_D1OHlXWS_zEQqap1LBY9kk0M9r_r1ELKe9GE5Q07uCnquuCmf6Gu-GESLRNTJ70yRZ686QIB29WdLFnQpuJ0KFKntTpWF1amIw7-MB2MFa1d_WTF6fIPbS4_z_RVI5UR2gsUEJOicjfZxMegXV9Lbb9fjCYZdFPh9uWG38qHoXjA109u/s2338/PXL_20231213_082856825.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2338" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDh114q_8E7Eb_D1OHlXWS_zEQqap1LBY9kk0M9r_r1ELKe9GE5Q07uCnquuCmf6Gu-GESLRNTJ70yRZ686QIB29WdLFnQpuJ0KFKntTpWF1amIw7-MB2MFa1d_WTF6fIPbS4_z_RVI5UR2gsUEJOicjfZxMegXV9Lbb9fjCYZdFPh9uWG38qHoXjA109u/w388-h400/PXL_20231213_082856825.jpg" width="388" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEDlSOgBWiru7ST61lqHnqimVEs9Ql6V2f5noYs9_aKrIQCJE2YDDb2DDk0wjDCdNuyc6v70PWOSPJEojH3b0_wzcbmQQAf6u950DGF4kh8UZrzUKLPlXHJMwDRtt2kMpHWGiShGi8bgSoc22ccOnLjWwEjOUoUhX1aMoki7F_nEwWZHVYUb6rL1wdWudo/s4032/PXL_20231210_205558127.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEDlSOgBWiru7ST61lqHnqimVEs9Ql6V2f5noYs9_aKrIQCJE2YDDb2DDk0wjDCdNuyc6v70PWOSPJEojH3b0_wzcbmQQAf6u950DGF4kh8UZrzUKLPlXHJMwDRtt2kMpHWGiShGi8bgSoc22ccOnLjWwEjOUoUhX1aMoki7F_nEwWZHVYUb6rL1wdWudo/w400-h225/PXL_20231210_205558127.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Fresh roo poo</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Aside from kangaroos I didn't see too many ground-based animals. On one ride I happened to catch a glimpse of a short-beaked echidna, an egg-laying mammal that carries its "puggle" (such the name of the solitary young one) in a pouch until its growing spines mean it's time to leave mom. Talk about bizarre! Rabbits were everywhere in Canberra but I didn't see them too often elsewhere even though they are an imported plague that is difficult to control. Domestic animals such as cattle and sheep were quite common on the inland drive from Melbourne back to Canberra. That entire area, much drier than the coastal landscape, reminded me of some parts of Texas and the Midwest.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHGApiGPCOPwdsuCoNQ2AWOWFa_ZcO0Jyn6iq47dcXbvogrmaOlA4RoFZiFp4sfkCdtN8q-0jQbaaSsiRRz6dPIRKnGVZlvyNuu-6WKoHL19Uj9lIMIYy164iXlcXt1jVYbiJYUkbP1t-v7i9oNNylRHMzhxaCLvX81tJPwzIz4nr-8dpVA7Knh3qGaajr/s1324/PXL_20231212_062156754.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1324" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHGApiGPCOPwdsuCoNQ2AWOWFa_ZcO0Jyn6iq47dcXbvogrmaOlA4RoFZiFp4sfkCdtN8q-0jQbaaSsiRRz6dPIRKnGVZlvyNuu-6WKoHL19Uj9lIMIYy164iXlcXt1jVYbiJYUkbP1t-v7i9oNNylRHMzhxaCLvX81tJPwzIz4nr-8dpVA7Knh3qGaajr/w400-h364/PXL_20231212_062156754.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6MjC72T_c-12sxRbyDD7kIuxc2wjqzFDVCN8k5It-tWfmJKObgtDstuDwIoanHKNuqPwnuVe4aJNH1an8cqn5c9wNwbpy02oywBYM9FLzOUVDZFRFu4t-wQEKohdn9ioFnuI2j88KEmzWz1JpvaBpwJrfrB-NgUqpk-O8glaJnG1t3rF21YIHStaYzkO5/s2645/PXL_20231223_031912996~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2645" data-original-width="2195" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6MjC72T_c-12sxRbyDD7kIuxc2wjqzFDVCN8k5It-tWfmJKObgtDstuDwIoanHKNuqPwnuVe4aJNH1an8cqn5c9wNwbpy02oywBYM9FLzOUVDZFRFu4t-wQEKohdn9ioFnuI2j88KEmzWz1JpvaBpwJrfrB-NgUqpk-O8glaJnG1t3rF21YIHStaYzkO5/w333-h400/PXL_20231223_031912996~2.jpg" width="333" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqhFOtL0Ve0mXPkO6FCO6a8IBwCjE2QzIJTr44Y-9rzL32zd_yglKlNKtG150_nfenYD51ybXYdMygMtbFqnsubN0V9xmSXeUmuJ45ouSdmbr4Sc5kpo9a_4LYbkxEZ_fh95IDFw4MYA5IoqbQVEqcTJGQSBQK5Pv2lrW2G6RC4JHKL5RL0p9lpeNnl8dP/s2735/PXL_20231225_022139238.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2735" data-original-width="1738" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqhFOtL0Ve0mXPkO6FCO6a8IBwCjE2QzIJTr44Y-9rzL32zd_yglKlNKtG150_nfenYD51ybXYdMygMtbFqnsubN0V9xmSXeUmuJ45ouSdmbr4Sc5kpo9a_4LYbkxEZ_fh95IDFw4MYA5IoqbQVEqcTJGQSBQK5Pv2lrW2G6RC4JHKL5RL0p9lpeNnl8dP/w254-h400/PXL_20231225_022139238.jpg" width="254" /></a></div>Birds were another story. It was impossible to miss the raucous galahs and the equally noisy corellas, both part of the cockatoo family. Once dawn broke, they would screech and whistle and yodel and make all kinds of strange noises (similar to our grackles) while terrorizing other birds, flying in flocks of 20 or so around the holiday parks. Magpies were all over, and the large black-and-white hooded crows lent their Wiradjuri name to the town of Wagga Wagga, which means "place of many crows." On the beaches there were seagulls and other shore birds that I don't know, and in city parks I'd often see white ibis wandering around and feeding while carefully scanning their immediate surroundings. During my rides along the inland lakes I'd often see various types of egrets, darters, cormorants, and what looked like black swans. It seemed there were birds everywhere.</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_1CJ4VwdxO8tDg4qIgTwJvy0xgYF1kGwQ8hNcRt4Lw8tN2v7KsEryNX1-aQC75OyyvAstixfI63BrO_P7__s-ATL6kVCupgUdmCS1QV3khCn21BbTestDNBkkrU7C2iWUsEGK2tjynGdBg3LOe_fO2oczkm3nUny-mjT5ZHZPr31xMhYQb13mYB5keWl0/s2440/PXL_20231225_024401790.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2440" data-original-width="1653" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_1CJ4VwdxO8tDg4qIgTwJvy0xgYF1kGwQ8hNcRt4Lw8tN2v7KsEryNX1-aQC75OyyvAstixfI63BrO_P7__s-ATL6kVCupgUdmCS1QV3khCn21BbTestDNBkkrU7C2iWUsEGK2tjynGdBg3LOe_fO2oczkm3nUny-mjT5ZHZPr31xMhYQb13mYB5keWl0/w271-h400/PXL_20231225_024401790.jpg" width="271" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">White-breasted cormorant</span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZNK_AY2U4fmqNnHrN6YkvV0KGOEkVSeH-t67slCUTF_njt26CuiP-7ikLP2fC92RBgZRlcXwxT6chqwY69QclYT84HPGUno-OQ4ZfNzEXcr77MlGajbnyDnrPogP9pKqdcLD6TVn-MCRNHEykoQUAvqF-yQ6O9s_54ig9Row6NaLq0pOvSti2Nt7Cx-Cb/s2889/PXL_20231225_022153955.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2889" data-original-width="2263" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZNK_AY2U4fmqNnHrN6YkvV0KGOEkVSeH-t67slCUTF_njt26CuiP-7ikLP2fC92RBgZRlcXwxT6chqwY69QclYT84HPGUno-OQ4ZfNzEXcr77MlGajbnyDnrPogP9pKqdcLD6TVn-MCRNHEykoQUAvqF-yQ6O9s_54ig9Row6NaLq0pOvSti2Nt7Cx-Cb/w314-h400/PXL_20231225_022153955.jpg" width="314" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Australasian darter</span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSI_X8wATdihOmb9fh8ybZnizfH8vFKQJm4BVc_BbW2HZayVURHxOcqfuiJnG5t7nYViG8Oy4kctewEBXKaaLAnStQZ65n4MY8G8Or2-1zpZUcbv6vIshEZFmcAtlZRYHI7OG-qwqmfSBqmWVQgms7paQQcgIGHfbFkWEta45X_bZeT9syJGKOECI24hdV/s2133/PXL_20231219_091549716.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2133" data-original-width="1882" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSI_X8wATdihOmb9fh8ybZnizfH8vFKQJm4BVc_BbW2HZayVURHxOcqfuiJnG5t7nYViG8Oy4kctewEBXKaaLAnStQZ65n4MY8G8Or2-1zpZUcbv6vIshEZFmcAtlZRYHI7OG-qwqmfSBqmWVQgms7paQQcgIGHfbFkWEta45X_bZeT9syJGKOECI24hdV/w353-h400/PXL_20231219_091549716.jpg" width="353" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hooded crow</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEB6ptEJAh6UsuWylTB7BVbnifL_Zm9P87g8QHp4wbq1Nm_6oSmR4dNCXx2X8526coV7X_iXDXuYRMaHrdvICLG1qh5k8xpjJwVNYEtCt5nbGtFXs_WfuJ-YttTBcnGpOYRRMOsW4kEwXGy3MU1PPV0h0HrPDi4saInn00Q2WaO5aTIliLIMUrfbsHKpJI/s744/PXL_20231215_080720448~2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="744" data-original-width="707" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEB6ptEJAh6UsuWylTB7BVbnifL_Zm9P87g8QHp4wbq1Nm_6oSmR4dNCXx2X8526coV7X_iXDXuYRMaHrdvICLG1qh5k8xpjJwVNYEtCt5nbGtFXs_WfuJ-YttTBcnGpOYRRMOsW4kEwXGy3MU1PPV0h0HrPDi4saInn00Q2WaO5aTIliLIMUrfbsHKpJI/w380-h400/PXL_20231215_080720448~2.jpg" width="380" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Corella</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLu_2o2Njz3oQ1IFGoNP5ZAamh8CPZwewb4T8OzSnI_CRfgcK-PXLeyF6G2FBRsrzjhKwSEJj-aXsG6Df5wCLLknsiOT5TZaUFonEZYx9DqOOakmGPn8HRdedMEWVbXgurVAUjWoH8GE8ZZ-mC41FppvLyTMIMro-_9yp9ie-urC88L1dv-TngMQw8OIst/s1375/PXL_20231215_080713905.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="838" data-original-width="1375" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLu_2o2Njz3oQ1IFGoNP5ZAamh8CPZwewb4T8OzSnI_CRfgcK-PXLeyF6G2FBRsrzjhKwSEJj-aXsG6Df5wCLLknsiOT5TZaUFonEZYx9DqOOakmGPn8HRdedMEWVbXgurVAUjWoH8GE8ZZ-mC41FppvLyTMIMro-_9yp9ie-urC88L1dv-TngMQw8OIst/w400-h244/PXL_20231215_080713905.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Galahs</span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeveSK3MZVJqIEPmPeeUR9nuuICdeizf5VqdRkTcTE88T-b5x4mHxRp5EoAqNF6dP-DorvcGMNxp8DXmFiMezBxETxzXfNuy0Jgov6rVPbsnSVLNihS6hSDKiaWrup6Ul-bEBL3FfOvL7VlUMMc3VxbGCWYnAR_RWrv0yz5uUxP43aW6mZTScZzlsN3SI_/s2798/PXL_20231214_072808245.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1785" data-original-width="2798" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeveSK3MZVJqIEPmPeeUR9nuuICdeizf5VqdRkTcTE88T-b5x4mHxRp5EoAqNF6dP-DorvcGMNxp8DXmFiMezBxETxzXfNuy0Jgov6rVPbsnSVLNihS6hSDKiaWrup6Ul-bEBL3FfOvL7VlUMMc3VxbGCWYnAR_RWrv0yz5uUxP43aW6mZTScZzlsN3SI_/w400-h255/PXL_20231214_072808245.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Black swan</span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5j8KKlVm60CkYM5jyHyMOQ-h3K5sMy15g6-URXZF8fsvRR-TorbJEqekbnnnD1rgWJAQlsHWLP0tcfCJsTjENJ33pKUjrqDo0iBFvrU0qc-OhnXzMUF6-Qf_rvkImQCiCo4JmoZ1fOKb1feYgNMLWIFIENQ78OASlH3IVOZ2QEp0dApY5YHWf6fAjGO0g/s2875/PXL_20231227_042433661.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1303" data-original-width="2875" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5j8KKlVm60CkYM5jyHyMOQ-h3K5sMy15g6-URXZF8fsvRR-TorbJEqekbnnnD1rgWJAQlsHWLP0tcfCJsTjENJ33pKUjrqDo0iBFvrU0qc-OhnXzMUF6-Qf_rvkImQCiCo4JmoZ1fOKb1feYgNMLWIFIENQ78OASlH3IVOZ2QEp0dApY5YHWf6fAjGO0g/w400-h181/PXL_20231227_042433661.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">White ibis</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe0BbAw3CGVzGqOfPPspf63v26T_OEJegKMpbLcvflsxqEzWA_Sm0YI80Lu7zwogCX8zc_jN7xtHMBMYWH8BTuyUykKcqM54kKo3PalcHyP-QK3kbJuXIkUoar0UOwry62jaXTMDfPIMJDVQ-5bovl4pReopKGY3CdZ9KpuOHn-gmg9zwnTTQmRyekMYvE/s4032/PXL_20231222_044856400.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe0BbAw3CGVzGqOfPPspf63v26T_OEJegKMpbLcvflsxqEzWA_Sm0YI80Lu7zwogCX8zc_jN7xtHMBMYWH8BTuyUykKcqM54kKo3PalcHyP-QK3kbJuXIkUoar0UOwry62jaXTMDfPIMJDVQ-5bovl4pReopKGY3CdZ9KpuOHn-gmg9zwnTTQmRyekMYvE/w400-h225/PXL_20231222_044856400.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghvL8UhxcJqORzS9JBUU-8Q19Lrj4rb5fw-Gvd3SL102i7rfcIMKKTHSWdoR21EksM_0wGEKITxcbD1odwMvv9dES1EQMM5gTRZLFkDwXUhljn7YDIDkVoykQs76EIrURA5e8cRxZtNYTFndH_n5PcDdpNQTDwU0HRCe_Ok3b633frW_IzzaMtQFe7zcwo/s4032/PXL_20231222_052522103.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghvL8UhxcJqORzS9JBUU-8Q19Lrj4rb5fw-Gvd3SL102i7rfcIMKKTHSWdoR21EksM_0wGEKITxcbD1odwMvv9dES1EQMM5gTRZLFkDwXUhljn7YDIDkVoykQs76EIrURA5e8cRxZtNYTFndH_n5PcDdpNQTDwU0HRCe_Ok3b633frW_IzzaMtQFe7zcwo/w400-h225/PXL_20231222_052522103.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>Of course, not all animals were of the natural variety. 😅</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheT1cG1bkC1qdY2lVZWGCT9u1SO1NRiVhetLn_5IBpTa-neEf9l_Kl8_IpuWRdJStHvNAAuX4HijHdHQf9vUHHN4K91D_dW66zuyB2J4HXJR203SSTLEmJrVI-hbu40sjn8ICM7wSU8ISJG52zW7RECN3hIZ4ahtEQ4swi6pYZMOxQoSv9j6jJ1iexmM88/s3109/PXL_20231221_053300136.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1711" data-original-width="3109" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheT1cG1bkC1qdY2lVZWGCT9u1SO1NRiVhetLn_5IBpTa-neEf9l_Kl8_IpuWRdJStHvNAAuX4HijHdHQf9vUHHN4K91D_dW66zuyB2J4HXJR203SSTLEmJrVI-hbu40sjn8ICM7wSU8ISJG52zW7RECN3hIZ4ahtEQ4swi6pYZMOxQoSv9j6jJ1iexmM88/w400-h220/PXL_20231221_053300136.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4RD48vsVQmaaiLf3j0aK4OQz-een1OE6NKiO_8MOd6OOU4N9tZ8_o6BEuNl3c94AIsib8Rgez0UYRsjI8ntCjSl_iRWyN8qT2MRiArANSjXNLPX4VbxhI2Fk4pB6AVEOlCqjUaCh_U0WKXYcxUANXORJ5RPbv9f2ZeAEgLEp6KkW90Ffn4D4HT_NY9QXO/s3312/PXL_20231222_042303532.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1623" data-original-width="3312" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4RD48vsVQmaaiLf3j0aK4OQz-een1OE6NKiO_8MOd6OOU4N9tZ8_o6BEuNl3c94AIsib8Rgez0UYRsjI8ntCjSl_iRWyN8qT2MRiArANSjXNLPX4VbxhI2Fk4pB6AVEOlCqjUaCh_U0WKXYcxUANXORJ5RPbv9f2ZeAEgLEp6KkW90Ffn4D4HT_NY9QXO/w400-h196/PXL_20231222_042303532.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJklyz3I_9i5_zyce7J0v4E1YL17C3cJGjV5yUdA6As9ePbQ8CIhgwlqYCuZb7fnVVIgvZdJPX9HjWIR0S6GX-EldDHQu7uusimyUmZPBvkPxstFat_mmjyDN-dSdwsSwfVjuhadAGV84dWQNFFJOvx3RcHZpYytphv7-3lbGB4IPYedZS5hQR3gTuAGcC/s2151/PXL_20231221_053540626.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1815" data-original-width="2151" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJklyz3I_9i5_zyce7J0v4E1YL17C3cJGjV5yUdA6As9ePbQ8CIhgwlqYCuZb7fnVVIgvZdJPX9HjWIR0S6GX-EldDHQu7uusimyUmZPBvkPxstFat_mmjyDN-dSdwsSwfVjuhadAGV84dWQNFFJOvx3RcHZpYytphv7-3lbGB4IPYedZS5hQR3gTuAGcC/w400-h338/PXL_20231221_053540626.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Many of the parks that I rode through (they all feature excellent bike paths) were chock-full of art displays, memorial plaques, and interpretive signage. Many of the artists have Aboriginal roots, and the oneness of man and countryside is a prevalent theme. There are installations in so many public spaces that it often seems as if one were in a living museum. Many towns have official Tourist Information Centers where one can pick up free maps and brochures as well as purchase books and local mementos.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4L5PXPKjKbvoA_JnspUqfeaRr1sL1XL6CcmmLlfWnt2PPZizB2PbFf1EgR-d1HiUh9eVVMMYo83EjdAkPgXsZxp-iDMj_riJkZZlrlXsfhnU2SE3EIf2i4ZxAZCNLdIRomYGhPpGh5cSbzEI9oR4WhC_W_WVVKbMADpgrEwh1_ywjklK4ufNrd5-vRMeR/s3657/PXL_20231226_002122191.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3657" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4L5PXPKjKbvoA_JnspUqfeaRr1sL1XL6CcmmLlfWnt2PPZizB2PbFf1EgR-d1HiUh9eVVMMYo83EjdAkPgXsZxp-iDMj_riJkZZlrlXsfhnU2SE3EIf2i4ZxAZCNLdIRomYGhPpGh5cSbzEI9oR4WhC_W_WVVKbMADpgrEwh1_ywjklK4ufNrd5-vRMeR/w248-h400/PXL_20231226_002122191.jpg" width="248" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy9JT2Z6lQ8dg05koLEPyJk4EiQK7o0p21zT7bNPwrYCHx0Z2TrdratQ83H3GoCtKoCUCKzWgs-Ql7NsKiOrHyOedRUJsWhW4IEH37ZaUV1cIIVF-mmdsJM5c8jzHOsOJOf5yij612pw8YWz4GwdAfS5rZjcFF8Prq2HiPF8_Fm8L-CwBckvQdzi26FXrE/s4032/PXL_20231222_062805102~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy9JT2Z6lQ8dg05koLEPyJk4EiQK7o0p21zT7bNPwrYCHx0Z2TrdratQ83H3GoCtKoCUCKzWgs-Ql7NsKiOrHyOedRUJsWhW4IEH37ZaUV1cIIVF-mmdsJM5c8jzHOsOJOf5yij612pw8YWz4GwdAfS5rZjcFF8Prq2HiPF8_Fm8L-CwBckvQdzi26FXrE/w400-h225/PXL_20231222_062805102~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhgkrNDBSIym3ARaTcW_tPd-WxmNeWtc6_tBZM0VtLnsEN26YuUpA7lCpu-U50FhYruS5KDh0STSfhdbn2E44Tw-gPsaXJDp4qyCm_unTjFmpom9mW683Nv14aB96S4PxRT0k98uUTVDU6YARUSDkUZ0MUM6i6XdT1lmPwsYumfH0kO2pppfVVePVJspmx/s4032/PXL_20231222_041607003.LONG_EXPOSURE.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhgkrNDBSIym3ARaTcW_tPd-WxmNeWtc6_tBZM0VtLnsEN26YuUpA7lCpu-U50FhYruS5KDh0STSfhdbn2E44Tw-gPsaXJDp4qyCm_unTjFmpom9mW683Nv14aB96S4PxRT0k98uUTVDU6YARUSDkUZ0MUM6i6XdT1lmPwsYumfH0kO2pppfVVePVJspmx/w400-h225/PXL_20231222_041607003.LONG_EXPOSURE.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimDOnOm7eJ8p_-ErauMd2Osg2T1a4o6SP50-yfMEEkYWAgr0ap6BvhHPeQz1kXGJ-cTjWP2IZxsuuWl6GUZy4Y_EU6pbaQSNgje0r810myqg-sipMq2VP2hOrdF-LSKxrLpERIvLlRUDELjqk0RdGWvck5f9x7C-Ka5AoEZ6d5IzNbQ-UICfT5rnbr3WRN/s4032/PXL_20231211_004700014.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimDOnOm7eJ8p_-ErauMd2Osg2T1a4o6SP50-yfMEEkYWAgr0ap6BvhHPeQz1kXGJ-cTjWP2IZxsuuWl6GUZy4Y_EU6pbaQSNgje0r810myqg-sipMq2VP2hOrdF-LSKxrLpERIvLlRUDELjqk0RdGWvck5f9x7C-Ka5AoEZ6d5IzNbQ-UICfT5rnbr3WRN/w225-h400/PXL_20231211_004700014.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOx4_wkOYJGIEvosYUDqZRNejD-LRoNa0E3_q-gKY-xC1t6fI9zLW2D8iXn17dZRb-a5LcTGxxOygPV6MZC1yd-WPE1r4rn3ZQycJeZi0_PouVJwk6dUKzZbEqL9gVaJS9qM_HVASfU0o5S4RNCWcfjZmmqtaa8XAhQD_rqaSol0NSYGUlua85IRyQ91zF/s4032/PXL_20231220_070431681.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOx4_wkOYJGIEvosYUDqZRNejD-LRoNa0E3_q-gKY-xC1t6fI9zLW2D8iXn17dZRb-a5LcTGxxOygPV6MZC1yd-WPE1r4rn3ZQycJeZi0_PouVJwk6dUKzZbEqL9gVaJS9qM_HVASfU0o5S4RNCWcfjZmmqtaa8XAhQD_rqaSol0NSYGUlua85IRyQ91zF/w400-h225/PXL_20231220_070431681.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpCUhaEBYMZpM_Kc_q4BX9JjXIaaxctwRLxD6UNL6rG4uUDZnV0hCHv7Wa_bkZ1nrBR1zCgC2iMe9l-wPdUyVUuBR3BAA7ev1oR8N5KTmb4g3M23wt3a0s-ub46jLhr54ynuQdY7VcVwdIc9Tm4j98ZnZyjoZakJdD5jH64lOiiTMZtZzC7neU_eQlIif_/s3122/PXL_20231218_053921024~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3122" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpCUhaEBYMZpM_Kc_q4BX9JjXIaaxctwRLxD6UNL6rG4uUDZnV0hCHv7Wa_bkZ1nrBR1zCgC2iMe9l-wPdUyVUuBR3BAA7ev1oR8N5KTmb4g3M23wt3a0s-ub46jLhr54ynuQdY7VcVwdIc9Tm4j98ZnZyjoZakJdD5jH64lOiiTMZtZzC7neU_eQlIif_/w290-h400/PXL_20231218_053921024~2.jpg" width="290" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJZiwfhUkx7wT8uhkNDB6_P26uS7ELJqaUvb4u1FipWODf_X058YzXvROeLvYX07VAvkClouNHzy76vMohl5hupYfuw-8ouHvg7wquduOl8KcifR-pSg-wKjuKPDsD8E-igpIlh_eotOA_znKL0-E2h-zyG1eTtVpjK9kY5EsCLZAAAh81lbaHvDtepn_/s3967/PXL_20231215_234744160.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3967" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJZiwfhUkx7wT8uhkNDB6_P26uS7ELJqaUvb4u1FipWODf_X058YzXvROeLvYX07VAvkClouNHzy76vMohl5hupYfuw-8ouHvg7wquduOl8KcifR-pSg-wKjuKPDsD8E-igpIlh_eotOA_znKL0-E2h-zyG1eTtVpjK9kY5EsCLZAAAh81lbaHvDtepn_/w229-h400/PXL_20231215_234744160.jpg" width="229" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC5JfvsqO18srB0w3HkG9SDUB0Fa3Vd8u-2fgG4FBBE46yHPpaIwcuC-TvNK4eKt_v8rCHoD16Ea2LDRkFR0LpqFAnkAb6Uz21VkjkQdsHeyFK4CUIvKf5oYKXrjf3SWeq7UCiAoUysTxTwZGFqx0UY3m7wlSNdsl1eOSv7-totNp9NcQy_Qj6sL6-tF3d/s3513/PXL_20231215_234731995.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3513" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC5JfvsqO18srB0w3HkG9SDUB0Fa3Vd8u-2fgG4FBBE46yHPpaIwcuC-TvNK4eKt_v8rCHoD16Ea2LDRkFR0LpqFAnkAb6Uz21VkjkQdsHeyFK4CUIvKf5oYKXrjf3SWeq7UCiAoUysTxTwZGFqx0UY3m7wlSNdsl1eOSv7-totNp9NcQy_Qj6sL6-tF3d/w259-h400/PXL_20231215_234731995.jpg" width="259" /></a></div>There are historical markers by the roadside, and other signage directs the itinerant tourist to places of historic significance, like for example the Bega Cheese Heritage Center, which gave me a glimpse into the days of the early settlers. Other memorable stops were Tilba Tilba and Central Tilba, the latter with a nice <i>hotel </i>(The Dromedary Hotel, which served locally brewed beer), as well as Twofold Bay just outside of Eden. I didn't get a chance to visit the Killer Whale Museum, but I took time to go to the outlook over the bay and read the various commemorative plaques immortalizing the role that the Aborigines played in working with the white whalers as late as the late 1920s.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6lVT_p8-cduH8Np7wTc5VPcaSe4Tf2HIRGlXTQE5TLKaZY-vprsxyWhB2HrKY-UVwjMzbjaVyESRukKAtZEXbQooqKK4kNhYyp11P0YzCZB-Ki4XzJ9sVbTh20aQgMimrJLUZu11qyvg3J0xrJfjFNMQv5rkpheBOgK0wk2lGeWMU8AuGNLRuKaOsEc8h/s4032/PXL_20231213_014042020.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6lVT_p8-cduH8Np7wTc5VPcaSe4Tf2HIRGlXTQE5TLKaZY-vprsxyWhB2HrKY-UVwjMzbjaVyESRukKAtZEXbQooqKK4kNhYyp11P0YzCZB-Ki4XzJ9sVbTh20aQgMimrJLUZu11qyvg3J0xrJfjFNMQv5rkpheBOgK0wk2lGeWMU8AuGNLRuKaOsEc8h/w400-h225/PXL_20231213_014042020.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4qWZDXhE3zdFK3lV3BXeMFrIy9slLr-Pq3Rly4Fb80ePcAj1ErlfYAfzLWJXwGa7SoBLUV5iRWWNQDy9Tl5eEMqepyUglPheUsHUs6uk97Eh85Gc7ERfM5tBJ3ewlHijrir8jP9_dfQOpVE_l3A99yZVjS712XL4ZdbIclhvHCGp51_J4Sn24H5qh1x3x/s4032/PXL_20231214_002837395.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4qWZDXhE3zdFK3lV3BXeMFrIy9slLr-Pq3Rly4Fb80ePcAj1ErlfYAfzLWJXwGa7SoBLUV5iRWWNQDy9Tl5eEMqepyUglPheUsHUs6uk97Eh85Gc7ERfM5tBJ3ewlHijrir8jP9_dfQOpVE_l3A99yZVjS712XL4ZdbIclhvHCGp51_J4Sn24H5qh1x3x/w400-h225/PXL_20231214_002837395.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvMb-OkNn8-wKiDjWVqQNZC4RsTr8IVD5jpdHyRIRZMkrm8Vaw8XJt8bqgUJU-lGJxpRbvgzEMR9yIwW9mDxInHo-u49yrTFAbRGK4RMx5QvmgeEsoF2NnnBcP4EUWaLGbtOb1RqVRw-RQem5uIvesrmc4kWpyfNG5U5kHbOx6bOXhN3U0Op0pgESZ6vUl/s4032/PXL_20231214_002853173.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvMb-OkNn8-wKiDjWVqQNZC4RsTr8IVD5jpdHyRIRZMkrm8Vaw8XJt8bqgUJU-lGJxpRbvgzEMR9yIwW9mDxInHo-u49yrTFAbRGK4RMx5QvmgeEsoF2NnnBcP4EUWaLGbtOb1RqVRw-RQem5uIvesrmc4kWpyfNG5U5kHbOx6bOXhN3U0Op0pgESZ6vUl/w400-h225/PXL_20231214_002853173.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiloNysLJi4wiXb51XsIVjCop5MPW8MRvybfLhLLHQQvmqZROR47aYdiriQL6aw3-6_lJbFmoN-We8AZn5RIRiQsoAT9BikbP0w2JLThlaO4DwfVJXAKzILey1B2pQSM4-wFv7W0LysXjc55AWnxnN58enkuysSFhTp39qvyLIsGc8sTIdwMF-MdHvBJn1L/s4032/PXL_20231214_003810907.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiloNysLJi4wiXb51XsIVjCop5MPW8MRvybfLhLLHQQvmqZROR47aYdiriQL6aw3-6_lJbFmoN-We8AZn5RIRiQsoAT9BikbP0w2JLThlaO4DwfVJXAKzILey1B2pQSM4-wFv7W0LysXjc55AWnxnN58enkuysSFhTp39qvyLIsGc8sTIdwMF-MdHvBJn1L/w400-h225/PXL_20231214_003810907.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>I lucked out on my first day in Melbourne, a Saturday. It was the perfect day, with nothing but sunshine, a temperature in the low 80°s after flirting for a week with almost reaching 70° F but hardly ever getting there, and seemingly the entire town was out and about. That day I rode from my caravan park on the outskirts in Coburg via the extensive bike trail system all the way to the ocean and the downtown area and then back up to my camping spot. It was one of my longest rides of the trip, at 34 miles, and it couldn't have been more satisfying and enjoyable.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKVw350-839xUEZOXXR7cdwPgIsW-HcTSfb0Jx4g4zfGL6h_BOGEpF_aq7EisqhW8GdIOisJoWYkWzAmL-ue_apHr_pW1MfqPSk3DqzvUkVktHRu7PcQOYIMpbcplFi5wRrbO5FsCEOkCVAFlMpjyzMQuP0azZR10fxkyZ1J1FbxKgSzcIgfwjyRsxeZ8h/s4032/PXL_20231217_052705515.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKVw350-839xUEZOXXR7cdwPgIsW-HcTSfb0Jx4g4zfGL6h_BOGEpF_aq7EisqhW8GdIOisJoWYkWzAmL-ue_apHr_pW1MfqPSk3DqzvUkVktHRu7PcQOYIMpbcplFi5wRrbO5FsCEOkCVAFlMpjyzMQuP0azZR10fxkyZ1J1FbxKgSzcIgfwjyRsxeZ8h/w400-h225/PXL_20231217_052705515.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz4P8z1-RHDW3pChoam63GiEMFpEI5FpqvFh4oi_uiMsqrO1_FRpRAHl33svjnNb72EylSdQdVJC2BRbB797FjsJ8CBG7R5P8hRhH7XUJ2QcZereaHVEBYXiKev7Y-o_rn_VJufRtHzjFvb6lM75aaLZNegISdKbQZn8mbm9LbjBaY7XlKDYx0TL3Er_GI/s4032/PXL_20231217_051854857.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz4P8z1-RHDW3pChoam63GiEMFpEI5FpqvFh4oi_uiMsqrO1_FRpRAHl33svjnNb72EylSdQdVJC2BRbB797FjsJ8CBG7R5P8hRhH7XUJ2QcZereaHVEBYXiKev7Y-o_rn_VJufRtHzjFvb6lM75aaLZNegISdKbQZn8mbm9LbjBaY7XlKDYx0TL3Er_GI/w400-h225/PXL_20231217_051854857.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaCAEPVisqDu7sDYEIik0ORWC_wCa2odV7UL9-VCpGwyOtXMhmDtC-RSAAtrmcwPMAvCbp7htDnkSS8W5rExTYx9x3-xRmRvF8-gg5uGbVFX0mUj5TurUg9DBsCtn0_RNPHpJuShgCiPTd-Cyb-qZguE_HO3oG_2TwoaU3kCsKbgoFxpdeJjdBn8WESL7Z/s4032/PXL_20231217_041802351.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaCAEPVisqDu7sDYEIik0ORWC_wCa2odV7UL9-VCpGwyOtXMhmDtC-RSAAtrmcwPMAvCbp7htDnkSS8W5rExTYx9x3-xRmRvF8-gg5uGbVFX0mUj5TurUg9DBsCtn0_RNPHpJuShgCiPTd-Cyb-qZguE_HO3oG_2TwoaU3kCsKbgoFxpdeJjdBn8WESL7Z/w400-h225/PXL_20231217_041802351.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtCczQfIbr7R-C5RpvQPpul5pk_9NjJFi9GjsOkDWAmjfZST7SvYtkpKA7BWBKCDGDKALeN6He0dk37bXfIJXUeyHH7MwnXgjc84qPP2OZqF1Wpu-yCEdSjXzHCZAeVpSN2YScxZSikDW0pinVKUGvTq23pgPnBEnc3MXBDyIUDEcWsCBwHHL31NgQ7qOl/w400-h225/PXL_20231217_040436761.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje30HayU7CNvC5z5GK_OuwD0x54r7tx0vswfT9vAKbSoFzwRJzv-_fr7od7AzD8_5puHvzfMlr0gwTJCyQ5RHwfd2qMYms-kVPjWAWCGdp3cbkPlEC5rGOgykdWLCF7QQNfQIQldizJ7Q0w8DLPKE1Ga6gGe_njBQEVRCLyV_klB2SeRfP1rIArxRghp65/s4032/PXL_20231217_044520772.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje30HayU7CNvC5z5GK_OuwD0x54r7tx0vswfT9vAKbSoFzwRJzv-_fr7od7AzD8_5puHvzfMlr0gwTJCyQ5RHwfd2qMYms-kVPjWAWCGdp3cbkPlEC5rGOgykdWLCF7QQNfQIQldizJ7Q0w8DLPKE1Ga6gGe_njBQEVRCLyV_klB2SeRfP1rIArxRghp65/w400-h225/PXL_20231217_044520772.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsTJFxtXYczKqaH_qMfwhJep9TjdKWEMqnI7FCIMvfI2IgCxAH9evi3YeKClOrYj1Ufv8_D2gpBV24mfALPn0i65NRNn860s-h-SLCABJ7ERY_Fe_8iUD11RsjO3hooLLgJ0Prbkm1ugmtB6u8T4TWK27X9xdKyj9V2OMgJEskKD2nEe5Iz0fHRumS4-cQ/s3787/PXL_20231217_045259905.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2165" data-original-width="3787" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsTJFxtXYczKqaH_qMfwhJep9TjdKWEMqnI7FCIMvfI2IgCxAH9evi3YeKClOrYj1Ufv8_D2gpBV24mfALPn0i65NRNn860s-h-SLCABJ7ERY_Fe_8iUD11RsjO3hooLLgJ0Prbkm1ugmtB6u8T4TWK27X9xdKyj9V2OMgJEskKD2nEe5Iz0fHRumS4-cQ/w400-h229/PXL_20231217_045259905.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Melbourne has a different vibe from Sydney. Maybe it was the weather, maybe the fact that it was Saturday had something to do with it: People appeared happy, mellow, in party mode, totally relaxed. When I made it down to the beach promenade, after miles and miles of riding the bike trail along the Yarra river, I was greeted by dozens of beach volleyball courts where men and women were in full action, runners and cyclists, windsurfers and dog walkers. It was just so lively. I slowly rode along the seafront and finally ended up in the built-up, modern area around the Melbourne Aquarium and the Melbourne Skydeck. Thousands of people were milling around, with many of them sitting by the Yarra and enjoying some refreshments. Once I started heading north back toward my part of the world in Coburg, I found an open brewery, The Foreigner Brewing Company, where I had a long and entertaining chat with the older fellow who poured the beers. The owner, the "foreigner," was from Prague, and the entire brewery, set in an inexpensive industrial part of Brunswick, featured photos and mementos of the Old World, among them well-known marionettes.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZeWazzEkdLDiyjZSLhIlNvsaLWJhgOH7lO0zkYpCrPOHXttILiGaG_aqJ_5BbRH6whid2EQDhgrw7T19aqRuaMaZl3ay5Ru5fK4I_tz4iiW3LIBpzQ2aCtQJi7_07m2iVSRqmlGJQFaLBietdXI74p0dTmEKZE6hJQ3jbCtz5cRU-m5e7bCADUXub0T4/s4032/PXL_20231217_061125626.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZeWazzEkdLDiyjZSLhIlNvsaLWJhgOH7lO0zkYpCrPOHXttILiGaG_aqJ_5BbRH6whid2EQDhgrw7T19aqRuaMaZl3ay5Ru5fK4I_tz4iiW3LIBpzQ2aCtQJi7_07m2iVSRqmlGJQFaLBietdXI74p0dTmEKZE6hJQ3jbCtz5cRU-m5e7bCADUXub0T4/w400-h225/PXL_20231217_061125626.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS9BEI9X5aGB5-eainvhJM2hQ-Csf_gauKZidOGKX4NwmgdMWncRFUZIR69nYEJauySy8J5PeuI6IZqzE-9YRUzSiI5Vv6W0yXiMo7HRZdhFpPs48YC4s6zh-xoKt5hQmKRrwmv3P-p6xBb5yXWJ2BkG33PxPbcjxkRNihytAwcrJ1G9zm8Ve2e1E1tlm0/w400-h225/PXL_20231217_064038278.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3NokQAOCqaz0CzuPEPuEz3aaj6pIl77GL83tUr0dsfDm1pxOd_SFvw9KHtT744R7IgOMJ8XG1oZCpQ3OMU8yr2t3mrmxuZJ1rg-MvErnSXtKekDcdUJyoq3viMw1aDxiD2an2B1gr3gy7Qf2vvsewsKSAn6iIIeYo2hJxZynNvPSwzWmwCrkr0-I6KZWg/s2532/PXL_20231217_064613833.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2532" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3NokQAOCqaz0CzuPEPuEz3aaj6pIl77GL83tUr0dsfDm1pxOd_SFvw9KHtT744R7IgOMJ8XG1oZCpQ3OMU8yr2t3mrmxuZJ1rg-MvErnSXtKekDcdUJyoq3viMw1aDxiD2an2B1gr3gy7Qf2vvsewsKSAn6iIIeYo2hJxZynNvPSwzWmwCrkr0-I6KZWg/w359-h400/PXL_20231217_064613833.jpg" width="359" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiifAN6Lvfispa02BJx3cqkYlZ8cMIjVvTnjEYSCKMmHqBDt1QIrG2aHuYzENQve9pvtHPDmTL6Rz2ZSi9233gWOd6Y2khmd8lna3XldtOXUb262wRyiUtd7jmwAx_30SZ-Ub6ssHp4YmXKhl-jcNyInAAC1QazNzzvvaxorWLObWyPLSrhLooVDj7uMn_3/s4032/PXL_20231217_073241558.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiifAN6Lvfispa02BJx3cqkYlZ8cMIjVvTnjEYSCKMmHqBDt1QIrG2aHuYzENQve9pvtHPDmTL6Rz2ZSi9233gWOd6Y2khmd8lna3XldtOXUb262wRyiUtd7jmwAx_30SZ-Ub6ssHp4YmXKhl-jcNyInAAC1QazNzzvvaxorWLObWyPLSrhLooVDj7uMn_3/w400-h225/PXL_20231217_073241558.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7dXB1b-xSZqE2gcJu17NsqLirPDAycLi-Al2Jf8MKtqJlnovAvNzdRZSH6atFeKCeviaIwyS8d29efyRG7YOYXLZFPmrrozvArJDNREJRu5hd2L-lXmSrChSUsXP3CXk0vcWmyyC9Nv08g9YNnbxGjKUEm35b5Ywlhv4g8W9_ELGdR6qKGJr2XTeYAhuk/s3753/PXL_20231217_073833334.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3753" data-original-width="1771" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7dXB1b-xSZqE2gcJu17NsqLirPDAycLi-Al2Jf8MKtqJlnovAvNzdRZSH6atFeKCeviaIwyS8d29efyRG7YOYXLZFPmrrozvArJDNREJRu5hd2L-lXmSrChSUsXP3CXk0vcWmyyC9Nv08g9YNnbxGjKUEm35b5Ywlhv4g8W9_ELGdR6qKGJr2XTeYAhuk/w189-h400/PXL_20231217_073833334.jpg" width="189" /></a></div>On this trip I had ample opportunity to sample Australia's craft beers. I am sure I added 15 or so brewpubs, microbreweries, or taprooms to my list, and overall the impression was quite favorable. There were a few beers that really hit a sweet spot with me, but of course we all realize that tastes differ vastly. I am an IPA guy, as most readers know, and so what I generally order. One thing that was not so favorable were the prices: Thanks to exorbitant taxes, I paid as much as $11 for a pint of beer! There were a few places where a quaff seemed like a bargain, in line with average prices in the US, and that made me wonder whether there was something else going on with the beer prices than just taxes. Oh well, we all have our hobbies, and mine happens to be to collect beer establishments.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgox0RUV-dIRfaus43OUq9RE0l_OdUjAhldVBFLs2TtnHtpvQcDs2sMWysBMy52DpU6xKPCWezZoCk_PoehBUD9bdEQ7bkuMyB7yLiINsRzyjixpoMpc3GoKT-qwIFvQXc9bxH-3AioBAjiDfSj_i8Nm9B8ztOSZnw_Q6eH-p1AMHuzqeKa6GaYiYHFNux/s3707/PXL_20231224_054043093~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2234" data-original-width="3707" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgox0RUV-dIRfaus43OUq9RE0l_OdUjAhldVBFLs2TtnHtpvQcDs2sMWysBMy52DpU6xKPCWezZoCk_PoehBUD9bdEQ7bkuMyB7yLiINsRzyjixpoMpc3GoKT-qwIFvQXc9bxH-3AioBAjiDfSj_i8Nm9B8ztOSZnw_Q6eH-p1AMHuzqeKa6GaYiYHFNux/w400-h241/PXL_20231224_054043093~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdr4CeG-Cyr6aRSyTxPeEH_KFbEhUeqAnxUIzlxpQd0eSsXHIW-EZk2X96nOF9hyphenhyphenwR-0aMe_669gjcGU-4QbctcaNaWpTZFoGSemLOAkSSjA1re67fskJghaPCeUsepffAOzTR7z8g2fiknte2m_8UC4xWkCTNniJz0gwkMSCIQhXge0tuRxDTRLOQfywa/s4032/PXL_20231224_053651249.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSOs_vdWYAIYeSwZPXlhZvdnjn3tHTWOmPnGVgbUTOCwzIwBj7SaCjcxhAc5cDyOzSP1S_Yre0-TO-5_8wZN6VLyKwPf-oCeikASXt8Wh_o55c2GEUw5rMGpihLgQO-6GHYETzejcz8JaFWHFi4VOYi-tz5cQy96M5LfZaj_zqA3Vz3cRd9E4-fswcoMtz/s2696/PXL_20231219_044232519.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2696" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSOs_vdWYAIYeSwZPXlhZvdnjn3tHTWOmPnGVgbUTOCwzIwBj7SaCjcxhAc5cDyOzSP1S_Yre0-TO-5_8wZN6VLyKwPf-oCeikASXt8Wh_o55c2GEUw5rMGpihLgQO-6GHYETzejcz8JaFWHFi4VOYi-tz5cQy96M5LfZaj_zqA3Vz3cRd9E4-fswcoMtz/w336-h400/PXL_20231219_044232519.jpg" width="336" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_405R5G_TMvRpOozMyFeBbSgir7NOHvp6SYjIbCtt4z1fbvq9gzV3m1EQsikEfeZZdHlYDmgxdFxmUyT1bCskS0hGqnItJ9FTax_dthRvkpfRj26iVJJzWoU2Vqzu19xL5c9FGDBl9OEu60NQR43yJUvLEM3HLltNeaOtOBDZCBEXvX6mZFGr9LNE4lAs/s4032/PXL_20231217_073405365.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_405R5G_TMvRpOozMyFeBbSgir7NOHvp6SYjIbCtt4z1fbvq9gzV3m1EQsikEfeZZdHlYDmgxdFxmUyT1bCskS0hGqnItJ9FTax_dthRvkpfRj26iVJJzWoU2Vqzu19xL5c9FGDBl9OEu60NQR43yJUvLEM3HLltNeaOtOBDZCBEXvX6mZFGr9LNE4lAs/w400-h225/PXL_20231217_073405365.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik5GAdEk1ohmStSsmhbI_wbKY_qzl6U8yoOgrU4yuapPil5C0wbhLmOVkLioB1mys5csoJECKnMSdpo_oZK1S42XICpLlMDqN1y8Xe79SxFl2lumse5We4vJ4qQQYGEwjjafHoW2su_GN3EtLnHIRnpJzgA02g6s11Y8EZGyFfyUCz7LBE-HMDqR3NnKaw/s4032/PXL_20231216_055816515.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik5GAdEk1ohmStSsmhbI_wbKY_qzl6U8yoOgrU4yuapPil5C0wbhLmOVkLioB1mys5csoJECKnMSdpo_oZK1S42XICpLlMDqN1y8Xe79SxFl2lumse5We4vJ4qQQYGEwjjafHoW2su_GN3EtLnHIRnpJzgA02g6s11Y8EZGyFfyUCz7LBE-HMDqR3NnKaw/w400-h225/PXL_20231216_055816515.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>To start wrapping things up, let me just touch on two traffic-related items. The first one concerns motorized vehicles, no, not all those recreational vehicles but rather the 26+ wheelers (some of them, those with two trailers, have even more) as well as the utes. Thanks to my FB buddies I learned that those odd El Camino-like vehicles fall under the moniker<i> ute</i> and used to be pretty hot shit in some places (and apparently still are). I somehow missed that movement. In Australia you'll see them on the highways and in the cities, and there's something quite raw and appealing about them.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMn0j9iPOyblqDUWVlCQ9QSfe8rVLv1FdNAbF5Hmu_lCKqOx4k2uGtxARR40JOI8zBsDUxiR0YK681ouJGyCLT6r12NepE6r4FJ3-iJtUKxAxBAV7o_omaLFJMkxY42ErkQ1CnhPJj057d-aTXojN36N1NSCj7qqeYSaIYhgh_iIGBK1Y9lFov00YEXEFd/s4032/PXL_20231223_054828634.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMn0j9iPOyblqDUWVlCQ9QSfe8rVLv1FdNAbF5Hmu_lCKqOx4k2uGtxARR40JOI8zBsDUxiR0YK681ouJGyCLT6r12NepE6r4FJ3-iJtUKxAxBAV7o_omaLFJMkxY42ErkQ1CnhPJj057d-aTXojN36N1NSCj7qqeYSaIYhgh_iIGBK1Y9lFov00YEXEFd/w400-h225/PXL_20231223_054828634.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGm_kRh_t3em2gQaCn65JPL803WY8ThxzRzv83qP9OzHeKQ36QgyX35l4bqLzixVquUmB7hSYuSO3Dabw_FDmEIF1UAxPfjfRhbcRapHsXIevxJc9PfxF6d8FDw6BqwNm0kpoY1z3YMmWDQ4z217IiafmSTODsT4V0h5CcMlnFAF8JOhyokB2swtFvASBt/s2721/PXL_20231223_054741350.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1846" data-original-width="2721" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGm_kRh_t3em2gQaCn65JPL803WY8ThxzRzv83qP9OzHeKQ36QgyX35l4bqLzixVquUmB7hSYuSO3Dabw_FDmEIF1UAxPfjfRhbcRapHsXIevxJc9PfxF6d8FDw6BqwNm0kpoY1z3YMmWDQ4z217IiafmSTODsT4V0h5CcMlnFAF8JOhyokB2swtFvASBt/w400-h271/PXL_20231223_054741350.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlfaY7Zpsy7Z4mwIQGN_1HyQrmiINp1XinImNkESUv7530CRTeRbRu_DWgl-RaCOleIqWfpxnEcbQVTTEJ8pOO2jWErsv3pCm3yjq_ZMuf_89BXjnOZGpcnDIqn1-IiK-1MYv0QmWtTsIFRCWAGIBXB8_G8k6vYLTktzUyAocoOrmYW8Y28ogQheeZn_Sc/s4032/PXL_20231223_052813675.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlfaY7Zpsy7Z4mwIQGN_1HyQrmiINp1XinImNkESUv7530CRTeRbRu_DWgl-RaCOleIqWfpxnEcbQVTTEJ8pOO2jWErsv3pCm3yjq_ZMuf_89BXjnOZGpcnDIqn1-IiK-1MYv0QmWtTsIFRCWAGIBXB8_G8k6vYLTktzUyAocoOrmYW8Y28ogQheeZn_Sc/w400-h225/PXL_20231223_052813675.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3K-2txO0z4m3tJujS7HMF6Td-3vhdxEXlImmctEJVryWZWcP0-Q-Iva3nJSN22YHebsxdRKHtqfsdRv-zhH_D187DLnaogNIhzdID3c8fs2YMfvpsg_AwDwg6u3yw2sKP2cWWccCsG9JJwzq7N9kXieMAEYVZH2NxE-BFGJ4qSceNkDwUBZg_olmz8Bne/s4032/PXL_20231223_052738525.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3K-2txO0z4m3tJujS7HMF6Td-3vhdxEXlImmctEJVryWZWcP0-Q-Iva3nJSN22YHebsxdRKHtqfsdRv-zhH_D187DLnaogNIhzdID3c8fs2YMfvpsg_AwDwg6u3yw2sKP2cWWccCsG9JJwzq7N9kXieMAEYVZH2NxE-BFGJ4qSceNkDwUBZg_olmz8Bne/w225-h400/PXL_20231223_052738525.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiYaNACAUvuNNN0QaMjZhiV46D0j8hnCduVqJb09769Heu93tZCQvzvECY_V_PDbdRHymlRcB528NNVd0dNuwCrFRr-5yMfCsxvcdNjoeMlgygu2YTJoVwR91q7fAzV94jFE9Qr8i1cw_2GFvTzTt925TORZhVk_sIMB4N5g2cxkrqH8trR5PXZynYeIAV/s3495/PXL_20231223_052602511.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1793" data-original-width="3495" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiYaNACAUvuNNN0QaMjZhiV46D0j8hnCduVqJb09769Heu93tZCQvzvECY_V_PDbdRHymlRcB528NNVd0dNuwCrFRr-5yMfCsxvcdNjoeMlgygu2YTJoVwR91q7fAzV94jFE9Qr8i1cw_2GFvTzTt925TORZhVk_sIMB4N5g2cxkrqH8trR5PXZynYeIAV/w400-h205/PXL_20231223_052602511.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>From one of my FB buddies I also heard about the various <i>provisional </i>drivers' permits, and after Googling a little more I learned that, depending on which Australian state you hail from, there are different types of these "P" permits, giving you different rights (and mostly responsibilities) based on age and all kinds of other factors. One doesn't see very many cops out on the motorways, highways, and byways, and when I mentioned that in a conversation one night I was educated about the camera enforcement of traffic laws. There are hidden (and mobile) speed cameras, red light cameras, and cameras that measure the distance between vehicles as well as driver fatigue and even cell phone and seatbelt compliance. No wonder people strictly adhere to the 110 km/h speed limit on the <i>motorways</i>, the equivalent of our interstates, and the 80 km/h to 100 km/h variable limits on regular highways as well as the in-town limits varying from 25 to 60 km/h. I saw exactly ONE car recklessly speeding on the entire trip! Get caught, and during the Christmas season an infraction will earn you double <i>demerits, </i>a form of going after your driver's license similar to the dreaded points system in Germany. So, no wonder that people hit the brakes hard to comply with all those speed limit signs.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxs4OYX_kJz_bDnObJK_EtyP3sl4Lh4J8kVi5rAOT4Bq7uPK0Jnrm0dVWJU-xWwIeMtv9XPzvA-KZxHmJYi9wPJTOsKEa77M4rWLMqX2QEY_k6g4JUJrDMtKd9zzD4DGmA8SrefrULFkgPRjo90SX3sQqA78WixlYLnCxh8SdcBF6ZILEUE0LpbolI8IIx/s4032/PXL_20231226_231340799.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxs4OYX_kJz_bDnObJK_EtyP3sl4Lh4J8kVi5rAOT4Bq7uPK0Jnrm0dVWJU-xWwIeMtv9XPzvA-KZxHmJYi9wPJTOsKEa77M4rWLMqX2QEY_k6g4JUJrDMtKd9zzD4DGmA8SrefrULFkgPRjo90SX3sQqA78WixlYLnCxh8SdcBF6ZILEUE0LpbolI8IIx/w400-h225/PXL_20231226_231340799.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizXLvKFZCY71M7H1E4HzrYH7aJDsituESsI000D8aucCU_LjLXyc0PkkIN3LtyoHyJXY5TjwDfnhvzaO0CxMT6gS3cQE0pCcbhyphenhyphenVr3QRICZFZUR20hlh78HV2iFvYonHNR7mDzKPVl5-7Kr4ve2_f27PoF3RZat75p2L5SODrnHPuaK1n6lFWXzHEl55bj/s4032/PXL_20231226_052041068~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizXLvKFZCY71M7H1E4HzrYH7aJDsituESsI000D8aucCU_LjLXyc0PkkIN3LtyoHyJXY5TjwDfnhvzaO0CxMT6gS3cQE0pCcbhyphenhyphenVr3QRICZFZUR20hlh78HV2iFvYonHNR7mDzKPVl5-7Kr4ve2_f27PoF3RZat75p2L5SODrnHPuaK1n6lFWXzHEl55bj/w400-h225/PXL_20231226_052041068~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizb1oB90HpkIJPPgLvOLu3gjVFtffWsPhPKTJ0ykwh5fGcDFDuR2vKG_YvN7oelbKo146qzD5ERqVoLpx0DJub42uhd5Qexo6oRs6f4TSG3zBk6kfzCm8qI3iAhLubkl-KrIGJVSUSr842CFdSAz7WnubrTAZ2YD5J7fEBPwzbLmCubzKah7LHGOgIRHPr/s2719/PXL_20231226_020957059.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2719" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizb1oB90HpkIJPPgLvOLu3gjVFtffWsPhPKTJ0ykwh5fGcDFDuR2vKG_YvN7oelbKo146qzD5ERqVoLpx0DJub42uhd5Qexo6oRs6f4TSG3zBk6kfzCm8qI3iAhLubkl-KrIGJVSUSr842CFdSAz7WnubrTAZ2YD5J7fEBPwzbLmCubzKah7LHGOgIRHPr/w334-h400/PXL_20231226_020957059.jpg" width="334" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7zQ65VpOt9HRCGfQH2CslrsL3GE2ExPZA-c4WuUemLCfF3h9Hv4TBrO6muREPxDYk-4_A_UwwM7pkqd8qN3MF8FWn95Q64cJBhWLelCR3qYgQ6aZq3f3wa3E9A0hUfqipeoFT6LMhXZUMw6VV6bmBKf7aCiw3hoiDhNZvBxlTzd2TasAt3qQcGespwyko/s2124/PXL_20231226_014249082.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1748" data-original-width="2124" height="329" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7zQ65VpOt9HRCGfQH2CslrsL3GE2ExPZA-c4WuUemLCfF3h9Hv4TBrO6muREPxDYk-4_A_UwwM7pkqd8qN3MF8FWn95Q64cJBhWLelCR3qYgQ6aZq3f3wa3E9A0hUfqipeoFT6LMhXZUMw6VV6bmBKf7aCiw3hoiDhNZvBxlTzd2TasAt3qQcGespwyko/w400-h329/PXL_20231226_014249082.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIjwdFfeENy8n6cRS1Cwkxf_usDaWH8H6IvsbgXvATNq6e0UqfqmEkBEgmWtMEX7OGZCV69fEIVIEKa8HaWOA6D-LdSfi1pNa9DzeAZKEL280rq_UkiBmJhlgvREpNMkgZRQYRw-F884h35jtn_BnkLkWHSd5jcDmU8Bw-rhRDmboi56XC_sLAAtn61qs/s2268/PXL_20231226_011820431.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2211" data-original-width="2268" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIjwdFfeENy8n6cRS1Cwkxf_usDaWH8H6IvsbgXvATNq6e0UqfqmEkBEgmWtMEX7OGZCV69fEIVIEKa8HaWOA6D-LdSfi1pNa9DzeAZKEL280rq_UkiBmJhlgvREpNMkgZRQYRw-F884h35jtn_BnkLkWHSd5jcDmU8Bw-rhRDmboi56XC_sLAAtn61qs/w400-h390/PXL_20231226_011820431.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlvKYPYwLZIVVcNyNUqW-kYUiLhyTcry2SR_mmRg9fPbcQLNWfdf56RrY7jyUmfmgI2FkpytLhbbzthGbl_EPHqBXhX8yfEIaB8ZsMg8_RrWp4PhbmebW7mL0pYCWiWz1cOlhAUgx6BXQavSKreseZUC4HI-HSQi5FDna5IjzRHosJw5uxZ6vV3kaVXB2h/s3778/PXL_20231221_064535317.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3778" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlvKYPYwLZIVVcNyNUqW-kYUiLhyTcry2SR_mmRg9fPbcQLNWfdf56RrY7jyUmfmgI2FkpytLhbbzthGbl_EPHqBXhX8yfEIaB8ZsMg8_RrWp4PhbmebW7mL0pYCWiWz1cOlhAUgx6BXQavSKreseZUC4HI-HSQi5FDna5IjzRHosJw5uxZ6vV3kaVXB2h/w400-h240/PXL_20231221_064535317.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZyHa6Tm5O5LOuAYFstwAO9zkG6tu6q7oHXLMO828jQjv5y1I9FdIZlBEgM0TPtRzBFmyPuj6Bdjd-ZDoYobbykr0GISml1nincPQ7gDWl-GolYDPoyUcJT_adu8Nc9cxWuviKq4sQyPacPmfnddChipp-ba3kvCSCpfeU40vYV9TgKPslMpeu-_UvoI9E/s3486/PXL_20231221_033857624~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3486" data-original-width="2089" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZyHa6Tm5O5LOuAYFstwAO9zkG6tu6q7oHXLMO828jQjv5y1I9FdIZlBEgM0TPtRzBFmyPuj6Bdjd-ZDoYobbykr0GISml1nincPQ7gDWl-GolYDPoyUcJT_adu8Nc9cxWuviKq4sQyPacPmfnddChipp-ba3kvCSCpfeU40vYV9TgKPslMpeu-_UvoI9E/w240-h400/PXL_20231221_033857624~2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZYx_L_r1HI3LKu1Zizn6DjGaTg5ApgoCrCS6Jdo7YYptqX2I6ltWLs3Spn1LQcKOmuV5vN80N_0fCWk65JLW0ME4KcoUlp_CA5LSMuJqUG6MWDp2wt-pl9I9JrDa1y0krB0iim1oLfhugTbQKUmr6AOKq-AjgXj883hTSE1E7BFAGw9fzZY-u8nIhrt6w/s3540/PXL_20231226_005312221.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1931" data-original-width="3540" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZYx_L_r1HI3LKu1Zizn6DjGaTg5ApgoCrCS6Jdo7YYptqX2I6ltWLs3Spn1LQcKOmuV5vN80N_0fCWk65JLW0ME4KcoUlp_CA5LSMuJqUG6MWDp2wt-pl9I9JrDa1y0krB0iim1oLfhugTbQKUmr6AOKq-AjgXj883hTSE1E7BFAGw9fzZY-u8nIhrt6w/w400-h219/PXL_20231226_005312221.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The country is riddled with <i>roundabouts</i>, with the vehicle inside of the circle having the right of way. And that includes bikes! I have to say, in situations like that, drivers gave me all the courtesy you could ask for, but when passing me out on the highway they wouldn't take prisoners and hardly ever abandoned hugging the the right side of the white line, even if there was no oncoming traffic—and the shoulder on the left side of the line quite often was unnervingly narrow. Holy shit, it was like a Jekyll and Hyde scenario with how one is treated in town and out on the road. BTW, in most places cyclists are allowed on the interstate-like motorways—why any sane person would choose to ride out there is beyond me.<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdlAhFcXr0HZi5uNuEq_WOE_cR5z1RamT4eVR01GcXNvstD7z5Cq8mZZgJU1OhVk-m-J-rn8odTHXFtFPTeW6f7vMuhIhpG9MBVV0ziHcSuOlz6P21yZm2guQOPtiWLtdsB0DWa7dWh6C4RQD9UHMsnl_HQMpqi9_sSm0ZryhC1bbQ6mp6QA_gLxsU2_7h/s4032/PXL_20231223_031422703~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdlAhFcXr0HZi5uNuEq_WOE_cR5z1RamT4eVR01GcXNvstD7z5Cq8mZZgJU1OhVk-m-J-rn8odTHXFtFPTeW6f7vMuhIhpG9MBVV0ziHcSuOlz6P21yZm2guQOPtiWLtdsB0DWa7dWh6C4RQD9UHMsnl_HQMpqi9_sSm0ZryhC1bbQ6mp6QA_gLxsU2_7h/w400-h225/PXL_20231223_031422703~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit875zSWLtxPGrZfSShoegAHR5kltu1Y6daG6j7RpKzqwAoptBSVGvz46_ckuoCjqIdqY_-q23HadA9ivQor2qjRTT7vdKO96vQEfkYg3n09IqE7Tr6Ragg63N_ErknU5zvesOerHDzswM21Bf0kYu762CroSuNfuGvzz58WJXFn66RzTn3JOFmshXWvH9/s4032/PXL_20231222_054232313.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit875zSWLtxPGrZfSShoegAHR5kltu1Y6daG6j7RpKzqwAoptBSVGvz46_ckuoCjqIdqY_-q23HadA9ivQor2qjRTT7vdKO96vQEfkYg3n09IqE7Tr6Ragg63N_ErknU5zvesOerHDzswM21Bf0kYu762CroSuNfuGvzz58WJXFn66RzTn3JOFmshXWvH9/w400-h225/PXL_20231222_054232313.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQw6w4btlZSJJOZf-HPTo_bZUiS7wViP4dEvq7dEIJlAGff8wLTnXO95NIkNoIbZjSSVQS_VuxHN-zWUwBqWDp31t6zKNN2zH0kklkJoq-tmCUdXsoA1kCaz4SvqMG3poX8wgCyCyxay2cx_PODjhQXnMdAGrXEB-rOUWg1mX16J6NZSEBWTeS62_RwXha/s4032/PXL_20231221_040817571.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQw6w4btlZSJJOZf-HPTo_bZUiS7wViP4dEvq7dEIJlAGff8wLTnXO95NIkNoIbZjSSVQS_VuxHN-zWUwBqWDp31t6zKNN2zH0kklkJoq-tmCUdXsoA1kCaz4SvqMG3poX8wgCyCyxay2cx_PODjhQXnMdAGrXEB-rOUWg1mX16J6NZSEBWTeS62_RwXha/w400-h225/PXL_20231221_040817571.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE5rfMrnOInrCelTNkNSGrzpICgwy84G3f6GyzbzCQ6vVlKefR-mjMSYv1_ltgOPX084kjl25e_sU-5UaYiX3fPtkIRiEKOhKJK6666ME7doN4jSTbEknt121vVD_Fw3QJbNskXWrGG64KHfw8Mv8NwMbSj6sukrYw6g26c_CD_d51g9slXKXVIavr7ZTz/s4032/PXL_20231221_040220078.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE5rfMrnOInrCelTNkNSGrzpICgwy84G3f6GyzbzCQ6vVlKefR-mjMSYv1_ltgOPX084kjl25e_sU-5UaYiX3fPtkIRiEKOhKJK6666ME7doN4jSTbEknt121vVD_Fw3QJbNskXWrGG64KHfw8Mv8NwMbSj6sukrYw6g26c_CD_d51g9slXKXVIavr7ZTz/w400-h225/PXL_20231221_040220078.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi5RHfBMLMcbZ5ZnnNurAXAglIxehbluNRQfGh3UjUOjmFUhry7WkqCWYnpPTsfljvcqltnqSYFKLzBl0CDRgjzNum4yTI41P97Z-d4aCsj4BIQtDdiitgsj0jQ3FOV1nkbMyV5y7zdVX7oBCID_X8j58fvZiz_1-Mk4mdKVcg1KvNpbubpZ9s3AouShmv/s2721/PXL_20231219_061231427.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2721" data-original-width="2184" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi5RHfBMLMcbZ5ZnnNurAXAglIxehbluNRQfGh3UjUOjmFUhry7WkqCWYnpPTsfljvcqltnqSYFKLzBl0CDRgjzNum4yTI41P97Z-d4aCsj4BIQtDdiitgsj0jQ3FOV1nkbMyV5y7zdVX7oBCID_X8j58fvZiz_1-Mk4mdKVcg1KvNpbubpZ9s3AouShmv/w321-h400/PXL_20231219_061231427.jpg" width="321" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWsXyYJL29boJeCLZpiWHinoGi7Qxya-JDaKHEJQSPJarl3iLQimQgEPzRANKd87thBwnDLU-NHeT6fBFQZaEnq04Wdt3kOa7y2c8uYTUr_uljIaEQZvkrHQpgLPet1KHHCaC22wuXi-w1NImxZ25COFk_sybq8WgaeJySpHnmDk56JotIYlPEB1PSCwal/s4032/PXL_20231216_045548667.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWsXyYJL29boJeCLZpiWHinoGi7Qxya-JDaKHEJQSPJarl3iLQimQgEPzRANKd87thBwnDLU-NHeT6fBFQZaEnq04Wdt3kOa7y2c8uYTUr_uljIaEQZvkrHQpgLPet1KHHCaC22wuXi-w1NImxZ25COFk_sybq8WgaeJySpHnmDk56JotIYlPEB1PSCwal/w400-h225/PXL_20231216_045548667.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>There's so much more I could write about, but this post is already quite long. I'd love to write about the smallish 450,000-inhabitant capital of the country, Canberra. Imagine a city that didn't exist until about a century ago and was planned by an American architect. And I would like to spend much more time gushing about the amazing bike infrastructure throughout all the cities that makes us in the US look like transportation Neanderthals. What about spending about US $17 million in 2024 on <i>improving</i> already excellent bike facilities, in Canberra alone? I'd like to write about (but wouldn't share photos) of those incredibly fit-looking women that I saw everywhere in Australia. And what about those amazing cemeteries in Sydney with ginormous sections for various ethnic groups, tidy and clean? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUUcpWA_RKkJjS9s-_tlTEsCEXwiWO0HKCfwYIkp-m8t9DrDqGydpBMCImQUnDpS0A90Md_fHNSVF1olRPrquNaGBubOdHJnoEBlLmGke6nlQvfJtzOO0Cl6DRxlG7Mt0hYCBPvAPZsZY_UOlUPr3U17usPAnMFRq7qK8v41fSNgMR3_QKdL3-VGPBRYee/s4032/PXL_20231225_231523713.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUUcpWA_RKkJjS9s-_tlTEsCEXwiWO0HKCfwYIkp-m8t9DrDqGydpBMCImQUnDpS0A90Md_fHNSVF1olRPrquNaGBubOdHJnoEBlLmGke6nlQvfJtzOO0Cl6DRxlG7Mt0hYCBPvAPZsZY_UOlUPr3U17usPAnMFRq7qK8v41fSNgMR3_QKdL3-VGPBRYee/w400-h225/PXL_20231225_231523713.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ArVQoYwx1SEDV9IYxkqh-UTPy4ij6-8WaJndKTZmPVfZCCagy6R8nnjMNpi8SfQC0m6eZm9SAqW1GbJxMS6FCkynayeIyTFjQGmRxCOoY8nE3oGWN0yI115jmBR5A9IgakOxpeswdMv6zkUWRS3rZ9kqtrZtpe8ojEThheENmDdHLnCGtdpnlAaJ2HP4/w400-h225/PXL_20231227_040111641.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKhic0VrLuFQ2n7Ggt60H56ZFrG-0-9X-MpjQ6ewurcnfRnVXhkWGhCbDiLbKrr3kSXnmWaZ36bebedADbPa3_xsG-CozUcycYdh12oYbFiSr2RNuRX43Dvt5GjRtM-mDM3JiNYmEqW0n2Bezat4K6dNG2yACLkLhK10kqeWUUKS4jcUnm8M2z6f5D17mM/s4032/PXL_20231227_040600881.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKhic0VrLuFQ2n7Ggt60H56ZFrG-0-9X-MpjQ6ewurcnfRnVXhkWGhCbDiLbKrr3kSXnmWaZ36bebedADbPa3_xsG-CozUcycYdh12oYbFiSr2RNuRX43Dvt5GjRtM-mDM3JiNYmEqW0n2Bezat4K6dNG2yACLkLhK10kqeWUUKS4jcUnm8M2z6f5D17mM/w400-h225/PXL_20231227_040600881.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdZajgOgz4Wr8VPiarlMjrUEKLzsPsvcLhuNW5MZgbjCeYmCWUy8Mc1RGo5nizLhefjanYUei16xg_Rct3dAQ-63beOi53sjDlmmfEf1tZZlAWNUtLL13_EOO6lC1cTB_ZxcZQRQGaEhEx3odspy6cBdDIF_0OqXXrNaNNKtVJj7GSYnP6u8-VOwhdY3Py/s3844/PXL_20231227_040923746~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1839" data-original-width="3844" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdZajgOgz4Wr8VPiarlMjrUEKLzsPsvcLhuNW5MZgbjCeYmCWUy8Mc1RGo5nizLhefjanYUei16xg_Rct3dAQ-63beOi53sjDlmmfEf1tZZlAWNUtLL13_EOO6lC1cTB_ZxcZQRQGaEhEx3odspy6cBdDIF_0OqXXrNaNNKtVJj7GSYnP6u8-VOwhdY3Py/w400-h191/PXL_20231227_040923746~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I'd like to write about the beautiful beaches that I saw, the strange (and to me exotic plants) that caught my eye, those wonderfully hard miles on the bike followed by memorable happy hours at camp, the tasty meals I prepared, and all of those other great experiences that I was privileged to live through.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6kyv7LgS4rHykIEA7miz2etjCSQmkMkljMWtr1SfYVWWoAorCFTEDYPnOrHho_HVfOk6qP81qWe7_IL-v8skLAGDX1pr9cu-08XlaK1c00rLSW8LKedjLqzphk-m51pfNj5VZ2AV-zdwh1sTz7KQwqQBSVxqUk3-MgbP5r2O-fHn8iU2Ad-I9WKvjvZlN/s1927/PXL_20231215_024154388.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1014" data-original-width="1927" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6kyv7LgS4rHykIEA7miz2etjCSQmkMkljMWtr1SfYVWWoAorCFTEDYPnOrHho_HVfOk6qP81qWe7_IL-v8skLAGDX1pr9cu-08XlaK1c00rLSW8LKedjLqzphk-m51pfNj5VZ2AV-zdwh1sTz7KQwqQBSVxqUk3-MgbP5r2O-fHn8iU2Ad-I9WKvjvZlN/w400-h210/PXL_20231215_024154388.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtdiMjYUwnLa-bIMRhciOZymfpF2Y3IqKZS3tF1kqUDGB4TeCKRsOE3lHrsuXX6OtsNd1QyD5R5owiKP-DDoijF_J5JHEW9eLfmj-em2RD9Dhe-81n0RyRqUQczHCVEwfSofAIa81fkjoiAqMiZg9XHnET4KLPoeuFgHIXKZTW9GxPAcdWbANVYPhmPKjT/s3960/PXL_20231215_023922552.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3960" data-original-width="2227" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtdiMjYUwnLa-bIMRhciOZymfpF2Y3IqKZS3tF1kqUDGB4TeCKRsOE3lHrsuXX6OtsNd1QyD5R5owiKP-DDoijF_J5JHEW9eLfmj-em2RD9Dhe-81n0RyRqUQczHCVEwfSofAIa81fkjoiAqMiZg9XHnET4KLPoeuFgHIXKZTW9GxPAcdWbANVYPhmPKjT/w225-h400/PXL_20231215_023922552.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNQdSvotdbZsKuxlKd6W1SI0ve6lbSYU7OUc8vuxcIQqdP9HRdVNCx4Kp-1pMOyqsqNaJUKXE8JhpX5SNMSRrKmJsSl-kiYvB9w_JZ2bN-vH-5KYm9eBruTjqeITH5QMBEOoqF48yMjY8U0w7Iwi-cVWtYPfdueiYO6lpkscUmKpfB5WNSJWGQGmbZwJVT/s4032/PXL_20231214_072046327.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNQdSvotdbZsKuxlKd6W1SI0ve6lbSYU7OUc8vuxcIQqdP9HRdVNCx4Kp-1pMOyqsqNaJUKXE8JhpX5SNMSRrKmJsSl-kiYvB9w_JZ2bN-vH-5KYm9eBruTjqeITH5QMBEOoqF48yMjY8U0w7Iwi-cVWtYPfdueiYO6lpkscUmKpfB5WNSJWGQGmbZwJVT/w400-h225/PXL_20231214_072046327.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQqCRISgD2MczHVW2R4k9SMB6GYigziHrqlrEn5DymtYcmffXfXmgwpbF1wYm5UPSCdk0VLrCzeMjSPurhxl1ZTJLRIUv679JlO4TL5-LZz_H_OK4STMTZIYMpfwlPcaAUQRYpNUlZh9tlgoyHbjym9b8mK74xT7tH9rg5-lwQttomZ4w1G0GAZ0x4W3Lo/s2819/PXL_20231215_034351375.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2819" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQqCRISgD2MczHVW2R4k9SMB6GYigziHrqlrEn5DymtYcmffXfXmgwpbF1wYm5UPSCdk0VLrCzeMjSPurhxl1ZTJLRIUv679JlO4TL5-LZz_H_OK4STMTZIYMpfwlPcaAUQRYpNUlZh9tlgoyHbjym9b8mK74xT7tH9rg5-lwQttomZ4w1G0GAZ0x4W3Lo/w321-h400/PXL_20231215_034351375.jpg" width="321" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_zEBfYYIyg3W3nIijj2hnRSKclUDfgRni_gClgT7Ad9yJGct_trR4JkSPwutrzH2ICse5h3-aLBskgICL4c1iXWbZyeITo0yFl8cSCNEHwL3-LqBpmtdwtKcM4G_Rby3leRP4ueTmHDDmbZ8BhZHQ1Wwt_N6Y9eYbzM-VQviXcIuoLioPqr092oHjwM-/s2991/PXL_20231224_073527279.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2176" data-original-width="2991" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_zEBfYYIyg3W3nIijj2hnRSKclUDfgRni_gClgT7Ad9yJGct_trR4JkSPwutrzH2ICse5h3-aLBskgICL4c1iXWbZyeITo0yFl8cSCNEHwL3-LqBpmtdwtKcM4G_Rby3leRP4ueTmHDDmbZ8BhZHQ1Wwt_N6Y9eYbzM-VQviXcIuoLioPqr092oHjwM-/w400-h291/PXL_20231224_073527279.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Y30XUZJLiKYqjKyy6CXctIwM4Z4rvSOWHpaX_W0VB1SvV8ICKPotm03nLaupsZ0QwufiakM2c57q_Rzq-sS-dETvjW6CM-s8HbQ4pwKDdCdrFx3rkf1X8aw27n3XMumFbhAUctaruR8z9veGOTO-BdMw6N-mzqdwHNllTJOZ-34aj5OFt4p54DeqFD4b/s4032/PXL_20231212_102815282.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Y30XUZJLiKYqjKyy6CXctIwM4Z4rvSOWHpaX_W0VB1SvV8ICKPotm03nLaupsZ0QwufiakM2c57q_Rzq-sS-dETvjW6CM-s8HbQ4pwKDdCdrFx3rkf1X8aw27n3XMumFbhAUctaruR8z9veGOTO-BdMw6N-mzqdwHNllTJOZ-34aj5OFt4p54DeqFD4b/w400-h225/PXL_20231212_102815282.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx2IkD9_mFtIJ8gOMVe6CYV4iaNxU5JBxFVx5rArPyuNdZOyRttGfQdL_xV36teYi7Hr3106LYSjdU1zXxKR2CPZH-3nfTjcPWZrYWYbF_YlQ9rMNGHqUwE2zQ8-4uENNgNcF8W8iM4JB8oLPrwBd4WwHAb05ZG_pak0tpAvTtsWeUrzf8a3QynAp63fSP/s3039/PXL_20231227_053515919.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3039" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx2IkD9_mFtIJ8gOMVe6CYV4iaNxU5JBxFVx5rArPyuNdZOyRttGfQdL_xV36teYi7Hr3106LYSjdU1zXxKR2CPZH-3nfTjcPWZrYWYbF_YlQ9rMNGHqUwE2zQ8-4uENNgNcF8W8iM4JB8oLPrwBd4WwHAb05ZG_pak0tpAvTtsWeUrzf8a3QynAp63fSP/w400-h284/PXL_20231227_053515919.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I hope that you got a little bit of an idea of what this trip was like. It took me several days after my return to wrap my head around all those impressions and experiences, and at night the harddrive in my head is still trying to defrag and clear some space for the next overseas trip, next week. Alas, here a few last pics from the most-excellent First Class flight back home.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA0vncZQdN0HK9OsDTEjh-c1BhjdVJ91W11P9RSQxoDXu00TrucV-LT5nLAXMsbpI6e1rdFDx9FCO9cYtNMOPolFH14kSRFQVK8Fm-NDTVk_WvUALh1zsiqrVpoTLvfs_0frWZBlW-Z35HZuKwqm7CYSclCkczLioW8wLlDSK_I7FAfY9p-npStb8q6DLr/s4032/PXL_20231227_215320719.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA0vncZQdN0HK9OsDTEjh-c1BhjdVJ91W11P9RSQxoDXu00TrucV-LT5nLAXMsbpI6e1rdFDx9FCO9cYtNMOPolFH14kSRFQVK8Fm-NDTVk_WvUALh1zsiqrVpoTLvfs_0frWZBlW-Z35HZuKwqm7CYSclCkczLioW8wLlDSK_I7FAfY9p-npStb8q6DLr/w400-h225/PXL_20231227_215320719.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcDBjzJUg4sXxXRX5zOWjSp03GZuhZoiDZbB5fUSjWibK2G3oEA2sR_CM1_ny5lHR1M4WpfT_qNLmWuTwOjwR7cSynbKWHkZc-GV7AEPVPcPo-ZUzAZqmMKFQGT9FWvTfEG7d1R2vgu0Ez91R8xs3s-e6kkJwoq84gW8bFYi31RjA5-ED2Wc_3VDN2yM-K/s4080/PXL_20231227_225211077.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2363" data-original-width="4080" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcDBjzJUg4sXxXRX5zOWjSp03GZuhZoiDZbB5fUSjWibK2G3oEA2sR_CM1_ny5lHR1M4WpfT_qNLmWuTwOjwR7cSynbKWHkZc-GV7AEPVPcPo-ZUzAZqmMKFQGT9FWvTfEG7d1R2vgu0Ez91R8xs3s-e6kkJwoq84gW8bFYi31RjA5-ED2Wc_3VDN2yM-K/w400-h231/PXL_20231227_225211077.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhapGUTjJJB7NcYyK2Vuz-6_iKw3LFzKLzsxaVVER9mrUGPMn_6H2NjURa3owny62XUa6445pUwPs4W_PUVN4xmmzy3Xlo8X5yvv47BCP9LwMW4OYKVZk69BfoUgxhZAVdR7IY30hTsMcODvcDDaHidC__zBMxbb0tEEPR6bYiypCbQQNk0zzCxiuqpBJn0/s3841/PXL_20231227_225311031.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2993" data-original-width="3841" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhapGUTjJJB7NcYyK2Vuz-6_iKw3LFzKLzsxaVVER9mrUGPMn_6H2NjURa3owny62XUa6445pUwPs4W_PUVN4xmmzy3Xlo8X5yvv47BCP9LwMW4OYKVZk69BfoUgxhZAVdR7IY30hTsMcODvcDDaHidC__zBMxbb0tEEPR6bYiypCbQQNk0zzCxiuqpBJn0/w400-h311/PXL_20231227_225311031.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGXkinbYaK4FfpJhn6rSxhxhSkXDPPQTglatXFga56Pbcbyd-wqR19HHdg_q_pLuiRrYt7aInYwm1sdPTlAYXNgC8mlqN1N-JkFB2rjXYpyXQvMTbwfJPsFGBP2e23OH6_-ge919DJq5wuWf4NAFIn-QmsHg4Wxllckqq8n3fkHrHL92oyLq5nwwDjez6G/s4080/PXL_20231227_225501801.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGXkinbYaK4FfpJhn6rSxhxhSkXDPPQTglatXFga56Pbcbyd-wqR19HHdg_q_pLuiRrYt7aInYwm1sdPTlAYXNgC8mlqN1N-JkFB2rjXYpyXQvMTbwfJPsFGBP2e23OH6_-ge919DJq5wuWf4NAFIn-QmsHg4Wxllckqq8n3fkHrHL92oyLq5nwwDjez6G/w400-h301/PXL_20231227_225501801.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9IJWIOQ4POJzFOCw93x-434-fQTvjblmmPXbff7xcuYg_1Cqef0vvA5dbj6XcecUc2_ASnKBL-EWXrqxFQv6WkdQqS-FWIya_p0yiR9VNBUN3yS3PO_neXl0zfvR80KGxKjNxcwa9CET_uHmGbbZmCjSXZ9IQ8U7Ig9Z-mTmqU4NZC0-MTLYXY1xLSMFH/s4080/PXL_20231227_232229847.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2596" data-original-width="4080" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9IJWIOQ4POJzFOCw93x-434-fQTvjblmmPXbff7xcuYg_1Cqef0vvA5dbj6XcecUc2_ASnKBL-EWXrqxFQv6WkdQqS-FWIya_p0yiR9VNBUN3yS3PO_neXl0zfvR80KGxKjNxcwa9CET_uHmGbbZmCjSXZ9IQ8U7Ig9Z-mTmqU4NZC0-MTLYXY1xLSMFH/w400-h255/PXL_20231227_232229847.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhovPRMQx7BCHqIP-AyK0-QtjZucij68CCuQ6VNrBrgcOPZQehukosxvmI7IrWAeHBLxqhOo3eX7rjW1hFsvWHoh0pmPuJE33aanSwcea9CmLuLCBWMpigkgv_cR-RJGqFLfl6zGo4f9PK-08oGPvObDtZWL2DFgmePNBN64yQY6J4bgCkPWOMidPsX4G6Y/s4080/PXL_20231227_233018151.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhovPRMQx7BCHqIP-AyK0-QtjZucij68CCuQ6VNrBrgcOPZQehukosxvmI7IrWAeHBLxqhOo3eX7rjW1hFsvWHoh0pmPuJE33aanSwcea9CmLuLCBWMpigkgv_cR-RJGqFLfl6zGo4f9PK-08oGPvObDtZWL2DFgmePNBN64yQY6J4bgCkPWOMidPsX4G6Y/w301-h400/PXL_20231227_233018151.jpg" width="301" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCZYU_etbysQUDQk_Sjh41XInGK5AWuN76d5Z__2gbdZM-Vtv6gabnd-2INoGQ8q-ubnp0mvxDQRk9oPW8obn5GRVVqxRunuSSN7ohWViN-d-aYLziH3HiO0mhyphenhyphen17kRz68nSe0-KK889t1BmgOm1GBjQmZ-du3k2fBFm7m6SkcQRXxsG2xxW_2KA-pKVK/s4080/PXL_20231227_233132215.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCZYU_etbysQUDQk_Sjh41XInGK5AWuN76d5Z__2gbdZM-Vtv6gabnd-2INoGQ8q-ubnp0mvxDQRk9oPW8obn5GRVVqxRunuSSN7ohWViN-d-aYLziH3HiO0mhyphenhyphen17kRz68nSe0-KK889t1BmgOm1GBjQmZ-du3k2fBFm7m6SkcQRXxsG2xxW_2KA-pKVK/w400-h301/PXL_20231227_233132215.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2262" data-original-width="4022" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX7Jz3y5f3c9zIQ4-0UMF05GJNlwRVYUyTAb-SA2roP84RCS5qZBQ3Uq089xtOpVGgh8cYxn54BQJhh2yC6LvqGxUydLoEQ_7fumP-sQZn9DBuZHIn4eabVJk_Aw0bFRMWTmuDXRTzrjkDS8793K9NHBBLSRXonS0CB2iAmyqF8YtX_Mfo8PNFFWw26A6s/w400-h225/PXL_20231228_005620565.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikOkkO6TmlHGaH2q3yJ5_z6_cRRJoRn7UUMOpuZA5vp2oIc5u3ZVfbc4SL279V6jMWTts9vr7JAm_uwZoGqxvy7z9QSuO3dPWhYbfozjSsXxZaLAVTdilwjiaqnhBy5BQC8yqSB-PvhaHOSknefJ9W8Z4Hdv5vn8rz5IUCOMaH_94CDryrDyUTnbqM934t/s3373/PXL_20231228_005640922.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2086" data-original-width="3373" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikOkkO6TmlHGaH2q3yJ5_z6_cRRJoRn7UUMOpuZA5vp2oIc5u3ZVfbc4SL279V6jMWTts9vr7JAm_uwZoGqxvy7z9QSuO3dPWhYbfozjSsXxZaLAVTdilwjiaqnhBy5BQC8yqSB-PvhaHOSknefJ9W8Z4Hdv5vn8rz5IUCOMaH_94CDryrDyUTnbqM934t/w400-h248/PXL_20231228_005640922.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRApTaNgzwb0ZuyvwaCODeLQbd4jSG5vqNFLzPMJwBtBSdXLdmR1TaVR4MJEWI7JDEC6eUnDdjNRlq2plcavg7_rJoobonOAK4mVor4Vlv5Y6tBO5a_Y0IpRt0_tPmGuHK-Z_1UYD-ESOAA1x__JstHt3J0sq22tewOjA6RnsFwH78ZGC7sOT-vzWEOapJ/s4032/PXL_20231228_041759526.PORTRAIT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRApTaNgzwb0ZuyvwaCODeLQbd4jSG5vqNFLzPMJwBtBSdXLdmR1TaVR4MJEWI7JDEC6eUnDdjNRlq2plcavg7_rJoobonOAK4mVor4Vlv5Y6tBO5a_Y0IpRt0_tPmGuHK-Z_1UYD-ESOAA1x__JstHt3J0sq22tewOjA6RnsFwH78ZGC7sOT-vzWEOapJ/w400-h225/PXL_20231228_041759526.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Jürgen</div><div><br /></div><div>After queries from several friends as to how much such a trip costs, I'd like to add this post scriptum. By far the biggest expense was the campervan rental, which ran (with full insurance) $3,420 for the 19-day rental. I spent another approximately $1,460 on everything else, ranging from the cost of fuel ($273) and all the holiday parks to food, booze, and all other incidentals (e.g., Opera House tour). As I had mentioned<span style="color: red;"><b> <a href="https://misterjurgen.blogspot.com/2023/12/how-to-fly-18446-miles-to-australia-and.html" target="_blank">here</a></b></span>, I booked my flight with miles and the four nights in the airport hotel with Marriott points. Had I flown in Economy, the flight would have cost around $1,500, in Business around $6,500; I saved almost $25,000 over the cost of a revenue First Class ticket, the class I actually flew. The hotel would have come to about $600. My actual expense for the flight was about $120 for taxes and fees, and zero for the hotel (and they never even charged me for the airport shuttle!) So, I got out of this paying in actual dollars just shy of five grand, $4,950.</div>Jürgenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03107533431710748040noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023527478729548228.post-90242875895570767682023-12-29T22:34:00.003-06:002024-01-04T16:52:23.535-06:00Learning the campervan life while traveling through NSW, VIC, and the ACT<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVXAIKkc357dEEha0IilqUBj2LF4BbvHg6DjQt4r9x-V8qTUquk4z9E6DgSB5sBGLZKcXXzfJHk9Je-2YKKMXn4nbw8sPaGTmJXP5vOz8uPNGYrbyB-N5c3bE1gQW5ww75nOpo8TjVk4X1pnOfsEfqB5zCSo0ca1WsrLHqOHZrtJo6-S0DTBquZoDCCf_a/s4032/PXL_20231210_034749203.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVXAIKkc357dEEha0IilqUBj2LF4BbvHg6DjQt4r9x-V8qTUquk4z9E6DgSB5sBGLZKcXXzfJHk9Je-2YKKMXn4nbw8sPaGTmJXP5vOz8uPNGYrbyB-N5c3bE1gQW5ww75nOpo8TjVk4X1pnOfsEfqB5zCSo0ca1WsrLHqOHZrtJo6-S0DTBquZoDCCf_a/w400-h225/PXL_20231210_034749203.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>First of all: Living the campervan life is not easy. More importantly, in Oz, it is not as much fun as the brochures, blogs, and all the other info sources make it sound like. Nope, this is not New Zealand, where you can pretty much stop and pull off to the side of the road wherever you are, living out of your self-contained campervan. New South Wales,Victoria, or the Australian Capital Territory don't allow that. Lesson learned.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCAiSpiud0FMToAccN9X8SOC_sVw2VhrMUY8uvOaNj4TQ1xJ6BNoVJo06cLEw3FOibeGlttj0PNP-eg1smVIAIxzXS6fqWl9IlpwdsgFo14llhS-uPBCEhF-46BlM5-xkmo1my14dLwZHzTlBiPNx1IOlJ7tALvmi3bcqSaTiQ1iEXjOuN0BUoJvY78OUm/s4032/PXL_20231208_232802754.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCAiSpiud0FMToAccN9X8SOC_sVw2VhrMUY8uvOaNj4TQ1xJ6BNoVJo06cLEw3FOibeGlttj0PNP-eg1smVIAIxzXS6fqWl9IlpwdsgFo14llhS-uPBCEhF-46BlM5-xkmo1my14dLwZHzTlBiPNx1IOlJ7tALvmi3bcqSaTiQ1iEXjOuN0BUoJvY78OUm/w400-h225/PXL_20231208_232802754.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>I spent a good chunk of money renting in Sydney a nice campervan (just the full insurance cost about a grand) so I could live at least partly off the grid for almost three weeks while travelling in NSW, Victoria and the ACT. Reality soon set in when I realized that finding a spot to spend the night is not as easy as one might be led to believe. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt525-7jq6W9J50SAyzbWMJklJbIDRIYOy309l5yP5tQUoQyDOfmtGqgaQdf1ZPPAcGMTDcLiuJcWU4JPex4_Ui6kDv5BhfbUNAeEwnBByj7VwInd7G1G9vuJT1P04Iyfrh7JEK0llOl8t6UNoLevmY56gkjQiShUP5DPIMIsQB58LMmAYhW8b4UZlDMBv/s4032/PXL_20231209_083012334.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt525-7jq6W9J50SAyzbWMJklJbIDRIYOy309l5yP5tQUoQyDOfmtGqgaQdf1ZPPAcGMTDcLiuJcWU4JPex4_Ui6kDv5BhfbUNAeEwnBByj7VwInd7G1G9vuJT1P04Iyfrh7JEK0llOl8t6UNoLevmY56gkjQiShUP5DPIMIsQB58LMmAYhW8b4UZlDMBv/w400-h225/PXL_20231209_083012334.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-mUlAWTTguUWsXqDrrmUhOSLJNz9szYKuVX4nrjSdLZ-gLecChgMmJkru_AqaLLBbmGmEJFRjXy2LsjtAJEE9IKJTGWRfZmBOb_v7kg_w_GAAN_WjoCJUoaSMQIvGXWSsSF9tBIE303o_qX1OwT3D4Am7U4R2upwwIymARqGk63ql3BrK1RJKnTfjqvdO/s4032/PXL_20231209_084123705.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-mUlAWTTguUWsXqDrrmUhOSLJNz9szYKuVX4nrjSdLZ-gLecChgMmJkru_AqaLLBbmGmEJFRjXy2LsjtAJEE9IKJTGWRfZmBOb_v7kg_w_GAAN_WjoCJUoaSMQIvGXWSsSF9tBIE303o_qX1OwT3D4Am7U4R2upwwIymARqGk63ql3BrK1RJKnTfjqvdO/w400-h225/PXL_20231209_084123705.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBYFab448VCDLTWpNheNQtXWKLHdB7wdve0QxyAyYN1JyKUuD_xdfxZFvwPCjGI1TK7rBvtLqOI1B7vTCCgOAbpv_X-xWp6hHfo_K5oizkrvCXH1pve3yV_PCPpfU8tQEMUV34341mP7oaZZGtPaG73qo9RwI89nY5SgKX8OF5w9Pez9BUd_zsUmcDJTK/s4032/PXL_20231209_082928328.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBYFab448VCDLTWpNheNQtXWKLHdB7wdve0QxyAyYN1JyKUuD_xdfxZFvwPCjGI1TK7rBvtLqOI1B7vTCCgOAbpv_X-xWp6hHfo_K5oizkrvCXH1pve3yV_PCPpfU8tQEMUV34341mP7oaZZGtPaG73qo9RwI89nY5SgKX8OF5w9Pez9BUd_zsUmcDJTK/w400-h225/PXL_20231209_082928328.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">First night out "camping"</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>It all started out on the wrong footing on the day that I picked up my 8-meter vehicle from the Let'sGo office 18 miles from my airport hotel, the Moxy. I had ridden my bike to the rental place and then drove back to the Moxy to collect my luggage for the trip (bike case and rolling duffel would patiently await my return to the hotel before my departure back to the US after Christmas). I also stopped in a big shopping center to get provisions for the first few days (Woolworths and Aldi are the preferred chains, apart from Cole's, and they usually are right next to one another—go figure). All this took up a lot of time. So, when I finally headed south of Sydney it was already relatively late in the afternoon.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmHUlFNDscHUdlmFFMaRWWDO-VHXwosDvVMzJ3wnF5GUpr82btVNMEIZRVE0KCKn-bvxAfZbFXmgO3AIiUNZcWTJ4VQcwa3WZPUaPKlN9KzAati1nVyr3V6bhnWBMiyefXZIEOmbCXyhL77P9Wlsr-9iG3JSyVTzUvw2nIYryf2SZ78DNcqyL7Bz9Zr1-y/s4032/PXL_20231224_025645096.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmHUlFNDscHUdlmFFMaRWWDO-VHXwosDvVMzJ3wnF5GUpr82btVNMEIZRVE0KCKn-bvxAfZbFXmgO3AIiUNZcWTJ4VQcwa3WZPUaPKlN9KzAati1nVyr3V6bhnWBMiyefXZIEOmbCXyhL77P9Wlsr-9iG3JSyVTzUvw2nIYryf2SZ78DNcqyL7Bz9Zr1-y/w400-h225/PXL_20231224_025645096.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJkvshcujnfxNljkpqOXUIWztH4j2EJvfB_zF68OEMyIWPo6BlSTi__j1OXenKs1EHG_wnwacpfy7gAkLWxodYL74sjBVDIUH3owrvbvTApF-AhqyBAMPoRAV8d-s3dSFZ_H3M5qQvzYMlCNoBkkKQXL8iBH__XwTARDGEwwLY0leZ1UTTZDi8cJZ-eZ50/s2985/PXL_20231210_050517496.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1855" data-original-width="2985" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJkvshcujnfxNljkpqOXUIWztH4j2EJvfB_zF68OEMyIWPo6BlSTi__j1OXenKs1EHG_wnwacpfy7gAkLWxodYL74sjBVDIUH3owrvbvTApF-AhqyBAMPoRAV8d-s3dSFZ_H3M5qQvzYMlCNoBkkKQXL8iBH__XwTARDGEwwLY0leZ1UTTZDi8cJZ-eZ50/w400-h249/PXL_20231210_050517496.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip6UZiIjuHYpuIAhmxDWf6C6Nq4Txpdapw1JoucGGYAKxnRu1le1Pvkn6qMTNfnAcZs5i_IQGwKQQdL196UtZzR0-f7RfmFhQxWwHBE41ogVLs2AFXJFehHl3Sf4XJZrdHB8Zi8xmFYSBMiBl7qz-epolQjWAT3RMtUce-N_xINv2xsvXEGMsfwUpTaTbm/s4032/PXL_20231222_000858833.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip6UZiIjuHYpuIAhmxDWf6C6Nq4Txpdapw1JoucGGYAKxnRu1le1Pvkn6qMTNfnAcZs5i_IQGwKQQdL196UtZzR0-f7RfmFhQxWwHBE41ogVLs2AFXJFehHl3Sf4XJZrdHB8Zi8xmFYSBMiBl7qz-epolQjWAT3RMtUce-N_xINv2xsvXEGMsfwUpTaTbm/w400-h225/PXL_20231222_000858833.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Chilled pet food right next to your lamb chops and T-bones ...</span></td></tr></tbody></table>The plan was to drive an hour or so to leave greater Sydney and then find some scenic coastal spot to set up camp for the night. I had installed a generally recommended app, CamperMate, that lists all kinds of options for nomads on wheels. What I did not realize beforehand was that most of these campsites close their offices at 5 p.m., and unless you're pre-registered you won't stay there. Unpaid campsites exist in National Parks and areas "out bush," but to get to them you need to go off-road, which my rental agreement specifically forbade. <div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiprrEDUpqqXiihrR0lSh_0CyLj3LAqVgWRrqwZwMMm5BDofgk3wnbVdOX61Rf52X6UeEGLewyKEdo5pk2hVybcaLlHdE-3Jux6q4DFuWfB051Yhte6CthmeE6oEebP4rF5PIycP29rgPXzIdA8-eZRBeYF86j_PZFBgRkDGYQRqzNb0dyJXj96Lz6P6vje/s4032/PXL_20231210_055312688.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiprrEDUpqqXiihrR0lSh_0CyLj3LAqVgWRrqwZwMMm5BDofgk3wnbVdOX61Rf52X6UeEGLewyKEdo5pk2hVybcaLlHdE-3Jux6q4DFuWfB051Yhte6CthmeE6oEebP4rF5PIycP29rgPXzIdA8-eZRBeYF86j_PZFBgRkDGYQRqzNb0dyJXj96Lz6P6vje/w400-h225/PXL_20231210_055312688.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiczveEfQmea6TPVN7ShPey3WHAAk1jsU6wm_WVENf8tcq189W2cA0FpNms-pdS4zVX4ajWxvGkf3Oufgv9vx0vqrani5JXl5uOYyGUq-jD5ovUS0nGhu-ce6tOvJ6pW6z8Rpq8Ip_S1wqhN2FKJITsk_nMHe91ft8YL90rQwPZQY2JK4Aciiq-7U5pUijD/s1989/PXL_20231210_054304729.PHOTOSPHERE.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1989" data-original-width="1822" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiczveEfQmea6TPVN7ShPey3WHAAk1jsU6wm_WVENf8tcq189W2cA0FpNms-pdS4zVX4ajWxvGkf3Oufgv9vx0vqrani5JXl5uOYyGUq-jD5ovUS0nGhu-ce6tOvJ6pW6z8Rpq8Ip_S1wqhN2FKJITsk_nMHe91ft8YL90rQwPZQY2JK4Aciiq-7U5pUijD/w366-h400/PXL_20231210_054304729.PHOTOSPHERE.jpg" width="366" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIFfnBLBP8BdIhueDBKmuzLPQE9KRbF6yjeuYjAVBvzDziRV712pYPPUnD27giNdeyVZC_HVKpT8H8KYg36BtQLHHt0wNtRhQkY4HruE-UMyDWWA22jAu7JVfu49iO_-LMgm6xadSZXPoQLLYGbBbiohXifz-3QeMW8DgglwpyFanDfCiBZcibz-SDim2U/s4032/PXL_20231210_054218005.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIFfnBLBP8BdIhueDBKmuzLPQE9KRbF6yjeuYjAVBvzDziRV712pYPPUnD27giNdeyVZC_HVKpT8H8KYg36BtQLHHt0wNtRhQkY4HruE-UMyDWWA22jAu7JVfu49iO_-LMgm6xadSZXPoQLLYGbBbiohXifz-3QeMW8DgglwpyFanDfCiBZcibz-SDim2U/w400-h225/PXL_20231210_054218005.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sorry mate, no camping here, there, or anywhere close!</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>While New Zealand allows "free camping" in self-contained vehicles all over the place (in designated areas along beaches or scenics areas, on the outskirts of town or often in established city parks), Australia has just one universally understood word for such activities: <i>verboten</i>! Obviously not wanting to violate local laws, but also realizing that sunset was only an hour-and-a-half away I started to panic a little. I had stopped at several caravan parks only to be turned away ("no vacancy," "closed for the day") and was simply hoping to run into something.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi30moqWO1E-pfMipC3E3UUJQZkYGHe3hatzIphlpd3X4aoCfbjEIiNHdvgLbsEYhtjjzf8wfkefvhBQkARJpO7dcZ1-ZlaTINgGDVdAXB1mh-9ksGSS50CRcSPaKtYwJSPDagV1HhCmwqZK3UPViz5D9nqer9joOJ4wXBXFnhJIrTP4z9N-huJBqU2wwOm/s4032/PXL_20231209_085048800.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi30moqWO1E-pfMipC3E3UUJQZkYGHe3hatzIphlpd3X4aoCfbjEIiNHdvgLbsEYhtjjzf8wfkefvhBQkARJpO7dcZ1-ZlaTINgGDVdAXB1mh-9ksGSS50CRcSPaKtYwJSPDagV1HhCmwqZK3UPViz5D9nqer9joOJ4wXBXFnhJIrTP4z9N-huJBqU2wwOm/w225-h400/PXL_20231209_085048800.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Having forgotten to buy a bag of ice, on that first evening I walked across the highway to a Subway and asked for a cup of ice. Big, empty stare. But then the friendly mate went into the freezer and came out with ....</span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhip1Mhj5kc4Wlv93Awnwq3ftNQbBvtMDIKnsW0VIKTaaR-YJL-iL5wbD5cSjEp_LcaJYeZoWcSCLXgZtaRWiNgkyqtm28Nbmv2AGqgWYY_fINwZxFqRyeQKB60o66P1CjTa-G6zEqWFjP0A-hhwyXOFQsuiQ8fhKH3FBTcVJ3LCCo3or8BNmInqWv7txn4/s4032/PXL_20231209_085735922.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhip1Mhj5kc4Wlv93Awnwq3ftNQbBvtMDIKnsW0VIKTaaR-YJL-iL5wbD5cSjEp_LcaJYeZoWcSCLXgZtaRWiNgkyqtm28Nbmv2AGqgWYY_fINwZxFqRyeQKB60o66P1CjTa-G6zEqWFjP0A-hhwyXOFQsuiQ8fhKH3FBTcVJ3LCCo3or8BNmInqWv7txn4/w225-h400/PXL_20231209_085735922.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">... this stalactite that had developed over time on some drippy pipe (my intestinal system is rock solid), and he had the presence of mind to think of it and handed it to me with a big grin, wrapped in a paper bag. My G&Ts lived off this thing for almost two weeks! </span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm-CoKa-jdfOR8hHHKn3StWwan7Fb-iCoXJyrtBWx-fXUZylQOnI0n1_aZ7AReAQnz7wN64TRj3teL1r4MvzHkU2k66UztvPCer4twUfp6MQJ2mEHD8g-iisAhtVD2T6A-Wsh3hG6cewCw0OLSdp-t_Em3pWNWhrASDxpVCV9Mso4LgrPI6SSxlgxcfXwc/s4032/PXL_20231209_102943966.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm-CoKa-jdfOR8hHHKn3StWwan7Fb-iCoXJyrtBWx-fXUZylQOnI0n1_aZ7AReAQnz7wN64TRj3teL1r4MvzHkU2k66UztvPCer4twUfp6MQJ2mEHD8g-iisAhtVD2T6A-Wsh3hG6cewCw0OLSdp-t_Em3pWNWhrASDxpVCV9Mso4LgrPI6SSxlgxcfXwc/w400-h225/PXL_20231209_102943966.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">First night campervan picnic. It improved from here!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi78ey2UxoiCxOHr1SPpMTQZF4sxS8miW6bgvNb-Xi0T6TbMekzTqG9QXip3AAhV6JmsCjeY-O5dN3otTdkvDYD5jWnDBw4DA2lzt9WVKvbsbQsd6HFTMXeTSuCPr2mN7oeGCs8uVLIeq-3yLuAEGiUMncDq8BfT7xXhnZI2OdnWDc9yqOPUqJU6ixn1Tsc/s4032/PXL_20231209_100215754.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi78ey2UxoiCxOHr1SPpMTQZF4sxS8miW6bgvNb-Xi0T6TbMekzTqG9QXip3AAhV6JmsCjeY-O5dN3otTdkvDYD5jWnDBw4DA2lzt9WVKvbsbQsd6HFTMXeTSuCPr2mN7oeGCs8uVLIeq-3yLuAEGiUMncDq8BfT7xXhnZI2OdnWDc9yqOPUqJU6ixn1Tsc/w400-h225/PXL_20231209_100215754.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>With maybe 45 minutes off daylight remaining I happened to spot on the other side of the divided highway that I was traveling on maybe a dozen campervans parked in what looked like a parking lot. I made the next possible U-turn and drove back. Yep, those folks were obviously here for the night, and I decided to follow suit. I asked one young fellow in a car with a rooftop tent whether this was a legal spot, and he said he'd stayed here before without any issues. Good enough for me, as there weren't any other options. I parked in such a way that my door faced a nice little lake, and made myself comfortable.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM_UURgdVaoNQTmpku2UgNpyVcZ0gioQFNFOARHCHxBLr7KZQmdgLGz2uNq6YuEJtLAA9a6GMlLx-DIHgBFCqnrZOQgaAWMKm3k8JyxIMsZd2zgd31_yHI4f9NmHIDj21Pc4z7hn9t-jM2BazWOys3LHOyp3IQS5-8jXCP5ZtbFLiaOaCJQNUSwkQiynF3/s4032/PXL_20231210_013458887.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM_UURgdVaoNQTmpku2UgNpyVcZ0gioQFNFOARHCHxBLr7KZQmdgLGz2uNq6YuEJtLAA9a6GMlLx-DIHgBFCqnrZOQgaAWMKm3k8JyxIMsZd2zgd31_yHI4f9NmHIDj21Pc4z7hn9t-jM2BazWOys3LHOyp3IQS5-8jXCP5ZtbFLiaOaCJQNUSwkQiynF3/w400-h225/PXL_20231210_013458887.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Thankfully, I came prepared. Three cordials for US $14 ...</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>Over the next three weeks I developed and perfected a routine whenever I arrived at my spot for the night. The refrigerator had to be switched from car battery to the propane tank or the campsite's electrical hook-up (high tech gadgets can be annoyingly cumbersome!), I'd put the shades up in the front cabin for privacy, and when there were hook-ups I would attach electricity and fresh water and grey water lines. That first night, the independence of having a self-contained unit with toilet and shower came in handy. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg86YOdyn559AYsBgE8zIPCc3ziMdOGAEtJPT9NuV_QJR38fenRzBd1Y4IM5C4qS1qNldWSptwTfWIEThZKIJmJyCPkMCfUWnyO8jjV0KN59R57Bx_HUyk6lQa7e1tprVA_AFjTxFqxkT_rkl5bpf_AN7WKwGUjdjdgzbtBpo4hfZyaP4upR7kwWBjVAgtU/s3268/PXL_20231226_091354559.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2257" data-original-width="3268" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg86YOdyn559AYsBgE8zIPCc3ziMdOGAEtJPT9NuV_QJR38fenRzBd1Y4IM5C4qS1qNldWSptwTfWIEThZKIJmJyCPkMCfUWnyO8jjV0KN59R57Bx_HUyk6lQa7e1tprVA_AFjTxFqxkT_rkl5bpf_AN7WKwGUjdjdgzbtBpo4hfZyaP4upR7kwWBjVAgtU/w400-h276/PXL_20231226_091354559.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Switching the power options on the fridge was frustrating, to say the least.</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74kvBsXMLUIThNKZbc6QIHwQkY3ud0jhllMIz3K5MR3saB5JBbubf-s2xmvQfz1d6dmFReBZYco5fYsthyFMDdBA8EybmZ-RLdC_BIZQKEY3oxBSO92BH0kTn88BlHUQajMrcdonfki9SSXoHm4MQMQAuWY8ZQsF35x2IKU_koF8Mu2SAfl76Ea8ISC-k/s4032/PXL_20231211_083614156.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74kvBsXMLUIThNKZbc6QIHwQkY3ud0jhllMIz3K5MR3saB5JBbubf-s2xmvQfz1d6dmFReBZYco5fYsthyFMDdBA8EybmZ-RLdC_BIZQKEY3oxBSO92BH0kTn88BlHUQajMrcdonfki9SSXoHm4MQMQAuWY8ZQsF35x2IKU_koF8Mu2SAfl76Ea8ISC-k/w400-h225/PXL_20231211_083614156.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Australians love to travel with their campers! You should see the fancy Toyotas and Fords that pull decked-out off-road worthy-trailers. There's some serious equipment out on the highways! While some of these folks go truly off the grid (which a motorhome cannot), most seem to stay in commercial holiday parks. I started to learn to find these places ahead of time with my app (as well as another, pretty worthless app called WikiCamps that every time took 15 seconds to load and didn't provide direct links to many of the parks it listed) and make reservations a day or two in advance.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy9faAXtlk5JJvkm6UCiE3bSD9sqmcnWk22PNrvC5ANM0H09I7U_yWwb-eKFul09njeGFE4KPQef4XHYaQLOhkSv6o_eFaRhbx1T-HAAFfRUzudxyLpMRYv4A9jqje4s11YP-qjAxWf5kb9uOkafIivLxLJkp0x7mLzmB5J5EWjta-NJuclKY7V2Bubssw/s3325/PXL_20231226_230849167~2%20-%20Copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2128" data-original-width="3325" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy9faAXtlk5JJvkm6UCiE3bSD9sqmcnWk22PNrvC5ANM0H09I7U_yWwb-eKFul09njeGFE4KPQef4XHYaQLOhkSv6o_eFaRhbx1T-HAAFfRUzudxyLpMRYv4A9jqje4s11YP-qjAxWf5kb9uOkafIivLxLJkp0x7mLzmB5J5EWjta-NJuclKY7V2Bubssw/w400-h256/PXL_20231226_230849167~2%20-%20Copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOKRrEXVpsfRwxf_z7_NFVKf38UL1YN4lb8dhSRo0fkYlXMPz8MVaLOyYa06iITiqlRiRZMLsiTrqKtqqBHCcdfEnyCTDQ66s1flrr8s5msQZuhsNbvGtxVov-1_qhq5KX6oSArleJ-MdjQZweRNC3R3Sh42picT80wlPzODEnq2-1O_k1I6KRHaLDuaQA/s2566/PXL_20231226_230826398%20-%20Copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1641" data-original-width="2566" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOKRrEXVpsfRwxf_z7_NFVKf38UL1YN4lb8dhSRo0fkYlXMPz8MVaLOyYa06iITiqlRiRZMLsiTrqKtqqBHCcdfEnyCTDQ66s1flrr8s5msQZuhsNbvGtxVov-1_qhq5KX6oSArleJ-MdjQZweRNC3R3Sh42picT80wlPzODEnq2-1O_k1I6KRHaLDuaQA/w400-h256/PXL_20231226_230826398%20-%20Copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6TJ92uENGuDed_uTgwyQ60riqxQa6EesBHILrSfFF31FVF7dDMWv5NVSfJpciwmER3EMczssRAPtva9WKOqhmTADom00265RQ0CUQGE2Yddmxwsx0Vi5uI1Uqg11l_qNrc4lMrYojKwEK4afIbWzdWDCRM8QsYmBqyNA3e-fOelO7TUEJOCcHVqqjfGNK/s4032/PXL_20231220_085310446.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6TJ92uENGuDed_uTgwyQ60riqxQa6EesBHILrSfFF31FVF7dDMWv5NVSfJpciwmER3EMczssRAPtva9WKOqhmTADom00265RQ0CUQGE2Yddmxwsx0Vi5uI1Uqg11l_qNrc4lMrYojKwEK4afIbWzdWDCRM8QsYmBqyNA3e-fOelO7TUEJOCcHVqqjfGNK/w400-h225/PXL_20231220_085310446.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">US $175,000 of rolling fun</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXkkrb72AWjh0DfSDzc40uKUVbcQkYxEYfb2LE6FChJmbGdeaVJEWRnp8cSXAyKJpJabGH7F0d2kklP7vwlM0DD-ybmN6Tq5NdQe7il728xkytp8npkNJ6JIrlXxdRsIGA2wHbGvwSHyPUsSseN0wawl9XMeQs2E2ObRhb0tWXcceZwiCP3Khu1lGOck0k/s4032/PXL_20231224_025506109.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXkkrb72AWjh0DfSDzc40uKUVbcQkYxEYfb2LE6FChJmbGdeaVJEWRnp8cSXAyKJpJabGH7F0d2kklP7vwlM0DD-ybmN6Tq5NdQe7il728xkytp8npkNJ6JIrlXxdRsIGA2wHbGvwSHyPUsSseN0wawl9XMeQs2E2ObRhb0tWXcceZwiCP3Khu1lGOck0k/w400-h225/PXL_20231224_025506109.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Gotta have that roo catcher and the CB, mate!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>The first two caravan parks where I stayed (also called <i>tourist parks</i> or <i>holiday parks</i>) belonged to the Tasman group, and I paid about $15 to $20 for a non-hookup grass site. (I'll list all prices in approximate US dollars.) All these parks are laid out with some primitive and as well as developed hook-up sites, some with on-grass parking, others on concrete pads, some with trees, others a bit more exposed. But as I found out, the vast majority of the park's customers will rent small cabins that can cost from $90 to $150 a night, or even more, depending on what kind of cabin it is. That's where the term "village" is truly appropriate as they essentially are planned communities that take on the function of motels. It seems that some folks own their spot as often a formerly mobile trailer was incorporated into the cabin, replete with a small front yard.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbWPqJUEEkhTGsBar4U9I6x4yhXtUwrWc8YPqaQivIb-J3PNOx8KlkwfhHKi4IxDHhWv1QAi4gi30nz4IYkq6Ze63yt0dJPN9K7g99BIukXu0JQx70LHfstHZ6zJbnjFpoz7kDRre51pEGkH5vr49qc0gxHWtToFS_8j4BBjXxLFpY1ThXaaapX6aap2yn/s4032/PXL_20231225_081814451.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbWPqJUEEkhTGsBar4U9I6x4yhXtUwrWc8YPqaQivIb-J3PNOx8KlkwfhHKi4IxDHhWv1QAi4gi30nz4IYkq6Ze63yt0dJPN9K7g99BIukXu0JQx70LHfstHZ6zJbnjFpoz7kDRre51pEGkH5vr49qc0gxHWtToFS_8j4BBjXxLFpY1ThXaaapX6aap2yn/w400-h225/PXL_20231225_081814451.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqo9ZOWe9oAfYSKDtPaju4x_ftJtXrHRX3Us60xq64Kovu3ph-zPTs7lqas5OK0-nJ_G6iyCl80L6ebdLf009801amJyuHPzB49E32-2njTH1bWnz1XJ_mtbe_Ra9RqHEX8e4mrH0FFA84YL-ZnRfXTJzroTXnOpff13haM76EqwsDHLNGvq-vTULD87E6/s4032/PXL_20231225_030315246.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqo9ZOWe9oAfYSKDtPaju4x_ftJtXrHRX3Us60xq64Kovu3ph-zPTs7lqas5OK0-nJ_G6iyCl80L6ebdLf009801amJyuHPzB49E32-2njTH1bWnz1XJ_mtbe_Ra9RqHEX8e4mrH0FFA84YL-ZnRfXTJzroTXnOpff13haM76EqwsDHLNGvq-vTULD87E6/w400-h225/PXL_20231225_030315246.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPjzNFdG8GoWDquXFdPg6o_6TJjdINzMV3KfZ-A6g171WfCjEUSLHD_17j1WWI-k_vaI8EfdlsrvJUCljDOoRNiwzuIoPHUkIwba_5nenrXVmLX7W9R79hEQAAaKVJHrHpxnnslpvfHvIjA1Xlf6qn9u-17XClbygtYHJxVbJP_Ik5Y9ka_plY47JaHnhE/s4032/PXL_20231218_095357846.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPjzNFdG8GoWDquXFdPg6o_6TJjdINzMV3KfZ-A6g171WfCjEUSLHD_17j1WWI-k_vaI8EfdlsrvJUCljDOoRNiwzuIoPHUkIwba_5nenrXVmLX7W9R79hEQAAaKVJHrHpxnnslpvfHvIjA1Xlf6qn9u-17XClbygtYHJxVbJP_Ik5Y9ka_plY47JaHnhE/w400-h225/PXL_20231218_095357846.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>I don't think that I stayed in a single park that did not have way more cabins than parking spots for trailers and campervans. Every park featured a similar layout with a camp kitchen and an <i>amenities block</i>, as it is called. That's where the bathrooms and showers are located (with at least half of them featuring piped-in elevator muzak). Upon check-in I would be given a map with my site number, the location of kitchen and amenities, in most cases the code for the electronic keypad to enter the latter, and all kinds of other useful information. Only one park charged for hot showers; all the other seemed to even use the same fixtures and cabins (built by Jayco, the company that had built my van as well). Both bathrooms and showers were immaculately clean, everywhere without a fault. (BTW, I never went to <i>any</i> public restroom in Australia that didn't have toilet paper and was as clean as what your bathroom at home would look like. Totally amazing.)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpY6E7Zd7GJ71IvR_ztkWC-IE_EjRiXMBM4uXi5HQRJOwZB-OBZY_Tp9CrNa5d4_B4AiGMZl8Azl0YmpKOa_4zdLM7y-zIsIORnSvPQkstTb4oKsqpACBw1D958oBl_VtAZw2W_p7YmXeaPr63K9OXCyDMlcVMd0rUP_TlNDPbpuKoejQ5AlgE9rbg8ga4/s3256/PXL_20231226_033831026~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3256" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpY6E7Zd7GJ71IvR_ztkWC-IE_EjRiXMBM4uXi5HQRJOwZB-OBZY_Tp9CrNa5d4_B4AiGMZl8Azl0YmpKOa_4zdLM7y-zIsIORnSvPQkstTb4oKsqpACBw1D958oBl_VtAZw2W_p7YmXeaPr63K9OXCyDMlcVMd0rUP_TlNDPbpuKoejQ5AlgE9rbg8ga4/w279-h400/PXL_20231226_033831026~2.jpg" width="279" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu1ZjNjuhqm3HSpjc69eIxr2My44csUJYjUP38GUMa5M_5e49OD4CyN1UWP7OgkqC34J4OuoBq4Ry6mtv3_ii_0oIHGSUpM-xSaw9jW48X_77xSp52xT1tbPKskkHtV9GmqE76LAnYnKHtd401UaYNEzLXf6n6-iLEDynol2wxSatEybeykrEkucFPj-oa/s4032/PXL_20231214_052926491.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu1ZjNjuhqm3HSpjc69eIxr2My44csUJYjUP38GUMa5M_5e49OD4CyN1UWP7OgkqC34J4OuoBq4Ry6mtv3_ii_0oIHGSUpM-xSaw9jW48X_77xSp52xT1tbPKskkHtV9GmqE76LAnYnKHtd401UaYNEzLXf6n6-iLEDynol2wxSatEybeykrEkucFPj-oa/w400-h225/PXL_20231214_052926491.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQmVGurtFhQP9pUGl0YJC1fhZseD6rtLprN_uKxsYxPkv4VcgvkJBQ_cPunDUtcmnMafkx90aa0VYBYOytqf_fpSJ5syKenj_8MKRrKJRyAKhdLJEPDPWgNzoI0Uex2ka18gRjg-REqYL9pNvSktRS_A4XiGGp3mfrvx44W1j5DDCMVWeiCBczYlPf2Y4N/s4032/PXL_20231218_092009234.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQmVGurtFhQP9pUGl0YJC1fhZseD6rtLprN_uKxsYxPkv4VcgvkJBQ_cPunDUtcmnMafkx90aa0VYBYOytqf_fpSJ5syKenj_8MKRrKJRyAKhdLJEPDPWgNzoI0Uex2ka18gRjg-REqYL9pNvSktRS_A4XiGGp3mfrvx44W1j5DDCMVWeiCBczYlPf2Y4N/w400-h225/PXL_20231218_092009234.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg97F2IU2TwKEBAe68Rk-ENIhI65XG2xKFXCABEK-P68eP4nxVXnkpWfMFojbkVaipozwYYjCm2oPX3DRheRem76oKiBPyxKkzAN2qJ8p5GBLvOc_q-LMCm7O6IjxpxwijEXdPU4qQD69cANe-9oX48o1OQ0JvLTpCiPhBUa7zBG1OoPGSROro_NENyCHSL/s4032/PXL_20231219_025226988.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg97F2IU2TwKEBAe68Rk-ENIhI65XG2xKFXCABEK-P68eP4nxVXnkpWfMFojbkVaipozwYYjCm2oPX3DRheRem76oKiBPyxKkzAN2qJ8p5GBLvOc_q-LMCm7O6IjxpxwijEXdPU4qQD69cANe-9oX48o1OQ0JvLTpCiPhBUa7zBG1OoPGSROro_NENyCHSL/w400-h225/PXL_20231219_025226988.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEint2O0KLyHYcKRHN8dWM5pAAZPf-tlHzt3GTChSc_K3fRh96XuKZiyPQG6Eto52Ad3P5WdKmDMTr5aysVElUAxj1BVfk4lG-MKULZhT9NXwA2KKYJHfKoL2xBB8AyB13gAdurpNBkavm-_wMiAy6EUVk8lQ0kYwO7kpeuZLldn3HyvGrFk-4hnRIo1nbV-/s4032/PXL_20231220_085320963.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEint2O0KLyHYcKRHN8dWM5pAAZPf-tlHzt3GTChSc_K3fRh96XuKZiyPQG6Eto52Ad3P5WdKmDMTr5aysVElUAxj1BVfk4lG-MKULZhT9NXwA2KKYJHfKoL2xBB8AyB13gAdurpNBkavm-_wMiAy6EUVk8lQ0kYwO7kpeuZLldn3HyvGrFk-4hnRIo1nbV-/w400-h225/PXL_20231220_085320963.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyRVY1QZAtCJH9JPZG4APR4hJLL8s2fAdTWorlIV4_VFmrdIcnd6kSFbgliZUIwU5syMHiJSx5Yi4QJKTODuPP2f956VfIdiQTHRb1bZcyzvPN0FwoPG_6d2-4Q43XvXU974k7tugEnd98wQvAU_mnYjl_kI6XjQFhJawYuCy5wEi1dnYBMBIpCsgjoyEH/s3553/PXL_20231217_054549977.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3553" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyRVY1QZAtCJH9JPZG4APR4hJLL8s2fAdTWorlIV4_VFmrdIcnd6kSFbgliZUIwU5syMHiJSx5Yi4QJKTODuPP2f956VfIdiQTHRb1bZcyzvPN0FwoPG_6d2-4Q43XvXU974k7tugEnd98wQvAU_mnYjl_kI6XjQFhJawYuCy5wEi1dnYBMBIpCsgjoyEH/w255-h400/PXL_20231217_054549977.jpg" width="255" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSdtbMTXejC1MgRAHbaolCz6VHYzCJl6dWDT9PdRZ5EE1YMOm0EOOKmtTi9JpPJTnDltIQ2UY4D657fR1UH5xVOz-MOI_ZdjjnAE5GxNxs5_GA60Fx98Ilz1oSTXSy-ZGWzFdToQ1easp-SQ5yPhlAFqlxwOFYAlhOi21JWMXNu7GmxED4EboK_V88KoX/s4032/PXL_20231223_103855029.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSdtbMTXejC1MgRAHbaolCz6VHYzCJl6dWDT9PdRZ5EE1YMOm0EOOKmtTi9JpPJTnDltIQ2UY4D657fR1UH5xVOz-MOI_ZdjjnAE5GxNxs5_GA60Fx98Ilz1oSTXSy-ZGWzFdToQ1easp-SQ5yPhlAFqlxwOFYAlhOi21JWMXNu7GmxED4EboK_V88KoX/w400-h225/PXL_20231223_103855029.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The camp kitchen is a communal area with at least one large refrigerator (often several) for folks to store food in, toasters, hot water boilers, sinks, and gas or electric ovens. There are always BBQs (usually free to use) that upon the pressing of a button will heat up a large stainless steel wok-like surface on which one can cook one's dinner. There are tongs and scrubbers and implements to clean up after you prepare your meal, and everybody does. For your laundry needs (traveling with four kids in a caravan requires more than my bucket to wash out my daily kit) there's a separate area with washers and dryers. For the kids there's generally a play area, some parks have pools, and there are plenty trash cans and of course a dump station. Bicycles may be operated at speeds of less than 8 kmh. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghm3JAaTOPgZ3MCkw2BAL0tgElTc4kGq6G-jNBXnrypQIDSVlQlEOyHYs17kNa4CTDGDmntZUbR3P_aAd3WzQ61pLpJCG3sB0ANWdk_6Co4T3CdQqh2bWS6dGtdq5VzyAalRopFm2kIaranK4JrOnO4tmfbOrXzqY5a4UUY2gn2oxnt3GmZCwxNGyXVLf3/s4032/PXL_20231210_092550279.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghm3JAaTOPgZ3MCkw2BAL0tgElTc4kGq6G-jNBXnrypQIDSVlQlEOyHYs17kNa4CTDGDmntZUbR3P_aAd3WzQ61pLpJCG3sB0ANWdk_6Co4T3CdQqh2bWS6dGtdq5VzyAalRopFm2kIaranK4JrOnO4tmfbOrXzqY5a4UUY2gn2oxnt3GmZCwxNGyXVLf3/w400-h225/PXL_20231210_092550279.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbe4ge-snBbmoIjtLPi8qEtkNi7UgDq8lwkV6H36wbVisleUXDmr7lZOjphMS0Fkd-5-RiM-83mArt2hNdOsLUyhmAJ8-shQCPeY6FpHMmWBCtJAfbbC6YXRuf_wRJ5xJuocB890P9sHl17FMWrIEMS-5tzURwomKBUBW3WDIRpkAfv8NuoRR7DEdtMD81/s2137/PXL_20231225_092108977.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2137" data-original-width="2069" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbe4ge-snBbmoIjtLPi8qEtkNi7UgDq8lwkV6H36wbVisleUXDmr7lZOjphMS0Fkd-5-RiM-83mArt2hNdOsLUyhmAJ8-shQCPeY6FpHMmWBCtJAfbbC6YXRuf_wRJ5xJuocB890P9sHl17FMWrIEMS-5tzURwomKBUBW3WDIRpkAfv8NuoRR7DEdtMD81/w388-h400/PXL_20231225_092108977.jpg" width="388" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFFTQGrgMe4Jfx_VM3Pd1-wUffnZOZmXTV7f27nPKG6SVMQ8WW_Fs3_JPoXjhLIaOj9z-ebCBY2KpedSUChkacTyQONTw9foOjR63Buqbcr_FedWbU6Boe4GL2OdxUND5tAJGOjYNez8hgeqUUq-khVSvkcTU7ATTpSVfLgYyy38GQVZrWN87-okQtwHAw/s4032/PXL_20231225_080747590.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFFTQGrgMe4Jfx_VM3Pd1-wUffnZOZmXTV7f27nPKG6SVMQ8WW_Fs3_JPoXjhLIaOj9z-ebCBY2KpedSUChkacTyQONTw9foOjR63Buqbcr_FedWbU6Boe4GL2OdxUND5tAJGOjYNez8hgeqUUq-khVSvkcTU7ATTpSVfLgYyy38GQVZrWN87-okQtwHAw/w400-h225/PXL_20231225_080747590.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTEx0FZrsxzSe41GUCiRDt7yXdGOB0pX_3bDHSPV-1RuNJkWeUygPpIOPbSgKBv4_p4pf5udgb2X325pEL5LZhij43XedwKQyNMlk7pScDrKsUWDqp6KS40nKNbhmpuzqugWycOJrT3drpUoSJ3FM4afFU_6HDlkCIGbO832W4qOJNKNLs7ZrfK9giLxg1/s4032/PXL_20231223_070023394.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTEx0FZrsxzSe41GUCiRDt7yXdGOB0pX_3bDHSPV-1RuNJkWeUygPpIOPbSgKBv4_p4pf5udgb2X325pEL5LZhij43XedwKQyNMlk7pScDrKsUWDqp6KS40nKNbhmpuzqugWycOJrT3drpUoSJ3FM4afFU_6HDlkCIGbO832W4qOJNKNLs7ZrfK9giLxg1/w400-h225/PXL_20231223_070023394.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>After the first two nights I sprang for improved sites with hookups since the price differential was less than $5, and having electricity meant that I could run the AC (and on a few nights the heater), switch the fridge from the small propane bottle to outside juice, could recharge my laptop, and drink fresh tap water. Depending on the location and level of fanciness, I paid each night between $30 to as much as $50, with most of them in the low $30 range. Most of the reservations I made online, but a few parks don't have that option and so I had to call them. Sometimes it happened that the online system would not show any availability and apop-up would ask me to call the office directly. I was worried about the two days of Christmas and made a reservation for Dec. 24 and 25 about 10 days in advance because a lot of folks had told me that this is a really busy time.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieO2XpqKTP0TBNeGgyuRCOmjHCQKRRIF2OZ7k50GJPxKnAuy4iz_xdJEjfeP526mzU2lzQhC73XT6N0uRCHPA4g4GiDA8N05ImQvQf1GqRPkArRrs0txk1dkZJRIDj-RCajmrtjMf1QjQy_0xA_EwuY50NOxej_pu_FTiFzI-f64XkFN8a134VQsvDaA0v/s4032/PXL_20231219_071822386.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieO2XpqKTP0TBNeGgyuRCOmjHCQKRRIF2OZ7k50GJPxKnAuy4iz_xdJEjfeP526mzU2lzQhC73XT6N0uRCHPA4g4GiDA8N05ImQvQf1GqRPkArRrs0txk1dkZJRIDj-RCajmrtjMf1QjQy_0xA_EwuY50NOxej_pu_FTiFzI-f64XkFN8a134VQsvDaA0v/w400-h225/PXL_20231219_071822386.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLGzZuqfAbnV6-x3Abl8kR1ZOQJcveGEdFL8qtf6EfDCTE6NnCF8Jk1NHU6e66RHP2R6FPnZ1gZ0_ISH6XMdHUYJkKjE3NwsIi9qwWLQIfF41iZhnvwwQ1DYwwYPmxgvORJsPck1jLJSla2ndjj3HVn_vpVL-Y9OgrNDmRt8-CAoxjs3bldyb2JCqdqF4B/s3001/PXL_20231219_061022909.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3001" data-original-width="2255" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLGzZuqfAbnV6-x3Abl8kR1ZOQJcveGEdFL8qtf6EfDCTE6NnCF8Jk1NHU6e66RHP2R6FPnZ1gZ0_ISH6XMdHUYJkKjE3NwsIi9qwWLQIfF41iZhnvwwQ1DYwwYPmxgvORJsPck1jLJSla2ndjj3HVn_vpVL-Y9OgrNDmRt8-CAoxjs3bldyb2JCqdqF4B/w300-h400/PXL_20231219_061022909.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirbuB_eBVeRxx-GbQV1v-M_Qh5BleIy-lG6KZ5eScP9YcE3GUl4iePHPYHZXz9xpDmbbE57_-fMeW2oUSiVVnC2mMRW06g3A_n9Hmpj0jrNS50R7aSBhyw3mV0FadFyAJSX-V0d9fMcJ99Nku-Xu1c8-Ue9YnkwvC8vP4rgetumVObJjDZa9vjX_xbcwme/s4032/PXL_20231219_042657707.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirbuB_eBVeRxx-GbQV1v-M_Qh5BleIy-lG6KZ5eScP9YcE3GUl4iePHPYHZXz9xpDmbbE57_-fMeW2oUSiVVnC2mMRW06g3A_n9Hmpj0jrNS50R7aSBhyw3mV0FadFyAJSX-V0d9fMcJ99Nku-Xu1c8-Ue9YnkwvC8vP4rgetumVObJjDZa9vjX_xbcwme/w400-h225/PXL_20231219_042657707.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>So, this was really not what I had expected when I had started to plan this trip. My fault for not digging deep enough and assuming that Australia would be like New Zealand. But going to these caravan parks also gave me a chance to interact with Aussies much more than I would have had I stayed every night in an isolated spot. They are a gregarious people and love to talk, and striking up a conversation doesn't take much. These conversations with camp neighbors were fun and interesting, and once in a while they would provide an answer to a question that had been building in my head for days but that Google wouldn't be able to answer. Nice folks, all around, and everybody is quiet and courteous.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVW9gfKt7pWI9FrIe4ps4FdwKh010t69_uTr4thK_v1vvKAc_1tBMbGA2eXbQLBf60w508RTbTdZk8VXru6gyKyMZFzTufhKOw9-oIb4iecqkYhqZ_YHHFBnbu9VduECgf6vx39n5fwn4lkaSpVsxgCMGVWC56uOT62ijk_V5CliGU1Bb8QAMBqjXG1l0u/s2362/PXL_20231222_104227119~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2362" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVW9gfKt7pWI9FrIe4ps4FdwKh010t69_uTr4thK_v1vvKAc_1tBMbGA2eXbQLBf60w508RTbTdZk8VXru6gyKyMZFzTufhKOw9-oIb4iecqkYhqZ_YHHFBnbu9VduECgf6vx39n5fwn4lkaSpVsxgCMGVWC56uOT62ijk_V5CliGU1Bb8QAMBqjXG1l0u/w384-h400/PXL_20231222_104227119~2.jpg" width="384" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS8uOLsnpWA5aMuXyW-cQIRXOb-6MwDBG10eex5HagbXdW_1g-M1gwvYy2XLIGxTr3AE7veKmKtXT06fLnHn9QxbQjvR3RSvAGwbO76Apnmk7YKsFus_Ga4aaYWLTtpbqnMLYbm8AhvimOxYPEdjboRM8qnRoEyFJMVIyrdlk_6191YBTJZ9NYow85322C/s3465/PXL_20231222_102217355.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3465" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS8uOLsnpWA5aMuXyW-cQIRXOb-6MwDBG10eex5HagbXdW_1g-M1gwvYy2XLIGxTr3AE7veKmKtXT06fLnHn9QxbQjvR3RSvAGwbO76Apnmk7YKsFus_Ga4aaYWLTtpbqnMLYbm8AhvimOxYPEdjboRM8qnRoEyFJMVIyrdlk_6191YBTJZ9NYow85322C/w261-h400/PXL_20231222_102217355.jpg" width="261" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgprO3BISzWLSzAL8YGF6348EZ9uAwvO9GydyyF4qf5X_iX8IZA351LBwzKFNA47xXuEw9gTyE276fIjjutvkZPuANCAZf0aLJHgBB2YAmh2w74yRfF6i_orXu9T8q1mcx6xp1KRCAzQjs59TQ_7IMv9TTEa6npa86AgUxnny5mlvXNY4NO1ElYyti4s0FN/s4032/PXL_20231221_085220425.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgprO3BISzWLSzAL8YGF6348EZ9uAwvO9GydyyF4qf5X_iX8IZA351LBwzKFNA47xXuEw9gTyE276fIjjutvkZPuANCAZf0aLJHgBB2YAmh2w74yRfF6i_orXu9T8q1mcx6xp1KRCAzQjs59TQ_7IMv9TTEa6npa86AgUxnny5mlvXNY4NO1ElYyti4s0FN/w400-h225/PXL_20231221_085220425.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>To make camp life a little nicer, my van was equipped with a side awning t oprovide shade and a certain sense of hominess. I had been using it for a few nights, setting up my table and chair and enjoying happy hour after the day's initial driving and then my daily bike ride. On the day I got to Merimbula, I went through my usual routine of setting up camp. When I unfurled the awning, it suddenly started to sag on the aft side and making terrible noises. I was barely able to fold out one of the ground struts to support it. As it turned out, the whole thing had been held in place by five tiny lag screws in three brackets, and only the two in the front bracket were still in place! Those three screws must have rattled loose while driving on Australia's sometimes very bumpy highways, and when I started to unfurl the awning the two little guys of course couldn't keep everything together. I don't even want to think about what could have happened had the whole contraption become detached and flown off the side of the van and into the windshield of a following car!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVwUNHQYsmaG5sIQSPl8WFMN5hVquQo6NYRzW-E5RkBmVA1gXNcqnOj8UF0hTBk3UELU9h1noFrM9NTpLfNiHWKEIM4HCvEYAdrta5MP44vHUCkJ6BFVHXkrgYPfrXwElcj7EV3zDYnHIZ-16GGbzXDGW9_FkfSLl7sttAsKbNJZP4lQav8aZ94EP-f9b9/s4032/PXL_20231213_035017749~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVwUNHQYsmaG5sIQSPl8WFMN5hVquQo6NYRzW-E5RkBmVA1gXNcqnOj8UF0hTBk3UELU9h1noFrM9NTpLfNiHWKEIM4HCvEYAdrta5MP44vHUCkJ6BFVHXkrgYPfrXwElcj7EV3zDYnHIZ-16GGbzXDGW9_FkfSLl7sttAsKbNJZP4lQav8aZ94EP-f9b9/w400-h225/PXL_20231213_035017749~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihqnOdW-jTEl7Qx43tCGAgZ_UfSWig_k4xr_8UeG2ihel3kkLPRxwMF98DIwJZRxEdc1ALDva87zFpuysp0OpXSBmkN04bBvGkGy3UvfOoHighgqHIsVM7ChaM3SDIC6sUN_uQ6-XF0XKitN1aJB3DKxaX7ABfUfvn7Ga0rv7VqBB3olcpaeqvc5QUg2oK/s4032/PXL_20231213_045319231.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihqnOdW-jTEl7Qx43tCGAgZ_UfSWig_k4xr_8UeG2ihel3kkLPRxwMF98DIwJZRxEdc1ALDva87zFpuysp0OpXSBmkN04bBvGkGy3UvfOoHighgqHIsVM7ChaM3SDIC6sUN_uQ6-XF0XKitN1aJB3DKxaX7ABfUfvn7Ga0rv7VqBB3olcpaeqvc5QUg2oK/w400-h225/PXL_20231213_045319231.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF1F1EE_pzrtirZ2XO0bLrRxBjkFiq3Hsnv5_B9d3PgIUCgbO0jouA0criAPed689PNqw_iz_HOy-zBaPvmJR6M8XJchA9nleE6ZxaAIQAzIy_V8mtJT6I0HatRt1KLVCl2Df69ABxSOQVuj85G8TyVqWSV6lkxwAGQA4uAuvdscEvACtqmyld3OeVaZLr/s4032/PXL_20231213_044613112.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF1F1EE_pzrtirZ2XO0bLrRxBjkFiq3Hsnv5_B9d3PgIUCgbO0jouA0criAPed689PNqw_iz_HOy-zBaPvmJR6M8XJchA9nleE6ZxaAIQAzIy_V8mtJT6I0HatRt1KLVCl2Df69ABxSOQVuj85G8TyVqWSV6lkxwAGQA4uAuvdscEvACtqmyld3OeVaZLr/w225-h400/PXL_20231213_044613112.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic3uF-28QiwtLbRFsj93hkLNgyzDuBJdwE3_RbUiaPcv4ASbqSR05pWg-9YiURBqUFmai-aTXPnTFubQHEdlgRKTWEnS6dx4Klw1elJLXbpeZD_9l3k0xL4sQ97008YwMvg-BSoOIHabqlsLIbep1wRUbEnlV2U5Y0qoRD5RmMoWPagjOVd7NlwA1DCKc-/s4032/PXL_20231213_045717915.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic3uF-28QiwtLbRFsj93hkLNgyzDuBJdwE3_RbUiaPcv4ASbqSR05pWg-9YiURBqUFmai-aTXPnTFubQHEdlgRKTWEnS6dx4Klw1elJLXbpeZD_9l3k0xL4sQ97008YwMvg-BSoOIHabqlsLIbep1wRUbEnlV2U5Y0qoRD5RmMoWPagjOVd7NlwA1DCKc-/w225-h400/PXL_20231213_045717915.jpg" width="225" /></a></div></div><div>Fortune was on my side in that I was in a caravan park in a town—driving anywhere would have been out of the question with the dangling awning. I went to the park's reception and explained my situation. It turned out that the woman behind the counter just happened to have a phone number for an RV repair guy, and we called him. Dan was his name, and yes, he could come by in a day or two. Goodness! I texted him a few photos, and he suddenly agreed that he could come by within the hour. A big sigh of relief! Dan showed up, assessed the issue, agreed that this should have never happened and that I was oh-so-lucky, inserted new screws, and reset the whole thing. (I had tried to contact my rental company with no success.) How much do I owe you, I asked? AUD $130, or about $90. Not exactly cheap, but he <i>did </i> come out on a house call and fixed the problem, and I was glad I had gotten some cash money while in Sydney as he didn't take cards. I had three $50s; do you have a $20? Nope. Alright mate, AUD $100 ($70) will be fine. He never sent me the promised invoice, so that repair came out of my pocket without reimbursement from the rental guys.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXVufzqL3LmKXeiZlTgHYUzzlehSrFkOUSaoCqoAtfwk_EhJnec0VBJ0gt5rSsfzppOXfkElJYXRzH1tFmzM4MAjz0Q719I7Q-AId77fn8OgFfLpwK0B7tpUChftvFwNY7ArAYv2I5XKYy1KqLZPRhjDkOl_e2WXQGAEYrxBPqqIgYIbanUt8OjTKtH9WJ/s4032/PXL_20231223_100716213.PORTRAIT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXVufzqL3LmKXeiZlTgHYUzzlehSrFkOUSaoCqoAtfwk_EhJnec0VBJ0gt5rSsfzppOXfkElJYXRzH1tFmzM4MAjz0Q719I7Q-AId77fn8OgFfLpwK0B7tpUChftvFwNY7ArAYv2I5XKYy1KqLZPRhjDkOl_e2WXQGAEYrxBPqqIgYIbanUt8OjTKtH9WJ/w400-h225/PXL_20231223_100716213.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMCeuiF4gJgOX2ZBvNz3FLz-v3hNvwvi6Cmxa5zhRX1nCcC9XdpO4VN-0rjjeviDFj5ZaA7Tx-SNEQwlliIr7R30ieXm0KeDPUw75LWTwsdefCs0uzCgJj_Uov75lx6jdjwFv5lf4J8EMMZFwye-slpAxXLc-g2G4-akuo6b7wrt8-GZC8yYMfZYyfZmIT/s4032/PXL_20231222_092849763.PORTRAIT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2162" data-original-width="4032" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMCeuiF4gJgOX2ZBvNz3FLz-v3hNvwvi6Cmxa5zhRX1nCcC9XdpO4VN-0rjjeviDFj5ZaA7Tx-SNEQwlliIr7R30ieXm0KeDPUw75LWTwsdefCs0uzCgJj_Uov75lx6jdjwFv5lf4J8EMMZFwye-slpAxXLc-g2G4-akuo6b7wrt8-GZC8yYMfZYyfZmIT/w400-h215/PXL_20231222_092849763.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRqZy4wZyTePRlJmPIE59ZNSYOQzn-89t4CjR-k3P4XJG2i1xnVrJ-u4qkK6WkCF2mwx25QRZWjSDsuw042hgGoZSW6CcKYWTt_p4L4us6XaGkevVle1z8Jbkg_pt95ozI9OOfyy-m2G02jyd-1p76BWOE9aaG-bhFsLa_mePgNnVgy0vS_DZaRg6BVpVQ/s4032/PXL_20231220_102354102.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRqZy4wZyTePRlJmPIE59ZNSYOQzn-89t4CjR-k3P4XJG2i1xnVrJ-u4qkK6WkCF2mwx25QRZWjSDsuw042hgGoZSW6CcKYWTt_p4L4us6XaGkevVle1z8Jbkg_pt95ozI9OOfyy-m2G02jyd-1p76BWOE9aaG-bhFsLa_mePgNnVgy0vS_DZaRg6BVpVQ/w225-h400/PXL_20231220_102354102.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>Aussies are known for their barbecuing prowess. When I had rented the van, I had asked whether I could also rent a small propane grill for my dinners. No, we don't offer that. So, on my first day after several inquiries, I had found a Bunnings (similar to our Home Depot or Germany's Hage Baumarkt) and had bought myself a Weber-like small charcoal grill (plus charcoal and lighter tabs as well as trash bags since the van didn't have anything like that). Travelling Aussies have fancy barbies built into their trucks or trailers, or they simply use those wok things in the tourist parks (or in many public parks). Most places where I stayed had absolute bans on open flames (everyone lives in fear of those horrible wildfires that have made the news over the past few years), but for once I violated the law and made some delicious meals on my tiny little Weber, with a bucket of water right next to me and no inattentiveness.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKm1ueao5Hvnoo6qtT8SPbeqX8uNOs9vSrEjKxBhKeQDVwWajiI-0fo6XzV3sREEmlpDPmhsMhAjA91fRYPPghYnReQ8lNgtXHG3348o9XzHcZoiYB-3y8sAdZoiGmav5jXudJg1BYD34bRa9bgzz0WIf4fzmoBCOV7di52VOK4GBPTTZ0-WlEs6SIen6X/s4032/PXL_20231222_053633516.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKm1ueao5Hvnoo6qtT8SPbeqX8uNOs9vSrEjKxBhKeQDVwWajiI-0fo6XzV3sREEmlpDPmhsMhAjA91fRYPPghYnReQ8lNgtXHG3348o9XzHcZoiYB-3y8sAdZoiGmav5jXudJg1BYD34bRa9bgzz0WIf4fzmoBCOV7di52VOK4GBPTTZ0-WlEs6SIen6X/w400-h225/PXL_20231222_053633516.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwZPNKQV0T1j5pOb6NyT0GF_cj161JvdRyocI0GBEwcx7S5FfvHzR-v5KAAFYTcILNlBTc-2X1jDQF95aGYNhNiWfiq0CAJczS54R6alrvmUaJ2uQWECWum7Kiv_irp1UZG_oDiq0gORkGV7IQdQatgx3d4Ew1hdL2bsCKPcevXQdVOn0kN_UrDAczdcr/s1602/PXL_20231217_012733464.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1559" data-original-width="1602" height="389" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwZPNKQV0T1j5pOb6NyT0GF_cj161JvdRyocI0GBEwcx7S5FfvHzR-v5KAAFYTcILNlBTc-2X1jDQF95aGYNhNiWfiq0CAJczS54R6alrvmUaJ2uQWECWum7Kiv_irp1UZG_oDiq0gORkGV7IQdQatgx3d4Ew1hdL2bsCKPcevXQdVOn0kN_UrDAczdcr/w400-h389/PXL_20231217_012733464.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmPnqKHuK5s8wmOJYE_x2VKNDk8_08WX8ncKKy_XrbjPHM9rTMymjoXFo-8pBDDtfgb8Ma15J-LlOAY0I49kqnIxrI-sGMV-Ew7j104l1jXUo09IJHYaGWD9dNf1woontt6QsZ5EgCk-IHYx7kJWaKPkWDe3TwitBfYeP2X-yWUMdq2CcpkAurde4w2a5o/s4032/PXL_20231216_064506944.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmPnqKHuK5s8wmOJYE_x2VKNDk8_08WX8ncKKy_XrbjPHM9rTMymjoXFo-8pBDDtfgb8Ma15J-LlOAY0I49kqnIxrI-sGMV-Ew7j104l1jXUo09IJHYaGWD9dNf1woontt6QsZ5EgCk-IHYx7kJWaKPkWDe3TwitBfYeP2X-yWUMdq2CcpkAurde4w2a5o/w400-h225/PXL_20231216_064506944.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>It wasn't until fairly late in my trip that I learned that one can also camp—for a very moderate fee of around $15 for full hookups and with a basic amenity block and laundry—at many towns' <i>showgrounds</i>, which one could compare to our fairgrounds. I don't know whether that's the case all over Australia, but it certainly is an option in Victoria, many parts of which are agriculture and livestock based. Once or twice a year, folks come to town with their horse trailers and campers to attend the fair or the rodeo, and then the town has this area that is open year round for folks on the go. I found out a bit late about this but stayed in one of the showgrounds, in Albury. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyJJ6eZsUWSSFIW3frEa40eWzhXv_6LKWU6ysAHZH47KZxgtZ9f_1YhOp3VMaJlvPaUrRfQsHA6Mmvp3bTu7QY4OtoBUy7US6S0byzKWvMoje9o4e1kDcmbTPm_JsfQVutcZZTtCr8AwoY8D-eWWOSGfMD3H-eyzYeWkeDdEg__4NFb2d9EnJcUximb83I/s3736/PXL_20231216_035632398.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1851" data-original-width="3736" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyJJ6eZsUWSSFIW3frEa40eWzhXv_6LKWU6ysAHZH47KZxgtZ9f_1YhOp3VMaJlvPaUrRfQsHA6Mmvp3bTu7QY4OtoBUy7US6S0byzKWvMoje9o4e1kDcmbTPm_JsfQVutcZZTtCr8AwoY8D-eWWOSGfMD3H-eyzYeWkeDdEg__4NFb2d9EnJcUximb83I/w400-h199/PXL_20231216_035632398.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYgjmlmV6MGols8GIopTWtTmtd8xJT8rOeUppFN93NrpbMe_Stz_EtrLagFxMvJKisiWCYcBhqfDwE_M0YfjqK206Tg2buuWrVpubnr5vuy7JySZPfv_c5RzXcil5umGDVjqjmKK5HSEz936QVTyfFL9x0ZOyi9HvfwA503uReSDEHehOtW6ULvND_g_Z/s1561/PXL_20231215_230543764.PANO.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1037" data-original-width="1561" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYgjmlmV6MGols8GIopTWtTmtd8xJT8rOeUppFN93NrpbMe_Stz_EtrLagFxMvJKisiWCYcBhqfDwE_M0YfjqK206Tg2buuWrVpubnr5vuy7JySZPfv_c5RzXcil5umGDVjqjmKK5HSEz936QVTyfFL9x0ZOyi9HvfwA503uReSDEHehOtW6ULvND_g_Z/w400-h266/PXL_20231215_230543764.PANO.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmElwFgT7RBqqvLfg89zhOh3z2ZrrYrIujc0KUrc3bESJpDuo6pbOXP_f6KBEPp00KKWi8G8Uhhang-u8Cc0NGSW9j-LPnntn5ygLGPrqvgFugNu4d2QhmNq1TeZkuDHs3fK66SoQGlt9zjDBwkWvKLL2HV3taVPbtmwywcAmxwZe7pOsjYb9tYCo5EKPM/s3175/PXL_20231215_222312863~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3175" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmElwFgT7RBqqvLfg89zhOh3z2ZrrYrIujc0KUrc3bESJpDuo6pbOXP_f6KBEPp00KKWi8G8Uhhang-u8Cc0NGSW9j-LPnntn5ygLGPrqvgFugNu4d2QhmNq1TeZkuDHs3fK66SoQGlt9zjDBwkWvKLL2HV3taVPbtmwywcAmxwZe7pOsjYb9tYCo5EKPM/w286-h400/PXL_20231215_222312863~2.jpg" width="286" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBuZAr3wc9WL2mlyLpSNZGQuKIb_E8qmGetEmyqvLX0SXS7GY94lQwCWYIV3KX7Phe6U5NCfT9QV2nxtIJujPQPNtgl05Z7_uHNKRt3KIZRblCgIdw-FqS3Q9VAr0wG8ep8okv6CsBbDbPAGz3lTqT-OwpKF_X6Qp4hEdXJ_4FAcQaT4OHTDon-qlpHw7T/s4032/PXL_20231215_102008307.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBuZAr3wc9WL2mlyLpSNZGQuKIb_E8qmGetEmyqvLX0SXS7GY94lQwCWYIV3KX7Phe6U5NCfT9QV2nxtIJujPQPNtgl05Z7_uHNKRt3KIZRblCgIdw-FqS3Q9VAr0wG8ep8okv6CsBbDbPAGz3lTqT-OwpKF_X6Qp4hEdXJ_4FAcQaT4OHTDon-qlpHw7T/w400-h225/PXL_20231215_102008307.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>All the parks were rather easy-going in regard to when I arrived and left. Even though 2 p.m. might have been advertised as the earliest check-in, I never had an issue arriving a little earlier. I usually tried to get on the road by 10 a.m., the usual check-out time, drive for two to three hours to my next destination, buy groceries before getting to the park, and then set up camp. That usually allowed me to get out for my ride before 3 p.m. In my next blog entry I will write about what riding was like, so here I just want to say that it would take me an easy four hours to cover 25 to 30 miles—navigation, taking photos, taking a wrong turn, suffering in a hill, and finally spending a bit of time in a brewpub all took their toll. So, it was seldom that I made it back to camp before 7 p.m. Time to hit the shower and then my G&T for happy hour while massaging photos and uploading them to my Strava and FB feeds. If a bit of daylight was left I'd continue reading Robyn Davidson's <i>TRACKS</i>, the account of her solo journey across the Outback with four camels. (I'm still stuck half-way through the book, which isn't really all that voluminous.) Dinner would get started when no outside reading light was left and finished when it was dark—sometimes sitting outside, when it was warm enough, more often inside to escape both wind and cold. It'd be close to midnight by the time the lights went out.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfHAW-VYScVtcHmE0DOu8lntBCypy1kV5-EX5m-Unoxm2ownkLbPFok09rDCQwEj_k6dsxQdvGWulBCi_D4ReH5n3WoVzAFtkzTFLTE7MZ76p4gUjZcjlGeyF-AMuyBHB91Pj8OePNZkuirLRXEFOpbXON138yiYW4ydPcBMHRxmMhdAAz1fly7uPmq5vk/s4032/PXL_20231220_070431681.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfHAW-VYScVtcHmE0DOu8lntBCypy1kV5-EX5m-Unoxm2ownkLbPFok09rDCQwEj_k6dsxQdvGWulBCi_D4ReH5n3WoVzAFtkzTFLTE7MZ76p4gUjZcjlGeyF-AMuyBHB91Pj8OePNZkuirLRXEFOpbXON138yiYW4ydPcBMHRxmMhdAAz1fly7uPmq5vk/w400-h225/PXL_20231220_070431681.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDq2UeroTVKmvV6yyvrMJA1067hRpvR3b9g5Z92qq_6H04DuCsYfbPL6Rn2dAeUS_RtT_FMdONrMlvBXfVTEK2x6tAMXLXQW11oJ-fxRZO_2CYneZ6UduVv4LrH6YakqhIsUtU5DAdOWYZFWw6b1PjF4VOjnVlMXuE7-ZdgX2eKqw09rNNG1ORk58bUf-T/s3993/PXL_20231220_065817165.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3993" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDq2UeroTVKmvV6yyvrMJA1067hRpvR3b9g5Z92qq_6H04DuCsYfbPL6Rn2dAeUS_RtT_FMdONrMlvBXfVTEK2x6tAMXLXQW11oJ-fxRZO_2CYneZ6UduVv4LrH6YakqhIsUtU5DAdOWYZFWw6b1PjF4VOjnVlMXuE7-ZdgX2eKqw09rNNG1ORk58bUf-T/w228-h400/PXL_20231220_065817165.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtDLts1PynUDoccUyslvoE1mGOg-xXyiq61dets4DHNKeGM7akWsTPqxB9ExPBWJuevAthKPQpmwzNtGNHog65rufeN2W03zPgzcWduTltjJCK6zXlOBbmbI4t2uSfIammkv0jSYUK2TEKfdwkY9kKdIMrkhbnRQzDW4s1efRI0w2f9qe0ICRQj6IykHt0/s4032/PXL_20231214_063953969.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1705" data-original-width="4032" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtDLts1PynUDoccUyslvoE1mGOg-xXyiq61dets4DHNKeGM7akWsTPqxB9ExPBWJuevAthKPQpmwzNtGNHog65rufeN2W03zPgzcWduTltjJCK6zXlOBbmbI4t2uSfIammkv0jSYUK2TEKfdwkY9kKdIMrkhbnRQzDW4s1efRI0w2f9qe0ICRQj6IykHt0/w400-h169/PXL_20231214_063953969.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaX7PAtxRp8-EBzxyjQxPu6qJlsEw6gM0wBPuR8mu1g7s87cRMasU4JDKeQzerNbKLNLeOyJoVl8E4SGjyTKRomnXMhJpDrpt8fSGAEdinVruton0T9ktsZzwfAQBBpCGwPktJD-SnbBjs8ia7RIY67glGlLPX2UowB7CjMz9pdoyqlp8UizaGDM6p17jk/s3298/PXL_20231223_0927488131.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3298" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaX7PAtxRp8-EBzxyjQxPu6qJlsEw6gM0wBPuR8mu1g7s87cRMasU4JDKeQzerNbKLNLeOyJoVl8E4SGjyTKRomnXMhJpDrpt8fSGAEdinVruton0T9ktsZzwfAQBBpCGwPktJD-SnbBjs8ia7RIY67glGlLPX2UowB7CjMz9pdoyqlp8UizaGDM6p17jk/w275-h400/PXL_20231223_0927488131.jpg" width="275" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifKdefcWpL2MFWSKNp5eTAMWc4PGc8RDUk-kiT5aHowGz2qFDmL61IaljueuMcXsOzsR79SSP_SlPZwYonbf0YlmHhDwyJu9S-begFsZ87QVLMl3nWP96-AgMUEtZTPVu3OevOlQNev29g8kTYTyIXxCL9mR9JAG_lmndJeWyX3IsXniYbcxsauNS3OjkS/s2268/PXL_20231210_1036033681.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2153" data-original-width="2268" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifKdefcWpL2MFWSKNp5eTAMWc4PGc8RDUk-kiT5aHowGz2qFDmL61IaljueuMcXsOzsR79SSP_SlPZwYonbf0YlmHhDwyJu9S-begFsZ87QVLMl3nWP96-AgMUEtZTPVu3OevOlQNev29g8kTYTyIXxCL9mR9JAG_lmndJeWyX3IsXniYbcxsauNS3OjkS/w400-h380/PXL_20231210_1036033681.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>As you can see, living the campervan life is really not all that easy. Everything takes a little longer: buying the food for the day, setting up camp, doing the daily wash, making reservations, breaking camp. And getting used to the vacation parks was another thing, but once I wrapped my head around the concept I started to enjoy it, helped by friendly neighbors, fulfilling happy hours, and the occasional kangaroo visits. Come back in a few days when I hope to write more about what I saw from the bike.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Jürgen<br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Jürgenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03107533431710748040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023527478729548228.post-59927181892485941482023-12-17T19:17:00.002-06:002023-12-17T21:16:34.521-06:00Sydney. What else to say? Sydney.<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJk_s-Wrv65R68_FqRvfeTSkVtKEtJabPTroC_EW8AeAvAXBoHv9oF-uLtprQKQZ0uRZUgRkTOaIp5FslFNBILa8a5dDw884AMzYLo1hTXvUcdvPbCfUxLaehHUR7KtXSQjo_8AVDcm2CLw1jVpJ_9qQU-DJLdvrGjk2BKs1m64sGrWiXZXYFlkA0baGL-/s4032/PXL_20231207_013318961.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJk_s-Wrv65R68_FqRvfeTSkVtKEtJabPTroC_EW8AeAvAXBoHv9oF-uLtprQKQZ0uRZUgRkTOaIp5FslFNBILa8a5dDw884AMzYLo1hTXvUcdvPbCfUxLaehHUR7KtXSQjo_8AVDcm2CLw1jVpJ_9qQU-DJLdvrGjk2BKs1m64sGrWiXZXYFlkA0baGL-/w400-h225/PXL_20231207_013318961.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>We see pictures and videos of places on TV all of our lives. Sorry, I date myself: We see images on Instagram, Facebook, and X—who still watches TV? We've all seen the ball descend on Times Square on New Year's Eve when <i>we</i> still have to wait for another hour because <i>they </i>are an hour ahead of those of us on CST. But, in Sydney, they are <i>17 hours </i>ahead of us, and that boggles at least my mind.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtllHJjLyPZ8qK6xhVndOpPc-wWXyWxCg8BrSAAtvUZzVxGEuCU52cA_Y2PQbqOHqKpYTogiCoMlfnskX7ifeEtI9p4xhZfWrQ5Gfkm_nd644mSZ5f_Z7cIlYx6NMaWyvydq-41ITMvtSBc5V_1krYv3Hs_-751TRUgYO5oMohyeB5Q_RQ97avAqDFtlI9/s2962/PXL_20231206_051450756~3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1941" data-original-width="2962" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtllHJjLyPZ8qK6xhVndOpPc-wWXyWxCg8BrSAAtvUZzVxGEuCU52cA_Y2PQbqOHqKpYTogiCoMlfnskX7ifeEtI9p4xhZfWrQ5Gfkm_nd644mSZ5f_Z7cIlYx6NMaWyvydq-41ITMvtSBc5V_1krYv3Hs_-751TRUgYO5oMohyeB5Q_RQ97avAqDFtlI9/w400-h263/PXL_20231206_051450756~3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYnDEig4CsDWjaQlsWoTnfowGm-EnQ3if11XyNPvb-a0HhXkpyVKFeZVfOLVb-dyawxIIp-aLnLV-ygyrWEwttpWlelT_rRDHH3xFqKn4QZraqi8QesnrlTY7d9-SfeN68VX4l0NqzCw5z3FL-IeOdXSTJcvDFzLX75JltiGPvxNSu9sn0iT_F0xx5cK3j/s4032/PXL_20231205_212743551.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYnDEig4CsDWjaQlsWoTnfowGm-EnQ3if11XyNPvb-a0HhXkpyVKFeZVfOLVb-dyawxIIp-aLnLV-ygyrWEwttpWlelT_rRDHH3xFqKn4QZraqi8QesnrlTY7d9-SfeN68VX4l0NqzCw5z3FL-IeOdXSTJcvDFzLX75JltiGPvxNSu9sn0iT_F0xx5cK3j/w400-h225/PXL_20231205_212743551.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAasG658oRDudqZuSiyCb4PMrt83Fu5sMZ7kBMzUCWBWDWY95ewWoUkUJseISc5y05yseLjjO0dTnce3RnZYR_3wKMs_beHcbn3TcJtiZzqwE4lhYSIeYfyEQKFLEpHRnud3A9cNYbB0EBlxBfcsBIVseCE0RQWJr9nFZBh3ZsAgkQv1x5mYjWnrLsL0AL/s1151/PXL_20231206_055203003.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1099" data-original-width="1151" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAasG658oRDudqZuSiyCb4PMrt83Fu5sMZ7kBMzUCWBWDWY95ewWoUkUJseISc5y05yseLjjO0dTnce3RnZYR_3wKMs_beHcbn3TcJtiZzqwE4lhYSIeYfyEQKFLEpHRnud3A9cNYbB0EBlxBfcsBIVseCE0RQWJr9nFZBh3ZsAgkQv1x5mYjWnrLsL0AL/w400-h383/PXL_20231206_055203003.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiauTQPVLZ0TZs4BLUp3yO0i3AitcQKHG1eRwZmwKkWsYp6V0YAki7GW5kJOfJoLnA_7NwgVVSPCUFmggdtSmillKKgp47nC7JYrviaw9n-ffMR2xkH1YCfO9BmtqWt_CmFd-tq3PeP9fDHhy7f1wBls2LLvfdw5JZArYTHy34P7IwhY8CAZ1jpc1ofrBYB/s4032/PXL_20231206_224053178.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiauTQPVLZ0TZs4BLUp3yO0i3AitcQKHG1eRwZmwKkWsYp6V0YAki7GW5kJOfJoLnA_7NwgVVSPCUFmggdtSmillKKgp47nC7JYrviaw9n-ffMR2xkH1YCfO9BmtqWt_CmFd-tq3PeP9fDHhy7f1wBls2LLvfdw5JZArYTHy34P7IwhY8CAZ1jpc1ofrBYB/w400-h225/PXL_20231206_224053178.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN8QdSabJTTRV0hryKWl0DDlygC5efgyAGYbhKnmHU8dYjcLl1D7xABdsa-jFrR0Wke18Ar-AOs44-BnEGVe8XPii3EEFN5t2OvIsxgkEr8txR8wjUOgrVpHBGbgqPYM0hQew6OzGHLavvOVrlkP3XyE6h-x2UnDrECYFBihju9giTsQ2GGROhLfBkMUz5/s3127/PXL_20231207_102307389.PORTRAIT~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3127" data-original-width="1859" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN8QdSabJTTRV0hryKWl0DDlygC5efgyAGYbhKnmHU8dYjcLl1D7xABdsa-jFrR0Wke18Ar-AOs44-BnEGVe8XPii3EEFN5t2OvIsxgkEr8txR8wjUOgrVpHBGbgqPYM0hQew6OzGHLavvOVrlkP3XyE6h-x2UnDrECYFBihju9giTsQ2GGROhLfBkMUz5/w238-h400/PXL_20231207_102307389.PORTRAIT~2.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>And that's where I am: 17 hours ahead of Lubbock, well into tomorrow. Wrap your head around that one.<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFYhCBhWrmMz3jZekjkZD1gyUedg2iX3uyzhLZxdnVrdDmaJPmfgQMtnE3PO5sGqVt19DQ9hjNb-q0nS-iroYmOVmMl7DbwsTO2iNAsOAC_vF2bJxsA6qtP4jHYkrnehz6PiciPwoBxgSUfbt1UaUcrY7KisHIYvhpfhLgd_YNYNP2QtROkpVhjTJynyba/s3214/PXL_20231206_053646921.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1919" data-original-width="3214" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFYhCBhWrmMz3jZekjkZD1gyUedg2iX3uyzhLZxdnVrdDmaJPmfgQMtnE3PO5sGqVt19DQ9hjNb-q0nS-iroYmOVmMl7DbwsTO2iNAsOAC_vF2bJxsA6qtP4jHYkrnehz6PiciPwoBxgSUfbt1UaUcrY7KisHIYvhpfhLgd_YNYNP2QtROkpVhjTJynyba/w400-h239/PXL_20231206_053646921.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrIlUwX0WzJg0HmEz2katW62i44v6FpIeL3g6zcXQmMSFt0wEqW1hEnfN00CJcQdcxZizSoImMPiE2LDRPlWlhCm68PKXwWC69ow30aoER6HS9CWgoF-eFmFO9cRPeFtQoArA9tdrLdR9Q3M7rOkDqMZXgH3y5irS_CxEimuZGr6QB0hBRitEjnNgMiYi6/s3679/PXL_20231206_055213168.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3679" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrIlUwX0WzJg0HmEz2katW62i44v6FpIeL3g6zcXQmMSFt0wEqW1hEnfN00CJcQdcxZizSoImMPiE2LDRPlWlhCm68PKXwWC69ow30aoER6HS9CWgoF-eFmFO9cRPeFtQoArA9tdrLdR9Q3M7rOkDqMZXgH3y5irS_CxEimuZGr6QB0hBRitEjnNgMiYi6/w246-h400/PXL_20231206_055213168.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7BqNkL6rx0sjPgRDGElUiNPWZ611R_XeL1bfB2lqujKFhZDk5lMRWJlM0GeCoGukTQ9q-qhFv-Lu_CP6do1UF2WMjGzWVC-VKaAIufjMwPpvIXPWo77Pj9XGjk78NGIbUr-xJAoCqix5VLzkPqrva5A_pV7il1uoqjkBGBdvti_E-Bw7qzeuR3C2IRT3A/s4032/PXL_20231206_053449134.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7BqNkL6rx0sjPgRDGElUiNPWZ611R_XeL1bfB2lqujKFhZDk5lMRWJlM0GeCoGukTQ9q-qhFv-Lu_CP6do1UF2WMjGzWVC-VKaAIufjMwPpvIXPWo77Pj9XGjk78NGIbUr-xJAoCqix5VLzkPqrva5A_pV7il1uoqjkBGBdvti_E-Bw7qzeuR3C2IRT3A/w400-h225/PXL_20231206_053449134.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>When I arrived a day after leaving Lubbock on a Monday it was already Wednesday in Sydney. Talk about a mind-bend. So what's the best way to combat this? Go to your arrival hotel (three free point-nights at the Marriott-owned Airport Moxy), assemble your bike, and go for a shake-down cruise. Yes, a few hours after arrival.<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg46sMwKjV7s7gyT0BtkrBhxduztJ_3JV3Rb3PGbA6vqUQRYa1ZdSa86c6Q5034L_PKUlUi4P4m3OrL4WoxO40Y1SjYjWChAuvVXp1muvdONtqHvMsbzXvKRLs3nHrljrjAH-UNle5Dx92YJ6AFe2g6-_l2Cuj_pVBSL3ym1NgKNtBJ1UgEHS1OAupQA3dI/s4032/PXL_20231205_223214280.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg46sMwKjV7s7gyT0BtkrBhxduztJ_3JV3Rb3PGbA6vqUQRYa1ZdSa86c6Q5034L_PKUlUi4P4m3OrL4WoxO40Y1SjYjWChAuvVXp1muvdONtqHvMsbzXvKRLs3nHrljrjAH-UNle5Dx92YJ6AFe2g6-_l2Cuj_pVBSL3ym1NgKNtBJ1UgEHS1OAupQA3dI/w225-h400/PXL_20231205_223214280.jpg" width="225" /></a></div></div><div>With a $10 shuttle from the airport and the freebie nights, the Moxy was the perfect choice. When I arrived in this OMG-I-want-to-be-so-hip hotel (and it manages to be, mostly) I nicely asked whether it'd be possible to store for <i>three</i> weeks my bike case and the rolling duffle that I use to pack all my crap into. No problem, Mr. Heise, we got your back. I breathed much more easily.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoOKYrLEkkkR_-nRU0UDPmhrHiNkoGT1E4YWrvj5gQge2JWsekVjC0EE5bKS1QS3cdX8GJ4nsdxPlXXwwG3IR9V32TP8EJ57BQPwZBgzGP_KlCnUjmX9I25zzhiwZkZWETCv8pZkCkrg3tQQazal2xXGb7OP2DXp6O0yRWJIGGTGviF1u_6sjjSdrGNOQL/s4032/PXL_20231206_231000877.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoOKYrLEkkkR_-nRU0UDPmhrHiNkoGT1E4YWrvj5gQge2JWsekVjC0EE5bKS1QS3cdX8GJ4nsdxPlXXwwG3IR9V32TP8EJ57BQPwZBgzGP_KlCnUjmX9I25zzhiwZkZWETCv8pZkCkrg3tQQazal2xXGb7OP2DXp6O0yRWJIGGTGviF1u_6sjjSdrGNOQL/w225-h400/PXL_20231206_231000877.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifIrf9LXxiqhaM6FlS-b_h3ZEDDza5RTX6LuZj-plOO0AWJ0fTtHyX3xQvMOtYd4a7RR-4tDJm5dfAhCRAyJf6eH3XBVkvFBjT5W659TOaul84vHpwng5eKc3mFYvFc0D74g7lNbrvFjViq_R4upSb-wtwR6zBaCy1ghzJIUR7sAkQpHehOdihJCC2Cno9/s4032/PXL_20231206_051910113.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifIrf9LXxiqhaM6FlS-b_h3ZEDDza5RTX6LuZj-plOO0AWJ0fTtHyX3xQvMOtYd4a7RR-4tDJm5dfAhCRAyJf6eH3XBVkvFBjT5W659TOaul84vHpwng5eKc3mFYvFc0D74g7lNbrvFjViq_R4upSb-wtwR6zBaCy1ghzJIUR7sAkQpHehOdihJCC2Cno9/w400-h225/PXL_20231206_051910113.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX7-EI4mS_NIUqCP5PWrkvsDRWzIZAuD4GNZ_jttGj32iRIjHOj7jLjIosmdB4KeTmNYrUZxp0w4FqnNH5zS1iO_usqZL-H7s1O-SRggjja19Sp9Akt9YzjEoCVhsPiR3zHyv_mLZQd53hLUFsdCTiHdpcyjZbLWuh1T6HBKc926XshDWNU7ekK_cMe5g4/s3918/PXL_20231206_045604621.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2030" data-original-width="3918" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX7-EI4mS_NIUqCP5PWrkvsDRWzIZAuD4GNZ_jttGj32iRIjHOj7jLjIosmdB4KeTmNYrUZxp0w4FqnNH5zS1iO_usqZL-H7s1O-SRggjja19Sp9Akt9YzjEoCVhsPiR3zHyv_mLZQd53hLUFsdCTiHdpcyjZbLWuh1T6HBKc926XshDWNU7ekK_cMe5g4/w400-h208/PXL_20231206_045604621.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>For the next three days, with the Moxy as my homebase in the Mascot neighborhood of greater Sydney, I explored a few parts of this sprawling city, the way you can only do when you have your own bike. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXvXOqLzZw_bivVQkfTGj7wfTJy64VUPVnnX5j-FWeIfjDTF7S6rACXLPLARRVd8oOQ-DwgHPu9lMZb34dKoBgjLzB2Cr1j8fU1qn-IVjLpTBEMah-DM7ZEJ1EOYtYsTwW4smz5xO_zz_oSOsC-KwX0stPqZhWFJBHZACDRPkCcfszI3zDZKQ0Xe2h60Y5/s2752/PXL_20231207_014917960~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2186" data-original-width="2752" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXvXOqLzZw_bivVQkfTGj7wfTJy64VUPVnnX5j-FWeIfjDTF7S6rACXLPLARRVd8oOQ-DwgHPu9lMZb34dKoBgjLzB2Cr1j8fU1qn-IVjLpTBEMah-DM7ZEJ1EOYtYsTwW4smz5xO_zz_oSOsC-KwX0stPqZhWFJBHZACDRPkCcfszI3zDZKQ0Xe2h60Y5/w400-h318/PXL_20231207_014917960~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipKPNbF_088O266_Stm-390uYqCWkrlCaDvm_-c2m-C2PJtQI535FOjbPc7VpPKboJbNpFQKB1C-J51vEvmTseofdDP2Yhh8NylFbVAMh_BYoEWCqRD24RihnEi7Uzls2IRl1sy4ens4dL_rYMgbzpNXAgxUgSIUggu7CqTwxC8erhV6UkP-nScC7C3hq_/s1512/PXL_20231207_032346180.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="985" data-original-width="1512" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipKPNbF_088O266_Stm-390uYqCWkrlCaDvm_-c2m-C2PJtQI535FOjbPc7VpPKboJbNpFQKB1C-J51vEvmTseofdDP2Yhh8NylFbVAMh_BYoEWCqRD24RihnEi7Uzls2IRl1sy4ens4dL_rYMgbzpNXAgxUgSIUggu7CqTwxC8erhV6UkP-nScC7C3hq_/w400-h260/PXL_20231207_032346180.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlz9SLGuG_HRqT0jnGy8G5Ag3r6DGC9v3TWbYXU9Xddckwh4ue738-8ZLtcO-MQ78V6GSk8-uEKbixWockaeFR52ZFdNfg9I1RRl8NS5KsRMN1ThKPOdQIFF5CF5X1BS5_EPA54J8MuC0aluyUTNhXXfYs9AC4WvVO01fh-WG1zqlFCgMMyHiODDqrlmSE/s3436/PXL_20231207_022410791.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2090" data-original-width="3436" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlz9SLGuG_HRqT0jnGy8G5Ag3r6DGC9v3TWbYXU9Xddckwh4ue738-8ZLtcO-MQ78V6GSk8-uEKbixWockaeFR52ZFdNfg9I1RRl8NS5KsRMN1ThKPOdQIFF5CF5X1BS5_EPA54J8MuC0aluyUTNhXXfYs9AC4WvVO01fh-WG1zqlFCgMMyHiODDqrlmSE/w400-h244/PXL_20231207_022410791.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>I need to interject here that my long-time former partner Sabine used to live in Sydney for a couple of years and learned to completely love the city. Thankfully, we had been in touch before this trip and she gave me some hints based on her experiences 35 or almost 40 years ago. I rode almost 100 miles in Sydney during my stay, and if it hadn't been for some of Sabine's suggestions I would have missed out on so much more than I undoubtedly did. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFkcoMGa10FX6igKcVr-4mREfXy-bg13Kxz0Dvmy1r_AI4njB3lwTGJEZSnsoCKlTn4L0od8Yqeb1x2KjX3_SV7k0GyTDu0xXyJDq0Oh4rBeCk1kx3m1QExAEICiI-wL2aZjC2n1710RalDcIvB-2VErprVO_zHiemsFFuGydyeTCg-tRc1xLujR-aT-07/s4032/PXL_20231207_035100337.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1811" data-original-width="4032" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFkcoMGa10FX6igKcVr-4mREfXy-bg13Kxz0Dvmy1r_AI4njB3lwTGJEZSnsoCKlTn4L0od8Yqeb1x2KjX3_SV7k0GyTDu0xXyJDq0Oh4rBeCk1kx3m1QExAEICiI-wL2aZjC2n1710RalDcIvB-2VErprVO_zHiemsFFuGydyeTCg-tRc1xLujR-aT-07/w400-h180/PXL_20231207_035100337.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt_J6f1umqAMVHOP90BoLO_AqXob-5YGbyUteiYc3Thyphenhyphen0HefArxP2fOuZYtiYEoCIhgfAS9zBAzoeTSZ76NA5culVH5yTW9ss3f8xVlyesDJBXVgwgjEHcjT-1DKTkcfffRfgRTrsstYW8cmKRrQKHKDN4gjf1jey0j_1GZYsuxFHJ3gFrAT8JYmAJRfvz/s3252/PXL_20231208_031720315~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3252" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt_J6f1umqAMVHOP90BoLO_AqXob-5YGbyUteiYc3Thyphenhyphen0HefArxP2fOuZYtiYEoCIhgfAS9zBAzoeTSZ76NA5culVH5yTW9ss3f8xVlyesDJBXVgwgjEHcjT-1DKTkcfffRfgRTrsstYW8cmKRrQKHKDN4gjf1jey0j_1GZYsuxFHJ3gFrAT8JYmAJRfvz/w279-h400/PXL_20231208_031720315~2.jpg" width="279" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI_cBOkDvOQJ5q_SYwA0tGAE17VS4qwJhPKTDkcY-A2QLtmOozRmIqAsDCl6ZNm-rNC8OpeVZs1TtOoABcP72yv0f-1oWrpvOankgwWpZn8Wep1_Iv3HEJpNob2Z57TxfPXBZ7JJhjuQCODh7gtr-PXHvtQobO1dsZW4dsa-nzK1r-1fb5LaZ-HaTbCaTh/s4032/PXL_20231208_033036340.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI_cBOkDvOQJ5q_SYwA0tGAE17VS4qwJhPKTDkcY-A2QLtmOozRmIqAsDCl6ZNm-rNC8OpeVZs1TtOoABcP72yv0f-1oWrpvOankgwWpZn8Wep1_Iv3HEJpNob2Z57TxfPXBZ7JJhjuQCODh7gtr-PXHvtQobO1dsZW4dsa-nzK1r-1fb5LaZ-HaTbCaTh/w400-h225/PXL_20231208_033036340.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Sydney is the most water-centric city I have ever been to. Even Seattle (another place where Sabine lived for about a year as a Fulbright student) doesn't appear to come close to the number of private navigable vessels that are just steps away from the solid ground of Sydney. There are so many marinas, so much coastline, so many ways to get yourself onto something that floats!<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs3q9bExU4hwQBCr0S14WH6BWViX0eF47-4cApN1owoeB7Qiy9Uxi4kkN5dDI7rFTbqwAQL-wjC7PkjNlUwNYbmubF88uEI5C7DMDDcIPr4GuIzBg1qV76BtSvfS7ibAFLXhmDgyx6R_-mEmVH_sTk8DUOpbAdP2P8TulFRAABtKkZbaar5O1C0ig9EQ-d/s4032/PXL_20231207_014020191.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs3q9bExU4hwQBCr0S14WH6BWViX0eF47-4cApN1owoeB7Qiy9Uxi4kkN5dDI7rFTbqwAQL-wjC7PkjNlUwNYbmubF88uEI5C7DMDDcIPr4GuIzBg1qV76BtSvfS7ibAFLXhmDgyx6R_-mEmVH_sTk8DUOpbAdP2P8TulFRAABtKkZbaar5O1C0ig9EQ-d/w400-h225/PXL_20231207_014020191.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8vnbOjAit3uJezqJ-Y_C_15dkHAMTRl-eeiCr7RlfQZwgu-N-_7N147P1nsqbr-dR9SDIXyIrVpwkfw7REB742CVKYcZ5JRUkLCEMcYWXJeNUdBPJmfvBvnVBas7rsqQgDFUOOrmtzKSOqGapJqtG4Ep7lqdaWB64naYlDFFIgfx4HdEbT_62HolrPu7h/s4032/PXL_20231207_012143443.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1806" data-original-width="4032" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8vnbOjAit3uJezqJ-Y_C_15dkHAMTRl-eeiCr7RlfQZwgu-N-_7N147P1nsqbr-dR9SDIXyIrVpwkfw7REB742CVKYcZ5JRUkLCEMcYWXJeNUdBPJmfvBvnVBas7rsqQgDFUOOrmtzKSOqGapJqtG4Ep7lqdaWB64naYlDFFIgfx4HdEbT_62HolrPu7h/w400-h179/PXL_20231207_012143443.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwwOYhZuTucSt6zFQfO_RScpLijnCURa1iIZ72D92Rgm_imJHlbJYc0QL3sQDWj-JgzzaZ2jzSJNvaTwyDGFO49t3NPYoHxSwuBiOmKxrL3v2O9CYyVcmpCGwkwWcq0SC8Z-UgYdFJDErJ5acOWodiZxFzMCVeYEBAPucROkWQTVz_2L_6iBE9kdjcNVRw/s3892/PXL_20231206_050919656%20-%20Copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2075" data-original-width="3892" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwwOYhZuTucSt6zFQfO_RScpLijnCURa1iIZ72D92Rgm_imJHlbJYc0QL3sQDWj-JgzzaZ2jzSJNvaTwyDGFO49t3NPYoHxSwuBiOmKxrL3v2O9CYyVcmpCGwkwWcq0SC8Z-UgYdFJDErJ5acOWodiZxFzMCVeYEBAPucROkWQTVz_2L_6iBE9kdjcNVRw/w400-h214/PXL_20231206_050919656%20-%20Copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>Sydney is a city made for boats and ships. Look at a map, and you won't believe how the city commingles with the ocean. Estuaries, bays, inlets, channels—water and land are intermeshing in a symbiosis that I have never witnessed before. Now I can start beginning to understand why Sabine (and several other friends) love this city so much.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizykNswKyBmYcSX-xUgdDcu4WlPi5Ebw0ZwFGf4ZLZORGsFewAAqBCl06BnmZYv-C2AlGx2jU-lBzQ_RsE1K7A-TzIopiCFJFcrVDJ-KFX3KEN8SVtlU3_6cU_Cu7vGWyPzeMLqQO2N6JJsTa93bTNG1LP1XWcJe-S7Q8IAIkPOduw2syGf0mL-ouYDmMd/s4032/PXL_20231205_212807379.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizykNswKyBmYcSX-xUgdDcu4WlPi5Ebw0ZwFGf4ZLZORGsFewAAqBCl06BnmZYv-C2AlGx2jU-lBzQ_RsE1K7A-TzIopiCFJFcrVDJ-KFX3KEN8SVtlU3_6cU_Cu7vGWyPzeMLqQO2N6JJsTa93bTNG1LP1XWcJe-S7Q8IAIkPOduw2syGf0mL-ouYDmMd/w400-h225/PXL_20231205_212807379.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUBpDxnidkcMrG_wgeHvY5gTZGg_3iZEIn6w2UQdieddC8jqhleZdmH7m5TAVMBSu6dolpuBFfjNKNujcOJwS_xusDSBcQdsq4Lq5F3AW4Zh6OsnaUQJHS6IScSKDwJIabuqTNRJ7lgV2XU2qXS32gn5qHW15SZOx8IbkuexVjcI6_s0P-c3gWkeMw7ktk/s3173/PXL_20231207_040027163.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2209" data-original-width="3173" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUBpDxnidkcMrG_wgeHvY5gTZGg_3iZEIn6w2UQdieddC8jqhleZdmH7m5TAVMBSu6dolpuBFfjNKNujcOJwS_xusDSBcQdsq4Lq5F3AW4Zh6OsnaUQJHS6IScSKDwJIabuqTNRJ7lgV2XU2qXS32gn5qHW15SZOx8IbkuexVjcI6_s0P-c3gWkeMw7ktk/w400-h279/PXL_20231207_040027163.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqOPaYXMicqfS7XHO85-37peqy0MSE79kfdvSwKVJcPCU-BcrMFriqvquV8XQzxZOXtJYJq02YRcWM-h5Jqn0c4_k-yWStTnf_ZrZake81x5z_y3q_lUcUp6zo7AjHrgz-j3egaWf2a9Ywy9hUQC1i2AKOHUsgWT6xWlwERxaMd55g-RpZMRf_fHvORYPQ/s2831/PXL_20231207_021611553~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1807" data-original-width="2831" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqOPaYXMicqfS7XHO85-37peqy0MSE79kfdvSwKVJcPCU-BcrMFriqvquV8XQzxZOXtJYJq02YRcWM-h5Jqn0c4_k-yWStTnf_ZrZake81x5z_y3q_lUcUp6zo7AjHrgz-j3egaWf2a9Ywy9hUQC1i2AKOHUsgWT6xWlwERxaMd55g-RpZMRf_fHvORYPQ/w400-h255/PXL_20231207_021611553~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ6ueYKn-tEHIOQd7uKMziTgMvfZK26OUyXjYxwqYz_9q85o3Y4axPgNYloGzoi9q5WkQp8j-ixEPU4NIY0jjeH0TJb47KYLD-AqwMsdWlVXsceuy1GGXIbbhJWHYIF61EzIt0nruriWK168hzB8SbMsOp1S57R9Uek-U6JRKqQ4Hx3CY6vhxPJHl43p8N/s4032/PXL_20231207_011310393.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ6ueYKn-tEHIOQd7uKMziTgMvfZK26OUyXjYxwqYz_9q85o3Y4axPgNYloGzoi9q5WkQp8j-ixEPU4NIY0jjeH0TJb47KYLD-AqwMsdWlVXsceuy1GGXIbbhJWHYIF61EzIt0nruriWK168hzB8SbMsOp1S57R9Uek-U6JRKqQ4Hx3CY6vhxPJHl43p8N/w400-h225/PXL_20231207_011310393.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>My rides, mostly pre-determined by way of my Locus app, took me onto three different routes that showed me different neighborhoods and facets of the city. Sydney has a decent infrastructure for bikes, although it is far from perfect. Bike lanes can be smooth as butter and have functioning traffic signals, or they can be pot-holed, are trash-strewn, and will suddenly end. Well, you know the story, and Sydney is just as inadequate as so many other international cities as far as predictably well-thought-out and (especially) executed bike facilities are concerned.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrpUSVulrE4pF8Q161mS96BJ7qlUx4WhlVirhy295c5no-F9ZdUXwbhjKihpBtXbvMReI-31XXxku2eAFajL4Zg3GqAhkjviFIjegGF78zmmPz8OuK9vT_cxDWR_NUlUHi-R4xCpV2eRmOHhGgkua7T80uVzUMQYt3Qyb5SuwYvWCrjagq9gP0OxpmbF6g/s4032/PXL_20231206_045257393~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrpUSVulrE4pF8Q161mS96BJ7qlUx4WhlVirhy295c5no-F9ZdUXwbhjKihpBtXbvMReI-31XXxku2eAFajL4Zg3GqAhkjviFIjegGF78zmmPz8OuK9vT_cxDWR_NUlUHi-R4xCpV2eRmOHhGgkua7T80uVzUMQYt3Qyb5SuwYvWCrjagq9gP0OxpmbF6g/w225-h400/PXL_20231206_045257393~2.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD9VofTemc5ezmxFeJDv7CrE8R7AQvj-4MOI24XAYiP_glhZfV8eCxjEF8Yy9QLYTVocx9uFL6egG793oKmw8aTMcFjPO4L_y3Sh78Xy9D4SESWRmXtSSI8f4AYnyu2X5FTAqk9oOT5Dt3FWv00NUvHuFoGS_q20ZChZGx-u88vUhWbCVmxiHT-nA2sMFF/s2578/PXL_20231207_235520100.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2578" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD9VofTemc5ezmxFeJDv7CrE8R7AQvj-4MOI24XAYiP_glhZfV8eCxjEF8Yy9QLYTVocx9uFL6egG793oKmw8aTMcFjPO4L_y3Sh78Xy9D4SESWRmXtSSI8f4AYnyu2X5FTAqk9oOT5Dt3FWv00NUvHuFoGS_q20ZChZGx-u88vUhWbCVmxiHT-nA2sMFF/w353-h400/PXL_20231207_235520100.jpg" width="353" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy_kiW9HXlZFvs__awdPwjUj8WpMEFKYRdWAqMEAZBmxRLp-rdPwl1y0CTPqf8v7ZjIDvninecIZjURY93ttgxgRtbEBlpzSXsPCxr7k-ohFSG9FcHqUCdyUsWr5ROTNjp9Mfomk-rlFkpvPL3FT5rF57nInqWWTAIZzyvM-rBXsEiJii1FGt3hsrY8xzd/s4032/PXL_20231208_031045012.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy_kiW9HXlZFvs__awdPwjUj8WpMEFKYRdWAqMEAZBmxRLp-rdPwl1y0CTPqf8v7ZjIDvninecIZjURY93ttgxgRtbEBlpzSXsPCxr7k-ohFSG9FcHqUCdyUsWr5ROTNjp9Mfomk-rlFkpvPL3FT5rF57nInqWWTAIZzyvM-rBXsEiJii1FGt3hsrY8xzd/w400-h225/PXL_20231208_031045012.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdLRaRZYo5q0NggnKholq0ZgqW365uAOSa-QWgAiKOhIAW2qwVAoKl_KRdcyHdur3wuW20BJnQzDCyiH4jeO8ynSjduhx17S919zsvTL560r32hMfnyjZOve85yYxnOz0Qgy3OC8nyzl5PpKLdyP12PvZ0QXKvfDVsjkkaMyO1AIbI7FkwYsUGo7L0Yu2o/s1309/PXL_20231208_033202486.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1213" data-original-width="1309" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdLRaRZYo5q0NggnKholq0ZgqW365uAOSa-QWgAiKOhIAW2qwVAoKl_KRdcyHdur3wuW20BJnQzDCyiH4jeO8ynSjduhx17S919zsvTL560r32hMfnyjZOve85yYxnOz0Qgy3OC8nyzl5PpKLdyP12PvZ0QXKvfDVsjkkaMyO1AIbI7FkwYsUGo7L0Yu2o/w400-h371/PXL_20231208_033202486.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeAtzZKh9ZqmUFBP8qAY9Ht6Dbw1cJir_RWVm3fyeDW6sIlffj43gxJiBI7MAypRpdneOeYbOrOg_M0gapVlqw6uON6G-YA8znnRWIsz8sPBT09-uOTWS2uRZnjcSiCocDLGSAjB-Gc3psnhxOLAurNVI5GSSnoUuNzZCfL9BWW5csADg35kMY6F7esU0y/s4032/PXL_20231208_063246330.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeAtzZKh9ZqmUFBP8qAY9Ht6Dbw1cJir_RWVm3fyeDW6sIlffj43gxJiBI7MAypRpdneOeYbOrOg_M0gapVlqw6uON6G-YA8znnRWIsz8sPBT09-uOTWS2uRZnjcSiCocDLGSAjB-Gc3psnhxOLAurNVI5GSSnoUuNzZCfL9BWW5csADg35kMY6F7esU0y/w225-h400/PXL_20231208_063246330.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>Sydney has a lot of traffic. Sometimes it seemed to me that on the bike I was faster than the car traffic. Of course, dealing with the left-is-our-right-side of driving (and riding) didn't make things any easier. But I did get the hang fairly quickly, both as a pedestrian and a cyclist. Just don't let your guard down.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwj8YUg74kNXgGXFHb7HGmzRFn5rW2ItrWsD7dZ3zbJ8IleukDJyRg83wGlEEQc5lpdKVm1JtyaYUsiPnSEJwAaUQby5M9t8e7dYd0dqV42LNmg6BmbfmKMbDmLpHrB5S2SMvunqpZ5e4I4AI17CRjeaB93RW9eRm0alm_pkqd8ksKnKbQYjCu6JAhicIc/s4032/PXL_20231208_070051432.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwj8YUg74kNXgGXFHb7HGmzRFn5rW2ItrWsD7dZ3zbJ8IleukDJyRg83wGlEEQc5lpdKVm1JtyaYUsiPnSEJwAaUQby5M9t8e7dYd0dqV42LNmg6BmbfmKMbDmLpHrB5S2SMvunqpZ5e4I4AI17CRjeaB93RW9eRm0alm_pkqd8ksKnKbQYjCu6JAhicIc/w400-h225/PXL_20231208_070051432.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9N3UvqBVeFhp-CCVap0pu6IFjEGFKdRUMhkn33hyphenhyphenMqVpSaPdAIn8yiYA7Ci6ZZO_m0yRaef6MNXa1yKGQtnAAgwc4UUAqhMtGFEP1fWluEgaUbsY5-DRdupZHP7w0JrJpaJW8sEMWmVqWcop8trim2aQrVo5_W0JlIHua45J6umglFKE9cGFq5R3ukbXQ/s2640/PXL_20231208_034355799.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2640" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9N3UvqBVeFhp-CCVap0pu6IFjEGFKdRUMhkn33hyphenhyphenMqVpSaPdAIn8yiYA7Ci6ZZO_m0yRaef6MNXa1yKGQtnAAgwc4UUAqhMtGFEP1fWluEgaUbsY5-DRdupZHP7w0JrJpaJW8sEMWmVqWcop8trim2aQrVo5_W0JlIHua45J6umglFKE9cGFq5R3ukbXQ/w344-h400/PXL_20231208_034355799.jpg" width="344" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhdgbBrWHRYRpk3soVl7etgLgD3lSgDyfIodIEyrzltaQvY6RQDZQQQVNZn-PysH409FpUgw-XamnId2bDvPvDNTSXq4w6luf-zDOCmmvyxugKuU8ExS29-yhXYvveVDy6GZy-17QCyxOe2XOpZyyeX5hPeJlWzyWN97_2vkiJ6wMNeZkC3t5-Q4V-TidA/s4032/PXL_20231208_031418287.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhdgbBrWHRYRpk3soVl7etgLgD3lSgDyfIodIEyrzltaQvY6RQDZQQQVNZn-PysH409FpUgw-XamnId2bDvPvDNTSXq4w6luf-zDOCmmvyxugKuU8ExS29-yhXYvveVDy6GZy-17QCyxOe2XOpZyyeX5hPeJlWzyWN97_2vkiJ6wMNeZkC3t5-Q4V-TidA/w400-h225/PXL_20231208_031418287.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2_F6Er2xAtYkE_yBLg2iPCXuSA7cGAIdqvX5kw_fEVusmAmisQHWGBo830VoEXWdHtK0trZpKXRKgSwGkZxT4AmykrjZd-z2U9F9TIwEjPomXHlW3V8e5rnNBrSk73KGQfIu1sS-5GY91fSgY9tA-E0SEkk2P5K5M_0ce9hblvLJmnvHEmZqGxibb4avZ/s4032/PXL_20231208_072134378.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2_F6Er2xAtYkE_yBLg2iPCXuSA7cGAIdqvX5kw_fEVusmAmisQHWGBo830VoEXWdHtK0trZpKXRKgSwGkZxT4AmykrjZd-z2U9F9TIwEjPomXHlW3V8e5rnNBrSk73KGQfIu1sS-5GY91fSgY9tA-E0SEkk2P5K5M_0ce9hblvLJmnvHEmZqGxibb4avZ/w400-h225/PXL_20231208_072134378.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7kusO73FnULcJ4xODChWsM-uXUK3zEYiSec8Dh453e574_cfo-S-pO7i1YEgHMedzIy8ooewKMHY3qaZkw7IyGEqfq_bWCoXmwTDakj6tKm5pLdc7u22kpJjNh5eljVKKoFOMOtVQoTWSv8NQIi5WHd5cPW7X12mpey6cc-7wX4LfcPxyas3YYu1zpmTy/s4032/PXL_20231208_093252216.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7kusO73FnULcJ4xODChWsM-uXUK3zEYiSec8Dh453e574_cfo-S-pO7i1YEgHMedzIy8ooewKMHY3qaZkw7IyGEqfq_bWCoXmwTDakj6tKm5pLdc7u22kpJjNh5eljVKKoFOMOtVQoTWSv8NQIi5WHd5cPW7X12mpey6cc-7wX4LfcPxyas3YYu1zpmTy/w400-h225/PXL_20231208_093252216.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Sydney is interesting in that it consists of so many small neighborhoods, (or maybe boroughs?) that have their own postal code and identity. Think of Dallas: There are Richardson, Plano, or Irvine. Same thing here. Each one of these 'hoods has a small "downtown" area, with one or two main streets that are lined with restaurants, shops, and the ubiquitous corner hotel. It took me a while to figure out that the "hotel" really is the local drinking hole. In the early days, to get a liquor license it was necessary to also offer accommodations, and thus the hotel concept was born. The corner hotel, with its large awning spanning the entire part of the intersection that the hotel occupies, appears to still be a local focal point where people go to eat, gamble, and of course drink.<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz_bTNWoPEK_dhV0tiA-8GAqmUUl-RvCAvCC3Uw9-aHdFn-Kh5z23MFU3hx9EWQMJyeySDsq7ByTNEk8AGfS1TTNZzoDYeNIAcmdyzrl_8fZXC3WVI4zAwRByN0BfdcN5AlzI_r6n-qn04rPFur4WKXljh0XHPgpgzvAZWJsyzvGW_dIH8KoB6zDG4OX00/s2919/PXL_20231217_044811204~3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2919" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz_bTNWoPEK_dhV0tiA-8GAqmUUl-RvCAvCC3Uw9-aHdFn-Kh5z23MFU3hx9EWQMJyeySDsq7ByTNEk8AGfS1TTNZzoDYeNIAcmdyzrl_8fZXC3WVI4zAwRByN0BfdcN5AlzI_r6n-qn04rPFur4WKXljh0XHPgpgzvAZWJsyzvGW_dIH8KoB6zDG4OX00/w311-h400/PXL_20231217_044811204~3.jpg" width="311" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJqJPO9Vw-gEi5PreDlv0gn41chWqle2xo5AGLQPA5fMU0jn2jT1nhNcmSSV0AUitTUX865d4PUGQ-zf_24e7HIYI5IGLwxW8Mp_XgelW-rg4YnH3cn2izegx5YacZJedhqINmCX9QNWy2E5NyPUS2arqc0OhoOqu0WsjvwVInnJ920-7w8E69lcbKujDL/s3037/PXL_20231207_004052861.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3037" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJqJPO9Vw-gEi5PreDlv0gn41chWqle2xo5AGLQPA5fMU0jn2jT1nhNcmSSV0AUitTUX865d4PUGQ-zf_24e7HIYI5IGLwxW8Mp_XgelW-rg4YnH3cn2izegx5YacZJedhqINmCX9QNWy2E5NyPUS2arqc0OhoOqu0WsjvwVInnJ920-7w8E69lcbKujDL/w299-h400/PXL_20231207_004052861.jpg" width="299" /></a></div>Building the Sydney opera was funded entirely through gambling proceeds, so the hotel system seems not all that onerous. Meals are affordably priced (what is it with the schnitzel offering in almost each one of them? Schnitzel night for AUD $21 [or about $14], including a beer [and please don't get me started on the difference between a <i>schooner </i>and a <i>pint</i> or something else, as they all refer to particular sizes]). If you want to get an idea of a hotel's interior, think back of Las Vegas about 40 years ago, when they still had cheap meals to draw you to the tables. The ambience is quite similar.<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-gDEzsbNZiPAvYx-pDIA0eFt2N3e6HX8W4i1pCra6BDwNEzMfR4KVIYqNgoBgJV7P-WDeYDa-A1ANVItwkT9u-UmxhUpBXfgmBOCjinoUERoXd7c1QyvnePjoxUJ_N145zMgnJG99EVSE5Xd82JCW9-TE25W24vHyUWpkKBT1Xf_Y-M2IlN9in_5iLlVy/s3840/PXL_20231207_021719042.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3840" data-original-width="2160" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-gDEzsbNZiPAvYx-pDIA0eFt2N3e6HX8W4i1pCra6BDwNEzMfR4KVIYqNgoBgJV7P-WDeYDa-A1ANVItwkT9u-UmxhUpBXfgmBOCjinoUERoXd7c1QyvnePjoxUJ_N145zMgnJG99EVSE5Xd82JCW9-TE25W24vHyUWpkKBT1Xf_Y-M2IlN9in_5iLlVy/w225-h400/PXL_20231207_021719042.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLVvxuT09vwJWp-bjYwxYrQ3RYj1ujcx1GKIGwcqcmGo0RbhUltNZgZl7bM9WL_7VNRau2hJQtZrciLjcHSN7-DIkoH7xIdA4FUqK9Z32pLijaDJBRItYw4XUE9UIgtlifsI0xTOJOQSleYuBToptWBQ-BSDwctENNG7VPwTC3wttp0uM9HQiVvbjCl3Re/s4032/PXL_20231207_021556003.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLVvxuT09vwJWp-bjYwxYrQ3RYj1ujcx1GKIGwcqcmGo0RbhUltNZgZl7bM9WL_7VNRau2hJQtZrciLjcHSN7-DIkoH7xIdA4FUqK9Z32pLijaDJBRItYw4XUE9UIgtlifsI0xTOJOQSleYuBToptWBQ-BSDwctENNG7VPwTC3wttp0uM9HQiVvbjCl3Re/w400-h225/PXL_20231207_021556003.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBAW2-BbboPhuH9VL_ptkG49gxxCPHH6HAmjc1xioAqfQJ-4b9U2CsAnp4ZlQ_9k2_v7lEClQlnxJ5jNVIw6Gq73jP0aInNDKQUqBbjPjCcrNpkspaQLfbWUeSPdFy6dCnkmi8ODvuybclJ2ipouUlxEbiQC8oTZI2mqHy788A_l1kBwzMPLalHZy6NpNm/s3001/PXL_20231207_020945689.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2035" data-original-width="3001" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBAW2-BbboPhuH9VL_ptkG49gxxCPHH6HAmjc1xioAqfQJ-4b9U2CsAnp4ZlQ_9k2_v7lEClQlnxJ5jNVIw6Gq73jP0aInNDKQUqBbjPjCcrNpkspaQLfbWUeSPdFy6dCnkmi8ODvuybclJ2ipouUlxEbiQC8oTZI2mqHy788A_l1kBwzMPLalHZy6NpNm/w400-h271/PXL_20231207_020945689.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMVVeevfYXuWCwjDRN55zKyqHwDVNdRfB9-wgGIHhXEizIQZ19c2axEEF99TGfeUVK9ZPxFoSqLcvKIvJWcTFcSF8yrnGxaHHQYEwNLsPDbd5YFpPr8-7ui0_iV4mKs1EQcVevnWNZnKdvebsFbxOr76ohVKoTPgYjdX-zL6za8JxhfR7suN_dh642jxz4/s4032/PXL_20231207_020459084.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMVVeevfYXuWCwjDRN55zKyqHwDVNdRfB9-wgGIHhXEizIQZ19c2axEEF99TGfeUVK9ZPxFoSqLcvKIvJWcTFcSF8yrnGxaHHQYEwNLsPDbd5YFpPr8-7ui0_iV4mKs1EQcVevnWNZnKdvebsFbxOr76ohVKoTPgYjdX-zL6za8JxhfR7suN_dh642jxz4/w400-h225/PXL_20231207_020459084.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>The Opera House is of course Sydney's iconic symbol, and it is truly a magnificent building. Thanks to the bike I saw it from numerous different vantage points. It occupies a spot that by the aboriginal people was used for ceremonies, and the setting allows it to be seen from essentially all directions, from water and from land. I paid for a guided tour of the interior; our guide told us the interesting story behind the initial planning and actual construction and final completion of the opera. The Danish architect Jørn Utzon, who won the design competition, got pretty much screwed by the powers that be and was then replaced by an Australian team of architects led by Peter Hall who finished this amazing performance center. (It really consists of three different halls.) Exactly 50 years ago, the Sydney Opera House was completed, and I have to say that I am really, really glad to have seen it.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq9JKiEwTebQe_wolevgQsbaqUQ0XeDAc7J8x-ZU9N_hI2VYuDlGAmC4mZVW99XVoc0vvv7R5WXdapG-ZZNlMllVlAMsGfFlg7YlOLwABNbtwIP_653i2E7Q4MWECMSRl9_Fy3oQmuZdAQ8FgjiGn4Yfojt6LPF2zCa9c2KaY2iH6w7elPLbT7BRSNMUZd/s4032/PXL_20231208_013619839~3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq9JKiEwTebQe_wolevgQsbaqUQ0XeDAc7J8x-ZU9N_hI2VYuDlGAmC4mZVW99XVoc0vvv7R5WXdapG-ZZNlMllVlAMsGfFlg7YlOLwABNbtwIP_653i2E7Q4MWECMSRl9_Fy3oQmuZdAQ8FgjiGn4Yfojt6LPF2zCa9c2KaY2iH6w7elPLbT7BRSNMUZd/w400-h225/PXL_20231208_013619839~3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCihPK56ivBczgDtF5HuRQ2dS0lwcFfaYemubhDUQedeU46a2gPD571TvvyPYFqZC75WQ-XKPyyMQvbWGkf12p0N6wYZNShA3748FR7N4n_fKlb-5qLGyWP9a4ooQSN5VzOr4YIHqpYfjNJ42esWvOp5JpXZCRuNi_xMY9_rti6gHMrrMp0GcE0HiS9Ytn/s3575/PXL_20231208_013015644.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3575" data-original-width="2228" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCihPK56ivBczgDtF5HuRQ2dS0lwcFfaYemubhDUQedeU46a2gPD571TvvyPYFqZC75WQ-XKPyyMQvbWGkf12p0N6wYZNShA3748FR7N4n_fKlb-5qLGyWP9a4ooQSN5VzOr4YIHqpYfjNJ42esWvOp5JpXZCRuNi_xMY9_rti6gHMrrMp0GcE0HiS9Ytn/w249-h400/PXL_20231208_013015644.jpg" width="249" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV0XSIMCRgTyWUMo936a-_FhEgCkXbKDxiqV4q1jD75LXXF55j9_Oow6q0p-I0PuwpPPQ4x3z_0-w72RdEaP90WnRLQjRepaO2OJhvBfd4-yw87USx0k5kvYi28izPPA8E7FMKjttPj_a76Hbx_uVKcaxEbQOn31HnKCdTFFhy_8AeNl7N56zDFEFtFCGd/s4032/PXL_20231208_012848078~4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV0XSIMCRgTyWUMo936a-_FhEgCkXbKDxiqV4q1jD75LXXF55j9_Oow6q0p-I0PuwpPPQ4x3z_0-w72RdEaP90WnRLQjRepaO2OJhvBfd4-yw87USx0k5kvYi28izPPA8E7FMKjttPj_a76Hbx_uVKcaxEbQOn31HnKCdTFFhy_8AeNl7N56zDFEFtFCGd/w225-h400/PXL_20231208_012848078~4.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVXkhXHSaJtTfDhAPRrqaRrFSjBzhf-4ImNP-TTuGbMH_HrdzuZp3wdBQ8bdyt4W0JLZlwb67NR0-fzYsIojwGRj_Un3J6tnJSY_LwRNbX0UX0TTeypzVvv1s-nG4kPyWihroP0iHrnEuz-RW-swFrUq7nBmEOpXoMUcGQRCJAi8Zja_MKVhcmOStOHGjD/w400-h225/PXL_20231208_011304330.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkvEy1POWDJSRJkcR2SgNIPWTV137RBfr9zs17JT2nimM_0uPeO0JJITCX3hguvqHB3f0XNx0ynW5KD5VjEOcZtGedGJspUFqDRk33dsrfoiwRdA5Lo8Xh2RsZfDaHBe0UUyJdujhsnsbF5WmlLvkXRb2LCYPDPc_0gbnrBQb8Kcly-r-Nln-L0pu0U0er/s4032/PXL_20231208_010828739.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkvEy1POWDJSRJkcR2SgNIPWTV137RBfr9zs17JT2nimM_0uPeO0JJITCX3hguvqHB3f0XNx0ynW5KD5VjEOcZtGedGJspUFqDRk33dsrfoiwRdA5Lo8Xh2RsZfDaHBe0UUyJdujhsnsbF5WmlLvkXRb2LCYPDPc_0gbnrBQb8Kcly-r-Nln-L0pu0U0er/w400-h225/PXL_20231208_010828739.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Uh1hPippoVzZz47yv1DdlCpayFODhmKuBl5DwdY_7Ux_fz46bz5_WqgG0DV9pKWCTPh4yZEgQmNoNI6Nky4dnnntaF66szJkdncI895m8N1dZvwUwxKqkK4d2HBs6S6syqBrUcGEx8pFcP5GR7bJwU6Zr0y88dg0b0Ua4nksbkyFZ9Nq0AwH-cZMVePT/s4032/PXL_20231208_010513652~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Uh1hPippoVzZz47yv1DdlCpayFODhmKuBl5DwdY_7Ux_fz46bz5_WqgG0DV9pKWCTPh4yZEgQmNoNI6Nky4dnnntaF66szJkdncI895m8N1dZvwUwxKqkK4d2HBs6S6syqBrUcGEx8pFcP5GR7bJwU6Zr0y88dg0b0Ua4nksbkyFZ9Nq0AwH-cZMVePT/w400-h225/PXL_20231208_010513652~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeASA6xcfpdSAZtbK8SQDA9zr_m4BUkQ76GZAznUxmBn4x8_DLEh59OUBqSTpw_hnPk757IxLNtaR22lRTWQKl-WW2Nq2wx_fh-VXweHm_u6JulToFIUan9iMd-tV2ndkwEVufibjbRNxlFLVHCFNRDN_oZ9dC8Pf74n2a4mH-_qlY8GyGqXKDM6fNhOkn/s3474/PXL_20231208_010128878.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3474" data-original-width="2263" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeASA6xcfpdSAZtbK8SQDA9zr_m4BUkQ76GZAznUxmBn4x8_DLEh59OUBqSTpw_hnPk757IxLNtaR22lRTWQKl-WW2Nq2wx_fh-VXweHm_u6JulToFIUan9iMd-tV2ndkwEVufibjbRNxlFLVHCFNRDN_oZ9dC8Pf74n2a4mH-_qlY8GyGqXKDM6fNhOkn/w260-h400/PXL_20231208_010128878.jpg" width="260" /></a></div></div><div>Instead of taking a boat cruise of the harbor I simply planned a ride that involved using the extensive ferry system to extend my range. On that day I lucked out with plenty of sunshine, making for spectacular views. Sydney has so many posh homes along the shorelines. As is my habit, I looked at some real estate listings at the brokers, and the cost of homes is just as stunning as their location. Well, all the power to you if you can afford to make this your home.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHrZkJNHnbbmM-Yv42yMgmQa1acJYA3QmRyUTzfmvuk9NL3_Y9RyrvJ62zxyS5gV9q_1y8doO0v5TDXWWI6JkvDRANsD2YsFWWwDBVKzmOsvD3JiqrmYt7wAKaqeMkwg3DSCKOBxIqKrQNTAmJdNhUD4Ajpuj7bnaUIvYQwza6HWnWI8mpSi0f6Jd6qru3/s4032/PXL_20231207_034252545.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHrZkJNHnbbmM-Yv42yMgmQa1acJYA3QmRyUTzfmvuk9NL3_Y9RyrvJ62zxyS5gV9q_1y8doO0v5TDXWWI6JkvDRANsD2YsFWWwDBVKzmOsvD3JiqrmYt7wAKaqeMkwg3DSCKOBxIqKrQNTAmJdNhUD4Ajpuj7bnaUIvYQwza6HWnWI8mpSi0f6Jd6qru3/w400-h225/PXL_20231207_034252545.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh68majiLe7MXqPSZPO1ybU4NleSeSDDFced7haZ9smf0rMezzwysdhI8LMRA3sP7V1zzwtSZ4IpvxqbJCR4BD4_CeFRyhRvolBrQSY-NFdNADx4aw3cqSpDc8qt1vCyXc7ewa8q6BWY_yzR1R4lahVsEGXfrmkyLBMoYnLQtvGYqAV4FPCCHLYACxP09KJ/s4032/PXL_20231207_034830017.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh68majiLe7MXqPSZPO1ybU4NleSeSDDFced7haZ9smf0rMezzwysdhI8LMRA3sP7V1zzwtSZ4IpvxqbJCR4BD4_CeFRyhRvolBrQSY-NFdNADx4aw3cqSpDc8qt1vCyXc7ewa8q6BWY_yzR1R4lahVsEGXfrmkyLBMoYnLQtvGYqAV4FPCCHLYACxP09KJ/w400-h225/PXL_20231207_034830017.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXMFrZWgqOkeQ64B7hbwNrkCOc2p4O6qpyw9nM8b9T-14GSW1GUQ6iKsgmUDERPIDLMJKGWtOp5BPyMpbokkBJhsxV0t7qDkZ0dsxS6BxhzvFuW9ESZ-ROwlxiBYPFuZlm66lPvDjJCQMOdQT5buTFrH0DTQw4ZqywFB9zoHhWwvmo7jg_7KzSLii3c0gv/s3342/PXL_20231207_034937446.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1683" data-original-width="3342" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXMFrZWgqOkeQ64B7hbwNrkCOc2p4O6qpyw9nM8b9T-14GSW1GUQ6iKsgmUDERPIDLMJKGWtOp5BPyMpbokkBJhsxV0t7qDkZ0dsxS6BxhzvFuW9ESZ-ROwlxiBYPFuZlm66lPvDjJCQMOdQT5buTFrH0DTQw4ZqywFB9zoHhWwvmo7jg_7KzSLii3c0gv/w400-h201/PXL_20231207_034937446.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB3ziGt4qHmg3_gIVgge5sce1EjUGra3rnUu7wzyGIS35asPCXHr5CE3YeLBnlf-_5wAV9Jn6klx8aXP4jkO_gpGYz0Bg2aQl78UdPti_-yANG2q78M7fdalbt0X4ez_NPqPfTQD8rMWH4tvkCPCppj3aPWjr68KQLyNW7z4ZYZsn6YjRnbT1hPYu7eBC2/s3703/PXL_20231207_035022708.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2083" data-original-width="3703" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB3ziGt4qHmg3_gIVgge5sce1EjUGra3rnUu7wzyGIS35asPCXHr5CE3YeLBnlf-_5wAV9Jn6klx8aXP4jkO_gpGYz0Bg2aQl78UdPti_-yANG2q78M7fdalbt0X4ez_NPqPfTQD8rMWH4tvkCPCppj3aPWjr68KQLyNW7z4ZYZsn6YjRnbT1hPYu7eBC2/w400-h225/PXL_20231207_035022708.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXprg1g2AEtDqoKLZDcf19eywFebpDhxmawd2tpxIjHLOy8OPghxK-mMv2W6DYGVgLRtSj0idVeBmgXhiIw4FGMnGMyo506QTW-0d50YiCESdaU27zqIN1AjUP3FGeEQffMocbn3f36zb__7_-29HjO1lM7eg_EsTtwVzESKe7sk2HuEewTeY-hVOpBKKm/s4032/PXL_20231207_035118165.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXprg1g2AEtDqoKLZDcf19eywFebpDhxmawd2tpxIjHLOy8OPghxK-mMv2W6DYGVgLRtSj0idVeBmgXhiIw4FGMnGMyo506QTW-0d50YiCESdaU27zqIN1AjUP3FGeEQffMocbn3f36zb__7_-29HjO1lM7eg_EsTtwVzESKe7sk2HuEewTeY-hVOpBKKm/w400-h225/PXL_20231207_035118165.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrpSHOiI2Tz2-RLa0XEhy597SUigMVNsSmDcz5XX1JnnfdtejHl7mKoD6lar2Gg5pRo6GQya-5sRDKxKr91jcefAxjVKGh7lQ6Jui360gcAfeGBxQDuxkVjc4YwjFX9vLzqALQQMGPgHkS_jTmx9hbRJdUaaRospsLZ2-eG1sYymQp0VZspQdYw9WzqIP4/s4032/PXL_20231207_035247225.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrpSHOiI2Tz2-RLa0XEhy597SUigMVNsSmDcz5XX1JnnfdtejHl7mKoD6lar2Gg5pRo6GQya-5sRDKxKr91jcefAxjVKGh7lQ6Jui360gcAfeGBxQDuxkVjc4YwjFX9vLzqALQQMGPgHkS_jTmx9hbRJdUaaRospsLZ2-eG1sYymQp0VZspQdYw9WzqIP4/w400-h225/PXL_20231207_035247225.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw1c_cqk_E2yMn9mqYv2ygkJF_Jk8v01xgAkWXdnEOve5pLxwuMP3WFNPXm7NELgSGCf81QYbsyDQihymJdFaRIJC_u9isiJzPbWMo5XUnZbzMP3GPP5bSjMbwFRdpwDfoskEM3PKSxxRk6T1zgYeKY3ZB3AaEcQr2KTovYD1Z-QJYmXSLnwG7tdOfnT2U/s4032/PXL_20231207_040608555.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw1c_cqk_E2yMn9mqYv2ygkJF_Jk8v01xgAkWXdnEOve5pLxwuMP3WFNPXm7NELgSGCf81QYbsyDQihymJdFaRIJC_u9isiJzPbWMo5XUnZbzMP3GPP5bSjMbwFRdpwDfoskEM3PKSxxRk6T1zgYeKY3ZB3AaEcQr2KTovYD1Z-QJYmXSLnwG7tdOfnT2U/w400-h225/PXL_20231207_040608555.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhykga68e3K88NuaAFY5zYerpte1UFPTzBKwZdzCMhRoQmQXH69KjZ-16hFHGEX8AXYQXRBpWTyn6tZE6cIRIf3U1EoU2CFSMFacywTc3pWkQ1JGN5ehlXnDbEa6bombBXhhBzxhgVNm3LrtLh-CuIZX-MBFqnQ3drhtxIO__IrYOcQIwxi5qr9qEoyO99p/s4032/PXL_20231207_044418254.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhykga68e3K88NuaAFY5zYerpte1UFPTzBKwZdzCMhRoQmQXH69KjZ-16hFHGEX8AXYQXRBpWTyn6tZE6cIRIf3U1EoU2CFSMFacywTc3pWkQ1JGN5ehlXnDbEa6bombBXhhBzxhgVNm3LrtLh-CuIZX-MBFqnQ3drhtxIO__IrYOcQIwxi5qr9qEoyO99p/w400-h225/PXL_20231207_044418254.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I am sure it would be a lot of fun to live here for a few months as there seem to be cultural opportunities galore, and food options abound as well with all types of restaurants available. I wouldn't want to deal with the traffic; just as Sabine told me, when she lived here they got around by boat most of the time and avoided street traffic at all costs.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi-5VUlnFKQzcGO_wrNf7SbwgDc4byN2xONlMdUXcWOlOmlr0avJUS3X0RkilyofKTdR5VNs_l4nmYtLtI7YjTCEA_OIow14ne8RxOgJ6wz-F2Sg74BeTdF2b37MSJ3YsFa3sIOq5WxLd0Uo1yh_8hRUN4OtMnJrMklhNpnUizT4Fs28-bao33YlqMd2Rp/s4032/PXL_20231208_050413817.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi-5VUlnFKQzcGO_wrNf7SbwgDc4byN2xONlMdUXcWOlOmlr0avJUS3X0RkilyofKTdR5VNs_l4nmYtLtI7YjTCEA_OIow14ne8RxOgJ6wz-F2Sg74BeTdF2b37MSJ3YsFa3sIOq5WxLd0Uo1yh_8hRUN4OtMnJrMklhNpnUizT4Fs28-bao33YlqMd2Rp/w400-h225/PXL_20231208_050413817.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhywfEEKdOQzVp7XPCgAg1AU0y_lr5Ir8mfCl3NQfa5XxScxCDmSZZMLTQrjBSA4VvIbydG8r536wkJeVZtOeNb_W3vLlnM5dH3675x8vyi7eRi_0xn2ot-rcSijffPoSptByx4vIz1G_Uxrt31RWkxlyGIuCd6d871_4Y5BxYuNFht6J8WIRnpTRk-2308/s4032/PXL_20231208_032737462~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhywfEEKdOQzVp7XPCgAg1AU0y_lr5Ir8mfCl3NQfa5XxScxCDmSZZMLTQrjBSA4VvIbydG8r536wkJeVZtOeNb_W3vLlnM5dH3675x8vyi7eRi_0xn2ot-rcSijffPoSptByx4vIz1G_Uxrt31RWkxlyGIuCd6d871_4Y5BxYuNFht6J8WIRnpTRk-2308/w400-h225/PXL_20231208_032737462~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgePTPueLgLTPiMCK8eHEMGcsesSrXBqRsZGUC1PdueSSD3QGjnLmpGESWjK5w-IdcCoO5W90Sj_fko1QkvyEMrWApOvliqS4qMYVVZ_-mnROVyQVNZ_ZtiUynzvu6umzhBrYsrDstUdUTqJh9xgUrCggrpDbzia7UU45BkRFngzaMNYBN4zNJ-LyOz4WII/s4032/PXL_20231207_074731641.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgePTPueLgLTPiMCK8eHEMGcsesSrXBqRsZGUC1PdueSSD3QGjnLmpGESWjK5w-IdcCoO5W90Sj_fko1QkvyEMrWApOvliqS4qMYVVZ_-mnROVyQVNZ_ZtiUynzvu6umzhBrYsrDstUdUTqJh9xgUrCggrpDbzia7UU45BkRFngzaMNYBN4zNJ-LyOz4WII/w400-h225/PXL_20231207_074731641.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX4CU-UWqi06I2BgJvYQVXXIPTzSktzSek-xqGfspVPwPqA-I0W_4BjlOfrZKiuw7TgutWnID-bj825SfkTuhJyfUwkoUzOwB70pSp_IUMc0Y-U5n4bgBWSJL16KbiWKpn_y6yFu5wI4FQbQORsHM6hZZv9IlZUdk9fM2PIskRldoBP50a2RVVE2Lu4EOC/s4032/PXL_20231207_033053407.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX4CU-UWqi06I2BgJvYQVXXIPTzSktzSek-xqGfspVPwPqA-I0W_4BjlOfrZKiuw7TgutWnID-bj825SfkTuhJyfUwkoUzOwB70pSp_IUMc0Y-U5n4bgBWSJL16KbiWKpn_y6yFu5wI4FQbQORsHM6hZZv9IlZUdk9fM2PIskRldoBP50a2RVVE2Lu4EOC/w225-h400/PXL_20231207_033053407.jpg" width="225" /></a></div></div><div>Three days of Sydney was all I had, and I am glad that I got to see a little bit of this fascinating city. Before I knew it, it was time to repack my stuff into my "camper" duffle, put the rolling duffle and the bike case in storage with the Moxy, ride my bike straight across town to pick up my campervan, drive back to the Moxy, and pick up my stuff to finally head out of the city and start my 19 days of driving through New South Wales and Victoria.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC2Kp3Cl5MkGfbCokF_kjkBWebvzeKwc_6n2FLTQWHhloikf2dKkafuLJodyAR0bbQxNXljW94UG7nwtPqDeLrfPjmsX7oDnD3M7qBH7Q3PcTFs7_MUepEUe7CP67JEy3yrHCNdmK6twXGc07VLBioUxf0rLi65AhTEfmCimUlei1DzqBQgFS55edKoyMa/s3371/PXL_20231207_202933070.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2180" data-original-width="3371" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC2Kp3Cl5MkGfbCokF_kjkBWebvzeKwc_6n2FLTQWHhloikf2dKkafuLJodyAR0bbQxNXljW94UG7nwtPqDeLrfPjmsX7oDnD3M7qBH7Q3PcTFs7_MUepEUe7CP67JEy3yrHCNdmK6twXGc07VLBioUxf0rLi65AhTEfmCimUlei1DzqBQgFS55edKoyMa/w400-h259/PXL_20231207_202933070.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkh78pmS4Ey4r73_N2We6HCyFj2mtfgCASeNU92Kls49WSm6SdTMDN0OJN7iSEMEpLgOOvx5Go-0ICcu7TqPnQwUEmb7DNokzlS2Lg5HPoeKpGz2OX6tAuZbZnI3CaKc-omw4LJLiAU9VSRhkDZSd0APX4Fw3fmFKfsgXxcF-Er4s7LRk6byu9bIEDOCP/s2268/PXL_20231207_202922672.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2180" data-original-width="2268" height="385" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkh78pmS4Ey4r73_N2We6HCyFj2mtfgCASeNU92Kls49WSm6SdTMDN0OJN7iSEMEpLgOOvx5Go-0ICcu7TqPnQwUEmb7DNokzlS2Lg5HPoeKpGz2OX6tAuZbZnI3CaKc-omw4LJLiAU9VSRhkDZSd0APX4Fw3fmFKfsgXxcF-Er4s7LRk6byu9bIEDOCP/w400-h385/PXL_20231207_202922672.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>Stay tuned for the sequel!</div><div><br /></div>JürgenJürgenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03107533431710748040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023527478729548228.post-78232286409223281022023-12-08T05:59:00.001-06:002023-12-08T05:59:11.665-06:00How to fly 18,446 miles to Australia (and back) in style<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM3RTJTFrduNnCr5FjUHRbTjRZsWWeXMat8r8sdKDlYX-MN5_u7_ex1mPUjQzFUzowVOs2CU44_OxbL7-IoUVzgrsXptMDyYZ6Lq8JQV8Q2IgPdk8SXl02dX_KS3cyw98lnd-qSaekYSn1-uQXAYf_j1fNy_LO6vYPOqlc-2goEMVt5E9oc2fAd0Yv16qu/s4032/PXL_20231205_054515495.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM3RTJTFrduNnCr5FjUHRbTjRZsWWeXMat8r8sdKDlYX-MN5_u7_ex1mPUjQzFUzowVOs2CU44_OxbL7-IoUVzgrsXptMDyYZ6Lq8JQV8Q2IgPdk8SXl02dX_KS3cyw98lnd-qSaekYSn1-uQXAYf_j1fNy_LO6vYPOqlc-2goEMVt5E9oc2fAd0Yv16qu/w225-h400/PXL_20231205_054515495.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>It's rather easy, actually: You could clean out a good chunk of your savings account and buy a First Class ticket from Lubbock to Sydney on American for $24,460. Actually, that's probably the simplest way, but also the one that for most of us is somewhat beyond our financial comfort level.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfoy1R_5U6yjtuMp0elR6FvqzZJ3-baXZrZWqvaFh_aOnzItdLdpjuwEwgZmsXf1ciX7CTeS90WkohT14Z72F_YNSFg-IHQw2TWpuBpC_OWj-P_FBepo9W6H4cBs5uGvYtjmJg9AkVHf9ybfWJZsAx7KNwj5OBAFfievuyxxjrAPpeVMcOI2ABccqjijSu/s1173/Screen%20Shot%2011-07-23%20at%2012.25%20PM.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="1173" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfoy1R_5U6yjtuMp0elR6FvqzZJ3-baXZrZWqvaFh_aOnzItdLdpjuwEwgZmsXf1ciX7CTeS90WkohT14Z72F_YNSFg-IHQw2TWpuBpC_OWj-P_FBepo9W6H4cBs5uGvYtjmJg9AkVHf9ybfWJZsAx7KNwj5OBAFfievuyxxjrAPpeVMcOI2ABccqjijSu/w400-h290/Screen%20Shot%2011-07-23%20at%2012.25%20PM.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>Or you can do what I did: I spent $112.95 for taxes and fees, used 210,500 miles, and booked the exact same flights that would have cost almost $25K. It wasn't as straightforward as blowing the heirs' inheritance (actually, I don't have any real heirs') because initially the mileage requirement was an extra 160,000 miles, but with a bit of persistence and rechecking and rebooking four times (no costs involved) I was able to land a heckuva deal.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCBA0EFPkoHs5B7QuMJoA0AHo1HjLXA-5zBliOC-le-uV-W4vZXCcTZC9nZ3ARybOaCmVUv8brdRr3BHK-15XZTVR1_kBbDt6RgN7CIlrcgcqWaGdGaMSsQ8dffY4ZqnryIyWlNjBcQQBXaikABxXkHK5IjRFyp9wd2AXxDPbDFz44CwpzCM5vGc8dT5uD/s2365/PXL_20231204_224621497.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2365" data-original-width="2244" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCBA0EFPkoHs5B7QuMJoA0AHo1HjLXA-5zBliOC-le-uV-W4vZXCcTZC9nZ3ARybOaCmVUv8brdRr3BHK-15XZTVR1_kBbDt6RgN7CIlrcgcqWaGdGaMSsQ8dffY4ZqnryIyWlNjBcQQBXaikABxXkHK5IjRFyp9wd2AXxDPbDFz44CwpzCM5vGc8dT5uD/w380-h400/PXL_20231204_224621497.jpg" width="380" /></a></div><div>While American Airlines (as well as the other legacy carriers) have increasingly turned the screws on frequent fliers, loyalty programs still have a place in the world of travel. It used to be that each airline published a mileage chart, and you'd know that you would need X number of miles to travel from point A to point B, during various times of the year, in your class of choice. No longer. "Dynamic pricing" means that the required miles are linked to how much a flight to a particular destination costs in dollars. So, there's not much transparency left in regard to what the miles in your account are actually worth. Let me put it this way: They're worth way less than you might think—way less than they used to be.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8pzjJT5WLmGxTDl5vA_zHCNMrfvZWS7pdZm_H0mYXUuGYp4KX8Wh2ADdRsUlECgM0VEZKeeErmYAXpvqkyiWmWU-t1CvCJw7MY9Yrw_Wf5omLyOJ3aZFng6TzjyLfk5jPYZwdJ9jQeiS1BMWB1YP2lt7dkyCX2XznGBbWEWhDVa512Cwiqf7rTg2yo35q/s4032/PXL_20231204_204654614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8pzjJT5WLmGxTDl5vA_zHCNMrfvZWS7pdZm_H0mYXUuGYp4KX8Wh2ADdRsUlECgM0VEZKeeErmYAXpvqkyiWmWU-t1CvCJw7MY9Yrw_Wf5omLyOJ3aZFng6TzjyLfk5jPYZwdJ9jQeiS1BMWB1YP2lt7dkyCX2XznGBbWEWhDVa512Cwiqf7rTg2yo35q/w225-h400/PXL_20231204_204654614.jpg" width="225" /></a></div></div><div>I generally buy one-way award tickets with my miles since it is easier to make changes later on (you don't have to deal with availability on the portion of your ticket you don't want to change), and as someone who has earned Executive Platinum—top-tier frequent flier status with AA—for the past dozen or so years I don't have to pay a penny to change or cancel award flights (and reinstate my miles). <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9IIK228cHK19-60xenc9mbJe2emhql5EkxqIoex3tZu-xFI2q9-YYsTjEOqlwkSMLy2OLEtTN1g_-xCEcMSxUDjCc9_IvNEuSsTdItmM54EP-IQS3Fvya5TT_Wk_marxpkLWkftVhCDbD2Lm_w2D42hktpXncSPRRBqYM-1CvGVkyHipRlJauL372OMTy/s3268/PXL_20231204_200205704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3268" data-original-width="2216" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9IIK228cHK19-60xenc9mbJe2emhql5EkxqIoex3tZu-xFI2q9-YYsTjEOqlwkSMLy2OLEtTN1g_-xCEcMSxUDjCc9_IvNEuSsTdItmM54EP-IQS3Fvya5TT_Wk_marxpkLWkftVhCDbD2Lm_w2D42hktpXncSPRRBqYM-1CvGVkyHipRlJauL372OMTy/w271-h400/PXL_20231204_200205704.jpg" width="271" /></a></div></div><div>I had a general time range when I wanted to fly to Australia and started looking for flights around those days. For the outbound flight, I unexpectedly found a flight on December 4 for 95,000 miles, and I immediately booked it as the entire week before and after started at 200,000+ miles for First.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv3dL0gF6XKgU5uNlZ6r20YUNj-21W87U0I9vqQ4Ug4BjIbx7quET1fd1ET_1XBXtuGBhfMKfOhl0VqAunMWLiG5zZ8HmB9DAVaocJ4LXK5-ZBCa3v8BOOd_0O-Bhfdz90035WIDXtivjEKiug_Hn4S4I9xAEbESX8QE3HbuJD5PClokrGihqJtawfOfF6/s4032/PXL_20231204_215641145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv3dL0gF6XKgU5uNlZ6r20YUNj-21W87U0I9vqQ4Ug4BjIbx7quET1fd1ET_1XBXtuGBhfMKfOhl0VqAunMWLiG5zZ8HmB9DAVaocJ4LXK5-ZBCa3v8BOOd_0O-Bhfdz90035WIDXtivjEKiug_Hn4S4I9xAEbESX8QE3HbuJD5PClokrGihqJtawfOfF6/w225-h400/PXL_20231204_215641145.jpg" width="225" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtM0wqahhP0zyEUBJeJH1aD7OKK8enqOaVHtUyvL8PFBOpbNZN1-JofmFEFXhY8CZmcIcaGT7AXohxsqiDKpRXpOtYP-r3K7GhR9qgshh7l-Yyrw0jsPddiB55SMgjjV_tEDww2AEN3H3kWHyy1cyYZxt07HuN_hO1tO-7TfA-1T99pa5VAbYHru2AknKZ/s4032/PXL_20231205_054017211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtM0wqahhP0zyEUBJeJH1aD7OKK8enqOaVHtUyvL8PFBOpbNZN1-JofmFEFXhY8CZmcIcaGT7AXohxsqiDKpRXpOtYP-r3K7GhR9qgshh7l-Yyrw0jsPddiB55SMgjjV_tEDww2AEN3H3kWHyy1cyYZxt07HuN_hO1tO-7TfA-1T99pa5VAbYHru2AknKZ/w225-h400/PXL_20231205_054017211.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7HebdCdkjBUXOwVivZ3BUe8FkqhBJdyPW7LR9K85pAoR3Bt-PHRKZoGkWfMmc56rCkxZOIDWEVfVHMzXIt94qidk16FiAvByhS1jTUbjSmaX03wZ-wNUBzGUHMbn_83BtOrliLLml9vFUNSGaOyFUN0AlZFlO4gpaNWpPijAM4zlbtEjYoY0-adxF7YHi/s4032/PXL_20231205_054027920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7HebdCdkjBUXOwVivZ3BUe8FkqhBJdyPW7LR9K85pAoR3Bt-PHRKZoGkWfMmc56rCkxZOIDWEVfVHMzXIt94qidk16FiAvByhS1jTUbjSmaX03wZ-wNUBzGUHMbn_83BtOrliLLml9vFUNSGaOyFUN0AlZFlO4gpaNWpPijAM4zlbtEjYoY0-adxF7YHi/w225-h400/PXL_20231205_054027920.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>(I should explain that I was looking only at Business and First class flights for the long LAX to SYD flight. If you're willing to spend 15 hours wedged between fleshy people on the right and left, you can fly for 40,000 miles on some days, sometimes even less! I'm sorry, at age 67 I'm no longer willing to do this any longer. So, 95,000 for First was a true bargain, just 10,000 more than biz at the time.<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnp1ezI6-S9cyndC7NCt8La7Q7TrlgPYZIxYvgENj8F7MUHUaed5oe-v857D10qh6IfkNSwNe0kDg0uW3aOhyu7Va2B-i3npXgbAH5ZTIIm5FzD1YJyKLyLJc7bbn5rxoTcKUt4dZafm_SqOrEzZqenDKROBAV5vP70zvHKsAIuhKBBRLQtn0yUjOqa9N7/s2536/PXL_20231204_220417157.PORTRAIT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2536" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnp1ezI6-S9cyndC7NCt8La7Q7TrlgPYZIxYvgENj8F7MUHUaed5oe-v857D10qh6IfkNSwNe0kDg0uW3aOhyu7Va2B-i3npXgbAH5ZTIIm5FzD1YJyKLyLJc7bbn5rxoTcKUt4dZafm_SqOrEzZqenDKROBAV5vP70zvHKsAIuhKBBRLQtn0yUjOqa9N7/w358-h400/PXL_20231204_220417157.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="358" /></a></div></div><div>For the return trip after about three weeks or so in Australia, right around Christmas, things didn't look so good, and I initially booked a flight for 260,000 miles on the 28th. Ouch. But all the alternatives were hitting 400,000 to 450,000 miles, and even though I still have around 2.5 million miles, that seemed like a <i>LOT</i>!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZFS1pZ4ZoKQv2Ukf9CaQb5VL2wZXdd3sOhAnKAk7Y7JCEah4-w_71rOXUoZ73XhspT0VZEl86Tm8USUItEUWNloEy1lvtJKja2LGKfaktlxirV2EBqPPcLgC_67kHxFXND-XBEBvMTAYj3D_IBnyJAKYbo3hZmm2o5P6ep5_eNvXWaj1AAHcqJzzAzWGT/s3020/PXL_20231205_174835730.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1742" data-original-width="3020" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZFS1pZ4ZoKQv2Ukf9CaQb5VL2wZXdd3sOhAnKAk7Y7JCEah4-w_71rOXUoZ73XhspT0VZEl86Tm8USUItEUWNloEy1lvtJKja2LGKfaktlxirV2EBqPPcLgC_67kHxFXND-XBEBvMTAYj3D_IBnyJAKYbo3hZmm2o5P6ep5_eNvXWaj1AAHcqJzzAzWGT/w400-h231/PXL_20231205_174835730.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>As I said, persistent looking and rebooking (plus the use of a free online service called PointsYeah that sends an alert when mileage requirements for a particular route and date have changed) allowed me to bring down that return flight to 115,500 miles. That's a savings of 145,000 miles, and for most people that takes more, way more, than a year to accumulate.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOHahf8Ow6P4LQC_6aiB7ET_oCuVHBP-AcyK_rq-mbYIBDwKvBYpyiwSDX0z0Xl2Vk_Vgl-DBrOLbBZ7Rgi-XPjxqdY9nZYY98djfYtY80CLlQCIesQRYVKEfaK_7CLHV_voVvRBM4Eb_YN6ZtHKAtfohu2eHAMBqtJINkNo3eBkOLOjuqv4vTteHNldNW/s4032/PXL_20231205_043234588.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOHahf8Ow6P4LQC_6aiB7ET_oCuVHBP-AcyK_rq-mbYIBDwKvBYpyiwSDX0z0Xl2Vk_Vgl-DBrOLbBZ7Rgi-XPjxqdY9nZYY98djfYtY80CLlQCIesQRYVKEfaK_7CLHV_voVvRBM4Eb_YN6ZtHKAtfohu2eHAMBqtJINkNo3eBkOLOjuqv4vTteHNldNW/w225-h400/PXL_20231205_043234588.jpg" width="225" /></a></div></div><div>There were a few days when I could have done the entire roundtrip for somewhere around 160,000 miles in Business, but I decided to live it up and splurge. For most people, the terms Business and First are pretty much interchangeable, but there's a difference. On domestic flights, you can fly Economy or First—there is no Business domestically. When you fly internationally, Economy is still Economy (although there's also a Premium Economy), and the seats up front are called Business. Those are the nice cubicles that you see when boarding the plane—and peeking to the left—on wide-bodies that have lie-flat seats and have much better catering than the back of the plane, heading to the right.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnud580iMhOrk7A5yCvOnNJ5d73lUe2VqXdaEty614vpbf2_7Dk-N3LlySHKq2S4WR84XhRpxbzyygmMwTBSdMMUgT2LHCmroEmFCqwf8aoIvarheuBC3852jXTvotwdXGCAbE_gO3nSCP1CLQGOwlN4nn2w3d_AycLNwtH76Iw2oqzqNw4gM3vzvfGhO/s4032/PXL_20231205_053752677.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnud580iMhOrk7A5yCvOnNJ5d73lUe2VqXdaEty614vpbf2_7Dk-N3LlySHKq2S4WR84XhRpxbzyygmMwTBSdMMUgT2LHCmroEmFCqwf8aoIvarheuBC3852jXTvotwdXGCAbE_gO3nSCP1CLQGOwlN4nn2w3d_AycLNwtH76Iw2oqzqNw4gM3vzvfGhO/w400-h225/PXL_20231205_053752677.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>International First class is a dying breed. AA has phased out most of its three-class planes (or converted part of the plane to Premium Economy, which has wider seats with more recline but is not lie-flat), and only a few routes remain that offer AA's top-of-the-line product, Flagship First.</div><div><br /></div><div>And that's what I was able to book.</div><div><br /></div><div>Long gone are the days of the caviar cart (Russian caviar and ice cold vodka! I experienced that once!) or the chef who'd slice the meat in the aisle and serve it piping hot out of a true oven, but Flagship First still provides a level of cushiness and service that Business simply doesn't. Does it matter that you have a choice of six wines instead of just four? Do you like the idea that the flight attendant transforms your seat into a comfortable bed with a special mattress? Do you want to change into an airline-supplied pajama?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0gRAlkG4mTUogncrWpfNV_PjMS2I5wahmTaW-2u5VA7S_xKOWL1RoDm1HvOENs7NX3qP8w_OW_BrN6s4zdbULaZS-J-3ro17a4DwjCnGshPYrp5ElVB0mHzaNCcXQGEsRJO7HfofABF0qvwQbh850khYQtzak8Wisao5BIGEf_jwyw4VJ8z5rfn_oNMDu/s3049/PXL_20231205_054509070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3049" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0gRAlkG4mTUogncrWpfNV_PjMS2I5wahmTaW-2u5VA7S_xKOWL1RoDm1HvOENs7NX3qP8w_OW_BrN6s4zdbULaZS-J-3ro17a4DwjCnGshPYrp5ElVB0mHzaNCcXQGEsRJO7HfofABF0qvwQbh850khYQtzak8Wisao5BIGEf_jwyw4VJ8z5rfn_oNMDu/w298-h400/PXL_20231205_054509070.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>It's heady stuff. During my 15-hour flight I struck up a conversation, in the galley, with one of three of the flight attendants who were working our cabin, all eight of us. Like I, she has been loyal to AA for more than 30 years. After initial banter about the good old days I asked her point-blank: How many of the eight pax in First on our flight AA73 were revenue? Two. Two people shelled out a shitload of money. The others used Systemwide Upgrades to move from biz, used miles to do the same, or spent $112.95 to cover the taxes and fees for this extravaganza. See why airlines are phasing out First?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF0tsDDDEC-nuahbrkorxNmKTZHvGx3zNFXcjc8l4-tmxneAFC-zhL8dKUU-7QPzmI7hD8c-z8ZGxpC1IOOdeMBH66nh7ErDxYXkmA_vLUQ2yR1HaRga1faqf_GaydcAxu_N3qvzEAFOyiQOG1sWPt6xmFHBu9bEDKyhCa5TO85grpNtyUk0qRYnkVxfBB/s2425/PXL_20231204_225820419.PORTRAIT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2425" data-original-width="2161" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF0tsDDDEC-nuahbrkorxNmKTZHvGx3zNFXcjc8l4-tmxneAFC-zhL8dKUU-7QPzmI7hD8c-z8ZGxpC1IOOdeMBH66nh7ErDxYXkmA_vLUQ2yR1HaRga1faqf_GaydcAxu_N3qvzEAFOyiQOG1sWPt6xmFHBu9bEDKyhCa5TO85grpNtyUk0qRYnkVxfBB/w356-h400/PXL_20231204_225820419.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="356" /></a></div>So, who pays? Well, not 20%-ters like I. The flight attendant told me that just a few weeks ago she had Leonardo de Caprio as a revenue pax. And a few folks with him. Good for AA. Maybe Flagship First stays around so those schmucks among us who feel entitled get to revel on the glory of a 1%-ter. Of course, there is another universe beyond that ....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGpwkB1JIJYL7pjaoJwVt9r18oYN5_PP4-L-AR_Znp2CZ8Df7Uaad3n6f9kHaSCmmJpt7l7zbEXzwl_htLUHmvXRS4fPBd1cIAI7ux5GJqdria1pYF0K-EmS9AGGh-9PfibzaUC6061Yf2hQHVZfFpcuQ9kLdVfowo0J-Uoz8H5vgPVJlwusI9ZCi_Yl8/s4032/PXL_20231204_231404865.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGpwkB1JIJYL7pjaoJwVt9r18oYN5_PP4-L-AR_Znp2CZ8Df7Uaad3n6f9kHaSCmmJpt7l7zbEXzwl_htLUHmvXRS4fPBd1cIAI7ux5GJqdria1pYF0K-EmS9AGGh-9PfibzaUC6061Yf2hQHVZfFpcuQ9kLdVfowo0J-Uoz8H5vgPVJlwusI9ZCi_Yl8/w400-h225/PXL_20231204_231404865.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>Flagship First is not limit to a huge, massaging, reclining every-which-way seat, or impeccable on-board service. At the airport, even in little old Lubbock where most of the gate staff know me, personnel treat you a bit differently when you're in international First. Get to the DFW airport, and upon entry into the Flagship Lounge (already heavily restricted but available to only international flights) you are personally invited to "enjoy" Flagship Dining. Understand: There are lounges with finger foods, there is the FL lounge with a nice buffet and an open bar, and then there is Flagship Dining. Better don't wear your pajamas in here. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihq8rr1-ZuoG7WpL1ysBFXOqWYSSbjWb9EHYdgjCOq7nqxcX66HyDlEvJECmd0modL3N3PF1Io92r5mEhQ0leUx3ZxKfOFdcILsjIG9vucfA3I7E1C5pNyjTuvsEm3Y-1LDB6RNvD6bS3MZklpAO0_ALt-84feMicnCsrKVxuZNv5MdCXvm1O_BRigXZQf/s4032/PXL_20231205_053916859.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihq8rr1-ZuoG7WpL1ysBFXOqWYSSbjWb9EHYdgjCOq7nqxcX66HyDlEvJECmd0modL3N3PF1Io92r5mEhQ0leUx3ZxKfOFdcILsjIG9vucfA3I7E1C5pNyjTuvsEm3Y-1LDB6RNvD6bS3MZklpAO0_ALt-84feMicnCsrKVxuZNv5MdCXvm1O_BRigXZQf/w400-h225/PXL_20231205_053916859.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>Does all this justify an additional price tag starting in the low five digits? For a normal guy like me, of course not. All my friends are normal people. This is stuff we saw in the movies ("Up in the Air"), stories we hear about from buddies who get upgrades ("They put me in Economy Plus!"), and things we can't comprehend ("How would anyone spend $25,000 for a night on a plane?"). <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5_V5sULg_hHUJCNHtYXjH6rO-wpqQcvreZD39xdm-_wE7XYYKXzP9J6zJ3DvXF867snEPV_1afPFUtvr4f9_4J-c1wbm3AY7lwl4S4lF7XglxZZW1AdKsiRp53EU62U6FDc494tYl4oy-3H6PxhI5b9LUfxZU6UUy1e0TIqOnvl7NOkfTd1QnegKCHStL/s4032/PXL_20231205_040253566.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5_V5sULg_hHUJCNHtYXjH6rO-wpqQcvreZD39xdm-_wE7XYYKXzP9J6zJ3DvXF867snEPV_1afPFUtvr4f9_4J-c1wbm3AY7lwl4S4lF7XglxZZW1AdKsiRp53EU62U6FDc494tYl4oy-3H6PxhI5b9LUfxZU6UUy1e0TIqOnvl7NOkfTd1QnegKCHStL/w400-h225/PXL_20231205_040253566.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>I get it. I quite likely get it way more than you do because I know what this (does or does not) mean. It's damn nice, and I feel extremely privileged to have been able to work the system (that we all pay for with our airfares and choose with our credit cards and enhance with all those other little tricks out there) in a way that allows me to travel like a 1%-ter without being one.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaGMOQ_UPNXO5j0r3chMdrggvSHW7er9zcE4dDdsqvYCHffinJdJxLKNiXaR-v_D2k3VTNR3ktCHimrYBGxJ_vA7aBqYip2nAYyWAG2-XwBoZSYdhOds_6ainboRdnWeZlHla_0bug-xj0zZY-MG_gAT0K58KllrvXcE-UnRJL5ejwiioriqcXWzPrMfK6/s2884/PXL_20231204_222728569~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="2884" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaGMOQ_UPNXO5j0r3chMdrggvSHW7er9zcE4dDdsqvYCHffinJdJxLKNiXaR-v_D2k3VTNR3ktCHimrYBGxJ_vA7aBqYip2nAYyWAG2-XwBoZSYdhOds_6ainboRdnWeZlHla_0bug-xj0zZY-MG_gAT0K58KllrvXcE-UnRJL5ejwiioriqcXWzPrMfK6/w400-h315/PXL_20231204_222728569~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>I promise, the next blog post will have more exciting pics than all that food and booze crap!</div><div><br /></div><div>Jürgen</div>Jürgenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03107533431710748040noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023527478729548228.post-86866606654957925232023-11-29T12:41:00.002-06:002023-11-29T12:41:20.193-06:00Float, bloat, and ride a few miles in Playa del Carmen<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnowXV18CRCrVcEiSXhc6DG0vrXPQ_bgNs1n4XeC6Ps2c766v1PtPxbOeI9ZDoRFTm-YLe4AZop8EbE-kaSa1Zxytb0g7D7QS1VT5vfO-n388Q9KDn2h_5k1ZMXw3fuBQiant396Mqjdfbap38-ZnrgHyZMVEKkI5xcisrqFOU9QPRLCKgju14znUJtCNj/s4032/PXL_20231121_144439820.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnowXV18CRCrVcEiSXhc6DG0vrXPQ_bgNs1n4XeC6Ps2c766v1PtPxbOeI9ZDoRFTm-YLe4AZop8EbE-kaSa1Zxytb0g7D7QS1VT5vfO-n388Q9KDn2h_5k1ZMXw3fuBQiant396Mqjdfbap38-ZnrgHyZMVEKkI5xcisrqFOU9QPRLCKgju14znUJtCNj/w400-h225/PXL_20231121_144439820.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>It's Thanksgiving evening, and I am stuffed, not with turkey, but a delicious Mexican dinner that also included three margaritas plus some Kahlua as well as Baileys for dessert, of course. This is no way to live a solid life, but then who ever said that all inclusive resorts will lead you in this direction?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaJh1fHxD-HSw_qcVJGDlts_gRRM5xNOI1MVOEzmvFIZT3xOuze0s9cnt5q5s1sRb23qSdd2jvSCm8WmC9UVVLMXjrhk2QaNbFeuG_5wLB_DwPXfZqm4XWovj3WaSW_ygcT3CSihTd1aXs9KZchwCLcDy1VdNQcwjHuGo3HhlixAHartJWq64oXXO-1tj8/s3308/PXL_20231126_012408917.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3308" data-original-width="2147" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaJh1fHxD-HSw_qcVJGDlts_gRRM5xNOI1MVOEzmvFIZT3xOuze0s9cnt5q5s1sRb23qSdd2jvSCm8WmC9UVVLMXjrhk2QaNbFeuG_5wLB_DwPXfZqm4XWovj3WaSW_ygcT3CSihTd1aXs9KZchwCLcDy1VdNQcwjHuGo3HhlixAHartJWq64oXXO-1tj8/w260-h400/PXL_20231126_012408917.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhWdnnORa93w_bfoM1cnkGuud3j01OsqRkwJgxGp0izxpGBho9joOxyxAKB4J3My-QEtvaJUEygjvDtz8g4KtZcKbHS-zkmnGargDLh2JQxpnveB46FXpU51lSs1e1yaRwPZwuN-Juh8f6A2GY-W-Nc3LMMZ9LZyqEQpvvCXs4Kc0hhRHRvkvDlJs4ZAP9/s4032/PXL_20231121_022419039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhWdnnORa93w_bfoM1cnkGuud3j01OsqRkwJgxGp0izxpGBho9joOxyxAKB4J3My-QEtvaJUEygjvDtz8g4KtZcKbHS-zkmnGargDLh2JQxpnveB46FXpU51lSs1e1yaRwPZwuN-Juh8f6A2GY-W-Nc3LMMZ9LZyqEQpvvCXs4Kc0hhRHRvkvDlJs4ZAP9/w400-h225/PXL_20231121_022419039.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwfvSQGi8w1MP7JDij2VjBtKWMs8FhyphenhyphenWgoKGaLLsjn3qqDrLqg8UCnUEvNd69BPiWKHSZgEh43-wL1tDMYVjfqF8lPajnObePElXXH5ebl4Ip7ez_jAoCDbPspRdqCIRitn_v01uvEQcC3Mf2maAsEkwSPKo1w00Oy7rGRPbNnxDbDAvbc-0QnCveBUER_/s3010/PXL_20231126_023012912.PORTRAIT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3010" data-original-width="2128" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwfvSQGi8w1MP7JDij2VjBtKWMs8FhyphenhyphenWgoKGaLLsjn3qqDrLqg8UCnUEvNd69BPiWKHSZgEh43-wL1tDMYVjfqF8lPajnObePElXXH5ebl4Ip7ez_jAoCDbPspRdqCIRitn_v01uvEQcC3Mf2maAsEkwSPKo1w00Oy7rGRPbNnxDbDAvbc-0QnCveBUER_/w283-h400/PXL_20231126_023012912.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="283" /></a></div>On Thanksgiving we're supposed to be thankful, and I have lots of things to be thankful for. A little less than three years ago I was down here, on a similar trip but in the spring, and went for one of my routine daily rides when I hit a speed bump that I never saw, went down hard, and ended up receiving a replacement hip. I think I need to be thankful that I am still riding and relatively active with that extra wear and tear.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeaFpYn6P2QcYw4057SGzfakCy5SAOXWf1qceia05mrelmmFCzpEmZVnagsPM4iOK3ZYDmgG655_wcgvux25NaGiOIwysSnsXYoDwDVqWdZ_PxCJluIYkR-q3pcjoOVzQnxuTL6cORLbpUKcCkHWgd8P5Q6wHjpZDV5EQ8jNm2NoqaQ7_8Eqw-JX7u74-X/s4032/PXL_20231121_154412375.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeaFpYn6P2QcYw4057SGzfakCy5SAOXWf1qceia05mrelmmFCzpEmZVnagsPM4iOK3ZYDmgG655_wcgvux25NaGiOIwysSnsXYoDwDVqWdZ_PxCJluIYkR-q3pcjoOVzQnxuTL6cORLbpUKcCkHWgd8P5Q6wHjpZDV5EQ8jNm2NoqaQ7_8Eqw-JX7u74-X/w400-h225/PXL_20231121_154412375.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh10ORtNZJ3z1ZjvwB6uqwJ282zAFHR1Qzcx07p0stS55CkCca5AL0Rnqwb0QTpExWuRR9bhyIQ8Co5CMBQIOPXfsHTHXQ9bph7azOIxOhwWghYhwxoFlBoJhAmTd_aSb3rvU_tJoFKDjlhqSZsiQJe8ZbclvH8oCrjmhtOnOxpqGL-Nr1NM5jHST8DiYzC/s2600/PXL_20231120_163942685.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1720" data-original-width="2600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh10ORtNZJ3z1ZjvwB6uqwJ282zAFHR1Qzcx07p0stS55CkCca5AL0Rnqwb0QTpExWuRR9bhyIQ8Co5CMBQIOPXfsHTHXQ9bph7azOIxOhwWghYhwxoFlBoJhAmTd_aSb3rvU_tJoFKDjlhqSZsiQJe8ZbclvH8oCrjmhtOnOxpqGL-Nr1NM5jHST8DiYzC/w400-h265/PXL_20231120_163942685.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgilvGOEu18ft93a-RKSx0vuXcxAzxY9efiSYaMkw83-eVHqRDlCxQnWNSTgDU9kp6NRUIHaaDMQtpiB0UE-y6fIR6_3qA4doycf3xWeGlw8SrjETORaZbWsLM6VfOKJkSZ_465xbkTytTH689UeiXvfxTQx3N9PWxlTFyZRXO6SKMSLBlP-mhjKLNINrjB/s1716/PXL_20231120_165430332.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1036" data-original-width="1716" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgilvGOEu18ft93a-RKSx0vuXcxAzxY9efiSYaMkw83-eVHqRDlCxQnWNSTgDU9kp6NRUIHaaDMQtpiB0UE-y6fIR6_3qA4doycf3xWeGlw8SrjETORaZbWsLM6VfOKJkSZ_465xbkTytTH689UeiXvfxTQx3N9PWxlTFyZRXO6SKMSLBlP-mhjKLNINrjB/w400-h241/PXL_20231120_165430332.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihh627mqHwcO8ToJvOxBhq1UVWf2bdDQDeF9Jn3grnSd1wLt_kD_v37oLFkZt1belqpNuk-MY45cARAIPy_dzUtdtKUkz50hkDGobZyTkDA8XV8Rb2-U3r-BTi0aog5J4AgmdV2LO4pxgJTHm_jQf9w92BZxgQ4HAgy6AFRZcVn-QbC3xU1sfxJFHezv8A/s2390/PXL_20231124_170052961.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2390" data-original-width="2255" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihh627mqHwcO8ToJvOxBhq1UVWf2bdDQDeF9Jn3grnSd1wLt_kD_v37oLFkZt1belqpNuk-MY45cARAIPy_dzUtdtKUkz50hkDGobZyTkDA8XV8Rb2-U3r-BTi0aog5J4AgmdV2LO4pxgJTHm_jQf9w92BZxgQ4HAgy6AFRZcVn-QbC3xU1sfxJFHezv8A/w378-h400/PXL_20231124_170052961.jpg" width="378" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY9hd1ARvHNGixvLWAjdH5gZI56QHGKKvqXfN9GwF7y3jSZZLfIA0vNoTLItKGTUt6v_ccLHwUR-sdtBq7MvLapADuSRoPFPOjHch1j_11inpjGElHqUz9hzhJGHj9eX4MEndIdmpMDO5zeRRlP1kcbViNA-31NhjAFlhCLPROfOWwZZV_0A44Wgt1ffqo/s3009/PXL_20231124_170106093.PORTRAIT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3009" data-original-width="1997" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY9hd1ARvHNGixvLWAjdH5gZI56QHGKKvqXfN9GwF7y3jSZZLfIA0vNoTLItKGTUt6v_ccLHwUR-sdtBq7MvLapADuSRoPFPOjHch1j_11inpjGElHqUz9hzhJGHj9eX4MEndIdmpMDO5zeRRlP1kcbViNA-31NhjAFlhCLPROfOWwZZV_0A44Wgt1ffqo/w265-h400/PXL_20231124_170106093.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>It's been a year with a busy bike race schedule, all the way from the early NICA high school season to three national championships, several UCI mountain bike events, two UCI World Tour road races, and even a Pan-American Championship. That alone took me to two foreign countries and numerous US states, and my personal travel isn't even done yet and nevertheless I've been to a several spots that some folks have on their bucket list. I won't just give away yet how I hope to ring out the year.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxjXbDhyNdnkZOWR8bvACF03Sz8vOXJEiabjUnvgjpFiK8Ni9XnFmVOUimHfj5p9bGX9R5Lw0VV_iD46cfINtTRs9alW8bny65hv8s2R4aXTgXj6LZZIEdZq8FGDnxoKrsJfrmC4vvFCUp435MmYVJaUDcz36RHd5qwL8yQ7ydmyOs0bjaOFF6b55Dhf6/s4032/PXL_20231119_213410785.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxjXbDhyNdnkZOWR8bvACF03Sz8vOXJEiabjUnvgjpFiK8Ni9XnFmVOUimHfj5p9bGX9R5Lw0VV_iD46cfINtTRs9alW8bny65hv8s2R4aXTgXj6LZZIEdZq8FGDnxoKrsJfrmC4vvFCUp435MmYVJaUDcz36RHd5qwL8yQ7ydmyOs0bjaOFF6b55Dhf6/w225-h400/PXL_20231119_213410785.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRp2Tq3SFru7taSP1K_rkJicGCT6nLPZskMU-GWPc6oWgISA5v1Wze7KmPNWLaG0qxTZfZbd_TgrxPVMtd4bfD4soR61bM_2t8wKBGvsD_LONeWPhAhj81h5jY3pOfnzkfSaeqoJ9FZeJNfaG0ns_dITYXu3-21vza7STz6xRDz04kp25Enm0ee10gw2Wb/s4032/PXL_20231119_213128680.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRp2Tq3SFru7taSP1K_rkJicGCT6nLPZskMU-GWPc6oWgISA5v1Wze7KmPNWLaG0qxTZfZbd_TgrxPVMtd4bfD4soR61bM_2t8wKBGvsD_LONeWPhAhj81h5jY3pOfnzkfSaeqoJ9FZeJNfaG0ns_dITYXu3-21vza7STz6xRDz04kp25Enm0ee10gw2Wb/w400-h225/PXL_20231119_213128680.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdTJcgfOig4rCVVDa-2N52FZEYFo3ooVnxVhkQ1sJrUncjyT9onJEDd2h7uNiQD9EDXz_unieB8jaIqsPIXYcu_QLij1Bm8ggGWV7cl48OWMa_WQc3dDyqh581lt9LOO3kppUqtb1JZYCQ9Mg_AWGtIBPNcufmV1noVXy0pWn2kyTRk1jTAouSrivAD3-O/s2674/PXL_20231125_231958612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1885" data-original-width="2674" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdTJcgfOig4rCVVDa-2N52FZEYFo3ooVnxVhkQ1sJrUncjyT9onJEDd2h7uNiQD9EDXz_unieB8jaIqsPIXYcu_QLij1Bm8ggGWV7cl48OWMa_WQc3dDyqh581lt9LOO3kppUqtb1JZYCQ9Mg_AWGtIBPNcufmV1noVXy0pWn2kyTRk1jTAouSrivAD3-O/w400-h283/PXL_20231125_231958612.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQgcCkA5-4A0auJ5HR9Czim2jrnYKNQ_U2vRwyT0t1Y0_ni6jJ9fNJpMHH7jDZSatNWxdaiCJccAM0q9c2bY9UpTPF4D9G8gjPkF3XCb6KWwZ-2U6HhLLiDDCiuCiRCdy5jiDEUWNkEFyBUnVS-MQjfLY3tKLlvPHYmn2Ix8qPQNCF7zDIwwddFkemOqoB/s4032/PXL_20231119_200402082.LONG_EXPOSURE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQgcCkA5-4A0auJ5HR9Czim2jrnYKNQ_U2vRwyT0t1Y0_ni6jJ9fNJpMHH7jDZSatNWxdaiCJccAM0q9c2bY9UpTPF4D9G8gjPkF3XCb6KWwZ-2U6HhLLiDDCiuCiRCdy5jiDEUWNkEFyBUnVS-MQjfLY3tKLlvPHYmn2Ix8qPQNCF7zDIwwddFkemOqoB/w400-h225/PXL_20231119_200402082.LONG_EXPOSURE.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7EjVfGDQrelWPCR0wjqOsydj_-GmjMsKs1EGJW6vjW6byPQP7gZM4X9kJz-PYYyHyuMQsGEUUD6U1APkkv7Uzu_Mzz8oEv7I92qq4kAQBzbllsTN10GQUR-IPCAybpiqRl_F3WvmuSmh5O7CuzbRf3mprv-4qWZCuZGMAnVOOpQkAxhcwDVmRxd_KbLCn/s4032/PXL_20231119_235936913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7EjVfGDQrelWPCR0wjqOsydj_-GmjMsKs1EGJW6vjW6byPQP7gZM4X9kJz-PYYyHyuMQsGEUUD6U1APkkv7Uzu_Mzz8oEv7I92qq4kAQBzbllsTN10GQUR-IPCAybpiqRl_F3WvmuSmh5O7CuzbRf3mprv-4qWZCuZGMAnVOOpQkAxhcwDVmRxd_KbLCn/w400-h225/PXL_20231119_235936913.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Have bike, will travel</span></td></tr></tbody></table>The annual doc check-up showed no "abnormalities," whatever that may mean; close friends may beg to differ, but I take the verdict when it comes from a doc. I cleaned up my personal life a bit with a badly needed change in relationships, not really the way I had expected but for the better nevertheless. And despite the fact that BravoXteriors failed to deliver on much that its owner had promised and left my backyard project unfinished, not taking responsibility for its myriad fuck-ups and trying to squeeze an extra $10K out of me, I am glad that I finally made the move to create a happy habitat for the times when I'm actually in Lubbock.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikCBSNZJU1R7y55G7M0yYyRKng60TTQzu9o4qkP6VvC240OCXhyB52YQ7m9Zhzz_vFKGATlvInCibPbrjAiyXA0I14UujOVinos-lUtjossO1hLijTXxvzUOVXibQE2EemCCuIlEOuqDb28AYdqrk1iJJcBhme9MY7xS5ncXqlPV8mD010sYn-fK2OKc9u/s4032/PXL_20231121_185610560.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikCBSNZJU1R7y55G7M0yYyRKng60TTQzu9o4qkP6VvC240OCXhyB52YQ7m9Zhzz_vFKGATlvInCibPbrjAiyXA0I14UujOVinos-lUtjossO1hLijTXxvzUOVXibQE2EemCCuIlEOuqDb28AYdqrk1iJJcBhme9MY7xS5ncXqlPV8mD010sYn-fK2OKc9u/w400-h225/PXL_20231121_185610560.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQQjQhLzCkDYry98MzmSonpKhGU5bZ57B7i6gqzfClwycDE9eaUzySQ7Cs_Ma_M_pBuKUWvNjALR2dhAPC2vMJMYMvxjNhuh-9_00e716DzsfWhyrubcWi2QdB4yvqpL3Jc4f2pkH0nDLCukWeD3xzmS3BUKYn6zvWe3cG5rIlNCwvCUtQ6vdqVAn_ZPaf/s2907/PXL_20231121_172024240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2135" data-original-width="2907" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQQjQhLzCkDYry98MzmSonpKhGU5bZ57B7i6gqzfClwycDE9eaUzySQ7Cs_Ma_M_pBuKUWvNjALR2dhAPC2vMJMYMvxjNhuh-9_00e716DzsfWhyrubcWi2QdB4yvqpL3Jc4f2pkH0nDLCukWeD3xzmS3BUKYn6zvWe3cG5rIlNCwvCUtQ6vdqVAn_ZPaf/w400-h294/PXL_20231121_172024240.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQMj4a2alCI4ax-dbenqIo1t6z8ZMHiiK2ae0cVsrJG5Sx5kJhLuof66iMTJJp0nGvObM-NauaJ3UYME6wyHe-3DTDRx4A_GmmdZl2aBlwsCDr1VrxMNyiiNP2Fpvf8HLjQXRb3PeU22KavJ7w34otXtv7DUIllPzrwek1lsr35lAQbjvXf8vnj_jd7m3O/s4032/PXL_20231121_163344596.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQMj4a2alCI4ax-dbenqIo1t6z8ZMHiiK2ae0cVsrJG5Sx5kJhLuof66iMTJJp0nGvObM-NauaJ3UYME6wyHe-3DTDRx4A_GmmdZl2aBlwsCDr1VrxMNyiiNP2Fpvf8HLjQXRb3PeU22KavJ7w34otXtv7DUIllPzrwek1lsr35lAQbjvXf8vnj_jd7m3O/w400-h225/PXL_20231121_163344596.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>So, thankful it is. Of course, it could always be better (the right shoulder is becoming increasingly obnoxious, my perceived—and actual—fatness and fitness levels are curiously inverted, and I don't see many of my friends often enough), but we do need something to bitch about, right? So, good it was and is.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGjq4tmp-LB-KLUFf3vIgSIb9W9VKVo145B7tonoZpl28HXagSQ4JgE9QYIAgNHfcrmf1B0P9HKkxg5wFiSOgWbeOljyCcGy-xZU3ZTt9O1DsUk8jaoA0tXalEVOgugHRMf7UlTlSYE1FyIfZhTaZeIBGZ42dp-RF701YeUPoC5fFqVKUSx5lRob1pnGCO/s3064/PXL_20231126_134858227.PORTRAIT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2261" data-original-width="3064" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGjq4tmp-LB-KLUFf3vIgSIb9W9VKVo145B7tonoZpl28HXagSQ4JgE9QYIAgNHfcrmf1B0P9HKkxg5wFiSOgWbeOljyCcGy-xZU3ZTt9O1DsUk8jaoA0tXalEVOgugHRMf7UlTlSYE1FyIfZhTaZeIBGZ42dp-RF701YeUPoC5fFqVKUSx5lRob1pnGCO/w400-h295/PXL_20231126_134858227.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqj0BeZOLRq6pHonPKpGUHvaWDq63msYltkOHGmhZvu5kISJ2xvaUArKaLCmdZNtJxXHM-RVa_h_Sy651Lyhdj3h8aX1LB6ZoRBfAfU98M5-qi6jlIRf8rVzyIido9EOdcqYvfoke1F64RX_KGJjf3eT0319-Jo6gC-sWuSJLeutW90CeKtcV68UGKP2cn/s3467/PXL_20231120_145528438.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3467" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqj0BeZOLRq6pHonPKpGUHvaWDq63msYltkOHGmhZvu5kISJ2xvaUArKaLCmdZNtJxXHM-RVa_h_Sy651Lyhdj3h8aX1LB6ZoRBfAfU98M5-qi6jlIRf8rVzyIido9EOdcqYvfoke1F64RX_KGJjf3eT0319-Jo6gC-sWuSJLeutW90CeKtcV68UGKP2cn/w261-h400/PXL_20231120_145528438.jpg" width="261" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZuhsvpoy4_tHWPfKJu0nNtMnFdCpNFXSLDI2vxgpjTdoPD6j0nOpkcIZUgzNhjILhEgenWeWg9qg3sAgQai6KhtIUiLA-ZfMEakXsn1lP2_6024QFQZhuFqvBdmjKzgpODzRiBFsU97Isw6bziihj-wAIOIi_62gQvTA01Wxyaja80D67_rVtzvpIzsw9/s4032/PXL_20231120_145952954.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZuhsvpoy4_tHWPfKJu0nNtMnFdCpNFXSLDI2vxgpjTdoPD6j0nOpkcIZUgzNhjILhEgenWeWg9qg3sAgQai6KhtIUiLA-ZfMEakXsn1lP2_6024QFQZhuFqvBdmjKzgpODzRiBFsU97Isw6bziihj-wAIOIi_62gQvTA01Wxyaja80D67_rVtzvpIzsw9/w400-h225/PXL_20231120_145952954.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>There's not much to tell about my stay here in the Ocean Maya Royale, one of two H-10 resorts on the outskirts of Playa del Carmen but one that for some reason I had never visited. If anything, I have to say that this may have been my best stay in an Ocean all-inclusive yet thanks to the exquisite meals. Maybe the entire chain finally made some changes to the corporate menus, but from what I understand from the staff that's not the case. This adults-only resort dishes up some truly outstanding meals in its various specialty restaurants, well prepared and lovingly presented. When you travel solo, food takes on an even bigger role when it comes to the level of satisfaction you derive from your vacation. Of course, their wine still totally sucks.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjre960TnAj3yKWn3G73lQO4YlOkRODzbvUbaizKAUwsHmTxPGYeI3osmqIgDGRb_cfi5D_v020Tyu42xfE0wfitR5235PiD4JpdBIUMzvpKA-GPFXcVg3_obEeVGA7q4KU1aSLAhXv2arGJ1mMT_UsQIwu1A2vwdMwyJHEsuADzmTlN4lqX4_ftxdNgVMZ/s4032/PXL_20231121_013716074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjre960TnAj3yKWn3G73lQO4YlOkRODzbvUbaizKAUwsHmTxPGYeI3osmqIgDGRb_cfi5D_v020Tyu42xfE0wfitR5235PiD4JpdBIUMzvpKA-GPFXcVg3_obEeVGA7q4KU1aSLAhXv2arGJ1mMT_UsQIwu1A2vwdMwyJHEsuADzmTlN4lqX4_ftxdNgVMZ/w400-h225/PXL_20231121_013716074.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTc5zPNPpUwk_n9BlnW-bgv6gWgTmArtFtrH0FS7_HPpo78PQpO5vhyLEsC0z2pF3_0BQ8PMqOQxRhNP03PrD0sEgAB-XnMq4CPjrDBMAboQvlfrhxJrTiQkL421piwqS2ec9eguQcCiN3-0I9infdMh9rAqsBSA5FiK0xi5D2v-7In3HUbKxRb7tq7mnE/s4032/PXL_20231121_012952422.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTc5zPNPpUwk_n9BlnW-bgv6gWgTmArtFtrH0FS7_HPpo78PQpO5vhyLEsC0z2pF3_0BQ8PMqOQxRhNP03PrD0sEgAB-XnMq4CPjrDBMAboQvlfrhxJrTiQkL421piwqS2ec9eguQcCiN3-0I9infdMh9rAqsBSA5FiK0xi5D2v-7In3HUbKxRb7tq7mnE/w400-h225/PXL_20231121_012952422.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMP2b6SI3EJdKL5XhyphenhyphenAeq-Ddroiw7SEK7mMR-sapkz6wOjz4FxZLUgb-6pOfRbPFeDnRzBimL-2lj7DbJUxIFnB0UrkVdEJm_ntS5Wcn6DFtU4fB4NWJK3SIyao8JMlPx3YxX-rO68VTtSp2tKrB114_j0n2kzFEa382Tgq23lS2SaS_ydD3m-X_jUbedd/s4032/PXL_20231120_191123837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMP2b6SI3EJdKL5XhyphenhyphenAeq-Ddroiw7SEK7mMR-sapkz6wOjz4FxZLUgb-6pOfRbPFeDnRzBimL-2lj7DbJUxIFnB0UrkVdEJm_ntS5Wcn6DFtU4fB4NWJK3SIyao8JMlPx3YxX-rO68VTtSp2tKrB114_j0n2kzFEa382Tgq23lS2SaS_ydD3m-X_jUbedd/w400-h225/PXL_20231120_191123837.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirTGXOtu9FTGmSB3jGA3LdXODbLGsTx7-u1vOQWIN3Oi8m2IXVXBbwXvCtxbxmhcmgzG3c_2KVjG1OegEHDzoKb24NcuTVhXC1ZoatMpBaj2k2eTtWp-AS73sA9FabuGf-XtVf72DQoEHbj6Xn5fOuOs2NtosHl5-1KHl9BT1GuH2qncAqVPfXL6uowoXy/s4032/PXL_20231120_014415033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirTGXOtu9FTGmSB3jGA3LdXODbLGsTx7-u1vOQWIN3Oi8m2IXVXBbwXvCtxbxmhcmgzG3c_2KVjG1OegEHDzoKb24NcuTVhXC1ZoatMpBaj2k2eTtWp-AS73sA9FabuGf-XtVf72DQoEHbj6Xn5fOuOs2NtosHl5-1KHl9BT1GuH2qncAqVPfXL6uowoXy/w400-h225/PXL_20231120_014415033.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>The rides that I took were, well, same old, same old. The Riviera Maya is not a place where you go for scenic rides. I brought my bike to burn off at least a few calories, even if it involves fracturing the occasional femur head. It's good to escape the compound for a few hours, and I have a much better idea of where I am compared to the folks who take a shuttle from the airport to the hotel and then head back, seven days later.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUp60HpRor1msn5EpLq_vD2jqr6vQgrD1sJjUtYck_QmnxX22biLXX098LP7l9PkhIlyD7gsDmgQf-AariTPICMmbcC64F9YAIFQyeEf3lX_Ti2aLf9ay0L7IVVyrvCIa90ojW-Mm9Xvv3UEjymHl4d-pLF04wsfsIEpsOukvt4yErIDPtr6s3Qfh38l5S/s4032/PXL_20231122_184821310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUp60HpRor1msn5EpLq_vD2jqr6vQgrD1sJjUtYck_QmnxX22biLXX098LP7l9PkhIlyD7gsDmgQf-AariTPICMmbcC64F9YAIFQyeEf3lX_Ti2aLf9ay0L7IVVyrvCIa90ojW-Mm9Xvv3UEjymHl4d-pLF04wsfsIEpsOukvt4yErIDPtr6s3Qfh38l5S/w400-h225/PXL_20231122_184821310.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMNaCNOf7rM5JfyylgNCJIMDk7NAN48PGfNYcfL7iEO2MokXuRtlIHmiYMtGHlBb9QLXbAReGgyg1-Lku356k3-3nAdeKpL3HxS2NsZvqQFwCaEiyoSJN73Ptngoqy_R8ZVy4btbtTgiFNObxFD1aen6rfRoi8r3nTbFDldN5fePcjLz7sNG0Bh8wdW1yL/s3021/PXL_20231122_171054558.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3021" data-original-width="2032" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMNaCNOf7rM5JfyylgNCJIMDk7NAN48PGfNYcfL7iEO2MokXuRtlIHmiYMtGHlBb9QLXbAReGgyg1-Lku356k3-3nAdeKpL3HxS2NsZvqQFwCaEiyoSJN73Ptngoqy_R8ZVy4btbtTgiFNObxFD1aen6rfRoi8r3nTbFDldN5fePcjLz7sNG0Bh8wdW1yL/w269-h400/PXL_20231122_171054558.jpg" width="269" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpqcs4NBL921jvJ50qRXU3Coj6vWWCuY5K77LTzMxmDEvKP4Et_QprO95M7LJR9U6PDQz5vOVIe8CPKNN4IjO1c72Wo0ANneI6Vwldkfz-TAgY0zd43GJhEwG4gT2KBK0n1N6aN5Cj0zGlpceAINgmlP13zWfS81OmvDt1Eh-rm66OydNUjZHKofoWZxFK/s3449/PXL_20231122_165209833.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3449" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpqcs4NBL921jvJ50qRXU3Coj6vWWCuY5K77LTzMxmDEvKP4Et_QprO95M7LJR9U6PDQz5vOVIe8CPKNN4IjO1c72Wo0ANneI6Vwldkfz-TAgY0zd43GJhEwG4gT2KBK0n1N6aN5Cj0zGlpceAINgmlP13zWfS81OmvDt1Eh-rm66OydNUjZHKofoWZxFK/w263-h400/PXL_20231122_165209833.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEbmnURyqOmxkPgVWyJQgoPwXdIlH4yJiwtj58YUAu_FgUS71Keo_GKCbA8RMoS4ixcyYh4F6ZBj6iACJTSknaP9gl8kS1Mw6xNgr5AnTXE3iotG8kDFffX_4vj0tGC9TzyMOj8nVoNufubSo2ff9uM38O3Zizwys4UTeeVqgUwpUhjGjkjkP7WKKE8Ff1/s4032/PXL_20231122_162422105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEbmnURyqOmxkPgVWyJQgoPwXdIlH4yJiwtj58YUAu_FgUS71Keo_GKCbA8RMoS4ixcyYh4F6ZBj6iACJTSknaP9gl8kS1Mw6xNgr5AnTXE3iotG8kDFffX_4vj0tGC9TzyMOj8nVoNufubSo2ff9uM38O3Zizwys4UTeeVqgUwpUhjGjkjkP7WKKE8Ff1/w225-h400/PXL_20231122_162422105.jpg" width="225" /></a></div></div><div>On my rides I got to see construction on the <i>Tren Maya</i>, the controversial 966-mile train track that will loop around (and cut through) the Yucatan peninsula, with a supposed completion date of early December. Yes, this year. Well, that ain't happening from what I saw, but there are lots of worker bees that will keep an itinerant cyclist well away from the construction. Together with the new international airport in Tulum, about 40 miles south of here, the impact on the region with the expected influx of even more tourists will be significant. The employees that I talked to here at the resort were guardedly optimistic as more tourists mean more job opportunities, but there was also a bit of hesitancy in their answers. Indigenous people are adamantly opposed to the projects, but who cares about the Maya, right? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXFeZ9xqniCZeVaqjWnFUNKQUoT_KMuYg4YoeBfcH0oIiVzgExIcxE1GE3sHMHrXN2NzKcdHhQTXQ9UKlPyiQP6vKGtpeo6fffLOag_ORXlHD3i8wtqd0ragBSZYSNs_6TrXdIpeqsuWSTVZhnldAHZAkM9l3D3b6XzdZBrxlfiEjjDDivecL_qYEUQ6U9/s1072/PXL_20231126_182146495.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="825" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXFeZ9xqniCZeVaqjWnFUNKQUoT_KMuYg4YoeBfcH0oIiVzgExIcxE1GE3sHMHrXN2NzKcdHhQTXQ9UKlPyiQP6vKGtpeo6fffLOag_ORXlHD3i8wtqd0ragBSZYSNs_6TrXdIpeqsuWSTVZhnldAHZAkM9l3D3b6XzdZBrxlfiEjjDDivecL_qYEUQ6U9/w308-h400/PXL_20231126_182146495.jpg" width="308" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiizsrXHYe6mKQBSyNaVAgCv7h2ytUG7TNKbE_qeXms9qY0EbJnunlcz_y_zby5GHEhN4x4VOUVzccjFbiEOj4OoHA-B8Vx9Xi9JARJ56BSRQJg6yJiGaPLiJgNZ_-x_471nWhZIad3eToh_R9iw_8_VGhm0ZGZvvjUfrZ9nNjkVDFODbxEjMynZeiKHvgk/s4032/PXL_20231120_170505736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiizsrXHYe6mKQBSyNaVAgCv7h2ytUG7TNKbE_qeXms9qY0EbJnunlcz_y_zby5GHEhN4x4VOUVzccjFbiEOj4OoHA-B8Vx9Xi9JARJ56BSRQJg6yJiGaPLiJgNZ_-x_471nWhZIad3eToh_R9iw_8_VGhm0ZGZvvjUfrZ9nNjkVDFODbxEjMynZeiKHvgk/w400-h225/PXL_20231120_170505736.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0T1IeXPKpy32kYQg2hQE0_xfWfWIyJXh2_CktG8IdBW8zN5VPG6rn-ethxQQ1I4F06zK_TOv8kRoNWfmav_6qNp6scKACVSO5XnH4e2zHnDSwQCcX_tATnAgVrPaDvAPQj-8l1d86zgeGS1CNyLpqUJpXj7w3CmjAIJC0L-EpHZijTfEO7ow38lmlCHV/s3079/PXL_20231123_171606787.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1801" data-original-width="3079" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0T1IeXPKpy32kYQg2hQE0_xfWfWIyJXh2_CktG8IdBW8zN5VPG6rn-ethxQQ1I4F06zK_TOv8kRoNWfmav_6qNp6scKACVSO5XnH4e2zHnDSwQCcX_tATnAgVrPaDvAPQj-8l1d86zgeGS1CNyLpqUJpXj7w3CmjAIJC0L-EpHZijTfEO7ow38lmlCHV/w400-h234/PXL_20231123_171606787.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Truckload after truckload of concrete ties for <i>El Tren</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr17Kgn7lq7OygJjhu853mMewxwHCiM3Nh5gXtcK8EzFWb5_b6JRgQacb5jZ4gT9g9DNtjUjJTvgZl4BDFcwcrfq83flSSDTSe8NppZlCdtzqzSzZs8YV7hqNAZeASs8G6xw8q2sjtEGkmNjtZRmEz5J1c_bO5JAcARoPHNXZljz5g6emVPu_E0pGW8Sb6/s4032/PXL_20231120_170521999.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr17Kgn7lq7OygJjhu853mMewxwHCiM3Nh5gXtcK8EzFWb5_b6JRgQacb5jZ4gT9g9DNtjUjJTvgZl4BDFcwcrfq83flSSDTSe8NppZlCdtzqzSzZs8YV7hqNAZeASs8G6xw8q2sjtEGkmNjtZRmEz5J1c_bO5JAcARoPHNXZljz5g6emVPu_E0pGW8Sb6/w400-h225/PXL_20231120_170521999.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>My daily routine consisted of waking up with the morning sun, doing a quick email and news check, taking a shower, and strolling over to the Privilege Lounge where I'd have breakfast on the small veranda overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. Cappuccino, a plate of fruit, and a bagel loaded with smoked salmon, capers, and red onions would be enough to sustain me for the three-hour ride that'd follow. (With all the speed bumps and navigational stops my average speed wasn't too high, and most days I rode just about 25 miles, for a total of around 130 miles for five days of riding.)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCnuPOaSSDR-WrIk_Pgmn8D6tmvCTnWC1dXvez5geVK8MSCylwnAHrDqkMXXbrsxdu7z2KLyDIXDvM50Idnl6WqUIqsCTjfitwdhLVx-VTe8wugAKfD_cuXoluG0hPDORaqoH2W2np1WeqWLAUQJuoCK5vWwfNsL_KGH71aGXJPCk1enwlN3tSu5AaFRhH/s4032/PXL_20231126_135847130.PORTRAIT~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCnuPOaSSDR-WrIk_Pgmn8D6tmvCTnWC1dXvez5geVK8MSCylwnAHrDqkMXXbrsxdu7z2KLyDIXDvM50Idnl6WqUIqsCTjfitwdhLVx-VTe8wugAKfD_cuXoluG0hPDORaqoH2W2np1WeqWLAUQJuoCK5vWwfNsL_KGH71aGXJPCk1enwlN3tSu5AaFRhH/w400-h225/PXL_20231126_135847130.PORTRAIT~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtiZGGuZAuZCkxLnmoL0li4zdfPeC4hEgEmcM4p2QCVYG8GkjOAMT-q3XcW5vzaUgPczC1aMR9TkG3_jR3d_WSvpMG0hEarqoWOak8SikgYcBYNlWps7U2Y1dbO_8dUkSsuqpQ7sC20bM1T8YKrqdy6ZBn7yESSnrRblX_Yd14OV6WdCrA7IcQQCQTl1aG/s4032/PXL_20231120_141547445.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtiZGGuZAuZCkxLnmoL0li4zdfPeC4hEgEmcM4p2QCVYG8GkjOAMT-q3XcW5vzaUgPczC1aMR9TkG3_jR3d_WSvpMG0hEarqoWOak8SikgYcBYNlWps7U2Y1dbO_8dUkSsuqpQ7sC20bM1T8YKrqdy6ZBn7yESSnrRblX_Yd14OV6WdCrA7IcQQCQTl1aG/w400-h225/PXL_20231120_141547445.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijHLpMbs0ax1S5JOl9bdYWSrLv1rXoyKgiu9fCJOhWb_H_KMcjq_P-f9e2EKxmPz8ulX38-ifFMpFcITpSrmOs8uxYCOXYD3a6HhXPIVmk_QqOdQnsWmAORwpPE9n7uDyn-XRAglIFtMbIhsQDnIeeDtdiJyNkK2x49UfGoZKM2q5Awt79mcs6zric5U7a/s3269/PXL_20231121_141057357.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3269" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijHLpMbs0ax1S5JOl9bdYWSrLv1rXoyKgiu9fCJOhWb_H_KMcjq_P-f9e2EKxmPz8ulX38-ifFMpFcITpSrmOs8uxYCOXYD3a6HhXPIVmk_QqOdQnsWmAORwpPE9n7uDyn-XRAglIFtMbIhsQDnIeeDtdiJyNkK2x49UfGoZKM2q5Awt79mcs6zric5U7a/w278-h400/PXL_20231121_141057357.jpg" width="278" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhotGlHS6MplRMPluuq8uFc9tYfr40ZOa5BDe11vmtQvqgupD054ukSCU1cxTeFnPkB8Pvh8qOC1fNqJBETvh9EroMWIIsxAUGoN9PAkF2U97MSCT_AMmCqDV0B8N9sOzZsF0OAFntZTqAO-ZF5yUsP0g80urtbL-VrWful-TTToLmDi9mEClhd86X78bkd/s3029/PXL_20231121_142117668.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2262" data-original-width="3029" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhotGlHS6MplRMPluuq8uFc9tYfr40ZOa5BDe11vmtQvqgupD054ukSCU1cxTeFnPkB8Pvh8qOC1fNqJBETvh9EroMWIIsxAUGoN9PAkF2U97MSCT_AMmCqDV0B8N9sOzZsF0OAFntZTqAO-ZF5yUsP0g80urtbL-VrWful-TTToLmDi9mEClhd86X78bkd/w400-h299/PXL_20231121_142117668.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTofWw272SVeyeApZMbdQKOskXaKCQm4_Wgh1KgMbsTt5l7mT8ylFeiGm5gcMwkbnCQ3tvATsgXqFysLOyCU1MSEs65Q4zUB6DWcDXBuzXdJ-1CJHc73UNw7MojchEzYATS-JhyphenhyphendARiGXvE189zEqnwJmrSd2jJTiYsT9wDhmUjEwLermVcKdDowDlQCGA/s2888/PXL_20231126_134313078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2888" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTofWw272SVeyeApZMbdQKOskXaKCQm4_Wgh1KgMbsTt5l7mT8ylFeiGm5gcMwkbnCQ3tvATsgXqFysLOyCU1MSEs65Q4zUB6DWcDXBuzXdJ-1CJHc73UNw7MojchEzYATS-JhyphenhyphendARiGXvE189zEqnwJmrSd2jJTiYsT9wDhmUjEwLermVcKdDowDlQCGA/w314-h400/PXL_20231126_134313078.jpg" width="314" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Morning Bloody Mary on my final two no-ride days</span></td></tr></tbody></table>After getting back to the compound I'd take a shower and come back to life with a few cold cans of Club Soda and then go to one of three different restaurants for lunch. Sitting there, enjoying really tasty dishes and downing a few cold ones, was a total treat after the hot, humid rides. An hour into this lull of activity I'd be sleepy enough for my siesta, usually on the beach where the gentle sound of the waves would put me out to pasture in a minute. With the afternoon progressing it soon enough was time to retreat to the pool, <i>piña colada</i> in hand—or a <i>mojito</i>, a <i>caipirinha</i>, or some other AA-verboten drink.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiDeB3ZRhWkjmlw41bDr_I_hyqU8KJcGJFgh5CaIim2z4R0ySxW_3lP__39LCkKyMHKjWf_5IXlkgsrnPqIk1FKSIijgyH1KNmVDwdJf9dF_o_c4sd-y1t7TP5Csd444hJCJoZ4o6C7uFZfd7cr0tF_op68PWIB5IPVSqsHh4NjJ677Hsyi0MnQgJe43gj/s4032/PXL_20231120_185609929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiDeB3ZRhWkjmlw41bDr_I_hyqU8KJcGJFgh5CaIim2z4R0ySxW_3lP__39LCkKyMHKjWf_5IXlkgsrnPqIk1FKSIijgyH1KNmVDwdJf9dF_o_c4sd-y1t7TP5Csd444hJCJoZ4o6C7uFZfd7cr0tF_op68PWIB5IPVSqsHh4NjJ677Hsyi0MnQgJe43gj/w400-h225/PXL_20231120_185609929.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMEfFHIaBDD4DaydO2sIJBR_O2dHg7UTxPlUVJEsLofpBPRWG9unqvA6wkaq7nVG_48Itu6dn8TbBVBM_cC5vzopX0ikNIABPfGUB-zKux6pGVFRP_m7I9M-1n_DeBSJVQSxNCS_FuPxkBycjefW7pOFGvE6oRucHZHuRtK0PGPsnSU1h1ydXve7QOPzz-/s4032/PXL_20231121_214044339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMEfFHIaBDD4DaydO2sIJBR_O2dHg7UTxPlUVJEsLofpBPRWG9unqvA6wkaq7nVG_48Itu6dn8TbBVBM_cC5vzopX0ikNIABPfGUB-zKux6pGVFRP_m7I9M-1n_DeBSJVQSxNCS_FuPxkBycjefW7pOFGvE6oRucHZHuRtK0PGPsnSU1h1ydXve7QOPzz-/w400-h225/PXL_20231121_214044339.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKYmvfwYmxZJ27jIUC4hJtCYY2ORBSbZpIExKPlGQoDeuJ8xtEUw0rH9EnNUiews34WISsHhfBzpkCeg_TQSOjDcwtZMUihij2hDfo2SE8r3QKwU92Tj09BZjcn19bYiO9bhEpiJ0Eg32tvP4iVe12_pVhaS3Zx8UuHgPwKoX4lwNbs1M-JgZPwzdcRerb/s4032/PXL_20231121_214150789.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKYmvfwYmxZJ27jIUC4hJtCYY2ORBSbZpIExKPlGQoDeuJ8xtEUw0rH9EnNUiews34WISsHhfBzpkCeg_TQSOjDcwtZMUihij2hDfo2SE8r3QKwU92Tj09BZjcn19bYiO9bhEpiJ0Eg32tvP4iVe12_pVhaS3Zx8UuHgPwKoX4lwNbs1M-JgZPwzdcRerb/w400-h225/PXL_20231121_214150789.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHlzPhJ8Ypuz7dDvBbrqBLVk6BT1A4k8llO5Ozf63YxoRTqDpfmU6gyBNIhOoqzdx2OvtiUv6wA2vePIcd4tQejklFukqtOM_hIDNOW5SzqE97UMGTnHQfxhwHf6fkMpOhB3xgHb5zpjkmN-o_UJCK5Mv4ml_0b7mxE7WwQ8chqwSk7e-RsPSZ7d7TJeYC/s4032/PXL_20231122_135138642.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHlzPhJ8Ypuz7dDvBbrqBLVk6BT1A4k8llO5Ozf63YxoRTqDpfmU6gyBNIhOoqzdx2OvtiUv6wA2vePIcd4tQejklFukqtOM_hIDNOW5SzqE97UMGTnHQfxhwHf6fkMpOhB3xgHb5zpjkmN-o_UJCK5Mv4ml_0b7mxE7WwQ8chqwSk7e-RsPSZ7d7TJeYC/w400-h225/PXL_20231122_135138642.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-AyvlWdAtIAC1sLHhxfl2XsFXdUKLFc1OEyPoc95mkmRFebya32k7dLJ9NJiv3g5vA0GcyTRPDkqFJoAzicF5LCrCNEgKncoTOUEMwyB-Zry6DFgnK_Vch29JOCepqNq8z32J5oFDG5Q2Je8EXyMSe4DU5G83oTlDNEH1nQMVAmmw1-Luy_DUlFZQ4Vi/s4032/PXL_20231122_143829143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-AyvlWdAtIAC1sLHhxfl2XsFXdUKLFc1OEyPoc95mkmRFebya32k7dLJ9NJiv3g5vA0GcyTRPDkqFJoAzicF5LCrCNEgKncoTOUEMwyB-Zry6DFgnK_Vch29JOCepqNq8z32J5oFDG5Q2Je8EXyMSe4DU5G83oTlDNEH1nQMVAmmw1-Luy_DUlFZQ4Vi/w400-h225/PXL_20231122_143829143.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV8msh7D7TCYJrkSQI3BeQt3qYzklmcwV2hczH3jX6YtSeLEWMTfGGJnGLmvZOS-2FsHQaes5uIaBge9H6hAfQcOMFOGP41-K4sCq3-mFOoQNUyBWhAnJw-AZik-etifOze8Y0NvVBP3_dC2-xMobc6HJaYfqPHsHgAIQIR_Zl3tYnCylycbx09Z65d_qY/s4032/PXL_20231122_144034719.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV8msh7D7TCYJrkSQI3BeQt3qYzklmcwV2hczH3jX6YtSeLEWMTfGGJnGLmvZOS-2FsHQaes5uIaBge9H6hAfQcOMFOGP41-K4sCq3-mFOoQNUyBWhAnJw-AZik-etifOze8Y0NvVBP3_dC2-xMobc6HJaYfqPHsHgAIQIR_Zl3tYnCylycbx09Z65d_qY/w400-h225/PXL_20231122_144034719.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Iguanas and coatis populate the Ocean Maya Royale</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Evening comes quickly in these latitudes, and while some hardcore partygoers revelled in the pool until the bar would finally close at 6:00 p.m., I managed to tear myself away to slowly gussy up for the evening routine: a G&T on the lounge veranda and then an 8:00 p.m. dinner appointment, followed by the resort's (at times excellent) animation or simply a nightcap at the main lobby bar. And then it was time to turn in and repeat.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFQ5OARTZAUr7jNWPYuCHwApcr8kntUKGUXoa3aoYWZ8BJdJFJiDcQDpxSiomF6jZRGa_-XStPFNGoJu2HJVUvGeCmKEE4LYvcBAn1NnrHwHQwVkatXd2cp7FdRRjjB3PyCEoRSj9A_hWHMsNsVb1g_qSny1tEuybYGygs2HVGJs1bmeWoAn_syVBOrtmY/s4032/PXL_20231120_224855370.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFQ5OARTZAUr7jNWPYuCHwApcr8kntUKGUXoa3aoYWZ8BJdJFJiDcQDpxSiomF6jZRGa_-XStPFNGoJu2HJVUvGeCmKEE4LYvcBAn1NnrHwHQwVkatXd2cp7FdRRjjB3PyCEoRSj9A_hWHMsNsVb1g_qSny1tEuybYGygs2HVGJs1bmeWoAn_syVBOrtmY/w400-h225/PXL_20231120_224855370.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8w7FquTdcSTcvGBF2e2r0lsEqIwgqDbkaDYhdbuoYxoI5iPJHOArPTZzkOdT_lKq5MPI0x0hUEgDm624h6OA6Va47iybKe97dBmqEmbWJrno_1lX-nrbEm465_Ulau-rD_y-c0H3kae8k34PDo0FD6WHdOa77jmP0SDgunmRcwimtDt_-0gKKBA4612vh/s4032/PXL_20231119_233005896.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1153" data-original-width="1007" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib43zgyZy0jZGWvNY85VbxGsbXehAFN8iSVBIF7uiIvmnW4IW1X5QuY45eYpyQ7W68YBWjmP9Q3oy3UAVOR-Xem03hYDlKmO9lkhnnVQ5PzG3a2goE4Qzp2UvIGBUBpOhj3WOitKNhSr6FUnYmmiwHgGQZMdJrruZWhshrkJVzfAIHwmo9aAEuTP3u2Xij/w349-h400/PXL_20231125_025002283.TS_exported_3225_1701280692102.jpg" width="349" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGvwXhuDnb9aRARewJOBHm1TaQsS1q9fzQP8whgFUMFGz8PKfGdqsgmAvSheQwGeh5DHz89ByAyC5w0Adz9uc5z6nGI9jgvP-U8pTQ4JSSKltJDsKK3Dk5d7no7IgXB2wx-xJA85-Euel885OrM3BBpn6rmWu_61Nzr1BnkagcEQS6VJq2OCOSzVCaTTCj/s4032/PXL_20231120_005531976.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGvwXhuDnb9aRARewJOBHm1TaQsS1q9fzQP8whgFUMFGz8PKfGdqsgmAvSheQwGeh5DHz89ByAyC5w0Adz9uc5z6nGI9jgvP-U8pTQ4JSSKltJDsKK3Dk5d7no7IgXB2wx-xJA85-Euel885OrM3BBpn6rmWu_61Nzr1BnkagcEQS6VJq2OCOSzVCaTTCj/w400-h225/PXL_20231120_005531976.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>A week of this lifestyle is enough to bring a grown man to his feet. How much can one possibly eat? How much can one stand to drink? The body screams out, this can't be healthy! And so, when it was time to bid farewell and take my taxi to the airport I didn't feel terrible pangs of sorrow but rather the satisfaction of having enjoyed a full week of riding and not having to worry about cooking a single meal. Going home is easy, because an all-inclusive is not reality!</div><div><br /></div>JürgenJürgenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03107533431710748040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023527478729548228.post-31142064352846281802023-11-09T23:43:00.001-06:002023-11-09T23:43:55.664-06:00They may still call it Auld Reekie, but Edinburgh deserves a better nickname<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDMh4ryJzUltoCQk9M5oaookE0Vs7NZBUG2GlTXzFzrjwnXpLYQNUOdHZt9ybUsx8eZrZbN6f6cEpAd98-fUqyiIqxUPGFtKhKrfGWItkQY33C4b0bzbxWp_EZGkSX8roiBdWlFhEuAWffntqvQlHEGfB5tl6hSfrbM31qhe8IpLBTIU-9yAY8xsBjEeMV/s3041/PXL_20231104_142646336.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3041" data-original-width="2097" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDMh4ryJzUltoCQk9M5oaookE0Vs7NZBUG2GlTXzFzrjwnXpLYQNUOdHZt9ybUsx8eZrZbN6f6cEpAd98-fUqyiIqxUPGFtKhKrfGWItkQY33C4b0bzbxWp_EZGkSX8roiBdWlFhEuAWffntqvQlHEGfB5tl6hSfrbM31qhe8IpLBTIU-9yAY8xsBjEeMV/w276-h400/PXL_20231104_142646336.jpg" width="276" /></a></div><div>Is there ever a good time to travel to Edinburgh, from a weather perspective? During my weeklong stay in Scotland I received varying answers (Maybe in May? Maybe in September? Just don't count on sunshine...), but assuming that the weather is usually unpredictable anyhow and often bordering on not-fit-for-Texans I decided that a visit in early November was just as much of a crapshoot as a stay at any other given time of the year. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqsRHsnXejRAqf1OFqVbWk3a4kDtwIMoaamWmIiwRPFSHFG9k9Q7ktxgU_qLnUbmPG-_cPvfjxmuF7TbxysRroQ9zvHa9PQ4Abc6JU2uabFLHASo973uEg0kEUfUkj-u0_JcRt3yUH1V7vuF3AyqQNnwa6M9CAOaoEi8kual8hcn6ajbkpcDsyuAhS4t0o/s4032/PXL_20231104_154209805.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqsRHsnXejRAqf1OFqVbWk3a4kDtwIMoaamWmIiwRPFSHFG9k9Q7ktxgU_qLnUbmPG-_cPvfjxmuF7TbxysRroQ9zvHa9PQ4Abc6JU2uabFLHASo973uEg0kEUfUkj-u0_JcRt3yUH1V7vuF3AyqQNnwa6M9CAOaoEi8kual8hcn6ajbkpcDsyuAhS4t0o/w400-h225/PXL_20231104_154209805.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj552etQQvHq5Gpk1B3UohmsOIAY8k_wx-5YUw8FkJxtVOgL5EtcrCpyPfT7w0XY9ju1UfR-JBgZ1_9n0ccd_k5Keoy00jiuo0FqPzGD8IalKdrwrIsecgTbWziwKP0dphtKn50vusPg_JiXioDIwjpEhKRQodhAXANT38EybwnbctsnFOzpRz8uvlPuYlm/s3330/PXL_20231104_154113223~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1950" data-original-width="3330" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj552etQQvHq5Gpk1B3UohmsOIAY8k_wx-5YUw8FkJxtVOgL5EtcrCpyPfT7w0XY9ju1UfR-JBgZ1_9n0ccd_k5Keoy00jiuo0FqPzGD8IalKdrwrIsecgTbWziwKP0dphtKn50vusPg_JiXioDIwjpEhKRQodhAXANT38EybwnbctsnFOzpRz8uvlPuYlm/w400-h234/PXL_20231104_154113223~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Dv2oz7xejF9fQ5Jhcftu7oadqmveASiCD9yQsiMQF7Nj7T7inIu_8RvikYs471GNLqUKRSuEC-r8aKdIow5ecLURTGIvtevOENR2EDv6BszjLHfBRmam1yX80MjGAyme1i1he8r6Yx9_PvzR7ui0glrKqpn3EvoDCqOt9ssFJ28fM9VqDM6aSjLrNXCy/s3524/PXL_20231104_142514881.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1935" data-original-width="3524" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Dv2oz7xejF9fQ5Jhcftu7oadqmveASiCD9yQsiMQF7Nj7T7inIu_8RvikYs471GNLqUKRSuEC-r8aKdIow5ecLURTGIvtevOENR2EDv6BszjLHfBRmam1yX80MjGAyme1i1he8r6Yx9_PvzR7ui0glrKqpn3EvoDCqOt9ssFJ28fM9VqDM6aSjLrNXCy/w400-h220/PXL_20231104_142514881.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>With airfares relatively low and my needing to burn off some systemwide upgrades before they expire at the end of the year a six-night stay in Scotland's capital seemed just the thing to do. It didn't take much to talk Birgit into joining me, and so we arrived on Halloween at EDI, within an hour of each other.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKWrAuzWqtT6fFAq0ndJV0B0NVvHJU2leNixF6TxjlEpcREFT3nWMhnp1-DaC19edvJIiaPH14CpO0vaI9iDnbIBlxH3du8TEPrGEdisfCUW0qsNTOUDQKZS0MGeUqqYRWF6iyGGLZxdmewZiNCvydB6bh-mL_q44-QKBs6oebQfWRkIotm1TR7Q0-7YEs/s4032/PXL_20231101_131155686.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKWrAuzWqtT6fFAq0ndJV0B0NVvHJU2leNixF6TxjlEpcREFT3nWMhnp1-DaC19edvJIiaPH14CpO0vaI9iDnbIBlxH3du8TEPrGEdisfCUW0qsNTOUDQKZS0MGeUqqYRWF6iyGGLZxdmewZiNCvydB6bh-mL_q44-QKBs6oebQfWRkIotm1TR7Q0-7YEs/w225-h400/PXL_20231101_131155686.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB1npImaYswA6CVMTkQonseNkXspxkw31SnPtE_Ex45rVc6Xnlw9_eLprObWXYgL_di8fKTFHw_JL-aR6eb06qpZczLbJni-LimHkv0fECqGBYBnF1IP3954Uy3Rc7ZmX7YzB845-QReD7OPYaKNLISIo6eVWs2F1IdIo5lIJ5nygxQvlLXBiFqJXAdZeE/s4032/PXL_20231101_125851622.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB1npImaYswA6CVMTkQonseNkXspxkw31SnPtE_Ex45rVc6Xnlw9_eLprObWXYgL_di8fKTFHw_JL-aR6eb06qpZczLbJni-LimHkv0fECqGBYBnF1IP3954Uy3Rc7ZmX7YzB845-QReD7OPYaKNLISIo6eVWs2F1IdIo5lIJ5nygxQvlLXBiFqJXAdZeE/w400-h225/PXL_20231101_125851622.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6-pUTx-XhSkP6kNIwnwYM5Be-gHN5h7-ugkIE7gWnSJq6tCdGzidQxPoclUWKV45_vimDCTr265d02MT0kVuFLCzk8TJWuyvC0Z6LqIWx63N3_MOgyTsC_V6_Mt9Bf1LFRc34icMoiXmr2j9Oy5ZvE22GHEJRfzpY4qrw1mQ2lXR3yTNeuet4Z5lU_sgS/s4032/PXL_20231031_190447949.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6-pUTx-XhSkP6kNIwnwYM5Be-gHN5h7-ugkIE7gWnSJq6tCdGzidQxPoclUWKV45_vimDCTr265d02MT0kVuFLCzk8TJWuyvC0Z6LqIWx63N3_MOgyTsC_V6_Mt9Bf1LFRc34icMoiXmr2j9Oy5ZvE22GHEJRfzpY4qrw1mQ2lXR3yTNeuet4Z5lU_sgS/w225-h400/PXL_20231031_190447949.jpg" width="225" /></a></div></div><div>As usual, I had booked our Airbnb, located centrally in the New Town, which with its many chimneys is partly responsible for the city's nickname (Scots for <i>Old Smoky). </i>Coal no longer is used to heat homes, but with drizzling rain and centuries of accumulated soot the city doesn't look especially clean. Most of the parts that tourists will visit have been built from blocks of sandstone, which soaks up moisture and has taken on a distinct patina over the centuries. Let me put it this way: For most of our time in Edinburgh, the city appeared gloomy and somewhat smudgy, not at all a sparkling gem of medieval architecture the way I had hoped, but even in the rain Edinburgh has an interesting charm and is anything but <i>smoky</i>. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLPydncQ2GEZp8UNNZVr9-GbdKVq5M5CPVPEMVIq0nQ98qUYrL0eCsUsfP8vEmXZIzqXbOARWRCM5yZ5KG85bplUenWjqm443qZJezRTckeapj1lCGEhrxTR36XkjrpfOk_e981cL6uvhomMm70p-jJXPLiPXsorNG5HuggNLTEGqQ9XZB6ARBNq-nMuYe/s4013/PXL_20231102_143351288.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1976" data-original-width="4013" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLPydncQ2GEZp8UNNZVr9-GbdKVq5M5CPVPEMVIq0nQ98qUYrL0eCsUsfP8vEmXZIzqXbOARWRCM5yZ5KG85bplUenWjqm443qZJezRTckeapj1lCGEhrxTR36XkjrpfOk_e981cL6uvhomMm70p-jJXPLiPXsorNG5HuggNLTEGqQ9XZB6ARBNq-nMuYe/w400-h198/PXL_20231102_143351288.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjUup74RWB2_T0JujbcINiJvI-KBMGY7fbIPssYgxX5LRisUvC4sbu2wL5nPLB6vIMu4PEEHCGoOmkA2EE7a1cMGgx5PFwt7_fvQBKFwFDAK_Xo9ELXb2J3Ku0MfNtKczArQVb_TGnLlZMRSi-yY_CfZh8Z53pirD7SwlauMibF3jIIcPljEpuwEzt09TL/s3403/PXL_20231102_121259060~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3403" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjUup74RWB2_T0JujbcINiJvI-KBMGY7fbIPssYgxX5LRisUvC4sbu2wL5nPLB6vIMu4PEEHCGoOmkA2EE7a1cMGgx5PFwt7_fvQBKFwFDAK_Xo9ELXb2J3Ku0MfNtKczArQVb_TGnLlZMRSi-yY_CfZh8Z53pirD7SwlauMibF3jIIcPljEpuwEzt09TL/w266-h400/PXL_20231102_121259060~2.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqeApi3IJLCmWYh0kYIKxC1X_lP-QjoxH2QR1zOmyMIy1SpoJPSXxwCz0Jb5CwABYV4bgDuiKPBVmPfRNsIXgXfdcOJaPz3QbA4fRAMziTn9Hsak9xMZbZ8Xtiev9Qw6g290t6FM-8UUMxngKiqkTK1S96BUNHLXGHP3SPOKVCSrSYFZ6VthhMsPpnPkkz/s3509/PXL_20231102_170155297.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3509" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqeApi3IJLCmWYh0kYIKxC1X_lP-QjoxH2QR1zOmyMIy1SpoJPSXxwCz0Jb5CwABYV4bgDuiKPBVmPfRNsIXgXfdcOJaPz3QbA4fRAMziTn9Hsak9xMZbZ8Xtiev9Qw6g290t6FM-8UUMxngKiqkTK1S96BUNHLXGHP3SPOKVCSrSYFZ6VthhMsPpnPkkz/w259-h400/PXL_20231102_170155297.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhabcwsZjbWanmzoCxwJpvDUTiyYS5K-yPc47lW2VLR85WKp2lJm162Ies1xZxWWoUVoTn6qgb8lgtULV7WXytPWlhyfx6p8WwRSlGaqBpxTQvug0iOfzI6I7IRM6f08BCxEiL3RY5k_subJLnj07vmJZ9OXPSTICooq8BPcliqihougEplyCMmpXSX8Xwx/s4032/PXL_20231102_165414731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhabcwsZjbWanmzoCxwJpvDUTiyYS5K-yPc47lW2VLR85WKp2lJm162Ies1xZxWWoUVoTn6qgb8lgtULV7WXytPWlhyfx6p8WwRSlGaqBpxTQvug0iOfzI6I7IRM6f08BCxEiL3RY5k_subJLnj07vmJZ9OXPSTICooq8BPcliqihougEplyCMmpXSX8Xwx/w400-h225/PXL_20231102_165414731.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Armed with our umbrellas and raincoats, Birgit and I spent the first three days exploring the Old Town with its Royal Mile, Calton Hill, Edinburgh Castle, and all those other sights that are on the tourist circuit. For the late afternoon of our arrival day we had signed up for a <i>free walking tour</i>, but as it turned out, nobody else (except the guide) showed up, and so we made it a rather informal one-hour "briefing" to get a first idea of where we were. The three of us ended up at the <i>Jolly Judge</i> where we treated Ross to a pint or two since a more traditional monetary tip seemed rather strange.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbKkbhf2pUoDFy4bOFFh8Vy5uKag9MuMpu0lVzaaGUJVLFSxyPoZf3D1fRxXZ3zknV40S5HzvMaUEbN7bzOa0rnApGoTtWvzmwMERyANrqHdiz4tOorVPGJnhlkdnu8rqrgaXvoKyjekIuNOr8TnKzo0WTkm5gPLan24bU0bo6SeLKzpFdC-fqRKcnB705/s3530/PXL_20231102_185658173~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3530" data-original-width="1994" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbKkbhf2pUoDFy4bOFFh8Vy5uKag9MuMpu0lVzaaGUJVLFSxyPoZf3D1fRxXZ3zknV40S5HzvMaUEbN7bzOa0rnApGoTtWvzmwMERyANrqHdiz4tOorVPGJnhlkdnu8rqrgaXvoKyjekIuNOr8TnKzo0WTkm5gPLan24bU0bo6SeLKzpFdC-fqRKcnB705/w226-h400/PXL_20231102_185658173~2.jpg" width="226" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVic2TkXb8HB0rGpC9UlmX8mrhtN9RoXIblHn_Y6JMstal3wD5LpaDSA7w9Xo29XcD4L6NXFCLLORl1uCS3m3LW4KSj1kR3BJYdjCBP_aIrArtNzlELxN-uIDhld9tO2_Cr14GBzM3wJPQRjVndR-tRMGag84hDlyRGlgxFSO1Ymh_RuFwZ2xpJR1yGNtI/s3407/PXL_20231102_183016151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3407" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVic2TkXb8HB0rGpC9UlmX8mrhtN9RoXIblHn_Y6JMstal3wD5LpaDSA7w9Xo29XcD4L6NXFCLLORl1uCS3m3LW4KSj1kR3BJYdjCBP_aIrArtNzlELxN-uIDhld9tO2_Cr14GBzM3wJPQRjVndR-tRMGag84hDlyRGlgxFSO1Ymh_RuFwZ2xpJR1yGNtI/w400-h266/PXL_20231102_183016151.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0LwCwW3bL-3RnFS5ZYp6Tx7m2tFoZ1UFObCRch_OHuz_RWnEjHkp2WowsE0gGwUcPemxs0MO4ke0Zi87DU3CMQqmIj9AuHuE2eODfkF2TVRSuOw3_qX2PVGE4CmcPRyHEXnf00gPX9MWP5i3N6YWcWRp7cjrN1YrRJFhAHI9SuYHpyH4-GhuVhfogOa0C/s4032/PXL_20231102_182854310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0LwCwW3bL-3RnFS5ZYp6Tx7m2tFoZ1UFObCRch_OHuz_RWnEjHkp2WowsE0gGwUcPemxs0MO4ke0Zi87DU3CMQqmIj9AuHuE2eODfkF2TVRSuOw3_qX2PVGE4CmcPRyHEXnf00gPX9MWP5i3N6YWcWRp7cjrN1YrRJFhAHI9SuYHpyH4-GhuVhfogOa0C/w400-h225/PXL_20231102_182854310.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy-ckVtIQAujtP-m6h0rsO9XB98zWFrN0v73e-da8O6e5hpTFtH1fQyGBL-K5sxuTX1UunbySyNFftpMJuUp-5jUqIjPXdGX8uyg5-K8hCsYWNkjl5jiuWfTaB4fLcNKWjs-psxW9wkfEPTmsrHMTiMpIaLdjJ7rNErjTHM88IU8O_HBnYmXXZYFA_OL5I/s4032/PXL_20231102_164310764.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy-ckVtIQAujtP-m6h0rsO9XB98zWFrN0v73e-da8O6e5hpTFtH1fQyGBL-K5sxuTX1UunbySyNFftpMJuUp-5jUqIjPXdGX8uyg5-K8hCsYWNkjl5jiuWfTaB4fLcNKWjs-psxW9wkfEPTmsrHMTiMpIaLdjJ7rNErjTHM88IU8O_HBnYmXXZYFA_OL5I/w225-h400/PXL_20231102_164310764.jpg" width="225" /></a></div></div><div>In the days to come we would spend quite a bit of time in pubs, those warm, toasty, friendly places where the windows are fogged up and you huddle close to the electric fireplace, not wanting to ever leave. I added a dozen or so pubs during my stay, reminding me of my first trip with Howard in southern England, back in the '70s, when we visited 24 pubs in a mere four days. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl_52TiN67957WVcZyZTa_h7yUgDER_g2zR4MZIZ9Brx_3vIMNrlhzAoBFlpxuIcDBaeO0HOt5a8yu6SEicU74-2kV4MsClSWOThakPwFuWjRl-mb1EM3BOIlS0HE87QxsDwsii2qeqJMSnWzMW-cs8xGn-a63QJI5svvwcQBJ2OZoxKV5VLHAmgQD8gdJ/s4032/PXL_20231101_165808762.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl_52TiN67957WVcZyZTa_h7yUgDER_g2zR4MZIZ9Brx_3vIMNrlhzAoBFlpxuIcDBaeO0HOt5a8yu6SEicU74-2kV4MsClSWOThakPwFuWjRl-mb1EM3BOIlS0HE87QxsDwsii2qeqJMSnWzMW-cs8xGn-a63QJI5svvwcQBJ2OZoxKV5VLHAmgQD8gdJ/w400-h225/PXL_20231101_165808762.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Fm41l1SCga65WVyJYX7CuYxJt1EPBiSjLrSLODd5OLDKRxrMOmpNzxxIykSLiOf9mYtCwDrS-Ix3lSOYQZ9aEbhMC_VWymsHdgjQlnMoo0fcyOIeF5Q8ikY7o80lsYD277KYTsvkS-Z1udJzrU4WmfVUt7__2VWCQrPvHRbcMeZhfNv0UO1j77nJf85B/s4032/PXL_20231101_144723517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Fm41l1SCga65WVyJYX7CuYxJt1EPBiSjLrSLODd5OLDKRxrMOmpNzxxIykSLiOf9mYtCwDrS-Ix3lSOYQZ9aEbhMC_VWymsHdgjQlnMoo0fcyOIeF5Q8ikY7o80lsYD277KYTsvkS-Z1udJzrU4WmfVUt7__2VWCQrPvHRbcMeZhfNv0UO1j77nJf85B/w225-h400/PXL_20231101_144723517.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjSW059Jv-XSq_28x9HUzVHhjqggi7QqtVLFZ789Xb9XgAH-72AEUyCdJ5DpQeXa5Tb1uWggQcO_udqHPWhPLn5nrqL7S3WUt_AVG_6TFeIuuCsB64E8jGZzrVYOyT1uRwohvTuBxh5DFigjzYzJrh7xY0aruceW1Zq7ulD22qbcVuZ2S4AjiRfYBNQq2N/s3293/PXL_20231101_141651982.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1912" data-original-width="3293" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjSW059Jv-XSq_28x9HUzVHhjqggi7QqtVLFZ789Xb9XgAH-72AEUyCdJ5DpQeXa5Tb1uWggQcO_udqHPWhPLn5nrqL7S3WUt_AVG_6TFeIuuCsB64E8jGZzrVYOyT1uRwohvTuBxh5DFigjzYzJrh7xY0aruceW1Zq7ulD22qbcVuZ2S4AjiRfYBNQq2N/w400-h233/PXL_20231101_141651982.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXVwhvOx_HaNfAIp0ucL-B4pbDwxW1RQ2ao6NsQJ9yJDMXob16nB4YQ5Sf5QH8WNo3i9kj8iqPEy6kjtS0dvRQifRkhMNSq_zQiX_M0ynPXDs4LNw_ANsnnxbzEfDC9JzeXdkHZzXQmrylsSZj3oficuVlvr22y48nFP-P4bLjrPMDVMHUG9HSlCamZa6f/s2456/PXL_20231101_141553189~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2456" data-original-width="2233" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXVwhvOx_HaNfAIp0ucL-B4pbDwxW1RQ2ao6NsQJ9yJDMXob16nB4YQ5Sf5QH8WNo3i9kj8iqPEy6kjtS0dvRQifRkhMNSq_zQiX_M0ynPXDs4LNw_ANsnnxbzEfDC9JzeXdkHZzXQmrylsSZj3oficuVlvr22y48nFP-P4bLjrPMDVMHUG9HSlCamZa6f/w364-h400/PXL_20231101_141553189~2.jpg" width="364" /></a></div></div><div>IPAs have always been a mainstay of British pub culture, but they were never as hoppy as most modern craft-IPAs are. But the times have changed in the UK as well, and there were some rather tasty ales even though the alcohol content (seldom exceeding 5%) put them square into the realm of Session beers rather than full-bodied brews. The price for a pint varies by alcohol content, it appears, with some of the 3.8% beers fetching around £4.35 (around $5.30) and going for as high as £6.50 ($8.00) for something substantive at 6.2% ABV. Most small snacks will set you back between $5.00 to $8.00, and expect to spend at least $15.00 for a full pub lunch, per person. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh76WEA9Fwf-Z7_Rxu5YlJIQeMwAjf-OKQfkCz17tlXzAfral7e2EKHw6Y4J_VojNwcwwUFRWs1rlUVFrrtae76kGZDqb4V-v9ZW4PC7LYeD0z4djT3kF4F3bZjjDRSjqD14Sna72PEdiFvD54CbkgbsXf6nXJuBoHbkPAJLDt48qWuI-v1mU8aiX1R0qqC/s2777/PXL_20231105_170703065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2197" data-original-width="2777" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh76WEA9Fwf-Z7_Rxu5YlJIQeMwAjf-OKQfkCz17tlXzAfral7e2EKHw6Y4J_VojNwcwwUFRWs1rlUVFrrtae76kGZDqb4V-v9ZW4PC7LYeD0z4djT3kF4F3bZjjDRSjqD14Sna72PEdiFvD54CbkgbsXf6nXJuBoHbkPAJLDt48qWuI-v1mU8aiX1R0qqC/w400-h316/PXL_20231105_170703065.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpWuZIbWPMwlhNEZRgMAYfBkXc6-Y7M54LFHuA82JH7w49dqsuuIoXcZIzGAFhDjqjnKzkKTEIYXUpyJW7KHwkUafFoSYzggvzXq85rMYr8SB13mUTuK8fW62y7Sx-dvOJ6Z34WyMqFC-Q-BFy9FEN0JhbYB6mBRFFGgGqj8MHztD5biLXGU74edFIwMnO/s3264/PXL_20231104_153757537~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpWuZIbWPMwlhNEZRgMAYfBkXc6-Y7M54LFHuA82JH7w49dqsuuIoXcZIzGAFhDjqjnKzkKTEIYXUpyJW7KHwkUafFoSYzggvzXq85rMYr8SB13mUTuK8fW62y7Sx-dvOJ6Z34WyMqFC-Q-BFy9FEN0JhbYB6mBRFFGgGqj8MHztD5biLXGU74edFIwMnO/w278-h400/PXL_20231104_153757537~2.jpg" width="278" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinQl7rBga5KK4kFPQITWnC-5efPpA7uTxVFJJcjZ08odhvJUsRlN3gS1bAxYvSla6wwKYgJ13LAIZ5ISv7z56s1w4b8bd198KZe27DtkJduYJVENbNV7JtrrtT3TAvHoKd3-ntBj_WnpkP-vY59ewO7wqG1nSss1JIzuAc20ZfHU5qFyB9kakwcEPxyD6o/s3275/PXL_20231103_140400478.PORTRAIT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3275" data-original-width="1880" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinQl7rBga5KK4kFPQITWnC-5efPpA7uTxVFJJcjZ08odhvJUsRlN3gS1bAxYvSla6wwKYgJ13LAIZ5ISv7z56s1w4b8bd198KZe27DtkJduYJVENbNV7JtrrtT3TAvHoKd3-ntBj_WnpkP-vY59ewO7wqG1nSss1JIzuAc20ZfHU5qFyB9kakwcEPxyD6o/w230-h400/PXL_20231103_140400478.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="230" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWvHUCNIA0icsnhZgPwcEG_aZQxrdBSFRbz2vjISRw8C4u3o_E3zNjKkuRE5sssYKV9N1gnGRlKcupbUsoqExGN6Hz372iT7dlusgTiJmaF6eYzagbn0i7wQYLniL4KyBXQkRII4-midM-a5JRe59ZQu9KK1YHQ90fkyrvrtfT5BrSrvn_xM5oooGLUUsz/s2969/PXL_20231102_152559590.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2969" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWvHUCNIA0icsnhZgPwcEG_aZQxrdBSFRbz2vjISRw8C4u3o_E3zNjKkuRE5sssYKV9N1gnGRlKcupbUsoqExGN6Hz372iT7dlusgTiJmaF6eYzagbn0i7wQYLniL4KyBXQkRII4-midM-a5JRe59ZQu9KK1YHQ90fkyrvrtfT5BrSrvn_xM5oooGLUUsz/w305-h400/PXL_20231102_152559590.jpg" width="305" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhROaSD_nZYRk8ztzagxs-rxjHPMBjg3_Cn59ln43Sh20i3LuYO7UHE6dr1dlmdArKWgZpXuJjl6KQNpBTKYCI9lfV1mcxX20sZTQhDw_6X_6CNL8XwTHd0zVENkWp7FAXbYdoujZajcJjzqvDK7MANZJVJumWheuoZwXhuf8LdsLz-8G_c2ziCAy2sjEDY/s4032/PXL_20231101_182652742.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhROaSD_nZYRk8ztzagxs-rxjHPMBjg3_Cn59ln43Sh20i3LuYO7UHE6dr1dlmdArKWgZpXuJjl6KQNpBTKYCI9lfV1mcxX20sZTQhDw_6X_6CNL8XwTHd0zVENkWp7FAXbYdoujZajcJjzqvDK7MANZJVJumWheuoZwXhuf8LdsLz-8G_c2ziCAy2sjEDY/w400-h225/PXL_20231101_182652742.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Our favorite food was most likely <i>haggis</i>, a so-called "pudding" made of a mixture of sheep's heart, livers, and lungs plus various spices and other ingredients, traditionally packaged into an intestinal casing; I know, it sounds pretty rough, but it tastes wonderful, with or without a pint of <i>Abbot </i>or <i>Old Speckled Hen</i>. The fish'n chips that we had on two occasions were rather disappointing, especially at the vastly overpriced <i>Bertie's</i>.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyY6TFOzLHm-1KXLSVVu2qhdmVDdYcX5WSm0y4Ql3l9ZaGQfVzo7VF9IvGJkc6EXXECnDnmlKxLX9jYSy4Sbyd-hjyjNRDp2gIdvk5D2KCtr2j6AtrVt3ffRZ4vEQekUZvqNJYLJ862jA_TvDfux7or2Zfo0ftBvR_4da2ROu_4USaacMCI2qe-HRX2znH/s4032/PXL_20231101_142157528.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyY6TFOzLHm-1KXLSVVu2qhdmVDdYcX5WSm0y4Ql3l9ZaGQfVzo7VF9IvGJkc6EXXECnDnmlKxLX9jYSy4Sbyd-hjyjNRDp2gIdvk5D2KCtr2j6AtrVt3ffRZ4vEQekUZvqNJYLJ862jA_TvDfux7or2Zfo0ftBvR_4da2ROu_4USaacMCI2qe-HRX2znH/w400-h225/PXL_20231101_142157528.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj7HKrHVud12MeIcPGeLB9qcAzjiPAo11LdwVDIMuwmQngXODif04XRJH026JPgoX_shgvepL3MwR0nD1MZGUjIQVn8Plm6UguRkA2i3HehsaHr4XygipojKD-toDovvsDKUGIyVhnu75ZHzpdxa9VIbQofiZKSCjAoiPZk4eVrZCBLW-vAF30_Wg7Ub66/s3840/PXL_20231101_141511848.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj7HKrHVud12MeIcPGeLB9qcAzjiPAo11LdwVDIMuwmQngXODif04XRJH026JPgoX_shgvepL3MwR0nD1MZGUjIQVn8Plm6UguRkA2i3HehsaHr4XygipojKD-toDovvsDKUGIyVhnu75ZHzpdxa9VIbQofiZKSCjAoiPZk4eVrZCBLW-vAF30_Wg7Ub66/w400-h225/PXL_20231101_141511848.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqqQUxPG8OAq3U_tPflF4Yo87qHrB_IxpuFA3yBKrnszv-oknaePwFZ1C8lCKMxqUb-tOvQK2u3hyFXpn0FXZgYvC9zUSUpDWk7qzUXSzBJhgClHde2i6Bfa7Hx4NDgva7eZGDsLWs5rkdVXvZqlAjoa1kPfsvssqHTIaLERvInOHjsklJli5cvLvIabX/s4032/PXL_20231101_134832638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqqQUxPG8OAq3U_tPflF4Yo87qHrB_IxpuFA3yBKrnszv-oknaePwFZ1C8lCKMxqUb-tOvQK2u3hyFXpn0FXZgYvC9zUSUpDWk7qzUXSzBJhgClHde2i6Bfa7Hx4NDgva7eZGDsLWs5rkdVXvZqlAjoa1kPfsvssqHTIaLERvInOHjsklJli5cvLvIabX/w225-h400/PXL_20231101_134832638.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzLVX5IP66eax3euZLhwcvXyqn-Wz-2mbAsL5rKd9TJsDlucTLtQNOG6wWUmoi78dqxvCfgoBBDnV0Zc8naqaTWH2mOV4I_2LBRiEAsGSRikzH-XR-IAVy1cVoNgiU2Qpyf5a0XxHOCtjL6jSAB7f839aDZmiJew6Y_eB1N4Ebzx1XPjd8yLG8mmmh6O_v/w225-h400/PXL_20231031_161553532.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm1YUbKdjJb0CVPq_eaELwSnL43rsIYAunjmJEsFGKEQBAgOYTc_wBnqmwCGY3FnXMlLckQSTzf68os-tEe_WOmvgSbc9nRDhfPh4MvXz0ulJswFLt17-27Km3y3l9rE_27Jnn347P44Ck-LUPNPpe9YhwVJ2jq1bs39wtKXCV5Zhpw_Djt0hKeDvmgGNA/s4032/PXL_20231101_133908152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm1YUbKdjJb0CVPq_eaELwSnL43rsIYAunjmJEsFGKEQBAgOYTc_wBnqmwCGY3FnXMlLckQSTzf68os-tEe_WOmvgSbc9nRDhfPh4MvXz0ulJswFLt17-27Km3y3l9rE_27Jnn347P44Ck-LUPNPpe9YhwVJ2jq1bs39wtKXCV5Zhpw_Djt0hKeDvmgGNA/w400-h225/PXL_20231101_133908152.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>It was fun to walk through the many narrow streets and <i>closes</i>, stone stairs connecting the various levels of Old Town; it is easy to imagine what this city looked like 200 or even 400 years ago. When we climbed Calton Hill, from where we had a fabulous view upon the much higher <i>Arthur's Seat</i> as well as all the way to the nearby sea, we passed through old cemeteries and past centuries-old buildings.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQCSV9qRONlIrS1puV3DaMLy3Np4W3WMN8OrQQSRFWTT5AeSCkkskS3Vuhgtxr6SGwuQHeERraylhSvzkwNLyHeqW6K2slhrqI-5pkVJCQqftVL3EbIua21vYwuTatbcRkSn-TniLPcVDgBoqyPQr1fmuJhrfnuoEgOuwCnOKmfT6wUM3PQ92UhNrI43Gp/s4032/PXL_20231101_141002499.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQCSV9qRONlIrS1puV3DaMLy3Np4W3WMN8OrQQSRFWTT5AeSCkkskS3Vuhgtxr6SGwuQHeERraylhSvzkwNLyHeqW6K2slhrqI-5pkVJCQqftVL3EbIua21vYwuTatbcRkSn-TniLPcVDgBoqyPQr1fmuJhrfnuoEgOuwCnOKmfT6wUM3PQ92UhNrI43Gp/w400-h225/PXL_20231101_141002499.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvLpb_-9IIX0kHVNldtVWlDomjimlI6mSS1RZomcZ8bBBPOs_OLGrfuDWiOPzx6utmPra_uOB0928-pZ3hmrlppabzVCoGpFQCrgkEVfIowCD0jFeciAVMvD6tFZ2r8lnTL2sMZPz85rEplrHuicqwML-8sSsGkg589eBDZR9UhdASn7ehV_Q7MkT5iLQp/s4032/PXL_20231102_184712621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvLpb_-9IIX0kHVNldtVWlDomjimlI6mSS1RZomcZ8bBBPOs_OLGrfuDWiOPzx6utmPra_uOB0928-pZ3hmrlppabzVCoGpFQCrgkEVfIowCD0jFeciAVMvD6tFZ2r8lnTL2sMZPz85rEplrHuicqwML-8sSsGkg589eBDZR9UhdASn7ehV_Q7MkT5iLQp/w225-h400/PXL_20231102_184712621.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBesQZd_kYzagpcplbdTpolhpHSLVnsUbJUxoDeM278LGRenyg0aGVZEtefDQoCJ2qsCLMjpgDFmMWgOpBrFgoFRAWn4IS-5zmUAGIj7bVxP4h0DibDZtBiixuIFvkN67Wj6rl8REZyDqD2nw4z1rIXWoeFyfXHFpEEme_UlLM9SPxdLi2PuG307jdhuWh/s3112/PXL_20231102_185355599.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2045" data-original-width="3112" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBesQZd_kYzagpcplbdTpolhpHSLVnsUbJUxoDeM278LGRenyg0aGVZEtefDQoCJ2qsCLMjpgDFmMWgOpBrFgoFRAWn4IS-5zmUAGIj7bVxP4h0DibDZtBiixuIFvkN67Wj6rl8REZyDqD2nw4z1rIXWoeFyfXHFpEEme_UlLM9SPxdLi2PuG307jdhuWh/w400-h263/PXL_20231102_185355599.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJ9BYMMW2TvxipJHiaVDD6tOOSTiN3QY9eRbj9f9GeG_pVgR_v6gA6x7-WNc7i7YOB0uvo-c1chNTCpjgEl3Hd_5bUzmjc5zdY8jQgFcEeOgyuezczLxynSW-ePZJPI_gekoJEsb_MW2QRmC-OD8soPUdwl33_EcxMo87hyphenhyphenv8zGLu_Ou94emou2hPZ5W0/s3778/PXL_20231102_184353194.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3778" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJ9BYMMW2TvxipJHiaVDD6tOOSTiN3QY9eRbj9f9GeG_pVgR_v6gA6x7-WNc7i7YOB0uvo-c1chNTCpjgEl3Hd_5bUzmjc5zdY8jQgFcEeOgyuezczLxynSW-ePZJPI_gekoJEsb_MW2QRmC-OD8soPUdwl33_EcxMo87hyphenhyphenv8zGLu_Ou94emou2hPZ5W0/w240-h400/PXL_20231102_184353194.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG8N8A7-0DpIUkflW4UzVG-WPY6wUWqU1KFACagpf6xeG2x1eJhbUQVPmFQEX2_tvNlVj90HFCKkPTtgbv_Ex2Y5mHQfI8rc053-N7dQl6W95rMpdb-H39CCLAPmuCBaed_2cWIn3aC96xTt5_W_bH4v71vYZSGlusZbUdmjkQXtiXY5PpS6HfpwhXrgND/s3614/PXL_20231101_185352499.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2099" data-original-width="3614" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG8N8A7-0DpIUkflW4UzVG-WPY6wUWqU1KFACagpf6xeG2x1eJhbUQVPmFQEX2_tvNlVj90HFCKkPTtgbv_Ex2Y5mHQfI8rc053-N7dQl6W95rMpdb-H39CCLAPmuCBaed_2cWIn3aC96xTt5_W_bH4v71vYZSGlusZbUdmjkQXtiXY5PpS6HfpwhXrgND/w400-h233/PXL_20231101_185352499.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Our excursion to the castle, much ballyhooed in the tourist literature, was a bit disappointing. Of course, the truly terrible weather that day was partly to blame, but the 10-second glimpse of the crown jewels (no photos allowed!) and two or three staterooms that looked plundered didn't live up to our expectations. Probably the most interesting part of the castle was its jail and the displays that showed what life was like for the various prisoners that were held here. As seems to be <i>de rigueur</i> nowadays, almost everything has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Edinburgh is no exception: Both the medieval Old Town as well as the Georgian New Town (where we were staying) are on the list, including of course the castle and all the other important buildings.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeeWKFUJ0gucnb3twCCeMJDZrS8ozRFKJCI00Tde56BetHrmdRz44aDLg3Vko2q8tnBvoJxAeku_RuFngJh5vQWhKa2s7UL9sJdysGyxMFivYQwTmoKFWKAUiwkWghmJYc_zQKfT72vWr5W_YZrsoBSz-cU7V3VJRIctjAECDAtdczWLK0jZQsC5zlj7Jt/s4032/PXL_20231102_121502927~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeeWKFUJ0gucnb3twCCeMJDZrS8ozRFKJCI00Tde56BetHrmdRz44aDLg3Vko2q8tnBvoJxAeku_RuFngJh5vQWhKa2s7UL9sJdysGyxMFivYQwTmoKFWKAUiwkWghmJYc_zQKfT72vWr5W_YZrsoBSz-cU7V3VJRIctjAECDAtdczWLK0jZQsC5zlj7Jt/w400-h225/PXL_20231102_121502927~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2248" data-original-width="3114" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXv04AQgl7px5VXyI5eDdReAa1cZBkhCvxAvWDKb7wHl65XlqJrNyQD6UMV5MUkbfaUCwSvpC5uyWlng_QKHNhRah5iNZoJrjMXdXOwLnNJqDpt0KtJr7LKkVyMHT7Z2pLClYs7J0KBeJvj_20WspDzFA4M6CJim7CWaV1VJ-7hTzSW-ascwQ_EABfoLDr/w400-h289/PXL_20231102_140150663.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM2bOoqoLxlAaeQbb982QZItWWaL1e0jRJGhi_gxDFkQ0u7XWA0_3ZZoiK_O0PmKdEkD8aXcxCHY3CUEhA3KuXg5eIXHHz9U_W9T277MEtbxm5RJA6qzWlWs1o80yN6ow31fu3uztGlGCrd8nGoYw51YuUWRVysaODPe3eCo9-N1pz2iIS3F4q5J1FL0Lf/s3603/PXL_20231102_135155283.PORTRAIT~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3603" data-original-width="2263" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM2bOoqoLxlAaeQbb982QZItWWaL1e0jRJGhi_gxDFkQ0u7XWA0_3ZZoiK_O0PmKdEkD8aXcxCHY3CUEhA3KuXg5eIXHHz9U_W9T277MEtbxm5RJA6qzWlWs1o80yN6ow31fu3uztGlGCrd8nGoYw51YuUWRVysaODPe3eCo9-N1pz2iIS3F4q5J1FL0Lf/w251-h400/PXL_20231102_135155283.PORTRAIT~2.jpg" width="251" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMWO_RMWvSMwTIdqxr66zwmi-G8YQiqgWrocq5irZV_WPayvYVGsJoVaveZS3NVjhetLolltlybjEB27Rc45MoHaDThyeZHvQVAYD6Ty_LewWHe5BsEIZzJO3_JwJ8YWdisJkZ6Jw_ZNEwE0fBZmcsElkYDp5Q85w3UINkCJpDe7MNl-hVV9P_XuyW_O0p/s4032/PXL_20231102_131845509.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMWO_RMWvSMwTIdqxr66zwmi-G8YQiqgWrocq5irZV_WPayvYVGsJoVaveZS3NVjhetLolltlybjEB27Rc45MoHaDThyeZHvQVAYD6Ty_LewWHe5BsEIZzJO3_JwJ8YWdisJkZ6Jw_ZNEwE0fBZmcsElkYDp5Q85w3UINkCJpDe7MNl-hVV9P_XuyW_O0p/w400-h225/PXL_20231102_131845509.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdhgma27e84Aotd0QRPgx2aSYhKSDAiNCrRgP9n_vBy22yaIMxvI3FaGNGk7pCXb8ra-06DUqjk3IbTv4bI_TcizXAsIe-lGKf-PxHa_zGeeB5rCbJXZZSmoYCiF3Hm7zdlngIAByjiX7HYmANgf6vsfYntYcZ8G1XD_AjqwBSCCnox_fXU9LliMaxh51K/s4032/PXL_20231102_122931905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdhgma27e84Aotd0QRPgx2aSYhKSDAiNCrRgP9n_vBy22yaIMxvI3FaGNGk7pCXb8ra-06DUqjk3IbTv4bI_TcizXAsIe-lGKf-PxHa_zGeeB5rCbJXZZSmoYCiF3Hm7zdlngIAByjiX7HYmANgf6vsfYntYcZ8G1XD_AjqwBSCCnox_fXU9LliMaxh51K/w225-h400/PXL_20231102_122931905.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjh5cfWV2ZKVJdkYdTxONcZhnA80Tm9DzhucmJvaY9pNlzb-lBtPBOizYRPDPVCm0ioOcxrSrrw5jp_4XS_hB9if53cg68ugGq9mvJeCIDZRx5SlnnHZv3RaPruO9JSU965kD8rLdT6NTLyRwSwYgtT57Z_3gt6_WltFCoucNjVEI572WKy4HALyqNvuM0/s3543/PXL_20231102_122621462.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3543" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjh5cfWV2ZKVJdkYdTxONcZhnA80Tm9DzhucmJvaY9pNlzb-lBtPBOizYRPDPVCm0ioOcxrSrrw5jp_4XS_hB9if53cg68ugGq9mvJeCIDZRx5SlnnHZv3RaPruO9JSU965kD8rLdT6NTLyRwSwYgtT57Z_3gt6_WltFCoucNjVEI572WKy4HALyqNvuM0/w256-h400/PXL_20231102_122621462.jpg" width="256" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>No One Attacks Me With Impunity</i> (Motto of Scotland)</span></td></tr></tbody></table>For our full third day, we had booked an eight-hour bus excursion to St. Andrews. Our first stop was on the south bank of the <i>Firth of Forth</i>, the large body of water that separates Edinburgh and Lothian from the Kingdom of Fife toward the north. We lucked out in that there was a bit of sun and we could clearly see the three imposing (and beautiful) bridges across the wide estuary. All three bridges were built in different centuries, with the newest having been completed in 2017 (Queensferry Crossing), the Forth Road Bridge in 1964, and the oldest in 1890—the railroad-only Forth Bridge, yet another UNESCO World Heritage Site. Seeing all three of them so close to one another is very impressive.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwb-0qCBeWpWuVS7QdB9chXPwR8GF81YGoMqZYGOI2btCjDAsh81RDnXPuynBCUmwnqC-l5w0bsJMZRTI8URJByCe7Ft2RbVzCS8JtKYDWZn4Sx4uUZzBDZiCK80_xUK6yDief7EwqemgdMwzC0TuhvMuHbhFlsxChuFIekmkneJ4H62CIm9iwHaXB0_BC/s4032/PXL_20231103_102852752~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1599" data-original-width="4032" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwb-0qCBeWpWuVS7QdB9chXPwR8GF81YGoMqZYGOI2btCjDAsh81RDnXPuynBCUmwnqC-l5w0bsJMZRTI8URJByCe7Ft2RbVzCS8JtKYDWZn4Sx4uUZzBDZiCK80_xUK6yDief7EwqemgdMwzC0TuhvMuHbhFlsxChuFIekmkneJ4H62CIm9iwHaXB0_BC/w400-h159/PXL_20231103_102852752~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMqqNeX0XrzURFciIKwhK2jv0WAEaddlvKkKEpIaWAsBqEkJlFYwiQvKYVY_b20eL75WSNjRY-D6xxArDg6GMgR_SPFSAUtDPDf_wscAzw3buH_bM89gzaAE-IgQt4RXE57AzwaoQIbJATD58GU1v255_5bn7mqezK6_tAuQfxcD_WqivJIjZc_Y-SiEC0/s3933/PXL_20231103_102108166.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2212" data-original-width="3933" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMqqNeX0XrzURFciIKwhK2jv0WAEaddlvKkKEpIaWAsBqEkJlFYwiQvKYVY_b20eL75WSNjRY-D6xxArDg6GMgR_SPFSAUtDPDf_wscAzw3buH_bM89gzaAE-IgQt4RXE57AzwaoQIbJATD58GU1v255_5bn7mqezK6_tAuQfxcD_WqivJIjZc_Y-SiEC0/w400-h225/PXL_20231103_102108166.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8KyDmRf_i9XwnaIlGosBJ5Tzmub0k2ZSHUcxbDpaytIDH3-h2_R3yRdPvJESTGflEOCT4N65JGbG8_VzlWFbDizSNo-adg_q0UYY-gw0FwmncHCwZI29QCHu3r8PfXLHL9dvdWoiL-nkXqliJDkYjZE5Jf73RTE78F43W6JStMoWiwdimt5liQDZLINvr/s4032/PXL_20231103_102827828.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8KyDmRf_i9XwnaIlGosBJ5Tzmub0k2ZSHUcxbDpaytIDH3-h2_R3yRdPvJESTGflEOCT4N65JGbG8_VzlWFbDizSNo-adg_q0UYY-gw0FwmncHCwZI29QCHu3r8PfXLHL9dvdWoiL-nkXqliJDkYjZE5Jf73RTE78F43W6JStMoWiwdimt5liQDZLINvr/w400-h225/PXL_20231103_102827828.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXtt2AZ4kroXY4Kz6GSL8ZA0swuNO1K7zXajEE7nZfHpi8BvYkNmrfy_wuaveIloQhMP7OoR03aSmQBIIdn7VJn0_PYxbBgUwatKSBCIMQGp0nNZ3R1FiTOX2MlNSpdMAV55pBbuWYK_jJ1IrDPaY_ElNoyKynx30gHcGZlhAoD44NtDnGM-Ie8emotOgh/s2728/PXL_20231103_104619896~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1425" data-original-width="2728" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXtt2AZ4kroXY4Kz6GSL8ZA0swuNO1K7zXajEE7nZfHpi8BvYkNmrfy_wuaveIloQhMP7OoR03aSmQBIIdn7VJn0_PYxbBgUwatKSBCIMQGp0nNZ3R1FiTOX2MlNSpdMAV55pBbuWYK_jJ1IrDPaY_ElNoyKynx30gHcGZlhAoD44NtDnGM-Ie8emotOgh/w400-h209/PXL_20231103_104619896~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>We continued along the northern shoreline of the estuary and stopped in two of the many old Fife fishing villages (Lower Largo, of Robinson Crusoe fame, and Anstruther). Unfortunately, the weather once again deteriorated, and by the time we reached St. Andrews (yep, the place so well-known for its golf courses and its university) it poured heavily enough that Birgit and I spent most of our free time over lunch in a pub. The golf course looked like a large, soggy polo field and left me unimpressed—somehow I had expected a setting like Pebble Beach.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHT2nX-Nkk-EO1uRar48_Zw2pUj1lpHuJp0523Ckn8taCYywsUNyKOpLCUHvqmkptSx5eXbtxEVNHnTkHNA2GaWhACErtFgI7YquIYtHa7So4ZZYj_1H8ifRlqm01OzxQDNBHdOKSVmokUPN3mHce7PQ0NApndQTfC7zLN93fR75B61Aa4Bs4NNBkLaks_/s4032/PXL_20231103_124604783~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHT2nX-Nkk-EO1uRar48_Zw2pUj1lpHuJp0523Ckn8taCYywsUNyKOpLCUHvqmkptSx5eXbtxEVNHnTkHNA2GaWhACErtFgI7YquIYtHa7So4ZZYj_1H8ifRlqm01OzxQDNBHdOKSVmokUPN3mHce7PQ0NApndQTfC7zLN93fR75B61Aa4Bs4NNBkLaks_/w400-h225/PXL_20231103_124604783~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoLzDSC9Kf_uYANlpNMDSRhKWg5VK5DIehsdIzEE3xargLlRGEDp5bfWEaabInBk7pxp3l20dtfyAmZHk-Rc0M5xclb4yAxrDZlEVYl2VMRCdkVApOkvyB0tp67qI5mY9208sDE879VLe6YO9qY6vuH6g3YLRiRzMLTCQIW0DkCFtyGzmfdQS_rtgUkvd-/s4032/PXL_20231103_153901556.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoLzDSC9Kf_uYANlpNMDSRhKWg5VK5DIehsdIzEE3xargLlRGEDp5bfWEaabInBk7pxp3l20dtfyAmZHk-Rc0M5xclb4yAxrDZlEVYl2VMRCdkVApOkvyB0tp67qI5mY9208sDE879VLe6YO9qY6vuH6g3YLRiRzMLTCQIW0DkCFtyGzmfdQS_rtgUkvd-/w400-h225/PXL_20231103_153901556.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEz6WT7p6olTG-CCTFpLM6LzLKfWp1qM01iON97HRGk3uQ916Zs7VVlh1nBCNK3h_zjxGDN9XEkkX_wINxb8wfvaWkhMC_n1QYfSH0McOGA51P9Vco2APW5_oY2YN7-OyiJutMtO7XLJYuKIOsQKob-IHjlOGslkrHEhd6gswYN-cRsl0YVZP7FtVn-xoR/s3541/PXL_20231103_154036335~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2145" data-original-width="3541" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEz6WT7p6olTG-CCTFpLM6LzLKfWp1qM01iON97HRGk3uQ916Zs7VVlh1nBCNK3h_zjxGDN9XEkkX_wINxb8wfvaWkhMC_n1QYfSH0McOGA51P9Vco2APW5_oY2YN7-OyiJutMtO7XLJYuKIOsQKob-IHjlOGslkrHEhd6gswYN-cRsl0YVZP7FtVn-xoR/w400-h243/PXL_20231103_154036335~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZVAgt6QvSbUE18PVF_dR6FtvDrwX2kKWRuVK-ZF9fkfxYSDsPpJrqE-u6o8_7Xq8WcXDtX3gEWq7qqeaI2RX-ZufyDifx5VJsld9-_GrgZmwkCx86-ILM8TEi6F7wFkVLpTgKmk1WmezFg5IDEiqMVKd5FUNdOp9INbxP8UFxYRVnJ3AOGMHMLPXa0Wfs/s2984/PXL_20231103_134400549.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2984" data-original-width="2216" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZVAgt6QvSbUE18PVF_dR6FtvDrwX2kKWRuVK-ZF9fkfxYSDsPpJrqE-u6o8_7Xq8WcXDtX3gEWq7qqeaI2RX-ZufyDifx5VJsld9-_GrgZmwkCx86-ILM8TEi6F7wFkVLpTgKmk1WmezFg5IDEiqMVKd5FUNdOp9INbxP8UFxYRVnJ3AOGMHMLPXa0Wfs/w298-h400/PXL_20231103_134400549.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCuuSxahwofkZcAvdtNoKXZwUQBco7OhHyyI_b2eKajPt_RWMlFqMOw5SEpt5doTfHKEp0qs7-N3d-FEkH2o5Mwlk63qRylHBlWtTs0avIM8hA_RQ4oFLEduhVeIsV5V2bwtlxb_F7SPqYr7XlZxejrjfbLK9PYuAs9URbhHtaCQfUHZ3go_zwnvLVwCgS/s3017/PXL_20231103_152940251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3017" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCuuSxahwofkZcAvdtNoKXZwUQBco7OhHyyI_b2eKajPt_RWMlFqMOw5SEpt5doTfHKEp0qs7-N3d-FEkH2o5Mwlk63qRylHBlWtTs0avIM8hA_RQ4oFLEduhVeIsV5V2bwtlxb_F7SPqYr7XlZxejrjfbLK9PYuAs9URbhHtaCQfUHZ3go_zwnvLVwCgS/w301-h400/PXL_20231103_152940251.jpg" width="301" /></a></div>Even before this excursion Birgit had started to feel down and out, aftereffects of a recent bout with COVID. So, while on the bus during our excursion she called her travel agent in Germany and changed her flight back to the next day. It was clear that she was not having much fun and had to struggle to maintain a stiff upper lip. It was quite a bummer but, not knowing how the next few days might develop, it was the right decision to make. I myself have been carrying a nagging cough since my second COVID tussle in late September, and we just don't know enough about this tricky disease.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8p5ePrxzgAwtKh3WmToLCOEQrDPAP3QPgAkKGVQzkNFYz9pKFwtDxdBCgq0lNs2mJke8KN7Qb3ZpsxjRIHBpqEuDJy-6LLyTUHhDckWnUGSnPtPPErBO77gW-xDCATiLXyBYq4_OA0gdW71PfuUl0h3V8x7OSItpnkZlasVhrYGn-9jDh1SoJDS00lAcb/s3781/PXL_20231104_135557208~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2183" data-original-width="3781" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8p5ePrxzgAwtKh3WmToLCOEQrDPAP3QPgAkKGVQzkNFYz9pKFwtDxdBCgq0lNs2mJke8KN7Qb3ZpsxjRIHBpqEuDJy-6LLyTUHhDckWnUGSnPtPPErBO77gW-xDCATiLXyBYq4_OA0gdW71PfuUl0h3V8x7OSItpnkZlasVhrYGn-9jDh1SoJDS00lAcb/w400-h231/PXL_20231104_135557208~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpH8rBRRIh61iWR6d2EqxPirBVvJ8_KH9r7VWKrHTwBDh4sKK5jb3zfOQv04iAMzb7Ktj675rqv-5KgzJdYifAb8qoRdvD7ekTvUAbO0W8o9ESIGlgYRx36AMeZNKOesJLXHrdR-sq6COda4p2JxCNvkoq-kpEtmmsACCUFvGggpJs95oK7TDCNr19Hbak/s2468/PXL_20231104_131216972.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2097" data-original-width="2468" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpH8rBRRIh61iWR6d2EqxPirBVvJ8_KH9r7VWKrHTwBDh4sKK5jb3zfOQv04iAMzb7Ktj675rqv-5KgzJdYifAb8qoRdvD7ekTvUAbO0W8o9ESIGlgYRx36AMeZNKOesJLXHrdR-sq6COda4p2JxCNvkoq-kpEtmmsACCUFvGggpJs95oK7TDCNr19Hbak/w400-h340/PXL_20231104_131216972.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYw3hS-OGC4u2KUHB6hekqmtbs8WaLwFwQiMEKWGFHUMm7erFeFf0kAhjWe-zdTOo4O-8wkDRRQUNaoL68ZVQi_FyrJYfOfq0dV6RAPaxok7bjuHOzaINFKxuy6zkQ23C3_4_t9UP8jCgQCT1i1uSdZoNZPpYHBmxHtfC8SpVpwUWls3ceGEoSo0f2FzWQ/s2391/PXL_20231104_132450901~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2391" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYw3hS-OGC4u2KUHB6hekqmtbs8WaLwFwQiMEKWGFHUMm7erFeFf0kAhjWe-zdTOo4O-8wkDRRQUNaoL68ZVQi_FyrJYfOfq0dV6RAPaxok7bjuHOzaINFKxuy6zkQ23C3_4_t9UP8jCgQCT1i1uSdZoNZPpYHBmxHtfC8SpVpwUWls3ceGEoSo0f2FzWQ/w380-h400/PXL_20231104_132450901~2.jpg" width="380" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpCL1kTpNCKD72bfG5LyI5Ui5Ux8aum98AY-t-SybNTeP-NwRe7b0zvz0ViHALgBCpBwzZl0MgFCcLldPKawKA9QHh47OuNRB_kU_-MmR0AQln2hdWQVZxECq5XFC5dcpHF2Hnmb2HJBsVS6arsgGTRx14Ck9jz74DluiKo3sGyPhTccTBzGF6b_4x_U-R/s3652/PXL_20231104_134820260.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1990" data-original-width="3652" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpCL1kTpNCKD72bfG5LyI5Ui5Ux8aum98AY-t-SybNTeP-NwRe7b0zvz0ViHALgBCpBwzZl0MgFCcLldPKawKA9QHh47OuNRB_kU_-MmR0AQln2hdWQVZxECq5XFC5dcpHF2Hnmb2HJBsVS6arsgGTRx14Ck9jz74DluiKo3sGyPhTccTBzGF6b_4x_U-R/w400-h217/PXL_20231104_134820260.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRemSAPbZmhrrcnYtAGHoPrUzCc0q-FCONkCQnoZ28_3Knd0NtzRsKUHUkmQWKPbBcQXI4Lbv3t9yAYy1Yz0Zx0u98r18a0ESYXg06Uk95w9tGxA_xmLEl5V06MgbjDW9RmbFOREeRoveI-wfDFNPvNH12ZkjMx-B5YkStekgHykm-pksCuFDTp1aaq58d/s3290/PXL_20231104_135244822.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3290" data-original-width="2248" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRemSAPbZmhrrcnYtAGHoPrUzCc0q-FCONkCQnoZ28_3Knd0NtzRsKUHUkmQWKPbBcQXI4Lbv3t9yAYy1Yz0Zx0u98r18a0ESYXg06Uk95w9tGxA_xmLEl5V06MgbjDW9RmbFOREeRoveI-wfDFNPvNH12ZkjMx-B5YkStekgHykm-pksCuFDTp1aaq58d/w274-h400/PXL_20231104_135244822.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL.jpg" width="274" /></a></div>With two more days on my hands I decided to spend more time in the Old Town area. I have to give it to the Scots: Many of their museums and other attractions are free, and when I went to the National Galleries of Scotland I did not have the feeling that I needed to see everything to justify my entry fee but rather concentrated exclusively on Scottish artists. It was a Saturday, and it seemed as if many locals (and their children) took advantage of the free admission. Similarly, the Museum on the Mound, a bank-and-money museum housed in the Bank of Scotland building, did not charge an entry fee, and the number of visitors showed that people take advantage of these free (and interesting offers).<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzjy8VkdK4MlfGt9qJh244jG7247guYFtBT-yBMupEfeC3wzqMds_icAUvvXYbXdDEzQnCI84CqrRmQmIqCjVv1yM8DR-IqkEm2teEOWmzEKFv47mYquLbcnQusvZ1wjiC3FZFnJoYjQNScWY4Yj3PSQlrc0MDoYSeHP820qA-hhAx4tSMRea4CNHjnWGz/s3260/PXL_20231104_140734970.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3260" data-original-width="2169" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzjy8VkdK4MlfGt9qJh244jG7247guYFtBT-yBMupEfeC3wzqMds_icAUvvXYbXdDEzQnCI84CqrRmQmIqCjVv1yM8DR-IqkEm2teEOWmzEKFv47mYquLbcnQusvZ1wjiC3FZFnJoYjQNScWY4Yj3PSQlrc0MDoYSeHP820qA-hhAx4tSMRea4CNHjnWGz/w266-h400/PXL_20231104_140734970.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsC9hXmqZ8CfqPvBxhcUFUR-ymDFB0WsagyRWFXcLTKERf1XI735Hnap_f2PyebQJ1WIr0tSoavbiWongGKeeDJIeO0O_AqfWxw44jmvLZttUMUvHToggEn0C3Pfcm3PUT3wZxazJ0D1OBNiQrZ-PPYS9SIxE2VPp_z9tafNELBP49GyJLJ_-DPfzj3p6j/s2937/PXL_20231104_140614250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2937" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsC9hXmqZ8CfqPvBxhcUFUR-ymDFB0WsagyRWFXcLTKERf1XI735Hnap_f2PyebQJ1WIr0tSoavbiWongGKeeDJIeO0O_AqfWxw44jmvLZttUMUvHToggEn0C3Pfcm3PUT3wZxazJ0D1OBNiQrZ-PPYS9SIxE2VPp_z9tafNELBP49GyJLJ_-DPfzj3p6j/w309-h400/PXL_20231104_140614250.jpg" width="309" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLcEC03N9VUFFV0lFlSBnDBw432SJZfKAe7FJTutxjmLo5o2y55XbQq06RPxQdM_lGsObS-BVPIcOFzFhUrKiEXYikRDJ2Q0gXi7Kb4i-iiMeltST-7YX6kz3Q6XyayjM0aTqCsIKtRIyU7BHEKS5cbQauIIRDIdiYXxFIAWo-GZFGvGW0RKMN0yg1K967/s2139/PXL_20231104_140607362.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2139" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLcEC03N9VUFFV0lFlSBnDBw432SJZfKAe7FJTutxjmLo5o2y55XbQq06RPxQdM_lGsObS-BVPIcOFzFhUrKiEXYikRDJ2Q0gXi7Kb4i-iiMeltST-7YX6kz3Q6XyayjM0aTqCsIKtRIyU7BHEKS5cbQauIIRDIdiYXxFIAWo-GZFGvGW0RKMN0yg1K967/w356-h400/PXL_20231104_140607362.jpg" width="356" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBWaXDpZOJX-HoJMi1Rfrk5HKlBkAwj7IdViCHNtG1QS2hr2yB9a4XXJK2uX74ttqy-lFCxFQXagfxE-kSxjqrai6rtYi3y8_xuNRDHr3QwRWLpP0TTXOJuvgISuUP6vZeWkctD0E__4DjtH5nheEzxleBmlhAWx8tI400zEmCEM2bdAJOmq-FbzGLJLZU/s2894/PXL_20231104_135945593.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2894" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBWaXDpZOJX-HoJMi1Rfrk5HKlBkAwj7IdViCHNtG1QS2hr2yB9a4XXJK2uX74ttqy-lFCxFQXagfxE-kSxjqrai6rtYi3y8_xuNRDHr3QwRWLpP0TTXOJuvgISuUP6vZeWkctD0E__4DjtH5nheEzxleBmlhAWx8tI400zEmCEM2bdAJOmq-FbzGLJLZU/w314-h400/PXL_20231104_135945593.jpg" width="314" /></a></div></div>That same afternoon, after a visit to St. Giles Cathedral (which had been closed when Birgit and I had wanted to visit it on our first evening in town), I hurried back to New Town to meet up with our Airbnb hosts, Martin and Weng. We had been in touch on and off before and during our stay, and the artwork and general attention to detail of our beautiful flat on Cumberland Street had piqued our interest as to who our hosts were. The two men were genuinely sorry not to get to meet Birgit, yet we had an animated conversation going whilst having a cuppa in a neighborhood coffee shop. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix9Ilpfeqv82CVoNWPPxfhBHIk0FdLbXvgZ9Y8NFWhsMXx7Is6ihDVHAfZqFb7pNGx-zFU0ZNo8ex-zaNxX3Y0G8Y2pYfs8V1A_5jh16gOdtMPip7L-OsA7Jy2g-TQhZl4L3Ezts21vfZu8fmtn-37ASCMWNZCMf99mbPvOXC8YcFOSs8SGSL-YIzjpA1j/s4032/PXL_20231104_143522965.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix9Ilpfeqv82CVoNWPPxfhBHIk0FdLbXvgZ9Y8NFWhsMXx7Is6ihDVHAfZqFb7pNGx-zFU0ZNo8ex-zaNxX3Y0G8Y2pYfs8V1A_5jh16gOdtMPip7L-OsA7Jy2g-TQhZl4L3Ezts21vfZu8fmtn-37ASCMWNZCMf99mbPvOXC8YcFOSs8SGSL-YIzjpA1j/w225-h400/PXL_20231104_143522965.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjECKQXKL5EW8s4um23VBM6ZzgDqJaomJJ6wa2YOKpH-OTL2YfzN0BsVQPnp1-Lym_-M0y1K56K05Twzw7MbFsev9_GQ5to4er_lDNS3oNqUvZLHiVoStEDB-bLv7rNvHdUfx1NEpukjt-Gm2UJS52knc5Gk0-JzBgTW2R1jod0cGx_iWEQSJpO23GUOTSY/s2580/PXL_20231104_143626775~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2580" data-original-width="2268" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjECKQXKL5EW8s4um23VBM6ZzgDqJaomJJ6wa2YOKpH-OTL2YfzN0BsVQPnp1-Lym_-M0y1K56K05Twzw7MbFsev9_GQ5to4er_lDNS3oNqUvZLHiVoStEDB-bLv7rNvHdUfx1NEpukjt-Gm2UJS52knc5Gk0-JzBgTW2R1jod0cGx_iWEQSJpO23GUOTSY/s320/PXL_20231104_143626775~2.jpg" width="281" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzNOSa7soZrkh0KicTk-hCzbpyIcLp9I06sCQq3Z852rjmbXP_Omu4fQuAhLRVOl-nIUJs-NdBjB47YdxFVfFKq5Ki1QJV2UXN97Nkh-SbhXKFn9tSK2LKNvGjX6Vza7UJlPqEmlRvCVACfC71aGFmnqkufSw0I94j8P0LLMIV_iatImzRBz0ZvOq8DSCt/s4032/PXL_20231104_143536736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1882" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzNOSa7soZrkh0KicTk-hCzbpyIcLp9I06sCQq3Z852rjmbXP_Omu4fQuAhLRVOl-nIUJs-NdBjB47YdxFVfFKq5Ki1QJV2UXN97Nkh-SbhXKFn9tSK2LKNvGjX6Vza7UJlPqEmlRvCVACfC71aGFmnqkufSw0I94j8P0LLMIV_iatImzRBz0ZvOq8DSCt/w186-h400/PXL_20231104_143536736.jpg" width="186" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVql8S8L6KZrKqmd4vJvQJEbpt8YInKPN87UwSa6PSOWmv0ehzNPKDEpxOajoHcKz3tZIhu5CisNCL5IiYt9-q8-CW9D8M6Shp4l3BZFYlToQUSXpqTmqSMu7A-oStyIXGRx5KvwzLrLdUnHQLe94FZTLuz0xzbBdO_kvfnjVqnFO_s6YnpoXEpjA-MVhh/s3840/PXL_20231104_143329220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVql8S8L6KZrKqmd4vJvQJEbpt8YInKPN87UwSa6PSOWmv0ehzNPKDEpxOajoHcKz3tZIhu5CisNCL5IiYt9-q8-CW9D8M6Shp4l3BZFYlToQUSXpqTmqSMu7A-oStyIXGRx5KvwzLrLdUnHQLe94FZTLuz0xzbBdO_kvfnjVqnFO_s6YnpoXEpjA-MVhh/w400-h225/PXL_20231104_143329220.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXhJ4Kh9peGxNTjxRMibmVH20gvDY0CrcL_tvw_cYiO1mHsjkIJg89CC2OYg4BwbPrK8aXKMuTxzTkhWHvVXwaZ4VLlNzdlJRxHK6xAxYnzVRYnd28aqi4YeSt8CUo_slsuHEVwf8TtTAW3-6oYN6Lq2KMG5gaYIRtDFt6wALQRjdBHRysFszdROSgwaWv/s3847/PXL_20231104_143735131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3847" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXhJ4Kh9peGxNTjxRMibmVH20gvDY0CrcL_tvw_cYiO1mHsjkIJg89CC2OYg4BwbPrK8aXKMuTxzTkhWHvVXwaZ4VLlNzdlJRxHK6xAxYnzVRYnd28aqi4YeSt8CUo_slsuHEVwf8TtTAW3-6oYN6Lq2KMG5gaYIRtDFt6wALQRjdBHRysFszdROSgwaWv/w236-h400/PXL_20231104_143735131.jpg" width="236" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaQ-ben0SkxGDfbJ9iwE2P40CcJdfp0vc0V2zWrzTZGgONCF_fpqhjz3xH36M8joCiAUqHM4okaHjUPmyDFfrSxmJ5vP-BUVCc5GCf0wcTDwvjOQIuos6AbzXHpBpjR4mz8xkfdqMtS8pJ7qVslxmfN60QUCZNbnmc21syv01Q00G0T27YaavL-l97JOHl/s2871/PXL_20231104_143144176.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2871" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaQ-ben0SkxGDfbJ9iwE2P40CcJdfp0vc0V2zWrzTZGgONCF_fpqhjz3xH36M8joCiAUqHM4okaHjUPmyDFfrSxmJ5vP-BUVCc5GCf0wcTDwvjOQIuos6AbzXHpBpjR4mz8xkfdqMtS8pJ7qVslxmfN60QUCZNbnmc21syv01Q00G0T27YaavL-l97JOHl/w316-h400/PXL_20231104_143144176.jpg" width="316" /></a></div><div>Taking up Martin and Weng on their suggestions for my last day in Edinburgh, I left the flat around 10:30 a.m. to explore the Stockbridge Market, a Sunday institution in the neighborhood. Aside from offering fresh fruit and veggies as well as cheese and meats, vendors hawked everything from local honey, mead, and whisky to artisan soaps, designer dog treats, and wooden spoons and cutting boards. A fellow from Sardinia was roasting candied almonds and nuts while a Spanish threesome labored over two huge pans of <i>paella</i>. Best of all: The sun was out, and even though it was quite nippy, locals and tourists alike milled around the small plot of land that has seen markets here for a long, long time.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFIyiQKv9dWfdm1GjATUl0JdXKaN3kzTqazcwau-f57cBYkM9PArJFtE0Xbb0W6onCiZy4pPhlakCpVFdd9YG94w9WMlhw9YEWNO_2JsBrAiJ-k4N-YZDdVn2Bx0jWpWX2n5LKDMqd9TF9_VEc-G9XZCruVsWI8EMo8CZcH19VrqR3PX_JW78PQ1dDEoYL/s4032/PXL_20231105_104458936.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFIyiQKv9dWfdm1GjATUl0JdXKaN3kzTqazcwau-f57cBYkM9PArJFtE0Xbb0W6onCiZy4pPhlakCpVFdd9YG94w9WMlhw9YEWNO_2JsBrAiJ-k4N-YZDdVn2Bx0jWpWX2n5LKDMqd9TF9_VEc-G9XZCruVsWI8EMo8CZcH19VrqR3PX_JW78PQ1dDEoYL/w400-h225/PXL_20231105_104458936.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4DeHWJBY_3GTwAjlvmUTRbkwEdDE6ztJjoNaBbvDUX-KKe2ztXQGjPP48JQ7K1so4HMlsCVZUw-Vym8m4ngvBdIydIowfwWPDn53NXuiz17g3uOGxY8lHQd5p82DmVij7HkPeCvti7iWTpoJqhdxoW8hx6s4p1SIlK71y4_8htO_tzcYSJ2dQE7oMCoCu/s3419/PXL_20231105_110842345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3419" data-original-width="2165" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4DeHWJBY_3GTwAjlvmUTRbkwEdDE6ztJjoNaBbvDUX-KKe2ztXQGjPP48JQ7K1so4HMlsCVZUw-Vym8m4ngvBdIydIowfwWPDn53NXuiz17g3uOGxY8lHQd5p82DmVij7HkPeCvti7iWTpoJqhdxoW8hx6s4p1SIlK71y4_8htO_tzcYSJ2dQE7oMCoCu/w254-h400/PXL_20231105_110842345.jpg" width="254" /></a></div>The Stockbridge crosses the small Water of Leith, the oddly named main river of Edinburgh. It runs for only 22 miles, and I walked along its banks for the final three miles or so, following a mostly paved path that is used by walkers, joggers, cyclist, and families. It was a different face of Edinburgh, not the dark, hulking sandstone buildings in the center but rather smaller private houses with gardens and a more friendly appearance. I detoured through the nearby Royal Botanical Gardens (free admission, once again) where scores of locals made good use of the nice fall weather. Overall, the splashes of color made for a spectacular early afternoon of walking.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8lZ14whG9oliOcfotBMY2KIOaecZtpGa_TH5REfj8rekUC_RnJHVjO0ghV4_-AIMNbdyaO39wJEPYp90IA606cxAGXgY5zv5ekh_5rrbrJI2vBxQWNk14Ud818XyAwYGZShi6Evt6CszrRp5vNxrmTgz7IA4pHAYwhLsFdprOQcYQww0lI5jpC6a0SPSC/s4032/PXL_20231105_115457583.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8lZ14whG9oliOcfotBMY2KIOaecZtpGa_TH5REfj8rekUC_RnJHVjO0ghV4_-AIMNbdyaO39wJEPYp90IA606cxAGXgY5zv5ekh_5rrbrJI2vBxQWNk14Ud818XyAwYGZShi6Evt6CszrRp5vNxrmTgz7IA4pHAYwhLsFdprOQcYQww0lI5jpC6a0SPSC/w400-h225/PXL_20231105_115457583.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiotFxsD4fCeTHPPGG8BKwyZtBcDF8YrUeNen6FvGk0ZgKhr-vBNVC3zy2MnfxyfnwJcGTn9G7Ekg5CbGuNoaJhe6bhrfzhdrve8fD-kC-pdDMTkL150r88RBX4GMZENRLhpNLsMQWd_HO39c31GgOX7DM2AzS_7P9ZeTm3YWOnIZOXGhoY7Z02OJvyrSJC/s4032/PXL_20231105_115144204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiotFxsD4fCeTHPPGG8BKwyZtBcDF8YrUeNen6FvGk0ZgKhr-vBNVC3zy2MnfxyfnwJcGTn9G7Ekg5CbGuNoaJhe6bhrfzhdrve8fD-kC-pdDMTkL150r88RBX4GMZENRLhpNLsMQWd_HO39c31GgOX7DM2AzS_7P9ZeTm3YWOnIZOXGhoY7Z02OJvyrSJC/w400-h225/PXL_20231105_115144204.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDwKy2iOxV4vpKWdOOog_vv1lAsOXVzetnQNWZQi8ezwHYaSmvfZrNqzHJSpzQau6WM-txZfNa-mmMW4C8Y1Jxr0r8Uxuuoy_PYNDsdmV205QpclK8pANGvN9sCePldOGKABCxTdCxLtiAzWR7RWbYL7BF6ktvHAVNzh602ulz7n1XEVquAk1vYOIxxOK1/s4032/PXL_20231105_114745841.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDwKy2iOxV4vpKWdOOog_vv1lAsOXVzetnQNWZQi8ezwHYaSmvfZrNqzHJSpzQau6WM-txZfNa-mmMW4C8Y1Jxr0r8Uxuuoy_PYNDsdmV205QpclK8pANGvN9sCePldOGKABCxTdCxLtiAzWR7RWbYL7BF6ktvHAVNzh602ulz7n1XEVquAk1vYOIxxOK1/w400-h225/PXL_20231105_114745841.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi89FkC9WlQD8PXT5lirtiM_ZID0udjcZcYDUKnHpejDFHWU8-OamAiU1wJxu9T5OMBNpt4_PoFORIQpNkxJ4UWjTI8srCpRvxJ1Ujkg0H7E_v3oWXcLFe4_b0AJXa4gw7psOCmsK911fGzUH_2l3ebmYiKTC8cQIP3LkzMWAKo54BIrGBEGmSq4_6lvlO/s3314/PXL_20231105_111154870.PORTRAIT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2206" data-original-width="3314" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi89FkC9WlQD8PXT5lirtiM_ZID0udjcZcYDUKnHpejDFHWU8-OamAiU1wJxu9T5OMBNpt4_PoFORIQpNkxJ4UWjTI8srCpRvxJ1Ujkg0H7E_v3oWXcLFe4_b0AJXa4gw7psOCmsK911fGzUH_2l3ebmYiKTC8cQIP3LkzMWAKo54BIrGBEGmSq4_6lvlO/w400-h266/PXL_20231105_111154870.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgejyoRx2lEhOX34DOjf5566mC8RnCKWoQ8rf81qK-f1mIFNiJ_0ljGiKSlhOEOv6Mce82PMZ-jDpXQTfzFEyYwUZ2M8dyefbTyRkDQ4rTaWpjOrdwecswc8xmF5BAC6G6BV9oiVngbE-tW_Iu0uusjndEzJ-CejsZ9dpyK74b9RqF0bH2uW95q2TggXjc6/s4032/PXL_20231105_110821369.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgejyoRx2lEhOX34DOjf5566mC8RnCKWoQ8rf81qK-f1mIFNiJ_0ljGiKSlhOEOv6Mce82PMZ-jDpXQTfzFEyYwUZ2M8dyefbTyRkDQ4rTaWpjOrdwecswc8xmF5BAC6G6BV9oiVngbE-tW_Iu0uusjndEzJ-CejsZ9dpyK74b9RqF0bH2uW95q2TggXjc6/w400-h225/PXL_20231105_110821369.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsLaYduYKCYnYn6lyocr-y4m-pioirdqkHCNKFXlUiJYRv-0kIiLQYEaL0zI4AG5f7FwLPmFCHcNZCrOUvIjMAQP7gNwbPkjfPC5D0wRofekaoLtuFIHNH_EITpDInD8edT4alDrxo_UUrZaH4Y3B1mr0J3CPGMK7dceLENJSwuL6-RSLgMmxUNv282vrA/s3320/PXL_20231105_110614186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3320" data-original-width="2150" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsLaYduYKCYnYn6lyocr-y4m-pioirdqkHCNKFXlUiJYRv-0kIiLQYEaL0zI4AG5f7FwLPmFCHcNZCrOUvIjMAQP7gNwbPkjfPC5D0wRofekaoLtuFIHNH_EITpDInD8edT4alDrxo_UUrZaH4Y3B1mr0J3CPGMK7dceLENJSwuL6-RSLgMmxUNv282vrA/w259-h400/PXL_20231105_110614186.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOnMubIvfgaI3etuGtBX1pHHGi8b9Hw458p4lSwhqEjhg-tStqC7QZIvjiunzb0JWhAUkqnW_NEL95jm1USQuTAVqC_MZuQL4rJHjXZCDMOS_KaUqn2hNRBcgq6kYGE7JFFkhT5ufMdIezUQ9IMmbZqbghzfYxtxasJMBCdg3yL0k0vLwCQjtWrgwpPRyB/s4032/PXL_20231105_110456249.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOnMubIvfgaI3etuGtBX1pHHGi8b9Hw458p4lSwhqEjhg-tStqC7QZIvjiunzb0JWhAUkqnW_NEL95jm1USQuTAVqC_MZuQL4rJHjXZCDMOS_KaUqn2hNRBcgq6kYGE7JFFkhT5ufMdIezUQ9IMmbZqbghzfYxtxasJMBCdg3yL0k0vLwCQjtWrgwpPRyB/w400-h225/PXL_20231105_110456249.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>Eventually, I ended up in the harbor district where the Water of Leith meets the sea. Since December 11, 1997, the Royal Yacht Britannia has been moored here, having been decommissioned after 44 years of serving the Queen and the Royal Family as her residence on the seas. Now, I'm not someone who is starstruck by the monarchy, and I still have a bit of a difficult time keeping the different princes apart, but I have to say that I was thoroughly thrilled to visit this amazing vessel and in the process learn about her history and that of her owners.</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmhN5KJIGMexUr69ejaUCVtEFOawv8FZXb4Zrw5AtoEaUnlxCOZO002XQU_OtknFgnhFzrtWtV00qQxWyEUnoMQJF7GvzKpwBjGsSrBGUIB-BgCCkzVswweJmqVk1Wf-ykF-J2xCiQRMSmMVzJKQKOUN73VYGBLq9_k2lcA5x9axml-fsx77amcgFooYYT/s1200/britannia-exterior-c-marc-millar-1631909537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmhN5KJIGMexUr69ejaUCVtEFOawv8FZXb4Zrw5AtoEaUnlxCOZO002XQU_OtknFgnhFzrtWtV00qQxWyEUnoMQJF7GvzKpwBjGsSrBGUIB-BgCCkzVswweJmqVk1Wf-ykF-J2xCiQRMSmMVzJKQKOUN73VYGBLq9_k2lcA5x9axml-fsx77amcgFooYYT/w400-h266/britannia-exterior-c-marc-millar-1631909537.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">An internet stock photo of the <i>HMY Britannia</i>,<i> </i>all 412 feet of her</span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBWCQAuLWzkEQkrFTN_lCpcMchHt-bSaIzqWuY9xJdH6QUbuk_6ZlPmwjeJ0xReH9skThsJPI4PK2KclVyAd4-KiLYuDIkEaYtWfBReTdWEFucMUegpUeON6Tzh9VPr_cZ3AxfKFloa5CJBQEgfy0ZJaJnI94ZVCMyGMsuozD3plWu8a89EI9dSiVXlCdo/s4032/PXL_20231105_140545010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBWCQAuLWzkEQkrFTN_lCpcMchHt-bSaIzqWuY9xJdH6QUbuk_6ZlPmwjeJ0xReH9skThsJPI4PK2KclVyAd4-KiLYuDIkEaYtWfBReTdWEFucMUegpUeON6Tzh9VPr_cZ3AxfKFloa5CJBQEgfy0ZJaJnI94ZVCMyGMsuozD3plWu8a89EI9dSiVXlCdo/w400-h225/PXL_20231105_140545010.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Queen's bedroom/study</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSVhGblW-QesT1fpNaVArzbQklUZv4lW2E-52xUgcGVr_MbtDOgbISOeNythfCI5A4pU9pkK_sS_Ls7Qitu0SUnPIos1lxwQufioqWsA9oPy-vfkRw1rGyrGEkhreV5gnlupt-WXL3zuo2-t8oqNm-EdqayWD3ghw7TDpWo2boTEuMqa6mQ9SXjQsMBoyM/s3272/PXL_20231105_131825963.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3272" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSVhGblW-QesT1fpNaVArzbQklUZv4lW2E-52xUgcGVr_MbtDOgbISOeNythfCI5A4pU9pkK_sS_Ls7Qitu0SUnPIos1lxwQufioqWsA9oPy-vfkRw1rGyrGEkhreV5gnlupt-WXL3zuo2-t8oqNm-EdqayWD3ghw7TDpWo2boTEuMqa6mQ9SXjQsMBoyM/w278-h400/PXL_20231105_131825963.jpg" width="278" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOQfAKRoYR0PbQrmwqOiekGzIebFTuI3NpQ4NAIsblGove3s9VEBk_JV86teWs_og8UiDV0w6c8nlnmdbuoR972Ltrz3LuHywXocYtpOSTcg11Y9KdptPShc3ikUAKVwD6VOtOPLAa8P-Kg9kBhTMz6M9UYTGEIj4aox_VNoRAdNYQ9GlC3gfBRmTIAJIg/s3599/PXL_20231105_133640930.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3599" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOQfAKRoYR0PbQrmwqOiekGzIebFTuI3NpQ4NAIsblGove3s9VEBk_JV86teWs_og8UiDV0w6c8nlnmdbuoR972Ltrz3LuHywXocYtpOSTcg11Y9KdptPShc3ikUAKVwD6VOtOPLAa8P-Kg9kBhTMz6M9UYTGEIj4aox_VNoRAdNYQ9GlC3gfBRmTIAJIg/w253-h400/PXL_20231105_133640930.jpg" width="253" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRKsyMXu1fpMCOEkmq7zmZBe7r8CmAH9EDkRKCDHmwUc1qAZSxkAS_qMzErEiaKcB3EQXnz19Mmbph1Yr9TVA85R9rbItnFKfxU-cxWbmWenhbg00vVZlQBzG2N1Q69xP2Bd1azs9sClC12h_3lLkQy1deinmXjngoPQFAK-u0eKDmeBdrPLJo-qgRCoXq/s3274/PXL_20231105_135212267.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3274" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRKsyMXu1fpMCOEkmq7zmZBe7r8CmAH9EDkRKCDHmwUc1qAZSxkAS_qMzErEiaKcB3EQXnz19Mmbph1Yr9TVA85R9rbItnFKfxU-cxWbmWenhbg00vVZlQBzG2N1Q69xP2Bd1azs9sClC12h_3lLkQy1deinmXjngoPQFAK-u0eKDmeBdrPLJo-qgRCoXq/w278-h400/PXL_20231105_135212267.jpg" width="278" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2206" data-original-width="3064" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOit35O9e5EB_oG1H3h0w2nrrRKNOjsc5WFnx96SpyCjyPQEz_AgG37QqN3EstbqqASTAxhQBN9SGykahru8hmkDF6x0cDdxeXcFencygeigUZtXR0d_QDlgJsaHahuVj4zdNlj85DyTFFNGeN09f9Q2xTteL0maLyIyCGiYupy6XmIhiKcHEVLB3z7mZ/w400-h288/PXL_20231105_142451338.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi45rIy-pywtsaeo7h_mm04CijGghR8Z5kWu5sMkFD-kAE0B5ofvL4pjif9jdiJGQQu7nf0aKcOCfT2pF0CcV5ZI_IqQEwCy5V21Zlak_05pTH41hXN8XpJX24tBy9Kmu836x6DF8uRj1Yvo5IG6ZFrK17CsM395AvU4BLJRya9AxpTpliBtZokwRlUcde/s3643/PXL_20231105_142509432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3643" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi45rIy-pywtsaeo7h_mm04CijGghR8Z5kWu5sMkFD-kAE0B5ofvL4pjif9jdiJGQQu7nf0aKcOCfT2pF0CcV5ZI_IqQEwCy5V21Zlak_05pTH41hXN8XpJX24tBy9Kmu836x6DF8uRj1Yvo5IG6ZFrK17CsM395AvU4BLJRya9AxpTpliBtZokwRlUcde/w400-h249/PXL_20231105_142509432.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjYUqvPNKhwdQJ_1MkYo-bIX0l3uAt_RGjg4lZKgvLhWtAyGlsubtlGQAvlMDILFiseTEvIpHFoCMzx4Jrh1BQZYCz3FQGVO5bQsv1-z5h59tz8k1L8f1CwpoW7EheQxgWTZDLmjraCiYX-Hph7gTjBsS9lEttcYMTfUj_6jJueiq-tCzzEAU5TUsdwtTf/s2987/PXL_20231105_145549605.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2987" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjYUqvPNKhwdQJ_1MkYo-bIX0l3uAt_RGjg4lZKgvLhWtAyGlsubtlGQAvlMDILFiseTEvIpHFoCMzx4Jrh1BQZYCz3FQGVO5bQsv1-z5h59tz8k1L8f1CwpoW7EheQxgWTZDLmjraCiYX-Hph7gTjBsS9lEttcYMTfUj_6jJueiq-tCzzEAU5TUsdwtTf/w304-h400/PXL_20231105_145549605.jpg" width="304" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhANluZebHS1FtAXD5tZM-WpDQ9ftuI9RkS7w-7Ku7X0Cc8I3cbQr0tlOdY05d-W9v9HPZ1vlJYbOUmnRmwHEwFzcwh6ibl77FSJs3T3FUzijssKQPtarKFbOYoL3ndyxzztiJu1jWAa_lCaBsj10n_gO4DTZIXDMP0pJ3wXO7rJH62UfVkJd-a6pIf5IzS/s4032/PXL_20231105_150548249.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhANluZebHS1FtAXD5tZM-WpDQ9ftuI9RkS7w-7Ku7X0Cc8I3cbQr0tlOdY05d-W9v9HPZ1vlJYbOUmnRmwHEwFzcwh6ibl77FSJs3T3FUzijssKQPtarKFbOYoL3ndyxzztiJu1jWAa_lCaBsj10n_gO4DTZIXDMP0pJ3wXO7rJH62UfVkJd-a6pIf5IzS/w400-h225/PXL_20231105_150548249.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>Quite frankly, if I could have visited only one "attraction" in Edinburgh, it would have been the Britannia, hands-down. To see the various royal staterooms but also the bunks of the "yotties" (as the common sailors were called) and the officers' quarters was truly educational. The excellent audio-guide explained life on board in a way that one got a really good feel for what it takes to make something like this work. For example, I would have never imagined that there were several divers (who were also part of the <i>The Band of her Majesty's Royal Marines</i>!) who had to thoroughly inspect the immediate area of the Britannia's anchorage whenever the Queen or any members of the Royal Family were on board; the beds of both Elizabeth and Prince Philip (in separate quarters that <i>did</i> have a connecting door) were both just 3 feet wide; and before a journey at sea, one of the yotties was assigned to pick flowers from the Buckingham Palace Royal Gardens and put them in cold storage for the entire trip. (And in case you're wondering, there is only one double bed on the Britannia, in the honeymoon suite that Charles and Diana occupied after they had gotten married back in 1981.) <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVY9We2SZMvq9EPW0IfKst0EhKUq97lLqs_etQf7obUEQ788c2_t9aemK1pluQiRMTt8ZcUWuFrLvpXtfwl1NuRmapbiSDfxPakbaBQt1n7Whe5LzVpJNfuWN-gUZUtGW1INeDcuBgSpCoalsJwfuturjwEO9g3pBTdF4sofsWy328du7I0oNEvP5Y8EVH/s3922/PXL_20231105_140039799~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2206" data-original-width="3922" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVY9We2SZMvq9EPW0IfKst0EhKUq97lLqs_etQf7obUEQ788c2_t9aemK1pluQiRMTt8ZcUWuFrLvpXtfwl1NuRmapbiSDfxPakbaBQt1n7Whe5LzVpJNfuWN-gUZUtGW1INeDcuBgSpCoalsJwfuturjwEO9g3pBTdF4sofsWy328du7I0oNEvP5Y8EVH/w400-h225/PXL_20231105_140039799~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNNlsateD6tuohouN7tlnHTip07x9DAvFLEghaC2w8jraVuHxN5Od6lHU5dp4fChrkQXWzbOSN4CU3Bjs2yn2397PMH8AubOXefwprtuYk7pATzulSj-y4KBj9ddVb3UWmIqdMrPofF_GLrpU6TWHWNmYtk7ukS647UUVNhzwMbNVl3r9TOJABnWxCYWum/s4032/PXL_20231105_151326031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNNlsateD6tuohouN7tlnHTip07x9DAvFLEghaC2w8jraVuHxN5Od6lHU5dp4fChrkQXWzbOSN4CU3Bjs2yn2397PMH8AubOXefwprtuYk7pATzulSj-y4KBj9ddVb3UWmIqdMrPofF_GLrpU6TWHWNmYtk7ukS647UUVNhzwMbNVl3r9TOJABnWxCYWum/w400-h225/PXL_20231105_151326031.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6LhuncJ6edJh-t9QD8mLo5pmJ0zXfIiDJOPyfcPkBwk0J_kA4YKpGGhADW-SZAyTSoKc_o1hPD8BxhDgxgMWnHNgsAzZG1DEOi5vSV3mCqfL2wqPjlhPxDVukwTL970Y7TVRzHxbVyDg6I3cGEY1dMOlO9OrcQlB7skk9NrH5PnsXptsrAbLuIhvVz2PX/s3096/PXL_20231105_152428748.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2076" data-original-width="3096" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6LhuncJ6edJh-t9QD8mLo5pmJ0zXfIiDJOPyfcPkBwk0J_kA4YKpGGhADW-SZAyTSoKc_o1hPD8BxhDgxgMWnHNgsAzZG1DEOi5vSV3mCqfL2wqPjlhPxDVukwTL970Y7TVRzHxbVyDg6I3cGEY1dMOlO9OrcQlB7skk9NrH5PnsXptsrAbLuIhvVz2PX/w400-h269/PXL_20231105_152428748.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0DqLukuebWhPfVxRQGXUWOB1wUG5kV6qVbzlcEqRXjGQBfQwp4cuIK_c_pViHOu9aMX5khE3h2zS3ii47KYyhc-ToSwf0rRKs_OefoSRIiOv72H8Hu5VWlbxUsezxmVnsmerIYkavacmCeerqhi4YoPdebFockIo0GzHgFJrOSGftqXy8tcFI9XryqViJ/s1609/PXL_20231105_140144773~3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1609" height="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0DqLukuebWhPfVxRQGXUWOB1wUG5kV6qVbzlcEqRXjGQBfQwp4cuIK_c_pViHOu9aMX5khE3h2zS3ii47KYyhc-ToSwf0rRKs_OefoSRIiOv72H8Hu5VWlbxUsezxmVnsmerIYkavacmCeerqhi4YoPdebFockIo0GzHgFJrOSGftqXy8tcFI9XryqViJ/w400-h351/PXL_20231105_140144773~3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I could have taken a Lothian bus back to the Airbnb, but it was a nice evening and I knew there would be a few pubs along the way, so I hoofed it. Several pints, an order of <i>haggis bonbons</i>, and two hours later I was back on Cumberland Street where the eponymous Cumberland Bar beckoned for one last drink. The next morning I took the Airlink100 bus to the airport (a 35-minute ride), and from there it was just three flights back home. My upgrade request for the transatlantic flight didn't clear (for the umpteenth time this year, I was Number One on the list) and I suffered for almost 10 hours in an economy seat with 230 pounds of human flesh crowding into me across the armrest. Well, we win some, and we lose some.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZ_VvdXCaflnBex4jrJxuqW6faQMDj3obz4IE7tW4tG_rAS2yUxoImVs985gaF7UQzLENOw3kw8SbU5OZ3VKKF7YjR9ewF3Hvod4lBc545w799kdG19M-BOgvHqmoY-zIRvPFLdNpnrc05HuAGC5CZMyzEs8jTPQx7r1Qm4vLHwFsDXa8ibfTYWmE6qfB/s4032/PXL_20231104_225300053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZ_VvdXCaflnBex4jrJxuqW6faQMDj3obz4IE7tW4tG_rAS2yUxoImVs985gaF7UQzLENOw3kw8SbU5OZ3VKKF7YjR9ewF3Hvod4lBc545w799kdG19M-BOgvHqmoY-zIRvPFLdNpnrc05HuAGC5CZMyzEs8jTPQx7r1Qm4vLHwFsDXa8ibfTYWmE6qfB/w225-h400/PXL_20231104_225300053.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhArfCIGC8vuArbyFM3F7Q_VYyua7OZgbmpa1ahx2sMT8qan4toWgg28A1zOx5JaeOUrnGP1xDN1Yd65NFjAiezGrt3r_Of7x_ltrK5BHoxuwMRaCoAYd2RwlMWLytbGW7I7jU3IAuCs9vY4JG93dlm-4WHcLE31Ggo58jHNwHf2FInTtrqs7ANdWDxpssr/s2866/PXL_20231104_225118931.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="2866" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhArfCIGC8vuArbyFM3F7Q_VYyua7OZgbmpa1ahx2sMT8qan4toWgg28A1zOx5JaeOUrnGP1xDN1Yd65NFjAiezGrt3r_Of7x_ltrK5BHoxuwMRaCoAYd2RwlMWLytbGW7I7jU3IAuCs9vY4JG93dlm-4WHcLE31Ggo58jHNwHf2FInTtrqs7ANdWDxpssr/w316-h400/PXL_20231104_225118931.jpg" width="316" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3QCaHJ5CyuiYAx7tbUH38amM32bTna5iKhSQswj2V8qMwFGOOoxFp18iqIFYcDJSoXvK4e4GbnBkUqdUh3dHqihaFkcJhzm16Op4x3ZFP2VcWY_HG3gjJ1ZsAtk-C2WwTm9Ihew0WWfpEh90j0TjY1q31_Kt-dNbD5kgkuGEc493AfjjHbdPIvY910aDO/s2742/PXL_20231106_072245656.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2742" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3QCaHJ5CyuiYAx7tbUH38amM32bTna5iKhSQswj2V8qMwFGOOoxFp18iqIFYcDJSoXvK4e4GbnBkUqdUh3dHqihaFkcJhzm16Op4x3ZFP2VcWY_HG3gjJ1ZsAtk-C2WwTm9Ihew0WWfpEh90j0TjY1q31_Kt-dNbD5kgkuGEc493AfjjHbdPIvY910aDO/w331-h400/PXL_20231106_072245656.jpg" width="331" /></a></div>The next four trips—already booked and ticketed—won't be a repeat of that miserable London to Dallas flight, and my travels ended on a high note with my snagging an earlier flight out of DFW that got me home by 10:00 p.m. instead of after midnight. A new city and a new country were in the books, and no, early November may not be the best time to visit Edinburgh. But is there one?<div><br /></div>JürgenJürgenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03107533431710748040noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023527478729548228.post-53135715625510184932023-10-21T00:10:00.003-05:002024-03-08T13:50:52.417-06:00Hopping from Lima toward Lake Atitlán (part 4, Lake Atitlán)<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf3hYTED4_wC_I-TJhM0ZdCltYWQmmqxutOASCT_02MKOCu0jKkrrd8oqWtGEM2ewilNSlNJR70q2yQ-OCULDdN7AN7xR32rfldSTDqo73KujhT6Y2ilhjfy2kqNF4jpregy9lUxoHKn3-2GPkiXvYMuE8z0Vb0JrQGsLxSw4ApBQtX50YQvudl3NPcyYd/s3963/PXL_20231017_215902666.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2229" data-original-width="3963" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf3hYTED4_wC_I-TJhM0ZdCltYWQmmqxutOASCT_02MKOCu0jKkrrd8oqWtGEM2ewilNSlNJR70q2yQ-OCULDdN7AN7xR32rfldSTDqo73KujhT6Y2ilhjfy2kqNF4jpregy9lUxoHKn3-2GPkiXvYMuE8z0Vb0JrQGsLxSw4ApBQtX50YQvudl3NPcyYd/w400-h225/PXL_20231017_215902666.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>It was early Sunday morning, 5:15 a.m. to be precise, when I checked out of the <i>Bon Repos</i>, which definitely did not live up to its name on that last night. Partygoers had been noisily making their way back to their respective quarters in the surrounding hotels until the wee hours, and taxis or whatever other traffic in the narrow street below had been honking and setting off car alarms, making real sleep almost impossible. I was glad when it was time to get up to catch the PeruHop shuttle to the big bus.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvO3eIfh2uB8VVgI8peaD0d0K_F1NidQz0vIFDQm76yIzczKhYAEmyAa3frjjK4daNnHuCkw6uEGu-KAiS1Jb065Hih8DHQeUDvaj69-LI6gEcEEbnSymVwR8OB9QMo9hBpyxcJoX0IH__rMQS8WFz6PxwjTBwm_rPn0o1MkiRXbPP1PZaVMEh5B-eXwFH/s3840/PXL_20231015_105427805.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvO3eIfh2uB8VVgI8peaD0d0K_F1NidQz0vIFDQm76yIzczKhYAEmyAa3frjjK4daNnHuCkw6uEGu-KAiS1Jb065Hih8DHQeUDvaj69-LI6gEcEEbnSymVwR8OB9QMo9hBpyxcJoX0IH__rMQS8WFz6PxwjTBwm_rPn0o1MkiRXbPP1PZaVMEh5B-eXwFH/w400-h225/PXL_20231015_105427805.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsNF9Xt4bbvRvj1vN1YApSyNkaxI31motdT19ew48XfXaZbh0z_9abULcNS8FvX6mPJUClKGTK5OBqhFxXNlYIMgFk2rZ47phP94k7lRu0p4fV40m9LjAECeRuhZG-8CoqHgGTQPC5AxG3SUQl4Uiwn6ocWj47RFfzri8GHWwJzRJPBVH49tXz53u7XjGs/s4032/PXL_20231015_105116561.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsNF9Xt4bbvRvj1vN1YApSyNkaxI31motdT19ew48XfXaZbh0z_9abULcNS8FvX6mPJUClKGTK5OBqhFxXNlYIMgFk2rZ47phP94k7lRu0p4fV40m9LjAECeRuhZG-8CoqHgGTQPC5AxG3SUQl4Uiwn6ocWj47RFfzri8GHWwJzRJPBVH49tXz53u7XjGs/w400-h225/PXL_20231015_105116561.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>By 6:00 a.m., we were on our way to Puno, the penultimate stop of the bus before its terminus in Cuzco. (From Puno, one can continue onward into Bolivia with a sister bus, the BoliviaHop, which runs all the way to La Paz with a few stops in between.) Thankfully, the bus was only half full so that those of us who wanted to spread out and have a window seat could take two adjacent seats. Nice!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilydlBDu-aldpbnGR6Oho_1DBzg0TIFH41FbuelcyKcKdUF70ZSe4FxKZDF07HkFinP3bquLQbYlN5Vc9f_XOtyXqcDFZyjZO2l_AA2-4PLltpI80cs2o92Q-tJF8FA3wVjD7ROZlksFSr-mQxqaik8JD8olG2eYNFHgaHx8N6RdSCcd5lqgshTQy7CPQo/s3125/PXL_20231015_145150939.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2020" data-original-width="3125" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilydlBDu-aldpbnGR6Oho_1DBzg0TIFH41FbuelcyKcKdUF70ZSe4FxKZDF07HkFinP3bquLQbYlN5Vc9f_XOtyXqcDFZyjZO2l_AA2-4PLltpI80cs2o92Q-tJF8FA3wVjD7ROZlksFSr-mQxqaik8JD8olG2eYNFHgaHx8N6RdSCcd5lqgshTQy7CPQo/w400-h259/PXL_20231015_145150939.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9y1iauxk_e9NyyOjWRydSf44aZOF76hjFNnLnktI2W2kqsP78NclbJE776kmsLqG7m_5djaveD-X1af0-4XIbi1miKIOfY7H_iT6kX4FXK-4mRQjh6zEnbj2SbxcP0ZEWy3rEhUIewlJ8uWQgIVTeBkFaUAe45w0YdSeY1YuVi5NFPaaycFWGG75NbzTQ/s4032/PXL_20231015_145121168.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9y1iauxk_e9NyyOjWRydSf44aZOF76hjFNnLnktI2W2kqsP78NclbJE776kmsLqG7m_5djaveD-X1af0-4XIbi1miKIOfY7H_iT6kX4FXK-4mRQjh6zEnbj2SbxcP0ZEWy3rEhUIewlJ8uWQgIVTeBkFaUAe45w0YdSeY1YuVi5NFPaaycFWGG75NbzTQ/w400-h225/PXL_20231015_145121168.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigZHZooXvxpXt21GVT8AGznTtNyOk_qchnMIsrHjCyS_QkY-cgTtJyXytANfvs6L6D4zetLO2QnZahyphenhyphenbSogOlmnvFBSA1snYNVuXnISXaq94FVhaordD1PCOhOD045fAA3RWiIkjiSDOYz18F6QlkSCFuVXFoScEPK26KWqe_wkpP5tzogffwhoswMYSDF/s4032/PXL_20231015_141615565.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigZHZooXvxpXt21GVT8AGznTtNyOk_qchnMIsrHjCyS_QkY-cgTtJyXytANfvs6L6D4zetLO2QnZahyphenhyphenbSogOlmnvFBSA1snYNVuXnISXaq94FVhaordD1PCOhOD045fAA3RWiIkjiSDOYz18F6QlkSCFuVXFoScEPK26KWqe_wkpP5tzogffwhoswMYSDF/w400-h225/PXL_20231015_141615565.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>We stopped once during our almost seven-hour-long trip to stretch our legs for 10 minutes and take some panoramic photos of <i>Laguna Lagunillas, </i>a large lake nestled between high peaks. The whole drive was extremely scenic, mostly devoid of any settlements of more than a dozen or so people. I saw my share of alpacas, llamas, and vicuñas grazing on the slopes and in the sheer endless valleys. In the morning light, the colors of the mountainscape were intense in their various shades of ochres, reddish tones, and occasional greens when there happened to be some presence of water in the form of a small stream or some shallow ponds. I dozed on and off, and every time I looked out I was mesmerized by the vastness of this part of the world.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBdQyT7cnC0KYTQq_eHTL-bSn0ppZf47UaEPDtotitn48lbCeEAfnOYGbd2dg22Q1kZCRWGGN5TPXk4A3bLcraRLyWIIW35perdmcmWzygnh0H7Fx7DB3KoTs1RbAnLBUekSgs8lQDcec1B5KMLh3mvzOC0kDdkHRQ_C2z0PV9AYrK1WEh8Up2vPGB5SnT/s4032/PXL_20231015_151013023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBdQyT7cnC0KYTQq_eHTL-bSn0ppZf47UaEPDtotitn48lbCeEAfnOYGbd2dg22Q1kZCRWGGN5TPXk4A3bLcraRLyWIIW35perdmcmWzygnh0H7Fx7DB3KoTs1RbAnLBUekSgs8lQDcec1B5KMLh3mvzOC0kDdkHRQ_C2z0PV9AYrK1WEh8Up2vPGB5SnT/w400-h225/PXL_20231015_151013023.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwl91xbfIo7YbCr6zsSxfU-pWhsiXQxlFaJNqX1wshfg0AquxVv2HvwO0ZTXkMVUQfDwQneLZSfFH-TDXgt-SNnjcgH7Gb8kyEp29aAoznmqIt6YcwiQ7Kn6URP20izskd9ss3l8mBa-XR4cUSGf2VcjFvI6JTMqeDzUQaqDvgK-M4Ay9os2kEGohPCkiY/s4032/PXL_20231015_145605885.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwl91xbfIo7YbCr6zsSxfU-pWhsiXQxlFaJNqX1wshfg0AquxVv2HvwO0ZTXkMVUQfDwQneLZSfFH-TDXgt-SNnjcgH7Gb8kyEp29aAoznmqIt6YcwiQ7Kn6URP20izskd9ss3l8mBa-XR4cUSGf2VcjFvI6JTMqeDzUQaqDvgK-M4Ay9os2kEGohPCkiY/w400-h225/PXL_20231015_145605885.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>Around noon we stopped in Juliaca where those of us continuing to Puno on Lake Titicaca changed into a shuttle van for the final 45-minute drive. Several days earlier I had communicated our drop-off point in Puno to the owner of the lodge where I was going to spend the final three nights of my stay in Peru. Quite frankly, I wasn't really quite sure how all this was going to work, but he had sent me a few WhatsApp messages with word like <i>tranquilo </i>and <i>all okey,</i> assuring me that things would somehow work out. When I had booked my room in the <i>Titicaca Flamenco Lodge </i>I had noticed that it was located somewhat away from the town of Puno; Google Maps actually showed it to be <i>in </i>the water, <i>in </i>the lake! I understood that it was on something called a "floating island," whatever that might be, but none of this made much sense to me. With no better option, I took the advice and didn't worry.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuOitwAFtF41k48SMrY7yR3x63AD6qErXF40TWZg2TVk8jhC_5Ntc9QbVfpG6LNPYDkgItjt68lvCNwdm5lM5LMm47ZJmGE4Gj02tgsBGtwom5AHoahiJkhOOdXqWl2CBOjHMVENcEAU4P5uMqmEQY_SNLJXWKx_teqawPLPb0PJY9XlK7_AUmtNw0Ypjh/s4032/PXL_20231015_180742339.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuOitwAFtF41k48SMrY7yR3x63AD6qErXF40TWZg2TVk8jhC_5Ntc9QbVfpG6LNPYDkgItjt68lvCNwdm5lM5LMm47ZJmGE4Gj02tgsBGtwom5AHoahiJkhOOdXqWl2CBOjHMVENcEAU4P5uMqmEQY_SNLJXWKx_teqawPLPb0PJY9XlK7_AUmtNw0Ypjh/w400-h225/PXL_20231015_180742339.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs451UNPhbWJ0_MOemhUb1bCgjzeux3cNQGViWclevDBwoMGy6gfvMl5GvcOUV6-Ys3JrgqSHuL0NdX96tKJx0qKobjqUwpsCIBrtN6RmZGp7YqyYUe3JNDHHn-hDvaPbQx2An9dTiJ9-TGsEM_GGsaZscaDm777cDaPMzRDvM6b98Us66_OFOAkPejQgu/s4032/PXL_20231015_180656274.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs451UNPhbWJ0_MOemhUb1bCgjzeux3cNQGViWclevDBwoMGy6gfvMl5GvcOUV6-Ys3JrgqSHuL0NdX96tKJx0qKobjqUwpsCIBrtN6RmZGp7YqyYUe3JNDHHn-hDvaPbQx2An9dTiJ9-TGsEM_GGsaZscaDm777cDaPMzRDvM6b98Us66_OFOAkPejQgu/w400-h225/PXL_20231015_180656274.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>Upon my arrival at the drop-off spot at <i>Lucky Your House, </i>undoubtedly named by a Chinese immigrant, I sent off a WhatsApp letting the lodge's proprietor know that we were a little ahead of schedule. <i>Okey.</i> Fifteen minutes later, a local taxi pulled up and a smiling man emerged, shaking my hand and introducing himself as César, my host at the <i>Titicaca Flamenco Lodge</i>. A short, 10-minute ride later we pulled onto a dirt road that quickly dead-ended at a run-down canal where numerous small boats were pulled ashore while others appeared permanently disabled. César paid the driver and told me to follow him, over rocks, reeds, and tufts of grass to his small <i>lancha. </i>He took my luggage and hoisted it aboard, gave me a hand getting on the skiff, and told me to sit down—in the wooden Adirondack-like chair that, with its clean, white pillow, looked like a nobleman's throne. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu6ZZM-Cx6VIzAM53QfsoE4_mwDohcAuO4SlWE5hP32Va6zP0Kvf7ypYKf4QSZjblLM65BLAKb5SPZUtGUQeH36TCJ5qBgd0hOG5eugEr-ZkZXRRzebUzDBEOSy3FSpACOCrmvcPMNj3eGOcBRqwbpHbdmiuwdlx8PLXmdiXz-TrnzkL3pURgNvn0-FV1_/s4032/PXL_20231015_180949916.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu6ZZM-Cx6VIzAM53QfsoE4_mwDohcAuO4SlWE5hP32Va6zP0Kvf7ypYKf4QSZjblLM65BLAKb5SPZUtGUQeH36TCJ5qBgd0hOG5eugEr-ZkZXRRzebUzDBEOSy3FSpACOCrmvcPMNj3eGOcBRqwbpHbdmiuwdlx8PLXmdiXz-TrnzkL3pURgNvn0-FV1_/w400-h225/PXL_20231015_180949916.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidy7v36oWfkM0fLUZ5uSXxYZKsVEJRU6HC3duyv3E5D3fiKjlzQcmeJeTs9rzexlBuWXEm047_MKa3Yf4_3qD9DMcUu68UgJ2h73Qp1u96AO4JYYIt0QlfLZiNRsxKpd3fjERjhHCxE0WPHVYX5QLM83Zx5R0HFMIompN6TK5XSWAiBPFNAyjstvp4GM4C/s3862/PXL_20231015_180947248.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2172" data-original-width="3862" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidy7v36oWfkM0fLUZ5uSXxYZKsVEJRU6HC3duyv3E5D3fiKjlzQcmeJeTs9rzexlBuWXEm047_MKa3Yf4_3qD9DMcUu68UgJ2h73Qp1u96AO4JYYIt0QlfLZiNRsxKpd3fjERjhHCxE0WPHVYX5QLM83Zx5R0HFMIompN6TK5XSWAiBPFNAyjstvp4GM4C/w400-h225/PXL_20231015_180947248.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD87PqldeO_Vhf4qPNHj5GhVrhDbrhAKzdRUIJZQ1JbWxvlfOtUcOwgiALj2qZZFVfvBfV19alxc3MCGqnfrNrt_KIgOq_3emV9YQE-igwacwIcmYj2fM86vDcTxyNdJKWYQZldiiNNmJ32tEQXbGr5KIhDiiEGP9pVCgFQgy8v3e96RW2J10AcSrt6RhB/s1920/PXL_20231015_181040977.TS_exported_10799_1697410435843.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD87PqldeO_Vhf4qPNHj5GhVrhDbrhAKzdRUIJZQ1JbWxvlfOtUcOwgiALj2qZZFVfvBfV19alxc3MCGqnfrNrt_KIgOq_3emV9YQE-igwacwIcmYj2fM86vDcTxyNdJKWYQZldiiNNmJ32tEQXbGr5KIhDiiEGP9pVCgFQgy8v3e96RW2J10AcSrt6RhB/w225-h400/PXL_20231015_181040977.TS_exported_10799_1697410435843.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRhlJsiLkpNd8s5zJ8QSx26imk7je_NFQDuRYA8CIygfg2t4-4To3tNhjV_odnWZpWFHWukjE7vYdwJchBvG77M9O01zMK0Dhyl5jCEHWRdQYvupSap85On0iGGBkN2mXIH5453DBrs8lYW022xM1uo6xjtAcXjXrz1lnxasVbpwHyM7kwEhYZhPB-kUkI/s4032/PXL_20231015_181353005.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRhlJsiLkpNd8s5zJ8QSx26imk7je_NFQDuRYA8CIygfg2t4-4To3tNhjV_odnWZpWFHWukjE7vYdwJchBvG77M9O01zMK0Dhyl5jCEHWRdQYvupSap85On0iGGBkN2mXIH5453DBrs8lYW022xM1uo6xjtAcXjXrz1lnxasVbpwHyM7kwEhYZhPB-kUkI/w400-h225/PXL_20231015_181353005.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The narrow canal was too shallow to use the outboard motor, and César employed a long, wooden pole to move us into deeper water. There was a bustle of other <i>lanchas </i>all along the banks, with people loading and unloading their craft. I started to get it: This was the gateway to and from Puno from and to the Uros floating islands. Fairly soon the water was deep enough to use the engine, and we slowly cruised along the canal, which was lined with reeds. Oncoming skippers nodded or waved. We came to a type of checkpoint where I had to pay a $2 entry fee. And then the canal opened up into a larger body of water that was lined by dozens and dozens of reed huts, A-frames, and other oddly shaped buildings. I had arrived in the town of Uros.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ci-v9oaT52vbPTM1MRoZgGLVBj2wLfzKFqLJ6z3VsetPS3UwqxORUyLrV0B36aQ7jcBEK384NURQThE_iyqqgIwllEn_bh_lzC_ve9Vk-AeZyR56-Qfftn9xuNvMBRUFC9NG2DY3K32vrhFeA0HLxNNsqOj_L4CpfcWCJntjC5JJt7-huTye83sNuGHE/s4032/PXL_20231015_181942762.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ci-v9oaT52vbPTM1MRoZgGLVBj2wLfzKFqLJ6z3VsetPS3UwqxORUyLrV0B36aQ7jcBEK384NURQThE_iyqqgIwllEn_bh_lzC_ve9Vk-AeZyR56-Qfftn9xuNvMBRUFC9NG2DY3K32vrhFeA0HLxNNsqOj_L4CpfcWCJntjC5JJt7-huTye83sNuGHE/w400-h225/PXL_20231015_181942762.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMlUjSO5r1gPjU78y3AeOXP8NWGvjvm5ZkVFnsl9xN9KH-GP0UVH3_aghEp8ISVWRU-aBeZZxh3NE7KWredhluQDi0jIPcpwUd5oHgSU8NlpRK8jgeSqlXwkXbTpJNnDEsrgLhoLBrW7ftUcpM2qFr-a45ZSXvlG88TqEDRSUUoUKNlHbXKydH7fiWFo3F/s3080/PXL_20231015_182208540.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1598" data-original-width="3080" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMlUjSO5r1gPjU78y3AeOXP8NWGvjvm5ZkVFnsl9xN9KH-GP0UVH3_aghEp8ISVWRU-aBeZZxh3NE7KWredhluQDi0jIPcpwUd5oHgSU8NlpRK8jgeSqlXwkXbTpJNnDEsrgLhoLBrW7ftUcpM2qFr-a45ZSXvlG88TqEDRSUUoUKNlHbXKydH7fiWFo3F/w400-h208/PXL_20231015_182208540.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYdsVMpPQE5tEvtpMkUbOzPgYfqPeetaeL_y0Ql1FP8Ow5ly2Wtglwex0X_WWJ7LxvlAou9NPQ7Ao2UjQtgIk_YKkrtSnF6FvlPMdXyzSGBvYT_1O9E5G9B95aH1ipXLVj6iL8dcYwMWQ7wdjLKUMSa5vOkmyf9PZGfdNMw-F2wft3gK4d6GIbRLS-2cdu/s3794/PXL_20231015_182354091.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2134" data-original-width="3794" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYdsVMpPQE5tEvtpMkUbOzPgYfqPeetaeL_y0Ql1FP8Ow5ly2Wtglwex0X_WWJ7LxvlAou9NPQ7Ao2UjQtgIk_YKkrtSnF6FvlPMdXyzSGBvYT_1O9E5G9B95aH1ipXLVj6iL8dcYwMWQ7wdjLKUMSa5vOkmyf9PZGfdNMw-F2wft3gK4d6GIbRLS-2cdu/w400-h225/PXL_20231015_182354091.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAS7caLpw1rV5lVhwuKykg5VfCTTI7zjZX6aCeqMh8aK0_BqLK2IS1xpilPNuJ3X8NWVKZMBZuESwxxTjPzlqWR8zm2oqX2fn0GurkFZ8j7fcr8I6s-VyPgJXDkzyuMqAm3d1A7bm67wFONOm1VXE9rqtQAKeWFxkk6F3mwlFe6Gtdp7xm1YDSzdpyEmOU/s3243/PXL_20231016_161859027.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1912" data-original-width="3243" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAS7caLpw1rV5lVhwuKykg5VfCTTI7zjZX6aCeqMh8aK0_BqLK2IS1xpilPNuJ3X8NWVKZMBZuESwxxTjPzlqWR8zm2oqX2fn0GurkFZ8j7fcr8I6s-VyPgJXDkzyuMqAm3d1A7bm67wFONOm1VXE9rqtQAKeWFxkk6F3mwlFe6Gtdp7xm1YDSzdpyEmOU/w400-h236/PXL_20231016_161859027.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7yvsN808dnpigB3GpGybu3IZQdXjuG6jYTtKNE9e5Th3lRcxVPqH7Q8pj-4Nl08Il4kniuZuuKKRTHhFSHRyiFezJJNEZmYWPKUw6FNlzou3AqdxGX5Kuj9iu2_lbFkzDfuehLwzBPw11XUAaDTU0xUKkAD0k_-2jaZYSlN40lNHqscI2X_zEODJdkyK4/s2216/PXL_20231016_162108845.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1166" data-original-width="2216" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7yvsN808dnpigB3GpGybu3IZQdXjuG6jYTtKNE9e5Th3lRcxVPqH7Q8pj-4Nl08Il4kniuZuuKKRTHhFSHRyiFezJJNEZmYWPKUw6FNlzou3AqdxGX5Kuj9iu2_lbFkzDfuehLwzBPw11XUAaDTU0xUKkAD0k_-2jaZYSlN40lNHqscI2X_zEODJdkyK4/w400-h210/PXL_20231016_162108845.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Over the course of the next few days I learned about the history of Uros and its eponymously named people. The Uros were one of several ancient civilizations in this region of Peru and had been happily living on the shores of Lake Titicaca for as far back as 3,700 years, as some studies claim. Then, 500 years ago, the expanding Inca empire pushed south from its epicenter of Cuzco, threatening the survival of the Uros. And then something that seems to be taken from a sci-fi movie took place: Instead of being subjugated by the Incas the Uros decided to <i>move</i>, and they did so by building small, floating islands from the lake's <i>totora</i> reeds and simply drifted away! The planet faces destruction by an incoming asteroid, so let's build an armada of space ships and move everybody to Mars!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3fFII4rxC2VGuR9INifqIQtjoO7M7NJLpXxkBEL_7wm8YNQO9C16GJgb70RXY_9E7Gav6feEJG4bW1O_dtDBOFgODLtTGnQ-F-hiX2pjhdRSsbvTBb1SvLZjRBV47YcR4IcExAOYwhjg1XneGlKBQaOIarwQZoeNYEDq_Eau9GFhyg0lN8tY_fQd2S4qG/s4032/PXL_20231015_191832054.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3fFII4rxC2VGuR9INifqIQtjoO7M7NJLpXxkBEL_7wm8YNQO9C16GJgb70RXY_9E7Gav6feEJG4bW1O_dtDBOFgODLtTGnQ-F-hiX2pjhdRSsbvTBb1SvLZjRBV47YcR4IcExAOYwhjg1XneGlKBQaOIarwQZoeNYEDq_Eau9GFhyg0lN8tY_fQd2S4qG/w400-h225/PXL_20231015_191832054.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr79-3l9WymtoNQ038NM8j6k_RvNjzJ5FndevHaE7Yfq26W7tjnvAm_jmDgij-Agx-FCHzHvaoNp3QCyip0rxhlFeUGk6EHkeq3N9I6wZ471ASj6Coyhw6_Ll4pEvTh0pQKzc9N7Zukz8Lf2JVfICmNDNGIjgpEmPUaZiVNjHP-Z586EWWL70HQnt2r_jc/s4032/PXL_20231015_191558650.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr79-3l9WymtoNQ038NM8j6k_RvNjzJ5FndevHaE7Yfq26W7tjnvAm_jmDgij-Agx-FCHzHvaoNp3QCyip0rxhlFeUGk6EHkeq3N9I6wZ471ASj6Coyhw6_Ll4pEvTh0pQKzc9N7Zukz8Lf2JVfICmNDNGIjgpEmPUaZiVNjHP-Z586EWWL70HQnt2r_jc/w400-h225/PXL_20231015_191558650.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6JgWEJqXg7X_qONqIVHlTScvpw0SNIRrlyToNhMrfBNHsk6eLgWiimC4IMwFyfpRZMBPm266EnpGNfcwzpuYr-WMDwo-E_dept2qrUbYt0Tv8iWq-YQjEeuZL6rZMbnN0XwUqCO7VHuZJVwqb7RgwdS94NxGKnJk4pgxFlzr6CKxZllkHPJLcfVWE8Y62/s4032/PXL_20231015_191420742.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6JgWEJqXg7X_qONqIVHlTScvpw0SNIRrlyToNhMrfBNHsk6eLgWiimC4IMwFyfpRZMBPm266EnpGNfcwzpuYr-WMDwo-E_dept2qrUbYt0Tv8iWq-YQjEeuZL6rZMbnN0XwUqCO7VHuZJVwqb7RgwdS94NxGKnJk4pgxFlzr6CKxZllkHPJLcfVWE8Y62/w400-h225/PXL_20231015_191420742.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo1WJKdSgIZT39T_ZBLx-VjDCkoP-Fx8cdmeSgVew0QDAJ-R_C4q-G2Jg7pBdD2xAxezxoKQG1mWUDpe0A5diqLLZJZgpFhEssM-AFl-P4OcGnEORQVeLz7_FwnoFAHwuPVC5jIhUyYrwRLNlC-fFkpo7sBghyphenhyphen9bFtAGe1SanAPtLjf0uQTBiOhWEAe9-1/s4032/PXL_20231015_191346037.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo1WJKdSgIZT39T_ZBLx-VjDCkoP-Fx8cdmeSgVew0QDAJ-R_C4q-G2Jg7pBdD2xAxezxoKQG1mWUDpe0A5diqLLZJZgpFhEssM-AFl-P4OcGnEORQVeLz7_FwnoFAHwuPVC5jIhUyYrwRLNlC-fFkpo7sBghyphenhyphen9bFtAGe1SanAPtLjf0uQTBiOhWEAe9-1/w400-h225/PXL_20231015_191346037.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>Well, the Inca are long gone, but the Uros still populate their islands, permanently living <i>in-and-on</i> the lake. About 3,000 individuals live on about 80 to 120 islands, each island being the home for up to four families, obviously depending on the size of the island as well as that of the individual families. César lives with his wife and son on a fairly small island on the "outskirts" of Uros township, and like everybody else, they are 100% Uros, speaking the native Aymara as well as Spanish. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg34oB3AJJFehCCRH78tGSvK5P9m5KuCAQIsv-pDxQ0-uttExX-xmoXC2NcmdFcD8VnxU3iBHUgsYAo1q3X7MjBANiScrgZjp-82-8umeq5trvfJaXvHyyKq_MdtlOefAzs7q_apg4NDAJjehQuWu-8A8KKN2DJK_rL4QvTOmvT184JqqXsn5i-TWdhooWw/s4032/PXL_20231016_194237892~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg34oB3AJJFehCCRH78tGSvK5P9m5KuCAQIsv-pDxQ0-uttExX-xmoXC2NcmdFcD8VnxU3iBHUgsYAo1q3X7MjBANiScrgZjp-82-8umeq5trvfJaXvHyyKq_MdtlOefAzs7q_apg4NDAJjehQuWu-8A8KKN2DJK_rL4QvTOmvT184JqqXsn5i-TWdhooWw/w400-h225/PXL_20231016_194237892~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0jzcOd-UA5usOJV3lB_g_ki2cmDgsM2EepvM_1xqjOSc7DTJhJB9hcal7uP65vWb0cAD4uhwmILv6BU9wUNswORV19pDpd9RREXXazGTISx6NnDaO8OMV4jdj0YgnTYtSUsMLUERazDyFB618fG7ku0lMb3cRAZxIIcw75ABCNdHZP6B2knwFjzg1OHKT/s2662/PXL_20231015_193448590.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1978" data-original-width="2662" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0jzcOd-UA5usOJV3lB_g_ki2cmDgsM2EepvM_1xqjOSc7DTJhJB9hcal7uP65vWb0cAD4uhwmILv6BU9wUNswORV19pDpd9RREXXazGTISx6NnDaO8OMV4jdj0YgnTYtSUsMLUERazDyFB618fG7ku0lMb3cRAZxIIcw75ABCNdHZP6B2knwFjzg1OHKT/w400-h297/PXL_20231015_193448590.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn6k7Gj_mB0KLpUNdZAvTC8kAOaOi5zmIjZl0Z17Ck-S1rSwMEqEBx39Mkeld3Hp-T_Oio0-jwoPFJMaR5b52IV08UzlO6oB7aJA58j7WhROJOhfpOIDmN5UHMWZMaQzKdL_7skfmSQIfukYZGgdwi9Kcv-GpnD6O5tMCsDQthAZyy0OxZJGkMhzamzOTe/s4032/PXL_20231015_193945921.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn6k7Gj_mB0KLpUNdZAvTC8kAOaOi5zmIjZl0Z17Ck-S1rSwMEqEBx39Mkeld3Hp-T_Oio0-jwoPFJMaR5b52IV08UzlO6oB7aJA58j7WhROJOhfpOIDmN5UHMWZMaQzKdL_7skfmSQIfukYZGgdwi9Kcv-GpnD6O5tMCsDQthAZyy0OxZJGkMhzamzOTe/w400-h225/PXL_20231015_193945921.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXwIPbwONd48CKqGP5wIzlVs7blrWiUrySfbW9EdHc4dvWA9zoZRE7Mz_rrwVQHUHQGAjBkbOsh_80hu8hnhJCfIqnTp6Bn6DIQKbwTZ30zHQgGixb3cp7QbrR9KN6lzaJDX7goYt9G2OJgFzXkN1AOUaC0Rof1bI9tSYEjCdxTdoRWtitj48-CCSTtkDH/s3824/PXL_20231015_194001855.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2151" data-original-width="3824" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXwIPbwONd48CKqGP5wIzlVs7blrWiUrySfbW9EdHc4dvWA9zoZRE7Mz_rrwVQHUHQGAjBkbOsh_80hu8hnhJCfIqnTp6Bn6DIQKbwTZ30zHQgGixb3cp7QbrR9KN6lzaJDX7goYt9G2OJgFzXkN1AOUaC0Rof1bI9tSYEjCdxTdoRWtitj48-CCSTtkDH/w400-h225/PXL_20231015_194001855.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDtdQ-HfX4JQo_XdCLv21lu1pGv6wgScjvvTpWza8AFd67AJrHgEp9eCULN6im-9IAj9BHUdD4CoinxWxC2wN79CtPmhYbXQbuFhPQiYTll4zFbX_dwXhjNywacG6rPoh5k1CvAemD2DjIkEQdoVQ-bbxg8sZjowkMCS5-Dvn8x47ps5E_TmivVuXSoOe9/s2630/PXL_20231015_221152393.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2630" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDtdQ-HfX4JQo_XdCLv21lu1pGv6wgScjvvTpWza8AFd67AJrHgEp9eCULN6im-9IAj9BHUdD4CoinxWxC2wN79CtPmhYbXQbuFhPQiYTll4zFbX_dwXhjNywacG6rPoh5k1CvAemD2DjIkEQdoVQ-bbxg8sZjowkMCS5-Dvn8x47ps5E_TmivVuXSoOe9/w345-h400/PXL_20231015_221152393.jpg" width="345" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie8zs_pkA69rptRadCc6b2kx9bZBeN_itXtkppd022ziIqD48jYolRy4ZNJv4A0nziIChjiyQVSP8kbS7r90xvN52AbR3UdCsflhYOq6yq1JLBvGqUjyRNDeVyMtyB-_o2ojn8pBsnDMMNy7sQaitzy-QaCv3Xqwd0wfSCMGnNPJr1nK1wwGdg9e0ga-rd/s3470/PXL_20231015_221228278.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3470" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie8zs_pkA69rptRadCc6b2kx9bZBeN_itXtkppd022ziIqD48jYolRy4ZNJv4A0nziIChjiyQVSP8kbS7r90xvN52AbR3UdCsflhYOq6yq1JLBvGqUjyRNDeVyMtyB-_o2ojn8pBsnDMMNy7sQaitzy-QaCv3Xqwd0wfSCMGnNPJr1nK1wwGdg9e0ga-rd/w261-h400/PXL_20231015_221228278.jpg" width="261" /></a></div></div><div>Less than 10 minutes later we arrived at César's small island, and I was welcomed by his wife, Mariela, and their two-year-old, Gaél. <i>Titicaca Flamenco Lodge</i> is a one-room house (with a bathroom) with a wooden porch as well as an outside sunbed lounger with sun-sails and colorfully embroidered pillows. The house was built by César himself, with the help of other Uros. Since the entire island is constantly moving with the wave motion, the house has been built on a large wooden frame that also allows it to be moved—with the help of 60 to 70 people! César expects this to be necessary in a few years when the reeds below the house need to be replenished. The small island also has two small reed buildings where the family lives, cooks, and sleeps. A Rotoplas water cistern on a scaffold holds water that is heated by a solar water heater; a small photovoltaic panel charges a battery to provide lighting in the house. Additionally, a gasoline generator can be used to recharge the main battery (I never asked about its capacity) that also provides electricity to recharge cell phones as well as guests' electronic gadgets such as a laptop or tablet. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn5FaPLT_jfk0JF-cAZNhe9YJO9bzppY40ovVGbIhMkbrGF1E3gbjDZLiFqTSe3UW-6MLIIIia_UXK6Hiwh9oUblcXXONLs5mCx5P6O-XZOZ6eOiSIo6ixkOAJQKvU2x1vYgP2opMJpItfU8niIiLxY94yAgQksEfk0DYs4aWtkiB8VGPYyK6ZM0AAoRgP/s4032/PXL_20231018_123115000.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn5FaPLT_jfk0JF-cAZNhe9YJO9bzppY40ovVGbIhMkbrGF1E3gbjDZLiFqTSe3UW-6MLIIIia_UXK6Hiwh9oUblcXXONLs5mCx5P6O-XZOZ6eOiSIo6ixkOAJQKvU2x1vYgP2opMJpItfU8niIiLxY94yAgQksEfk0DYs4aWtkiB8VGPYyK6ZM0AAoRgP/w400-h225/PXL_20231018_123115000.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF4Cy56hIWQFLKGvAGUsqm2FL-Kn3_plUzgVo8k_HJN_cYSR7fXaK94ap9tEciO8pbLVtDnorlvnutTYEqEhDEnRSwbPzxDNHIwkOkDT26SLwsYtrVEMG7UITa0iQ09nTW-jRPY-CNsQkXDnfJphXJyJF4K2X1coFu1avyMF_72_JESel7LM6JO1v97e-G/s4032/PXL_20231017_141932737.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF4Cy56hIWQFLKGvAGUsqm2FL-Kn3_plUzgVo8k_HJN_cYSR7fXaK94ap9tEciO8pbLVtDnorlvnutTYEqEhDEnRSwbPzxDNHIwkOkDT26SLwsYtrVEMG7UITa0iQ09nTW-jRPY-CNsQkXDnfJphXJyJF4K2X1coFu1avyMF_72_JESel7LM6JO1v97e-G/w225-h400/PXL_20231017_141932737.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWuoQjQp3YVg1q9Tj9E3FvqkFUx3a5QDPI5ZpYMnT-el_mp_zrXcj3UnjJKn5g9VQBGNMsqYNNQsXJZcoHfW7KpYMSDeZ6_PDScf2lslz64YRFdOMXdK0RYBF9FZlUY2P7GUK0mj9vQBefNGtIRpVvaHXn-AqJoPcwWWPKqategDh-5ZX_c248xaJww4QI/s4032/PXL_20231015_221433432.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWuoQjQp3YVg1q9Tj9E3FvqkFUx3a5QDPI5ZpYMnT-el_mp_zrXcj3UnjJKn5g9VQBGNMsqYNNQsXJZcoHfW7KpYMSDeZ6_PDScf2lslz64YRFdOMXdK0RYBF9FZlUY2P7GUK0mj9vQBefNGtIRpVvaHXn-AqJoPcwWWPKqategDh-5ZX_c248xaJww4QI/w400-h225/PXL_20231015_221433432.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdLFFxZ-iG3OZO84H_OiWxdVXjAcEJdJxA-48PW5x6_f_08VeG9UCAwxx2YImgyjjYc6YeewnOwpAfIrlSMLmwxL6vQM34Y-XH9hyhVUv-TjottvKIOK4fzIQmlWArW5IxhoLgtEpAf8BoK8kB60F-e6KM6mFxPkqYCfyb22Mm3QdC7yPxkNUc5bArK6uR/s4032/PXL_20231015_222100772.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdLFFxZ-iG3OZO84H_OiWxdVXjAcEJdJxA-48PW5x6_f_08VeG9UCAwxx2YImgyjjYc6YeewnOwpAfIrlSMLmwxL6vQM34Y-XH9hyhVUv-TjottvKIOK4fzIQmlWArW5IxhoLgtEpAf8BoK8kB60F-e6KM6mFxPkqYCfyb22Mm3QdC7yPxkNUc5bArK6uR/w400-h225/PXL_20231015_222100772.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm1vLq9i8kyjlErmXyc6pKTODxuAEHF_UX9OWWWGDiuJM1MWe33AZSTlOp9XmGyayhuPzbaqmLchwLuDGZhSCIlz3x2tVEb5VqQzjqhh_NAc-n5jP5GWhZlQt9-fgNGRXeFXcLgcq737rqER9-x4olKFnXTD5VWmFQkEhhRVYZb9Vgc2RK1HmJGJtn9Bz2/s4032/PXL_20231015_221827040.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm1vLq9i8kyjlErmXyc6pKTODxuAEHF_UX9OWWWGDiuJM1MWe33AZSTlOp9XmGyayhuPzbaqmLchwLuDGZhSCIlz3x2tVEb5VqQzjqhh_NAc-n5jP5GWhZlQt9-fgNGRXeFXcLgcq737rqER9-x4olKFnXTD5VWmFQkEhhRVYZb9Vgc2RK1HmJGJtn9Bz2/w400-h225/PXL_20231015_221827040.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRgFfDUFWkJhqyPXGGbFNtWOfMNEb9rDBCXjOdHpLJi84hJ0kItKjhyysLxGS1vj_1kduGTY_LmFM2Arpqg1a-Uogaf2lLr0geRMzh3dWXgY0l0irHGR13E7s1TUtSeFDyjEhIIQ5NEfPGyC4y9uyPzUHevxuA4rnvtvs33DZtCTeHobq2tHSEcSnuOKjn/s3530/PXL_20231015_222220190.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3530" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRgFfDUFWkJhqyPXGGbFNtWOfMNEb9rDBCXjOdHpLJi84hJ0kItKjhyysLxGS1vj_1kduGTY_LmFM2Arpqg1a-Uogaf2lLr0geRMzh3dWXgY0l0irHGR13E7s1TUtSeFDyjEhIIQ5NEfPGyC4y9uyPzUHevxuA4rnvtvs33DZtCTeHobq2tHSEcSnuOKjn/w258-h400/PXL_20231015_222220190.jpg" width="258" /></a></div>The view from the one-room lodge is spectacular: a 180-degree view of the lake in front of the island will take your breath away the first time you enter. During the day it is delightfully bright with all the sunlight flooding in; at night one can see the stars from the huge king-plus-size main bed. (There is also a smaller bed that a family with one or two smaller children could use.) The decor is traditional with embroidered pillows everywhere as well as other small touches that obviously must have been Mariela's idea. The bathroom is divided into an area with a sink (bottled drinking water is provided to brush your teeth with a floor-to-ceiling glass window looking onto islands 250 meters away) and a second area with a glass-enclosed shower (the water was always hot!) and a simple-but-effective dry toilet that was cleaned out every day and never smelled.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK9zqfpEiQXSBMKSwtGL0jL-ip-9Fe8gtAzoJ4cfQYfUIo9FCpcUxyg_7JRCzmJBeKy5SBzYblwx3HjEgC5wWiSn-JVygrX4d1Bwfb8UhElzR28fkUmBhweGxC426cfYXtFvFLctIowacWqojxEZObQWajxnrkZnqZu42EwyKoz7s7NInRiQW4E9tvG1C5/s3470/PXL_20231015_200238390.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3470" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK9zqfpEiQXSBMKSwtGL0jL-ip-9Fe8gtAzoJ4cfQYfUIo9FCpcUxyg_7JRCzmJBeKy5SBzYblwx3HjEgC5wWiSn-JVygrX4d1Bwfb8UhElzR28fkUmBhweGxC426cfYXtFvFLctIowacWqojxEZObQWajxnrkZnqZu42EwyKoz7s7NInRiQW4E9tvG1C5/w261-h400/PXL_20231015_200238390.jpg" width="261" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgER5j3ce1Dq1PHuIiWg7ZSqUcqlvDL2oYup88Y_jMHMxSlq9vlBCLjHeGlLaaNcBodRj-T4mc01jsdZvMcjvw3VXLVCfQyTmnuqG7xYehyAkE5p17Sw3fZnh2JWgJ7ew9zyBOpB2QmxlbRmOqi617oT2wu2xjG-UQlAD99StQ3ImcBUTJo6bFy5KrBGdyH/s4032/PXL_20231015_194243615.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgER5j3ce1Dq1PHuIiWg7ZSqUcqlvDL2oYup88Y_jMHMxSlq9vlBCLjHeGlLaaNcBodRj-T4mc01jsdZvMcjvw3VXLVCfQyTmnuqG7xYehyAkE5p17Sw3fZnh2JWgJ7ew9zyBOpB2QmxlbRmOqi617oT2wu2xjG-UQlAD99StQ3ImcBUTJo6bFy5KrBGdyH/w400-h225/PXL_20231015_194243615.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJaauaAMyy6yion0gS6ZL-0Cpx8pc3EC8nVOZb-rxxxZwd5j7I01KiFv9y2c7ttiweqasdsw0D9iknGGnkwixnNsn4FLUUBpOPBbkP81pEcW0aA779APbYaWI2ZSyRnPnKUQ0nxwQPVJEn2k23Ay_qiuzFscHcfxXxYWn4JPCPxWvzzXVsOWtD7IrAHH5Q/s4032/PXL_20231015_194238702.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJaauaAMyy6yion0gS6ZL-0Cpx8pc3EC8nVOZb-rxxxZwd5j7I01KiFv9y2c7ttiweqasdsw0D9iknGGnkwixnNsn4FLUUBpOPBbkP81pEcW0aA779APbYaWI2ZSyRnPnKUQ0nxwQPVJEn2k23Ay_qiuzFscHcfxXxYWn4JPCPxWvzzXVsOWtD7IrAHH5Q/w400-h225/PXL_20231015_194238702.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3V6my3gzy49sNbpC_Q6WbmxBlplPXY86MBFup4WIN_6Zhk6PeA4cWWAQm09yGCxZrviiT6b4oSVwCZ4syp1n9kGsD1jbUPkrp4n2GKWWkXjFDl-ErWcOH3V4iA6Tr7U7NDqTAtzZvdnJFTJI23_ylItk6vj7H92w4BRlKIutJ2vu-OWLED7LEt3xvz0qM/s4032/PXL_20231015_194217002.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3V6my3gzy49sNbpC_Q6WbmxBlplPXY86MBFup4WIN_6Zhk6PeA4cWWAQm09yGCxZrviiT6b4oSVwCZ4syp1n9kGsD1jbUPkrp4n2GKWWkXjFDl-ErWcOH3V4iA6Tr7U7NDqTAtzZvdnJFTJI23_ylItk6vj7H92w4BRlKIutJ2vu-OWLED7LEt3xvz0qM/w400-h225/PXL_20231015_194217002.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>The entry door as well as one side of the shower enclosure are testimony to the house's being built on a frame of wooden logs that have been lashed together: What used to be all level and straight is already showing that this is a living body that moves. One has to really lift and pull the door handle to close the front door, and the shower opens automatically and stays so. One can hear waves lapping, and if one is really still one can feel the slight movement of the island. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJbOOev8TfaGontVCvrgGVhr5oyqop22OpQ0-IE-QoRMwEqN2kY-ma4-WLLG-NOC03LZuhEFtVg0xqs8PC_DSNS2RsJfUecJPiapr5uz8nAyz5Xtm-5lLuKvumFpIxXStASGYjBVKDuGy3QYLHj0o46aN7gFdJ48x1YIv6qKeVCNnmQ4_JYh6nuZbJhqi8/s4032/PXL_20231017_125547843.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJbOOev8TfaGontVCvrgGVhr5oyqop22OpQ0-IE-QoRMwEqN2kY-ma4-WLLG-NOC03LZuhEFtVg0xqs8PC_DSNS2RsJfUecJPiapr5uz8nAyz5Xtm-5lLuKvumFpIxXStASGYjBVKDuGy3QYLHj0o46aN7gFdJ48x1YIv6qKeVCNnmQ4_JYh6nuZbJhqi8/w225-h400/PXL_20231017_125547843.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDYUGpK6Y-aTORAMul73YxXCdYmX3SeJjpm8jlfBg5U01XCjbXh7aud1xC9FJRexFgvikoSpDi_KXYx4D-0DJFYNEVZD4sGYIoiGBuytEz1Aq7CUwA1-oBrhqtvotIRYpvmfc9D9tm8YKm7o3KJZZAugG_SndjGb3g8OVQBv45NkMOpOUmekBnyfqNnejW/s4032/PXL_20231017_123436365.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDYUGpK6Y-aTORAMul73YxXCdYmX3SeJjpm8jlfBg5U01XCjbXh7aud1xC9FJRexFgvikoSpDi_KXYx4D-0DJFYNEVZD4sGYIoiGBuytEz1Aq7CUwA1-oBrhqtvotIRYpvmfc9D9tm8YKm7o3KJZZAugG_SndjGb3g8OVQBv45NkMOpOUmekBnyfqNnejW/w225-h400/PXL_20231017_123436365.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC6j75ZXwRcjsXt-h-nTeX0EOPhSrpGV_VjOBrUY0_HjO-7uxsdg_ygF37F7R17l24XVR1YkBXPBEi23xiJ1kfiak14pu_YfoN6PZEUKwamLdNg32N_7owpnbaR3w75JRP3n_ME0d05S8oTUX0BcwZM7oTOdXU_DQCU1S_Qr3XxSASaa3mhDSB9C-vfM4s/s4032/PXL_20231016_220045081.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC6j75ZXwRcjsXt-h-nTeX0EOPhSrpGV_VjOBrUY0_HjO-7uxsdg_ygF37F7R17l24XVR1YkBXPBEi23xiJ1kfiak14pu_YfoN6PZEUKwamLdNg32N_7owpnbaR3w75JRP3n_ME0d05S8oTUX0BcwZM7oTOdXU_DQCU1S_Qr3XxSASaa3mhDSB9C-vfM4s/w225-h400/PXL_20231016_220045081.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis2RAJihBrcat-CtoXJZLwaB3nl4LUlhJOpZcp9skd_SslTWCeyn_6Nbcex4fFGlbVNWPLJucEDTcAT7BMBLpCwuVZquG7JsUBXSU55uZOriJMm-KoUF7D5lgQKzy-AxTveVeCeDMQc95hhD6jtI-XNunIUhM6i3LfHoPqbMic9NbcdacofqcZFUH3jT-1/s4032/PXL_20231016_131532961.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis2RAJihBrcat-CtoXJZLwaB3nl4LUlhJOpZcp9skd_SslTWCeyn_6Nbcex4fFGlbVNWPLJucEDTcAT7BMBLpCwuVZquG7JsUBXSU55uZOriJMm-KoUF7D5lgQKzy-AxTveVeCeDMQc95hhD6jtI-XNunIUhM6i3LfHoPqbMic9NbcdacofqcZFUH3jT-1/w225-h400/PXL_20231016_131532961.jpg" width="225" /></a></div></div><div>The area between the house and the two reed huts consists of layers of reeds, about five to six feet thick (or deep), that have been placed on chunks of reed roots that have been tied together and that are the floating "pontoons" of the islands. These cubical chunks are about the size of a large dorm refrigerator, and they are cut from living <i>totora</i> reeds with large saws; wooden pegs are driven into the roots, and then the different chunks are lashed together. Fresh reeds with roots still attached are "planted" into these chunks and develop their own root system. The life-span of the floating part of the islands is about 30 to 40 years, so constant renewal is needed to keep it all afloat. The total thickness of the islands (chunks plus the criss-crossing layers of dried reeds on top) is about three meters or around nine feet. When you walk across an island, it feels as if you were walking on a baffled waterbed, the way one sinks in a few inches with every step.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7mLX3eTLnIO9asnagxOjw6hpswV5xk0dBebHujzSs34dqcf7172pe9xr9Sjmcc9a7dy02G-9s3swdSVKsC980Cj3BDTai5THoX1Xjxv5LoqL-pJJElI8u93GigD03OA65CpWwoKfO78jwVqhXGCe_wD_cubvs2NyrDSaohPOYXYs-1OceZ2ZbgvowOflC/s3237/PXL_20231016_190344536.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3237" data-original-width="2056" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7mLX3eTLnIO9asnagxOjw6hpswV5xk0dBebHujzSs34dqcf7172pe9xr9Sjmcc9a7dy02G-9s3swdSVKsC980Cj3BDTai5THoX1Xjxv5LoqL-pJJElI8u93GigD03OA65CpWwoKfO78jwVqhXGCe_wD_cubvs2NyrDSaohPOYXYs-1OceZ2ZbgvowOflC/w254-h400/PXL_20231016_190344536.jpg" width="254" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2m_W9wQ-sXxGDFk86cGycjPg1sDYXUh535VX8eAUUBxOUUI_gD4O_Ez1SxQfpbO2BEAKbR6kHqWloL-4vy20F-CEi4t-xHBCWUTa4qyKXln5pfKEnJb_sZtgAWkmtXKyzlbgernID6rBia-QnXrzGxofT5n5XnJg1ndWr9YTxbPyem52HRrxNrCnGcUad/s4032/PXL_20231016_185903296.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2m_W9wQ-sXxGDFk86cGycjPg1sDYXUh535VX8eAUUBxOUUI_gD4O_Ez1SxQfpbO2BEAKbR6kHqWloL-4vy20F-CEi4t-xHBCWUTa4qyKXln5pfKEnJb_sZtgAWkmtXKyzlbgernID6rBia-QnXrzGxofT5n5XnJg1ndWr9YTxbPyem52HRrxNrCnGcUad/w225-h400/PXL_20231016_185903296.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOojXIuTWvozUduEEeo5LWT1-hzPuNCIOcVDdUMYqhrVdSBW9HBg5jz_tCs0LrWazEaCKgGDid2y57iSBj2kXqjot_qQYzxSsI_TAKFQ9ABa61t1jT1ovE3Z5pSrNqLmoIKn7R8tl_Urnm-jPmUoaibw58BM7vfkQ6dw-sJ7VhOXZKv7YTmTX11E6roHnM/s2587/PXL_20231016_185825692.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="2587" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOojXIuTWvozUduEEeo5LWT1-hzPuNCIOcVDdUMYqhrVdSBW9HBg5jz_tCs0LrWazEaCKgGDid2y57iSBj2kXqjot_qQYzxSsI_TAKFQ9ABa61t1jT1ovE3Z5pSrNqLmoIKn7R8tl_Urnm-jPmUoaibw58BM7vfkQ6dw-sJ7VhOXZKv7YTmTX11E6roHnM/w351-h400/PXL_20231016_185825692.jpg" width="351" /></a></div></div><div>I learned about the various steps in building and maintaining islands during a four-hour excursion on my second day when César took me through the reed fields and its canals and then out to the open lake. He obviously was proud of teaching me about his culture and heritage, and he made sure to answer every question that I had. Before opening <i>Titicaca Flamenco Lodge </i>about six months ago he had put his studies in the tourism industry to good use by guiding tours and doing manual labor, but he saw an opportunity to do better for his family. He took up a bank loan, built the lodge, and is now thinking about expanding the operations to a second building. His English is about as good as my Spanish, and so were able to communicate well.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNk8oq7xT8sDBd0bfo3YbMmcQTZUsmvlIgDODl9YAaMenGzOQ6wXGvqqPIwpbMctzzQ51Pm_zsxCetUrks_jI5b0drEnGd7aK5Ge4cFDlucLoxfZQcFHkTryg1pW7J09mFR5UqvDNs0DbUU36Ts4fUrT76ax-hUXGbj-anLjVwjNL8kDm76iaT1ASDhZ6L/s4032/PXL_20231016_164459510.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1669" data-original-width="4032" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNk8oq7xT8sDBd0bfo3YbMmcQTZUsmvlIgDODl9YAaMenGzOQ6wXGvqqPIwpbMctzzQ51Pm_zsxCetUrks_jI5b0drEnGd7aK5Ge4cFDlucLoxfZQcFHkTryg1pW7J09mFR5UqvDNs0DbUU36Ts4fUrT76ax-hUXGbj-anLjVwjNL8kDm76iaT1ASDhZ6L/w400-h165/PXL_20231016_164459510.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF3MosmmEtvCD8X7tacN8l_374Kfdtksif5m1M5vWnJ04s0BZuk5_jR5y9akfTTOu8ZVl_ytwxbN5RQwwKIAbBVEIBzxPz_bFT-95XV431J4_uk1_GcIveqWOYqwV3UpWaq70-91CUNVq4gY9AXB5r4I93tjjotIAbyF2IL8V1KXZhTqyczPGSsLQIJrIe/s3715/PXL_20231016_165924204.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1941" data-original-width="2180" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv6Gr8mN1SDcdgWGSk2YRouU6cSHsVjO1Pn_dGpXILsDEwoXna9S8w11K1vkdF4Y_QGgtOuVQCDKP6BG88oNF3IUFmbj9IYv8H7XnG_QYwkGBPyTwh6MzhlqGCWSoTQ-pSOhd4CKvlxO4pLH5-z7jEGa_HS-4QcsNDWeov6o49uJxNn02TGOOG4FrM_NR2/w400-h356/PXL_20231016_173231290.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVqzF9Da7StlrT8yks_WQhlnNUn4C2xa6rIffbux8P9YvbQi7tu6SUg7p6NLCEdLPChaitGOOWSRM6OaVj9br2cP5qFvVGyx_Af9-si8VCjXwisDgJt7B5FMBA3LNtEkjpSiwkMxQqfDRjIRpMXIDMVh8yVQdUUEKMHHLaXjA7yz60evZf3-0ShcwEz2AN/s2943/PXL_20231016_173332968.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2943" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVqzF9Da7StlrT8yks_WQhlnNUn4C2xa6rIffbux8P9YvbQi7tu6SUg7p6NLCEdLPChaitGOOWSRM6OaVj9br2cP5qFvVGyx_Af9-si8VCjXwisDgJt7B5FMBA3LNtEkjpSiwkMxQqfDRjIRpMXIDMVh8yVQdUUEKMHHLaXjA7yz60evZf3-0ShcwEz2AN/w309-h400/PXL_20231016_173332968.jpg" width="309" /></a></div>On our excursion I saw how the Uros fish and hunt for birds (with antique flintlock guns!). He showed me the reeds up close, and he taught me how to peel certain parts of the root that taste deliciously sweet and are sometimes called "lake bananas." He'd kill the outboard and pole us through reeds, to show me bird nests and areas where reeds had been harvested. All the while I sat in my throne and was awed by the simplicity of a system that relies on all the parts working together. Global climate change is a real concern as Lake Titicaca's water levels have been continually dropping over the past 20 years, and the future of the islands is not a sure thing since the areas of the reeds are already in very shallow coastal areas that quite likely are going to go dry in the not-so-far future.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlkn7cibr1h1pWAb3X6A6i4hWZkCscglcuA2J3VNG56h-FYRR84leSpVdRoV1hbtveZRzNgltgmfzIwJxRCvN2Qpl4vQi71ZLUv_O6e-UFLGY15oehSXo1uxk2ggOy4XgmfVunxLfp_hX-m525yQbISxxw_fQe8dVu4H47ttndC3c_BRNXpsooGoyNA2ao/s2018/PXL_20231016_180724496.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1111" data-original-width="2018" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlkn7cibr1h1pWAb3X6A6i4hWZkCscglcuA2J3VNG56h-FYRR84leSpVdRoV1hbtveZRzNgltgmfzIwJxRCvN2Qpl4vQi71ZLUv_O6e-UFLGY15oehSXo1uxk2ggOy4XgmfVunxLfp_hX-m525yQbISxxw_fQe8dVu4H47ttndC3c_BRNXpsooGoyNA2ao/w400-h220/PXL_20231016_180724496.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZUvfDGCXc96KtqHGEoOuWFvABwlfmlNh2ARRB7weJAIUQ1t9Imm2GYVs-IAfU3m_rnmxFve_Fg6vnY-lELKVvZne42Tpucze3bW23ONshqKdkf5f0FzhyphenhyphenhkHG19SVbztFKaXB3bOiyrE02OCK9R2V541LtaztXkq7lrg-3Kv4QHKSxM952LUzcEquZ-jb/s2199/PXL_20231016_172656867.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2014" data-original-width="2199" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZUvfDGCXc96KtqHGEoOuWFvABwlfmlNh2ARRB7weJAIUQ1t9Imm2GYVs-IAfU3m_rnmxFve_Fg6vnY-lELKVvZne42Tpucze3bW23ONshqKdkf5f0FzhyphenhyphenhkHG19SVbztFKaXB3bOiyrE02OCK9R2V541LtaztXkq7lrg-3Kv4QHKSxM952LUzcEquZ-jb/w400-h366/PXL_20231016_172656867.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQlFVSkjG3cyjMBzuio6IJsUFTO2-5yyTT1P-guh38YKpnPhyRQrHSPw2icqbru4edui66ti8XDE0M2-SMl1dxzE-xDO0bJq78zIza4iM1YfHql2HBNZahAvamqOD1eq5uQE2d1ZJBb49pmmmkxcKBCJZuuNmj_VBkrhS5jB5AnP3djutbtre2NHYZ8i5_/s3352/PXL_20231016_172940289.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3352" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQlFVSkjG3cyjMBzuio6IJsUFTO2-5yyTT1P-guh38YKpnPhyRQrHSPw2icqbru4edui66ti8XDE0M2-SMl1dxzE-xDO0bJq78zIza4iM1YfHql2HBNZahAvamqOD1eq5uQE2d1ZJBb49pmmmkxcKBCJZuuNmj_VBkrhS5jB5AnP3djutbtre2NHYZ8i5_/w271-h400/PXL_20231016_172940289.jpg" width="271" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4yt5G5RC4axetozdI_yIt5B4IUwPCaiPkiXW0e2XOURXkHDJ4XM-1pzsXTQl23Rtd8M1KeNRVfpfl_HMVUwGBLCbjRoYOltlxEYJMQHhbYQ6vSyVk9H7IXianEMOACcXHqxTUSU6xRatGrDjKr3Z3355Ug_0OOO3TIsA_x95BykzOn3n3tqlBMe5OHRGK/s3470/PXL_20231016_173109381.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3470" data-original-width="2261" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4yt5G5RC4axetozdI_yIt5B4IUwPCaiPkiXW0e2XOURXkHDJ4XM-1pzsXTQl23Rtd8M1KeNRVfpfl_HMVUwGBLCbjRoYOltlxEYJMQHhbYQ6vSyVk9H7IXianEMOACcXHqxTUSU6xRatGrDjKr3Z3355Ug_0OOO3TIsA_x95BykzOn3n3tqlBMe5OHRGK/w261-h400/PXL_20231016_173109381.jpg" width="261" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib9Dxu7eTKIb39-HCkd2kkD_2rZ_V8AbebVEoN0s9ssruiU2N_A5iQk4OJWlBLeJMwOJ3LCR47eE062mw1gAUXX4kNVi0poUv6k8mKn552pTlxrbAXZinBSQSFj19lemXAQnO0idw6OCCXYXA-tW6csKlmPoRDDjck_Q5-K77urfBlwapn7wMMT6_rP9c_/s3658/PXL_20231016_192823859.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3658" data-original-width="2251" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib9Dxu7eTKIb39-HCkd2kkD_2rZ_V8AbebVEoN0s9ssruiU2N_A5iQk4OJWlBLeJMwOJ3LCR47eE062mw1gAUXX4kNVi0poUv6k8mKn552pTlxrbAXZinBSQSFj19lemXAQnO0idw6OCCXYXA-tW6csKlmPoRDDjck_Q5-K77urfBlwapn7wMMT6_rP9c_/w246-h400/PXL_20231016_192823859.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>In case you didn't know, Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world, being located right at 3,812 feet by last measure, or about 12,500 feet. It measures about 120 miles (190 km) long, and at its widest spot it measures 50 miles (or 80 km). It might as well be the ocean as the opposite banks are well below the horizon. The area where Uros is located is in what one could consider a small bay of a huge lake, looking at an overall map. Two countries border and share Titicaca: Peru (claiming about 56% of its surface), and Bolivia. A nice little bit of trivia here: Since Bolivia is landlocked, the government established in the 1960s an actual <i>navy</i> on Lake Titicaca.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz0mV4saBFYilkDTRPiTS7LxrTs3i_ne3V-ntfvgYe_PedHwNO1HEi_TYcTSWrTUviN3oyYZvrNIDTtWZ_2o-afaKsXSa0GU7FxjB7HECZUvGpV3p-pDPYGPUO5qq4nM4KjcRZHrRdF2HsT8yjx9lkZprXPzMaCYUR-NV55s3htVCNQOfmEU6vry8HQlSX/s1756/PXL_20231016_172614627.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1756" data-original-width="1275" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz0mV4saBFYilkDTRPiTS7LxrTs3i_ne3V-ntfvgYe_PedHwNO1HEi_TYcTSWrTUviN3oyYZvrNIDTtWZ_2o-afaKsXSa0GU7FxjB7HECZUvGpV3p-pDPYGPUO5qq4nM4KjcRZHrRdF2HsT8yjx9lkZprXPzMaCYUR-NV55s3htVCNQOfmEU6vry8HQlSX/w290-h400/PXL_20231016_172614627.jpg" width="290" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVZl6X3qOIHvFftBlbMY-uHZ7CyxaGdJrzpav2gHDLjRf0bgs_miLAyakEnGJ8p9lUgK6a5kMDb9bi5bJytvyMu3owI0PCYIxMk-k2_UkDPlTejlInV7lwdlnACSduIkRbBts0XkclT7Kt-s43T6JA9-HGhdikZhO9SM5pBRSiOVKBtjTWrFTaX1Way2Wv/s3719/PXL_20231016_165843380.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2092" data-original-width="3719" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVZl6X3qOIHvFftBlbMY-uHZ7CyxaGdJrzpav2gHDLjRf0bgs_miLAyakEnGJ8p9lUgK6a5kMDb9bi5bJytvyMu3owI0PCYIxMk-k2_UkDPlTejlInV7lwdlnACSduIkRbBts0XkclT7Kt-s43T6JA9-HGhdikZhO9SM5pBRSiOVKBtjTWrFTaX1Way2Wv/w400-h225/PXL_20231016_165843380.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq-tiZmjbrFkwpkxz3-cZz6VjQU4LlMdhHmIkXnAUFI6ntAL98hOIDETwCBrWNBD2lx0COEHwN2_H5I0UGUBQx7lsOLqSPz3kQ5tSIOTtXlzXDFOGsCIEqYWO1-Q5dGAKWG1P4lhfup8iWp1TFRfsfU9GHJsgbvUbmR5eTF42qdnsEDlw7ZYxOxWMYJ1EL/s2951/PXL_20231016_172853356.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2951" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq-tiZmjbrFkwpkxz3-cZz6VjQU4LlMdhHmIkXnAUFI6ntAL98hOIDETwCBrWNBD2lx0COEHwN2_H5I0UGUBQx7lsOLqSPz3kQ5tSIOTtXlzXDFOGsCIEqYWO1-Q5dGAKWG1P4lhfup8iWp1TFRfsfU9GHJsgbvUbmR5eTF42qdnsEDlw7ZYxOxWMYJ1EL/w308-h400/PXL_20231016_172853356.jpg" width="308" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV_007uGPOXQhabtOx7xNwByOg2uUMgzzKxseeWKX9VGeVZaeGAoVrXNexQvqBghwyThjr9Cv1LP7Tml4hQHgWgRGdBb17zA_dz83mpNzCWQNlw6EPWqumwN3LGzWm8rQDXxrDk1q6N67eU7qgVCUfNTRBnehFooI_FGAzpzCoxWMAEKCc_PKcZXW8-1PF/s3127/PXL_20231016_173027938.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3127" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV_007uGPOXQhabtOx7xNwByOg2uUMgzzKxseeWKX9VGeVZaeGAoVrXNexQvqBghwyThjr9Cv1LP7Tml4hQHgWgRGdBb17zA_dz83mpNzCWQNlw6EPWqumwN3LGzWm8rQDXxrDk1q6N67eU7qgVCUfNTRBnehFooI_FGAzpzCoxWMAEKCc_PKcZXW8-1PF/w290-h400/PXL_20231016_173027938.jpg" width="290" /></a></div>Tourism has changed the way of life in Uros, obviously, but since no outsiders live here and people generally just stay for one night and are extremely limited in their movements to the island and the shuttles of their hosts, much control is exerted over the guests. César sees tourism as something good as it helps his people to attain a more secure way of life. He spoke ruefully about the years when COVID shut off the tourism pipeline, and even since then, every time there is a major political demonstration or riot against the government anywhere on the country, tourists stay away from Peru and and thus Titicaca. If anything, he said, young people are less likely to leave the islands for good to seek a "better" future for themselves outside of this tightly knit cosmos as they see the value of tradition. The community is guided by elected representatives and counselors, and it appears that tourism is (still) well-managed and controlled. Only time will tell, and if the water keeps dropping the way it is, all this may be a moot point anyhow.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0uZVIpE-YAyb09RknWmRVoExl0R_JrpLT-i28EB9AlKekTrt1h1XZPyD-nVzcB2We93G17y93tPKU2QaXaoVeXbul8cOJWUMABfP7UHV3yRYXVID-Qqs79IgOfRtTzU3UVQiIa-TJpYZg_DNPKmX1eQO_4XZEvw_04hYm_l0CdKUlsQwxOMnXeRQvFDod/s2873/PXL_20231016_185413469.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2873" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0uZVIpE-YAyb09RknWmRVoExl0R_JrpLT-i28EB9AlKekTrt1h1XZPyD-nVzcB2We93G17y93tPKU2QaXaoVeXbul8cOJWUMABfP7UHV3yRYXVID-Qqs79IgOfRtTzU3UVQiIa-TJpYZg_DNPKmX1eQO_4XZEvw_04hYm_l0CdKUlsQwxOMnXeRQvFDod/w316-h400/PXL_20231016_185413469.jpg" width="316" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY8nHLcjyWsjbELHdxyVKKhmspW668RXDdbj67hVdFWIWalqrYqThnFOdIMuzerlvaR_U6Eeo2VHK80gPALL6jo3_KAbqZxRRFnf9XNVj5PS-_VkX84yzRHvPD2swvrq0Ia3XtqRoFt6P0rx9rOVQhl0eyYmTQ_FWwcwZ5dzuN1jy1u5eQxCLsKtdjoSKp/s2852/PXL_20231016_185100397.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2032" data-original-width="2852" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY8nHLcjyWsjbELHdxyVKKhmspW668RXDdbj67hVdFWIWalqrYqThnFOdIMuzerlvaR_U6Eeo2VHK80gPALL6jo3_KAbqZxRRFnf9XNVj5PS-_VkX84yzRHvPD2swvrq0Ia3XtqRoFt6P0rx9rOVQhl0eyYmTQ_FWwcwZ5dzuN1jy1u5eQxCLsKtdjoSKp/w400-h285/PXL_20231016_185100397.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8vWXq0jNqfn-l3fOJplDKYQ0oxPx_WALoelQhyh6As-aS-h_Qfp0G5ADpCru0mCAbqqvaAJSqILTyY3ds7qjdstG4zw-5QjAz3hd1VbprlEoAHzrs6yEkAOAN1rCsiT9Ps2oIIeeikkFf9cTWRqngo1L6nfF5zzMlCA0grNnGcXXf76fuufAxatWmCVKy/s2779/PXL_20231016_184644077.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1803" data-original-width="2779" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8vWXq0jNqfn-l3fOJplDKYQ0oxPx_WALoelQhyh6As-aS-h_Qfp0G5ADpCru0mCAbqqvaAJSqILTyY3ds7qjdstG4zw-5QjAz3hd1VbprlEoAHzrs6yEkAOAN1rCsiT9Ps2oIIeeikkFf9cTWRqngo1L6nfF5zzMlCA0grNnGcXXf76fuufAxatWmCVKy/w400-h260/PXL_20231016_184644077.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDROkZ0jhbwbcL-Au_zHUTE23TOG4Yg00UOljJ6avUMR7lMkBBT1XG7iwGiVFPhv6iGXo9o1yDPhm__yF4G5DciIEy8nJFvRGUbBfP8GggVm0gN9GX5mbd-QExHmX0XDAAZpxYyMlNfPTKduRo7l0EhLiOdPfJdmCrIo474A9mYncjCXSXVmwG89eYFbOa/s3379/PXL_20231016_181642792.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2139" data-original-width="3379" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDROkZ0jhbwbcL-Au_zHUTE23TOG4Yg00UOljJ6avUMR7lMkBBT1XG7iwGiVFPhv6iGXo9o1yDPhm__yF4G5DciIEy8nJFvRGUbBfP8GggVm0gN9GX5mbd-QExHmX0XDAAZpxYyMlNfPTKduRo7l0EhLiOdPfJdmCrIo474A9mYncjCXSXVmwG89eYFbOa/w400-h254/PXL_20231016_181642792.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgohLk0Y1heDB-TsOov3fHF9OvH01bCepF3GBWVNEVDlsBpf3f-bEnhW_bEzJipu98S_zlOHD9PfWbpX34AqzsbRMl1LSg2aNdkluhgvke3n0KEabz3XTTbK4TnJSnDkx7ihqhIpuSNO9cxE5L9o3A73KxCsTKY6ZFpVn5MJ4NJ0CyYvajH0p9k2N3H-xkL/s4032/PXL_20231016_181332389.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgohLk0Y1heDB-TsOov3fHF9OvH01bCepF3GBWVNEVDlsBpf3f-bEnhW_bEzJipu98S_zlOHD9PfWbpX34AqzsbRMl1LSg2aNdkluhgvke3n0KEabz3XTTbK4TnJSnDkx7ihqhIpuSNO9cxE5L9o3A73KxCsTKY6ZFpVn5MJ4NJ0CyYvajH0p9k2N3H-xkL/w400-h225/PXL_20231016_181332389.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>Daytime temperatures during my stay in Uros were in the mid-70s, but a pesky wind from the north (apparently a daily occurrence) that starts up a few hours after sunrise cools things down on the water. My room warmed up quickly in the mornings, but it cooled off just as fast once the sun started to go down. Sunset was just a little after 5:00 p.m., and it got chilly quickly. In the mornings, Mariela prepared a big breakfast of fruit, joghurt, bread, jam, avocado, cheese, and egg, plus coffee and a baked sweet. For dinner, I had a choice of lake trout or chicken; as matter of fact, there are two restaurants on the islands and they have the exact same choices. Mariela went through some sort of culinary school (<i>escuela de cocinera)</i>, and the dinners were to kill for (in addition to being huge!). Either Mariela or César would bring the food to my room, in two or three trips on a tray, and then they would linger and watch me eat, frequently asking whether I liked it and being obviously pleased that I did.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTELXqScdQLanhT28ZhvxP7ExXpwN5UxPQuqeUzAmDWGz2JroqZu_2-7GSkx8ttAZSPsT6onY6HSjANa7qARlIaY6Gdo2ridO909768pAnN-MlqB_OHE1NrzDu7zmJjzbc3feiwJdkrhnfYB2_yDypBUoHJIBbSkFymNCJ4F-T6eekeJY5vTP24mT2paa4/s2242/PXL_20231016_001513517.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2219" data-original-width="2242" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTELXqScdQLanhT28ZhvxP7ExXpwN5UxPQuqeUzAmDWGz2JroqZu_2-7GSkx8ttAZSPsT6onY6HSjANa7qARlIaY6Gdo2ridO909768pAnN-MlqB_OHE1NrzDu7zmJjzbc3feiwJdkrhnfYB2_yDypBUoHJIBbSkFymNCJ4F-T6eekeJY5vTP24mT2paa4/w400-h396/PXL_20231016_001513517.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-62gKV-du5TS3TW4sCF1vZ6m9nEXMV6D7LEuAR_5EQG7Bt5hBy0jFcueqOjsbbiHM3e7MWL-HjydkWhelBqxebcqRL0FPHxEaicjVcHuJwYxhKAMdg5fXDEjKXvPh-b6IKdSERVcIwd_o9PrKaR8m76OjZu7xRLP8RCARWh7sWa61lZuZ3LdGGmWvNowz/w400-h225/PXL_20231016_134112478.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbk_E3sUn6QdLvhg15ocHQqgyy68PmVBE9SVXZjf5PGHaZv3hYetQhi8WU5rj1Yw7scj2rvgVZ3akouQLexF1P4ErXDIGRRnSOtjbgTsdWJe-5eHeyHcgx_JKUn0DAFxkHRddNqDDRGdt9Yojvi0KdLNp3zwxfz3EIP5YLtCeF9J0Ny6VqilsyOvYJiepm/s4032/PXL_20231016_134053271.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbk_E3sUn6QdLvhg15ocHQqgyy68PmVBE9SVXZjf5PGHaZv3hYetQhi8WU5rj1Yw7scj2rvgVZ3akouQLexF1P4ErXDIGRRnSOtjbgTsdWJe-5eHeyHcgx_JKUn0DAFxkHRddNqDDRGdt9Yojvi0KdLNp3zwxfz3EIP5YLtCeF9J0Ny6VqilsyOvYJiepm/w400-h225/PXL_20231016_134053271.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHJnJPKOtz0IZDhdv98nfjsUAg2soIUyZ5bpvh8t0rlgYcYjPrPXyVuImeZkgIxfD5NAPzPJDoxaT32aw8ILr0vSr_cdiC7FcoXhnZQsLcbusb3JLRa73L2x6mh-uNf7UXYk1qUX41_hZE5wwogzkeeXv0ioTXIa8Eq9ztv5Bj0SgrcWTYIFLsJz8GyxfW/s3166/PXL_20231016_233441896~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3166" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHJnJPKOtz0IZDhdv98nfjsUAg2soIUyZ5bpvh8t0rlgYcYjPrPXyVuImeZkgIxfD5NAPzPJDoxaT32aw8ILr0vSr_cdiC7FcoXhnZQsLcbusb3JLRa73L2x6mh-uNf7UXYk1qUX41_hZE5wwogzkeeXv0ioTXIa8Eq9ztv5Bj0SgrcWTYIFLsJz8GyxfW/w286-h400/PXL_20231016_233441896~2.jpg" width="286" /></a></div></div><div>Both of them were so soft-spoken, so gentle, so interested in my well-being and happiness. This was not a show they put on—it was as sincere as their coddling Gaél, their toddler son. The little munchkin was just so unbelievably cute in his thick jacket and knit hat, and from the first moment he liked me and came running across the reeds when I arrived and clung to my legs and kept hugging me. On my last night, when César and I shared a bottle of (semi-dry) Peruvian sweet wine (still about as sweet as a port!), he asked me whether I would become Gaél's <i>padrino</i> (godfather). I believe it was a sincere question as we had bonded very quickly during my short stay. I explained to him how honored I felt by his request but that I didn't think I could be a true <i>padrino</i> because I would not be able to be there for his son if needed, plus the fact that I am pretty old. He gravely nodded and said he understood.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJd03VbUuY5Zn-mw63ZeL6NnzB57iJsSIUSw12C0yTcshQ0ySJH2mm2DnV33N0rniyCrF64Dxy_4NAB_yiaHVjbLvMfMvscjcL5RwJeO9U4wODqc64XgYi1gOPZqW47koFPcCavjwldr1wXrLAGvFqREnhwfBO5FvbCX9NZtkAXTqagMC1Dt1lifiH20c9/s1722/PXL_20231015_221433432~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1546" data-original-width="1722" height="359" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJd03VbUuY5Zn-mw63ZeL6NnzB57iJsSIUSw12C0yTcshQ0ySJH2mm2DnV33N0rniyCrF64Dxy_4NAB_yiaHVjbLvMfMvscjcL5RwJeO9U4wODqc64XgYi1gOPZqW47koFPcCavjwldr1wXrLAGvFqREnhwfBO5FvbCX9NZtkAXTqagMC1Dt1lifiH20c9/w400-h359/PXL_20231015_221433432~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>On my first night on the island, Mariela had brought me a cup and two bowls with <i>coca</i> leaves and <i>muña</i>, the mint-like herb that's supposedly almost as strong as <i>coca</i> in ameliorating altitude sickness; let's not forget, the lake is located at 12,500 feet. While still enjoying a third cup she re-appeared with two small, bread-loaf sized bundles. She smiled at me and told me they were <i>chicas, </i>which usually translates into, well, young and attractive females. She tucked them under the literally three blankets and the top duvet at the foot of my bed and it became clear to me that those were <i>chicas calientes,</i> definitely hot chicks! What an endearing word for two hot water bottles! And man, did I ever love my <i>chicas</i> every night I went to bed with them! They stayed warm until the morning, and with the temperature dropping down into the single digits (centigrade) they definitely came in handy.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha48DLpLlxDHjTFCfh-fexvuGJxphWurt0xaoIiM9ITr8rZ-a7rqdtuJwdFgmhQ62FdPPF1jpXOgRRPMJwpGuherpHkdIr24_3VVT6NeO5obhJPunUiVaGlQl79hmGyALUb_m0dEanUH11WK6djQaIxs4CkM2xoXkbrcgjIxKrK3wmYzG0lZ4zgppKFkM7/s4032/PXL_20231016_001446473.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha48DLpLlxDHjTFCfh-fexvuGJxphWurt0xaoIiM9ITr8rZ-a7rqdtuJwdFgmhQ62FdPPF1jpXOgRRPMJwpGuherpHkdIr24_3VVT6NeO5obhJPunUiVaGlQl79hmGyALUb_m0dEanUH11WK6djQaIxs4CkM2xoXkbrcgjIxKrK3wmYzG0lZ4zgppKFkM7/w400-h225/PXL_20231016_001446473.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8y0C2GF1zu4aJntwb7QqOCJxte8mMbp1x2LvmsJUwkg4La-HC_iyLhM4Gs38o48V5bmYxONoZsKvHS8vy4FPYIoBW7h3TrzBJT-pImHpCm0WEcVWWvuGQwQmVqolAvpvs2ETy5MR5aXMCP9ppHnNL3zuDAlxhmhkecAe4ZchSask8kNAtXZ_gduPPKARq/s3207/PXL_20231016_001427154.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3207" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8y0C2GF1zu4aJntwb7QqOCJxte8mMbp1x2LvmsJUwkg4La-HC_iyLhM4Gs38o48V5bmYxONoZsKvHS8vy4FPYIoBW7h3TrzBJT-pImHpCm0WEcVWWvuGQwQmVqolAvpvs2ETy5MR5aXMCP9ppHnNL3zuDAlxhmhkecAe4ZchSask8kNAtXZ_gduPPKARq/w283-h400/PXL_20231016_001427154.jpg" width="283" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSeGGvMD6wxH1B-f-qrkiHds4JfXA8tkZBKKVncVmzJ1qCXztXmhzjWPi6U6LTdrhSNPYsOjf_2Cs9huHb3jV667dGxw-cSnMtZJCpPMgb0UKS5TDNnb96RF-LBoEawC07vOrn6LnCnrhgJwxVJjiGgScM58HlggZonksNyDXIwErKZ8IH0zY_g2hrgayr/s4032/PXL_20231017_125915759~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSeGGvMD6wxH1B-f-qrkiHds4JfXA8tkZBKKVncVmzJ1qCXztXmhzjWPi6U6LTdrhSNPYsOjf_2Cs9huHb3jV667dGxw-cSnMtZJCpPMgb0UKS5TDNnb96RF-LBoEawC07vOrn6LnCnrhgJwxVJjiGgScM58HlggZonksNyDXIwErKZ8IH0zY_g2hrgayr/w400-h225/PXL_20231017_125915759~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDOLtwAXR4rO5Dk8RfBtejllegkRDvlFnRZJ7RTHKdBEGP2_sUkVaCYoDJa6vfFB8g7fGKpTMKcIWxUf26KT9rDDdOHQm_-LMYoAqpu8eZMl3pNOw7iCKaKoKTY8bAPPDFZLghiTW_PSkKvDq2P_PS_OxZ9GmFN_4n6sMJDRNepR1fbgx-xK3TGdpSgM0h/s4032/PXL_20231016_130736422.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDOLtwAXR4rO5Dk8RfBtejllegkRDvlFnRZJ7RTHKdBEGP2_sUkVaCYoDJa6vfFB8g7fGKpTMKcIWxUf26KT9rDDdOHQm_-LMYoAqpu8eZMl3pNOw7iCKaKoKTY8bAPPDFZLghiTW_PSkKvDq2P_PS_OxZ9GmFN_4n6sMJDRNepR1fbgx-xK3TGdpSgM0h/w400-h225/PXL_20231016_130736422.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>On my second full day on the island, César had arranged for me to go on an excursion to the island of Taquile, about 1:20 hours away from Uros. The approximately 2,000 Taquileños speak Quechua, not Aymara like the Uros, and are a fascinating indigenous people who have been able to preserve their culture and art. Their textile skills have been recognized by the UNESCO, and our excellent tour guide gave us an introduction to what some of their garments mean. For example, bachelors wear caps that are mainly white, but once they get married they switch to a red hat. BTW, Taquileños don't just jump into marriage: They generally live together for a year or two to test out whether they fit together. If not, no harm done, and they find somebody else. (However, if the woman gets pregnant they have to marry.) The men are the ones who knit the caps, and they need to show the bride's father that they are worth becoming the new son-in-law by knitting a (red) cap to certain exacting standards, and the new dad is the one who judges and needs to be satisfied. One of the locals told us that he had to try three times to please his future father-in-law, and the third cap took him nine months to knit and that his fingers really hurt for months. The litmus test: The inverted cap needs to hold a big cup of water without leaking any of it.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgonklI7iXc40RTed_6ODqjULsXvOtgEDiRZS2seMtYVtGz_f9wI6QwhhLEIm3NlGE0_uyXYUlgGyaiBwI08w_46OEvpemLhKU2i4KtKVQGsdrt2e2c6GCJoUGIlANg32-0O-oPziN1MCoU3mnnxuek1RKWiatmWTWyA1pfgS4onHLK8kpW-0Xc5Po0JHKr/s3840/PXL_20231017_161713148.PORTRAIT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgonklI7iXc40RTed_6ODqjULsXvOtgEDiRZS2seMtYVtGz_f9wI6QwhhLEIm3NlGE0_uyXYUlgGyaiBwI08w_46OEvpemLhKU2i4KtKVQGsdrt2e2c6GCJoUGIlANg32-0O-oPziN1MCoU3mnnxuek1RKWiatmWTWyA1pfgS4onHLK8kpW-0Xc5Po0JHKr/w400-h225/PXL_20231017_161713148.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJuN7MOxY9MqmZXx5_PPtahLe-zq71lTLsNUDM1369KC_LcCpIXo72yeGNrRR5DTBN-_A-nRvakAC1uBYQqFNMjLPL0bbVDOkqeIhYYo-vFvmI8Q9QWXjqcmvhIc80lJZU53n70_ylLoRAwYegmbUkz8N5igKZxA1XJlaO-dBnMw-mQTavZs0LM1g52jBq/s4032/PXL_20231017_170429939.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJuN7MOxY9MqmZXx5_PPtahLe-zq71lTLsNUDM1369KC_LcCpIXo72yeGNrRR5DTBN-_A-nRvakAC1uBYQqFNMjLPL0bbVDOkqeIhYYo-vFvmI8Q9QWXjqcmvhIc80lJZU53n70_ylLoRAwYegmbUkz8N5igKZxA1XJlaO-dBnMw-mQTavZs0LM1g52jBq/w400-h225/PXL_20231017_170429939.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW9cwpKY7zEbmvCYBo3rp25eb-HYzmfmhwyH7ePZu3jgcN0brZeybAzTPAQJrIB7JSV15QRdbwUYeC09od1AxZchens0wL1kw47pT1P-nWatr42VRrHt6TYHonsK3dWH8UyPsUWrrrZZlM3TiAOtAoZd0mP0tby55WhjqA2Uy0qrRemMKHdnaR7KtvGkXQ/s3603/PXL_20231017_172435600~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3603" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW9cwpKY7zEbmvCYBo3rp25eb-HYzmfmhwyH7ePZu3jgcN0brZeybAzTPAQJrIB7JSV15QRdbwUYeC09od1AxZchens0wL1kw47pT1P-nWatr42VRrHt6TYHonsK3dWH8UyPsUWrrrZZlM3TiAOtAoZd0mP0tby55WhjqA2Uy0qrRemMKHdnaR7KtvGkXQ/w251-h400/PXL_20231017_172435600~2.jpg" width="251" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCG9EgICbwBnkCULOUg_qnmfnbRp8DIjMX419UkRk4iM-JYwP72PCC0pigevPvdtxhwM6bd5OMdtrNHIoDAPuAJ7f3HYT1yc4ZpX6j83zKEjYkewgp7oTobHb1VSETgCXZug8gaWd_slL5HOo0lIpFoKo30tqlwvzd0jYmQ0hteWFpjuPoIQXsfDZo2GXw/s3396/PXL_20231017_172515098.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3396" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCG9EgICbwBnkCULOUg_qnmfnbRp8DIjMX419UkRk4iM-JYwP72PCC0pigevPvdtxhwM6bd5OMdtrNHIoDAPuAJ7f3HYT1yc4ZpX6j83zKEjYkewgp7oTobHb1VSETgCXZug8gaWd_slL5HOo0lIpFoKo30tqlwvzd0jYmQ0hteWFpjuPoIQXsfDZo2GXw/w268-h400/PXL_20231017_172515098.jpg" width="268" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi835pz6DC4-mNvhp0JS9-6__rQghVpbEA_bHLzKw84E3gxYC26xX5_eB6QrHbjjPrPuyHoqLWP6bIdJJ45XimIcFsfk2VnGP_4PMCt4CNnEFKB83nCpl63DxqJCz_AP9BJE4LG74NozpdxzHbADTEUxCCu-s_VpAA00n5NAscD4PFtIRZv73tz6b-Cm2jP/s4032/PXL_20231017_172356968~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmBc4a7cwkRUBaxeRDiSo6262Nb3t_KFRS3QFdUCj67flkW4yFabsvzJWAqX8X5iiLNVxzijls5S5fSkpRX4NyQm_WcO49xEN7hOYgE2-VwTaWW4h0eP1KyzIz-msvYGZUVTr_XDZz6rJWuQcpnkfaCh9xAoLmepZ0COmdPTKCXXYoEmEjUIZQfPYOv405/s2835/PXL_20231017_173055120.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2835" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmBc4a7cwkRUBaxeRDiSo6262Nb3t_KFRS3QFdUCj67flkW4yFabsvzJWAqX8X5iiLNVxzijls5S5fSkpRX4NyQm_WcO49xEN7hOYgE2-VwTaWW4h0eP1KyzIz-msvYGZUVTr_XDZz6rJWuQcpnkfaCh9xAoLmepZ0COmdPTKCXXYoEmEjUIZQfPYOv405/w320-h400/PXL_20231017_173055120.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Married men will wear a belt woven by their wives that incorporates not only wool but also the hair of the wife, who will cut her hair very short to make this belt. As if one elaborate belt weren't enough, there's a second belt that pictures an annual calendar that marks certain events. Elders and village leaders (elected annually) will wear a hat on top of their caps and will have other garments that immediately signal their stature. Women, of course, have their own special dresses. Seeing the women hunched over at the waist to weave looked awfully painful, yet that's what they do. It seems that the Taquileños know something we don't as they live extremely long lives, often reaching into their 90s and older. Communal ties are very important, and values are ingrained to a point that nobody is poor or rich because <i>everyone shares</i>. Crime is unknown and there is no equivalent to a police force. The various groups on the island will rotate crops and share their harvest with the others in the years when their land lies fallow. Yes, that's communism in its most original form—community.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwfuMhCc0LRX9p4430UrTbFtsIdGDk1yf2UqRN4kxoBzsJ0F5qdbhPSWmy7tMXFO1TEfhzPE_u918eX3wGBReRjBG94RiFjYEYpnO0oKD7wjPuUq5kr9FbumufN_7r0cuRTzbnZZaEHwHgUengaAJJ6jp24Ev2oqZY0K6XVoubFQfzJnxIndFTU5qESMQN/s3313/PXL_20231017_173315732.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3313" data-original-width="2268" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwfuMhCc0LRX9p4430UrTbFtsIdGDk1yf2UqRN4kxoBzsJ0F5qdbhPSWmy7tMXFO1TEfhzPE_u918eX3wGBReRjBG94RiFjYEYpnO0oKD7wjPuUq5kr9FbumufN_7r0cuRTzbnZZaEHwHgUengaAJJ6jp24Ev2oqZY0K6XVoubFQfzJnxIndFTU5qESMQN/s320/PXL_20231017_173315732.jpg" width="219" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDjxMnss_K_32NL7GTGhsU6zwxyezDQp9pexsuW9dPGHPIyGGg2EuA6mJY5bDFr2OOm6hcpQomFe2ebvNX5u2pU8c7p1RzllfAFMMcPzTKHTpL3RhQ9KjMRySBOaxerSE2hU-eJxNQR8kpCOmRfdPHMHeWchXLtD83TLjKy0MFVttV7As7TpItpvRn6v2T/s3721/PXL_20231017_173435496.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPXilpeAIUQ2d4xRkk2e_EfZT9TALm1b-9do4Xl_VJRShkLqq0PdC_esKCMAG2dDfIFoIVBjAv3ZWbHVbGZ7kPflJaljnx98HrB_DnGSghY9DdBrWb0YwCntW0MdIWxfqdCxFvhRrJA93KN8TXE3KYf2HXhfIGSItbhq3mEvy0M5YDrFxiCkKbRzoj9qvM/s1697/PXL_20231017_184900570.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1448" data-original-width="1697" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPXilpeAIUQ2d4xRkk2e_EfZT9TALm1b-9do4Xl_VJRShkLqq0PdC_esKCMAG2dDfIFoIVBjAv3ZWbHVbGZ7kPflJaljnx98HrB_DnGSghY9DdBrWb0YwCntW0MdIWxfqdCxFvhRrJA93KN8TXE3KYf2HXhfIGSItbhq3mEvy0M5YDrFxiCkKbRzoj9qvM/w400-h341/PXL_20231017_184900570.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5-_OGzzA6iBAWKa0Z_TdVlQWZXGE4C0MExq7QfvtJ1WhRz_joCG-3G4Ah71cgKvTRGNa4Lq5nbYR0n2N-qu0ztm3JnTQtQfBnptDMQ1mmxnzU6YkG6YYQSCU_OdC3jbPnR8AO-NxX_b_mrP2pACq-ExFcOqAfMyNC0BtB3-r7ligZ4QhlphDLRYimARpk/s4032/PXL_20231017_191549180.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5-_OGzzA6iBAWKa0Z_TdVlQWZXGE4C0MExq7QfvtJ1WhRz_joCG-3G4Ah71cgKvTRGNa4Lq5nbYR0n2N-qu0ztm3JnTQtQfBnptDMQ1mmxnzU6YkG6YYQSCU_OdC3jbPnR8AO-NxX_b_mrP2pACq-ExFcOqAfMyNC0BtB3-r7ligZ4QhlphDLRYimARpk/w400-h225/PXL_20231017_191549180.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>When I got back from the Taquile excursion, César asked me to take photos of him and his family in front of their lodge as well as in the traditional reed boat that he had built over a two-week time span. All around the lake there are reed-based boats, animals, "Welcome" arches, and the like that show off the Uros' ability to work with <i>totora</i>. The bows of the boats (some are built as catarafts that are used for tourist tours, and I'm not sure whether that's an original design) often end in a cougar's head. To facilitate building the boats, the craftsmen will often incorporate empty plastic bottles as fillers so that less reed needs to be harvested and dried. Talk about adjusting to the times.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIf-OcZBCTg_W2aRa2k_hKE3a2E_qjAdYja9NGuskQBVlDsUJV7Dkcxr3nPKMfj3gnnXnXWSWcxRHWzrRw3ZpxvfTrQGeB5__07skK__nn7uiMBI0_bZiy3JYfgYaaoWkrvGhO3IWowUPuSh1gVOsdC7z5WyAlHsj94f-txGY7STvksnPGZligJMowCdFT/s1665/PXL_20231017_215511664.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1665" data-original-width="1665" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIf-OcZBCTg_W2aRa2k_hKE3a2E_qjAdYja9NGuskQBVlDsUJV7Dkcxr3nPKMfj3gnnXnXWSWcxRHWzrRw3ZpxvfTrQGeB5__07skK__nn7uiMBI0_bZiy3JYfgYaaoWkrvGhO3IWowUPuSh1gVOsdC7z5WyAlHsj94f-txGY7STvksnPGZligJMowCdFT/w400-h400/PXL_20231017_215511664.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3v8RAmcPFs8tFFG696nS1uxkK368fZieTt6yJB4I2SGB7OE72pqf1NMorZri6H_S2wNR3JjETWWVN6qK9CotKRWAcC3iv2JBKJsvks3Ni-A7lgAdQFSr43YPYoOy9EtB7TfAd1hhyphenhyphenI-Xll6uLX4Bx46K5ZxRXfAvpzLmNCdLZyZYrizxJ5AVy1APK9FsU/s1811/PXL_20231017_215302039~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1732" data-original-width="1811" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3v8RAmcPFs8tFFG696nS1uxkK368fZieTt6yJB4I2SGB7OE72pqf1NMorZri6H_S2wNR3JjETWWVN6qK9CotKRWAcC3iv2JBKJsvks3Ni-A7lgAdQFSr43YPYoOy9EtB7TfAd1hhyphenhyphenI-Xll6uLX4Bx46K5ZxRXfAvpzLmNCdLZyZYrizxJ5AVy1APK9FsU/w400-h383/PXL_20231017_215302039~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-QYdTj3OsS76fYBufE9q3HxOKyOFvYyZME0qOX5zt3sDnaWM2ooqCCGRvhPb0bAjBeuBXvGZdQ12TNpgd3xVH5nKl7YHxpEwibMPj6rkPeoK9Zem8_CI5sf-KrumBRxehYer2h6tMOddoN_lKkU4-Ob8FjJSYVPh33YPiIhWuy1TdKHA5r56oCFREwwXN/s4032/PXL_20231017_215135112.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-QYdTj3OsS76fYBufE9q3HxOKyOFvYyZME0qOX5zt3sDnaWM2ooqCCGRvhPb0bAjBeuBXvGZdQ12TNpgd3xVH5nKl7YHxpEwibMPj6rkPeoK9Zem8_CI5sf-KrumBRxehYer2h6tMOddoN_lKkU4-Ob8FjJSYVPh33YPiIhWuy1TdKHA5r56oCFREwwXN/w400-h225/PXL_20231017_215135112.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2OGry7ih5a4wQNlvFBzVu2EARGnLfABgapui6XoDX7UIjgfexsVyP4FS7gUhJpXXvia_LubMk2qB0zJFjF52yiGZc6Kev2zRAVjRFRGDxuEHhlPJv6NI21l63sa-_0nadWJXXITHXmaZzlCD-d1ei7j1JaxrjKjm8fwBEFSeshMTIUfcqfsHlZuZ_y2sY/s2090/PXL_20231017_215129577.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1758" data-original-width="2090" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2OGry7ih5a4wQNlvFBzVu2EARGnLfABgapui6XoDX7UIjgfexsVyP4FS7gUhJpXXvia_LubMk2qB0zJFjF52yiGZc6Kev2zRAVjRFRGDxuEHhlPJv6NI21l63sa-_0nadWJXXITHXmaZzlCD-d1ei7j1JaxrjKjm8fwBEFSeshMTIUfcqfsHlZuZ_y2sY/w400-h336/PXL_20231017_215129577.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-EO5XunghkrO9BOfnzfvC6gnoV78nBYhw-wMiWM7csdROEGRlKST_u2kXJxODoq6a7yrFmOf1ftj_cSe20MV4Hl5cnu-j7cyD2lArcSF9V0FYxGo5My5xeWyA6YZNgCX6523EurEsZTPKEQ61_qrk3wd4JU5W-5DlEghdCMaCRNrfBhTgQJfKJtughm_r/s2272/PXL_20231017_215024416.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1848" data-original-width="2272" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-EO5XunghkrO9BOfnzfvC6gnoV78nBYhw-wMiWM7csdROEGRlKST_u2kXJxODoq6a7yrFmOf1ftj_cSe20MV4Hl5cnu-j7cyD2lArcSF9V0FYxGo5My5xeWyA6YZNgCX6523EurEsZTPKEQ61_qrk3wd4JU5W-5DlEghdCMaCRNrfBhTgQJfKJtughm_r/w400-h325/PXL_20231017_215024416.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>Anyhow, the light of the setting sun was just perfect and I took a plethora of pics that I later sorted through, uploaded to my Dropbox account, and shared with César via WhatsApp. Didn't I just say something about adjusting to the times? The cool thing is that despite all these modern gadgets and innovations the traditions of the people on the lake are as real as they were 500 years ago. There are several churches in Uros, and they all incorporate traditional beliefs fused with Catholicism, Seventh Day Adventistism, and Mormonism. For César that is a normal thing. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNe2DuJWSlXVEgixJKQQI225ecrk3aDf_NKAvZN1nDlT8ZYB1ieskxuH0jrWVri0PjMJ-OF0E4bvd3Eq1VNxBLnxIAD9inz070-LK1IBMMNNoqy3d6nkGU7q6lUBdNgk7nMEw1nlnQFhwQr7dzLdpVJW5i1_VcAGg5Ix5G4UCJAs3gG-aB9ZNHRfHTUEq/s2708/PXL_20231017_214550423.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1618" data-original-width="2708" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNe2DuJWSlXVEgixJKQQI225ecrk3aDf_NKAvZN1nDlT8ZYB1ieskxuH0jrWVri0PjMJ-OF0E4bvd3Eq1VNxBLnxIAD9inz070-LK1IBMMNNoqy3d6nkGU7q6lUBdNgk7nMEw1nlnQFhwQr7dzLdpVJW5i1_VcAGg5Ix5G4UCJAs3gG-aB9ZNHRfHTUEq/w400-h239/PXL_20231017_214550423.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi75PUUWsWPNolwoavXiFCdf7jsmeOXBxdq6V03g_Ubf8uxFhkir66nDZ9CRo7g0lXeHETDzOv25rxJTagrnk0hZqiIdKjubfkKNJEnMnVw2bdCOWTFIF2hEtzuifaWK-QFeTESlUkq7Mu5J1T774xzOFxtIhXBfUSWr3xUdvaF1Di18-16hz82eIS2Zcsw/s3123/PXL_20231017_214457561.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2054" data-original-width="3123" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi75PUUWsWPNolwoavXiFCdf7jsmeOXBxdq6V03g_Ubf8uxFhkir66nDZ9CRo7g0lXeHETDzOv25rxJTagrnk0hZqiIdKjubfkKNJEnMnVw2bdCOWTFIF2hEtzuifaWK-QFeTESlUkq7Mu5J1T774xzOFxtIhXBfUSWr3xUdvaF1Di18-16hz82eIS2Zcsw/w400-h263/PXL_20231017_214457561.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUZPqM2GfhIYnmugF0y-sHsT-THh4wjXSa48nu9LVI6oB-WSmAIXqy9HpUEdyYYILvKLcvhEiJFFjA14-jE4Cbp6XYKSE09ssqAGW34trkxyK-qLNw2ykkz1L2I-osWicMbzKznhUS5V7uGgZsJDsyOEfLt0FaLPV-Wah5V_AhM_5zi6tnTPeB_hyGhQHe/s3425/PXL_20231017_214747518.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2026" data-original-width="3425" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUZPqM2GfhIYnmugF0y-sHsT-THh4wjXSa48nu9LVI6oB-WSmAIXqy9HpUEdyYYILvKLcvhEiJFFjA14-jE4Cbp6XYKSE09ssqAGW34trkxyK-qLNw2ykkz1L2I-osWicMbzKznhUS5V7uGgZsJDsyOEfLt0FaLPV-Wah5V_AhM_5zi6tnTPeB_hyGhQHe/w400-h236/PXL_20231017_214747518.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In addition to some floating churches there's also a medical center as well as a primary and a secondary school. Even though I saw a garbage boat, I was told that there is nothing like a yellow Bluebird "school boat" that picks up pupils from their respective islands; it's the parents' responsibility to get their offspring to school.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Squ6j8jjC4YBEgvOx897qgwk-_nDaGC-ul8A3yXsgBXZHWBfLBOONfp1Zsay3jGXLo3PPmXAy5h_jJpeBM4BMRTZwIuavH1duXVu5649IywaC1DqhbyhqdP23RrQ0QxfE_1BmOXmhNtAQF76EWO29cdR-ARRbDvn-tq-J_MarQc-bY_IKmSz8JzaaLg1/s4032/PXL_20231016_131958409.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Squ6j8jjC4YBEgvOx897qgwk-_nDaGC-ul8A3yXsgBXZHWBfLBOONfp1Zsay3jGXLo3PPmXAy5h_jJpeBM4BMRTZwIuavH1duXVu5649IywaC1DqhbyhqdP23RrQ0QxfE_1BmOXmhNtAQF76EWO29cdR-ARRbDvn-tq-J_MarQc-bY_IKmSz8JzaaLg1/w400-h225/PXL_20231016_131958409.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQDwsHtDk-rnYkp59kB6y33nDRzW8CxGnt8K-hmTcIegH0eLbVX2rcNoU6SwqNYmZcHk31rc-qvYYGfs6Jq6I5ZXp__NSBWr6d52rZt9SLJGyiBvuclYhSb5tZAAzwnQD5cBUSGii-UBCoo4ETw_knn4m7WpKfIdUHBdE1UJQuYQSN_ilErEHwYsTxErc-/s4032/PXL_20231016_190957655~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQDwsHtDk-rnYkp59kB6y33nDRzW8CxGnt8K-hmTcIegH0eLbVX2rcNoU6SwqNYmZcHk31rc-qvYYGfs6Jq6I5ZXp__NSBWr6d52rZt9SLJGyiBvuclYhSb5tZAAzwnQD5cBUSGii-UBCoo4ETw_knn4m7WpKfIdUHBdE1UJQuYQSN_ilErEHwYsTxErc-/w225-h400/PXL_20231016_190957655~2.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>My three days on the islands came to an end much too quickly. It is difficult to describe the tranquility and serenity of this magic place. Everybody has a secret place or maybe even two that have some special meaning. In just those few hours I developed a deep sense of happiness and content that I can't quite explain. I am sure that César's demeanor, his sometimes basic but honest questions ("Do you like it here?"), and his sweet chuckle when he or I said something funny went a long way in making me feel not only at ease but at home. He and Mariela reached out in an innocent, open way that was incredibly refreshing. We talked about his ambitions in building his business and how hard the life on the islands is with all the constant rebuilding and renewing, but that was just something matter-of-fact and not a complaint or invitation for pity. All three of us had the feeling that we had made new friends, and we joked about his traveling to Texas one of these days, both of us knowing full well about the low odds of that happening. Again that soft chuckle and that sweet smile....</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpetaJ1QWcpi9qfqBvsLHQwVVxBbchvu1W2bsLQLNcxZdeQ08Wxh43vo698_WMWMyuB4BSGeRvaVRjDR_Ov1y9kCQAVjLgjZNCIt7FYJqFrNU_2Gcdq9SMU9BWDnE_ju4dTmyWXybVEsw1Jb3VR0cIsr8WdDAelsqRqz7YfNSLiH-Xq1-BH7nEJbx_crXa/s3248/PXL_20231016_132746283.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3248" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpetaJ1QWcpi9qfqBvsLHQwVVxBbchvu1W2bsLQLNcxZdeQ08Wxh43vo698_WMWMyuB4BSGeRvaVRjDR_Ov1y9kCQAVjLgjZNCIt7FYJqFrNU_2Gcdq9SMU9BWDnE_ju4dTmyWXybVEsw1Jb3VR0cIsr8WdDAelsqRqz7YfNSLiH-Xq1-BH7nEJbx_crXa/w279-h400/PXL_20231016_132746283.jpg" width="279" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiJJs32l9LlykoNdEkPeI8y4FZiUuZAW2IhAtJ2CT1q-1Z5gBeQEk6MjHdlHPx14m_p3_S5pU5jH8jABV71KpIY2_8rRjli0h3VlDkK_wPQ-fLJwqIWMMzq6HhQu5pnOHls8u_HmqRcduHaOuD1IEKba_zZSsqgFqtH5v-FfZvkZ6Ed6PFma2QzGMeXEjy/s3323/PXL_20231017_215746171~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3323" data-original-width="2122" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiJJs32l9LlykoNdEkPeI8y4FZiUuZAW2IhAtJ2CT1q-1Z5gBeQEk6MjHdlHPx14m_p3_S5pU5jH8jABV71KpIY2_8rRjli0h3VlDkK_wPQ-fLJwqIWMMzq6HhQu5pnOHls8u_HmqRcduHaOuD1IEKba_zZSsqgFqtH5v-FfZvkZ6Ed6PFma2QzGMeXEjy/w255-h400/PXL_20231017_215746171~2.jpg" width="255" /></a></div></div><div>When I left the island on Wednesday morning, Mariela gave me a big hug and a small, homemade <i>regalo</i> that will be added to my travel mementos. For the last time I sat down on my throne and was ferried back to the mainland, crossing the still-mirror-like water as the wind had not kicked up yet. César had arranged for my airport transfer to Juliaca, and he had suggested that the driver, a friend of his, take me to the pre-Inca necropolis of Sillustani, which lies just a few miles off the highway. César and I bid farewell with a long <i>abrazo</i>, and then Elmer and I were off.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv5Z6Jn4V25CMUV3FUfTd1Lrav1RmfOkEm9mSWjpiE3y71NmLMYc_jOF9CUaM07oy9RZ7f2kmjLiXbCUFm7w4jUC7pV_y-vH81ZYt3tdZx2Nf59i2skNAb7u0StcOXa3fic2hJ276XWUG5goxOwnNxwLSATFVrK00vz5gQbU2XW-G6NV3JacaMTDIa1-aG/s3453/PXL_20231018_133850878~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3453" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv5Z6Jn4V25CMUV3FUfTd1Lrav1RmfOkEm9mSWjpiE3y71NmLMYc_jOF9CUaM07oy9RZ7f2kmjLiXbCUFm7w4jUC7pV_y-vH81ZYt3tdZx2Nf59i2skNAb7u0StcOXa3fic2hJ276XWUG5goxOwnNxwLSATFVrK00vz5gQbU2XW-G6NV3JacaMTDIa1-aG/w400-h250/PXL_20231018_133850878~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>I really didn't feel much like sightseeing but later was glad that we had made the detour. Sillustani contains approximately 90 tower-like structures from various epochs from the pre-Inca period in this site, set high above Lago Umayo, used to bury and honor who appear to have been members of the nobility. The interesting thing is that these tombs, so-called <i>chullpas</i>, were housed in large towers of which at least some were built from huge stone blocks that were expertly fitted. Smaller towers don't show this level of workmanship as they look more like rock piles while others are plastered on the outside, possibly to hide the lower workmanship. "Pre-Inca" means that some of these structures date back to a period between 500–950 AD. Some of the <i>chullpas </i>contain mummies, but most of the graves had fallen prey to grave robbers well before archeologists turned their attention to this site. When I visited, there were only a few visitors, mostly consisting of two or three gaggles of pupils with their teachers, and this short detour presented a nice way to end my trip to Peru.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvCBtOF_MWoI8G__CUr0ddXbPBQzcqc5QlFf891814FmzzjXQgzdIhE78wpkdfBb2UZ6_acLTL1-VV8XQu4SErq3Nkxau3cb0OHKF0DOvfsVhh3YbacgjiTyooDtu7rB0DyYAQXBADLchZDv1vTwuRLwt4Rl3A2SjxbSFqZXYGakuNdAzKGGqsQ_RQtJea/s3063/PXL_20231018_153829246.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3063" data-original-width="2253" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvCBtOF_MWoI8G__CUr0ddXbPBQzcqc5QlFf891814FmzzjXQgzdIhE78wpkdfBb2UZ6_acLTL1-VV8XQu4SErq3Nkxau3cb0OHKF0DOvfsVhh3YbacgjiTyooDtu7rB0DyYAQXBADLchZDv1vTwuRLwt4Rl3A2SjxbSFqZXYGakuNdAzKGGqsQ_RQtJea/w294-h400/PXL_20231018_153829246.jpg" width="294" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUxGkkjPSyaOc2d__uS-EOzTSdbw7u0ny1-uBuYMHigonOoT3uz72fbuLu7vztns7yvy1-NBk3SUIqdeh93IFVqIDBo4KIzwMkuuH-f9p2uzMfHj_DTXVc1gTwSKpPtUTfDYqxYyCE_PtMUgPr4gJ0dDFJICUZCf0ZMgsiq3bYpFp9WXYVbdVZxTlqfPQ3/s2608/PXL_20231018_152506609%20-%20Copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2608" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUxGkkjPSyaOc2d__uS-EOzTSdbw7u0ny1-uBuYMHigonOoT3uz72fbuLu7vztns7yvy1-NBk3SUIqdeh93IFVqIDBo4KIzwMkuuH-f9p2uzMfHj_DTXVc1gTwSKpPtUTfDYqxYyCE_PtMUgPr4gJ0dDFJICUZCf0ZMgsiq3bYpFp9WXYVbdVZxTlqfPQ3/w348-h400/PXL_20231018_152506609%20-%20Copy.jpg" width="348" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVUyXJDEFKYDnImStMD1EKws0RGCe53CX15k1AO-tRUwGDUwY1WR_IAIUe2nO-gaGoWq3ZtQ0Th6-zHErCYk9bi7Q2kkudNRAV6ejqW55j2nbg5vKm5RjEmbn2jFBEmPuvhiQk87xkdwKONjTCRn1RwloeWnUbL0ZT0Ftt7MbXUsah88ywdBngjV4CM18s/s3779/PXL_20231018_153720258%20-%20Copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2008" data-original-width="3779" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVUyXJDEFKYDnImStMD1EKws0RGCe53CX15k1AO-tRUwGDUwY1WR_IAIUe2nO-gaGoWq3ZtQ0Th6-zHErCYk9bi7Q2kkudNRAV6ejqW55j2nbg5vKm5RjEmbn2jFBEmPuvhiQk87xkdwKONjTCRn1RwloeWnUbL0ZT0Ftt7MbXUsah88ywdBngjV4CM18s/w400-h213/PXL_20231018_153720258%20-%20Copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>An hour later, Elmer dropped me off at Juliaca's small airport. It's 528 miles from JUL to LIM, and because of heavy cloud cover there wasn't much to see. My US-bound flight had been scheduled for a 23:45 hrs departure, but thanks to a late-incoming flight from Miami (something that had happened the night before as well) the departure was initially pushed back to 1:10 a.m. This was extended several times until we finally boarded around 2:30 a,m., only to be told of another delay because of issues with the water supply in the restrooms. Most of us nodded off until the lights came back on and we were told to disembark because the plane was inoperable. Somehow I managed to snag a seat on the 6:30 a.m. departure for Miami, albeit downgraded from First Class to a middle seat in Economy. We arrived in Miami around 2 p.m., and I was back in First to DFW. My final flight had been confirmed for an 8:30 p.m. departure, but once again maintenance issues meant that our flight to Lubbock didn't leave until about 10:30 p.m. My Uber driver dropped me off at the house a few minutes before 1:00 a.m. Ouch.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM7nlNUXkeCmuB4WV14IUGlZjQFMY5r7nJMrZv6AlDk4w_TbTkW9p4iIZjfzSiS7vr17FCj7Gk7r1aFVoX-0cSNNLJOYPz56bmQk83w4BaspfnD4ZW85tj8XLVpHaqrJdK21Hj3nTJSYgy8Sw4DCdnpotx0nfGte1LSmyfV3nGhL1VsHA4otxrQBcX3TWn/s2281/PXL_20231018_180333601.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="986" data-original-width="2281" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM7nlNUXkeCmuB4WV14IUGlZjQFMY5r7nJMrZv6AlDk4w_TbTkW9p4iIZjfzSiS7vr17FCj7Gk7r1aFVoX-0cSNNLJOYPz56bmQk83w4BaspfnD4ZW85tj8XLVpHaqrJdK21Hj3nTJSYgy8Sw4DCdnpotx0nfGte1LSmyfV3nGhL1VsHA4otxrQBcX3TWn/w400-h173/PXL_20231018_180333601.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>Despite all the airline woes on both the outbound as well as the inbound, this was a beyond-expectations 15-day trip for me, with more new experiences than I could have hoped for. Peru has so much to offer, and I think I will try to come back in the next few years to travel to Peru's northern areas. My choice to use PeruHop was spot-on, and after having talked to dozens of fellow travelers I am glad that I didn't try to spend four months trying to see "all" of South America. More than once I heard about travel fatigue, and I had to think of my own trips that lasted for much more than a week or two and how exhausting and finally routine they were. Time to get settled back in at home and get ready for the next trip ...</div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Jürgen</div>Jürgenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03107533431710748040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023527478729548228.post-58832861079959028782023-10-16T22:04:00.000-05:002023-10-16T22:04:28.784-05:00Hopping from Lima toward Lake Atitlán (part 3, Arequipa, Canyon de Colca, and Ruta Sillar)<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8E2quceC7UwWkBx3ilErIP-x1IMy1LMywLpVnKSHtFN-2gi5iPBI-U05gxlnzgyHn9aRKvAwkh1OdmZGWbbyd-1wq4didhMb83zlCPCR2oc-bAfxeRQLCNftff__aoKP-P_cFMb8s6i1cco-EI__X-rG6AVI8CwwhHuKfxjEVL_zSL220CX01VY6AGCdv/s3710/PXL_20231012_192419264.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1923" data-original-width="3710" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8E2quceC7UwWkBx3ilErIP-x1IMy1LMywLpVnKSHtFN-2gi5iPBI-U05gxlnzgyHn9aRKvAwkh1OdmZGWbbyd-1wq4didhMb83zlCPCR2oc-bAfxeRQLCNftff__aoKP-P_cFMb8s6i1cco-EI__X-rG6AVI8CwwhHuKfxjEVL_zSL220CX01VY6AGCdv/w400-h208/PXL_20231012_192419264.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>It's been a decade or two since I last took an overnight bus, and quite frankly, I wouldn't mind if it were to be another decade or so before the next time. Even though the bus that PeruHop had chartered for this almost 11-hour journey was comfortable with reclining seats and even blankets, sitting in one spot for that long without ever getting off the bus tests one's stamina. The bus had an on-board toilet, yet with a window seat I was dependent on my seat neighbor's nature breaks to follow suit. For the first hour or so, Antonia (a bright microbiology student from Germany who lives in Denmark and who is taking an extended break between finishing her MA and starting her PhD) and I had a nice conversation going, but then it was dark and everybody on the bus started being quiet—and it was not even 7:00 p.m. yet!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFXReBBcKPI1AgEtw2i-2uhiGNPIpAlrINY7LjJyGqI35xNqdjP5AUDEPDmKHAJg5ON67eCri50Ez7OMjWT7CDXRn_BxeKxDGkd7AzLgsmskz9mtEEnn8QbE4LpULzh1-52jSyQF35EmTcVxTupdCiIysk9cmcibbxfPBh2srbM1dFYqKO3gRftncqUGbk/s4032/PXL_20231011_183337627.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFXReBBcKPI1AgEtw2i-2uhiGNPIpAlrINY7LjJyGqI35xNqdjP5AUDEPDmKHAJg5ON67eCri50Ez7OMjWT7CDXRn_BxeKxDGkd7AzLgsmskz9mtEEnn8QbE4LpULzh1-52jSyQF35EmTcVxTupdCiIysk9cmcibbxfPBh2srbM1dFYqKO3gRftncqUGbk/w400-h225/PXL_20231011_183337627.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidy_aGDy1XHbSwMeSyeaKKqwpx9DeRRTLOR3ZznAbh0gs9_unUJsu3yUln8tbfAnzIjSV-TSLGYvXgzC5XORe-9INNg1MWTQLnwlXkRDEzXgPgScObJ4idg_tBxWcaFP-p99qtbcUvhBYObl5bAOeCV7Q7GztCyZgGBEsdgzSi1CeVpm6Sc5sS9cvkkHMY/s4032/PXL_20231011_172609868.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidy_aGDy1XHbSwMeSyeaKKqwpx9DeRRTLOR3ZznAbh0gs9_unUJsu3yUln8tbfAnzIjSV-TSLGYvXgzC5XORe-9INNg1MWTQLnwlXkRDEzXgPgScObJ4idg_tBxWcaFP-p99qtbcUvhBYObl5bAOeCV7Q7GztCyZgGBEsdgzSi1CeVpm6Sc5sS9cvkkHMY/w225-h400/PXL_20231011_172609868.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpzH9WAilH7qXgacJTgxUwV-tePZQAfK4qWHDMXiTkzLWatmQFswLtxX42RmeQv-C27_Nbj_BUYlnwOl8cbqS_FzQwSzcoJrCtcXUrQMqSCO9VUBU3EzA3RZ9zOfI-Gira8fRyLM_9ANIc2K62FFpM9tC5t-xiSm9zv9cAkTmTEpS7swi4-yfiOtWPe7rk/s4032/PXL_20231011_145829748.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpzH9WAilH7qXgacJTgxUwV-tePZQAfK4qWHDMXiTkzLWatmQFswLtxX42RmeQv-C27_Nbj_BUYlnwOl8cbqS_FzQwSzcoJrCtcXUrQMqSCO9VUBU3EzA3RZ9zOfI-Gira8fRyLM_9ANIc2K62FFpM9tC5t-xiSm9zv9cAkTmTEpS7swi4-yfiOtWPe7rk/w400-h225/PXL_20231011_145829748.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>We got to Arequipa around 5:30 a.m. What an ungodly time! Since the big bus would have never been able to squeeze through colonial Arequipa's narrow streets we were shuttled with smaller vans to our respective hotels. I had made arrangements with the <i>Bon Repos</i> beforehand and thus was able to check into my room, get under the shower, and catch a few hours of real sleep before having a nice breakfast on the hotel's terrace, overlooking Arequipa, a city that many say is Peru's most beautiful.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmdyEySS2CoxwFMxLgTLbGGLzsoV49aUDBYJu6ll22rvE9V3AI_D6amtHXOp6DVRwLlMBIkI-cBWTf54MHSPERK53GmcJIaqh1CDQix8XW1WiriY9gZPphD1jbrZ-y4g01KSbzi9AZDxtWEGFh5FWfjMccUlG3t8NahD2lg2koD9bvukgdbd0p_DuNTucA/s4032/PXL_20231010_142801116.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmdyEySS2CoxwFMxLgTLbGGLzsoV49aUDBYJu6ll22rvE9V3AI_D6amtHXOp6DVRwLlMBIkI-cBWTf54MHSPERK53GmcJIaqh1CDQix8XW1WiriY9gZPphD1jbrZ-y4g01KSbzi9AZDxtWEGFh5FWfjMccUlG3t8NahD2lg2koD9bvukgdbd0p_DuNTucA/w400-h225/PXL_20231010_142801116.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqGOwFQWT-gGc77tc5Y34Qt4oYKdi3KoelNxjOl80KSpKKGNVuZHNQFlrzcLAeWUhCfDhLqB4OULH-0NQVeP5bB2LsszYAmwip0638m1jEqYYoZM6rOcRpVZ6I7oaJvzkDy2f-Fg43xFSkFKbVIyqMI70KJINQNYsO6O01QIhhwMUpfVFZdawZQZTGB7E8/s4032/PXL_20231010_134317676.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqGOwFQWT-gGc77tc5Y34Qt4oYKdi3KoelNxjOl80KSpKKGNVuZHNQFlrzcLAeWUhCfDhLqB4OULH-0NQVeP5bB2LsszYAmwip0638m1jEqYYoZM6rOcRpVZ6I7oaJvzkDy2f-Fg43xFSkFKbVIyqMI70KJINQNYsO6O01QIhhwMUpfVFZdawZQZTGB7E8/w400-h225/PXL_20231010_134317676.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnsPr_f2zYZy0azaiqeJ5bEtjNvhiG2w_ccg075K9cNqjoSGpro8W5YpUi67vstTE3Bl76dtWmWRATT3-KMlli2btcKneBvu8o9gbtBnmAV9xT5732s-ZRUAbjWmzHFOViCECr1xj2U7r1pWfGVeUZzXERh3x5_qtZT68vczXkFuG-oj5g-J58MOknTc9F/s5162/PXL_20231010_133907797.PANO.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1632" data-original-width="5162" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnsPr_f2zYZy0azaiqeJ5bEtjNvhiG2w_ccg075K9cNqjoSGpro8W5YpUi67vstTE3Bl76dtWmWRATT3-KMlli2btcKneBvu8o9gbtBnmAV9xT5732s-ZRUAbjWmzHFOViCECr1xj2U7r1pWfGVeUZzXERh3x5_qtZT68vczXkFuG-oj5g-J58MOknTc9F/w400-h126/PXL_20231010_133907797.PANO.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>When I had started to flesh out my itinerary for this trip I had purposefully scheduled longer stays in the same city toward the end of the trip. In hindsight, I couldn't have planned it better: Even though Paracas and Huacachina were pleasant and (especially Paracas) would have deserved an extra night or two, Arequipa has so much more to offer, not only as a city but also in regard to excursions. So, five nights was appropriate, with another three nights on Lake Titicaca to come at the end of the trip.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBZb6gcJrvgbtPZ9_FRghukWoZpqVJ8Zh35_UZkiZEKYE5a2RFwTkHNFHg75Nl7GMEuZhPFZI3yLifxol7wzxDe8Gekd02lwOH9qXQgGMVaQxJ-E_vjwcwRG7NRv_KWFt7EQn_m1ByPeblk9WXAKc0K3e0cs5WBMuWkHvXZ5R1Af08X79YZ1ZuZlz9Ou6e/s2857/PXL_20231010_204651524.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2857" data-original-width="2179" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBZb6gcJrvgbtPZ9_FRghukWoZpqVJ8Zh35_UZkiZEKYE5a2RFwTkHNFHg75Nl7GMEuZhPFZI3yLifxol7wzxDe8Gekd02lwOH9qXQgGMVaQxJ-E_vjwcwRG7NRv_KWFt7EQn_m1ByPeblk9WXAKc0K3e0cs5WBMuWkHvXZ5R1Af08X79YZ1ZuZlz9Ou6e/w305-h400/PXL_20231010_204651524.jpg" width="305" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbg_74MsKphVwhlwZW5OqUJ3eVIN02bwrqaWTsYNe4FXr5GDAnZ9ZuZvU_WVuQOPxK4X27UbXok87wvttxWQhWPKqCRzNuV9EthlS_jaJ8vr-Ae7r309J97jFfNKZtMTkyk0eUlLQrojYWLWx78sSoqHEmPVQ7a8ZC8CSMtC9QdpjN8LEVcSUIBJSAtnFB/s3095/PXL_20231010_193637929.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3095" data-original-width="2139" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbg_74MsKphVwhlwZW5OqUJ3eVIN02bwrqaWTsYNe4FXr5GDAnZ9ZuZvU_WVuQOPxK4X27UbXok87wvttxWQhWPKqCRzNuV9EthlS_jaJ8vr-Ae7r309J97jFfNKZtMTkyk0eUlLQrojYWLWx78sSoqHEmPVQ7a8ZC8CSMtC9QdpjN8LEVcSUIBJSAtnFB/w276-h400/PXL_20231010_193637929.jpg" width="276" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiW0JvIwXGNy8WPULURA0TYsJZOH2tzhvqIwxExNU89NAmWMPDrWvfeWzlYhH3u0K8L1weivX8L6KzIO9fqhXW3b_ly_ruROqcXCrKoBMyaHhedIg_D_bJwGgOxFQeysm8gMWhMLoMx41QPU4y4shL83oCqBHSzDirh4yJu2NvcyhIxn-6ouobPBviaN6l/s3566/PXL_20231010_190122175.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3566" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiW0JvIwXGNy8WPULURA0TYsJZOH2tzhvqIwxExNU89NAmWMPDrWvfeWzlYhH3u0K8L1weivX8L6KzIO9fqhXW3b_ly_ruROqcXCrKoBMyaHhedIg_D_bJwGgOxFQeysm8gMWhMLoMx41QPU4y4shL83oCqBHSzDirh4yJu2NvcyhIxn-6ouobPBviaN6l/w255-h400/PXL_20231010_190122175.jpg" width="255" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUBripNpqJsDhZaGNO0aHfYg-0p4_MET-Kb45ba-TxORltSIsiIR20o1KSnvw3LT2bb275S-JEfjxtvgRzNaYAeIuWi1pogF3GOJSybECAzqkBAoAbzxgBzOhYZ_lZSMMPOIzstOsQJFb_0ldY0SaFqZbgjVqfEV_Tw2lYPVKO00pOB7StiJiYITTgI6yd/s4032/PXL_20231010_185554165.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUBripNpqJsDhZaGNO0aHfYg-0p4_MET-Kb45ba-TxORltSIsiIR20o1KSnvw3LT2bb275S-JEfjxtvgRzNaYAeIuWi1pogF3GOJSybECAzqkBAoAbzxgBzOhYZ_lZSMMPOIzstOsQJFb_0ldY0SaFqZbgjVqfEV_Tw2lYPVKO00pOB7StiJiYITTgI6yd/w225-h400/PXL_20231010_185554165.jpg" width="225" /></a></div></div><div>For my arrival day I had penciled in a guided tour of the city. I had used the <i>free walking tour</i> concept for the first time in Buenos Aires and then again in Guatemala, and loved it: A local will take a small group of visitors on a walk through his or her city and tell you about history, culture, rumors, local issues, and all the other stuff that a guidebook will not touch. At the end of the tour you tip the guide an appropriate amount, and that's it. Just use Google on your next trip, and you will be surprised how many cities offer such tours. (The big bonus is that even though you still have to register ahead of time, your plans can stay super-flexible because no pre-payment is involved and you can cancel until the last minute, if needed.)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-YmcUWOUhxI98y54f_aU0T3hMLBYM3bHhTkycU8WGUYNmuCyAZbOT_BuBFwU9m-6Yl-sz2Nxm_ZEtGQwlxVii8i-pYxIWo6n647Ofv_yqxyRfiJJQ68pM1ddomcnfSAlTiASKG2U1ukJJU_HVyYlRJST6wQQICNmqd_FVX8gnYsThNC4LGlo0IEdxmlLL/s4032/PXL_20231010_194311213.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-YmcUWOUhxI98y54f_aU0T3hMLBYM3bHhTkycU8WGUYNmuCyAZbOT_BuBFwU9m-6Yl-sz2Nxm_ZEtGQwlxVii8i-pYxIWo6n647Ofv_yqxyRfiJJQ68pM1ddomcnfSAlTiASKG2U1ukJJU_HVyYlRJST6wQQICNmqd_FVX8gnYsThNC4LGlo0IEdxmlLL/w400-h225/PXL_20231010_194311213.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh42FXE_OKm1_FWZMAypLFA5nHgqFssxyE8_uzRlRcIOZg0Ps1zcDKvGaB-2DfRe04GLLFWtesBU4xEvvw49TfXwuWdFc5exnMDPdXSmEmI5cuo3UwS21xg-fV3Mza1H8YgukJjflnf49pQpESGp5zYLT5vsLTxvm4aicxZSDoVhwcJzb9lfTtLcgSQstA-/s2905/PXL_20231010_200616412~3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2905" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh42FXE_OKm1_FWZMAypLFA5nHgqFssxyE8_uzRlRcIOZg0Ps1zcDKvGaB-2DfRe04GLLFWtesBU4xEvvw49TfXwuWdFc5exnMDPdXSmEmI5cuo3UwS21xg-fV3Mza1H8YgukJjflnf49pQpESGp5zYLT5vsLTxvm4aicxZSDoVhwcJzb9lfTtLcgSQstA-/w313-h400/PXL_20231010_200616412~3.jpg" width="313" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNfzFVP3BiTDTdUKv7nVguI2FscLpi_pB1gFWSQHzaxGlW8ZDayv8N8_wulTZobDRt22Q9tGIZCWULyXabA4Dj0zKB-gfMtkRQbJKckFxkjREdszaS5dsLma_bM9sOcUm05T371eyWWEaOTpQnT5g9yZjbsDnjNCLyuHLhBcGWgbsehj3H0FC1Od9-BepY/s4032/PXL_20231011_145829748.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNfzFVP3BiTDTdUKv7nVguI2FscLpi_pB1gFWSQHzaxGlW8ZDayv8N8_wulTZobDRt22Q9tGIZCWULyXabA4Dj0zKB-gfMtkRQbJKckFxkjREdszaS5dsLma_bM9sOcUm05T371eyWWEaOTpQnT5g9yZjbsDnjNCLyuHLhBcGWgbsehj3H0FC1Od9-BepY/w400-h225/PXL_20231011_145829748.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRZ6cXipMkcM5wIW-1M5XRwrfU4gI7ioHRP55CzXTxaX56zUs_65aNLhEzBoFrubne0QfzJVO_g95k5hWg7HW12xicZ_TvKBJh23h8t7RLpWlnG9plWNcfzhtD1YiJcZhIpbtwSr2mNQl5C4cpsnJ1HI5iCl_Cw9wmxqD9HDcHN0wmtfo0J2GVtlugAfiY/s4032/PXL_20231011_151012855.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRZ6cXipMkcM5wIW-1M5XRwrfU4gI7ioHRP55CzXTxaX56zUs_65aNLhEzBoFrubne0QfzJVO_g95k5hWg7HW12xicZ_TvKBJh23h8t7RLpWlnG9plWNcfzhtD1YiJcZhIpbtwSr2mNQl5C4cpsnJ1HI5iCl_Cw9wmxqD9HDcHN0wmtfo0J2GVtlugAfiY/w400-h225/PXL_20231011_151012855.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ShNA3Wzt4ifwQfEny6pyVpvz1OGh9CIoORT92qetfpIPJrfxyMXMo2Trp0mO9YCzCdiFZtXik6CHt1Lj08yoZHHmL_Iv7JbpgUu91sBreZu1L9JbHHIOky5bodhOX_dxYw2NP-lyYbVu3mX3w8K4hf_d2F1wq-LZsXmw0wxoUQ6HS2bnY9xMBDSHl1Ed/s2367/PXL_20231011_151401565~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2367" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ShNA3Wzt4ifwQfEny6pyVpvz1OGh9CIoORT92qetfpIPJrfxyMXMo2Trp0mO9YCzCdiFZtXik6CHt1Lj08yoZHHmL_Iv7JbpgUu91sBreZu1L9JbHHIOky5bodhOX_dxYw2NP-lyYbVu3mX3w8K4hf_d2F1wq-LZsXmw0wxoUQ6HS2bnY9xMBDSHl1Ed/w384-h400/PXL_20231011_151401565~2.jpg" width="384" /></a></div>Our tour lasted for about three hours, and if the guide had been able to speak a more intelligible English it would have been extremely enjoyable. As was, it was difficult to discern what he was actually saying amid all of his theatrical antics, so on a scale of 1 to 10 he barely managed a 4. But it was clear that he was trying to tell us about issues with the local government, the dying of the city's historical center because of dilapidating houses, graft and corruption, and the dark side of the city's biggest tourist attraction, the <i>Monasterio de Santa Catalina</i>. Well, as if we didn't know that the Catholic Church is one of the best-run group of <i>mafiosi </i>out there! If anything, the tour gave me an idea of places that I would revisit in the days to come and gave me a first taste of the layout of the historical center.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQV7cBDEKnd1hfWHKjwJlTcYoSsE2vLsbgFbjehwqCxeHNl85P8mCScovyPYEH74sc9jOqG8um6z2CwFFYgCfM1RcWDKtBM2nkAJdo45e-D62ViCxSi0lpthC3qDoRDlWLhgfvC8QZzLU-vZDDSK8i7pQpe7Z81KnehUKcK8m3HfC6_TLwZX8rQPMq0REs/s3362/PXL_20231011_144942909.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3362" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQV7cBDEKnd1hfWHKjwJlTcYoSsE2vLsbgFbjehwqCxeHNl85P8mCScovyPYEH74sc9jOqG8um6z2CwFFYgCfM1RcWDKtBM2nkAJdo45e-D62ViCxSi0lpthC3qDoRDlWLhgfvC8QZzLU-vZDDSK8i7pQpe7Z81KnehUKcK8m3HfC6_TLwZX8rQPMq0REs/w270-h400/PXL_20231011_144942909.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbVrrxtXPwsisr0YOoavLJuNkJ9saXj8rcWYJFL418WaKmwpVkSX-mmWru7CaeqcO6Cbi9kWyZwlQcGfvA2pbzREArjnqscvM0HakqjEsdN36USBgRxvvcHA4iSxD9svNkx4Q8ejPSQGANdYloYspFDZ-xVL9luLydGMTPE8Bewswle10lefG0pQthXF6P/s2726/PXL_20231011_001900841.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2726" data-original-width="1793" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbVrrxtXPwsisr0YOoavLJuNkJ9saXj8rcWYJFL418WaKmwpVkSX-mmWru7CaeqcO6Cbi9kWyZwlQcGfvA2pbzREArjnqscvM0HakqjEsdN36USBgRxvvcHA4iSxD9svNkx4Q8ejPSQGANdYloYspFDZ-xVL9luLydGMTPE8Bewswle10lefG0pQthXF6P/w263-h400/PXL_20231011_001900841.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8LrF2dQsxJmcv_0FRbztgKHsxeRmEPAQQr9SWfDVPFcsGbER33OujAncYRzosexlAVyLcHwPCFfzs6JbQmUqM6GljkwPXhOgsRWU2E6KczyIbCCViMiyH3Ikbozd9Y0-_VJVIeLVHqI4GjUF-9epqh6TkA36ZNERGcIEawgExgb-fV_Sfc4oHTYlSsxeH/s2411/PXL_20231010_192746455.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2411" data-original-width="1890" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8LrF2dQsxJmcv_0FRbztgKHsxeRmEPAQQr9SWfDVPFcsGbER33OujAncYRzosexlAVyLcHwPCFfzs6JbQmUqM6GljkwPXhOgsRWU2E6KczyIbCCViMiyH3Ikbozd9Y0-_VJVIeLVHqI4GjUF-9epqh6TkA36ZNERGcIEawgExgb-fV_Sfc4oHTYlSsxeH/w314-h400/PXL_20231010_192746455.jpg" width="314" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVwybf_8JL9HZvLUq-iyvmzYl7VAm7ohttKn09aP2fZEq1WRb02eeeMoFp4LVtig5fa9cxwufkSfr0-kQxHUSKtW5GU65xQFURSlCSRNL3LF0RBzW0zJ_ZBhsbU0_T29xjpEth8E3qTc9l-JGW9PMhfetKRdPEmv7cTq33DMXwh8OfVFRGWZxqNXyiFIdZ/s4032/PXL_20231010_192613572.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVwybf_8JL9HZvLUq-iyvmzYl7VAm7ohttKn09aP2fZEq1WRb02eeeMoFp4LVtig5fa9cxwufkSfr0-kQxHUSKtW5GU65xQFURSlCSRNL3LF0RBzW0zJ_ZBhsbU0_T29xjpEth8E3qTc9l-JGW9PMhfetKRdPEmv7cTq33DMXwh8OfVFRGWZxqNXyiFIdZ/w400-h225/PXL_20231010_192613572.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>I spent the rest of the day and the entire Wednesday drifting through the city of a million. Obviously, the UNESCO hasn't declared this place one of its World Heritage Sites for the industrial areas and<i> favelas</i> but rather for what all visitors come for: the two square kilometers of historical significance of the approximately 3,000 square kilometers that Arequipa encompasses. Let that one sink in.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjPUMM_inZHGowZZphpYnVmLZWXQb8vj2SwDMpCy3SlVqG1WrQljLAjpXEh2tP8aUrmLyCcdKytOUpodpfxIw94Tp0yMMm1U-JiGyoXxcQJCalCrKM0t_QZW4vlxKtvh-tzS4I4MWBGcSCrKJEG0WlvLF4MSO2lkhPNUfWR8bw2s7UMNNRKI1VwYQP8j4r/s4032/PXL_20231011_185726975.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjPUMM_inZHGowZZphpYnVmLZWXQb8vj2SwDMpCy3SlVqG1WrQljLAjpXEh2tP8aUrmLyCcdKytOUpodpfxIw94Tp0yMMm1U-JiGyoXxcQJCalCrKM0t_QZW4vlxKtvh-tzS4I4MWBGcSCrKJEG0WlvLF4MSO2lkhPNUfWR8bw2s7UMNNRKI1VwYQP8j4r/w400-h225/PXL_20231011_185726975.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig74K886dM2X_L3R_VaHTHh-C1ysCy-VLZuvRJaBzqBFmb3NCMvujR_PEcCCs8rxPweRxuE4a881bV4_EZCM8buBfitPtTEarB3VcABRrjxLAvJDCd9JfpScD_Up2VWKlgK5DN3YrqyHXXC3xJo1bfPKAj2DinEKAwd6x8HzeXIU9eFYgIP80kZJJ4_qZu/s2482/PXL_20231011_172714466.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2482" data-original-width="2208" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig74K886dM2X_L3R_VaHTHh-C1ysCy-VLZuvRJaBzqBFmb3NCMvujR_PEcCCs8rxPweRxuE4a881bV4_EZCM8buBfitPtTEarB3VcABRrjxLAvJDCd9JfpScD_Up2VWKlgK5DN3YrqyHXXC3xJo1bfPKAj2DinEKAwd6x8HzeXIU9eFYgIP80kZJJ4_qZu/w356-h400/PXL_20231011_172714466.jpg" width="356" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHB2jubTgSh-Qp7V3wtwp-y9mEt93_QWsnxwjg_FTA6ggAlHe0NWhOY7PnGaaJOPBWq-106IWILOfm5PXXg2zHKZ5B_l11-GoONVfVVbOBciQzpHu5wmCJDTGpCCR0NyWtG8h7MFcxp9za4A-NL-XlPzJFBRWQOfIbtqVGgY6SpyEoj_R4Fv8UvhgTKmLE/s2937/PXL_20231011_165857333.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2937" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHB2jubTgSh-Qp7V3wtwp-y9mEt93_QWsnxwjg_FTA6ggAlHe0NWhOY7PnGaaJOPBWq-106IWILOfm5PXXg2zHKZ5B_l11-GoONVfVVbOBciQzpHu5wmCJDTGpCCR0NyWtG8h7MFcxp9za4A-NL-XlPzJFBRWQOfIbtqVGgY6SpyEoj_R4Fv8UvhgTKmLE/w309-h400/PXL_20231011_165857333.jpg" width="309" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicKDFg58fV71XlKbxyuFtgVu_uK_qkLLDNxPa5izu9VZz0xG5LGIROW7arUZbfghAIJ-pTrltQj8ugli6ZAbyhyphenhyphenYC5Avn-v-ti3IXW8th5MRTZEYklkHkktK8zjz3o72MGRFgE9DBC8gnCWMZNn3wPcsAG9Xy8RomZd9mqCffyvm9gYLk82wCrY6E_WwUU/s4032/PXL_20231011_154713362.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicKDFg58fV71XlKbxyuFtgVu_uK_qkLLDNxPa5izu9VZz0xG5LGIROW7arUZbfghAIJ-pTrltQj8ugli6ZAbyhyphenhyphenYC5Avn-v-ti3IXW8th5MRTZEYklkHkktK8zjz3o72MGRFgE9DBC8gnCWMZNn3wPcsAG9Xy8RomZd9mqCffyvm9gYLk82wCrY6E_WwUU/w400-h225/PXL_20231011_154713362.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidxCO6IAS67l2S-61eZX5txqD11AhDehR2jgsR6gsPs4JJBECSfuBay1Lv5XmEqpHzPffsbT6M4RUZ7gOzywgqphS2ZLunEuyzNF8s6gHb7tnf4WBeeNWSG3shlgp5QE8fkJK_DSCWZhTwJK9hNnMxUpk4SONcOevbCbaZMS2DXd3dr0C1KwikT-4vleVN/s4032/PXL_20231011_185256457.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidxCO6IAS67l2S-61eZX5txqD11AhDehR2jgsR6gsPs4JJBECSfuBay1Lv5XmEqpHzPffsbT6M4RUZ7gOzywgqphS2ZLunEuyzNF8s6gHb7tnf4WBeeNWSG3shlgp5QE8fkJK_DSCWZhTwJK9hNnMxUpk4SONcOevbCbaZMS2DXd3dr0C1KwikT-4vleVN/w225-h400/PXL_20231011_185256457.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div>Like most Spanish-colonial South American cities, Arequipa has a main square, with government buildings and a cathedral bordering it. From there, its streets are laid out in a rectangular pattern. Thanks to the many earthquakes that this area has experienced since it was established in the early 1500s the architecture runs the gamut from what is called <i>baroque mestizo</i> and <i>colonial </i>to French, English, and art deco. It's actually fairly easy to distinguish the styles once you know what you're looking for, and I give our tour guide credit for pointing out much more than I would have ever noticed myself. The early buildings are all one-story, and the building material is the local <i>sillar</i>. (More on that later.)</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJDrXFBT9T_-dr434EiaphmYsJbSvIzV6D1DOib6z6khcVm8HrQ5ly3IEKhpoG4_7jGEXHwpxvYrbd0eb_WGGfQFHkGgLkkEIR5sIocAeAuaeF7s00BAVA_VKLt8k_o1b-GyfHScEn3TubJytXXv3d4N5oujz3fC14hNUE88xRoReKqOxIhZe2stKdFrjQ/s3868/PXL_20231010_193746241.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3868" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJDrXFBT9T_-dr434EiaphmYsJbSvIzV6D1DOib6z6khcVm8HrQ5ly3IEKhpoG4_7jGEXHwpxvYrbd0eb_WGGfQFHkGgLkkEIR5sIocAeAuaeF7s00BAVA_VKLt8k_o1b-GyfHScEn3TubJytXXv3d4N5oujz3fC14hNUE88xRoReKqOxIhZe2stKdFrjQ/w235-h400/PXL_20231010_193746241.jpg" width="235" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAhAt309J47ibHF37FzlT7j6HeY9zv-1g6vyYimRewViy91WCsDjQl9bSajGCfIQU648nL8yRrUnRPo5jf3EDg6QfPORdfmo2zPZ2V3bbBiraRQZSwFQyFSNeuE5hoX0P8v2auwJQtVxFCyAsZ1trXmm5xFdgKxbgxzV8zKCBlqHtZt1F6_-u_yc5an8py/s4032/PXL_20231011_002058589.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAhAt309J47ibHF37FzlT7j6HeY9zv-1g6vyYimRewViy91WCsDjQl9bSajGCfIQU648nL8yRrUnRPo5jf3EDg6QfPORdfmo2zPZ2V3bbBiraRQZSwFQyFSNeuE5hoX0P8v2auwJQtVxFCyAsZ1trXmm5xFdgKxbgxzV8zKCBlqHtZt1F6_-u_yc5an8py/w400-h225/PXL_20231011_002058589.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdsCBmJnHO4j8ejfyEgCl-_iit7jhiZrY69yYunkia7PKsf9s3Pafc0lWqlk4BPA7Fk4USlcKDSyHfBSRwGVnC6TKKhlT8xfPTAYXN0q_UOeIoaU28IE5DSRRbeoGhwEdZrHloAMsE1Dt3BzUmd3-ISq0VqBvrKShN6zoeqQfkp491yz6xv7kATEjcwYTG/s4032/PXL_20231011_003909849.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdsCBmJnHO4j8ejfyEgCl-_iit7jhiZrY69yYunkia7PKsf9s3Pafc0lWqlk4BPA7Fk4USlcKDSyHfBSRwGVnC6TKKhlT8xfPTAYXN0q_UOeIoaU28IE5DSRRbeoGhwEdZrHloAMsE1Dt3BzUmd3-ISq0VqBvrKShN6zoeqQfkp491yz6xv7kATEjcwYTG/w400-h225/PXL_20231011_003909849.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLP65U3G3u65zFq8Ct4qFryYN40Bi2wMDqSZ4I-48BIQoMYP4CEWkz58SOw_IGJgnoNk5wA-U_1m4ez2Gr2tvErCbuWgYrBOmI5eF5SDPP10ywzyYvrNorULK0Do6h88bsSjjq_eZsndK6f3s7jgJc2Nzv5C6WWpli353BarDZGHOGDHvKB2p2aixYz3e0/s4032/PXL_20231011_001755322.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLP65U3G3u65zFq8Ct4qFryYN40Bi2wMDqSZ4I-48BIQoMYP4CEWkz58SOw_IGJgnoNk5wA-U_1m4ez2Gr2tvErCbuWgYrBOmI5eF5SDPP10ywzyYvrNorULK0Do6h88bsSjjq_eZsndK6f3s7jgJc2Nzv5C6WWpli353BarDZGHOGDHvKB2p2aixYz3e0/w400-h225/PXL_20231011_001755322.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKWquaEis4S_EIejEbEAtUU0-L2XqQ5h-RIMrF4Ybj3uUI2sgW_iJUX0-vMFWavpdpHojeve210kb4dJkMmwx6y9TmHG6mSJT-Iq0ydYrgCmiPKzcMRwuIE7piJu4tqGpHg9PDMTdHYShhEd_8UB8BMEbEB2AEntuznJ52A3A2TxNwuDZ9k3vdo3QlGTtg/s3470/PXL_20231011_015947281.PORTRAIT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3470" data-original-width="2097" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKWquaEis4S_EIejEbEAtUU0-L2XqQ5h-RIMrF4Ybj3uUI2sgW_iJUX0-vMFWavpdpHojeve210kb4dJkMmwx6y9TmHG6mSJT-Iq0ydYrgCmiPKzcMRwuIE7piJu4tqGpHg9PDMTdHYShhEd_8UB8BMEbEB2AEntuznJ52A3A2TxNwuDZ9k3vdo3QlGTtg/w241-h400/PXL_20231011_015947281.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="241" /></a></div>You'd think that buildings in the historical center would be extremely valuable. But look at them: Many of the one-story buildings are vacated, and so are the majority of the two-story buildings from a later period. The bottom floor may have a restaurant, a tattoo shop, a cell-phone place, a <i>farmacia</i>, or any other low-rent business, but the rest is empty. Not just one building, not just a dozen, hundreds. As our tour guide—in a rather indignant way—tried to communicate, it's a cancer in this city that is about to kill it. And the cause of the cancer, according to him, is the local government that levies exorbitant taxes for everything that local authorities can think of. As a result, nobody wants to touch the buildings (which already, in their dilapidated state, command princely sums in the millions). Ground-level retail locales are one thing, but solid neighborhoods are another.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwhIOPKbXHLy9WeA70ZpIYCSC0GfnmcjU6suqCyeE0mzahAUONiutwigPwIoBBdC60UQB6_36UgEElHBqca_KWztafrOZe0DJ0gsNCS8V_Es8y9bLbAVFYhg9A4uZfSLQrJsvXikRhqw5en-pv131NM8UTZ3FIpEvoSpeL4CPmhb6_YbccD4XIA0l49h6t/s3147/PXL_20231011_153335670~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3147" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwhIOPKbXHLy9WeA70ZpIYCSC0GfnmcjU6suqCyeE0mzahAUONiutwigPwIoBBdC60UQB6_36UgEElHBqca_KWztafrOZe0DJ0gsNCS8V_Es8y9bLbAVFYhg9A4uZfSLQrJsvXikRhqw5en-pv131NM8UTZ3FIpEvoSpeL4CPmhb6_YbccD4XIA0l49h6t/w289-h400/PXL_20231011_153335670~2.jpg" width="289" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdtvQk6Uw95_qZWCYAhDkHWwVD2mXK7QHwbT8SHIadu56PNbx5z1AWYHquAdK3gwh-KdptxpWDony1NvETSeRNYlDxyUubL67o08yr32r63BXhFiX4eNvyR5HdiEWAnU-Zh8dS7yMqjBEIENxbBnXqO_PuhMK4PbkORNEGLP8sjBAbk16oMZhMSpaHfLEA/s3215/PXL_20231011_152937780.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3561" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-TGLucfNfuizccJJixXZQcDDADKrICuE6h7NFDf0okgNyQRpD9_AVzuB3WIX-Z0qD4lrL65f2Xh6F7BQWqh9KdWGAUWTMwgb5jR5stwF-aA7jTpFtt5O39Che3i2YGf6vYLGx1nseG9kMh0Z4rr918cRUGOYb7i2PXHPL8u7g2VWYWRYURx4IgdbHEHN/w255-h400/PXL_20231011_152522151.jpg" width="255" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXyIgNWr-SACJgBvP_F3F0mzINkwwnmPITDqzMc1Wvi7FnsJO13ZMOvHOfg5IyIamzaeRteVVFTfZTQhpljAO75nFeJ4e1D1yMlVJ3MOAbBNikzq2FG5Mku2bIPWECYqCGmfBRANR2DOf794fnV4L2FFp7r0vhiVyRyEyRTTyqhQoU4WTaeiYwE2-ZztZZ/s2636/PXL_20231011_152308068.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2636" data-original-width="2111" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXyIgNWr-SACJgBvP_F3F0mzINkwwnmPITDqzMc1Wvi7FnsJO13ZMOvHOfg5IyIamzaeRteVVFTfZTQhpljAO75nFeJ4e1D1yMlVJ3MOAbBNikzq2FG5Mku2bIPWECYqCGmfBRANR2DOf794fnV4L2FFp7r0vhiVyRyEyRTTyqhQoU4WTaeiYwE2-ZztZZ/w320-h400/PXL_20231011_152308068.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ1U5RDua4teQNSntPuoSf_M4w9s83XLd8SL7yL_imFWChg7mFfzlfHtll1uVH0CsE5gkSc803e8cpK857RlzJler9Th1WZM9N1FxXylwGlbKH8JQ7mU7leknN5ybg4zW0iaL4BAEIIZ7z3QYbi6G18Jl-PuldzxSzHemsvLvkeWsmZjPiBu4T5Co2QPH9/s3520/PXL_20231011_152256588.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3520" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ1U5RDua4teQNSntPuoSf_M4w9s83XLd8SL7yL_imFWChg7mFfzlfHtll1uVH0CsE5gkSc803e8cpK857RlzJler9Th1WZM9N1FxXylwGlbKH8JQ7mU7leknN5ybg4zW0iaL4BAEIIZ7z3QYbi6G18Jl-PuldzxSzHemsvLvkeWsmZjPiBu4T5Co2QPH9/w258-h400/PXL_20231011_152256588.jpg" width="258" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd2zA1RFKamgtydF-m9qFhaxfV_e0j9NypDVZ8FAEu8LjKm6cGonzgurb4K0E_bcud-eTcVuuR0rHL52x3ZBlpGASyHploRgzbrEdexiVUEEex8o4mx7hE3tiYudrwnANG7f7ByB1fmBi65OaJ1lwa0HjS59v_d9wyadw5ohQC2TCtTpWubAYUZR9Mlwnf/s2822/PXL_20231011_152031626.PANO.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1648" data-original-width="2822" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd2zA1RFKamgtydF-m9qFhaxfV_e0j9NypDVZ8FAEu8LjKm6cGonzgurb4K0E_bcud-eTcVuuR0rHL52x3ZBlpGASyHploRgzbrEdexiVUEEex8o4mx7hE3tiYudrwnANG7f7ByB1fmBi65OaJ1lwa0HjS59v_d9wyadw5ohQC2TCtTpWubAYUZR9Mlwnf/w400-h234/PXL_20231011_152031626.PANO.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>When I talked to the Canadian owner/operator of brewpub <i>Nowhere</i> and broached this topic, he initially may not have understood me clearly. He's been married to a Peruvian woman and has been down here for about 15 years and he totally seemed to be unaware of the large number of abandoned properties, but upon questioning he conceded that dealing with paperwork and the local authorities is a nightmare, and that he wouldn't be able to have his business without being married to a national. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibdEvapOriUyc7Exoqj7W182iKktbVTkTchNoLm0AqWndzvcPJEClLVx2_kSXby3zP7uLzeZrGLBn7Tvfai_BFG_9YE9_MYIvtIkS-w07hVNhAYA4gOeYsQlo1vi61FYQm5_2OGr2bX3hT2YLn1mP4EebI0R4HlxnkybnelUZG4b0ely7Rwzq8LjIFTRch/s4032/PXL_20231013_224527904.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibdEvapOriUyc7Exoqj7W182iKktbVTkTchNoLm0AqWndzvcPJEClLVx2_kSXby3zP7uLzeZrGLBn7Tvfai_BFG_9YE9_MYIvtIkS-w07hVNhAYA4gOeYsQlo1vi61FYQm5_2OGr2bX3hT2YLn1mP4EebI0R4HlxnkybnelUZG4b0ely7Rwzq8LjIFTRch/w400-h225/PXL_20231013_224527904.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnWzRgZwKaqdeGhEQp-6ACs6Lqd_L5gwmgGSSHR3jZyYa_7EMeU7kYKad6WeVfF0kj53pMdV4CdtBeUdD-7nS5oR6l5PClBk0Yg9swgD0Jckse7MWSkUwsjJVi-YhrGlpXd9hJliJ5hQC2aNzSi1tm5zClMmfJG_yAZH6NDxXnIoy6YBvvcqr_mc11Z9bI/s4032/PXL_20231010_222427393.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnWzRgZwKaqdeGhEQp-6ACs6Lqd_L5gwmgGSSHR3jZyYa_7EMeU7kYKad6WeVfF0kj53pMdV4CdtBeUdD-7nS5oR6l5PClBk0Yg9swgD0Jckse7MWSkUwsjJVi-YhrGlpXd9hJliJ5hQC2aNzSi1tm5zClMmfJG_yAZH6NDxXnIoy6YBvvcqr_mc11Z9bI/w400-h225/PXL_20231010_222427393.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjumiC6RK8igZbjUgZ_SLKApwvsR87OAp7CBoJE-ocHMV6JF_wEADv8b8ixT9_Pr18433WnXLHpGQQjNWygJBhbmoCVgXoSmTCMfjVI4KwPUCiaATL-ZIUI6Tr452jXN_aaa4GWGmrYy0k_-VsvQ3wZR9LsH5S7htG09e7TpPVTR5yh4Mr9hRi0J2PK6n_C/s3711/PXL_20231013_212807064.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3711" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjumiC6RK8igZbjUgZ_SLKApwvsR87OAp7CBoJE-ocHMV6JF_wEADv8b8ixT9_Pr18433WnXLHpGQQjNWygJBhbmoCVgXoSmTCMfjVI4KwPUCiaATL-ZIUI6Tr452jXN_aaa4GWGmrYy0k_-VsvQ3wZR9LsH5S7htG09e7TpPVTR5yh4Mr9hRi0J2PK6n_C/w245-h400/PXL_20231013_212807064.jpg" width="245" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy4Ju-tnUnda0qb0oofPsNBBFsdhG2hG9ZwWnuEiJRWqTAaaX-8yGS-Kmodbj2t-JQUxTeed5RNYc5dyEeoXuWiRkKIQJImoHx3wvA0kQgjSd-aJ6lb2AK67YS2iZzxf163ZJKEFYykXKtwPhyphenhyphenTfm5L_NP-KXKZkU5aqhVknCLXe0RgkY4exKDUccufSEo/s1353/PXL_20231011_154451855~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1353" data-original-width="1353" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy4Ju-tnUnda0qb0oofPsNBBFsdhG2hG9ZwWnuEiJRWqTAaaX-8yGS-Kmodbj2t-JQUxTeed5RNYc5dyEeoXuWiRkKIQJImoHx3wvA0kQgjSd-aJ6lb2AK67YS2iZzxf163ZJKEFYykXKtwPhyphenhyphenTfm5L_NP-KXKZkU5aqhVknCLXe0RgkY4exKDUccufSEo/w320-h320/PXL_20231011_154451855~2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB5ds6XFlGFM0w1oghlOPjWtOAmer4Z_t6bSHkdoTXeyXZgZPPXLHhG7jZTL0WFCrX_GjoGM22w0ZedlZ7gjdcoXcbuEBuiK9aV_-LwEKj3V8jAjfWAMxfh14QToFx2mrcrYwgXAZ3Q8_o1gUh3HFk1rtD1CRAbl1grJ6znlOtBRe4jjDAxp2Tjge1x45h/s2808/PXL_20231014_201132526.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2808" data-original-width="2268" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB5ds6XFlGFM0w1oghlOPjWtOAmer4Z_t6bSHkdoTXeyXZgZPPXLHhG7jZTL0WFCrX_GjoGM22w0ZedlZ7gjdcoXcbuEBuiK9aV_-LwEKj3V8jAjfWAMxfh14QToFx2mrcrYwgXAZ3Q8_o1gUh3HFk1rtD1CRAbl1grJ6znlOtBRe4jjDAxp2Tjge1x45h/w258-h320/PXL_20231014_201132526.jpg" width="258" /></a></div>It all looks pretty and authentic until you look closer, but isn't that the way it works everywhere? Corruption, graft, and nepotism are rampant in Latin America, and that's why people go out into the streets and demonstrate, and Peru has had its recent share. Our system, like it or not, is rigged as well, but not in such an ostensible way.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQRT-gKh-jooF9_4p1QOAMpBud6Rv66xoGKpFWvPTzKlR5Wu1e8-NBMywb3vY-YFEVfQWMfceW7U3XHpRpXzEdomWnuU6JeQu1gWvBDeBEdewbRo3oSqMU9aDvq6Y2A-gCrQH6e5I-_ph0EwM7LaqrMfA37ZHQPpB7xExd-LPNeMeiRHNWeztL_V0VeVrW/s4032/PXL_20231010_215815485.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQRT-gKh-jooF9_4p1QOAMpBud6Rv66xoGKpFWvPTzKlR5Wu1e8-NBMywb3vY-YFEVfQWMfceW7U3XHpRpXzEdomWnuU6JeQu1gWvBDeBEdewbRo3oSqMU9aDvq6Y2A-gCrQH6e5I-_ph0EwM7LaqrMfA37ZHQPpB7xExd-LPNeMeiRHNWeztL_V0VeVrW/w400-h225/PXL_20231010_215815485.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyB8PK_TR3YmO_YAh2hBTNpglY7Vj7JRBiius5OF3oiDMuq-BxEto19Id8WsSS6yLVYuMUsedHEVuHMegtOk2fdeMtAxZjryBC6a6gYJ714QWzHCDK2Wi4ZyFg6lVchiYmbQyec8lNufHxZtDVHr7I3Bz1jUAlOb4iGxBEJSFyLtK19_GwPQxRhHq2ix5B/s4032/PXL_20231011_145430417.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyB8PK_TR3YmO_YAh2hBTNpglY7Vj7JRBiius5OF3oiDMuq-BxEto19Id8WsSS6yLVYuMUsedHEVuHMegtOk2fdeMtAxZjryBC6a6gYJ714QWzHCDK2Wi4ZyFg6lVchiYmbQyec8lNufHxZtDVHr7I3Bz1jUAlOb4iGxBEJSFyLtK19_GwPQxRhHq2ix5B/w225-h400/PXL_20231011_145430417.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK67VYwvOR_wbCH6bVQSCJNgluFE4epvguIDlofhzK3FuDyexOeQWjxG8tySUZUZbQu8QMKL8YJ648To3Viq_Aj4G470Mq-KAjmIrcRV6c8YC_kRa5buXhKw5IY1WFlCRw2IuupzETByA7OaLnVPaT6O0_MTouYdLcbaHlZ2Bfm0OvzaQFZENhGKdGSwcU/s4032/PXL_20231010_183959004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK67VYwvOR_wbCH6bVQSCJNgluFE4epvguIDlofhzK3FuDyexOeQWjxG8tySUZUZbQu8QMKL8YJ648To3Viq_Aj4G470Mq-KAjmIrcRV6c8YC_kRa5buXhKw5IY1WFlCRw2IuupzETByA7OaLnVPaT6O0_MTouYdLcbaHlZ2Bfm0OvzaQFZENhGKdGSwcU/w400-h225/PXL_20231010_183959004.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>Arequipa has a bit of a special status in Peru as it was fiercely independent in the early days of the Republic, for a long time continuing to pledge allegiance to the Spanish king instead of the new government in Lima. As the second-largest city in the country it commands a strong economic status, and by sheer distance it is the capital of the Peruvian south. Commerce is thriving, and tourists come from not just abroad but from the north of Peru as well.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjisZCeY_kb4TZYKafgLGhvkQnmS5sau5LI3ng9mhMSp3YzfqdPKnllC5RohSOtXKVrRqV7iFDqCPow3We00dpemtqMKYYB9Fc8MV4n0ur3di2pXmWpRM4QYHt1pm5isOs7U07_iohBqHPTbsnMB8RPcDIYVjFCzEF5skxTKGVw7xx9lCYpbB11ONMKng7O/s3329/PXL_20231014_020410847.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3329" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjisZCeY_kb4TZYKafgLGhvkQnmS5sau5LI3ng9mhMSp3YzfqdPKnllC5RohSOtXKVrRqV7iFDqCPow3We00dpemtqMKYYB9Fc8MV4n0ur3di2pXmWpRM4QYHt1pm5isOs7U07_iohBqHPTbsnMB8RPcDIYVjFCzEF5skxTKGVw7xx9lCYpbB11ONMKng7O/s320/PXL_20231014_020410847.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3575" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg70fhYNsWlXYffOQiY702M_1i6c6R9IQ189bt8bVwrmgOMT-e14nKt7i8_4peZ_CNuw85zoaoOxjnevFlcc4aNlwuGBTJIFfYSILA7_z1YZmTflsKWcu2UZmw10S0-96_VEIyw5C7K2B8j6io51BLsXHFvKO047KMWo5Fw65ZzH-ZUqGMLM2dk1vAfpKaR/w400-h254/PXL_20231014_193400449.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugiJhfoCGFMBVw_68Hn2YnLcGDJ_qVYCPfFsuHXsO7vxzvmRKrtnvr5cw7DkufY_8yKgasKsVjb6alm6aCrbEvoTHjedV32mOHR_Ugp6ScaBNK6RWYR7sqs0lg1EGreMYuFy3yFBBuzi8jxcUi1h0nT9ZnBNpZUCpEUkeCE47iVEudU1sEmB1iJXqo3D3/s4032/PXL_20231014_193448352.PORTRAIT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugiJhfoCGFMBVw_68Hn2YnLcGDJ_qVYCPfFsuHXsO7vxzvmRKrtnvr5cw7DkufY_8yKgasKsVjb6alm6aCrbEvoTHjedV32mOHR_Ugp6ScaBNK6RWYR7sqs0lg1EGreMYuFy3yFBBuzi8jxcUi1h0nT9ZnBNpZUCpEUkeCE47iVEudU1sEmB1iJXqo3D3/w400-h225/PXL_20231014_193448352.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioOc9JCtPdsDjbIv904Ra1_iVIrgh-TI2xSXyQwp7Vm8Xv8XPEUTqVNICKQucRqzSHoxFSFXxFNUYfbNE3tkeFAt8Y0qUZxcQjwWK6pd4GOB25m2S51m757CX2yINufY_UjG80U1ZKVRdgmfxBQFdF-DVVM890N3-moz2Fywk_xmlTjP8_rNO8bbS1ioC7/s2404/PXL_20231012_003933341.PORTRAIT~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2261" data-original-width="2404" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioOc9JCtPdsDjbIv904Ra1_iVIrgh-TI2xSXyQwp7Vm8Xv8XPEUTqVNICKQucRqzSHoxFSFXxFNUYfbNE3tkeFAt8Y0qUZxcQjwWK6pd4GOB25m2S51m757CX2yINufY_UjG80U1ZKVRdgmfxBQFdF-DVVM890N3-moz2Fywk_xmlTjP8_rNO8bbS1ioC7/w400-h376/PXL_20231012_003933341.PORTRAIT~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiymIVXeJ9vFnTkN7ey4hkZ2DHMxyiGmDS4N_qkezint_-mDG-afZnFS6j_BtevM6eDBSzi_krpuIo4GoawYsNv8EkhuG8iiN6mN7ZKVsfAg7ddts-M1bSMngYt82aEZYCoH6uh7M3nTlW7VnyyqX3QhV6p3NcsiuLycRis4JysFRFdVFeuHBwLeVc3eATn/s2683/PXL_20231012_004759877.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1835" data-original-width="2683" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiymIVXeJ9vFnTkN7ey4hkZ2DHMxyiGmDS4N_qkezint_-mDG-afZnFS6j_BtevM6eDBSzi_krpuIo4GoawYsNv8EkhuG8iiN6mN7ZKVsfAg7ddts-M1bSMngYt82aEZYCoH6uh7M3nTlW7VnyyqX3QhV6p3NcsiuLycRis4JysFRFdVFeuHBwLeVc3eATn/w400-h274/PXL_20231012_004759877.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In my five days in Arequipa I sampled various local foods, among them <i>rocoto</i>, <i>adobo</i>, and <i>cuy</i>. (Pics above in reverse order.) While I had had the latter, guinea pig, on various occasions in Ecuador and Bolivia, I had never had it served butterfly-style. The meat was incredibly fresh-tasting and tender, and the <i>chimichurri </i>it was served with was out of this world. <i>Carne adobada</i>, in Mexico, has a much thicker sauce and definitely a more robust chile flavor than the more soupy stew-like <i>adobo </i>here. The chaser of anis-infused tea with a shotglass of anis on the side was a nice surprise—not that I really needed it after that <i>jara de sangria</i>, also with a touch of anis. And the <i>rocoto </i>is similar to a stuffed bell pepper, but the <i>rocoto </i>pepper packs much more heat than any of our bell peppers. The dish was served piping hot, with a bechamel-like topping that was whispy and complemented the potato as well as the <i>rocoto </i>itself. Great food! The only flop I experienced in regard to meals was an alpaca cutlet, which was tough and tasteless, to put it mildly. One can't always win.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizOxHX_pvlNKPLK0YH91M6oxeLSHRMHKigRmsXHDl95lChDgNhnEMOcUDP4i765rRGF52s0vZOWH_Zq6s_HVVKY-rgKluv28GaCQtJZVlBsJXbYTpNda9ug4NbfhEaFXDmyymFo3HYbAsQ8MIxQnNgO9eux-ePxvdqiH-JWf6bpr4Pv7IE6jU0lPAv4uvP/s2947/PXL_20231010_221817310.PORTRAIT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2238" data-original-width="2947" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizOxHX_pvlNKPLK0YH91M6oxeLSHRMHKigRmsXHDl95lChDgNhnEMOcUDP4i765rRGF52s0vZOWH_Zq6s_HVVKY-rgKluv28GaCQtJZVlBsJXbYTpNda9ug4NbfhEaFXDmyymFo3HYbAsQ8MIxQnNgO9eux-ePxvdqiH-JWf6bpr4Pv7IE6jU0lPAv4uvP/w400-h304/PXL_20231010_221817310.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3JBItuS468VW87g1kyRJLMATtk8cpG-8anVRhq38R6S4kaACwAVOtfhXHSHQ1eWzHFLJRvkg4yuhQHBMhm7wo-3B8gaREkdgTgN9dmUI3UKbejZSJl6bmUjKYas5TYn4lQfp0qRNcuTiHzMNmlo8sLGDO00jMb_pnINsrEONPRkGjzVX1J0p1k6fd3F-g/s4032/PXL_20231013_172514868.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3JBItuS468VW87g1kyRJLMATtk8cpG-8anVRhq38R6S4kaACwAVOtfhXHSHQ1eWzHFLJRvkg4yuhQHBMhm7wo-3B8gaREkdgTgN9dmUI3UKbejZSJl6bmUjKYas5TYn4lQfp0qRNcuTiHzMNmlo8sLGDO00jMb_pnINsrEONPRkGjzVX1J0p1k6fd3F-g/w400-h225/PXL_20231013_172514868.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyC-jnC8EJapyfA_2jy7-P0Ch0M0DIoeS560AszIT_SHf9ZgtGvgDEmNmVuqnD4hFZHsaNTEqwGu_3PXtkTD8SgFxshywSXY5z58vcatmlvF-I7IuE3D-aBCAR4HHMquwYeK6p_MdJBoTvqX9Ms4PcbRmnKXMTnprUGPlZfAj6AIGeIvvF1HmI0MN9D8cM/s2457/PXL_20231010_221051702.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1689" data-original-width="2457" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyC-jnC8EJapyfA_2jy7-P0Ch0M0DIoeS560AszIT_SHf9ZgtGvgDEmNmVuqnD4hFZHsaNTEqwGu_3PXtkTD8SgFxshywSXY5z58vcatmlvF-I7IuE3D-aBCAR4HHMquwYeK6p_MdJBoTvqX9Ms4PcbRmnKXMTnprUGPlZfAj6AIGeIvvF1HmI0MN9D8cM/w400-h275/PXL_20231010_221051702.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpPN04Vc8qCu5tqY-19GLZOPko-_aaTK_PMM5l-aw2TcTk_P3nCmsOoYG-v6-4JEz6FOyJPrtv0f0t0u-1BvCwQpMTmPeSERkRjFyJdrSnc6sRzmKjQz5-ybxNkvpE5HWRmerJ-Dl8mGqucMsixqb5kB0t4Cb2P06JodoJ-hOfXGXYmo1SRB0ngoVEZ-fl/s2614/PXL_20231010_221429494.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1695" data-original-width="2614" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpPN04Vc8qCu5tqY-19GLZOPko-_aaTK_PMM5l-aw2TcTk_P3nCmsOoYG-v6-4JEz6FOyJPrtv0f0t0u-1BvCwQpMTmPeSERkRjFyJdrSnc6sRzmKjQz5-ybxNkvpE5HWRmerJ-Dl8mGqucMsixqb5kB0t4Cb2P06JodoJ-hOfXGXYmo1SRB0ngoVEZ-fl/w400-h259/PXL_20231010_221429494.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Talking about alpacas: They're generally not seen as much of a food source but rather are raised for their wool. Arequipa houses a very interesting place to learn about camelids: <i>El Mundo Alpaca Arequipa</i>, part of the Mitchell Group's efforts to not only sell their amazing wool products but also to educate visitors about the role that alpacas, llamas, vicuñas, and—to a very small degree—guanacos (which live mostly in Chile and Argentina) play for Peru as export generators. At the center one can touch several types of alpacas and llamas, the two domesticated South American camelids; vicuñas and guanacos live only in the wild, and capturing them and shearing them is something that has been practiced by the Andean highland population for centuries. Vicuña hair is the finest in the world, beating out even cashmere and other high-dollar products. A women's vicuña cape on display in a glass case carried a price-tag of around $9,000. And no, none of these wools are impervious to marauding moths!</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzoQSpWrVJhMdAcSa2ANnHyPJj1mOBIbLZZHkgaC1crRcthKAAZlgnIAXZEkhw5X1RiuZJDAbfmSthWwYEcdKOA3-aSRS7ArMgTwRx82DiCK1La_20-KdFXnnKwibATRZw1VBxmvTEUtscP-0sFmPPgWJx7uwSMKjtv-q-RANsUJKCRbEWLPJhOxBDbvTK/s4032/PXL_20231013_175809718~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzoQSpWrVJhMdAcSa2ANnHyPJj1mOBIbLZZHkgaC1crRcthKAAZlgnIAXZEkhw5X1RiuZJDAbfmSthWwYEcdKOA3-aSRS7ArMgTwRx82DiCK1La_20-KdFXnnKwibATRZw1VBxmvTEUtscP-0sFmPPgWJx7uwSMKjtv-q-RANsUJKCRbEWLPJhOxBDbvTK/w400-h225/PXL_20231013_175809718~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8d_kbb1l4z5mrv8PryCNkroR374Vsv-CKxoMNZ-Q0bWUXEJUptVdWuv4HOJ8lfFWpnS_G0Lz7ZDmT2LxqMFZgVZbV9XKAUp_3d3ovtE_gRV1OLXYwU5e81tbwJAEJkjp_AxbT5LpLoRU8HOjVm4_-bU5hHL1-N54pPID75gHyujfl_Jy7HXZMXW5lXSO4/s3186/PXL_20231013_174916402.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3186" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8d_kbb1l4z5mrv8PryCNkroR374Vsv-CKxoMNZ-Q0bWUXEJUptVdWuv4HOJ8lfFWpnS_G0Lz7ZDmT2LxqMFZgVZbV9XKAUp_3d3ovtE_gRV1OLXYwU5e81tbwJAEJkjp_AxbT5LpLoRU8HOjVm4_-bU5hHL1-N54pPID75gHyujfl_Jy7HXZMXW5lXSO4/w285-h400/PXL_20231013_174916402.jpg" width="285" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK1-D2m2p_Vv7oFuhEmFk_pzhVy3kH2nkmv4mwOkc9qnFHYnUJEDj27yVNdr9OZlDDKfu2VjPYN_oBjW-mCCsrG_CJvOEo1YOxVZQGUIpUg6izJF5NbrvyJeqVyIc28i6o2EZZEwatffyw9lQk8PyJS5eSAsAGqkd1FiqgLYvudKkPv39R2jmz8DMGaAV6/s4032/PXL_20231013_173444561.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK1-D2m2p_Vv7oFuhEmFk_pzhVy3kH2nkmv4mwOkc9qnFHYnUJEDj27yVNdr9OZlDDKfu2VjPYN_oBjW-mCCsrG_CJvOEo1YOxVZQGUIpUg6izJF5NbrvyJeqVyIc28i6o2EZZEwatffyw9lQk8PyJS5eSAsAGqkd1FiqgLYvudKkPv39R2jmz8DMGaAV6/w400-h225/PXL_20231013_173444561.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sorting alpaca wool by quality and color is best left to the locals</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>Arequipa has a fairly robust microbrewery scene. I added another six establishments to my list. None of them knocked off my socks, but the beer at both <i>Nowhere</i> and <i>Chelawasi</i> was very nice. My afternoon routine consisted of returning to the hotel from whatever sightseeing or excursion I had completed, grab my laptop, and venture out for a brewery or taproom to work on the blog. On three occasions I was able to use the rooftop terrace, giving me a nice office view. Believe me, it's not easy to keep up with the blog when one sees so much!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ILnOSsB37_Cy11KIkUp6Qs-u0JHD5ZwYJNNBJBBwRyQ8UbeaL5tK0R4WdYSLwY0yXLjTBkmhVPo9mIsaDf4hyphenhyphenxkMv8lO0R-kjKxJnZxsGiT1DlOm8YoEMvG9Gy08lAGLFNn9I41ZBSIIKtyy6XZwbB2MOsfd9gVoAacmmJvnYMT4YtrnYD7J77taTvl6/s2975/PXL_20231012_224753727.PORTRAIT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2975" data-original-width="2179" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ILnOSsB37_Cy11KIkUp6Qs-u0JHD5ZwYJNNBJBBwRyQ8UbeaL5tK0R4WdYSLwY0yXLjTBkmhVPo9mIsaDf4hyphenhyphenxkMv8lO0R-kjKxJnZxsGiT1DlOm8YoEMvG9Gy08lAGLFNn9I41ZBSIIKtyy6XZwbB2MOsfd9gVoAacmmJvnYMT4YtrnYD7J77taTvl6/w293-h400/PXL_20231012_224753727.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="293" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTQQCdrs4EdjZqazGp_h24SSiVdQ1TuXBs0VAAC6cVJKKImeSzGPBqsUe_vxjObH36A0bR8jIVkymyhpEDfC7DFanTdsdyZRF4Qvf7wnNln4UiggeOYUFeWVfIHiJcVFUFX3UK5_4E-CqYn535dM5h5iZenthMa0S652H40boZQ6Dj7cQg0NF8g1SbktNI/s4032/PXL_20231013_011655235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTQQCdrs4EdjZqazGp_h24SSiVdQ1TuXBs0VAAC6cVJKKImeSzGPBqsUe_vxjObH36A0bR8jIVkymyhpEDfC7DFanTdsdyZRF4Qvf7wnNln4UiggeOYUFeWVfIHiJcVFUFX3UK5_4E-CqYn535dM5h5iZenthMa0S652H40boZQ6Dj7cQg0NF8g1SbktNI/w400-h225/PXL_20231013_011655235.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfJ1dJ_m6C0rDk2JTCenzq_EUwT1CRjiz5Una-mRu8BGwESNCfYMOn91vHBAwj9bVje96MIQAkOfyWSuzA43JBAOUvW4EwpZWna-BZvHsRKqa3WLMwghrtYLFXCeJvRXoIiz7G7O0wWzMxOrcwRDS4biGrxrShX0ZC8Gp-bmQfg6trxP-4gXub49AT90BK/s3483/PXL_20231012_224610847.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3483" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfJ1dJ_m6C0rDk2JTCenzq_EUwT1CRjiz5Una-mRu8BGwESNCfYMOn91vHBAwj9bVje96MIQAkOfyWSuzA43JBAOUvW4EwpZWna-BZvHsRKqa3WLMwghrtYLFXCeJvRXoIiz7G7O0wWzMxOrcwRDS4biGrxrShX0ZC8Gp-bmQfg6trxP-4gXub49AT90BK/w260-h400/PXL_20231012_224610847.jpg" width="260" /></a></div></div><div>As far as sightseeing in Arequipa is concerned, there are two monasteries and several museums that are definite must-dos. The larger and more important of the two monasteries open to visits is the <i>Monasterio de Santa Catalina</i>, and it still is home to several Dominican nuns, albeit no longer in the historical buildings, which were opened to the public in the 1970s. (My hotel was located just across the street from this monastery, and from the breakfast terrace I had a wonderful view of the compound, which included seeing the nuns' bloomers on the clothes line, not as much of a turn-on as one might think.)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMaF9jo32a0hVtOPDNsdVOtfnLWNNXrMNKogdBgRmxWtKSN9-IzpKZ5nwFxcHzw85cwvk-psskdCWiX-wfESmzfpemJMtHaJz1D-y3nAWfedARnf95agyP5F4Ov4h-idW6r1vqyWNZboyfjPEwW1wseFD4zAcnxehXODdk1lruzmCXkRryENuIf2x4eNd9/s2798/PXL_20231014_184306187.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1766" data-original-width="2798" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMaF9jo32a0hVtOPDNsdVOtfnLWNNXrMNKogdBgRmxWtKSN9-IzpKZ5nwFxcHzw85cwvk-psskdCWiX-wfESmzfpemJMtHaJz1D-y3nAWfedARnf95agyP5F4Ov4h-idW6r1vqyWNZboyfjPEwW1wseFD4zAcnxehXODdk1lruzmCXkRryENuIf2x4eNd9/w400-h253/PXL_20231014_184306187.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicBXHL-xyVam8TvjuBeq0ii8Oi5wO0iJNGUZhtsagpAFxWR0KSNMBWY997jNaZoFMTyFF-afOZ_RHw9MUOPSk0BMhYrpNXzcyzkbZ-iMRmkPauzvwJPGYMoos1sNQPwQghMwfzuhnRYgcIYl2wclXGMhWLVaLSOOwtYbp58RIl9Uh4IfLP_vr7qgoIvlY3/s3727/PXL_20231014_180520485.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2096" data-original-width="3727" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicBXHL-xyVam8TvjuBeq0ii8Oi5wO0iJNGUZhtsagpAFxWR0KSNMBWY997jNaZoFMTyFF-afOZ_RHw9MUOPSk0BMhYrpNXzcyzkbZ-iMRmkPauzvwJPGYMoos1sNQPwQghMwfzuhnRYgcIYl2wclXGMhWLVaLSOOwtYbp58RIl9Uh4IfLP_vr7qgoIvlY3/w400-h225/PXL_20231014_180520485.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSz8qhRUSykalRScvt5NtkQmU5e5IhWARKjw1w0E0TCvq0UAYt_I0q0wzKDaCFC_DXiBaSY6dDLyuyyU2fVOOBWfIyvGJymo3aUVBaKndaxiWHyRXVghyphenhyphentpyhgqnqFDrLocmQm4EV_FHjdzMOpEWaszRYYvhB1zLsnAHbQcbbIJUlz1Dr6fQRDrEvhbqyS/s3620/PXL_20231014_180339420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1744" data-original-width="3620" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSz8qhRUSykalRScvt5NtkQmU5e5IhWARKjw1w0E0TCvq0UAYt_I0q0wzKDaCFC_DXiBaSY6dDLyuyyU2fVOOBWfIyvGJymo3aUVBaKndaxiWHyRXVghyphenhyphentpyhgqnqFDrLocmQm4EV_FHjdzMOpEWaszRYYvhB1zLsnAHbQcbbIJUlz1Dr6fQRDrEvhbqyS/w400-h193/PXL_20231014_180339420.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I spent almost three hours wandering through this city in a city, which covers several city blocks, has its own streets, and is separated from the outside world by high wall. The monastery was founded in 1579, and it never housed more than about 60 nuns (it started out with barely half a dozen). Somehow I had expected nothing but stark cells, but a better description would be that this monastery was similar to a gated community of two-room condos, with attached kitchen and some with a small chapel. Depending on the financial situation of the nuns, their cells had nice carpets and cushions, sofas to receive high-ranking visitors, and other comforts that I hadn't expected. Of course, there was still the life of a nun (prayer, abstinence, self-flagellation, and all the other good stuff), but it just seemed more like a severely secluded life than pure mental anguish and physical hell. And, it seems, quite a number of women entered the convent after getting knocked up—out of wedlock—to spend a few years out-of-sight, out-of-mind, and then return to a new secular life.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRUhOQ2-T5GT-0iDAvp7h9QmxyuO3xXBtMN0gSiR1ipFnOGwGn3kIODLaEYjrAbTuf7qJtpAumxeEbSm8WFIyF4dEL_WlJTJJheYFBMGN3-EXI1boCDqsi4QRXXGU-TbLVGoP0Wd2MWVXxLQTmQ_aX_UpDGEoptKhex1ma8jIRSOwrYgaX-J1B1CbzUqdL/s4032/PXL_20231013_215541635.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRUhOQ2-T5GT-0iDAvp7h9QmxyuO3xXBtMN0gSiR1ipFnOGwGn3kIODLaEYjrAbTuf7qJtpAumxeEbSm8WFIyF4dEL_WlJTJJheYFBMGN3-EXI1boCDqsi4QRXXGU-TbLVGoP0Wd2MWVXxLQTmQ_aX_UpDGEoptKhex1ma8jIRSOwrYgaX-J1B1CbzUqdL/w400-h225/PXL_20231013_215541635.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3131" data-original-width="2163" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtL05WXNG6b0gpbOvJ6NC1SDq10GKZNrRuktSEjyo2MBWpbDTa71z4vkUag7SHC0trxppJ0bxg1FuvAjrv6jCIZVwn-7cGkMqqScCbe-DwhVYhLNZlt5d0NIpw4Bd9zyDi82AULul01qHaTewjwzGJy6asvDXpcQ6O8pqhVtGaHwr_-AhgdHR0dp0zKo6D/w276-h400/PXL_20231013_203559005.jpg" width="276" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9NUHDFCoTlh9Y1DGUWz9Pk25z73Cg5Aez7XYp2ePSphJY-5E6ZVjAfLxMUCC7O6rKgDzYWKN6WRwrc3g0DRITXNQTL5s4OFZTKfoeHma4PH8ku0sK6H0gv5HuiT5QRtTL1VRGssh2FBjSTHKoO1G03SeGq4UUfm9n8t2O5RyuxT6wV3UHUxcxrsGcHwh5/s4032/PXL_20231013_203238438.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9NUHDFCoTlh9Y1DGUWz9Pk25z73Cg5Aez7XYp2ePSphJY-5E6ZVjAfLxMUCC7O6rKgDzYWKN6WRwrc3g0DRITXNQTL5s4OFZTKfoeHma4PH8ku0sK6H0gv5HuiT5QRtTL1VRGssh2FBjSTHKoO1G03SeGq4UUfm9n8t2O5RyuxT6wV3UHUxcxrsGcHwh5/w400-h225/PXL_20231013_203238438.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>The other monastery that I visited, <i>Monasterio y Museo de la Recoleta</i>, is much smaller and less known. I happened across it by chance, and I am glad I did. This Franciscan monastery no longer houses monks, and it is obvious that the museum aspect has taken on an important role. One sees less evidence of daily life, but that doesn't take away from its ambience. The library is stunning: manuscripts dating back to the 15th century, ancient maps, just the smell of all those old books! Wow! The museum part didn't disappoint, either, with a collection of items ranging from stamps to stuffed animals of the Amazon, from TVs and telephones from the '50s to children's toys, from gold chalices to—no kidding!—a collection of Hot Wheels. It was just an extremely eclectic mix of stuff. The highlight, though, was climbing up the belltower and being oh-so-tempted to ring those huge bells!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaP5tnDZUhcVfcoZuFU3QrLV2AlrO-O6ZEs56EW7wSGsO4hDwQ79gmCRQKDvGurlLDHdGKQ4wTUoWtgmtHxBfHmHjD46bVIeNuT7SCuKp-xPLCIJlO0cnncVdo0s88v4KnH_PEnOmgkl87nWmACSUXWhHNAmfqvomiT1c6Zkl73ar-6GOszpANKiORl50B/s3437/PXL_20231013_151410478~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3437" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaP5tnDZUhcVfcoZuFU3QrLV2AlrO-O6ZEs56EW7wSGsO4hDwQ79gmCRQKDvGurlLDHdGKQ4wTUoWtgmtHxBfHmHjD46bVIeNuT7SCuKp-xPLCIJlO0cnncVdo0s88v4KnH_PEnOmgkl87nWmACSUXWhHNAmfqvomiT1c6Zkl73ar-6GOszpANKiORl50B/w264-h400/PXL_20231013_151410478~2.jpg" width="264" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2214" data-original-width="2829" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-tUrdcQCs0aI8qkEJhuug1DdKLLEYG7X4QKczVdgaS2Rnpnk9U79HRegqj9TpDLkGYfndOE_mdt0ViqC2jBJy-6RI8_cHDGomNvo75kzmAl2_T3rxmO27J05XHjQfdVRyKispXJMh66MJC3Cwt-jKxKsZovo-nMggG0RprhEE1Mk3Z6dW4IiJgXPaFl8/w400-h313/PXL_20231013_161732496~3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ECin893S_4lyNd11oAimL-SdZEDygjPUIHERwYQK6HOT6z8MZnaEbIunwkfeotbXOMnOfdBqmiQvSsasBKQRXbC58RZUq5iw7QC2ey9IOtcH-cTekjrE8L5HI-jCLhUipQyn8r_DzgtrtN2Jecn83Oof6X6YhbNFAV5jgNIZYqj10I0BK4Bo-v1qOG3F/s1827/PXL_20231013_162927177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1827" data-original-width="1827" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ECin893S_4lyNd11oAimL-SdZEDygjPUIHERwYQK6HOT6z8MZnaEbIunwkfeotbXOMnOfdBqmiQvSsasBKQRXbC58RZUq5iw7QC2ey9IOtcH-cTekjrE8L5HI-jCLhUipQyn8r_DzgtrtN2Jecn83Oof6X6YhbNFAV5jgNIZYqj10I0BK4Bo-v1qOG3F/w320-h320/PXL_20231013_162927177.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCk7EBrWEt0gk5TUfHVHfCztOk3fQBzTrUT7MLbrcTrswnDLMMDVTk_XwIPWuI_MocKc6Wv2lIMQ1YHkUPRcEZDijTMUCnamxtJfCVVO8kCV34RV857g56B5Bbf-tA0xDNGSlxrwZitD4ukBq-zznHGSKy7GBMBjuKxHAE4SZlv_R-TwpMoBZi5s_7sP2k/s4032/PXL_20231013_164120198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCk7EBrWEt0gk5TUfHVHfCztOk3fQBzTrUT7MLbrcTrswnDLMMDVTk_XwIPWuI_MocKc6Wv2lIMQ1YHkUPRcEZDijTMUCnamxtJfCVVO8kCV34RV857g56B5Bbf-tA0xDNGSlxrwZitD4ukBq-zznHGSKy7GBMBjuKxHAE4SZlv_R-TwpMoBZi5s_7sP2k/w400-h225/PXL_20231013_164120198.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>No visit to Arequipa would be complete without seeing <i>La Momia Juanita</i>, the frozen mummy that was found in 1995 during an archeological expedition to the top of one of the nearby volcanoes, <i>Volcán Ampato, </i>one of the highest in the region at 6,200 meters<i>—</i>a good spot if you want to freeze a corpse. Through some vagaries of nature, the poor girl (about 12 to 15 years old, and quite likely a virgin—they're always virgins!) had been chosen as a sacrificial lamb by the Incas during a time of bad tidings. Apparently that was the way things were done, as other mummies were found in the general area, all of them with cranial injuries so that the sacrifice explanation actually sounds fairly plausible. The <i>Museo Santuarios Andinos</i> is very small and is dedicated almost entirely to Juanita's story. Finding a well-preserved corpse frozen means that thanks to modern technology, researchers were able to find out that she had been sedated with <i>chicha </i>(the original South American craft beer!) before being knocked hard over the head; with DNA testing, archeologists also were able to determine that she came from the Puno area on Lake Titicaca. Well, I better watch out since that's where I'll head next.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIaM-fhxv7iEgQSTEKduiVQHRfVQxTT-lhyD2Perh1PLHziEH1v5oMRBJzGEUdQHD_7Ai0eEMU0KE6-5wz1bk13Vaji3G-R20IsZVUj4DpQDmCQZFlbdUIbBP9N6rA8k6e2ScqFa31BNZrd9ok56VHzaRg33MwFwyVB09YC85JB_9yiyLIbf31qT27dCIv/s3760/PXL_20231014_213252533~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3760" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIaM-fhxv7iEgQSTEKduiVQHRfVQxTT-lhyD2Perh1PLHziEH1v5oMRBJzGEUdQHD_7Ai0eEMU0KE6-5wz1bk13Vaji3G-R20IsZVUj4DpQDmCQZFlbdUIbBP9N6rA8k6e2ScqFa31BNZrd9ok56VHzaRg33MwFwyVB09YC85JB_9yiyLIbf31qT27dCIv/w241-h400/PXL_20231014_213252533~2.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgsGQcBR081pyVhvbP0x07FYKv2dOOvHTNScVh_B4ucy-7MOrBb9SC1Xq8lSZrbT712qsqaJaLlpyfu43udQ92T64YDltHDiZV1wIvxEaNXyFabOLAjwippf_54NoGDX0Nh_Ad2p02zuZ1JAEp9U0kZJIEbPR9RxUutx1NCSraA-GBA6z6_PHFcFuOw9Ep/s3550/PXL_20231013_152955025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3550" data-original-width="2268" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgsGQcBR081pyVhvbP0x07FYKv2dOOvHTNScVh_B4ucy-7MOrBb9SC1Xq8lSZrbT712qsqaJaLlpyfu43udQ92T64YDltHDiZV1wIvxEaNXyFabOLAjwippf_54NoGDX0Nh_Ad2p02zuZ1JAEp9U0kZJIEbPR9RxUutx1NCSraA-GBA6z6_PHFcFuOw9Ep/s320/PXL_20231013_152955025.jpg" width="204" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Oops, wrong mummy—Juanita is kept frozen in a case</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidS9xnYjhug_8owd2naZQ1APWbkx_soNYWN-IKXC0oLDBHfmGESCDSMVLoJoBDHtohR-MZ9D5sLEHco9SjNGFpnzrfB6qLPTdkkBgUGJsnnxhMA-J2gIhucvZ2sT9kgNyxSyDv7vqfrGNb1pTeSVqdcNrDcIEg1XFZ-CVLHBJgYvLV2wJWwrCKgAV6FU-2/s2608/PXL_20231013_153027236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="2608" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidS9xnYjhug_8owd2naZQ1APWbkx_soNYWN-IKXC0oLDBHfmGESCDSMVLoJoBDHtohR-MZ9D5sLEHco9SjNGFpnzrfB6qLPTdkkBgUGJsnnxhMA-J2gIhucvZ2sT9kgNyxSyDv7vqfrGNb1pTeSVqdcNrDcIEg1XFZ-CVLHBJgYvLV2wJWwrCKgAV6FU-2/s320/PXL_20231013_153027236.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ2g7apttk8-5Dyi1gdZT_7CC3WRNDzr7mNUjLux-tjj3-jEHe1PnWGHkQlrnjGjeQc4IMoyc_Ylz68Dh711eOXBvp2lkLHD7gFQ4OzNt3ckGV4RV8MylwTdey0yYw-NimkK3sbQDWIUDwJ25_UBPzZnzy5QG3v_DpN2JCAy48XUcJNvhDN92rmQKmEXTZ/s3176/PXL_20231013_153042219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3176" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ2g7apttk8-5Dyi1gdZT_7CC3WRNDzr7mNUjLux-tjj3-jEHe1PnWGHkQlrnjGjeQc4IMoyc_Ylz68Dh711eOXBvp2lkLHD7gFQ4OzNt3ckGV4RV8MylwTdey0yYw-NimkK3sbQDWIUDwJ25_UBPzZnzy5QG3v_DpN2JCAy48XUcJNvhDN92rmQKmEXTZ/w286-h400/PXL_20231013_153042219.jpg" width="286" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I had to find a spot for these guys ...</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZhurcNqf0zAEEauGvVoxM9VOKVOHYaR1G6vjwnykRwjf6gm799hXzCKVWCz2YGZ-WS7fy3SUh9a5BCW8LUFm9o0zOW48Oncu5LlW2uO5QFi4mpqlcKHSs6kkayqfHIDu2xxDmWjZIFB-wnqausLJRQLcTTrNXOdYvhk48T-GVJu8hKmTngp3bKm9gRdJ3/s4032/PXL_20231014_224119563.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZhurcNqf0zAEEauGvVoxM9VOKVOHYaR1G6vjwnykRwjf6gm799hXzCKVWCz2YGZ-WS7fy3SUh9a5BCW8LUFm9o0zOW48Oncu5LlW2uO5QFi4mpqlcKHSs6kkayqfHIDu2xxDmWjZIFB-wnqausLJRQLcTTrNXOdYvhk48T-GVJu8hKmTngp3bKm9gRdJ3/w225-h400/PXL_20231014_224119563.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3xjIb6kz84tATPAn5ahGWC0r-1IueHtgBmTIjHAvKjkHeSAnB28uZ6OwSSptEPrFpmHiRN5U5cuqnZdyhd-qD9hXEuc_9Bv_W7Ty_r-uxwL-JhB5H-imnH8B-4VvR_t6Vhovs6nInXRSFZ5WYvwibrfyBkq-jsuw9EAKTRiV9y6xvVlbqnaA2mW0AlP8I/s1897/PXL_20231014_224918409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1897" data-original-width="1352" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3xjIb6kz84tATPAn5ahGWC0r-1IueHtgBmTIjHAvKjkHeSAnB28uZ6OwSSptEPrFpmHiRN5U5cuqnZdyhd-qD9hXEuc_9Bv_W7Ty_r-uxwL-JhB5H-imnH8B-4VvR_t6Vhovs6nInXRSFZ5WYvwibrfyBkq-jsuw9EAKTRiV9y6xvVlbqnaA2mW0AlP8I/w285-h400/PXL_20231014_224918409.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>My sightseeing wasn't limited just to the city. I had booked two excursions ahead of time, nicely spaced out as to alternate city days with excursions. The first one was a full-day excursion to <i>Canyon de Colca</i>, about a 100-mile drive northwest of Arequipa and necessitating a 3:30 a.m. departure. I swear, my sleep patterns down here have been pretty sucky. Even at that ungodly time truck traffic was already heavy, and since we had to climb over a pass at 4,900 meters (or a bit more than 16,000 feet) our progress was at times maddeningly slow, creeping along at 10 mph. In hindsight, it was a lot of bus time with only about three-and-a-half hours, maybe four, on the ground, half of which was taken up with breakfast, lunch, and wasted time at some overcrowded hot springs (you could also zip-line, four-wheel, or kayak in a pool-sized stretch of the local river—I chose to sit in the shade with a beer and watch the hordes of mainly local tourists wallow in the pools).<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-QHh9uchu17bwoxTNWUkByBLK-BXorS8bsYHo-a7fTECtY6OhZbeySa0IFLOcvTnVYyWM1hEA0Rb4TjBMCj3ffXkqQ3CIJBA2xOxeq7od1C3s5XQewsuJaccXkaNi9Q182OBNOMNoh9VVQY-1o3AOeAJ02wIPbMM4mO0wy0ZJ6-VA4Totj5fKGDySxUA/s3999/PXL_20231012_104446596.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1681" data-original-width="3999" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-QHh9uchu17bwoxTNWUkByBLK-BXorS8bsYHo-a7fTECtY6OhZbeySa0IFLOcvTnVYyWM1hEA0Rb4TjBMCj3ffXkqQ3CIJBA2xOxeq7od1C3s5XQewsuJaccXkaNi9Q182OBNOMNoh9VVQY-1o3AOeAJ02wIPbMM4mO0wy0ZJ6-VA4Totj5fKGDySxUA/w400-h169/PXL_20231012_104446596.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir-_mAjaiIRviBz0nGztx5CZZ3ZXWKs7hzccjeDE-IJ9oawxeI3a6CAVHYYP_vahaTD-M5ucoXBp2vVqzG2-VZndBJyMziumbHOsm3wlLZvyr_HPG6nx4y6GypItadf3zQV0ynARr-icJKWD_r91veDdFvX7hyphenhyphenQr7X4GxEd7UbEhxGQTTnrvpeU4iDIUhZ/s4032/PXL_20231012_111458010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir-_mAjaiIRviBz0nGztx5CZZ3ZXWKs7hzccjeDE-IJ9oawxeI3a6CAVHYYP_vahaTD-M5ucoXBp2vVqzG2-VZndBJyMziumbHOsm3wlLZvyr_HPG6nx4y6GypItadf3zQV0ynARr-icJKWD_r91veDdFvX7hyphenhyphenQr7X4GxEd7UbEhxGQTTnrvpeU4iDIUhZ/w400-h225/PXL_20231012_111458010.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWPLwjxegEWnXVqCtdOiPgU42Soxm-5ZZoR2mZWvaf2vBmMvSO31xqvU6XnAUrjIRRdomqY3LxJGitI5MpLM5R6r8yItanDAEdyjuhSoeshQFWBgyZMwF18zBx4uQdg5EbLeX6jnU0o5L12IVNCIqmqocX2_cDiYqZB_C1fAGuAVuDoE4ckMM7jKM8bIvB/s4032/PXL_20231012_121636630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWPLwjxegEWnXVqCtdOiPgU42Soxm-5ZZoR2mZWvaf2vBmMvSO31xqvU6XnAUrjIRRdomqY3LxJGitI5MpLM5R6r8yItanDAEdyjuhSoeshQFWBgyZMwF18zBx4uQdg5EbLeX6jnU0o5L12IVNCIqmqocX2_cDiYqZB_C1fAGuAVuDoE4ckMM7jKM8bIvB/w400-h225/PXL_20231012_121636630.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3LlQ52I5Ewr7jfGB0vFmyp-aV0qYQPCvz3m18zzoYuB7KqqrFwZVqeFjLkWF5Hzo3xemLrx4Utg3o4jLTnKhIAaEOkBwL0BmQa2G3XLS7myk7dUhFLzWm_hWUO61Lo-YJYKSWSaQ-COM67H-BDnGVJVCBBldxu-asiOFHA37-UHQDMIBuzsxh-aJkTr2l/s4032/PXL_20231012_112302944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3LlQ52I5Ewr7jfGB0vFmyp-aV0qYQPCvz3m18zzoYuB7KqqrFwZVqeFjLkWF5Hzo3xemLrx4Utg3o4jLTnKhIAaEOkBwL0BmQa2G3XLS7myk7dUhFLzWm_hWUO61Lo-YJYKSWSaQ-COM67H-BDnGVJVCBBldxu-asiOFHA37-UHQDMIBuzsxh-aJkTr2l/w400-h225/PXL_20231012_112302944.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrHCvi1QK4CkRIDkRvMU3Xg6_cuvaRFNHNgblFnLSUZqkLE5Et4HscZNG5NnsGZZJGajDRqr_aIJVGeOYt6MW1AI5GjsSlXRbqC743HDqpevlTpVIG6UHw4elDBpWNb2OdPYO7k-RA-3M0HIMoahcijNZkR182KDFu0Uczvba8Wzsl9AuuaHNZGszjiJ1Q/s3371/PXL_20231012_124128748~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1820" data-original-width="3371" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrHCvi1QK4CkRIDkRvMU3Xg6_cuvaRFNHNgblFnLSUZqkLE5Et4HscZNG5NnsGZZJGajDRqr_aIJVGeOYt6MW1AI5GjsSlXRbqC743HDqpevlTpVIG6UHw4elDBpWNb2OdPYO7k-RA-3M0HIMoahcijNZkR182KDFu0Uczvba8Wzsl9AuuaHNZGszjiJ1Q/w400-h216/PXL_20231012_124128748~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCzRauZ7fMqaELDK649mWB-2YuwQsJ7tKUBjojdfD_rmWncxevvFljEBDWO5rO5CMAXxgkDRxC-P06lMJpXcN96Oa8NSToRssHhuG04pBpVT8prdHB1733h78n7qqCWdRMV_jqaBAoV_G6oKnDYccM19rYldvPF_PmB6abGKzvyk0F_ccfWjMElzW3Nrbz/s4032/PXL_20231012_133717140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCzRauZ7fMqaELDK649mWB-2YuwQsJ7tKUBjojdfD_rmWncxevvFljEBDWO5rO5CMAXxgkDRxC-P06lMJpXcN96Oa8NSToRssHhuG04pBpVT8prdHB1733h78n7qqCWdRMV_jqaBAoV_G6oKnDYccM19rYldvPF_PmB6abGKzvyk0F_ccfWjMElzW3Nrbz/w225-h400/PXL_20231012_133717140.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>But the canyon was rather spectacular. I don't know how exactly the depth of a canyon is being measured, but Colca Canyon is the second deepest canyon in the world; the Chinese own the world record, and that's doubtful to change anytime soon. If you've been to our venerable Grand Canyon, well, Colca is twice as deep. That brings me back to "how does one measure the depth of a canyon": Whenever I've been at the Grand Canyon, I have been awed by standing at some vista point on the South Rim and looking down for what seem to be miles and miles of slopes. If you look at my pics, there was none of that feeling at Colca—maybe it was because we were at mid-mountain?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj761T5UtrVI3xmOMfh3auFcqoq5E4OC5cKFwDJw1o4HI-tN02iBp9-IiGr5yLX_4CbJHKWDiS6tlFdN0SBxi3j7XEnapRwrG4HvRtcd93q2PvlIOjqGJQJDyt_6OVwTu2wz2GJSQDMiuFsPopryFlPE4WQkr1_33OEr5v-CLkDh393LmxSuzA2FfV2Pg9s/s1779/PXL_20231012_135917524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1779" data-original-width="1660" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj761T5UtrVI3xmOMfh3auFcqoq5E4OC5cKFwDJw1o4HI-tN02iBp9-IiGr5yLX_4CbJHKWDiS6tlFdN0SBxi3j7XEnapRwrG4HvRtcd93q2PvlIOjqGJQJDyt_6OVwTu2wz2GJSQDMiuFsPopryFlPE4WQkr1_33OEr5v-CLkDh393LmxSuzA2FfV2Pg9s/w299-h320/PXL_20231012_135917524.jpg" width="299" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ_yuvAEl5KgYkf85QNiqtaaJVJ2iiue0Cr9T1qe2hTuysm6MgVU2S3T6EmqrBlR7nbHjQSsA7EUO596zRmVYciW3n7umAIEUG_Soy16mi65L8BszWMBOtGoBzAww_FXYisP3ZycR8-9QmI4XVV_4ULLG1HFo6Es7Cc97tqZLSSK5OTaWFm2tI2Tb6jQZN/s4032/PXL_20231012_134920484.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ_yuvAEl5KgYkf85QNiqtaaJVJ2iiue0Cr9T1qe2hTuysm6MgVU2S3T6EmqrBlR7nbHjQSsA7EUO596zRmVYciW3n7umAIEUG_Soy16mi65L8BszWMBOtGoBzAww_FXYisP3ZycR8-9QmI4XVV_4ULLG1HFo6Es7Cc97tqZLSSK5OTaWFm2tI2Tb6jQZN/w225-h400/PXL_20231012_134920484.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4RqF5_NgWxljuYR4WIf0KYmFSeIWpNxDkD-GIN2eubJm28i6BIUX6mIyZBSDw5oHeBsEJ8l1PJruNsALRsyL-wQN7dqyA2kRa7o2kNczB5P6ZmTzCzyDdx8C7vPaKfXgycQCzolWMMfxZtFf35ocTCRUZm7B1Zeul4e9k0DaRNAQCLMbUzq8EU2zlGxzA/s2406/PXL_20231012_134651438.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2406" data-original-width="2268" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4RqF5_NgWxljuYR4WIf0KYmFSeIWpNxDkD-GIN2eubJm28i6BIUX6mIyZBSDw5oHeBsEJ8l1PJruNsALRsyL-wQN7dqyA2kRa7o2kNczB5P6ZmTzCzyDdx8C7vPaKfXgycQCzolWMMfxZtFf35ocTCRUZm7B1Zeul4e9k0DaRNAQCLMbUzq8EU2zlGxzA/w302-h320/PXL_20231012_134651438.jpg" width="302" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyzzAN1ejdmdhfP4hsKHbMNIxhE8OyDFq72vZZxNkUsKvSnwss4Ca8AXL23oYIkRc-rHt74XtXWS-ad0sbfvYTChTXfCDBY1Xt8iTto6yTuJJhlmqQi4DT0gljlrv0HqtK4uRzSbJFj9wXDfMcRByfciBHIStfBG-tM0ichoBhHzERKlXHJJYNbRKRfUCT/s1816/PXL_20231012_134443717.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1816" data-original-width="1816" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyzzAN1ejdmdhfP4hsKHbMNIxhE8OyDFq72vZZxNkUsKvSnwss4Ca8AXL23oYIkRc-rHt74XtXWS-ad0sbfvYTChTXfCDBY1Xt8iTto6yTuJJhlmqQi4DT0gljlrv0HqtK4uRzSbJFj9wXDfMcRByfciBHIStfBG-tM0ichoBhHzERKlXHJJYNbRKRfUCT/w320-h320/PXL_20231012_134443717.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2aexQxeTpXANnZNZsExEYcLomQroKXIm6Ww1EPYHngO6zD-zf6dGpe0SVmgYnLpwujt0WVRJMsdvHaEEjbnLgnEB4BxCTo3N9va2k4Y5KBN_MZd1mvb8Vwite6_nOP-4MxkargrtkGlXlAmxY0D0lb30zBUv7Cw7WDhNw8U2P7n3We0PDBgCivDjlf88q/s2651/PXL_20231012_133826065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2651" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2aexQxeTpXANnZNZsExEYcLomQroKXIm6Ww1EPYHngO6zD-zf6dGpe0SVmgYnLpwujt0WVRJMsdvHaEEjbnLgnEB4BxCTo3N9va2k4Y5KBN_MZd1mvb8Vwite6_nOP-4MxkargrtkGlXlAmxY0D0lb30zBUv7Cw7WDhNw8U2P7n3We0PDBgCivDjlf88q/w343-h400/PXL_20231012_133826065.jpg" width="343" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixAWonnmSgK2MH99s5QH8DhPVeCCoONx51gbnZ6Q_PEjXO3txgaUFYeZp-BCS22WWGQbXLsvJvETNpq78H014zF3NqlOHLN43CvuuJu8HYM6wMyp2NjEfiOyyh8fe3lQWeh5FWAuRA2jUEvbnJ5jJhXGwvnSs-B8U9tDXSCHCszXjDDOl66kxPgsnS-jIy/s4032/PXL_20231012_130539552.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixAWonnmSgK2MH99s5QH8DhPVeCCoONx51gbnZ6Q_PEjXO3txgaUFYeZp-BCS22WWGQbXLsvJvETNpq78H014zF3NqlOHLN43CvuuJu8HYM6wMyp2NjEfiOyyh8fe3lQWeh5FWAuRA2jUEvbnJ5jJhXGwvnSs-B8U9tDXSCHCszXjDDOl66kxPgsnS-jIy/w400-h225/PXL_20231012_130539552.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>We live by numbers, and Colca is #2 on the depth list. So, there you go. And it is also seen as the best spot to observe condors in the wild in South America, with the exception of a few almost impossible-to-reach places. In the bus, somebody said he had seen eleven condors at the same time. Well, it turns out that the local association in charge of the nature preserve makes sure that the condors stick around, because without them only half the tourists would show up, or fewer. So they chum the condors, throwing goodies for these mega-vultures over the cliffs in the morning and thus ensuring that those hundreds, if not thousands of daily tourists get their condor fix. Let's not be too negative here: Thanks to conservation efforts and sanctuaries such as this, Andean condors (wingspan of up to three meters or a little more than 10 feet) have returned from the brink of extinction. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioDjN7o5FNGx7FyF72DmTF4UiQ5BDm-CVEnLEwQmRgTQNn-e2-we4Ngh377wqoH7OWAG7y8rW-ZvBi-qLa8JRJIDZAfr6uOPVm18hBvTUKVOoY8th-UbjcN4440vUbUMQScbeQFnewgzRHRV6SxXJjBG5cwP7_3mvQDvPGlwlTBRQwIRpy4VCEPNuY8UFR/s3840/PXL_20231012_141120359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioDjN7o5FNGx7FyF72DmTF4UiQ5BDm-CVEnLEwQmRgTQNn-e2-we4Ngh377wqoH7OWAG7y8rW-ZvBi-qLa8JRJIDZAfr6uOPVm18hBvTUKVOoY8th-UbjcN4440vUbUMQScbeQFnewgzRHRV6SxXJjBG5cwP7_3mvQDvPGlwlTBRQwIRpy4VCEPNuY8UFR/w400-h225/PXL_20231012_141120359.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn6vHZxAWMOQfWtGoS1XHQHvQh5gEA3Ib1gXpFJL5ty0j6_Zizzuxj4vH7B2cfXg7tO341N7PzqkhUN0rBwL7cXgb9zda7l8hGom7G5bFg8oItX26vipzaOKxAFSQbu1flpY0Z6EK3ZIPGkTkJV8V0aHBowpePiDHYfiXw2usTKQSKbACO1-XsUP3DWvTe/s1024/PXL_20231012_140827819.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn6vHZxAWMOQfWtGoS1XHQHvQh5gEA3Ib1gXpFJL5ty0j6_Zizzuxj4vH7B2cfXg7tO341N7PzqkhUN0rBwL7cXgb9zda7l8hGom7G5bFg8oItX26vipzaOKxAFSQbu1flpY0Z6EK3ZIPGkTkJV8V0aHBowpePiDHYfiXw2usTKQSKbACO1-XsUP3DWvTe/w400-h400/PXL_20231012_140827819.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtO8umsa5yoJ4au_HgCqtlOFORspaD2yp7CfTc3obb0Wlr5lInvhbnwMaJ1kHYRoJIDq2MoUZFOI1BoLt4hB74Ht9FJqEDg6i10b6dY-5qctImHlxzh_-sfB8PbOvrJdyvM-yTT-AFrfm866NXP2zghoP1wpcbAI4pdVMvVoRJAuf5LfSbJkk7Cs5FIa-j/s4032/PXL_20231012_140622995.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtO8umsa5yoJ4au_HgCqtlOFORspaD2yp7CfTc3obb0Wlr5lInvhbnwMaJ1kHYRoJIDq2MoUZFOI1BoLt4hB74Ht9FJqEDg6i10b6dY-5qctImHlxzh_-sfB8PbOvrJdyvM-yTT-AFrfm866NXP2zghoP1wpcbAI4pdVMvVoRJAuf5LfSbJkk7Cs5FIa-j/w225-h400/PXL_20231012_140622995.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Q0nrVKWNFUsLH9B0MYmzYKZl6M272cCIuvYEOtmLqi4sFO5XJoWC2NB51zwZqUGNtjqUzeUnr6VQle6Rwo-qu4IwIaCGpFpZqy9GZYgArNBZuAGbLRj0UqLqjp6ZyxjHvHjnzialvcJSfVkahM8pKjij6lsrZD7Jr8Xq36yV1EDt6wjQ0OXK4Zp9NUu0/s4032/PXL_20231012_140509976.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Q0nrVKWNFUsLH9B0MYmzYKZl6M272cCIuvYEOtmLqi4sFO5XJoWC2NB51zwZqUGNtjqUzeUnr6VQle6Rwo-qu4IwIaCGpFpZqy9GZYgArNBZuAGbLRj0UqLqjp6ZyxjHvHjnzialvcJSfVkahM8pKjij6lsrZD7Jr8Xq36yV1EDt6wjQ0OXK4Zp9NUu0/w225-h400/PXL_20231012_140509976.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Colca Sours</i> are made with the fruit of a local cactus instead of lemons</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>On the way back we stopped several times for photo opportunities of large herds of alpacas. Somehow I found that more impressive than the condors. This landscape—barren, cold, unforgiving, bordering on hostile—somehow is home to a few thousand people who have domesticated these fascinating animals, caring for their herds (which also include a few sheep and llamas, to protect them better from foxes) and eking out a living. Do the kids go to school? If so, where? Do they pay taxes? Do they have cell phones? How do they recharge them? Where is the next doctor? How do they perceive us? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwBzaHeP9NwtTORtwM_OtJ9DTJpYe4kUyUc5r3rAcLAddbyEH9XITh26IEyTdHQlz5c7aF1c3Fx14tb1Kn-7VuqFBYYuBagtqcxmUtbWLl6uxHdLJQ4sC_O0J6HTGafETQ5l923nteZhrkGG9fBjnUwPEE9MYPoWQMpbekGwoWe-JR_UfJnN2sjkCCFENG/s3692/PXL_20231012_142330631.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2151" data-original-width="3692" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwBzaHeP9NwtTORtwM_OtJ9DTJpYe4kUyUc5r3rAcLAddbyEH9XITh26IEyTdHQlz5c7aF1c3Fx14tb1Kn-7VuqFBYYuBagtqcxmUtbWLl6uxHdLJQ4sC_O0J6HTGafETQ5l923nteZhrkGG9fBjnUwPEE9MYPoWQMpbekGwoWe-JR_UfJnN2sjkCCFENG/w400-h233/PXL_20231012_142330631.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTMX0SWnf6vq89ZikVWjPI1np597N-hTZ60tphHG32kLMJNJDKkxsRrxaf8FYoHaKuc1R5RTtKVZmVX74edyAn83IQIISIq0SZ_k6kh7a9CYYB52qpyKv_d6LRErl-B_9r5V-cKLsO_gQcUm8DJxUDHsE1qDAEvfk4e3lI73CIrJmK88ch6HWWHd1WktTD/s4032/PXL_20231012_143308452.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTMX0SWnf6vq89ZikVWjPI1np597N-hTZ60tphHG32kLMJNJDKkxsRrxaf8FYoHaKuc1R5RTtKVZmVX74edyAn83IQIISIq0SZ_k6kh7a9CYYB52qpyKv_d6LRErl-B_9r5V-cKLsO_gQcUm8DJxUDHsE1qDAEvfk4e3lI73CIrJmK88ch6HWWHd1WktTD/w225-h400/PXL_20231012_143308452.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRAWxFL8-EaQUskMhbhds6K1rq6KSxJwG7oC6pOk0hcAA8PsVzIkKZ863-oDB2FvnTYRqjPNxwmcZQwrnj2mcgGCMvslwxh7XSDTSC-vsL5wkKtAfz0nnYXSr00P1b2hzxPGvfG7cwjNPt8muyqxyC46HV5EmeBN-6eo6B_VRRbqkr4CLEoZyrjEGFOuFz/s4032/PXL_20231012_153700184.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRAWxFL8-EaQUskMhbhds6K1rq6KSxJwG7oC6pOk0hcAA8PsVzIkKZ863-oDB2FvnTYRqjPNxwmcZQwrnj2mcgGCMvslwxh7XSDTSC-vsL5wkKtAfz0nnYXSr00P1b2hzxPGvfG7cwjNPt8muyqxyC46HV5EmeBN-6eo6B_VRRbqkr4CLEoZyrjEGFOuFz/w400-h225/PXL_20231012_153700184.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyiSz9Y02YMIF1PT0ywIoJk_aKghYu2y0TiiyYwQtSKTc7eQcIuUCNXSCEC5rm3jZibxW_PCm1QuBsnPvSoTusC-YMhyNDH-8Np_dzVfrgum83SnT9L_F2SLlNtAZ8Of3_b1RcYjwsR8y2T9_A3ivd99wByy7eUNHKQo0RyDZRhg992P3RUp8OPme4lG-E/w400-h225/PXL_20231012_191446564~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVa5dFPsL5HA9kgJR0p9ZgI2Q4qZsYpfQ_Ho9x4vDl-BOxSdb7y83WmAwCmW9zGH3MnTlUxfQu1y940P_iYRNDasHCsFOxWB6yGNw1Ej5kaMRKY0DKEQQp7gbpt7wIBg-8xz1VcSrkIh0Qm6yDf4ovNZnQL1KVpZMnTUQVViZo3unlC4MZNbIlDtyrBqD6/s2368/PXL_20231012_192233929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1127" data-original-width="2368" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVa5dFPsL5HA9kgJR0p9ZgI2Q4qZsYpfQ_Ho9x4vDl-BOxSdb7y83WmAwCmW9zGH3MnTlUxfQu1y940P_iYRNDasHCsFOxWB6yGNw1Ej5kaMRKY0DKEQQp7gbpt7wIBg-8xz1VcSrkIh0Qm6yDf4ovNZnQL1KVpZMnTUQVViZo3unlC4MZNbIlDtyrBqD6/w400-h190/PXL_20231012_192233929.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQfgxn6_u1lF4UCmopxPt2wuC2FsEcqnNlRB7BGYKOSrh8Dlc1rk5p3HEy6p1D4JtIwzND89cGchWVdPi8oWzB6Ix1l9a-8nxMvlbKwYEWQOEQiApTPEFrunsRf0ZSG1VSHVUkccDRaIIfDpTyAnSQJ3mCDjvrWNtX2LkSJQ4arXP8J4YM_2GlKj6XMbMS/s2843/PXL_20231012_192316947.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2060" data-original-width="2843" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQfgxn6_u1lF4UCmopxPt2wuC2FsEcqnNlRB7BGYKOSrh8Dlc1rk5p3HEy6p1D4JtIwzND89cGchWVdPi8oWzB6Ix1l9a-8nxMvlbKwYEWQOEQiApTPEFrunsRf0ZSG1VSHVUkccDRaIIfDpTyAnSQJ3mCDjvrWNtX2LkSJQ4arXP8J4YM_2GlKj6XMbMS/w400-h290/PXL_20231012_192316947.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Oh well, musings of a gringo while trying to keep a clear head at 4,912 meters, looking at all the volcanoes and also having to use the restroom, badly. I don't think I want to live up here, regardless of how impressive the landscape may be. We're used to our own world, and this one is alien to me.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ovELA_aKxsavcP8W3fUxNVfLcgYGfDijtrfoEAw-d0r13IItUIYNEkwfkbm-tCsDXbhAvgW15Vz1wQWAfE3kMlM8GatNpnXWvvZLUCrVdT4wXpYqL1S_ICXnDwulQvXfh2jq32fMbqRwVPmsIojZMfgKTYEGCjUTSov6oQrlyBwOGo-1WQrDhN_aLmTU/s3727/PXL_20231012_184742486.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1928" data-original-width="3727" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ovELA_aKxsavcP8W3fUxNVfLcgYGfDijtrfoEAw-d0r13IItUIYNEkwfkbm-tCsDXbhAvgW15Vz1wQWAfE3kMlM8GatNpnXWvvZLUCrVdT4wXpYqL1S_ICXnDwulQvXfh2jq32fMbqRwVPmsIojZMfgKTYEGCjUTSov6oQrlyBwOGo-1WQrDhN_aLmTU/w400-h208/PXL_20231012_184742486.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7NBfGskkLf0LWp-cfjM9hzPdY_lNWGXXwSA0I6SMYDfeeQe5mUJJrAwRpo3XEGGzBJ5K7EXeYT6MIl3EwiYIbo901iGed-52SsqOxNag2Vxkxg1Ywc72JDyvmwb_R5YmbJyMM2spp59r01mEObKGrrIskLAHr3qDDRuRMZB1Tx72kP37cbmhooLQExjHX/s4032/PXL_20231012_184402514.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7NBfGskkLf0LWp-cfjM9hzPdY_lNWGXXwSA0I6SMYDfeeQe5mUJJrAwRpo3XEGGzBJ5K7EXeYT6MIl3EwiYIbo901iGed-52SsqOxNag2Vxkxg1Ywc72JDyvmwb_R5YmbJyMM2spp59r01mEObKGrrIskLAHr3qDDRuRMZB1Tx72kP37cbmhooLQExjHX/w400-h225/PXL_20231012_184402514.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUPnB2F2WhyphenhyphenitNk_jZxr2FJKXMQZM-6NMjkX2s84sWrU7Gw4GdWeTr_wf4d-IClP2fY_Ipp3-AdRpzHOrn14MqV6X0xJoktiGqgKmfBgJFRqBjy-3AQxZFv3oMRdTAqDa4xp0KOda-ym85uqwWADb8Jd-30Hs7Ce9Nsx2uMDyH7E4nlQ7SMhpvILqj_3gw/s4032/PXL_20231012_183706117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUPnB2F2WhyphenhyphenitNk_jZxr2FJKXMQZM-6NMjkX2s84sWrU7Gw4GdWeTr_wf4d-IClP2fY_Ipp3-AdRpzHOrn14MqV6X0xJoktiGqgKmfBgJFRqBjy-3AQxZFv3oMRdTAqDa4xp0KOda-ym85uqwWADb8Jd-30Hs7Ce9Nsx2uMDyH7E4nlQ7SMhpvILqj_3gw/w225-h400/PXL_20231012_183706117.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiE_XIEuP1RyBwKlcV5_fyiow3SwYNfDWKECh68HJ4tEdILnFDGRjhlsSXNIk0Iss6UndjqiNSvkCXopJthI9bdz9pJioYIvhg4G2RcG1RNnMu4bsm2vUFV4ZTM4BncP8-PQExx9V97UXBWnaiblhsr3N0i_WQ5oOdl5_m65HWpcA0l8ZNTnqNiEIJAs8p/s4032/PXL_20231012_183427257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiE_XIEuP1RyBwKlcV5_fyiow3SwYNfDWKECh68HJ4tEdILnFDGRjhlsSXNIk0Iss6UndjqiNSvkCXopJthI9bdz9pJioYIvhg4G2RcG1RNnMu4bsm2vUFV4ZTM4BncP8-PQExx9V97UXBWnaiblhsr3N0i_WQ5oOdl5_m65HWpcA0l8ZNTnqNiEIJAs8p/w400-h225/PXL_20231012_183427257.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1qIzAVsqWZW1t4sChmF-2BU0HfZZOGBpoUY93YH5RzfVQYK3M1OLE3ZmeQPlg8PNrSM8bR2s3ZuULVe2CRA5qY-3qX0611iJSST3ZB_fNEvFEtfZ4AiJpagf40k3n209NupyZeKjWaGDZi4BKmGjrv11n6H4b4N-6r5jcW6uaXMEBTb5cSnQJYrboNLxQ/s3645/PXL_20231012_183322928~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3645" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1qIzAVsqWZW1t4sChmF-2BU0HfZZOGBpoUY93YH5RzfVQYK3M1OLE3ZmeQPlg8PNrSM8bR2s3ZuULVe2CRA5qY-3qX0611iJSST3ZB_fNEvFEtfZ4AiJpagf40k3n209NupyZeKjWaGDZi4BKmGjrv11n6H4b4N-6r5jcW6uaXMEBTb5cSnQJYrboNLxQ/w249-h400/PXL_20231012_183322928~2.jpg" width="249" /></a></div></div><div>My second excursion from Arequipa was a half-day trip to the quarries where the <i>sillar</i> blocks were cut to be used in the construction of all the colonial buildings. (To this day, <i>sillar </i>is being used as a building material.<i>) Sillar</i> is a type of a pyroclastic flow, also called <i>tuff</i>, and it is relatively easy to cut and work with. Two types of <i>sillar</i> can be found here, one in glistening white and the other one with a slight pinkish tint. As the chemical composition of the white variety makes it somewhat softer it was used for construction, and it lies at the root of Arequipa's being known as <i>La Ciudad Blanca. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKoreukBHD3VGjij9mDprbh2LvxrUhYDcYdrrV1U972V9bnO-uB7TNaPlztR2gIpjwmAOHkxdux6FmE9PKxCS0jnC2p4XxQJy7ifCOkxSQlERStDnV6WctulDhyphenhyphenI_cOHfdqQ6E1tZ6wCNmLUCvYKKWsOfnijdVgU4yeOEIFPw5PTytMdl2AG1lI3j25iqp/s4032/PXL_20231014_170139500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKoreukBHD3VGjij9mDprbh2LvxrUhYDcYdrrV1U972V9bnO-uB7TNaPlztR2gIpjwmAOHkxdux6FmE9PKxCS0jnC2p4XxQJy7ifCOkxSQlERStDnV6WctulDhyphenhyphenI_cOHfdqQ6E1tZ6wCNmLUCvYKKWsOfnijdVgU4yeOEIFPw5PTytMdl2AG1lI3j25iqp/w225-h400/PXL_20231014_170139500.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmtTA_ZCfmixXuNCJBD4oLBrJKB0Vya2_yXvmCWBY6wCNOEhC4HUGdQYnZZ2IeSdcmqmHoi7caQrv8ka014vsDFrPm22GrDXRjj4B0S1t4MZAxKHuffZFOH53zCQq8PnNJfrFZIcDxVxmvb9AoW6VOC2YigWjSMf6_GLZnkqq8P_6Lr7CTlDbkiaws0bkW/s4032/PXL_20231014_165136776.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmtTA_ZCfmixXuNCJBD4oLBrJKB0Vya2_yXvmCWBY6wCNOEhC4HUGdQYnZZ2IeSdcmqmHoi7caQrv8ka014vsDFrPm22GrDXRjj4B0S1t4MZAxKHuffZFOH53zCQq8PnNJfrFZIcDxVxmvb9AoW6VOC2YigWjSMf6_GLZnkqq8P_6Lr7CTlDbkiaws0bkW/w400-h225/PXL_20231014_165136776.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnDnE06MSgyZeQpJueFDPBnQflPvnK_FRuXONTr3qQhF84K6f2rIsdUgMmFb_SXmmqxQQW541MXMHzokX-YG474_rAz_LYtWaDQ3XP2Cg3KQFQ-jQrzCcIDO910WQU9lGWy_mEgYyDDEQQJ8vN5UT0hTJmBd2zC4sXa9NLwtwsoMvOvq-EHHnABOUmX1gA/s4032/PXL_20231014_164930370.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnDnE06MSgyZeQpJueFDPBnQflPvnK_FRuXONTr3qQhF84K6f2rIsdUgMmFb_SXmmqxQQW541MXMHzokX-YG474_rAz_LYtWaDQ3XP2Cg3KQFQ-jQrzCcIDO910WQU9lGWy_mEgYyDDEQQJ8vN5UT0hTJmBd2zC4sXa9NLwtwsoMvOvq-EHHnABOUmX1gA/w400-h225/PXL_20231014_164930370.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-8m_Ku2udfq14HOOJWojb0AaZoNuZG6WvZEnyFYRBtGSL-dkvbfcSjsdgBvCNTl-vkDRVoUlZCrb-tsG1D-cqv4vTtO3Q7u89CIqiAGIPDIFZIUec0jDRq_RREk26Tn2EqhR9ikh_kfS55p59UuDpjPZ6cSWT1QdpreFvv7PsUqsXSQy1CzcJi9jbM2xm/s4032/PXL_20231014_164200488.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-8m_Ku2udfq14HOOJWojb0AaZoNuZG6WvZEnyFYRBtGSL-dkvbfcSjsdgBvCNTl-vkDRVoUlZCrb-tsG1D-cqv4vTtO3Q7u89CIqiAGIPDIFZIUec0jDRq_RREk26Tn2EqhR9ikh_kfS55p59UuDpjPZ6cSWT1QdpreFvv7PsUqsXSQy1CzcJi9jbM2xm/w400-h225/PXL_20231014_164200488.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAB_MFaM-S6SRghCPS7z-gR6yE-4PbRRoTv7keijD-bnoCjx_Ao7X3gVJG1q6XZq2GeTPN7pNoL1-0LqP1Tdzp6Tcn49GX-iIlDSaIkw1cVHSgzK01up5SxqpsFkHcQ5h5ahNTjKvZmWHK6FyZcScoNPTaMwj6iexfqXqAAxQuHT2OiFNGMCHhbCdlvMPJ/s3726/PXL_20231014_164001469.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1665" data-original-width="3726" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAB_MFaM-S6SRghCPS7z-gR6yE-4PbRRoTv7keijD-bnoCjx_Ao7X3gVJG1q6XZq2GeTPN7pNoL1-0LqP1Tdzp6Tcn49GX-iIlDSaIkw1cVHSgzK01up5SxqpsFkHcQ5h5ahNTjKvZmWHK6FyZcScoNPTaMwj6iexfqXqAAxQuHT2OiFNGMCHhbCdlvMPJ/w400-h179/PXL_20231014_164001469.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu6Q1tza6ZgSF9qLPs7tN84UpoaPa2FvoEwueRBvM75a1b1xl0OvlYA5nX5odiM1MwAfaAhE5YV-3gyYubPEDINZ-bDxsYJW1UOmYvGTzgemgeDFuieMtU-YyKX-Eap50yYHnLLBFqoWg12Ftr2x5z5_Oh4fMEEzShGnxsVqwIHEDjkdNUyoWFcvpdo_lJ/s4032/PXL_20231014_165449825.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu6Q1tza6ZgSF9qLPs7tN84UpoaPa2FvoEwueRBvM75a1b1xl0OvlYA5nX5odiM1MwAfaAhE5YV-3gyYubPEDINZ-bDxsYJW1UOmYvGTzgemgeDFuieMtU-YyKX-Eap50yYHnLLBFqoWg12Ftr2x5z5_Oh4fMEEzShGnxsVqwIHEDjkdNUyoWFcvpdo_lJ/w400-h225/PXL_20231014_165449825.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiDv38cJLRRNiFoCTji3K8Z7JXxaILANV_uSsAEP6J0FI-bct2qQ65p_jEi4BvcU08vMpvxSHsfFzdlg2WQmYdf0ooxHcklquKMRA8Ud7DtuHB0F0D2-NusU8Zq7oSx0q3Yx1sI9QUCknLaTMgEUTN-e5KPbceqyE8t65_meGxzQph1wrK35JBoBmP70tv/s2882/PXL_20231014_165725263.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1647" data-original-width="2882" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiDv38cJLRRNiFoCTji3K8Z7JXxaILANV_uSsAEP6J0FI-bct2qQ65p_jEi4BvcU08vMpvxSHsfFzdlg2WQmYdf0ooxHcklquKMRA8Ud7DtuHB0F0D2-NusU8Zq7oSx0q3Yx1sI9QUCknLaTMgEUTN-e5KPbceqyE8t65_meGxzQph1wrK35JBoBmP70tv/w400-h229/PXL_20231014_165725263.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></i></div><div>I was the only gringo on this tour, and since it was clear that I speak a smidgen of Spanish the cute tour guide decided to not practice her English. So, here we went, <i>chicos y chicas,</i> which is the equivalent to our use of <i>y'all </i>or <i>guys. </i>Our tour included a brief stop to take a pic of three of Arequipa's volcanoes (one is Cachani, the other one is Pichu Pichu, and the badass that keeps wreaking havoc is Misti). <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLkeHYm5mUoqRug24qt3e92da8g113MHN36usk5zILlZ7N9wSmSr2xN7zyMyE4ghvkZhV2VEzWwu4u9QUPU303qAAlezRBIeta1N9Mur0pl-WUqOZjHtVLdRj2rxDJ4fmr_ndIdO9btpSi89tTpsdw7K0IjqWFy6s6ZCWyb4rivn2ZyR9dWhtO0C3q90qF/s4032/PXL_20231014_144041701.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLkeHYm5mUoqRug24qt3e92da8g113MHN36usk5zILlZ7N9wSmSr2xN7zyMyE4ghvkZhV2VEzWwu4u9QUPU303qAAlezRBIeta1N9Mur0pl-WUqOZjHtVLdRj2rxDJ4fmr_ndIdO9btpSi89tTpsdw7K0IjqWFy6s6ZCWyb4rivn2ZyR9dWhtO0C3q90qF/w225-h400/PXL_20231014_144041701.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6kWtt1EGIMOaLjrePoRGQ41CKkOM-MI0kWGmiG7znvPI5EGiyxK5EByXWNt8TkQRVOJU6KN8dareB0OblavMr0cRIu1YKRkKPAEM1uGaTS8UiVrqxd0Up4DmeGlhPhaldFg2cvuhVRUf19XNaHlrIqeI_BOfdWiv1hi-tgzRUrhstnf6OGegrFNe8JmM/s4032/PXL_20231014_142912259.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6kWtt1EGIMOaLjrePoRGQ41CKkOM-MI0kWGmiG7znvPI5EGiyxK5EByXWNt8TkQRVOJU6KN8dareB0OblavMr0cRIu1YKRkKPAEM1uGaTS8UiVrqxd0Up4DmeGlhPhaldFg2cvuhVRUf19XNaHlrIqeI_BOfdWiv1hi-tgzRUrhstnf6OGegrFNe8JmM/w400-h225/PXL_20231014_142912259.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvpgwC4grPQzrA0mwN31il4cYJV787hVR_hyo750GWxEPw_ilXu9k_lr1lwY-DkRQQiPJOtvJBbGs6ALB4Q5TWZrMsLcLD0rk5C3xUxgjcotAhxBETSJ8MBDUwiYWiR-P8zzxup1_mFFcwAA30jF1tMpmXYKnasrwVAD3QMzMxaWI83m2M8ni6jVo-EmFi/s4032/PXL_20231014_154238616.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvpgwC4grPQzrA0mwN31il4cYJV787hVR_hyo750GWxEPw_ilXu9k_lr1lwY-DkRQQiPJOtvJBbGs6ALB4Q5TWZrMsLcLD0rk5C3xUxgjcotAhxBETSJ8MBDUwiYWiR-P8zzxup1_mFFcwAA30jF1tMpmXYKnasrwVAD3QMzMxaWI83m2M8ni6jVo-EmFi/w225-h400/PXL_20231014_154238616.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNB772q_kJivqWeixGfny6XH8uCECPUQDXAQPwr6Jqk01aKrFGWWbHl-kCVE__zlxzM1HVXX_zGFcxXQ4zaxg-JF-GQVFfHnoy72SgdhBP5txnGV38kr91hAP6ys94F6kczDgd7SdpORDc6G0wM8W3JyhW_dDm5S8x4RYSt74_laYRs7evIuVOlPAANSlN/s4032/PXL_20231014_154452204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNB772q_kJivqWeixGfny6XH8uCECPUQDXAQPwr6Jqk01aKrFGWWbHl-kCVE__zlxzM1HVXX_zGFcxXQ4zaxg-JF-GQVFfHnoy72SgdhBP5txnGV38kr91hAP6ys94F6kczDgd7SdpORDc6G0wM8W3JyhW_dDm5S8x4RYSt74_laYRs7evIuVOlPAANSlN/w225-h400/PXL_20231014_154452204.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcO7VyY4GhUqA0kIItq6oew9M0SeCEfcBNNcvgCmpWylNwvzSSaSbciIvc4RyxmOzv9Y6MR82_w8fejb5hl19ONPtp1GhnKlhQLY4dNfSfopByRi049mZeZypx__cKVYWENpH8vZmx_hHLaPw_Dh6jiaKCU1-Ir8MiwE7QnS4mgBS24KXyhMuH56haPrny/s4032/PXL_20231014_155631557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcO7VyY4GhUqA0kIItq6oew9M0SeCEfcBNNcvgCmpWylNwvzSSaSbciIvc4RyxmOzv9Y6MR82_w8fejb5hl19ONPtp1GhnKlhQLY4dNfSfopByRi049mZeZypx__cKVYWENpH8vZmx_hHLaPw_Dh6jiaKCU1-Ir8MiwE7QnS4mgBS24KXyhMuH56haPrny/w225-h400/PXL_20231014_155631557.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhkaVVh3oE1SS4lfMbdQQuCxCW8_CDY_neWju0pJynmsJ4C9qGg5vs5XJ2Q3by1a0iEbsZ2_uitAxOSiIv8xUxtzwHf5_i4aHjdpLBYTfLLGM2_5BShrZrhCML9wAhYXT1No6Rk1Q1kif1x51hHuxzYA_p87xqSqKG5tEQJB5yFMPrA2Ccr5aTL37WYrQq/s4032/PXL_20231014_160531473.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhkaVVh3oE1SS4lfMbdQQuCxCW8_CDY_neWju0pJynmsJ4C9qGg5vs5XJ2Q3by1a0iEbsZ2_uitAxOSiIv8xUxtzwHf5_i4aHjdpLBYTfLLGM2_5BShrZrhCML9wAhYXT1No6Rk1Q1kif1x51hHuxzYA_p87xqSqKG5tEQJB5yFMPrA2Ccr5aTL37WYrQq/w400-h225/PXL_20231014_160531473.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>From there we drove to the <i>Ruta de Sillar</i> and first visited the <i>culebrillas</i>, something that we would call badlands. Our group, with all the misbehaving kids that drove our guide nuts, took a kilometer-long walk through some of the small canyons that are reminiscent of what you'd see in Utah. Along the way we saw a few petroglyphs as well. A short while after our hike, we arrived at one of the actual quarries, and I have to say, the sheer walls were quite impressive. Sillar blocks continue to be used for building projects, and additionally the <i>canteros</i> (stonemasons) show off their skills by creating immense statues and bas reliefs that at times border on kitsch. I just loved Santa and the reindeer! We walked around for a while and then headed back to the White City.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6JDilOFck5LwSzPzeOLuxqbbk7DHZaI12jpmvqKYt6XZZqH4nqF8jwYSx8lhnbXSNJ1LNnmfDE-1G0JC55wk2jO12W_tnJVtXti3lSVrEIgJibTBff0WT7omPlO7BcKK7gIHIAJD67BBTQMPgyGNCSMTWw1v4O-9syGF0R1vukQg9BXGZ4o0EtoTaRhRN/s3425/PXL_20231014_164638277.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2169" data-original-width="3425" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6JDilOFck5LwSzPzeOLuxqbbk7DHZaI12jpmvqKYt6XZZqH4nqF8jwYSx8lhnbXSNJ1LNnmfDE-1G0JC55wk2jO12W_tnJVtXti3lSVrEIgJibTBff0WT7omPlO7BcKK7gIHIAJD67BBTQMPgyGNCSMTWw1v4O-9syGF0R1vukQg9BXGZ4o0EtoTaRhRN/w400-h254/PXL_20231014_164638277.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiobQU4NXJZ6XO9g3oIa0v-gj333xhIc7VmSgUI3K4uJfOF3blMDlavpw1DoTgVbayLfgvUIRt0hMNSQY4nxn1bqyKB_Sg4DDFj7ArXTR2Tds9AeEp5Vgpvlb3q1I_7F3sF2MvTPh1Fd0ViPbq4tkAIu8MnHL76Ei7x_vLksrhaURDciBbcf2n-x77NBXju/s4032/PXL_20231014_164330026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiobQU4NXJZ6XO9g3oIa0v-gj333xhIc7VmSgUI3K4uJfOF3blMDlavpw1DoTgVbayLfgvUIRt0hMNSQY4nxn1bqyKB_Sg4DDFj7ArXTR2Tds9AeEp5Vgpvlb3q1I_7F3sF2MvTPh1Fd0ViPbq4tkAIu8MnHL76Ei7x_vLksrhaURDciBbcf2n-x77NBXju/w400-h225/PXL_20231014_164330026.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNQF3IjEUGLAJsOxVfxybcaxCMUYkn8yegw32pjyJaKiu_YCv98yX_A24pxKDE8Nfej7aENQUEueofLHjdnxv-YkmBHQUIjSfDE5SoDT-4R5dVeECgzNF2W5lRO56PA18BW375lVf3UI-S9hoe4_gbyVlmZlex9KM70VB_lToDRQQETfZ3Wa76RG7YsDg_/s4032/PXL_20231014_163639479.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNQF3IjEUGLAJsOxVfxybcaxCMUYkn8yegw32pjyJaKiu_YCv98yX_A24pxKDE8Nfej7aENQUEueofLHjdnxv-YkmBHQUIjSfDE5SoDT-4R5dVeECgzNF2W5lRO56PA18BW375lVf3UI-S9hoe4_gbyVlmZlex9KM70VB_lToDRQQETfZ3Wa76RG7YsDg_/w225-h400/PXL_20231014_163639479.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>And that pretty much concluded my tourist activities in Arequipa. I am glad that I had dedicated five nights in the city as I never got bored. During my time I learned a lot about the history and culture of not only Arequipa but Peru as well, way more than I can even try to convey in this already long blog post. If you plan a trip to Peru, I would definitely allot several days to this bustling city, before the next earthquake destructs it once again.</div><div><br /></div>JürgenJürgenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03107533431710748040noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023527478729548228.post-10749809117910199942023-10-11T17:23:00.000-05:002023-10-11T17:23:47.508-05:00Hopping from Lima toward Lake Atitlán (part 2, Paracas to Arequipa)<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicD2A_Su80Lkh7I8Yf3KiunfbwUl8iYiluGKXedcaNmWZKXj_babVyJK5Sylo0Q3tcWuW-A0RKJx8yktfpKxidlbgV0MikHBZ-vQQtoR1CLhDCMdeY7pPry01EnyI17uPmmOJMJiYjloJRTaJT3Ms6Ze8-ln8GDVjGzHiaOgwpOe8J62XgpvWB8zAkIGiW/s815/PXL_20231009_180606687.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="815" data-original-width="658" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicD2A_Su80Lkh7I8Yf3KiunfbwUl8iYiluGKXedcaNmWZKXj_babVyJK5Sylo0Q3tcWuW-A0RKJx8yktfpKxidlbgV0MikHBZ-vQQtoR1CLhDCMdeY7pPry01EnyI17uPmmOJMJiYjloJRTaJT3Ms6Ze8-ln8GDVjGzHiaOgwpOe8J62XgpvWB8zAkIGiW/w323-h400/PXL_20231009_180606687.jpg" width="323" /></a></div>Continuing my bus trip through southern Peru after sampling the natural beauty of the area surrounding Paracas I left the coast on Saturday afternoon and started to head inland. The drive through the coastal badlands showed me that it had been a good idea to <i>not </i>make this a bike trip. Even if I had rented a car and had tried to headquarter myself in various Airbnbs along the way (as I had done a year ago in Chile's various wine regions), this would have been a miserable trip. Distances are long, everything is dusty, and there are no secondary roads to speak of. Riding in this area can have only one goal: to cross the continent from the <i>Darien </i>in the north to end up in Ushuaia at the end of the road in <i>Tierra del Fuego</i>. My days to do something like this lie in the past, I'm afraid.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRfgiE8sAYGgld_U9P4Wvk-qYQfgvGiA_fYweKwTmfopkrLqhmleYa_gafifdYsbBPVourtei-sJRIr6XRWLjCceJzJim3-Jf1DQfMepVmC9ud8-I4uBxpYxHtNRwvzvHrpRv2GHbkgl5yGc0p48a0kRkVQe1EjYFTavutltePPOXWpliMFqZaZErlpcc6/s4032/PXL_20231007_180632451~3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRfgiE8sAYGgld_U9P4Wvk-qYQfgvGiA_fYweKwTmfopkrLqhmleYa_gafifdYsbBPVourtei-sJRIr6XRWLjCceJzJim3-Jf1DQfMepVmC9ud8-I4uBxpYxHtNRwvzvHrpRv2GHbkgl5yGc0p48a0kRkVQe1EjYFTavutltePPOXWpliMFqZaZErlpcc6/w400-h225/PXL_20231007_180632451~3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_svaVdqe5pOKrgQWMuBPlRS6KSpnRPwlOZLHbYr-E0zQ14Ajd0N51o2PKX7VwRW9fWilxBEpaCypt3tMtcllrNPBDfr9F7dMMR5oseZItKrY_Q6SN_hPfh59x6OBTY21ks2GEWwT3kIU6z5_Jym9ttL2LiZ77IUD4Yw3PJz0aEmyVwYxgrQSXx2UY8K2h/s2570/PXL_20231007_190039993~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2570" data-original-width="1985" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_svaVdqe5pOKrgQWMuBPlRS6KSpnRPwlOZLHbYr-E0zQ14Ajd0N51o2PKX7VwRW9fWilxBEpaCypt3tMtcllrNPBDfr9F7dMMR5oseZItKrY_Q6SN_hPfh59x6OBTY21ks2GEWwT3kIU6z5_Jym9ttL2LiZ77IUD4Yw3PJz0aEmyVwYxgrQSXx2UY8K2h/w309-h400/PXL_20231007_190039993~2.jpg" width="309" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyZuAfRSpXWauPDxKaaJbjhKCNuSXn0DpkpAOC3ibhqORCaRbdk3ZLx0F99ese4l4ptIB4diAGotXXDAd8Ra2Cm8qZejYu-6WtLDxlJcMl0AuHbVVU5vemOooOSDIBPfwpZibs8IiD4z-V8OsfP64R5Dvc3nCzFG7Hx2HnehqMHBt87vxD-Q-iXm_oNZWs/s3696/PXL_20231007_180904029~2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1615" data-original-width="3696" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyZuAfRSpXWauPDxKaaJbjhKCNuSXn0DpkpAOC3ibhqORCaRbdk3ZLx0F99ese4l4ptIB4diAGotXXDAd8Ra2Cm8qZejYu-6WtLDxlJcMl0AuHbVVU5vemOooOSDIBPfwpZibs8IiD4z-V8OsfP64R5Dvc3nCzFG7Hx2HnehqMHBt87vxD-Q-iXm_oNZWs/w400-h175/PXL_20231007_180904029~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>After only about an hour-and-a-half of driving—less than 50 miles—we arrived in (not <i>at)</i> my next destination, the hard-to-conceive Huacachina, close to Ica in the province of Pisco. I had seen pictures of this oasis town, but it was something completely different to leave the barren plains, drive for a couple of miles on a narrow road with busy traffic, and end up in a kettle almost completely surrounded by sand dunes reaching a height of up to 1,650 feet (500 meters)!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir91FZOGTSPyDImbzsz_o5O2SvcPb4e0S-mLpM7X4gO8oWqbW2rdjN3yqYZiL1rqWmcpqOEPANWBzmT9o2xky10WExm4zzXoAoXUecqjNmvo3IjD8lmBARdCaRjDmuMtDeFaVLsjlTn0uX5ZmACvqQl6m81u9-QCDNMcGfUqG0andND4Q4nq-2S5iW5i8a/s4032/PXL_20231007_213925511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir91FZOGTSPyDImbzsz_o5O2SvcPb4e0S-mLpM7X4gO8oWqbW2rdjN3yqYZiL1rqWmcpqOEPANWBzmT9o2xky10WExm4zzXoAoXUecqjNmvo3IjD8lmBARdCaRjDmuMtDeFaVLsjlTn0uX5ZmACvqQl6m81u9-QCDNMcGfUqG0andND4Q4nq-2S5iW5i8a/w400-h225/PXL_20231007_213925511.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRcfGv4CgR-lPsTitVW_UPWd1MtYld-gd2p_J1ssif02UFrsGdlVMo9ZZ6nESG_BkM1KjPYBba8mfWn4ZcJlYGModp-oI49QpqK9kXNpj_8nxouKEpb0aM0xKJHB6AAATIvt1V87Govem2eJ_sq5767Mzd47lGztDzvcjSlrbBjqO3yTkiPdqWqe27lURl/s4550/PXL_20231007_210711076.PANO~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1622" data-original-width="4550" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRcfGv4CgR-lPsTitVW_UPWd1MtYld-gd2p_J1ssif02UFrsGdlVMo9ZZ6nESG_BkM1KjPYBba8mfWn4ZcJlYGModp-oI49QpqK9kXNpj_8nxouKEpb0aM0xKJHB6AAATIvt1V87Govem2eJ_sq5767Mzd47lGztDzvcjSlrbBjqO3yTkiPdqWqe27lURl/w400-h143/PXL_20231007_210711076.PANO~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4IalDMTvSEQCx5CKTnuNbtBB8FOTJINn-93ZabKe9uos0LNtLyof5GA-DRtzTtTOcKykv1dCexM2H1ZxS0Y3fGy2hlFyc00ac-3vQ0npLZ_XLxwfCHVtuKb_0_ggGzeywJaD7KbGsMjOgE7tS6wvWVqT_Vh7yrtmIHyGBAyHqyEuZ2ksvCQ0nsB-QI8m/s4032/PXL_20231007_212444870~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4IalDMTvSEQCx5CKTnuNbtBB8FOTJINn-93ZabKe9uos0LNtLyof5GA-DRtzTtTOcKykv1dCexM2H1ZxS0Y3fGy2hlFyc00ac-3vQ0npLZ_XLxwfCHVtuKb_0_ggGzeywJaD7KbGsMjOgE7tS6wvWVqT_Vh7yrtmIHyGBAyHqyEuZ2ksvCQ0nsB-QI8m/w400-h225/PXL_20231007_212444870~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In the middle of it all is a small lake, originally fed by artesian springs but, thanks to overuse and the influx of tourists, now supplemented by piped-in water from outside the oasis. The whole place is surreal. The lake is surrounded by the small village of Huacachina, and pretty much every building serves either as a shop, a restaurant, or a hotel. The town has only about 100 residents who call themselves the Guardians of the Oasis; with the help of outside personnel from Ica they run the hospitality industry.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0pB2uXiDh5M4fqH2yxLyhvt3gmrAr9V_p9UWChneJOKMGJmKxbL0Fh4C_-kFRXCNVFqCVfhdTTlluPdvrQt-3cPZVwYpzsRslFED4CaYcER-5LijPNXUkXVdSkwEvkq3QK0SyFiwHCzPwjSuiKDVfUElkvW9OLJhNLXayIXAn1JUIdvMqwqAKEG0jZqwR/w400-h225/PXL_20231007_210553922.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">One of the "Guardians" simply offered to take my photo after lunch<br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHTLwQr1W-y1ZCEJy1VFmxKF_BA54HlU6CKfzIPQ_Itnb2PaUur3MdudfUCAY2D3VTJ_7INzHagLxSUcf1l2QAZ-j68gA82y0dFRYnZCqsaKU8PeCTCkNUl0nRaJ5hJ8nIwg5N5fm4jRgajNZJ-Q-U33m5gHgtZXcJl32wU4mdQptdNz3YU5Qq6J4r9u6t/s3264/PXL_20231007_201249780.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2111" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHTLwQr1W-y1ZCEJy1VFmxKF_BA54HlU6CKfzIPQ_Itnb2PaUur3MdudfUCAY2D3VTJ_7INzHagLxSUcf1l2QAZ-j68gA82y0dFRYnZCqsaKU8PeCTCkNUl0nRaJ5hJ8nIwg5N5fm4jRgajNZJ-Q-U33m5gHgtZXcJl32wU4mdQptdNz3YU5Qq6J4r9u6t/w259-h400/PXL_20231007_201249780.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhchgDdBsuvQL7iZVvt9xgRHRQ5ZqRNRIXIaqfvBBQR-F2Ub1paOEhgm2di8dZw9vf3FuHZuXTQSLDm71DQsU0fvcaGV22uXCni7HMOLHOgjLShU1WrOgexClvkaD03mPAhk9MopGfeDA13VzgYf1KldOsnNovFVDPRQmOc-Sf9kuEf2EXLAhWrNTONFsLE/s3853/PXL_20231007_202053487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1961" data-original-width="3853" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhchgDdBsuvQL7iZVvt9xgRHRQ5ZqRNRIXIaqfvBBQR-F2Ub1paOEhgm2di8dZw9vf3FuHZuXTQSLDm71DQsU0fvcaGV22uXCni7HMOLHOgjLShU1WrOgexClvkaD03mPAhk9MopGfeDA13VzgYf1KldOsnNovFVDPRQmOc-Sf9kuEf2EXLAhWrNTONFsLE/w400-h204/PXL_20231007_202053487.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFHuSihxUPe-WpYWxTpKX1sI6G17XjeiXoteeQQiNqkmDM3kl6xX_25MVMDHVpgapG_MfOGHl9evq6zg-1qpP3kbYIhKBnzcaSu6RF3stV-18_ZIz_3xi7rmAG1tOVdY5DzEzbcP2EOfdjJmJwt_pKguXp-qhh1JZ3c_spv81Xmblf_U8co4vL9a0pf1E7/w225-h400/PXL_20231007_202307807.jpg" width="225" /></div></td></tr></tbody></table>I had booked a "room" at the foot of a steep sand slope that is stopped from infiltrating the compound only by a tall bamboo fence. The <i>Ecocamp Huacachina</i> consists of something like a dozen large tents that are equipped with a couple of beds, a fan, a night table, and pretty much nothing else. There are several shared bathrooms and showers, all very clean. In addition, there's a swimming pool with a few sun loungers and bar tables for breakfast, and a large <i>cochera</i> to park your car or overland truck, whatever your preferred transportation method may be. My tent (the entrance secured with a simple padlock tying together the three zippers) cost a little less than $50 for the night, which sems to be the going rate for non-luxury but decent accommodations here in Peru; hostel beds can be had for as low as $5, but I no longer fancy sharing a room with another eleven people. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik26ets3_P28cVomqAtKuXlg-h34x5FuzfH9vUnTPvuzGHtle6aRDsOw2Bea8C7E3h_DsF9QaGeLbE0WEqqD5pb-_1sLouprGPFL5IKDVy5DgVdjNyBL3A7b6MhvHZs7DgUVeHA4A7DcTfRiz_qNlNbTFQOFzolDyPbtNskRHSCQRbh0AdYrwlBeTIzzKM/s4032/PXL_20231007_193142064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik26ets3_P28cVomqAtKuXlg-h34x5FuzfH9vUnTPvuzGHtle6aRDsOw2Bea8C7E3h_DsF9QaGeLbE0WEqqD5pb-_1sLouprGPFL5IKDVy5DgVdjNyBL3A7b6MhvHZs7DgUVeHA4A7DcTfRiz_qNlNbTFQOFzolDyPbtNskRHSCQRbh0AdYrwlBeTIzzKM/w400-h225/PXL_20231007_193142064.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieWn64b4IcqAW0LyE4Mk917U6P4xOyfFEPnCjpwN96-U88GBLCjkP8cODun4M3XDGAsMPP2Nr3QZPL9k4wPm7H3erxZOdlk0IbbGCX5OnuJZXAHOSVeiTZZddOt3gJooNDOgOSTS04hxq5nutIw4_o1skWlQR71To67wS2bCpjarxlrqr37oQ5U5VrFOO2/s4032/PXL_20231007_194507661.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieWn64b4IcqAW0LyE4Mk917U6P4xOyfFEPnCjpwN96-U88GBLCjkP8cODun4M3XDGAsMPP2Nr3QZPL9k4wPm7H3erxZOdlk0IbbGCX5OnuJZXAHOSVeiTZZddOt3gJooNDOgOSTS04hxq5nutIw4_o1skWlQR71To67wS2bCpjarxlrqr37oQ5U5VrFOO2/w400-h225/PXL_20231007_194507661.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLot-Ybsnqok3pbu8eupskph6TQSBkxjZkg5nliP1atuXtqsj1xMB3cTnyQ3SomRjhDJuE9CqRWBaiayuAr4Pj19ZykPXKtTgbhxuQ5YvUbEgRXrX04HvB0lPG0X-FG9NkhgG37S19XH8zKod8pFzLHxpg3R6CwW2xqZylANL_XkGo6d53zNXDr40JFit5/s4032/PXL_20231007_194813934.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLot-Ybsnqok3pbu8eupskph6TQSBkxjZkg5nliP1atuXtqsj1xMB3cTnyQ3SomRjhDJuE9CqRWBaiayuAr4Pj19ZykPXKtTgbhxuQ5YvUbEgRXrX04HvB0lPG0X-FG9NkhgG37S19XH8zKod8pFzLHxpg3R6CwW2xqZylANL_XkGo6d53zNXDr40JFit5/w400-h225/PXL_20231007_194813934.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDaNqVKrArK7JPY79GCvINDfL6DAFucf34O3NNCnRhAwYeJLKGx6TF3XeLkDbaywyGdXrmUCimxmBCDnysvbNO3HEZ_KdMor33OMUyDPh0T7anTVGtuxtUvJCZoqinnSEnkqZWN0ryJPuBpjZJyBj-UrVLQb7elWpeHd7tCTRBoirQfzHqUEbtikK-MF4q/s4032/PXL_20231007_213203198~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDaNqVKrArK7JPY79GCvINDfL6DAFucf34O3NNCnRhAwYeJLKGx6TF3XeLkDbaywyGdXrmUCimxmBCDnysvbNO3HEZ_KdMor33OMUyDPh0T7anTVGtuxtUvJCZoqinnSEnkqZWN0ryJPuBpjZJyBj-UrVLQb7elWpeHd7tCTRBoirQfzHqUEbtikK-MF4q/w400-h225/PXL_20231007_213203198~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>Obviously, people come to Huacachina for the sand. For a small fee of about a dollar, collected by a veritable army of wardens, young and old are admitted to the dune area. One can rent surfboards to slide down the slopes, one can pay $20 for a 30-minute dune buggy tour, or one can simply hike. Obviously, that's what I did. Never mind worrying about leaving tracks in what looks like virgin sand—in a short while, the wind will have obliterated any trace that you had been walking here.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1DtwW54GiZXRCZ4vULhK60srDJgA_ZnVF57G2aicTiagEMvbEuxvxXwL0OBOJsc4lrOf58JM6I9RpARAFNTmOs-Qt5Q-6UoBz2tC8yjFI9NcoL37i9COy0euocYrmYn31nnekHWwWQhmnDzsbDhH2ZdyDYPKmbAuJQ6kG28kY-F76DJ1Ty_xEdvFxJ5SS/s4032/PXL_20231007_213925511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1DtwW54GiZXRCZ4vULhK60srDJgA_ZnVF57G2aicTiagEMvbEuxvxXwL0OBOJsc4lrOf58JM6I9RpARAFNTmOs-Qt5Q-6UoBz2tC8yjFI9NcoL37i9COy0euocYrmYn31nnekHWwWQhmnDzsbDhH2ZdyDYPKmbAuJQ6kG28kY-F76DJ1Ty_xEdvFxJ5SS/w400-h225/PXL_20231007_213925511.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaAfYZC2VSFDaLi2e8ALlA-2uTVYeOmgV1hwQ6dv_-MXNraRoJwD-CBSWjF0U1cIlu8y73O35RoAyyeTdPtkn1de4vPwW_JXzrfSo7wC6q5pjbL19TOeRzPgUJgBK_qFQvTz1jDcc_v4QuXF8uDIDgdfVySPu496kn9-2gy-fZ705YnDPu72CN_y-Nul6d/s4032/PXL_20231007_195231948.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaAfYZC2VSFDaLi2e8ALlA-2uTVYeOmgV1hwQ6dv_-MXNraRoJwD-CBSWjF0U1cIlu8y73O35RoAyyeTdPtkn1de4vPwW_JXzrfSo7wC6q5pjbL19TOeRzPgUJgBK_qFQvTz1jDcc_v4QuXF8uDIDgdfVySPu496kn9-2gy-fZ705YnDPu72CN_y-Nul6d/w225-h400/PXL_20231007_195231948.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOLzZFCLRskAFi0cO178VGgSDaT4_SKNOTMHeFIl54knc5FrR9gDMM-RjB_Ryct8OP5L6I80JyDoAmTe_SkliD2tWT3zo1h7cwpcEgkG3Ws6gcacIwUdYT9vfIDun3gTtuY2t46R8nhmUM1CXWp120IhQUg4iJkAxL2Mmc_EEAsIVRU4bbN4V1Sq3Nag4q/s4032/PXL_20231007_212214711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOLzZFCLRskAFi0cO178VGgSDaT4_SKNOTMHeFIl54knc5FrR9gDMM-RjB_Ryct8OP5L6I80JyDoAmTe_SkliD2tWT3zo1h7cwpcEgkG3Ws6gcacIwUdYT9vfIDun3gTtuY2t46R8nhmUM1CXWp120IhQUg4iJkAxL2Mmc_EEAsIVRU4bbN4V1Sq3Nag4q/w400-h225/PXL_20231007_212214711.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>The obvious way to get to the top is to follow one of the ridgelines, and it's a bit like walking through deep snow up some mountain. With every step one sinks in, slides back, almost loses one's footing to one side or the other. No, it's not scary—it's just fatiguing as hell! The best way to advance is to use small, steady steps and stop a lot to take in the view. Hip implants are definitely not useful.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSCro4eCEk0yiDNr2jvftJZyd8i0ZQ_1yAVacJFRoyIf56kibgZy4HVzWLoaLvv7n06WljIBUqRHPFnl8v6KN8amIqniuPImgafC7JiRFATOSs0LdYk3Hbc8JmVJmmuJWQKYARfBqSSJWPim-pfo0BLTqGDkUJYiejFnkU9mU9WJhcuGVuQMShhMrfA8tW/s4032/PXL_20231007_212544656.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSCro4eCEk0yiDNr2jvftJZyd8i0ZQ_1yAVacJFRoyIf56kibgZy4HVzWLoaLvv7n06WljIBUqRHPFnl8v6KN8amIqniuPImgafC7JiRFATOSs0LdYk3Hbc8JmVJmmuJWQKYARfBqSSJWPim-pfo0BLTqGDkUJYiejFnkU9mU9WJhcuGVuQMShhMrfA8tW/w225-h400/PXL_20231007_212544656.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0MHP3mCgtTuR1PZTTjh0hcfv8ymsc8HXkZHjrGGCZv0FaXQCjfGzLzcrW6E4bb8mIrPVw96-vLCDM0mUxmEgSzkRdsS4f9u5sHeqDg0-9NtTBe_QBFyu3i7VhQ7jxxgLNbMX7sXLlwy8K5KewEUYIa2n3EN9BBjhePBo_aCN_o-8fywOkrW-99MqsS0WG/s4032/PXL_20231007_214801041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0MHP3mCgtTuR1PZTTjh0hcfv8ymsc8HXkZHjrGGCZv0FaXQCjfGzLzcrW6E4bb8mIrPVw96-vLCDM0mUxmEgSzkRdsS4f9u5sHeqDg0-9NtTBe_QBFyu3i7VhQ7jxxgLNbMX7sXLlwy8K5KewEUYIa2n3EN9BBjhePBo_aCN_o-8fywOkrW-99MqsS0WG/w400-h225/PXL_20231007_214801041.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjebIZy6qTenQ49t7KIfVkGX0xlxgekIbDw97yJAc05PZ3QFUae9Adi7Y0K1KLacHPvl_qS3Ng8RB_my8p4DjNN92V1SfEeQxA4o012R725TQy5BdOZus7CJu4uyX0P2CZgrT4w3a9po-M7DAmmJXkFqirqn-oHavDu4ybyNpGCLzvHUGcQtvLonnJ9Gkz1/s2406/PXL_20231007_214204464.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2406" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjebIZy6qTenQ49t7KIfVkGX0xlxgekIbDw97yJAc05PZ3QFUae9Adi7Y0K1KLacHPvl_qS3Ng8RB_my8p4DjNN92V1SfEeQxA4o012R725TQy5BdOZus7CJu4uyX0P2CZgrT4w3a9po-M7DAmmJXkFqirqn-oHavDu4ybyNpGCLzvHUGcQtvLonnJ9Gkz1/w378-h400/PXL_20231007_214204464.jpg" width="378" /></a></div>Once on top of one of the dunes immediately surrounding the oasis you get a sense of the immensity of the area: Looking toward the southwest you see nothing but dunes, and dunes, and more dunes! I could have sworn I was in the Sahara.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQtPenM4BjfmD4lrRg4kSkODmwRehZxozNGpiWEyLG-z5q3_0mVjOUszdnHrilUq7H8Be2hfi7Om6rA8xO6WEFiMN32kTdMm89mo0YkDbd1JtZaUXdVVezmtePm4CUCxdaQrlypzLeoV0IEOCHayBW1m3Qo464YTRE0PYpbcxjWnfpgSsZARMUMfmModo8/s4032/PXL_20231007_215000099~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQtPenM4BjfmD4lrRg4kSkODmwRehZxozNGpiWEyLG-z5q3_0mVjOUszdnHrilUq7H8Be2hfi7Om6rA8xO6WEFiMN32kTdMm89mo0YkDbd1JtZaUXdVVezmtePm4CUCxdaQrlypzLeoV0IEOCHayBW1m3Qo464YTRE0PYpbcxjWnfpgSsZARMUMfmModo8/w400-h225/PXL_20231007_215000099~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia6rvF6-aKzU-NWIhv9igLWpOZ6G0vrHFPyURXRxy_UJkOLktbdst1EDNlKvDJj9_3wFSvXpGkFiSxszyeVnxaxfCY6dIhbVjbh_3ZiXZBPfvpw3H5Z65NvvmhqFwRNaLprZmnBeRJVB4XrJ-295Vq5yRuyN408-AfJESdFC762MqO00urlRd4Wwxk3-x9/s3255/PXL_20231007_215705053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3255" data-original-width="2259" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia6rvF6-aKzU-NWIhv9igLWpOZ6G0vrHFPyURXRxy_UJkOLktbdst1EDNlKvDJj9_3wFSvXpGkFiSxszyeVnxaxfCY6dIhbVjbh_3ZiXZBPfvpw3H5Z65NvvmhqFwRNaLprZmnBeRJVB4XrJ-295Vq5yRuyN408-AfJESdFC762MqO00urlRd4Wwxk3-x9/w278-h400/PXL_20231007_215705053.jpg" width="278" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpNyzzSrYMQio5nYLd6PyM6PpRpIG0F9ggGusaK9u-LtPOVw5wL-Z9_AmLwmxjZKe2Q_SkJ-kLEQMkNTliCSs2SDolu2iR2d6PRyw6MRRA0JrAflNG3TVxabDc5qJ2x6YQv-6D50PXzk0VqL1FiQjEfitQytiAkXINZEPheCMF4Y_Q0fBrLg1RM6Sqv3xf/s4032/PXL_20231007_221541774.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpNyzzSrYMQio5nYLd6PyM6PpRpIG0F9ggGusaK9u-LtPOVw5wL-Z9_AmLwmxjZKe2Q_SkJ-kLEQMkNTliCSs2SDolu2iR2d6PRyw6MRRA0JrAflNG3TVxabDc5qJ2x6YQv-6D50PXzk0VqL1FiQjEfitQytiAkXINZEPheCMF4Y_Q0fBrLg1RM6Sqv3xf/w400-h225/PXL_20231007_221541774.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Paradise would have been perfect had it not been for the infernal dune buggies that criss-cross this beautiful landscape with a constant roar of their engines. I would venture that at any given moment you can count at least 30 of them ferrying passengers through what should be a quiet desert. Instead, it sounds like Sebring. At any given time, another 20 or 30 buggies are being loaded with new passengers, and more wailing up the slopes ensues. Another real annoyance is all the plastic trash that blows up and down the slopes. I tried to do my share by picking up a few handfuls of microtrash such as disposable cutlery, bottle tops, and plastic bags, but obviously that won't make any kind of difference. If every hiker were to do this, things would be cleaner—and if such items were banned in the entire oasis area there might be hope.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1yqRM23gQ2YDYVODZDmu7Afj0KXBRjeWSew1HuR1KC4Jm6qDuSaJ9lhiho_EVzG6S0E5xBOiiHBzClmQzgBfmqsL8uooo67T55FH5BkIYUiobS-AQifT7yFyyV9YOkZOxF3kuIk6UOCQx44kffDytAe_mDVe87VNYDiUUYL8GVbo2K52-pe3FB88l8d-M/s4032/PXL_20231007_211206573.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1yqRM23gQ2YDYVODZDmu7Afj0KXBRjeWSew1HuR1KC4Jm6qDuSaJ9lhiho_EVzG6S0E5xBOiiHBzClmQzgBfmqsL8uooo67T55FH5BkIYUiobS-AQifT7yFyyV9YOkZOxF3kuIk6UOCQx44kffDytAe_mDVe87VNYDiUUYL8GVbo2K52-pe3FB88l8d-M/w400-h225/PXL_20231007_211206573.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhou6rlcFvyDiwAyfeKd09qynGVnsFM7ahoGGVvVGO8ES4C0hvQ56TGpcQpeF_f8vt6_4kX8xneensNRffORqQfd_BB8gHdYFfren7LvObZS9K_-rCDeAOd52KfThuSCRTF_bWAzOl7QI8ajbha9Q3xMdLeztSW4sEfzR5Ehh6UIsM0kCFzGm15WxLzALYB/s4032/PXL_20231007_221708600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhou6rlcFvyDiwAyfeKd09qynGVnsFM7ahoGGVvVGO8ES4C0hvQ56TGpcQpeF_f8vt6_4kX8xneensNRffORqQfd_BB8gHdYFfren7LvObZS9K_-rCDeAOd52KfThuSCRTF_bWAzOl7QI8ajbha9Q3xMdLeztSW4sEfzR5Ehh6UIsM0kCFzGm15WxLzALYB/w400-h225/PXL_20231007_221708600.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_w65ZSGOrmeAEU1INpe8ioDJuVPcxOujo1mSp17hLdFfJbdc1hUyBYLodAzY8ynnSJqEH9kFtn01TvqkEkeReidX94LnIKFu7EL57Ji56gh2UqRu2UGvpomKfSrIEUvU0VsUCWWRBW1cnyOaztz_5fTODTxQCpOrk_KPv5Oi93_j3ZshtG-aI5yeaULQ/s4032/PXL_20231007_223507201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_w65ZSGOrmeAEU1INpe8ioDJuVPcxOujo1mSp17hLdFfJbdc1hUyBYLodAzY8ynnSJqEH9kFtn01TvqkEkeReidX94LnIKFu7EL57Ji56gh2UqRu2UGvpomKfSrIEUvU0VsUCWWRBW1cnyOaztz_5fTODTxQCpOrk_KPv5Oi93_j3ZshtG-aI5yeaULQ/w400-h225/PXL_20231007_223507201.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>It was late afternoon, and the sunlight bathed the dunes in a sensuous, velvety light. It was so beautiful. While I was sitting in the sand, which is almost as fine as powdered sugar, the wind would deposit nano-grains in my hair, my ears, my eyes. Now I understand why the bedouins wear those scarves! With the sun starting to slowly descend ever closer toward the horizon I slowly made my way back down and watched the changing nature of the light as well as how the tiny town was preparing for nightfall with street lights coming on and dusk settling on this odd enclave.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMZmcIHUnbmUAs_w78frdpZ0xV44Qfi6BU0cK2q_IcalPrc0PseTyZTbPZMGgqB2mPFqWUSVhNkTARwHObD_SSI0x0o9qST3xnQ_k4D0PnhWAyFB11WYrFc6BcR3nmwv0dTac_INPNB3Ym81De7G_UBzFEO57vsHP4OZ3MDYuvt9l-AVpOS41pa0oHqIc/s4032/PXL_20231007_221541774.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMZmcIHUnbmUAs_w78frdpZ0xV44Qfi6BU0cK2q_IcalPrc0PseTyZTbPZMGgqB2mPFqWUSVhNkTARwHObD_SSI0x0o9qST3xnQ_k4D0PnhWAyFB11WYrFc6BcR3nmwv0dTac_INPNB3Ym81De7G_UBzFEO57vsHP4OZ3MDYuvt9l-AVpOS41pa0oHqIc/w400-h225/PXL_20231007_221541774.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3oTqNJqLeQaas0GGAVIOl52MAwOmIYwIWtqJBG4m8X2is4W-T5aLDGnCdX4709skYd8A4fdgUR9PZMonl6fYogiQ3NOU86Qn0ZBG4DF5MnhhQQIpTISVCrn08dFw8VZ8hU03VJXlo2gPlS-Zt3h1J0A7w3FmWohMZ0DFGEtA4p8SymiB9l-45ps6eURYq/s4032/PXL_20231007_224817660.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3oTqNJqLeQaas0GGAVIOl52MAwOmIYwIWtqJBG4m8X2is4W-T5aLDGnCdX4709skYd8A4fdgUR9PZMonl6fYogiQ3NOU86Qn0ZBG4DF5MnhhQQIpTISVCrn08dFw8VZ8hU03VJXlo2gPlS-Zt3h1J0A7w3FmWohMZ0DFGEtA4p8SymiB9l-45ps6eURYq/w400-h225/PXL_20231007_224817660.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaXevqUaul3JAXd-rIIdz6gQOF1XgDufgcAeYctwbVEXCGB2wLK4tjWjyJPt5RuavFbSkJ2OfNVOLjzTs4evK548MkuPmmWfClZqfd75cR4WYgfpb_-2qUJvK6zUv_x1ml_rxuCel3uis3VIHeQNyN2D1v8cnolfazqf0cx1cMz9pbN8Dvj9Ze_LVmy7NA/s4032/PXL_20231007_224157523.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaXevqUaul3JAXd-rIIdz6gQOF1XgDufgcAeYctwbVEXCGB2wLK4tjWjyJPt5RuavFbSkJ2OfNVOLjzTs4evK548MkuPmmWfClZqfd75cR4WYgfpb_-2qUJvK6zUv_x1ml_rxuCel3uis3VIHeQNyN2D1v8cnolfazqf0cx1cMz9pbN8Dvj9Ze_LVmy7NA/w400-h225/PXL_20231007_224157523.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe1BXSDwT3Z3cgA-QgG77ZKWqDqh2sj6nfypMq1JsRWFBctPIRuYDJolO1taZ-3RvVETqR9STkE1qqmd1fjIZvjtNhv5wpNnQI31XYGShFTRXF_P5KIdn6DaCKbqjL9ctwFiM82CyyKx_oXb7rWLeqo8eg102oMPh9kZaJJYRhCUyGbSq3rGUGdFAl2a9J/s4032/PXL_20231007_224550496.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe1BXSDwT3Z3cgA-QgG77ZKWqDqh2sj6nfypMq1JsRWFBctPIRuYDJolO1taZ-3RvVETqR9STkE1qqmd1fjIZvjtNhv5wpNnQI31XYGShFTRXF_P5KIdn6DaCKbqjL9ctwFiM82CyyKx_oXb7rWLeqo8eg102oMPh9kZaJJYRhCUyGbSq3rGUGdFAl2a9J/w400-h225/PXL_20231007_224550496.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXahVwnKx6DgasBvb9CTEusnVOcd8VdsMt0rSu5-1HVs6B-rzRtekVcVlfinHXKuNLCPMblGvkwOYmlpmp10-ws3AQ975Y8NTo0EOpprV9sWPLNA026LEG65SNNzG9tNroKjF_QIiepRC7faWf0Lja1n2YVQss-Qn2snTF062wv8YpzMPxNO6OTG02f821/s4032/PXL_20231007_224117480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXahVwnKx6DgasBvb9CTEusnVOcd8VdsMt0rSu5-1HVs6B-rzRtekVcVlfinHXKuNLCPMblGvkwOYmlpmp10-ws3AQ975Y8NTo0EOpprV9sWPLNA026LEG65SNNzG9tNroKjF_QIiepRC7faWf0Lja1n2YVQss-Qn2snTF062wv8YpzMPxNO6OTG02f821/w400-h225/PXL_20231007_224117480.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>Back in town, Peruvian tourists were still using the row boats on the lake while others were buying balloons and sugar candy on the lake promenade. Restaurants were busy, a string quartet gave a free concert, and the noise of the buggies had finally ebbed away. I selected what seemed like a fitting restaurant for dinner and later enjoyed a few <i>maracuya sour</i> drinks while working on the blog. I made it back to the camp around 23:30 hrs and had to tell a group of merrymakers that it was time to close down the drinking and let others sleep. From some of the surrounding hotels shrieky laughter emitted by drunken globetrotters continued until the wee hours....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXopoqAC6UGmmARpjRqj-XbHh9P9gWWwcA6FFxyPjSZJJwx-j95VOFyikVtwo39mesPc0QzO6rMTRzJxsRJ0R73lFJtsQ0VF2-sU0sUfOeHP7PC0kZ3w4BDZGZRa4iVmrGycbSfe294P00KmCwANWnc3Hk_RLLzEX5srDd7Vb5WMpx7eu0h_a8od8eTRQy/s4032/PXL_20231008_005711764.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXopoqAC6UGmmARpjRqj-XbHh9P9gWWwcA6FFxyPjSZJJwx-j95VOFyikVtwo39mesPc0QzO6rMTRzJxsRJ0R73lFJtsQ0VF2-sU0sUfOeHP7PC0kZ3w4BDZGZRa4iVmrGycbSfe294P00KmCwANWnc3Hk_RLLzEX5srDd7Vb5WMpx7eu0h_a8od8eTRQy/w400-h225/PXL_20231008_005711764.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVA3EKlMQKQwZycGFevdY7_I-UL4GHBBbbM62av45P_zpZa36OglA27X6NujbFsXYE52cvKJ7PSyrbp0CfLgaM8MeIqKNZT-S8TNVFLmnaCCpLn_rFpYs84xZlMTH4tbZQH1XAp793Ow_txrcNJ-RkfHRoZM1BlaBDZ7Ptuw2faq6vqxUywTeYeR7W3Ws_/s2313/PXL_20231008_024548958.PORTRAIT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2313" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVA3EKlMQKQwZycGFevdY7_I-UL4GHBBbbM62av45P_zpZa36OglA27X6NujbFsXYE52cvKJ7PSyrbp0CfLgaM8MeIqKNZT-S8TNVFLmnaCCpLn_rFpYs84xZlMTH4tbZQH1XAp793Ow_txrcNJ-RkfHRoZM1BlaBDZ7Ptuw2faq6vqxUywTeYeR7W3Ws_/w393-h400/PXL_20231008_024548958.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="393" /></a></div>I was awakened by the loud diesel engine of one of the two huge overland trucks that had been parked within the compound's <i>cochera</i>, and soon people were getting up, talking <i>sotto voce</i> but they might have well been shouting. I was reminded of waking up in a tent in a national forest campground on a Sunday morning in New Mexico or Colorado; only the wonderful smell of bacon and coffee was missing. Since my bus wasn't going to leave until around 10:00 a.m., I took things easy and enjoyed my breakfast by the pool while continuing to marvel at those dunes.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMJYKNE1CKSQlBGuCjzG4K261nX7On0EVBvKsk5fHvaiAgKqcMHJGOEcHfXtmcx_RKup8twt6ESFYC-mhfAv0-9BEwYCQMfH-3t1Af20VpSKd8CfVFYI4o8A1MeUVsOgGDWyjY5sGfAc4UTadWYVz3McvnzG-8YCQzRtA5naiy6QFjNfA4P3HdY2HkgYED/s4032/PXL_20231008_131647916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMJYKNE1CKSQlBGuCjzG4K261nX7On0EVBvKsk5fHvaiAgKqcMHJGOEcHfXtmcx_RKup8twt6ESFYC-mhfAv0-9BEwYCQMfH-3t1Af20VpSKd8CfVFYI4o8A1MeUVsOgGDWyjY5sGfAc4UTadWYVz3McvnzG-8YCQzRtA5naiy6QFjNfA4P3HdY2HkgYED/w400-h225/PXL_20231008_131647916.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj36zF73qbAN3rQRDWAlT2SS6E1VlcYX84SOEgSpDpBHyJtLcV0dNwNW7U9CDKTqiS5GnAKcy31naTZ4m3B52FQgRsaLiqQVc8i-gnwmSTowOTa0nNd0Xb2QGFKm6fQLr8hZ3uIOx6Q0WNQ0IXBNNt4fkCZnkjcTrkBlcI36ho3_PxlBxBQvQ_KbCZikVKp/s4032/PXL_20231008_132311891.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj36zF73qbAN3rQRDWAlT2SS6E1VlcYX84SOEgSpDpBHyJtLcV0dNwNW7U9CDKTqiS5GnAKcy31naTZ4m3B52FQgRsaLiqQVc8i-gnwmSTowOTa0nNd0Xb2QGFKm6fQLr8hZ3uIOx6Q0WNQ0IXBNNt4fkCZnkjcTrkBlcI36ho3_PxlBxBQvQ_KbCZikVKp/w225-h400/PXL_20231008_132311891.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6J9hlxDNpEigvRWeMmvFuB6GyRs-nWp1DpHDM7zggjj5sDEh8oDttzvMe8vXUoQ5wPmgRgZUY80qPJ1fjd_5tFNFyyU_naOJ_gAEQYoHZWmJ_D1XuvTVhxMIexCmN-6a2IpJu30_bGpCAWr_KInXFHLXoHcLylxSrIcVZ0Q18vlUKfhGy1B461z0oFvbd/s4032/PXL_20231008_150509393.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6J9hlxDNpEigvRWeMmvFuB6GyRs-nWp1DpHDM7zggjj5sDEh8oDttzvMe8vXUoQ5wPmgRgZUY80qPJ1fjd_5tFNFyyU_naOJ_gAEQYoHZWmJ_D1XuvTVhxMIexCmN-6a2IpJu30_bGpCAWr_KInXFHLXoHcLylxSrIcVZ0Q18vlUKfhGy1B461z0oFvbd/w400-h225/PXL_20231008_150509393.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sunday morning at the oasis ....</span></td></tr></tbody></table>On paper our transfer to Nazca looked fairly straightforward: We were going to drive for half an hour, stop at a vineyard where we'd also have an early lunch, and then continue to Nazca, altogether about a three-hour trip. Initially, everything went according to plan. Somehow I had thought of an idyllic vineyard, with picnic tables among the vines and much greenery. As it turned out, the area where we headed was barely on the outskirts of Ica, and I never saw any vines. But these are legitimate wineries that have been in business for hundreds of years, and some of them now host tourists (national and international) who come to this area between the coast and Nazca. Our 40+ Hopsters were welcomed by a professional tour guide who is employed by <i>Nietto </i>winery, an operation that's used to catering to busloads of guests.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIggNdDRsxUfWp8tkYuZuH7LgJBoC7qY1Cawz0v4Ur-39eMB5yCtprzToFTFq5mttps2AgXb__ak1Pz6OPJYIM2SilTb09ubwcP5zcZruJ1pBLWnGZL8yQ57El6bFvj6zTV76mLaJiC0jkU2pHP9D_QYoouwWzKzTZMbAsjTJnREWRA5vqkFAHfJnJ7gmh/s4032/PXL_20231008_163157273.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIggNdDRsxUfWp8tkYuZuH7LgJBoC7qY1Cawz0v4Ur-39eMB5yCtprzToFTFq5mttps2AgXb__ak1Pz6OPJYIM2SilTb09ubwcP5zcZruJ1pBLWnGZL8yQ57El6bFvj6zTV76mLaJiC0jkU2pHP9D_QYoouwWzKzTZMbAsjTJnREWRA5vqkFAHfJnJ7gmh/w400-h225/PXL_20231008_163157273.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr0pXYwdCIViHRB1anE6F4nqAH0WeT4mXbpGa8QOCt-nLgZrQxBaPrSJQAP1AqBbc3FkiZdANFhfxbrWSkc9KLhfBR-FvdJqX0YLlvux7iIhMExWDkEMXTvgV2J8qnxDJl7ldFfJPgmpmMXV3JNwXhKMipcsS2WE44mMAq_PknG2ADAFSVbgdFQvFHbiwS/s4032/PXL_20231008_162443020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr0pXYwdCIViHRB1anE6F4nqAH0WeT4mXbpGa8QOCt-nLgZrQxBaPrSJQAP1AqBbc3FkiZdANFhfxbrWSkc9KLhfBR-FvdJqX0YLlvux7iIhMExWDkEMXTvgV2J8qnxDJl7ldFfJPgmpmMXV3JNwXhKMipcsS2WE44mMAq_PknG2ADAFSVbgdFQvFHbiwS/w400-h225/PXL_20231008_162443020.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqWJxX1xaX5SOHPenfn_mW-q2EYbdw5rRk2-CueBaltZq86w2ejFjEH2f7KmA39bS5yuvWQENXwz7YTT9ox_lbGMdCiu3sq6t2-_U5ADPsFaE7EGWb_FoFJpywnTyddRT4PUNZKHO9OJx9L4WGm73GdV_eC_0-v-irkVNcMbPYlCE_c3-d6aMKVoO8HpQu/s4032/PXL_20231008_161809490.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqWJxX1xaX5SOHPenfn_mW-q2EYbdw5rRk2-CueBaltZq86w2ejFjEH2f7KmA39bS5yuvWQENXwz7YTT9ox_lbGMdCiu3sq6t2-_U5ADPsFaE7EGWb_FoFJpywnTyddRT4PUNZKHO9OJx9L4WGm73GdV_eC_0-v-irkVNcMbPYlCE_c3-d6aMKVoO8HpQu/w400-h225/PXL_20231008_161809490.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>You may not have heard much of Peruvian wine, and I hadn't either. I would assume that the annual output of wine in Peru is simply not big enough to establish an export business such as that of Argentina or Chile. But maybe it is also a question regarding the quality of the wine (although I would think that the archetypal American trophy wife might just fancy it): We tasted five or six different ones, and one was sweeter than the next! Now, the first one was actually pleasant, reminding me of a German icewine; the second one went into the direction of a port and was still palatable; and from there the sweetness just went through the roof! No signs of malbec, carmenère, or cab. Yuk. Not something you'd want to pair with a dinner.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgASilwm6YtQNrRBDYZ3M7NLifb4CBou5JL7Q9QljvjT5Vydr9PqZBRO85683tp-8TpFWPWl0d-8v0oi6UzB0v9V1Gh5F7EjP0pqu4n2z8fJWEko6IdP3BU05QwHXyEsDSA3eICL_7YgdqXedwYuL5iIWZFo06W8RHXuGwMcJqoreJjVNLCz_jP2QPD9KUM/s4032/PXL_20231008_171643424.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgASilwm6YtQNrRBDYZ3M7NLifb4CBou5JL7Q9QljvjT5Vydr9PqZBRO85683tp-8TpFWPWl0d-8v0oi6UzB0v9V1Gh5F7EjP0pqu4n2z8fJWEko6IdP3BU05QwHXyEsDSA3eICL_7YgdqXedwYuL5iIWZFo06W8RHXuGwMcJqoreJjVNLCz_jP2QPD9KUM/w400-h225/PXL_20231008_171643424.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><i>Nietto </i>also produces <i>pisco</i>, and that was really much more fun to taste. Being basically the equivalent to Italy's <i>grappa, pisco</i> is also a by-product of the grape and wine production. Our oh-so-goofy guide needed some volunteers for a <i>pisco</i> challenge, and if I had learned anything during our visit to the Jameson distillery in Dublin with Judy so many years ago, <i>always </i>volunteer when tasting is involved as it will mean extra free drinks!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9vE_xm5636_ZqDA3IJiWc9A8u75GFcSLTdPyttxLKPsgMPSaMjFnUHI_6jMXcxPLeYny_sGZwtbKjLaBFyK8rIlDG7boSEkCbiphVjLFtnokoDgaRtcCKFGGJrf51z1O8FPeCew5IsXDO0Idp_u_CHdAoQ2DUGOmh2joghK-4GkdBPn6fhRnUGA5GCPSI/s4032/PXL_20231008_162356359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9vE_xm5636_ZqDA3IJiWc9A8u75GFcSLTdPyttxLKPsgMPSaMjFnUHI_6jMXcxPLeYny_sGZwtbKjLaBFyK8rIlDG7boSEkCbiphVjLFtnokoDgaRtcCKFGGJrf51z1O8FPeCew5IsXDO0Idp_u_CHdAoQ2DUGOmh2joghK-4GkdBPn6fhRnUGA5GCPSI/w225-h400/PXL_20231008_162356359.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The <i>pisco </i>still that's still being used—or so they say</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>For lunch I ordered an Andean specialty called <i>carapulcra</i>, a rather unattractive stew based on potatoes, pork, peanut, mirasol peppers, garlic, and various spices— and noodles! As we all know, most stews are not visual showstoppers but will floor you with complex, seemingly impossible flavors. Damn, that stuff was good, so good that I missed most of the butt-and-boob shaking of one of the two dancing "entertainers" that <i>Nietto</i> had called into service!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCBnSvdKj7-518hnKPRLoP0mdCQWVU0FTsLKT9hJbKte4WZpUbd0BePhoY_s12LjGJ2P3QG-NJY2ILBQROmKHorUMxDK88AObQsVQDUjES3aEETWT3-BFBUKLZeGXaajbsXWZqpKSfezj7jTzuqqgfiJqz2bofF-p7GGFexA5hcWHA9If8DaiV0Xt8IBq3/s4032/PXL_20231008_173522781.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCBnSvdKj7-518hnKPRLoP0mdCQWVU0FTsLKT9hJbKte4WZpUbd0BePhoY_s12LjGJ2P3QG-NJY2ILBQROmKHorUMxDK88AObQsVQDUjES3aEETWT3-BFBUKLZeGXaajbsXWZqpKSfezj7jTzuqqgfiJqz2bofF-p7GGFexA5hcWHA9If8DaiV0Xt8IBq3/w400-h225/PXL_20231008_173522781.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga6SWzWkTELIc5APdBkkjkMbFktq3of9o5BB7jKgX4Au6YNyjKomFUR7qT2h3qjFa9OM0vpJgr163PamTQLj4n_pSrFAR7T29JbRhPtfWtSfVVwbEwIx-jIcafcFSjWFLnhAR-HLI1bmsFhjcYOVTt7Q2u6Dq0LWI6WelNAzSsnwOFb2yGx698Vs8pLsga/s4032/PXL_20231008_173955017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga6SWzWkTELIc5APdBkkjkMbFktq3of9o5BB7jKgX4Au6YNyjKomFUR7qT2h3qjFa9OM0vpJgr163PamTQLj4n_pSrFAR7T29JbRhPtfWtSfVVwbEwIx-jIcafcFSjWFLnhAR-HLI1bmsFhjcYOVTt7Q2u6Dq0LWI6WelNAzSsnwOFb2yGx698Vs8pLsga/w225-h400/PXL_20231008_173955017.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>For some reason, instead of continuing to Nazca we now had to head back to Huacachina to pick up a few more Hopsters. On the way the air conditioning, which had been anemic on the way to the vineyard, went completely AWOL. Some woman from Australia—one of a family of four rather unfit-looking individuals—started to loudly complain that it was too hot, that she had not paid for this non-service, that something needed to be done, now. I think most of us just thought, "Shut up with your First World Problems." Our guide, Christian, had been on the phone all the time, trying to find a solution to the problem, and back in Huacachina (which was even more traffic-clogged than it had been on Saturday) we all had to disembark and then wait for half an hour for a replacement bus.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDjjbcEJyit-4MXTyXYRuOVNQPZELQVLSq-t0vHx2jObA5USR77nhVnbZhov5uP3ERrtUsip9drdA-5GlOGtqUVoeeS4KdLnpG0H9-yrAoYHg7QEK0SMsDWziHS8HuA6sUi0Ml9MLdVZ9Xg022T6uVgfJYxoykykD-aIR44q3zdBIXzieveiFtkLnHIKEY/s4032/PXL_20231008_192637493.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDjjbcEJyit-4MXTyXYRuOVNQPZELQVLSq-t0vHx2jObA5USR77nhVnbZhov5uP3ERrtUsip9drdA-5GlOGtqUVoeeS4KdLnpG0H9-yrAoYHg7QEK0SMsDWziHS8HuA6sUi0Ml9MLdVZ9Xg022T6uVgfJYxoykykD-aIR44q3zdBIXzieveiFtkLnHIKEY/w400-h225/PXL_20231008_192637493.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>Finally we were on our way. The drive led us through empty spaces of rocky desert. The road was reduced to two lanes, and often we'd stay behind several trucks lumbering along at 15 mph, with no chance to pass. I was sitting in the first row behind the driver and thus had a great observation post, both in regard to traffic as well as landscape. We left the badlands after a twisty descent down dozens of hairpin curves into the <i>Rio Grande</i> valley in which Palta is located. Finally, some signs of agriculture reappeared.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIHFwbeLhGHm7zvKx6fwaHyyJsecvIxKKbn2AlfkbFBwaZduAjhWxyZ9RHkylDD9_zOa4ssaYAaLciP9RFNiAIcvehii9eAVHCtlHGy4qd7KLIMlpVbDOyi7bWet-vUOVsc41CXIx6v4CgDktqGwABcyZTR16qxMU7TUvXnkTnPQ7f8AQd5EtvymoUJX9h/s4032/PXL_20231008_212449563.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2134" data-original-width="4032" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIHFwbeLhGHm7zvKx6fwaHyyJsecvIxKKbn2AlfkbFBwaZduAjhWxyZ9RHkylDD9_zOa4ssaYAaLciP9RFNiAIcvehii9eAVHCtlHGy4qd7KLIMlpVbDOyi7bWet-vUOVsc41CXIx6v4CgDktqGwABcyZTR16qxMU7TUvXnkTnPQ7f8AQd5EtvymoUJX9h/w400-h211/PXL_20231008_212449563.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_o9ZYqvxRsHwRUKUS1tyAHlh22sVW9K-3l5acBfzELE6BsfWfDcfEAZWLmLzZt7gLb1dXaL_4Ju_116UYoWaFQTmAQbUbI8BLQl9Ln-VFmutLsmt4lA9VM8zwsCrZ7sKPEYbquZycUl3T65VMaTD1MlKUbjK3CH6nEuLNGOPEtc54Ne_NEGXu2S4o-6_P/s4032/PXL_20231008_212322888.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_o9ZYqvxRsHwRUKUS1tyAHlh22sVW9K-3l5acBfzELE6BsfWfDcfEAZWLmLzZt7gLb1dXaL_4Ju_116UYoWaFQTmAQbUbI8BLQl9Ln-VFmutLsmt4lA9VM8zwsCrZ7sKPEYbquZycUl3T65VMaTD1MlKUbjK3CH6nEuLNGOPEtc54Ne_NEGXu2S4o-6_P/w400-h225/PXL_20231008_212322888.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbXlgKLaxkHDJYqqPdOMGr-5bJeyo_qsgp2NOwcw84QCeqgiWGcI4mQU3qGrM87lC31A5kOGqOPaxiAe2_o-wpb8TkfXZDY-6YKGsLF56b7g6-njSP5QRTIKiqzsRwyK2mpmway4JQWGW39BnEGvJO4URQiPu2LdEHj4bGh07pT8VPF0IKhn5faEk1D2R8/s4032/PXL_20231008_204837717.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbXlgKLaxkHDJYqqPdOMGr-5bJeyo_qsgp2NOwcw84QCeqgiWGcI4mQU3qGrM87lC31A5kOGqOPaxiAe2_o-wpb8TkfXZDY-6YKGsLF56b7g6-njSP5QRTIKiqzsRwyK2mpmway4JQWGW39BnEGvJO4URQiPu2LdEHj4bGh07pT8VPF0IKhn5faEk1D2R8/w400-h225/PXL_20231008_204837717.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQpqFAm1cHUyOb6IKonP9tYW0jcT-dJAjXfvcnmWF5I-pFUFZB9aRhDFXHyLSSmCiM7fEP-qTuJ1x01mH1KxwjH2umYa4QFZJVU3aZF4RGotMtdxkglWbzsxSEnA7Tm_s1Iv64rOflc3UlOlT-W5DQ115FEvL8OCufmpHKHWpRDjCk2ophX1HZS4PtHal/s4032/PXL_20231008_213038252~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQpqFAm1cHUyOb6IKonP9tYW0jcT-dJAjXfvcnmWF5I-pFUFZB9aRhDFXHyLSSmCiM7fEP-qTuJ1x01mH1KxwjH2umYa4QFZJVU3aZF4RGotMtdxkglWbzsxSEnA7Tm_s1Iv64rOflc3UlOlT-W5DQ115FEvL8OCufmpHKHWpRDjCk2ophX1HZS4PtHal/w400-h225/PXL_20231008_213038252~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKof4TFeeNYUwERJnleGMOhEI-Zqn7Z7QOBB2R6NfCW0uPeZ-FYT6FIGHxbqPIdOv140mSV9yf5b1hMZug91KdfW6kHW-80ZbokP77qEtge3i9sGobhP5aJYmyLVYmYHSUZTsbw3Q-suiCKbEbbIz0gPc4SFtFzUBcm4WoRjZLvYZsAkC1yI9D_lRy1-9f/s4032/PXL_20231008_205311383.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKof4TFeeNYUwERJnleGMOhEI-Zqn7Z7QOBB2R6NfCW0uPeZ-FYT6FIGHxbqPIdOv140mSV9yf5b1hMZug91KdfW6kHW-80ZbokP77qEtge3i9sGobhP5aJYmyLVYmYHSUZTsbw3Q-suiCKbEbbIz0gPc4SFtFzUBcm4WoRjZLvYZsAkC1yI9D_lRy1-9f/w400-h225/PXL_20231008_205311383.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh69_xBDW1cHo4XVtEPySuqYSAi27jqb243ihs8SgdMDMcbFkp0K07HrROar8qqeHiFxlqJGJLH5l4YJCwB6GCzVXKDE-5L32LRgh7eiG3apzyRPRpvgwrv0ipbeA8FlfLo1-A-xycSGID9dDDV45Ttus4HPETnoS4_5un9iHruS0mGxzQkQjTT97AS6xwZ/s3527/PXL_20231008_213906540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="3527" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh69_xBDW1cHo4XVtEPySuqYSAi27jqb243ihs8SgdMDMcbFkp0K07HrROar8qqeHiFxlqJGJLH5l4YJCwB6GCzVXKDE-5L32LRgh7eiG3apzyRPRpvgwrv0ipbeA8FlfLo1-A-xycSGID9dDDV45Ttus4HPETnoS4_5un9iHruS0mGxzQkQjTT97AS6xwZ/w400-h206/PXL_20231008_213906540.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>We were quite some time behind schedule but still made it to the Nazca Lines observation tower maybe 20 minutes before sunset. Christian gave us a brief introduction to the <i>lineas </i>and we all went to the top of the tower. And there we saw them, two designs that from ground level you would never recognize. One of them, the Lizard, was cut in half when the Pan-American Highway, on which we had been traveling since Lima, was built. Now, the entire area between Palta and Nazca is, of course, a UNESCO World Heritage Center that commands protection.<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit0J0LXLogMN6NroTQ5ntcprLw7J3Zq4Yv2rbqBfnnkZ2Q0RO1CiPq2OC_svPTRlHfdRdGe9sCYMXKA6rcwNsA81XUJnZ_WIoeoKYE7sa-0d4Z_Mw0P5hEFP961bN9Ch87IO0ukCJ45dSmOL_c8r1BXa8ks94yX-F8JIfhRc8vc3zMSe_QFVZDxvAJWcFz/s4032/PXL_20231008_224231579.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit0J0LXLogMN6NroTQ5ntcprLw7J3Zq4Yv2rbqBfnnkZ2Q0RO1CiPq2OC_svPTRlHfdRdGe9sCYMXKA6rcwNsA81XUJnZ_WIoeoKYE7sa-0d4Z_Mw0P5hEFP961bN9Ch87IO0ukCJ45dSmOL_c8r1BXa8ks94yX-F8JIfhRc8vc3zMSe_QFVZDxvAJWcFz/s320/PXL_20231008_224231579.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGJLlE4TjckJX5JuhAofxWa7EL5pMNHKZ4eKlclgB8TFXhmzEOsOR7z90mKfJz60stxAJbAIr-GxMHLoLQLNL5Zzxj6-0eFXSl0BRQFv-PTDdHrxtSVIZIE1Wn2VfNR_N8odxHOgev5cHdQpxFYrPF4v5HE8ap3tlQKqqzrJPmyzqDSYJ5H7EX0ZCAXTan/s3207/PXL_20231008_224745647~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3207" data-original-width="2160" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGJLlE4TjckJX5JuhAofxWa7EL5pMNHKZ4eKlclgB8TFXhmzEOsOR7z90mKfJz60stxAJbAIr-GxMHLoLQLNL5Zzxj6-0eFXSl0BRQFv-PTDdHrxtSVIZIE1Wn2VfNR_N8odxHOgev5cHdQpxFYrPF4v5HE8ap3tlQKqqzrJPmyzqDSYJ5H7EX0ZCAXTan/s320/PXL_20231008_224745647~2.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsFOXeEdZtd1D8zEnsQTwJwt0zJcIQA975f2hoGOM6aKWiJnKskd4_CnKPJgrjDodEGRs4hnL0XfbJ9TGNogFWT0fPD6yt2R_-lFm1kaPGXpDdbtU9ACwUxba3TagA3Ce64y9XTXeESMw18J0MlrDlABMGTia2AyjW-CqDPS60E0KUAYZpGBnmaqSxFieV/s4032/PXL_20231008_224419841.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsFOXeEdZtd1D8zEnsQTwJwt0zJcIQA975f2hoGOM6aKWiJnKskd4_CnKPJgrjDodEGRs4hnL0XfbJ9TGNogFWT0fPD6yt2R_-lFm1kaPGXpDdbtU9ACwUxba3TagA3Ce64y9XTXeESMw18J0MlrDlABMGTia2AyjW-CqDPS60E0KUAYZpGBnmaqSxFieV/s320/PXL_20231008_224419841.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>We piled back into the bus and 20 minutes later we reached Nazca, the city. The bus stopped literally nextdoor to my hotel, and another long day on the road came to its conclusion. My room in the <i>Alegra</i> was clean and comfortable, as was the entire hotel with its courtyard with pool and pretty landscaping. Yep, again $47, including a nice breakfast.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX9XC5XyVvZC8hyYvTFlriADysdMZlydljiN8mYT6F3Ga5AXsBGjMHBXbesLloCyfUyVxQMlmDBA3GscML4F4yRMTH0sYbxWFaLymd1aZyLC4wXnV_zn0rtwAnX31t97y6YCEVIOSmvbZ7f19RD_MHZ2ANpPNbq6gvQI9utNfBJqgGvvYE4QzG-xuZR6R2/s4032/PXL_20231009_125842817.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX9XC5XyVvZC8hyYvTFlriADysdMZlydljiN8mYT6F3Ga5AXsBGjMHBXbesLloCyfUyVxQMlmDBA3GscML4F4yRMTH0sYbxWFaLymd1aZyLC4wXnV_zn0rtwAnX31t97y6YCEVIOSmvbZ7f19RD_MHZ2ANpPNbq6gvQI9utNfBJqgGvvYE4QzG-xuZR6R2/w225-h400/PXL_20231009_125842817.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div>Monday was the day of my plane trip over the Nazca Lines. I do not have a "bucket list," but since my early teenage years (or a bit earlier) I had read Erich von Däniken's <i>Chariots of the Gods </i>and similar tomes and become interested in some of his (and others') sometimes rather outlandish theories and explanations of things we don't really understand, still. So, when I went through the planning stage of my current trip it was clear that I was going to have to create an opportunity to see the lines from the air.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbiXtPypWkG2bUN2PAwVoYTS248fHNgMN8y-cmmT_kAxa2lrNZ5OWQm_nr1Te4lmv5lVCtt6t5QZvBw9wyJYz7SAmbXNMo9-su7BLCMHmlM2GO-_da_0n840BsdGtzIiPmuOZFEw6cBviLwtNTt31VJmmlszS-b-fLQHQBD61NvB_NeeicTQlEB6y0megi/s3409/PXL_20231009_160306626.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1968" data-original-width="3409" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbiXtPypWkG2bUN2PAwVoYTS248fHNgMN8y-cmmT_kAxa2lrNZ5OWQm_nr1Te4lmv5lVCtt6t5QZvBw9wyJYz7SAmbXNMo9-su7BLCMHmlM2GO-_da_0n840BsdGtzIiPmuOZFEw6cBviLwtNTt31VJmmlszS-b-fLQHQBD61NvB_NeeicTQlEB6y0megi/w400-h231/PXL_20231009_160306626.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwrqdgJw069cLK8OGZ5z4n7r27pHwBAoUNa6-0edXtcJlAg7lf7CAWWDzMhjb7CZeOyOeAMlf8r9k-J9jknKvSBLdEjswU3SB5nUFu3aqTQsZngtg_LmZnem1nwuAETaBrsUn1QsQ7nreT6M0_kDhKfl86lFP32mqahQWJ85Q8zoi3Ln0nlk3XN6F8FunE/s4032/PXL_20231009_170231602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwrqdgJw069cLK8OGZ5z4n7r27pHwBAoUNa6-0edXtcJlAg7lf7CAWWDzMhjb7CZeOyOeAMlf8r9k-J9jknKvSBLdEjswU3SB5nUFu3aqTQsZngtg_LmZnem1nwuAETaBrsUn1QsQ7nreT6M0_kDhKfl86lFP32mqahQWJ85Q8zoi3Ln0nlk3XN6F8FunE/w400-h225/PXL_20231009_170231602.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzLOzV_hdCSqyvKTZK4plyprVqGvv5B2i2srO_9Cbu-X0qQDxaruFjEHTPDGi4WCOhBRMAiim5Gpjj3CvaNoa-ETYdMOi9CZV7Iah3AQ6V82C4vaHDu97ZzT49NPb3-e2_74oOG9G06-_IfTbqmljqelUGv2Uc04i70N55TV22GPP1IcgYifSPEjG05R-E/s3268/PXL_20231009_162431853.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3268" data-original-width="2154" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzLOzV_hdCSqyvKTZK4plyprVqGvv5B2i2srO_9Cbu-X0qQDxaruFjEHTPDGi4WCOhBRMAiim5Gpjj3CvaNoa-ETYdMOi9CZV7Iah3AQ6V82C4vaHDu97ZzT49NPb3-e2_74oOG9G06-_IfTbqmljqelUGv2Uc04i70N55TV22GPP1IcgYifSPEjG05R-E/w264-h400/PXL_20231009_162431853.jpg" width="264" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip2tESpta3yjWv2dhcnUzwoysRYNDYUIzGZalcC6Vni_70b4MgOirH3G9s5uLnWtsqIEjddQ2Gn-RDUWeUbI8Lzgg_UGd-pG14vjXu5FvKJUK_JFg56XEAFlAr5UAno3W2APAGBrLsFZlC55rcAujcLbnE0_bS17FMOYy688SllW2TnZ_t50P53eT-bDGN/s3918/PXL_20231009_174621988.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2075" data-original-width="3918" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip2tESpta3yjWv2dhcnUzwoysRYNDYUIzGZalcC6Vni_70b4MgOirH3G9s5uLnWtsqIEjddQ2Gn-RDUWeUbI8Lzgg_UGd-pG14vjXu5FvKJUK_JFg56XEAFlAr5UAno3W2APAGBrLsFZlC55rcAujcLbnE0_bS17FMOYy688SllW2TnZ_t50P53eT-bDGN/w400-h211/PXL_20231009_174621988.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I'll spare you all the confusion, waiting, and general wasting of a lot of time on Monday. The important thing is that I did get to fly and that the pilot and the guide were super professional and that the whole excursion was well worth the money. (I paid about $100 for the flight as well as two different airport and security taxes that totalled about $30, with transportation from and back to the hotel included.) We were a group of six passengers plus pilot and guide, and the flight lasted for about 35 or so minutes.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdQzdHKRA_h0UXFGEAZMGz7PygXFLIvomW3A9pI6_lf-J6jb-5rKlXd-f0WJ5qQ9oYiJThaq7JHLdzDlNPHnSajNLXosNn2EKIptsJe9o5SuaI-FY05GyBk9Fu77i-6a6Al3cj6I_3zsW4dJ24ZEKKGtq50-pShoY0wzFm4BBJPhi7t2cs57Oz2t_2hQT7/s3840/PXL_20231009_175032735.PORTRAIT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdQzdHKRA_h0UXFGEAZMGz7PygXFLIvomW3A9pI6_lf-J6jb-5rKlXd-f0WJ5qQ9oYiJThaq7JHLdzDlNPHnSajNLXosNn2EKIptsJe9o5SuaI-FY05GyBk9Fu77i-6a6Al3cj6I_3zsW4dJ24ZEKKGtq50-pShoY0wzFm4BBJPhi7t2cs57Oz2t_2hQT7/w400-h225/PXL_20231009_175032735.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiVuQePsOLZ5285VPCFl0jjIjcM2b_kg6WKOASFDF553bPErjtPb2XoZkZyNh1Sgjc4StznqoSA-C9wM9h7uP5KW5rYPvHB7ZZJj0rPW3YS9Narfcip__V4jTbV8SjiQLo8BKRBnyWvV2UOJWr4CVeJ3g-kMJA1d_YcjXwv1kX1uPmoX17lduycXGDhD4L/s4032/PXL_20231009_174911915.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiVuQePsOLZ5285VPCFl0jjIjcM2b_kg6WKOASFDF553bPErjtPb2XoZkZyNh1Sgjc4StznqoSA-C9wM9h7uP5KW5rYPvHB7ZZJj0rPW3YS9Narfcip__V4jTbV8SjiQLo8BKRBnyWvV2UOJWr4CVeJ3g-kMJA1d_YcjXwv1kX1uPmoX17lduycXGDhD4L/w400-h225/PXL_20231009_174911915.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEindzOkfwW4jEu8i5NmqoAfXfh4bs0U4dbQ07TvqrZNa9h7pKDROHHxfy2UN9b8LU6vaIZ2c-nW08LDqATyty7vXHNEplPSdS-1OW0pQMCCMRamZjuRMwv5ZtgIbUQF2n3kFKJpeofReDhCsUYOu0MtTdHxR8imw8gOrnQHLmJ1m_Shj1j8Y1kWM3UMEtf3/s4032/PXL_20231009_175458115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEindzOkfwW4jEu8i5NmqoAfXfh4bs0U4dbQ07TvqrZNa9h7pKDROHHxfy2UN9b8LU6vaIZ2c-nW08LDqATyty7vXHNEplPSdS-1OW0pQMCCMRamZjuRMwv5ZtgIbUQF2n3kFKJpeofReDhCsUYOu0MtTdHxR8imw8gOrnQHLmJ1m_Shj1j8Y1kWM3UMEtf3/w400-h225/PXL_20231009_175458115.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-yrPc5K9KUDq6Zh26RytSfgBBz2yr6i7ejGuY8LhRJ2Ij_u8nr2GtKLDa0lj7aCLg4RxxdTxKu29mAEwMelaLjCNLHJRdNovxS7hOB_6NtDydDfOHFjATfwTOGKUPVnw09gEmUQLi-DHjKAkv3RaNnLMXHnU-yDE7mR2NNAfH3XH3FtclQ3a2gbOg98z/s3698/PXL_20231009_175555370.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2157" data-original-width="3698" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-yrPc5K9KUDq6Zh26RytSfgBBz2yr6i7ejGuY8LhRJ2Ij_u8nr2GtKLDa0lj7aCLg4RxxdTxKu29mAEwMelaLjCNLHJRdNovxS7hOB_6NtDydDfOHFjATfwTOGKUPVnw09gEmUQLi-DHjKAkv3RaNnLMXHnU-yDE7mR2NNAfH3XH3FtclQ3a2gbOg98z/w400-h234/PXL_20231009_175555370.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Flying over the <i>lineas </i>is a big business in Nazca, which lives for and by this huge tourist attraction, as evidenced by the incorporation of the various designs into everything from park mosaics to bus shelters to the ceiling in <i>Mom's Café</i>. The small airport is home to at least a dozen companies that operate tours day in, day out. To participate, you need to show your passport, pay the appropriate taxes (in cash, at two different counters), undergo a security check (it's OK to just tell them that you set off the sirens because you have a hip implant), and follow all instructions. (COVID regulations are still [posted, but they may be seen as a historical relic and thus stay on the walls forever.) That's all. They take care of the rest.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDWtc8YbMI-oSTnObMCefJD7DSM8DEij5bSlNMvPehvFOa0JAG6Tz-Lps64RAazFj0zbPdD10_narVGYeOGbaipgAjKLlOz-r8MpwNj3AIGPMBip6wkdTikymafkqJvl4F8E_QzfhWrOJCZYKJFZ1TG3jQtHhckJWn0Czs8AvAys1INrFgwgeRsuOi_Ux/s3799/PXL_20231009_180327341.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3799" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDWtc8YbMI-oSTnObMCefJD7DSM8DEij5bSlNMvPehvFOa0JAG6Tz-Lps64RAazFj0zbPdD10_narVGYeOGbaipgAjKLlOz-r8MpwNj3AIGPMBip6wkdTikymafkqJvl4F8E_QzfhWrOJCZYKJFZ1TG3jQtHhckJWn0Czs8AvAys1INrFgwgeRsuOi_Ux/w239-h400/PXL_20231009_180327341.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidt4idrzJGuAWxIC1D0hew1BhuuAZ-H3pikdkUyhPpinlJ5ap3DJ8Jsh-oY3Jyx7GslRQdk6g6DHKEUXuLhtCTK0rXuJhMB3gQ-9gb0CmD3qaHHD8gKecmsyCnSf8aLCQ0pTEUrIdvOTtDnbBX9srDGmAwfhDpzIePJAmbJKBsD6JIwAfoHSiXnpQFLxK4/s4032/PXL_20231009_180029790.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidt4idrzJGuAWxIC1D0hew1BhuuAZ-H3pikdkUyhPpinlJ5ap3DJ8Jsh-oY3Jyx7GslRQdk6g6DHKEUXuLhtCTK0rXuJhMB3gQ-9gb0CmD3qaHHD8gKecmsyCnSf8aLCQ0pTEUrIdvOTtDnbBX9srDGmAwfhDpzIePJAmbJKBsD6JIwAfoHSiXnpQFLxK4/w400-h225/PXL_20231009_180029790.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQWzuZc3TcdR5yKg5k_HHzU4IQtJlU_i4I6j3CpZJ0Zrz8532x9AhG2IEwc23qleESGq_7FbW_ePyAVUp48nXzqo59wWb-23krn20dlf9rwqvt50W-7mTSTS6ZjBDT1cu2ym0eCnCCG6UIOmEwxo3Ode2g-DJx3RCljtjJLYw2pohKHVevBMZtPM9pk5Ke/s3969/PXL_20231009_175938851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2257" data-original-width="3969" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQWzuZc3TcdR5yKg5k_HHzU4IQtJlU_i4I6j3CpZJ0Zrz8532x9AhG2IEwc23qleESGq_7FbW_ePyAVUp48nXzqo59wWb-23krn20dlf9rwqvt50W-7mTSTS6ZjBDT1cu2ym0eCnCCG6UIOmEwxo3Ode2g-DJx3RCljtjJLYw2pohKHVevBMZtPM9pk5Ke/w400-h228/PXL_20231009_175938851.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_X4jPQhYZljumGZtniOA3beiLCPnVJlj4-nr4h4UhkrX81geNQU8Odn24VBBNF_aNG8XiALX3rG7Juhx74FhyGy7CWO7sSdPj-ajnOfGgUSc2xgsDUMsgmhcK5o0VHbFSRWKUhcGIROFl3d-7Qss4et6h86W1xeIVSSYu01Fge6eRY-tj5tjROSLLdt-g/s4032/PXL_20231009_175644890.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_X4jPQhYZljumGZtniOA3beiLCPnVJlj4-nr4h4UhkrX81geNQU8Odn24VBBNF_aNG8XiALX3rG7Juhx74FhyGy7CWO7sSdPj-ajnOfGgUSc2xgsDUMsgmhcK5o0VHbFSRWKUhcGIROFl3d-7Qss4et6h86W1xeIVSSYu01Fge6eRY-tj5tjROSLLdt-g/s320/PXL_20231009_175644890.jpg" width="180" /></a></div></div><div>It was a treat to fly over this area. The designs on the ground do not appear as big as I had imagined them to be (we flew at about 2,500 to 3,000 feet), but once you spotted them they were so clear and visible! Our guide did a great job pointing out the various designs, the pilot would dip the wings to the right or the left, and the guide would give us a 3 – 2 – 1 countdown so we could follow the direction of the wing and pinpoint the exact location. For most of the designs the pilot would go for two approaches so that everyone got a perfect view. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDiLVtWj8grIViaEHMQ95s1nH4NOA4iKejTa5xm47Lrc25pmEFmbhS5FIGdV7nGdc32v3_iqAbaAMyKZjPwF32qNd3NAvtLv1SKWcuDl467xCIYesNPRBKz5MUKhCKFW6QqD6kOvQLig4Y6JPUuLN4nduzWy9goyu4Mw0mHQ2LZ_Hpn5GDWM0VNZw4aUL/s2064/PXL_20231009_181534992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2064" data-original-width="1295" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDiLVtWj8grIViaEHMQ95s1nH4NOA4iKejTa5xm47Lrc25pmEFmbhS5FIGdV7nGdc32v3_iqAbaAMyKZjPwF32qNd3NAvtLv1SKWcuDl467xCIYesNPRBKz5MUKhCKFW6QqD6kOvQLig4Y6JPUuLN4nduzWy9goyu4Mw0mHQ2LZ_Hpn5GDWM0VNZw4aUL/w251-h400/PXL_20231009_181534992.jpg" width="251" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmLj-anXICb2RTpQTKb_-jLwL9Z1R3Y-dBUmChY6df2MNoOG_gfUsg1o3xc_TUQ8Y1YsTwyFRBUCBuUyaP8JWRmqAnTR1Bp-2CthGcU6AxKpzI1lGeYMX-mpf4GL7h0TuJxDyLZ_jAhDS17G0kBEp8K75aTaiQCiHx1zIdVEYn6e8a7YcwSzkkONFqRecv/s991/PXL_20231009_181533975.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="991" data-original-width="879" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmLj-anXICb2RTpQTKb_-jLwL9Z1R3Y-dBUmChY6df2MNoOG_gfUsg1o3xc_TUQ8Y1YsTwyFRBUCBuUyaP8JWRmqAnTR1Bp-2CthGcU6AxKpzI1lGeYMX-mpf4GL7h0TuJxDyLZ_jAhDS17G0kBEp8K75aTaiQCiHx1zIdVEYn6e8a7YcwSzkkONFqRecv/w355-h400/PXL_20231009_181533975.jpg" width="355" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdMdhXdNjUC4GPzBUWxvJuou0egmBEUgDYD8VF3fDE36HxwqshbVrpwjq4ZFmL99vbgFs17Eg4bq_AR8tCA8JN0fgoD-Iy-uu0N6tN3iUhyphenhyphenS1L2R1vLv3An7wBwmHIUdWsLccJiFPNZGJNYTyvxE3Vc14-wtLN2rQes1B0JTaFhco7fN_WPC1w0uhDRYIq/s1238/PXL_20231009_181452457.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1238" data-original-width="1192" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdMdhXdNjUC4GPzBUWxvJuou0egmBEUgDYD8VF3fDE36HxwqshbVrpwjq4ZFmL99vbgFs17Eg4bq_AR8tCA8JN0fgoD-Iy-uu0N6tN3iUhyphenhyphenS1L2R1vLv3An7wBwmHIUdWsLccJiFPNZGJNYTyvxE3Vc14-wtLN2rQes1B0JTaFhco7fN_WPC1w0uhDRYIq/w385-h400/PXL_20231009_181452457.jpg" width="385" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggMZmfu1dlyWe2-NqX483xRgmofv4RbfZLm7t1yYqpvD3zJgg9WCqtea-Ie0qFSmORp4T10ot587o50LRrXrD8_ro35wUp6rQ-eiQYGmptHOAS23CO1Y3csqb74Pptem-KsIvP_O3F3WGs3uaBMbKj-A3Vqn7ICqdZx4WftChIvGvnnKXUUE42Bmh79Y_Q/s1257/PXL_20231009_181410946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1212" data-original-width="1257" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggMZmfu1dlyWe2-NqX483xRgmofv4RbfZLm7t1yYqpvD3zJgg9WCqtea-Ie0qFSmORp4T10ot587o50LRrXrD8_ro35wUp6rQ-eiQYGmptHOAS23CO1Y3csqb74Pptem-KsIvP_O3F3WGs3uaBMbKj-A3Vqn7ICqdZx4WftChIvGvnnKXUUE42Bmh79Y_Q/w400-h386/PXL_20231009_181410946.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Most of the well-known designs are of animals; however, there are some 1,200 distinct patterns and lines, and most of them are of a geometric nature. The longest line runs something like 30 miles—now, obviously that's not as exciting as the depictions of the hummingbird, the monkey, or the orca. As I found out later (while looking at and massaging my photos to increase the contrast and make the designs more visible) a fly-over will not allow the naked eye to capture the grandeur of these enigmatic relics of some long-forgotten civilization.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXg13KiRs3kEzL8JrxA2jg-r0sfEE3cKQInlRuGHuorKVuSSSfPlY-AWqtadpP_PjhULHrMVj5ZB1Wly4G8Hj9wa0lbPbPIlmmvoTD_IsDClqZpmQnuzH0NCSmyYbV-jUe4mjfitltaptFAbk5t9heEo5bMf0oct34FIvTiyvne0J05JAPS4X8tQjQWHFr/s991/PXL_20231009_181533975.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="991" data-original-width="879" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXg13KiRs3kEzL8JrxA2jg-r0sfEE3cKQInlRuGHuorKVuSSSfPlY-AWqtadpP_PjhULHrMVj5ZB1Wly4G8Hj9wa0lbPbPIlmmvoTD_IsDClqZpmQnuzH0NCSmyYbV-jUe4mjfitltaptFAbk5t9heEo5bMf0oct34FIvTiyvne0J05JAPS4X8tQjQWHFr/w355-h400/PXL_20231009_181533975.jpg" width="355" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlUl5f21lktCg2zcmcjoPHpomFBq9Z2GePxxHdYcw8sQSb1wcFGrVH1mKDXXAxAjFFjZba-fxABqUBPW0-v8jG400D7fwm_X53KFZOmrh3BuGuxDLvIcigkOkEggPss3V_XyZMgYzcu0QEZhQD2GtpzcHeQjxKPXNu49JW9MdSUBgbcAZAHq_iLZxSIyCN/s1457/PXL_20231009_181343198~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="955" data-original-width="1457" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlUl5f21lktCg2zcmcjoPHpomFBq9Z2GePxxHdYcw8sQSb1wcFGrVH1mKDXXAxAjFFjZba-fxABqUBPW0-v8jG400D7fwm_X53KFZOmrh3BuGuxDLvIcigkOkEggPss3V_XyZMgYzcu0QEZhQD2GtpzcHeQjxKPXNu49JW9MdSUBgbcAZAHq_iLZxSIyCN/w400-h263/PXL_20231009_181343198~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit79pUzrAegdqRsgagocjdknTVsdRAHpY8wS1hkIHsuESg0dCRxsm9QBBGJGuaa3euOy1KDSUgAt1ufLITCv6TzXr7fEWVk3S82p4TV5OGSOEtYBAalbgjC_XfKjN4mcmhX8PIgng9AuxL1vNjzgOzdaWeDCXjsKv1WyiBlV8zI5a2YCfLWiT2uTwv-fkm/s4032/PXL_20231009_181313856.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit79pUzrAegdqRsgagocjdknTVsdRAHpY8wS1hkIHsuESg0dCRxsm9QBBGJGuaa3euOy1KDSUgAt1ufLITCv6TzXr7fEWVk3S82p4TV5OGSOEtYBAalbgjC_XfKjN4mcmhX8PIgng9AuxL1vNjzgOzdaWeDCXjsKv1WyiBlV8zI5a2YCfLWiT2uTwv-fkm/w225-h400/PXL_20231009_181313856.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqKcIrGkda63FYdzZe5Qik_E9DYpYaAb2IJdp103R-om3bhPaTEK0u6VgIQH5NS-9ruI0pyEXHgnygk1WEAvcUVKyTDcDe9U1msUxxtUdY3ZHE2AFI5-noSa83t77c6QjtDdLGc8y4u2XlasGtza9EFYP-40cOxOXmrvS4VBk9sJ-J4kNn8V7T_F9pMfpO/s2903/PXL_20231009_180919316.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1864" data-original-width="2903" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqKcIrGkda63FYdzZe5Qik_E9DYpYaAb2IJdp103R-om3bhPaTEK0u6VgIQH5NS-9ruI0pyEXHgnygk1WEAvcUVKyTDcDe9U1msUxxtUdY3ZHE2AFI5-noSa83t77c6QjtDdLGc8y4u2XlasGtza9EFYP-40cOxOXmrvS4VBk9sJ-J4kNn8V7T_F9pMfpO/w400-h256/PXL_20231009_180919316.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNLNkfLQIb-Tl_s3aWn_DWpUQBfWOrh2EnZRjOwZ0_GMTpYQS_-6soc8QjNrlAesxrH7Y3UkrdVYeeXMOt4kChrbB2yiPWXJlIQx8ZlEbYiLL-rPKdr00oVgI0DySTUUZ38On5S84rYHyYcUc4P69frXkMYTGJl-pegvQwomIA5bypfFMV3Dfv1X42bjU9/s4032/PXL_20231009_181612096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNLNkfLQIb-Tl_s3aWn_DWpUQBfWOrh2EnZRjOwZ0_GMTpYQS_-6soc8QjNrlAesxrH7Y3UkrdVYeeXMOt4kChrbB2yiPWXJlIQx8ZlEbYiLL-rPKdr00oVgI0DySTUUZ38On5S84rYHyYcUc4P69frXkMYTGJl-pegvQwomIA5bypfFMV3Dfv1X42bjU9/w400-h225/PXL_20231009_181612096.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The flight not only gave me a chance to see the Nazca Lines themselves but also to get a glimpse of the incredible desert landscape from above. This different perspective elevates rocks and dry riverbeds to artworks of unspeakable beauty. I took my photos with my cell phone—having worked with semi-professional tools in the past I can only imagine what wonderful printed images one could create.<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfN3IvtCwjIJkE5J4miOasDjuyPN3j33orbzoApetAtEdFvkutrCBpW5Mt15DQyB_sm8GaYJcfeXOSc_2frV42P2kzW8QQuoVM4l1eqBRBAlbgkFTj5XQweeXKQbONfwqqNOI2zKBzW2MOpSIdUUiFANfSuZ2a2HZUrvomrubTDnivhg2Phk1WjWUliAJc/s4032/PXL_20231009_180942214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfN3IvtCwjIJkE5J4miOasDjuyPN3j33orbzoApetAtEdFvkutrCBpW5Mt15DQyB_sm8GaYJcfeXOSc_2frV42P2kzW8QQuoVM4l1eqBRBAlbgkFTj5XQweeXKQbONfwqqNOI2zKBzW2MOpSIdUUiFANfSuZ2a2HZUrvomrubTDnivhg2Phk1WjWUliAJc/w400-h225/PXL_20231009_180942214.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Qz6DX3CL-nK3gtuvYEXc3UUDMbzTVz1gTvnH9Z53aJ4w9-e33Dt0FILBJzwYCTLivEE4NFM5wRecWlGL7RjT379ejQxT8q3n7Ujzt7ne5g7QGD2sN4gl0e32YdV2vxDZGXKVP7-NeGLXyJ85pY1wY1mcfby4ZaIMhYaoecQa5m_YRS_Dv6MYG6amMoBz/s4032/PXL_20231009_180029790.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Qz6DX3CL-nK3gtuvYEXc3UUDMbzTVz1gTvnH9Z53aJ4w9-e33Dt0FILBJzwYCTLivEE4NFM5wRecWlGL7RjT379ejQxT8q3n7Ujzt7ne5g7QGD2sN4gl0e32YdV2vxDZGXKVP7-NeGLXyJ85pY1wY1mcfby4ZaIMhYaoecQa5m_YRS_Dv6MYG6amMoBz/w400-h225/PXL_20231009_180029790.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSlO22Yrftjk8vEGNhHjvChtAe6sckU1hdoG93FIzlVTBkD_pyOvUr9UVm0j0uej7vQy1nP2Hu8Z_ldKbsnCrGpQmJ1JbzPoUjzFenpFfflbvp0rdPYUEoQ8h6BBhRDuJYyYZKcE1r0e8wdkEBPZdYOYOsoJ3_IAL0Oll6tbiM_3ugoujdmcm1uzQQTXPY/s4032/PXL_20231009_180929211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSlO22Yrftjk8vEGNhHjvChtAe6sckU1hdoG93FIzlVTBkD_pyOvUr9UVm0j0uej7vQy1nP2Hu8Z_ldKbsnCrGpQmJ1JbzPoUjzFenpFfflbvp0rdPYUEoQ8h6BBhRDuJYyYZKcE1r0e8wdkEBPZdYOYOsoJ3_IAL0Oll6tbiM_3ugoujdmcm1uzQQTXPY/w400-h225/PXL_20231009_180929211.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The various delays in the morning meant that I did not make it back to town in time for the aqueduct tour that I had booked for the afternoon. Another hour was wasted waiting for the tour bus to show up, as I had been reassured. I finally gave up and decided to spend my remaining two hours in Nazca in a more worthwhile fashion, observing the locals at <i>Billar</i> hone their card and snooker skills while mentally preparing myself for the upcoming 11-hour overnight trip to Arequipa, which will be covered in the next blog entry in a few days. Wherever I looked, the Nazca Lines followed me....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ2h35Oq6kiHxpmkfQYmtzavSTn6InqA9wtc_o4Q-v5qQcgXXJS2oWbFr79WMofY-CgwQcALN4HwQp07olDjPUB-_gH3pYj8lSVjEt81RyTsewsevF76a3OmJNgm0xfnxPnJVqEKCf7j6wddSP5CTCkMpq3QEKwvve2bnQvPNNJNXFAWIlZQlvY6nPKVbF/s3655/PXL_20231009_222756493.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3655" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ2h35Oq6kiHxpmkfQYmtzavSTn6InqA9wtc_o4Q-v5qQcgXXJS2oWbFr79WMofY-CgwQcALN4HwQp07olDjPUB-_gH3pYj8lSVjEt81RyTsewsevF76a3OmJNgm0xfnxPnJVqEKCf7j6wddSP5CTCkMpq3QEKwvve2bnQvPNNJNXFAWIlZQlvY6nPKVbF/w249-h400/PXL_20231009_222756493.jpg" width="249" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvLSCFloQ_apEE8ZFH1pR5IQqkiLhQ1TgdFN8kwUGfIe5XrXgnfSd40lu_FjEYRuuUGOpEdhPKrYcxzY3HKIeRlgEU-36t_SWI-LxzA2ZEkayoh1QvkbVHE4tdKx0U9tW_k-3GBrkqWeVginGh3F_ctvJHlKo577MG2BIiP36tzWUYbGnyE5cbEJz3qfNI/s3047/PXL_20231009_211220442.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3047" data-original-width="2182" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvLSCFloQ_apEE8ZFH1pR5IQqkiLhQ1TgdFN8kwUGfIe5XrXgnfSd40lu_FjEYRuuUGOpEdhPKrYcxzY3HKIeRlgEU-36t_SWI-LxzA2ZEkayoh1QvkbVHE4tdKx0U9tW_k-3GBrkqWeVginGh3F_ctvJHlKo577MG2BIiP36tzWUYbGnyE5cbEJz3qfNI/w286-h400/PXL_20231009_211220442.jpg" width="286" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwYRvfksdyW77MaxBtqhJibqnaJ7hHYu2mqCrpXHuHuq9NWTt7nfiFYNz7F_N5xxi_0RvmaP1crgLgkJJqh06VDBNceAuVqBtzyuk-BdQGC5GYUw_uOLjzHlEL0Fod-dBE60DamTpJtQK8-0DWAQb2nUZqC7BVk8o2JfFY2KghH6M_dsE5ifDf0UrzPbWs/s3697/PXL_20231009_202612078~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3697" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwYRvfksdyW77MaxBtqhJibqnaJ7hHYu2mqCrpXHuHuq9NWTt7nfiFYNz7F_N5xxi_0RvmaP1crgLgkJJqh06VDBNceAuVqBtzyuk-BdQGC5GYUw_uOLjzHlEL0Fod-dBE60DamTpJtQK8-0DWAQb2nUZqC7BVk8o2JfFY2KghH6M_dsE5ifDf0UrzPbWs/w400-h245/PXL_20231009_202612078~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMW6I332-cOJHmRS7yymFpTZ911yoZMlL6We1jZxoyBmS-uQBCktchT1TwgQ5zeauVWO7ZOQUgN7o07kxBSRFDysZi48mkt5-GXhgaGaxeb7WXOPyVOS6LeTQMPNinPta9SYT3z6q_nDZl17x9B-Ll3Jg8hfRkn0OGmzzddJfkdQdkSfpCLiO0ivNUSvfi/s3440/PXL_20231009_210815160.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3440" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMW6I332-cOJHmRS7yymFpTZ911yoZMlL6We1jZxoyBmS-uQBCktchT1TwgQ5zeauVWO7ZOQUgN7o07kxBSRFDysZi48mkt5-GXhgaGaxeb7WXOPyVOS6LeTQMPNinPta9SYT3z6q_nDZl17x9B-Ll3Jg8hfRkn0OGmzzddJfkdQdkSfpCLiO0ivNUSvfi/w400-h264/PXL_20231009_210815160.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjT8-NeCljJ044P_piHB-CGcPXe79kIKQmHtAXhq964jcbQfr0BqDB6dcVLSmJX9O-9K8_tLO0DKykaF3tfm2Pdf6B28eSF-MS7aQ5gVkQ7b-hEjTvldUlUJQMOJNDbg-VgwzGwsdO58Q7vBUTpZWwsWO4ajwxtaZ3-tdjF8UM2HinEUPvV0eCpAWdFnwi/s4032/PXL_20231009_210535882.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjT8-NeCljJ044P_piHB-CGcPXe79kIKQmHtAXhq964jcbQfr0BqDB6dcVLSmJX9O-9K8_tLO0DKykaF3tfm2Pdf6B28eSF-MS7aQ5gVkQ7b-hEjTvldUlUJQMOJNDbg-VgwzGwsdO58Q7vBUTpZWwsWO4ajwxtaZ3-tdjF8UM2HinEUPvV0eCpAWdFnwi/w225-h400/PXL_20231009_210535882.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX0cs77LSxjHIAG5VDUCoZT4rDuoAzKXRHY2w2INC-IsQaGAeYBZQ08M62VhPxkYf3l-7kOQst9B0SLvn7P3Lf1eoDHom4TFWqRa9Q1xc3LuPGbTC1IK6OI_tJDuCcp3grlfKqohklFHcwOkfKHI8ocXZ29_pM9X2XJ-XYQp15EFKQwVV_OHenmt03JY4V/s2894/PXL_20231009_202334363.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2894" data-original-width="2216" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX0cs77LSxjHIAG5VDUCoZT4rDuoAzKXRHY2w2INC-IsQaGAeYBZQ08M62VhPxkYf3l-7kOQst9B0SLvn7P3Lf1eoDHom4TFWqRa9Q1xc3LuPGbTC1IK6OI_tJDuCcp3grlfKqohklFHcwOkfKHI8ocXZ29_pM9X2XJ-XYQp15EFKQwVV_OHenmt03JY4V/w306-h400/PXL_20231009_202334363.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL.jpg" width="306" /></a></div>It's a bit crazy that this blog entry covers a mere three days of my life.Sometimes, we're just inundated with impressions that create lasting memories, and then there are those blah times. Right now, things are going pretty much full throttle!</div><div><br /></div>JürgenJürgenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03107533431710748040noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023527478729548228.post-3272747844717678462023-10-08T09:32:00.004-05:002023-10-10T23:00:33.714-05:00Hopping from Lima toward Lake Atitlán (part 1, Lima to Paracas)<div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ0KKLI9BJV4SRtGIdtafnSaYtaJSquYwMf_qU5p_SHFFKmUk2i7Ouk48KYQRqwwQKedPMMmBp0vQYh770cg748pC6qVWfV5BS99ONT5EXcH3QJyaGG1xM4Ggr9EALrq1bo3KLupT-f6aFQpMw8gqPqLJwFJJMo0cM15hkdDKcjHp72z6HGfkDyfTkAqF8/s4032/PXL_20231005_223551540.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ0KKLI9BJV4SRtGIdtafnSaYtaJSquYwMf_qU5p_SHFFKmUk2i7Ouk48KYQRqwwQKedPMMmBp0vQYh770cg748pC6qVWfV5BS99ONT5EXcH3QJyaGG1xM4Ggr9EALrq1bo3KLupT-f6aFQpMw8gqPqLJwFJJMo0cM15hkdDKcjHp72z6HGfkDyfTkAqF8/w400-h225/PXL_20231005_223551540.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Paracas National Reserve</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Until a few months ago I had never heard of PeruHop, a bus company styled after the well-known red Hop On / Hop Off buses that allow tourists worldwide to explore a city's sights for one set fare. PeruHop (and its extension, BoliviaHop) operates on the same principle: You buy one set-fare ticket for a given route (say Lima to Arequipa or Lima to Cuzco), and then you can choose to step off the bus in places where you'd like to spend a day or two or six. You hop on and off. All you need to do is let the operators know no later than 12 hours before the departure of the bus that you want a seat. Genius!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu_6c8nLrYDe20Xz1EFARzD9Fk3UY-HnKmjNX1ab-TFEfKdBgCPhcSPj-zsiQnc50dSmbSeKHX2Uklb2C3PPPn8okYPtji9lHouTvhTrU2rerjod04zvXG7OP9qHPdtRk0m3_zP_G-Xd8GkyssPr7CiZ3cl9oUvzgzbUQGRTm0EHCvn7rZdSoIGIvrJMdi/s4032/PXL_20231003_195012216.PORTRAIT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu_6c8nLrYDe20Xz1EFARzD9Fk3UY-HnKmjNX1ab-TFEfKdBgCPhcSPj-zsiQnc50dSmbSeKHX2Uklb2C3PPPn8okYPtji9lHouTvhTrU2rerjod04zvXG7OP9qHPdtRk0m3_zP_G-Xd8GkyssPr7CiZ3cl9oUvzgzbUQGRTm0EHCvn7rZdSoIGIvrJMdi/w400-h225/PXL_20231003_195012216.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVTqYERQbuKZ-AGpSRYL_R3OI0f7N0A5mPNj76JiqGBW23XmU5CMLVNKFrAcrbAP7PwO83XPX1-Y8dEbWleeWn2cIDIQCtjrnPqNQoSYZEK0zAJlxyykkA540UOp09u7QA5SxMzGPAH0zocdGiVkNrrJ8NL49omODYaWY7jCQO0v-B3UzydqGAj87KQUsZ/s4032/PXL_20231004_104208264.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVTqYERQbuKZ-AGpSRYL_R3OI0f7N0A5mPNj76JiqGBW23XmU5CMLVNKFrAcrbAP7PwO83XPX1-Y8dEbWleeWn2cIDIQCtjrnPqNQoSYZEK0zAJlxyykkA540UOp09u7QA5SxMzGPAH0zocdGiVkNrrJ8NL49omODYaWY7jCQO0v-B3UzydqGAj87KQUsZ/w400-h225/PXL_20231004_104208264.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Arriving in Lima shortly after sunrise</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWeAww1H81b9H1RgZ7EZ4s_J5pSLxQCmUmPKNvKZ89JTOs5mO1hDBVh2ca_OR6PXVATRT7tgUyQalNi4ehUXeguK4xpc-Cc51sLxb67oXe2NoZWbYk7GNn10brA27OhjZMJT4syXCt3nMrNy7qXv29JAbBxR3s6RjQM1o3UZGsjv9emDG0BdF8ug8XNxnP/s4032/PXL_20231004_170319791.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWeAww1H81b9H1RgZ7EZ4s_J5pSLxQCmUmPKNvKZ89JTOs5mO1hDBVh2ca_OR6PXVATRT7tgUyQalNi4ehUXeguK4xpc-Cc51sLxb67oXe2NoZWbYk7GNn10brA27OhjZMJT4syXCt3nMrNy7qXv29JAbBxR3s6RjQM1o3UZGsjv9emDG0BdF8ug8XNxnP/w400-h225/PXL_20231004_170319791.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNo94FVEja_va4IzHD9ggJ6SoBPc-N50Hfda1iLWdveokgkveNswB5DGPj9gbXx7ljcVIsIu8ExyOCdDeQnK1F3XEM1vDyZOM6txGKyZcXi4wm_ir29V5nb9dkvfVGzL8rcUsjS4a8FxAKssQWupJdJLIEpUviDc-PuKqqZ8XfnR6x-lj3ygZYoBJ6IN2X/s4032/PXL_20231005_113414363.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNo94FVEja_va4IzHD9ggJ6SoBPc-N50Hfda1iLWdveokgkveNswB5DGPj9gbXx7ljcVIsIu8ExyOCdDeQnK1F3XEM1vDyZOM6txGKyZcXi4wm_ir29V5nb9dkvfVGzL8rcUsjS4a8FxAKssQWupJdJLIEpUviDc-PuKqqZ8XfnR6x-lj3ygZYoBJ6IN2X/w225-h400/PXL_20231005_113414363.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>After arriving in Lima eight hours late (and in the wee hours of Wednesday instead of at a civil time Tuesday evening, thanks to yet another mechanical issue that delayed my DFW to MIA flight enough to miss my Lima connection) I spent my first few hours in Peru's capital trying to catch up on a couple of hours of sleep. Thankfully, I had been able to change my hotel shuttle, the <i>QuickLlama</i>, as well as my hotel arrival to the ungodly time of 5:00 a.m., and so the fallout was limited to being just a bit on the tired side. (The business class flights from Miami to Lima do not feature lie-flat seats, and even those domestic first class seats become a bit uncomfortable after five hours of flying. I know, complaints, complaints—but the <i>one </i>complaint that really counts, the one I sent off to AA, has already yielded 15,000 miles.)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjELf_WyFB4oZy28aF1r6hwJBfCx5Zw9DwyTU17SMunOjmWFxcwAV2B-BFtxCy2raMNS_K427rTvuMGTPcm6vY6bnn9aIpDayhty5DVsoFXRuubBZXX8-TybZhu5J3UNUR3VePIf2RAxtP0uQr1SprxvAFr8_9HgkWmhiuYNYBQUMARJ0_SQsy5pOaLYATd/s3360/PXL_20231004_174704177.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3360" data-original-width="2180" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjELf_WyFB4oZy28aF1r6hwJBfCx5Zw9DwyTU17SMunOjmWFxcwAV2B-BFtxCy2raMNS_K427rTvuMGTPcm6vY6bnn9aIpDayhty5DVsoFXRuubBZXX8-TybZhu5J3UNUR3VePIf2RAxtP0uQr1SprxvAFr8_9HgkWmhiuYNYBQUMARJ0_SQsy5pOaLYATd/w260-h400/PXL_20231004_174704177.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtdjOUji09omMr3qQs3lVECiYhCplKr_s3jeyNaBtkQ_tlHkYcyS4cpPAiE5hPpjH8Wlf8DySftLX1a86D4ir70wsF3ENnuzzqIehUduBgU__LedQC28WYFINTeZ1mkC7oLrBjfdHzlnnyC37lecAhN1HPcZzTQTOhJvTeKIHRSTGDm3BzhY9gyK-shD62/s3367/PXL_20231004_172305228.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2151" data-original-width="3367" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtdjOUji09omMr3qQs3lVECiYhCplKr_s3jeyNaBtkQ_tlHkYcyS4cpPAiE5hPpjH8Wlf8DySftLX1a86D4ir70wsF3ENnuzzqIehUduBgU__LedQC28WYFINTeZ1mkC7oLrBjfdHzlnnyC37lecAhN1HPcZzTQTOhJvTeKIHRSTGDm3BzhY9gyK-shD62/w400-h255/PXL_20231004_172305228.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqWyGC-LzUXAh9Q7XmDw3GV8xJqQZZ_OOdVSdPXzokf_F1lNvR4nd97yIWNrwo0v4p0S0Qb0bmJ2tEURZ3wQ0XkQ911vCAkZ3krDZXjI_Q4FG8GY54CqguCgbP8FDugaFAdkI5Pa-f0mW1ZAC5OApWi3WfBuh0NkCatyCheoPD0Mcq9Bv0fjYiaEFH6NF/s3864/PXL_20231004_171914342.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2092" data-original-width="3864" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqWyGC-LzUXAh9Q7XmDw3GV8xJqQZZ_OOdVSdPXzokf_F1lNvR4nd97yIWNrwo0v4p0S0Qb0bmJ2tEURZ3wQ0XkQ911vCAkZ3krDZXjI_Q4FG8GY54CqguCgbP8FDugaFAdkI5Pa-f0mW1ZAC5OApWi3WfBuh0NkCatyCheoPD0Mcq9Bv0fjYiaEFH6NF/w400-h216/PXL_20231004_171914342.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi75qM_jpIz1esWHWTSCqVID7lp0XnC9F5RHK3Z9r0myaFnLyiq30g7KSR2SAmcFRv5tXm83IXklhvN1nOw_iCRAJSoWwUEdaO96q-r2Cc2iBRzyM3DPFINELItaLjpw7H0Je6U2nnoWc_DU75GnskMgnL6gvQwq7C8JkbmlB8Uxo9WMeHQH3XMow3nGKdy/s1714/PXL_20231004_171501547.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1124" data-original-width="1714" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi75qM_jpIz1esWHWTSCqVID7lp0XnC9F5RHK3Z9r0myaFnLyiq30g7KSR2SAmcFRv5tXm83IXklhvN1nOw_iCRAJSoWwUEdaO96q-r2Cc2iBRzyM3DPFINELItaLjpw7H0Je6U2nnoWc_DU75GnskMgnL6gvQwq7C8JkbmlB8Uxo9WMeHQH3XMow3nGKdy/w400-h263/PXL_20231004_171501547.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidRSB9PemBm80d0bBlogD-P9IczvBwx-7362_m7Iy5YZ9rO6i0V9fN-cKLa-vHln7EVlNoICHsbuxxrxMeJ-XNl5E0l0EwGahAxkA6wUz54AP_XOukjuIFeMqP-1x_0lKiKDDJb2oxtz_Tc3ejmLcwRf1oEZCx4vxonjjsANQty6qdW4O1vQX0BEGqtOMt/s3772/PXL_20231004_170929368.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3772" data-original-width="2137" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidRSB9PemBm80d0bBlogD-P9IczvBwx-7362_m7Iy5YZ9rO6i0V9fN-cKLa-vHln7EVlNoICHsbuxxrxMeJ-XNl5E0l0EwGahAxkA6wUz54AP_XOukjuIFeMqP-1x_0lKiKDDJb2oxtz_Tc3ejmLcwRf1oEZCx4vxonjjsANQty6qdW4O1vQX0BEGqtOMt/w226-h400/PXL_20231004_170929368.jpg" width="226" /></a></div><div>By mid-morning I felt fit enough to go for a long walk through the Miraflores neighborhood where my hotel, the <i>Casa del Viajero</i>, was located. I had been in the same general area a few years back when I worked the Pan-American BMX Championships, and just like back then I enjoyed the many small parks, pretty homes, and bustling streetlife of this well-to-do district.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzoZdl4LjJBRG-YdBNrZ_wXkqaB7TT7E251Eddomb-E71zBjWZhot_2keCNrCFp7IxMSQzAKqLtQk3E6vZ2dUEmMmcGBsLZxtfaHvO6-Vei7ffWwFM0t0R-JekoYjNmHRMPCIjBO2B5C0Q7dhFrndktOTpCoBGo4iP_ghgACdkJVXagfRQThOUsrtc9S9h/s2380/PXL_20231004_181548562.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1588" data-original-width="2380" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzoZdl4LjJBRG-YdBNrZ_wXkqaB7TT7E251Eddomb-E71zBjWZhot_2keCNrCFp7IxMSQzAKqLtQk3E6vZ2dUEmMmcGBsLZxtfaHvO6-Vei7ffWwFM0t0R-JekoYjNmHRMPCIjBO2B5C0Q7dhFrndktOTpCoBGo4iP_ghgACdkJVXagfRQThOUsrtc9S9h/w400-h268/PXL_20231004_181548562.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSN6dsqesdh60xqGTVdl1Lnr8J7ZB_4x6Lo7S5pjO5o5lEXaI6Uq41ijjJKIe8bh5Hn020VtQwn7h1wBSE8DZS6AcnF5z_HiSggRS4xB71SIP166NAnRodx77xIolBUSGV5Lmkzs0_b_DkYEYGi2iOcBjYkk9vkMZQf15xOzzFjEFQRksO3jdoyS02EG5a/s2212/PXL_20231004_173214784.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2010" data-original-width="2212" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSN6dsqesdh60xqGTVdl1Lnr8J7ZB_4x6Lo7S5pjO5o5lEXaI6Uq41ijjJKIe8bh5Hn020VtQwn7h1wBSE8DZS6AcnF5z_HiSggRS4xB71SIP166NAnRodx77xIolBUSGV5Lmkzs0_b_DkYEYGi2iOcBjYkk9vkMZQf15xOzzFjEFQRksO3jdoyS02EG5a/w400-h364/PXL_20231004_173214784.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn_8pBOA7LufIh73MEVPtDh-6pVQoDiGrmwD9Io1z77MomCOxJfNrRHqc-xDucy-N1xHSiDxCvuxJORCE-9r7NnBNVy6VN6nb9VIpUo0d9u8Hfkos6yiAa_oGcpm1xTUAH-KJEi9iCv3pHitzTKfCkugQxr0gLzf00FaTWkDNr0DSctN7Vq5KEMNr9i1lc/s4032/PXL_20231004_180833053.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn_8pBOA7LufIh73MEVPtDh-6pVQoDiGrmwD9Io1z77MomCOxJfNrRHqc-xDucy-N1xHSiDxCvuxJORCE-9r7NnBNVy6VN6nb9VIpUo0d9u8Hfkos6yiAa_oGcpm1xTUAH-KJEi9iCv3pHitzTKfCkugQxr0gLzf00FaTWkDNr0DSctN7Vq5KEMNr9i1lc/w225-h400/PXL_20231004_180833053.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1tcQ-kC-lw_i8ZrKnYQ_hc89AczaLPG5zsmbDJepRVw9B5m6xzOBjW-NaP8QvhAYTfatPkmAxAwe25kq23brwITKkmXk5qCteqEG7YUfSPVTm5RqmqwIeb8e2XMaajmTzv8Tt9AVrGuQyCJxIDjtql1o1dcUpg_A3OMuV7GDRDzYQZdnGn1E5rTbOjN5k/s3349/PXL_20231004_172445087.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2030" data-original-width="3349" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1tcQ-kC-lw_i8ZrKnYQ_hc89AczaLPG5zsmbDJepRVw9B5m6xzOBjW-NaP8QvhAYTfatPkmAxAwe25kq23brwITKkmXk5qCteqEG7YUfSPVTm5RqmqwIeb8e2XMaajmTzv8Tt9AVrGuQyCJxIDjtql1o1dcUpg_A3OMuV7GDRDzYQZdnGn1E5rTbOjN5k/w400-h243/PXL_20231004_172445087.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Of course, the highlight of the day came in the form of my meeting up with Gino, with whom I had formed a friendship on my last visit to Peru. He had been my liaison with the local race organization and he had shown me the old, central part of Lima. Over the past two years we had stayed in occasional WhatsApp contact, and so, in the run-up to this trip, we had made arrangements to get together, even if the time was tight. Gino picked me up at the hotel and took me to a nice seafood restaurant, the <i>Punto Azul</i>. He treated me to an amazing lunch of grilled octopus and a mixed <i>ceviche</i>, accompanied by two <i>piscos sour</i> (<i>tamano catedral</i>, as they call the big ones here). Afterward, we hit a taproom across the street before heading to microbrewery #500 on my list, the aptly named <i>La Cerveceria</i>. Gino got a real kick out of being part of my reaching this milestone, and I couldn't have asked for a nicer person to share it with.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii62BjlqU90ZhXoTIvxqpTaTBlL9RwFAzWoX6Tnms4Gf7AVZC5sp25kSuPDoM8vo22t_bwywlXvZwVWidalqsiUwMAOmSVebf97BS-fOWTQotYhx_7MVrYnPOws0E7yXxPT2K26UJV91A8yHdjsI4-SsrJjBm-ya-zifXTEGos7t_5UAY5QpuGjJ9RDm_U/s4032/PXL_20231004_193413090.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii62BjlqU90ZhXoTIvxqpTaTBlL9RwFAzWoX6Tnms4Gf7AVZC5sp25kSuPDoM8vo22t_bwywlXvZwVWidalqsiUwMAOmSVebf97BS-fOWTQotYhx_7MVrYnPOws0E7yXxPT2K26UJV91A8yHdjsI4-SsrJjBm-ya-zifXTEGos7t_5UAY5QpuGjJ9RDm_U/w400-h225/PXL_20231004_193413090.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-l_dotUtPENvHtumknsCpxvXDKKFS6Y9e4gr3JTWLkB6qUEKkNcACKEQoFBeaNAhBQkBbsLdMyMkW3ZbnnXHcn9Uf62wezaw8RljgaTDMaW7MTrZWjS2dzjnH6tXTPPcwwN-8TPDaKIfkbD9esiDXa8OqN__mX7Ssd-01gHr8zmT-jyObJj0HYiNYLGM/s4032/PXL_20231004_192627839.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-l_dotUtPENvHtumknsCpxvXDKKFS6Y9e4gr3JTWLkB6qUEKkNcACKEQoFBeaNAhBQkBbsLdMyMkW3ZbnnXHcn9Uf62wezaw8RljgaTDMaW7MTrZWjS2dzjnH6tXTPPcwwN-8TPDaKIfkbD9esiDXa8OqN__mX7Ssd-01gHr8zmT-jyObJj0HYiNYLGM/w400-h225/PXL_20231004_192627839.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnzQuVNs16LQO236_M3x6Ix3rqJ2Y6E-1glviuAFzMc43CjLGbUnffn01qyGH1dSJYQ8KPCUy1jjcdbvVI27GjPlaazQo1LUYYV3YNCFzCwJmw5FxjeDHbsEaX_GlxtK1lgQxxP-1HEihhGqlRSUS1VmhRxui9fr6Hhym_JJJcIvaqpVUtdJLcNmZSrBGy/s3013/PXL_20231004_224636567.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3013" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnzQuVNs16LQO236_M3x6Ix3rqJ2Y6E-1glviuAFzMc43CjLGbUnffn01qyGH1dSJYQ8KPCUy1jjcdbvVI27GjPlaazQo1LUYYV3YNCFzCwJmw5FxjeDHbsEaX_GlxtK1lgQxxP-1HEihhGqlRSUS1VmhRxui9fr6Hhym_JJJcIvaqpVUtdJLcNmZSrBGy/w400-h286/PXL_20231004_224636567.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ZpeaxpeTzuaimgpcp24MhSlVxnGr_eegsSqo8gWPH7cQOl8q19-26hU_QSenphIBp9PA9wwljnCQew_nxHWQntFS5XNbd8x3XWPsfTATQWsXRW01HkEGcTx9TQRCetaGMOQqq8OUhYXQSVFpyehrk0CXXxkdNF7wOxRD5pZ7e6_9PLzCzvSvtwHMuOnC/s2879/PXL_20231004_225019752.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2879" data-original-width="2216" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ZpeaxpeTzuaimgpcp24MhSlVxnGr_eegsSqo8gWPH7cQOl8q19-26hU_QSenphIBp9PA9wwljnCQew_nxHWQntFS5XNbd8x3XWPsfTATQWsXRW01HkEGcTx9TQRCetaGMOQqq8OUhYXQSVFpyehrk0CXXxkdNF7wOxRD5pZ7e6_9PLzCzvSvtwHMuOnC/w308-h400/PXL_20231004_225019752.jpg" width="308" /></a></div>The next morning it was time to start my trip proper with the PeruHop bus. My pick-up time at the hotel had been set for 6:40 a.m. to 6:50 a.m., and when the bus didn't show up I had a few tense moments since all my hotel reservations and pre-paid excursions hinged on my traveling onward on time. But it turned out that there had been a delay because of the large number of passengers, and 45 minutes later we were on the road, initially picking up more passengers from their hotels and then weaving our way through Lima's heavy traffic, heading south.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhToAE8GSMKND-dupkoIb5c7xDu9kcUv41loTKBo8_h80idC6C-yGOEn16axmGurQ5_Bfb4KgYM-ArRqWT9hWSVupSwTpuIRltiQUR0eSJNqHNeR-R78g8PQb_SigbPjN-6opEpwLHB0kcNxkZ7Dd11B7sNBL8AgOM_36JJ0CE8VpV_KXOaP3ibEwyD68iD/s4032/PXL_20231005_124425703.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhToAE8GSMKND-dupkoIb5c7xDu9kcUv41loTKBo8_h80idC6C-yGOEn16axmGurQ5_Bfb4KgYM-ArRqWT9hWSVupSwTpuIRltiQUR0eSJNqHNeR-R78g8PQb_SigbPjN-6opEpwLHB0kcNxkZ7Dd11B7sNBL8AgOM_36JJ0CE8VpV_KXOaP3ibEwyD68iD/w400-h225/PXL_20231005_124425703.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipSYfwD-DKNRfw3VdNR0ARzpGQUeS1uG0hjJSByewRhzTVxQ-d_URtgCAY7X7Z3w27R5xC84p4XmU9gtp4Z4gBFXRrlB_WEKif6aIBGOfTm6OcYtVS7sFbEH2P04sJ6kZqWvJHAZMorKYCiwbUCpQ4_gmo9bV7dx5NvH_0zaAyfyw5c9KMG-5nSOoqo7wk/s4032/PXL_20231005_134818256~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1672" data-original-width="4032" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipSYfwD-DKNRfw3VdNR0ARzpGQUeS1uG0hjJSByewRhzTVxQ-d_URtgCAY7X7Z3w27R5xC84p4XmU9gtp4Z4gBFXRrlB_WEKif6aIBGOfTm6OcYtVS7sFbEH2P04sJ6kZqWvJHAZMorKYCiwbUCpQ4_gmo9bV7dx5NvH_0zaAyfyw5c9KMG-5nSOoqo7wk/w400-h166/PXL_20231005_134818256~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5NggwifzO2Ibjcb9o2V9Ll5Ww3-u0B3L8Dr31WcxEDFJWlaWQ9b8D818-AZ9mNsM-qbjwb3dDcUYeXLY1lQ-XmvmltS6S5WShlWqyaT3Yvrq_oJXD7T6JUQvAwF13GXfKtUsQ4Ym6WbSMVauolGMfWEf7gxlWVp2lYAJWxRZfwGGqanPS96ybEbahknxG/s3449/PXL_20231005_134842962~3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1947" data-original-width="3449" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5NggwifzO2Ibjcb9o2V9Ll5Ww3-u0B3L8Dr31WcxEDFJWlaWQ9b8D818-AZ9mNsM-qbjwb3dDcUYeXLY1lQ-XmvmltS6S5WShlWqyaT3Yvrq_oJXD7T6JUQvAwF13GXfKtUsQ4Ym6WbSMVauolGMfWEf7gxlWVp2lYAJWxRZfwGGqanPS96ybEbahknxG/w400-h226/PXL_20231005_134842962~3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy70ajPxLThu-TPb9THbGMrtIxjX-h3uYZahPsS5lhHos3auAi-PZeBvcOpDW1PVmrjr_2LawULp_Vgpf9dbjl6F5-5zbNH8WNOKuk1uY9SiqF7jqYrpk3yUqVvDFIux6p1NTkko3bZJ2GoFjhn3VCotdpOtWPG0CeOoVEwqwFOA1I-poGVBkO5q9apfqi/s3738/PXL_20231005_141552322.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3738" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy70ajPxLThu-TPb9THbGMrtIxjX-h3uYZahPsS5lhHos3auAi-PZeBvcOpDW1PVmrjr_2LawULp_Vgpf9dbjl6F5-5zbNH8WNOKuk1uY9SiqF7jqYrpk3yUqVvDFIux6p1NTkko3bZJ2GoFjhn3VCotdpOtWPG0CeOoVEwqwFOA1I-poGVBkO5q9apfqi/w242-h400/PXL_20231005_141552322.jpg" width="242" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifdbO78eSeS5d3ICroWETNpiCs6OPhU16SE0RqBUNvhHYmDDNohi8zSsYWxi-lkLAUMO1tJF_nB955Ejwn8nSRKtbCNOjhJVknawuu2cIrf-K0rRkfX4JSRXjUuCM2DOthob58qL5i2vN-mIPFod1QRMvR46i4yWsajAjg7T8YmmforijdwQBEJQYybZUg/s2858/PXL_20231005_144518533.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1534" data-original-width="2858" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifdbO78eSeS5d3ICroWETNpiCs6OPhU16SE0RqBUNvhHYmDDNohi8zSsYWxi-lkLAUMO1tJF_nB955Ejwn8nSRKtbCNOjhJVknawuu2cIrf-K0rRkfX4JSRXjUuCM2DOthob58qL5i2vN-mIPFod1QRMvR46i4yWsajAjg7T8YmmforijdwQBEJQYybZUg/w400-h215/PXL_20231005_144518533.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Our big, modern motorcoach was packed with 48 passengers, plus of course the driver as well as Charley, our pleasant tour guide. She gave us a quick overview of the day's trip and then proceeded to meet with each one of us, check what our final destination with PeruHop was going to be, where and for how long we would stay for the night. I can't remember exactly how many different nations were represented in our bus that day, but I would venture that the number was close to 20. The passengers ranged in age from young backpacker types (some single, some in groups) to middle-aged couples as well as old farts like me. I sat next to a mid-30ish woman from Italy, Marianna, but she had partied too hard the night before and we didn't talk much.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1UUetgdCPufv_4Y_xh9ZUgOtdK4Z6BZID0cXPLaSkaf39IPYsj1UVgsao7dNMEC3iSn8nG7j8TUxxG3KzSQhqQt9bKHwrSU_E6OwKYZlmRbxqoLkNHi2U9OzNaZTrCsLztVdBA8t-EgmhAPk86DguI9wMZE8KiTQ8HBfy_bQRLVPxnr3JdJ-z5vMoOyGX/s4032/PXL_20231005_155657488~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1758" data-original-width="4032" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1UUetgdCPufv_4Y_xh9ZUgOtdK4Z6BZID0cXPLaSkaf39IPYsj1UVgsao7dNMEC3iSn8nG7j8TUxxG3KzSQhqQt9bKHwrSU_E6OwKYZlmRbxqoLkNHi2U9OzNaZTrCsLztVdBA8t-EgmhAPk86DguI9wMZE8KiTQ8HBfy_bQRLVPxnr3JdJ-z5vMoOyGX/w400-h175/PXL_20231005_155657488~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_YDso0rICVyWA_BsxeoNENbotfU__WSee1hcF57a2YbQD1SiV-6YoqxPlphz6TZOD5SgsjaZVFq3tmR_k99a4_2QeLqgthDVe8YfKjtct1kceiqfeTTlylZaRr8QzUZVyirIhMURfVpcVcZ70ABR3T63ZaTV6kL9-H2feNUUlWwGJRfYFyGi6PVjmEaPP/s4032/PXL_20231005_142000460.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_YDso0rICVyWA_BsxeoNENbotfU__WSee1hcF57a2YbQD1SiV-6YoqxPlphz6TZOD5SgsjaZVFq3tmR_k99a4_2QeLqgthDVe8YfKjtct1kceiqfeTTlylZaRr8QzUZVyirIhMURfVpcVcZ70ABR3T63ZaTV6kL9-H2feNUUlWwGJRfYFyGi6PVjmEaPP/w400-h225/PXL_20231005_142000460.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidOMZfMXHWgQ-iVleFyeeYXHwNdc1BIlnPEwxRKl9PmQrOAKAwQRb4D35J5duSP-LhMz5jbwKYi5i6-E0tDLc_OGvqaKUMPVHhV1nrpmr4fC5gV5Dh1UGz_3PJ1Axre7tocWV0XSPRlF_Mn8LIvF_xh1IDcvQGgRTddazlG9dnXF5axTt74VVSMh1fB5zp/s4032/PXL_20231005_141850378.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidOMZfMXHWgQ-iVleFyeeYXHwNdc1BIlnPEwxRKl9PmQrOAKAwQRb4D35J5duSP-LhMz5jbwKYi5i6-E0tDLc_OGvqaKUMPVHhV1nrpmr4fC5gV5Dh1UGz_3PJ1Axre7tocWV0XSPRlF_Mn8LIvF_xh1IDcvQGgRTddazlG9dnXF5axTt74VVSMh1fB5zp/w400-h225/PXL_20231005_141850378.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The drive out of Lima was fairly blah, with the marine layer casting a greyish blanket onto the utterly colorless landscape. Once in a while we could see the Pacific, separated from us by huge stretches of brownish beach that on the other side of the highway climbed into brownish hills. Without direct sunlight and a blue sky it looked rather depressing.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFPhCexxE4ODcEIWl7Z796i-G7nQrjupQc7zFHgFoydssPDr-DRL_QOu2TTowwNjShNmw1zQTrr0VkWMjl20pdtyRHMbvGDiLu20Or71N44qkYhTxZ8YA4ka1k9L2p2HImcpavXrmD8xaxnPnMfQBlV7gdLP6TnthmlBLbAD0Fcy-fCLaxICTZRmbInUlD/s3816/PXL_20231005_145836124~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1838" data-original-width="3816" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFPhCexxE4ODcEIWl7Z796i-G7nQrjupQc7zFHgFoydssPDr-DRL_QOu2TTowwNjShNmw1zQTrr0VkWMjl20pdtyRHMbvGDiLu20Or71N44qkYhTxZ8YA4ka1k9L2p2HImcpavXrmD8xaxnPnMfQBlV7gdLP6TnthmlBLbAD0Fcy-fCLaxICTZRmbInUlD/w400-h193/PXL_20231005_145836124~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtXgP0bPuyGihNm4n2fBG-Lsnx2J_G7xUr9ramkUUtpPLlOmu73NqDcxVB6wrGBtCHueT4uE2Xdu5yUPM_8kQQEFhg1InWEg1j4bR-uJlhOZM5pB2WViVbQlsdebTPj4QQvOuDZN6A5sYjqc9iSYhFUtzKZgNZtonSUHXkv9IndUJK49IXEOFhjon3FMPC/s2736/PXL_20231005_144617906.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1930" data-original-width="2736" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtXgP0bPuyGihNm4n2fBG-Lsnx2J_G7xUr9ramkUUtpPLlOmu73NqDcxVB6wrGBtCHueT4uE2Xdu5yUPM_8kQQEFhg1InWEg1j4bR-uJlhOZM5pB2WViVbQlsdebTPj4QQvOuDZN6A5sYjqc9iSYhFUtzKZgNZtonSUHXkv9IndUJK49IXEOFhjon3FMPC/w400-h283/PXL_20231005_144617906.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Charley, our tour guide on that day, introducing the <i>caballero</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge3nReM7zciYeU-CkelE_4fzVWmJmx_Maig67de6LMV-LfMqAwhjiUmEWWdJeqNmVQSHdwYnGFs9yL7qcqlEZz485rYmxxlGPBRuLaH4CpF_FQmamBPgeAjAkyJQCcEjLR7hAwfD0QMIaaXVwwZfKdVEcuXc-vYLRdHNHXNuBx63aFdMvzjHtlYUDRcuKN/s1703/PXL_20231005_145136146.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1703" data-original-width="1344" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge3nReM7zciYeU-CkelE_4fzVWmJmx_Maig67de6LMV-LfMqAwhjiUmEWWdJeqNmVQSHdwYnGFs9yL7qcqlEZz485rYmxxlGPBRuLaH4CpF_FQmamBPgeAjAkyJQCcEjLR7hAwfD0QMIaaXVwwZfKdVEcuXc-vYLRdHNHXNuBx63aFdMvzjHtlYUDRcuKN/w316-h400/PXL_20231005_145136146.jpg" width="316" /></a></div></div><div>For most of the drive we didn't see much color in the landscape, except for about a half hour after our breakfast stop at <i>Mirasur</i>, a large roadside restaurant and <i>centro de eventos</i>, when we rolled through an artificially irrigated area with lots of fields. Our breakfast stop didn't entail just the typical <i>pan y chicharr</i><i>ó</i><i>n </i>(pork in a bread pocket with some potatoes and red onion), but we were also treated to a 10-minute performance by a <i>caballero</i> who made his horse do some fancy "dance." More unusual was the <i>tombola</i> performance by a guinea pig in a special pit with numbered holes where the <i>cuy</i> eventually seeks shelter from those observing this Andean type of roulette. It was quite hilarious, and the guinea pig didn't seem to mind too much. Onward we went.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VLpoRjWjOWobcHsRxzPb6U79kHfljqT06FdXD-ZMl_c61E4bl2o7YG9PyqxyO-1yvZB5Bb9FXpVhMWqiGBFbnxxGAZY8ffNHNQkuibLu3435A2D16Ph6Aws5xPqgwlsN7wExdXbVr-NnYC4nGpn3fxN3sv7kS_SEYaF2BW7cyJIZktN8iStuFXn24rMH/s3292/PXL_20231005_145341006~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3292" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VLpoRjWjOWobcHsRxzPb6U79kHfljqT06FdXD-ZMl_c61E4bl2o7YG9PyqxyO-1yvZB5Bb9FXpVhMWqiGBFbnxxGAZY8ffNHNQkuibLu3435A2D16Ph6Aws5xPqgwlsN7wExdXbVr-NnYC4nGpn3fxN3sv7kS_SEYaF2BW7cyJIZktN8iStuFXn24rMH/w275-h400/PXL_20231005_145341006~2.jpg" width="275" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEiJAB5UfSn76NvzvfgD8amhesgvdyThP566U3JicZG4eTl1ZbpLUl9EGAai9Xx7DZooqz42k93LYiJShM2AvskdpN2Xj3WehCt949R5_ZY53Wj2sA4yFwvaNfV43FVvniwPaiko7Xmgo4Ay4MWFzmr7VrZLb2xhfPiOKyMIVf0fKcYt_t37kvMsynWa3r/s4032/PXL_20231005_145450187.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEiJAB5UfSn76NvzvfgD8amhesgvdyThP566U3JicZG4eTl1ZbpLUl9EGAai9Xx7DZooqz42k93LYiJShM2AvskdpN2Xj3WehCt949R5_ZY53Wj2sA4yFwvaNfV43FVvniwPaiko7Xmgo4Ay4MWFzmr7VrZLb2xhfPiOKyMIVf0fKcYt_t37kvMsynWa3r/w400-h225/PXL_20231005_145450187.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5KSMafs43ZocMEhlpwEJA9YqqSNpAHW0iHrFGYpKADJH_6p62-HopHI5NU-WMEMCcN0m5P95xU7YBdaS1EUnmWm5ql_od9NKtO_UUS614Kx_kr1uwZc8sHWNXoQlGmSrnTxHZf6Oln2ZtECnVtYa0lOHTivXurNUnp8jOs3lEeNMaLPmaxrITQ2F1zfKO/s3636/PXL_20231005_152452263~3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1840" data-original-width="3636" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5KSMafs43ZocMEhlpwEJA9YqqSNpAHW0iHrFGYpKADJH_6p62-HopHI5NU-WMEMCcN0m5P95xU7YBdaS1EUnmWm5ql_od9NKtO_UUS614Kx_kr1uwZc8sHWNXoQlGmSrnTxHZf6Oln2ZtECnVtYa0lOHTivXurNUnp8jOs3lEeNMaLPmaxrITQ2F1zfKO/w400-h203/PXL_20231005_152452263~3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In total, we drove about three-and-a-half hours to Paracas, located some 160 miles south of Lima on the coast. For me (and most of the other hopsters) this town presented the first stop of the trip. Charley had filled us in on certain free activities that are part of the PeruHop pass, and after checking into my hotel, the <i>Bamboo Lodge</i> right on the small <i>malecón</i>, with a room overlooking the fishing harbor, I joined several other hopsters in the free mixology lesson where we learned how to create the perfect <i>pisco sour.</i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS2XMdRFqmqPHJV1tSlcDrJX3fF9GD5vGgywS4LF8pIo0xzZublyCGU1lS0Arx7DpDn3S6u3mKjIKxyrl7eXSsMtSytLMy7YktW9yG5WMuhaeLPhVKYRb77xeOosctW9bk6DUp7-JfhcAea_sdoRmQTWeyDy_Qhxm_GFD6xEpNynzixmg7XM6QWrnI7DkQ/s4032/PXL_20231005_174908079.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS2XMdRFqmqPHJV1tSlcDrJX3fF9GD5vGgywS4LF8pIo0xzZublyCGU1lS0Arx7DpDn3S6u3mKjIKxyrl7eXSsMtSytLMy7YktW9yG5WMuhaeLPhVKYRb77xeOosctW9bk6DUp7-JfhcAea_sdoRmQTWeyDy_Qhxm_GFD6xEpNynzixmg7XM6QWrnI7DkQ/w400-h225/PXL_20231005_174908079.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1C5Z0Gfk-X8eI0U4L4P9tTbRHUBYdGzMP4J2NmhfKSmaT3G6LCYWBjvx1Brdys2veYs6UISATihZW6KLQBlTjIXtNwNxfsbXmqoUfVa_yD_-3_vSz7aG7_LkaUQtEaOWQcQvNMTheKeGZ2Nm4HB4zfxBX_nn7mtdzTjb9tb89SWqDxvV2WzKB84g55G8M/s4032/PXL_20231005_172045776.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1C5Z0Gfk-X8eI0U4L4P9tTbRHUBYdGzMP4J2NmhfKSmaT3G6LCYWBjvx1Brdys2veYs6UISATihZW6KLQBlTjIXtNwNxfsbXmqoUfVa_yD_-3_vSz7aG7_LkaUQtEaOWQcQvNMTheKeGZ2Nm4HB4zfxBX_nn7mtdzTjb9tb89SWqDxvV2WzKB84g55G8M/w400-h225/PXL_20231005_172045776.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79C3TV7mKyEZoRbcXueParWS3_r58Icleb_6Qmf1Zk8p8XDe2K_TF4cHF7PsLmR8cDOUZNakRnowvWMUKoSCeIIPXIprTNV0MUEXC6TtEYwA28K_1yWxeEvqXezID1MRVay0YjX8KWGAbOdVXa-7oPV3kYsmrE96N6cyZlKMlT57c1MNZRFbvxMR3bBcz/s3396/PXL_20231005_190013859.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3396" data-original-width="2251" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79C3TV7mKyEZoRbcXueParWS3_r58Icleb_6Qmf1Zk8p8XDe2K_TF4cHF7PsLmR8cDOUZNakRnowvWMUKoSCeIIPXIprTNV0MUEXC6TtEYwA28K_1yWxeEvqXezID1MRVay0YjX8KWGAbOdVXa-7oPV3kYsmrE96N6cyZlKMlT57c1MNZRFbvxMR3bBcz/w265-h400/PXL_20231005_190013859.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoINXqGODIdE3OcrpMNF1cW54ZUAL7MungYDqJ6ugxYedCdpyS-J73p_908_daVSbCkhRgNrRjT2e3KNbS7kRczaZDooRZLynyb4JBe1-ojE0EfY6XD-AOh6Fsy_9cSmQHGwAzGe8cF3Yb_D-Od08uz92xRibhv9HSFrvCjFKNlFXeXJCfomANYi-sw6Mf/s4032/PXL_20231005_190912609.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoINXqGODIdE3OcrpMNF1cW54ZUAL7MungYDqJ6ugxYedCdpyS-J73p_908_daVSbCkhRgNrRjT2e3KNbS7kRczaZDooRZLynyb4JBe1-ojE0EfY6XD-AOh6Fsy_9cSmQHGwAzGe8cF3Yb_D-Od08uz92xRibhv9HSFrvCjFKNlFXeXJCfomANYi-sw6Mf/w225-h400/PXL_20231005_190912609.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>With my scheduled Golden Shadows excursion still an hour away I had lunch in one of the many small restaurants lining the boardwalk. This is of course prime seafood terrain, and I had a Peruvian dish called <i>causa</i>.Think of the creamiest mashed potatoes you have ever had, layered with tomatoes and avocado and topped with a huge portion of crabmeat, elegantly garnished with egg wedges and tomatoes. Wow! It was as delicious as it looked, and for a lunch it was more than filling!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivOfzadu1DTZ_dRvMUL4U36h4EgGams0EuN0IpNCkWXjmws845guWpipl-6ZjGEXFlaXEGro0gq1bOscYObGqQuuGGShZcLM1Tl1-4lLF9uDcMe0gWqQU0JXkkRJRzcI_8oWbxTpvy0WdLa1dhuLlG02k5J6pIZrTVccPHLJwiNFWEyQdrnNwRrg1hcgGy/s4032/PXL_20231005_195435698.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivOfzadu1DTZ_dRvMUL4U36h4EgGams0EuN0IpNCkWXjmws845guWpipl-6ZjGEXFlaXEGro0gq1bOscYObGqQuuGGShZcLM1Tl1-4lLF9uDcMe0gWqQU0JXkkRJRzcI_8oWbxTpvy0WdLa1dhuLlG02k5J6pIZrTVccPHLJwiNFWEyQdrnNwRrg1hcgGy/w400-h225/PXL_20231005_195435698.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>When I had bought my PeruHop pass I had been offered various excursions and activities at prices far below what one would find on Viator or GetYourGuide, and I spent quite a few hours working out a schedule for this trip. For this first day, in Paracas, I had booked a late-afternoon hike in the Paracas National Reserve, a huge area of what presents the northern part of the Atacama desert. We were about 20 participants, and since this presented a rather large group the usual van did not hold everyone and a taxi was called into service—and I ended up with the best seat, riding shotgun. It was about an hour to reach the starting point of our hike, over horribly bad roads that have been broken down by decades of heavy truck traffic. The Reserve was established long after sea salt production had started in this area, and this business is still thriving, meaning that the few tourists share the road with massive salt-hauling trucks.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6tNnGxRUdCGhAoauvEIuk-zKDOpf2XlsIVTK11GcpQYNmtAsYCj-4XlJslCc3kB8FiBH9c96tq3_9I6gWPjpTekQOBb2jWgdo4xDNpo-AFe-CL7l0u-MAmTwWfRq1wI_3CP4GFsIRLkZAJ2UVvQ-bn6FLGVmN839ZIdceOjnewsccaggS4LrtQQrcPjVY/s4032/PXL_20231005_211704162.LONG_EXPOSURE-02.ORIGINAL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6tNnGxRUdCGhAoauvEIuk-zKDOpf2XlsIVTK11GcpQYNmtAsYCj-4XlJslCc3kB8FiBH9c96tq3_9I6gWPjpTekQOBb2jWgdo4xDNpo-AFe-CL7l0u-MAmTwWfRq1wI_3CP4GFsIRLkZAJ2UVvQ-bn6FLGVmN839ZIdceOjnewsccaggS4LrtQQrcPjVY/w400-h225/PXL_20231005_211704162.LONG_EXPOSURE-02.ORIGINAL.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwcmHzdrT3GblZkJInWsXqxY6-2tF31W1M1zJPDMCVjjg-_12rwaRIv9ByqgXz3Ufrcuw7azBIwh_8dtkxb-uAhX-HHUzya211JLyxVniOjUBT9vZff0fd0GEOFNoZCYa4G4bf_WevT8y4f-qQ6f7y44qG21hFevNo2U-cz__Cw93nuZF-vX9xFDMSDf3v/s4032/PXL_20231005_211930790.LONG_EXPOSURE-01.COVER.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwcmHzdrT3GblZkJInWsXqxY6-2tF31W1M1zJPDMCVjjg-_12rwaRIv9ByqgXz3Ufrcuw7azBIwh_8dtkxb-uAhX-HHUzya211JLyxVniOjUBT9vZff0fd0GEOFNoZCYa4G4bf_WevT8y4f-qQ6f7y44qG21hFevNo2U-cz__Cw93nuZF-vX9xFDMSDf3v/w400-h225/PXL_20231005_211930790.LONG_EXPOSURE-01.COVER.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">If you look closely you can make out the flamingos</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSFRD8TbqtCTqgoaYCm72eeZyJbaz13X3xH79A5folaMODxVJ9f7h1F1dHdjiQB6i0fNAcOsu_FDYT2rjIfFCR0eF3CLyayTH6sta98_n3R2ENacaZkreicIhJwX1FgIjQFqxU2xcwPrVa7ChQH-CC_gZzCc6HBZUSrF8a78wBksh_s-JDwSBwioP9aaIh/s4032/PXL_20231005_212843574.LONG_EXPOSURE-02.ORIGINAL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSFRD8TbqtCTqgoaYCm72eeZyJbaz13X3xH79A5folaMODxVJ9f7h1F1dHdjiQB6i0fNAcOsu_FDYT2rjIfFCR0eF3CLyayTH6sta98_n3R2ENacaZkreicIhJwX1FgIjQFqxU2xcwPrVa7ChQH-CC_gZzCc6HBZUSrF8a78wBksh_s-JDwSBwioP9aaIh/w400-h225/PXL_20231005_212843574.LONG_EXPOSURE-02.ORIGINAL.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The point where we started our trek up to the cliffs overlooking the Pacific was literally in the middle of nowhere—no sign, no ice cream vendor, no nothing. We just stopped. I was much reminded of northern Mexico's desert landscapes, only on an even more vast and deserted scale. For as far as the eye reaches, there is nothing but low hills and plains in dozens of shades of grey and brown.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-_wFSYBiQ2RuFRIWJt8gHXPRXW-igrYN8VUAc3GSNKORSCdv1iAVhBKQn7hdGAEjpwqXtV6gM0T8_uEqtzkPWmEIv6k1HSn8HuyW1ipx3GGpXleoIrpFPLksRGK-zKg2407ao5p3Em0-E7dtPixN50WmeQNxwdjo56OmXgiCwGT_ywfbOsefN7zRu6W0G/s4032/PXL_20231005_214058709.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-_wFSYBiQ2RuFRIWJt8gHXPRXW-igrYN8VUAc3GSNKORSCdv1iAVhBKQn7hdGAEjpwqXtV6gM0T8_uEqtzkPWmEIv6k1HSn8HuyW1ipx3GGpXleoIrpFPLksRGK-zKg2407ao5p3Em0-E7dtPixN50WmeQNxwdjo56OmXgiCwGT_ywfbOsefN7zRu6W0G/w400-h225/PXL_20231005_214058709.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinRV27vLOTIMqTKBTdDbfp4nIScmeTgXhHyY6A-yQ30ZEUR9NNtzr-hD0QKs681fOFsUvDrTIc9Jgtg56vIsY2_OzvRLLrld4WOlVWKNR6gO11To2DLZmk4o0_bCg1hrWQ3gDpucBnDJgYSn1lPSy96-cklajJRxXG5OifVPBg5hJBm5s4Se5JnjuJSNHg/s4032/PXL_20231005_213630410.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinRV27vLOTIMqTKBTdDbfp4nIScmeTgXhHyY6A-yQ30ZEUR9NNtzr-hD0QKs681fOFsUvDrTIc9Jgtg56vIsY2_OzvRLLrld4WOlVWKNR6gO11To2DLZmk4o0_bCg1hrWQ3gDpucBnDJgYSn1lPSy96-cklajJRxXG5OifVPBg5hJBm5s4Se5JnjuJSNHg/w400-h225/PXL_20231005_213630410.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9sfDRXWUWuB_fjx7bd0ZwxzAkLc2-0-R_aEXBo2v2830Rvcl9KCEIlBxXo_AOGW-Q8og0TPw1Eh-5MTUHZaHQsH1w12sRLs3VRHxVlLI8EDENikoUnCYCrhjb7tnEktGIquft_Rl59F5hkoqdYVLiEKlwhFebR5sEBctBzMvt-HntORCbgH6BYXp93ou/s3517/PXL_20231005_214248400.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1842" data-original-width="3517" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9sfDRXWUWuB_fjx7bd0ZwxzAkLc2-0-R_aEXBo2v2830Rvcl9KCEIlBxXo_AOGW-Q8og0TPw1Eh-5MTUHZaHQsH1w12sRLs3VRHxVlLI8EDENikoUnCYCrhjb7tnEktGIquft_Rl59F5hkoqdYVLiEKlwhFebR5sEBctBzMvt-HntORCbgH6BYXp93ou/w400-h210/PXL_20231005_214248400.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Our guide gave us a short briefing. The plan was to hike up the inland side of the cliffs, walk along the rim, and at 6:00 p.m. end up at a spot where we would witness the sunset. When I had booked the trip I had thought that this would be a cakewalk in the park, so to speak, but it turned out to be physically demanding and not without the ever-present danger of slipping on one of the steep and loose descents. One middle-aged couple had some difficulties, and the guide, Christian, had to give them a helping hand; at other times he had to remind people not to get too close to the steep cliffs. Well, he didn't need to tell me: At times, the wind blew very hard and I was not going to be thrown off balance and get in line for more internal hardwear! I certainly was glad that my Merrells have aggressive soles, and even so there were moments when I took tiny baby steps to make sure I wasn't going to slip. From what I could tell, aside from what looked like an ancient (maybe just weathered?) woman from Israel I was by far the oldest person of our trek.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09-KXHChrU_ZnTBGalrPi8T_FMrVBTXvM5aeu8OxGfnRYrOiLzKHIiUvu9210MjS3UHt1n3SyqJEgEts1fcaoZEGVZMzRDTlTYVERFayHXHmPq5NaxyHP3hyphenhyphenf5q87lXyDZnk1voFhvWM9oEiKt7TGepFKMUSbtFGb4qjUvvyyxJru_qcy3pZJ7GrGSvzO/s4032/PXL_20231005_222532469.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09-KXHChrU_ZnTBGalrPi8T_FMrVBTXvM5aeu8OxGfnRYrOiLzKHIiUvu9210MjS3UHt1n3SyqJEgEts1fcaoZEGVZMzRDTlTYVERFayHXHmPq5NaxyHP3hyphenhyphenf5q87lXyDZnk1voFhvWM9oEiKt7TGepFKMUSbtFGb4qjUvvyyxJru_qcy3pZJ7GrGSvzO/w400-h225/PXL_20231005_222532469.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoSc2ztB2A8yo372BFJS5aDLMrZhuVYlpiIX-4pissmeiPWZ0DKjSQKgJrSwS9gOSv8OGeRFmeb2apfvAD6TkWCd9PDHbT78_OCQvpsxcPV0KR-jM9atpmtC2Y1IhQC9dIO0b49JY5NptfrOMf0pB7QxGCR32Iq8B9ya-QhN7IFQBi1BUluJ7vKBT-Fx6Z/s4032/PXL_20231005_222434629.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoSc2ztB2A8yo372BFJS5aDLMrZhuVYlpiIX-4pissmeiPWZ0DKjSQKgJrSwS9gOSv8OGeRFmeb2apfvAD6TkWCd9PDHbT78_OCQvpsxcPV0KR-jM9atpmtC2Y1IhQC9dIO0b49JY5NptfrOMf0pB7QxGCR32Iq8B9ya-QhN7IFQBi1BUluJ7vKBT-Fx6Z/w225-h400/PXL_20231005_222434629.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3NDismEdD_STYK8bMLquT4IRll1oPC584wkIoKzTJtCtLuvIWVNNq8kdElRPD8nNQrllTySgGyhscvK0AoIbFyCuNE8kppn9vA91Visn9Z0Sh8-wiGUrhMxWCIqh6hSCfpWi5dd4jeP1V0e6tpsg8pUcN17f3Fyz02nLgnxyhyu6GhUqTWZcYPNZujyNI/s3932/PXL_20231005_220332117.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3932" data-original-width="2180" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3NDismEdD_STYK8bMLquT4IRll1oPC584wkIoKzTJtCtLuvIWVNNq8kdElRPD8nNQrllTySgGyhscvK0AoIbFyCuNE8kppn9vA91Visn9Z0Sh8-wiGUrhMxWCIqh6hSCfpWi5dd4jeP1V0e6tpsg8pUcN17f3Fyz02nLgnxyhyu6GhUqTWZcYPNZujyNI/w221-h400/PXL_20231005_220332117.jpg" width="221" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZjPbnS2tQOVUejR5GGwLB2UesCUawutBORIpYCEbwQ9CMXA_kOxEWSFrkqezYfB6w8QcMZkz2mNm4dW4dWhY7mRoUpvxl8dfqPSCr2yKMUNlK9_GkuYidpZc6K2weauDejqwlJfwQsEqwHIMi3dLbn2Zf_qYnkgZRdxQ9Ppb1dGJCRqQV_KFXk32KhDDg/s3840/PXL_20231005_220254593.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZjPbnS2tQOVUejR5GGwLB2UesCUawutBORIpYCEbwQ9CMXA_kOxEWSFrkqezYfB6w8QcMZkz2mNm4dW4dWhY7mRoUpvxl8dfqPSCr2yKMUNlK9_GkuYidpZc6K2weauDejqwlJfwQsEqwHIMi3dLbn2Zf_qYnkgZRdxQ9Ppb1dGJCRqQV_KFXk32KhDDg/w400-h225/PXL_20231005_220254593.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdBYGd5vdnSy2gA-1yGF2iUruTSAYmIOkATMhw_VX79UDe3TP9SuFm0jVsc16Bvi1etX0kBl-RydUFqrRs7nkDh6Xn889lPcoq7iP8o57kMFxm2cExBEi8pphjjcaTfijBamTOoHYdImOAsDZjT2DHDHADXor5QYQsIukJFEpapXD_Ijs5CPRSpFLpuATj/s3925/PXL_20231005_215125537.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2207" data-original-width="3925" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdBYGd5vdnSy2gA-1yGF2iUruTSAYmIOkATMhw_VX79UDe3TP9SuFm0jVsc16Bvi1etX0kBl-RydUFqrRs7nkDh6Xn889lPcoq7iP8o57kMFxm2cExBEi8pphjjcaTfijBamTOoHYdImOAsDZjT2DHDHADXor5QYQsIukJFEpapXD_Ijs5CPRSpFLpuATj/w400-h225/PXL_20231005_215125537.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The vistas on our two-mile, two-hour excursion were spectacular. The swells of the Pacific pound the coast, and the eroded cliffs glow in all kinds of gorgeous, soft colors. Crimson, red, gold, greenish tones—it's difficult to describe. The closer the sun got to the horizon, the softer the shadows became while the colors took on more and more intensity. I would say that the last half hour before the actual sunset was the most spectacular, even though seeing the big red globe plunge into the ocean is always memorable. Our two vehicles had worked their way close to our sun-spotting location, and an hour later we were back in town.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCnDyfpBpU4VrbvG95W5YW3me9VZcng28dIxfM2w5Cj03OIF3KiOJ9r1Y1K5nYZQ_F_DTenoAa7fRzfZPuyntUEIvxIdiTGEoX0ohwgDnrKPQpZ7q4ob0hBgHJ0o16D41po7LMgjqtrjqeM3jRhxdlrb-BsEzSOVFP7cETcZThjCRm4zlpVa80QMvEtBee/s4032/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-10-06%20at%2020.43.05_eb4ab008.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCnDyfpBpU4VrbvG95W5YW3me9VZcng28dIxfM2w5Cj03OIF3KiOJ9r1Y1K5nYZQ_F_DTenoAa7fRzfZPuyntUEIvxIdiTGEoX0ohwgDnrKPQpZ7q4ob0hBgHJ0o16D41po7LMgjqtrjqeM3jRhxdlrb-BsEzSOVFP7cETcZThjCRm4zlpVa80QMvEtBee/w400-h300/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-10-06%20at%2020.43.05_eb4ab008.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You can probably tell which one I am—the gimpy one!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfpvsAUMEqCHmyq1AGdSuFO6-OJD5Afb5CVh1ryQkrm3vLwoknong1l412wjUaJk_331ayU1vKqjHdQXVEvjTFBLrQK_KF9nZlrEGG7mKc4TOeGMJYupahxuBQ1go1Xgy8k8Icxx4sU98Gb8BQhsCK3AT3cBU0f2I7fTu56Dr1SKGEmebLUZMqWheMR43a/s4032/PXL_20231005_222706570~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfpvsAUMEqCHmyq1AGdSuFO6-OJD5Afb5CVh1ryQkrm3vLwoknong1l412wjUaJk_331ayU1vKqjHdQXVEvjTFBLrQK_KF9nZlrEGG7mKc4TOeGMJYupahxuBQ1go1Xgy8k8Icxx4sU98Gb8BQhsCK3AT3cBU0f2I7fTu56Dr1SKGEmebLUZMqWheMR43a/w400-h225/PXL_20231005_222706570~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJWqLlg-i-pCSN24pWaeCPtSn6c0cASVSf_0OnoTKx497ohdt3pBtg0YVoi4RwJg9iPrZKXG7XEUZ3cZ54iZfRHkW07P_PsO-0C9QrFgAcPrQNSbnWcOKUb_Xk1wPxCTpWqH9AGXv3W-b6BY1LXouM_gH9B79ejFON-n7BmjQ4Lg9oqTjAAZEIOm71MY3B/s3635/PXL_20231005_222858235.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3635" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJWqLlg-i-pCSN24pWaeCPtSn6c0cASVSf_0OnoTKx497ohdt3pBtg0YVoi4RwJg9iPrZKXG7XEUZ3cZ54iZfRHkW07P_PsO-0C9QrFgAcPrQNSbnWcOKUb_Xk1wPxCTpWqH9AGXv3W-b6BY1LXouM_gH9B79ejFON-n7BmjQ4Lg9oqTjAAZEIOm71MY3B/w250-h400/PXL_20231005_222858235.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5p9CoyV24ZnlVu7Qx5lTpJkzJuMvWv6sOTyNB4rZK_MUS9M7yuFqUfj8ck83_rJqx9K6GAxkdDPowDYzKEzXghiES7j-3xihrEuJBXywZVY7q7Z67Ksoz4rxzs-oOveEkLgBsS9XDy8-oLRd1zdRlOudjhwcRSZFINclvjQqfAzfu109KJsfiwZkvY3tE/s4032/PXL_20231005_223608352.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5p9CoyV24ZnlVu7Qx5lTpJkzJuMvWv6sOTyNB4rZK_MUS9M7yuFqUfj8ck83_rJqx9K6GAxkdDPowDYzKEzXghiES7j-3xihrEuJBXywZVY7q7Z67Ksoz4rxzs-oOveEkLgBsS9XDy8-oLRd1zdRlOudjhwcRSZFINclvjQqfAzfu109KJsfiwZkvY3tE/w400-h225/PXL_20231005_223608352.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2246" data-original-width="3993" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqkYBEMDcOxjO7uRvs8Y6YUzFzOl_U6ek2yIqAzbWPXvqbUOvSzyFZp4kK_FFM45mcmPy_2N1ULuQdgx8s25ttsiU-CtXUROJC5Rb9wBM3T9h37zi3zDxyhU6pzE51275vLNbFiCLMzzB137-waeQ0qaG7afaYQZil6OBAo1AMDFaoppwRqPY8f-R6EYYE/w400-h225/PXL_20231005_224014725.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghHJeS3qOBomJfQpSiTZhWZ4XIAT4jsZl-r0V62ixzjg_nGqC7eO9R9Le7vfg1PjeqwnPBNoK97mo43vZBtMJS37aNoAqnaBrrSjZ1PnByoMr_oP6XRdTByVgtMlBQabey0FVMyCb5PfFAv56Ksx252obKcGK4FbA1aI_YdFc-VfsifN-lGbePE4cmU_uY/s3868/PXL_20231005_225134543.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3868" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghHJeS3qOBomJfQpSiTZhWZ4XIAT4jsZl-r0V62ixzjg_nGqC7eO9R9Le7vfg1PjeqwnPBNoK97mo43vZBtMJS37aNoAqnaBrrSjZ1PnByoMr_oP6XRdTByVgtMlBQabey0FVMyCb5PfFAv56Ksx252obKcGK4FbA1aI_YdFc-VfsifN-lGbePE4cmU_uY/w400-h235/PXL_20231005_225134543.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI-zVG4Dc5xDPdx1OtCeU1DnYFu99ZA8dAvfikZT7PULosF5FamvSgxxVtT52FnzdrDTgHFTNFk2vVD35vegUS-1y5llVuou2d2suwrAkqM11XCsxnIUFl8THaug5tZlIWkaJOT50EvXNV5CutKSUbRvaxqrLaOmo1NfbnV1vmfwkLQCEFjokzL3Yo8OdL/s3938/PXL_20231005_230004409.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3938" data-original-width="2215" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI-zVG4Dc5xDPdx1OtCeU1DnYFu99ZA8dAvfikZT7PULosF5FamvSgxxVtT52FnzdrDTgHFTNFk2vVD35vegUS-1y5llVuou2d2suwrAkqM11XCsxnIUFl8THaug5tZlIWkaJOT50EvXNV5CutKSUbRvaxqrLaOmo1NfbnV1vmfwkLQCEFjokzL3Yo8OdL/w225-h400/PXL_20231005_230004409.jpg" width="225" /></a></div></div><div>For dinner, I had a nice <i>corvina </i>off the grill and finished the day with another <i>pisco sour</i>, which is quickly starting to become a favorite of mine! Paracas closes its sidewalks fairly early, and so I spent another satisfying hour sitting on my veranda, listening to the soft sounds of gentle waves lapping the fishing boats while enjoying a good-night glass of the bottle of <i>tempranillo </i>that the flight attendant on my last flight had slipped to me, well-disguised in a grey trash bag. Some FAs still remember the way things worked 15 years ago....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh59wIns5fYbed4f2mleRYKZn4UUwTNx3goz8SFeQjpP_yVBXybCj_rWz6L9NtVqZf7A1jmbOVtdtrOAS8Tl_Bds3dWcL6N3LAO-1VqEdQw-kaegDm1QTdkuI6r6H78-6UBiP5f8EX6bucZoalE3ynpJNSyqnvDJpF401LojZXukj_TNbb_k2EIOBfVxri4/s3303/PXL_20231006_005532572.PORTRAIT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3303" data-original-width="2260" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh59wIns5fYbed4f2mleRYKZn4UUwTNx3goz8SFeQjpP_yVBXybCj_rWz6L9NtVqZf7A1jmbOVtdtrOAS8Tl_Bds3dWcL6N3LAO-1VqEdQw-kaegDm1QTdkuI6r6H78-6UBiP5f8EX6bucZoalE3ynpJNSyqnvDJpF401LojZXukj_TNbb_k2EIOBfVxri4/w274-h400/PXL_20231006_005532572.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="274" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicbB6IUhAB3SEPCp32JZBrt9ZCraWSsuTApqRsAfszbRKGQlmGrL1B3bWdXTq1G0epssdWnQUnhPHOb8Zu60S9Qa8dV2B8z-Z4GKQUxLxhkbt-m7pn56Q-g7FpdN8PHnT4tCan0xgyMFmc8X4v0SFw-QMwLw-PntHNwTEi5k11qUDcPaoaAG7yRCb1JjkA/s2865/PXL_20231006_001857811.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2082" data-original-width="2865" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicbB6IUhAB3SEPCp32JZBrt9ZCraWSsuTApqRsAfszbRKGQlmGrL1B3bWdXTq1G0epssdWnQUnhPHOb8Zu60S9Qa8dV2B8z-Z4GKQUxLxhkbt-m7pn56Q-g7FpdN8PHnT4tCan0xgyMFmc8X4v0SFw-QMwLw-PntHNwTEi5k11qUDcPaoaAG7yRCb1JjkA/w400-h291/PXL_20231006_001857811.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>When I had booked my boat trip to Ballestas Islands weeks ago I had opted for a tour that left Paracas at 10:00 a.m. instead of 7:30 a.m., knowing full well that I would want to enjoy my breakfast and that there would be a chance of a marine layer that would have to burn off. Good call: When I started my excellent breakfast sitting at one of the hotel's tables on the <i>malecón </i>the haze of the morning started to burn off, and by the time the boat left we had ample sunshine.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyy537T0kBIxc6x3MFOVsPD6VVi-9HhRuTMmj-HSHYawpSTsu1IiKJjouW0AgTm1yTj_W2eWYvKPQo6gQ9x7DloQinlcJ4dPh6lpYv-rFf6uxSLaESPWlU7DpdWcGzQqCvQXA3nGmwaAfIQwlTOF2uJhrO-F_J82M68TSq9Mi3pMFDJ6wKquS-gU8yE9R2/s4032/PXL_20231006_134258108.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyy537T0kBIxc6x3MFOVsPD6VVi-9HhRuTMmj-HSHYawpSTsu1IiKJjouW0AgTm1yTj_W2eWYvKPQo6gQ9x7DloQinlcJ4dPh6lpYv-rFf6uxSLaESPWlU7DpdWcGzQqCvQXA3nGmwaAfIQwlTOF2uJhrO-F_J82M68TSq9Mi3pMFDJ6wKquS-gU8yE9R2/w400-h225/PXL_20231006_134258108.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-hqoijcL3Axi7VY-4nORwfi0SlL_TBhAsnT_G8bEDk8hcJIIe-aEw4-88sWXjimziml0fZmX5_zZ-0-DQsVZGS7YZCzXWJflsrHTCV8bJCjjVon67CLgpxRuQJTbfssqqfdNiKhKqyW6e0frTGkhfTOSpxdM9XxrRnKUoz8QQchACl_88O_MUYNtXdgot/s4032/PXL_20231006_132803584.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-hqoijcL3Axi7VY-4nORwfi0SlL_TBhAsnT_G8bEDk8hcJIIe-aEw4-88sWXjimziml0fZmX5_zZ-0-DQsVZGS7YZCzXWJflsrHTCV8bJCjjVon67CLgpxRuQJTbfssqqfdNiKhKqyW6e0frTGkhfTOSpxdM9XxrRnKUoz8QQchACl_88O_MUYNtXdgot/w400-h225/PXL_20231006_132803584.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPJWYrcGuac2GVj75QR2bX3mHxfboWmspYdjQGbh9P7uORdRNg_aCqjf5YN8ItW7L7gMq2-9kc6Lk9mORz0yneEGn_2_pitIYmVE4fidMh1T_nx08mieReUKmS-8u-Vr3TFVQcLa0Shai3F1zzUBI66FZyQhlZE-9o4C8udCwhyphenhyphenUgEbxlLlvBPsVhVsf2i/s2564/PXL_20231006_152916184.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2564" data-original-width="2251" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPJWYrcGuac2GVj75QR2bX3mHxfboWmspYdjQGbh9P7uORdRNg_aCqjf5YN8ItW7L7gMq2-9kc6Lk9mORz0yneEGn_2_pitIYmVE4fidMh1T_nx08mieReUKmS-8u-Vr3TFVQcLa0Shai3F1zzUBI66FZyQhlZE-9o4C8udCwhyphenhyphenUgEbxlLlvBPsVhVsf2i/w351-h400/PXL_20231006_152916184.jpg" width="351" /></a></div></div><div>Some tout <i>Las Ballestas</i> as a miniature Galapagos, but I think that may be a small stretch of the imagination. Of course, I haven't been to the Galapagos and they may just be overhyped, but even though we saw (and smelled) a whole bunch of seabirds and saw (and heard) an impressive colony of sea lions these islands didn't come close to what I have seen reported from the archipelago. Still, it was a worthwhile excursion, and the sea lions were truly impressive, as was the landscape. Our guide gave a nice narrative of the history of the <i>guano </i>industry as well as the importance of the islands as part of the Paracas National Reserve. The boat captain made sure that everyone got a good look at everything noteworthy, slowly (and around the rocks especially carefully) spinning the <i>lancha</i> around so that we could all take our photos.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtIFLNnIJwyZtbm00-xV-2MdDIG1KKV1d9fReqy1_DDAAguTj_gp-k5HZ9DrFIKSga4Kfh_7EMILi1L3CQbx672w5ON1EALDPIeNEE8LNA9HAXNwPG4HLHLGs4ciMzMMld6e6xGPDm7w9QQ6gVBfz8exiuXS2VbuvwdHpVOpy_y6TD5FVEFNbm_kiyWE6_/s4032/PXL_20231006_162144286.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtIFLNnIJwyZtbm00-xV-2MdDIG1KKV1d9fReqy1_DDAAguTj_gp-k5HZ9DrFIKSga4Kfh_7EMILi1L3CQbx672w5ON1EALDPIeNEE8LNA9HAXNwPG4HLHLGs4ciMzMMld6e6xGPDm7w9QQ6gVBfz8exiuXS2VbuvwdHpVOpy_y6TD5FVEFNbm_kiyWE6_/w400-h225/PXL_20231006_162144286.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjHhTwmyvnbQ4yBZR08RYMA3vB6vzwCWyBYq2SCVbMk1dJtU9HpSB1NrA8VWbqHkw26gRey1OHg3VJkkZn1DuixoM6jbA-QnKJNqrPFimfR3uUABc_hG49FlP9mWEumoiAknsi2X55d8NxxUGl5jW4wTcTLoKA7oTO1v0L6dfkKW6VoGu6kMXDqAYzsPz-/s3915/PXL_20231006_161941219.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2202" data-original-width="3915" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjHhTwmyvnbQ4yBZR08RYMA3vB6vzwCWyBYq2SCVbMk1dJtU9HpSB1NrA8VWbqHkw26gRey1OHg3VJkkZn1DuixoM6jbA-QnKJNqrPFimfR3uUABc_hG49FlP9mWEumoiAknsi2X55d8NxxUGl5jW4wTcTLoKA7oTO1v0L6dfkKW6VoGu6kMXDqAYzsPz-/w400-h225/PXL_20231006_161941219.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBAod63qFT9NKsja5yN2tVh03bJttX7OWOPNQiWtlCJwkF556Q9FE8aB4dWY86HLLV0c0sc8UHSaXdCNI3FlgNSUODUVY1Tqo7vcToH5UZtoaP8ZxLSNxCdj7kCfhTgSL8v3SC8Zl-60hbZsD99KCTX8QSOYH2wChP1tZsyrtZHfXolnBXdAwG3E1Gki5s/s2978/PXL_20231006_154317754.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2978" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBAod63qFT9NKsja5yN2tVh03bJttX7OWOPNQiWtlCJwkF556Q9FE8aB4dWY86HLLV0c0sc8UHSaXdCNI3FlgNSUODUVY1Tqo7vcToH5UZtoaP8ZxLSNxCdj7kCfhTgSL8v3SC8Zl-60hbZsD99KCTX8QSOYH2wChP1tZsyrtZHfXolnBXdAwG3E1Gki5s/w305-h400/PXL_20231006_154317754.jpg" width="305" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9fJKRJXhsnoA3wnWFviRtN-yTns_iUcwmtRLp6ie1VO029gfhcTPuqWm6mk1WoAlBptibTxS9SDAULdT0_Lw1ro8gEZ04_31_goXIdiV6ejLvlnL0OOzahNRKgyg7O37LCkcUN6SWVLg9ZHBvsdEnhc4w8WnNY6hMcba3663q0E6Ab0fKHJdjYOmK_5h8/s2744/PXL_20231006_162214951.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1703" data-original-width="2744" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9fJKRJXhsnoA3wnWFviRtN-yTns_iUcwmtRLp6ie1VO029gfhcTPuqWm6mk1WoAlBptibTxS9SDAULdT0_Lw1ro8gEZ04_31_goXIdiV6ejLvlnL0OOzahNRKgyg7O37LCkcUN6SWVLg9ZHBvsdEnhc4w8WnNY6hMcba3663q0E6Ab0fKHJdjYOmK_5h8/w400-h249/PXL_20231006_162214951.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-eB1SNF3QMy2M3anHmomwtqjVyS5Yj8ghd0mJhke08nl_THH8ZUJMMmmUgUuvv45MMbC3X-hrz6prm3GYhrDE1BF3amMCpYe58hubvPywYOXfG-Mr5nIiVo6UuaNKG1tiRW2H0KiDq3uu60CBB7R42JcIsGCDORZmgobpm2KFF9g_L-1-BiCRZDjUkXv/s2931/PXL_20231006_162732669.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2931" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-eB1SNF3QMy2M3anHmomwtqjVyS5Yj8ghd0mJhke08nl_THH8ZUJMMmmUgUuvv45MMbC3X-hrz6prm3GYhrDE1BF3amMCpYe58hubvPywYOXfG-Mr5nIiVo6UuaNKG1tiRW2H0KiDq3uu60CBB7R42JcIsGCDORZmgobpm2KFF9g_L-1-BiCRZDjUkXv/w310-h400/PXL_20231006_162732669.jpg" width="310" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6i430baE-78wiaaPrx8ORGR1mAKZ-ZNAHPNBZqmRoHIb_RlBU_g96k-tlxbFQhsXF5wWd-rxgLyLZpU-q4Hk4wGKHsMARgal9-g_lRrOLMIqY1Jpx6CbKy8ipiGFRaKL7IS-Tcts4DCxQ4aKa58aHLTtyvitrPrggb80_6y4-jRiJGjPuViKDl8KRugPP/s3412/PXL_20231006_163230027.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3412" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6i430baE-78wiaaPrx8ORGR1mAKZ-ZNAHPNBZqmRoHIb_RlBU_g96k-tlxbFQhsXF5wWd-rxgLyLZpU-q4Hk4wGKHsMARgal9-g_lRrOLMIqY1Jpx6CbKy8ipiGFRaKL7IS-Tcts4DCxQ4aKa58aHLTtyvitrPrggb80_6y4-jRiJGjPuViKDl8KRugPP/w266-h400/PXL_20231006_163230027.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVj12rDZQJGzzH5rGapspYQcyCkqoWnb3jykE56Tmc-MUUOPBXs_MyHMC8uPv1onyOTv04n1zsj5H4pGsDsFNOQK5qA_lg4AWh0EzxuNtCGFcZyx5LBiGcQOLv-gOPSEicQ4h8TRGaB_DAUuO5xwYcfAXNp9jHUEMOTm8KQuUwW05TRCfyIZtZRL3AHxeJ/s4032/PXL_20231006_163246443.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVj12rDZQJGzzH5rGapspYQcyCkqoWnb3jykE56Tmc-MUUOPBXs_MyHMC8uPv1onyOTv04n1zsj5H4pGsDsFNOQK5qA_lg4AWh0EzxuNtCGFcZyx5LBiGcQOLv-gOPSEicQ4h8TRGaB_DAUuO5xwYcfAXNp9jHUEMOTm8KQuUwW05TRCfyIZtZRL3AHxeJ/w400-h225/PXL_20231006_163246443.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJdLKH-L7oKMDMefV6HMlGms9pIlrZYeW1zSn991kLWCPfhAaRpYXuIqbPMhCNS7tI1itkWF-x2FlAT4BXR1cn-otjx6Au6G_PaUIci8_5HEGLxF-YBFgahH55KdF3JjEsz5Cl9PyVRuuZT0USs-caQewk5WIQRU1sDgkxcgVFUW-DDG94M65bG3oNwD28/s1580/PXL_20231006_163529395.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1580" data-original-width="1296" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJdLKH-L7oKMDMefV6HMlGms9pIlrZYeW1zSn991kLWCPfhAaRpYXuIqbPMhCNS7tI1itkWF-x2FlAT4BXR1cn-otjx6Au6G_PaUIci8_5HEGLxF-YBFgahH55KdF3JjEsz5Cl9PyVRuuZT0USs-caQewk5WIQRU1sDgkxcgVFUW-DDG94M65bG3oNwD28/w328-h400/PXL_20231006_163529395.jpg" width="328" /></a></div>Apart from the wildlife we also saw <i>El Candelabro</i>, a large earthen feature on one of the hillsides the origins of which are shrouded in mystery. Like all tour guides, ours gave some tantalizing explanations (connection to the Nazca lines? markings by <i>el liberador </i>José de San Martín for whatever reason he may have had? aliens?) that all sounded somewhat improbable. <i>Quien sabe ....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAsyevE0KSsig1JHuUW1CYbEVW90KgTbHOTF_-qdF3A8TlS9zNhDcteCXnw1U-kEEAuV2_H-cWAGYT2H8grXyjyOMBKTqPlwgpj17EZAwUVIlQgJDxLxqtCXLmKyV5dqGT4sFeB0Et7zw62iRis87Ad278OrQgXvm5YuIsd9Vs0iES0k7Lg3lGA-D29X6A/s3343/PXL_20231006_155119397.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3343" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAsyevE0KSsig1JHuUW1CYbEVW90KgTbHOTF_-qdF3A8TlS9zNhDcteCXnw1U-kEEAuV2_H-cWAGYT2H8grXyjyOMBKTqPlwgpj17EZAwUVIlQgJDxLxqtCXLmKyV5dqGT4sFeB0Et7zw62iRis87Ad278OrQgXvm5YuIsd9Vs0iES0k7Lg3lGA-D29X6A/w271-h400/PXL_20231006_155119397.jpg" width="271" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJd_CNZtiO_XQI_GxmH9W6gFINCo9O_VGS6cKcq4z6aPXgILc58F2JEZe7m5Oc3JKowOEwustWkXHTtVIJUrVUTdZMY7JVvlWiKCu-6UwrTqdQmYY7V0GiiDqtSUvpfhdi3_2j8l2au43Zn9cTSpYtXcUehs4k9ztRBCl5yA8QTTW0m2VrppYkxNzbUpf9/s4032/PXL_20231006_164403460.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJd_CNZtiO_XQI_GxmH9W6gFINCo9O_VGS6cKcq4z6aPXgILc58F2JEZe7m5Oc3JKowOEwustWkXHTtVIJUrVUTdZMY7JVvlWiKCu-6UwrTqdQmYY7V0GiiDqtSUvpfhdi3_2j8l2au43Zn9cTSpYtXcUehs4k9ztRBCl5yA8QTTW0m2VrppYkxNzbUpf9/w400-h225/PXL_20231006_164403460.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvfHaiMHhDB_kky9aIPDS7djEeudDVLdIQJUWXiz3bbyhnhcJ9tH0Z7H1wb8RXtlDIjGF5Ut4mbMas0nHb5K3bi29tk2dJl_qbhE41WHXyH1l_9HAPOnzCvKFOCDH2A-Jes_LIM6nNmIhZtpawzHRziwm4-qqCJ0qhbe5WxWcXDwzK12f2yQ5TvqZcuB-l/s1685/PXL_20231006_164439512~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1685" data-original-width="1685" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvfHaiMHhDB_kky9aIPDS7djEeudDVLdIQJUWXiz3bbyhnhcJ9tH0Z7H1wb8RXtlDIjGF5Ut4mbMas0nHb5K3bi29tk2dJl_qbhE41WHXyH1l_9HAPOnzCvKFOCDH2A-Jes_LIM6nNmIhZtpawzHRziwm4-qqCJ0qhbe5WxWcXDwzK12f2yQ5TvqZcuB-l/w400-h400/PXL_20231006_164439512~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdGxk2VZ1AXQPlrrcQ4m0Kx1DhSdzZwNBH4UppgFCxlp5a68eSBmzFmr4FO6E5RfnAX35N15ahX4cVy7kIg6M_ItWeQN_9SPQeBzzoJcF0zoPCfoAe5IFLEnnWGEKlmX8rCAQlsq_bHX-cvE3X0QXzAKhxgvSqBHPeXHZqdcmRUFIhYRi2TV3UHSc_S51F/s4032/PXL_20231006_164458277.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdGxk2VZ1AXQPlrrcQ4m0Kx1DhSdzZwNBH4UppgFCxlp5a68eSBmzFmr4FO6E5RfnAX35N15ahX4cVy7kIg6M_ItWeQN_9SPQeBzzoJcF0zoPCfoAe5IFLEnnWGEKlmX8rCAQlsq_bHX-cvE3X0QXzAKhxgvSqBHPeXHZqdcmRUFIhYRi2TV3UHSc_S51F/w400-h225/PXL_20231006_164458277.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYz1r19w-bxGVkWP7PcooWzlwSJnn12IdKXbmLS7lhOaoKhYicYbDDCvp-1bZYzQfQLR9DvHCpg5LNL44iqPjSe5HCJ30NDBTtMWoCCy65coQDiElvxfCkw-Sx0x_4BASdzNlMmKI9frV-7QSHPH8fAJHx7pd9LZ-gf6rL0urmAwRKVEOwX7_SJCBI6LOn/s3731/PXL_20231006_164719194.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2082" data-original-width="3731" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYz1r19w-bxGVkWP7PcooWzlwSJnn12IdKXbmLS7lhOaoKhYicYbDDCvp-1bZYzQfQLR9DvHCpg5LNL44iqPjSe5HCJ30NDBTtMWoCCy65coQDiElvxfCkw-Sx0x_4BASdzNlMmKI9frV-7QSHPH8fAJHx7pd9LZ-gf6rL0urmAwRKVEOwX7_SJCBI6LOn/w400-h224/PXL_20231006_164719194.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></i></div><div>With the day's tourist portion behind me it was time for lunch (another Peruvian specialty, a <i>jalea mixta</i>, which is translated into "mixed jellyfish" but rather is thin fillets of fish jowls (or cheeks) that are extremely tender. The presentation, as seems to be the norm, was exquisite. After this huge lunch I somehow ended up at Paracas' one and only taproom, <i>Karamba</i>, which had several IPAs on tap. As things were slow, Andrés, the server, struck up a conversation that later on also involved mountain guide Caly, and that segued into dinner with Anika from Germany who had been in our <i>pisco </i>mixology class the day before. It's easy to socialize in these parts.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGEuiw_HGUaWdrF41_RG4nPX6GRhul5QOTXqU4oZeIhVzcP4vaVhn1fJsTmkl04-ed06KzNe5-Dyo4u5lVrbHVc-obHnuR31ffbpiknUE-F1rMPxX-M7rKmDiD2x4murHssuL484kA4qIGj4FWpEFVG2AZLycN-f1-KSNqC9l-6_de5_6g3YKngR0UXeSr/s2964/PXL_20231006_192415925.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="2964" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGEuiw_HGUaWdrF41_RG4nPX6GRhul5QOTXqU4oZeIhVzcP4vaVhn1fJsTmkl04-ed06KzNe5-Dyo4u5lVrbHVc-obHnuR31ffbpiknUE-F1rMPxX-M7rKmDiD2x4murHssuL484kA4qIGj4FWpEFVG2AZLycN-f1-KSNqC9l-6_de5_6g3YKngR0UXeSr/w400-h306/PXL_20231006_192415925.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxFnV7BPDckIuZdWt4ei-xeK2hHLKSEK48MSG7-76vTz5AI4zf7_5M9QQFezzJw93mBh-himl7N4O0HJjIF5mvH_v-ZE3rpaJ_FmDvpTW6H1GF5QosaEm5kbSxZ41jR2OCPh6NN2ZwirN8T6B7R39icMfg8zluwLlAjfzZ9BieVOzXmnd9plKwS6IpYrRz/s4032/PXL_20231006_192658865.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxFnV7BPDckIuZdWt4ei-xeK2hHLKSEK48MSG7-76vTz5AI4zf7_5M9QQFezzJw93mBh-himl7N4O0HJjIF5mvH_v-ZE3rpaJ_FmDvpTW6H1GF5QosaEm5kbSxZ41jR2OCPh6NN2ZwirN8T6B7R39icMfg8zluwLlAjfzZ9BieVOzXmnd9plKwS6IpYrRz/w225-h400/PXL_20231006_192658865.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx5oMfRtH_k3yuOsK1aR0LmMiW44BmdCye3i9hoWgkGwxzEO44Tfvc_7XSZEX9Czx550BuLVQHtAsSjez4hinur91ilUPS5hIoHIuJGt7n3zfLim1qgTGfnUiSrdo358ERpU9ZkiT3K_-uYVP_omyVD7_ibvl7Gq99KroxQf5xVqKBcowD8s-EHQBe-H96/s3840/PXL_20231006_224645411.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx5oMfRtH_k3yuOsK1aR0LmMiW44BmdCye3i9hoWgkGwxzEO44Tfvc_7XSZEX9Czx550BuLVQHtAsSjez4hinur91ilUPS5hIoHIuJGt7n3zfLim1qgTGfnUiSrdo358ERpU9ZkiT3K_-uYVP_omyVD7_ibvl7Gq99KroxQf5xVqKBcowD8s-EHQBe-H96/w400-h225/PXL_20231006_224645411.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP7tdrGJu11NE9dEsN9_lNWSL4-N1cZI9Rg_a5aimeUGsxE40ejviw9fb-8InMVRUvULc2uaG6Oy0TFAVjb5KWt6FErfeguJL7p022wXbG3JpUpJtbLlKrHID-Panoj7PvZeoAcZcWiJBqtKomgtZSNiGxRbPecMkZhodV6YKRpInngfb65KTVnu7Ju7Ge/s2512/PXL_20231006_232638988~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2512" data-original-width="2249" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP7tdrGJu11NE9dEsN9_lNWSL4-N1cZI9Rg_a5aimeUGsxE40ejviw9fb-8InMVRUvULc2uaG6Oy0TFAVjb5KWt6FErfeguJL7p022wXbG3JpUpJtbLlKrHID-Panoj7PvZeoAcZcWiJBqtKomgtZSNiGxRbPecMkZhodV6YKRpInngfb65KTVnu7Ju7Ge/w358-h400/PXL_20231006_232638988~2.jpg" width="358" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg76k5WExULl2F0s3mTt9HlbDGhNlcz5ZO9P8xUAA9tSq2mi7yWMgI9Pt40kuqsXcV_N2ju540yQm9KA_NV4_QwBG0lKt7pAphYsoxX9hIr2s-rDQU-VM9yKyaNZq_uGmh_zodmHo51kiDDo6atVzK-5xShprHE1rOLChl7jqtbfFwlUJeMFxt640YBIXYz/s3319/PXL_20231007_011957739.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3319" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg76k5WExULl2F0s3mTt9HlbDGhNlcz5ZO9P8xUAA9tSq2mi7yWMgI9Pt40kuqsXcV_N2ju540yQm9KA_NV4_QwBG0lKt7pAphYsoxX9hIr2s-rDQU-VM9yKyaNZq_uGmh_zodmHo51kiDDo6atVzK-5xShprHE1rOLChl7jqtbfFwlUJeMFxt640YBIXYz/w274-h400/PXL_20231007_011957739.jpg" width="274" /></a></div>To close down this contribution to the Chronicles I'll mention the free bus tour of the Paracas National Reserve on Saturday morning, after checking out of the Bamboo Lodge and before heading for Huacachina. I really have to give it to PeruHop: They include—for free—some activities that especially the younger backpack crowd might otherwise forego thanks to limited funds. (In our pub conversation the night before it had become clear that today's young globetrotters have more funds to play with than we did 50 years ago, and there is the miracle of the credit card, which beats the hell out of a Western Union Moneygram! Still, money is money.)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg77fbhaS7OSOypD-yKqKK6xpk8udB48wUImEI3jyl8gfhsDqZ0t_Qg8W6YSmmsCB6K3WeW4Y8Ybxu6QSnc_UdtIeoinmja8u0GTZTLdW_5TKQECRISWqnn_Me4tK5juL1oCmcZcabgQElrpoxrXFEjMRU_E4CaOtsW67NNUtMkUz0L37n_zSE-06EkLVMO/s3039/PXL_20231007_145641928~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3039" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg77fbhaS7OSOypD-yKqKK6xpk8udB48wUImEI3jyl8gfhsDqZ0t_Qg8W6YSmmsCB6K3WeW4Y8Ybxu6QSnc_UdtIeoinmja8u0GTZTLdW_5TKQECRISWqnn_Me4tK5juL1oCmcZcabgQElrpoxrXFEjMRU_E4CaOtsW67NNUtMkUz0L37n_zSE-06EkLVMO/w299-h400/PXL_20231007_145641928~2.jpg" width="299" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPXEvFMIGVKGErYlUilh_8mizWalZFEyEpsvuVWagAQeJXcpdSgaQ7pxpHyI7oS1GCRdHYaIbNWnjhFbf9XoZu7FfpPVmllRfo69gkWAhkSyVNaD7RgDTNH0OOffXXhxAho2MuOH6yNXDI0LHcOtFywFqoHYMC49b9ye160oWTkZEgOj8UT5DceWiGISxc/s1863/PXL_20231007_145538876~3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1141" data-original-width="1863" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPXEvFMIGVKGErYlUilh_8mizWalZFEyEpsvuVWagAQeJXcpdSgaQ7pxpHyI7oS1GCRdHYaIbNWnjhFbf9XoZu7FfpPVmllRfo69gkWAhkSyVNaD7RgDTNH0OOffXXhxAho2MuOH6yNXDI0LHcOtFywFqoHYMC49b9ye160oWTkZEgOj8UT5DceWiGISxc/w400-h245/PXL_20231007_145538876~3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix5tB7ZbEZtcLLm_6O8ZzqqYNS_99zFHz00b5avtseHQ-bXw8jMRtyVCaUrI7EQQP7bLol1OGo80NacGAbqCSzuSuUp52HwrvLpu9lhN01KivBW3YkNFyO8NezMDEzKT0Ej0X7C3Ppc3B1qU0ilUOuqupXuaThomfiLtF_0XjvkfiALn_3puYORfttkcoq/s3904/PXL_20231007_155222455~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2056" data-original-width="3904" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix5tB7ZbEZtcLLm_6O8ZzqqYNS_99zFHz00b5avtseHQ-bXw8jMRtyVCaUrI7EQQP7bLol1OGo80NacGAbqCSzuSuUp52HwrvLpu9lhN01KivBW3YkNFyO8NezMDEzKT0Ej0X7C3Ppc3B1qU0ilUOuqupXuaThomfiLtF_0XjvkfiALn_3puYORfttkcoq/w400-h211/PXL_20231007_155222455~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi99KrG8VFr_i5CiesDj811dSGV5kGN3A1v7B4DDz0y_2lMVtj3V875ZoWDQoHgCSHFWCWnyiFqXKadGl9c62DQBW3m_lVFItnJ6dzbkWgxURmBla6Lh_5JhSjPUOBsmgWmyBEOiWvtfGR5vUlWRuHDMJu7Hh37A0gP-5sJrgKUfthLMdQHQeZvEw2vL7Vf/s2953/PXL_20231007_155420343.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2953" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi99KrG8VFr_i5CiesDj811dSGV5kGN3A1v7B4DDz0y_2lMVtj3V875ZoWDQoHgCSHFWCWnyiFqXKadGl9c62DQBW3m_lVFItnJ6dzbkWgxURmBla6Lh_5JhSjPUOBsmgWmyBEOiWvtfGR5vUlWRuHDMJu7Hh37A0gP-5sJrgKUfthLMdQHQeZvEw2vL7Vf/w308-h400/PXL_20231007_155420343.jpg" width="308" /></a></div>Our two-hour tour included three spots, all of which offered spectacular views of the rough coastline. Our guide, Jerry, gave some rambling explanations, obviously more interested in cozying up to a rather buxom female hopsterette than providing a cohesive narrative, but what the heck? We won't remember anything in two weeks anyhow. Not exactly true: I do remember that this huge park covers 3,350 square kilometers, which translates into roughly 830,00 acres, split 65% / 35% between ocean and landmass. Among various claims to fame, the reserve is home to the only red beach in the Americas (and one of only five in the world) thanks to an igneous rock called granodiorite. And if you're into birding, you can find up to 200 different species here throughout the year. So, there you go.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP4zAxiUrLj-Iv7KeX0WGncTz5hyphenhyphenS1hZ-2vQK-VJ41ZN0967BrKmAUgL09QSDdOIeGtPiP0kkGP7TTYhYiGpXa4L4mB6-J1VCk9ZKY76wNzu2qLAeirmnuO7KwRF07uzczSTqyxEsXekV0JyGPKaqKY3-TPPYwXBvnfI8_ilgifnPqiec4XOmAtFHCE1DP/s4032/PXL_20231007_163943805~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP4zAxiUrLj-Iv7KeX0WGncTz5hyphenhyphenS1hZ-2vQK-VJ41ZN0967BrKmAUgL09QSDdOIeGtPiP0kkGP7TTYhYiGpXa4L4mB6-J1VCk9ZKY76wNzu2qLAeirmnuO7KwRF07uzczSTqyxEsXekV0JyGPKaqKY3-TPPYwXBvnfI8_ilgifnPqiec4XOmAtFHCE1DP/w400-h225/PXL_20231007_163943805~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWPk4VvWKcZfTPzwYuM1kBP-RdJ0g0w0jvXecM19_A4SPvI7aWkuhNdbIBBRlN-DqOOwI0Ga6fln-G9xczAQiyuKc6X0R_HMZwNKtSaEORSBvRa9MMWOAGopOGVlvG4hFG4mgm4MLpPgxvvkO4xyU3JhUuM68HrEeZl5VKPQzlQJ0DhQ3h4KxZlb5wy5jh/s3615/PXL_20231007_162504519.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3615" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWPk4VvWKcZfTPzwYuM1kBP-RdJ0g0w0jvXecM19_A4SPvI7aWkuhNdbIBBRlN-DqOOwI0Ga6fln-G9xczAQiyuKc6X0R_HMZwNKtSaEORSBvRa9MMWOAGopOGVlvG4hFG4mgm4MLpPgxvvkO4xyU3JhUuM68HrEeZl5VKPQzlQJ0DhQ3h4KxZlb5wy5jh/w251-h400/PXL_20231007_162504519.jpg" width="251" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNgrwnYMfEOOB5AEztNiuexbxUK60mo-XojAdLnMtK3ty2EXxJxpNRiOG2QL7U_g3nVT-JEqmthXC4KBOInr3i5SXzY4lbQioat4lnjKH0VALKuLb7cnqCXDJ0KvwojLVTMip7QjchWw2-xVoFo5C0NVnkuTVqiIX9sD700lllNHhe0ARE0wEB1Hp1rGmS/s4032/PXL_20231007_160656867.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNgrwnYMfEOOB5AEztNiuexbxUK60mo-XojAdLnMtK3ty2EXxJxpNRiOG2QL7U_g3nVT-JEqmthXC4KBOInr3i5SXzY4lbQioat4lnjKH0VALKuLb7cnqCXDJ0KvwojLVTMip7QjchWw2-xVoFo5C0NVnkuTVqiIX9sD700lllNHhe0ARE0wEB1Hp1rGmS/w400-h225/PXL_20231007_160656867.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ0vTXwKiWkjDv8L-QM6FLPGssoq8K04HhyQO7Do4DVtnLxru6Mppfh4Gb0wQLMBZgXrzTfT-uNv6zoeMZHEB3E8-ENWdXAFhN6QhSam2etHEhWKvhHLuE5uQt6T0mUUeP_ggX6Oy25uKu61mPGEfsO1EjZ_Gg5Jg-ChfYozptJ5feothJQevofaLkkHC_/s3840/PXL_20231007_160332515.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ0vTXwKiWkjDv8L-QM6FLPGssoq8K04HhyQO7Do4DVtnLxru6Mppfh4Gb0wQLMBZgXrzTfT-uNv6zoeMZHEB3E8-ENWdXAFhN6QhSam2etHEhWKvhHLuE5uQt6T0mUUeP_ggX6Oy25uKu61mPGEfsO1EjZ_Gg5Jg-ChfYozptJ5feothJQevofaLkkHC_/w400-h225/PXL_20231007_160332515.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>We had a chance to get out of the bus in three spots to take the obligatory selfies and listen to the wind and the waves. I am glad that I had a chance to see this UNESCO-protected reserve on two occasions during this trip. If you ever find yourself down in these parts, make sure to plan for a visit.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFItPpF9d_o-yU-8Vo6uKu-zTcTvIC-9LUqs9nBXh_aviFYpJ38TfAwLeXdpuPzkj4buycmy2elrAf3pDOlHLks5m-Z2to7wvnc52sw-OuTF3zZRGMewlq3NdxvkeBwwU2oQLne1TKGilYx9QdJDKT2BUaLEgBk29aGsCapnScSf1iCuebSflyMPeXdQYM/s4032/PXL_20231007_164102750.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFItPpF9d_o-yU-8Vo6uKu-zTcTvIC-9LUqs9nBXh_aviFYpJ38TfAwLeXdpuPzkj4buycmy2elrAf3pDOlHLks5m-Z2to7wvnc52sw-OuTF3zZRGMewlq3NdxvkeBwwU2oQLne1TKGilYx9QdJDKT2BUaLEgBk29aGsCapnScSf1iCuebSflyMPeXdQYM/w400-h225/PXL_20231007_164102750.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvE3jQKGlgS4frj5cTVadeJTPiTaMxNDQKPP7YfXjVERnFuR6Sd-HtFUJMcO8HBWjFuOpg8IU68cQT1zGXZhZkrg9w1-PT6HaypIYmFFoDVdxstW-E_w7DhaKCHVAxt6Biiotuvo3m7giItVhOp_UxOpNU19nEBbX6SMnbPGXGQSXSxW9FQeCDM07cFlX2/s4032/PXL_20231007_162547661~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvE3jQKGlgS4frj5cTVadeJTPiTaMxNDQKPP7YfXjVERnFuR6Sd-HtFUJMcO8HBWjFuOpg8IU68cQT1zGXZhZkrg9w1-PT6HaypIYmFFoDVdxstW-E_w7DhaKCHVAxt6Biiotuvo3m7giItVhOp_UxOpNU19nEBbX6SMnbPGXGQSXSxW9FQeCDM07cFlX2/w400-h225/PXL_20231007_162547661~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt8sTdu3gZqiwKlts0tW4s-2boM5Cpq_9F3jIVerwshO1qraK160LDispoqrHnNhQRF2PgDROXTDxyf3vPiQM23crAHLuv67D80GVAOUMVKId9S56j6N98Dkw-MXh6hQkHDPYLVZym1Mlu46NotGqYXgnSJ87jZ9npwPOx093VCSj9u052aCPUk_Mr8oj9/s3978/PXL_20231007_155827912.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2238" data-original-width="3978" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt8sTdu3gZqiwKlts0tW4s-2boM5Cpq_9F3jIVerwshO1qraK160LDispoqrHnNhQRF2PgDROXTDxyf3vPiQM23crAHLuv67D80GVAOUMVKId9S56j6N98Dkw-MXh6hQkHDPYLVZym1Mlu46NotGqYXgnSJ87jZ9npwPOx093VCSj9u052aCPUk_Mr8oj9/w400-h225/PXL_20231007_155827912.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>And that concludes my account of the first four-and-a-half days of my current trip to Peru. Yes, just a bit more than 125 hours, and so many impressions! By now I have left Paracas, but that part of the journey will be covered in the next installment, when time and internet connection permit. Thanks for reading!</div><div><br /></div>JürgenJürgenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03107533431710748040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023527478729548228.post-75460650804339861502023-09-26T23:26:00.000-05:002023-09-26T23:26:04.515-05:00The final race of my 2023 cycling season<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-IjhwhnSVc2h_LTtzhEG4hFbnpydbaj92Gjr6dIfmorhEckWqXIOURbhRjqPfATiDGzW7BKRPg6rqDF7_TXBEJWVYM-BMFaUhK11DDpPnWar9oL4EbBiFCpH0YpyXQIxtcy-3JCWRelfT_2wXM6CpQQoPdBisywURjvr9FMsMcj7wAHEKu2Mf6VTGqfYV/s600/c81b9de4-729f-4d49-b145-e8706f73716e.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="600" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-IjhwhnSVc2h_LTtzhEG4hFbnpydbaj92Gjr6dIfmorhEckWqXIOURbhRjqPfATiDGzW7BKRPg6rqDF7_TXBEJWVYM-BMFaUhK11DDpPnWar9oL4EbBiFCpH0YpyXQIxtcy-3JCWRelfT_2wXM6CpQQoPdBisywURjvr9FMsMcj7wAHEKu2Mf6VTGqfYV/w400-h255/c81b9de4-729f-4d49-b145-e8706f73716e.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>Quite possibly, the year 2023 will go down in my personal history covering all things cycling as one of the busiest ever. After I had started the year with our 12th Texas NICA high school racing season, USA Cycling as well as ITA anti-doping assignments came in short succession. There were a few road races, several events as vice chief at UCI events, and three stints on crews at USAC mountain bike nationals—first endurance, then gravity, and this weekend marathon. Heck, there was even a weekend as a UCI PCP (under extraordinary circumstances) in New Jersey. International trips to Panama and Canada rounded out my fifteen one-day, weekend, or weeklong assignments this year. I was busy. Period.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6zV_ALwgFNkdqOWEpen_uTfrEuWnAu6ZM1okAqG7tISIvbTOIbTNPj5lPzy_yuuIVObjXFKeP-t5hHmPv3QYb5o9Vs5NXJXq9RhckYIjZnl06jSzVYzTjWeAHQv0T8HATWoODcGEAUMAAyihyljG1QODpwU5rKKwbq_0LD6HhuqvTSq__6Ddk0ZNrAmqE/s3335/PXL_20230921_180349425.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3335" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6zV_ALwgFNkdqOWEpen_uTfrEuWnAu6ZM1okAqG7tISIvbTOIbTNPj5lPzy_yuuIVObjXFKeP-t5hHmPv3QYb5o9Vs5NXJXq9RhckYIjZnl06jSzVYzTjWeAHQv0T8HATWoODcGEAUMAAyihyljG1QODpwU5rKKwbq_0LD6HhuqvTSq__6Ddk0ZNrAmqE/w273-h400/PXL_20230921_180349425.jpg" width="273" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZLgjakAm8JtXW6q4VKgavLP09ge9IwFpOuR2Xil2EL-0nYLamfyVue9yglrBRNkNN_Ff-NpYVX7RsEkTPrtkROa4W7BMEwbKZC_lLBoWgUL-5UNxltC6eaP8NAXr-Bjj0DWtB_xG3cQWFjvo3ewzEAZyY7xBg0OB3AysOy95M8tPq_GnztQdzUZ8J32DJ/s3818/PXL_20230924_194520335.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2148" data-original-width="3818" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZLgjakAm8JtXW6q4VKgavLP09ge9IwFpOuR2Xil2EL-0nYLamfyVue9yglrBRNkNN_Ff-NpYVX7RsEkTPrtkROa4W7BMEwbKZC_lLBoWgUL-5UNxltC6eaP8NAXr-Bjj0DWtB_xG3cQWFjvo3ewzEAZyY7xBg0OB3AysOy95M8tPq_GnztQdzUZ8J32DJ/w400-h225/PXL_20230924_194520335.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicudaL3q68LQT_a7Dug6IuRAB-F6cFHi9zEd47YxWgblmUJiQRvTqcoKp9mKf_xQApOPpCLUvQ-Czpw69ObQawivb0TTDTtIMEb35FMbp7hECs4nyHLW4u3kE6WjgnUiup2iidC8akyj30FWrUxx6w1I1NiutAesxzfHdXa6x8VVeh8i5icBbJs5BgAk8u/s4032/PXL_20230921_200824535.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicudaL3q68LQT_a7Dug6IuRAB-F6cFHi9zEd47YxWgblmUJiQRvTqcoKp9mKf_xQApOPpCLUvQ-Czpw69ObQawivb0TTDTtIMEb35FMbp7hECs4nyHLW4u3kE6WjgnUiup2iidC8akyj30FWrUxx6w1I1NiutAesxzfHdXa6x8VVeh8i5icBbJs5BgAk8u/w400-h225/PXL_20230921_200824535.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Flying into Montgomery, crossing the (low-running) Mississippi</span></td></tr></tbody></table>My last race of the season took place this weekend, the USAC Marathon Mountain Bike Championships in Auburn, AL. I had been assigned as Chief Referee, and I'd been truly looking forward to this race. While both Endurance and Gravity nationals are rather busy and can be somewhat stressful, the Marathon contest is much more laid back. This race is not won by vying for the holeshot of a short track race after just 150 meters, and traditionally coming at the end of the season things are a little more relaxed. Sure, many of the 251 racers who toed the line this past Saturday in beautiful Chewacla State Park had their sights set on one of the many age-group Stars and Stripes jerseys, and all of them were hell-bound and determined to have a good showing and respectable result, whatever their individual aspirations may have been. But there was none of that cut-throat vibe that can easily infiltrate such a high-level event. Let me put it this way: There were lots of happy faces out there.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIvWmF9Fv5i1r3wN-3fs6lQSL5rgE3aSwILORYUTrhTeCaozus9EEfB90CgcI57KCevD-LD4sdS0fGD5tKIkyj7uGVnoei4Qcm1-XtMojS7k8-XzILbGb1g0GuNamcI8qy1_dMC-z_a8fgZhAPlXQ0XkhxXtZYg2TT09wHPnhlZ2aJdFr-9gEOt3JoDUsT/s2553/PXL_20230921_200834285.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1647" data-original-width="2553" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIvWmF9Fv5i1r3wN-3fs6lQSL5rgE3aSwILORYUTrhTeCaozus9EEfB90CgcI57KCevD-LD4sdS0fGD5tKIkyj7uGVnoei4Qcm1-XtMojS7k8-XzILbGb1g0GuNamcI8qy1_dMC-z_a8fgZhAPlXQ0XkhxXtZYg2TT09wHPnhlZ2aJdFr-9gEOt3JoDUsT/w400-h258/PXL_20230921_200834285.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheQULUNdvMUfJxYrGr2a76uNU3o7dup46bOlsrBxNcYACoawG4_dRYgBaroLXQdDlhPt71xwo-_63_Du-_LDyoiOS1pW5TGGgVRI6ZrbEEHbjy6hAxw3523vjfdtT4T72jvuI0EpYmPc-dgwpVlZ8ehdxRK7QOb8VdIKMgS97liP0CKpOz9Fwk1lmE4D5V/s4032/PXL_20230921_200729937.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1775" data-original-width="4032" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheQULUNdvMUfJxYrGr2a76uNU3o7dup46bOlsrBxNcYACoawG4_dRYgBaroLXQdDlhPt71xwo-_63_Du-_LDyoiOS1pW5TGGgVRI6ZrbEEHbjy6hAxw3523vjfdtT4T72jvuI0EpYmPc-dgwpVlZ8ehdxRK7QOb8VdIKMgS97liP0CKpOz9Fwk1lmE4D5V/w400-h176/PXL_20230921_200729937.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGCFVBNFtbfj_whcVuD00VadTvy0ZjhfBHhwFqAhM_oxOhWXb2dAJs2MgbtdOgjnrTDfLovA0cj5_IG_7tqxE2dSjj_rAzhhrfehtVIhHyIX5C30rxQ-Gc-X54BxH8o_dkRIAZpUEsLEzpEQPjg4Eam6WB830X0OmNM9m7pkHf97Qlv_9s8SS-ycTERkyJ/s4032/PXL_20230921_205851038.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGCFVBNFtbfj_whcVuD00VadTvy0ZjhfBHhwFqAhM_oxOhWXb2dAJs2MgbtdOgjnrTDfLovA0cj5_IG_7tqxE2dSjj_rAzhhrfehtVIhHyIX5C30rxQ-Gc-X54BxH8o_dkRIAZpUEsLEzpEQPjg4Eam6WB830X0OmNM9m7pkHf97Qlv_9s8SS-ycTERkyJ/w225-h400/PXL_20230921_205851038.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFt9y0NCaFzsNgk0wmq4tbxMrVc3Kb5U1JVS7vprsr2G4JcE-g8xOP8BVRcfyNM2H4ucBj-qSyIF93CE7xVIZ2Anm92C7RSrxRauJC7lYvPa8oNqDb2V6T3_9RdmzZp1YrD13apsp6RIx8yFib25nKrkpRXlTXANQjRhTCjWnvToZzgxvFYdi7FXLb-yc1/s4032/PXL_20230921_202738421.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFt9y0NCaFzsNgk0wmq4tbxMrVc3Kb5U1JVS7vprsr2G4JcE-g8xOP8BVRcfyNM2H4ucBj-qSyIF93CE7xVIZ2Anm92C7RSrxRauJC7lYvPa8oNqDb2V6T3_9RdmzZp1YrD13apsp6RIx8yFib25nKrkpRXlTXANQjRhTCjWnvToZzgxvFYdi7FXLb-yc1/w400-h225/PXL_20230921_202738421.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-P-ese8O-fLzVW74GH_7GmuxgytVCo-rPoWTEk_jZFeEh_1Y1qcI25kj_9vnlUwbepshl1TnazyqNTdHetDG_clhWKvN_OyzIeFW7rwfkkg56bODedJfo33iYLyd3uiMUrRGxFihzMBu1WU2mSIftpgJE-Eynk9dWXa2LuHfXzCMxNHImRV-SN558U0d9/s3130/PXL_20230921_202447200.PORTRAIT.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3130" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-P-ese8O-fLzVW74GH_7GmuxgytVCo-rPoWTEk_jZFeEh_1Y1qcI25kj_9vnlUwbepshl1TnazyqNTdHetDG_clhWKvN_OyzIeFW7rwfkkg56bODedJfo33iYLyd3uiMUrRGxFihzMBu1WU2mSIftpgJE-Eynk9dWXa2LuHfXzCMxNHImRV-SN558U0d9/w290-h400/PXL_20230921_202447200.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="290" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">No, it was NOT a Yuengling, but the glass was!</span></td></tr></tbody></table>I had arrived in Montgomery, about 60 miles from Auburn, on Thursday afternoon. USAC had arranged a rental car for me, and I was set up with a Volvo S60 sedan so brand-spankin' new that it didn't even have dealer tags but just a sign "Plates Applied For" taped to the rear window. Wow, what a nice ride! On the way to Auburn I stopped at a small BBQ joint <i>cum</i> brewery, Railyard Brewing, in Montgomery, just to keep the list growing. I walked around the town's Wright Brothers park and was surprised by the revitalized downtown district with its cool-looking lofts, museums, and shops. It really wasn't what I had expected.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHT38dl-G7UiGSfyCaxKeqIJ6NA_xGh-3FOw_Ko5TczIooJNTfsiNOYMp-_kq_YX7PkTvoDLnGYyRoynhQP_WTBSmqYWVBc51IE8vnZFw38aP_-LE4mLNJk150c-5b3U0ZrywkwHe3RIGCxiwHaHXLlIC9ScMJjUf1C4FBwze7ZSUw2Rz2EKDUi31RNpfE/s3162/PXL_20230922_151500039.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1742" data-original-width="3162" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHT38dl-G7UiGSfyCaxKeqIJ6NA_xGh-3FOw_Ko5TczIooJNTfsiNOYMp-_kq_YX7PkTvoDLnGYyRoynhQP_WTBSmqYWVBc51IE8vnZFw38aP_-LE4mLNJk150c-5b3U0ZrywkwHe3RIGCxiwHaHXLlIC9ScMJjUf1C4FBwze7ZSUw2Rz2EKDUi31RNpfE/w400-h220/PXL_20230922_151500039.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRQgdYnd530izLiy_aogSoHKB89bEKECKOXQzNF09ccnK0L5lCUu1EzqSo6SGebGnY7ujCJl4xTCo1kA4vUDj7SDIbyU17iRRykbmYTqtWEvgxDghGEmI4w7bXC3wF41rdSirl27J8yspBTGAOA1YuKSLcYaTJfAyb5zgHkFsORpAB7zLC2s58Zuzl3bj1/s2566/PXL_20230921_204454610.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2566" data-original-width="2149" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRQgdYnd530izLiy_aogSoHKB89bEKECKOXQzNF09ccnK0L5lCUu1EzqSo6SGebGnY7ujCJl4xTCo1kA4vUDj7SDIbyU17iRRykbmYTqtWEvgxDghGEmI4w7bXC3wF41rdSirl27J8yspBTGAOA1YuKSLcYaTJfAyb5zgHkFsORpAB7zLC2s58Zuzl3bj1/w335-h400/PXL_20230921_204454610.jpg" width="335" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOckwVTqWZjw87GBrmilrzT2PrK2HepC-756nBKkda4DQ6wsyOkdaVpEv4tQePqgeACsil-8sRgMEcw5gapz_ac-hf8leS_M8o1m5wpWHXRRg7NrED4WoP3jL8TNWU0DDG10p8FuX8Tqnp4Efun3JJh_F79DkbkLXy2JpZj86f8bbmvGekOAuq_upTuXrW/s1674/PXL_20230921_192716330.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1674" data-original-width="1443" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOckwVTqWZjw87GBrmilrzT2PrK2HepC-756nBKkda4DQ6wsyOkdaVpEv4tQePqgeACsil-8sRgMEcw5gapz_ac-hf8leS_M8o1m5wpWHXRRg7NrED4WoP3jL8TNWU0DDG10p8FuX8Tqnp4Efun3JJh_F79DkbkLXy2JpZj86f8bbmvGekOAuq_upTuXrW/w345-h400/PXL_20230921_192716330.jpg" width="345" /></a></div>Downtown Auburn is equally appealing, with a bustling entertainment and commercial district just to the east of the Tiger Den stadium, where we had Friday's racers' meeting. The stadium's facilities in regard to meeting rooms, exhibits, and all that other jazz speak volumes regarding how much money is being poured by US universities into their football programs. Football. Not academics. (Really, should the Texas Tech football coach get paid <i>$26,600,000</i>—yes, $26.6 million!!!!— for a six-year contract? How much does the university Chancellor make, you wonder? In 2021, his base salary was a whopping $866,977, if you really want to know and throw up.)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYIaPEybMdDiAJpBWNoLkCDYs76wjEpr402FRpB2aBHa10PqNAoVH82W3qL09TJrrfOZgD6RUt5hEnoJpc-hAEYrNBpSbhFvVbPb8PcuUaa4OD5rPK0GVdqxYuuXuPIkDrD9VpHnqcfgAAaCxQQiJfdh4ps2EG1iJzoc5Av7S_WsCUM5VTnz3GJaqUFHvm/s4032/PXL_20230922_215359696.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYIaPEybMdDiAJpBWNoLkCDYs76wjEpr402FRpB2aBHa10PqNAoVH82W3qL09TJrrfOZgD6RUt5hEnoJpc-hAEYrNBpSbhFvVbPb8PcuUaa4OD5rPK0GVdqxYuuXuPIkDrD9VpHnqcfgAAaCxQQiJfdh4ps2EG1iJzoc5Av7S_WsCUM5VTnz3GJaqUFHvm/w225-h400/PXL_20230922_215359696.jpg" width="225" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6yjNMS-qj4PcQe8fktO7WXvttDcmCas-fXwXu-4-4rXtixYhRT4zLJiR_UdNQAbkn4hF-OtH8W8wUQ-gUyU2rbh1l0fTCdO9HhiFVsIpeBVOCcKA2qmjog1gzr-0sZfJCSYLE-iHmYwx-odUHStybdv1YWLbORFOd_yj13O1R63nsxXwME9aPZ54Vf5q4/s4032/PXL_20230922_215732727.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6yjNMS-qj4PcQe8fktO7WXvttDcmCas-fXwXu-4-4rXtixYhRT4zLJiR_UdNQAbkn4hF-OtH8W8wUQ-gUyU2rbh1l0fTCdO9HhiFVsIpeBVOCcKA2qmjog1gzr-0sZfJCSYLE-iHmYwx-odUHStybdv1YWLbORFOd_yj13O1R63nsxXwME9aPZ54Vf5q4/s320/PXL_20230922_215732727.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6tl24battOwF3A1Wt066eM5RLlpydvcU_a7g-u0R9NAw_pZDSnKbZ7DB1A-BpjBiv3PVfs1rnuS9gjwQz6JXw9p9Dz_faH1ANNuVPp9lDPpIhX8cpAli0FZMzm-iu2Tm4z3RGwN99OmhglVURyf4OklanblSwCHOrNGV6PjYZhBhqfdCo5gDquDaq9Vz_/s2702/PXL_20230923_002629709.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1788" data-original-width="2702" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6tl24battOwF3A1Wt066eM5RLlpydvcU_a7g-u0R9NAw_pZDSnKbZ7DB1A-BpjBiv3PVfs1rnuS9gjwQz6JXw9p9Dz_faH1ANNuVPp9lDPpIhX8cpAli0FZMzm-iu2Tm4z3RGwN99OmhglVURyf4OklanblSwCHOrNGV6PjYZhBhqfdCo5gDquDaq9Vz_/w400-h265/PXL_20230923_002629709.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb74QLX-ZAmfudwqeVYyT33xtRi5X9GoaJrW2dZoXs11guB3-pkRzinRTAnPsEz7NAKMPTI84-UMcNPIUPQXod-Gc21U5kOGPA-3_0-7y1_1dEFG5Uy4lLfcxvNEEGKSFapUqid6utKbdUjpb2PgV1vGEV9LqqG0OR36j8qTcMrQsnY1ZJoHPSqyUnnRMI/s4032/PXL_20230923_000936259.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb74QLX-ZAmfudwqeVYyT33xtRi5X9GoaJrW2dZoXs11guB3-pkRzinRTAnPsEz7NAKMPTI84-UMcNPIUPQXod-Gc21U5kOGPA-3_0-7y1_1dEFG5Uy4lLfcxvNEEGKSFapUqid6utKbdUjpb2PgV1vGEV9LqqG0OR36j8qTcMrQsnY1ZJoHPSqyUnnRMI/s320/PXL_20230923_000936259.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Before the racers' meeting I had gone out to the venue to check out our start / finish area, the various feed / tech zones, and at least a small part of the 19.6-mile per-lap course. To fit such a long trail onto a piece of land barely 696 acres large requires some serious doubling back and curving, coming up with a design that very much resembles the human intestinal system, <i>sans </i>polyps.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkCfrzidWHAbhEsOLx88BjHyahbhdgKTwMY_pNCvJWpZYeIhG7nPcxUavcgifquioteususa4tMPcYRUCLB1vSbPicRmOFZJNW2YSXg5n0kGj7BgXYrgTVzBBtFgrHMUVVlBAfPO6x_Led7RhwOV44BjkepWlBstzxsEFHjkx3dzwRtRlWl1w0bhCNxnxc/s2976/PXL_20230922_162606082.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1581" data-original-width="2976" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkCfrzidWHAbhEsOLx88BjHyahbhdgKTwMY_pNCvJWpZYeIhG7nPcxUavcgifquioteususa4tMPcYRUCLB1vSbPicRmOFZJNW2YSXg5n0kGj7BgXYrgTVzBBtFgrHMUVVlBAfPO6x_Led7RhwOV44BjkepWlBstzxsEFHjkx3dzwRtRlWl1w0bhCNxnxc/w400-h213/PXL_20230922_162606082.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbjL4dg25So1tXG3vYjctOQ-cncfboA_o2YkcPTE6Hh_a2J627s44EqzLku5uxPCXOjmS6w0-Wa2Fqi4GXlCaQKEmmeTsOBlF6qpwE20yg_c-4qQwtWK54rkbWEuxyxpaU2nsus8bXNKLTssTdCByICxNdKVP0zB5sPfKeZoDej2_XZU2bf_mWjc9DSOI8/s3579/PXL_20230922_153605737.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1768" data-original-width="3579" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbjL4dg25So1tXG3vYjctOQ-cncfboA_o2YkcPTE6Hh_a2J627s44EqzLku5uxPCXOjmS6w0-Wa2Fqi4GXlCaQKEmmeTsOBlF6qpwE20yg_c-4qQwtWK54rkbWEuxyxpaU2nsus8bXNKLTssTdCByICxNdKVP0zB5sPfKeZoDej2_XZU2bf_mWjc9DSOI8/w400-h198/PXL_20230922_153605737.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLAxUc8F5rxP4YXZ0XzC_6FeosLKj8O-J3JtDCveHqXh5k95xIBnUlVOfh-Wx90pVt0nkF0UCJNf9OvwzpJjInLJQ2lBWnZU4AVBq06AKqiS9LudqTek8AWkjXHW_8EmLdBEB2Pj1qEALOw-0CqiureqhOVGoB0vmztvx1pO2y_t_ULjfAs77jMX5_SgMZ/s4032/PXL_20230922_190032612.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLAxUc8F5rxP4YXZ0XzC_6FeosLKj8O-J3JtDCveHqXh5k95xIBnUlVOfh-Wx90pVt0nkF0UCJNf9OvwzpJjInLJQ2lBWnZU4AVBq06AKqiS9LudqTek8AWkjXHW_8EmLdBEB2Pj1qEALOw-0CqiureqhOVGoB0vmztvx1pO2y_t_ULjfAs77jMX5_SgMZ/s320/PXL_20230922_190032612.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZK2Q1Lz0y70ow-vsYRSf4jap7WBieuVFPFhNcsQLspqT3XFL3m_fHR8Ke4B8hLHL2uVh9pV5zLRcmIjxu89BYk7anJNiMvnSzxZasPSnRLRkmT1yjqLXo3y_PEWD4SAMO0UmizhGqvdX0tujOssDO-iNLiEkdWQljOvUZgmKJefzY5xHEVwD5p_5Cnw2U/s4032/PXL_20230922_192054849.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZK2Q1Lz0y70ow-vsYRSf4jap7WBieuVFPFhNcsQLspqT3XFL3m_fHR8Ke4B8hLHL2uVh9pV5zLRcmIjxu89BYk7anJNiMvnSzxZasPSnRLRkmT1yjqLXo3y_PEWD4SAMO0UmizhGqvdX0tujOssDO-iNLiEkdWQljOvUZgmKJefzY5xHEVwD5p_5Cnw2U/w225-h400/PXL_20230922_192054849.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSBfyydNBICj7bwmCF6NGT2AlbdJy0PyuR62RczWG5UvmDLQoxizHWF9BRdRAxNdW5eOVa7dVXw8XEllGMaBPTgqhdRQ3WF419LpHSh9oCLszNueZQAlAAEaGw0vFWl5W8rDIUGnp5PK39-dkI7avHwrsTvAEexeJ80PqyXpAFh2rsT9hXUcOSlfuWCyU-/s3042/PXL_20230922_192108047.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3042" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSBfyydNBICj7bwmCF6NGT2AlbdJy0PyuR62RczWG5UvmDLQoxizHWF9BRdRAxNdW5eOVa7dVXw8XEllGMaBPTgqhdRQ3WF419LpHSh9oCLszNueZQAlAAEaGw0vFWl5W8rDIUGnp5PK39-dkI7avHwrsTvAEexeJ80PqyXpAFh2rsT9hXUcOSlfuWCyU-/w400-h299/PXL_20230922_192108047.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The USAC crew establishing a National Championship venue</span></td></tr></tbody></table>The vegetation reminded me a little bit of what we used to see at the TMBRA course in Ruston, LA, with its many pines, slightly undulating terrain, and large lake. The signs warning of an alligator on the loose didn't keep a few kids from swimming. I was a bit surprised by the rockiness of the trail, yet the number of flats was surprisingly low. The racers seemed to love <i>le course</i>, even if some trundled in rather tuckered.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR170pMc1yFW9QU8hC-T4h4g4MeQdKg1Amq81MSUOK96do496FwQ4sMyuNcCvSKvsMsKoBxAYwiJI0EgZEZZKOOigBGRa4B-NSs4wqaZ6On5ZUQt8Ic1vn4CbS75AyKEGBtcMefXI4BLRicSVtsqQ4v9xnsMvcJyOwot26H6M3JAWANF5i_9w4sBRtmCQE/s4032/PXL_20230922_172637731.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR170pMc1yFW9QU8hC-T4h4g4MeQdKg1Amq81MSUOK96do496FwQ4sMyuNcCvSKvsMsKoBxAYwiJI0EgZEZZKOOigBGRa4B-NSs4wqaZ6On5ZUQt8Ic1vn4CbS75AyKEGBtcMefXI4BLRicSVtsqQ4v9xnsMvcJyOwot26H6M3JAWANF5i_9w4sBRtmCQE/w225-h400/PXL_20230922_172637731.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ5K0y9ba2nx_JuyO6js4Y--LTEwDkWy5zjbCqpCyhQMzcmnZcLCAHBvNOIakZ-ehVJa2wQ4bEf1yq5nkQRf_VlCZef5U_rcdN2-wVc-vfsiWfBjKDpYbRWwl3pbxK3niwCo3ckVLba9wZjXZYi5hqh4RPK23oMcodjyMktSWtvS7WQZJz7W27e9qXH7du/s4032/PXL_20230922_171259237.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ5K0y9ba2nx_JuyO6js4Y--LTEwDkWy5zjbCqpCyhQMzcmnZcLCAHBvNOIakZ-ehVJa2wQ4bEf1yq5nkQRf_VlCZef5U_rcdN2-wVc-vfsiWfBjKDpYbRWwl3pbxK3niwCo3ckVLba9wZjXZYi5hqh4RPK23oMcodjyMktSWtvS7WQZJz7W27e9qXH7du/w400-h225/PXL_20230922_171259237.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7shv4gDNNjYOfpy2W8ifDyadmBrJmypBvcD2rGKpFfLz_38-v5QnqJy-YjCRgn7UhzrkIT67vQNZd3sVHFSfItg9U4mE0egEqE1V7fPABlwKKblHn5oeuue6tSIzNo_hWnUrjAxqQtAqZ2jGN7-udUQUD1lh2nUkPc35U-qX-H1h0Nf0W8vVzZbeq6k89/s3028/PXL_20230922_165251950.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3028" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7shv4gDNNjYOfpy2W8ifDyadmBrJmypBvcD2rGKpFfLz_38-v5QnqJy-YjCRgn7UhzrkIT67vQNZd3sVHFSfItg9U4mE0egEqE1V7fPABlwKKblHn5oeuue6tSIzNo_hWnUrjAxqQtAqZ2jGN7-udUQUD1lh2nUkPc35U-qX-H1h0Nf0W8vVzZbeq6k89/w400-h300/PXL_20230922_165251950.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI_13W6xaWohIG2wMbOumViKpcOM29zYtik3JdYQOG7gT3h0XkXdE7wTyXTnyFzPlJnhw6YxuMC-9GM-uMDrvTdUdDVLSmio4hNFm8ybRN-N6ImSEX0oZYTyo3KaXqa8DqbIW2hEbuOvSLkF6jXArevOdKZLnzEyPqX_Ht4YNOh52PpZO4qnhXDZGjV5ce/s4032/PXL_20230922_164956223.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI_13W6xaWohIG2wMbOumViKpcOM29zYtik3JdYQOG7gT3h0XkXdE7wTyXTnyFzPlJnhw6YxuMC-9GM-uMDrvTdUdDVLSmio4hNFm8ybRN-N6ImSEX0oZYTyo3KaXqa8DqbIW2hEbuOvSLkF6jXArevOdKZLnzEyPqX_Ht4YNOh52PpZO4qnhXDZGjV5ce/w400-h225/PXL_20230922_164956223.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>As Chief Referees we work closely with the Race Director who, in this instance, was once again USAC's Associate Director of National Events, Laura. Together we met with members of the LOC (Local Organizing Committee) who were instrumental in setting the course and providing a veritable army of volunteers. As it turned out, most of our course marshals had been working NICA races before, and even their little backpacks with first aid kit, whistle, water, emergency flares (just kidding), and a notepad were NICA issue. Hmmh.... Before they were dispatched, the marshals' coordinator reminded them that on-trail mechanical assistance was not permitted for this race, as opposed to NICA events.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Hw5JWpBM1CXLRpXmew-M9LYTj3ZuncZW4YaKlk-nc70Ylm04xjklK4pYzIgVjyBEeSC3k3KlYIJCI8Bg0fUYXiN78bs8tHOmjFDlvvSNnuQgHtAzhPLoN3YNdKmVLO_w10kUrskYa9YPRXjijzMtJAt3mi8Mfh8znOFG73C90i0VGcqhWuE1aPhkVuou/s3403/PXL_20230923_155615370.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1749" data-original-width="3403" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Hw5JWpBM1CXLRpXmew-M9LYTj3ZuncZW4YaKlk-nc70Ylm04xjklK4pYzIgVjyBEeSC3k3KlYIJCI8Bg0fUYXiN78bs8tHOmjFDlvvSNnuQgHtAzhPLoN3YNdKmVLO_w10kUrskYa9YPRXjijzMtJAt3mi8Mfh8znOFG73C90i0VGcqhWuE1aPhkVuou/w400-h205/PXL_20230923_155615370.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5XNR290hUffTsMp54-K3TB56_pDkrhLbDU4baJJnlcYAxQFPbAjy8HzIGvhtxOIVjiHWXLSO2Z_kjpSYZqgZz2R71i1fS2VCaQkwpVzf7YDALaDWy9fD9Pcm5PXeu5nn4X3vVMDI_H7RZlDXc9DGT2VNqZGs-wKhckq1OHPQMNs0XYj0SnaTk4_mD743l/s4032/PXL_20230923_152051663.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5XNR290hUffTsMp54-K3TB56_pDkrhLbDU4baJJnlcYAxQFPbAjy8HzIGvhtxOIVjiHWXLSO2Z_kjpSYZqgZz2R71i1fS2VCaQkwpVzf7YDALaDWy9fD9Pcm5PXeu5nn4X3vVMDI_H7RZlDXc9DGT2VNqZGs-wKhckq1OHPQMNs0XYj0SnaTk4_mD743l/w225-h400/PXL_20230923_152051663.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvf5Ut66wUjDC0ZH1VjnOO7e__GtoLvUdmv1KothJD-wovvhtRmP9TzH1ndCFtBs3p94w00VuoNPNCxrwGlRuvgACFnc7XbX6hw6obwvIQ-ewGSJOzRNK5W5XUK7vbT1PWikb0FGVgKQen9WSnKMnMoSnPaaT3uYw6nNO37Yd3U7mSwb6KtK1lInyQOpwm/s4032/PXL_20230922_173949692.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvf5Ut66wUjDC0ZH1VjnOO7e__GtoLvUdmv1KothJD-wovvhtRmP9TzH1ndCFtBs3p94w00VuoNPNCxrwGlRuvgACFnc7XbX6hw6obwvIQ-ewGSJOzRNK5W5XUK7vbT1PWikb0FGVgKQen9WSnKMnMoSnPaaT3uYw6nNO37Yd3U7mSwb6KtK1lInyQOpwm/w225-h400/PXL_20230922_173949692.jpg" width="225" /></a></div></div><div>Well, thankfully we didn't have to deal with more than just one such issue, and even that one was resolved with a few racer interviews, uptake of statements, and a final decision that averted discord. Overall, a pretty day, content racers, no alligator chomps, and a lunch that was better than what we usually get at USAC events. Who won? Don't ask me. I just know that young Sarah from our TX NICA league took the jersey in her category, and my much-more-adult friend Christina came oh-so-close. Both are riding for the same team. So nice to see the generations slowly passing the torch....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiwlY52kYurRq6eyycqls3vOzqBrDvIArjaUaUXT33Xm9OZP1TaN5V8NL40HUsH4r-9snxrxh8IJho4uv1OkPXJRgzWH1Hn4hpyssBjq5R7bJIqYPks2AaM4Kq_ndh_xyD0r4_DkFdtO90puFetNuMiMzNTK5dGFcokbEhemrnnW-TMHlUQgcbINOhuNrt/s4032/PXL_20230922_165059293.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiwlY52kYurRq6eyycqls3vOzqBrDvIArjaUaUXT33Xm9OZP1TaN5V8NL40HUsH4r-9snxrxh8IJho4uv1OkPXJRgzWH1Hn4hpyssBjq5R7bJIqYPks2AaM4Kq_ndh_xyD0r4_DkFdtO90puFetNuMiMzNTK5dGFcokbEhemrnnW-TMHlUQgcbINOhuNrt/w225-h400/PXL_20230922_165059293.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcYU7SzxQhjn2dY1z72aNF68_3MhKuGEsweVjEYPnElpw4WlaZfxfNsVi3AXS6Wsi6vDy3xrhvFn4C_hHQZlFl4drbhFY0t4yOaLogySFT6S8CZTlN9fyP7A0c1kkf2cdhfSx8sVsUqb6SdGc6AgKIVbM8IQCHTbjY53sUl2nWsRK7qWIurZ_WjjowoB4Q/s4032/PXL_20230923_165428313.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcYU7SzxQhjn2dY1z72aNF68_3MhKuGEsweVjEYPnElpw4WlaZfxfNsVi3AXS6Wsi6vDy3xrhvFn4C_hHQZlFl4drbhFY0t4yOaLogySFT6S8CZTlN9fyP7A0c1kkf2cdhfSx8sVsUqb6SdGc6AgKIVbM8IQCHTbjY53sUl2nWsRK7qWIurZ_WjjowoB4Q/w400-h225/PXL_20230923_165428313.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj03uts8EUy2f5fNwB6BXk7hy1wx9LqlMyTHYJ9s6nGJdNL0GrOXm9wyY-zbOpdNdxjb0-t_AggUHXm9X8ktXQfbuvXPfKdg-gfG4rqfIOA5B7pssbCnZM7xN9IAnw51RxZ3e4wcOSdkNQLpmL5K_FnrvIBhjA50QdUj2m6e518l9oBvliEWQESprSSaaEd/s4032/PXL_20230922_171355859.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj03uts8EUy2f5fNwB6BXk7hy1wx9LqlMyTHYJ9s6nGJdNL0GrOXm9wyY-zbOpdNdxjb0-t_AggUHXm9X8ktXQfbuvXPfKdg-gfG4rqfIOA5B7pssbCnZM7xN9IAnw51RxZ3e4wcOSdkNQLpmL5K_FnrvIBhjA50QdUj2m6e518l9oBvliEWQESprSSaaEd/w400-h225/PXL_20230922_171355859.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Our final rider crossed the line around 3 p.m., when most of the other competitors and certainly 97% of the spectators had already left the venue. She was cheered on by USAC staffers and that one lonely supporter of hers (spouse? relative? Uber driver?), and then it was time to pack things up. Laura still has two national championships to organize and lead (Collegiate and Cyclocross), so there will be more of the building-out and tearing-down of the start / finish area and all that other jazz. Not for me. I'm done for the year.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNyAnXWDhXIVolaf3-2teRKSZqUZNXLsKrehOYVk7YwVhv_KhWpUmqBlXW3VseiOkZzhQfzZTkAxwe3vGxB-DeV13HAm7Nm2xGGHftWEAMcUZxsph_k-S4KTt5xfkiTd5XBU2KN5phPeNwjyv394DgpCd8xSDmk2ihDwmNAEwSpG-je1CoIyJhGPlt2UoE/s2159/PXL_20230923_125602470.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2159" data-original-width="2018" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNyAnXWDhXIVolaf3-2teRKSZqUZNXLsKrehOYVk7YwVhv_KhWpUmqBlXW3VseiOkZzhQfzZTkAxwe3vGxB-DeV13HAm7Nm2xGGHftWEAMcUZxsph_k-S4KTt5xfkiTd5XBU2KN5phPeNwjyv394DgpCd8xSDmk2ihDwmNAEwSpG-je1CoIyJhGPlt2UoE/w374-h400/PXL_20230923_125602470.jpg" width="374" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrO6lgKvj1_qMGqOjBoNKyTA6xB4ncB3X2ZHz8DlHclnfi--94hNq-FNfqtZ_DejAqvn1tMtw-nhhijJA_0wLLLHDa_pLM5YfcID9fdC-A7eUvChsixkRSMCAqgXN5fzaAfuvBFaIs9ZQA81-D1S9TMIFPSxwGvZqLlm7rZdkLWO4Mi4Jygzp1MM3IKK8J/s1988/PXL_20230922_163724732.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1988" data-original-width="1502" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrO6lgKvj1_qMGqOjBoNKyTA6xB4ncB3X2ZHz8DlHclnfi--94hNq-FNfqtZ_DejAqvn1tMtw-nhhijJA_0wLLLHDa_pLM5YfcID9fdC-A7eUvChsixkRSMCAqgXN5fzaAfuvBFaIs9ZQA81-D1S9TMIFPSxwGvZqLlm7rZdkLWO4Mi4Jygzp1MM3IKK8J/w303-h400/PXL_20230922_163724732.jpg" width="303" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKISXgSEotfwG7YUkPa6aaf43FXr_Knbt8FTPadZ36vYii6OFpv9asxggrOwBAvt8PtZ7Lx5H2v9VtJJcrQIpa_Q7oRe601sfx259XMm2xMgl1-wzu3mqgqIIz2KOJJ_D2ZPHquw3_Q6BuX-JgMTIUz6HgxsUNdMFvrH3q05MtSjjRt8l1_G13JBEGj7t5/s4032/PXL_20230923_165734553.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKISXgSEotfwG7YUkPa6aaf43FXr_Knbt8FTPadZ36vYii6OFpv9asxggrOwBAvt8PtZ7Lx5H2v9VtJJcrQIpa_Q7oRe601sfx259XMm2xMgl1-wzu3mqgqIIz2KOJJ_D2ZPHquw3_Q6BuX-JgMTIUz6HgxsUNdMFvrH3q05MtSjjRt8l1_G13JBEGj7t5/w400-h225/PXL_20230923_165734553.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1qKctuIxW9r6RQqqc-C2L2GoCIpCDmTMpgOw0ktmTEcIpUG86sy_YMiWNMVixWM08z0lOQfCdJSNh0_YwbdtdWNbEZMKkOMJzUJPklZi2PlXIjLz44lBBi5g1Kr9HJgGeZRsRzyQOAsFfDilVgdTi_lnExLEqEaTgdql0TN7GFLS8KY5DdHKNQb5EyMPZ/s3832/PXL_20230924_001542842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3832" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1qKctuIxW9r6RQqqc-C2L2GoCIpCDmTMpgOw0ktmTEcIpUG86sy_YMiWNMVixWM08z0lOQfCdJSNh0_YwbdtdWNbEZMKkOMJzUJPklZi2PlXIjLz44lBBi5g1Kr9HJgGeZRsRzyQOAsFfDilVgdTi_lnExLEqEaTgdql0TN7GFLS8KY5DdHKNQb5EyMPZ/w236-h400/PXL_20230924_001542842.jpg" width="236" /></a><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBZzsdaw-K2scKkmJbxR3e51XgCbipxyDT4ueQXGCw2MWcvINbn5SGDgkVtDT67D9lw8oyQRI2Rf5j3LJJh_PJX61BRHvY8BxgMn_JFsnugE5HtLEKvOZZgjlDeM-Jcba-ItmPwmY8w64EicvsRZRcDNwL3YP_Ml2mST7oTW6JhVGgPGjiW61PfF_77i6R/s2297/PXL_20230922_163658568.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2297" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBZzsdaw-K2scKkmJbxR3e51XgCbipxyDT4ueQXGCw2MWcvINbn5SGDgkVtDT67D9lw8oyQRI2Rf5j3LJJh_PJX61BRHvY8BxgMn_JFsnugE5HtLEKvOZZgjlDeM-Jcba-ItmPwmY8w64EicvsRZRcDNwL3YP_Ml2mST7oTW6JhVGgPGjiW61PfF_77i6R/w395-h400/PXL_20230922_163658568.jpg" width="395" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Simply incredible, these little guys, hanging from invisible threads. <br />I did my good deed of the weekend when I rerouted pre-riding contestants <br />so they wouldn't wipe them out.</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Shortly after 4 p.m., I drove back to the hotel, took a shower, and then headed to historic Opelika, just a hop and a skip east of Auburn. The local tourism board, with USAC support, had arranged for a totally exceptional downtown "social," to be followed by the actual awards ceremony. The shindig was anchored by a couple of microbreweries, a distillery, and the old Coca Cola bottling plant. Really, it was one of the top—if not the best—awards celebrations for a National that I have ever seen.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6JxKGAaBCYkm1CtHnTCrDQA38KOZiusOoNd-vtM9Yb1b84fQaUVhiywBs7QTj8lVjCDYOVhB2M4SJHTONsEwDZEw66s1BYQV-frxg-phuB2ifK0yQ9g0xZ9vz7hOsYJfFUTpnV51GaLPpSv8Vo9j-UUEcGLqOt1_LVP0FlyYEjb1CUptFTniZXsFXX10z/s2881/PXL_20230923_233931006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1966" data-original-width="2881" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6JxKGAaBCYkm1CtHnTCrDQA38KOZiusOoNd-vtM9Yb1b84fQaUVhiywBs7QTj8lVjCDYOVhB2M4SJHTONsEwDZEw66s1BYQV-frxg-phuB2ifK0yQ9g0xZ9vz7hOsYJfFUTpnV51GaLPpSv8Vo9j-UUEcGLqOt1_LVP0FlyYEjb1CUptFTniZXsFXX10z/w400-h272/PXL_20230923_233931006.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjioUEAGA8OcCYi2RflmF0QNVOaIOWL13M8h8XOsMVmNyVHfy8MMNSi39F6HoBRrpcYkvQk0-LlzxM-aJ5gwyqPhhQtd9gmn9-zufvavxvbKa-7Du-nBkjmDV2U2RnUrYGmHYaDD-Y98Im6iVDpYjz4OwXfWLTWT49wyWGaCFQL_xpKN0_PErrLWYuGDhX2/s3372/PXL_20230923_224503793~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3372" data-original-width="2166" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjioUEAGA8OcCYi2RflmF0QNVOaIOWL13M8h8XOsMVmNyVHfy8MMNSi39F6HoBRrpcYkvQk0-LlzxM-aJ5gwyqPhhQtd9gmn9-zufvavxvbKa-7Du-nBkjmDV2U2RnUrYGmHYaDD-Y98Im6iVDpYjz4OwXfWLTWT49wyWGaCFQL_xpKN0_PErrLWYuGDhX2/w258-h400/PXL_20230923_224503793~2.jpg" width="258" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilRSo_7u38RE1EoIzc1D9sj3OMtLqGtCF4dLBS4k1M5E0FzafEt_LdicO2YvXGLlnj6WCg3E2JE1Wh8DGdJ4TWslUAvbbE_89wE-zq5QMYBjLL7sM801xVrf_IHdTp9KlVM7YbmQG9BRG3D6uUtoMz3EBBfrLzW7iP_arA-bcCRfcR9VPJcE6ouiCfbrfZ/s3840/PXL_20230923_234215987.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilRSo_7u38RE1EoIzc1D9sj3OMtLqGtCF4dLBS4k1M5E0FzafEt_LdicO2YvXGLlnj6WCg3E2JE1Wh8DGdJ4TWslUAvbbE_89wE-zq5QMYBjLL7sM801xVrf_IHdTp9KlVM7YbmQG9BRG3D6uUtoMz3EBBfrLzW7iP_arA-bcCRfcR9VPJcE6ouiCfbrfZ/w400-h225/PXL_20230923_234215987.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My wonderful Texas friends, Christina and Sir Toby</td></tr></tbody></table>I made appearances here and there and enjoyed seeing friends and acquaintances and shaking hands with folks I had no idea who they were. But they thanked me, and so I took that as a sign that our crew had done well and that people were happy. I finally holed up at Red Clay Brewing Co., just steps away from the well-attended awards ceremony. For me, it was brewpub number 498, and the bubbly young woman running the joint and pouring the beers, Rhiannon, took good care of my libation needs while I regaled her with stories. It was a fitting end to a short weekend of southern hospitality (even if Rhiannon was a recent arrival from Michigan) and a general feeling of being content, in all kinds of ways.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJENnHLRuA0zuxYcQdmA6ynnni8EOrDaqlqFryJZWn9i9ZJH9Lm6-1yypX3Pn6WYJBpXJ-iZkH_Pde-qILVLFXiRQpXm-6Gadoy69D_vVtvM0oaNyjxmuZ9UB17Oypj7U9EW7fEDXpwdWtcWtgRcgzp98PeAby7CrD97i0HgKOLPXKRMK_jNUNryhiqiSJ/s3832/PXL_20230924_001542842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3832" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJENnHLRuA0zuxYcQdmA6ynnni8EOrDaqlqFryJZWn9i9ZJH9Lm6-1yypX3Pn6WYJBpXJ-iZkH_Pde-qILVLFXiRQpXm-6Gadoy69D_vVtvM0oaNyjxmuZ9UB17Oypj7U9EW7fEDXpwdWtcWtgRcgzp98PeAby7CrD97i0HgKOLPXKRMK_jNUNryhiqiSJ/w236-h400/PXL_20230924_001542842.jpg" width="236" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib25WG3qdLl_73LAKqKj0wtTOWg2IDpc12W-frqajIGRTAix2vM_p3nHbL0UM-4CZEsdPdWG-dTBSE4YeEzn29a4Rmcho6zL4RxWLjg5JxCSFgu5tUR7fQVL45pIJGbB8EXCybebaEUNc5x5VxY-NNcye8klVFsoi7505Y6TXBonzu9vNFaw6FnLv09h0p/s4032/PXL_20230924_010915609.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib25WG3qdLl_73LAKqKj0wtTOWg2IDpc12W-frqajIGRTAix2vM_p3nHbL0UM-4CZEsdPdWG-dTBSE4YeEzn29a4Rmcho6zL4RxWLjg5JxCSFgu5tUR7fQVL45pIJGbB8EXCybebaEUNc5x5VxY-NNcye8klVFsoi7505Y6TXBonzu9vNFaw6FnLv09h0p/w225-h400/PXL_20230924_010915609.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN2qJqIj7h068k1rRzrlpqlTBuN4B7PpuuJA-1QepCLkTOLN34eB5ZF1vbnqn9lWTbNfLFMz4exqYeDFGjq74OPmSyl3n4D4eupXokqEdAWcYIq0QTKdWr2o21w6zIdjJoI_k_yjxJ8q1WTlVvieAeVM6HLZqYJFRaIRgvOq4sao4_L2hifVTsHFXDrOTr/s3477/PXL_20230924_004221428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3477" data-original-width="2236" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN2qJqIj7h068k1rRzrlpqlTBuN4B7PpuuJA-1QepCLkTOLN34eB5ZF1vbnqn9lWTbNfLFMz4exqYeDFGjq74OPmSyl3n4D4eupXokqEdAWcYIq0QTKdWr2o21w6zIdjJoI_k_yjxJ8q1WTlVvieAeVM6HLZqYJFRaIRgvOq4sao4_L2hifVTsHFXDrOTr/w258-h400/PXL_20230924_004221428.jpg" width="258" /></a></div>I had scheduled my flight home for a civil time, departing Montgomery well after noon. Our race announcer, Mike, needed a ride and as we were both booked on the same flight that worked out well. I managed to not scrape the brand-new Volvo, we got there on time, and everything ran smoothly. Mike was heading to his home out in California's Santa Barbara, and I was able to guest him into the Admirals Club in DFW for his 3-hour layover. I had felt a tiny bit guilty for my two upgrades and benignly smiled at him when he boarded in group 7 when I had almost finished my pre-departure Bloody Mary on the tarmac in MGM, but what can I say?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY-WGTsjqkY3mOpnuUpS3L93LXU7wZzXN_PNYpfrcYWL4RS6-2oIzQg1CzAYSqiYlAQ6b032iCA5z29fqQI1LXE9AE64ncQ7JRs4ysegCsW0e4IHeMeLhBk38xPjXPzELLSW_hSBvQ5aAs3MYHjL5iW0cLPoNs2t3LEooQC-RxTrFOLbmOQ8JiHS-SPFoq/s4032/PXL_20230924_194636208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY-WGTsjqkY3mOpnuUpS3L93LXU7wZzXN_PNYpfrcYWL4RS6-2oIzQg1CzAYSqiYlAQ6b032iCA5z29fqQI1LXE9AE64ncQ7JRs4ysegCsW0e4IHeMeLhBk38xPjXPzELLSW_hSBvQ5aAs3MYHjL5iW0cLPoNs2t3LEooQC-RxTrFOLbmOQ8JiHS-SPFoq/w400-h225/PXL_20230924_194636208.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Nice seat neighbors, excellent flight attendants, no delays, and smooth flights were a welcome departure from what I had been experiencing on and off for much of the year. We landed on schedule in Lubbock right before 8 p.m., and it was the moment when I had just earned the last few of the 200,000 loyalty points (AA's new and still confusing metric on how you are going to qualify for elusive upgrades that for most mortals will never crystallize) needed to once again qualify for Executive Platinum through February 2025. So now, let the fun and games begin!<br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div>Jürgen Jürgenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03107533431710748040noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023527478729548228.post-27510120457675594122023-09-14T17:12:00.001-05:002023-09-14T17:12:54.896-05:00Going from the provinces to World Tour racing<div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMBXQDU4gSx4V0UgO-1vKavuh7h1p6wEiGnSDFVNKgEF5FjJfq2y-wVEMJEX3GnCDWK-gYRrlQ7V4JgHIq2NEFJd2Nj9jZ3tQ1whjZCfo7PRj4YQnY-Zs8xYeh66bUikkKCzOiHxeOW4Nh3uRJ9vLT5UmQ8WTo8pvLL4bRLi6dneFmmTPTlWSbKfeb-97_/s3517/PXL_20230909_200912433~3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1745" data-original-width="3517" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMBXQDU4gSx4V0UgO-1vKavuh7h1p6wEiGnSDFVNKgEF5FjJfq2y-wVEMJEX3GnCDWK-gYRrlQ7V4JgHIq2NEFJd2Nj9jZ3tQ1whjZCfo7PRj4YQnY-Zs8xYeh66bUikkKCzOiHxeOW4Nh3uRJ9vLT5UmQ8WTo8pvLL4bRLi6dneFmmTPTlWSbKfeb-97_/w400-h199/PXL_20230909_200912433~3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What the heck does a ferris wheel have to do with bike racing, right? <br />Nothing, but Montreal was cool!</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Initially, I was going to bundle my final three race assignments of the year into one unified blog post (think Einstein and the beauty that resolving all the world's puzzles or theories holds). But then I realized that I couldn't wait for another two-or-so weeks as it wouldn't do justice to either of the first two assignments.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-R1fhlRAbQiZDgcenEifHt1XvcsnKWW_lBXrkYvjytWCvPuvKQFSFy1Cz7JTTY8bFcGmM5CJo8BaTPlI5IhOcCQWOnw9sd4gWeCC5Uopg3SPqnCxP1_UJC1M5p1uOhyax6_iwtI_EbWuSHfXzCE23UbNzioYXwi8Vq3qYrQ3eVH3-Np_Ks4PXS4ZVfHnC/s600/HHH%20Crew%20Pic.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-R1fhlRAbQiZDgcenEifHt1XvcsnKWW_lBXrkYvjytWCvPuvKQFSFy1Cz7JTTY8bFcGmM5CJo8BaTPlI5IhOcCQWOnw9sd4gWeCC5Uopg3SPqnCxP1_UJC1M5p1uOhyax6_iwtI_EbWuSHfXzCE23UbNzioYXwi8Vq3qYrQ3eVH3-Np_Ks4PXS4ZVfHnC/w400-h266/HHH%20Crew%20Pic.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>Dumber'n Hell. No, it's not a slight against the hard-working board-members of Texas' premier cycling event or those who truly know how to ride a bike and show up. It's simply a reflection of my decades-long experience as both a racer and a commissaire for the USAC races that form a small part of the 10,000+ participant, three-day event that's officially called the Hotter'N Hell Hundred. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrj5R3E_WFrSFkmv_ZLwgK9GgxCz_IFb8KP_7E6i7TDVIOifzbVjFzGuAGMrMHZu_RhYPDbxs299u6RctVxCwlfQbSn3aAnKN_L_xmBT4rANnRZMJr4KpBKeme6vXNUno6zYYyWd1XAU4PDeN_KXfz5b-rWW36ne6QyL2YHxV4DNWgdgmWR0HoR8gKtpmS/s2781/PXL_20230826_002251288.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1388" data-original-width="2781" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrj5R3E_WFrSFkmv_ZLwgK9GgxCz_IFb8KP_7E6i7TDVIOifzbVjFzGuAGMrMHZu_RhYPDbxs299u6RctVxCwlfQbSn3aAnKN_L_xmBT4rANnRZMJr4KpBKeme6vXNUno6zYYyWd1XAU4PDeN_KXfz5b-rWW36ne6QyL2YHxV4DNWgdgmWR0HoR8gKtpmS/w400-h200/PXL_20230826_002251288.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>The former HHH road races (painfully non-selective for the entire 100 miles) and now the rather anemically attended amateur downtown crits (even the Pro Men and Women this time around had much smaller fields than just a few years ago) are not what true racers will keep at the top of their <i>palmarès </i>if they've had results at some of the region's most prestigious contests. The amateur <i>recreational </i>rides are an exercise in masochism for most, and the fast and able tour riders should rethink their approach and actually <i>race </i>the USAC events.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6JMBCiBbM303VcYjqjg6uV4QAk5whZWaQY6FSAoFw-2IMVasXsnyohajXuAvUqc7j4Xba-VbR5tHg12mtlJMJz3wneGvLoF24SI2YeN5EDCP2vEWJE7ciwEjTF9tr-dWYfCuIGP4YxaP51NP-W7Np2MFkcMHHu21BgUUsGjjB3IOYFwz4a-PYKpOxyZKA/s3150/PXL_20230825_135527887~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3150" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6JMBCiBbM303VcYjqjg6uV4QAk5whZWaQY6FSAoFw-2IMVasXsnyohajXuAvUqc7j4Xba-VbR5tHg12mtlJMJz3wneGvLoF24SI2YeN5EDCP2vEWJE7ciwEjTF9tr-dWYfCuIGP4YxaP51NP-W7Np2MFkcMHHu21BgUUsGjjB3IOYFwz4a-PYKpOxyZKA/w288-h400/PXL_20230825_135527887~2.jpg" width="288" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLdcmlPniejPFFDXjk__hOjXBjmIHC4la2-FOGJfK4MgR6wIAoKAvscRLdD7nQcFC0LTzWO-U1csKG_mm9_9Ot8VfDJQaen5zdYmWshiUS538pWYJadwTLUV4WTLgTOA7a7OQOwlY7E1lIBdI_yUNeVuo4rdBkJOZ-ota-KbWgWLbNuhQkIK4FL2e2xEtn/s4032/PXL_20230825_121953946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLdcmlPniejPFFDXjk__hOjXBjmIHC4la2-FOGJfK4MgR6wIAoKAvscRLdD7nQcFC0LTzWO-U1csKG_mm9_9Ot8VfDJQaen5zdYmWshiUS538pWYJadwTLUV4WTLgTOA7a7OQOwlY7E1lIBdI_yUNeVuo4rdBkJOZ-ota-KbWgWLbNuhQkIK4FL2e2xEtn/w400-h225/PXL_20230825_121953946.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL2LBlsgUSE9B1BWMzllqlzfbU_r-zmUBdTnJQpOau2BBjYP3_u1vx9__WMcjjPrE_pHxsMpc0Qmp6_kt0Mi6SsYjJSWF9DEoKrM86XFvRa8o9IiCWdKEuAcm5VPH1Qg1FuLxwoH_JPmDqplC2Knbo3nNnb3GnIh1Kn5pkvmdA8IbqJ6w2PRqVWj0sC5Ar/s4032/PXL_20230825_125208258.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL2LBlsgUSE9B1BWMzllqlzfbU_r-zmUBdTnJQpOau2BBjYP3_u1vx9__WMcjjPrE_pHxsMpc0Qmp6_kt0Mi6SsYjJSWF9DEoKrM86XFvRa8o9IiCWdKEuAcm5VPH1Qg1FuLxwoH_JPmDqplC2Knbo3nNnb3GnIh1Kn5pkvmdA8IbqJ6w2PRqVWj0sC5Ar/w400-h225/PXL_20230825_125208258.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfyEHOnl_w1r6Gwc5vCcg9yw9l1D8nWWQS48OEwbvQVw_-q3KKAGjOtHPN-pN1fJmbe1qexUheLy8FyTcE-4kIQiC9RV2bcIk7i-_7yC1n-kVMlXBehcV-ibUGMwyIsYF_pSvXBaGlsZIu-YrVRBtcdkZrV1AaBfLl-RDchopLGhZlpBm25Rl6XA7CTo52/s3144/PXL_20230825_125417208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2251" data-original-width="3144" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfyEHOnl_w1r6Gwc5vCcg9yw9l1D8nWWQS48OEwbvQVw_-q3KKAGjOtHPN-pN1fJmbe1qexUheLy8FyTcE-4kIQiC9RV2bcIk7i-_7yC1n-kVMlXBehcV-ibUGMwyIsYF_pSvXBaGlsZIu-YrVRBtcdkZrV1AaBfLl-RDchopLGhZlpBm25Rl6XA7CTo52/w400-h286/PXL_20230825_125417208.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The start of the HHH mountain bike race, appropriately located<br /> in the swamp-cooler equipped ag-barn</span></td></tr></tbody></table>You will never know what I am talking about in regard to the actual HHH, unless you've been in Wichita Falls on the third weekend in August, with temperatures at 109° F, humidity levels in the 80s or 90s, and some people keeling over thanks to severe heat exhaustion.<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYWjtpxmQVGMdMRrA96N2wlIpf2er3nHkiSO3QQKfVa_wYT9G9X9aOR3x_DIXrwhzv3m9TL4MF1qz4zqVbefoaIFkT2OWfKqd9lVYbXpsJ2PSo3HCsvxHA7cLwph5qdYU9-H7V1Vss1Fv6AXTv4xWEJiXLNQpk4BuD2FqmjelhdTIr7tj3WduY6gkx2I2o/s2949/PXL_20230825_234402047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2949" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYWjtpxmQVGMdMRrA96N2wlIpf2er3nHkiSO3QQKfVa_wYT9G9X9aOR3x_DIXrwhzv3m9TL4MF1qz4zqVbefoaIFkT2OWfKqd9lVYbXpsJ2PSo3HCsvxHA7cLwph5qdYU9-H7V1Vss1Fv6AXTv4xWEJiXLNQpk4BuD2FqmjelhdTIr7tj3WduY6gkx2I2o/w308-h400/PXL_20230825_234402047.jpg" width="308" /></a></div></div><div>The HHH attracts a certain type of rider whom every cycling club tries to accommodate, educate, and make into a better rider, for the better good of the cycling community—without much success. While I was at the finish line of the Wee-Chi-Tah mountain bike race I was approached by a few former Lubbockites who fit just that bill. They have moved on to different places, and they haven't changed a bit. Call me elitist, call me whatever you want, but every club has some folks who elicit furtive eye rolls, or worse.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH8opsCRratG3sOr8-tQtQl4UOP3U2SfshxZxKLJbXR0Q_K54FpZ6W44PaXz8qh-LpKFFLEkkVy3rAFlyYdt9jn6bJg16LF5noWYg-OUkXHHtu83_WHvZyLjNY77WkXh6_p-bywgTrUzH0Oh6gS-AfOPNFvu-r2wpYbz-nwRjvr6CFHziAbfBjRCm0iLR_/s3840/PXL_20230826_214945894.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH8opsCRratG3sOr8-tQtQl4UOP3U2SfshxZxKLJbXR0Q_K54FpZ6W44PaXz8qh-LpKFFLEkkVy3rAFlyYdt9jn6bJg16LF5noWYg-OUkXHHtu83_WHvZyLjNY77WkXh6_p-bywgTrUzH0Oh6gS-AfOPNFvu-r2wpYbz-nwRjvr6CFHziAbfBjRCm0iLR_/w400-h225/PXL_20230826_214945894.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My old buddy Keith was an exception to some of the goobers at HHH</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmssqaBr1wT0zgzn9-uAANFMXSf57RspPo7VI7sOrToLlVmEvBDkqxaoglHpWh6VL7Hfhpz3IYeVxqkZklga9ym4fEqzu7V0MWjc6FkSGT9yeF8FXK_v-cPaKoyYbK9iYGhqB54CkuY8GDr5buy7fMZXMordssmasfuX1sXtfEri5cl_oiGEXDa3eXkD2V/s4032/PXL_20230827_014638773.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmssqaBr1wT0zgzn9-uAANFMXSf57RspPo7VI7sOrToLlVmEvBDkqxaoglHpWh6VL7Hfhpz3IYeVxqkZklga9ym4fEqzu7V0MWjc6FkSGT9yeF8FXK_v-cPaKoyYbK9iYGhqB54CkuY8GDr5buy7fMZXMordssmasfuX1sXtfEri5cl_oiGEXDa3eXkD2V/w400-h225/PXL_20230827_014638773.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfLOF-9eoXeut8Mmf8wuIiPxAFhEsjElLo5mDE8qz0ZpxzeYsgnZoK-h8aBdBBSB21t-7FvIAm8f9iqReGYQ1Rm7RpvFSxFD69Fbz1wUWwyQ9g_xCH4P3t10T9o0Q0kV5UUauN0GNcUK5q4dEtuiKpy2ZCZCtSCn19kJgEu20ppEagICW1TwfeDsd-Z_Ht/s4032/PXL_20230827_020343879.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfLOF-9eoXeut8Mmf8wuIiPxAFhEsjElLo5mDE8qz0ZpxzeYsgnZoK-h8aBdBBSB21t-7FvIAm8f9iqReGYQ1Rm7RpvFSxFD69Fbz1wUWwyQ9g_xCH4P3t10T9o0Q0kV5UUauN0GNcUK5q4dEtuiKpy2ZCZCtSCn19kJgEu20ppEagICW1TwfeDsd-Z_Ht/w400-h225/PXL_20230827_020343879.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hello, did anyone look at the time of sunset before scheduling a one-hour crit <br />to start at 8 p.m.? CR Steve trying to sort out results...</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Thankfully, the HHH organizers had secured for our officiating crew excellent accommodations in the newly built Residence Inn. Having a clean, cool room to retreat to after a day in the heat is what kept the assignment from being punishment. Even though the crew was much smaller than in years past it was nice to see familiar faces and catch up with one another, to various degrees. Socializing after the day has ended is pretty much impossible since Wichita Falls' restaurants are groaning under the massive crowds of cyclists who descend upon town for this annual Ride [sic] of Passage.</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD5F8lk9GUIu2DRtvOU3Q1MJruQjFuAEFgQgqys-dcK0Fy2-h8mcg2ZBQSwqQtfsNPg8S-DaswNAI07MEeE1yCDTFU2vdMi6KvZxtDRM2qK4RCppLqhAb3r9lK_sVFIoegSBdVurgIJCmZ_YBdfyWINm6THnZN-wi0eYQW2YeKmrWZXtRhCxe2Ss4A8vXF/s4032/PXL_20230825_214858786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD5F8lk9GUIu2DRtvOU3Q1MJruQjFuAEFgQgqys-dcK0Fy2-h8mcg2ZBQSwqQtfsNPg8S-DaswNAI07MEeE1yCDTFU2vdMi6KvZxtDRM2qK4RCppLqhAb3r9lK_sVFIoegSBdVurgIJCmZ_YBdfyWINm6THnZN-wi0eYQW2YeKmrWZXtRhCxe2Ss4A8vXF/w400-h225/PXL_20230825_214858786.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Our crew: Ryan, Randy, Lura, CR Steve, and moto Steve (from left)</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>It wasn't as if Lubbock was much cooler than WF, but 10° does make a difference, especially with the lack of humidity that we enjoy on the South Plains thanks to our high elevation of right at 3,000 feet. Still, going for my daily rides in the week after returning from Spain and then after the HHH was possible only in the mornings, when the temperature was still below 85° and before it topped out at 95°.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYvEs1pqEtLLG2CjDLe3i_a2iTaDhL5TB_g_XW66Gd-LoJxvpbEPZD5x2vmv0WScdZ-BhIYPz5I-sViqHwADl2zOWCwfRn73CQRECrEiiThD8Cdcz3UHZb3nIxq5SAV6DmQaAr2x51EIY9_5NL84EQv-Iwl0eiwLsPeLa9AgaTvB2HZhUlzqLj8z4HRZdv/s3731/PXL_20230824_230239013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2098" data-original-width="3731" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYvEs1pqEtLLG2CjDLe3i_a2iTaDhL5TB_g_XW66Gd-LoJxvpbEPZD5x2vmv0WScdZ-BhIYPz5I-sViqHwADl2zOWCwfRn73CQRECrEiiThD8Cdcz3UHZb3nIxq5SAV6DmQaAr2x51EIY9_5NL84EQv-Iwl0eiwLsPeLa9AgaTvB2HZhUlzqLj8z4HRZdv/w400-h225/PXL_20230824_230239013.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>About a week after returning from Wichita Falls it was already time to get back on a plane and fly to Québec City, for the first of two UCI World Tour road races that are an annual fixture on the international cycling calendar. On the way to Canada I had to overnight in Chicago since it is not possible to reach YOB in one day from LBB flying American. I arrived in QC after a particularly pleasant upgraded flight on Wednesday afternoon and was picked up by Alexandre from the organizing committee and shuttled to the Delta by Marriott hotel just steps away from Québec City's old town.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr2xFFdHzesA7qtDp21RDUv9yvwg3FtUAJ4E8gGr-TADpVPxDl6qyDAsrIyi6V924hW7nV2guakNBTVqJoHuaabsJcpcXWsvnnwpGaH1N8Bpq99gifggloUkjeiK2AqaZS1qN2AQujdWyvuBguanGkK4q6xRPVUqm3c2ixPKwHxKUNuRCdcqVtiT2d1i5b/s3637/PXL_20230906_015443306.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3637" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr2xFFdHzesA7qtDp21RDUv9yvwg3FtUAJ4E8gGr-TADpVPxDl6qyDAsrIyi6V924hW7nV2guakNBTVqJoHuaabsJcpcXWsvnnwpGaH1N8Bpq99gifggloUkjeiK2AqaZS1qN2AQujdWyvuBguanGkK4q6xRPVUqm3c2ixPKwHxKUNuRCdcqVtiT2d1i5b/w250-h400/PXL_20230906_015443306.jpg" width="250" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I put my overnight stay in ORD to good use!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbBUu43JXjtKUaADwnf6YFMUHZTgMbipNtaZ3fiX3GkQs3oELaSJIWnsWpZ9-HACVtq_gykWupRKbX592g6QpWXWeJgKM9gvTFI5WYkhlPJyPXis-jKCwnK8qEf8xm3sbHheSUgQzavOOKkG_vMZErUsfVJ01tEZPmHlVSLy8QuLRIh-mwkT5oM4-Vmxoe/s4032/PXL_20230906_191105178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbBUu43JXjtKUaADwnf6YFMUHZTgMbipNtaZ3fiX3GkQs3oELaSJIWnsWpZ9-HACVtq_gykWupRKbX592g6QpWXWeJgKM9gvTFI5WYkhlPJyPXis-jKCwnK8qEf8xm3sbHheSUgQzavOOKkG_vMZErUsfVJ01tEZPmHlVSLy8QuLRIh-mwkT5oM4-Vmxoe/w400-h225/PXL_20230906_191105178.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Approaching Québec City, situated on the Saint Lawrence River</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKKo1QJ1ybcCrd_bOlxOtiFmEzCiSuQQeaVaXSxyfKFKeXpEMdjTPErqigC0RFnDdrQp-XTj0YqC73KRYX4noYfeJP1UNOBmybuZYG1m0k6pM5qBkehsblsctLUYuz3lihM1GT1HYA6c3KSnz8RIrzuB-7smMmP3HXqBwHbQ8HD8gv7_UxM4fIykxmFAnL/s4032/PXL_20230906_195342110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKKo1QJ1ybcCrd_bOlxOtiFmEzCiSuQQeaVaXSxyfKFKeXpEMdjTPErqigC0RFnDdrQp-XTj0YqC73KRYX4noYfeJP1UNOBmybuZYG1m0k6pM5qBkehsblsctLUYuz3lihM1GT1HYA6c3KSnz8RIrzuB-7smMmP3HXqBwHbQ8HD8gv7_UxM4fIykxmFAnL/w400-h225/PXL_20230906_195342110.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Monsieur Alexandre—what a great volunteer and friendly person</span>!</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>I had worked these races once before, back in 2015, and I had thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Back then we had all been housed in the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, quite possibly the fanciest hotel that I have ever stayed in (well, except maybe the Waldorf Astoria Versailles with an upgrade to a suite on three different visits when it was still Hilton branded). The Delta is more of a business hotel, modern, clean, airy. I was lucky to have a nice view of the city from my room on the 16th floor, and—may it be noted—I didn't have to swat a bat out of the air in the middle of the night as I had to eight years ago in my room in the Fairmont.<br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0vv8KUTQG_KrD2dSO7O7gyfCd_6r396pxw0ovCdfNZyw5EFPAEf3yTijrtSkMaamZErEzf986Dj8jrFXTAFhcv-sQLJWn2kklTRK5gPgqCHtO5Uuw84eTos4z1dvoCBiAFOMjUAgc50XT0FdEDzIBSIIv7qVArj7oVNaC2ACHMexFMEJM-v32G72uFGIZ/s2868/PXL_20230907_160317757.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1897" data-original-width="2868" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0vv8KUTQG_KrD2dSO7O7gyfCd_6r396pxw0ovCdfNZyw5EFPAEf3yTijrtSkMaamZErEzf986Dj8jrFXTAFhcv-sQLJWn2kklTRK5gPgqCHtO5Uuw84eTos4z1dvoCBiAFOMjUAgc50XT0FdEDzIBSIIv7qVArj7oVNaC2ACHMexFMEJM-v32G72uFGIZ/w400-h265/PXL_20230907_160317757.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Le Château Frontenac</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjne2mzkfgjPKo0vtxSw_IqOD1375_Amdis7QHAHYkgMA8Sa2LCSwXmuPfI9exj-HwoVDkx5oS8VmkfCJTdT2dZW56RQfBqk0lCOC0I5wHcGbzXiO3pn-b-nd0KzAaBQMcH3d-5qa-0z0v4XbtD1oJlY5RRknTaruu0mhLR_pEY7DGttsjv7Xjylzw10wFC/s3715/PXL_20230907_160648408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3715" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjne2mzkfgjPKo0vtxSw_IqOD1375_Amdis7QHAHYkgMA8Sa2LCSwXmuPfI9exj-HwoVDkx5oS8VmkfCJTdT2dZW56RQfBqk0lCOC0I5wHcGbzXiO3pn-b-nd0KzAaBQMcH3d-5qa-0z0v4XbtD1oJlY5RRknTaruu0mhLR_pEY7DGttsjv7Xjylzw10wFC/w244-h400/PXL_20230907_160648408.jpg" width="244" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTkWwhgvtwG9tt9kpMv0-mWkvvVcfiisIUJqtjSQvVGgcaM1f5azGiE1OJM5G6varRJiFeeuAVNopXz0AOgXoParHNRaiNXcPLJVzJ6Jd4AyQw9SAc2uaph_DWLHavZMXHiQaNQd5SxE3is4lGu2NmDs1sL4d5gICKZmQlHLVA4DHGGKlfzJBYqmzsmbz7/s4032/PXL_20230907_160208035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTkWwhgvtwG9tt9kpMv0-mWkvvVcfiisIUJqtjSQvVGgcaM1f5azGiE1OJM5G6varRJiFeeuAVNopXz0AOgXoParHNRaiNXcPLJVzJ6Jd4AyQw9SAc2uaph_DWLHavZMXHiQaNQd5SxE3is4lGu2NmDs1sL4d5gICKZmQlHLVA4DHGGKlfzJBYqmzsmbz7/w400-h225/PXL_20230907_160208035.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUcQYV64DcO4fhVbHx585GJE4_L-GrMbZvKTLACyA7dzYuDWRj4j4b1mPiJQBSUHxqavYTBHZXh-AdYmDXFHjblS32aBIopoRpx7L1HBCv9V0vGLlxRwLwFNW7oTZMFYD_nYMNbjpVbCZl15rwMSFCn5k6u-RqZ2qPovz2dlw1nsuhYAflhgSVbFodg-D/s4032/PXL_20230907_155750299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUcQYV64DcO4fhVbHx585GJE4_L-GrMbZvKTLACyA7dzYuDWRj4j4b1mPiJQBSUHxqavYTBHZXh-AdYmDXFHjblS32aBIopoRpx7L1HBCv9V0vGLlxRwLwFNW7oTZMFYD_nYMNbjpVbCZl15rwMSFCn5k6u-RqZ2qPovz2dlw1nsuhYAflhgSVbFodg-D/w400-h225/PXL_20230907_155750299.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg56wGlrnjRq4qqMJYb3eigcL-3AXIfHCGB1YxaS76Zn_6n1I8KjKuqz6JO0qpVy7LHCKgAz0G84g1ZncbVou0JtEfykcSS8XtO0r6xYkMu--BFHO1YpTS42SoXLFPpy991yR6g5AozTnlZTl49ibR7ldazQ5yqfBxoWrwIGlcz7QYzWgGSfqc9jCcU92UK/s3327/PXL_20230907_164732045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3327" data-original-width="2105" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg56wGlrnjRq4qqMJYb3eigcL-3AXIfHCGB1YxaS76Zn_6n1I8KjKuqz6JO0qpVy7LHCKgAz0G84g1ZncbVou0JtEfykcSS8XtO0r6xYkMu--BFHO1YpTS42SoXLFPpy991yR6g5AozTnlZTl49ibR7ldazQ5yqfBxoWrwIGlcz7QYzWgGSfqc9jCcU92UK/w253-h400/PXL_20230907_164732045.jpg" width="253" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildgTybIbylC9xH8nhOkV8KqMNZsemL3KYzeXHm3KXVqpXDgYiYEWCVo6ruuzN1qKzWkJeAmMeYfLoQMe0dZSXt4sT_XHZkTPtFNXsDdWaTB-dXDzmNZGPUzIKuBFEUAvKRPITYmGQHPyGkRdxDvknfzV0iPVXwKA0mdvDcoeMmLWFiMomUUm2SEi1CfCr/s4032/PXL_20230907_193826912.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildgTybIbylC9xH8nhOkV8KqMNZsemL3KYzeXHm3KXVqpXDgYiYEWCVo6ruuzN1qKzWkJeAmMeYfLoQMe0dZSXt4sT_XHZkTPtFNXsDdWaTB-dXDzmNZGPUzIKuBFEUAvKRPITYmGQHPyGkRdxDvknfzV0iPVXwKA0mdvDcoeMmLWFiMomUUm2SEi1CfCr/w400-h225/PXL_20230907_193826912.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>For this year's races, 23 équipes had been invited, with every one of the 2023 World Tour teams represented. As you may know, all of these teams have extensive rosters so that Jumbo-Visma, Ineos Grenadiers, Soudal-Quickstep, and all the others were able to contest the current Vuelta a España while simultaneously dispatching top one-day riders to Canada. Since everyone—teams, commissaires, and organizers—was housed in the Delta it was another one of those races when during mealtime one gets to rub shoulders with the best of the best in cycling.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4j5QlB9ZqPYpS0c6qtjzHyQgDnBBZBGlxULGSGqA6TSoMZB8aYkSWgxR1P2upxo_yUgsMZiv43SZ9MUH30zPBvwD5hXT9ZkxYWctw23KjBlqobpjDblw2Ju2HiXQSduqCIp_AtNBUuUJSnxDh2NJkuseF_yacJg0DQeH5YZuhHYF5SVV8t39IOBVFMa3b/s4032/PXL_20230907_145156899.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4j5QlB9ZqPYpS0c6qtjzHyQgDnBBZBGlxULGSGqA6TSoMZB8aYkSWgxR1P2upxo_yUgsMZiv43SZ9MUH30zPBvwD5hXT9ZkxYWctw23KjBlqobpjDblw2Ju2HiXQSduqCIp_AtNBUuUJSnxDh2NJkuseF_yacJg0DQeH5YZuhHYF5SVV8t39IOBVFMa3b/w225-h400/PXL_20230907_145156899.jpg" width="225" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGYnmeOHCJdUmlXNPAu3Ty8gOCqXDYQsiZY-9UVZKijrxU16WKVDxBNAYRtBBtyWDrHW3VwMDtiXQhxcLlpYx5QLAebbRKMlEUZVd9xe5zqB-qs3c2qysRsoXWbw3LV6xDD7buOhrvI1tFLGwYAmAxa8ILHdHvl8bCrfHaP426xP1sW-IUJh7RECy5BwZK/s4032/PXL_20230907_145015009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGYnmeOHCJdUmlXNPAu3Ty8gOCqXDYQsiZY-9UVZKijrxU16WKVDxBNAYRtBBtyWDrHW3VwMDtiXQhxcLlpYx5QLAebbRKMlEUZVd9xe5zqB-qs3c2qysRsoXWbw3LV6xDD7buOhrvI1tFLGwYAmAxa8ILHdHvl8bCrfHaP426xP1sW-IUJh7RECy5BwZK/w225-h400/PXL_20230907_145015009.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>Despite initially dismal weather forecasts, I had two sunny days in Québec City. Thanks to some reduced meeting responsibilities that my job brings with it I had my entire Thursday before the Friday race free to walk around and re-explore the city. Québec is such a beautiful city, with a vibrant, extremely French Old Town that is littered with tiny shops, quaint restaurants, and relics of the days of the early settlers and military commanders. The Promenade des Gouverneurs, as the boardwalk below the fortification as well as the Château Frontenac is called, provides a magnificent view of the harbor and the imposing Saint Lawrence River. The race course winds its way from the quaies into the heart of Old Town; sixteen laps of a 12.6-kilometer circuit with 186 of climbing per lap and a total distance of 201 K (and a whopping 2,976 meters of climbing!) make for a hard-as-bones test of stamina and tactics.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwXGc-ItimT-9OB9wevuGG_6dqs7-r_SM7y7Ru1aOIUJvyBet7xaHTUnsm1HfP2mukcil4TE6c2jgsrmZsvm_FLCJlsLO4y6I21OZ85jAKWTvH_f03_EnVjxgt65dVDTYd8QNOjudn8WZZmCRbG9jmOQGOQODalymtMY4ADtAYf1SjbZvsCU57ceifNK1M/s2216/PXL_20230907_160959038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2072" data-original-width="2216" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwXGc-ItimT-9OB9wevuGG_6dqs7-r_SM7y7Ru1aOIUJvyBet7xaHTUnsm1HfP2mukcil4TE6c2jgsrmZsvm_FLCJlsLO4y6I21OZ85jAKWTvH_f03_EnVjxgt65dVDTYd8QNOjudn8WZZmCRbG9jmOQGOQODalymtMY4ADtAYf1SjbZvsCU57ceifNK1M/w400-h374/PXL_20230907_160959038.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvu6k_coq6ROVx_bE-1OyYEEFyzUtGc0EX988evfod3hKWXYlRWDy3SlGc0PzQwypoJjReRmGzSo8EORugtojFoFhNkMal4XuL3LNHKZsN4GngkpUAP2Uvk3GEJCUnmC-Vmw5B3tSN5SqoKJFAcvES7W7h5S6VclMdwWBc_yDTxkGlA6Fa8tDE4p4jvo5S/s3473/PXL_20230907_161114950.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3473" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvu6k_coq6ROVx_bE-1OyYEEFyzUtGc0EX988evfod3hKWXYlRWDy3SlGc0PzQwypoJjReRmGzSo8EORugtojFoFhNkMal4XuL3LNHKZsN4GngkpUAP2Uvk3GEJCUnmC-Vmw5B3tSN5SqoKJFAcvES7W7h5S6VclMdwWBc_yDTxkGlA6Fa8tDE4p4jvo5S/w400-h261/PXL_20230907_161114950.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjcSL2OqiqiwOuFxzXQUEvEHS2rMYMebNlNhV3WcoQXH_LNlSNTlVLDObCBNn8AuMh3rACbm6m1XsJFUnnDS7_skpdjvPAVXdHgAQyHfFffoXN0FQrN2pmcDI0OIwPgiqKAqfxEH3zMZuqKC-17ngpT3f36b9hJN5jdObULlJYm5hrNn98pbBr-rd-__qq/s3777/PXL_20230907_163930498.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3777" data-original-width="2124" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjcSL2OqiqiwOuFxzXQUEvEHS2rMYMebNlNhV3WcoQXH_LNlSNTlVLDObCBNn8AuMh3rACbm6m1XsJFUnnDS7_skpdjvPAVXdHgAQyHfFffoXN0FQrN2pmcDI0OIwPgiqKAqfxEH3zMZuqKC-17ngpT3f36b9hJN5jdObULlJYm5hrNn98pbBr-rd-__qq/w225-h400/PXL_20230907_163930498.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguRXeFIE_z0Cs2pwa_gBOSTldGK__Md3zy-T_1hVpjzWr7nS3tT8shdkVk28UTYW614YbAtZK4OF6X3qUMwouaxExLxKPx_9Ytjp0k0YlqTHlPB66EPQeBlfy1pMovc2Na6Lzz_sK47jRe0oj7z62tS2vtXyNIiMUcaTXecUxXv9XtOc3hYluccaZLFglI/s4032/PXL_20230907_220343923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguRXeFIE_z0Cs2pwa_gBOSTldGK__Md3zy-T_1hVpjzWr7nS3tT8shdkVk28UTYW614YbAtZK4OF6X3qUMwouaxExLxKPx_9Ytjp0k0YlqTHlPB66EPQeBlfy1pMovc2Na6Lzz_sK47jRe0oj7z62tS2vtXyNIiMUcaTXecUxXv9XtOc3hYluccaZLFglI/w400-h225/PXL_20230907_220343923.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaqLfh7kJaaFWNOG_Ip3yu2QBa2lDtIBqPkjZpVZji5iA9gWq9PmMPLCiWR0rQ0cnXr8oGTc_I-pO1pNqr90SZBnDinXG3N4EqcrNwPJbYPUsmGCw40wu1KkOPAM65G3dKMdiKhDYGxclwUMhirsIvw_-u9fggOlHZfBhzXFkirXQSNEHQrx0g_xxitBes/s2702/PXL_20230907_193712222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2702" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaqLfh7kJaaFWNOG_Ip3yu2QBa2lDtIBqPkjZpVZji5iA9gWq9PmMPLCiWR0rQ0cnXr8oGTc_I-pO1pNqr90SZBnDinXG3N4EqcrNwPJbYPUsmGCw40wu1KkOPAM65G3dKMdiKhDYGxclwUMhirsIvw_-u9fggOlHZfBhzXFkirXQSNEHQrx0g_xxitBes/w336-h400/PXL_20230907_193712222.jpg" width="336" /></a></div><div>The setting of the course in such a history-fraught environment is difficult to replicate. The turns are incessant, the streets are narrow and allow spectators to really get up close, and the road surface is not always the best. I never saw an estimate of how many fans (die-hard or just for the day) lined the circuit, but of course it must have been many thousand. The VIP area was well attended, and the <i>village</i> with all the exhibitors attracted huge numbers of visitors. I got to see much of the race close-up, even if during the final dash to the line I was already preoccupied with an early finisher.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKeGKZbcJEsfJMvg2_HtiE5C0lZD3o1lnsrQr8g4Xo2PYE5wXRqGoxpccBicUXByjyvc8vp7OCpLQ-rUPCLxu804yFzADSInF22NUPeNb4QPC_M0iCWRtUAkPu_rHuCspMAM5S9ngckzKI8OUouwcSMEeYL2yOG56owHSD2jwzLQR8Eugi9x6oiwlEPfaS/s4032/PXL_20230907_163954019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKeGKZbcJEsfJMvg2_HtiE5C0lZD3o1lnsrQr8g4Xo2PYE5wXRqGoxpccBicUXByjyvc8vp7OCpLQ-rUPCLxu804yFzADSInF22NUPeNb4QPC_M0iCWRtUAkPu_rHuCspMAM5S9ngckzKI8OUouwcSMEeYL2yOG56owHSD2jwzLQR8Eugi9x6oiwlEPfaS/w400-h225/PXL_20230907_163954019.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Dépêche-toi, Henri, demain, ils courrant ici!</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjriEY_srW5pwunYeqEctruEY_E92V-e5a60NWzEs3tVKqg1vs1HvJa0Cao7uz3gIkt7jBQ8SQ2TmJLlN1npeNNklf7sFl7v-AgShr6we93b3aVWnwkNFe8bi12-lJk-bZO4sc5PfFYs_WrzePc0qtHBz9lq1-gEqVuUWSZgNZjsOW_JSUqkXMmoq71Fjes/s3147/PXL_20230907_221555272.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3147" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjriEY_srW5pwunYeqEctruEY_E92V-e5a60NWzEs3tVKqg1vs1HvJa0Cao7uz3gIkt7jBQ8SQ2TmJLlN1npeNNklf7sFl7v-AgShr6we93b3aVWnwkNFe8bi12-lJk-bZO4sc5PfFYs_WrzePc0qtHBz9lq1-gEqVuUWSZgNZjsOW_JSUqkXMmoq71Fjes/w400-h289/PXL_20230907_221555272.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Getting cameras and <i>poubelles </i>ready for the big day</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOifLa7pbJKIz1PBfYzugL0a6ihwjgqQ0fsmawTFfVOWWoB1lHZiz99D1hKiq_CnMSC5F8y-jY5RSDnDRuKwhoauTHbA2BHnrU8qC4OPF12LZkTKETzOkyhCCI5mLO0N2X5tFEWAOpbt7xCyAIumvNM2V5BgX4p3iL3mK7xTK5NiLFSsNWrDYiysJ4Ns03/s4032/PXL_20230908_141908419.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOifLa7pbJKIz1PBfYzugL0a6ihwjgqQ0fsmawTFfVOWWoB1lHZiz99D1hKiq_CnMSC5F8y-jY5RSDnDRuKwhoauTHbA2BHnrU8qC4OPF12LZkTKETzOkyhCCI5mLO0N2X5tFEWAOpbt7xCyAIumvNM2V5BgX4p3iL3mK7xTK5NiLFSsNWrDYiysJ4Ns03/w400-h225/PXL_20230908_141908419.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The ever-so-popular race doctor's car</span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0JbTELv17dPExwz02blXk2lV8zMJZaM8-exVqW4aNHOJC8dY19EUn0KuehvR6VvWMWWHimCfEJhHGv1Wd7S-RiE2DznHZCngeLiFkf7Xxqn8qatJBLbr1IpeXfa7gzR0kw0KAVHzkymJHZCThim1XKMWR0bJL3rxK3UK6-uDKC9O-UOwy1u3Gtcv0FG5Y/s3334/PXL_20230908_143719454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2253" data-original-width="3334" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0JbTELv17dPExwz02blXk2lV8zMJZaM8-exVqW4aNHOJC8dY19EUn0KuehvR6VvWMWWHimCfEJhHGv1Wd7S-RiE2DznHZCngeLiFkf7Xxqn8qatJBLbr1IpeXfa7gzR0kw0KAVHzkymJHZCThim1XKMWR0bJL3rxK3UK6-uDKC9O-UOwy1u3Gtcv0FG5Y/w400-h270/PXL_20230908_143719454.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The team presentations were an absolute hit with the crowds</span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA1JYXwxpUlE42czi0t5yfaG7HloYEg4YLQ62eCqu-dLPHbdH6bhqoP-D_c0wqRHHgWIMJvs3CM0NwxIF6Zqq9QzxHA3SravnOTKXRai2MsZTL7ODlk1nQCcxP6SZ7tVBt0oaqoKjr-Vy-91wqIAo73iGFgfwMRjy9k9OM-WiW9JNRc9WYxhkDYf1xikCB/s2944/PXL_20230909_002126379.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2103" data-original-width="2944" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA1JYXwxpUlE42czi0t5yfaG7HloYEg4YLQ62eCqu-dLPHbdH6bhqoP-D_c0wqRHHgWIMJvs3CM0NwxIF6Zqq9QzxHA3SravnOTKXRai2MsZTL7ODlk1nQCcxP6SZ7tVBt0oaqoKjr-Vy-91wqIAo73iGFgfwMRjy9k9OM-WiW9JNRc9WYxhkDYf1xikCB/w400-h286/PXL_20230909_002126379.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The lovely ladies from the VIP area at the group dinner: <br />Geneviève, Victoria, and Janie</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Friday night, after the race, I went on my customary evening excursion to find a new brewpub (I had done so in Chicago, and on Wednesday and Thursday nights I had already ticked off another four local breweries). There was a place just below and outside of Old Town that I had set my sights on, and I was not disappointed: Noctem not only delivered, but it turned out to finesse itself into one of the top-five spots on my list of favorite breweries that I have visited. Both the <i>Spectre Solaire</i> as well as the <i>Oldschool Double IPA</i> were amazing beers, and I also tasted the <i>Catnip</i>, another IPA among several others that Noctem is well-renowned for. This entire section of town was hopping with mainly young people, partly because of a three-day food-and-music festival but also because this part of Québec has so many cool restaurants, bars, and night-spots.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2aMHYhT7BOTsq263b1j5bQ91vbSvuNsEYfJJHKTReb9qORT1sJSJdglojZiU9NOTP0vkOecmjw77-AzVSxntGTcGWxUQtxw-fUifmjpfe-DlhqLLCwUjbdXzMVIB7Yk7gGcHLpp-EiQmQy77pVqfCsidGDy_PPLNd8iJb7WC5sa5lOMm1ECCQ_UseoH7w/s4032/PXL_20230909_033646721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2aMHYhT7BOTsq263b1j5bQ91vbSvuNsEYfJJHKTReb9qORT1sJSJdglojZiU9NOTP0vkOecmjw77-AzVSxntGTcGWxUQtxw-fUifmjpfe-DlhqLLCwUjbdXzMVIB7Yk7gGcHLpp-EiQmQy77pVqfCsidGDy_PPLNd8iJb7WC5sa5lOMm1ECCQ_UseoH7w/w400-h225/PXL_20230909_033646721.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGPuox8jBUZQCEUuP0sK7qKaFgzputZQEmOIP8S5LTfXAL0HpAvj66Nl_V5lxf7q9WsWjlOtwd2rOxetfcJvAf0LY5Bd3Ne-h5Rb5W1dwYAhnBUqhwsHDa0BOVEz6c4yGFF8C6Qszvut5M12oHKjUHsPOK3sdt4fU7PbM_sXEq4FDiXriH4e_QM0B0zOpi/s4032/PXL_20230909_032159711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGPuox8jBUZQCEUuP0sK7qKaFgzputZQEmOIP8S5LTfXAL0HpAvj66Nl_V5lxf7q9WsWjlOtwd2rOxetfcJvAf0LY5Bd3Ne-h5Rb5W1dwYAhnBUqhwsHDa0BOVEz6c4yGFF8C6Qszvut5M12oHKjUHsPOK3sdt4fU7PbM_sXEq4FDiXriH4e_QM0B0zOpi/w400-h225/PXL_20230909_032159711.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC293oaVwfPxmJW-5p0LOE46V9Rk9DAZ_IGQmWGes5nWYt2Nd43HNtS1h57wK0Z_W_QVfciBGjpjgIXptcZTCU5RgsmqUIGcEIPyJu7PGjTDlCFQmTUtBlfuuVQzsRQtaRhb_EkTd7wPfZlqk-gsI-mJ6Y4rVbuABRDsjbiB5OE_lnQ-HNgzmWtdjFIjmf/s2857/PXL_20230909_021856023~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2857" data-original-width="2208" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC293oaVwfPxmJW-5p0LOE46V9Rk9DAZ_IGQmWGes5nWYt2Nd43HNtS1h57wK0Z_W_QVfciBGjpjgIXptcZTCU5RgsmqUIGcEIPyJu7PGjTDlCFQmTUtBlfuuVQzsRQtaRhb_EkTd7wPfZlqk-gsI-mJ6Y4rVbuABRDsjbiB5OE_lnQ-HNgzmWtdjFIjmf/w309-h400/PXL_20230909_021856023~2.jpg" width="309" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJKd299OKqGFEr4xORPHlxXm4ZP7WJaYPxNkTmFJ6sa8U_HXGh4iC6CoIZesA5KittPQbFkJfuSZpeF0CVsiavZS_GEtEHAwve5-HY9gVXSex9ao4sgiAACX9JJQQrGVa_kNZWnwEezW4hVc5WEcBCmnwAHDpg5IRwAncHVngY1_t_VxjglzVDQqTAuBCw/s4032/PXL_20230909_004502729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJKd299OKqGFEr4xORPHlxXm4ZP7WJaYPxNkTmFJ6sa8U_HXGh4iC6CoIZesA5KittPQbFkJfuSZpeF0CVsiavZS_GEtEHAwve5-HY9gVXSex9ao4sgiAACX9JJQQrGVa_kNZWnwEezW4hVc5WEcBCmnwAHDpg5IRwAncHVngY1_t_VxjglzVDQqTAuBCw/w400-h225/PXL_20230909_004502729.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaKV3STGSB5NhCYbsUQwjiAh8oY98t0g0ZnUAkwgbwIEKFGx3P8vu8O2AkKH0uP6F8qCTICAgc7tARFC6Ye0x1c66bnVrsEeV8Pz_AojZo_5Eyd0LsqPZpGpQHK775YueAwQZB-YV4yAEY1ho-azYiPFbjRBorK9pFSArjCIuE4mgIFgsy92eOeA4QjmZK/s2985/PXL_20230909_025130459.PORTRAIT~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2985" data-original-width="1785" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaKV3STGSB5NhCYbsUQwjiAh8oY98t0g0ZnUAkwgbwIEKFGx3P8vu8O2AkKH0uP6F8qCTICAgc7tARFC6Ye0x1c66bnVrsEeV8Pz_AojZo_5Eyd0LsqPZpGpQHK775YueAwQZB-YV4yAEY1ho-azYiPFbjRBorK9pFSArjCIuE4mgIFgsy92eOeA4QjmZK/w239-h400/PXL_20230909_025130459.PORTRAIT~2.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">IPA bliss at Noctem</span></td></tr></tbody></table>The next day, our entire entourage was transported by an armada of charter busses to Montréal, where the second Grand Prix was going to be held on Sunday. It's about a three-hour drive between the cities, not particularly scenic when one follows the motorway, as we did. I have to say, I would really like to do this trip (around 300 K) along the Saint Lawrence, following the country roads and bike paths. Maybe one of these days....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP-ZM5eRTM5pi-1raRvtJL-wqKUVm7m-htdOnOxw1dIuJb2KMYTmOuWTK6UNdJOMIFWPsiDTSSdPP5yw5gERra_zQbJarKidPGyum9BqRyGpEk5nUuKffvvONyo_3IwrZZBQVrB5RzlCMZQkZzNTD5VrOZjmJmCaHM3IhSJgKz1EYa9S3XItXJcJwXLOeg/s3620/PXL_20230909_135433555.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3620" data-original-width="1984" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP-ZM5eRTM5pi-1raRvtJL-wqKUVm7m-htdOnOxw1dIuJb2KMYTmOuWTK6UNdJOMIFWPsiDTSSdPP5yw5gERra_zQbJarKidPGyum9BqRyGpEk5nUuKffvvONyo_3IwrZZBQVrB5RzlCMZQkZzNTD5VrOZjmJmCaHM3IhSJgKz1EYa9S3XItXJcJwXLOeg/w219-h400/PXL_20230909_135433555.jpg" width="219" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk7DMe0wn8mdW9IwMjVQYkIG8qP8jcxBR37OGmOQkfAIFLC3ItALEGB2ckHCXVHUhoU7cIMPsVTP8nsX62kI8HfJzHpYFySJriHTQAdCtCe8-jU4sHyprNf1Zmdj08OZxPZg8X9hh6KMT46tvpkhij9_aNYBIdPXIRYurMVNAC_nRTlx1cg-olF-2IDMFm/s3371/PXL_20230909_161222614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1896" data-original-width="3371" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk7DMe0wn8mdW9IwMjVQYkIG8qP8jcxBR37OGmOQkfAIFLC3ItALEGB2ckHCXVHUhoU7cIMPsVTP8nsX62kI8HfJzHpYFySJriHTQAdCtCe8-jU4sHyprNf1Zmdj08OZxPZg8X9hh6KMT46tvpkhij9_aNYBIdPXIRYurMVNAC_nRTlx1cg-olF-2IDMFm/w400-h225/PXL_20230909_161222614.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUEflIj8kuBLz7Q8lUpQ6Y5xvhPNvsYpPNQjOnONrqgnm43t2gX4p3jgIXQDOdkR687SwkjhXn4M_V2GmwqEgIhA7AadGid-6kGYs6kl5At2UZJgPEIC5xAWGIQGRX5v0Xqwjd4fdB4LI-bArkCVnslIQ1ksU5uMvNeHScTYHwgTYBgCJePWU3zhlKGLso/s3798/PXL_20230909_215312236.PORTRAIT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2055" data-original-width="3798" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUEflIj8kuBLz7Q8lUpQ6Y5xvhPNvsYpPNQjOnONrqgnm43t2gX4p3jgIXQDOdkR687SwkjhXn4M_V2GmwqEgIhA7AadGid-6kGYs6kl5At2UZJgPEIC5xAWGIQGRX5v0Xqwjd4fdB4LI-bArkCVnslIQ1ksU5uMvNeHScTYHwgTYBgCJePWU3zhlKGLso/w400-h216/PXL_20230909_215312236.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>Once again we were housed in a Delta by Marriott hotel, and thanks to our arrival shortly after noon I had yet another chance to do some sightseeing. It was certainly cooler than it had been in Québec, but it was sunny and simply a glorious Saturday afternoon with local families and couples as well as visitors from abroad milling around the older areas of Montréal, which is the country's second-largest city (behind Toronto but not its capital, which is Ottawa). Of course, I had dropped a few micro-brewery addresses into my Locus app and connected dots, resulting in quite a few miles of walking and simply enjoying the sights, the day, and the IPAs.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYrAk4qBP9Q9ZrTwPPIx57S8T4A0-v6ZHw99Iq2CB8RiHF5iQx_jh4Y5JwuP0zyAr_k72z_-vh6UgRFuTPSdAr1KKRR7rz30RpK3twRazla5SPJBh3Si7lCw-OGlZ_iW30FM9dAK8ZDVNSmK1xDtK2V02pDcWkFVcZRbSMqHG2yb8v8xwzoOeOtyKeEzv-/s3486/PXL_20230909_213237583.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3486" data-original-width="2182" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYrAk4qBP9Q9ZrTwPPIx57S8T4A0-v6ZHw99Iq2CB8RiHF5iQx_jh4Y5JwuP0zyAr_k72z_-vh6UgRFuTPSdAr1KKRR7rz30RpK3twRazla5SPJBh3Si7lCw-OGlZ_iW30FM9dAK8ZDVNSmK1xDtK2V02pDcWkFVcZRbSMqHG2yb8v8xwzoOeOtyKeEzv-/w250-h400/PXL_20230909_213237583.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikLdRWuiMoQKXcsC_6YoZjywxXKMDQdq0Fn72bgM6YvvV9cKo3s61sUDnno6c_HctEC-GEGQO_LjI5jaKD-CSSsstDDCAOnIpfpHE3H5AMCSbJQh8tYPcyQJALomquLgVlR0qEZt5JlOgUC3f28JuMVPERCF6TEaGoSpTA8-13epemspNQeKzjT_IPadpt/s3362/PXL_20230909_195539023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1522" data-original-width="3362" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikLdRWuiMoQKXcsC_6YoZjywxXKMDQdq0Fn72bgM6YvvV9cKo3s61sUDnno6c_HctEC-GEGQO_LjI5jaKD-CSSsstDDCAOnIpfpHE3H5AMCSbJQh8tYPcyQJALomquLgVlR0qEZt5JlOgUC3f28JuMVPERCF6TEaGoSpTA8-13epemspNQeKzjT_IPadpt/w400-h181/PXL_20230909_195539023.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiruw34AB7e02bJOtiLXxzVdfuG0i3Tt_mwvHeWaqqsKl7gi0j6Nu6vAyjTAGr8KmP8URd5wg-pVvZh7_749K2XyxsoTEuzpYldVJhE-DPtzwL8SsLuqqn31zZtLqJ00iaMwgfPt6hh7RxWGOKKdkpwzvgbKF7foyMKoj8TMbNAB-xxPEHEkNBGNC3K2FbY/s3793/PXL_20230909_201601468.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3793" data-original-width="2133" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiruw34AB7e02bJOtiLXxzVdfuG0i3Tt_mwvHeWaqqsKl7gi0j6Nu6vAyjTAGr8KmP8URd5wg-pVvZh7_749K2XyxsoTEuzpYldVJhE-DPtzwL8SsLuqqn31zZtLqJ00iaMwgfPt6hh7RxWGOKKdkpwzvgbKF7foyMKoj8TMbNAB-xxPEHEkNBGNC3K2FbY/w225-h400/PXL_20230909_201601468.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-dE4fD3VsIpbwxXwcEug_eR2np27J73v16Pd049PP-G3_fjS77x1UVGvz59qvD_i7ePw8mBdyGVS1kusnI5UJNxSyis-rj-iEh3BWblEM09hq_EnivTVk6MBrdQb370K8gc-U4_TJ5G64CSNohGcXX9xxGbMviMEL1XSAJeb4MUgElaO2yE29jICYxpC/s4032/PXL_20230909_201446377.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-dE4fD3VsIpbwxXwcEug_eR2np27J73v16Pd049PP-G3_fjS77x1UVGvz59qvD_i7ePw8mBdyGVS1kusnI5UJNxSyis-rj-iEh3BWblEM09hq_EnivTVk6MBrdQb370K8gc-U4_TJ5G64CSNohGcXX9xxGbMviMEL1XSAJeb4MUgElaO2yE29jICYxpC/w400-h225/PXL_20230909_201446377.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSd6KFq8bYK_aGfjej1JqdX8NH3W9A8heUm0IpO03HoL2wVJwWcaRPQOS4n7SCS8IFAKH4mFoUtN0o6dIKMnf1zHfhFOs3s6XWeApHUlD9IuVYORvCNXUQbN27sE7TU3gnIc471zLJ9wb83QQ84LP9arKeqSVtS8CBhbi3ZoKzIf0u61ctgo4PPJ5jweh6/s3034/PXL_20230909_201229665.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3034" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSd6KFq8bYK_aGfjej1JqdX8NH3W9A8heUm0IpO03HoL2wVJwWcaRPQOS4n7SCS8IFAKH4mFoUtN0o6dIKMnf1zHfhFOs3s6XWeApHUlD9IuVYORvCNXUQbN27sE7TU3gnIc471zLJ9wb83QQ84LP9arKeqSVtS8CBhbi3ZoKzIf0u61ctgo4PPJ5jweh6/w299-h400/PXL_20230909_201229665.jpg" width="299" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWIDOkel07aWidy9vbk0PixBDqlewbA70YmCFszczqKQOAype8jfRm6QLczsWl0KDbQpKYrG_AlnHmee9qkc4YZNVJiTESmUsUPd0ZEsPYqodaWfNuKdXXhA0x2maUAuSkH6O26XPe3o6sazS35hZTjPzNHjBRS5sXEe1fb_hBd99QpYMwXhzseT9RxwJ/s3758/PXL_20230909_200422694.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2089" data-original-width="3758" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWIDOkel07aWidy9vbk0PixBDqlewbA70YmCFszczqKQOAype8jfRm6QLczsWl0KDbQpKYrG_AlnHmee9qkc4YZNVJiTESmUsUPd0ZEsPYqodaWfNuKdXXhA0x2maUAuSkH6O26XPe3o6sazS35hZTjPzNHjBRS5sXEe1fb_hBd99QpYMwXhzseT9RxwJ/w400-h223/PXL_20230909_200422694.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>One thing that I noticed in both cities is the extraordinary number of street construction projects. It seems that every second roadway has some partial closures for major repairs. Some of these seem to be almost semi-permanent, judging from how bike lanes and pedestrian sidewalks were rerouted in sensible and safe ways. Adding to the urban landscape is that Montréal has an even larger homeless population than Québec, and the streets are not necessarily clean and free of trash. It seems that garbage is simply put in bags and dropped by the curbside in hopes that dump trucks will show up before things get really rowdy. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivXZr7iU65zHwZR9H3dmYsAEJfcU4fNar0lVUVgxXIOA18j4NiyMbtEqVpiFmhIENxA50WB3NLY74Yn_SkWGVyITiphilpsSMFSKlgmHfFyEkvWG_hegkBEU_xMnoj6wlD1VDFGTWAbhiW6bHrOf1sYiFi1EKgxRhiqD_pe8Ibv6kbWXyKQK0DyJ3Lpb_K/s4032/PXL_20230909_230959104~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivXZr7iU65zHwZR9H3dmYsAEJfcU4fNar0lVUVgxXIOA18j4NiyMbtEqVpiFmhIENxA50WB3NLY74Yn_SkWGVyITiphilpsSMFSKlgmHfFyEkvWG_hegkBEU_xMnoj6wlD1VDFGTWAbhiW6bHrOf1sYiFi1EKgxRhiqD_pe8Ibv6kbWXyKQK0DyJ3Lpb_K/w225-h400/PXL_20230909_230959104~2.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyxejBQWdYuJDkSI2l89Watm2WOFoXq54b_27NtaEU15QU6TuyNqfizODuzfTvRRWzYrbdJP4-65SrZ0H8ippxGmbdG71qrWIe1SwNm-2jrtgDGzKITaf1BQkuTXFbHdzyx8_aGmXym5s1_1Riwd8x_i24DcTB6yNOksUCuSZ92jzbOcMg7nFJeWax6ag0/s4032/PXL_20230909_215622050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyxejBQWdYuJDkSI2l89Watm2WOFoXq54b_27NtaEU15QU6TuyNqfizODuzfTvRRWzYrbdJP4-65SrZ0H8ippxGmbdG71qrWIe1SwNm-2jrtgDGzKITaf1BQkuTXFbHdzyx8_aGmXym5s1_1Riwd8x_i24DcTB6yNOksUCuSZ92jzbOcMg7nFJeWax6ag0/w400-h225/PXL_20230909_215622050.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC1CZ1X4EJr84kiirFiXxhNETfRQnXl9kw3O6Rq1lOsgMptlRHWwk4CSLBnnuM8V7-SbcxLLjbOylrtiPT29w4jnpbGHfuJrMjmkvbETF_356hyfoh5TUaPbuDEhzbsDT7GQ7CAvjoboIlO1gT9je3xUnh1qcnMFG6HWg7z52BuFSGpnKdwzZlJHHFeT1b/s2441/PXL_20230909_225958815~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2441" data-original-width="1876" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC1CZ1X4EJr84kiirFiXxhNETfRQnXl9kw3O6Rq1lOsgMptlRHWwk4CSLBnnuM8V7-SbcxLLjbOylrtiPT29w4jnpbGHfuJrMjmkvbETF_356hyfoh5TUaPbuDEhzbsDT7GQ7CAvjoboIlO1gT9je3xUnh1qcnMFG6HWg7z52BuFSGpnKdwzZlJHHFeT1b/w308-h400/PXL_20230909_225958815~2.jpg" width="308" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhAtCGPu-7hRW0oYUIT0KbzHcaqFlmmLVQmcrVyARwH8ElmtkU3AA0utrl_d63uf8UbriqKlzJmu6WVLRR0xVQyO-tkSj8Eb11t80PRKFY1Sooyv4Ztf8V62rUBmQFaiFMoWTLDQSZtsxAJrvbmRACCPRXYvVyZCT085G53FLAnLadX6GhC2PjFNzjoc2U/s2720/PXL_20230909_230321413~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="2720" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhAtCGPu-7hRW0oYUIT0KbzHcaqFlmmLVQmcrVyARwH8ElmtkU3AA0utrl_d63uf8UbriqKlzJmu6WVLRR0xVQyO-tkSj8Eb11t80PRKFY1Sooyv4Ztf8V62rUBmQFaiFMoWTLDQSZtsxAJrvbmRACCPRXYvVyZCT085G53FLAnLadX6GhC2PjFNzjoc2U/w400-h334/PXL_20230909_230321413~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Who needs a car to get ready for the axe-throwing contest?</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Sunday brought the predicted precipitation, and the beginning of the race was marred by pouring rain. Just for the record: 18 laps of 12.3 kilometer length, with a per-lap elevation gain of 269 meters—the entire race is 269 K long and the total elevation gain is 4,842 meters! Ouch! No wonder that winner Adam Yates took almost six hours to complete this monster.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLf_EOCRwbJ_h6I6gXQglth9HWQhKYk82g7DQGQ-A0XLxAE5WdyJV9FOQhptptjdTNrG79PaSGr_NyH1wVKpcpCYNn_u6F36EWNmpgX5g8Th9lKS1nFtjaThAMmlKEX5wBV7_IavJBg-dLNlId9FusH1IT9o2GIYaLyaYCkT5d1dYdaDWndFktwXDb6hEP/s4032/PXL_20230910_171401084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLf_EOCRwbJ_h6I6gXQglth9HWQhKYk82g7DQGQ-A0XLxAE5WdyJV9FOQhptptjdTNrG79PaSGr_NyH1wVKpcpCYNn_u6F36EWNmpgX5g8Th9lKS1nFtjaThAMmlKEX5wBV7_IavJBg-dLNlId9FusH1IT9o2GIYaLyaYCkT5d1dYdaDWndFktwXDb6hEP/w225-h400/PXL_20230910_171401084.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRN5rm5KBjqk2sct_6LJiuznFo2eu8Bv5v1zdNXN3Lqe2PcajfHNs1Eie3gWFupSs9OonKG_XU3U-7Wc0V7MmrQaA_K0xoqAE2fq75Diry2GldklcuPozIWfDKdFPiRdnF9j8ZXy1QD72s58OJUjtegab0a3iRuGiTVH5kXdcBrxkENnZB4p-iMVpE6yhN/s1995/PXL_20230910_141100937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1862" data-original-width="1995" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRN5rm5KBjqk2sct_6LJiuznFo2eu8Bv5v1zdNXN3Lqe2PcajfHNs1Eie3gWFupSs9OonKG_XU3U-7Wc0V7MmrQaA_K0xoqAE2fq75Diry2GldklcuPozIWfDKdFPiRdnF9j8ZXy1QD72s58OJUjtegab0a3iRuGiTVH5kXdcBrxkENnZB4p-iMVpE6yhN/w400-h374/PXL_20230910_141100937.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVR7DHH2EIF3THNuDhEklIMYaKIFf3Iw_0KdNrbwpsjvPDpe_3PG_-K1xTr9BbXDSliBsxhf1lt6vjpc3E1Aj2A0lXO0pdYfMz9yKASQACgx3mU9QZPZCFz9jISbSeRobe1_cUgnSZgMecJenQ1jq7uyY8ubE_p_fVmaTJJUJm4f8vZfo23qiOVMSfYWsn/s2397/PXL_20230910_134839805~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1805" data-original-width="2397" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVR7DHH2EIF3THNuDhEklIMYaKIFf3Iw_0KdNrbwpsjvPDpe_3PG_-K1xTr9BbXDSliBsxhf1lt6vjpc3E1Aj2A0lXO0pdYfMz9yKASQACgx3mU9QZPZCFz9jISbSeRobe1_cUgnSZgMecJenQ1jq7uyY8ubE_p_fVmaTJJUJm4f8vZfo23qiOVMSfYWsn/w400-h301/PXL_20230910_134839805~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPiHgRVcq2FItycUxmf_AlLUyQlOj4Z55kvBOpU5RwXwZXw9Hkf9QeyRbQ9qYJftEJ8obBxrgqysGj9c7eqelZtNQdomTrFW_726XeIj8JJfbbLLi9zNu6fmR44KwkR0dyau7AaG1tNNnILyjdFkYjXxaZjqrLxzo-77TNhThtOx1Qgqpt9p1aiJxNuPUm/s3890/PXL_20230910_134744650.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2067" data-original-width="3890" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPiHgRVcq2FItycUxmf_AlLUyQlOj4Z55kvBOpU5RwXwZXw9Hkf9QeyRbQ9qYJftEJ8obBxrgqysGj9c7eqelZtNQdomTrFW_726XeIj8JJfbbLLi9zNu6fmR44KwkR0dyau7AaG1tNNnILyjdFkYjXxaZjqrLxzo-77TNhThtOx1Qgqpt9p1aiJxNuPUm/w400-h213/PXL_20230910_134744650.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbfXoG6fb8lbCEvJon06cYtmovW-nkXKAMHSvMA08OVaC7hG6Auu_VilfqFQfokikEtKF5D3WltRZ3LMQ3PLUUb866vEC5gsmFu9TMT2PJgv74UAfGmnMfyaWfj1CRMI-XRmIdg6EVV9J10q_Z4HMu9kbnmY8hKBoImpmG1xSYBkJMDi3tAE6V3i5A9YLt/s2931/PXL_20230910_134033324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1993" data-original-width="2931" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbfXoG6fb8lbCEvJon06cYtmovW-nkXKAMHSvMA08OVaC7hG6Auu_VilfqFQfokikEtKF5D3WltRZ3LMQ3PLUUb866vEC5gsmFu9TMT2PJgv74UAfGmnMfyaWfj1CRMI-XRmIdg6EVV9J10q_Z4HMu9kbnmY8hKBoImpmG1xSYBkJMDi3tAE6V3i5A9YLt/w400-h272/PXL_20230910_134033324.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqZgaZt8-65tJIKKVHaam7zFQz1Hvj13inJ5ydsBM3yn4ANkGtGZCQuxg91nDrKWHyyvdVk3pjuY5gu8QgwWsoNlDCF3zTNfZ6gbpEksyS-Ts86I8RwjDgeKiLng7ONQIEwIlWgkS2BS_noB5yzvPYrJF_wjcwTraj6GBrqAApX1_JuznC2niDFhVqa7uX/s1733/PXL_20230910_133845894~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1056" data-original-width="1733" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqZgaZt8-65tJIKKVHaam7zFQz1Hvj13inJ5ydsBM3yn4ANkGtGZCQuxg91nDrKWHyyvdVk3pjuY5gu8QgwWsoNlDCF3zTNfZ6gbpEksyS-Ts86I8RwjDgeKiLng7ONQIEwIlWgkS2BS_noB5yzvPYrJF_wjcwTraj6GBrqAApX1_JuznC2niDFhVqa7uX/w400-h244/PXL_20230910_133845894~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4e2p8ZfGm56FOU9CopcSu0UvKeViUTCX11ZP3my0Ni2L0zacyWhoC0TyKp7Az8jXlP8REWprWJ--tPtrJjth51UD2G5ns3PYzkkorCZJ0POJkuzf0YdH1HR34x_9h_o9xVAu8Ezhfs00_kSUv1oUeeE7_U_nGDtwlvWMYk-Sa-xjkr4w9JoPOgRKSJ-lM/s2019/PXL_20230910_171835533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1100" data-original-width="2019" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4e2p8ZfGm56FOU9CopcSu0UvKeViUTCX11ZP3my0Ni2L0zacyWhoC0TyKp7Az8jXlP8REWprWJ--tPtrJjth51UD2G5ns3PYzkkorCZJ0POJkuzf0YdH1HR34x_9h_o9xVAu8Ezhfs00_kSUv1oUeeE7_U_nGDtwlvWMYk-Sa-xjkr4w9JoPOgRKSJ-lM/w400-h217/PXL_20230910_171835533.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Just like in Québec my work was completed quickly and without any issues. Since the rain had stopped by early afternoon I decided to walk back to the hotel (somebody had forgotten that I needed transportation ...) to burn some of the calories that I was sure I was going to consume in the last brewpub on my list: Brutopia. Cool name, cool place. I had intended to simply have one, maybe two pints, but somehow one of the (rather grizzly) locals felt compelled to buy me a beer, and by that time the open mic night had started and the local bands were simply too good to just leave. So, another NEIPA on top of number three before I finally tore myself loose and walked a mile or so back to the Delta.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVI-OfO1uzAJp1AEtsEKHFb19E1bCNIOdPd-9VUZTewdvGoqRfMR_n0hTv-F-oVOvWOOnJvG71pLibeWixrkGzXUzAPXX-nZHBx3uzf2Xnvl_aOdEfENBujEj9w5v83MiiUfzRAsUNk17jq_2xr_0lyEbHj6GBVCrw_bld_tvDonErCol0sKG-HBASNBHS/s4032/PXL_20230911_002543137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVI-OfO1uzAJp1AEtsEKHFb19E1bCNIOdPd-9VUZTewdvGoqRfMR_n0hTv-F-oVOvWOOnJvG71pLibeWixrkGzXUzAPXX-nZHBx3uzf2Xnvl_aOdEfENBujEj9w5v83MiiUfzRAsUNk17jq_2xr_0lyEbHj6GBVCrw_bld_tvDonErCol0sKG-HBASNBHS/w400-h225/PXL_20230911_002543137.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3271" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb9NR_s2MOOc0YxZaksYxO17JWl-PPGMHbebXYcgW1ouVGyasmh9ewnQigB8y9bP-RcbUP7cYcU1ZjQ2duffPsggPyjUBqEWa5wqQCDvhW2FrDPqejC5hvbGAANxf1VtQfRsz0vzI1wcdA0cNiRvFEh_WOhl5x8bIuur5vCoVVeCsqHbj4ipghW5Gn2J1M/w400-h278/PXL_20230911_003021660.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhju9BQ-M2PjRnEhLTBVnLVeZ6XV_Jl3RQ3cvFJWr-riEoPopEiltgWnmH6ICVZWvjh7IGkhxdDsDu4cZvIDpoU9_zTjcxwzRunC8t4bsCJkinpLI8Ga6Wdj3Udo28lf4m9Kpykmj7vd7AhSYMFEgBIYuiRRp-4hK_2PdI2onV7SRugfm4xNQHn5Z3bF_3C/s4032/PXL_20230911_021646467.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhju9BQ-M2PjRnEhLTBVnLVeZ6XV_Jl3RQ3cvFJWr-riEoPopEiltgWnmH6ICVZWvjh7IGkhxdDsDu4cZvIDpoU9_zTjcxwzRunC8t4bsCJkinpLI8Ga6Wdj3Udo28lf4m9Kpykmj7vd7AhSYMFEgBIYuiRRp-4hK_2PdI2onV7SRugfm4xNQHn5Z3bF_3C/w400-h225/PXL_20230911_021646467.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwWYhJLLR6X_gUVUo0XtX_wzcEXY_DetifTJO-yygI97TLPc3yEU3TlRYG_Qr_YTRpaaKqkf-SBXXZDCw1MaF8yz8cCx4S8sfltmCoBfUKdjdN2q_FgcnZAz2lrTWtGTi5gezLh4Yz_LWzTlFF_sPeVBBnHwU1XLCLW5IYT53Hu4b6igjmAjVKX1xmFsx3/s2242/PXL_20230911_003335781~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2242" data-original-width="1507" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwWYhJLLR6X_gUVUo0XtX_wzcEXY_DetifTJO-yygI97TLPc3yEU3TlRYG_Qr_YTRpaaKqkf-SBXXZDCw1MaF8yz8cCx4S8sfltmCoBfUKdjdN2q_FgcnZAz2lrTWtGTi5gezLh4Yz_LWzTlFF_sPeVBBnHwU1XLCLW5IYT53Hu4b6igjmAjVKX1xmFsx3/w269-h400/PXL_20230911_003335781~2.jpg" width="269" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsG97mTE0U4JCPjWtA27bETcfCeUFLoQSeSA7F1Rbh4XCkFe8laUDEiNptgiV5G7LUpdqznKEknrPCWlVpYwuspBWuditMZniwkm3ziI3oMTS2qA1AClYTJst0rin9cSGF_j4bG28WtfBSEa87zo9bc5qfnKxNoGtNOgkIJRwwCCg0dK0ZVcofJGdzUPxa/s4032/PXL_20230911_025738843.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsG97mTE0U4JCPjWtA27bETcfCeUFLoQSeSA7F1Rbh4XCkFe8laUDEiNptgiV5G7LUpdqznKEknrPCWlVpYwuspBWuditMZniwkm3ziI3oMTS2qA1AClYTJst0rin9cSGF_j4bG28WtfBSEa87zo9bc5qfnKxNoGtNOgkIJRwwCCg0dK0ZVcofJGdzUPxa/w400-h225/PXL_20230911_025738843.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I am writing most of this in the Montréal airport, a rather provincial <i>aérogare </i>that has no lounges in the terminal from which I will departing within the next hour (except a tiny Air Canada lounge that I cannot use but that has a line of 30 people outside the door). The power outlets by the seats don't work, and I was glad to have Global Entry because even during this low-traffic time of the day the regular immigration line was packed (the US maintains an ICE outpost here on Canadian soil, so once in Dallas I'll just walk off the plane and won't even have to clear TSA). If everything runs on schedule, I'll be home in Lubbock an hour before midnight, with only one more race left for the season.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs6u0rhuiBtgPJApYmkESyMpr_rpJMPuJOfJgN9ExcWUobt37IhWL1VhHCYm0XV0TTgSzQnD2bkPK5RouqT1hCWfcO1KHdSzhTwjdZCkl-ATfO_eqrTjJX9XTAphZUJDcHKbf1IITMxTHFs9Oz3db1IIsynrEKFFG2gYCFE4-PrPjosWCGz6t8jiHE0ykv/s2832/PXL_20230911_033737738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2832" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs6u0rhuiBtgPJApYmkESyMpr_rpJMPuJOfJgN9ExcWUobt37IhWL1VhHCYm0XV0TTgSzQnD2bkPK5RouqT1hCWfcO1KHdSzhTwjdZCkl-ATfO_eqrTjJX9XTAphZUJDcHKbf1IITMxTHFs9Oz3db1IIsynrEKFFG2gYCFE4-PrPjosWCGz6t8jiHE0ykv/w320-h400/PXL_20230911_033737738.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRFfzxLpS8v6Whg7tLO0wI5ufHyypOOQgpgvarrLIncAQEpUuwOQVpXrRCt50FJeZtrZLB1LVyaWm6SVLH7pJTIibHEsfUjnA8bmbDFX9UHyYi5RBVxy2SBJIDvlT320s-36-Br05QD0IE2wcI7wdFZJj5agSXXZCMzlSRll3djhiofcWgRAZUagY7mqvH/s4032/PXL_20230911_034014437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRFfzxLpS8v6Whg7tLO0wI5ufHyypOOQgpgvarrLIncAQEpUuwOQVpXrRCt50FJeZtrZLB1LVyaWm6SVLH7pJTIibHEsfUjnA8bmbDFX9UHyYi5RBVxy2SBJIDvlT320s-36-Br05QD0IE2wcI7wdFZJj5agSXXZCMzlSRll3djhiofcWgRAZUagY7mqvH/w225-h400/PXL_20230911_034014437.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">That's not <i>my</i> type of VIP place ...</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>Considering the amount of time I spent actually working I have to say that this was truly a paid vacation. There were other races this year when I came home totally worn out, but this time things are different. I guess that's how it works: <i>donne-en, prends-en</i>.<i> À bientôt!</i></div><div><br /></div>JürgenJürgenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03107533431710748040noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023527478729548228.post-39613951842605984482023-08-20T18:56:00.003-05:002023-08-21T14:51:38.548-05:00Ten days on Spain's Costa Blanca with a bonus stop in Madrid to see Howard<div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjthrJdsgGsEcvyoHxy4t6nTWoloIaHNhpNtEIW8EeDXuxEIU6UsMIUZHiqwiF0FcrJGW1SYUKjUOENg6br8pL5NJODsOVwaTOQ6OmD4MEB01eNuvWl1_0liBkvSVTFtc_LM7Zg4b6-1q7yY8bTarHyGSD-djUu8UGNau6FKVfn2gceS1JQ4yTAz7qjlO0p/s3794/PXL_20230808_131200287.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1756" data-original-width="3794" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjthrJdsgGsEcvyoHxy4t6nTWoloIaHNhpNtEIW8EeDXuxEIU6UsMIUZHiqwiF0FcrJGW1SYUKjUOENg6br8pL5NJODsOVwaTOQ6OmD4MEB01eNuvWl1_0liBkvSVTFtc_LM7Zg4b6-1q7yY8bTarHyGSD-djUu8UGNau6FKVfn2gceS1JQ4yTAz7qjlO0p/w400-h185/PXL_20230808_131200287.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Part of Valencia's <i style="text-align: left;">Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>All too often we forget how long a week or two can be when we plan travel. "What," someone will say, "you are going to Europe for only ten days? That's too short, you'll be jet-lagged most of the time!" In my experience, the first week of pretty much every trip is the longest, with new impressions cascading upon us and filling our memory banks. When I think back of my two- and three-month trips many moons ago, time seemed to accelerate the longer I was on the road, and the seven months on the tandem with Simone back in 1983 were a mere blip once we were done.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgacu5EOGfp-K1NMmI8Wkh9jlqsXya2KcJWyZmIzsMJzxq6dWipf47mZkjbOimz9ghf21thhFq6-az6NM46b0MY9b_DUgAQXsJ6tzmmn81TjWTNh9LV_ekt3hRoW1QCbw5usfQmvbsutpBeVKn4TX772qU_CJgAf8UWmK04ejd6QDZJxZvZUrKqq5VCRcAy/s4032/PXL_20230805_193244242.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgacu5EOGfp-K1NMmI8Wkh9jlqsXya2KcJWyZmIzsMJzxq6dWipf47mZkjbOimz9ghf21thhFq6-az6NM46b0MY9b_DUgAQXsJ6tzmmn81TjWTNh9LV_ekt3hRoW1QCbw5usfQmvbsutpBeVKn4TX772qU_CJgAf8UWmK04ejd6QDZJxZvZUrKqq5VCRcAy/w400-h225/PXL_20230805_193244242.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhznnL9O_t96ew1v8PtE6M28XlPhJp8sy97ln1Keg0eCAFdCnNUkf6sGYohoV32p9zknbXSUsATgmr2h0fFXGLM5s38_yzH9Y-F53UZ2t4fk_FiqBSOVa9q3vjkodE0FjAVttvN599LCa-Im233wRQQLg6jfB0BZ7G0TgmwrpnYFdHIXpYBVy1wqozJzHzR/s3840/PXL_20230806_113257813.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3840" data-original-width="2160" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhznnL9O_t96ew1v8PtE6M28XlPhJp8sy97ln1Keg0eCAFdCnNUkf6sGYohoV32p9zknbXSUsATgmr2h0fFXGLM5s38_yzH9Y-F53UZ2t4fk_FiqBSOVa9q3vjkodE0FjAVttvN599LCa-Im233wRQQLg6jfB0BZ7G0TgmwrpnYFdHIXpYBVy1wqozJzHzR/w225-h400/PXL_20230806_113257813.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO32FZNVs_O4x1VYg-4EHJrqPYNci0DwllNOvu-PIiUDBM5vwEnzuzlCxcsfbAhNqOxgjyaLoYd-ZKmzOawDLL8L00AdRBTVOZorxGx7cRZf084y0rLJfs_DB96IExXEGSeiV7a_VlOKcitNFfDWYVltrn3YMQzIB8JmFA-RyuxqegAPLDZZluKu8y7Qv3/s4032/PXL_20230806_133618101.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO32FZNVs_O4x1VYg-4EHJrqPYNci0DwllNOvu-PIiUDBM5vwEnzuzlCxcsfbAhNqOxgjyaLoYd-ZKmzOawDLL8L00AdRBTVOZorxGx7cRZf084y0rLJfs_DB96IExXEGSeiV7a_VlOKcitNFfDWYVltrn3YMQzIB8JmFA-RyuxqegAPLDZZluKu8y7Qv3/w400-h225/PXL_20230806_133618101.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Traveling from HOT to HOT with only one popsicle...</span></td></tr></tbody></table>So, booking flights for a more-or-less 11-day trip to Spain after my crazy spring/summer officiating season was a no-brainer. There was enough time before the Dumber'n Hell weekend, I didn't have any real commitments in Lubbock, and Birgit was off-work for a week and eager to see Valencia and Benidorm.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJXoRiaKins2MJFp67WCW4e3IQ5QCCXvLSVky6rymVmtAhOi4e3Hg4qqYVkvF_ygvs9pGLJ2X1Q01-WMD883elji7d5G-rd8EmGeFg1o8EZF_SoaD7ZrDYuJ7zwjljXZuLjUzEpFV3RS5LHn0AyNvHTQOEHIp2rmbVghdcxSYIkVcNGdwel3EHQCVQc1XN/s2490/PXL_20230806_182539005.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2490" data-original-width="2177" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJXoRiaKins2MJFp67WCW4e3IQ5QCCXvLSVky6rymVmtAhOi4e3Hg4qqYVkvF_ygvs9pGLJ2X1Q01-WMD883elji7d5G-rd8EmGeFg1o8EZF_SoaD7ZrDYuJ7zwjljXZuLjUzEpFV3RS5LHn0AyNvHTQOEHIp2rmbVghdcxSYIkVcNGdwel3EHQCVQc1XN/w350-h400/PXL_20230806_182539005.jpg" width="350" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfktGahwR-l3vmULVt0L6eD0RpbXJJhKFLnNC-NgvIVBEiSH2USR17nKXu16ue-v0H7gPGmEjhaO4u5fI74jS9LUOI8QQGK736ViTwYRr1dN-BzFQ-GEbDC9teLfur8hmv-2qZRBZ3NwKBGuPzTlCpMa8GSg2zNlvMrarosFfB_ABnmMmejxGSAiO-NGg2/s3115/PXL_20230807_102456177.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3115" data-original-width="2255" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfktGahwR-l3vmULVt0L6eD0RpbXJJhKFLnNC-NgvIVBEiSH2USR17nKXu16ue-v0H7gPGmEjhaO4u5fI74jS9LUOI8QQGK736ViTwYRr1dN-BzFQ-GEbDC9teLfur8hmv-2qZRBZ3NwKBGuPzTlCpMa8GSg2zNlvMrarosFfB_ABnmMmejxGSAiO-NGg2/w290-h400/PXL_20230807_102456177.jpg" width="290" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNd2FbHi4rNcsu6YLdxFD6CLeLb9e8cT0yzDSBSHctXM29hp_NfGfFzPAls7IxJJDXLTwzqJUSO1NHkdxs-xYL6CMoZqqQeutZlEevbEo9giCgWwGVV1VdR9dkYJHNxFMgfHeoo58OOs9CWQQf7KOgmr5SIVL0Ju-LKKhjjL4BO_G_67lDZKZErzaik5yj/s4032/PXL_20230807_120933111.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNd2FbHi4rNcsu6YLdxFD6CLeLb9e8cT0yzDSBSHctXM29hp_NfGfFzPAls7IxJJDXLTwzqJUSO1NHkdxs-xYL6CMoZqqQeutZlEevbEo9giCgWwGVV1VdR9dkYJHNxFMgfHeoo58OOs9CWQQf7KOgmr5SIVL0Ju-LKKhjjL4BO_G_67lDZKZErzaik5yj/w225-h400/PXL_20230807_120933111.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNSaYsJRHh2_Hy5qxxIn5PAY1boNSuwyzf006iJagjRjF0vEv6xq2Cu4BVsyn8019ojk6KotdYic8vicCqFuvY2aWJ_YA_eKYduDzGFkqZKueGnzzvBdz84AL-XgsjXJqkK_v--e9RhIWj1bw1yFhtADnLRbMQlSbBGoEzRkHvmwG5I8Oet2ON6XBI8GBO/s4032/PXL_20230806_183602369.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNSaYsJRHh2_Hy5qxxIn5PAY1boNSuwyzf006iJagjRjF0vEv6xq2Cu4BVsyn8019ojk6KotdYic8vicCqFuvY2aWJ_YA_eKYduDzGFkqZKueGnzzvBdz84AL-XgsjXJqkK_v--e9RhIWj1bw1yFhtADnLRbMQlSbBGoEzRkHvmwG5I8Oet2ON6XBI8GBO/w400-h225/PXL_20230806_183602369.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5H_4hbwELMEewIWNg1XomlV-Tau_ZyKsKbNlWeUgM-Ie3UqGdJRGgEoBACPMa1jz1PSRsb18v4nP-whQ-QEYQdHso5YvffVvi0V10Jn-k_ZlWcQiFRXZAuUEALn1jRjnEF8aKmXxQy-bllnsC2S6pPOpXN1y2W9G1o4U6bV1cH4uVDrePgkq2ncVYKOUO/s2544/PXL_20230806_183219569.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2544" data-original-width="1929" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5H_4hbwELMEewIWNg1XomlV-Tau_ZyKsKbNlWeUgM-Ie3UqGdJRGgEoBACPMa1jz1PSRsb18v4nP-whQ-QEYQdHso5YvffVvi0V10Jn-k_ZlWcQiFRXZAuUEALn1jRjnEF8aKmXxQy-bllnsC2S6pPOpXN1y2W9G1o4U6bV1cH4uVDrePgkq2ncVYKOUO/w304-h400/PXL_20230806_183219569.jpg" width="304" /></a></div></div><div>I arrived the day before Birgit in Valencia, making good use of some British Airways Avios points for short First Class hops from MAD to VLC and back to keep the cost for my AA ticket reasonable. One of my credit cards gives me an annual free night certificate for most Marriott properties, and coupled with a surprisingly low number of Bonvoy points I reserved a nice room in the elegant and stylish Palacio Santa Clara, which is part of the chain's Autograph collection. The credit card costs me $95 a year—the room would have set me back €250+ a night. Sweet.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1KUB27H4lYR6WAAsnvP4sFb9LIZJkkhNHUKHG1WVjj5ZfsIM4ybCs0sDyXGPGmlKZX3Z3qzEysAZXPM4C-HzmUNh7dzxO0S9eBiOb6BNHKdbI0CJXLfEp3j6pm0NsrzsVn4lNr5PXbgZMShywNRdn00lc-xiq12uSxfJzFlWvkxRJEAzssYDF2XJOPIri/s4032/PXL_20230806_160709777.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1KUB27H4lYR6WAAsnvP4sFb9LIZJkkhNHUKHG1WVjj5ZfsIM4ybCs0sDyXGPGmlKZX3Z3qzEysAZXPM4C-HzmUNh7dzxO0S9eBiOb6BNHKdbI0CJXLfEp3j6pm0NsrzsVn4lNr5PXbgZMShywNRdn00lc-xiq12uSxfJzFlWvkxRJEAzssYDF2XJOPIri/w400-h225/PXL_20230806_160709777.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4mY8aW_HH0LYCQqHmF88iRpHRTOoTtA4iboiDlquiiYDZQrfxS_n-OLH4QzbFxDJxAr12vLXjmlJ1vw9pAYAdTtF_K4E9XDhfYhR7PwO54oj2TJ7o_J-1EmFPSZtjrNpMB4c6Gafc8EL552tYWkEbM7T41AzN6XveoZg8rf3R-xEpthbteGOtUtxSzHZ6/s4032/PXL_20230806_162841966.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4mY8aW_HH0LYCQqHmF88iRpHRTOoTtA4iboiDlquiiYDZQrfxS_n-OLH4QzbFxDJxAr12vLXjmlJ1vw9pAYAdTtF_K4E9XDhfYhR7PwO54oj2TJ7o_J-1EmFPSZtjrNpMB4c6Gafc8EL552tYWkEbM7T41AzN6XveoZg8rf3R-xEpthbteGOtUtxSzHZ6/w400-h225/PXL_20230806_162841966.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE6K2QexKMOqnv0Ju5ySFMgdeylD1nI_HLLs16mbMsLvcPnEWshPk4wuikJcg4l_hxfodDtj1JR10rwaxCzq30rp_ImBYcg3IJIr27trMV8EGeKqGbYuWiaAhXD5QqDNkERaxG5zakppCx3VXbHPxCbLEi_mbD1h7STyhyfkTXCKaQfHhC7UjNIrGVEMo5/s2268/PXL_20230806_201041382.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1488" data-original-width="2268" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE6K2QexKMOqnv0Ju5ySFMgdeylD1nI_HLLs16mbMsLvcPnEWshPk4wuikJcg4l_hxfodDtj1JR10rwaxCzq30rp_ImBYcg3IJIr27trMV8EGeKqGbYuWiaAhXD5QqDNkERaxG5zakppCx3VXbHPxCbLEi_mbD1h7STyhyfkTXCKaQfHhC7UjNIrGVEMo5/w400-h263/PXL_20230806_201041382.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG3EEzR9Xh6mp2G-kRTIsA78oGWggLOvjKH9V55rIflqeACdGhBKbtzq7BUed_g2RQYTKtJEb-Z6DkYd1hvKLNLadONpP9mpLU4N15p5VtITQg2EBRtDCRbyWJU9eLMQKORiHV4YcJkbtFhfQznR8xSwxsdc_KuR0axoAtND0sXKmmdbF994ChlJ-XrEOd/s3840/PXL_20230806_211234157.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3840" data-original-width="2160" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG3EEzR9Xh6mp2G-kRTIsA78oGWggLOvjKH9V55rIflqeACdGhBKbtzq7BUed_g2RQYTKtJEb-Z6DkYd1hvKLNLadONpP9mpLU4N15p5VtITQg2EBRtDCRbyWJU9eLMQKORiHV4YcJkbtFhfQznR8xSwxsdc_KuR0axoAtND0sXKmmdbF994ChlJ-XrEOd/w225-h400/PXL_20230806_211234157.jpg" width="225" /></a></div></div><div>I had never been to Valencia and had decided to visit on a simple whim. As we found out during our stay, not only does Valencia have a vibrant old town area, but there are also modern sectors such as the <i>Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias </i>that would be impressive in any city. The grand scale of this cultural and architectural complex is overwhelming; the buildings and grounds are stunningly beautiful. A bit of Googling revealed that the cost to complete the entire complex (which contains an opera, museums, Spain's largest aquarium, and much more) approached one billion euros, and I was wondering how much of that expense contributed to Spain's economic woes in the 2010s. Well, just sayin'. Maybe European Development Funds were put to good use, right? The <i>Ciudad</i> is one of twelve so-called Spanish treasures, among them the <i>Alhambra</i> as well as the <i>Familia Sagrada</i> in Barcelona, which we had visited just a few months ago.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQVkOmsEPxVaCyKI-PlNFMYfYQ9rT3QeKS0NYdXoZ1_sHkiwalcCkO-frxXOAQCk_daDssZKKJQvv_dVP0r6j90_SBekkH5oHgEAg_8AcsBoBAbc50IW6vbM73CcCHYc2qrLVQSV_WEHH4Pocraji8ojE4tGpGY4oExtndWLSKkLVfhYLbB8MSMpByY0IW/s4032/PXL_20230808_131100961.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQVkOmsEPxVaCyKI-PlNFMYfYQ9rT3QeKS0NYdXoZ1_sHkiwalcCkO-frxXOAQCk_daDssZKKJQvv_dVP0r6j90_SBekkH5oHgEAg_8AcsBoBAbc50IW6vbM73CcCHYc2qrLVQSV_WEHH4Pocraji8ojE4tGpGY4oExtndWLSKkLVfhYLbB8MSMpByY0IW/w400-h225/PXL_20230808_131100961.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy9ChsJSc5kaDMWdITWnkRKPY3_hgY5gv38VdDcCD751UQRsYoybpfsWVIHQvJXxPM4n3B_u4CVgGgJPPCHFkSCtXa9wSpYZ-U1JXOi7WqRW0d-h-7Adr_FlUZlvRmawECmreCNK-gOokOcF5aSbATljqD1zvMGrapvP2SxLHMAoIBw8w3oJaFJYz0HNnh/s3644/PXL_20230808_132000184.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1894" data-original-width="3644" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy9ChsJSc5kaDMWdITWnkRKPY3_hgY5gv38VdDcCD751UQRsYoybpfsWVIHQvJXxPM4n3B_u4CVgGgJPPCHFkSCtXa9wSpYZ-U1JXOi7WqRW0d-h-7Adr_FlUZlvRmawECmreCNK-gOokOcF5aSbATljqD1zvMGrapvP2SxLHMAoIBw8w3oJaFJYz0HNnh/w400-h208/PXL_20230808_132000184.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqZ3XSmyVuMfQITTctcCh1q0UkMrJtmHPopcNXgosgYl6d9cUJf2Dig4YliY8WrrYYs20n0SJdgLIAANDYbGiXk6wtxcencD9CGOrkbQcPtimJtzHno5CfOdDAGZA8XKPG_ve0JQFqVrqfanfx7JIfBv8C1c03tuNqWd8IFxsUgTU8VqDymuojYyFyShK5/s2930/PXL_20230808_122917262.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2930" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqZ3XSmyVuMfQITTctcCh1q0UkMrJtmHPopcNXgosgYl6d9cUJf2Dig4YliY8WrrYYs20n0SJdgLIAANDYbGiXk6wtxcencD9CGOrkbQcPtimJtzHno5CfOdDAGZA8XKPG_ve0JQFqVrqfanfx7JIfBv8C1c03tuNqWd8IFxsUgTU8VqDymuojYyFyShK5/w310-h400/PXL_20230808_122917262.jpg" width="310" /></a></div>The old town, where our hotel was situated (with a wonderful rooftop swimming pool overlooking the city), offers a hodgepodge of architecture spanning from the medieval times to art deco. It's a vibrant neighborhoods, with a large covered market hall that now houses mainly fancy <i>tapas</i> stalls and specialty vendors of gourmet food, are busy by day and night with both locals and tourists milling about until late at night. Numerous small <i>plazas </i>are filled with chairs and tables from the surrounding bars and restaurants, making for a cozy and inviting atmosphere both during the day but especially after dark.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7LyoKBgk-wjKKagaVbkaNI6OdAJ_Umq5UzlMEUCCv90U5rrLvWOIsKoS8qD3e9XSRlGbnPXSR7CM7a1YG6NN8RVtXSkgb9ignFkpUEhrm6OkVgefPjh26dGbv_rwOBwHI9Ca4EbfCLke9GiLPlrqmiHWzi2cYK_jP5wb9wvm7UQMTgBdI7E-zDGUkYeRF/s4032/PXL_20230807_195331906.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7LyoKBgk-wjKKagaVbkaNI6OdAJ_Umq5UzlMEUCCv90U5rrLvWOIsKoS8qD3e9XSRlGbnPXSR7CM7a1YG6NN8RVtXSkgb9ignFkpUEhrm6OkVgefPjh26dGbv_rwOBwHI9Ca4EbfCLke9GiLPlrqmiHWzi2cYK_jP5wb9wvm7UQMTgBdI7E-zDGUkYeRF/w400-h225/PXL_20230807_195331906.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqTwITvB8ZC-FxGMx_3uwBU6ZN5Y88ahs2lSrKwbJEH0mHUGofACMohyhWrX5JFGFcFgl4ZaAQGVHLiluyWbZ-jxcxxgGT3MZNwODqF5pB_4Cij9O_57asaJ07VwYbBE8B5iaEZGohGS0Td4B43bo7MO8vB-GgBKfXlQ4NNIpOFWqdJmXyGUu_YocDCHpu/s4032/PXL_20230806_202218544.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqTwITvB8ZC-FxGMx_3uwBU6ZN5Y88ahs2lSrKwbJEH0mHUGofACMohyhWrX5JFGFcFgl4ZaAQGVHLiluyWbZ-jxcxxgGT3MZNwODqF5pB_4Cij9O_57asaJ07VwYbBE8B5iaEZGohGS0Td4B43bo7MO8vB-GgBKfXlQ4NNIpOFWqdJmXyGUu_YocDCHpu/w225-h400/PXL_20230806_202218544.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWrgceZh9dcU9xe1Ah2caU92FABFvhEKI3raHbTyDSgE_eqohwdCcb--d8HwM6F2Q2cwOYybHKxcpgzASb7QGv6QNcP3o9dAgnSQ7KB008xSxsa_PpxKdilfZ6d54NQmsz1gzJ-x3H2f4eHgb18WBqaBKJ8zSRhkzCBgvIfHmuZdqQnhpkfY3lpGiHjWy/s4032/PXL_20230807_100016986.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWrgceZh9dcU9xe1Ah2caU92FABFvhEKI3raHbTyDSgE_eqohwdCcb--d8HwM6F2Q2cwOYybHKxcpgzASb7QGv6QNcP3o9dAgnSQ7KB008xSxsa_PpxKdilfZ6d54NQmsz1gzJ-x3H2f4eHgb18WBqaBKJ8zSRhkzCBgvIfHmuZdqQnhpkfY3lpGiHjWy/w400-h225/PXL_20230807_100016986.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>We had only two full days of sightseeing before we picked up our rental car to drive to Benidorm, where we had rented an apartment for the remainder of our short stay in Spain. I think it would be entirely thinkable to spend an extra few days in Valencia without becoming bored, especially with all those food options!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW8fL7AiOBXwH-E0Qcndi8FArV-QK2Pf70WFri5PljFn73t-Vr4EO-tUlMZcixAMUKa6m-XQ3O6DRUZdGaXXZc0GEWGTZBP9nYKIz4Kf5bpbUv6K45LDRWqHmRWi8BJYMbAB3o45OWhYnUtGJnqbj0NF__pSDUuqYj5vrirzfa7o19Q7yaECOiwD6AsluY/s3721/PXL_20230808_195714402.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3721" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW8fL7AiOBXwH-E0Qcndi8FArV-QK2Pf70WFri5PljFn73t-Vr4EO-tUlMZcixAMUKa6m-XQ3O6DRUZdGaXXZc0GEWGTZBP9nYKIz4Kf5bpbUv6K45LDRWqHmRWi8BJYMbAB3o45OWhYnUtGJnqbj0NF__pSDUuqYj5vrirzfa7o19Q7yaECOiwD6AsluY/w244-h400/PXL_20230808_195714402.jpg" width="244" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOGS0BYNKWh2FRCv4MZkniMJ6TUKw8kQ3_fy0isgmXbdKLNuJnPy27F5TdlYyZ1JIawO6CYpeQGSjm4iNnZESYlkRdEfoKXVuYVEzJICHMJ1pS8YLlfZjvfq7KCy9OIliekHSGnAYb3GjPYCu4m_SHjQkimFWAmarsJf0mUYFK7h_Wyzs6PUj9pnb3phxm/s3307/PXL_20230808_115139892.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3307" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOGS0BYNKWh2FRCv4MZkniMJ6TUKw8kQ3_fy0isgmXbdKLNuJnPy27F5TdlYyZ1JIawO6CYpeQGSjm4iNnZESYlkRdEfoKXVuYVEzJICHMJ1pS8YLlfZjvfq7KCy9OIliekHSGnAYb3GjPYCu4m_SHjQkimFWAmarsJf0mUYFK7h_Wyzs6PUj9pnb3phxm/w400-h274/PXL_20230808_115139892.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-TECoLiKYxl-9dklqr_mHsf3nUkhZXsphxkn6fRJ3C5631GaWwAVvpLIGkHTvtEtxsPcsUju5fVsbi6tysv5z1Zx3USY7YRRG3UhKZwllEiE2oNLLjt-5PvyDEWzQNOd3TJ_PSKMM67C16Y2NsJnIA8_dMY3EoRRRS8ZK2PsjWDXMsLGk7DESMoN6ISN/s3113/PXL_20230806_190142033.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3113" data-original-width="2001" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-TECoLiKYxl-9dklqr_mHsf3nUkhZXsphxkn6fRJ3C5631GaWwAVvpLIGkHTvtEtxsPcsUju5fVsbi6tysv5z1Zx3USY7YRRG3UhKZwllEiE2oNLLjt-5PvyDEWzQNOd3TJ_PSKMM67C16Y2NsJnIA8_dMY3EoRRRS8ZK2PsjWDXMsLGk7DESMoN6ISN/s320/PXL_20230806_190142033.jpg" width="206" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF_22Lw6Ea91hT4CvWBrq7j0qM1LFPV4HluZna33V1CS6bM_Uf3YXpbsThM3nsU9oJNI_h41ghdsw8mmUZVY1lDdn1_aGpksb9TeoGLej67XsxgSCNbpc31q0g8ahfx6UfNr5oP3lsMgh8SlnmXPH5rO0pNQpT_BP1twTT51iIuAYiANnh9y0liJMZ26rd/s3470/PXL_20230806_190427597.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3470" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF_22Lw6Ea91hT4CvWBrq7j0qM1LFPV4HluZna33V1CS6bM_Uf3YXpbsThM3nsU9oJNI_h41ghdsw8mmUZVY1lDdn1_aGpksb9TeoGLej67XsxgSCNbpc31q0g8ahfx6UfNr5oP3lsMgh8SlnmXPH5rO0pNQpT_BP1twTT51iIuAYiANnh9y0liJMZ26rd/w400-h261/PXL_20230806_190427597.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipvaLdFvIbfo_ZixP6YOydyX-IP_GNIPkxONbVAywx-8Tja75_kFUuRvw243ht0pxUzEcX40GbB3jLq4wDpx8vTlKv1XhKsAHbMYFYKN1Q_ZAmSuyfPI5ohK6A2t_1IvV0nRhBCTKWC56MYAPs06RsYFq8ET44f_WxulFBCh9oJHuTUNojPG8rqDRAM_Ry/s2946/PXL_20230806_202240883.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1617" data-original-width="2946" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipvaLdFvIbfo_ZixP6YOydyX-IP_GNIPkxONbVAywx-8Tja75_kFUuRvw243ht0pxUzEcX40GbB3jLq4wDpx8vTlKv1XhKsAHbMYFYKN1Q_ZAmSuyfPI5ohK6A2t_1IvV0nRhBCTKWC56MYAPs06RsYFq8ET44f_WxulFBCh9oJHuTUNojPG8rqDRAM_Ry/w400-h220/PXL_20230806_202240883.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Benidorm is located a mere 140 kilometers (or about 85 miles) south of Valencia on the Costa Blanca. I remembered Benidorm from the many travel catalogs that litter German grocery stores such as Aldi and Lidl or are scattered about the Tchibo coffee store chain: a favorite destination of German tourists seeking sun, a wide sand beach, and predictably not-too-exotic food and entertainment choices. So why did we decide on Benidorm? The reason was very simple: It was the only place where we could find an ocean front apartment on such short notice. I had scoured Airbnb's offerings and had not been able to find anything, up and down the coast, and it was not until fairly late that I came across a booking.com listing. The description "Best View in Benidorm" and the accompanying photos immediately caught my eye, and despite a fairly steep price tag (it's nice to share these costs) I almost instantly booked it.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXqQ0vtjRkLaIoifISCdjRzWs0qiFizTzZNkhFtoW4b7bk1ojFZn4kBfvqR5wDsJlCOesZjrm0yNTsX1WfoV4QaOpGiUkJ7H1YXalrkNow_8EGmEKvitTDJivmBq4_phPJkB44jy8bMnlQiqzQrWxt_crI7MO_sM6v-xpOwi3hg8RnCGhMOaV38vBSIeFS/s4032/PXL_20230809_193625609.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXqQ0vtjRkLaIoifISCdjRzWs0qiFizTzZNkhFtoW4b7bk1ojFZn4kBfvqR5wDsJlCOesZjrm0yNTsX1WfoV4QaOpGiUkJ7H1YXalrkNow_8EGmEKvitTDJivmBq4_phPJkB44jy8bMnlQiqzQrWxt_crI7MO_sM6v-xpOwi3hg8RnCGhMOaV38vBSIeFS/w400-h225/PXL_20230809_193625609.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>Had it not been for this amazingly situated apartment (14th floor, last tower on the shores of Benidorm's north coast) I'm not so sure we would have enjoyed our stay as much as we did. Overlooking the entire bay, being high above the masses wallowing on the overcrowded beach during the day or in the evening strolling on the soul-less promenade, watching the sun dip behind the mountains toward Alicante and the lights come on one by one was not what we had expected—this was a penthouse view that was worth every penny. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiujko29QjM43HZ9OiwEUZevbEkTLU8t9GmXW-etIZ_qiUSJElItnPG9X2F9GwwcNg4HUkqwoTYk2eToHd9EkdUvwYzyOt5Q29z1o2FTnFLXXrxNnqKLjjGfkgGgIWjcXm2MasYz9haEQCe7zt14xLxM_5S5RcSSCwhbBLeTUJhzlrVDkGUJqrCVQfwpReN/s4032/PXL_20230812_075120883.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiujko29QjM43HZ9OiwEUZevbEkTLU8t9GmXW-etIZ_qiUSJElItnPG9X2F9GwwcNg4HUkqwoTYk2eToHd9EkdUvwYzyOt5Q29z1o2FTnFLXXrxNnqKLjjGfkgGgIWjcXm2MasYz9haEQCe7zt14xLxM_5S5RcSSCwhbBLeTUJhzlrVDkGUJqrCVQfwpReN/w400-h225/PXL_20230812_075120883.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRYQXMoDr21TgtIWCExGMwnLLi9TMeSGWtYIayVe-BfZkQHr5X4HfRXAkwXXwrfUREANGvABBnW9e9pTxGHAtNsJADBeQWYpo1-VqEsQpBQ3sVu4uxu088SCzj6Sy34a_vhkiWyI_o-qDSMJOqS-NF6JyKnMwPIWMzw4AKmVVy9_FAs4HZtAzMF-I8KlC/s3141/PXL_20230811_195613465.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3141" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRYQXMoDr21TgtIWCExGMwnLLi9TMeSGWtYIayVe-BfZkQHr5X4HfRXAkwXXwrfUREANGvABBnW9e9pTxGHAtNsJADBeQWYpo1-VqEsQpBQ3sVu4uxu088SCzj6Sy34a_vhkiWyI_o-qDSMJOqS-NF6JyKnMwPIWMzw4AKmVVy9_FAs4HZtAzMF-I8KlC/w400-h289/PXL_20230811_195613465.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTzkhXcDwFnzlDLnJEHuJEoxgZZv0PQOjkGjdD8YbzMYGct_4HxiIMEgzY1_WtNrj2IrkYvKZyk3rPCzFrEJKt_xVmEKTeO_jU2k7UwVJlhL89MM5akl_SstRfuXPPaBJTcvjthQycIcgYgWGAkynZQV9UGXJK7FB4Witdb4bIoBTiFX-oA68upzYELNBw/s4032/PXL_20230811_102933412~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTzkhXcDwFnzlDLnJEHuJEoxgZZv0PQOjkGjdD8YbzMYGct_4HxiIMEgzY1_WtNrj2IrkYvKZyk3rPCzFrEJKt_xVmEKTeO_jU2k7UwVJlhL89MM5akl_SstRfuXPPaBJTcvjthQycIcgYgWGAkynZQV9UGXJK7FB4Witdb4bIoBTiFX-oA68upzYELNBw/w400-h225/PXL_20230811_102933412~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMGRUDLZ2JeAquWDX0RJAoWhVlzim2qWjMRAX93GLrJ5bom9kXJ7psBoGnUwGANHT-Hoafn0w60wiPiyYnfY5qA6xGbC8v-lw-OvdJl1zJXn8KbeJzDbVdfzkv9fswxYsJ75hcJ0gSde1MPuuOHmoVe4ZKYfegnKWaJ37EEgsNg0uPHB5BSJc9m0mW7ORp/s3140/PXL_20230810_192953021.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2019" data-original-width="3140" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMGRUDLZ2JeAquWDX0RJAoWhVlzim2qWjMRAX93GLrJ5bom9kXJ7psBoGnUwGANHT-Hoafn0w60wiPiyYnfY5qA6xGbC8v-lw-OvdJl1zJXn8KbeJzDbVdfzkv9fswxYsJ75hcJ0gSde1MPuuOHmoVe4ZKYfegnKWaJ37EEgsNg0uPHB5BSJc9m0mW7ORp/w400-h258/PXL_20230810_192953021.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEm19GNVXtmk-0d8QG-t3ctklcU2PwIkVFFShx_PLWIEtJOSYR2An7ak6TSe9hdWqT_TvCqn6FBZHAblQS99S0_kRVrHG2Ua7wnPgYWxHdKR_NSGL-d4JpDffsMqmeYy9GYqBfiYiSbArN0DXwcxOqj0g7yZBZ_SR7pLHj00VLWbICZlPWbgT-HreZbVFN/s4032/PXL_20230810_184154756.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEm19GNVXtmk-0d8QG-t3ctklcU2PwIkVFFShx_PLWIEtJOSYR2An7ak6TSe9hdWqT_TvCqn6FBZHAblQS99S0_kRVrHG2Ua7wnPgYWxHdKR_NSGL-d4JpDffsMqmeYy9GYqBfiYiSbArN0DXwcxOqj0g7yZBZ_SR7pLHj00VLWbICZlPWbgT-HreZbVFN/w400-h225/PXL_20230810_184154756.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7XANPYm0e_Ywz9vO5yQqYbNGYpA9vQv7h6Tk-tXvcZPq7BL_w1l_jdyZqRfYoSr3ZH3QQKkVjQ4Hh0FiDqb5E_kRtj8aGP2BBxXAntgHW52hvCWUl0VF0u-gBTDEKDVV3hM-Zwbe1baVWTpOYryAY0pwTgTT-tSAan250HXrrqgmx7okXSXhbR_KN1q87/s4032/PXL_20230810_094259010.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7XANPYm0e_Ywz9vO5yQqYbNGYpA9vQv7h6Tk-tXvcZPq7BL_w1l_jdyZqRfYoSr3ZH3QQKkVjQ4Hh0FiDqb5E_kRtj8aGP2BBxXAntgHW52hvCWUl0VF0u-gBTDEKDVV3hM-Zwbe1baVWTpOYryAY0pwTgTT-tSAan250HXrrqgmx7okXSXhbR_KN1q87/w400-h225/PXL_20230810_094259010.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>We went on four excursions during our stay, but I think we were the most content sitting on our beautiful balcony simply looking at the world at our feet. It should come as no surprise that we explored excellent supermarkets and bought the kind of goodies that we both enjoy and thus prepped our exquisite meals on the 14th floor. One evening we felt compelled to go out at least once, and it was a bitter disappointment: chain restaurants, loud bars, <i>dӧner kebap</i> places, and hordes of half-naked tourists milling around the crowded streets made clear to us that only immediate retreat could save us. Back in our refuge we uncorked another bottle and looked upon the evening scene that unfolded far below us.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-wdTWCi91U8IWH4SiYKjrCgDDHSHOOZXa3L5E6YMqiy_qowCNKwJuEDapme-h9q_2djyQcBE0r-SisnJjUXQDlK2AGIlFq5KzGlV0wyMjAAOQ9glEvDYcSwAwQPedvbgo7M5lTFlVNja3XeJ3eW8q09E6AD9yZR3Ut8FPaONbdF5u9ofoowMI0bGJiDi/s4032/PXL_20230812_192339383.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-wdTWCi91U8IWH4SiYKjrCgDDHSHOOZXa3L5E6YMqiy_qowCNKwJuEDapme-h9q_2djyQcBE0r-SisnJjUXQDlK2AGIlFq5KzGlV0wyMjAAOQ9glEvDYcSwAwQPedvbgo7M5lTFlVNja3XeJ3eW8q09E6AD9yZR3Ut8FPaONbdF5u9ofoowMI0bGJiDi/w400-h225/PXL_20230812_192339383.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtt1DonUvkxb3-QmYLPE_0dkIGv1l5oKOOzGyea8ENID7C5d62OFYDRSPsy-yXObe43MUscjPC-I9EBMOGoDd3gQ9LstK6V4wUdO9NAIdXjoTrI2EY3jeh_eG364rILyV3B_zvfCAQYgkCZbFBBW55qXCAvzBA-fdLXxqXhFGKW9IDImJUhFPCZPhe1bvO/s3506/PXL_20230812_192613927.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3506" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtt1DonUvkxb3-QmYLPE_0dkIGv1l5oKOOzGyea8ENID7C5d62OFYDRSPsy-yXObe43MUscjPC-I9EBMOGoDd3gQ9LstK6V4wUdO9NAIdXjoTrI2EY3jeh_eG364rILyV3B_zvfCAQYgkCZbFBBW55qXCAvzBA-fdLXxqXhFGKW9IDImJUhFPCZPhe1bvO/w400-h259/PXL_20230812_192613927.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEO3TCWVa3QMYc3ZPUpT-emxv0KePCQ9HlkFVPbLXeTv5aj6OkI_2Ev9kbun_2nr9sMIbm9o8cu5hX7kPTbJbnD-QJpEYVf_S0D-MxiU7zi7RJsVb-4VutGnGzQ-3S8GuVyuO8uTDMWzSVPdiHnpecRcg8IDqEXonSQsOSXE02YhhSn_9HL-tiIaCDoNEm/s4032/PXL_20230812_200552000.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEO3TCWVa3QMYc3ZPUpT-emxv0KePCQ9HlkFVPbLXeTv5aj6OkI_2Ev9kbun_2nr9sMIbm9o8cu5hX7kPTbJbnD-QJpEYVf_S0D-MxiU7zi7RJsVb-4VutGnGzQ-3S8GuVyuO8uTDMWzSVPdiHnpecRcg8IDqEXonSQsOSXE02YhhSn_9HL-tiIaCDoNEm/w400-h225/PXL_20230812_200552000.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Birgit had rented an Opel Corsa, a fairly small car (not quite as small as the Fiat 500 that I had fancied). I volunteered to do all the driving, which in general I enjoy unless it comes to slipping into tight parking garages. The allotted slot in our apartment tower was a bit nerve-wracking, but somehow I managed not to scrape anything. Traffic in Benidorm was heavy yet civilized—no honking, lots of patient drivers, and pedestrians that minded the traffic lights. In the mornings, over a leisurely breakfast, we would decide on a destination for an excursion, and all of them were interesting and rather scenic, yet not too far away.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERdMnJrLCW-tUgKlJG50_9uDkmjW-cY2u5EJOoM4X4IzRnapmsdD_bLfecAoAOnXwbt80lzmNetrLj4DPPm0_CjmEtOhuQPw6NocdLF8ybRmCA0XGRGrza57Z9v9g1tWyS8UsiQriwR6K4hJcuHa6mlaKiHMW6nXMgdQIKASXpFpNDkJoIku154NG6_9O/s4032/PXL_20230809_145523740.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERdMnJrLCW-tUgKlJG50_9uDkmjW-cY2u5EJOoM4X4IzRnapmsdD_bLfecAoAOnXwbt80lzmNetrLj4DPPm0_CjmEtOhuQPw6NocdLF8ybRmCA0XGRGrza57Z9v9g1tWyS8UsiQriwR6K4hJcuHa6mlaKiHMW6nXMgdQIKASXpFpNDkJoIku154NG6_9O/w400-h225/PXL_20230809_145523740.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizefT9MuuEAMntFWnQM-3E2sI2tuqUYnJvT4QtUEhpOPcNHeNkVrzOD61FJ7iWqEuFzb1GF-YpIwAAL8LOWRZZVyH1prq5Kkczvs5YqlfOf13GNPc2KzFCJRxglmLfkPcbPmWXW1gZFw-oM9xOip9ZbvLo_X-gyXE4enm3CAI04PWDUx4kHh-cWAL2vp_S/s3648/IMG_20230809_104157_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="2736" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizefT9MuuEAMntFWnQM-3E2sI2tuqUYnJvT4QtUEhpOPcNHeNkVrzOD61FJ7iWqEuFzb1GF-YpIwAAL8LOWRZZVyH1prq5Kkczvs5YqlfOf13GNPc2KzFCJRxglmLfkPcbPmWXW1gZFw-oM9xOip9ZbvLo_X-gyXE4enm3CAI04PWDUx4kHh-cWAL2vp_S/w300-h400/IMG_20230809_104157_1.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCL1cCTCoJgLOnHavAQxdXzvoxH3y7eewSRmtx_EwW5VbTt6mmbLjoiMM49_iATxq0owBPEGPC5aFZRqLjG8RbfgHF7CE0WvdGvnn2CyDa-WjEennyaNHPgBmtFZ-9qOaMBohZWAWfC_LxJi4iM35t9_8DtXVaX4KqMEzx0P-YCazS8v81OrYcl81qX-VS/s4032/PXL_20230809_145414261.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCL1cCTCoJgLOnHavAQxdXzvoxH3y7eewSRmtx_EwW5VbTt6mmbLjoiMM49_iATxq0owBPEGPC5aFZRqLjG8RbfgHF7CE0WvdGvnn2CyDa-WjEennyaNHPgBmtFZ-9qOaMBohZWAWfC_LxJi4iM35t9_8DtXVaX4KqMEzx0P-YCazS8v81OrYcl81qX-VS/w400-h225/PXL_20230809_145414261.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Our apartment's pool</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Our first trip took us to the small town of Guadalest, which is nestled into the mountains NW of Benidorm. This old town has a castle and an ancient church, and its location close to the <i>Embassament de Guadalest</i> attracts tourists who swim or paddle in the green waters of the reservoir. Like all the days in Spain, this one was hot as well, and so we played it safe and went for a hike of not even five miles. Still, once we made it back to town we were properly bushed with temperatures approaching 98 F and fairly high humidity. As usual, we found ourselves a watering hole with a view and enjoyed our good fortune.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNAnOR98IscjhINTJRqoaDwsjVxvO7gske2p3cUZJD8Ru033dh0Jjy3bXKXnmp4CBDvz84kpr136sBsLqYUpu1ejSiJ2scRDA0Hgo_7IlvrUGy3NewdWjlWNyPPBVdlcT2c-WxQLN5cadUMNC5auGNjxWc-lpNubCL6Fy85E4L0AtRayn92FqzzOlLzYbW/s4032/PXL_20230810_155653964.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNAnOR98IscjhINTJRqoaDwsjVxvO7gske2p3cUZJD8Ru033dh0Jjy3bXKXnmp4CBDvz84kpr136sBsLqYUpu1ejSiJ2scRDA0Hgo_7IlvrUGy3NewdWjlWNyPPBVdlcT2c-WxQLN5cadUMNC5auGNjxWc-lpNubCL6Fy85E4L0AtRayn92FqzzOlLzYbW/w400-h225/PXL_20230810_155653964.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPV3f0XAxoygwU60cek0-F-EjwOJIoWsQUTk__Er9b4wUrMcXI_pse-33q1qiDuzcCf6178dfRl9ZR8T9ssnLFgjnxAIbeN_XPqNb2mx2gfhK0OYWperbkWdA2F8KWcWDqWLp1ExNtM5DGFKbu4jBKUi3xK2BJzm1zxFJph8wFuuQXd8xoUHe8CNidRsTN/s4032/PXL_20230810_124109175.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPV3f0XAxoygwU60cek0-F-EjwOJIoWsQUTk__Er9b4wUrMcXI_pse-33q1qiDuzcCf6178dfRl9ZR8T9ssnLFgjnxAIbeN_XPqNb2mx2gfhK0OYWperbkWdA2F8KWcWDqWLp1ExNtM5DGFKbu4jBKUi3xK2BJzm1zxFJph8wFuuQXd8xoUHe8CNidRsTN/w225-h400/PXL_20230810_124109175.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9tfKEV6Mo69GvRd9n56baEl40pXQPy9-N3_ab6zdUDQfTsfYUtfYjaxv60wtWXKa_n-VtKCVzeSdgB6z1JhQvId8LsmZo5pGdX0jNRHrYaKjhwNwrej0HAmoFyKw4iP2kiSG1JcTi9aFDTjIwIYdiCwcvZHHjr8NZY4ahSF7-IWfPYoe0G91LFBHYOgH4/s4032/PXL_20230810_125107391.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9tfKEV6Mo69GvRd9n56baEl40pXQPy9-N3_ab6zdUDQfTsfYUtfYjaxv60wtWXKa_n-VtKCVzeSdgB6z1JhQvId8LsmZo5pGdX0jNRHrYaKjhwNwrej0HAmoFyKw4iP2kiSG1JcTi9aFDTjIwIYdiCwcvZHHjr8NZY4ahSF7-IWfPYoe0G91LFBHYOgH4/w400-h225/PXL_20230810_125107391.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKe6Cq2RRdG36p_LymKhQwScDRO3eHor9opFItUJFCjP1kCP-0FfKU3mdNF4fapv5fr6nKlTcddsy2JKq7tgNgCp77LPZqH6wLMGn8ENC9zwBJOtoHUH9gZPuH76n5pMSZzi7Ng235tt1VtU6O19EVEcRUg68JhwHSor4vTTWvUtMat1vAQkJx560NwyhU/s4032/PXL_20230810_133226271.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKe6Cq2RRdG36p_LymKhQwScDRO3eHor9opFItUJFCjP1kCP-0FfKU3mdNF4fapv5fr6nKlTcddsy2JKq7tgNgCp77LPZqH6wLMGn8ENC9zwBJOtoHUH9gZPuH76n5pMSZzi7Ng235tt1VtU6O19EVEcRUg68JhwHSor4vTTWvUtMat1vAQkJx560NwyhU/w400-h225/PXL_20230810_133226271.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwgA87Sf8rGjNDVHaiEFFBlS6pbfu_vBOIKZ7MymhQ8qmrcqNveyMjJHCL1PZF4T4uOnME3a0zMOzLV3lyZWImWxT0EyLIUSg8BAHmrAfgSRzQcEg3v-uUXp4zO_fNMHXFFx9LiYBUbFY8R1lbrglb_j1AGHG1h6VAkLfF4a4p2Yk1kczX0Z8nV5zFHyTY/w400-h225/PXL_20230810_160006380.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxUtc1Tj2AmbOFs2sdUnczRQaAEDofERB0nD1yqsaLD_fzah978MfRcvzhr3G5zVA6auUcK-51REEQeC-egpKCckCuXZxvzODhq7QgRn3fzweCUb8Yl2O6CvApJ9VEC5vV5yLYcXDABEg3FWqbr6wKDSQ19TIDS7tb6ZP37FssBzEgF_wZ-V4DtAbMAUr7/s3648/IMG_20230810_171744.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="2736" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxUtc1Tj2AmbOFs2sdUnczRQaAEDofERB0nD1yqsaLD_fzah978MfRcvzhr3G5zVA6auUcK-51REEQeC-egpKCckCuXZxvzODhq7QgRn3fzweCUb8Yl2O6CvApJ9VEC5vV5yLYcXDABEg3FWqbr6wKDSQ19TIDS7tb6ZP37FssBzEgF_wZ-V4DtAbMAUr7/w300-h400/IMG_20230810_171744.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3_LlICpX9nG56UTUSKNewxgS0V6m3p1bgkyqGNZWeRhecamWV0Os1sOQ9qJkv9VbbGkQ5rX0ECQe1R8EaaoFbsCgV4xp89uiWRDb-KbtJtcHd-BF9zdDC4mcClD3MFuuc4QDTCJB4mJ-sG9-Hfr9Fse27AZ1oru5IC1ckaHFPBk-RgfAFOYslu5c-nAR6/s4032/PXL_20230810_160704107.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3_LlICpX9nG56UTUSKNewxgS0V6m3p1bgkyqGNZWeRhecamWV0Os1sOQ9qJkv9VbbGkQ5rX0ECQe1R8EaaoFbsCgV4xp89uiWRDb-KbtJtcHd-BF9zdDC4mcClD3MFuuc4QDTCJB4mJ-sG9-Hfr9Fse27AZ1oru5IC1ckaHFPBk-RgfAFOYslu5c-nAR6/w400-h225/PXL_20230810_160704107.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The next day we went south along the coast and hiked for a little less than 6 miles on the <i>Sender de la Costa</i>, a coastal trail that took us to an old watch tower (used to warn of approaching Barbary pirates and other marauders) as well as a "hidden" beach that was overrun with sun-seekers in various states of disrobement. Thankfully, a small snack bar offered cold beer. The scenery, in more than one way, was rather spectacular. We hiked on and once we finally made it back to the car we drove to a beach that we had seen from afar; after knocking back a couple of cold ones we went swimming in the tepid Mediterranean that looks more refreshing than it currently is.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZ_b2FjLJ-qXik7gXrE7DltXycz1yS-9QkE4sRQDkJxMaON4f36qVRRz_0m8847krfYxERxAoX3I6csijmLVQYgw3BpXPvBGdhV0mthZrjOeggxr_hWAB8ol9pk0d7qqBTjqhhDkxMSSUM1VmoSIIokv7VdrYJOgZKDv6kSUTeWjvLhfLs3eCNH-WAQNT/s3184/PXL_20230811_104255475.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1780" data-original-width="3184" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZ_b2FjLJ-qXik7gXrE7DltXycz1yS-9QkE4sRQDkJxMaON4f36qVRRz_0m8847krfYxERxAoX3I6csijmLVQYgw3BpXPvBGdhV0mthZrjOeggxr_hWAB8ol9pk0d7qqBTjqhhDkxMSSUM1VmoSIIokv7VdrYJOgZKDv6kSUTeWjvLhfLs3eCNH-WAQNT/w400-h224/PXL_20230811_104255475.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAPOVjrKliymmvuiVgs5tqrXvSUACc_rbCckrv9HJbh3ccRzzzEzmOWb-wHzeWrkB4zDszrNQn7LagZyQ9WU87NlE3qNrjL96lcMFLZ-6R_WjipEua1HxD30RJotjCxXVpElzrvvp6nD3T3soocg-Zxw89iS7T36HIpMPTK1Bjux-hC9LkGCGye4yfISN0/w400-h225/PXL_20230811_130456553.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL3GwW6e_0X9JJTePk5_nLPLB7J2vbvLmChdEDduWpID5ypTcfzkSlm4bpKkZTd3WpuBST_BaTSazppmtzTKgp5XPnCJByKjadTn0wknzd8qxPTYdU38Xu0S-9MYJFtFA5OIWFAh8uq6rU8E1Wkzl62YKHSaHMWRBXXbSOJYxOYB47owgy1BPRv1P-_Gih/s3246/PXL_20230811_142204615~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2091" data-original-width="3246" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL3GwW6e_0X9JJTePk5_nLPLB7J2vbvLmChdEDduWpID5ypTcfzkSlm4bpKkZTd3WpuBST_BaTSazppmtzTKgp5XPnCJByKjadTn0wknzd8qxPTYdU38Xu0S-9MYJFtFA5OIWFAh8uq6rU8E1Wkzl62YKHSaHMWRBXXbSOJYxOYB47owgy1BPRv1P-_Gih/w400-h258/PXL_20230811_142204615~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH9v6fXyhsWdoq3TdvS3WCoB8XqMhWb5FsvhR3lI7FYoL4F0XXzweUOQAZfGMPgBAHk8IQIJTmOpkumfFJrAfenT4oIMdKSvSZMvQ3VlpIF6pw-NhiLLPw0hwTXfP4r1V2nKITCJVA8G9spoNaKjLZL_FYHTr5FLWbG0VcBax0EbKlwy94AkIw-I7JzaeJ/s3380/PXL_20230811_142558098.PORTRAIT~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3380" data-original-width="2192" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH9v6fXyhsWdoq3TdvS3WCoB8XqMhWb5FsvhR3lI7FYoL4F0XXzweUOQAZfGMPgBAHk8IQIJTmOpkumfFJrAfenT4oIMdKSvSZMvQ3VlpIF6pw-NhiLLPw0hwTXfP4r1V2nKITCJVA8G9spoNaKjLZL_FYHTr5FLWbG0VcBax0EbKlwy94AkIw-I7JzaeJ/w260-h400/PXL_20230811_142558098.PORTRAIT~2.jpg" width="260" /></a></div></div><div>Excursion number three was supposed to take us on the hiking trail to the lighthouse of Albir, just about 10 K north of where we were staying. But when we got to the trailhead a hand-written sign informed us that the <i>sender </i>was closed because of high fire danger. Well, there's nothing like a good map app and the advice of buddies like Howard and Roland who a few days earlier had mentioned some places close to Benidorm that might be of interest. Back into the car and we were off to Calp (also spelled <i>Calpe</i>), just 15 kilometers farther north on the coast. First we went for a beautiful walk around the harbor and then along the huge limestone rock of the <i>Parc Natural del Penyal d'Ifac</i> that rises 1,000 feet above the water. Wow! We finished things off with seafood <i>tapas</i> in a small harbor restaurant. Life, as most of the time, once again was not just good but excellent!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQAiDNqIDCkPQBMHyIbVP9ZJLJMPjWhpvHPuXXuDD9Wt-gkA0UTyAx0QU8lbOrzaCUsbaTTKB8Ez0PF39h1p-96MU2cA3CexqODfE7O1DAsZrCwHQhtUx2dTzSy82hWH3kebkpi2l9WjhWncDvXVomiOahY0yDRbKYVRMCZnSav5rFKQa3kg4_LpOLiO_P/s3583/PXL_20230812_132447094.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1911" data-original-width="3583" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQAiDNqIDCkPQBMHyIbVP9ZJLJMPjWhpvHPuXXuDD9Wt-gkA0UTyAx0QU8lbOrzaCUsbaTTKB8Ez0PF39h1p-96MU2cA3CexqODfE7O1DAsZrCwHQhtUx2dTzSy82hWH3kebkpi2l9WjhWncDvXVomiOahY0yDRbKYVRMCZnSav5rFKQa3kg4_LpOLiO_P/w400-h214/PXL_20230812_132447094.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxnDNzHQ-u0vZkKqmKvwll_0S2gjTwBy1dd7Kco0BwJ2u1ar959kI1eXbQI0shG0Z9NaNijRPsPC2mf2IF_BmkvanrbZymwJ81AmYuK7a9G8Ql8XpJgCm2MWO11xVtAAqkiMbZfVaLlN37w-7lLNOMgZwz3-_L-r57U3oEtdjZqdPQyik8fVRGI98XGUoA/s3840/PXL_20230812_132026538.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxnDNzHQ-u0vZkKqmKvwll_0S2gjTwBy1dd7Kco0BwJ2u1ar959kI1eXbQI0shG0Z9NaNijRPsPC2mf2IF_BmkvanrbZymwJ81AmYuK7a9G8Ql8XpJgCm2MWO11xVtAAqkiMbZfVaLlN37w-7lLNOMgZwz3-_L-r57U3oEtdjZqdPQyik8fVRGI98XGUoA/w400-h225/PXL_20230812_132026538.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwSqtmEqqGq-Y93jdQG_9_GtAVqe_bBbgqy6Hqpzx62XWuzDiStg2hYTzwoGvTFWCL2hZMt0VzebkM_Wciwf2ynZdPkyIfoO6FbiGpzG-9HVgvIhnRkSWj_aZEav3SEPcHDJ2n24YrYzrL0VdCTe9pZJ0DCTSlf6XM7wyuCVAApcPO6O0cZZqV6B9DAhtw/s4032/PXL_20230812_134655353.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwSqtmEqqGq-Y93jdQG_9_GtAVqe_bBbgqy6Hqpzx62XWuzDiStg2hYTzwoGvTFWCL2hZMt0VzebkM_Wciwf2ynZdPkyIfoO6FbiGpzG-9HVgvIhnRkSWj_aZEav3SEPcHDJ2n24YrYzrL0VdCTe9pZJ0DCTSlf6XM7wyuCVAApcPO6O0cZZqV6B9DAhtw/w400-h225/PXL_20230812_134655353.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1740" data-original-width="3113" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw3nS-bTGcB5eMcfVgwXLNA2MVuzp3QWAVWM_1vw_a4lBR5A0-Z-mQqDoWnA-xwh7NtiHIewdW2_44yKNbSXOOT7CV98qEG4VjL-oNlaGxGcrHGvZs10C3Z2rQYoo7mn4QLlxPXdpc54zfOAsZ7gp8uh4CWsx3J81iNgZLOQFEURt-x5FxDTaPwR59T5ll/w400-h224/PXL_20230812_132948686.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh45U605txT7eJzjI0ODR-hFsYxriMdw5-pEOaHzr_nYulPQLTTVpz9HfE6KkxUh3IPnQWezPxtFI8Ky0QVlptYo6xjkIWSOWsi3UpyULoFyMsMwIyKJFJ4TUgfoX4AfvLrr78KDTodfA4K1OtK-3ShFrHROjdMvVDZizfoGf61lVGAedLDLHyK0i4gRWfw/s4032/PXL_20230812_132003779.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh45U605txT7eJzjI0ODR-hFsYxriMdw5-pEOaHzr_nYulPQLTTVpz9HfE6KkxUh3IPnQWezPxtFI8Ky0QVlptYo6xjkIWSOWsi3UpyULoFyMsMwIyKJFJ4TUgfoX4AfvLrr78KDTodfA4K1OtK-3ShFrHROjdMvVDZizfoGf61lVGAedLDLHyK0i4gRWfw/w400-h225/PXL_20230812_132003779.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7wtbOJHU40jttDBE3MGzz0ZlIdEQWkChfsXmNJu7WMrwtYz1HYWn1VnIaEyssQKjEnVbqZ1IztjDhyMUbZiijjDTzwXhXmbjtb1VQMH8vM1NXiWPOiEYBIGbEe3a_xBYWMLvZrt5PBYn_cyCZpX1uXOArjYGiQtgFyudw8OlaSWTEtruez6LK0ftZLvfO/s4032/PXL_20230812_131622453.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7wtbOJHU40jttDBE3MGzz0ZlIdEQWkChfsXmNJu7WMrwtYz1HYWn1VnIaEyssQKjEnVbqZ1IztjDhyMUbZiijjDTzwXhXmbjtb1VQMH8vM1NXiWPOiEYBIGbEe3a_xBYWMLvZrt5PBYn_cyCZpX1uXOArjYGiQtgFyudw8OlaSWTEtruez6LK0ftZLvfO/w400-h225/PXL_20230812_131622453.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Our final excursion from Benidorm took us down the coast to Alicante, another city I had never visited. This old city is overlooked by the 9th-century Santa Barbara castle from where one has an all-encompassing view of both the Mediterranean as well as all the hinterlands—the boys in those days knew how to choose their fortifications! After finding a free and secure parking spot for our Corsa we spent the better part of the day exploring the harbor, walking through the charming old part of town, and finally making our way up to the top of the castle hill. I tell you, none of our walks were easy, and this one tested the old sweat glands in serious ways! But it was totally worth the effort as the view from up top was simply stunning.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw62-5Vn9lpxt_aREp79cYDTPCU-KpEIS-bl2fzpeHhHeqFBs1SFBUE7qEGKULwXRGCivmBu1BIAPUJyVmnemmUT_T3vCApxiRuFxNi6_CiMWuMxB-1DwZCiDVg6u_Y25lKrMIjYYI2WWKl99aMDAQK4E4b_xp2ESLqzYvmWeebTFM6PV_G1Nht1rrhAiD/s2720/PXL_20230813_105727226.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1680" data-original-width="2720" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw62-5Vn9lpxt_aREp79cYDTPCU-KpEIS-bl2fzpeHhHeqFBs1SFBUE7qEGKULwXRGCivmBu1BIAPUJyVmnemmUT_T3vCApxiRuFxNi6_CiMWuMxB-1DwZCiDVg6u_Y25lKrMIjYYI2WWKl99aMDAQK4E4b_xp2ESLqzYvmWeebTFM6PV_G1Nht1rrhAiD/w400-h248/PXL_20230813_105727226.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQI4yq_x2RYfXAHaQPb05YSENHiynWVrh9_h2N7kF8KM0xKOPDMXw_cPZMCiSrRnTzMbm_O6zHYQygvtZVPBNaCYtDwfzPXyrsS0IQ-6RtGmSKoC4KCzbYgQDeTF2HS2pbTjDhLfQyhgMDfzbqIBhv510nhBcLips_EXF0pN-RVyYmsuyjlZu-kqUQcirB/s2695/PXL_20230813_105420861.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3523" data-original-width="2137" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQK61tgqc0ybmWKN-CIHKyTSsM1qJNJXhFXe_fBD6anXS2zqZZ5VIhBA5_CePspqMhhBjaMzd6s8uACL4-uQF967n-htep8eK4pgquRbQPBTBECO_r3efk7hQOiVEFwGXVI-YD_aBXZYbcRIee5a_vhxELvlBqXGdkPEojsQBJCD1tMWTwFQO0kKopFLVj/w242-h400/PXL_20230813_120842825.jpg" width="242" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAnhNrCsHMsWcJcKMTowOHrpZ3zReuTJiYvJbT2MT9Jv07X7v_rCUokLFVrhRpOnIymUJVMNzacUf24c2TFkssd3LUR_CrZnJ2K3foe0PaWAUv8J0BMObTSZ-gGzlswg-g8Udmq0zGX7cLt0p3X4CXmUwcY0oOlNZSl843tZHunXi_1GjhLDgeGAfIgm5f/s4032/PXL_20230813_121539347.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAnhNrCsHMsWcJcKMTowOHrpZ3zReuTJiYvJbT2MT9Jv07X7v_rCUokLFVrhRpOnIymUJVMNzacUf24c2TFkssd3LUR_CrZnJ2K3foe0PaWAUv8J0BMObTSZ-gGzlswg-g8Udmq0zGX7cLt0p3X4CXmUwcY0oOlNZSl843tZHunXi_1GjhLDgeGAfIgm5f/w400-h225/PXL_20230813_121539347.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFI9kGy47Xp7Go7nTyBpqY_LCPpcCGzUfr_HaV1rs44Jq7RScKAb76m2djPBaHx7zzJ2zeOq7wdiNTATnuuyz5xFDvPo7A-HhQK3_WI5ouyRU-OKx7BTjgZGtDgbkSfFkEep3AHW3pljPB4Pd0LJ9m3vlb4v8KLNvZaICK27ijuZnN3pOiFEzZ1I2M-exl/s4032/PXL_20230813_121657603.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFI9kGy47Xp7Go7nTyBpqY_LCPpcCGzUfr_HaV1rs44Jq7RScKAb76m2djPBaHx7zzJ2zeOq7wdiNTATnuuyz5xFDvPo7A-HhQK3_WI5ouyRU-OKx7BTjgZGtDgbkSfFkEep3AHW3pljPB4Pd0LJ9m3vlb4v8KLNvZaICK27ijuZnN3pOiFEzZ1I2M-exl/w225-h400/PXL_20230813_121657603.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>Back in town we found a suitable restaurant in one of the narrow streets and enjoyed a magnificent lunch of <i>sepia</i>, an entire cuttlefish. Together with a liter carafe of white wine sangria this was just what the doctor had ordered, and it must have been the best meal of the entire trip, although there were some other <i>tapas </i>that blew my socks off, too. One thing is for sure: It's hard to go wrong with any seafood on the Spanish coast.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHAcKJKlBFx-EvTPNyRxglDU8vihafdG4hpjoCvG7Jgc4PD-21r6hsDAy7EvQ1zDmGoX680ZDi-F24I2EtbbWo2K-hA9FsCYV8DlgyhfuspCH5bEKODVDBLPunEY1vyPAw_ddbQdrz8RZH6_TUe8atXQozIJg--VrhhHFBaqeJwwwqWQvutsG70gmfvCqm/s2662/PXL_20230813_134518962.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="2662" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHAcKJKlBFx-EvTPNyRxglDU8vihafdG4hpjoCvG7Jgc4PD-21r6hsDAy7EvQ1zDmGoX680ZDi-F24I2EtbbWo2K-hA9FsCYV8DlgyhfuspCH5bEKODVDBLPunEY1vyPAw_ddbQdrz8RZH6_TUe8atXQozIJg--VrhhHFBaqeJwwwqWQvutsG70gmfvCqm/w400-h341/PXL_20230813_134518962.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>On the way back to the car—not able to tear ourselves away from Alicante just yet—we found just the right boardwalk watering hole to have a cold beer and people watch. It definitely was a show, especially watching Mr. Universum doing his calisthenics and making sure that <i>everyone</i> was noticing him! Birgit and I exchanged notes in regard to the assembled meat show on the crowded beach. Ah, it's all so Euro.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMqeVThoVLP224N7WRkA4Y4mC93U_9oJ8oyVg9xdt35FlFBF7pLiDbYwK450E2fSFdunt2MfiSif-8dcybYLcgQf6yUznLP9mHNTuye2tk7_itMNge3k6p8KRSKwuc5QrBDKUrJUrQbRu726lywmlx4IM7g6mpo6_EbIgZftpwOi0O2-UUUaXy9098V-9g/s1929/PXL_20230813_153105643.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1929" data-original-width="1388" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMqeVThoVLP224N7WRkA4Y4mC93U_9oJ8oyVg9xdt35FlFBF7pLiDbYwK450E2fSFdunt2MfiSif-8dcybYLcgQf6yUznLP9mHNTuye2tk7_itMNge3k6p8KRSKwuc5QrBDKUrJUrQbRu726lywmlx4IM7g6mpo6_EbIgZftpwOi0O2-UUUaXy9098V-9g/w288-h400/PXL_20230813_153105643.jpg" width="288" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3rxseZrTLnJmNJVVIwi9WYuUXgFLhpQrVVkFx83104yOhsLvCIlcTy7gOaocD2P3FhFdGlTjdAAQ2dOx8YJT2Hjsua8yOSbnpRrTZGmi0UPEt55i7h6TviIa38uQRQ5QqJGKEzfJaAIq8_Q7YSSlBMc-aH6FbJajUAGqtOr-qByZsyrg7IXai7_pbri3j/s2510/PXL_20230813_152051419.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2510" data-original-width="2218" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3rxseZrTLnJmNJVVIwi9WYuUXgFLhpQrVVkFx83104yOhsLvCIlcTy7gOaocD2P3FhFdGlTjdAAQ2dOx8YJT2Hjsua8yOSbnpRrTZGmi0UPEt55i7h6TviIa38uQRQ5QqJGKEzfJaAIq8_Q7YSSlBMc-aH6FbJajUAGqtOr-qByZsyrg7IXai7_pbri3j/w354-h400/PXL_20230813_152051419.jpg" width="354" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiPbtmRDYFIuDThO0CWnvYuusjzS01ulksmLvbDvrUhGxNLWTw46zYaS6iO1WdLh8xjllxKIuAeh5QRKfwCLq-I82evvcF0N5bfHwTNjSo0gk71iMo5-wDIqRYMY6wxojQTtFdkwdL76OjOJSTxwSjLfrjKtARvTwMxV5uf2ukdkTHPPV9yjhYf_1KosfU/s4032/PXL_20230813_152001800.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiPbtmRDYFIuDThO0CWnvYuusjzS01ulksmLvbDvrUhGxNLWTw46zYaS6iO1WdLh8xjllxKIuAeh5QRKfwCLq-I82evvcF0N5bfHwTNjSo0gk71iMo5-wDIqRYMY6wxojQTtFdkwdL76OjOJSTxwSjLfrjKtARvTwMxV5uf2ukdkTHPPV9yjhYf_1KosfU/w400-h225/PXL_20230813_152001800.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV_Q4QSfLUHnpV5yiPxdWtkHuRkoDaEc2bPuk9Ip6jilGscf_SZ2MtZ0eAryB7TDK4tfJPd8EbEcTZT6a2is1LGJTVuqbxfF_dQciBJvNHaBRL87n8-CBDE0_5DmjY4pd-58Pxa9A5Du_9cjH1BofUJuh-QeOHgwIWkizGJ12jgeQL5OimrhPbTVLv3eZI/s2219/PXL_20230813_152956448.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2049" data-original-width="2219" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV_Q4QSfLUHnpV5yiPxdWtkHuRkoDaEc2bPuk9Ip6jilGscf_SZ2MtZ0eAryB7TDK4tfJPd8EbEcTZT6a2is1LGJTVuqbxfF_dQciBJvNHaBRL87n8-CBDE0_5DmjY4pd-58Pxa9A5Du_9cjH1BofUJuh-QeOHgwIWkizGJ12jgeQL5OimrhPbTVLv3eZI/w400-h369/PXL_20230813_152956448.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The next day it was time to vacate our apartment and drive back to VLC. After a short and unmemorable stopover in Cullera we arrived at the airport mid-afternoon. Our respective flights (Birgit's to Cologne, mine to Madrid) were taking off within an hour and a half, and I was able to guest her into the Iberia lounge, putting a nice final touch on our time together.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggN_wskOsIBOkVBthgc7JTcfnOxf8r6BHfcvoihxNzi0gV7ChnrZ_mfxElUUKEKfdbPoUQXyGy3dtUrCSuLfT6h9MKDh4LqHLdFvj9fTiDMrn69tGOwmZsP0ag5s_ifePH-baVWQHM33olb1jYcmOa6AnxF2mRjcYYWXJ1V5ou2iia-pPfGvcsZPaKeJe0/s3327/PXL_20230814_112107562.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3327" data-original-width="2078" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggN_wskOsIBOkVBthgc7JTcfnOxf8r6BHfcvoihxNzi0gV7ChnrZ_mfxElUUKEKfdbPoUQXyGy3dtUrCSuLfT6h9MKDh4LqHLdFvj9fTiDMrn69tGOwmZsP0ag5s_ifePH-baVWQHM33olb1jYcmOa6AnxF2mRjcYYWXJ1V5ou2iia-pPfGvcsZPaKeJe0/w250-h400/PXL_20230814_112107562.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4GF-v0r-HN_chhhB-jJ8xVfkom9z9PwavDVyYadk5BsdZEwad5Q_qm23FTlGSEMNQhtYyIzzUfA-WFW0YYyapR_oBJB00FG2Ismo44NcWVTsEGntSwSRe-diZCKwDkWc7MN5eE0zKftJfG5SgkYc1Z0IE_p2Vr3t9NCr_JczjkjvzeSOjtv_fSl_ty-Gm/s3504/PXL_20230814_113551788.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3504" data-original-width="2259" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4GF-v0r-HN_chhhB-jJ8xVfkom9z9PwavDVyYadk5BsdZEwad5Q_qm23FTlGSEMNQhtYyIzzUfA-WFW0YYyapR_oBJB00FG2Ismo44NcWVTsEGntSwSRe-diZCKwDkWc7MN5eE0zKftJfG5SgkYc1Z0IE_p2Vr3t9NCr_JczjkjvzeSOjtv_fSl_ty-Gm/w258-h400/PXL_20230814_113551788.jpg" width="258" /></a></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxl2pwm4JLP7XvsxNP7Hxiid3MIYu8BhEy9B6c7PZVTFe8c7X_1ZD3DlgnP6DZzZUiDM_24VzdqYNyPONNRZaieL343RPd_q60pQrJNDVDShKOUf9Q06EYZslKtTntR3sYxx-fdH6QcLEwKf2iDfMfMrbndWFWJTkwvPJ69M0cu7ivF5blwspaDvoLzfV4/s3346/PXL_20230814_134801666.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3346" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxl2pwm4JLP7XvsxNP7Hxiid3MIYu8BhEy9B6c7PZVTFe8c7X_1ZD3DlgnP6DZzZUiDM_24VzdqYNyPONNRZaieL343RPd_q60pQrJNDVDShKOUf9Q06EYZslKtTntR3sYxx-fdH6QcLEwKf2iDfMfMrbndWFWJTkwvPJ69M0cu7ivF5blwspaDvoLzfV4/w271-h400/PXL_20230814_134801666.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL.jpg" width="271" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZ4iY2nMKG2wki9KzWlioH5lZxwdszfKYPCYcvnLza06Au1m8DoK8Xz-c0udiFUVlRRIaOW8jbMMalQ9X1-SGsWYxw0XQUKOLd4lYnQKfKDjrDWfYjWAGWH-LsMu-fPZH65YBMDrVBo3tXTkKtIshDQmliMPnyDb6Un9QN5QNGloENb_7eyHQKp46KukZ/s4032/PXL_20230814_152300291.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZ4iY2nMKG2wki9KzWlioH5lZxwdszfKYPCYcvnLza06Au1m8DoK8Xz-c0udiFUVlRRIaOW8jbMMalQ9X1-SGsWYxw0XQUKOLd4lYnQKfKDjrDWfYjWAGWH-LsMu-fPZH65YBMDrVBo3tXTkKtIshDQmliMPnyDb6Un9QN5QNGloENb_7eyHQKp46KukZ/w400-h225/PXL_20230814_152300291.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>When I had planned this trip I had of course consulted with Howard, assuring that he was going to be in town on my return trip. So, barely an hour after departing Valencia I was sitting in his Audi for the 5-minute drive from Barajas to his home. Just like West Texas, Madrid had been experiencing an extreme heat wave with bearable temperatures only at night, and so we sat outside until the wee hours catching up with one another.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXFR3hoap3as8HexIs_blnd4zkepNo92wU7zRsXkdB4F16iIyMzUr-a_7bHDy_JAp8nJI6noPQBAx-Wg507Sx1JRmhReJeAr7sGKg343cwDTbThqmcqMbheG5q2VYO2Y7YB5j41Xw2IcjmSq6CsN8zpOrh4Ms2Yf6GMWxSp6_Km9Nd5zG6r1Qjr5bTkaHa/s3816/PXL_20230814_160132364.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2253" data-original-width="3816" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXFR3hoap3as8HexIs_blnd4zkepNo92wU7zRsXkdB4F16iIyMzUr-a_7bHDy_JAp8nJI6noPQBAx-Wg507Sx1JRmhReJeAr7sGKg343cwDTbThqmcqMbheG5q2VYO2Y7YB5j41Xw2IcjmSq6CsN8zpOrh4Ms2Yf6GMWxSp6_Km9Nd5zG6r1Qjr5bTkaHa/w400-h236/PXL_20230814_160132364.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQK0zRCgMRtSjBedmUtelNlv3eYGmFcx2hNDdQZriTc4Z6XVxpYU1T-Dj83YC80A0smB5yU8zTHKB8xwDdJEODSAKm8TeMskpVJING-6ZUpq06_icgNLj_RTnHOh_KXzn-fEnI9cJCs9rDrUzjZg8cURNhj0ZC9lGdPjIp9r2UprKYPbRHF_jehOBrahRk/s2812/PXL_20230814_161017122.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2092" data-original-width="2812" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQK0zRCgMRtSjBedmUtelNlv3eYGmFcx2hNDdQZriTc4Z6XVxpYU1T-Dj83YC80A0smB5yU8zTHKB8xwDdJEODSAKm8TeMskpVJING-6ZUpq06_icgNLj_RTnHOh_KXzn-fEnI9cJCs9rDrUzjZg8cURNhj0ZC9lGdPjIp9r2UprKYPbRHF_jehOBrahRk/w400-h297/PXL_20230814_161017122.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnrtUIQ0SfRbA3JkA6B14KmcBnYAL1GGP_yFo8yt83Sx5FirTeFqPcM_D61QDeqFXVDJfNRIuRo4vrJMUIgUSOwbCVIm-tXJ63lDQTkX1dKDHMTBRbaV_ALF9y1HyyqcP_sCU2ANmnCIYyCsB_hu2fBWIXAXjWPW2GOni5lBXS7TLZZ8seNMMG1zew87aU/s4032/PXL_20230815_200945545.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnrtUIQ0SfRbA3JkA6B14KmcBnYAL1GGP_yFo8yt83Sx5FirTeFqPcM_D61QDeqFXVDJfNRIuRo4vrJMUIgUSOwbCVIm-tXJ63lDQTkX1dKDHMTBRbaV_ALF9y1HyyqcP_sCU2ANmnCIYyCsB_hu2fBWIXAXjWPW2GOni5lBXS7TLZZ8seNMMG1zew87aU/w225-h400/PXL_20230815_200945545.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>Keeping in line with our long history of trips and excursions wherever we meet up, Howard had planned a few hours in Buitrago del Lozoya for the <i>Dia de la Virgen</i>. It's a small town about 70 kilometers northeast of Madrid, with a pretty fortification and church, a river as a natural barrier for the old town, and ample restaurants with seating in the narrow streets for a light lunch of <i>cachopo</i>. Thanks to the holiday Buitrago was fairly packed with folks from Madrid as well as locals, but we found a good spot and got to enjoy the procession coming by. Later, in Torrelaguna, things were quieter and we enjoyed a refreshing, cool Verdejo overlooking the deserted town square. Ah, I love these excursions with Howard!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgtXZfn7c3MtJHzQJZoODVTmIM6ySqygHPZ0R312td1C1S52rw1zjZZYpC1xELzUrItzbiIwY69Bf8XifKoJ2cQ480HRC015NDvEbtlgq5xHA9BJy69QYS8cvkGdelrBkyXPnpQkKoGc8nWC0uHNTyCE21GQiOcYuU-s5r3qhdMSvsr7ZJ5ifWasqqGpoX/s3840/PXL_20230815_100803804.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgtXZfn7c3MtJHzQJZoODVTmIM6ySqygHPZ0R312td1C1S52rw1zjZZYpC1xELzUrItzbiIwY69Bf8XifKoJ2cQ480HRC015NDvEbtlgq5xHA9BJy69QYS8cvkGdelrBkyXPnpQkKoGc8nWC0uHNTyCE21GQiOcYuU-s5r3qhdMSvsr7ZJ5ifWasqqGpoX/w400-h225/PXL_20230815_100803804.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipdl_YMc-_87G-edXel_5dqOPoC8T2sqenvnI8SxW7UUmyXNAIGA9IFRK-NT0CzaCJGN9bRG27iStIxXwbwF4rV0yCfyLM0iF18yANNf460QaGDx3P2w2qSL7DSzUpceSVy5frqFRJ6JS6jEzjB_Khiu0QCM6MjVi48ZHoMPHVNoZQ2fGkTcvYpZW6ls74/s3534/PXL_20230815_093922679.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3534" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipdl_YMc-_87G-edXel_5dqOPoC8T2sqenvnI8SxW7UUmyXNAIGA9IFRK-NT0CzaCJGN9bRG27iStIxXwbwF4rV0yCfyLM0iF18yANNf460QaGDx3P2w2qSL7DSzUpceSVy5frqFRJ6JS6jEzjB_Khiu0QCM6MjVi48ZHoMPHVNoZQ2fGkTcvYpZW6ls74/w256-h400/PXL_20230815_093922679.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVor821TwM4ebkSGYRZ4MP1lZefLFzJ5rN80QCeYCB4DV3_hKyBaUxXw0UygDpUUZoSkes1QOCgl-03V-WTY8s2n-KOOpvPLPoDtdLP1kpAdYb57qPpw_yi7EZNKN4hRe06UBIvayB2rA8VC4hcVZCaSRC4kqZyh5c2wEBXwlwooKEfhGbwrbHiLzoRuyk/s4032/PXL_20230815_094135816.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVor821TwM4ebkSGYRZ4MP1lZefLFzJ5rN80QCeYCB4DV3_hKyBaUxXw0UygDpUUZoSkes1QOCgl-03V-WTY8s2n-KOOpvPLPoDtdLP1kpAdYb57qPpw_yi7EZNKN4hRe06UBIvayB2rA8VC4hcVZCaSRC4kqZyh5c2wEBXwlwooKEfhGbwrbHiLzoRuyk/w225-h400/PXL_20230815_094135816.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3346" data-original-width="2198" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgez0ytaN9kuZPFk5IXPwFqIIEMVHiTi2VlpF8L2cDQMCenwUXlPOnQtvOEC4Lk9G6iIHCmEL9eL0ggCyL4vhLvcQbfN0wXpOWCmmIEFBFFsSeFKEyKc6KDEn1qW6MkNJjOnMAv7t4SwjiGfbdqE4Ye8rNVFpUvzddUoV7b1wn4IHXTYnUqAyuAv3EpzFi6/w263-h400/PXL_20230815_110717788.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-qlYelvLoLr-cWZYsmMgQhl7cpKIfDAgEgJdnhTZZAltaRPPaZkN5M4rQRLYBSCR0Ts1qcHVlK75Ogr0L3SQxKXebn26hGDGmnLY20NchCO-SPigR1ECcYIxAqkB-j3u4g_7_IwTpxEehRtjD0eWvt4M-hsxA_nVywzKSba0bOx1GLH2axHHmutlvh1z/s1920/PXL_20230815_105936272.TS_exported_16505_1692575578602.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-qlYelvLoLr-cWZYsmMgQhl7cpKIfDAgEgJdnhTZZAltaRPPaZkN5M4rQRLYBSCR0Ts1qcHVlK75Ogr0L3SQxKXebn26hGDGmnLY20NchCO-SPigR1ECcYIxAqkB-j3u4g_7_IwTpxEehRtjD0eWvt4M-hsxA_nVywzKSba0bOx1GLH2axHHmutlvh1z/w400-h225/PXL_20230815_105936272.TS_exported_16505_1692575578602.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheDrNHRlkuqlUEPk37b1uEj6ofhrEPzW77RPQsFTHKC749JacT2giE5FMk_fF66PAS3tH4S5oEJ0gKAdT1_xz6FQoj-T9j7vUkrkaCYb3CG5pcN9Un3KJ1Rm-cxiKqtvgn_q4Vd6UoN4UgLKU7K8OPeBuzoG1eR5r2Fc3QdBGAbi80DjnWNU80V-w3fNvF/s3318/PXL_20230815_130207271.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3318" data-original-width="1981" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheDrNHRlkuqlUEPk37b1uEj6ofhrEPzW77RPQsFTHKC749JacT2giE5FMk_fF66PAS3tH4S5oEJ0gKAdT1_xz6FQoj-T9j7vUkrkaCYb3CG5pcN9Un3KJ1Rm-cxiKqtvgn_q4Vd6UoN4UgLKU7K8OPeBuzoG1eR5r2Fc3QdBGAbi80DjnWNU80V-w3fNvF/w239-h400/PXL_20230815_130207271.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjldMpW1rDHIXtph061t5gMycgbuGJMLfX778mKQUhV4WvDivPaPJv0aY2sUjxhmkeet6H_RMf1hnsfoVSFFW1rjuWUBzpEc8fxl7lDdBFX-libQj_So1OyQkaJIPbmIb77nFH45VgDbW2G_cV39myX3vIXIbJ5vlVPL4R9v8kUT1vkjfNAg1nJB7JIJGed/s4032/PXL_20230815_140427698.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjldMpW1rDHIXtph061t5gMycgbuGJMLfX778mKQUhV4WvDivPaPJv0aY2sUjxhmkeet6H_RMf1hnsfoVSFFW1rjuWUBzpEc8fxl7lDdBFX-libQj_So1OyQkaJIPbmIb77nFH45VgDbW2G_cV39myX3vIXIbJ5vlVPL4R9v8kUT1vkjfNAg1nJB7JIJGed/w400-h225/PXL_20230815_140427698.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>On my last full day in Spain it was time to add another brewpub to my long list, and in the afternoon we made a special metro trip to Mad Brewing (a clever play on the capital's airport code, MAD) and enjoyed a few good IPAs and a tasty lunch. Once back at the house, there was more socializing with the rest of the family.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnSwZZlTJryLBd0vyLtc_8PGlEOIqF_cNqF1f3IKcZwjXjllbJFAgDIJxSH8asY9bWTr3QRZsPGc7-R9dLLcQGBwk8L2PP4NJJGxIjKOQYNynNtcZVz1wM9_uDYbJMUZk6rhbwNozuiaHE0O46qpZenwH-c0HxNFixN3SWhylyTD_K1zr6wOHdTBJGVlaS/s4032/PXL_20230816_124859811.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnSwZZlTJryLBd0vyLtc_8PGlEOIqF_cNqF1f3IKcZwjXjllbJFAgDIJxSH8asY9bWTr3QRZsPGc7-R9dLLcQGBwk8L2PP4NJJGxIjKOQYNynNtcZVz1wM9_uDYbJMUZk6rhbwNozuiaHE0O46qpZenwH-c0HxNFixN3SWhylyTD_K1zr6wOHdTBJGVlaS/w400-h225/PXL_20230816_124859811.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3485" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Js1oaJ174Hdz77FA2hawMuxByXedbpzdkNBC7r2NFKrYeg6NjJAbo1oXnGO7Ms50ZpaigQnvs2qMIQLMHdYrlBmUSiUy42gWxBcAnrbrCf1ysTI4M_ewX-AacrO04qQ3eqpMtHlENHZp9P1kDQWvYWEEf0ghUfX8PDL2eZeoGATITi8ae-Vx7ntt05L5/w260-h400/PXL_20230816_171837800.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ACZVd1JsgtWzgUIDKXM7SgFsggmold5rdXCRw70oKfh0YQNWhC3O__XQfy4tbAF8E-LEC17eM5u979PtG45qJ8NViZzzMYR9c6MxxXx-a9wC7G15IfJ-zykb7guMR943a3Yg-oWXw1y_ItJSkWHdlg4HuHQwV40ZWbcW9z5zyKKDMUN6dWEp5YzFQlqH/s4032/PXL_20230817_083655085.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ACZVd1JsgtWzgUIDKXM7SgFsggmold5rdXCRw70oKfh0YQNWhC3O__XQfy4tbAF8E-LEC17eM5u979PtG45qJ8NViZzzMYR9c6MxxXx-a9wC7G15IfJ-zykb7guMR943a3Yg-oWXw1y_ItJSkWHdlg4HuHQwV40ZWbcW9z5zyKKDMUN6dWEp5YzFQlqH/w400-h225/PXL_20230817_083655085.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSaqIVuypb3arpJcCJoS65mIqbqbj__vBB5x1nRyvm-JIAst1rv2Odi_5jdvoyVLdHOfzUvj_v38PUCkvjGcyiQSDDfY4dt477wqO1czOKQlVYf3VrGnGiHc40ezfET-6pJXAJh7g-PFIhWCYO3Fz2unD7PDDnC8vRnQHOmUqztWeBb8fJEdYfmJVRFDkM/s4032/PXL_20230817_104536449.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSaqIVuypb3arpJcCJoS65mIqbqbj__vBB5x1nRyvm-JIAst1rv2Odi_5jdvoyVLdHOfzUvj_v38PUCkvjGcyiQSDDfY4dt477wqO1czOKQlVYf3VrGnGiHc40ezfET-6pJXAJh7g-PFIhWCYO3Fz2unD7PDDnC8vRnQHOmUqztWeBb8fJEdYfmJVRFDkM/w400-h225/PXL_20230817_104536449.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKM_-6RP23HxmZlCpxWMVUFWNcmkAdHpZ14TD1c7VL1dHgjmbvzBe2AMDSdLj49KnHtXKnjvjouR7mJLeeWPGDhvI65fd3n1AELWy86sDGYQ0ST73WJvOZoDRjgGTvCwFWpL3lYV_UlJ-51rCSZ1k1VwVZOteufGeM-wuMxaZsaLxAQ802WDx0F4JEHyZP/s3677/PXL_20230818_003347773.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3677" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKM_-6RP23HxmZlCpxWMVUFWNcmkAdHpZ14TD1c7VL1dHgjmbvzBe2AMDSdLj49KnHtXKnjvjouR7mJLeeWPGDhvI65fd3n1AELWy86sDGYQ0ST73WJvOZoDRjgGTvCwFWpL3lYV_UlJ-51rCSZ1k1VwVZOteufGeM-wuMxaZsaLxAQ802WDx0F4JEHyZP/w400-h246/PXL_20230818_003347773.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>The next morning, less than two weeks after my initial departure from Lubbock, it was once again time to head to the airport and fly back to Texas. For once, American managed to keep its flights more or less on time, and after a final Uber ride I was back home. Overall verdict: a fabulous trip of just the right length to make it feel much longer than it really was!</div><div><br /></div><div>Jürgen</div>Jürgenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03107533431710748040noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023527478729548228.post-90359021060534964322023-07-26T23:34:00.000-05:002023-07-26T23:34:55.170-05:00Another two National Championships in the bag, plus a bonus visit with Miles and Judy<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglBxDklllcpXCpb_IKgHkn1PuC-ljppcLU-krHMlfblGp22zXPzueJiz0cB1AbgHBvbrumkMgt3o8do8UjJ5Th0Ar8ObbVqZfsQUgLz2EAa-ruTBQuuJ-hTMJHut6vQzK77qfGf3bplHX-PQaoqQf5Gbd5Bx0Y4bWhWATopteZK_JykmQApJ70472polUJ/s3824/PXL_20230716_142207958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3824" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglBxDklllcpXCpb_IKgHkn1PuC-ljppcLU-krHMlfblGp22zXPzueJiz0cB1AbgHBvbrumkMgt3o8do8UjJ5Th0Ar8ObbVqZfsQUgLz2EAa-ruTBQuuJ-hTMJHut6vQzK77qfGf3bplHX-PQaoqQf5Gbd5Bx0Y4bWhWATopteZK_JykmQApJ70472polUJ/w238-h400/PXL_20230716_142207958.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>The last time I updated the blog was right before the July 4 holiday, after returning from Utah. A few days later, while normal folks celebrated our National Holiday with BBQ and ice-cold watermelon I was battling the airline gremlins in my quest to get to Philadelphia and our National Mountain Bike Endurance Championships. If memory serves me right, it was victimized by yet another flight delay because of mechanical defects that made me arrive late in PHL, one of so many IROPs this year that I have lost complete track of them.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZYDC9mRetsPayTwXvpD2ukzrGrzd4HjwqzsF112L-cMOVMhZlNBMxLfYzw584MegSvIK1L7E2d6aCN0qNGp_mXlXrvtgUaVfW89C9b2X76gcgI77TuGp-XQ4Pg5x4h1wujGQFpJYfH9kN-d-9TEdxSY__1Gk2xJeqpSPcDVAMI-qsZ_gtHPNlOAdfxESg/s4032/PXL_20230708_144158542.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZYDC9mRetsPayTwXvpD2ukzrGrzd4HjwqzsF112L-cMOVMhZlNBMxLfYzw584MegSvIK1L7E2d6aCN0qNGp_mXlXrvtgUaVfW89C9b2X76gcgI77TuGp-XQ4Pg5x4h1wujGQFpJYfH9kN-d-9TEdxSY__1Gk2xJeqpSPcDVAMI-qsZ_gtHPNlOAdfxESg/w225-h400/PXL_20230708_144158542.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWyLIbnVAI7QQ-rH3-voN6-k6gvihvL2Kr7lqyGX0bgAK1fo5J3O5wrXDsAbUWONd6vwhms3waWRoDv79g8aSszXuEBxxw9j7ac_uHFFfLrarMye-S4SXAeM230FyVToxOvto1qk8F0UwN61LI9xfasulLDUY3TXI92-iB1khCRetN_CDrcJsiHt9p26z/s4032/PXL_20230708_115702332.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWyLIbnVAI7QQ-rH3-voN6-k6gvihvL2Kr7lqyGX0bgAK1fo5J3O5wrXDsAbUWONd6vwhms3waWRoDv79g8aSszXuEBxxw9j7ac_uHFFfLrarMye-S4SXAeM230FyVToxOvto1qk8F0UwN61LI9xfasulLDUY3TXI92-iB1khCRetN_CDrcJsiHt9p26z/w400-h225/PXL_20230708_115702332.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">TX NICA standout Samantha Campbell barreling through the <br />scenic feed zone at Bear Creek</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>After something like seven years (2015 to 2022) of hosting national championships that featured both endurance (crosscountry, four-cross) as well as gravity events (downhill, dual slalom, enduro), USA Cycling decided to go back to dividing its mountain bike nats into two separate events, at two different locations. As the Chief Referee of five and Vice Chief of one of these joined events I knew better than any other commissaire in the US about the complexities and challenges of such a huge undertaking. Just for the record, here are the years and events of my involvement (plus this year's marathon nats in September):</div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>2015<span> Mammoth, CA<span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span>Chief Referee</span></span></div><div>2016<span> Mammoth, CA<span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span>Chief Referee</span></span> </div><div>2017<span> Snowshoe, WV<span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span>Chief Referee</span></span></div><div><span><span>2019 <span> </span>Winter Park, CO<span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span>Chief Referee</span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span>2021 Winter Park, CO<span> Vice Chief</span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span>2022<span> Winter Park, CO<span> <span> </span>Chief Referee</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span>2023<span> Bear Creek, PA<span> </span><span> <span> </span><span> </span>Vice Chief (endurance)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>2023<span> Mountain Creek, NC<span> Assistant Referee (gravity)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>2023<span> Auburn, AL<span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> Chief Referee (marathon)</span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div></blockquote><div><span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>To my knowledge, this track record is unequalled by any other commissaire on the mountain bike side, and I am rather proud of the fact that USAC has been placing such trust in me over the years. While the combined championships featured as many as seven consecutive days of competition with finals on each day, often in up to three disciplines simultaneously, both of the 2023 events featured only four days of </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>competition each, with no overlaps in finals (if one ignores the last stage of the enduro that ate into the afternoon gravity finals). So, the complexity for the newly separated championships was definitely lower. (Comparatively, marathon—a mountain bike discipline—is as simple as it comes, with just one race at the same time, and that's it. Similarly, the now-defunct 24-hour Mountain Bike Championships that I chiefed back in 2011 were as complex as an amoeba and just required a lot of stamina on the part of the athletes as well as the officials. Left out of the above list are my five CR-stints at Collegiate Nationals, an intense three-day <i>tour de force</i> featuring four disciplines.)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg73Mc9tWnq0fQNq41cCq5WcAhrlSXM_FLqrXkbpsMCy9mH1rCN-THrKgIA-S1j2AXIF0bEuoVURADDWCUPA0dI4qHnBkm_TS-Or--hnQDrv4uE15BcSsMBcmBcm_h56V9jae7r-LUzR44zmla5Q08l3_OSbabS795NlUlz_W3JRP979rsxEeIHyT55-rr/s4032/PXL_20230716_145033838.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg73Mc9tWnq0fQNq41cCq5WcAhrlSXM_FLqrXkbpsMCy9mH1rCN-THrKgIA-S1j2AXIF0bEuoVURADDWCUPA0dI4qHnBkm_TS-Or--hnQDrv4uE15BcSsMBcmBcm_h56V9jae7r-LUzR44zmla5Q08l3_OSbabS795NlUlz_W3JRP979rsxEeIHyT55-rr/w225-h400/PXL_20230716_145033838.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimDOS_p97kcIUYnxr7_Yu5zwdGuzpK7BnwyIvKj3Azf05GRQYV_qcRftx73-xFNKx3xoyEQolkwfjYHxuom9DSz9_y6OQN27qeTiWc8km705ml2zLAWbFQT3kAPMdQr-2KSEAjXeEtL964HQAWSyrAj122UCfmfrwIJc_dU1KP5BoaonKC_LnTFeUo44b8/s2148/PXL_20230714_143820226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1860" data-original-width="2148" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimDOS_p97kcIUYnxr7_Yu5zwdGuzpK7BnwyIvKj3Azf05GRQYV_qcRftx73-xFNKx3xoyEQolkwfjYHxuom9DSz9_y6OQN27qeTiWc8km705ml2zLAWbFQT3kAPMdQr-2KSEAjXeEtL964HQAWSyrAj122UCfmfrwIJc_dU1KP5BoaonKC_LnTFeUo44b8/w400-h346/PXL_20230714_143820226.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ_ydHGiIjqADwea79p7ppyFjh21OTpX5UWS-ZxOLxTYENV9UyiIiIB7C0-ra-YOLHV-2Wq315-Uf3meKlTlU-Q17uScRh4IlP8IBVZ6voOSfuDjJCrcyOvJqgadaMisT6D4J1LT4GkXk5Gx3LT1GJ-bviWxsNK19TTskDbQcvs5f4Q1jKH2VAf1hYpmYw/s3181/PXL_20230713_120320823.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3181" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ_ydHGiIjqADwea79p7ppyFjh21OTpX5UWS-ZxOLxTYENV9UyiIiIB7C0-ra-YOLHV-2Wq315-Uf3meKlTlU-Q17uScRh4IlP8IBVZ6voOSfuDjJCrcyOvJqgadaMisT6D4J1LT4GkXk5Gx3LT1GJ-bviWxsNK19TTskDbQcvs5f4Q1jKH2VAf1hYpmYw/w285-h400/PXL_20230713_120320823.jpg" width="285" /></a></div></div><div>All that being said, the two autonomous 2023 nationals were not a cakewalk to successfully manage and run for the two CRs, Julie and Uğur. The day-by-day schedules were jam-packed with practice, qualification and seeding runs, and eventual finals, with not much wiggle room left for the inevitable weather events. I have worked with both officials numerous times before and have been able to observe their growth into capable commissaires who are some of the best that USA Cycling has in its cadre. Having worked so many nationals as the guy where the buck stops it is not always easy to keep my mouth shut and take a back-seat and let others make the decisions, but I think I did rather well in that regard, and at times was I was embarrassingly glad not to have to face angry racers when the shit hit the fan.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtSH6hJxS_bEmVgarbJgAvK-yKi8aRzJcfbZsiQeg_n0h1H0RQEf82pSAocMI76nt9xqgb4v3-667L33FDke-6GP89Q-ljoffUa5LH7ugAZJMTlFLVi80o-v3wJXaRJ8vIXZjcIGr-Nv-d7j2llSHv88I0QCU-kR3sbX8a-963QYkdEBP_cvTvQRkR3X6y/s2795/PXL_20230715_223803127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="2795" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtSH6hJxS_bEmVgarbJgAvK-yKi8aRzJcfbZsiQeg_n0h1H0RQEf82pSAocMI76nt9xqgb4v3-667L33FDke-6GP89Q-ljoffUa5LH7ugAZJMTlFLVi80o-v3wJXaRJ8vIXZjcIGr-Nv-d7j2llSHv88I0QCU-kR3sbX8a-963QYkdEBP_cvTvQRkR3X6y/w400-h325/PXL_20230715_223803127.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvqqEGPUnA8FY04ReShrxvz3FH1pVZ65VOIhzWv5gxDXKanizNsObIXD7a4uLAtVRqw6MjdLvlz90u-qStnnaTWE1iE93A9r9xcuCsEVMV3InwftD9IffRNV9_DQ8jC8KgwZvGvv2MqO69iCciL0wpq0T9826Nn6z7jXY0g_oCsVO5FKTnurGaZZJpBqja/s4032/PXL_20230709_224220042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvqqEGPUnA8FY04ReShrxvz3FH1pVZ65VOIhzWv5gxDXKanizNsObIXD7a4uLAtVRqw6MjdLvlz90u-qStnnaTWE1iE93A9r9xcuCsEVMV3InwftD9IffRNV9_DQ8jC8KgwZvGvv2MqO69iCciL0wpq0T9826Nn6z7jXY0g_oCsVO5FKTnurGaZZJpBqja/w225-h400/PXL_20230709_224220042.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Uğur and Julie in action</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Overall, both races came off extremely well, but the tight schedules reared their ugly heads when the weather turned sour. That's not a CR's fault as the time-tables for the races are developed by USAC staff, who have to work under numerous constraints. So, no finger pointing (well, maybe just a little...). Torrential rains (accompanied by active lightning that closed the venues for hours on end and required shortened races and other amends) at both races meant that anybody involved in making decisions as to how to proceed was damned if they did, and damned if they didn't.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBoRbCaJlU1wf9Y3gDfqxx-51fxm4jMi1o3_Vvnw7zS1rnVEDpbkfhG3G8uruzDf0c16wg-H9cebejJYChfA0liFM4V1uXsZlD5tl6Ev4Huwg9yWp5I-e6FuPxIy0Eqa05WsEsem5740JnEeTGiYXtCU8Br1EtQnpC0kdv6ruMOy5o-NpbHuuzyGvOf3ZG/s4032/PXL_20230708_114511797.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBoRbCaJlU1wf9Y3gDfqxx-51fxm4jMi1o3_Vvnw7zS1rnVEDpbkfhG3G8uruzDf0c16wg-H9cebejJYChfA0liFM4V1uXsZlD5tl6Ev4Huwg9yWp5I-e6FuPxIy0Eqa05WsEsem5740JnEeTGiYXtCU8Br1EtQnpC0kdv6ruMOy5o-NpbHuuzyGvOf3ZG/w400-h225/PXL_20230708_114511797.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMNnlMC7nwhlj4rhFpVBOA0Qjh8eDS39QIDBYjFX7N5e0Z5NbHgj_JBKosW-JGn-24CwqRyQ9B10ZeM5dirkcAcim9xwZKxnIYqzcjNQ9iCAQNOq_NiqZtlHL7NN7152OOk_IbfV433lFMh-phEEwepchhzuxWfi6sho9qi71kqqY0BoU1gIcvuJmwz6z0/s2695/PXL_20230709_230857440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="2695" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMNnlMC7nwhlj4rhFpVBOA0Qjh8eDS39QIDBYjFX7N5e0Z5NbHgj_JBKosW-JGn-24CwqRyQ9B10ZeM5dirkcAcim9xwZKxnIYqzcjNQ9iCAQNOq_NiqZtlHL7NN7152OOk_IbfV433lFMh-phEEwepchhzuxWfi6sho9qi71kqqY0BoU1gIcvuJmwz6z0/w400-h336/PXL_20230709_230857440.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix3AS2cSuqhXIOt24Wu5eYIONnlH1FpL2OBJYe00E5dEdQRsL9e_NzSOVXtUSP805eqjbSC1GvTDt19igyOGNdley4jLFpxZQCzKwNYZh5K8sR9QKrn6u1fK8m3heIlQCigfwOLVmT9psd2TTN2OI0lYVJQ47IhPJ3BkbwAMVAmolXjOuU7tOYFsWfIzhb/s4032/PXL_20230709_160529899.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix3AS2cSuqhXIOt24Wu5eYIONnlH1FpL2OBJYe00E5dEdQRsL9e_NzSOVXtUSP805eqjbSC1GvTDt19igyOGNdley4jLFpxZQCzKwNYZh5K8sR9QKrn6u1fK8m3heIlQCigfwOLVmT9psd2TTN2OI0lYVJQ47IhPJ3BkbwAMVAmolXjOuU7tOYFsWfIzhb/w400-h225/PXL_20230709_160529899.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKeEEF2-Wx144FqLfcX22VXkJ6dXa8R_ow0bjxeFdRT52Df8vzxcUarayKWCgBO1wmqGRlE7MgUQAwRnvfKAsBMjh5AMAZLTKMQnXOLyqFlHfN6a7zHCqJYr17gRbqh0XrVsa220Mi2GyHkQ8CfgcSMLVA64-yxPijzGRMyi7tWwT8IZZNT75CrnTM0vwM/s2060/PXL_20230709_233255875.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1992" data-original-width="2060" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKeEEF2-Wx144FqLfcX22VXkJ6dXa8R_ow0bjxeFdRT52Df8vzxcUarayKWCgBO1wmqGRlE7MgUQAwRnvfKAsBMjh5AMAZLTKMQnXOLyqFlHfN6a7zHCqJYr17gRbqh0XrVsa220Mi2GyHkQ8CfgcSMLVA64-yxPijzGRMyi7tWwT8IZZNT75CrnTM0vwM/w400-h386/PXL_20230709_233255875.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>As always, it was gratifying to run into old racing acquaintances and friends whom I have known over this past decade-and-a-half at the top of officiating USAC events. These athletes see me and immediately think that I am in charge and can help, but often I have to tell them that their request is beyond my payscale this time around and have to refer them to someone higher up. Let me tell you, sometimes it is much, much easier to be an Indian rather than a Chief!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8jTu6qkLgREpP-CBAryDRoM-QqBnx0GtruU1CDW3SNxYaH6HzeHww2IpFZQA_7scCWF1fezs0Z2q61gKfwj9x8AVc-pq1qliCoQLnNC4KrAIviXuSmyVpHJTtH03T6rJXnX1sOeqWZ0Oh8JpGYeuk9Ucb7499fyRQZObfjJeWLie3q8GLYrfRSz2W8GI7/s4032/PXL_20230712_132057533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8jTu6qkLgREpP-CBAryDRoM-QqBnx0GtruU1CDW3SNxYaH6HzeHww2IpFZQA_7scCWF1fezs0Z2q61gKfwj9x8AVc-pq1qliCoQLnNC4KrAIviXuSmyVpHJTtH03T6rJXnX1sOeqWZ0Oh8JpGYeuk9Ucb7499fyRQZObfjJeWLie3q8GLYrfRSz2W8GI7/w225-h400/PXL_20230712_132057533.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSKP21IzG9XcTQXcnl80QxeMAci0z-3SzmAC1Y7At0fRobM34ui_R0R2yGJk0Vvm6BR57rQXwudMxZfxkqbSKwIsFDnyfNtuWqe_1GffnwADDNvqxlVCl8alDP03zAf3cu-dBAtkItejSIiokGqMUZyq_UEyuO70qioY-KGXsWk7j3qRgk3ekJspQ3i-ER/s3054/PXL_20230712_161531459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2248" data-original-width="3054" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSKP21IzG9XcTQXcnl80QxeMAci0z-3SzmAC1Y7At0fRobM34ui_R0R2yGJk0Vvm6BR57rQXwudMxZfxkqbSKwIsFDnyfNtuWqe_1GffnwADDNvqxlVCl8alDP03zAf3cu-dBAtkItejSIiokGqMUZyq_UEyuO70qioY-KGXsWk7j3qRgk3ekJspQ3i-ER/w400-h295/PXL_20230712_161531459.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">From left, Uğur, Vince, Chris, and Katsu inspecting the dual slalom course</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj9Ojej5o2Hsb-LT_xj_ekD2wvT6wfCtN7iw0gEE5j93HafCuijfjRR-bP5ywVQo_YAbHdYezmg764HSa6t7yyyNzDVo3IGJ8jqZrbSJb26m84A4WWkH_v9ZWKLaYLdsSO0F_sr_SgEPiAI3Fh0ze4AaYO9bLty6t8XVTb6_mc7H2HvkHZLq-DCFc4lbzE/s4032/PXL_20230712_191946677.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj9Ojej5o2Hsb-LT_xj_ekD2wvT6wfCtN7iw0gEE5j93HafCuijfjRR-bP5ywVQo_YAbHdYezmg764HSa6t7yyyNzDVo3IGJ8jqZrbSJb26m84A4WWkH_v9ZWKLaYLdsSO0F_sr_SgEPiAI3Fh0ze4AaYO9bLty6t8XVTb6_mc7H2HvkHZLq-DCFc4lbzE/w225-h400/PXL_20230712_191946677.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiElFaRh0FLXAi6dEJPXc5qIe-4-uJbPO6xI8blA-chDKt6Vxx-uaSBcgdWr4Sj7fNqPBuT6ohHMC7Fr2yyWxXtwXRu_jDOjwUYa9O3UvivDA7rZQg2-_LnDm4qN2o-PmJk9R3URnypyTBzqFpD5Q4T28n90-iorCBtTocnCvPMKjuq7JugfJjuKlocsaBO/s4032/PXL_20230714_173016137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiElFaRh0FLXAi6dEJPXc5qIe-4-uJbPO6xI8blA-chDKt6Vxx-uaSBcgdWr4Sj7fNqPBuT6ohHMC7Fr2yyWxXtwXRu_jDOjwUYa9O3UvivDA7rZQg2-_LnDm4qN2o-PmJk9R3URnypyTBzqFpD5Q4T28n90-iorCBtTocnCvPMKjuq7JugfJjuKlocsaBO/w225-h400/PXL_20230714_173016137.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>Because of the long hours that we worked (at times we were on the job for 13 hours or even more, taking into account the hour-long commute to the venue in North Carolina) there really wasn't much time for socializing after the day's work was done. Uğur and I roomed at Bear Creek (turning our one-bedroom into a two-bedroom studio by rearranging one of the beds as well as the couch in our cramped digs), and one night we got a chance to drive to a supermarket that had an attached taproom; another evening we all went to the Anatolian Kitchen, a Turkish restaurant with whose owner Uğur is friends. That was the extent of socializing in Pennsylvania.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjft03Onhw7LSJoyeQEiurjZhZQGuhXSgcMIBccHAobqtIsW9v2nR30BkwrEBq7oZENQiAGBYblJ8i6vKbiILtokBnQI9yBrGOQfvl49TLfAfrdQCMGww1WugIstqpeaVshaqqSxMjBIrkAeyfNK2690XttdA1g8-qjz1zoSMkXdnNxv78ezyMxtgZKa7ne/s4032/PXL_20230716_011845050~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjft03Onhw7LSJoyeQEiurjZhZQGuhXSgcMIBccHAobqtIsW9v2nR30BkwrEBq7oZENQiAGBYblJ8i6vKbiILtokBnQI9yBrGOQfvl49TLfAfrdQCMGww1WugIstqpeaVshaqqSxMjBIrkAeyfNK2690XttdA1g8-qjz1zoSMkXdnNxv78ezyMxtgZKa7ne/w400-h225/PXL_20230716_011845050~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihs9NwHcNUNcwXDEtVTnAOhws4C_RG5T3S-jWaAGUsRCb4Smf3DiH3KYdC8m6fAPtJG0f7-SlxXaSr0agEnP6OcTdvGVbe2sDwR74aSy5Mri-BFh-YetpUeynk8iZdU0ldlYUi2dg6IsYTY1WgChllTtSux9bjdWaQhoRRCDRKiXV9BDTSKmBY9Vtmpkhl/s2015/PXL_20230714_002546999.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1429" data-original-width="2015" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihs9NwHcNUNcwXDEtVTnAOhws4C_RG5T3S-jWaAGUsRCb4Smf3DiH3KYdC8m6fAPtJG0f7-SlxXaSr0agEnP6OcTdvGVbe2sDwR74aSy5Mri-BFh-YetpUeynk8iZdU0ldlYUi2dg6IsYTY1WgChllTtSux9bjdWaQhoRRCDRKiXV9BDTSKmBY9Vtmpkhl/w400-h284/PXL_20230714_002546999.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1qulzq9D9S2O6S2YDEAF23g4BV4UesZekAzYnP7L8F-1u4iSp8Yb3GRuk9ZICGAMph2g54mGugtIyxq_wn3P3YIbrNXhBlTJO8hmP_NtfhFt2Yow2QBRk8BNDdGNwU5gnzzxJCEUvwGLiGxSA_89kx7SZesHZSCEKH2ljzO-YKKad28ARXlWmsqOk9iQL/s4032/PXL_20230713_233859439.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1qulzq9D9S2O6S2YDEAF23g4BV4UesZekAzYnP7L8F-1u4iSp8Yb3GRuk9ZICGAMph2g54mGugtIyxq_wn3P3YIbrNXhBlTJO8hmP_NtfhFt2Yow2QBRk8BNDdGNwU5gnzzxJCEUvwGLiGxSA_89kx7SZesHZSCEKH2ljzO-YKKad28ARXlWmsqOk9iQL/w400-h225/PXL_20230713_233859439.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>North Carolina was a bit better in that regard as we were staying in Hendersonville, just outside of Asheville, one of the US' top beer destinations. We were housed in one of the crappiest motels I have ever stayed in (some of the USAC staffers actually moved out because of the dead roaches and worse, but as commissaires we didn't have that choice unless we wanted to spend our pay on a different hotel), so once we got off the mountain we didn't want to spend any time in our rooms and went out to eat. I was able to add another four microbreweries to my list! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCGqYijj1XczX-OmsR5mLpo5k2THcj5ZUPdetLEBx12-9cgp64lGzHpQ6nvObS188qpAjMmqxKo3yk2nrA7IrFxjBmmjxzo5dLIsTGOX09uRFUd8SOECSlBVisHkInB4Cx3sdntWcX0MO3W72B45I63mCEsN1B5mnFK13xVcG32fHqJdhFnbkKM3gFOhuo/s4032/PXL_20230710_111536711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCGqYijj1XczX-OmsR5mLpo5k2THcj5ZUPdetLEBx12-9cgp64lGzHpQ6nvObS188qpAjMmqxKo3yk2nrA7IrFxjBmmjxzo5dLIsTGOX09uRFUd8SOECSlBVisHkInB4Cx3sdntWcX0MO3W72B45I63mCEsN1B5mnFK13xVcG32fHqJdhFnbkKM3gFOhuo/w225-h400/PXL_20230710_111536711.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8FCj6OSClSzI8XZVUha-5AMcA8YA0EL8O7CyJws48QyaoGub0BxBh7sZqpQg_4J22AO5Smc44Aar1xz3RtD-SjzPG6B60UcdwqqRYVmjeEKGiSGHSVN7YNMTP79znKt6IfFFandV02sS9_ljHw75ut01t0CMY815ogjqZw5z7f6I5U6j3qTBkaNdmWlN/s4032/PXL_20230708_112128705.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8FCj6OSClSzI8XZVUha-5AMcA8YA0EL8O7CyJws48QyaoGub0BxBh7sZqpQg_4J22AO5Smc44Aar1xz3RtD-SjzPG6B60UcdwqqRYVmjeEKGiSGHSVN7YNMTP79znKt6IfFFandV02sS9_ljHw75ut01t0CMY815ogjqZw5z7f6I5U6j3qTBkaNdmWlN/w400-h225/PXL_20230708_112128705.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ7lcKgvg59S08KoaPImByAZEbnYYCI87nJYmsdiBf66H9DZBqsg9JaTucreHHAfkYGjSDw5EJp0XFQzW667hRvRgRXI9n3Od0P0B4xV1DPBAF1YzDcizmY1Is_MJti2lkyTxBH9pQ4xCFFGlrWxx6_mT6a4xnRTGohOURlX9Ka2_IVSg2ERVpnh2Up_qB/s4032/PXL_20230708_011443987.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ7lcKgvg59S08KoaPImByAZEbnYYCI87nJYmsdiBf66H9DZBqsg9JaTucreHHAfkYGjSDw5EJp0XFQzW667hRvRgRXI9n3Od0P0B4xV1DPBAF1YzDcizmY1Is_MJti2lkyTxBH9pQ4xCFFGlrWxx6_mT6a4xnRTGohOURlX9Ka2_IVSg2ERVpnh2Up_qB/w400-h225/PXL_20230708_011443987.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>While I had worked before with all the commissaires assigned to Bear Creek, there were two new faces (for me) at Rock Creek. Vince (from the Bentonville, AR, area) and Chris (Dayton, OH) turned out to be knowledgeable and affable referees who were a pleasure to work with; rounding out our crew were proven stalwarts Katsu and Vicki (and Uğur at the helm). My good friend Justin, who actually lives in Asheville, was at both races in the capacity of a "consultant" that USAC had hired, and we had a chance to knock back a few beers in our sparse off-time.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr8D_q52i8KNMDCM0YlzB2zAj6P4BIeNV7vud8gIIn4lIq_hIl4gvArxtg98vEw3WhTbtylNP5kZ6ijGAXEnw5OBqDPdOlVXlYpq97nEWFaT75Zkpm2Kpr2Hv9c570q7DIRfkSi6RaXSvg9LwpnoeX8bG_6Mz6WiidTpMDWcn-pAi_GBtT-IN0RL7idIpQ/s3132/PXL_20230712_130332455.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3132" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr8D_q52i8KNMDCM0YlzB2zAj6P4BIeNV7vud8gIIn4lIq_hIl4gvArxtg98vEw3WhTbtylNP5kZ6ijGAXEnw5OBqDPdOlVXlYpq97nEWFaT75Zkpm2Kpr2Hv9c570q7DIRfkSi6RaXSvg9LwpnoeX8bG_6Mz6WiidTpMDWcn-pAi_GBtT-IN0RL7idIpQ/w290-h400/PXL_20230712_130332455.jpg" width="290" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDuffCSbmZywPMHt3bRt0POaNnlfhoHOxtQizdKnW5aObzNk6ptGJUCZNYI3614URNnHB58f3pc37nMwI5Q1GQVFT1KC-WjHLYh2YHjQCApzUX6nyRivba9FVPPBlAEeko3w-FYHWpEXmjb4OfdMJawuU3BjffZk4Pn4Ea1kg4JSjBIYFPrijSZnATiwEf/s3652/PXL_20230712_220747730.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3652" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDuffCSbmZywPMHt3bRt0POaNnlfhoHOxtQizdKnW5aObzNk6ptGJUCZNYI3614URNnHB58f3pc37nMwI5Q1GQVFT1KC-WjHLYh2YHjQCApzUX6nyRivba9FVPPBlAEeko3w-FYHWpEXmjb4OfdMJawuU3BjffZk4Pn4Ea1kg4JSjBIYFPrijSZnATiwEf/w400-h249/PXL_20230712_220747730.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl7r4ZIm14VNWJZ43gmHZjeYFY6BB4XgPrYxawtAqz_cxQ4WUp5EkiUKy3arV65gqjFLNbjV4mcsf0vBEFRa0NzGX_s2p1rW2lqk7ZLLt-CQKSk3omTEJw6Z52-1L-ZfRaReKdNSvKWnC9sZKukgjuoXQPHaHUyRx4cUDXcxxMLwmZa8telMqiYouPVLdE/s4032/PXL_20230712_230825700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl7r4ZIm14VNWJZ43gmHZjeYFY6BB4XgPrYxawtAqz_cxQ4WUp5EkiUKy3arV65gqjFLNbjV4mcsf0vBEFRa0NzGX_s2p1rW2lqk7ZLLt-CQKSk3omTEJw6Z52-1L-ZfRaReKdNSvKWnC9sZKukgjuoXQPHaHUyRx4cUDXcxxMLwmZa8telMqiYouPVLdE/w225-h400/PXL_20230712_230825700.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVTMhHoyoMsr6qL5ynf2w8Yl51vybRDrI5LYmFe_yGAVljfzKJYIRL0fKObqupzRSnWDNEN5aKRriY2xUYIIeYM0YSMo1NElWCTgEm4wAQnYtIuuohpQbwj6ZfvC9pdvRUwc6TWFUZ_Br3XZyx8oOOwqMmCl7xa6MZaumut7uFLgF9tQ5aKYq0Njljb0FB/s4032/PXL_20230713_015312554~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVTMhHoyoMsr6qL5ynf2w8Yl51vybRDrI5LYmFe_yGAVljfzKJYIRL0fKObqupzRSnWDNEN5aKRriY2xUYIIeYM0YSMo1NElWCTgEm4wAQnYtIuuohpQbwj6ZfvC9pdvRUwc6TWFUZ_Br3XZyx8oOOwqMmCl7xa6MZaumut7uFLgF9tQ5aKYq0Njljb0FB/w400-h225/PXL_20230713_015312554~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Races are races, and races in the summer on the east coast seem to be stiflingly hot based on what I have experienced this year. Really, that's what I remember most. I enjoyed working as a starter for all the downhill events (and the first enduro stage) and was pretty much hanging out at the top of the mountain where it was a little cooler than at the finish. In Pennsylvania I spent a lot of time staging racers for the crosscountry and short-track events as well as working in the various feedzones, slowly melting in the oppressive heat. Well, not every commissaire task is glorious, but they all have to be done.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7VOQZ7dQsmXvER5wM4BBFRiH_yw_1H79oJhLRh4JbbNZKf4HPrpI2Mf9eUANgFtA8lqm6VlAPuS6yUnHOIZizRK8gNeW3d4h5__tS2ROgsayz6pfahpC_cbzQSeiNSrbk6GYe1UjBiEQerjpRcdk_v3TZl83yXIGeG495RPgASkLnZ5V__cyHQOt9bxlA/s3423/PXL_20230716_191749834.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3423" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7VOQZ7dQsmXvER5wM4BBFRiH_yw_1H79oJhLRh4JbbNZKf4HPrpI2Mf9eUANgFtA8lqm6VlAPuS6yUnHOIZizRK8gNeW3d4h5__tS2ROgsayz6pfahpC_cbzQSeiNSrbk6GYe1UjBiEQerjpRcdk_v3TZl83yXIGeG495RPgASkLnZ5V__cyHQOt9bxlA/w265-h400/PXL_20230716_191749834.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehdmQL2YMTe4QvrTtms2sKZufhlgzwqXZd8UCl_eisnK6t74dwBGp3i7vtfsI1u22kXnZm0cl_FoMMujcG6T7W45mttAu19gyTEAtwHoIUcHNM1qhXvK2klrdd0g03Q1BcZWGbu3s4eWePOqEB4wilrN8FITNFrRhRsA0Si5FBFOApmQ249-XLmHlxfu3/s2616/PXL_20230716_145220420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2616" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehdmQL2YMTe4QvrTtms2sKZufhlgzwqXZd8UCl_eisnK6t74dwBGp3i7vtfsI1u22kXnZm0cl_FoMMujcG6T7W45mttAu19gyTEAtwHoIUcHNM1qhXvK2klrdd0g03Q1BcZWGbu3s4eWePOqEB4wilrN8FITNFrRhRsA0Si5FBFOApmQ249-XLmHlxfu3/w400-h294/PXL_20230716_145220420.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3bDBN_jFZsSN-WPbkEny7iivSFHsWpnMNiFTohRsHgnfSTR1T9teUHDLO0RH9GRILvtFh53Sl9bjC04PVj71fPsIL4rQsuiSrPqskOxV7DKe_R-jmc1OoNgpo0c2XmFlGCuFhqjug89sJVy2KBQ8ou2VxjTo4kTkniwbZ1HlmBRkxopLe6zgQtkqEd0am/s3024/PXL_20230715_104642745.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1768" data-original-width="3024" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3bDBN_jFZsSN-WPbkEny7iivSFHsWpnMNiFTohRsHgnfSTR1T9teUHDLO0RH9GRILvtFh53Sl9bjC04PVj71fPsIL4rQsuiSrPqskOxV7DKe_R-jmc1OoNgpo0c2XmFlGCuFhqjug89sJVy2KBQ8ou2VxjTo4kTkniwbZ1HlmBRkxopLe6zgQtkqEd0am/w400-h234/PXL_20230715_104642745.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>When I was assigned as a late add-on to the North Carolina race just a few weeks ago I immediately contacted my good friends Miles and Judy who live in Franklin, just about an hour-and-a-half southwest of Asheville. I had visited them for a few days last year and come away with worries for Miles' general health; so, having the opportunity for a follow-up visit was a real bonus. Not wanting to spend an extra night in the roach-infested Cascades Mountain Resort (really, that was its grandiose name) I rented a car on Sunday after the conclusion of the races and drove to my friends' lovely home at Mill Creek.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKKUL8dAamQ8Pod-8m8yVC6DJottfmb9UdP5do-_Z6z7DztGANWEHibMILtGombuu0RXe411-oLqrk71Lm7NcVw4vBMi-00_dgQ6lbDatrZHdZhNsgZmpSVDTnlCvtp8EDECcJA8XQByHSqXO81YcvT9kYttZjiK44p6CFAu_BtfDZQkVHoPyPlwYGpTUw/s4032/PXL_20230717_154509875.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKKUL8dAamQ8Pod-8m8yVC6DJottfmb9UdP5do-_Z6z7DztGANWEHibMILtGombuu0RXe411-oLqrk71Lm7NcVw4vBMi-00_dgQ6lbDatrZHdZhNsgZmpSVDTnlCvtp8EDECcJA8XQByHSqXO81YcvT9kYttZjiK44p6CFAu_BtfDZQkVHoPyPlwYGpTUw/w400-h225/PXL_20230717_154509875.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE5MfdU4Ga0MKb5IdlFiNR_FcS59VoCfXjgeGWxHYv6YPZi6VqHEdiRsfUMZAXYxV73fAgMoSPJIHgG7j1bJXhzMtKAdFIsW0ZTDQFE8YIbTYMKgbokwingt_fnQR1MAWYmNtmQkKho4xl9qoT7czyHzKrTxAQiU7bE9E71uP4vLJ1-qhUM7WdfkxRrV04/s3168/PXL_20230717_224716585.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3168" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE5MfdU4Ga0MKb5IdlFiNR_FcS59VoCfXjgeGWxHYv6YPZi6VqHEdiRsfUMZAXYxV73fAgMoSPJIHgG7j1bJXhzMtKAdFIsW0ZTDQFE8YIbTYMKgbokwingt_fnQR1MAWYmNtmQkKho4xl9qoT7czyHzKrTxAQiU7bE9E71uP4vLJ1-qhUM7WdfkxRrV04/w286-h400/PXL_20230717_224716585.jpg" width="286" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikVEOzBKxQyMPvIRHa-q_szrTaXq791n0f8xu0dxR9HaluHX4arAqqKLpPXUrkQDL5SndSF1iMWeNA9a8iXTFxv0IJTjUymlm_8nKlQyHLXQfxrg676YDZMntwWT9t391xARY63Sj9JHexpdfepKYRgrmweKFUaN_3X5aXoxNHN4t8rt9SfjWLnOBiv_8_/s3840/PXL_20230717_154916677.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikVEOzBKxQyMPvIRHa-q_szrTaXq791n0f8xu0dxR9HaluHX4arAqqKLpPXUrkQDL5SndSF1iMWeNA9a8iXTFxv0IJTjUymlm_8nKlQyHLXQfxrg676YDZMntwWT9t391xARY63Sj9JHexpdfepKYRgrmweKFUaN_3X5aXoxNHN4t8rt9SfjWLnOBiv_8_/w400-h225/PXL_20230717_154916677.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Miles, a former Ironman participant who will turn 85 next month, is on oxygen pretty much full-time, but that hardly slows him down. Balance issues (and needing to schlepp that tank) have made him graduate from two-wheeled bikes to an e-trike, and he continually researches rails-to-trails routes that he and Judy (often with their friends Dave and Jane) can explore. Nope, he's no longer the sprightly triathlete who would stay with my Judy and me when he and his Judy would participate in the now-defunct Buffalo Springs triathlon, but he's still kicking hard, and it was a joy to see the two of them. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijau94WyMS8dXQHaW-Zn8rFoKIuvIPuopndicyngfOXuG8UkpEMzpEB6m4PSD77YygS1oLlYUSHt6OIyRxjaX7sis9-Tniac25_5tD2Xs3PwQATU2GXDttwFnfFowvpCWqAWJhcqvtyAdihEUWiDRIaRo-E12FoOt717sPr8Q3677FsS3O_n_1iFYMOAVb/s3340/PXL_20230718_190738036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2088" data-original-width="3340" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijau94WyMS8dXQHaW-Zn8rFoKIuvIPuopndicyngfOXuG8UkpEMzpEB6m4PSD77YygS1oLlYUSHt6OIyRxjaX7sis9-Tniac25_5tD2Xs3PwQATU2GXDttwFnfFowvpCWqAWJhcqvtyAdihEUWiDRIaRo-E12FoOt717sPr8Q3677FsS3O_n_1iFYMOAVb/w400-h250/PXL_20230718_190738036.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbUrzs6Ya0JLylJ1m6aMB4Znsz5L4eiA6lva4waLTqBAY3mBdqj7zJ7Yh4XyaKZLyzdlETaq_qVodLDy2MhyXZSI8gUzgVhzBgECVc-Bx_8GNXoSE-arobY-LZahSFL0TPy8gHfhz1Y9CqmLnYpNiClB16cvGwExyAIxezwpfoSZTTYuh5GtWmJ0BrFGOr/s4032/PXL_20230718_191857185.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbUrzs6Ya0JLylJ1m6aMB4Znsz5L4eiA6lva4waLTqBAY3mBdqj7zJ7Yh4XyaKZLyzdlETaq_qVodLDy2MhyXZSI8gUzgVhzBgECVc-Bx_8GNXoSE-arobY-LZahSFL0TPy8gHfhz1Y9CqmLnYpNiClB16cvGwExyAIxezwpfoSZTTYuh5GtWmJ0BrFGOr/w225-h400/PXL_20230718_191857185.jpg" width="225" /></a></div></div><div>During the three days with them at Mill Creek I got a chance to try out the trike, and I have to say that the thing is an amazing enabler. The Bosch motor has four different settings, and when selecting <i>boost</i> there's enough power to pedal up the steepest climbs in their sprawling golf course community. I rode for 12 miles, covering pretty much every foot of asphalted road available, and I came away grinning. Sure, the thing is a bit scary on the downhills, but to simply get out and <i>ride</i> without having to fear falling or not being able to get up an incline means that even advancing age doesn't necessarily have to mean that we have to give up what we love.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOS4bazOCtGYTREZOEB_K23oWf90b1GwA9ZrLsqeSK6fPreY5fI9WGtCmMkHofvnZ0nlWBXjyguFSOhjSmsLfF2TCrH8bDMcXoElbvqn9HH9GcqAKM4G6bd5gaXaFDuWIMIDdAuATNw_Jl7sOTILO0LTSr5RIc7G8dD-uPu0zo1RltMjTnA273XB7jK6dz/s4032/PXL_20230718_205004652.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOS4bazOCtGYTREZOEB_K23oWf90b1GwA9ZrLsqeSK6fPreY5fI9WGtCmMkHofvnZ0nlWBXjyguFSOhjSmsLfF2TCrH8bDMcXoElbvqn9HH9GcqAKM4G6bd5gaXaFDuWIMIDdAuATNw_Jl7sOTILO0LTSr5RIc7G8dD-uPu0zo1RltMjTnA273XB7jK6dz/w400-h225/PXL_20230718_205004652.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrvsHyJnAAqiqOtF1gBOpZ3b7CsUbQB2meRz3qzeAm9-ZLLuqGYroTUIUz0yIWOWAebbYUt_QjQsc4AgjDgWUtHhiM-OGsbtbkau-EfJ3DE5a7eAVhPbXl5vd2_reQqIpYiZOUwlHVhvoJ8Ezxw3Ww2QWfQwzilPNwvcrj7914ZqCS103oVLpQdU7OyjQN/s3036/PXL_20230718_203634568.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1678" data-original-width="3036" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrvsHyJnAAqiqOtF1gBOpZ3b7CsUbQB2meRz3qzeAm9-ZLLuqGYroTUIUz0yIWOWAebbYUt_QjQsc4AgjDgWUtHhiM-OGsbtbkau-EfJ3DE5a7eAVhPbXl5vd2_reQqIpYiZOUwlHVhvoJ8Ezxw3Ww2QWfQwzilPNwvcrj7914ZqCS103oVLpQdU7OyjQN/w400-h221/PXL_20230718_203634568.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXnJYO7RivTsuileXw7yWyN0T6EISDriOqM1MkRWe5plErg8rud9FgMlM1tCId7SfGDh49Jvc8J-A0XrLsufTeSUmBRU6eJs0NV1ky8DrTZHDfJwRxQcTVpmpQDaGltpJGImoiS3l9tcqPII_xpCa3ndtwI3I6eId27XZmiW3Sz_U0A-_1rIt5xLclIHtB/s4032/PXL_20230718_203007913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXnJYO7RivTsuileXw7yWyN0T6EISDriOqM1MkRWe5plErg8rud9FgMlM1tCId7SfGDh49Jvc8J-A0XrLsufTeSUmBRU6eJs0NV1ky8DrTZHDfJwRxQcTVpmpQDaGltpJGImoiS3l9tcqPII_xpCa3ndtwI3I6eId27XZmiW3Sz_U0A-_1rIt5xLclIHtB/w400-h225/PXL_20230718_203007913.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>We spent much time talking, watching Tour de France stages, and eating excellent meals. However, the highlight of every day came at five o'clock when Happy Hour starts for Judy and Miles, without fail. Sitting with my friends on the porch, just a few miles away from the Appalachian Trail and on the fringes of the Nantahala National Forest, and sipping a few cold IPAs or going straight into Judy's stash of fine red wines was a true gift after these busy and taxing two weeks of races. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwk2GbtuI91Uhprq3FKU5ZJ-uoRbXZO808RTjTA42zhYE5f_tUxNXMXRBNtLCNxN5P3e_tgKFY8iSvKGd0yHN4vDE4lMev4cwWXSO_MpAGqkiwQEE1NSzgR8pokGhldKwk9Y5DjiwKZXpq-JwjrmnkHxLMW9nUGcaZgGhIiHwGg59RsGWziBwqbk1BXCD/s2474/PXL_20230718_215349818.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2474" data-original-width="2125" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwk2GbtuI91Uhprq3FKU5ZJ-uoRbXZO808RTjTA42zhYE5f_tUxNXMXRBNtLCNxN5P3e_tgKFY8iSvKGd0yHN4vDE4lMev4cwWXSO_MpAGqkiwQEE1NSzgR8pokGhldKwk9Y5DjiwKZXpq-JwjrmnkHxLMW9nUGcaZgGhIiHwGg59RsGWziBwqbk1BXCD/w344-h400/PXL_20230718_215349818.jpg" width="344" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikAaxsdtJZJNVYJ03VqJwMx0GznSdpH4In-6ZInrOmTXELSgh5yrcTVV60lFCz0uL9uGx-Bz1x9d29bpcyYyMmOtOBNEUGZOqX7VcCVC9yTdINVy3OgQWYPLm5aFNsveGwZ0YVV_9D1xbViMSKbl3hvr1hcvz1NOUkRjY-RO4NOPnnpmFZxxPYGtCJ179q/s4032/PXL_20230720_003719062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikAaxsdtJZJNVYJ03VqJwMx0GznSdpH4In-6ZInrOmTXELSgh5yrcTVV60lFCz0uL9uGx-Bz1x9d29bpcyYyMmOtOBNEUGZOqX7VcCVC9yTdINVy3OgQWYPLm5aFNsveGwZ0YVV_9D1xbViMSKbl3hvr1hcvz1NOUkRjY-RO4NOPnnpmFZxxPYGtCJ179q/w225-h400/PXL_20230720_003719062.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-GFx-oRmEJW8I4wSIWQrZjxbUmJtlwOGBaUOe7Bzr8GfdlqKaoZYyM2a70kafN4eKv80iJxNSp44yK_eaEUjNK09tPgUqlzEwwrM5sgCPIRO95zxOWiPrctneuQyPn1qbK9X3lcsm_CHJaSP99Y6sBr0FtDB1QpgjWSH9MBp4a90hdR6HkzPkOl89cSPX/s3384/PXL_20230718_211611834.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2009" data-original-width="3384" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-GFx-oRmEJW8I4wSIWQrZjxbUmJtlwOGBaUOe7Bzr8GfdlqKaoZYyM2a70kafN4eKv80iJxNSp44yK_eaEUjNK09tPgUqlzEwwrM5sgCPIRO95zxOWiPrctneuQyPn1qbK9X3lcsm_CHJaSP99Y6sBr0FtDB1QpgjWSH9MBp4a90hdR6HkzPkOl89cSPX/w400-h238/PXL_20230718_211611834.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Miles plotting yet another bike trip with Dave, Jane, and Judy humoring him</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>By the time I eventually left Mill Creek the weather had started to turn sour and it poured all the way to Asheville. My flights home were once again cursed by not just one but two defective planes, and American had to put me up overnight in Dallas since I missed my last connection into Lubbock. When I finally made it back to town twelve hours later than scheduled, I was glad to finally be home and get a break from what has been almost non-stop travel for the past several months.</div><div><br /></div>JürgenJürgenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03107533431710748040noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023527478729548228.post-9573043385595100012023-07-02T09:09:00.001-05:002023-07-02T09:09:29.633-05:00My fifth time to officiate the SOHO Bike Fest in Utah<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2pwG1o2cDCNXYKg5i7aAeU6yQOjVNQUw-3IFhgu4goJqIbVc_vCVoAolTpGUjo-0ygdV34iXzSSljNIZaEu01evvMqqLN0AjNsVFNvp5YbCzN3G-cZEnfYcpPCnWSUMu97_NoWVY8F8wj-U0FckjSPOUvdei-oBi72uQMkMA3CVubNiPxu3a6-tzwC50f/s4032/Crew%20Photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2pwG1o2cDCNXYKg5i7aAeU6yQOjVNQUw-3IFhgu4goJqIbVc_vCVoAolTpGUjo-0ygdV34iXzSSljNIZaEu01evvMqqLN0AjNsVFNvp5YbCzN3G-cZEnfYcpPCnWSUMu97_NoWVY8F8wj-U0FckjSPOUvdei-oBi72uQMkMA3CVubNiPxu3a6-tzwC50f/w400-h300/Crew%20Photo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>At the end of the year, USA Cycling sends out a list of national caliber races for the upcoming season, and as officials we can note our preferences as to where we would like to get assigned. The Soldier Hollow mountain bike race has been at the top of my "druthers" list for several years, for various reasons.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkfd277IWfQhCFm2nkeeDMubVOvxUcBebdoTFLZ8wsKZv5XLhj2y_qsS7UqHwqboVw0Tg2Vqweazy-6Umxom_ptHMqCiPIcmqJh831evoCR2CAl7AKfCruWu6gfiiFYDoOczCaotefTmP39c9IRvXVz9symaULwvIzn5tTqfQEBrneP4ylGb7yZk2s9Wtp/s4032/PXL_20230624_164659746.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkfd277IWfQhCFm2nkeeDMubVOvxUcBebdoTFLZ8wsKZv5XLhj2y_qsS7UqHwqboVw0Tg2Vqweazy-6Umxom_ptHMqCiPIcmqJh831evoCR2CAl7AKfCruWu6gfiiFYDoOczCaotefTmP39c9IRvXVz9symaULwvIzn5tTqfQEBrneP4ylGb7yZk2s9Wtp/w400-h225/PXL_20230624_164659746.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaNP1mHko-f5HZSyRv3cAozX-TiJk4w6v_5P7bp-J8ow7o29bMIGCQLlTb22q8FYOW5_u4MCMl2hfS1j6cPeXgq5yheXQXcPngrZk1P3lm4LZYOUWfBRlp5DYCSDG9JV05uF7kj-XsrtcOjf42mMHSVf6vilRmCgCEWoG7IiIbE-yXUwtRMtBQxMYEv7lP/s3410/PXL_20230624_145133932.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3410" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaNP1mHko-f5HZSyRv3cAozX-TiJk4w6v_5P7bp-J8ow7o29bMIGCQLlTb22q8FYOW5_u4MCMl2hfS1j6cPeXgq5yheXQXcPngrZk1P3lm4LZYOUWfBRlp5DYCSDG9JV05uF7kj-XsrtcOjf42mMHSVf6vilRmCgCEWoG7IiIbE-yXUwtRMtBQxMYEv7lP/w266-h400/PXL_20230624_145133932.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt5KRhBJpcJhVGH9WWyVLa9kcnM5R5ERr5DrKeA6H2Hg-bzzGy3GYKtsrlYrFC_xptMznbZVWkEd1qGqDEqfOCZRpI1LTNzKbrCX2CvLOdBl1y7fk2jSOiJ3aKRajoI1-6lh0WwFNUKbzgyQe5SbaIpkpdrRFfA8-hAjudHbFtWG_dtOWBqODFYdYDONCa/s4032/PXL_20230624_122317084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt5KRhBJpcJhVGH9WWyVLa9kcnM5R5ERr5DrKeA6H2Hg-bzzGy3GYKtsrlYrFC_xptMznbZVWkEd1qGqDEqfOCZRpI1LTNzKbrCX2CvLOdBl1y7fk2jSOiJ3aKRajoI1-6lh0WwFNUKbzgyQe5SbaIpkpdrRFfA8-hAjudHbFtWG_dtOWBqODFYdYDONCa/w400-h225/PXL_20230624_122317084.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>The mountain bike trails are part of the venue that in the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics hosted the nordic skiing events. Currently, Soldier Hollow is undergoing a major facility upgrade, but the trails are not affected by that. Over the years the race has successfully morphed from a family-run operation to a large international competition, yet some things have stayed the same: a beautiful venue at the foot of the Wasatch mountains, friendly staff, and enthusiastic racers who present a mix of international UCI pros and laid-back local athletes.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-nHgz8z_F9AzP4Rvcbp3-Yb1Ym5f5f_IhaSQhBc9wMcaiBSkx5uQf4mjCzgzbFL6Zs_femr8vKt4gpjoCSA1whLmtcS0oGutvWsumAZdNlM35QdiyTiSQ9HqHUARjISAxEc8sVoxb9WxbbFWgpapgM7U9kKzplDYOHu8vL3X4aV3dUoOuE_GXrcPXqCD/s4032/PXL_20230623_154956744.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-nHgz8z_F9AzP4Rvcbp3-Yb1Ym5f5f_IhaSQhBc9wMcaiBSkx5uQf4mjCzgzbFL6Zs_femr8vKt4gpjoCSA1whLmtcS0oGutvWsumAZdNlM35QdiyTiSQ9HqHUARjISAxEc8sVoxb9WxbbFWgpapgM7U9kKzplDYOHu8vL3X4aV3dUoOuE_GXrcPXqCD/w400-h225/PXL_20230623_154956744.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIPQtkhbduA9Sfb6pTOBC2rKO1BD2rYI-cANYmdq3JTYZrKPUsdknJHYfFmy7EVzUD5s6OIuSaSC3YkA1W8PnAsmvmErR1UhvIJbdEJAQI9ncilNyXtzE0xV9YvVPMFMPPbNTfi4P8GJs7SFo2Qs7Ymw31LoERB7kVE487fHWQ6fOHJ5TlhEB2a_otYP7H/s4032/PXL_20230623_162902252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIPQtkhbduA9Sfb6pTOBC2rKO1BD2rYI-cANYmdq3JTYZrKPUsdknJHYfFmy7EVzUD5s6OIuSaSC3YkA1W8PnAsmvmErR1UhvIJbdEJAQI9ncilNyXtzE0xV9YvVPMFMPPbNTfi4P8GJs7SFo2Qs7Ymw31LoERB7kVE487fHWQ6fOHJ5TlhEB2a_otYP7H/w400-h225/PXL_20230623_162902252.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4JO6se9uoRR19w2knYmYf069Kg-vx9PcYzSuR2RGpuruBC3G4lGHs4iZMe9Szjw6SbvWLMREqHVOuj19a2IlozyA_F-NDrggEIJBWJZSVsMrciXpATgCeBtDf78Az9X1c97jvkgPNZdublLXR_LucCT14wVMTC_5RUCMkLk2XYwqRPcpbYhQY816P-FZl/s4032/PXL_20230623_163622231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4JO6se9uoRR19w2knYmYf069Kg-vx9PcYzSuR2RGpuruBC3G4lGHs4iZMe9Szjw6SbvWLMREqHVOuj19a2IlozyA_F-NDrggEIJBWJZSVsMrciXpATgCeBtDf78Az9X1c97jvkgPNZdublLXR_LucCT14wVMTC_5RUCMkLk2XYwqRPcpbYhQY816P-FZl/w225-h400/PXL_20230623_163622231.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>Unfortunately, my initial flight out of Lubbock had a mechanical issue that made it impossible to make it to Utah that very same day, and I lost a day of pay and a day in the mountains. Once I arrived 24 hours later I knew what I had missed: crisp spring weather (imagine a low of 39° F with daytime highs approaching 80° F while Lubbock was sweltering under the first "heat dome" of the season, with triple digit temperatures), beautifully green mountains that had just emerged from a record-breaking snowpack, and friendly local staff and fellow officials whom I hadn't seen in a while.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7AN16cjPpJOHi1jQlKm8Z003HSo3NJ93H7xgoyRTApLWkNd-nysqMkA4pSLl2Np9IqWhhRY89_o-5jJmQfvaGzgxGF4tYuszmJB-ubW9LpnHEq96BIOrmLQOYG9aWfM0eTsNPH06SkFfF13HbSyGY6i_s5826DI3ikEJDoivO8dOs7KG8RxuDsyt8dCQJ/s4032/PXL_20230624_145022054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7AN16cjPpJOHi1jQlKm8Z003HSo3NJ93H7xgoyRTApLWkNd-nysqMkA4pSLl2Np9IqWhhRY89_o-5jJmQfvaGzgxGF4tYuszmJB-ubW9LpnHEq96BIOrmLQOYG9aWfM0eTsNPH06SkFfF13HbSyGY6i_s5826DI3ikEJDoivO8dOs7KG8RxuDsyt8dCQJ/w400-h225/PXL_20230624_145022054.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicQHtgCMtc8Tkkcjw-6Ex6wKcnThOs9_7S5t6UesBlhYyJWQ_YMU4bRFXBhC2aO87U9exB406FbElgMH0JUUgwq7XMmZQfMcHEpEciKsghUXEMa3DqFQkCUJNQbthPq345gBPzmtucJDf0pg0_Ckf2WK4leeAvN7btmo07iZtu9Hnc0pK2V7yFDVVjZow2/s4032/PXL_20230624_014211827.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicQHtgCMtc8Tkkcjw-6Ex6wKcnThOs9_7S5t6UesBlhYyJWQ_YMU4bRFXBhC2aO87U9exB406FbElgMH0JUUgwq7XMmZQfMcHEpEciKsghUXEMa3DqFQkCUJNQbthPq345gBPzmtucJDf0pg0_Ckf2WK4leeAvN7btmo07iZtu9Hnc0pK2V7yFDVVjZow2/w400-h225/PXL_20230624_014211827.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkX0t0QBuICMFzrc4EseoOSDalwZIJZ68PsH9IgHUDzUoU0S-65SOPy83q5e5ULXa6uZIeECy5HnT0Wo2laEGhMapiFhC0eghKfKKapwb6b-3Y7gKpBqfCb11cBxfvt9zAe3gENvnQQoqCsZJRZXfTH5gVZTcNvjZyewkmcyxI6vVnUOoSRyPcPz5ZCG-K/s4032/PXL_20230624_001417338.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkX0t0QBuICMFzrc4EseoOSDalwZIJZ68PsH9IgHUDzUoU0S-65SOPy83q5e5ULXa6uZIeECy5HnT0Wo2laEGhMapiFhC0eghKfKKapwb6b-3Y7gKpBqfCb11cBxfvt9zAe3gENvnQQoqCsZJRZXfTH5gVZTcNvjZyewkmcyxI6vVnUOoSRyPcPz5ZCG-K/w400-h225/PXL_20230624_001417338.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>Since the SOHO Bike Fest is inscribed as a UCI event I cannot be the chief referee for the entire event; however, I have always been entrusted to lead the amateur portion (and once I had to take over as PCP when the UCI-appointed chief had tested positive for COVID when he arrived in Utah). Of course, my officiating credentials are second to none, and it was just the decision that I had to make between refereeing or testing riders in our anti-doping efforts that keeps me from being at the helm of such international races.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFIl08VdIobK7CL0o3VLL0_pq84egG4jLrMZyBws5Ejz-TSJht9i_v-8ez52yl5e0ti0h7gM67z63NXqeyiviGeCDRBTOBCGNTALDVa570-C7jOJaqGtY6mShB-2bFx7ghjqTjofiWqME-RK6T9eMzKCj0V3vyG5luf_jTq2INJds0ezXEfO6zYa5BSWXa/s4032/PXL_20230623_211015477.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFIl08VdIobK7CL0o3VLL0_pq84egG4jLrMZyBws5Ejz-TSJht9i_v-8ez52yl5e0ti0h7gM67z63NXqeyiviGeCDRBTOBCGNTALDVa570-C7jOJaqGtY6mShB-2bFx7ghjqTjofiWqME-RK6T9eMzKCj0V3vyG5luf_jTq2INJds0ezXEfO6zYa5BSWXa/w225-h400/PXL_20230623_211015477.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKPaEB8aLM2L_l8EV9A5IvBQruz9SKiQ-lZFvc7jQpXY-IkR3b4GSfAVf8ZL66raQHRl4TQuOMZNQp1gVOq30sqrpt6blSCt1KkFwJD56yrtyRA0LxCJ-l8pp3FgDucNGtuvKlNhdhoSzjIDgCQoY_6bt-lCnZm_hQNcXL_lsGaZc3zWFYUyo3p1wpel2c/s4032/PXL_20230624_182702756.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKPaEB8aLM2L_l8EV9A5IvBQruz9SKiQ-lZFvc7jQpXY-IkR3b4GSfAVf8ZL66raQHRl4TQuOMZNQp1gVOq30sqrpt6blSCt1KkFwJD56yrtyRA0LxCJ-l8pp3FgDucNGtuvKlNhdhoSzjIDgCQoY_6bt-lCnZm_hQNcXL_lsGaZc3zWFYUyo3p1wpel2c/w400-h225/PXL_20230624_182702756.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCyxcDzKFui4bdzQ1j_0ZeEv-HrlVNfsIgY58dOF_3rpqT5E8IkISRcEHwVOyvPLKjl13vuNfnFhVfqEWOSwKOXR-BVG6MP6KQVUaGDSDItskW0_t3ju5x9tp6VO2FqbB3-gROjQSlngs7E6Cko4FS6LzMExuaifOukcOAB0OemXJ6Nk-spjgICUHTGDyE/s2268/PXL_20230624_182950709.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2050" data-original-width="2268" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCyxcDzKFui4bdzQ1j_0ZeEv-HrlVNfsIgY58dOF_3rpqT5E8IkISRcEHwVOyvPLKjl13vuNfnFhVfqEWOSwKOXR-BVG6MP6KQVUaGDSDItskW0_t3ju5x9tp6VO2FqbB3-gROjQSlngs7E6Cko4FS6LzMExuaifOukcOAB0OemXJ6Nk-spjgICUHTGDyE/w400-h361/PXL_20230624_182950709.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Just like in years past, we were housed in the Zermatt resort about five miles from the race site and a bit outside of the town of Midway. It's a fairly dated resort with overpriced rooms and no service, but at least the organizers had set us up with single rooms. Food options in Midway have improved over the years, but the choices are still few, especially on a Sunday evening when restaurants close early. Heber City, about ten miles away, had one Mexican restaurant open for our crew.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgClOyP5j6EQfrFC_JpAGpCfQrY52NnwQjHgtAilPD4Q30MHR75KNeegJWwxWv4nrpLevkUsDXQ9IZ2YiKwWsqbew1fRg5O2ME2xOmRnYVKGplZMZt-w31TZveIKw3ItDB5RAQEfjFJiVRDsJWs4hGTEo8qOmVlPF3ZJHSxjlywajVnoghq-Fo2F951OwDG/s4032/PXL_20230624_234544356.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgClOyP5j6EQfrFC_JpAGpCfQrY52NnwQjHgtAilPD4Q30MHR75KNeegJWwxWv4nrpLevkUsDXQ9IZ2YiKwWsqbew1fRg5O2ME2xOmRnYVKGplZMZt-w31TZveIKw3ItDB5RAQEfjFJiVRDsJWs4hGTEo8qOmVlPF3ZJHSxjlywajVnoghq-Fo2F951OwDG/w225-h400/PXL_20230624_234544356.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxE0nHMXp_h31ea73l_pVarn2l_WDx0cGKn73jjv_1lnrQovoV7VV9n7EIv-rBiAUGxNPfqUJKnBTKAyr7Cffqf1qTJl2LblpqY8Sj6rBxftjOwqRnPBMiIw2Sz0Ev46cMZ167pT5fRY2DEFy6qVZ0cx3iM4MdzlUFUWaZgq1oGIuEWWV6URZNa0ifByPx/s4032/PXL_20230624_022439856.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxE0nHMXp_h31ea73l_pVarn2l_WDx0cGKn73jjv_1lnrQovoV7VV9n7EIv-rBiAUGxNPfqUJKnBTKAyr7Cffqf1qTJl2LblpqY8Sj6rBxftjOwqRnPBMiIw2Sz0Ev46cMZ167pT5fRY2DEFy6qVZ0cx3iM4MdzlUFUWaZgq1oGIuEWWV6URZNa0ifByPx/w400-h225/PXL_20230624_022439856.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">With Justin, Tobin, Cindy, and Kris at dinner</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Saturday night, my good friend Justin, who was the UCI representative for the race, and I were invited to join Luke, Josh, and Bill from the organizing committee for a "work dinner." Thank goodness, I had brought a pair of long pants as we went to the extremely posh Tree Room restaurant at Robert Redford's Sundance resort. I have to say, this was the fanciest dinner I have ever attended! The SOHO brass wanted to pick our brains in regard to plans to bring the Pan-American Mountain Bike Championships next year to Soldier Hollow, and we were glad to provide input. What a cool evening!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxmCdr1gjppOots7ORwtp6n4i-k8P1ioG3PIG5qSx-a-KLRGor6_RM99eM55WIbiDtd-vSPrlrnZnDmK3EH8tbcstwzhPB_FXDhvCZl6dONW5ovsULA8ZmziVlrir4eT7j9Sl5GUP1obxv6L7rMR3-DcxRqsRN9QvPBh65dJNvQNyPyvbm4Sjn3hODC8q6/s4032/PXL_20230625_022339049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxmCdr1gjppOots7ORwtp6n4i-k8P1ioG3PIG5qSx-a-KLRGor6_RM99eM55WIbiDtd-vSPrlrnZnDmK3EH8tbcstwzhPB_FXDhvCZl6dONW5ovsULA8ZmziVlrir4eT7j9Sl5GUP1obxv6L7rMR3-DcxRqsRN9QvPBh65dJNvQNyPyvbm4Sjn3hODC8q6/w400-h225/PXL_20230625_022339049.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN4wEGumH9t-zOcX1YrI3yt2Zgd9AiSQuNsSuFFbdq1wKHj2QKAOxM_6o35n0izgrvsDvPeiEmN2Hw0uKjY3-c-owPdKAIEjFHH9M1DAy74MeujBKXd-Z__qKgdfUDn05Y_Ztbo1LhDNk1JMupJkWwjz6_871Cig7uxTp7lHeXkv28Ddi6ps-Y2QlVQgJa/s4032/PXL_20230625_022656328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN4wEGumH9t-zOcX1YrI3yt2Zgd9AiSQuNsSuFFbdq1wKHj2QKAOxM_6o35n0izgrvsDvPeiEmN2Hw0uKjY3-c-owPdKAIEjFHH9M1DAy74MeujBKXd-Z__qKgdfUDn05Y_Ztbo1LhDNk1JMupJkWwjz6_871Cig7uxTp7lHeXkv28Ddi6ps-Y2QlVQgJa/w400-h225/PXL_20230625_022656328.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The three days of racing came off without any issues, and our crew klicked well. Justin and I have worked often enough together to know how we run things; Tobin, in his third year at SOHO, was rock-solid as secretary; and local commissaires Kris, Cindy, and George (the only one whom I had never met before) were competent and fun to be around. We didn't hear a single negative comment from any of the racers as everyone seemed to have just as good of a time as we did.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBeClXup9OuRSoxMmbqZ55nSgeC8da-U_cK8e_6H-dBM9r6x7VbqIkAZ-kEBYZTlBeFrGNkjSwHqdAqn8Q2tDemMIcqau_YOdZ0yG6Qc_BgqX8FVtpYTUzNRA6QNg9ttjrrT0ZtmONhBmgs9-ddUlNLZtraDOehcu4gwZw0Ed8oSrm5N4lwbfUjtpYnPB/s4032/PXL_20230624_190009330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBeClXup9OuRSoxMmbqZ55nSgeC8da-U_cK8e_6H-dBM9r6x7VbqIkAZ-kEBYZTlBeFrGNkjSwHqdAqn8Q2tDemMIcqau_YOdZ0yG6Qc_BgqX8FVtpYTUzNRA6QNg9ttjrrT0ZtmONhBmgs9-ddUlNLZtraDOehcu4gwZw0Ed8oSrm5N4lwbfUjtpYnPB/w225-h400/PXL_20230624_190009330.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGvSCy5b0wzAEnWiecRchcZve-ziMJoi_-YsU8zGW-Yv0eh0mDTZrqbBUvyOOJV9pRhOcpJ09X-fbZI6enIrhuZysUGEkHrOjpgJb9GXKFvWMjwQPJapKhXsQ9SdexiH7RVWuRq6-uYKWB3Ea3_mGgNr8c2GKqkT43QjbACjhGXfBlCuOj95d0BGCUxPOs/s4032/PXL_20230624_185715825.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGvSCy5b0wzAEnWiecRchcZve-ziMJoi_-YsU8zGW-Yv0eh0mDTZrqbBUvyOOJV9pRhOcpJ09X-fbZI6enIrhuZysUGEkHrOjpgJb9GXKFvWMjwQPJapKhXsQ9SdexiH7RVWuRq6-uYKWB3Ea3_mGgNr8c2GKqkT43QjbACjhGXfBlCuOj95d0BGCUxPOs/w400-h225/PXL_20230624_185715825.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ9wpf_hzuj9tHiNiUoT5_L2ZajrqSkfBpLuLZ-v8a696D9H-i2aPDuTiaUYuRe2_nzHnejPY0XzARYKYVt8HlR0FkaL8UjrTBp9dqcIArsH3e20UsfeJQ3UQrt9NUBhOemTEETLYe8Pjj1Rqn1XcXEJ8jHWgpxdoLBBugoi9nizw7QmfF5N6fKdYs-aw1/s3362/PXL_20230624_200200506.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3362" data-original-width="2207" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ9wpf_hzuj9tHiNiUoT5_L2ZajrqSkfBpLuLZ-v8a696D9H-i2aPDuTiaUYuRe2_nzHnejPY0XzARYKYVt8HlR0FkaL8UjrTBp9dqcIArsH3e20UsfeJQ3UQrt9NUBhOemTEETLYe8Pjj1Rqn1XcXEJ8jHWgpxdoLBBugoi9nizw7QmfF5N6fKdYs-aw1/w263-h400/PXL_20230624_200200506.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>Monday morning, Justin and I drove back to the airport for our respective flights. This time it was Justin's United flight back to Asheville, NC, that had issues, and so we ended up on the same AA flight to Dallas. Thankfully I had been upgraded and didn't have to share precious shoulder space with my seat neighbor the way Justin did!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4u_uFBQaJPIgbN7wkuGLePneCJlNWhMGXQXMWaxrxHztm10oBTQouAk98cY4Uf6a5Xfno9lVUVljouhQTIl3qcjrDFMKk_sUiXBXnYdkYK3UfCSYaI7shJ2bvc0GtSuUHgmTv3HHqIDC5S5mDfCNmlTNVkzYh71228leg0TUJavpi-E9zPNSDoFS5LplA/s2634/PXL_20230626_150104481.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1996" data-original-width="2634" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4u_uFBQaJPIgbN7wkuGLePneCJlNWhMGXQXMWaxrxHztm10oBTQouAk98cY4Uf6a5Xfno9lVUVljouhQTIl3qcjrDFMKk_sUiXBXnYdkYK3UfCSYaI7shJ2bvc0GtSuUHgmTv3HHqIDC5S5mDfCNmlTNVkzYh71228leg0TUJavpi-E9zPNSDoFS5LplA/w400-h303/PXL_20230626_150104481.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0sGvUnIq0sIWUxYbKhZkXTFp9hzhY-RhxQIUVljJDuu7IGVa_hIxwwyN7s3_x86XGX9JYDBum2OjT7cgRF3RwqSQcWIQZ7uDMcH6xsMYGrBAYAuIWNjUAUGK69wv2_yTpdE_oIYVoqWpxi-x4GiGKYpWClAh0R_usqKrPbm6rs2ZYQm7xCwvZoiRzk7HZ/s4032/PXL_20230626_150137612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0sGvUnIq0sIWUxYbKhZkXTFp9hzhY-RhxQIUVljJDuu7IGVa_hIxwwyN7s3_x86XGX9JYDBum2OjT7cgRF3RwqSQcWIQZ7uDMcH6xsMYGrBAYAuIWNjUAUGK69wv2_yTpdE_oIYVoqWpxi-x4GiGKYpWClAh0R_usqKrPbm6rs2ZYQm7xCwvZoiRzk7HZ/w225-h400/PXL_20230626_150137612.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Swissy accompanies Justin on all of his assignments<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwvYeklz1C-gqTTMSBGclLiBcjavynj6pyTiqSpA3MT7emqqhD1UnH5xdCpkua_WYXg7v0JoGKa_4d-pvnPSGTYoNKuTv5hfMdTif1s65wk_toDd-9eTfaYdlcpmelvXlXdHDHpczla4cCJZ3JUK6ruLt9K5gakl0fO-t_kH2X6mMTMndAoe8h64Dalmvb/s4032/PXL_20230626_152050998.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwvYeklz1C-gqTTMSBGclLiBcjavynj6pyTiqSpA3MT7emqqhD1UnH5xdCpkua_WYXg7v0JoGKa_4d-pvnPSGTYoNKuTv5hfMdTif1s65wk_toDd-9eTfaYdlcpmelvXlXdHDHpczla4cCJZ3JUK6ruLt9K5gakl0fO-t_kH2X6mMTMndAoe8h64Dalmvb/w400-h225/PXL_20230626_152050998.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8dE150yzfYNRTBv8F5Bzx-h01lFw_JaFYhFpZmMFvAm1iNTrBjqMpGfSdppOhSk8x9CZQoIE0t4ww29C0SUefboIqtjga__4aiAiTNO4CGfjMwawl1ugrVbzhUAEQ4QO7YApSTPqUnNidEYNmecKpvDC-8hB1uQm1uLqd6LUjj76kFqROeBcbTyJS7UFR/s4032/PXL_20230626_180754378.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8dE150yzfYNRTBv8F5Bzx-h01lFw_JaFYhFpZmMFvAm1iNTrBjqMpGfSdppOhSk8x9CZQoIE0t4ww29C0SUefboIqtjga__4aiAiTNO4CGfjMwawl1ugrVbzhUAEQ4QO7YApSTPqUnNidEYNmecKpvDC-8hB1uQm1uLqd6LUjj76kFqROeBcbTyJS7UFR/w225-h400/PXL_20230626_180754378.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>It is quite likely that there won't be a 2024 SOHO Bike Fest as such, but I sure hope that I will be part of the Pan-American Championships in the beautiful Heber Valley. I certainly enjoyed my time out in Utah last week, and now it's time to get ready for two consecutive national championships on the East coast, starting in just a few days.<br /></div><div><br /></div>JürgenJürgenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03107533431710748040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023527478729548228.post-60974924050799098952023-06-14T21:36:00.004-05:002023-06-14T22:13:27.225-05:00Two weeks, two races, two states<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh35VlGK9OL6d92kXgPCVmkPBufbgFXsX1dugIxBqU1tokmUOYwAm1dhQ8RgdcKoj3y129NkI9Ez93gzNFEw1sVRBBkcXAdN_wnmDSW0qWlxehB6o62buijI4eqyVaE39b7Vd4vOmPe_CvhNk6oIo-T3J-EYEZtAyCEJrS3r0Nyn4PtaivUlLqec5dl7A/s2995/PXL_20230528_110027591.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2995" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh35VlGK9OL6d92kXgPCVmkPBufbgFXsX1dugIxBqU1tokmUOYwAm1dhQ8RgdcKoj3y129NkI9Ez93gzNFEw1sVRBBkcXAdN_wnmDSW0qWlxehB6o62buijI4eqyVaE39b7Vd4vOmPe_CvhNk6oIo-T3J-EYEZtAyCEJrS3r0Nyn4PtaivUlLqec5dl7A/w303-h400/PXL_20230528_110027591.jpg" width="303" /></a></div>The past fortnight has been fast-paced and filled with much travel. After returning from Puerto Vallarta I had just enough time to get a haircut, go for one ride (or did I?), survey the situation of my backyard project, and pack for two consecutive trips—and then I was off to the airport, once again. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3LpnZqyo5j9wwOGJvzW0HTu_7NxtQgGILD7CypKjn12djD2c-2KQRb-ke2B4T1iarKNV1-fm1N0NzQW6grJLigaqUz0UOnTKNSoJsjZEvhu90v4eLXh7cqhVeb_EjnRc74zKlbH00svXBj_BoYatXShH3JlnlkiteKrhJwP-Q6Lzels50gOFzVzl5Q/s1194/PXL_20230526_170257913.TS_exported_2734_1685126540854.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="963" data-original-width="1194" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3LpnZqyo5j9wwOGJvzW0HTu_7NxtQgGILD7CypKjn12djD2c-2KQRb-ke2B4T1iarKNV1-fm1N0NzQW6grJLigaqUz0UOnTKNSoJsjZEvhu90v4eLXh7cqhVeb_EjnRc74zKlbH00svXBj_BoYatXShH3JlnlkiteKrhJwP-Q6Lzels50gOFzVzl5Q/w400-h323/PXL_20230526_170257913.TS_exported_2734_1685126540854.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>The first of the two races that I had been assigned to was a UCI downhill event in New Jersey, a state that I had never visited (although I had flown through Newark once or twice). Longtime readers know that generally I cannot be the chief referee for an international UCI race because of the rule changes something like 12 years ago when we had to make a decision whether to continue as Doping Control Officers or International Commissaires (referees). I had chosen pee-control, and since then my assignments on an international level have no longer included refereeing. But, for the Mountain Spring National Downhill event in Vernon, NJ, the UCI could not find an active UCI IC and USA Cycling suggested me for the position since I do have the credentials and the experience to lead such an event as what is called <i>President of the Commissaires Panel</i>, or PCP for short. And so I was going to New Jersey, on behalf of the Union Cycliste Internationale.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFb-r2RvXFj_iE7LRJHhSTIAHT7xaWyDjdA9qhAxIGMtDu8dx8RaJhLXKpCC77Xmo9qYMeP6kicrYXpYAp19ed6sopXo347MyFrzv68VAWDknNbQdfDCnWN4zkbhmybj8MKBeGXU-MracFijjQT2dhE5whNcEQHdIAheIccfCY2SNBi8h9PBPHnnnCMg/s4032/PXL_20230525_121358729.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFb-r2RvXFj_iE7LRJHhSTIAHT7xaWyDjdA9qhAxIGMtDu8dx8RaJhLXKpCC77Xmo9qYMeP6kicrYXpYAp19ed6sopXo347MyFrzv68VAWDknNbQdfDCnWN4zkbhmybj8MKBeGXU-MracFijjQT2dhE5whNcEQHdIAheIccfCY2SNBi8h9PBPHnnnCMg/w400-h225/PXL_20230525_121358729.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Mountain Creek Resort, as seen from my room</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>After my arrival in Newark on Wednesday evening (and a bit of waiting in the airport) I was picked up by Julie, who had been on two of my national championship crews over the past few years. She was going to be the Secretary for this race, and having worked Mountain Creek on several occasions she was abe to fill me in on some of the details during our hour-and-a-half long drive to Vernon and the ski resort where we were going to stay for the next few nights.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDwywKU04bo_S-MBg2vR3ur3C9NHCCvWKQZHaLYEOSReKfGGEJBw9qxOt26wVTnyjabHjFdpKNLWKUWHddvSAMsccJC2y9s9JwKSDIrr0ibmFhUFoFnBNpVBH0_dBOnaKqT_iabVCZBxvWIQJO7AhBCqFiR3BPUs-jHNS3r5FFL6esNaEVQLPaS63PVA/s4032/PXL_20230527_145303940.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDwywKU04bo_S-MBg2vR3ur3C9NHCCvWKQZHaLYEOSReKfGGEJBw9qxOt26wVTnyjabHjFdpKNLWKUWHddvSAMsccJC2y9s9JwKSDIrr0ibmFhUFoFnBNpVBH0_dBOnaKqT_iabVCZBxvWIQJO7AhBCqFiR3BPUs-jHNS3r5FFL6esNaEVQLPaS63PVA/w400-h225/PXL_20230527_145303940.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1zAoUn0Hrh1_erP7juYUYjLLPedEjcljg0XLP0ihrR3BYP20Xg1NSxzqfGflI1FM5fUzjm5pULtv4eBNHQAekTnsTpzTdh27RahPCG0JNiQa5WAE9x9JhOgbKg0pEufNt5_2VrIfJVGOMl1u_vtA5EZhhbc_pQX0lsuGi58nGl-BA5NcgOea2jiLwg/s3178/PXL_20230526_133125116.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3178" data-original-width="2134" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1zAoUn0Hrh1_erP7juYUYjLLPedEjcljg0XLP0ihrR3BYP20Xg1NSxzqfGflI1FM5fUzjm5pULtv4eBNHQAekTnsTpzTdh27RahPCG0JNiQa5WAE9x9JhOgbKg0pEufNt5_2VrIfJVGOMl1u_vtA5EZhhbc_pQX0lsuGi58nGl-BA5NcgOea2jiLwg/w269-h400/PXL_20230526_133125116.jpg" width="269" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixjg4D6PbLvx2L2B_EPmq60RjWM8gQs5XpaOMa7NJq9o3Uz4arXQn3SXGHhwg_sOeULBPMW2jlZAg4mFgwR4vjwzB5D2WGNZNjqu7ejkcSKrBJ-dA70dNh27ar1uozXAeVtsA-aU2lckDfek11dfArLWW5QKQE1BKbwTeOWJsjAqcY_IY7fzcPaJDQw/s4032/PXL_20230525_173938819.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixjg4D6PbLvx2L2B_EPmq60RjWM8gQs5XpaOMa7NJq9o3Uz4arXQn3SXGHhwg_sOeULBPMW2jlZAg4mFgwR4vjwzB5D2WGNZNjqu7ejkcSKrBJ-dA70dNh27ar1uozXAeVtsA-aU2lckDfek11dfArLWW5QKQE1BKbwTeOWJsjAqcY_IY7fzcPaJDQw/w400-h225/PXL_20230525_173938819.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>It's a bit crazy when you are at a ski resort and you go to the top and there is a sign that tells you that the elevation is a whopping 1,440 feet. Well, you see, Lubbock is at 3,000 feet (1,000 meters), and of course the terrain is flatter than a pancake in our parts! So, here we have a ski resort at half that elevation, and there is a bike park with a vast network of downhill trails. It's a bit tough to wrap your head around this when you call Lubbock home<i>.</i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi320mUo-H0nws-Plp671ZFussOh7w4RpIbJHGg14GpZ-Dmh0IfmLUJ1Wta3jLXbZjEv2qePWSnSA97Lxf-4kf00FoA6u9DDCcHPtQIeV_1EUsIVT_2IiEqFpVASCNy3jJMewXgGsCTVnwg8lR_IoqNM-l1vASk8u3-g4qjLkKIL85ctzkj-18NgT9x4g/s3266/PXL_20230528_152712457.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1869" data-original-width="3266" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi320mUo-H0nws-Plp671ZFussOh7w4RpIbJHGg14GpZ-Dmh0IfmLUJ1Wta3jLXbZjEv2qePWSnSA97Lxf-4kf00FoA6u9DDCcHPtQIeV_1EUsIVT_2IiEqFpVASCNy3jJMewXgGsCTVnwg8lR_IoqNM-l1vASk8u3-g4qjLkKIL85ctzkj-18NgT9x4g/w400-h229/PXL_20230528_152712457.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyatMlSAkTlhbqTmgxPUWAxZtdPY9GBiq6d0DE-ZCdnkTv6UdFwNaBFuSonWx3dPQfLk7afQQQcaZEE49WhrEwDDO7JewjVtV3zTfcpvPM093gXCyWFZ_F2myiwpo-wfrKeb247LbyU-muiaH-thmtTYbT4LwgU_ftUXCBhauZRrtVgQNcKHz73FA6HA/s4032/PXL_20230526_221329785.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyatMlSAkTlhbqTmgxPUWAxZtdPY9GBiq6d0DE-ZCdnkTv6UdFwNaBFuSonWx3dPQfLk7afQQQcaZEE49WhrEwDDO7JewjVtV3zTfcpvPM093gXCyWFZ_F2myiwpo-wfrKeb247LbyU-muiaH-thmtTYbT4LwgU_ftUXCBhauZRrtVgQNcKHz73FA6HA/w225-h400/PXL_20230526_221329785.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>On Thursday, a gloriously sunny and perfect spring day, I familiarized myself with the venue and went for a course walk with the race director, Clay. I was glad that I had addressed certain race-related issues ahead of my arrival, and so there were no misunderstandings regarding expectations versus reality. Being the chief referee doesn't just involve assuring that the sporting side is without fault but also that applicable rules and regulations are respected, and sometimes a race can become a headache well before the first rider has left the start gate. Thankfully, the 2023 edition of the Mountain Spring National Downhill did not follow this pattern.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMMFt1Y4A0dBZdmLe-sY0mC1QNHpF_Mlh6aNUwOMoazHIMM_CSv0qd2hCDAAPJ6b3vMigXnnR-4bK5vDuFP5b1DGmKy6qiwLutYfhmYQ4gcBdSMWJuQbwijAlevQQIT4iZm6Mbs7skapp6FDOjo_8BhiD1WeOGMHRh8LKcB_wAtP2wYfkvufaMTK_gQ/s4032/PXL_20230525_180728839.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMMFt1Y4A0dBZdmLe-sY0mC1QNHpF_Mlh6aNUwOMoazHIMM_CSv0qd2hCDAAPJ6b3vMigXnnR-4bK5vDuFP5b1DGmKy6qiwLutYfhmYQ4gcBdSMWJuQbwijAlevQQIT4iZm6Mbs7skapp6FDOjo_8BhiD1WeOGMHRh8LKcB_wAtP2wYfkvufaMTK_gQ/w400-h225/PXL_20230525_180728839.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTZ5kGoMUHPISvYAYLrdZn6mQh616J8LkupVUuTD9s_RRKo8FBk1mR3oZhKd21LyUUA3lrasCAJRIWbJkQIDQu_yS6pqVS6uDcULbovTMDObyi1TFhEAcCgZTExIQJKzL6ml8HSKcFQsclNEyTF0_XQriVv0itgJE45qDD_4JfVg7W_c5uVthoQxC2rw/s2832/PXL_20230526_171201233.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2832" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTZ5kGoMUHPISvYAYLrdZn6mQh616J8LkupVUuTD9s_RRKo8FBk1mR3oZhKd21LyUUA3lrasCAJRIWbJkQIDQu_yS6pqVS6uDcULbovTMDObyi1TFhEAcCgZTExIQJKzL6ml8HSKcFQsclNEyTF0_XQriVv0itgJE45qDD_4JfVg7W_c5uVthoQxC2rw/w320-h400/PXL_20230526_171201233.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZKm-tvJcfiDw0NZjPgahAH010rMGuS6OyUI8J8x2mZW7kr85knWw17FR0IaCwlu4C7bETnF7rorwTitPF1_KJITLSCPnMwghO_kiCZYlzTnh6F8hVValYKCMN56sWQS551zO5SJslIFi4H8GR_Gu_aMZkKlO--JolI7Wx_bkA66isL8XKFI6WghdSSA/s4032/PXL_20230525_180404891.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZKm-tvJcfiDw0NZjPgahAH010rMGuS6OyUI8J8x2mZW7kr85knWw17FR0IaCwlu4C7bETnF7rorwTitPF1_KJITLSCPnMwghO_kiCZYlzTnh6F8hVValYKCMN56sWQS551zO5SJslIFi4H8GR_Gu_aMZkKlO--JolI7Wx_bkA66isL8XKFI6WghdSSA/w400-h225/PXL_20230525_180404891.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglF6I0ZqfGqGX1lh7gKZI9YSWrHdxeAJWZawptGA_qElW4WDOBz-sPGkGk_hZFmdjCL-G07vBh6VK974cePbaXVVYQH93l_Ix53PyEv7aqFQOa-3kG1uAcbcNSKCfT6PcSJhhQdDXVPGSiPouh82Hx0_cuz_1FnpZy9TEVmGiT2ukcTbY40ycbcpCaOQ/s2552/PXL_20230526_172235242.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2552" data-original-width="1996" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglF6I0ZqfGqGX1lh7gKZI9YSWrHdxeAJWZawptGA_qElW4WDOBz-sPGkGk_hZFmdjCL-G07vBh6VK974cePbaXVVYQH93l_Ix53PyEv7aqFQOa-3kG1uAcbcNSKCfT6PcSJhhQdDXVPGSiPouh82Hx0_cuz_1FnpZy9TEVmGiT2ukcTbY40ycbcpCaOQ/w313-h400/PXL_20230526_172235242.jpg" width="313" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3I4ec8REfzRccjnPeoer6eQw7JrMpwnOLhtHaqu6BrDE6uibaUQIP49qDo8jYp33uMvCs5aakTru5Z4rErRO8MbofJG1OUAOHWyYFTrUlVT4oD0mtTxev8uDVKwLf0XKF5QPF4CTO5gI3x-Ol0R5ASSiGtuoY3Z4hU07mxSywyDoothuw4wnLmvz6rg/s4032/PXL_20230525_175436204.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3I4ec8REfzRccjnPeoer6eQw7JrMpwnOLhtHaqu6BrDE6uibaUQIP49qDo8jYp33uMvCs5aakTru5Z4rErRO8MbofJG1OUAOHWyYFTrUlVT4oD0mtTxev8uDVKwLf0XKF5QPF4CTO5gI3x-Ol0R5ASSiGtuoY3Z4hU07mxSywyDoothuw4wnLmvz6rg/w400-h225/PXL_20230525_175436204.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>To get to the top of Mt. Vernon, from where all of the various ski and bike trails of the resort radiate, one doesn't take a traditional ski lift or gondola. No, this is the one and only place in the world where you take the <i>cabriolet</i> to the top! It's not quite the <i>roadster</i> that the European-sounding name suggests; rather, it is an open "bucket" in which one stands during the short 7-minute ride to the top. There used to be several cabriolets in existence, used by ski resorts to take people from parking lots to the actual lifts, and this one started its life at the Canadian resort of Mont Tremblant before finally being sold, disassembled, and transported to Mountain Creek Resort to live out its days. Truly unique and the last of its kind: the <i>cabriolet</i> at Mt. Vernon.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5HvMlFfmHwYaB96Q5KTd7IGPH5y2HPQeNxnH_ej9PQaIjG8Pximkq_z-OBYVL7or2_iBjQsMUC_0Wvzeer7dj2CT7SJpMWomBGT5g0CLiXi5n8ZxkJlLQcy0lq6Cb2EIfx6fCobPGmfTEhxX3tlciMvzZcC2i3yrvGEFXvGgTa4yQdVUWPD_fke4h9Q/s4032/PXL_20230525_174154265.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5HvMlFfmHwYaB96Q5KTd7IGPH5y2HPQeNxnH_ej9PQaIjG8Pximkq_z-OBYVL7or2_iBjQsMUC_0Wvzeer7dj2CT7SJpMWomBGT5g0CLiXi5n8ZxkJlLQcy0lq6Cb2EIfx6fCobPGmfTEhxX3tlciMvzZcC2i3yrvGEFXvGgTa4yQdVUWPD_fke4h9Q/w400-h225/PXL_20230525_174154265.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiyeYpIN6DzsQjwGWpx3ICmtiEb7o5XoX1Rdw5GHB3sZYhboDF3BFyLc2K_Ekbda4TDulys_AC_NbpQRht34IshA1Fj_gNXQ_4qDB3gPPiZ4Xz0UavXAi6fyigr2MUhsv3989ApN74ula4n_HLWvLZ9RFSr844Ap0WXnFZeNOE384NXdE_fC2eBThIjQ/s4032/PXL_20230526_221136334.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiyeYpIN6DzsQjwGWpx3ICmtiEb7o5XoX1Rdw5GHB3sZYhboDF3BFyLc2K_Ekbda4TDulys_AC_NbpQRht34IshA1Fj_gNXQ_4qDB3gPPiZ4Xz0UavXAi6fyigr2MUhsv3989ApN74ula4n_HLWvLZ9RFSr844Ap0WXnFZeNOE384NXdE_fC2eBThIjQ/w225-h400/PXL_20230526_221136334.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZdHOoIA361Nywx4Kz8NSN4wQYK0d7iClUuPDYHwnX_BJswArC-nxjBuYsuhAjlu2BsekWZ0fvdVqwRk76546xMznasTseZJMP-yJYZhVwoe30icO0_sX-caspfSaL3Iku5vtlr0parFEyWxoo8H3E4WNtxxak326LSf5ZzCh2eeUzYzqAU2DSBsIOA/s3013/PXL_20230526_134128288.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3013" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZdHOoIA361Nywx4Kz8NSN4wQYK0d7iClUuPDYHwnX_BJswArC-nxjBuYsuhAjlu2BsekWZ0fvdVqwRk76546xMznasTseZJMP-yJYZhVwoe30icO0_sX-caspfSaL3Iku5vtlr0parFEyWxoo8H3E4WNtxxak326LSf5ZzCh2eeUzYzqAU2DSBsIOA/w301-h400/PXL_20230526_134128288.jpg" width="301" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8HYsZB8uYUTVP0hylhRvL6SXuI2lGjBPvFnqso9qEwJneLQ3gSgaecBGMTZgw6oJ-c4dnEfohNd5LRsAGnZVfoeKd7x2Ec8lXf961Zyjzwu5vqfs8xnAoaAraywptFCcCgQdEOjLOPNGBB-VybJ5ZxEdOtXFeLWVZdQ8EmfFxma_6cYQHt1zUbt_7ag/s4032/PXL_20230526_220401096.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8HYsZB8uYUTVP0hylhRvL6SXuI2lGjBPvFnqso9qEwJneLQ3gSgaecBGMTZgw6oJ-c4dnEfohNd5LRsAGnZVfoeKd7x2Ec8lXf961Zyjzwu5vqfs8xnAoaAraywptFCcCgQdEOjLOPNGBB-VybJ5ZxEdOtXFeLWVZdQ8EmfFxma_6cYQHt1zUbt_7ag/w400-h225/PXL_20230526_220401096.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The flip-flops are handy for the many heel-wearing <br />wedding participants who also have to take the <i>cabriolet </i>to the top</span></td></tr></tbody></table>My few days at the resort were fairly easy as the race organization and my crew pretty much handled all the tasks, from handing out credentials to lining up and starting the riders to generating results. A well-oiled machine that simply needed a token head-of-state who enjoyed being in such a pretty place. Thanks to the lack of restaurants in the area, one of the local commissaires, Gary (who lives just an hour away across the stateline in New York), and I went to the local watering hole, The George Inn, on three consecutive nights for dinner and drinks. The George dates back to 1872 and is styled after proper English pubs. The food was decent and the local draft craft beers were fairly priced at $5 to $6 for a pint, so we were rather happy. If you find yourself in these parts, check out the George's liquor store section, which has an amazing array of spirits and artisanal beers.<div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxdHjHQv3SH8aeuw30usQltT7gduVk3t4M_F1O_jlC2YImUaV7Zqa2JjcgVENHl6KljstruV3kR8iM5NxKxUeu2j1Ko94YZ2v44nWxh2ceOOI2HDmWt5hR-JTUUjiGa8lHbxt8Z83zQtIoa2Fh-wU4rjXta3pvhrrJ3w7qwNfsMMTa_fqDYLnMGTMTsg/s2824/PXL_20230528_195452070.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2035" data-original-width="2824" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxdHjHQv3SH8aeuw30usQltT7gduVk3t4M_F1O_jlC2YImUaV7Zqa2JjcgVENHl6KljstruV3kR8iM5NxKxUeu2j1Ko94YZ2v44nWxh2ceOOI2HDmWt5hR-JTUUjiGa8lHbxt8Z83zQtIoa2Fh-wU4rjXta3pvhrrJ3w7qwNfsMMTa_fqDYLnMGTMTsg/w400-h289/PXL_20230528_195452070.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">From current national champions ...</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdl_7NMckkcHKl4KjdxlDn3v-86ltV2-7KzOgaThaWMGtMVxhZGZ6jpLl7FexNazMkYRRD8jFjP2UHQm5kvHGNBuGydv_4b6VNrzUSXN6iGBKYSzMbXZIPfr7oXRrV1gLck67yLhMZ4-F1tWZ1RHy8Q5lTAI_Dxj8YQ8dYdn-nGQdKrnjGB9DgSGp8Ew/s2943/PXL_20230528_153945624.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2943" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdl_7NMckkcHKl4KjdxlDn3v-86ltV2-7KzOgaThaWMGtMVxhZGZ6jpLl7FexNazMkYRRD8jFjP2UHQm5kvHGNBuGydv_4b6VNrzUSXN6iGBKYSzMbXZIPfr7oXRrV1gLck67yLhMZ4-F1tWZ1RHy8Q5lTAI_Dxj8YQ8dYdn-nGQdKrnjGB9DgSGp8Ew/w309-h400/PXL_20230528_153945624.jpg" width="309" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">... to the future of the sport.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfc887Gu12a1GapaZ_W2oUI29zZqMBQyP1pfvI2nHv7ZpYedFAgRsynzPlrogZooiptJmKnycnNIVumAYaSu-JI7S2StIpY-tTLIUhKYOiQt-hmPjMU48OJCJ0fmUKy3Upb4hUSf0HfXme7EVj-vPWSHZgBruqxOJI_4Yw1xgp-DUWSzXajkw9mnU6Hg/s4032/PXL_20230527_122703515.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfc887Gu12a1GapaZ_W2oUI29zZqMBQyP1pfvI2nHv7ZpYedFAgRsynzPlrogZooiptJmKnycnNIVumAYaSu-JI7S2StIpY-tTLIUhKYOiQt-hmPjMU48OJCJ0fmUKy3Upb4hUSf0HfXme7EVj-vPWSHZgBruqxOJI_4Yw1xgp-DUWSzXajkw9mnU6Hg/w400-h225/PXL_20230527_122703515.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Daily marshals meeting with the organizer, Clay</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaPAkY1uRG50N-p1HitdoZhDE7xX56YXKhRSeaIhhBEc7eDxkipbI1KF7IS1ixsgUgWkz0YmwUjblBCoSct5zLT4OvADKNcF6GBsC6TTS-9DOvEHAejwP_hRuqKLYiCWyg9Q6rNle9CkyS0B6G_Hij8EJRo9vWJQ0uXR15pVTZI_x9uUVwYJurVtLSXg/s2812/PXL_20230528_005912856~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2812" data-original-width="1939" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaPAkY1uRG50N-p1HitdoZhDE7xX56YXKhRSeaIhhBEc7eDxkipbI1KF7IS1ixsgUgWkz0YmwUjblBCoSct5zLT4OvADKNcF6GBsC6TTS-9DOvEHAejwP_hRuqKLYiCWyg9Q6rNle9CkyS0B6G_Hij8EJRo9vWJQ0uXR15pVTZI_x9uUVwYJurVtLSXg/w276-h400/PXL_20230528_005912856~2.jpg" width="276" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFA-_Z9e6gdeuB0bChIiKLzZxKW36oxyuzpgcjFuLypzXiwJJoW9Nn01dQC9bIlqaJ7hkZ64T_rtONx83ijGGbDC0Ck3bwZ7cWtKBBUVfD4MEQEe-8kAdaBuP_1SP7aIfdQ6f5LipL906Twb_IGmJACGEYv_IT94hcLztfLoBbU-O7Oq9UvN871FsxsA/s3840/PXL_20230526_120925747.PORTRAIT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3840" data-original-width="2160" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFA-_Z9e6gdeuB0bChIiKLzZxKW36oxyuzpgcjFuLypzXiwJJoW9Nn01dQC9bIlqaJ7hkZ64T_rtONx83ijGGbDC0Ck3bwZ7cWtKBBUVfD4MEQEe-8kAdaBuP_1SP7aIfdQ6f5LipL906Twb_IGmJACGEYv_IT94hcLztfLoBbU-O7Oq9UvN871FsxsA/w225-h400/PXL_20230526_120925747.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrkPuSMaZfKgBRBdwp0OG9Qm3jMlamISkcRn4Ako7LkqN8ikHIkVq4HDuHy6-a1AcvI0kJNwG74UvDaUJsja9ouTbC60eeEk91D5DpXjdxTPbu_sEps2fwRteZZP488XtI5nmXyTdp4r01vF9WICUldoKs3g_sPG_H6HbwoM7sAoD4UgXL6P_yY3FfaQ/s1636/PXL_20230525_232108327.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1557" data-original-width="1636" height="381" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrkPuSMaZfKgBRBdwp0OG9Qm3jMlamISkcRn4Ako7LkqN8ikHIkVq4HDuHy6-a1AcvI0kJNwG74UvDaUJsja9ouTbC60eeEk91D5DpXjdxTPbu_sEps2fwRteZZP488XtI5nmXyTdp4r01vF9WICUldoKs3g_sPG_H6HbwoM7sAoD4UgXL6P_yY3FfaQ/w400-h381/PXL_20230525_232108327.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZq08KBlA0bSD8ZIuKFEEQ1LkGhXOUzh-ZES-UrA6wCtxNCOWOJR6_OxCxD6HJcxyIJxigoJ155C64eQ1UBZAT8FPGWpKvn8GyZRXO-wh8ZSWkVuhnNYbI9N4vGB5MdSNXNO9pkdejGJRW_IteJeSPUsiOTH4CnrWgTs9-CXWkbqTSkI9xxAS6m-JoMA/s3424/PXL_20230526_003702707~2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2149" data-original-width="3424" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZq08KBlA0bSD8ZIuKFEEQ1LkGhXOUzh-ZES-UrA6wCtxNCOWOJR6_OxCxD6HJcxyIJxigoJ155C64eQ1UBZAT8FPGWpKvn8GyZRXO-wh8ZSWkVuhnNYbI9N4vGB5MdSNXNO9pkdejGJRW_IteJeSPUsiOTH4CnrWgTs9-CXWkbqTSkI9xxAS6m-JoMA/w400-h251/PXL_20230526_003702707~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hoppy Hour on Gary's balcony</span></td></tr></tbody></table>After the conclusion of the race Sunday afternoon the race announcer, Matt, gave me a ride back to the Newark airport, where I spent the night in a Holiday Inn so that I'd be able to catch an early flight back to Texas. I had been scheduled to arrive in Lubbock around 4 p.m., but thanks to a weather-related delay in DFW (involving a return to the terminal to take on more fuel) and then another 25 minutes' wait in Lubbock for a ground crew to receive our plane I didn't get home until around 7 p.m. As mentioned, I had pre-packed most of my stuff for the following day's departure, but a few things (mostly race related) always have to still be added.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgo_8yPHodFM9sBY3pdOM0oUn5S3Xqd3Ccb9zmMgC0nbGix15JEdMmxlXkhvzOlhtOpMHceRhXJvzpuJGnCUKF8PpP_oZT94U7FyfzObfR1CrmdPk86ct8pJwda2BGDG0Yec9e0G-dRLkxvOdNorL7Cr2ILD8pafei8cbjDF2UjXeI2It1b9Q0VEZvOQ/s4032/PXL_20230529_134442680.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgo_8yPHodFM9sBY3pdOM0oUn5S3Xqd3Ccb9zmMgC0nbGix15JEdMmxlXkhvzOlhtOpMHceRhXJvzpuJGnCUKF8PpP_oZT94U7FyfzObfR1CrmdPk86ct8pJwda2BGDG0Yec9e0G-dRLkxvOdNorL7Cr2ILD8pafei8cbjDF2UjXeI2It1b9Q0VEZvOQ/w400-h225/PXL_20230529_134442680.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Current First Class breakfast option </span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKAA0a3RAfdYWcasZDznfrYGlIZf4NV-Aw38OC7rNyEvGHegFKRyjil3yDt32UN6jIKQ9457m_QRbdB2hljq3HAu58fjvIJHMdUy8I35mwcpf81it_TA3WYoRujbGb0OLQnEQkNopcODhQFxVR2dNqcwBjPJvdFAX88A4OwQxVwDUqSUfbN8ykKzNfA/s4032/PXL_20230529_221254411.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKAA0a3RAfdYWcasZDznfrYGlIZf4NV-Aw38OC7rNyEvGHegFKRyjil3yDt32UN6jIKQ9457m_QRbdB2hljq3HAu58fjvIJHMdUy8I35mwcpf81it_TA3WYoRujbGb0OLQnEQkNopcODhQFxVR2dNqcwBjPJvdFAX88A4OwQxVwDUqSUfbN8ykKzNfA/w400-h225/PXL_20230529_221254411.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0l6G6ZP3KVul9ZrqUyvVmELx6H9nU-swSmejNYnZZMmxptJcKUz59RLvv54jWq_7YJdl8l35qUX5J5Nv4OL7yi94PolZflLSrfUbk_XbdHoINupBFbwR0VBRlpwSYwJtzOub2SqYKU087rvanXycm1By9fnw_fwmEgsVIVaW0N773-_8PV3Jvb6PI7Q/s4032/PXL_20230529_222126796.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0l6G6ZP3KVul9ZrqUyvVmELx6H9nU-swSmejNYnZZMmxptJcKUz59RLvv54jWq_7YJdl8l35qUX5J5Nv4OL7yi94PolZflLSrfUbk_XbdHoINupBFbwR0VBRlpwSYwJtzOub2SqYKU087rvanXycm1By9fnw_fwmEgsVIVaW0N773-_8PV3Jvb6PI7Q/w400-h225/PXL_20230529_222126796.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGhLNi0kb7CiEfKg3RJWoQ-9tZYftz888vHL1xFdG3Vk-COxEG0lVWJyLWrCq8YVMcsvRxm10QzU5rLdFg2rktU2Pn0zav3POo_e1C3KKnR75Xgag7KRh_u4mwHkrH1D6LCCR0asFEYx3CA-IO_sAiCuGrO9WM0gezYddUSR5PtgqBv8PSNox3Ek6QyA/s4032/PXL_20230529_230340359.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGhLNi0kb7CiEfKg3RJWoQ-9tZYftz888vHL1xFdG3Vk-COxEG0lVWJyLWrCq8YVMcsvRxm10QzU5rLdFg2rktU2Pn0zav3POo_e1C3KKnR75Xgag7KRh_u4mwHkrH1D6LCCR0asFEYx3CA-IO_sAiCuGrO9WM0gezYddUSR5PtgqBv8PSNox3Ek6QyA/w400-h225/PXL_20230529_230340359.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Waiting for the Lubbock ground crew to finally receive us</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Monday morning at 9 a.m. I was on my way back out to the airport. The weather was beautiful for flying, and everything was smooth and on-time—until we rolled out onto the tarmac and sat there for almost an hour while the captain sought a solution for some mechanical problem (which eventually was solved). The delay was long enough for me to miss my connection to Washington's DCA, where my friend Jared was going to pick me up. A call to AA while we were still sitting on the ground in Lubbock netted me one of the last seats on the 3:30 p.m. DFW-DCA flight, and when I eventually arrived in DFW I could leisurely go to the lounge and get a bite to eat and enjoy a drink or two. But you know how it goes: By the time that our flight was loaded and ready to push off the gate, another mechanical issue sabotaged our on-time departure. I can't remember how long this repair took (plus all the paperwork that is needed for documentation), but when we were finally ready to depart the gate a thunderstorm had moved in and lightning prevented the ground crew from operating the jetbridge. If it ain't one thing, it's another. Eventually we departed, a couple of hours behind schedule. And wouldn't you know, some <i>situation </i>at DCA closed the airport for about another 20 minutes to all incoming traffic. We kept circling until we were finally cleared to land, about six hours after my originally scheduled arrival.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOAdZlNR3T4Xtye_jQ3bSKllh4nAiamkvdWu8zKKQdMZbGZ-egvZlRoH3SFiSbdU3vvOEzJ5k_7XaJw8yGM4nBO--vEPODE8A6DhrvIwCrznrJ8BHiObakghdzPt5rZTqMqhSe15HeTmZMv89_Wz4ITVFCkNoyQQxQwgMBGCrh9d_FVvbGGxIJt4U0gQ/s2587/PXL_20230530_171516704~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2587" data-original-width="2237" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOAdZlNR3T4Xtye_jQ3bSKllh4nAiamkvdWu8zKKQdMZbGZ-egvZlRoH3SFiSbdU3vvOEzJ5k_7XaJw8yGM4nBO--vEPODE8A6DhrvIwCrznrJ8BHiObakghdzPt5rZTqMqhSe15HeTmZMv89_Wz4ITVFCkNoyQQxQwgMBGCrh9d_FVvbGGxIJt4U0gQ/w346-h400/PXL_20230530_171516704~2.jpg" width="346" /></a></div><div><div>Needless to say, I had been in touch with Jared all along, and as a fellow official he knows about the unpredictability of air travel. Still, having three flights in two days severely delayed, two of them by mechanical issues, was enough for me to send off an email to American, which eventually resulted in my being credited 17,000 miles. That may sound like a lot, but with airmiles generally being valued at one cent per mile, $170 is merely a token. As my brother would later tell me, a delay of these proportions in Europe would result in enough euros for another flight.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhltvNgbP-EkYRrFGR6_cgZ8Fa9Te30Gk1qacRkjFF1rVsZfUpcqLpPqc9p-_BkKE845qkxXickBjoB0XMogBYiPPSAXbVXoLIsXMJxGjgKOczMiveH3AP5dJDheNUE7vDKHiihUe5xDB5QQzMpwY563TBuqGuRTlJfCQXhA3JKZXOcfeMJDEcXqD_rlA/s4032/PXL_20230531_154834057.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhltvNgbP-EkYRrFGR6_cgZ8Fa9Te30Gk1qacRkjFF1rVsZfUpcqLpPqc9p-_BkKE845qkxXickBjoB0XMogBYiPPSAXbVXoLIsXMJxGjgKOczMiveH3AP5dJDheNUE7vDKHiihUe5xDB5QQzMpwY563TBuqGuRTlJfCQXhA3JKZXOcfeMJDEcXqD_rlA/w225-h400/PXL_20230531_154834057.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbwPbVRg2oTU8jQYp8XWcoGlEumccvj8psNyOchAYtx4Vz-wQdc8f_IacM_qqwi0ppZ-FWXTWwOE2Qi34o5K08OqMU_wPHjkmLKzcxtPuvcGf6I4-s2tj1YYIya5kGMezXFVi0f6EY1pR0L0iXNlUNotU1m_KvCUS2A0noEnHSjiu4JPZ9GpMlLgALlw/s2549/PXL_20230531_153241996.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2549" data-original-width="1988" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbwPbVRg2oTU8jQYp8XWcoGlEumccvj8psNyOchAYtx4Vz-wQdc8f_IacM_qqwi0ppZ-FWXTWwOE2Qi34o5K08OqMU_wPHjkmLKzcxtPuvcGf6I4-s2tj1YYIya5kGMezXFVi0f6EY1pR0L0iXNlUNotU1m_KvCUS2A0noEnHSjiu4JPZ9GpMlLgALlw/w313-h400/PXL_20230531_153241996.jpg" width="313" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm8WBKyddrLOAd3JJh-pEj_9q8ATCEGurvQ6OUXxEXGVqgefJw7KpVp-37LbVC5Dziqy6WPsTmtLPpKxx2ttduhwllAnpggTaS8IMICK5KDnIq5Yq9a4R4CBLs9XDz-alqWwlnJqjw9s1By2PL47eULUdQknFk7BsL8j_NKc5sC9ewXVAjUNVen9y1Rw/s4032/PXL_20230531_152703401.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm8WBKyddrLOAd3JJh-pEj_9q8ATCEGurvQ6OUXxEXGVqgefJw7KpVp-37LbVC5Dziqy6WPsTmtLPpKxx2ttduhwllAnpggTaS8IMICK5KDnIq5Yq9a4R4CBLs9XDz-alqWwlnJqjw9s1By2PL47eULUdQknFk7BsL8j_NKc5sC9ewXVAjUNVen9y1Rw/w400-h225/PXL_20230531_152703401.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMxyk0Rgjos2E9Dgg2RIeJ-8rDzrI5m0NoS9-RRMqsAcveukjBz3Bygp9Zy_HOm7tTfG2DuL-TetjMxhbCgQ-m843CKHs9YADEdKDtFPA2JwQaPoW3ANVh7nVaP0_qNBXT4hqbRub-how4hKWwEfyjEao2eY7tspG2HqW-9v2oJV9f7qo4l7e2rLa14w/s3027/PXL_20230531_155924993.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3027" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMxyk0Rgjos2E9Dgg2RIeJ-8rDzrI5m0NoS9-RRMqsAcveukjBz3Bygp9Zy_HOm7tTfG2DuL-TetjMxhbCgQ-m843CKHs9YADEdKDtFPA2JwQaPoW3ANVh7nVaP0_qNBXT4hqbRub-how4hKWwEfyjEao2eY7tspG2HqW-9v2oJV9f7qo4l7e2rLa14w/w300-h400/PXL_20230531_155924993.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Morning neighborhood walk with <br />Jared, Wayne, Gretchen, and Betty Joe, the Beagle</span></td></tr></tbody></table>The race for which I had traveled back to the East Coast was going to take place about six hours south of the DC area in Virginia. Jared (whom I had met for the first time last year at Nationals when he was our finish judge) had suggested that I'd come out a few days early and that we then would drive down to the race site. I had spent a couple of days last September with Jared and his roomate, Wayne, in their rental house in University Park, MD, and I gladly accepted the invitation.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNP-RJeAihteb9Krm_dOejdkG4Uypp-I6ZCW_eQ217EWhAvoCQwFv1wPPXSKYz7vxZ1FlWSb5UKHBHTr3tt6icCIpD3ksljT3BjE6bDGhDH_znk7Hs4HfIvZc_kSISDQwguGzA1nPVdM5ndCHNk1d06HwGcG4LM2svyJrhByvKLcp2PgBgvwgHELgdw/s2830/PXL_20230601_191044795.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="2830" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNP-RJeAihteb9Krm_dOejdkG4Uypp-I6ZCW_eQ217EWhAvoCQwFv1wPPXSKYz7vxZ1FlWSb5UKHBHTr3tt6icCIpD3ksljT3BjE6bDGhDH_znk7Hs4HfIvZc_kSISDQwguGzA1nPVdM5ndCHNk1d06HwGcG4LM2svyJrhByvKLcp2PgBgvwgHELgdw/w400-h320/PXL_20230601_191044795.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>We spent early Wednesday working on our respective computers. Jared is a civil engineer who works most days remotely (making it a little easier to travel to races), and I still had to finish off UCI-related paperwork from the previous weekend. Later that afternoon we drove a few miles to the Greenbelt Park where one of the oldest still-running weekly training series takes place. Jared is generally the chief referee for this low-key event that attracts about 100 to 130 racers every Wednesday night in May and June, and which Jared wants to build up to an all-summer affair. It was interesting to watch how just a few local officials and helpers put on such an enduring and well-liked event.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNHR5E7pbdW9rgtM77kuG7wT4GrzZgrFdRsJmwSamxQieyVQxhjDRjuvzLfSW3pVxfEl7lqwCORY13a8e2xZr4KPEZcCDNR0wve6OZYL6A3nDhIkl8kaZU-6Anq8-qjFLtqKqCZ0rd9KSWgNFQ3pNL1Qiyc3rbUW0022JYfn4IJ007Kqld-isuK9M8DQ/s2951/PXL_20230531_225448238.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2261" data-original-width="2951" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNHR5E7pbdW9rgtM77kuG7wT4GrzZgrFdRsJmwSamxQieyVQxhjDRjuvzLfSW3pVxfEl7lqwCORY13a8e2xZr4KPEZcCDNR0wve6OZYL6A3nDhIkl8kaZU-6Anq8-qjFLtqKqCZ0rd9KSWgNFQ3pNL1Qiyc3rbUW0022JYfn4IJ007Kqld-isuK9M8DQ/w400-h306/PXL_20230531_225448238.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJRv0nso6aPOsHnGWADmizBeY5q08gjbB92vvJl0cvC4iZ2j6CknrdMi6P_vqYjZD0I6kvdSblwk2u2UB361gnQHr1mTZTebczL67D-Wq_x6sOD3dBq5I_aFpuQ69XRoMjDOXqgYarE9aZ75BmS0aMSwvh6pwU4GO0QDT6ScszWgQZRNsmhsKoEkpkUQ/s1751/PXL_20230531_220003260.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1054" data-original-width="1751" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJRv0nso6aPOsHnGWADmizBeY5q08gjbB92vvJl0cvC4iZ2j6CknrdMi6P_vqYjZD0I6kvdSblwk2u2UB361gnQHr1mTZTebczL67D-Wq_x6sOD3dBq5I_aFpuQ69XRoMjDOXqgYarE9aZ75BmS0aMSwvh6pwU4GO0QDT6ScszWgQZRNsmhsKoEkpkUQ/w400-h241/PXL_20230531_220003260.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4wpMbFdupUNpftg37xSacJrQSNOMnsOdzNoclAq24A1KEjjFJ122A_nZjzdALdAE7m2Nn3EHASJ3NDjaVkwhogQXXCnrvZUkfufYwGEhhUqJaPIWQ9gFbTf7EDYa5MYjYlx6UN0oXtrMgME1BgoCqdqCJtYxfghif9CndbXUmJSwceXnR3E0FhanBqg/s3286/PXL_20230531_213806144.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3286" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4wpMbFdupUNpftg37xSacJrQSNOMnsOdzNoclAq24A1KEjjFJ122A_nZjzdALdAE7m2Nn3EHASJ3NDjaVkwhogQXXCnrvZUkfufYwGEhhUqJaPIWQ9gFbTf7EDYa5MYjYlx6UN0oXtrMgME1BgoCqdqCJtYxfghif9CndbXUmJSwceXnR3E0FhanBqg/w400-h276/PXL_20230531_213806144.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK6zhE006rCpELQn1dzmMCIK1vzngP8NTlXj5LSDXvoMMuqHxTELywH-VwyYhTl5HI323aNhv230DdggVu-h7xzyq5tl6FZeqGxao_n2h240uv3MA2lq13qTZwz6eWG-H7l3taAFv1UrKMwSmeLDRwEKfu9ZnskL1QEfusIhM9-Ho66KmSzlCFG9FJlw/s3647/PXL_20230531_225807163.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2103" data-original-width="3647" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK6zhE006rCpELQn1dzmMCIK1vzngP8NTlXj5LSDXvoMMuqHxTELywH-VwyYhTl5HI323aNhv230DdggVu-h7xzyq5tl6FZeqGxao_n2h240uv3MA2lq13qTZwz6eWG-H7l3taAFv1UrKMwSmeLDRwEKfu9ZnskL1QEfusIhM9-Ho66KmSzlCFG9FJlw/w400-h231/PXL_20230531_225807163.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>On Thursday, after doing some work on the laptops, we headed out for an afternoon excursion to Annapolis, which is only about 45 minutes away from University Park. During the drive I noticed that there seemed to be a lot of pollution in the sky, but I figured that big-city traffic was the culprit. But once we got to Annapolis it became clear that the haze was something else, and as we later learned it was the smoke from the hundreds of Canadian wildfires that would haunt the entire East Coast for the next week in unprecedented ways.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP4v8vtRW4YjUAoCBoa-PMaCkuA87dB-3jZPm_Ar64ScG4X2BWP_uMvJqckP9bfUV4IaOC88ifRlXUrZg2yX5p3e8133kivEOIW2iBiG68NFWg7lZl_uymBP92yR4D7A6UlOi0i0SCBj5KMmMi3-CsRgxwid6x_CTuQRKZFVsoHCUsV0HTWY967c7v8w/s3539/PXL_20230601_184731121.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1986" data-original-width="3539" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP4v8vtRW4YjUAoCBoa-PMaCkuA87dB-3jZPm_Ar64ScG4X2BWP_uMvJqckP9bfUV4IaOC88ifRlXUrZg2yX5p3e8133kivEOIW2iBiG68NFWg7lZl_uymBP92yR4D7A6UlOi0i0SCBj5KMmMi3-CsRgxwid6x_CTuQRKZFVsoHCUsV0HTWY967c7v8w/w400-h225/PXL_20230601_184731121.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEAGVOX70PnmCHs-emHcbg88kXOOOjDVYxdfDR5mDnR_bdQiM4cOB3MAW_YcKquBirKEVeFFW8-swWr8qOfH5Quij-GbhD6zr5dSSGJ6r7TpQENV5ov765LHoWRyJo4hPhEjWs1N0emDfwG7x1-qaaSDSseSmpYGYp0PoNggGH-kh0ReDmryrtai5Edg/s3164/PXL_20230601_185052299.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3164" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEAGVOX70PnmCHs-emHcbg88kXOOOjDVYxdfDR5mDnR_bdQiM4cOB3MAW_YcKquBirKEVeFFW8-swWr8qOfH5Quij-GbhD6zr5dSSGJ6r7TpQENV5ov765LHoWRyJo4hPhEjWs1N0emDfwG7x1-qaaSDSseSmpYGYp0PoNggGH-kh0ReDmryrtai5Edg/w400-h286/PXL_20230601_185052299.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3391C5EBwxAo7hbdySvZtyodgL1fXzXMkYBOKM3cyGF7-aBohTTDzp4CvWouHK5lTFV62SZZ0-7ejwjA3I-hRIjqCkw8AMWMbyeJz60qBF-IqLox062RR5sObtHnUAMHI6FRlYDoYBDZSQHZ87_0s-0PUiScq9jpJyDanV4XaBbRFbQyNInxr_Q8jpw/s2860/PXL_20230601_185518054.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2860" data-original-width="2225" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3391C5EBwxAo7hbdySvZtyodgL1fXzXMkYBOKM3cyGF7-aBohTTDzp4CvWouHK5lTFV62SZZ0-7ejwjA3I-hRIjqCkw8AMWMbyeJz60qBF-IqLox062RR5sObtHnUAMHI6FRlYDoYBDZSQHZ87_0s-0PUiScq9jpJyDanV4XaBbRFbQyNInxr_Q8jpw/w311-h400/PXL_20230601_185518054.jpg" width="311" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqP0-3rvCREoDzbYDU2a8UF-hVrem61OSNer5iVQx2_w_9PI4QbPGgn37alU7juSoRhkTUBgiAH86aeSmX_OlBXljMjRahWj3xT78kHTwNbpsq_xCGwP712NMcVyeQQFEXzQ92L7SlUaRCNODyQNh1ndLL1xcz_H4CX7Yq9b2e3hTPOU-dOt37gq86Q/s4032/PXL_20230601_192601177.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqP0-3rvCREoDzbYDU2a8UF-hVrem61OSNer5iVQx2_w_9PI4QbPGgn37alU7juSoRhkTUBgiAH86aeSmX_OlBXljMjRahWj3xT78kHTwNbpsq_xCGwP712NMcVyeQQFEXzQ92L7SlUaRCNODyQNh1ndLL1xcz_H4CX7Yq9b2e3hTPOU-dOt37gq86Q/w400-h225/PXL_20230601_192601177.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirLDjXY1LEgKE3OK5ASm8U67Qx4kiY5uwWt4k94pKKpoY0adMGc-2N_ulS2kZ1Cy3FmWZb0OYOi5qzhnzf1HFC9S4GFyJOEPcr3HdIPnKO5NsvVMo87cX1_VgQIeB16fyq-cVPHME2FK0kwy-jG8CD5rm8_zhK0sIQ2mRw78IIFJ3-9QrxrDcJb6BDoQ/s2855/PXL_20230601_201416216~3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="2855" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirLDjXY1LEgKE3OK5ASm8U67Qx4kiY5uwWt4k94pKKpoY0adMGc-2N_ulS2kZ1Cy3FmWZb0OYOi5qzhnzf1HFC9S4GFyJOEPcr3HdIPnKO5NsvVMo87cX1_VgQIeB16fyq-cVPHME2FK0kwy-jG8CD5rm8_zhK0sIQ2mRw78IIFJ3-9QrxrDcJb6BDoQ/w400-h318/PXL_20230601_201416216~3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Jared is a history buff, and he enjoyed playing tour guide for me. We found a parking spot close to the water, and for several hours we walked through Annapolis and the grounds of the Naval Academy. Jared pointed out part of the course of one of the larger races that he has worked here many times, and I enjoyed walking along the waterfront, despite the smoke that started to affect our eyes. To add insult to injury, the entire town suddenly lost all electricity and we didn't even have a chance to have a beer in a brewpub because neither one of us had any cash and the credit card machines didn't work. As a matter of fact, most shops and restaurants had simply closed for the rest of the afternoon. Let's not tell those cyber-attackers how vulnerable we have become!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18OAIdjG3a6j5IVFwZYMiCURR7iY45NBdg7CKRajY3LJ_DvobNRcAj_pu9yxJmwqWpYuW-97gh3Jpphh4tq01eUPOnfFi2LzqwfdTWeL98OAXrdZEQFTM2qDaPJNVoZDRdxpO8qoIpbTK-f4SMjcbbCjQEeOQUr05rqniwj89kxPoMxkLAeKK7pb4VA/s4032/PXL_20230601_195541496.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18OAIdjG3a6j5IVFwZYMiCURR7iY45NBdg7CKRajY3LJ_DvobNRcAj_pu9yxJmwqWpYuW-97gh3Jpphh4tq01eUPOnfFi2LzqwfdTWeL98OAXrdZEQFTM2qDaPJNVoZDRdxpO8qoIpbTK-f4SMjcbbCjQEeOQUr05rqniwj89kxPoMxkLAeKK7pb4VA/w400-h225/PXL_20230601_195541496.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3BKo2Q0BR1QQ8Nt56deiFkhvlwSCCC4iHMRLyTw0IXoE3F5aqNksBy8d2zzi_YjhtKNbGQmuHt5tOiKTHvz8VmOTIp608LK9MyI5oQMGALG8LIpszraWdb667fu8IFFfww5c6H75NJzw7f-strVlr0tPIj8ABBq6pjAK81lzme278GPBvrRiVf3w6Bg/s3190/PXL_20230601_194109061.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1792" data-original-width="3190" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3BKo2Q0BR1QQ8Nt56deiFkhvlwSCCC4iHMRLyTw0IXoE3F5aqNksBy8d2zzi_YjhtKNbGQmuHt5tOiKTHvz8VmOTIp608LK9MyI5oQMGALG8LIpszraWdb667fu8IFFfww5c6H75NJzw7f-strVlr0tPIj8ABBq6pjAK81lzme278GPBvrRiVf3w6Bg/w400-h225/PXL_20230601_194109061.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMuiLqdD2OmIIlWXsLV4d4X5xMgiQ_FXI4Dqfri73UAh9lgas4D_28FBaty25YQPUKorsM95oyhUa_z1fIZ6XWURS3f8eNi0ZzrVhO-Q2qGsy9CzncwLPbqmLmuMlp2GnkybSdfMUrAkpX9i3SFVnc0khsIinasipS3r-eAdYYqZ2neaiUFIItaTTv9g/s3506/PXL_20230601_185712068.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3506" data-original-width="2259" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMuiLqdD2OmIIlWXsLV4d4X5xMgiQ_FXI4Dqfri73UAh9lgas4D_28FBaty25YQPUKorsM95oyhUa_z1fIZ6XWURS3f8eNi0ZzrVhO-Q2qGsy9CzncwLPbqmLmuMlp2GnkybSdfMUrAkpX9i3SFVnc0khsIinasipS3r-eAdYYqZ2neaiUFIItaTTv9g/s320/PXL_20230601_185712068.jpg" width="206" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgokL5CiXZuu3gTCoVaZL4Ke_NG-6qmRWcEoU42_PJPGJcyDbrLIkAzX8mgwn2OXO6Za5tRVjaqorvfIGq12sulBG2mjJyTF2vEPlIzE0yx4A5G6usQy_DizBOCSDxQYbQiDJ9xzmuzJ6PZC1xfif_tiT0GOLOh998OyAcQYKaQCgzkqK-lz5ave9UHVg/s4032/PXL_20230601_191008070.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgokL5CiXZuu3gTCoVaZL4Ke_NG-6qmRWcEoU42_PJPGJcyDbrLIkAzX8mgwn2OXO6Za5tRVjaqorvfIGq12sulBG2mjJyTF2vEPlIzE0yx4A5G6usQy_DizBOCSDxQYbQiDJ9xzmuzJ6PZC1xfif_tiT0GOLOh998OyAcQYKaQCgzkqK-lz5ave9UHVg/w400-h225/PXL_20230601_191008070.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8f5kGH4Zv1Tq9ydlGaAdPve1q6OxtbT5LPH1-reVcL2QDRtHIoBcY4ehJYyGuPrX4SAxh_qast1YSQuWxE_yuo8mbCWPrwx4OeD_hiGc4LSVJ9UVGiKq8utp8kff3sbld147JngZ4X4nhreAGr_EjQSBlnmRk-OC2QFGt_ScUPPwBxf5XyOHM4aQnOA/s3469/PXL_20230601_193746495.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3469" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8f5kGH4Zv1Tq9ydlGaAdPve1q6OxtbT5LPH1-reVcL2QDRtHIoBcY4ehJYyGuPrX4SAxh_qast1YSQuWxE_yuo8mbCWPrwx4OeD_hiGc4LSVJ9UVGiKq8utp8kff3sbld147JngZ4X4nhreAGr_EjQSBlnmRk-OC2QFGt_ScUPPwBxf5XyOHM4aQnOA/w400-h261/PXL_20230601_193746495.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUWD_Dfh5_0GcaaNY33P4Rah2Nl2MGX4tMfRaMWfr3UnyXIcnbPLncKZIqWLUyfEmQE09qp_j9QdFq_djRyo6IXdnmlnOy_zksVo-crzz3kRn0FaCm2OxbuwYWIE2k8uGtm3xeoHIa1A3OumEYGm-I8c3ik0ZXVHV72fPoYjgUbJsyGNXP-8a2ZF-NVQ/s4032/PXL_20230601_202544494.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUWD_Dfh5_0GcaaNY33P4Rah2Nl2MGX4tMfRaMWfr3UnyXIcnbPLncKZIqWLUyfEmQE09qp_j9QdFq_djRyo6IXdnmlnOy_zksVo-crzz3kRn0FaCm2OxbuwYWIE2k8uGtm3xeoHIa1A3OumEYGm-I8c3ik0ZXVHV72fPoYjgUbJsyGNXP-8a2ZF-NVQ/w400-h225/PXL_20230601_202544494.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>Friday morning it was time to pack the car and head down the 250 miles to the race site in Virginia. Hazy skies accompanied us for at least half of the distance, severely affecting the vista of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Still, it was a pretty drive that went smoothly, except a car losing a mountain bike right in front of us at 75 mph and us missing the bouncing bike by inches. We were able to alert the driver a few miles down the interstate—he and his passenger hadn't even noticed that one of their bikes was missing. Not a good way to start your weekend.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO8LGutMi-GUxkMV0LlxR0oEAEFBzFlqcBCy1cP82iddF54lzQKlWOl89x84rXtRt3buJZOl1BKXuy8SnodV7GTwgEzTl1VeWyOexDg5O89ZRYjtKf3e8VHVMPrhCp5qJ5-FnkJEgJnArJz9Ri-ISFbnINetzqcGWfK89m3ixMTmxzAd53__v18Zbuzw/s4032/PXL_20230602_135552733.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO8LGutMi-GUxkMV0LlxR0oEAEFBzFlqcBCy1cP82iddF54lzQKlWOl89x84rXtRt3buJZOl1BKXuy8SnodV7GTwgEzTl1VeWyOexDg5O89ZRYjtKf3e8VHVMPrhCp5qJ5-FnkJEgJnArJz9Ri-ISFbnINetzqcGWfK89m3ixMTmxzAd53__v18Zbuzw/w225-h400/PXL_20230602_135552733.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcsnO6FVizEDF5sCnSEtDiBsQWBu44EDrBASyNxBG4yNxcFRh0LlHZt0wRNG-CZUhbxeEnlqNGLforWJC3W2omQYGZnzq_ac2U1jvb6zKAAlPvaRBsLL8cI44RJOEl6zdrJOm_ntzw8-Gd2sbwBTA3K63b-_IS39u2nqUrpzzjqqDoxtU9GQN1TgJDUA/s4032/PXL_20230602_143630746.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcsnO6FVizEDF5sCnSEtDiBsQWBu44EDrBASyNxBG4yNxcFRh0LlHZt0wRNG-CZUhbxeEnlqNGLforWJC3W2omQYGZnzq_ac2U1jvb6zKAAlPvaRBsLL8cI44RJOEl6zdrJOm_ntzw8-Gd2sbwBTA3K63b-_IS39u2nqUrpzzjqqDoxtU9GQN1TgJDUA/w400-h225/PXL_20230602_143630746.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYmf6ABmqziuY9f8NiLEprnYwXE1BrhmXEWx45MDoho543d-kShlircyCIUbRUVoZWMIpIG56Sv41sc3LXqHd142pCscKV4NHXdJtM_xi5KFHTiakkwQ5qtHhRYHEE4Ne-dXX3yak43bukc9_bJXEdZs33xaIjc0pYzWsiEVskOb-naFfFOHl4vSPrFQ/s4032/PXL_20230602_160147284.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYmf6ABmqziuY9f8NiLEprnYwXE1BrhmXEWx45MDoho543d-kShlircyCIUbRUVoZWMIpIG56Sv41sc3LXqHd142pCscKV4NHXdJtM_xi5KFHTiakkwQ5qtHhRYHEE4Ne-dXX3yak43bukc9_bJXEdZs33xaIjc0pYzWsiEVskOb-naFfFOHl4vSPrFQ/w400-h225/PXL_20230602_160147284.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhCKyJaBX5QqWUR8baV9RBAPxJAlDZzG776mcejgdYWCa-v_PNCp5urLlOm-nMkRwAfhEbNVi2sAZ_i2qlhr5mjShYUEyfx9ogN4RVVv2pnWVWJ4LlgEuV3Fm-ps_0xayMGol8y62NAyLsU2L41CTOGgKb8MJn_GvUogsQqJ_RNWhhWHxIUsxh3fVnwA/s2636/PXL_20230602_193253539.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2636" data-original-width="1845" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhCKyJaBX5QqWUR8baV9RBAPxJAlDZzG776mcejgdYWCa-v_PNCp5urLlOm-nMkRwAfhEbNVi2sAZ_i2qlhr5mjShYUEyfx9ogN4RVVv2pnWVWJ4LlgEuV3Fm-ps_0xayMGol8y62NAyLsU2L41CTOGgKb8MJn_GvUogsQqJ_RNWhhWHxIUsxh3fVnwA/w280-h400/PXL_20230602_193253539.jpg" width="280" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Back in bubba country</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Once we had turned off I-81 and followed the winding State Highway 29 the skies finally cleared up. Time to celebrate with a quaff at one of numerous microbreweries along this route. Devil's Backbone Basecamp Brewpub was one of the larger (and more commercial) establishments, but they were open when we drove by, and Jared had planned this stop all along. Properly refreshed we drove the remaining miles to Danville's Angler's Park, the site of the UCI C3 mountain bike race to which we had been assigned. We introduced ourselves to the organizer, David, and then embarked on a course inspection of both the 1-mile short-track and the 3-miles cross-country courses. Thanks to a defective "serpentine belt," my old friend Justin, who was the PCP for this race, was stuck somewhere between his home in South Carolina and Danville, so Jared and I stood in. Well, I was the APCP (Assistant PCP) anyhow, in charge of the amateur events, and so I felt justified to charge for the course inspection. Nice to get paid for a beautiful walk in the forest!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji7BQbdccEtXKaf-oFnd9rjgFEs5aurxe3SMkGtNNRvEA1qCR1_ocPEhaD_POolhUd9k7qnA1IAghx9G4SS_uIxdgo1G0EDzfQVwwqYBVf9lSLV63VbcNIaiCzYaebmSS2_Z_1v3WN3WinJ6QCrHNOZFQj2yljoXmgKnqy48mDDkQVlc9b1G60S2aAlA/s4032/PXL_20230602_173737649.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji7BQbdccEtXKaf-oFnd9rjgFEs5aurxe3SMkGtNNRvEA1qCR1_ocPEhaD_POolhUd9k7qnA1IAghx9G4SS_uIxdgo1G0EDzfQVwwqYBVf9lSLV63VbcNIaiCzYaebmSS2_Z_1v3WN3WinJ6QCrHNOZFQj2yljoXmgKnqy48mDDkQVlc9b1G60S2aAlA/w400-h225/PXL_20230602_173737649.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOqJqoLBWgsN0zOXmR8tJn0MooSag9RYMZkHkwZ9q15nyC86Wd6VEPwmHdhgIfGNzsXcDl8xDZHVndvYF8KQ1PJV3UuyLrJCVhU5usZoRh-7pcmx2cUL2jSupy4F4c7p9EVuU7t-wlVEDTAr0YymTkCSfQ0ZG5KtgV1Rz81_wFbpzswOMQ_zHGgVGwOA/s4032/PXL_20230602_163109710.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOqJqoLBWgsN0zOXmR8tJn0MooSag9RYMZkHkwZ9q15nyC86Wd6VEPwmHdhgIfGNzsXcDl8xDZHVndvYF8KQ1PJV3UuyLrJCVhU5usZoRh-7pcmx2cUL2jSupy4F4c7p9EVuU7t-wlVEDTAr0YymTkCSfQ0ZG5KtgV1Rz81_wFbpzswOMQ_zHGgVGwOA/w400-h225/PXL_20230602_163109710.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc9Z_lTmD-fo_dWMW4TKxNYyVgGM56utFp2Jp1xOVZe3of-a74c5XhhS_zsUrMOeqL5q_h7Lm9WZIl4d8iVWxlqmkcr6WKCkBediWF7XL_uuIIHeUtoaIGvFdlkh27p5n8sTZVSWOOQAIKq3TunKNmXEyQFM-vqYzCrS4RvkVVopJIKAN_TiUoR1b6_g/s4032/PXL_20230602_220121391.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc9Z_lTmD-fo_dWMW4TKxNYyVgGM56utFp2Jp1xOVZe3of-a74c5XhhS_zsUrMOeqL5q_h7Lm9WZIl4d8iVWxlqmkcr6WKCkBediWF7XL_uuIIHeUtoaIGvFdlkh27p5n8sTZVSWOOQAIKq3TunKNmXEyQFM-vqYzCrS4RvkVVopJIKAN_TiUoR1b6_g/w225-h400/PXL_20230602_220121391.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWt-JWfutpPOihaO9ZPFApGvmoMP7gLNJ3f9JJgcwq71bHV_yRFkfzMiawRdAKde7xhTMLaAhJgRH8RgvfwRkIbFrwRRNFeO5vOr72SjyQ5g08fiSUP6kCvT20o4j8CnBWtp4UmGJqhgyZivdNfVk2kZIKCwMK7iXpdNb4kPm_iYSmWJaKiERG7Fd20A/s4032/PXL_20230602_202508203.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWt-JWfutpPOihaO9ZPFApGvmoMP7gLNJ3f9JJgcwq71bHV_yRFkfzMiawRdAKde7xhTMLaAhJgRH8RgvfwRkIbFrwRRNFeO5vOr72SjyQ5g08fiSUP6kCvT20o4j8CnBWtp4UmGJqhgyZivdNfVk2kZIKCwMK7iXpdNb4kPm_iYSmWJaKiERG7Fd20A/w400-h225/PXL_20230602_202508203.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEism_oX0LzwkzMUbU2IhdoQLWBaZWr0B529mukLt6v_sqc9izPlvxna7Djegp33ZpD8So1glSYFhyTCHX_k759OVs3BGSJKdxzLoz4Sqsf20kLpDh2NnortphhX1PsgkdcjCd5l9LNIOJ_MVKdNTDGpKmdn6ruWaBc9lqi1UgVR80ucIA0Ww-YbxfOYow/s4032/PXL_20230602_212300979.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEism_oX0LzwkzMUbU2IhdoQLWBaZWr0B529mukLt6v_sqc9izPlvxna7Djegp33ZpD8So1glSYFhyTCHX_k759OVs3BGSJKdxzLoz4Sqsf20kLpDh2NnortphhX1PsgkdcjCd5l9LNIOJ_MVKdNTDGpKmdn6ruWaBc9lqi1UgVR80ucIA0Ww-YbxfOYow/w225-h400/PXL_20230602_212300979.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGVxJydw4IbYaCxDEqOf4SmgaUcfzPikujncPd56zTcmZLrnKriSD10N5YakQqEM5lUOeXYk3h8pWrumHnh-rF7O1W00tLpjJWo5TOhpCGAnSvJtWAi58sJBA102R4N5ZMlDsiRKWCCdiE4AGujHpcPbK32duxNq5vPmdSjOH_-2fI0km3okB7oXRGKw/s4032/PXL_20230602_220333841.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGVxJydw4IbYaCxDEqOf4SmgaUcfzPikujncPd56zTcmZLrnKriSD10N5YakQqEM5lUOeXYk3h8pWrumHnh-rF7O1W00tLpjJWo5TOhpCGAnSvJtWAi58sJBA102R4N5ZMlDsiRKWCCdiE4AGujHpcPbK32duxNq5vPmdSjOH_-2fI0km3okB7oXRGKw/w400-h225/PXL_20230602_220333841.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>David had rented a ridiculously expensive Airbnb in downtown Danville for the crew. When he had sent us the Airbnb information a couple of days ahead of the race it had become clear that the two-bedroom apartment would be fine for two people but not four unrelated adults, of whom two were females—the two pull-out couches in the living room weren't even that, and with no private workspace Jared could have never fulfilled his secretarial duties, which involve late-night computer work to create startlists and upload results in the correct format. So, David had rented a hotel room for Vicki and Amy, who had flown to Raleigh/Durham earlier in the day and then driven a rental car to Danville. Well, the hotel (which had receive an inexplicable 4.9 out of 5 on Expedia) turned out to be of such iffy quality that David had to put up the two females of our USAC crew in a different place. It was all a pretty big mess.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghFLN3JxfWsub6VnpczGFZH1E1UwlO3wsVkLCo-St4GX08-dFa7CVhU0hYoR6URUUEZqsUAiociWSat2mRrntilRVyjjGjZfmTq6x2BcuTQ2FSs0C1b5kgvGISssjpB6KMoonkXpCDVGCubF3HqBuOjzALqaRKRlWd9w1oivnOIPniqrT0cQdOqOX60A/s4032/PXL_20230603_225526026.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghFLN3JxfWsub6VnpczGFZH1E1UwlO3wsVkLCo-St4GX08-dFa7CVhU0hYoR6URUUEZqsUAiociWSat2mRrntilRVyjjGjZfmTq6x2BcuTQ2FSs0C1b5kgvGISssjpB6KMoonkXpCDVGCubF3HqBuOjzALqaRKRlWd9w1oivnOIPniqrT0cQdOqOX60A/w225-h400/PXL_20230603_225526026.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpZwo40qnVjKPQRvcYAWcMnIFBwyI7NMLCKXQ-5I9HsbfP3T2gdrdDo4i9cjYWsSn0nzeVGCcOcQcLHiwIq0fQOAsFk19MrQmDfAQByT81WK8uTOFVYMCEKTb-Z-NCSv92Ikvn88yYywiGtGf4LsQf5cKfnXVrSXsvkt2x7xsljH3oZmlOHAMYKUDzUA/s4032/PXL_20230602_234027089.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpZwo40qnVjKPQRvcYAWcMnIFBwyI7NMLCKXQ-5I9HsbfP3T2gdrdDo4i9cjYWsSn0nzeVGCcOcQcLHiwIq0fQOAsFk19MrQmDfAQByT81WK8uTOFVYMCEKTb-Z-NCSv92Ikvn88yYywiGtGf4LsQf5cKfnXVrSXsvkt2x7xsljH3oZmlOHAMYKUDzUA/w225-h400/PXL_20230602_234027089.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1O4XQOzyVHad0Lnk4uxS3SRdP_I1uiZP4FH9VG4M8Tp3dRCYLN0V7DFYEnDNQsrEaa2qM0Ni8p1P-C-acRAshD_sFjiAEMRs_4_UYKgLCrWLtS6WtXPxnQPY-RFtV0GC_FpOmpDBugxPBH4jq2EV-pVQHzqSxeaY3vc1Kp0fa4HraQD7HbujRyBZZTQ/s4032/PXL_20230603_015350138.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1O4XQOzyVHad0Lnk4uxS3SRdP_I1uiZP4FH9VG4M8Tp3dRCYLN0V7DFYEnDNQsrEaa2qM0Ni8p1P-C-acRAshD_sFjiAEMRs_4_UYKgLCrWLtS6WtXPxnQPY-RFtV0GC_FpOmpDBugxPBH4jq2EV-pVQHzqSxeaY3vc1Kp0fa4HraQD7HbujRyBZZTQ/w400-h225/PXL_20230603_015350138.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>When people hear "UCI race" they immediately have visions of productions equalling World Cups and the Grand Tours. Well, let me tell you, that's not always the case. Being inscribed as a UCI race means that the organizer is expected to provide a hefty prize-list, that the required officials (who usually don't live close-by) are hired, and that UCI regulations are supposed to be followed to a T. Ideally, lots and lots of professional riders will flock to the event and pay their entry fees, and the amateur racers will coattail. At least that's the hope and desire of every race director. David runs a well-respected race series on the east coast, but like so many smaller organizers he tries to do too many things himself and doesn't delegate as much as needed. A certain lack of understanding what the UCI expectations are further hampers the entire production. Under these circumstances, it was rather impressive that we were able to start every race on time and that the results were error free at the end of the day. Our crew of five (Justin, who eventually made it to Danville in a rental car, was responsible only for the UCI categories and not the amateurs) worked an extremely chaotic and hectic Saturday, while Sunday was a breeze since fewer than 75 (!) pros in total started in the cross-country events that day. We all felt kinda sorry for the race director who had had to spend literally thousands of dollars on the officiating crew when two officials could have run the show by themselves, with ease.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCgga3repJz-h3pza1hHOuVjeGpnkgaxIwKroJtpqNKj-feSyVqLakIscYOnUl6NKF7dFKeTvnoz-fRlnkfZcFzhApotd5dqOxVpXKHTkBhXG5QQ6iof7TUqQ77lwOw_Lg46tny_o_bDiJJFhro92p7w01fGBNUBoJ7lyil3ZA7eEMnd2uI0nWMBwPkg/s4032/PXL_20230603_200055019.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCgga3repJz-h3pza1hHOuVjeGpnkgaxIwKroJtpqNKj-feSyVqLakIscYOnUl6NKF7dFKeTvnoz-fRlnkfZcFzhApotd5dqOxVpXKHTkBhXG5QQ6iof7TUqQ77lwOw_Lg46tny_o_bDiJJFhro92p7w01fGBNUBoJ7lyil3ZA7eEMnd2uI0nWMBwPkg/w400-h225/PXL_20230603_200055019.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgziTNnKC5X9muoDwcKS9_4spORAOHkNdkW4SYYPcHgDxLScP53BDVjCKFxqgLAzZM1q2h9nn2k__PxKYg_94zdEeESwFeHUSozXRMfIbxvDKo_fx0d2CrkSyffGxmQ8fOVjUQdqcpgqFOkj3wVCVaop3mNsqhURLD4JCAA3sJEgHcEEfkJhwxPDmc6Qg/s2107/PXL_20230603_183915620~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1751" data-original-width="2107" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgziTNnKC5X9muoDwcKS9_4spORAOHkNdkW4SYYPcHgDxLScP53BDVjCKFxqgLAzZM1q2h9nn2k__PxKYg_94zdEeESwFeHUSozXRMfIbxvDKo_fx0d2CrkSyffGxmQ8fOVjUQdqcpgqFOkj3wVCVaop3mNsqhURLD4JCAA3sJEgHcEEfkJhwxPDmc6Qg/w400-h333/PXL_20230603_183915620~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFm0F6NSloc_W4ySF3KbbZO0gyF-DdOjKEPCd2e84tNff8SGnlIXh-C2yhuPcTPsqDblyVV1gAp5TBwcFAQtehhodWYp7EzwENEp6q5FctLENBZp3YV0Z2Rt3YncqoSnlJ8kMZbXYOy9pK08n3TLr0_Jwe1XtfqP8t7v7NzBfZSPyGZBIhoEtBq0mlxA/s3539/PXL_20230603_133652737~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2175" data-original-width="3539" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFm0F6NSloc_W4ySF3KbbZO0gyF-DdOjKEPCd2e84tNff8SGnlIXh-C2yhuPcTPsqDblyVV1gAp5TBwcFAQtehhodWYp7EzwENEp6q5FctLENBZp3YV0Z2Rt3YncqoSnlJ8kMZbXYOy9pK08n3TLr0_Jwe1XtfqP8t7v7NzBfZSPyGZBIhoEtBq0mlxA/w400-h246/PXL_20230603_133652737~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp0xF0u_8NMlN2BQ4S6qYng8FV2HJhQ5nCMyX1ZK_FieM3UlZkHbWdEMBPCUsQ18cStCTmcAHiSIwWd83cNWgQ6ZeS-jWHJfi4Xpj9my7_U_npCHst_XRLezqZOs34mPVPgptJKlViLlu2ho_3NEP-1TlpD9pklLfJL7xO85U9HeI23V9N8oo-FNdiaA/s3466/PXL_20230603_132126843~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1833" data-original-width="3466" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp0xF0u_8NMlN2BQ4S6qYng8FV2HJhQ5nCMyX1ZK_FieM3UlZkHbWdEMBPCUsQ18cStCTmcAHiSIwWd83cNWgQ6ZeS-jWHJfi4Xpj9my7_U_npCHst_XRLezqZOs34mPVPgptJKlViLlu2ho_3NEP-1TlpD9pklLfJL7xO85U9HeI23V9N8oo-FNdiaA/w400-h211/PXL_20230603_132126843~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>Our Airbnb was located right above a small Burger & Beer joint with fair prices and good fare. The same could not be said for a wanna-be Mexican restaurant that turned out to be the only food option on Sunday night. Saturday, the entire crew had a mixed food experience at Bricktown Brewery. Lunches were Subway sandwiches on both race days, and breakfasts, well, there were overpriced sandwiches at the one-and-only Starbucks in town, and the Piggly Wiggly provided French bread and bologna. But nobody has ever said that working bike races is guaranteed to result in superior culinary experiences.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF9V1tnZmF-mNBPhZvdiZoZrQvFjHb9lqQJsdwFzWaqtmxhqrvn2KeNxu7Yxl4ShBPd-pn_3g8GwX9P--K52NHCBEZFn2sWh9RjKy9YUdevfSa14xsp5porb9SOapNjj3vi8puu5DQ7vsf0_9srASCCtksGMEWmTB6-l-z4uuI06Ktl63Jox4UxyEbtQ/s4032/PXL_20230603_214317571.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF9V1tnZmF-mNBPhZvdiZoZrQvFjHb9lqQJsdwFzWaqtmxhqrvn2KeNxu7Yxl4ShBPd-pn_3g8GwX9P--K52NHCBEZFn2sWh9RjKy9YUdevfSa14xsp5porb9SOapNjj3vi8puu5DQ7vsf0_9srASCCtksGMEWmTB6-l-z4uuI06Ktl63Jox4UxyEbtQ/w225-h400/PXL_20230603_214317571.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNfjOaP2n8x3qxmHZ-KWO4B4Y7ZIgC-Uxc4YvGYeljqu4LJhKMXns9nmz0nVijSdW6Q7NYcdH5WZzBuu0DoMTOTMAO1slpPwltcM203ztt1lhT-5o2n2on1Eoqmbv7if5Mt52X8VrD6SMafxW9t4D3a5ZPIfNMv-NXJnNYlOdbQIKM-crnd76IYm66Lw/s4032/PXL_20230604_010637239.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNfjOaP2n8x3qxmHZ-KWO4B4Y7ZIgC-Uxc4YvGYeljqu4LJhKMXns9nmz0nVijSdW6Q7NYcdH5WZzBuu0DoMTOTMAO1slpPwltcM203ztt1lhT-5o2n2on1Eoqmbv7if5Mt52X8VrD6SMafxW9t4D3a5ZPIfNMv-NXJnNYlOdbQIKM-crnd76IYm66Lw/w400-h225/PXL_20230604_010637239.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Even at dinner Jared was massaging data</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGemFTZ4wqkvUp1-Qth9rvjIHvAlFhEmEdhL63_Ag-qcNkyZ9_jq-Djlcz2-gfeIQS-2y9KjwP9Df0ae1ArQHcVZ63RNNDpRjufBYmKpdiOZ8X-uO8waQgZryUERzT0rT1RnL1zlPPox7YV0BvBEgR35eXkytubGg8xiH37_CPOigczSBe4yAxedq9Ig/s4032/PXL_20230603_214348313.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGemFTZ4wqkvUp1-Qth9rvjIHvAlFhEmEdhL63_Ag-qcNkyZ9_jq-Djlcz2-gfeIQS-2y9KjwP9Df0ae1ArQHcVZ63RNNDpRjufBYmKpdiOZ8X-uO8waQgZryUERzT0rT1RnL1zlPPox7YV0BvBEgR35eXkytubGg8xiH37_CPOigczSBe4yAxedq9Ig/w400-h225/PXL_20230603_214348313.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Monday morning, Jared and I loaded the car and drove back north, this time on a slightly different route through Richmond. With enough time before I had to be dropped off at the DCA airport, we had a final beer at Brew Republic Bierwerks in Woodbridge, another one of those well-funded, modern watering holes in a new, totally artificial shopping area surrounded by newly built cookie-cutter townhomes that sell for $750,000. It was time to go home.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrMr1vnFULon5n7EKA3KtwsUtUNdlGqDCrl6xG_f1r6ROaN5zjVboT_w-nT3s890KNIvH-NohdPPI0RM1jq8uShvQ-GiVAbjbBP3Y9me_moQaMyP2_xtBPYfsTgB6CQYWXeJ_Ottu3b8ZOwv3Gm11x_k6LB1VdIxppbjvPIvAba1j1BGCGyJHu525gvg/s4032/PXL_20230605_172918036.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrMr1vnFULon5n7EKA3KtwsUtUNdlGqDCrl6xG_f1r6ROaN5zjVboT_w-nT3s890KNIvH-NohdPPI0RM1jq8uShvQ-GiVAbjbBP3Y9me_moQaMyP2_xtBPYfsTgB6CQYWXeJ_Ottu3b8ZOwv3Gm11x_k6LB1VdIxppbjvPIvAba1j1BGCGyJHu525gvg/w400-h225/PXL_20230605_172918036.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSCnEMVFW2D4JPyeCAQfAl2Mk-8przX3XbnzZImaUjtNyXaMEh5ZqOnFLjSLl3cvru5HQc3nlsxfTbK0CmoyUFRul5qklQ_YY5ykuR5mdYzrHJPyRAF-NVymH0urUL_o183KHsZwH2I0TdYuto6mSUwkog5gTOqc6rGwNaB8ws6DUSemjShsyLlESog/s4032/PXL_20230605_172717412.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSCnEMVFW2D4JPyeCAQfAl2Mk-8przX3XbnzZImaUjtNyXaMEh5ZqOnFLjSLl3cvru5HQc3nlsxfTbK0CmoyUFRul5qklQ_YY5ykuR5mdYzrHJPyRAF-NVymH0urUL_o183KHsZwH2I0TdYuto6mSUwkog5gTOqc6rGwNaB8ws6DUSemjShsyLlESog/w225-h400/PXL_20230605_172717412.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGwdmxqujdz151AcVhXCxAKs0j8-0eZ7gegoWr20oqHjAc2Azp1Jo8Fz_L6MdaG2I6CNo_hgesFy-p-D8-sB0HA8U539cQmGf7vR6luy9IvfTwAPPgMGVEifYJfgaOuef9YNX8l5X2mtibgLsUn36I2U9H61hh5Gm-o-CFv8CxXutTCGn_94L4S_vNCA/s3912/PXL_20230605_201226681markup.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2201" data-original-width="3912" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGwdmxqujdz151AcVhXCxAKs0j8-0eZ7gegoWr20oqHjAc2Azp1Jo8Fz_L6MdaG2I6CNo_hgesFy-p-D8-sB0HA8U539cQmGf7vR6luy9IvfTwAPPgMGVEifYJfgaOuef9YNX8l5X2mtibgLsUn36I2U9H61hh5Gm-o-CFv8CxXutTCGn_94L4S_vNCA/w400-h225/PXL_20230605_201226681markup.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Washington Monument and Capitol seen from the new <br />Admiral's Club at DCA's Terminal E</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Jared had been conservative in calculating the time needed to get to DCA, and so there was enough time for me to leisurely check in and enjoy one of AA's newest lounges in Terminal E. My flights had been upgraded, and for once they were on time so that I made it home a little before midnight, after much travel during the preceding two weeks. It felt good to finally be back in my own bed.</div><div><br /></div>Jürgen</div>Jürgenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03107533431710748040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023527478729548228.post-72562989594824169692023-05-26T10:45:00.000-05:002023-05-26T10:45:32.595-05:00A quick getaway week to—once again—Puerto Vallarta, Mexico<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiThPcXvhfN2z-_VN5kA-mbpNcwMVxID00fl5ASsWEuFYcgWAzNqAwWlDjqGTLzJNRooGBIt9D4px_WwyLiHXB2k0RjwbZqo7chWdHxKJaf2d114gaRZeObqHGGcxdUSWqP5KGLZiYAdFfCKiUXWs8XBFlPD0UP_CIaWyqm-rvL9RMYi2pbYk7g8y0bNw/s3156/PXL_20230517_030154798~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3156" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiThPcXvhfN2z-_VN5kA-mbpNcwMVxID00fl5ASsWEuFYcgWAzNqAwWlDjqGTLzJNRooGBIt9D4px_WwyLiHXB2k0RjwbZqo7chWdHxKJaf2d114gaRZeObqHGGcxdUSWqP5KGLZiYAdFfCKiUXWs8XBFlPD0UP_CIaWyqm-rvL9RMYi2pbYk7g8y0bNw/w288-h400/PXL_20230517_030154798~2.jpg" width="288" /></a></div>After Barcelona and Panama and with two major races on the East Coast coming up you would have thought I'd spend a few extra days at home. But then I found a heck of a deal for a condo in Puerto Vallarta for a mere 7,500 RCI timeshare points (my annual allotment is 20,000), and what's the cost of yet another plane ticket when you're chasing AA's Loyalty Points? With the Ritchey cleaned up, packed, and ready to go it was all a no-brainer: PVR, here I come!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBn22zCIhUdniH_YYnMeCVqWHAROSORUmjPrE48qnk6BsvPR8aOr4yXpiI5yrnS7X6tm2sHKsXL6E_mkFXJNwsKPGD52U8WsyqHIoLqnyBRIMgUUGUCzH9I9q7H6uYT0HzRyQTFUpAVJ9V8BVzTjk3gnlUTpLyP9rWIma19uFm2guDapw31QBzL5vbzw/s4032/PXL_20230513_223522404.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBn22zCIhUdniH_YYnMeCVqWHAROSORUmjPrE48qnk6BsvPR8aOr4yXpiI5yrnS7X6tm2sHKsXL6E_mkFXJNwsKPGD52U8WsyqHIoLqnyBRIMgUUGUCzH9I9q7H6uYT0HzRyQTFUpAVJ9V8BVzTjk3gnlUTpLyP9rWIma19uFm2guDapw31QBzL5vbzw/w400-h225/PXL_20230513_223522404.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3rxC4ptowWul9uGPUW4avjpgGt5Vl3a07Hp_1q-phpmXRllmmPizZvJuKLwnC4rh4ZrqxPsUyxN37CRKXafTzSZHtzUpVz8QNjQ6sni6ePPBNKJFtpt5v7fMXeM_gZG_zwcjPsUxyDK6_60QkWoxDx359oFBFI60Toojrv0s8M_rxc4a76mpFJOpngA/s4032/PXL_20230513_223456082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3rxC4ptowWul9uGPUW4avjpgGt5Vl3a07Hp_1q-phpmXRllmmPizZvJuKLwnC4rh4ZrqxPsUyxN37CRKXafTzSZHtzUpVz8QNjQ6sni6ePPBNKJFtpt5v7fMXeM_gZG_zwcjPsUxyDK6_60QkWoxDx359oFBFI60Toojrv0s8M_rxc4a76mpFJOpngA/w400-h225/PXL_20230513_223456082.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzNFJ3tsdqAMssPvVfukvo7Qlg2A2sI-Cy0ueJS6uF4cB7_kKfrg1JerT3O_27guIXGi8vvRdCaTsMhUFu5G-2rj52-ydrD7K-oQyPDnPLwbbG82a0sh427iLfGi7DX6OqfrZ4vusMP4MiGNl6lmUMyOiQ7kAQ6kxjo5EMeyTu_U_ViI0sgLhS9hCNg/s4032/PXL_20230513_223648243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzNFJ3tsdqAMssPvVfukvo7Qlg2A2sI-Cy0ueJS6uF4cB7_kKfrg1JerT3O_27guIXGi8vvRdCaTsMhUFu5G-2rj52-ydrD7K-oQyPDnPLwbbG82a0sh427iLfGi7DX6OqfrZ4vusMP4MiGNl6lmUMyOiQ7kAQ6kxjo5EMeyTu_U_ViI0sgLhS9hCNg/w400-h225/PXL_20230513_223648243.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>I had been to Puerto Vallarta about a year-and-a-half ago, when I had rented a rather costly Airbnb on the north coast of the Bahia Banderas, in Bucerias. This time I was located just a hop and a skip away from PVR's lively <i>malecón </i>toward the south end of the bay. During my earlier stay I had ridden all the way down here just once because of the distance, so I was looking forward to exploring new territory.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfbP7J-yjGqREgKqTmVT4zii4n22mZUWRrfu6LDWCUZiVk8bE280XYKd9O0XtR6u70OM7bK5LKbBzF9Ii7wUYcQINyP2zid5NErWk7tA00c2KloNz_EIkTrrh1GOiBQSWeJjWi4EdYM6VtaPH1OiBeC3PWE5FfJ3DcY0s2QRmuwk2_e8ivEPHMb_YHgw/s4032/PXL_20230514_015355791.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfbP7J-yjGqREgKqTmVT4zii4n22mZUWRrfu6LDWCUZiVk8bE280XYKd9O0XtR6u70OM7bK5LKbBzF9Ii7wUYcQINyP2zid5NErWk7tA00c2KloNz_EIkTrrh1GOiBQSWeJjWi4EdYM6VtaPH1OiBeC3PWE5FfJ3DcY0s2QRmuwk2_e8ivEPHMb_YHgw/w400-h225/PXL_20230514_015355791.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRY1r5S5IJPYHYTEPAweylf5OEPQDO1Cg7KgnBzUJgv6abz2S4GOuMr9jlGCA07dMnrCS68AnjvKIeJxYZqj2I5js0lCWyy-CLkmIIDGuilG0-BQSnYbF-dQAipYIGs2wYu0Q_3avqGbQPCUVbOEcl8lc704Ju3Lfd0BYSXTBCGaZmlgu8CwG9kYX8jQ/s2637/PXL_20230514_021151494~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2637" data-original-width="2046" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRY1r5S5IJPYHYTEPAweylf5OEPQDO1Cg7KgnBzUJgv6abz2S4GOuMr9jlGCA07dMnrCS68AnjvKIeJxYZqj2I5js0lCWyy-CLkmIIDGuilG0-BQSnYbF-dQAipYIGs2wYu0Q_3avqGbQPCUVbOEcl8lc704Ju3Lfd0BYSXTBCGaZmlgu8CwG9kYX8jQ/w310-h400/PXL_20230514_021151494~2.jpg" width="310" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioxBq84I_wqy7AIucagBihzByTI5XAyny6TnMy9jiPdZ-lNd6CBTFSSnrxpyG-MzMVBW_qsYOwP-TNuL2jRNahEVLHWsa0UrwzcdhcBFRCfHqRYbPS21puMNkrnKoDa4LbPzlNm_x6gz-8U55aWv7mee8iZDHp5f6Q4n-8AwbJoRePYZfwpOuveNG6uw/s3717/PXL_20230514_015828548.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2085" data-original-width="3717" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioxBq84I_wqy7AIucagBihzByTI5XAyny6TnMy9jiPdZ-lNd6CBTFSSnrxpyG-MzMVBW_qsYOwP-TNuL2jRNahEVLHWsa0UrwzcdhcBFRCfHqRYbPS21puMNkrnKoDa4LbPzlNm_x6gz-8U55aWv7mee8iZDHp5f6Q4n-8AwbJoRePYZfwpOuveNG6uw/w400-h224/PXL_20230514_015828548.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Using RCI timeshare points is always fraught with ending up with one problem or another. The reviews for the Buganvilias Resort had forewarned me that RCI guests are second-class citizens when compared to owners of condos in this resort, and so I had sent off a friendly email beforehand trying to avert issues. The promised balcony never materialized, and like so many other people before me had experienced my three-room condo looked upon an empty gravel beach that is a nightly hangout for homeless people and young hooligans. But when I didn't look straight down but horizontally I saw the beautiful south coastline and the swells of the Pacific rolling in.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5BBSTp7T9tN8aeTrRcJvo-n-xcP670SEJzkzUAWUMTT1J0IecLBZiB4vpKTV7GjLYycd6ShYjyDZfaIbRVtw7MneR_UFEIvxL27IiYQf2aPO77VilJ73Xmg2DMWwwBd3Jlsm2u0khM286_3TGT7eobW3iyFk0dm8-f5Orv8GgZh7WdLgX8XfCH9y7-g/s3386/PXL_20230519_042955338.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3386" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5BBSTp7T9tN8aeTrRcJvo-n-xcP670SEJzkzUAWUMTT1J0IecLBZiB4vpKTV7GjLYycd6ShYjyDZfaIbRVtw7MneR_UFEIvxL27IiYQf2aPO77VilJ73Xmg2DMWwwBd3Jlsm2u0khM286_3TGT7eobW3iyFk0dm8-f5Orv8GgZh7WdLgX8XfCH9y7-g/w268-h400/PXL_20230519_042955338.jpg" width="268" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirlbBVctUYZVGbmaEkaWQwEannnTxQLYNHH0RAoS_3ovumsrYkz70uJ3QUF2TPhvLSwtWNAoxK3UBm_DDfngP3H5_4PLqjNzjZyY8mCcpi736czi-orYE9qnerZq7gbkqyQhlFQ0SK4rMPGHr9YKfC_zwiwA0NzFCeqUHtS9KMqJ9c7uoHQzwJlz8h1g/s4032/PXL_20230519_195346292.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirlbBVctUYZVGbmaEkaWQwEannnTxQLYNHH0RAoS_3ovumsrYkz70uJ3QUF2TPhvLSwtWNAoxK3UBm_DDfngP3H5_4PLqjNzjZyY8mCcpi736czi-orYE9qnerZq7gbkqyQhlFQ0SK4rMPGHr9YKfC_zwiwA0NzFCeqUHtS9KMqJ9c7uoHQzwJlz8h1g/w400-h225/PXL_20230519_195346292.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Trash, shady elements, and nightly police visits in front of my window <br />at the posh RCI resort</span></td></tr></tbody></table>This view of the ocean was not the only plus of my digs: It was the sound of the waves! Even with the windows closed (and thus the AC running) there was the powerful sound of the swell, and most nights I actually kept the window in my bedroom open (using the curtains as a mosquito netting) and the crashing waves drowned out any partying sounds from the locals or the occasional cop sirens. So, it was the usual story: Make the best of what you've got, and if it's good, make it even better.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv7iChCQBplpmGWAsIYhIwQMcmQhrbu7OUjX1WqjeXFQsfaWowm3sT3C-BfUA1KkOvs9E8xLL8JYEcq8EK7KUdyr2rK0mMO4hHLfBPL1JD3rQ_iK1OqBC4ulYnEPO605Hq4mqT2qSN2otfAs7DNSYH7jNttKGNygz0k2LkkwKXpi3EpQdWna60asIeTw/s2016/IMG-20230515-WA0021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1134" data-original-width="2016" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv7iChCQBplpmGWAsIYhIwQMcmQhrbu7OUjX1WqjeXFQsfaWowm3sT3C-BfUA1KkOvs9E8xLL8JYEcq8EK7KUdyr2rK0mMO4hHLfBPL1JD3rQ_iK1OqBC4ulYnEPO605Hq4mqT2qSN2otfAs7DNSYH7jNttKGNygz0k2LkkwKXpi3EpQdWna60asIeTw/w400-h225/IMG-20230515-WA0021.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>My daily routine—having opted out of an all inclusive package—consisted of being woken up by the swell, stumbling into the large kitchen to start the coffee, and checking messages in regard to the upcoming races. (I was on mountain time while the respective race directors were two hours ahead of me.) Shower, drink a second cup of coffee, and then fix chorizo, eggs, veggies, and loads of cilantro for a yummy breakfast, with a side of fresh mango and even <i>tuna, </i>as the fruit of cactus are called.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2f_SG53NLRo6Vw3nsPa3_ogCaktHNRa934KPe05C3DlAsf6Ut4gThrsrjVuFor_jnVdjtLfbRXkNTWFzaIKGpsKnEtOWBH6TnFUy3GYRZMdXctUZmB0sWvbZ852pd01rqGhX4L79yZEEBtuvegBsd4Vd89azvjWHAsiO8vIM3Zvyyar7MDSNgT6a_A/s4032/PXL_20230514_160009097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2f_SG53NLRo6Vw3nsPa3_ogCaktHNRa934KPe05C3DlAsf6Ut4gThrsrjVuFor_jnVdjtLfbRXkNTWFzaIKGpsKnEtOWBH6TnFUy3GYRZMdXctUZmB0sWvbZ852pd01rqGhX4L79yZEEBtuvegBsd4Vd89azvjWHAsiO8vIM3Zvyyar7MDSNgT6a_A/w400-h225/PXL_20230514_160009097.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2vdLYN8RnaEuBonu-eP9GaesJ3wWts_AufNvIBg1uPLaXFjXPrH_nqfmhH08hB8cJNM9eEoEgbqDcfSbGTcKpBxqZiLwr6-d8mBtJKLwiyj-6_UjoAAt-rhw1QW_ThktVDpZIqJFEI08H09vUu0_zsel_x-p5SuMbdYi-MdFFVuZdMlaO2kVTYQ7O7A/s4032/PXL_20230514_160255033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2vdLYN8RnaEuBonu-eP9GaesJ3wWts_AufNvIBg1uPLaXFjXPrH_nqfmhH08hB8cJNM9eEoEgbqDcfSbGTcKpBxqZiLwr6-d8mBtJKLwiyj-6_UjoAAt-rhw1QW_ThktVDpZIqJFEI08H09vUu0_zsel_x-p5SuMbdYi-MdFFVuZdMlaO2kVTYQ7O7A/w400-h225/PXL_20230514_160255033.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9KfLonrkjYXfaAifWTsLJDzfVeYQeoBtI-mL9S-OQpG9K2XRBXOTmh7P9AFkcnWgtg6wbRblmKVSfazUGQXKYVWH3Bg2L2RVnvPZGJntnwUOnECLUc7iTt4JoOwvfZYM5oNndrwNIYLRddM_9eHexNYburWwwVvxcLKW5N1y7pbwDbRBtgWI1uk0hzg/s4032/PXL_20230514_161202711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9KfLonrkjYXfaAifWTsLJDzfVeYQeoBtI-mL9S-OQpG9K2XRBXOTmh7P9AFkcnWgtg6wbRblmKVSfazUGQXKYVWH3Bg2L2RVnvPZGJntnwUOnECLUc7iTt4JoOwvfZYM5oNndrwNIYLRddM_9eHexNYburWwwVvxcLKW5N1y7pbwDbRBtgWI1uk0hzg/w400-h225/PXL_20230514_161202711.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOkJphMufAu44zQp-e55kPH0QmXT2as6HLlCsmcMzXaGR2OM7o--HP1R_uqgiY65PFsnmiwEe0AcuKfac9PzovgduuCE1EB0ZQNWtV0595XkNuWsPnPMtvWG1yLd-NRW-yxb7NiuCu6OJoG5Sqip7uyKS-GnHxnqIWmjlt-YCnDFHAnwSTycoKbJO8Dw/s4032/PXL_20230514_161446908.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOkJphMufAu44zQp-e55kPH0QmXT2as6HLlCsmcMzXaGR2OM7o--HP1R_uqgiY65PFsnmiwEe0AcuKfac9PzovgduuCE1EB0ZQNWtV0595XkNuWsPnPMtvWG1yLd-NRW-yxb7NiuCu6OJoG5Sqip7uyKS-GnHxnqIWmjlt-YCnDFHAnwSTycoKbJO8Dw/w400-h225/PXL_20230514_161446908.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh80MIkfL5UlsR3g_u7x3MjGMkHr6JEOdYKO9bfeyKkjDmIFapPZqp13QDEIRw9SA3-gGUn-gOzHN3s_z3EH_oRHkE2ByzdtFnKjB3IhXb6NEHXeK21ysSyDErbiH2anZpjqWxuPQmucMmjTMAAy_5WiSq3_L5-3BGsDIDzHTt7awyhDqOoQiHeevOWvw/s2913/PXL_20230519_143053914.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="2913" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh80MIkfL5UlsR3g_u7x3MjGMkHr6JEOdYKO9bfeyKkjDmIFapPZqp13QDEIRw9SA3-gGUn-gOzHN3s_z3EH_oRHkE2ByzdtFnKjB3IhXb6NEHXeK21ysSyDErbiH2anZpjqWxuPQmucMmjTMAAy_5WiSq3_L5-3BGsDIDzHTt7awyhDqOoQiHeevOWvw/w400-h311/PXL_20230519_143053914.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_g99Cze-zr1Mfl5brPxiuY-TgQwIZmhi-RyJ1otvKi5p8dHILFgK9JLBelDX-BttQes-7hWTn8O8Wo__XD3VUb0tdm8CYiMn9VKC6i2J09N71xfaYv74smVL4LhR10rhZxLd7XClABG_c7E42iguNdHskdyYfwbEn3hEC9VwUigxQ9D-Qg9rCPD3iQ/s4032/PXL_20230514_161843287~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_g99Cze-zr1Mfl5brPxiuY-TgQwIZmhi-RyJ1otvKi5p8dHILFgK9JLBelDX-BttQes-7hWTn8O8Wo__XD3VUb0tdm8CYiMn9VKC6i2J09N71xfaYv74smVL4LhR10rhZxLd7XClABG_c7E42iguNdHskdyYfwbEn3hEC9VwUigxQ9D-Qg9rCPD3iQ/w225-h400/PXL_20230514_161843287~2.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>By the time I had read the online paper and cleaned the dishes it was time to kit up and head out the door. For six days, I went for daily rides that I had mapped out on Locus the night before. The distance varied between about 30 to 42 miles. Three of my rides led along the one-and-only south-bound road, MEX 200, while the others led northward into the alluvial plains as well as toward the tourist destinations around Nuevo Vallarta.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-57t55sNduIUZ8ZG_ZRxxYMGlh4yiaEiOZ_cJ1l18dgxK0WGov2w3Fnmsbi0Diy55meOqWl7J5JTv4rK6ZM5JSiCb4C49Akem4AmIpE1XK8dfoiqcOBj6kTTgLUU0HG6diCqOH9J4YNl5k1waoYj0YA6uftk8FJA4tBYGxEj2o-X7daIrN2Gg8lrxsQ/s3895/PXL_20230517_172315697.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2191" data-original-width="3895" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-57t55sNduIUZ8ZG_ZRxxYMGlh4yiaEiOZ_cJ1l18dgxK0WGov2w3Fnmsbi0Diy55meOqWl7J5JTv4rK6ZM5JSiCb4C49Akem4AmIpE1XK8dfoiqcOBj6kTTgLUU0HG6diCqOH9J4YNl5k1waoYj0YA6uftk8FJA4tBYGxEj2o-X7daIrN2Gg8lrxsQ/w400-h225/PXL_20230517_172315697.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMQIH8n2GvZKvWx2kF1P2bT54lUaor3YNd7IsLGDoSME9Q16ECw5ChbycExzOHr0C0OSuvaGmrI_J_rVmyTsk4J_YnZ50YssxMRcgzUZ-b5nwGz6isPcc35Gop6CjyXLVShrpY854jqWiZNe8t0NAYn84uLLtRYeTMaLfoW8bKgWsSNciGpnqGCGFhrw/s3616/PXL_20230515_183001809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1569" data-original-width="3616" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMQIH8n2GvZKvWx2kF1P2bT54lUaor3YNd7IsLGDoSME9Q16ECw5ChbycExzOHr0C0OSuvaGmrI_J_rVmyTsk4J_YnZ50YssxMRcgzUZ-b5nwGz6isPcc35Gop6CjyXLVShrpY854jqWiZNe8t0NAYn84uLLtRYeTMaLfoW8bKgWsSNciGpnqGCGFhrw/w400-h174/PXL_20230515_183001809.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The contrast couldn't be more stark between heading south versus north</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>Quite frankly, the riding wasn't great. I covered 201 miles on those six days, but there were lots of overlaps, thanks to the dearth of rideable roads. Going south, there's just the aforementioned MEX 200, no other roads or even goat paths. You ride 11 miles south, along the coast, and then turn inland toward the mountains. On my first day of riding I did just that. After a sustained 5-mile climb at 6% to 9% I was done for the day. After turning away from the coast the temperature had suddenly soared (not that I had!) and I knew it was time to pack it in and turn around.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi31YiWcBWRnXWxJ-5vGZWpTQkSmC2DB2ifjXCkEc32P3OelTVkoSdkeKdiVzY6PsUU2rbO235B4fznMk-stX_55RRjQBZFGJ3uKxixJyQqTCuGqBDH2gNifZ906DJRh63XLPNTjLNNEewjWmlIpwZbtwsoQcVan2w_Z0LMbsqzxm2OprloaeKsDdnYzg/s4032/PXL_20230514_202808802.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi31YiWcBWRnXWxJ-5vGZWpTQkSmC2DB2ifjXCkEc32P3OelTVkoSdkeKdiVzY6PsUU2rbO235B4fznMk-stX_55RRjQBZFGJ3uKxixJyQqTCuGqBDH2gNifZ906DJRh63XLPNTjLNNEewjWmlIpwZbtwsoQcVan2w_Z0LMbsqzxm2OprloaeKsDdnYzg/w225-h400/PXL_20230514_202808802.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDRbo2kF1pGbs-MJJYwp08Z_jzVWCfjXF_za54QCPVa8IN8QpH7qQtI4FkcOP1INBkOYtMAoqTVpjyKSWpNFHnijASu_ilKbz9ZPXyk88E3l2hxoqK2rta2B3OaXY-FQQlCPyt5HySUxMT62VxpFwolBHk7-UYJ_z6n4fL962Uu7n3xTeiQ0WpnbZLEg/s4032/PXL_20230514_194425597.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDRbo2kF1pGbs-MJJYwp08Z_jzVWCfjXF_za54QCPVa8IN8QpH7qQtI4FkcOP1INBkOYtMAoqTVpjyKSWpNFHnijASu_ilKbz9ZPXyk88E3l2hxoqK2rta2B3OaXY-FQQlCPyt5HySUxMT62VxpFwolBHk7-UYJ_z6n4fL962Uu7n3xTeiQ0WpnbZLEg/w225-h400/PXL_20230514_194425597.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu5ct0FJGdeX8IeJxcpMvDP-cvWWXDdnIPBu4x_pD65-sPvp37yc47K4eHOkgsNKgVhoi9KqOxivoayj6Bb73yBKjNOTDpYMK_ySw-_T5q42IvsAc4KsJ3uTRIiC-XFhY_kR8Xr_QweoIK5gLX_S8Ohb7lFqJxWQIQQb0FNKQQesZMNU3dwrshhN6VUQ/s4032/PXL_20230514_193920333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu5ct0FJGdeX8IeJxcpMvDP-cvWWXDdnIPBu4x_pD65-sPvp37yc47K4eHOkgsNKgVhoi9KqOxivoayj6Bb73yBKjNOTDpYMK_ySw-_T5q42IvsAc4KsJ3uTRIiC-XFhY_kR8Xr_QweoIK5gLX_S8Ohb7lFqJxWQIQQb0FNKQQesZMNU3dwrshhN6VUQ/w225-h400/PXL_20230514_193920333.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6HVnEgJnr2V8ebOa_U9Z0S7ECWwhQR470RRQCzk6kBpFP5kBl7zlF1WRVuc_AowAPfHPuYz0YTKefHX4zM3NSC8nObcDUE1aVRvP0PuI9k9a_kKZZatjHuU1kko-kfcNS1b8tchu5i-krpkFX8DV9WHTd6WCy7kXbVt7W8u_xv7aPJE_o1udtqdhiFA/s4032/PXL_20230514_192144533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6HVnEgJnr2V8ebOa_U9Z0S7ECWwhQR470RRQCzk6kBpFP5kBl7zlF1WRVuc_AowAPfHPuYz0YTKefHX4zM3NSC8nObcDUE1aVRvP0PuI9k9a_kKZZatjHuU1kko-kfcNS1b8tchu5i-krpkFX8DV9WHTd6WCy7kXbVt7W8u_xv7aPJE_o1udtqdhiFA/w225-h400/PXL_20230514_192144533.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcbVdYXbTpRIFrvskUhghoUdwc7TVcwVBUnn72o1t3CS92-aO4w-gWHf4bZpL8ucH4v8576xWSNogww-U9NqkOlOSTLQ6c6fh15-FjWqP6KNhESkzxdmjQM-kEsILJ7PzFHeHF45JYoZSF_12Z-z0-Y0MAiDQfB-eCfzQh22nBGR_hCZITkcEhXtigLw/s3042/PXL_20230514_192109188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2138" data-original-width="3042" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcbVdYXbTpRIFrvskUhghoUdwc7TVcwVBUnn72o1t3CS92-aO4w-gWHf4bZpL8ucH4v8576xWSNogww-U9NqkOlOSTLQ6c6fh15-FjWqP6KNhESkzxdmjQM-kEsILJ7PzFHeHF45JYoZSF_12Z-z0-Y0MAiDQfB-eCfzQh22nBGR_hCZITkcEhXtigLw/w400-h281/PXL_20230514_192109188.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_nzfNl6kv_ggW7ltk2EXA1wi2rGzdoTTPSZek82f8k3dmoz9mXlh5n2JxDDwy9q2kNmZ5Duj_uYygi3DDepIObSsrOUokCeO4UKku2WppmY4fRkmRjtyS9nhbwtfjR7ghxX14EvTZP46zAS3pT9kEdvGRk9SwHs3DZW2v3DEkJKP-5WgspwdPjCBeXA/s4032/PXL_20230514_190807336.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_nzfNl6kv_ggW7ltk2EXA1wi2rGzdoTTPSZek82f8k3dmoz9mXlh5n2JxDDwy9q2kNmZ5Duj_uYygi3DDepIObSsrOUokCeO4UKku2WppmY4fRkmRjtyS9nhbwtfjR7ghxX14EvTZP46zAS3pT9kEdvGRk9SwHs3DZW2v3DEkJKP-5WgspwdPjCBeXA/w225-h400/PXL_20230514_190807336.jpg" width="225" /></a></div></div><div>In a tiny roadside restaurant in the small hamlet of Cabo Corrientes I stopped for a cold beer and experienced the maybe most significant moment of the trip. When I settled, all hot, sweaty and a bit shaky, into my straight-back wooden stool and tried to stretch my legs out I could tell there was something under the table—quite likely a bag or a large dog or something. It took me about five minutes to compose myself and finally lift up the vinyl tablecloth and look below. And there she was, the sweetest little 5-year-old girl you can imagine, lying on the concrete and peacefully sleeping. Somehow this girl made the world around me stop and gave me this deep sense of happiness.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPrG4lm3pRCxdFKq9JC17Mkm1-M6XUjrd_WU60r8JseMTntc5hE0bbZN7xBZzBCXurVt0iWabjCiqjLeDDhF4to2y3RMwLQaKsBaPa101mbGekk3Mf5KwxwLZJBtpUA7Gq3ozYPj0EE5jxVoxJCrIg7o5G85TFPY_vKVDRjYjJ5Y4VkMZO1-MEnAYp5w/s4032/PXL_20230514_200153220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPrG4lm3pRCxdFKq9JC17Mkm1-M6XUjrd_WU60r8JseMTntc5hE0bbZN7xBZzBCXurVt0iWabjCiqjLeDDhF4to2y3RMwLQaKsBaPa101mbGekk3Mf5KwxwLZJBtpUA7Gq3ozYPj0EE5jxVoxJCrIg7o5G85TFPY_vKVDRjYjJ5Y4VkMZO1-MEnAYp5w/w400-h225/PXL_20230514_200153220.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8cVmPXifCmNqjsdBn9uWEHpHzMfaq63kCp7HaWQjopsd9V-Ahj03KGUrq6HzFT0X2-3xS5s4WjzOCVTpzByQyfOwOjDM6QsrukfOCcw-OkPbNE3GmHVEBKQ5__f-PZOjKm7de8pyBoGsVJfk85674DHKnAlTPjnwH0b9hVS9edr7pX8alVDhxKj6UlA/s3470/PXL_20230514_195832501~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1877" data-original-width="3470" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8cVmPXifCmNqjsdBn9uWEHpHzMfaq63kCp7HaWQjopsd9V-Ahj03KGUrq6HzFT0X2-3xS5s4WjzOCVTpzByQyfOwOjDM6QsrukfOCcw-OkPbNE3GmHVEBKQ5__f-PZOjKm7de8pyBoGsVJfk85674DHKnAlTPjnwH0b9hVS9edr7pX8alVDhxKj6UlA/w400-h216/PXL_20230514_195832501~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>I did the south shore ride three times, but I knew better than to again turn inland for that infernally hot climb to, well, nowhere. Instead I twice visited the small fishing village of Boca Tomatlán, the spot where the Rio Horcones empties into the Pacific. This sleepy town has a few beach-side restaurants, and I enjoyed my first <i>ceviche de marlin</i> ever. Very tasty stuff! I was surprised by the dryness of the meat, which had almost a smoky flavor. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNlFXoatN0DynU16XBp7ULoS9uIhARt6UPwovWsBF6WUnZC8lsNitIvr-EzQMEy43Ps9UZOkIsbT6nqLaSuctKNqgM7iVZDfByXsEN1xZ-H311FGVBZnYZF4fG7bCDAaS-KvYaOTHVOu1VTHdAfzxLYl-V-0R5j-m9XFDWfoHqMl_jAu3cgpxH2E07iA/s4032/PXL_20230517_184202978.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNlFXoatN0DynU16XBp7ULoS9uIhARt6UPwovWsBF6WUnZC8lsNitIvr-EzQMEy43Ps9UZOkIsbT6nqLaSuctKNqgM7iVZDfByXsEN1xZ-H311FGVBZnYZF4fG7bCDAaS-KvYaOTHVOu1VTHdAfzxLYl-V-0R5j-m9XFDWfoHqMl_jAu3cgpxH2E07iA/w400-h225/PXL_20230517_184202978.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju1CKE8t5JPFHq2BXXocppKR7mWkjzaRNhkQ1ZGl-1ryDfRxLWSR0MmN6VUxrmvc8GKryNQOpdvNoEDbihQKRAFI_k9TUWJfe7r-84rqXGBElCCfhbimwVjiQpoe6I5BNX3uwe2R7tqtbVoMC8n0JIyVEAP5fzYd0_ePmQTflme99eyN_szWNmSQj3Jw/s4032/PXL_20230517_185512878.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju1CKE8t5JPFHq2BXXocppKR7mWkjzaRNhkQ1ZGl-1ryDfRxLWSR0MmN6VUxrmvc8GKryNQOpdvNoEDbihQKRAFI_k9TUWJfe7r-84rqXGBElCCfhbimwVjiQpoe6I5BNX3uwe2R7tqtbVoMC8n0JIyVEAP5fzYd0_ePmQTflme99eyN_szWNmSQj3Jw/w400-h225/PXL_20230517_185512878.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH8GbImDKn1jiNjutuLJ2gjKcFPtu4Mf3w9bWFkU3dsGko8msfrKl_q4jMMAMsYxWqyPGo_WwNd46M0xS0exjChPE_fvpalxqFspu2M9Cqed2EyJctrMGs3rB2ct5E8MsJzUW18ORq4gpiSYGq5Yc3O9FGMrBZbBTG2-Pne3aJ8HmVZZwC2LrAwhFhMQ/s4032/PXL_20230517_190132817.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH8GbImDKn1jiNjutuLJ2gjKcFPtu4Mf3w9bWFkU3dsGko8msfrKl_q4jMMAMsYxWqyPGo_WwNd46M0xS0exjChPE_fvpalxqFspu2M9Cqed2EyJctrMGs3rB2ct5E8MsJzUW18ORq4gpiSYGq5Yc3O9FGMrBZbBTG2-Pne3aJ8HmVZZwC2LrAwhFhMQ/w225-h400/PXL_20230517_190132817.jpg" width="225" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3PSgIbeW-05vDb2nkfgwTk2qt8uMArbCy_870Xh9itdAGxhfTzItLwQK9kE8W7Ug8ADA02ZkKhV_T5Z_IRsysoN0RntA9KMEZU0A6dHO71xGAvAyJPzUEbBwaaDFssKrVPllqIvrwwZFp4DvAFpZZlN8arbyTtW_t-hbPWE_up67YxuSrQk0h681DUw/s2292/PXL_20230517_185331396.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2292" data-original-width="2155" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3PSgIbeW-05vDb2nkfgwTk2qt8uMArbCy_870Xh9itdAGxhfTzItLwQK9kE8W7Ug8ADA02ZkKhV_T5Z_IRsysoN0RntA9KMEZU0A6dHO71xGAvAyJPzUEbBwaaDFssKrVPllqIvrwwZFp4DvAFpZZlN8arbyTtW_t-hbPWE_up67YxuSrQk0h681DUw/w376-h400/PXL_20230517_185331396.jpg" width="376" /></a></div>It was easy to simply watch the coming and going of the small water taxis that serve homes and small settlements not accessible via road. There was a certain laid-back business in Boca Tomatlán, in a very Mexican way. On my final visit I spent quality time watching the pelicans and seagulls waiting for a few morsels from fishermen cleaning out their catch. A few cold beers helped while away my time before heading back on the undulating but well-paved road back to Puerto Vallarta.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigT18oT2p21Hhjahpb3gfem5ahxdglAUar1JH6jjhRjpou5DJd6JxR_QEK_bf-cplVQdOwvjrTuswxuZf44ig2Ab2qtSj9DmnMl1cnZztQKMa5xVo_Rj8l6-aQB-tmAEG-Ve7e_ysI6i7-AV0ooQrue7RlLBlbt8TJ9D8jaGxRGsLDH2VprziduJuGrw/s2898/PXL_20230519_172551377.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1809" data-original-width="2898" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigT18oT2p21Hhjahpb3gfem5ahxdglAUar1JH6jjhRjpou5DJd6JxR_QEK_bf-cplVQdOwvjrTuswxuZf44ig2Ab2qtSj9DmnMl1cnZztQKMa5xVo_Rj8l6-aQB-tmAEG-Ve7e_ysI6i7-AV0ooQrue7RlLBlbt8TJ9D8jaGxRGsLDH2VprziduJuGrw/w400-h250/PXL_20230519_172551377.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirMAbh3q5U5ADmznu78wWtPyiIEd1O9aeyTWMNnZfl9kPte1dZaL93FILePl17qiW8tvIi3c3jV28_LGixn154YEUBQfw_bqVXzyv8bTjo1QBltebUfmgAT36_iF8aEOal4cEd7qm71-fBhdCeeAuzbcbkrNVKH9uySGijE1C8AOqNh3VFWryxA10GNg/s4032/PXL_20230519_172358855.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirMAbh3q5U5ADmznu78wWtPyiIEd1O9aeyTWMNnZfl9kPte1dZaL93FILePl17qiW8tvIi3c3jV28_LGixn154YEUBQfw_bqVXzyv8bTjo1QBltebUfmgAT36_iF8aEOal4cEd7qm71-fBhdCeeAuzbcbkrNVKH9uySGijE1C8AOqNh3VFWryxA10GNg/w400-h225/PXL_20230519_172358855.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyEaMafzwxOSydzD5M6wTGf9ZeNhuWd-KB5jTSMLhUTK51qB1Z8r6j4YN0UzoPipTsaNY147nW6VVaRz22pgNTuVF9OJUkktJqZ0FyykbBtyErBsmLAG-hZbvKjA4XuDfNA64JEk1HafzHGIiJzI2tU4odL0ctC26KAzXUoq3sbCVGGVV7qMMc-hlbwA/s1994/PXL_20230519_172250968.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1290" data-original-width="1994" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyEaMafzwxOSydzD5M6wTGf9ZeNhuWd-KB5jTSMLhUTK51qB1Z8r6j4YN0UzoPipTsaNY147nW6VVaRz22pgNTuVF9OJUkktJqZ0FyykbBtyErBsmLAG-hZbvKjA4XuDfNA64JEk1HafzHGIiJzI2tU4odL0ctC26KAzXUoq3sbCVGGVV7qMMc-hlbwA/w400-h259/PXL_20230519_172250968.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1LpFP15XncLNECH15ZcBf1bVE1Z6BQ1usa43K-Ct-W5R7eM2PZdizJZ6da0mONQCJ5UzincJrECoXhJes1MNmP5RM5wHoj7x5VUPwpAVXYmjGLIqW_oL0I-IDhrhLkT-fqkU0Z3-6gNZHwKQouYA1ghVes59NfI4v32geAFkPKgAkO_agbMf2MLQB_w/s4032/PXL_20230519_172213572.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1LpFP15XncLNECH15ZcBf1bVE1Z6BQ1usa43K-Ct-W5R7eM2PZdizJZ6da0mONQCJ5UzincJrECoXhJes1MNmP5RM5wHoj7x5VUPwpAVXYmjGLIqW_oL0I-IDhrhLkT-fqkU0Z3-6gNZHwKQouYA1ghVes59NfI4v32geAFkPKgAkO_agbMf2MLQB_w/w400-h225/PXL_20230519_172213572.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg94_tAULqyTec-HAVnxQjfM-PYhc_S3yVzxieFzS8SxG5MpWbsqziKr8WZrgaOV0VoXAxAMcucrosH55vuEqd5iH93hoevPCWtW89A4dbt6m1cnupzLz6hJFDq7RBbAacSphLNydYe6U2VXpD99CJc9D9OyjJDQHA4EXTX59EDWz9gt5ghLDNzO22e0w/s3127/PXL_20230519_172157985.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2099" data-original-width="3127" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg94_tAULqyTec-HAVnxQjfM-PYhc_S3yVzxieFzS8SxG5MpWbsqziKr8WZrgaOV0VoXAxAMcucrosH55vuEqd5iH93hoevPCWtW89A4dbt6m1cnupzLz6hJFDq7RBbAacSphLNydYe6U2VXpD99CJc9D9OyjJDQHA4EXTX59EDWz9gt5ghLDNzO22e0w/w400-h269/PXL_20230519_172157985.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>Each of the rides south involved at least 1,800 feet of climbing while the first one came close to 3,000 feet. To break things up I alternated between "hilly" and "flat" rides, going north of the downtown area into the arid alluvial plain of the Rio Ameca, which separates Jalisco to the south from Nayarit to the north. Because of the sprawling nature of this river, which floods when tropical storms bring heavy rain but otherwise is not much of a river at all, there are almost no permanent bridges connecting the two states. One of them is the large bridge (actually, two of them, Ameca 1 and Ameca 2) close to the Pacific that carries all of MEX 200's north-south traffic; the other one is located about 15 miles inland, and I have never seen it because of the distance. In between these two permanent bridges there are some makeshift crossovers that, undoubtedly, get washed away when the <i>rio</i> floods. The roads in this entire area are dirt, used by beat-up trucks, run-down cars, and <i>caballeros</i> on horses. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLe-CKYYwXpLfCPLbllCz-DE1IbJCv23LQrjb-Dwh7vg_CQHjxJpKDb2psRyZbs2xemWXZpbQxx8ukLBRUNX4ABsXZ-8b_x8toqLwk-eATA9DDtJvahVYeHimdiGb-g87gQHUUr38wZwRACo_zbeyfBVhMcBn52Dt7VmrwK4xbk_Z7sTZpJTXxh96TYw/s4032/PXL_20230518_194725816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLe-CKYYwXpLfCPLbllCz-DE1IbJCv23LQrjb-Dwh7vg_CQHjxJpKDb2psRyZbs2xemWXZpbQxx8ukLBRUNX4ABsXZ-8b_x8toqLwk-eATA9DDtJvahVYeHimdiGb-g87gQHUUr38wZwRACo_zbeyfBVhMcBn52Dt7VmrwK4xbk_Z7sTZpJTXxh96TYw/w400-h225/PXL_20230518_194725816.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqByHdF1G3a8ahe-flMb-ShAXyxO9HXaOHzhX8F5gLsDmUykox4TclpxMkSD8GOBz9NMePJsjal2CEN2g5DOEbJ4F6No08Y7-1D0Gccd4i9RMqa_6KGPXthZVQCh2f57VH_dv7udlQWCIl56oVyoNZM9LP4h-dmVSSkCHQEQG_uJ5JOp0yLCO9nd3Hlg/s4032/PXL_20230518_165132419.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqByHdF1G3a8ahe-flMb-ShAXyxO9HXaOHzhX8F5gLsDmUykox4TclpxMkSD8GOBz9NMePJsjal2CEN2g5DOEbJ4F6No08Y7-1D0Gccd4i9RMqa_6KGPXthZVQCh2f57VH_dv7udlQWCIl56oVyoNZM9LP4h-dmVSSkCHQEQG_uJ5JOp0yLCO9nd3Hlg/w400-h225/PXL_20230518_165132419.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaeFdPy9qULZULvoK3LTwYbeu5umY62GGytkpj7Z4p2jqu-RNzqyE6ruqXEJj2cC2sQre9JNcoyZIFo8gDZY0c5S_oq-i9DQsfMoUZNE3Vk9jN9sGM8LX2SrDyuHzXY1hAO1yIuINfWI5EZXU8xGYBGLX42NZG7NIO7V6cg1Muwdch9ovcYGfiVCvpIA/s2661/PXL_20230518_173708271.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1612" data-original-width="2661" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaeFdPy9qULZULvoK3LTwYbeu5umY62GGytkpj7Z4p2jqu-RNzqyE6ruqXEJj2cC2sQre9JNcoyZIFo8gDZY0c5S_oq-i9DQsfMoUZNE3Vk9jN9sGM8LX2SrDyuHzXY1hAO1yIuINfWI5EZXU8xGYBGLX42NZG7NIO7V6cg1Muwdch9ovcYGfiVCvpIA/w400-h243/PXL_20230518_173708271.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV_iMbOiEdTrwv-n3vwtjH9Ry3-SZkm0qulGbhryGkchm_2MZjiWilCi4RwDRlxcNvQvjxSfyRi14zjSr1laoLzzkPnk-x1X5X4hx8wkqjOp1vmCrrZO_CFijNq-lHV0YbPxemx2LcdnOgQUtvHIR7UCNS-gN9DSNEmfQwaK6l7e-BrJa10U1_zW-G7w/s2786/PXL_20230518_174838768~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1569" data-original-width="2786" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV_iMbOiEdTrwv-n3vwtjH9Ry3-SZkm0qulGbhryGkchm_2MZjiWilCi4RwDRlxcNvQvjxSfyRi14zjSr1laoLzzkPnk-x1X5X4hx8wkqjOp1vmCrrZO_CFijNq-lHV0YbPxemx2LcdnOgQUtvHIR7UCNS-gN9DSNEmfQwaK6l7e-BrJa10U1_zW-G7w/w400-h225/PXL_20230518_174838768~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTJohcId7z-AYGuYK41Byq8keiMuQVnNYgQ1eM9wpy9SUEpiSAqFfhjcV6qj87aFDcvClN68q41ETRxERKHMw6tcj6Mj_EcOUyeR23i94TY17rxf8YpHe9ed4lRpvadB9kVzXYc5PUySbotfQ3FO322EzJoYKPePDPMYgsDrIPc9wodJtURRDQP2iv7g/s3260/PXL_20230515_184319088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1986" data-original-width="3260" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTJohcId7z-AYGuYK41Byq8keiMuQVnNYgQ1eM9wpy9SUEpiSAqFfhjcV6qj87aFDcvClN68q41ETRxERKHMw6tcj6Mj_EcOUyeR23i94TY17rxf8YpHe9ed4lRpvadB9kVzXYc5PUySbotfQ3FO322EzJoYKPePDPMYgsDrIPc9wodJtURRDQP2iv7g/w400-h244/PXL_20230515_184319088.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS9mj_epSCKbC1wNFL-DJAs13ROYs7C_QhLzRM2vvlFaUuAZUTLrIsUpeBDdSY730EYnuNrDgw1eneML9mXZKJCOJIdRJ7tCkS9Q4i2ZorA2DUtI4UaI1WWs_G195AE_J4hR_WHFsgbIq9gEXv3NjzLCq1oqF_MZ1OukvZouFGeAnariuykbJKzN06UQ/s1335/PXL_20230518_194327921.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1335" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS9mj_epSCKbC1wNFL-DJAs13ROYs7C_QhLzRM2vvlFaUuAZUTLrIsUpeBDdSY730EYnuNrDgw1eneML9mXZKJCOJIdRJ7tCkS9Q4i2ZorA2DUtI4UaI1WWs_G195AE_J4hR_WHFsgbIq9gEXv3NjzLCq1oqF_MZ1OukvZouFGeAnariuykbJKzN06UQ/w400-h360/PXL_20230518_194327921.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>During my visit in late 2021 I had ridden some of the roads on the north side of the river, and on one of my rides this time around I was determined (and lucky enough) to connect via one of the makeshift bridges to that area and then continue back to the coast and use the Ameca bridge to get back to Puerto Vallarta. It was just a hunch that there might be a way to cross over as the map did not show any bridge but there were indications that something might exist. Ah, the beauty of exploration! It was the longest ride of the entire trip at 42 miles, at least eight of which were on rough gravel. Like so many of my rides it ended up in a brewpub with a few cold IPAs.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ABw_XY-uVBQOUly1WS5TsDhbEwMlMn70lhJ0PcsmgiijRpSA7L404Omzfx2uNVrsuMoPp1MBYcHnqjKq67yIs3PTvEXrDa_Z6SgLnswvfk_gHVm_h5_D3dcCrL03J5HK9jSx7uL6s6aTT0FmuY1FpSj5_mXLUK7BVeQXQwT9JgEU_lPVCpZwyvhW3Q/s4032/PXL_20230518_180832455~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ABw_XY-uVBQOUly1WS5TsDhbEwMlMn70lhJ0PcsmgiijRpSA7L404Omzfx2uNVrsuMoPp1MBYcHnqjKq67yIs3PTvEXrDa_Z6SgLnswvfk_gHVm_h5_D3dcCrL03J5HK9jSx7uL6s6aTT0FmuY1FpSj5_mXLUK7BVeQXQwT9JgEU_lPVCpZwyvhW3Q/w225-h400/PXL_20230518_180832455~2.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAkDrxc3bhJyf2p_R-td3rJXtMSKbUi0u9G44ASWR0z5ct0FEer-rvYFe46x9-pNdxTCZ3pR8TzFP5rpY3tyHcXaksjZExCttdDPxDgfKizKkgUrh39SwWmh4DbXn4cNJ637E-kbUYZU7yyug0cA3xaqw7I_4o7W2Li8Vldu1Ipbwq6ynjxgekLoEA_w/s4032/PXL_20230518_180559631.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAkDrxc3bhJyf2p_R-td3rJXtMSKbUi0u9G44ASWR0z5ct0FEer-rvYFe46x9-pNdxTCZ3pR8TzFP5rpY3tyHcXaksjZExCttdDPxDgfKizKkgUrh39SwWmh4DbXn4cNJ637E-kbUYZU7yyug0cA3xaqw7I_4o7W2Li8Vldu1Ipbwq6ynjxgekLoEA_w/w400-h225/PXL_20230518_180559631.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFmbmiryQ00ZVHW-8Cg1g33bnuvSRvjTMafrIMkWVcZcCY8Kuf3JKrgbIR-MMXxzL3LHZCJBNDwRe5gixSwI-UPsl1AjLk8Pfy517ldueJz1pD5EkyAvn2C7R9t8nwTuUJSuJx3ECdU0mDGEq6iEv9foS_ROX2tcgsNcPDiXwvEd8zFr6KLUm2E8iAiA/s3955/PXL_20230518_175942006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2224" data-original-width="3955" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFmbmiryQ00ZVHW-8Cg1g33bnuvSRvjTMafrIMkWVcZcCY8Kuf3JKrgbIR-MMXxzL3LHZCJBNDwRe5gixSwI-UPsl1AjLk8Pfy517ldueJz1pD5EkyAvn2C7R9t8nwTuUJSuJx3ECdU0mDGEq6iEv9foS_ROX2tcgsNcPDiXwvEd8zFr6KLUm2E8iAiA/w400-h225/PXL_20230518_175942006.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXz7FRQomrR1ck2YUeCEfPm8R47_ZYbi8HYN4VauuIBy3aqW4-q7ZB7nWU2T07ZEFloKbXas7CqNivB7evVIO-U_j8xECBguBv9gnAgraHjCsHBM3VWskt2fbknrroAj7vNcpyJi099fSZfKMYP24LB3x_zA-BplDjBg4oTy_pXQ7srsdrQGVAncJGFw/s1833/PXL_20230518_174411212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1833" data-original-width="1810" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXz7FRQomrR1ck2YUeCEfPm8R47_ZYbi8HYN4VauuIBy3aqW4-q7ZB7nWU2T07ZEFloKbXas7CqNivB7evVIO-U_j8xECBguBv9gnAgraHjCsHBM3VWskt2fbknrroAj7vNcpyJi099fSZfKMYP24LB3x_zA-BplDjBg4oTy_pXQ7srsdrQGVAncJGFw/w395-h400/PXL_20230518_174411212.jpg" width="395" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJniZXnI-x7YlloMmC5LoSmaqXW-1CeXlZt8KQ_lnrMO08x3pWLiCqGsPDIfr-PSUAq7eiYm0VYmma7WR6D_dEsocRiPds9OCQ-zNjIp9ouinJ3MSNegaDwCbInIGUqBelqVk6UQmqLwiIJLa8kEgcNTAiGEq6Se7kjIncPgfMgYRDSv3tjEBRlgIBw/s4032/PXL_20230515_182127740~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJniZXnI-x7YlloMmC5LoSmaqXW-1CeXlZt8KQ_lnrMO08x3pWLiCqGsPDIfr-PSUAq7eiYm0VYmma7WR6D_dEsocRiPds9OCQ-zNjIp9ouinJ3MSNegaDwCbInIGUqBelqVk6UQmqLwiIJLa8kEgcNTAiGEq6Se7kjIncPgfMgYRDSv3tjEBRlgIBw/w400-h225/PXL_20230515_182127740~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSyxxwgAZ9tAm4X-Yi1eifj7B_dxedKbzskOk5Uvz6MsXsoWCylGYhHfW--fAdprhrrcjihYYdFbvfgc7uV4mY7y_fIPIW7E7V8sr56Wq2ynLyRolEvwhb2B58Ov7iT8QK-VXFos4_B_YPeulZ2C5OCqLlHn-DqvA5gd1nzsJP-8vbUJ4sBZaMEofVtw/s4032/PXL_20230515_182700319~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSyxxwgAZ9tAm4X-Yi1eifj7B_dxedKbzskOk5Uvz6MsXsoWCylGYhHfW--fAdprhrrcjihYYdFbvfgc7uV4mY7y_fIPIW7E7V8sr56Wq2ynLyRolEvwhb2B58Ov7iT8QK-VXFos4_B_YPeulZ2C5OCqLlHn-DqvA5gd1nzsJP-8vbUJ4sBZaMEofVtw/w400-h225/PXL_20230515_182700319~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX1h0OPu6SyqHOsNGWCweB6xx6FGYAR2q_-wI7HyARCeOLhwTqsvlUMud0W7MEGRF-MnnA81owtyC3SBHVfpbk1qH5vvDVhh6a4d1fS_xUo28NgJQYxjcFk3zYE6-20EXRU-hk4ItjdONmCMKjfakeN7d3idufqPrX2fc4Lrs-_4yli1XOVQg8y8zSGQ/s3045/PXL_20230515_201824854.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3045" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX1h0OPu6SyqHOsNGWCweB6xx6FGYAR2q_-wI7HyARCeOLhwTqsvlUMud0W7MEGRF-MnnA81owtyC3SBHVfpbk1qH5vvDVhh6a4d1fS_xUo28NgJQYxjcFk3zYE6-20EXRU-hk4ItjdONmCMKjfakeN7d3idufqPrX2fc4Lrs-_4yli1XOVQg8y8zSGQ/w298-h400/PXL_20230515_201824854.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8JX1aYf7XVYRvhWq-uH2wNb5E7ANNAP8DjeBNxJB5qOifSUWKE_FO2QYo5aUi0SX1U8QhK9oLr5LRqlsYAGFOmIbFkR_xRqGMZS6Ha_AIU4njG8nFWp1srLE_afJG-P01-faCkNd6ivZJrJifiSMaLyp1yEzykyZH1nwRxDwPF1_M0_5XIABAMDolIg/s3425/PXL_20230515_202743980~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3425" data-original-width="2233" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8JX1aYf7XVYRvhWq-uH2wNb5E7ANNAP8DjeBNxJB5qOifSUWKE_FO2QYo5aUi0SX1U8QhK9oLr5LRqlsYAGFOmIbFkR_xRqGMZS6Ha_AIU4njG8nFWp1srLE_afJG-P01-faCkNd6ivZJrJifiSMaLyp1yEzykyZH1nwRxDwPF1_M0_5XIABAMDolIg/w261-h400/PXL_20230515_202743980~2.jpg" width="261" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9d5XnNVyakqqFNsM_y6iEmM6Ngtojq7G9g6V9SyLi9-HIA-ydZnzEReq7whFHonCbn6kSJcE2UEbZX8hVGpLBYr-3dPlasRglhykO26khguzaITU7KWlvqzQLSEVdHM-S5mklxsHCWyyXJasSD90sYv17fkbs9y1XG0FrTrGLOjFKWgkcyo_BWNqk_w/s2418/PXL_20230515_201840386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2418" data-original-width="1951" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9d5XnNVyakqqFNsM_y6iEmM6Ngtojq7G9g6V9SyLi9-HIA-ydZnzEReq7whFHonCbn6kSJcE2UEbZX8hVGpLBYr-3dPlasRglhykO26khguzaITU7KWlvqzQLSEVdHM-S5mklxsHCWyyXJasSD90sYv17fkbs9y1XG0FrTrGLOjFKWgkcyo_BWNqk_w/w323-h400/PXL_20230515_201840386.jpg" width="323" /></a></div></div></div><div>One of my rides to the north took me to Nuevo Vallarta, which is mostly composed of large hotels (Vidanta, Riu, etc.) as well as gated communities of posh vacation homes. Because this area is right off the Pacific there are some lagoons and connecting channels so that some folks can park their motor yachts right in front of their home. Not too shabby! And neither is the large country club with its manicured greens, well-trimmed plants, small lakes with water features, and multi-million dollar mansions. There may be a few Mexican fat cats who own property here, but I would bet that plenty of Californians (and other US Americans) have parked their money here as well. Riding in Nuevo Vallarta is easy and safe, with little traffic (watch out for the joggers!) and plenty of shade from the trees overhanging the smoothly asphalted boulevards with a median that features a bike path for the residents. It's quite a different Mexico from the one that exists just three miles to the east.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijs3N2PVpQ1Kb_KhvvDt6a9Sr1kMNtzB22S7_EFW_QEGGRMNhRNPzWBfFUwThSHk1eMgzM118Ax8YC9Yv-kKhqJ7Yx10ur_MG6asMbRZeKxmBF_jUL6cqAWMtzLl4V0MKwdkiSd9-KVf8LbarPJXSy-QGo6-g0HiL_fC2uFZVNWm-H7Z93r1dmot-Jtw/s4032/PXL_20230516_183313724~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2105" data-original-width="4032" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijs3N2PVpQ1Kb_KhvvDt6a9Sr1kMNtzB22S7_EFW_QEGGRMNhRNPzWBfFUwThSHk1eMgzM118Ax8YC9Yv-kKhqJ7Yx10ur_MG6asMbRZeKxmBF_jUL6cqAWMtzLl4V0MKwdkiSd9-KVf8LbarPJXSy-QGo6-g0HiL_fC2uFZVNWm-H7Z93r1dmot-Jtw/w400-h209/PXL_20230516_183313724~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP_pMeDhIyR8mIwgrW2MG_SnPLhcLiOBZ5POn0jP4tIKmJizIHDicJ7Y4CCTuK26IYIUEtatyeNZCBCEnGaP3boFN8jcwIQkAGBhd-PFdvNIA4ld0EezZ_zac_WgmGpjGGv93ri8cZe-q87xaYwOlKSjLI3tCv8L2u-upCjor4FWzkbBKcxVAA5h4JtA/s4032/PXL_20230516_181912255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP_pMeDhIyR8mIwgrW2MG_SnPLhcLiOBZ5POn0jP4tIKmJizIHDicJ7Y4CCTuK26IYIUEtatyeNZCBCEnGaP3boFN8jcwIQkAGBhd-PFdvNIA4ld0EezZ_zac_WgmGpjGGv93ri8cZe-q87xaYwOlKSjLI3tCv8L2u-upCjor4FWzkbBKcxVAA5h4JtA/w400-h225/PXL_20230516_181912255.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgldqlyXrdzRxAKyL8P14FPYviVWJOa1W7HIEV09ZkFAlQKatgGvrRIubgCSrkSRWZXVGZ7MqBjkkcb-EQ49sWc1Y_Ok10B3L2EWRYX7-AbcTcwgKkn0W4Gaa4_hRXV9pLYyFxpEJEcmc-StoEuSwRxqjmCK0f-7x1pVSogzPSlfA6pRioiTopa2wFS8w/s2981/PXL_20230516_181648305.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1915" data-original-width="2981" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgldqlyXrdzRxAKyL8P14FPYviVWJOa1W7HIEV09ZkFAlQKatgGvrRIubgCSrkSRWZXVGZ7MqBjkkcb-EQ49sWc1Y_Ok10B3L2EWRYX7-AbcTcwgKkn0W4Gaa4_hRXV9pLYyFxpEJEcmc-StoEuSwRxqjmCK0f-7x1pVSogzPSlfA6pRioiTopa2wFS8w/w400-h258/PXL_20230516_181648305.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBr159mdARogfTDav4vrd9Kp-zvtW-liUuhemcOIeINpwEDIzb6ou36SZzg1F1FiYrUPdeG-yskp9wrTW6gYzdtuZf2XiSTPOvRA2BQ_P9jbidk0ZaM2zpOjTbpdt_gXC_aWP_KaxDIpR9BopQYMJFzpNLsbRB2LIUM5wHo0K0YX9Iv3fV03dRVXUqqw/s2638/PXL_20230516_181208129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1494" data-original-width="2638" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBr159mdARogfTDav4vrd9Kp-zvtW-liUuhemcOIeINpwEDIzb6ou36SZzg1F1FiYrUPdeG-yskp9wrTW6gYzdtuZf2XiSTPOvRA2BQ_P9jbidk0ZaM2zpOjTbpdt_gXC_aWP_KaxDIpR9BopQYMJFzpNLsbRB2LIUM5wHo0K0YX9Iv3fV03dRVXUqqw/w400-h226/PXL_20230516_181208129.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQrbPZglt1DL5Li6cvRTOLgLc4QuW7DeB36J0G8bCseS4Xg4ih2mmWcjNVk_KSQxyiA21w3WR5UG90KcJW2bYPgB4nHgqKEPy5jIPRcCCKebINSt2rGHwHvtfPbMahcAQFx_wpMbpmIyaXI2BrFr2l_oozQduGVz99xGPZdJtWfF__z3kF5EP_Q61DqQ/s4032/PXL_20230515_193959211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQrbPZglt1DL5Li6cvRTOLgLc4QuW7DeB36J0G8bCseS4Xg4ih2mmWcjNVk_KSQxyiA21w3WR5UG90KcJW2bYPgB4nHgqKEPy5jIPRcCCKebINSt2rGHwHvtfPbMahcAQFx_wpMbpmIyaXI2BrFr2l_oozQduGVz99xGPZdJtWfF__z3kF5EP_Q61DqQ/w400-h225/PXL_20230515_193959211.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>The average speed of my rides barely exceeded 11 mph. That may seem really slow (which, under normal circumstances, it is) but consider that riding here often requires navigating through neighborhoods, incessant slowing down for speed bumps, taking pictures, and road surfaces that at times are worse than what you'd find in Paris-Roubaix. It's rare that one can ride for a few miles without any worries, just happily clicking along at 16 mph. But these rides are not about speed, of course. They're simply a way to get to see things that elude the average tourist.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDsGAv5em7PvHnsKz78_SbmXrRNCZU3H-co2VMvq2tM_cSulHXRW3mVF8-UJPXLht6DG2GjoG4Xe6o1LoajQ-cArvHvuVKmM1cxdlq93yyENdfbNRhjmKrAExuPp3umRhPZGCbXB6opZF4_kVMGlcSx_W0paesPnyf3wPzOXqNCq-I0-omxPBTDPhwcw/s4032/PXL_20230515_173415421.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDsGAv5em7PvHnsKz78_SbmXrRNCZU3H-co2VMvq2tM_cSulHXRW3mVF8-UJPXLht6DG2GjoG4Xe6o1LoajQ-cArvHvuVKmM1cxdlq93yyENdfbNRhjmKrAExuPp3umRhPZGCbXB6opZF4_kVMGlcSx_W0paesPnyf3wPzOXqNCq-I0-omxPBTDPhwcw/w400-h225/PXL_20230515_173415421.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMzGPWBGUvOZ9TiwzF3BL2DloDAVbuMReCBrSd5sKu6t7q6xzX2vhUn5URs-fSEmqwVG5bZG4ibkqYd_vo3yFqKFFRyEdbmtcFthy01_dINqv80ioDm9gxfkEQb7v_1OgQ_fK90qgSt3UD3T9LFUlszP_DCBaC9JD0HsiA9EpaQbL1al9-p-1I2D7RQw/s4032/PXL_20230515_171447759.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMzGPWBGUvOZ9TiwzF3BL2DloDAVbuMReCBrSd5sKu6t7q6xzX2vhUn5URs-fSEmqwVG5bZG4ibkqYd_vo3yFqKFFRyEdbmtcFthy01_dINqv80ioDm9gxfkEQb7v_1OgQ_fK90qgSt3UD3T9LFUlszP_DCBaC9JD0HsiA9EpaQbL1al9-p-1I2D7RQw/w400-h225/PXL_20230515_171447759.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEityUmd4ridvecdUrxfWsfOe9XVJVO1_4KRZvtvtgMoji2_Nv9cwBvZWWzqIV1nGPIx_gvWfs2v9TMITuGhyqqVLZ-OtiRgoY8BnphnIETxY28npVZkHYMxQ8Og-VfwrSNpleFpnG9IyIien79OEgWOoYUprQ-puaecahMUkXE1i0CDA9__onlma-T-bg/s4032/PXL_20230515_170024449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEityUmd4ridvecdUrxfWsfOe9XVJVO1_4KRZvtvtgMoji2_Nv9cwBvZWWzqIV1nGPIx_gvWfs2v9TMITuGhyqqVLZ-OtiRgoY8BnphnIETxY28npVZkHYMxQ8Og-VfwrSNpleFpnG9IyIien79OEgWOoYUprQ-puaecahMUkXE1i0CDA9__onlma-T-bg/w400-h225/PXL_20230515_170024449.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgbSND9ZpC9bMky4uZ1hZpVSrYnNifFwWVpqlo2Tichtr3SCw_ATQa1EjWXzWytdHXzgfFUl8sInXuBZTL1heLZRvbPQp7-ybi6cQyLnaUDlrowP9B962h9Bga_i0J9ubJ-UR88yvr9CP8NC8GGFN5R_eFin5PL1XnWWNjCnprxQHKi0yT1BqEsc0ozw/s4032/PXL_20230514_174830227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgbSND9ZpC9bMky4uZ1hZpVSrYnNifFwWVpqlo2Tichtr3SCw_ATQa1EjWXzWytdHXzgfFUl8sInXuBZTL1heLZRvbPQp7-ybi6cQyLnaUDlrowP9B962h9Bga_i0J9ubJ-UR88yvr9CP8NC8GGFN5R_eFin5PL1XnWWNjCnprxQHKi0yT1BqEsc0ozw/s320/PXL_20230514_174830227.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXR7UQmlhAKxkoIvza8ba4RmIniJ-jzXjlPUfGM8Z1rN63TyGS1Q8j2KHuFCZZguMaTcGOSa4C4bq7upZIFkDKz3P42I-1Vbw6cttrl2Whbt2mWIjSbo74censvmNoIj0i3ciXWiinG9bS9ygZBf3mTKvTnr2EQIvzkjRmMlVmtnmZIgxTRe3Sw7Kq3A/s1571/PXL_20230515_184712272~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1159" data-original-width="1571" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXR7UQmlhAKxkoIvza8ba4RmIniJ-jzXjlPUfGM8Z1rN63TyGS1Q8j2KHuFCZZguMaTcGOSa4C4bq7upZIFkDKz3P42I-1Vbw6cttrl2Whbt2mWIjSbo74censvmNoIj0i3ciXWiinG9bS9ygZBf3mTKvTnr2EQIvzkjRmMlVmtnmZIgxTRe3Sw7Kq3A/w400-h295/PXL_20230515_184712272~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0777KQdjzvtG1oyRGsH81qTgbc-XnEGSpel47-eEeqh3jutitprhXvonM0petLwBjAzrNRl6uy8VB7fkCPcToQZ1pxcCdTpW-WfBBJ2ZuDDOHm83t5uJTa7KwqXxmpVokMUJxHKwGNe8d7-2J1W9wDGBYut5WcGIovRqXqmca2flxAiefZNoDDfLCIA/s3446/PXL_20230516_180116166.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3446" data-original-width="2263" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0777KQdjzvtG1oyRGsH81qTgbc-XnEGSpel47-eEeqh3jutitprhXvonM0petLwBjAzrNRl6uy8VB7fkCPcToQZ1pxcCdTpW-WfBBJ2ZuDDOHm83t5uJTa7KwqXxmpVokMUJxHKwGNe8d7-2J1W9wDGBYut5WcGIovRqXqmca2flxAiefZNoDDfLCIA/w263-h400/PXL_20230516_180116166.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSDYKMzTKv6Me89lz2ts_DOe8OXsyvMqm7f0weO46JnSxUpvNZnPbJNgMKQl1Ze3gcUJVS12-_9crYmbg-R177BBHX7WUpGR4CPy_Hho4zurq_7zujTPnrG8NyWXMVYe7u2U-X_Aimf6agkhlN8C6Sif25JjCxzk-dcp9ZxFqw8b4BVX-bqSZqIK0oTg/s4032/PXL_20230517_010902603.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSDYKMzTKv6Me89lz2ts_DOe8OXsyvMqm7f0weO46JnSxUpvNZnPbJNgMKQl1Ze3gcUJVS12-_9crYmbg-R177BBHX7WUpGR4CPy_Hho4zurq_7zujTPnrG8NyWXMVYe7u2U-X_Aimf6agkhlN8C6Sif25JjCxzk-dcp9ZxFqw8b4BVX-bqSZqIK0oTg/w400-h225/PXL_20230517_010902603.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Bike lane. Seriously.</span></td></tr></tbody></table>And there are lots of them—the average tourists—in Puerto Vallarta. PVR airport brings them in by the planeload, and the cruise ship terminal is located right across the street from the Puerto Vallarta Mall and another large shopping center. Walmart and Sam's Club are undoubtedly frequented heavily by the large contingent of US expats, and Office Depot, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Domino's, and all of those other bastions of north-American commerce are well represented. Are we in Miami? Cancun? Las Vegas? Could be anywhere, and <i>Hard Rock</i> and <i>Señor Frogs</i> have multiple outlets, too.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJKVJOXcMrqy6OUMb2hTdyzbTy77NSZxXbRglaGr1AnvSeJhaeb9DIs4ZYv3wQiBtI-KpH8SixHSFPi002-eg9n73yin2NgyqBXC7f3GXl10KFpcIMJner9OzyjNswW1FZaB0hogl0NARYoi4ILVF4lKWSIA32tGdqXML2Dvj2KnYPIVnakC_QGr0nag/s2899/PXL_20230519_171654352.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1839" data-original-width="2899" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJKVJOXcMrqy6OUMb2hTdyzbTy77NSZxXbRglaGr1AnvSeJhaeb9DIs4ZYv3wQiBtI-KpH8SixHSFPi002-eg9n73yin2NgyqBXC7f3GXl10KFpcIMJner9OzyjNswW1FZaB0hogl0NARYoi4ILVF4lKWSIA32tGdqXML2Dvj2KnYPIVnakC_QGr0nag/w400-h254/PXL_20230519_171654352.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihjKrHyWOyL_5R--UmLZHtsKSuGKjOrHshFrNaehj3FI3Tf1_mRYghAKXiUyvMa0gjQM8kjiuPQAD-eUPk-CDaMMVlxJgJBD_1cwpjV42Gjkm_g7ZJU2FrpdlWMzVMjnRFJ1qpKOiRGGkg0A3e_WdiR511u8BPMSZiDG15PEx5WH0rtBDK3wtgo-SKOQ/s4032/PXL_20230517_012817647.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihjKrHyWOyL_5R--UmLZHtsKSuGKjOrHshFrNaehj3FI3Tf1_mRYghAKXiUyvMa0gjQM8kjiuPQAD-eUPk-CDaMMVlxJgJBD_1cwpjV42Gjkm_g7ZJU2FrpdlWMzVMjnRFJ1qpKOiRGGkg0A3e_WdiR511u8BPMSZiDG15PEx5WH0rtBDK3wtgo-SKOQ/w225-h400/PXL_20230517_012817647.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR-tn__UaUoHlTlKJm-D4mjOr4noTXokHzA6j2ybNJ77BD89mAaz_nmgmwf9B-yOPrT9XAyekanPpr6WdHmBleD4kdZq_df5NsO-6GJzsoiFSqkwT9ywmjFqnGP4LjD6xTaOFrVQbnoSI27MNEC8PO9YSp1xs58ErKt7hkC6Ixx1_n3GY-mnpby8hwCQ/s4032/PXL_20230519_171531188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR-tn__UaUoHlTlKJm-D4mjOr4noTXokHzA6j2ybNJ77BD89mAaz_nmgmwf9B-yOPrT9XAyekanPpr6WdHmBleD4kdZq_df5NsO-6GJzsoiFSqkwT9ywmjFqnGP4LjD6xTaOFrVQbnoSI27MNEC8PO9YSp1xs58ErKt7hkC6Ixx1_n3GY-mnpby8hwCQ/w400-h225/PXL_20230519_171531188.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUR-wlBAhnfBFTWg_-ykmofjNoj3L6AmFLuvwRVbWt5c60jEx1LKvbPEC-mlesQ1NzpCH9GNVtpG3XZgs5SfTKRqOKUVRURfx0iiuvBC3HkygiaTtaZlbrFKd2TcY0iimG9dDQ6oqQwobrM46A7KhUz1jLHbx1uxgCFF7OGTqTPPEFxra57InzED_a1g/s4032/PXL_20230519_170606109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUR-wlBAhnfBFTWg_-ykmofjNoj3L6AmFLuvwRVbWt5c60jEx1LKvbPEC-mlesQ1NzpCH9GNVtpG3XZgs5SfTKRqOKUVRURfx0iiuvBC3HkygiaTtaZlbrFKd2TcY0iimG9dDQ6oqQwobrM46A7KhUz1jLHbx1uxgCFF7OGTqTPPEFxra57InzED_a1g/w225-h400/PXL_20230519_170606109.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1fsy2Y8-pPZ0B1OkBlXrM0guuxUFzbO__1D370wf-3odtITyGnLMKXarXii31pOBLkcJoAo3IqQVchoFsATrJdXNA-9HpXm2M6gCTRKUjngUxbe3Grua6KFI5ySVMkT0LB0dhlMMjaVqZ78tEg5yBDbFwEzRWFp4IQDtgzckSRnDA8oP_pnALrLGqpw/s2472/PXL_20230519_155617291~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2472" data-original-width="2237" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1fsy2Y8-pPZ0B1OkBlXrM0guuxUFzbO__1D370wf-3odtITyGnLMKXarXii31pOBLkcJoAo3IqQVchoFsATrJdXNA-9HpXm2M6gCTRKUjngUxbe3Grua6KFI5ySVMkT0LB0dhlMMjaVqZ78tEg5yBDbFwEzRWFp4IQDtgzckSRnDA8oP_pnALrLGqpw/w363-h400/PXL_20230519_155617291~2.jpg" width="363" /></a></div></div><div>Since I had not purchased an outrageously expensive all-inclusive package I left the resort for dinner in the evenings. (Thanks to an extensive breakfast I usually didn't need a lunch or would just treat myself to a <i>ceviche </i>or similar on a few occasions.) I alternated between brewpubs and traditional restaurants (Mexican, Italian, and Cuban). Puerto Vallarta has a number of microbreweries, and two of them were within easy walking distance. Los Quartos stands out, not necessarily for it's beer but the amazing <i>ceviche </i>that Hugo—the burly man behind the counter—prepared for me, and Carlos, the only other customer that evening in this tiny pub. We had an interesting conversation, as happens so often in brewpubs. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq6VZ0i5-auJ7xpTQraJXadWSaVW290fbaBymQSrV8qHNKT9s1yQDM1PNKiudMf402mImfxj_mj4pfNiY0Aiib3jvIDXeodLQcjKbAvuxdmz2g7GbbiS40zq3h6VyZF988yZUNDyIozF_M8qfxIACnvUc8Ti7HMMfzAnJzPTcV6wi4e09SPhIAK4FxTw/s3695/PXL_20230515_023610390.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3695" data-original-width="2261" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq6VZ0i5-auJ7xpTQraJXadWSaVW290fbaBymQSrV8qHNKT9s1yQDM1PNKiudMf402mImfxj_mj4pfNiY0Aiib3jvIDXeodLQcjKbAvuxdmz2g7GbbiS40zq3h6VyZF988yZUNDyIozF_M8qfxIACnvUc8Ti7HMMfzAnJzPTcV6wi4e09SPhIAK4FxTw/w245-h400/PXL_20230515_023610390.jpg" width="245" /></a></div><div></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl17wKq0RLmbRyQSUqUxDcdOKFOESdp3eU4haJ6w5JLoCUrPIzty1u_JPDbZrTqVSXuauV9UzcAGz-u4EtHfV0DPkw75puDePgVRxnaDRurTW0ld0MVNcGVbdatB1vrdUPj9UOqwiH4DRkRUjHqqe2qdJ-pp0-ht3p5WHOgAy2oqS7zGNjsFpAW8aAHA/s3225/PXL_20230515_030356144~3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3225" data-original-width="2131" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl17wKq0RLmbRyQSUqUxDcdOKFOESdp3eU4haJ6w5JLoCUrPIzty1u_JPDbZrTqVSXuauV9UzcAGz-u4EtHfV0DPkw75puDePgVRxnaDRurTW0ld0MVNcGVbdatB1vrdUPj9UOqwiH4DRkRUjHqqe2qdJ-pp0-ht3p5WHOgAy2oqS7zGNjsFpAW8aAHA/w264-h400/PXL_20230515_030356144~3.jpg" width="264" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmoZ6L55PddxDG2uEpcTN_O3NBrmglfceskWmReoOTC2zoqkAnboP3lFSdnVjM7-1wrw9cBnxod8MPBFiO7z0sToLAwiKOhVJg4INzLBBsERnj4rsGhEuYuC3Za6TkiOgUyhwdx7a99Y_ASJQMv9sigqZCcnczMQems9wG6voX4zcffWoLsLi_VT2Djw/s2766/PXL_20230515_024453934.PORTRAIT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="2766" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmoZ6L55PddxDG2uEpcTN_O3NBrmglfceskWmReoOTC2zoqkAnboP3lFSdnVjM7-1wrw9cBnxod8MPBFiO7z0sToLAwiKOhVJg4INzLBBsERnj4rsGhEuYuC3Za6TkiOgUyhwdx7a99Y_ASJQMv9sigqZCcnczMQems9wG6voX4zcffWoLsLi_VT2Djw/w400-h328/PXL_20230515_024453934.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNBVHiaoN82wmS6vHLEei_FY-ysGjzoO3Z1eWPZcb64BppHsTvmKYLN--A54NfvaDuVowMC8ct4FaWRx_Et8sdx66K6WKSWxyhVNvT-vwYncdvUaqJukNfx4RTKLXi3q0dT7xg7mxWa9W6K_9XITPMRM-Pnjn6b1-jKckQ58ep-jkAp3cVYDiuw4ZTOQ/s4032/PXL_20230515_022354080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNBVHiaoN82wmS6vHLEei_FY-ysGjzoO3Z1eWPZcb64BppHsTvmKYLN--A54NfvaDuVowMC8ct4FaWRx_Et8sdx66K6WKSWxyhVNvT-vwYncdvUaqJukNfx4RTKLXi3q0dT7xg7mxWa9W6K_9XITPMRM-Pnjn6b1-jKckQ58ep-jkAp3cVYDiuw4ZTOQ/w400-h225/PXL_20230515_022354080.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>The food at the more traditional restaurants was good, not stellar, and in my book overpriced. $30 for a Mexican combination plate and a crappy margarita? This is Mexico, not California. Oh, I forgot, maybe it <i>is </i>California... My pizza was probably the best of all the dinners, with a crust to kill for. All the restaurants were right on the malecon, so people watching was inclusive. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQVPqggx1lhFeik6PEq8JiNxqHbfM0pO3X51AsHdkD0AiZEzd3O_drqbosfUvZOoMZzfxva0qsL06CiNxDjc2yLisHZGA7EcEuUOErXWL4gZmyRmVEHBIb6j0qxFJIrSqcjD8x0-Bg59qcf3G7YaGMN3Ib5um2iU79sk1kyRM0esh6jdrd0NI3ozDcA/s3891/PXL_20230514_023603825.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2085" data-original-width="3891" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQVPqggx1lhFeik6PEq8JiNxqHbfM0pO3X51AsHdkD0AiZEzd3O_drqbosfUvZOoMZzfxva0qsL06CiNxDjc2yLisHZGA7EcEuUOErXWL4gZmyRmVEHBIb6j0qxFJIrSqcjD8x0-Bg59qcf3G7YaGMN3Ib5um2iU79sk1kyRM0esh6jdrd0NI3ozDcA/w400-h214/PXL_20230514_023603825.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8UbI-hZyJ1Px7Heb77PxQxSj5Ns9uiOZX9GT-GPhKJeayLq9c_zSw6fCuc05y9iLAcXYm2AIsYLyD_IzsipLMsdfm-zmlK6DXyrgc6Km53F4Qc1Ai920SfBM5H_4urf6bVaCpoWOuwEj7FC4AnEHIToQPxLxQG8CX9eLtB_WyjK9-26HcXRglhLOzBg/w400-h225/PXL_20230519_031747474.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioUjZMXJTtIW-kFwnagZF6pdNS_Syw2-2sZpaUB3Jga8bDcNb8cHAPg5jDE9ijR-ol1KsTKaVKfNCtV4wAVQqPmikyiYWcSRpFa_P3VX1Nx4_r--npNN1rqaVXFU1f7Yu1QJruJkb4I538X_pO0nVx9NChieHK1GEPm-JmjelTzrkiBto7Xx4tO_HtQQ/s4032/PXL_20230520_033954966.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioUjZMXJTtIW-kFwnagZF6pdNS_Syw2-2sZpaUB3Jga8bDcNb8cHAPg5jDE9ijR-ol1KsTKaVKfNCtV4wAVQqPmikyiYWcSRpFa_P3VX1Nx4_r--npNN1rqaVXFU1f7Yu1QJruJkb4I538X_pO0nVx9NChieHK1GEPm-JmjelTzrkiBto7Xx4tO_HtQQ/w400-h225/PXL_20230520_033954966.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>One can eat cheaper, of course. But after a long day on the bike and a lengthy walk for food I didn't feel like standing in the street at a makeshift taco stand and gobbling down <i>al pastor</i> from a plastic plate. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP1ndrrSreZUNZIay46q3iIY9VaVWBrqo_cu0MWh80nznSDF9vZdTzcTqVSFICaIk0YMY0MK0tSeT_Gb2xjuLqrWWnS7luszq0MsYtLaWSPLcWBkTrFsj_yH3ob3gLGQYzX29Pm4q9Ys5WiRhDpCFsaAmJETI4tRQygrKqlA8-f0O2pwT3GRdTzqlgzQ/s3015/PXL_20230514_173645509~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3015" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP1ndrrSreZUNZIay46q3iIY9VaVWBrqo_cu0MWh80nznSDF9vZdTzcTqVSFICaIk0YMY0MK0tSeT_Gb2xjuLqrWWnS7luszq0MsYtLaWSPLcWBkTrFsj_yH3ob3gLGQYzX29Pm4q9Ys5WiRhDpCFsaAmJETI4tRQygrKqlA8-f0O2pwT3GRdTzqlgzQ/w301-h400/PXL_20230514_173645509~2.jpg" width="301" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZrCfvM1wvhIVf5bXGMNymELiSM09KqKNhlm64U-8qzMFLEg4s17Po8Le8ydm-f8YlKTgU6aGAqtQaQEWkUmlZ98osqtdvN2AIGQKEk1GK_YX2v-R6B1qLU7T0Kf5uJACSoDWoaCnqIf0h2a9oGBY-X8Y8ZfDfZB5GIZD8vdGZrBLo2Qcxg-bwUsRpjQ/s4032/PXL_20230514_173320014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZrCfvM1wvhIVf5bXGMNymELiSM09KqKNhlm64U-8qzMFLEg4s17Po8Le8ydm-f8YlKTgU6aGAqtQaQEWkUmlZ98osqtdvN2AIGQKEk1GK_YX2v-R6B1qLU7T0Kf5uJACSoDWoaCnqIf0h2a9oGBY-X8Y8ZfDfZB5GIZD8vdGZrBLo2Qcxg-bwUsRpjQ/w400-h225/PXL_20230514_173320014.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGL3uyzVV9ueSuw5-4ephazOgbJd_JkgiqQck0M74QmkHlwZyXSPjtuI9yDLlASo468p8PiooUDvzDbFHJdiMeElz3PMmNa0nfK50op_yr0UD_2xDU9kZCfJwhUtXNIUgap6OrskywE5bWsDSy9F3k0BrEeF-3MetNtijBlUQvf27H53SZ4qMzFqdQUA/s3065/PXL_20230514_173527922~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3065" data-original-width="2030" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGL3uyzVV9ueSuw5-4ephazOgbJd_JkgiqQck0M74QmkHlwZyXSPjtuI9yDLlASo468p8PiooUDvzDbFHJdiMeElz3PMmNa0nfK50op_yr0UD_2xDU9kZCfJwhUtXNIUgap6OrskywE5bWsDSy9F3k0BrEeF-3MetNtijBlUQvf27H53SZ4qMzFqdQUA/w265-h400/PXL_20230514_173527922~2.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIvBGfNhcC_0Rf97G_XLEXHoSNsTDSxCyxgrHExEj1cb0rVljul_tI1f0bWe4Mad3G4hpMXuUOQiKK1jX8So8vpeu5VNmb7nUmIedQpzK6I2QGc7IfD5tic7v2y-sGCs2grcm5fdEI-tWLoWcObzQ7jcfRL_dsTkdlV17Br1G9bYv0DkGyXVe_CeKNtQ/s3391/PXL_20230517_012720612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3391" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIvBGfNhcC_0Rf97G_XLEXHoSNsTDSxCyxgrHExEj1cb0rVljul_tI1f0bWe4Mad3G4hpMXuUOQiKK1jX8So8vpeu5VNmb7nUmIedQpzK6I2QGc7IfD5tic7v2y-sGCs2grcm5fdEI-tWLoWcObzQ7jcfRL_dsTkdlV17Br1G9bYv0DkGyXVe_CeKNtQ/w268-h400/PXL_20230517_012720612.jpg" width="268" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSC52pxYi_luXMn2nFF0JLNv3r8Ymo_ho59PEDKHc3PqXYENhJ_uwpgbyWpeWDvxHawr_Pyai7ckCrOK9TANfYDEzBhKHANkU4fN4ZnYIQ_PRV3_98ABfxh8hAS3P3BpvdMjH40OMmn8bL_DyH7ZpSRXICszsTKkzPW3cqQ6kZV4NLxKYu_HSbZSQXzQ/s4032/PXL_20230517_012617693~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSC52pxYi_luXMn2nFF0JLNv3r8Ymo_ho59PEDKHc3PqXYENhJ_uwpgbyWpeWDvxHawr_Pyai7ckCrOK9TANfYDEzBhKHANkU4fN4ZnYIQ_PRV3_98ABfxh8hAS3P3BpvdMjH40OMmn8bL_DyH7ZpSRXICszsTKkzPW3cqQ6kZV4NLxKYu_HSbZSQXzQ/w225-h400/PXL_20230517_012617693~2.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy0BMNzmjczValgksWSd7WzwTx151CPva_r3A18Jvn6atow4uHjA4NE1tYKp3NGMiIuntvfFlLt6umSE-eTfvyKjiPiWu-kLT2VXCaMJL-ng3SMeHYARIBUISHBJAJpNe4SLhqGoV_d0njXnB6MqihtT09b3jrCf4U4mYD1VntpMHVJSIphVnaaE0LQQ/s4032/PXL_20230519_155303555~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy0BMNzmjczValgksWSd7WzwTx151CPva_r3A18Jvn6atow4uHjA4NE1tYKp3NGMiIuntvfFlLt6umSE-eTfvyKjiPiWu-kLT2VXCaMJL-ng3SMeHYARIBUISHBJAJpNe4SLhqGoV_d0njXnB6MqihtT09b3jrCf4U4mYD1VntpMHVJSIphVnaaE0LQQ/w400-h225/PXL_20230519_155303555~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The <i>malecón </i>is truly a wonderful place to spend time. During the day it is moderately busy with tourists going for a stroll, having a drink, or simply looking at all the artwork. But as soon as day turns into evening, the number of people doubles, no, quadruples, and life suddenly takes on a different dimension. The balloon sellers are out in force, street vendors hawk all kind of wares, <i>mariachi </i>roam and will play for a few bills. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-vT5k7Pc3joyhK3xmhdt44Uf-Ud_CIB2WPJdLJpdJHbcRlt2aMpwsywM_inGnozE4hqRcZtxVjo9Ehsbwt-2GrT6GdanwrP3wF8nKhvC_KBA-JtlFZGtAVhHQxsN2hj_fxTmlNIzv--7dcfemZ72fM_DAHwpLSNpAGUnBCHIRcy3UW5BJovPRXbPbQ/s4032/PXL_20230514_041509632.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-vT5k7Pc3joyhK3xmhdt44Uf-Ud_CIB2WPJdLJpdJHbcRlt2aMpwsywM_inGnozE4hqRcZtxVjo9Ehsbwt-2GrT6GdanwrP3wF8nKhvC_KBA-JtlFZGtAVhHQxsN2hj_fxTmlNIzv--7dcfemZ72fM_DAHwpLSNpAGUnBCHIRcy3UW5BJovPRXbPbQ/w400-h225/PXL_20230514_041509632.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1HFMXWSUfLON4VjQ84_pAu3sqDgeAew0wupc_efyLHqXcL48iq6wTO_2dFPDTCY4EnW8ySYy0xADgtqVWCRpIi4p2f4RrFRlKGQcBeoQ-JCNhTy4PytcFfjT-yVB_O44ZIvwjDpDJBpEQ2n2UllKBumwkWQCgHkbIfgSSvLMoxm8BpgGidpR_yL5CkQ/s3248/PXL_20230517_032058264~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3248" data-original-width="2212" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1HFMXWSUfLON4VjQ84_pAu3sqDgeAew0wupc_efyLHqXcL48iq6wTO_2dFPDTCY4EnW8ySYy0xADgtqVWCRpIi4p2f4RrFRlKGQcBeoQ-JCNhTy4PytcFfjT-yVB_O44ZIvwjDpDJBpEQ2n2UllKBumwkWQCgHkbIfgSSvLMoxm8BpgGidpR_yL5CkQ/w273-h400/PXL_20230517_032058264~2.jpg" width="273" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivZkGWxrwCJaZHDh6BuwQoxRGAhgiGe4jfFjj54ciiYPfS76FVJnw2Iw9FiFLY0drEIUPbRRYX4-TXE5lZc_0CCOFkR6_bi6FzCiH1d5ISKiEiX5JGBA8_9ZB5-L4LsguvgqD2xRU8WA3F42sYbxTmqDTxpfgPGOaW31SwPltpgAZc8q4q0pswcXAC7g/s4032/PXL_20230517_031025318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivZkGWxrwCJaZHDh6BuwQoxRGAhgiGe4jfFjj54ciiYPfS76FVJnw2Iw9FiFLY0drEIUPbRRYX4-TXE5lZc_0CCOFkR6_bi6FzCiH1d5ISKiEiX5JGBA8_9ZB5-L4LsguvgqD2xRU8WA3F42sYbxTmqDTxpfgPGOaW31SwPltpgAZc8q4q0pswcXAC7g/w400-h225/PXL_20230517_031025318.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkPTZJQpS4AGQFJQ1lVUEz9w8yUBDI8sHRCUqoYa4_Lc4lNYFSAqPoFvRvesiLt6-k5VT5P5VCzNl-QqzqubV_j1sEhXd6M0_Btrg4Ad1xAByz3Ov4JdoTPKMVlh_9dSt9yJ51HrelP1CkFwhOa2co6S0jVM3fr1CldzfNm71vGSnAFR-vs2-UcKSznA/s2419/PXL_20230517_030611278~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2419" data-original-width="2070" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkPTZJQpS4AGQFJQ1lVUEz9w8yUBDI8sHRCUqoYa4_Lc4lNYFSAqPoFvRvesiLt6-k5VT5P5VCzNl-QqzqubV_j1sEhXd6M0_Btrg4Ad1xAByz3Ov4JdoTPKMVlh_9dSt9yJ51HrelP1CkFwhOa2co6S0jVM3fr1CldzfNm71vGSnAFR-vs2-UcKSznA/w343-h400/PXL_20230517_030611278~2.jpg" width="343" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_0Qjt_qcLXd4ub4F8aGWjXnnNsN6Mox8n5HkdzDjw8K59Ap7Ylmkxvcp69D8xTT4f_HbAH2oanI5Ef25JSmtOeB-LhXNnio_i8d1nFSbewcuYb1UTHskkCaHjQw0lvWDdESS3KNqHEPcyYc9aqeXGhVCcppAx-bwygHkBhGPXdsECqN5leZV0tMDyg/s2957/PXL_20230517_030554755.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1744" data-original-width="2957" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_0Qjt_qcLXd4ub4F8aGWjXnnNsN6Mox8n5HkdzDjw8K59Ap7Ylmkxvcp69D8xTT4f_HbAH2oanI5Ef25JSmtOeB-LhXNnio_i8d1nFSbewcuYb1UTHskkCaHjQw0lvWDdESS3KNqHEPcyYc9aqeXGhVCcppAx-bwygHkBhGPXdsECqN5leZV0tMDyg/w400-h236/PXL_20230517_030554755.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Even a group of <i>Voladores de Papantla</i> have found a permanent exile from their original village on the gulf coast. Google this impressive ceremony and you will find out that the "fliers" climb a 100-foot-tall pole to a platform where they tie themselves up with long ropes. The platform starts to rotate (thanks to an ingenious way of winding the ropes around the pole) and the fliers hurl themselves off the platform, gradually sinking lower and lower until they finally reach the ground. And all the while, hanging upside down, one of the <i>voladores </i>plays an ancient song on a flute.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjTWtjL-BfVFcQx4VgfIjSwIGjVkPKlD8s4TTHkgcTsj-7l1zxXT3x1RcOWGn9DV7YBhyEvmJ7XnHsR-WgD-d5nHnqVFterd7hxhQixtQYsWtWY2DGmDkksZ3XIWRJkhoYiZdCfB4I4t9ZkX-ihkvZv1mUzCxqgKN0Z1u1m_6sMxuQbzjQdC5QFBAAg/s4032/PXL_20230514_041428937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjTWtjL-BfVFcQx4VgfIjSwIGjVkPKlD8s4TTHkgcTsj-7l1zxXT3x1RcOWGn9DV7YBhyEvmJ7XnHsR-WgD-d5nHnqVFterd7hxhQixtQYsWtWY2DGmDkksZ3XIWRJkhoYiZdCfB4I4t9ZkX-ihkvZv1mUzCxqgKN0Z1u1m_6sMxuQbzjQdC5QFBAAg/w400-h225/PXL_20230514_041428937.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWcPbutJNCQU5V-KUITpquyEVqvvSvl_T5U_S-I0HvXzBNf3REGcx3dYKQcTRaDbzsVtleLeBv4_JdLK6-OVF_n1Ru0w14lWP_pePM_NjE5_g2q6Dcuwe-u0hhz3hXwHth6mo7_PTDFUUVB63bicdmZBrchudg5wKkNatUu2EyEAb5_Dt0ZGprheu9tA/s3018/PXL_20230514_021402677.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3018" data-original-width="2185" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWcPbutJNCQU5V-KUITpquyEVqvvSvl_T5U_S-I0HvXzBNf3REGcx3dYKQcTRaDbzsVtleLeBv4_JdLK6-OVF_n1Ru0w14lWP_pePM_NjE5_g2q6Dcuwe-u0hhz3hXwHth6mo7_PTDFUUVB63bicdmZBrchudg5wKkNatUu2EyEAb5_Dt0ZGprheu9tA/w290-h400/PXL_20230514_021402677.jpg" width="290" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCzwQIh-8Gyv3im8eMplBIEs4RflkgYzL2HVvsP6kczKpuMStISyRUuYPy-UmITI5BSgrLq876Y0E42-NI0q7pl_AbeZVKwfcS_KcjCQSE5v5ebOO9XhbTUiSZmuHkil3g7-cxT4QjmkWhNDwT6mTmGr_DNc60CuqpjGbFj3QCgU0EVo199CRnc6G_pA/s3691/PXL_20230514_021600673.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3691" data-original-width="2076" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCzwQIh-8Gyv3im8eMplBIEs4RflkgYzL2HVvsP6kczKpuMStISyRUuYPy-UmITI5BSgrLq876Y0E42-NI0q7pl_AbeZVKwfcS_KcjCQSE5v5ebOO9XhbTUiSZmuHkil3g7-cxT4QjmkWhNDwT6mTmGr_DNc60CuqpjGbFj3QCgU0EVo199CRnc6G_pA/w225-h400/PXL_20230514_021600673.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8cCPylaqw0v95RtKMPo8vHa5Nb4N6WGJsU0QBgeq3vRGOg02Z-_LRdIwXEDeyjm-1lzb0DvZd_yfok6EpstfU8u_CuWekVMi1AS-SWfG43QfilP4Dwc0G50qfEoZOnPSGJFopi1t3j2b1r0HohxH3NgVxAhHEoln4-4cHL0K3HmA7sxBwFPiE7FiksA/s2728/PXL_20230514_023037065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2056" data-original-width="2728" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8cCPylaqw0v95RtKMPo8vHa5Nb4N6WGJsU0QBgeq3vRGOg02Z-_LRdIwXEDeyjm-1lzb0DvZd_yfok6EpstfU8u_CuWekVMi1AS-SWfG43QfilP4Dwc0G50qfEoZOnPSGJFopi1t3j2b1r0HohxH3NgVxAhHEoln4-4cHL0K3HmA7sxBwFPiE7FiksA/w400-h301/PXL_20230514_023037065.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>A week in a place like this is just right—not too long, yet not too short. Having the resort pool after the rides certainly was nice, and being close enough to the <i>malecón </i>to spend an hour or two people watching was also preferable to the Airbnb where I had stayed last time. The number of routes to ride was a bit more limited, but the fishing village of Boca Tomatlán and its pelicans made up for that, as did the ride along the coast with some breathtaking views.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzTMmyPX5-ao9TF8x4NUuFq5ZJrlN7otQxXuzM_XKeVvK6wKqWst0nyakYSS2tZZQRhljDVH3-Dx2cGAAd0Q0RJMbU3vawnCGR7E-FMqplF2UNe0EnPTXnxyE9mpIkHM1h2IGrORtzcUUeHSk1DYODzic4wo4Mxx0esNYMLp48KfiCVZq49_MgZ1P9EA/s4032/PXL_20230517_181718588.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzTMmyPX5-ao9TF8x4NUuFq5ZJrlN7otQxXuzM_XKeVvK6wKqWst0nyakYSS2tZZQRhljDVH3-Dx2cGAAd0Q0RJMbU3vawnCGR7E-FMqplF2UNe0EnPTXnxyE9mpIkHM1h2IGrORtzcUUeHSk1DYODzic4wo4Mxx0esNYMLp48KfiCVZq49_MgZ1P9EA/w400-h225/PXL_20230517_181718588.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrtKGUAjv_S8kNisqnW4g6xh_jiKGYy0eZlSPxHPMH_wHT1EeeA_QgHjDkIiKQdjh4CKoT_5A-GArDYAVhJhdLBaSCwlK2rpyvZo3grxnGNdVk7dgny1f-7QTcabeeNXjcEWhEzukc44fVPoIfNPAP--jQC1SWeD5BTHU28WlA-YTpgce2cicWwiQOCw/s4032/PXL_20230516_032601539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrtKGUAjv_S8kNisqnW4g6xh_jiKGYy0eZlSPxHPMH_wHT1EeeA_QgHjDkIiKQdjh4CKoT_5A-GArDYAVhJhdLBaSCwlK2rpyvZo3grxnGNdVk7dgny1f-7QTcabeeNXjcEWhEzukc44fVPoIfNPAP--jQC1SWeD5BTHU28WlA-YTpgce2cicWwiQOCw/w225-h400/PXL_20230516_032601539.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPbnZ_iDh_nZgjZShYxZ21yc5mS1zxgXPT5EJrXvnzATtt9VKvxYD2v43dtO3LO0oIt3dW0K-wDMeevlb2VTK9btMU3dXVwGDKPW3NzW_FQD7BXK3yTix9y6w4GQAaF4LFvUbs2PN_iIGGEMa21I-TiDMwZFABaQ_VZhTMFMoqi4gzpIayRlJcB8vXuA/s2341/PXL_20230515_170131007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1803" data-original-width="2341" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPbnZ_iDh_nZgjZShYxZ21yc5mS1zxgXPT5EJrXvnzATtt9VKvxYD2v43dtO3LO0oIt3dW0K-wDMeevlb2VTK9btMU3dXVwGDKPW3NzW_FQD7BXK3yTix9y6w4GQAaF4LFvUbs2PN_iIGGEMa21I-TiDMwZFABaQ_VZhTMFMoqi4gzpIayRlJcB8vXuA/w400-h308/PXL_20230515_170131007.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUF3zIeX4Q7MbCJN1m2uAZpHNBmxaEf0SI7L313_9E3qHH9xrwxF_xYL46e7UpBzHkf9huWNrDaKdOTbiEd_FVO1-kK7WaRQQpFS7ENsAkPBoV9HnP6MfdwR2F7DStbhw8uMYzq4a7-r2i7-0o_wAW9hQKgqnu6Jx5KhZyOpAfl0aCzggKOxG-CKvsZg/s2815/PXL_20230515_011450633.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2815" data-original-width="2013" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUF3zIeX4Q7MbCJN1m2uAZpHNBmxaEf0SI7L313_9E3qHH9xrwxF_xYL46e7UpBzHkf9huWNrDaKdOTbiEd_FVO1-kK7WaRQQpFS7ENsAkPBoV9HnP6MfdwR2F7DStbhw8uMYzq4a7-r2i7-0o_wAW9hQKgqnu6Jx5KhZyOpAfl0aCzggKOxG-CKvsZg/w286-h400/PXL_20230515_011450633.jpg" width="286" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBwZLPIhid3iZeqXGJRtzNLbIp-Qr-Wd1tKadhUuGFKghlWvDXiXZm-LZA5bwAXzVW07r-PncQSAfGeDeOCY-TDr3zyMVek5Nz_KdEufs2uyUxqJilVCvTzqw4T6XirriySasMoG9DwB7oCdu68I3Qyfz6JvtjQ2036rp8HykcXucbtb9A-0zKbghAFA/s4032/PXL_20230514_182212950.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBwZLPIhid3iZeqXGJRtzNLbIp-Qr-Wd1tKadhUuGFKghlWvDXiXZm-LZA5bwAXzVW07r-PncQSAfGeDeOCY-TDr3zyMVek5Nz_KdEufs2uyUxqJilVCvTzqw4T6XirriySasMoG9DwB7oCdu68I3Qyfz6JvtjQ2036rp8HykcXucbtb9A-0zKbghAFA/w400-h225/PXL_20230514_182212950.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaYMOdwEqnDynR4v49toBCyu6m4W6DBppYAVgJ2qy4HqDFmgk4yBHiUubRy7sKSkfTOizzlYzui-pHtEhTMQDXqmUZ3cxtGsScZx9mjpYLWrETqg1h9IHbwp9j8_SHv94-nuSN7fBV3EVrCkfZbBNEGnkYq71jW41i2Hi3MbXlO75rpv9EHNDzgDA6ow/s4032/PXL_20230514_011633570.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaYMOdwEqnDynR4v49toBCyu6m4W6DBppYAVgJ2qy4HqDFmgk4yBHiUubRy7sKSkfTOizzlYzui-pHtEhTMQDXqmUZ3cxtGsScZx9mjpYLWrETqg1h9IHbwp9j8_SHv94-nuSN7fBV3EVrCkfZbBNEGnkYq71jW41i2Hi3MbXlO75rpv9EHNDzgDA6ow/w400-h225/PXL_20230514_011633570.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>Would I recommend Puerto Vallarta as a destination? That really depends on what you're after. Just as Cancun's Riviera Maya is just an extension of Miami Beach or Padre Island during spring break, so is the Riviera Nayarit nothing but a stretch of huge hotels, inaccessible beaches (unless you are a guest of one of those resorts), and overpriced restaurants. But the same is true for so many other tourist destinations these days, and different folks have different visions of what the perfect vacation should look like. I still have fond memories of my trips to Oaxaca and Morelia that involved both the bike as well as great food and a cultural component that appeared more genuine than what Puerto Vallarta has to offer.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVY8FkuzUZKzay_u77O32QpvlB6eE8sl_gauZ9S_2GsErdj4Dqj55wikPCvbNBlkAXfL61Ik1iCeCZAdLX_1sP1kFS5sOB4LYE2T1ymhTBwsnJg-Dl8b-XXR5eJ9po0TFQwyfrsaI7S9zMzm6a8VFpCKA0CkkwPPy2op9xFImciBuzmmbggWFgdK6j-A/s4032/PXL_20230519_015605876.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVY8FkuzUZKzay_u77O32QpvlB6eE8sl_gauZ9S_2GsErdj4Dqj55wikPCvbNBlkAXfL61Ik1iCeCZAdLX_1sP1kFS5sOB4LYE2T1ymhTBwsnJg-Dl8b-XXR5eJ9po0TFQwyfrsaI7S9zMzm6a8VFpCKA0CkkwPPy2op9xFImciBuzmmbggWFgdK6j-A/w400-h225/PXL_20230519_015605876.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>Regardless, I enjoyed my quick getaway to the Pacific coast of Mexico, and who knows what Mexican destination will present itself in the future. It's a large country with so many different places that still beckon. </div><div><br /></div>JürgenJürgenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03107533431710748040noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023527478729548228.post-82995422372462740912023-04-27T21:51:00.001-05:002023-04-28T21:32:20.621-05:002023 Pan-American Road Championships in Panama: hot, humid, and colorful enough to make it a great trip<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBnyrzjuiemsg4giR6ssgeXuj6GROmBHxhA5c85D0kH9jeeggIMryX1dVhE5w9d3JANf-ipv7oZ9nQ53LdlCvaYFb1yUjuShzbkruAg6TdB7rvTZCPxCxwFRJ-kqhN0nDsXt9NwMNhNWHhS1atOAU6B-6pswcm847ewYO33AgRqDpBMvhwFUQB_wuZXw/s995/Screen%20Shot%2004-23-23%20at%2001.02%20PM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="995" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBnyrzjuiemsg4giR6ssgeXuj6GROmBHxhA5c85D0kH9jeeggIMryX1dVhE5w9d3JANf-ipv7oZ9nQ53LdlCvaYFb1yUjuShzbkruAg6TdB7rvTZCPxCxwFRJ-kqhN0nDsXt9NwMNhNWHhS1atOAU6B-6pswcm847ewYO33AgRqDpBMvhwFUQB_wuZXw/w400-h244/Screen%20Shot%2004-23-23%20at%2001.02%20PM.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>As most of you know, I am enjoying a healthy mix of private trips and reimbursed travel, often to international destinations. So when I was offered the chance to fly to Panama City to be part of this year's Continental Championships (as the Pan-Ams are also known) I didn't hesitate a second to accept. Of course, with this assignment coming just days after my return from Barcelona I had to be organized to pull things off without getting too frazzled. So, before I even left for Spain I had already packed 95% of what I needed for my trip to the isthmus. Thank goodness I have a lot of bags, underwear, shirts, and socks!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSZZhBn__eGiS_QYhTLF1r2ffWiBaT66RvKORAI0tdjrI3BD4wiGV7ZKnR9wm_ARDceGsMzv7MexUSiDxqD3kotBIsq7kJISio_-9E7cDzqHBeBVx22gOY-FPBXvLvr0ptgfgJpN3bF_SkfXoz1QJJmU3OPZ2vYqe5cKOjYqOtG-8-SRBqDj4d_HaCrw/s4032/PXL_20230419_191059464.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSZZhBn__eGiS_QYhTLF1r2ffWiBaT66RvKORAI0tdjrI3BD4wiGV7ZKnR9wm_ARDceGsMzv7MexUSiDxqD3kotBIsq7kJISio_-9E7cDzqHBeBVx22gOY-FPBXvLvr0ptgfgJpN3bF_SkfXoz1QJJmU3OPZ2vYqe5cKOjYqOtG-8-SRBqDj4d_HaCrw/w400-h225/PXL_20230419_191059464.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Podium shot of the U23 Men</span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTyRZXmBk8jMDh8slopZ6JZ2H7NWEvOA1WnH48Jo21C4zP1uZnKkHxvzi_4qb-dTdOYmYft_R45-sC-Vzmsugit6SV6-zVxjv2G7xD6zXi92WE2KQWArCEbtx24guj3We8mPFShQ1gruQLD6eyQumSZUuW7yhexZVKigmSqvGhkA985jOlMKgBlHdwyQ/s3840/PXL_20230417_150416256.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTyRZXmBk8jMDh8slopZ6JZ2H7NWEvOA1WnH48Jo21C4zP1uZnKkHxvzi_4qb-dTdOYmYft_R45-sC-Vzmsugit6SV6-zVxjv2G7xD6zXi92WE2KQWArCEbtx24guj3We8mPFShQ1gruQLD6eyQumSZUuW7yhexZVKigmSqvGhkA985jOlMKgBlHdwyQ/w400-h225/PXL_20230417_150416256.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Playing tourist</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>Reaching Panama City coming from Lubbock in one day is, at least currently, impossible if you fly American Airlines. United offers a flight via Houston that does not require an overnight stay, but that fare was somewhat higher and of course I'm an AA guy who continually chases status for the upcoming year. The least expensive hotel that I could find at the Miami airport was a Sonesta property, $50 less than a La Quinta (!!!)—and even then the bill still came to around $170 with tax! Whew, but I'll get reimbursed, and with this stay I was able to extend my expiring Sonesta points by another 24 months. I tell you, good planning is essential when it comes to points and miles.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlh9Av_SxYemPLRIbwLAWrj0eHVqKVhO6IWNrKFAt3L6uQZ8UGN0ZeXIETrYPh_XGQAnlgoOyNdPtFFTomyY1vmr2UZ75gk6kQq9V3rcxSmhjk9FeSbcECuBoaba8XhzctvxbhufoOecDZY8LhaFNMWr3mSfowkj8SXrkTSckozJtny1SQCemMQuc46A/s3350/PXL_20230416_132840717.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3350" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlh9Av_SxYemPLRIbwLAWrj0eHVqKVhO6IWNrKFAt3L6uQZ8UGN0ZeXIETrYPh_XGQAnlgoOyNdPtFFTomyY1vmr2UZ75gk6kQq9V3rcxSmhjk9FeSbcECuBoaba8XhzctvxbhufoOecDZY8LhaFNMWr3mSfowkj8SXrkTSckozJtny1SQCemMQuc46A/w271-h400/PXL_20230416_132840717.jpg" width="271" /></a></div><div></div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcAGVBDoJeSLtJzA7F_f5-X8_QTTcuf92aDU6NObgQbxwPLR-qQD1i3SXpCKYXjV5bv6y9izF76MMCi-Lqb-3Krv_pkwbgmCD2Q7PbyMKlQaDr02uzulPQi1lU50cBslqTfL-9NqdzokkUcpGTL7kPfVf3ueFMuQJzvuHDGmYjbJYjf1jz3C-VuBnA4A/s3115/PXL_20230416_135009610.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1933" data-original-width="3115" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcAGVBDoJeSLtJzA7F_f5-X8_QTTcuf92aDU6NObgQbxwPLR-qQD1i3SXpCKYXjV5bv6y9izF76MMCi-Lqb-3Krv_pkwbgmCD2Q7PbyMKlQaDr02uzulPQi1lU50cBslqTfL-9NqdzokkUcpGTL7kPfVf3ueFMuQJzvuHDGmYjbJYjf1jz3C-VuBnA4A/w400-h249/PXL_20230416_135009610.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sunday morning breakfast in the Admirals Club</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLaX_Vwdto2ZlkRiSTgownD_EVPjj2-RMiBOnxVMdFUlQzLlk1cM8XVrIMTTEncF2I42s1OQ30vfcrCj_ib0D-poDNGMIxGbtKBMoUMiRCKJ1-aU3a5CDkKMW_a1QmcyopbPn4biD-WbT_LqtscxqhQTvdgTp5m91BYS9KqMgxPBCtGzhU_DhMFXCxeg/s4032/PXL_20230416_133911291.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLaX_Vwdto2ZlkRiSTgownD_EVPjj2-RMiBOnxVMdFUlQzLlk1cM8XVrIMTTEncF2I42s1OQ30vfcrCj_ib0D-poDNGMIxGbtKBMoUMiRCKJ1-aU3a5CDkKMW_a1QmcyopbPn4biD-WbT_LqtscxqhQTvdgTp5m91BYS9KqMgxPBCtGzhU_DhMFXCxeg/w400-h225/PXL_20230416_133911291.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid4nYRViJnYtXaSErCOvLJK3L3lpnwpmxGzrsus47NZvhDuALdk4nBjI7pGB1xyZS_ONequu4yLO5L1TBEsbbygQM1XrpE3765xEL5_DfEzFrKiJkyN8mN6qaljbY8KWNM_nYjDzg3elBxSZMjz5yT8Z0QFWn8TkIUKCqD1zcteX4snrnsqWTk1BWvmg/s3261/PXL_20230416_132657647.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3261" data-original-width="2224" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid4nYRViJnYtXaSErCOvLJK3L3lpnwpmxGzrsus47NZvhDuALdk4nBjI7pGB1xyZS_ONequu4yLO5L1TBEsbbygQM1XrpE3765xEL5_DfEzFrKiJkyN8mN6qaljbY8KWNM_nYjDzg3elBxSZMjz5yT8Z0QFWn8TkIUKCqD1zcteX4snrnsqWTk1BWvmg/w273-h400/PXL_20230416_132657647.jpg" width="273" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Judy always loved the floor of the concourses in MIA</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>So, once again I was going to spend the better part of a day in two airplanes and a lounge before reaching the Sonesta; the next day I didn't fly out until noon, so things weren't too hectic. Once I got to PTY, as Panama City's <i>Aeropuerto Internacional de Tocumen</i> is coded, I didn't have to wait long until a driver from the organizing committee showed up. Around the same time the rather large Colombian delegation of riders, coaches, docs, <i>soigneurs</i>, and various federation representatives arrived as well, and my driver had to organize their bus transfer while I sat in the non-air-conditioned car for about an hour. Well, that really could have been done a little better, I thought, but the logistics of putting on an event with 44 invited countries and a budget of close to a quarter million is not an easy feat.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE4EKWUyrNdhH75XCfr418LVLx2n9OCBzuhO5CdgITcx7bfz8V9NP3UR4muuZ5k6Cdjp8BMuF7laxymXvTeIlDOPGRyppaFQp3hK3JlsDE9PKOdbHicc3W7HaCq4lGCF3HBXOdXATSi52Fz8__eSzq5XmzYWYXS0S8fJyK0r-tS-Ni_ops2xpt3STh7w/s4032/PXL_20230417_145627718.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE4EKWUyrNdhH75XCfr418LVLx2n9OCBzuhO5CdgITcx7bfz8V9NP3UR4muuZ5k6Cdjp8BMuF7laxymXvTeIlDOPGRyppaFQp3hK3JlsDE9PKOdbHicc3W7HaCq4lGCF3HBXOdXATSi52Fz8__eSzq5XmzYWYXS0S8fJyK0r-tS-Ni_ops2xpt3STh7w/w400-h225/PXL_20230417_145627718.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQLh1R-njKIZRLeWT6n_yXpjjU_SWi4SCJ5r7j2el0incbeW-aWxGyE6L887MqzcwRc30Qdx-p1Ti577Er50dpMGSOICipq6KEZT3Egk-BV4dgBf-hERbfGU5lhUPjYXIrJvMtlzRJRq6kmqQ5p6V7ZkzYfFbIGSeEu7NVm1TtOTZvS7qQwizhFS7hQw/s2199/PXL_20230416_220001748.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1605" data-original-width="2199" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQLh1R-njKIZRLeWT6n_yXpjjU_SWi4SCJ5r7j2el0incbeW-aWxGyE6L887MqzcwRc30Qdx-p1Ti577Er50dpMGSOICipq6KEZT3Egk-BV4dgBf-hERbfGU5lhUPjYXIrJvMtlzRJRq6kmqQ5p6V7ZkzYfFbIGSeEu7NVm1TtOTZvS7qQwizhFS7hQw/w400-h293/PXL_20230416_220001748.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA02v3BS3LfeLSwfDE4Ad1DmpRKa8kESY8BNEEuHLbjJn2YG5RZy3xgMWryKv13tZWOonfPIBWXs6Ql7hJu_ytqzQqeantT2Zaqgx0wybpJaSt3fOaKl6mA1daL6_zhOUZr6tTYMoYTpdFV14dkrFD_2bkzWo0HkNaalVx8vSR9hYLKZlT7dpmtH1bsw/s4032/PXL_20230420_141730284.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA02v3BS3LfeLSwfDE4Ad1DmpRKa8kESY8BNEEuHLbjJn2YG5RZy3xgMWryKv13tZWOonfPIBWXs6Ql7hJu_ytqzQqeantT2Zaqgx0wybpJaSt3fOaKl6mA1daL6_zhOUZr6tTYMoYTpdFV14dkrFD_2bkzWo0HkNaalVx8vSR9hYLKZlT7dpmtH1bsw/w225-h400/PXL_20230420_141730284.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcNAy0iI4azKRoO7XrGs_b8nSgQcpJAe2TOL5hwv_KlFZ2HVLSV95UCIt9_fga_COs76q_lJUmk_tz1n1S4_eV6CX2_UYRO1d-KG1nhCqE5CdbJfFTZ5-fjxwGZ8BVmvMLMu0lilzzfClEJYSmEhd6yjUDLwB1ISIAXgljQ3wNXwdTsh8JmLZ2H5nIlQ/s4032/PXL_20230417_133645317.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcNAy0iI4azKRoO7XrGs_b8nSgQcpJAe2TOL5hwv_KlFZ2HVLSV95UCIt9_fga_COs76q_lJUmk_tz1n1S4_eV6CX2_UYRO1d-KG1nhCqE5CdbJfFTZ5-fjxwGZ8BVmvMLMu0lilzzfClEJYSmEhd6yjUDLwB1ISIAXgljQ3wNXwdTsh8JmLZ2H5nIlQ/w400-h225/PXL_20230417_133645317.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The daily bus transfer for the racers from the hotel to the venue</span></td></tr></tbody></table>The drive to downtown Panama City took about 45 minutes, and I was surprised by the impressive skyline of the modern city. I had visited Panama only once before, back in 1979 when I rode my bike from Texas to the Panama Canal, and quite frankly, there isn't much recollection of what I saw back then. As I would find out over the course of the next week, Panama City has about 4 million inhabitants and, as we all know, is an important commercial (and of course banking) epicenter for all of Central America, if not beyond. The skyscrapers are testimony to the presence of large corporations and big money; at the same time, the city features the same run-down areas and <i>favelas </i>that most similar cities in Central and South America (indeed, around the world) are known for.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBjDOk3HZ6EAxaRYDXlNtJF_k8C7lF5Zi_4JjeszAd0Z73S9sRcgUfZYuG-kmPGEnOOud-b-XM14uBmoNuVrSloXorTYxbRwxUBu0k8IEG_UJIUIaqi7EFw0CZxV4uYnQ616a09t7Unu5ODZ_MQ49it2KADXMktGmRwCjwYU0pOYyVqJxSo457eSAMDg/s2276/PXL_20230420_164641853~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1789" data-original-width="2276" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBjDOk3HZ6EAxaRYDXlNtJF_k8C7lF5Zi_4JjeszAd0Z73S9sRcgUfZYuG-kmPGEnOOud-b-XM14uBmoNuVrSloXorTYxbRwxUBu0k8IEG_UJIUIaqi7EFw0CZxV4uYnQ616a09t7Unu5ODZ_MQ49it2KADXMktGmRwCjwYU0pOYyVqJxSo457eSAMDg/w400-h315/PXL_20230420_164641853~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihIHFiWNi5gSyKL3kYHp16dmtucjBFixfRp6nCVPMYuzuG48Y3i4sooouVvG4lTP2dReY59-Kqzxy8viYiKPl-0ByXuhHzm45eDgV8fA02_G4swccaFghhcJnzBlrSh06dxu5rzHeAA0QhvuyoUGYW0TV4bVODGBPaL1khdIX8RNLLFugKimwPTAEH8Q/s2821/PXL_20230420_164509754~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1881" data-original-width="2821" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihIHFiWNi5gSyKL3kYHp16dmtucjBFixfRp6nCVPMYuzuG48Y3i4sooouVvG4lTP2dReY59-Kqzxy8viYiKPl-0ByXuhHzm45eDgV8fA02_G4swccaFghhcJnzBlrSh06dxu5rzHeAA0QhvuyoUGYW0TV4bVODGBPaL1khdIX8RNLLFugKimwPTAEH8Q/w400-h266/PXL_20230420_164509754~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiREw2hksUgph4yyFQHZds9pafAiV5ypo8TKVvyz59K9BgjB4HPRui6KBJa2xaVxc73NbCGZv64lOVU57yZRO5iBtBQIKNWoGPCcoA6PffPGir-7p2TlhxOWEEZaROWz1qYvRuq8k67AlySp4pby4OT5o_9Pq8D9YP6U7yt9tmYONoeSlI12dlWVTTFzA/s4032/PXL_20230420_164441586.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiREw2hksUgph4yyFQHZds9pafAiV5ypo8TKVvyz59K9BgjB4HPRui6KBJa2xaVxc73NbCGZv64lOVU57yZRO5iBtBQIKNWoGPCcoA6PffPGir-7p2TlhxOWEEZaROWz1qYvRuq8k67AlySp4pby4OT5o_9Pq8D9YP6U7yt9tmYONoeSlI12dlWVTTFzA/w225-h400/PXL_20230420_164441586.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRwjtHsSpoZTOydsid3RHtjBqReINxjYeAWr0VMzHuXvhoZWOahRuyeh2DGM2EAbUQ7e2f5mcxiAgiktIZqF3ziUATCXJI00IkL0uZpR9gmqDOKuvvfCo6CFUXr6UxvKG2WYyql_Zis-hMNwUUcqfrJ4RpQ3iwfN5SvHMl45b2be1Et9eG1wdFLXXJFA/s4032/PXL_20230420_161126282.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRwjtHsSpoZTOydsid3RHtjBqReINxjYeAWr0VMzHuXvhoZWOahRuyeh2DGM2EAbUQ7e2f5mcxiAgiktIZqF3ziUATCXJI00IkL0uZpR9gmqDOKuvvfCo6CFUXr6UxvKG2WYyql_Zis-hMNwUUcqfrJ4RpQ3iwfN5SvHMl45b2be1Et9eG1wdFLXXJFA/w400-h225/PXL_20230420_161126282.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>The host hotel for the championships was the Hotel El Panama By Faranda Grand, part of the Radisson group. The self-anointed five-star hotel bills itself as <i>El Primer Hotel en Panama</i>, but I can't say that it really lives up to that billing. Not only had the hotel lost my reservation (and it took yet another hour of waiting to finally be able to check into what supposedly was the last available room), but if you looked too closely the general appearance of the El Panama was a bit on the tired side. Give it three-and-a-half stars, but please don't think <i>cinco estrellas</i>! But let's put aside first-world attitudes: I am sure that for the riders from Haiti and the Dominican Republic this hotel must have appeared like heaven!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh22T-mdVbKkO46_tK6EQgBgHw6EGT8XZio3xRpBXVsVhsw1KPb_bkWnfN2XaOwCjzrXM4OywfOwlzWG9yCK8yN_3oru2y6_JzJJnRASfEJxM5fgEty_noyC6VeQQ1-iblqhJEunkKqkXniLSrNg8pZLHuFnYyk784l3P0MqbgpvGk6H5CMPxZPhqIeg/s4032/PXL_20230420_143605729.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh22T-mdVbKkO46_tK6EQgBgHw6EGT8XZio3xRpBXVsVhsw1KPb_bkWnfN2XaOwCjzrXM4OywfOwlzWG9yCK8yN_3oru2y6_JzJJnRASfEJxM5fgEty_noyC6VeQQ1-iblqhJEunkKqkXniLSrNg8pZLHuFnYyk784l3P0MqbgpvGk6H5CMPxZPhqIeg/w400-h225/PXL_20230420_143605729.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Our hotel's pool and the view from my window</span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXbkqeeBorBpzbgz1hJcxYrBx8xf_fidzsOTIEN2CLzIAFwAuRQye9vD3EsTaTLgHZJ-1sHjWSckiCjApBK2Z3i0s2G9HWmQt64HQ-WjjUYPLWTkwTlQN43WLwcBnpWkNaRZYsQhgcBYqCIja_Z6JdKGiFB5fExlmzupvRMo1VgJfvz2SZlOIJy9D86w/s4032/PXL_20230418_011856865.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXbkqeeBorBpzbgz1hJcxYrBx8xf_fidzsOTIEN2CLzIAFwAuRQye9vD3EsTaTLgHZJ-1sHjWSckiCjApBK2Z3i0s2G9HWmQt64HQ-WjjUYPLWTkwTlQN43WLwcBnpWkNaRZYsQhgcBYqCIja_Z6JdKGiFB5fExlmzupvRMo1VgJfvz2SZlOIJy9D86w/w400-h225/PXL_20230418_011856865.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Bicycles, bicycles, bicycles that all need to be assembled<br /> and later once again packed</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4wSkKCy0UY9nlkcn7zh-Mw19_kSdlvKUZMaPyi0Vn46UCy2zr8A0x8aPkE5Sakg1K85ZQsfjy86bVuElg8A3LXoFVIq2cTPoF-kA0AvjtbYz14Bi4jn9UQQyeMuUnEknp1fX5dNeYyu0PU_ixn_ZgRpdweiQ4KdYulr-A2r0pgkdEoLxZv7uAnAYobw/s3553/PXL_20230416_235122237.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3553" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4wSkKCy0UY9nlkcn7zh-Mw19_kSdlvKUZMaPyi0Vn46UCy2zr8A0x8aPkE5Sakg1K85ZQsfjy86bVuElg8A3LXoFVIq2cTPoF-kA0AvjtbYz14Bi4jn9UQQyeMuUnEknp1fX5dNeYyu0PU_ixn_ZgRpdweiQ4KdYulr-A2r0pgkdEoLxZv7uAnAYobw/w255-h400/PXL_20230416_235122237.jpg" width="255" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge8SMXHB1aP9ujycDp2LvHdl1itMxJ3vqmtSM_-XLi5odZowKkZu9tT-Xy9v5aZCct0O6chFlWegw4YinfPwMNeaPEYGAGImrGj3n0UsdKx6eblUagkc0WnY6LsjgddFeUA2x99sGidHYmFZyipYD0ll6F4yv6wsimJMKdd3T2D9oWQ__ZWKCldQByIA/s4032/PXL_20230416_223137328.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge8SMXHB1aP9ujycDp2LvHdl1itMxJ3vqmtSM_-XLi5odZowKkZu9tT-Xy9v5aZCct0O6chFlWegw4YinfPwMNeaPEYGAGImrGj3n0UsdKx6eblUagkc0WnY6LsjgddFeUA2x99sGidHYmFZyipYD0ll6F4yv6wsimJMKdd3T2D9oWQ__ZWKCldQByIA/w400-h225/PXL_20230416_223137328.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpdHCo0HvyX86JyL9d_QRy5dlPxJ9xRBPjaN5KJvYzJa4y3wcmFe4HeH_5nApXuyek4b7fk5_or8Mh3vbZTEApeclzlA9E0oQ84HFCen-am4p4ZlAXw39O_JorSxCvYohU40oWqVJrPwjH4p4C-BFdVvgd0-7qruh-c-2VIwyLwFO-jX7GfgiN9FLhhA/s4032/PXL_20230424_010427851.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpdHCo0HvyX86JyL9d_QRy5dlPxJ9xRBPjaN5KJvYzJa4y3wcmFe4HeH_5nApXuyek4b7fk5_or8Mh3vbZTEApeclzlA9E0oQ84HFCen-am4p4ZlAXw39O_JorSxCvYohU40oWqVJrPwjH4p4C-BFdVvgd0-7qruh-c-2VIwyLwFO-jX7GfgiN9FLhhA/w225-h400/PXL_20230424_010427851.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>While the hotel was situated in the bustling modern part of downtown Panama City, the race venue was approximately 30 to 45 minutes away, depending on the time of day and traffic patterns. Panama City has a real issue with clogged highways during rush hour, and I experienced that firsthand on Monday afternoon when my driver for the week, Abdiel, picked me up at the hotel so I could inspect my work environment ahead of the start of the competition on Tuesday. Just like in the US, people live outside of the city and have to commute every morning into and every afternoon out of the metropolitan heart, clogging up even six-lane arteries.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-7-8Y--OMdY6CfRyjBJNQCxDIxPxbT4N7YUwvguC-J7FDb8dUnjE9VMmcDwH4wCY6XiOAbTLOM4wdngoxNlFbHpokgrNA0wu1TpcZl4ckft6q6w8zLnVBpkLUKWfzEIRbXa9eAuPBrznlSzTe6t9Xj_bkdO_72hjd_hdp9mggZhrQKsRuRAG9Coyyg/s3612/PXL_20230421_114644772.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1968" data-original-width="3612" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-7-8Y--OMdY6CfRyjBJNQCxDIxPxbT4N7YUwvguC-J7FDb8dUnjE9VMmcDwH4wCY6XiOAbTLOM4wdngoxNlFbHpokgrNA0wu1TpcZl4ckft6q6w8zLnVBpkLUKWfzEIRbXa9eAuPBrznlSzTe6t9Xj_bkdO_72hjd_hdp9mggZhrQKsRuRAG9Coyyg/w400-h217/PXL_20230421_114644772.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Morning rush hour, on the opposite side</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj43mJEEPprr4-iw-GNq3_XbYCp0K4f17uzYtyl4XsmXg382MO_0kGf4VmlVBScd_V8bs2BHoSKIYo_6-HZ6oueV5GNOZfpzLCGtyzrpe4gaj-it7RhI8pmZ0BcdQn0UDQD7X1dT3BuJgemio8vb53xeOARCYLdMAYclLJZP6pb6SQatD4UpwcvlymP1w/s4032/PXL_20230417_225148090.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj43mJEEPprr4-iw-GNq3_XbYCp0K4f17uzYtyl4XsmXg382MO_0kGf4VmlVBScd_V8bs2BHoSKIYo_6-HZ6oueV5GNOZfpzLCGtyzrpe4gaj-it7RhI8pmZ0BcdQn0UDQD7X1dT3BuJgemio8vb53xeOARCYLdMAYclLJZP6pb6SQatD4UpwcvlymP1w/w400-h225/PXL_20230417_225148090.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizHfyRULuJ8baUi1bdJGPKSeSrbLen-HVVGMAOjFv-jizSFljckp1-BQOYZKimRM1gI5fvCp1kZdw9zdTf8dmFLQcXV-l5ii7DjvpNzoV6RacJkki5AJUdbZ704PjPhGmwTn8NX3JJseMPIAKe-bqU_1Olc_DbnDvER4jyHDskHLHMggmLFiKuGboYVA/s4032/PXL_20230417_232800305.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizHfyRULuJ8baUi1bdJGPKSeSrbLen-HVVGMAOjFv-jizSFljckp1-BQOYZKimRM1gI5fvCp1kZdw9zdTf8dmFLQcXV-l5ii7DjvpNzoV6RacJkki5AJUdbZ704PjPhGmwTn8NX3JJseMPIAKe-bqU_1Olc_DbnDvER4jyHDskHLHMggmLFiKuGboYVA/w400-h225/PXL_20230417_232800305.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Two containers next to the <i>gasolinera Terpel</i> <br />were my workstation for the week</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>Fortunately, those traffic patterns on Monday afternoon were reverse from what we faced during the week of racing. Imagine 300+ racers, staff, and all of their equipment being shuttled by large buses and team cars from the hotel to the venue. Since racing started at 9:00 a.m., the exodus from the hotel started at 6:00 a.m.. It was quite the sight. Abdiel would pick me up at 6:30 a.m. in the Shimano neutral support car, with a mechanic, wheels, a styrofoam cooler, and my pull-along with my equipment stuffed into the back. In the afternoons, once I was done with my work which could be as late as 7:00 p.m., Abdiel and the mechanic would be patiently waiting for me to drive me back home, their part of the day having ended an hour or more before I finally could close shop. We did this on five days as Tuesday and Wednesday were reserved for the individual time trials for the Junior, U23, and Elite men and women, separated by a rest day from the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday road races for the same categories. It was a full schedule!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio2Nw9vGw6IZTY3wQQQww205rMXpuT_2APfEbW9jYU8bODsPf4h5qXDBX1sNaarG6-ogVYJ_8V3j2WKSeLe1VuPdfUozBMJlCsYz3HheTGKuJccacgzePWlcXni2QsRYMCC8RKOB2UEujag6jl_tqQLGHVv05lO42UHIaaqVJATmG14LjIO3kgm9-hAg/s3235/PXL_20230423_113802617.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3235" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio2Nw9vGw6IZTY3wQQQww205rMXpuT_2APfEbW9jYU8bODsPf4h5qXDBX1sNaarG6-ogVYJ_8V3j2WKSeLe1VuPdfUozBMJlCsYz3HheTGKuJccacgzePWlcXni2QsRYMCC8RKOB2UEujag6jl_tqQLGHVv05lO42UHIaaqVJATmG14LjIO3kgm9-hAg/w280-h400/PXL_20230423_113802617.jpg" width="280" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWEwheeg5lj6_zKhcz4z-zWu8aoSoThzEQ2IDPSkDbhwTKFtJ7gv5heldu_7sug5RraYrBu5f64xkOMkT2sDNMlUh5ycLzeVV-qI-a9vvB66rIFyPRlNTu7qlBHY8uhTK7REYmJrRrqftJpCWdMjmhTIlgZLtn8TjvrtLhEnBPO7n8Jph4eilvtOkMNA/s4032/PXL_20230423_113117962.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWEwheeg5lj6_zKhcz4z-zWu8aoSoThzEQ2IDPSkDbhwTKFtJ7gv5heldu_7sug5RraYrBu5f64xkOMkT2sDNMlUh5ycLzeVV-qI-a9vvB66rIFyPRlNTu7qlBHY8uhTK7REYmJrRrqftJpCWdMjmhTIlgZLtn8TjvrtLhEnBPO7n8Jph4eilvtOkMNA/w400-h225/PXL_20230423_113117962.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Some of the commissaires waiting for their ride</span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisDWmufWHGHcXAOTtm0a2bmE-gsN7GiHHZJ4b72hflol3o0YQk7tva7Ksp5_Ur2ISZDngVxZpjIGIBDSLhJFfwQ6BX1ov6xEevuEwnztbdmRLnvB-eq-F4MREK78Gars_v6CdXji51eZLBh9MCoBX_HVBR-yfBd2c5kkFDilweSz16Ci7GzRbPqZQCKQ/s1804/PXL_20230423_112821934.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1755" data-original-width="1804" height="389" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisDWmufWHGHcXAOTtm0a2bmE-gsN7GiHHZJ4b72hflol3o0YQk7tva7Ksp5_Ur2ISZDngVxZpjIGIBDSLhJFfwQ6BX1ov6xEevuEwnztbdmRLnvB-eq-F4MREK78Gars_v6CdXji51eZLBh9MCoBX_HVBR-yfBd2c5kkFDilweSz16Ci7GzRbPqZQCKQ/w400-h389/PXL_20230423_112821934.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Abdiel and the diminutive mechanic getting ready to load the neutral bikes</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrdCKSIYMCb8jksPRH9Hl322W4RFnJ7CX1OGGGr1_dheasI-eglJXgmFLstlHdAh_GHH05rJEm6ifCUEfUEpGDJW-PaxcAepX3x-HMfyl3LwnOsDhk1pMuyJteKd0RSQcljjyP725BZq7sIFAv4MCyzxXDgreY5FZKdW19cT-_hoLPYQgaBhy1SUKPaA/s2249/PXL_20230419_114816845.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1019" data-original-width="2249" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrdCKSIYMCb8jksPRH9Hl322W4RFnJ7CX1OGGGr1_dheasI-eglJXgmFLstlHdAh_GHH05rJEm6ifCUEfUEpGDJW-PaxcAepX3x-HMfyl3LwnOsDhk1pMuyJteKd0RSQcljjyP725BZq7sIFAv4MCyzxXDgreY5FZKdW19cT-_hoLPYQgaBhy1SUKPaA/w400-h181/PXL_20230419_114816845.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CxX0zO88MASU2iB3HsiRIPvQyAwwVOOIHwa3afuy1ZCBCoSTh9d46JtShxWW6rVrxbccohnNaO93E-DvbH-nsgv4mAWTfmEoA8IYkeT-Wk7IUynyMcO6gJ6GjvFHtP5NZYbsmazOABBQn2DNroI7B0-ffUVu6ItIBKPN2Zl3qQR0ZVLOD4Myg09xig/s4032/PXL_20230419_115158991.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CxX0zO88MASU2iB3HsiRIPvQyAwwVOOIHwa3afuy1ZCBCoSTh9d46JtShxWW6rVrxbccohnNaO93E-DvbH-nsgv4mAWTfmEoA8IYkeT-Wk7IUynyMcO6gJ6GjvFHtP5NZYbsmazOABBQn2DNroI7B0-ffUVu6ItIBKPN2Zl3qQR0ZVLOD4Myg09xig/w400-h225/PXL_20230419_115158991.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The daily commute</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>All the races took place on a closed-off out-and-back divided two-lane highway; the circuit for the road races measured almost 13K, so that the Elite Men ended up doing 16 laps for their 205K race, which took almost five hours to complete. The brutal heat that around noon hit the low 90s with an even higher percentage of humidity, plus the constantly undulating course, took their toll on the riders. Staying hydrated was paramount, and just finishing, I thought, was an extraordinary feat. The Junior road races for both the men and women took more than three hours! Murderous!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitc8UFuHD6IHzr0oFOs7bZzd8k1PFxiiAPAm5SKMEwsCeTqr0WR5NHxzt5iD_0frsao3AXe3CyArS9i1RkBx4AZw2n0i8OA-NIB_v7jEKWAecoQ8QFHf-FsF-B8gpQqfN8N_IBHzE7vu1dnpcnX9LvJzZVGbWI6mo8FtqHt-arEqXtLcfsizuuf20tmg/s4032/PXL_20230423_135703873.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitc8UFuHD6IHzr0oFOs7bZzd8k1PFxiiAPAm5SKMEwsCeTqr0WR5NHxzt5iD_0frsao3AXe3CyArS9i1RkBx4AZw2n0i8OA-NIB_v7jEKWAecoQ8QFHf-FsF-B8gpQqfN8N_IBHzE7vu1dnpcnX9LvJzZVGbWI6mo8FtqHt-arEqXtLcfsizuuf20tmg/w225-h400/PXL_20230423_135703873.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOV1oy7leMGrBTOfK0zTeXtq7UCNYSW1hsCT_oFGIX5dvYbqXiSEmkzWYUwaFkvMSYpgOADTy-zu7sakFlHON3iBWrqszQgcXqMxbciZ6nqx3hS3Rp5EWSNKFK1hn0d0GK65Tp8rWXkcwQtBSCFhqZFujo-CC99UeTPi-mxBhweVoUpCkjxI1ivAwEoA/s3059/PXL_20230423_135244077.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhITTjIyDKuwICUBz9k0O2iP3x6rhle6cmGoAvXNMZQ6ARO54TWiKpd4TcH3Zivu4IqrVsx0QU8wL7ggT8on9-JpOrsG40eIg3NVO8Vl0Q5_lmgMKFG7m1CnEJF6bAZoLifMJ5q1bct62XyTVsTG28k0-x6f4Sv6a3oARx1kRl24Vg4LeXzUZRl3T6KvQ/s1794/PXL_20230421_151203047.TS_exported_7300_1682090413230.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1037" data-original-width="1794" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhITTjIyDKuwICUBz9k0O2iP3x6rhle6cmGoAvXNMZQ6ARO54TWiKpd4TcH3Zivu4IqrVsx0QU8wL7ggT8on9-JpOrsG40eIg3NVO8Vl0Q5_lmgMKFG7m1CnEJF6bAZoLifMJ5q1bct62XyTVsTG28k0-x6f4Sv6a3oARx1kRl24Vg4LeXzUZRl3T6KvQ/w400-h231/PXL_20230421_151203047.TS_exported_7300_1682090413230.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Fortunately, my crew and I were working out of two air-conditioned containers, so we got hit by the heat only when we ventured outside. Of course, I <i>did </i>spend quite a bit of time at the line, watching the racing action for obvious reasons. On Saturday, the race's Chief Referee, Elaine from Brazil, took me along in the commissaire car and I got an inside view of the race action. BTW, there were some other commissaires whom I had met at prior years' races, and it is always fun to be part of this great tribe that we have, regardless of our job function.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5IDTkkRxhMhvprWJ2NUEJj_XyMOCH9RsutIStHzWK7X30GUtzh9x5B-8XcJZx95HYBSlNDhb5xC6usrhurifghuH5P-X7B37d9nZwA-xK8x6mHG3s2WUB0xSLihKx_qFVwBpMq3dsPRtAr_681hkXAioQ3hZOShm1en6fwXq5waq1fl7pg7qXaDzajA/s1826/PXL_20230419_150451115.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1733" data-original-width="1826" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5IDTkkRxhMhvprWJ2NUEJj_XyMOCH9RsutIStHzWK7X30GUtzh9x5B-8XcJZx95HYBSlNDhb5xC6usrhurifghuH5P-X7B37d9nZwA-xK8x6mHG3s2WUB0xSLihKx_qFVwBpMq3dsPRtAr_681hkXAioQ3hZOShm1en6fwXq5waq1fl7pg7qXaDzajA/w400-h380/PXL_20230419_150451115.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Elaine in action</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5P6E1iQb_o2L5z07-sUz3KhZnjyEVAWOD-11a0md6WCsI5LkN5c9sIjyaAvlt-KGmpZw2lyj7ExdNpxU37XBDzwVx4Gk9e0I6u4lcKUpck9N26LhKA8TDq5n5Za5_rC8qIAccfDjIvfMcXMpd1c0DhxNc0lAelQ7FlLmOkH7gku6Mrd4n9rJHISnXkw/s4032/PXL_20230422_164631548.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5P6E1iQb_o2L5z07-sUz3KhZnjyEVAWOD-11a0md6WCsI5LkN5c9sIjyaAvlt-KGmpZw2lyj7ExdNpxU37XBDzwVx4Gk9e0I6u4lcKUpck9N26LhKA8TDq5n5Za5_rC8qIAccfDjIvfMcXMpd1c0DhxNc0lAelQ7FlLmOkH7gku6Mrd4n9rJHISnXkw/w400-h225/PXL_20230422_164631548.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>My local colleagues Diana, Julio, and Paula made sure that our part of the PanAms ran smoothly and without drama and fanfare. It is rare to have as much support as I did at this race, and it made my life so much easier! When we finally parted ways at the conclusion of our work after the Elite Men's race, we parted as friends. I fully expect to stay in contact with Diana, the way I still exchange notes with Gino from Lima and my very favorite Uruguayan, Gabriel.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnJxJlbrBohWbni_8l4zN_k8AOajVRXDgHj69yAi3ipjSlIFZVjNmn19xLRB4scTFdu5Hq2EIb1K_1C34sarVL2S1Uc1NFEPV6QPYrb4yw6ayvS-SEHkyU7cWssfVjz2i4CyMOlBr1CDKp3J2MLnkNbEkL_AeT3xlGtj3cuUbt9aMV5ky1hEAEV8MPAw/s2432/PXL_20230418_135533752~2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2432" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnJxJlbrBohWbni_8l4zN_k8AOajVRXDgHj69yAi3ipjSlIFZVjNmn19xLRB4scTFdu5Hq2EIb1K_1C34sarVL2S1Uc1NFEPV6QPYrb4yw6ayvS-SEHkyU7cWssfVjz2i4CyMOlBr1CDKp3J2MLnkNbEkL_AeT3xlGtj3cuUbt9aMV5ky1hEAEV8MPAw/w373-h400/PXL_20230418_135533752~2.jpg" width="373" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Julio with the <i>sombrero </i>and Diana and Paula on the right</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVNjfP6m5R4vpuqCOzvS_GDBKok7073iG3uY0ocQ-Rjr1fZWl3PqrOPo8bbopOEs1BZ0Upl-X0p4SmQyRmSe39kktonRSe1N40ZLF4haIqxoXblpEESM0OOIZgVh5J8e-W-GutsXoNGBPZxPsgkQj60PlTWiub8NDtLKehKAnuaJNLRFuvjniWp_crTQ/s2834/PXL_20230421_173825228.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="2834" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVNjfP6m5R4vpuqCOzvS_GDBKok7073iG3uY0ocQ-Rjr1fZWl3PqrOPo8bbopOEs1BZ0Upl-X0p4SmQyRmSe39kktonRSe1N40ZLF4haIqxoXblpEESM0OOIZgVh5J8e-W-GutsXoNGBPZxPsgkQj60PlTWiub8NDtLKehKAnuaJNLRFuvjniWp_crTQ/w320-h256/PXL_20230421_173825228.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Daily lunch</span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9v9cs1ye338c8A5-tbhvNZboyHx_4Hc9x9TlJpb6vtgKU--MlLLhct7-t-fU456_V6Rk8RJhp7PQns87TdgVOlr601AIRDHIXycfttVdrusF7WacvA0oYvm9BkgIsFW8-itC9ssGY9O_mC8tP4rCurATcd67hMBoid3pqVw9MNWnfEao5D8W9dpLMeg/s2516/PXL_20230421_162814670.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2516" data-original-width="2086" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9v9cs1ye338c8A5-tbhvNZboyHx_4Hc9x9TlJpb6vtgKU--MlLLhct7-t-fU456_V6Rk8RJhp7PQns87TdgVOlr601AIRDHIXycfttVdrusF7WacvA0oYvm9BkgIsFW8-itC9ssGY9O_mC8tP4rCurATcd67hMBoid3pqVw9MNWnfEao5D8W9dpLMeg/w331-h400/PXL_20230421_162814670.jpg" width="331" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Solangel working on her selfie skills</span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNCzHgpZQ2poRU6FWtxcp9qWK8KNqwu-CWYeLNegR0IIDUSB3iax01aLdgjYkpRvLanUMZAf3CbjVYeLiFX752kfBInyOkwjuEEDzM9m91uoy3NWpMn1D_CLzx81D7bJ1lBOk2lLMVctJTWyWwepyw3a_0XwroYvgsLgBV-LndvgFdmKCr5ZY-gRdl1w/s2637/PXL_20230423_135454648.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2637" data-original-width="1785" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNCzHgpZQ2poRU6FWtxcp9qWK8KNqwu-CWYeLNegR0IIDUSB3iax01aLdgjYkpRvLanUMZAf3CbjVYeLiFX752kfBInyOkwjuEEDzM9m91uoy3NWpMn1D_CLzx81D7bJ1lBOk2lLMVctJTWyWwepyw3a_0XwroYvgsLgBV-LndvgFdmKCr5ZY-gRdl1w/w271-h400/PXL_20230423_135454648.jpg" width="271" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">No, they were <i>not </i>part of our crew!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf7lnkf_o655-iTwVvtLqlQoEc9eZ9RixjCeo4dbS2366VlShTwy2zcXTYo3J3pRiJ8AmJSXkHH3DVCub1nUuwmGTtXKmAMmpHKBMInRZnp71mqFTP0wOvXpGQeXkU3DGKP62dHjDqTpZ6-8uCF-jfbFxG9oJkdtSDkwA5hfm0TLczHwWMSCO-vB0hxw/s4032/PXL_20230423_135832602.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf7lnkf_o655-iTwVvtLqlQoEc9eZ9RixjCeo4dbS2366VlShTwy2zcXTYo3J3pRiJ8AmJSXkHH3DVCub1nUuwmGTtXKmAMmpHKBMInRZnp71mqFTP0wOvXpGQeXkU3DGKP62dHjDqTpZ6-8uCF-jfbFxG9oJkdtSDkwA5hfm0TLczHwWMSCO-vB0hxw/w400-h225/PXL_20230423_135832602.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQb75wThpfztSGFMQup18VL2ucNOs55jHBM-U9FUMRndkk_JH6BlKFgWnpekZa3nmhnTEt89ll64u-_X_HjmMz8eWPokyFwBE6oE5QB3fZOVUcEFxciZSl9OoiKzqDT84ahTdyl92cheVBgio1N5BIQMJj-Fg6eKQo3MK80T6FjzkDF0LDeMsf5naTsw/s3840/PXL_20230423_183907226.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQb75wThpfztSGFMQup18VL2ucNOs55jHBM-U9FUMRndkk_JH6BlKFgWnpekZa3nmhnTEt89ll64u-_X_HjmMz8eWPokyFwBE6oE5QB3fZOVUcEFxciZSl9OoiKzqDT84ahTdyl92cheVBgio1N5BIQMJj-Fg6eKQo3MK80T6FjzkDF0LDeMsf5naTsw/w400-h225/PXL_20230423_183907226.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The VIP section on the grandstand</span></td></tr></tbody></table>So, that was the race part, which paid the bill. But of course, there's <i>free </i>time at any race, and I tried to make good use of mine. As I said, Thursday was a rest day (or better, a transition day from the time trials to the road races) and that gave me a chance for some extended sightseeing. Unfortunately, Monday (the day before competition began) had been a bit of a dud because the organizing committee was just so overwhelmed with arriving delegations that it was difficult to do any decent planning. I had thought that I'd have only a couple of free hours on the day after my arrival, but as it turned out, I would have had pretty much the entire day to do something different than going for a quick two-hour walk and then hang by the pool.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5m2bghy4wWE6hJ4DTgCf2zPf1P3xVhoS_OxwE6X4PK8g7od08CEQseWf9fP_FCJ5zUhpaNy4hUm-XMSQd_ejAGNBw3w5jfzB-WAuNqM9NeMX10uL8VWBh0N6uab4OflOigwkXBcleXGRbJZFg9CKBWo_A6RSGaMufVH4jInH3TVDE_9XP5RQmX2TJgA/s4032/PXL_20230417_143740539.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5m2bghy4wWE6hJ4DTgCf2zPf1P3xVhoS_OxwE6X4PK8g7od08CEQseWf9fP_FCJ5zUhpaNy4hUm-XMSQd_ejAGNBw3w5jfzB-WAuNqM9NeMX10uL8VWBh0N6uab4OflOigwkXBcleXGRbJZFg9CKBWo_A6RSGaMufVH4jInH3TVDE_9XP5RQmX2TJgA/w400-h225/PXL_20230417_143740539.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSOdg_EDmwQSOLmdZd6wxiAB8mV4-GK0DkldwsyJ5_w0r8sq_bM4OHrY6fMOUFxB6snY-3osSnHDGFM5enywX-t-1-C0Qg_96NqYoMUQ10h_D8O5Oxk8_ZGFanIhoCBleUWLg5fJ0QHw7Bh2SS5tULdzfVJ-o_NuAKuExEBF9CvZuvLHi74d6t4CcXKQ/s2737/PXL_20230417_144952877.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2737" data-original-width="1921" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSOdg_EDmwQSOLmdZd6wxiAB8mV4-GK0DkldwsyJ5_w0r8sq_bM4OHrY6fMOUFxB6snY-3osSnHDGFM5enywX-t-1-C0Qg_96NqYoMUQ10h_D8O5Oxk8_ZGFanIhoCBleUWLg5fJ0QHw7Bh2SS5tULdzfVJ-o_NuAKuExEBF9CvZuvLHi74d6t4CcXKQ/w281-h400/PXL_20230417_144952877.jpg" width="281" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit4oj_zZE1sJLyVoJcCoMBbgv1-Y-nxnbn5nP49JKOC_QqFInuI03v7oFOpLcKNxbENsJJKQPU61CfpEc1sm1MNKDtLDQe6MRIcmquNqgnL3goBVKbYQkibhvnpr6QlEb_t_tPqi5ISFToKlmVBDVnoi0YOE6-V07g42w3jY8LBixS-hl7JoVF6jZnGw/s4032/PXL_20230417_144015801.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit4oj_zZE1sJLyVoJcCoMBbgv1-Y-nxnbn5nP49JKOC_QqFInuI03v7oFOpLcKNxbENsJJKQPU61CfpEc1sm1MNKDtLDQe6MRIcmquNqgnL3goBVKbYQkibhvnpr6QlEb_t_tPqi5ISFToKlmVBDVnoi0YOE6-V07g42w3jY8LBixS-hl7JoVF6jZnGw/w400-h225/PXL_20230417_144015801.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVy4ZWfO7sW_B0AC7B5zuHpdW3OmswXIhxWF8TOWAMkyzqGagGqcXrIX_NSZT8gsG_DYrWJXFV_ZzjdnheKJSvNh07_Lytg-JKbAZWHNxNlYQvIDIjv4Y54ZqJPed6UyCSXBFLpS1m7U8vCPs6YfF4K0CikDbxntPuB5yg9tNTVhsCbVcAKJY0W4MpNw/s4032/PXL_20230417_150742926.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVy4ZWfO7sW_B0AC7B5zuHpdW3OmswXIhxWF8TOWAMkyzqGagGqcXrIX_NSZT8gsG_DYrWJXFV_ZzjdnheKJSvNh07_Lytg-JKbAZWHNxNlYQvIDIjv4Y54ZqJPed6UyCSXBFLpS1m7U8vCPs6YfF4K0CikDbxntPuB5yg9tNTVhsCbVcAKJY0W4MpNw/w225-h400/PXL_20230417_150742926.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDlz8QYODElxEAefcpHaduMAt1QzuqYJWwEuIBIP-gnfRDE5Y--tmj95RCYqrN0w3_DObm_Dt7IqBGDdnK5PjuQFCuFA9y5xDmY3xED4oBRypytpdR2mqhp9cfwE-juB9UETHST-EfQpE6-Ug8j0rPRnPg7CvYfavbkXCH4M2V-JR4htaPQ_ofJ9mzg/s2385/PXL_20230417_151711195.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2012" data-original-width="2385" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDlz8QYODElxEAefcpHaduMAt1QzuqYJWwEuIBIP-gnfRDE5Y--tmj95RCYqrN0w3_DObm_Dt7IqBGDdnK5PjuQFCuFA9y5xDmY3xED4oBRypytpdR2mqhp9cfwE-juB9UETHST-EfQpE6-Ug8j0rPRnPg7CvYfavbkXCH4M2V-JR4htaPQ_ofJ9mzg/w400-h338/PXL_20230417_151711195.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8f-Qufpg9e61CXatgkLal26pi6tjqUfV1WJCLpUSFLIk94TVjqsDExUeroy99AcUhE6ecsRiZrdC7gRG-_ja2NfcJ5CR0krZG2NDIiiMgEb09iNecugVMgMKv6s_Yg1PhRYNWbyIEVGe5Q1-GdXTaHl950bz_col4Ne1WVFtw6KwQwuUdGmAL7QasLQ/s4032/PXL_20230417_145627718.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQSixX42ZyhdBqxWM3cYQa5aglbMvVtaRzXVfu2ySPOprQk_xDxaZjLzvONTmhnOiawrmpd0r2cddmHfo2n3G3FheVjqDnIAH9o5MzrnJKK6xGx4UNXvzvdJc-xSMpNffAfWA1PVLM1NAZBzvwYLxybwaL3tRuubOSIXk7s_vJ4j5R-3uIFeYowEPaw/s2241/PXL_20230417_154447145.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1844" data-original-width="2241" height="329" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQSixX42ZyhdBqxWM3cYQa5aglbMvVtaRzXVfu2ySPOprQk_xDxaZjLzvONTmhnOiawrmpd0r2cddmHfo2n3G3FheVjqDnIAH9o5MzrnJKK6xGx4UNXvzvdJc-xSMpNffAfWA1PVLM1NAZBzvwYLxybwaL3tRuubOSIXk7s_vJ4j5R-3uIFeYowEPaw/w400-h329/PXL_20230417_154447145.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIWw6fMEvuRxNpEzuze5k2_BpZ3PfDd2R2pzGbMIFKBaZeO1fuOWzZl7jcNGvxNN59Bd8vMdHPbBYiDW7cl6wNUG-vNrHuB6OwIljCZvO3LtjsfivVMVASGgVjwekIeCWPhTbH8xfARdP3vulhMG8aLjfdtTCflb9T_2GfxrrWEZtgODbhosvU2nPoQg/s2666/PXL_20230417_155101054~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2666" data-original-width="2076" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIWw6fMEvuRxNpEzuze5k2_BpZ3PfDd2R2pzGbMIFKBaZeO1fuOWzZl7jcNGvxNN59Bd8vMdHPbBYiDW7cl6wNUG-vNrHuB6OwIljCZvO3LtjsfivVMVASGgVjwekIeCWPhTbH8xfARdP3vulhMG8aLjfdtTCflb9T_2GfxrrWEZtgODbhosvU2nPoQg/w311-h400/PXL_20230417_155101054~2.jpg" width="311" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyCoVwfJpnMFf7pQ0pvXK9rwiT8_JGy4sX9gkEEOoAKEKT976OiXo6Rzo_kLrLjePumk5zASBUYzz_aW3RGRQW7-WOntVtbIoO2ZIE8_BNrB5VyIil0LixapCrZpjSDX2tj3NYSpmF3ipN5JSmej0mZN1wl7oaJyX3kyNL6xTTdD-kENUTd1FcCF_91A/s3531/PXL_20230417_155306680.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3531" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyCoVwfJpnMFf7pQ0pvXK9rwiT8_JGy4sX9gkEEOoAKEKT976OiXo6Rzo_kLrLjePumk5zASBUYzz_aW3RGRQW7-WOntVtbIoO2ZIE8_BNrB5VyIil0LixapCrZpjSDX2tj3NYSpmF3ipN5JSmej0mZN1wl7oaJyX3kyNL6xTTdD-kENUTd1FcCF_91A/w258-h400/PXL_20230417_155306680.jpg" width="258" /></a></div>On Thursday, though, I had no race obligations, and after doing a bit of Googling I knew what I was going to do: take the metro to the <i>Casco Viejo</i> and explore old Panama City! Now, the subway in this city is by far not as sprawling as what you'd find in London, Paris, New York, or Berlin, but there are two intersecting lines, and one of the stations, <i>Iglesia del Carmen</i>, was mere steps from the hotel. When I couldn't figure out how to buy a single ticket with my credit card and turned to one of the many friendly metro hosts I found out that you simply use your credit card at the turnstile! Wow! I've never seen that, anywhere. Nope, you don't get a receipt, and if it hadn't been for the Rome2Rio app I wouldn't have had any idea of what the approximate price might be—as I just found out this morning when checking my German CC account the price came to $0.32 per ride. OK, I take that!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgak8xqiANUH6SzMvNuhdfB6kmZwUp6LV1VtZzm6qOzGUbSInqwN8zWAPZeqUMVllkhaukYJWhBQXtLvQbz6RX7Q2B_dweHz_fgPdqtFPN0Tzw-WL3aaKfQqlYM5mYPY4dZTgOFrszM7XXFSoRbliuLfxJnp3eQlZk5_-YQUvURBMwlGJN4G8dorGEt1A/s3965/PXL_20230420_235422174.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3965" data-original-width="2100" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgak8xqiANUH6SzMvNuhdfB6kmZwUp6LV1VtZzm6qOzGUbSInqwN8zWAPZeqUMVllkhaukYJWhBQXtLvQbz6RX7Q2B_dweHz_fgPdqtFPN0Tzw-WL3aaKfQqlYM5mYPY4dZTgOFrszM7XXFSoRbliuLfxJnp3eQlZk5_-YQUvURBMwlGJN4G8dorGEt1A/w211-h400/PXL_20230420_235422174.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><div></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLe2rA_EKbEz8iS64iLONqpm0nhprvzUr0OHsVQesmfnQAxK3MNZe6cEimTQmgTAYNUpal5cVTUtbsk-fxOpG8SLYflL8EJ8ZAgHD7oyvtJV0CesDBQLaqqCiH5Bb3aVb5vCFoHFpStMqa9giOXUSloGbTj-gVXgQlGbq0uT42ZbETgg187-K7lrYNLw/s4032/PXL_20230420_155220040.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLe2rA_EKbEz8iS64iLONqpm0nhprvzUr0OHsVQesmfnQAxK3MNZe6cEimTQmgTAYNUpal5cVTUtbsk-fxOpG8SLYflL8EJ8ZAgHD7oyvtJV0CesDBQLaqqCiH5Bb3aVb5vCFoHFpStMqa9giOXUSloGbTj-gVXgQlGbq0uT42ZbETgg187-K7lrYNLw/w400-h225/PXL_20230420_155220040.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVN0eKgAJyPyPjnlVwFOnhfvgVW7_JZUCZCQVNs0TNBLVTP3HjYaSCo4wUL48BWnrRQpWrqXIDv4sXYHT7-fFvzouK7sY2MQ2G4rrcEzZ0BEQ_qLP0UIxbi3PgqEr0WLKKsrml_wOYumBVbeWl4mP0_xpqhcKr1T8gXMbOHO8UfxFDJ16zs4whXOQ9NA/s3539/PXL_20230420_235234872.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3539" data-original-width="2257" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVN0eKgAJyPyPjnlVwFOnhfvgVW7_JZUCZCQVNs0TNBLVTP3HjYaSCo4wUL48BWnrRQpWrqXIDv4sXYHT7-fFvzouK7sY2MQ2G4rrcEzZ0BEQ_qLP0UIxbi3PgqEr0WLKKsrml_wOYumBVbeWl4mP0_xpqhcKr1T8gXMbOHO8UfxFDJ16zs4whXOQ9NA/w255-h400/PXL_20230420_235234872.jpg" width="255" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiGQESHL4pIPJI05vQwCA3_QWpnmOmrHgqdNk0BqiTNx5J0c2dicv-xCFdWe4POqejlB1UTBTF0b9qEFW0I5NssQDGa14DLpTfM01bLZBzr0pCTWKUfoqJiOBJg_x7Yo03ngg1oBT-eWfvhoMYYoUtjRBrVYhTRWnOll_Ulle_F5YD3XS1ImQLcsCZyw/s2226/PXL_20230420_171443782.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2136" data-original-width="2226" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiGQESHL4pIPJI05vQwCA3_QWpnmOmrHgqdNk0BqiTNx5J0c2dicv-xCFdWe4POqejlB1UTBTF0b9qEFW0I5NssQDGa14DLpTfM01bLZBzr0pCTWKUfoqJiOBJg_x7Yo03ngg1oBT-eWfvhoMYYoUtjRBrVYhTRWnOll_Ulle_F5YD3XS1ImQLcsCZyw/w400-h384/PXL_20230420_171443782.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK9uOLF75LlX1OrLd6xbtZdy6kugIHKt7C2WnSS5qhtuFLCqOYe4ikfEuXUpAvJDJgYhICqW3_WCqjbV_6nfUX1-_hwpqYpu98fll6IDO5WsrUi-fMAbyCD6raq2_S1QWyeFiE8DSzC2dKwXiG0RojpNcNDfQMVBrF9aFgiHIu1gsvzBCy0i-86hpDRw/s4032/PXL_20230420_160432918.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK9uOLF75LlX1OrLd6xbtZdy6kugIHKt7C2WnSS5qhtuFLCqOYe4ikfEuXUpAvJDJgYhICqW3_WCqjbV_6nfUX1-_hwpqYpu98fll6IDO5WsrUi-fMAbyCD6raq2_S1QWyeFiE8DSzC2dKwXiG0RojpNcNDfQMVBrF9aFgiHIu1gsvzBCy0i-86hpDRw/w225-h400/PXL_20230420_160432918.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>The <i>Casco Viejo</i> is definitely different from the modern part of the city. It's what you'd expect to see in Central America: vibrant street life with vendors everywhere, narrow streets, clogged and honking traffic, people milling around going after their everyday lives. School children in their freshly pressed uniforms (reminding me of my old friend Danny, with whom I attended Texas Tech and who hailed from Panama) milling around their schools, an old shoeshine man working on a just-as-elderly client's footwear, two women with umbrellas (the true sense of the word means <i>shade giver</i>) exchanging the latest gossip, and young man pulling a few fish out of a plastic bucket and being an impromptu fish monger. <i>Pura vida</i>.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92iTiH-okVtoWMEOO7OtQSXW8A2fEpUUvYomXZEsk9WM8gDT5QgJrQOTN9ppm2EXm_43iyNGMC7KQDp9UvGLMaXgvRgZKyKgWktqavNklXQatNrcr25AhWJ-J3QwhifiweVU2fAmni6zWRtsakpiT1pS3N2RKOw37MP4ejkXbbOVJdR1GPxYJNmqmDA/s3140/PXL_20230420_161104947.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1879" data-original-width="3140" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92iTiH-okVtoWMEOO7OtQSXW8A2fEpUUvYomXZEsk9WM8gDT5QgJrQOTN9ppm2EXm_43iyNGMC7KQDp9UvGLMaXgvRgZKyKgWktqavNklXQatNrcr25AhWJ-J3QwhifiweVU2fAmni6zWRtsakpiT1pS3N2RKOw37MP4ejkXbbOVJdR1GPxYJNmqmDA/w400-h239/PXL_20230420_161104947.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnp2m8VqR9DOUqmISKFSeKegXEbwTCVpzWlkIwPXGsSE62FE0Z6E0vocGT5jHp23mKjRI0pb7Qn7pMekI0XjLGBaItl5o8XJVH-LTL-1zTzplJ9NJh1mjcWzQk7T099DHWPeAFmJFjl6rJoda7Qf2HOnguswqoc1KJSjoegrM_GkLxpYhNArwVLDKcCg/s2160/PXL_20230420_160606906.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="1723" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnp2m8VqR9DOUqmISKFSeKegXEbwTCVpzWlkIwPXGsSE62FE0Z6E0vocGT5jHp23mKjRI0pb7Qn7pMekI0XjLGBaItl5o8XJVH-LTL-1zTzplJ9NJh1mjcWzQk7T099DHWPeAFmJFjl6rJoda7Qf2HOnguswqoc1KJSjoegrM_GkLxpYhNArwVLDKcCg/w319-h400/PXL_20230420_160606906.jpg" width="319" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbviK72LiAJuDh9FR96Gic-ElPAak4qQS_wVYScZxlPnPUs2B-ZwLRDRiaj9aVUbsq-IO4_x-7A_QuJFoicmVqneYEsBg8tD6aUmLw6eQ16iGSbQJBEQEL1oXBS8hMY0QI8XRLL32Qb7fVHApnlPHOzpkZQSQewEjF5noVOdiQVX0uso1O6DF9aJVvaA/s2538/PXL_20230420_160826786.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2538" data-original-width="1852" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbviK72LiAJuDh9FR96Gic-ElPAak4qQS_wVYScZxlPnPUs2B-ZwLRDRiaj9aVUbsq-IO4_x-7A_QuJFoicmVqneYEsBg8tD6aUmLw6eQ16iGSbQJBEQEL1oXBS8hMY0QI8XRLL32Qb7fVHApnlPHOzpkZQSQewEjF5noVOdiQVX0uso1O6DF9aJVvaA/w293-h400/PXL_20230420_160826786.jpg" width="293" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Two Guna women, an indigenous people who still live in the Darien region</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOw964GVIle7t3ISQMzqNxK6at-xQywdmgWTWLwzIwCIEbw5xwZCAiXsqrsgPCtBrSX7ycmDWbdnhUFtsI6S2R_M4IsFr5wVV3X4OdCbPTtC1E7rhomXrHnZ7cP10-duS_TEtehlCcW-Pgwab-tXaTN58J481ClKQSO1owMqQ80XaEvnsTk62vK-LAOg/s4032/PXL_20230420_161339884.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOw964GVIle7t3ISQMzqNxK6at-xQywdmgWTWLwzIwCIEbw5xwZCAiXsqrsgPCtBrSX7ycmDWbdnhUFtsI6S2R_M4IsFr5wVV3X4OdCbPTtC1E7rhomXrHnZ7cP10-duS_TEtehlCcW-Pgwab-tXaTN58J481ClKQSO1owMqQ80XaEvnsTk62vK-LAOg/w400-h225/PXL_20230420_161339884.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg10v2UnoELK3UA3iRCR3b6VQ0cAD1uUfmX4Gnc0Lbz3-Gdp4fODA5uTwj1Bd3xQR2FXg_9txqff41bQyRujHBAv2XfS31_nwtbGR_Eidvyri9lJZneH7k2vDx371RmcDpsZ90r3C1ik5I7cUxk_TlWAT96JL2TswcBmyABUSNzcp7ZTsO_2gR2kD8fag/s3134/PXL_20230420_164804130.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2010" data-original-width="3134" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg10v2UnoELK3UA3iRCR3b6VQ0cAD1uUfmX4Gnc0Lbz3-Gdp4fODA5uTwj1Bd3xQR2FXg_9txqff41bQyRujHBAv2XfS31_nwtbGR_Eidvyri9lJZneH7k2vDx371RmcDpsZ90r3C1ik5I7cUxk_TlWAT96JL2TswcBmyABUSNzcp7ZTsO_2gR2kD8fag/w400-h256/PXL_20230420_164804130.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Open-air barber shop</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBnFAvD4puHBWPAI-7gqx79qSvOHZnv54JpkSb85g9bYOydWcqZ3itd1lPkDHXryiqj5PMQA-wxbYPvKyovzVbLhtc6uJUmXpK2yoVr9cOwoiWf5u0CyKnEnpr78rMpLekxJzpjzYz-uOy4uZgoOvGm62z6Ev7RQrp9P18_J4jiU94XHhT4cKl1U1rOQ/s2572/PXL_20230420_165221937.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2572" data-original-width="2026" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBnFAvD4puHBWPAI-7gqx79qSvOHZnv54JpkSb85g9bYOydWcqZ3itd1lPkDHXryiqj5PMQA-wxbYPvKyovzVbLhtc6uJUmXpK2yoVr9cOwoiWf5u0CyKnEnpr78rMpLekxJzpjzYz-uOy4uZgoOvGm62z6Ev7RQrp9P18_J4jiU94XHhT4cKl1U1rOQ/w315-h400/PXL_20230420_165221937.jpg" width="315" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihU-zfJD-YkuO4VZVbqW-JOVO8duRZisiBbMh6Sm2QsF5SCCG-dm3PutZu4Weg_f93MHo0YUWc5FyjKHhuuoQYtkp31q-bRc4L8OwbUvRtK3fjExzbqWGpAYfq-SFA1V4CPeS0VuCcuwEQW2DmCvmXx2RPY04RpIiU8iXsPYVmCME59IpWu9u3g2ExRA/s3409/PXL_20230420_165546387~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3409" data-original-width="2241" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihU-zfJD-YkuO4VZVbqW-JOVO8duRZisiBbMh6Sm2QsF5SCCG-dm3PutZu4Weg_f93MHo0YUWc5FyjKHhuuoQYtkp31q-bRc4L8OwbUvRtK3fjExzbqWGpAYfq-SFA1V4CPeS0VuCcuwEQW2DmCvmXx2RPY04RpIiU8iXsPYVmCME59IpWu9u3g2ExRA/w263-h400/PXL_20230420_165546387~2.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSZn-2GLy0Bvcal9wgnrbZ5hv5uQqVddeoT_AWGY5cDZuMc632gOi00MU5RddsiJ20lU-zQH9_J0y30xj_Pk6RWjAIAIufIQ8lDXRAqrM1MtK_Nx0A7bSUuajYQWl1_ND4RzY66MJRP-Awyb-3xfcHwHZSjRxBXYJBUaq6Tw1CH6PDTpTgIvjFmvoFKQ/s1178/PXL_20230420_172123929.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1178" data-original-width="866" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSZn-2GLy0Bvcal9wgnrbZ5hv5uQqVddeoT_AWGY5cDZuMc632gOi00MU5RddsiJ20lU-zQH9_J0y30xj_Pk6RWjAIAIufIQ8lDXRAqrM1MtK_Nx0A7bSUuajYQWl1_ND4RzY66MJRP-Awyb-3xfcHwHZSjRxBXYJBUaq6Tw1CH6PDTpTgIvjFmvoFKQ/w294-h400/PXL_20230420_172123929.jpg" width="294" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOr-sQOFTQi8wi4AHYIL9ZC5t3VRbYAlznPD_1Z4DuYIuIoSGqgNCMbVLgUB9VNKiNdotabbFvFVaXIwpa2atIipc2KBxVRYFYwccgllZ-JhB5trJ7OZvb80REn882z-vo_Zk4BU-NvXoT1mNy7dLu6EhAPUk638GCVg1yXomjPVK7z37kY8lExOKTKQ/s3406/PXL_20230420_200806750.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3406" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOr-sQOFTQi8wi4AHYIL9ZC5t3VRbYAlznPD_1Z4DuYIuIoSGqgNCMbVLgUB9VNKiNdotabbFvFVaXIwpa2atIipc2KBxVRYFYwccgllZ-JhB5trJ7OZvb80REn882z-vo_Zk4BU-NvXoT1mNy7dLu6EhAPUk638GCVg1yXomjPVK7z37kY8lExOKTKQ/w400-h266/PXL_20230420_200806750.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Molas</i>, a Guna artform</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQKGhmHLBttvMAh9dsYZoL4zTjcW-J_h2V3GDiRADtzdm6w585wpoaeoLslPSl-JBapMMkjnaLx2dYcjm7r54KgS_8p35V81oPoeX-AxhPrIrCnjXY8KpAzAlEPmg5RZ3LaIu8YqRvyVWP-HzCtc_upUR_Olqz3zDjHn9dKS7sJSWRdSb4Q70of_c_g/s2186/PXL_20230420_213444700.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2186" data-original-width="1560" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQKGhmHLBttvMAh9dsYZoL4zTjcW-J_h2V3GDiRADtzdm6w585wpoaeoLslPSl-JBapMMkjnaLx2dYcjm7r54KgS_8p35V81oPoeX-AxhPrIrCnjXY8KpAzAlEPmg5RZ3LaIu8YqRvyVWP-HzCtc_upUR_Olqz3zDjHn9dKS7sJSWRdSb4Q70of_c_g/w285-h400/PXL_20230420_213444700.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>I let myself drift and took in the scenes, the smells, the sounds, the sights. Yes, I had come for the race, but let's be honest, that's why I had <i>really </i>come down here. Ah, what lucky man I am to continue to take in all this beauty and paired with abysmal poverty and yet strumming with life. I feel comfortable in places like this, making up little stories in my head based on what I see, trying to imagine what goes through the protagonists' minds, motivates them, makes them happy, makes them sad.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpKEZffShXzjcpKLlu-knqF_-suuEG7QIkxvNULNIXF4Ex5OqddWIeZiLjfWt6JjufF7dbAEb7ZrHKDDo7gOHYTGiNtxR-BP4z3HSIoHS0Oe6VSC0tvgIAu2QgYufpMXyG8HIYU7pcMWk6n3IHIwIbw1ZK1_WlHM4_Pkid1STwzkZ4IFq3rbb3mBC5iw/s4032/PXL_20230420_200523019.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpKEZffShXzjcpKLlu-knqF_-suuEG7QIkxvNULNIXF4Ex5OqddWIeZiLjfWt6JjufF7dbAEb7ZrHKDDo7gOHYTGiNtxR-BP4z3HSIoHS0Oe6VSC0tvgIAu2QgYufpMXyG8HIYU7pcMWk6n3IHIwIbw1ZK1_WlHM4_Pkid1STwzkZ4IFq3rbb3mBC5iw/w400-h225/PXL_20230420_200523019.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Tt9cHFemdjLmsz-yDQhj0c32I6vteYey1l9XN2rhC8PrmmJBq2bTZJuc30yN1jy1_NtqxlT3sPopg_rMG1s94syAWRqQhPVoE7Q7l6A4tZR8QhBzCmPMECyCABvxJikuY4yk8rjuyUxhi9KB7qYq3sVNp10FVwkVDnHxjvWIL7CUCTI1gqepb2xqag/s3019/PXL_20230420_193427379.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3019" data-original-width="2255" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Tt9cHFemdjLmsz-yDQhj0c32I6vteYey1l9XN2rhC8PrmmJBq2bTZJuc30yN1jy1_NtqxlT3sPopg_rMG1s94syAWRqQhPVoE7Q7l6A4tZR8QhBzCmPMECyCABvxJikuY4yk8rjuyUxhi9KB7qYq3sVNp10FVwkVDnHxjvWIL7CUCTI1gqepb2xqag/w299-h400/PXL_20230420_193427379.jpg" width="299" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4aRamQoCuVAebeVQvI6R0XdOpV6-u0liZXyw5JsIWy708kAWr-D90J-8XWidQAIafHAio3Wn8GfvBWKC913xfEnSZalhEpPE0q6jgJdspaDwBp59ne0okvVEhzs9ecmE0lq8GXkmJzYWE1zhlmQyoDhrJz2xEuxJ4-ybIXOFR-eSqTu1_hmptIvwuWg/s2236/PXL_20230420_173009932.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1996" data-original-width="2236" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4aRamQoCuVAebeVQvI6R0XdOpV6-u0liZXyw5JsIWy708kAWr-D90J-8XWidQAIafHAio3Wn8GfvBWKC913xfEnSZalhEpPE0q6jgJdspaDwBp59ne0okvVEhzs9ecmE0lq8GXkmJzYWE1zhlmQyoDhrJz2xEuxJ4-ybIXOFR-eSqTu1_hmptIvwuWg/w400-h358/PXL_20230420_173009932.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX-egelV-IK8JiO_xwjP7DOu4hxgrX5xdd4DYqLzw3ObLR2wSbQFGQN8b84soMLqOQbLimvsr2E29jaHts51r49m54ckukrJbM7D6_lu268610RubZUSn7dwsbAhgaaeO2CRFK204J71Agde_KNOtKLRF7mDVqEFGsOPCSK3RKpM5K5lDlPWs51OvjXw/s2031/PXL_20230420_171527299.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1748" data-original-width="2031" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX-egelV-IK8JiO_xwjP7DOu4hxgrX5xdd4DYqLzw3ObLR2wSbQFGQN8b84soMLqOQbLimvsr2E29jaHts51r49m54ckukrJbM7D6_lu268610RubZUSn7dwsbAhgaaeO2CRFK204J71Agde_KNOtKLRF7mDVqEFGsOPCSK3RKpM5K5lDlPWs51OvjXw/w400-h344/PXL_20230420_171527299.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy7leMimpLO2pMWWBgq-wMH6JD3XusG0iB9o_6nC3ptHqBuTfM_d46QEiUOk3-Co-lK38cOd69YOkvmQR-9Z3uTvXO6DckyPkJQksz4Z7EKiXNt6cSUioRrP4JczWe2n1vjpAnqjM0HAkqaPVmWQikCsQ9imTmluJOLU8LuIuzimxMWdEd8WW0gH13Tw/s4032/PXL_20230420_171226707.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy7leMimpLO2pMWWBgq-wMH6JD3XusG0iB9o_6nC3ptHqBuTfM_d46QEiUOk3-Co-lK38cOd69YOkvmQR-9Z3uTvXO6DckyPkJQksz4Z7EKiXNt6cSUioRrP4JczWe2n1vjpAnqjM0HAkqaPVmWQikCsQ9imTmluJOLU8LuIuzimxMWdEd8WW0gH13Tw/w225-h400/PXL_20230420_171226707.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2X6zM4R_46mds9xMjlIMDk_004-MNjXAC6c9lBHz7wv6n_lw3OkPz0_BYWnPQw-kr-TG0vzE8eifWHoPHIs4F-pAYJawwHQ67wn_qi6qnVTvnukWAx-AASnx0ZBXdUWz3HaM3u3ByIJ-8HS08_mMu5faMHKVn7qTSwTJG_1ghtpiTOJuWEZg_OWNfbA/s3391/PXL_20230420_170306956~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3391" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2X6zM4R_46mds9xMjlIMDk_004-MNjXAC6c9lBHz7wv6n_lw3OkPz0_BYWnPQw-kr-TG0vzE8eifWHoPHIs4F-pAYJawwHQ67wn_qi6qnVTvnukWAx-AASnx0ZBXdUWz3HaM3u3ByIJ-8HS08_mMu5faMHKVn7qTSwTJG_1ghtpiTOJuWEZg_OWNfbA/w268-h400/PXL_20230420_170306956~2.jpg" width="268" /></a></div></div><div>Somehow I ended up at the tiny Museum of Modern Art. It would be easy to dismiss this place as unimportant, with something like maybe six to eight room, on two floors in a small colonial building. But let me tell you, the photographs of old Panama City, the stories behind the LGBTQ individuals living in a maybe not-so-emancipated environment, the sounds from the Darien and slides showing the indigenous people—45 minutes well spent!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR3WvYmafVxdAL_v_2555W_837IXejtt72KEXnqQo11RBUzjSeQvqDCi3h7o1p8A0qr4ilql_fAaeXhJxXaec-OlcvkZ-97fLFkDh0Sgzq3fJnv0qsnFwYlbEv-7h3MNF66sIs4kqwrF2X5iNx_6m0rw5xO_cG662QFjVtsbV7JaaO0xu2U88hsrxpOw/s3396/PXL_20230420_163327137~3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3396" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR3WvYmafVxdAL_v_2555W_837IXejtt72KEXnqQo11RBUzjSeQvqDCi3h7o1p8A0qr4ilql_fAaeXhJxXaec-OlcvkZ-97fLFkDh0Sgzq3fJnv0qsnFwYlbEv-7h3MNF66sIs4kqwrF2X5iNx_6m0rw5xO_cG662QFjVtsbV7JaaO0xu2U88hsrxpOw/w400-h268/PXL_20230420_163327137~3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA3TPkUNM_j_SSNqqe8XYOyIheYXhyN9EtGmGrfdZNiMDRdRzuBfsz_c_eajLhEZn0bukzx9bx1XZkrbUgt5iRGf3JmycjEkwNVQMFRrPiPOzJnJshirVHXlaJOLtHAWCuUD2sj_mJQVSqW1aCVcyRYs-R9G_X5vS0sbxrUvgZYz8WHIpm23Y_XmP7Hg/s2977/PXL_20230420_163133030.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2977" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA3TPkUNM_j_SSNqqe8XYOyIheYXhyN9EtGmGrfdZNiMDRdRzuBfsz_c_eajLhEZn0bukzx9bx1XZkrbUgt5iRGf3JmycjEkwNVQMFRrPiPOzJnJshirVHXlaJOLtHAWCuUD2sj_mJQVSqW1aCVcyRYs-R9G_X5vS0sbxrUvgZYz8WHIpm23Y_XmP7Hg/w305-h400/PXL_20230420_163133030.jpg" width="305" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifb9zUAQFSgRlJ6nayKsXshIa1W-ERG4BXS9-IXbf9yIHMRVXp-GyB9ImjVlbDlyP2ikrKaUKLbpyiXLnddnFG61M3EW2SPZdnsHJEvsfecc7QuHvtCwsacCA00DcVAdKknoMKDIrOYTY84thZ3G5zkqjHCWF9PhPuKd96QTE-UTuuKflgdFMkKUla-Q/s3569/PXL_20230420_162735844.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="3569" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifb9zUAQFSgRlJ6nayKsXshIa1W-ERG4BXS9-IXbf9yIHMRVXp-GyB9ImjVlbDlyP2ikrKaUKLbpyiXLnddnFG61M3EW2SPZdnsHJEvsfecc7QuHvtCwsacCA00DcVAdKknoMKDIrOYTY84thZ3G5zkqjHCWF9PhPuKd96QTE-UTuuKflgdFMkKUla-Q/w400-h176/PXL_20230420_162735844.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZC_lgjulxbnPIN77pA_uFfZ1MhJucHdiK9txLQAGQH7CELhJpahWb9WvK3nbmjEQcGpE52I7sV8EDS1o3HJlukozbg2lKYQWOg6G3ZZmAKF2aBCT6493QMHeUo_-bf34bvwwoCEWwF0ejvYbtjY6NBBS7Q2aWWUqwKg_h8oCdKCD4H-d8rSuto4OgWg/s2902/PXL_20230420_162424569.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2902" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZC_lgjulxbnPIN77pA_uFfZ1MhJucHdiK9txLQAGQH7CELhJpahWb9WvK3nbmjEQcGpE52I7sV8EDS1o3HJlukozbg2lKYQWOg6G3ZZmAKF2aBCT6493QMHeUo_-bf34bvwwoCEWwF0ejvYbtjY6NBBS7Q2aWWUqwKg_h8oCdKCD4H-d8rSuto4OgWg/w313-h400/PXL_20230420_162424569.jpg" width="313" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoZq7kpFdEf39R2KCtpmTImk7rqLRo4wF9ZEdyKHg2HSNUGimq6V8NhESwQ93B1NK22EeCTQ7Myi1d7t7gc2G55ZLk-CJcJ9ScVrk1WpaipWpI6baapvqzR-vri8dTWsU5YyxP_-5fcbSTp8rBQuljl4PJ1tMlx-RciAx0AMmxDPLSj4sEeYUq94SFQA/s2534/PXL_20230420_162116798.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2198" data-original-width="2534" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoZq7kpFdEf39R2KCtpmTImk7rqLRo4wF9ZEdyKHg2HSNUGimq6V8NhESwQ93B1NK22EeCTQ7Myi1d7t7gc2G55ZLk-CJcJ9ScVrk1WpaipWpI6baapvqzR-vri8dTWsU5YyxP_-5fcbSTp8rBQuljl4PJ1tMlx-RciAx0AMmxDPLSj4sEeYUq94SFQA/w400-h348/PXL_20230420_162116798.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-TxRY3VbYH9mqzAjlRAsNcjh7vlnDAK5My-sXjkPJWXC4tBWX2Ptoyv5M_BAwKqmn2nGIUetPVMJHVdzcXZbgOHeL1rN7qIHqLahacz1zqLpx1vgERpC8T32Dev8zAaYiSXrZJoxU8vrb0-qioGdAEBLlQE1nFPOzTgGGsk_rYNFUiajzdb5f-Y_N-A/s3754/PXL_20230420_162009179.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3754" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-TxRY3VbYH9mqzAjlRAsNcjh7vlnDAK5My-sXjkPJWXC4tBWX2Ptoyv5M_BAwKqmn2nGIUetPVMJHVdzcXZbgOHeL1rN7qIHqLahacz1zqLpx1vgERpC8T32Dev8zAaYiSXrZJoxU8vrb0-qioGdAEBLlQE1nFPOzTgGGsk_rYNFUiajzdb5f-Y_N-A/w400-h241/PXL_20230420_162009179.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>There were other museums in the old town. One of them was the Museum of Panamanian History on the ground floor of the Municipal Palace of Panama City, yet another beautiful colonial building on <i>the</i> main square, the <i>Plaza Catedral. </i>There were even fewer rooms than in the MoM, yet being admitted (free entrance for all) required my full name, address, age, and time I would spend in Panama, all carefully recorded into a large leger by a timeless matron who exuded dignity. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWPrwVJYqc3cUoUteWGLeB6-PKPipMMlVoCsiP3hlKg0XbGH_aQ1HRR0B_Qcs4iaixI6qOa9oZHKVvaJKPhG7w_pg3d6-uBvYXrosbjzBSHeyFH3L44MByL5_aWRwHh_lS8AAvY9yI5N4l_8SN0fRsp7a4tE5bqpmLwp77ElHDHcdM4qIMEtzYFhBxVg/s2658/PXL_20230420_172315595.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2658" data-original-width="1930" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWPrwVJYqc3cUoUteWGLeB6-PKPipMMlVoCsiP3hlKg0XbGH_aQ1HRR0B_Qcs4iaixI6qOa9oZHKVvaJKPhG7w_pg3d6-uBvYXrosbjzBSHeyFH3L44MByL5_aWRwHh_lS8AAvY9yI5N4l_8SN0fRsp7a4tE5bqpmLwp77ElHDHcdM4qIMEtzYFhBxVg/w290-h400/PXL_20230420_172315595.jpg" width="290" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim28E-iBO5ybl5wPU6-1Hl1IVjt4rtcLcAp9ZJhmJS2rJkI-oLyhekBVbmZ_nmEl4NnEVviIEX0KAxb3hZ5XZ2wwkm5eAnD48VwFxr77V-G958JfVhZGxvEVuo2x1ssuZOrl2zZoEoEzVvgX4R1uabNwNFlIbvuU9uJSOJFxOzVUoa4xQLirS3--XTnw/s4032/PXL_20230420_172659058.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim28E-iBO5ybl5wPU6-1Hl1IVjt4rtcLcAp9ZJhmJS2rJkI-oLyhekBVbmZ_nmEl4NnEVviIEX0KAxb3hZ5XZ2wwkm5eAnD48VwFxr77V-G958JfVhZGxvEVuo2x1ssuZOrl2zZoEoEzVvgX4R1uabNwNFlIbvuU9uJSOJFxOzVUoa4xQLirS3--XTnw/w400-h225/PXL_20230420_172659058.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTApLrbEOi8mcBhhTR157LkGlMZmdU0D-wmAu9i7mJME12a9T3oYVRHV7pAe3I1NmC8AfdnVdH5B_w6lkgigx9dWExuTFAYbUOkPHWWf85aFc_4z8Hoy6Agt0z5vKQsnuuKdIrw9sb15lC-udew7GIKs5ntiXfnscCNFoCMdWTSl2A4baIbwtvK9ORtQ/s2211/PXL_20230420_174629844.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2042" data-original-width="2211" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTApLrbEOi8mcBhhTR157LkGlMZmdU0D-wmAu9i7mJME12a9T3oYVRHV7pAe3I1NmC8AfdnVdH5B_w6lkgigx9dWExuTFAYbUOkPHWWf85aFc_4z8Hoy6Agt0z5vKQsnuuKdIrw9sb15lC-udew7GIKs5ntiXfnscCNFoCMdWTSl2A4baIbwtvK9ORtQ/w400-h370/PXL_20230420_174629844.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjai6a2bJapbteG6gDUSGBw0yqm7QLjtKpJn4zCWPRLmoccYhN_uufXAxuDbEIulOr4W4OJ5RfJ9MrQUtivDS-hALKIWABKsVplg-gPh3qwGiRSkB-At9qLdB1aAjejPn49JrPZoD3eaF1jB-XNGbMsJF43udY6fIsGH4EllRp3VFk5qWjIsLOGLw5jlg/s3313/PXL_20230420_174712375.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3313" data-original-width="2247" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjai6a2bJapbteG6gDUSGBw0yqm7QLjtKpJn4zCWPRLmoccYhN_uufXAxuDbEIulOr4W4OJ5RfJ9MrQUtivDS-hALKIWABKsVplg-gPh3qwGiRSkB-At9qLdB1aAjejPn49JrPZoD3eaF1jB-XNGbMsJF43udY6fIsGH4EllRp3VFk5qWjIsLOGLw5jlg/w271-h400/PXL_20230420_174712375.jpg" width="271" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXXKiHH296NoUkYBSPV97GEEVs-XQRZ3gak3vhEnU00dJQvsAFDgszncPbYwTwkipI5hsBjuLbun55PPBpmrGNNzZ9cIHZnB4lcTcGotpT4eCUhDu9xMTTLCsJ0PsSqufdbUJqr_O3lcI09JfyhFCbjPp5ikUpEHMGZYYpNiDDCdcRfYcZl4-DJR5PiA/s4032/PXL_20230420_174951538.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXXKiHH296NoUkYBSPV97GEEVs-XQRZ3gak3vhEnU00dJQvsAFDgszncPbYwTwkipI5hsBjuLbun55PPBpmrGNNzZ9cIHZnB4lcTcGotpT4eCUhDu9xMTTLCsJ0PsSqufdbUJqr_O3lcI09JfyhFCbjPp5ikUpEHMGZYYpNiDDCdcRfYcZl4-DJR5PiA/w400-h225/PXL_20230420_174951538.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD0kwnnw-gxnMwNdN0RhGgzLCIWnEvxGRcmHOD2bWWUgDv-2DSj321fBj6GlBs9mqXsktW6JSn-Xl4MAoijQ5PDJXlnwzOLPBkAp54VOrMCuFEmGGCxO489653uHTdPPV3OM_4G7LRPOkmafD4yaMB_ZgW22XvxWTC5Ev4BAQgjwTC1Uyl_tIC3X0M2w/s4032/PXL_20230420_200905722.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD0kwnnw-gxnMwNdN0RhGgzLCIWnEvxGRcmHOD2bWWUgDv-2DSj321fBj6GlBs9mqXsktW6JSn-Xl4MAoijQ5PDJXlnwzOLPBkAp54VOrMCuFEmGGCxO489653uHTdPPV3OM_4G7LRPOkmafD4yaMB_ZgW22XvxWTC5Ev4BAQgjwTC1Uyl_tIC3X0M2w/w400-h225/PXL_20230420_200905722.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8lws_jyGQhjOVW_rpqOPLuOK-yXJNcTbXQWyjMCHSBhynahAoUZHN9xGAN9_dw1sfmVB_iNbblaoUcAlVChBLJpRkFd06P9Mdn6IQ_xqkaSClYBkrLia8BpaODuX4fyUmM5davhAk4l-HlmbhVE28Q8UsFbXYxNt0XdOdwbuuPy20l_Eu2-z6K5PIA/s3240/PXL_20230420_213112849.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3240" data-original-width="2237" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8lws_jyGQhjOVW_rpqOPLuOK-yXJNcTbXQWyjMCHSBhynahAoUZHN9xGAN9_dw1sfmVB_iNbblaoUcAlVChBLJpRkFd06P9Mdn6IQ_xqkaSClYBkrLia8BpaODuX4fyUmM5davhAk4l-HlmbhVE28Q8UsFbXYxNt0XdOdwbuuPy20l_Eu2-z6K5PIA/w276-h400/PXL_20230420_213112849.jpg" width="276" /></a></div>The <i>Plaza Catedral</i> is, quite obviously, home to the main church of PC. It's a small square, nothing really impressive, yet it would be even smaller if it hadn't been for one of the obligatory fires that decimated so many towns of those days. Let's rebuild, and while we're at it, let's enlarge the square by another two blocks. Voilá!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2yU10uBao7y7L_JhL31uSfDAbc7WOOX8TAVD9TMv9Y6cvW0T0NuCwQQqZyA7ZeLPLnBTm6cF6m_G4taXsD8QQzoYZTCdjdcMzK55LD0zt2Yt_Icr7sKarR1ze9pgaPSxHoZq99GgBeLacpKzK7p9HeI_mQYp0Hbbt-WGYGsUZsiuL2b1XRUWeEsy4w/s3369/PXL_20230420_200144262~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3369" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2yU10uBao7y7L_JhL31uSfDAbc7WOOX8TAVD9TMv9Y6cvW0T0NuCwQQqZyA7ZeLPLnBTm6cF6m_G4taXsD8QQzoYZTCdjdcMzK55LD0zt2Yt_Icr7sKarR1ze9pgaPSxHoZq99GgBeLacpKzK7p9HeI_mQYp0Hbbt-WGYGsUZsiuL2b1XRUWeEsy4w/w269-h400/PXL_20230420_200144262~2.jpg" width="269" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpuWgiGHuS1nxKQv-fFH2HVmkfZdjx73LhMl1gCauEikLNpzZFyBDpjQVMMLW4v14orkY39D0s5uJl7ydaPukFN_leYORUkbkpzqXwFxAzALR5za87BoYIqVxv2QhlWq43qM6rc0QjiNd7rg2ORcUSbG4ksUw8h9w2cwfdyPFQ7A5Wen4oTp1hASbM_g/s4032/PXL_20230420_200021530.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpuWgiGHuS1nxKQv-fFH2HVmkfZdjx73LhMl1gCauEikLNpzZFyBDpjQVMMLW4v14orkY39D0s5uJl7ydaPukFN_leYORUkbkpzqXwFxAzALR5za87BoYIqVxv2QhlWq43qM6rc0QjiNd7rg2ORcUSbG4ksUw8h9w2cwfdyPFQ7A5Wen4oTp1hASbM_g/w400-h225/PXL_20230420_200021530.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR3SNmHJu-j2ag7GvIaUvepOaa6x1OA9dNfwTNaFulEs3VdPMIzlmSZAYJQGeHrNeBesIkmG9R82VU0MUaQV0p-ajlDhaJJWRDvqMxNxTmzd-vQkwb2Ll2-fLEaC7uQ2NuxR4_fduPjgbXS284SpeK4E9YDUSPLS7J1GiIM9WYUyVYzyHjxemV1lGb-A/s3554/PXL_20230420_195219575~3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3554" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR3SNmHJu-j2ag7GvIaUvepOaa6x1OA9dNfwTNaFulEs3VdPMIzlmSZAYJQGeHrNeBesIkmG9R82VU0MUaQV0p-ajlDhaJJWRDvqMxNxTmzd-vQkwb2Ll2-fLEaC7uQ2NuxR4_fduPjgbXS284SpeK4E9YDUSPLS7J1GiIM9WYUyVYzyHjxemV1lGb-A/w400-h243/PXL_20230420_195219575~3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxETwlB7gqiSaHncYTyWb-2cumpxm9fJH8u2bp0B_aSOiCDQY7VIL38xVyXXYm39ltEpjuSulQeFElk6XW24LxcVmgavnwyrDZjmk6PT2PXVnw0xzUrHGOCoFplDqT2hlMOH_NlZ3w9chfadGZRt4r_6SeN3nrFUrPlp5hXMpf3g-ogQlo4oYz-27Tgg/s3297/PXL_20230420_194057411.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3297" data-original-width="2259" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxETwlB7gqiSaHncYTyWb-2cumpxm9fJH8u2bp0B_aSOiCDQY7VIL38xVyXXYm39ltEpjuSulQeFElk6XW24LxcVmgavnwyrDZjmk6PT2PXVnw0xzUrHGOCoFplDqT2hlMOH_NlZ3w9chfadGZRt4r_6SeN3nrFUrPlp5hXMpf3g-ogQlo4oYz-27Tgg/w274-h400/PXL_20230420_194057411.jpg" width="274" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja3jQzin6cD2eC0qUMJ0qeh5RlFOGeFknnyRvVTOsso84xZUh6UgS0bGqWJUiy63qgSmsONbBjudGAGyWZRg66hloR1Vk2RBXehDXwysgPw8WNPcTd-agW8xtZau_h6VT6F2_NEyUqiqssCOkpW7tutkQzL7mGZD5hOUrmdGF3ANrvppPmxNK7WqLlYA/s3140/PXL_20230420_193643785.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2019" data-original-width="3140" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja3jQzin6cD2eC0qUMJ0qeh5RlFOGeFknnyRvVTOsso84xZUh6UgS0bGqWJUiy63qgSmsONbBjudGAGyWZRg66hloR1Vk2RBXehDXwysgPw8WNPcTd-agW8xtZau_h6VT6F2_NEyUqiqssCOkpW7tutkQzL7mGZD5hOUrmdGF3ANrvppPmxNK7WqLlYA/w400-h258/PXL_20230420_193643785.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuy7Zvns1GGDxHYoiQMok_W4ZNlVE-WiGCxjHf-FJsCqItoc2GOOSbHKzZOCkaLo8kqVVjAWw4Gv-DZ_E7xD7ykLfSnzBqlNpjQuEqjHHb8qno8CV0u2PYMTLvEIpWGaOkqxEn7HEBpFArQufNN3lu2nzqvOI9m7ooQrTXZbp7_9uHxbRWGyrowYLVDw/s3577/PXL_20230420_193619103.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3577" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuy7Zvns1GGDxHYoiQMok_W4ZNlVE-WiGCxjHf-FJsCqItoc2GOOSbHKzZOCkaLo8kqVVjAWw4Gv-DZ_E7xD7ykLfSnzBqlNpjQuEqjHHb8qno8CV0u2PYMTLvEIpWGaOkqxEn7HEBpFArQufNN3lu2nzqvOI9m7ooQrTXZbp7_9uHxbRWGyrowYLVDw/w254-h400/PXL_20230420_193619103.jpg" width="254" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd8OjLyNjWcf6RpS1FgIXelGQHdYI9yqfrqj1hY5e-wiaFjth9r9cf93awb8FBcDnKrtK_GLr_tvH0SGmKIBKNznBmZCEb3EKX0m4cxyqRODx3LkKs4Ii6BwDz3c5dvNG0CoLUWNhWC101U5nai0jOkTbz1wFQ_Ho4jmqWw2G4HZjKq0WMe6c7eJ_TLA/s2440/PXL_20230420_193454722.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2440" data-original-width="2144" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd8OjLyNjWcf6RpS1FgIXelGQHdYI9yqfrqj1hY5e-wiaFjth9r9cf93awb8FBcDnKrtK_GLr_tvH0SGmKIBKNznBmZCEb3EKX0m4cxyqRODx3LkKs4Ii6BwDz3c5dvNG0CoLUWNhWC101U5nai0jOkTbz1wFQ_Ho4jmqWw2G4HZjKq0WMe6c7eJ_TLA/w351-h400/PXL_20230420_193454722.jpg" width="351" /></a></div></div><div>Just steps away is the Panama Canal Museum, and I <i>really</i> wanted to see it. I spent probably an hour-and-a-half in this well-curated museum that chronicles the makings of the canal from the times of the early Spanish explorers all the way to its hand-over by the USA on the last day of the year 1999. Fascinating is an overused word, of course, but the tumultuous history of this waterway is interesting beyond imagination. Unfortunately I did not get a chance to go out to the Miraflores Locks on this trip, so I'll have to return one of these days.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ZMtLtffUXnB3etkM7oSVfHHqxJhOQuI0brmSEC1ARhl3tEZn8Xz1WTeMC2qfrr8dozj2IyMhnzJJb9Jttn5R3z7j5YHeftj69I97mwgeewBNbAdcA1xvOOgKwOIsEpBYsW_2o8fR6PBmB-9gx89z0jheWUjMfQ30KJ-HNERreLeEz7sU3-2jls06LA/s4032/PXL_20230420_190429342.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1069" data-original-width="4032" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ZMtLtffUXnB3etkM7oSVfHHqxJhOQuI0brmSEC1ARhl3tEZn8Xz1WTeMC2qfrr8dozj2IyMhnzJJb9Jttn5R3z7j5YHeftj69I97mwgeewBNbAdcA1xvOOgKwOIsEpBYsW_2o8fR6PBmB-9gx89z0jheWUjMfQ30KJ-HNERreLeEz7sU3-2jls06LA/w400-h106/PXL_20230420_190429342.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcXvrS2MOACjDX8MNX0t0rTLKn1cWRzhufNI7KpCiPaJcw5CDhAQTyF6uynt8GU27KLGbXoNjXKe8dg3bLrHgddOUbhowVfWVhaAo086mZ6eGEHLpQG_dfGBp706BWrcsNSoDQtUJo15W3iFEle8jYj87ifA44KS9hs1BT_32GCtDugpPY6Nb5fy67fQ/s2954/PXL_20230420_190210284~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2954" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcXvrS2MOACjDX8MNX0t0rTLKn1cWRzhufNI7KpCiPaJcw5CDhAQTyF6uynt8GU27KLGbXoNjXKe8dg3bLrHgddOUbhowVfWVhaAo086mZ6eGEHLpQG_dfGBp706BWrcsNSoDQtUJo15W3iFEle8jYj87ifA44KS9hs1BT_32GCtDugpPY6Nb5fy67fQ/w308-h400/PXL_20230420_190210284~2.jpg" width="308" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGfTxo-w7gXuZyV_V-lpHJ6jbqZIVGNE9-y4Rlkkylh9cw4ALAaFwBk7CjHzxL8hwddwZ88IuEPE1tN29ML1-WjdWgvurf9XNQ_gTKsfe_B1EOtOkgc8klr29aMhS9pDNk2_0b6RvYfhHfrn0UthpmsfJ-BuxOHHxC4xZMntvC9XBMVMLieKCibMFjcQ/s3760/PXL_20230420_180939926.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3760" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGfTxo-w7gXuZyV_V-lpHJ6jbqZIVGNE9-y4Rlkkylh9cw4ALAaFwBk7CjHzxL8hwddwZ88IuEPE1tN29ML1-WjdWgvurf9XNQ_gTKsfe_B1EOtOkgc8klr29aMhS9pDNk2_0b6RvYfhHfrn0UthpmsfJ-BuxOHHxC4xZMntvC9XBMVMLieKCibMFjcQ/w400-h241/PXL_20230420_180939926.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9uwwya_7qSnBuHXBbVP3Y2EUa4JPLH4P3GR6XnM1kHUrnUZYRzljOUKC7L3KDm_AsOEX7fxr0v_mC7W6eY4J7-qqWv81Say7iFDhohQ0bqBN1ZHSYbbgNokz1GkFEV9mj3EZmGN1s0wQzLBP-k4pDiN53rMHMnmcA3NkpVe_323qf0BsZElZuijuglw/s3348/PXL_20230420_180613007.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3348" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9uwwya_7qSnBuHXBbVP3Y2EUa4JPLH4P3GR6XnM1kHUrnUZYRzljOUKC7L3KDm_AsOEX7fxr0v_mC7W6eY4J7-qqWv81Say7iFDhohQ0bqBN1ZHSYbbgNokz1GkFEV9mj3EZmGN1s0wQzLBP-k4pDiN53rMHMnmcA3NkpVe_323qf0BsZElZuijuglw/w271-h400/PXL_20230420_180613007.jpg" width="271" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4DAkb4x0ACgO4LzkZ_O8QmZCxVsP2oB-QmPmSFihVLMTLq_w8HHGZi-AVClRdSXO9njVwwxQtBv1cHw6ANBHwY83DKvD4hyIHKY8gwHDTD6MidaxXEsvdfc-kRB8r5pUgwvaA6Af6Zy51IkWe4AnQbSuffZWTzA32bH2eFer_2NsUl9JT-qCtN7tSOQ/s3065/PXL_20230420_180522030.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="3065" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4DAkb4x0ACgO4LzkZ_O8QmZCxVsP2oB-QmPmSFihVLMTLq_w8HHGZi-AVClRdSXO9njVwwxQtBv1cHw6ANBHwY83DKvD4hyIHKY8gwHDTD6MidaxXEsvdfc-kRB8r5pUgwvaA6Af6Zy51IkWe4AnQbSuffZWTzA32bH2eFer_2NsUl9JT-qCtN7tSOQ/w400-h205/PXL_20230420_180522030.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1dStq0QMrL9UKwP89M5lhQdo7CiFiWLnJr3I4xTaZ0nTOs9ifv9IWCmhejYP0SF9qi25evkQN2RRUwk_hMFS-we2wdr8jTp6Sw8MUuxPT5R6ygsWy4Fiy9QszWcpjSarVNFCaDzFwU2khvNacjNunKmJe-OrP2BCxXR4kJClkuRvH-YGVyIX-id_fuA/s3469/PXL_20230420_180318167.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3469" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1dStq0QMrL9UKwP89M5lhQdo7CiFiWLnJr3I4xTaZ0nTOs9ifv9IWCmhejYP0SF9qi25evkQN2RRUwk_hMFS-we2wdr8jTp6Sw8MUuxPT5R6ygsWy4Fiy9QszWcpjSarVNFCaDzFwU2khvNacjNunKmJe-OrP2BCxXR4kJClkuRvH-YGVyIX-id_fuA/w261-h400/PXL_20230420_180318167.jpg" width="261" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Old lighthouse lens</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>The <i>Casco Viejo</i> (also known as <i>Casco Antiguo</i>) with all its historic buildings, squares, and narrow streets is a definite tourist attraction. While some of the buildings have been restored to their original grandeur, much money is needed to repair and even rebuild some of the dilapidated homes and offices. The entire area has been named a UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site (one of about 1,600 in 167 countries, BTW), but that doesn't mean that the needed funding is readily available. Walking through old Panama City (actually, the really <i>old </i>old Panama City had been established a dozen or so miles away but was relocated after being devastated by the British pirate Henry Morgan back in 1671) feels like visiting a tropical New Orleans as many architectural traits are similar if not identical. I certainly enjoyed my day off.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO_OPPmAaLXzqNUzyeDebvUchguIlH841_ceVAGHw7QbUCHM29JLNzG8YHBWFwRNPqyqsLkL4d4MnkyT1Q-lyHAzNiHs6sfohyRrJdka7HTSHiRsW4O6WN-BgY_ywjcJDSg-7YBgL0T92O8NwZ-GEiz_Q-TQeck5m65oQGUMyeDJydKPD3RDcC9NLBeA/s4032/PXL_20230420_212914996.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO_OPPmAaLXzqNUzyeDebvUchguIlH841_ceVAGHw7QbUCHM29JLNzG8YHBWFwRNPqyqsLkL4d4MnkyT1Q-lyHAzNiHs6sfohyRrJdka7HTSHiRsW4O6WN-BgY_ywjcJDSg-7YBgL0T92O8NwZ-GEiz_Q-TQeck5m65oQGUMyeDJydKPD3RDcC9NLBeA/w225-h400/PXL_20230420_212914996.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6PqDz1cUftlohhp2cKPNcmwYGsnrsege4qWFPDwjyvCcgboYA1IewrXYayTK8uG47GiPyjlrD3m0_A5XMhAZDf5_rKp0VPUpX2GRB9zIikQ-Wq8xejizRph7A0Ho4sQur-s7h8CEQAvXobFffYsjAhudMOAe47kYkR3EQaRjwyqS7X7w5y5ourhmUPA/s3689/PXL_20230420_193115659.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3689" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6PqDz1cUftlohhp2cKPNcmwYGsnrsege4qWFPDwjyvCcgboYA1IewrXYayTK8uG47GiPyjlrD3m0_A5XMhAZDf5_rKp0VPUpX2GRB9zIikQ-Wq8xejizRph7A0Ho4sQur-s7h8CEQAvXobFffYsjAhudMOAe47kYkR3EQaRjwyqS7X7w5y5ourhmUPA/w246-h400/PXL_20230420_193115659.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7QFUMrYHFLYEtH6Fj61eopu5zDfhR6TyibugPDrglj4aMrxbiu6mvxd-w57pDkCgYKA_NmQs8lvUUQoymQVGoOTweRzyoMzKiN1Sjx5l4daBkxHZo1Q63AQbwvqVPWerejtQnGh3zpx4ho9R1B-wTRkNRPSY0puCJPqHm8loHfAp90Nu-Qc8Ni7UFTg/s4032/PXL_20230420_171417851.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7QFUMrYHFLYEtH6Fj61eopu5zDfhR6TyibugPDrglj4aMrxbiu6mvxd-w57pDkCgYKA_NmQs8lvUUQoymQVGoOTweRzyoMzKiN1Sjx5l4daBkxHZo1Q63AQbwvqVPWerejtQnGh3zpx4ho9R1B-wTRkNRPSY0puCJPqHm8loHfAp90Nu-Qc8Ni7UFTg/w400-h225/PXL_20230420_171417851.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnkd-lg9NI_kGoWcXpsyelIyKxdso4f1Vex_HVHzrgbkkhxop9oyKQTF6LJ2c-o0dpNOz6uK2gwlN6-H5VHUDh_jsewfwbuG47psp1SQHIyLbGFjfvZ9umUqPwbb4RS3xwxr6T9hcqtwz8qqW2qmL4EDpoN8yLMSg_awTbN0X8_xZWVgIdVG4m887T1Q/s2420/PXL_20230420_171140590.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2420" data-original-width="2075" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnkd-lg9NI_kGoWcXpsyelIyKxdso4f1Vex_HVHzrgbkkhxop9oyKQTF6LJ2c-o0dpNOz6uK2gwlN6-H5VHUDh_jsewfwbuG47psp1SQHIyLbGFjfvZ9umUqPwbb4RS3xwxr6T9hcqtwz8qqW2qmL4EDpoN8yLMSg_awTbN0X8_xZWVgIdVG4m887T1Q/w343-h400/PXL_20230420_171140590.jpg" width="343" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE1X2D8bJk68LFbwavm9KGft7yvzdViwvL-PH3FJDpGqxC_uKy6u2v_79nq3gyHToqEVpg8SUV6AlhBUTV6Ca4YyxYLX2serr6QXDrErxxh_yJJg30_DSe-NPTZ6O_4EN-UcSdWpC9hBpRSAaSpWPbLbY_emBI_fTbbZgqql0gqE3VyEFbPsQc8SiCdg/s3075/PXL_20230420_165300017.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3075" data-original-width="2047" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE1X2D8bJk68LFbwavm9KGft7yvzdViwvL-PH3FJDpGqxC_uKy6u2v_79nq3gyHToqEVpg8SUV6AlhBUTV6Ca4YyxYLX2serr6QXDrErxxh_yJJg30_DSe-NPTZ6O_4EN-UcSdWpC9hBpRSAaSpWPbLbY_emBI_fTbbZgqql0gqE3VyEFbPsQc8SiCdg/w266-h400/PXL_20230420_165300017.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>I don't really know how to segue from the <i>Casco Viejo</i> to Panama's equivalent of the Guatemalan <i>chicken buses</i>, but I need to fit them in somewhere, so humor me. They're certainly not as abundant in the city as they were in Guatemala, but they definitely <i>do</i> exist. And they're just as colorful! Just a few hundred meters from the race venue I found a chop shop that was working on a couple of buses, and I just couldn't help taking a few pics.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4cvR4hEQK7utPTiaaz5F1L0dBJIu_9K0ThJ_FakmJh_mx3_OLjOSlZF85D5ge_6WuwUReB6hIv0Q1I1wVUSlgbDtBjIVC5SLPl1Z8j6sbEX9jYWAxHmsAK11w6yZ1M7LMDHEVo3mWphCPWRywbY9ch966jLcZFpWgPk_NirFq13dNZx-G8zNfpG9_xw/s3455/PXL_20230421_145331377.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1877" data-original-width="3455" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4cvR4hEQK7utPTiaaz5F1L0dBJIu_9K0ThJ_FakmJh_mx3_OLjOSlZF85D5ge_6WuwUReB6hIv0Q1I1wVUSlgbDtBjIVC5SLPl1Z8j6sbEX9jYWAxHmsAK11w6yZ1M7LMDHEVo3mWphCPWRywbY9ch966jLcZFpWgPk_NirFq13dNZx-G8zNfpG9_xw/w400-h217/PXL_20230421_145331377.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3835" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIY3iuhjMSCluQhbf-WfFztMPOOSDGKJee2ZxmO_vZdqKsM0re1MbFx6PdU5e_hoU7O-Q_4yzoVRnfuQ9bE1AFoAhl-my4kZZ2C5YmWscsKgMzJszifVNR-t3EXX1CCQeVrSSDjK890f6M9RXzwD1BuX6lD0-zfcXib73LM6YSg3j9B3mT_eaniXmCGg/w400-h236/PXL_20230421_145616940.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOhCdxsDwy2oHLQMcy8927MmgkLC5A3F99Hi2FQxETZVJExOeRMUi8HvccSQWHbF6gE8NkrAjtO0X4uzdNQh-KFBySOA-COuPVFMirD5fYHoqRaaMSRK-2vBkbYEkbOv2eeog3fePvpf4Yiy1uQagycsRWOTUVbARtZU46LBkiRSxewLudV_Y1MS8jmQ/s3265/PXL_20230421_145629300~3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOhCdxsDwy2oHLQMcy8927MmgkLC5A3F99Hi2FQxETZVJExOeRMUi8HvccSQWHbF6gE8NkrAjtO0X4uzdNQh-KFBySOA-COuPVFMirD5fYHoqRaaMSRK-2vBkbYEkbOv2eeog3fePvpf4Yiy1uQagycsRWOTUVbARtZU46LBkiRSxewLudV_Y1MS8jmQ/w278-h400/PXL_20230421_145629300~3.jpg" width="278" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaSeqzMNm4ioOHAkMCwaBPvJ8xBl8uM0_4SAZLRXgvvIDGsmLFGa3czhiUqunHx4ttun9BeKvXCRNsI63FEXZhkmkSJWK4_Rq76xvcAIpVE8tqYxCY-3VhwEQXHkwV6af1Rhz6Mhpf3rUluUQCQCNx6QUG4PLf2Gx2Eow-827KWy_adT4iEUOIo1e8_A/s3014/PXL_20230421_145751445.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2099" data-original-width="3014" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaSeqzMNm4ioOHAkMCwaBPvJ8xBl8uM0_4SAZLRXgvvIDGsmLFGa3czhiUqunHx4ttun9BeKvXCRNsI63FEXZhkmkSJWK4_Rq76xvcAIpVE8tqYxCY-3VhwEQXHkwV6af1Rhz6Mhpf3rUluUQCQCNx6QUG4PLf2Gx2Eow-827KWy_adT4iEUOIo1e8_A/w400-h279/PXL_20230421_145751445.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM3yfHv3PFwaC4__x659FSeFKdutUDttr4IsUNSV8PYZa9BkSRwLxcE_bMGblLZnmkRkTbhbXsMY4dybEUP87YbcLL2kir-XX-dbOllRRowQcrnuN_6GjxNw-ou9ul-y8VlFBLS5DavmHeWDjYCI4cfJIv3KSVfo51_XFOahZz742n78ri7uY849X4Xw/s3601/PXL_20230421_145712361.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3601" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM3yfHv3PFwaC4__x659FSeFKdutUDttr4IsUNSV8PYZa9BkSRwLxcE_bMGblLZnmkRkTbhbXsMY4dybEUP87YbcLL2kir-XX-dbOllRRowQcrnuN_6GjxNw-ou9ul-y8VlFBLS5DavmHeWDjYCI4cfJIv3KSVfo51_XFOahZz742n78ri7uY849X4Xw/w400-h253/PXL_20230421_145712361.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkliffXbV7QjvehBTRT2n4PnvVaqIAyKZk5BGvW84SvpOT7NHNyzu_D7r3K8eT8fCBfL_t4fHuDDFOOWuZoWwjjgpW5O4iVImqaP0G-e8fv5Km1QQCcM05Bi3QwTPNf7MQmfTTDXqnr05IUbimEbMWo-y31vFuRSb4_V0KAm8et81L1KOKvv5itGQ_8w/s2848/PXL_20230421_145733255.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2083" data-original-width="2848" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkliffXbV7QjvehBTRT2n4PnvVaqIAyKZk5BGvW84SvpOT7NHNyzu_D7r3K8eT8fCBfL_t4fHuDDFOOWuZoWwjjgpW5O4iVImqaP0G-e8fv5Km1QQCcM05Bi3QwTPNf7MQmfTTDXqnr05IUbimEbMWo-y31vFuRSb4_V0KAm8et81L1KOKvv5itGQ_8w/w400-h293/PXL_20230421_145733255.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-5Fr1S6WmC86TW6sZOO48MNng9Og-pR3TuAlS5yR-WarjGmSkr_OQW5g-5G70br0SGXlklEUuiv4RFM_cY5ZpHfWbAvrhQpT7g5-KiHPwoyVFVv88PHLhyTz_zyjy7tEmCBPGkCx6BKyJSfJNtI4TwXDKd6gmrbUFS6HeZCpJDSGVFQLr8nyc2Qf78w/s1838/PXL_20230421_005604819.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="814" data-original-width="1838" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-5Fr1S6WmC86TW6sZOO48MNng9Og-pR3TuAlS5yR-WarjGmSkr_OQW5g-5G70br0SGXlklEUuiv4RFM_cY5ZpHfWbAvrhQpT7g5-KiHPwoyVFVv88PHLhyTz_zyjy7tEmCBPGkCx6BKyJSfJNtI4TwXDKd6gmrbUFS6HeZCpJDSGVFQLr8nyc2Qf78w/w400-h178/PXL_20230421_005604819.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbEmOBDExhP_3VmflW5ZqC1gcFErXHTgKySstduCcIvH1Qxql2ZsfVLFXAA0SgcdX3EW33p2AInYkAbcheBn9X7i_0FQ0g7Ui-x1opCpF3O4juqijH0oH_D12qkT7K9BX2CUPfqfuwIva3slbePcGehLF_MLWtLSw1kQFxM8ThPBZaZMQ097NoMktXJw/s1975/PXL_20230421_005614929.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1551" data-original-width="1975" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbEmOBDExhP_3VmflW5ZqC1gcFErXHTgKySstduCcIvH1Qxql2ZsfVLFXAA0SgcdX3EW33p2AInYkAbcheBn9X7i_0FQ0g7Ui-x1opCpF3O4juqijH0oH_D12qkT7K9BX2CUPfqfuwIva3slbePcGehLF_MLWtLSw1kQFxM8ThPBZaZMQ097NoMktXJw/w400-h314/PXL_20230421_005614929.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The Hotel El Panama is located in an area that is easily walkable and appears relatively safe at night—wide streets and sidewalks, lots of lighting, a fair number of pedestrians. Still, more than one Lady of the Night greeted me with a phony <i>Hi Baby!</i>, and we all know that there must be other, darker elements around. I felt fine exploring the 'hood in the hours after getting done with my work and before dinner in the hotel. Luckily, half a dozen micro-breweries and taprooms can be found within a mile-and-a-half radius, and so I spent my early evenings sampling the local IPAs. All the beers were OK, with <i>Cerveceria Legitima</i> serving up the nicest brew, but none were coming close to knocking off my socks. At <i>Animal Brew</i>, a tiny place open only on the weekends, I had a chance to talk to owner and brewer Ricardo for a while. Fun.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV5gwHo2l1u3MSxJJLLZ_hzEt6n75pXVTuSBzthk2cmP3jMkhMYrAt8pXn6_rIYtByjsakrGMqrXFdGt4ndlYpoGXr-GrIUBqA_9XAniHxIBMiobE13cIdjM-SNIsqV-wO8wALRsfdeZU_uaThFRPCvHtRltheqgeRhf6e0_-j37ZPxTbJ8DOs8JSsjg/s4032/PXL_20230419_014238132.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV5gwHo2l1u3MSxJJLLZ_hzEt6n75pXVTuSBzthk2cmP3jMkhMYrAt8pXn6_rIYtByjsakrGMqrXFdGt4ndlYpoGXr-GrIUBqA_9XAniHxIBMiobE13cIdjM-SNIsqV-wO8wALRsfdeZU_uaThFRPCvHtRltheqgeRhf6e0_-j37ZPxTbJ8DOs8JSsjg/w400-h225/PXL_20230419_014238132.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dinner in the hotel</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnlHO0EYonHqxegTRmhicA8TgQiTp4aYYS1FUBT4jKGsidCVzkl7cf-Fuedjj6q268hWdbFKp7d3OVLksf0LBL7PUaLiwOraui2NitD6BrAOTR7lQ74aff826_HzABmlYp7rex5_ghNF8LbaEjrM_CJdpXN4iP2biqR8OmwYVfIjA37rdSHwoErr5ZgQ/s2345/PXL_20230417_010728676.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2345" data-original-width="2253" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnlHO0EYonHqxegTRmhicA8TgQiTp4aYYS1FUBT4jKGsidCVzkl7cf-Fuedjj6q268hWdbFKp7d3OVLksf0LBL7PUaLiwOraui2NitD6BrAOTR7lQ74aff826_HzABmlYp7rex5_ghNF8LbaEjrM_CJdpXN4iP2biqR8OmwYVfIjA37rdSHwoErr5ZgQ/w384-h400/PXL_20230417_010728676.jpg" width="384" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhghcVDcTU0b6cmJ10lhgNj8LVg5HbSvyxoVm8__duYbKEgk3rK4XeduBgqQuK69AGFhORp6lNVFJyXgCHC62bkO7Oj0wac1CmtiKMb3zvGabmTlb5xdAHTM18WzLFetLy1t6LhVlwKetfcf5MZgUpds3rZm2g6yWEO-rIU4t4LTiNyBIO5IPr2SBfuIg/s4032/PXL_20230418_021121312.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhghcVDcTU0b6cmJ10lhgNj8LVg5HbSvyxoVm8__duYbKEgk3rK4XeduBgqQuK69AGFhORp6lNVFJyXgCHC62bkO7Oj0wac1CmtiKMb3zvGabmTlb5xdAHTM18WzLFetLy1t6LhVlwKetfcf5MZgUpds3rZm2g6yWEO-rIU4t4LTiNyBIO5IPr2SBfuIg/w400-h225/PXL_20230418_021121312.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYqkS4tH4nV-ewQWKbryiiZE-aP3MEkKmYJ7sHfnF59sopM8WTeugB0QbyYf5CPeGTQ9yRq8IxEIo-6VSUSuUBp8NFNqNueGu4ysgTmBWNY5iAbFO1HGsVDAH00FQgly6pC2T6-EGTnWF1MObK7zK0mlRwR9q0G0Ex7rQkBQzx_9YFgzB8Ni0NCzBYuA/s3638/PXL_20230418_021327151.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3638" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYqkS4tH4nV-ewQWKbryiiZE-aP3MEkKmYJ7sHfnF59sopM8WTeugB0QbyYf5CPeGTQ9yRq8IxEIo-6VSUSuUBp8NFNqNueGu4ysgTmBWNY5iAbFO1HGsVDAH00FQgly6pC2T6-EGTnWF1MObK7zK0mlRwR9q0G0Ex7rQkBQzx_9YFgzB8Ni0NCzBYuA/w400-h249/PXL_20230418_021327151.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3403" data-original-width="1999" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIV7fHU2qeSLOsKd_5rNKhcmpmwse6HvTHujXi8JwknwoJvkaUQIfdaIecMnxBj8zFqNPx5dEz-Cdg44dy97a7znZBbIVA2ae_Of41Iy1zJaP8qeyA7Hi4fpo67iFsNiS0UjJsCSY--4r9Ui4_4Yh0FFbgHh05kc7CaE8fM-hyokjPoHuVXcahx7tAfg/w235-h400/PXL_20230420_214532909.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="235" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzSmD3xtvZ1d_8kY-rj8CRjqIc0G_2wNILNeAOwHv7z-m1Py664yWRkNX9s1Y039FFMmRK9OciSZ755Hvhz5UPMLW8WFi8Yu5P-fYpNLnLOjKyMsI5vr14iJijDFR_OKrB-b5XsIhMTZQNezTj8l4h_f0CqpOvBlu05TwfRMiKFYmor_eoazXyLCHXMA/s3590/PXL_20230421_000641460.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1988" data-original-width="3590" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzSmD3xtvZ1d_8kY-rj8CRjqIc0G_2wNILNeAOwHv7z-m1Py664yWRkNX9s1Y039FFMmRK9OciSZ755Hvhz5UPMLW8WFi8Yu5P-fYpNLnLOjKyMsI5vr14iJijDFR_OKrB-b5XsIhMTZQNezTj8l4h_f0CqpOvBlu05TwfRMiKFYmor_eoazXyLCHXMA/w400-h221/PXL_20230421_000641460.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3754" data-original-width="1976" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio0DLndJKWHZqnXFkCM1EvU2mlOTZjLJEB-99H5kI0k_3GGWdUUGKFKDU_feBu0BktgPxpQ3owCFCnMcXD5aV41Ok2tKE8ugTNUp_elmfomEacEz5ZkfGkG3r3GRJC73Z0L66a22289dYiOS4kFfbh0gJdu18c0QEq0lhiKm4pB1b4_KXizzDDAU9ZcQ/w210-h400/PXL_20230421_235020918.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbt8VZFUDsPIdiwH5-4xXmp4bZlHKNkRerT_lhuVIBYs9Ws7SAFfErPYBGQ8Wu4REGnxSozcmsQKqdIESwfvTI6eze6_GoxpzcUx6RTN87jRgVJwDG_-p3t90GGDIY7HdvxPIh3Hk0tgENJFcUm6qpq313QQgvICckA3EaSioP9becm9xptLRD3Qc3qQ/s3543/PXL_20230423_004048707.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1993" data-original-width="3543" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbt8VZFUDsPIdiwH5-4xXmp4bZlHKNkRerT_lhuVIBYs9Ws7SAFfErPYBGQ8Wu4REGnxSozcmsQKqdIESwfvTI6eze6_GoxpzcUx6RTN87jRgVJwDG_-p3t90GGDIY7HdvxPIh3Hk0tgENJFcUm6qpq313QQgvICckA3EaSioP9becm9xptLRD3Qc3qQ/w400-h225/PXL_20230423_004048707.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>On my last night in Panama, after all the racing action was done and responsibilities had been lifted off my shoulders, I visited a small <i>cevicheria </i>that had caught my eye on one of my evening walks. <i>Cholo Grill </i>is an unassuming restaurant that specializes in <i>ceviche </i>and burgers, and on Sunday nights there's live music, as I had observed a week earlier after my arrival. What better way to satisfy my craving for fresh <i>mariscos </i>and an ice-cold Balboa or two and soak in local culture? I was not disappointed. When I arrived, the band was already jamming away with multiple male singers crooning away, <i>norteño </i>style. But this was no Mexican music (who has ever seen a harp in a Mexican band?), and when I asked the server whether this was a Panamanian style of music he responded that the band was from Venezuela. With two or three 15- to 20-minute-long songs they had the local diners on their feet, dancing and offering cold ones to the band. It was quite the show and a befitting way to conclude this trip.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_1YgmT89vvI8Nn4PExIHSOogBi581ln3mzsyXgIlJ1GEqeCdFLd_aExyZDpW40khNRaj01Xb5s_L85A1gZt5hwwIVo9jFdiclZMTjdT60Sdut0SpNqS53oZQdcPgJXwjQkDE-KBv9qbIod77J92TOB4nQmItH00H6ag02JATierE36weGyC5euYE2Q/s4032/PXL_20230424_003301936.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_1YgmT89vvI8Nn4PExIHSOogBi581ln3mzsyXgIlJ1GEqeCdFLd_aExyZDpW40khNRaj01Xb5s_L85A1gZt5hwwIVo9jFdiclZMTjdT60Sdut0SpNqS53oZQdcPgJXwjQkDE-KBv9qbIod77J92TOB4nQmItH00H6ag02JATierE36weGyC5euYE2Q/w400-h225/PXL_20230424_003301936.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSfOK_F8zZPvZEUpN2yhz8B57vaEmrtCngEPAjrWPCvhM5RIFjNaw5YFtDgHxoQph9PfYJ5SSDogoVFpAitoR54q0PWWsBFqLsv7NaCi3ASHHRuDKnAUp3ExD2KgbST2m19m35-x8dGxdW3t1SEDjr3EVxpnYLHb-eQ3sdom4n4sjbEpp_XX3NdJ7UCg/s2451/PXL_20230424_002949067.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1372" data-original-width="2451" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSfOK_F8zZPvZEUpN2yhz8B57vaEmrtCngEPAjrWPCvhM5RIFjNaw5YFtDgHxoQph9PfYJ5SSDogoVFpAitoR54q0PWWsBFqLsv7NaCi3ASHHRuDKnAUp3ExD2KgbST2m19m35-x8dGxdW3t1SEDjr3EVxpnYLHb-eQ3sdom4n4sjbEpp_XX3NdJ7UCg/w400-h224/PXL_20230424_002949067.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRnkJKhqUq974s9LT3VmO_odiS5K6o5p4nSig1pFBPLQiWvJtaDkfozPwVB6j5au5xViAyLsrJySt8aAY7eyxtF0mpcTfAB6QERqFiIKHbp8Zj6eKrTK8tY2p7P0o1gd2FN9n6hwNJkKOLkPpfbaCxfJ3yCwFf4Ue4yPt2ydiIX3BU_fh7iJx_WQizkA/s3677/PXL_20230424_002053125.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1938" data-original-width="3677" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRnkJKhqUq974s9LT3VmO_odiS5K6o5p4nSig1pFBPLQiWvJtaDkfozPwVB6j5au5xViAyLsrJySt8aAY7eyxtF0mpcTfAB6QERqFiIKHbp8Zj6eKrTK8tY2p7P0o1gd2FN9n6hwNJkKOLkPpfbaCxfJ3yCwFf4Ue4yPt2ydiIX3BU_fh7iJx_WQizkA/w400-h211/PXL_20230424_002053125.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN_O6HpWoDJsre_Qq78Omh54u-MMvNhIKX0g5GqwKbh67-Cb-WqUeBPrLTk80B06gZJg59r7xJ811DGFhNa8FhYe3RPQ7u1UguywcVAmvsCn0Y221EjWvatJEP4AIFRqCU22KZr95mcZU8cBlOiiLYL79Y973_ne398JnLFMshCep5CPLnii3qqu6QvQ/s3408/PXL_20230418_232449886~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3408" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN_O6HpWoDJsre_Qq78Omh54u-MMvNhIKX0g5GqwKbh67-Cb-WqUeBPrLTk80B06gZJg59r7xJ811DGFhNa8FhYe3RPQ7u1UguywcVAmvsCn0Y221EjWvatJEP4AIFRqCU22KZr95mcZU8cBlOiiLYL79Y973_ne398JnLFMshCep5CPLnii3qqu6QvQ/w266-h400/PXL_20230418_232449886~2.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjccIceRMEZUbEfKxW8QfRUogfePY32IW1GsprMg9Hxgxxa5Sq5ohzFZuLXYyAMxEwBSESS0ZmtMOs1f-xbldid8vKTEVQyLl8tRDlYzoePXPP6_TVmwR6A023IMVGQjLZEepq1pSmy8T-u7bWM-MgnMu4aCb26f1goDe19p-TnYZKG9WefDVuhocSb3Q/s4032/PXL_20230418_232254574~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjccIceRMEZUbEfKxW8QfRUogfePY32IW1GsprMg9Hxgxxa5Sq5ohzFZuLXYyAMxEwBSESS0ZmtMOs1f-xbldid8vKTEVQyLl8tRDlYzoePXPP6_TVmwR6A023IMVGQjLZEepq1pSmy8T-u7bWM-MgnMu4aCb26f1goDe19p-TnYZKG9WefDVuhocSb3Q/w225-h400/PXL_20230418_232254574~2.jpg" width="225" /></a></div></div><div>On Monday morning, the Panamanian cycling federation's technical director and de-facto race director, Juan Pablo Villegas (a successful ex-pro racer from Colombia), took me to the airport, and after an entire week of brief interactions we got to know one another so much better during this 40-minute ride. If there's a regret on my part it is that we didn't have a chance to connect on this personal level before, but who knows, maybe one of these days I will get a chance to see him in his hometown close to Medellin.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEFM-urDkppjzdrronxdIJUSVmQoFsFHiDIfLO6ZXMHGb1AkuamrPkFlIUXZ9G0EZsarn5R0I83Z6zkQsgcfWSsbXZWJZjWv2HGcssbpZAY4JKaWeAcatduew3aHON26_sNAvrqw0RbZR0s4fxL8IU8wKWN7KUbOr1NlZONwWXByOjx-Fhfv6Hh6-ljQ/s1502/PXL_20230423_182354300.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1432" data-original-width="1502" height="381" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEFM-urDkppjzdrronxdIJUSVmQoFsFHiDIfLO6ZXMHGb1AkuamrPkFlIUXZ9G0EZsarn5R0I83Z6zkQsgcfWSsbXZWJZjWv2HGcssbpZAY4JKaWeAcatduew3aHON26_sNAvrqw0RbZR0s4fxL8IU8wKWN7KUbOr1NlZONwWXByOjx-Fhfv6Hh6-ljQ/w400-h381/PXL_20230423_182354300.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIN_-J2GwRskcKPLBdqf-CXYGd9VGqqfSqQlg6G2gTfuOVjJLUADX2WCMxge9IKh8roZgJn8FZ_7TZXrtZEkj7Ato1Mpy_UGS2UoACqt77fFEGLBWhnaW9uf-eFRBGJ99QYEGoYX30_iKLRxhc8T8VIPRbe-E6oNzsLYpkpB8bQnRwh4ZY31YDmDoiDg/s2722/PXL_20230419_002353747.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="2722" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIN_-J2GwRskcKPLBdqf-CXYGd9VGqqfSqQlg6G2gTfuOVjJLUADX2WCMxge9IKh8roZgJn8FZ_7TZXrtZEkj7Ato1Mpy_UGS2UoACqt77fFEGLBWhnaW9uf-eFRBGJ99QYEGoYX30_iKLRxhc8T8VIPRbe-E6oNzsLYpkpB8bQnRwh4ZY31YDmDoiDg/w400-h334/PXL_20230419_002353747.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHpDlziSj_hvrMXQb3kmOxOW8_JpyxVkWPJmurmVAioTF7dJBIHmVpfbOS7JkgFZO0HZmAlwbs8jZAw8QseywcVTfPVZe4zNGsnSZLjIwRgpfLIizd0i4Rnl9cXxnDKUc4kyZq05HAHmhxssYt5I4EZkGt0mzIqoVCqJDZNCcAh3fRJ5EW9d2bV1chWQ/s2423/PXL_20230417_000401646.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1790" data-original-width="2423" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHpDlziSj_hvrMXQb3kmOxOW8_JpyxVkWPJmurmVAioTF7dJBIHmVpfbOS7JkgFZO0HZmAlwbs8jZAw8QseywcVTfPVZe4zNGsnSZLjIwRgpfLIizd0i4Rnl9cXxnDKUc4kyZq05HAHmhxssYt5I4EZkGt0mzIqoVCqJDZNCcAh3fRJ5EW9d2bV1chWQ/w400-h295/PXL_20230417_000401646.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLj1hEsb2gNrM-PMdsYIdRfObv3dFlc75Ou92L19Qracjyq7jPqv7neD30ldcWcesDv4qEaCPcq3pH32mQHxgTCxcqDhnnnRdrYfmoxxz_nCSnygzO81wNtydbyxqTAH_igZd_CRffDT-3dNxs2tzsR94n7p6sSVJZDTwqEGjbF-yTrpWrwcw8_CHEIw/s4032/PXL_20230417_000346167~6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLj1hEsb2gNrM-PMdsYIdRfObv3dFlc75Ou92L19Qracjyq7jPqv7neD30ldcWcesDv4qEaCPcq3pH32mQHxgTCxcqDhnnnRdrYfmoxxz_nCSnygzO81wNtydbyxqTAH_igZd_CRffDT-3dNxs2tzsR94n7p6sSVJZDTwqEGjbF-yTrpWrwcw8_CHEIw/w225-h400/PXL_20230417_000346167~6.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbbM74M9eweGjGWNyKaZFqg9WSNhjL5m4raePDNrs70d6GSqwHPUBhNclaNtE7cygXsWNXG_RC5GsNWH0lMjlvLrvpUrDZ4QBMV8WnBPd3ZF4ytVFp_FLps745wnUDKIESdTFvZd5axW7riXHdZWgeIMGDzGnFCjetaUu_rXjy_Fpqw21edGvoVYKEFg/s4032/PXL_20230416_234443350.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbbM74M9eweGjGWNyKaZFqg9WSNhjL5m4raePDNrs70d6GSqwHPUBhNclaNtE7cygXsWNXG_RC5GsNWH0lMjlvLrvpUrDZ4QBMV8WnBPd3ZF4ytVFp_FLps745wnUDKIESdTFvZd5axW7riXHdZWgeIMGDzGnFCjetaUu_rXjy_Fpqw21edGvoVYKEFg/w400-h225/PXL_20230416_234443350.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>With a couple of hours of spare lounge time until my flight to Miami and onward I finished all my paperwork for the week, and then it was just a question of enjoying upgraded flights back to Lubbock, where I arrived, dead tired but rather happy, a few minutes before midnight. Another good trip was in the books.</div><div><br /></div>JürgenJürgenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03107533431710748040noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023527478729548228.post-10668345662872135022023-04-16T21:36:00.006-05:002023-04-18T15:05:03.583-05:00A week in Barcelona<div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBuuTqZKGQ4ze5CxZo-dXYfG4C3zOPP0rB9jYiysAIoJ7ZIL-nK4QQ4pQGO314ieE6X8-lIn0j0VQXBTYPXuN10Mns0Zl7sj8Vbi4eGbGwdy4BlZwM3Rj5Bu_treLydyBcuXcCQ5t6L6jwp92M439-SbjArpVpVXGcP_agk64GvFBt8ftU25iZUsk1MA/s4032/PXL_20230405_083358838.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBuuTqZKGQ4ze5CxZo-dXYfG4C3zOPP0rB9jYiysAIoJ7ZIL-nK4QQ4pQGO314ieE6X8-lIn0j0VQXBTYPXuN10Mns0Zl7sj8Vbi4eGbGwdy4BlZwM3Rj5Bu_treLydyBcuXcCQ5t6L6jwp92M439-SbjArpVpVXGcP_agk64GvFBt8ftU25iZUsk1MA/w400-h225/PXL_20230405_083358838.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">La Pedrera / Casa Milá</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table>For some odd reason, Barcelona had never really been on my radar as a travel destination, even when</div><div>American Airlines added this Spanish city to its list of destinations several years ago. But earlier in the year, while thinking about what European city might make a good candidate for a week-long trip, Barcelona suddenly popped up, and it didn't take long to decide on a visit.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuE0Hd7_hXYkMa0gT4rszU8nDYHk5GRot4fl4T2Iz6GTly4xgPVzEzB-0sA18QJcrF8QqX8nLyaXDjZQoKAeJhYSMjbhrJRXFiE-xda9aXrL53IVH2vMEMcm9KgLrvy6SbI7OolamskYHRwWoQ8yYGOhAKcqJB2-bDnxuCQZ_bhKKvsB8Zz3-DquLC_g/s4032/PXL_20230405_161449867.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuE0Hd7_hXYkMa0gT4rszU8nDYHk5GRot4fl4T2Iz6GTly4xgPVzEzB-0sA18QJcrF8QqX8nLyaXDjZQoKAeJhYSMjbhrJRXFiE-xda9aXrL53IVH2vMEMcm9KgLrvy6SbI7OolamskYHRwWoQ8yYGOhAKcqJB2-bDnxuCQZ_bhKKvsB8Zz3-DquLC_g/w400-h225/PXL_20230405_161449867.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFN7xPmOO81sBRgDBJNOyft3zJBfYLSybElo488NBt5v0ulu27n-eRioYIQcm6iqV8HQoanG87Q27cKIzi3Ydif851VUgitGZ7AC16X6qHSOZukOteUz6lEbIKFVCuB0EhojMWRkm_yO-iJlOXV61GA_M2d_VbrqlcrhbYpAOZVKeprn67KlpHcaZpQA/s3263/PXL_20230405_152718095.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3263" data-original-width="2166" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFN7xPmOO81sBRgDBJNOyft3zJBfYLSybElo488NBt5v0ulu27n-eRioYIQcm6iqV8HQoanG87Q27cKIzi3Ydif851VUgitGZ7AC16X6qHSOZukOteUz6lEbIKFVCuB0EhojMWRkm_yO-iJlOXV61GA_M2d_VbrqlcrhbYpAOZVKeprn67KlpHcaZpQA/w265-h400/PXL_20230405_152718095.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_GrqexoHoQYIHC8xtmVPb9i1sErlP2mmNYpeItwl9xkI8g4X-6wS2C4Ogq50FX4Bzcd-cQ4Cg6t9zgawFhEqL0vpnWRwyqLAjitWia4JaWLp5cMHG72jCfW93ny-TWhqf8jzQEohUWDG2TwoTS4_IbboDSsr8-PlowAzLf3TcICebFej4B0Pfgdzbvg/s2738/PXL_20230405_150855994.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2006" data-original-width="2738" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_GrqexoHoQYIHC8xtmVPb9i1sErlP2mmNYpeItwl9xkI8g4X-6wS2C4Ogq50FX4Bzcd-cQ4Cg6t9zgawFhEqL0vpnWRwyqLAjitWia4JaWLp5cMHG72jCfW93ny-TWhqf8jzQEohUWDG2TwoTS4_IbboDSsr8-PlowAzLf3TcICebFej4B0Pfgdzbvg/w400-h293/PXL_20230405_150855994.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Montjuïc Castle</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>My original plans had been for a somewhat shorter visit than what I ended up with because of bike races that sandwiched the vacation. But when I suddenly was cut from the crew of one of the Texas USAC races for cost reasons I had an extra few days of time—and thanks to a strike in London's Heathrow airport American re-accommodated me at no cost on a flight to Madrid and then onward to BCN several days before my original travel date. With my Airbnb already booked I was able to apply a soon-to-expire hotel certificate as well as some IHG points to the two extra nights for a $300 saving. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTys-ZqWE3Eeuzv0mJ3wuattcCfLdrcpwQrFutda9O9-2Nn3gcQXgViiMQEl-xz3Ah1Cgh-SvZP-KOwezKeSzp1T7L5vdF13hNYShCBhRccDoPcV2-5f7aaZ6HDZkvXsvnF6ZwJoPV_7Y82n4sXuaLoREGgy6_if1tEZcrzHprySEakh7tnMaUmFsUcQ/s1920/PXL_20230403_212402612_exported_1592_1680660772173.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTys-ZqWE3Eeuzv0mJ3wuattcCfLdrcpwQrFutda9O9-2Nn3gcQXgViiMQEl-xz3Ah1Cgh-SvZP-KOwezKeSzp1T7L5vdF13hNYShCBhRccDoPcV2-5f7aaZ6HDZkvXsvnF6ZwJoPV_7Y82n4sXuaLoREGgy6_if1tEZcrzHprySEakh7tnMaUmFsUcQ/w400-h225/PXL_20230403_212402612_exported_1592_1680660772173.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Thank you for the upgrade, AA</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXq1O-TIQa3g89xJFGZ5twwvP9BdnEnK6Z_Qjab4eOJzORSoXgMrTdD0_ZGywIQ63_xrPYNnFt6SE_FE6Gj9ELaaxMO7p0D_ySc1XTe_CFTU27b-0aOCMdYUbYQXnhsfBXbMurtBwEToH0SPnpslcEjT1W_5ryQJwMsJbK8nmihHQgyC5Ypvt-c_6pqA/s2877/IMG_20230410_174558.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2877" data-original-width="1396" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXq1O-TIQa3g89xJFGZ5twwvP9BdnEnK6Z_Qjab4eOJzORSoXgMrTdD0_ZGywIQ63_xrPYNnFt6SE_FE6Gj9ELaaxMO7p0D_ySc1XTe_CFTU27b-0aOCMdYUbYQXnhsfBXbMurtBwEToH0SPnpslcEjT1W_5ryQJwMsJbK8nmihHQgyC5Ypvt-c_6pqA/w194-h400/IMG_20230410_174558.jpg" width="194" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Is this London? No, it's the Glòries Tower in Barcelona!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGJfSBS8k4ymvADN5e_TzrRTLap_xAITC0zDitosseQJsQIQ4fFxsgeSHKIr9PnsHOAFARKC11kmWsxUH1gDXMvVBpTKSbHv7YMkR5atqK9aoWQfIES2yMqjHyN6tlI4dCIFBmUlq-fiOkY-tDYnby3PwpfbADmTI-53Ff10wsd1-EYjKRxsFMtG-20g/s4032/PXL_20230404_072137386.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGJfSBS8k4ymvADN5e_TzrRTLap_xAITC0zDitosseQJsQIQ4fFxsgeSHKIr9PnsHOAFARKC11kmWsxUH1gDXMvVBpTKSbHv7YMkR5atqK9aoWQfIES2yMqjHyN6tlI4dCIFBmUlq-fiOkY-tDYnby3PwpfbADmTI-53Ff10wsd1-EYjKRxsFMtG-20g/w400-h225/PXL_20230404_072137386.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Madrid's Barajas airport</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>Let me say this upfront: Barcelona is an extremely attractive city! Despite its size it is somewhat intimate with its various neighborhoods that have distinct characters. There is ample to see in a week, and I didn't even set foot into any of the dozens of large museums. Getting around the city is easy as it is quite walkable and laid out in an easy-to-navigate grid pattern. The weather this time of the year is very pleasant, with daytime temperatures in the low 70s, ample sunshine, and negligible winds; the evenings are cool, but dining outside is still a distinct possibility with just a light jacket needed to keep off the chill.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTvboK-e2FV5tQjDHxC-VN4rhFZJ8tkGBOelDCxe7E_uE6ssZnUIlPYZEDxjMyII1mutRcP3HljGPMQHutigGQSH86onzvswE_ETVx_0Hm3ufB8IsbJHO-OBn50kJbe9ip3J2GPsIHwlMffyO1Ls7lnmLdMtP-1_w0OVUjCBFDXjBLcMiEKQdi_0HP1Q/s2560/IMG_20230408_134405.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTvboK-e2FV5tQjDHxC-VN4rhFZJ8tkGBOelDCxe7E_uE6ssZnUIlPYZEDxjMyII1mutRcP3HljGPMQHutigGQSH86onzvswE_ETVx_0Hm3ufB8IsbJHO-OBn50kJbe9ip3J2GPsIHwlMffyO1Ls7lnmLdMtP-1_w0OVUjCBFDXjBLcMiEKQdi_0HP1Q/w400-h180/IMG_20230408_134405.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ejIrclHKn3f8mAHqudrIoEp5X6VFanUknTkPgBQ_eRZeDLEv7dtY8TuV584NQSnoG6YaHmgUDrC6nCUyW4mYhNQaJrxXwSLuRX5-n7xuHJ5LgrMppCFxDqAWTEwmf69LZLhZf_4aSZZ_SZyM6pMWsiHWCSzWbeucpSn6ZL1A_pquLVsZpRpM3AbBDg/s4032/PXL_20230404_113048063.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ejIrclHKn3f8mAHqudrIoEp5X6VFanUknTkPgBQ_eRZeDLEv7dtY8TuV584NQSnoG6YaHmgUDrC6nCUyW4mYhNQaJrxXwSLuRX5-n7xuHJ5LgrMppCFxDqAWTEwmf69LZLhZf_4aSZZ_SZyM6pMWsiHWCSzWbeucpSn6ZL1A_pquLVsZpRpM3AbBDg/w225-h400/PXL_20230404_113048063.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjZkAqh8ap2HlxY5DROTPRgd5KTLcqA9yCAstUaxCaLPWhWr8RnELGJJPvESjbaZdWFVTcXFVMBzYijqm_DYUcpDssGvfob7aq4GQSgAj-PqwCKeKcICICO6B_MltO6kHHek3LGAvUeAi3EV4HYjvTjhRcwGbjXq3mjbMdgdRavEb3E0Rxke3hfUqWKA/s4032/PXL_20230404_164027546.PORTRAIT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjZkAqh8ap2HlxY5DROTPRgd5KTLcqA9yCAstUaxCaLPWhWr8RnELGJJPvESjbaZdWFVTcXFVMBzYijqm_DYUcpDssGvfob7aq4GQSgAj-PqwCKeKcICICO6B_MltO6kHHek3LGAvUeAi3EV4HYjvTjhRcwGbjXq3mjbMdgdRavEb3E0Rxke3hfUqWKA/s320/PXL_20230404_164027546.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZeSqU7U_VjWe_3fwvZvm39Pknde2zApwI-CC0HZCEKXwrmrJnjO3Vn5Ei_uBZDf26rKAFsPGE0sHnRRr3jIU06dLXxtsgXI-eMUR8i5hopr3sZxogMMMsryfs1OrMwHmTJ3wswqBNN41E6B5U4oAH2ntyWNYgTih2EEb5pGMJPO-JMhYTCrjKJASr0w/s4032/PXL_20230405_095458031.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZeSqU7U_VjWe_3fwvZvm39Pknde2zApwI-CC0HZCEKXwrmrJnjO3Vn5Ei_uBZDf26rKAFsPGE0sHnRRr3jIU06dLXxtsgXI-eMUR8i5hopr3sZxogMMMsryfs1OrMwHmTJ3wswqBNN41E6B5U4oAH2ntyWNYgTih2EEb5pGMJPO-JMhYTCrjKJASr0w/w225-h400/PXL_20230405_095458031.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3628" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfiGznhmiiGE70dVLZb9mWVXS2nso4Q64EPdA8Z7eha8B8_5mDBplgUrmqxrNRWR-yALXS46wvCkKjru8611rUP8PAYk3Kgw3dyTy1w-HvbQBtmCT9TCHojzpSuIfCTLoSwLIAA55y0ejN__DLsPTNy4Zi3Xv9vQjIMpLPArfljbzxXVBQHJdwyi4FZA/w250-h400/PXL_20230405_161501249.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEAQE4pntRTnlAKyHQXG61EnJhbwqZQ4S-VwjqaMdTRyEkqQyts51LMfyM9PIQTZJ9jaAHMMRVnTLTppMJFt34cpfWUrjbNBurV9cXNEI4YDQNvJmWpuNu065P2eH-q4vY5st5OH8eW7RW9qE1FRpox10xenYdhZ0_kTPdZsvfHVQNYEisQ5Kc0RhVLw/s4032/PXL_20230404_122436842.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEAQE4pntRTnlAKyHQXG61EnJhbwqZQ4S-VwjqaMdTRyEkqQyts51LMfyM9PIQTZJ9jaAHMMRVnTLTppMJFt34cpfWUrjbNBurV9cXNEI4YDQNvJmWpuNu065P2eH-q4vY5st5OH8eW7RW9qE1FRpox10xenYdhZ0_kTPdZsvfHVQNYEisQ5Kc0RhVLw/w400-h225/PXL_20230404_122436842.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmd9QwTNRX7M0rl0Fs2gESPOlNrD3eerhEWJzFQRV4l2ZqAcN_u_T3N2yV-amjTDlhxgu8b_D4NLNBC7LvNqQ_wTiv5qApWaqXfBmYSvAHbhzU4v7810TII16mm1_MmeNhE-9i3sXvlFwPb1Yedku5sUReAU-HlJataM1otVQHAA6t7Q1TVzl69xWORg/s4032/PXL_20230404_164921067.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmd9QwTNRX7M0rl0Fs2gESPOlNrD3eerhEWJzFQRV4l2ZqAcN_u_T3N2yV-amjTDlhxgu8b_D4NLNBC7LvNqQ_wTiv5qApWaqXfBmYSvAHbhzU4v7810TII16mm1_MmeNhE-9i3sXvlFwPb1Yedku5sUReAU-HlJataM1otVQHAA6t7Q1TVzl69xWORg/w225-h400/PXL_20230404_164921067.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBMmTvRVpZNA07Nm-VrWCh8FRtp86b6xk380gx9ZCN8c0_oluUdUraTIZvEV_-BBnYcs24iwu5J29OVPIAGGDgCPl1jNcEKflembyYxi034EyFN-MaY7q6vOxn7LG0XQy9LIZgOYeucV2yFjklP2kidqwG_1HLy9OYUxclP8h5wumxC78LMrWpbX-WDg/s4032/PXL_20230405_093210105.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBMmTvRVpZNA07Nm-VrWCh8FRtp86b6xk380gx9ZCN8c0_oluUdUraTIZvEV_-BBnYcs24iwu5J29OVPIAGGDgCPl1jNcEKflembyYxi034EyFN-MaY7q6vOxn7LG0XQy9LIZgOYeucV2yFjklP2kidqwG_1HLy9OYUxclP8h5wumxC78LMrWpbX-WDg/w400-h225/PXL_20230405_093210105.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>For what would have been the original portion of the trip I was joined by my friend Birgit, who lives close to my hometown of Schleiden in Germany and who many years ago had been engaged to my brother. Last year, after several decades, we had taken up contact again, and with some major turbulence in her life and a needed break we had decided that a few days together in a new city for either one of us would be just right. She had left most of the day-to-day planning to me, and visiting the major attractions of the city together definitely was more fun than doing so alone.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3lATw_SbkvZNfR5v81WwDk3xkg64NBW3icw0vOz7DXt7OohZWJZUq-ea6uPjm8YpoSrvKsBEt5BrFUkkhwqTfdbrE14PwkA4LVS9ZshtUm6ZDHCC-PQgGCcIQBDNiNopfnOJx2CzZIqypkZI2iYeZyhb7pQEUGcp0A3msJQVxFMo5aVYVPRiVj4He6Q/s1600/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-04-05%20at%2012.49.35%20-%20Copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3lATw_SbkvZNfR5v81WwDk3xkg64NBW3icw0vOz7DXt7OohZWJZUq-ea6uPjm8YpoSrvKsBEt5BrFUkkhwqTfdbrE14PwkA4LVS9ZshtUm6ZDHCC-PQgGCcIQBDNiNopfnOJx2CzZIqypkZI2iYeZyhb7pQEUGcp0A3msJQVxFMo5aVYVPRiVj4He6Q/w400-h225/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-04-05%20at%2012.49.35%20-%20Copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj76DvtphJICP6B8HsXAutezYHLdIHqkXFJkop-1ao6ChizX5A998zhkxIcJ8VoIBRlwc_0pImOKPaZznq-9AI7QbRpDQUH-XFUghCApynwbAAWTdLMRU6RFPAsWs_BU5teQnVqbzOyc2f4q1kU5NGgCZPr9LWZ--YWS65R4Q3YSj4bMPs17yZEfltouA/s1600/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-04-06%20at%2008.41.52%20-%20Copy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj76DvtphJICP6B8HsXAutezYHLdIHqkXFJkop-1ao6ChizX5A998zhkxIcJ8VoIBRlwc_0pImOKPaZznq-9AI7QbRpDQUH-XFUghCApynwbAAWTdLMRU6RFPAsWs_BU5teQnVqbzOyc2f4q1kU5NGgCZPr9LWZ--YWS65R4Q3YSj4bMPs17yZEfltouA/w225-h400/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-04-06%20at%2008.41.52%20-%20Copy.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The tower in front of the Airbnb</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9yLo92B8-j8GFRwdFucuwl0L-Frlov9K3GOzJv7wu1rBPo4SiWnaSy4Yrz1hFtijJ0lrA1ZBdl6_S6thkaWx_b1orbxckJpQ04e6Ffy_dUPq6kYamTStS68JmwPJiCuaZ2REJg_XZ9hJ9IPEg8KoP3zq0chiFM7Zn3aU9REyDcV1_aiwQuw9ZbUQLBg/s1600/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-04-05%20at%2012.52.21%20-%20Copy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9yLo92B8-j8GFRwdFucuwl0L-Frlov9K3GOzJv7wu1rBPo4SiWnaSy4Yrz1hFtijJ0lrA1ZBdl6_S6thkaWx_b1orbxckJpQ04e6Ffy_dUPq6kYamTStS68JmwPJiCuaZ2REJg_XZ9hJ9IPEg8KoP3zq0chiFM7Zn3aU9REyDcV1_aiwQuw9ZbUQLBg/w400-h225/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-04-05%20at%2012.52.21%20-%20Copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Montjuïc Castle</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Gu11Bc6or_o2TVJy5P8hkv7hiJDkUjnmgFlBL9CfkrfUAzp_U8dVFJLZNtXhLyW53Pt9iaeVJEr5e7bw6s7MA5WnXVcGh_Iq7R9YmdXOOd1_V7YG_YFGmds5AKChCRvc8dklXD-2ozq0xdV21m0rQelMAPsE4buROZxszO8BPSjl53WH38_9SItW8w/s1830/PXL_20230405_155939447.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1830" data-original-width="1830" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Gu11Bc6or_o2TVJy5P8hkv7hiJDkUjnmgFlBL9CfkrfUAzp_U8dVFJLZNtXhLyW53Pt9iaeVJEr5e7bw6s7MA5WnXVcGh_Iq7R9YmdXOOd1_V7YG_YFGmds5AKChCRvc8dklXD-2ozq0xdV21m0rQelMAPsE4buROZxszO8BPSjl53WH38_9SItW8w/w400-h400/PXL_20230405_155939447.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ7D2NRhnWSqH71KladXREl-LZSdl_yeHRp6_wbEYI5xS8NHuL45BBTCoDYZWW7aORR0VdBPa3QeQfv_YlsbijfLMtnt3bm8Cfk99zrowljHUrY4HOEj1zEMcCZldeQ2bZSMqDS-e-EPJSEoFYcwhYMq3boYlAzsMxC0emvaeyvgZL7E3VYE4dyqTi8w/s4032/PXL_20230405_160929860.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ7D2NRhnWSqH71KladXREl-LZSdl_yeHRp6_wbEYI5xS8NHuL45BBTCoDYZWW7aORR0VdBPa3QeQfv_YlsbijfLMtnt3bm8Cfk99zrowljHUrY4HOEj1zEMcCZldeQ2bZSMqDS-e-EPJSEoFYcwhYMq3boYlAzsMxC0emvaeyvgZL7E3VYE4dyqTi8w/w400-h225/PXL_20230405_160929860.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">View of part of the city from Montjuïc</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUUYHoIx-SxPTPUaR5_rw2P34_c82xGvvGhrB4y7najv7nLrqhG44JQjow0TRl2bfNPq16J5A_p_Lod598EnkgUkih3IlKa0SNY8ZFAPQOEhzEnIzRZ3g1hktNF2qKQlr47v3f8aNa9EcP9YkE_tTKXrnNw5K8jfSUUihiGXaO4K5beZt4ksMrPm44g/s4032/PXL_20230405_152807949.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUUYHoIx-SxPTPUaR5_rw2P34_c82xGvvGhrB4y7najv7nLrqhG44JQjow0TRl2bfNPq16J5A_p_Lod598EnkgUkih3IlKa0SNY8ZFAPQOEhzEnIzRZ3g1hktNF2qKQlr47v3f8aNa9EcP9YkE_tTKXrnNw5K8jfSUUihiGXaO4K5beZt4ksMrPm44g/w400-h225/PXL_20230405_152807949.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">View of the Mediterranean from the castle</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>During my first two days in the city I went on two long walks that took me up to the Montju<span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;">ï</span>c castle, through the bustling port district, and through the La Rambla neighborhood. Walking Barcelona's wide sidewalks, looking at the stunning house facades, and simply flowing along with the typically European pedestrian traffic is simply pleasurable. The fact that on Good Friday somebody stole my cell phone while we were sitting in one of the many excellent brewpubs put a damper on these positive vibes, but stuff happens—and unfortunately Barcelona is known to be home to some of the best street thieves and con artists around. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-mG9w9lN8lOzhEtrU9wmk4S7n6NjuG7JV0fgkldKvOKKOghRwhBQyt3ozYShXb-28nOc50M8P9eGxgyTdslxF4NnEGYlixJEHYODzqOI_VwtudUAtlAYfEAEdXB7XtLvHjeDnboYKoDhLvIgrqTdbYMKfsuR1DHt1leCyjLOjqR8BjGKTJvzxNOYQew/s2016/kqU2r3HuQsC0An_vNRYlDBLIw3cP_U3KYsgdOfX5QW8-1152x2048.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1134" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-mG9w9lN8lOzhEtrU9wmk4S7n6NjuG7JV0fgkldKvOKKOghRwhBQyt3ozYShXb-28nOc50M8P9eGxgyTdslxF4NnEGYlixJEHYODzqOI_VwtudUAtlAYfEAEdXB7XtLvHjeDnboYKoDhLvIgrqTdbYMKfsuR1DHt1leCyjLOjqR8BjGKTJvzxNOYQew/w225-h400/kqU2r3HuQsC0An_vNRYlDBLIw3cP_U3KYsgdOfX5QW8-1152x2048.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Casa Batllío at night</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMuQPrJpxdCb2GmQeOg0VbWzOe71dvr0SSoflECYxDRfGMExY7Mf5N4OK8r6D_GGpzBOg69X7oMKLsZeQnfmgrKiqKYMGBiNs0d6HCopPsVfuhn2v5ltqFhHyRhEYtDm0nbVUXjfEsWwHofCPFW_X9eYU-IbIdTmfYZkk0NT8QrqBWgjW5l5R2qm_Jhg/s2016/KCwS1MIWGbXUcXzMXAx_5ZrkfYGXkCpDvCbXos2K9zY-2048x1152.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1134" data-original-width="2016" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMuQPrJpxdCb2GmQeOg0VbWzOe71dvr0SSoflECYxDRfGMExY7Mf5N4OK8r6D_GGpzBOg69X7oMKLsZeQnfmgrKiqKYMGBiNs0d6HCopPsVfuhn2v5ltqFhHyRhEYtDm0nbVUXjfEsWwHofCPFW_X9eYU-IbIdTmfYZkk0NT8QrqBWgjW5l5R2qm_Jhg/w400-h225/KCwS1MIWGbXUcXzMXAx_5ZrkfYGXkCpDvCbXos2K9zY-2048x1152.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Customs House</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm43p3thDibqB3JSdtu_OWa-xJvAi-u8q56WTqNA-bSH8UvhK1YGEVSta2LXbPxv96rBO0wy7huv8HL2w-4raJSim7pN1yAJuJgr6mNVaaLrrCNMimdLp4aoNGpl5zPdlrcwZagATiD8IjYf-UBNFJDx1CyaRV5w1gprd_ZOl5jBVPMT0J1kLS-qwt7Q/s4000/IMG_20230408_151652.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="1800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm43p3thDibqB3JSdtu_OWa-xJvAi-u8q56WTqNA-bSH8UvhK1YGEVSta2LXbPxv96rBO0wy7huv8HL2w-4raJSim7pN1yAJuJgr6mNVaaLrrCNMimdLp4aoNGpl5zPdlrcwZagATiD8IjYf-UBNFJDx1CyaRV5w1gprd_ZOl5jBVPMT0J1kLS-qwt7Q/w180-h400/IMG_20230408_151652.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3q3Z6SduALjmmRyoryTxUZ4pfw5DyQEW3NVgB1zucuJrD6fuVhFqs5TOEDv1f9Zp4f-tEfDn2mgXyRG1ByktJSF34qd576XC0sWNhW7p4HwhTiio8ppHOL88kdd0VCOjr_EmQIRCiYGFAPoXJz4sRyXG3DXTFW6EiP_VVVxjSneKmXJwVhcttYhzchg/s4000/IMG_20230408_150431.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3q3Z6SduALjmmRyoryTxUZ4pfw5DyQEW3NVgB1zucuJrD6fuVhFqs5TOEDv1f9Zp4f-tEfDn2mgXyRG1ByktJSF34qd576XC0sWNhW7p4HwhTiio8ppHOL88kdd0VCOjr_EmQIRCiYGFAPoXJz4sRyXG3DXTFW6EiP_VVVxjSneKmXJwVhcttYhzchg/w400-h180/IMG_20230408_150431.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHwAt30fNRvCHZw5JFKPwOBZDa22xuJx2l2GJhLp-qGXg1IwfIyn1r5GiXq1abNQHYBbSg_Qjt-iFXYylw24jaGKD-SawoThTVFG0UeIMf5yY8w3O9szrBRDAPK0fURXdYp_7ZAmjq4QAaT4DUT45PTVPFpjhN7U3_fhWG4-p7I2tHvsg-TvOAIFUoiw/s4000/IMG_20230408_150118.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHwAt30fNRvCHZw5JFKPwOBZDa22xuJx2l2GJhLp-qGXg1IwfIyn1r5GiXq1abNQHYBbSg_Qjt-iFXYylw24jaGKD-SawoThTVFG0UeIMf5yY8w3O9szrBRDAPK0fURXdYp_7ZAmjq4QAaT4DUT45PTVPFpjhN7U3_fhWG4-p7I2tHvsg-TvOAIFUoiw/w400-h180/IMG_20230408_150118.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">La Boqueria, an old market hall converted to a hip food paradise</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>Our visit coincided with the busy Easter weekend, and I had feared massive crowds, long lines at must-see tourist attractions, and store and restaurant closures, but none of that materialized. If anything, the restaurants were busy with the locals, small supermarkets stayed open 24 hours a day, and buying tickets online ahead of time meant that we didn't have any wait time to enter the sites with their sights as long as we showed up at the appointed hour.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfgnqnPozCOqlUfrn886wReE4aksfLME4SdAPj29Z0z4PqhhI-GyZ4C9Q-f8l0XtwLKXk2l_oUb3_KPAX-j3y9PQDEK2Jp_XsycHdQEAkwGuHzGU0t9IvbPPVGfrzlLaKC6ZZZbA21bLBJMrky6rFqJa-k23Cqn1gFu_-Wkp4j4cX9XBvNkQzCcZpjrQ/s4000/IMG_20230408_223234.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfgnqnPozCOqlUfrn886wReE4aksfLME4SdAPj29Z0z4PqhhI-GyZ4C9Q-f8l0XtwLKXk2l_oUb3_KPAX-j3y9PQDEK2Jp_XsycHdQEAkwGuHzGU0t9IvbPPVGfrzlLaKC6ZZZbA21bLBJMrky6rFqJa-k23Cqn1gFu_-Wkp4j4cX9XBvNkQzCcZpjrQ/w400-h180/IMG_20230408_223234.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB_cipf_kfU92Gp7Vz12lnh1ynm6LHm13tmoUowIy3EOPxDnfPR9jZovnDSWMk2B3F85Ojd3g6WwiO18KH1CC4o_3ApH9E_Mq2CADRYKDkAZD4cu1D6HqpS8z9ePhpNeC0ABL-gaWJy_nC3epCXw6Mz79cHZskKSO2FFZN6Pvdx4M9Su8TgSqIXisizw/s2560/IMG_20230408_221451.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB_cipf_kfU92Gp7Vz12lnh1ynm6LHm13tmoUowIy3EOPxDnfPR9jZovnDSWMk2B3F85Ojd3g6WwiO18KH1CC4o_3ApH9E_Mq2CADRYKDkAZD4cu1D6HqpS8z9ePhpNeC0ABL-gaWJy_nC3epCXw6Mz79cHZskKSO2FFZN6Pvdx4M9Su8TgSqIXisizw/w400-h180/IMG_20230408_221451.heic" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_4WNSxqRv6b4FJneZhmDpVvL92JjRbhRyOkn4yy8pDORtDjQnN9VQxeYO1V0shY6e_IZVdIF7zapwQva9_F_b5j5QZy5eEd9oQdyksI-QPrmXxFvPX_yUqWH8M5yFdEtU1fYFiIFqe3hyMmVEW4k2BRKKpc4aGi64b7M8wIdQCljxUdRRBZnB-G0xpg/s4000/IMG_20230408_151113.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_4WNSxqRv6b4FJneZhmDpVvL92JjRbhRyOkn4yy8pDORtDjQnN9VQxeYO1V0shY6e_IZVdIF7zapwQva9_F_b5j5QZy5eEd9oQdyksI-QPrmXxFvPX_yUqWH8M5yFdEtU1fYFiIFqe3hyMmVEW4k2BRKKpc4aGi64b7M8wIdQCljxUdRRBZnB-G0xpg/w400-h180/IMG_20230408_151113.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>For those of you considering a trip to Barcelona, my advice is to come up with a rudimentary plan of what you want to see and then buy the tickets ahead of time, online. You will find the best prices on the official website for places such as Parque Guëll, Sagrada Familia, or La Pedrera / Casa Milá. With an assigned entry time you will not waste time standing in line to purchase tickets and, worse, be disappointed when all of them are sold out. Prices vary from €10 for the park entry to almost $50 for a night-time visit of Casa Batllío that included a fancy virtual reality visual / audio guide as well as a rooftop glass of <i>cava</i>. Some of the places we visited offered a Senior discount of up to €6, while others didn't. Including our guided half-day tour to the monastery of Montserrat we spent about €205 for entry tickets. There are various "Barcelona Cards" that offer different types of free entry, transportation, and discounts, but after studying the various options I had decided to limit our "tourist time" to a manageable amount.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCR8zWYIdn549qWHiznAUEhO4SW3iaTTPrgvEkN78VJJGTNeEZfoFrzROxRLzL2WaLlel1JyoADdlqtj7c-BsuPWFAafg9OBfRF7uFYZk4CluqWGQF-KzPZfkChvt0KTs1HDH1D6qGaBs3_cnytrZEodoaS7-03itqyEBPB7HVc8w8a2IrqQxcvAC1dQ/s2560/IMG_20230408_132425.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCR8zWYIdn549qWHiznAUEhO4SW3iaTTPrgvEkN78VJJGTNeEZfoFrzROxRLzL2WaLlel1JyoADdlqtj7c-BsuPWFAafg9OBfRF7uFYZk4CluqWGQF-KzPZfkChvt0KTs1HDH1D6qGaBs3_cnytrZEodoaS7-03itqyEBPB7HVc8w8a2IrqQxcvAC1dQ/w400-h180/IMG_20230408_132425.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC7Q2okrpFmRI7rKzvE7mx-ucq1LUucp9mGYFDk3GY6TgDhla2UmRbehGD1iIQrD5XaovuUIxsCr4a807uiRcHftWU4KdWuw1nwp1im9IAg22KESS-HDCYbecXbCv97L-f8vnPCctFJUJ9c1pD_t8KoDVWUY3ux4e2zSRL5RB-gpq53hZcmqc9JlcjRw/s2560/IMG_20230408_131443.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC7Q2okrpFmRI7rKzvE7mx-ucq1LUucp9mGYFDk3GY6TgDhla2UmRbehGD1iIQrD5XaovuUIxsCr4a807uiRcHftWU4KdWuw1nwp1im9IAg22KESS-HDCYbecXbCv97L-f8vnPCctFJUJ9c1pD_t8KoDVWUY3ux4e2zSRL5RB-gpq53hZcmqc9JlcjRw/w400-h180/IMG_20230408_131443.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6OUi9P4o3tsDIQDEbc3ON8x6yyZmt2EkaVnJLf947WpaI0Kc4O9ZsqRdjRbJj520LtkoYUav9sobfke8D-CHWkY6d5PDEIy_PH6OHLloLYAOLQkpVCJa2_42XAoUkxoaRJU8_iDfvm8czhIY6v9mjChfphLaLsK046dt6RstqzehdMxrQhzPidveSsw/s4000/IMG_20230408_130442.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="1800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6OUi9P4o3tsDIQDEbc3ON8x6yyZmt2EkaVnJLf947WpaI0Kc4O9ZsqRdjRbJj520LtkoYUav9sobfke8D-CHWkY6d5PDEIy_PH6OHLloLYAOLQkpVCJa2_42XAoUkxoaRJU8_iDfvm8czhIY6v9mjChfphLaLsK046dt6RstqzehdMxrQhzPidveSsw/w180-h400/IMG_20230408_130442.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZNJExM1o_kwLid7xhr-HJTUIHWjoDBOhmlbEAjGXSqLBDgeIOrEeTe8auEksezKpaMsKjIEQBx33PyzXbTGyCJZs2NaoiLZQUh0hFBNc6V0_cYGgijTmqMV7KQMND3qhmB2UQHY4DvSQEAg-GDT04J1T5rbFGL-yLQi7qQy9uGF7Kn33d1dn2I-zIdQ/s4000/IMG_20230408_125247.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZNJExM1o_kwLid7xhr-HJTUIHWjoDBOhmlbEAjGXSqLBDgeIOrEeTe8auEksezKpaMsKjIEQBx33PyzXbTGyCJZs2NaoiLZQUh0hFBNc6V0_cYGgijTmqMV7KQMND3qhmB2UQHY4DvSQEAg-GDT04J1T5rbFGL-yLQi7qQy9uGF7Kn33d1dn2I-zIdQ/w400-h180/IMG_20230408_125247.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir0UiHipSOK81VUT0Wj_bmcGihnxxXL9RHXSuIGee-YYPDzcO8yGJtpqssZAPDVMtM4J6RrqDpb1zDrsAPl4JEvbcgVU7o5vs49LDS0MJEx8aDKY3_BQgWNr1zOpxMbW6Flh08eKjAivtYQbKNI-KFWUK7zezVcvx98fFER5mVmbO_qjmj23eGQLPwjg/s2560/IMG_20230408_125222.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir0UiHipSOK81VUT0Wj_bmcGihnxxXL9RHXSuIGee-YYPDzcO8yGJtpqssZAPDVMtM4J6RrqDpb1zDrsAPl4JEvbcgVU7o5vs49LDS0MJEx8aDKY3_BQgWNr1zOpxMbW6Flh08eKjAivtYQbKNI-KFWUK7zezVcvx98fFER5mVmbO_qjmj23eGQLPwjg/w400-h180/IMG_20230408_125222.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFt8ix6d9k9fE5lxwHDyRRvqbJVDdSV3D-vr2RrlIHEVx5eXnzK__Ez1ef1NU8bDRvCWdcGSPxc1xJ3nJ4r427vla-ViSdB3BFqK0w6IApKwWDO221tCHyuBmmxjazvvAcIMIKaieAT97NscbHZS9RpMp3tdEbIQPkjP68ndFZgwn5VpjTLHWZWeKlA/s4000/IMG_20230408_123104.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="1800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFt8ix6d9k9fE5lxwHDyRRvqbJVDdSV3D-vr2RrlIHEVx5eXnzK__Ez1ef1NU8bDRvCWdcGSPxc1xJ3nJ4r427vla-ViSdB3BFqK0w6IApKwWDO221tCHyuBmmxjazvvAcIMIKaieAT97NscbHZS9RpMp3tdEbIQPkjP68ndFZgwn5VpjTLHWZWeKlA/w180-h400/IMG_20230408_123104.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Photos from the Palau de la Musica</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>Barcelona is a city that has been strongly influenced by the architect Antonio Gaudí. Actually, that's probably an understatement: His influence on the modern (since the late 19th century) Barcelona is immeasurable. Before the trip I had heard of Gaudí, but I really had no idea of his genius! Be it designing what we'd nowadays call a <i>gated community</i> (Parque Guëll), gutting and totally refurbishing four-story homes in the heart of the city in the most avantgarde and unheard-of ways (Casa Milá or Casa Batllío as prime examples), or being hired at age 31 as the lead architect for the brand-new and <i>impossible</i> Sagrada Familia cathedral (which may finally be finished within my lifetime thanks to construction methods that Gaudí had invented but that were technically still sci-fi during his lifetime), this man and his work are simply mind boggling. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhkyPtxwHyDxsV8e9APjkAe_38ylKyxjYRtX5SQFE0_2wJmRPDPHSa0_VhT3NOrazuf95uJYHqhV7ShwIRyy7xZY4D2-NFpbdPYIOCydLyN-0H_JeFX7gGCdwJ8M0FUcMJxspwitvBsR70ezz6du52B4DkyyhnaIpFOcVyaAi4Nd-DLNX0ZMfF4zko4w/s4032/PXL_20230405_085917982.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhkyPtxwHyDxsV8e9APjkAe_38ylKyxjYRtX5SQFE0_2wJmRPDPHSa0_VhT3NOrazuf95uJYHqhV7ShwIRyy7xZY4D2-NFpbdPYIOCydLyN-0H_JeFX7gGCdwJ8M0FUcMJxspwitvBsR70ezz6du52B4DkyyhnaIpFOcVyaAi4Nd-DLNX0ZMfF4zko4w/w225-h400/PXL_20230405_085917982.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Antonio Gaudí</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlpNcsfFgHBwX612Why-EvXodl_iVtNvubWrY7990kZ49UgEWAXCvMx2lbdhVzEg6OYyqJElqisnO5nuvxSqtHNb6qYU7lutGxzSxmx9kDrJVftJkcnK_8dpknMmm7D5_1xMcnBcRgilqQ1AepkaYvkc4om1132aBrLiOvLlWNnhijlvULMoxuc6B5Gw/s3842/PXL_20230405_084930506.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2118" data-original-width="3842" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlpNcsfFgHBwX612Why-EvXodl_iVtNvubWrY7990kZ49UgEWAXCvMx2lbdhVzEg6OYyqJElqisnO5nuvxSqtHNb6qYU7lutGxzSxmx9kDrJVftJkcnK_8dpknMmm7D5_1xMcnBcRgilqQ1AepkaYvkc4om1132aBrLiOvLlWNnhijlvULMoxuc6B5Gw/w400-h220/PXL_20230405_084930506.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiaEUKH7boqt-BYzZH8BBnZf2U72qdMZYW6Kwhyslr3_llHZkgJQcyVb5_q2LUwbHo8syRkvqJaVaZNfEcyE1Fa9oT2V1h-1H5snZRfuR5lu18C6LrPTtTnqLJ0eW5ymuvC1AuiAP3ANmm2wZhWmuNf_JfhVxoimYru--xRXzI8S5ZlJddvfMJ890fTA/w225-h400/PXL_20230405_090040473.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNihLaGOclPD9_DoLNIGW7lWbed-r4cHyw8xsHnJ0MlwLiBiwYl3DiCm1xCgJHDzD7wJWa5xrhoIPTbfLrponbNwlIjz8Nk-_tvuDBWmsHymB3XYTPH6diUq_PLaiPrYeo5viVVE-I3-0VTPchtSuzb10voj-BiHcg0i2hjoJex1CV8-H1ubALVkiOog/s4032/PXL_20230405_072229804.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNihLaGOclPD9_DoLNIGW7lWbed-r4cHyw8xsHnJ0MlwLiBiwYl3DiCm1xCgJHDzD7wJWa5xrhoIPTbfLrponbNwlIjz8Nk-_tvuDBWmsHymB3XYTPH6diUq_PLaiPrYeo5viVVE-I3-0VTPchtSuzb10voj-BiHcg0i2hjoJex1CV8-H1ubALVkiOog/w225-h400/PXL_20230405_072229804.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Photos from Casa Milá / La Pedrera</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>Gaudí's influence is all apparent. Walk the streets, and it won't be long before you see a facade, a row of balconies, some other architectural feature that reminds you of his organic, nature-inspired style. I tell you, it was a joy walking the streets and looking up and seeing something that screamed <i>I am Gaudí</i>! Throughout my entire visit I had a really difficult time wrapping my head around this incredible mind, this architect extraordinaire, this visionary—and also a man who tragically died when he was hit by a streetcar in the 1920s! Well, that should teach us a lesson, and it might have avoided my cell phone fiasco. Stay grounded, at all times.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvb8De2mAGaTI9xz5A5cUalvOy7ufFeLqYqsL79gmEnbki77v7bO6KgoLmqZK_M18mE2_C57-3REYQLWPOawSxFMrUq_1eozJy0zcMpQAREnNpwg8lCZprl5Rr1-CgVDnXtzposZSaqinq9rcrUo9P7dahiwvpEuoWKclwVBDv5U-xw2XcjT2NE59mpA/s2560/IMG_20230408_202420.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1152" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvb8De2mAGaTI9xz5A5cUalvOy7ufFeLqYqsL79gmEnbki77v7bO6KgoLmqZK_M18mE2_C57-3REYQLWPOawSxFMrUq_1eozJy0zcMpQAREnNpwg8lCZprl5Rr1-CgVDnXtzposZSaqinq9rcrUo9P7dahiwvpEuoWKclwVBDv5U-xw2XcjT2NE59mpA/w180-h400/IMG_20230408_202420.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv-3BzuuNZ0dbgh5SgC0zK1nUVMi9Polepfl6pqX4rkOalU3877o9f5kLFPSQbYRLG6dWlDIzD9QaDCZoO2MAd083cM6osMINm2dkex9iu6VTnzVc8fG2K5HjcUWszYMj37p6DEtiJGqWHdAnAH7jAdshuqfqIzt5EseYmjKE6FDtxrcahnojPh319yQ/s1665/IMG_20230408_194216.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="1665" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv-3BzuuNZ0dbgh5SgC0zK1nUVMi9Polepfl6pqX4rkOalU3877o9f5kLFPSQbYRLG6dWlDIzD9QaDCZoO2MAd083cM6osMINm2dkex9iu6VTnzVc8fG2K5HjcUWszYMj37p6DEtiJGqWHdAnAH7jAdshuqfqIzt5EseYmjKE6FDtxrcahnojPh319yQ/w400-h276/IMG_20230408_194216.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH5UO3sajaVN0frr4-WMZGnw7YM-NqE7F_BvcrZ2LvKNe677zxUByuEnzRQr9BJV-o53HMU1N0y367T8IUgy6uQ_20S3IdEQyvtQf8alQY0XdFqX6PjinhcYNDymrXo2BpD_bv0z67Q44wsMUKSSJqDMYS6xFKL3PhEMjtliY_DStcx5kY-RtUwDFmXw/s4000/IMG_20230408_210016.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="1800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH5UO3sajaVN0frr4-WMZGnw7YM-NqE7F_BvcrZ2LvKNe677zxUByuEnzRQr9BJV-o53HMU1N0y367T8IUgy6uQ_20S3IdEQyvtQf8alQY0XdFqX6PjinhcYNDymrXo2BpD_bv0z67Q44wsMUKSSJqDMYS6xFKL3PhEMjtliY_DStcx5kY-RtUwDFmXw/w180-h400/IMG_20230408_210016.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1152" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq2mKdHXGPj9wDMjTcGsIaigVgHFt4oAvmcjS2rTdjvDepWgue4VvNrJYbBp9VQL0mLx86v6_R8-YYjEYYLWSHLvBOMMumngIvBRgAITDf6ASuu0Q-_cI6UWELYKtCHmtKNnPOerskkRz9Rpro4HqoglbuIDTcaQ_en_SqQY2ExERLVjwnDz8me3ITNw/w180-h400/IMG_20230408_205137.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW_IXGXk88IEfoHGhi801yFNzLpOIPnL5jAMcoTyaT7HMB-64TUmHnjAW4ml0xs6uvODDCXhEc3fu1-UgE-ZVWKOILu2658QmflwYg0LgZFr2ekGLLw8Hv1wXXV9qcr9s5yCOVDDWxFZNue6te9B9VriHKETcbbrxMYsjcAEaq7qFI49aUNQdavH7QPA/s2560/IMG_20230408_204653.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW_IXGXk88IEfoHGhi801yFNzLpOIPnL5jAMcoTyaT7HMB-64TUmHnjAW4ml0xs6uvODDCXhEc3fu1-UgE-ZVWKOILu2658QmflwYg0LgZFr2ekGLLw8Hv1wXXV9qcr9s5yCOVDDWxFZNue6te9B9VriHKETcbbrxMYsjcAEaq7qFI49aUNQdavH7QPA/w400-h180/IMG_20230408_204653.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFfAY5bBrPh9YJ7ogOEfns5O-KchiaQWJPA4WUvqdB9VCLD7VMX__xTdi9zxn6X4ZktzZXNkApT1L1oAUrMY6DEeHU96-_ggY5vM3TtlzxpJXh5TMvE7cY5m-GIDkqMXMXoV4BnpxuD_GmnlAU5cjRq8YyTDY8XHWb5ZnjUNidZ9WLXSWN2vCU_XETQw/s3036/IMG_20230408_213114copy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3036" data-original-width="1800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFfAY5bBrPh9YJ7ogOEfns5O-KchiaQWJPA4WUvqdB9VCLD7VMX__xTdi9zxn6X4ZktzZXNkApT1L1oAUrMY6DEeHU96-_ggY5vM3TtlzxpJXh5TMvE7cY5m-GIDkqMXMXoV4BnpxuD_GmnlAU5cjRq8YyTDY8XHWb5ZnjUNidZ9WLXSWN2vCU_XETQw/w238-h400/IMG_20230408_213114copy.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Photos from Casa Batllío</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Quite likely the most impressive site that we visited was the aforementioned Sagrada Familia cathedral, that is in its final stages of full construction. For me, it is not possible to use the appropriate words to give it its proper due. There's so much history (even if condensed only into about 130 years since the first stones were laid) and so much other detail that one could write a book or two. Other people have done that, and you may just use good old Mr. Google if you are interested in learning more about this truly <i>unique, </i> cathedral. I promise, you have never seen anything like it or even imagined that anything like it could exist. Of course, like so many places in Barcelona and the world it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but this one is just so mind-bending that you simply have to see it. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIa5fuPRWGiiq2MmDnENgstlrDry1_ubgMPYSD19PuX9zohJZ6ZfgRb4Ih0QKYmlyzOGdfPdrzF41wkYx6RmlopHI5KQwE6zVfibOuwFd1uRPApl4NCfIpKOZw70VpuTbNA9F5OV4_khPCkIeN4jnXpYs02VKXEwsZ9QaMY9SfVylHntNiIXAYIN6uJQ/s3520/PXL_20230405_081242518.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3520" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIa5fuPRWGiiq2MmDnENgstlrDry1_ubgMPYSD19PuX9zohJZ6ZfgRb4Ih0QKYmlyzOGdfPdrzF41wkYx6RmlopHI5KQwE6zVfibOuwFd1uRPApl4NCfIpKOZw70VpuTbNA9F5OV4_khPCkIeN4jnXpYs02VKXEwsZ9QaMY9SfVylHntNiIXAYIN6uJQ/w258-h400/PXL_20230405_081242518.jpg" width="258" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZodD9aJj6vItYbSuCA0yJ8EXnu8prkZiBDNJv2rCpdla2eMZZY9z_13OKshEN24iYgYRO6Im5y6ZJmlum-AMW5aWqbOZ7pNEKltMA8Yve3nuFcrsUxGbOiHcc-5uj5VI7XXj07rrApHhFFkIoIBr_mqqmKpHww8vhjV3mvkVRnXzlmplJZ66bP11vGQ/s2950/IMG_20230410_125245.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="2950" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZodD9aJj6vItYbSuCA0yJ8EXnu8prkZiBDNJv2rCpdla2eMZZY9z_13OKshEN24iYgYRO6Im5y6ZJmlum-AMW5aWqbOZ7pNEKltMA8Yve3nuFcrsUxGbOiHcc-5uj5VI7XXj07rrApHhFFkIoIBr_mqqmKpHww8vhjV3mvkVRnXzlmplJZ66bP11vGQ/w400-h244/IMG_20230410_125245.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEByIqfhs21XZTNAlD2XRFE3Q7b688la7C209o-fW8ziRubOXRTiZSdJhYSJnfoveDovvGbxe7hbbj2N1COi10b2MMYkAP_PEs16gzwGXsWfynTA8fdZPHa3VfqhbdzmtD9YpQmB-gd9LDilxkt1QS7F-5DdnaFUtTaweVnVNY1IpV2t2MRJhZrzIbEw/s3759/IMG_20230410_134001.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3759" data-original-width="1800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEByIqfhs21XZTNAlD2XRFE3Q7b688la7C209o-fW8ziRubOXRTiZSdJhYSJnfoveDovvGbxe7hbbj2N1COi10b2MMYkAP_PEs16gzwGXsWfynTA8fdZPHa3VfqhbdzmtD9YpQmB-gd9LDilxkt1QS7F-5DdnaFUtTaweVnVNY1IpV2t2MRJhZrzIbEw/w191-h400/IMG_20230410_134001.jpg" width="191" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Photos from Sagrada Familia</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>As I am on the way to the Panama while I am writing this, and time is at a premium after only a 48-hour layover in Lubbock that didn't allow idle computer work to start, much less finish, a blogpost, I will spare you the nitty-gritty details of this short vacation. I won't go into the ideally situated Airbnb on the Plaça de Vila de Gracia that I had secured, the one overlooking the square with its bell tower and the old town hall on the south end; I can't devote enough time on the scrumptious <i>tapas </i>that Birgit and I shared at end of long days of sightseeing; and I'll refrain from commenting too much on the thriving beer culture of Barcelona. All this is a bit of shame since a year or two hence I won't remember all the details, as is my <i>faiblesse. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6a8gITa842dqOfY6ASR3ADyUvy_gitXW80bNiq-Onp297_k-d2Mq5WyoojpwlPHodMIj3VYYM7UBM77Ove269rIu5RPnFPhguKrNSXouAsoE4teBrKrEdN2pLeXfCspdeywGMByNdI5D80Lt_d0kYap2H5RDilJCUamy8Dih3SW2QFaaPIQojQBzBmQ/s4032/PXL_20230405_125244554.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6a8gITa842dqOfY6ASR3ADyUvy_gitXW80bNiq-Onp297_k-d2Mq5WyoojpwlPHodMIj3VYYM7UBM77Ove269rIu5RPnFPhguKrNSXouAsoE4teBrKrEdN2pLeXfCspdeywGMByNdI5D80Lt_d0kYap2H5RDilJCUamy8Dih3SW2QFaaPIQojQBzBmQ/w400-h225/PXL_20230405_125244554.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></i>OK, all that said I should mention two things.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhduJTBHYD1zRMnfUDEeld91I7U6JLMep98uF7RvrVsQQu3s0-HMIR16d57Xyijs5LBJcXyB87K0IVmfTArWjM0xANIZXyu-H53ctYAyd6faCBMp9lEkXN17USQzMl-V6d4JKcj0F_R2-z0bpjTiyjmMclyyW1b2oxLqVKfQ9vXS80sG5N8i5jFDLAXoA/s2970/PXL_20230405_135108388.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2970" data-original-width="2241" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhduJTBHYD1zRMnfUDEeld91I7U6JLMep98uF7RvrVsQQu3s0-HMIR16d57Xyijs5LBJcXyB87K0IVmfTArWjM0xANIZXyu-H53ctYAyd6faCBMp9lEkXN17USQzMl-V6d4JKcj0F_R2-z0bpjTiyjmMclyyW1b2oxLqVKfQ9vXS80sG5N8i5jFDLAXoA/w301-h400/PXL_20230405_135108388.jpg" width="301" /></a></div>Number One, <i>tapas </i>in Catalunya, the extremely independent and often separatist province of Spain in which Barcelona is located, differ from <i>tapas</i> in other regions of Spain. They are more of a meal, similar to the <i>porciones </i>and <i>raciones </i>that I had encountered on last year's trip to the Rioja and Burgos, more expensive and just not as much of a stand-at-the-counter-in-the-bar kind of thing than more of a sit-down affair.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjx2GnLD2N5YCdYZAI2T9Ajhqt62kkePjC-eGgk9X5x0Y7Mrncy4hyF0iigRwz6M9qSfu3IE9h2EaXNTjc5XxoN2Qn_67-0frLLK0jKO7TAYccL3oN9MsSTJ05OJavwYA6snA4oJbG4JPv8IzgDMDXzIrjNo-jrDRQ5cfW7IIP0XaQWWVuduh4VZXr3g/s2992/IMG_20230410_225829.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2992" data-original-width="1800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjx2GnLD2N5YCdYZAI2T9Ajhqt62kkePjC-eGgk9X5x0Y7Mrncy4hyF0iigRwz6M9qSfu3IE9h2EaXNTjc5XxoN2Qn_67-0frLLK0jKO7TAYccL3oN9MsSTJ05OJavwYA6snA4oJbG4JPv8IzgDMDXzIrjNo-jrDRQ5cfW7IIP0XaQWWVuduh4VZXr3g/w241-h400/IMG_20230410_225829.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih3q6T_jaj3yvoQDIUYu_5MKS_ZRjVEpQaJD-ZBqwi0BHfx6BvRb8LKh4Qgx_nrAYn3XTZUn34_ygi5Y7OWe1eq_qGJXi6gBs9f0fh8MrzSexChK8wiaLRafU4og6E-DI3-mS1yYW-t--xpNndAtzjvzG1zIOuoJ8H3Aa31OK_KnLGVyecTrEz6a6HBg/s4000/IMG_20230408_140900.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih3q6T_jaj3yvoQDIUYu_5MKS_ZRjVEpQaJD-ZBqwi0BHfx6BvRb8LKh4Qgx_nrAYn3XTZUn34_ygi5Y7OWe1eq_qGJXi6gBs9f0fh8MrzSexChK8wiaLRafU4og6E-DI3-mS1yYW-t--xpNndAtzjvzG1zIOuoJ8H3Aa31OK_KnLGVyecTrEz6a6HBg/w400-h180/IMG_20230408_140900.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>Number Two: The brewpubs and micro-breweries that I / we visited were of extremely high quality, much better than I had expected. Spain does produce its own strains of hops, as I found out, but at the end the local brewers know how to use the staples of the world market to produce fine foam! On our last evening, just 200 meters from the Airbnb, we visited Barcelona's oldest brewpub, Cervesera Artesana, truly a nano-brewery. As someone who had grown up with German pilsner, Birgit had been wondering about where my passion for IPAs, their flavors and their stories, was coming from. So, when I struck up a conversation with the brewer and he offered to give us a tour of the two-barrel operation, I jumped at it, only to convert one more person doesn't have to be factory swill. Birgit had never smelled fresh hops, and she is now a convert.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyMgPlZihL3VpDVUeCxucaB5AqiDZylDakOrElEChzVu9yS98T2QvjPwOsbPHSHFc-hp9XKBYY10Et-t3XeO_F52msABP2YfzFGO2g5jGhUe5TyJ-Idnvh9DP6AKUnKLSp15usCyL-2i1DDUaHwsc7cU4OS5HH721bQvnCKiBliB_EZ39a3S4tx6VVQQ/s2719/PXL_20230404_193024316.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="2719" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyMgPlZihL3VpDVUeCxucaB5AqiDZylDakOrElEChzVu9yS98T2QvjPwOsbPHSHFc-hp9XKBYY10Et-t3XeO_F52msABP2YfzFGO2g5jGhUe5TyJ-Idnvh9DP6AKUnKLSp15usCyL-2i1DDUaHwsc7cU4OS5HH721bQvnCKiBliB_EZ39a3S4tx6VVQQ/w400-h334/PXL_20230404_193024316.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheKReHifybisYgoXVUIpXuCMVGIg2-a0tHe9IjynJt6O8oj9fFQ03zLbMWHL9QXGdZm21oS-JN3ImzWXC9AesW69yuECXPHyB_5TTgLWFwl_YdDxdR74yVpdlAtrVA31OeXQXsDTPo1WwZ6kLJYn1tQLVthe_iKGzp7nFdZfGF003jDcgCGF80VkhJ-g/s4032/PXL_20230404_182535845.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheKReHifybisYgoXVUIpXuCMVGIg2-a0tHe9IjynJt6O8oj9fFQ03zLbMWHL9QXGdZm21oS-JN3ImzWXC9AesW69yuECXPHyB_5TTgLWFwl_YdDxdR74yVpdlAtrVA31OeXQXsDTPo1WwZ6kLJYn1tQLVthe_iKGzp7nFdZfGF003jDcgCGF80VkhJ-g/w400-h225/PXL_20230404_182535845.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNpXSC17XJimmjXDyOJVL66prTKVtnkkok0VeZ5iGt02JWtvdd3w04Id__zGft48U6VtuvoBEnSnL4dXQhk_p36kOgLUUuYkyQyaMjN_fbFRJTdiK2-SSlBefNDJ-VDS9_FUpFXKhVw3xP9t-xhpXfcT5-HoSOIOmgToKOC6Qkgr-OKMpcwuiCr0oAsQ/s4000/IMG_20230411_224841.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNpXSC17XJimmjXDyOJVL66prTKVtnkkok0VeZ5iGt02JWtvdd3w04Id__zGft48U6VtuvoBEnSnL4dXQhk_p36kOgLUUuYkyQyaMjN_fbFRJTdiK2-SSlBefNDJ-VDS9_FUpFXKhVw3xP9t-xhpXfcT5-HoSOIOmgToKOC6Qkgr-OKMpcwuiCr0oAsQ/w400-h180/IMG_20230411_224841.heic" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLWZh0mxenq0hVQJ0beDuisM2d2589Pz0ThppFvDCjpLHpYTtwx3pRgBCe3kEs6uTuJwJpZkaLNdyn3SEcqdC59yZ5D-_4697kFzzvz7II_X4dgvlYp2NOoDK3sHeYfdDpWS3-TPgOjdfe2K-3L3Rhw29FbdNRwHARyML1a5_VxHhW2FHcg5XSnhQL1Q/s4000/IMG_20230411_214840.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLWZh0mxenq0hVQJ0beDuisM2d2589Pz0ThppFvDCjpLHpYTtwx3pRgBCe3kEs6uTuJwJpZkaLNdyn3SEcqdC59yZ5D-_4697kFzzvz7II_X4dgvlYp2NOoDK3sHeYfdDpWS3-TPgOjdfe2K-3L3Rhw29FbdNRwHARyML1a5_VxHhW2FHcg5XSnhQL1Q/w400-h180/IMG_20230411_214840.heic" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGWGP3N8inoMXboM_JMo1b587ZHz0ZkQGA2dZLOGj5QrA0-LSHB8uICEwCWeP-swBAA87Jwc326n5vq_W70y4kxvOoVaByd-Z78K1GtQG9DNuHi15h9idcyG-9k3J-hTBiN-SDK3xbWGTSkJ18g9Tef06B0ZqkOTjiFOc5B-drzpsuXP3zaGU7LAb65A/s4000/IMG_20230411_214712.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGWGP3N8inoMXboM_JMo1b587ZHz0ZkQGA2dZLOGj5QrA0-LSHB8uICEwCWeP-swBAA87Jwc326n5vq_W70y4kxvOoVaByd-Z78K1GtQG9DNuHi15h9idcyG-9k3J-hTBiN-SDK3xbWGTSkJ18g9Tef06B0ZqkOTjiFOc5B-drzpsuXP3zaGU7LAb65A/w400-h180/IMG_20230411_214712.heic" width="400" /></a></div>Two days after the cellphone disaster we went for a full-day excursion by train to the small city of Sitges, about an hour south of Barcelona and situated directly on the water. I had read somewhere that this visit is an insider tip, but it seems that half the world consists of insiders. The narrow streets were crowded with national and international visitors, and the long beach promenade was pretty much a madhouse. Still, it was our one time right on the water, and we had an extensive lunch stop right by the harbor. As for the entire trip, the weather totally cooperated, and we enjoyed this excursion just as much as our cultural visits in the big city.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLKQPlq1EhNKtYWMK4XaSqKGCjzZi0wxdFIiobcnKvryH8XCuVKOmGTF5uYwshri-bnZzTjn56YiX4nDfgGh6Hws7MWttZr-s0bSVq1mxjNJ4ziCxFB8PGY0dkrPfwyx_2d9zOa-7Z37vqfNdkYr-gvBltV68pHzB6Q4S0nPWZd9fKD_QV428onEgdHA/s4000/IMG_20230409_162734.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLKQPlq1EhNKtYWMK4XaSqKGCjzZi0wxdFIiobcnKvryH8XCuVKOmGTF5uYwshri-bnZzTjn56YiX4nDfgGh6Hws7MWttZr-s0bSVq1mxjNJ4ziCxFB8PGY0dkrPfwyx_2d9zOa-7Z37vqfNdkYr-gvBltV68pHzB6Q4S0nPWZd9fKD_QV428onEgdHA/w400-h180/IMG_20230409_162734.heic" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRHLoYV6XPTvCz8xZXD7fj8bVrlDfiZIck5lI9T-5nu50CKTk1TEk-4F1jtOTIfy3_6bBu9VJlZpB2NQ1LMm-jabbDl9eRkn0UPtnVAba16QtJgP-So7m3LUbysc8pIB47jhIcUxbpZs9RelItlHMNxh5_8ZxhhU_ul8sGu3qBgX-7vGTOZu3XxRbgBA/s1600/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-04-09%20at%2015.19.33.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRHLoYV6XPTvCz8xZXD7fj8bVrlDfiZIck5lI9T-5nu50CKTk1TEk-4F1jtOTIfy3_6bBu9VJlZpB2NQ1LMm-jabbDl9eRkn0UPtnVAba16QtJgP-So7m3LUbysc8pIB47jhIcUxbpZs9RelItlHMNxh5_8ZxhhU_ul8sGu3qBgX-7vGTOZu3XxRbgBA/w300-h400/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-04-09%20at%2015.19.33.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmd-isHTIZyX5ZV2UAbnBDBUMc2gMhiXotnIHyfAVzaUdGX_8Itg0DditKgCRripmHH_AJ_F_ZlIG5PI5uhLrTzZvWlJ5uPDfUTN_kDCiFei1Gz1wajroMgL_lVkuI-kU2QO5ebQcP9Z5rIDhQr8lqm2hEthCxxri-UYt93vCeli4hzwvOKcjOiHQ8qA/s4000/IMG_20230409_132046.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmd-isHTIZyX5ZV2UAbnBDBUMc2gMhiXotnIHyfAVzaUdGX_8Itg0DditKgCRripmHH_AJ_F_ZlIG5PI5uhLrTzZvWlJ5uPDfUTN_kDCiFei1Gz1wajroMgL_lVkuI-kU2QO5ebQcP9Z5rIDhQr8lqm2hEthCxxri-UYt93vCeli4hzwvOKcjOiHQ8qA/w400-h180/IMG_20230409_132046.heic" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg84Vl02DT-oYey4BtmcuC07zQMq_8BfE-g3ZeoT77f7UUYqk0WUPWRPBbEuDDcO0vDe3LGTTBtC9HGfFiSRfHzFQSvNAcsrAj6J_v0CHUEQgseOrvOaC5bbyVIkL1nRfvSy_OWhOjdAH4FYYRrMFNwpTuKeYsaMUfZoQ0JCN9wJnoBe2n7t-zOTFsPvQ/s4000/IMG_20230409_135427.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg84Vl02DT-oYey4BtmcuC07zQMq_8BfE-g3ZeoT77f7UUYqk0WUPWRPBbEuDDcO0vDe3LGTTBtC9HGfFiSRfHzFQSvNAcsrAj6J_v0CHUEQgseOrvOaC5bbyVIkL1nRfvSy_OWhOjdAH4FYYRrMFNwpTuKeYsaMUfZoQ0JCN9wJnoBe2n7t-zOTFsPvQ/w400-h180/IMG_20230409_135427.heic" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFIBu6wkHVz_SDF6GGYX0D39pr0ScvnqhLfcKJtPNKQOZ6A470Br7X9f_fAJLFEHSyGvQZC_IgaiypFvfXG8jnoc8X53cUuYfAmZB-Sxj5kg1KnAjAhkgU0DmuU2V145WkoyYmsJsXJWXqSOOBZpvMKwUQh7OUnEA9Zibev0OyOx4SmrditcN3d5ixkQ/s1333/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-04-09%20at%2015.00.49.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="1125" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFIBu6wkHVz_SDF6GGYX0D39pr0ScvnqhLfcKJtPNKQOZ6A470Br7X9f_fAJLFEHSyGvQZC_IgaiypFvfXG8jnoc8X53cUuYfAmZB-Sxj5kg1KnAjAhkgU0DmuU2V145WkoyYmsJsXJWXqSOOBZpvMKwUQh7OUnEA9Zibev0OyOx4SmrditcN3d5ixkQ/w338-h400/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-04-09%20at%2015.00.49.jpg" width="338" /></a></div></div><div>On our last full day in Catalunya we went on a half-day semi-private trip by bus to the monastery at Montserrat, about 45 kilometers to the north of the city. Together with another six guests we were treated to not only a super-scenic drive to the 3,000-foot tall <i>massif t</i>hat towers over the plain that stretches toward the Mediterranean but also to expert commentary by our guide, Theo. Since this was an afternoon tour we had the place almost completely to ourselves, a totally unexpected bonus since usually it is teeming with selfie-consumed <i>turistas. </i>From way up on top of the mountain we had an incredible view toward the Pyrenees in the north and the verdant valleys stretching that way, belying the current state of drought in much of Spain as of right now. What a great way to finish this trip.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAeD_hL6fQXyEtaj0T-OYQinvElfmosLaW4R8ueod6EjKLO51wHTZxLrsrl9n9P80OH1DzF_mpKcQjtsZ8AppBjwC_1TKvWPXrzhywAU5k8_u2hvUd5_z1FZCksGdnZLoubkJR5PhKGJWZSAFsZf6dhBOjBfWnAKOfjpoC7Cd1xui1icMfYtn4GCnJYA/s4000/IMG_20230411_154944.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAeD_hL6fQXyEtaj0T-OYQinvElfmosLaW4R8ueod6EjKLO51wHTZxLrsrl9n9P80OH1DzF_mpKcQjtsZ8AppBjwC_1TKvWPXrzhywAU5k8_u2hvUd5_z1FZCksGdnZLoubkJR5PhKGJWZSAFsZf6dhBOjBfWnAKOfjpoC7Cd1xui1icMfYtn4GCnJYA/w400-h180/IMG_20230411_154944.heic" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJJffd_26_7YlCM9JMBVUVIZsWlKLha9oJKCdoVUVE8f1wkomF_eFGuvx6RDjN4B87LK1cY_CWdJX1Uzpc_DOJohc5wsrCJOAsE2y3JMojiYp0yuToZUUX91ML6xnHgoYmuowyUWcEcHXhfsIu_OAN1jsntMdR0wcl9Ma-VxfvtvF2H74DS6qCamWKcw/s1924/IMG_20230411_153903.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN6_zroXA9AMKkYuXAhdHMgXoCtCgEJ3lQ3_lPEc-B1SIuSGywWD7khkLbC9HOUT7zOQaqT5zw21d7ql8DK-e735sQBJ9CFyV32SXZgelUrUc-1SLYvnJAG7E_OGB3ZylDJFSU9aQGuSMd7pRUIQybCZ0LAV9mcuHu8DoUgdj3iXaxMTUiO-HO1jBVgA/s3167/IMG_20230411_170725.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1389" data-original-width="3167" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN6_zroXA9AMKkYuXAhdHMgXoCtCgEJ3lQ3_lPEc-B1SIuSGywWD7khkLbC9HOUT7zOQaqT5zw21d7ql8DK-e735sQBJ9CFyV32SXZgelUrUc-1SLYvnJAG7E_OGB3ZylDJFSU9aQGuSMd7pRUIQybCZ0LAV9mcuHu8DoUgdj3iXaxMTUiO-HO1jBVgA/w400-h175/IMG_20230411_170725.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGGUbmsAw6sw1gcGfE8y4PZKUVtk9QffwpvmXLKVWp8P2k95uxRekT4bB5AEgKjkUCKR-Jv0XlBXPZAUE9bYWIPd5vAbbA910ALX5ZOMU33D3kDuK0Qbi0LXgmHg5aFvB3TzV1GRHblLF0TyfH-vnZTOWALz44Y1noo5OE6MC-SbTSHClP_Seo1vTjKQ/s4000/IMG_20230411_172618.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGGUbmsAw6sw1gcGfE8y4PZKUVtk9QffwpvmXLKVWp8P2k95uxRekT4bB5AEgKjkUCKR-Jv0XlBXPZAUE9bYWIPd5vAbbA910ALX5ZOMU33D3kDuK0Qbi0LXgmHg5aFvB3TzV1GRHblLF0TyfH-vnZTOWALz44Y1noo5OE6MC-SbTSHClP_Seo1vTjKQ/w400-h180/IMG_20230411_172618.heic" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLkxAKxVccYIo04vKu3NtbK--x5fajGiNxwPwPXysqKdMzna6aiBsUATROUES_KoNzfb7PcoC9cZQVA1WsjTZilT4B57rnBuXy3avfR7ooe63G5FYnLw0LJCfKk8BYOuvM4idN-XWrhvAqax_3qWD_Fp6rKHPG35ytb8F0_hV0TKgijCJrRJhEdtwMjw/s3126/IMG_20230411_174153.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3126" data-original-width="1781" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLkxAKxVccYIo04vKu3NtbK--x5fajGiNxwPwPXysqKdMzna6aiBsUATROUES_KoNzfb7PcoC9cZQVA1WsjTZilT4B57rnBuXy3avfR7ooe63G5FYnLw0LJCfKk8BYOuvM4idN-XWrhvAqax_3qWD_Fp6rKHPG35ytb8F0_hV0TKgijCJrRJhEdtwMjw/w228-h400/IMG_20230411_174153.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Photos from Montserrat</span></td></tr></tbody></table>As I said, I'm on the way to a race in Panama, finishing the words of this blogpost in the Terminal D American Airlines lounge in Dallas before continuing for an overnight hotel stay in Miami tonight, where I hope to add the photos. Don't make the mistake I made and wait for 67 years to go to Barcelona. Just do it. Do it during a time that may have fewer tourists than the high season in summer. Do it regardless of the relatively high cost. Do it despite the warning of pickpockets and other thugs. All that doesn't matter. Go see Barcelona!</div><div><br /></div>JürgenJürgenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03107533431710748040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023527478729548228.post-45450854278193046862023-03-29T23:21:00.006-05:002023-03-30T09:09:11.812-05:00A ho-hum late winter / early spring<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw7V9DtghRBGcRNK5ctlSA9VTgw30uDZPk7DcYk69RsbBgpIfNBn5iNlqFQWm-mHbuUtvdAYN2PxN3mLwXp7fVbl2N1__B3f7WbUuAeG94KzfanWmLc7cJ5mMCkBJ8ztIQuU-Mz79kMPv84u-dNuM7X8XDXGicvYt-KNv1hLvCVOxqk7pyIwnOW9KnCw/s4032/PXL_20230325_211011031.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw7V9DtghRBGcRNK5ctlSA9VTgw30uDZPk7DcYk69RsbBgpIfNBn5iNlqFQWm-mHbuUtvdAYN2PxN3mLwXp7fVbl2N1__B3f7WbUuAeG94KzfanWmLc7cJ5mMCkBJ8ztIQuU-Mz79kMPv84u-dNuM7X8XDXGicvYt-KNv1hLvCVOxqk7pyIwnOW9KnCw/w400-h225/PXL_20230325_211011031.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Bluebonnets at last weekend's NICA race at Reveille Peak Ranch <br />in the TX Hill Country just north of Austin</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>By all metrics, this was one of the less-memorable first quarters of the year in many years: no international trips, suck-ass winds, and far too many "issues" that intervened with my usual, fairly happy life.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1aF0PCHaaLiHDK7r3vFZKmpys3tAMBwacKngzq6Yn0cs0DJEcwgEQLEo9cBur_1quq1kSPzZZsspOnDTLKQGRKJgq84vjEtnRUmGeReEC6W8FMDaOwhAaOemCLSuXdHUFu_wJQ4KmiI7ksVQ6oFVzOsfmBhoHZekzf76ms0Fvgqcgqpwy49Zy7weVuw/s4032/PXL_20230311_170557138.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1aF0PCHaaLiHDK7r3vFZKmpys3tAMBwacKngzq6Yn0cs0DJEcwgEQLEo9cBur_1quq1kSPzZZsspOnDTLKQGRKJgq84vjEtnRUmGeReEC6W8FMDaOwhAaOemCLSuXdHUFu_wJQ4KmiI7ksVQ6oFVzOsfmBhoHZekzf76ms0Fvgqcgqpwy49Zy7weVuw/w225-h400/PXL_20230311_170557138.MP.jpg" width="225" /></a></div></div><div>We're a day or so away from the end of March, and this month will be recorded in the annals as one that brought Lubbock exactly <i>zero </i>droplets of precipitation. Right, no rain. While some places in California were buried by 60 or more feet of snow this past season, and other placed drowned in "atmospheric rivers," Lubbock stayed dry, and windy, windy, windy, and then dusty. Looking at my riding log (and the mileage reports from my peers in our bike club) I come to grips with the fact that we've had an unusually nasty Spring. Excuse me, Spring started just a week ago, so it was mainly a horrible Winter. At least we haven't been devastated by tornadoes—these days they spawn a few hundred miles farther east thanks to global climate change.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8k6zNy3efi1XCAHGAtuk1iMpJLRsV2fEQHvsQP4FQGPovv4yWvia-gARF4ZaKHWHnNZgme72Sd1ZQZ5N9BmjIvGwYf0Rnw1TZ17CdIT51SU-YE2cZsBo8inAKqc0IJvVzlZLq0_jkUAZRL-aMREmw0nn_AMzjkzCxcwKHKocRCSSlbKP1m_O4_yDxcA/s3840/PXL_20230302_221740741.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3840" data-original-width="2160" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8k6zNy3efi1XCAHGAtuk1iMpJLRsV2fEQHvsQP4FQGPovv4yWvia-gARF4ZaKHWHnNZgme72Sd1ZQZ5N9BmjIvGwYf0Rnw1TZ17CdIT51SU-YE2cZsBo8inAKqc0IJvVzlZLq0_jkUAZRL-aMREmw0nn_AMzjkzCxcwKHKocRCSSlbKP1m_O4_yDxcA/w225-h400/PXL_20230302_221740741.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5berr5fZj0dWdfQ5o5K4ezqCLT4aeYiz5au2YflZfLmv-mt9vnKIq1K4muVDsjBK8GlTpQiPPvdO2vA9O5qgAvlcUYIYt5c20wUGR72WtVL0X88nlXk4zJWuaQtNNhlHdEp-cl8zxdAGZ3qscN5DemzmIe3apTru0ucwaV0QjlzyOv6NJpQMWlobyIg/s4032/PXL_20230302_200919072.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5berr5fZj0dWdfQ5o5K4ezqCLT4aeYiz5au2YflZfLmv-mt9vnKIq1K4muVDsjBK8GlTpQiPPvdO2vA9O5qgAvlcUYIYt5c20wUGR72WtVL0X88nlXk4zJWuaQtNNhlHdEp-cl8zxdAGZ3qscN5DemzmIe3apTru0ucwaV0QjlzyOv6NJpQMWlobyIg/w400-h225/PXL_20230302_200919072.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrhQ2oYh23sF-PlXP6u2iZywsqzL2TwF_ydUgzE_AVCGlsJF0SQRCjJrrlRamjfk471HUTmhrDKJ0uZNPGVImqi9764SREDb-cTxepqSZCsdGuxclNV1AUQgeaLG7mL5wZFUt8XOfPMMpZL_qz_BylxqvOf_EnLpEJS2p4CkYw1bUPSrU6TVtElDM4Uw/s4032/PXL_20230302_200933430.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrhQ2oYh23sF-PlXP6u2iZywsqzL2TwF_ydUgzE_AVCGlsJF0SQRCjJrrlRamjfk471HUTmhrDKJ0uZNPGVImqi9764SREDb-cTxepqSZCsdGuxclNV1AUQgeaLG7mL5wZFUt8XOfPMMpZL_qz_BylxqvOf_EnLpEJS2p4CkYw1bUPSrU6TVtElDM4Uw/w225-h400/PXL_20230302_200933430.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>I've started my backyard project in earnest, but just like the weather it has not been satisfying. I had hoped that (after paying my five-digit down payment) things would progress a bit faster, but they haven't. At the ripe age of 67 I have learned the true meaning of <i>tranquilo</i>, but still... With an international trip rapidly approaching (and another one two days after finishing the first) I am concerned that I won't be available to sign off on the various stages of this project.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9JJHjYHun5uKqZhkQKZ-3i5h4F3jeZuRoXJQvqAKisC0oLQAnTtCiwKZpFa4T3aNLCCQMO3C_vIw_hPg1R4COrUEm9ckEaDkmDfWQPDz4eqD1bz456EK8CMTMs6_l-qiG78N-3DaAq3I0e2CvESTu1sm1XlNgvEq4otUzdTEhq3XzttiPHJnxkTmgTg/s4032/PXL_20230316_171407526.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9JJHjYHun5uKqZhkQKZ-3i5h4F3jeZuRoXJQvqAKisC0oLQAnTtCiwKZpFa4T3aNLCCQMO3C_vIw_hPg1R4COrUEm9ckEaDkmDfWQPDz4eqD1bz456EK8CMTMs6_l-qiG78N-3DaAq3I0e2CvESTu1sm1XlNgvEq4otUzdTEhq3XzttiPHJnxkTmgTg/w400-h225/PXL_20230316_171407526.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8HphJ_scFip4wKGy3uE2kGliBfLnGdPWCvdAdPPN3GanKiyaT4ZwwuYT8QQJfS6YnwJ14e-1EEMLmHMwe9uJPSxbQ_QXxlqFmgumvhnnFiBkRDoj8UpkDykazNSsl-OiT6dnZnVJmTkS0YWbMRHgLqdQMnad9gby68bPAs3tX1NurW5eJcQMfQE1_Gg/s4032/PXL_20230316_183522257.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8HphJ_scFip4wKGy3uE2kGliBfLnGdPWCvdAdPPN3GanKiyaT4ZwwuYT8QQJfS6YnwJ14e-1EEMLmHMwe9uJPSxbQ_QXxlqFmgumvhnnFiBkRDoj8UpkDykazNSsl-OiT6dnZnVJmTkS0YWbMRHgLqdQMnad9gby68bPAs3tX1NurW5eJcQMfQE1_Gg/w225-h400/PXL_20230316_183522257.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiscPslHqkT0VM2uADUNWbL1kLINzHBOVwGXzNFV3T3NsHDe6T0sR8V7DSb1fKPLb54kCQ-SPGVQe2PPbHRUU3xUOReHNcUMaQcMwVy7OWUg66UCrYUkLSBCewwyjqMeZg8DCtg5h1pn4YKseoxQPVTF-uIWqQbD6h_Wpz959503A4fy0JS-cwVtbrlWg/s4032/PXL_20230316_162145873.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiscPslHqkT0VM2uADUNWbL1kLINzHBOVwGXzNFV3T3NsHDe6T0sR8V7DSb1fKPLb54kCQ-SPGVQe2PPbHRUU3xUOReHNcUMaQcMwVy7OWUg66UCrYUkLSBCewwyjqMeZg8DCtg5h1pn4YKseoxQPVTF-uIWqQbD6h_Wpz959503A4fy0JS-cwVtbrlWg/w400-h225/PXL_20230316_162145873.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUzrwrtl3ZwwkWYolnA2HeRIF0DvrLobBXjpcCRkVYpjUeIwD6y_tZw54OuLRrGs66wdzCq6hlc2orCkTpbZ-9AuswSK9bdXWtvyVwhjlccMNLoCAx6idXxQE5LkQdxYjqC0mc9Pw0Yym3qc_vAIhalRxM18QSuG27QU1LtZmaQ9UK73wSgf2pVNrrWQ/s4032/PXL_20230307_001508560.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUzrwrtl3ZwwkWYolnA2HeRIF0DvrLobBXjpcCRkVYpjUeIwD6y_tZw54OuLRrGs66wdzCq6hlc2orCkTpbZ-9AuswSK9bdXWtvyVwhjlccMNLoCAx6idXxQE5LkQdxYjqC0mc9Pw0Yym3qc_vAIhalRxM18QSuG27QU1LtZmaQ9UK73wSgf2pVNrrWQ/w400-h225/PXL_20230307_001508560.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>How have I spent my time since my last blog entry? Well, pretty much the same as in January and the early part of February. I try to sneak in a ride whenever there's no <i>haboob</i> in the forecast, which has been rare. I'm so sick and tired of our dust storms.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD4nhtvkAS0MP2k7uHxwcD-q11hBH9isvOhmvZE_B9FgRbfHStfstCRlgvAE3zW085TplWn1HAsGjQI61sXKF1NUniMYqW57Vbm5XWiDXLf1IoEyXPceit_QvskrVQ_mxOzJUz_-PBXoRZUMt4ZKa4WxENxY-mNUA2FMh_PwROZec6jBEx88_LpLRANg/s4032/PXL_20230224_022051821.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD4nhtvkAS0MP2k7uHxwcD-q11hBH9isvOhmvZE_B9FgRbfHStfstCRlgvAE3zW085TplWn1HAsGjQI61sXKF1NUniMYqW57Vbm5XWiDXLf1IoEyXPceit_QvskrVQ_mxOzJUz_-PBXoRZUMt4ZKa4WxENxY-mNUA2FMh_PwROZec6jBEx88_LpLRANg/w400-h225/PXL_20230224_022051821.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKSO7X82ksP6GcNPSTzswLZBR_bfDrz_lQs_UgfKchGDhHWXAjXVsg71QcpRGC3Q2N3pP7_EkvlOje8yMWc-Vb4siDd9av58YHNFknwmOp7t8WfwDbVa076MZ6AOeireZjoRfTRsdQNBlf9Aj89NM8fX3paFfzQV_HXmxSNNcF4nBEpEu3UHIXXEBHLA/s2947/PXL_20230223_012408180.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="2947" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKSO7X82ksP6GcNPSTzswLZBR_bfDrz_lQs_UgfKchGDhHWXAjXVsg71QcpRGC3Q2N3pP7_EkvlOje8yMWc-Vb4siDd9av58YHNFknwmOp7t8WfwDbVa076MZ6AOeireZjoRfTRsdQNBlf9Aj89NM8fX3paFfzQV_HXmxSNNcF4nBEpEu3UHIXXEBHLA/w400-h308/PXL_20230223_012408180.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRI-faTt1bltTsu3OdDvMLtMoDYQB2vR176LGYJpTcT-DOhn0oKKY5rkpPV2Tj_wTZjkBFsllCahew9cXIrPQCR6eLD93dIrS1PaSIy9DYjNL93PwWVdxwu8T3PI6-LSChudkqVuMw4VmB7dxKmddsylFxAzjGQ1ezrsItmhsozw9qLQ8M4ysEwJsPoQ/s4032/PXL_20230222_135711450.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRI-faTt1bltTsu3OdDvMLtMoDYQB2vR176LGYJpTcT-DOhn0oKKY5rkpPV2Tj_wTZjkBFsllCahew9cXIrPQCR6eLD93dIrS1PaSIy9DYjNL93PwWVdxwu8T3PI6-LSChudkqVuMw4VmB7dxKmddsylFxAzjGQ1ezrsItmhsozw9qLQ8M4ysEwJsPoQ/w400-h225/PXL_20230222_135711450.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">At least there's food, sometimes homegrown</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>Weekends are taken up by races, most of the time. The NICA high school races have continued in more-or-less two-week intervals. My mentee Beth has been working them alongside me, yet because of her work schedule as a school teacher the weekends have been condensed into 36-hour stints that start at 9:00 am on a Saturday, followed by a 6-hour drive or more and a course inspection, a hotel picnic and an early Sunday morning wake-up alarm, working the race, and another 6-hr drive back home that finishes with unloading the vehicle at 10 pm. Fun? Not as much as it would be if the weekends were decompressed into three or four days. All that in the name of teaching the next generation... But we <i>do</i> get to see bluebonnets.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmK-jtVBkY3hVJK4AYI-JQaD761gGTTu0EYYuKa48jFMiPw7ZlfO4y-cKIt3VddqYp39NFoxUVRiIRChIxRfqjavmnN60STjMAuEBazRDmjVHHWrI4mEHOBoQMAsObu91WRLLWKO-LyL3pqVs32brMwo6Bnxp1IGgqFWcwYq_gCrkCoR9-xVwbEbApAA/s4032/PXL_20230325_213858954.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmK-jtVBkY3hVJK4AYI-JQaD761gGTTu0EYYuKa48jFMiPw7ZlfO4y-cKIt3VddqYp39NFoxUVRiIRChIxRfqjavmnN60STjMAuEBazRDmjVHHWrI4mEHOBoQMAsObu91WRLLWKO-LyL3pqVs32brMwo6Bnxp1IGgqFWcwYq_gCrkCoR9-xVwbEbApAA/w400-h225/PXL_20230325_213858954.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirmosQH0d0mmuXTKMNIiE8CAKADMUPy5Z45EVQHJr8xKjND0FAsjRWrXjJVtiDe5exB2cqXK9g7WJcHdjJEVgBSINRqKeqVKKSuxFt7HugMO6C1yiZHy8iMaGMIZJaE6-Dv82UzEXhw8Z5LoXWd3NbAE5wsbZDs4f1VmFBfJVvDZrYP9e-6GA8QYHfCQ/s3112/PXL_20230325_214241610.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3112" data-original-width="2256" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirmosQH0d0mmuXTKMNIiE8CAKADMUPy5Z45EVQHJr8xKjND0FAsjRWrXjJVtiDe5exB2cqXK9g7WJcHdjJEVgBSINRqKeqVKKSuxFt7HugMO6C1yiZHy8iMaGMIZJaE6-Dv82UzEXhw8Z5LoXWd3NbAE5wsbZDs4f1VmFBfJVvDZrYP9e-6GA8QYHfCQ/w290-h400/PXL_20230325_214241610.MP.jpg" width="290" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg29w9Rm8pUVZGpPzFyRL0KCmtjdlEalgmy9t3JjevVgygEk2qzXGdQ275davSibR0DdOQdFo5o3tZlGaBDbyUMN-nynrx3IBcohfSC8tilUNpxFqG3NF_tG4xyV9w0Zggc8g1IfXi5cY5UcN59LsUGmB_o4UH55Xt47dux2q0G3XuYy2aprM6o6ZbdKQ/s4032/PXL_20230325_212741999.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg29w9Rm8pUVZGpPzFyRL0KCmtjdlEalgmy9t3JjevVgygEk2qzXGdQ275davSibR0DdOQdFo5o3tZlGaBDbyUMN-nynrx3IBcohfSC8tilUNpxFqG3NF_tG4xyV9w0Zggc8g1IfXi5cY5UcN59LsUGmB_o4UH55Xt47dux2q0G3XuYy2aprM6o6ZbdKQ/w400-h225/PXL_20230325_212741999.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>My two USAC road races were better in that regard as I had more control over my travel time. Actually, at the conclusion of the Lago Vista race called <i>La Primavera</i> I stayed for a truly enjoyable night with Mike and Candi down in the Hill Country. That's what I call fun. In all fairness, last weekend's NICA race in the Dallas area had to be cancelled because of heavy rains, and Beth's and my plans to see mutual friends during a three-day weekend were cancelled since we had to move the race to Burnet. That would have been fun to see new and old friends!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4zZirtn86hyro2IQzKkbT855IGqOq0yVCKv33pQjnzMPm8VYTDhyMOiNep0VOHj8Cf7vnsJzSF3-zyqq7b36GR_oLaaYI-BPJuKw_mTRykXZUS_l4JEqHFGvhADcyYbzHX8TFZNkk-skjaWqDRfO4YcOVTTF-18DmQCa3YbrlzjTQ9s3NrvUFBGy_1g/s3149/PXL_20230304_230255315~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3149" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4zZirtn86hyro2IQzKkbT855IGqOq0yVCKv33pQjnzMPm8VYTDhyMOiNep0VOHj8Cf7vnsJzSF3-zyqq7b36GR_oLaaYI-BPJuKw_mTRykXZUS_l4JEqHFGvhADcyYbzHX8TFZNkk-skjaWqDRfO4YcOVTTF-18DmQCa3YbrlzjTQ9s3NrvUFBGy_1g/w400-h288/PXL_20230304_230255315~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7S8FQYYeXToTXd1ZVDpfJM4hBkYdTRJbmMKwYjMXwxlho5wUrTEdR49qE58FvsP0TAn3wbQiVxmlNf-QphZ-3t7yuy5MKsd1MlZt4P9qbSQ90Jj0tGtCMX-WwY9waGf4BsZpIHuYsu30NoTFcWNNHgafr9jsz0r7IIfr4Vvln1ISpHLKQPC_89n-v0g/s3111/PXL_20230304_163958778.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3111" data-original-width="2030" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7S8FQYYeXToTXd1ZVDpfJM4hBkYdTRJbmMKwYjMXwxlho5wUrTEdR49qE58FvsP0TAn3wbQiVxmlNf-QphZ-3t7yuy5MKsd1MlZt4P9qbSQ90Jj0tGtCMX-WwY9waGf4BsZpIHuYsu30NoTFcWNNHgafr9jsz0r7IIfr4Vvln1ISpHLKQPC_89n-v0g/w261-h400/PXL_20230304_163958778.jpg" width="261" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOA8zMQ99qRWLRkiBTEMM_3QgJHu8stq7i6WYY-2ECvQHrOpT3Rlby7FMoN8r-rEzpr30C-LX6kaxrwgnegKkCfb--w2BKnW0dWffzeAMbIaiu_B16jxwvVJZj3C19X6zwB5l2-ovEAI_GVdLMoPUizDUMsZZD61d6C5Rj19AkngRbjjWXQd8VAeLybQ/s3840/PXL_20230304_185520022.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOA8zMQ99qRWLRkiBTEMM_3QgJHu8stq7i6WYY-2ECvQHrOpT3Rlby7FMoN8r-rEzpr30C-LX6kaxrwgnegKkCfb--w2BKnW0dWffzeAMbIaiu_B16jxwvVJZj3C19X6zwB5l2-ovEAI_GVdLMoPUizDUMsZZD61d6C5Rj19AkngRbjjWXQd8VAeLybQ/w400-h225/PXL_20230304_185520022.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Lago Vista, with moto ref <i>extraordinaire</i> Ryan</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Otherwise? Not much going on in my life. Cooking decent food for myself on a daily basis, inventorying and accommodating yet another case of vino in the Eurocave, educating Bob III (my vacuum robot) and selling a few used bike parts on FB Marketplace for an old friend of mine, with mixed success. Planning upcoming race logistics, figuring out how to do laundry without my <i>Wäschespinne </i>(just look it up if you don't recognize the word), and dealing with normal, mundane crap. That's what is taking up much of my daytime hours. <i>Normal.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj1uWsJUqqhjLRKUU7cJumecvFpl9-ki8-6ec_9wtFuj2eEpY8IGmgVcskjVm2RWVgQB8or29SUVqXcKDN5Y8PUnyuyYiCN-MUmKyelapeutBFaXsWDLq815tN4jmFnGLv3XcB6CcjEWqxP6zM_Uym4LAlPNtvbKtVjJrVWH9Z88uRFiGsOtb-6DVWJA/s2758/PXL_20230321_220331998.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2232" data-original-width="2758" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj1uWsJUqqhjLRKUU7cJumecvFpl9-ki8-6ec_9wtFuj2eEpY8IGmgVcskjVm2RWVgQB8or29SUVqXcKDN5Y8PUnyuyYiCN-MUmKyelapeutBFaXsWDLq815tN4jmFnGLv3XcB6CcjEWqxP6zM_Uym4LAlPNtvbKtVjJrVWH9Z88uRFiGsOtb-6DVWJA/w400-h324/PXL_20230321_220331998.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWi6SK_rS6OdslerYrJ_Btlr3NjcDAeYyNJ_OvDY5GBnMmit11NhGqx-Fkb357ECh6nsxBaMERHbV876i5WBFLyG6eWmzRh7t33KdvhjjL_PLa4EEwGQzSaF6ydA9o7ZkrMyDlyP2MVeptsViFwsh6yX0QKHW5e3UJDWkZtm2nGIKvLk5iuI49Fhfh6w/s4032/PXL_20230328_175355237.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWi6SK_rS6OdslerYrJ_Btlr3NjcDAeYyNJ_OvDY5GBnMmit11NhGqx-Fkb357ECh6nsxBaMERHbV876i5WBFLyG6eWmzRh7t33KdvhjjL_PLa4EEwGQzSaF6ydA9o7ZkrMyDlyP2MVeptsViFwsh6yX0QKHW5e3UJDWkZtm2nGIKvLk5iuI49Fhfh6w/w225-h400/PXL_20230328_175355237.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtBmqGWYg65RaN-EYCUGVN1ikB1Anp98xdIVLtek54VPtpP_uFKfhzwYuCQ84Uy54H6BGOYJ54TzMiGzAWyPz-ylk35tPhCt_jxwPl2EYRL1vBU9Ffe54pElyI5rXXGkpMGmyzKB_XNh1kH2bz8ihnGHxvWG9YZ0CMOdmuTa_xw17vvzd281eF-Gs7bA/s4032/PXL_20230309_181740822.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtBmqGWYg65RaN-EYCUGVN1ikB1Anp98xdIVLtek54VPtpP_uFKfhzwYuCQ84Uy54H6BGOYJ54TzMiGzAWyPz-ylk35tPhCt_jxwPl2EYRL1vBU9Ffe54pElyI5rXXGkpMGmyzKB_XNh1kH2bz8ihnGHxvWG9YZ0CMOdmuTa_xw17vvzd281eF-Gs7bA/w400-h225/PXL_20230309_181740822.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB526SDVAQdyz11d8ezfeN8mKTwNe5RvmqNYo8IFaqLYWpz-X55-t3Tqc0vzHGp2W-rxAzd3S84FdsrL6rKNHg2Y839Lr05ejLyo3dysC9nKBbIt2jNefSso7If3t1EJsS6epuPiAG0op-hgKbRgAexj6wWPTBe0I0kzCdLvfbCNLF2gaylDuvLhfIzQ/s4032/PXL_20230328_175419793.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB526SDVAQdyz11d8ezfeN8mKTwNe5RvmqNYo8IFaqLYWpz-X55-t3Tqc0vzHGp2W-rxAzd3S84FdsrL6rKNHg2Y839Lr05ejLyo3dysC9nKBbIt2jNefSso7If3t1EJsS6epuPiAG0op-hgKbRgAexj6wWPTBe0I0kzCdLvfbCNLF2gaylDuvLhfIzQ/w225-h400/PXL_20230328_175419793.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWQpj2WJItvGmEBv42Vu2nXcs6TpqsSIIsy8pCJDtSJ16AJSKnD665KWIsbc8oaqvhiU-wCde3Vt0FhlyJ0TDNtJIAqyJD8Faao1LJMl0TwG7yfEBpwSROqQ9kl_A7taARD9NZ56WFdy-a0V11GZHErZ-Z1YmgDrprPVfg98jqKK9OUPN13wUxIm94Jw/s4032/PXL_20230303_003456316.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWQpj2WJItvGmEBv42Vu2nXcs6TpqsSIIsy8pCJDtSJ16AJSKnD665KWIsbc8oaqvhiU-wCde3Vt0FhlyJ0TDNtJIAqyJD8Faao1LJMl0TwG7yfEBpwSROqQ9kl_A7taARD9NZ56WFdy-a0V11GZHErZ-Z1YmgDrprPVfg98jqKK9OUPN13wUxIm94Jw/w400-h225/PXL_20230303_003456316.MP.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></i>My upcoming (personal) trip to Barcelona next week is definitely a step in the right direction. I spent much time today making adjustments and changes because of the strike of Heathrow's ground and security personnel, giving me the feeling that I'm still having that travel instinct in me. We'll see how things pan out, especially with another trip to Panama scheduled only two days after my return from Europe. But isn't that what I like?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7k2ZyEB3qdHg1MuSJWas2U0SLvM9rF9tHo9h2sbmsXoTr1IXPdOfwZWAgjBKtrZRJZXPwvSxkZLRYAT-ZtZi3c0LO054REmNH0qNwPnErTtVO0YRM5fgcX1vmpDShCJB2vDlgniBvW7mQWh09BEX5vrbBwVTiaJUM3Al6TgdD4U-SkHfRd-xz84C9Ag/s4032/PXL_20230325_143924459.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7k2ZyEB3qdHg1MuSJWas2U0SLvM9rF9tHo9h2sbmsXoTr1IXPdOfwZWAgjBKtrZRJZXPwvSxkZLRYAT-ZtZi3c0LO054REmNH0qNwPnErTtVO0YRM5fgcX1vmpDShCJB2vDlgniBvW7mQWh09BEX5vrbBwVTiaJUM3Al6TgdD4U-SkHfRd-xz84C9Ag/w400-h225/PXL_20230325_143924459.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>In other words, don't give up on me just yet. I promise, the Barcelona post will be more exciting than writing about the 0.75" of rain that Lubbock has received since January 1 and the ensuing blowing dust. Cheers!</div><div><br /></div>JürgenJürgenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03107533431710748040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023527478729548228.post-45521944138458908162023-02-20T10:28:00.002-06:002023-02-20T10:29:23.777-06:00Texas racing season is in full swing!<div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW1bOBexSOedh-cqS5Kxzx27HLhKB8cb78GPUaSfmEgccfTQkOWW6VUi04DNjx80jLpp8Xp45V8YB5TCeeTqVrbKxXy6VCB6ett4VWgGCHchOjcvtaydQ6EwOznP6-gLn41kdsDXGQFENujotQifaidkRHdXNdUviELLZlMsroVp7btBlBRrBq44MMRw/s1784/PXL_20230211_211936334.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="1784" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW1bOBexSOedh-cqS5Kxzx27HLhKB8cb78GPUaSfmEgccfTQkOWW6VUi04DNjx80jLpp8Xp45V8YB5TCeeTqVrbKxXy6VCB6ett4VWgGCHchOjcvtaydQ6EwOznP6-gLn41kdsDXGQFENujotQifaidkRHdXNdUviELLZlMsroVp7btBlBRrBq44MMRw/w400-h190/PXL_20230211_211936334.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">An Armadillo foraging close to the 4R Ranch near Gainesville</span></td></tr></tbody></table>It may just be mid-February, but my past three weeks have been defined by the 2023 racing season, which here in Texas starts early. Sure enough, we're done with the pandemic, and racers are eager to test their mettle. Already I have driven on three weekends all over our huge state, and there's no end in sight to my travels.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF7vz7UHwhIHeCbGZ-tT_XfKmJ0kTTyKcmdgWQsGt8SpXqopYLDAuyhr9I49yWrI5GE9fOav4gHPFvDmCr4J9o8VW8qZ7NNfL0TO4MagXXrTd3wU0kwkxSb2aJC3pfV-j3i19B4fpxHgCCOtl5cL-q5S1ZjZ6wjqfH7XzAvHiLq6Svvh4fnVXldrbHDw/s4032/PXL_20230212_184534173.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF7vz7UHwhIHeCbGZ-tT_XfKmJ0kTTyKcmdgWQsGt8SpXqopYLDAuyhr9I49yWrI5GE9fOav4gHPFvDmCr4J9o8VW8qZ7NNfL0TO4MagXXrTd3wU0kwkxSb2aJC3pfV-j3i19B4fpxHgCCOtl5cL-q5S1ZjZ6wjqfH7XzAvHiLq6Svvh4fnVXldrbHDw/w400-h225/PXL_20230212_184534173.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Beautiful weather greeted us at the NICA race at 4R Ranch <br />after a rain cancellation at Troy</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>Unfortunately, our first NICA High School Mountain Bike League race on the last January weekend in Troy was a dud: During the run-up to the weekend, the weather forecast had been positive, with just the slimmest of chances for precipitation. In our final Zoom meeting with the staff ahead of the race everything was a "go," and so Beth and I started on Saturday morning the long, 350+ mile trip in good spirits. (For the 2023, I am trying to mentor Beth as an assistant referee for the NICA league so that there's a back-up for me when I have other commitments; also, the league is in expansion mode and will, eventually, need two chief refs to handle the load.)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWMxonOYM-16wu0n0H7f8Jlu4RYI2ID3F99MetDd7I3VrmjWw0H9qbZoPcIYrBYtVAlH3t0MMIdGZKbVeYYCU5y_tyqTbygXPBSI4u5_tZyOEfiDKTv6BymTfat5vgdZgpd-RUXIr8k4Npe9LPtBHkOQoSnoY0YELXLHqKgsmXSYLtnOocVgS8kjaXGQ/s4018/PXL_20230212_142549663.PANO.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1637" data-original-width="4018" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWMxonOYM-16wu0n0H7f8Jlu4RYI2ID3F99MetDd7I3VrmjWw0H9qbZoPcIYrBYtVAlH3t0MMIdGZKbVeYYCU5y_tyqTbygXPBSI4u5_tZyOEfiDKTv6BymTfat5vgdZgpd-RUXIr8k4Npe9LPtBHkOQoSnoY0YELXLHqKgsmXSYLtnOocVgS8kjaXGQ/w400-h163/PXL_20230212_142549663.PANO.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Coaches' meeting ahead of the first race of the day at 4R</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>Sure, it wasn't a pretty day, and the roof of the BMW stayed up for the whole trip. But when we got to the caliche road leading to the Sacket ranch, we were greeted by a steady stream of SUVs, trucks, and camper trailers leaving the venue. When we asked one of the departing drivers what was going on, we found out that the race had been cancelled. Oh man, and that after six hours of driving! Somebody had forgotten to notify us via SMS or email after the decision had been made at 10 a.m., when we could have still turned around after just an hour or two of driving. Oh well, the hotel in Temple was non-refundable, and so we decided to stay overnight and drive home on Sunday.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirIS70z2kugIGNj8PRXS09tZeg49ShQ3NPO2bOsDoeEQ0LIYP3bxJes0D--26x8Sp1P58Vn70SuT-LmVrgTeUUJpVXlSCHUdao1Ji5QQFOTTRAkE27C3MGVAtXVcwruWaju3K1EyPDx0sDrXhImrVzPgdBUJdCgK6gbsmGJ6sdC6E4hakdZldyvAQxnQ/s4032/PXL_20230128_230333245.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirIS70z2kugIGNj8PRXS09tZeg49ShQ3NPO2bOsDoeEQ0LIYP3bxJes0D--26x8Sp1P58Vn70SuT-LmVrgTeUUJpVXlSCHUdao1Ji5QQFOTTRAkE27C3MGVAtXVcwruWaju3K1EyPDx0sDrXhImrVzPgdBUJdCgK6gbsmGJ6sdC6E4hakdZldyvAQxnQ/w400-h225/PXL_20230128_230333245.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKXB2HKMHf0lXB5SBkWtsIiy2ZyrgUUKnDpz0q0Psmz06rQRGqHa2tkhuQHHAwQTZrB56Wi1Zff0ggSe4H-DjoDU2ovZ1I7lajmQIhJuH0LnCxfxOdHvIVS8xQCnzdwQWaTsIDWvTa59x5L4tezJviTuToBc7w7C3uf7JUX2XlKRkWquj5Lvd6TP16VQ/s3169/PXL_20230128_222433156.PORTRAIT.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1900" data-original-width="3169" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKXB2HKMHf0lXB5SBkWtsIiy2ZyrgUUKnDpz0q0Psmz06rQRGqHa2tkhuQHHAwQTZrB56Wi1Zff0ggSe4H-DjoDU2ovZ1I7lajmQIhJuH0LnCxfxOdHvIVS8xQCnzdwQWaTsIDWvTa59x5L4tezJviTuToBc7w7C3uf7JUX2XlKRkWquj5Lvd6TP16VQ/w400-h240/PXL_20230128_222433156.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">One positive outcome from Troy: I bagged brewery #449 in Temple</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>The following weekend was much better: Sunny skies accompanied me on my drive from Lubbock to Dallas where I was going to be assistant referee for the Cedar Hill road race weekend. I had never worked this race before, so it was fun to go to a new event. Our crew was small—with Steve as Chief and Ryan and Mark as moto refs—but the turnout was good and both days were long. We were on-site at 6:30 a.m, and the last race ended right around 6:00 p.m., not leaving much time for socializing. After working 23 hours in two days (and doing 222 laps in a follow car on a 1.9-mile course!) I left Sunday evening and drove the 100 miles or so to Eastland where I crashed in the worst Super 8 I've ever had the un-pleasure of staying in. I made it home on Monday afternoon, once again bucking a hard west wind. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXaZsyv7-KHjCOj9ZYS1wdG9vdsoHyMPGmYUJBgpHTbL8uzuvFF530LTkRjxGNxZvn9Rj4ySKtkoIaoZ7P8AIOtjj3itMQp0Ju55rsoC3NLZzglY-VheBshGrssF71WX0GTBh5bcrp79_w4SLw4NjFVX1DpGY81Fyjuj-dGoRLr0He89QTdu5bX86U1Q/s4032/PXL_20230204_165559275.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXaZsyv7-KHjCOj9ZYS1wdG9vdsoHyMPGmYUJBgpHTbL8uzuvFF530LTkRjxGNxZvn9Rj4ySKtkoIaoZ7P8AIOtjj3itMQp0Ju55rsoC3NLZzglY-VheBshGrssF71WX0GTBh5bcrp79_w4SLw4NjFVX1DpGY81Fyjuj-dGoRLr0He89QTdu5bX86U1Q/w400-h225/PXL_20230204_165559275.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrzqP6xot_c3w0nDOT0VupHyk1vOSkiz5LeXzCMSoknj0KCxmYZRP-zh7ZfHQItVVzUGzSMBmmOnUDyznBL1MxsYMbQI3dRB7i6B6JEGXdANgwJ-9yWb7_vbO_bQHxkc1r4IXTN7u8rCPhAWJg22FDw203suqU5JNBXI4foC1RS4vH-_2ZqvC0sG-WbA/s1556/PXL_20230204_195838221.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="932" data-original-width="1556" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrzqP6xot_c3w0nDOT0VupHyk1vOSkiz5LeXzCMSoknj0KCxmYZRP-zh7ZfHQItVVzUGzSMBmmOnUDyznBL1MxsYMbQI3dRB7i6B6JEGXdANgwJ-9yWb7_vbO_bQHxkc1r4IXTN7u8rCPhAWJg22FDw203suqU5JNBXI4foC1RS4vH-_2ZqvC0sG-WbA/w400-h240/PXL_20230204_195838221.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxRU-aUZt9SiRQ2cwJB7PAwxqoNn7Gnk4p2W68U-wZZ3Jm0KXSVDOcU0GztHEJ2OGzbI06dR5FQqDfWSiY0W_QzDBv9ri3TrOscJABMSU_5DjcD0klOhU23Of3nVn_BW069j3Ocb0lV12zP0ogdbxZb8es9rf4QETnPnjEe5aCQCaVqM2Y1WQZayPxA/s1079/PXL_20230205_182401041.TS_exported_133.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="694" data-original-width="1079" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxRU-aUZt9SiRQ2cwJB7PAwxqoNn7Gnk4p2W68U-wZZ3Jm0KXSVDOcU0GztHEJ2OGzbI06dR5FQqDfWSiY0W_QzDBv9ri3TrOscJABMSU_5DjcD0klOhU23Of3nVn_BW069j3Ocb0lV12zP0ogdbxZb8es9rf4QETnPnjEe5aCQCaVqM2Y1WQZayPxA/w400-h258/PXL_20230205_182401041.TS_exported_133.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Our Cedar Hill crew, with Ryan on the left and Mark on the right</span></td></tr></tbody></table>The weather in Lubbock got only worse, with much cold and stinging wind, just like it seems to have been the norm ever since I had come back from my trip to the Hill Country. My riding has been going downhill in rapid fashion, with only one "real" ride on the road and a few recycling or grocery runs thrown in. It's not been a great January/February this year in Lubbock, to put it mildly.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMP5CJsugU-oZlozx1TwnbETY_ar5fvDYHryT3-8fPb5BodLc-57XvG64p5L98gbmzMSZKmV1smLFzp161c7cJzQ2FWHivLv8a0NB0IVR30fIXYlm8cwqnIM72iM81xgGXFPtDudllBs-ap9OOWuOuflz1k81zrQYxcV2Lr9TGT3j5rv-OZ_tAB_tivg/s4032/PXL_20230206_144050460.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMP5CJsugU-oZlozx1TwnbETY_ar5fvDYHryT3-8fPb5BodLc-57XvG64p5L98gbmzMSZKmV1smLFzp161c7cJzQ2FWHivLv8a0NB0IVR30fIXYlm8cwqnIM72iM81xgGXFPtDudllBs-ap9OOWuOuflz1k81zrQYxcV2Lr9TGT3j5rv-OZ_tAB_tivg/w400-h225/PXL_20230206_144050460.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxXElMsGdkDm9M1IdMfDPo1al63jNZApmyxqf2m_xtky79z1ufyRjlJl4sCvz70qIidl2dkv7TkiCFspv0vPJLjMyQz22jqO8MEV21i6D_csVdpIQX57yNs2fkDBJq04jBpHonc8uadLc6_a2R0T8eJ7P5wTUEXpa123ehPbI8eVyYs5-ReTBxWV45tw/s4032/PXL_20230206_144042332.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxXElMsGdkDm9M1IdMfDPo1al63jNZApmyxqf2m_xtky79z1ufyRjlJl4sCvz70qIidl2dkv7TkiCFspv0vPJLjMyQz22jqO8MEV21i6D_csVdpIQX57yNs2fkDBJq04jBpHonc8uadLc6_a2R0T8eJ7P5wTUEXpa123ehPbI8eVyYs5-ReTBxWV45tw/w400-h225/PXL_20230206_144042332.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">How's this for the super deluxe breakfast at the Super Ocho?</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>The third race weekend took Beth and me to the 4R ranch close to Gainesville. This race is the closest to Lubbock, with a round-trip mileage of "only" 622 miles, so basically in our backyard, right? Once again we left on Saturday morning (with Beth's work schedule at her school no earlier departures or Monday returns are possible), but this time we didn't pile into the BMW but took the good old 1985 Toyota pick-up truck instead. Ever since last summer I have been living with the spectre of a disintegrating timing chain in the BMW, and I didn't want to chance one additional (and avoidable) road trip before the hoped-for repair. Of course, the truck isn't as peppy as the car, and at 240,000+ miles (it reached that mark on the way back while puttering through the hamlet of Ralls) it takes its jolly good time to reach highway speeds—which is around 60 to 65 mph.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTLi0oBcpkq6p3bsUU0M7xYKfNOng3YNOSLGfzeqmDUIWdre81kbIPgKSuv4mWwrrWkpDodJH8nmhuoQ_OnzKSei8cC-AUPjf8IQP6PE7R-Z1C-3LHR2da5sraDTK7e5uHqvIDcgDKwj0h8iXhUvBoq0DR2mP5DF6GC7n8LhtHzp30xyg7xKidBRUZMQ/s4032/PXL_20230211_212430831.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTLi0oBcpkq6p3bsUU0M7xYKfNOng3YNOSLGfzeqmDUIWdre81kbIPgKSuv4mWwrrWkpDodJH8nmhuoQ_OnzKSei8cC-AUPjf8IQP6PE7R-Z1C-3LHR2da5sraDTK7e5uHqvIDcgDKwj0h8iXhUvBoq0DR2mP5DF6GC7n8LhtHzp30xyg7xKidBRUZMQ/w400-h225/PXL_20230211_212430831.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>In a way, it was a good thing that we took the truck since getting out of the ranch requires some serious ground clearance. If I work this race next year once again, I will park outside of the race site and walk the remaining quarter mile, for sure. Saturday night we had an overpriced dinner in Gainesville, and at 6:15 a.m. on Sunday the alarm went off so we could make it to the ranch by 7:30 a.m. It was still very cold when we arrived, just a few degrees above freezing, but once the sun came out the temperature started to rise, and by the time the Varsity boys started their four-lap race it was an almost balmy 43 degrees. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixRAp0GXe1Vs09GMOxQlPLyvI2kMbuS1YpHW4eU0DCDLqnBE9BdI-MpRSrwUTzFxR8Yiat8DbNt5AYum5I6EtAOi4rfEmqCdJXngd6jgrE-YxG4AjpN97LRPn2P2ZrL5-kVK4f26ZMwd1cRnE22G-MME0ZTRYAoGe2v35wXZsYE4iYrpLK61aBQuTszw/s4032/PXL_20230212_124322520.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixRAp0GXe1Vs09GMOxQlPLyvI2kMbuS1YpHW4eU0DCDLqnBE9BdI-MpRSrwUTzFxR8Yiat8DbNt5AYum5I6EtAOi4rfEmqCdJXngd6jgrE-YxG4AjpN97LRPn2P2ZrL5-kVK4f26ZMwd1cRnE22G-MME0ZTRYAoGe2v35wXZsYE4iYrpLK61aBQuTszw/w400-h225/PXL_20230212_124322520.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Early mornings and mediocre motels are part of officiating</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>It sure was nice to see all those kids eager to finally start their racing season after having trained for the past few months, only to see the first race cancelled because of weather. Apart from some timing issues that will be fixed before the next event, everything went rather smoothly and there were lots and lots of happy faces. I do have to say that the NICA environment is simply positive and so supportive. The culture is rather different from what finds at road races, where generally everybody drives in 45 minutes before the start of his or her race, lines up, finishes, and then gets back into the car and drives home. Bonding is not something that's high on the priority list of road racers; team spirit and character development in NICA are much more emphasized and present.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf911Pht_jUd1KKtPN18pjrKvSdNj3jcajBPRA5LObMNzqZh_IZ5-XuFuhhc6kfzj-J1V6M9WjMthVbvtvhgRhpHDfHzmBMt0bh-SGlMbaykAieHShvNpKfS5b1KS_fpo7JfmbvJRBWT5RTuQYOHI-d3XkJH42W8UwKrQPFYWlfCrOdNIMzzZKXoaFCA/s4032/PXL_20230212_184601496%20-%20Copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf911Pht_jUd1KKtPN18pjrKvSdNj3jcajBPRA5LObMNzqZh_IZ5-XuFuhhc6kfzj-J1V6M9WjMthVbvtvhgRhpHDfHzmBMt0bh-SGlMbaykAieHShvNpKfS5b1KS_fpo7JfmbvJRBWT5RTuQYOHI-d3XkJH42W8UwKrQPFYWlfCrOdNIMzzZKXoaFCA/w400-h225/PXL_20230212_184601496%20-%20Copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk4C7e1cswAFoGwAxBLHQFOxuj4tnmeC1OpFGCvUcvAcy-uS2QnD82CVP0Vd2f163P1oI28sofUyVwnq0qnnQQErne3xU8WmAL9waggP50Me41dvFbnjneeBflHskHYCOZQGcXpMKB7THUGTuTo_fbJlii7z7-j8aYDBQjk8mfotJz776d0lNB5Z9HAQ/s4032/PXL_20230212_152450905%20-%20Copy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk4C7e1cswAFoGwAxBLHQFOxuj4tnmeC1OpFGCvUcvAcy-uS2QnD82CVP0Vd2f163P1oI28sofUyVwnq0qnnQQErne3xU8WmAL9waggP50Me41dvFbnjneeBflHskHYCOZQGcXpMKB7THUGTuTo_fbJlii7z7-j8aYDBQjk8mfotJz776d0lNB5Z9HAQ/w400-h225/PXL_20230212_152450905%20-%20Copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Race director Kim ALWAYS smiles!</span></td></tr></tbody></table>It was dark by the time we got back to Lubbock, after another tiring two days of driving and working. I tell you, these races are not easy on the body (or the brain). No meaningful exercise, sitting for 12 hours in a car, sleeping in not-always-great beds, eating irregularly and certainly not as healthily as at home, and then facing (at least in Beth's case) another work week starting on Monday at 6 a.m. As for my "work week," thankfully I am happily retired, of course, but nevertheless I got up fairly early on Monday after 4R to drive the BMW to San Antonio. At Cedar Hill, I had talked to my moto-ref friend Ryan about the issues with the Z4 and had told him that two Lubbock repair businesses (one of them the BMW dealership) quoted around $6,000 for a timing chain replacement. Ryan, who owns a vintage BMW as well as multiple other cars and of course his motorcycle, offered to call his mechanic, Daniel, in San Antonio about the issue. Within an hour or two I had a written repair estimate, and I made an appointment for Tuesday, February 13, at his shop.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEcTb4itFuBBAfUlSvBBdnDs1RiGKTtbAtQgmDtAoJextTs0soRJBtyQN0Go1japmstkEUHHnhVWalchJH5uRd7E5LnzE6KfSXjzFn9k5BTcMSi0dLkDYo-16Qivsnx2_VOqfUqA9k_0wkGlBwAUUXrgNZ55hcYJGkwvY3UM4ar7Sde21AjOSUu-hI_A/s4032/PXL_20230214_143209477.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEcTb4itFuBBAfUlSvBBdnDs1RiGKTtbAtQgmDtAoJextTs0soRJBtyQN0Go1japmstkEUHHnhVWalchJH5uRd7E5LnzE6KfSXjzFn9k5BTcMSi0dLkDYo-16Qivsnx2_VOqfUqA9k_0wkGlBwAUUXrgNZ55hcYJGkwvY3UM4ar7Sde21AjOSUu-hI_A/w400-h225/PXL_20230214_143209477.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ3Fwv_nbob8GbMYyDaQOZlmK2qsIU1syhvTAhIIKORkFYp8Mnb-VTgqV-FNTaRNqUxAZoBfzy36CDylUazHMpTqu-gU6a01N1mkV--KFwRDHfFk8JhFTkr8M3QYzN4R6e9Px7Tir4uZJv12uvXBjzlnuVVoRFmyPg6le-lwh3MkFqAlszQnVXz9R_fA/s4032/PXL_20230214_152613506.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ3Fwv_nbob8GbMYyDaQOZlmK2qsIU1syhvTAhIIKORkFYp8Mnb-VTgqV-FNTaRNqUxAZoBfzy36CDylUazHMpTqu-gU6a01N1mkV--KFwRDHfFk8JhFTkr8M3QYzN4R6e9Px7Tir4uZJv12uvXBjzlnuVVoRFmyPg6le-lwh3MkFqAlszQnVXz9R_fA/w400-h225/PXL_20230214_152613506.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I have to say that I was a bit concerned about whether the timing chain would hold out for one more trip. The car now has run for 82,000 miles, and this particular engine type has a known issue about being rough on this vital part of the motor (not that I had known about this when I bought the car—I had never even given a thought to timing chains until last year). General consensus appears to be that the chain can break at any point, pretty much destroying the existing engine and requiring a five-digit repair that may not even be worth it, given the age of the car. General consensus is also that this could happen at 65,000 miles, or at 120,000 miles. <i>Quien sabe?</i> But, finally, general consensus is adamant that at the mileage of my car one starts sitting on a ticking time bomb.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3it1SJncXrsJ_zzcFOQrWrfAzHGl18sUuJY8_hEGoiVUgvHt6TFYUsicCo9ltqOvFCqIYNx2igQAtSf7atceWD9dhyhQ8MwOIwvIYTunm7xDiyqvJDhRd7G6iSjs06YrLN9j_86ecjNjLwMPdXu2WPLztByBvpsdj58puwDdYCv_zUQVouvGKv4dHwg/s3124/PXL_20230214_173612156.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3124" data-original-width="2161" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3it1SJncXrsJ_zzcFOQrWrfAzHGl18sUuJY8_hEGoiVUgvHt6TFYUsicCo9ltqOvFCqIYNx2igQAtSf7atceWD9dhyhQ8MwOIwvIYTunm7xDiyqvJDhRd7G6iSjs06YrLN9j_86ecjNjLwMPdXu2WPLztByBvpsdj58puwDdYCv_zUQVouvGKv4dHwg/w276-h400/PXL_20230214_173612156.jpg" width="276" /></a></div></div><div>Ryan offered me to stay at his place. With the repair being at least a 15-hour job and Daniel being a one-man show it was clear that I'd have the car back no earlier than Thursday around noon. While I am writing this, it is Thursday 11:30 a.m. Everything is in place, the car appears to run beautifully, but there is a pesky computer error code that Daniel has not been able to pinpoint or remove. He continues to diagnose and fix the problem, while I am waiting here at the house. The joys of electronics in cars.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpshulUVxa_VBnGXBNlx6rAOEkzu45Mg_9t0IohQkN5feCXIvIZovfKF8P3iAngFejEv7Ael2DUuo5fBMSOO1hw_kYmEZRgxGco2UglkK9XOAiT9NLIIZaGOzfYJl-YMf63Iv4uSq2dB2xOrbs63mAJ6YBHnYpPlBWo1ZcAzkiz8HPRUGdQQFMS70uiw/s4032/PXL_20230215_203944191~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpshulUVxa_VBnGXBNlx6rAOEkzu45Mg_9t0IohQkN5feCXIvIZovfKF8P3iAngFejEv7Ael2DUuo5fBMSOO1hw_kYmEZRgxGco2UglkK9XOAiT9NLIIZaGOzfYJl-YMf63Iv4uSq2dB2xOrbs63mAJ6YBHnYpPlBWo1ZcAzkiz8HPRUGdQQFMS70uiw/w400-h225/PXL_20230215_203944191~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi37idLLqddBjh-gv1GTJAbBet_tt8gNxjnNde3civamt9tkQuOnmCzKKYx17t0Y8nzSFnMKPPNTR49bHBBY9bZ2bFTztRYNBd2LY4Ijy45qeSICpFlyukxrrfcaCIc47oi1G_xL8GNKKJR03Ch1CUWXqgYes4rAsEfX6UMKBmEzHOT0nMUKmaOXQS98g/s4032/PXL_20230214_173125978.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi37idLLqddBjh-gv1GTJAbBet_tt8gNxjnNde3civamt9tkQuOnmCzKKYx17t0Y8nzSFnMKPPNTR49bHBBY9bZ2bFTztRYNBd2LY4Ijy45qeSICpFlyukxrrfcaCIc47oi1G_xL8GNKKJR03Ch1CUWXqgYes4rAsEfX6UMKBmEzHOT0nMUKmaOXQS98g/w400-h225/PXL_20230214_173125978.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG-pS6l3VyWd3v0vjWtIeiW6bf_gi_nMph60e-FtMBPwHTyeFR2wFM-K-WUNKjRI4Qyd-PP91e4ZGMWJuvBqHJvMEqzVMqkVIiTVdCjUpaXp0FgfLetJTrp64TBVxOrmajXGaNiPzV6RsQKdR-wK_U_pxJMMraYAcJ3NIN5Cs9DKmSX0Qdnaa9Fox42w/s2495/PXL_20230215_214214657.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2495" data-original-width="1893" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG-pS6l3VyWd3v0vjWtIeiW6bf_gi_nMph60e-FtMBPwHTyeFR2wFM-K-WUNKjRI4Qyd-PP91e4ZGMWJuvBqHJvMEqzVMqkVIiTVdCjUpaXp0FgfLetJTrp64TBVxOrmajXGaNiPzV6RsQKdR-wK_U_pxJMMraYAcJ3NIN5Cs9DKmSX0Qdnaa9Fox42w/w304-h400/PXL_20230215_214214657.jpg" width="304" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-GrR_J89CPneiYml_34Z39PCCtSrsRb9J3zT1wbkxK2Uqg8AZ-GCUH2UUilX3oVeWa3FjPc-SDVT6TL5nIYhcqPcWyZxz1bizbGg4Dwxs34CorxIoDC4vorJZnvTzPsusJlfXZRCkHdZ9y-blbeW4PuOwUAdortUcRo3AAmNy58uQnQs7sFPHku8TBw/s4032/PXL_20230214_171833870.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-GrR_J89CPneiYml_34Z39PCCtSrsRb9J3zT1wbkxK2Uqg8AZ-GCUH2UUilX3oVeWa3FjPc-SDVT6TL5nIYhcqPcWyZxz1bizbGg4Dwxs34CorxIoDC4vorJZnvTzPsusJlfXZRCkHdZ9y-blbeW4PuOwUAdortUcRo3AAmNy58uQnQs7sFPHku8TBw/w400-h225/PXL_20230214_171833870.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>The upside of it all is that I can stay here for another night, if need be. Ryan, who has been visiting his wife, a travel nurse, in Kansas this week, will be back this afternoon. I've had the company of his two cats, Sushi and Miso. The weather was really nice on Tuesday and Wednesday, and since I had brought a bike along I have been able to go on a few badly needed rides on San Antonio's beautiful Greenway bike trail system. (Having the bike also allowed me to drop off the car at Daniel's shop and then ride back to Ryan's place.) So, for now it's a question of being patient, getting a few things done on the computer, and hoping for good news soon so that I can maybe still make it home tonight, which unfortunately is looking less and less likely.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBmLa1Ab-FpkNDIMMKtBny3nYTRqBgAV4XMdjKyza6QQcR7fscxoC3QHJ8kAn1-3In_Sz8t-v81wbh_OISAQPRMoHAC8_CDF9y0x4fs5qJ1-a5Lqn30EDf8Z7A38nm62w_RNK2BwaZk_vIqYbbnKPDDfZa52kYXl_r0r5dvEntIl4BiuiS3Rh0RQmN-A/s4032/PXL_20230214_045914889.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBmLa1Ab-FpkNDIMMKtBny3nYTRqBgAV4XMdjKyza6QQcR7fscxoC3QHJ8kAn1-3In_Sz8t-v81wbh_OISAQPRMoHAC8_CDF9y0x4fs5qJ1-a5Lqn30EDf8Z7A38nm62w_RNK2BwaZk_vIqYbbnKPDDfZa52kYXl_r0r5dvEntIl4BiuiS3Rh0RQmN-A/w400-h225/PXL_20230214_045914889.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIuDIif-HQJGddw5YNbSkKMdE8aerCtN4GfHahbmRR3K8akUWWBunWLtj95zA58kipxJnyHUl9fO6qGuU106BiiEe5OAzIy_l3J5NU1j7V_q7H6d5ZYpub4HvNMgmPegGXGDtMIhB0aJORagB8XMmFdxyBsC9k2CP_cJIKgFmooVqIL9m40Msa2GmIgw/s3060/PXL_20230216_180456516.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="2116" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIuDIif-HQJGddw5YNbSkKMdE8aerCtN4GfHahbmRR3K8akUWWBunWLtj95zA58kipxJnyHUl9fO6qGuU106BiiEe5OAzIy_l3J5NU1j7V_q7H6d5ZYpub4HvNMgmPegGXGDtMIhB0aJORagB8XMmFdxyBsC9k2CP_cJIKgFmooVqIL9m40Msa2GmIgw/w276-h400/PXL_20230216_180456516.jpg" width="276" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Miso has been helping me write this blogpost. He likes mice.</span></td></tr></tbody></table>My prediction about not returning to Lubbock on Thursday proved correct. Here's a quick synopsis of the the final outcome and end of my trip to San Antonio.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPAiTsf3xJroU2mbfWWIL08euMJYm02hQX3utHgIm2JoajVqSo11tGW7CwJdMSETMlCdqF76hKaSp4MdCyA_UrEjyevJ4HQ9v46YUmPT_0ZTtSzEA_3Y3TKhBEyv5f_8eapuFdBz6w8ak7BNUvm0xAGvwdqN9uLNZ_6h065MUwAAXmCy3YVnUH5Ya18A/s4032/PXL_20230217_174305720.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPAiTsf3xJroU2mbfWWIL08euMJYm02hQX3utHgIm2JoajVqSo11tGW7CwJdMSETMlCdqF76hKaSp4MdCyA_UrEjyevJ4HQ9v46YUmPT_0ZTtSzEA_3Y3TKhBEyv5f_8eapuFdBz6w8ak7BNUvm0xAGvwdqN9uLNZ_6h065MUwAAXmCy3YVnUH5Ya18A/w400-h225/PXL_20230217_174305720.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0CmpJYOmLLX4cbcRQ4A20yoRVJULrXvHt65aCLAeWpVBehfPRnEY3Xj_gx8he_pdJ3dQMnkziXu-40xRlvFo9r1a5Ndy2C3kFIQRCqg0o_J91eDnoBoOQJUb_yMDQdmqHNr4uBG93w9_Zn5CMq0Y7aoB9dzC0k1Hyx_xt8_SCIkcblOH-iW4UBqH0sw/s1503/-5612277435067570815.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="613" data-original-width="1503" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0CmpJYOmLLX4cbcRQ4A20yoRVJULrXvHt65aCLAeWpVBehfPRnEY3Xj_gx8he_pdJ3dQMnkziXu-40xRlvFo9r1a5Ndy2C3kFIQRCqg0o_J91eDnoBoOQJUb_yMDQdmqHNr4uBG93w9_Zn5CMq0Y7aoB9dzC0k1Hyx_xt8_SCIkcblOH-iW4UBqH0sw/w400-h164/-5612277435067570815.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Ryan returned from his own trip to Kansas late Thursday afternoon, shortly after I had received the good news that my car's repair appeared to have been successful. But, to be on the cautious side, Daniel wanted to run a "cold start" test on Friday morning, to be 100% sure that everything was A-OK. At about 10 a.m. on Friday I received the long awaited text message from Daniel, and we loaded my things into Ryan's car and he drove me to Garage Adventures where I had a chance to look at the old parts. Really, WhyTF does BMW use flimsy plastic parts that are bound to break and require an almost $3,000 repair? (BTW, the plastic intake pipe shown below had not been the problem, but Daniel replaced it for $92 as a part of it had broken off and it was easily accessible while he changed the timing chain kit.)</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinpOIh7XL2U4rHVLKVonk04XjiqmaU0I8PPGT_FYPAvRaHm7Xa3a6SsjuyAThleMJf8xgGh9DYW97glSeDC1BL4V6KMcLcoeBG2IibfEo440A43Xb9v90Oc-9BtSBh5H2NN_ZSsD6B9mIsM4Scay6y5lpfAlgdwCpXUXEFWWfrovputWl0VI-EkVuAuA/s4032/PXL_20230217_173703779.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinpOIh7XL2U4rHVLKVonk04XjiqmaU0I8PPGT_FYPAvRaHm7Xa3a6SsjuyAThleMJf8xgGh9DYW97glSeDC1BL4V6KMcLcoeBG2IibfEo440A43Xb9v90Oc-9BtSBh5H2NN_ZSsD6B9mIsM4Scay6y5lpfAlgdwCpXUXEFWWfrovputWl0VI-EkVuAuA/w400-h225/PXL_20230217_173703779.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz28HdaXZZd5twFbPso1YFtZvb-cz75bj8lthyFm4MLJ7pcb0ukqy08eWg0Ao8J4mGqxPeqDncVEGYcqWI6AzSEjZO-MGkV3A_dzWZOaldcA4qOXHVadvQ_BZ3Xsqmw1Ejdllzrxjspmi9gB5P7UHnMeUeXA_xCr3WDSIMctCoBWKermVuBbPx76rv2w/s1370/-6907715645800677833.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1370" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz28HdaXZZd5twFbPso1YFtZvb-cz75bj8lthyFm4MLJ7pcb0ukqy08eWg0Ao8J4mGqxPeqDncVEGYcqWI6AzSEjZO-MGkV3A_dzWZOaldcA4qOXHVadvQ_BZ3Xsqmw1Ejdllzrxjspmi9gB5P7UHnMeUeXA_xCr3WDSIMctCoBWKermVuBbPx76rv2w/w298-h640/-6907715645800677833.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRBmyJiluvmvC2_ao5JB5RJ8thD7I-GumiQCzDLE25mNpmlHNJAKN9nLlvBpLYYP9I92Rx_LvDOztS4CFDudm7CvNkQ_zRT7mdA4_BUfoJan19fyLzljE8f5aYnq5q9skf5L2P5ItLOwHl42cat4WKsyCrmB37Bnfx5m4iC1537TbWbFyQIW4AIBUv7A/s4032/PXL_20230217_173657566.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRBmyJiluvmvC2_ao5JB5RJ8thD7I-GumiQCzDLE25mNpmlHNJAKN9nLlvBpLYYP9I92Rx_LvDOztS4CFDudm7CvNkQ_zRT7mdA4_BUfoJan19fyLzljE8f5aYnq5q9skf5L2P5ItLOwHl42cat4WKsyCrmB37Bnfx5m4iC1537TbWbFyQIW4AIBUv7A/w400-h225/PXL_20230217_173657566.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_I8gabElYdCL0ECqtbW7oaJoxQlYEJuP0EP_WYJhOFBViDnRcZuuQRC8sJMXJzMSVSDqsjZyv1qRsRmxAjmVwfyyZ-_M1EkK4E4AWGqxQUhgWeyYPdae1X3GAe9jhhWcIsbA1I7TaIWnbDgNJYKF70CPaGQN_-16-hQ5p6d8aGEI3hHOoM4uXPcbeoQ/s3953/PXL_20230218_002135212~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2223" data-original-width="3953" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_I8gabElYdCL0ECqtbW7oaJoxQlYEJuP0EP_WYJhOFBViDnRcZuuQRC8sJMXJzMSVSDqsjZyv1qRsRmxAjmVwfyyZ-_M1EkK4E4AWGqxQUhgWeyYPdae1X3GAe9jhhWcIsbA1I7TaIWnbDgNJYKF70CPaGQN_-16-hQ5p6d8aGEI3hHOoM4uXPcbeoQ/w400-h225/PXL_20230218_002135212~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk5I8H18b5zw1QIbNRjetyDWtQJUVVbNi_tidsNyd0daFqyxOIXY6g8opqUGV_EdoQ-rWzeBbma0wNDiRAH-9KQuCjpNKGLcHbBFrB--_ANAeA-0ovSH6i_exklEnxJ2EjiJggxXFdlgW86KDl9fZzQJ1V5inNh36_TBm_cALTXIMuP2t1_cpy_LKtgQ/s3707/PXL_20230218_003823920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2085" data-original-width="3707" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk5I8H18b5zw1QIbNRjetyDWtQJUVVbNi_tidsNyd0daFqyxOIXY6g8opqUGV_EdoQ-rWzeBbma0wNDiRAH-9KQuCjpNKGLcHbBFrB--_ANAeA-0ovSH6i_exklEnxJ2EjiJggxXFdlgW86KDl9fZzQJ1V5inNh36_TBm_cALTXIMuP2t1_cpy_LKtgQ/w400-h225/PXL_20230218_003823920.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Shortly after noon I was finally on the way out of town, heading into yet another strong headwind but glad to put this whole episode behind me. I am thankful for Ryan's support and hospitality, and I am relieved to know that my car will continue to run smoothly for the next 80,000 or so miles (barring other plastic parts disintegrating!). The sun was setting when I rolled toward Post with the final 40 miles ahead, and there was certainly a long sigh of relief when I arrived at home after the 410-mile drive. Of course, the next race weekend is already looming on the horizon....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>JürgenJürgenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03107533431710748040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023527478729548228.post-74775733918360970262023-01-26T00:08:00.000-06:002023-01-26T00:08:58.647-06:00Sunshine and a little bit of warmth In the Texas Hill Country<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUP-otgZEbJX7gOpVTKe5_jAVhZhdeh3qqSmfFp4w5pA4rZHKNZ3AwpQnWVOP7GFXDaHr03YlHhfW-f7CxFcaWpQIIWfm0BFeTPN4TCb4Jr5ZlJwq_7i6vMZRrCrfCk92FfGnUCWeUIN9Lr9fyvNmcdnLcg_KtXcN1QdyTwXPRTCMgdqXrym-9kH5HPg/s4032/PXL_20230118_201751242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUP-otgZEbJX7gOpVTKe5_jAVhZhdeh3qqSmfFp4w5pA4rZHKNZ3AwpQnWVOP7GFXDaHr03YlHhfW-f7CxFcaWpQIIWfm0BFeTPN4TCb4Jr5ZlJwq_7i6vMZRrCrfCk92FfGnUCWeUIN9Lr9fyvNmcdnLcg_KtXcN1QdyTwXPRTCMgdqXrym-9kH5HPg/w400-h225/PXL_20230118_201751242.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>After my return from Guatemala a month ago things were a bit anti-climactic. On the Monday after my return I went for a bike ride in fairly chilly conditions in Lubbock, and during and after the ride I just didn't feel quite right; I ascribed it to the much lower temperatures and tried to shrug it off. But on Tuesday there was a scratchy throat, and then came a runny nose. For two days I tested negative, but then on Thursday the COVID test strip made it official that this was more than just a common cold. Immediately I started my five-day regimen of popping Paxlovid, with which I had traveled for the past year in case I should test positive while in the <i>hinterlands </i>of Mexico. But thanks to the Paxlovid, two days later, pretty much all the symptoms were gone, and on the following Monday I was back out riding—but the various dinner plans with friends during the Christmas period had been laid to rest.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXgIh-bkL2Wpy4P5MCst6sl5d3SvcxvsUC3J5Ca9KwavWDyba_icJlXZOoG209Tvmcvkmqa4BsAqa_qBS367-vS0qKmJY7NE-UE-AvwKxFq-9Fo09xjWNLFoKgtiKb3Ady1BUjtdpOZUvSXeXDJdsolM1NeZEOZv9-7ig5fiLIvVI5Ia33uxaidsXVMg/s2607/PXL_20230117_203631895~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1504" data-original-width="2607" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXgIh-bkL2Wpy4P5MCst6sl5d3SvcxvsUC3J5Ca9KwavWDyba_icJlXZOoG209Tvmcvkmqa4BsAqa_qBS367-vS0qKmJY7NE-UE-AvwKxFq-9Fo09xjWNLFoKgtiKb3Ady1BUjtdpOZUvSXeXDJdsolM1NeZEOZv9-7ig5fiLIvVI5Ia33uxaidsXVMg/w400-h231/PXL_20230117_203631895~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnFOGHy-hjdEx61H9j29BrxyAE3pIdvK-I4XcqgxvnXOr-quNQ_rMy5fKXlJTqdJSfR2CxJzGYqyb9z3k6Q6K4ULshNnHJWj15RPqXR7kI1736geyDxaE51HBBf9impFYFqNKDg8wmHnAgV2du_2ySzWBh3vK6pnw0Ccs4N1YpEgXzenp_rjeclv13ZQ/s2670/PXL_20230117_202509552.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1752" data-original-width="2670" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnFOGHy-hjdEx61H9j29BrxyAE3pIdvK-I4XcqgxvnXOr-quNQ_rMy5fKXlJTqdJSfR2CxJzGYqyb9z3k6Q6K4ULshNnHJWj15RPqXR7kI1736geyDxaE51HBBf9impFYFqNKDg8wmHnAgV2du_2ySzWBh3vK6pnw0Ccs4N1YpEgXzenp_rjeclv13ZQ/w400-h263/PXL_20230117_202509552.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitS6L0mFEEYe_4LStblC3xrHt5SweCcrSoPpKcU2FF5S1Yrvw45hPvj2qS3JdbE5pE7W_BEgF1geiPHBs4i5eZg8YGyEtcE3JXSrXa52xjbG615SaUgX7zobWGC6wMeAAbfha59LxHW8w_7amTqAzm2qe0DtwUeUFZVPjKyxwW619wMda1ZB7ZUNk7NQ/s2326/PXL_20230117_195803228~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2084" data-original-width="2326" height="359" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitS6L0mFEEYe_4LStblC3xrHt5SweCcrSoPpKcU2FF5S1Yrvw45hPvj2qS3JdbE5pE7W_BEgF1geiPHBs4i5eZg8YGyEtcE3JXSrXa52xjbG615SaUgX7zobWGC6wMeAAbfha59LxHW8w_7amTqAzm2qe0DtwUeUFZVPjKyxwW619wMda1ZB7ZUNk7NQ/w400-h359/PXL_20230117_195803228~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hill Country impressions from the Bandera area</span></td></tr></tbody></table>New Year's came and went, and it was probably the least "exciting" end or beginning of a year that I can recall for the past 40+ years. With Lubbock's weather undulating between windy and sunny and cold, and windy and sunny and warm, and windy and cloudy and cold it was time to figure out how to preserve the little bit of cycling form that was still left from Chile, if there was any.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRmZCGfnA0bvaUhRr_31igVTwrVZbiCXpEsP8vYfBQiFpLoia7q_4zploq7RSuF3m1XC64KN9iUWb_R5CrTtkAosgidbAJ-CbuE-1FKEn2xmewfQQ4OvUX5JBjB3kJrtPEwT7Bav-OEp8oXHtsZc_9QCG--TXpEZXiihFMSV_BUXYJv2Np4VjP1EgRMg/s2051/PXL_20230113_175700520_exported_1233_1674673334855~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1558" data-original-width="2051" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRmZCGfnA0bvaUhRr_31igVTwrVZbiCXpEsP8vYfBQiFpLoia7q_4zploq7RSuF3m1XC64KN9iUWb_R5CrTtkAosgidbAJ-CbuE-1FKEn2xmewfQQ4OvUX5JBjB3kJrtPEwT7Bav-OEp8oXHtsZc_9QCG--TXpEZXiihFMSV_BUXYJv2Np4VjP1EgRMg/w400-h304/PXL_20230113_175700520_exported_1233_1674673334855~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgepiTkQcSkqDWOkJRvESMmAi_ZUWiA21hpQ1Jxxbr1DC9ufxlmB5E35NmYrJTwysrtnw3KD-AC1QCvepF6ZoFxpr1z3_BKLqU7VdKL3NkVRheyQn_LXyN2SR_lwGNHMQvZr6kveVbPDz02WJ8m-pvmjJ2zePvQP0Nm4V9oXy3G5cHkbm9eAWBCvFRmgg/s4032/PXL_20230113_161948943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgepiTkQcSkqDWOkJRvESMmAi_ZUWiA21hpQ1Jxxbr1DC9ufxlmB5E35NmYrJTwysrtnw3KD-AC1QCvepF6ZoFxpr1z3_BKLqU7VdKL3NkVRheyQn_LXyN2SR_lwGNHMQvZr6kveVbPDz02WJ8m-pvmjJ2zePvQP0Nm4V9oXy3G5cHkbm9eAWBCvFRmgg/w400-h225/PXL_20230113_161948943.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoNKgvohqGgIpEwIZKrlv39jC0wbWMYMurJUDMohcRXxI5URP56UaTAoZlvb1XKG7i6UaEeNNJ5ff_3CAFn7cggX2ZqEgRf9SKoTjutlKoW65f-vShJvrc0I1jooRASJbf0QfPZRsgGd19ry2FzX47ilnv-qtRuvZarV8rGPr5RkcKXVGWMpbnO5EA4w/s1846/PXL_20230113_160857242_exported_158_1674673756457.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1038" data-original-width="1846" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoNKgvohqGgIpEwIZKrlv39jC0wbWMYMurJUDMohcRXxI5URP56UaTAoZlvb1XKG7i6UaEeNNJ5ff_3CAFn7cggX2ZqEgRf9SKoTjutlKoW65f-vShJvrc0I1jooRASJbf0QfPZRsgGd19ry2FzX47ilnv-qtRuvZarV8rGPr5RkcKXVGWMpbnO5EA4w/w400-h225/PXL_20230113_160857242_exported_158_1674673756457.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Leaving Lubbock on the Tahoka Highway</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>With a little bit of luck I managed to book on short notice a three-bedroom condo in a timeshare complex near Ingram, close to Kerrville in the Hill Country. Usually these timeshare rentals are sold out many months ahead of time, but in this particular instance the stars aligned and I had to spend only 6,500 of my annual 20,000 points (plus the mandatory "exchange" fee of $298) to secure my spot at WorldMark Hunt Stablewood Springs Resort. And so I loaded up the Z4 with all the essentials: Dutch oven, flour sifter, Bose Bluetooth speaker, and enough wine to last for a week. Of course, the Ritchey Outback (freshly cleaned after Chile) came along as well.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0WNIPyVxjaABrHxSASTBu91VVc0Cq4n3ANEixMvPygXKsvwDf2hnaYLnVLmQQpc5KBpyagrO4IUn3wwPrCRIRRFxN_aso17BDN1KsZklbBf19Joxhtuk9-qk5JqznSmrWD1mt_o0Q324_Y06LBtaVYdVywd9goa_-ruWx60EORZcT7qL4DROnf6x-hQ/s4032/PXL_20230113_223058043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0WNIPyVxjaABrHxSASTBu91VVc0Cq4n3ANEixMvPygXKsvwDf2hnaYLnVLmQQpc5KBpyagrO4IUn3wwPrCRIRRFxN_aso17BDN1KsZklbBf19Joxhtuk9-qk5JqznSmrWD1mt_o0Q324_Y06LBtaVYdVywd9goa_-ruWx60EORZcT7qL4DROnf6x-hQ/s320/PXL_20230113_223058043.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMTBfRz1vQC3qg-sMVB4cwcIYgxHpRBLDqefl3jI7Uiwr3qtFxpE87fXg5bNUh1fjptoO-RnVYyHQFw0KaGf1I6z8oOIi7CNtdzSDCFpTf8prXy7sqScsyH0ncVIx8FiYCnhRGAGp7cVzQ5IAIsA7HMI33PCUwbmh3v-fhxxZQtxJz_od35xkiLZ3xkQ/s4032/PXL_20230113_223258711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMTBfRz1vQC3qg-sMVB4cwcIYgxHpRBLDqefl3jI7Uiwr3qtFxpE87fXg5bNUh1fjptoO-RnVYyHQFw0KaGf1I6z8oOIi7CNtdzSDCFpTf8prXy7sqScsyH0ncVIx8FiYCnhRGAGp7cVzQ5IAIsA7HMI33PCUwbmh3v-fhxxZQtxJz_od35xkiLZ3xkQ/s320/PXL_20230113_223258711.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlUMj97E0BWN7AmOFZ4IUmbprE4FXuQNgsXS13dx_aOUWnOtxlOR4F1noZivm2I30eh2-Tm1B-a7B67Sfybi_ee_Qr3YJtRHR2UL9fEeEZdGl8nnv2Ri9rtK_OtZXJRFZscUUuM-iSfkI2KfU3ahyFp6K6T5AiFGudNrVIBScdlLnaBb928zAoO7BoeQ/s4032/PXL_20230113_223231995.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlUMj97E0BWN7AmOFZ4IUmbprE4FXuQNgsXS13dx_aOUWnOtxlOR4F1noZivm2I30eh2-Tm1B-a7B67Sfybi_ee_Qr3YJtRHR2UL9fEeEZdGl8nnv2Ri9rtK_OtZXJRFZscUUuM-iSfkI2KfU3ahyFp6K6T5AiFGudNrVIBScdlLnaBb928zAoO7BoeQ/s320/PXL_20230113_223231995.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3CHPwWSnVG86Y5RNmpa7WfsAmECO_HyGdxayXt266yb2Id-wReLlDEekt_NmmjWe3pv4EUK2abntUyPEuVSn7KcDxYjdGGym8XerOdt6SImBqXrfRqG4Lh9ro5IzPjzVQhKgzgvHC30tauiHYK2MXwFx-bYoQazFqepCEJMRwYyqXqHbk7YDKie2Uwg/s4032/PXL_20230118_001008001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3CHPwWSnVG86Y5RNmpa7WfsAmECO_HyGdxayXt266yb2Id-wReLlDEekt_NmmjWe3pv4EUK2abntUyPEuVSn7KcDxYjdGGym8XerOdt6SImBqXrfRqG4Lh9ro5IzPjzVQhKgzgvHC30tauiHYK2MXwFx-bYoQazFqepCEJMRwYyqXqHbk7YDKie2Uwg/s320/PXL_20230118_001008001.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Nice digs at the WorldMark Hunt Stablewood Springs Resort </span></td></tr></tbody></table>I left on a Friday morning for the six-hour drive. It is so easy to forget how desolate the South Plains look in the winter: The cotton fields are barren after the harvest, there's hardly any winter wheat, and what used to be green ground cover at some point in the past year now is just brown shrubbery. I took the route via Big Spring, and that meant that the first 100 miles were essentially featureless. At least the sky was brilliantly blue, and halfway through the trip it had warmed up enough to drop the roof. Still, even once I made it down to Eden, Menard, and Junction, the colors didn't change much: Everything looked brown and lifeless. Many of the live oak looked as if they had been killed by that massive freeze two years ago, and other trees and shrubs were naturally without leaves.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyNptVaVLlZdcwVIwxSP6G3uibfxNNzDvgGDcOSkhTa0DXt9tgq5pLKpIBCGB7p2LgoPD39ZhBdrlK5ERU4mz0GL0mwzOZNVG5bnSVQsowTC8TRYhEuELAayIFlqtreTzAyPDpoy3jQ4BYmNsB3HybJTQAFS2dwdjHQGt5ougZ64OPhgoacN2E8PCpzg/s4032/PXL_20230115_213204604.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyNptVaVLlZdcwVIwxSP6G3uibfxNNzDvgGDcOSkhTa0DXt9tgq5pLKpIBCGB7p2LgoPD39ZhBdrlK5ERU4mz0GL0mwzOZNVG5bnSVQsowTC8TRYhEuELAayIFlqtreTzAyPDpoy3jQ4BYmNsB3HybJTQAFS2dwdjHQGt5ougZ64OPhgoacN2E8PCpzg/w400-h225/PXL_20230115_213204604.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEgif5rk7TuVUMclr2ElCQwUGubhnO2q86xvPkLUiwLZkx0sophGNNc7-KDR94tVjuVHoz7FYGJo0qHt9dKPLvLPEobQSfUFvojKR2u9u4N-P-MwRajJlpSvgd0oVoMwevFY-hRYMktAA_hTcV30S3fgo-wPpi42yV7KI-Pk9-vGOeuPb6MAb_JAUbww/s2907/PXL_20230116_214848971.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2907" data-original-width="1859" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEgif5rk7TuVUMclr2ElCQwUGubhnO2q86xvPkLUiwLZkx0sophGNNc7-KDR94tVjuVHoz7FYGJo0qHt9dKPLvLPEobQSfUFvojKR2u9u4N-P-MwRajJlpSvgd0oVoMwevFY-hRYMktAA_hTcV30S3fgo-wPpi42yV7KI-Pk9-vGOeuPb6MAb_JAUbww/w256-h400/PXL_20230116_214848971.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ptyuQbNYNxoDQ3XAongIIAFPhe-Kn5hAO6QzJML4c8s3I0IS9K_6K4BpLlEWnDYdsZvYkLgNUH_I3ibi5lc-u1_-f3LwpWj1XgKzpbPSLbEA2SVxKdSJrVmEP0vTSC6z8Yl3fpB20AJc7Gf9Waa5zR-p9NvTXc7WtEKnenZ3AxmjpX-3y3fRyDnDkA/s3484/PXL_20230114_214534808.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1870" data-original-width="3484" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ptyuQbNYNxoDQ3XAongIIAFPhe-Kn5hAO6QzJML4c8s3I0IS9K_6K4BpLlEWnDYdsZvYkLgNUH_I3ibi5lc-u1_-f3LwpWj1XgKzpbPSLbEA2SVxKdSJrVmEP0vTSC6z8Yl3fpB20AJc7Gf9Waa5zR-p9NvTXc7WtEKnenZ3AxmjpX-3y3fRyDnDkA/w400-h215/PXL_20230114_214534808.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>I arrived at the resort right around 4:00 p.m., check-in time. My assigned unit was facing with its balcony and master bedroom to the north, and for me, the lover of sunlight, that was not acceptable. Fortunately, the friendly staff were able to accommodate me in a different building that received morning sun as well as some of the last rays in the day. Whew! The three-bedroom/two-bathroom unit was impeccably clean, with modern furniture and a large, open living/dining/kitchen area. This was by far the best RCI timeshare apartment I had ever seen. Kudos! Add to that the outstanding multiple pool and jacuzzi area, plus functioning gas grills and other amenities, and I truly had a winner on my hands.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6mA0Ui1G_owYeYaP9vgpPhnNONCu5LVltITrTIj3yD4LJ312za9lRDViR_e4hWKOScLBbjme4lzlC67iN0v9C6sc_GEhxIWuvHbkM1Qj-yz-bAyIk3f7tZtR1m-HqVcmfp4JdVHT6sNMeWZCRO213_ioYm6tU3dUwRLgyZAdc9ayJnuxGYkI8XRcqfQ/s4032/PXL_20230115_213709593.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6mA0Ui1G_owYeYaP9vgpPhnNONCu5LVltITrTIj3yD4LJ312za9lRDViR_e4hWKOScLBbjme4lzlC67iN0v9C6sc_GEhxIWuvHbkM1Qj-yz-bAyIk3f7tZtR1m-HqVcmfp4JdVHT6sNMeWZCRO213_ioYm6tU3dUwRLgyZAdc9ayJnuxGYkI8XRcqfQ/w400-h225/PXL_20230115_213709593.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj87kf3EKV31JvjM7Y-ubdLPwBs-e40XlfNvY-we3b2nzXKsXv-h_R3ur0SefGPr7DZgaK65K_ETUQih0GIQzltfn68MvSrVc1OjaXcXRIiEC36vlh1Wxbis-zce8AhsVhJVmqUdUaFjAKgpifOvWcMdYCBEGvzNcCVrLoF_dzFWpQfwtl9bXC4KpnMbg/s2677/PXL_20230115_233323375.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2243" data-original-width="2677" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj87kf3EKV31JvjM7Y-ubdLPwBs-e40XlfNvY-we3b2nzXKsXv-h_R3ur0SefGPr7DZgaK65K_ETUQih0GIQzltfn68MvSrVc1OjaXcXRIiEC36vlh1Wxbis-zce8AhsVhJVmqUdUaFjAKgpifOvWcMdYCBEGvzNcCVrLoF_dzFWpQfwtl9bXC4KpnMbg/w400-h335/PXL_20230115_233323375.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG8LPg1n5ewmb18q_aAzCrdyG_JWCAaO0ohR79xbI0-L6LKbi_p_UdGJ8YZStDLD8g-JvzBpc4OvNr0XQkt3vVXudF52VdHDtSJDvE9GV5BqKAOsfIlQZxL7iepiFZ_6R69-b4B2NYHxodyUvZ19Y0RAJ03aXdTaD-0Q7nra_pnNcwSr2tn_WPL9qYNQ/s4032/PXL_20230116_203203448.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG8LPg1n5ewmb18q_aAzCrdyG_JWCAaO0ohR79xbI0-L6LKbi_p_UdGJ8YZStDLD8g-JvzBpc4OvNr0XQkt3vVXudF52VdHDtSJDvE9GV5BqKAOsfIlQZxL7iepiFZ_6R69-b4B2NYHxodyUvZ19Y0RAJ03aXdTaD-0Q7nra_pnNcwSr2tn_WPL9qYNQ/w400-h225/PXL_20230116_203203448.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>After moving in and unpacking my stuff I drove to Kerrville to stock up on groceries for the week at the local HEB. Meanwhile, my friend Beth started her drive from Lubbock to Ingram; as a teacher she had to work until the afternoon and would not arrive until almost 10 p.m. Since Monday was MLK Day she was able to make this a three-day weekend, even if it involved two cars and lots more driving. The urge to get out of Lubbock can get pretty damn strong, let me tell you!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikT2xflkJbJpLCH1KrA8uq_GyD7cETOltTWQGHJMrX-9ecwFwfaCuIREi7IeoBSLrauJylHE3Y0pSa6Tw9KpDkeUdTSuxpmUcW75j_Ca91D1kemyDu3ItFFwZ66Ltna-mUKVJcH8a1451Qn_RhHiErckIpfZGY8V8KVzwAeg2pJ2bU8xmybtbRkRq_9g/s4032/PXL_20230117_001333235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikT2xflkJbJpLCH1KrA8uq_GyD7cETOltTWQGHJMrX-9ecwFwfaCuIREi7IeoBSLrauJylHE3Y0pSa6Tw9KpDkeUdTSuxpmUcW75j_Ca91D1kemyDu3ItFFwZ66Ltna-mUKVJcH8a1451Qn_RhHiErckIpfZGY8V8KVzwAeg2pJ2bU8xmybtbRkRq_9g/w400-h225/PXL_20230117_001333235.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Unaltered and non-Photoshopped Texas skies</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>So, for the first two days I spent time hiking and exploring the area with Beth on foot (except for my ride to one of Kerrville's brewpubs on Saturday afternoon with a subsequent car shuttle back to the resort). We also took advantage of a (fairly lame) wine tasting in the resort's activity center, but hey, who says no to a few generous and free pours, right? Good tourists that we are, that evening we went to the (equally lame) star gazing party, hosted by an amateur astronomer who undoubtedly knew his constellations but had no idea how to share his knowledge in a meaningful way. But then, there's always that jacuzzi....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheHk_tuWc4kRliJtC4BATZCt3cld97mHINZxT5qf8XDIfDOo1We-HjNN_kUbAMhBgaTmow3RwDp0Rjjf10Tl6-WOJQr4Cq8Q8XJVHxiTY2F452s2OYLGlFgE8vfe4FoaPnmH-ATZcF-oB-R4tCgOzukkPaOVwewnDNs4kfSCau-tYoUpxvUY4k8H16cQ/s4032/PXL_20230114_185437491.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheHk_tuWc4kRliJtC4BATZCt3cld97mHINZxT5qf8XDIfDOo1We-HjNN_kUbAMhBgaTmow3RwDp0Rjjf10Tl6-WOJQr4Cq8Q8XJVHxiTY2F452s2OYLGlFgE8vfe4FoaPnmH-ATZcF-oB-R4tCgOzukkPaOVwewnDNs4kfSCau-tYoUpxvUY4k8H16cQ/w400-h225/PXL_20230114_185437491.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9WWknsgNgE9gIbpbLRQafACfh_EdQlNptoviNM_xkUWM0ner68ZeMajbOYMHEemEFDCgq_lVf_kKAtlZUwWGGbRkAdn0Tonw0Tf6Cj3jYY2doWm2I6jGPowYUwG63jjjgzwOkxaUXxmHv45ZYMI8xVTU1sUpfEK3X24yBHgS0f4cSCFpyNIt1KUBbHw/s4032/PXL_20230114_190305644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9WWknsgNgE9gIbpbLRQafACfh_EdQlNptoviNM_xkUWM0ner68ZeMajbOYMHEemEFDCgq_lVf_kKAtlZUwWGGbRkAdn0Tonw0Tf6Cj3jYY2doWm2I6jGPowYUwG63jjjgzwOkxaUXxmHv45ZYMI8xVTU1sUpfEK3X24yBHgS0f4cSCFpyNIt1KUBbHw/w225-h400/PXL_20230114_190305644.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxeO8Rl-5tvqS7CXTbfo27Q9AVf1mNFBUvLtNx9LHd75J4CVEOGOMrLxTgEyRyryiGQDywZUYw5-HlAAeg7NmOBpk1ljbc2gmB8sePr8mVDYaYRA0IhD6hegRia9ODC30fxYVnmu7ds0UXQLXRBolAGgI64omCr_QwcDcDLAlofDTHn_UhimTXl61svA/s1793/PXL_20230114_234509966.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1754" data-original-width="1793" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxeO8Rl-5tvqS7CXTbfo27Q9AVf1mNFBUvLtNx9LHd75J4CVEOGOMrLxTgEyRyryiGQDywZUYw5-HlAAeg7NmOBpk1ljbc2gmB8sePr8mVDYaYRA0IhD6hegRia9ODC30fxYVnmu7ds0UXQLXRBolAGgI64omCr_QwcDcDLAlofDTHn_UhimTXl61svA/s320/PXL_20230114_234509966.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwggpMwK4HLRHVeduEwieYid7eBfApeilsgZKErNa4LBv_DbOPqPgmXDc0trCK4Ps1rzuV2aWqE9m6NFyxPPxuipdDvTuorrfHBaRsbcoBDaECFqJeBFInD-Clvbi7S-iLWD3Bg01wZPhx300mMseRxrrIw1tKBtgkYE7QZG-k_h7gT7TPzgCQ0pth9g/s4032/PXL_20230114_234519088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwggpMwK4HLRHVeduEwieYid7eBfApeilsgZKErNa4LBv_DbOPqPgmXDc0trCK4Ps1rzuV2aWqE9m6NFyxPPxuipdDvTuorrfHBaRsbcoBDaECFqJeBFInD-Clvbi7S-iLWD3Bg01wZPhx300mMseRxrrIw1tKBtgkYE7QZG-k_h7gT7TPzgCQ0pth9g/w400-h225/PXL_20230114_234519088.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The entire Kerrville area features art projects ranging from murals on the side of local cafés to sculptures and small and large installations. One such point of interest is the interesting Stonehenge replica that came into being when a local rancher had a surplus limestone slab, left over after a back patio project. He gave it to his buddy, and from there history took its course when they decided to recreate a scaled-down version of the real Stonehenge. But it didn't end there: Inspired by a trip to <i>Rapa Nui</i>, one of them decided to create two 13-foot replicas of the well-known Easter Island heads. You gotta love Texans.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQWmvHyWNsmAFqJR00KvW7wR3wXIsRInsd3vyjVCWJcBkz30Hz60DRFEhVVxr6Cw5u-PbUFHqFZflyzorBirRsKZAT9f8hSkyKujUbFMESK2QfHgROWfifgNUp9iXUPATbbFlDj7TaR19RcecjRevAc8ryG05QuYb33wxm6TeCaJ5waX1Lpr6o-NHNPQ/s3389/PXL_20230114_221106879.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1808" data-original-width="3389" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQWmvHyWNsmAFqJR00KvW7wR3wXIsRInsd3vyjVCWJcBkz30Hz60DRFEhVVxr6Cw5u-PbUFHqFZflyzorBirRsKZAT9f8hSkyKujUbFMESK2QfHgROWfifgNUp9iXUPATbbFlDj7TaR19RcecjRevAc8ryG05QuYb33wxm6TeCaJ5waX1Lpr6o-NHNPQ/w400-h214/PXL_20230114_221106879.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz6ZnhRhWo916vOXaiBn78ypWnAhl-RUOBJrYlJSlOgxgSaDOf-WmrWoPbMpVLSgMYdI7L9fKpoL8afSDjtEQvaZU4Kfs0TAoytntdojLRB9PwoVQkVxcI9qSqdPWit-02WuZ_GyGmZa6VR-lryQBiYxz2ArHzeZDlcjUZ0ItRptOQ8oCJ0AxLF3mhUw/s1932/PXL_20230115_194444880.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1932" data-original-width="1854" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz6ZnhRhWo916vOXaiBn78ypWnAhl-RUOBJrYlJSlOgxgSaDOf-WmrWoPbMpVLSgMYdI7L9fKpoL8afSDjtEQvaZU4Kfs0TAoytntdojLRB9PwoVQkVxcI9qSqdPWit-02WuZ_GyGmZa6VR-lryQBiYxz2ArHzeZDlcjUZ0ItRptOQ8oCJ0AxLF3mhUw/w384-h400/PXL_20230115_194444880.jpg" width="384" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXT8fB5dz1-E04k9VrrxSb7hHFF2HcJXXjl1xOagROzLRPnKnIhMyiFFfijSRivMWG__WiLPrAbi1sR8FmzFAlpMdiFWqdFVT3kyH3qM7GYxkIuDNkdL7HgaYk5OG-EYA8va_7WbD3545AutKbeqyvIlb4-ifljhYUQCQ5Ntu27m7pRsfWm2t9OiBNOg/s3581/PXL_20230115_195611821.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3581" data-original-width="2259" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXT8fB5dz1-E04k9VrrxSb7hHFF2HcJXXjl1xOagROzLRPnKnIhMyiFFfijSRivMWG__WiLPrAbi1sR8FmzFAlpMdiFWqdFVT3kyH3qM7GYxkIuDNkdL7HgaYk5OG-EYA8va_7WbD3545AutKbeqyvIlb4-ifljhYUQCQ5Ntu27m7pRsfWm2t9OiBNOg/w253-h400/PXL_20230115_195611821.MP.jpg" width="253" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_wbjs80bNbL_Z2iN0RIFYvkzM7ICYtWK0rsjKHRcu60U6W59QpyPTfGggtfjQNUvzIyxQ2PC5HCqatvv93BAw5A33GhZXHQgym_oJuqgQpHLMtxAui-M70U896Sp3A4fA7E6OV7ZjevaYul6D40ElnrXSr4ic4fywIyWDnsT2FFR4q6GggG-IW3Jvhg/s2513/PXL_20230116_213057909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1430" data-original-width="2513" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_wbjs80bNbL_Z2iN0RIFYvkzM7ICYtWK0rsjKHRcu60U6W59QpyPTfGggtfjQNUvzIyxQ2PC5HCqatvv93BAw5A33GhZXHQgym_oJuqgQpHLMtxAui-M70U896Sp3A4fA7E6OV7ZjevaYul6D40ElnrXSr4ic4fywIyWDnsT2FFR4q6GggG-IW3Jvhg/w400-h228/PXL_20230116_213057909.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>We checked out the Ingram Art and Cultural Center, visited the Hunt General Store (a bit underwhelming), and enjoyed the sounds of the Guadalupe river at the Hunt Crossing. (On my rides later in the week I would cross the Guadalupe dozens of times using similar crossings.) On Sunday Beth and I went for a long walk along the Guadalupe in Kerrville proper. The Kerrville River Trail, about six miles long, incorporates several parks as well as two cultural centers and features a well-maintained trail that is used by joggers, cyclists, families with kids, skaters, and anybody else who wants to enjoy nature. Thanks to Google Lens we identified Japanese Wild Ginger as well as the Egyptian Geese that populate the area, and Beth was pretty much taken by the prolific and not-so-wild deer population.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJyVTniJyIrzaCdJ6bshLC_k9ftmyoSp7QYZ7jDc-qOJGS-eEU6MlrT7ma6Y0d8sXYWYxaab6dEXbp1gQHIqGoVOuWhOi0nzC8OrIoyFii9TKcKyLBD5u3m6Kc1kSAvlsw-3PofoDSuhZQfCWpeGsEovHhW9imqmBEkmrlZIN-ex-UAyMxAIF7Px_Rkw/s2396/PXL_20230115_205248523.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1588" data-original-width="2396" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJyVTniJyIrzaCdJ6bshLC_k9ftmyoSp7QYZ7jDc-qOJGS-eEU6MlrT7ma6Y0d8sXYWYxaab6dEXbp1gQHIqGoVOuWhOi0nzC8OrIoyFii9TKcKyLBD5u3m6Kc1kSAvlsw-3PofoDSuhZQfCWpeGsEovHhW9imqmBEkmrlZIN-ex-UAyMxAIF7Px_Rkw/w400-h265/PXL_20230115_205248523.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsjQPedoJzbkR-On-cBqOvtKXXR5QKtWLm5dsb3oul0VeqNeITd5PHphyRQmp1puRfEcYg1p-OerozdtxxSYo9LGoVAjYbPeJl-4ahZM6-h5wer3I5k-6Z1MVZWKQFeWXRP-MfASh5oe2Sas03qL91bWGoz-FiITmzIUKwlJDt22WsJDJ0uCazhFWUQg/s4032/PXL_20230114_190516111.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsjQPedoJzbkR-On-cBqOvtKXXR5QKtWLm5dsb3oul0VeqNeITd5PHphyRQmp1puRfEcYg1p-OerozdtxxSYo9LGoVAjYbPeJl-4ahZM6-h5wer3I5k-6Z1MVZWKQFeWXRP-MfASh5oe2Sas03qL91bWGoz-FiITmzIUKwlJDt22WsJDJ0uCazhFWUQg/w400-h225/PXL_20230114_190516111.MP.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjYJMivkMk6riAHsWOsKUTg_aKl-TwdVD4sZYrtczhZBOTUY10MuQyxdN4wgecXcRarIIUhR8gU0RavawyV0MWaPcSMfbkTPfjiZ7wHQFyCEkpykK91Dfe26raNHhoe69OfdwRgOA1LnoC-fZj16gwpm-2h6B8gjYm2EHfRHohIdkt5wRnp02BpzFL4w/s4032/PXL_20230114_191439822.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjYJMivkMk6riAHsWOsKUTg_aKl-TwdVD4sZYrtczhZBOTUY10MuQyxdN4wgecXcRarIIUhR8gU0RavawyV0MWaPcSMfbkTPfjiZ7wHQFyCEkpykK91Dfe26raNHhoe69OfdwRgOA1LnoC-fZj16gwpm-2h6B8gjYm2EHfRHohIdkt5wRnp02BpzFL4w/w400-h225/PXL_20230114_191439822.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg286fot23vYKaFCvFXmxGmeKruKjXMXA4QtdA8-Ivh0aWBJaYD8rWLdPHliU-EHJsHzacKKjnOfRnnZxuB-8BTFFhP947PA4C9L7Dcchb9x5_I41USQMKsZu_kb3WjDXaTJd3ccDALsnfrnFqUWdxwsbWGJdIbq9HozeZ3ichtaxsnpzDH6WpSybNkZA/s2773/PXL_20230114_192036537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2265" data-original-width="2773" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg286fot23vYKaFCvFXmxGmeKruKjXMXA4QtdA8-Ivh0aWBJaYD8rWLdPHliU-EHJsHzacKKjnOfRnnZxuB-8BTFFhP947PA4C9L7Dcchb9x5_I41USQMKsZu_kb3WjDXaTJd3ccDALsnfrnFqUWdxwsbWGJdIbq9HozeZ3ichtaxsnpzDH6WpSybNkZA/w400-h326/PXL_20230114_192036537.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3568" data-original-width="2121" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXouszpusGhEnUchCsYNjoP09c8EqGMjah_ETyTuHZyL-Le17PynG5nkZDxWh8FhSQyHD9chrjSmGcEWdMa_nYsFSIlwx-ZjA278GxBI054Dq71laKlbBuGrO8CBdH5iIA3u4eAGY-1_xuHS6bfmUDwMYHfU9Ybwa5qs1V4rWwSyp4LyokuVCr1zeUqA/w238-h400/PXL_20230115_224109064.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYxjGhugJXmkhjajmPHZWibPpj-Tc5l8FTih0N3eJtxvbSKO6lCREnBaipjxIW58RDDO20QlV2poUzKBvTnqr8aclbJyThdGOfZBA4xPs8OBWnvcyTpR_2JZKFfxozvo-J1GVZ8MuCPSPGz3td8hBXEhWtHbbIQDlxEZj_VM95yoflaIYpAx2Peh4OQ/s2520/PXL_20230115_205439196.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1487" data-original-width="2520" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYxjGhugJXmkhjajmPHZWibPpj-Tc5l8FTih0N3eJtxvbSKO6lCREnBaipjxIW58RDDO20QlV2poUzKBvTnqr8aclbJyThdGOfZBA4xPs8OBWnvcyTpR_2JZKFfxozvo-J1GVZ8MuCPSPGz3td8hBXEhWtHbbIQDlxEZj_VM95yoflaIYpAx2Peh4OQ/w400-h236/PXL_20230115_205439196.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxNnRwPHytLsPjhA9697230LkE2KHpgzBI8Y1tKJYfojrSX9juzRaUtRcaL7dI7HzToX-aH7OUO9aBHEpPfIA-Wuz9bPk2saTZSqmGRoDw1gpN9bRbyZZ9CXGeYZOi3WLdx-tpzrVgq0GyY2jRLGFpqQAtcivQcktd0zDYKdrrQ67Pyxk87B8dYEaDQ/s3465/PXL_20230115_231710419.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3465" data-original-width="2220" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxNnRwPHytLsPjhA9697230LkE2KHpgzBI8Y1tKJYfojrSX9juzRaUtRcaL7dI7HzToX-aH7OUO9aBHEpPfIA-Wuz9bPk2saTZSqmGRoDw1gpN9bRbyZZ9CXGeYZOi3WLdx-tpzrVgq0GyY2jRLGFpqQAtcivQcktd0zDYKdrrQ67Pyxk87B8dYEaDQ/w256-h400/PXL_20230115_231710419.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdbjklUViRmi-VKaebf04psKEM7hBYDVyNel9gPQ7UMQVCf7dfWbjJt0xTkGv4h746cxuXVS9OQJH4fjczAMmejq3zAtPPpZ5zFNhRfsGzKUsT5FIQzxo_dnMgBLLhBlGQ7GkC7MMl1Q7IvFnroRMKyAUqh3pzBrfvHAUNwf7dnpw2PEjWzWy7waAFJA/s3159/PXL_20230115_233244712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3159" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdbjklUViRmi-VKaebf04psKEM7hBYDVyNel9gPQ7UMQVCf7dfWbjJt0xTkGv4h746cxuXVS9OQJH4fjczAMmejq3zAtPPpZ5zFNhRfsGzKUsT5FIQzxo_dnMgBLLhBlGQ7GkC7MMl1Q7IvFnroRMKyAUqh3pzBrfvHAUNwf7dnpw2PEjWzWy7waAFJA/w288-h400/PXL_20230115_233244712.jpg" width="288" /></a></div>At the halfway point, on the Schreiner University campus, we enjoyed a tasty draft (Cosmic Echoes, a hazy IPA brewed by Austin's Meanwhile Brewing Company) while thinking, why can't Texas Tech be that civilized and have a taproom on campus? Leave it to a tiny university of fewer than 1,500 students. So, despite the overcast sky and a healthy breeze we had a damn fine day.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie6ZUwi4h7qvNvtRoLBWcZr-W8b1uxSh62vcd4W_mvZIqMK4r5Qy-pfwpsASuNPCdAdi2u0JcLGL5QCqT1A2JmCv00KeAqzBNJ-W9TuUglnE3zTHC4XoBEHnLQkYnHF1Vt8vdqA_VrnN_UV5UMHWvaJL6kATAwv41QD2efRKlr4jyGnCocYkuMABHY1A/s3531/PXL_20230115_223103851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3531" data-original-width="2257" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie6ZUwi4h7qvNvtRoLBWcZr-W8b1uxSh62vcd4W_mvZIqMK4r5Qy-pfwpsASuNPCdAdi2u0JcLGL5QCqT1A2JmCv00KeAqzBNJ-W9TuUglnE3zTHC4XoBEHnLQkYnHF1Vt8vdqA_VrnN_UV5UMHWvaJL6kATAwv41QD2efRKlr4jyGnCocYkuMABHY1A/w256-h400/PXL_20230115_223103851.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgybOlsR8AhMIik-vYakgPi5RBCUMwpVaI0jltx7sgYVdXE2UriIW-R88hhth3ULObQH1w3nk0Kw5F7UkPyhLob_RMEgkYCauek8LtQrRGzaq1LQgVC3bLfCN3F6J86DDWzPo0g_opZBNAtSHl1daVUn_GQIr8kx-cOEQQJ0gllpMNYJNec0G1x3SNl_w/s3431/PXL_20230115_222921075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3431" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgybOlsR8AhMIik-vYakgPi5RBCUMwpVaI0jltx7sgYVdXE2UriIW-R88hhth3ULObQH1w3nk0Kw5F7UkPyhLob_RMEgkYCauek8LtQrRGzaq1LQgVC3bLfCN3F6J86DDWzPo0g_opZBNAtSHl1daVUn_GQIr8kx-cOEQQJ0gllpMNYJNec0G1x3SNl_w/w265-h400/PXL_20230115_222921075.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbQXv4qa4-wpMGP5lEMApTEJNfEHhgymqjGrrfX0T6K6FMJs9L0eugUey2zxjBiziLlPKDZx7G_v-hbL8AC5wCbr_iS7lMQK7uVjcGwsyi60xNvb_pId2zg5d6K0gTEjkSQrlueFJRohQSF63Hl674fGyYHAyjw8XbnTsICDCOza8abLayrD60d2zmUg/s4032/PXL_20230115_214954706.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbQXv4qa4-wpMGP5lEMApTEJNfEHhgymqjGrrfX0T6K6FMJs9L0eugUey2zxjBiziLlPKDZx7G_v-hbL8AC5wCbr_iS7lMQK7uVjcGwsyi60xNvb_pId2zg5d6K0gTEjkSQrlueFJRohQSF63Hl674fGyYHAyjw8XbnTsICDCOza8abLayrD60d2zmUg/w400-h225/PXL_20230115_214954706.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>On Monday, with Beth driving back to Lubbock, it was time for me to start riding in earnest. My first two rides were on the longer side at 41 and 44 miles since it warmed up for a couple of days, allowing me to ride in shorts and short sleeves. Thoughts of spring overcame me, but the reality was that thanks to an extended drought practically all of the vegetation looked parched and brown. If it hadn't been for the evergreens, the blue skies, and the beautiful blue-greenish shades of the various rivers, it would have been very drab indeed. And even those rivers didn't carry much water, and many a creek bed was entirely devoid of running water.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh94HqMTHiEJ6ZkcfswgFM76QqANgBYh5877Imw51cD-sXaV-Epej8hNOgjFSVv_u-KdWmtHUToqFsOJz2JjXDOh_O1FqwjiFxZ4D41mu1vHBb5asbztRlHBLN-2z0aiW7q4GftMakNe_wqkW5rNsa5WTSxu66o80PJo21iPO-9oklqZ1iewkblKBmgpg/s4032/PXL_20230119_210851007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh94HqMTHiEJ6ZkcfswgFM76QqANgBYh5877Imw51cD-sXaV-Epej8hNOgjFSVv_u-KdWmtHUToqFsOJz2JjXDOh_O1FqwjiFxZ4D41mu1vHBb5asbztRlHBLN-2z0aiW7q4GftMakNe_wqkW5rNsa5WTSxu66o80PJo21iPO-9oklqZ1iewkblKBmgpg/w400-h225/PXL_20230119_210851007.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJEisg2mBiql-35i8gvuoCZCxplCHIrieG8-OMFWDTmgy2uocvNKB69yIrMce-rzwiXH9rKtGjnZl9_xcJFSqkeOcNZ5XXrY6lK2VD36GohdfpRrfy0ctBf1C0IgpZyuHVoktVUfXv5udcurnPktsS-0kFcqISr8-JnUKIAk13YdsfHTUgz90YaiBilw/s3531/PXL_20230119_210537194.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3531" data-original-width="2024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJEisg2mBiql-35i8gvuoCZCxplCHIrieG8-OMFWDTmgy2uocvNKB69yIrMce-rzwiXH9rKtGjnZl9_xcJFSqkeOcNZ5XXrY6lK2VD36GohdfpRrfy0ctBf1C0IgpZyuHVoktVUfXv5udcurnPktsS-0kFcqISr8-JnUKIAk13YdsfHTUgz90YaiBilw/w229-h400/PXL_20230119_210537194.jpg" width="229" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Kb4TDVD6f4dJIsXgPmDDU4anyXIEgPi-3xDKmcHTscCsFMYTYB20_aLCn3RNVqAi9MXLw27WgllITgQCG4N3Wk8HpZfTwaq1DykpQf8DsEokIb6DfGu9glestA2EVRY1xJzNL2EF567MSvq3qyYsYYQuOpFhJGtvPEjLs43qg7u1zohjCyIzvyzoFQ/s4032/PXL_20230119_201318339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Kb4TDVD6f4dJIsXgPmDDU4anyXIEgPi-3xDKmcHTscCsFMYTYB20_aLCn3RNVqAi9MXLw27WgllITgQCG4N3Wk8HpZfTwaq1DykpQf8DsEokIb6DfGu9glestA2EVRY1xJzNL2EF567MSvq3qyYsYYQuOpFhJGtvPEjLs43qg7u1zohjCyIzvyzoFQ/w400-h225/PXL_20230119_201318339.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHDNH1gFOFhrsrfgnIQGzoTsJmHUGnNKX_JCRWMb7F25vYR82yIkFOyAIFeTPm5CaV3IHcCowJziSXQ4xiuXCI3CZG_l4CiKFFaEbm3bN95kB_RYJ8LAQY2mZASKm20ORsNFOzCSW8e_EqnsoHpVonI0jIPu9sq3ZMc0NXEqrGcLEXsSLfZ3fL_pFRCQ/s3539/PXL_20230118_212847394~4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3539" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHDNH1gFOFhrsrfgnIQGzoTsJmHUGnNKX_JCRWMb7F25vYR82yIkFOyAIFeTPm5CaV3IHcCowJziSXQ4xiuXCI3CZG_l4CiKFFaEbm3bN95kB_RYJ8LAQY2mZASKm20ORsNFOzCSW8e_EqnsoHpVonI0jIPu9sq3ZMc0NXEqrGcLEXsSLfZ3fL_pFRCQ/w256-h400/PXL_20230118_212847394~4.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWfTb9CTopKcE-Jq7Oxy5jBTy8SBrkVtgAiHvXGbVterAs-0lcA5I19RYkoBG7uzt_zqrgiauw1O7dR5ZoqtYMvpBeyhakXlguJ29_th4BKede94fsE94m7m6CGjyc7Y7Ew_1UsSNKkRSvJ9U9xxxVaHFyak_rL5C1vSp67-_n_YlBnDbic4yJpkGyog/s4032/PXL_20230118_202507719.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWfTb9CTopKcE-Jq7Oxy5jBTy8SBrkVtgAiHvXGbVterAs-0lcA5I19RYkoBG7uzt_zqrgiauw1O7dR5ZoqtYMvpBeyhakXlguJ29_th4BKede94fsE94m7m6CGjyc7Y7Ew_1UsSNKkRSvJ9U9xxxVaHFyak_rL5C1vSp67-_n_YlBnDbic4yJpkGyog/w400-h225/PXL_20230118_202507719.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>Tuesday was my 67th birthday, and I celebrated with my longest ride of the trip that took me via Camp Verde (back in the day, site of the US Army's experiment to use camels instead of horses) to Bandera and then on tiny Upper Mason and Elm Pass roads back to my starting point. I sprang for a nice steak at HEB; grilled to perfection (as far as one can do that on a gas grill) it went well with my baked potato and the bottle of a Cameron Hughes Lot 400 2010 Napa Cabernet that I had brought along for the occasion. That's the way I like to celebrate: solid riding, tasty food, superb wine.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN7R3YpSzkh7EmiLw9K_k2ceJcqnSZ64CIDAiIc5n3L-XYxp7OKfNcnFapNi3SVx1Pl3lMajzZcXBKKnZ2pYJS85Uw7VfJ9kaGOcZqeOXa9Mr6Fj1Rx0sobK0dMqo2fVXdFbRlFrAy71XSNYqUDTup285CrjsoOOD0jMhcSxhopaBx5kg_ajMtyy_RGg/s3198/PXL_20230116_210128195.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3198" data-original-width="2232" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN7R3YpSzkh7EmiLw9K_k2ceJcqnSZ64CIDAiIc5n3L-XYxp7OKfNcnFapNi3SVx1Pl3lMajzZcXBKKnZ2pYJS85Uw7VfJ9kaGOcZqeOXa9Mr6Fj1Rx0sobK0dMqo2fVXdFbRlFrAy71XSNYqUDTup285CrjsoOOD0jMhcSxhopaBx5kg_ajMtyy_RGg/w279-h400/PXL_20230116_210128195.jpg" width="279" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhphAFR2ZGYMJKBY8wAVoTYgjzrt2ZKFLKPiKeFzck_qPRm7xpH709emh1HXwFenI0nQ3Ywa7ru8p8QBR8Q3QHtSPB3uK-rgfY2I1m8byu2QGSjjRX9CQLpMqJsbEKo1urqYgqjKSJFa9vOrUXhyBTxEAlNC6GEfAnj7jRAJ6F9G5lEqynEUGdTIo7wLQ/s3168/PXL_20230117_183842271.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1670" data-original-width="3168" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhphAFR2ZGYMJKBY8wAVoTYgjzrt2ZKFLKPiKeFzck_qPRm7xpH709emh1HXwFenI0nQ3Ywa7ru8p8QBR8Q3QHtSPB3uK-rgfY2I1m8byu2QGSjjRX9CQLpMqJsbEKo1urqYgqjKSJFa9vOrUXhyBTxEAlNC6GEfAnj7jRAJ6F9G5lEqynEUGdTIo7wLQ/w400-h211/PXL_20230117_183842271.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKA0Mk5Tq4uIkhftkVtmhBsuxM2DsQubqAN5HAq2pyIfTas1Gg5-w5CC5NdmmxItg1DKNJPJmM6g_YYoFHL6_j40HgaowRPsJ2810Fj8AI5WgGYt3M5BCymWRkg6qFZUF1XhQRqNhuKwkHWmtT3ntHR7OT0FBtvOG5zVxT3xJXGEv_4vXvE0EBC2icBQ/s3840/PXL_20230116_231523879.PORTRAIT~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3840" data-original-width="2160" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKA0Mk5Tq4uIkhftkVtmhBsuxM2DsQubqAN5HAq2pyIfTas1Gg5-w5CC5NdmmxItg1DKNJPJmM6g_YYoFHL6_j40HgaowRPsJ2810Fj8AI5WgGYt3M5BCymWRkg6qFZUF1XhQRqNhuKwkHWmtT3ntHR7OT0FBtvOG5zVxT3xJXGEv_4vXvE0EBC2icBQ/w225-h400/PXL_20230116_231523879.PORTRAIT~2.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Pre-dinner birthday beer at Pint & Plow</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisinymJzGyB8Lt9ery1E9HZMUAJOV2mRiBv6Zseg88ELOKME9omnAooLyHQHWMuvswrTGiuKBOYJ6Sa3umBs631dGq_5UP2-tgWouVQfKEw8IemKRKbx7Tm3HMi1e5bl73XPGusNTOoIgqhW3tTXz2pzmxODpLy_1EyLluGa38Bp3AS8lKzOX7pVhQsg/s3931/PXL_20230118_032904950.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1875" data-original-width="3931" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisinymJzGyB8Lt9ery1E9HZMUAJOV2mRiBv6Zseg88ELOKME9omnAooLyHQHWMuvswrTGiuKBOYJ6Sa3umBs631dGq_5UP2-tgWouVQfKEw8IemKRKbx7Tm3HMi1e5bl73XPGusNTOoIgqhW3tTXz2pzmxODpLy_1EyLluGa38Bp3AS8lKzOX7pVhQsg/s320/PXL_20230118_032904950.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUC3Ki8eLcm2MrODFm1RUkdJD8AwzO_twbZKyRsF-ykKxhyN4tMsJV8KDQsjMkevZrfcLrRb-NKFff6_1J-ZfIq0KKdBXFfMPOErs4Tvsnqu02fiKVIfQnl65JZJHaGEF12QtDBscacMWlaFYYAjH0s2MLBj_z3GOKoNMsTXx2sOWfKP0lTF36Euuugw/s2329/PXL_20230118_032255243.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2177" data-original-width="2329" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUC3Ki8eLcm2MrODFm1RUkdJD8AwzO_twbZKyRsF-ykKxhyN4tMsJV8KDQsjMkevZrfcLrRb-NKFff6_1J-ZfIq0KKdBXFfMPOErs4Tvsnqu02fiKVIfQnl65JZJHaGEF12QtDBscacMWlaFYYAjH0s2MLBj_z3GOKoNMsTXx2sOWfKP0lTF36Euuugw/s320/PXL_20230118_032255243.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>My Wednesday and Thursday rides were somewhat shorter, still around 35 miles or so, but with temperatures falling from Monday's high of almost 80 degrees to the high 60s the impetus was gone to go for longer rides—the hot jacuzzi's pull was just too strong! Then high clouds moved in, and before Friday arrived I decided not to ride in the Comfort area on my way to Boerne where I was going to stay with Judy's nephew, Conner, and his family after checking out. We had been in contact before I had left for the Hill Country, and since I hadn't seen them in about two years (except for Conner's brief visit when I was in the hospital with my broken hip) I thought it'd be fun to extend this trip by another two days.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhijL_IhizUz0zr-qM-o6VLydxUOknxBmaPIE9L4CJdntkCHOXEOp6mMf1taPn9-6ooNJFxAaVyATOPRqAq3CqSOZSKIe_-IYPeZBEWrhO61Xt7gf3P-UI0BYk9WW1UnyF11bVBnoRsnW5jgngKkvReFOKIZde0yAk0wasvAOf8VBnGOU6ipm-Rbme-eg/s2592/PXL_20230116_215914193~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1872" data-original-width="2592" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhijL_IhizUz0zr-qM-o6VLydxUOknxBmaPIE9L4CJdntkCHOXEOp6mMf1taPn9-6ooNJFxAaVyATOPRqAq3CqSOZSKIe_-IYPeZBEWrhO61Xt7gf3P-UI0BYk9WW1UnyF11bVBnoRsnW5jgngKkvReFOKIZde0yAk0wasvAOf8VBnGOU6ipm-Rbme-eg/w400-h289/PXL_20230116_215914193~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji3iiHeYNeUQmY0jgqZPZx39gW_RE2UmsqdQ5BwMmzxpYNQjFd5h4NZD7ppLi2zwZqikxM8mL29_feQZCXdM7263LXpIl5IEHstW2FeZcFGfE2q87aQraCLM2Wbn8Z6HY6G2bdTuK5VW2sE3iUeJWXnhqXJ9w-8C_YkRVXq47T-kViid0zMTRCGnpQpQ/s3181/PXL_20230117_183822708~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2180" data-original-width="3181" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji3iiHeYNeUQmY0jgqZPZx39gW_RE2UmsqdQ5BwMmzxpYNQjFd5h4NZD7ppLi2zwZqikxM8mL29_feQZCXdM7263LXpIl5IEHstW2FeZcFGfE2q87aQraCLM2Wbn8Z6HY6G2bdTuK5VW2sE3iUeJWXnhqXJ9w-8C_YkRVXq47T-kViid0zMTRCGnpQpQ/w400-h274/PXL_20230117_183822708~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirRw2QFD3jjfT_ezsvaPPwezBhx3PTrTr47xsjsPKAPSVPkuM7p2jn_YpGlFrYq9A1i8kUxiFUHu0Q1i3e0tTn1nHuqLNPn7X9Ycmaam3jEmvzTtxj-rGgqrql_fvUySwdBkdk2RpdQmVIi9dKeGEDsvKPA1P-2xF2xIDuMcbNcBN36i69GYbjG-rllg/s1604/PXL_20230116_214655920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3080" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHd4dfkOztsA0on01B4RatKirOaYhmcd7W0ORVTMf5d2OcTeW50YgJnNSbQX6ph1kYn4Lsxl8DcNw6EVaxPvMcLYrin-JAECwWj4mM9hNJb-pZkmxrkZmrYFrLHQsitH5g46Lr24sRdCyakCRYa0vLabH34h4AW6-j9mU75pBJ2nVGrBxTjOs-oNLg5A/w295-h400/PXL_20230117_203247373.jpg" width="295" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNWjpMprmO8dONbspJkoGarU-LcgDi-y4qVL_IEGcsIl9XuxSSTSwNdZfcCiVLh6jjoJU8eQYYHjoCFO8dPi08fm0OpyzaJ5nYi-7Ke2npEpQTsgzc3MKPD7KqDSbUA_N5bf7VNnJ-Z7Iiq1vn2v6Y8O6OOPEhls6WUWfaR7FqA7TrFbijsL4uOOqtvg/s4032/PXL_20230119_212207310.PORTRAIT~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNWjpMprmO8dONbspJkoGarU-LcgDi-y4qVL_IEGcsIl9XuxSSTSwNdZfcCiVLh6jjoJU8eQYYHjoCFO8dPi08fm0OpyzaJ5nYi-7Ke2npEpQTsgzc3MKPD7KqDSbUA_N5bf7VNnJ-Z7Iiq1vn2v6Y8O6OOPEhls6WUWfaR7FqA7TrFbijsL4uOOqtvg/w225-h400/PXL_20230119_212207310.PORTRAIT~2.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVsUcGmzwBvwiATN-a47Mg1BNJ3bcqnLput0MXCE0mIIG53erWkHzE3piFQV-7gyddyfnbpP6hcIaCusbFEGi2TpgjL0OaHV8eneO0OCi0FuMkGkTpuFEwJsq3nwY6aNCfvZMSMDq-7dW0LsMSiSgoOmU3LoVqLSjwQXLrRp9e4tnNZaPz6qpm5SWHyg/s3240/PXL_20230119_212243700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3240" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVsUcGmzwBvwiATN-a47Mg1BNJ3bcqnLput0MXCE0mIIG53erWkHzE3piFQV-7gyddyfnbpP6hcIaCusbFEGi2TpgjL0OaHV8eneO0OCi0FuMkGkTpuFEwJsq3nwY6aNCfvZMSMDq-7dW0LsMSiSgoOmU3LoVqLSjwQXLrRp9e4tnNZaPz6qpm5SWHyg/w280-h400/PXL_20230119_212243700.jpg" width="280" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizeOFhbddiCuDjN3ZM5ix14mDEVtkjxz8ocYc-MLjkb73C1ST8XKn1C8YOwYPXvUZBI_mv5xXnlGn493YtJpmkDq4qC8CiimfTInaSMChFF4oakSZ_PzG1g-ebap_tZ8qyONzwxIplBbG5QQUdR7u8thC3dpe-Q3c_O006UEc9WKK-o0km2o8-tGGDAQ/s4032/PXL_20230118_005102168.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizeOFhbddiCuDjN3ZM5ix14mDEVtkjxz8ocYc-MLjkb73C1ST8XKn1C8YOwYPXvUZBI_mv5xXnlGn493YtJpmkDq4qC8CiimfTInaSMChFF4oakSZ_PzG1g-ebap_tZ8qyONzwxIplBbG5QQUdR7u8thC3dpe-Q3c_O006UEc9WKK-o0km2o8-tGGDAQ/w400-h225/PXL_20230118_005102168.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>My oh my, how those boys have grown in such a short time! It was so nice to spend these 48 hours with Conner, Leslie, Carson, and Lyndon and see them in their family interactions. The boys are definitely teenagers, if you get my drift! Personalities have been developed, they're <i>really </i>into their respective sports, and their brains have obviously been usurped by aliens. I was invited to come along to Lyndon's flag football match on Saturday, and getting to meet some of his friends was at least as much fun as the game. And then the house got toilet papered after we got home, and that brought the best out of everyone!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidNQFDLW3jFLE8zZkuagiEubpwtZKZRoPpYI01KgzgdH1rzEm_78KJQObTnTWhulQnAxWsWdzdjdokieiWaOSfCvt3K26ltzLfBSWbn4b-WqXwZUd5i0Y53N7wgGAIR18k8dsNbxERvcCAOLZIMZwzyqhh3H6rEer7f0VTCygtaA_QdIEfcR9wWsKAdA/s4032/PXL_20230121_174849520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidNQFDLW3jFLE8zZkuagiEubpwtZKZRoPpYI01KgzgdH1rzEm_78KJQObTnTWhulQnAxWsWdzdjdokieiWaOSfCvt3K26ltzLfBSWbn4b-WqXwZUd5i0Y53N7wgGAIR18k8dsNbxERvcCAOLZIMZwzyqhh3H6rEer7f0VTCygtaA_QdIEfcR9wWsKAdA/w400-h225/PXL_20230121_174849520.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw_CssrY98cDo5HGUu19jajoNc3mWRe3RQevRvTzR9Y58wkuAp8iRm9-mxpM51MZEq3JfEhexuElMOggkqCOPkwHsLJluR_2-W6RUUNgiWX_-ItE1sKETaUfueQ_m8znOz9NsQY-_cxa3OzWLwDZbRgjsxzbFdEsUzV8eru5LVO9UzcoSftOWccVnIhA/s2456/PXL_20230121_030810778.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2061" data-original-width="2097" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixiTqKcVDNI6_XMAm5YeSVNCYlFAOT-CeTo97K6u-_wT4EwUq1PEo_Eohhg7S5pKxFGAwirPtC-NwnZANyts_UvPS_xXhevZQTEm2nv8peIuWq74VqnLljG5xEZJb4-qcV65qC4C1st6oB9NzUz0zZCTzxX7j00GwFDr22SITtArukcTMG6xW6A7ULUQ/w400-h394/PXL_20230121_020958928~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLJa3o_iXekb626eEkbPlu7o9Lky1vwRKHryHBIE9tOVYp0IMH3tDeB06JR-9leFS5QbE7vROc3rFsi2aI-pU2CKs43CqLkDV_QjccCHksD80da4dQ29V2iROc3FBoFRwTlHWTrZ6ybhazUI32Okef3jDa7W9KgUAyuhtrZqMsIFaE9aK_PhxnfhK1og/s2210/PXL_20230122_020403621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1574" data-original-width="2210" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLJa3o_iXekb626eEkbPlu7o9Lky1vwRKHryHBIE9tOVYp0IMH3tDeB06JR-9leFS5QbE7vROc3rFsi2aI-pU2CKs43CqLkDV_QjccCHksD80da4dQ29V2iROc3FBoFRwTlHWTrZ6ybhazUI32Okef3jDa7W9KgUAyuhtrZqMsIFaE9aK_PhxnfhK1og/w400-h285/PXL_20230122_020403621.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZbnFVkfkXyf6cbpLUBf7if_yE6HyHWFX8AhPGw93NWgz8Rj1eZA9SImNrCCeGmY2RoB-cgL2ENmvmiQVhio9JJ2VCEn5eTgx1eQGVnAo3-2Jk4ZkbDqutCPo-COdc1O4MupVusrz9N4QHImZUcoVUuAbV70hPjUknLzBwDVD7BkgAktDYWi86uGGPwg/s4032/PXL_20230122_051141669.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZbnFVkfkXyf6cbpLUBf7if_yE6HyHWFX8AhPGw93NWgz8Rj1eZA9SImNrCCeGmY2RoB-cgL2ENmvmiQVhio9JJ2VCEn5eTgx1eQGVnAo3-2Jk4ZkbDqutCPo-COdc1O4MupVusrz9N4QHImZUcoVUuAbV70hPjUknLzBwDVD7BkgAktDYWi86uGGPwg/w400-h225/PXL_20230122_051141669.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinE0BiZSawbDs3gojcdguOhe2SPm--L-81k-J_JYieQ0kHhr7xDlEWhOONRD6ILSkF_CzWnRN5dyb2pizSFADio8OgQxrpiQVRaY7D1WbyYh11QV2I4Li1fOuFYlGuM94w-wnzy1H2gmsad3oVkKUd1RJybDX8Tevmzqx0cJS96VPuoZrgvt2INeiV6g/s4032/PXL_20230121_012358995.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinE0BiZSawbDs3gojcdguOhe2SPm--L-81k-J_JYieQ0kHhr7xDlEWhOONRD6ILSkF_CzWnRN5dyb2pizSFADio8OgQxrpiQVRaY7D1WbyYh11QV2I4Li1fOuFYlGuM94w-wnzy1H2gmsad3oVkKUd1RJybDX8Tevmzqx0cJS96VPuoZrgvt2INeiV6g/w400-h225/PXL_20230121_012358995.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Saturday afternoon I took the last ride of the trip. Upon Conner's advice I drove to the northern trailhead of the San Antonio Greenway Trail system right at the intersection of I-10 and Loop 1604. From there I followed the beautifully built and maintained trail to its southern trailhead at Military Drive, a distance of about 13 miles. As usual my thoughts revolved around the question why our city can't have the vision of joining different parts of town with a safe, multipurpose trail. The San Antonio system is still waiting for completion as there are some sections that need to be finished to create an uninterrupted complete loop around the city, but even where the dedicated motor-vehicle-free sections have not yet been established, bike route signs in the neighborhoods increase safety for two-wheelers.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxMsRZdw5bTdKzJBAjhjWxylpBblVzvmD21QFIoAUDGHD990dCJ-wMBBUDdDmuCdndTub2v6ac9Bu6eRL5RAbrpi2NOdtqiv6H-ytBgaaTC_oNiX-jI4HDs3A1yjhPI_rjIT2K1tUkBwHJuZHNE1H0f1Y5oZyhxFnXYE73D4zJTwa4WjhgpN1sOyWc1g/s4032/PXL_20230121_214610453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxMsRZdw5bTdKzJBAjhjWxylpBblVzvmD21QFIoAUDGHD990dCJ-wMBBUDdDmuCdndTub2v6ac9Bu6eRL5RAbrpi2NOdtqiv6H-ytBgaaTC_oNiX-jI4HDs3A1yjhPI_rjIT2K1tUkBwHJuZHNE1H0f1Y5oZyhxFnXYE73D4zJTwa4WjhgpN1sOyWc1g/w400-h225/PXL_20230121_214610453.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzwYvM74sO9eJErqwuRr0W1xeEe81_cwSuek1jjbZ2-cMXT7xWJThHDG6D3OSsaXBFk0gSCK2u6BdFhwwiStOxmnUEq2ntOIclsqIxeV75sMWNElkrXADz-BT131KgXXC39Q1McO_Jr-qVkWWxEeO6NjGmmkSLrobxTuOenLQvkv2svFq89m_yvud12Q/s2840/PXL_20230121_203514420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1579" data-original-width="2840" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzwYvM74sO9eJErqwuRr0W1xeEe81_cwSuek1jjbZ2-cMXT7xWJThHDG6D3OSsaXBFk0gSCK2u6BdFhwwiStOxmnUEq2ntOIclsqIxeV75sMWNElkrXADz-BT131KgXXC39Q1McO_Jr-qVkWWxEeO6NjGmmkSLrobxTuOenLQvkv2svFq89m_yvud12Q/w400-h223/PXL_20230121_203514420.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx2UBki0ZnVqhkdxfFUIfDn8PJixHwvH1nFPg2vp7PNuQQLUAPJ387LBHx0wjBU7yh5KlwrSAhkkBYNdDgKEZ7QUaIzdi5-1pX09NRA7PUZUd1oA3jLOBOW73X2dat1-1DyInn8JKjaKorT4iH0GEa86SkWtbkJm9D27UpMcB1Baivsx2hyPUtC6IbcQ/s4032/PXL_20230121_195519023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx2UBki0ZnVqhkdxfFUIfDn8PJixHwvH1nFPg2vp7PNuQQLUAPJ387LBHx0wjBU7yh5KlwrSAhkkBYNdDgKEZ7QUaIzdi5-1pX09NRA7PUZUd1oA3jLOBOW73X2dat1-1DyInn8JKjaKorT4iH0GEa86SkWtbkJm9D27UpMcB1Baivsx2hyPUtC6IbcQ/w400-h225/PXL_20230121_195519023.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikSF5wq69YGg6hu0tmfnSnSrpQQp8sG6DcY0qa4julpfXI9MeTrBWschxq7gfmoFsUDz80itfwyW0AmoyIgU_qlaOTODiyxWwwNpndp20CRsWYz8vhBs4CjANuzufUoumzXutua0A9cldQecNgj-_5XfB7GSF5x_e1LGYaaI5NE5KR_2Y3V4w8N4NaFA/s4032/PXL_20230121_204019031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikSF5wq69YGg6hu0tmfnSnSrpQQp8sG6DcY0qa4julpfXI9MeTrBWschxq7gfmoFsUDz80itfwyW0AmoyIgU_qlaOTODiyxWwwNpndp20CRsWYz8vhBs4CjANuzufUoumzXutua0A9cldQecNgj-_5XfB7GSF5x_e1LGYaaI5NE5KR_2Y3V4w8N4NaFA/w400-h225/PXL_20230121_204019031.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitcmDgpWbvbX6lfFgDDPoWShg3rLZQtqWi8zqee_9rnhOc57EE-5leQDa7-19PtE7n9ONkznQVBBYpHAStWT_g4Z-uUlnI8u8S1K_LFpM8WL-3F0Wjz-lBYNc3V5lZbntrQa3oHYAWcO8rDQvUCeFZGq2F_1YK7IG0r-L_09IdHuPyO8LH6NBrtmysog/s4032/PXL_20230121_204045261.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitcmDgpWbvbX6lfFgDDPoWShg3rLZQtqWi8zqee_9rnhOc57EE-5leQDa7-19PtE7n9ONkznQVBBYpHAStWT_g4Z-uUlnI8u8S1K_LFpM8WL-3F0Wjz-lBYNc3V5lZbntrQa3oHYAWcO8rDQvUCeFZGq2F_1YK7IG0r-L_09IdHuPyO8LH6NBrtmysog/w400-h225/PXL_20230121_204045261.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I ended up riding 30 traffic-free miles on perfect pavement (either concrete or asphalt), among trees, along river beds, underneath 14-lane super-highways that—thanks to a well-planned trail—no longer are barriers like that stupid Loop 289 or the Marsha Sharp Freeway in Lubbock. People were out, mindful of the other trail users, and as is so common in such protected areas, there was wildlife to see. While riding I hatched a plan to one of these days just park my car at Conner's home and then embark on a multi-day tour through San Antonio and the area to the south of it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia5YemeeQqrNd7lyXmk-79Y9H8QT3TNb_YAwiWeo9ICVoatvAJ6BH9611dEbGyJUX0zwrHNlLNGdh_DhJ_RpQhesXtWPlYUsaIfG3V61IAcpNQ7uBCJoyLWTUZjxY6SGPzfjDIQ_xiQfhOXy1UrCIvvZqwG040seWbFxqze9AAMBdwwiCHd9np-jvyMw/s4032/PXL_20230121_205515129~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia5YemeeQqrNd7lyXmk-79Y9H8QT3TNb_YAwiWeo9ICVoatvAJ6BH9611dEbGyJUX0zwrHNlLNGdh_DhJ_RpQhesXtWPlYUsaIfG3V61IAcpNQ7uBCJoyLWTUZjxY6SGPzfjDIQ_xiQfhOXy1UrCIvvZqwG040seWbFxqze9AAMBdwwiCHd9np-jvyMw/w400-h225/PXL_20230121_205515129~2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj8JYKVcbgnbRU1hS8YoEFUvnBz8Nkg1KqX02gKL8U_F1kYRmB3FH9kIJLJPVeUOJUGPBzgEKIOgiAvF8JfLrmsKqaGVH1QIJQMzy4WAJxpWVblWB6fZv5VGjCM-R-d6GR-C9hVq4OfHx0wywmh1MkKvHJ-imPd7OKwWJtQOAy0dRkrsIXb39d5eoJiw/s2633/PXL_20230121_211425029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="2633" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj8JYKVcbgnbRU1hS8YoEFUvnBz8Nkg1KqX02gKL8U_F1kYRmB3FH9kIJLJPVeUOJUGPBzgEKIOgiAvF8JfLrmsKqaGVH1QIJQMzy4WAJxpWVblWB6fZv5VGjCM-R-d6GR-C9hVq4OfHx0wywmh1MkKvHJ-imPd7OKwWJtQOAy0dRkrsIXb39d5eoJiw/w400-h345/PXL_20230121_211425029.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsQfUUuoQFRFkfbPA5aC3kQAFHeAv65VjKKVUCfQGQA_JXDCGr8xQYjF4JAr0AbaVsS32W053hVIGh2wpJ_geXdw2WSyHDo_Y6ohb1Uxdd546xItGJK8cyhGthlK5HlGTPyTo81zxdSPCjA_fW5K9h4u5uP138Y00SgnlpZCgrrV5QlxLgdZhBQ7aM4A/s4032/PXL_20230121_214618723.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsQfUUuoQFRFkfbPA5aC3kQAFHeAv65VjKKVUCfQGQA_JXDCGr8xQYjF4JAr0AbaVsS32W053hVIGh2wpJ_geXdw2WSyHDo_Y6ohb1Uxdd546xItGJK8cyhGthlK5HlGTPyTo81zxdSPCjA_fW5K9h4u5uP138Y00SgnlpZCgrrV5QlxLgdZhBQ7aM4A/w400-h225/PXL_20230121_214618723.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGp1uNscjjxB6tqdkNJssQVzIbjCVD5Ij3rD7yO-1GC9bx51WzJdNkvfUQzAMvc4Sypgjes-ygkgRLTddGvHcgPVNxBxUyadoQxrdFTW7XQqMu8ydE3mM2AaRMu-hVzBdmV-R1xEVjE-30NgcsyPkGf3Ssv-5couL4yzeDxHJuHEVofqdzXyxYm6yL5w/s3840/PXL_20230118_201856697.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGp1uNscjjxB6tqdkNJssQVzIbjCVD5Ij3rD7yO-1GC9bx51WzJdNkvfUQzAMvc4Sypgjes-ygkgRLTddGvHcgPVNxBxUyadoQxrdFTW7XQqMu8ydE3mM2AaRMu-hVzBdmV-R1xEVjE-30NgcsyPkGf3Ssv-5couL4yzeDxHJuHEVofqdzXyxYm6yL5w/w400-h225/PXL_20230118_201856697.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>As it turned out, I rode exactly 200 miles during my time in the Hill Country. Not bad for a week in January. Of course, since my return on Sunday evening I haven't been back on the bike. Late Monday night we were hit by a fairly massive snowstorm, and there's still plenty of the white stuff on the ground. This weekend will bring the first NICA race, so once again no riding. Oh well, I'm not training for the Tour, just trying to stave off the fat as much as possible. Still, I can't wait for spring!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG7xYuY4KP5Yl-DJ5gb2wap2vaAHsieUIiU8hyjiRYVFlSCKfR_RslMlhu02jHrLlui2y_FNQLqCMeeRQAfZp3Zbm13q7Fh5zjpdx6e6g8tQm9Z_W1oOz2IfKeO2wCfggT6sp2_e0u8iomFQsOBeggFJKCUlDkzCGzuz4Q_B_-R7RksJtzN4gK6VUgTg/s4032/PXL_20230125_151106904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG7xYuY4KP5Yl-DJ5gb2wap2vaAHsieUIiU8hyjiRYVFlSCKfR_RslMlhu02jHrLlui2y_FNQLqCMeeRQAfZp3Zbm13q7Fh5zjpdx6e6g8tQm9Z_W1oOz2IfKeO2wCfggT6sp2_e0u8iomFQsOBeggFJKCUlDkzCGzuz4Q_B_-R7RksJtzN4gK6VUgTg/w400-h225/PXL_20230125_151106904.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div><div>Carpe diem!</div><div><br /></div>Jürgen</div></div>Jürgenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03107533431710748040noreply@blogger.com0