"An easy ride" our leaders promised - yeah right!
Every evening after dinner which Super Chef Linda cooks and serves, the Superstar Bike Mechanic Carol hands out our cue sheets for riding the next day and tells us something about the ride. This one she promised was quite short - 47 miles - since we had a long day coming up - and did not have too many features (which is our code word for hills) - and she urged us to stop at the old Missions on the Mission Trail on the way, and enjoy pie in Angie's Restaurant at the end. "Take your time" were here words.
Ahhhh - the wind! That same wind which had drenched us in dirty sand was still lurking around, not at our backs, where it would have been wonderful, but in our faces. I started out hoping to speed along at 12 to15 miles an hour but the wind kept it down to 8, 9 and 10 and was a cold easterly wind I wore my fleece headband and four layers and long pants.
I reached the first Sag stop at 20 miles where our Sag Rider had prepared a plate of cut-up fruit and cookie snacks that looked so appetizing, people took photos of it. I sat in the van to get out of the wind, had some water, apricots and a tangerine, and then set off again.
I didn't want to visit the old Missions, since I'd seen several before in California. I also feel the missionaries were not altogether benign but bullied the locals, did not respect their culture, and never tried to learn their language, and then told them they had to be celibate and give up sex. Not a good idea.
Once I rode out of the traffic of El Paso, much busier on a Monday morning, it was long straight roads through farmlands where people were opening the water systems to flood the wide ditches and later water the fields. The most attractive town was San Elizario with a lovely old Mission style adobe church and small houses and funky stores.
I had been warned that loose dogs are sometimes an issue and today I met three of them. One was a big dog wagging its tail and barking and trying to chase my bike. I used my loudest dog control voice and shouted: "Bad dog! Bad dog! Go home! Bad dog!" on the assumption that every dog knows that "Bad dog!" is not a good thing. Fortunately they did and after a couple of barks ran off. In one yard there were two German shepherds who got very excited but then started barking at each other which was a good diversion. One suggestion was to take a whistle, but apparently dogs like the sound and may follow you. Other suggestions had been to squirt them with water from your water bottle, but there really isn't time for anything but yelling when the dog suddenly appears and starts barking and chasing. For some reason this part of the ride has more rural loose dogs than other places. It all adds to the adventure of being on the road, watching out for the cars, the potholes, the loose gravel, the sand, the sudden dips, and the stop signs.
There was a lunch place recommended in Tornillo but by then I was determined to keep pedaling and get to the end where we had been told Angie's Restaurant served the best home-made pies around. I planned to have two pieces when I arrived. I stopped on the road by three big telegraph poles which sheltered me from the wind, and ate my sandwich (made at the snack table) and an orange and drank more water. I'm learning it's easier for me to keep pedaling than take a long break and have to start again on most days.
One nice sign said: "Texas Mountain Trail" and pointed to a dead flat road - dem's de mountains in Texas. Also a couple of signs said "Road may ice up" and it was hard to believe you could get ice in this dry desert area. Apart from the green fields about to irrigated with water, there is only sand and scrubby plants stretching out on either side of the road, with low hills in the distance.
Bicycling does focus my mind on what I am doing - and it's great to be powering myself. But the wind blowing in my face and on to my bike was a big hindrance - slowing my speed, taking my breath away, and whipped around in sudden gusts.
I arrived at 3 p.m. - a mere 5 1/2 hour ride. Someone waved to me from Angie's so I went over to the restaurant to find I was the fourth person to arrive - and the others were the Dynamic Dynamos who'd already had pie. So I felt very proud of myself. I had apple pie and icecream first, which was truly home-made and delicious, and then a piece of the cherry pie with icrceam too - and some coffee. They tasted fabulous.
I'm in the old-fashioned Fort Hancock Motel in Fort Hancock NM which is about 20 streets and a few closed shops, a gas station and Angie's and very little else. I am on Knox Street - and my room has a sweeping view of the distant low dusty hills, the open swoop of the yell0w-blue sky, the rolling scrub of sand and tufty shrubs and bits of wood and stones. I had a bath - no hot tub or pool - in an old tiled wall bathroom - remember those? - and the fire alarm is hanging loose from the wall, and the alarm clock is permanently stuck at 17:47 whenever that is, and the carpeting has lumpy bumps in it which I hope I will not trip over. And I have a real key for #17 that fits into the lock on the door handle - none of those miniscule bits of plastic to slide in the door and may or may show you the green light and let you in.
Ah - the problems of modern life!.
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