Happiness

In order to forget the pain of KU's loss, I decided that it was a good idea to spend a day doing something that makes me happy. I asked around and found someone who cycles a lot, and who could rent me a bike for the day and take me around. I found José who rides for his university here in Arequipa. We went on a great four hour ride, though I wish we had been riding road bikes. Like most of my adventures in cycling, the last few kilometers were a blur of pain with my legs still spinning, but my head in a fog, and my stomach on the verge of revolt. The end of the ride was similar in almost every way to my first long ride in Bend in the summertime and the first time I rode with the UPS team.

Bottom line: I spent the afternoon recovering, but loved every minute on the bike and even relished my post-exercise headache.

It was also great to meet someone in the cycling community here. Furthermore, there are races here next weekend that I am going to watch, and I have been contemplating finding a road bike for more good times.

As for canyons? I head to a town at the beginning of the Colca Canyon to teach English to local guides in a week. I am very nervous about it, and figure that I will learn more than any of my students in my month of teaching. I am also happy that my time will be broken up by Semana Santa (Holy Week), which should be interesting in a small village.