Synchronicity

I wake up at 4:00 and be darned if I can sleep again! I flip channels and finally get up and make a good coffee and install myself contentedly to experiment with creating the colors of orange and brown and green by mixing primary colors.

I had decided yesterday to breakfast light and then do a tour of town in early morning on my bike. What fun it was peddling on the almost empty sand, or cobble-stoned, or rocky roads of this little town. I ended up 'downtown' ( about 5 minutes on bike from my bungalow apartment). I spotted a group of about 10 cyclists most wearing bike helmets. Hmmm I approached and found they were part of a 'loose' group that leaves Melaque at 8:00 am three times a week via country roads to Barra-de-Navidad. About a 20 k bike ride in all - with a breakfast in Barra as a the stop and turn around time.

 Luckily, I had some water and sunscreen. Why not? It'd be a chance to see villages (Pinal and Jaluco), and ride long enough to feel somewhat tired. I spontaneously joined the group and Brian, the Canadian team leader rode with me and pointed out the crops, the names of the small villages, and we spoke about the possibilities of volunteering in the school system or in another way offering English conversation classes. Turns out Brian was a teacher. He has been coming here with his wife by trailer for some 13 years.

The group has named themselves "El Tocino Quinientos Bike Club" - the Bacon and 500-year Bike Club" -- the bacon because of the restaurant breakfast stop that is part of the ride.

At the restaurant, Bananas, I meet others: a young Mexican engineer working for Volkswagen, Alan, and his family down for the weekend, a couple from B.C. We talk about a variety of interesting ways they have their Canadian homes looked after while in Mexico each year.

El Tocino Quinientos ... Brian in orange, Alan, across from him.

The rest of the day, I 'chill' with a book,  and playing cards with with neighbors (that are family).