#15 Impressions from the Road - 1/30

After we fly (in a chartered L1011 with 343 seats for 260 people) for Chile where e-mail will be much more sporadic & probably even more expensive (on local calling cards it now costs about $5 to send and receive one set of e-mails [3 minutes]). Thus, unless I figure how to get cheaper phone access, there won't be as many updates, etc. Future updates may be in batches with notes as to where & when each was written. I'm having the best time of my life. I'm getting more fit, more tan, more experienced every day. I spent a great time with good friends at their home in Panama. [I spoke to Carla again when she spotted me as she drove her mom back from the airport.] I spent a day in La Paz with another good friend. I got laundry done in a small town without being able to speak the language much beyond, "el mundo - un ano" (the world - one year). I've had people from another culture honk & wave or give a thumbs up as encouragement to an OBVIOUS foreigner. Kids shout, "Hola" as I ride by. I pedaled my bike over an 11,171ft mountain. I raced down another drop to the sea from 4000ft faster than any other rider. I saw a flag flying over the roadway at Guerrero Negro in Baja from 17 km away. I pedaled OVER the Panama Canal. And we haven't even gotten to Europe. Today, is the 28th day of the best year of my life.

Happy Trails,
Bruce