Last night we slept in the desert. We dug a pit in the sand for a fire, and desecrated the surrounding brush for wood. This was probably against the rules, it being a national park and all, and we each feel terribly guilty. But the hot dogs were delicious, wrapped in tortillas with refried beans and jalapenos.
I should clarify—everyone slept in the desert except for me. The two-man, $22 tent we’ve been dragging along since Tijuana turned out to be way too small for the four of us. Imagine that? I endured the dogpile for a few hours, but had to call it quits when someone, I couldn’t tell who, started snoring. Taking my sleeping bag and a flashlight I marched back through the howling desert to the ranger station and begged to be let inside.
The ranger in charge took pity, and let me sleep in the station bunks on the condition that I be out by 7:00. That’s when his boss shows up and he didn’t want to get in trouble. It was a good trade. I got to watch the sun come up over the mountains and bathe the desert in orange light.
I didn’t realize it then, but that was the highpoint of my day. It’s gone downhill ever since. (Or is it uphill, since we’re biking?)
The day started with a flat tire on Jon’s bike. We replaced the tube. No big deal. We got into a great rhythm and put away 30 miles in record time. Then two more flats. One on Jon’s bike, and the other on Davi’s. Since Sonoyta was just five miles away, they decided to hitchhike. The driver that pulled over, in a Kia Sorento, accidentally ran over the entire frame of Davi’s bike. The front fork is crushed, and the pedals won’t turn. There are no bike mechanics or shops in Sonoyta (pop. approximately 10,000). Right now, Phoenix, Arizona, is our best bet. Jon and the driver, who is going the extra mile to make things right, are headed there now.
We also can’t find Pablo, the Argentinian. He biked ahead of us this morning and we haven’t heard from him since. We’re not worried, since he’s known to do this sort of thing, but it’s disconcerting nonetheless.
It may take a few days to get the band back together. Really, it’s all part of the adventure as long as no one gets hurt. But I wish I had better things to report.
