On Saturday Shannon and I went biking with Jenny and Mark (a couple from Idaho), and Guido and Lalo from the Bike Station. The plan was to go from Dolores Hidalgo to San Miguel de Allende where there are some natural hot springs. This trip is part of a tour that the Bike Station offers, and the four of us had been talking about going for several months. Jenny and Mark asked about it and told Shannon and me what it would cost. It was pretty expensive and more than what we wanted to spend in one day. Shannon and I said we would think about it, and, the next day, we received a message from Jenny and Mark saying that they had negotiated the price and it was going to be a lot more affordable than what we originally thought. I was really excited and we immediately committed to the trip. To make a long story short, Shannon and I found out (although we weren't supposed to know) that Jenny and Mark had talked with Guido and supplemented our part of the trip to make it more economical for us college students. So sweet.
When we arrived in Dolores Hidalgo before starting out on the bikes, we wanted to find a restroom. We were definitely in a poorer section of the city, but we asked a senora who was outside her door if we could use her bathroom. She said that it was fine, and we entered her home which had a big dirt courtyard. There were lots of dogs running around, and the rest of the family was outside doing chores. The bathroom was a room apart from the house and we had to flush by pouring a bucket of water into the toilet. Afterwards, we offered the senora a little bit of money (you have to pay for bathrooms in most places in Mexico anyway), but she refused saying that it wasn't necessary. It was evident that this wasn't the most wealthy family, but they invited three foreign strangers into their home without hesitation.
So, even little things can make the world seem so much brighter.
Other highlights from the trip:
-One of Shannon's bike wheels was left in the store in Guanajuato...another one was bought in Dolores Hidalgo
-We got lost and asked for directions several times. Everyone tried to get us back to the highway...they didn't understand that we were trying to do off-road biking.
-Mark's six holes in his wheel. Who even knows how he got so many thorns in there?!
-Seeing some of the most beautiful countryside everywhere
-Being chased by dogs
-Guido flagging down a passing truck with fruit and buying bananas and mangos off the back of it
-Seeing the church where Hidalgo came out with the banner of the Virgen of Guadalupe in 1810
-Having a carne asada...without any utensils! All natural :)
-Going to hot springs on one of the hottest days of the year
-Having a wonderful time with great friends, and laughing the entire day because it was all so bizarre!
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