Making the derby sausage, in Spanish!

10/24/16

Las Los Lunas hotel to San Luis Potasí, SL Mex

338.7 kilometers ridden.

I had full blown dreams last night. Not the short spurting ones about things from my past I have been experiencing, but full on long dreams with recent relevant content. Lisa Deadwards was in it and have only known her for a few months and only a few days in person.

I got up at close to 9 am and worked out for a bit just to start getting back in the swing of it. Really minor workout but it made me realize how much my back was one big knot I needed to workout and stretch.

I went to shower and found that while the light and wall sockets in my room were working, the water was not. I went down to ask but was told it wouldn't be on anytime soon. I returned to my room to finish a last few tasks before packing and loading the bike. It appeared to have been untouched there in the lobby and so I loaded it up and prepared to leave.

As I reached into my pocket for my keys I came up with the room key I thought I had deposited on the counter instead. I sheepishly walked back over to exchange my room key for the keys to my motorcycle. The woman at the desk came around and opened both front doors for me as I got close to ready and I thanked her as I started the bike and proceeded to ride it up the single step out onto the walkway.

The mornings ride was uneventful and I chose to stop for lunch at a small roadside rest area on the toll road. There I met Andrés Martínez and his business partner who were returning to Mexico City from a BMW motorcycle event in Monterrey over the weekend. They were one of many groups of BMW riders that I either saw at stops or passed me today. I had a Cuban Sandwich and a bottle of tea.    Turns out there was free Wi-Fi at the stop and so I reached out to some folks Corrina had directed to me. I got some tentative plans laid on for Mexico City and possibly two other places in between. 

The rest of the ride went fairly smooth except a stop for the bathroom where there was no toilet paper. I felt very ok with having grabbed some that morning from the hotel just in case and proceeded to use my small supply. I used my card for a small snack and a tea just to see if it would work and was pleasantly surprised when it did. I made fuel stop late in the ride and was then greeted with my card not working..... I used most of the rest of my Pesos to pay for my fuel.

I rode into SanLois Potasí and found a McDonald's so that I could use their WiFi to plan my next move. I bought a 22 peso cheese burger to ease my mind about using their internet. I tried to contact Bank of America about my card being declined but had no way to do so through the app, their website, or my phone so I responded to their post response on my earlier comment to them on Facebook. Only time will tell if it helps at all. I was also alarmed to see a different credit card number on my account when on the app so I am fearing for the worst.

I was contacted by a skater from the San Lois Potasí derby league who Corina had reached out to and there would be practice tonight and I was welcome to come teach. They might even be able to get me set up with a place to stay. If not she directed me to two area hostels to try. I rode over to the practice space and offloaded my gear to be ready even though I was two hours early.

I used to time to write and tried to be unobtrusive as there were many young girls practicing figure skating as well as a group speed skating and I was a little worried someone would think me a gringo creeper. I watched the group of speed skaters practice in mixed heats with handicaps for the older boy was was clearly faster than the rest. Looked to be 3/4 track sprints on the long track. While I waited the sun went mostly down and the wind took on a cold edge to it as it cut through my mesh riding gear.

The skaters began to arrive and introduce themselves and talk a bit. We were late in getting practice started but once we did it was a great time. There was a second league practicing nearby in the same space and a few of them came over to join in for a bit before separating off to do their own thing a bit.  We practiced late and I only made a fool of myself with my poor Spanish a few times.  The skaters who helped translate were great help and everyone seemed to have a great time.

After practice I followed Pina Express to his house.  I had to ride the bike down a narrow interior passage way with a 90 degree bend to where it would stay the night in his living room.  There was no room for me to stay there with him so we loaded up in his car and drove the skater who was there with us to her home where she got dropped off.  Both Pina and the other skater wanted to give me shirts that they had made at Pina's print shop and I relented and accepted. Pina and I then drove to the house of Thunder Leon, where I would be staying the night. A bunch of the skaters all came over and we at tacos and drank some beer while talking in a mix of Spanish and English.

I got settled in for the night and did some writing before falling asleep on the futon in the living room for the night.