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Technically this one doesn't count. I have picked up two hobbies since I moved to Honduras. One is bike rides and the other is taking photos of roaming livestock while on my bike rides. I'll admit that the bike ride itself isn't a new hobby. I have been riding a bike since I was a kid, but a Honduran bike ride is a whole new experience. You see and learn a lot, sometimes things you like and sometimes things you don't.
The livestock, for example, is something I really like. It always seems like they are going to give me a thrash or two for passing by with my camera in their face, but they never do... well, so far. They add a little spice to my bullion cube (pun intended) of cycling adventure. I also keep track of the colors. darker shades are more common, so browns and blacks are worth five points. Sometimes you get a tan one, those are worth seven. A pure white one is worth ten, but if he is covered in dirt, or has Grey flecks he's only worth eight. The points only count if I get the photo without dismounting or stopping. I'm allowed to loop around for
3 for 1
Here we see two "5 pointers" and "an 8er" stopping for a snack. a second attempt if needed, but that's it. Blurry photos and half end photos don't count. The point system is based on rarity, not color preference, so don't bother calling Jessie Jackson.
On Saturday I saw a whole bunch of cows crossing a river. I had to stop and watch, but unfortunately I didn't have the camera. It was pretty cool to see the calves struggle to get across. They would skid around and slide into the bigger cows... good times. Even though I'm a country boy I guess I'm still interested in cows. Maybe more so than someone who is unaccustomed to them. I had a college friend, Pinky from Brooklyn, who (when taken on a late night bike ride to a cow farm) was afraid to even touch a calf. So maybe this interest in livestock in my blood, after all I do get really excited when I see goats. I always try to explain to Karina that our family used to have tons of goats and we even let the kids in the house... but I stop short when I realize there is no translation for "Nanny Berries."
My bike rides have really opened up
8er spotted
This young "8er" is very photogenic. Honduras for me. They have even brought me closer to my local community. Just this last weekend my question, in relation to the flood victims of October, was answered. I wondered where everyone went after the flood. I lived in New Orleans after Katrina and I expected some type of trailers to be trucked in from somewhere... Instead they just moved up to higher ground and set up camp. Just outside of the city I rode past about three camps, out in the middle of fields. They had made homes and tents out of whatever tarps and garbage they could find and that's how they have been living since the flood in October.
After working and living in New Orleans, and my visits to Juarez, Pine Ridge, and sugarcane villages in the Dominican I'm used to seeing people live in poor conditions, but it still effects me. I hate to see people living in houses made of garbage, covered in deadly mold, or made of bleach white plastic shells. However, there is one thing that I've seen in all these places. One thing that holds true from Juarez to Pine Ridge is the human spirit. People are strong and
Cart Rules
In a competition special cart rules would apply. Otherwise this is 15 points. we were created to survive in some of the toughest conditions. I was reminded of this when I saw a group of men relaxing just outside the camp here in Comayagua. They were spending the Saturday talking about church, family and friends just like any other family here in Comayagua would. I think the only difference is that they might understand the importance of these things a bit more deeply than some of us living here in the city.
Sometimes the people who have nothing, in fact have more than the rest of us. My best behaved students are most often the poorest; they are grateful for a bilingual education and they want to learn. Situations like the one out at the camp teach us the importance of family and community. I have a student, Hidemi, who recently broke his foot. He uses crutches, because the broken bones just wont allow him to walk and when someone kicks his crutches away he leans on a friend. That's what we do when floods take away our houses, or when fires burn down our homes. We lean even harder on our family and friends.
However, I should point out that
Booyah
Here she is folks, the coveted "10 pointer." when Hidemi leans on a friend he is eventually lead into some hilarious disaster at the hands of that same friend.
So, you see a lot on a Central American bike ride that is worth pondering. Eventually, if you ride far enough, you learn that mountains can be your best friend and your worst enemy at the same time. If you keep your eyes peeled you will see little kids picking mango or carrying huge bundles of sticks to the grill. If you listen carefully you will hear more birds than you can count on your fingers and toes. But most importantly, if you don't have a cold, you will smell the livestock just in time to get your camera ready. I recommend it to anyone up to the challenge.
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Eric Chaffee
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No Bull
Amigo, Booyah ain't no "she!" If you look closely, country boy, this is certainly a bull. And that's NO BULL. So, Clint, linked below is the very best Bull story I've ever heard. It's about a couple who own a bull named Chance, which is so docile that the use him for photo ops at fund raisers. They actually let the public on his back, and he never, ever, bucks or mis-behaves. And then Chance dies, and they get him cloned! (NO BULL!!!!) And they name his son Second Chance. But things don't go so well with this one. You just gotta listen to this tape! (This is not fiction.) Here's the link from This American Life: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=291 (If the link doesn't work, just google "Ira Glass" + Bull, and click episode #291. There is an earlier episode from 2007, but the current one (291) tells the story of both animals. ~eric.