Empty nest in touch with its flock: Pedales por el Sahara

On May 1st, when the entire world but the US celebrates Labor Day, Steve and I went on a bike ride with Pedales por el Sahara. It was a 43k ride.

When we arrived, I thought I was going to be in the middle of a very competitive crowd, since they were only 20 women, and around 140 males. I was very nervous, since I hate to slow down the pace of a group. My fears were completely unfounded, since it was a very pleasurable if not slow ride.

Two things I noticed in this trip were that I was either in good shape, or have done too many bike rides, since I felt like a pro. They were a couple of occasions in which some people slowed down incredible just because it was water or mud ahead, and they couldn´t handle it. The entire row of bikers started screaming: ¡¡agua!! ¡agua! By the tone, you thought it was a huge deep water hole. By the time we arrived, we figured it was just like Peter and the Wolf, combined with the Whimpy Kid. Hahaha.

At the start

Anyway, that was my first impression. The second one, it´s the obsession, to the point to be obnoxious of some Spanish people with beer. We started the ride at 10:15 am and they were already people talking about the beer they will drink when we return. An hour later we made a bathroom stop, and many people drunk a beer. By the time they gave us a bocadillo with a soda, nobody wanted to do the long stretch of the planned ride (50k) just the short one. And everybody was whining for a beer, and the paella that was waiting for us at the end of the ride at the Tamarguillo Park.

La paella

Really weird. No wonder that according to a report by the Spanish Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente, in 2012, the southern part of Spain is were people drink more beer in Spain (around 7 millions HL per year).

All in all it was a good bike ride. Very appropriate for all farts like us who are becoming less competitive, with no too much money, who wants to do some good to the world while still exercising and receiving food in exchange. The whole deal cost 10€, and they gave us the soda and bocadillo, a T-shirt, and paella at the end. All the money, if they make any, was going to proceed for the vacationing of saharaui children who comes to Spain in July and August to have a brake from their turbulent lives in refugee camps.I wish we could host some of these children in our home...But if I have to work until July 23rd, it wouldn´t be fair for the children. I will figure out if they can join the summer camp the school has, and then be with us. Who knows. I sent an email to la Asociación de Amistad con el Pueblo Saharaui de Sevilla to find out more.