April 17, 2024
In Merida (hike and hike/bike)
We’ve got our first layover day in awhile, and are quite happy about it. We have different plans for the day. Rachael plans a modest 13+ mile hike, I’m taking my bike for a virtual hike down to the river to look for birds, and Susan and the Gibson Kertesz team have their own plans for the day that they can fill you in on at some point.
First though, breakfast. The other three plan an excursion to a nearby coffee shop, but we’re eating in the room. Rachael’s been looking forward to two days of scrambled egg breakfasts but unfortunately the dozen in the fridge froze last night. Rachael hard boiled half of them for this morning, but we tossed the other half the next day because we didn’t trust them after they’d thawed out.
Rachael, as you know by now, knows what to do with a day off when she has one available: take a 13+ mile hike, of course. Today she took an out and back to the Proserpina Reservoir, the water source that originally fed the Proserpina aquaduct we saw last night.
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I wasn’t quite as ambitious, which probably won’t surprise you either. I only went eight miles, and by bike - a modest amount of exercise that easily meets the team’s technical definition of a rest day. They were a terrific eight miles though, spent getting a better look at the bridge and then slowly cruising through the riverside parks looking for birds. I found some - four new species for the year, of which two are lifers for me. I expected to eventually see the first grey heron and grey lag goose of the year, but I was thrilled by the brilliant golden oriole and striking little penduline tit.
And, it was an excellent birding day over all, with 28 different species.*
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We were both back at our room with barely enough time to make it to our lunch date with our friends. The meal and company were both excellent, but the news from the bike shop was glum. They’re unable to obtain the necessary part and are unable to repair Janos’s bike. It’s not clear yet what this means for the rest of the time we planned to be together, but Janos is done cycling until they return home and he gets it repaired there. Very sad.
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2 weeks ago
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* Might as well remember them: Eurasian blackbird, Eurasian coot, Eurasian penduline tit, Rock dove, Common wood pigeon, Eurasian collared dove, Jackdaw, Mallard, Little egret,Western cattle egret, Grey heron, Black crowned night heron, Barn swallow, Western house-martin, Alpine swift,Common swift, Graylag goose, House sparrow, Eurasian magpie, Glossy ibis, Eurasian golden oriole, Crested lark, European pied flycatcher, Common moorhen, White stork, Eurasian greenfinch, Great cormorant, Spotless starling.
Today's ride: 8 miles (13 km)
Total: 945 miles (1,521 km)
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2 days ago
2 days ago
I've used that tactic successfully a few times, and it's one reason that I try to have both RWGPS and my Garmin recording a ride- I'm never entirely certain whether one or the other will fail on me so it's always good to have a backup plan. Sometimes they both crap out, though, in which case I'll post my planned route as an alternative to having nothing at all.
1 day ago