Ironwomen.

Yesterday afternoon six of us intrepid MCC women set out for a 28-mile bike ride through the Artibonite Valley, from Mirabelais to Desarmes:

I'm not really that short. It's just the wide-angle camera
lens and the tall Rachel standing next to me.

Sometimes we stuck together, sometimes we spread out, but either
way we were the biggest spectacle to hit the Artibonite since Fet Dezam.

Pancha won the award for Toughest Cyclist, considering the size and
weight of the brand-spankin'-new cargo bike she pedaled the whole way. (And good job on successfully completing Bike #2, Ben!)

Margot was the second toughest with her long-tail
cargo bike...this cow was pretty interested in the whole affair.

- or was the cow more interested in Esther's balancing act?

The trip was challenging and definitely stretched us
(couldn't resist!), but was a great time.

These photos are courtesy of Ben Depp, and I'll add links to the photos other folks took as they become available online.

These photos are also proof that we returned safe and sound to Haiti. It was really helpful to have people around for the sixty-to-zero, Philadelphia-to-Dezam transition that was challenging last time. We're hopeful this bodes well for the next few months!

Where oh where is my bike?

Well, to be truthful I do own several bikes back in the U.S., but right now I don't have one. As we drive around, all I look for are bikes. Not just any bike, but the "needle in the haystack" bike. After seeing a few hundred Huffies, Magnas, and Pacifics I've been able to spot a few non-Wal- mart bikes. These are truly rare--and if the brake cables and derailleurs are still attached, that is an amazing bonus. Most bikes here are missing brakes, have the chain locked into one gear, and have a pretty rad BMX handlebar addition...true cruisers. In Port-au-Prince, there aren't many bikes as the hills are killer--think San Francisco with potholes and/or no pavement. Other, flatter, towns have more bikes, and that is where my search will go when I can actually buy a bike.

This is not anything earth shattering, but bikes were a big part of my previous life and I hope to bike again....I'm thinking of a nice simple fixed-gear to blend in (bike with no gears/brakes). I just need some big tough tires and an expensive (eek!) fixed gear hub, but maybe not...it would be fun, though. Until next time.

Bryan