So... we're signed up for the mid-August Cycle Greater Yellowstone ride with cousins Ron & Carol. From Sunday to Saturday, with one rest day mid-week, we will ride more than 400 miles including at least one mountain pass each day. While we were avid cyclists prior to our move on-board, we've not ridden our bikes since. To say we need to get in a good bit of training between now and then is an understatement.
We combine our interest in learning more about Guatemala, and specifically about the area around Antigua, with this training need. This morning, with OX Outdoor Excursions, we do the Ciudad Peredid or "lost cities" ride. It's billed as an easy / beginner cultural ride, scheduled for 4 hours. Antigua is at around 500 feet in elevation so we'll get the added benefit of an an altitude ride.
Everyone is on time for the 8am start. This is earlier then they usually start this ride but we're the only ones on it this morning and the ride leader agreed to start early so that we're back in time for our afternoon Spanish lessons. After quick adjustments to the level of the seats on the mountain bikes, off we go.
Our guide is knowledgable about the history of the important places along the route, mostly churches and central plazas built by the Spaniards when they invaded, including the first capital of Guatemala, now called Ciudad Viejo. It was the capital until it was completely destroyed in the 1542 mudslide caused by a break in the wall of the crater lake on top of Volcan Agua, sending a massive wave of water, mud, trees, etc onto the town at 3am killing nearly everyone in one fell swoop. After this event a new capital was built in Antigua. In one of the pueblos we are lucky to see the creation of Alfombra de Flores (carpet of flowers) which is laid on specific streets the morning of important religious processions. The processions walk on these "carpets" to the church. After, the remnants are quickly swept up and the streets are clean once again. The only recording of each unique Alfombra de Flores is memory, and perhaps a few tourist photos.
We stop at the "chicken bus factory", one of the places former US school buses arrive (purchased at auction) to be rebuilt, repainted and audio-equipment-enhanced for use as local buses. Next stop, the Valhalla macadamia nut farm, officially known as the Valhalla Project, where they grow these trees (and give seedings away to the indigenous people), harvest the nuts to manufacture (edible) nuts, lotions, oils and more, and sell the products to the public. It is a beautiful place with worthy goals to assist indigenous people in developing self-sustaining agriculture, reverse global warming and to educate the Guatemalan public about the environment. They are making a difference here. For more info
click here We then ride past large flower farms (one of Guatemala's primary export), coffee farms (another important export) then produce & herb farms as we circle back toward Antigua. This land is lush and fertile with many agricultural crops grown year around.
Cobblestone (not brick "stones", actual stones of various widths & sizes) streets, dirt roads and paths, narrow paved roads and short stretches of truck-filled highways were the surfaces of this ride. I do have to say that while the bikes supplied were nice ones and must have taken much of the shock of the cobblestone streets, each and every part of our bodies felt every stone, especially at the end of the ride, which we complete in 3 hours. Even with our sore bums, wrists & hands it's great to be back on a bike. We start and end the ride with smiles.