Our first sunrise over South America

We almost didn´t get out of Tucson

Just as we were about to leave the gate at Tucson, a large monsoon thunderstorm hit the airport. All the ground crew were removed for fear of lightning, and we had to wait. When the aircraft began to shake, nobody seemed to mind not flying for awhile, including a relieved sounding pilot. It made for a tight connection at LAX, particularly since I was pulled aside for four ounces of zinc oxide. Cyclists will know why I brought that.

Shakedown Ride for Zippy

So, will this be the tour that starts in a monsoon and finishes in a hurricane? Claire here, so far all I’ve forgotten is my hairbrush, but I`ve decided that for now I don’t need it. Bob put the bike back together in record time. We arrived around 9:00 and he was done by noon. We slept the rest of the day, had cold showers and went out for dinner (burger and fries). Today we took a shakedown ride and everything works. Zippy appears to have an especially romantic appeal here.

We’re back in the land of sticky-keyboard and dim-bulb-hostels. I didn’t think the garua, or seasonal coastal fog, would bother me, but already I’m looking forward to sun. I understand it is just 25 kilometers inland. After recently writing a piece on candles, I couldn’t help asking the staff to put out the candles before I went to bed last night. Now all I have to worry about is earthquakes.