Langtry to Sanderson, TX

by John

We had a good wind at our back today and did less than 60 miles, but we gradually climbed all day and the pavement was medium-rough, so it wasn't an easy day. After the Judge Bean center we stocked up on groceries at a tiny store in Langtry and I ate a BBQ sandwich at 10 am for my mid-morning snack. We had another lovely, dry day of riding in the canyon country, so no iPods were necessary.

We stopped at a rest stop, just picnic tables and a shade canopy for lunch, and met Sam, a character that Dwayne had warned us about. A young man from Austin, TX, he is riding and Xtracle (extra long cargo bike) with another large trailer tacked on behind, filled with 2 weeks of food, seven gallons of water, eight cameras, a solar panel, a generator, etc. He says he covers about 30 miles day with all this gear. He's on his way to Big Bend state park to take photos. When we met him he was eating a whole pot of mac and cheese ("for the mac and cheese rush) he said and he told us he was also using substances that are not allowed on the Tour De France.

Among many strange anecdotes he shared during our lunch break he revealed that he once almost lost his leg after breaking it in a recumbent crash and having infection set in. Hallucinogens seem to have taken their toll on this man's brain but he seems like a happy guy. Did mention that he has "Jesus is Lord" scrawled on his trailer and told us that God is his "hell insurance." He reminded me of the bumper sticker that says, "Keep Austin weird." He's certainly doing his part.

Tonight we're staying at an RV park in Sanderson, a relative metropolis of about 800 people, but there was still only one bar open, El Patio. When we arrived everyone was speaking Spanish, so I introduced us as touring bicyclists and said that Liz speaks pretty good Espanol. I believe just one of the guys there, an electrician who works for the border patrol, didn't speak English, but the rest of them humored me by tolerating several minutes of conversation with me in my broken Spanish. While I generally wouldn't try this in Chicago, being so close to the border it seemed to make more sense to act as if I was in another country, and I think people were more amused than offended.

After the electrician left the conversation reveted to English. Oscar, who served in the army in the Philippines, arrived and held court in the bar, which was soon occupied by him, me, Liz, and the kindly bartender Norma. Conversation switched to Mexican-American political issues in Sanderson and the nation. Among other things, Oscar told us why he finds the term "Latino" offensive (he prefers to identify specifically as "Chicano," i.e. Mexican-American, and why the story of the Alamo has traditionally been told from a racist perspective. Although he was often critical of the white establishment, his tone was always friendly and talking with him and the barmaid was an eye-opener. Mostly we tried to just listen.

After we returned to our RV camp I cooked up a hearty dinner of bean and cheese burritos and did laundry. Now it's time for bed.