Thursday, January 15, 2009

Sea to Sea Day 8, January 5, 2009

Boaco to Managua

I can't believe this day has come. The days have passed so quickly. Today we made it to Managua. We are so close to the end that it seems unreal.

The closer we get to Managua the more traffic we saw on the road. One thing I love about being in Nicaragua is that it is a small country. When I'm out and about in Managua rarely do I go anywhere that I don't see someone I know. With each kilometer bringing us closer to Managua the terrain not only became more familiar but we also saw a few familiar faces as well. One family from the missionary community drove by and recognized us and honked and cheered us on. Another missionary doctor stopped and chatted with us for a while sharing that he was hoping to see us on his way out today.

Once again we traveled in 2 large groups trying to stay together. There was one long stretch of flat road and the front crew was cruising. The guys were so excited to be going so fast. I was in my highest gears and peddling as fast as I could and my bike could not stay up with them. My bike only has 5 gears where the average bike as 7-9 gears. Soon enough we came upon some hills that slowed us all down again and I had some great conversations with some of the other riders. About 20 kilometers outside of Managua we all gathered as one group as we headed out onto the super busy Pan American Highway. Our route had us on this highway for 5 kilometers before we took an old side rode that shot out out right on the outskirts of Managua. It was a breath-taking experience to look back and see the whole team cycling together. We've come so far and not any one of us without the help of the other. We've come this far as a TEAM.





When we arrived at the hotel for the day we were welcomed with big banners, flags and the AMC staff cheering us on. No one was expecting this so it was an amazing surprise. I felt a huge smile come over my face that didn't fade the rest of the day. Several local news stations came out later to interview us and to video some of us riding around the parking lot. They missed the first entrance so the tried to re-create it. :-)



Tonight we chowed down on yummy green salad and some tasty veggies. Gallo pinto is the meal of champions but I do love my veggies. Devotions tonight was a thoughtful reflection on Thankfulness followed by some hysterical laughter. John had us get into groups and write songs and do commercials for some of the products that became hits during the trip. Pro Max Energy bars were a hit on many levels. Bag Balm or Bum Butter as it was affectionately called was a real bum-saver. We took some video so when it is released I'll share it with you. If you really want to hear more though just ask and if I can stop laughing long enough to get the stories out I'll share them.

Now we are in the home stretch. 1 day remains.
Well it is off to bed. We start out at 4:30 am tomorrow so we better get our beauty rest.




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