PowerCycle

09/01 I did end up riding into town both to check out the museum and to find some new brake pads. Failed on both. I couldn’t find the museum but then again I suppose I didn’t try very hard. The rear brake pads I bought like 2 weeks ago wore down to the medal which has me wondering if I was ripped off. I’ve never had brake pads wear out that fast and it wasn’t that hilly. The front ones were OK so I popped them on the back. The first 12 miles was all downhill but nothing one set of brakes couldn’t handle. I had to walk my bike down the hill leaving Hotel Lenca this morning. No way was I riding down that steep, wet, cobblestone monster.

Depending on how nice the border guard is I might be back in Honduras tomorrow. I didn’t get stamped into El Salvador and even with CA-4 I think you have to get an entry stamp. Since no one was stationed at the crossing coming in I might have to either pay a fine or be stuck here forever. I have a note ready in Spanish professing my ignorance but hopefully I won’t need it.

Being in El Salvador for such a short time kind of stinks but this border agreement (CA-4) where you only have 90 days to spend in 4 countries sucks. Why on Earth would they want to drive out tourists so fast? Every day we’re here we spend money. I didn’t really get a taste of the culture or the people either. I came in at a place that probably has more reason to be anti-American than anywhere else in the country and I did notice that drivers didn’t wave/honk as much as in Honduras but 2 days is hardly a good time frame. Everyone waved back if I waved first so that was good.

Nothing exciting on the road today. It’s getting flatter (and hotter) so I can get more miles in. It’s also 5pm and the sun is still out–amazing. When I arrived in Santa Rosa I hit an ATM and went looking for a hotel. Oh, and why on Earth do stupid ATMs have to say “Insufficient funds available” when the actual machine is out of money? That scared the crap out of me. El Salvador also uses the US dollar as its currency so I have some green backs again. Speaking of money problems, I didn’t notice a $0.24 balance on my credit card so they hit me with a $30 fee when it was late. I emailed them and told them how sorry I was and they cleared the fee and the $0.24. Thanks IBM Credit Union.

Anyway, a kid asked if I was looking for a hotel so I followed him over to the one his mom manages. Decent enough place for $15. Even has AC. The same kid also walked me over to a bike shop to get 2 new sets of brake pads. I bought him and his mom 4 Cokes to say thanks.

A couple days ago something kind of cool happened that I forgot to mention. It was on the crazy road just before the border in Honduras. At the top of a hill a car stopped and the driver gave me a bunch of bananas. We talked for a bit (Spanish) and he took off. That was pretty nice.

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