Hot hot hot and beautiful New Mexico

Day 1: Santa Fe, New Mexico to Abiquiu, New Mexico 

Miles: 53.01

Conditions: clear and sunny, high of 100F? Moderate to strong headwind 

Injuries sustained: sunburns, blisters, bruises

My friend Nick drove me to Santa Fe this morning, where we had a nice lunch and then parted ways at about 2pm. I had google maps instructing me on a headphone, which made navigating a breeze. I took frontage roads and small neighborhood roads, which were absolutely beautiful. New Mexican houses often have colorful accents, even the most ramshackle houses. Northern New Mexico also has an abundance of amazing artists, so there are frequently works of art to admire.

About halfway through my ride, I was already exhausted from the heat and sunburnt (although I applied sunscreen three times!). I stopped at a Burger King for an ice cold drink and to refill my water bottles and had my first strangely bewildering encounter.

"I'm 158!" A man with a strong Spanglish accent and a large pudgy stomach insisted to me, upon making eye contact. He later admitted to exaggerating his age by 100 years and told me I must be 16 years old. He said he had 21 siblings and he was the smartest because he'd never been married so he could do anything he wanted. He was even driving down to Albuquerque (easily an hour and a half drive) to eat at Golden Corral because he liked it so much, and he'd never be able to do that if he was married. He said he could buy cars whenever he wanted, and he had 12 cars, 18 dogs, and a 10-room house. 

At last, he said "okay mijita, goodbye" (three times) and left me in peace. Three minutes later he was back, with a stack of pictures, which he showed me before finally leaving for real. (He was really entertaining in a way he probably didn't intend, although how much of what he said was genuine?)

The next 20 miles were difficult. The headwind picked up, and the shade disappeared. The roads were still incredible and drivers were very courteous. At times I was discouraged from being burnt and hot and I was resting when cars would honk encouragingly at me. This doesn't happen in the north!

A million years later, I made it to Abiquiu. I rode up to my host's house to find an incredibly beautiful building, accented turquoise, with intricate wood worked doors and cabinets. Erin and Mehedi, two artists and fellow touring cyclists, welcomed me into their home and invited me to shower (which I did). We had a dinner of make-your-own-spring rolls, which were as incredible as their house. 

Today reminded me why I love cycle touring so much. Incredible, incredible people and scenery, a single minded goal of one pedal after another, and the satisfaction at the end of it all.

I'm having trouble adding images so for now they'll be on Instagram: https://instagram.com/p/BVd_cDrj237/