Such an interesting day. We decided last night that we would cycle to the lagoon this morning, so away we went. Things were pretty much as we remembered, out on the highway - a new mini-mall going up, another building missing - but when we turned off to go down the dirt/gravel/mud/sand shortcut that we always take, we found that it was much more damp than usual; some of the sand traps had been spread out, so they were larger in area, if not as deep. There was a whole new lagoon off to our right. I guess the sea dug itself a new channel while we were away. Robin had a more difficult time than usual, threatened to wipe out a few times. I dismounted and walked my bike through the worst of it, as always.

As we arrived at the parking lot where we leave our bikes, I noticed that my brake levers were really high on the handlebars. It turned out that my handlebars were coming loose. I shrugged, figured I would deal with it when we got home. We spent a pleasant few minutes sitting on the stone wall at the top of the beach. I put my faux-crocs on and went for a walk in the surf. There were no dolphins today, unfortunately. In general, there have been fewer birds than we're used to seeing - and now no dolphins. Maybe all the wildlife around here is migratory, like us.

We decided to use the main road to come home. It's longer, but it's paved all the way. I got about the equivalent of two blocks along the road when my handlebars got really loose. They were turning forward and back - and slipping sideways as well. Riding was not an option. I managed to get hold of one of the brakes and brought myself to a stop without falling over. Robin offered to try to ride my bike, as he's more competent at it, but he couldn't hang on, either. He decided to ride his bike up to the highway and try to flag down somebody with a truck, while I continued walking with my bike. So that's what we did. I had nearly made it back to the highway when R appeared, waving to me from the bed of a pickup truck driven by a young man who had two small children in the cab. We piled my bike into the truck alongside Robin's, I climbed aboard, and we came bumpity-bumpity back to Totonaka, where Wade, our next door neighbour, tightened the handlebars with an Allen key (the one item not in our toolbox, of course). Anyway, all's well.

This led to my getting acquainted with Wade and his wife, Colleen, who live in Newfoundland. Lovely people.

Later, I decided that I needed a bit more exercise, so I donned my hat and backpack and set off for a walk. I walked to the store that carries oodles of lovely earrings, and I bought myself a pair (70 pesos). They are silver, dangly, shaped like flowers, with mother-of-pearl inlaid in the 'petals'. I met Robin along the way (he had cycled to the marina), and he suggested I pick up some eggs and lunch meat from the grocery store, so I stopped there on my way home. By that time, I was footsore (I really am out of shape!) and very warm, so before I left the store, I bought a six-pack of non-alcoholic beer. In bottles. It doesn't appear to come in cans. The upshot of that was that by the time I got home, I really, really needed a beer. So much for burning calories by walking! About a block from Totonaka, I noticed two vultures circling overhead. They must have been so disappointed when I turned in at the park and didn't actually expire at the side of the road.

Now, exercised and 'watered', I want a nap.