The Fellowship of the Bikes

Despite the lack of any real concrete planning and some underestimating of the difficulties and dangers of the quest, a fellowship of nine set out from Quetzaltenango early Sunday morning in order to traverse many miles and scale a mountain to volcanic feed springs. This fellowship of nine, including myself, had only bikes, some minor supplies, and one another to face whatever challenges may come.

Andrew, who had set up the renting of the bikes and was given the maps took lead while I volunteered to take up the rear in order to make sure no man or woman was left behind. Together the nine of us set out and within the first 30mins many were ready to quite. The roads were rough, the sun hot, the hills extremely steep, and the physical challenges a bit more than people had expected. However, we continued to motivate one another and I kept the stranglers going strong. Once past our first big mountain the riding became easier but dangerous. Going down what came to be nicknamed the "downhill of doom" came at great costs. Despite the beautiful scenery the road was not an easy one and my front brake completely snapped off while going down the hill. Luckily my long legs and back break came in handy to help me come to a stop. For the rest of the trip both extreme up hills and extreme downhills I was left with only a partially working back brake and my feet. A few companions such as Adrienne, Julie, and Joe made sure to be there as support for when I needed it.

In our adventures we traveled through two large towns located in different valleys. The people had next to nothing and the sanitation was far from sanitary as piss and sewage ran straight through the streets where peopled walked and ate. Despite this the people were extremely friendly and aided us on our quest. When Andrew had realized the map was inaccurate the aid of the locals became crucial. In the second town close to the base of the great mountain/volcano, there was ironically a great bike race going on hosted by the local cathedral. We in a strange way blended into the competition but as soon as the first major hill struck our fellowship dropped from their bikes and walked them up the hill.

It was a long and misty journey up the great mountain. By the time we reached half way we were so densely immersed in cloud that it became hard to see more than 15 feet in front of you. The air was thin and felt hard to breathe at times but we took it slow and made our way to the top where we entered the Fuentes...or the volcanic feed springs. They were extremely got and relaxing sulfur springs which helped give us rest after traveling I think near 17 miles. Two members of our fellowship broke off from the group unable to make the final leg of the journey into the belly of the beast. They returned via bus ahead of us to the hotel back in Quetzaltenango. As for the rest of the group we finished our quest and scaled back down the mountain through thick fog and the constant threat of a random cow or horse or car. Once at the bottom we jumped on a bus after loading our bikes and made the final leg home. All reached safely with great pride in completing the journey. It was a memorable and big bonding experience that will stick with the fellowship for the remainder of our lives.

Josh