December 24

A storm last night, with high winds, rain, and bit of thunder and lightning. It was cold this morning, for these latitudes. I wore a jacket over a sweatshirt, and thought of putting on sweat pants under my jeans. This place is unheated. I stayed here all morning, drinking tea and studying Spanish. And then at noon Ruben and Alicia came over and took me out to breakfast. Their breakfast, my second lunch. They will be back shortly and we are going for an eighteen km bike ride.

A beautiful ride. We started late, but the wind died down and the sky cleared. We rode north of the city on an unpaved country road that parallels the face of the mountains about a kilometer east of them. These are mountains without foothills, and a level plain lies to the east as far as I could see. There are large fields and cattle ranches out there, and blue mesas on the northeast horizon, at least 60 km away. We rode through a small herd of cattle, and past small ranchos with dogs and chickens and music, to a camp owned by Alicia's father. The sun set behind the mountains as we rode back, its yellow light filtering through the passes between the peaks. They are more rugged, than the Rockies, but not as massive, and in their way just as impressive. Eso si es Mexico. Ruben gave me a baseball cap for Christmas, on an impulse, after I wished them una feliz Navidad as we parted. It is a very well made Mexican duplicate of the Swiss army cap. In camouflage. I need a cap and I like it. It will be a hit in Texas and New Mexico. True camouflage.

The fireworks have begun, another Mexican tradition. Ruben pointed out the church where those bells are being rung, but I'm too tired to go. Besides, I've got my Christmas cold. I'll sleep in my sleeping bag tonight.