December 6

The 65 miles turned out to be 75. My rear fender was scraping against the tire, and in trying to adjust it I broke one of its struts, so I had to remove it, which took 45 minutes. By that time a 10mph headwind had come up, against which I was struggling harder and harder, until I stopped and discovered that the BOB tire was going flat again. There is a beautiful rest area on the highway, where I stopped to wash the grease off my hands and arms, with Mexican tile in the bathrooms, which I could see through the locked door. Not an idyllic day, but it had its moments. The country is incredibly beautiful.