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Thursday, November 1, 2001 - Look Delores, They're in Del Rio
33 miles. Comstock, TX to Western Motel,
Del Rio, TX.
We awoke to another morning of wind, no surprise there.
Apparently it is the common direction for the wind in these parts. We were
only planning on going to Del Rio, so there was no hurry to get going. In
the motel room next to us, there were a father/daughter team biking on a tandem
from east to west. We always enjoy meeting other cyclotourists. We
were able to swap stories and exchange route information.
Once we were on the road, we were pleasantly surprised
that the wind was not as strong as the previous 2 days. The terrain was
also less hilly. We were able to make fairly good time and the ride was
enjoyable. As we approached Del Rio we came across something unusual for the
area, a body of water. It is the Amistad Reservoir from the here dammed
Rio Grande. It was a mile ride to cross the bridge spanning the reservoir.
The amount of water lost thru evaporation in the summer must be
considerable since we have been told that a swimming pool can lose up to three
inches of water a day to the sun and air.
We arrived in Del Rio fairly early. Altho' we
normally don't like the big cities, it was great to get into the city to stock
up on food. We also were able to get a number of errands done, including
changing the chains on the bikes.
The big grocery store was like paradise to two cyclists
suffering from a the inevitable calories deficit left over from West Texas.
What a joy to be in a store surrounded by all kinds of good food. It
had a great bakery also, always much appreciated. We bought a cantaloupe
from a street vendor and hit up the BBQ across the street. It is hard not
to go wild in this situation. You want it all.
We found out that the inhuman winds of the previous two
days were topping out at a steady 30-40 MPH. Ouch! At the motel, as
I worked on the bikes, the guy next door was saying how, being from Las Cruces,
NM, he could feel the increased humidity in Del Rio. It was all of 31%.
Asking how far we were going, I gave him the stock answer, "LA to Key
West."
"If someone told me I had to do that I would just
as soon that they shoot me in the head!" he said.
Replied I, "Instead of that just do it. It
takes a lot longer but the effect is the same and it's a lot more painful."
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