Meeting My Mom!

After a delicious breakfast with Jerry and Sue, the generous warmshowers hosts we stayed with last night in Salinas, we got on the road.  It was raining, weirdly; apparently it hardly ever rains in this part of California, and never in the morning.  We didn't mind, though.  Anything to assuage the drought!  We were also very excited to get to the ocean, and rain couldn't dampen our spirits.  Would we see the water from the top of this hill?  This next one?  Finally we spotted it and rode down to it, taking advantage of a bike path through the coastal chaparral and dunes.

It was more exciting than this dreary picture indicates.  Anyway, we followed the bike path all the way to Monterey, reaching a bike shop around 11.  There they whipped up a quick and creative fix for Tam's broken eyelet, saving her from having to buy a new rack or find a skilled welder to put the eyelet back on.

As we were wrapping up at the bike shop, in walked my friend Jacob.  He was a member of a canoe trip I had guided over three summers ago, and is now living in Monterey and studying Arabic at the Presidio.

We caught up over lunch, engrossed in sharing the details of our lives, then took a walk around the wharf.  The sun was out now, and the seals were lazing around in the bay.  It was wonderful to spend some time with him; next time in Morocco!  

While we were walking, Tam caught up with her friend Colin from college, who was nice enough to drive a few hours from San Francisco to meet us!

After these reunions, we headed over to our hotel, cleaned up a bit from the morning rain and dried our gear, then went to the airport.  We have been looking forward to October 25 for a long time; my mom was flying in today!  Unfortunately her flight was a few hours delayed, but she arrived safely.  After all the long-separated friends we saw today, meeting my mom was the icing on the cake.  We put her bike together and biked out of the terminal; for the next few weeks, we will be a group of three rather than two!

Thai food and logistics of gear and the next few days filled the evening.  What a wonderful day!  How many people get to go on a two week bike tour with their mother?!  I consider myself very fortunate.