100ºF EN BICICLETAS

Last night, Makaela messaged me, informing me it would be 100ºF today. Knowing there would be a bike tour, we decided the best option was as little clothing as socially expectable and a ton of sunscreen. Doing just that, we headed to school. It was already hot out on our morning walk, and we couldn't imagine what it would be like mid-day.

Today's school day was similar to last Monday's because new students arrived. In our first class, we had a new teacher while the others gave new students the placement test. During that class, we talked about the festival Noche de San Juan, which is this Friday and Saturday. The festival celebrates the summer solstice. There are fires on the beach, fireworks, and parties around town. People jump over the fires on the beach to represent a new start. I'm hoping that I'll get to see some of it because it is a big celebration here.

Walking into our second class, we realized just how many new students there are. For two weeks, we have been split into two different classes. Now there are four different classes. However, everyone in my class is from somewhere in the United States, except one boy from Russia. In fact, there are two sixteen year old girls from Boulder, Colorado, Ruby and Celeste. Makaela and I talked to them quite a bit throughout the day, and we decided their friendship reminds us a lot of Makaela and I's friendship. During that second class, we got to know all the students and talked about grammar and vocabulary surrounding weather. Since there are more classes now, it is a teacher we haven't had yet.

Moving in to project time, this week's theme is music. So far our group's idea is to make up a song to the Despacito beat. That will definitely be an interesting one.

After the school day, we walked down to the park for lunch, like usual. However, today we immediately felt the heat when we stepped out on the street. Everyone went directly to shade in the park. We all ate lunch, put on a ton of sunscreen, and complained a little bit about actually having to ride bikes in this weather. We were sweating just sitting there in the shade.

Of course, the reality of having to do it sunk in, and we made our way to the bike rental. While miserable in the sun, it was slightly better in the shade while walking to the rental shop.There were two tandem bikes, and Makaela and I thought about doing one while Ruby and Celeste did the other. Due to the extreme heat, we decided it was best to go the easier route and settle for just a picture on the tandem bike.

Everyone having bikes now, we began our ride. I can't imagine how ridiculous we looked. There were so many of us, in such a long line, riding down the streets in the bike lane. Such tourists. We took the path along the coast, which Makaela and I walked our first day of paddle boarding and to the aquarium. Once around the mountain, we all stopped and rushed to a vendor for ice cream and water. It was really hot. Immediately downing a whole water bottle, I bought another for the rest of the ride. Back on bikes, we rode all the way down La Concha to the third beach. Here we stopped and some went down into the ocean. Unfortunately, I was in sneakers so settled for the shade. We then continued back through town to a shaded park. Here we stopped and made a circle. Everyone in the group got introduced, so we can try to start learning names. This week there are students from Sweden, France, The Czech Republic, Russia, and the United States. It is possible there are other countries mixed in there as well that I don't remember right now. From the park, we biked up a large hill to get to a tunnel and the bike path back. The tunnel was so shaded and cool, which felt super nice. To our disappointment, the bike path was closed once we got through the tunnel. Turning around, we rode back down the hill. While the breeze down felt nice, that was a hard hill to climb just to come back down. None the less, we headed back to the bike rental shop a similar way we had come. It wasn't a tour exactly, but it was a nice bike ride. Although extremely hot in places, it definitely could have been worse, and, as a bonus, I managed not to get sunburned.

Sweaty and tired, Makaela and I went to an ice cream shop with Ruby and Celeste where the three of them got ice cream. We all then walked back toward La Concha, the ice cream melting in Ruby's hands. Ruby and Celeste headed to the beach, and Makaela and I headed to the market because we didn't have beach stuff. There, Makaela and I got a little snack, empanadas and juice of course, then headed back to our families' apartments.

Feeling so sweaty and sticky from the day, a shower before dinner has never felt better.