5

Anyway, Rusty, I'm proud of ya) but damn if Zerial didn't catch him right at the finish to pull off the win. So the old school got schooled. I have to give credit to Linda and Rusty for putting on an event and not just a race. I think we could take a lesson from them in that they include more than just the racers. First prize was $5000J which is about $125 US and I won dinner for two at the NEGRIL YACHT CLUB. In the end the locals had a good laugh as their man pulled off two last minute passes and then we all went to the ONE LOVE bar for a post race party. I think the high point of the trip for me was at this party since there were a bunch of kids who wanted to ride our bikes. Bare feet and more than two sizes too small for the frames, the kids took turns wheelying and track standing our bikes for the rest of the afternoon. The dude from MOUNTAIN BIKE mag was taking some shots so maybe everyone will get to see how cool this was. After the party Alan and I wobbled back on our bikes and fell into that sweet ocean I was telling you about. Maybe that was the high point. All I know is it was downhill (no pun, of course) from there for me. I was on my way to a temp over 103 deg thanks to an ear infection. For the next three days I was more delirious than usual and I went from sweats to chills faster than I could swat the mesquitos who were feasting on me. Fever is such a powerful hallucinogen. I remember having this dream that I was riding thru a jungle but I didn't have a bike but there were bike parts growing on all the bushes and plants so I was trying to pick up and carry enough parts to build a bike but I couldn't find any chains or tires and so I'm slogging thru the heat carrying all this stuff so I'd put some of it down and then I'd find the tires and chains but then I still needed the parts I had dropped and couldn't find them.

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