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| View along the Caribbean side - for early morning joggers |
In the early
mornings right around sunrise until an hour after, the roadways along the
Caribbean side of the island are littered with people. People walking. People running.
People cycling. Some are exercising for
health, others are using their feet or bicycles to get to their jobs.
Groups of joggers
are scattered along the route: three women, a man, two women and several solo
guys pound along the roadways dodging stray dogs, and potholes. Decked out in
the latest brightly coloured athletic gear with coordinating leggings, tank tops,
hoodies, and footwear these folks are serious about their fitness routine.
Their large iPhone or equivalent smartphones are strapped to a bicep, earbuds
jammed into ear canals and music pounding out the beat as they run along the
outer perimeter road to Punta Sur and back.
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| Other bike riders in centro |
Four youngsters
sharing two single-gear bicycles, each with a passenger balanced on the foot
pegs poking out from the rear axle of the bike, slowly grind southwards headed
to one of the numerous construction sites near Punta Sur. The rider stands
straight and still, with hands resting on the peddler’s shoulders. It’s a way
of getting to and from their manual-labour jobs. It’s hard to know which part
of this duo works the hardest. The one peddling the bike. Or the one balanced
on round metal pegs. As kids we did the same thing, but the goal was to get to
the playground quicker, not to arrive at work six days a week by eight in the
morning.
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| Ab exercises at work |
A group of
construction workers, in their twenties, trudge southwards towards their job
wearing jeans, battered t-shirts and sometimes runners but more often than not
cheap disposable sandals. They have a measured pace, arriving at the job for
the eight o’clock start time. They will labour until sundown, and frequently
later. It’s not uncommon to see workers toiling under inadequate lighting until
late in the evening.
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| Ab exercises on the beach |
Vehicles, golf
carts, and motos are beginning to make their appearance on the roadways as parents
make the frantic dash to school. If the child doesn’t arrive before the gates
are locked, then the parent is stuck with sorting out childminding problems for
the day.
Our friend, Yaron
pushes past on his multi-speed bike, his muscular legs churning like pistons.
He zooms up and down this road from first light until he finishes his routine
number of laps, or time. His fitness level is impressive. He lifts the fingers
of his left hand in a half-wave and smiles while fiercely concentrating on the
bumps and challenges of the local road. Hitting a pothole or rock while
piloting a skinny-tired bicycle can result in flying lessons for the rider.
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| Early morning biker rider - selling tortillas |
The dog walkers generally
have a more leisurely pace while the dogs sniff, pee, sniff, pee and repeat. A
few walkers such as Ana have big dogs that set a faster pace. She almost jogs
to keep up to her exercise mates. We routinely run across Melissa and Issy, out
for their morning constitutional. And Carol’s seventeen-year-old Alfie is blind
but knows his way along the sidewalks and pathways. Our Sparky likes to visit
with him, but Alfie prefers his solitude instead of in inquisitive wet nose
investigating his private areas.
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| 2011 photo - the navy groups use smaller trucks now |
A squad of Marinas from the naval infantry is on an
early morning circumnavigation of the island. Riding in a grey truck they smile
and waggle a couple of fingers in greeting, trying to look seriously bad-ass in
their combat gear while grinning a hello.
An hour after
sunrise the road in nearly empty. Even though it in now a week into December,
the daytime temperature is hitting 30 degrees Celsius, or mid-eighties
Fahrenheit.
It’s time to
find a shady spot.
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| Internet photo - we are waiting for our trees to grow this tall |
Hasta Luego
Lynda &
Lawrie
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