A short, 30-mile-ish run today, from San Manuel to McAllen. The main event of the ride's a tortilleria that we promptly take over. I love the pay-per-pound breads and desserts, and I have mixed feelings about my reaction (or lack therein) to how our group overwhelms places: literally eating cake out of the dumpster minutes after spending $$ supporting the business and seconds after explaining we're on an international solidarity trip etc. etc. A patron asks if we're "hippies... you know, like flower children?" The question's absurd in its meaningless terms, and we're absurd in how many stereotypes could be applied to our frisbee in the field, dreadlocks, bright dress, cheerfulness, and general happiness
Asking 4 people yields 3 places to stay. Wally from Wally's Bike Shop finds a state park, ~10 miles out of our way. Elderly dude on a recumbent "tsk"s while his wife chides us for showing up with 30+ people and no plan. Random kid on a road bike finds us a "squat" to stay at (his buddy started living at an abandoned nursery school, and the owner told him he could continue when heh found out). Last and our hangout for the rest of the evening is Ambrosia Cafe, the first coffee house we enter. Owned by a dude named Nic from Austin, he's crazy enough to let his coffee shop become the overnight enclave of a bunch of dirty, smelly, hippy bicyclists. We buy some stuff, but it's definitely questionable whether we're worth the hassle.