Chandler - Part I Parking Lot Naps

Day 64: Chandler, AZ

I’m happy to say that after a loooong day, we have made it to Chandler!! Today’s ride was long and warm. We departed Wickenburg bright and early headed toward the Phoenix area. After our first water stop about 30 miles into the ride we continued on and quickly made our way into the suburbs of Phoenix. In Peoria, Anish, Jon, Nick and I stopped for a mid-morning breakfast snack off the McDonald’s breakfast menu before continuing onward.

We met Alex who was driving the van in the parking lot of an office complex and decide we would hang out there for awhile allowing the groups behind us to catch up so we could ride through Phoenix together. While waiting we got a call from one of the groups behind us saying that both Brandt and Keith had flats and needed van support. Soon afterward Dan and Drew showed up telling us the same thing. We called Alex who had left to support the group ahead of us telling her to come back but with the mid-day traffic in Phoenix this was easier said than done. We waited about an hour napping in the shade of the car shelters before Alex arrived with Brandt and his bike. Brandt’s back tire was in poor shape so after interchanging his back wheel with Alex’s back wheel, Alex left to go pick up Keith. After Alex left Brandt discovered that his helmet was still in the van and thus we decided to split up the group with Dan, Anish and I continuing on toward Chandler while Jon, Nick, Drew and Brandt waited for the van to return with Keith. Also while we were napping in the parking lot, James had called to tell us he was at the airport. This came as a surprise to us all as we didn’t think he was arriving until tomorrow. In order for Alex to get to the airport in a timely manner we decided it would be best for her to pick up Keith, drop off Brandt’s helmet and then continue on to the temple to drop off Keith and our lunch before going to get James at the airport.

Back on the road Anish, Dan and I decided we would take the bike route through Phoenix rather than deal with the traffic. It was extremely hot out and we made a few stops to fill up our water bottles and at a fruit stand purchase fresh mangos before stopping in Guadalupe for lunch. Anish and Dan each had some form of Mexican food while I enjoyed my mango and a protein bar. From lunch the temple was only about four more miles. When we arrived at the Bhaktivedanta Cultural Center Iskcon Phoenix we found Alex and James there waiting for us. I was extremely excited to find out that there were showers at the temple and that we were allowed to use them as it had been an extremely warm day and a nice cool shower was perfect. Malcolm (who does the cooking at the temple) had prepared an Indian type of rice for us that was really good (sorry I can’t remember what it was called as it was different than normal rice). The rest of our teammates slowly began to trickle in within the next hour. After everyone arrived we had a short team meeting before a group of us attended a service in the temple that included music and singing. At the conclusion of the service the temple president brought our group into a circle and explained the different parts of the ceremony to us. I was impressed by the fact that they change the deities clothing everyday, dressing them in their pajamas at night and then redressing them every morning. The deities were dressed beautifully and I imagine a lot of work goes into dressing them.

After we got done talking with the temple president a few riders meet individually with our leaders to voice their concerns on certain issues. When the meetings concluded Andrew, Dan, Drew, Keith and I headed up the street to get ice cream at the Circle K gas station. While the ice cream at the Circle K could not compare to that of Woody’s in Monticello, UT it was still delicious! I was rather tired from the long day so after eating my ice cream Dan and I decided to head back to the temple. It’s beautiful out so I’m sleeping under the stars on the “Arizona dirt lawn” outside the back door. Goodnight!