Indeed different from anything that we would have done that day, our time spent with Roberto was nothing short of spectacular. He collected us at the Zocalo and brought us around the corner to a bike rental station. Doing this quite frequently (entertaining and visiting with travelers, that is), he had two annual passes for the Ecobici stations. Planted all around the city, they follow the same model of sustainable urban transport that cities like Paris and Boston have implemented in recent years. For about 30 bucks a year, you get free reign of the bike stations, where you swipe your card to unlock a free bike for 45 minutes. He swiped both of us in and then left his ID at another bike rental spot for a free three hour rental.
Being a Sunday in the capital, nearly the entire Avenida Reforma was blocked off to car traffic so that cyclists, roller skaters, runners, and walkers could enjoy passage through one of the city's most busy and scenic streets. Riding against the flow of traffic to the Monumento a la Independencia, it seemed like everyone in the city was out to enjoy such an amazing event. Street-side stands of all sorts adorned the sidelines, where participants could snag a free cup of gatorade or learn about various organizations and groups in the city. Perhaps the most comical sight of all was at the end (or rather, the beginning to others), where various stages boasted loud Latin dance music and a few athletically-clad maestros led dozens of young men and women in Jane Fonda-esque, sweat-inducing workout routines. In the city center. In tights and tanktops. Punches, high kicks, booty shakes, arm waving. Easily much more fun to watch than participate.
We reached the monument, a towering gold angel with wings spread toward the city center, and Roberto guided us to an Ecobici post to return our rentals. We were here not only to enjoy the weekly event and the beautiful sunshine, he said, but also to meet up with a couple friends of his. Arriving only a month before, Tay and Val had contacted Roberto as CouchSurfers. To get to know him, and to know his great city.
Hailing from Singapore, Tay and Val have embarked upon a journey that will take five years to complete, and will see them around the world. On bicycles. Not traveling for the mere pleasure of seeing the world, eating great food, or going to exotic places, they are on a mission. Rather, they have a dream to know what the rest of the world dreams, and share it with you. Their project -- 2012Suenos -- has them hopping across the globe collecting thousands, if not millions, of personal dreams with the hope of connecting us all via synchronized, universal consciousness. When we met them in the capital, they were excited for all the day had to offer and had set the bar high -- 1,000 dreams before the event ended at 2:30.
Well, I'm not sure if they managed to collect quite that many, but in all I'm sure we snagged well over a hundred. Under their guidance, and armed with a camera and a few sharpies, Roberto, Gabby, and I hit the street and started a-collectin'. The project had us confronting and speaking with people that we would otherwise never encountered. Mothers and their children, a middle school girls basketball team, aging cyclists, vagabond youths, expat Americans. As we shared the goals of the project with them, we watched as their eyes lit up with excitement. Almost entirely without exception, people would accept a marker and ponder amongst their friends and loved ones what it was they truly dreamed of. From being a professional singer to ending the war in the Middle East, we saw it all. Where I would have been hesitant to carry out such a task in New York, the people with whom we spoke and shared the project quickly put me at ease. I couldn't have been more surprised at the amount of excitement we experienced within that short time, from all of the people who gladly participated.
Gabby, Roberto, and I alone collected about 75 dreams that day. When it was time for us to move on, it was surprisingly sad that we had to say goodbye to Tay and Val. Not only were they incredibly inspiring and fun to be with, but it truly felt as if the project had become a part of us -- and us a part of the project -- although we'd only helped them for a couple hours. I'll include below a couple of the dreams we collected, though you can see much more at their website: http://www.ibelievethatdreamscancometrue.com/
We left the monument with the idea that we'd head back to the hostel, do some laundry, and bum around a bit before dinner. But instead we rerouted our path to Roberto's friends house and made lunch together. In a quiet, sunny alley that couldn't help but remind me of uptown New York, Roberto welcomed us into his friend's beautiful apartment. There we made a feast of rice, beans, and a bag of fresh mixed vegetables that I acquired from a nearby open market. A bottle of wine helped bring us all together.
That night Gabby and I had the pleasure of sharing a few caguamas (real big beers) one last time with Patricio (from Chile), Marco (from Italy), and the group of Colombian friends we had made only a couple nights before. I've rarely felt as immediately comfortable with a group of people that I've just met. All so funny and welcoming, we're looking forward to the opportunity of spending more time with them in their respective home countries.
David, Patricio, Santiago, Diana, & Marco -- buena suerte en sus viajes. ya les extrano.
1 comment:
What a wonderful idea....to "collect" dreams. I translated a children's story one time about that. About 25 years ago. Funny how "collecting dreams" has appeared again, through you two and those whom you've met.
It's a great idea to have something like that to have an "excuse" to talk to those with whom you wouldn't usually approach. Maybe something like that could be incorporated into your listening project?
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