To ride into a city: go through the main drag, through the 'center' of town, and despite fatigue, need for protein, need for water, need for rest, be tough and focused. You have to let the main drag end, ride one block to the left, double back two blocks, and then zip-zag that pattern for three blocks, then cross back over the main drag and hit it up 3 blocks same pattern. This may seem too much at the end of the day, but you get a few things:
1) You see more of that city than a tourist over most days. You not only got your hotel without settling for the tourist trap, you saw your groceries, eating hole, street food, ladies, churches, places of god all around.
2) You bless the city, for yourself, you made it known you are welcome here. You earned it. Backpackers don't earn their miles. They must walk back for their do-over. Then they might earn their "back-packs"--what the fuck they need in that big ass bag.
3) The town square and the side street have the women at night hustling for their men. If you know the language and culture, you're not a foreigner, you're a new man to these women. Welcome.
4) You see the areas where you might not want to hit up alone at night. This is a tough call, and notice I don't say 'good' or 'bad' parts of town. These are the best places, especially if you subscribe to Moraline's take on the failed state--Moraline points out that you see the real beginnings and genesis of man and culture in the failed state and even more so in the outskirts of the failed state, like in Cali all along the edges of the military airport (I have never been, didn't have the time, but Alejandro pointed it out). It's a tough call because it's best to wander into these places and let people judge your heart. If it is good and open, you might make it. Let's take a look at this, because it seems counterintuitive, and if you haven't been to a gypsy ghetto at 2 a.m. in the dark in Sofia, where all tough Bulgarians say don't go, then you maybe don't realize that the only thing you come packing with is your heart. Think of it this way: Chopper Reid can take 5 men, if he is lucky, if he has the fight of his life. But if he's in a village, no escape, too many men, a whole clan and tribe loyal to one another, what does he do? He brings his heart. Many people will never get this, and think it's naive. But people will judge your heart. One of two things happens, no, three. One, they spit you out because you should not have come. You leave with less or more, depending on how you see it, but you can get roughed up, harassed, robbed, beaten. Second option is that they leave you alone because you have a good heart and want to pass through and they leave it at that. Maybe it's late at night, very late, and no one is up and no one should be awakened. It's a compliment to your heart if this happens. Third option is that you are welcomed and accepted into the 'dangerous' neighborhood. You will never grow stronger ties or stronger friendships. They sense what your risking but they also sense you want friendship with all types of humans and although you do want to learn their story and although the language difference is there, they can see you you observe and learn and do not judge and human beings can feel when they are being treated as an equal human being, when you look at people and seem no differently.
The point of cycling then is to see the rough places, go into them, and have your heart evaluated. If you can learn a new village or barrio, you will have the sweetest prize of any explorer.
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