This morning was very stormy, so we pushed back the bike tour and talked inside for a while. When the weather cleared, we headed out on our bikes and visited a developing western neighborhood. Ronald said himself that they could have done a better job connecting this area with public transit, and area is primarily housing, but the area is still developing and there’s so much opportunity!
That area is also the location of the concrete box enclosing the highway. Because some trucks carry explosive material like gasoline, they cannot build on top of the concrete, but can, and have, made a park! Standing in the park, you would never know you were standing on top of a five lane highway. The enclosure spans one mile and includes a bike path.
Our route brought us over a bridge and along a track that reminded me of the Cycle Snake in Copenhagen. When we reached the bottom and looked back, we could see that the path winds over and around a school! We saw families, road bikers, and people going about their day all smiling and enjoying the bridge.
We continued on to the location of the traveling trash whale, which is actually located in a canal that used to be a highway. The area was filled with water, with one ramp remaining to accommodate trucks accessing a building in the area. The effect, to me, is a much more calm and beautiful area – surrounded by water rather than loud cars.
We learned about the history and space of a cathedral before concluding with a late lunch enjoyed on the side of a road. That “road” used to have traffic lights and designated areas for vehicles, bikes, and pedestrians. All of these, with the exception of pedestrian crossings, have since been removed. The effect is that, when you arrive in this area where about five roads converge, you must slow down, look at what other people are doing, and negotiate space with different modes. How amazing that you can sometimes increase safety and awareness by removing the infrastructure we have been engrained to prioritize.
After a rest at the hostel, I headed out to a wine bar recommended by Victor the previous night. Funnily enough, when we sat down, our same server from the night before appeared to help us! She helped us decide on a bottle of wine to share, and put together a cheese plate that complemented the flavors.
We picked up some takeaway food and ate it watching the end of the outdoor concert before heading home for the night.
