Maria’s Journal

[userpro template=card user=”Maria Galindo”]

First ride: July 7

• East river ride- 8 miles
• Started raining when we were finding geocache at Carl Schurz
• We had fun in the rain
• Someone got a flat tire
• It was hard to ride because we were soaked and wet

Second ride: July 10

• Randall’s and Wards- 10 miles
• The trio which includes Carmen, Josue, and i started to form
• We got a water sample at little hell gate
• We were testing for nitrates, nitrites, pesticides, and E coli  
• I learned how to fix a flat tire
• I caught up to the group
• Rhus  juice

Third ride: July 13

• Roosevelt’s- 13 miles
• We stopped at Socrates Park to eat lunch and the trio got ice cream
• Smallpox hospital
• We only had to ask the gate person to find the geocache
• We stopped because of a model
• We took pics

Fourth ride: July 17

• Newtown Creek- 16.4 miles
• queens/Brooklyn/ Pulaski bridge- 16.8 miles
• First time i stopped 2 times at the queens-borough bridge
• Gordon triangle park to find geocache but we didn’t find it
• We saw the oil and garbage in the water
• Huron and Manhattan story: oil spill
• We stopped and ate lunch at Whale Creek Park
• We got a water sample at whale creek park
• We also got to touch black mayo(it is toxic)
• I didn’t stop at all in the bridge

Fifth ride: July 20

• high bridge- 12.6 miles
• we ate lunch near the Yankee Stadium
• it was a hot day (very hot)
• we crossed the high bridge
• we crossed the high bridge park
• we went to Alexander Hamilton house
• geocache at the commentary

Sixth ride: July 24

• Bronx river- 16 miles
• we learned the words “community”and “amphidromous”
• we learned about the fish ladder
• it was a rainy day and I could barely see
• we were very cold
• we ate lunch at a park that used to be an amusement park called starlight
• we came back to school and tie dyed our shirts

Seventh ride: July 27

• Governors Island- 30 miles
• it was a really long ride
• it was tiring and we missed the 11 o’clock ferry
• we ate lunch at a park
• then we arrived at the ferry
• we took the ferry that then took us to Governors Island
• we got of the ferry to a bathroom break
• we rode to this prison called Castle Williams
• then we explored through the Castle Williams
• after that we went geocaching
• we found the geocache, it was a box
• then we went to a park which included three slides (large, medium, and small)
• we went to the large slide
• then we wanted to go to get some drinks or some food
• we got lost going there but finally we got there
• the food and drinks were so expensive
• Carmen and I finally decided to get some Starbucks
• since we couldn’t finish our drinks I put them inside my bag
• I had to be careful not to spill the drinks
• the way was more tiring
• we finally got to the school

Eighth ride: July 31

• Inwood- 18.1 miles
• we learned two new words: “eureka”   and “spelunking” 
• we crossed under the three bridges (High bridge, Hamilton, and Washington bridge)
• our “eureka” was the lighthouse, pumpkin, planetarium
• we went to inwood park and learned about the tribe called Lenpe
• we also got to meet this guy named Luis
• he taught us about the caves and the ceremony
• he also told us that if we find the shells on the floor to leave them there because people long time before would use them for wishes
• we went back and called out eureka because we saw the pumpkin house
• while going back to school I got left back because a car went in front of me and then a guy and lady asked what this program is about and then I was afraid because I thought I got left back and lost, but Judy was waiting for me
• then we finally go to the school

Ninth ride: August 3

• Palisades- 21.8 miles
• it was a sunny day
• it was a tiring day
• a long ride, but kinda fun
• we had a water break at a park called J. Hood Wright Park
• we also found a geocache there at that park
• we passed through Fort Lee
• we got there at Palisades Interstate Park and ate lunch there
• we went to get a water sample there from the Hudson River
• the way back home was a harder way because there were uphills
• we finally got to Beacon

Tenth ride: August 7th

• Green-wood Cemetery- 23 miles
• it was a rainy day
• it started raining even more when Dr. Cappy stated that it wasn’t going to rain
• we headed towards the Manhattan bridge
• we went to the cemetery trying to find some parrots
• we went towards the chapel to find a place to eat our lunch
• we went to find the geocache but we ended up not finding it
• while we exited we decided to stop and find a geocache
• we found it but in a different shape (a box instead of a bullet)
• we headed toward the Brooklyn bridge
• Dr. Cappy mentioned that there weren’t going to be pedestrians but he was wrong
• I had a flat tire after we went through the Brooklyn bridge
• Dr. Cappy and Judy helped me
• then we finally headed toward our destination (school)
• we finally got to school

Eleventh ride: August 10

• Flushing Meadows-Corona Park- 22 miles
• that ride was fun and kinda long
• we crossed the tri borough bridge
• I didn’t feel good but when they gave me the two pills, I felt much better
• we stopped at this park to have a water break, supposedly Alberto said that was our lunch break
• we asked to go to the deli and Josue, Farai, Omar, and I went to buy what we wanted
• Josue and I got an icey to cool us down and Omar and Farai bought some chips
• we got there at Corona Park and biked to where the Unisphere, one of Queens most iconic attractions
• then we got wet there
• it was super fun
• then we went back to the school
• we crossed the Queens borough bridge
• then we finally got to the school

Twelfth ride: August 14

• Van Cortlandt park- 14.8 miles
• we went through Central Park and through our way we found one of Dr. Cappy’s friend
• we biked through St Nicolas Ave
• I also fell because no one called out “stopping” and I fell over
• then we went through the Broadway bridge which I call the “mini bridge”
• then we arrived at Van Cortlandt Park
• we had lunch there
• when we wanted to refill our water bottles at the water fountain we noticed that the water there was foggy and had a weird noise (a popping noise)
• then we went to westchester which was a kinda long way
• on the way there we were looking for geocaches
• then we went through this mini forest to get to the pond
• we took a water sample of the swampy water and from a creek where we found one of our geocaches
• then we discovered that there was an old abandoned train station that used to be there
• we also went to see the Stonehenge
• I didn’t climb it because I knew I wasn’t able to make it
• we got lost at some times but we found our way out
• we went back through the same way we got there
• when we went that uphill, Carmen, Daniela and I got left behind
• we were left behind with Dr. Cappy(which was a good thing)
• then Dr. Cappy was trying to help us catch up with the others but then they called and said they were lost somewhere else and they took the wrong turn
• Dr. Cappy almost took the wrong turn but we then noticed it wasn’t there
• we arrived at the Broadway bridge waiting for the others
• while we waited we went to a deli and I bought an icey
• then everybody came and we went back to Manhattan
• then stopped for a water break
• when we almost got there we stopped because the others got left behind
• we then finally arrived at the school

total: 205.7 miles