girls that could kick my ass!

This trip has been full of nonstop surprises. If told before coming to Trinidad that I would be going to a World Championship boxing match, I would have been skeptical. I wouldn’t have believed it at all if told that I would meet both of the fighters in the title match.

Our friend Shivana took Jamiel and I to the weigh-in and press conference this afternoon. Shivana’s dad was the top doctor in the international boxing federation and she grew up around the sport. Her inside stories are fascinating and won’t be published here.


American cyclists with Trinidad's Lisa "Bad News" Brown

I expected a lot of meanness and machismo, even amongst women boxers, but I was shocked at how friendly they were. We first met Lisa “Bad News” Brown. She talked a little shit when the news cameras rolled, but behind the scenes was congenial and kind. Although more reserved in public, Jackie Chavez was also very friendly. We were introduced to her as professional cyclists here for the Tobago and she asked us for our autographs!


Jackie Chavez kicks Dennis Guikema's ass in preperation for tomorrow's World Championship bout.

Tomorrow is the fight. I’ve never had an interest in boxing, but now I can’t wait to go!

Although it hardly seems like the same day, earlier, after our daily 6 AM ride, Shivana took Jamiel and I to the Asa Wright Nature Center. The drive up into the mountains through lush rainforest was remarkable. A downpour kept us from exploring far from the car, but the flowers, forest, and birds (including a toucan) that we saw were remarkable non-the-less.


Flowers in Asa Wright Nature Center