Greetings and Beisball

First, let me introduce myself. My name is Willie Weir and I've been a columnist for Adventure Cyclist magazine since 1997. My posts (Sights and Sounds) will mostly focus on international pedaling. A chance for me to dig through photos and sound recordings from a world of travel. I'm not an avid cyclist in the classic sense ... not much of a gear guy or mileage hound. The bicycle is simply my passport to adventure ... in my neighborhood, my city, my country, and my planet.

Dream. Pedal. Travel. Repeat.

It's fall. Time for raking leaves, extra pots of coffee ... and baseball. Once again, my team (The Seattle Mariners) won't be in the post season. But I still enjoy watching the playoffs and the World Series. I am one of those who truly believes that baseball is our national sport.

Ironically, one of my favorite baseball moments isn't from the United States. Kat and I spent three months on a tandem bicycle in Cuba in 1998. Cubans love baseball! If you plan on going (legally or not), make sure you attend a baseball game in any of the major cities. In fact, where ever you travel, make sure you take the time to attend a sporting event of some sort. Cricket in India. Lawn bowling in England. Rugby in New Zealand. It is a great window into the life and culture of a place.

The audio file below is the commentary I wrote after we attended a game in Santa Clara, Cuba. It originally aired on public radio station KUOW in Seattle.




audio recording (Beisball) by Willie Weir
photo (Dugout View, Santa Clara, Cuba 1998) by Willie Weir

--

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS appears on Friday afternoons. Willie Weir is a columnist for Adventure Cyclist magazine. His latest book Travels with Willie: Adventure Cyclist compiles his favorite writings over the last twelve years. He lives in Seattle with his wife Kat. You can read about their local adventures and life without a car at www.yellowtentadventures.com.