Our guide Khaled arranged a local farm tour with a friend of his who had decided to leave the city to return to run his family’s apple orchard. Before serving us mint tea in the enormous living room on the second floor of his adobe house, he took us on a walk through the orchard and then through the small village.
On a wide dirt-packed street, children rode bikes of varying sizes, popping wheelies and spinning in a circle. One boy had his bike upside down standing on the handlebars and was puzzling sadly over what appeared to be a loose chain.
Dominik, who had worked as a bike mechanic, went over to take a look.
“We need another sprocket that looks like this.”
The adults and the children started searching the ground. One of the kids found the missing red sprocket and Dominik, with the help of a small kitchen knife, managed to screw it back together and get the chain on.
When Dominik flipped the bike upright, the boy’s face shone like the sun. Everyone cheered as he hopped on his bike and pedaled away, smiling hugely. It was one of my favorite moments of the trip.
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