Today’s distance / 今日の走行距離: 77.94km
Average speed / 平均速度: 17.1km/h
Time on bike / 走行時間: 4h 33m
Total distance to date / 今日までの積算距離: 2184.1km (plus 4200km)
Ascent / 上り: +610m
Descent / 下り: -1130m
There’s nothing quite like a 40km downhill to get the spirits up.
I had already loaded the bike up when I looked outside at the weather. Snow. Horizontal snow. I had checked out of the hotel already. It would be a pain to have to go back into the hotel…with any luck, the wind would be a tailwind…
Before leaving, I stopped in at the baker’s for some bread. Jolly interesting, these bakeries.
(click on image for short video clip – will open in a new window)
I was on the road by 7:20am. I love being on the road early. You cycle for three hours and it’s still morning. That’s a great feeling.
As hoped, the wind was a tailwind. It was blowing hard, but not into my face. The downhill lasted for more than an hour and a half.
However, by the time I was at an altitude of around 1200m, the snow had turned to rain. With Susehri only 20km away, the fact that I was going to be drenched didn’t matter.
Arrived in Susehri at about 12 noon. First impressions were not good, with indifferent and unhelpful hotel staff. And the locals seem to be scared of foreigners. They whisper to each other a few meters from me. I pick up ‘tourist’ and ‘bicycle’. If one of them does pluck up the courage to speak to me in English, you can almost see them shake, and they look as though they think I’m going to bite. Perhaps it’s the beard…
Plus the rain soon changed to slushy snow. If only it had been a nicer day, I could have gone much further, and camped for the night…I guess days like this make you appreciate the good days…
The weather forecast for tomorrow looks better, so I’ll be out of here early.
Thank you for your comment on my blog the other day.
It was soooooo surprising, as I thought you didn't have a time to check blogs.
Anyway, some of my friends started to check your adventure and all hoping your safe journey. Take care…
That bread looks very delicious Rob. Are you sick of the snow yet? Told you your beard makes you look like a terrorist! Either that or a bum who has managed to find a really good bike!!!
Hey Rob, your pictures are great! I like them a lot. Seems that you are a week away from Ankara and about two weeks from Istanbul, which means that you are already pretty close to Europe. Your trip will change now step by step and I think that Istanbul will be a kind of a milestone on your way to western civilization. Good thing?, bad thing?. I don't know, but to me you did a fantastic job the last months. I hope everything goes well the last months to come. By the way, next time you feel cold and drop into a warm internet-cafe, here is a proposal; adjust your time-planning on the page "route", 'cause according to that page you are scheduled in Turkey "Late October till mid-November" HAHA:-)It is good to be an optimist. Well, I see you in Germany in two months. Keep your feet dry and warm!
Cheers, Akimoto
Hope the locals 'thawed' a bit more before you left. Did you get good food and a good bed anyway? You may find that you will HAVE to do something about that hair sprouting below your nose and jaw – you may not look so foreign then!!
I agree with "Mum" – but perhaps Rob, you would fit in more with a big bushy moustache. Seems to be all the rage there… LOL.
hey Rob, this was our view tonite http://www.spaceweather.com/comets/mcnaught/22jan…
Wondered if you had heard about comet mcnaught? Next time you are out under the stars, check out the south western sky. just awesome.
Neil, hadn't heard about the comet, but you're
in Nelson aren't you? The best place for lazing around looking at the sky, I hear…