Just keep peddaling

Distance: 73km

We spent the day moving towards the mountains. We knew we were moving towards the mountains because on the GPS map the road ahead was very squiggly - indicating it wove through the hills.


My legs were tired and aching so I was dreading what was awaiting us. 


On one uphill section (before we came to a real mountain) Sam was just off the road and I was checking the GPS against the distance sign in front of me, trying to work out where we would make it that day, when a truck driver pulled over. The man indicated I should put my bike on his truck and get in. I politely refused but he came closer as if to take my bike. I said no and told him I was riding with my husband. He still didn't seem to get it until Sam came out of the bushes and started towards us. Then the man jumped in his truck and took off.



Late in the afternoon we could see the mountains in front of us, and the road led upwards. We stopped at a service station at the bottom to load up on sugar. Although my legs were tired, the road wasn't as hard as I'd feared. In a low gear I could keep my legs turning consistently and keep moving forwards and upwards. We stopped at a particularly steep section to have some food before the final climb. I set off before Sam, knowing he would catch me, and sure enough, as I started the flying descent he was passing me and cheering with exhilaration.


The sun was getting low, and thick cloud cover meant it was darker than normal, so when we saw we were approaching a town we decided to find a camping spot on the mountain. We followed a dirt path off the main road and found a mound littered with tracks and the remnants of small campfires. We set up our tent on the flattest section we could find, spending 10 minutes trying to clear all the rocks and sticks.

We fell asleep to the sound of shepherds singing to their goats (and the occasional grinding of gears as trucks struggled up the mountain), and were woken during the night by a downfall of rain.