Amazingly enough the roads today were worse than those yesterday. I did not think it possible but it is true. The roads were really only truly passable with a mountain bike with front and rear shocks, a shock or spring integrated into the frame and greater than 50 mm tires. Of those I have none! I went down 4 times. You ride along looking for a navigable path on the trail (notice I am ceasing to call it a road). Either you are in the wash out area fighting pre rutted dried mud tracks from the last rain or you are trying to ride high on the side looking for the non corrugated surface. You have to pay diligent attention at all times or you are going down. You will be going along trying to pick up any kind of speed (10-12 kph) when you hit a patch were the sand and or dirt has accumulated from the fierce wind. Once you hit that your front wheel is grabbed by it and either stopped or turned violently.... and over you go. I am sore and bumped and bruised. At one point I was down, still clipped into the bike and it was on top of me. I think villagers a couple of miles away heard me..... f#%^ this!!!
Even the TDA truck got stuck for hours trying to navigate through some of it.
I gave up the ghost when my calculations showed that at 10 kph I would not get into camp until after dinner. Enough I said... that and it was going to top 120 degrees and the headwind was gaining in strength. The even better news is that tomorrow is to be more of the same! Yay!!!
But on to the good part of the day... We were riding through a village and saw a building where I heard children reciting. I took a picture and the teacher came out invited us in. It was magical! He said he spoke English but he quickly exhausted his 10 words. There had to be more than 20 kids. One side of the room was boys and the other girls. They just kept saying Thank You. I responded with Your Welcome but they did not comprehend that. This was a huge event for them. The teacher took pictures with us as well as the kids. Then when we were leaving they sang us a song. I have it on video, it is precious. But I can't post it to the blog unfortunately. It was one of those moments I will always remember. Magical! What a day...
The village of the school.
The school, kids and teacher.
One of the little school girls.
Another of the school girls.
A sheep herder controlling his flock from a camel.
Now that's a once in a lifetime moment - perfect serendipity for you! It sounds like the kids made up for the crappy roads. What will make up for them in today's adventure I wonder??? And Mike please tell us how the heck you are getting wifi in these remote places. Seems better than in cross America!
ReplyDeleteThe first thing to remember is to keep the tires down and you up. Four times down now you are beginning to sound like me. If you are managing 7.5 miles per hour, it must be difficult. When you say, you "gave up the ghost" did you get a ride from the TDA vehicle?
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the story about the school. In the pictures in the back of the classroom and others, you guys are smiling and you don't look tired. After all you have been through I expected to see some ware, your looking good. Keep on keeping on.
Ray Van Ostran
Yes, I loaded my overheated, dehydrated, bruised and bleeding carcass into the TDA vehicle to go fight another day.
DeleteOh Mike! The school experience sounds magical! The video you sent was awesome. Made me smile.
ReplyDeleteThe rest of your day.....not so much. And may I say.....you're looking a little sunburned. Are you wearing your sunscreen? ;)
Pam North