Such a pleasant start

I didn’t want to leave the Kadinamane home stay this morning it was such a tranquil spot and although the horns are usually muted at night, I didn’t hear a peep. But the beds are plank hard and there was activity outside. Breakfast not on the menu so I put the bike together and rode off.

There was a little town about 3km along the way, I crunched through a square of peanut brittle, 2 cups of tea and I was ready to go.

The joy and naivety of early morning. The sun already high and temperatures starting to rise above 28° the road was easy, but with this showing on my Garmin I knew it wouldn’t last.

The first long pitches are simple just getting the legs warmed up. But despite the discarding of 5kg yesterday the bike is heavy. Just before I left up I gotScott at Mickey Cranks in Witney to reconfigure my gearing now with a 24t on the front and a 32t on the back my easiest gear is easier than before. If I had not done this I would have been in a world of trouble on this climb.

The world infamous Agumbe Ghaut is only about 7km long but the hairpins are so steep and with this coupled with the horns blaring as a truck negotiates each turn, but some of the trucks just cannot get round most of the turns without taking up all of the road. Every turn is a mess of caution tape, a flimsy reminder that the wall then the sandbags were not enough to stop previous drivers.

The road is shrouded in jungle plants, monkeys playing on the road, dicing with death.

Me the sweat is dripping off my nose, landing on my Garmin forming a pool. The legs in pain but it’s early in the day I’ll recover. 😏

I was hoping for a celebratory tea but nothing there. So on l pushed. How many times can I reiterate the beauty of riding through a jungle.

At about 3pm I was on a particularly steep climb and had stopped for an orange so asked someone if there was a home stay close. 10 km he said, I rode on. 10 km on, I see a bloke, who told me it’s only booked online, but my Wi-Fi is not working, he shrugged, 4 km further he said. I rode on into the town, I asked 2 guys, nothing here they said 20km further, my face must have dropped, but resolute I pulled the bike round and started pedalling. I really was shattered by now, the road took a decidedly upward slant, then I turned a corner and the steepness got the better of me I just ground to a halt rested my head on my handlebars for a long moment, pulling my self together I put foot to pedal, but after the 3rd switch back I had to stop again and I did what I have berated many a person for, I started to walk maybe for 10 mins, I was shattered, just an indication of how awfully out of shape I have got. The next stop was the jungle guard. He said 3km, at this point it was getting on for 6pm and I as spark out of humour. But I stopped at a shop the bloke pointed to a place, they were offering me stuff to sweeten the deal I said I was happy to go horizontal and my bike is safe.

Although they promised food at 8 and it’s 8.30 I’m hungry and want bed.