I woke up to a flat back tyre. So set to pumping, my pump seems to have gone a bit soft luckily the guesthouse had one. But I was pumping and pumping and pumping, you could have wrung me out. I tried all known tricks to make the sealant seal but to no avail. So I put a tube in… here’s hoping.
So I set off late 11 am, got some good at a bakery and a couple of teas. Now it’s 11.30 and hotter than hell. My Garmin likes to add 10kms when I start riding. I design a route of about 100kms. But when I start riding the route is always 110+ today’s was 115kms.
Anyway, the first half was quite boring then I started to wind my way through rocky outcrops, the palm trees hanging over the road, but the humidity was rising every stop I consumed a litre of water, just as much fluid as possible, my stomach distended. One time I sat down with my drink and my head sank onto my chest, if was so tired and drained, my eyes closed and I so nearly nodded off. When I got up the chair was soaked in sweat, drops of wet surrounded the chair and I left wet foot prints on the way to the door.
But back on the bike my route took me on a rough track, it does aim for the straightest route sometimes that is nearly vertical, I once again succumbed to walking, it was rough and steep and there was no way I was going to make that, so I walked. Eventually at the top it was down all the way to Ratnapura, unfortunately on the descent a monsoon deluge fell from heaven, everyone else took cover I ploughed on it was getting late and I didn’t want to be out in the dark.
Eventually I got into town and phoned the hotel and got garbled instructions to the hotel. I said I am wet I am lost I am tired and I am getting angry. The guy told me to stay put, he came to collect me and I followed him back to the hotel, by the time we got to the hotel it was pitch black.
Soooo tired.
I’m sorry I know there should be great pictures of today but there are none.
A Couple of Days Ride Outta....... 