We set off early after cornflakes for breakfast. We haven't been eating so we don't know if we have the strength to cycle, the days' goal is to do 100km and after 40km it proved to be a nightmare. At Jasinga (about midway), Patrick checks to see if there is a hotel in Cipanas, the answer is no.

We think we are close to Cipanas, and Rachel becomes dizzy, dehydrated and can't go on. We had been having to push up steep hills, neither of us has much reserve. Rachel has to get off her bike, her arms and hands feel numb and tingling, and she feels faint. She lies down in the dirt at the side of the road, feet up the side of the ditch. She self-assesses...asking Patrick if her speech is slurred, if she is moving her arms equally. Patrick is stuck having to hold her bike while still on his. He is trying to get a truck to stop for a ride to Rangkus, Rachel recovers enough and we try to continue on.

Eventually, we find ourselves on the back of a truck thinking we are going to Rangkus. We continue to climb and go much further than we thought to Cipanas. We think the driver has stopped to get more loaded on the truck, and we finally understand this is as far as he is going. We unload one bike, Rachel hands Patrick the packs to his bike, he gets his squared away then we do the same for Rachel's bike. There are 30-40 boys and men around the truck watching and it would be easy to lose part of our gear.

A minibus driver says he goes to Rangkus, there is a hotel!! We have only gone 10-15 feet from the truck, still fully loaded making it look like we are prepared to still ride, Patrick uses this strategy to get the price down. We unload the bikes and place the bikes and packs in the back of the bus, we arrive at 3pm at the hotel.

We've learned that we need to ask for a ride before it gets as bad as today.... Our arrogance of thinking we could do shorter days and use the first part of the trip to get into shape has come to haunt us. This strategy usually works, though with having no appetites this time around and on this terrain with distances in Java that would not allow shorter days.... this has not worked especially,

....and we need to eat.

Heart

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