The dogs returned barking in the night then preceded to howl awhile before being quiet. This morning the four lay outside the tent on guard. The big lassie dog was hard to keep away, it just wanted a pet. I remember what my friend said 'Sean, don't pet that dog because he'll follow you and he'll be your friend for life and you'll never get rid of him'. I didn't give this dog a chance as I quickly sneaked away when it and the others were chasing a rabbit.

It was a foggy morning and remain grey till after midday which kept it cool. Twelve kilometres after starting what a relieve it was to see a sign with place names which were on my map as Is beginning to doubt Is on the right road. The sign, Tecla 29km, Joae 60km, was just right, where I'd estimated I was on the long red line on the map. And it was handy too, as I could reach the first place for a mid-morning break and the later for lunch.

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Tecla, the first of the two on the sign was a big flour mill, a few houses and a petrol station with a cafeteria where I'd two pastries and a coke. I reached the second, Joae, at 12.30 just as the sky cleared and it suddenly felt warm. I immediately began to feel thirsty and was disappointed when the small restaurant I found only sold little 225ml bottles of coke. I could've easily gulp down two of those and still want a third. The guy behind the counter then lifted forth a 660ml bottle of a cool apple drink, that was more like it.

The guy behind the counter was soon on his Mobil and I could make out some of what he was saying as he spoke slowly and clearly to be heard on the other side. 'A man on a bicycle from Ireland' I think he said. Today too when I went to pay the guy behind the counter would not except payment, it was on the house. By that time a man whom it later became clear was the voice on the other end of the Mobil had turned up. He was from the local newspaper here to ask could he take a photo and write a little artical. I'd no objections to that, it only took a few minutes because of the lauguage barrier. The eventual artical would've been little indeed, perhaps the photo and caption, On monday a cyclist from Ireland past through Joae.

Back on the road after lunchtime there was a long hot climb away from Joae. I noticed the now familiar swishy rubber sound of a flat trailer wheel. A going flat bike wheel is instantly noticeable, not so the trailer wheel as it's out of view. The first time ever I'd a flat trailer wheel I rode for five kilometres before detecting it. I did however at the time remember wondering what the constant soft rubbery sound was and it was when I finally stopped to inspect the bike that I noticed the flat trailer wheel, so now I know. I pumped it up hoping it would hold until I reached a bus-shelter or tree or somewhere in the shade in order to repair it. The good thing about the trailer wheel is it's so easily accessible, no uncoupling trailer or removing panniers like when there's a rear wheel puncher.

The countryside was much like yesterday, a pail green and yellow patchwork with ample leafy hedgerows. Combine-harvesters were busy in many fields. Pleasant countryside but it was a tad more hilly than yesterday and the road went straight. It was one short steep climb after the other which was hot and tiresome in the afternoon sun.

I had paused to take a photo when a young man on an old mouuntain-bike came cycling along the road. He was the first Brazilian I met so far that spoke any English though that was limited to a few phrases such as 'where you from' and 'my name is Marcus Smidt'

I reached another town at five where I stopped to buy bread and Dulce de Leche. Thereafter it was heavy evening rush hour traffic with many vans and light trucks speeding past which was concernable as there wasn't a shoulder. Gladly though, it was only 9km more to the main road with a shoulder on the edge of a city. I didn't have to enter the city though as the road BR285 past it by. Soon I turned off on to BS155 my planned route North which past the Eastern margin of the city and because of the closeness of the city it was hard finding a place to camp as it was villas, garden centres and such businesses for a long way until I found a short lane-way up through a corps of trees to a field of wheat where I camped on the grassy side of the gateway well out of view.

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