October 27, 2010
The long journey. Part 2.
In order to boil water it's necessary to have either matches or a lighter to light the stove. It's also a good idea to have a back-up lighter. Last night I'd neither as the lighter I had used for many months without warning finished and I'd to resort to eating bread and Dulce de Leche for supper. This morning I didn't have hot water for coffee.
There were signs along the road this morning, caution indigenous people. Sure enough from there on there were small family groups of short dark skinned people walking by the roadside. They were the first such Brazilians I'd seen. The others where mainly tall and fair.
It was to be another hundred and ten kilometre day but on the map which has now separated at the fold it would be not much progress North as I'd to cycle a long distance East then West there being no road direct in the direction I wanted to go. It was also the most hilly day of the whole tour. The first part to mid-morning was just like yesterday, up and down over small round hills. After a large town though the landscape changed dramatically. There was less short climbs and more long winding uphills
In the town I'd to dig out the map at a place sign to see what town came next on my route and use that as a reference for getting out of town, but of coarse if you're seen with a map in your hand people automatically think you're lost. And when they ask you where you want to go it's always a mouthful that you cannot pronounce and you couldn't care less about this town as it's only a reference, a next step in a longer journey to Iguassu in this case. I tell people I'm cycling to Iguassu and they often think that it isn't possible on a bike. In a service station cafeteria the cook asked where I's cycling to. I say Iguassu a couple of times but I am not understood then just say the falls and he directed me to local waterfalls on the Uruguay river only 20km distance thinking thats as far as I'll be riding which perhaps to him is a long cycle.
I navigate my way through town round many a rotunda, which is a roundabout here. There wasn't any confusion at any, the way was obvious. There was a big long climb away from the last of the houses which when I eventually creased the summit was followed by a long steep winding decent which was scary too because of the amount of local trucks careering down it. To them slowing down isn't in the vocabulary, instead they swerve round you hoping for the best their load swinging like a pendulum overhead.
The road levelled out for a while through a narrow valley. Great I thought, at last the road is going to be easy instead of slow and so, hot, grinding away in the sun on the big spocket at the back and listening to the chain rub the front mech. No. Ahead began a climb, a long one which on rounding many bends thinking it would soon be the end there lay ahead yet another long steep stretch to the next bend where I curse to see another long long uphill.
I had thought that I would reach the next town at 12.30 for lunch but 12.30 past, the time went quickly and the road underneat slowly up. Eventually it was 13.10 on my watch when I crossed the final summit into a hilltop town. A large town with seeningly all the usual services. I was famished but could I see a restaurant, no. I cycled through hoping to find a service station with a restaurant on the way in the other side. There were two but at one the restaurant was being refurbished and the other only had a snack-bar. I cycle back into town while people stopped and looked on as I past. I cycle round the plaza and more people looked on. I wasn't having mush luck in spoting anything so I asked or more or less the man volunteered his help. 'Restaurant over there' he pointed to a terrace accessable by a flight of steps which meant it was quite hidden but there was also a ramp up which enabled me to push my bike up.
Looking at my map this evening I reckon I've three more days at lease to Iguassu. I am going to title this part of the journal, The long journey, as I do not want to be spenting what will be ten days on the bike without a break again covering over a thousand kilometres.
This evening I've camped along a farm track out off sight of the nearby road but seen from a farmhouse but I don't think people care as long as you're not trampling crop.
Today's ride: 116 km (72 miles)
Total: 4,770 km (2,962 miles)
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