December 23, 2023
Day 11: Coba to Valladolid
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I woke up last night about midnight, suddenly aware that something was dramatically wrong with me. Basically, I had to throw up - right now! I stuck my head in the toilet and did a lot of that so uncomfortable wretching, eventually coming up with much brown stuff, in several lots, plus a lot of spitting and choking. Following this I really could not breathe, resulting in a lot of panting, with chills and shaking. The panting continued for a couple of hours, following which I threw up again, and later, again.
This illness put us in a difficult situation. We had been poised to jump over to Valladolid, for three days of Christmas fun, at our favourite hotel, the San Clemente. What's more, to get the fun rolling we planned a new to us backroads, longer than normal route to Valladoid, just to celebrate our amazing cycling skills.
We could cancel at the San Clemente for the first day, because we had free cancellation. But the San Clemente was fully booked over the holiday. If we were to cancel our four nights and attempt to come back in for three nights, in the time elapsed playing with the computer, we could lose it all. And we could not phone to arrange it, because San Clemente is Spanish only.
With the third vomiting session, I suddenly could breathe again, and I lay on the bed gaining a little strength. In these cases I always think of Wesley in the Princess Bride, recovering from being "mostly dead", but still unsure if he has the strength as yet to fight Prince Humperdink. Dodie voted for cancelling San Clemente, but I am stubborn and childish about such things. I proposed a test - If I could pick up my handlebar bag and walk down the stairs to my bike, I would say I could maybe make it. Dodie got tired of such games and declared we should :"Just Do It", and we would take the back road.
Our first photo on the route, which passed by the lake and on past the cenote we were at yesterday, was of a Snowy Egret. I took the shot, but quickly realized that I lacked the strength to handle the camera, plus looking up, or to the distance was making me dizzy. So we handed off the photo duties to Dodie. We'll be able to see here if her eye and technique differs from mine.
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By the time we reached yesterday's cenote (7 km out) I was exhausted, and realized that this was going to be a long slog. But there was no going back now. As we went along, I was kind of burping -about once per five seconds, for about two hours. That's about 1500 total burps - so tiring! Dodie was keeping an eye on me back there, and was adjusting the pace if I lagged. On the rough parts of the road, I just hung my head and followed exactly in her tracks around the potholes. I was too tired to find my own way through.
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Here are a driveway along the way.
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Dodie is sorry she missed getting a shot of a Keel Billed Toucan and a Turquoise Crowned Mott Mott, as well as fast moving parrots. Also two ocelated turkeys walked right by in front of us, but slipped into the brush before the camera could come out.
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Every time Dodie stopped to aim the camera, I slumped over my bike, trying to get some rest. It was not only being sick but also the night without sleep. When we got into Valladolid, we found the town abuzz with pre Christmas activity. But we were now both too tired to record it. Tomorrow will be another day.
When we were very near the hotel, we had to take the sidewalk because of one way streets. Off the bike, I found I almost could not walk - legs were so sore and tired. And the three easy steps at the hotel entrance were too much for me. Someone kindly helped with both bikes. I had been dreaming of my bed at San Clemente for the past many kms, and now I just collapsed on it, leaving poor Dodie to attend to everything. Only now, some hours later, is the blog getting written. We did a COVID test - negative. Our current best theory, since we both ate all the same stuff, is the water of the cenote. Dodie went in in a lady like manner, while I typically jumped in and rampaged around blowing bubbles. Maybe...
Today's ride: 77 km (48 miles)
Total: 427 km (265 miles)
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