June 30, 2014
Wild Atlantic Coast
In Sligo I ease the bike down the steps from the bridge and push the bike along the narrow embankment, pass a fishing shop until I come to a café. I take the bar-bag and pannier containing the netbook in with me and as luck would have it, see a power point above an unoccupied seat to the side of the counter. Over coffee I upload photos and recharge the batteries.
Later reattaching the bar-bag in preparation to set off again, a young ginger haired man with a northern accent pauses by me and asks earnestly "Have you cycled far today?" "Not far. Only fifteen miles" I reply, to which his eyes open wide. Of coarse the next question is, where are you cycling to? I couldn't answer Morocco. He wouldn't believe me. I just say around Ireland, enough to make him take a deep breath before beginning again in an empathic tone, telling me his own anxious tale. I sense where he is leading to as he says his car has broken down and he has tried unsuccessfully making a phone call for a friend to come and help him out. "I'm gonna have to catch a bus back. I don't like asking anyone for money.....you couldn't see us right with some change?" I explain that, I'm on the road for over a month living on a tight budget and I couldn't, so we left it there.
It is gone noon on riding out of Sligo and the time of day I'm reaching into the pannier for the warm fleece, as the sunny morning has clouded over. Though any threat of rain soon disappears as breaks open in the cloud again and it turns out gloriously sunny later in the afternoon; in such, it is a repeat of yesterday's weather. I continue on N59 towards Balina, then turn off along a minor road following near the coast.
I eventually reach Balina at seven where I stop at Tesco for water, then continue inland towards Castlebar, vowing to ride until after nine because of a late start and poor progress during the morning. About the appointed time, I'm passing a lake with a track down to a boat launch ramp with plenty of level grassy area roundabout the lakeshore. The only trouble is not long after getting the tent up, along come four teenage boys which have been hanging out in a shelter nearby, talking and laughing loudly, so its hard getting to sleep.
Today's ride: 103 km (64 miles)
Total: 485 km (301 miles)
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