January 25, 2018
Rio Murto Abandoned House Wild Camp: A very enjoyable ride (despite the traffic and the flies)
The alarm that I had set to wake me up to fetch the laundry yesterday was still on so it went off again at twenty past six. After a while I got up and made tea and coffee which we enjoyed staring out at the views down the Rio Ibanez valley. Moments like that remind us why we do what we do.
Before setting off we removed the dressing from Leigh's wound, gave it as best a clean as we could (there still seems to be a lot of gravel dust in it), applied more antiseptic cream, covered it with a piece of plastic skin and taped the bandage around it.
Just after nine o'clock we set off westwards (our earliest start yet) but this time only into a light breeze - we seemed to be going a lot faster and with less effort than yesterday afternoon despite the road still being quite rough.
After about five kilometers we started climbing but the road had got a lot smoother - the gravel being replaced by packed earth and grit - so the climb was quite pleasant. There are also little traffic and it was quite cool. At the top of the climb we continued upwards on a sloping narrow escarpment, eventually reaching about 600 meters above sea level. The descent went quite slowly because Leigh's confidence was still a bit shot after yesterday's fall and she walked her bicycle on the steeper and more gravelly sections.
Once we reached the bottom of the climb the road turned southwards and we soon came upon the first of the two abandoned houses that are well known to cycle tourists. This was quite a delightful place with good access to the river. But we carried on because we wanted to be closer to Rio Tranquilo, our destination for tomorrow. We were joined by Jackson and Elizabeth while stopping to collect water at a little stream and then we carried on to the second of the abandoned houses. This was not in as good condition as the first, nor as well located, but there was a stream nearby where we could get water so it had everything we needed for the night. Jackson and Elizabeth arrived and set up their tent next to the house while we spread ourselves out a little bit further away.
A quick wash was followed by lunch and tea and coffee Then it was time for a complete wash, including hair being shampoo, for which we made use of one of the two rooms in the house.
Today's ride: 42 km (26 miles)
Total: 782 km (486 miles)
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