Xanthi to Xanthi: Road closed ahead

September 28, 2015

I woke up to another big downpour, expected to last all day.

I ate the hotel breakfast, and after changing my mind at least half a dozen times, decided to take off. I've built a good buffer into my schedule to get to Istanbul, but I'm getting anxious. I figured when I committed to this bike trip, I committed to some riding in the rain.

I dressed in my tights, and put on my long underwear top, not so much for the warmth but to avoid the clammy feeling under my rain jacket. The rain jacket has, I think, seen it's useful life. It keeps me warm, but doesn't keep the rain out.

I checked out of the hotel with some hesitation.

Worse comes to worst, there is a hotel just 3 miles down the road in Kimmera. Of course, the next one after that would be all the way to Komotini, 30 something miles away.

I didn't get very far. There was a police blockade just past the edge of town. The road ahead was closed due to a landslide. It would take several hours to clear, and it's going to rain all day, so why don't I stay in Xanthi?

There are 3 roads out of town. The one that's blocked, the motorway which the police confirmed I'm not allowed to ride, and another one that dropped down to the coast near Lagos and then back up to Komotini. The 3rd one was my only option, and I didn't like it. It added distance to the ride to Komotini, and took me in the direction in which all of this water is draining. There was more than enough water in the roads here. The pot holes were hard to see! So I turned around, and went back to the same hotel, where they've given me the same room.

Update:

It didn't rain all day. It let up by about 2 p.m., and I walked into town and sat at a cafe for over an hour. By the time I got up to leave, the sun was out. I went out again at dinner time, and it was still dry, but the clouds were threatening and the weather forecast still calls for rain tonight.

It looks like Komotini, east of here and my original target for today, will get rain tomorrow morning, while Xanthi, where I am now, should be dry until the afternoon. Hopefully that's what will happen, so I can leave Xanthi before the rain starts, and miss it in Komotini. Of course, there is that transition zone to watch out for.

I've been walking past these gas pumps in the sidewalk on my way into town. There are a lot of scooters and motorbikes, and they can fill up here without blocking traffic.

Today's ride: 4 km (2 miles)
Total: 3,061 km (1,901 miles)

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	1
Comment on this entry	Comment	0