March 15, 2015
Day 59 - Cerveny Klastor to Vrbov: Steep hills and dead legs
Today's major climb was a low pass, on a secondary road out of Cerveny Klastor. It was the easiest route south, but the last section was seriously steep, and given my fatigue and the snow on the road, I didn't even try to ride up. It took me forever to walk up, resting every 50 metres or so. I tried to ride down the other side, also signed as 12%, but quickly discovered it was too slippery and narrowly avoided crashing. Luckily the road surface was clear after a few hundred metres and I was able to ride down and freeze normally.
Just a difficult day with exhausted legs. I've done quite a lot of climbing lately, if the elevation information on these maps is correct. I wanted to stop even earlier than I did, but had trouble finding accommodation, despite numerous signs advertising rooms.
Finally, in Vrbov, a couple of Roma children latched onto me, and along with an old lady, they decided to find me a room. I knew they were going to ask me for money, but I couldn't get rid of them. Luckily, when the four of us finally found a place for me, the woman there paid them off. I wouldn't have given the children anything, I don't like seeing children feeling entitled to tourists' money. I'm undecided about the old lady, as the assistance was unsolicited and something I could've done on my own. (Writing this a few days later, I'm happy to report that I've been in an area with a large and visible Roma population, and nobody else has asked me for money.)
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Today's ride: 46 km (29 miles)
Total: 2,611 km (1,621 miles)
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