Week 12: to Gurun: Wildflowers and kilometer markers

June 17, 2015

"I thought my seat didn't fit me anymore", Patrick says,"me too, it's the rough asphalt" Rachel answers. The road has a wide shoulder,but isn't smooth. We feel beat up by the end of the day.

If you read other cyclist blogs, believe them when told that there is nothing along this section! We thought surely there would be a gas station, but there isn't. There are villages but the road doesn't go through them. There is a roadside tap for water, otherwise "there is nothing along this section."

This was a tough day, with two passes to get over. The kilometers clicked off slowly, from a distance the road looked as if it was almost flat,but then hidden would be a big dip with short down and steep climb. Finally at the first pass we made the halfway mark.

"Is that a Shell sign?" Patrick says. We are ready for a break and a coke would be nice and refreshing. We get closer, yes it's Shell, but 24 kms away in Gurun. Then we hear, a kid shout "chai, chai"... So we stop and go to the other side of the road for a rest, peanut butter and jelly sandwich,dried apricots and chai. Refreshed and ready for the final push to Gurun.

Things are looking a bit bleak as we struggle to gain altitude for the 1900 meter high pass we have to get over. With only about 15km of the anticipated 100 down we are both struggling.

Long hills, with regular downhills that make us regain the same altitude multiple times.

Top of the first pass after about 56km. A long gradual downhill follows in which we lose about 300 meters, then another climb to the second pass of 1800 meters.

Finally, a glorious downhill into Gurun.

Today's ride: 103 km (64 miles)
Total: 3,867 km (2,401 miles)

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