Round and round we go

Stage: 58
Day Total: 119km
Total Time: 6:58
Avg. Speed: 17.0km/h
Avg. Heart Rate: ???bpm
Total Climbing: 594m

Song of the Day: Arcade Fire – Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)

A wet blanket of heat and humidity smothered my mojo last night as I lay in my tent. Sleep came with effort and was interrupted frequently by the local hired security and their insistance on shining their flashlight on my tent. Perhaps this would not have awoken me, but considering I had opted to leave the rainfly off of the tent for the night, the 9-million candle power flashlight the man was using illuminated my tent like floodlights surrounding a maximum security prision. Surely the man realized I was sleeping – in the nude at that – so his continued passes with his lamp confounded me.

There was also confusion in the morning about what the actual time which meant the Super-Earlies, that group of campers who insists on waking at least 2 hours prior to breakfast so that they can have a one-hour session of “coffee talk” prior to eating, was up even earlier. Argh. What in the hell do they talk about?

We rolled out of camp with a not-so-familiar friend named Light Rain. Our orders were to cycle the 30km to the next town where the trucks would be waiting at a small grocery. Our rest day tomorrow in Chitimba Beach would be at a lakeside campground that we were told would not be prepared to accomodate all of the food we would likely consume. This stop was to allow us to stock up, load the supplies on the truck, and carry on to Chitimba Beach.

UK Paul and I rode steadily as the rain steadied its rate of fall. Donning the rain jackets we carried on, our departure early and our pace quick to ensure that there would be food remaining in the store, and no long lines, upon arrival. Well, our plan mostly worked, though there was little that we would want to eat as a “meal” in the coming day. So we did what we always do: buy a lot of crisps, biscuits, and Cadbury chocolate. This has proven to be a reliable combination that may not provide maximal levels of satiation but definitely outperforms in the happiness category.

Groceries bought and loaded onto the truck it occurred to us that we were hungry and we were in a town and it was early. This could mean only one thing – a proper breakfast. A quick run down the road we had just cycled revealed a suitable restaurant. After some hefty deliberations with the staff we had fried eggs, toast, and coffee on order. Once delivered and expertly timed so as to avoid confusion, we ordered a second round for everyone. Paul, Bastiaan, Liam, and myself would each eat 4 eggs, 4 pieces of toast, and 4 cups of coffee. It was brilliant, and now we were ready to cycle the balance of the distance and into our rest day.

We rode fairly easy, time not being an issue for us, and enjoyed a couple of cokes in addition to scenic stops on the shores of the lake. Today was about sightseeing and conversation and simply relaxing. With no race pressures, why not?

After what seemed like an eternity we finally arrived at the beach. Bastiaan, James, and myself carried on past the town to scope out potential eating alternatives. After some happy conversation with the local alcohol specialists and one more orange Fanta to round out the day we headed back to camp.

Camp is a beautiful spot with a grassy expanse giving way to a sandy beach that meets the shores of Lake Malawi. I have a wonderful spot under some trees that will provide strategic daytime shade and shelter from any rains. The bar is expansive with lake views and ample cold beers and comfortable chairs. With no bike repairs required and no laundry to be done, this should be a very restful non-riding day indeed.