tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69760288030350127842024-02-20T23:47:41.267-08:00D-Tour english versionUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976028803035012784.post-37226445317190668802012-01-10T09:11:00.000-08:002012-01-12T10:45:56.740-08:00New Blog<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There is a new blog on </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://dorofleck.wordpress.com/">http://dorofleck.wordpress.com/</a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Have fun</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Dorothee Fleck</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976028803035012784.post-63877595761343949722011-06-01T23:01:00.000-07:002011-06-01T23:01:44.891-07:00Against the Camino de Santiago<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Before I left Santiago again, I thought, the legendary photo of my bike with the cathedral still has to be taken.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxF0Tc-TvSCwgSvX_cn8MQ2fBEzxeN6gxfAqwAyglBJBokYf8_phDCvelQYkFuzIhkSG3BwPnOQJJSVcjclOvXhpWfezbgZtY40GhE_eIHZDiPCIUjtfAW3iFGoOKa2oj_n7dg_SihRHgl/s1600/IMG_0231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxF0Tc-TvSCwgSvX_cn8MQ2fBEzxeN6gxfAqwAyglBJBokYf8_phDCvelQYkFuzIhkSG3BwPnOQJJSVcjclOvXhpWfezbgZtY40GhE_eIHZDiPCIUjtfAW3iFGoOKa2oj_n7dg_SihRHgl/s320/IMG_0231.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">That early in the morning I had the whole place almost for myself.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">At first I wanted to avoid the Camino de Santiago, finally I decided to cycle a part of the Camino in the 'wrong' direction.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR6dUYQcdpnuQnmhH3kXltak3S7RtjFui2xIyYq6qOWTGfKFEt-Fzb_e8Qmouo_Po-5TnC41uNW3Dpg0rXF48VkJD_n7aq7E14HLlStwyY7u1F1K2Ew6BW8U6ZEaCNXp_ea0EpKxbMWAtp/s1600/IMG_0235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR6dUYQcdpnuQnmhH3kXltak3S7RtjFui2xIyYq6qOWTGfKFEt-Fzb_e8Qmouo_Po-5TnC41uNW3Dpg0rXF48VkJD_n7aq7E14HLlStwyY7u1F1K2Ew6BW8U6ZEaCNXp_ea0EpKxbMWAtp/s320/IMG_0235.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Camino leaded in the direction I wanted to go and all the places I wanted to see were included too.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">However, I was expecting some difficulties, as the pilgrimage route is marked only in one direction, to Santiago. Who is going a pilgrimage back? Pilgrims are no commuters.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For the most part, I had no problems finding the way. Even there is not yet a traffic jam on the Camino, but there are only a few meters between the groups. If you cannot see anybody at a crossing, you only have to wait not more than 2 minutes until the next one appear to show you the direction.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lucky me, they all came towards me. they saw me, if they had not lost too much in thoughts, were busy with phone calls or writing text messages. Mainly I only stayed short distances on the "original" Camino.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQV5zFP_UHGIKprpON_td-oBOPX7ignlpN0dnxrKBXKFlj1kfv20KXWZ8D_KfMR9VmqEwhhJks8LmOcf5H0zOfSo7FHKJ6kvw3hbBZEet17vi36pNFqy9zjr4FW73G7cCO3gO60dGHCMb/s1600/IMG_0238.jpg" imageanchdor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQV5zFP_UHGIKprpON_td-oBOPX7ignlpN0dnxrKBXKFlj1kfv20KXWZ8D_KfMR9VmqEwhhJks8LmOcf5H0zOfSo7FHKJ6kvw3hbBZEet17vi36pNFqy9zjr4FW73G7cCO3gO60dGHCMb/s320/IMG_0238.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Although it was sometimes very beautiful, it was far too crowded.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If there was a road nearby, I prefered the road. It was mostly empty. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">At least you always can have a conversation, if you like it or not.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">At noon the flow of pilgrims suddenly stopped. I then had my difficulties to find the path. Most couldn´t continue after, they stayed in pubs</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Otherwise, it was quite hilly. All day long I had the feeling I'm cycling uphill. The greatest happiness and pleasure was when at the end of the day the last 12 kilometers only went downhill.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the meantime, I was told how cheap the pilgrim hostels are. However, I was startled by the idea to sleep with so many people in a room. I rather build up my tent and sleep in the fresh air and nature.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Also the roads became more and moree challenging, cause of the steep uphills. The fact that many cyclists also on the pilgrmage could be seen on the signs.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhebySp8XJyQOU3WZ6M7TeCYvvo7CS3mLg4y0fPzC1zmOsFlNwVLF78a9Usm1XyD5qeSyrI53NXE9AeUcQhLJ8XZEKWyr6k5bevUCXfk7pdfGnZKVYBOmUMbO3XisIhyphenhyphenHXPE3vPkEI069Bt/s1600/IMG_0246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhebySp8XJyQOU3WZ6M7TeCYvvo7CS3mLg4y0fPzC1zmOsFlNwVLF78a9Usm1XyD5qeSyrI53NXE9AeUcQhLJ8XZEKWyr6k5bevUCXfk7pdfGnZKVYBOmUMbO3XisIhyphenhyphenHXPE3vPkEI069Bt/s320/IMG_0246.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On the empty roads I easily could cycle up the mountains by zickzacking, up to 1330m.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwbLMFq1TYqaUreScymyyPGn7wXbCgSiJtHn1Al2Q-71UwDGOhf6pC5NQZD3DCKZbheLNybX8CPI2WFDRuHwkEW6iQN7BEpljE6UrX6RIfQeBLlchxlkvJGjQ8n4oiWBC3VL6jhCuv4qHt/s1600/IMG_0247.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwbLMFq1TYqaUreScymyyPGn7wXbCgSiJtHn1Al2Q-71UwDGOhf6pC5NQZD3DCKZbheLNybX8CPI2WFDRuHwkEW6iQN7BEpljE6UrX6RIfQeBLlchxlkvJGjQ8n4oiWBC3VL6jhCuv4qHt/s320/IMG_0247.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">the Passo de Poio. With this wonderful views the climb was not too hard.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirkqt2vAeGS8Pc9FUcguHdptdTItns2OzYz0xmMWYCPelNckOqe8STh0sS9s_7kNxiQtTxDdmFQdQxv5EsrKZhGfE2GIU2uKT3S1PqxeZTo1smgPE_oxAFla-6roXciu-Ger_s0Oh4fvAr/s1600/IMG_0249.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirkqt2vAeGS8Pc9FUcguHdptdTItns2OzYz0xmMWYCPelNckOqe8STh0sS9s_7kNxiQtTxDdmFQdQxv5EsrKZhGfE2GIU2uKT3S1PqxeZTo1smgPE_oxAFla-6roXciu-Ger_s0Oh4fvAr/s320/IMG_0249.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Up there, there are a few mountain villages, they are (unfortunately) also popular tourist destinations. Each stone house is made new, the tour buses lined up along the road to. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8mFTFA9hMhi-RM3npqiuOHUn2tLP3Ihx5NZPHpFbTE1ZsnvmZCXevQKHYQjlPBc__29jfrPEc8ls5OsdsJPhwO7urHbw_3N5MHkUCi0O2OO5BgyAwiTk051tfO77k-H9GrJZ3rJ7ROQRq/s1600/IMG_0250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8mFTFA9hMhi-RM3npqiuOHUn2tLP3Ihx5NZPHpFbTE1ZsnvmZCXevQKHYQjlPBc__29jfrPEc8ls5OsdsJPhwO7urHbw_3N5MHkUCi0O2OO5BgyAwiTk051tfO77k-H9GrJZ3rJ7ROQRq/s320/IMG_0250.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was a great pleasur for me again, at the end of the day some kilometers downhill. When I arrived in Vega de Valcarce the bottom of the mountain, where, according to my map, should be a campsite, I was told that this isn't the case. But there is a pilgrim hostel. Thank you. Anyway I went there, perhaps I can get more information. As always, the lady of the hostel was very friendly and said I could camp in the village by the stream. Happily I left, got some food and settled down by the stream. The disadvantage was it was almost the middle of the village, I had some difficulties with the toilet. I had to wait until it was dark, which was very late.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The night was freezing cold. The next morning there was ice on my tent. Although the finger got almost frozen while I was packing the tent, I was happy, because I felt so alive. During the winter in Germany, I got really floppy now I realized I still can stand a lot which is wonderful! I do not think anyone understands me.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The first few kilometers it went gently downhill, not exactly ideal for getting warm, until the road climbed in switchbacks up in dizzying heights.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmG5axq7hb8a1L2-n-cUCJzRfMYvlqlpWwI8NIjhlcGMz6JN8N8GLU9BIFjFJcC9N15DYANyuKhTcPuazR6Z3EyGTSzQWlL3DbS_wozPTsvOiibKyUGkMzUsohhe87LIXeDPVEi0SY9PxR/s1600/IMG_0256.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmG5axq7hb8a1L2-n-cUCJzRfMYvlqlpWwI8NIjhlcGMz6JN8N8GLU9BIFjFJcC9N15DYANyuKhTcPuazR6Z3EyGTSzQWlL3DbS_wozPTsvOiibKyUGkMzUsohhe87LIXeDPVEi0SY9PxR/s320/IMG_0256.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On this day, even higher than the day before. It was a great feeling to leave slowly everything not only behind but also below yourself.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-nff4uTahL2D26qAMLBn92aOoO6h0qFijDIXG8QHItNMEIN7hv8t41XFSuQ-L8BMlwLPpz8kvcZix0ei1lq9uMESKYa0Ivyf9Jl9h4Ia6iUJxcjKc1DkwxHDu5HTqLeAa3j2DkzUfWXNu/s1600/IMG_0257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-nff4uTahL2D26qAMLBn92aOoO6h0qFijDIXG8QHItNMEIN7hv8t41XFSuQ-L8BMlwLPpz8kvcZix0ei1lq9uMESKYa0Ivyf9Jl9h4Ia6iUJxcjKc1DkwxHDu5HTqLeAa3j2DkzUfWXNu/s320/IMG_0257.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Still there were from time to time the small mountain villages. It was Sunday, quite some excursionist were around.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcXvOKWhqbCsqHcOPrP12FH8Kg5CBiro_8NrsgGO1cd8oYDGbi_fP0Opj1u-fDEA55S-x6Gs1JNRfGsuT1fxTzJH9YmdRhO7iIXfNR5c0qXMFT4HWh7d6Y6t4YSbYLUmD1SEeiHaLoyR2J/s1600/IMG_0262.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcXvOKWhqbCsqHcOPrP12FH8Kg5CBiro_8NrsgGO1cd8oYDGbi_fP0Opj1u-fDEA55S-x6Gs1JNRfGsuT1fxTzJH9YmdRhO7iIXfNR5c0qXMFT4HWh7d6Y6t4YSbYLUmD1SEeiHaLoyR2J/s320/IMG_0262.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Although it was long and sometimes very steep uphill, I knew that I could do it. Anyway, I had no other chance. Once again I focused more on the beautiful landscape</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKK5-s96IbcHhJpd11NVSLKJib_1xPF1UXGyeI6sdbZRrrk_Uyq25Aw0a2mCLDPz3Wnm3XUW-_VJIqLSDk_wW1tnwS6hp5oLoRi0I5HAqFuOyn47qdvJXFGWDgh5Hr6-BEBD6K672s-yd-/s1600/IMG_0264.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKK5-s96IbcHhJpd11NVSLKJib_1xPF1UXGyeI6sdbZRrrk_Uyq25Aw0a2mCLDPz3Wnm3XUW-_VJIqLSDk_wW1tnwS6hp5oLoRi0I5HAqFuOyn47qdvJXFGWDgh5Hr6-BEBD6K672s-yd-/s320/IMG_0264.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">and the flowering bushes</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7T2zU8VjHOrXu7WTAls_P3AZAEJ07zKvQtMiHnkEgTMN-sfFBRZkDadpOLVnQ_A7n2XgR3DMyygzaBwIKhyphenhyphenZsx-GdPhSkh4xKu5qCbaBNmy946RQlcGQoKa34TgmZmREWe0tZPddvTy6p/s1600/IMG_0265.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7T2zU8VjHOrXu7WTAls_P3AZAEJ07zKvQtMiHnkEgTMN-sfFBRZkDadpOLVnQ_A7n2XgR3DMyygzaBwIKhyphenhyphenZsx-GdPhSkh4xKu5qCbaBNmy946RQlcGQoKa34TgmZmREWe0tZPddvTy6p/s320/IMG_0265.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">than on the steep uphill. The legs can do it automatically. Then, finally, I was at the top at the Iron Cross.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK02Oxjt0O4GGt4GIXcUvap2tYNyBcU0cchDL_AVH-G8TXoMvFvZ2JM5ENRqWMM7FchDDTfsFP7a2GnZXj97E9d-zWLA_J75RwoWFhu7pDjZCFpRgMwGmssv_5ROEIsOd_lFiAeQaNliDI/s1600/IMG_0267.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK02Oxjt0O4GGt4GIXcUvap2tYNyBcU0cchDL_AVH-G8TXoMvFvZ2JM5ENRqWMM7FchDDTfsFP7a2GnZXj97E9d-zWLA_J75RwoWFhu7pDjZCFpRgMwGmssv_5ROEIsOd_lFiAeQaNliDI/s320/IMG_0267.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Considering the ice on my tent, I did not necessarily want to sleep at 1500m outside and since I was quite exhausted, I had again a look at the hostel. Again, I immediately turned back. I cannot imagin I ever will be so tired that I could sleep in such a dormitory. With the certainty that I would find something to sleep, but had no idea what, I rode a bit further. And suddenly, in the middle of nowhere, after about 6km, and a few meters deeper I stood in front of a campsite. I could not believe my eyes. Immediately I went into the place, asked if it really would be a campsite here and I if could really camp. They just laughed and said of course and then talked straight on in German. A young couples, she Spanish, he German, opened campground here a year ago. As remote as that was, I was the only guest. Probably that was the reason I've been spoiled so much. After a hot shower I had a huge great salad.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In this quiteness, I slept fantastic despite the cold. The next day first of all I scratched the ice from my tent, like car drivers in the winter.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDJ79X_KcM4C7MysDJn1_m3EeHKDqQIRTbXf_LvCnRVrt8ntB5cyYhqfh47wHgXqg6Qb2DDrksrKJsZypUL4e8OqGQTD3m4k-SVSzuz8K17NXmkjH7cdWCVAQNcwvsXLVabnMHIGIIaRbq/s1600/IMG_0270.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDJ79X_KcM4C7MysDJn1_m3EeHKDqQIRTbXf_LvCnRVrt8ntB5cyYhqfh47wHgXqg6Qb2DDrksrKJsZypUL4e8OqGQTD3m4k-SVSzuz8K17NXmkjH7cdWCVAQNcwvsXLVabnMHIGIIaRbq/s320/IMG_0270.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Breakfast was no problem anymore, the sun came out already and it quickly became warm.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In Astegra I was once again in the cathedral. Again I got confirmed, I like the buildings much more from the outside than inside. The castle-like palace next door would have interested me more</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-OGnKYMTMG1Fse4rdZ5GscJVWwUA-zXxvVQIEgoOISE9Pb6hR8etQW73d5lvJ68b2mT35P9jNKn1kaSsjj1rh5I8EcsatHxO3V5CMV6TRHw0VD3hGwh68Jnnp9OaXgmZD5XBcR3WSjzka/s1600/IMG_0277.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-OGnKYMTMG1Fse4rdZ5GscJVWwUA-zXxvVQIEgoOISE9Pb6hR8etQW73d5lvJ68b2mT35P9jNKn1kaSsjj1rh5I8EcsatHxO3V5CMV6TRHw0VD3hGwh68Jnnp9OaXgmZD5XBcR3WSjzka/s320/IMG_0277.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Palacio de Gaudi. Not because it is the Museum of the Camino, but because the building looked very impressive. Only it was Monday and I think around the world, museums are closed on Mondays.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Further on the road was lined with very weary pilgrims.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsBAFMB9RmvNc3y5GF52F1_tFlPSe8Tl89mI9b4_WHMMp-Dd2l2RYOYueNOpwj50npAboS4Oml7YJR4FyqigmsyqSy6Cvo3HmzBMz4wJUKpmXfo90cZrXyaKAdtVntydZEa9CJsotWpxWw/s1600/IMG_0281.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsBAFMB9RmvNc3y5GF52F1_tFlPSe8Tl89mI9b4_WHMMp-Dd2l2RYOYueNOpwj50npAboS4Oml7YJR4FyqigmsyqSy6Cvo3HmzBMz4wJUKpmXfo90cZrXyaKAdtVntydZEa9CJsotWpxWw/s320/IMG_0281.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Some made it even easier and used dunkies as pack animals.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY9iHNhC1R_teUp_184eZRMslfCj687-KzrjBssecIuXYDwFtgq8oaEeP8yJNctXf6ApnCbQi7Cmshu8C2Dz9ZojaJw-JvOgXbqLCPi07cRAZdObJMKAWxzoAnNbOWjgf8OwdqIVEd-cgO/s1600/IMG_0283.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY9iHNhC1R_teUp_184eZRMslfCj687-KzrjBssecIuXYDwFtgq8oaEeP8yJNctXf6ApnCbQi7Cmshu8C2Dz9ZojaJw-JvOgXbqLCPi07cRAZdObJMKAWxzoAnNbOWjgf8OwdqIVEd-cgO/s320/IMG_0283.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So I have finally reached Leon, where the pilgrims already got their monument.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgNfopwbIsJrdLKFrIrON2EOPzQz0QCh5zKdZ5K1oqAqwMU9B6A3HRewuBXjdpdgP-CDzV6tZ3ehnFlyfaFKHVtpREcWfMSuPlfb1mBtCx5KQayZ0o2yfKC6cxdVsO5OZSFrfdF1aSySA0/s1600/IMG_0289.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgNfopwbIsJrdLKFrIrON2EOPzQz0QCh5zKdZ5K1oqAqwMU9B6A3HRewuBXjdpdgP-CDzV6tZ3ehnFlyfaFKHVtpREcWfMSuPlfb1mBtCx5KQayZ0o2yfKC6cxdVsO5OZSFrfdF1aSySA0/s320/IMG_0289.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Like all major cities it was also croweded with tourists here in addition to all the pilgrims. There was no reason for me to stay longer, I moved on to Mansilla. This stretch was not very nice, mostly along a large road. There has been a campsite, but it was still closed, no idea why. I met two Dutch cyclists also with more baggage to camp. Actually I wanted to convince them, to camp in the beautiful park. But they wanted a hot shower and wanted to go to the pilgrims hostel and ask if they could camp there. Since this could be a nice experience, I joined them.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Of course the hostel was already packed. Initially they offered us mattresses in the dormitory, never in my life. I think the real challenge of St. James is not the walking, but to survive the hostels. However, it is always very clean there</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Because of the overcrowding our wish to camp in the garden was welcomed. It was then a really nice evening with a bottle of pilgrim's wine </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Never before I was sitting so early on the bike. The first pilgrims started at 6:00am. The two Dutchmen were heading to Santiago and I, as usual, in the opposite direction.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It continued on a small empty road. The pilgrimage route next to the road was very busy again. Nevertheless, some cyclists had to weave between walkers, I cannot understand this.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Today I had counted 78 cyclists, plus a group with at least 30 cyclists. Hikers are innumerable, I do not want to know how it looks like here in June, July and August.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If I wouldn't have my bike, I'd miss it every second. The Camino was often just straight along a road where you could wonderful cycling, walking sometimes seemms to be endless.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In Carion de los Condes, I met a pensioner from London. Since he lived practically for the last 9 years at the Camino in his campervan he knows it by heart. He was able to tell me exactly, which part I could cycle and where I should stay on the road.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Just before Castorjeriz where the Camino is very steep and lots of big rocks, a cyclist just got into an ambulance. Some cyclists have nothing under control, but must ride on the Camino every inch under all circumstances, incomprehensible to me.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Despite a headwind I was again cycling more than 120km on this day. The Dutch cyclists meant there is a good campground. It was not that nice, but as full as no other since a long time, not only caravans but also cyclists with tents.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The next day was marked by headwind. Since I only wanted to cycle to Burgos, I was not in a hurry at all. That's why I stayed almost the whole part on the Camino, a beautiful day almost exclusively on dirt tracks, at least to Burgos. Although it was cold and rainy, I was in a very good mood. Shortly before Burgos still got a few pretty villages.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM-tlctavf1nFU2QeE_BvMhrovtt7jyMZiw-keIv5LKBEG7wQHIhsfdKxX5O80vwsgY-NsE7Y-L2_QDUEMICy_A1xC5RckX1IEG1FFcuv-lwVRj3NwForYJDY_1snoUpCT37biG1wui_7F/s1600/IMG_0295.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM-tlctavf1nFU2QeE_BvMhrovtt7jyMZiw-keIv5LKBEG7wQHIhsfdKxX5O80vwsgY-NsE7Y-L2_QDUEMICy_A1xC5RckX1IEG1FFcuv-lwVRj3NwForYJDY_1snoUpCT37biG1wui_7F/s320/IMG_0295.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">and with very little traffic it continued to Burgos.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUWm0Jen1lVzHAq99QoU0dOkmXmA9aauPl3oyiSCGMpuAY-bixsUNxz7jN_fc0mfeWRuxVb_KsC2RHwPGh89YAST5eQUsUF-BFJBSQ6yqGbMQQ7c0Dr1DPvfGVIMVdD7qmZPjes26ZEnSB/s1600/IMG_0296.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUWm0Jen1lVzHAq99QoU0dOkmXmA9aauPl3oyiSCGMpuAY-bixsUNxz7jN_fc0mfeWRuxVb_KsC2RHwPGh89YAST5eQUsUF-BFJBSQ6yqGbMQQ7c0Dr1DPvfGVIMVdD7qmZPjes26ZEnSB/s320/IMG_0296.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A very nice city. First, I thought, here I could stay for a while, I even had a look at the cathedral from the inside, a very monumental building. No chance to get the whole cathedral on one photo.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After cycling around a bit in the center of city, I had enough again and because it was very early, I've decided to go further.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The way out of the city was less pleasant than to get into it. Also, the Camino lead here over kilometers along the Routa Nationale. Also, the headwind was stronger again in the afternoon, but amazingly it bothered my only a little. I knew the wind will change again.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After I turned of in a small road, it was suddenly totally quiet again, no traffic.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was very interesting to see the villages a few kilometers left and right of the Camino . They don't profit of the pilgrimage tourism, are totally destitute, although even there some beautiful churches from the 12th Century can be seen.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In one of the places it should have been a campground. I asked one of the older women, where the campground is. She only laughed, camping here? I should cycle to San Juan, where all the pilgrims are and a hostel as well.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In San Juan there is a monastery church, an old monastery where the hostel is now, a bar and further on a few houses. On a lawn in front of the church, I could pitch my tent.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTHaW6VZUfJIyreo19_wYHxjkQBTPGtuHRSBaD2c4inj8YezuhXL0M3w-c1PFIniRlhwoe7lLVaE67bOc6pu6fFvUPXf5Kxz57XKXwAGqFg_ywcw5GhsL-907-IhH4pw3jOe9QsTUN6J-v/s1600/IMG_0314.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTHaW6VZUfJIyreo19_wYHxjkQBTPGtuHRSBaD2c4inj8YezuhXL0M3w-c1PFIniRlhwoe7lLVaE67bOc6pu6fFvUPXf5Kxz57XKXwAGqFg_ywcw5GhsL-907-IhH4pw3jOe9QsTUN6J-v/s320/IMG_0314.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Unbelievable how much noise can be in a place with only 27 inhabitants, late in the evening. In addition there are a couple of times as many pilgrims.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Although the first were passing my tent at 6:30 am, I took my time. When I wanted to use the toilet in the hostel at 8:15am again, everything was closed, the last pilgrims had to have breakfast in front of the door.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On the first part I was still on the Camino, beautiful through the woods, but then changed to the road, because, then a wonderful descent came some kilometers long. After that I stayed on the road because of the pilgrimage route was simply too full. Only after 6 pm when most of the pilgrims hung around in bars or dorms, I was on the Camino again through the Rioja region</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizlpDcJELN4h3MG24LeZQ6CE9YprV08vzJqmBhCcdsb_RITEr9smUtmDU8-jn8c4x6NdURm5VSy1X7qcn9z44p_YDpr3zctal7Dq6xb0LDVf1aQszjr-BImVZpjowtAjac1RiVIrm_LLIw/s1600/IMG_0319.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizlpDcJELN4h3MG24LeZQ6CE9YprV08vzJqmBhCcdsb_RITEr9smUtmDU8-jn8c4x6NdURm5VSy1X7qcn9z44p_YDpr3zctal7Dq6xb0LDVf1aQszjr-BImVZpjowtAjac1RiVIrm_LLIw/s320/IMG_0319.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">to Logrono. Here they were very smart and signposted the pilgrimage route just in the different direction as a cycling path into the city.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Before I went to the campsite, I had a look around in the city. In front of the cathedral was a demonstration. I had a conversation with a man wearing a nice T-shirt with a bicycle on it. That's how I first heard about the riots in Spain. The fact is that the country is doing very badly and there is much poverty, you can it see as soon as you go a little bit off the Camino. A Spaniard told me, in the region of Leon there are 25% unemployed in the winter months when the hostels are closed and no pilgrims are around other shops and restaurants are closing too, then the unemployment rate is even higher. The majority is deeply in debt.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now they were demonstrating against the policies and wanted to get rid of all politicians.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">At the university, where there is a bicycle repair shop of a bicycle initiative, I could clean and grease my chain. That was very needed. Not only to support this initiative I bought a bright orange T-shirt, got buttons and stickers.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Then I came to the worst and most expensive campsite. Here, too, was a Dutch cyclist, so it was still quite nice.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Next day I cycled nearly always on narrow streets. Meanwhile, I was already in the Basque country. The towns had two names, the road signs were partially bilingual. Amazing how completly different the Basque language is, it seems it has nothing to do with the other Roman languages.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I just wanted to cycle around Lizarra / Estella. The towns here are all very beautiful and old, but after seeing so many, I had enough. Then I discovered at a church was a lift down to the old town. It was so funny that I absolutely had to try it. It has once again paid off, Lizarra / Estella is a nice old town. Also here you could barely take a photo without a pilgrim walking into it.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSYoK3xZDPw_h8WYMy9_DBtLfpbc2TVyQ6T6x5LMzCeiLh8RZTDwjs_Rep6drmmNvp54Id2aaJ_dGzsl5o4OyPXigorR9RZBjYkNvrZLtS9MX8SHT8HRLGWHpasKvRaECm5PEx4Cd-lzM_/s1600/IMG_0332.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSYoK3xZDPw_h8WYMy9_DBtLfpbc2TVyQ6T6x5LMzCeiLh8RZTDwjs_Rep6drmmNvp54Id2aaJ_dGzsl5o4OyPXigorR9RZBjYkNvrZLtS9MX8SHT8HRLGWHpasKvRaECm5PEx4Cd-lzM_/s320/IMG_0332.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Before Pamplona there was a not very high, but steep road, I just could ride it. An older racing cyclist pushed his bike just behind me. He was not slower than me, but it must have been a funny view. In general I'm too lazy to push and I find it much harder. Moreover it was the first time the sole of my cycling shoes were broken in parts.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The trip to Pamplona was relatively simple. In the paths were shells, the sign of the Camino, you only had to follow them, and you were in the city. For cyclists, they have painted shells on the bike paths.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After all the cathedrals bullfighting here was a really nice change.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-bBhor4a5s57A0R6QFu64Qrkv9IWmpMlJ18Hb21noY2P7bcgvfTSHCJpQvwsNFzVCH3PFTDJ-Nv0P0e6a4hjoGIAp0GiduDoLVmhFJQqQp5DgSnFTxoScTsqniu8CXgC956nUUxReXHHT/s1600/IMG_0342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-bBhor4a5s57A0R6QFu64Qrkv9IWmpMlJ18Hb21noY2P7bcgvfTSHCJpQvwsNFzVCH3PFTDJ-Nv0P0e6a4hjoGIAp0GiduDoLVmhFJQqQp5DgSnFTxoScTsqniu8CXgC956nUUxReXHHT/s320/IMG_0342.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the streets were signs where the bulls had to go through the bulls. I don't think bulls can read them, at least they were red. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih5o_LIDbglxXCjrUagEgtSTKKlQ63tRovTZ4d8EYePaDRM15mxjqciIqV7S6yPhFLNRdug212Z0JbczY1nSSsOSY1wvu8sAchtpftVzQ1F_Lpl7qS_OjV5s-nkLQRzb6c1pn7yJujskM3/s1600/IMG_0347.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih5o_LIDbglxXCjrUagEgtSTKKlQ63tRovTZ4d8EYePaDRM15mxjqciIqV7S6yPhFLNRdug212Z0JbczY1nSSsOSY1wvu8sAchtpftVzQ1F_Lpl7qS_OjV5s-nkLQRzb6c1pn7yJujskM3/s320/IMG_0347.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Since I was told, the campsite would be only 7 km out of the city, I thought I had enough time to have a nice look around the historic center.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When I was out of the city center, already a few kilometers away , I was in the supermarket buying a lot. I thought it is not that far anymore. So I was fully packed when I was suddenly in front of a tunnel! There was a big sign: prohibited for cyclists. Something you really could not accidentally overlook. Anyway, I don't like tunnels. .</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I stopped two cyclistsand and asked how I can get to the Eusa where the camp is. They told me I had to go all around the mountain, it would be still quite far, at least 8 km. Great. It was late and my bike was packed with all the food I just bought. The lady from the tourist office should have known, on a bike it's a little bit further. Do not despair, just continue cycling. At the end it was not that hard and far, but very late. I only wanted to have a shower, eat and sleep.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Actually I had planned to leave the Camino and stay on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees to the direction of Andorra. Then the next morning I got a call that my mum is not well at all. I decided to go back to Germany as quickly as possible.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In Spain, it is hardly possible to transport the bike on the train. Also, I did not want to get immediately on the train. That's why I stayed on the last stage of the Camino over the Pyrenees to St Jean Pied de Port, France. I knew there is a train station and because hundreds of pilgrims are starting from there every day, there must be frequent trains.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The road over the mountain was heavily frequented on Saturday, less with cars more with motorcyclists and cyclists, road cyclists, even in my direction. The walkers were a little bit aside.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In Roncesvalles which is on nearly 1000m, I had a break. The highest point of the Camino here is about 1400m. I could see from the map, the pass on the road is not that high.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">At the break I've seen other versions of the pilgrims.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibO1Z54OIUD4pbSopBT9SYqby50Nh8FnDvH4u-usPIK0JXY9IurJ0M9IyPrX1JbpOExgXg1TFxkK1c12nOFOmMTAPlBWGBfCXt7cVFLEgBMwYIsSXZmoWaP9_OeM-tRY8lWcAGB3L0YOR3/s1600/IMG_0349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibO1Z54OIUD4pbSopBT9SYqby50Nh8FnDvH4u-usPIK0JXY9IurJ0M9IyPrX1JbpOExgXg1TFxkK1c12nOFOmMTAPlBWGBfCXt7cVFLEgBMwYIsSXZmoWaP9_OeM-tRY8lWcAGB3L0YOR3/s320/IMG_0349.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Unlikely he started walking in Scotland.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Well feeded I continued. Only 1-2 kilometers after Roncesvalles a cyclist stood next to a sign "Passo something 1030 m". I I asked the cyclist, when the real pass will come. He said this is already the real pass. From here on there is only downhill for about 26 km. I was almost disappointed, did not know why I had eaten so much.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">At the end, it was not realy 26km downhill, maybe 10km, very nice along through the woods and along rocks.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjyfD_ZPq8i_SxdkpD6fWKJRui8BauD-A34NtaRD6-Bd937ahbm1bm0hUr82-44lvLqeAuDGowWKsoe2xYdx_8jOLGKJULnVuygyCRafCouL5uqWOt74CqNczD9uqve2ILsbPF3E6FIK_/s1600/IMG_0356.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjyfD_ZPq8i_SxdkpD6fWKJRui8BauD-A34NtaRD6-Bd937ahbm1bm0hUr82-44lvLqeAuDGowWKsoe2xYdx_8jOLGKJULnVuygyCRafCouL5uqWOt74CqNczD9uqve2ILsbPF3E6FIK_/s320/IMG_0356.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Some cyclists came towards me pushing their bikes. My mother would have enjoyed the ride too.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I almost have overseen the border to France. It was almost at the bottom of the mountain. Then there were still about 16km almost flat.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The center of St Jean Pied was hard to miss, little alleys full of pilgrims who most likely wanted to start the pilgrimage the next day. I just wanted to buy something to drink, but everything was incredible overpriced.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Immediately I rode to the train station and actually shortly after a train arrived which brought even more pilgrims to the already packed town.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLRDdfuKC4lrepIDhYOLMqVD_WHnFmNTNRw0KDrweHy36Xbb4GQslu1F0oid5mVUy0sBnpy-TT9W9d6p8PocIZAwxdgOQA4ckMPbpKqfB1R245sLJdYWpxs_cAdSYNkiI5XHfQtcOEojWT/s1600/IMG_0357.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLRDdfuKC4lrepIDhYOLMqVD_WHnFmNTNRw0KDrweHy36Xbb4GQslu1F0oid5mVUy0sBnpy-TT9W9d6p8PocIZAwxdgOQA4ckMPbpKqfB1R245sLJdYWpxs_cAdSYNkiI5XHfQtcOEojWT/s320/IMG_0357.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Almost empty, the train went back to Bayonne, where even more pilgrims were waiting. I took the night train to Paris, then the TGV to Strasbourg and by bike to Germany.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So fast everything can be over, at least for now. The only fear I got during this trip was the thought that I don't want to have another life than on the bike again. Overall, it was fantastic again, it's just life and liberty pure, go where you want, pitch up the tent where you want... However, I was very good lucky with the weather too and it was probably the most beautiful season.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Let's see when the next trip starts again. Also this journey was inspiring for many more tours. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976028803035012784.post-62565368373823626932011-05-27T23:08:00.000-07:002011-05-27T23:08:24.734-07:00Hello from Santiago di Compostela<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Like this everything started again:</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyO2XyxXW1Xzl0-LvOk0wNMKsqaAxfgi2HTzd3Bgw2pZwNLl3ER_6xUtuWx1MjNDiL4o48Fk5xhpflP2qxmmekHTh7bzGUbNpuvd1XQBsITICEXXrywfcdO4IaFhsyGqDgerB_C2alo6R1/s1600/IMG_0121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyO2XyxXW1Xzl0-LvOk0wNMKsqaAxfgi2HTzd3Bgw2pZwNLl3ER_6xUtuWx1MjNDiL4o48Fk5xhpflP2qxmmekHTh7bzGUbNpuvd1XQBsITICEXXrywfcdO4IaFhsyGqDgerB_C2alo6R1/s320/IMG_0121.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Urse brought me with all the luggage and the giant bicycle box on a breakneck manner to the airport. The front head was sticking at the windshield screen.<br />
At the checking my "luggage" was not accepted, because I put all my panniers in a garbage bag (extra strong). I had to get everything wrapped in plastic. Also my big red bag was included. It looked like a huge cocoon. Most important was, that it got accepted.<br />
<br />
Everything arrived in time and save in Lisbon. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3C0PdoOpm1Vp8j5kqgURzmNPwwTuCSRVL2Lj7edcrnvOr3XXnj1_UBg14uVako79bZ49KBbf2OasMvHGd7VrtYYFg8rt3ALqaDfAFHfEhzKvqy90F_if7brtKLaxBPYlq1H7Zst8Thf1/s1600/IMG_0125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3C0PdoOpm1Vp8j5kqgURzmNPwwTuCSRVL2Lj7edcrnvOr3XXnj1_UBg14uVako79bZ49KBbf2OasMvHGd7VrtYYFg8rt3ALqaDfAFHfEhzKvqy90F_if7brtKLaxBPYlq1H7Zst8Thf1/s320/IMG_0125.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The advantage when you arrive at lunch time, you can take all the time you need. Very relaxed, in 42 minutes I had all assembled into a roadworthy bicycle.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZnr_RlKoLNl6OMRJtJyC4CjQINkp9jccYKmQAo9Ie7KHx_eb8FGj0gGDQJ0pN4dX7Ge0IYQA7-lZ4VE22FAkvb6nw2xNnyvTwTd3RmfW7eq7-jukqvBBpxe9I-xP0VEyoWPL09vnI-gWx/s1600/IMG_0126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZnr_RlKoLNl6OMRJtJyC4CjQINkp9jccYKmQAo9Ie7KHx_eb8FGj0gGDQJ0pN4dX7Ge0IYQA7-lZ4VE22FAkvb6nw2xNnyvTwTd3RmfW7eq7-jukqvBBpxe9I-xP0VEyoWPL09vnI-gWx/s320/IMG_0126.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
and immediately I cycled into the city along the promenade.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ-j-mrIWqGoGHk4S9MxHFdrgzeeWYmuT87-c7jqA9gftW7wB1T-iQ5HytyFAxIMxCrtL7UpCAGrCGr-BYXo2uK1EEKmxfLtnuDjYoazxbjBBAa4KJkPE1h_usJRFYaKElsBxJeBIYXlHg/s1600/IMG_0129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ-j-mrIWqGoGHk4S9MxHFdrgzeeWYmuT87-c7jqA9gftW7wB1T-iQ5HytyFAxIMxCrtL7UpCAGrCGr-BYXo2uK1EEKmxfLtnuDjYoazxbjBBAa4KJkPE1h_usJRFYaKElsBxJeBIYXlHg/s320/IMG_0129.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I had a very nice welcome at Beate's and her families place. Due to the fact I've been in Lisbon a couple of years ago, have already seen all the highlights, and because I had itching legs, I took off again the next day.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw48ZgrZj8LO_JCmpybSfYGN65LsPg8rLBaLS815QQh_f9Bc6eQVJtvYoqsoWf98yXz_tnPM-egDb2laXcKpoRwxgKDgaWlUNvh1pd3Ju5tYqVW6bzO82U6Di-3vURtB0Pki3ki0-rOBKr/s1600/IMG_0133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw48ZgrZj8LO_JCmpybSfYGN65LsPg8rLBaLS815QQh_f9Bc6eQVJtvYoqsoWf98yXz_tnPM-egDb2laXcKpoRwxgKDgaWlUNvh1pd3Ju5tYqVW6bzO82U6Di-3vURtB0Pki3ki0-rOBKr/s320/IMG_0133.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Very nice along the river Tejo. There was a wonderful cycling path as well, which stopped suddenly and I had to find my path between the sandy beach and the railways until I found a subway. Going back was again no option.<br />
<br />
Since I cycled to the far end of the Tejo's mouth, it was really quiet. There is nothing going on anymore. There were even enough space for a bicycle path again, although this wouldn't have been necessary. Further on it was more often the case, if there was nothing going on the road, there were the best bike paths. At least I was able to continue on the sea side of the road, a few meters better views.<br />
Afterwards there were high cliffs, I had to climb long high mountains. This was not what I needed on my first day with all the luggage. Sometimes you have no choice. A young lady wanted to give me a lift in her Mini Cooper. I must have made a very slack impression, which was not so misguided.<br />
<br />
Then I got to the pretty fishing village of Ericeira.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxebubo9XgpU8Rusds7485ehkaIqKS8ueeeBW7QEKI_KYae1TpAyCoNGrbHC3WV3vDWlQYX1hNCR2bBPt3rW4zQWEXIqT8XduDPA3I8giqekpbu9Yh7Tysa3lnW1OfB_pON-j9KNdun9Lb/s1600/IMG_0139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxebubo9XgpU8Rusds7485ehkaIqKS8ueeeBW7QEKI_KYae1TpAyCoNGrbHC3WV3vDWlQYX1hNCR2bBPt3rW4zQWEXIqT8XduDPA3I8giqekpbu9Yh7Tysa3lnW1OfB_pON-j9KNdun9Lb/s320/IMG_0139.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
There was even a camp ground which was just as cheap as everything else here.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMqf2V23VT1pBeho2XVl7XkhMEdK9J4WxykgNwwqPPQxDBZPjj67hpDt7PhnXQGe14QxUdZgOdreERROVOC1r3I0r5_VnM6ajZfpB2IUEHeKzDpMuMkLoMnMasPK15gebIRLBZdnLveqA/s1600/IMG_0140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMqf2V23VT1pBeho2XVl7XkhMEdK9J4WxykgNwwqPPQxDBZPjj67hpDt7PhnXQGe14QxUdZgOdreERROVOC1r3I0r5_VnM6ajZfpB2IUEHeKzDpMuMkLoMnMasPK15gebIRLBZdnLveqA/s320/IMG_0140.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Finally back to sleep in a tent, it was like coming home.<br />
Even if it was not wild camping. Cause of the many bush fires it is not allowed here. <br />
<br />
Next day I continued over the cliff.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3pMg7a199SwJTfjhyphenhyphen3qFbf6RRVNwMItVHr_4f6OEsGIgzWfJqgcpzsElYoQAMXQMEy5jyrgEwuQ9oqq6KGri7QtV4e0NU5PxNR09VPcK_N1dl26FvUAanS2KxU28v1mXWHjQJRQ5BoXgf/s1600/IMG_0141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3pMg7a199SwJTfjhyphenhyphen3qFbf6RRVNwMItVHr_4f6OEsGIgzWfJqgcpzsElYoQAMXQMEy5jyrgEwuQ9oqq6KGri7QtV4e0NU5PxNR09VPcK_N1dl26FvUAanS2KxU28v1mXWHjQJRQ5BoXgf/s320/IMG_0141.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
because of the view and because everything flourished so brightened, it was quite bearable.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0qCNTBBIeqyjEsTKDH8wfOHphHhTNWWkiS_XnHRwgdq_IqTwE8HORIg2acjevrRyGzWcSmoLpUBsCYQGNYr-qMtVS-AkaGmUvY5YDJTGXFJqEMJwIppAnyAqx_vGeGZn3FOjH3_JF-U-/s1600/IMG_0145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0qCNTBBIeqyjEsTKDH8wfOHphHhTNWWkiS_XnHRwgdq_IqTwE8HORIg2acjevrRyGzWcSmoLpUBsCYQGNYr-qMtVS-AkaGmUvY5YDJTGXFJqEMJwIppAnyAqx_vGeGZn3FOjH3_JF-U-/s320/IMG_0145.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Although it was very quiet this time of year yet, I tried to avoid the Route Nationale. Thus, even this not very spectacular cycling in Europe was a bit exciting.<br />
At first the shortcut have chosen, was quite OK. It was a narrow road with many stones, then there were parts with sand, always a 100m long pushing stage.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFd0NP8j7NqX_SRAzwkCxUpvAcsR4r55_gdfywUnrbdu-kHYthgcoykyRE61CzFo9ERcIpUQYfLP6RDGV7G6cHS8YCTQkZbxycDNVXZQQuin9aIUnRMq8THTmwRB6lOs4FE0cXrr1nIpvp/s1600/IMG_0149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFd0NP8j7NqX_SRAzwkCxUpvAcsR4r55_gdfywUnrbdu-kHYthgcoykyRE61CzFo9ERcIpUQYfLP6RDGV7G6cHS8YCTQkZbxycDNVXZQQuin9aIUnRMq8THTmwRB6lOs4FE0cXrr1nIpvp/s320/IMG_0149.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
and as usual, if it is already bad, it gets even worse. Suddenly I was standing in front of a puddle / mud hole<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoyaInUSL5ZwvE6WlUJqYucTxBpd-MXkBPeq7Ees41wy3X8HrzMpwZ2OJRKfRSsYjWIM46-BCZcu5fi8gfYG6UfG7-Yy1V-Bj3Cs4gU_PdW3__yUoi_pKXvNUvRIAn3FQp3h9wdIcOLNzu/s1600/IMG_0150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoyaInUSL5ZwvE6WlUJqYucTxBpd-MXkBPeq7Ees41wy3X8HrzMpwZ2OJRKfRSsYjWIM46-BCZcu5fi8gfYG6UfG7-Yy1V-Bj3Cs4gU_PdW3__yUoi_pKXvNUvRIAn3FQp3h9wdIcOLNzu/s320/IMG_0150.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Looked really interesting. After 1-2 meters I was lucky enough to turn into the bushes.<br />
It took quite a while, until I reached a little town only a few kilometers further. However, it was a wonderful track, where I was bitten by mosquitoes, at least it was a touch of adventure.<br />
<br />
Then just up the hill again and off on luxury good bike paths that were just as empty as the road aside. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhYXcojVW_SVVeUYBHvK9KaFlNeHPixtXwPuOQsncvyXYCeBdslJI_RqAGlGq1aE7vgnq2HbOPIkiOqYGB03BlBisungMRvuiFDexuSd4gwEs51K3p1pvHMb1Wc8E9zTTxw0jWqUYvAx1J/s1600/IMG_0151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhYXcojVW_SVVeUYBHvK9KaFlNeHPixtXwPuOQsncvyXYCeBdslJI_RqAGlGq1aE7vgnq2HbOPIkiOqYGB03BlBisungMRvuiFDexuSd4gwEs51K3p1pvHMb1Wc8E9zTTxw0jWqUYvAx1J/s320/IMG_0151.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
It was almost idyllic how it went through the caoutchouc forests.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyhyphenhyphen_l7hhly4yCdIofgmNzwjohuQk4OFg_YmblkuBE1BLRR-JaJOUfZcgtymjFOQ61TBg_lVMc8erqiD4AeDT4wUY4rk11OFk8yYPTLuEgVkQk8zleYi9iQf0C9I8lqSTNWyyQTwZY9vT-/s1600/IMG_0152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyhyphenhyphen_l7hhly4yCdIofgmNzwjohuQk4OFg_YmblkuBE1BLRR-JaJOUfZcgtymjFOQ61TBg_lVMc8erqiD4AeDT4wUY4rk11OFk8yYPTLuEgVkQk8zleYi9iQf0C9I8lqSTNWyyQTwZY9vT-/s320/IMG_0152.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The villages were getting prepared for the big rush in a few weeks, new cycle paths are created and sprayed red.<br />
It's not a very populated area here and the tourism seems the only source of income. Therefore it's also worthwhile to prepare the nice villages. Costa Nova, for example, all houses are striped lengthwise.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSkpF5ad8eiTjXxj3WDgL170LjRcPOuGPPuwKHO45u5wKJs7JJxDfUN6okqOTTNOFv2xjmQoNtbQOIlK9PbVhN6G8AntkXlshpAMkuYnyjbNXnxgVVmDapy1vqC6lfZkILu7ilEeBvHkI-/s1600/IMG_0162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSkpF5ad8eiTjXxj3WDgL170LjRcPOuGPPuwKHO45u5wKJs7JJxDfUN6okqOTTNOFv2xjmQoNtbQOIlK9PbVhN6G8AntkXlshpAMkuYnyjbNXnxgVVmDapy1vqC6lfZkILu7ilEeBvHkI-/s320/IMG_0162.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>And it went further north. Shortly before I arrived in Porto, I met the first 'real' cyclists, Petro and Catia from Portugal. They were cycling "only" in Portugal, but are very interested and appropriately equipped to ride longer tours. They have already told me that there is a great bike path to Porto. So a little later, after quite a pleasant ride I was standing in front of the bridge of Luis IV <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxetvNIuKk6BwxbD8zEcZElgd4xhfZjdwMTDOJJsSZNwkb5InHy4h-GEt0HiNx8QazV3TRdiNYduwQOMzN0aD8XOgUUkLPjxEuuxqLpZxlt5xSx-WkMdvv7WFz8BCJpmchGEtvxuzvfka9/s1600/IMG_0170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxetvNIuKk6BwxbD8zEcZElgd4xhfZjdwMTDOJJsSZNwkb5InHy4h-GEt0HiNx8QazV3TRdiNYduwQOMzN0aD8XOgUUkLPjxEuuxqLpZxlt5xSx-WkMdvv7WFz8BCJpmchGEtvxuzvfka9/s320/IMG_0170.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Then I was immediately in the historic center of Porto<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMZSopShCNgNIigCkT8KY_-r3ICIGs7LVAiYPnxtslRu05oCrZR-BBKj568d1n6xJ_uvR9G6AWcwgZrHLFetdOfK0rzVT3xznmHksAVcqOotzj9dFKC76IQwjpx0puq0CKp5bHDsIS-xGR/s1600/IMG_0172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMZSopShCNgNIigCkT8KY_-r3ICIGs7LVAiYPnxtslRu05oCrZR-BBKj568d1n6xJ_uvR9G6AWcwgZrHLFetdOfK0rzVT3xznmHksAVcqOotzj9dFKC76IQwjpx0puq0CKp5bHDsIS-xGR/s320/IMG_0172.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
A couple of years ago I've been already here and again I liked it very much. I could have sworn that we had been in Porto at a campground, but the lady in the tourist office said there is no camping. Well then, she should know it, no contradiction. Too bad I couldn't stay here very long, didn't matter very much with the bike you've seen everything very quickly.<br />
<br />
Catia and Pedro had already told me also that after Porto there is as well a beautiful bike path and that you are allowed to ride on the timber paths.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN_kIoA-RVXqW_8PI12LDUQf2QB8mAqof1GYyEGp_8u77AcLs_tD6iSZBPrUxUuww4ePv2N5cIGjf_qJuRXnyxCmVTJoXIEQGM-iiEtYhbYfCEBLIfw1RdCsyVOokI2v5QqhsioAeHxSpW/s1600/IMG_0177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN_kIoA-RVXqW_8PI12LDUQf2QB8mAqof1GYyEGp_8u77AcLs_tD6iSZBPrUxUuww4ePv2N5cIGjf_qJuRXnyxCmVTJoXIEQGM-iiEtYhbYfCEBLIfw1RdCsyVOokI2v5QqhsioAeHxSpW/s320/IMG_0177.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
That was really great, so that the dunes are protected, there are over kilometers this way.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately at one time this was over again, and I had to go over 30-40km on cobble stone, pretty annoying. There is no possibility to ride fast on it. Then a headwind came up, I had problems with my stove, which I wanted to solve finally, and Pedro has meant Viano do Castello is a beautiful city. So I decided to finish the day in this city, not bothering the rapid drop of my average number of kilometers. :-)<br />
It was a good decision, because even if you are "only" cycling there are always plenty of other things to do.<br />
<br />
At the next day I was faster than expected at the border to Spain. With a ferry I could easily cross the river. Luckily I still had to wait half an hour so I could write the last postcard with a Portuguese postage stamp.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYNBAQ1LeVFJqiyonNDMS0BGpjJqKE3JPrykVS-ZijTeLZlGmTPz8SKpROeh_s-4XgaXa_XNnMA7ajmTKerYY2x3R4QdJOFsdW01U-SJJIiMz6kpBTY2IBHQbZhY5w8CbDh8C8xcTUv6Sa/s1600/IMG_0178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYNBAQ1LeVFJqiyonNDMS0BGpjJqKE3JPrykVS-ZijTeLZlGmTPz8SKpROeh_s-4XgaXa_XNnMA7ajmTKerYY2x3R4QdJOFsdW01U-SJJIiMz6kpBTY2IBHQbZhY5w8CbDh8C8xcTUv6Sa/s320/IMG_0178.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Unbelievable how the landscape changed on the other side of the river in Spain. For the first kilometers it was over with sandy beaches only cliffs, beautiful and picturesque.<br />
<br />
Quickly I was in Baiona, a small seaside town, which I liked quite well.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixrR6H1XBxfCoWNvbqirYf8m0tR0mDdVW4SlI5F0vOtMRN6jREMaS-a1L1b0TlVcPsmRUpqg-6OeCjmd1EGrFLEZkeeF-Lqi_i05gLAmElcfuDLqSmR3I2qCEHtf9pB3p50k2KYZ06FPED/s1600/IMG_0184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixrR6H1XBxfCoWNvbqirYf8m0tR0mDdVW4SlI5F0vOtMRN6jREMaS-a1L1b0TlVcPsmRUpqg-6OeCjmd1EGrFLEZkeeF-Lqi_i05gLAmElcfuDLqSmR3I2qCEHtf9pB3p50k2KYZ06FPED/s320/IMG_0184.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Behind the port there were the first serious mountains. They probably already belong to the Pyrenees.<br />
Over these and some others, I had to ride, not very far, and I was in Santiago de Compostela!<br />
<br />
It was quite late in the evening when I arrived there. The daylight is very long , you don't notice how late it actually is. At some point, you are just so tired that you only want a place to sleep, as it was the case here.<br />
<br />
For now, my interest in the cathedral was very limited, simply a place to sleep was more needed. At first I walked through the narrow streets <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibrLVzu5ePKize_YGgn7xUvGYYVSUDNM7Xhh-N3DKz2FQppbbZ3FUNU_L3D7ZA19Gfy9yzMt7Srpk1rNDwlzA6fqT6bgHTZCHgA1Y32rps0kl2PzT31Gr2SfQmljY-WY1-b1uS6ZK9vng8/s1600/IMG_0191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibrLVzu5ePKize_YGgn7xUvGYYVSUDNM7Xhh-N3DKz2FQppbbZ3FUNU_L3D7ZA19Gfy9yzMt7Srpk1rNDwlzA6fqT6bgHTZCHgA1Y32rps0kl2PzT31Gr2SfQmljY-WY1-b1uS6ZK9vng8/s320/IMG_0191.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
to the tourist info, there I've quickly decided to spoil me with a hotel in the city.<br />
<br />
The next day I had a closer look to the historic center. At 11am the cathedral was already packed full, more than at Christmas at home. Everywere there were backpacks laying around. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy4pa6TnQ3OKaAjZoYgZOZtrn0UZjZ12JuqV29KKSoSs0lIeFpNgkG8XoeGJ7EF6TiZijvcHsGCT3U159u8oF89FxTv2L3zuSVF20x5pQb58n-aRbxU1e_WwHMJAlakw_Yy2Y1scn-SipQ/s1600/IMG_0193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy4pa6TnQ3OKaAjZoYgZOZtrn0UZjZ12JuqV29KKSoSs0lIeFpNgkG8XoeGJ7EF6TiZijvcHsGCT3U159u8oF89FxTv2L3zuSVF20x5pQb58n-aRbxU1e_WwHMJAlakw_Yy2Y1scn-SipQ/s320/IMG_0193.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
The city was full of pilgrims,<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy3HJ746WO7REYxS5Xj2DNcfrS4qrjhcTq7cPPLxagyiIwaiWaPALtJvtGQNWWoGZ6IVssEa1ZAM7dqRsSgV6uiB0J-CzmZwZhsEMXv3HrciqB7nwtlmgeS6O0xRtS3STi_wGFEQpyha-m/s1600/IMG_0206.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy3HJ746WO7REYxS5Xj2DNcfrS4qrjhcTq7cPPLxagyiIwaiWaPALtJvtGQNWWoGZ6IVssEa1ZAM7dqRsSgV6uiB0J-CzmZwZhsEMXv3HrciqB7nwtlmgeS6O0xRtS3STi_wGFEQpyha-m/s320/IMG_0206.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
young and old,<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicTE00qXZ5FaW4zQHtHVyAhePAsciKh7yscqXks8-3Ah9bj7AL74uzZP3Np3YXDC6WCa3SqLHNP6csANS7kUsuEhwBwLRLYV13BW_m0sWLyt5owA0QjFF2IV6yNocaQ2E3f8lg01g7DTTw/s1600/IMG_0225.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicTE00qXZ5FaW4zQHtHVyAhePAsciKh7yscqXks8-3Ah9bj7AL74uzZP3Np3YXDC6WCa3SqLHNP6csANS7kUsuEhwBwLRLYV13BW_m0sWLyt5owA0QjFF2IV6yNocaQ2E3f8lg01g7DTTw/s320/IMG_0225.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
but each made a really happy impression, that they reached this holy place. In front of the place they could get their certificate they had to queue up for hours. I imagined already that it looks like this along the whole Camino. <br />
Santiago is a beautiful and interesting city, but with all the pilgrims I had enough after one day. On Friday the 13th May further I went further.<br />
<br />
<span id="goog_417160401"></span><span id="goog_417160402"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976028803035012784.post-34117652232919121722011-05-02T07:33:00.000-07:002011-05-02T07:33:07.968-07:00Soon on the road again...<span class="" id="result_box" lang="en"><span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">Again, a </span><span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken"></span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">huge</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">box</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">is waiting outside into which</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">I have</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">to</span> pack <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">my</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">bike.</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">Tomorrow</span> I will fly to Lisbon, <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken"> already </span><span title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken"></span><span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken"></span><span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">tonight</span><span title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">, I will</span> be picked up. <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken"></span><br />
<br />
<span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">After</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">I</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">have</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">released</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">recently</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">my</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">touring bike</span> from the <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">dirt of </span><span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">the wide</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">world,</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">I</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">realized</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">it</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">is</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">actually</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">not</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">in</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">a state in</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">which I should go on a</span><span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken"></span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">journey</span><span title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken"> again.</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">Too</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">late</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">..</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">what</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">the hell,</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">I</span> stay <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">still</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">in</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">Europe and</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">it</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">is</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">"only</span><span title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">"the</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">end</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">of my</span> "round the world" trip<span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">. Perhaps </span><span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken"></span><span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">before my</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">next</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">long</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">trip</span><span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken"> a sponsor</span><span title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken"> can be found. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">I skip Morocco now</span><span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken"></span><span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">.</span> The distance back to Germany is long enough<span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken"> for the maximum of 6 weeks I have. </span><span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken"></span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken"></span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">The</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">recent</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">bomb attack</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">in</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">Marrakesh</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">worries</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">me</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">less</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">than the</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">death of</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">bin Laden</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">and</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">the</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">currently </span><span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken"></span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">behavior of</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">some</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">U.S.</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">Americans</span><span title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">.</span> Because I have to be back in Germany<span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken"></span> <span class="hps atn" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">mid-</span><span title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">June</span>, <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken"></span><span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">North</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">Africa hast to wait </span><span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken"></span><span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">anyway</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">So, now</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">I have to</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">finish packing</span><span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken"></span><span title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">.</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">I</span><span title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">'m really looking forward</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">to be back</span> </span><span class="" id="result_box" lang="en"><span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">soon </span></span><span class="" id="result_box" lang="en"><span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">on the</span> road<span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">,</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">collect</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">new</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">material</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">for</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">new</span> presentations<span title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">If</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">the opportunity arises</span><span title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">, I</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">will</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">keep</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">you</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">up to date</span> <span class="hps" title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">here</span><span title="Zur Anzeige alternativer Übersetzungen klicken">.</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976028803035012784.post-59345629566465963792011-02-24T00:22:00.000-08:002011-02-24T06:20:39.540-08:00Have a break...<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For my activities beside my travels, I've created a new blog.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_256331835"><br />
</a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://dorotheefleck-eng.blogspot.com/">http://dorotheefleck-eng.blogspot.com/</a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This blog will be continued latest on 3rd of May 2011. Then I finally will be on road again, on the last section of my round the world cycling, from the Atlantic (Portugal) back to Germany.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976028803035012784.post-64789622803033154322011-01-15T10:34:00.000-08:002011-02-28T10:34:44.193-08:00Award<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Many thanks to the community Steinen for the award for special achievment</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKPnA7_8auXevbY2O8qKVcvclBkuBWobCgUsN0AyU_ufWDRUjURkiqeGcp-HHwskekUMRPJoX7onkOu5RnnXWtDQMjA-exwAGWVc2F_jG6jyyvZpHJzY6F4uQAbeCoIEGCfcRjMVomNkoQ/s1600/IMG_0054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKPnA7_8auXevbY2O8qKVcvclBkuBWobCgUsN0AyU_ufWDRUjURkiqeGcp-HHwskekUMRPJoX7onkOu5RnnXWtDQMjA-exwAGWVc2F_jG6jyyvZpHJzY6F4uQAbeCoIEGCfcRjMVomNkoQ/s320/IMG_0054.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and the wonderful marzipan bike</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976028803035012784.post-13756524243680799752011-01-02T07:17:00.000-08:002011-01-02T07:17:14.483-08:00Happy New Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Rt7KVW9VHxhfhihrcunINUI3gQAOkpnrBWDEwHwLP6lQ6SIFvn7yH7ropBUIJcApNE82O7i0Fxg3UIU_mIIH_x741nI3xACilYzkgSVP-1G9HFYD9d5fFXay4YbRjDlk-wA4pZ5L7rKJ/s1600/IMG_1221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Rt7KVW9VHxhfhihrcunINUI3gQAOkpnrBWDEwHwLP6lQ6SIFvn7yH7ropBUIJcApNE82O7i0Fxg3UIU_mIIH_x741nI3xACilYzkgSVP-1G9HFYD9d5fFXay4YbRjDlk-wA4pZ5L7rKJ/s320/IMG_1221.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">I wish all readers a happy, successful New Year, with nice challanges, adventures and very interesting expiriences. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOtnPDOOkXnwMEVqnI9BTK4VyLBvvw5jTpwBJ2WaPbyBYshKRF4HkEOzHhJQ8AFqfq3gYCnLEcNj9nv3fnsDJyfix61P2VhFZ-0Bl1zzW0J423Zau_k0LL1dQrwRqE8lZUMPqBGK9sv9IB/s1600/IMG_1204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOtnPDOOkXnwMEVqnI9BTK4VyLBvvw5jTpwBJ2WaPbyBYshKRF4HkEOzHhJQ8AFqfq3gYCnLEcNj9nv3fnsDJyfix61P2VhFZ-0Bl1zzW0J423Zau_k0LL1dQrwRqE8lZUMPqBGK9sv9IB/s320/IMG_1204.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span>Hope your New Year stays on track!</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976028803035012784.post-24270965444566677612010-11-03T06:42:00.000-07:002010-11-19T06:10:25.166-08:00Call for Donation<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sometimes I am asked if I still have contact with people I had met on my trip. Unfortunately not all but still to some of them. Above all, I am pleased that the contact to Vandong, the head of the Buddhist monastery in Kambong Cham, where I stayed for a week, is still ongoing. (See blog entry <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1442845247">„Kambodscha der Süden und Osten“</a><a href="http://d-tours2.blogspot.com/2008/11/kambodscha-der-sueden-und-osten.html"> </a> )<br />
Therefore I am always informed aobut his new interesting projects first hand. <br />
Most recently, the <a href="http://www.bsda-cambodia.org/projects/mekong-kampucheas-kids-project.htm">Mekong Kampuchea's Kids Project</a></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwQ8NayD10WApHzySVAZXgd4q5pqUQV9YcbKtZXcUuvzmdnF2OgKd8yk7f5DFeXRI_dPFsFlma4eWt8WCiVvmBpa3M__1OUQ6T7HN6oJEjPXvWo-xo3xSWONqmEqZVB5j_wq4IZrgWWcCi/s1600/14__320x240_DSC00721.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwQ8NayD10WApHzySVAZXgd4q5pqUQV9YcbKtZXcUuvzmdnF2OgKd8yk7f5DFeXRI_dPFsFlma4eWt8WCiVvmBpa3M__1OUQ6T7HN6oJEjPXvWo-xo3xSWONqmEqZVB5j_wq4IZrgWWcCi/s1600/14__320x240_DSC00721.JPG" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">more about on <a href="http://www.bsda-cambodia.org/projects/mekong-kampucheas-kids-project.htm"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">http://www.bsda-cambodia.org/projects/mekong-kampucheas-kids-project.htm</span></a><br />
<br />
<br />
A large part of the costs is covered by donations of an organization in Switzerland. But there are still 6000 U.S. dollars missing.</span><br />
<br />
..........<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Here is his mail:</span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thank you very much for your interesting to support BSDA's project within Mekong Kampuchea's Kids project on orphanage activity. As I mentioned with you while I charted with you. At the moment BSDA will get 55,500 USD$ from EcoSolidar. But it will not possible to run some activities with these only fund. So we need 6,000 USD$ more for allowance to the kids who are staying in the center. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For detail information of project please check project proposal (it is not up date for 2011 yet, but it will be the same). And second one is proposed budget for whole project (Mekong Kampuchea's Kids). There are 55,500 USD$ is already will get from EcoSolidar. So we need only 6,000 USD$ from private donation (It might from you).</span><br />
..........<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I would be happy if I could help him with this project at least through this call for donations.<br />
<br />
Further information about the <a href="http://www.bsda-cambodia.org/donations/donations.htm">donation</a> is available on <br />
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.bsda-cambodia.org/donations/donations.htm">http://www.bsda-cambodia.org/donations/donations.htm</a> </div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thank you very much</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976028803035012784.post-60758762527687682082010-07-25T12:24:00.000-07:002010-07-25T12:24:53.835-07:00Fine weather in Lima<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On Wednesday the 5th May I left Cusco in the direction of Lima. Because the city is lying in a basin, it went up really steep. Within the city through narrow alleys, there was hardly room for cars, so there hardly was traffic. After that it got worse because the street was wide enough for buses. At some point I had climbed the first hill and stood right in front of an Adventure Park.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border: medium none; clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdZ28P7pgmei9SNGaZGrNE0wJsvP3ORc72c33cNoJhtgXW-HsUBuu4IbuGZkbdhFyRQOdQpAQ9hh2vZs88Zdhq0RuYq6TYgkH9FBvFBTXruXMVfM3gArNB3LBG0zTM6PZ-nYTyTCVu_jaX/s1600/BILD02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdZ28P7pgmei9SNGaZGrNE0wJsvP3ORc72c33cNoJhtgXW-HsUBuu4IbuGZkbdhFyRQOdQpAQ9hh2vZs88Zdhq0RuYq6TYgkH9FBvFBTXruXMVfM3gArNB3LBG0zTM6PZ-nYTyTCVu_jaX/s320/BILD02.JPG" wt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thats what you need if you are not traveling by bike! The roads and traffic in South America are enough adventure for me, since I do not need anything more, which drives up my adrenaline.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A wonderful descent was waiting for me for down to a wider valley leading to the city of Anta. At the exit of the city, I drove past a house with a big sign · Queseria Suiza Andina ¨. Two young women were waving to me from a window and indicating to come there. Once again a great opportunity for a break, I thought.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border: medium none; clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPN6lf_jM1cFh6DGev85fvtpZn6EUv9UqRlmtljSeDQdDWaMaZeCccPC9towgqq8f8uJTUE7K8xd6PcC1kdnAnAd9YbGiJA_SC5ptQI-3nJn2zQOYanZb4eT0ZEOGjykkFkyGIdJI8I5zD/s1600/BILD03.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPN6lf_jM1cFh6DGev85fvtpZn6EUv9UqRlmtljSeDQdDWaMaZeCccPC9towgqq8f8uJTUE7K8xd6PcC1kdnAnAd9YbGiJA_SC5ptQI-3nJn2zQOYanZb4eT0ZEOGjykkFkyGIdJI8I5zD/s320/BILD03.JPG" wt="true" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Florentina and Felicity from Switzerland are in the area since 1 ½ years, the newborn twins for a week. Jesus, the Peruvian cheese master is a local. Together, they develop concepts how to prepare a better, more ecological and healthier cheese. They offer workshops and would like to create more jobs especially for women. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The cheese that comes out is delicious, unfortunately, because that added a kilogram of cheese to my supplies, which I had bought in Cusco. As promised, the cheese lasted a very long time, almost to Lima (just to Pisco) and the last piece was just as good as the first. At first I feared that when it was warmer that the cheese melts, but that was not the case. So I can really recommended, cheese is a brilliant cycling diet anyway.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thank you very much to the team and good luck for the future.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Freshly strengthened I went on. This strengthening was later also sorely needed. The road started flat at the beginning, then it went up and up and up, always higher and around countless curves. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border: medium none; clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD4qhVsVGpomkbCZTA4LzK4EC9tfl2XeRqm_pOdNt2GZCvQ-aKY5lif-KS1Q-f0S_g7O__bHKwVxkYbk6crv0VjIbNl6eXfhW7HA0lQiV7BWTtczPmalAsL44ucN9x2pHPgqX1xbbR8mT8/s1600/BILD04.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD4qhVsVGpomkbCZTA4LzK4EC9tfl2XeRqm_pOdNt2GZCvQ-aKY5lif-KS1Q-f0S_g7O__bHKwVxkYbk6crv0VjIbNl6eXfhW7HA0lQiV7BWTtczPmalAsL44ucN9x2pHPgqX1xbbR8mT8/s320/BILD04.JPG" wt="true" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Right before the summit was a construction site, one lane was closed, the vehicles heading in my direction had to wait obviously for a long time, because they sat on the roadside having a picnic. I also had to wait at first, but the lady who stopped the cars to continue, had the feeling, as I did, I could pass the site safely but she could not let go without permission. Again and again she said in her Walki Talki ¨ Tourista con Bicicletta ¨, until they finally allowed me to pass through. Cars also made themselves ready, but had to wait. I do not know what happened to them, I didn´t see a car all the way down and I could enjoy the view.</div><div class="separator" style="border: medium none; clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border: medium none; clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRZhSH4351pIOzn64mvFLoT7sEzHvEqvazmYrlJtIGsK1pwwR4uoAuohq7eZUT7qjPQcx_uaRAEvf1qvfK4aBQcV0sNYeYq3zbwjQhMXSo5wGOfz6MBooP-qjAIwdccSZfm0eSc80s0VD/s1600/BILD05.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRZhSH4351pIOzn64mvFLoT7sEzHvEqvazmYrlJtIGsK1pwwR4uoAuohq7eZUT7qjPQcx_uaRAEvf1qvfK4aBQcV0sNYeYq3zbwjQhMXSo5wGOfz6MBooP-qjAIwdccSZfm0eSc80s0VD/s320/BILD05.JPG" wt="true" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Not only on the route of the construction site. So I had the most brilliant of all downhill trips and the road completely on my own. It went down from 3800 to 1800 m (all data without guarantee, but approximately). Then I was down in the gorge. It was mad how the road went along the rocks.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVD7z46Y5JHqqa8SV15Mx1y_YhRn9CVONC_Rqj2DbgMB2hAuUzMa3v4rpbzmDvU7WqVKg4Ditxu_FtgcmiJhu21ak8cI-PlQvJmJ_VP1M_G4qRCEuqexu2jgKDxuUUcxGpP8H8mdHZg4yA/s1600/BILD06.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVD7z46Y5JHqqa8SV15Mx1y_YhRn9CVONC_Rqj2DbgMB2hAuUzMa3v4rpbzmDvU7WqVKg4Ditxu_FtgcmiJhu21ak8cI-PlQvJmJ_VP1M_G4qRCEuqexu2jgKDxuUUcxGpP8H8mdHZg4yA/s320/BILD06.JPG" wt="true" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After that I passed over a bridge.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcC8PgsNGcVUZOQyYSlqSyUt8JwerBxtmktq4ypWZSdN9UJZJ9THYK9k_awxzkWpGnLrZuLhwLKc-59Yeh1WYIT-nI6af3L4P7Bf3vgModiORw8NTY8XUA5rPOtJBH2j8gNCKAYh1mFcFi/s1600/BILD07.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcC8PgsNGcVUZOQyYSlqSyUt8JwerBxtmktq4ypWZSdN9UJZJ9THYK9k_awxzkWpGnLrZuLhwLKc-59Yeh1WYIT-nI6af3L4P7Bf3vgModiORw8NTY8XUA5rPOtJBH2j8gNCKAYh1mFcFi/s320/BILD07.JPG" wt="true" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And I had to climb all those meters up again. When I went downhill I didn´t realize how warm it was, but I did when I rode up again.<br />
The nearest town was still about 50km away and I wondered for how the ascent would go. I tried to identify the course of the road, but I could not. Children on horses without saddles rode first behind me, then overtook me at a gallop. How I envied them. With the last ray of sunshine and 1000m higher again, I reached the next town. Luckily the man from the apartment helped me to carry my luggage to the room. I wouldn´t have coped to do it on my own.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The next day was like the day before, still going up the mountain. Still I was not out of the gorge. I practically went right into a wall of stone and wondered how and where to go on my way high? But somehow it went. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The road must have been destroyed not too long ago by a landslide. Again and again I went past construction sites. In Cusco I had bought a new German flag, the old one was totally bleached and torn. Peru was the first country in which at last it showed an effect. Not constantly I was asked where I came from, but every construction worker shouted after me: ¨ Alemana, eh? ¨ Unmistakably, these are soccer-playing and -loving people. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Still, for me it went up in countless zigzag curves. No idea how many times I passed that sign.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUfrbelKSTjMEdA3SLkv0J7ro5rPH74t3v7yRvub-z1uSlTrEY6MUz-C1KxCrl5dx9DR3yv7-f8ctJhnqhdyrm0YN4_ni9hO8C2hQFkM9iEuyeSAjyt91lnPfl1vzBXhvwP_IlWXndMt9/s1600/BILD08.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUfrbelKSTjMEdA3SLkv0J7ro5rPH74t3v7yRvub-z1uSlTrEY6MUz-C1KxCrl5dx9DR3yv7-f8ctJhnqhdyrm0YN4_ni9hO8C2hQFkM9iEuyeSAjyt91lnPfl1vzBXhvwP_IlWXndMt9/s320/BILD08.JPG" wt="true" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
Meanwhile the landscape remembered me a bit of Switzerland.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border: medium none; clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdLjSnTCfY4lyfZfd5raTGV16pSAF1Vvf9OHqRLD-QpmTEKsx1SdJzW0ztrLN-Mc8kUW4_-uH5Q209G_yKd20PXFTjvU0BGe7J1Yp77AFKla0i0n9LmQ4MJwWNSDFUcfzd_7PCOQaUTeOe/s1600/BILD09.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdLjSnTCfY4lyfZfd5raTGV16pSAF1Vvf9OHqRLD-QpmTEKsx1SdJzW0ztrLN-Mc8kUW4_-uH5Q209G_yKd20PXFTjvU0BGe7J1Yp77AFKla0i0n9LmQ4MJwWNSDFUcfzd_7PCOQaUTeOe/s320/BILD09.JPG" wt="true" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After 34km I reachd 4000m of altitude. Nearly vertically down below Ilike lying in a hole was the city of Abancay.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHKmd2kwLm4Xc09j4OzCEd9NrLaRfm_Vmt8P0tXndj4Xr2UevYziz0wUug3DtCt1cjozMS9xXKKCIDB0_k7rDVl3Bov0-Z8-P6gMZU5C3w07rFyn4Y6qXP2fNcbdtIU7Ejp9YHQrFrT8tG/s1600/BILD10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHKmd2kwLm4Xc09j4OzCEd9NrLaRfm_Vmt8P0tXndj4Xr2UevYziz0wUug3DtCt1cjozMS9xXKKCIDB0_k7rDVl3Bov0-Z8-P6gMZU5C3w07rFyn4Y6qXP2fNcbdtIU7Ejp9YHQrFrT8tG/s320/BILD10.JPG" wt="true" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
The road was a masterpiece of the art of building a road. As it went up 34km before, it went down again for 36 km, only much faster. The distance between Abancay and Curahuasi is 22km. Mileage today:, 72 “Welcome to Peru”</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I heard many cyclists complaining about the many mountains in Peru, but no one has raved about the brilliant runs.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When I was in the city I was looking for an accommodation,when a young woman asked me in German if I am from Germany. She was quite amazed to meet a German here. She was born here 20 years ago and was, until she was adopted by German parents, here in the orphanage. For nearly a year, she was now in Peru to see the country and to make contacts with her biological family. She worked at the orphanage in which she stayed herself 20 years ago. But it was clear that after a year she would go back to Germany. I was very much impressed by the woman and the story.</div><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After long ascent on the next day I passed villages and cows,</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border: medium none; clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWmhjp91VoZZCj1TpMaMBRQwwEql3eyjkIk3uL_1jIA69pB6hbEbGGDJeBhVQvMsbuyzmEMAi23s4wbpMcqXDc9YtI5ofU_BmWtAXqaQ6miig1jOIlz_6SbRT-65BGwrCQmU7pXHWCQl4z/s1600/BILD13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWmhjp91VoZZCj1TpMaMBRQwwEql3eyjkIk3uL_1jIA69pB6hbEbGGDJeBhVQvMsbuyzmEMAi23s4wbpMcqXDc9YtI5ofU_BmWtAXqaQ6miig1jOIlz_6SbRT-65BGwrCQmU7pXHWCQl4z/s320/BILD13.JPG" wt="true" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
(by the way, who has the bigger horns?!?)</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I reached a even plateau. For a longer distance you are travelling in heights between 4200-4500m. The landscape was changing quite often.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the villages I noticed what barking dogs and whistling men have in common: If one starts, eveyone else comes running as well. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After I set off from one of the last settlements, dark cloudspulled up, but though I drove on. Then it started to rain. When I stopped to get out my rain jacket because it´s always terribly cold at that altitude, a truck driver came over to me, who just checked his vehicle and asked me iif he could give me a lift. <br />
At first I refused, but then it started to hail and it was getting colder, I thought maybe I ought to accept the offer. So until the next settlement where I could maybe set up my tent. I was hardly in the car, when a snow storm broke loose. In the next village, I still did not get out because it looked not very inviting and the second ddidn´t either.. So we went straight on and in the cold and wet my desire to sleep in the tent passed away anyway. So I was up to the next city to sit still. Unfortunately it was too late when we arrived above Puquio, by bike, I would have not arrived there before dark. So I remained in the car and enjoyed the beautiful descent there.</div><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">From there it went up a small hill and then I passed my last 4000m pass for some time. And I have noticed that I'm getting fit again, I must finally no longer breathe hard in this altitude. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In this area there are many stone walls. Sometimes animals are in there, sometimes it is a field.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV__K4HuFIHEMmcX6dAtE_zidfFsSNJetFqlDDpiQlcGa0i3rCM7yGE-eiiNnm9GNP61J3yEwD3pL5whdealegxs6OY18msPNDyj9pOs8f2p628FspFiIJ9VgtyCahVFp0kjDlcxSVpHxx/s1600/BILD19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV__K4HuFIHEMmcX6dAtE_zidfFsSNJetFqlDDpiQlcGa0i3rCM7yGE-eiiNnm9GNP61J3yEwD3pL5whdealegxs6OY18msPNDyj9pOs8f2p628FspFiIJ9VgtyCahVFp0kjDlcxSVpHxx/s320/BILD19.JPG" wt="true" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I was surprised that they are usually found far from any settlement and were circular. The Summit is the Pampa Galeras National Park,</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0jMUkxXYEWeI6xqeqKLaahM1cd56tqFUvOCuR8W8YplQ8gucu4Hq_tQVd6A44kWDOUOtY0qpp5mezzFuh1ZVDRJ9nqU47qJmijoNC_FLnLpnVYf8DccV1Qcc34JzgmB1IR48T3ke9Id-E/s1600/BILD22.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0jMUkxXYEWeI6xqeqKLaahM1cd56tqFUvOCuR8W8YplQ8gucu4Hq_tQVd6A44kWDOUOtY0qpp5mezzFuh1ZVDRJ9nqU47qJmijoNC_FLnLpnVYf8DccV1Qcc34JzgmB1IR48T3ke9Id-E/s320/BILD22.JPG" wt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">Full of Pampa-Grass and Guanacos.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-l13FAJ22knYbRoHr9VQKDHs4OeaRUgXdlvUFPdiY_n3TTsyCqON_tzE6A8CRaYfNUlGiyP7NirEc-JRFx-ztZyT8WBQ3graIOXLVxhS-DljLAFsBobYJxXKFDsx2AnCGW6FNZS_ny7TZ/s1600/BILD21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-l13FAJ22knYbRoHr9VQKDHs4OeaRUgXdlvUFPdiY_n3TTsyCqON_tzE6A8CRaYfNUlGiyP7NirEc-JRFx-ztZyT8WBQ3graIOXLVxhS-DljLAFsBobYJxXKFDsx2AnCGW6FNZS_ny7TZ/s320/BILD21.JPG" wt="true" /></a></div><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A Lama-Species that is endangered.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Then came the brilliant downhill-ride, a lenght of 100 km going down from 4200 to 680m, although at the beginning it was not as steep because it was a plateau. As it was already quite late and cold, I divided this trip into two stages. My goal was to come just under 3000 m, so it wouldn´t get too cold at night in the tent. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A restaurant was situated in a curve so I stopped short and thought it would be a nice place for a rest. Someone from the restaurant called me and asked me to come across to camp there. Apparently many other cyclists pass who set up camp here for the night, Japanese, Chinese, French, etc. Of course I complied!. The view was magnificent.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5X3xHQwmnnN981zGjRo-eY6ULRbJTrmMKnHVJRuI3jwdieC7dkine_UB9lbLwP3PMUpAkcoH-7u5XLpd0Zf5k9zKQls5jlcpIQ1et-rXfo1N7r8SAHiSv0BtEo0_I1uNePZILJxmxg0-/s1600/BILD23.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5X3xHQwmnnN981zGjRo-eY6ULRbJTrmMKnHVJRuI3jwdieC7dkine_UB9lbLwP3PMUpAkcoH-7u5XLpd0Zf5k9zKQls5jlcpIQ1et-rXfo1N7r8SAHiSv0BtEo0_I1uNePZILJxmxg0-/s320/BILD23.JPG" wt="true" /></a></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Below me the hills behind which the sun was setting and 2000m lower the lights of Nasca. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Today the desert had me back again. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJLLgwc4ajmX8OJ5Gg406oRmReYytOVD4S5smctfFRnC2jprC_jCocdpAzPh1sb-QDyZz0UAKAlyLaT5Bqgk6hlDcDPxtLmWhu8d4MMuIZ5_ipD7e3eqwaofKSMjy-RNk5X4yzVNOVqQxe/s1600/BILD24.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJLLgwc4ajmX8OJ5Gg406oRmReYytOVD4S5smctfFRnC2jprC_jCocdpAzPh1sb-QDyZz0UAKAlyLaT5Bqgk6hlDcDPxtLmWhu8d4MMuIZ5_ipD7e3eqwaofKSMjy-RNk5X4yzVNOVqQxe/s320/BILD24.JPG" wt="true" /></a></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
And I zigzagged in many bends down.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOjLkkFwsT4dgmmMCQXVXcaCtcDgKVsiiAegeXxeDS6jl8RuJfs-mWUgFQrjkSrnTwZyZg0KChM3lxE5hkBQ7cBlmLp-JEDkqFLbYuoLa08l_DVe0IdiJbJMWxPPHMLxgYRqiwmUM216kf/s1600/BILD25.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOjLkkFwsT4dgmmMCQXVXcaCtcDgKVsiiAegeXxeDS6jl8RuJfs-mWUgFQrjkSrnTwZyZg0KChM3lxE5hkBQ7cBlmLp-JEDkqFLbYuoLa08l_DVe0IdiJbJMWxPPHMLxgYRqiwmUM216kf/s320/BILD25.JPG" wt="true" /></a></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Shortly before Nasca I have heard for the first time of the Nasca lines, mysterious figures-lines in the sand, their meaning is still completely unclear. They date from the years between 900 BC to 600 AC. The German mathematician Maria Reiche has dedicated her life to these lines, I spent at least a few hours with them.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I just arrived in Nasca, and I was already offered flights as the only way to see all the lines. Since a week ago, I still knew nothing of that so now I was not willing to pay 80 U.S. dollars for that.North of Nasca are three figures right next to the street and a viewing tower from which you can see them.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqPUro9QWLdCp02LhdPxEk7fCaWb1VSzNzQTHASeZ98j8m_27k3Zd3TEOtiC_k42Z1S_2FH4eFAz3CBuHV44HFMvAB0WdXIhxDIterxFVcFwDqga37xVVMBEekLt18qI_4Ba0pX-UOnLoM/s1600/BILD26.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqPUro9QWLdCp02LhdPxEk7fCaWb1VSzNzQTHASeZ98j8m_27k3Zd3TEOtiC_k42Z1S_2FH4eFAz3CBuHV44HFMvAB0WdXIhxDIterxFVcFwDqga37xVVMBEekLt18qI_4Ba0pX-UOnLoM/s320/BILD26.JPG" wt="true" /></a></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In order to appreciate the work of Maria Reich, I went to the museum. I was interested to get an idea who she was and why she spent her life in the desert taking measurements of the figures.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggb3FkWL3sRao3dnOWl-d01aj-k97H245NiPDzf_1-_CZ7C6uPjaMb_2ai5OhY8KBkNxweeiU5ybU1mAwgy9CgfDTsfgi2dTRrKkfKVXcLMpzrALfculnGbTZoEKuZuV781opsMdvBg2UM/s1600/BILD27.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggb3FkWL3sRao3dnOWl-d01aj-k97H245NiPDzf_1-_CZ7C6uPjaMb_2ai5OhY8KBkNxweeiU5ybU1mAwgy9CgfDTsfgi2dTRrKkfKVXcLMpzrALfculnGbTZoEKuZuV781opsMdvBg2UM/s320/BILD27.JPG" wt="true" /></a></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the end all I could see was Nasca - lines, even on the cat.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0TUgzyrmH6nWsa8xxTuzfF0l_jI1lx4wOpoReSrUEA83fCvHre2TD4LfI0GTUQeOdQEagmbJRlyaihqBGkVeVf8G2IV3kt50877nARSeohWodjNqQU-mE1g1up9rFdG4LxiUzfzdtOwzk/s1600/BILD28.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0TUgzyrmH6nWsa8xxTuzfF0l_jI1lx4wOpoReSrUEA83fCvHre2TD4LfI0GTUQeOdQEagmbJRlyaihqBGkVeVf8G2IV3kt50877nARSeohWodjNqQU-mE1g1up9rFdG4LxiUzfzdtOwzk/s320/BILD28.JPG" wt="true" /></a></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The desert is again very fascinating and more varied than in the north of Chile, there are many more oases in between. In a Orangeplantation I set up my tent on beautiful green grass.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After I had eaten all my cheese of 1kg I was given at least two kilos of oranges on the next morning. But they were soon gone.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The next evening I was back in an oasis, but an entirely different kind because it was a small tourist center, I found it very funny, when I arrived there. In the middle was a small lake</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs2N1ElWPrInu_LqSwnEkiSoiy3L36QE4CcUfDnBEHIATeI2xyTL9nmqrs2psu6FQyG7Kgeiof7amhdMVFetiolNDGz_azpuf4IwzW0yVR6-Uokhwx9kqNY1ksUSBJscODTU7cB8xJ_cAp/s1600/BILD32.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs2N1ElWPrInu_LqSwnEkiSoiy3L36QE4CcUfDnBEHIATeI2xyTL9nmqrs2psu6FQyG7Kgeiof7amhdMVFetiolNDGz_azpuf4IwzW0yVR6-Uokhwx9kqNY1ksUSBJscODTU7cB8xJ_cAp/s320/BILD32.JPG" wt="true" /></a></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">With many sanddunes around it where you could sandboarding.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj37lNhJbSO1itfUYTxNVlIY8oQi7siKrDMq4C56zwKjIJy0CXYUqJLW-sEY42YXwr7eDTIcOCsdnQZxx9zu3UTy7PuY8waXkqpMqsc4OYW20vvS5OqDlzoUdF13BYuuc3AioBI2OBDY_Xb/s1600/BILD30.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj37lNhJbSO1itfUYTxNVlIY8oQi7siKrDMq4C56zwKjIJy0CXYUqJLW-sEY42YXwr7eDTIcOCsdnQZxx9zu3UTy7PuY8waXkqpMqsc4OYW20vvS5OqDlzoUdF13BYuuc3AioBI2OBDY_Xb/s320/BILD30.JPG" wt="true" /></a></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The only people around I noticed were some local youths. A bit later I saw hordes of dutch tourists who came through the desert in sand-buggies.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2XTcq5N9-9_JQhAhf7OyE47MnxCyUCUiprH07vDUKFFxA0feDzIg7SoBNl1Mj19lBHeNYgwgoy7l1K_LmC1xRUgb6oG3HK2JKISAAshouHBGGwlUSBf7-310Ko505CwwMJzYkuy4j2Wg-/s1600/BILD31.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2XTcq5N9-9_JQhAhf7OyE47MnxCyUCUiprH07vDUKFFxA0feDzIg7SoBNl1Mj19lBHeNYgwgoy7l1K_LmC1xRUgb6oG3HK2JKISAAshouHBGGwlUSBf7-310Ko505CwwMJzYkuy4j2Wg-/s320/BILD31.JPG" wt="true" /></a></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It offers something for everybody, for me again a little piece of grass for my tent. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">At some point I went to Paracas, bent towards the sea, where the real guano fertilizer is produced. Even though I had finally seen the sea once again, it was not a good idea. Only briefly, I could take a glimpse of the ocean between the fish factories. Otherwise, it smelled very strong. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Pisco was not worth the detour, even if the Pisco, the grappa of South America, is made there. A few years ago there was an earthquake. Not only is the church lay in rubble, barely a road was paved, all sandy and dusty.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJ3x5eiHg9AkQmkDUTT8kBMgv7qMu093yf2djQUpQvyd3aNj7ooobE5QR4rlm2wJae0_KFb_XdzHnlbeCvB5ua4hHqrVMWH4M9LzVnEGZL5mMe0mZ59JX3BiZsXz0Cjdg82ogH01SSMI_/s1600/BILD35.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJ3x5eiHg9AkQmkDUTT8kBMgv7qMu093yf2djQUpQvyd3aNj7ooobE5QR4rlm2wJae0_KFb_XdzHnlbeCvB5ua4hHqrVMWH4M9LzVnEGZL5mMe0mZ59JX3BiZsXz0Cjdg82ogH01SSMI_/s320/BILD35.JPG" wt="true" /></a></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After that the Panamericana had me back again.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSlrXQQ4xsJgg7VX4tXJk4SYXH7fowYcyfreFeqEdKDGdDgQvYbNAeUqjVj7xSurizsEEU5-HoSTdWVFLv-4nHTRNlqp2WqlftOlJHyoWC0z3DE3EW-ofgTyYBV1KCIpVi9lDmyVEO7-VC/s1600/BILD37.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSlrXQQ4xsJgg7VX4tXJk4SYXH7fowYcyfreFeqEdKDGdDgQvYbNAeUqjVj7xSurizsEEU5-HoSTdWVFLv-4nHTRNlqp2WqlftOlJHyoWC0z3DE3EW-ofgTyYBV1KCIpVi9lDmyVEO7-VC/s320/BILD37.JPG" /></a></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">First passing cotton-fields,</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNnLxHaMZ3f3azDxSHD-hgCGcieWohI3s8C-95hwBPKagmJvZAotP14LBLrIPJBKZUjmxEZUFk5wKUxkbusKxfMK1eG3VI5RSY69guze2rtiMtZLl4qvxRylfsyUoQx80MwqfijS2tMxMb/s1600/BILD38.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNnLxHaMZ3f3azDxSHD-hgCGcieWohI3s8C-95hwBPKagmJvZAotP14LBLrIPJBKZUjmxEZUFk5wKUxkbusKxfMK1eG3VI5RSY69guze2rtiMtZLl4qvxRylfsyUoQx80MwqfijS2tMxMb/s320/BILD38.JPG" wt="true" /></a></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Then desert again. I began to understand why all those signs indicating “Zona de niebla” were standing around. There hardly was any sun, only fog. <br />
It´s supposedd to be so on the whole coast. <br />
Today I had a break. Actually, one should think that the higher you get, the less fog. But down here it is the other way around. Down in a valley and a wonderful oasis of orchards, was bright sunshine.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I met a czech biker named Petr. He was a sunshine on his own and in a very good mood. Somebody who didn´t scold about people and landscape, but was very optimistic. Unfortunately he went off in the other direction.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It wasn´t far to go to Lima anymore. At first I reckognized the beaches,</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXV-GmZtpq_CULoWCDuW7reNkysGRC-b0PNNJTM8ZwCnD8Z1GMDkGBoegNMqD16mmT0kBJeyjFgWJwvXn_s_EWSrVlK49wpeUsVDczajIOUUCk-aSjgHvOgxXx6jOL2A3bxU5Za6tLv4LZ/s1600/BILD39.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXV-GmZtpq_CULoWCDuW7reNkysGRC-b0PNNJTM8ZwCnD8Z1GMDkGBoegNMqD16mmT0kBJeyjFgWJwvXn_s_EWSrVlK49wpeUsVDczajIOUUCk-aSjgHvOgxXx6jOL2A3bxU5Za6tLv4LZ/s320/BILD39.JPG" wt="true" /></a></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Not very inviting, but the main thing was that the “Naionalbeverage” was back in the foreground. <br />
I never saw somebody in the water, except fishermen. As I learned later that summer is here now over.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Traffic was still moderate right into the city. Even in the city, the streets are nice and wide. Only once there was a bigger jam. <br />
I queued up, of course, once again the only bicycle in sight. Amazingly, no one honked, they probably understood at last that I am stuck in traffic just as fast as any other car, probably even faster. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Relatively quickly, I arrived at Anibals place, not only member OF THE hot shower list of Lima, but also founder of the <a href="http://www.cicloturismoperu.com/index.htm">Peruvian cycling touring club.</a> And (still) owner of a hotel. Not bad, I was amazed when I stood in front of the <a href="http://www.hotelmontblancperu.com/">Hotel Mont Blanc</a> in Lima. For cyclists, there is room for disposal. Very nice.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Hotel is situated behind the “Parque de Reserva”, which is full of fountains.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-u6Hada8-GBL0M1UJ67_sRp3cJ1FyNTki6iLdOcaZvJhGJKmy_un7IqmJqUY_KU9eATQpJOb8TpqoVt_PB-dvKy82v5l2rHpbvc08FnHXZHpxQTBRk9Orn3V_IDiPXcHecL_F0kIOI_94/s1600/BILD40.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-u6Hada8-GBL0M1UJ67_sRp3cJ1FyNTki6iLdOcaZvJhGJKmy_un7IqmJqUY_KU9eATQpJOb8TpqoVt_PB-dvKy82v5l2rHpbvc08FnHXZHpxQTBRk9Orn3V_IDiPXcHecL_F0kIOI_94/s320/BILD40.JPG" wt="true" /></a></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I stayed longer than planned because of the bike club on Monday night didl ike to have a presentation. So I had plenty of time to do some sightseeing in the very beautiful city.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibMgiqQ8Mhh1V9zCdSXtqtQorkJWyC1iU4LAa289oH_KumpYbmlRlh1UZdYtkvt-KNXrqtwWdkgISPoGaQZYKeeDi9uh2lUykSci0BkyM0L6deolEL8tdcPmnV36ICljVmtLEPOPlYFUru/s1600/BILD41.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibMgiqQ8Mhh1V9zCdSXtqtQorkJWyC1iU4LAa289oH_KumpYbmlRlh1UZdYtkvt-KNXrqtwWdkgISPoGaQZYKeeDi9uh2lUykSci0BkyM0L6deolEL8tdcPmnV36ICljVmtLEPOPlYFUru/s320/BILD41.JPG" wt="true" /></a></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Germany seems to be very popular in Peru, many have approached me talking in German, English or Spanish. In the latter, I simply smiledand just nodded and said ¨ Si, Si ·. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Unfortunately the weather was not very sunny. It apparently never rains here on the coast, but in the morning there was a light drizzle and not much else to see of the sun. A really cold wind developed later int the day. Unmistakably, winter was approaching, because all people were buying long and warm coats.. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So I decided to visit the museum. On the very first day I have seen many flags and portraits withh “Mali” on them. I asked myself what Lima had to deal with Mali, because in the exhibition there was not much to see from Mali. It took a long time until it came out that Mali was an abbreviation for · Museo de Arte Lima ¨. So I have seen works of Peruvian artists from different eras, from Inca ceramics to portrait photographs of a Peruvian Starfotograph.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bicycle tours in Peru are, as in almost all South-American countries, at the very beginning. Almost hopeless to get good equipment. If you want something, you have texactly to know what in advance and let it deliver from the U.S. or Europe. Even so it can be afforded by only a few. Therefor the group of bike-enthusiasts on Monday evening was quite small, but the interest all the more stronger, and infinitely many questions, and of course, my bike stood in the cente of interest. <br />
Also for me there was again much to learn.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">OnTuesday 18 May I went further north, along the sea, apparently the depressing route in South America, just fog and desert. Which I could not agree, however.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The route out of Lima was a hard piece of work.. I do not know how many universities this city has. <br />
In general, in direction of North there have been quite a few traffic jams. Where there is no university, there is a shopping center. Probably 90% of all shoppingmalls in Peru are situated on this 15km-stretch. Who the hell is buying there? </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After Anchon, the beach of Limone, ( you can not imagine the muddy soup!) the picture suddenly changed. An road-toll agency minimized the already reduced traffic even more. There also were no more villages, and it went up like on a sand dune. In the outskirts there omly remained newl y created slums , Pueblo Joven.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9dWQ9ocnQitKovea827jVcHECJ5Z6uF9TruI-6vaHhkWlQkftNGZvT-3pmKxym8ivk1UbddXWMl09jf3xfM13XcQV1Axc9Lx1fCK8uZc3ZAhWZagarSjorDAK32YuREm0UW4N_eUfAMqG/s1600/BILD46.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9dWQ9ocnQitKovea827jVcHECJ5Z6uF9TruI-6vaHhkWlQkftNGZvT-3pmKxym8ivk1UbddXWMl09jf3xfM13XcQV1Axc9Lx1fCK8uZc3ZAhWZagarSjorDAK32YuREm0UW4N_eUfAMqG/s320/BILD46.JPG" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now and then we saw estate staked in the sand and one wonders who will live there? Later, the desert became green again. Through the fog on the rocks, a green carpet formed lichens, other rocks were red, and the yellow of the sand, everything was colourful, in general when the sun came out. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Pan-American Highway is newly built, 4-lanes and passing leads to the villages. What makes it seem very dangerous, too isolated, <br />
I was told that there are robberies from time to time, but have not noticed anything like this.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In Huarmey in a small seaside town, I talked to a young woman and she asked me if I was from Germany. She was very excited, she is here since nine months , absloving a Volunteer from the Archdiocese of Freiburg, and I since was the first German she met here, except for a German nun who is living here. She looks after working children, who have to earn the money, because otherwise the whole family would collapse. It is her job to make sure that at least they still go to school, helps them with homework and also provides them with food, why some children must no longer have to work because they have to earn only for their own subsistence. It sounded very exciting and interesting to me.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Because of tailwind I made a quick progress. In a roadhouseI stopped and was immediately greeted warmly. Apparently I was not the first cyclist, who came stopped here. Even a German newspaper clipping with a photo, beautifully framed, was shown to me. The Restaurant of Clemente is truly an oasis in the desert. After I had eaten and drunk two glasses of soy milk, biscuits, he did not even want anything for that. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thus fortified well it went very quickly to Chimbote, the largest fishing port in Peru. By no means it was smelling after fish, as one might assume. The most productive years are over due to overfishing. Nevertheless still hundreds of colorful fishing boats romp in the harbor.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here I was overtaken by a cyclist who stopped and said that if I came to Trujillo, I needed to have to go to Lucho in the “Casa de Ciclista”. Beforehand I already knew that this place was famous in the circles of bikers, but that he is famous among the locals surprised me. Then I only meant that he is waiting for me.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After Chimbote I had to go through a tunnel. It was not too long, just about 300m, but there was little light in it. I thought that cardrivers would see me with my light jacket and the reflectors, Before I entered the tunnel, I noticed that a police car was behind me. First I wanted to stop, but they indicated that I should go on. So I did this and they went after me, not only giving me backing but also light. Very nice! After the tunnel, I thanked them and theyturned around again.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On the road to Trujillo, there are some sugar cane fields and therefore also a few trucks with the harvest.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioAMizMsktGrNgtHmd9SPyS-E0DcUbYazJ-rHYFm6tu151VfGNuvpob5YU1Yy2qRc8XCwJEHkEMO2c7tA4cqFgewYajhNBcExGSULWFLtYiIIqE_zIxTTrDGQrWxFpKE_22ptn4Z3snbmM/s1600/BILd48.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioAMizMsktGrNgtHmd9SPyS-E0DcUbYazJ-rHYFm6tu151VfGNuvpob5YU1Yy2qRc8XCwJEHkEMO2c7tA4cqFgewYajhNBcExGSULWFLtYiIIqE_zIxTTrDGQrWxFpKE_22ptn4Z3snbmM/s320/BILd48.JPG" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This smells very special. <br />
<br />
With virtually no break, I drove the 130km to Trujillo, where I had become so hungry that I stormed the first food stall. <br />
<br />
It then didn´t take me much longer and I had found the legendary Casa de Ciclista.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaY-E-LaCCUmMIApMM2YIU5b0bEtQ6A223N_WnLxWJ8PrPWjbF55jPOuMyvbSrIdpKcyCLCtj-dGnr43CPZlAckQIjc2vOZetLc1AIIm4nT83r4asCRBCRGCM4RME_v5-GgqQ7MSuxZZ2b/s1600/IMG_7803.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaY-E-LaCCUmMIApMM2YIU5b0bEtQ6A223N_WnLxWJ8PrPWjbF55jPOuMyvbSrIdpKcyCLCtj-dGnr43CPZlAckQIjc2vOZetLc1AIIm4nT83r4asCRBCRGCM4RME_v5-GgqQ7MSuxZZ2b/s320/IMG_7803.JPG" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Immediately I signed in the ¨ Golden Book of cyclists ¨. I was number 1323, and that is not even from the beginning, as Lucho has founded it 25 years ago. Except me a Yugoslav, an Englishmen, two Frenchmen and one Colombian were there. Except the Colombian all cyclists headed in southern direction. The Colombian, Lazaro was in a wheelchair. The day before, he had set the world record in riding the whheelchair, 33 hours, about 350 km, an extremly interesting man. He was on his way from Buenos Aires to Colombia, and was then asked by the disabled people in Peru, to do something for them so he instantly decided to break the old world record. His next project is to go in the wheelchair in four months from Colombia to Canada. I wish him continued success and good stamina.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To celebrate, there was a party in th night. Not exactly what you need after a long day cycling. At midnight I was so tired and had enough sangria to drink, that I could sleep with any noise. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A little parcel was waiting for me, my Rohloff oil, thanks to Manuel Dapp of Veloshop Steinen. I had lost my spare-oil on the way to the Andes because of the air- pressure. So I was finally able to improve my gears.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Trujillo also has a historical center, but for me after I had visited Lima wasno longer so interesting. But I did some sightseeing in Chanchan, the largest pre-Columbian city in America. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Ld6RLHiirfEvDhXeRoN6vSU4WDNzGgm8d54Z0bebIcHndTB3WpP2A3opDtFS7CZhYv6Ou45-4LtmZGTLbjwgKkNs20w9E9pTtmXRRcGuRhxF6OVRTtaEcC_4fBmwHWCS4EPiYTztzmNN/s1600/BILD51.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Ld6RLHiirfEvDhXeRoN6vSU4WDNzGgm8d54Z0bebIcHndTB3WpP2A3opDtFS7CZhYv6Ou45-4LtmZGTLbjwgKkNs20w9E9pTtmXRRcGuRhxF6OVRTtaEcC_4fBmwHWCS4EPiYTztzmNN/s320/BILD51.JPG" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Very impressive, acity, where once up to 60,000 people are said to have lived. Unfortunately there is not much left of it, but in parts the thick walls up to 4m and decorations.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFePvbNgnQIElcPxXGgbI3R3jV3H5Uj1wqGrJgA7EuFhqZcHJ1Gc0XnS3hqC3NLozw4hBhUVzAc816LICc49bAPU3aVMVfj6Z2zvAzgj6H1_Dl8RUuCrtZBjCx5Nwv6qg4Q_8mjI1b2lDm/s1600/BILD52.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFePvbNgnQIElcPxXGgbI3R3jV3H5Uj1wqGrJgA7EuFhqZcHJ1Gc0XnS3hqC3NLozw4hBhUVzAc816LICc49bAPU3aVMVfj6Z2zvAzgj6H1_Dl8RUuCrtZBjCx5Nwv6qg4Q_8mjI1b2lDm/s320/BILD52.JPG" /></a></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I left on Tuesday, 25 Again in May further north in the direction of Ecuador. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976028803035012784.post-43470892737801769552010-06-06T17:40:00.000-07:002010-06-06T17:40:54.866-07:00To the Lake Titikaka and Peru<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On 26 April I was finally on the road again. Not only because of the heavy luggage I could not easily leave La Paz. And instantly up to El Alto on 4100 m elevation, amazing how smooth I till could go!. El Alto is now bigger than La Paz, it took some time until I was through there, but then again the traffic became more quiet again and Lake Titicaca came in sight.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVxvynXB8_6Bbc4Vvu0ztn7VQof2IB2lrmc67wORROi0EBox2QEZde8HCX973SB3X-wQgAroSgjoGdq-Bry8w_DbzSaHutmjE2-WH9UMS8uvXx3nNq2u6eVUk3s7rJpbjFH3NWwB_Y7alI/s1600/BILD01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVxvynXB8_6Bbc4Vvu0ztn7VQof2IB2lrmc67wORROi0EBox2QEZde8HCX973SB3X-wQgAroSgjoGdq-Bry8w_DbzSaHutmjE2-WH9UMS8uvXx3nNq2u6eVUk3s7rJpbjFH3NWwB_Y7alI/s320/BILD01.JPG" tt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">And again some Quinoa-fields in the foreground.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Nearly everything in Bolivia is said to be the highest…, for example the highest situated Marina in the world. The most interesting fact about the little town Huatajata is that the worlds best rushboat-builders are living here who helped building the Kontiki II.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The landscape was so beautiful and after 3 weeks in the house I wanted again to stay overnight in my tent. Only at the lake was all swamp and reed. When I finally was too tired to go further, I asked in a village for a place where I could set up my tent. A woman with a wide grin on her face ever took me to her house, where four children were grinning, especially the youngest one had the same broad grin. Then a woman arrived and nobody had to tell me that she was the sister of my host, nearly beeing a twin with the same broad grin.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the courtyard, I had no view of the lake anymore, but it was quiet and safe. When I asked for a toilet, she told me that she had none, but that the children could lead me to the public toilet. It was already dark when I went through the village to the other end. My luck was that it was already dark and that I had my head torch. The toilet was really in a state that as if it was really the only one for the whole village. But I can hardly imagine that always have to do this walk if they have to go to the bathroom. Amazing how fast my bladder adapted to this situation, it did not report in the next few hours. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">According to the cozy weeks in La Paz, I had forgotten how cold the nights are. It was not long before I was again wrapped in my sleeping bag.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Of course on the next day everyone was awake again early, so I had no choice but to get up early as well and pack up. I started with my warmest clothes on and luckily the road first went up the mountain. It was not far to Tiquina, the divided city, San Pablo and San Petro, in between Lake Titicaca at its narrowest point.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikSu6EvVUocHL7e-yaAsQ_uiRYUvij0q-_ayDenjP5ipo5hXvF4xcufI4Y25BVUVhUkcpynpP9Nh5iRxtlGZ0Oy187eBofuALBglV8AStzhn0R01C9y4Xu7a6bTVlEfql1c1_ka-DlZaX9/s1600/BILD02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikSu6EvVUocHL7e-yaAsQ_uiRYUvij0q-_ayDenjP5ipo5hXvF4xcufI4Y25BVUVhUkcpynpP9Nh5iRxtlGZ0Oy187eBofuALBglV8AStzhn0R01C9y4Xu7a6bTVlEfql1c1_ka-DlZaX9/s320/BILD02.JPG" tt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">On a very shaky boat with a very weak outboard-motor I set over to the other shore.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKgFqYT9qg-u50aV7_OUcIrxhMe1KlvVgez7VznRGJ-N_6HhsFVaiu3yyNwFyVs0klo1Nsq2hXmtdAZPuxHWlhyphenhyphenCRrybaOrLQ80rBTt7SKe_ym0nBv18cK83Hw-7zYpIZu4Jd0redtgJsb/s1600/BILD03.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKgFqYT9qg-u50aV7_OUcIrxhMe1KlvVgez7VznRGJ-N_6HhsFVaiu3yyNwFyVs0klo1Nsq2hXmtdAZPuxHWlhyphenhyphenCRrybaOrLQ80rBTt7SKe_ym0nBv18cK83Hw-7zYpIZu4Jd0redtgJsb/s320/BILD03.JPG" tt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">On the other side I was welcomed by an Indian.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJzXE7ElbCaU1rZVkf5fu_B-SFQ2EVwHfzODq1DseeIrUs9GEdDP0bsRt41yWkPhoUZtqwBZTLPD2eO4rTwfMmlfxqXhqTCkZRDZctAwCEf25jkUEemryPzj9UJRIopjKfPSewdvm8ZLzy/s1600/BILD04.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJzXE7ElbCaU1rZVkf5fu_B-SFQ2EVwHfzODq1DseeIrUs9GEdDP0bsRt41yWkPhoUZtqwBZTLPD2eO4rTwfMmlfxqXhqTCkZRDZctAwCEf25jkUEemryPzj9UJRIopjKfPSewdvm8ZLzy/s320/BILD04.JPG" tt="true" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Like on a scenic road I rode up the mountain and along in the top with an excellent view of the lake.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAp9Z1etzMxeBHy1VjmztROn22qhhD31a-XMPUAY1Tc7PS8EJcynQ9IDXz3VoarXCUzGvLLLF1sDvqEFV00PXA9pZWQWDKjjn64l6yvssY4YOUF1QAti8jmAva8Z_Dov0H6jPxf_sMZie4/s1600/BILD05.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAp9Z1etzMxeBHy1VjmztROn22qhhD31a-XMPUAY1Tc7PS8EJcynQ9IDXz3VoarXCUzGvLLLF1sDvqEFV00PXA9pZWQWDKjjn64l6yvssY4YOUF1QAti8jmAva8Z_Dov0H6jPxf_sMZie4/s320/BILD05.JPG" tt="true" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I was wondering whether Astrid Lindgren had also been here. I doubted it. The idea I had of Pipi Longstocking and Lake Titicaca, was different than the reality. The lake is beautiful surrounded by high mountains. Or was it Takatuka instead of Titicaca?!?</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Eventually, it went down to Copacabana.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsVVYll_HT6HAXzMe_XvwAbeh0HXJfim4kgAdrKD9eCfRsktkc_miB-Cd0kiHMNzaCvA0IuMCofUxtbeHZsDPZf9z13lMaYLrz_hvf3mBxj0zWw6X_zxZV3_lZE1znyn0VeO-fZGyxsF-q/s1600/BILD06.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsVVYll_HT6HAXzMe_XvwAbeh0HXJfim4kgAdrKD9eCfRsktkc_miB-Cd0kiHMNzaCvA0IuMCofUxtbeHZsDPZf9z13lMaYLrz_hvf3mBxj0zWw6X_zxZV3_lZE1znyn0VeO-fZGyxsF-q/s320/BILD06.JPG" tt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">My first stop was the basilika where the very famous black Madonna is stored. She was unfortunately just absent, probably for renovation. But the doors of the Basilica were very impressive, too.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT2S1zyGxnnf0olICI7-IbexqmK_0buKL2EZt8J62z_cQKBwNBCmw04WXGS_GRXjx0uQOit4hR7T3TJyylJxwXizoI3R7aVfcfuyja04CWKrhdiRGdpMuEteuhHFVAjhTsIOcTtRti2UAb/s1600/BILD07.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT2S1zyGxnnf0olICI7-IbexqmK_0buKL2EZt8J62z_cQKBwNBCmw04WXGS_GRXjx0uQOit4hR7T3TJyylJxwXizoI3R7aVfcfuyja04CWKrhdiRGdpMuEteuhHFVAjhTsIOcTtRti2UAb/s320/BILD07.JPG" tt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">Otherwise, my first impression was that this place is very touristy and I did´nt have to stay here longer. The majority of tourists just come here to visit the Isla del Sol. I save this place up for future travelling. I do not have suitable shoes for the inka trail anyway.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Down by the lake it was quite nice, the rush boats rocking in the water.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-HPO6ysxp4GwydKcgBfoixX74G7HJUbSwYueeMskHXA40pPL-dsSm2N01hgqeeQp8Xe9R-7_ScjgksxXFRGS3QPOQ_wxr0OjfiChx4-moKcNqwfVyC6ehNyaChJq1RyOUBDHgDVTxU0T/s1600/BILD08.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-HPO6ysxp4GwydKcgBfoixX74G7HJUbSwYueeMskHXA40pPL-dsSm2N01hgqeeQp8Xe9R-7_ScjgksxXFRGS3QPOQ_wxr0OjfiChx4-moKcNqwfVyC6ehNyaChJq1RyOUBDHgDVTxU0T/s320/BILD08.JPG" tt="true" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">At the very edge of the town I found a nice hostel, especially because I had a nice view over the lake. In general, at sunset it was again wonderful.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPpEEAgsLGVIz_lgRuw8NXO5R2yAt6rMTSUJ9dpNKgGe8scinYFd_F7lpVmZwXH51CbLxNLJwC9LTzOdkkhGSaVArD7mVcpBfLYjxmPDyWdO3zNGG6e3CKRUkogiQvCAWMFMG6mZRFJEpb/s1600/BILD09.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPpEEAgsLGVIz_lgRuw8NXO5R2yAt6rMTSUJ9dpNKgGe8scinYFd_F7lpVmZwXH51CbLxNLJwC9LTzOdkkhGSaVArD7mVcpBfLYjxmPDyWdO3zNGG6e3CKRUkogiQvCAWMFMG6mZRFJEpb/s320/BILD09.JPG" tt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">From here it was not far to the border of Peru. One final view of the city and on I went to Peru.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIqpAXBbr_emSqhfIDMkIs7ue8USKCGeoPLL5ufqngbc1AfPDTSMTkUJN0TND-D48mt52A8xdUBe1Giock4weuhFt667Ic3uXtD5hQUQB5BSnbSJQX_i41byCZkgU7jnBSl5ebJf1DXxGE/s1600/BILD10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIqpAXBbr_emSqhfIDMkIs7ue8USKCGeoPLL5ufqngbc1AfPDTSMTkUJN0TND-D48mt52A8xdUBe1Giock4weuhFt667Ic3uXtD5hQUQB5BSnbSJQX_i41byCZkgU7jnBSl5ebJf1DXxGE/s320/BILD10.JPG" tt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">At the border they found out that I had overdrawn my visa by 6 days. Normally you get 90 days for Bolivia, but apparently not on every border. I had a visum only granted for 30 days and I had to pay 20 bolivianos, about 2 € for every single overdraft day. I put down everything I had, which was 70 Bolivianos. So they seemed to be satisfied, but only after the customs officer was allowed to put on my helmet. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">After what I had been told by other travelers, I once again came right off lightly.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The entry to Peru was quick and easy. This time I paid attention, however, that I got a visa for 90 days. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As usual in a new country, I first had get the local currency, because I could not not change Bolivianos any more. So I went to next village. They indeed had banks, but no ATMs. So I changed my last U.S. dollars, which you can do almost everywhere.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I proceeded further aloong the lake. Because there are mainly Aymaras here in this region there were hardly any big differences noticeable. Except of the vehicles, especially the three-wheeled Motortaxis and the cars are newer and faster and have the louder horns.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It went through pretty little villages, but unfortunately people were no longer so reserved, until I no longer wanted to go further and decided to ask in one town for a place to camp. First it was negative, I would have to go further to Puno, but soon after I followed a girl, who was herding some sheep on a football field and asked her if I could camp here. She answered that she first had to ask the Segnora. So I waited until the Segnora came. As this was a Public place the town principal had to be asked. So I waited until the town principal came. She was quite hesitant at first, they were not used to tourism, but then allowed me to set up camp behind a house. Everything here is so complicated. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Since I heard nothing good about the people in Peru and because of the high population density I did not want to camp wild somewhere.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here on the meadow, it was quite nice and in the corner there even stood of one of the new bright blue toilets. I recognized them just after crossing the border already. It seemed as if the government had delighted the residents with the facilities. Almost every house had either a bright blue or bright green, fairly new “toilet-cottage”.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Before the first brave daredevils who actually came to play football, had looked around the corner the next morning, I had already had breakfast and was on the packing up. Up to Puno, it was not long, the last tourist city beside the lake. When I arrived,</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I was surprised that everything was still closed, even the tourist office. I was told that it opened at nine clock. On my watch it was already 9 o´clock.. So instead of turning back my clock one hour, I turned it forward one hour. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It did not like this idea, i.e. it is already dark by 17 clock and sun rises at 6 in the morning But what the hell, I was not living after clock, but after the rhythm of the sun.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After Puno I had to climb up again, with a last view of the lake.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTB2a2qSjaiBTBzlV1C1dPXMoDXsW-FI8hlG59D7sz8weeQT9xXMMAgI63XYf4IHPmelpc_b4nY9Dw7IVgeXajyuwMqmoNBD-n2dK9R0VZEPotq5WHV8aYzrJbLKkfM4SPZYeOnokGdYsh/s1600/BILD11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTB2a2qSjaiBTBzlV1C1dPXMoDXsW-FI8hlG59D7sz8weeQT9xXMMAgI63XYf4IHPmelpc_b4nY9Dw7IVgeXajyuwMqmoNBD-n2dK9R0VZEPotq5WHV8aYzrJbLKkfM4SPZYeOnokGdYsh/s320/BILD11.JPG" tt="true" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">and after that flat and very straight to Juliaca, quite a big industrial city which doesn´t suit tourists. I was too tired to go on and didn´t even think of it. People weren´t too friendly to me and stole my waterbottle right away., but no worries about that.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The accomodation I had decided to stay in overight was double-expensive than the Lonely-Planet price and the staff very unfriendly which encouraged me again in my decision never to pick out a accomodation mentioned in Lonely Planet. But it´s quite good to know where accomodation in general is provided, so I found a much cheaper place next door. But actually it wasn´t so nice as well. But I keep telling myself: What the heck, it´s just for one night anyway.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But after I dared to take a look how the toilets were cleaned I decided to pay a bit more for accomodation. I won´t mention details here…</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The room was pretty quiet, but somehow everything started to itch. The next day I went to the ATM to get money to find a better room in the future.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In dirt and dust I went out of town. I was just about to get a negative opinion of Peru when it suddenly became very beautiful again, green mountains and rocks around me, small villages and the people were nicer as well.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Only the headwind grew stronger. I made a little rest in a small village and thought that maybe Inka-Cola would give me the energie to proceed.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivREO_81FN_TGBTVzdt4f1752h_tLeuiYa_5S1tc70nNCeseHc5w4_goVOvoBsGpr9_eiZ316kNhyLr9F893XTHRjXzDOB_VdOef4x5eEcmKsO7H70F3MBfKppyYEJlmfNIVTDOUb9LF29/s1600/BILD12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivREO_81FN_TGBTVzdt4f1752h_tLeuiYa_5S1tc70nNCeseHc5w4_goVOvoBsGpr9_eiZ316kNhyLr9F893XTHRjXzDOB_VdOef4x5eEcmKsO7H70F3MBfKppyYEJlmfNIVTDOUb9LF29/s320/BILD12.JPG" tt="true" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The only thing this drink has in common with Coca Cola is sugar, and I really don´t know what ingredients are in there anyway. I don´t like both Colas anyway and Inka Cola didn´t help against the head wind as well.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After I went on dark clouds appeared.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbWi-U6sV6h8j6xXjCvcarI10BpzKwiXlOB-G9_sL3xBlE7ggb5z4zZPS3YYhqpMecJ8g7VDjwLcabBtlT6GzEdywMM6DICTMz7CUi8UdW_KJPz2FWIAMM-9OvS67uFbY8zhyphenhypheneIygZEv3t/s1600/BILD13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbWi-U6sV6h8j6xXjCvcarI10BpzKwiXlOB-G9_sL3xBlE7ggb5z4zZPS3YYhqpMecJ8g7VDjwLcabBtlT6GzEdywMM6DICTMz7CUi8UdW_KJPz2FWIAMM-9OvS67uFbY8zhyphenhypheneIygZEv3t/s320/BILD13.JPG" tt="true" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Just as I passed along a small farm it began to hail and thunder practically didn´t stop any more.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So yet I had to turn around and seek refuge in the pigsty. After 30 min the worst was over, it was still raining lightly and it was extremly cold. Luckily it wasn´t too far to go until Ayuviri. My only desire was an accomodation with a hot shower.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The centre of this city was big as well with a huge plaza, but here it was special: A huge churched occupied the centre. A little market was placed around it where I could get a warm meal. Not far from here in a small alley I found a cheap and nice hostal, but unfortunately without a hot shower. Not my choice today! So I decided to take the more expensive one directly in the city. After I returned from a short stroll in the vicinity I was looking forward for a hot shower, but… no hot water available anymore. These are the moments I have to control myself not to scream out loud. One employee of the hotel obviously forgot to turn it on, so I had to wait for another two hours to get a warm shower. But meanwhile I got some hot water for my tea.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There was a very loud event going on on the Plaza with music and a speaker who sounded like all speakers. I was so tired and wet and cold that I didn´t care, I was just waiting for my hot shower and wanted to sleep. It was not until the next day that I noticed that I totally missed the dance in the May.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I stood before one of the last mountain passes just before I reached Cusco, yet again, I had to climb up to about 4300m. It had stopped raining, but the sky was still cloudy. Right before the summit, it started to rain, and just long enough that I got pretty wet. Shortly thereafter, I met a travel cyclist, but with very little luggage. A moment later I realized why, because his wife was coming behind him with a fully loaded motorbike. Also a very practical solution. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">They gave me some good accomodation-hints, but warned me off the coastal road, and especially against the Peruvians. Never before travelers have spoken as conterminous negatively of like about Peru. I also had made my not so friendly experiences but also met very friendly people. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I decided to take the warning note and to continue without being affected by it. Of course a few negative experiences can quickly dull an overall picture. But I am convinced that also in this country there are more nice than not so nice people, maybe more not so nice people than in other countries. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Since it was too cold for me, I said goodbye and drove on, and only after a few kilometers, as previoously announced, I met a Japanese guy on a folding bike, also travelling with very little luggage from Cusco to La Paz in 2 weeks.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">At the summit, I've only made just a few photos.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSgyFaBioZopsS3k5HTUMdqL_MuAwmti6oLYpna_arPgAfh-ZQGMKdRxwOIVlsav3PKaSdeKgh66iSZpIW5Z1PnCSevk_LNs4vIwOyhExOVlL9ObrHI-q1t5yaBCU1qBNW7WPs98fvpm05/s1600/BILD14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSgyFaBioZopsS3k5HTUMdqL_MuAwmti6oLYpna_arPgAfh-ZQGMKdRxwOIVlsav3PKaSdeKgh66iSZpIW5Z1PnCSevk_LNs4vIwOyhExOVlL9ObrHI-q1t5yaBCU1qBNW7WPs98fvpm05/s320/BILD14.JPG" tt="true" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But very quickly I went on because you can´t enjoy the scenery in peace. Also here a lot of souveniers are offered</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEC9c3X7RMx7U5hZ9iIsMOW3UyDsrEenz0vUZp-d81FhxKQLbNs0llpQDkfYLeEoWGqw4Hh5fg7gJtlH21u2eEB9tdZ4MklvVykVm99cMc0IWxoQOtrsXOLR9vPXeAgC3dM1ZV7cHOXPnr/s1600/BILD15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEC9c3X7RMx7U5hZ9iIsMOW3UyDsrEenz0vUZp-d81FhxKQLbNs0llpQDkfYLeEoWGqw4Hh5fg7gJtlH21u2eEB9tdZ4MklvVykVm99cMc0IWxoQOtrsXOLR9vPXeAgC3dM1ZV7cHOXPnr/s320/BILD15.JPG" tt="true" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I proceeded next to a river down to a valley bed.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbnfeBaYEfnk7SOXNPh5bVA1SLm1UbthliPbnRybfD9gWTTZqV_ojzSXh7JC8A1nY-1ycj86Kv7RnNF-UjL5xaWOxMT4LzJ7-DYVmRsPKVKzcjNvalos5Nk08pSsvsZ_F4F7ld6qKclVN4/s1600/BILD16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbnfeBaYEfnk7SOXNPh5bVA1SLm1UbthliPbnRybfD9gWTTZqV_ojzSXh7JC8A1nY-1ycj86Kv7RnNF-UjL5xaWOxMT4LzJ7-DYVmRsPKVKzcjNvalos5Nk08pSsvsZ_F4F7ld6qKclVN4/s320/BILD16.JPG" tt="true" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The landscape changed, it got greener, with more trees and birds.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">First it went past hot springs where the locals roamed around. In the next village apparently all costunme groups of the area celebrated a big meeting.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkt66Ik_j0r4UOPFUPm9SyOCOm7b72wySey8XKUCaI7qKSi31DWC6Fpnoo1qd9fU2biitTDeMUy3uPG7SLIkJKYhQabI71FFN58e1dbj58hFRpeQrEY2C2jggXMTpFa1B-jpKAJYQaKzUD/s1600/BILD17.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkt66Ik_j0r4UOPFUPm9SyOCOm7b72wySey8XKUCaI7qKSi31DWC6Fpnoo1qd9fU2biitTDeMUy3uPG7SLIkJKYhQabI71FFN58e1dbj58hFRpeQrEY2C2jggXMTpFa1B-jpKAJYQaKzUD/s320/BILD17.JPG" tt="true" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So finally I had my little piece of the german tradition “Dance into the May”.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">That was apparently the whole weekend, yet the next day I saw people in traditional clothing on a market </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnRtAt82XMg_azBCzny4oAcgWpJwYRal7D6vAPJHVA1p7cBIJt3DkVvTqVqAV5Ja_jba8kYEVpGg82PMbLZIMABKKrvx9shqujhs72yznGVaKkiiY5h_wwV0b9lUYSUVatI3Mgxkym9Pk2/s1600/BILD18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnRtAt82XMg_azBCzny4oAcgWpJwYRal7D6vAPJHVA1p7cBIJt3DkVvTqVqAV5Ja_jba8kYEVpGg82PMbLZIMABKKrvx9shqujhs72yznGVaKkiiY5h_wwV0b9lUYSUVatI3Mgxkym9Pk2/s320/BILD18.JPG" tt="true" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Slowly I noticed that I approached the Sacred Valley of the Incas. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">More and more signs indicating old historical sites were seen and also some old ruins from the road. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Also I realized slowly that Peru is really mountainous. The roads are sometimes very steep. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2QL6azK9iFH2nTlyZgg3MmEMvZUo0SMECgZy-M-sepFiikibFfLeLrKYUZ4Ky1ooLmIl7XqujaxzB332gpOWTazJug8JSByo7eHKMj2XwQ1SmK6HDjzaCa1PgwAmvFfOuZM6TC12YUKFP/s1600/BILD19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2QL6azK9iFH2nTlyZgg3MmEMvZUo0SMECgZy-M-sepFiikibFfLeLrKYUZ4Ky1ooLmIl7XqujaxzB332gpOWTazJug8JSByo7eHKMj2XwQ1SmK6HDjzaCa1PgwAmvFfOuZM6TC12YUKFP/s320/BILD19.JPG" tt="true" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Prior to Cusco in a small, nice Andes-village, I made another stop. Here, too, were almost no tourists, except that there are the "Sistine Chapel of the Andes". It is so close to Cusco, that you can see it well in a day's stage with historical sites. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Buses arrive and quickly depart again.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I was amazed to see the Waldorf office was right next to the church, a development project for the especially for the women of the Andes</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqfVEJYL5nG4EXBRyZK1TEW3n4lydOAqI5EdSWtjzoiiKA39YJ68PzBkiHG7vhyphenhyphenmO6aqOdsxa2VUYTfOVlm2DyiNH4PUrvweQwg5EiKZ377h1Sse-IbeEWlq5OJhIFLSRJOTSVwoGNAlc6/s1600/BILD20.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqfVEJYL5nG4EXBRyZK1TEW3n4lydOAqI5EdSWtjzoiiKA39YJ68PzBkiHG7vhyphenhyphenmO6aqOdsxa2VUYTfOVlm2DyiNH4PUrvweQwg5EiKZ377h1Sse-IbeEWlq5OJhIFLSRJOTSVwoGNAlc6/s320/BILD20.JPG" tt="true" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The trip to Cusco was no longer so pleasant. It is also the third largest city in Peru, a lot of traffic, noisy and dusty. The city itself is also completely unsuitable for cycling. In narrow one-way streets I had to cycle in the wrong direction, </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmM1Z9-pvHMCYf52zXyA-qwaQ0AEktAatzV83kSYvrg5_oRj0yYgat2o4I2EsDhZJ98aizK0oCTisE_ufFqHabu2bu5J0KEfOIsSrvHwN24iyFLIwyq980-KYanq0coG_EeYCuHpXX5hKv/s1600/BILD21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmM1Z9-pvHMCYf52zXyA-qwaQ0AEktAatzV83kSYvrg5_oRj0yYgat2o4I2EsDhZJ98aizK0oCTisE_ufFqHabu2bu5J0KEfOIsSrvHwN24iyFLIwyq980-KYanq0coG_EeYCuHpXX5hKv/s320/BILD21.JPG" tt="true" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">nearly impossible to get in the opposite direction with a packed bicycle. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the alleys you´ll always find steps. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxBba2pMEkVLA7gUYUgTF910WGgrVMj1dKWur62jCS0fZ0uPFHssOnxswOUzLdThIoP2hue3yd451jLdNycMWe9G8MfR0aKov1aJueyfXnJCmn0sj6MG-CWzThlC7HyQPwalou03W6_8No/s1600/BILD22.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxBba2pMEkVLA7gUYUgTF910WGgrVMj1dKWur62jCS0fZ0uPFHssOnxswOUzLdThIoP2hue3yd451jLdNycMWe9G8MfR0aKov1aJueyfXnJCmn0sj6MG-CWzThlC7HyQPwalou03W6_8No/s320/BILD22.JPG" tt="true" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So I just visited a hostel, parked my bike there and went exploring by foot. So it was much better. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cusco is a really nice city but very expensive and neat, it is practically the starting point for Machu Picchu. In general, however, I was not attracted by this tourist attraction. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I could have done it in a day, by train, but the costs for the short distance are 180 USD. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you invested several days, even if I went partly with a bike, it would have been cheaper. However, I would not invest so much money nor time. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I can still do it when I come back as a tourist with better shoes. This time I just wanted to go on. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Instead I choosed to explore the city more closely. Besides the many artists who have settled here, of course, </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5b2FqDZXP7wV1a1tE5HrPO7WE939CgqVPfTiSsTdtPloZ5bBMP3aXd3GFJGbBFty1twNBBhmmBXnFC6kEAZv1kRZ1SETjs_8NXc0IysukEvMzikF5s6bPt8H76pTQ2nBujNTdA6g0yi7B/s1600/BILD23.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5b2FqDZXP7wV1a1tE5HrPO7WE939CgqVPfTiSsTdtPloZ5bBMP3aXd3GFJGbBFty1twNBBhmmBXnFC6kEAZv1kRZ1SETjs_8NXc0IysukEvMzikF5s6bPt8H76pTQ2nBujNTdA6g0yi7B/s320/BILD23.JPG" tt="true" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">there are traces of the Incas.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBaa3MpCbDIXgjoUlGvfIoHInUvyGFBLuYyZqr9EftaE6G80JFDWXhWLLmKk_YOzgJZxsvKSZ_iY2ZwGOcMlxy4STRZ4AdPBUaD4HMwgk-3x3h1psn2WuVXqEEHk44DpbVw2sFlRbhazZZ/s1600/BILD24.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBaa3MpCbDIXgjoUlGvfIoHInUvyGFBLuYyZqr9EftaE6G80JFDWXhWLLmKk_YOzgJZxsvKSZ_iY2ZwGOcMlxy4STRZ4AdPBUaD4HMwgk-3x3h1psn2WuVXqEEHk44DpbVw2sFlRbhazZZ/s320/BILD24.JPG" tt="true" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">all the thick, old walls. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Qurikancha the temple I have looked at more closely. Once a main temple of the Incas, it was handed over to the Dominicans. After an earthquake, they have built a superstructure in their own style so today is a hodgepodge of styles. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirAPlgl_Err_oTAnPDAdkwIcpy-oLl-BfDw7yQEWnWGNjJErs_jpK56io3hFS8BN72mY7xMLicFTjGmBkn6ycWh_7XQ3HHmmsVASmvyMFVrWcq7PBdmR6ccLHOpDYRFdg1N71ONjcMAYdi/s1600/BILD26.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirAPlgl_Err_oTAnPDAdkwIcpy-oLl-BfDw7yQEWnWGNjJErs_jpK56io3hFS8BN72mY7xMLicFTjGmBkn6ycWh_7XQ3HHmmsVASmvyMFVrWcq7PBdmR6ccLHOpDYRFdg1N71ONjcMAYdi/s320/BILD26.JPG" tt="true" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Amazing how the ancient Incas were able to treat the large stone blocks. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKA1sj72Ry8vbG6T77qx5UcH607SK5nk0si60iKhVYhpS23iAKqOL1xe6yO2c3xjkkUzOo3Vpf-RTIj3LPLebh32ChHv0QuL9M18cTEy4nDm2TM-1r873cHKbodZMzS0OdmWoH5lCe_LoI/s1600/BILD27.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKA1sj72Ry8vbG6T77qx5UcH607SK5nk0si60iKhVYhpS23iAKqOL1xe6yO2c3xjkkUzOo3Vpf-RTIj3LPLebh32ChHv0QuL9M18cTEy4nDm2TM-1r873cHKbodZMzS0OdmWoH5lCe_LoI/s320/BILD27.JPG" tt="true" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On 5 May I again left the city of the Incas. Also, despite warnings, I decided to drive further towards Lima. After spending three weeks in La Paz, I now wanted to move forward fast. I also wanted to get back to warmer climates, in direction to the sea.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976028803035012784.post-59064490498913868242010-06-03T12:47:00.000-07:002010-06-06T16:13:59.784-07:00Death Road an the last days in La Paz<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One of the highlights in the area of La Paz is the Death road. There are numerous agencies in the city offering bicycle-tours on this road. For two of those agencies breakfast is offered in</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://cafe.conitzer.de/">Café Chuquiago</a> , for <a href="http://bside-adventures.blogspot.com/">B-Side</a> and <a href="http://prodownhill.com/">Pro Downhill</a>.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I do not know how many tourists I fed before they went on the tour. Some came back after their trip and reported enthusiastically.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Already when I planed my cycling-trip in South America I read about the street and put it to me as one of the objectives, but of course not with an agency, but alone, or preferably with another cyclist.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So again I was rather lucky when on Saturday Pete came into the café, whom I had met in Chile before. Of course he also wanted to ride the Death Road and it was not long until we had planned to go on Monday. Actually, we wanted to get up at 6 o´clock, but we overslept and we had to serve an unbelievable number of breakfasts. Finally we managed to let loose until 8 clock. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">At first we went out of the city and at 4600 m on the Cumbre. Early in the morning, slightly offset in time, the tour agencies take their tourists up the mountain. Since I am not one of the tourists, I wanted to go up on my bicycle. Given the late time, we decided at the end of the city to take the bus to the pass.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdgqvtVVeNnGzevYOiK0h2JRW1OqeBQonsbzk4LX3yCw7_1D1xxu1YaVYnCafFaDaoQBzAbGrPYamMLOklmEL3xuhWjnYRy_SA1w0jnwbKCe5NsCjumMnsJCNHTascF-Pzp9YfHpE6lWez/s1600/BILD01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdgqvtVVeNnGzevYOiK0h2JRW1OqeBQonsbzk4LX3yCw7_1D1xxu1YaVYnCafFaDaoQBzAbGrPYamMLOklmEL3xuhWjnYRy_SA1w0jnwbKCe5NsCjumMnsJCNHTascF-Pzp9YfHpE6lWez/s320/BILD01.JPG" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was an adventure on its own, and I enjoyed the difference in travelling.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We arrived up here quite quickly and in one piece. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">With the aid of Cristians handdrawn map. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJitgNT4Ok9nYKdoPuQbT5eOBvcASIMnqr7n54eCKzfoBDi5ZtuFdExfUsVj8der3DTv7pAhpOUMbsXmrmHAhyphenhyphenRYWDZKv8vhO5T9jxlrfS9FEOAjnebumPgAHTj1CVMXEHKagfimxaUqCE/s1600/BILD02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJitgNT4Ok9nYKdoPuQbT5eOBvcASIMnqr7n54eCKzfoBDi5ZtuFdExfUsVj8der3DTv7pAhpOUMbsXmrmHAhyphenhyphenRYWDZKv8vhO5T9jxlrfS9FEOAjnebumPgAHTj1CVMXEHKagfimxaUqCE/s320/BILD02.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">we went off the bitumen to the Ghost road right away.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJZLqD2CnqM3qQSQwlnADuslmqYkVtGgxDlphv_FHBaUt27OZVu1a8CLnJckdmisOBkEcbcS77YAI1mTAu8Z3hZcQe1TRGeDhX03j9T23iyBXpeACBkPuiinEwrLBt9fSTN0qZH2xFYOme/s1600/BILD03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJZLqD2CnqM3qQSQwlnADuslmqYkVtGgxDlphv_FHBaUt27OZVu1a8CLnJckdmisOBkEcbcS77YAI1mTAu8Z3hZcQe1TRGeDhX03j9T23iyBXpeACBkPuiinEwrLBt9fSTN0qZH2xFYOme/s320/BILD03.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We went across gravel towards a fantastic quite valley.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4scgf8OfSqeN3V5unOQEnJrd6LsNNgu6WCqimGeXyELarq5LwjsiTopVrOXjFu0iydDmuwAHztyKEhyphenhypheno1yEkq3mJSGsyGAbav1wjKGQiR7NqylnOirn0pLlFRtcCfywmZjCWD9zsrsncY/s1600/BILD06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4scgf8OfSqeN3V5unOQEnJrd6LsNNgu6WCqimGeXyELarq5LwjsiTopVrOXjFu0iydDmuwAHztyKEhyphenhypheno1yEkq3mJSGsyGAbav1wjKGQiR7NqylnOirn0pLlFRtcCfywmZjCWD9zsrsncY/s320/BILD06.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Some landslides had blocked the road partially and we had to find a different path in the steep slope.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Further down the road conditions improved, but anyway, now the road was blocked by animals.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUdI8H5D9wBLY9WaVQ2cM9lTQHBkoSww5jiIKJPvu5XtWBeHXZWnsmZTLXYvUe_DllzJZf2OO5YV0Wc7GDF8gTzCt0MBhkXkaZGud7mxSygGWtTfVzYckPQeKOVlhDaaZ8ycHcXs4Vqi5h/s1600/BILD08.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUdI8H5D9wBLY9WaVQ2cM9lTQHBkoSww5jiIKJPvu5XtWBeHXZWnsmZTLXYvUe_DllzJZf2OO5YV0Wc7GDF8gTzCt0MBhkXkaZGud7mxSygGWtTfVzYckPQeKOVlhDaaZ8ycHcXs4Vqi5h/s320/BILD08.JPG" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Then the fog came along, or a cloud, who knows the difference?</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOPRu_tPJKQF6y8DFglikXFAXgVH-9yNkLPM97g_7n6MA2Ul8bWG8-xbJ_Wz-IbGnTVWWbZfIe4SomJaHZET9BagLi8XoCYvJpxT_isZ5-9dDbl0Frp-mkMxa87nT-X0TQjagqGp6r3z1W/s1600/BILD07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOPRu_tPJKQF6y8DFglikXFAXgVH-9yNkLPM97g_7n6MA2Ul8bWG8-xbJ_Wz-IbGnTVWWbZfIe4SomJaHZET9BagLi8XoCYvJpxT_isZ5-9dDbl0Frp-mkMxa87nT-X0TQjagqGp6r3z1W/s320/BILD07.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Unfortunately we couldn´t identify the ghost road anymore and therefore we went back on the bitumen.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhil3ZSPMxLf7Fs3gAakyNO3resfpRaWNGMcuCPZszdqmsoYOOqkb6i_zwnYMUeFuZxkiVbR-SYqc_OCfcd21WKyxJDbS9GHFV8LjsShedxLxfmilF_fN8z0eDYg_TPCIN25XODsGHLHONH/s1600/BILD09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhil3ZSPMxLf7Fs3gAakyNO3resfpRaWNGMcuCPZszdqmsoYOOqkb6i_zwnYMUeFuZxkiVbR-SYqc_OCfcd21WKyxJDbS9GHFV8LjsShedxLxfmilF_fN8z0eDYg_TPCIN25XODsGHLHONH/s320/BILD09.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This road leads to the mountain above and we enjoyed a wonderful view down into the valley.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOwq8LuYbxHYsRu38XkBa1WUAE_XKIas1XtH-W58xYGAIgMnSuMOml4im-B5yNLwhRUMr9bzLenv9pqeV37kWCZbUCLZuwBoKXbi09eTyEuHEstZvcHJWnbDN6iazfJySgrL48QIKF7hpD/s1600/BILD10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOwq8LuYbxHYsRu38XkBa1WUAE_XKIas1XtH-W58xYGAIgMnSuMOml4im-B5yNLwhRUMr9bzLenv9pqeV37kWCZbUCLZuwBoKXbi09eTyEuHEstZvcHJWnbDN6iazfJySgrL48QIKF7hpD/s320/BILD10.JPG" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Not far away and the Death road branched off. Until a few years ago it was the only road from La Paz to Coroico, and the name · Death Road was justified. Since the new road was built there are almost only cyclists using the road (about 150 per day), and less deadly accidents happen than on other roads. Pete has more written about it on his<a href="http://peterhubbard.blogspot.com/2010/04/worlds-most-dangerous-road.html"> Blog</a> .</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Nevertheless the landscape still is amazing.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWhK419kpsuOBlNLPj2LGNsVmeHiDNVnYY4o5WHbzhBO7rrE9Ck_tpmJCfFEkhrjZA8B3u_ANgpzoLcUpx7pZhqSjckg5ps1qQY2rplkBvKEoyE93uEXrqrqJhvOk8X7eKRyG5oDNVC9j7/s1600/BILD11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWhK419kpsuOBlNLPj2LGNsVmeHiDNVnYY4o5WHbzhBO7rrE9Ck_tpmJCfFEkhrjZA8B3u_ANgpzoLcUpx7pZhqSjckg5ps1qQY2rplkBvKEoyE93uEXrqrqJhvOk8X7eKRyG5oDNVC9j7/s320/BILD11.JPG" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Unbelievable how the street was built into the steep slope.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2i8xFeWIYOHlfGTgDSoNE770VyiWt-BEhdCOBUaoSz6KVKBblwdd0QMjKdhugF-Cd6MWnReAMqB1FNcNekdTJvZWmjPOUITGrFcHxgsGDSuDwgtaotSzDrcnC-PtmP1h63sXmbi94uIe_/s1600/BILD12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2i8xFeWIYOHlfGTgDSoNE770VyiWt-BEhdCOBUaoSz6KVKBblwdd0QMjKdhugF-Cd6MWnReAMqB1FNcNekdTJvZWmjPOUITGrFcHxgsGDSuDwgtaotSzDrcnC-PtmP1h63sXmbi94uIe_/s320/BILD12.JPG" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The road itself is not to steep, it is a track indeed, but it is no diffcult riding if you´re not getting too close to the edge.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyD8-8in-s_a-ZHbuJZ9zqanca63k0N1ZViF_6JAPvOIAePq8jPlu5sis5wieMsTSsV3_kPuzdq4uFpNAZSs0kqqrb63x6iXH6eXZw9S6DrOZM8W0n2PfVlC-CqUQRLCOaQCdb9zr-7VSx/s1600/BILD13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyD8-8in-s_a-ZHbuJZ9zqanca63k0N1ZViF_6JAPvOIAePq8jPlu5sis5wieMsTSsV3_kPuzdq4uFpNAZSs0kqqrb63x6iXH6eXZw9S6DrOZM8W0n2PfVlC-CqUQRLCOaQCdb9zr-7VSx/s320/BILD13.JPG" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Probably the potentially rockfall from above is more dangerous.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_2prZmbJPxGYGkkZOBXAqa38AZDyBiwnYo-t97nyorBJ5hnHrzjCaQ0vHFW8UYWSy4icMviE0g905gzj5eJZDj7lkqD0Bk0FwgGXs3adQi1g2X6FXvEKdUlB4SQmn_srn2OrSQMBtmhU/s1600/BILD14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_2prZmbJPxGYGkkZOBXAqa38AZDyBiwnYo-t97nyorBJ5hnHrzjCaQ0vHFW8UYWSy4icMviE0g905gzj5eJZDj7lkqD0Bk0FwgGXs3adQi1g2X6FXvEKdUlB4SQmn_srn2OrSQMBtmhU/s320/BILD14.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A helmet would be useless in such a case!</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKBy4-UhpDJXclsm37403jWH4XABp75Wly7S51l1zp5OW9pDRDeLwtAADtv0CwwX5Lxt-E99qA-MfIODvVDiRgy7XhleFcGeAUf_tJk22wmrOZrHbBjgLNmXNOBVNhd2ZqRdPPwYTI9NPW/s1600/BILD15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKBy4-UhpDJXclsm37403jWH4XABp75Wly7S51l1zp5OW9pDRDeLwtAADtv0CwwX5Lxt-E99qA-MfIODvVDiRgy7XhleFcGeAUf_tJk22wmrOZrHbBjgLNmXNOBVNhd2ZqRdPPwYTI9NPW/s320/BILD15.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Some crosses at the side of the road show that there have been fatalities in 2005.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizq_qNhcpoMUyTQ9jMyLpDu2bA-PX1HXuls0SW9LGA7H6orM3wgo6f_5NXlv95A6UqPrxu-besKpcTzvJ7YQ4Q_DWbKb57wFB6Nz825BjuIb4yns64FwHzHNvlgYgTr8cMiy0bNX7PWjhv/s1600/BILD16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizq_qNhcpoMUyTQ9jMyLpDu2bA-PX1HXuls0SW9LGA7H6orM3wgo6f_5NXlv95A6UqPrxu-besKpcTzvJ7YQ4Q_DWbKb57wFB6Nz825BjuIb4yns64FwHzHNvlgYgTr8cMiy0bNX7PWjhv/s320/BILD16.JPG" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It´s scary to imagine a car coming from the front with such curves in front of us.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCE14SYV9FQISMgd1Jsv-g9yZARAAjJKyKf9Lz04ySr9s1xtQ2YqLoM7Lkes_C6S1zI2gI1-s4M1MOb5-EdJiwUYSiDcantYeuY9tA_bD0z8cJ3MSXr0Nv9fFFV28Xgycj0P0iosJf3aGb/s1600/BILD17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCE14SYV9FQISMgd1Jsv-g9yZARAAjJKyKf9Lz04ySr9s1xtQ2YqLoM7Lkes_C6S1zI2gI1-s4M1MOb5-EdJiwUYSiDcantYeuY9tA_bD0z8cJ3MSXr0Nv9fFFV28Xgycj0P0iosJf3aGb/s320/BILD17.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But there are no cars there anyway driving today.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We passed along high cliffs, under waterfalls</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4tidanODspYg-I5cQV0f9l9Sa2qmE0p1vkVpCPd0oFxGRt2PF37tG1nKeKOe6pVmChmxdYIhDlKM-IXZQ_F3MF_u2G95DDPM4yYZ1eZayCjbxrOLIOHpRrPnw_-xatfTpEchTS_A7s169/s1600/BILD20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4tidanODspYg-I5cQV0f9l9Sa2qmE0p1vkVpCPd0oFxGRt2PF37tG1nKeKOe6pVmChmxdYIhDlKM-IXZQ_F3MF_u2G95DDPM4yYZ1eZayCjbxrOLIOHpRrPnw_-xatfTpEchTS_A7s169/s320/BILD20.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But I prefered to ride on the inside of the road instead of the slippery street shoulder.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The lower we came the warmer it became and slowly we felt we arrived in the tropics, easily to recognize with all the plants, butterflies and animals.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was so warm that it was easy going crossing the creeks.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1_rQJl0AgBTOqfkFcqLXb69MXHPreDFYGwSaIjn_L_cwPSUskMNBqo0L9gmeUSalYqET-3lCdnUDil9K896AMguuB5tBGmIfuvHw50atOdRUMKYME7XDTKyPUmaCwKdNsef3pVC1QqjF_/s1600/BILD21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1_rQJl0AgBTOqfkFcqLXb69MXHPreDFYGwSaIjn_L_cwPSUskMNBqo0L9gmeUSalYqET-3lCdnUDil9K896AMguuB5tBGmIfuvHw50atOdRUMKYME7XDTKyPUmaCwKdNsef3pVC1QqjF_/s320/BILD21.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Everything dried up immediately.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In Yolossa, at 1155 m, we finally arrived at the bottom of the valley.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEp__XZKCIZB7Kjlt1I67g0e-3GXVhsGctYv6Lkw89KUspXvAq33mx8cRA1HwTz6DUNQKXbZAqLwp4-6GhHzg2pN6YlrjlHk4P6l78DCdLJ-E5-7egZxKWxFphQxSJJUoxeFqIKwed99z8/s1600/BILD22.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEp__XZKCIZB7Kjlt1I67g0e-3GXVhsGctYv6Lkw89KUspXvAq33mx8cRA1HwTz6DUNQKXbZAqLwp4-6GhHzg2pN6YlrjlHk4P6l78DCdLJ-E5-7egZxKWxFphQxSJJUoxeFqIKwed99z8/s320/BILD22.JPG" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Meanwhile I ask myself if the Coca-Cola-Company substitutes all those little villages because they are allowed these giant advertisments. You see them here quite often.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For us it meant that we had to ride back up the mountain for 8 km over the worst cobstone-road. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">With Pete, it was very entertaining, and time went by relatively quickly. We knew that Coroico is a tourist haunt, and we could expect good food.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhamITlV9IEPBXvpZC0UkP7zjzUEIZCWpZvYDeQitSKEsSPPHnrB4H61Fi6lVKJrVb9weEkBxjvrb4bRIOkdqpHfL0d134FL3rbcVgv98xv_2oP3NU5QrgEZZ5VBjPjCQnHL8-DH0RBuR-j/s1600/BILD23.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhamITlV9IEPBXvpZC0UkP7zjzUEIZCWpZvYDeQitSKEsSPPHnrB4H61Fi6lVKJrVb9weEkBxjvrb4bRIOkdqpHfL0d134FL3rbcVgv98xv_2oP3NU5QrgEZZ5VBjPjCQnHL8-DH0RBuR-j/s320/BILD23.JPG" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When we arrived in Coroico, we had enough of the cobblestones and went straight to the next, cheapest Residenzia and then to dinner. Unfortunately, I noticed the many mosquito bites until the next day, the first since I'm in South America.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Pete did´nt like the idea to go down cobblestones again and wanted to take the bus from Coroico. I was not really matter, my forearms were again so affected that I agreed to the bus.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So we still had the whole morning of sightseeing in Coroico. Really a nice little village, even in the clouds you partly could guess what beauty is hidden behind it. The many small roads offer many opportunities for mountain biking. Therefore, a couple of tour operators have also settled here.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEitbCGhEjkEUMdS2GJ8WjuNUCkIKI5hgJu4H-3DY0vkDKiAWI75CIbcPVCNXrD8GZh5NmtwcxyT_Dqt3_vX7vVwkfIySf9mwuv6XQheoZfySXEFzn9S8YA7gg86zKdc-qwp4evIEO-g9K/s1600/BILD25.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEitbCGhEjkEUMdS2GJ8WjuNUCkIKI5hgJu4H-3DY0vkDKiAWI75CIbcPVCNXrD8GZh5NmtwcxyT_Dqt3_vX7vVwkfIySf9mwuv6XQheoZfySXEFzn9S8YA7gg86zKdc-qwp4evIEO-g9K/s320/BILD25.JPG" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Then we went squeezed into a minibus and went nearly 3000 meters altitude up to the Cumbre,with the bikes tied on the roof. The vehicle had a breakdown and for a moment we thought whether we should continue with the bike. As we noted, however, that on the the next 15 km we had to climb up 1,500 meters, so we decided to wait until the bus was running again, which no longer was a long time. Happy we were when we were finally up again released into freedom again..</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9JDBMFB7tah1v970NRzVfd2OFSJaT2IOTd_isyVC5Q07cKWA0m-6EpXTll4z8UXIstKTcI5bCyS1nP0f-epmPeWAn00g2zTjQk-iZiqsXqVgT3ELPot2OI_DZSR9FvLg6_q4y0O9k8syN/s1600/BILD26.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9JDBMFB7tah1v970NRzVfd2OFSJaT2IOTd_isyVC5Q07cKWA0m-6EpXTll4z8UXIstKTcI5bCyS1nP0f-epmPeWAn00g2zTjQk-iZiqsXqVgT3ELPot2OI_DZSR9FvLg6_q4y0O9k8syN/s320/BILD26.JPG" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For 26km we went down to La Paz on a very good road.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUbCN1zHyorRIvQkmYu1w3R3KQj0D5wwU_hirwOO8q3KpQgCCL_18ltcZEtdVUCPnNYKsGIrXbE4c_rWaheD3jQHS0QBOZmiViDKj5UimGFaVln0g_1hD6f1sUktpWCR67MJsXYDx6mye2/s1600/BILD27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUbCN1zHyorRIvQkmYu1w3R3KQj0D5wwU_hirwOO8q3KpQgCCL_18ltcZEtdVUCPnNYKsGIrXbE4c_rWaheD3jQHS0QBOZmiViDKj5UimGFaVln0g_1hD6f1sUktpWCR67MJsXYDx6mye2/s320/BILD27.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">At one of the checkpoints some eateries were situated and we had the best chicken ever served with potatoes.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEv0cCCfBBi5Jenez-I1KfpwMsFizjbfqoP9EWUstK0bptL_GAYHYnlscPUNFnSIeNyntpkE0xyFiEPwgeGjKNC4W6T2UluXqhjUPqFt2GePo7XwRajHEQRfRHNwBvXNSGh5njHhW-YXLG/s1600/BILD28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEv0cCCfBBi5Jenez-I1KfpwMsFizjbfqoP9EWUstK0bptL_GAYHYnlscPUNFnSIeNyntpkE0xyFiEPwgeGjKNC4W6T2UluXqhjUPqFt2GePo7XwRajHEQRfRHNwBvXNSGh5njHhW-YXLG/s320/BILD28.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Even when the tour wasn´t too strenous it stimulated our appetite.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Soon we arrived back in La Paz and the café had me again. Luisa wondered if I could be there on the weekend to help her because Cristian was not there. Of course I said yes because I did not think that my credit card would arrive by then. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Oh wonder, on Wednesday afternoon, a monitoring call concluded at the German Embassy, I received the happy news that my credit-card had actually arrived in the morning. What a joy, but I still had promised to be here at the weekend, so I postponed my departure date to Monday 26 April.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I needed this time to organize some things like getting my bike done, buying Souvenirs and sending them home etc.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As I had stated already several times before, there is a great similarity between the Bolivians and Mongols. When I saw this statue</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8rt8oKhE88cTmw_vbxp9EJR8-DUEdLfHYflJlRy3SzeAS-erTIM9r7RU4TmbPzPcjp-xRR5f_NkQbP9TC59vQ669MIAhfap8EvGuCwrMGbkBJktGMuYIXhFNobVSsKL3BZQK__vJsbkRb/s1600/BILD30.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8rt8oKhE88cTmw_vbxp9EJR8-DUEdLfHYflJlRy3SzeAS-erTIM9r7RU4TmbPzPcjp-xRR5f_NkQbP9TC59vQ669MIAhfap8EvGuCwrMGbkBJktGMuYIXhFNobVSsKL3BZQK__vJsbkRb/s320/BILD30.JPG" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">which reminded me of Dschinghis Khaan I decided that threr definitely is an affinty.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I enjoyed the local markets </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx3RdkBvsb6Uc1lE8kL_IU5QcV_VDqIBPlV5ti0VWnPxEyVDfNuPUnASWBvtbm6zKPHnMXBcPtPWLAQFDgWgXAwnvRIJO17yx2FtCZigrpUNN5rYdz2I0Ch_6IEvSKhN1r5Z1X1ZTqPBZl/s1600/BILD31.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx3RdkBvsb6Uc1lE8kL_IU5QcV_VDqIBPlV5ti0VWnPxEyVDfNuPUnASWBvtbm6zKPHnMXBcPtPWLAQFDgWgXAwnvRIJO17yx2FtCZigrpUNN5rYdz2I0Ch_6IEvSKhN1r5Z1X1ZTqPBZl/s320/BILD31.JPG" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">where thee local people recognized me and they already knew what I wanted and what I liked and I could buy everything for “non-tourist-conditions�.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis65LbMsMC73iEOOO9elL4HEIuRcy8p-3T0TZaglq8rLFj5EIyu1WAglvV2-CJ6K3NwxV3NxU1NV-jFCKmEoi9tfZjX9AeufwisJI7MSDy_WNYNFRHtT_B-2pOWw7dz7J6iIoGzGy6aboZ/s1600/BILD32.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis65LbMsMC73iEOOO9elL4HEIuRcy8p-3T0TZaglq8rLFj5EIyu1WAglvV2-CJ6K3NwxV3NxU1NV-jFCKmEoi9tfZjX9AeufwisJI7MSDy_WNYNFRHtT_B-2pOWw7dz7J6iIoGzGy6aboZ/s320/BILD32.JPG" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On Monday the 26th April, I left the city after more than 3 weeks, but I promised that I would come back. There are still so many roads and trails to explore here, but Iwould need a real mountain bike. For this time,after the tens of thousands of kilometers on the bike for me the Café a far more interesting experience. Thanks again to Cristian and Luisa.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976028803035012784.post-13422562179751087332010-05-13T16:10:00.000-07:002010-05-13T16:10:13.473-07:00In and around La Paz<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now I'm about two weeks in La Paz, the time flies by. Most of the time I spend in the café, there are always things to do and there are usually interesting people around</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There have been elections on Easter Sunday. Apparently this means that during daytime it´s not allowed to sell alcohol or drive a car. All other cafes were apparently closed, for in Chuquiago all hell broke loose. For me it was like jumping into cold water. Except me Francois, a cyclist from France and his girlfriend Elli from Spain were there. That day I learned a lot, especially that there is no “right” or “wrong”, but only a “different” and that it is the best if I do it the way I would like to have it. Here in Bolivia everybody is used to wait and most people are very broadminded. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Only towards the late afternoon I could ride on the empty streets to my friend Caroline, who fortunately also had a washing machine and where I took the opportunity to stock up with German and English literature.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is also fun to discover the endless markets.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLCZx5MVyU4OjRGfuQihuZ2-y2ay0DbM7L6VDbbbzuhT8v2k2hT2pXoAiFl3YLylEoOj30fPPmi0TIKzAUGgVKItploLpsoV7dsNExfOGFh9TVgZ8OSWbiwmmYWH74o3FWQ-ARYtMJ4ETY/s320/bild27.JPG" /></span></div><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You never now where the first market ends and the next one begins.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Especially on the weekend more and more women arrive with their tomatoes and bananas and the road is closed for traffic.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cristian not only operates the Bike-Café, but also is President of the bike-club of La Paz. There was a downhill-race organized for the 11.April, beginning in Chacaltaya, the highest Ski-area of the world, down to La Paz. Because of the global warming the whole glacier is molten, and there is no Ski-running possible anymore.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Thursday before the race Cristian had to check the track with his 4WD and to complete all the markings. So I had the pleasure to test the course with my bike.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We traveled up backcountry roads until the top of the mountain.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8mgBYXunzQr5eS-RD-P_wLktcY6aU9nNSIsx5wMHtKsHfB6Z01FhdSbxUz8BJibMc9MmHHWkzaqgg2U3J8xknPd_DGIUWQyMIQ5cr6bOdRL4sZ-CqOGqh8Uo-e0Tpthbqh2uSN9uqyqWS/s320/bild28.JPG" /></span></div><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The landscape was absolutely stunning. Many small lakes,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7nxP_isWeF7Hqy6JOfK7SkUQgm29WhMx5rDANfDo1D0A80O5uecZRDe6uHn3vnrI5gcZB4WniVO-v0TFEXIbNDtA-AOMHTCaXysDRHdq_nyb7jBcL2eYxmWAuiQ9ew_cXuiYamphBfIEI/s320/bild29.JPG" /></span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With a view of Illimani, 6438 above sea level the second highest mountain in Bolivia.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx_euhnNmmzjxCcvYCqjHSbirb4VcY6dLwvpijid_I69m77iC82YWjj57wmgYHnOey7xc0TTFy7qNQWFCDx3-jVj3f6p-2mdQvUBEwuFxpudSPFjsT7VUgrcaz6wObxxxX4pKspSb8tEKv/s320/bild30.JPG" /></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">It was very astonishing to see how many lamas survived at this altitude.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVZVlkXUldQ3VlaWcXX8Qn3Gxw-p888FhyphenhyphenTMbNeTlPYnydD691SSAajBwlYfCM8fV01ow8k6uw1BlXma9akjKm9TF0kiEWTuqYD3tlxadSROXb2XRvKCwQrCnA0Ek2lO756yk_0HAhpUYv/s1600/bild31.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVZVlkXUldQ3VlaWcXX8Qn3Gxw-p888FhyphenhyphenTMbNeTlPYnydD691SSAajBwlYfCM8fV01ow8k6uw1BlXma9akjKm9TF0kiEWTuqYD3tlxadSROXb2XRvKCwQrCnA0Ek2lO756yk_0HAhpUYv/s320/bild31.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRZ-54rbKzy_F9CszWCIj_ouExD6uWH_gyZn3EYa99-oZ9AA6qrPW15RXtfqcP6NihA2UkTWYsZqnZlzA1PALqs9ZPnpAWBMK5as9VgexLNOTiZAMQBl_ZT6DspYTnjyGsCR_NiTl-COPv/s320/bild32.JPG" /></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In parts the track was so narrow and hard to recognise at all and I wouldn´t believe that there was space enough for 4 wheels.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 other Bolovian bikers were accompanying me, 1 official, a driver and of course Cristian.</span><br />
</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9iZVcvqStudAF7Ff-_fliWyitnBdYfFbBnieBg19avh0mv8KOZ5xehXVza8u1kczedgWxVXkzQSaAWN9WThGO6w6YpprhCvQCYB4duKS4UMgxJtfwnqdidYKA3ZRhIF6JA07TH5ggZbzc/s1600/bild33.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9iZVcvqStudAF7Ff-_fliWyitnBdYfFbBnieBg19avh0mv8KOZ5xehXVza8u1kczedgWxVXkzQSaAWN9WThGO6w6YpprhCvQCYB4duKS4UMgxJtfwnqdidYKA3ZRhIF6JA07TH5ggZbzc/s320/bild33.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The light on this altitude is terrific.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHU-tt-1OZ8rHCx5CYce9OUXCSA7q1yIFbw-z9zae23N3NzNrrD22_QT-JfLIToBaZcT56_KO8-GT7O0-bk1xXXRSVq09DhY6nzVCVIMLweUsjY3Za2DBaflmZ49gVXVhlDWXJZLrmnfQy/s1600/bild34.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHU-tt-1OZ8rHCx5CYce9OUXCSA7q1yIFbw-z9zae23N3NzNrrD22_QT-JfLIToBaZcT56_KO8-GT7O0-bk1xXXRSVq09DhY6nzVCVIMLweUsjY3Za2DBaflmZ49gVXVhlDWXJZLrmnfQy/s320/bild34.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally we reached our starting point at the height of 5183 m.a.s.l. I´ve never been up so high. It was a weird feeling, a bit dizzy. You shouldn´t worry about high-altitude-sickness. Anyway I was glad that I just had to ride downhill.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just in time when we arrived some clouds appeared and it began to snow, it was very cold, and we started to fix our bikes.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl0Ty3JHla2d5W9AHr5SUwy5wOJIQiSGbUDpZPUIrtsvkqtCFIyOubyeGo9zkieLfndw4t09jFtRYfw76M-i7p5xUXGdZuK15ApLooQBaOqIA-tERXnA9ulSZw496TcsDRkHO56dgwYC-X/s1600/152+DSCN2863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl0Ty3JHla2d5W9AHr5SUwy5wOJIQiSGbUDpZPUIrtsvkqtCFIyOubyeGo9zkieLfndw4t09jFtRYfw76M-i7p5xUXGdZuK15ApLooQBaOqIA-tERXnA9ulSZw496TcsDRkHO56dgwYC-X/s320/152+DSCN2863.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And we made our way downwards on gravel</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_qmFKurIdMvcPQLIrhcWTGV4dxdFM7DidpxHbttrOOT0MUliGPwLj4tMMM_Wsf_LLBFRUYKzWG4YJY9GmfFyPjnKoabJT5S5FPHhgEkxs6lyTZFuteT45Lrbua4hqnUTYcnuEpVi4neh1/s1600/156+DSCN2868.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_qmFKurIdMvcPQLIrhcWTGV4dxdFM7DidpxHbttrOOT0MUliGPwLj4tMMM_Wsf_LLBFRUYKzWG4YJY9GmfFyPjnKoabJT5S5FPHhgEkxs6lyTZFuteT45Lrbua4hqnUTYcnuEpVi4neh1/s320/156+DSCN2868.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">With a fantastic view of the surrounding mountains.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk6Xxlj6AL2Tp1c3HVrOHxUacG600D7cUiuVglwL10d1oIKYvV79fO-NLjmGDy_nNbpm-LWhNNX2RF2xVVgiuWoY9fl7W4d5O0sxbFCBo_N6mt5aZvYavgSoG8GIlY_cpGDmN3CIr9UY76/s1600/bild36.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk6Xxlj6AL2Tp1c3HVrOHxUacG600D7cUiuVglwL10d1oIKYvV79fO-NLjmGDy_nNbpm-LWhNNX2RF2xVVgiuWoY9fl7W4d5O0sxbFCBo_N6mt5aZvYavgSoG8GIlY_cpGDmN3CIr9UY76/s320/bild36.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The track was marked nearly completely for the race on the following sunday.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWtneJnO_xXMwDAJCgYjzOjejnIdyq8Vf9k8fIJE72ffmd-zWskHTexyF_csQ0kr9Fp8ghxroup7x4pdQVScq19W4EH_-HlxgcyalIGIpvlNDPmRHFpsn6vxX7MQ4lv9uIUTqzYKmzDxhM/s1600/bild37.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWtneJnO_xXMwDAJCgYjzOjejnIdyq8Vf9k8fIJE72ffmd-zWskHTexyF_csQ0kr9Fp8ghxroup7x4pdQVScq19W4EH_-HlxgcyalIGIpvlNDPmRHFpsn6vxX7MQ4lv9uIUTqzYKmzDxhM/s320/bild37.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">From above we catched a glimpse of the city of La Paz, built in slopes and cliffs.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvf1XrQPAM9INiJKOUdxMlwMgy_FVr6OW3N1XD01d2hNXDWnQwRy5hAvab8DpyGYk5KFcUJ_m_C7raRxi1XMAk_Ewe51htWXnxXKOz_7ImYQZ9DTZ0adHjg4Ne4o9cQVAuyeu0bmz9lD3W/s1600/bild38.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvf1XrQPAM9INiJKOUdxMlwMgy_FVr6OW3N1XD01d2hNXDWnQwRy5hAvab8DpyGYk5KFcUJ_m_C7raRxi1XMAk_Ewe51htWXnxXKOz_7ImYQZ9DTZ0adHjg4Ne4o9cQVAuyeu0bmz9lD3W/s320/bild38.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">At the end of our tour there was a single trail until the finish line.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMD6VFUgAq6Oy4vQpLkJk-bEb1PbHRxJ8WqXHfdyqtDXYHBq0ex9dd1udVwtMFXhhl0PmmUXiIapL2RRRAs8kdczw3O9m_2uI8lc2DRqdXdmqL714YFwaur_jcw0Mkgp8MNxhcO4yM7HUH/s1600/bild39.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMD6VFUgAq6Oy4vQpLkJk-bEb1PbHRxJ8WqXHfdyqtDXYHBq0ex9dd1udVwtMFXhhl0PmmUXiIapL2RRRAs8kdczw3O9m_2uI8lc2DRqdXdmqL714YFwaur_jcw0Mkgp8MNxhcO4yM7HUH/s320/bild39.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Back on the main road we quickly arrived at the cafe. Although we only rode downhill I was really exhausted. Before the tour I refused a bike with a good suspension offered by Cristian because I didn´t want to do it without my brakes. In the evening my forearm hurt badly.<br />
<br />
On Sunday morning, the day of the big race, we first delivered Elli and Francois to El Alto. After 3 months in La Paz they really wanted to go on. Let´s see for how long I will stay here.<br />
<br />
Cristian took the opportunity to explore the area to discover some new mountain bike tracks.</span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmA9MowMIzQwbN9NnOqIWnMviN-yaAQiYgc6NGEJwzWg3tyPfmXdCCrLs8h_o7QJ2kkcXHSQ8IYdU9Fay4iiO40hGrGMtBqmwRaWgHhdjoEUyL7MA2NLvNMkKG-W-R-Vd90IItnqU9O7k5/s1600/IMG_7309.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmA9MowMIzQwbN9NnOqIWnMviN-yaAQiYgc6NGEJwzWg3tyPfmXdCCrLs8h_o7QJ2kkcXHSQ8IYdU9Fay4iiO40hGrGMtBqmwRaWgHhdjoEUyL7MA2NLvNMkKG-W-R-Vd90IItnqU9O7k5/s320/IMG_7309.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Sometimes I ask myself how someone can live in these slopes and cliffs.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT7PpY9zrxBWsW_jknIs_DloxjIre9xf2zA-4wugfGnIpVnAMP8-uYlVSm06Re0uGTFxL3_ZMBTm3YVuySFxIkOdbRD0LyFQVeHe21KXTh61SG4ngkOk20pzyEwChEK0Jp2NSF6gr4L-p1/s1600/IMG_7314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT7PpY9zrxBWsW_jknIs_DloxjIre9xf2zA-4wugfGnIpVnAMP8-uYlVSm06Re0uGTFxL3_ZMBTm3YVuySFxIkOdbRD0LyFQVeHe21KXTh61SG4ngkOk20pzyEwChEK0Jp2NSF6gr4L-p1/s320/IMG_7314.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">All streets will be washed away by the next landslide.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdjdBMJs6WuzjJ3WfrP5FvXxydCVZMjLyOlcJBQcSq05_YMQYwigp_3bHaOyRx6vEjYaPJIGWFfhMzbY3zHvH-FPtzx9Aoa6_Te9MUJ2oL6D17OSKoaxlrhj0IdNq4NF-vcAly8QTVircn/s1600/IMG_7317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdjdBMJs6WuzjJ3WfrP5FvXxydCVZMjLyOlcJBQcSq05_YMQYwigp_3bHaOyRx6vEjYaPJIGWFfhMzbY3zHvH-FPtzx9Aoa6_Te9MUJ2oL6D17OSKoaxlrhj0IdNq4NF-vcAly8QTVircn/s320/IMG_7317.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">But obviously there are no earthquakes at all.<br />
<br />
And above all the Illimani is enthroned.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlyOTlQGwDbCiz3ozvxGlOpUXOFUXw8vEZZaWMWzM-sXreXACMH2boebxdmyubqXTNvJqq2WMa9WmVBEC9LuNNA07TZig_uVQ40u7ahiKGDf4ljQr2QVFcEp0Ko4Z7vgLrWObCS6qu3rrz/s1600/IMG_7319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlyOTlQGwDbCiz3ozvxGlOpUXOFUXw8vEZZaWMWzM-sXreXACMH2boebxdmyubqXTNvJqq2WMa9WmVBEC9LuNNA07TZig_uVQ40u7ahiKGDf4ljQr2QVFcEp0Ko4Z7vgLrWObCS6qu3rrz/s320/IMG_7319.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Afterwards Cristian drove up the Chacaltaya and I went back to the Café, because Sundays is the busiest day.<br />
<br />
Not until late afternoon I rode with my bike up to El Alto to the finish line to welcome the winners of the downhill race.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXDZ2J7cVXxcUEJKolN79cdDffIh2_f_dyrfwTB5nNAp10Z7-HsTaoig4f3zcgZY6eD4GkY7ZfrubpaxIWN-OTon9KflUA9Rp-cQyg4PwR9Urx7XTdMVgchyphenhyphen_tSMNaOLjZvkDoThEWcO3o/s1600/IMG_7333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXDZ2J7cVXxcUEJKolN79cdDffIh2_f_dyrfwTB5nNAp10Z7-HsTaoig4f3zcgZY6eD4GkY7ZfrubpaxIWN-OTon9KflUA9Rp-cQyg4PwR9Urx7XTdMVgchyphenhyphen_tSMNaOLjZvkDoThEWcO3o/s320/IMG_7333.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The winner was two times faster than us on the previous day. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8NW4VSURARFT9sIdlROYHxdSeGL9aV_RHGR_vT_c4ZpCTZkk6JkvpBah9BaaKe0aXCKG_hfz6XAHjqlwJi2drbFy9z4tNg8ycY2qqNRQTkAD5grLgAc_WHkqSzQzshYfnFDN8cBhoRMMM/s1600/IMG_7336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8NW4VSURARFT9sIdlROYHxdSeGL9aV_RHGR_vT_c4ZpCTZkk6JkvpBah9BaaKe0aXCKG_hfz6XAHjqlwJi2drbFy9z4tNg8ycY2qqNRQTkAD5grLgAc_WHkqSzQzshYfnFDN8cBhoRMMM/s320/IMG_7336.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the beautiful light of dusk I headed down to the café in La Paz </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next week I have spent almost only in the café. For me, it was a fantastic variety. It is rarely so busy that you can no longer talk to the guests. On my recent trip I saw so many places, churches and museums that I found the café more exciting. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Only Cristian and Luisa wanted me to sightsee in La Paz. They took me with them wherever they went. One day I viwwent to a Bossa Nova concert with music that I am not familiar with, but of course, fits much better here in the Bolivian culture. It was then totally fantastic.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Saturday I decided to ride to the ”moon valley, ”Valle de la luna”. I have been there with Luisa before, but I wanted to go back with my bike and a camera. Because I went to the southern part of La Paz anyway because of a students-bike-race I took the opportunity to go there. The southern part of the city is situated 400 m lower than the city centre. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnuu1mMWNuyVLWTRwo7ztG6xhBkJ1tOPApcH-HiMW7kT0IVRfD3TgtWeoLEsG6MQ-Gmt5lQQFQUfbCvffCxUK3kMkK-5HqrEj6ORRAm2MhA3DP0pY99YbLVstW6Q5aUI2muhL531rc9aMK/s1600/IMG_7346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnuu1mMWNuyVLWTRwo7ztG6xhBkJ1tOPApcH-HiMW7kT0IVRfD3TgtWeoLEsG6MQ-Gmt5lQQFQUfbCvffCxUK3kMkK-5HqrEj6ORRAm2MhA3DP0pY99YbLVstW6Q5aUI2muhL531rc9aMK/s320/IMG_7346.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">It was unique again. Every time I am astonished how well riding the bike works after such a long break.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJl1UHEyjUgsHlusK4T4mLpW8SEk8ssZgqAKSC-owJ7GZqSZfRfUJIzLWowE1pAJzCMJSQH5G3sdX2mAJAY54FvnCYRmJ3cYBYafDD3ww1hVu-jeI8lEEpscesCA8wCWMlEIfZYGuNlAeY/s1600/IMG_7348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJl1UHEyjUgsHlusK4T4mLpW8SEk8ssZgqAKSC-owJ7GZqSZfRfUJIzLWowE1pAJzCMJSQH5G3sdX2mAJAY54FvnCYRmJ3cYBYafDD3ww1hVu-jeI8lEEpscesCA8wCWMlEIfZYGuNlAeY/s320/IMG_7348.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Imagine a landscape on the moon only with pointed jags.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnzUd2tvMp9Qr3FhITHxS5S-ZLdi4ukwuwvhn_1B5litVp22ibXiH2ydBsNgMoNNd_BmNu0o9-uVfRsdIOoUNU2eQ7RV7RDhr8F4TFFm5mY6HTeanCCU4mNQdyg8kcSR-COMDewTJhxKc4/s1600/IMG_7350.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnzUd2tvMp9Qr3FhITHxS5S-ZLdi4ukwuwvhn_1B5litVp22ibXiH2ydBsNgMoNNd_BmNu0o9-uVfRsdIOoUNU2eQ7RV7RDhr8F4TFFm5mY6HTeanCCU4mNQdyg8kcSR-COMDewTJhxKc4/s320/IMG_7350.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">It is amazing that plants can survive in such a rugged landscape.</span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ydE4KT1OYbyZZA3SOTbInj43rI4_Q35lh8p18vppicQzoOg6VhaK5u2BfEcMuK6ePEC87N0Wjk2FHGMr6HBxezDqvjNEORSZksOjgezGoaeymtrsyfUJC1YjprnvIjlCrX4jRyluuqgr/s1600/IMG_7355.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ydE4KT1OYbyZZA3SOTbInj43rI4_Q35lh8p18vppicQzoOg6VhaK5u2BfEcMuK6ePEC87N0Wjk2FHGMr6HBxezDqvjNEORSZksOjgezGoaeymtrsyfUJC1YjprnvIjlCrX4jRyluuqgr/s320/IMG_7355.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">When I arrived back to the cafe, I recognized a familiar face. At first I thought it was a guest who had been here before, for now I know a lot of faces. But then he said we met in La Serena, Chile, before. It was immediately clear to me who he was, a bike rider form the UK., and he came as summoned. <br />
<br />
On Monday, I wanted to ride the · Camino de La Morte ¨, the death road, still hoping that someone came along with me. A guided tour was inconsiderable. Almost everyone, whether cyclists or not, makes this tour if he is in La Paz. Peter wanted to ride it too, so we decided to start together on Monday, 19:02.<br />
<br />
On Sunday I was invited back to Caroline, also with many other Germans. Amazing to see how many Germans remained here already. Very understandable. My plan is still to go further, if I receive my credit card.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976028803035012784.post-77686530366847237462010-04-30T17:08:00.000-07:002010-04-30T17:08:33.763-07:00Across the Altiplano to La Paz<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I´m sorry for all Australians but Australia has been outranked from the 2nd rank of the list of my most favourite countries by Bolivia. This country is gorgeous, not easy, but ou are rewarded for every effort.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">At the exit of Uyuni I finally found the first signpost, after I´ve been travelling for 240km in Bolivia.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHZamR4Ya8yBkK4YBn6DLKwz74DFPbZR8FQC5QXmydDvPlM0jCdnUJ0P4Bjf7rwKPOu-UuN-oDQjBDac71MqYfToCmV5Vd4DAUCMb9PugDdPn3M5llyyZyrhhJAPc6R50NDSVn1g9ddPGz/s1600/bild01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHZamR4Ya8yBkK4YBn6DLKwz74DFPbZR8FQC5QXmydDvPlM0jCdnUJ0P4Bjf7rwKPOu-UuN-oDQjBDac71MqYfToCmV5Vd4DAUCMb9PugDdPn3M5llyyZyrhhJAPc6R50NDSVn1g9ddPGz/s320/bild01.JPG" /></a><br />
<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But only after I´ve been on the correct road and no trace of a junction. Lucky that my GPS is still working.<br />
<br />
There has been much traffic on the first 20km to Colchani, mainly 4WD occupied<br />
with tourists, who all headed to the Salt Lakes. After all I was by myself again. On my own I fought my way through the sand and over the corrugations. The landscape around became more and more prettier and greener. It was really nice to see some flowers at the side of the road after such a long time.<br />
Dark clouds were appaering, there was a thunderstorm in the distance, it was<br />
raining lightly and I was glad not to be on the Salar at this time. The<br />
Altiplano in this area is in fact Alti (high), but not plano (flat). Some hills<br />
had to be climbed, not high, but you really have to breath hard in this<br />
altitude.<br />
<br />
<br />
And there are hardly any bridges...<br />
<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimWJyd_NbdW3Cw3QDxHzBoD5EcoFa00xJiDhoxWdXpFZ6RAl3hVhoZaGLnyYtqCv22nvKkxKCT5_TLqzvMbiMUywf5nyrI8zQSOao0z0ebgDKJKCqXs8OaYvqxW_hTvhgsVWJ04zI4alGc/s1600/bild02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimWJyd_NbdW3Cw3QDxHzBoD5EcoFa00xJiDhoxWdXpFZ6RAl3hVhoZaGLnyYtqCv22nvKkxKCT5_TLqzvMbiMUywf5nyrI8zQSOao0z0ebgDKJKCqXs8OaYvqxW_hTvhgsVWJ04zI4alGc/s320/bild02.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Similar to Australia I just crossed them with my boots on. Unfortunatelly it was<br />
not such a good idea here. It was Saltwater and it was very cold, no chance for<br />
my shoes and socks to dry. After a while it became much to cold for pushing<br />
further.<br />
<br />
Beside the road there are sometimes some clay-huts, and Quinoa-farmers and<br />
Alpaca-breeder used to live in there<br />
<br />
<div><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju_GmdRXyHo2K5mOAv3JSUtUqRBxZCgpH_3CLx6LCYZzYWoJtFDFwpdS5kPXhtti816gEx81O53Vl2zYXzySPMxsPwnbz0YpFgekaqqD9FtvP6x-CQsEdYLW9RwCWWZatHoA_SDLiDvrt2/s1600/bild03.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju_GmdRXyHo2K5mOAv3JSUtUqRBxZCgpH_3CLx6LCYZzYWoJtFDFwpdS5kPXhtti816gEx81O53Vl2zYXzySPMxsPwnbz0YpFgekaqqD9FtvP6x-CQsEdYLW9RwCWWZatHoA_SDLiDvrt2/s320/bild03.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One of them allowed me to camp on his grounds which was sheltered by the winds.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggUD8o9DutQFCN6EFpcBMY9xMZdDpAtLEXnVOb6evQMlUG43hmmbmauGgKZF5XcqeI0uaIzERFScxlvxG73AiBt0NTn2R53fkuqil29sSb466_Hra4PG8yLqJno-ByVfBnml4xMKjUPWvU/s1600/bild05.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggUD8o9DutQFCN6EFpcBMY9xMZdDpAtLEXnVOb6evQMlUG43hmmbmauGgKZF5XcqeI0uaIzERFScxlvxG73AiBt0NTn2R53fkuqil29sSb466_Hra4PG8yLqJno-ByVfBnml4xMKjUPWvU/s320/bild05.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The older people as well as the oldest son obervered me out of the dark of the hut, but the two little girls braver and spied over the wall from time to time.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw5sPwhQKHkBwnHveLBw8-Nzo4bZhu7g2XYNTy1Y5k3J3a51M_EqgqLJC9qqWGtsa5vof-5Lvi4GW1gAWPUmQ9ur8A9S5uBLER9BTdd5ybyOwCRuskm4NhgtTq9vSdkNAkbuSjj-TDyWvQ/s1600/bild04.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw5sPwhQKHkBwnHveLBw8-Nzo4bZhu7g2XYNTy1Y5k3J3a51M_EqgqLJC9qqWGtsa5vof-5Lvi4GW1gAWPUmQ9ur8A9S5uBLER9BTdd5ybyOwCRuskm4NhgtTq9vSdkNAkbuSjj-TDyWvQ/s320/bild04.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But again it was so cold that I had to retreat into my tent.<br />
<br />
In the next morning everybody was up early, so there was no alternative to get up early as well. It was the first time since arriving in South America that I found my tent wet, it is definitely a different climatic zone.<br />
<br />
It´s very confusing that they have different names for places, obviously Spanish<br />
and Quechua, the aboriginal language. In reality there are more settlements than marked on my map, so I never know exactly where I am. I always have to inquire with the locals, and sometimes I found a coincidence between the information I got and my map. But the most important thing is that there are settlements at all to get food and drink.<br />
<br />
<br />
And suddenly a lake appeared in front of me. I heard it before that there must be some flamingos at the salt lakes, but I´ve never seen some before.<br />
<br />
<div><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLIN9ctk5cxh42R2FZF1C-ULsfgZYQ8cVsWFBbgdLEZVo56LqiMPidJNNGAJIr7EpymXrs-wHSzcgrwGdbsTU-5BhHlUBTP71LIpny5ddxUYA6k5aLmWqiyWVTBZnSMo3HBZiWDqsdOWmD/s1600/bild07.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLIN9ctk5cxh42R2FZF1C-ULsfgZYQ8cVsWFBbgdLEZVo56LqiMPidJNNGAJIr7EpymXrs-wHSzcgrwGdbsTU-5BhHlUBTP71LIpny5ddxUYA6k5aLmWqiyWVTBZnSMo3HBZiWDqsdOWmD/s320/bild07.JPG" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And here they are, by lucky chance. Further on I went, passing along Quinoa-fields.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbvJ3VxLhyphenhyphenlMuflssascNWl6xCYVzHVOdEbLWfrUUHml3UJ_SFKhNh3iZAL6-cedX9uNvIbe9KtSwe4DvwrZ4JLdwRJoHJK_k9XsQtMBgzFUx_ywqzWyVXL-s6vQF1dH0LNRr7XI5U0bP_/s1600/bild09.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbvJ3VxLhyphenhyphenlMuflssascNWl6xCYVzHVOdEbLWfrUUHml3UJ_SFKhNh3iZAL6-cedX9uNvIbe9KtSwe4DvwrZ4JLdwRJoHJK_k9XsQtMBgzFUx_ywqzWyVXL-s6vQF1dH0LNRr7XI5U0bP_/s320/bild09.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
Depending on their grade of ripeness they have a different colour. From the seedlings to the harvest, it´s all manual-work.<br />
<br />
I had to cross another river before I reached Sevaruy. There was a railway bridge, but I didn´t dare crossing it because the tracks were dangling in midair. I thought that it might be better to cross the river through the water instead of falling down with the heavy bike from above. But I made the mistake to cross it at the most shallow part, because I sank ankle deep into the deep sand. I really had to struggle to get my bike out of there.<br />
<br />
Two Bolivian women who were sitting on the river banks didn´t seem to notice me.<br />
But after a while they obviously felt sorry with me and were shouting ”camino” and pointed more to the right side, where the water was deeper. Obviously the ford was there. After I reached it and I made my way to the other side of the river. I was totally exhausted . I still had not got used to the altitude.<br />
<br />
The track that was laying ahead wasn´t easy at all. So I just stopped in the next small village. I asked a young women if I was allowed to put up my tent in the windshade of a wall. That wasn´t a problem at all, I even got a bucket of water.<br />
<br />
Only preparing a meal, putting up the tent and ejoying the evening light. I couldn´t do much more than this any more.<br />
<br />
<div><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
<div><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib9J7_awPkn4ZoY-5ez-zsZJQsmWtHn_psHkwQIAnIY_JZVVYttFXeHUyeo5v9bdHMbmRsoynhO4CXbIay3Wao7CD0Ih4RdagXQPY4F01y25e3kqKLwLu6BID2W0mLJxxk87B5YUP6a9Db/s1600/bild10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib9J7_awPkn4ZoY-5ez-zsZJQsmWtHn_psHkwQIAnIY_JZVVYttFXeHUyeo5v9bdHMbmRsoynhO4CXbIay3Wao7CD0Ih4RdagXQPY4F01y25e3kqKLwLu6BID2W0mLJxxk87B5YUP6a9Db/s320/bild10.JPG" /> </a></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">During the night it rained, and it wasn´t that cold, but I remembered the mountains sourrounding me the evening before hadn´t been so white.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I had to proceed on really awful roads.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe4Jb6WTGzRPc8fBj_KwPs48d6JFhaSIxUE5_0il1qGOkOARPwLOyftMtA1BmzS6HLAj0Dil7OQ-71NZZuTSjDqSbquyzZl6Yqqjboi0ExEu-5e6obFxIFwVmKKzZuNFGQQuQ0JDyKLZKB/s1600/bild11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe4Jb6WTGzRPc8fBj_KwPs48d6JFhaSIxUE5_0il1qGOkOARPwLOyftMtA1BmzS6HLAj0Dil7OQ-71NZZuTSjDqSbquyzZl6Yqqjboi0ExEu-5e6obFxIFwVmKKzZuNFGQQuQ0JDyKLZKB/s320/bild11.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But I knew beforehand that this would finally come to an end. And very luckily was that the end came earlier than expected. After 570km of Gravel-, Sand- and Saltroads and Tracks finally something like tarmac.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIMNMNSnFU67ZS4gnFBpkRRdF5X1kqNzBmdSUfZDP22pQ2tjw2QgKyVM4ptTubFsikkPZp_htOHZ956I67f1jWz4cndSdk3cKZNfO_vIOnKE7W9wKnUWubxHSTRgWViUT8mRT1Fe0Yb8Bt/s1600/bild12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIMNMNSnFU67ZS4gnFBpkRRdF5X1kqNzBmdSUfZDP22pQ2tjw2QgKyVM4ptTubFsikkPZp_htOHZ956I67f1jWz4cndSdk3cKZNfO_vIOnKE7W9wKnUWubxHSTRgWViUT8mRT1Fe0Yb8Bt/s320/bild12.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
Normally the road wasn´t open for regular traffic, from time to time I had to detour some sand hills, but I had the road on my own. Thanks to all roadworkers for this glorious task.<br />
<br />
<br />
Here on the Altiplano the altitude variies between 3600 and 3900 m. If the sun is shining, it´s alright. But if the sun disappears, it gets really really cold. And usually the sun disappears every evening ;). On this special day the sun kept on hiding behind the clouds. In the market hall of Huari, the town itself being famous for it´s beer, I could warm me up with a hot Quinoa-soup.<br />
<div><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOYbNGEALR4dzyvp2zOSynO8xGEjrW-hMkCEDP4YGucqzi2f5zlSDsIjHRWuzuz5emG5RQrCufpL1ZAOd1OqWlh4zOHTofFxQK23i9ZpcOdLSwK9wh0v5xG6EosnrArBCfN_-R1cVmYKmf/s1600/bild13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOYbNGEALR4dzyvp2zOSynO8xGEjrW-hMkCEDP4YGucqzi2f5zlSDsIjHRWuzuz5emG5RQrCufpL1ZAOd1OqWlh4zOHTofFxQK23i9ZpcOdLSwK9wh0v5xG6EosnrArBCfN_-R1cVmYKmf/s320/bild13.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The snow-covered Mouantains surrounded me the whole day, a fabulous scenery.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3BMnbkEQe-Bl6WnZu4NcZ872sGA8gciI9bTa6vxA3u1nyNoHTLCk3TyQLYQbUb6_1CUpG2nrrS9TwUUQ8kPtF8b1Z2AU06zDOW_g-84a6ao6lmMUktCSXY4sUFAsl8JeGgJC2EPtZU2t4/s1600/bild14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3BMnbkEQe-Bl6WnZu4NcZ872sGA8gciI9bTa6vxA3u1nyNoHTLCk3TyQLYQbUb6_1CUpG2nrrS9TwUUQ8kPtF8b1Z2AU06zDOW_g-84a6ao6lmMUktCSXY4sUFAsl8JeGgJC2EPtZU2t4/s320/bild14.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
Some time I couldn´t see it any more. Dark clouds rose up accompanied by a thunderstrom and a headwind. It just started to rain heavily when I arrived in Pazna. The houses over here do not have roofed verandahs, but you only recognize that if you desperatly search for a place to find shelter from the rain. The only place I found was the entrance to the policestation. Some people were already sitting and standing there and one market women offered me her stool to take a seat. <br />
When it stopped raining it still was very cold and the headwind hadn´t deased either. Why bothering to continue on such an afternoon when the next morning is to be expected wonderful? So I asked the policemen if they could recommend me a room or a campingspot to stay. I wasn´t actually keen on camping. At first they said there is nothing in this village, but after a while they led me to house. I couldn´t see any sign that indicated that they had accomodation like a hotel, pensione or residenzia, like you call these down here. A giant Coca-Cola sign could have been a sign for the restaurant in there. In the backyard they had some small rooms crammed with beds, which usually were used to accomodate workers. The toilet was situated in the backyard, no showers but I had plenty of water above me the whole day anyway.<br />
<br />
I payed only 15 bolivianos, 1,5 Euro. I had a warm and cosy place, I was very content.<br />
<br />
<br />
On the next mmorning the weather really cleared up and the sun was shining.<br />
<br />
<div><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTad-zOqM6JU6m7MruvGmH4H0f7wSq4vx0WAeqUu3ZMEZspRNOKA60F5E_IjHvKV94Gc-ZH_6Lx5ozOmMej18BCPeJOHZ66yYozCwntWm-4PzbaoFumHD5SkD_7hyphenhyphenH9Stm_nE204fUeh62/s1600/bild15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTad-zOqM6JU6m7MruvGmH4H0f7wSq4vx0WAeqUu3ZMEZspRNOKA60F5E_IjHvKV94Gc-ZH_6Lx5ozOmMej18BCPeJOHZ66yYozCwntWm-4PzbaoFumHD5SkD_7hyphenhyphenH9Stm_nE204fUeh62/s320/bild15.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
It´s quite nice to see some flowers growing beside the road.<br />
<br />
With a tailwind I could easily cope with the hills on roads with bitumen. It really felt good to use the higher gears and notice that they still were working. They webadly neglected during the last days.<br />
<br />
Because I have problems with my lips for a couple of days I only ride strongly disguised.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDfmw5HC-RN0E3_s4YPnlbq0wyv-GqV47UN4eMSCbBRQVwbWBlQO9Nlqhr4k7_Ii3Szv5Ll9pa01z_sO9VXJHgovcBkFl8FpdPLTFIqaqYqAYJSWu8iorCMaxS01IJWaAoQ9CjQyQjzVqe/s1600/bild16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDfmw5HC-RN0E3_s4YPnlbq0wyv-GqV47UN4eMSCbBRQVwbWBlQO9Nlqhr4k7_Ii3Szv5Ll9pa01z_sO9VXJHgovcBkFl8FpdPLTFIqaqYqAYJSWu8iorCMaxS01IJWaAoQ9CjQyQjzVqe/s320/bild16.JPG" /></a> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The wind and the sun produce blisters, and I can´t cure it with. Lip-protectant. Very unpleasant if the lips stick together during the night and tear open if you have to yawn. Very annoying, so I prefer riding disgiused. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After a quick ride I arrived at my first larger Bolivian town, Oruro. Very irritating to have to deal with so many roads without proper signposts. Actually I just wanted to download my e-mails and off we go, but I received a mail from my bank to call them. So I had to find a place to make this call, they didn´t have Skype, neither Wifi. When I finally managed it I only caught the answering machine: ”You´ve called us out of business hours, please try again later.” </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Because I knew that it was very importnat to call them back I took a room, because the next opportunity to call them would have been La Paz. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the early morning I was already sitting in front of a hamburger restaurant (no, not Mac Do) with Wifi. The restaurant was closed but the server was switched on, how handy. So I could contact my bank and I experienced that they didn´t even started to issue my new credit card not to mention sent it o La Paz. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was Easter holiday and we know how much work there is be done during these days. I quickly realized that I faced a longer stay in La Paz.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After asking my way through every crossing and every roundabout in direction of</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">La Paz I was very glad to be out of Oruro again.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Once again after a couple of 100m on an arterial road I discovered a signpost</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">indicating ”230 km to La Paz” . Not very helpful for general direction-decisions</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">but good to know to be on the right way and very comforting.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBjqbi84P_y3-9OQF5RV7QjD_lJ3ZMDASML1r92U6rG2Nud4Zs9DrKnBZ5pjLr5p0eRC1Q6bLEgE35u3eWsqep57Ze_fhcVjOPhIzdSnZCeZKhIl3Al0p04FIxceQCZyInlvos_uh-35S/s1600/bild17.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBjqbi84P_y3-9OQF5RV7QjD_lJ3ZMDASML1r92U6rG2Nud4Zs9DrKnBZ5pjLr5p0eRC1Q6bLEgE35u3eWsqep57Ze_fhcVjOPhIzdSnZCeZKhIl3Al0p04FIxceQCZyInlvos_uh-35S/s320/bild17.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Passing beautiful lakes and mountains this stunning scenery helped me to calm down and not before long I forgot all this trouble with my bank. I decided to make the best out of my forced stay in La Paz.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5MvnwjOXUrhlrFbRMmSdPl1yb4B1TkwNs5WDTuZ7OpOFhJYEBzdFbhpilCJHuLNJ58mOTGUgmASVQ8oQqhGu6yaghG7kx2U1WXVvSwZMK_dujZS1NATz7-f_PWnCUSK6onRagKpFJYx0W/s1600/bild18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5MvnwjOXUrhlrFbRMmSdPl1yb4B1TkwNs5WDTuZ7OpOFhJYEBzdFbhpilCJHuLNJ58mOTGUgmASVQ8oQqhGu6yaghG7kx2U1WXVvSwZMK_dujZS1NATz7-f_PWnCUSK6onRagKpFJYx0W/s320/bild18.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
The light in the dusk was getting more and more beautiful and before arriving in La Paz I absolutely wanted to spent the night outdoors in my tent surrounded by this beautiful landscape. It got very cold and for the first time I discoverd hoarfrost on my tent in the morning. Not very motivating to get up. Because I didn´t know if I would reach La Paz in one day I just relaxed until it got too busy around me. <br />
<br />
<br />
The sun rose quickly because the mountains were in quite a distance and soon it became warm. After having breakfast my tent nearly dried up. <br />
<br />
I Patacamaya I saw a giant queue of people with their big yellow-orange gasbottles, similar I've seen in Oruro. The more furtunate had a little handkart, the less fortunate had to carry them. An older women carried her gasbottles on her back in a cloth. Nearly everything is transported in this manner, of course also infants.<br />
<br />
Sometimes it was very hard to find a restroom. I saw some signposts with ”public toilets” on but these places never looked really inviting. Because of the lack of appropriate shrubs the alternative for human matters are old, crumbled walls. If you find such a place you soon realize that hundreds of people had the same idea before you. Maybe someone would contribute to the developement of Bolivia to put up enough restrooms and enough possibilities to dispose nappies. It´s really unbelievable to see how many of them are lying offroad.<br />
<br />
And not only in Bolivia, in nearly every remote region you´ll find them beside the road because many parents want to get rid of the smelly ballast as soon as possible.<br />
But if the whole things ends up with these kids wading in nappies in the future, someone has this to make clear to the nowadays-parents. <br />
But still you can overlook all the rubbish and enjoy this beautiful countrie. <br />
<br />
In spite of all the hills I quickly arrived in El Alto, a ”suburb” of La Paz, and here you´ll also find the worlds highest airport in 4100 m altitude. There are also some bikeshops along the road.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Yv13vqWyiY4FKRzGiFof9krN24B2dzqFbAAri23goEBYszmuK8uaNwYVujdDTot_Az8JSZEJXQtorA9E8EZQLN27G1M3jXIxFuHiGmy4vaIhgON20hnz0kBBA6FTJ9rlV2mTvYYhONbS/s1600/bild19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Yv13vqWyiY4FKRzGiFof9krN24B2dzqFbAAri23goEBYszmuK8uaNwYVujdDTot_Az8JSZEJXQtorA9E8EZQLN27G1M3jXIxFuHiGmy4vaIhgON20hnz0kBBA6FTJ9rlV2mTvYYhONbS/s320/bild19.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">La Paz lies a fair bit lower. Sometimes you could get a glimpse of it between all the blocks of houses.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRsYmOknnuj6CnFW7tYEGHXZwG2NDtSxtLPISG6tAJQAYqkgMMXY-U1T0tmRMynDct8GcQs9l6ug1Z2iVNNeuhH3jq3L9m7fkF8xdFzIwv1AYyH0hU9MpNk1Ldt_XIF6ddRY-auC66eKrc/s1600/bild21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRsYmOknnuj6CnFW7tYEGHXZwG2NDtSxtLPISG6tAJQAYqkgMMXY-U1T0tmRMynDct8GcQs9l6ug1Z2iVNNeuhH3jq3L9m7fkF8xdFzIwv1AYyH0hU9MpNk1Ldt_XIF6ddRY-auC66eKrc/s320/bild21.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">First to Aquacalle, which looks like a luxurious recreation area with lakes and boats. Though there didn´t exist a direct route from La Paz to there, too many ridges were in between.</div></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A little bit further down I had a beautiful view of La Paz. I have seen many lookouts so far, but this view exceeded everything. Absolutely stunning to see how this city is build between mountains and rocks.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaKtakSHC3sTIrBMA8f6TIf1zoJKSVcndJ90RqNSGjOFwv_cQ3tZQ9ZXXmeHwuVtN24n5NHlpDs9M2e-VnY8ziQJMviW1gG9eOLSqgWBGACPPEmgPkJ_NLDHTZZipPO1x1DuQVfGR6YH84/s1600/bild22.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaKtakSHC3sTIrBMA8f6TIf1zoJKSVcndJ90RqNSGjOFwv_cQ3tZQ9ZXXmeHwuVtN24n5NHlpDs9M2e-VnY8ziQJMviW1gG9eOLSqgWBGACPPEmgPkJ_NLDHTZZipPO1x1DuQVfGR6YH84/s320/bild22.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A steep and nearly infinite seeming stairway led down. Also here all the women were heavily laden. I used the Autostrada.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBLwJr3KcdXMZ-UW9it8eflaQFU-C0nZheQ11PeBlG0QsPHnUAIxHPGt2YwxUQ2qZL8fZryH1t-zmav9fjIcU5aGSJ0bl_z8AiOuOacT63awU2E_eJ2mE_f8vHMa2YMGSekHgGQO1lRJi9/s1600/bild23.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBLwJr3KcdXMZ-UW9it8eflaQFU-C0nZheQ11PeBlG0QsPHnUAIxHPGt2YwxUQ2qZL8fZryH1t-zmav9fjIcU5aGSJ0bl_z8AiOuOacT63awU2E_eJ2mE_f8vHMa2YMGSekHgGQO1lRJi9/s320/bild23.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After admiring the countryside from above a viewing platfrom, with a wonderful view od Huayna Potosi, I raced down 500m to 3600m of altitude nearly crashing into a ood-friday-procession.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeXGCzKp_nPo0BfAmP4JtEM30Cv-Nr9ouHX6FwmTFYQzG36JkpcX_QqiBMkGlbmF10aOcNI2zjxVOOWOlhKoBVrfjN9KQrkmzycidCYWPR2sAOBCpKYSf4Kh3ubiDys2YbssnadbAZ6KpJ/s1600/bild24.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeXGCzKp_nPo0BfAmP4JtEM30Cv-Nr9ouHX6FwmTFYQzG36JkpcX_QqiBMkGlbmF10aOcNI2zjxVOOWOlhKoBVrfjN9KQrkmzycidCYWPR2sAOBCpKYSf4Kh3ubiDys2YbssnadbAZ6KpJ/s320/bild24.JPG" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The further course of the road was closed for car-traffic, but I was allowed to proceed. This circumstance made my arrival easier and I quickly found the Chuquiako Bike Cafe, where Luisa and Cristian were already awaiting me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk_HhJy4DBVSZYbeeB2-olJe20NNAKY8wJLcTQTFC-tRA9TKLrgKRxYDzOqeOeJ7jl_397rq3rPZgUB1PVLFFavKvBfKUErejEQKvR5Opz4LXAkKR0bNY7L2aMi0cjVVqpe9dsgQVm0JF5/s1600/bild25.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk_HhJy4DBVSZYbeeB2-olJe20NNAKY8wJLcTQTFC-tRA9TKLrgKRxYDzOqeOeJ7jl_397rq3rPZgUB1PVLFFavKvBfKUErejEQKvR5Opz4LXAkKR0bNY7L2aMi0cjVVqpe9dsgQVm0JF5/s320/bild25.JPG" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I´m now living here and helping out in the Cafe, it never get´s boring, I meet many bike-travellers, even some from Bolivia, and many Germans as well. About 80% of all travellers are between 20 and 30 years old.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The cafe is situated directly in the city centre, embedded in all those coloured jumpers and cloth. It´s a good place to be until my longdesired creditcard arrives.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjGE5X91cy_mVqNoXtrWPKQGywcZ6G_bKlJzkjqX3WrRHBz0M1UdrW464lGSHF0VV476phiRsrZD20ovNyHtZfRYECEytqAcMLrC-ca-uva8Xg4-eos_lLeQFrbmOa3aUVQDKq3jKI-5Mx/s1600/bild26.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjGE5X91cy_mVqNoXtrWPKQGywcZ6G_bKlJzkjqX3WrRHBz0M1UdrW464lGSHF0VV476phiRsrZD20ovNyHtZfRYECEytqAcMLrC-ca-uva8Xg4-eos_lLeQFrbmOa3aUVQDKq3jKI-5Mx/s320/bild26.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976028803035012784.post-38531873172174292872010-04-05T18:42:00.000-07:002010-04-05T18:42:21.013-07:00From Melbourne into the Snowy Mountains<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I don’t know what it is but when I came back again to Melbourne from Tasmania, I thought once again that I like this town immensely. Most likely it’s because I know it really well and could go straight away along the cycle track at the Yarra river to my friends.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">However this time I didn’t want to stay long and so came on Sunday morning for enough time to take care of things. After a barbecue with friends in the evening I had replenished my calorie reserves again. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A glance at the times when the ferry went to Philip Island was enough, I had plenty of time still as the next one went at 5pm. I set off after 12 accompanied by Sue and Paul who showed me the side streets out of Melbourne again. Then another goodbye - somehow, somewhere we will ride bicycles together again.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For me there was quite a bit more further to go in the headwind to the ferry, and I just made it.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On the island you arrive at Cowes which is a real tourist spot so nothing for it but to leave. Although I rarely have the intention to spend the night there I always ask at caravan sites how much a place for a tent costs and make my disapproval clear that I and my bicycle alone should pay as much as 3 people with car and caravan.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Nevertheless this time the managers were nice and I went as far as to ask if you couldn’t overnight for free somewhere on the island. As it was high season already the Rangers have a lot of work to do, the control everything but apparently not Monday evenings so once again I was lucky.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I found one of the most beautiful places that I had ever camped in, right on the coast.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINg19LZKQzTy0iAq6uDwOClTz4B_9J7-opnauGj-E3XfJqhyCtQgQNMO2pNaHF_Siovd33nMDp83-g2et-gI6w2VAbJ7DN9zlF_JNKksZA7F429R_28ljALVWtYEByQ7uO2E7H_1R7dE_/s1600-h/BILD01-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINg19LZKQzTy0iAq6uDwOClTz4B_9J7-opnauGj-E3XfJqhyCtQgQNMO2pNaHF_Siovd33nMDp83-g2et-gI6w2VAbJ7DN9zlF_JNKksZA7F429R_28ljALVWtYEByQ7uO2E7H_1R7dE_/s320/BILD01-1.JPG" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Only one footpath went there, so there was nothing to be afraid of, that someone would pass by, nor a Ranger.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Of course it wasn’t totally quiet as the surf didn’t rest overnight, but somehow it made you sleepy.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The next morning I packed up quickly before a Ranger discovered me or the first hiker stumbled over my tent. Apart from the holes in the ground made by the tent pegs there were no traces left behind.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On the other side a bridge goes down from the island. A Railtrail starts a couple of kilometres further on. At the beginning it is still very entertaining direct on the coast.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMQomja9DiljbPN8dDves7ulK5TSdWxxTWwDxfTM3bvgW9ro0FebzM2B_9lGmkbb39Vd8bAQYCfEEvfuFTJbU9dZdjmtv9jkSUdeW1WvIxI-BPykKLcenfkAo-w5XQTWSbKdbCVWKhXINw/s1600-h/BILD02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMQomja9DiljbPN8dDves7ulK5TSdWxxTWwDxfTM3bvgW9ro0FebzM2B_9lGmkbb39Vd8bAQYCfEEvfuFTJbU9dZdjmtv9jkSUdeW1WvIxI-BPykKLcenfkAo-w5XQTWSbKdbCVWKhXINw/s320/BILD02.JPG" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As I was really tired, the last night was really short, I wanted a camping site where I could sleep for longer in the morning. So I turned off towards Walkersville. It was steep for 2 km through Cape Liptop Park down to the sea. The little site was really idyllically situated, half in the bush, half on the beach, not one of those huge Holiday Parks. The joy was immediately dulled as I learnt the price for a night, 25$. I must have been well observed, how I nearly had tears in my eyes as the nice young man understood quickly and thought for me 10$ as he used to go by bike a lot. Isn’t that nice? I would have been happy with half the price but I naturally liked to pay the 10$ even more.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">From Walkersville it wasn’t far to Wilsons Promotory any more. Six years ago I didn’t have the time to take this diversion but since then had always heard how beautiful it must be that I absolutely had to go there this time. Once again it was mercilessly hot and the National Park had many high mountains. Didn’t matter, I wasn’t in a hurry and the beauty of the park was quite noticeable.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3DBb7ZelIp28AuO5POyFv48uZhT2zPR9NlBX4ZTEyluSsoTcLoAvd8bBoj3RWXk0xsu9XfcDanQHZqxUBPGYnIONTgorXmImp6dkrqYAcjsC8_0JVLYDB5lNmVfGlcEmu81HJd1ADFujO/s1600-h/BILD03.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3DBb7ZelIp28AuO5POyFv48uZhT2zPR9NlBX4ZTEyluSsoTcLoAvd8bBoj3RWXk0xsu9XfcDanQHZqxUBPGYnIONTgorXmImp6dkrqYAcjsC8_0JVLYDB5lNmVfGlcEmu81HJd1ADFujO/s320/BILD03.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">High cliffs, beautiful bays, thick woods and white beaches, the exertions were definitely worth it. First set up the tent quickly. Wash clothes and then go right away to one of the most beautiful beaches that I seen in Australia up until then, Squeazy Beach. The path went through eucalyptus woods up the mountain with a view of the mouth of the Tidal River in the sea. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2cMJWH6Ad71i1DAzqLh7mLLevjMkkNKbMK_Y2HF3Ueh1206xHe0hxWQQawxEHQooy8bPT6KFJS4sk7UTGDcuvcZo5CgMpvMizkDuESI8AIhR1d6QRLQXgYqg-YuqG1t5MEH-LLuyXLIE/s1600-h/BILD04.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2cMJWH6Ad71i1DAzqLh7mLLevjMkkNKbMK_Y2HF3Ueh1206xHe0hxWQQawxEHQooy8bPT6KFJS4sk7UTGDcuvcZo5CgMpvMizkDuESI8AIhR1d6QRLQXgYqg-YuqG1t5MEH-LLuyXLIE/s320/BILD04.JPG" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Then the beach, white sand, turquoise blue water, red cliffs</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipXXirsu5vFpK1IjZzrdsfn6ie5LeXZNB6PIPv44EUjbUCJ6CTrByHrc-rDS9mJ5LqLBSNON97Qlw1YadyOU2MwkM7jv-7nSH99W4lnrWxBZmOi9l0kXIh08D6_dvIfvmI-YTBpL94mjHp/s1600-h/BILD05.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipXXirsu5vFpK1IjZzrdsfn6ie5LeXZNB6PIPv44EUjbUCJ6CTrByHrc-rDS9mJ5LqLBSNON97Qlw1YadyOU2MwkM7jv-7nSH99W4lnrWxBZmOi9l0kXIh08D6_dvIfvmI-YTBpL94mjHp/s320/BILD05.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">The water was too cold for swimming but excellent for cooling off after the trip in 40 degrees.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">Very picturesque area, was really worth coming here.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5xFGF0bRSTfVS5gFXfqJaQf69Dm327F4sKV96Unt4uFE3C_abkYBwA2WBUPScKT8OAfWwthPHImY0ZRcw6Wf9_Zo4mTot_sEHI2rkdiVsk9PFr_n9RJRT30dd2jXOA8pw33BQkmHrL7-3/s1600-h/BILD06.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5xFGF0bRSTfVS5gFXfqJaQf69Dm327F4sKV96Unt4uFE3C_abkYBwA2WBUPScKT8OAfWwthPHImY0ZRcw6Wf9_Zo4mTot_sEHI2rkdiVsk9PFr_n9RJRT30dd2jXOA8pw33BQkmHrL7-3/s320/BILD06.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">There are not only countless sea-gulls here but also many parrots that actually can become a real annoyance</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKiaNnmOCmXh8rNiHGTE2O8GCTHnCsE393ccspTSDBuIhq5AEUdWs3Cxd9O5WaqCnG2NGM6o7n0CasohANAH11XehCAnHLf0uGOA0sewW4VpHU3neqwB_mDDAvwHeVlTFakUpOximHz5Ky/s1600-h/BILD07.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKiaNnmOCmXh8rNiHGTE2O8GCTHnCsE393ccspTSDBuIhq5AEUdWs3Cxd9O5WaqCnG2NGM6o7n0CasohANAH11XehCAnHLf0uGOA0sewW4VpHU3neqwB_mDDAvwHeVlTFakUpOximHz5Ky/s320/BILD07.JPG" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">as they are fed by the tourists they come to think that the get whatever they want by themselves.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On my walk the next morning to another bay</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi27u5t7Ht6a-wiId8qwS9Emh58Ltp3VugJ8GJWKOHKcrzH1AVJRysBxf5m0ofVAqAWX8Dcjds16PpdzzY_6t8wtx_ouPmjRnJ5jqNNLqOzE0jRYUYo24FxIPfE60oC_rH4fKq-0s_bWu_3/s1600-h/BILD08.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi27u5t7Ht6a-wiId8qwS9Emh58Ltp3VugJ8GJWKOHKcrzH1AVJRysBxf5m0ofVAqAWX8Dcjds16PpdzzY_6t8wtx_ouPmjRnJ5jqNNLqOzE0jRYUYo24FxIPfE60oC_rH4fKq-0s_bWu_3/s320/BILD08.JPG" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">I saw two snakes. Probably once again I came trampling there so that they disappeared into the bushes again.The park is certainly very beautiful but there were too many people for me there although it wasn’t full by a long way. After the weather got worse and it began to rain I didn’t hold on any more and went on my way again. I came totally soaked out of the park to a free rest area. A young Pole offered to take my cloths and, above all, shoes into his car overnight to dry off. Very nice. The next morning I got the things back, not completely dry admittedly, for which there was a really good coffee delivered right to the tent. How can a day begin better?</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">By then the rain and storm had stopped and I could further over the Strzelecki Ranges to the Tarra Bulga National Park, a stretch that I already did last time, that this time I wanted to do again. Finally dirt road again on the Grand Ridge road.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitc-iA57zcGB3IFOghWtY_vTbIloLj_NDjreHuOQJsf0sz4MMZ2we3_UXjDrU0TuwR5beUjiITN2jImNVf1IUbrC53jIMX7AnoarIdyZUFQxl8yzsTp22SpqBXilNv9qWZ4dSH6Jfrvfyf/s1600-h/BILD09.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitc-iA57zcGB3IFOghWtY_vTbIloLj_NDjreHuOQJsf0sz4MMZ2we3_UXjDrU0TuwR5beUjiITN2jImNVf1IUbrC53jIMX7AnoarIdyZUFQxl8yzsTp22SpqBXilNv9qWZ4dSH6Jfrvfyf/s320/BILD09.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">It is astonishing what out of the way places you find even in thickly populated South East Australia as soon as you are away from the coast.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">The eucalyptus trees peeled themselves like bananas.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZk72hJuh93lzVchblVVDJoRziQ9SUZ6jP5LOFECEnE25_JDE0JxRGFDTvJraGE4mDRMKjB0Q-SWIYsdGSYwdDzxJ_DvxxDsm5NK_w4fxbs5jY4QnS0bESCFlsVjUhuXFEQHh_ssHOpwH9/s1600-h/BILD10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZk72hJuh93lzVchblVVDJoRziQ9SUZ6jP5LOFECEnE25_JDE0JxRGFDTvJraGE4mDRMKjB0Q-SWIYsdGSYwdDzxJ_DvxxDsm5NK_w4fxbs5jY4QnS0bESCFlsVjUhuXFEQHh_ssHOpwH9/s320/BILD10.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">It smelt fantastic here after the rain. With the eucalyptus steam no-one can spread a cold.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">It went ever thicker through the rain forest</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7J0c2sJMdgvpejtdYDyHWC4cPcVQ8yo4oDhPHLUiFpFW0Mw0xC5U-dGrSC7YPif3BpAqbzmS6eHM8sziWHjowFjOrFzWuPJ8mF0V8vod-9dg5jzGRxBUYZUou_bDGoGMTaujaL3Q14Mqw/s1600-h/BILD11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7J0c2sJMdgvpejtdYDyHWC4cPcVQ8yo4oDhPHLUiFpFW0Mw0xC5U-dGrSC7YPif3BpAqbzmS6eHM8sziWHjowFjOrFzWuPJ8mF0V8vod-9dg5jzGRxBUYZUou_bDGoGMTaujaL3Q14Mqw/s320/BILD11.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">There must have been a lot of forestry work done in the rainy weather, the way was not in a good state, deep ruts and big stones, I could only go on slowly.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">Searching for a quiet little place to camp in Tarra Valley, a horde of cyclists came towards me. They invited me to a Christmas celebration at the camp site. So another official overnight stay after all.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">Not only was the home-made salad very good, once again I also had a lovely chat. With this chance I could at last try the Australian Christmas Pudding. It seemed to be a great art to make it. To be honest I don’t know if it was worth the whole effort.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">Come what may, I definitely had a very nice Christmas celebration again.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">The next day meant first the 8km once again out of the Tarra Valley up on the Grand Ridge road. So well-fed that I was once again, no problem. Down below it looked like the weather would be nice, above I was in the clouds</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPp82Qhkt21l9pFd_S6q5Qeg74SH6ADG9wW_q6drovQSbqnLGKb2LL5ajfhhL8SekflAe_W_N8H21mZeKJM3rkK-VP3IyON6UETA7Wchcx6x31MffDd4TBXRkUoil5JA1F9kYO2xVHwLHF/s1600-h/BILD12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPp82Qhkt21l9pFd_S6q5Qeg74SH6ADG9wW_q6drovQSbqnLGKb2LL5ajfhhL8SekflAe_W_N8H21mZeKJM3rkK-VP3IyON6UETA7Wchcx6x31MffDd4TBXRkUoil5JA1F9kYO2xVHwLHF/s320/BILD12.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">It drizzled and was a bit colder. After some ups and downs it went only down for a very long time, was a bit warmer and the sun came out again.Before I started the next mountain section I indulged myself in a couple more kilometres almost level on the Highway to Bairnsdail, from there the comfortable Railtrain to Bruthen. Really astonishing in the 30km I met with just 3-4 cyclists. After Bruthen the climb began again first very moderate on asphalt roads to the limestone cliffs and caves of Buchan. I’d been here years ago as well, the nice small camp-site by the caves is still full of kangaroos. From there the fun really started, still one of my favourite stretches in Australia. Almost 180km from 75m altitude to 1000m in Jindabyne, almost all on dirt road, the Barry way, first through the Alpine National Park then the Kosciuszko NP.The first couple of kilometres are still asphalted and it looked on the map as if even smaller places would come but again it was just single houses and nobody about. As I didn’t want to carry water as well up the mountain, I waited until the last chance. In “Seldom Seen” there should be a Roadhouse where I should get water. Maybe the “place” was so called because the owner was rarely present, in place of which his artwork</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbZGjblhLsYtZy_UNO-WLOUOEsSIhPzGQsKXYsGdmQBYTHrSEbLGunEO28_EO31G3KPn70Xq14g3VTVfMOJ6ReMxjeipt9k8dagNBjEIfnuTS5ffE_jinFY-VlvaC96-AYy0KqCT3ER7pr/s1600-h/BILD13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbZGjblhLsYtZy_UNO-WLOUOEsSIhPzGQsKXYsGdmQBYTHrSEbLGunEO28_EO31G3KPn70Xq14g3VTVfMOJ6ReMxjeipt9k8dagNBjEIfnuTS5ffE_jinFY-VlvaC96-AYy0KqCT3ER7pr/s320/BILD13.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">Hopefully these are not the remnants of cyclists that are left behind on this stretch. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">I was more lucky, at last I saw a person again, the brother of the owner on the other side, He let me fill up my water bag and bottle in his kitchen straight away.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">And it went ever on up the mountain high with a wonderful view.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-82rbZfZ8nrlbxGUpMvmWkW2QuPpb7UvtPZAxge7yEhCSse-5tylED9u_KUlpLUwGWSPbdrNvXcRYzJ4c6AbHUhV35PdQ-w6HO1J1Q40Zy3r3C70TNDxIbAL_HwUsL5LXJJRjf8-wDUkr/s1600-h/BILD14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-82rbZfZ8nrlbxGUpMvmWkW2QuPpb7UvtPZAxge7yEhCSse-5tylED9u_KUlpLUwGWSPbdrNvXcRYzJ4c6AbHUhV35PdQ-w6HO1J1Q40Zy3r3C70TNDxIbAL_HwUsL5LXJJRjf8-wDUkr/s320/BILD14.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">A big bush fire went through here in January 2003. When I was last here in November 2003, there were only blackened tree-trunks to be seen although some scattered green offshoots growing were visible already. Today, if you didn’t look closely at it, you saw hardly anything. Only commemorative plaques alerted you of it. On an uneven stretch,</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb6P3qtNn9NOauP3y-ur1tyJ08wbQM4JeSeiA2JTVzhQNz6BD9svxFzz4Cb2w_WvsG3pYdhfLtlVvwzWkztreA523w1lWVxARKfsY-VbQl0FYjFOurGjT87tWIY_Hhm8L0hPgBdsWbIx5h/s1600-h/BILD15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb6P3qtNn9NOauP3y-ur1tyJ08wbQM4JeSeiA2JTVzhQNz6BD9svxFzz4Cb2w_WvsG3pYdhfLtlVvwzWkztreA523w1lWVxARKfsY-VbQl0FYjFOurGjT87tWIY_Hhm8L0hPgBdsWbIx5h/s320/BILD15.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">it went 10km down in the valley of Suggan Buggan. Unfortunately my water bag was left behind on the stretch, hadn’t noticed when it fell off. When I found it again later, animals had already refreshed themselves with the water. Only one torn-up bag remained. In other areas probably a medium catastrophe but not here. The water in the rivers and streams is so good that you can drink it without any worries.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">What I really like about the whole stretch is not only its remoteness, perhaps 3-4 cars per day, but the multitude of little camping sites direct on the little rivers, equipped only with a little toilet building. What more do you want when you can take care of your washing in the river as well?</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">After Suggan Buggan it went high up again naturally, in order to go down the other side of the mountain into the valley of the Snowy River.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7goC8cmZARMLuBhq6lIEXcsQELTOUc5o1scaXDX0C2R9Gz0BfLCzAoa9V8bc_YSv84INK-8iqTX_CA-d8sNcmYRAZUpuDDo6oK2kW7t4utU38zsl_2HhUlyvxq2B1oeNGmQWRXVZNN6x8/s1600-h/BILD16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7goC8cmZARMLuBhq6lIEXcsQELTOUc5o1scaXDX0C2R9Gz0BfLCzAoa9V8bc_YSv84INK-8iqTX_CA-d8sNcmYRAZUpuDDo6oK2kW7t4utU38zsl_2HhUlyvxq2B1oeNGmQWRXVZNN6x8/s320/BILD16.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">It is almost Paradise in temperatures of 40 degrees to have such an excellent river in which you can cool off.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">To make the pleasure last longer, I made a halt at “Jacob’s River” already in the early afternoon, bathed, did my washing, read, and watched the kangaroos.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN2Ch37-lBJS05VNpcR_yu_uzNa0w2tRTmADq1vPsOsT_NXpUE3sNE9gQuPa8Juhx-4YGtQO-zwZOc-cxEeZBKBkf11CrIxbsrmgf0NbLkOqG9Tv0Mkvg6d1hKMgU34JhXia_TmHq5OoTh/s1600-h/BILD17.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN2Ch37-lBJS05VNpcR_yu_uzNa0w2tRTmADq1vPsOsT_NXpUE3sNE9gQuPa8Juhx-4YGtQO-zwZOc-cxEeZBKBkf11CrIxbsrmgf0NbLkOqG9Tv0Mkvg6d1hKMgU34JhXia_TmHq5OoTh/s320/BILD17.JPG" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Only two Rangers came for a quick look and asked if everything was OK.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The next day it really got going along the mountain and ever higher to over 1300m. But yet again you were rewarded with a heavenly view. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_m2cLQsqO6kCQN6itGIoXsIWDFl8xJV5KOdkQ0wwVCGMBh8adUc-YIpOfSlFiVxBDE6xBwx0MU2TKjJQiVvD_xOrGm-9G2Lnf5zPpbx3zLshrqL69omtnL6PJ206zfuyNKJbGOjrcayYA/s1600-h/BILD18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_m2cLQsqO6kCQN6itGIoXsIWDFl8xJV5KOdkQ0wwVCGMBh8adUc-YIpOfSlFiVxBDE6xBwx0MU2TKjJQiVvD_xOrGm-9G2Lnf5zPpbx3zLshrqL69omtnL6PJ206zfuyNKJbGOjrcayYA/s320/BILD18.JPG" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">(if you look closely you see how the road snakes along the mountain).</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">After 25km all the climbing was done and it went more or less down to Jindabyne. As it was Christmas I treated myself to a caravan park situated right on the lake.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOSOv_VwS_zPxQqOLmQpDdY0pfQU26qjJbHD9VGywLN1UECG_zUMoHXSRXCjT8ZKf0MkzD0kG7afJlyD9bpGhqeER-eEdxFF74h_yNELTH-uZf7YVzK6ZW2Xz3sE8rrdZ7dWklwuXrBNiq/s1600-h/BILD19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOSOv_VwS_zPxQqOLmQpDdY0pfQU26qjJbHD9VGywLN1UECG_zUMoHXSRXCjT8ZKf0MkzD0kG7afJlyD9bpGhqeER-eEdxFF74h_yNELTH-uZf7YVzK6ZW2Xz3sE8rrdZ7dWklwuXrBNiq/s320/BILD19.JPG" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">and very quiet. Almost all Australians are drawn to the sea at Christmas. I was told that that you could expect to pay over 100$ per night for a camp site. No thanks. The hustle and bustle begins here only on the 2nd day of Christmas, when I’d be gone already.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A swim in the lake did a lot of good after I arrived yesterday in a brutal heat again. Today it is stormy and it looks like it’s going to rain, good grounds just to sit around here, to write and to simply enjoy the view.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I wish all a happy, stress-free Christmas celebration and all the best for the New Year.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ9mcVuOQDm9y6vfb2babdy5Ltok6D1U1gGru8z56txoUvgl-t3I1MKouapZLiQ23d36AhGgwJUF7Mai3FelsPUorl1L1K8nF6ZTanwziNrk-xBHdILCqqGeXm08c94ewGu_MOFKwJgPnm/s1600-h/Weihnacht1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ9mcVuOQDm9y6vfb2babdy5Ltok6D1U1gGru8z56txoUvgl-t3I1MKouapZLiQ23d36AhGgwJUF7Mai3FelsPUorl1L1K8nF6ZTanwziNrk-xBHdILCqqGeXm08c94ewGu_MOFKwJgPnm/s320/Weihnacht1.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976028803035012784.post-80426218896463129592009-12-14T14:45:00.000-08:002010-01-21T14:46:36.817-08:00Clue/Wheel -less on Tasmania<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Despite everything, I decided not to be superstitious, even when I arrived on the island on Friday 13th (November).<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl1H306Q6lTxvw_m5ew9VowLV1cqlrS5jyGROvpYrFFhzXCkRDJ_OAOfjAPXVkg1JGF95CJU-lMvIKoAeYyU6jru9wd7psJp7Hr2SRcYEawZouN6SqkFtnWiwOi_YFNPEdc1v56msHM5Kd/s1600-h/Bild01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl1H306Q6lTxvw_m5ew9VowLV1cqlrS5jyGROvpYrFFhzXCkRDJ_OAOfjAPXVkg1JGF95CJU-lMvIKoAeYyU6jru9wd7psJp7Hr2SRcYEawZouN6SqkFtnWiwOi_YFNPEdc1v56msHM5Kd/s320/Bild01.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was still early in the morning when the ferry docked in Devonport. I had to wait until the Forestry Office opened, where I wanted to collect the book and key for the Tasmanian Trail. No problem at all, as long as there is a McDonalds where you can go on the Internet again. Who knew when I would have this chance again.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The book and the key were already ready for me there. Travelling the trail was one of the goals for me to be here. Almost all of it on forest tracks and grit roads over the whole island. As a part of the route went over private land, a key for the gates was provided for a deposit.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But before I got right out into the sticks, I wanted first to go West to the Cradle Mountains.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I went higher and higher on small roads. On my map there were a couple of small places marked where I thought I could get something to eat or water at least. That was not the case though. The places consisted of about two houses and no-one was to be seen. Actually I didn’t want to go so far at all, but with to overnight with little water in the wilderness is not ideal either. So I went on as far as the Cradle Mountain Caravan park.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOVezn6jtaxzDxKq5atBAjOXsLi6qrT5rhIiXy-g5zEhzEe8m90UVYcrIhqQizWtfmdOgvG-POwMl9bPX2Yor4e1CL0wPbXk2ivMD9Yc1Dc5qGH82ePVgRK567PSpX439nzijfn_UGpDYZ/s1600-h/Bild02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOVezn6jtaxzDxKq5atBAjOXsLi6qrT5rhIiXy-g5zEhzEe8m90UVYcrIhqQizWtfmdOgvG-POwMl9bPX2Yor4e1CL0wPbXk2ivMD9Yc1Dc5qGH82ePVgRK567PSpX439nzijfn_UGpDYZ/s320/Bild02.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This was astoundingly beautiful, all buildings were in a round shape with natural stones. Instead of a camping place I was offered a cheap resting place in the “Alpine Shed” where I was alone, and really wasn’t expensive and I didn’t have to pitch my tent. That was fine by me.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Before I went further I went a bit higher to Dove Lake.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAleNCUQCPkv0fQfNxJIylN5WPXdOucJt6_CfhR9Z6ZtxKox2_zZ7VMAG9baoIZMKME3YNHMwhe5nPyi-v5r0ncjrplx9UGrTwP0ttx5QBUcT9s_dat-OhIPNUgezG5cXAFc_zhmSADYf9/s1600-h/Bild03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAleNCUQCPkv0fQfNxJIylN5WPXdOucJt6_CfhR9Z6ZtxKox2_zZ7VMAG9baoIZMKME3YNHMwhe5nPyi-v5r0ncjrplx9UGrTwP0ttx5QBUcT9s_dat-OhIPNUgezG5cXAFc_zhmSADYf9/s320/Bild03.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The way there was the most beautiful of all, once again. Here it stops for bicyclists. It really begins for hikers here. One of the most well-known walking trails in Tasmania the Overland Track, starts here. Of course on this wonderfully beautiful week-end there were hordes of people out.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was a magnificent cycling day and I just enjoyed it. I had heard plenty of how it goes up and down in Tasmania not that it meant anything to me. I simply enjoyed the wonderful view.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I could take my time, this time I had enough water with me so I could camp anywhere I liked.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The town of Tullah came after 70km that, by way of a change even had shops. It was actually a really nice place, on a lake, only the people that made a special impression you as if there hadn’t been much dilution of the gene pool there. Not too comfortable to camp there.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After Tullah I said goodbye to the Highway and went on using small roads in the direction of Queenstown. That meant the first 11km going steep uphill for which you got a beautiful view of Cradle and Murdison Mountain. Quite spectacular cliff formations.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I knew there was still a lake to come, Lake Plimsol where you will always find a nice place to camp and has water as well.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWONXyX0-9As1A7Sg8TEsU301K9yF-eTaVCtDIlvJjG75sLJqBsT-vxmqcnXBenSvdJiT6NfiOG7SEMqsKGoTp5rxum-1cszTiFz367SuQs0VdHbh5G19fmjRMtbm7y5gXbF1DzALyBkqF/s1600-h/Bild04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWONXyX0-9As1A7Sg8TEsU301K9yF-eTaVCtDIlvJjG75sLJqBsT-vxmqcnXBenSvdJiT6NfiOG7SEMqsKGoTp5rxum-1cszTiFz367SuQs0VdHbh5G19fmjRMtbm7y5gXbF1DzALyBkqF/s320/Bild04.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My tent fitted perfectly there between the trees by the boat ramp, which was great.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The next day was just as wonderful too. First along the lake-side, that was simply fantastic in the early morning light.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_FLSWGXZ-9xgRf6ZqBJxw0JLbee5dSW3vhKBbav5A97cACm8BRITvnxIMb3OZU5M5ei23B_YolmTYp50sN120PdTozIo0ESP-1j7gkcdxMlHL1NcYwg9tw0fJ-g3YtCT9OBrVpaO2OLa/s1600-h/Bild05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_FLSWGXZ-9xgRf6ZqBJxw0JLbee5dSW3vhKBbav5A97cACm8BRITvnxIMb3OZU5M5ei23B_YolmTYp50sN120PdTozIo0ESP-1j7gkcdxMlHL1NcYwg9tw0fJ-g3YtCT9OBrVpaO2OLa/s320/Bild05.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Only when I came back on the Highway shortly before Queenstown did it become mountainous. The first view of the town is not very inviting, with a lot of mining but it changed later. In the town centre there are a couple of historic buildings and some supermarkets again at last. It’s supposed to rain 350 days a year here, but I had clear blue sky.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After Queenstown came the 99 Bend Road. I didn’t count them but 99 bends there were not, I didn’t find it so steep either.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLXcpdiG2I7owij3V6tUSYEMayj15_fIRoQpTJd7l-gbTJfvirPfh229X0cYYe7eedKl6RSgdzBMxiB0xz-E-XN026R0xKw1n2Z8ZzmutScrcAO5hgyg33RiCYyyLg7F_C-87nZdpX6mw5/s1600-h/Bild06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLXcpdiG2I7owij3V6tUSYEMayj15_fIRoQpTJd7l-gbTJfvirPfh229X0cYYe7eedKl6RSgdzBMxiB0xz-E-XN026R0xKw1n2Z8ZzmutScrcAO5hgyg33RiCYyyLg7F_C-87nZdpX6mw5/s320/Bild06.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was very early in the afternoon as I arrived at Lake Burbury. As I lay on the boat ramp, I decided I would not go further, it was simply so fantastic, all so quiet, only the sound of running water.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCBMB4H8-sNgvOILCFWIHU3POmfLutBRvdUVk3xyQefuFa07cniFFnaI20V8CaqJF-4238mxphcpc_CtpXHW4t-zdmsxzuKAv4NnnLkhpflrnXaVVQT8-1FpG7R4iDgollTA_BDjqT8iZE/s1600-h/Bild07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCBMB4H8-sNgvOILCFWIHU3POmfLutBRvdUVk3xyQefuFa07cniFFnaI20V8CaqJF-4238mxphcpc_CtpXHW4t-zdmsxzuKAv4NnnLkhpflrnXaVVQT8-1FpG7R4iDgollTA_BDjqT8iZE/s320/Bild07.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After 2 long days, I had really earned it. Apart from that I had time to look at the Tasmanian Trail book more thoroughly and where I would join it best.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In this wilderness, far from civilisation and light sources, you have a wonderful night sky, each star showing its full worth.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Although I’d become really lazy, lying in later in the morning, it was already light at 5am and I was at Nelsons Falls really early. It was very good as apart from me there was no-one else there and I could go by bicycle on the footpath round the back.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwOjjlal2c6GMPwhB3HPuXxFOxOfkR_xsswk1REDBkuI3H5QCn8h4uLV-tltMLwtmOpjJOdWO4RND73t_SjJ_gKtly6Y6aXPSWP-l2XlXvHcyhAMTtv5lHHkM3VGdYdsy1aWGLFtGUO4yj/s1600-h/Bild08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwOjjlal2c6GMPwhB3HPuXxFOxOfkR_xsswk1REDBkuI3H5QCn8h4uLV-tltMLwtmOpjJOdWO4RND73t_SjJ_gKtly6Y6aXPSWP-l2XlXvHcyhAMTtv5lHHkM3VGdYdsy1aWGLFtGUO4yj/s320/Bild08.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was really good fun to go on narrow tracks through a thick forest with lots of ferns. The waterfall could be seen as well.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFlHhYTSWIyAzHmBszdZl9z32rQ6-0Wu4kpxe2SQHyJYTO448Iq9F03lkeIAIUuhSUdLI52pe68mGMj33LSKVUezs4GyxL-TiRq8f5BL7LU-87jlbXeC5c-CmSHJ-UThQlLh6cjxnje2dF/s1600-h/Bild09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFlHhYTSWIyAzHmBszdZl9z32rQ6-0Wu4kpxe2SQHyJYTO448Iq9F03lkeIAIUuhSUdLI52pe68mGMj33LSKVUezs4GyxL-TiRq8f5BL7LU-87jlbXeC5c-CmSHJ-UThQlLh6cjxnje2dF/s320/Bild09.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Problems with my gear set began on the next long climb to Mount Arrowsmith. But to begin with I could ignore them. Simply changing gear often so that it didn’t disengage. And to begin with only the first two gears were affected. Although it cost significantly more energy when you slip into neutral, I decided to not let it affect my enjoyment.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On the mountain the landscape changed again, no forest any more but a plateau with spots of limestone.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I wanted to replenish my supplies in the next place, Derwent Bridge. The only thing I saw though was the Wilderness Motel. I asked a road-worker if it was Derwent Bridge and he only laughed and said yes, and I could be glad I was cycling otherwise I would have missed it.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As in the meantime it had begun to rain heavily, I awarded myself a hot chocolate in the Motel. In the end the rain went on too long for me, so I put on my full waterproof clothing, and left in the direction of Lake St Claire. There was 7km left to go.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The lake is south of the Cradle Mountains and the end of the Overland Track. For hikers there is a very nice camping site directly at the lake side, although without any fixtures, only a piece of meadow where you can camp, with two rainbows. Magnificent, I was quite alone there.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The next morning it took forever until I had packed, as I was constantly distracted by the magnificent view over the lake.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBQRzzh1mOihsKl1yshij00QK5jdoLnlfaH6lVLPn5eEm8esS6TonxH7WgOJ3JugiQoj6WQqy4-uKc8vZjM3AxbCda5g4WkH6AIxYC6qZMA4itT6gP0uGWjeHZgtm45AspzZZO2c1WPvMn/s1600-h/BILD10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBQRzzh1mOihsKl1yshij00QK5jdoLnlfaH6lVLPn5eEm8esS6TonxH7WgOJ3JugiQoj6WQqy4-uKc8vZjM3AxbCda5g4WkH6AIxYC6qZMA4itT6gP0uGWjeHZgtm45AspzZZO2c1WPvMn/s320/BILD10.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I met the Tasmanian Trail at Bronte Park, pretty much in the central highlands of Tasmania, away at last from asphalt road and on the dirt road. Mainly, I noticed on the first ascent that my gear-change wasn’t better. Of course on grit roads it was more uncomfortable when you suddenly lost a gear. After as well I suddenly found myself laying on the road, I decided that perhaps it would be better to push the bicycle from time to time, especially as lorries with tree-trunks were going by. Really annoying.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Tasmanian Trail goes from Arthurs Lake on along a track of the Tasmanian Hydroelectric Power. Here at last I had my peace, as you don’t get in without a key, and except for the wallabies that visibly enjoy it as well was undisturbed here. I spent an evening at a really nice camp-site at Arthurs Lake with a young and an old Australian couple. A very nice diversion from my nights alone.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I went straight south from Arthurs Lake in order to take the Tasmanian Trail in a southerly direction. Right away in the morning when I got on my bicycle and almost fell right off, I felt that my gear-set was even worse. The Rohloff gear-set has 14 gears, gears 8-14 worked without a hitch, 1-7 could hardly be used any more. No fun for any mountain. I tried as much as possible to make headway.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When I was on the Tasmanian Trail again it didn’t last long until I had to switch to the alternative route. A bridge had fallen down and the way was blocked.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG8kdBGJxUYR3Xu2bg5DBDmMpswEhMDGxz3GginWgcd3vsNMy2mY8IgEGHM5jBNI-sDbJTPPnou-HhBQcIA1vDJrtkN35zALA4UyaNLhzMAcRUGjZdmgQy-G834gG_qgLzpS4q2epphdAU/s1600-h/BILD11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG8kdBGJxUYR3Xu2bg5DBDmMpswEhMDGxz3GginWgcd3vsNMy2mY8IgEGHM5jBNI-sDbJTPPnou-HhBQcIA1vDJrtkN35zALA4UyaNLhzMAcRUGjZdmgQy-G834gG_qgLzpS4q2epphdAU/s320/BILD11.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I got over this tree-trunk but it was the end. Definitely best considering my gear-set.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the meantime every couple of turns I my gears would disengage. It really looked as if I would have to give up. With a functional gear-set it would have been a joy. The alternative route was on grit tracks as well, without traffic and over mountains of course.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Luckily I had read about Tim who lives near to Hobart, builds bicycle frames, and also delivers custom bicycles with the Rohloff gear-set. He knows the gear-set better than most. First I decided in Ouse to take my leave from the Trail and go on the quickest way to Mountain River, around the back of Hobart. That was really clever as when I was in Hobart, I really couldn’t use gears 1-7 any more, only neutral. That wasn’t so bad as Hobart was almost level. The drama began afterwards as it went really steeply uphill. The next 37 km took me 4 hours. But the view was fantastic. Once again I tried to enjoy it all despite everything. I was all in by the time I reached Tim. He lives in a beautiful place in the mountains but you have to clamber up there and on a grit track only. <br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There in his little shed we took the gear-set apart and tried to repair it with the help of Rohloff Australia, and the web-site of Rohloff Germany. The Corpus Delicti was apparently two small springs that were used on the side. After we had replaced the springs with those from Tim’s old gear-set, it was actually a bit better, but not yet 100%. But good enough that I could do a tour for several days until my replacement springs arrived.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So the next day I got going South again, in the direction of the most southerly point of the Tasmanian mainland. <br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The first kilometres went downhill only which went fantastically of course, after that a good length more or less flat which went well too. After Port Huon parts needed pushings, whereby I could use constant gear changes to use the lower gears a bit. It was easier to enjoy my surroundings again. Probably the largest salmon farm of Tasmania is in the Huon River.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinK2JM2dIMn74aoLNieCfToJ1R7dwRnwNigxME8JpA3EsQsts9XKTSuNtYlHQYIj-ULLuYqE89qhbkrpjkl6ZBrFRVPxIsVcL5N7IgJwhfJHfuHP5Ps3nNkZuHKbUBLHBwTaGeuNAPJ-hQ/s1600-h/BILD12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinK2JM2dIMn74aoLNieCfToJ1R7dwRnwNigxME8JpA3EsQsts9XKTSuNtYlHQYIj-ULLuYqE89qhbkrpjkl6ZBrFRVPxIsVcL5N7IgJwhfJHfuHP5Ps3nNkZuHKbUBLHBwTaGeuNAPJ-hQ/s320/BILD12.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A cage or whatever you call it, ranked one after another.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The further south I came the higher the mountains were. The last part from Cockle Creek was on forest tracks again, past lonely beaches, fantastic.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The first camping site was already pretty packed, it was the week-end again, and the furthest Cockle Creek was still really quiet. I was immediately asked to share some wine by a couple of women. Very nice. First of all I rode to the whale sculpture,<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBGVb0BOevP9fx4UEs5qi4m4bmtorRFvsHPXXEYzixz3JyC2hQ2veUluWLs18rMwSQHGYh7ancGToRdmW01bSH9tfTSD_02Viz2_UzAHTlzn57blHe75WzzHZd49qCBwO28cQuce1Ee_2H/s1600-h/BILD13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBGVb0BOevP9fx4UEs5qi4m4bmtorRFvsHPXXEYzixz3JyC2hQ2veUluWLs18rMwSQHGYh7ancGToRdmW01bSH9tfTSD_02Viz2_UzAHTlzn57blHe75WzzHZd49qCBwO28cQuce1Ee_2H/s320/BILD13.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Whale fishing was very important here, before I pitched my tent next to the women and began the comfortable part of the evening.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As I wasn’t expecting the replacement parts until Monday, it was arranged that I’d be back at Tim’s on Tuesday evening. That didn’t leave much time for all that I wanted to do. So the next day I went on again, respectively back.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Already on the way there I thought that when you do such a trip you have to be able to laugh at yourself. I could go straight back over all the mountains that, with a broken gear-set, were really no fun. I could have chosen the less direct route along the coast, but stayed on the main road this time. It did have fewer mountains but higher ones accordingly.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I didn’t get far. It started to rain terribly. I put all my waterproof clothing on again as it can get really cold. Eventually though I had had enough and settled on a nice place to camp on Huon River. It didn’t stop raining the whole night which made me consider the next morning if I should go straight back to Tim. But Bruny Island really tempted me and so I went on as soon as the weather got a bit better. It wasn’t such a stupid idea as later it was really nice again.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It took a bit of time again until I was over the hill, pushing the bicycle most of the way to the ferry and reached the island at last. I was lucky that I didn’t have to cycle far, only over the “Neck”,<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim0xPA_BXbPXjMw7d42iFwfkOoofoxIkNwkwhPa2w_F75P7NIe5XyAfyXz9SmWYZ4HqED4rBsCBb4vUde6S2wBZY3-zXx6zG1l_DXN1uJfkEb59aat4CR77txZZTz79bchQLXEVz-Mli87/s1600-h/BILD14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim0xPA_BXbPXjMw7d42iFwfkOoofoxIkNwkwhPa2w_F75P7NIe5XyAfyXz9SmWYZ4HqED4rBsCBb4vUde6S2wBZY3-zXx6zG1l_DXN1uJfkEb59aat4CR77txZZTz79bchQLXEVz-Mli87/s320/BILD14.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">where there is a nice camping place at the lower end. In the middle of it there is an observation platform where you can see penguins after sunset, and see the whole island during the day. I didn’t need more than that. I sat on the beach for a while, unfortunately too cold for swimming and admired the distant cliffs.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The next day it was back to Mountain River, where you can see that other bicycle lovers live as well.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtx8ukzM_HQD-FlT8t69_kkaAEVHMdKNV90ZAcKb-dq3uH5d0bXxIwe4XbWX9Z9imCvNefLHXnAdGsy_ugSsmzZbhg7U1fvSdW1vHVifojlJ_buJEyF6xDmhcQYbk9wpckb46VauNpMXh9/s1600-h/BILD15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtx8ukzM_HQD-FlT8t69_kkaAEVHMdKNV90ZAcKb-dq3uH5d0bXxIwe4XbWX9Z9imCvNefLHXnAdGsy_ugSsmzZbhg7U1fvSdW1vHVifojlJ_buJEyF6xDmhcQYbk9wpckb46VauNpMXh9/s320/BILD15.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The replacement springs were there already and installed straight away. Unfortunately without success. The next morning we heard from Rohloff Australia that cleaning oil might help.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was astonishingly. You can get the gear-set from several bicycle shops in the area around Hobart but no service of it as nobody had seen a broken gear-set before. It was not even easy to get an oil change kit. From my researches, I found a shop that had the oil. Rohloff identified a shop in a neighbouring location that had recently been sent a kit. I went straight there in the afternoon and soon after the cleaning oil was in the hub. It looked like being successful because of it at last. Hardly any gear disengagement any more, I was the happiest of persons, at last able to go up mountains and not have to push. I was told that I should go with the cleaning oil for a little while which I did until the next morning when I I really wanted to go and filled up with the right oil.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In addition we learnt from Rohloff that the springs should be put in when the gear is between 1-7, and so we did that too. The effect was fatal as the empty running came back again. To being with I thought it was not so bad and the first kilometres were downhill so it was no problem. Only after 6km did I notice the complete magnitude of it. Tim had left that morning for a couple of days so could not help me anymore.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I decided to go again to the shop where I got the oil. Unfortunately they didn’t have any more oil-changing kits, which meant there was no cleaning-oil any more on the whole island, apart from the oil that I had taken out of my hub that morning. That was still with Tim in the shed, 25km and several meters of altitude away. The last thing I wanted to do was to go back. A worker from the bicycle shop took me back quickly, which was really nice of him. But unfortunately the cleaning oil haven’t had the same effect as a couple of days before. There was nothing for it but to go on. If I constantly changed gear I could avoid the empty running.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I went over the Tasman Bridge in a strong wind. Probably so that no bicyclist would complain, there were signs everywhere stating that they were working on an improvement of the cycle track. It was really urgent as it is much too narrow, especially when you want to cross fully packed. It was especially uncomfortable for me as it is higher than the road for the cars and I had the feeling that the balustrade was far too low.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I then came to Seven Mile Beach where I settled in the park. It wasn’t a long way to go but I despite that I was all in.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Despite all the problems I was relatively optimistic the next day heading East. As long as it was flat, it was really nice; it just isn’t like that on Tasmania for long. After Sorell as it went uphill and with more traffic, I halted and tried to think through the whole situation. It was clear to me that sooner or later I would have to send the gear-set to Rohloff in Queensland. Against that I had hoped I would make it through Tasmania and could have a week-long break in Melbourne. On the other hand, it was really no fun anymore, and the condition of my gear-set could save me from going over all the mountains that I still wanted to do.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So, why not then send the rear-wheel to Queensland right away, if it lasted a week until I got it back, I’d still have enough time for the East coast and could really enjoy it.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So I called Dorothy, a cyclist from Hobart who had invited me to stay, but unfortunately was in Melbourne the last few days. It was absolutely no problem for her, of course I could come, and she would come back from Melbourne in the evening. That was another advantage of my coming back to Hobart as otherwise I would never have met Dorothy and Greg. In addition, bad weather was forecast and on Tasmania that means really bad.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So nothing more for it than back, over my beloved Tasman Bridge again, this time in a rain storm.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERFSbUSJWa7h52C8BzOjTVJ4V-wXD_FN-D6C7fHDRdC21thbGYEqMYhZtPZjQcy3w9AQhTp6ru31DPPrXRsUIElW_aO63hUnxcPJUAVlVAE28-9HBxH4q7V8xPSQZGM_KjvWCU2P4qZJe/s1600-h/BILD16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERFSbUSJWa7h52C8BzOjTVJ4V-wXD_FN-D6C7fHDRdC21thbGYEqMYhZtPZjQcy3w9AQhTp6ru31DPPrXRsUIElW_aO63hUnxcPJUAVlVAE28-9HBxH4q7V8xPSQZGM_KjvWCU2P4qZJe/s320/BILD16.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I found Dorothy and Greg’s house quickly, not far from the town centre but nobody was home. I unpacked my entire luggage in the garden, took my rear wheel off, cleaned and dried it a bit and took it to the Post Office right away. It was Friday and I thought the quicker I sent it the quicker I would get it back.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The postal service in Australia is simply great. You get everything there that you need for whatever you want to send. I went to the Post Office with just my rear wheel and the intention to send it to Queensland as fast as possible. I was immediately helped with bubble-wrap, plastic bags and sticky tape until it was ready to send. Using Express it should be in Queensland in 2 days, i.e. on Monday.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I wandered around Hobart until Dorothy and Greg came back. I went in a museum that was much more interesting than expected. You can really spend a few days here.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The next day it bucketed down. I was happy to sit here in the dry. Greg and Dorothy’s brother went for a walk; Dorothy had decided to stay here. Despite the weather I wanted to go to the Salamanca market which only takes place on Saturdays. There wasn’t much going on but there were hardly any tourists about. As we were thoroughly soaked through, I invited Dorothy to a coffee and let her know that today was my birthday. She insisted, as soon as we were back, to bake a birthday cake for me, <br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdcfZPOn6vyLE2S4diaa8frO62BV7K5wXN1g6noYw901dy0UMC8wbTuYQzzuZYtNcSgWoAx8YEZ8Y7g2BcvyijuJJ-68AcLUSoflcmLSOI4gvGWR7BGhVZVVKBHRQlqdbtxepG8Lyc0fq4/s1600-h/BILD17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdcfZPOn6vyLE2S4diaa8frO62BV7K5wXN1g6noYw901dy0UMC8wbTuYQzzuZYtNcSgWoAx8YEZ8Y7g2BcvyijuJJ-68AcLUSoflcmLSOI4gvGWR7BGhVZVVKBHRQlqdbtxepG8Lyc0fq4/s320/BILD17.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Fruit cake, which I think is typically Australian. In the evening, when Greg and Robert were back again, there was sparkling and still wine. It was very nice to spend my birthday in such pleasant company.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On the next day as well the rain showed no signs of stopping. It’s incredible how much water can be found in the sky. Up until now I hadn’t missed my bicycle in the slightest. We spent almost the whole day in the kitchen talking. Travelling cyclists always have much to tell. In addition I had decided to freshen up my Spanish before I went to South America. I benefited a lot from Greg who is a language wizard and as well as other languages speaks South American Spanish really well. In return I went through a couple of exercises in his German book with him. In this way there was always something to do.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We only went out for a short while, late in the afternoon when the rain had eased up for a bit.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the evening we were invited to a BBQ by a woman with Germany roots. There were really interesting people there including a woman from Colombia. Of course I quizzed her about her country.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As it had stopped raining the next day I could at last set up a bike from Dorothy so that I could go away for a few days. As a test I actually wanted to go up Mr Wellington. In Greg’s kindly opinion it was probably not a good idea as it was 0 degrees at the top at the time. And truly I saw from a glance upwards that nothing of the peak could be seen, so from there you would probably see just as little. Nota bene It is summer here but the temperature in Tasmania can sink very rapidly. So I preferred to ride in the town.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A visit to the cinema was planned for the evening; Hobart is really an easy place to hang around in, especially when you are in such good company.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Nevertheless, I was off the next day – I wanted to see Mt Field National Park. The borrowed bike was packed and I asked myself how long it would take the weight. It wasn’t bad at all, just by far not as stable as my own, but of course by far much better than nothing. I went in a westerly direction out of the town, 2 weeks ago I arrived in Hobart from the other direction, I’d had the gear-set problem for that long and been around in the south of the island. <br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This time I was on a cycle track out of the town which was much nicer of course and I decided to ride it to the end, somehow it would go in the right direction. It went on along small traffic-free roads.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfTi1qYJNRN6sWRqVVCeQv2eonzBcJt5pBX40hi8H3qEIAXDkLpkE8FkSNRbOArrSyC2IRp5D40sB-eD7DtNI_5hK4sK4akWgIcuy3UfMcoPpNNu8ccRS4su9QgZjSwbzP77_LgMVw3tgt/s1600-h/BILD18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfTi1qYJNRN6sWRqVVCeQv2eonzBcJt5pBX40hi8H3qEIAXDkLpkE8FkSNRbOArrSyC2IRp5D40sB-eD7DtNI_5hK4sK4akWgIcuy3UfMcoPpNNu8ccRS4su9QgZjSwbzP77_LgMVw3tgt/s320/BILD18.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was astonishingly flat – I had reckoned with many more mountains. It was early in the afternoon when I got to the National Park and I pitched my tent quickly and walked to the Russel Waterfall.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This forest is simply magical, lots of moss and ferns, for the part of the way you go under a real canopy of fern stems. <br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYXWy33_p4xCnO9UrBULpwntPO7LTsQRdXf6YC2NLz3FQvgsi3HCPm-O8RWR-vtiPaPsVbpU2kTMaPnmPyZWHcETYj6djiMLyEw2d9K0lsepJui95z-M2oc-QODTFBlNPNxz8ncuKT5SWr/s1600-h/BILD19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYXWy33_p4xCnO9UrBULpwntPO7LTsQRdXf6YC2NLz3FQvgsi3HCPm-O8RWR-vtiPaPsVbpU2kTMaPnmPyZWHcETYj6djiMLyEw2d9K0lsepJui95z-M2oc-QODTFBlNPNxz8ncuKT5SWr/s320/BILD19.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After all the rain, a lot of water was coming over the waterfall. Back at the camp-site I snatched my bicycle (without luggage) and went up to the car-park of the Horseshoe Waterfall. As it was just after 5 and nobody was about any more, I went ahead and rode on the footpath. Again, it was simply magical.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjweyBNLHOYzR4XhGqbX0W-gjdGAKRZReql2tfJsLQ-pY6Yf1-U8TdHh79klZfZLRkuLXt_eZDeGLc58tRaKZkcSxUfe1Yojc2TxU8e6AMEHIG0_LtZ5AKwghjG-xGQbNQgqOacHWuSGMd-/s1600-h/BILD20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjweyBNLHOYzR4XhGqbX0W-gjdGAKRZReql2tfJsLQ-pY6Yf1-U8TdHh79klZfZLRkuLXt_eZDeGLc58tRaKZkcSxUfe1Yojc2TxU8e6AMEHIG0_LtZ5AKwghjG-xGQbNQgqOacHWuSGMd-/s320/BILD20.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Also this less well-known waterfall could be seen through<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCQ3lKkCX0bz3EeCe25N9869toR9-UeTxIH4R-HgNwiuJPJgiw5m3JT4i6KUBXnskS-GjdpIS_7E80u3ST-EPWhWqGO6ts_Yh_0crdUA93gm7lp_ipj8hsv5Go22SM8ijNo4PPQGCVwIWH/s1600-h/BILD21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCQ3lKkCX0bz3EeCe25N9869toR9-UeTxIH4R-HgNwiuJPJgiw5m3JT4i6KUBXnskS-GjdpIS_7E80u3ST-EPWhWqGO6ts_Yh_0crdUA93gm7lp_ipj8hsv5Go22SM8ijNo4PPQGCVwIWH/s320/BILD21.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Back on the forest track downhill I noticed that perhaps I shouldn’t go on the wood/forest/meadow tracks too much. Above all I missed my extraordinarily reliable Magura hydraulic disk brakes.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Despite this and although I liked Hobart an awful lot, I enjoyed it immensely to be out in nature again.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I had considered that if I crossed Port Arthur off on this tour then I’d have time for the East coast when my rear wheel returned again. So the next day I set off on again, first in the North-West direction on a part of the Tasmanian Trail that I wanted to ride and then on wood tracks mainly in a great arc past Hobart in an easterly direction. After Sorell, where a couple of days ago I’d decided to turn back, I raced to the coast and went along the bay with a wonderful view to Dodges Ferry, where at last, near to the wonderful beaches,<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHZ0eA0LkqGbrpl1U8ZxCupf1DQ1TK-mI8oI3-SwYnADrYkkaHfCai_bAabtSoirUDr_5eKtUQglRdevXSOSaNMsYRrx-dxSsYD-gutS-r9JD9-4TLtpAlWbix8vp9t6bG7uMRdUNLs62/s1600-h/BILD22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHZ0eA0LkqGbrpl1U8ZxCupf1DQ1TK-mI8oI3-SwYnADrYkkaHfCai_bAabtSoirUDr_5eKtUQglRdevXSOSaNMsYRrx-dxSsYD-gutS-r9JD9-4TLtpAlWbix8vp9t6bG7uMRdUNLs62/s320/BILD22.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I found a spot where I could pitch my tent. <br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It went further on to the bay and alongside a river in the south-east direction of Port Arthur.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Apparently there still were a couple of Tasmanian devils here,<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyC_ckoWTzXckLY0_gTgelAtV-YzWq74wRNn_FZImxarthW2Rl4ZmRlyqKQeZISxamrMoXrWilEr-qUgB4QFJbkrMck-HZEljR4C4cwEddcV0bE_g56pAup8T6J-SwxrfgMGd2kyGFAoF9/s1600-h/BILD23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyC_ckoWTzXckLY0_gTgelAtV-YzWq74wRNn_FZImxarthW2Rl4ZmRlyqKQeZISxamrMoXrWilEr-qUgB4QFJbkrMck-HZEljR4C4cwEddcV0bE_g56pAup8T6J-SwxrfgMGd2kyGFAoF9/s320/BILD23.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> that are in danger of becoming extinct. You were made aware more and more often of the many “Road Kills” (animals that were run over by cars). In the past the corpses with skin and bones were eaten by the Tasmanian Devils. But as due to a form of cancer there aren’t so many of them any more, the dead animals just stay on the side of the road. In my view though there aren’t more “Road Kills” in Tasmania than on the other Australian roads.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Already from far away you can see the coastal cliffs of the Tasman peninsula.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXSYw5L2BFTxZ5w0DLb57xuJu4-iNSTzVTsqDlVizjNKVTQCXwXOTWS69tpy5TZVDat0-O10yMVFBS6W-o85tIGQQM58a8_M1OweA9GjOE_6gKr2q29-Shy4tii6Yaf5d_fQ-yMkIxHghQ/s1600-h/BILD24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXSYw5L2BFTxZ5w0DLb57xuJu4-iNSTzVTsqDlVizjNKVTQCXwXOTWS69tpy5TZVDat0-O10yMVFBS6W-o85tIGQQM58a8_M1OweA9GjOE_6gKr2q29-Shy4tii6Yaf5d_fQ-yMkIxHghQ/s320/BILD24.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Boat trips there were offered in Port Arthur. I could save the 100 dollars for that though. Nor did I want to invest 28 dollars to go behind the “old” walls.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9KObUvzTc1KNONYRP3k6d45KcwErht4pgu_ckNuIVtNWMo6l74-3Mk38cqEwJd4u50hxw2cvFW-Jo2mPMmUGADJZ56Nh8o8RAdRZjTLGmk-xbavXJFZzk3w0yByR8OVQmmn6Xqb1i8gQf/s1600-h/BILD25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9KObUvzTc1KNONYRP3k6d45KcwErht4pgu_ckNuIVtNWMo6l74-3Mk38cqEwJd4u50hxw2cvFW-Jo2mPMmUGADJZ56Nh8o8RAdRZjTLGmk-xbavXJFZzk3w0yByR8OVQmmn6Xqb1i8gQf/s320/BILD25.jpg" /><br />
</a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What I saw from outside was enough. When you go by bike you see a lot like this for free. By European standards it was not so old. Anyway what’s interesting about Port Arthur is the history, with the penal colony that you can read about as well.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The ride there that again was the most beautiful and interesting of all had made it worth it in any case.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On Wednesday I got news from Rohloff Australia that my rear wheel had been repaired and was on its way back. By my calculations it should be in Hobart on Friday. Time for me to turn back again.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So by lunchtime on Friday I was at Dorothy and Greg’s again, had taken all my bits from the borrowed bike and screwed them back on my bike. There was nothing more to do than wait for the post.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the afternoon I discovered through an e-mail that I had a bill. The postal charge seemed very low to me. I immediately called Rohloff and asked if the wheel hadn’t been sent by express. That wasn’t the case. That was too much for me, I really couldn’t understand it. It meant I had to wait until Monday. In the Post Office I was told it could last a week. As the low season was coming to an end I had booked a ferry back to Melbourne for 12th December. In the worst case I wouldn’t have any time left for the East coast. I was annoyed.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Dorothy went with her family on holiday the next day, making it clear that I could stay with her until my wheel came back. What would I have done without her!<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On Saturday and Sunday I wasn’t tied down as no post is delivered then. Early in the morning I went on a long walk in the woods alongside a river to the foot of Mt Wellington. Later I could go to the Salamanca Market, this time with nice weather and more tourists, in the evening to a concert, on Sunday I went up Mt Wellington again.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was really worth it as the view is simply enormous. Even the Tasman Bridge looked totally harmless from this perspective.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJcXxmsRki4Dpc11xfGEqOcgCPKVC_Ja-lTiJd9uwSvUqKfBlSbe7TdlT505VwCbhJLX6rUtf5ZkuENuUoiuA492ABaKYc7tthPDc9nObbetudad_D1D-FGrig65arMjvCaPbH6fXbKId_/s1600-h/BILD27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJcXxmsRki4Dpc11xfGEqOcgCPKVC_Ja-lTiJd9uwSvUqKfBlSbe7TdlT505VwCbhJLX6rUtf5ZkuENuUoiuA492ABaKYc7tthPDc9nObbetudad_D1D-FGrig65arMjvCaPbH6fXbKId_/s320/BILD27.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On Monday there was nothing for me to do but to stay at home and wait until my wheel came (hopefully). Late in the afternoon, when it became clear that my waiting was in vain, I called Rohloff and got the registration number of my parcel. The next day a call to the Post Office brought the happy news that it would be delivered the current day. So more waiting but this time with the assurance that there would be a happy end. At last I was in the mood again to write e-mails.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After I had packed everything and all was in order my wheel arrived shortly before 2 p.m. It was arranged with Robert, Dorothy’s brother that as soon as the wheel was there he would drive me a bit of theway. So nothing for it but to fit the wheel, load everything in the car and away. I didn’t want to test it any more as I had no choice, it had to work.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Because I had ridden the most part of it on bicycle already I could accept being driven, above all to have the chance to see some of the East coast. I could spend the first night in Freycenet National Park straight away. I was happy to be on my bicycle again. I didn’t stay there long as in the morning I went right away further North to the Bay of Fire.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On the way I met Susan and Martin, a Dutch couple who had rented bicycles in Tasmania and were riding comfortably along. It was really good to ride a couple of kilometres and have a nice conversation. On the way we came across beautiful beaches that almost looked like those that I’d missed in the National park.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKpqAuufW34-WZCipzsxo2W06VAY3C-AxmYBifY7YC0kTbktckN0loDyga2JOQelS5fMJpjFU0BUnI5NGdcL7ZbPslX0kJqXRXlyrm2jA42srV_XoY-6OMVVyYYVEJOU2-cPI0GZaxZv33/s1600-h/BILD28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKpqAuufW34-WZCipzsxo2W06VAY3C-AxmYBifY7YC0kTbktckN0loDyga2JOQelS5fMJpjFU0BUnI5NGdcL7ZbPslX0kJqXRXlyrm2jA42srV_XoY-6OMVVyYYVEJOU2-cPI0GZaxZv33/s320/BILD28.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As I wanted to go directly from the Bay of Fire to the Ben Lomond National Park, a very nice lady in the Tourist Info in St Helens showed me as detailed map. The contour lines were so thick that they almost made me dizzy. She calmed me down and said the path would go between the contours. I would have to find that out. She wrote all the names of the roads out for me. I was very doubtful if I would find road signs on the forest tracks but was nevertheless very grateful because I knew that somehow I would find it nevertheless.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But first it went further on to the Bay of fire with the characteristic red cliffs and the deep turquoise water.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj59J_44IcGv1SDK1mh1mFknIC46lGuE3xoN1MlQqig7QhTPWoiCxlNFZcDJ9lEtZYICkQqkauFmfPV5cRc9bkDaEMdvEZCuxekGgkBVA2yb2V9PIDyXZQaj6RCECyvHu2y04L2v_6ZJuby/s1600-h/BILD29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj59J_44IcGv1SDK1mh1mFknIC46lGuE3xoN1MlQqig7QhTPWoiCxlNFZcDJ9lEtZYICkQqkauFmfPV5cRc9bkDaEMdvEZCuxekGgkBVA2yb2V9PIDyXZQaj6RCECyvHu2y04L2v_6ZJuby/s320/BILD29.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As I had another hard day before me, I got away early. I always wake up early so it wasn’t even worse.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Back in St Helens I found the way to the town straight away and was astonished that there really were signs for the first few paths. Even the critical junction in the middle of the wood could not be missed. Sometimes it is really difficult when there are many forest tracks as then there are hundreds of alternative ways and in the complete chaos you don’t know where to go any more. But it was very calm here. On the first stretch of about 50km I only saw 2 cars. <br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The climbs were limited as well, I only had to push for short parts, as my rear wheel was slipping on the gravel. But my gear changes worked as well as ever again and enjoyed the advantage of the Rohloff gear-set that I had really missed.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Somewhere along the way it got wider and with a fine view went down on a real road.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS1pVkt-o2CuTEJ5foJ3QroOSG8xXTPnGEw6UFBrX2vJJ-LMqY0S3iIaocjHQ80DlfsmRxGVbcyP07t_IWIEDyizfd6cYUtqulqfM50kEL55edg7hNG10KDSkM9rq9oRfe4-tpnH2SvpxJ/s1600-h/BILD30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS1pVkt-o2CuTEJ5foJ3QroOSG8xXTPnGEw6UFBrX2vJJ-LMqY0S3iIaocjHQ80DlfsmRxGVbcyP07t_IWIEDyizfd6cYUtqulqfM50kEL55edg7hNG10KDSkM9rq9oRfe4-tpnH2SvpxJ/s320/BILD30.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I was quite astonished to find in a tiny place Methinna, that there was a shop in with my iced coffee. The weather was not so good any more, there was a strong wind and a light rain. A long break was not called for, as I knew there was a nice bit in front of me towards Ben Lomond it would get very steep up the mountain.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What I hadn’t bargained for is that there would be little forest tracks before that which went over 1000m. That was really uncomfortable; above all because it was raining again as it went steeply down.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was very late when I came to the turn-off for Ben Lomond. It was time for my iron rations, my last chocolate bar. A car stopped and asked where I wanted to spend the night. I had in mind at the top in the camp site. He told me to have fun and said he thought it was still a long way and steep up the mountain, which I knew already, and that there had been frost a couple days ago. I hadn’t thought of that.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I had anyway considered beforehand to camp in the bush and go up the next day without luggage.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After a couple of kilometres I saw a suitable spot in the forest and without further ado decided to spend the night there.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyBycWdOiQ7TNE-EsyRjH2akr-776Iwj2l_euu2lvy9-4Dwa_uZGscHPjcrpldvOkZoHIe-HABFFISoI28agwk0VLh7n5ebGB_arNpUOZl1eSR4OI5RUlqTxVPvPSaWVsYtTdpiu0ZGleM/s1600-h/BILD31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyBycWdOiQ7TNE-EsyRjH2akr-776Iwj2l_euu2lvy9-4Dwa_uZGscHPjcrpldvOkZoHIe-HABFFISoI28agwk0VLh7n5ebGB_arNpUOZl1eSR4OI5RUlqTxVPvPSaWVsYtTdpiu0ZGleM/s320/BILD31.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was nice and quiet and as the way by only went up to the National Park no more than 2 cars went by. In addition as the rain had thankfully stopped for a short while I could pitch my tent.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The next day I hid my bags in the bushes, made a mark on the road so that I would find it again later and set about the mountain peak. Without the load it really was a lot easier and I was really pleased as I noticed how cold it was up there. The peak was still wreathed in clouds, <br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTnIHS0DO9QdX23R-pHe5D7P5ee2-qa0AXPZyFlKUu2xYTRTy1RQOG8EFg-FgHm9lTKdga1oK4WjBOWPei0LYqTQI0Uem_hQKyTiEzHYnxB6XwMaxVbLAZn200azPLPwwo9sev71Ip0jf-/s1600-h/BILD32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTnIHS0DO9QdX23R-pHe5D7P5ee2-qa0AXPZyFlKUu2xYTRTy1RQOG8EFg-FgHm9lTKdga1oK4WjBOWPei0LYqTQI0Uem_hQKyTiEzHYnxB6XwMaxVbLAZn200azPLPwwo9sev71Ip0jf-/s320/BILD32.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">and was just so beautiful that I went on and on although knowing that I had a long way to go to get my ferry the next day. When I stood on Jacob’s Ladder and saw the viewing platform flashing in the sun, there was no turning back, I just had to go up.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipGyEjDxTHodmt5iy9AHoYi8HdLNJnkB3DKaFOQgsOfbl-n1svl26C49Hs2vCP1JA8GuavFYUbruEv-JtCvkO9VwIG8SbertZlacw-KpjqEkz2HgrBpEfWvqkZDGSS6FyLZ-svX7ULOdJX/s1600-h/BILD33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipGyEjDxTHodmt5iy9AHoYi8HdLNJnkB3DKaFOQgsOfbl-n1svl26C49Hs2vCP1JA8GuavFYUbruEv-JtCvkO9VwIG8SbertZlacw-KpjqEkz2HgrBpEfWvqkZDGSS6FyLZ-svX7ULOdJX/s320/BILD33.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When I saw the snow-covered sign I was really happy again that I had spent the night in the warmth at the foot of the mountain.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3M1ql79WKcIbcbsiCsfBkeqs7QRHLuule22kkFx1RF_yVd5rp0CrZjcT2bHUet8s4GATA1mWUu7NmuJIwK7Vrm6rLhjCgVe4gtD0mjQ-_A7vV1ha9OuTbGwDtrfyQVDatN1bF3s94Vumj/s1600-h/BILD34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3M1ql79WKcIbcbsiCsfBkeqs7QRHLuule22kkFx1RF_yVd5rp0CrZjcT2bHUet8s4GATA1mWUu7NmuJIwK7Vrm6rLhjCgVe4gtD0mjQ-_A7vV1ha9OuTbGwDtrfyQVDatN1bF3s94Vumj/s320/BILD34.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">That was one of the best of all that I had seen in Tasmania and I was well happy that it had worked out, despite the long stay in Hobart<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For me it meant then to go back quickly and take a direct route to Devonport where my ferry to Melbourne departed. I had to have an overnight stop at Tarra River. There’s a free camp-site there. Although the Tourist Office had told me you could only spend the night there if you had your own toilet. That’s really not friendly to cyclists – I’ve never seen a bicycle with a toilet. Despite this, I decided to go there.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When I arrived there was already a Dutch cycling couple with a tent and no loo. Later there were four tents. The joke was that there were public toilets right alongside. It was no problem to overnight there.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I made it to the ferry even with a strong head-wind over the last 75km.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Despite the gear-set problem I did have a fantastic time on Tasmania, leaving exactly after one month back to Melbourne where I arrived on the 13th again, on a Saturday this time.<br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976028803035012784.post-90063945494856817972009-11-09T20:14:00.000-08:002009-12-24T20:40:32.456-08:00EXTRA Blog: The story of the USA visa<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Probably the question that some are asking is why I, as a German, am applying for a USA visa. Simply it is because I don’t just want to cross the country from West to East in 3 months. My plan was first to stop off at Hawaii, then to go on to California. In Summer to go along the West coast through Canada to Alaska, then back in a loop through Canada and through the US National Parks, then from West to East through the South of the USA. A year was planned for that, for which I needed a visa.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yes, that was the plan, if everything had gone to plan, which actually never happens. <br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I don’t know any more how many visas I’ve applied for and received on my travels. In any case, my passport is almost full. Right from the start of the application for the USA, everything went completely differently.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My first attempt, in the US Embassy in Melbourne failed because I didn’t have an appointment. Immediately from the not-so–friendly reception staff you get a card where you find the Internet address where you can get an appointment.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So, back again and on the Internet. To help, there are two phone numbers on the card. For the first one you see straight away that the charge for the call costs 1.90 AUD (1.16 Euro). For the second you are connected with a member of the Consulate staff that costs 20 AUD (12.28 Euro), no matter how long the call is. So preferably don’t call here either.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the end I muddled my way through the program myself, entered all the details correctly, even managing to charge the fee for the appointment of 14 AUD (8.60 Euro) to my VISA card.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sue helped me with a passport photo that met the US Government specifications exactly and had to be attached to the application.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As well as that I needed a statement of relationships/links outside the USA to guarantee I would leave the country again.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It could be relating to my job, studies, family or property that I own. As the first two didn’t apply, my siblings and mother probably not important enough, only my own apartment would serve. My sister had just looked for the document for that and sent it. Many thanks again for that.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So I went well prepared (to the best of my belief) on my way to the US Embassy again. This time an entry was granted as I had an appointment. Several others did as well so despite this I didn’t avoid waiting an hour. At last my number was called and I went to the counter of a nice lady who had nothing else to do other than check that I had everything with me. That was unfortunately not the case as I hadn’t paid the fee for the visa, 170 AUD (104.3 Euro). The USA is the first country that requires the fee before the visa. There was nothing for it, I would have gone not a single step further unless I had gone to the Post Office straight away and paid up.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">With the receipt I could go once again through all the security controls of the US Embassy. It was like being at an airport, all bags were X-rayed, I myself had a wand waved over me. The only things I was allowed to take up with me were my purse and the papers for the application. The things you have to endure.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This time I could go directly to the counter of the nice lady, but unfortunately this time she couldn’t find my application in the computer. I was informed that I would have to fill in the application on-line again. For that there were computers available in the room, but I needed data that I didn’t have to hand. I had my laptop there, i.e. downstairs in Reception, but I wasn’t allowed to bring it up. The lady thought there would be an Internet cafe on the other side of the street and I could go there. So I looked for half an hour in the rain for this but didn’t find anything. In the meantime it was almost mid-day and the embassy was only open until 12:30. So I decided to go back and get myself a new appointment.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">At first at Reception they didn’t want to let me in any more. They wanted to know why you went out, why you came back etc. They said I could only get a new appointment over the Internet. Somehow I managed to get them to let me in. Over the Internet I would have had to pay 14 AUD again. The nice lady had an understanding and gave me an appointment for Friday.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I could fill out the application much quicker the second time. But I then got an e-mail from the US Embassy that I should come with the certificate of my first application, as apparently they had found the application in their computer after all.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On Friday I went early to the US Embassy again. After waiting an hour I was again allowed in front of the counter where it was checked that I had all my documents with me. As my application was in the computer as well all my finger-prints were taken and could wait for an hour again until I was allowed to have an interview. In the meantime it was 12:15 already, and because of that it went really quickly. The interview didn’t even last 5 minutes. I tried to explain what I was doing, and had as before for the Australian Embassy, put reports together of my travels. That didn’t impress them. As they couldn’t get to grips with the document stating that I owned an apartment in Germany, they eventually decided I needed links to Australia, the country I would go back to, where I applied for the visa. And why I hadn’t applied for a visa in Germany. To the first I said, it was new to me, because all would understand I would need links outside the USA no matter where they were, and to the second, I left Germany 1 year and 8 months ago, and didn’t know whether and when I would travel in the USA.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">That was all the same to them however, and they only said that I should travel to Canada, they could give me no visa, signed a letter, gave it to me and said I had to go, there were other applicants waiting. I only asked about the money that I had already paid, to which they replied it was the handling fee and for the finger prints. No thanks, for that I had paid 112 Euro so that the US government had my finger prints and could turn me away the same the next time I appeared at its gates.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I stood there, but not long as there was nothing else for me to do but go. On the way out, I thought I should see it not as the end but as a new challenge.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">At home I read the note that I got again, that stated I had to show links outside the USA. Now it was clear why I was sent away directly – if only I had read it earlier...<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Apart from that it was stated that it was not permitted to appeal against the judgement.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As I felt I had been handled unfairly and wanted an explanation of the situation, I wrote an e-mail to the US embassy asking where my links had to be, and that the ownership of an apartment was not accepted. That was 2 weeks ago but since then I have had no answer. I will go into it again.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">With that, USA was not only the first country that asked for all fees in advance but also the first country that wouldn’t let me in. I have been in the USA so often already and it had never felt compelled to stay.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Apart from annoyance at having spent so much for nothing, I had in the meantime got around to the idea of flying from Australia to Chile and to go through South and Central America.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After Australia, where I was very spoiled, back in the poor countries, where you only got necessary everyday things and only spoke a little of the language, would certainly not be easy, but much more interesting for it. I have become knowledgeable about it, am totally fascinated, and am really enjoying the thought of it.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Probably at the end of it I would be thankful to the USA that they didn’t let me in.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the meantime I had actually got an answer from the US Embassy. It stated that as they could not verify the document of my apartment I had to get the visa in Germany. I didn’t want it any more, I was looking forward to South America.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Despite this I demand a World Wide Visa for Cyclists!!!<br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976028803035012784.post-90412800846443307372009-11-05T22:01:00.000-08:002009-11-05T22:01:42.347-08:00On the Great Ocean Road to Melbourne<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After a bit of toing and froing, my decision matching the weather i.e. changeable, I decided in the end to leave my comfortable stay in Warrnambool on Saturday 26. September and to make my way along the Great Ocean Road.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Over the last few days the weather forecasts were always worse than the actual weather so I set off very optimistically.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I easily found the side streets again through meadows of contented cows that Mary had shown me over the days before. Just before Peterborough I got on the Great Ocean Road and just then it started bucketing down. The wind also got up, there was no place I could turn round as it blew me in my way again.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After Peterborough the famous stone formations began, the Grotto<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO1SAcOdNU4jPUjvosFfjsYVyDAS0b4rJPbnDgo8LULon1cIsDNQdFqIZdRtuSew0gfNZDUMsIcIvDz97Svn2WjVG3g1cmQPWI0z9HLco4DB9b2TDDdNmHliQDoqqOo3qYWbfzFeRk83r6/s1600-h/BILD01-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO1SAcOdNU4jPUjvosFfjsYVyDAS0b4rJPbnDgo8LULon1cIsDNQdFqIZdRtuSew0gfNZDUMsIcIvDz97Svn2WjVG3g1cmQPWI0z9HLco4DB9b2TDDdNmHliQDoqqOo3qYWbfzFeRk83r6/s320/BILD01-1.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">London Bridge, that fell down years ago, and the Ark,<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTsh7BQRYyjSvnvD4j_ZksigPoiDBB0hzI4c4FDEZLATWVU1_zlDT9NYROeng5llOzRwaqGCd_jLznKE_njQHrrSYAslAfkOWtpD8aC-M-Ixhozju0IaEIuoHI8QfCowNFo26sGqh1ZfR8/s1600-h/BILD02-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTsh7BQRYyjSvnvD4j_ZksigPoiDBB0hzI4c4FDEZLATWVU1_zlDT9NYROeng5llOzRwaqGCd_jLznKE_njQHrrSYAslAfkOWtpD8aC-M-Ixhozju0IaEIuoHI8QfCowNFo26sGqh1ZfR8/s320/BILD02-1.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">with the bubbling waves in the heavy storm made a wonderful show. No wonder that this coast is also known as the “Shipwreck Coast”. It was easy to realize that some ships met their end here.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I remembered more places here from my first tour, although then it was summer the weather was the same. I recognized Port Campbell once more, this small over-priced tourist trap that I didn’t like the last time either. It is mostly famous for the 12 Apostles, of which only 8 are still standing, that come just after the place.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbERQgX8BlPB2NcB9Yd7WrbZn5sjMxjqMJ8slzZaWFdGz0ejGX5YWBNmKbMZCMdewLjkUf2fM_YHEgoHGkPfdkUj9uUwmWKBmzdluRqYBFtu0VypWS4Z7nA9QHTahhKZrI7xr7132iIsXa/s1600-h/BILD03-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbERQgX8BlPB2NcB9Yd7WrbZn5sjMxjqMJ8slzZaWFdGz0ejGX5YWBNmKbMZCMdewLjkUf2fM_YHEgoHGkPfdkUj9uUwmWKBmzdluRqYBFtu0VypWS4Z7nA9QHTahhKZrI7xr7132iIsXa/s320/BILD03-1.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I’d been advised several times not to travel on the Great Ocean Road at the week-end. I’d had no problems though. Perhaps at normal week-ends there is more traffic, on this Saturday the day of the big Australia Football final the streets stayed empty, as in Europe when the soccer final takes place, a great day for cycling.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I was only over-run by hordes of Asians and Indians that stormed the coast by the 12 (8) Apostles in bus-loads. Thanks to the strong wind no-one stayed long. It even blew the waterfall back up the cliff.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg44bIax6e05bIXghCPizvuf9P2JZiq_NJ7Q1_8IquTl47Hq-x2kw3yfzR442zOh9nzbPxDThZ94vGN2o874uoiOPsf7T-6vDpp2DrfVrN0aGCBqhzVTVqajWrlxar-RhXJ8NUY_9PYqQUI/s1600-h/BILD04-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg44bIax6e05bIXghCPizvuf9P2JZiq_NJ7Q1_8IquTl47Hq-x2kw3yfzR442zOh9nzbPxDThZ94vGN2o874uoiOPsf7T-6vDpp2DrfVrN0aGCBqhzVTVqajWrlxar-RhXJ8NUY_9PYqQUI/s320/BILD04-1.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After the obligatory photo I went on, but not for long. The wind continually blew me off the street, it was simply too uncomfortable for me. <br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In Princetown I found a small camp-site, where if I am not wrong, I was 5½ years ago. A woman who was travelling the Great Ocean Road had already settled under the roof of a building. I joined her, and as I didn’t have the slightest interest in putting up my tent in the storm and rain, I cleared out a store room again in which we made ourselves comfortable.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The next day the weather wasn’t any better, but there was nothing for it, it was not a place to stay. Over the last few days I had asked almost everyone about dirt side roads as an alternative to the Great Ocean Road. When I got there, I remembered that last time I went on a side road. Only I thought it was the ‘Old coach road’. It started right at the camp-site. I remembered it was very traversable. After I got stuck in sand after 1km and in the end after 2.5km had to turn around, I really had to ask myself how a road could change so much.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Back to the main road, a few meters further the ‘Old coach road’ started. This made a much better impression on me. A look at the map confirmed that had mistaken the road.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Perhaps I should wear my reading glasses from time to time. <br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This way corresponded to my memories, almost flat, on a good traversable surface, snaking alongside the Gellibrand river. The heavy downpour of the previous days was clearly visible. But the cows suffered from this more than me as they only had small places in the meadows and because of more puddles.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I was already physically and psychologically ready for the long ascent of Lavers Hill. Going up it wasn’t so bad as it was only 8-9 degrees. Going down it was a bit worse. Added to the cold were side and head winds. Very unpleasant. Despite this the area was very nice, rain forest mostly.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Then a second hill came totally unexpectedly, but once I had got that behind me it was downhill only to Apollo Bay.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Actually I only wanted to go very quickly through this tourist spot, but met Sebio and Kati, two Spanish cyclists, the first that were cycling round the world that I had seen for ages. They were looking for a camp-site and, as we had some experiences to swap, I hooked up with them.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We were sent away from the first camp-site as all the places for tents were under water. But at the second, located on a hill, we were more successful. A nice, new, luxurious place, affordable for three of us. We spent the evening in the cosy, heated camp-site kitchen, I gave them information about Asia, and got it about America. Once again it was really nice.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8DgxdT6e0sPOnjIWeNGt3aw0Kry5gys5h8sfJZLkaqo2fSIe-aPZXDpzyeu5bD7S_904tzzmzJX8n2iVoDiLcrvIDIQ7S9Hh8I43VAFbI14qiOzdeGTd5H26ieDdVAmrsCvKXBSP0d1bf/s1600-h/BILD05-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8DgxdT6e0sPOnjIWeNGt3aw0Kry5gys5h8sfJZLkaqo2fSIe-aPZXDpzyeu5bD7S_904tzzmzJX8n2iVoDiLcrvIDIQ7S9Hh8I43VAFbI14qiOzdeGTd5H26ieDdVAmrsCvKXBSP0d1bf/s320/BILD05-1.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Although the weather looked better the next day I still wanted to reach Bawron Head where a nice warm dry place was waiting for me.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I left Sebio and Kati very early, got going and … after 3km had a puncture! Extremely strange as it shouldn’t have happened with good tyres and good roads. Nothing to be done but to change the tube and go on. It could have been worse, at least it wasn’t raining.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In my opinion, the most beautiful stretch of the Great Ocean Road is between Apollo Bay and Anglesia. The road goes up and down along the cliffs there and you see something of the sea for longer. In addition the weather was great, it was a wonderful bicycle tour yet again.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I went on side roads from Torquay to Bawron Head. They were all nice small paths, with signs everywhere to watch out for cyclists. There were many of them there but almost all were racing cyclists with Lycra shorts, probably inspired by Cadel Evans who spent his summer there.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One of them slowed down to my speed to start a conversation with me. Normally this lasts 500m perhaps, then the most important questions are asked and answered, and then they can sprint away. David lasted for a long time next to me and, as he established that he was a neighbour of my hosts Steve and Pat, he rode all of the remaining 20km next to me there. It was really nice to have a conversation along with the ride.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I received a hearty welcome from Steve and Pat and could use the guest house in their garden right away. What a luxury, a complete house with kitchen, bathroom, living room, bedroom, full fridge and books, books, books. You could easily spend a while there.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Steve and Pat are very interesting characters. Steve writes for a local paper, took accurate notes of everything that I told him about my tour and wrote the following article about it:<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.stevecraddock.id.au/Time_%26_tide/Entries/2009/11/1_No_more_visa_problems_for_ages%21.html%20%20%20">http://www.stevecraddock.id.au/Time_%26_tide/Entries/2009/11/1_No_more_visa_problems_for_ages!.html </a></span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">His father and he were one of the climbing pioneers on Mt Arapiles, the climber’s paradise where I had just been.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Pat is an excellent painter, and her pictures were up everywhere, reflecting the atmosphere of the area very well.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Paul and Sue, friends from Melbourne of Pat and Steve, came the next day for lunch. I was at their place 5 ½ years ago, they visited me in Steinen 4 years ago and we were very happy to see each other again.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was very restorative day for me as in the morning I could sort out and dry my things and patch my inner tube naturally.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Finally the last part to Melbourne came. Just on this day a North wind was forecast which meant a head wind for me mostly.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The first stretch to Queenscliff where the ferry to the Mornington Peninsula stops, was OK though. It was also unusually warm, the first time since I don’t know when that I could ride without a jacket.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When I crossed the Philip Bay last time the water was full of dolphins. This time there was no trace of the animals, perhaps the water was too cold.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Things had been done over the last few years on the Mornington Peninsula. Nice cycle tracks went alongside the beach on which ever more colourful huts stood, really idyllically. I wondered what they had in them.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD6QRT2MhY046RfJ9FzxYSkzVA31bc32L5wWCSUqeBVoXR4G08Uv93GD0vDcXxX6nf4glj2ePo2Kdl2fWcudxM5uWb7Ra3dMETFScfmNx0wQ7O9Q90ySvQQe1djdfTSf4RXAMdyJ-vKXyk/s1600-h/BILD06-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD6QRT2MhY046RfJ9FzxYSkzVA31bc32L5wWCSUqeBVoXR4G08Uv93GD0vDcXxX6nf4glj2ePo2Kdl2fWcudxM5uWb7Ra3dMETFScfmNx0wQ7O9Q90ySvQQe1djdfTSf4RXAMdyJ-vKXyk/s320/BILD06-1.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The wind made the stretch into a real challenge. Convinced I would make it to Sue and Paul’s house before darkness fell, I took my time.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Paul waited for me before Philip Bay branches off to Camberwell for which I was really grateful. The traffic had increased a lot over the last few kilometers as I got near to the second-biggest town in Australia. He showed me the small little-known ways up to Camberwell. We reached the house just before dark. Sue had already prepared a bite to eat for us before I moved into my new home. After the meal I wasn’t up to much however.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now I’ve been in Melbourne for 2 weeks already and I still like it a lot. It felt like home with Sue and Pat, which does me a lot of good after the long time on the roads. Thanks to the Melbourne Arts Festival with the fantastic opening spectacle<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglhrkeIBvErzrbSZS1r-qWuvtna4gIzAFhsj8jwWH_w8iNX9Of_jaAyjJVKwVQZD4zm1H9KpMvfXxzvwbOY0uVaYwU3COqMtMN029TOuXeiPcPhN5YvSWWYs4wKyDX64BK3e71voKo71_t/s1600-h/BILD07-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglhrkeIBvErzrbSZS1r-qWuvtna4gIzAFhsj8jwWH_w8iNX9Of_jaAyjJVKwVQZD4zm1H9KpMvfXxzvwbOY0uVaYwU3COqMtMN029TOuXeiPcPhN5YvSWWYs4wKyDX64BK3e71voKo71_t/s320/BILD07-1.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCVd82gurTQci51BD9lpOj-KSlgxPArgWRyJMgnR_-uWKtZZGKdBPhnbWEHOyV6YviXe0n0dL-cLhe3ONRrIzPo5sXf5SuSYNQSF4fYDxttIoMd4OFeuwKCZj-2wIkYuVHwMF2VoxmNbL/s1600-h/BILD08-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCVd82gurTQci51BD9lpOj-KSlgxPArgWRyJMgnR_-uWKtZZGKdBPhnbWEHOyV6YviXe0n0dL-cLhe3ONRrIzPo5sXf5SuSYNQSF4fYDxttIoMd4OFeuwKCZj-2wIkYuVHwMF2VoxmNbL/s320/BILD08-1.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">and the Bike festival that began with the “Bike to work” event,<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yyd8zGlYEf0oAmU7TbnC08cDSa-bPLkUOCtO6JYSojUUeN37eVlCBFnHvP5vVjHC8It5gKGuuhTfIw900ODMHRri6cD9YctIP_IoAsnitC2qREhGOKeEUAErtPM_yL5y7DNu24_sO7Pa/s1600-h/BILD09-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yyd8zGlYEf0oAmU7TbnC08cDSa-bPLkUOCtO6JYSojUUeN37eVlCBFnHvP5vVjHC8It5gKGuuhTfIw900ODMHRri6cD9YctIP_IoAsnitC2qREhGOKeEUAErtPM_yL5y7DNu24_sO7Pa/s320/BILD09-1.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">which always offered something interesting, I can take it here very well. To calm my itchy legs, I go running in the mornings and go from time to time with Paul on lengthy cycle tours. At Sue has damaged her knee, she can’t go cycling and I can have her super light bicycle. It is really fun to pelt through the area after Paul with only 9kg under my behind. Melbourne has the biggest and best network of cycle tracks that I have seen up until now, through woods and along streams, really nice. My stretch in the town is great too, along the Yarra River. In comparison to other towns the cycle tracks were really used.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Melbourne is the ideal place for me to stay until Tasmania gets warmer and I can take the ferry there on the 12th November.<br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976028803035012784.post-25038271873089391362009-10-20T16:37:00.000-07:002009-10-20T16:37:50.220-07:00Through the National Parks to Warrnambool<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">First of all I want to put my readers at ease; my visits to MacDonald’s pose no risks to my health and do not cause any adverse effects. Mostly I allow myself the liberty of using their free WiFi without actually consuming any food. Up till now I don’t get the feeling that this has caused the fastfood chain any losses. I would prefer to pay 3 Australian Dollars for 20 minutes Internet than 5 Dollars for a BigMac.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I found it very hard to end my sojourn in Blackwood, Adelaide on 13th September as I had felt really comfortable with Helen and Robert.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">From Blackwood on the Loft Mountains the route went a long way downhill to the beach. As it was a Sunday, there were a lot of Sunday cyclists on the road, mostly in lycra on racing bikes. Some slowed down to my tempo for a few minutes, to have a quick chat with me.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I could afford to take my time because Jennifer and Wolf, the German/Australian couple I’d met in Ceduna, were only expecting me late afternoon in Port Willunga.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There were again loads of cycle ways and I tried to stay as near as possible to the coast, which was quite mountainous.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Having arrived in Port Willunga, Wolf was already waiting for me. He had his Oldtimer, Chevrolet BJ1927, ready and waiting for me to take me on a spin.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN4q6Tjjr1gG71drQieeb9eSlnb7CoPeEqJ1Nl4DICnbhG3gNEX7kMl55Z7yPDG3NKlgW9TTUG8NBZn1rgKpXx1qHT75WJAVrNbIMXCKREeGQFxDMfElKJx1t9OerCXQEOkAv2MDafZu7D/s1600-h/BILD01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN4q6Tjjr1gG71drQieeb9eSlnb7CoPeEqJ1Nl4DICnbhG3gNEX7kMl55Z7yPDG3NKlgW9TTUG8NBZn1rgKpXx1qHT75WJAVrNbIMXCKREeGQFxDMfElKJx1t9OerCXQEOkAv2MDafZu7D/s320/BILD01.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I’m always up for for something like this. I quickly parked my bike and got into the cute little car and off we went at a snail’s pace, along the wonderful coast, just as the sun was going down.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Wolf and I enjoyed being able to talk together in German again, with a good meal and glass of wine.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As I’d had a long break in Blackwood, I was forced to further the next day, right over the mountains of the Fleurieu Peninsula.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After Port Willunga came Willunga, then Willunga Hill. The latter is part of the “Down Under” cycle-race stretch and the names of the cyclists are immortalized on the steep ascents.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Then the route led peacefully through Farmland until it again started to go steeply downhill to Strathalbyn. I must have driven past this old Scottish settlement last time, I couldn’t remember anything about it even though it’s very significant with its arcade.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After the long nights in Wellington tiredness overcame me and didn’t allow me to go far from the ferry over the Murray river to the camp-site.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On the other side of the Murray river the Coorong National park starts. The last time I rode past there it was January, and high summer. The only thing I could remember was the head wind. This time I could enjoy it a lot more as everything was so green and all the bushes were in bloom. The Princess Highway is not very intoxicating but has some “scenic loops” on which one rides practically between the sea and the bay, a wonderful view<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77v5wLPw2wHA-JGEi137myFE6NB-rb7Xyu65XkuhWw11K9CKkWjtcCE70mma_SI1iQTQJJJaMuwp5Vu321BRHvlRvXEoNx1WNhFfdFE8hMo78ACfsP4hWsWn5sZuXdGmrs2bUtHEFUN5O/s1600-h/BILD02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77v5wLPw2wHA-JGEi137myFE6NB-rb7Xyu65XkuhWw11K9CKkWjtcCE70mma_SI1iQTQJJJaMuwp5Vu321BRHvlRvXEoNx1WNhFfdFE8hMo78ACfsP4hWsWn5sZuXdGmrs2bUtHEFUN5O/s320/BILD02.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">and some animal life to look at, for example an echidna.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6yaa_TqF_cZJS_Si32hSutDVRZtYLm3WyXS6_0ljYqOEDUF5UqyJhqN27z4ECRi0qimlfE4ePVtpUVavPHe0AEi8OdXgLauCF2oIwZJfJTyAVNQhU4cxzapycOPZRGDG-Yl-lj5zRRsM3/s1600-h/BILD03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6yaa_TqF_cZJS_Si32hSutDVRZtYLm3WyXS6_0ljYqOEDUF5UqyJhqN27z4ECRi0qimlfE4ePVtpUVavPHe0AEi8OdXgLauCF2oIwZJfJTyAVNQhU4cxzapycOPZRGDG-Yl-lj5zRRsM3/s320/BILD03.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">Or a black swans.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmH1gCsUujYNpXdfTdTvV4_8-3szXHjqABOES4K7ABV8fl4vQQ8HHYVWLUyyV6SBeTpDWz_YVu9_jbe656JdjfV7tHAVb4iWRiB0eKcp9k4dVWPN2cbdY-iJN24C50fQ_Z-hgDNG6RYmeV/s1600-h/BILD04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmH1gCsUujYNpXdfTdTvV4_8-3szXHjqABOES4K7ABV8fl4vQQ8HHYVWLUyyV6SBeTpDWz_YVu9_jbe656JdjfV7tHAVb4iWRiB0eKcp9k4dVWPN2cbdY-iJN24C50fQ_Z-hgDNG6RYmeV/s320/BILD04.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">These gravel roads led to wonderful camp-sites in the National park<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrm6JeJK35qKCVfwqjpH9Cwm6Bsmsi3D7VyyNjrf9MtKXmwJIsFjkMjNORUb18OTJXidanHQNsvk0406_P2A63wQGS-7dF7DOBz8eXLV3gghpKt3SWNeS0P47V3plTG0b2HH8XjsPAohnQ/s1600-h/BILD05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrm6JeJK35qKCVfwqjpH9Cwm6Bsmsi3D7VyyNjrf9MtKXmwJIsFjkMjNORUb18OTJXidanHQNsvk0406_P2A63wQGS-7dF7DOBz8eXLV3gghpKt3SWNeS0P47V3plTG0b2HH8XjsPAohnQ/s320/BILD05.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here I had again a special luxury, a real roof over my head. Thanks to a few young backpackers who turned up later, I also had a lovely warm campfire.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In Kingston I finally saw something that I remembered, the giant Lobster.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghl7RagR_XD8R6MtGNBSvM9IqTmloDosVfi1IDLVMsFQSODHSM1sTx8RPhI-E1ScvFfrtGElUPEw1IBQ3Fn74rmKrf1IEznA8hpfXFfpxW_sovMBT-lvxEMgTSIat4I1ayl73oDcCvarj9/s1600-h/BILD06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghl7RagR_XD8R6MtGNBSvM9IqTmloDosVfi1IDLVMsFQSODHSM1sTx8RPhI-E1ScvFfrtGElUPEw1IBQ3Fn74rmKrf1IEznA8hpfXFfpxW_sovMBT-lvxEMgTSIat4I1ayl73oDcCvarj9/s320/BILD06.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I photographed this last time and it is also mentioned in Bill Bryson’s book about Australia (Down Under). I can’t remember so many cars stopping and tourists taking photos 5 and a half years ago. Perhaps it became a tourist attraction because of the book.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the rain I rode further to Robe. This fishing village has turned itself into a trendy holiday resort with gourmet pizzerias and coffee shops. Despite the rain I didn’t stop here, especially as I knew that further east lay the Little Dip Conservation Park, where I could camp undisturbed.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As everything was so wet and the rain had not thought to stop, I left my tent unpacked and made myself comfy in the toilets. Naturally I was the only one for miles and no-one complained that my bicycle and luggage took up the entire Gents’ toilets.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was only mid-September and at this rate I would be at the most a week later in Melbourne which would be far too soon. Therefore I decided at the last moment to ride through the Grampiens National Park.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">From Little Dip National Park it went inland, on small roads where one is very surprised if a car comes – through Penola to Dergholm. I was accompanied by the screech of the cockadoos.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Somewhere along the stretch was the border between South Australia and Victoria. There was no sign to announce this, but nevertheless I had to change my watch again, this time by a half-hour.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Again there was a small green triangle on my map – a camp-site on Bailey’s Rock in Dergholm State Park.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Just before dusk I reached the small picnic area in the wood where one could also put up a tent, but couldn’t find the toilets in the dark. I don’t need to tell you that again I was the only one around for far and wide.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A glance at the thermometer the next morning explained why, as at 0 degrees camping is not actually an inviting prospect.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The camping places in the parks mean perhaps a small diversion but these are almost for free and the sites are set in wonderful places. Here I could appreciate its whole beauty only the next morning, moss covered rocks in a real enchanted forest.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Before I got to the Grampiens, I first came to the small green triangle on Mount Arapiles in Tooan State Park.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv7JOl0jxxQ-48INPZKFgpKpIE8zJGaWMEQqPTVTSVw6SBBIQiTWH1eB-TAg8KZl4tbgfEMwtCqmjKhxdlaq7ocS-5mBioC4rg2f2_KWzI4nBCYYMCKTDULLqYlr-5ZIGxbSU8lqQ_I2if/s1600-h/BILD07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv7JOl0jxxQ-48INPZKFgpKpIE8zJGaWMEQqPTVTSVw6SBBIQiTWH1eB-TAg8KZl4tbgfEMwtCqmjKhxdlaq7ocS-5mBioC4rg2f2_KWzI4nBCYYMCKTDULLqYlr-5ZIGxbSU8lqQ_I2if/s320/BILD07.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I was stunned when I got there – no more loneliness, as there were already many tents erected.<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI9cq5l4vsqk0QH4BOw_iNLvMIODmSsGPGFdTBYUAEw6-mrnnBifWS6b1Y_ySkxAVfaKXssuJ2puDzx2YsgEgOi_Gj9fBP8o2HG8CvhnHoo3Y64wZIEfKVG3_SzthGOTfHiZ1qTNfcE4sy/s1600-h/BILD08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI9cq5l4vsqk0QH4BOw_iNLvMIODmSsGPGFdTBYUAEw6-mrnnBifWS6b1Y_ySkxAVfaKXssuJ2puDzx2YsgEgOi_Gj9fBP8o2HG8CvhnHoo3Y64wZIEfKVG3_SzthGOTfHiZ1qTNfcE4sy/s320/BILD08.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It wasn’t long before I found out the reason for this, it’s known all over the world as a rock climber’s paradise and people come here from all over Australia.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqlvgibR9hqESwZ4mf7-12ToGGGfFCnsQ1bK-sd_SeBIxyzhax9nTJr_8OVXilXiQ_NS8DdgrvMdaT_b60TKRUpkzp4lkL7n1FPqmbeSrJfGgMpYrtAx6Q-y1vfRybgDp-0IY58If9MRiM/s1600-h/BILD09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqlvgibR9hqESwZ4mf7-12ToGGGfFCnsQ1bK-sd_SeBIxyzhax9nTJr_8OVXilXiQ_NS8DdgrvMdaT_b60TKRUpkzp4lkL7n1FPqmbeSrJfGgMpYrtAx6Q-y1vfRybgDp-0IY58If9MRiM/s320/BILD09.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Even as a non-climber, I found the red cliffs intoxicating. This and the pleasant community of young climbers quickly made up my mind for me to spend another day here. When the whole world wants to come here then I can’t just ride away again.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I’ve known for a long time that climbing is not my kind of sport and here I saw why as one sits around waiting for too long. For that reason I love my bike, as I can just get on it and go for as long as I want. <br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But despite this I enjoyed watching the climbers and clawed my way up to the summit on the tourist’s route to enjoy the view.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On the way to the Grampiens Nation Park I was glad to go through Horsham, again a larger town in which I could stock up on supplies and get good maps from the information centre.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But I forgot to re-fill my water bottles. For the last few weeks I’d been on the road in civilization and always came upon running water from a tap, and therefore didn’t think to do it. <br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After my experiences it didn’t bother me too much as I knew somehow I’d find a way to find water.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It wasn’t much further to the camping site at Stapylton which had been recommended to me by the climbers. It’s a really pleasant patch of ground directly at the foot of Mount Stapylton.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglz7-3qZYps1jNeLa8B1xz2ZDOHQ2xzdBKvzOOmMJCNvioUk2cZasokjvzp_-jbsG5qftX83g-nQMUDCxkSfzDOP-jxznd6qMhjRgXPlHY_rClMvwgCJg0EPrejZyPQ4RfLiLVeR7zhQtT/s1600-h/BILD10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglz7-3qZYps1jNeLa8B1xz2ZDOHQ2xzdBKvzOOmMJCNvioUk2cZasokjvzp_-jbsG5qftX83g-nQMUDCxkSfzDOP-jxznd6qMhjRgXPlHY_rClMvwgCJg0EPrejZyPQ4RfLiLVeR7zhQtT/s320/BILD10.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To my joy there were rain water tanks with drinking water for me. The whole place really made a very new impression. I enjoyed the shower most which was only a bucket with a shower head underneath, that you filled with water and pulled up with a chain. Very simple, but what more do you need? As the sun was shining just then the cold water meant nothing to me, the main thing was a shower again.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lots of kangaroos hopped around my tent, and each female had a Joey in her pouch!<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3YY4IV21zvXbGZV9XLV8UAX4z7wGpPryUHCIgvJdnMFJnvQ1_rZPU-rF6gUU3SBlXCP4LOayfxWApm3caOAvxma2vsoIwVdnWZZ3qM_k62yC5qa2OXgS12KqEBaA1EriSEJHD0ZQ_X7oV/s1600-h/BILD11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3YY4IV21zvXbGZV9XLV8UAX4z7wGpPryUHCIgvJdnMFJnvQ1_rZPU-rF6gUU3SBlXCP4LOayfxWApm3caOAvxma2vsoIwVdnWZZ3qM_k62yC5qa2OXgS12KqEBaA1EriSEJHD0ZQ_X7oV/s320/BILD11.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(By the way, as far as I saw, the male kangaroos don’t have a pouch!)<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Later from my tent neighbours I got real drinking water and a “Kasseler” (smoked pork chop). This last surprised me a lot, apparently there is a Swiss butcher in Melbourne. Not that I’d missed the meat, nevertheless it tasted good and awoke feelings of home in me.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The next day I got down to business. Rain was forecast and because of that I hurried to get away to see what I wanted before it really started.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The winding road went steadily up for over 30 km, moderately to begin with then a bit steeper but never so bad that I couldn’t enjoy the rushing streams by the side.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I had already seen some of the Mackenzie Falls from the road, which is the advantage of a bicycle, you see a lot more and don’t need extra “Lookouts” to stop and view.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbhteU5CvXnmRLxTwUKcNZ9M4ruygkcxBezyEZgT4fMU5xboy_gp3wKYZkCvtJLSbs9ZfsFwRAnx1tfotgPj4e9S77Sm-c-fIDlAaoCwS7b1BxC5lGWyl65WmDzSSQi8oNqLKJgMoR7e1w/s1600-h/BILD12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbhteU5CvXnmRLxTwUKcNZ9M4ruygkcxBezyEZgT4fMU5xboy_gp3wKYZkCvtJLSbs9ZfsFwRAnx1tfotgPj4e9S77Sm-c-fIDlAaoCwS7b1BxC5lGWyl65WmDzSSQi8oNqLKJgMoR7e1w/s320/BILD12.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was enough for me to go to the first level at the waterfall, as far as I could go with my bicycle.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Actually I thought I reached the highest point but that wasn’t so. To get to the car-park for the “Balconies” it was even higher again. I was over 700m for the first time in Australia. I had to leave my bicycle in the car-park and go on to the viewing point by foot. The footpaths at the tourist attractions are laid out well. From the top I had a wonderful view over the entire range of hills.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcF_VF-HiwdOR7Jr0P6_EnOHUhptsbkYFW26VYe-72rar9JN-X0_6myQC7zaMwd_R8qBKdVnYkTn1pgcfDUGMWf4F-Vhid8Hg6zdOstt_GNUTbBrPK4YVwt_cvyyPbkDBxD9dI01_83aJt/s1600-h/BILD13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcF_VF-HiwdOR7Jr0P6_EnOHUhptsbkYFW26VYe-72rar9JN-X0_6myQC7zaMwd_R8qBKdVnYkTn1pgcfDUGMWf4F-Vhid8Hg6zdOstt_GNUTbBrPK4YVwt_cvyyPbkDBxD9dI01_83aJt/s320/BILD13.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The “Wonderland” car-park was overflowing not forgetting that it was school holidays in Victoria. Luckily, the hordes of people distributed themselves on the different footpaths.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As it looked ever more like rain, I decided to only go quickly through the canyon to the Pinnacles.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">That was further and more demanding than I had supposed. It went on and over streams through narrow canyons,<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM475ichyphenhyphenYwnH1IF-NPeYRJqF5tRbqNKm02pTSb076WKZTy1-UhEgHna5AVvFg4iTnMXMDAyfqqH5eBvgnp6zeOeLvl9lo4UQihp_rjpGgEEExM6I5cKnWFnVkvavIrxlfr2TI9UEbWcX5/s1600-h/BILD14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM475ichyphenhyphenYwnH1IF-NPeYRJqF5tRbqNKm02pTSb076WKZTy1-UhEgHna5AVvFg4iTnMXMDAyfqqH5eBvgnp6zeOeLvl9lo4UQihp_rjpGgEEExM6I5cKnWFnVkvavIrxlfr2TI9UEbWcX5/s320/BILD14.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">and out on the cliffs until from above I could see Halls Gap far below,<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHxD1DLTdmNPtfWZPNQ8AIGUwhNbJYvUxsxOkifM1oU9xvucURWx5b-H3QOK1VJQurY5Vt7Xb2hspMSrIHSc-FXHZsiOKB2uzgbLP7bNMmE20sU89jfXdtDszvVRrc0ycsJNxrP3PuUSsx/s1600-h/BILD15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHxD1DLTdmNPtfWZPNQ8AIGUwhNbJYvUxsxOkifM1oU9xvucURWx5b-H3QOK1VJQurY5Vt7Xb2hspMSrIHSc-FXHZsiOKB2uzgbLP7bNMmE20sU89jfXdtDszvVRrc0ycsJNxrP3PuUSsx/s320/BILD15.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I wanted to be at least there before it rained. So it meant quick back to my bicycle and down the mountain. I came out below happy and dry. At the caravan park I actually only wanted to ask how much a camp-site cost. However before I had managed to find Reception, a family had already invited me to pitch my tent on their place. Very nice.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Later I was invited to their evening meal. However as it was showering heavily and really cold it wasn’t too comfortable. It didn’t matter though as I hadn’t done much cycling, had been hiking instead and wanted to go to bed early.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The next morning it was still raining but despite this I wanted to go on. By now I can also strike my tent and pack my things in the rain. I could have a sheltered breakfast in the camp kitchen.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I had resolved to go up Mt. Williams the highest mountain in the area. As I came to the fork, it didn’t rain any more, but the chance of a good view was still slim. Despite this I decided to attack the mountain. I hid my bags in some bushes quickly and was off. The good thing was that with the weather hardly anyone wanted to go on the mountain. Just 2 cars went by in the 12km. Without luggage the ascent was practically child’s play.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Up to the car-park at around 1000m I had a fascinating view at all sides.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Z54FsSpXenwUQioqT7Hx3ZstU9zTiZg-MZNjJy3E-yfRBEs59cm0He3-edu74kluLCXYK_NRQUYiwiwsR9M6wGCssrzQW7xwC5Vli7P1F0qRBEgUWzQblDpnC2HN1bMWs01jrmpB0nfg/s1600-h/BILD16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Z54FsSpXenwUQioqT7Hx3ZstU9zTiZg-MZNjJy3E-yfRBEs59cm0He3-edu74kluLCXYK_NRQUYiwiwsR9M6wGCssrzQW7xwC5Vli7P1F0qRBEgUWzQblDpnC2HN1bMWs01jrmpB0nfg/s320/BILD16.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">of red cliffs, green hills and broad areas, all interplaying nicely.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On the last part to the summit I was practically in the clouds. Because I have been already so far, I also wanted to go to the top. To be in the mist completely with 20m visibility was really adventurous.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXvcpqtrld6cgDmc5sA0Jz_e9PS1PmOg13giO8TReMUfbSRgvUX-Wr7hBohnFmHhp0ZlCCCyNK3IPhkfkTUj6ET6OMF3OddZYsd8llhBpv6HYKzAbvmmSH4mdqGQ9v6dlLLUuSP2CI2lue/s1600-h/BILD17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXvcpqtrld6cgDmc5sA0Jz_e9PS1PmOg13giO8TReMUfbSRgvUX-Wr7hBohnFmHhp0ZlCCCyNK3IPhkfkTUj6ET6OMF3OddZYsd8llhBpv6HYKzAbvmmSH4mdqGQ9v6dlLLUuSP2CI2lue/s320/BILD17.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I didn’t stay long at the top it was simply too cold and windy. I turned around quick and was after the 12km from 1170m, down to 350m again a couple of minutes, arriving to 19 degrees from 9 degrees.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The last part of national park was very hilly which I hadn’t reckoned with. Nevertheless I did well until Dunkelt. The owner of a small camp-site probably had pity on me and let me pitch my tent cheaply. <br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On it went in a southerly direction to the sea through small places where again the General Store and the Post Office was one shop. The nearer I got to Warrnambool the heavier the traffic was, also the rain and the wind increased and the temperature dropped. The thought of a warm dry place in the evening made it bearable. I’d been invited by the parents of Trish, the first solo cycling woman that I met, in North Thailand.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Nothing better could have happened to me. The weather was constantly getting worse but I felt so comfortable at Mary and Mike’s that there was no reason to go on straight away,<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the mornings I would go to the beach and watch the whales. It was hard to believe how much they splashed about. I couldn’t count them and so asked a volunteer from the Whale Nursery who estimated around 14. The whales come in July and August, have their young and go when they are big enough at the end of October. The calves were really big already and lively, they really enjoyed swimming and jumping around as did the tourists to watch them.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Each coast and beach in Australia is more beautiful than the last, and I particularly liked it here in Warrnambool.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzRFo3yodefcXpEMlk8omv-j4E8taO_L8iWdixQmuCFuA_iMlagWKFW52dlZDdsbTY0f22zrj74NEDBu7KN0hTWK7ohHJaIVzjLRPPhCA-DMGPFNP0yHZM0rndwBBa_b6yYs8wqGHuzAAM/s1600-h/BILD18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzRFo3yodefcXpEMlk8omv-j4E8taO_L8iWdixQmuCFuA_iMlagWKFW52dlZDdsbTY0f22zrj74NEDBu7KN0hTWK7ohHJaIVzjLRPPhCA-DMGPFNP0yHZM0rndwBBa_b6yYs8wqGHuzAAM/s320/BILD18.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">At midday, Mary showed me the area, Port Ferry with the nice beach and the expensive houses, the next day good side roads where I could travel the Great Ocean Road. At Childer’s Cove, east of Warrnambool began the steep cliffs and crag formations that makes the Great Ocean Road so famous.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGGUoi8cbgn5b7Y7QgYe7RsDSx3UCe7mW7xe1SMPb7S7zNoZ6g2icyE1CPiCy9ALdS1bfuYTupom8QiXmEC-OUp4jl1ApTMsqEnfZBRATHj1zk8oe4Q-zCKyTBV2NQL6cGpsw887qBPMC4/s1600-h/BILD19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGGUoi8cbgn5b7Y7QgYe7RsDSx3UCe7mW7xe1SMPb7S7zNoZ6g2icyE1CPiCy9ALdS1bfuYTupom8QiXmEC-OUp4jl1ApTMsqEnfZBRATHj1zk8oe4Q-zCKyTBV2NQL6cGpsw887qBPMC4/s320/BILD19.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On the way home a big fat Koala ran across our path, my first Koala in the wild<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhAZEc-D_l24AUJqszYwfA52ZWakL06W3KGrVE5_cfRnkVVHp5uRP-yHdx7_XC4ZMSPlhcdV0Qkolflhybeid_2Soh8n2idi16PEWBuPYkEq9Z9oTDVvb7CD31fx24l-0eNxYaQlT3FBkI/s1600-h/BILD20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhAZEc-D_l24AUJqszYwfA52ZWakL06W3KGrVE5_cfRnkVVHp5uRP-yHdx7_XC4ZMSPlhcdV0Qkolflhybeid_2Soh8n2idi16PEWBuPYkEq9Z9oTDVvb7CD31fx24l-0eNxYaQlT3FBkI/s320/BILD20.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Apart from that I discovered my first ALDI in Warrnambool !! Of course I had to go there and not just to restock my chocolate reserves.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It doesn’t look different in Australia than it does in Germany, had almost the same range, you almost felt as you do at home.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After three nights the weather hadn’t improved, rather the opposite, but I still had the feeling that I should go on.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On Saturday 26th September, the day of the big Australian football final I started on the way to the Great Ocean Road.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Many thanks to Mary and Mike who gave me such a hearty welcome and catered for me so excellently.<br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976028803035012784.post-81404300910157749582009-10-05T03:44:00.000-07:002009-10-06T18:18:04.632-07:00On the Mawson Trail to Adelaide<div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After a day off in Port Augusta, I was able on 5th September to face the prospect of the mountains of the Flinders Range calmly.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The advantage of leaving early means that one is already out of town before the rush-hour traffic really gets going. I kept away from the main road, choosing instead to take the old Wilmington road; the first time after thousands of kilometres on major routes. Rather bumpy but at least peacefully the road went on until it met the new road to Wilmington further up. From that point onwards it started to become mountainous. But as long as I can keep going and at the same time still enjoy it, it can’t be so bad.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Mawson trail re-commences further north in the Flinders Range. Because I didn’t want to make such a large detour and had no idea how difficult the trail was, I wanted to wait until Wilmington before taking the trail.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The stretch to Melrose was actually only to test how well sign-posted and difficult the road was. Both were in the end no problem and I trusted myself to find the way without the detailed maps as, after each kilometre and after each turn-off, there was a sign-post. Furthermore the way was through wide fields and meadows and almost completely flat - compared to Munda Biddi, it was child’s play. In the early afternoon I reached Melrose but after a pleasant conversation with the owner of a local bicycle shop I decided to stay in this likeable little place. The camp-site was one of the most beautiful and cheap so far. It was not too difficult to see that Melrose wasn’t just a Mecca for mountain bikers <br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKU1_vsVNwWIJCJIenIu5hMRZfQbmv1t1uUi4FrBczWJBMW46Ekg-K0j_RnX8lqHn1RnedIEVhZ5PAxVPVryuDE5qcavGcWsvKDufR6hAGLV3bmIIcEvVG__FAxz7G9qv6dyyvguZftwDt/s1600-h/BILD17.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380599507231188274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKU1_vsVNwWIJCJIenIu5hMRZfQbmv1t1uUi4FrBczWJBMW46Ekg-K0j_RnX8lqHn1RnedIEVhZ5PAxVPVryuDE5qcavGcWsvKDufR6hAGLV3bmIIcEvVG__FAxz7G9qv6dyyvguZftwDt/s320/BILD17.jpg" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(The bike was made out of boomerangs in order to make you aware of the cultural history.) <br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">as both the Heysen Trail (for hikers) and the Mawson Trail (for bikers) met here.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNXXIEoeV0ItWbWiENBgV3IGLvnG1GD9Lh2iSP4dm5RqI3XbJeKwCeiE6OFuDrtBPFmxX3MIkliM9znKfjdoagPxMhfLfxEqHrA8f1cWxsDsXLvVM6TICsLd6PYso3i-IBuM8JziWwomDV/s1600-h/BILD21.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380599018738041346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNXXIEoeV0ItWbWiENBgV3IGLvnG1GD9Lh2iSP4dm5RqI3XbJeKwCeiE6OFuDrtBPFmxX3MIkliM9znKfjdoagPxMhfLfxEqHrA8f1cWxsDsXLvVM6TICsLd6PYso3i-IBuM8JziWwomDV/s320/BILD21.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Both start up in the Flinders Range: the Heysen Trail ends south of Adelaide and the Mawson Trail leads directly to Adelaide. Some hikers had already put up the tents on the camp-site. I was, and remained, the only cyclist. The Australians tend to do more “bushwalking” (hiking) than cycling.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After Melrose it got more mountainous and the way more challenging. Generally I got a good view of the way there over each of the hills, which glow green and yellow (from canola) at this time of year. The scent made me quite woozy. Now and then the route went through replanted woods,<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwvWiKHA7WODlxIZ0plIyfSMlY2LqzbttHd5colzSeab4SBACPjkAaYz-bBZ8UoLRnq541_doKwhWLmSODvlbEegXSjNs1kD1QiZpvYR0iNlJgRO9piCcKtp6QVElWaA82PPCmRWk6BapZ/s1600-h/BILD18.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380599498879245826" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwvWiKHA7WODlxIZ0plIyfSMlY2LqzbttHd5colzSeab4SBACPjkAaYz-bBZ8UoLRnq541_doKwhWLmSODvlbEegXSjNs1kD1QiZpvYR0iNlJgRO9piCcKtp6QVElWaA82PPCmRWk6BapZ/s320/BILD18.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">..... also here, on either side of the road, fences. That was what I disliked most about this stretch, that you always rode alongside a fence. It’s unimaginable how long this fence must have been. When there was a gate, it was bolted with a padlock, even when the official Trail led through it. That forced me to make quite a few detours.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In Bundaleer Forest one of these gates was right in front of a hut in which I wanted to stay for the night. For hikers there were steps over the fence but for my heavily-laden bike it was insurmountable. Luckily, on a side road, I found a few bushes out of the fenced area between which I could set up camp.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the night it started to rain, quite heavily, and remained steady throughout the morning during breakfast and packing, until I got on my way. My assumption the day before that I should be very happy that itwas so dry was confirmed, as now the way was a real mud-bath.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWmPJOsocJ6btKdHINPwCvpIzb7Krwu-AEblMYx6MJ43-f59Wm92hzb18TnNM8_fFO9y-dz22ciaYNq8CnvEMmQPgnPe7doF71XyrEqe6yVXuU-_wGe7cv5YiVLm2NuTGSzhtfWrqxxXL/s1600-h/BILD19.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380599491627731730" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWmPJOsocJ6btKdHINPwCvpIzb7Krwu-AEblMYx6MJ43-f59Wm92hzb18TnNM8_fFO9y-dz22ciaYNq8CnvEMmQPgnPe7doF71XyrEqe6yVXuU-_wGe7cv5YiVLm2NuTGSzhtfWrqxxXL/s320/BILD19.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After 10 m I could scarcely push my bike. The dirt had built up round the tyres and jammed the brakes. But after 500m, the worst was over as a strip of grass on the edge of the way made the pushing much easier. Later on the route I found more and more frequently these signposts (see photos), which were definitely justified!<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFSlJ_H5GkEJbdKIJWo3VCD9hBzbK834YA71gTQBSSo0FezXJy_CBZa-FlmSG9rkK3TRxV92lm1hoGjOArHawEqDxdZN21Oywm5d_PIMcr6k0GAhZ8lG_gjrqR1neCijr_wAGWD3uNQ0DI/s1600-h/BILD23.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380599036439672610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFSlJ_H5GkEJbdKIJWo3VCD9hBzbK834YA71gTQBSSo0FezXJy_CBZa-FlmSG9rkK3TRxV92lm1hoGjOArHawEqDxdZN21Oywm5d_PIMcr6k0GAhZ8lG_gjrqR1neCijr_wAGWD3uNQ0DI/s320/BILD23.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now and then the track led through villages, that all seemed the same as each other. All were established in the middle of the 19th century, and one had the impression not much had been done since then as if time had stood still, but now they had been dusted off ready for tourism. Every village was characterized by stone houses with picturesque decorations and nearly all had four churches; United, Anglican, Lutheran and Catholic. For a population between 200-300, quite a lot. Naturally each village had its own museum although it was it already one in its own right!<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Melrose is apparently the oldest village in the Flinders Range, other villages can boast the title of the one with the oldest hotel, bar, general store, mine and so on. So each has something of its own to offer, not only its special charm.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I like these general stores, but sadly they stand little chance of survival. Also here, the people prefer to go to supermarkets in the big city and in some general stores the shelves are noticeably empty.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It’s a different story in the well-known wine districts, above all Barossa Valley and Clare Valley, which really profit from tourism. From Clare to Auburne the Mawson Trail follows the Riesling Trail. The way meanders smoothly from cellar door to cellar door for approximately 20km, nicely parallel to the main road. At last a reason for all the “Grey Nomads”, pensioners who have swapped their house for a mobile home, to take their bikes off their vehicles. I wanted to get through the expensive village of Clare, with its 4-star caravan park, as fast as possible and go on to Auburne, but first made a quick stop in tourist information.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Halfway between the two villages I realized that I’d left my purse lying in tourist information. So I went back quickly and luckily found it, contents still intact. After that I was so tired that I nevertheless took myself off to the luxury camp-site.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The route went on further over hills and through villages. In Riverton I saw Travis’s bike and his dog Cadel parked in front of a cafe. Of course I couldn’t just ride by; a longer break was called for. Sadly he was going on in another direction, being firstly not so fond of mountains and dirt tracks and anyway wanting to take a direct route to Horsham.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It’s the other way round with me. Where ever possible I prefer dirt tracks, except when they are too muddy. I simply like travelling as far away as possible from the traffic, to be able to ride along in peace and quiet. It’s just much more interesting, than only taking tarmac roads.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I arrived in Kapunde, one of the cutest, oldest villages, quite early and wanted to quickly check out how much the camp-site cost here. But then I saw a bicycle standing there, so that was one good reason to stay. Secondly, it was really cheap to camp there and lastly in the village there were real shops and free Internet.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The bike belonged to Iain, a Tasmanian, who was doing the Mawson trail in the other direction. These chance encounters are very useful as the information you get (which you can in turn pass on), you can’t get anywhere else. It’s not just information about the best place to stay the night, or stretches that you’d do best to avoid, but also I was able to find out more about biking in Tasmania, where I also plan to continue my journey. <br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On the next day I continued making appropriate variations to the trail. First through the so-called “German country”, the Barossa Valley which is one of the most well-known wine regions in Australia, characterized by German immigrants. Even though most of the German town names were re-christened during the 2nd World War (apart from Hahndorf), there are still a few German names around and the German influence is very obvious and goes beyond just Brezeln and Laugenweckle.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Following Iain’s advice, I didn’t take the “Rockery” road up; he had come down this and had some difficulties because of the steepness and large stones; but rather chose a route which was partly tarmacked. This proved to be quite steep, but the advantage was that I got a really good view.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje5M9aacOklyOboEyd1AvMvCwn3uEgivhb0qR_fP-zzyXcCClSH4r6cPW7n9M98beg1tnFu3rt6AsiwBDx3tMftMQ7P6JAYail8IM45gAl7CovuxaP-wfrg4SesRcOxiOjCccM-w2iYptv/s1600-h/BILD22.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380599027216822658" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje5M9aacOklyOboEyd1AvMvCwn3uEgivhb0qR_fP-zzyXcCClSH4r6cPW7n9M98beg1tnFu3rt6AsiwBDx3tMftMQ7P6JAYail8IM45gAl7CovuxaP-wfrg4SesRcOxiOjCccM-w2iYptv/s320/BILD22.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Iain had already warned me about the locked gates. Here they had stiles on the side with an approximately 40 cm-high threshold. No problem if you’re travelling just with a bike, but once again I had problems with the bicycle laden with all my luggage. Always unloading the bike and then re-packing it was such a nuisance for me. Somehow I always got the bike over and only a bottle-holder got broken as a result.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here it must have really poured with rain over the last few days. The way through the wood was like a swamp. My only goal was not to touch the ground with my feet. But shortly before the end I had to trust my left foot to make contact with it.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">According to my map a camp-site was not far off, further into the wood, and that was actually my aim. But as I approached it it didn’t look so much like a camp-site, although a sign seemed to indicate as much. As there was a phone number on the sign, I thought I’d try calling it. My assumption was confirmed, it indicated that it was a camp-site but wasn’t one. So I was connected with the Ranger, who gave me the tip to continue a bit further up the mountain, where a hut with a W.C. and water tank were to be found. No-one would be using it tonight so I could stay the night there. That was fine for me, especially after I actually saw it.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92OJytT8wX4-xG_zh0rgXnFk1INiq7O3eqxrtWfxRzqm2TnnSwRFQ0Dneau2m0uJagSHZS95l2QivCx_FaxOFO0OgiF0_1OB6mYhomv49DsecoJL4-npZdP_Z9qEvpmeRi4qFaEy4eAM9/s1600-h/BILD24.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380599043556877650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92OJytT8wX4-xG_zh0rgXnFk1INiq7O3eqxrtWfxRzqm2TnnSwRFQ0Dneau2m0uJagSHZS95l2QivCx_FaxOFO0OgiF0_1OB6mYhomv49DsecoJL4-npZdP_Z9qEvpmeRi4qFaEy4eAM9/s320/BILD24.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was in the middle of the wood, totally secluded with a fireplace outside and a small oven inside; it even had electric lights! As it was very cold, I made myself comfortable in front of the stove. And that’s all one needs, just peace and quiet and a fire; this is enough to occupy me for the whole evening. Many thanks to the Ranger from Cromer Shed, who gave me this wonderful tip.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On the last stage of the journey to Adelaide I spared myself part of the Mawson Trail in order to get round the locked gates. Even the stretch on the main road was beautiful, winding through a gorge and cliffs with very little traffic.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Before Adelaide the Mawson Trail meets the road again before merging into the Riverpark bicycle lane which leads directly to Adelaide on the Torrens River. Actually it’s really beautiful but after the last days in the mountains it seemed rather boring as I missed the challenge of the dirt tracks.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After the loneliness on the Mawson Trail with only small villages on the route, my arrival in Adelaide was quite a shock to me. There were simply too many people suddenly all around me. I was really happy when, having quickly found spare spokes in a bicycle shop, I was able to ride straight out of the town, up towards the south and the mountains. The view over the ever-expanding city was superb and I could breath again. In Blackwood with Helen, Robert and their 3 dogs I was able to re-charge my batteries in the fresh air and countryside where there were no crowds<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here I spent 2 lazy days, eating well and enjoying myself. On the last evening I was invited to the restaurant on Mount Lofti; a really luxury. Accompanied by the most wonderful view over the town, we had a delicious meal. Sometimes I ask myself how I came to deserve all this! Hopefully I can return the favour sometime. Many thanks to Helen and Rob as this break with good conversation, food and wine really did me good.<br />
</div><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976028803035012784.post-73741667221991826002009-09-20T01:57:00.000-07:002009-10-06T18:16:28.558-07:00Through the Nullarbor<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Once again everything went much too quickly. First I was so restless and wanted to get into the Nullarbor as soon as possible, then I was disappointed again that it was all over so fast.<br />
<br />
The fantastic West wind held up for another couple of days. After 22. August when I said my goodbyes to Kylie and Luke in Esperance, it blew me along the Fisheries Road for 70km. I filled up my 10l water bag in Condigup, the last settlement, before I started on the Belladonia Road.<br />
<br />
With real joy I discovered that after the junction there was still 40km of tarmac road, although the sign warned that there would be none for 194km.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=6976028803035012784&postID=7374166722199182600" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ZJw5nhwVt1_OtTHj-a8DHHNo0Xl9pvG8etJ2jzZHE0cZEiIwzhtFogYlfxqMJL97JZ0BCU_LrrFEaqRyvLBH3VNdmfNGU1kCXsm2Ea_gSmshtJn6-6D7Ivq7bGVT2rec8qhIwFfczC8-/s1600-h/BILD01.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380601812889300546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ZJw5nhwVt1_OtTHj-a8DHHNo0Xl9pvG8etJ2jzZHE0cZEiIwzhtFogYlfxqMJL97JZ0BCU_LrrFEaqRyvLBH3VNdmfNGU1kCXsm2Ea_gSmshtJn6-6D7Ivq7bGVT2rec8qhIwFfczC8-/s320/BILD01.jpg" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /> </a><br />
<br />
Not unusual for Australia. What I found more alarming was “Rough Road”. But with the first 110km on tarmac and with the tail wind as well, made my chances of completing this stretch (264km) in two days, more and more likely. The last car disappeared after the farm land stopped as did the tarmac. Beautiful bush land along an initially really good dirt road came in its place.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpm5sEnUG4_pvp19xDWtrRXqBbgG5shSO_ypAiQJvXmz_50b6A2NeeXDU-vf3Gj0DHbDZWH2WjicGuZmzecAyaaMZvtLIm3CjMFQpLrVXobIbLw1FQRhNoDAC2x4q1MTF1kSgeS3stRsI1/s1600-h/BILD02.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380601809044982274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpm5sEnUG4_pvp19xDWtrRXqBbgG5shSO_ypAiQJvXmz_50b6A2NeeXDU-vf3Gj0DHbDZWH2WjicGuZmzecAyaaMZvtLIm3CjMFQpLrVXobIbLw1FQRhNoDAC2x4q1MTF1kSgeS3stRsI1/s320/BILD02.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
The bush land stayed but the road changed with big stones and corrugations of a magnitude that I had never seen before. But by then it was already time to pitch a tent. I didn’t have to look for a special camp site, actually I could have pitched it in the middle of the road, as it was clear that nobody came by very often. So I had another wonderfully quiet night in total aloneness.<br />
<br />
The next day started as the day before had ended, only longer basically, actually the whole 112km until the Roadhouse: corrugations and stones. It cost a lot of energy and nerves but as always, the more challenging it is the happier you are when you reach your goal.<br />
<br />
The plus point was the wonderful landscape and the aloneness. Apart from two cars with caravans that overtook me the day before and also spent the night somewhere, the whole day I saw just one other car.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=6976028803035012784&postID=7374166722199182600" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>I didn’t want to be on the Eyre Highway any longer, that goes through the Nullarbor and would be my home for the next weeks, and took myself straight to the Balladonia Roadhouse. There were already a couple of charity cyclists “Bikers for Bibles” who had arrived there. They were going from Perth to Sydney in 32 days and were collecting money for various Bible projects. That must make them really well-saddled Christians.<br />
<br />
Three accompanying cars took care of their earthly needs and their luggage. With this they could accomplish great distances with their racing bikes. Thanks to the tail wind I could keep up with them for the next 2 ½ days. In the morning I started before them, but so lightly loaded, without luggage they soon overtook me and invited me to a cup of tea in the morning. As I was well underway, I declined but I couldn’t pass the buffet at lunchtime.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXkBIO1_PjX02t6g0Ia77ocpIoY6A4yWiqZ4xbdBtEwDAtEQ-KsCP2YQfzLZSp0sWqBdn5dpj-pKurGtQPJO_xQ0LLpzY4hChbbH2TGxV298qcm0udJSpJQylOFT-9jOnCS39J3uygflIU/s1600-h/BILD05.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380601314477306162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXkBIO1_PjX02t6g0Ia77ocpIoY6A4yWiqZ4xbdBtEwDAtEQ-KsCP2YQfzLZSp0sWqBdn5dpj-pKurGtQPJO_xQ0LLpzY4hChbbH2TGxV298qcm0udJSpJQylOFT-9jOnCS39J3uygflIU/s320/BILD05.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=6976028803035012784&postID=7374166722199182600" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>To be offered something like this in the middle of the bush was a real luxury. Salad, sandwiches, Tea, coffee, sports drinks, fruit... what more do you want.<br />
<br />
All this happened on the longest straight road in Australia. In the morning I passed this sign,<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYrJlS_sj9zdx_ARVlimI_auMauugF6sF0dYuaGn8ktD5kgkxeG0PsmFdOmI6iy2r4Uv1-yEFBTY4Ibxb22OeE1F5ij5Punb8IeW_mswct5UPdQtCcO8FEwW8l1irla_2yr1p-NN25Vu3u/s1600-h/BILD03.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380601799478608818" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYrJlS_sj9zdx_ARVlimI_auMauugF6sF0dYuaGn8ktD5kgkxeG0PsmFdOmI6iy2r4Uv1-yEFBTY4Ibxb22OeE1F5ij5Punb8IeW_mswct5UPdQtCcO8FEwW8l1irla_2yr1p-NN25Vu3u/s320/BILD03.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>to arrive a few hours later already (despite a long lunch break) at the other end of the road.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=6976028803035012784&postID=7374166722199182600" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb6CGt-M8IiV9NnNpq-799Eb1SzoCmOJxzw09w1ZT0G22kngzJXrRS37UtGxsyYpbMi0uVCbHrL26-AzwMYdy4jvS4bfsUq1d-jD29tMNBt_Si4Bfw83lHVYcolZ4Aw0rDZKHb35Em7zTs/s1600-h/BILD04.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380601791905827906" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb6CGt-M8IiV9NnNpq-799Eb1SzoCmOJxzw09w1ZT0G22kngzJXrRS37UtGxsyYpbMi0uVCbHrL26-AzwMYdy4jvS4bfsUq1d-jD29tMNBt_Si4Bfw83lHVYcolZ4Aw0rDZKHb35Em7zTs/s320/BILD04.jpg" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Two very nice young chaps with a camera approached me and enquired “You must be Dorothy”, which was something I was hearing more often. As I was in such a good mood after this fantastic trip, which had also taken me to 40,000km overall, I was naturally happily available for an interview.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=6976028803035012784&postID=7374166722199182600" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_3YqfBfMxnw0Gm3esQWVJxTMyzuQOK92-v_J55zD7UtCGPq3721ybDv_v1vPc0sypRif1Pc5CjAqV50ANtNYxw2rXKIVbk6ksD7ytFvzf9WuYDG4sw_xv156wr0zeOabkASy1B0brqfb4/s1600-h/BILD04a.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383362308502745874" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_3YqfBfMxnw0Gm3esQWVJxTMyzuQOK92-v_J55zD7UtCGPq3721ybDv_v1vPc0sypRif1Pc5CjAqV50ANtNYxw2rXKIVbk6ksD7ytFvzf9WuYDG4sw_xv156wr0zeOabkASy1B0brqfb4/s320/BILD04a.jpg" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
It was only 3 p.m. and I had done 182km. Physically, I could have gone on, but unfortunately I had two broken spokes resulting from the caves trip the day before. In such terrain an extra 10l of water and 5kg food on the rear wheel can’t work! Luckily I still had some spare spokes and was just about in front of the Roadhouse where the Bikers-for-Bibles were staying. It came in very useful, I only needed to put my bicycle down there for them and immediately one of them had changed my spokes with perfect precision, another had cleaned and greased the chain, and a third had pumped up the tyres. To thank them for that I was even invited to their evening meal.<br />
<br />
With such reinforcements and a newly repaired bike the next day I could keep up with them pretty well and enjoyed the lunchtime buffet again but I didn’t want to spend another night in a Roadhouse and so went a bit further to a rest area. It was up until then my longest straight ride with 183km. I found it wasn’t so easy and fast as the day before but as one can see from the result, was still quite good.<br />
<br />
Here several campers had settled and had set about starting a camp fire. Almost all had gone past me and greeted me straight away. I hadn’t even got my tent up before I had plate of Spaghetti in my hand. Why was I carrying so much food around with me? At the camp fire there was a good glass of wine again that once more made an end to a wonderful day.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately the tailwind lasted only as long as the next morning. I only got to see the catering service of the Bible friends as I was so much in advance them. The people taking care of it were just starting to set it up, but I went on after a short chat only not just because of that but also because I didn’t want to make use of it to be overloaded by their Christian love.<br />
<br />
I took care of myself in the next Roadhouse where the Bikers-for-Bibles escorts had also popped in for an ice-cream. I only saw the cyclists scurrying around. Stupid when you go like that in a team with no ice-cream breaks included.<br />
<br />
In the afternoon the wind was less comfortable, and in addition all of a sudden I had to ascend a mountain for 5km and this after the last hundreds of km had been flat. I was happy again to have the Eucla road house in front me on arrival at the top as I wanted a shower again. The Bible team was only 12km in front, where the next road house was but I didn’t to go one step further. Eucla was very cheap, in a beautiful location and the manager was very nice.<br />
<br />
Overnight it began. I had to empty my stomach quickly. I must have been caught out by bad water somewhere. I had thought that after 1 year in Asia my stomach could not be harmed any more. Not exactly what you need in the middle of the Nullarbor. I had enough medicine with me thanks to Johannes, my brother. Just a look at Immodium was enough to make me feel a bit better. Of course despite all this I wanted to go on. From the nice gents at the road house I got water that was guaranteed to be good, not always so to be taken for granted here.<br />
It got a lot better once I was on my bicycle. As I had done 520km over the last 3 days, I didn’t have to hurry any more.<br />
<br />
The South Australia <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: black; display: inline; padding-bottom: 0pt; padding-left: 0pt; padding-right: 0pt; padding-top: 0pt;">borde</span>r</span> came after 12km <br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5wUMj2yU-BkF_AzwAMMeoA4GztHeGUWQxsU4kfoqwXnomViXVo_RliS_cQSRIMpLeVa6gk8dgYUq3adMUAwMbZbpRZ_7ANF_xPBtZVCehJDbHxLBzmJUeqMogLixLpl4mnZ3tKF_TGJHi/s1600-h/BILD08.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380601292977974402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5wUMj2yU-BkF_AzwAMMeoA4GztHeGUWQxsU4kfoqwXnomViXVo_RliS_cQSRIMpLeVa6gk8dgYUq3adMUAwMbZbpRZ_7ANF_xPBtZVCehJDbHxLBzmJUeqMogLixLpl4mnZ3tKF_TGJHi/s320/BILD08.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
When you go round the world like this you start to notice how differently the big countries manage the time zones. In Russia the time changed systematically in specific sections by one hour in the easterly direction. In China not much was done about it, there was one time, Peking time, no matter if you were East, West, North or South. In Australia it is completely different yet again, it goes under and over, no matter if you come from South to North or from East to West, at every state border the time changes. But not only whole hours, no, half-hours or 1½ hours time differences, are also possible. At least it stayed the same within a state.<br />
<br />
This time I was able to put the time forward for 1½ hours, a practical change for me making it light for longer, as it didn’t get dark until 18h00.<br />
<br />
The Great Australian Bight started after the border, with imposing cliffs from which you had a beautiful view. Every couple of km there was a rest area with a viewpoint to stop.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_-Kto2Iv1v1IoicgPrxdxwCs6Gu91yasMvts4cFAQrtGwbPwhWEGp1eBDbSvDMFu4Zf94d3YcaIDxhYXLgfXQWbGy12mB41OzCEAnRsPPeA-UQNw3FgZrwFtUgWGgGI7XuuJF3PwYZkZI/s1600-h/BILD09.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380601286113857538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_-Kto2Iv1v1IoicgPrxdxwCs6Gu91yasMvts4cFAQrtGwbPwhWEGp1eBDbSvDMFu4Zf94d3YcaIDxhYXLgfXQWbGy12mB41OzCEAnRsPPeA-UQNw3FgZrwFtUgWGgGI7XuuJF3PwYZkZI/s320/BILD09.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPUYdXpu1TArE6tHW9zsA22xMxPEZ4VdTdC6M4eJY0yL9C3lcj_4lGDpHY5b4rurFWAnWL482jC_CHRifDuE5kU3UL0GZwQz4pG1jBIshl2xS-1ezSH8gt_Vr7E_NjFS7ShgWPJqukSzYV/s1600-h/BILD10.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380600373352480706" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPUYdXpu1TArE6tHW9zsA22xMxPEZ4VdTdC6M4eJY0yL9C3lcj_4lGDpHY5b4rurFWAnWL482jC_CHRifDuE5kU3UL0GZwQz4pG1jBIshl2xS-1ezSH8gt_Vr7E_NjFS7ShgWPJqukSzYV/s320/BILD10.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
Very practical for me and my stomach problems. At this time there should be many whales about. I saw none but despite this, thought it was really nice to do whale watching from my bike. After a long lunch break with rose-hip and ginger tea plus some light medicine for my stomach, I felt a lot better. I could ride on really happily.<br />
<br />
It was astonishing how much rubbish there was by the road, although no-one lived there and the traffic was also limited. Trees were decorated with a few objects like at Christmas, probably to highlight you to this fact.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPa6H5Mioxboal9DHMOx0CEKUldAg1ed3z26mI9xhdD6wQ0YH26BmDinojoUhnLFbbddJJBc4VUMhp6FC3yImKqsXgYz0KtA2_cAK5QGeaYSncSAZSNmgF4SCVfi-19BViz0IMNN3MUfa_/s1600-h/BILD06.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380601308184544434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPa6H5Mioxboal9DHMOx0CEKUldAg1ed3z26mI9xhdD6wQ0YH26BmDinojoUhnLFbbddJJBc4VUMhp6FC3yImKqsXgYz0KtA2_cAK5QGeaYSncSAZSNmgF4SCVfi-19BViz0IMNN3MUfa_/s320/BILD06.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
or practically a work of art was made out of it<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGSMv9uoPbG4ye4N-nt2LGtvnkJl9s8qFCBiaSL5LfZGH-l1ON5_n4Kg98aCjmttXxWkptbL6wEOtqliB2WM-Z_CjygCExs99a9k2gvDRzbIqIzur2VzdphRrsXaBcZSfuhws_SKD87ZA6/s1600-h/BILD07.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380601302526521906" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGSMv9uoPbG4ye4N-nt2LGtvnkJl9s8qFCBiaSL5LfZGH-l1ON5_n4Kg98aCjmttXxWkptbL6wEOtqliB2WM-Z_CjygCExs99a9k2gvDRzbIqIzur2VzdphRrsXaBcZSfuhws_SKD87ZA6/s320/BILD07.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
Apart from that there wasn’t much going on to the left or right of the edge of the road<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMozax0-gksD-31keW4_T2ymne9xoWNL4_hlbx-gT9WEp__0RrK9O1DkcdYSSfUffZQVAdK_8z3mTx8ObJ02QBBHxnbV47DB799u3bbojPkCLphBDTZkdNJKt3IZzGQbHFoAfl5VtinNJp/s1600-h/BILD11.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380600365349205186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMozax0-gksD-31keW4_T2ymne9xoWNL4_hlbx-gT9WEp__0RrK9O1DkcdYSSfUffZQVAdK_8z3mTx8ObJ02QBBHxnbV47DB799u3bbojPkCLphBDTZkdNJKt3IZzGQbHFoAfl5VtinNJp/s320/BILD11.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
At the Nullarbor Road House you can marvel at the bicycle that was ridden through the Nullarbor by the first “helmeted” bicyclist in 1962 (I didn’t know that there were bicycle helmets already then.) Nowadays in Australia helmets are required by law, but probably not by then.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnS5tjA-FubAvxHWg_rk08kYATOWrkvtLNvTV8W8ceWs1t8p16UpA9Xxbm-hC537fbDVUAUm-Suqegkj99TVIFu8Yc-Fv4izK4w7_i1bKz9TJEaB27cOsD924DTnYkxUjXRAQA28yBAjzS/s1600-h/BILD12.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380600363416238018" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnS5tjA-FubAvxHWg_rk08kYATOWrkvtLNvTV8W8ceWs1t8p16UpA9Xxbm-hC537fbDVUAUm-Suqegkj99TVIFu8Yc-Fv4izK4w7_i1bKz9TJEaB27cOsD924DTnYkxUjXRAQA28yBAjzS/s320/BILD12.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a>As time went on I always slept outside in the bush which was the most beautiful and quietest camp-site. As the saying goes, why pay for 4 stars when you get the whole of the Milky Way for free. The unending horizon not only made gigantic red-orange sunrises and sunsets across the whole width but also a starry sky that seemed to be infinite, above all because no light came from the Earth to disrupt it.<br />
<br />
Officially the Nullarbor goes from Norseman to Ceduna, around 1300km. The proper Nullarbor feeling stops already 100km before Ceduna, where fences and agriculture begin.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo4CJN5WBZqiU7wNJzAFjV2NGekOYdafwmhF-BEtTTJhkMBqwrCz0ZAa_6utsBg86jqGX3oA2jGLQONnwZnbBKxVM_bduVwe8qLTwQ1w-Ud-Z53Ml_q7pH7Azho-Y5BHCSJ7WuZkLLUoh1/s1600-h/BILD13.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380600354256576018" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo4CJN5WBZqiU7wNJzAFjV2NGekOYdafwmhF-BEtTTJhkMBqwrCz0ZAa_6utsBg86jqGX3oA2jGLQONnwZnbBKxVM_bduVwe8qLTwQ1w-Ud-Z53Ml_q7pH7Azho-Y5BHCSJ7WuZkLLUoh1/s320/BILD13.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
Once more one of the biggest goals of this trip was over and again it all went by too fast. It had taken me just about 8 days from Esperance to Ceduna, having had a great time and met very many nice people.<br />
<br />
I had probably had the best time of the year for the crossing with mostly tail wind, which was even very strong, and it wasn’t too hot. Over a day I needed merely 2 l of drinking water, very practical as at the Roadhouses you seldom get water.<br />
<br />
I had all the types of weather you could imagine, all on one day at a stretch only snow was missing.<br />
<br />
After the days in the bush, I enjoyed the advantages of a town again in Ceduna, at last I got my favourite biscuits again. Apart from that naturally a camping site was called for, with urgent need of a shower and a washing machine as well of course.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVV0ze6Y9krBQHUyZ4c3UCsnUpPfIGXa60VThN_Zq1M0LoDSpV9Nhzvv3tn6Nl92lILfF3ZxqJ9Il7J__6CC1Gwjx5hKjTfd5N5jlutTCMxcdcRL4VAD7hLVP_J94czH1WzrXghI5lZgOM/s1600-h/BILD14.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380600347883471122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVV0ze6Y9krBQHUyZ4c3UCsnUpPfIGXa60VThN_Zq1M0LoDSpV9Nhzvv3tn6Nl92lILfF3ZxqJ9Il7J__6CC1Gwjx5hKjTfd5N5jlutTCMxcdcRL4VAD7hLVP_J94czH1WzrXghI5lZgOM/s320/BILD14.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
It is simply great when you arrive at a camping site and there is already another bicycle standing there. This time it belonged to Travis, an Australian who, with his dog, was riding from Perth to Horsham, Victoria. Then there was also Kim, a Korean cyclist. Both of them had arrived the day before, the three of us celebrated our Nullarbor crossing joined by a German/Australian couple that sponsored the wine. A really nice change after the evenings in the bush, it went on really late.<br />
<br />
The two men decided to add on another rest day. For me the half day before (I arrived at lunch time) was enough. Still with the most beautiful sunshine I started the last section to Port Augusta, crossing the Eyre peninsula. This area is mainly characterised by grain farming. Each place had its own enormous grain silo, but nothing more. The aged General Store looked depressingly small next to it. No tourists come by here as the Eyre Highway goes past the place as does much else.<br />
<br />
As there were endless fences left and right of the road and the rest areas were only small indentations with a rubbish bin in these<br />
I decided to go to a camp-site to stay. I didn’t see anyone there, just seedy caravans around. It was cold and wet that day and I had no desire to pitch my tent there. So, without making a ceremony, I swept out the camp-site's store room and made myself comfortable there.<br />
<br />
The next day I was overcome with tiredness, still a result of the short night in Ceduna. It was only at 15h00 that I found a rest area to my taste, amazingly there was a motor caravan there already as well. After the elderly couple had invited me to coffee and cakes it was clear to me that I would stay there. Between coffee and an evening meal to which I also was invited, I could lie down for a while, for a well-earned rest as I was thoroughly tired. Not even the original Bush tea, appropriately boiled over a fire in a Billy<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuaPjxFkfk3Dl6IEWKRgVYL9J5U17wU7gC1IDNlC86PPr1IDjP4-HAx1KOQJ1RLyHyZvWAcKgI8bamOcratodrdkbLg3Cf__t83u0KQYWQtItHrKN5rH345vfXxRCo1BDct19dQa_n51FH/s1600-h/BILD15.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380599520938914610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuaPjxFkfk3Dl6IEWKRgVYL9J5U17wU7gC1IDNlC86PPr1IDjP4-HAx1KOQJ1RLyHyZvWAcKgI8bamOcratodrdkbLg3Cf__t83u0KQYWQtItHrKN5rH345vfXxRCo1BDct19dQa_n51FH/s320/BILD15.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
could revive me again. I slept wonderfully that night.<br />
<br />
Then came another night in the bush before the wind blew me completely to Port Augusta. It was only the 3rd September at noon when I arrived there so I could take care of things right away. Above all I needed new spokes for spares. Unfortunately they had no spokes of the length that I needed, but another surprise awaited me: the door opened and almost the complete Bikers-for-Bibles team came in. Which was a joy to meet again and the afternoon was done!<br />
<br />
As I hadn’t had a day off since Prevelly, Margaret River, I forced myself to take a rest now. After breakfast the next day my legs wanted to go on but I didn’t give in.<br />
<br />
Port Augusta was the first town on this trip that I had already been in during my first bicycle tour of Australia. But I could remember absolutely nothing of it. Can such a town that also has a historical centre have changed so much in 5½ years? The camp site where I was last time was certainly not there anymore. In its place is a MacDonalds’s with free WiFi where I then stayed almost the whole day.<br />
<br />
When I returned to the camp site, Travis was there, to my joy. It is always nice when you meet someone again, as then you don’t always have to start from the beginning again: where do you come from, where are you going, how many km do you do per day... With Travis at the evening meal I could swap the different impressions of the last section right away.<br />
<br />
From Port Augusta you get a wonderful view of the Flinders Ranges<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDgu_0TgU0B0rnYWI8GDMnNDU9dsXviX0ZyC0EI7OsR2_YoJMBlESeG1ArrgXVDxUyBGCjIrjlEFC1MQ3kSIQJXxf1IHie2-He_fD8cmlJKM6-s_xuSs6flFeShkE4DSvKFAt3F7AMVeON/s1600-h/BILD16.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380599509388464098" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDgu_0TgU0B0rnYWI8GDMnNDU9dsXviX0ZyC0EI7OsR2_YoJMBlESeG1ArrgXVDxUyBGCjIrjlEFC1MQ3kSIQJXxf1IHie2-He_fD8cmlJKM6-s_xuSs6flFeShkE4DSvKFAt3F7AMVeON/s320/BILD16.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
that would be attacked next.<br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976028803035012784.post-30801472065175382292009-08-20T01:46:00.000-07:002009-09-25T01:50:29.255-07:00Through the bushes and woods of South Australia<span style="font-family: arial;">On the 1.August the time had come, at last I could leave Perth. My patience had been tried heavily as the repair of my bicycle had taken longer than expected. But thanks to Aldo and Sats who had taken my bicycle apart so thoroughly. I believe also I belong to the few who have seen a “Rohloff” speedhub from the inside.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">Apart from that I’d actually got another GPS from Garmin Australia for free, a new Iso-Matte from Cascade Design (Therm-a-Rest), the new Brooks saddle that I had sent from England myself, and in the meantime Hilleberg had let me have a new inner tent. The money was enough for new shoe-laces instead of new shoes. The long stay in Perth was worth it. I hope that the equipment, above all the bicycle, would last until I came home again.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">The time in Perth even had some special highlights thanks to the chamber music group of Rose’s that took me to their hearts. I profited further from these acquaintances since they had also taken care of addresses further in the South for me.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">The next stage on from Perth was to be the Munda Bidda trail (http://www.mundabiddi.org.au/). Everyone warned me about this part. It could hardly be ridden, you had to carry your bicycle, etc., and also barely possible with luggage. I sent Graeme, who started with a friend two days before me, in advance effectively as a guinea-pig. On the second day he called me and thought that I should come to Jarrahdale, the start of the second stage, and go on further with him as it would be better to do it as a pair. His friend had had to go back to Perth. I was glad that he took the decision for me and we’d meet further to the south. Despite that I had the pleasure to go 426km through thick bush.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">However the first 20km was on tarmac due to a diversion caused by tree-felling. But then at last I really started the trek.</span><br />
<br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaOPupMq3BcYoEz7CVlMEL47lsA2XfVzq_kZi6VZrJorPxUYIWnWzL8kk4D113eGHKvRxv8AytKZVchXuQGz679eYxu2heMq2XwFfOLdS5dT_r4xvweF4fXSh8mcyt-tFAwxJd3wdQf7Gv/s1600-h/BILD01.JPG" style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372242330600842370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaOPupMq3BcYoEz7CVlMEL47lsA2XfVzq_kZi6VZrJorPxUYIWnWzL8kk4D113eGHKvRxv8AytKZVchXuQGz679eYxu2heMq2XwFfOLdS5dT_r4xvweF4fXSh8mcyt-tFAwxJd3wdQf7Gv/s320/BILD01.JPG" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;"> If I hadn’t heard so much about this stretch already i would have been totally shocked: narrow tracks, rough sand,</span><br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZxctLUa9DGpislDPRQEMWrHG04MDScfqQJsb49MWFmMTkSAUxKP8XcJ2D8UWQ8VhXCtAfA1L20C0YLf6xlwErEWg7lsiN9JGHGI9X_SozTZIXmPhCcwNp5sEwoe8yhM8-HnlKIdvkSmYX/s1600-h/BILD02.JPG" style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372241806744177378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZxctLUa9DGpislDPRQEMWrHG04MDScfqQJsb49MWFmMTkSAUxKP8XcJ2D8UWQ8VhXCtAfA1L20C0YLf6xlwErEWg7lsiN9JGHGI9X_SozTZIXmPhCcwNp5sEwoe8yhM8-HnlKIdvkSmYX/s320/BILD02.JPG" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;"> stones, branches, deep ruts,</span><br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK1nrBnvnAY0dgKRxYJ89k-DNJ4g8tNoiEUJLU_EoMkcls5MC1OGCwUcuk9gBx4_ID19X9xTm5hTl56372obSNZEPi7Jq2PyDnhoAHRFvdGtgDt4zXfdqEpxLbvdyO8ki42Z6mnu1xnbT4/s1600-h/BILD03.JPG" style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372241799565646290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK1nrBnvnAY0dgKRxYJ89k-DNJ4g8tNoiEUJLU_EoMkcls5MC1OGCwUcuk9gBx4_ID19X9xTm5hTl56372obSNZEPi7Jq2PyDnhoAHRFvdGtgDt4zXfdqEpxLbvdyO8ki42Z6mnu1xnbT4/s320/BILD03.JPG" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">which would have been a pleasure to whizz through there on a mountain bike. With all the luggage it was quite another challenge once again. The reward came always at the end of the day, simple huts, totally isolated in the middle of the forest.</span><br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1vHyohqR9I1flH5Jbk5wWmc0xos5AZl9ADKO7O5b8PKSpbcEYkqxzzUxCDJbS3GT16L3zqwGEmXBlPI15G8rrWVCx_JnVcPlam3OeQWZCZ2YufmY-EVDOYheXAfI4btIX_D7ayaIiFSx6/s1600-h/BILD04.JPG" style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372241792629903490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1vHyohqR9I1flH5Jbk5wWmc0xos5AZl9ADKO7O5b8PKSpbcEYkqxzzUxCDJbS3GT16L3zqwGEmXBlPI15G8rrWVCx_JnVcPlam3OeQWZCZ2YufmY-EVDOYheXAfI4btIX_D7ayaIiFSx6/s320/BILD04.JPG" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a> <br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">This construction, built by prison labour, was simply great. Just as much as you need: a roof over your head, wooden boards on which you can sleep, benches and tables, two water tanks with rain water, bicycle stands and, somewhat apart, a small outside toilet.</span><br />
<br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsilELIZBjx4yawVjRqsgqwt-swDtbdGeIeEqJ6p2RHgpYoMR-PJnL5VpNAWKK8rStWqAfH0v4gGUnZfRh6voi7raPAJORghDrE0u4iUf7bskMxkrFt6k4iHSeXMaQ21zQlgAC7TrlbgqP/s1600-h/BILD05.JPG" style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372241782420869058" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsilELIZBjx4yawVjRqsgqwt-swDtbdGeIeEqJ6p2RHgpYoMR-PJnL5VpNAWKK8rStWqAfH0v4gGUnZfRh6voi7raPAJORghDrE0u4iUf7bskMxkrFt6k4iHSeXMaQ21zQlgAC7TrlbgqP/s320/BILD05.JPG" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;"> However, the next two days would be really comfortable once more. Graeme’s wheel rim was broken. He had had to stop every 2km and adjust his spokes again as far as Dwillingup, a nice small village, the next station. Somewhere along the line we decided to go on by road. At lunchtime we were already at the camping site in the middle of the forest. As naturally there was no bicycle shop there, Graeme stopped in the next bigger town the next day to buy a new rear wheel. That gave me the chance to ride without luggage the stage that we were spared yesterday. That was a whole new pleasure.</span><br />
<div style="font-family: arial; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">We were actually really lucky with the weather, it was mainly dry during the day. Once it had rained hard almost the whole night, so that the trail was full of deep muddy patches. I actually fell over in one, how embarrassing.<br />
</div><br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuPC8rvXcCHBMrDqO8Tnlnpa_hkgyFjMN7gwP-vk_VylW97g7QNzIWPxHf4BjciSwhv79oYvk96fRZ67QSTVEHLG-ZkqF8163F9GE6tb0D0bYFoEmUn45pPLm6YYJB4O_vPLSvn08AdH5n/s1600-h/BILD06.JPG" style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372241780788486594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuPC8rvXcCHBMrDqO8Tnlnpa_hkgyFjMN7gwP-vk_VylW97g7QNzIWPxHf4BjciSwhv79oYvk96fRZ67QSTVEHLG-ZkqF8163F9GE6tb0D0bYFoEmUn45pPLm6YYJB4O_vPLSvn08AdH5n/s320/BILD06.JPG" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;"> The bike and I took a bath together. I looked about the same as the panniers, coverd in mud. Luckily the sun was shining. Thanks to the branches and twigs loaded with water on the narrow paths,</span> <br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip6-TiluS6Ji01K7FOugyboVyaRYdV9bGJHsIbuF0pJkxtlOqk_fF_dIx1TZRCQ9JLQ734q-1RBokr5TRZ4PKHhRVLlti24nbRxzNwCQRqeTKiXQK0kQQMeOLMV-FD3xspawN5lnE55RxO/s1600-h/BILD07.JPG" style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372241094965206962" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip6-TiluS6Ji01K7FOugyboVyaRYdV9bGJHsIbuF0pJkxtlOqk_fF_dIx1TZRCQ9JLQ734q-1RBokr5TRZ4PKHhRVLlti24nbRxzNwCQRqeTKiXQK0kQQMeOLMV-FD3xspawN5lnE55RxO/s320/BILD07.JPG" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;"> In the evening there was one of these wonderful places again with the fantastic huts. With everything laid out to dry I put on warm, half-dry clothes for the hut.</span><br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU3GXYt8RhMposN5-tyg44IkbuJFiKFqJURdQmufIooPnRYrShNbrqQKcYO0uZFLTHLQgX_EVyDZZ2lFoYszdPaosW8VMDfNA_Y_DT3JvYhZt0flknTPy5FO-GPXSOSTlcGpntORonPQ4Z/s1600-h/BILD08.JPG" style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372241094484938082" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU3GXYt8RhMposN5-tyg44IkbuJFiKFqJURdQmufIooPnRYrShNbrqQKcYO0uZFLTHLQgX_EVyDZZ2lFoYszdPaosW8VMDfNA_Y_DT3JvYhZt0flknTPy5FO-GPXSOSTlcGpntORonPQ4Z/s320/BILD08.JPG" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;">The nearer I got to the end, the easier the way became. The whole stretch is divided into „Easy“, „Middle“ and „Challenging“. In fact the end was all called „Easy“, although I didn’t quite understand it as it wasn’t always like this</span><br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv9eW9m47_74LZLahQu0iqTCJ1vFvZmk6xAWX_jhr97Pw4UsOz_jv5ClkPmk3uxepRxv5O0-ZhzdgRZr9odMc6DFIEtTHGoKNnSoyi5erLgcKEYM0zkZL37SLL3DDKcS_6z2ANFsSS3b_v/s1600-h/BILD09.JPG" style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372241085738474242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv9eW9m47_74LZLahQu0iqTCJ1vFvZmk6xAWX_jhr97Pw4UsOz_jv5ClkPmk3uxepRxv5O0-ZhzdgRZr9odMc6DFIEtTHGoKNnSoyi5erLgcKEYM0zkZL37SLL3DDKcS_6z2ANFsSS3b_v/s320/BILD09.JPG" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;"> line, that was used to carry huge tree trunks out of the forest. Since there are no giant trees any more and so no logging, they had not only ripped out the tracks but also the majority of the houses that aren’t lived in any more have fallen to the ground. On this old railway line where the planks still lie left and right to the track and nails still lie in the way, is at the moment the last part of the Munda Biddi Trail ending in Nannup.</span><br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlp2-TlXq1dAAi4kv4OmNflXuTdIiPWo5TyTANhz56ML1gTzVM7lera9fYrHeKrbqkZl4ABOQHQNEiEx7iHvV5lChOyVkboHuZmSakWEOrreSswQcsKxYQ7xtmwhIzaMzqsDEBToV89IMJ/s1600-h/BILD10.JPG" style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372241076835246530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlp2-TlXq1dAAi4kv4OmNflXuTdIiPWo5TyTANhz56ML1gTzVM7lera9fYrHeKrbqkZl4ABOQHQNEiEx7iHvV5lChOyVkboHuZmSakWEOrreSswQcsKxYQ7xtmwhIzaMzqsDEBToV89IMJ/s320/BILD10.JPG" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;">In a few years it will be built on further, 1000km to Albany. Altogether we were 9 days on the trail together, and only once met another group – young people on a course. We were at a camping site three times with the benefit of a washing machine and above all a tumble dryer. After Nannup Graeme and I went our separate ways for the first time. He had little time as he had to be in Melbourne at the beginning of October. I wanted to see more of the South-West. </span><style type="text/css">
<!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } -->
</style> <br />
<div style="font-family: arial; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">In a few years it will be built on further, 1000km to Albany. Altogether we were 9 days on the trail together, and only once met another group – young people on a course. We were at a camping site three times with the benefit of a washing machine and above all a tumble dryer. After Nannup Graeme and I went our separate ways for the first time. He had little time as he had to be in Melbourne at the beginning of October. I wanted to see more of the South-West.<br />
</div><span style="font-family: arial;">Thanks Graeme for everything, especially for your patience. Perhaps one day (or two :-) ) we will see each other again – have a safe trip</span><br />
<div style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: arial; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Prevelly was the next station for me, west of the Margaret River, where the sister of a musician in Perth lived. The forest track that linked the two places (about 70km of it) was rated as impassable by the Tourist Information. As I wasn’t enthusiastic about going around via the main road, and thought it couldn’t be as bad as the Munda Biddi, I just did it. It was fantastic.<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFsikHe8OuKaQeFLjog_e63sfqq_A7eSYBVYEP6QT9CgJHgGo2gapcKmJ4OTSfrHl-stnSGvpusL6D9z0tyzNPjjsv0e4aWvu8laael4eL9wKwm7iV4dlwgguobXzeCJ12prQ9ya9tWpo/s1600-h/BILD11.JPG" style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372241070207667186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFsikHe8OuKaQeFLjog_e63sfqq_A7eSYBVYEP6QT9CgJHgGo2gapcKmJ4OTSfrHl-stnSGvpusL6D9z0tyzNPjjsv0e4aWvu8laael4eL9wKwm7iV4dlwgguobXzeCJ12prQ9ya9tWpo/s320/BILD11.JPG" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">Soon I caught sight of the Margaret River wine town. You could see that with some money here you could soon make more. In the nice small coastal town of Prevelly I was kindly welcomed by Jannet and her husband Barry. What a luxury after days in the bush to have a bed and proper food again. As it was stormy and rainy the next day I just stayed another night. Jannet showed me the coast with the Margaret River delta</span><br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL54kSPyixg1TWsGkefBza8s8wlFHCEwTz0T5qmz3YH5oPfjeWo7yM8SnlrgO9DnO8dCK7vKGneHkiaWr2krAVPqXTdvfHZ76DgIhFerqNp8TZTuSv3UOJuT7MBG3Ay1RxQ7Wt1RfZal4-/s1600-h/BILD12.JPG" style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372239981358934162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL54kSPyixg1TWsGkefBza8s8wlFHCEwTz0T5qmz3YH5oPfjeWo7yM8SnlrgO9DnO8dCK7vKGneHkiaWr2krAVPqXTdvfHZ76DgIhFerqNp8TZTuSv3UOJuT7MBG3Ay1RxQ7Wt1RfZal4-/s320/BILD12.JPG" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">that looked really spectacular with this fire.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">In a vineyard in the area was a small old aeroplane that the owners had used to fly from England to Perth, The route was painted on the plane. It was much quicker than me, needing only 2 months, for me 1.5 years (if you have to know, the 1.5 year date was on the 17. August), but despite this Jannet asked who was the crazier.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">I wasn’t one for wine-tasting but she thought as we were there... so we tried two white wines and talked about the plane etc. and Jannet talked about me. The lady behind the bar was really excited and right away gave me a bottle of red wine. It was very nice of her, so the visit was worthwhile. I left it by my nice guests though as I didn’t need something like that on my bicycle.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">A friend was invited to dinner at home that evening. I didn’t want to use such opportunities to talk about my trip but instead to find as much as possible about the next stretches. For example, I didn’t hear only about the wonderful forest tracks but also about a great overnight stop, a forest camp.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">My legs were itching to get going again, no matter what the weather looked like. To begin with it was really good, really well rested and off again with a full thirst for action. The Karri Forest began south of Margaret River, a forest with the tallest tree of Australia. Not only was the height unique but also the colour. It looked to be constantly peeling and so had a really light, grey-brown tree-trunk.</span><br />
<br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgujuS-RtbwOUy5ps1labjYVEXbfIbmEfXCtRbtfCkMsYjOoldqMJPbgy4bIE1reUJteJ3c7pi8dMaMRVrXK1Fr8JbAZnYupENG2lm8N-sFXP8jgvInuUyF58zi_rXXkRsgwJRGzyW_ASPa/s1600-h/BILD13.JPG" style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372239970304351090" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgujuS-RtbwOUy5ps1labjYVEXbfIbmEfXCtRbtfCkMsYjOoldqMJPbgy4bIE1reUJteJ3c7pi8dMaMRVrXK1Fr8JbAZnYupENG2lm8N-sFXP8jgvInuUyF58zi_rXXkRsgwJRGzyW_ASPa/s320/BILD13.JPG" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">But watch out for a storm as then the bits of bark are blown around your ears.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">I couldn’t avoid a trip to Augusta and the light-house on Cape Leeuwin. Firstly due to the bakery with its tasty delights, and also as Cape Leeuwin is where the South Ocean and the Indian Ocean meet as it is the south-western tip of Australia.</span><br />
<br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAi8iN5U-QmsRQMxGJ9q6oQbJ7ynO56qjuTb-D105tuf7dJpdcnNJckTzygf4t3P66Sw1qH1ANy7s4bapRvHDohyphenhyphenhKGFIPb0ktVDwu4OnKq_PdAnUo3kL-irxaoSaInYtzSUXS4yUjJLc8/s1600-h/BILD14.JPG" style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372239969482860898" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAi8iN5U-QmsRQMxGJ9q6oQbJ7ynO56qjuTb-D105tuf7dJpdcnNJckTzygf4t3P66Sw1qH1ANy7s4bapRvHDohyphenhyphenhKGFIPb0ktVDwu4OnKq_PdAnUo3kL-irxaoSaInYtzSUXS4yUjJLc8/s320/BILD14.JPG" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">Off the coast from Cape is one of the most dangerous places to sail. Even when you experience a storm on the land you notice that nobody in the world would want to be in the water. Even standing on the ground is hard. Later I asked myself how I ever got out with my bicycle.</span><br />
<br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpYVROGWm-6UlDork9HXL6TZeKnmI357sFMPLk64BQf5CKatC5j504arPjai_U6ZWiOqqp2nJ4Zrgx5BAvsZczohxh3pJtNn1trVOxiDmYPyVa-zXmHHYQEyBUPvssQ-OjBRypQry3l39E/s1600-h/BILD15.JPG" style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372239957299615282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpYVROGWm-6UlDork9HXL6TZeKnmI357sFMPLk64BQf5CKatC5j504arPjai_U6ZWiOqqp2nJ4Zrgx5BAvsZczohxh3pJtNn1trVOxiDmYPyVa-zXmHHYQEyBUPvssQ-OjBRypQry3l39E/s320/BILD15.JPG" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">Here I met young Aisian tourists again that really wanted to be photographed with me. I got chewing gum for that, which really wasn’t bad.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">Then nothing for it but back and eastwards, I wanted to get to the Forest Rescue Camp and actually didn’t know exactly how far it was. As soon as I got on the highway I met a young German woman tourist who was hitch-hiking her way to the camp. I couldn’t take her with me.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">There was then a nice bit more, I heard thunder twice, and it was beginning to get dark as I reached the camp.</span><br />
<br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHb7uxSVL5B3XnSR0lL6ctDqvUUv_9Kz6jEM4r0P1mOSoxR09-7b7lRbTMhRvUYRHJ4Yvu5FLwn70U2_rswm5uG3wwCAAuZ_EWF7bi2EwE1nVlQJVFRK6pvIVaTOYFBdHjM2qBbaV3uk_J/s1600-h/BILD16.JPG" style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372239948734754738" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHb7uxSVL5B3XnSR0lL6ctDqvUUv_9Kz6jEM4r0P1mOSoxR09-7b7lRbTMhRvUYRHJ4Yvu5FLwn70U2_rswm5uG3wwCAAuZ_EWF7bi2EwE1nVlQJVFRK6pvIVaTOYFBdHjM2qBbaV3uk_J/s320/BILD16.JPG" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">Except for two activists, everyone had gone, and of course Tina was there. In the community tent there was a fire with food on it already and the kitchen was full of food donated by sympathising supporting organisations. I couldn’t find much about the actions in the forest but despite that the evening was really entertaining.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">The next day was full of rain, rain and hail. First I had to go to Pemberton, a small place in the mountains that used to also live from logging, but nowadays lives more from tourism. I was soaked through and frozen. As a place in the camp site cost the same as a bed in the youth hostel I thought I could take a look at the hostel. Probably it is an advantage if you are a bit older and are not stuck in a dormitory with young Asian women. I got a little villa with a fully equipped kitche, bathroom and WC for me alone as the hostel is divided into several little houses. What luxury, above all with the stove that I used heavily. After a long hot shower I could feel my feet again.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">The next day it was stormy and rainy again, this time I put my rain gear on that I probably hadn’t worn since Russia. I was fine with anything except to be as cold and wet as the day before. The 10 hail storms couldn’t touch me. In the evening, at Walpole.</span><br />
<br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZSS68mSL9HgVuAGQtsroGDbUYdNKx2na3liKIvyeBikPdVIao47dYRmK87i-wcev3Bpu7afvb3Q9W-srdM9Uvv6gk6cwYEOT7FyBdBzUIqWwHbPoacujKwPKxZQpSe62QJK_dXzhiIB-t/s1600-h/BILD17.JPG" style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372239317230070290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZSS68mSL9HgVuAGQtsroGDbUYdNKx2na3liKIvyeBikPdVIao47dYRmK87i-wcev3Bpu7afvb3Q9W-srdM9Uvv6gk6cwYEOT7FyBdBzUIqWwHbPoacujKwPKxZQpSe62QJK_dXzhiIB-t/s320/BILD17.JPG" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">with the nice bay and beaches that I didn’t look at further, I came to another youth hostel on the way to the camp site. I stayed as this was so similar to one the night before. I was the only woman and so had the whole area for me, this time I had to share the kitchen which was also really enjoyable.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">The highpoint in the Karri Tree Forest (literally) is in the “Valley of Giants”. There still stand especially big and high examples of the Karri trees, that can get to be 75m high and the Red Tinckle, that can also grow very high. A fire a few years ago burnt off the tops, the tallest trees are now only 60m high. On a Tree Top walk you can almost walk through the treetops,</span><br />
<br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgojeBdnZw5Lj9Zjzy_BVrAeFNmIgfftBczW-uImWCmCQ0Fzk7JkL7yav42C7iEZ4pjyjzqbD5AHOWefaag-zmkPNXAttUdu6CEpmlo15vlxXyd0Lw4f1mmkxgxSi1s1ENnROx5l77nMIfe/s1600-h/BILD18.JPG" style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372239315554601346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgojeBdnZw5Lj9Zjzy_BVrAeFNmIgfftBczW-uImWCmCQ0Fzk7JkL7yav42C7iEZ4pjyjzqbD5AHOWefaag-zmkPNXAttUdu6CEpmlo15vlxXyd0Lw4f1mmkxgxSi1s1ENnROx5l77nMIfe/s320/BILD18.JPG" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">and see it all from above</span><br />
<br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd4NK4OijBmxYBZ-D_l4qI9o24fV7ZPK9S6tlnRylJ5UvD5kFa9qYhKKrtiB6-QvdDV3hofCS-L0wxFwRWwMnrzcjmeOFUjnjcmp1fBiw9STGfXKbf0M3H7IcK4Co6zCm7HnZ64QC_H0gF/s1600-h/BILD19.JPG" style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372239305017535890" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd4NK4OijBmxYBZ-D_l4qI9o24fV7ZPK9S6tlnRylJ5UvD5kFa9qYhKKrtiB6-QvdDV3hofCS-L0wxFwRWwMnrzcjmeOFUjnjcmp1fBiw9STGfXKbf0M3H7IcK4Co6zCm7HnZ64QC_H0gF/s320/BILD19.JPG" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">The rain and storm did it down a bit but I could take a couple of photos even without a waterproof camera. The tree-trunks too were of gigantic dimensions,</span><br />
<br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0t6r-KDJAosvCwVwyANJgNUivVBwQLc6Bk-_jrKqLgdrzpduiSs6f4cnsC19DkSUosbOU6dM7qDPtElAh9nl8h3l5E7gGpKTLVI0lkc2A7yyR008Tnx0879K8fcv-ToxW0nGcddnKgCu-/s1600-h/BILD20.JPG" style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372239299472903010" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0t6r-KDJAosvCwVwyANJgNUivVBwQLc6Bk-_jrKqLgdrzpduiSs6f4cnsC19DkSUosbOU6dM7qDPtElAh9nl8h3l5E7gGpKTLVI0lkc2A7yyR008Tnx0879K8fcv-ToxW0nGcddnKgCu-/s320/BILD20.JPG" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">(here you see me in my bright rainproof gear). Even my fully-loaded bicycle looked puny next to it.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkz50JXV1NiUKzYbuU070bjomKn57aGnoBHJvz-pj71pbRGjCxVlgyH3o-uyXPFyKGcljWuTFQi5-Pvb9n-cKI8UupJcbXTJ2wff2Ou5QKNbfOG7R-tC___H3XPbvOvG960P_K9HEP1zK7/s1600-h/BILD21.JPG" style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372239288163384178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkz50JXV1NiUKzYbuU070bjomKn57aGnoBHJvz-pj71pbRGjCxVlgyH3o-uyXPFyKGcljWuTFQi5-Pvb9n-cKI8UupJcbXTJ2wff2Ou5QKNbfOG7R-tC___H3XPbvOvG960P_K9HEP1zK7/s320/BILD21.JPG" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">Then nothing else for it but to go on as I wanted to get to Albany. Only a short stop in Denmark, an artist and hippy colony. With the nice beaches, it would be a worth a long stay here in summer. For me it was just a short pit-stop in the bakery. After Denmark the rain had actually stopped and it was warm straight away, I could take care of all my plastic and arrived dry in Albany.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">As after two nights in a bed I didn’t want to go on spoiling myself, I went to a camping site. It hadn’t rained any more but it was still really swampy. But anyway there was already another tent there.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">I wanted to do a bit of sight-seeing before I left the town the next day. It was really worth it as along the coast was wonderful cycle track with a view of the peninsula.</span><br />
<br />
<div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372238579096321154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikQ8jJxM9MBSXdTSDG3gshcpuo8fBEv2ETTPukzrr8QRplzK1pV-6zFNtPaL1tqaSybQlbE26hIrtH3b7JzVDXHkcS9HAy6PyOCk7A85-jAx96djJyjSbOlFHD9diTxDI4Uw5o2RkHKYIr/s320/BILD22.JPG" style="display: block; font-family: arial; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">Everyone seemed to be happy, undoubtedly because of the weather that was sunny again at last.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">The city centre is composed of lots of old houses, everything looked very trendy and expensive.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">So, time to go. From here it was a bit North in the headwind. The first time since Kalbarri. I couldn’t complain after all the days of tailwind.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">My host Beatrice, a former musician from Perth, had invited me to Mt Barker. She came straight from Albany as well. Luckily she had to go to Mt Barker as well so I had discovered my first pretzl shop since Ulan Bator.</span><br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372238588163419026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeZ6VEugt3GwDojhTJ9sY16nQulEkdKv52uzqPw9341UKpxvSHpmY9serxZbz79DTjfpLrTIN2DjLvVuU37fUEtPBaA1zGonbesGeoJZ-hlXa-M9UIxvBD2L72GQhIZ5qWefvTWOl4Juh6/s320/BILD23.JPG" style="display: block; font-family: arial; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">A Swabian couple from Biberach had wandered into Australia to benefit it with this delicatessen. I ate two straight away, with butter naturally. Who knows when I would make such a find again.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">Beatrice didn’t live far from her family, in the country at a beautiful place, nice view, with many woods and meadows around and about it. In the evening we discussed my further tour and checked the weather forecast. I was like a cat on hot bricks again, I just wanted to be going again as fast as possible, to benefit from the West wind, ultimately there was 2000km Nullarber the stretch to Port Augusta in front of me.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">Before then there was the Sterling mountain range that practically lay outside Beatrice’s door.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">In the morning it rained again and mountains were covered in cloud. I couldn’t do anything about that, I had to take the weather as it comes. I went on good forest and field tracks with little traffic and slowly the weather cleared. Soon I had perfect cycling weather and a wonderful view.</span><br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372238597751990162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoKmHMXkxI_R6no57RR0X1LLUkxRsbpzuVMQ83G5Zvzrf34PpLIEN1uqDnK7U91pAfTrBUpXX2yLyxZyQM9OSCTVRw-FGaWRYn4xmogHKb1Ha5Udq-ONa-R1PWUM7iggvD1H4bJdTl8qpI/s320/BILD24.JPG" style="display: block; font-family: arial; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">The Sterling Range road goes through the mountain peaks for over 40km .</span><br />
<br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5Kz6CbE7xCAVXFoqa9TjREy52_20tfuYNZpAzCoKJEeK1Bdwlq0gEanxNocu3nH0ooeVG6YZ36w1fpLXI07d3ph3gR0ySYewwULNZd462JYFMRUrvYWOn615BEla6VmY_o_Hrngfu6BK/s1600-h/BILD25.JPG" style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372238605218120850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5Kz6CbE7xCAVXFoqa9TjREy52_20tfuYNZpAzCoKJEeK1Bdwlq0gEanxNocu3nH0ooeVG6YZ36w1fpLXI07d3ph3gR0ySYewwULNZd462JYFMRUrvYWOn615BEla6VmY_o_Hrngfu6BK/s320/BILD25.JPG" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372238610799247042" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY3rYVl4bzu-jLMdjCo_4h1iOkpe6fsrgRaq65tsOwVM6Q2ySKtWDRoFyrkLZ6EuDTWmy1irkhi-Ijg5jfl7K0jbfifz3SC9JEsJhA0APAqnK_awwmyI04JzYSt_KIIa12qa5fjPUjFROa/s320/BILD26.JPG" style="display: block; font-family: arial; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">This area is known for orchids and wild flowers. I was 2 weeks too early for both. But there were already 2 types of orchid that were in bloom, but really small ones. The wild flowers were just starting, you saw a lot of yellow, white and pink in the bushes. In two weeks there would certainly be a real blaze of colours but I was driven on.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">Luckily this place was another good place for unofficial camping. I could ride until it was dark and then look for a spot. The day before Esperance I set a new record, 181km! It rained again and was cold. I was drawn away from the road to a private house, for this I had to stop this stretch. Kyrie, the daughter of Beatrice was waiting for me in Esperance with her family. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">After the record of the day before I arrived very early the next morning. So I can publish this Blog before I am incommunicado for the next weeks.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;">Tomorrow, on 22. August it’s about 240km on dirt road to take me to the Eyrie Highway (hopefully), the around 2000km long road through the Nullarbor to Port Augusta. I’ll report again from there.</span><br />
</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976028803035012784.post-63345684375647078922009-08-14T01:38:00.000-07:002009-09-25T01:53:41.170-07:00From Carnarvon to PerthAfter resting and eating well again I headed further South. The weather didn’t look very promising, with only dark clouds in the sky, but I was still itching to go. The heavy downpour of the past few days was still visible on both sides of the street.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN6WFaaJrZnIEJGdAyo6MfcdZnfosi-syPWCNTXASM5DDLzj0CY-9_jOUf3To1PFnOLfsHIt2YlRk30E-MFRsCIaxUnxDZSFKZg2Qk8pXCX6jvCWSAJI9fiaNZnFWBOqvoit9dnXXp9S6g/s1600-h/BILD01.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360755656923881298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN6WFaaJrZnIEJGdAyo6MfcdZnfosi-syPWCNTXASM5DDLzj0CY-9_jOUf3To1PFnOLfsHIt2YlRk30E-MFRsCIaxUnxDZSFKZg2Qk8pXCX6jvCWSAJI9fiaNZnFWBOqvoit9dnXXp9S6g/s320/BILD01.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
Not very inviting for a camp in the bush. The further South I went, the more often I came across official camping sites, e.g. at roadhouses.<br />
<br />
The next day all records were broken with three roadhouses in one day! Though I only got drinking water at the last one. Very annoying, luckily I hadn’t packed my water bag away and had enough water anyway.<br />
<br />
That didn’t stop me from making the best distance record ever, at 170km thanks to a supporting tailwind. Actually I wanted to make a quick visit to Shark Bay, as it is such a world heritage area and should have been really beautiful, but the unsettled weather and the dark clouds to the West prevented me. Instead I preferred to enjoy the tailwind for a little while longer.<br />
<br />
At this time of year and above all with the weather the area is not gloriously colourful. Painted thoroughly in bright colours though was an old refrigerator decaying at the entrance of a station.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTEMUSsMMb9l0ce2CFCqyGb8VmS2yTF5KdyiK-QEmfNju2alIFEUfLutkD0R8fMQFxiCNpDxJv8DIy_230dphlCnCI10ycEtVnuT7c1TaVh6aw6gFOHDJzLbvY_nLn5udMZvyKbN0lccCG/s1600-h/BILD02.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360755654782401922" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTEMUSsMMb9l0ce2CFCqyGb8VmS2yTF5KdyiK-QEmfNju2alIFEUfLutkD0R8fMQFxiCNpDxJv8DIy_230dphlCnCI10ycEtVnuT7c1TaVh6aw6gFOHDJzLbvY_nLn5udMZvyKbN0lccCG/s320/BILD02.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
I couldn’t determine if it had a special function. It would have been nice if it had stored cool drinks for cyclists, but unfortunately that wasn’t the case.<br />
<br />
The rest area that I had my eye on was 10km further than I thought. But it didn’t matter to me that day despite the frequent hills and the drizzle that kept coming back. Shortly before dark I arrived at a really big rest area with campers settled already who had made a communal fire. That was good for me, as it was quite cold in the evening and I spent a nice evening at the fire enjoying the very pleasant company.<br />
<br />
What was most changeable in this area was the wind. Yesterday nicely in the back, today really strongly from one side. What the hell, you have to deal with it. For the first few kilometres everything was as before, until all at once it got greener and cultivated areas began. It was really strange suddenly to see grain farming again. This meant that fences began to appear left and right of the street making it not so easy to pitch a tent behind a bush.<br />
After the left turn West to Kalbarri the fun really started with hills and the strongest headwind that I’d had since I’d been in Australia.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUnT96mjvGM0iZJ9bHyBQwasewqq5o3zw5duyzIZacdkPMUa8Teeg-Wq9mfkeV2K0cGEJagrOco4trSd06t_NMvrLDIXOcFQMfr3UKos1UlU_42zHwWtM4Bsxs1us3UDNeofueCh0mPk80/s1600-h/BILD04.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360755649118421506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUnT96mjvGM0iZJ9bHyBQwasewqq5o3zw5duyzIZacdkPMUa8Teeg-Wq9mfkeV2K0cGEJagrOco4trSd06t_NMvrLDIXOcFQMfr3UKos1UlU_42zHwWtM4Bsxs1us3UDNeofueCh0mPk80/s320/BILD04.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
Unfortunately I couldn’t enjoy Kalbarri fully as the weather ruled it out. After the Kalbarri National Park began the fences stopped, thank goodness. In return there were plants.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzheKmzxChA-osuFcmi1nINy8ghpquz2zg2sK3G42o83Z262HjOmQFiC5G1jy3f1I9K7p6npL98jSLR-XMjmfkBUmJjAy-KvJL51qO1Tkk8ZU6T-sDCNYPx6yK_cMiyjFfn1_X-VybGhEH/s1600-h/BILD05.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360754627223389010" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzheKmzxChA-osuFcmi1nINy8ghpquz2zg2sK3G42o83Z262HjOmQFiC5G1jy3f1I9K7p6npL98jSLR-XMjmfkBUmJjAy-KvJL51qO1Tkk8ZU6T-sDCNYPx6yK_cMiyjFfn1_X-VybGhEH/s320/BILD05.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a> and animals that I had never seen before<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzDxABL2TDgE0OG64256LR3PoOO3WejVUTJXgHXvCFC1cD6_ysxWhFNHyMlSPo2R3rEZ0QzzBVHKKTMPjDdTOhObbCdDygvB4uby3ud6vkC7i1K1w6P6sqOM72Ulxr5GW22EGruJwT9c5G/s1600-h/BILD06.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360754624091558194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzDxABL2TDgE0OG64256LR3PoOO3WejVUTJXgHXvCFC1cD6_ysxWhFNHyMlSPo2R3rEZ0QzzBVHKKTMPjDdTOhObbCdDygvB4uby3ud6vkC7i1K1w6P6sqOM72Ulxr5GW22EGruJwT9c5G/s320/BILD06.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 240px;" /></a> (This animal was just on a sign.)<br />
There were more and more signs with camera that showed lay-bys for photographers. But I couldn’t see what you would want to photograph as everything was just green-blue bush. Then it came to me that it was a wild flower area which would look completely different in a couple of weeks. Once again something that I wasn’t going to see.What I would have found most interesting in the national park were the gorges. But the way there was blocked due to the heavy rain and it didn’t look like the roads would be passable in the next few days.<br />
<br />
In the town I met Graeme again, he was with Ashley and Tracy, two cyclists from Cycling Western Australia. Due to the glorious weather forecast, we’d decided to go on the next day. Actually I’d planned to spend a few days here, it is really a pretty area, but with this weather you can’t really do anything. Sitting around for half a day is enough for me. A really spectacular day awaited us. Again there was a strong wind that came from different directions, the landscape was fantastic.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqqdShkH1wA5kUil0dbJSAeEJWuPrAOwvOKKGiCmM8htnHJinBW88BGcJfFCD0eOiTEw8HhRdX8FHh1JpFNQchvEJoqNH-itPZ4qwhmp4db65l3k1NtrJ-J7A07ZlsfA37SbRUNgxg6Tki/s1600-h/BILD07.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360754614734781778" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqqdShkH1wA5kUil0dbJSAeEJWuPrAOwvOKKGiCmM8htnHJinBW88BGcJfFCD0eOiTEw8HhRdX8FHh1JpFNQchvEJoqNH-itPZ4qwhmp4db65l3k1NtrJ-J7A07ZlsfA37SbRUNgxg6Tki/s320/BILD07.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a>The mix of sunshine and storms with showers of rain lead to a wonderful display of Nature. The light over the hills was quite exceptional.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKEomzGg7PyR7pLJ5behVdV66DaQPg0De-sYG5tMF-k2BxOrKgkEHy52VuwiHSdcSE1Ssh_O5vRCAmsHtGjkCrihHk489O1x3U9evzCfAMZbUlKUPd6SmkKl1iz5qKD46mLenNo9PXLZ0G/s1600-h/BILD08.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360753689197666898" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKEomzGg7PyR7pLJ5behVdV66DaQPg0De-sYG5tMF-k2BxOrKgkEHy52VuwiHSdcSE1Ssh_O5vRCAmsHtGjkCrihHk489O1x3U9evzCfAMZbUlKUPd6SmkKl1iz5qKD46mLenNo9PXLZ0G/s320/BILD08.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
In fact the rain showers were more storm than rain, you got wet quickly but were blown dry again right away. Except just before Northampton where it was really heavy, driving horizontal, whipping rain into my ears until my skin was dripping wet, and no chance to be dry any more.<br />
Northampton is a small, historic, Catholic place, with a camping site no less, but so cold and wet had I become that I really didn’t want to stay in a tent. In a supermarket I asked after other budget possibilities to spend the night and happened to meet a woman who ran the “Old Convent”, a big brick building right next to the church, where you could stay cheaply. That was a gift from God. We were the only guests as the woman lived elsewhere so we had the whole house for us alone with a fully equipped kitchen for a bargain price and sat in the warm and dry.<br />
The next day it was clear to me that I wanted to go only as far as Geraldton. At last another big town again where I could take care of a few things, in addition I was still chilly and felt a cold coming on. Graeme had decided to ride on, it was only lunchtime too. After a parting meal sheltered from the wind we went our different ways again.<br />
As all the camp sites were located outside the town, I decided to go first to a book-shop where I could get on the Internet for free. It was nice and warm and dry there and I stayed much longer than I thought again.<br />
As I came out, stood next to my bicycle another one, with same brand of frame, gears, brakes as mine, all German makes that you really don’t see around here. I was astonished and had to find out who owned this bike, so I went back in the book-shop and thought it was surely the woman who also was sitting at a PC. But I was followed by another woman who was the owner of the other bicycle. She’d been waiting outside for me, as she also wanted to know who the owner of my bicycle was. She, Ulla, immediately invited me into a neighbouring café.<br />
We found out quickly that we had other things in common as well as our bicycles. She also grew up in the South of Germany, but is now an Australian citizen. Actually although she is usually travelling with her bicycle and lives in a tent, at that time she was doing house-sitting and could invite me back to her place.<br />
In contrast to me she is an excellent cook and we spent a wonderful evening with wonderful food and wonderful wine.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtuV7dfyo7W0XNZNqwvpgf903AG4eMDRQz1iX9mQlRXnQ7LpaSuponDOYwAPWGslRDcEog5fK3UzTDKVTsruaub1Yt5ncrt6VkP1uHYEyEfrgagf7kjvADlE2-Lp4tozvQVbADIOSWTSRq/s1600-h/BILD09.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360753684933038402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtuV7dfyo7W0XNZNqwvpgf903AG4eMDRQz1iX9mQlRXnQ7LpaSuponDOYwAPWGslRDcEog5fK3UzTDKVTsruaub1Yt5ncrt6VkP1uHYEyEfrgagf7kjvADlE2-Lp4tozvQVbADIOSWTSRq/s320/BILD09.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a> <br />
Really I would have liked to have stayed longer but I didn’t want to cause any trouble for her, as it wasn’t her house, she was just looking after it. So the next day I moved on again, but not in a hurry. It was only 1st July, and I wanted to be in Perth on the 20th, but I needed a week at the most to be there.<br />
<br />
On this part of the route I had a headwind that surprised me a lot, as the wind here is predominantly from the South wind and even brings trees down.<br />
<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360753679668371218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCDY6IdnzJ1xY5ZKTh8SWp-gHvS72nEz12SjiuLgGcr6r2NIjRH_nnHKURZ3X5AcAWnBhPFVPe32l4H_You-QXn4YlOWVJJTEQgf5XNo7IMrj7zH3SOOgivVdnIrj9RWopnS7aNPddfFlW/s320/BILD10.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /><br />
So I went leisurely on, allowed myself to be invited for coffee and cakes by an old-aged couple in a caravan and decided already after 75 km to pitch my tent.<br />
In the evening I rang Ulla to thank her and mentioned in passing that I would have liked to have stayed longer whereupon she immediately resolved that I should come back. I let myself be persuaded, and the next day packed my things and rode with a tailwind back, so much so that I was in Geraldton by lunch-time again.<br />
We spent a wonderful 2½ days together and once again I let myself be spoiled by the excellent food. On Saturday, Chris and Dee came over from Carnavon and we did a wonderful, if short, cycling tour by the sea, and afterwards Ulla made a tasty dinner once again for the four of us.<br />
I was certain however that on Sunday I’d be moving on, actually back again. A big part of the route lay on Highway 1, which normally had many Roadtrains. I hoped that on Sunday there would be fewer of them, which turned out to be true.<br />
The weather was excellent the whole time I was in Geraldton, which also was the case on Sunday, and even with a North wind. Thanks to this wind and thanks to Ulla’s very good and healthy diet I could ride a very long stretch back. My thoughts lay quite elsewhere, and because of this it was nothing to me to ride the route to Port Denison for the third time. Today I went straight on though, until Leeman, I was pedalling like mad and felt full of energy once again, it was just good fun.<br />
It was the end of the nice weather the next day as it rained almost continuously. In return I had again the “backblast” that blew me directly to Cervantes. It was very handy to be there before mid-day already, so I could pitch a tent quickly in a break from the rain and carry on to the Pinnacles, one of the most popular areas on the West coast. I had also seen nice photographs of it and because of this wanted to go there without fail. The advantage of the bad weather was that not too many people came - only two bus-loads of Japanese and Chinese. The limestone boulders in the yellow sand are spectacular.<br />
<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360752517926131522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsIHTNpgL6zvBVRRdPROLV1MoD60dvGvQYxN8R0WnF3joh03U479K69yby8HGdfmT_FeC3TOUFyiMSas8uWTq9k281vY1dQjUncedxILEXx8SSPDe9B0FM3tmnOGTj5QEfgBIeY6jNA4ED/s320/BILD11.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /><br />
In Cervantes the coast road stops and you have to go back to Highway 1, for 50 km and over at least as many hills but with a wonderful light cast over the landscape.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_7gvJjf4NESh1KNVBaIksz8814-xfkpJzlKbUGDT65S2F5-4BDSKQubiVglhz7eddEKa6Ft8g3GM4NXZmnFkIequWWAdUR1QslPzdkHNjHFAW3PmOfbioU3xykFJ4DAaKkwqfL15c3L1/s1600-h/BILD12.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360753098627572818" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_7gvJjf4NESh1KNVBaIksz8814-xfkpJzlKbUGDT65S2F5-4BDSKQubiVglhz7eddEKa6Ft8g3GM4NXZmnFkIequWWAdUR1QslPzdkHNjHFAW3PmOfbioU3xykFJ4DAaKkwqfL15c3L1/s320/BILD12.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
There was absolutely no traffic so I could let my thoughts wander and make plans, and my legs took care of the bicycling by themselves<br />
The last night before reaching the big city of Perth I could once again camp unofficially in a national park, and enjoy the peace and the fresh air, watch the Kangaroos in the dusk and eavesdrop on the birds, all very idyllic.<br />
It’s really quite odd after being a long time away from civilisation to then come back and see all the people going to work in their cars past countless shopping centres where they spend the money they have earned on things that they don’t actually need.<br />
Towards Perth, in Perth and around Perth there are wonderful cycling paths laid out but they have to be shared with pedestrians. It seems these were designed by motorists and not by cyclists. As a cyclist you often have to stop and every other road user has priority. What really shocked me was that many motorists didn’t tolerate cyclists on the streets. You were honked at and had your way cut up. Despite this I did finally make it into the city centre. <br />
The most important thing I had to take care of in Perth was to have my bicycle repaired. So I went straight away to see Aldo and Sats in the Quantum Bicycle Shop. It is “the” bicycle repair shop in Perth, probably everyone who cycles round the world comes here. Apparently I am the third woman to do it among the countless men. Thanks to the e-mail from Chris, they were both expecting me already and dedicated the whole afternoon for me. Everything was thoroughly checked and a list was made of what needed to be repaired and replaced.As some things needed to be ordered, I could take my bicycle away for the time being.<br />
For the first 3 nights I could stay near to the centre. But the weather was so bad that on the first day I wasn’t in the inner city at all.Here in Western Australia you have free Wi-Fi in McDonalds and you can go on the Internet with your laptop for nothing, it is very practical and you don’t have to eat or drink anything. I spent most of my time there.<br />
After 1 year and 5 months it seemed that everything I owned was broken. As I can’t buy everything new again nor want to, I mainly get in touch with the manufacturers, also with Garmin again, this time Garmin Australia, who at last made it clear they were ready to check my device.<br />
<br />
I could my Therm-a-rest too and it would also be replaced. But not my tent and my cooker. The people from Brooks Saddle had not got in touch. Perhaps I would find another sponsor.<br />
It is winter here which is shown chiefly by rain, it is cold only after the sun went down. On one hand I wanted to go on as soon as possible, on the other it would be better to wait until the weather improved.<br />
To calm myself down I go running almost every morning, and have seldom felt so fit. Apart from that I wasn’t bored as I had to plan the next stage. From Perth in the southerly direction there is a cycle path, through forest mainly, 500km long, the Munda Biddi Trek. Fortunately the weather was a bit better and I could get some information about it in the town.<br />
Here I was surrounded by skyscrapers for the first time since I don’t when.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGEWHE_ZD5v2iLu4PEkIHRG4_qBPaL3W4s22E1xqRaZkeAACspA_qs7VY8dBd_kS2RJ6IBXybFrgmIpjYj-Cyy0hyzd6FTGLpJgM12WBn6WKFyfMUtmH04E31nMRZERyZQTj5uRsiBSl1L/s1600-h/BILD14.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360752131912389698" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGEWHE_ZD5v2iLu4PEkIHRG4_qBPaL3W4s22E1xqRaZkeAACspA_qs7VY8dBd_kS2RJ6IBXybFrgmIpjYj-Cyy0hyzd6FTGLpJgM12WBn6WKFyfMUtmH04E31nMRZERyZQTj5uRsiBSl1L/s320/BILD14.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a> There were a few old houses too and naturally more culture than up until then in Australia, I grant you.<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360752130012647586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwxlwVK4vLPr8bzqhN44iSaRgl895R3EOrOLqVqnHb9gtlm_iH9V4hMOGhPOfrIVX1dPV6X7mKDCYNF5gujLWurd1v6e8YBby7Xvu9fKGn8ynF6YKMR1MVqKnHOu8dDp-QgXuYL6pdx-oy/s320/BILD15.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /><br />
On Sunday the 12th July I could move into suburb of Perth to Heathridge, not far from the most beautiful beach in the area, not that it meant much to me. Ron, the owner and friend of a friend is on a tour for 5 weeks and I can care for his house. Actually no bad thing but first you have to get used to being alone in a house. When you are travelling you meet people time and again, but not always in this situation. Not that I would always sit at home, quite the contrary. To keep moving I made a plan for a daily routine that actually I never kept as something always came up. But a run to the beach in the morning felt really good. Only when there was a strong wind or heavy shower of rain did I prefer to let that slide too.<br />
What‘s good here is that there is no Internet i.e. I must go out every time I want to get my e-mails. The next McDonalds is 4km away, really I should run there but I take my bicycle.<br />
As I once again got lost in my thoughts, there stood an ancient car in front of the door with the inscription “Spark your dream” and Argentina. Naturally that interested me and so I spoke to the young woman who was walking to the car. That’s how I met Herman und Candelaria Zapp complete with children and their Graham car (<a href="http://www.sparkyourdream.net/">www.sparkyourdream.net</a>). Even though the conversation was very short it pleased me to meet kindred spirits once more.<br />
Next to McDonalds is a huge shopping centre, called “Shopping city“ where you can get really lost. The supermarkets, Coles, Woolworths and IGA that in the North west are hundreds of kilometers apart are all here under one roof, not more than 100m from the next.<br />
Meanwhile I have got used to house sitting, can really enjoy it, do and live as I like, and have a shower, kitchen, and the best washing machine I’ve seen since Germany. With that even my clothes were clean again.<br />
My bicycle was cleaned again as well thanks to Aldo and Satsthat who cleaned and repaired its innards completely and fixed it completely that it runs like silk again, I can hardly wait until I can go on again at last. There are only a couple of parts missing that I should get during the week. Next week-end I want to meet a couple of cyclists but then the beginning of next week it should be time. Up until then the weather should be better. Up until then I an enjoying a solid roof over my headUnknownnoreply@blogger.com