30days30years

Over it!

Today was the first day I have thought about chucking in the towel. I rode about 60km from Dawu to Taitung and it was torture. My knees are really starting to hurt and by god this wind is unrelenting. The hills are manageable but the coastal winds are so strong I almost got knocked off once or twice. As much as I hate lugging my heavy saddle bags up and down the hills at least they give me a little weight to hold me to the road.

I think I was so disillusioned because of the time. I’ve become accustom to going 20km a hour and you really feel like you are getting somewhere at that speed. At only 8-10km/hr you get a little despondent.

The last 13km or so were just so horrible neither flat nor hilly so I was kind of in this ugh phase where I just couldn’t find my rhythm.

Thankfully Joy’s daughter Debby arrived in town tonight and although she couldn’t stay – she just called in to see her grandmother in hospital – she introduced me to her aunt and uncle whom I am staying with tonight.

They are lovely people and despite the language barrier we have had a very nice time. Debby’s aunt is an artist so we have been communicating via drawings like a game of Pictionary.

Another one of Debby’s uncles was also at the house for dinner so they made me feel welcome by giving me shots of the local vodka – at 58per cent alcohol – and rice wine. I can count the number of times I’ve drunk alcohol on this trip on two hands so a couple of sips and I was feeling the affects. Luckily, unlike in Mongolia, you can politely knock back the refills!