Monday 22 April 2013

Day 79 - April 19th - Mud glorious mud!


Today I'm heading back towards Famagusta. There was a thunderstorm overnight and it is still raining as I pack away in the morning. Everything left outside overnight is sodden and to be frank.....a bloody mess, but it gets worse. Yesterday I'd travelled over a 5km stretch of new road building which had a temporary compacted earth surface. This morning it's a quagmire and there is no way to go around it.

Suicidal snails - they head out onto the wet road in their thousands - and perish within minutes of the sun coming out.





The start of my woes

Both wheels jammed completely solid




Passing cars added insult to injury by spattering me with mud

The only way to move is to drag the bike to a puddle and splash the bike to turn the sticky clay into the equivalent of potters slip

Thankfully a teacher from the local village stops his 4WD and asks if I need help. Yes I do! At the rate I was moving it would take me all day to cover the 5 km. Bert is tossed in the back of the pickup.

You wouldn't believe this but as we are just about there the wheel comes off the pick-up!

This guy, my hero, waits for help himself. I told him he was lucky he stopped to pick me up as he could have had a nasty accident if the wheel had come off at speed on tarmac. I'm not sure he was convinced. Sorry but I can't remember your name - but thanks!!

The rain is back

In between downpours I stop to clean up in a puddle - this stuff sticks!

My boots have been full of water for  about 3 hours

Canseu and Musa in Kuruoua village take pity on me and invite me into their shop for a Nescafe. (Two actually!) More lovely hospitality



Here we go again

I worry about getting hit by lightning and take shelter in a bus stop - wimp!
Very glad to see Famagusta later that afternoon. Surprisingly I managed to clock up 100km today - no stopping for picnics!


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