Week 4: The journey begins

Dear Friends, Partyamo People and fellow Travelers,

Finally out of Hostel Estoril. Of course after nearly 4 weeks of glorious sunshine, the day I leave it f****** chucks down with rain. A 10 minute cycling from the hostel to the docks, to catch the ferry to Uruguay and I'm compleatly soaking wet. This will be the test to see if my cycling travel bags are really water proof, as they said when I purchesed them.

The journey on the ferry wasn't pleasant at all, it was impossible to stay on deck to enjoy the views, too much rain and wind. After 3 hours crossing the Rio de la Plata, ferry "Isabel" docked in Colonia del Sacramento, in full sunshine. Colonia is a nice little town, a well established tourist resort since its historical town centre has been declered "Patrimonio de la Humanedad" by UNESCO. I checked in the El Viajero, a pretty, clean hostel with patio and sunroof terrace.

Checking the travel bags, I discover that they are not totally water proof. Some water has filtered through, staining my towel and winter coat for the Andes. Temporary solution: black linen plactic bags when it rains, it will look like a black bike with 5 big trash bags, a good disincentive for theft. Weather forcast for the next few days says that there will be tunder storms, with sunshine back on Sunday. I decide to wait till Sunday. In the mean time, friends from Bs As hostel facebbok me saying that they will be in Montevideo on Sunday. Shit! Due to the rain I'll be in Montevideo only on Monday. What a shame, bad timing.

- Day 1: Sunday 5 April, Colonia to Nueva Helvecia.
Km 65.51, Time H04:02min, Avg Speed 16.07, Max Speed 35.5, Total Climb 493m, Cardio Frequency 136, Max CF 171, Max Temp 34c.

Freedom!!! The journey begins. I leave Colonia at 10.30am, it took a lot of time to upload the bike. I was so excited that I left Colonia with no food or sunscrean protection. I will later regret doing so. Just out of Colonia, I'm chased by 4 dogs that scare the shit out of me, as I was going up hill and slow. The scenery is amazing. The countryside is lashed in green, quite spetacular to see cows shading from the sun under palm trees. The road is a continuous slight up & down, like waves in the ocean, no wind but is hot with 34c. After 2 1/2 hours, I'm feeling very hungry, but got no food and the sun is burning my skin. I need food and shade ASAP. Only after a 50km in 3 hours, I find a farmer that sells cheese. Lots of cheese and no bread. I'm so hungry that I'm ready to eat cheese with no bread! The farmer fells sorry for me, makes a phone call, 5 minutes later I have bread! It fills the stomach too late. I'm feeling powerless and sunburnt, I start to drink a lot of water which makes things even worse.

I manage another 15km, I decide to stop in Nueva Helvecia (New Switzerland), very posh town with nice villas & cars, a place where you can smell money. Luckily, there is a cheap, shitty looking hotel, El Hotel Pedrera, since 1910, never refurbished. The room is nice, but the bathroom gives you the creeps: since 1910, never refurbished. Water stains all over, an electric water boiler which makes you wonder if is safe to shower. And a bucket!!! I wonder what that is for??? I try to flush the toilet, thus discovering the use of the bucket! I try to get out of the romm, but the f****** door doesn't open. I'm looked inside! Luckily (if I can say so), I'm on the ground floor, so I jump from the f****** window to go to reception. Got the door sorted, I ask if they serve dinner. They say "yes". I ask "do you have a menu?". "We have chicken" was the answer. "Anything else?" I ask. "with potatos" was the answer. I say "I guess I'll have the chicken then". It was a very good chicken & chips.

- Day 2: Nueva Helvecia to Montevideo.
Km 134.16, Time H6:50min, Avg Speed 19.59, Max Speed 44.2, Total climb 594m, Cardio Frequency 136, Max CF 179, Max Temp 31c.

I'm sunburnt, I have to use a long sleeve shirt and long cycling pants to cover the sunburnt skin. Face will have to suffer. It doesn't feel so hot today, there is a nice breeze. Riding good today with an avg 25km speed at the begining. Fine till 100km, after that my body starts to shut down, feeling dehydrated I start to drink too much water, which slows me down. On the outskirts of Montevideo I physically need to stop, but I'm in the middle of a shanty town, not good to stop here. With the last strenghts in my body I manage to get to the city centre where the hostal is. 1 Km from the hostal I started to walk. I couldn't stay on the bike anymore, my butt hurted so much and I had costant pins & needles in my arms, hands and left leg. Not used to cycle for 7 hours. My sugar levels were low, needed to eat ASAP. I opened the door of the hostel and heard "Its James!!! Its James!!!". The girls are still in town, Kathy, Jenn and Marina. Incredible, Jenn and Marina were just leaving for the sea resort in La Paloma. Must be destiny. Kathy was staying for another night and she had sugar, very good Cerealitas biscuits (like Digestive's). She saved me from fainting. After biscuits and a shower, I was ready for wine with Kathy. While drinking the local "Medio y Medio" (1/2 wine, 1/2 spumante), she asked me if I wanted to join her and the girls in the sea resort of La Paloma, for 2 days of beach life. Yeah!!! 2 days beach life with the girls, what better way to relax after 2 days cycling. I'll leave the bike in the hostel for 2 days. La Paloma here we come!!!

That is enough for now Geezers Lemon Squeezers.


With Love



Jimbo on the Road