Cycle complete!
Finding out which was the best country on the cycle route statistically speaking. As it turned out the top 5 were fairly accurate as to the places I actually did enjoy the most.
Top 5: 1. Pakistan 2. Iran 3. Burma 4. Nepal 5. Armenia
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Total Distance Covered: 21,740kms
Total Countries Covered: 31 Total Number of Continents crossed: 3 Number of Punctures: 24 Country with the most Punctures: India (10) Number of Tyres Changed: 3 Nighttime sleeping Arrangements (%of total nights) Camping: 96 Nights (30%) Hostels: 67 Nights (21%) People's Homes: 142 Nights (45%) Police Stations: 6 Nights(2%) Churches/Mosques/ Temples: 4 Nights (1.3%) Longest Time without meeting another Foreigner: 11 Days (The entire time I was in China!) Longest distance without seeing a town: 1,200kms (Australia) Worst Road: Several contenders here but there was 80kms of sandy road in Burma which was an absolute nightmare. Furthest Distance made in one day: 209kms (Australia) Number of time I fell of the Bike: 3 (All because I forgot I was clipped in to the pedals!) Biggest breakfast: 4 eggs, 4 burgers, 4 slices of cheese, 4 bread buns, 2 Tomatoes, 1L of juice (Bulgaria) Most Biscuits eaten in one sitting: 20 (India) Most water drunk in one day: 7 Litres (Australia) Total number of bananas eaten in India: 111 Total cups of Chai drunk in India: 77 One place I never got to visit..... And so the final day of the ride brought me back to familiar territory. Back to the ferry port in Ringaskiddy and from there It was a nice, handy 80kms back down to Drimoleague, and to home. At the ferry port I was met by a nice gang (25) from home and of those 10 had volunteered to cycle back the final leg. After a few photos and a bit of craic, it was time to head on and thankfully the weather held up nicely for the day, as we ventured westwards. In Ballygarvan I was treated to a Jumbo breakfast Roll, the first I've had in a year. I must say that it was seriously good to tear into salty bacon and pudding again! We passed through Bandon, where we were joined by 2 more cyclists and then when we hit Dunmanway, a whole load of family, cousins and friends joined for the final dash to Drimoleague. As we rolled through Dunmanway there was a nice cup of tea and a hot scone awaiting me from the staff in the local supermarket. Some of the kids had done colourful posters and cards, which were really special. The biggest welcome was still to come however and as we pedalled through the streets of Drimoleague familiar faces cheered me on for the final mile, with a great crowd gathering outside the Centra supermarket. We were then all generously treated to 99's ice creams and with the sun shining down on us it made it all the more special as we laughed, chatted and celebrated. But I wasn't home yet. There was still a mile and a half to go up to Gurteeniher, and so departing Drimoleague to a chorus of car hooting and beeping, as if we'd just won the county final, I began the final stretch. I don't remember ever feeling such a wave of variable emotions during my whole trip as I did feel in those final few minutes. Ecstasy, elation, joy, thankfulness, worry and relief were just some of the raw emotions I was experiencing. I was so pumped to be finally completing my trip, yet it was hard to believe that it was actually ending. That idea of the trip being over hadn't really hit me over the past few weeks as it suddenly did now. Another terrific surprise awaited me as I passed Fairfield nursing home where many of the staff and elderly patients came out to cheer me on. The final hill and as I flicked back to a low gear Melissa's chain fell off. Ironic it would occur with only 100 metres to go! Anyhow I hopped off, put it back on the cassette and no sooner was I back on it, I was over the grid and pedaling up the drive to the smell of a BBQ in the back yard. As I brought Melissa to a final halt I thanked God for all his goodness in watching over my life and journey the past year and then it was food, photo and party time! Finished! It's been a while since I was last on a ferry boat. The last one I was on, brought me from NZ's North island down to the south, at the beginning of my trip. Now, right at the end of my cycle a boat will ferry me once more, this time from the continent back home to Ireland. The journey this time is a bit smoother thankfully. I remember well that for a good part of that journey back in NZ that it was impossible to stand with each violent wave. Along with that, sick bags were used in abundance, but this passage appears smoother, so far anyway! Families and elderly couples are wining and dining generously on what appears to be 'a last hurrah' for most people on board. Me meanwhile have brought along some Oreos and muesli for my evening meal. It will suffice until the morning... I hope!
Over that single pack of Oreos however I have led myself to ponder on this journey that I have taken. What will I miss from life on the bike and what won't I miss from this way of living. So what won't I actually miss? Well for starters we can begin with the long hair and the beard. It has been 6 months since I got my last haircut from a Nepalese man with a pair of ancient hedge trimmers. That I tell you was a not a fun experience although with the price I paid I can hardly have any complaints! The Beard on the other hand has stalled a long time in its overall growth, but parts of it have extended beyond others making it a rather scraggy thing, putting it mildly! The worst of it is however that every new person I meet I have to first apologise for my appearance! Something in me tells myself that I shouldn't have to apologise for how I look considering what I'm doing. On the other hand the only other people I've seen with such a ragged appearance lately, generally appear in the form of beggars or drunks, so apologising may be quite appropriate after all! I certainly won't miss headwinds! The bane of every cyclist in the world will resonate with this, and all those I've met along the way would say the following "I can take heat or rain or cold, but wind I just can't stand!" Australia, Kyrgyzstan and France were probably areas where it was the most ferocious. Missing family and events back home: To be fair I haven't done too bad in getting home for Christmas and 2 weddings but oh there was so many more things that I only wish I was home for. Birthdays, Paddys day, days at the beach, road trips all were things I missed out on, but then when you think of what it was I was substituting those events for, in the long run it has definitely been worth it. Talking to my bike or shouting at the elements: If you had a microphone recording all that came out when i was alone on the bike you may be surprised with the things said. Discussing the meaning of life with Melissa (my bike) is probably the first indicator of that! I have shouted and cursed at winds and rain and have shrieked at nearby lightning strikes and landslides, all of which I'm sure would actually be quite funny to listen back on if I could! Being tired: Before I began I don't think I'd realised the full effects of how tiring and shattering a day on the bike can be. So many nights I just wanted to sleep for 12 hours to let the muscles recover but knowing I would only get 8 so that I could start before the sun rose and thus escape the heat of the day. Even conversations with people became a massive effort. So many times I was trying to nap away in India to catch up on sleep when a Local would come over and want to ask every single question about me and my country! In India I believe I tried best I could to become an introvert! Things I will miss: Freedom: Perhaps there is nothing as freeing as being by yourself on a bicycle, in a foreign country with endless possibilities. I could literally do whatever I wanted, go wherever I wanted and eat whenever the belly started rumbling. That's not to say I won't have freedom when I go back, I will to some degree; but certainly nothing compared to what I have experienced. The challenge: Part of the reason I wanted to do this trip besides the adventure and charity aspects, was for the challenge of it. To see could an ambitious physical target be met in the course of a year. As a young man life always has been about challenging myself, and for the most part over the years that has come in the way of sports. In university I tried new sports like handball and volleyball so that I could learn something new and always striving to achieve a trophy or two along the way. When I return home the key will be always to have some challenge ahead of me. I think that is such a crucial feature for everyone, in whatever stage of life you find yourself, and it doesn't always have to be physical or sport related. Perhaps it's losing weight, or getting more confident at public speaking, or being better at a certain sport, or all of the above! The Surprises: To be fair I've had a nice shot of surprises both good and bad along the way, some of which will perhaps make for good bedtime stories in the future! A fellow adventure cyclist once said that touring cycling is 95% mundane and pain and 5% adventure and surprise and I would for the most part agree. A lot of any one day can just be putting in the miles in a foreign country and feeling knackered at the end of it. But for all those less interesting miles there is that 5% of surprise, stunning scenery, adventure. That I honestly wouldn't change for anything in the world. Incredible Hospitality: If I had one characteristic to some up almost everyone I met, it would probably be the above. Quite simply.... People. Are. Amazing! For example In Iran I was always given the hosts bed. In Pakistan I was welcomed and treated like a son into a family. In Serbia a random family invited me in for dinner and a good aul yarn! The world is a more hospitable place than you may think. The Dangers: With greater adventure comes greater dangers. That has been most true in certain areas along the trip. You could say it about the risk of kidnapping and avalanches in Pakistan. Or perhaps the lack of water and civilisation over a vast stretch of Australia. These among others have certainly been dangerous, but boy have they been great adventures that strengthen your resolve and make you appreciate the relative safety of Ireland. I know my Mum won't enjoy reading this but I really am going to miss Danger! It's just gone 10pm and I feel wrecked as I finish up writing to the sounds of a pop band bellowing in the bar below. It's not just other countries whose hospitality I can attest to, this example comes very close to home and was most welcome given the previous 6 days of camping without a shower! So just before boarding the ferry I got chatting to an Irish cyclist who had cycled around France for the 5 weeks and was also returning home. He had booked himself a 2 person cabin, it being the standard sleeping option even for one person. I had myself booked the lounge seat, it being the cheapest option but certainly not a comfortable or relaxing one if one wanted a good nights rest. After several minutes of chat he went on to offer me the spare bed in his room, which I very gratefully accepted. And I wasn't just getting a comfy bed for the night, I was going to get.... A hot shower! Few things matter more to a dirty, sweaty cyclist than this simple'Luxury' of life. It seems strange for me to say this but I guess its time to scrub up for the final time in my life as a Rebel Cyclist. A big thank you to all who came out on Saturday to either to the boat in Ringaskiddy, or for those who joined in with the cycle down back to the house. I've heard since there were a few shattered legs and even more battered rear ends! Having your support though on this final stretch has been extremely special and is certainly a day I wont be forgetting quickly. Thanks also to those who provided snacks and cheered me on along the way, for the many banners and placards printed out like those outside; "The lantern", Balineen, Supervalu Dunmanway, Crowley's Pharmacy, Collins Centra, and Fairfield Nursing Home, Drimoleague. All your support means an awful lot I find it hard to express it enough!
For those who have given generously towards Compassion I thank you myself and also on the behalf of all the children who Compassion work to provide for. To the many of you who beseeched God in prayer to pray for my protection during this journey, I also cannot express my thanks enough. I know that there have been times where I have certainly felt that God was with me in times of loneliness (Thailand) and pain (Everywhere!) and I am so grateful to God for keeping and giving me strength to complete this journey. Mum and Dad, I've probably put ye both through a year of untold stress and worry, so I want to say a huge thank you now for sticking with me even though I've traveled to some places I know you rather I wouldn't have gone to. Stick around for further updates and pictures from the last leg of the trip. To be honest I find it hard now to sit down and write with All the things I want to do now that I'm back! But I'll get around to it dont worry! |
The AuthorName: Daniel Ross Top Tips:
1. Constantly challenge yourself. 2. If you never try you'll never know what's possible. Archives
October 2016
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