Cycle complete!
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.....
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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! France. My final foreign country on this journey and finally it was time to put into practice the only foreign language I can speak; French. Not that I'm fluent in it, however I've got a good enough grasp that I can explain what I'm doing, where I'm going, what I like/dislike, so can keep up conversation pretty decent when about in France. First day I got here I had been reciting in my head the best way to ask someone if they wouldn't mind refilling my water bottles. Thankfully when I asked this lovely man gardening this question 'en francais' he understood perfectly, and even returned with an extra 2L bottle of iced water out of the freezer on top of the 3 bottles I already gave him! I joked to him about where was I going to find space to put the extra bottle but I found a spot alright. So with 6L of water, which is in fact far more than I've ever carried at any point in my entire trip, I set off back into the fabulous french countryside to a jovial shout of 'Bon Courage!' coming from the gardening gentleman.
The next day as I was climbing a hill outside the large town of Saint Quentin a young man in a car beckons me over to stop for a chat. 'Parles Tu francais?' He asks to which I reply 'Oui, mais pas beaucoup.' (Yes, but not a lot.) Seeing my flag Irish flag fluttering we continue our conversation 'en anglais' and after learning the basics of what I was doing, he generously invites me to dine with him and his family for lunch at his farm house up the road. He quickly produces a pen, draws a map including the names of some villages, a roundabout and says to just pop in when I get there. Warmly thanking him for this surprising and welcome invite I press on for a half hour, following his directions carefully and reaching his house without any mishaps. Then as I enter the beautifully crafted iron gates I cycle into the courtyard of this wonderfully typical old french manor house, complete with 12 large rectangular windows complete with open wooden shutters, grand stone stairs up to the front door encased with tumbling ivy amid a scattering of blossoming shrubs to give a very pretty picture indeed. A row of outhouses ran off to the left of the house, and although empty now one could imagine them having being filled with cattle stall, horses and hay. If you Googled 'Old French Manor House' I'm pretty sure something similar to this would appear. Matthieu, for that was the young man's name, came out to greet me and although he spoke english well after 2 years spent working in South Africa, his father and 2 brothers whom I would later meet, would have next to no english and so any conversation with them would have to all be conducted in French. There's something strangely satisfying at being able to successfully converse in a foreign language, I think that's born into any traveller at whatever level of the foreign language they may speak; and it wasn't long upon entering the house that Matthieu's father came over to greet me and ask many questions of my trip. He brought me to a giant map of the world hanging on a wall and for the next 15 minutes we chatted about my route, some interesting things about the different places and also noting some pinpoints on the map I in turn inquiring about the many places that he had also voyaged to. Trying to focus your mind to understanding a foreign language is surprisingly taxing and it was with some relief that we made our way back to the kitchen where I was able to revert to english again when speaking to Matthieu. Meanwhile Matthieu had created a tantilisingly tasty looking spicy chicken curry along with a pan of fried green beans smothered in mascarpone cheese and butter. If there's one thing I've taken from french food so far, when it comes to enjoying meals, there's very little room for low fat. Here, it's 'All in!' and enjoyment is paramount rather than counting calories, although I must admit this was an all lads affair so perhaps it may be a bit biased. Anyhow out to the garden we went, where a 6 person pine table sat in amongst a circle of Hydrangeas. In total there were 5 of us sitting down including; Matthieu, his 2 younger brothers, his father and myself. Traditionally for lunch we began with a few typical crusty, crunchy baguettes alongside 2 pates, one of salmon and the other of pork, if I remember correctly. All I remember is, they were good! Next to come out of the kitchen came the aromatic spicy chicken and the green beans. These as you can imagine didnt take long to devour with 5 hungry men around! Finally for 'Dessert' we had more baguettes although this time with cheese, namely Brie and a local harder cheese, whose name escapes me at present. I guess it wouldn't be France if I failed to mention the array of drinks on display. From red to white wines, ciders, to fresh juices the drinks make up as much a part of the meal as the food itself, most of it being produced locally. As we ate, the conversation flowed freely, and mainly in the language of french so it was good to practice it some more. During lunch I learned that the Father had been to Ireland in 2003 as part of a tour group and had taken some video footage of the trip. And so after lunch we headed to the sitting room to re-watch the footage most of which was stereotypical Ireland. There were painted sheep, stone walls, the cliffs of Moher and the Burren were visited and there was rain, lots of rain! Their final night appeared to be spent in an Irish Bar drinking Guinness and listening to live trad music so you could say they got the full works! And so after a few photos with the bike it was time to pedal on again towards Amiens. Hard to believe it is just 600kms to go till the ferry port in Brittany and then it'll be back to Ireland. Let's hope I'll bring this sunny french weather with me! |
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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