Cycle complete!
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.
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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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