Day's run: 36 km
Total: 1,613 km
Start: 08:52 am
Saddle Time: 02:24
Total Climb: 280 m
Total Descent: 333 m
Average: 14.9 kph
I'd planned to hole up in my Haliyal hotel to recover from the bug but I'd slept well and was feeling ok. I thought a short gentle run to Dandeli would be a good checkout, sometimes you actually feel better once you get going. Dandeli is situated in a jungle reserve and apparently it has river rafting (in the monsoon) so I should find some touristy accommodation there around mid-day.
I have an injury. A couple of days ago, I failed to spot a speed bump and hit it quite fast. Losing my footing, my lower left calf was gouged by my pedal. I just left it to 'scab up' in the sun but 2 days on its starting to look infected. In Dandeli I bought Dettol, soaked a hand towel in half the bottle and tied it round the wound, which was proving to be a fly magnet.
The Dandeli lodges were unappealing although the town was quite pretty. After stopping for a cold drink.......which was when the monkey decided to perch on my bike, I decided to press on a bit further. The map showed only very small towns or villages up ahead on a minor road through the 'jungle'. So, when I spotted a sign for a home-stay at around the 50km mark I decided to call it a day. The home-stay had no mobile phone signal, no wifi and as usual, I was the only guest. Just after I'd settled down to sleep, it lost it's electricity too. With no fan the room was stifling. It was cool outside but I kept the windows closed to keep the mosquitoes and other creepy-crawlies at bay. I'd had a nosy around earlier and had spotted a vintage generating set and waited hopefully for it to kick into life. At 4am I gave up trying to sleep and started packing my bags. I had to wake up the night-watchman/cook to unlock the wicket gate to let me out. He cussed and cursed as he stumbled round in the dark trying to find his torch.
It was strange bumping along a jungle dirt track in the pitch black listening to the startled calls of the jungle on either side. I had to ride at least 30km before I found enough phone signal to check in with my loved one. She, of course, had assumed I must have been eaten by cannibals and had worried all night long.
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| Another intricate design in the dirt outside a country shack. |
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| Having been offered a green mango earlier, I decide to try one. I don't think you eat the kernel..........bitter!!!! |
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| Road laying through the jungle........concrete covered in wet sackcloth. |
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| This Dandeli inhabitant wants to know where we are off to next! He sat there munching a roti. There is a video on my Facebook page. |
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