A word on the Black Sea coast line...
After I made my last blog post I felt that maybe I was sounding a bit too whiney about the coast here. The thought occured that whist it is very hard work with constant ascents and descents at the same time you're rewarded with the most spectacular scenary! I'd post some photos but alas they're all on my camera and the internet cafe I'm in has no easy way to upload them.
Soon after I had this last thought we got into sections of road works... there had been a few before, where the surfaces had had new pebbles added which turns them into scary slidey places where the edge of the road is liable to skid out from under you, particularly on a fast descent. This was different though. This was tarry sticky road works. Just bitumen and little stones, pinging against the legs and frame. Camped up for the night on an almost flat field that had a view to die for. But then it was 250 meters up the cliffs above the coast. Couldn't fail to have a good view really.
The next day we set off in the hope that the road would soon improve. Some hope. After a few miles of this we came to a section where the tar had been laid without any grit at all. That's right, just a surface of tar. This was just plain dangerous. Emrys, the Australian who's cycling home with bike and trailer, came off in one patch. I skidded to a halt and took a chunk out of shin. My rear breaks stopped working until I stopped and cleaned them down with cooking meths. All not very good, although one heartning thing was passing the tar truck which also seemed to have skidded off and was missing a front wheel. Not much tar after that.
We limped towards the next place with a petrol station some 30 km distant (a good 3 hours of travel), bought a couple of liters of petrol and went and camped on the municipal beach come harbour, using the petrol to clean ourselves up slightly. It was whilst here that we were invited to a Ramazan meal just down the beach with the provinial governer who was handing a promotion out the head of the Jandarms (police). Thankfully the meal was short and to the point!
It took two hours the next day to return a semblence of normality to the bike after which I said goodbye to Rob and Emrys and headed on my way. I'm turning inland tomorrow, which undoubtedly will bring challenges anew. Like a 1500 meter mountain pass in the morning.
Soon after I had this last thought we got into sections of road works... there had been a few before, where the surfaces had had new pebbles added which turns them into scary slidey places where the edge of the road is liable to skid out from under you, particularly on a fast descent. This was different though. This was tarry sticky road works. Just bitumen and little stones, pinging against the legs and frame. Camped up for the night on an almost flat field that had a view to die for. But then it was 250 meters up the cliffs above the coast. Couldn't fail to have a good view really.
The next day we set off in the hope that the road would soon improve. Some hope. After a few miles of this we came to a section where the tar had been laid without any grit at all. That's right, just a surface of tar. This was just plain dangerous. Emrys, the Australian who's cycling home with bike and trailer, came off in one patch. I skidded to a halt and took a chunk out of shin. My rear breaks stopped working until I stopped and cleaned them down with cooking meths. All not very good, although one heartning thing was passing the tar truck which also seemed to have skidded off and was missing a front wheel. Not much tar after that.
We limped towards the next place with a petrol station some 30 km distant (a good 3 hours of travel), bought a couple of liters of petrol and went and camped on the municipal beach come harbour, using the petrol to clean ourselves up slightly. It was whilst here that we were invited to a Ramazan meal just down the beach with the provinial governer who was handing a promotion out the head of the Jandarms (police). Thankfully the meal was short and to the point!
It took two hours the next day to return a semblence of normality to the bike after which I said goodbye to Rob and Emrys and headed on my way. I'm turning inland tomorrow, which undoubtedly will bring challenges anew. Like a 1500 meter mountain pass in the morning.
posted by Bill at 11:27 am
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