If you ever want to cure insomnia, get a bike. Or read this blog hahaha !!! I slept like a log again.... Woke up feeling really good. Dry clothes and the thought of a nice hotel breakfast helped.
Outside it was dark at around 6:30 am so I waited patiently for the light to check on the strength of rain coming down outside my window.
I was first in line at breakfast and quickly finished off the complete buffet, I hope nobody else wanted anything that morning !! hehe
After getting Henry ready for Day 3 I said a little prayer and looked out the window. It was spitting...
I did the usual lift journey with my bike down to reception which means putting it up on it's back wheel and backing it into the lift with you and pressing 0 for reception. I always get a gasp of shock off the poor person waiting in reception when they see me and a dirty wheel greet them when the doors open.
Checked out and again thanked the great staff for all their help.
Off into the rain drenched streets of Murcia I went...
You have to have a sense of humor so I reminded myself of Peter Kay's joke about spitting rain when he was a kid in one of his shows....
Absolute classic !!
No idea why but I always go in exactly the wrong direction at the start of a days ride. Why do I not check the route while eating my way through everyone's breakfast buffet ? Keen to get a good start is what it is and hope my internal compass will guide me. I eventually got the road south out of the city and over the River.
It was rush hour in Murcia at 8 am so I had to battle the cars and motorbikes whizzing in to the big city.
I was not in the best of moods so I didn't really care if I was slowing people down from getting to their offices or destinations. I had a few people wave and shout at me, no idea what they said but I assume they were all Peter Kay fans too and they were shouting... Get indoors.... ITS SPITTING !!!
Unfortunately, this was the main reason why I was miserable for the first 55 miles and did not take one single photograph !! Sorry. To be fair you only would have seen country lanes passing mile after mile of cabbages, broccoli, carrots, etc, etc, etc. It was going to be vegan day today, unlike the fruitarian diet my eyes sampled the previous 2 days.
Every country lane was flooded with puddles accumulating on either side which meant I had to ride in the middle of the road for most of the day. Sometimes these puddles met in the middle which meant I had to ride through deep water which doesn't sound bad but it is well known that most punctures and blow outs occur in wet weather.
This is because more grit and debris is washed onto the roads and the water acts as a lubricant for objects penetrating your tyres.
You also have no idea what is under this water; you could have a huge pothole below the surface or a big rock that would send you somersaulting over the handlebars into the murky water. Final moan I want to get off my chest is that this water was not nice clean rainwater. It was horrible for 2 reasons.
- Martian Haze &
- Fertiliser.
Story from euro weekly news on the red rain......
The water that fell on southern Spain for the last 10 days was full of Saharan desert dust making it a sandy red colour and the other reason I did not want to get too near it was it had the sweet chemical smell of fertiliser. This area is basically one massive industrial veggie garden and I don't think they were interested in organic farming. There was a constant smell of it everywhere. I am not complaining, whatever they use must work. The veg looked stunning.
I am so sorry I sound like a complete whining grump but remember it was SPITTING !!!
Also the road went up for about the first 52 miles, only slightly up but up is up. It climbed very very gradually by around 1,000 feet. I tried to work out what gradient this was but my calculator told me to man up, it was barely calculable and negligible.
Strava data here......
At around 28 miles into the day the route took me onto some more service roads which followed parallel and either side to a major motorway called the RM-3. About a mile up this road my route was telling me I had to use the subway and head under the RM-3 onto the other side for whatever reason but I could see ahead the subway was completely flooded in a foot high dark tunnel of reddish brown water so it was totally impossible to use.
This is a picture of the subway from google maps streetview when it was dry a few years ago so you can visualise it. Like I said I did not take any pics.....
The next 2 subways further along were the same so I carried on and thankfully I got off at a roundabout a few miles further and took a slightly longer way round to rejoin my original route.
Disaster one averted.... phew. Hopefully I thought that was the potential nightmare scenario for the day done and dusted........ how wrong I was. I normally like to split the day for physical and motivational reasons into 2,3 or 4 segments and stop for a break but today I had no opportunities to do so as I was literally deserted and there were no towns, villages or even houses for mile after mile. I knew this was the case when I re-planned the route last Friday and today would feel very isolated but this also meant I had nowhere to buy water, food or get dried off. I had no choice, it was the best route from A to B.
The next 12 miles were more puddle dodging small rural lanes with veggies on either side. Occasionally I would have to carefully ride through full puddles covering the entire road and then after 41 miles I rounded a corner and in front of me was the heavyweight champion of the world of puddles the size of a river. It was about 80 feet across and I guessed around 1-2 feet deep in the middle from the way the tractors and lorries were crossing through it. I stood there at the edge of it for about 10 minutes and looked into the faces of the agricultural lorry drivers pleading for a lift with my thumb in the air. I checked the route and my heart sank as I could see that I would have to go back about 5 miles and take a really long way round through Lorca totaling about 20-25 of additional miles. Did I mention it was spitting.
I was devastated.
I really did not want to have to take my shoes, socks, 2 pairs of shoe covers and 2 carrier bags off each foot and wade through it not knowing how deep and what was in it. What now.....
Just as I was about to start unzipping my neoprene shoe covers I spotted a large white Toyota 4x4 gently make it's way through the water towards me coming from the way I was headed. I had rain water mixed with tears rolling down my cheeks and I didn't even have to say anything before this angel turned his vehicle around and actioned with his hand to get the bike up onto his roof.
For a minute I was speechless. We lifted the bike onto the roof and I got in the rear and we kept the back door open as I stood on the back seat and put one hand on the bike frame and the other on the roof bars. My new Spanish bff gave me a thumbs up and I shouted "Muchos Muchos Gracias" and "OKAY" and we set off through Tyson Fury River..... He kept on checking to see if I was OK and I kept shouting OKAY MUCHOS GRACIAS. We got through it and he took me through a much smaller flood a few feet further before he stopped and helped me get the bike down from off the roof.
This was one of those moments I will never ever forget, he reached out his hand and I shook it and we did that man hug thing where you pat each others backs without actually making a full embrace. The thing that made me even more emotional at that moment was the look of absolute joy on his face that he knew exactly what he had done for me. He was beaming from ear to ear. I really wish I had taken a photo, I really wish I had got his name, address. I am pretty sure he was a dad. I wanted to tell his family what he had done and what it meant to me. I was prepared to be his best friend forever, invite him to England to stay for Christmas and holiday with him every year for the rest of my like but a second later he waved goodbye, got in his Toyota and was gone............................
Muchos muchos gracias amigo............
I was now emotionally and physically drained, I needed food and a strong coffee or two....
As if by magic a couple of miles further on I came to a crossroads and there was Cafe Bar Coy. I entered rain soaked and flustered. The bar was full of locals drinking, gambling and eating. They took one look at me and just carried on with their drinking, eating and conversations. I wasn't at all self conscious of what I must have looked like. To say I was a fish out of water says it all, literally. I ordered 2 coffees and a massive sandwich. The bar owner held out a huge long freshly baked loaf and I pointed to roughly somewhere in the middle. She smiled to herself and went off to fill it with cheese, ham and tomatoes. It was delicious. My phone pinged and my bestie Marc whatsapped me a message saying. " What you doing stopping in a cafe, get yourself back on yer bike and get goin ! " hehehe I forgot that I had added him and Debby to my whatsapp live location tracker and he had been following me and spotted that I had stopped near this junction and put two and two together. There was no hiding place. It made me feel closer to home for a second and I really appreciated that.
I had just about 10 miles left of this slow 52 mile rise and then the next 30 miles was downhill gradually all the way to the coastal path of the Mediterranean which I would hug all the way to the end of this entire trip.
At Purias I turned right and followed a dead straight road for about 7 miles until the days gradual climb topped out at a plateau and then slowly became a gradual descent. I felt good at this point, the rain also had slowed to a faint drizzle. Life was good and dark/light, good/bad, ying/yang balance was restored.
Another landmark came at Pozo de la Higuera where I passed a sign that said I was leaving the Region of Murcia and entering Andalusia. It was a bit of a shock as I always thought this region only covered the southern tip of Spain but it is actually huge and split into many sub-regions; the most southern ones that I would pass through are Almeria, Granada, Malaga and Cadiz. But Andalusia it is so Hola Andy nice to meet you amigo !
Three miles further in this new region in a town called Pulpi I stopped for another water top-up and also to give the bike some well needed maintenance. These pictures were the first of a handful of pictures I took this day.
As you can see the bike was caked in Saharan sand, mud and rainwater from the puddles it had battled through for the last 62 miles. The chain and cassette were making an awful noise. It sounded like a neglected rusty old bike after it had been left in the garden all winter. I needed a hardware store to get some really good lube. The bike needed some oil too ha ha ha ;)
I was desperately in need of a launderette or any type of proper clothes wash tonight. I had not been able to wash my cycling clothes now for 3 days apart from a very quick wash in the shower with shampoo in Xativa. Fingers crossed the Hostel in Mojacar would manage to help me out.
Time to remove the rain cape as the temperature was starting to pick up a bit, which was great. And it was also time for a new snood to go with the Mexican theme. Hola people of Los Lobos...
The bike was now starting to make a really loud scratching noise and I was worried I was doing irreversible damage to it so I hunted down some of that good old Spanish hospitality I had grown to love this last couple of days. I came through a small village called Herrerias and noticed a man washing down his car trying to remove all the Martian Haze. I cycled up to him and said in my best Spanish....
"Hola, please help senor, aqua for biciletas por favor amigo" whilst pointing to the hose in his hand. Adding "I have euros to pay you por favor"
He took one look at me and in a broad cockney accent said " Leave it out mate, I'll give you some water for nowt mate, you don't need to pay me and please leave out the dodgy Spanish, I'm from Essex"
We both laughed and agreed that saying the odd Spanish word mixed with English but using a Spanish accent really did not class as speaking the lingo... hehe
He gave the bike a really good spray down and that really did help. Cheers me old cockney sparrow :)
I was going to make a joke about asking for a hose and was brought a man called Jose but I am so glad I didn't write this in this blog ;) Doh !! too late
A few miles later I saw a site that made my heart soar !!!!!!
I had made it to the Med... I could get the next flight home now, I had done France & Spain sea to sea.
I told myself to hold on to the celebrations as the job was by no means done. It was a great milestone but not the goal...
I turned right and joined the coast road AL-7107 which took me all the way to Mojacar, which was that days destination. I popped into a large Repsol service station for more snacks & drinks and to try and find some lube for Henry. I don't think the hose quite did the job. I now know the word for lube in Spanish is Grasso and Grasso is basically WD-40. Perfecto !!
Great, the grinding noise had gone....
Coast road for the next 400 miles here I come.......
Just 8 miles to the foot of the hill climb into Mojacar. The coast road was great fun, I had the sea on my left and a tailwind on my back and life was great, and then it started to rain....again.
I turned right on the coast road and started the 600 foot climb up to the gorgeous hilltop village of Mojacar. On this corner I noticed a nice little shopping center with bars and restaurants and real holidaymakers enjoying the early evening, even with the warm rain now coming down.
Another little error I told myself in my planning was to once again having this old romantic notion of getting to Mojacar and having a sunset picture in a lovely café whilst sipping a glass of the local Rioja and toasting my success at reaching the sea. The 600 feet climb was really tough, especially after 85 wet and stressful miles of flooded farmland. But to the top I must go so onwards and upwards.
This is Mojacar on my day....
This is Mojacar On a good day........
(Copyright tinternet)
I was really pleased with my choice of hotel (Hostel El Olivar) even though it was 600 feet in the air, it really catered well for cyclists as it had a bike store and track pump. I had not checked my tyres at all for these first 3 days and really appreciated this. I promised myself I would do so before leaving tomorrow for sure and pump them back up to 100PSi. I changed the tyres for this trip to Continental Hard Shell GatorSkins and although they don't roll that great they are tough.
That was the good news, the bad news was breakfast was quite late at 8 am, there were virtually no restaurants open that night in the town and there was a launderette but at a shopping centre at the bottom of the hill on the coast road. "You probably rode past it on your way here" !! Agghhhhhhhh
No problem, I was determined to get my clothes cleaned so I phoned for a taxi to pick me up in 20 minutes as I shot off up to my room with my bike and had a shower and got into my after ride gear (aka ultralight top and running shorts and of course the green flip flops.) I also grabbed my euros, credit card, phone and charger as I had a feeling it would be a long night. How right I was.
I headed straight for the launderette, I laughed when the taxi driver pointed to it and said, "clean clothes there my friend". The receptionist must have told him where I was headed and why hehe
There were 3 people in front of me in a queue which I thought was strange but I didn't think much about it at the time. I just sat on the floor waiting for my turn with my bag of smelly, salty, sandy, rancid washing.
When it was my turn for the 30 minute wash I filled the machine and went off to find food setting my phone for 25 minutes.
I had had enough of the fruit and veg my eyes had virtually gorged themselves on for the last few days so I got stuck into the coastal Spanish grub. Namely, chicken burger, chips and a large coke. When my food was half eaten my alarm pinged and it was time to collect my clean but wet clothes from washer number 2. I asked the waitress if I could be excused and come back in a minute and shot back to the launderette on the other side of the mall.
When I got there I was surprised to see about 10 people in a queue outside. Phew I thought, that was lucky. I emptied the clothes into a basket and went to check on the dryer situation.
I was told that all 10 were in the queue for the dryer only as none of them wanted the wash. OH NO !!!, I quickly worked it out that 20-30 minutes x 10 was........ a long time. I went back to finish my food and contemplated my options. When I had finished the meal I went back and just simply played dumb and said, I was here before you So I was next and I cannot believe it but it worked. Somehow, the ladies before me had told them all I was next. Thank you again you lovely Spanish ladies. Dry clothes and taxi booked I headed back to Hostel El Olivar up the climb I had done earlier. It was now pouring down worse than ever. Early night for me again I think, I was feeling tired and aching. Three days done, four to go.
Stats for today:- 86 miles, just over 2,000 feet climbed. 2,600 calories burned. Average speed nearly 15 mph (not too shabby, really quite surprised at this) Temp 13 degrees C Rained about 60 percent of the day but low point for sure today was the puddle I call Tyson. High point of the trip so far was the angel that carried me over it.
Top tip. Hotel hairdryers.
Every hotel has one and it is a great tool to dry and warm up any damp pieces of clothing that fell out of your laundry basket and missed the dryer.
“Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of riding a bike” – John F Kennedy
Another one of my favourites....
“The best rides are the ones where you bite off much more than you can chew, and live through it” – Doug Bradbury
This is so true. I always remember the hard days....
And finally, " Everybody in, it's spitting" Peter Kay 2007
I am raising funds for Cancer Research UK in memory of so many people it has affected but mainly for my mum who died 30 years ago. Love you mum XXXXXXXX
This link takes you straight to the cancer research page to donate, it is safe and every penny goes straight into their bank account.
Thank you so much, stay tuned for Day 4
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