Innocently looking at our map one peaceful evening we noticed that there were three different routes from Trinidad to Cienfuegos. One followed the beautiful sceneic coast. The other two went up over the mountain range. One was shorter than the coastal route and was on a secondary road. The other longer and on a highway the whole way. All were under 90km. Ninety Kilometers... no problemo... we did 135km easy enough... right? So like all slightly insane people who decide to tour a country by bicycle we decided we have spent lots of time on the lovely flat coast... we'd like to bike through the mountains.... through being the key word.
So we set out early (lets not get cocky) with equal encouragment and discouragment from locals we talked to about our routes. Most of the discouragment was because of the pending storm and rain... which would be hitting the coast more than the mountains.... our decision was based on logic.
After a gruling 800m climb from sea level in the first 14 km and blisters forming in areas I didn't know could blister, we had a pop and congratulated ourselves on a job well done. 300 more meters and then obviously the long and well deserved downhill would appear and we would be back to the coast in no time. eerch! Nope. The road was impassible.... minor hiccup. After a bit of map looking and weather asseccing we flipped plans and decided to head to Santa Clara... still well within the 90km total. 2 hours later we were still in our granny gears... sweating our behinds off climbing yet another hill. By 2:30, we had gone only 30kms! Apparently we weren't going thru the mountains.... we were going over them.... them being more than one.
Jodie and I spent much of our time practising a duet for christine, it goes...
"This is the hill that never ends! It goes on and on my friend.... some people started cycling not knowing what it was. And then they kept on cycling FOREVER just because... this is the hil that never ends.... "
You get the picture. It sounded as beautiful as you can imagine thru all the huffing and puffing :)
Needless to say it did eventually end. We made our way down and out of the valley to Santa Clara 12 hours after we started our day.
What doesn't kill us only makes us stronger!
Vanessa
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5 comments:
Survival of the fittest!!! Way to go girls :)
Mary
I hate those never-ending hills! We've hiked a few of them! he,he
You gals put in a long and hard 12 hour day! Way to go! I'm exhausted just thinking about it! Yikes!
You'll all be tough when you come home!
Take care,
Hope it had beautiful views at least! And maybe the downhill made it worth it... :) Hugs K:)
I expect a serenade rendition of this song when you return!
wow what a great and yet wet trip! hopefully the rain was out done by the experience, the sunny days, the downhills and all the friendly people you met!! you are all so very ambitious! can't wait to see ya ness! soon! aunt D
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