Three flat tyres, torrential rain and going in the wrong direction.

8 August 2010
I have to apologise for calling Neuss a boring town. We were nowhere near the town centre and it is rather nice with lots of Roman remnants. Not that we got to see much of it. The weather forecast said 27 degrees C and 30% chance of rain. We left the hotel when we thought the rain was easing. It didn't. A few kilometers from the hotel my rear tyre went flat. George changed the inner tube for the spare tube, after checking that there were no sharp bits in the tyre. Not much fun changing a tyre in the rain. A couple of km on it went flat again. This time we found a shard of glass in the tyre. Had to apply a patch as we only had one spare inner tube. Luckily, since it was still raining, we found a bus shelter to change the tyre.


So onwards, the rain didn't let up so we holed up for half an hour in a lovely little
Cafe along the Rhein. We weren't the only ones, a rather bedraggled crew of 5 rowers also sought refuge from the rain. We debated why German Cafes seem more homely and encourage you to stay longer, rather than have coffee and leave, as we do in most New Zealand cafes. Still don't know the answer to that but we didn't want to leave!

So put on the wet raincoat again and back en route. We tried to reduce the overall distance by heading west of the Rhein to avoid some large bends in the river. The weather became somewhat drier with only the occasional shower. Not sure how it happened, but at one point we took a wrong turn and ended up going 14 km SW towards Alpen, rather than N towards Nijmegen. We arrived in Gelderen. It is Sunday here. None of the three hotels that we found are open and there didn't seem to be any alternatives, like a youth hostel, or a private house with rooms to let. As soon as we hit the town centre the heavens opened up, and the rain became torrential, almost biblical! Felt like we were in a tropical monsoon .... Still had to find somewhere to stay.

At the second hotel we tried, George's front tyre went flat. Another shard of glass. We could change the tyre inside the garage there, but were directed back towards the Ratskeller (Ratcellar) Hotel where we'd already tried earlier. Tried to make contact with the hotelier over the phone, this requires an international call as we still have a NZ chip, and we had to ask somebody what the number for Germany was (0049 should you ever need it). The Ratskeller hotelier would hang up on us as soon as we said that we didn't understand what she was trying to say in German, and did she understand any English?

So we headed back to another hotel we'd seen on the way in. Again a phone number because the place is shut on a Sunday. Luckily this hotelier could speak English. He turned up at the hotel, showed us where to park the bikes, gave us a key to the room and the hotel, told us to help ourselves to drinks from the fridge, breakfast at 7 am OK? Then he hopped on his bike and dissapeared!


So a weird day all told. And what is even more disapointing is that it felt like a good 70km ride, but however you figure it is seems that we only managed about
65 km, and 14 of that was essentially back tracking. Tomorrow it is off to Nijmegen, 46km north. If the weather holds, and the forecast is correct, and the tyres don't get punctures (or if we can replace them with Kevlar outers), and we actually go in the right direction then we actually might make Wolfheze a day earlier than we've booked.......



They have bucket fountains here too (Kleve), and they work just as well as the one in Wellington.

Hopscotch with a dog

Todays total is 76km to Neuss (Hotel Kolossos). Not as far as yesterday as one of my knees was getting rather sore. We cycled through the heavily industrialized Rhur area, but most of the time through tree lined avenues along the river. Occasionally the route went more inland to avoid industrial area that were right up to the river. One such area was the Ford factory, which covers an area bigger than a mid-sized NZ town, so bigger than Marton, but smaller than Wanganui.


The bits that weren't covered with sunblock are now rather red, so the weather is still nice to us. We saw another cycling family today, 4 or 5 kids on bikes, dad towing a trailer with a dog lolling happily inside it, Mum had another trailer full of stuff and a kid on the back. We played hopscotch with them for most of the day.


First in the impressive continental breakfast layout is now the Best Western Hotel we stayed at last night, forget three of each type of food, try 6 instead. Portion sizes are something we are having a few issues with. Most of the meals we've ordered so far are about twice as big as we normally would eat. Tonights butterfly pork meal with bacon fried potatoes came on a plate the size of a serving platter. The side salad filled a normal sized plate. We did our best to eat most of it because it was very nice. At McDonald's yesterday George's burger was about twice the size of what you get in New Zealand. We're not going to get trim at this rate.


The restaurant tonight was right beside the Rhein and we happily watched all the big boats and barges plying up and down the river. We still haven't figured out what navigation rules are in play, boats don't always pass to starboard and most boats seem to have a big flashing light mounted on the cockpit. Tried looking it up on the internet, but nothing obvious appered, must be using the wrong key words.



Oh well, I'll go and rub some more moisturiser on the sunburn and go to bed. Nuess is not very exiting, being a suburban commuting area. The architecture is modern close build stuff and there is no shopping centre nearby. The restaurant by the Rhein was probably the most interestng thing we came across. Tomorrow we should hopefully make it in to Nederland.

80km, breakfast and Der Eis Bus

Weehee, we sure cracked that old nut. My target was to do 65km and instead we've done about 80km! and reached Bonn-Bad Godesberg. Pretty chuffed with that. I must confess that I make George do all the hard work, I tuck in behind in his slipstream and use him as a wind break. Much harder work when I'm in front. Every now and again George gets into "the zone" - mind in neutral and comfortably peddling - and forgets about me behind. Feel a bit mean to be the anchor on his chain. He usually remembers eventually that he has a little duckling paddling frantically to keep up.

Haven't talked much about food yet. Learning all about what a Continental breakfast should be. Two or three type each of bread, cheese, sliced meat, jams, fruit juice, cereal, a boiled egg, and coffee or thee. The hotel in Eltville am Rhine so far tops the stakes in quality breakfast, but we got home made plum and apricot jam yesterday, and at the hostel in Frankfurt breakfast ran from 7am to 12 and include chocolate in the cereal.

The other funny thing yesterday was coming across Der Eis Bus. Here you are cycling along havested wheat fields on one side, nettles, wildflowers, and willow along the river, halfway between the last village and the next and then you come across a van selling icecream. Gelatos galore and since I needed some energy we partook. The Russian vendor came and chatted to us, in German, when things were a bit quiet. He must do a roaring trade just there. There must be hundereds if not thousands of people using the cycleway. Day-trippers in dresses, older folk on fold up bicycles, other trekkers, some with 5 or 6 bags weighing down the bike!
I'll write more tonight. It is coming up to 7am and breakfast time, we try to get and early start everyday. Internet access has been a bit sporadic along the way, so I'll post stuff on line whenever we can.....

658 - 5 August 2010

Along the Rhein there are signs that show how far you are from, I presume, the source of the river. The numbers get bigger as you go downstream. Where we stayed yesterday, it was 512, and today's sign is 568, so we have cycled 56km today. Not as tired and sore today. I think that I should aim for 65km tomorrow. George is having to hold back so that I can keep up.


We did a little side trip up the vineyard covered hills today behind Lochre. My legs don't seem to want to do up and I had to walk some of the steeper bits. The view from the top was awesome though, and really nice to get off the main road for a while. We came past the bed and breakfast that George stayed at 5 years ago. It was his first stop and 70km from Frankfurt. The B&B is empty and up for sale so the aging owner may have passed on.




On the way we saw the cycling family in a camp ground. They are tenting as well as cycling. We also met three nice lads in their early 20's who were debating whether to cross by ferry to the other side of the river. The had set themselves a challenge to get to the border with the Nederlands in 4 days but were dissapointed with their progress thusfar. George encouraged them by saying that he cycled that distance if 5 days, when he was 5 years younger and a bit fitter. So fit blokes like you should find it no problem.


This section of the Rhein River, between 526 and 593 (Koblenz) was made a UNESCO heritage site in 2002. This is the part where the river flows through a gorge and there are lots of castles everywhere. These castles used to reinforce a toll system on passing ships. If you didn't pay up then they would lobb nasty things at you. Needless to say todays trip has been very scenic, the only problem was an ever increasing head wind.



We are staying in Kamp-Bornhofen (really that is what this place is called) today, in a private boarding house. I think that we are the only guests. Bit of a shock after a full day's cycling to be faced with two flights of stairs. We do have a view over the river, and a reasonably large bed, always a bonus if one of you is 6'4".

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Stealth bikes 4-August 2010

Yesterday we bought two Pegasus trekking bicycles, at tall one with a mens frame and a shorter one with a Swiss frame (also affectionately known as a half-girlie frame). Unfortunately they didn't have any intersting colours in the type of bicycle that we were looking for, so they are both silver and white. George has added some colour to his bike with red paniers, and mine is looking sophisticated with black ones. We've packed everything we own into these paniers, expect for the cycle carry bags and hold luggage bags that are locked up in a large dog cage at the hostel until we get back there on the 1st of September.

The bikes are awesome! Fantastic Shimano 24 gears, sprung saddle and front forks and really nice to ride. Being brandspanking new, nothing rattles or squeeks so we have been sneaking up on hapless pedestrians and cyclists and scaring the living bejeezus out of them - hence today's title. We have a klanger rather than a bell to warn people of impending doom.

This morning we set out following the river Main downstream to where it joins to the Rhein/Rijn, except for the bit where we thought we were avoiding the industrial area and a likely dead end. It probably wasn't a dead end, but we figured that out later, once we bought a more detailed map of the area. The detour took us to Zeilsheim, where we found one of the cycle routes Radfarhen 8 (R8). We thought great and followed it to the right, through a tunnel, and into a rural area where the sign post indicated that we were going the wrong direction (straight north rather than west or northwest). So turned around, retraced some of the route and eventually picked up the R3 going the right direction, along the rivers Main and Rhein, near Okriftel.

Somewhere near there I lost the bet as to who would be first to fall of the bike. I failed to take one of those zig-zag barriers across the path properly. The yapping dog distracted me enough that one of the paniers clipped the barrier and threw my balance off. It resulted in one of those slow, but inevitable, tipping over on your side scenes. Only a finger and my ego were a bit bruised.

It is lovely cycling along the river, lots of historic sights, occasional wildlife reserves, and boats plying the river. We also passed a holidaying family - Mum and Dad and a horde of kids all on bikes. Mum & Dad were towing trailers (Dad's with luggage & camping gear, Mum with a couple of passenger children). Dad also had a child on a seat on the back of his bike, and a ten (?) year old had his own bike with a teddy bear on the carrier. Looked really cute! Mum & Dad looked very fit so they probably do this all the time ....

There are kids playground every few kilometers or so, and there are all sorts of things you can't do - including being noisy! Rules are probably as bit pointless because most little kids wouldn't be able to read them! People in cars and truck are very careful around cyclists and would rather follow behind at our modest speed than overtake in narrow streets. The R8 and R3 are dedicated to cyclists and pedestrians and most of the route is well away from road traffic. Surfaces varied, some tarmac, some cobbles or brick, others just dirt (but still smooth). There are lots of big mansions and the occasional castle along the river. We've cycled about 54 km today and have found a room in a lovely little hotel in Eltville am Rhine. Eltville has buidlings dating back to 1480, several castles, heaps of quaint old buidling and narrow winding coblestone streets.

We've really enjoyed today, the weather was great, exploring the area was great, and the bicycles were awesome. Bit sore and stiff now though. Will have to do some yoga tonight before going to sleep to get the kinks out. The total distance cycled is probably not as much as we'd like to achieve eventually, but, then neither of us has cycled in anger for more than 5 years. We'll just have to get fitter.

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My bicyle


George on his bike

Sitting in our Hostel room in Frankfurt waiting for the thunder

Getting loaded onto the plane in Dubai was interesting. It was a B777-300, still rows of 3, 4 and 3 seats, so quite a big plane. There was a single security person scrutinizing all passports and asking questions, and two people scanning the boarding passes. As a consequence the que of people became very long and moved very slowly. Then we were loaded onto a double width bendy bus and taken to the far end of the airport, way past the point where we disembarked, to get loaded onto our plane. Funny hooning around airport and having to give way to crossing aeroplanes. Once our plane started taxiing it too had to give way to at least another dozen or so other planes taxiing - you could see them trundeling along on the plane's forward looking camera.

The flight was smooth, but not as quiet as the A380. The 6 month Indian infant with the huge lung capacity seated immediately next to me made sleeping a bit difficult. I wached some Disney cartoons and George various movies including Avatar and the latest Shrek movie (I watched that on the last leg - funny movie - also really enjoyed How to tame a dragon, not least because the heroine is called Astrid!). By the time we got to Frankfurt we were both very tired.

My bag was already trundeling around on the baggage carouselle and George's took another 20 minutes or so. Not bad since we'd last seen our bags in Wellington - you always wonder if they get through all the connections. We eventually figured out to take a bus to Airport Termnal 1, from where we could catch the train into Frankfurt itself. We've come back to our rooms in the hostel (one road away from and parallel to the main railway station, and seemingly in the Red Light district) after eating Halal salami pizza because the sky started rumbling with thunder. Think it has passed over now.

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The Airbus 380, George and I were sitting by the first window past the I, on the lower deck

Dubai and a number of firsts

Well we're on our way. Wellington to Auckland and a six hour wait for the Emirates flight via Sydney to Dubai. Apparently it was a bit windy in Sydney so only one runway was open, instead of two, and we, like everybody else, ended up circling for about 40 minutes in a stacked display of fireflies. Everybody off the plane and wandering around as all the shops in the transit lounge rapidly shut up shop. Forty-five minutes back on the same plane and the same seats. George booked bulkhead seats which are great as you don't even have to disturb our fellow passenger in the aisle seat to get out. Bit more wriggle room for George's long legs.

This was the first time that I've flown on a Pacific Blue plane (from Wellington), the first time in an Airbus a380, first time in Dubai and probably also the first time I've gone 0.86 Mach airspeed while drinking a cup of tea. Flight statistics were up to 980 km/hr ground speed (with a 66km/hr tailwind), up to 12km above sea-level and usually about 0.85 Mach (0.86 was downhill).

The air terminal at Dubai is rather large. About half an hour to walk from where we disembarked to our boarding lounge and we haven't even walked the full length yet. All the expensive brands are on display, Armani, Geordani, Schwarofski, not sure if the Porche 911 Carera under the Duty Free sign means they will wrap one up to take with you or not. There are free showers, but you can't hire towels, and the mens showers don't even have paper towels. A real mix of nationalities and costumes which is rather fascinating to observe. Look forward to coming back for a few days on the way back. For now .... onwards.