Kulob and two new spokes

24/8

I woke up early, around 6AM, the sun outside has already been up for a while. I´m warm and sweaty so I went to the shower room. When I get there the german women told me that the shower ran out of water. There was a sink with a tap out in the hallway, with a small stream of water running — that’ll have to do.

Before I left for Kulob I took a quick breakfast, because it will be hot today and it is not yet 7:30. The road was mostly flat, only few small hills. Just before noon I stopped by a small roadside bar  for coffee and beer. I also refilled my water bottles.

When I entered the city center  there were lots of people at the market stalls. It was bazar day. I asked some people where I could find a bicycle repairman. They guided me to a stall filled with all sorts of bicycle stuff and gears. I asked the man if he could help me replace two broken spokes.
– No problem, he said.
– Come back in 45 minutes.
I left and looked for a cafe, which wasn’t hard to find. They even had WiFi—wow!

After I picked my bike with two new spokes I looked for a shop where I could buy provisions for four to five days because it is not certain that I will find the ones needed in the small shops in the villages I will pass according to others who have cycled the same way.

Around 4 PM I cycled out of town heading north but a new puncture stopped me. Turned back and looked for another bicycle repairman for fixing a new tube.
The road out of Kulob was busy, lots of traffic, and my GPS shows 2-4 % slope.

The heat is wearing me down, sweat is pouring off me, and I already feel exhausted — and it’s only going to get worse.

In the next small settlement, after about 10 km, the climb increases to 6%, and I can’t see any end to it. I did a short stop for water and a cold beer at a roadside restaurant.
Finding good camping spots was’nt easy. Just before a small village, I stop to buy watermelon from some young people who have set up a little stand by the road.

When my GPS shows 93 km, I finally find a spot by the roadside that will have to do for pitching my tent. From there, I have a view down into the valley I’ve just cycled through and up from, puuh!

I feel completely drained and worn out. The air has started to cool down, which I don’t mind at all.

See yeah later somewhere by Panji river
// P-G
The Global Cyclist