Blog

Saturday 6th June

On Saturday we awoke to rain. It just rained long enough for us to pack up our soaking wet tents and bundle them into garbage bags. Cycling was a hard slog with lots of pushing the bikes up steep hills.

One hill was so steep, Mike failed to change gears in time and had a spectacular fall, tumbling down a steep bank, arms and legs flying in all directions. Thankfully he was ok. We pushed our bikes up the rest of the way. There was no way we could cycle it.

We stopped at the top for a rest. Lynda found a table and chairs outside someones house and started laying out our fresh rolls, meats and cheese. A lady came out of the house, yelling at us.

We managed a panicked “nein sprechen zee Deutch”. The lady then started gesticulating wildly at the chairs. We think she was indicating that we could not use them. She then disappeared inside, and came out holding a cloth to wipe the chairs down, some coffee and some biscuits for us. Really sweet.

After a low 48 kms, the rain was threatening again so we found accomodation in a gasthof (backpacker style accommodation) for the night. There are no tourists here, no one speaks English here and we are having fun with our phrasebook.

Here is a poem from the evening in the restaurant:

I’m sitting in a restaurant
I really don’t know what I want
Nobody here speaks any English
So I’m having trouble choosing my dish!

Sunday 7th June

Sunday we rode a massive 85kms. It may not seem like a lot, but when we are loaded up with camping gear, cooking gear and clothes for a month, it is a struggle, especially on the hills.

We stopped off in Ulm for lunch where they had a big band playing for us in the town square.

The black clouds were looming so we waterproofed the bikes and continued on, hoping to out-race the storm. We got 5 mins out of town and it chucked it down. We sheltered amongst the trees and falling branches for about 10 minutes. Then it stopped and was a gorgeous day again.

My bum is sore upon my seat
As I cycle through fields of wheat
I think the crops are oh so pure
Until they sprayed with cow manure

Monday 8th June

Monday we rode 75 kms, up a lot of steep hills. Well, we pushed our bikes up the really steep hills.

A poem composed nearing the end of the ride:

As we cycle through fields of corn
our legs are feeling very worn
Do not worry, do not fear
We’ll soon be having our first beer

We stopped the night in Neuberg, where I managed to find beer for only 39c. So we drank a bit too much and felt a bit drunk. So we went in search of apfel strudel, but there was no apfel strudel to be found. Instead we found apfel fritters and ice cream.

We camped again and awoke to rain. Now it is time to go and pack up our wet tents – again!

We have been cycling for two days so far and still haven’t found the Danube river, but we seem to be following one called the Donau.

We have cycled 130kms in two days of glorious sunshine through open fields, forests and pretty villages with castles in the sky.

Today (Saturday) we are having a lazy morning in the liquid sunshine waiting for our tent to dry (which is not going to happen).

There is not a lot of internet about so the blogs may be a little slow. Will post some photos when we get a chance.

A poem:

If we want to ride to Budapest
We cannot stop to take a rest
We need to pedal every day
If we want to make it all the way.

When you can have sing-song around the piano – or in Paul’s case – howling around the piano.

This is a funny poem Lynda’s workmate wrote for her on toilet paper! Keep and eye on the blog as we will be blogging our bike ride as often as we can.

Lynda, Lynda, on ya bike
Pedal power, that’s what I like.
Six weeks away without you,
John, what the fuck will you do?

To see you gone we’ll all be sorry,
The company’s in good hands
Don’t you worry.

Think of work, day & night
Like the Tui ad says,
“Yeah right.”

Biking for miles day after day,
That’s good for ya health or
So they say.

The rolling hills
The green green grass
Those mimi stops
That sore, tired arse.

Those aching thighs
Those scrapes & cuts.
If you were a man
Think of his nuts.

Isolations, roads & trees
Send us a postcard
If you please.

Wide open spaces,
Waterfalls,
Think of these guys
When nature calls.

Keep an eye on all those foreign men
Along your way
Please don’t let them lead you astray.

If you run out of money
Hey, that’s no sin,
Just get on the phone
And dial up Lyn.

Watch out for all that
Foreign food.
Those herbs & spices can be crude.

Beware of all those funny bits.
Take this poem if you get the shits.

Biker’s rash, tumbles & falls,
At least you won’t get
Itchy balls.

You’ll soon be back
With stories to tell
Takes heaps of photos and
Keep very well,

So have a great time
This is a must.
From all ya mates
At Lifestyle Trust.
\
By Andrew Rea
28 May 2009

Tonight Mike’s ingredients are:

Steak
Artichokes
Mushroom
Potato
Onion

I wonder what he will do

On Sunday we jumped on our bikes for the first time in over 5 months and cycled 40 kms of steep hills to Swanage and back. It wasn’t actually too hard and we both think our daily walk/run up Paku has made us quite fit. Mike also had the camera and big lens on and I still had trouble keeping up with him in places (yes I am admitting this ex-smoking, ex-exercise-phobe is actually fitter than me!).

The Swanage Pier:

Old Harry Rocks

Eating egg sandwiches and enjoying the view:

Ninas painting:

Eating egg sandwich in front of Ninas painting:

There are more people on the beach here on this chilly day than there is on Tairua beach in the height of the summer season:

Masterchef night has started at our place. This is a Wednesday night thing where we buy a set of ingredients for the other person to cook something with them. There are just few rules.

1. We can buy no more than 5 ingredients
2. We can spend no more than £5
3. At least one ingredient has to be something we have never cooked before.
4. Pantry items are allowed (e.g. spices, garlic, stuff like that)

Anyway we thought this would be a bit of fun to try cooking new things.

Last night it was Mikes turn. I was nice to him and bought him these simple ingredients for his first attempt.

Chicken drumsticks
Mushrooms
Cous Cous (We have never used this in cooking before)
Rocket

And he came up with this – it’s not the best photo, but it was yummy and very tasty.

Here is Mikes recipe:

Mike talking now

I decided to make my version of ‘Spicy Chicken Couscous’

Ingredients

couscous
olive oil
1 chopped onion
chicken drumsticks
sliced almonds
curry paste
mixed fruit mix
1or 2 Coronas

I prepared the couscous by adding 150mls of boiling mushroom stock (well, water from soaking some porchini mushrooms from the night before). This I left to cool for later on.

Having discovered we had no curry paste I had to make my own.

Ingredients

1 chopped onion
2 cloves garlic
some oil
squeeze of lemon juice
2 tspn ground cumin
1 tspn ground turmeric
1 tspn freshly ground black pepper

These were all put into the food blender and blitzed untill they resembled a rough paste. If I had been orgainised I should have made the paste before the couscous and also made the couscous while the chicken was cooking. Oh well thats the benefit of hindsight.

Method

1. I softly cooked the chopped onion in a pan (2-3 minutes)
2. Then added the flesh from the chicken thighs and cooked for about 10 mins until tender and no longer raw.
3. Then the sliced almonds and curry paste were added and cooked for a further minute.
3. This was then removed from the heat and the couscous and mixed fruit stirred in.

The dinner plate was dressed with the rocket and the spicey chicken and couscous served was then added.

The Coronas were used for lubrication during the cooking and are an optional item that can be replaced with a glass or 2 of wine.

Bon apertite Jo.

We are now back in the UK and the weather is lovely and sunny. It’s a little chilly though and shorts and t-shirts are still in my backpack (yes I still haven’t unpacked yet!)

We didn’t get our flight upgrade so we were cram packed in economy right behind the bulkhead seats with all the screaming kids. But for some reason I was so chilled out none of this bothered me. I managed to sleep well and watched a few movies.

Here are some film reviews, bearing in mind that long haul flights are not the best place to review films.

Slumdog Millionaire

This is about a kid who won millionaire and had to justify how he knew all the answers by going through his life history.

Well this has to be the boringest movie I have ever tried to watch. I managed to sit through 10 mins of it when I got bored and switched to something else.

Because of the good reviews I thought I should attempt another 10 mins. Got bored switched to another movie.

Then I even went back for more torture by trying another 10 mins, and finally gave up in disgust.

Mike gave up after the first 5 minutes.

Australia

This film is highly recommended if you are an insomniac. I had the best flight sleep ever as I passed out watching this boring load of crap.

Mike managed to watch the whole thing but also said it was boring and not worth me trying to watch the finish of it.

Marley and Me

Starring Jennifer Aniston and that guy from Armageddon, and some ugly mongrel mutt.

Its about Jennifer and that guy from Armageddon getting married and having this horrible mutt that wont behave. It was more drama than comedy and that guy from Armageddon tried very hard to make it into a soppy movie, but his attempts were almost laughable.

I could not get attached to this dog and if he were mine I would have dumped him on the side of the road years ago, so when he died it was like “get over it you guys, this isn’t even sad”.

Anyway, a rubbish movie in my opinion and not even funny.

Run Fatboy Run

Starring that guy from Spaced and Phoebes russian ex-boyfriend from Friends.

This was about that guy from Spaced leaving his gorgeous bride at the alter, then trying to win her back but she had already moved on with Phoebes russian ex-boyfriend from Friends (who by the way had a really fit bod!)

It was watchable and that’s all I have to say!

We left Whatuwhiwhi and headed for Kaitaia for supplies. We are doing a Tapas dish each tonight (limit of $5 per dish).

We are staying at Ahipara, right on 90 mile beach in a self contained (luxury) apartment for just $180 for the four of us.

We went for a swim and boogie board followed by quad biking along 90 mile beach.

Lynda driving:

Chrissie driving:

And Mike driving:

And the girls on their boogie boards:

Tomorrow we will post photos of Lynda and Chrissie doing their tandem skydive.

Matauri Bay was soooo beautiful we decided to spend the morning there. We went for a snorkel and the water was so clear. We saw loads of big fish and wished we had our rods with us.

This was the beach we camped at Matauri Bay.

We continued on our road trip to Whatawhiwhi, where we found another campsite on the beach. We blew up our inflatable kayak and Lynda and Chrissie hired some kayaks, and we went for a paddle, stopping at some bays for a swim and snorkel.

Another perfect and beautiful spot and I think they are right about “The Winterless Far North”

Here is the beach we stayed at in Whatuwhiwhi