Day 8: The end of it!
17 Dec 2013 | Canacona to Siridao - 75km
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It's still night when I leave this morning, I can't wait to be there, see my friends, enjoy a good rest and a real shower. But my knee is so painful today, I can't cycle uphill, I can barely walk actually. It takes it some long hours to warm up and becoming a bit usable, even if still painful. But the motivation is still here, and most of the time the road is flat, following the sea, so I give everything I can and make the 75 remaining kilometers to arrive in time for lunch. After roaming around Siridao, playing ping-pong in the streets in between people's indications, I finally find Charly's house. Laurent is also there since a few days. It's quite a surprise for them, and it's so good to see them after such a long time, and relieving after the cycling trip.
As a summary, it was a great experience to cycle India. It was my mistake to push so much at the end while it wasn't really needed, especially as I didn't expect to do such a distance every day -I was planning more on a 60 to 80 km a day. The road are in good conditions, the main roads at least but there are not so much secondary roads for long distances anyway. The traffic is bearable mainly when out of the big axis, only the buses are really dangerous as they always drive full speed and will pass other vehicles even if it means risking to hit you, I had to pull myself out of the road quite many times to avoid them. But it's impossible to drive by night as most people don't make difference between full lights and crossing lights, making you blind every second.
Sleeping outside was always good, even if some people saw me sometime it has never been a problem. Staying clean is easy as there are water tanks everywhere in small villages (except in Goa) that you can use. I never had to buy drinking water, and never ran out of my 0.7L bottle as everyone is happy to refill it at no charge. And eating is never an issue as you find everything you want on the roadside stalls, most of my meals being 20Rs rice plates that fill you up.
Now I need to decide whether I will continue cycling or not, and if so where to.
What do you think Incred!ble India?!