Ben Bowler

Ben Around the World Diary – Day 54 – 20th November 2018

After the oppressive heat of yesterday’s midday sun, the blanket of cloud that built from the south is like dipping your bare feet into a stream after a long days hiking. With occasional light drizzle bringing up the humidity my morning has been fairly smooth. Sticking to a nice 26 degrees. My legs are weak after the first full day and my eyes are drooping from a rough nights sleep. I can really feel the break from the bike. So I’m glad I’ve got the break from the heat today.

Each day I eat so well from a range for veg restaurants on the side of the road and my small hotel I paid far too much for last night. The joy of eating after so much exertion is something very special. It’s the best kind of satiation. Eating a paneer masala with a stack of fresh roti, right hand only, tearing off the bread and spooning the sauce and cheese with the deep red oil coating my fingers. It’s definitely not high-performance sports food but the joy of eating is real.

I’ve stopped for lunch before the first real climb of this leg. 400m to a pass up ahead. I can’t say I feel ready. I have the whole afternoon free though. When I can muster the desire to move again I’ll stick my bike in the lowest gear, put an audiobook on and get churning.