We are happy to have decided to do our travelling. However as in «real life» there are worries and miseries. They shall get a bit of space here – just a bit, as they are not prominent at all.
Adversary: Wind
To pedal downwards, not to be pushed backwards by headwind, must look like shadow boxing from outside. Sidewind is malicious. Because of windforcast we had even taken a day off cycling and were glad to have done so, when we observed the blustering gales pulling on the trees. The tent puts up with this – but the noise : as if beeing caught in a laundry machine!
Grinch: few trucks
Their noise and trucks with trailors, whose drivers don´t take any regard and like bugged race passed cyclists, unaware of the push und suck they create. However they are of concern only on the few State Highway sections.
Hassle: mainly ourselves
Who dosen´t carry enough Gas, has to eat rice «al dente ».
Who forgets the wallet on the toilet, has to cycle back 6km.
Who disposes the map holder to the wind, has to improvise in future.
And then we didn´t forget to pack our own quirks, that make the otherone´s life miserable at times.
Most troublesome gadget: GPS Garmin Monterra
It swallows the profile, mirrors it or delets it just as it likes. Of course we notice if the road goes up or down, but it could tell us so much in advance… The GPS has caused us allready many hours on a PC, improvisation and impatient waiting on the side of the road till the setting is ready in the morning, many discussions and long mail-correspondance with Garmin-Support… There is no light at the end of the tunnel yet. The device seems immature – a burrel burst ?
What a luxury problem!
Incomprehensible: NZ internet
You find it almost as rarely as a Kiwi. Once found it is as slow as cycling uphill with headwind.
Again a luxury problem.
Sandflies don´t make it to this list yet, but this might change. So far the above are our challenges we can practise placidity, patience, endurance and charity with.
Conclusion : we are fine !