Day 7: A city too far

The gravel roads have taken there toll on the rider. From the time I started this morning it was all bad roads, roads with heavy  traffic, gravel cycle paths, roads works, road works on the cycle paths. All the time I could see the signs of Oslo coming in sight, aircrafts coming in for landing in Oslo and the road signs. In the end the road became too treacherous to ride on and my body had taken the toll for it. My foot started to hurt and bum was aching. The road was going up and down all the time through fields. It was mind numbing.

BUT I have not given up on cycling.

So I decided to take a 20 minute train ride to Oslo and go to the ER to see what was wrong with my foot. On the train a strange thing happened: when I told the conductor where I had been cycling and that this is the only train ride I have taken, he refused to take money for the ticket from me. He said that I had earned the ticket. Sometimes the strangers surprise you.

Anyway my doctor Sidrah Yasmeen Azam Sidaza told me not to cycle for a week and gave me some pain killers for the Tendonitt (tendinitis) in my ankle. It will heal itself up. 

So I am down for one week people.

Lunch was lamb curry with naan and rice. Another good deed happened when the owner said I could park my bike there for the day. Very strange for Oslo.

I was talking to my friend Harpreet today who said I have been leaving out the details of my hurts and pains. So here are some just for you. 

I start with my butt which is sore as anything. It's all because of the gravel road. You go up and down on the little stones and some bigger ones. After some time you can tell the size of the stones by the pain they cause up your backside - ratio of the stone to the pain is 1:4 so you can just imagine. Second when you are sitting on the seat the blood flow to your bum is restricted so it is numb, like fallen asleep. You get blisters but they dont hurt, but once you've rested and whilst you're sleeping the blood flows back to your butt and PING the blisters go here we are buddy, did you forget about us? I have 2 gel seat covers over one another but still you feel everything.

Muscles are another story. They are talking to each other, saying things like who does this couch potato think he is, working us like this? It's one push of the pedal after another. They get used to whatever you want them to get used to. It's tough but it's fun. 

At the end of the day when you are making your campsite you feel you have done something today and you are on natural high. You lie down in the tent and you feel it's a good end to the day. Rain, flooding, wetness, smelly feet all troubles you, that is just how you always wanted it. If you can't deal with it, then it's really tough. Take it as it comes. You pack your cycle for the night with a plastic bag to keep it dry from the rain and put all your electronic in plastic and make everything ready if you have to leave in a hurry, like too much  rain and the tent starts to leak.

I will tell you more when I start the tour again.