Let's get in formation

The rest day was over too soon. I awoke more tired than I had been before I rested! I'm not sure how much of that is due to staying up late now I have the internet again, although I am generally feeling quite fatigued mentally and physically. We are approaching halfway though the trip time wise, and have covered over 3500km on our bikes. Today we cycled from Marsabit to Laisamis. Jenna and Alistair waited for David and I this morning, and a few of us all set off together. Breakfast had been moved to 6, as opposed to 6.30 in an attempt to help riders beat the heat of that day. I had looked st the weather forecast and was worrying about the headwind it looked like we would be pushing into. We started off well, smooth Tarmac and a mix of down and uphill.

The overwhelming feature of the day was the downhill, which actually ended up compensating for the wind! We passed more crosswind signs and stopped for a photo opportunity. I had been taking about doing a blown away in the wind picture for the last two days. 

It worked out a lot better than intended. Comic moment when Alistair was unable to support his weight, and Jenna was taking he picture...the photo has become so much more than just a photo. We were in fits of laughter by the road, to the extent that passing riders were stopping to check we were ok. Three or four riders had been acutely sick overnight but were all still riding today. There was not one common factor linking the sickness, it was unusual. There is a bit of a pattern that occurs with sickness- rest days we eat elsewhere and someone therefore gets ill, just in time to be back in the bike, then the next three cycling days are recovery time, ready for the next rest day and the cycle repeats. We gradually spread out over he morning, I stopped to take some pictures. They just don't do it justice. We dropped down again onto a plateau, with mountains flanking it.  We were still cycling beside the road that the previous route used to take.

After lunch we cycled as a four, in formation against the wind. It's hugely more efficient. We could hold speeds of about 22km/h, switching every km where as alone I was cycling at about 18km/h.

We did have an impromptu stop at one point when I was full of water and food and couldn't keep cycling. It's a difficult balance between keeping hydrated and filling yourself with fluids. We got to camp pretty early as it was only 96km today. Luckily there was a town nearby. We are camped in an old school playing field. It's not much of a field, there are some goal posts but no grass. 

The surface is barren and sandy. There was water for bucket showers, and a cubicle and long drop...the epitome of luxury. Even if the bucket shower cubicles did smell of a urinal and there was a local boy hanging around looking through the wall, and even if there was a bird which flew down the long drop and tweeted at you from below while you did your business! We escaped the heat by walking the km Into town and finding a cafe which served cold drinks. They even had CNN, first outside news since Egypt. It was all American related. There were fans too, however they were off and ventilation was by open doorways. Alistair, Jenna, Liz and Ryan along with the other usual culprits (Marty and Frank) bypassed the cafe in search of alcoholic beverages. They found a Members Club, and befriended a local guy called Dan who entertained them with local tales Of camel trades in return for beer. By the time we found them they had consumed 45 half litter bottles of beer/cider and were very happy. The larger men had been provided with double chairs by the landlord- it appears that if he rethought you were over 100kg then there was a risk that a single chair my collapse underneath you! We returned to camp for rider meeting, via a liquor store. The second one since the border, and a sign we are moving out of the Muslim territory again. It was extremely hot overnight, so much so that I slept with both tent doors open, and hoped there were no insects.