Day 635 16th April 2018
25 miles (Jataizinho to Londrina) Average speed 7.3 mph Top speed 36 mph
As so often happens, what should have been an easy day turned into a tough and frustrating one.
I was up at 8.30 for brekkie of ham and cheese with cake and melon, coffee and OJ. I showered and left at 12 to climb up the first big hill. On the way up a guy stopped his car and was taking photos of me climbing up. We had a chat and he was a cyclist from Londrina. I got to a junction and decided to go through Ibipora which meant another steep climb. On turning right at a main road I found myself going up and down hill a few times and then joining a main road which I couldn’t get to the other side of, to follow the side road I needed, so I had to push across 4 lanes of traffic and a central reservation.
On the other side I had to push the bike up the side bank and remove a front pannier to get up. Then the side road became a narrow sand path with quite a few cars trying to pass me. Then it took me across a railway track and up another steep hill back up to the road.
Then it was more up and downs until I found my way to what I thought was the correct place, only to realise I had to go back up and find an address near the airport; which turned out to be the wrong place. Four more miles of up and down I eventually found the hostel, an 11 mile journey had turned into 25. Thankfully the patron was friendly and offered me a good single room instead of a dorm. I unpacked the bike and took my tired knees up another hill to find a supermarket to buy pizza for dinner and an early night.
Hostel alpha 50 reais.