Barbs's Big Bike RIde

This year I have decided to stay and enjoy an English Spring. It has been a long time coming but at last it is here and I am off to explore my own back yard. Well actually travelling up the UK mainland as far north as possible before 21st June and see how close I can get to the Midnight Sun.


After my travels along the Camino de Santiago across northern Spain last September on my trusty old iron donkey, I have bought a lighter bike in the hope that I can get up a few more hills and by going from Lands End to John o Groats (LEJOG) I can avoid the killing headwinds of the Spanish meseta.


So here she is, we had a jolly naming ceremony on Saturday and hopefully the good friends, food and weather I enjoyed will carry me through to the farthest northern climes. Thank you all for a great send off, admirably topped off with one too many pints The Village Bike listening to Mojo Triangle.


And she is called Eleanor, isn't she beautiful, I hope I still have such tender feelings after 6 hours in the saddle, but probably only in the nether regions I fear.


The map link on the right will show a rough itinerary and route and I will try try to update with my actual route, if I can work out how and where I am as I go along, you know there will be little correlation but I will get there or somewhere in the end!


If you want an email update, submit your address in the box also on right and hopefully it will find its way through the ether to you.

Sunday, 4 March 2012

Sandakan Weekend

Plantation life is both stimulating and peaceful but it is good to get into town for the weekend for a little retail r & r, a beer looking over the bay and necessities of finding the bank etc.


The sun has started to shine at long last so I thought it would be good to find a beach for a swim. Sandakan town doesn't have any beaches so I managed to get to Berhala island in the bay by local ferry, but was I disappointed that water was too dirty for swimming I had been warned. The bay seems to attract all the plastic from all the coastal settlements. 
On landing I headed off along the coast to find my beach idyll but was followed by the local youth hassling for money, food etc. they tried to annoy me singing loudly to hip-hop on their phones so I joined in and they soon stopped, I knew my unique singing ability has some purpose. They eventually left me in peace on my tropical island breach shaded by a mangrove, sitting on a liberated lorry mud flap, almost idyllic except for the rubbish.
 Although the sun shone, and I got burnt again, the water was not inviting so I strolled inland hoping to get closer to the cliffs following goat trials, passing very rudimentary shelters, I didn't like to photograph as people were sleeping away the heat of the day in them, which I guess is their purpose rather than a full time dwelling, located by cultivated patches. I eventually ran out of goat trail and unusually for me sensibly turned back, I had already been warned by the 'youts' that there were jumping animals which bite, I assumed monkeys, but I am more afraid of snakes. I haven't seen any yet but others have. I returned to the village to be greeted as an old friend, or possibly relief that I handy completely lost myself, and to find a ferry back with out the 2 hour wait I had to get there.
The sea food here is amazing I was taken out for a fabulous dinner with Mr Chee, our wonderfully thoughtful host and plantation manager and his family to a restaurant in the SimSim the slit village I passed on my way to Berhala,  There was plenty to choose from still swimming in the tanks,  we had huge prawns, crabs, clams, squid and fish all for about the price of a fish supper at the pub.  He and his wife also took me for delicious dim sum for breakfast, so Simonne, if you are reading, you know what to look forward to
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