Home and pondering our future.

We are at home and going through a gauntlet of emotions. Is everything that has happened to us this year a message? Are we past cycle – touring now?  Is this the end or is it the jump start we need to change tack and try a different sort of cycling holiday? We both love cycling and it’s our life, but has touring done it’s dash and we try overseas cycling events? Do we do cycling tours with a company where you are safe and more secure? We don’t know.

I still despair about what is happening to my stolen bike and all my gear. I’ve resigned to the fact that I’ll never see it again. I’m trying to replace my clothes in order of priority and need, as I can afford it. I have a doctor’s appointment today to replace all my stolen Asthma huffers .  I need to start an insurance claim, but need to buy a computer printer first, as we have always managed to do without one, but now need to download and print off claim forms and receipts for expenses. So everything is money, money, money right now.

 

I have my job back – thank you Jim – you really are a great employer. Niel appears to have his old job back too, but he has yet to confirm that.

One overseas cycling event we definitely want to do and train for, is the next Paris – Breast –Paris. It is an endurance event of 1,200 kms held over 3 and a half days. That is an average of about 350 kms a day. It is held every 4 years like the Olympics and the next one is in 2014. It is well organised with schools and gyms and town halls being adapted for cyclists to bed down for a sleep. You can do it how you like, racing it to do it in the shortest time you can, or pacing yourself and sleeping when you need to, and taking the whole 3 and half days. It is very popular, with thousands entered every time. But you need to do official qualifying rides to prove you can do it. That will probably be our next trip.

Another outcome of our Vietnam trip is my concern and despair for the animals over there. I can’t do anything about those poor animals as I don’t have millions of dollars to set up animal shelters, but I’ve realised I can do something on a small scale here and advertise their plight, and volunteer in our local SPCA. If you want to act globally, you need to start locally.