It is truly astounding how quickly 3 months can and did go by for us. Where in the world did the time go? And what did we do with all that time? I guess that is the real question. Living in the tropics is a completely different way of life, a much slower life. Much slower because it is so ridiculously hot and humid. Never before have I experienced weather like this, the constant heat and humidity that surrounds us. There is no wonder how everything is go green and lush and why the pace of life is similar to a turtle.
2 weeks ago, walking from the sitting area into the kitchen (I made delicious cookies that I later cursed.....epicurious recipe for sugar cookies in case you were wondering and extremely easy to make), I caught my pinky toe on a 2 inch board. There is a hole in the kitchen floor where a staircase will soon lead to the downstairs apartment. This hole is covered by pieces of plywood and a carpet. Occasionally knocking the boards over the past few months, I did not have an excuse of not knowing what was there.
Going back for another cookie, my pinky toe caught the edge of the board and I heard and felt a snap. "Please let that have just been a snap like I was cracking my knuckle," I thought as I hopped around the island counter cursing the delicious cookies. I looked down and my right pinky toe was sticking out at an 80 degree angle, definitely didn't just "pop" the poor thing. I squeezed it back into place and groaned and swore off the cookies just to have something to blame.
With Ryan's help and knowledge, my foot was elevated and iced within minutes. The first 20 minutes didn't hurt so bad, but the 2 hours following were pretty intense. I had no idea how badly a broken bone could feel, and let along a measly little pinky toe. I was laid up for a few days, but followed the internet words of wisdom of elevation and 15 minutes per hour of ice. I hopped from couch to bathroom, but otherwise read books and played games online. Ryan took great care of me, not letting me raise a toe so to speak.
Here we are, 2 weeks later and my toe is on the mend. Slightly swollen with greenish/blueish bruising around the base of two toes, I can finally walk without a limp. At times I seem I think it has completely healed when I do something to set me back just a bit. After a day of wine day drinking (not much to do when it rains for a few days straight), I thought it would be smart to practice my air golf swing. Not even the alcohol could cover the pain that jetted through my foot and up my chin. I constantly remind myself that we start riding in a few weeks time, so staying off my foot will only benefit my ability to ride without pain.
We leave this house in 2 weeks. I just cannot believe how quickly the time has gone. Being in utter bliss with a bathroom, bed and kitchen, we are ready to forgo those luxuries for a home being wherever our feet are at the moment, living in a tent and packing up with each sunrise. We feel very lucky to have had the time here for many reasons but mainly because it will help us appreciate our time biking and travelling. Around the 6 month marker while in Europe, I genuinely missed having a bed, a real pillow and a bathroom. So getting to Australia was eagerly anticipated. This hiatus has made us even more excited to explore from the seats of the bicycles again. This time the transition into that lifestyle will be much easier because we know what to expect, not having as much trial and error. It will be great to explore through the eyes of the bike, seeing the world, people and life in such a different way.
Catching a flight out of Sydney on May 3, we have 1400 miles to cover. Riding a touch over 50 miles (80-90K) per day, we have 28 days of riding ahead of us. We will first head inland before riding along the coast further south. Australians have warned us of the small shoulders down the coast, but we are hoping to avoid most of the traffic as our riding hours will be in the mornings to avoid the heat and sun. The one thing I am a bit nervous about is the humidity. For the first time in my life, I think I will embrace the rain as is a great way for us and the temperature to cool off. I expect we will always be a bit damp, just the way it will be because it rains most afternoons.
The rest of our time here will be spent finishing up projects around the house (we want to leave the house better than how we found it and of course want to help out around here as much as possible) and getting our bikes and gear ready. Ryan will give them tune ups, we will pack, organize and hopefully get some rides in before it's time to leave. Coming from Perth, we shipped our bikes over rather than checking them on the plane. When we opened my bike box, one of my wheels was badly bent. Unfortunate, yes, but my rim on that wheel was cracking anyway. Ryan contacted the bike shop in Boulder who initially built our wheels and they agreed to rebuild another since the rim was already cracking. We had to pay for the parts and shipping, which is worth it for such a sturdy wheel. Once that arrives, we will be ready to go. Ryan is also going to make something similar to a tarp to lay below our tent. We have a lot of rain in our future between Australia and Alaska/Canada. There is so much to look forward to!
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