Dear all,
I spent quite sometime writting the previous post at night so I felt asleep only around 3AM.
In the morning I woke up close to 9AM but rested!
It was nice to be with friendly people right in the morning. Elena has prepared a delicious breakfast with eggs, tomato and bread! Very very good!
We have made some stretching / yoga exercises all together and it felt great!
Well, after some more time chatting, it was time to pack everything and hit the road. Just before, let's have a picture for remembering:
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| Group photo at Ignalina |
I am very greatful for the great evening we have spent together, to feel welcome and everything you have shared with me! Thank you is not enough!! Please feel very welcome at my place anytime! I am superglad I met you! Cheers!! (Also for you Onute!).
Well, I do hate goodbyes, but a see you then is somehow standable!
I started to cycle quite late, after I stopped at post office for some postcards and supermarket for supplies for the day.
I took the road 102 to Zarasai, just at the border with Latvia. The road is nice with no much traffic. Here you have some pictures:
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| The first kms of the day |
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| Peter cruising on road 102 |
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| Road 102 to Zarasai |
The pace was quite good, with average speed around 21 km/h. After 40 km ( close to 2 hours on the bike) I needed a break for some minutes and to have some food and drinks. I thought about stopping only in Zarasai but 55 km in a row is just too much.
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| Lunch time! |
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| Bike having a break! |
Back to the road I have continued my ride till Zarasai.
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| Reaching Zarasai |
This city is quite beautiful and I stopped for some pictures and to rest a bit.
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| Bike by Zarasai's lake |
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| Should we go to Latvia or stay in Lithuania? |
After few kilometers I reached Latvia:
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| Entering Latvia |
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| At the border with Latvia |
My destination of the day was Daugavpils - the second largest city in Latvia. For you to have an idea, there are about 2 million people living in Latvia and about 1 million lives in the capital, Riga. In Dagavpils less than 100.000! So the city is not that big.
First impressions on Latvia is that the road is quite bad, I have been close to a crash for 2 times:
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| Road to Daugavpils |
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| Still going strong after 70 km on the end of an uphill |
Daugavpils is about 22 km from the border:
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| Reaching Daugavpils |
Time then for the typical picture of the end of the day:
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| Arrived into Dagavpils |
I had to look for the Olimpic Center where my host Maria lives. It was not that easy as much of the people just speaks Russian and they are somehow afraid of talking to others. After I was completely lost with some people saying to me contraditory directions, I could finally find Maria's place!
I was supposed to stay in the house of a Latvian girl but she hasn't respond till the morning, so I accepted the kind offer of Maria, and I am glad I did it.
She is a volunteer here in Daugavpils for EVS (European Volunteer Service), very friendly and it is nice to speak some Portuguese as well.
One other volunteer and Maria's friend joined us for the home made dinner. After we went out for a drink.
I asked Maria if it would be possible to stay one day longer, which immediatly she said yes! Thank you so much Maria. I think it will be nice to have a rest day, know better the city and hang out with Maria after her job finishes at 17h.
I still have some planning to do, but I think I will change my travel plans within Latvia. I was planning to go to Rezekne because I knew one girl from there but it turns out that she is out of the country so I will decide during this rest day where I am heading then. i have absolutely no idea!!
Summary of the day:
- Daily distance: 86,30 km
- Daily time: 4h20m36s
- Average speed: 20,09 km/h
- Maximum speed: 54,47 km/h
- Total distance so far: 556,79 km
- Total time cycling: 30h51m23s
Well, it is all for now folks!
Best,
Peter
Postado com o Blogsy
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