Day 13 - Jekabpils - Madliena

Dear all,

 

I was uploading the blog yesterday night till about 00h30. I woke up today about 06h30. I am not too much light sensitive but there is simply too much light in the rooms in here (well, it is actually my first time at "a hotel").

When I woke up I had simply no clue where I was heading.

I suddenly decided that maybe I could head to Riga, although it is about 160 km - no way after a day like yesterday. There is "a camping" (don't miss the last part of this post to understand the brackets!) somehow in the middle - near Madliena, so I decided to go there to sleep tonight.

It was raining in the morning and I had breakfast only at 8h30, so I started to look for a host in Riga. I sent about 10 requests, let's see if someone can host me. Otherwise there is a camping or I can go somewhere else, because at the moment I have a flight booked from Riga to Warsaw on Sunday, so I should be in Riga on Saturday at most.

Well, I got a reply from a girl that in spite of being from Riga, it is at the moment in Smiltene. Well, I have simply no clue wherevI will be heading tomorrow, but well, that is only tomorrow!!!

 

After a day like yesterday, I simply didn't care if there were many or few trucks on main road, I was simply not going to cycle over 70 km on unsurfaced road!!

Skyping and looking for a host, as well as grocery shopping took me quite a while, so I only started to cycle around 12h30. I thought to myself that I did not care too much about speed, only distance mattered today!

Ready to start cycling!

Weather was dull, rainy and slightly cold. I left Jekabpils and joined the main road A6 / E22. In spite of the rain, the traffic, the trucks and sometimes the wind, the pace was rather good, being the average speed about 18,5 km/h.

After about 20 km I left A6 towards Plavinas - it is a sort of short-cut. And gladly I did it because this little town is somehow nice. It is right on the bank of Daugava river and it seems that people care about the place. Gardens are nice and there is a cycling path right near the river.

Bike @ Plavinas cyclepath

Cycling along Dagava river

Unfortunatly what is good does not last forever, so I went back to main road A6.

Cycling on A6

I cycled till Koknese and there I went to tourism information center to search for internet connection and ask if there were other campings on the way to Riga, because I have passed one about 5 km before that did not appear on the map.

The girl on the information center was very nice and we stayed chatting for a while. She has phoned the camping where I was heading and told me that they would be waiting for me. I thought it was great!

Well, there are two ways to go to Madliena.

• Take the road A6 till Skriveri and from there the P32 till Madliena (about 50 km)
• Take the road P80 and then the P32 till Madliena (about 35 km)

I had already 40 km in my legs so I decided to take the shorter one, although P80 is unsurfaced. I did not tell you yesterday, but there are some trucks using this roads and, yes, after they pass near you you do eat some dust!!

Cycling on P80

I have no Gps and sometimes there is lack of information, so the feeling of being lost is not the worse thing, but yes the fear of having to return back. Very difficult to keep the pace above 16/17 km/h in such roads!

I have been chased by two quite big dogs (sorry folks, no time for picture!!). It made me think that I should have always near me one of that ultra-sound wistle that the dogs do not like. I will look for such a thing for next trip! I do hope that repels the dogs, but maybe will attract bears or so!!

 

After about 20 km on gravel road, there were about 15 on tarmac and I finally saw the signal for the "picture of the day"

Arriving into the camping

Well, to call this a camping is certainly a misunderstanding!!

The person is here responsible for the caping speaks Russian, Latvian and a bit of German. It was drunk when I arrived, talked quite a lot, but could not really understand it. There is no such avthing as reception, no receipts and not a single soul in this "camping".

Shower is only with cold water, problem with boiler.

Turned out to be my shower place!

I am not afraid of being here, I am too tired after the cycling today, but would not really recommend it for other travelers.

Why am I paying 7 lats for this (around 11Euro?) If I was wild camping it would be the very same thing??

 

Summary of the day:

• Daily distance: 75,86 km
• Daily time: 4h18m57s
• Average speed: 17,73 km/h
• Maximum speed: 38,53 km/h

 

• Total traveled so far: 758,00 km
• Total time cycling: 42h44m15s

And that is all for now folks!

 

Best,

Peter

 

Postado com o Blogsy