Day 238: Stopped For A Breather

Last night went on for a while, it was around 2am when I finally climbed into bed only to be woken by my alarm again at 6:45. We had our riders briefing scheduled for 8:30ish and I wanted to be ready, so after a quick shower I took a wander down Main St to find some Coffees and Egg & Bacon Rolls. The Wang bakery didn't disappoint and I made it back to the cabin that Matt and I were sharing to have breakfast and get geared up for the day ahead.

We all rode off not much after 8:30 and within minutes we were winding our way through twisty little trails and up steep climbs that were either rocky or muddy or a combination of both. My photo for today was taken at one of the many stops we made to catch our breath and wait for the last guys to arrive. At this stop, directly behind where I was standing to take it, we all watched some clown in a Jeep try to negotiate a very boggy bit of track that had already been chewed up by previous four wheel drives. He didn't make it far before all four wheels were spinning while he was stationary, it kept us amused for a little while before we headed off again on our way to Sofala.

The trails we rode were great and varied, there was every thing from tight single trail to open fire trails and some dirt roads with long and slippery causeway crossings. I can see why our guides like living and riding in this part of the country. By the time we made it to Sofala it was cooling down and we all took turns in the shower before heading downstairs for a few beers before dinner. At dinner we pretty much filled the little restaurant in Sofala, the food was quite good and the company was great. After dinner it turned out to be another fairly big night at the bar, I think the red wine with dinner may have been a mistake after all the beers both before hand and after. One of the guys even bought some white Port which was shared as a bit of a night cap.

It was another great night out with the boys and I hadn't laughed so much throughout the course of a night in ages, the conversations at our table had me in stitches. Unfortunately most of it, or at least the parts I remember, really shouldn't be repeated.