The first of many challenging days

Up early to be greeted by a fantastic cooked breakfast. Claire and her husband are travelling with Team AR to ensure that the trip includes culinary delights! So with a breakfast of egg, bacon, sausage and cereals, the team set off in the truck to go and pick up their bikes, now all complete with trusted saddles as the missing cases had turned up as promised.

The ride started on tarmac and gradually turned to tarmac with pot holes, sand with pot holes, compacted dirt with pot holes and finally dusty maize fields that went on and on and on and on. Nick was still croaky from swallowing so much dust when I spoke to him this evening. Today's biggest challenge was an enormously steep hill that tested the most muscular of thighs.....but the pasta lunch in the shade under the trees helped restore aching limbs.

The friendliness of the villagers is overwhelming. Every time Team AR stop for water or a rest, everyone pours out of their huts and shacks to greet the cyclists. Children pose for the cameras and then clamour around trying to spot themself on the camera's digital viewer. Riding through the villages, the children hold their hands out and try to high 5 or shake hands with the cyclists...and shout friendly 'hey buana, good cycling' messages at them.

Happy, tired and probably a little bit smelly, but all looking forward to tomorrow.

Total punctures today : 2