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April 14, 2005
Same shirt, different day
(Day 57) Originally named 'Barrossa' (Hill of Roses) after a ridge in southern Spain, some careless cartographer mistakenly labeled it 'Barossa' on an early map. Historically then, the region has been referred to as 'Barossa', and the hills 'Barrossa'. Having spent the previous day cycling in a buzzed state, it was time to see the region from a sober point of view.
I woke up with a slight headache, and would've popped a Tylenol, except my main backpack was still back in Adelaide. All I had brought with me in my daypack was my camera, towel, and laptop (I didn't feel comfortable leaving it in the hostel storage). The bus back to town left in the afternoon, which gave me most of the day to explore. Headache or not, I'd try to make the most of it.
The hardest part about cycling is pacing yourself. I could pedal furiously and achieve pretty high speeds, but only maintain it for a minute or so before I got sore legs. If I traveled at a more leisurely pace, I got more distance for the effort. I biked along a route outlined to me by the guy at the bike shop. Several sections were an uphill climb, and even on a ten-speed bike, I had trouble going up. Several times I just got off and proceeded on foot. C'mon Mark, when you were a kid, you used to bike all the time. Are you getting old?
Unfortunately, all the grapes were already harvested and being pressed into wine somewhere. It sort of detracted from the experience of riding through a wine valley. Too bad. I was hoping to help myself to a handful of grapes during the trip.
A sign indicated grape sales, so I turned off and shortly arrived at somebody's house. Nobody was home though. Before long, a groovy van followed me down the dirt road. For a moment, I thought the owners had returned, and were wondering why some stranger was in their front yard. But the two girls looked just as lost as I was.
"Are you here to buy some grapes too?" asked one of the girls.
"Yeah, but it doesn't seem like anyone's home."
"Maybe we should've called before, there was a sign saying call if you want to buy grapes." Was there? I hadn't noticed it. She looked my bike and helmet. "Isn't it hot to be biking?"
It was noon and the sun was at full strength. But being in the driest state of South Australia, "It's just dry heat," I explained. "It's not that bad."
Like yesterday, three hours of cycling was enough. I returned to Tanunda and brought the bike back to the shop. To pass time, I hung out at the local library, which was air conditioned and had free internet access! Free internet access always puts me in a good mood!
It's not like I haven't worn the same shirt two days in a row before. 'Same shirt, different day' is the motto. (I wonder if people have noticed I'm always wearing the same costume in all my pictures?) But after wearing the same clothes and sweating profusely for two days, I was aware of a faint stink, and it wasn't cow manure from the vineyards. I couldn't wait to get back to Adelaide and put on some clean clothes.
Even I have limits!
Thanks to everyone for their support and comments! Knowing people are reading keeps me motivated to continue the updates!
Posted by markyiin at April 14, 2005 05:36 AM
Comments
This will be my last post...
for about a week. For the next 7 days I'll be MIA (Missing internet access) as I attempt to cross the Outback. (I'm going on a tour, so I'll be quite safe!)
GEM: i wish i had more time to check for spelling errors and grammar, but when i fall behind a couple days, i just start hacking them out to catch up! so sorry if my quality isnt quite up to par as real writers :)
Justin: you forgot to mention the wine was free :) makes it even better!
Christina: ostrich meat... that would be exotic. though, i wonder if i can find koala meat here... hehe
JeffW, mojess: i didnt think it was that funny til you put it like that.. heh.. i guess a red-faced Mark working his way from one winery to the next is pretty funny.
tree: i would've passed any sobriety test i think.. i wasnt THAT drunk
Jack: yeah, i get a deluge of comments on drinking. maybe thats a sign they all want to see pictures of me drunk?
Posted by: markyiin at April 14, 2005 05:53 AM
Now that you mention it, I have noticed that you wear that blue shirt with '97' on it a lot. The outback should be a blast!
Posted by: Robert at April 14, 2005 05:55 PM
Have fun in the Outback! For cycling, I hear that it's best to keep constant cadence and use your gears to adjust for elevation. =) But yes, I have a road bike and have been on the lowest gear and _still_ have a hard time going up hills. I think I'm just not in shape.
Posted by: Ditch at April 14, 2005 06:20 PM
HAHAHAHAHHA don't worry about the spelling or grammatical errors. Just thought I'd tell you about my obsession and why it takes me so long to post. -=oP Oh and I have noticed you wearing the same outfit in some of the pictures but since you're backpacking, you can't be havin a full wardrobe on you, right? The less, the better. Have fun on your tour! I'll be back in a week! -GEM
Posted by: GEM at April 14, 2005 07:41 PM
No need to use the word "headache", Mark. We all know it was a hangover :P
Anyway, don't worry so much about the wardrobe - just make sure your *only shirt* doesn't rip LOL...j/k. I'm sure you've been properly reunited with your belongings, and we all look forward to seeing a picture with you in a different (not sweaty) shirt in your next post! :D
Posted by: Tree at April 14, 2005 11:44 PM
Maybe you already know this, but if those grapes weren't table grapes (made for eating as opposed to wine-making), you would not have been impressed with their taste at all.
Posted by: Jon at April 15, 2005 05:48 PM
finally got all caught up with all the posts, sad to hear your jumping abilities have degraded so much...should take some lessons from them kangaroos mate! ;)
hoipe you make it through the outback okay, wondering if you can catch those super long tractor trailers (land trains), i saw on discovery channel, they use to haul ore in the outback...
i am also disappointed you dont know kiki's delivery service, i have the damn dvd...and please...for someone who has as so many pokemons, you shouldnt be saying kiki's delivery service is too juvenile for you! haha
also, Joe is making an argument that he is the best asian baller at school, infact he said he was the best even before you left, that you were all burned out and washed up...care to respond?
cant wait for you to get to perth, thats where i want to go for my honeymoon..
b
Posted by: bing at April 18, 2005 02:54 PM
just a quick update, i'm still alive. two days from reaching a real town. will have some pretty interesting stuff to post!
Posted by: markyiin at April 20, 2005 01:21 AM