Well this turned into quite the day. After a slow morning getting packed up, I was back on the service road and immediately onto a long and steep climb. The struggles getting food in were now starting to catch up with me and, feeling pretty empty, I just had to spin up using as little energy as possible. I hadn’t seen many other cyclists on this part of the trip but as I went over the top there was a family coming the other way with the young kids riding their own bikes and the adults pulling all the equipment in trailers - impressive stuff. 

 

I’d hoped to make up some time on the descent but it was pretty technical and rocky which meant I wasn’t going much faster than I had been on the way up. The road eventually flattened out a bit as I tracked firstly along a river and then edge of one of the many lakes. I was going to stop at one of the rec sites on the lake but they were all very busy with somebody even putting a rope across the entrance to one with a sign saying it was full, which felt a bit much for what are supposed to be free sites for everyone. In the end I just sat at the side of the service road for a rest before the route rejoined the main north-south highway on the island. I trundled along the shoulder of the highway still feeling like I had no energy to push the pedals, eventually rolling into the small village of Woss. 

 

I’d intended to get some food and carry on to another rec site but having seen how busy the ones in the afternoon were, I was concerned this would be the same. I therefore opted for a night in the motel attached to the restaurant which, despite giving off strong Bates vibes, offered a hot shower and a bed. The restaurant was also a strange affair with a wide variety of dishes written on the wall which turned out not to be available but rather the woman behind the bar listed a couple of things she could do which seemed to be whatever she could concoct from the contents of the fridge. I plumped for the safe option of a burger before retreating to the room. A short while later I heard the man who’d shown me the room tell the barmaid not to allow anyone else to stay as it would mean he’d have to clean another room, which felt like a questionable business decision. Feeling lucky to have been allowed in, I settled down for an evening of channel hopping and making the most of the wifi to catch up bits from home. 

 

However, what I’d hoped would be a relaxing night turned into anything but. I’ll forgo the grim details but I spent as much of the night in the bathroom as I did in bed. The stomach issues I’d been having for the last few weeks had now expressed themselves in a dramatic, explosive fashion. 

​

Day 93 - Woss

 

By the time morning came I was feeling pretty drained, physically and emotionally. Trying to press on didn’t seem sensible so I tracked down the barmaid and said I’d be staying another night, which I’m imagining is an unusual request given the primitive facilities and lack of many obvious attractions drawing people to Woss. 

 

I stocked up on Gatorade and bland snacks from the gas station next door and tried to get some calories in and then had a little walk around. Like much of the island, Woss’ history had centred around logging and was formerly a station on a now defunct railway line which had been used to transport timber. I went back to the motel to replan the next few days, having decided it would be sensible to stay nearer reliable facilities than the original route which relied on remote rec sites or wild camping. I picked up some more snacks from the gas station and crossed my fingers for a better night.