Day 113
January 24, 2022:
I slept well today. The campsite was quiet overnight, despite being at a rest stop near the A76. The River Nith gurgled nearby as a I slept. In the morning, the air was crisp, but not too cold. I got up. Instead of packing, I had to fix my rear tire, which had a slow leak and was now fully flat. I’ve gotten a lot better at patching my tires, so the process is less hassle and a lot quicker now. Still, the process of applying the patch over the rubber cement is trying. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong when so often the patch starts peeling off right after I apply it. What I’ve learned is that this is less likely to happen when using the smallest possible patch size, even if that makes it more difficult to cover the needed area. I wish I had something to mark exactly where the hole is once I’ve found it. I’m running out of patches, and will need to purchase one or two more kits in Glasgow.
I also spent time this morning cleaning my bike. In Belfast, Sam opened my eyes to a few maintenance tasks I really should be doing. Some of these I already knew, like cleaning my chain. After air (fixing the flat), brakes (tight), then comes chain in the basic checklist he taught me. So much grime has built up over my travels, and I haven’t once cleaned it. I used some of the baby wipes I’ve been carrying since southern Ireland to remove the grime. There were shreds of grass, but mostly it was this dense, fibrous black mass of goop that came off. My fingers were quickly coated in grease. I used my omnitool to get between the gears. After I did a basic job cleaning out the grime, I re-applied some oil to the chain and gears. I’ll likely need to buy some more oil too.
After cleaning and packing, I took a small rest, sending a few messages to Warmshowers hosts in Glasgow. I grossly overestimated how much progress was possible, and had to edit two of the messages I sent to push my arrival time from today to tomorrow. It was just after 11 am when I set off, and it was about 60 miles from the rest stop to Glasgow. Simply not possible with such a late departure time given my average pace.
I made good progress, but was slowed by the hills. I wasn’t quite out of them yet. I stopped at a convenience store in Sanquhar for breakfast, purchasing cheese, salami, and soft bread. It was good, and I gobbled most of it down. I also got a cottage pie for later.
I thought about my plans in Scotland on the ride. Much like in Ireland - where I had originally just planned to stay a week - my plan for Scotland had originally just included Glasgow and Edinburgh before heading south through the UK. But, after pressure from Mama, and multiple recommendations from people I’ve met, my interest in northern Scotland has grown. It’s like I’m not ready to leave the rugged beauty of Ireland behind. Plus, any chance of seeing the northern lights would make the effort entirely worthwhile. Continuing north would be a large extension of my trip though. If I go to Loch Lomond, I may as well get to Oban. And CalMac ferries depart from Oban to the Hebrides. So it’s easy to see how my thoughts wander… and before you know it, I’ve got a new route planned all the way to Inverness. I wouldn’t go so far north as to do the NC500… right? Right?
I’m conscious of the money I’ve spent getting here, and I’m slightly worried by how quickly it’s slipping through my fingers. This is the trip of a lifetime, and what I enjoy so much about it is that I’m a free man. I can go wherever my heart desires, and if that pulls me northwards, then so be it. And at the same time, I’m still guilty of feeling that every day I spend here is one less day I can spend in Italy and Greece. And that each day I spend here hinders my more ambitious dreams of cycling through India and possibly around the world even more. The idea of getting a job somewhere to rebuild some savings to extend my trip is growing as a possibility in my mind.
I passed through Mauchline, where there is a memorial to Robert Burns, the famous Scottish poet. That’s made especially interesting since tomorrow (Jan 25) is Burns Night. Nigel told me that’s a when a lot of haggis is eaten in Scotland.
I ended the day in Kilmarnock. I found a wild campsite alongside the River Irvine, and am glad for the Right to Roam laws in Scotland that make the spot legal. I set up camp, then cycled to the Thack Inn for a pint of Guinness, and more importantly, an outlet to charge my gopro batteries. There, I met Angela and Douglas, a couple who played pool next to where I was sitting. Douglas’ exaggerated movements and grins were very entertaining as he eyed the balls on the table. Angela gave me a few more travel tips in the Loch Lomond area.
