t’s been an eventful day. Reminds me of a strip in the Whizzer and Chips comic I used to get as a kid. Called “good news, bad news” the strip recounts the daily ups and downs of a fortunate/unfortunate tragic protagonist e.g

bad news: I fell down an open manhole cover…

good news: I found the wallet I lost…

bad news: all the money that was in the wallet isn’t there…

good news: but my winning lottery ticket is…

…you get the idea with that.

So in the celebration of the good news/bad news tradition here was my day..

good news – It’s a belter of a day and I’m up early to catch this ferry
bad news – This old creaky wooden house is freezing
gn – The hot water is really hot
bn – The hot water is scalding and that’s the only temperature available
gn – I’m on the road nice and early
bn – I’m on the road nice and early (yawn)
gn – There’s not a single car on the road
bn – It’s not helping me to remember to drive on the right
gn – These smooth, empty tarmac roads are a dream
bn – The road has just turned into gravel
gn – I’ve not seen another car for an hour I’ve got the whole road to myself
bn – I’m still really shakey on this gravel
gn – The scenery is Lord of the rings gobsmackingly beautiful
bn – Are you sure this is the right road to the ferry?
gn – The map says so

bn – But why hasn’t there been a single other car for an hour? Do you think the ferry leaves from the place you left an hour ago?
gn – I can see that town on the other side of the bay and there’s no sign of a ferry on the shore
bn – This gravel road is getting worse
gn – You’re riding this like a champ
bn – Are you sure this is the right way?
gn – Well, the end of the road isn’t far so I can at least see..
bn – Are you sure?
gn – There’s about 10 cars!
bn – They’re all empty
gn – There’s a bloke by himself over there I can ask him
bn – Nope, there’s no ferry that leaves from here (///spellbound.outshone.alerting)
gn – I still have time to ride all the way back and still make the ferry
bn – It’s on gravel roads
gn – What’s that noise? Bloody hell that’s two dolphins arching over the tranquil waters! Amazing!
bn – Don’t miss this ferry
gn – I’m really getting the hang of this now, my speed is double what it was when I started this morning
bn – There’s still 15 miles of this to go
gn – I have the whole road to myself I haven’t seen as another vehicle for 1.5 hours
bn – Isn’t that a big pile of loose gravel and a ditch?
gn – Yea but I can handle it
bn – No you can’t….ouch 

gn – I wasn’t going very fast
bn – The bike is on your leg
gn – I can wiggle it out and I’m just fine
bn – The bike looks scraped up
gn – Nah it’s fine, its soft mud in the approach to the ditch
bn – If you pick the bike up it may slide into the ditch and be stuck
gn – I’m strong I may be able to shift it
bn – No you can’t
gn – I’ve got the whole road to myself, I haven’t seen another car for 1.5 hours…wait!
bn – I’ve got the whole road to myself I haven’t seen another car for 1.5 hours
gn – Isn’t that a van coming now?
bn – He might not stop
gn – He’s stopping to help
bn – I look like a foreign twat who’s done this to himself
gn – Good self awareness
bn – Even the two of us can’t shove it out and the more we mess about the bigger the chance it might fall into the ditch
gn – Maybe he’s got a rope to tow me out? …”Si Senor”
bn – This might not work
gn – It does.
bn – Isn’t that the ferry across the bay? You might miss it
gn – I make it
bn – there isn’t any. The ferry is mint and I meet nice guy Eddie

gn – I’m starting to get the hand of this gravel and am making good time
bn – “El camino es cerrado”, what do you mean the road is closed!? “Es la protesta”

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gn – it’s a nice sunny day to sit at a roadblock 50 miles short of my booked accommodation
bn – they say the blockade is until 3pm
gn – what a beautiful volcano
bn – It’s active!

• 

• 

gn – I can wait
bn – it’s now 6pm and they’re not budging
gn – I can find accommodation in this nice little town
bn – with no internet on your phone, get door-knocking Joseph
gn – success! I nice little room in Ines’ house.

bn – I’ve forgotten to eat today
gn – what a lovely fat steak
bn – you still have some of it stuck in your back tooth
gn – you’ve managed to pick it out with your tongue
bn – that’s not steak, that’s half your tooth!

gn – well, it’s still nice out – a cold beer overlooking the bay it is then!

Can I please have a less eventful day next time!!???