Day 67: Kozani to Thessaloniki, September 6th.

I woke at 9ish. I regretted my choice from last night. I wanted to move on. I packed and put on my linen trousers – possibly a mistake. I cycled into town – it was only spitting slightly. I felt confident. I texted the guy I'd met last night to say I wasn’t coming, and called – neither went through – no credit. Ah well. Guess I’ll go then. I bought water and cycled out of the city.

At first it was cycling over flat plains full of farm and industry. Eventually they began to climb, and climb, and climb. Soon I was up high, near the clouds. It began to rain. I continued. It rained more. The roads devolved into gravel paths, then mud, then essentially rivers. It was still up, and it was still rain. Soon my back wheel was spinning in the mud. It sucked the bike down into it, then tried to steal my sodden shoes off my feet.

I got angry. My map app had promised me downhill which never seemed to come. I yelled against the rain and the mud and the “fucking uphill”. It went on for hours. At last, after days it felt, I reached the downhill. I was in a cloud, I could see maybe ten feet in every direction. The hill was mud and rivers. Twice I fell off the bike. The chain came off and wedged. I unstuck it, resulting in a bloody hand. Blood and mud and wet. Fuck this.

At last I reached a town and the road became tarmac. The fog cleared. Fuck yeah. Downhill. I sped down towards the coast and cried out with joy when I saw it spread out below me. The rest of the day was spent pedalling as fast as I dared down the hill, straight past Virgina without stopping, along endless straight flat roads. I was chased by dogs so many times and felt tempted to kick at them. At last, at 7:30, I reached the hostel in Thessaloniki. It’s nice. Very social.

Nicoleta checked me in. I took a shower, stripped off my cow shit-soaked clothes, and got dry. Then I went to the common area and met some German guys. I played spoons with them and a girl from Bath. After that I met a French guy, an American girl, a British guy (Charlie) and a German (Marvin) who looked like Jack Sparrow and was cycling to India. Lots of cyclists here. We drank for a while. I chatted to a Serbian.

Later we all went out to get gyros – well needed, then an endless quest for a good place to drink. Around 1:30 we found a rock bar. I sat and drank on the balcony with Sarah – the girl from Bath. I got drunk and danced a little. At 4:30 I left, got home and slept.

Video of this day (Part 1)

Video of this day (Part 2)