June 7: Tabor to Lomza - 165 km

I expected today to be a fast day - I would spend the majority of it on 'big'roads. Generally this equeates to a better road surface. After a breakfast of bread and honey I was off. My fast start lasted 16 km, then the rear tire issue caught up with me. I had survived two days on my 'fix'and figured if it lasted that long each time I could make Riga and replace tire there.

More woods and rolling hills. Instead of Mississippi Pine Forest, there were times I could have been in England - despite the fact that today the cars were on the 'ŗight' side of the road! - there was rich, dark green colour to the gently rolling landscape.

Two incidents stand out. The first was shortly after I passed a cyclist pulling out of a bus lay-by. He had a decent looking hybrid bike and had been adjusting his cargo: one grocery bag on each handlebar. I flew by him. He raced past me as soon as the road started to climb. Then he looked back as if to see how much distance he had on me. A second glance back. I needed no other incentive, the gauntlet had been thrown and it was 'game on'. He had about 100m on me and was moving at a pretty good clip. I still had 60 km to go and did not want to push too hard. The road was undulating enough to make it hard for me to catch him, but slowly I ate into his lead. Then came my reward: I saw a slight descent ahead - my wieght advantage would take me screaming past him and he'd be history (at least until the road climbed again). As if sensing 'the catch' he turned off down a dirt road and I did not get to taste victory. Still it made the last 8 km much more interesting than they otherwise would have been.

The second incident was more distressing. An ambulance was pulled over on the opposite side of the road and a police car was approaching with lights and siren in full swing and pulled up behind ambulance. As I drew level I looked over. The ambulance crew were standing around, no rush or concern, wating for the police officer. Lying on the grass was a bicycle, no sign of rider. The fact that the medics were standing around did not bode well for the cyclist and the words of John Murray, YMCA Buffalo-Niagara drifted through my mind - 'Do you think you can do this ride without getting hit by a car?' I'd had a few close calls and this site did not inspire confidence. About an hour later the cop passed me with the bike hanging out of the back of his car.

Today was the Corpus Christi holiday and I saw one procession, children dressed in thier Sunday best and girls dressed in white like angels. This was the start of a long weekend in Poland and despite all the stores being closed in Ostrow Maz. I did find a supermarket in Lomza and stocked up for the night. Bug spray was also bought to fend off the mosquitoes and black flies which had certainly detracted from the camping experience thus far.

I had already made camp and was about to get the stove going when from nowhere an old man a bike approached my tent. From his gestures I gathered he owned this part of the forest. I explained I was going to Finland and needed to sleep. 'OK' he said but motioned at the empty bottles and other trash that was littering the ground. I showed him my trash bags. He nodded and with his fears allayed gave a final 'OK' before riding off.