Went back to the bakery for breakfast. Peter told us the day before there would be some 'sourdough' rolls we could take on the road. Not real sourdough because the locals didn't really care for anything so fancy, but a compromised Coober Pedy sourdough. I bought some and added them to my stash.

Almost as soon as we set off Vero's ankle was making it very difficult for her to ride. She was almost reduced to riding with one leg. We limped along with the wind in our face and Pierre giving as much help as possible to Vero. It was probably the low point of the trip.

We did eventually manage to ride 105kms before pulling off and making camp by the side of the rode. What normally was a pleasant time, a chance to relax knowing the day's work was done, this time presented us with one more challenge. Flies had been plaguing us for several days. Whenever we stopped they would swarm from nowhere. dozens and hundreds of them. We had taken to smearing on insect repellent and wearing nets on our heads to keep them off our faces. This stop was no different However, as well as the swarms of flies there were swarms of mosquitoes, that were a hazard for any exposed part of the body. For some reason Pierre could not cope with the mosquitoes and his normal good humour deserted him. We all scrambled to put on layers of clothing as a barrier to getting bitten. After an hour or so both the flies and mosquitoes melted int the darkness. We ate in peace.

...go to day 13 - May 22