Day 53: Toby leaves, long day in the lock

Luxury is only luxury if you have suffered a little.  You cant grow up in "luxury".  Otherwise it's just "normal".  Luxury is earned and rare.  No one should live in this stage.  One might become dull, or worse, numb.  Luxury should be felt.  It should feel like a deep breathe meets a glass of whiskey.

 I dont know what I'm talking about.  All I know is luxury is real, and people who live with it all the time are missing out on the hardship that I go through that makes me appreciate the same luxury they feel every day, if only once.

I woke up in luxury. the view, the soft bed, the breakfast. The smiles of the guest house owners.  The small yapper dog that didn't tap. Luxury.

I earned that shit.  8 hours of battling the frickin river through a gorge. I earned that.

I got beat up pretty quick after I left the guest house in the cove.

Toby and I said our farewells.  He is going to a festival in Transylvania.  Now John is gone and Toby is gone.  We had some really good times together.  One day when I'm older it might bring a tear to my eye.  Both great, strong, courageous, and inspiring souls.  They both taught me one thing over and over, talk to everyone and relax.  Good luck fellas.

Now I'm on my own for 700km.

10 km in to my trip today was the fearned Iron Gates double lock and dam.  It took 3 hours to get through.  I don't want to write about it.  It was awful.

15 km later I ended up in a place I cant pronounce in a nice hotel again.  I had to stop in this town to pick up a new headlamp.

It's a nice place.  Had a good meal for under 10 bucks. A few beers.  And the tv doesn't work, so I should fall asleep soon.

Tomorrow  I wake up early and shoot for 70km.

km markee 930