Had an OK night's sleep except for the light shining in my tent - but was still super tired when I got up this morning. I ended up just eating a few Frosties having missed the actual TDA breakfast. I packed away and was the last person on my bike - I felt sick and I felt miserable. I had had all these hopes about riding with the peolton today - but obviously that was not going to happen. I rode about 10km and was just so fed up - at 20km one of the big trucks passed and thats when I decided! I needed to stop and I needed to get better. The next truck and I would get on it. It wasn't directly behind so I kept looking back, looking back - but it still wasn't there! So then I carried on with my riding and it went past and I missed it. But I was pretty much decided at 20 km - no more EFI - I was done! So I started planning as I rode along - I would get myself to lunch (I was already imagining climbing into the lunch truck and falling asleep) - then I would get a taxi into Lusaka - I would find a doctor and I would get some real rest! So for the next 55 km I got myself used to that idea. I really wanted to stop and put my ipod in but I knew if I did stop I would find it really hard to get going again. I felt so tired, so wiped out - just no energy in me at all. I feel sick and my head is spinning and aching - I cant even remember the road! Well it was mainly paved although I remember slowing down even more when it get a bit bumpy - rolling hills through small villages - but really I was riding in a daze! I just wanted to get to lunch. I caught up with Ruth about 10km before lunch - and as I rolled past her I said "See you at lunch". She immediately came whizzing by me saying "I am quite fast on the downhills" - I didnt see her for another 5 km!! I was maybe slightly faster than her still going uphill so I did eventually catch up with her. In fact I could see her ahead with a local guy following really close behind her. I knew she wouldnt be liking that so I sped up ready to tell him to "Get lost". When I caught up he did back off and disappear - so then I chatted to Ruth all the way in to lunch. I had a little to eat but then climbed in to the lunch truck and pretty much fell asleep - I hardly even realised we had moved and arrived at camp! As soon as we arrived though I packed up my bag with everything I needed. People there kept coming up to me - some shocked/surprised at my decision - but mostly thought I was doing the right thing. They were worried I was upset - but by this stage I didnt care - I was happy that I had now made the right decision. And at least Claire (the nurse) was able to talk to me again!! The choice was settled in my head and I was fine with it! We stood out on the main road with my bag trying to flag down one of the many buses that had been flying past us all day. In fact I had actually got really mad at a bus driver earlier in the day and when I saw it stop I was going to jump on and tell the driver what I thought of him - it was travelling at 100 kmph plus and didnt even move out - they just drive by SO close as they go by and there is plenty of room to move out! Anyway the bus had gone before I got there - so that was probably just as well!! Anyway - the buses wouldnt stop. Then one of the local guides came by and said we were doing it wrong - they would just think we were waving at them. So we tried again but they still didnt stop. Eventually a car stopped so I decided to get a lift to the next village and try again from there. There were two very nice mobile phone salesmen in the car and they offered to take me all the way to Lusaka - perfect! I sat in the back seat with the windows open and nodded off for most of the three hour journey. I did buy them some petrol and they bought me a coke - so it was a good trip.
We arrived at a hotel in Lusaka but I didnt like the look of the place so got a taxi to the Zebra Lodge where Scott was planning to stay in a few days time. It was a guest house - clean but not very modern - but seemed OK. I dumped my bag and went immediately to order some food. Chicken and chips - an hour passed, then another 15 minutes - an hour and a half - in fact it was two hours before the food arrived. There was hardly any meat on the bones and the chips were not cooked properly. I was fuming - so mad! I went back to my room and packed my bag, paid my bill and got a taxi back to the shopping Mall I had seen earlier - where there was a fancy hotel. I knew it was going to be expensive but i didnt care - I needed somewhere decent! I had a splitting headache and felt really sick - but I knew I needed to try to eat something as I had hardly eaten anything all day. It was a very nice hotel - my room had a massive double bed and air conditioning and there was good food in the restaurant! I went to bed feeling happy!!
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