Day 3 - just keep walking

(still back blipping my trip to the vierdaagse in nijmegen, walking 160km with blipper pippiline. It started on sunday 13 if you are curious)

Pippiline's blip that day norwegian soldiers


Day 3 is easier for both of us because we actually got some hours of sleep. I dont think it was any quieter last night (there's one person who's been coughing for hours every night, and if I knew who it was I would get them cough syrup) but we were tired enough to finally sleep no matter what the noise. I think I slept about 3 hours and what a difference that makes. I feel refreshed and motivated again, and pipp too. I think we both almost look human again :D

Day 3 is a wet day, we get to test our rain gear. Thankfully the temperature is between 16 and 20 so it's mild and not unpleasant.

The first thing you walk through when starting a day in nijmegen is the people who have to start after you but have gotten there before you so they could queue and start at the first minute of their slot. It's still weird to pass them like VIPs, it is also weird that they get up and queue - if i had to start in the late shift (we never did, we always swapped cards with people who wanted the sleep) I would take the extra rest and start 10 minutes after these queuers have left, I would not get up early so I would have to stand waiting for 35 minutes... Standing in place *hurts* after all, whereas sleep doesnt.

The second thing you have to go through is a smattering of drunk people - these are the people who party in the streets all night, then stay up a little after the bars close so they can see us off between 4am and 6am. Some are drunk and obnoxious (most are too lazy, thankfully, and just drunk and cheering) and walk straight up to you and let me tell you they bring the evil out in me. I think the lack of sleep makes me less nice than I ought to be, after all they are trying to cheer us on, but 2 people like that made me fall yesterday and that could have ended my hike! So I warn them very loud that if they stay in reach of me they will get a kick, and I think they get my meaning.

The day starts on the same road as day 2, and that bit is a dull walk in a zone where (it seems) not many people care to come out and cheer. I did notice this one guy who was sat on his sofa (dragged probably from their second floor flat) - the only people for 100m or more in each direction - and was so enthusiastic in his cheering and singing, while his girlfriend looked barely awake and rather less thrilled to be there (but there nonetheless, maybe it's their sofabed!). He was sooo happy about it all he cheered me up and probably more than me. If I believed in these things I'd say his karma has improved greatly you could almost feel the waves of smiles get back to him...

All in all the day is easier than day 2, still foot pain for me (especially the last 10 km) and blisters for pipp. The landscape is quite nice, there are even a few... "hills" (we feel we are going up and down). Looking for the rest bus of the danish group becomes a major activity after kilometer 20... Sooo thrilled when we see that flag. I have developed some new ability to spot the danish flag, not sure what use that skill will be too me in life, but I am getting good at it.

We're told it is tradition to visit a canadian cemetary so I dutifully do so while pipp rests her blisters some more (that's the photo I really wanted to put on blip but I fear she might kill me. not the cemetary, but pipp).

We finish quite late (something like 4:30) again, but we made it. Her blisters are getting worse, and the pain in my lower calf is getting worse. I keep thinking it is as if my shoes are too tight and giving me a bruise, so I leave part of the shoe untied and it is bearable that way.

The last walk into town feels long, but not as long as yesterday's felt, and nobody trips me.

120km down, only 44 left (no, i didnt get the maths either, but supposedly last day has the addition 3-4 km of the via gladiola to torture us some more)

I go to bed straight after dinner almost, but then around 9 get up and go get a grog, which certainly does help me sleep.


Links
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Sunday 13 (travel) my blip - pippiline's blip

Monday 14 (waiting) my blip - pippiline's blip

Tuesday 15 (walking - the easy day) my blip - pippiline's blip

Wednesday 16 (walking - the tough day) my blip

Thursday 17 (walking - the better day) my blip - pippiline's blip

Friday 18 (walking - pain and determination) my blip - pippiline's blip