Virovitica to Vrbovec. Traffic on the rise.

We rolled out of our hotel and made our way down to the local supermarket.  After picking up some milk and some supplies for the day, we got our gear out and had some breakfast sitting outside the supermarket.

Breakfast was a healthy bowl of cereal with yoghurt and an orange juice.  You still have to try and eat as healthy as possible when covering over 100kms each day.  If you don't, you won't make the end of the day.

I had planned to go through the towns of Prespa, Brezovac, Godovac, but this didn't go to plan.  We took the wrong road (my fault) out of town and travelled about 10kms out of the way.  Eventually we got back on track around the town of Bjelovar and that's where we had our lunch.  The road today was really nice and fast.  We had good surface to ride on and the trucks gave us plenty of room when passing.

 The photo above is where we had lunch which was the only place we could find out of the midday sun.  We had the smell of a chicken pen next to us to help us enjoy our tuna, tomato and onion sandwich.  The weather is getting hotter and hotter each day and when a lady told us it will be very hot in August, I thought, shit, just like Cambodia again.

The photo above was taken in the town of Szeged 5 days ago when myself and Peter left the company of Maurice and Mary.   We did have a great time with them and wished them a safe journey as they made their way to London.

After lunch we rolled along narrow roads and then pine forests and then corn and wheat farms.  We pulled into the town of Vrbovec around 3pm with 105kms done for the day.  We did have a 1/2 hour break laying under the trees in the afternoon to recharge our batteries after being zapped by the 40 degree heat. If I laid there any longer I would have fallen asleep.  I did hear some strange sounds from Peter, but he said he was wide awoke.  I doubt it.

We eventually found the Marina Hotel at the major roundabout leading into town and quickly got a room.  It costs 40 Euro for the night with breakfast for 2 people.  It's a huge contrast compared to what we were paying in Romania and Bulgaria.  The further west we go, we can expect to pay more for everything. 

Just to finish the day we went for a walk up into town and found a nice restaurant for dinner.  The young Croatian lady called Anna was looking after the business whilst her parents were in Split on holidays. We had a great meal and was later provided a plate of pastries to take with us.  These were home made and a free gift. We were tickled pink by her generosity and for being such a lovely host.  I think she loved the idea of practicing her English with us, but that doesn't detract with her generosity of course.

Since we have about 40kms to reach Zagreb and the much needed rest day, we're going to sleep in.  See my American buddy Len always thought I slept too much when we rode through Asia earlier on in the year, and he couldn't understand why Australians needed more sleep than Americans. It's simple, our brains work harder than Americans.  I intend to sleep to 9am Len.

Until tomorrow, safe riding.