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August 10, 2001
Overland Australia - Update 16
August 10, 2001
Day 18
The road to Esmerelda...
After about 210km of whining, we finally made it to our next dirt road! We're quite tired of pavement. There's been very little benefit to it. Can't really say it even allowed us to cover a lot of ground. Yesterday, we were psychologically terrorized by a close call with a road train. As we licked our wounds just off the bitumen our tires were perforated with thorns. We were ready to call it quits early.
It's not even pleasant to cover a lot of distance when we are able. We twitch madly with the manic energy of hummingbirds as we try to keep track of two-way traffic on a strip of roadway that barely allows one. Then with deep gulps we breath in the humid vapor of bloated roadkill while the sun pounds with a two-flanked attack-searing from above and simmering from below as the tar road slowly releases back the heat of the day.
A new record for us, though. About 100km with plenty of time to rest in the shade of our truck and finally enjoy the time before dinner.
Tomorrow will open with relatively familiar territory-a nice gravel road we will share with little more than the cattle. We hope.
Todd
Posted on August 10, 2001 12:28 PM