All Aboard
Well the weather forecast was way off. We woke to thunder and lightning and heavy rain. We had to vacate our room at 10am and we left it till the very last minute, in the hope that the rain would ease. It didn't. Luckily I threw in my extremely expensive Kathmandu rain pants, and coupled with my cycling rain jacket, I braved the rain and didn't get too wet. We had a 10 minute walk down to the boat, but had to stop halfway and take shelter.
Finally the rain eased and we were able to board. Our cabin is on the top deck next to the captain's quarters. Because of the weather our route has changed, and we have now arrived at our second night stop. We have met some agreeable Canadians, one Aussie and a group of 15 Tampons, oops, I mean Tampans, from Florida, obviously. We are two of 5 people (including the Aussie) who don't have electric bikes.
I was concerned that the 2 hour trip to our first stop might be rough, but if that is as rough as it gets, then all will be well with me. We enjoyed a delicious lunch on board, with a complimentary kahlua to toast the trip. On reaching the island, we prepared for a 11km bike ride. As we were waiting for all the e-bikers to get instructions, the rain became heavier. By the time we had completed the ride we were absolutely drenched. Unfortunately the cabin didn't come with a hairdryer, so the chance of my shoes being dry by tomorrow are absolutely zilch. Might have to impress the serious bike riders (not that you could call e-bikers serious) by wearing my thongs on tomorrow's ride.
The very first picture on our soggy boat as we pulled into Brac on the Island of Brac. Because of the rain our guide decided to bypass, the usual first stop as apparently it would have been far more uncomfortable in the rain.
About to pull into dock and ready for our initial ride to test our equipment and get used to the bikes. Brenda seen here mentally preparing.
The first time Ivica was in action, showing the gathered souls the intricacies of E-Bike power. Yes, batteries and batteries are not just batteries. We discovered this only too well when at least 6 of the things refused to work depite being fully charged.
It turns out you needed to be a lot smarter to ride bikes with batteries, as the explanation of what you had to do to fit, operate and recharge them seemingly went on for hours, Unless they did not work, in which case you also needed to be a lot stronger as the bikes are twice as heavy than the H-bikes and have a third of the number of gears. The discovery of the powerless batteries sent Iveca and his mate, Ivan, into a frenzy of activity, contacting the bike provider, trying to get replacements and trying to make everyone happy. An impossible task at the best of times.
After our ride we pull into a new town on Brac, ready to be picked up for the night. What you can't tell from this shot , was how incredibly clear the water was. Unfortunately, no swim stop today as we combined it with our ride, having been soaked along the way.