Off on my bike : Governador Valadores to Muriaé

Ubaporanga.

After a big breakfast (so much cake) I continue south, quickly getting back onto the BR-116, which I've been following for maybe a thousand miles now.  Seems to be kind of a Brazilian Route 66 - I've seen t-shirts on sale - except, whereas in the US Route 66 sees little traffic these days thanks to the modern interstate highways, here this is still the main road, hence all the lorries.

I see signs saying 'before building beside the highway, call the department of transport' - wonder if that applies to all the little plantations I see along the road?  Seems to be mainly sugar cane here,  and there are stalls by the roadside selling 'sopa de cana' - cane soup, can't say it appeals much.  There is also 'Cachaça', a local spirit made from the cane, you can get this in supermarkets here too, in 500ml plastic bottles for five reais or so.  Apparently.

As is often the case, a nice view from my pousada.

Destination today, Ubaporanga, crazy name, but a nice little place, though I struggle to find a hotel, eventually track one down a few hundred metres south on the BR-116.  Is nice, a real wooden bed, and a big buffet dinner at the restaurant next door.  Sadly though, either that or the water has, hmm, unfortunate consequences, I don't sleep well and decide on a day off, well, don't want to arrive in Rio early.  Gives me a chance to spend a few hours investigating sports to watch anyway.  Hockey?  Shooting?  Greco-Roman wrestling?  So much to choose from...

It's a miracle!

My guts feel somewhat better as I ride out of Ubaporanga, but I'm not on top form, don't think I've got a lot of energy from the food I've eaten over the last few days.  Well no help for it, on I ride, back into mountainous country, though the road does a decent job of staying flat.  I climb up to eight hundred metres or so, not a problem over a day, although my pace isn't great.  And, the gear lever for the front derailleur is getting stiffer, maybe the cable stretching?  Hard on my left thumb anyway, but then towards the end of the day, I strain to push the thing and it snaps clean off.  Oops.  So, only five gears now, well, it's enough.  I reach São João do Manhuaçu, destination for the day, it has a single hotel a good two miles past the town proper, OK they have salgados so I'm not hungry but no beer.  Hell, my stomach could use a night off anyway...

This ain't no physiological breakdown... actually, yes, it kind of is.

Sadly, even with no beer consumed I spend much of the night on the toilet, not good.  Feel weak and nauseous all next day, but keep riding somehow.  I recall Kipling's words:
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'
Well, after many visits to the banheiro, there sure isn't much in me.  Destination tonight, Muriaé, not going to do much here except sleep, hopefully.

Photos to go with this post can be found here.