How many days can you fit into 24hours?
Morning view on a banana tree and a huge mountain in the background. Sleeping above the cows eating their cheese for dinner. Endless conversations over fresh bread until 1pm. Passing the only road just before they closed it for the day. Another view that makes me laugh out loud or almost cry because it’s that beautiful. The cold that makes me love and hate what I do.
Where should I start?
I am at this stage again, where I have no idea since when I am on this trip. And most of the times I can not imagine how I got to where I am in that precise moment. From dusk till dawn there are books worth of thoughts and things happening.
Leaving the capital, it’s freezing cold. The thoughts passing in my head are: “Just one more night and I can be done with that trip.” Or hold on: “I might keep doing this forever.”
Every one looks at me as I swim in the lake surrounded by snowy peaks. The kids want to get in too. But the adults tell them: “Elle est grande, elle peut faire ce qu’elle veux. Toi tu remet tes chaussures.” The girl says: “Mais moi je suis grande aussi!” I smile at her with approval I don’t dare to interfere. She’s right, I hope she’ll remember when she’s older.
We are both never there, and still we meet in that instant. I know again, I am not alone, what I do makes sense, I am right to love this life. We could have probably kept on talking like this for days, if the good weather didn’t call me to continue the journey.
A steep track where I push the bike. Almost vertical, again. I find two 4-leaved cloves in a row. One guy compliments me so enthusiastic about pushing my heavy bike up there, that I can not doubt: I am doing the right thing here.
I eat the cheese of these goats, their bells ring around me. Like teeth the mountains pile up in front of me, covered in snow and me in all the clothes I have. While the sun burns my face.
An endless descent singing along, no one can hear me and even if I don’t care. Just when I get tired I find the courage to ask. I sleep in someones garden, freezing but safe.
Slowly cycling along, tired and heavy. Until I take the right decision and have an extended break. When I leave, my efforts of drying my tent and washing all the dishes gets rewarded: a clean toilet with toilet paper and towels.
Endless upward roads. I take them easy, when I go slow I can go on forever. Exactly what I need to learn in life. There is no point in rushing anything. Everything takes it’s time. So better do it good, slow and with enough spare breath to keep going forever.
I did keep going forever that day 1151 meters of elevation and I only started in the afternoon.
This time "How hard can it be?" turns out impossible. I have to turn around, carry my bike back. Up on the right down on the left, if I fall I’ll drown in the lake. But I survive, not the day yet, but another attempt of my ego telling me to push and rush through.
When it goes up again, I start swearing, the weather Gray and cold, me tired and exhausted. A troop of marching military over takes me. We are all doing the same. Suffering in the mountains. I choose to, they have to, we are the same but we don’t talk. Looks like I have to safe myself then.
A dad and his daughter bringing in the cows. She’s the most gorgeous girl I have ever seen. I ask him where I could sleep. Pointing out to an abandoned barn, turns into his barn in the hey above the cows, turns into having tea next to the fire, turns into diner with the family.
They rightfully think I am crazy doing what I do. And I love hearing about their lives. Their cheese tastes like the best thing I ever ate.
I sleep well with the cows below. Something changed, I started to get up in the night if I need to pee. I don’t hide and sleep uncomfortably for the rest of the night as I used to.
When I leave early, I don’t know yet, I have been just in time to pass the only road. Before they close it for the day and start shooting. A guy comes over and tells me so, I am already drinking my coffee. At the right time at the right place.
What a view. And I decide to leave a piece of the past on this mountain. Stay up here or fall back down, but you are not coming with me anymore.
“Ork”-tunnels not afraid anymore but excited.
Villages, suddenly grapes and warmth.
The moment arrives where I get tired and emotional. I almost want to cry, when I remember that swimming such as crossing mountains has never ever been the wrong decision. After the icy water, wearing a loose T-Shirt and opening my hair, finally, I ride and sing. Hiding behind my rain jacket won’t make me safer. Whatever they think, if I decide to I am safe anywhere.
I wanted to be on a peak for my birthday and now I am crossing an endless valley. Disappointment and rush to make it to the top until Thursday, at first. I have to accept this whole trip is the present to myself. A Kebab and one Baklava, I decide this is my birthday meal. Even if it’s not my birthday yet. Before or after doesn’t matter anymore. It is a new year beginning anyways.
Evening falls and just around six I suddenly know where I’ll sleep.
Banana trees and mountains in the background, all around. A second dinner in company, suddenly in an apartment to myself. Even the coffee cups are beautiful. I can only marvel how lovely people are when you let them.
“How did I deserve all this?” I wonder.
And then I remember, that this might be what I get for crossing the mountain. The ones before me and the ones in life. Yes it sucks when it goes up and it is freezing cold. And I have never regretted the choice to do so.
Crossing a mountain has always been the right thing to do on birthdays or on any days of the year.
PS: How many days has it been, from the top to the bottom of this page?
Thank you for passing by, enjoy your week!
All photos and words are owned by ©kesityu taken and written by myself.