Because the forecast didn’t say 2+ inches of rain like it did for the days after this day, GMac, The Twin, and I decided to go for a mountain bike ride. We did this pretty dope loop, as shown on the Garmin link:
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/12162007253
And here’s a screen shot for you lazy folk who don’t want to click on those links:
We essentially followed one of the rides recommended by the dude who rented us the bikes. There was plenty of muddy uphill to do on various single track paths. Scotland has this spiky bush that is like ocotillo (for you desert dwellers), and boy did it hurt when it hit you. I got whacked by a few of these on the first few miles, and they drew some blood. Don’t worry, I washed it off with tick-infested water (yes, they have ticks here).
Despite the extremely wet ground and 100% rain forecast, it didn’t actually rain on us until this exposed downhill on a fire road. I guess we’ll take that as a win. The ride also took us through the village of Balmacara. I don’t know if I’ve written this yet, but every single small group of housing is considered a village and has its own name. That’s pretty fun! Also, all of the village signs have the name in English and in Gaelic. Apparently this is because some rich banker a few years ago really wanted it to be this way. Money talks.
Anyway, following is a video of the ride to give you an idea of what it’s like. Fortunately, GMac had a GoPro as well, because my GoPro was constantly getting mud and water on the lens, so a lot of the video is even worse than usual.
And here are some photos of the intrepid adventurers.
And how about some pics of the views:
I even gave some directions to some lost Scots who were out on a hike!
After the ride, we took some showers and GMac made some bangers n mash in our cabin that has a kitchen. That shit was delicious, and having a kitchen is ESSENTIAL because we’ve really been stimulating the local economy here. We also started playing some Rummy500, a game I would continue to win night after night after night. Aunt Karin, I challenge YOU!