We bike up the river several km and then the 17km climb to Sarahan. The road surface is pretty good, and winds up the hill through an area
covered in apple orchards.
At one point we bike through a Military base (No Stopping and No Photographs). A gun emplacement with armed guards stationed at the top. I
wonder briefly if I should walk up to the gun emplacement to say hello.. then think better of it and carry on.
It rains briefly by the time I reach the top. About an hour ahead of the others, who were once again doing the Tea stop thing lower down.
The HPTDC Hotel lived up to it's reputation, with our waiter having the best English of all that we had met so far.He was almost a splitting image of Manwel from Faulty Towers. Complete with the same mannerisims.