leaving Marla

Another early rise 3:30 am! Yesterday was a rest day yet I have trouble winding down. No matter how tired I am there are things to be done and they run through my mind at such a pace I almost feel dizzy.
Finding a kindred spirit, short, gassy and an artist who holds his work close and rarely shares, loves people and their stories, listens as well as gives. Smiling eyes and a sensitivity that contrasts with his weather beaten skin and bristly beard. Pat never allow your creativity to fade.
An extra lemon-lime bitter takes us later into the evening. Good company and reluctant good nights. Still in the back of my mind I know we are just a distraction in what is otherwise a mans world...
Back to this morning... not enough sleep. Body feels fine but need more sleep. Can't talk, can barely pedal. The stars are breath taking. No moon. 6:15 and the sky is still black. Large shrubs cast dark shadows on both sides of the road. The only sound is the rythmic whirring of our tires on the road as we ride side by side. Eyelids heavy, teh weight of my head seems to increase with every 500 meters. My load feels heavy. I ask Mel if I'm carrying too much... prob just tired though. Hungry again, my stomach feels like it's eating itself even though we had lentils before we left! Can't seem to eat enough.
The dark shadows are now visible and reveal a scattering of trees and shrubs. Slowly the sun turns the sky to yellow, everything is so clear and crisp... brekky time!
Stomach satisfied and we puish on. Eyelids still heavy. Microsleeps mean I miss the landscape, occasionally nodding of off yet my legs continue to pedal. Microsleeps turn into slightly longer periods of escapism - amazing, even in this state I manage to ride relatively straight. I no longer have any control over my conciousness and I pull over immediately. "Mel I need a 15 minute nap". Straight onto the gravel, kick my stand and drop to the ground:
MEL: you should move into the shade
BE: nope... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

15min nap and I'm back on my bike and my legs are charging away... eyes definately open
Be xx