Finally in Mariehamn!

Greetings from the library of Mariehamn! Librarys have been the only places were the free connection never let´s you down, in many other places it just doesn´t work for some reason, or has many problems. And you don´t even have to buy anything :)

I finally arrived here today afternoon, after having some problems. The Åland is really good place to do cycling trips, there are even bicycle ferries going from island to island just for people who go cycling. It took me more than 2 days to arrive here from Kaarina, even though the way is only about 100 kilometers, which could be easily cycled in one day :) I will write little bit about why:

19.7 Parainen-Korppoo

I woke up from slowly in my tenth in the morning. I slept surprisingly well, despite all the rain and humidity in my tenth. I started to feel something wet in my foots during the night, and I thought it was just from the soil and the rain trough the tenth, so I just putted some more clothes there to be able to sleep more. It wasn´t before 11 when I noticed that I have been leaving one of the zips open for whole night. So, you can actually forget those kinds of things too :D Well, I just had to pack all my wet stuff and hope it wouldn´t get too bad until I could dry them. It was still raining some drops here and there, so I just wanted to get moving. I had about 50 km to go in 3 hours in order to make the ferry from Korppoo to Långnäs, which is the harbor in Åland where the ferries arrive.

Being forced by the idea to reach the time of the ferry I started with good tempo, because I knew too that there was some smaller ferries during the way. Those ferries go every 15-30 minutes during the daytime over some rivers and lakes where is no bridges, and at times you have to wait. I was doing fine and I passed many cycle travelers, groups, couples, old and young people, Finnish and foreigners. Turku Arhcipelago and Åland have clearly some really popular cycling routes. I had never seen that many people on a bicycle with bike bags.

I was just about 20 kilometers away of Korppoo and in time, when my rear tire started to get worse. I knew that my inner tube was little bit too big, but it had been working well for over a year. In this trip however, it started to get worse and the tube was puffing up a bit from the side of tire. It started to puff up more and more until it made the cycling impossible. Then I had to stop, empty the tire and stuff the tube back inside of the tire. I was really pissed off : did this have to happen right now when I´m in hurry and having a good rhythm.  Apparently it did ;)

I was continuing with the annoying tire for some kilometers, passing one couple every time, and them passing me when I was fixing my tire. I was only 15 kilometers away from Korppoo, when I heard a crack: the inner tube had broke the outer tire, and it was puffing up really badly: okay, I wont get to Åland today either. I just stopped to bus stop and started to dry my wet stuff, luckily there was bus coming soon.

             
 Trip gone a bit wrong in pelago..











After paying 10 euros for the 15 km ride for the stressed out bus driver, I found out there was a repairing shed in Korppoo, where they all so fixed bicycles. It was right next to the bus station, so I went there, and in 15 minutes, about 2 hours after my tire had broke, I had a new and well working tire in my bike. And 33 euros less money in my wallet. Fast actions here in the culo del mundo. I found out there was a ferry going to Kökar at 21.30, and in the morning 6.30 ferry from Kökar would go to Långnäs, so I would be in Mariehamn easily in the early afternoon.

I was going to sauna and washing some clothes in the Buffalo restaurant, from where I had to cycle like maniac to the ferry of Kökar to reach in time. The ferry only cost me 5 euros, and the guy said I could use all the ferries of this area with this ticket for the whole summer. Not bad. Ferry was cool with a nice cafe inside, where surprisingly was a wifi-connection also. I was the only cyclist there, rest of the people were with their cars. At 2 am we arrived to Kökar, where I just changed to the ferry that would be leaving in the morning and went to sleep in one of the sofas in my sleeping bag. I slept really nicely until Långnäs, and rest of the journey was just a piece of cake. 30 kilometers in a wind that was more tail- than headwind. So, finally I arrived to Mariehamn, where I will hanging out for the next few days. I hope I will have time to do some little trips around the island and post them here, I know there is some great routes here :)