Yalla Bina!

Straight roads are nice. They're easy to follow, and you have very low chances of making a wrong turn and ending up on a dead-end Swedish peninsula with a half-page long name when you're on one. But just like our lives are in the choices we make, the trip is in the intersections, and there is no way to avoid them just because they're confusing. Keegan and I were reminded of this yesterday when we came to yet another necessary but befuddling crossroads and stopped to once again consult our woefully inadequate map. But this time, an angel came to us. A diesel-eating, van-shaped angel with 'Global Biking Initiative' plastered on its side and its interior filled with Germans. They had pulled off the highway to get coffee at the same time as we were sitting perplexedly on the side of the road. We went to question them about a bike map, but were very surprised when instead they invited us to join their group of 350 cyclists riding from Oslo to Dusseldorf if we could make it another 80 km to Uddevalla by that night. We weren't sure that we could. But to make a long story short: some torrential rain, some delicious potatoes, a glorious long-awaited glimpse of the sun, and well over 80 km later, we did. So last night we ate and drank amazing German sausages and beer, respectively, and spent the night on dry, comfortable mattresses in a ridiculously well-equipped gymnasium. Then today we happily loaded our backpacks and panniers into the vangel and rode 90 km with some very boisterous Egyptians to Goteborg. And here we are. As soon as I'm done with this post, we're going to ride over to the campsite where, if all goes well, we will meet Ben tonight! No pictures this time because my camera's outside with Keegan and I'm lazy.