About two months ago I came up with a Really Great Idea. This Really Great Idea (or RGI as it shall now henceforth be known) was to fly to Bintan Island, off the coast of Singapore and take part in a cycling road race with my friend Eileen. This despite never having ridden 55 km before in my life, avoiding hills like the plague and completely forgetting about the humidity in this neck of the woods. Well now this RGI has finally come to fruition and I sit here nervously anticipating the Discovery course of the Tour De Bintan, not entirely convinced that I will actually make it, but going to give it a damn good try. I can’t even blame alcohol for this decision, dear reader, for I was entirely sober!

Fortunately(?) our bikes survived the journey and while they were accidentally sent to the start line before we had actually put them together, there is nothing standing in the way of the finish line (except many, many hills). Did I mention that thunderstorms are forecast for tomorrow?

We’re staying at the Nirvana Gardens (oh dear lord) Resort which puts me in mind of an Indonesian Dirty Dancing movie. Unfortunately a tall, dark and handsome bad boy is nowhere in sight to romance me on the dance floor, but there are plenty of limber and lithe lycra-clad cyclists wandering around. I should point out that I have neither the stamina nor the physique of a cyclist (let’s just call me curvy), but will post a photo of me in my cycling kit anyway… perhaps before I fall off my bike across the finish line J