Having reached the destination, the mouth of the Rhine

My summit was the end of the pier. Where a red tower with beacon signals to the ships on the North Sea that they have reached the mouth of the Rhine and that the port of Rotterdam is near. I reached this point with my folding bike today at 3.30 p.m., the twelfth day after my departure at the Oberalp Pass in Switzerland, near the source of the Rhine. 1,494 kilometers lie behind me, on average I cycled about 125 kilometers per day. The last meters on the pier felt great. All hardships were forgotten. I simply enjoyed to move slowly towards the goal of my donation bike tour “School up! River down!”.

Small expedition

The evidence: 1,494 kilometers

For me it was a real adventure, almost a small expedition. The result was quite uncertain. Would my folding bike – this model is actually intended for commuters on short distances – survive the permanent burden? Would my body stand the exertions, even though I had not specifically prepared it to sit on the saddle nine hours a day and to pedal continously? Would my commitment be sufficient, would I, if necessary, be able to torment myself through difficult situations? Would the weather cooperate? Was it realistic under all these conditions to tackle a route of about 1,500 kilometers in twelve days?

Several times on the limit

Somewhere between Dordrecht and Rotterdam

I can now answer all these questions – with a broad grin on my face – with yes. The euphoria of having actually achieved my desired goal, replaces the fact that my body and mind were several times on the limit and now urgently need a recovery phase. Like after an expedition in the mountains, it will certainly take a while before I have processed all the impressions. My relationship to the Rhine, where I spent my whole life, will be a new one, after I have ridden and experienced it from the source to the mouth.

Taken the wrong ferry

The mills of Kinderdijk

The final stage, about 75 kilometers from Dordrecht via Rotterdam to Hoek van Holland, went by wihout incidents. I admired the famous 19 mills of Kinderdijk, which stand like tin soldiers in a row on the canal. That I had to drive slalom through several groups of hectically photographing Japanese, I answered with a smile. Arriving in the village, I reached the ferry as the last passenger. However, I had to realize on the water that it did not cross over to Ridderkerk, as I had thought, but to Krimpen aan de Lek. I had to put together an alternative route to finally get back to the main Rhine route in the center of Rotterdam. The lively city with its huge harbor made me nervous. I was happy when, 20 km before Hoek van Holland, it became calmer and lonely again.

For the children of Thulosirubari

In Rotterdam

I have thought of the children of Thulosirubari not only today, but also during these twelve days on the Rhine. For them, I actually made the trip. I hope I have entertained you well and I would be delighted if I had encouraged as many of you as possible to support with your donation the further construction of the school in the small Nepalese mountain village, some 70 kilometers east of Kathmandu. If you have decided to sponsor me with e.g. a cent per kilometer that I drove, it would make a total of 14.94 euros for the project “School up!”, two cents make 29.88 euros, five cents 74.70 euros, ten cents 149.40 euros … You can also transfer any other amount, I am happy about every euro.

Please send your donations directly to the account of “School up!” of the Nepalhilfe Beilngries. Here is once again the bank account:

Recipient: Nepalhilfe Beilngries e.V.
Bank: Volksbank Bayern Mitte eG/Germany
IBAN: DE05 7216 0818 0004 6227 07
BIC/SWIFT-Code: GENODEF1INP
Intended purpose: Gerlinde and Ralf School

With the folding bike to the North Sea

Thank you for your support, also for the many encouraging comments during my tour. I would also like to thank the bikers who accompanied me on the route for the nice talks. In addition, all those who kindly showed me the way when I was once again unconcentrated and missed a sign. And last but not least I want to thank my dear and faithful folding bike, which has carried me so far without any breakdown. Both of us, by the way, were much quicker than the water which has started its trip from the source to the mouth of the Rhine on Monday last week. It takes the water about 31 days, the journey through Lake Constance alone takes three weeks.

Near Wijk the river is still called “Nederrijn”

I’m just driving down the Rhine. No way! The closer you get to the mouth of the river into the North Sea, the more complicated it becomes. Everywhere are river arms and somehow they all have to do with the Rhine, but they are no longer called so. But Waal, Maas, Merwede or Linge. With additions such as “Oude” (Old), “Nieuwe” (New), “Beneden” (Lower) or “Boven” (Upper). And then there are also canals, such as the Amsterdam-Rijn-Kanaal, which I crossed today at Rijswijk. So you can easily lose orientation. The time has passed when I was cycling along the Rhine and only had to decide which side of the river I used.

Overland, with plenty of water

Chicken uprising

Without the excellent cards, which were fixed to my handlebar bag, and the signs of the bike paths, I had hopelessly lost my way. So, however, I passed through the water labyrinth, and in fact managed to reach my destination of today, Dordrecht, without any considerable detours. In this part, the Rhine bike route hardly deserves its name because it leads through many rural areas, often along canals or small lakes.

With the ferry

Water taxi to Sleeuswijk

But suddenly you reach again one of the Rhine arms and have to cross the river with a ferry or a water taxi. The system works really perfectly. There are no long waiting times. The crossing costs for a cyclist between 80 cents and 1,50 euros. And such a ferry transfer can be quite communicative. On the way to Kop van’t Land near Dordrecht I got into conversation with another “Fietser”.

Pat on the shoulder

Ferry to Kop van’t Land

The 60-year-old asked me how many kilometers I had traveled today, where I came from and where I wanted to go. “Years ago, I cycled some passages of the tour that you have done by myself,” the man recalled. “I liked particularly the area around Rüdesheim.” Means the Rhine Gorge between Bingen and Koblenz. He gave me a tip for an alternative route to Dordrecht. “But yours is also very beautiful,” he said, gave me for farewell a pat on the shoulder and cycled away in breakneck speed.

Calves damage

Today, there were many fair weather cyclists en route. Since the morning, the sun was shining, the wind was not worth mentioning, ideal cycling weather. If there would not have been this pulling in my calves. They are crying for recovery. They still have to persist one day. Then we – my calves and I as well as my dear faithful folding bike – will hopefully stand in Hoek van Holland on the beach and look together to the mouth of the Rhine.

Still 70 are left

Signs in a garden near Leerdam

This eleventh day of my donation bike tour “School up! River down!” for the reconstruction of the school in the Nepalese village of Thulosirubari lasted nine and a half hours. I rode 124 kilometers from Wageningen to Dordrecht. In earlier times the Rhine trade ended there, what brought the city wealth. Today, Rotterdam has outdone Dordrecht as trade metropolis. I will ride to Rotterdam tomorrow and then continue to the sea. Still some 70 kilometers are missing.

P.S.: When I will have arrived at the beach, I will – if I’ll have an internet connecition – inform you via Twitter and Facebook. The detailed summary of the last day will be available after my return to Cologne.

P.P.S.: Do not be surprised if some pictures are blurry at the edges. The setting dial of the camera had accidentally slipped into the “creative mode”.