We are now on our way to Charleston and are ready to go.....

During the past three days we have set up the bikes and shopped for various supplies. Carrie and Cody have been invaluable in helping us set up, particularly in the tools department. Prior to arriving and in addition to your standard puncture repair tools we were told we needed a chain whip, spoke key, chain breaker and rear hub tool. None of us had knowledge of these items let alone what they looked like! We now have these tools, but there will be some elements of trial and error if we ever have to use them!

The bike set up did not go as smoothly as oringinally intended. After two days of unpacking only one of the bikes was considered to be road worthy! Ben S's front wheet was buckled during transit and had to be straightened. He was also missing a front skewer so his wheel couldn't be attached to his bike. Daves's rear bottle cage was crushed and his front brakes have been causing him all sorts of problems. My front racks were fitted incorrectly by the bike shop which meant that I could only turn my handle bars about 5cm in each direction! After some good old kiwi inginuity all the bikes are kitted out and we depart tomorrow morning from the coast.

The weekend hasn't all been about bikes! On Saturday night we went to a house warming party and met a few of the Columbian locals. They gave us a lesson in the Nascar scene and the 'March Madness' College Basketball tournament. Yesterday we all played our first game of frisbee golf. Well worth a go! Didn't realise that you have different size and weight discs depending the type of shot you want to do. We each had a driver and a putter and were somewhat ill-equiped as others had a complete quiver of discs.

It has been unseasonably cold in Columbia so we are hoping for some warmer weather to come our way soon (which it sure will).....