Photos are UP!


And oh, discovered another problem: my front rim is bent. A slight bulge on the right side, enough to jolt the wheel when I use my front brake. Also, with the wheel no longer round, I get a slightly bumpy ride, like mini speed bumps. Both faults are not noticeable by the eye. However, the spoke at that area had loosened so much that I can wiggle it around with my fingers. A mechanic helped me retrue my wheel.

Brought the bike to several "specialists", with a range of interesting reactions.
Roadside repairman: "You're good to go around the world!"
Man selling brandless bikes: "No biggie."
People at the Giant dealer: "Better get a new bike, we can't make any promises about the current condition."

8 more days, 768km left on my tour.