Day 16

All over social media Western pilgrims masquerading as guides always crap on about 'the lions/jaguars/polar bears/choose a species, they showed their guests'. These chancers conveniently forget that it is almost always the seasoned local guides that perform the alchemy and in India there is no one better than Himanshu Bagde. Not only is he charming, urbane, obscenely knowledgeable and well connected, he is also my friend and we have spent months together trying to turn base prospects into striped gold. This morning ... he surprised me at the start in Surlingham. A total and utter deception: clearly a great deal of subterfuge and collusion had gone between India and 2Legs. Not only did this lift the whole day but he walked, according to his Fitbit versa3 (I don't know either) 57154 steps and 43.94 km. Lovely send off from the local school.

He did this with Mark who guided a tough course all day with both diligence and quality chatter, it's not an easy job. His family joined him for the second half and brought along their ferociously uber fit friends who raised the pace tortuously, walking in step with the distant thump and concussion of the Latitude Festival. Massive thanks to Amy, George and Freddy for surrendering their house and garden for our refreshment stop - gorgeous family. Someone raised the mercury causing Mark and I to spend most of the day discussing both our ocean swim and fish and chips.....

Swim yes, the tide was in and the sea warm, the latter, of course not, they closed at 7.30, halfway through the afternoon ... only in England...! Checked in, told them we have to be away at 07.30 ... when does breakfast start ?...08.00 .... couldn't make it up.

400 miles completed, 600 remaining. How far did you walk today?