rsync command is slow when I'm not connected to the internet

Question

Any ideas? I'm issuing the following rsync command via a hotkey and whenever I'm not connected to the internet it slows down. Takes maybe 4,000ms instead of the regular 300-400ms.

All it does is sync up a directory on my local FS to one connected through parallels (where I have a lamp running, etc.)

rsync --delete --archive --quiet --progress --stats --compress --rsh='ssh -p2357' --exclude '.svn' --exclude '.DS_Store' --exclude '.' --exclude '..' --exclude '.localized' --exclude 'thumbs.db' /Users/onassar/Sites/ 10.211.55.3:/var/www/; /usr/local/bin/growlnotify -a Coda -m 'Boom goes the dynamite!';