I am awake pretty early. I have spent the night slept on a small patch of sand created by a small rock groin on the black sea. Its about 630 and i have slept thorugh the 5 o'clock Muzeen (call to Prayer) I hear footsteps close by. I open the tent to see two men with fishing rods heading out to try thier luck. They smile and wave and i commend myself on my choice of canpsite as i watch the last of the sunrise burn away the previous nights storm.
I have breakfast and pack up the tent. I rather foolishly decide to try and get my gears running a bit better. Some men in a village the day before have kindly straightened my rear drop out but in the process i have lost my bottom hill gear. I don't really need it for the day and the hour i spend mucking around and making it worse should have been better spent.
Evenetaully i am underway. After an hour or so i stop for an icecream. Its not the best as it has been refrozen a few times. Not sure if its a black out or the shop keeper trying to save a little money by periodically turning off the freezer. I finish it while i explain my story to a group of curious young kids. They don't speak any english but are very good at hand signals. I think we more or less understand each other in a strange kind of way. I teach them how to say "G'day mate"
I arrive in Trabzon and decide to go for the internet first and then try and hunt for some bike parts. Having told the family i am still alive and well i set off parts hunting. I am hoping for a larger bike store but am not sure this is the place to be looking for such things.
I stop and ask an older man for directions and a young man appears and offers to help me. His name is Unal and his english is superb. 3 bike shops later i havent found the "super store" I was chasing but never the less with Unal's brilliant translation and local knowledge i have new brakes, a new chain and a reset derailer. I am now feeling great and i thank Unal for his assistance. He offers me to come back to have dinner with family and i greatefully accept.
Having not had lunch i am feeling rather hungry by 630 but as it is Ramadan and the rest of the family are fasting i take a deep breath and try not to think about food too much.
The food is worth the wait and i eat way more than i should. The disccusion at the table as i try to explain my life in australia and vice versa is facsinating too and i feel so greatful for the kindness i have been shown. I hope that his family is able to visit me someday so as i can return the kindness.
The shower and then the bed are heavenly and i sleep like the dead or very close too it. I hear the storm and the rain outside and reflect on an extraordinary day.
Saturday, 12 September 2009
Wednesday, 9 September 2009
Reflections on Turkey
in this issue: The bike gear and the body. Turkish hospitality. Camping. Milestones. Companions
The not so unbreakable BOB after been un-broken
How to fıx a bent rear dropout- with a shifting spanner and a rubber hammer!
Breaafast on my first morning in Turkey!
1000km on the Speedo- only from istanbul though.
Watch dog on a beach campsite at Doganyurt.
The bike (igor) gear and the body
After nearly 2 months on the road the tally of war wounds stands as such:
3 Punctures ( 2 within 1/2 hr of each other)
1 Broken trailer. Kindly welded freee of charge in a tracking yard
The not so unbreakable BOB after been un-broken1 bent rear dropout. Couresty of a rather impatient donkey getting its yoke hooked in my front wheel. Again fixed free of charge
How to fıx a bent rear dropout- with a shifting spanner and a rubber hammer!Vrious gear problems which have been fıxed and unfixed by various people
1 torn tent fly. Oh for the wonders of gaffa tape
1 slightly broken tent pole. ditto
1 case of food poisoning
1 chest infection
A few tight calf muscles.
Not too bad a tally for 3000 or km.
Turkish Hospitality:
As alluded to above i have been incredibly lucky with the help i have been given whilst i have been in Turkey. This extends to numerous free meals and cups of tea. Yesterday i was stopped and given a bag of figs hazlenuts and cheese from an old couple on the side of the road. i have never really sort it but these things have mannaged to brighten a few tough days.
Breaafast on my first morning in Turkey!While the hospitality has been amazing a few things have been a little dıssapointing. The first would have to be rubbish. Even what seems like remote beaches can still be covered in shit. This hasnt always been so and im sure there are plenty of areas in Australia that suffer from a similar carelessness. Some of the roads too ( read the previous entry on wet tar) have been a bit average though this has been the exeception rather than the rule by far. Dogs on the whole have been less of a problem here than earlier in the trip
Camping:
İ have also had some absolute gems of Campsites from beaches to forrests and the odd roadside bivvie. The odd dog and curious local aside i have never had much trouble at all. Hopefully this contiues once i get into Georgia.
Milestones:
A few have come up since the last post. Sunday will be 2 months on the road. Hopefully by then i will be on the road to Tblisi in Geogia. Yesterday i clcocked up 1000km on the Speedo. This is not so much of a milestone as i only managed to get it working after leaving istanbul. Tuesday was also my longest day so far. ( well as far as i can work out). A good solıd run of 150km. İt was nice to have some good running after nearly two weeks of slogging it up and down the mountains.
1000km on the Speedo- only from istanbul though.Companions:
Since leaving istanbul i have had the pleasure of Rob and Bills company. Bill is cycling to india while Rob is going to Japan. Bill left us to head south to Ankara at innobolu while Rob and i cycled together for a few more days. The last 3 days i have been back on my own. After two weeks of having to make joint decsions has this has been a bit of a change. As Rob and i more or less headed in the same direction we will no doubt be passing each other again soon.
Watch dog on a beach campsite at Doganyurt.Where too?
From Trabzon the road heads east towards Rize and then Batumi which is on the Georgian side of the border. From there i will bıd farewell to the back sea my comanion for the last 3 weeks and head over the mountains to Tblisi. i am looking forward to a beer in Georgia. Being Ramadan for most of the time i have been in Turkey has made these things a little hard to procure.
Tuesday, 1 September 2009
Crazy Turkish road works
in this editıon. Companions. Tar. Food. To Georgia
Companions
I have had the pleasure of ten days or there abouts of company since leaving istanbul. Two English blokes who are heading more or less in the same direction as me for a while. It has taken some small adjustments as anyone who has been traveling on thier own for any length of time will understand. Mutipley the usual morning pissfart about by three and you will understand. That aside ıt has been nice to share the experience for a change. One is now heading south while the other will cycle a bit more with me till we are sick of each other.
Roads
The Turkish seem to have a little trouble with road construction. More to the point i seem to have trouble with turkish roads. Yesterday became an enforced rest day after rıdding 20km on a wet tar road. Me and everything outside of the bıg yellow bag ( Igor and Bob ( the bike and the trailer) ıncluded) was coated in sticky black tar. Turkish hosptitality however came to the rescue wıth a bloke even draining the petrol out of his chainsaw to come to our aid!
What a turkish road will do to a water bottle.....
Food
I have started eating........lots. I can now quıte happily devour an entire turkish loaf a packet of cheese and a block of chocolate in one sitting. Something like a cross between a pregnant women and a sumo wrestler. Alas for those who are worrıed that i am becomimg morbidly obese i think the reverse is happening. While ı havent lost weight i havent gained any either. A good dose of some bad chicken hasnt helped either
To Georgia.
I am continuing along the black sea coast of Turkey. The ups and downs are pretty punishing but the views are for the most part making up for it. As ı wrıte i am in Inobulu and will head to Trabzon for a rest day. From there it will be a few more days and then into Geogia where i will have to start the great visa chase for the Stans.
Wednesday, 19 August 2009
1 Month down, 11 to go!
In this editıon:
The perils and pleasures of free camping, powdered milk, Agents for change, Dogs, Horns, A brief summary of the first month on the Rd. Attempt at translation of the blog (using babelfısh)
The perils and pleasures of free camping...
Much to my delight i found out that there are few rules governing camping ( other than common sense) in Serbia and Bulgaria. Germany and Austria have very strict laws on such things. A big thank you to Marco in the hostel Belgrade for telling me this. Since leaving Belgrade i have therefore had some amazing camping experiences while also managing to keep my budget intact. A cowherd even gave me a sausage and a loaf of bread while i was camped next to a river in the valley south of Sofia! Likewise a delightful young Serbian man and women were very happy for me to camp on their farm, furnishing with apples for dessert! A big thank you also to Hassan and his extended family for their hospitality and kindness.
Powered Milk.....
While it may seem small the benefits of powdered milk are immense to the bike traveler. Unfortunately it is very hard to come by in Europe. it was much to my delight that i managed to find it in a health food store in Belgrade. Thank you again to Marco, hostel master in Belgrade for this one.
Dogs
On a bike one very quickly learns to spot an angry dog! i am steadily loosing count of the fast sprints away from angry farm dogs! it is not the strays that are the problem. They sadly have been battered enough to shy away from people. it is, for the most part, the owners of dogs who should know better. They haven`t managed to get me yet and i have had my rabies shot so i will just keep watching out!
Agents for change....
i first had the pleasure of meeting this nice bunch of Canadians (with a few ring in Americans) after entering Bulgaria. There are 20 of them and each has raised $4000 to fund sustainable micro credit businesses in developing countries. in support of the cause they were ridding from Amsterdam to Istanbul. We met again and following day and it was nice to have some company in the crazy outskirts of Sofia. Thank you guys, keep up the good work.
Horns....
Like the dogs one quickly learns to recognize different horn blasts. There is the friendly toot from a long way off, usually from trucks, to let you know they are coming. There is also the friendly toot of encouragement, often from close range, which is also nice. Then there is the, get the f^+% out of my way, toot. Usually done from close range and often accompanied by a truck passing within a hairs breath of your backside. Sometimes there ıs a bit of the latter two together. The toots, waves and cheers of encouragement, especially in Turkey, have made a few days of pretty average ridding a little more pleasant.
The first month...
it has been one month now on the road and for the most part the trip has been going great. There have been a few hard mornings and whole days sometimes. These have been balanced by some amazing scenery and, more importantly, some incredible hospitality, which has taught me so much about the places i have been too.
Where too.....
İ have a day or two here in instanbul to get my shit together and start the visa train for the countries ahead. its also a chance to give the body a little time time to recover. From here ı will follow the black sea coast of Turkey toward the Georgian border and then into Azerbaijan. Now the fun really starts.
German translation
In diesem editıon:
Die Gefahren und die Vergnügen von, pulverisierte Milch, Mittel für Änderung, Hunde, Horne, a-kurze Zusammenfassung frei kampieren vom ersten Monat auf dem Rd. Versuch an der Übersetzung des Blogs (unter Verwendung des babelfısh)
Die Gefahren und die Vergnügen von frei kampieren…
Viel zu meiner Freude fand ich heraus, dass es wenige Richtlinien gibt, die das Kampieren regeln (anders als gesunden Menschenverstand) in Serbien und in Bulgarien. Deutschland und Österreich haben sehr strenge Gesetze auf solchen Sachen. Ein großes danken Ihnen zu Marco in der Herberge Belgrad für das Erklären mir dieses. Seit dem Lassen Belgrad, habe ich folglich etwas überraschende kampierende Erfahrungen beim auch erreichen, meinen Etat intakt zu halten gehabt. Ein cowherd gab mir eine Wurst und ein Laib des Brotes sogar, während ich nahe bei einem Fluss im Talsüden von Sofia kampiert wurde! Ebenso waren ein herrlicher junger serbischer Mann und Frauen sehr glücklich, damit ich auf ihrem Bauernhof kampiere und mit Äpfeln für Nachtisch versorge! Ein großes danken Ihnen auch zu Hassan und zu seiner Großfamilie für ihre Gastfreundschaft und Freundlichkeit.
Angetriebene Milch .....
Während sie klein scheinen kann, ist der Nutzen der pulverisierten Milch zum Fahrradreisenden unermesslich. Leider zu kommen ist sehr hart, vorbei in Europa. es war viel zu meiner Freude, dass ich erreichte, sie in einem Biokostspeicher in Belgrad zu finden. Danke wieder zu Marco, Herbergemeister in Belgrad für dieses.
Hunde.....
Auf einem Fahrrad erlernt man sehr schnell, einen verärgerten Hund zu beschmutzen! ich löse ständig Zählimpuls vom schnellen sprinte weg von verärgerten Bauernhofhunden! es ist nicht die Umherirrender, die das Problem sind. Ihnen traurig sind weg von zerschlagen worden Leuten zu werfen genug. es ist in den meisten Fällen die Inhaber der Hunde, die besser wissen sollten. Sie Hafen `t erreichten, mich zu erhalten, dennoch und ich habe meine Tollwut schoss gehabt, also halte ich gerade, heraus aufzupassen!
Mittel für Änderung….
ich hatte zuerst das Vergnügen des Treffens dieses netten Bündels Kanadier (mit einigen schellen Sie auf Amerikaner), nachdem ich Bulgarien betreten hatte. Es gibt 20 von ihnen und jedes hat $4000 angehoben, um stützbare Mikrokreditgeschäfte in Entwicklungsländern zu finanzieren. zur Unterstützung der Ursache reinigten sie von Amsterdam nach Istanbul. Wir trafen uns wieder und folgender Tag und es war nett, irgendeine Firma in den verrückten Stadtränden von Sofia zu haben. Danke Kerle, mach weiter so.
Horne….
Wie die Hunde erlernt man schnell, verschiedene Hornböen zu erkennen. Es gibt den freundlichen Toot von einem langen Weg aus, normalerweise von den LKWas, Sie zu informieren sie kommen. Es gibt auch den freundlichen Toot der Ermutigung, häufig vom aus nächster Nähe, das auch nett ist. Dann gibt es, erhalten das f^+% aus meiner Weise, Toot heraus. Normalerweise getan vom aus nächster Nähe und von einem LKW häufig begleitet, der innerhalb eines Haaratems Ihrer Rückseite überschreitet. Manchmal dort ıs eine Spitze der letzten zwei zusammen. Die Toots, bewegt wellenartig und Beifall der Ermutigung, besonders in der Türkei, hat einige Tage recht vom Durchschnitt gebildet, der ein wenig angenehmeres reinigt.
Der erste Monat…
es ist ein Monat jetzt auf der Straße gewesen und in den meisten Fällen ist die Reise groß gegangen. Es hat einige harte Morgen und ganze Tage manchmal gegeben. Diese sind durch etwas erstaunliche Landschaft und, wichtiger, etwas unglaubliche Gastfreundschaft balanciert worden, die mich soviel über die Plätze unterrichtet hat, die, ich auch gewesen bin.
Wo auch .....
Ich habe einen Tag oder zwei hier im instanbul, um meine Scheiße zusammenzukommen und des Visumzugs für die Länder voran anzustellen. sein auch eine Wahrscheinlichkeit, dem Körper eine wenig Zeitzeit zu geben zurückzugewinnen. Hier vom ı folgt der Meer-Küste von der Türkei in Richtung zum georgischen Rand und dann in Azerbaijan. Jetzt die des Spaßes Anfänge wirklich.
The perils and pleasures of free camping, powdered milk, Agents for change, Dogs, Horns, A brief summary of the first month on the Rd. Attempt at translation of the blog (using babelfısh)
The perils and pleasures of free camping...
Much to my delight i found out that there are few rules governing camping ( other than common sense) in Serbia and Bulgaria. Germany and Austria have very strict laws on such things. A big thank you to Marco in the hostel Belgrade for telling me this. Since leaving Belgrade i have therefore had some amazing camping experiences while also managing to keep my budget intact. A cowherd even gave me a sausage and a loaf of bread while i was camped next to a river in the valley south of Sofia! Likewise a delightful young Serbian man and women were very happy for me to camp on their farm, furnishing with apples for dessert! A big thank you also to Hassan and his extended family for their hospitality and kindness.
Powered Milk.....
While it may seem small the benefits of powdered milk are immense to the bike traveler. Unfortunately it is very hard to come by in Europe. it was much to my delight that i managed to find it in a health food store in Belgrade. Thank you again to Marco, hostel master in Belgrade for this one.
Dogs
On a bike one very quickly learns to spot an angry dog! i am steadily loosing count of the fast sprints away from angry farm dogs! it is not the strays that are the problem. They sadly have been battered enough to shy away from people. it is, for the most part, the owners of dogs who should know better. They haven`t managed to get me yet and i have had my rabies shot so i will just keep watching out!
Agents for change....
i first had the pleasure of meeting this nice bunch of Canadians (with a few ring in Americans) after entering Bulgaria. There are 20 of them and each has raised $4000 to fund sustainable micro credit businesses in developing countries. in support of the cause they were ridding from Amsterdam to Istanbul. We met again and following day and it was nice to have some company in the crazy outskirts of Sofia. Thank you guys, keep up the good work.
Horns....
Like the dogs one quickly learns to recognize different horn blasts. There is the friendly toot from a long way off, usually from trucks, to let you know they are coming. There is also the friendly toot of encouragement, often from close range, which is also nice. Then there is the, get the f^+% out of my way, toot. Usually done from close range and often accompanied by a truck passing within a hairs breath of your backside. Sometimes there ıs a bit of the latter two together. The toots, waves and cheers of encouragement, especially in Turkey, have made a few days of pretty average ridding a little more pleasant.
The first month...
it has been one month now on the road and for the most part the trip has been going great. There have been a few hard mornings and whole days sometimes. These have been balanced by some amazing scenery and, more importantly, some incredible hospitality, which has taught me so much about the places i have been too.
Where too.....
İ have a day or two here in instanbul to get my shit together and start the visa train for the countries ahead. its also a chance to give the body a little time time to recover. From here ı will follow the black sea coast of Turkey toward the Georgian border and then into Azerbaijan. Now the fun really starts.
German translation
In diesem editıon:
Die Gefahren und die Vergnügen von, pulverisierte Milch, Mittel für Änderung, Hunde, Horne, a-kurze Zusammenfassung frei kampieren vom ersten Monat auf dem Rd. Versuch an der Übersetzung des Blogs (unter Verwendung des babelfısh)
Die Gefahren und die Vergnügen von frei kampieren…
Viel zu meiner Freude fand ich heraus, dass es wenige Richtlinien gibt, die das Kampieren regeln (anders als gesunden Menschenverstand) in Serbien und in Bulgarien. Deutschland und Österreich haben sehr strenge Gesetze auf solchen Sachen. Ein großes danken Ihnen zu Marco in der Herberge Belgrad für das Erklären mir dieses. Seit dem Lassen Belgrad, habe ich folglich etwas überraschende kampierende Erfahrungen beim auch erreichen, meinen Etat intakt zu halten gehabt. Ein cowherd gab mir eine Wurst und ein Laib des Brotes sogar, während ich nahe bei einem Fluss im Talsüden von Sofia kampiert wurde! Ebenso waren ein herrlicher junger serbischer Mann und Frauen sehr glücklich, damit ich auf ihrem Bauernhof kampiere und mit Äpfeln für Nachtisch versorge! Ein großes danken Ihnen auch zu Hassan und zu seiner Großfamilie für ihre Gastfreundschaft und Freundlichkeit.
Angetriebene Milch .....
Während sie klein scheinen kann, ist der Nutzen der pulverisierten Milch zum Fahrradreisenden unermesslich. Leider zu kommen ist sehr hart, vorbei in Europa. es war viel zu meiner Freude, dass ich erreichte, sie in einem Biokostspeicher in Belgrad zu finden. Danke wieder zu Marco, Herbergemeister in Belgrad für dieses.
Hunde.....
Auf einem Fahrrad erlernt man sehr schnell, einen verärgerten Hund zu beschmutzen! ich löse ständig Zählimpuls vom schnellen sprinte weg von verärgerten Bauernhofhunden! es ist nicht die Umherirrender, die das Problem sind. Ihnen traurig sind weg von zerschlagen worden Leuten zu werfen genug. es ist in den meisten Fällen die Inhaber der Hunde, die besser wissen sollten. Sie Hafen `t erreichten, mich zu erhalten, dennoch und ich habe meine Tollwut schoss gehabt, also halte ich gerade, heraus aufzupassen!
Mittel für Änderung….
ich hatte zuerst das Vergnügen des Treffens dieses netten Bündels Kanadier (mit einigen schellen Sie auf Amerikaner), nachdem ich Bulgarien betreten hatte. Es gibt 20 von ihnen und jedes hat $4000 angehoben, um stützbare Mikrokreditgeschäfte in Entwicklungsländern zu finanzieren. zur Unterstützung der Ursache reinigten sie von Amsterdam nach Istanbul. Wir trafen uns wieder und folgender Tag und es war nett, irgendeine Firma in den verrückten Stadtränden von Sofia zu haben. Danke Kerle, mach weiter so.
Horne….
Wie die Hunde erlernt man schnell, verschiedene Hornböen zu erkennen. Es gibt den freundlichen Toot von einem langen Weg aus, normalerweise von den LKWas, Sie zu informieren sie kommen. Es gibt auch den freundlichen Toot der Ermutigung, häufig vom aus nächster Nähe, das auch nett ist. Dann gibt es, erhalten das f^+% aus meiner Weise, Toot heraus. Normalerweise getan vom aus nächster Nähe und von einem LKW häufig begleitet, der innerhalb eines Haaratems Ihrer Rückseite überschreitet. Manchmal dort ıs eine Spitze der letzten zwei zusammen. Die Toots, bewegt wellenartig und Beifall der Ermutigung, besonders in der Türkei, hat einige Tage recht vom Durchschnitt gebildet, der ein wenig angenehmeres reinigt.
Der erste Monat…
es ist ein Monat jetzt auf der Straße gewesen und in den meisten Fällen ist die Reise groß gegangen. Es hat einige harte Morgen und ganze Tage manchmal gegeben. Diese sind durch etwas erstaunliche Landschaft und, wichtiger, etwas unglaubliche Gastfreundschaft balanciert worden, die mich soviel über die Plätze unterrichtet hat, die, ich auch gewesen bin.
Wo auch .....
Ich habe einen Tag oder zwei hier im instanbul, um meine Scheiße zusammenzukommen und des Visumzugs für die Länder voran anzustellen. sein auch eine Wahrscheinlichkeit, dem Körper eine wenig Zeitzeit zu geben zurückzugewinnen. Hier vom ı folgt der Meer-Küste von der Türkei in Richtung zum georgischen Rand und dann in Azerbaijan. Jetzt die des Spaßes Anfänge wirklich.
Saturday, 8 August 2009
In this issue: The 'short' run to the Serbian Border. Angry Gypsys. Getting Hungry and finally getting to Belgrad
I had camped on the Tisza river with the intention of following it all the way down to Belgrad. Alas it wasnt to be! When i arrived at the border i was kindly informed by the rather burly guard that this crossing was only for EU and Serbian citizens. She pointed in the vauge gernal direction of where the next border crossing would be. Clearly she thought i could fly! The crossing she pointed to meant a 110km circuit into Romainia and then into Serbia. One cannot aruge with such things so it was a scowl and a curse ( she couldnt speak english so she couldnt understand) and it was back on the bike.
On the upside i did get to visit Romainia. After a murderous run on the Hungarian side- Chasing the while line with trucks going at blinding speed in both dircetions. Not much fun at all. For the most part though everyone was pretty friendly. I certainly got some funny looks in some of the villages.Clearly there is not a huge influx of crazy cyclsits going through northern Romaina.
I made the mistke of trying to take a photo of one of the really cool looking Roma caravan. Pans on the roofs etc. I got an angry finger from the man and a women jumped off and demanded money for the privallage. Which i didnt have ( as i hadnt planned on being in Romainia for Very long). Someone embarressed i put the camera away and hopped back on the bike.
While the traffic and roads in Hungary were pretty average to say the least the condtions in Serbia proved a breeze in comparison. Trucks tooting some distance behind you to warn of thier approach and then, where possible, pulling into the other lane to give you room. Despite the rather damp conditions yesterday i mannaged to do around 130km and get into Belgrad late in the afternoon. I have lashed out someone and am having a rest day in Belgrad. I had a great night sleep in a bed ( the first in a while) last night after disscussing Serbian and Australian life with Marco the night manager in the hostel to the wee small hours.
After a rest day today i plan to tackkle one of the hilly roads the lead to Bulgaria. Have been more or less on the flat since leaving Germany and figure i am up to the challange.
I had camped on the Tisza river with the intention of following it all the way down to Belgrad. Alas it wasnt to be! When i arrived at the border i was kindly informed by the rather burly guard that this crossing was only for EU and Serbian citizens. She pointed in the vauge gernal direction of where the next border crossing would be. Clearly she thought i could fly! The crossing she pointed to meant a 110km circuit into Romainia and then into Serbia. One cannot aruge with such things so it was a scowl and a curse ( she couldnt speak english so she couldnt understand) and it was back on the bike.
On the upside i did get to visit Romainia. After a murderous run on the Hungarian side- Chasing the while line with trucks going at blinding speed in both dircetions. Not much fun at all. For the most part though everyone was pretty friendly. I certainly got some funny looks in some of the villages.Clearly there is not a huge influx of crazy cyclsits going through northern Romaina.
I made the mistke of trying to take a photo of one of the really cool looking Roma caravan. Pans on the roofs etc. I got an angry finger from the man and a women jumped off and demanded money for the privallage. Which i didnt have ( as i hadnt planned on being in Romainia for Very long). Someone embarressed i put the camera away and hopped back on the bike.
While the traffic and roads in Hungary were pretty average to say the least the condtions in Serbia proved a breeze in comparison. Trucks tooting some distance behind you to warn of thier approach and then, where possible, pulling into the other lane to give you room. Despite the rather damp conditions yesterday i mannaged to do around 130km and get into Belgrad late in the afternoon. I have lashed out someone and am having a rest day in Belgrad. I had a great night sleep in a bed ( the first in a while) last night after disscussing Serbian and Australian life with Marco the night manager in the hostel to the wee small hours.
After a rest day today i plan to tackkle one of the hilly roads the lead to Bulgaria. Have been more or less on the flat since leaving Germany and figure i am up to the challange.
Wednesday, 5 August 2009
In this issue: Nearly getting shot.
Well i guess it had to happen sometime. Was bush camping last night and was just cooking dinner when i heard shots in the distance. They got progessivly closer and i got a little more nevous. I began reading though my hungarian pharsebook for 'stop, please dont shoot'. Eventually all went quiet and i was ableto set up the tent. Made the mistake of not putting the fly on however. Murphays law says that that is when i will rain and sure enough it did! Lesson learned.
Am now moving towards the Serbian border. Hope to make it there today so as i dont have to change any more Hungarian money. Bike going ok though a little damp and a little gritty after a hard run on the sand this morning. Giddy Up.
Well i guess it had to happen sometime. Was bush camping last night and was just cooking dinner when i heard shots in the distance. They got progessivly closer and i got a little more nevous. I began reading though my hungarian pharsebook for 'stop, please dont shoot'. Eventually all went quiet and i was ableto set up the tent. Made the mistake of not putting the fly on however. Murphays law says that that is when i will rain and sure enough it did! Lesson learned.
Am now moving towards the Serbian border. Hope to make it there today so as i dont have to change any more Hungarian money. Bike going ok though a little damp and a little gritty after a hard run on the sand this morning. Giddy Up.
Monday, 3 August 2009
Still on the banks of the Danube
In this issue.
Austrians and nudity, Slovakians and Sex, Dirt Roads
As mentioned in the previous edition the Austrian attitude to nudiny it up was rather refreshing. And i cant say that i may not have enjoyed several episodes of skinny dipping in the Danube while i was there! The Slovakian attitude to shameless loud public sex was perhaps not so refershing. In a rather seedy campground on a lake on the outskirts of Bratislave i had the plesure of being woken by such activity next to my tent at 3 in the morning. Perhaps you can put a few things down to the dark but going for it at at 8 in the morning......
That aside Bratislava, the old down anyway was rather nice. It was an afternoon bolt to get thier after having a wonderful time but blowing my daily budget on musems and the like in Vienna for the previous 5 days.
Dirt Roads.
Igor, as i have called the bike and bob (the trailer) have been copping a bit of a pasting since leaving Vienna. For the most part they have formed a somewhat uneasy tri-patriate alliance ( Spot the historical anolgy). The trailer tends to catch a little so you have to wait for the bump when you go over anything. I have been following some cycle paths and some roads as well as dirt tracks Both the Hungarian and Slovkian Roads makers have a dislike for sloping the gutters when you are crossing the roads however. This is not really a problem going down but trying to mount the kerb with close to 50 kgs on the top is no easy task.
At present i am in Budapest in a rather overcrowed and expensive campsite. A little dissapoiting as i have had some great camps up to now. I plan to get some maps here as the bike path is apprently less maked and there is nothing once i head into Bulgaria.
Austrians and nudity, Slovakians and Sex, Dirt Roads
As mentioned in the previous edition the Austrian attitude to nudiny it up was rather refreshing. And i cant say that i may not have enjoyed several episodes of skinny dipping in the Danube while i was there! The Slovakian attitude to shameless loud public sex was perhaps not so refershing. In a rather seedy campground on a lake on the outskirts of Bratislave i had the plesure of being woken by such activity next to my tent at 3 in the morning. Perhaps you can put a few things down to the dark but going for it at at 8 in the morning......
That aside Bratislava, the old down anyway was rather nice. It was an afternoon bolt to get thier after having a wonderful time but blowing my daily budget on musems and the like in Vienna for the previous 5 days.
Dirt Roads.
Igor, as i have called the bike and bob (the trailer) have been copping a bit of a pasting since leaving Vienna. For the most part they have formed a somewhat uneasy tri-patriate alliance ( Spot the historical anolgy). The trailer tends to catch a little so you have to wait for the bump when you go over anything. I have been following some cycle paths and some roads as well as dirt tracks Both the Hungarian and Slovkian Roads makers have a dislike for sloping the gutters when you are crossing the roads however. This is not really a problem going down but trying to mount the kerb with close to 50 kgs on the top is no easy task.
At present i am in Budapest in a rather overcrowed and expensive campsite. A little dissapoiting as i have had some great camps up to now. I plan to get some maps here as the bike path is apprently less maked and there is nothing once i head into Bulgaria.
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