A New Day, a New Country, and a New Map

Day 323
Zakopane, Poland to Dolny Kublin, Slovakia
Time: 4:41:00
Distance: 76.4 km
Avg Speed: 16.9 kph
Terrain: Rolling with One Big Climb
Location: N° 49 12’ 18.2”, 19°16'4.1"E

It was a good thing that we crossed into Slovakia today because our map for southern Poland was just about to disintegrate. It had been folded and refolded several times. It was invaluable and I hope we can find similar maps for this country.
We tried to get up early today so that we could avoid some of the heavy traffic into the resort center of Zakopane. I had forgotten that we require about two hours when we are camping. We still managed to roll out onto the street at 8am – not bad.
The Poland/Slovakia border crossing came about two hours into the day. It was the first time we have actually ridden across a border. No need to rush into things you know. The moment was fairly uneventful – we took a picture with a generic sign.
As we pedaled through the first small town I noticed two things immediately. The architecture has a strong influence from the days of communism and there are definitely less people around. Slovakia has 1/7 of the people in Poland (and is also 1/6 the size).
Luckily, we found ourselves in a river valley most of the day and had some very pleasant downhill riding. About 15 km out of Dolny Kublin, our stop for the day, we passed our first castle. It was quite spectacular, even from the freeway. I’ve read that we have more on the way – certainly something to look forward to.
LK

Some rest day (the times and distances above are the riding portion)

Day: 322
Zakopane to Kunize
Time: 1.18.55
Distance: 15.55 km
Avg Speed: 11.8 kph
Terrain: Hills the whole time
Location:

We decided to spend an early rest day in Zakopane so we could take the tram to the top of the mountain and straddle the border of Poland and Slovakia. We got up early for a rest day and got ourselves together to go for a little ride to the gondola. The little ride turned out to be a little more than we had bargained for. By the time we got up to the tram we found ourselves in a line of people 150 meters long and 5 people wide. With the car able to carry around 200 people an hour we figured we were in for a wait. Frustrated, we decided to hike to the top rather than wait for the car. We soon found ourselves on a well worn track with just as many people who were in line for the tram. After dodging and diving around people for 15 minutes or so we were able to get in a stride and head to the top. The hike turned out to be not as easy I had thought, but we covered 5 kilometers with 950 meters of elevation in just under two hours. Once on top, at the summit of Kasprowy Wierch, we snapped a few photos of the truly awesome Tatras Mountains and went down to the gondola building for a ride down. No sense in pushing ourselves too far. We timed our departure perfectly and caught a half full car down just as we stepped into the building. We made it back to the bottom of the hill in 2.5 hours and figured if we had stayed in line we would still be standing there. After a little lunch in the village we had to run some errands, hit the internet and go food shopping.
The language barrier has been the hardest thing to overcome for us here. The only thing that is going for us is the letters and numbers are just like our language so we can at least read. Other than that there really is little verbal communication going on. Lots of pointing, gesturing and furiously looking up words in our phrase book. We are starting to get the hang of Polish, but tomorrow we enter Slovakia, so we will start all over again.
I may sound like I am griping, but I really do have a good time being a local at the grocery store, or post office or restaurant, only to have my cover blown by giving them a blank stare when I am spoken to.

CK

What’s Better Than Cheese and Crackers?

Day 321
Jordanow to Zakopane
Time: 4:21:00
Distance: 57 km
Avg Speed: 13.1 kph
Terrain: Rolling
Location: N 49˚ 19’ 20.3”, E 19˚ 59’ 7.4”

Cheese and crackers has become a staple in our life. It wasn’t always that way. In fact, we used to make fun of someone (my dad) who has made the snack one of his major food groups (the others are – popcorn and ice cream). Anyway, we have succumbed to this easy and tasty snack over the last year. Today, I think we found something better. Cheese and homemade bread!
Last night was rather uneventful except for the air raid siren at 2am. I think I’ve watched too many movies about World War II because I thought we might be under attack. Not sure why the siren went off, but nothing occurred afterwards but a chorus of barking dogs.
Like usual we rolled out of our sleeping bags, packed up our gear, and made a mug of instant coffee. It doesn’t take long to get back into the routine. After breakfast we chatted with a nice couple from Holland. They had done some bicycle touring in the past and told us all about the route along the Danube. We listened intently and made a mental note to see how it can fit into our plan. They also gave us the heads-up on the best campground in Zakopane, today’s destination.
We were a little tardy in our 9am start, but we’re cutting ourselves some slack since it’s just the second day. The terrain was much the same as yesterday – up and down the green hills and hay filled valleys of southwestern Poland. We found our yummy bread and cheese at a little sklep (I think it’s Polish for corner store) and turned south towards the mountains.
We spent most of the ride zigzagging our way toward Zakopane. Every time we intersected the highway, we checked for a road shoulder and then moved on. Yesterday morning must have been the exception and not the rule. We’ll be looking for some really detailed maps so that we can stay off the highways. We got spoiled this summer in Colorado.
Tonight we’re camped at a nice little place right behind McDonalds. We’ve got a decent view of the Tatras Mountains, really clean bathrooms and a friendly host. Ah, it’s good to be back on the road.
Here’s to a new twist on an old favorite,
LK

Welcome to Poland!!

Day: 320
Krakow to Jordanow
Time: 4:41
Distance: 70.1 km
Avg Speed: 14.9 kph
Terrain: Rolling

We rose early at the hostel to take advantage of a free breakfast and to get on the road early. It is nice to stay in a hostel that has a bunch of partiers in it. The 7 am free breakfast is usually empty. We shuttled our gear down the three flights of stairs to the street, snapped a few pictures and got to work getting out of the city. City riding is always an adventure, especially when you don’t have a clue where you are going and couldn’t even begin to ask someone for directions. We managed quite well with the expert guiding of my co-pilot and soon found ourselves on the highway heading out of town. The shoulder was huge so the riding wasn’t too nerve wracking. We even spent ten minutes passing cars as they sat in a construction zone. Our first break was a gas station/café. I thought a cappuccino sounded good so I went in to grab a couple. The lady behind the counter replied ‘nie, Nescafé’. I was suddenly down graded from a cappuccino to an instant coffee. Beggars can’t be choosers. We rode the highway for a little more until we managed to pitch off onto some frontage roads. We finally got to the turnoff to Jordanow and rode a great 19 km through river bottom land with stacks of hay standing like snowmen in the field. They actually looked more like cousin It from the Adam’s Family, but I digress. I think they stack the hay on small frames that help it dry faster and keep it off the ground. I haven’t figured out if it is put up for the winter from there.
We finally rolled into our little campground around 2:30 this afternoon. We were happy to find a nice clean, quiet, family campground. Around 4:00, fifty or so boys showed up as part of a school/tribe/release program. They are actually well behaved for fifty boys, but we happen to be camped next to the sand volleyball court, where a match has been going for the last 4 hours. It must be a sport group because there are soccer matches, ping pong matches, badminton matches, and volleyball matches all going on.
Tomorrow we head to southern Poland to a ski area. Looking at the maps and judging by all the cars with mountain bikes on top, it looks to be a great mountain biking area. I don’t know if we will ride anything or not, but our interest is piqued.
CK

Rain Delay

Day 319
Still in Krakow
Time: Less Than 10 Minutes
Distance: Less Than a Mile
Avg Speed: Slow
Terrain: Wet Pavé

We woke up to pouring rain, promptly went back to sleep, and stayed another day in Krakow. We did move our accommodations a few blocks to the main square. Our day wasn’t completely shot – we did a lot of people watching while we waited for our room. Then, a bit later while walking around, we were soaked when a passing golf cart (giving a city tour) purposely found a couple of big puddles to race through. Good thing we have quick-dry pants. Finally, we found some good, greasy Polish food. Nothing like pierogi, kielbasa, and vegetables cooking in heavy oil to make you feel like you’re in Europe.

Here’s to clearing skies,
LK

Auschwitz

Day: 318
Krakow to Oswiecem
Time: All Morning and most of the afternoon

Getting our luggage yesterday really helped us out keeping a schedule. Today we had wanted to get out to the town of Oswiecem and visit a pretty grim museum. Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum is a dark reminder of this area’s history during the occupation of Nazi forces in WWII. Leslie and I spent several hours guiding ourselves around the grounds and the restored blocks of Auschwitz. We viewed what atrocities occurred under the names of science, and genocide. For 5 years the camps murdered and cremated around 1.5 million people. These included Soviet POW’s, Gypsies, Poles, Czechs, Yugoslavs, French, Austrians, and Germans. The majority of the deaths were Jews. The actual tally is up for debate since most Jewish people who came in to Auschwitz never were registered; they were taken directly to the gas chamber and then cremated. I can’t even begin to describe what we saw today. One of the most haunting images was a room full of hair that had been cut off of dead women. The hair was then sold to a German textile mill to be used in the manufacturing of cloth. The hair on display weighed a disturbing 1950 kg. The prison block of personal effects was also disturbing containing thousands of pairs of eyeglasses, shoes, toothbrushes, hair and clothing brushes and artificial limbs. One of the quotes around the grounds is by the philosopher George Santayana: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."If you are ever able to go see Auschwitz or read a book or watch a movie about the atrocities that occurred at these concentration camps please do. The hollow feeling that you get inside when you actually see what a human being is capable of doing to another human drives you to make sure that the world, your space, is a better and safer place for those around you.

CK

Only the Bags Know

Day 317
Krakow, Poland

Location: N 50˚ 03' 58.4'', E˚ 19 55' 46.3"

It’s happened to most travelers at one time – lost luggage. I’m not sure you ever really think it’s going to happen to you. When you arrive at the airport and watch your bags float off down the belt into the underworld, you just turn around and head to your gate. As you sit in your seat during the flight you’re thinking more about what drink to order than how your luggage is getting along in the cargo hold below. It isn’t until you’re the last person standing at baggage claim that you realize something went wrong.

Day 2 started without out our bags as they did not arrive last evening. We called first thing and got one of several different stories. I’m sure it must be frustrating to work in the lost luggage department at the airport. It wasn’t until later in the day that we remembered that Lufthansa employees are on strike. Maybe it’s just the baggage handlers.
We decided to stick around for awhile this morning just in case our luggage arrived. We read our books and took a few catnaps. We are still trying to catch up from lack of sleep during our flights. In between the shut-eye, I managed to start and finish The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I would definitely recommend it to everyone – it’s about following your dreams.
After lunch and a few more phone calls we were no closer to seeing our bags so we ventured out. Krakow has been pretty close to my mental map – interesting history, beautiful architecture, and vibrant people. Our goal for the afternoon was Wawel (pronounced vavel) Hill. Set on the banks of the Vistula (pronounced wisla) River, the hill is essentially a fortress with several structures inside. The most commanding building was the cathedral. Built in the 14th century, the copper and gold domed building was the coronation and burial place for Polish royalty for 400 years.
Upon our return we found no bags. Many things started to run through my mind, but before I got too far there was a knock on the door. Three bags had arrived and maybe the fourth bag would come today or tomorrow. Unfortunately, it was my gear bag that was still missing. Chris made a trip to the kitchen to get a beer and when he came back he had the last bag in hand. Apparently, it came with a different driver. At least we had something to drink to.
And so we ended the day on a very positive note and wondered where in the world those bags had been. I guess only the bags know…

LK

Nothing to Declare

Day: 316
Denver, Colorado USA to Krakow, Poland
Time: Too long
Distance: Too far

We left Denver yesterday at 10:30 am. Leslie’s family put together the going away caravan and shuttled us out to the airport. DIA was a breeze except for the liquids I forgot I had in my bag. The TSA people were nice and just took a look at them and let me on through security. You would think I had never done that before. We got to the ticket counter early and the United clerk was kind enough to bump us up to economy plus for free all the way to Munich. I always can use an extra couple of inches for my legs. We switched planes in Washington DC and flew through the night to Munich. I couldn’t sleep so I caught up on my movies. We landed in Munich 7:30 am local time and tracked down a little breakfast and coffee. Those thoughtful Germans had free coffee stations all over the place to help us get a little more caffeinated. After a three hour layover we boarded our last leg to Krakow. The flight was a little rough and the landing was a two hopper. It didn’t seem that windy, but if I were flying it I would have crashed and burned so I can’t complain. After landing and waiting for our luggage I learned my first Polish phrase: Moj bagaz zostal zagubiony. It translates to ‘my luggage has been lost’. Yes, for the first time on our trip we became detached from our luggage. The office for lost baggage had a very helpful lady working who took our information and promptly figured out where our luggage was. Our bags zigged when we zagged in Washington DC. They are supposed to be on a flight to Frankfurt and then on to Krakow tonight. We are keeping our fingers crossed. We did luck out and arrived in Krakow with a change of clothes, a desire for a little adventure and just in time to catch a professional bicycle race in the town square. We hung out there most of the evening watching a crit around the cobbles. We caught three wrecks in the corner we were in. One guy took a little while to get up and get moving. The others bounced up and headed back to the vans. I can’t imagine sliding across cobbles at 30 kph feels too good. I think I would have bailed as well.
We are looking forward to seeing our bikes and bags soon. Hopefully the airlines share our feelings.
CK

Europe Tour: The Final Clue

Day 315
Home Base to the Airport

Our summer break is over and it’s time to go back to work. Today we’re headed for Europe and the final leg of our ‘round the world journey. We’re pretty excited and anxious to get back on the road. There is a lot of history and culture waiting for us.
So finally we get down to the last clue. We didn’t pick our arrival city for a special reason. It was more about economics than a place on someone’s wish list. We knew we wanted to start in Eastern Europe and when this city in Poland popped up on the United Airlines route map, we said “why not?” If we’ve learned anything on this journey, it’s knowing that you can ride your bike just about anywhere and have a good time.
Ok, here we go…
Geography: in southern Poland on the Vistula River
History: was once the capital of Poland and attracted great scientists and artists from around the world; 50 km east of Auschwitz
Population: 800,000

If you know the answer (I’m guessing you do), click here to see more info on where we will start our European adventure.

Here’s to good drink, good food, old buildings, and a lot of cool history,
LK