Second blog entry – Warsaw, Poland 07.09.2016
There is something about this town. Something that made me feel comfortable being stuck there. I’m referring to Warsaw. The place I’m sitting at right now after having said goodbye to Robert at the train station. I can’t define what I’m feeling. On the one hand I’m incredibly excited about leaving Europe behind me and crossing borders to areas yet unknown to me, but knowing that I will not see my best friend for an entire year after two of the most entertaining weeks of my life left me in a bit of a sulk.
However, by now I found out that cycle touring is the right thing for me. The uncertainty that comes with it makes every day more exciting. Waking up in the morning, packing everything together not knowing what your day will be like, or where you are going to sleep that night. How many kilometres am I going to make today? What will the road be like? Will the wind ever stop? Could that smell be any worse? Those kind of questions were keep me going. Except for the two last ones. They are specifically related to Poland.
So let’s rewind…
After two days in Dresden I picked up my friend Robert. He borrowed a bike from a shop in Erlangen where he is currently finishing his degree. He arrived by train and I couldn’t have been happier when I saw him. Even though it was just 12 days, I was already missing meaningful contact with conversations that go beyond the smalltalk. After a rather excessive night out and a great time with Becks and Lisl (two entertaining Bavarian girls) we jumped on our bicycles on August 22.
The suggested route to Warsaw was around 750 km. I thought we’d take it easy and ride with about 50-60 km a day so we can take half of the day off to relax and explore. Well…on the first day we already did 90 – hands down. Robert brought a bigger tent so we could both fit into it and we put it up in Reichenbach close to Görlitz right next to a shooting range.
Waking up to the soothing sound of gunshots at the Polish border – pure nostalgia.
The first hour of cycling in Poland was slightly stressful. There were no rural roads around Zgorzelec (the Polish Görlitz) so we had to take the busy ones filled with trucks. It led all the way to Boleslawiec where we treated ourselves to a great Polish meal. I was quite impressed by the cheap prices but surprised. As soon as we left the road leading away from the border the traffic got calmer and we were able to cycle side by side. After another night of camping in a birch wood we decided that it was time for a shower and perhaps even a proper bed. Even though in Germany I managed to have 4 consecutive days without a shower – when you’re cycling with a buddy and have to smell each other every night, any process which involves washing has a higher priority.
The next day we cracked the 100 km for the first time and ended up in the small town of Góra where we were looking for an overnight accommodation. The then got a glimpse of Polish hospitality and helpfulness for the first time. The people we asked (and who were luckily able to understand us) wouldn’t rest until we had a roof over our heads – they even drove there with us and explained the situation to the hotel owner who, like most of the people in the rural areas, didn’t speak a word of English. We ended up paying 25 Euros for a room in some sort of palace hotel, delicious dinner and a satiable breakfast for the two of us so 12,50 each. You really notice the price differences as soon as you leave the cities.
We soon realised that we were riding quite, if not even too fast. But the Polish countryside didn’t seem to have too much to offer. Flat, smelly and windy – but maybe us Austrians are just too spoiled and our expectations are therefore too high. So that’s why we decided we’d rather arrive in Warsaw earlier than forcing ourselves to boredom. So we spent three more nights camping in the woods or next to highways. The best time of the day always happened once we put up our tent, prepared some food, opened up a can of beer and played a round of cards.
Cycling with Robert was amazing. We never had any discussions or overheated arguments about anything since we both kinda think alike and are all about going with the flow. The downside of us travelling together was that my abdomen constantly hurt because we were laughing way too much. I was so impressed by how far we got everyday. Even though it was windy, the roads were messed up and Polish drivers don’t seem to give a damn about keeping their distance we were keeping an average of 100 km a day. One time we even made 130 – we were really exhausted when we reached 110 but then the dogs chasing after us kept us going. The last day was weird. Even though it was a mere 60 k to go, it felt like hell. Normally we easily cycled that before we took our lunch break.
So then we finally reached Warsaw. A beautiful, modern, clean and crowded city I hardly knew anything about. Skyscrapers in the business district right next to beautiful medieval buildings in the old town created an atmosphere I have not experienced before. The broad streets were empty due to some sort of parade and it felt like the city was opening up its roads only for us to arrive. We checked in at a hostel (Patchwork Family Hostel) and a cold shower felt like heaven.
We spent our days exploring the town and all its hidden treasures, tasting Polish cuisine, getting to know other travellers and there might have been a bit of partying involved every single evening – the cheap prices, good company and bars yet to discover just presented themselves as an opportunity too good to miss out on. Frankly, time passed by fast once we stopped riding our bikes and the sensation of adventure started fading. I booked a night train to Moscow and luckily found out that I would need a transit Visa for Belarus, so a visit at the embassy was required. I found the time to fix some parts of my bike and prepare it for the long transport to Mongolia.
Przemek, a hostel staff member, invited us to a “saying goodbye to the summer party” where we spent the whole evening with many of his Polish friends at the beach around a bonfire drinking beer and playing guitar – that was my personal favourite. This extended stay in Warsaw felt wrong and right at the same time. I’ve never stayed in a city that long other than my hometown so I constantly felt my feet asking me to move along. But this city triggered something in me and I know Warsaw has not seen the last of me. I recommend everyone to go visit that place. It’s like no other. The stereotype of thievery only proved itself right on the last day when somebody stole my expensive power bank while I was asleep and it was charging next to me – but there was not a single Polish person in the room at that time. There’s assholes everywhere.
So I’m catching a night train to Moscow tomorrow on the 8th of September (19 hours). I still don’t know if I’m able to take my bicycle on that train because they told me that it’s not allowed. So I just took it apart and put it in a box that I shaped out of cardboard. I hope It will work out and that I’ll get a ride to Mongolia as soon as possible. I need to get going otherwise it doesn’t feel like travelling.
I also asked Robert to put together something for my blog so be ready for a funny, sarcastic and emotional text from the best cycling buddy there is!! Find it in the next Blog entry.
Bike, Blog, And Beyond 