Sunday, June 9, 2013
Berlin and then Crossing the Border
Berlin. Berlin. Berlin. Berlin is full of everything. It has a lot to offer, and falls short on almost nothing. It is beautiful, has great sight seeing places, and colourful history to tell. My friends' mother took me to an ice-cream place where they serve the best ice-cream in Berlin. I've not tried every ice-cream place there, but I do believe that that was best ice cream in the city! It was brilliant, full of flavour. The next day, Friday, I had a long morning, as per usual, and then went for a cycling tour in the city. I managed to see a lot of hings despite the short time I spent there. Along the things I saw were the Brandenburg Gate, Tiergarten, part of Berlin Wall, the Jewish Memorial, and others. After my short city tour I was off to Furstenwalde, a city not too far from the Polish and German border. I left the city relatively late, and arrived at my hosts place at about ten in the evening. The ride wasn't too exhausting. My host in Furstenwalde was a very pleasant man who welcomed me like a friend. We talked about my trip and other things. It was a very nice, calm evening/ In the morning after late breakfast he and two of his kids ode with me to show me the right way to go off to Poland.
Distance: 50 km
The ride from Furstenwalde started off not too good. It was a very hot day, and I had put a lot of sun cream on, and was very frustrated about the heat, it was difficult to ride in such condition. But soon I grew accustom to the situation and managed to overcome my frustration. I got to the border at Frankfurt Oder (Germany) and Slubice (Poland). From there I cycled to my host's city Sulecin. I took my time on the German side of the trip, and so I was a bit behind schedule. Poland welcomed with beautiful cities, and in some places free WiFi spots. Can't complain! :D The ride in Poland was on the road since there were no cycling paths. It felt very unsafe, but it's not like I had much of a choice. I had my high visibility vest on, made me feel a bit safer. I arrived at my host's place at soon after ten. It has so far been a great experience. My host stays with her parents (until today, so I was very lucky), they took me in like a guest of honour! I am the first guest they are having from Couch Surfing, so they tried their very best to make me feel like at home. Actually all my hosts so far have been wonderful and there is no bad thing to say. I've been very fortunate. Today I have about 80 km ride from Sulecin to Zbaszyn. My host's mother just now told me that there is quite a bit of the road to go uphill. I think I will handle it well. I had a surprise yesterday to see that Poland has some hills. They don't seem very apparent, but when on a bicycle every hill is noticeable. It is always worth it because what goes up must come down. :)
Distance 100 km
P.S. I will no longer write the time, since I basically spend the whole day to get from point A to point B. That what I am here for! :D
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Berlin
Today I had a long short ride. In the morning I took some time to plan where I will spend the first day when I get in Poland. I had a long morning. When I finally left my hosts place, it was noon. I took some time to cycle around the city. The weather was great, again. For the first time I did not wear a long sleeve shirt, instead I had a short shirt, and rolled up my leggings. I put on a lot of sun cream. Before going to Berlin I took a de-tour the other direction. There I found a nice picnic area there were no people there, so I parked my bike, took out some of my clothes that were still a bit wet, so they would dry in the sun. I ate some lunch and spent almost two hours just enjoying the sun!
After all that I finally cycled to Berlin. An old friend of mine was able to arrange me a place to stay for the night with her mother. This was really sweet! So here I am now in Berlin. I don't think I will go out today since tomorrow I have a very long day. I shall get up early and see the city a bit, and then off to Hangelsberg.
Time: ALL DAY :D
Distance: 40 km
After all that I finally cycled to Berlin. An old friend of mine was able to arrange me a place to stay for the night with her mother. This was really sweet! So here I am now in Berlin. I don't think I will go out today since tomorrow I have a very long day. I shall get up early and see the city a bit, and then off to Hangelsberg.
Time: ALL DAY :D
Distance: 40 km
Cheating or Well Deserved Rest?
WRITTEN YESTERDAY ON THE 5TH OF JUNE
On the 4th of June I left Wolfsburg very late due to the invention of internet and skype. To be honest, I left late because I procrastinated and couldn't get myself off to an early start. I finally left Wolfsburg at about 12:30. I Had said to my host in Magdeburg, 65-year-old Guntar, that I would arrive there at around nine in the evening. The distance between the two cities is a bit less than 90 km. Knowing my pace, I knew I had to be speedy, so I could get to Magdeburg on time. So I chose to use the GPS on my phone to find my way when I felt lost, or when I was not sure about the right direction. This did speed me up quite a bit. The ride to Magdeburg was not very tough, I was well rested, had had a long lazy-morning, and was mentally ready for this trip. The route I took was Wolfsburg - Oebisfeld - Etingen - Calvorde - Wieglitz - Haldensleben - Vahldorf - Magdeburg. The first bit I went on route 188, it wasn't a good road for cycling, but I was on it midday, therefore the traffic was not too busy and I was able to get to Oebisfeld all in one piece. Plus riding on such a fast moving road made it impossible for me to stop, so I was going at a good speed. I then took a route to Haldensleben, however, there again were no cycling routes, so I was cycling along the side of the road. At one moment I tried to go along the Mittelland Canal, but I failed at that because the route was there at one moment and then it was gone, so I had to cycle a part of the route back. I then joined the previous route. At one point I managed to cycle on a bike route, but that ended about 15 km away from my goal, so, again, I was forced to cycle along the big road. I then used GPS to find my host's home, and I arrived there at ten minutes past nine, so practically right on time.
Time: 8.5 h
Distance: 90 km
The sun was very bright almost all day long, and I managed to tan my arms a bit since I folded up my sleeves. My knees still hurt, and so did my back. I arrived to Magdeburg to learn that my CS host was a very unique individual. We talked a lot about life, people, psychology, future, past, and many other things. I learned some interesting insights, and that he has some trains of thoughts a lot like I do. We got along brilliantly. Sadly his wife knew very little English, and was working early the following morning, so I didn't get to spend much time with her.
In the evening I learned that my next stop Potsdam was further that I thought - 130 km. I am still not very sure how this miscalculation happened. So as a solution I was considering taking the train half way, and then cycling the rest. BUT after a lot of thinking, and talking to my host I decided to cheat and take the day to rest. In the morning I took my time to sleep well, then me and Guntar had breakfast out in the sun. Again, we talked a lot, and I enjoyed every part of it. He then drove me to the train station where he helped me to get a train ticket for me and my bicycle to Potsdam. He then drove us to the river Elbe which is currently over flooded. We had a very quick driving tour through the city. Then it was time for me to take the train, and again Guntar helped me with that.
The train ride to the city of Potsdam was very quick. I am currently in the city at the Sanssouci Park enjoying the weather, and writing this post (which I shall publish when I get access to the internet). The city is just lovely! So far I've had a good rest day, my knees feel better, my bum hurts less, and my back pain has for now has disappeared. I will later go to yet another host from CS, where I shall spend the night. Tomorrow I have a very short ride to Berlin.
CONTINUED TODAY
After the nice ride in the city I arrived to my hosts apartment. My host is a young guy Johannes, he lives with some flatmates in a very spacious flat. In the evening three of us went out for a beer. It was a nice evening. I learned a lot about the city of Potsdam and Johannes talked a lot about his travelling experiences. He has been to many places! As mentioned, today I will be going to Berlin! That is only 30 km away, so I am looking forward to it. :)
On the 4th of June I left Wolfsburg very late due to the invention of internet and skype. To be honest, I left late because I procrastinated and couldn't get myself off to an early start. I finally left Wolfsburg at about 12:30. I Had said to my host in Magdeburg, 65-year-old Guntar, that I would arrive there at around nine in the evening. The distance between the two cities is a bit less than 90 km. Knowing my pace, I knew I had to be speedy, so I could get to Magdeburg on time. So I chose to use the GPS on my phone to find my way when I felt lost, or when I was not sure about the right direction. This did speed me up quite a bit. The ride to Magdeburg was not very tough, I was well rested, had had a long lazy-morning, and was mentally ready for this trip. The route I took was Wolfsburg - Oebisfeld - Etingen - Calvorde - Wieglitz - Haldensleben - Vahldorf - Magdeburg. The first bit I went on route 188, it wasn't a good road for cycling, but I was on it midday, therefore the traffic was not too busy and I was able to get to Oebisfeld all in one piece. Plus riding on such a fast moving road made it impossible for me to stop, so I was going at a good speed. I then took a route to Haldensleben, however, there again were no cycling routes, so I was cycling along the side of the road. At one moment I tried to go along the Mittelland Canal, but I failed at that because the route was there at one moment and then it was gone, so I had to cycle a part of the route back. I then joined the previous route. At one point I managed to cycle on a bike route, but that ended about 15 km away from my goal, so, again, I was forced to cycle along the big road. I then used GPS to find my host's home, and I arrived there at ten minutes past nine, so practically right on time.
Time: 8.5 h
Distance: 90 km
The sun was very bright almost all day long, and I managed to tan my arms a bit since I folded up my sleeves. My knees still hurt, and so did my back. I arrived to Magdeburg to learn that my CS host was a very unique individual. We talked a lot about life, people, psychology, future, past, and many other things. I learned some interesting insights, and that he has some trains of thoughts a lot like I do. We got along brilliantly. Sadly his wife knew very little English, and was working early the following morning, so I didn't get to spend much time with her.
In the evening I learned that my next stop Potsdam was further that I thought - 130 km. I am still not very sure how this miscalculation happened. So as a solution I was considering taking the train half way, and then cycling the rest. BUT after a lot of thinking, and talking to my host I decided to cheat and take the day to rest. In the morning I took my time to sleep well, then me and Guntar had breakfast out in the sun. Again, we talked a lot, and I enjoyed every part of it. He then drove me to the train station where he helped me to get a train ticket for me and my bicycle to Potsdam. He then drove us to the river Elbe which is currently over flooded. We had a very quick driving tour through the city. Then it was time for me to take the train, and again Guntar helped me with that.
The train ride to the city of Potsdam was very quick. I am currently in the city at the Sanssouci Park enjoying the weather, and writing this post (which I shall publish when I get access to the internet). The city is just lovely! So far I've had a good rest day, my knees feel better, my bum hurts less, and my back pain has for now has disappeared. I will later go to yet another host from CS, where I shall spend the night. Tomorrow I have a very short ride to Berlin.
CONTINUED TODAY
After the nice ride in the city I arrived to my hosts apartment. My host is a young guy Johannes, he lives with some flatmates in a very spacious flat. In the evening three of us went out for a beer. It was a nice evening. I learned a lot about the city of Potsdam and Johannes talked a lot about his travelling experiences. He has been to many places! As mentioned, today I will be going to Berlin! That is only 30 km away, so I am looking forward to it. :)
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Volkswagen
Yet another day has gone by. My knees are aching and legs are more bruised than ever. It's unbelievable how far I've come already. But there is still a long way to go... The journey from Hanover to Wolfsburg was not as tough as it should have been. I managed to go most of the way along the Mittellland Canal. But the start of the day was excruciating. It was hard to get out of Hanover since all the road signs were for cars and all ended up on highways. I needed to start my day's journey on route 443, but the part of his road that was in the city was a highway, so I had to get just out of the city to get on this route. I managed to find some cycling routes just outside of the city. I had to go through the woods where the route was barely visible, and most of the way was muddy. But I eventually hit a road and luckily it was the 443. I went long this road till Peine where I started to cycle along the canal up until Wolfsburg. I did have to get of the route for some time because there was a harbour where there was no cycle route through it. The route of the day: Hanover - Sehnde - Peine - Wattenbuttel - Wedelsbuttel - Wolfsburg.
The path along the canal was tricky at times, sometimes there was barely any path at all, or it was very muddy. It was tough to ride through as I had to hold on to the steering wheel tight to not to fall. But then I did have my first fall, however, I got up quickly and kept going.
The path along the canal was tricky at times, sometimes there was barely any path at all, or it was very muddy. It was tough to ride through as I had to hold on to the steering wheel tight to not to fall. But then I did have my first fall, however, I got up quickly and kept going.
I am in the Volkswagen city: Wolfburg. According to my CS host about 5500 people are employed at the Volkswagen company that is located to the North of Mittelland Canal. The whole city here stands only because of Volkswagen.
Today I am to get to Magdeburg, I should get going! :)
Time: 10.5 h
Distance: 90 km
Today I am to get to Magdeburg, I should get going! :)
Time: 10.5 h
Distance: 90 km
Monday, June 3, 2013
2 in 1
I've not really been able to get to the internet to post at the end of every day. In this post I will summarize two day journey. First Lingen - Rodinghausen, second Rodinghausen - Hanover.
June 1st
The first full day in Germany. The start was fairly simple. I was well rested and fed by my good host Kasia. The route was Lingen - Freren - Hopsten - Recke - Mettingen - Westerkappeln - Osnabruck - Wissingen - Buer - Rodinghausen. Around Osnabruck tings got more complex. I was searching for directions to my city but found none. I was going roughly the right way, but not quite, since I managed to get lost and off the route several times. Also the first bit of German hills was on the last bit to Rodinghausen. It was a nice surprise since, of course, I was tired already. When I finally found the city it took me some time to find the Youth Hostel, and when I did there was no one there in charge. I called a number that had been left on a door there only to find out that the person on the other side knew zero English. She understood it was me who was calling, I said my name and that I had sent an e-mail two days ago. I managed to find a girl who gladly helped me to translate what the lady on the other end was saying. Long story short, I got my bed even though it was late, I managed to have a good night sleep and a good breakfast the next morning.
Distance: 100 km
Time: 9 h
2nd of June
The day started off well in the hills, so there was a lot of going up up up, then down, down, down. Needless to say, the down part was what I enjoyed the most. The route for the day was Rodinghausen - Hulhorst - Minden - Buckeburg - Obernkirchen - Bad Nenndorf - Ronnenberg - Hemmingern - Hanover.
I got very lost around Buckeburg. I somehow mislead myself on the highway, panicked and had to get off it, climbed the fence and went through bushes to get off of there. This was officially my first braking-point. I sat down on the side of the street and had my first doubts and first tears. In my head Shakira's song Waka Waka was playing: You're a good soldier choosing your battles, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and back in the saddle. You're on the front line, everyone's watching, you know it's serious, we're getting closer, this isn't over. The pressure is on, you feel it, but you've got it all, believe it... When you fall get up, and if you fall GET UP!!
So I wiped away the tears, fixed up my bike and off to Hanover I went. In a while I finally found route 65 that took me to the city. However I sadly spent about two hours looking for my hostel. It was just out of the city, but there were no directions as to how to get to that part of the city. It was a bit of a nightmare, but I eventually go there. Spent the night, and here I am, ready to go to my next stop - Wolfsburg where a host from Couch Surfing will be waiting for me. Wish me luck.
Distance: 95 km
Time: 11.5 h
I shall put again some more pictures in a day or two.
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Germany
..so maybe cycling 120 something kilometres on the second day was not the smartest thing to do.
Last nights ride to Germany was tough. As per usual I got slowed down because of uncertain routes. But this time I was also slowed down by my lack of strength. The last 20 km were a real battle. I had to go this far because I got an offer from Couch Surfing (CS). This is my first time using this fabulous thing and so far I really love it! My host has a lot more experience in this, however, this is the first time she hosts someone from CS. She is a wonderful host, has so far went far and beyond of what I ever expected. I arrived late, but she still took me in. She made nice dinner and then we sat there talking about almost everything. It was just great!
There were two main challenges of the day. First, the wind! At some points it was even hard to stay on the road. The second challenge was the distance! It was a bit too much to handle on the second day, and I arrived quite late to Lingen.
The route I took (tried to stay on): Apeldoorn - Twello - Deventer - Bathmen - Holten - Rijssen - Wierden - Almelo - Ootmarsum - Nordhorn (Germany) - Lingen. The last bit, from Nordhorn to Lingen I thought will be a quick journey, but it was a lot longer than I thought. First it was hard to navigate myself in Nordhorn. When I finally found a route to Lingen it said that the distance is 27km. That seemed a lot since I expected it to be somewhere around 15km. This route went along Ems-Vechte-Kanal. It didn't go straight to Lingen, but I got there eventually!
Distance: 130 km
Time: 12h
Last nights ride to Germany was tough. As per usual I got slowed down because of uncertain routes. But this time I was also slowed down by my lack of strength. The last 20 km were a real battle. I had to go this far because I got an offer from Couch Surfing (CS). This is my first time using this fabulous thing and so far I really love it! My host has a lot more experience in this, however, this is the first time she hosts someone from CS. She is a wonderful host, has so far went far and beyond of what I ever expected. I arrived late, but she still took me in. She made nice dinner and then we sat there talking about almost everything. It was just great!
There were two main challenges of the day. First, the wind! At some points it was even hard to stay on the road. The second challenge was the distance! It was a bit too much to handle on the second day, and I arrived quite late to Lingen.
The route I took (tried to stay on): Apeldoorn - Twello - Deventer - Bathmen - Holten - Rijssen - Wierden - Almelo - Ootmarsum - Nordhorn (Germany) - Lingen. The last bit, from Nordhorn to Lingen I thought will be a quick journey, but it was a lot longer than I thought. First it was hard to navigate myself in Nordhorn. When I finally found a route to Lingen it said that the distance is 27km. That seemed a lot since I expected it to be somewhere around 15km. This route went along Ems-Vechte-Kanal. It didn't go straight to Lingen, but I got there eventually!
Distance: 130 km
Time: 12h
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