DAY SEVENTEEN… 58.5 miles (93.5 km)
Woke to tent city. Half naked people lying in open tents or half put up tents, or people outside their tents, or people asleep in cars. It was more like a festival than a “thought police” run campsite. People obviously sitting on the toilet and coughing their guts out. Really not the best for facing a breakfast of disgusting muesli afterwards. Luckily, I discover the muesli has wheat flakes so I don’t need to eat it any more. We were so glad to leave the campsite.
We are cycling due east. I feel excited to be heading into unknown territory and to be getting closer to India all the time.
14.30pm… Made it to Bratislava. A beautiful ride through the national park, with field after field filled with autumn crocus. Amazing sight. I’ve never seen so many. Also, a very big caterpillar with a horn on its tail and false eyes. Apparently they jet out poison if a predator tries to eat them.
I really do not relish another city camping experience, so rode through Bratislava, a city mainly composed of rather ugly and uninspired blocks of housing. The old city looked more promising, however, we didn’t really pause, except for lunch and drying our tents (a daily lunch time routine).
We headed out through green and wild countryside towards Hungary. After many miles we arrived at our campsite for the night. It really is hopeless to try and ask directions but we have tried, with a combination of gestures, and finally we have arrived at our destination, but the campsite is firmly closed, although there are lights on (???). Not deterred we broke through the barbed wire fence to get water and set up our tents. A lovely spot amongst trees with the river on both sides. If we break through the barbed wire fence we can also reach a toilet. We’ve built a camp fire and are cooking broccoli, rice lentils and tuna.
