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Published: August 20th 2007
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With our eyes firmly set on the coast we rode north from Warsaw with the hope of some beach bumming before heading into the depths of Siberia. On route we passed through Biebrza National Park, a large river delta area, and Poland’s largest national park. Our plans to take the scenic route through the park and spot the elusive black stork (czarny bochin) were foiled when the road we had intended to take was under flood. Nigel attempted to prove to me that it was in fact ride-able, and took his first tumble of the trip, which would have been very entertaining except for the fact that his precious video camera had been submerged, and Cycle Touring TV was nearly no more! A rapid first aid on the camera was performed when the bike had exited the water, while no attention was paid to Nigel’s bleeding leg. The camera was then meticulously dried with the aid of a light bulb that evening. Needless to say, we have no footage of the episode!
We briefly glimpsed some of Poland’s famous post glacial lakes and stopped by a particularly beautiful one for our last night in Poland. We left Poland on a sandy
forest track, not atypical of many of the roads we have travelled throughout our time in the country, and as we entered Lithuania an onslaught of mosquitoes greeted us with far more enthusiasm then the grim and unsmiling border guards. We spent our first night free camping in the forest while a million flying ants bombarded the tent, only stopped by a torrential downpour.
Arriving in Lithuania, it was somewhat disturbing to realise that once again we had no vocabulary to communicate with, and it was a relief to find that English is quite widely spoken. Thank you - ‘ Aicu’ is the one word we can easily remember, you just have to think of someone sneezing.
We visited the crazy Grutas sculpture park, created as a by product of Socialism, where Lenin and Stalin sculptures removed from town squares live out their legacy in the grounds of a millionare capitalist, which seems very fitting and ironic. Preserving the legacy of Soviet art, and at the same time serving as a means of educating the public on how Lithuania was affected by Soviet occupation, the park has never-the-less proved controversial. The Soviets were masters of propaganda, and we were particularly
Monastery in Wigry
we spent our last night in Poland in this small village with a view of the monastery and the lake interested in the stained glass windows and paintings depicting rural scenes.
Very fitting was the fact that we stayed next to the park in ex Soviet accommodation, summer houses which used to be occupied by factory workers who worked at a brickworks supplying bricks for the whole Soviet Union. Now they are privately owned and there is considerably less demand for bricks in the Lithuanian republic, which has a population of just 3.4 million. In this setting we had the novelty of drawing our water from a well (recently certified as drinkable).
July 26 Day 103
Warsaw to Nieporet 42km
Cycling shoes for Sonya 150
Camping 15
Kebabs 18.5
Sklep 50
Total = 233.5
Euro = 61.5
July 27 Day 104
Nieporet to Udrzyn 68km
Free camp next to forest
Food and drink 40 Pln
Euro = 10.5
July 28 Day 105
Urdzyn to Osipy-Kolonia 81 Km
Free camp in forest
Food and drink 40 Pln
Euro = 10.5
July 29 Day 106
Osipy-Kolonia to Goniadz 78km
(road through Biebranski National Park)
Bungalow (Domki) in campground 24 Pln
Restaurant 52.50
Groceries 35
Total = 109.50
Euro = 29
July 30 Day
107
Rest day Goniadz
Domki 24 Pln
Restaurant 38 Pln
Groceries 35 Pln
Map of national park 5 Pln
Total = 102 Pln
Euro = 27
Aug 1 Day 108 Goniadz to Augustow (81km)
Planned to ride into Biebranski Park via Janowo but road under flood (Nigel attempted to ride it and fell in due to sandy deep water. The video camera suffered a near death experience after being submerged but is working again due to being painstakingly dried out above an electric light bulb)
Noclegi (guesthouse) 70 Pln
Restaurant 31
Sklep 40
CDs 10
Souvenirs 6
Total = 157 Pln
Euro = 41.5
Aug 2 Day 108 Augustow to Wigry (Wigierski National Park) (58km)
Camping next to beautiful lake 20 Pln
Sklep 34
Restaurant 50 Pln
Entry to monastery x 2 4 Pln
Total = 108 Pln
Euro = 28.5
Aug 3 Day 109 Wigry to Kamencianitis (65km) LITHUANIA (crossed Lithuanian border via minor forestry road, border only open to foot traffic and bicycles)
Border guards very grim, checked our passports via satellite phone.
Free camp in forest clearing - attacked by mosquitoes and a million flying ants raining on the tent -
they eventually stopped coming when it started raining.
Sklep 37
Total = 37
Euro = 10
Aug 4 Day 110 K to Grutas (43km)
Bungalow with kitchen (no shower, drop toilet in forest which is unbearable to use, water supply from well has been certified drinkable) 40 Lit
Groceries (including more insect repellent and deterrents) 51
Other food and drink 15 Lit
Total = 105 Lit
Exchange rate 1 euro = 3.4 Lit
Euro = 31
Aug 5 Day 111 Grutas - rest day
Still in bungalow (40 Lit), visited soviet sculpture park
Sculpture park plus restaurant 65 Lit
Total = 105 Lit
Exchange rate 1 euro = 3.4 Lit
Euro = 31
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Amanda
non-member comment
the national park pic is wonderful!! and big daddy Lenin....would be proud ;) can't believe you all are still at it...much love xx A