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Published: August 17th 2010
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I think this will be my last blog, eventhough I am currently in Brno, Czech Republic = most the last part of my trip was in Poland.
My vacation post expedition started in rainy Warsaw. Yes raining. I was so excited to escape the rain from Prague that I accidently brought it with me and it managed to stay with me until my last day in Warsaw. I was staying with mz friend Karol and his girlfriend in a 1 room flat, very cosy!
A brief stint in Warsaw to catch up with friends. Its nice to arrive at a place and instantly be familar with your surroundings and know where things are. Thats how i feel in Warsaw. The most crazy thing that happened to be which I will mention is getting lost on which was supposed to be a 30 minute run. There was a little patch of forest near where i was staying, this little patch was bigger than i thought and things always looks different wehn there wet. So a few wrong turns and i ended up so lost and near a giant highway and an Ikea. Not cool, especially when Karol was waiting for me to
go to work!. I had to wade through farmland and climb out, avoiding contact with a deer and scramble my way to the highway. More scary was my friend had seen a wild boar there only days before. Yes in the suburbs of Warsaw!
90 minutes later and the use of a random mans mobile I made it back. Hmm iIdidnt go running in there again!
After the experience of a big busy city and a new haircut, I was off to the quiet mountains of the south, Murzasichle - pronounced Mer-za-shi-leh. I practiced it a few times before I could manage to say this one confidently!
I stayed at a yoga retreat in the Mountains, close to Zakopane and the High Tatras which border Slovakia and Poland. Very far away and a little isolated. Hence on way there, I was like Bridget what are you doing!
But all was good, lots of people in my position, on theyre own - but all native speakers of Polish. We got straight into it, yoga on the first afternoon. It was Iyengar yoga, not the yoga i practice back in Oz but yoga all the same. We had two classes a
day of yoga and also the opportunity to participate in courses - on vegetarian cooking, anti stress, hula dancing - yes hula dancing! And things like that. How did I go - with all this new yoga vocab... I managed. I did not understand every word and meaning of everything. But I did learn alot of anatomy and yoga terms like hands to the mountains, shoulders shoulders shoulders! Guess you had to be there!
I met lots of lovely people and the view from our balcony was amazing. A view you could never tire of. And as soon as I finished with the mountains of the Tatras, I was off camping to the Bieszczady mountains. In the deep south east pocket of Poland - which border Slovakia and Ukraine.
I was with my friend Ania and her husaband Piotr - this my offical first camping trip since I was 8 years old in Maldon or somewhere near that and all I remember is that the mattresses kept going down in the night...
I was excited about camping, I was ready! But secretly a little anxious also - would I be able to sleep in a tent, with
all those weird noises..
I survived the first night! But only just, the temperature dropped so much in the night, I had to shiver myself to sleep and layer up on the all the winter clothes I had brought with me! This is the reason for good quality sleeping bags. The nicest thing was waking up to the bells of cows in the meadows near by!
Our days were either spent travelling to our new location or hiking through the mountains. Amazing views and clean air - we were really alive.
Officially we camped 3 nights, one we hired a small cabin cause we had arrived so late and hadnt been able to find a camping field.
The best part was the last place we stayed at in Wetlina. It was not an offical camping ground and was run by this older marreid couple, who come here every year and run it over the summer months. They walk around in theyre bathers and reception is a small caravan surround by clotheslines!
No showerblock - only the lovely river running at the back of the camping ground. That was cool, bathing in a river, washing dishes in the river.
Track in the tatras
yes walking on rocks, does hurt after 5-6 hours! I was really camping now! Though think I will wait for aussie summer before i venture out into the cold nights...
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Nathan Johnson
non-member comment
Gday Bridget from OZ
Hi Bridget, I checked out your lastest travel blog. The pictures and your stories sound pretty amazing! Sounds like your having a great time which is cool. Your not missing much back in Oz. Shocking weather and its to cold to go for a surf-yeah I know I'm a big wimp! I think I need to toughen up. Best regards keep havin fun. Cheers Nat