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Published: August 8th 2007
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We are resting for a few days near the border of the Czech republic and Slovakia near a place called Lednice which is part of a UNESCO protected area. Czech has lakes everywhere, mostly formed by dams built dating as far back as the 15th and 16th centuries by rich aristocrats who wanted large private fishing lakes. Some of the dams displaced local people at the time and there was similar kind of political debate at the time as there is now when a dam is built. But they are now so integrated into the natural landscape that they have become biosphere reserves and great swimming holes! The area around here was extensively landscaped in the 18th century, this time by aristocrats who wanted their own personal Greek temples and English neogothic folly castles making it a fascinating place to explore.
We have also been fortunate to have experienced Czech hospitality. When we arrived in Jeminice, we had some difficulty finding the camping ground marked on our map. The locals seemed a bit confused about it too but eventually one got us to follow him in his car.
We ended up at a small bar next to
a private lake with a small camping symbol displayed above the door. The friendly manager Bohumil did not speak English but over the phrase book and a few beers, we managed to communicate that we were New Zealanders who had cycled from London. He and his friends were incredulous. Inside his pub he had giant fish heads mounted on the wall, large specimens caught from his lake. Some had foreign notes in their mouths. We pitched our tent, swam in the lake, and spent a tranquil night as the only campers on his land.
He returned in the morning, wrote us a bill for the beer (totalling less than 3 euros) and refused to accept any money for the camping. But he was thrilled to accept the NZ $5 note we gave him to put in the mouth of another fish!
The second example occurred yesterday when I left my small backpack on the local bus (you see I really should stick to my bike) The bag did not contain anything valuable, but never-the-less I wanted it back. I first tried chasing the bus on my bike but was too slow. It is amazing how much can be communicated without
language and I was directed by another bus driver to the bus garage. Here by a very convoluted means and after many phone calls, the security guard, Barbara, a girl working in an unrelated office on the premises who could speak English, and I established that my bag was in fact on a locked bus and the driver had gone home for the night. I suggested I meet the driver there at 5am in the morning when he commenced his shift but Barbara made about another 5 phone calls and then managed to gain access to the bus. When I left her she and the security guard were still trying to figure out how to lock the bus.....
Trip notes
June 16 Day 63 Czechy Krumlov to Trebon 50km
Camping 215 Kc with electricity
Supermarket and bread 200 Kc
Drinks 85 Kc
Tower 30 Kc
Total = 530 Kc
19.50 euro
June 17 Day 64 Trebon to Jeminice (78km)
Drinks 100Kc (Camping free - hospitable host put us up next to his private lake).
Lunch in restaurant 300 Kc.
Total = 400K
Euro = 14.80
June 18 Day 65 Jeminice to Podasky (106km)
Camping
200Kc
Lunch in
is it carrying a baby?
restaurant and drinks 475Kc
Supermarket 270 Kc
Total = 945 Kc
Euro = 35
June 19 Day 66 Podasky to Lednice (38km)
Camping with electricity 230 Kc
Lunch in restaurant and drinks 400 Kc
Stamp 11Kc
Supermarket 32 Kc
Total = 673
Euro = 25
June 20 Day 67 Rest day Lednice
Camping with electricity 230Kc
Lunch in restaurant 340 Kc
Shorts (Sonya) 1050Kc
Video tapes x 3 89 x 3
Supermarket 270 Kc
Internet 58
Other food and Drinks 54 + 28 +30 +40 +38
Total = 2405 Kc
Total euro = 89
June 21 Day 68
Rest day Lednice
Camping with electricity 230Kc
Supermarket 230Kc
Other food and drink 60+76
Total = 596
Total = 22 euro
June 22 Day 69
Rest day Lednice
Camping with electricity 230Kc
Post 582 Kc
Supermarket 256 Kc
Other food and drink 85Kc
Map slovakia 359Kc
Total = 1512
Total = 56 euro
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Guy
non-member comment
Glad to hear you got your backpack back intact. Amazing! Thanks also so much for the postcard. It travelled all the way from the Czech Republic safely until my postman delivered it but didn't bother to drop it through my letterbox. Unfortunately it got soaking wet (we are having loads of rain here at the moment). Anyway I dried it out to read more of your remarkable journey and your kind words. BTW your photos are superb. Both take care Love Guy