Bike 2011: Poland and further along the River Odra

Poland awaits!

20.06.11 leaving Szczecin heading south to Mieszkowice - 100km (7:19)The first town I wanted to visit is just south of Szczecin called Gryfino. The only reason I wanted to visit this town is the receptionist at the hostel lives here. He was so nice an helpful that I thought I would like to see where he comes from. I rocked up and parked by the river Odra and had lunch. I had one of those realisation moments. As I was taking out my tea-bag from my zip-lock bag, getting the thermos out and unpacking my very practical lunch-dinner pack, I reflected on the similarities between my Dad and I in a practical sense.

After lunch I rode through Gryfino. Pulling up at an intersection I heard the break of an egg on the road. Some freaking prick tried to throw an egg at me! Bastards! I'm not German, leave me alone!!! I only could laugh, because they had no aim and I thought perhaps I should see how many medals Poland wins during the Olympics for ball sports.

To this point I have been riding along main roads. The cars and trucks drive around 50 to 90km/hr. The larger main roads have a 2m shoulder that makes it easier to ride along. The smaller main roads have a shoulder of 0cm to 30cm. From Szczecin, this latter was the common. After a scare or two I decided to bike along the back roads. The back roads are not tarmac, nor solid surfaces. More often than not, they are sand, grass, swamp, rock, well you get the idea.

I took the back roads around to an old medieval town called Choja (pronounced something like Hoi-ya). This was recommended to me by Milek from Stepnica's friend. The town has an old city wall, a few old gates, an old catherdral and other historic points. After the wars, Germany sponsered the reperation of the city.

Just south of Choja is Mieszkowice (pronounced something like Me-esh-kov-itse). The town is engulfed in its original old city wall and paved with coble stones that lead to the central main plaza. I tried to find a place to camp. Locals pointed me to a local petrol station. At this stage my broken Polish (if you could even call it that) and their equivalent of German was succeeding. Eventually I found my camping site, just out side a petrol station come wrecking yard, where my bike was locked away, protected by two big alsations (however that is spelt).

21.06.11 Mieszkowice to Cybinka - 68km (4:28)
This part of the journey was suprisingly quick, considering the amount off-road there was towards the end. Initially I rode to Kostryn, stopping 9km north at a little town to eat the best backery food bought in a little shop. Kostryn itself was nothing to cheer about and the road to Slubice and Frankfurt an der Oder was rolling, up and down and a little long. At this stage my vision was being impared and I was being patient for the anti-biotics to kick it. But I upped the dose and kept pushing on.

Frankfurt was a nice city, but I was tired and wanted to get to Zielona Gora to meet Kara. After Frankfurt there were a few scary insidences with trucks, so I went off road all the way to Cybinka where a priest directed me to a place to camp. An older woman come out asking what I am doing and wanted to see my pass. Suprisingly I undertood most of what she wanted and was asking, but I had no idea how to respond. After setting up camp, she offered me food and to lock my bike in a secure place and gave me a key to access it. I made dinner, attended to my eye and slept under heavy rain.

22.06.11 Cybinka to Zielona Gora - 67km (4:28)
Rodzie (the lady that I spoke with yesterday) took me in for breakfast. Just like the Man Down Under - with out a Vegemite Sandwich. She offered me a buffet of Polish foods. we spoke about life and what is on the table. It was more of a one sided conversation, but I enjoyed every minute with her. She gave me money for bread, which she insisted in taking three times, which is the custom in Poland, so I took it.

With my vision reducing, I took back roads all the time. I made it to Kostra Odrzadina, where I spoke with Mum and she convinced me to see a Doctor in Zielona Gora. When I was in Szczecin I organised my first CouchSurfing host in Zielona Gora - Karoline. I sent her SMSes about my progress and how I needed to see a doctor. I came to her house, she fed me, gave me a shower, we chatted about travels and a bit on life philosophies before heading to an optomatrist.

WOW - what an experience my stark raving mad overly expressive some-what crazy optomatrst was. She rattled not only me but also Kara, the native Pole. She looked at my eye and saw major swelling in the optic nerve and retina. So we went to the Opthamologist at the hsopital who was occupied. Instead Kara organised an immediate appointment with her friend's mother who is a neurologist. Initially the symptoms plus slightly assymetric reflex resposes triggered some concerns, so she ordered an MRI and blood screen. We headed to the MRI place. It was booked and tomorrow was a church holiday. This is a political debate in Poland. Everyone wants to know why they have such a "stupid" holiday that hinders everything. So we booked a time for the MRI on Friday.

We headed to the hospital, at this stage we missed our "bad taste" party that we were invited to. I had a nice lined hideous long nighty with a pink wig that Kara gave me to borrow. At the hospital the doctor immediately begain work trying to control the swelling, steroids, atrophine and antibiotics injected behind the eye. It all started here - or should I say Bike 2011 potentially ends here.

I only cycled about 1300km of my estimated 6000km journey. Barely scrapped the surface of Poland. Now I hope I have the oppotunity to get back to Poland to continue.

This is a link to pictures from this part of the trip: Bike 2011: Poland along the river Odra
This is a link to my hand-standing picturesThis is a link to my maps so far