After having cycled from Poznan to Gdansk, Poland, I spent two nights tenting in Sopot, Poland after which packed up my bicycle and ready myself for the quick 1-week cycle touring journey to Vilnius, Lithuania. I had deliberate on being by myself for this complete leg of the journey, however after a gradual begin leaving the town of Gdansk, I bumped into one other bicycle traveler named Dominic (he requested me to name him Dodo for brief) who was hauling a ton of drugs each on his bicycle and on an xtrawheel trailer he was hauling behind his bike. After realizing that we have been each headed in the identical route, I requested Dodo if it might be okay for me to cycle with him for a bit. We definitely hadn’t dedicated to any form of a bicycle touring relationship at this level.
To make an extended story quick, Dodo is a really quick bike owner. I repeatedly move different unloaded cyclists when I’m touring, however Dodo was biking a great 10-20% quicker than I usually prefer to go. I used to be in a position to sustain with him throughout our first couple hours collectively, however it was one thing of a battle. Which is why I used to be form of relieved after we have been pressured to cease for a second and take a ferry (that price 5 PLN) to the opposite facet of a small river. Through the ferry crossing I instructed Dodo that he was going a bit too quick for me, and I might inform that he actually took this info to coronary heart. This may be the primary of many compromises that Dodo and I might make over the following a number of days.
After solely a short while biking collectively, Dodo mentioned that there was a campground close by and he was able to name it a day. Nevertheless it was solely 4 PM and I felt like I used to be simply getting began with my critical biking for the day. I thought-about leaving Dodo at this level and persevering with by myself, but in addition thought it might be good to have some firm for a change, so I compromised and never solely stop my biking early that day, but in addition shelled out the cash to remain in a longtime campground.
After checking in on the campground, which was positioned only a few meters from the Baltic Sea in Jantar, Poland, we arrange our tents, took showers, and settle in for the night time.
Whereas Dodo appeared his dinner on a camp range, I walked all the way down to the seashore and picked up a vegetarian pizza from a small storefront. After I requested the girl on the pizzeria if she spoke English, she mentioned, “Sure.” However after I mentioned something after that, she simply stared at me with massive, confused bug eyes and didn’t say a phrase.
After consuming my pizza exterior my tent, Dodo and I walked out to the Sea. The wind was whipping in off the chilly water and it was completely freezing on the market, so we retreated to the security of our campsite.
As soon as there, I requested Dodo if he could be inquisitive about taking part in a sport of IOTA with me. He had by no means heard of the sport, however he was as much as give it a attempt… and he did extraordinarily effectively at it.
When it bought darkish, Dodo and I each went to mattress. He went to mattress a little bit sooner than I did (as a result of I have a tendency to remain up late studying and listening to Podcasts in my tent), so it was solely pure that he would get up a bit earlier as effectively. I rolled out of my tent round 7 AM… and this was truthfully the earliest I had woken up on this 12 months’s bike tour. I’m not a morning individual and I often keep in my tent till 8, 9 and even 10 or 11 AM. However as a result of I used to be now touring with Dodo, I wakened early. I used to be drained and will have simply used a pair extra hours or sleep, however I wakened, packed up my issues after which I hit the highway with my new journey companion.
It was throughout our first full day of biking collectively that I spotted I might in all probability be touring with Dodo for not less than the following week, if not longer. Waking up early wasn’t my favourite factor to do, however I used to be comfortable to do it… if it meant driving with a great associate for some time. And I might inform that Dodo had slowed his tempo a little bit bit as effectively. He was making an effort to experience at a tempo that was extra comfy to me.
Do you see the teddy bear on the entrance of Dodo’s bicycle? He instructed me the bear was from his girlfriend, however that it didn’t have a reputation. I consider him when he says that the bear is from his girlfriend, however I’m unsure I consider the truth that he hadn’t named his teddy. haha!
Throughout our second night time collectively, Dodo made one other compromise. As a substitute of tenting in a longtime campground, we merely rolled off into the woods and did a bit of untamed tenting. This was the primary time ever that Dodo had wild camped on this explicit bicycle tour of his.
It ended up being a fairly good camp too. We made camp early, ate dinner after which went to mattress, solely to get up early the following morning, pack up our bicycles and hit the highway.
It was about this time throughout our experience collectively that Dodo started speaking about his xtrawheel trailer and all of the unncessary stuff he was hauling round on his bicycle. After I first met Dodo, he had been insistant that the trailer was a necessity and that it didn’t gradual him down in any manner. However after biking with me for a pair days and seeing simply how gentle and free I used to be on my bicycle, he started discussing the concept of eliminating his trailer and two full panniers of his gear.
Our second full day of driving collectively was a great one. We have been handled to some great climate, spectacular surroundings, and a number of other charming Polish cities and villages. That night time we made camp exterior the house of a German-speaking girl close to the town of Pilec, Poland. The house/campsite was located proper on the sting of a small lake, so we spent a lot of the night looking throughout the water and having fun with the scenic views.
Whereas I personally have a choice for wild tenting (and I take pleasure in the advantages of not having to pay for a spot to camp every night time), touring with Dodo pressured me to understand simply how good it may be to sleep in a campground every night time. Despite the fact that you do should pay a small amount of cash for the luxurious, you get a heat bathe, entry to electrical energy, and (if you happen to’re fortunate) wifi Web.
Throughout our fourth day collectively, we once more had great climate. Blue skies, white clouds, and charming Polish villages for greater than 100 kilometers.
It was a Polish vacation, so lots of the native retailers and shops have been closed, so after we entered the town of Gizycko and have been welcomed with a ship parade (the place lots of of boats have been slowly passing via the town), we have been form of shocked. We hadn’t been anticipating such a public celebration on this supposedly non secular vacation. So far as we might inform, this vacation was nothing greater than an excuse to drink alcohol and experience round on sailboats. We sat by the river and watched the boats move by for a short time. Then we lifted our legs again excessive tubes of our loaded bicycles and hit the highway as soon as extra.
Using with Dodo was a blast. I loved his firm and felt comfy with him as a journey companion. However after spending a number of days with the man, I started to see simply how completely different our approaches to bicycle traveler truely have been. For instance, Dodo preferred to get up early, cycled quick and arduous for 6-7 hours every day, after which make camp early and go to mattress round 9 or 10 PM. I, on the otherhands, would have prefered to sleep in late, take a extra relaxed tempo on the bicycle (whereas often stopping to take images or simply discover an attention-grabbing space). As a result of the solar doesn’t set till after 9 PM now, I don’t often cease biking till aroun 7-9 PM… and I don’t often fall asleep till someday after midnight.
As a result of our two approaches to bicycle touring have been so completely different, we have been every having to make a number of compromises in an effort to keep collectively. However neither certainly one of us complained about these compromises.
I. nevertheless, was conscious of the truth that I used to be consistently making Dodo look forward to me. He needed to look forward to me to get up within the morning. Then he needed to wait whereas I went to the lavatory packed up my bicycle, and so forth. Then he needed to look forward to me as a result of I’m a slower bike owner than he’s. He needed to look forward to me after I went right into a grocery store and he stayed exterior to look at the bikes. And he needed to look forward to me much more after I stopped to take a photograph. As a result of I knew he was having to take action a lot ready, I didn’t take as many images throughout our time collectively as I might have preferred. One other compromise, however I used to be comfortable to do it.
Simply exterior the town of Olecko, Poland, I used to be chased down my a bunch of younger, teenage boys on mountain bikes. The boys have been a part of Olecko Bike Membership… and so they have been actually tremendous good. We stopped to speak with them for a second and take a number of images. Then they escorted us into the town heart, which is the place we lastly left them.
We ended up tenting within the woods that night time, simply exterior the town heart of Olecko, Poland. Discovering a spot that was freed from mosquitoes was troublesome, however we ended up in a comparatively good location. I took a bathe utilizing one of many water bottles from my bicycle after which I crawled inside my tent, ate dinner and spent the remainder of the night time studying ebooks on my smartphone.
Once we wakened the following morning, Dodo was on a mission. He had determined that after pedaling his bicycle for greater than 1,000 kilometers, he was able to eliminate the massive, heavy trailer he was hauling behind his bicycle. Our objective for the day was to discover a put up workplace and mail his bike trailer (and two extra panniers) residence.
On a facet word, these giant birds are in all places in Poland. They are often discovered nesting on the highest of virtually each single electrical pole in Poland. They’re massive, stunning, and attention-grabbing.
It was raining after we reached the town of Suwalki (in northeastern Poland). However we have been in a position to simply discover the put up workplace. Sadly, nevertheless, we weren’t in a position to simply talk with the individuals within the put up workplace. They weren’t in a position to perceive that Dodo wished to mail his massive bicycle trailer again to Germany. For some purpose, this was too difficult for them. So we went simply down the road to a close-by bike store and requested them for help. The blokes working within the bike store have been in a position to provide Dodo with a cardboard bike field during which to mail residence his trailers and varied different gadgets… and with the trailer now packed inside a suitable case, we have been in a position to work with the individuals on the put up workplace to efficiently ship Dodo’s trailer again to Germany.
The excellent news was: Dodo not had his trailer and 12 kilograms value of pointless gear. The unhealthy information was: Now that his bicycle was a lot lighter, he was now biking at an excellent quicker tempo… and I had been struggling to maintain up with him earlier than. Eek!
It was raining on and off all day lengthy. We have been in a position to keep away from two heavy downpours by first hiding contained in the bike store in Suwalki… after which once more by resting our our bodies beneath a roadside bus cease in the midst of Polish farmland.
Even with the rain, we have been in a position to cross the Poland/Lithuania border and cycle overseas an entire day ahead of we had first deliberate. We stopped for a second to take some images on the border… after which we continued biking north.
Within the first city that we got here to (Lazdijai), we withdrew Lithuanian cash from a neighborhood ATM machine and I used to be in a position to safe a brand new SIM card for my cellphone (costing me 19 Lithuanian Litas (about $8 USD)). I used to be thrilled at simply how straightforward it had been to acquire a brand new SIM card for my cellphone. However this thrilled feeling wouldn’t final for lengthy.
Crossing into a brand new nation, I immediately started searching for variations between Poland and Lithuania. I observed that the in Lithuania there have been many elderly wooden properties – one thing we had not seen in Poland. However in any other case, the panorama appeared very a lot the identical.
We thought we would should wild camp throughout our first night time within the nation, on account of an absence of established campgrounds within the space, however then we noticed a roadside signal saying that there have been a number of campsites located alongside the shore of Dusia Lake.
Because it turned out, there was actually just one established campsite on the lake… and it was a good looking one. We paid 20 Litas for our campsite (about 8 USD), pitched our tents within the timber simply off the jap shore of the lake, and took good, heat showers inside that massive constructing you see behind me within the picture under.
Dodo hadn’t deliberate on biking to Vilnius, Lithuania, however I conviced him to observe me there. So after we woke the following day, we aimed our bikes towards Vilnius, eager to cowl as a lot floor as potential, but in addition understanding that we’d not make it there in a single day. It was greater than 140 kilometers away!
It was chilly and wet. We wore our winter jackets and traveled down a number of lengthy, dust forest roads. The touring was gradual at instances, however I actually loved it. I might select to journey on bumpy dust roads over crowded metropolis streets on virtually any day of the week.
Simply exterior the town of Rudiskes, and located far again within the close by forest, we made camp on the residence of the ex-coach of the Lithuanian biking crew. This was a complete accident by the way in which. We didn’t know that the person who ran this campsite within the woods was the ex-coach of the Lithuanian biking crew after we first bought there. It was one thing we discovered solely after we arrived and noticed what number of bicycles and bicycle paraphernalia he had scattered across the property.
After extra scorching showers and an evening of tenting within the rain, we packed up our bicycles as soon as extra and commenced biking towards the middle of Vilnius, Lithuania – the nation’s capital metropolis.
It was solely a brief 40 kilometers from our campground to the town, so we took our time and even stopped for a brief lunch break at a roadside truck cease about 26 kilometers from Vilnius.
It was right here that I instructed Dodo I want to keep in Vilnius for a pair days – to see the town and to do some work on my laptop. Dodo, as I suspected, wished to proceed biking north. He didn’t wish to cease.
So after we reached the middle of Vilnius and neared the campground simply on the outskits of the town heart, I took the time to take a number of final images of Dodo, his bicycle and his teddy bear.
I had a good time touring with Dodo. I needed to make some compromises in an effort to stick with him for the week… and he needed to compromise as effectively. Plus, he needed to put up with my loud night breathing every night time. I observed how he would place his tent additional and additional away from me every night time we have been on the highway. haha!
After I wakened the next morning, Dodo and his bicycle was gone. I used to be by myself once more… and I had plans of utilizing the day to discover the town. So I wakened, took a bathe, turned into my avenue garments, after which walked the 5-6 kilometers from the campsite to the town heart. Beneath are my images from the day.
General, I used to be fairly unimpressed with Vilnius. I had heard such great issues concerning the metropolis… and the town does have its good attributes (for instance, I like the truth that it’s a metropolis surrounded by greenery). However the metropolis’s previous down isn’t a lot to see. Sorry Vilnius 🙁
After seeing the town, I walked again to my campsite and paid 5 Litas (about $2 USD) for entry to the campground’s wi-fi Web. The very best 2 bucks I’ve ever spent! I labored for a number of hours updating the BicycleTouringPro.com web site and tacking quite a lot of different web-based duties I had been eager to work on for the final week.
Then, within the night, I heard music taking part in within the distance, so I walked down the hill only a quick methods to the close by river the place I discovered lots of of individuals celebrating at what I assume was some form of mid-summer pageant. There was meals, music, individuals wearing inexperienced clothes, and an enormous bonfire.
I went to mattress actually late that night time and didn’t roll out of my sleeping bag till effectively after 9 AM – one thing I had not executed even as soon as since touring with Dodo.
I then spent the next day within the Vilnius campground, engaged on my laptop, answering emails, and getting ready for the following leg of my journey – the bike experience north from Vilnius, Lithuania to the close by metropolis of Riga, Latvia.