High Tatras

A lake in the national park. I love the climbing wall with a backdrop against what is probably some great climbing.
When I was trying to choose pictures for this blog entry, I struggled and believe I have given you too many. Not much focus. I don't know if that is because there are that many great ones or just none of them stand out. I don't think I captured just how beautiful the High Tatras are so it might be the latter. Such is life. This area, though wet, might be the best stuff I have seen yet on this trip.


The castle at Liptovský Hradok.
I cannot recommend the High Tatras enough. They are beautiful mountains. They are not as high as the Rockies. They are not even as high as the Alps, but they are still wonderful. I am curious what they'd be like in winter. They have a number of ski resorts, but they don't seem to be the world class type of places I know in Colorado or expect the Alps to have. All I know is that it was beautiful.


Strbske Pleso. Check out their footwear!!!

I started on the west end in Liptovský Hradok. I stopped in for a bite to eat, but received the unexpected treat of some live Slovak music. They had a concert right next to the castle which was brilliant. I heard two bands, one rock and one bluegrass. It was such a treat. Unfortunately, I wanted to get on the road because I thought I had farther to go. I didn't. I biked on, found my spot, and was then a little bored. I should have stayed put enjoying the music instead of heading off by myself to my campsite. Oh well. It was kind of nice to be camp well before dark so I could tidy up my gear. If I was smart, I would have looked at my notes in advance and seen that I had a friend's friend in that town and I might have been able to meet them at the show!


Mt. Rysy hike.


Rysy is 2499m


Mt. Rysy hike.


Mt. Rysy hike, check out the rig the guy has to haul propane(?) up the mountain.

After a great night's sleep through another thunderstorm, I was off to main part of the High Tatras. I rolled into Strbske Pleso. My hope was to do a two day hike with an overnight in a hut. Unfortunately, I wasn't quite sure what to do with my non-hiking gear and there wasn't a great hike available from there. I had read online about the great views from Mt. Rysy and when the information guide told me it was the highest point in Poland, I was sold. The whole point of crossing the Tatras was to get to Poland for pierogies, why not walk in and work up an appetite?


Mt. Rysy hike.


Mt. Rysy hike.


Mt. Rysy hike.


Me on top of Mt. Rysy.
The hike was supposed to take eight hours which would have me finished up at 7pm. I was super excited to be out hiking instead of biking. You just get to see a little more when you are off the road. My legs didn't even seem like they had biked that morning. Unfortunately, some of that excitement got dampered down when the drizzle started. Then, rain. Then, harder rain. Then drizzle, then harder rain. When I crossed the Polish border, I found a hut. They did not have pierogies. I was not pleased. However, there was a party there since everyone was trying to hide from the rain. I thought of turning back but the clouds were only over the Tatras so I hoped it would blow over. There was no thunder or lightning. I hadn't even gotten out my cold weather gear or dry shirt yet.


Mt. Rysy hike.


Mt. Rysy hike.


Mt. Rysy hike.


Mt. Rysy hike.
After another hour, I reached the summit with three other people. I sat down to soak up the views of Slovakia where I had come from and Poland where I was going. Big jagged rocks. Small patches of snow. They remined me a lot of the Rockies, but they were packed a lot closer together. As I was about to leave the summit, the sun started to come out. I retook a few photos with better light and then started down. Then, the sun really came out brightly so I climbed back up to have another look around. It was spectacular. The view just kept getting better and better. I felt super fortunate to have kept going in the rain when I had thought of turning back. It ended up stayed clear the entire way down. I even dried out before I got back to my bike.


The welcome sign to Poland where there are no pierogies.


Mt. Rysy hike.


Mt. Rysy hike.


Mt. Rysy hike.
After my hike, I was ready to find a place to stay. My legs were not happy to get back on the bike. I headed east towards a town I wanted to visit in the morning. The ski resorts were interesting. Some of them looked fancy, but some looked run down right next door. It seems like certain towns have prospered and others used to. I am used to ski towns in Colorado which, if not new, certainly don't look run down. Anyway, I eventually found a cheap hotel. It was full. Then, I found a closed one. Then, an expensive one. It was getting dark so I eventually just said forget it and decided to camp. I woke up to a brilliant sunrise on a carpet of purple flowers.


Finding a campsite dramatization.


Sunrise at Horny Smokovec in the High Tatras.


High Tatras National Park monument at Tatranska Lomnica.


Rice Krispie Treats with caramel and rice cake instead.
The next day, none of my plans worked out. I wanted a rest day with hot springs. All of the hot springs, but one were back west where I had been. There was one to the south that was the opposite direction than I was going. Boo. Then, I was going to take a gondola to the second highest peak in the Tatras. After waiting ninety minutes for the gondola to open, I found out it was broken. They got it working by 1pm the day before, but I didn't want to risk the wait. I left and headed for some caves. They were also closed. Ugh. There was a castle I wanted to see, but it was out of the way. So everything I wanted to do was not going to happen and I didn't have anything planned between the Tatras and Krakow so I just biked the whole thing in one day. Not the best decision. I realized later I could have gone south to the castle and that one hot springs. Oh well. A 140km day was good for me. I remembered what suffering was like. Life is suffering, right Buddhists?


House in Zdiar, Slovakia


The High Tatras backdrop to Zdiar.


Curious to see crumbling hotels next to big ones.


Zdiar.


Zdiar.


Zdiar.

Back up the Danube to traverse Slovakia

Why don't we use this in the USA for our mail delivery?


Finally, a historical straw roof in Hungary!
After an extra day of fun with Matt, I was hungry to get back on the road. I was supposed to be heading to the Mediterranean Sea, but if I did that I would be flying home from Croatia for over $2000. I decided to bike up and train back from Poland for pierogies to use up a week so I could fly out of the more affordable Slovenia. This meant biking back up the Danube river for the start of my ride, but Matt pointed me toward a new way that included a 15km island in the middle of the river that was very quiet. This added three bike ferry trips to my day, but was worth it.


These blue overalls are everywhere in Eastern Europe! Anyone know why?


The Citadel (Fellegvár) at Visegrad.
Once I got out of the city, the new way that Matt sent me was great. I was also able to reride some stuff in sunshine and appreciate it instead of the first time I went through with my head down in the rain. There was one little hang up when I was getting ready to leave Hungary though. The road I was on did not connect to Slovakia! I had only written directions down from Slovakia. Luckily, I had taken a picture of a Google map and I was able to use the towns on that that to over to the Amber Trail.


A time saving map.


I read this three or four times as De-Mahn-Di-Che until I saw them humor in this sign being in Europe.
This ended up being my first night of freedom camping. There were no campsites near by and I didn't want to pay for a hotel that I would only be in for eight hours. So when it started to rain, I stopped waiting for a menu at a restaurant, got on my bike, and headed back a kilometer to a possible campsite. It was out of sight and quiet enough. I matted down some weeds and slept like a baby. I was tuckered from staying up late the two nights before. I found three spiders in my tent even though I had been really good about keeping it zipped up. Two lived.

Quick rant on European dining service. They bring you menus and take a drink order at the same time. Then, they come back for a food order. After that, you will not see your waiter again unless you flag them down and say please. Sometimes this is great because they are not asking how things are before you even take a bite. They are not pushing you out the door before you get a chance to relax. Other times, they are just neglectful and a thirty minute quick meal becomes a two hour affair. Ugh. Some good, some bad. I just have learned to never go out to a sit down restaurant if I want something quick. This means more falafel, which is not a bad deal at all.


This will probably be the birthplace of some future NHL star. It makes me think of the weekly pond game in the movie Mystery, Alaska.


Banska Stiavnica's townhall and St. Catherine church.


Banska Stiavnica's old castle.


One for you, one for me.


Church on the way out of Banska Stiavnica.
The next day's ride was not too memorable. It rained most of the day which was not fun, but it was quiet riding. I took a long lunch break in the picturesque UNESCO town of Banska Stiavnica. It had some great old architecture, but the rain didn't make me want to explore too much. I was sick of being wet and wanted to warm up. My hope had been to camp, but as I got to the next major town I got to an expressway that bikes were not allowed on. There was no parallel side road! I had to stop for the night to revise my route. I chose to leave the Amber Trail and cut directly across the Low Tatras mountains.


A random castle in the Low Tatras.
Cutting across the Low Tatras was beautiful. Small forested mountains with flowers and rivers abounding. The little villages were absolutely wonderful as well. They were a mix between the Slovakian and Austrian houses. They were packed in close together and I imagined a tight knit community. To see all this goodness, I had to bike up a mountain pass for almost 20km. Unfortunately, I didn't get all of that climbing back on the descent.

On the way up, there was a natural spring where people were refilling their water bottles. I skipped it because I did not want to drink water that smelled like sulfur even though I am happy to bathe in it (Weird, I know). There were also people with gallon buckets of blueberries. I did not stop to get any, but I am curious in what portions they sell them in. Do they charge by the handful? Maybe they had plastic bags that I could not see. There is no way they had scales to weigh anything out. After descending, I wound my way down to the base of the High Tatras for my afternoon break.

Budapest

Brody cafe where the A-list of Hungary often eat out.
I rode into Budapest ready for good things happen. Esztergom had put some pep back in my step. Budapest seemed like it was going to do more of the same. It was just another one of those cities that felt right. It is possible that I just set the mental tone, but I think it is something else. I had a great conversation with an old friend about it later. He said that Paris, Barcelona, Vienna, and a lot of the other European cities are. They are already great and defined. Vietnam, Bratislava, and Budapest are becoming. There is something very special about the energy in a place that is becoming. Transformations are a special time in our lives, why shouldn't it be the same with cities?


Parliament.


Chain Bridge in the rain.
My first view of the city was its bridges followed up by the dominating Parliament building. I am pretty sure that is my favorite building in Europe so far. I can't believe such a grand building was built by and for the people instead of for religion.


Budapest castle over the Chain Bridge.


Szent István Bazilika (Saint Stephen Basilica)


Guarding the pedestrian zone.
My first agenda item in Budapest was to get to my lodging, The Aboriginal Hostel. I thought it was a bit cheesy to have an Australian themed hostel in Budapest, but when I saw the address, Bródy Sándor utca 46, I felt like I had to stay there. It was a great choice. The hostel was friendly, informative, quiet, and all together brilliant. Consider it recommended. After getting situated, I spent the next twenty-four hours getting a first look around the city based on the list that Zach, an ice friend that used to live here with his family, sent me. It is so nice to be nudged in the right direction instead of just starting from the generic guide book (that I didn't have anyway).


The garden bar, TŰZRAKTÉR.


Artwork at TŰZRAKTÉR.
After my first day in Budapest, I met up with the one and only Matty Liddle. He is an epicenter of fun. Matt and I played college ultimate together. He was a founding member of En Sabah Nur and brilliant. I have not seen him for ten years. He lived in Hungary for three years and happened to be back there for two weeks for vactaion when I was passing through. Upon hearing that I was having a lackluster time in Hungary, he took it upon himself to use up a couple of his vacation days to turn my trip around. We met up to see an alternative country band that a few of his friends were in. Afterward, we went to a classic open air Budapest garden bar which was created when the bar bought and abandoned apartment complex. It was a great way to spend a cool, Budapest evening. He left me with more ideas of what to see and plans to meet him for lunch tomorrow.


Kürtöskalács (Chimney Cake), originally from Transylvania where it was made by wrapping the dough around the chimney pipes. They remind me of Auntie Anne's pretzels.


Budapest's Great Synagogue


Budapest's Great Synagogue


Budapest's Great Synagogue
Instead of going inside just another church the next morning, I decided to mix it up by going in a synagogue. Budapest has the second largest in the world, behind New York City. Unfortunately, since World War II, they have not really needed its full capacity. Our Hungarian tour guide let us know each of the famous Hungarian Jews with such pride. I actually knew who a few of them were, like Pulitzer.


Kiadó Kocsma chair made from old bike wheel parts.

Matt took me to a 'bike messenger' restaurant. I had an omelette hoping it would cure my craving for a big American breakfast. It didn't. It just wasn't the same. I just need to make me own one of these days when I am in a hostel. So far I haven't because I am always in camping mode and forget I get to use a real kitchen. Though my meal wasn't what I was looking for, I got to spend an hour in a chair made out of old bike wheel parts. Incredible!!!


Anonymi Bele Regis Notarii ('the anonymous notary of king Bela'), but is generally cited as Anonymus. Matt's favorite statue in Budapest.


A Széchenyi outdoor pool.

From lunch, we headed off to one of Turkey's famous thermal baths. There are eight in the city. The first ones were built by the Romans. The others are still over a hundred years old. Today, thy are still accessible for under $12. I can't imagine what places like these would cost to enter in the USA. However, in Budapest, it is just part of life. In fact, your doctor can prescribe you eight free bath visits a year to take care of general ailments. How great is that?!?! Not everyone goes in Hungary, though. It is the same as massages in the USA. Some do it. Some don't. We did it, and did it well.


A Széchenyi indoor pool.


Another Széchenyi indoor pool.

They have a ton of different baths that run at different temperatures. They have cooling baths too. You just hop between them at your own leisure. In the states, I tend to avoid hot springs that are pumped into pools like these, but for some reason this worked. I might need to reconsider the ones in the US. I remember my first hot spring pool in Russia. Nothing made it different from a regular swimming pool except it was warm. Maybe the amazing decorations were the difference here.


The Széchenyi Bath whirlpool!

They also had saunas and, my favorite, steam rooms. The one sauna we went to was set to 200F. At the South Pole, they have a 300 club. When it hits -100F, they crank the sauna up to 200F, heat up, and then strip down and run around outside. Boiling is at 212F and I had always wondered how 200F wasn't terrible. I was that since South Pole is so dry, no one gets burned. Unfortunately, the same is not true of Budapest. I left with souvenir burns on my bum and feet. There were a few people in there before and after us. I have no idea how. They just make them tougher in Hungary!


An outdoor pool at the Széchenyi Bath with Zeus, in swan form, making love to the mortal Leda, mother of Helen of Troy.


Gelato Rose that was really more like ice cream.
After a quick city bike tour, ice cream, it was time for a nap. I was dehydrated from the baths and needed to recover some energy to meet Matt that evening for a jam session with his old band and friends at a bar. They took over the entire upstairs of the bar. When I knew Matt, he didn't play or sing. Now he does both, and does them well. While he played alt country tunes (like Up on Cripple Creek, Tootsie, and the Dead), I spent time with his friends. They were so warm and welcoming. Such a good last night in Budapest.


Great Market Hall, built for that.
My last morning started out hanging with the old ladies getting their groceries for the day at the Great Market. In the afternoon, it is overrun by tourists, but in the morning it reminded me a peaceful farmer's market. I'm a fan. From there, I headed back to City Park, a lot of which was built up for the Millenium Exhibition.


Vajdahunyad Castle in City Park.
The castle in City Park was never a functioning castle. In 1896, it was built out of compressed cardboard. It was meant to represent all the different building styles in Hungary. After the exhibition, the people liked it so much, they built it out of stone.


56er memorial.
This is Matt's favorite artwork in Budapest. He might have made it mine because he explained what it meant. Without that explanation, I would have walked on by and known nothing. In 1956, the Hungarian Revolution took place against the Soviets. At first, it was just a couple solitary events (the right side), however, more of them started happening until they came to a refined point (the left side) that was able to drive the Soviets out. Unfortunately, the Soviets came back with a larger army and crushed the revolution. Over 200,000 of the 56ers fled the country to save their lives. After the Soviet suppression, Radio Free Europe was criticized for having misled the Hungarian people that help would arrive if the citizens continued to resist.


This is a one year hour glass, but, like most hour glasses in my past, it is clogged.


Heroes' Square


Me at Széchenyi Bath.

Flashback

I just shaved my beard. I still have the goatee, but I am sure that will go in a few weeks too. This picture shows more or less what my face looks like. I don't have that much hair and I'm certainly not wearing that many clothes. I am really just using this picture as an excuse to put this flashback picture up. It is about eleven months in of my one year stint in Antarctica. I might be looking a little haggard.


Me in September 2008 with Talie (picture by Joselyn).