Tuesday July 3, 2007

DATE: Tuesday July 3, 2007
ROUTE: Busko Zdroj
DISTANCE: 75 miles
TIME: 6h 15m
CEG: 3000’
WEATHER: rain then sun

This was a day of mishaps. We left in the rain, though it was light at this time. There was a truck stopped in the middle of the road. I put my brakes on quickly to avoid the impending collision and slipped on a patch of oil. Bam! I was down before I even knew it was slippery. It was a fortunate fall because I landed where I have the most padding --- but I also knocked my knee pretty hard on the stem and took a blow on my upper back from the top of the seat. This is my first fall with no rode rash. When I hit the oil slick I just kept sliding with my bike. That was in the first mile.

Then it started raining in earnest. I stopped to zip up and put my hood up. It looked like it would be a long day. Little did I know how long it would be. It was raining so hard that the arrows carefully put on the road by Seco were fading away. At one point Jane, Nancy, and I stopped at an intersection without a clue as to which way to go. Our map was no help since our route was on such tiny roads that the map did not show them. At that moment the van came along and pointed out the way. They intended go ahead and draw new arrows if necessary.

I’m not sure how I got off course. I’m pretty good at finding the arrows. They are, after all, our lifeline to food, a shower, and a soft bed. Monica surmises I took a wrong turn where a bus was parked on a critical arrow. Chantal had made the same mistake earlier but had been saved by Monica and the van. It doesn’t really matter how it happened. I meandered through the countryside climbing up hill and down. For awhile I didn’t worry --- I knew I was at the end of the group and I figured the arrows had been washed off by the rain. I had written on a scrap of paper the name of the one town we were to pass through on the way to Krakow. I asked several people, (me speaking English, they speaking Polish), and I was assured I was heading the correct direction. I figured that when I arrived in Skalbmierz I would find the arrows and get back on track. It had stopped raining and the appearance of the sun was a heartening sign.

When I finally arrived at the village, it was harder than I had predicted. There were many roads from which to choose. I was approaching a Kiosk to ask for assistance when a delivery truck pulled up. The driver hopped out, noticed my bicycle, and came over to me talking in Polish asking (I assume) about my bicycle. I dug out my “Useful numbers in Poland” sheet which also contains some useful phrases. I pointed to “ prosze mi pomoc” and “Prosze zadzwonic do pilota”. [Please help me. Please call my tour leader.} He gave me a concerned look and whipped out his cell phone. I was soon talking with Michele. They’d been looking for me and were relieved to hear my voice. Likewise! We were only 2 blocks apart, and after a happy reunion, Michele and I cycled in to Krakow while the van zoomed ahead to get the luggage to the hotel. It was only noon and I had plenty of time to cycle the remaining 35 miles.
Rick snapped my picture as I entered the hotel. I rode 15 extra miles today, up and down, up and down. The flat days are over. We head in to the High Tatra Mountains when we leave Krakow. But for now, dinner awaits and tomorrow we have a rest day to explore this beautiful city.

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