So after three days of extensive partying including a booze cruise down the Danube, a pub crawl and a baths party and some painful hangovers cured by shopping at the chinese markets and drinking through them, it is now time to leave for serbia. According to some information from the amazingly lovely gay serbian journalist, dracula (yes, it’s his real name!), we should avoid going to kosovo – i think we might just follow his advice. Just to give you an idea of what partying in budapest is like: after the first night out, we pretty much knew all the hostel guests and staff, I was made to propose to a fantastic gingerhaired welshman who then said no just because he could and yes when mike did, we crashed a random houseparty to which we lost a member of the group who came wandering home at 10 am the next morning, we got pizza from the tiniest shop with bouncers, mike wore a shiny silver g-string dong-bag with a fluffy end to the baths party and mike lost his only pair of shoes. Safe to say we are coming back a 7th or so time – budapest and the staff from grandio party hostel really know their business when it comes to showing you the time of your life.
Category Archives: Cycle touring
Bratislava and the rules on cheating
The glorious sunny weather had to stop sometime and we’re now on the train from Bratislava to Budapest. We dont feel too bad about wimping out the thunderstorm because at least 6 other cyclists are on the same train.
Some of you might think this is cheating. It’s not. The rules on cheating are as follows:
Skipping a cycling day to party = not cheating.
Skipping a partying day to cycle = big fat cheating.
In fact we’re substituting three days down the Donau on the bike for three hours on the train. That would be embarrassing if the river wasn’t as bent as last nights tent pegs.
Next stop Szimpla!
First day on the road – Hainburg
Well we didn’t quite make it to Bratislava but after setting off at 2pm due to a few too many departing drinks last night we’re quite proud of the 75km it took to get us here!
We nearly stayed in Vienna thanks to cycling past a huge bank holiday rave at the side of the Donau that looked like too much fun to miss. Just another one of those things that reminds me why I love Vienna so much. Following the rave was at least 5km of naked people people just chilling out at the edge of the river, then being a bank holiday another 5km of barbeques where we felt like we were in Serbia already: who else cooks a full size pig in the local park.
Then came a looking stretch of cycle paths called donauauenradweg. Gliding along next to fields, a few swamps, a swans nest and untouched forest all drenched in the soft light of the setting sun was exactly what we had hoped this trip would be like.
We managed to set the tent up just before dark in a farmers field near hainburg and are now chilling out in the local restaurant. Today was a very good day.
Test ride
Only two days until we set off now so we took the bikes for a test ride yesterday to Kathi’s parents up in Wienerwald. Happy to say it was a success now we’re much less worried about the trip. I’m guessing Kathi’s bike weighs 45 kilos including water and mine is closer to 65 but we still cycled up all the hills and even managed some singletrack! Kathi’s bike is only 20 speed so I thought it could be a problem.
The idiot of the day award was down to me for putting the cleat on Kathi’s shoe upside down, or actually downside up, then proceeded to round out the bolts attempting to fix it! Good job we could still use the drill.
On Wednesday we leave for Gyor where there is a campsite with a spa and if all goes well we’ll be in Budapest in time for some well deserved drinks on Saturday night.
Almost time to leave
It’s Saturday night and I have two more days of work left next Monday and Tuesday before choosing to become unemployed for the next two years. I should be out partying but instead I’m just sat here becoming more and more excited about finally setting off. It seems strange that from next Wednesday onwards the only responsibility I’ll have on a daily basis is to push my pedals, not to get lost and not to lose my wife – although not necessarily in that order.
Roaming Overland 