Noiseboy
Registered user
Top stuff i both envy and admire you.
Keep up the good work with the report and ride safe.
Cheers Tom
Keep up the good work with the report and ride safe.
Cheers Tom
2 Minutes later I was in Hungary. Bought a Vignette for 4 Euros and after a quick passport check was on my way.
I believe there are two trips here and too much now for the one adventure.
Day 11
During the night had the most horrendous thunder storm which must have been overhead. By morning there was little sign of all the rain. Packed up and left before 9am going north.
The going was slow, singe track road with HGVs having to be overcome every few minutes. Had an hour or so on some fantastic roads over a mountain, switch backs galore but then encountered the HGVs again. Road surfaces leave a lot to be desired. Got attacked by stray dogs again, is the bumble bee tuned to dog frequency, will have to speak to BMW warranty.
Really enjoyed this morning’s riding until I was stopped by the cops just outside Oradea which is the border town to Hungary. Radar trap 70km in a 50km zone. Politeness and a British registration did not get me off. 60 Lei fine (£15) but didn’t have enough on me. Took the ticket and was told to pay at the border. I found a bank 2km down the road withdrew the cash and went back to pay the fine but the Policeman didn’t have the change. So opted for the border payment.
Made my way to the border and as part of a diversion was taken through an industrial estate. The place was lined with trucks and prostitutes, never seen streetwalking girls like this before. All dolled up to the nines (fishnets etc)at 1130 in the morning. Not a place I would want to stop. Anyway into the border area and the Romanian side was deserted. Found a policeman on the inbound side and explained I needed to pay the ticket, his advice don’t worry about it and go home, apparently since Romania joined the EU you cannot pay for tickets at the border. If I wanted to pay the ticket I would have to go back into town and find a police station. 2 Minutes later I was in Hungary. Bought a Vignette for 4 Euros and after a quick passport check was on my way. The roads in Hungary are mostly single carriageway and very frustrating. It was difficult to get mileage done. Cops out in force in yet another country.
Eventually crossed into Slovakia the border crossing was deserted. The clouds in the sky were threatening rain and lighting was hitting the hills in the distance. I had preconceived ideas about Slovakia but let me say the countryside is wonderful; the towns are not so nice. The roads are again mostly single carriageway but a new motorway is being built the length of the country and we went on and off it. Went through a tunnel a few miles long under an entire mountain. Slovakia has a mountain range similar in appearance to the Alps called the’Tatras’ and are snow capped and wonderful to see in the distance. I had just entered them when it started to spit with rain and I could see that thunder storm from earlier flashing on the mountainside. Found a hotel very quickly, an alpine lodge style building. 20 Euros for the night and had 2 pints and fish and chips for 6 Euros. Not expensive here.
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Boys only bit again: The girls in Slovakia are good looking, not quite as good as the Romanian standards.
So this is where I am tonight, wonderful view from the window in a comfortable room above a pub. Heaven. Now for the bad news.
Came to a few decisions today whilst riding – When I first planned this trip I wanted to go to the Asia side of Turkey, how or why the Scandinavia part of the trip got bolted on I can’t remember (likely to do with Mike Carter and his book ‘Uneasy Rider’). I believe there are two trips here and too much now for the one adventure. I am both mentally and physically exhausted after nearly two weeks on the road, have very sore eyes from the grit and wind and a sore ass. This is causing a lack of concentration which in the circumstances is dangerous (driving on the right with mad Romanian lorries). The trip is not worth getting hurt. I am also down on the finances and may have to wallop the credit card in the long run. So after I reach Poland and have a day off visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau I am going to come home via the Czech Republic and Germany. The rest of the countries can wait for another day. My initial objective of Asia has been met and I can say I have had the experience of a lifetime. I have however, as they say ‘bitten off more that I can chew’. So readers I am sorry I know you are enjoying the blog but I will be coming home next week sometime.
So until the next instalment most likely tomorrow, getting to like staying hotels rather than camping.
Ghostrider AKA Geoff