TeekondPOLAND!

Initial blog from the newly formed TeekondPOLAND group. After yesterdays parting of the ways I am now directly north of Warsaw. When we got out of Russia it started to become apparent that things were not rosy in the Baltica team. In hindsight we probably should have split up earlier and then I wouldn't have said some of the things I did but where would be the story in that? The local Latvians wouldn't have been treated to the sight of two English guys dressed up as storm troopers have a frank exchange of views whilst being watched over by a bewildered Irishman dressed in a yellow high visibilty vest and a cowboy hat! Simon wouldn't have been able to ride gravel tracks through the arse end of Lithuania, catching a ferry across to the Curonian Spit, riding to the Russian border and pitching a tent at god knows what time of the night. Will and I wouldn't have found ourself in a weird town, staying in a weird antique kind of hotel that sold gas masks, egyptian paintings, catapults and Virginia State Police badges! Followed by dinner at midnight in the Bumbling Bombier sat next to a table of extremely drunk Irish soldiers who did their country proud!
After leaving the Curonian Spit I headed for the Polish border in the pouring rain, stopped on the road to help some Lithuanian guy fix a puncture, then with some trepidation and a bit of a buzz I arrived at the border, lots of trucks and iffy looking truck drivers but the roads were nowhere near as bad as expected, heading south to Augustow and turned west and ended up in the town of Elk, sorted a room with secure parking and breakfast for 50 dollars (no Polish dosh and they didn't take cards but the american money seemed to do the trick). Nice meal by a lake and a good kip, booked breakfast for 7.30 and was disappointed to find the dining room in darkness and no one around, was about to go and express my disappointment when I twigged that I hadn't put my clock back.
On the road at 8am, great ride through the countryside, Poland so far has been good! Very colourful country!
Exchanged texts with the others this morning, everything seems to be cool!
Mike
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