HUNGARY: 13.07. - 30.07.2003

Translated with PROMT-Online-Translator

Route: Györ, Tata, Budapest, Pecs, Mohacs

Distance: 762 Km
 
Preface: Because the Hungarians themselves are eager anglers and campers, wild camping is uncomplicated, provided that one finds a nice place on which still no tent stands. We felt very well, but unfortunately, we have not received a closer contact to the people because of communication problems. Drinking waters and a small cooling offer the countless small fire hydrants which there are everywhere.
 
Then the next afternoon with some delay (due to bad weather) we have cycled into Hungary. Today after a quiet night on a camping site we have arrived in Györ. Actually, Nadine wanted to write the following weekly report, however, unfortunately, she has slept the last night a little bit badly and now is too tired.
 
Meanwhile we have already mended our 1st flat tyre which I got somewhere in Austria. It has always surprised me, why I must inflate every few days my back tire. Unfortunately the trailer coupling has held before the tyre patch very well and now it causes difficulties again.
 
The Danube cycle track is not developed any more as well as in Austria what is also not necessary. Very much to our surprise one can cycle on streets of Hungary very well. All drivers are extremely thoughtful. Even on federal highways or on streets closed for cyclists (see picture although the ban sign very badly is to be recognised) they stop rather behind us and wait for a possibilety to overtake us, than to drive past us too close. The Hungarians also use the horn rather as a greeting than to show to the cyclist that he not welcomed on this street.
 
Unfortunately, we speak no word Hungarian but we feel here very well; more friendly people, warm climate, and watermelons . Here absolutely unexpectedly we have found in Hungary also the nicest campspots up to now on our trip. Either on the edge of a corn field with sundown and owls, or on a mowed place with campfire place on the Danube which we used even for 2 days. We spent the last both nights at a nice pond before the gates of Budapest. While we have visited yesterday Budapest with his many places of interest and tourists, today we want to update "only" our Internet site and read our emails...
 
Untill this week many Hungarian dogs had not further interested in us. This would have anged chitself for Martin. Mostly I go at the moment in front. With me the dogs bark and jump perhaps against the fence, however, to Martin then comes in him. In this manner Martin has been pursued this week already twice by two not quite nice dogs, however, could escape always. Nevertheless, we have decided to invest as a dog defence in riding wips if somebody has an even better idea we are always grateful of course.
 
Now to my small experiences. We were once more in search of the ideal camp site, i.e. nice meadow on the Danube, better, however, still on a lake. Besides, it is already rather normally that the streets to these places become worse and worse and are partly hardly more cycablel. Unfortunately, there had been in this afternoon sometimes a small thunderstorm, so that to me one of these streets became the disaster and I got stuck in the mud. While tried to release my bicycle I have slipped and lay therefore in the middle of the mud. This would not have been quite annoyingly enough. the mud stunk after sheep shit asnd therefor I was stinken also pretty bad!Then the next 1 1/2h I was occupied in the next village under the well with the cleaning of my wheels and of myshelf!
 
Next evening we got stuck 15 m on one of the last Danube high water (in 2002!!!) afloat street. This time it was so bad that the wheels have not turned any more. But where I write now so strikes me that it was actually only half as tragic, because now the cleaning took place straight away in the Danube and has lasted therefore only 1h (instead of 1 1/2h), and the mud has also not stunk at all of sheepsit.
 
In Budapest we were asked by the police in the pedestrian crossing to push our bikes. Because we have not understood them, unfortunately, and further cycled we got to know immediately their companion (interpreter). Though we had to keep back the laughter, we then had to push. Anyhow we find nice that there are so many tourists in Budapest that the police go even their own interpreter (according to T-shirt print "Police interpreter") on patrol.
 
Now after just 2600 cycled kilometres we are in Pecs and then will change in approx. 40 km in Mohcs finally to our conoe. By the way, watermelons are our main food source in Hungary. The just purchased melon weighs 9 kg and tomorrow after the breakfast only of a heap of the bowls wil be left.
 
After we had spent two days in Pecs it pulled us again further. We spent the night in a lake in Hassagy, a German-speaking place. Already with the dinner the wind freshed up a bit and blew out permanently our tea lights. When we went to bed then at 21:30, some flashes were already to be seen on the horizon. Though I thought that now immediately a thunderstorm could come, however, was not disturbed further. Then at midnight we were torn from the sleep. The wind had become so strong that it had already torn some stakes from the ground. The storm whipped incessantly against the tent, and we already feared that it immediately flies around our ears. So I had to go out to fasten the stakes again . Meanwhile so many flashes illuminated the sky that I not even needed a flashlight. So fast as it with the rock-hard ground went I slackened the tent with all stakes we had. Then with the last stake I was surprised from the rain, so that I crept soaking wet back into the tent. The days before were extremely hot and now everything discharged all at once. I cannot remember that I have experienced already once a thunderstorm with such a deep thunder which rolled over the whole sky. We sat both in our tent and held on the middle pole of our tent, because the storm still tore with partial hurricane-like gusts our tent. The storm lasted about 1 hour and then moved east. The next morning everything was peaceful again and quiet. We were woken up only when a shepherd with his mixed sheep pigherd passed us.
 
The last kilometres to Mohacs, in order to join the TID (Tour International Danubien) with the canoe , we cycled in spite of wind and mountains in record time (18th cut). Here the shock met us first of all. More than hundred canoeists were "packed together" here on narrow room (protected by houses and a wall that has not got the thunderstorm, however, so strongly). After 8 weeks of lonesome camp sites no refreshing sight! We consoled ourselves with a serving of apple pancakes and feared that we would not stand it long in such a big team. After the border control next morning we went as one of the first boats to water. However, on the 47 km we were overtaken by a boat after to others. In particular the last 10 km were very strenuous for Nadine and therefore also for me.
 

I

BOOKLET

available for

DONATION!

50pages, 80 b/w photos, background infos, stories, ...

Just send your donation to our

Pay Pal account: nadinepuschkasch@yahoo.de

and email us your post address and we´ll send it to you.
 
 

Like to place your Ad here?

Just e-mail to:

martinlunz@yahoo.de
 
 

You liked our website and like to contribute?

Our Pay Pal account is: nadinepuschkasch@yahoo.de