At the end of my 8th day on the road, I’m hiding from the rain. Drying my soaking tent in a hotel room at the lower end of the price spectrum just on the outskirts of Magdeburg. It’s clean, quiet and warm, so I’m happy.
The first week on the road has been and gone. The ferry ride from Newcastle to Amsterdam was an easy start and the flatlands and gritted cycle paths of The Netherlands and West Germany helped me on my way to getting used to the bike and the touring lifestyle.
Carrying a lot of weight is not something I am used to on a bike, so daily mileages are becoming less important and slowing down seems to be the way. (Not that I have a choice to go any faster). Maybe a re-think of what I actually need to carry with me is in order.
Staying with my first Warmshowers hosts of the trip was more than I could have wished for. Carsten and Franziska in Hannover were the perfect hosts, showing me a great local pizza place, bar and giving me some local routes to take the quiet way out of the city. Thanks again and best of luck planning for your big tour!
The weather has been a complete cocktail. Snow, rain, hail, sleet, sun, wind and today some blue sky. Not camping as much as I would have liked to in the first week is easing me into the tour, but the first wild camp last night sorted that out.
With a clear day yesterday I scoured out a wooded area up a small hill on my map and headed for it with the intention of finding somewhere quiet to pitch my tent.
Turning off the main road, a woman driving past, looked at me quizzically. Why did I sense that she knew I was going to the hills to camp. It will have just been me overthinking, but you never know.
After a mile or so, I pulled off the gravel track and into the forest, where I thought I was hidden with no one around. Sure enough as soon as I started to put my tent up 2 Horse riders came past, but I’m sure they didn’t see me.
Tent up at 6pm or so, I climb into my sleeping bag and that is me for the night. I have camped outside plenty of times, but my mind still comes up with crazy scenarios of what that branch cracking or leaf falling actually is. I’m sure that sounds like a person, or a wolf, it’s definitely a wolf, no it’s a bear, definitely!
Surviving the certain bear attack, (leaf falling), I made it through the night. Of course I did, how thin tent walls can conjure outrageous outside tent scenarios still amazes me. Although I’m sure I didn’t dream the people riding horses on the track at 3.30am.
One post can’t give all the details of the first week, but that gives a pretty good outline. Now into the second week. Reaching Berlin and staying with an old work friend, then the journey south begins.
Jordan Matthews 