[15/02/03~19 (D+1268)]Β
The ferry which departed at 6 pm at the last night from Sweden was arriving at Gdansk port. I was excited to discover a new country.
When I was thinking of a new country, it was time to take my bicycle to a new land.
First of all I made a picture to celebrate about coming to a new country.
It was just morning, so I felt I had lots of time. I went to the park around the port.
I didnβt think the bird got injured at the neck. Maybe it could be registration number.
Even on the feet..
Their head looked the heart.
Once I entered to the city, I went to ATM to take local money. Poland is in Schengen Area, but they use their own money. I withdrew 200$. I thought it would be enough for two weeks in Poland.
No poop on the public place! haha
When I arrived in the old town, it got dark. What did I do whole day?
I went to the hostel I found on online. The staff gave me whole room for 7$ because it was slow season and he was kind.
I bought some Polish beer. The right beer was my favorite one. I didnβt buy it often, because it was more expensive than other one.
I bought Kebab Sandwich around the old town. It was only 12 zloty (3.3$). I had stayed over three months in Scandinavia, so it looked too cheap. The sandwitch was super big and very tasty.
Later when I went to the old town again, I visited information center. I was curious about Poland. So, I asked the worker gently if someone worked at super market or restaurant in Poland, how much they could get per month. He told me it could be around 200~300 Euros. (Something like around 400$)
I guessed that 12 zloty could be not cheap price comparing to the salary.
The worker from the hostel asked me to teach Korean because he would visit Korea for two weeks at the next month. So I downloaded some Korean letter and showed him to teach how to write. It was interesting that why he needed to study for a vacation. He liked to watch Korean movie and song on Youtube. He said he used to live in Thailand for two years.
After few days there was snow on the city.
The river at the old town
There were jewelry shops at some street, which looked beautiful.
Some old ruins..
There was lots of snowing one night. I had thought there would be no more snow. But my expectation went wrong. Still I was seeing the snow.
I had to install the lock I bought at Sweden.
I was very confused to install. Even I researched on online to find out.
Before I bought it, I thought that there would be some special tool. After installing I was disappointed about the lock. If somebody unscrew and take the wheel or break all spoke and push, my bicycle could be gone easily.
The video of installing
The reason I arrived late at the first day in Gdansk was to buy sports towel in Decathlon which is very cheap shop for sports gear in Europe. I forgot my old towel in Sweden after drying. I used that towel over four years, so I thought it was enough.
I love this towel so much. It could be dry very quickly and it could be much smaller than other normal towel.
The video of Gdansk
I really liked to use the room alone, but soundproof was too poor to stand sometimes. The worker in the hostel was so kind. But when he turned the music or TV show, I also had to hear together because of poor soundproof. At the last day there was a few Finnish travelers. They sang until 10 pm. I must be sure that they were not a singer or were practicing singing.
I heard from other European that Finnish is quiet. But some of Fnnish I met was opposite of that reputation.
Anyway it was very cheap hostel and I had my own room, so I could not complain.
I went to the road again to cycle. The traffic sign looked like a robot.
I was usually curious to see this kind of factory. My question was how they started, what they made, and how much money they could make.
Iβve seen often the sign at the right one which might mean be careful the children playing. But it doesnβt look children, but actually devil.
As cycling, it was not much cold at the day time, but there was frozen water at the side.
There were some unique houses along the road. Some architecture in Poland looked similar to German one.
The sun going down
So, I put the sun into my bag to see tomorrow.
If I could go a little bit more, I would reach to my destination soon. The light I bought worked fine.
Today the city I would arrive was Malbork. The weather was very good that the lake was so calm to take the reflection of the castle.
Me with the castle
I had stayed with the local people Iβve arranged on Couch Surfing for two nights. At the second day Iβve visited the castle.
Malbork Castle is World Heritage Site. Its main purpose was to strengthen their own control of the area following the Order’s 1274 suppression of the Great Prussian Uprising of the Baltic tribes.
(Entrance fee in the winter 21.5 zloty-6$ / in the summer 43 zloty -12$ )
This was an old toilet of the castle, but Iβve used this one in Latvia and Russia. It is still used.
The ceiling color was like an envelope of the post card.
Audio guide was included of the entrance fee, so I could tour with detail explanation.
This place was ‘The summer refectory’
The castle was quite big that it took a bit more time to visit every room. It is said that itΒ is the largest castle in the world by surface area.
(Iβve been the castle of Carcassone in France and Dubrovnik in Croatia which was also big and famous one. But I didnβt get the impression of the biggest castle in the world from Malbork castle.)
There was exhibition of the arm.
hx
Some part was under the construction.
I thought this kind of stair was common in Europe.
Once I got into the kitchen, I became super hungry.
Dining room.
The place was to wash before having meal.
Chapel
It was slow season, so I could look around quietly.
Malbork Castle
My host, Grzegorz, was a conductor. It was very interesting to hear many things from him because his character was very unique. He taught music in the college and played organ in the church.
It was my first time to be invited up here. There were so many buttons and he played with those buttons. So, it was very interesting time. He liked Hello Kitty that he put at the end of Piano.
I cycled on a small road at the next day. I started having cold with the neck. The house of bees looked so pretty.
I liked the quiet road.
But few parts were unpaved road.
This winter was really hard as cycling with coldness, so some part was broken. Front back had a crack. But after this picture, I used strong glue. So now it is okay.
Another problem was 6 buckles were broken because of too cold weather. I could not close front bags now because it was seriously broken.
Iβve asked to the company of the bag to get extra part.
Another problem was the upper part of the rear bag was tore. I used duct tape and strong glue, but none of them work.
I could see the winter was almost finished.
Todayβs sun was again going down. The temperature was not much cold compared to Finland, but I felt colder. In my experience, at this kind of temperature, I could feel much colder. There was also some snow, so I didnβt want to sleep at the outside.
I asked many times people to get permit to pitch my tent at their garage, but everybody denied. Yeah⦠Finnish was abnormal and Polish was normal. Finnish was too hospital to deny my asking. Polish was too normal to accept my asking.
When I talked about Finnish hospitality, some people had told me, because of coldness I was invited every time easily. But I didnβt think like that. Look tonight was harder condition as well, but I was not invited easily. Just Finnish hospitality culture was so unique. I missed Finnish, but I must forget about it for now because I was in Poland.
After standing at the coldness air for a while, I was invited from some local house finally.
The crown which I got in Mexico three years ago was broken when I ate caramel at the night. One month ago the crown was just little bit broken but I ignored it. Now I lost whole crown. I would go to the dentist in Ukraine which might be cheaper.
The temperature was much colder in the morning.
When I reached to some city, there was some tank at the house. Maybe that was not residentβs house. But anyway it looked weird.
I just came from the northern Europe, so the restaurant looked very cheap. It was only 4$ with drinking.
It was really hard to find the place to pitch my tent. I found some hotel, but it was over 30$ although it looked old. So I just turned around and kept cycling.
The red light I bought worked well. But it was hard to install to make right way because of many luggage. Actually the light was only strong when I put a new battery. After a while, it became weaker.
Later I put my tent at somebody garage after asking.
At the next day it was a bit raining.
Some interesting street lamp around Warsaw
Around sunset I reached to the city.
Letβs cheer up with smiling to keep going.
Warsaw was the capital of Poland, so it took more time to get into hostβs house. I was already at the half of Poland. If I went half more, then I would reach Ukraine. I was just curious when I would reach to the spring.
[15/02/03~19 (D+1268)] Finally I was heading to the south
Those rings in legs are for controlling and evaluating numbers of migrating birds and the most common method on how birds (or rather the only possible way aside from constant satellite and radio tracking) are tracked in the wild.
Anyway those bird rings contain information such as birth place (they are ringed while still young in the nest) and date, so if they are found anywhere in the world then ornithologists know how far the bird has migrated.
Some birds such as swallows migrate each year 10 000 km’s from Africa to Finland and back and tracking their migration route has been solely found out because of bird ringing.
Some stuff about bird ringing:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird_ringing
Also Shengen-treaty and Euro zone are completely separate institutions and some EU-countries such as Britain haven’t ratified neither of the treaties.
Oops… that ring was for tracking…
How it would be if someone put the ring on my leg forever….
Maybe it could be like wedding ring on a finger..? haha…
Thank you for interesting info!
Glad to know you’re still out there pedaling – you’re amazing and inspiring!
Glad to know you’re still out there following me! You are making me keep going! Thanks π
Greetings from Milos from Nis, Serbia. Your blog is super sincere, interesting, funny and informative. I learned a lot about bike travel from it. Another Korean girl cyclist asked me for host on ws and she told it seems you are now famous in Korean cyclists π Enjoy your beers and travels, cheers
Hey my friend Milos!!
I think I am not a famous in Korea. Just some cyclist would google and find me easily because there are not many Korean cyclists traveling. Enjoy hot summer with great Serbia beer!
Take care,
Jin
“Also Shengen-treaty and Euro zone are completely separate institutions and some EU-countries such as Britain havenβt ratified neither of the treaties.”
Yes, but this doesn’t apply to new EU members anymore (who joined after 1995). All new EU members are obliged to join euro and Schengen, it’s that Poland postpones decision to convert to euro. Technically it can postpone this to infinity, nobody is going to punish Poland for this.
Thank you for another interesting info. I think to use euro is a bit risky…
Dear Jin, Good to see you in this journal after a long long time. Believe me I check the journal on daily basis and when I do not find a new update, I get depressed. I think you are in Poland for the second time. Do you still have charm to see a country again. The pictures and places are superb.
These days I am planning for Europe. As I have planned, I shall land in Itly and shall travel to north towards Holland, then I shall go to France. If I found appropriate, I may go towards Spain and come back from Madrid. Lets see how quickly it materializes.
I wonder, you have not still entered in UK. Please make more and more posts in this regard. and how about Turkey? When and from where you plan to enter Asia? Awaiting your response.
Dear Ahmed,
I am sorry that I could not update often. It sounds you are traveling quite often in the world. I didn’t go to UK because of a long distance. Turkey is very hot now and I am burning. hahaha. I think Turkey is in Asia so I am in Asia π
I hope you have a good time in Europe π
Jin
Your blog is so fantastic, your drive and willingness to keep going is inspiring. Keep pedalling and enjoying your travels. I hope you eventually come to Bristol, UK!
Hello Luke,
Thank you for your comment. I will go to UK one day π
Thanks!
Jin
You are alive! Many others are now already dead! Keep living!
You are alive too!! Good for us! Let’s keep living on this beautiful earth π
I want more posts when you’re in Turkey, watch out for their man, not exactly polite when it comes to foreign women there by themselves.
4 more journals to get Turkey! lol
Turkey is big that people from some area is harassing me and some area is okay. I will see π
Thanks!