1999 Biking East Europe

Tuesday, September 21 – Budejovice, Czech Rep – Vystaviste, 500Kc
Distance cycled: 3.3 – Maximum speed: 20 – Average speed: 11

We are in Ceske Budejovice. We arrived here at about 10h00 in fact having travelled in from Votice in a Mazda panel van – a type not found in South Africa. We awoke to the first rains we have had since landing at Vie International. Our proprietor arrived as promised to make us too-strong grainy coffee and transport us back to his house and our bikes tethered in his garage. We decided this morning – due in part to the weather, our tiredness and the very busy road – to hitch to Tabor and then cycle to Budejovice. We literally stopped on the on/off ramp to Votice/Tabor, stuck out a thumb and got a ride in the Mazda. With a sexy man who spoken broken English and shared our bar of chocolate with polite enjoyment. Who, after asking where we were staying in Tabor, and ascertaining we were in fact going on to Budejovice, said he was en route to Budejovice and could take us all the way if we liked. An irresistible offer as the rain really began to bucket down soon after he had loaded us and our bikes into his van.

The road here from Tabor would have been doable terrain-wise, but rather nerve-wracking as the traffic is plentiful and fast moving and the narrow shoulder inconsistent. Our driver said the roads in the Czech Republic were not made for cyclists as the traffic was ‘strong’ and we could clearly see the journey here would have been fraught. It is interesting that drivers move much faster here than in the other countries we have visited. No doubt a result of better cars, better roads and perhaps more places to go and more things to do. A country and a people on the move. I asked our driver (who imports carpentry tools from Israel for sale and service here) how the economy was doing. He said it had been ‘flat’ for some time but that he had just heard on the radio that it was now growing slightly. He added that as a result ‘they’ wanted to spend a lot of money over the next year! ‘They’ seem to be the same world-wide.

We fell in love with Budejovice on arrival at the main square – which takes up more space than a city block and is surrounded by beautiful contiguous buildings in pastel colours. And decided to stay for three nights. We found, through the well-organised Tourist Information which actually had a file of places to stay with photographs and descriptions and prices, a double room at Penzion Vystaviste for 500Kc per night and cycled here through the still dripping rain to sleep for awhile.

And basically had a totally lazy day thereafter, just wandering the streets, window-shopping, eating, and popping into the local Internet café to send the following email home:

Hi there

We are in Ceske Budejovice, the home of Budweiser beer. Experiencing our first day of rain since we left Vienna. We hitched here this morning from Votice 30kms north of Tabor – bikes and all. The town square here is stunning – pastel buildings like ceramic toys around a huge cobblestone square. With a bell tower that chimes the hour in unusual fashion. Prague was absolutely beautiful and we seriouslz considered spending the rest of our time there – but are equallz pleased to be here. The computer on which we are tzping this has Zs where we expect to find Ys and some other unexpected attributes – no time to change errors so please forgive the unusual spelling. The Cyech Republic is considerablz advanced in comparison to the other three countries we have visited. Better roads and cars, much more economic activitz, more varietz of e.g. breads. Had some of our best czcling in northern Romania around the churches of Bucovina – painted both inside and out some 600 zears ago – and through the Maramures vallez which we czcled on an Orthodox public holidaz encountering locals lolling about on benches in the sunshine in traditional garb and where we visited the wooden churches for which the vallez is known including one dating from about 1350. We have done about 560kms bz bike to date – less than we thought we would. We completelz dismantled our bikes and wrapped them in plastic bought from a watermelon salesman for the journez bz train from Romania through Hungarz and Slovakia to Prague. Encountered some raised ezebrows and one troublemaker who backed off when Charl spoke onlz Afrikaans to him and arrived in Prague without having to paz another bribe. From Prague we visited Kutna Hora and its macabre ossuarz in which the bones of 40 000 people have been arranged – a coat of arms, a chandelier created from everz bone in the bodz, bells and skulls strung like Xmas decorations. Totallz biyarre. In Prague everz street contains elaborate buildings with frescoes and statues and decorations – a photographer§s paradise. We will spend three nights here having a holidaz from our holidaz. Won§t write again but will see zou on Sundaz.

Love Gail and Charl

Budejovice is a medieval town founded in 1265 (though much was rebuilt in the baroque style after a fire in 1641) and is the regional capital of South Bohemia. The dorp is famous for high-quality Koh-i-Noor pencils made here (!), but more so as the original home of Budvar (Budweiser) beer.

Looking forward to a relaxed and relaxing few days.