Day 31

17/09/2011 – Day 31

Bratislava to Vel’ké Kosihy – 95km

We left the hostel at 9am and rode back through the city centre to the bridge we had entered on two days ago picking up the route as it ran under the bridge. This section is on the road but apart from a bus and a few trucks there was little traffic. The main problem we are going to have now is the lack of sign posts; you need to be on your toes from now on and keep the map handy at all times.

The first section is along a well-used cycle path where there is a lot of other cyclist, roller bladders and walkers. There is a dedicated path for cycles which is generally clear and you can get a good speed along here. It looks like it was once the main road but has now been replaced by a newer, bigger road.

At the end of this section you have to cross a barrier where the river and the ship canal separate. The road over the barrier is closed to bikes but the only other option is to use a very narrow foot path which is fenced in on both sides. Watching other cyclists, most of them just use the road and ignore the signs.

By taking the route across the barrier you are opting to stay on the Slovakian side of the border, if you take the other route on the south bank you enter Hungary very quickly. We chose to stay in Slovakia purely because the Euro is in use there, and it is a bit shorter.

Now we are on the top of the dyke in the full force of the head wind that will blow all day, but having said that we were still flying along keeping up an average speed of 22km/h without even trying. Along this dyke the river stretches out in front of you for ever, it is hard to imagine that this is just a river. The other thing you notice is that the water level is well above the level of the road next to you. When we stopped for lunch the river level is even above roof level of the houses around you.

Crossing the river on another barrage at Gabčikovo we decided to have a look in the town for somewhere to buy our dinner for tonight. As you enter the town on an arrow straight road you are greeted with a sign for Tesco. As a result all the little shops are closed and we left again after a quick coffee.

Back on route we are high up on the dyke again alongside the canal and it is not until Sap that the river comes back to join us. By now the border is in the centre of the river and we can see Hungary on the other bank although most of the people on this side speak Hungarian not Slovakian!

At Medved’ov we finally find a small shop and buy the things we need. At this point the route comes off the dyke and follows the road through small villages but still parallel to the river. Again there are no signs and it is down to knowing where you are going next and following the road signs. The roads are very quiet and there is minimal traffic which makes it a pleasant ride in the afternoon sun.

At Vel’ké Kosihy, which happens to be the middle point of the 3^rd guide book between Vienna and Budapest, we decide it is time to look for somewhere to spend the night and stop for a beer to look at our options. The guide book mentions no accommodation here and it is another 20km before they list anything, but as we enter the village we spot a ‘zimmer frie’ room free sign and it is about 50m after the bar.

After the beer we cycle the short hop to the house and meet the owners as they are coming out. Now we enter into a surreal conversation with the landlady as she speaks to us in Slovakian and we reply with fix phrases we have written down from the internet. But we manage to understand each other and take the room. However it does not stop there, while we unpack the bikes she offers us a beer, expecting her to already have it in the house we accept, only to see her nip down to the bar to buy some for us. As we sit outside to drink it she asks at what time we would like dinner! This is a first, we asked for bed and breakfast and she offers an evening meal as well, all for 20€ each.

The food is exactly what she was cooking for the family dinner, we just got pot luck but it was good and there was enough for three. She had cooked some little bread rolls with cheese in them, and they were good! While we ate she and M chatted with the aide of Google translate again which was fun and it worked, she though it was great to be able to type in a question and get it back in another language.

She tell us about all the people who have stayed here this year, a small village in Slovakia and the world passes her front door, people from every continent have passed through!