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| After the Storm |
Because we were dead, we needed a rest day and then the
weather forecast said it was going to rain the day after that, so we decided to
have two rest days. Tourists in Kosice, then we used the bus to get back to the
starting point. In the end we stayed in Kosice for four nights and used the
most excellent local bus network to facilitate our walk. We walk faster without rucksacks, but stop
more often it seems. Taking time to smell the roses. But as we go faster, we
sweat more so we smell just the same. Our apologies to any Eastern Slovak bus
passengers effected.
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| Kloptan |
The bus ride to back Stos Kupele was unremarkable. We spat
when we got off, just to register our ongoing disgust, then set off. The rain
had finished. Or our weather site had said so. Beautiful sunshine for the
foreseeable future – it said. Unfortunately, no-one had told the storm that is
was supposed to be somewhere else. Maybe it missed the bus or the memo. But
either way it pissed down on us all morning. So, while I am sure it was beautiful,
all we saw, through the rain was the sodden rain soaked muddy ground in front
of us. No conversation, no jokes, no photo opportunities – just rain by the
bath full.
We are still debating the waterproofness of our waterproofs–
rain or sweat, a tricky question. We will do a controlled test in the shower at
home.
I think the rain was punishment for spitting!
By lunch time and the peak at Kloptan the sun had appeared –
a new location for the storm had been found. So we stripped off, hung our wets
in the wind and had lunch. We hadn’t seen any other walkers for days, so little
chance of being disturbed. Not that we were indecent – just, let’s say – not necessarily
fashionably attired.
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| Here they come |
Possibly criminally, we picked, what we guessed were the
last blueberries we would encounter – we are losing altitude every day. So no
more altitude sickness. We also lost the signs, they are bright red and painted
on big trees, but we still mislaid them briefly. However, we had learned our
lesson from previous incidents and didn’t walk too far before sending out scout
parties to find the missing signs. The going was easy and we make good time
while walking. But as is our modus operandi (getting carried away with the
Latin) we stop a lot. Hey, it is supposed to be fun.
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| Just nice |
They say the East is wilder – it may be. But in our experience
it’s definitely longer: 27km, views to view, scenicfulness to scenicful but we
also had the last bus to catch. They don’t run every 20 minutes from Zlata
Idka. So we had to force march a little. I guess things were different when the
gold was coming out of the ground. But now the shop has closed, the pub has
closed: things must be bad. I guess it has become a weekend village. Luckily
this isn’t Wales (cultural reference – look up Burning Welsh Holiday Homes). We
were lucky that there was a bus at all.
Back to Kosice – this walking thing can be hard.
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| The Four of Us |
|
Day 28
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Cumulative
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Distance Walked
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27km
|
612km
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Meters Climbed
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1,545m
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24,978m
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Walking Time
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8:42
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208:28
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General Comment
A quite unexpected shower.
Cheating again.
We have climbed a long day’s walk! Does anyone even read this bit?
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