Logistics and Planning in Poland

Gucio (age 3) riding his scooter bike from the car to his Kindergarten.  The location is set outdoors, with canvas/plastic yurts with rubber floors as classroom, eating, and sleeping space.  Kids spend the majority of their time outside, playing in the woods, climbing trees, digging holes and lounging in hammocks (and an option when you are ready to nap!)  Don't you think everyone should be able to spend their life mostly outside!

Franek (7), Sampson and Jerzyk (10) play Ticket to Ride.  My boys stopped through my Warm Showers host-home in Bialystok, Poland, to check in on me and make a plan.  I would be off the bike for two weeks, better three, said the physician.  Rick, Sampson, Markos and Tarn cycled on the next day.  I will meet them in Krakow (by train) when they get there.

My meds.  An antibiotic to kill the bugs, a good biotic to re-build my body.  A topical antibiotic cream to rub on the wound, and Ichthyol Ointment, a drawing salve to bring out the ooze.  After 7 days of treatment, my bum is feeling amazingly better.  I continue to do hot compresses on it 3x a day to draw out all the yuck.  This baby is going to be gone, baby gone and not come back.

Here is my photo Rick submitted with our visa applications for India.  Rick applied on-line and we received our e-visas for India the next day.  I will print them out and bring them with me when I join the boys in Krakow.  The boys have had continued cold, wet weather, which is typical of Poland this time of year. The Tatras, a significant mountain range, stand between Krakow and Budapest, Hungary, from where we plan to fly to Mumbai, India.  We'll figure out the Tatra crossing (likely train as a family) to get to Budapest.  The Tatras are covered with snow and have been used as a training ground for Polish ice climbers to prepare for climbing the Himalayas...I don't think biking through the Tatras in November is advisable.

And on the road... the boys keep sending me pictures of cake that they buy by weight.  They are pulling long cycle days so I figure, they deserve cake.  This is a very moist apple cake I'm told.

Another poundage of cake and check out Rick's beard.  Sampson, Markos and Tarn have to eat my share...it won't be long and I will be cycling and eating cake also.

And so, life has been different lately.  I am part of a wonderful Polish family.  All members go off to work or school 8:30 to 3:30 and I have the day before me that is all my own.  I would not have planned this type of personal solitude into our year-long journey, but as it has been placed before me, I go with it.  The doc said 2 weeks minimum off my bum (no biking).  Next to the primary purpose of caring for myself (access to a shower, washroom, boiling water, pharmacies and the doctor for the check-up visit) I've made myself useful around the house.  By day three of antibiotics I felt up to getting out of the house.  Of course I had made lists...meals that I would buy ingredients for and based on my returning energy, make.  I've done laundry, cleaned the kitchen, watched chic flicks, worked my way through Sampson's English Language Arts novel, 1984, and been in better contact with my family members through Skype video calls and WhatsApp.  Though I've never been a cell-phone user, Rick bought a SIM Card for my device so that I could keep in contact with him wherever he was and also be able to check in with the boys daily.  Typically I talk or message them before they head out in the morning, during one of their cycling breaks, and at bedtime once they've found a place to camp/stay for the night. Day 10 now and tonight I'm going out with the Polish-only speaking grandparents to a "Hula" performance and then walking to watch the oldest and middle sons at their climbing wall activity - every Thurs night, three stories high and immensely wide, at the local shopping mall.  Rick, Sampson, Markos and Tarn are about 300 km from Krakow and I will meet them there this coming Monday.  To get there I'll navigate the train with my bike and gear beside (not under) me.  It is wonderful to be in the part of Europe where the trains go North/South.  When we were in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania all trains went East/West, to or from Russia.  Nothing heading south.

And so, with all energies forward, this boil will be gone once and for all and I will reunite with my boys to travel as a complete family again.