Monday, June 8, 2009

5 June 2009 Prague, Czech Republic

I believe today is my parent's 63rd wedding anniversary. I got up, took a shower and discovered I had been bitten in the back of my calf and whatever bit me left about a ½ inch diameter welt. I ate my breakfast, loaded my bike and then Ron guided me back to the Autobahn. Once I got there I oiled my chain and planned my route into the Czech Republic. I hit the Autobahn on the run and stayed on it all day. The temperature to was mostly 55 to 60 degrees and my nose was running all day in a full face helmet where you can’t wipe it. I stopped in a way stop and bought some gas and a tour bus pulled up. The driver opened the door and the retired people came flying out both doors like a herd of cattle. The women took off running to the bathroom and the guys ducked behind the nearest shrubbery to relieve themselves. Later when the serious business was done they came over and talked to me. One guy could speak some English and the rest didn’t so he acted as interpreter. The rest listened very carefully. When the English speaking guy’s wife came back from the toilet she took over as interpreter and filled in the cracks that her husband didn’t understand. They left a little happier because they met an American motorcyclist riding around the world. Later they told me they were from Stuttgart, Germany. One guy said he had worked 50 years in his job. Everybody smoked. I bet 90 percent of the people smoked on that bus. I’m sure they were kids during WWII. One guy kind of acted like he didn’t like me. He still shook my hand. The semi-truck/lorry traffic was very heavy today. I mean heavy, and the fast lane was running probably 120 mph. You had to check the fast lane before you passed anybody because the fast movers were on top of you in a second. I mean fast. Once I turned east, 75 percent of the car and truck traffic went away. I was about twenty miles outside of Prague, Czech Republic and stopped in to have a bite to eat at McDonalds. Yep, the very same. After eating I walked outside to my motorcycle and the guy in the RV next to me started talking to me in fairly good English. He also had a funny little Eddie Dog a (Jack Russell). You just never know when someone will walk up and just start talking to you. Anyway, he told me he was a Harley-Davidson owner and I showed him my 1941 H-D chopper. He liked it. He told me he belonged to a motorcycle club called the Vipers Czech MC. We talked a bit more and he gave me his name and address and said if I need any help in the Slovak Republic give him a call. I almost bet if I showed up on his doorstep I could sleep over. So we parted ways and I started looking for a campground for the night. I actually found one quite easily. Ever since Peter fixed Matilda she has been very helpful especially if you miss an exit off the Autobahn or finding lodging for the night. I’m camping somewhere near Prague. The route I took today started at Nurnberg, Germany Autobahn A3, then I picked up A6 to the Czech Republic. The road then turned into D5 to Plzen and I stopped for the night in Prague. I had been checking along the way for a Czech Republic map and only then did I find out they don’t use the Euro but still use their national currency the Korun Ceskych. I don’t even know how to pronounce it. Maybe tomorrow I’ll be in the Slovak Republic. It’s going to be cold one tonight with a heavy dripping dew. There’s band playing probably 300 meters away. The music is not that bad. At first I thought they only knew one song and one beat. It improved as the night progressed.

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