Days 47-55

Pepper, chilly, paprika,
By many names it's known,
But Kalocsai-Sarkoz in Hungary
Is the true Paprika's home.

Komarom (Hungary) - Kopçevo (Croatia)

Hungary is a country of contrasts: East meets West, rich meets poor, hot meets cold, and perfect signs and newly made cycle paths meet... well, to call them "token gestures" would be generous.

The path or track you are faithfully following can at any time suddenly stop, or become a field, or disappear, or be going the wrong way. You have to constantly scan all around for glimpses of a sign, which could be on the floor, twisted around a lamp post and pointing the wrong way, or hidden by thick overgrowth. They are hard to spot, especially when you have to keep your other eye on the road or you'll end up down a pothole. Add to this 35°heat, few shady spots to stop and even fewer villages, and it makes for a challenging ride.

Esztergom is the town on the Danube Bend - where the river turns south to head through Hungary. The Ezstergom Basilica ranks first among the churches of Hungary and dates back over a thousand years.

We didn't hit Budapest on a national holiday -just my birthday- so it was hot, busy and precarious to cycle around, but interesting non the less.
The "Ruins Bar" section was great to find, derelict buildings made into funky bars...

...another contrast to some of the grand buildings there, especially their Parliament house that was based on the Houses of Parliament building in London.

However, urban camping in the middle of the capital is a noisy affair, and the hot sun shines on the tent from about 4.30am, so sleep can be hard to come by. Better to cross the river on one of the local ferries and find a peaceful spot on the Danube somewhere...

There were campsites, and the ones we found that were still in use were very nice. If not, you could always rely on some kind Germans to let you put your tent up on their terrace!

I'm not sure where this town got it's name, but it certainly summed up the way i felt when we eventually arrived there after an endlessly hot ride...!

There was no doubt this time when we crossed the Hungarian/Croatian border, as there was a proper border crossing, with queues, passport control and surly, gruff officers.
Croatia felt immediately different - the roads are very good, and very quiet. Rundown rural houses are dotted all around, as is an abundance of food growing everywhere. Benches under the shade of trees are in the quiet villages, and the people are very open and friendly.

The camaraderie between cyclists is different here too, as anyone who has made it this far, whichever direction they are headed, knows what others have been through.
Some are cycling to Beijing, some have come from Iran, and some are following the EV 6. Everyone has their own stories to tell...