In the morning, with the promise of blue skies and zero rain, we made our way to the bike parked across the street in the carpark. Melanie has been the perfect Sherpa. She has also told me not to get used to it. All of our heavy luggage has been toted up and down stairs and across roads by her. I don’t like it. She is strong, but I don’t want her hurt. I will give my injury until the Overland Event to show positive signs of improvement. If it doesn’t, we’ll have to end this trip.
We would be taking the next three or four days to ride towards Heathrow. Riding the motorcycle doesn’t bother me too much. It’s everything else you do while traveling that bothers it. We will take breaks for stretching. We will also be staying in hotels right now. In a couple days we’ll be catching a flight to Warsaw to see our good friend Kinga Tanajewska for a few days in Suwalki, Poland. This should give my injury more time to heal.
Arriving in Warsaw we were greeted by Kinga and her sister, Ula. We would be staying with Ula for the night. The next morning we went into town for lunch before taking an afternoon train to Suwalki. Kinga’s father met us at the airport. He drove us to their home where her Mom had prepared a wonderful light meal and a delicious home made desert with berries from their garden.
The next day was a day to relax out by the pool and catch some sun. The garden at their home is beautiful. Flowers of all colors mix with berry bushes and fruit trees. An aviary with colorful peacocks and a goldfish pond mix in with the green areas. Very relaxing.
There was a motocamp just outside of town that we went to spend the night at. It was called Baza Turystyczna i Kemping Malesowizna MICHAŁ KAPUŚCIŃSKI. It was a slow night so there weren’t many people there. They had built a cool building just for the moto camp. On one wall was a mural. The colors were a brilliant mix of reds, oranges, greens and blues. A gnome with a serious expression looked out at you. He head was covered by a grey hat, bent in several places, angled to the side. He was surrounded by a colorful group of tall mushrooms. Behind him an arched bridge was visible. The background is a grouping of tall trees, shadows from the dark forest. To the right of a central wood burning heater was an owl. Menacing eyes looked out from the robe cloaked feathered body. Across the room, a bar. A welcoming area to have a drink in the presence of like minded motorcycle riders. All different, but one commonality binding them together. The brotherhood of riding. As the sun set, a campfire was built. We cooked Kielbasa over the fire and ate fresh cucumber that had been pickled. A bright red moon rose in the east and an asteroid show kept us mesmerized.
Over the weekend we would be going to the 15th anniversary rally of the local Suwalki bike club. Kinga has known these riders from when she first started riding. The rally would be held in the forest at a scout camp. Since we would not be riding, a good friend, Gonzo, came to the house to pick us and all our camping gear up. He was also driving to the rally. At check-in we were handed a bottle of wine. I was warned not to drink it as it was poison. It wasn’t really. Just very cheap wine. Of course I had to try a couple cups full. It was fruity and not too bad. But it was the immediate shots of flavored whiskey we were offered, as we were setting up the tents, that set the stage for the next couple days.
The camp was set on a hillside sloping down to a large lake. We elected to set up our camp near the lake at the bottom of the hill. About midway down the hill was a large covered stage area, a fire pit surrounded by log benches and large canvas tents with cots. Mixed in everywhere were motorcycles and camping tents. Black vests and patches were the proper attire. I felt slightly out of place without my vest. But my tattoos fit in nicely. Both nights had two bands playing. Hard rock was the theme with one early band that was appropriate for dancing. It featured a girl with a fantastic voice playing a violin. By Sunday the bikers were pretty much partied out. There were some sore heads that morning.
On the second day of the rally we went exploring. With Kinga and Gonzo as our guides, we drove back dirt road towards the Russian/Lithuanian border. This spot is where the three border come together. First off was the bridge to nowhere. A beautiful arched railroad bridge was constructed but never connected to anything. It has since become a tourist destination in northern Poland. The Point where the three borders come together was interesting. A little strange to be so close to the Russian border, but that was really only because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A small obelisk marks the spot, surrounded by barbed wire. In the car park was also a signpost.
We returned to Suwalki for a rest day before taking the train and plane back to pick up our motorcycle in London. Hopefully the rest days were enough. I am already at half doses on the pain medication. We will make up our minds by the Overland Event as to if we continue on riding east across Europe or head back to the states to recover. Fingers crossed…
Cheers,
2WANDRRs
2WANDRRs 
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