Across the border into Hungary: To Retsag

August 27, 2015

The day started off nicely. The ride down 51 was indeed down, losing elevation and going through picturesque small towns.

There were some flat sections, and some brief uphill so that I couldn't coast the whole way, but the road aimed between the hills, rather than directly over them, so it was good.

So...all Slovakian cycle routes are marked C. It's the color that distinguishes them.

I had been nervous about joining the E77, but it was still a lightly travelled 2 lane road. It was initially pretty flat. But the day was getting hot, and I found the few small climbs challenging.

I reached the border with Hungary, and stopped for some pictures.

I also changed some money, and now need to adjust my thinking to Hungarian Forints.

Past the border, the bit of shoulder that had been present in Slovakia disappeared. The climbs became more challenging, and I wilted in the heat. I stopped at an ice cream stand in a small town. After I finished my cone, I ordered another one! I thought I had cooled off, but the road was rising quickly, and when I came to a little shop less than a mile down the road, I stopped for a cold drink.

I continued to struggle after that, and at the junction with 22 the traffic became heavy. I was ready to call it a day, and stopped in the town of Retsag when I saw a place advertising rooms.

I'm at the Zulu Cafe, in a room over th restaurant. It has been an interesting experience. When I got into the room and closed the door, I couldn't get out again. I ended up climbing out the window onto the roof and calling to the waitress. It turns out the door can be opened from the outside but not the inside. The door handle is broken on the inside so it doesn't release the latch. So far, there have been 3 unsuccessful attempts to fix it. I'm not sure whether it will be fixed tonight or if I'll sleep with the door open. There is a washing machine in my room. It was washing something when I got into the room. I asked if I could use it, and was told no. I shouldn't have asked, but was thinking about what to do with the items in it. The room also is set up with AC, but that isn't available to me either. Not the best accommodation, but it was there when I needed it.

Today's ride: 81 km (50 miles)
Total: 1,727 km (1,072 miles)

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