KLepo was (t)here!

So I am officially changing the route, I am taking the shortest path to the border. Most of the day I will spend walking the Route of Maria Czeczi - gravel roads across or on the edge of forests.

Couple of times I get lost, loosing the path despite very good marking, but I am always back on track within few minutes. The road is more or less the same the whole day - through leaf forests, following edges of forests where it meets with fields, nothing really demanding, a very easy day it looks like, but still nice views - good for getting back into shape. Also one part of walking the road, but pretty acceptable.

Before Vysne Zahorany I run out of water and with a dry mouth ask locals for some. This is the village where I am supposed to part with the Route of Maria Czeczi and head for the village of Velky Blh. I meet some local guys at the pub and get into a talk over beer. They promise to show me a shortcut if I have a few smokes (fun stuff) with them. When we finally move its nearly 7 pm. After a while I find out that their “shortcut” is actually the same length as the normal road thus at least another 1,5 hrs await me! I skip the smokes, let them explain me (couple of times) the road and go… and get lost immediately. You know if You meet a “visual” (learning style) guy like me, it doesnt really help him to explain the road, he needs markings and directions and stuff, not just words

But they have shown me the direction I am heading (”You have to go that way!”), so as I try to keep walking that way, first on the road in forest, than on the path in the forest, than between the trees in the forest. No markings, sun is starting to set and I have only a vague idea of which way to go. After like half an hour of walking (I think I can see road down there, it must be the one they talked about…. walk walk walk, crap its not road), part even steeply down the hill, I again realize that I am lost. Nearly dark, no clue where am I, its time for the good old - lets go back where You came from! Well the difficult part is that there are dozens of smaller or bigger paths crossing in the forest, so what do I do? Well follow the light So heading for the flickering of the setting sun I go. On the way I even bump into a hunters post that I saw on the way before and even climb up and think if to stay there for the night. But the idea of walking-by bears doesnt make me feel too comfortable, caution wins over feeling of “lets have an adventure” and I keep on staggering to the edge of the woods.

At the end I am in a half gallop, tripping on fallen branches, but I do get out of the trees… to find myself close to a lonely house with random cows and an electrically charged fence to keep the cows in. After a little walking around to avoid an uninvited shot of energy I pass by the house with barking dogs and go to the field above it. From there I see that I am less than 1 km away from the village I started from more than an hour ago - Vysne Zahorany… but first I need to get through a wheat field, muddy spring, grass and a corn field. So I start going… sadly I find out that it was not a normal grass, but sting-grass and with my arms itching and in pitch dark I arrive to the village. A surprised local meets me (he saw me leaving more than hour ago) and suggests that I sleep in the hay storage few meters away. The guy is very helpful (brings me water and offers help), too helpful, so I rather put my money in my sleeping bag

To finish up the day I suddenly wake up because I can hear some strange noises close to me… Dog? Too small. Cat? Still too small. Rat? Crap, might be. I make a random go-away sound and take a flashlight… to find out its a hedgehog who decided to sleep less than 2 meters away from me. After I made him twice blind with my photocamera he got pissed off and left