I woke to the sound of heavy rain and thunder. Peering out of my bedroom window the sky looked apocalyptic and it looked like it was still night. I reluctantly got my stuff together and went down for breakfast.
No more than a minute after I’d left the hotel the rain came down even heavier. I darted into the doorway of a shop and stayed there for a good three quarters of an hour before the rain had slowed from torrential downpour to just downpour. I couldn’t stay in that shop front all day, I had to get a move on.
The original plan was to cycle north to Poland’s answer to the Lake District. Although the rain was so bad I could hardly see a few kilometres ahead of me, so I knocked this idea on the head and carried on towards Augustow on the 61.
I stopped in a layby a few hours later to rinse out my socks and the insoles of my shoes. This was not pleasant riding. My t-shirt had also got went under my jacket somehow. I had to keep moving just to stay warm.
Eventually it stopped raining and brightened up. I was only 30km away from Augustow at this point. I wanted to go a little further so the ride to Kuanas would be less. So when I reach Augustow I carried on another 30km to Suwalki.
At Suwalki there was a campsite signposted. It looked nice but said it was private and there weren’t many people around. So I booked myself into yet another hotel. At least they are relatively cheap out here.