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John Bickerstaff

John Bickerstaff

melakukan perjalanan di 53 negara Baca selengkapnya
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    • John BickerstaffJohn BickerstaffAnother Balkan Bike Ride

      Piss up & brewery.

      22 Juni, Montenegro ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

      Glancing at the beaches in Budva, things looked busy - the traffic certainly backed that up. The Kotor cable car could go one of two ways - because it's the holidays / Sunday it's rammed or that everyone is at the beach so it's quiet. Negotiated yet more roadworks and the car park seemed fairly quiet - the road leading to it was rammed - clearly people avoiding paying for parking - 1€ an hour to avoid a hike - I'll go with easy and sweat free. No queue for tickets and got a car to myself. Some very steep climbs and great views of the bay. Not sure where everyone is because there were 4 cruise liners in Kotor. God knows how unbearable it would be there - Dubrovnik is bad enough - Kotor is so much smaller. Anyway it would seem they're not at the cable car. It was a really long ride - passed over the serpentine and in fairness it did look a bit hairy. Would've loved it on a bike. They've clearly spent a lot of money on this - some well some not so well. There are some great waymarked paths and some well thought through refreshment locations. Not sure about the Alpine Coaster. The viewpoint for Kotor was spot on. The one for Budva was stretching it a bit - extreme outskirts at best. But for the most part it was nice and peaceful. Depositing the car loomed - had about 90 mins left - didn't seem worth trying to get to Tivat - for one thing it looks way bigger than I remember so probably not better. Also wanted to get the car hire stuff out of the way - missing hun cap was concerning me as was how the deposit would be refunded. On both things she was a little vague yesterday. Ended up having to park round the back - no space. Didn't hang about the car hire guy was with me in a flash. Seemed impressed with how clean it was - only had it for a day - what was he expecting? Had to lug all my stuff to the office for the refund but otherwise all good. Now to getting to the airport - bit sweaty & half way there the car hire guy zipped past querying whether I should've filled it up. Did as I was told to - half full. Turned round and by the time he was back they'd checked & was ok. Quick enough to hassle me but wasn't going to help get the bags to the airport. Greeted with chaos - hoardes of people outside queueing for God knows what. Dumped stuff & had a little look - no Lufthansa listed so must be the other terminal. Phew. Except it was no better there. Managed to get a trolley, quick wash & settle down to wait for the inevitable scrum to check in, if you could get there through the crowds. In fairness check-in was the easy bit, partly because I jumped on the business class lane & pleaded ignorance. Then had to get across the entire terminal to the outsize bags drop off & there was literally no space. Somehow managed to get escorted over there, which was nice. The customs queue was not nice. Epic. There were 6 flights leaving within 30 mins & they had 1 person checking boarding passes and 1 scanner running. Bearing in mind I arrived at the airport around 3 hours before departure it's an indictment that I got to the gate just as boarding started. Utter chaos. But then that has kind of been the theme really.Baca selengkapnya

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    • John BickerstaffJohn BickerstaffAnother Balkan Bike Ride

      Fake Niagara.

      22 Juni, Montenegro ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

      Managed to get sorted and packed pretty smoothly. All being well, a Sunday morning on the Podgorica roads would be calm and free of stress. First port of call in the exploit having a car for the day would be Nijagara Falls - the J is doing a lot of heavy lifting. While visiting a waterfall in June is unlikely to be the most epic what transpired really did let down the name. It was a pleasant enough spot but no falls to speak of. Not a resounding success but not a major detour either. There were 2 other possibles on the list - the Njegos Mausoleum recommended to me on day 1. The other was the Kotor cable car. Doing both required, according to Google, negotiating the Serpentine Road down to Kotor - supposedly the 2nd most dangerous road in Europe. The way things have gone this holiday that felt like tempting providence. So the plan was head towards Njegos instead of taking the short Google route just double back & head through Budva. Bit longer but plenty of time to kill. The road upto Njegos smacked heavily of a serpentine itself - lots of hairpins. But thankfully it didn't seem so busy or at least not much met coming the other way. Had to stop to pay the National Park entry fee which caused a little panic - where's the money. He wasn't arsed. Got to the suggested car park and bizarrely there weren't any cars there. Had followed a car all the way up - they pulled in but were clearly just as confused. The roads being so narrow I couldn't get past. They pushed, as did I & further up was where the cars were - just dumped on the road. Checked that it was ok with someone who'd already parked. All good. And so to the steps - lots of them and a fair few people who were likely to struggle. Not sure if the significance of the guy buried here but I'm guessing significant and probably pre-communism. They picked a belting spot for him. Apparently on a good day Italy is visible - think it was a bit too hazy for that. Still a nice spot. Back down to see what chaos was ensuing. It was getting busier & on the way down far more cars were met. Probably picked a good time. Strategically filled the car - reckoned I would be doing around 80-90 miles which probably equates to about 8-9 litres. Put 10 & should be ok. What wasn't so ok was the traffic on the main road. Stopped at a zipline just outside Budva to get some photos & must have waited 15 mins to get out. And as for going through Budva - pondering whether taking on the 2nd most dangerous road would have been preferable.Baca selengkapnya

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    • John BickerstaffJohn BickerstaffAnother Balkan Bike Ride

      Relax & hike.

      21 Juni, Montenegro ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

      What with illness issues still causing some concern a relatively easy going day was called for. That said at some point, there would have to be a hike to the other side of the city to pick up the car. Google reckoned around 2 hours. Had the bargain hostel breakie & aside from the pointlessness of the cucumber it wasn't half bad - certainly for €4 oh and a pot spicy sauce with the omelette for someone with an iffy stomach. Regroup & explore - not the fastest of paces into town & tried to take in all the shade that was possible. A lot of trees lined the streets so that helped. Quick mooch around the national stadium & then off to the millennium bridge. There was supposed to be a boardwalk along the cliff / river but true to the theme of this week - roadworks. Walked along the other side - the sprinklers were very nice & took in the monument to the Russian Elvis. Apparently he was a bit more political than the real one. A few more bridges and parks including the most beautiful of all Podgorica's parks - just happens to be in front of the Mayor's residence. Too hot so back to cool off. The plan to get the car was to go into town which was half way. Have a late lunch while cooling down again - then push onvia the oldest bridge in the coty. All that went to plan but by the time I got there it hadn't made a scrap of difference. Chilled water helped & ultimately a car with Aircon would also help. Car was a sedan which caused a momentary concern but once the boot was opened and the seats pushed there was plenty of bike space. Car was a little worse wear but the key question is will it get me to the airport. That is all that matters. Took a little jaunt up to an Yugoslav war memorial which has great views of the city. Back to pack the bike...Baca selengkapnya

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    • John BickerstaffJohn BickerstaffAnother Balkan Bike Ride

      Quagmire.

      20 Juni, Montenegro ⋅ 🌙 24 °C

      Apparently the mountains round here are known as The Accursed Mountains. Hmmm. Woke to the sound of rain - the irony. UK has a heatwave & here it's rainy and Mancunian. Stomach felt a bit iffy - brushed it off as overeating from last - being challenged to eat as much as possible. Hmmm. Starting with a 10 mile right from the get go so cool & damp wasn't the worst. What was the worst was getting 8 of the 10 relatively smoothly only to discover the last 2 miles had no road surface to speak of - just hardcore. Not going to puncture - pushed the last 2 & towards the we were talking mud frenzy. Once back on tarmac there sounded like a little rubbing. Looked down to see both brakes caked in mud. Poor bike. Looked as bad as the rider felt - saddle sores had been mitigated somewhat with Compeed & as for the stomach - could be a challenging 40 miles. Downhills were very technical and the road surfaces didn't allow great speed. All very jiggly. Thank god for isolated restaurants and petrol stations. By the time the final climb had been completed & the descent into Podgorica cycling was being done on instinct. And really instinctively cycling shouldn't be happening in 35° heat. Found the hostel - room had Aircon which was good. Need to figure out how to get to the airport when stomach & arse not playing ball. In hindsight probably shouldn't have drank from the spring on that first epic climb yesterday but it was hot & wanted to preserve water supplies. Ah well not as tough as the rest.Baca selengkapnya

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    • John BickerstaffJohn BickerstaffAnother Balkan Bike Ride

      Hairpin hell at a flies pace.

      19 Juni, Montenegro ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

      Always going to be a challenging day but little did I know... Quick breakie mitigated the relative late start. Liked the pancakes. Pretty much from the kick off it was uphill. A mammoth 12 mile drag with 1350m of climbing to a 1800m pass. Needed to be split into chunks and got through the first half ok, though that was the easier half, something which a similarly sadistic Swiss couple confirmed when chatting to them. They were intrigued by Skopje but they weren't keen on cities so probably not a great option for them. Said good lucks and pushed onwards & upwards. All of a sudden it was if the road designers had got bored & thought sod these hairpins - let's just go up. It was at this point the clouds of flies began to congregate & it became clear that my top speed was fly speed. The best that could be done was get your head down & try to ignore. I have newfound sympathy for cows. That said I managed to take out 5 of them. I was reliably informed that the downhill was a belter & so it proved. 30 done by 12.30 - not to shabby & the worst was over. Called for a choc ice break. The little girl filling in for her mum tried to charge 52€. She understood my quizzical look & I understood firstly her panicky cry for help, then the embarrassed look. Even so I was aware that there were other climbs but how bad could they be? It was getting hot & clearly I looked it. On the summit of the next climb I was having a quick photo break - a car stopped & the passenger poked his head out & insisted I have the offered can of Coke. Tried to decline but they insisted - nice touch. Clearly looked like shit. The next climb was a main road so should be more gentle & in some senses it was. The summit loomed but all that could be seen was a tunnel. Ah well just do long as it's short. Sign at the entrance said 1200m - just shy of a mile underground. No option but god it was scary. Thankfully only 1 car passed on my side but even the stuff coming in the opposite direction, was both horrendously noisy & made it really hard to see. On the way down yet more tunnels though nowhere near as long. That's got to be as bad as it gets. Pushed on & ended up on quiet country lanes which were nice until they sort of dried up. Bit of gravel lane turned into much longer ended up in a huge expense of hardcore. Had to guess a route based on the Satnav. The gravel tracks just kept on coming. A minor miracle if there isn't a puncture. And so it proved - just 50m from a proper surfaced road - could've cried. Forced break. Repaired puncture & scouted the route - needed to get across the river to the main road. Never has a mundane concrete bridge been so beautiful. Eventually made it to the hotel - what a relief. Room didn't have Aircon or a fan & 9 hours in 30° heat needs cooling facilities. Was assured that it gets cold at night. The problem is that I was overheating now. Decided to upgrade to the only Aircon room. Lucky it was available.Baca selengkapnya

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    • John BickerstaffJohn BickerstaffAnother Balkan Bike Ride

      Looming mountains & storms.

      18 Juni, Kosovo ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

      As usual first priority was cool down, then clean up. Fair bit of both to do. Early arrival left a window in the schedule. The nearby Rugova Canyon was a mere 3 miles of uphill away. Worth a go. Rather do that than run around trying to find a bike shop. In fairness the peddle without the toe clip is more comfortable - less efficient though. Quick look at the weather forecast to see when would coolest led to a re-evaluation - thunderstorms were likely. Best get going & took the waterproof just in case. Not the hardest of runs and the gorge was very striking. Passed a few swimming spots but it'll be cold. On the way back as Peja loomed into sight there was a riverside promenade which made the route back all the more pleasant. Back just before the heavens opened. Some epic thunder & lightning. Glad I booked in for the hotel restaurant.Baca selengkapnya

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    • John BickerstaffJohn BickerstaffAnother Balkan Bike Ride

      Froggy getting jiggy.

      18 Juni, Kosovo ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

      Breakfast bits had been left out for me & in between eating frantic attempts were made to get the Satnav to locate accurately, all to no avail. Chucked it on the bike & went up to sort bags, hoping things would change when I returned. It did not. Have to go old school(ish) that is get the map on the Satnav & follow it looking out for key features along the way. All the time hoping for it to connect. Thankfully after about 15 mins it did. Even more thankfully as a dual carriageway loomed so did a cycle path. Again not the greatest but away from maniac Kosovan drivers. Hopeful that fairly soon in the route would become more rural and so it proved - just beyond a commuter town's school rush and peace descended. You could hear birds and little else. Along the way there were cuckoos, soaring eagles and frogs getting frisky. Noisy buggers. Also there was an endless supply of war graves. Couldn't help wondering over caved in and abandoned houses. Passed a stony faced woman and daughter coming out of cemetery. Don't know but you wonder. Much of the route ran parallel with a train track - not too much up. This all went smoothly till the last 16 miles. Hit the main road - not the busiest but there were roadworks - diverted traffic on a gravel way & to keep the dust down there were wagons going up & down spraying water. So sprayed all over the bike and me was a dust slurry. Just after the end there was a get out route - marginally longer and flatter. Tried it to be rewarded with a gravel track. Just got off 1 - not doing another. Back up the hill and grin and bear the main road to Peja. God knows what the receptionist made of the sweaty, mud caked man in front of her. Hid it well. Allowed to check in 3 hours early - didn't want me hanging around.Baca selengkapnya

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    • John BickerstaffJohn BickerstaffAnother Balkan Bike Ride

      Pot Crater Slalom.

      17 Juni, Kosovo ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

      So as predicted boredom took over. A short 2 mile gentle climb to the outskirts forest park couldn't hurt especially when a good chunk of that is through another park. Things were still hot but the aforementioned park offered some level of shade. Then hit millionaires row or gang lords row whichever stereotype you like. Very showy whoever they were. Forest park was pretty & quiet. The tentative plan of taking a dip at the pool was kicked into touch by the extensive renovation being undertaken. Ah well. Back down to cool off & get bored again. And so it proved. This time a 4 miler to the Northern fringes and an monument that you could climb & get views. Things didn't start well. Satnav started to play up badly - wouldn't register an accurate location. Not good. Headed back to have a sit down and play around. Eventually got it responding so good to go. Off we go up the hill avoiding what can only be termed pot craters - hit one these on the way down it would be a buckled wheel at the very least. More than a few open manhole covers as well - not the safest. Pretty hilly route but eventually made it to the turnoff and while I was aware it was going to be a rough track up I wasn't prepared for a barbed wire fence blocking the way. Not happening. Turned round & suddenly noticed the toe clip flapping around - the bolts holding it in were no more. Not great for a new pair of peddles. At least the peddle itself was working. Back to the bike shop. Except on arrival found that they didn't have any tools (or couldn't be arsed) only option they suggested was a new pair of cleated peddles. No use. Back to the hotel to regroup. Found a Shimano service centre - they must have tools. Now however the Satnav really threw a wobbler. Seized up & wouldn't respond in any way. Technology eh! This had to be sorted - the peddle could be tolerated. Spent the next few hours messing with settings, deleting stuff & doing factory resets. The only guaranteed outcome was a banging headache. Will it work in the morning - God knows. I think with enough soft resets it normally behaves eventually. We'll see. Not the best of afternoons.Baca selengkapnya

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    • John BickerstaffJohn BickerstaffAnother Balkan Bike Ride

      Peaceful Pedestrianisation.

      17 Juni, Kosovo ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

      Some superb banana pancakes for breakie boded well for a positive day of exploring Pristina. No desperate urgency but out & about by 9.30 Made a beeline for the pedestrianised centre of town & what a difference it made. Treelined, shady & peaceful. Took in a range of monuments to significant Kosovans. Somehow Mother Theresa appeared here as well. Both Macedonia & Kosovo seem to be laying claim to an Albanian - curious. Liked the sitting down man - apparently in honour of the struggle & peaceful protest against the Serbian occupation. Made it to the cathedral & unsurprisingly a tower climb had been located, except it wasn't open till 10, which came & went without any change. Wandered down to the newborn monument in honour of Europe's newest country - only 17 years old. Had a mooch round the stadium - no cheeky ways in. Back to the tower & a lift up which helped the temperature control. Great views of the library and the city in general. Back down & through the park to the library - very communist era inside & barely a book to be seen though there was an American corner - bizarrely. Took in the abandoned Serbian Orthodox cathedral which allegedly is guarded by vicious stray dogs. Guessing they were sleeping or another dig at Serbia. Back to cool off & avoid the worst of the heat, that is unless I get bored & head out on the bikeBaca selengkapnya

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    • John BickerstaffJohn BickerstaffAnother Balkan Bike Ride

      Main road mania

      16 Juni, Kosovo ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

      Unfortunately it became apparent that the route into Pristina was going to be an endless busy main road. Thankfully when route planning I'd spied an intriguing cave complex nearby - very good reviews & not too far out of the way. That now had become a blessing. Quiet roads Ahhh. Wasn't sure what to expect but didn't expect to get there & get on a tour straight away. 2€ was a bit of a bargain & a perfect way to cool off. Again a little football talk but the main event was the epic formations & some of the bizarre things saw in them from an elephant's foot to an Albanian eagle. He had to get some Serbian bashing in - apparently there was a stalagmite that looked like 2 fingers denoting peace. When the Serbians came they sawed 1 off because they didn't want peace. An invaluable and interesting half hour cooling off & then back out into the heat. By now, the outskirts of Pristina were looming and roundabouts were a particular source of confusion - no idea. Don't think they have either. Weariness was setting in but with 10 to go it was a case of grin and bear it. Caught another rush hour or more accurately gridlock hour. Relieved to see a bike lane, no matter how shit. Still had to endure endless pedestrians ambling in out, standing in it because it was shady, parked cars... Hot & very bothered by the hotel - couldn't even work the shower. Once cooled & clean managed to get a new bottle from a nearby bike store & took in a positively reviewed pizza place. Chilled & very good.Baca selengkapnya

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