Location: Nova Bystrice
Km on the clock: 998

The day started with a little disappointment. I just entered the small town of Nauen and stopped at a supermarket to buy some snacks for the day. I took of the handlebar pannier and the little bicycle computer off the bike before I entered the store - as I always do. Apparently I pressed one button of the computer for too long and reseted it through that. Shit! I'm such an idiot. I must have had 625 kilometers on the clock by then - probably even a little bit more. While sitting outside the store and having a little picnic I thought: Does that mean I've to start over? It still counts right? Oh well, seems like from now on I've always to add those kilometers. :D

I arrived Berlin sometime in the evening the same day. I brought a bottle of wine as a gift which my friend Vivian and I had for dinner as we were catching up about what happened in our lives over the past few years.

I spent the next day with some sightseeing. I felt good to be in the capital again. It's been already a while since I've been here. There's so much history around here so that someone could stay here basically forever to explore it all. However, I left Berlin already the next day being excited to keep going to Czech Republic and its capital Prague.

I pedaled for three days through the southern part of Brandenburg and Saxony until I entered Dresden. One night I pitched my tent at the Inline-Skate-Bahn in Brandenburg. It provides broad cycling lanes and the tarmac of most parts is like new or is about to get renewed. It's just great fun to ride around there. While I was setting up my tent I heard some noise in the bushes nearby - maybe 15 meters away from me. I walked towards it to take a closer look and discovered a big fat wild hog. It ran immediately away when it scented me. I thought: Oh great...at least this time I know what kind of animals are around me at nights and as long it doesn't try to get into my tent while I'm sleeping then everything is cool!

The two days in Dresden went by really quick. I stayed at a hostel in the Neustadt. Lots of other travelers from all over the world stood there as well. So I hung out with them in the evenings to chat and have a drink whereas I used the days to explore the city. It has also already been almost a year since I was here. Last time I came with a friend to spent a weekend and just to have a good time.

I was excited but also nervous when I left Dresden. Today would be the day that I'd leave Germany and enter Czech Republic - excited about all the adventures that will lay ahead of me outside of my home country but also nervous how I'll get along in a country where people don't speak my language and probably not even English unless I'd be in the cities.

I pedaled alongside the river Elbe and could already see Czech Republic on the other side of it. I was wondering if I was also already in Czech and I just missed the border sign. I stopped to ask two ladies biking the other direction - one in her twenties, one in her fifties - if this was already Czech Republic and if there'll be some sort of sign at the border. The younger one answered with an American accent: "No, this is still Germany but Czech will come very soon. However, there's no sign which says that you're entering the country." A bit disappointed that there wouldn't be a sign to take a pic as proof that I really made it through Germany and will enter the next country I kept going for a few more minutes until I reached the border with a quite big stony sign stating that I'd enter Czech Republic now. How can someone miss that? :D

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Location: Somewhere in Brandenburg
Km on the clock: 612

It's 30th June 2019 at 11 am. I just arrived at Flensburg Hafenspitze (tip of the harbor) after already cycling 20 kilometers from my mom's. The Hafenspitze was the official starting point of my traveling the world on a bicycle journey.

It was a hot and sunny day with up to 35 degrees Celsius and the last chance to say goodbye to Family and friends. As the bells of a nearby church were ringing at 12 o'clock it was time for some last hugs and kisses and time for me to leave. Now there was no return and the dream finally came true.

It was that hot that I needed a first break after already one hour 20 kilometers outside of Flensburg. I even felt that exhausted that I took a nap on a bench in front of the church in Satrup. :D

The next days I made it through the hilly eastern part of Schleswig-Holstein. Some hills were that steep that my maximum speed was in between 8-10 kilometers per hour and quite a pain in the arse. I realized that it would time some time to get used to a life on a bicycle. Going downhill on the other hand was fun. I reached speeds of up to almost 40 kilometers per hour and made me forget of the frustrations of going uphill immediately.

I spent the first few nights either on campsites or with family or friends. After staying in Hamburg at a friends place for two nights I headed east towards Berlin alongside the river Elbe. Originally I planned to cycle down in direction Prague from here but I got invited to stay with another friend in Berlin for a few days. I didn't see her for a few years so it would be great opportunity to catch up after such a long time.

From now on I camped in the wild every night. That was the adventure that I was looking for. Especially the first night somewhere in nowhere behind the embankment was a bit spooky. I woke up in the middle of the night hearing some grunting right next to my tent. The same creature also seemed to repel its horns on a tree next to me. I didn't know how to react. Should I make noises to chase it away? Or should I keep quiet and wait until it's gone? Since I was simply too tired to chase the beast away, I decided to stay quiet and tried to fall asleep again. That plan worked out pretty well. I guess dealing with the noises of the nights is something that I also have to get used to. :D

If you enjoy reading this blog then please support my fundraising campaign to equip two school class rooms in Darfur, Sudan. Cheers!