Dobry Den!
Welcome to the Czech Republic, where the people are reserved and the vegetables are forbidden! Well, maybe not forbidden, but definitely very, very hard to find. Despite what current nutritionists recommend, the Czech people have lived many years on meat, potatoes, and pivo (beer). While you would think such a diet would make them gregarious, jovial people (anybody ever been to Ireland?), Czechs are actually a very reserved group who's daily motto is: Middle of the Road. Never too happy. Never too sad. Smiling is only done behind closed doors with the closest of friends, and small talk simply does not exist. If you are able to break through this outer exterior and befriend a local (usually accomplished with a few pints of pivo and a Czech/English dictionary), you will find Czechs to be very kind people who love good stories, music, and beer. Did I mention that they drink a lot of beer? Czechs drink the most beer in the world, consuming 161 liters of beer per person per year. To put that in perspective, the Irish come in close with 142 liters per person and the US is a distant third at 85 liters. Bottoms up...and up...and up...
Many of you may be wondering...what is Kristyn doing in the Czech Republic? After training ended in Provence, we were scattered to different parts of the world. My schedule started with a unit drive from the south of France to the Czech Republic. Five border crossings, 8 Czech prostitutes on the side of the road, and one speeding ticket later (4 mph over folks...that's right...FOUR), I pulled into my new home to lead trips in the Czech Republic and Austria. I couldn't find the leader house at first. Yes, it was dark (2 am in the morning kind of dark), but the house also gives the impression that it is abandoned. I don't know why that would be...the sunken roof, broken windows, empty rooms, cracked walls, and peeling paint make it look quite homey once you get used to it! The house's unique character continues once you are inside. The bathroom sink is in the hallway. The shower is over the toilet. And the walls still look like they could crumble at any moment. Last week I woke up to a crash, only to discover that the sink in the hallway had fallen off the wall. All part of the Czech charm...
I spent my first 4 days "famming," or familiarizing myself with the region, the routes, the hotels and the restaurants. I grabbed the leader notes for my trip version (a precious 60 page document that tells you most of what you need to figure out how the trip runs), a set of directions, water (of course!) and I was off to learn the trip. Cramming a 6 day trip, two countries, bike directions AND van directions, lunch spots, food buy spots, dinner, hotels, museums, bank locations, hospitals (which I would appreciate come my second trip) and everything else I need to know, in 4 days is hard but manageable. At some point, as I am driving or biking through the countryside of Czech and Austria, I can't help but stop, take a picture, and smile. I am getting paid to do this. Paid to research and learn a region. Granted they are about 14 to 16 hr days, but still...amazing!
Welcome to the Czech Republic, where the people are reserved and the vegetables are forbidden! Well, maybe not forbidden, but definitely very, very hard to find. Despite what current nutritionists recommend, the Czech people have lived many years on meat, potatoes, and pivo (beer). While you would think such a diet would make them gregarious, jovial people (anybody ever been to Ireland?), Czechs are actually a very reserved group who's daily motto is: Middle of the Road. Never too happy. Never too sad. Smiling is only done behind closed doors with the closest of friends, and small talk simply does not exist. If you are able to break through this outer exterior and befriend a local (usually accomplished with a few pints of pivo and a Czech/English dictionary), you will find Czechs to be very kind people who love good stories, music, and beer. Did I mention that they drink a lot of beer? Czechs drink the most beer in the world, consuming 161 liters of beer per person per year. To put that in perspective, the Irish come in close with 142 liters per person and the US is a distant third at 85 liters. Bottoms up...and up...and up...
Many of you may be wondering...what is Kristyn doing in the Czech Republic? After training ended in Provence, we were scattered to different parts of the world. My schedule started with a unit drive from the south of France to the Czech Republic. Five border crossings, 8 Czech prostitutes on the side of the road, and one speeding ticket later (4 mph over folks...that's right...FOUR), I pulled into my new home to lead trips in the Czech Republic and Austria. I couldn't find the leader house at first. Yes, it was dark (2 am in the morning kind of dark), but the house also gives the impression that it is abandoned. I don't know why that would be...the sunken roof, broken windows, empty rooms, cracked walls, and peeling paint make it look quite homey once you get used to it! The house's unique character continues once you are inside. The bathroom sink is in the hallway. The shower is over the toilet. And the walls still look like they could crumble at any moment. Last week I woke up to a crash, only to discover that the sink in the hallway had fallen off the wall. All part of the Czech charm...
I spent my first 4 days "famming," or familiarizing myself with the region, the routes, the hotels and the restaurants. I grabbed the leader notes for my trip version (a precious 60 page document that tells you most of what you need to figure out how the trip runs), a set of directions, water (of course!) and I was off to learn the trip. Cramming a 6 day trip, two countries, bike directions AND van directions, lunch spots, food buy spots, dinner, hotels, museums, bank locations, hospitals (which I would appreciate come my second trip) and everything else I need to know, in 4 days is hard but manageable. At some point, as I am driving or biking through the countryside of Czech and Austria, I can't help but stop, take a picture, and smile. I am getting paid to do this. Paid to research and learn a region. Granted they are about 14 to 16 hr days, but still...amazing!
Immediately following my fam I prepped and lead my first trip. And then prepped and lead my second trip. Not one day off. That makes 20 days. 20 LONG days. I napped each day though. A 4-5 hour nap usually between 2 am and 6 am. :) Due to this new schedule, days of the week have lost all meaning to me. The words "weekend," "9 to 5," and "Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday" are faint memories of a life I used to live. I now think in terms of "Day 1, Day 2, Prep Day, Van Support Day, and Bike Support Day." My co-leader leaves at 5 am to meet guests in Prague. Guests shuttle from Prague to Cerna v Posumavi where I have racked, trayed, unracked, untrayed, set up, prepared and assembled 26 bikes, a snack table, a gear table, and a drink station. Meet and greet 26 guests as they pile out of a bus. Memorize all names at this time. Give a bike safety talk and a bike demonstration. Lunch. Bike fitting and adjustments. Ride. One leader drives the route in the van while the other leader rides along with the guests. Need shoes, shorts, or gloves? Take mine. Broken spoke? Let me switch it out for you. Chain broke? Not a problem. Hail storm? Hop in the van. No...don't worry about me...I will stand here on the side of the road and wait to be picked up in an hour (and I wonder why I can't get rid of this damn cold).
Once the guests have arrived at the first hotel in Cesky Krumlov (world heritage city as over 80% of the buildings are authentic), they shower, relax, walk around town, and enjoy their vacation while we work our magic. Bikes are put away, handlebar bags are gathered, adjustments are made, papers delivered, food is stored, dinner is confirmed, gear is organized....oh and we fit a shower in there before dinner (sometimes). I think we provide hours of amusement for the hotel staff as we scurry through the lobby to the van, back through the lobby with each bike, each food bin, and each piece of gear we move. After the first day I made a goal for myself. My goal (besides being the best gourmet picnic chef, bike mechanic, porter, sparkling conversationalist, first aid responder, massage scheduler, problem solver, counselor, teacher, navigator, story teller, random fun fact giver, luggage finder, taxi, cheerleader, entertainer...) is to get through just one day without cutting, bruising, stabbing, gouging, or scrapping myself. I have many "Backroads tattoos" and the season has only begun...
My trips are exciting, the guests are demanding, but each day leaves me with more and more stories to share. In Austria, we prepare our famous Backroad's picnic (complete with local Austrian apricot dumplings) in a large walk-in refrigerator at our hotel (at least our food stays fresh as we prepare it!). The Austrian kitchen boys are enthralled with these two foreign girls in their fridge and bring us wine, sorbet, and cute smiles to help the night seem more like a party and less like work. In addition to making a feast for 26 people, I learned that I can find the local ER in record time in the dark, scale a 6 foot fence in a torrential downpour, navigate through town to find the only open pharmacy, and understand German directions over the phone (all accomplished despite the massive chest cold I had from biking through the hail storm earlier that day...ow).
After all of the logistics are handled, problems solved, and gear stored, I can focus on my favorite part of the job. Bike support. I carry extra water, extra food, bike tools, first aid, and a huge smile because I am getting paid to ride along side the guests for the day. Yes, I am secretly praying that no one dumps over the front of their handlebars, it doesn't hail on me (again), and I don't lead guests astray on the bike directions, but these are the pressures of a job I am most happy to have. With two blond braids, my sky blue helmet, and a bulge on my right thigh (my cell phone tucked under my bike shorts), I am as happy as a girl leading adventure travel trips around the world for a living. :)
Na Zdravi (Cheers!),
Kristyn
Once the guests have arrived at the first hotel in Cesky Krumlov (world heritage city as over 80% of the buildings are authentic), they shower, relax, walk around town, and enjoy their vacation while we work our magic. Bikes are put away, handlebar bags are gathered, adjustments are made, papers delivered, food is stored, dinner is confirmed, gear is organized....oh and we fit a shower in there before dinner (sometimes). I think we provide hours of amusement for the hotel staff as we scurry through the lobby to the van, back through the lobby with each bike, each food bin, and each piece of gear we move. After the first day I made a goal for myself. My goal (besides being the best gourmet picnic chef, bike mechanic, porter, sparkling conversationalist, first aid responder, massage scheduler, problem solver, counselor, teacher, navigator, story teller, random fun fact giver, luggage finder, taxi, cheerleader, entertainer...) is to get through just one day without cutting, bruising, stabbing, gouging, or scrapping myself. I have many "Backroads tattoos" and the season has only begun...
My trips are exciting, the guests are demanding, but each day leaves me with more and more stories to share. In Austria, we prepare our famous Backroad's picnic (complete with local Austrian apricot dumplings) in a large walk-in refrigerator at our hotel (at least our food stays fresh as we prepare it!). The Austrian kitchen boys are enthralled with these two foreign girls in their fridge and bring us wine, sorbet, and cute smiles to help the night seem more like a party and less like work. In addition to making a feast for 26 people, I learned that I can find the local ER in record time in the dark, scale a 6 foot fence in a torrential downpour, navigate through town to find the only open pharmacy, and understand German directions over the phone (all accomplished despite the massive chest cold I had from biking through the hail storm earlier that day...ow).
After all of the logistics are handled, problems solved, and gear stored, I can focus on my favorite part of the job. Bike support. I carry extra water, extra food, bike tools, first aid, and a huge smile because I am getting paid to ride along side the guests for the day. Yes, I am secretly praying that no one dumps over the front of their handlebars, it doesn't hail on me (again), and I don't lead guests astray on the bike directions, but these are the pressures of a job I am most happy to have. With two blond braids, my sky blue helmet, and a bulge on my right thigh (my cell phone tucked under my bike shorts), I am as happy as a girl leading adventure travel trips around the world for a living. :)
Na Zdravi (Cheers!),
Kristyn
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