Viet Phan
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Viet Phan
EuroVelo 9: 185th Km, Day 3
9 a.m. I pack, leave the hostel. Throw the keys in the box.
Still thinking about that burgerā¦but the joint opens at 11. Too late to stick around.
No breakfast at the hostel, so plan B, a local grocery store - Coop. Classic backcountry chain.
Lock the bike. Step inside. Turns out itās owned by Vietnamese. I say hi, exchange a few words.
But people start rolling in. Sunday. Short hours. Small shop. Canāt block the entrance.
Grab donuts, cookies, banana.
At the counter, I watch locals line up. Each holding 3ā4 bottles of alcohol.
Moravia. Heavy drinkers. Everyone looks a decade older than they are.
I get a discount. Didnāt expect it. Say thanks and leave.
Eat the donut on the square. Then back on the bike.
7 km just to get back to the EuroVelo path. Thatās the tax for the detour and a bed.
Garmin tells me my sleep plan isnāt working. Tried to max out recovery. But Two nights in hotels and still only a 65 score.
Body wrecked no matter how comfy the bed is.
Tent sleep would probably be 35 or worse.
Letās see how fast my muscles adapt as the kilometers stack up.
The route drags me through small villages. Lots of construction. Maybe next year itāll be smooth bike path.
Today itās me pushing through sand or carrying a loaded bike over ditches.
And all of this is just the warm-up.
JesenĆk district ahead. Borders Poland north & west. Mostly hills.
South, mountains. North, plains. Only one road to cross it. Which means busy climbs.
But for nowā¦ Iām enjoying the flat, peaceful scenery.
Like this cement mine.
9:25 PM Ā· Sep 24, 2025
000
Viet Phan
EuroVelo 9: 173th Km, Day 2
4 p.m. The storm had passed.
Time to make up for the wait.
Next section was slow.
Paved road but broken asphalt, full of holes.
My tiny wheels feel every scar.
I stop often. Chugging down this giant homemade pastry.
So big it takes 20% of my front bag. But it fuels me.
Morning breakfast energy long gone.
Itās weekend. Cyclists everywhere.
They look at me, standing on the roadside, chewing.
Finally, I get through the worst of it. Surprised itās still only 5 p.m. Could make it to Mohelnice.
But when I check Bookingā¦ my favorite option is gone.
Only overpriced stays left.
So I zoom out. Bigger picture.
Spot a hostel 7 km east. Tiny village, LoŔtice.
Has a kettle. ā¬25.
Worth it? 14 km detour round trip, just for shower and sleep.
Hell yes.
Turn left. Go fast.
Roll into the town square. Everyone stares.
I stop at the hostel.
Doors open, reception closed. I call the number on Booking. A Woman answers from a restaurant.
Tells me: pick up keys at her bar, or use the secret key box.
Gives me the code. It works.
Roomās fine. No AC. But electricity, shower, fridge.
Good enough.
Still hungry and not dark yet.
I scout food on Google Maps.
Restaurants all low rated.
Except one burger joint. Nearly 5/5 stars.
Closes in 30 minutes.
Quick shower. Rush out.
When I arrive, theyāre already packing. I ask if I can still order.
Lady hesitates. Almost turned everything off.
Says she can do it, but no bacon, no fries.
I ask for a discount.
She smiles, agrees...15% off. Hell yes.
Sheās tired, wants to go home, but still fires up the oven.
Outside, I ask a kid chewing his burger whatās best.
He says, āEverything.ā
Not helpful.
I push deeper.
He says, āThe cheese one.ā
Turns out this whole area, around Olomouc,
is famous for its stinky cheese - OlomouckĆ© tvarÅÆžky.
Even burgers get it.
So I order that.
Twenty minutes later, Iām carrying it back to the hostel.
First bite. OMG best burger Iāve had in years.
Melted fried cheese, jalapeƱos, everything.
Tasted even better with the discount.
Thatās how Day 2 ended. Unplanned. Dry. Lucky. Full.
Detour well worth it.
9:39 PM Ā· Sep 23, 2025
000
Viet Phan
EuroVelo 9: 121th Km, Day 2
10 a.m. Leaving ProstÄjov. Still regret not exploring the city last night.
But that motel left a bad taste. So I just pedal harder. Focus on leaving.
Next up: Olomouc. Biggest Czech city on this route. 100k people. Student kinda type.
Perfect for a rest day. But too early in the tour.
And I didnāt make it yesterday anyway.
So today itās just a quick pass-through. Maybe one day I come back for a day trip.
Forecast said rain. Raining around 2 p.m., 30% chance. Thatās what the iPhone said.
So I stick to the route. Leaving Olomouc behind.
About 23 km furtherā¦ I start feeling it.
Wind picks up.
Clouds dark.
Then thunder.
Not even forecasted. Couldnāt see the lightning, so no idea how far away.
I was on a cycling path through open fields. No shelter.
Until I saw a bike stop, one of those gazebos with a roof.
Parked my Brompton under it. Waited.
Every few minutes, a thunder. Must be big, I told myself.
But weirdly, it only showered for a bit.
Then stopped. Just thunder going on somewhere.
Cyclists kept passing like nothing. Mountain bikers, calm faces. Maybe their rides were short.
I still had 50 km ahead to reach a bigger town.
I hate waiting. Doing nothing.
But I also didnāt want to be caught mid-road in the rain.
So I sat there. For an hour.
Then I got bored.
No big rain.
Thunder faded.
Time to move.
The first 20 minutes, it drips here and there.
I stopped four times. Once under a tree. Once under a chapel.
Then finally...clear skies. I am saved.
But have to make up for the time lost.
Will I get to Mohelnice today in time?
10:06 PM Ā· Sep 20, 2025
000
Viet Phan
EuroVelo 9: 86th Km, Day 2
How did I end up in ProstÄjov, in a hotel?
Yesterday I pushed through the highest peak of MoravskĆ½ Kras.
Then came the reward, half-hour downhill.
Forest speed run kinda fun.
So fast I realized: I could actually make it to ProstÄjov before sunset.
Last trip I burned out from wild camping too early.
This time: max sleep recovery.
Checked Booking.
Found an okay motel. With breakfast. With okay price.
Motivation spiked. I pushed.
Out of the forest, into countryside.
Met a kid on a bike, opposite direction.
She saw me:
āThank god! Itās so tough. I told myself if I meet someone, Iāll try again.ā
Now she had company. Me.
She was curious. Where I was heading, where I sleep, how I camp.
It was kind of exhausting.
Iād forgotten how to talk to kids.
They only want to know if you know this cartoon, or that TikTok star.
I was at 65 km, tired, empty, couldnāt keep up with her energy. She kept yelling āCome on, letās gooo!ā
We rode together to her destination: an abandoned watchtower.
Half abandoned.
A couple there having their sunset moment.
The tower itself was closed. You needed coins to pass the gate.
Disappointed, but the view was still amazing.
Wouldāve been a good camp spot.
If I hadnāt booked the hotel.
Light was fading. 15 km left.
She squeezed herself through the gate and started brainstorming how to squeeze me through.
Not possible. So I said goodbye and split.
From there: zig-zagging villages until ProstÄjov lights appeared. Relief.
At the motel, owner gives me keys:
āRoom is small. I wonāt help you with the bike. Your business.ā
At least he let me keep it inside.
Too late to explore town. I called it a day.
Next morning: Breakfast buffet. I was first.
Classic cheap Czech spread: eggs, sausages, bread, veggies.
Went for cappuccino at the machine.
Owner stops me:
āNo no, only espresso. Hereās the milk.ā Okay then.
Soon Polish couples arrive. Same cappuccino problem.
I hadnāt even finished my sausage when owner tried to grab my plate.
āI havenāt finished.ā
He pauses. 5 seconds. Winks.
āOkay.ā
Didnāt expect to be rushed out of breakfast.
Never happened before.
But small hotel, full house, every plate counts.
I get it.
Stillā¦ rushed mornings suck.
But as I leave, ownerās wife opens the door.
Asks where Iām heading.
Smiles. Wishes me luck.
Day 2 begins.
9:55 PM Ā· Sep 19, 2025
000
Viet Phan
EuroVelo 9: 35th Km, Day 1
The route out of Brno starts easy.
10 a.m., following the Svitava River.
Getting through busy city center from the train station was the only tricky part.
After that? Piece of cake.
First brownfields. Then a nature reserve.
Shared road with cars, but drivers are polite.
They expect cyclists here.
Hot day.
Thankfully, most of the path is shaded by forest.
By the 30th km, vibes change:
Cars paying tolls.
Hotels everywhere.
And hills.
Map says: Iām at 360m elevation.
Peak ahead? 620m.
Not great, considering I havenāt biked for a year.
I push the bike a lot. Tourists everywhere, hiking out of the hotels.
They look at me and my little folding bike and laugh.
I shrug.
Finally, I see the attraction, the cave complex. Famous spot.
I was here once as a kid on a school trip.
Remember it being cold, dark, exciting.
This time? I donāt go inside.
Probably pricey.
I just stop at the entrance.
Eat homemade Vietnamese rolls. Dry, heavy.
Luckily, thereās a drinking fountain right in front. So I am saved.
Mass tours stress me out, so I move on.
Itās already 2 p.m.
The peak is still ahead.
No plan for sleeping yet.
No good camping spots.
Mosquitos everywhere.
Thatās future meās problem.
9:46 PM Ā· Sep 18, 2025
000
