NOTE: This is the second Timex Ironman watch I've owned. The first lasted me three years before I left it in the University Village shower when I moved out. This one? I bought it in September 2011, and by early July 2012 the strap basically disintegrated and now all I have is the watch face. Which admittedly is the more important part, but having a pocketwatch now versus a wristwatch (sidenote: try saying "Irish Wristwatch" really fast three times) means I only check the time when necessary instead of every five minutes, and I only check the date when I think we are checking out of wherever we're living soon.
Also, we were too busy hiking here:
We hiked twelve miles to see those places. TWELVE MILES!!!
Morskie Oko, meaning "Eye of the Sea", is the fourth deepest lake in Poland and the largest in Tatras National Park. We left early in the morning, as many a tourist forum recommends you go before 8am to avoid the tourists, and, after a forty minute minibus ride through trees and mountainside, made it to Palenica Bialczanka, which is basically a big parking lot with a booth where you pay a nominal fee to enter Tatras National Park, and which is a good 8-9km (or around 5 miles) from Morskie Oko. Those five miles were all uphill, which was tiring, but it was thankfully a gradual incline and the trail was actually paved for a good portion of it. Buses, cars, and even bikes aren't allowed into the park past Palenica Bialczanka - only hikers on foot and horse-drawn carriages. (And those poor horses are so over-worked!) so after about two hours, we reach Morskie Oko. And it is beautiful, with crystal clear water surrounded by trees and maybe two dozen other tourists milling about.
We get to Morskie Oko and, after a small meal, decide to hike up tonCzarny Sław, or "Black Lake", which according to our map is about an hour hike from where we were. To hike around Morskie Oko itself is about two kilometers (a little over a mile) and the trail to Czarny Sław was about halfway around. So on we went.
We found out that Czarny Sław was only about a quarter of a mile away from Morskie Oko, but in that quarter mile, we climed about 300 meters. This, my friends, is a very steep climb. It was probably one of the harder climbs I've ever done. You can see here that we are both exhausted (and that Steve is in way better shape than I am. However, Czarny Sław is one of the most beautiful alpine lakes I've ever seen (not that I've seen that many...) and in my opinion was more impressive than Morskie Oko (though that may have more to do with the fact that I had to hike up a mountain to get there).
Aren't those baby ducks ADORABLE???
The view from up there was gorgeous, because all you had to do was look over the edge to see Morskie Oko. Steve took a video but you can't really tell JUST how high up we are.
But seriously. The view is amazing.
We took the steep hike down and wandered leisurely around the second half of the lake on our way to the little lodge near the entrance to Morskie Oko, figuring we would enjoy the day as much as possible. We were sitting on some rocks near the lake edge when we heard a peal of thunder in the distance and took that as our cue to leave.
We got back to the lodge and were immediatelyl bombarded with tourists. I'm talking Venice Beach status, people. When we arrived, there were maybe twenty other people around. By the time we were ready to conclude the hike and start the five mile journey back to Palenica, that number had grown to easily six hundred people. ON A TINY LITTLE LAKESIDE "BEACH"! IN THE MIDDLE OF A NATIONAL PARK, HALF AN HOUR AWAY FROM THE NEAREST CITY! RIDICULOUS!
And it wasn't even noon yet.
Steve and I just rolled our eyes and picked our way through the hordes of tourists (this must be what those travel forums were warning us about) and set off back to Palenica to catch the next bus back to Zakopane.
About five minutes into the walk back, it started raining. And thundering.
And people were STILL heading to the lake!
Half an hour in, it is pouring down rain (at some point it started hailing) and Steve and I are trying to share a poncho, due to miscommunication as to who was packing the second poncho before we left. Ponchos are not made for two, however, and Steve ended up walking in the rain. :( poor little moo.
This two hour walk back in the rain was very, very reminiscent of our experience with the LA Marathon two years ago. Cold, wet, miles to go.... Yep. The only things missing were Korea and Marc. And LA traffic.
And the whole time we are walking back in a thunderstorm that is rattling our bones and showing no signs of letting up, we are passing by people STILL hiking the opposite direction out to Morskie Oko. WHAT ARE THESE PEOPLE THINKING??? It's raining cats and dogs, you are still a good three miles away, and you want to go to the LAKE?!
Madness.
We eventually make it back to Palenica cold, wet, and exhausted because it has been a loooooong time since either of us has gotten that much exercise. I'm sure we will feel it tomorrow. We hop on the next bus back to Zakopane, change clothes, and have a nice, hot dinner of goulash, grilled pork, sauerkaut soup with smoked ribs, mulled wine, and Highlander tea to warm us up and finish out the night.
Seriously. TWELVE MILES! I'm never going to get over that. Six miles uphill, one through a maze of tourists, and five in the rain. What a day. What a long, exhausting day.
But nevertheless, happy Fourth! Happy birthday, USA!
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