Taking Poland by force

Szczecin(pronounced shh-cheh-cheen apparently) harbour by night.

This sunset was our first night in Poland.

Days 16-24 01.05.2009-09.05.2009

16-Moryn to Szczecin
17- Szczecin to Pobierowo
18- Pobierowo to Kolobrzeg
19- Kolobrzeg to Ustka
20- Ustka to Gdansk
21- Stayed in Gdansk
22- Gdansk to Elblag
23- Elblag to Ketrzyn
24- Ketrzyn to Stary Folwark

This post covers the entire time we spent in Poland. The first thing we noticed about Poland was just how much wilder the landscape was compared to Germany. It was exactly what we wanted though: a (slightly) different culture and a different language. We had spent long enough in Germany. We did encounter a problem, though, when we got to the first shop and realised that we did not actually speak said language. At all. Not one word. After pointing a lot and muttering various foreign words in various languages under our breath we finally managed to buy some food on the first day there. It did not become any less stressful as the days went on and we would draw cards to see who would go in to the shop and make a fool of themself each time. In the end we worked out a system of every second time.
We made our way to the Baltic coast on the first couple of days in Poland and eventually we could finally feel the chill of the sea and smell the salty air...the sea itself was nowhere to be seen, hidden behind a thicket of trees. That evening we ended up renting a Butlins style self-catering cabin for 40 zloty (about 9 pounds) after a misunderstanding about camping but we did not complain.
The following day we finally laid eyes on the Baltic sea, and as the pictures show we decided to hit the beach with our bikes and take a half-day. The motion was carried with a unanimous vote of 2.
To compensate for the slightly lazy (or maybe leisurely) day we made haste and cycled 300km in 2 days to Gdansk. On the approach we were slightly tired after 2 long days and looking forward to a shower but we were greeted at the campsite with a CLOSED sign. Not open until June or some nonsense. In the depression and hungry rage that ensued we ate 3 packets of m&ms from the emergency chocolate supply and moped in front of the gates for a while. Pulling ourselves together we went in search of a hostel stopping only to put the hunger to bed with a kebab.
Our final 2 days in Poland were similar in the sense that we had to sleep rough on both occasions. The first night in Ketrzyn was because there was just no campsite where the sign said and the night in Stary Folwark because the campsite appeared to be no longer in use.
We decided to use the facilities of the latter but it was quite a bad experience. They still had running water but it was all cold and you could feel the dirt underfoot as you showered with the insects. We were invited on this evening to a fire by the lake with some local youngsters. They said to us "come and drink with Polish peoples, it could end badly." We talked with them and drank Polish spirits which burnt the throat. Some absynthe followed but it didn't end badly I am pleased to say.
We got up late on our last day in Poland and whilst we were getting our things together an older Polish man offered us some coffee. We declined and he returned 2 minutes later with a bottle of Polish vodka and two shot glasses. After our morning drink we set off in search of the Lithuanian border...