08-02 Day 24 (Moto GP in Brno)

Two stories to tell

Mileage

Complications

Sometimes, life is too complicated. But, when these complications show themselves to us, we have choices to make. I’ll simplify things greatly, but suffice it to say that when presented with complications, we can deny their existence, we can acknowledge them, but ignore them, or we can face them head on, dealing with whatever comes, as it comes… And so today, it feels like that’s what I had to do, or at least, it’s what I did.

Getting to the MotoGP Track

The track is about 15 miles away, on the outskirts of Brno, in a beautiful wooded area, with hills, valleys, and lush vegetation. But, when you’re in a city, and you need to travel 15 miles away, and you’ve been warned not to drive there, you’re kind of stuck with Public Transportation, or Taxis.

Using a Taxi seems like cheating, so I decided to use Public Transit. At the time, I don’t think I knew exactly what that would entail. I quickly came to realize that I’d need to walk about 1/2 mile to a train station, or I could walk a mile, to the main train station. Then, I’d need to jump on a Tram, which I would take in a specific direction, but I’d need to get off, so that I could take the bus, which would shuttle me to the race track.

This process was complicated by the fact that I didn’t have any Czech money, and therefore needed to exchange some money, so I’d be able to transact at the track. So, I managed to exchange money, converting about $90 USD into Czech Korunas. I purchased 6 tickets for the tram, covering each direction, for all 3 days of the race, and I found the tram I needed, changed over to the bus at the right station, and made my way to the track, without incident, but with a great deal of confusion along the way.

Arriving at the track

I think this video sums up my arrival

A little while later, I was able to experience the Moto 2 class, during their morning practice.

I had a great day, but remember, I started out by saying that this is a blog post with two different stories, so let’s explore.

Simon’s Gang

While at the track, as I was walking back towards the main gate, after having spent the morning in my seats, and on the hillside, I came upon 3 guys, who were looking at the map of the track, and asking the same basic question that I was trying to answer 3 hours earlier. Where the hell is the T-1 Grandstand?

So, I asked what they were looking for, and they mentioned T1, and I responded that I could help. We talked about the seats, the grandstand, the riders, and even Brexit. So, having found these 3 new friends from Great Britain, I wanted to give them a microphone for a minute or two.

I spent a few more hours at the track, watching the bikes riding through the stadium section, and looking at new (awesome) shirts to buy.

The Road home

I was able to reverse the journey that I took as I made my way to the track, and even make a few improvements. It’s a good thing I got back to the hotel quickly, because I needed to check in again.

The Hotel – Part 2

This hotel is really quite fascinating. it’s not in a great part of town, but it’s built like a fortress, with a locked, secure courtyard, and keyfob access to all doors. But, in addition to the neighborhood, it seems that the hotel does not perform regular, or preventive maintenance.

When I entered my room the night before, the handle of the window literally fell off in my hand. The shower head was not mounted to the wall, so when I turned on the shower, water went everywhere, and the room smelled of smoke.

This evening, I had to move all of my gear to another room, only to discover another issue with the shower. Finally, when I arrived in the third room, I was tired of the BS, and wanted to take a shower, and wash off the race track from my skin.

I was thinking of going out to a jazz club, so I started charging my phone, to be sure I’d be able to find my way home. I went down to the hotel’s outside bar and said hello to my favorite bar tender Thomas, and while we were talking, I met two Romanians, who were just about to eat the Southern BBQ, which was on the menu just for the race.

There names were Dennis and Arthur, two guys who were fascinating, worldly, selfless, witty, intelligent, and just a whole lot of fun. So, we talked for the next 2 or 3 hours, drinking mystery drinks, and beer, and talking about just about everything.

Dennis is studying to develop his Blacksmith skills, and Arthur is in IT Security. So, I had a lot of questions and things to discuss with both of them.

I know that I’ve been formally invited to Romania, a place that I would really love to visit. So, who knows what magic would happen when riding the motorcycle roads of Romania, which Dennis swears are the best in the world. I guess there’s only one way to find out.

I’m scheduled to meet these guys for dinner tomorrow, and perhaps a few drinks…

Two stories

In the beginning, I mentioned that this blog-post would be two separate stories. So, when I look at this day, I see the story of MotoGP. One of my favorite things, and now I’m experiencing it with the full-throated roar of a gaggle of MotoGP bikes.

But, it’s also the story of meeting new people, helping when you can, accepting help when you need it, and appreciating all of these folks as they make my day just a little bit better.

What will tomorrow bring

Tomorrow, I’ll get a chance to see the MotoGP qualifying session, and who knows what other fascinating people I’ll meet.