Dale Says

When we book cycling tours in foreign countries, we usually pick a local tour company. That saves us a few dollars, and gives us a more “local” flavor. In Poland, we signed on with a tour company in Krakow who made hotel reservations and furnished us with bicycles, maps, and a guide.

Our guide (Tomas) was born, raised, and still lives in Krakow. He’s 38, married, and has a 10-year-old daughter who goes to elementary school in Krakow. Tomas is thinly-built and handsome, with dark, curly hair. He speaks Polish, English, German, and some Spanish and Russian. He makes a living by leading bicycle tour groups in the summer and teaching English and German the rest of the year.

Tomas has been leading bike tours since 2001. In addition to cycling with the group each day, Tomas runs marathons, and he went running each morning before he greeted us for the start of our daily rides. That’s probably why he is thinly-built.

Tomas has applied to be a weather forecaster on TV, and he had just found out that he made the cut and was part of a group of five semi-finalists for the job. He is quietly excited about it, because it would mean he could spend more time in Krakow with his family.

Tomas was very dedicated, friendly, and helpful. He was also very concerned that each of us was happy, and he became easily stressed. Everything had to be on time, and if we were running late, he would round us up and move us along.

On the tour he was very hard-working. He helped load and unload bikes, and he checked our bicycles each evening to make sure the tires were up and our gear was ready. He also went from hotel-to-hotel to make sure everything was in order and everyone was pleased.

On the tour, Tomas gave instructions and historic talks in German and English. He led the group as we cycled, but he often circled around and made sure everyone was alright. He took turns riding with each of us, and he asked about our background, our interests, and how we were doing. We felt he was genuinely concerned about us.

We learned a lot from Tomas. He told us about the history of the Tatra Mountains and the Gorale people. He told us what it was like to live in Poland when it was controlled by the Communists. He told us some of his hopes and fears growing up in a very different world than ours.

We learn something new from each country we travel to. There are so many different cultures, histories, and religions in our world, and those differences shape us into what we become. What we also realize each time we travel to a new country is that despite our many differences we have a lot in common. That’s how Tomas made us feel. We felt his great interest in us and his pride in his country. And we felt his love of his family and shared his hope for a better future for them.

Thanks, Tomas, for helping us experience your country. And thanks for helping us experience the common bonds we share.