Continuing on, we passed some gorgeous scenery and were charmed by the German country homes, the cliffs and forests lining the Elbe River. We lost the river path on several occasions, ended up biking on a single track path over rocks and dirt and cliffs (obviously made by other cyclists who'd been lost there as well), then found the path again, and then really lost the path once we hit the Czech border. By the time we reached Decin around 6pm, we were hungry and beyond exhausted, and ready to find a pension for the night. My tire pressure was low, and my legs were cooked from the hill climbing (and heavy load, naturally).
We ended up biking all around Decin looking for a hotel, which seemed like three large cities separated by two rivers and three very long, large bridges. The first and second pensions we followed signs for, but didn't actually find them until after we'd found the third place – two hours and many kilometers later – and it turns out the first place only rented rooms "by the hour" anyway. We got lost following the signs for the third pension, hit a couple dead ends, and wandered around an industrial area. When we finally found it, the pension was full anyway. I'm teary-eyed by this point from exhaustion, took a deep breath and decided to back-track to find the second pension again, Andy's. Well, Andy's was also full, but Andy's also had a bar – and I was thirsty! So I had a very tall glass of beer, started to feel pretty relaxed, and though the Andy's staff hardly spoke any English at all, they were really kind and helped us locate another hotel on the map.
That hotel was across town and through some less-than-pleasant neighborhoods. Michael and I hopped back on our bikes as the sun was going down. This was our last hope. The hotel was located on top of a very steep hill overlooking all of Decin, next to an old church and cemetery and surrounded by woods. I could barely ride at this point, but we finally get to the hotel and I'm so sure, so hopeful that they'll have a room for us! We walk into the bar... and the receptionist tells us there are no rooms left.
NOOOO!
I know that we're out of options. I also know that the safest place we could possibly be at this point is right where we were: at the top of a steep hill where no one except hotel guests would walk, next to a cemetery, and surrounded by forest. Michael and I did not have blankets, so I suggested we walk back into the bar, order LOTS more beer, and drink until we're ready to pass out on the forest floor. So that's what we did! The bartender was so lovely and kept feeding us beer, and we were relieved to be off our bikes and sitting in a nice, warm bar. When last call was over, Michael and I stumbled outside, found a flat place to lay down, and curled up together for the long, cold night. Neither one of us slept very well, but I kept my eyes closed for the 7 hours and pretended to sleep. By the time the sun rose, we were ready to start the day and my legs were rested enough to continue on the journey. And what a good story to tell! Bad sleep, cold night, lots of beer – great story!