Every limb of my body may ache, but my spirit has been cleansed by the power of Mother Earth, following day 4.

Thursday saw us get back to nature in the breathtakingly beautiful Drawieński National Park. After spending the last few days admiring the landscape from the roads, we were finally able toreally breathe fresh air for the first time. And boy did we inhale deeply, even swallowing the odd gulp of water in the process!

The 40 minute drive to the day’s starting point resembled a history lesson more than a journey, with the towering forest providing the classroom, housing all manner of military points of interest. The first was a disused German bunker from WW2, barely large enough to house two soldiers. It was so well hidden by the dense forest that one unlucky German troop found himself stuck in Russian territory for 2 whole weeks, before having to surrender. The second sight was an old iron bridge, which was the only one of its kind not to be destroyed by the Germans prior to an impending attack from the Russians.

We warmly welcomed the rather eccentric Polish sea shanty music that blared out in the van. Mr. McCartney and gang were beginning to take their toll; Marcin’s been whistling ‘Hey Jude’ all day.

The quiet town of Barnimie was the starting location for a 12.5km kayak ride down the river Drawa. I’ve only ever tried the adventure sport once before, but apparently the region attracts between 700 and 1,000 kayaking fanatics in peak season. As we pulled up to the jetty, it rapidly became evident as to why this was: rippling water flowed rhythmically down the picturesque river; leafy trees swayed over the water from the riverbanks, as if to admire their stunning reflections; and only the odd sound of chirping birds broke the silence… that and Marcin’s whistled recital of ‘Hey Jude’, of course.

I was beyond staggered. I began to irritate myself with my limited selection of vocabulary, which was reduced to just ‘wow, wow, wow’!

We set off. It was easy to understand why West Pomerania was our passionate guide, Sebastian’s, favourite region in Poland. A crane seemingly beckoned us on, leading us down the river. we travelled a matter of kilometers through canyons, which were formed by the previous ice age between 14,000 and 30,000 years ago, before drama unfolded. ‘Lean into the rock/tree’ was the advice I was initially given; lean away from the rock/tree is what I did. Water flowed into the top of my kayak, the current took charge, and I capsized. In a frenzied panic, I began to doubt if I’d surface again. If it were a film, my whole West Pomeranian adventure would have flashed before my eyes: Szczecin; forest-covered land; pickled cucumbers; crazy, colourful hotels; fish, cow’s cheek, and sausages; beautiful churches; The Beatles; and stunning lakes. No time to dwell, however, as the crack of a lightening bolt hastened our pace as we headed towards the ending point in Bogdanka. The rapid change from strong sunshine evoked memories of true British weather.

In Bogdanka, the bad weather cleared and we were treated to sunshine once more, in addition to a warm cup of tea, an open fire, hot fish broth and a tasty sausage. I was so appreciative of the hot tea that I began conceding conversion to a drinker who declined milk – how very un-British of me. The setting was indescribably beautiful.

Rushed for time, Sebastian of natursport.pl – the wonderful organisers of the excursion, and our friendly hosts for two nights – ushered us into the car, ready for a drive to Glusko. In Glusko, we traded kayaks for bicycles and set off through the stunning forest. Neither Marcin nor I were prepared for the treacherous 14km ride back to Człopa. I’d expect nothing less from West Pomerania, but the cycle path was once again astonishing. We rounded lake after lake, including the Black Lake, which delves 26 meters in depth and in which the different water densities don’t mix. The sandy terrain and steep inclines made for an extremely tough ride, but, after a total exercise time of just over 5 hours, we made it back to natursport headquarters in Człopa.

Exploring nature through adventure sports in Drawieński National Park has constituted my favourite day of the trip so far! Now, Marcin and I are joining Sebastian to sample beers from the local region. No time for a hangover, however; we have a 4:30am start tomorrow morning! Find out what we’re up to at that ungodly hour by checking out azpomoze.pl again.

Marcin’s video of today: