In Love with Romania
What a Beautiful Country!
11th June - 14th June | 2022
For today I have set OsmAnd again for the usage of unpaved roads. Started already very well with a steep rutty uphill, which I, of course, didn´t take as on my little own! Remember, we are not driving anything up or down that I cannot return on my own! Two more attempts and I had a very lovely track into the woods, passing some cyclists.
As soon as I went into the forest, it started with puddles. Just as I began to rethink my idea, after seeing pictures of TET Romania in mud, a jeep came in my direction. The two old men understood little german and they said it is ok-ish, whatever that means! Well, I can always turn around, as it looks not very far on OsmAnd.
Well, let's put it that way, the 20km took me 2 hrs and luckily at the only un-passable puddle, these cyclists passed. They said it is not far until the road, but it could be the last puddle, but they were not really sure. I opted to risk it and they helped me to get Schimmelchen through this puddle.
Some of the puddles must be also used by wild boars, so Schimmelchen and my boots blended perfectly in after some crossings! And the finish was meandering downhill but rutted by heavy vehicles. I was so happy to see finally a road and a village!! As I got enough offroad for today ;-), I opted now for road, and OsmAnd took me at least some lovely backroads through beautiful villages.
If you have ever the chance to get to Romania, do it! Such a beautiful country, the villages are so clean and the people are super helpful and yet still so authentic. Oh, as talking to some german bikers, they always named places in German, what was really strange for me, e.g. Sibiu = Hermannstatt. Also today some of the town signs were in Romanian, Hungarian and German, as I suddenly remembered that it was "Siebenbürgen" in the past (see google).
Arriving at the Armenopolis hotel (www.hotelarmenopolis.ro) in Gherba (Dej).
Shortly after that it was like the end of the world: the sky was pitch dark, a complete rainbow, heavy shower, lightning and thunder that you could feel the ground shaking. As recently that lasts only about 15mins and all over, but that short time it is mega-heavy!
Tomorrow my detour through Romania should come to an end, unfortunately, as I have to go back to Hungary. However, this country is next to Albania and Bosnia-i-Herzegowina back on the bucket list!
After all was packed up in the morning, I drove road "18" up to the North to Sapanta to the "Merry or Happy Cemetery". What a lovely twisty road, taking you through nice villages. In Sapanta were a lot of people, seems to become pretty popular then. It was also the first time I had to pay to enter a cemetery (LEI 5 = EUR1). Pitty that I couldn’t read the short stories on the grave crosses, but they are very artistic! All very impressive, also the outside decoration of the church itself.
As it was already time for lunch, I just went to the restaurant next door and had some nice food. Then I headed off to the border to the camping spot I found on iOverlander: "Kentaur" close to Satur Mare. It is run by a private person and they got horses :-D So tonight I could watch out of my bed the horses grazing, under a full moon! Just a stray dog disturbed the nice scenery as he scared the sh** out of me being out of my tent! Shouting and clapping my hands must have scared him off too ;-)
After that, I slept like a log in my sleeping bed! Due to the heat already early in the morning, I was up by 8am. Crossing the border back into Hungary was no problem at all, but the first time during all the travel they asked me to take off my helmet!
Back in Hungary, I had booked a little room close to Debrecen as I got a ticket for the Hortobágy Natural Park. I had OsmAnd put on unpaved roads, and when it started to get boring on the long stretches, it sent me off to the deep sand! Once it was so deep and rutted that I turned around as there was no end to see! The sand was so heavy (like flour) that I had to get off to turn around my bike - watched by horses on both sides of the track ;-)
Once I have done the check-in, I collapsed in the bed and was wiped out for a good hour. Looks like I desperately needed that rest! Actually, I also went to bed early as very tired and I have to get up early tomorrow morning to go to the natural park in Hortobágy.
If you ever plan it, give it a miss! Or just go there and do directly the safari tour (extra payment to the entrance fee, but it was only HUF1500 = EUR3.50). Do not walk through the little "zoo" and watch some poor creatures fenced in! I only went there to see the Przewalski horse, the "last" remaining ancient horse specie.
After that I had a task for today, visiting the Telekom shop - remember, I was trying to get a SIM card in Mohacs and it is still not working! The guy in the shop was super helpful! He said the card has never been activated! That is interesting! However, three more new cards he tried to activate, WITHOUT a Hungarian residency, I have now a working internet on my phone - HURRAY!! Back at the hotel, I had well deserved lazy afternoon!
Now starts the countdown to meet my mum in Budapest! I have booked a little birthday surprise for one evening :-D Let’s take you on to the next blog, about meeting finally my mum after January!
Places | Cities:
ROMANIA:
Copsa Mica, Medias, Taraveni, Ienut, Ludus, Campia Rurzii, Turda, Gherba, Dej, Baia Mare, Sighetu, Sapanta, Livanda, Satu Mare
HUNGARY:
Debrecen, Hortobágy Natural Park
Driven km | Trip:
Total | Steffi: 15470 km
Maintenance | Breakdown:
./.
Health issues:
Some Migraine attacks
Special thanks to:
Romania for being so mindblowing and the people for being so helpful!
OsmAnd for providing me with adventure and adrenaline (offroad)