29th July
As we'd been moving campsites daily for what felt like weeks we decided we'd stay here a few nights and not do so much driving. An un-interesting day to report really! We did absolutely nothing - read alot, I wrote the blog, we ate and we felt slightly hungover. All other guests left so we had the whole campsite to ourselves which was good. The furthest we moved was to the campsite bar to get a coca cola!
30th July
30th July
Got up early to have a day of sight seeing. Pete was feeling a bit poorly though so we ended up having a slow morning and setting out a bit later. Drove to Bran; 30km south of Brasov with supposedly the best Dracula type castle in all of Romania, according to two guidebooks. Drove the short drive there, trying not to crash into all the insane drivers in the city (cannot emphasise how incredibly bad and dangerous and infuriating Romanian drivers are by the way. By far the worst we've seen.) Got to Bran and parked amoungst hundreds of other tourists and walked through stalls piled high with tourist tat to find that we didn't want to pay to see the castle. Had a wander round to get a view, which we just about managed through all the trees, and found it to be quite disappointing anyway. A nice castle but not quite the dark, gothic turreted building we imagined. Oh well. Drove back towards Brasov and decided to stop in Rasnov, which has a citadel ruin high upon the hill behind it. Even from a distance we could tell that this would be better so we walked around and up the hill to see it. The ruins were really pretty and had stunning views of the surrounding area. A few little shops selling tourist stuff but nothing on Bran. We had a lovely hour or so looking around and then made our way back towards the campsite. Chilled evening doing the blog. Lots of rain in the night.
31st July
Bran Castle. ^
Rasnov citadel.^
Woke up to find everything soaking - we hadn't been bothered to get out in the night and save our stuff from the rain. Packed up anyway and headed west towards Fagaras. According to our road map there was a campsite just at the top of the Transfagarasan Pass (which we want to do tomorrow). We headed there slightly doubtful of whether it would exist and ended up driving through some back streets and around a small village deciding it was no hope. We smiled at a man staring at us in the street and he smiled and he asked 'camping?' and gave us intructions how to get there. Yay! Absolutely lovely campsite. Its run by a foreigner who has just done the place so well with a library where you can book swap, good internet and a big paddeling pool. Couldn't ask for more. Spent the afternoon playing frisbee, having a swim and hoping that the clouds would clear for our mountain drive tomorrow.
Some nice churches we saw on the drive. ^
The campsite by sunset.^
1st August
So happy to wake up to clear blue skies! Today we are driving Top Gear's voted 'Best road in the world'. We set off early to avoid traffic and we think this paid off as we ascended the mountain pretty much by our selves. The mountains were incredible even when approaching them. They shoot up above a plain so they dominate the whole horizon. The first 20 kilometers or so was through the trees - very windy and pretty, but then we got to the bottom of the open stretch. There are gorgeous grassy mountain tops and a crazily curvy road that from the top you can look down on, just like a car advert (we actually saw one being shot whilst driving up!). Stopping at every opportunity to take photos we slowly made our way to the top. WEX wasn't feeling too pleased at the end, but happily cruised down the other side. We had a very early lunch when we thought we'd got to the bottom of the mountain and then found that the scenic road carried on further along a big lake. We were looking for camping spots - we wanted to try our hand at free camping today - and we came across a beautiful area on a river for camping for only 10 lei (2 pounds) and we set up there. A few families arrived to picnic and the sun was shining and we felt safe. Early evening a ranger came round in his car so we could pay and he told us we could stay the night but to move further away from the bins as bears might come in the night! And then a young Romanian couple picnicing next to us moved their car further down the river and told us we should move too because of the bears. When we asked 'are they big bears?' he said 'big enough'. It was still light so we made dinner where we were and then moved with the others. Really lovely evening camped amoungst the trees with the Romanian couple booming out pop music and a Romanian family with little kids cooking dinner in the dark. Pete made a great fire and we sat up late watching it and staring at the stars. At one point the Romanian guy came and asked us to take a photo of him and his girlfriend and as a gift gave us two beers! He was very friendly and just before they went to sleep he came over and told us to wake him if we had any problems. After a few hours of sitting out one of the wild dogs chilling next to us started barking alot towards the woods. Then we heard what could only have been the cry of a bear barking back. We could hear the bear in the trees and we were thinking this was really cool and feeling safe by our fire when we saw the Romanian family all pack up and get in there car. We thought we better do the same and we got in a van and listened to the bear and dog argue! It stopped after a while and we got back out and finished our beers by the fire. Very exciting to hear a bear that close! One of our best days so far.
The road! ^
Campsite. ^
Moved away from the bears.^
Scenic loo.^
Petes very well prepared fire. ^
2nd August
We were prepared for quite a long drive today. We had looked up on the internet for a campsite in the south of Romania and found there was only one; in a town called Alexandria. We set off early to get there for our last night in Romania before crossing the border to Bulgaria. The land flattened out in the south so the drive was okay. One interesting thing we saw was loads of Roma's camping at the sides of the road in proper horse drawn wooden wagons, straight out of a western film. They had pots and pans and chairs hanging off the outside and they were all full with cute kids. We assumed there must be seasonal work down here as corn was growing as far as the eye could see. We had a quick lunch in a lay-by whilst struggling in the ridiculous heat. As we approached Alexandria we weren't feeling too hopeful. It was a big industrial city and there were no camping signs, even if there were we didn't think it would be the nicest place to stay anyway. So we carried on, and the only place left to go was to the border. We got to a very strange town that seemed only to be a massive power plant and a ferry crossing the Danube river to Bulgaria. There was no one to talk to about the ferry and finally, when a truck arrived, a little man came out and we managed to find out that the ferry went at half five. It was nearly three o'clock now and we decided we would wait. One other Czech family came in a camper but apart from them it was all trucks. We must have chosen the wierdest border crossing ever. After sitting for an hour and a half in stifling heat with the only shade being in van, which is a hot box, we eventually got on to the ferry - which was more of a floating car park - and got to Bulgaria. There was some confusion as to whether we should be weighed with the lorries but apart from that the passport control were really friendly; I think they're not used to tourists crossing here! We needed to buy a vignette (road tax) and went to a petrol station to do so where they spoke no English at all but were very smily and helpful. The Bulgarians seem by far the friendliest people we've met so far! We went towards two towns with camping signs on the map and, although we went a slight detour, we got there in the end. The detour was down to the fact that road signs are in Cryllic so very hard to understand, especially when hidden behind a tree as they so often are over this way! The detour was amazing though - over rolling fields of old sunflowers whose yellow was excentuated by the colour of the setting sun. We got to the town of Bjala and found no campsite. Then we drove 6 kilometers down a track to the other town of Borovo and found no campsite there either. When we asked the locals they looked very confused. We were very hot and very tired by now and didn't know what to do. We thought we could at least get some money out and get some beer and some bread and then just park somewhere. We had no idea where a cashpoint might be so we decided to ask a local. After lots of him not being able to give us directions we finally let him get in the van to show us the way. I got out with him and he walked with me down a small side road to a cashpoint and almost helped me press the buttons to get the money out! I was a bit weary but after he'd taken me back to the van and shaken our hands we were just so bemused by his helpfulness! That wouldn't happen at home. So, very tired but in good spirits we headed out towards the country side and happened to find a small track into a meadow where we were hidden from the road. Perfect. Sat up a while drinking beer and looking at actually the most incredible stars we've seen yet until we got scared into the van by what sounded like it might be a wolf. Probably a dog, but anyway we fell asleep instantly.
3rd August
Ferry. ^
Our first scenic view of Bulgaria. ^
Lovely countryside. ^
Free camp! ^
We were woken up at about eight o'clock this morning by two farmers knocking on our window wondering what we were doing. We tried to explain we'd just slept here one night and now we are going and they seemed to understand. We quickly brushed our teeth and packed up and went on our way. After a coffee in Bjala we got back to the main road and headed south towards Velinko Turnovo - which is where we will be starting our helpx tomorrow. I had heard of campsite online, a few kilometers north of the town, run by an English guy who'd been here six years. It sounded great and after only an hour of driving we found it - never got to a campsite before 10am before! The place was amazing - set next to a lazy river with a communal kitchen/living area and lots of land, it was exactly what we wanted. Spent the whole day doing not much in the heat and appreciating it as we will start working tomorrow! Pete did a spot of fishing in the river, with no luck of course, and we lazed about and chatted with Cliff, the owner, and a few other volunteers that work here. Actually Cliff knows our helpx hosts and says we'll have a great time. Couldn't have come to a better place, we're just sad we can't stay longer.
Pete swimming in the river. ^
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