Day 30 Szned to Timisoara Romania
The ride out of camp and though Szned was not the relaxed ride Jim and I had on Sunday. Monday morning was BUSY. However the four of us got though town and were on the road. Our path took us down this canal to where we took a ferry. We missed the ferry by 2 minutes, and wound up waiting a good 45 minutes for it to come back across and pick us up. It was an old style cable ferry of the type I remember crossing the Mcleod river on when I was a kid 50 years ago. Once across the ferry we were on a little used back road almost all the way to the boarder. Even though the road was rough in places it was nice having almost no cars. I think I only saw 4 or 5 cars in 40 kms. We are travelling though open wheat and corn fields. There are a few sunflower fields which put on a very pretty show with their big yellow flowers.
At the boarder into Romania we had to show our passports. This was the first time we had to show passports since we landed in Paris. Even so these were not the armed soviet type guards of old war era, but pleasent young men who smiled and stamped our passports. Once inside Romania the housing changed. There are abandon communal farms. Homes look poor and have not seen paint since construction. Stucco is falling a way. The main street is paved and side streets are dirt. Goats are tethered in front yards and barefoot children play in the dusty side streets. Ditched are lined with litter. Jim commented that this feels like rural Mexico.
By time we got to lunch at the 65km mark it was 34 C. Yesterday's tail wind was in our face and the best you could do was about 23-25 km/hr. The road was paved but had an extremely sharp shoulder of up to 8 inches. This caused a could of crashes when people rode off it. Berenice would up with heat exhaustion and had to be sagged in. We stopped at a road side pub and got cold drinks. I had a cold 0.5l beer for $1.00. I sure went down easy. By the time we got to the 100 km mark I was bonked and Jim took over the pull and pulled the four of us in to Timisoara. Thanks Jim! At the out skirts Duncan was waiting for us and guided us into town.
The hotel is in an older soviet tourist hotel. It has been redecorated but to say it is 5 star is a stretch. The big plus is that it has in room Internet service that is very good. This is something we have not yet had. It is also in right downtown off the main square.
The four of us headed off to find phone cards and beer. We found the beer but no phone cards. We were all set to sit down in the park to drink the beer when the police showed up and made us put the beer away. NO DRINKING in public. In Romania less than 12 hours and already busted by the police. Latter we went out and had Chinese food. The lemon chicken was fabulous.
Carl and Rita on the tandem had a nasty crash and I understand Carl is pretty cut up from the gravel. So sorry I hope it isn't too serious.
And so ended my first day in Romania and a day of 128 kms in 30+ c weather.
Thanks for visiting my blog and thanks for the great comments
Tomorrow is a rest day
Terry
PS. News from Don ---- He is very stiff and sore. It turns out that his right hand is broken as well, as his left collar bone. He decided not to case it as both hands would have been out of action.
The ride out of camp and though Szned was not the relaxed ride Jim and I had on Sunday. Monday morning was BUSY. However the four of us got though town and were on the road. Our path took us down this canal to where we took a ferry. We missed the ferry by 2 minutes, and wound up waiting a good 45 minutes for it to come back across and pick us up. It was an old style cable ferry of the type I remember crossing the Mcleod river on when I was a kid 50 years ago. Once across the ferry we were on a little used back road almost all the way to the boarder. Even though the road was rough in places it was nice having almost no cars. I think I only saw 4 or 5 cars in 40 kms. We are travelling though open wheat and corn fields. There are a few sunflower fields which put on a very pretty show with their big yellow flowers.
At the boarder into Romania we had to show our passports. This was the first time we had to show passports since we landed in Paris. Even so these were not the armed soviet type guards of old war era, but pleasent young men who smiled and stamped our passports. Once inside Romania the housing changed. There are abandon communal farms. Homes look poor and have not seen paint since construction. Stucco is falling a way. The main street is paved and side streets are dirt. Goats are tethered in front yards and barefoot children play in the dusty side streets. Ditched are lined with litter. Jim commented that this feels like rural Mexico.
By time we got to lunch at the 65km mark it was 34 C. Yesterday's tail wind was in our face and the best you could do was about 23-25 km/hr. The road was paved but had an extremely sharp shoulder of up to 8 inches. This caused a could of crashes when people rode off it. Berenice would up with heat exhaustion and had to be sagged in. We stopped at a road side pub and got cold drinks. I had a cold 0.5l beer for $1.00. I sure went down easy. By the time we got to the 100 km mark I was bonked and Jim took over the pull and pulled the four of us in to Timisoara. Thanks Jim! At the out skirts Duncan was waiting for us and guided us into town.
The hotel is in an older soviet tourist hotel. It has been redecorated but to say it is 5 star is a stretch. The big plus is that it has in room Internet service that is very good. This is something we have not yet had. It is also in right downtown off the main square.
The four of us headed off to find phone cards and beer. We found the beer but no phone cards. We were all set to sit down in the park to drink the beer when the police showed up and made us put the beer away. NO DRINKING in public. In Romania less than 12 hours and already busted by the police. Latter we went out and had Chinese food. The lemon chicken was fabulous.
Carl and Rita on the tandem had a nasty crash and I understand Carl is pretty cut up from the gravel. So sorry I hope it isn't too serious.
And so ended my first day in Romania and a day of 128 kms in 30+ c weather.
Thanks for visiting my blog and thanks for the great comments
Tomorrow is a rest day
Terry
PS. News from Don ---- He is very stiff and sore. It turns out that his right hand is broken as well, as his left collar bone. He decided not to case it as both hands would have been out of action.
5 comments:
This topic have a tendency to become boring but with your creativeness its great.
It enables us to express our feelings and opinions.
It enables us to express our feelings and opinions.
I agree with you about these. Well someday Ill create a blog to compete you! lolz.
34 C, 100 km, half-litre beer, bonk; sounds like a predictable outcome to me!! Better be careful drinking in public; wouldn't want to end up in an eastern Eurpoean hotel with bars on the windows!!
Ken C.
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