We were all ready to leave the hotel by 7.30am in a big group. As it was a busy city we left all together with "outriders" - some of the cyclists rode along ahead to stop the traffic to allow the group to pass safely through intersections and roundabouts. The group ride was only for 5ks, then we carried on by ourselves. Timisoara was a city in good heart, and in a few years will be a lovely place. The ride started in the new time zone, so was an hour earlier than we had been starting in terms of light and sunrise. So it was relatively cool at 24 degrees when we set out. We carried on along a local highway through Cheveresu Mare, Bacova and Buzias. The road was in good condition, a busy narrow two-lane flat road. There were two dead dogs along the side of the road in various stages of decomposition. The road was the only way to get out of town, but was really too busy for safe riding. However all managed it safely. After about 20kms we could see in the distance the outline of the foothills of the Carparthian Mountains, which we will be climbing through in the next few days.
Turned off after 32ks at Buzias onto a quiet country road towards Berzovia and lunch. It was market day in Buzias. This road was a great ride through rolling hill country with lovely scenic views over the route we had just come over. There was a young lad standing beside the road herding his cows, to prevent them wandering onto the road- no fences here. There was open grassland on the sides of the road. Peasants were hand raking hay into bales with pitchforks, then loading it onto 4wheeled rubber tyred trailers to tow with their horses back to the farm for storage.
Stopped at Izgar at a small store to buy a cold drink. It was a small she'd in the middle of nowhere, with one petrol pump and LPG bottles for exchange. Had a broken down tractor in the yard, and a ramshackle house over the road with a TV satellite dish - not uncommon despite the poverty. The chap at the shop seemed mildly bemused to have a number of foreign cyclists descend on his shop.
From here the road became worse, with large potholes and patches of broken or completely unsealed road. We passed through some forested areas and immediately in the shade were assaulted by clouds of midges. It was 26 degrees, and so pleasant when in the shadier areas. Just before lunch a car stopped in front of us and the driver, a man dressed in crisp white shirt and dress trousers, signalled us to stop. He gave Liz a map especially produced for riders (motor and push bikers) for the area, and talked about our expedition. Said he would like us to send an email once we arrived in Istanbul. We are constantly amazed at the friendly locals along the way, many waving hello as we pass.
Lunch was in a clearing in the forest just before Berzovia, at 63kms. There were fresh rolls, plenty of cheese, tomatoes, meat and lettuce. Fresh fruit also. After a short break we continued in a little group with Manon, Graeme and Allan. We carried on till the road joined Highway 58B where it was busier again, then through Bocsa to Resita. There was some pleasant bush to travel through, a number of gypsies with carts full of hay or firewood. The road was a good one, curving around through forested hills. Resita is not a pretty town. We are staying in the Hotel Semenic right on the square in the centre of town. It is a six story, two star hotel. Everything is in the original Russian gulag style of the 1950s. It has a standard a bit like some of the THC hotels of the early 1960s! We arrived at 1.30 and had a very cold shower. No hot water before 4pm, and the water was was particularly cold. We have sprayed our beds with insect repellent to ensure that we are the only things sleeping in them tonight - though the sheets smell relatively clean!
John particularly likes the coal conveyor belt which dominates the skyline outside the hotel window, and the number of 11 story concrete apartment blocks. The city is comprised of these grey concrete apartment blocks. There is a rail track almost completely obscured by grass, along which a very noisy rail car ran. However, the little stream running along outside looks relatively clean, the cleanest stream/river we have seem in Europe. As we can't drink the water here, we went along with a group to a local bar for a cold need and an ice cream. The cost 5Lei each, about NZ $2.60. Then we retired to our very shabby, worn hotel room to snooze for a few hours. Reader briefing was at 6.30, followed by a brief history of Romania presented by Sebastian, our local guide. Dinner was at 7 in the hotel dining room, spaghetti bolognaise, then we were entertained by a local four-piece band. Three of the band looked very 'Roman' and they pales very well. The other chap played the trumpet and played the Slaves Chorus by Verdi. We were certainly well entertained for the evening. Went for a stroll around the square on the lovely evening air, then early to bed.
Turned off after 32ks at Buzias onto a quiet country road towards Berzovia and lunch. It was market day in Buzias. This road was a great ride through rolling hill country with lovely scenic views over the route we had just come over. There was a young lad standing beside the road herding his cows, to prevent them wandering onto the road- no fences here. There was open grassland on the sides of the road. Peasants were hand raking hay into bales with pitchforks, then loading it onto 4wheeled rubber tyred trailers to tow with their horses back to the farm for storage.
Stopped at Izgar at a small store to buy a cold drink. It was a small she'd in the middle of nowhere, with one petrol pump and LPG bottles for exchange. Had a broken down tractor in the yard, and a ramshackle house over the road with a TV satellite dish - not uncommon despite the poverty. The chap at the shop seemed mildly bemused to have a number of foreign cyclists descend on his shop.
From here the road became worse, with large potholes and patches of broken or completely unsealed road. We passed through some forested areas and immediately in the shade were assaulted by clouds of midges. It was 26 degrees, and so pleasant when in the shadier areas. Just before lunch a car stopped in front of us and the driver, a man dressed in crisp white shirt and dress trousers, signalled us to stop. He gave Liz a map especially produced for riders (motor and push bikers) for the area, and talked about our expedition. Said he would like us to send an email once we arrived in Istanbul. We are constantly amazed at the friendly locals along the way, many waving hello as we pass.
Lunch was in a clearing in the forest just before Berzovia, at 63kms. There were fresh rolls, plenty of cheese, tomatoes, meat and lettuce. Fresh fruit also. After a short break we continued in a little group with Manon, Graeme and Allan. We carried on till the road joined Highway 58B where it was busier again, then through Bocsa to Resita. There was some pleasant bush to travel through, a number of gypsies with carts full of hay or firewood. The road was a good one, curving around through forested hills. Resita is not a pretty town. We are staying in the Hotel Semenic right on the square in the centre of town. It is a six story, two star hotel. Everything is in the original Russian gulag style of the 1950s. It has a standard a bit like some of the THC hotels of the early 1960s! We arrived at 1.30 and had a very cold shower. No hot water before 4pm, and the water was was particularly cold. We have sprayed our beds with insect repellent to ensure that we are the only things sleeping in them tonight - though the sheets smell relatively clean!
John particularly likes the coal conveyor belt which dominates the skyline outside the hotel window, and the number of 11 story concrete apartment blocks. The city is comprised of these grey concrete apartment blocks. There is a rail track almost completely obscured by grass, along which a very noisy rail car ran. However, the little stream running along outside looks relatively clean, the cleanest stream/river we have seem in Europe. As we can't drink the water here, we went along with a group to a local bar for a cold need and an ice cream. The cost 5Lei each, about NZ $2.60. Then we retired to our very shabby, worn hotel room to snooze for a few hours. Reader briefing was at 6.30, followed by a brief history of Romania presented by Sebastian, our local guide. Dinner was at 7 in the hotel dining room, spaghetti bolognaise, then we were entertained by a local four-piece band. Three of the band looked very 'Roman' and they pales very well. The other chap played the trumpet and played the Slaves Chorus by Verdi. We were certainly well entertained for the evening. Went for a stroll around the square on the lovely evening air, then early to bed.
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