After 7 very fun and exciting weeks of cycling across Europe, the Orient Express cyclists successfully completed their journey by cycling to the shore of the Bosphoros in Istanbul!  Our last days greeted us with very high temperatures and lots of hills, but nothing would stand in the way of the determined set of riders, who have continually looked out for each throughout the trip, and everyone made sure that no one would be left behind.  In the early afternoon of July 18^th the group boarded the Naim Baba boat, which then took them on a pleasant cruise down the Bosphorous towards the Ortakoy district of Istanbul and our hotel.  While sipping beers on deck and feeling the wind against them, the cyclists reminisced over the time spent together these last months, and perhaps dreamt of future cycling tours that they may endeavor to partake in.  So, warm wishes to all our Orient Express participants, and a thorough congratulations on cycling the entirety of Europe.  Until the next ride…

 

The Donau River separates the countries of Romania and Bulgaria.  Somewhat surprisingly, there is only 1 bridge linking the 2 countries by road.  This bridge, dutifully named the “Friendship Bridge” brought our Orient Express riders into the 7^th country to be visited on this trip. 

 

Our first destination in Bulgaria was the Ribarska Kobila campsite, situated in the vicinity of the town of Ruse… however, upon arriving at the campsite, the driver of the Tour vehicle met the campsite owner, named George.  Mildly intoxicated, George was able to speak a few words of English to explain that this was indeed the Ribarska Kobila, he then pointed to a brownish field containing early communist era cabanas; the sense of gloom on the land evoked thoughts of abandonment, or at least of a place where time has ceased to be noticed.  George’s assistant, who appeared sincere, kind and cross-eyed, led the driver around the campsite, while humming what could perhaps be a Bulgarian hymn, the morose sound melting into the air.  With few words it was decided between driver, George, and the assistant that this was not such a place for camping any longer, but a place to sit quietly, descending into utter intoxication, with no plans or motives. 

 

Of course, this reality hardly encapsulates the desires of the Orient Express cyclists.  Hence a new first night’s destination in Bulgaria needed to be found.  Descending further down the road beside the Ribarska Kobila, directly to the side of the Donau, was located what could only be described as an Oasis.  The Lulaika Hotel.  A land of swimming pools, the possibility for pinkish colored cocktails, and patios which stretch to the wild and unseeing river’s edge.  This was to be our destination.

 

As the cyclists arrived they quickly transferred between the mode of a journeyer crossing a continent by bicycle, to the pose of the jet set; lacquered to their deck chairs sipping drinks, baking in the summer sun, hearing faintly the splash of scantily clad men and women in the pool; all the pleasures of relaxation eroding the pain of weary legs.  The next day’s hard ride in the farthest recesses of their minds…

 

Afterthought

 

It’s difficult to assess the nature of people’s choices, or to decide on their merits.  What is it that George and his assistant at the Ribarska Kobila ponder so deeply?  Causing them, apparently, not to notice the capitalistic fervor of the Hotel Lulaika going on less than a kilometer down the road. Perhaps these humans, like us all, put down roots in ideas, and when the ideas collapse: the previous communist Bulgarian state in this case, they’re left with nothing but the soil and the wind.   Regardless, we at TDA feel that it is lucky to come into contact with both sides of the economic equation; capitalistic success, and despondent questioning.  The destination is often unknown.

Romania has entered the EU, and the village cows are nervous.

 

As a cyclist pedals ceaselessly along the ever changing pitch of the Transylvanian roads, they may find time to lean their bike against a little shop, in a little village, in the late afternoon with the days’ heat dissipating and camp not too far off.  If they’re lucky they’ll find themselves drinking a cold beverage and watching wide-eyed as a herd of cows slowly meanders into the village, led by 1 or 2 herdsmen, having been out all day eating the local grass.  Not such an uncommon sight in much of the world, but what stands out is that not all the cows belong to the herdsmen, or to any one owner.  In fact each member of the village appears to own 1 of the cows, and they stand along the road, expectantly, as if waiting for their children returning home from school.  When they spot their cow among the herd, they walk over, both lovingly and menacingly with some stick or such, give the cow a gentle whack, and then lead it to their back yard for the night.  For a cow, this is the life.  The EU doesn’t like this, and would prefer if all the cows were sold to 1 owner and sent off to a long term boarding school far away from their village friends.  It would be a shame…  

Speaking of cows/wildlife.  During our trips we try to keep things light hearted and amusing.  No one day is like another, and in this spirit we organized a cyclist vs. bear race up the Carpathian Mountains.  As mentioned in an earlier entry, Adam Birkan is something of a racer, so he was quick to grab this opportunity.  In the cool morning heading up the Transfaragas Pass, which happens to be a 30km climb, Adam and the local brown bear we had arranged to meet up with us on the road, came together like great sportsmen, and with a loud roar from the bear began to race. Though it seemed neck and neck for the first few hundred meters, we all had a feeling that Adam would eventually pull away from the four legged champ, and sure enough he was the victor.  Congratulations to Adam.  Apparently dejected, the bear decided not to race anymore after that.

 

So, having reached Bucharest, the group has successfully completed the Cycling with Vlad section of the trip.  This is the first time for this section (as it follows new roads through different areas of Romania) and the cyclists have much to be proud of.  It is certainly a challenging segment, and to have ridden through the mountains and rough roads of Transylvania is no small feat.  Congratulations to all.

Our first few days in Romania have proven to be incredibly eye-opening. After crossing the border from Hungary into Romania, the differences were immediate and startling – new money and a new language of course, we’ve gotten used to that by now. What really surprised us was how outwardly friendly everyone is here. As we ride through little villages and towns, we are cheered on by nearly everyone that we ride past. Our days are full of waves, high-fives, and smiles.  

Perhaps the Romanian people are simply Europe’s friendliest citizens, or perhaps they recognize that when they see riders, they realize what a daunting task it is to cycle through their mountainous country. We’ve endured some intense climbs, some nasty weather, numerous flat tires, and a few bad falls. These hurdles, however, appear miniscule in comparison to those that await us in the next few days. Luckily, we have the Romanian people as our cheerleaders.  

The Carpathian Mountains may not be the Himalayas but nonetheless they present formidable obstacles to even the most experienced cyclist. Our group of daring riders will soon conquer the high peaks of the Transylvanian Alps by carefully navigating the hairpin turns, steep ascents, and sharp descents, while simultaneously striving to maintain a safe distance from the cyclists’ most dangerous obstacle, our most feared predator -- the automobile.  

For now, we’re in the city of Alba Iulia greasing up our gears for the upcoming train d’enfer. It’s now time to tighten our brakes, check the tread on our tires, practice yoga, and to say our prayers, because the next five cycling days that lead us to Bucharest will surely test our endurance and determination as we run the gauntlet.

- Josh Jones