EVSlobozia: About My Swollen Ass (Trip to Călărași & Silistra)

17. - 18.11.2012

I wanted to make a trip by bike, because I really missed the feeling of freedom being on the road by bike. So I asked my romanian friends if they are able to borrow me a bike. Unfortunately romanian people are so proud of their cars, that they are not thinking about using a bike, or painting cycleways on the street. At least I found someone and I was so happy, that I didn't care about the condition of this bike...

- a not working gear change, so I just could ride around ten km/h in the first gear

- a broken (and either way uncomfortable) seat

- no front light

I prepared myself with five hours of sleep, a lot of enthusiasm, a few clothes (at least I had to choose my less smelling socks) and a little paper with notes of important street names. So I startet at sunrise, around seven o'clock to leave Slobozia...

... and it was really interesting to see another part of the town, the bridge over the river and the houses beyond. Then I saw the big streets at the horizon and I started to think: "What the fuck I'm doing here? Maybe the romanians are right in calling me crazy.", because there were just a big, long, straight street and after one, two hours it was a big, long, straight street with a lot of cars and trucks.And you are on a bike, feeling the wind of the trucks. Later you don't care anymore about it, but in the beginning it was a little bit scary. But therefore I saw a new world.

A new, dismal world of emptiness, greyness and dead (amusingly this part of Romania is also known as the "breadbasket of Romania"):

And here I had my first of five escapes of wild dogs! Later I remembered, that romanian dogs are going crazy when they see bicycles. But let's take another look of our breadbasket:

There are no curves, a lot of crosses for people who lost their lifes on this street (and I mean really a lot, maybe every third kilometre), dead dogs on the side and one dead fox. And with the fog far away it was an enormous atmosphere.

After twelve crossed horizons I lost my curiousity to know what will be after the next horizon. So I searched for motivations and I was successfull: If I wouldn't be here, I would be in Slobozia, in my living room, being bored or watching a movie. If I wouldn't be here, I won't see Călărași and Silistra, which is a city in Bulgaria and sooo exotic (yeah, exotic). And at least if I wouldn't be here, on this damned street, I wouldn't come back next day and feel the great feeling of taking a shower after a trip like this. So I didn't stopped and after 47 kilometres I reached Călărași!

As you can see I prepared my bike seat with a blanket (thanks to Dada for not killing me for borrow stuff without asking!), because my butt began to hurt like never before and I wasn't able to sit in a normal way for two days. So great.

And this is Călărași:

Because I was the slowest cyclist of the world it was getting darker and darker, so I didn't spent a lot of time in Călărași. I met a few people for asking for the way to the ferry, because you have to cross the Danube to arrive in Bulgaria. I remember an old gypsy lady who joined my way a bit to led me the way. She asked me if I'm from France, so I answered I would be from Germany. She asked about the religions in Germany, and if I would be protestant or catholic. Because I know that romanians are so faithfull I didn't want to say the truth, so I told here I would be catholic. Fortunately we crossed a orthodox church, so I didn't had to do anything. I met a wise looking guy, too, who stands in the park to look lost in thoughts to the Danube. It was a nice sight and he led me the way in a very calm way. And of course I met crazy dogs...

After leaving Călărași I had to ride another few kilometres in one of the "most beautiful parts of the south". Yeah, maybe that's true, but in this season it was not so spectacular. But you get a nice impression. Let's take a look:

And after this sign I was sooo relieved:

And this is the ferry (not as big as on the sign, but practical), the view of suddenly not exotic Silistra and my sweaty boots:

Silistra and the border (with a funny, german translation - apropos: on my arrival the border was empty so I just had to show my IDcard at the departure one day later):

At first I needed a map of Silistra, so I asked in a Hotel for a map, but for this I needed bulgarian money. I changed my romanian Lei in a little shop for getting Leva. With my map I found my first aim, the tourist information. Fortunately the five young and friendly smiling girls and the lady of the tourist information let me in, because they already closed the house. They really tried to help me, so they called a woman who speaks english with their own mobile phones and gave me maps and informations for free!
With my rare time I just climbed a hill to see the city from above and to visit an old, turkish fortress:

After this little touristic riot I was looking for the cheap hotel the touristic girls told me: Hotel Vienna, and it wasn't easy to find and it was really dark. But a nice woman with her son joined me to show me the hotel, although they went in the opposite direction.
The hotel was great and I was very happy to be there. The hotel stuff speaks german - surprisingly - and after I take a shower and a little rest I decide to ask for a true bulgarian bar. The son of the woman of the reception speaks german, too, and he showed me a cool bar. Unfortunately I lost his datas to find him in the internet. We spent a good time in the bar, I ate a tasty and... interesting Hot Dog and later I slept like a baby in my double hotel room for the price of a single room. This is my adventure table of the hotel (and bulgarian money):

I left the hotel around ten o'clock in the morning and ride directly to the ferry, to go back to Romania, because I wanted to arrive in Slobozia before it's getting dark! Remember, my bike had no light.

Here are some more impressions of Silistra, the border from the other side and the ferry again:

Back in Călărași I decide to go back by bus, because my ass didn't cure last night and I couldn't sit on the bike seat. So I spent the waiting time for the bus on the "Bazar Big Călărași" and with buying the most worst Brezel I ever ate from the supermarket Penny: