Romania August 2019
Tuesday August 20
Awake from behind my rock pile at around 7am, I moved to a gas station sitting area to wait out the morning dew and chill before riding on for the day. I had found a place to stay in Budapest so my travels for the day weren’t very far.
Crossing the border went pretty easily, I’m happy to say. I gave them all the paperwork, they stamped my passport, and I proceeded to say confusing words like “matricia” and “vignette” in my American accent trying to figure out where to buy it. One of them finally figured it out and pointed me to a door, so I bought my toll pass for $7.50 and continued on. My only stop before getting to Budapest was Püspökladány-Farkasszigeti Arborétum and I got there around 10:30am. It was supposed to be a place with a variety of plants but it mostly looked like an abandoned park, and I was okay with that. I used the quiet to write in my journal and get annoyed by bugs before I continued west.
Once in Budapest, I stopped at the Harley Davidson dealer... Which happened to be closed. Of course. So I rode to the northeast area from Budapest where Busan lived, my host for the night from the group Motorcycle Tours. I went thru the historic areas of Budapest on my way and while they were beautiful, I had no desire to deal with that traffic, the parking, or walking around in the crowds. So I didn’t take any pictures.
I was about 2 hours early to Busan’s house so I sat in the shade out on the Main Street. The only special occurrence there was an old guy acting creepy towards me as he walked by but I couldn’t tell what he was saying and he didn’t change to English when I said that’s all I speak. Oh well.
Busan got there around 5:30 in a van with three other men and picked me up from my sitting spot. It was a little intimidating to go to a house with four big Serbian men but Busan was very friendly online and I went for the adventure anyway. We got to his house and his hospitality was very good, we got into some great chats about motorcycles and the community while waiting to go to dinner. After everyone showered we, Busan, one roommate, and myself, went off to eat pizza in the tourist-like area. Dinner was spectacularly delicious and I was still so fascinated by Busan’s stories. His passion got Serbia was invigorating and I got super excited to check out his country on my way back to Romania!
After dinner we chatted for awhile longer before going to bed. He set me up with a room, the keys to the place for when I left, and instructions on what to do since he would be leaving for work early in the morning. What an amazingly generous rider he was and I can’t wait to see him on the road again!
Crossing the border went pretty easily, I’m happy to say. I gave them all the paperwork, they stamped my passport, and I proceeded to say confusing words like “matricia” and “vignette” in my American accent trying to figure out where to buy it. One of them finally figured it out and pointed me to a door, so I bought my toll pass for $7.50 and continued on. My only stop before getting to Budapest was Püspökladány-Farkasszigeti Arborétum and I got there around 10:30am. It was supposed to be a place with a variety of plants but it mostly looked like an abandoned park, and I was okay with that. I used the quiet to write in my journal and get annoyed by bugs before I continued west.
Once in Budapest, I stopped at the Harley Davidson dealer... Which happened to be closed. Of course. So I rode to the northeast area from Budapest where Busan lived, my host for the night from the group Motorcycle Tours. I went thru the historic areas of Budapest on my way and while they were beautiful, I had no desire to deal with that traffic, the parking, or walking around in the crowds. So I didn’t take any pictures.
I was about 2 hours early to Busan’s house so I sat in the shade out on the Main Street. The only special occurrence there was an old guy acting creepy towards me as he walked by but I couldn’t tell what he was saying and he didn’t change to English when I said that’s all I speak. Oh well.
Busan got there around 5:30 in a van with three other men and picked me up from my sitting spot. It was a little intimidating to go to a house with four big Serbian men but Busan was very friendly online and I went for the adventure anyway. We got to his house and his hospitality was very good, we got into some great chats about motorcycles and the community while waiting to go to dinner. After everyone showered we, Busan, one roommate, and myself, went off to eat pizza in the tourist-like area. Dinner was spectacularly delicious and I was still so fascinated by Busan’s stories. His passion got Serbia was invigorating and I got super excited to check out his country on my way back to Romania!
After dinner we chatted for awhile longer before going to bed. He set me up with a room, the keys to the place for when I left, and instructions on what to do since he would be leaving for work early in the morning. What an amazingly generous rider he was and I can’t wait to see him on the road again!
Wednesday August 21
When I woke up I had the house to myself since Busan and his roommates had to go to work at 6:30am. So I took the opportunity to catch up on some work on my phone out by the pool before packing up to finish the ride across Hungary.
Busan had mentioned a couple places the night before near Budapest and I tried to stop at one to check it out. There was a parking fee and I didn’t have any forints so I decided to skip on the potential hassle of dealing with that with a card. So I head into Budapest and boy, did I not have a good time all the way up to getting to the Harley Davidson dealership. Traffic was bad so I was splitting between oncoming and stopped traffic like all the other bikes and one guy slammed on his breaks. I pass and almost hit a woman walking across the street... And then I’m merging onto a road right behind a truck when a car almost T-bones my right side. It’s one of those situations that when you get shaken up you just keep messing up and it gets worse and worse. But I got to the dealership, bought the poker chips, and continued on without further incidence.
The rest of the day was spent on the super slab pin Hungary. I attempted to get off of it a couple times to check out various things but they were so badly touristy that I just left. So into Slovenia I go.
I got into a much better mood when I got to Slovenia because I could see hills and mountains, finally leaving behind the flat of Hungary. I accidentally passed a toll without having one (they didn’t warn and the only reason I noticed was because it said vingeta which is close to vingette) but I stopped and bought it so I could save the time to get to Celji where someone from ADVRider was putting me up for the night.
I got to the house of Kyle and Stina around 6:30 and had the most WONDERFUL evening with them and a British couple, Fern and Ferdie. They served a traditional Slovenia dinner, we drank beer, talked travel and motorcycles, and smoked a little MJ into the night. I was the first to peel off at 11:30 because I was flat exhausted and I think they were up until 1am. They’re all wonderful people and I hope I see them on the road again.
Busan had mentioned a couple places the night before near Budapest and I tried to stop at one to check it out. There was a parking fee and I didn’t have any forints so I decided to skip on the potential hassle of dealing with that with a card. So I head into Budapest and boy, did I not have a good time all the way up to getting to the Harley Davidson dealership. Traffic was bad so I was splitting between oncoming and stopped traffic like all the other bikes and one guy slammed on his breaks. I pass and almost hit a woman walking across the street... And then I’m merging onto a road right behind a truck when a car almost T-bones my right side. It’s one of those situations that when you get shaken up you just keep messing up and it gets worse and worse. But I got to the dealership, bought the poker chips, and continued on without further incidence.
The rest of the day was spent on the super slab pin Hungary. I attempted to get off of it a couple times to check out various things but they were so badly touristy that I just left. So into Slovenia I go.
I got into a much better mood when I got to Slovenia because I could see hills and mountains, finally leaving behind the flat of Hungary. I accidentally passed a toll without having one (they didn’t warn and the only reason I noticed was because it said vingeta which is close to vingette) but I stopped and bought it so I could save the time to get to Celji where someone from ADVRider was putting me up for the night.
I got to the house of Kyle and Stina around 6:30 and had the most WONDERFUL evening with them and a British couple, Fern and Ferdie. They served a traditional Slovenia dinner, we drank beer, talked travel and motorcycles, and smoked a little MJ into the night. I was the first to peel off at 11:30 because I was flat exhausted and I think they were up until 1am. They’re all wonderful people and I hope I see them on the road again.
Thursday August 22
I needed to get on the road but instead I spent the cloudy morning sitting with my friends, enjoying a simple breakfast. It was almost noon when after taking a group photo, I got on down the road, filled up the tank, and started riding for the day. Kyle recommended a good road up to the border and it turned out to be fabulous. I found a couple waterfalls and a dragon stuck in the side of a cliff, up a big reach of rickety stairs that showed how out of shape I’ve gotten since my surgery. There was a lot of fog going on so I skipped paying £5 to go into a valley that would’ve had gorgeous views. It just gives me a reason to come back (like I need any more of those).
I crossed into Austria for the first time and that’s my 7th country to travel in. On the way was a 20 minute hike up to Wildensteiner Wasserfall, and it was absolutely spectacular. From there I stopped at a Penny Market to get groceries and then take the scenic route up to where I would try to find camp. The crazy thing about the back roads I took is that there’s random twisties, bits of old forest, and quaint villages randomly along the way. I really enjoy how quickly it can change, and also that there was virtually no traffic along that route.
So my first choice to check out camp wasted a lot of time and was a no go. After getting myself stuck, I got myself unstuck and headed for a ski resort parking lot. There I set up in the corner when it got dark and besides having two RVs for neighbors, didn’t get bothered.
August 22
12.98 euro - gas
13.76 euro - groceries
I crossed into Austria for the first time and that’s my 7th country to travel in. On the way was a 20 minute hike up to Wildensteiner Wasserfall, and it was absolutely spectacular. From there I stopped at a Penny Market to get groceries and then take the scenic route up to where I would try to find camp. The crazy thing about the back roads I took is that there’s random twisties, bits of old forest, and quaint villages randomly along the way. I really enjoy how quickly it can change, and also that there was virtually no traffic along that route.
So my first choice to check out camp wasted a lot of time and was a no go. After getting myself stuck, I got myself unstuck and headed for a ski resort parking lot. There I set up in the corner when it got dark and besides having two RVs for neighbors, didn’t get bothered.
August 22
12.98 euro - gas
13.76 euro - groceries
Friday August 23
Excited to go over Nockalmstraße, I was sorely disappointed that the whole ride was ruined by thick fog and rain. At Windebensee lake, I got enough of a clearing to take a couple cool photos and then I rode in the rain to Glockenhutt, where I waited for conditions to change for two hours. At one point I finally just gave up and left the pass, riding very cautiously due to visibility being maybe 10 meters in many places.
My next road to ride was Malta-Hochalm-Straße up to Maltastaudamm Oberstufe, which was a dead end at a dam. There was again fog, and I was worried that I wasted £12 on nothing again, but the weather cleared as I was waiting at the dam! On the way up, the waterfalls were plenty visible but it was pure white when I got to the end of the road. So I sat and looked at my route for about an hour and got lucky that the fog cleared a bit and the sun came out. It made me so happy to be able to see the gorgeous lake!
I was supposed to ride Großglockner but after the bad weather all day, I opted for a valley road instead of the pass. The views were just as spectacular, honestly. I was running really late because of waiting for weather all day so when I came upon a crash, the 25 minutes I had to wait was irksome as hell. But I got thru eventually and had to ride in the rain, at night, on a one lane road on the cliff with no barriers. I got to camp and there were a bunch of people there, which I couldn’t blame them, but I ran for the only shelter I saw and waited until the rain let up. Then I moved my bike down there, set up camp, and laid down for the night. It took all I had to ignore the drunk idiots making noise all night. I must say that annoying bro dude drunks at 1am are annoying in every language and every culture.
My next road to ride was Malta-Hochalm-Straße up to Maltastaudamm Oberstufe, which was a dead end at a dam. There was again fog, and I was worried that I wasted £12 on nothing again, but the weather cleared as I was waiting at the dam! On the way up, the waterfalls were plenty visible but it was pure white when I got to the end of the road. So I sat and looked at my route for about an hour and got lucky that the fog cleared a bit and the sun came out. It made me so happy to be able to see the gorgeous lake!
I was supposed to ride Großglockner but after the bad weather all day, I opted for a valley road instead of the pass. The views were just as spectacular, honestly. I was running really late because of waiting for weather all day so when I came upon a crash, the 25 minutes I had to wait was irksome as hell. But I got thru eventually and had to ride in the rain, at night, on a one lane road on the cliff with no barriers. I got to camp and there were a bunch of people there, which I couldn’t blame them, but I ran for the only shelter I saw and waited until the rain let up. Then I moved my bike down there, set up camp, and laid down for the night. It took all I had to ignore the drunk idiots making noise all night. I must say that annoying bro dude drunks at 1am are annoying in every language and every culture.
Saturday August 24
Ding ding ding ding... That’s the sound of alpine cow bells waking me up at 6:30am Saturday morning. Once I was awake, I also heard the cow closest to me chewing and ripping up grass. They were brown and white, scattered all over the hills and investigating all the campers. I paid them no mind and started looking for places to take photos because that lake was simply gorgeous. It made the horrid ride there all worth it in the end, and I even stayed dry too!
Since all the campers were getting up, I let some of my stuff dry in the sun for a couple minutes, packed up, and left. The ride out was gorgeous too and it made me wish I could’ve seen the views on the way in. But I got gas and started on my day.
After a little debate with myself over the weather, I rode all morning to make it to Jaufenpass and Timmelsjoch before it got late in the afternoon. Supposedly there’s rain in the afternoons so I wanted to beat that and actually have a good ride. Which, I got lucky and did just that. I had a gorgeous day with such amazing views, one of those times I couldn’t stop pulling off to snap photos. The ride was spectacular, the road in decent condition, and not too much traffic. It was a wonderful couple hours, that’s for sure.
I saw the rain moving in so I dropped into the valley before finding somewhere to eat. My first choice wasn’t serving pizza yet but I found another spot down the road that was. The owners didn’t speak English but we did just fine communicating and they were really nice. So dinner was out of the way, time to find camp.
Due to being warned about camping in Italy, I decided to stay just this side of the border in Austria for the night. About 30 miles before the border o started looking for places I could pull off and hide myself with my bike for the night. I got lucky and found a gravel river access road that afforded me a couple options for camp. I was going to set up one way when I realized there was a thunderstorm rolling in. So I altered course and used one of the benches to help make shelter for the storm. It helped having my little tent a little higher off the ground because I could sit up. Not that I did much of that, I was out before too long. It rained a little throughout the night but I stayed dry and got a decent amount of sleep.
Since all the campers were getting up, I let some of my stuff dry in the sun for a couple minutes, packed up, and left. The ride out was gorgeous too and it made me wish I could’ve seen the views on the way in. But I got gas and started on my day.
After a little debate with myself over the weather, I rode all morning to make it to Jaufenpass and Timmelsjoch before it got late in the afternoon. Supposedly there’s rain in the afternoons so I wanted to beat that and actually have a good ride. Which, I got lucky and did just that. I had a gorgeous day with such amazing views, one of those times I couldn’t stop pulling off to snap photos. The ride was spectacular, the road in decent condition, and not too much traffic. It was a wonderful couple hours, that’s for sure.
I saw the rain moving in so I dropped into the valley before finding somewhere to eat. My first choice wasn’t serving pizza yet but I found another spot down the road that was. The owners didn’t speak English but we did just fine communicating and they were really nice. So dinner was out of the way, time to find camp.
Due to being warned about camping in Italy, I decided to stay just this side of the border in Austria for the night. About 30 miles before the border o started looking for places I could pull off and hide myself with my bike for the night. I got lucky and found a gravel river access road that afforded me a couple options for camp. I was going to set up one way when I realized there was a thunderstorm rolling in. So I altered course and used one of the benches to help make shelter for the storm. It helped having my little tent a little higher off the ground because I could sit up. Not that I did much of that, I was out before too long. It rained a little throughout the night but I stayed dry and got a decent amount of sleep.
Sunday August 25
Due to my river access camp being off of a river (go figure) and it having rained, there was a lot of moisture to deal with in the morning. It took until 10:15am for the sun to get over the mountains to warm up camp and so I could dry out my tarp. It was 11am before I started heading towards the gas station for my morning fill up and water bottle.
Unbeknownst to me, I was right at the border of Switzerland but I decided not to bother with border control to say I’ve been there. It’s no different to say I was at the border since I would’ve done no traveling in the country. Anyway, my first gorgeous view for the day was Lago di Resia, a beautiful lake to the west of my road south. I stopped for a couple photos but kept on going since it was so late. Then I stopped again for some weird and creepy bone totem pole things. I snapped a few quick pictures and then some crazy guy, presumably the artist, came and told me he charged £1 for photos. So I gave him £2 and apologized for not seeing his signs. Hopefully I have him a better impression of Americans. Ha.
Today was finally the day I was going to check out the famous road, Stelvio Pass. And I think I made the right choice to ride it north to south because the best technical hairpin turns were going up for me. Many people say Stelvio is overrated and I’ll have to disagree. I thoroughly enjoyed the hell out of that road and the view... I can’t even begin to describe them. It’s now my favorite road on the planet, beating out Beartooth and Icefields Parkway. Oh my.
On the way up I had no rain but there was a bit of a sprinkle at the top while I was shopping for postcards. I didn’t mind because I didn’t stay long due to lots of people, and it stopped as I started heading down the other side. So my next road was supposed to be Gavia Pass but it was closed due to a landslide, which was saddening. So I took Passo del Mortirolo and Passo del Tonale to somewhere near Trento. My first place to check from park4night was a no go but my second was a parking lot for Castle Thun. It was raining when I arrived but there was a bench with an awning that I got under, and where I stayed for the rest of the night.
Unbeknownst to me, I was right at the border of Switzerland but I decided not to bother with border control to say I’ve been there. It’s no different to say I was at the border since I would’ve done no traveling in the country. Anyway, my first gorgeous view for the day was Lago di Resia, a beautiful lake to the west of my road south. I stopped for a couple photos but kept on going since it was so late. Then I stopped again for some weird and creepy bone totem pole things. I snapped a few quick pictures and then some crazy guy, presumably the artist, came and told me he charged £1 for photos. So I gave him £2 and apologized for not seeing his signs. Hopefully I have him a better impression of Americans. Ha.
Today was finally the day I was going to check out the famous road, Stelvio Pass. And I think I made the right choice to ride it north to south because the best technical hairpin turns were going up for me. Many people say Stelvio is overrated and I’ll have to disagree. I thoroughly enjoyed the hell out of that road and the view... I can’t even begin to describe them. It’s now my favorite road on the planet, beating out Beartooth and Icefields Parkway. Oh my.
On the way up I had no rain but there was a bit of a sprinkle at the top while I was shopping for postcards. I didn’t mind because I didn’t stay long due to lots of people, and it stopped as I started heading down the other side. So my next road was supposed to be Gavia Pass but it was closed due to a landslide, which was saddening. So I took Passo del Mortirolo and Passo del Tonale to somewhere near Trento. My first place to check from park4night was a no go but my second was a parking lot for Castle Thun. It was raining when I arrived but there was a bench with an awning that I got under, and where I stayed for the rest of the night.
Monday August 26
Bright and early Monday morning, and I mean early because the farmers started working at the butt crack of dawn, I headed towards the Dolomites. I didn’t really know what to expect but I was quite surprised when I got there.
Early on to the western side of the Dolomites, I saw large rock structures poking out of the landscape. They sorta looked like The Devil’s Tower but significantly larger, cooler, and more of them. The sky was cloudy, sunny, sprinkling as it always does in high elevation but that didn’t bother me much. I stopped for a snack at one point and continued on when more people stopped.
The ride was fabulous, of course, but I had to cut out some of my previously planned route to save time. So I took the northern routes, did a couple passes, and continued on.
As I was trying to find camp, I had a downpour start so I stopped at a restaurant/bar and had to order a beer as they weren’t serving food. I waited there for quite a few hours, ordering a pizza and another beer, before the sky cleared enough to continue comfortably. Of course by then it was getting dark and getting cold.
My first overnight spot to check was a bust so I continued on into the night before I found a pull off with a lorry and piles of logs. Wild camping being as illegal as it is in Italy, I took this opportunity. I parked my bike behind the logs and slept under the lorry for about 6 hours, getting up and on the road by 6am when first light started. I really figure I’m not as much of a nuisance as the RV crowd but I’m not looking to get fined €300.
Early on to the western side of the Dolomites, I saw large rock structures poking out of the landscape. They sorta looked like The Devil’s Tower but significantly larger, cooler, and more of them. The sky was cloudy, sunny, sprinkling as it always does in high elevation but that didn’t bother me much. I stopped for a snack at one point and continued on when more people stopped.
The ride was fabulous, of course, but I had to cut out some of my previously planned route to save time. So I took the northern routes, did a couple passes, and continued on.
As I was trying to find camp, I had a downpour start so I stopped at a restaurant/bar and had to order a beer as they weren’t serving food. I waited there for quite a few hours, ordering a pizza and another beer, before the sky cleared enough to continue comfortably. Of course by then it was getting dark and getting cold.
My first overnight spot to check was a bust so I continued on into the night before I found a pull off with a lorry and piles of logs. Wild camping being as illegal as it is in Italy, I took this opportunity. I parked my bike behind the logs and slept under the lorry for about 6 hours, getting up and on the road by 6am when first light started. I really figure I’m not as much of a nuisance as the RV crowd but I’m not looking to get fined €300.
Tuesday August 27
6am, I took a few pictures of the foggy lake and the massive amount of tunnels I’ve been going thru finally, and start looking for a gas station to wait until it warmed up. The first 4 I tried weren’t open yet so I ended up riding for a few hours anyway. The gas station i did find open didn’t sell water, let alone have a seating area, so I moved on until I came upon a picnic area by the water. It was gorgeous and I used the time to catch up on my journal.
I pass thru Slovenia again and then cross into Croatia for my first time with no problems. I’m aimed for a parking lot near some castle ruins. The ride there was nice and warm, a change from cold and wet in the alps, which was highly enjoyable. I made the parking area before sunset and checked out the castle before the light faded.
While there I made friends with a kitty that was hanging around. Maybe only 3-4 months old but healthy, I fed him what meat I had left and gave him some water. We cuddled up until it got dark when he probably went to hide from the dogs. I didn’t see him again until morning.
I pass thru Slovenia again and then cross into Croatia for my first time with no problems. I’m aimed for a parking lot near some castle ruins. The ride there was nice and warm, a change from cold and wet in the alps, which was highly enjoyable. I made the parking area before sunset and checked out the castle before the light faded.
While there I made friends with a kitty that was hanging around. Maybe only 3-4 months old but healthy, I fed him what meat I had left and gave him some water. We cuddled up until it got dark when he probably went to hide from the dogs. I didn’t see him again until morning.
Wednesday August 28
I woke when the sun came up but was still very tired. Kitty came to join me in the morning and he slept on my stomach for another hour while I dozed. He was my companion as I packed up and got dressed. I fed him the last of the meat and some granola too. It 100% breaks my heart I couldn’t keep that sweetheart but I remind myself that I can’t save all the loving, cute kitties in the world. Being a cat, I know he’ll be fine hunting the bugs and small rodents in the fields but he definitely would make a great lap cat to someone.
Anyway, off to Plitvicka Lakes National Park and I was there by 9am. I took the second entrance first and started my walk. There was already a lot of people but it got worse as the day wore on. I ended up hiking the same trail 2.5 times and I’m to this point still unsure what went wrong. I was following the signs for the boat dock but just did circles. It was frustrating with all the people on the boardwalk but at least the views were nice.
I finally found my way out and headed for the first entrance where the big waterfall is. I walked around that one for about an hour, making my hike about 4 hours in all, before I couldn’t take the crowds anymore. I hadn’t eaten all day and I didn’t take water on the first 3 hours of hiking so I had a headache and my anxiety was sky high. I just don’t do crowds. Maybe I’ll come back one day when it’s autumn and the crowds won’t be so bad.
My next stop was Split where I was going to buy tokens for my friends from HD, and I knocked out that 3 hour ride in one shot. I got the chips and ate next door at the restaurant the Harley salesman recommended. It was probably the best pasta I’ve ever had, if I’m to be humble about it.
I was supposed to meet up with someone so I delayed as long as I could waiting for her to reply. It got dark and she canceled on me, so I had 50 minutes of riding in the dark to a campsite on the river. It was a rafting launch point but everyone said it was free to camp. It was almost 10 when I got there, did the pain in the ads scouting in the dark, picked my spot, set up my hammock, and got ready to sleep. So many nights of sleeping on the ground had me very sore and I was on day 8 of no shower. I was sticky, had chaffing from the hike, sore from the ground, sore from riding so much... but all was better when I got into my hammock with breakfast waiting in my box for the morning.
Anyway, off to Plitvicka Lakes National Park and I was there by 9am. I took the second entrance first and started my walk. There was already a lot of people but it got worse as the day wore on. I ended up hiking the same trail 2.5 times and I’m to this point still unsure what went wrong. I was following the signs for the boat dock but just did circles. It was frustrating with all the people on the boardwalk but at least the views were nice.
I finally found my way out and headed for the first entrance where the big waterfall is. I walked around that one for about an hour, making my hike about 4 hours in all, before I couldn’t take the crowds anymore. I hadn’t eaten all day and I didn’t take water on the first 3 hours of hiking so I had a headache and my anxiety was sky high. I just don’t do crowds. Maybe I’ll come back one day when it’s autumn and the crowds won’t be so bad.
My next stop was Split where I was going to buy tokens for my friends from HD, and I knocked out that 3 hour ride in one shot. I got the chips and ate next door at the restaurant the Harley salesman recommended. It was probably the best pasta I’ve ever had, if I’m to be humble about it.
I was supposed to meet up with someone so I delayed as long as I could waiting for her to reply. It got dark and she canceled on me, so I had 50 minutes of riding in the dark to a campsite on the river. It was a rafting launch point but everyone said it was free to camp. It was almost 10 when I got there, did the pain in the ads scouting in the dark, picked my spot, set up my hammock, and got ready to sleep. So many nights of sleeping on the ground had me very sore and I was on day 8 of no shower. I was sticky, had chaffing from the hike, sore from the ground, sore from riding so much... but all was better when I got into my hammock with breakfast waiting in my box for the morning.
Thursday August 29
People started arriving pretty early for rafting but none of them seemed to care about me. I was waiting for it to warm up enough to do a little bath in the river but by that point, there were too many people and it would’ve been awkward. So I packed up and got on my way.
The road to the coast was actually pretty gorgeous so I stopped for a few photos and then continued on to the road I would take inland. I made a stop for a bathroom, to exchange some euros into Bosnian marks, and to buy water with my left over Croatian kunas. While currency is cool and I like to collect it... Changing it so much is kind of a hassle. But I started towards Bosnia with a warm and sunny day, little traffic, and not a problem in sight. I noticed that the area reminded me of eastern Oregon, honestly. At one point I had a cop behind me so I went the speed limit and he tailgated me until I pulled over. Then he sped off and I got behind the line of cars and did the same. It was actually quite funny.
My cross into Bosnia was easy. The guard tried to say that the insurance wasn’t good because the paper was white and not green. But he didn’t make it an issue and stamped me thru. My first stop for the day was at Kravica waterfall and I got there around noon. It was pretty busy but not too bad. I bought my ticket and then used the train to go down because I’m lazy. Once at the waterfall, I found a corner to myself so I could catch up on my journal. There were restaurants and whatnot around but I was content to warm in the sun and cool in the waters of the waterfall. It was also my first bath in 9-10 days so it felt WONDERFUL.
Once I was done, I took the stair back up, bought some souvenirs, and continued towards Mostar. Mostar was like a city in a bowl and it was neat... And hot as hell. I kept going and took the mountains along a river towards Sarajevo where it was much cooler.
Due to social media issues I had to pay attention to, I stopped a lot to check my phone on gas station WiFi. It ended up killing most of my day and I didn’t get far. A stop at an old stone bridge in Konjic and then I made it to the 1984 Abandoned Olympic Hotel just before it got dark. Now that was one super cool place and I would’ve camped there if it hadn’t been for needing cell service. But I walked around, took photos, and marveled at the wasted structures built for the sports.
Once in Sarajevo I spent more time at a gas station for WiFi. It was dark and getting late so I found a parking lot near a gym for WiFi that I could sleep at. I went there and set up for the night.
The road to the coast was actually pretty gorgeous so I stopped for a few photos and then continued on to the road I would take inland. I made a stop for a bathroom, to exchange some euros into Bosnian marks, and to buy water with my left over Croatian kunas. While currency is cool and I like to collect it... Changing it so much is kind of a hassle. But I started towards Bosnia with a warm and sunny day, little traffic, and not a problem in sight. I noticed that the area reminded me of eastern Oregon, honestly. At one point I had a cop behind me so I went the speed limit and he tailgated me until I pulled over. Then he sped off and I got behind the line of cars and did the same. It was actually quite funny.
My cross into Bosnia was easy. The guard tried to say that the insurance wasn’t good because the paper was white and not green. But he didn’t make it an issue and stamped me thru. My first stop for the day was at Kravica waterfall and I got there around noon. It was pretty busy but not too bad. I bought my ticket and then used the train to go down because I’m lazy. Once at the waterfall, I found a corner to myself so I could catch up on my journal. There were restaurants and whatnot around but I was content to warm in the sun and cool in the waters of the waterfall. It was also my first bath in 9-10 days so it felt WONDERFUL.
Once I was done, I took the stair back up, bought some souvenirs, and continued towards Mostar. Mostar was like a city in a bowl and it was neat... And hot as hell. I kept going and took the mountains along a river towards Sarajevo where it was much cooler.
Due to social media issues I had to pay attention to, I stopped a lot to check my phone on gas station WiFi. It ended up killing most of my day and I didn’t get far. A stop at an old stone bridge in Konjic and then I made it to the 1984 Abandoned Olympic Hotel just before it got dark. Now that was one super cool place and I would’ve camped there if it hadn’t been for needing cell service. But I walked around, took photos, and marveled at the wasted structures built for the sports.
Once in Sarajevo I spent more time at a gas station for WiFi. It was dark and getting late so I found a parking lot near a gym for WiFi that I could sleep at. I went there and set up for the night.
Friday August 30
At 3:30am a cop lit me up with his headlights but didn’t bother me and eventually left. At 4:30 he showed up, backed in next to where I was, and stayed until 6am. I ended up going back to sleep and he didn’t care a bit about me I guess. It was interesting because the cops in America would’ve told me to beat it.
The day was pretty uneventful. I stopped for breakfast twice, the first was unable to speak English, but the second worked out. My ride was thru nice country side of Bosnia until Serbia when it turned into mostly flat farm land.
I stopped in Belgrade for poker chips for friends but they didn’t have any. But I enjoyed their AC for awhile before heading towards Kladovo.
It got dark and the riding got hard. I couldn’t see thru my windshield due to glare and there was a tremendous amount of bugs. I had it up when I took a bug to the eye. It was probably the worst thing ever and caused my eye to water heavily for about an hour. I was able to get it to stop enough that I could finish the last 15 minutes to the next parking lot I was going to sleep at. It continued to hurt and I couldn’t touch it all night. My vision would get blurry and it was a bit worrisome.
My stop was in Golubac, Serbia and I found a nice restaurant there to eat dinner. Then I found a spot in a dark corner to catch a few hours of sleep until the morning when I would finish the 2.5 hours to Kladovo where I would have a host for the night.
The day was pretty uneventful. I stopped for breakfast twice, the first was unable to speak English, but the second worked out. My ride was thru nice country side of Bosnia until Serbia when it turned into mostly flat farm land.
I stopped in Belgrade for poker chips for friends but they didn’t have any. But I enjoyed their AC for awhile before heading towards Kladovo.
It got dark and the riding got hard. I couldn’t see thru my windshield due to glare and there was a tremendous amount of bugs. I had it up when I took a bug to the eye. It was probably the worst thing ever and caused my eye to water heavily for about an hour. I was able to get it to stop enough that I could finish the last 15 minutes to the next parking lot I was going to sleep at. It continued to hurt and I couldn’t touch it all night. My vision would get blurry and it was a bit worrisome.
My stop was in Golubac, Serbia and I found a nice restaurant there to eat dinner. Then I found a spot in a dark corner to catch a few hours of sleep until the morning when I would finish the 2.5 hours to Kladovo where I would have a host for the night.
Saturday August 31
For the first time in a long while I was up before sunrise and got the chance to watch it rise over the Danube River. Then I started east towards Kladovo.
Stop one was just a picture of Golubac Fortress and stop two was a visit to the Lepenski Vis museum. I was there an hour before they opened so I napped on a picnic table until I was able to go in. I spent about an hour watching the video, looking at the artifacts, and checking out the reconstructed hut as the only person there. As it was time to go, a bus full of kids arrived so it ended up being good timing.
I continued to Kladovo where despite some issues with google not placing the address right, I found Saska, Dusan’s wife. They took me in, we had lunch, I did laundry, took a shower, and a nap while they were busy with a birthday party.
Come evening I left with Dusan’s brother (who I can’t for the life of me remember his name) to go to a Yugoslavia punk band show. After a stop at his house where I met his wonderful family, we went out for some beer, to have a Serbian hamburger, and meet with friends. We went to the biker clubhouse while waiting for the show to start and had a couple more beers, met a couple more people. Everyone was so nice and it was a lot of fun. The band was great, it reminded me of my teens when I hung out with the punks, and we stayed until about midnight. Then Saska and I walked home where I promptly passed out.
For the first time in a long while I was up before sunrise and got the chance to watch it rise over the Danube River. Then I started east towards Kladovo.
Stop one was just a picture of Golubac Fortress and stop two was a visit to the Lepenski Vis museum. I was there an hour before they opened so I napped on a picnic table until I was able to go in. I spent about an hour watching the video, looking at the artifacts, and checking out the reconstructed hut as the only person there. As it was time to go, a bus full of kids arrived so it ended up being good timing.
I continued to Kladovo where despite some issues with google not placing the address right, I found Saska, Dusan’s wife. They took me in, we had lunch, I did laundry, took a shower, and a nap while they were busy with a birthday party.
Come evening I left with Dusan’s brother (who I can’t for the life of me remember his name) to go to a Yugoslavia punk band show. After a stop at his house where I met his wonderful family, we went out for some beer, to have a Serbian hamburger, and meet with friends. We went to the biker clubhouse while waiting for the show to start and had a couple more beers, met a couple more people. Everyone was so nice and it was a lot of fun. The band was great, it reminded me of my teens when I hung out with the punks, and we stayed until about midnight. Then Saska and I walked home where I promptly passed out.