Surviving and Getting Support

So many people asks me why I go alone. They say it is more dangerous, and I'll be lonely. Partly it is true, but since I'm on the way I met so many people, mostly friendly, smiling and helpful ones - and the list just getting longer.

After I left Debrecen I rode to Oradea. Passing the border I had a conversation with a man discussing all the roads around and the where-to-go's. So friendly he was! Later I had some "puliszka" in a restaurant, and of course the waiter was another expert of romanian roads. No question, they suggested opposite ways. Anyway, I took one of the killers, the E60. I had never met with this kind of heavy traffic. Imagine the most loaded highways but with only one line in one direction. Of course I was the only biker. Really quickly I learnt to recognise the voices of the different types of trucks. They came sometimes a few cms far from me with a speed of 70-80 km/h. This kind of cycling is defenately not for humans - don't try it at home!

Imagine Gergő between the truck and the fence

Once I thought I better jump off the road from a truck, on the dirt. This movement made a huge cut on the rear tyre. It didn't flat out, only there was a "bump" in it. I knew I had to find a new tyre. It began to darken and I could drive slowly. I asked an old lady at the side of the road selling fruits if there is a camp nearby. After a few minutes talk she invited me to their house. It turned out that her man was a huge bike fan. So I began my first lesson in the new sport of mine: Backyard Camping.

Backyard Camping

They invited me to dinner, to breakfast, and in the morning the man gave me a new tyre. Actually it was an old, but never used one. Perfect in my situation. So I didn't have to go back to Oradea to dig for a new tyre - it found me. After a little service I was ready to go.

I'll find a good tyre for you here!

I managed the rest (40) kms on E60. It was more then satisfying to leave this road and turn up to the mountains. Following a river called Iad I reached a huge lake, lake Lesu, where, again, asking an old woman if she knows a camp, immediately she invited me in (ok, this time we discussed I'll pay, but still it was not a camp!). So Backyard Camping is the way nowdays travellers go along. Try the Wild Backyard Camping, if you are brave enough!

Lesu