diary Danube Trip 2008
In the spring of 2007 I traveled with my one kayak the Danube to Ruse in Bulgaria. In 2008, I'm doing on myself to discover the remaining portion of this great river from the boat. This time the trip will only go through Romania. Insertion point as I have chosen Giurgiu, because this city is just over the Ruse, the objective point of my last Travel.
pelicans in the Danube Delta
map of the Danube from Giurgiu and Sulina
(Google Maps)
Saturday 17. 5.
6.00 dismantled clock Leon exit thing with the car, packed with the kayak and my equipment. I have crossed the border to Hungary, I realize just because I have to buy the Hungarian motorway vignette. Then liquid carriers to Szeged. It follows a long traffic jam. Many trucks. Even the border crossing to Romania unproblematic. I also buy this toll road vignettes for two months: 16 €. The road to Comloşu Mic, in the Romanian Banat, where I will make a friend of my mother's middle station, is very bad. The local drivers race anyway. 16.30 Clock (Romanian time = GMT + 2), I'm coming.
Sunday 18 5.
I spend the day with the friends of my mother and I speak a bit with villagers of the German minority. My mother had moved after her marriage before the Second World War from the small town Jimbolia (Hatzfeld), (German name of the place was "Easter") in the eight miles north Comloşu Mic and held until their flight from the Russian front, lived here. Therefore, she knows almost all the people of the German minority, who still live here.
Monday 19 5.
Calafat drive to where I want to meet a friend who I met last year when I travel and the Danube paddle provided me with information about Bulgaria. Departure at 5:45 clock. The roads are sometimes extremely bad. Everywhere there are road works. At 13:00 clock to find a hotel in Calafat (Casa Italia). I have to clock 17.00 at the ferry, who are also cross the border is the opposite of Vidin in Bulgaria, where Katie lives, agreed the meeting with her. It is come over after work by ferry from Vidin. Shortly after 17:00 clock we meet at the border station at the ferry dock. We are looking for a restaurant by car somewhere on the Danube, but can not find one. Finally, we decide to have dinner in my hotel. We on fresh memories, tell us much about our families and are pleased that it worked with the meeting. Around 23.00 clock I bring them back to the ferry. On the ferry I do in the dead of night, nor a photo. Blitzen is forbidden to me by the border guards for some hidden reason, so I'm a long-time recording, which has even become something!
Tuesday 20. 5.
breakfast at the hotel at around 7.30 clock. Then start to Giurgiu. I enjoy the interesting ride on the streets parallel to the Danube, through many villages. In Giurgiu I have an address where I can park my car during the time of my paddle trip. It turns out that it is not easy to find. I finally succeeds with the help of two policemen who vering in her car in front of me. A relative of the old lady who owns the house, brings me to the boat and baggage to a tributary of the Danube. Since I've lost my sandals, he goes back again and bring me out of my car. Then we both forget that he gave me my car keys again returns. I paddle up to an island after the bridge, which I realized only later, one of Bulgaria. Illegal border crossing between two non-Schengen EU countries! Around 19:00 clock I'm lying because many Gelsenkirchen already in the tent. I send an sms to my wife so she knows that I am now on the water.
In Giurgiu I wanted to use so this year because last year I finished a canoe trip on the Danube Ruse exactly opposite this year and wants to "remaining" Danube explore by boat.
Wednesday 21 5.
start at 7.15 clock. Rast after 32 kilometers, where I change the pack order so that I can sit comfortably. Intermediate stop at River kilometer 434, in relation to a city of Bulgaria. At 15:00 clock, I think a nice, shady place on an island near river kilometer 426, in Olenţia. Before a thunderstorm, I can still build up my tent. At 16.45 clock I sit under the tarp. Outside, it trickles. No wind.
Thursday 22 5.
It rained all night. Now, 8.10 clock, it thunders still. In the tent, it is warm and pleasant. I listen on short wave to the Ö1 news from Austria. As the rain subsides I drive. In
river kilometer 400 I'm doing a Notcamp because of a thunderstorm. It is 12.45 clock and I would like to continue for now. 13.30 Clock the rain finally stopped, but it's come up a storm. Because the place is beautiful on the island, I decide to take a rest day, though the wind ceases to clock 15.30 and the sun comes out. I do personal care and recharge the batteries with the solar unit of mobile phone, GPS, camera. I am now down only about 25 kilometers. A walk on the giant sand I see my island, about two feet away from me a snake. It is about 25 cm long, 1 cm thick, with a head of about 2 cm in diameter. Gray-brown.
Friday 23 5.
Today I left at 8.00 for the first clock. The sky is overcast. At 11:30 I reach the clock Amount of Silistra, Bulgaria. The restaurant on the Romanian side, I've got water and had lunch. Very nice and friendly border officials. One wanted to give me his private mineral water that was not enough, because I need at least six liters. At 13:30 clock, I'm at river kilometer 356 on a sandbar break. Black clouds in the sky. I decide to proceed anyway, leading to a "standing bivouac" in bathing suit and jacket on an island during a violent thunderstorm, thirty minutes. I lean on a big pasture that is overgrown by a furry plant layer. In the storm, the willow moves easily, like a living creature. I feel properly protected. Then it goes on. Today I have targeted at least 60 miles, but drive only 59, because I find at River kilometer 335 a great campground. The Danube is very broad. There are always side-arms and islands, which it does not give me easy to get my bearings.
Saturday 24 5.
At 5:00 clock the sky is pretty much covered. The temperature is 18 degrees C. I will wait for the time being. The weather is developing well and finally I break at 6:10 on clock. Beautiful landscape. Shame I can not show my wife. As I pass in Raosva, I decide to buy food, what about wading through mud 100 yards from the village street means. I'm at 315th river kilometer Then, in Cernavoda, I drive by on a road and railway bridge. Here I see the towboat "Krems", which Austria and is flagged. Unfortunately, I do not see any crew. Would have been nice to meet fellow countrymen. Here I see the passenger ship A'Rosa with the German flag. Then there are small villages. Many people greet the shore. Once I cut a rowing boat with two men clearly from the road. The thing looks more threatening and not as a greeting. I drive past finally behind their boat and keep distance. I know I'm faster with my kayak to some as the great rowing boat. Probably wanted to chat only two, but they would start differently.
In a sand bank, which lends itself to a short rest, I have a special experience I ride the bow on the sand and get out into the shallow water. But there is no bottom! The sand gives way and I sink to the waist. Probably this would have gone even further. Panic I brace myself on the boat high and I manage to pull me back. Is the blowing sand? As a result, I test for sand beaches before disembarking always with the paddle, how far yields to the ground under the water and whether it contributes at all. When traveling, any useful experiences!
I campestris at river kilometer 268, after 67 trip odometer. Overall I am a 216 km road. According to my GPS is in average travel 8.1 km / h and the total travel section, without the overnight camp, 6.3 km / h. In the evening I washed the bow wave of the downstream passing A'Rosa most of my boat away. At 19.00 clock passes by a herd of cows and sniffed boat and tent, while I was listening to the evening Ö1 Journal on short wave.
Sunday 25 5.
Today I left at 6.15 clock. Beautiful weather. Later I pass the bridge "Vadu Oii, where on the left side of power in a now-abandoned cemetery an aunt, the sister of my Mother, is buried at the beginning of the 50-he was abducted years because of their affiliation to the German minority in Romania in the Baragansteppe. Then I drive past Stancuţa where Mari, the woman with whom I have lived in Comloşu Mic, while its spread has lived.
evening I was looking for 10 km to the campground. Whenever I have believed to have identified a suitable site was either busy (because Sunday?) Walked or not because of endless strip of mud etc.. Finally I found a fairly decent place. It is located about five kilometers away from a Roma camp. There are many free-ranging horses. Today I have a couple of times people friendly Greetings. But mostly I was "not even ignored. I am "spread" when I set up my camp in 61 days at 16.45 kilometers clock at river kilometer 207th A bigger storm is approaching. Great that the tent is already.
According GPS I've driven so far 275 km. 34.5 hours and 9.29 hours drive detent (not overnight camps). Section in the drive: 7.9 km / h.
Monday 26 5.
Today I left at 6:30 clock. Strong wind. At 9.00 I found a kind of clock port in the I travel because of high waves. It's sunny. I see a flock of sheep with dogs. On the shore, I make use the time for a late Breakfast and battery charging in the sun. I am waiting for a slowdown of the wind. Forced break. This morning, I startled when going out of the tent, a herd of horses behind the tent. In my "port" is a pumping station for irrigation. Workers have just started up the engines. In addition, grazing horses. The pumping station workers look suspiciously at me. I greet. One greets back, finally climbing into a rowing boat and holds up to me. He asks me where I come and show me on my map, where he is at home. He moves back and comes with a card, so I can write off his address. I take some photos of him, which I will send him. He is divorced and raising a child of six years. His ex-wife has gone to Italy.
To clock 10.00 I choose, the fight with the Wind resume. I did all day against the wind. Compared to the shipyard of Braila I discover a meadow on the right bank and decide to camp. GPS data: 309 km in total, down 33.91 today. Power km. approximately 175th First camp without access to mud or moist sand without ground for my tent.
Tuesday 27 5.
am Today I drove 53 km. Near the border with Ukraine is the Romanian border police on me, but I do not cut off the path, but polite and make turns at passport control. The police Leave my data in a book. As I am left
today at 6.15 clock, it was up to about 11.00 clock very cold. Then the sun came through. Today I drove by in two major cities with shipyards: Braila and Galati. Then I found a nice campground. Heller, very fine sand. Bathed, washed hair, shave. Feel like a new person when I'm sitting in swimming trunks in the cool shade. Today there were lots of friendly greetings. A fisherman would even give me a fish! Impressive are the deep-sea vessels since Braila. I pulled my boat far because of large waves. Total distance so far 362nd An Austrian ship, the part stone, passes by.
Wednesday 28 5.
I slept very well and I set off at 5:30 clock. Initially, there was sun, then only overcast sky. Again, control by border police. I must pass my own heart and not allowed to enter myself in her book. Very friendly and polite people.
Tulcea ago I was subject to an error that would have bad impact can. I think that is having to turn the lighthouse in the Sulinaarm. True but would previously been. Another border policeman comes with a boat to me and accusing me of the mistake. Then he ordered me to the strongest vortices I had just crossed over in the right direction. Ten minutes hard work against the current and expected strong eddies through me. Then I'm through and put on the right track. "
Tulcea is a relatively large city. I am also against hardly a way to pitch my tent. After the right-most city of Tulcea, I'm going to the left bank, because wind-black clouds. Two fishermen I meet are also of the opinion that there will be rain soon. I pitch my tent and clear my things from the boat over to the tent. is raised, the minute when I'm finished, and the cover on the boat, it starts pouring. Lucky.
am Today I drove 53 km. Total distance: 415 It is now 13.45 clock. My tent is a better tip, but in this weather much better than nothing.
Thursday 29 5.
The whole night was storm. Sometimes the rain. At 7.00 clock is still a strong wind blowing, but the sun comes out. I think I will go on.
The weather has improved. The entrance to the Sulinaarm looks puny. The arm is still as wide at the 100 meters. I drive past beautiful, tranquil villages. It is a lively boat and ship traffic. Hydrofoils make big waves, but no problem for my boat. Despite a GPS record I reach the drive towards "Mila 23" is not. But I discover a little further a wonderful campground. I wash my shirt, my lower and my trunks.
odometer 451st Today: run 37 km.
Friday 30 5.
departure at 6.00 clock. Beautiful day. I arrive at noon in Sulina. Total trip: 485 miles. Moving time 64.48 hours, rest time (no camp) for 15 hours and 16 minutes. Moving average 7.5 km / h. Overall averages 6.1 km / h
in Sulina, there is little berths. In part, this boats are in several rows. After a long search to find a staircase around the level of the old lighthouse at Mila zero. A boy helps me pull the boat out. A young police officer speaks to me and advised me to leave things unattended. He's there when I divide the boat. He speaks English as his brother, who works in London and is currently here on holiday. I ask him if I could leave my luggage with him until I brought my car to Tulcea. He agrees. When he picks me in the afternoon at the hotel, I know him not, because instead of a uniformed men in front of me stands a young man with sunglasses in casual wear. Afternoon he takes me on his motorbike to the beach and the old lighthouse, where I will visit a couple that I bring a small packet of Peter, a friend from Austria, has known Black Sea - the couple that 20 years earlier in a canoeing trip Austria. He then had his tent near the house opened this family and suffered terribly in a fish poisoning. The couple took care of touching him and nursed him back to health. As I had told my friend from the police before, the man who unfortunately died last year. I give the widow the small package and tell her about Peter. I let her back and a photo of Peter at that time the couple and shot himself. He has given me above all, so I "expel" in front of people, when I show up so unexpectedly. Then I make a visit with my friend the old lighthouse, now a museum, then a trip down to the water tower. The drinking water for Sulina comes from the Danube and processed consuming. On the bike ride greets the officer continuously to the left and right. He grew up here and knows everyone and anyone. Off operations, he was gone five years, but has always lived in Romania. Sulina has 5,000 inhabitants. The streets in town are up to a road along the quay rather lackluster. Even with the outside world, there is no road or rail link. It depends on the ship. My hydrofoil to Tulcea is tomorrow at 7:00 clock. The cop gives me his phone number and e-mail address. I pass it on to my wife via SMS. In Event that should happen to me on the way to my car, it's not bad if it knows where boats and equipment. In the evening I invite my new friend to dinner and we talk a little bit.
I will see him again a week later, after I arrived the next day in the morning with the hydrofoil to Tulcea and from there by bus to Bucharest. My luggage consists only of my small backpack with documents, spare underwear and Toilettsachen. I spend a few days in a hotel in Bucharest and move around then, again by bus, on to Giurgiu. After some searching I find the house that stands in the garden my car again. The Owner is surprised that I'm back so early. I get the key and I was finally on my releases another trip to Romania, this time held at Kiel, on wheels.
Now I though my car again, but my boat with luggage is still in Sulina. This has led to my first road north through a beautiful landscape in direction. I especially like the passages through villages where time has stood still seems to be, as I already experienced this on my trip to Giurgiu.
My path leads me to Fundata among others, a tiny town near Slobozia, where a small memorial for the many People have built with Romanian minorities in the 50 years he have been deported as slave labor in the Baragansteppe. There I remember my aunt, who is buried near the Vadu Oii, a place that I've already visited by boat. I also remember other relatives who had lived and toiled involuntarily, but in five years were allowed to return to their ancestral home in western Romania. Many of them had been previously deported to the Soviet Union had, where they - were interned for five years in labor camps - almost as reparation for the damage war Germany. They were the victims of a time that God is over you is long. Nevertheless, it is important do not forget them.
After this review of an ugly part of the recent history of Romania, it will slowly continue to Tulcea. Where the road ends for Sulina in the swamps of the Delta. I'm taking for two days for a hotel room, leave my car at the hotel parking lot and drive on the same day with a liner, a catamaran, on to Sulina. My friend, I have already agreed on sms, my boat with equipment that I would like to have again. He is waiting for me when I arrived and already we go eat together again. I still wander through the streets Sulinas and enjoy the dreamy life of this town, which been before the rise of Constanta, a city that connects through a channel at the level abbreviation of Bucharest, the Danube Delta long before the Black Sea, a major, multi-cultural hub was. Although there were no roads or railway to the interior, but it was the ocean-going vessels directly to the ports, by Brăilla. This is also the reason why the mileage information is removed from Braila of information in nautical miles. End, "Mila zero", mile zero, in Sulina. Mila is now zero, however, already far inland as the Danube anschwemmt continuously large amounts of new land. As I was told to count from zero with Mila "minus" to the actual Mouth further, that "mile minus one", etc. How much land here stranded, can be seen especially at the old lighthouse, which used to receive the estuary. There are quite a lot.
The next morning it goes on the catamaran with my boat disassembled back to Tulcea. At the landing of the catamaran I rent a taxi for me, that brings me to my heavy luggage to the hotel. There, I pack the boat and equipment in my car. Now we are united again Both: boat, car and me. And it was not as complicated as it may sound, perhaps: first car, boat and I to Giurgiu, then boat to Sulina and I, only I returned to Bucharest back to Giurgiu, then car and I to Tulcea, from there only after I Sulina, boat and then I go back to Tulcea, where I and the boat together with the car, so that it can go no further obligations into the blue.
Thus begins another journey through Romania, which brings me to major cities like Brasov and Sibiu, where I the Carpathians several times, once from east to west, then north to south and finally from south to north cross over before I go back to the west, moving toward the home of my ancestors, in the border triangle Romania / Serbia / Hungary. There, I also live this time to the friend of my mother, visit some friends and make me finally back on the road through Hungary home.
It was an interesting experience, the home of my ancestors and the people living there first to get on the stream and then to know on the streets.
photos from this trip can be found at the following links:
Danube Giurgiu Travel - Sulina 2008
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rainer_remsing/sets/72157605736216367/
Romania Trip 2008
http://www. flickr.com/photos/rainer_remsing/sets/72157605764168948 /
Village "Easter" (Comloşu Mic) in the Banat
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rainer_remsing/sets/72157605748249375/
