Please, please pave...

I started the day with back-pedaling for about 4 kilometers (uphill, of course) and then it was 8 more of hard climbing to the town of Marisel, where I found a beautifully furnished B&B, called Cabana Motilor, where I treated myself to yet another grandiose breakfast (no bed, just the second B). Ah, the downhill that followed...I think it was a road made for dinos, not for people with their bikes. I suffered, practically being on full brakes both sides, trying to dodge the "enemy", the rocks, stones, puddles and mud. It was such a nice sight to see Maghuri-Racatau with a nice, paved road, the fact that it rained did not even bother me.

You see, until now, I had rain on each and every day, but it was not longer than half an hour. Today, by the time I decided to put on my rain gear, it had already stopped. Hopefully it will stay like this (or get better...).

As I was cruising, I missed a turn to a road everyone told me to avoid...it was just 9 km's uphill to a monastery, but those 9 km's required two hours. From the summit, I could see the town of Cluj (Kolozsvar), right now I believe I won't be visiting the town.

Just to show how the people are: the handlebar of my bike needed some tape and an elderly woman tending her cow saw me fidgeting with it, went back to her house and got some tape to fix it...nice, eh?

Downhill was another story, it would have been sooo much fun cruising into the valley, but no, it was the same story with the rocks, etc.

I found a beautiful B&B in Valea Ierii, called Pensiunea Lara. It's absolutely worth Binging (in Hungarian: Googling) it. I made an early stop at 6 pm, as I was allowed to use the computer (which I am doing right now) plus they are washing all my clothes - so tomorrow I can start as a fresh man. All of this, plus b-fast, cost me Eur 50, which is very reasonable.

To sum up my first few days, it's been a blast. Some of my family and friends tried to steer me towards visiting other countries than Romania, but I have to say, I am really really glad to be here. I have yet to meet unfriendly people, irrespective if Hungarian or other origin. While quality of the roads cause me quite a few headaches, I have to say the nature is at par with Canada, Washington or Austria; and the price niveau is way more favorable. I have had two amazing breakfasts, great home-cooked lunch - what can I say more? That I am looking for the next many days. While I have not gotten very far from the Hungarian border (the straight way from Debrecen to Cluj is 220 km and I have been on the road for over 4 days), I have seen so much beauty and lots of interesting things...you get the point. It's time for me to sleep.