Huge flat country the second:

Well as you know from my first report I had big troubles with my left knee. Well it is still not ok, but it is getting better day by day, I need to go back to a daily kilometre value of 70-75 but if I will cancel the days of breaks I would be able to hold the average value of 70-75 km a day. I really was hoping that the right knee wouldn't get problems because of the more stress, well thank god it is ok till now. Well after I visited Budapest I left the town and was spending a hole day in my tent so my knee can relax. On this way I had a lot of time to think of for anything, hold my equipment in top condition, well and it still was getting boring. Although the Mosquitoes are punishing me very hard, because right now I didn't have a brown coloured skin, I am still pale white and so these bastards are really interested in biting me so it is why my feeds are looking like if they have a rush. Well and this begins to itch if its getting to warm under the sleeping pack. And so I tried hard to sleep as cool as possible and using the sleeping pack just as an blankness. In Hungary it was only getting very cold twice a time so I needed all two sleeping bags closed but in Romania I will also need them as you read below. So I decided to leave Hungary as fast as possible and so I was drawing a line on my map between Budapest and Battonya (which is an town next to the border to Rumania in the south east) and I tried to follow this line as good as possible on sideways to avoid all these Main roads, because of their Traffic. The country was getting flat and boring again beyond Budapest, at least there is more wood then before Budapest. Well for my knee it was still good that it was flat. On the roads I found two dead land turtles which could be a sign for a good water quality and functional environment. Here are also more ever glade areas where the animals like frogs, turtles and snakes can find good conditions for their population. Well I also come to the second biggest river in the country the so called Tisza which was costing me 20 km more way because the ferry, which should transfer me to the other river side cant drive because of floods. Well something like this can happen and I should expect something like this. And so I was forced to use the with traffic crowded main road which was bringing me by a bridge to the other riverside. But the next river should also cost me 40 km more way, also because of floods. I I was still driving the side roads and as I reached the village where I should get to the other riverside by bridge there were standing 2 police offices next to the roadside which let me pass the road, well then I saw a lot of white sand packs all around the road, so now I was thinking there is something wrong. 500 m along the road it was closed. A few people which were armed with shovels to fight against the upcoming flood have seen me. I was saying Hello (in English)! And then one of these people “Ahh You German German good” (he answered in German) and he was also telling me that the road is closed because of floods, well this simply should not be my day. I was thanking him for the Information he gave to me and so I was driving back around 10 km the road I was coming from, well just frustrating. It isn't needed that much rain in Hungary so the chaos is perfect. Because the country is so flat and here are hardly any hills the water just can expand the all these wide and flat areas. Well finally I reached the border to Romania on 04.March.2005. Well here in Hungary I leave back the good tasting Györi aokeries which are in the best vanilla biscuits I was eating since here. On the Border I was allowed to get ahead some cars which were standing in front of me. Well it seems that my bike and my packages looking too interesting for the officers here. Well they couldn't understand me as I told them that I want to go to Istanbul by bike and so I also have to go trough Romania. I didn't mentioned the longer Version with Singapure, because this is simple unbelievable for anybody, so I didn't mention it any more. On the Rumanian site of the border the same game, but now I also mentioned Iran, and so a mate of the officer which was controlling my passport data was imitating a machine gun and says it is too dangerous there. So I wanted to ask him if it is also that dangerous in Rumania, but I didn't ask him not make him angry and hold this question back for my own. Finally when I was ready to drive ahead another office was reading what was written on my T-Shirt and then every officer was shaking his head and had an strange smile on the face.

From thieves, mountains, country life and mud-wrestling:

When I reached Rumania I nearly was surprised of all the traffic like in Hungary when I was driving the first time on the main road. Well and on the first day in Rumania I was driving through Arad which is really ugly big town, and so my euphoria was broken down. Well the landscape was similar to the one in Hungary so far. Now I had the option between driving to the south and then along the Donau (river) where it will be still very flat, or to the east to the Transylvania Alps. Well because I am a mountain freak I decided to go to the Transylvania Alps also knowing that my knee isn't ok to 100%, but I will slide my bike all the way if there is no other way to go ahead the mountains. Well so I was driving to the east first so I reached Sebes, all the time I tried to use sideways which are mostly in a very bad condition with a lot of dirt, a lot of stones and holes on it. And if you see the villages where this roads get trough you really can see how poor Rumania still is. There are cows and horses running in the garden in front of the houses, and on Sunday the people are sitting in front of their garden and talking about god and the would, what ever because they have no other leisure time activities. Ok I also saw some people playing cards and the younger generation was playing football but nothing more. There is no cinema, no public bath or they have any computers with which they can play. So what else are they doing?! Well also the man made horse-drawn carriage are a class of its own. Normally it isn't allowed driving with this vehicles along the main roads, but this doesn't care an Rumanian farmer or an gypsite. And so there are always dangerous overtaking actions between Trucks and these vehicles. Well I get to the east where I wanted to drive over the highest Passes of the country (1678 m and 2145 m), which should get a total mess then and I really get frustrated. The road was marked as “road in bad condition” on my map but because of the wood transport these days and because it was raining the hole time this road was getting a mud track. Nevertheless I was driving 65 km and 1025 m (Height difference) up to Oasa (big lake in 1400 m above sea level) where I was told then, that I cant drive through the passes because there is still to much snow. I cant believe it, I was driving the hole day to come up here on a really shitty road and now I am told I have to drive back the same way back to the valley? Oh my god this cant be true, well why I wasn't asking in the valley if it is possible, it even was my fault indeed. So I decided to build up my tent anywhere in Oasa which lake is situated in the middle of the Transsilvanian Alps. Well it didn't make a sense so drive back to the valley today ,also I don't want to drive the shitty road again today. This night was getting very cold, around 5 °C I still wasn't used so far, so I had to use all two sleeping bags. The next day I was driving up to the pass because I cant believe that the pass in 1678 m cant be driven. But 200 m higher next to the height of the pass (1600m) and around 12 km before it I had no other option then giving up. There was 20 to 30 cm snow on the road, and this was simply impossible with a bike which has at least 45 kg with all the packages on it. So I had to take the bad road back to the valley, ohh my dear. Well but the nature here was worth to come over here. There are big woods which seems to be completely untouched and on some rocks there where paintings on which I was warned because of bears, wolves and other wild animals which you can’t find in Austria any more. Well I just saw a black Wolfe in lower regions crossing the road. I think because it is so cold over there the Bear is still holding its winter sleeking otherwise it would be a little dangerous sleeping with the tent under these trees. Well the street over here isn't more then a track trough the woods, well at least beyond Oasa there are no wood transports so the road was in better condition and there is no mud road any more. Well because of all these mud a few things were broken, a List of it you can find under the rubric “Break Downs”. This journey seems to be useless and was costing me 2 days but it also was a good training for the Tibet ıf I am able getting to it this year by reaching the right season. Well and it also was a little wildlife over there. Now I just wanted to drive as soon as possible to Bucuresti to get some spare parts over there. Well the problem was that the Service station of Magura wasn't having brake sockets for my Magura HS 33 on store and so I have to wait until i reach Istanbul where the next Service station is, well but they also had no brake sockets for me. I was driving from Sebes to Sibiu or as this town is also called Hermannstadt, which has been for me the first Rumanian town which can be compared to a modern western towns like we in Austria have. It is looking quiet clean good structured. Well I also didn't want to go any along along the side roads because these one are too bad in Rumania. Also the signing of these roads is very bad, so you often have to ask for the right way. I was following the main road number 7 along the river Olt down to Ramnicu Valecia and from here to Pitesti. Well beyond Pitesti the country is getting flat again so you pass all the high mountains. it is amazing how the river Olt find a way trough this mountains and how many time was needed for this. Well because the road was following the river I was able to make a lot of kilometres within a short time. As mentioned before the country is flat beyond Pitesti also there are no Hills left and so you are driving to the wide areas of Muntenias and later Campia Romana. Well another thing was really not easy to understand at first was the fact that Rumania has at least just one currency but there have been two similar looking banknotes with different values on it. There is a new and a old Lei. 1 new Lei is he same like 10000 old Lei, and so so always have to check which bank notes you have in your hand. So the 1 new Lei bank note is looking nearly like the old one, well it is a little smaller but the Signs on it are the same, only the value on it is different. The problem is in some super markets you are told the version for example 65000 Lei and in the other on you are told 6,5 Lei. At least you get a feeling in what is costing the stuff and so you also get used to it within a short time, but the first time it is confusing. Finally I reached the capital city Bucharest, which is a real big city with everything what makes out such a city. Here you could get nearly everything and all big companies and concerns have their trading points here. On my way trough the town, which I wanted to leave the same day as I was arriving, two young guys had stolen my mp3 player, and this by daylight. Well i was nerved because I cant find a suitable Internet coffee to update my Homepage and now this, what a mess.  Well it’s just the mp3 player I thought first, but it really was quiet expensive and also 1 Gb SD card was in the Player. So I tried to get back to the place where this crime happened the next day, to find these thief's and make with them a big deal which should be called “Money for the mp3 player”. Well I didn’t find them again but I am glad I have tried this although it was costing me a day so my coy was satisfied. Well from Bucharest it was just a short way to the Border and so I left Romania to Bulgaria on 18.05.2006.

No cash no music and even no water:

Arrived in Bulgaria I saw, that navigation will get harder for me over here, because there are a lot of smaller villages and way signs with the Russian writings on it, which I can’t read. Well so I was just comparing character by character to get to know who I am. On the first Day I was arriving in the small Village Tsar Kaloian and I still having no Bulgarian money so far I get to know Bulgarian hospitality. I just wanted to exchange money in the Bank over here, which wanted to exchange have Romanian money (Lei). Well, İ thought this isn't a problem because I also have some Dollars $. But then I was told that the Bank is closed for today, although I was standing in it. Ok it was 16:20, maybe these is beyond the normal opening times, but why is it still opened then? As I was asking for some water they show me a marked on the other street side. So I had to explain that I have no Bulgarian money to pay the water over there and so a women was taking a glass and was filling it in the basin. What the hell I thought I should do with just one glass of water? One mouth full for cooking the other one for washing and another one for drinking? Immediate I was catching my 2 x 1,5 litre bottles and so the ice was broken and all employee began to laugh. Well I still wasn't getting Leva, but a few guys were noticing what happened here invited me in the pub for some drinks and we were talking about god and the world because someone of there guys was speaking a little German. I Bulgaria I also found the first few mosques and the land was really amazing for me. All the time I was getting into a dialogue with friendly people and its interesting that a lot of people also speak a little German because they were working in Germany or Austria. And the people here are not so shy as in Hungary or Romania to get to know a stranger. Well on the way I was driving were hardly any mountains, just a few hills, but this was good for my knee. I was driving from Giurgio (town next to the Border from Romania) to Razgrad, Sumen, Aytos and finally Burgas. In Burgas I came to the black sea. Burgas is also a very beautiful and big city, which lives from the seafaring and trading over the black sea. Also a big refinery is situated next to the town. Here I also decided to take the shortest way though the country and so I wasn't taking the road down to the coast. Instead I decided for a side road trough the country where I found a really nice landscape with a lot of hills and forests, so it was the right decision. Well I miss this beautiful country, but I have to say that I have see to less mountains to be really interesting for me. Nevertheless I would like to see this country again! Well so I arrived to the Bulgarian - Turkish border on 22.05.2006.

Beautiful huge country:

On the Turkish border I needed to orientate, because this border wasn't the same compared to all the other borders so far. So I needed to order a visa first, which was costing me 20 $ for 2 month. So because I also was changing my left Bulgarian money into Turkish Lira the visa just was costing 30 Lira which is definitely cheaper then 20 $ and so I was able to reduce the bad exchanging value I was getting for my Bulgarian Money. On the border I also meet 2 German people on the way from Turkia to Bulgaria, making a Tour with their Motorcycles tough Europe. Well they take 4 days for 2000 km. Oh my god I thought now I see the difference between biking by bicycle and motorcycles. Well for 2000 km I need 26 days! Well as I said good bye to them and I finished the long lasting process on the border I was entering Turkey. Well with a week of delay I had to go to Ankara as fast as possible. But this wasn't easy because of the Turkish hospitality. All the time you get invited, well this is the point up to the i compared to the Bulgarian hospitality. The first town I was driving was Kirklareli, where I was warned by an Turkish men, not to build up my tent over here, because I could get killed here. Well what a shit I thought, because so I had to abolish my tent I was building up before. So I was driving a few kilometres wider where I found a shepherd standing with his cows on the pasture if I can place my tent over here, which wasn't a problem. The landscape here was much dry then in Bulgaria and so I noticed how wide I was coming to the south. There are also more and more thorn bushes, thistles on the grasslands. Its going to Saray (city) where I beet Marion Curnis (www.eurasiapc.com) with his specialised carrying system (see Pictures). It was going to Istanbul, where I finally want to come to the Asian part of Turkey. Istanbul is a incredible big city with a lot of mosques, markets and bazaars. Well I just was on the way thought this city cause I was in a hurry and I wont stay a night here. And so I just was visiting the grand bazaar, where you can buy anything from exotic sweets, carpets, leather mantles, hookahs and also spices simply everything. I also meet a Turkish speaking perfect German, because he was living a long time in Germany. And now he is working on the bazaar and showing some German people the town. He was giving me some tips if I buy some stuff on the Bazaar. And he shows me the bazaar a little bit. He also told me that it isn't good going though this city within one day, because there is so much to see. Whom is he telling this, I know that this is simply not enough for such a city. Finally I was lost in this town, because I thought I already crossed the Bosporus, which wasn't right. A Turkish men told me then how wrong I was and I simply cant believe it that if I crossed the Bosporus there are still 75 km to ride going out of the town. He also told me that I had to take the ferries, because the motorway bridge was closed for pedestrians cause there were a lot of suicides in urged times. And so the day goes by and I had to leave the town in the rush hour which was simply crazy. Also now Iam wondering myself to be able writing this report instead being dead because of a car accident. The first time I need my back light of my bike, because the sun was going down. I nearly wanted to take a expensive hotel so down I was. But then I saw a excavation pit next to the road where Mustafa Yavru a Turkish man was standing on it. I asked him if its possible to stay here for one night, which was no problem he said and he also helped me building up my tent. In the morning he invited me for breakfast, well a typical example for Turkish hospitality. If I get back home some day I also want to be like the Turkish people concerning hospitality. In another place I was allowed to build up my tent in their garden, and on the next morning I get fresh milk from the house cow with cheese and some bred. Anywhere else I was asking the same and I was invited to sleep in the house on a couch. Simply amazing, because a lot of there people were really poor and hand not that much. Well there is just one annoying thing on Turkish streets, everybody is honking the horn if they see you driving down the road. It is a friendly greeting I know, but if you have to put all your attention to the road, because there are some hole in it which you have to avoid, or there is glass on the street it is simply annoying. Well soon the Turkish highland was coming with a lot of mountains and so there will be more and more slide phases with my bike. Bolu (small city) also was on the high lands and on the way to Ankara I have to pass two passes with 1570 and 1100 m. The capital city of Turkey I reached on 31.05.2006. Here I will stay for a longer time because I had to organize visa for the following countries till China. And also a few things on the bike has to be repaired. In Ankara I found a quiet cheap hotel with a room without a window, toilette on the floor and no shower. Well but I was allowed to take the hole bike in my room which was really good, because so I didn't have to demount the packages on it. Well but in what I relly have to be used are the Turkish toilettes, which are simply a hole on the floor where you have to put down your shit. And there is no toilette paper, because Trukish People are washing their as with water and the left Hand. Well maybe this massage is good for your digestion I thought hehe :-). Well in better hotels there will be also the common European toilettes, but the the version with the holes in the floor are simply the most wide sprayed in Turkey. I have to practise this to get used in it. Well hopefully it has been interesting for you and I am still looking forward to the next one. It would be nice if you will be also with me the next time when “News from the Road 004”is out.

So far and kind regards from Ankara (Turkey)! 

Yours Carl Steiner