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Going to Romania
We still feel the effects of the yesterday's feast so we depart just before 1 pm. We reach the Romanian border in Costesti at 4:35 pm. We are very tired – for the most of the route we cycled uphill on dirt roads and against strong wind. We pass through the customs area in a few minutes and the officers wish us a safe journey.

Our first impressions of Romania were appalling. We cannot communicate with the locals since they only speak Romanian. Furthermore, in the nearest town we cannot find any grocery or bistro – only pubs. However, we are so hungry that we stay in one of them, ordering something to drink and eating some biscuits. Looking at this town, we are both convinced that Romania will be a big adventure. We can hear sounds of gypsy music from afar, while a pair of Romanian kids are trying to bum a few euro off us. Brrr…

Horse-drawn carts are a common sight on Romanian roads. Some of them even have number plates – just for a laugh. Unlike our first luxurious accommodation in Moldova, here we are forced to pitch the tent out in the open. Igor finds a good place, at the edge of the forest. We attach the bikes with the trailer to a tree trunk and set the bike alarm. Luckily, we managed to accumulate food and water supplies, so having washed a few "crucial body parts", we cover ourselves with the sleeping bags and fall asleep. We slept very well although my imagination was working full-time (Romania! Under canvas! They will rob and kill us...). In the morning we quickly pack up, eat breakfast and set off. We cycle in the gusty wind for the third day in a row. It is so strong, that riding on a flat road, my bike is slaloming – I cannot keep a straight line. In Stauceni village we have a decent meal at Andrea guesthouse – we were supposed to get here a day before.