Through the Carpathian passes
Next day we get up at 6 am again. The road is wet and the wind is cold, but it is not raining. For the first time during this expedition we wear long sleeves. The pace is fast – the road is in good condition so we do not waste energy on bumps. Some sections of the road are being resurfaced. We reach Gura Humorului in 2 hours and 30 minutes. Then we head for Voronet. We cycle through villages with very nice houses. In Voronet, we visit a historic monastery (entrance fee RON 3, photo permit RON 10), registered at UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites. The building is beautiful indeed, covered with magnificent frescoes on the exterior, although many of them still need to be renovated. There are equally magnificent frescoes inside, as well as a gorgeous iconostasis. Obviously, there are omnipresent traders outside the monastery, but after all you do not have to buy anything. The Romania that we can see here is nothing like the Romania visualized by an average Pole. We stop for lunch at the right moment, barely avoiding a sudden cloudburst. Having passed Campulung Moldovenesc, we get an ovation and greetings from the crew of a rail trolley, who are repairing railway tracks. You cannot imagine what a boost of energy it was :-)
The rain caught us several times that day. Roadworks seem endless, but finally asphalt road appears – hmm, what a surprise! Just before cycling up Pasul Mestecanis, we put on the jackets because it starts spitting with rain. Just as we hop on the bikes the wind starts blowing. I say to myself: "Great, now the road should end". The moment I thought that, we notice another roadworks crew working just round the bend. It is getting dangerous since we are now on a gravel road and will not manage to cover the whole shuttle lane, before the cars from the other side are allowed to pass. Moreover, there is no hard shoulder to pull over. I am pedalling and swearing – how could they dig up the main road and make it so dangerous! We reach the pass angry, hungry and cold. We decide to stay for the night in a clean guesthouse (RON 100 for bed and breakfast). For the whole evening and night we are seeking thermal comfort – we got used to 35 degrees Centigrade or more, and suddenly the temperature is just 17 degrees. After supper we wash the bikes in the shower. We jump into the warm bed and fall asleep almost immediately. There is only one more thing occupying my mind: the fact that tomorrow, with the first press of the pedal, we are going to cycle downhill! Indeed – the morning is cold, but dressed in jackets, we feel the rush of air. Now I know that it is for moments like this that I struggle and suffer back pain :-(
The views from the pass are breathtaking – a road in the high mountains, covered in the billows of morning mist, as if you were somewhere above the clouds! Unfortunately, we lose the momentum quickly - roadworks again. In Mestecanis we take the turn off for the road No 18. The traffic dwindles. We cycle through very nice and interesting villages such as Ciocanesti. The next pass on our route is Pasul Prislop (1416 metres). We cycle uphill for almost half a day, only to ride downhill for an hour. The high mountains are covered with identical looking spruces, so we get the impression of looking at the patches of great horsetails. Over a distance of a few dozen kilometres it is peacefully quiet. Once in a while there is a car passing by, sometimes we pass a cottage by the brook, every now and then we see people transporting timber.
The rain caught us several times that day. Roadworks seem endless, but finally asphalt road appears – hmm, what a surprise! Just before cycling up Pasul Mestecanis, we put on the jackets because it starts spitting with rain. Just as we hop on the bikes the wind starts blowing. I say to myself: "Great, now the road should end". The moment I thought that, we notice another roadworks crew working just round the bend. It is getting dangerous since we are now on a gravel road and will not manage to cover the whole shuttle lane, before the cars from the other side are allowed to pass. Moreover, there is no hard shoulder to pull over. I am pedalling and swearing – how could they dig up the main road and make it so dangerous! We reach the pass angry, hungry and cold. We decide to stay for the night in a clean guesthouse (RON 100 for bed and breakfast). For the whole evening and night we are seeking thermal comfort – we got used to 35 degrees Centigrade or more, and suddenly the temperature is just 17 degrees. After supper we wash the bikes in the shower. We jump into the warm bed and fall asleep almost immediately. There is only one more thing occupying my mind: the fact that tomorrow, with the first press of the pedal, we are going to cycle downhill! Indeed – the morning is cold, but dressed in jackets, we feel the rush of air. Now I know that it is for moments like this that I struggle and suffer back pain :-(
The views from the pass are breathtaking – a road in the high mountains, covered in the billows of morning mist, as if you were somewhere above the clouds! Unfortunately, we lose the momentum quickly - roadworks again. In Mestecanis we take the turn off for the road No 18. The traffic dwindles. We cycle through very nice and interesting villages such as Ciocanesti. The next pass on our route is Pasul Prislop (1416 metres). We cycle uphill for almost half a day, only to ride downhill for an hour. The high mountains are covered with identical looking spruces, so we get the impression of looking at the patches of great horsetails. Over a distance of a few dozen kilometres it is peacefully quiet. Once in a while there is a car passing by, sometimes we pass a cottage by the brook, every now and then we see people transporting timber.
