to Negotin: into Serbia and our goodbyes to the Danube

May 19, 2015

Up early, we make it to the Romania-Serbia border only having to wait to enter Serbia...the guards were there having a coffee/cigarette break, and we figure the border must not officially open until 7:00. Not a good first impression of a country, but guard was friendly and we get our entry stamp to Serbia.

We will be cycling in Serbia for only 2 1/2 days, the first town we went through, we stopped to exchange money, Serbian money is a dinar, 100 dinar = 1 USD, a 2 liter bottle of coke costs 150 dinar ($1.50). We pick up part of the Eurovelo 6 Danube River route trail, then decide to follow the main road, until the final hill. The bike route would follow the Danube again, and nothing is better to a cyclists seeing a hill from a distance to reach the base of the hill to see that your route will avoid that hill! Until it doesn't. We ride on the bike route until a car stops and tells us "you must turn around and go back to the main road, it's not possible to get through ahead". So we backtrack to the main road, and climb the hill. It's getting hot, new to us so far on this trip, Rachel is riding for the first time in a short sleeve shirt.

Impressions of Romania:

1. We had heard from other cyclists the problem with the dogs of Romania, Patrick found a stick that he lashed to the bike frame. Most dogs were passive, or were behind fences, rarely did he use it...maybe the stick was to keep me cycling

2. A magical line seemed to be at Hunedoara, the roads improved, people were friendlier, there was a public drinking fountain

3.Drivers seemed to all have cell phones and cigarettes, and some aggressive but most gave us room

4. No smoking campaigns have not reached Romania, seemed everyone smoked. In restaurants the first thing served was an ashtray.

5. We started seeing wild roses, red poppies, vineyards gave way to orchards and lots of wheat fields.

6. Adopt a highway would be useful in Romania to pick up the trash along the roads

7. Each area/region would have a sign with Drum bun, "have a good trip" as we'd leave

8. Money is Lei, 1 lei = $0.25

9. Toilet seats are smaller and a different shape than the toilet bowl

10. Older Romanian women wore headscarves, sweaters, calf length skirts with an apron, leggings and some wore gum boots.

11. Most beer was Heineken, Carlsburg and Tuborg...though there was some local beers.

statue across the bay from Orsova. We're not sure about its purpose.

At the "iron gate". This is the dam where we cross the Danube from Romania into Serbia. The Romanian border guards do not let us take photos.

No such problem on the Serbia side. We take our photos, but then have to wait another 15 minutes in line before the guards are done with their coffee/smoke break.

Immediately we see the Eurovelo 6 route signs again. Since traffic is very light we choose to stay on the main road though.

Rachel spots a money change place in the first town we pass. We exchange some dollars for our two-day stay in Serbia.

With about 28 km to go to Negotin we decide to pick up the Eurovelo route which takes us along the Danube river. After about a kilometer a car coming the other way tells us the path is blocked by a landslide. We turn around.

On the outskirts of Negotin several of the guesthouses and restaurants are advertising for cyclists.

It was a hot day but a pool at our guesthouse makes things a lot better.

Maxi-burger in Negotin. We are craving burgers, but these are gut-bombs......

Today's ride: 85 km (53 miles)
Total: 2,824 km (1,754 miles)

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